Friedrich Merz was expecting to have his chancellorship and coalition of the CDU/CSU/SPD waved through the Bundestag just now. Not so…
Merz also failed to get enough votes to become Chancellor – 310. You need 316…
The coalition has 328 votes in the Bundestag which means it’s unhappy families. No subsequent vote is expected to take place today…
UPDATE: Second vote going ahead now.
UPDATE II: Merz wins second vote and becomes German Chancellor. 325 votes, nine more than required threshold.
Sarah Pochin at Reform Scotland’s manifesto launch event: “I really wanted to come on in a Reform tartan burka, but apparently I wasn’t allowed… One day let’s do one of these events not live-streamed. We’ll do all the naughty stuff…”