Political news

• Foreign aid: UKIP calls for 80% cut in annual spending

  16-02-2017 23:26 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Only humanitarian and emergency projects should be continued, the party says.
  
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• Martin Rowson on Brexit and the supreme court – cartoon

  16-02-2017 21:25
  
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• Donald Trump Had The Most Extraordinary Press Conference Of His Life, Clearing A High Bar

  16-02-2017 21:15
  
  We’re calling it: Donald Trump gave the most insane press conference of his presidency, possibly in political history, on February 16, 2017.
  The president had already set the bar high but he outdid even himself when he blustered for more than an hour and insisted his chaotic administration was actually a “fine-tuned machine”.
  He goaded journalists, called Obamacare “a disaster”, said the 9th Circuit Court that upheld the stay on his Muslim ban was “in turmoil&
  
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• Brexit Britain’s Nato strategy is fatally flawed | Martin Kettle

  16-02-2017 20:56
  
  Theresa May wants to engage with our European neighbours to secure our defences, but her government’s most pressing policy is to shun themThe phrase, in different forms, is as familiar as any in politics. “The first duty of government is to protect the security of the country and its people.” All prime ministers of all parties say words of this kind. All of them mean it. And in most cases the words weigh on them, too, because however pompous they sometimes sound, they are true.
  
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• The Guardian view on Trump and Israel: casual, careless and dangerous | Editorial

  16-02-2017 20:44
  
  The US president’s ditching of the commitment to a two-state solution may not be part of a calculated strategy. That is all the more alarmingPerhaps the most alarming aspect of Donald Trump’s press conference with Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday was not, as it would have been with any other US president, his abandoned commitment to a two-state solution, but the casualness and carelessness with which he dropped it: his jocular tone, fumbling words and evident ignorance of the issue. &
  
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• Vauxhall talks in Paris yield thin job assurances

  16-02-2017 20:42
  Business secretary Greg Clark argues case for thousands employed at UK plants
  
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• Minister travels to Paris for talks on Vauxhall

  16-02-2017 20:42
  Business secretary Greg Clark to make case for thousands of UK jobs
  
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• Greg Clark travels to Paris for talks on Vauxhall

  16-02-2017 20:42
  Business secretary to make case for safeguarding thousands of jobs in UK
  
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• Donald Trump Says Russia Leaks Are 'Real' But News Is 'Fake' During Extraordinary News Conference

  16-02-2017 20:28
  
  Donald Trump has unleashed an extraordinary attack on the news media as he claimed leaks about his sacked national security adviser Michael Flynn were “absolutely real” - but the news was “fake”.
  The US President blasted broadcasters and newspapers as he was quizzed about Flynn’s phone call to a Russian diplomat that was not relayed to Vice President Mike Pence, saying he was “not happy” with how the information got out.
  Trump appeared annoyed with
  
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• Supreme court seeks new judges who will 'improve its diversity'

  16-02-2017 20:14
  
  Law society hopes court will better ‘reflect society’, as all of current panel are white and majority are privately educated men The supreme court began its search for three new judges on Thursday, seeking members who will “improve the diversity of the court”. Of the court’s 11 current members, 10 are men and all are white. Just two were not privately educated. On Thursday, the court’s president Lord Neuberger said he and his colleagues want that to change. &l
  
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• Arron Banks threatens to sue thinktank over 'pro-Russian actor' claim

  16-02-2017 20:09
  
  Ukip donor and Brexit backer says he is taking legal action against Atlantic Council over report entitled The Kremlin’s Trojan Horses Arron Banks, the Ukip donor, has threatened to sue a Washington-based thinktank and three Conservative MPs over claims he is a “pro-Russian actor”. The businessman, who helped bankroll the Brexit campaign, issued a press release saying he was taking legal proceedings against Atlantic Council over its report entitled The Kremlin’s Trojan Hor
  
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• Chancellor is an 'economic illiterate', claims pro-Brexit economist

  16-02-2017 19:48
  
  Free trade group lobbying against UK import tariffs slams Philip Hammond Brexit strategy as road to ‘self-harm’The chancellor, Philip Hammond, has been described as “economically illiterate” by the head of a group of economists lobbying for the UK to ditch tariffs and embrace free trade after Brexit.Related: Hammond threatens EU with aggressive tax changes after BrexitContinue reading...
  
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• Leaflet says Tory win in Copeland will 'cost mums their children'

  16-02-2017 19:43
  
  Handwritten letter from local mum urging Labour vote contains dire warnings about closure of local maternity servicesA graphic Labour pamphlet warns voters in Copeland that a Tory victory in the by-election will “cost mums their children” in an open letter aimed at highlighting the risks of NHS cuts in the constituency. The handwritten letter in support of Labour candidate Gillian Troughton, a St John ambulance driver and former hospital doctor, is from local mother Paula Townsley. T
  
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• Aslef members reject Southern rail deal

  16-02-2017 19:13 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Members of the train drivers' union rejected the deal by 54.1% to 45.9%.
  
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• Brexit Briefing: Lords Amendments, Canada Trade Deal And Champagne Price Rise

  16-02-2017 18:30
  
   
  If you’re reading this on the web, you can sign up for this briefing by clicking here, and you’ll receive it straight to your inbox every Thursday afternoon.
  1) The Lords Are Gearing Up For Some Hard Core Amendments To The Brexit Bill
  After last week’s Brexit drama in the Commons (well, Clive Lewis resigned) there was a calmer air in Westminster as MPs disappeared back to their constituencies for a week-long recess.
  The slight breather in the parliamentary process enable
  
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• John Bercow backed by MPs across Commons

  16-02-2017 18:16
  
  MPs from all parties support Speaker in amended motion after Tory backbencher’s effort to oust him over Trump commentsMPs from parties across the House of Commons, including Labour, the Conservatives, the SNP and Ukip, have signed an amendment backing the Speaker, John Bercow, to try to halt attempts by Tory backbenchers to remove him from office. Related: Donald Trump should not be allowed to speak in UK parliament, says SpeakerContinue reading...
  
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• 'That' Picture Of Theresa May Didn't Make Any Front Pages On Thursday

  16-02-2017 18:03
  
  Theresa May had a particularly awkward visit to Copeland on Wednesday to support the Tory by-election campaign, where she repeatedly refused to answer a question on cuts to a local hospital.
  The tone of her trip was caught perfectly in a couple of snaps taken at Captain Shaw’s CE Primary School in Bootle, Cumbria, where May appeared to react with horror to a child’s lego robot, and then with more horror to another child sitting on the other side of her.I see Theresa May met some chi
  
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• Donald Trump's Press Conference With Benjamin Netanyahu Explained (Sort Of)

  16-02-2017 17:56
  
  On Wednesday, Donald Trump hosted Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House and held a press conference that generated at least seven “WTAF” moments.
  Discussing the issues around one of the most volatile geo-political features of the modern world, Trump veered from policy to bragging, via large chunks of discourse that made little sense whatsoever.
  In an effort to understand what happened, HuffPost UK asked Dr Leslie Vinjamuri, of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies,&nb
  
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• Trump's Russia links, byelections preview and the Brexit bill – Politics Weekly podcast

  16-02-2017 17:16
  
  Rowena Mason is joined by Helen Pidd, Julian Coman and Alan Renwick to discuss the forthcoming byelections in the Labour-held seats of Copeland and Stoke-on-Trent. Plus Luke Harding on what we know about Donald Trump’s links with RussiaSubscribe and review: iTunes, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast & Stitcher and join the discussion on Facebook and TwitterParliament may be taking a week off, but politics goes on – and campaigning is intensifying in the Labour-held constituen
  
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• Boris Johnson says US agrees on need for caution over Russia

  16-02-2017 16:58 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson talks Russia at a G20 summit with President Trump's top diplomat.
  
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• 'Skunk death' of peer's son investigated by NHS

  16-02-2017 16:25 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Lord Monson says his addicted son killed himself days after no hospital bed could be found.
  
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• Ukip leader Paul Nuttall condemned for failing to attend hustings

  16-02-2017 15:42
  
  Nuttall gave just an hour’s notice that he was pulling out of event in Stoke, where he is contesting byelection next weekThe Ukip leader, Paul Nuttall, has been criticised for failing to turn up at a hustings in Stoke-on-Trent Central, the constituency where he is contesting next week’s byelection.Nuttall gave just an hour’s notice that he was pulling out of the event on Thursday that had been organised by business representatives in the area.Continue reading...
  
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• Fear and trembling in the digital age of Trump

  16-02-2017 15:28
  Therapists report a rise in anxiety as social media stoke a crisis mentality
  
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• 'Take diplomats who owe congestion charge to international court'

  16-02-2017 15:26 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Boris Johnson is urged to act against foreign embassies for £105m unpaid congestion charge.
  
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• Stoke byelection: Lib Dems alert police over text urging Muslims to vote Labour

  16-02-2017 15:23
  
  Labour says it doesn’t know who sent the text suggesting voters could go to hell if they helped elect Ukip’s Paul NuttallThe Lib Dems have alerted the police after messages sent to some Muslim voters in Stoke-on-Trent suggested they could go to hell if they failed to vote Labour to keep out Ukip’s Paul Nuttall.The anonymous message, distributed locally to some in the Muslim community by text and Whatsapp, called for people to vote Labour so as not to help “enemies of Isla
  
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• Hannah Blythyn: I'm proud to be one of the first openly gay AMs

  16-02-2017 15:05 via bbc.co.uk
  
  One of three gay politicians elected to the Welsh Assembly in 2016 speaks of the importance of role models.
  
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• Attacks on judges undermine law - Supreme Court president

  16-02-2017 14:43 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Lord Neuberger has accused some newspapers of undermining the rule of law in their coverage of Brexit.
  
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• Ardian head has faith in post-Brexit London

  16-02-2017 14:21
  Private equity group’s founder says ‘French people are less financially minded’
  
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• Once more unto the breach, Blair

  16-02-2017 14:06
  Former PM is one of the few Remain politicians to stand up for what he believes in
  
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• Countdown to Article 50

  16-02-2017 14:06
  Brexit secretary is right to be confident about timetable to get bill through Lords
  
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• Child sexual abuse: Agencies to get £40m funding boost

  16-02-2017 13:58 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Ministers pledge extra resources for tackling online exploitation and helping trafficked children.
  
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• Job ad change to help AM's brother discussed with assembly

  16-02-2017 13:09 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A UKIP AM discussed with an assembly official how an advert for a job in her office could be changed to help her brother get an interview for the post.
  
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• Socialist MEPs' leader: MPs who defied Corbyn on Brexit were 'correct'

  16-02-2017 12:07
  
  Gianni Pittella, who leads centre-left group in Brussels, says he also wishes that Labour leader were ‘more European’The leader of the socialist group in the European parliament has criticised Jeremy Corbyn’s decision to whip his MPs to support the article 50 bill, lamenting that the Labour leader is not “more European”.Ahead of a meeting next week with Corbyn in London, Gianni Pittella, who leads the second largest group in the European parliament, the Progressive
  
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• ONS figures show UK spending less on alcohol and tobacco

  16-02-2017 12:05 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Families in the UK are spending less on cigarettes and alcohol, but more in restaurants, figures show.
  
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• Gibraltar voted 96% Remain – but now Brexit makes it vulnerable to Spanish aggression

  16-02-2017 11:13
  
  The Rock has been thrown into chaos by the Brexit vote and now faces serious challenges facing down a hostile neighbour.
  
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• Neuberger attacks ‘enemies of the people’ criticism

  16-02-2017 11:11
  UK Supreme Court head rejects political scrutiny of judicial appointments
  
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• Supreme court president: politicians too slow to defend judges after Brexit case

  16-02-2017 10:25
  
  Lord Neuberger says some of vitriol aimed at judges after they ruled against the government ‘undermined rule of law’Britain’s top judge has spoken out about media attacks on the judiciary and the failure of politicians to stand up for judges after the Brexit court challenge.Lord Neuberger, the president of the supreme court, said some of the vitriol directed at the high court judges after they ruled against the government in November was “undermining the rule of law&rdquo
  
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• The Waugh Zone February 16, 2017

  16-02-2017 09:33
  
  The five things you need to know on Thursday, February 16…1) DUCK AND COVER
  The Cold War advice to school kids in event of a nuclear attack was famously, and ludicrously, to ‘duck and cover’. In the Copeland by-election, where the nuclear industry is the biggest employer, both Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn have been ducking and diving in the face of questions about big local issues.
  Yesterday, the PM took a 700-mile trip to the Labour constituency and it exposed her flaws as
  
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• UK steps in to plug science funding gap

  16-02-2017 06:03
  
  Spending on R&D has lagged behind the rest of the OECD countries
  
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• Self-funding care residents subsidise council places

  16-02-2017 06:01
  Room costs at least £600 a week but local authorities pay £486, study shows
  
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• Is it a tax refund — or a fake HMRC email?

  16-02-2017 06:00
  Taxpayers warned to watch out for phishing emails, scam texts and phone calls
  
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• Church of England's rejection of gay marriage report welcomed

  16-02-2017 05:51 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Campaigners say the lack of clergy support for the CoE's report was a 'victory for love and equality'.
  
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• They said what?

  16-02-2017 02:13 via bbc.co.uk
  
  What is the best way to counter the rise of the fake political quote?
  
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• UK Supreme Court head warns on political scrutiny of judges

  16-02-2017 01:04
  With three seats falling vacant, Neuberger questions benefit of parliamentary hearings
  
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• UK Supreme Court head warns on Brexit judge attacks

  16-02-2017 01:04
  Neuberger says vitriol after Article 50 ruling ‘undoubtedly went over the top’
  
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• One In Ten Parents Say The UK's 'Broken' Rental Market Harms Their Children, Report Finds

  16-02-2017 01:02
  
  One in ten parents say stressful house moves caused by the UK’s insecure housing market harm their children, according to research by charity Shelter.
  Nearly half the parents surveyed in the report worried they would have to change schools as a result of a future move, and one in ten said insecure renting also damaged family relationships.
  The number of families who rent has more than doubled in the last decade, but renters only have a secure home for six months, after which landlords can
  
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• More Than A Million Elderly People Are Left Without The Care They Need, Age UK Finds

  16-02-2017 01:02
  
  More than a million elderly people do not get the care they need, a hike of almost 20 percent in the last year, a report from charity Age UK has found.
  The report, ‘The Health and Care of Older People In England 2017’, said spending cuts and rising demand had left social care in “a state of collapse”.
  Nearly 1.2 million - one in eight of those aged over 65 - live with an unmet care need, while nearly two-thirds of older carers themselves have a disability or health
  
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• More Than A Million Elderly People Are Left Without Care They Need, Age UK Finds

  16-02-2017 01:02
  
  More than a million elderly people do not get the care they need, a hike of almost 20 percent in the last year, a report from charity Age UK has found.
  The report, ‘The Health and Care of Older People In England 2017’, said spending cuts and rising demand had left social care in “a state of collapse”.
  Nearly 1.2 million - one in eight of those aged over 65 - live with an unmet care need, while nearly two-thirds of older carers themselves have a disability or health
  
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• Paul Nuttall's Website Is 'Offline For Maintenance'

  16-02-2017 00:03
  
  The official website of under-fire Ukip leader Paul Nuttall has been taken down for “scheduled maintenance” amid the controversy of his Hillsborough claims.
  The site was where it was suggested the MEP had “lost personal friends” in the Hillsborough football disaster, a claim he revealed to Radio City in Liverpool this week was “wrong”.Current status of Paul Nuttall's website https://t.co/YJB8uaFsuI pic.twitter.com/boIauMvhfX— Graeme Demianyk (@GraemeDem
  
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• Paul Nuttall's Error-Ridden Website Taken Down For 'Scheduled Maintenance'

  16-02-2017 00:03
  
  The official website of under-fire Ukip leader Paul Nuttall has been taken down for “scheduled maintenance” amid the controversy of his Hillsborough claims.
  The site was where it was suggested the MEP had “lost personal friends” in the Hillsborough football disaster, a claim he revealed to Radio City in Liverpool this week was “wrong”.Current status of Paul Nuttall's website https://t.co/YJB8uaFsuI pic.twitter.com/boIauMvhfX— Graeme Demianyk (@GraemeDem
  
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