Political news

• MPs Think Theresa May Timed Election As Distraction From Expenses Scandal

  18-04-2017 22:35
  
  Labour Party, SNP and Ukip politicians have claimed Theresa May has used the ‘snap’ general election as cover for the brewing Conservative expenses scandal.
  The allegation from a series of MPs came as Channel 4 News reported the Crown Prosecution Service is considering charges against more than 30 individuals in relation to over-spending in the 2015 election. They are thought to include MPs and agents.BREAKING: The CPS have told Channel 4 News tonight that they are considering charge
  
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• Labour MP: "I will not countenance ever voting to make Corbyn prime minister"

  18-04-2017 22:26
  
  Blairite MP John Woodcock says he "will not countenance ever voting to make Jeremy Corbyn Britain's prime minister"
  
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• Useful side-effect?

  18-04-2017 22:12 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The election will help the Conservatives put behind the embarrassment of the expenses affair.
  
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• Poll suggests voters back Theresa May U-turn - as it happened

  18-04-2017 22:02 via theguardian.com
  
  Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen continues in our new liveblog:General election 2017: May confirms no TV debates with leaders ahead of vote – politics live 8.07pm BSTGuardian political correspondent Peter Walker has this on former prime minister Tony Blair’s reaction to the election announcement:Theresa May has decided on a snap general election because she wants to secure a big parliamentary majority before the full consequences of Brexit bec
  
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• Labour's Jess Phillips Says 'Snap' General Election Shows Westminster Doesn't Understand People

  18-04-2017 21:23
  
  Labour MP Jess Phillips has criticised the “political opportunism” fuelling Theresa May’s decision to call a snap general election and suggested it is baffling voters.
  The MP for the marginal Birmingham Yardley seat said she stood in 2015 as “someone who came from outside” Westminister and argued she cannot see how the next vote would make life “clearer, more stable and more secure”.
  Speaking in the Commons during an emergency session following the Prime
  
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• May's real reason for calling election? To show EU that Brexit really means Brexit | Patrick Wintour

  18-04-2017 21:07 via theguardian.com
  PM’s decision aims to dispel the lingering belief in Europe that Britain will change its mind about leaving the EUOf the many reasons Theresa May supplied for calling a general election, the Conservative leader provided one particularly important one. She believes she still needs to convince her European counterparts that Brexit does indeed mean Brexit.A Brexit mandate, delivering a large Conservative Commons majority, would sweep away the last hope that that the UK’s referendum deci
  
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• May calls snap poll to strengthen Brexit hand

  18-04-2017 20:15
  Sterling climbs on expectation of bigger Tory majority and ‘softer’ EU exit
  
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• Strong pound hits FTSE 100 on softer Brexit bet

  18-04-2017 20:09
  Downward trend reversed amid belief May’s hand strengthened against Eurosceptics
  
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• The Waugh Zone: Snap Election Special

  18-04-2017 20:06
  
  The five things you need to know about May's snap decision…1) DON’T CALL ME MAYBE
  Whatever happened to ‘Theresa Maybe’? This was supposed to be an indecisive Prime Minister, an overly cautious ditherer who doesn’t even know her own mind, as The Economist famously claimed last year.
  Well, as she delivered her general election announcement in the bright spring sunshine on the steps of Downing Street, Theresa Mary May proved she can be both bold and surprising. She&r
  
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• The calculations that led Theresa May to call an early UK election

  18-04-2017 19:21
  Conservative party hopes to win three-figure majority at ballot box
  
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• EU citizens in UK face health insurance hurdle

  18-04-2017 19:07
  Students and the financially ‘self-sufficient’ risk falling foul of European rules
  
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• An enfeebled Labour leaves the centre ground up for grabs

  18-04-2017 19:02
  Nowhere is it written that the party must be one of Britain’s two main political forces
  
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• Six sub-plots in the snap UK general election

  18-04-2017 18:50
  Will Osborne stand, can Ukip win a seat and will there be TV debates?
  
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• Six questions about the snap election

  18-04-2017 18:50
  June contest raise fresh queries for Labour, Lib Dems, SNP, Ukip and George Osborne
  
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• May can now secure her mandate on Europe

  18-04-2017 18:46
  Hopes of a reversal or dilution of last year’s referendum are definitively dashed
  
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• May takes Scotland gamble in calling UK election

  18-04-2017 18:44
  SNP is likely to win another landslide victory, but risks remain
  
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• General election raises fresh questions for Labour

  18-04-2017 18:43
  
  Corbyn supporters say they are ‘up for it’ while opponents fear electoral disaster
  
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• Does Brenda from Bristol have the best reaction to the election news? - video

  18-04-2017 18:43 via theguardian.com
  Meet Brenda from Bristol. She’s gone viral after being interviewed by the BBC’s Jon Kay on the morning of the announcement of the snap election. In a surprise statement outside Downing Street on Tuesday morning, the prime minister claimed that opposition parties were jeopardising her government’s preparations for BrexitMay’s election U-turn: the times she ruled out a snap vote - videoContinue reading...
  
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• What does it all mean?

  18-04-2017 18:42 via bbc.co.uk
  
  We answer your questions after Theresa May announced a surprise general election on 8 June.
  
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• May’s election call is right for Brexit Britain

  18-04-2017 18:28
  The prime minister needs flexibility to secure a sensible settlement
  
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• Jeremy Corbyn To Oppose Automatic Reselection Of Labour MPs For General Election 2017, Sources Claim.

  18-04-2017 18:24
  
  Jeremy Corbyn is set to oppose moves to automatically allow sitting Labour MPs to contest a 2017 general election, party sources have told HuffPost UK.
  The Labour leader is expected to argue on Wednesday that every one of the party’s MPs who wants to stand for Westminster should first go through a “trigger ballot” process approved by their local party.
  Some members of Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) want the automatic reselection of every MP as officia
  
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• Jeremy Corbyn Forced To Drop Opposition To Automatic Reselection Of Labour MPs For General Election 2017.

  18-04-2017 18:24
  
  Jeremy Corbyn will be forced to automatically allow sitting Labour MPs to contest a 2017 general election, party sources have told HuffPost UK.
  The Labour leader had been expected to argue on Wednesday that every one of the party’s MPs who wants to stand for Westminster should first go through a “trigger ballot” process approved by their local party.
  But members of Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) saw the idea as a distraction and preferred the automati
  
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• Polls revealed moment that was too good for May to miss

  18-04-2017 18:15
  Huge lead over Labour and Ukip implosion created chance to strengthen hand in Brexit talks
  
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• UK’s Lib Dems pin election hopes on pro-EU image

  18-04-2017 18:14
  It is a sign of confidence that ex-ministers such as Vince Cable intend to stand
  
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• Hammond warns state’s RBS stake could be sold at a loss

  18-04-2017 18:05
  Chancellor admits for first time that ‘fair value’ may be lower than 502p price paid
  
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• UK election: rocket from the crypt

  18-04-2017 17:49
  Thatcher’s 1987 market euphoria was extinguished by Black Monday
  
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• Why is the UK holding a general election?

  18-04-2017 17:48
  Guide to the planned June 2017 vote
  
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• Q&A: Why is the UK holding a general election?

  18-04-2017 17:48
  Guide to the planned June 2017 vote
  
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• General Election 2017: Theresa May Accused Of 'Dodging' Live TV Debates

  18-04-2017 17:39
  
  Theresa May will not take part in any live televised election debates, the Conservative Party has said.
  Jeremy Corbyn accused the prime minister of “dodging” a head-to-head fight during the coming campaign.
  Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said broadcasters had a “moral duty” to hold debates and should empty chair May if she refused to take part.If this #GeneralElection is about leadership, as Theresa May said this morning, she should not be dodging head-to-head TV debates.&mda
  
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• Arron Banks Confirms He Will Run Against Douglas Carswell In Clacton At General Election

  18-04-2017 17:20
  
  A long-running bust-up between two ex-Ukip heavyweights will come to a head now a snap general election is due to be held on June 8.
  Millionaire insurance tycoon Arron Banks, who ran the Leave.EU campaign and donated six figure sums to Ukip, has confirmed he will run against Douglas Carswell.
  Both were senior Ukip figures but quit the party in recent months. 
  But after Theresa May confirmed today she would hold a general election in just six weeks, Banks suggested he could patch up his dif
  
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• May seeks mandate to deliver Brexit on her own terms

  18-04-2017 16:18
  Increased majority would help PM to manage politically tricky transitional deal
  
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• May calls snap election to tighten grip on Brexit

  18-04-2017 15:55
  Increased majority would help PM to manage politically tricky transitional deal
  
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• Lib Dems Claim Huge Membership Surge After Theresa May's Election Announcement

  18-04-2017 15:42
  
  The Lib Dems say their opposition to Brexit has driven a surge in their membership in the hours after Theresa May called a snap election.
  The party went from 59 to eight MPs in its wipeout two years ago and is polling at just 12%.
  But  it says its unambigious opposition to Brexit is winning its new support ahead of the next election, with more than 2,000 people joining in just three hours.
  The election is widely expected to return the Tories to power with a much larger majority, as Labour
  
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• How are you voting in the UK's general election?

  18-04-2017 15:36 via theguardian.com
  
  We want to hear from readers across Britain as Britain builds up to its second general election in two years
  Theresa May has called for a general election in June, citing parliamentary opposition to Brexit as justification for her decision. Related: Theresa May's call for a snap election – your questions answeredContinue reading...
  
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• General Election 2017: Theresa May Made Decision On Snap Poll During Walking Holiday In Wales

  18-04-2017 15:35
  
  Theresa May has revealed she made the decision to seek an early general election while on a walking holiday in Wales with her husband last week.
  The prime minister surprised Westminster on Tuesday morning by announcing she would ask parliament to allow her to go to the country on June 8.
  In an interview with ITV News, May denied her decision to u-turn on her previous pledge not to hold a snap election was a cynical move to exploit the Tory poll lead over Labour.Theresa May tells @Peston she cha
  
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• Watchdog puts Brexit planning at top of to-do list

  18-04-2017 15:14
  FCA going through EU rules ‘page-by-page’ to see which can be copied into UK law
  
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• Theresa May seeks snap election to take UK through Brexit

  18-04-2017 15:02
  PM argues poll is ‘a one-off chance to get this done’ before EU talks begin in earnest
  
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• Pound leaps as investors bet election means softer Brexit

  18-04-2017 14:57
  Downward trend reversed amid belief May’s hand strengthened against Eurosceptics
  
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• General Election 2017: Brenda From Bristol Speaks For The Nation

  18-04-2017 14:54
  
  The nation was left stunned by Theresa May’s surprise announcement that she would be seeking a general election to be held on 8 June - and none more so that Brenda from Bristol.
  After a turbulent 2016 saw the UK vote to leave the European Union by a majority of 52%, Brits could have been forgiven for hoping for a quiet year.
  So when Brenda heard the news, her reaction was fairly understandable:"NOT ANOTHER ONE!"Watch Brenda's reaction when I tell her that the PM wants a General Election. S
  
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• May hopes to easily clear parliamentary hurdle for election

  18-04-2017 14:40
  Fixed-Term Parliaments Act meant to reduce prime ministers’ power to call snap polls
  
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• The EU’s assumptions about UK election

  18-04-2017 14:34
  If May strengthens hand, Europe will be more determined to prevent ‘cherry-picking’
  
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• General election 2017: No! 'Larry the cat is not dead'

  18-04-2017 14:34 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Find out what's buzzing in the social media world today.
  
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• General Election Odds And Polls Revealed As Theresa May Announces June 8 Vote

  18-04-2017 14:26
  
  The odds and polls show Jeremy Corbyn has a mountain to climb for Labour to successfully battle the Tories in the June 8 snap general election. 
  Latest polling figures only 23% of voters would back Labour in the next election. 
  A YouGov survey showed Corbyn’s party had sunk to one of its lowest points on Monday - just 24 hours before Theresa May announced the surprise election to be held on June 8. Two further polls over the weekend put Labour on 25% to the T
  
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• UK general election 2017 poll tracker

  18-04-2017 14:19
  FT poll of polls shows Conservatives’ lead
  
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• 'I welcome the opportunity': Jeremy Corbyn on 8 June general election – video

  18-04-2017 14:11 via theguardian.com
  
  The leader of the Labour party Jeremy Corbyn says he welcomes the opportunity of a general election on 8 June. Asked if he’s the next prime minister he said: ‘if we win the election, yes. I want to lead a government that transforms this country and brings real hope to everybody.’ UK prime minister calls general election for 8 June – full video statementContinue reading...
  
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• General election 2017: Theresa May says opposition to Brexit plan behind decision - Politics live

  18-04-2017 14:02 via theguardian.com
  
  Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happenTheresa May calls general election for 8 JuneMay’s statement - Full text 1.02pm BSTThe SNP’s Mhairi Black, the youngest MP elected to parliament in more than 350 years, has confirmed she will be standing in the election after threatening to stand down because she hates Westminster.Black tweeted that the vote was a opportunity to reject the Conservatives’ agenda. I will be standing again in GE. This is our
  
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• May has called a snap general election. Our writers respond | Zoe Williams, Matthew d’Ancona, Martin Kettle, Sonia Sodha, Simon Jenkins, Ruth Wishart

  18-04-2017 14:01 via theguardian.com
  
  The prime minister goes to the country on 8 June hoping to strengthen the Conservative majority. What happens next? Continue reading...
  
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• General Election 2017: All Theresa May's Repeated Denials Of A Snap Election In One Handy List

  18-04-2017 14:01
  
  Theresa May has said she wants to hold a general election on 8 June this year - despite repeatedly saying she would not call a snap election.
  In a speech on the steps of Downing Street on Tuesday morning, the prime minister said an election was needed to “secure the strong and stable leadership the country needs to see us through Brexit and beyond”.
  She added: “We need a general election and we need one now.”The move was branded “an extraordinary U-turn” by Ni
  
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• Nicola Sturgeon: June election is huge miscalculation

  18-04-2017 13:58 via theguardian.com
  
  First minister says Theresa May wants to move UK further to the right and Scotland needs to be protected from the Tories• Theresa May announces UK general election - liveNicola Sturgeon has accused Theresa May of using the snap general election as a chance to “move the UK to the right” and force through deeper spending cuts.Sturgeon said the prime minister’s decision was a “huge political miscalculation” because it would give voters a fresh chance to reject Con
  
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• Theresa May calls for UK general election on 8 June

  18-04-2017 13:53 via theguardian.com
  
  Prime minister makes surprise announcement outside No 10, saying she has delivered stability after the Brexit referendum result• Theresa May announces UK general election - liveTheresa May has said she wants to hold a snap general election on 8 June, despite repeatedly claiming that she was against the idea of an early vote. In a surprise statement outside Downing Street on Tuesday morning, the prime minister claimed that opposition parties were jeopardising her government’s preparati
  
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