Political news

• Melania Trump Keeps Refusing To Hold Donald's Tiny Hand

  23-05-2017 23:46
  
  Only yesterday a clip of Melania Trump appearing to swat away the hand of the President bagged Haaretz a whopping 80,000 retweets.Well this is embarassing https://t.co/XaPL1AbCm5 pic.twitter.com/mumhuQHDFz— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) May 22, 2017
  Now, if we were being kind we could surmise that perhaps it was a bit of playful ribbing, or maybe the First Lady had a bit of a clammy hand seeing as Israel is rather warm this time of year.
  But it’s happened again. Just watch.Trump and Mela
  
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• Manchester attack: PM condemns 'sickening, cowardly' act

  23-05-2017 23:13 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Party leaders condemn the Manchester attack and suspend the general election campaign.
  
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• Theresa May Says Military Poised To Patrol Streets As Terror Threat Level Raised To Critical

  23-05-2017 23:06
  
  Britain has raised the terror threat level from severe to critical for first time since 2007 in the aftermath of the Manchester attack, Theresa May has said.
  It is the first time the threat level has been raised to its highest since 2007. In an address to the nation, the Prime Minister said the increased threat level will see Operation Temperer enacted, which will mean up to 5,000 troops could be called on to take over armed police patrol duties under police command.
  It is possible tha
  
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• Operation Temperer: Theresa May Says Military Poised To Patrol Streets As UK Terror Threat Level Raised To Critical

  23-05-2017 23:06
  
  Britain has raised the terror threat level from severe to critical for first time since 2007 in the aftermath of the Manchester attack, Theresa May has said.
  It is the first time the threat level has been raised to its highest since 2007. In an address to the nation, the Prime Minister said the increased threat level will see Operation Temperer enacted, which will mean up to 5,000 troops could be called on to take over armed police patrol duties under police command.
  It is possible tha
  
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• Steve Bell on the Manchester Arena attack – cartoon

  23-05-2017 22:48 via theguardian.com
  
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• 'Extremists Cannot Win' - Dad Gives Harrowing Account Of Manchester Attack

  23-05-2017 21:41
  
  A couple caught up in the Manchester attack told of the harrowing moment they helped a badly injured teenager while desperately searching for their own two daughters.
  Phil and Kim Dick were just 30 yards away from the explosion in the arena foyer at the end of the Ariana Grande concert on Monday night, they told Channel 4 News.
  The couple had become separated from their children and were frantically trying to get in touch with them when they came across 14-year-old Freya, who had suffered serio
  
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• The Guardian view on Brazilian corruption: the public deserve a voice | Editorial

  23-05-2017 20:16 via theguardian.com
  
  The explosive allegations faced by Brazil’s president Michel Temer are just the latest manifestation of a sprawling scandal. A quick political fix will not solve the problems“I will not resign. Oust me if you want,” Michel Temer said this week. Brazilians would like to take the president at his word. After three years of political turmoil and public disgust, the “Carwash” investigation into corruption that involved some of the country’s biggest companies and a
  
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• Theresa May leads condemnation of 'cowardly' Manchester attack

  23-05-2017 20:01 via theguardian.com
  
  Prime minister promises to bring attackers to justice as political parties agree to suspend general election campaigning• What we know so far
  • Full reportLeaders of all the main political parties have spoken of their horror at the attack on Manchester Arena and praised the work of the emergency services after the decision to suspend national political campaigning until at least Thursday. Related: Manchester Arena bombing: thousands gather for vigil at Albert Square – latest upda
  
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• UK Election Countdown: Britain grieves for Manchester

  23-05-2017 19:57
  16 days to go: terror’s wicked purpose will not prevail
  
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• If London subsidises the rest of the UK, where does that leave Scotland? | Nils Pratley

  23-05-2017 19:38 via theguardian.com
  
  ONS regional breakdown of taxes and spending highlights Brexit threat – and clouds case for Scottish independenceIt hardly counts as news that the UK is really two economies but here are the hard numbers to demonstrate the point. London, the south-east and the east of England recorded net fiscal surpluses in 2016 – in order words, tax receipts exceeded public spending on a per-head basis. The rest of the UK was in deficit, says the Office for National Statistics in its first such reg
  
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• Smaller parties in the 2017 general election

  23-05-2017 18:02 via bbc.co.uk
  
  BBC2's Daily Politics hears from some of the less mainstream parties about their policies.
  
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• London economy subsidises rest of UK, ONS figures show

  23-05-2017 17:45 via theguardian.com
  
  Breakdown of public finances shows how taxes and public spending are used to narrow north-south divideLondon’s thriving economy generates a £26.5bn surplus that is recycled by the government to provide financial help to Britain’s less well-off regions, according to an official breakdown of the public finances.The first attempt by the Office for National Statistics to break down the UK’s budget deficit by region has demonstrated the importance of the capital and highlighte
  
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• It’s no easy job to capture the nation’s mood, but the PM did it well | John Crace

  23-05-2017 17:43 via theguardian.com
  
  When Theresa May spoke after the Manchester bombing, her sadness was touched with an edge of real anger, a feeling shared by everyone present There were many who wouldn’t have got much sleep on Monday night and Theresa May was one of them. The prime minister looked haunted, slightly diminished even, as she walked out of Downing Street to address the media. The previous evening she had been a mere party leader campaigning hard to keep her job; now she was having to act as the voice of the c
  
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• General election 2017: One million under-25s apply to vote

  23-05-2017 17:25 via bbc.co.uk
  
  More people aged 25 and under have tried to register to vote - including 246,487 on deadline day.
  
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• The rule of law applies to everyone. Even Manchester hate peddlers like Katie Hopkins | Hugh Muir

  23-05-2017 17:16 via theguardian.com
  
  Politicians have responded to the atrocity with the usual words. But if we really want unity, our laws of incitement should be applied thoroughlyNow we have seen enough horror and atrocity to recognise what comes after: the bewilderment, the shock and anguish – and then, in the cold light of day, the attempt to make sense of the senseless by way of context and community leadership.By this morning, Manchester’s leaders and community figures were seeking to react, grasping for the righ
  
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• Tories' £5m donations boost before May called snap general election

  23-05-2017 15:43 via theguardian.com
  
  Party received £5.46m from January to March, more than twice the £2.65m given to Labour, official figures showThe Conservatives received a huge boost in donations in the three months before Theresa May called a surprise general election, according to figures published by the Electoral Commission. The party received £5.46m from January to March this year, more than twice the £2.65m given to Labour. Continue reading...
  
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• Unions say Tories' zero-hours workers' review doesn't go far enough

  23-05-2017 15:38 via theguardian.com
  
  Review of contracts and gig economy expected to argue that new rules are needed but unions say proposals are weakUnions have expressed anger at the proposal that workers on zero-hours contracts should be the given the right to request guaranteed hours, saying it does not go far enough.A government-commissioned review into employment practices is expected to make the recommendation next month. Matthew Taylor, the chief executive of the Royal Society of Arts, who is leading the review into insecur
  
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• Britain’s delusion on keeping EU agencies

  23-05-2017 14:43
  European officials will find it impossible to see how EMA and EBA can stay in UK
  
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• The economy is stagnant because people fear for the future | Robert Shiller

  23-05-2017 14:35 via theguardian.com
  
  Consumers are reluctant to spend because of new technologies that could eventually replace many or most of their jobsSince the “Great Recession” of 2007-09, the world’s major central banks have kept short-term interest rates at near-zero levels. In the United States, even after the Federal Reserve’s recent increases, short-term rates remain below 1%, and long-term interest rates on major government bonds are similarly low. Moreover, major central banks have supported mark
  
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• Theresa May must do more than just say she’s not Jeremy Corbyn | Gaby Hinsliff

  23-05-2017 14:05 via theguardian.com
  
  May has risen to become prime minister without facing a public vote. Her Andrew Neil interview, hot on a manifesto U-turn, shows it’s time she spelled out who she isOnce upon a time, there was an unelected prime minister who rose into the job at least partly through sheer force of personality. This leader faced no real contest, because there frankly didn’t seem much point; there was only one obvious grownup in the room, whose record seemed to speak for itself. It was only after sever
  
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• Guide to the parties taking part in general election 2017

  23-05-2017 13:23 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Here's a guide to the political parties and where published, their manifestos.
  
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• Manchester attack: Jeremy Corbyn on 'traumatic time'

  23-05-2017 13:14 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn urges solidarity after the Manchester attack.
  
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• Nicola Sturgeon condemns 'callous' Manchester attack

  23-05-2017 13:10 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Nicola Sturgeon says the attack in Manchester is "callous in its targeting of children and young people enjoying a music event".
  
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• Theresa May’s U-turn is a chance to rethink social care | David Brindle

  23-05-2017 13:00 via theguardian.com
  
  The swiftly introduced cap on care liability underlines the need for a green paper that deals with the quality of care, not just the costWere it not so serious, the Conservatives’ remarkably ham-fisted approach to deciding how we should pay for care and support in our old age would win high marks for entertainment value. How did they miss the signs warning: “Danger – quicksand”? Related: Theresa May ditches manifesto plan with 'dementia tax' U-turnContinue reading...
  
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• Campaign suspended – Election Daily podcast

  23-05-2017 12:55 via theguardian.com
  
  Following the terrorist attack in Manchester, campaigning in the general election has been suspended – and so has this podcast. Jonathan Freedland and Owen Jones will be back soonMessage from Jonathan Freedland and Owen Jones:Today we were due to present another edition of the Election Daily podcast. But, as we’re sure you can imagine, it doesn’t feel like a day to talk politics. Because of the terrorist attack in Manchester, all the political parties have suspended their elect
  
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• Theresa May condemns ‘sickening cowardice’ of Manchester bombing

  23-05-2017 12:52
  UK election campaigning suspended after suicide attack
  
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• Survivors recount moment the Manchester Arena bomber struck

  23-05-2017 12:48
  Young fans and their parents tell of shock and panic after explosion
  
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• Tories Take More Than Twice As Much As Labour In Donations In Just Three Months

  23-05-2017 12:23
  
  The Tories accepted more than twice as much as Labour in donations during the first three months of the year, new figures show.
  The two main parties collected nearly £5.5 million and just over £2.6 million respectively from January 1 to March 31 2017.  
  Labour’s biggest cash donations unsurprisingly came from trade unions Unite, USDAW and UNISON, while the Tories took more from individuals, with one - business Michael Davis, who previously contributed £30,000 to The
  
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• Manchester Bombing: Theresa May Condemns 'Sickening Cowardice' Of Attack

  23-05-2017 12:17
  
  Theresa May has condemned the “sickening cowardice” of the suicide bombing in Manchester.
  Speaking in Downing Street on Tuesday morning, the prime minister said it was “now beyond doubt that the people of Manchester and of this country have fallen called victim to a callous terrorist attack”.
  “We struggle to comprehend the warped and twisted mind that sees a room packed with your children not as a scene to cherish - but an opportunity for carnage,” she said.
  M
  
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• Police focus on whether Manchester bomber acted alone

  23-05-2017 11:55
  No organisation has claimed responsibility but radical jihadism seen as most likely cause
  
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• Donald Trump Says Manchester Bombing Carried Out By 'Evil Losers'

  23-05-2017 10:30
  
  #ManchesterAttack victims "murdered by evil losers": says @realDonaldTrump, expressing "absolute solidarity" with the UK pic.twitter.com/Iu8vlhZy5f— Sky News (@SkyNews) May 23, 2017
  Donald Trump has said the people responsible for the suicide bombing in Manchester are “evil losers”.
  The President of the United States said he stood in “absolute solidarity” with the people of the United Kingdom on a “horrible morning of death”.At least 22 people have
  
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• The Waugh Zone May 23, 2017

  23-05-2017 09:55
  
  The five things you need to know on Tuesday, May 23…1) MURDER IN MANCHESTER
  The full horror of the terrorist attack in Manchester emerged this morning as police confirmed 22 people had been killed and 59 injured at the Ariana Grande concert. It’s a fast-moving situation, but it’s clear that the murderer deliberately targeted an event packed with teenagers and children.All political campaigning for the general election has been halted, and it could be days before it resumes. Th
  
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• Sir Paul Judge, businessman and entrepreneur, 1949-2017

  23-05-2017 09:50
  Business school founder had a taste for politics and public service
  
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• Manchester attacks: Kindness amid the horror

  23-05-2017 09:46
  
  The terrorists want to spread hatred and fear. Here, we collect messages of warmth, decency and solidarity.
  
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• Manchester Bombing 'Act Of Evil', Says City's Mayor Andy Burnham

  23-05-2017 09:45
  
  "This was an evil act" says @MayorofGM @AndyBurnhamGM on the #ManchesterAttack. He says "we are grieving but we are strong" pic.twitter.com/XGYjV6tbYC— Sky News (@SkyNews) May 23, 2017
  Andy Burnham has condemned the suicide bombing in Manchester as an “evil act”.
  The city’s mayor praised the emergency services and said the “spirit of Manchester that will prevail”.
  At least 22 people have been killed and a further 59 injured after an attacker struck an Ariana
  
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• For young people, Labour’s tuition fees pledge is a real game-changer | Eli Aldridge

  23-05-2017 09:30 via theguardian.com
  
  As an 18-year-old Labour candidate, I know our policy to lift the debt burden off students has politicised my generation, and electrified the campaignIt can sometimes be hard as an 18-year-old trying to get your friends interested in politics. It’s an occupational hazard for me, an A-level student standing as a Labour candidate in this election. But our brilliant manifesto has made my job a lot easier, and I have lost count of the number of people who have stopped me to talk about our pled
  
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• A progressive alliance is an idea whose time has come | Neal Lawson

  23-05-2017 09:00 via theguardian.com
  
  In an increasingly complex world, no one party has a monopoly on wisdom. People at the grassroots understand this – now the parties need to catch upAs the polls narrow, the Tories attack the idea of a progressive alliance and the possibility of coalition government because they know these could deny them their landslide. In the long term they fear a progressive realignment breaking their stranglehold on office and power. They are right to be scared because while on the surface all for them
  
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• 'No One Is Talking About Brexit' Lib Dems Struggle In Former Stronghold As Key Policy Falls Flat

  23-05-2017 08:01
  
  “Brexit is barely mentioned on the doorstep.”
  Not the words Lib Dem leader Tim Farron wants to hear from one of his candidates in the run up to the election, but Sir Bob Russell is known for speaking as he finds.
  The former Colchester MP – famous for his colourful waistcoats – is fighting to regain the seat he lost in 2015.
  But he is encountering a problem that many of his colleagues are also facing: the party’s flagship policy of promising a second referendum on B
  
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• Brexit weekly briefing: 'dementia tax' debacle sidelines divorce talks

  23-05-2017 08:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Theresa May wobbles over social care plans as it is announced that long-awaited Brexit talks will begin 10 days after electionWelcome to the Guardian’s weekly Brexit briefing, a summary of developments as the UK heads towards the EU door marked “exit”. If you’d like to receive it as a weekly early morning email, please sign up here.You can listen to our latest Brexit Means podcast, updated every Wednesday, here. And with the general election under way in the UK, you can a
  
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• The Snap: election campaign suspended after Manchester explosion

  23-05-2017 07:31 via theguardian.com
  
  Prime minister will chair emergency Cobra meeting following suspected terrorist attack that has left 19 people dead and 50 injuredThe Snap: sign up for our daily election emailWith campaigning in the general election suspended in the wake of the suspected terror attack in Manchester, this morning’s Snap will not follow its usual format, but will point you in the direction of the day’s unfolding news.For the latest from Manchester: Continue reading...
  
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• Labour MP disowns leader in fight for Blair’s seat

  23-05-2017 06:03
  ‘People don’t like Corbyn, I don’t like Corbyn,’ says Phil Wilson
  
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• Defending Labour candidate disowns leader in fight for Blair seat

  23-05-2017 06:03
  ‘People don’t like Corbyn, I don’t like Corbyn,’ says incumbent Phil Wilson
  
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• General election campaigning suspended after Manchester attack

  23-05-2017 05:17 via theguardian.com
  
  PM and other political leaders including Tim Farron, Jeremy Corbyn and Nicola Sturgeon unite to condemn incident• Manchester Arena attack – latest updates Theresa May and the leaders of other political parties have suspended campaigning for the general election following the terrorist attack in Manchester, which has killed at least 22 people.The prime minister, who had been due to attend a campaign event in south-west England, instead chaired a meeting of the government’s emerge
  
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• Conservative social care funding cap: Theresa May defends changes

  23-05-2017 00:03 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The PM says her plans will prevent the system from collapse after U-turn over cap on care costs.
  
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