Political news

• Shadow cabinet: Smith returns as Corbyn reshuffles top team

  14-06-2017 23:11 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Ex-leadership contender Owen Smith returns to the shadow cabinet as key figures retain their roles.
  
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• Corbyn reshuffle: Owen Smith joins shadow cabinet

  14-06-2017 22:42
  
  Former Labour leadership rival becomes shadow Northern Ireland secretary in one of four new appointments as most frontbenchers retain jobsJeremy Corbyn has appointed Owen Smith, his rival in last summer’s bitter leadership contest, to be the shadow Northern Ireland secretary in a light-touch Labour reshuffle that left key loyalists in place.Smith, who was an adviser to the Northern Ireland secretary, Paul Murphy, in the last Labour government, challenged Corbyn after the mass walkout from
  
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• Tim Farron resigns: fresh-faced Lib Dem hampered by his faith

  14-06-2017 22:05
  
  Untarnished by the coalition, leader never recovered from questions over his beliefs and attitude to gay sex and abortionTim Farron’s leadership signalled a change of direction for the party after the Liberal Democrats were almost annihilated in the 2015 general election, but his reputation never surmounted questions over his conservative Christian beliefs.An enthusiastic orator who came from the party’s left, Farron was popular with the membership for his gag-filled rallying speeche
  
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• Hammond poised to challenge May over Brexit priorities

  14-06-2017 22:03
  Chancellor to reassert authority after arguments and humiliation at hands of No 10
  
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• Former Fire Minister Jim Fitzpatrick On Grenfell Tower Fire: 'Finger Is Pointing At Government'

  14-06-2017 21:17
  
  A former fire minister and firefighter has declared that “the finger is pointing at Government” over the Grenfell Tower blaze in west London.
  Labour MP Jim Fitzpatrick told HuffPost UK that ministers had been warned about the need to upgrade housing safety regulations but had spent the past four years saying “yeah, yeah, we’ll do it”.
  Fitzpatrick, who chairs the Commons All-Party Group on Fire Safety and Rescue, said that Grenfell Tower and 4,000 similar blocks aro
  
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• Labour appoint Lesley Laird as shadow Scottish Secretary

  14-06-2017 20:52 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The party chooses the new MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, Lesley Laird, for the position.
  
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• Grenfell Tower: Government Pledges Emergency Checks On High Rises

  14-06-2017 20:42
  
  Checks are to be carried out on tower blocks going through similar refurbishment to Grenfell Tower, policing and fire minister Nick Hurd has said.
  With the Government facing huge criticism over failing to update fire regulations, the Tory minister said the move was designed to provide reassurance to people living in other buildings in the wake of the blaze at the west London tower block.
  Twelve 12 people are so far confirmed to have died with the death toll expected to rise.Angry residents have
  
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• Grenfell Tower Fire: Theresa May Promises 'Proper Investigation'

  14-06-2017 20:42
  
  Prime Minister Theresa May said there will be a “proper investigation” following the Grenfell Tower fire, adding: “If there are any lessons to be learned they will be, and action will be taken.”
  It follows policing and fire minister Nick Hurd announcing checks are to be carried out on tower blocks going through similar refurbishment to Grenfell Tower.
  With the Government facing huge criticism over failing to update fire regulations, the May moved to provide reassurance in
  
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• Gordon Brown Successor Lesley Laird Given Shadow Cabinet Post In Labour Reshuffle

  14-06-2017 20:36
  
  The newly-elected Labour MP in Gordon Brown’s former seat has been appointed Shadow Scottish Secretary. 
  Former Fife Council deputy leader Lesley Laird wrestled power from the SNP’s Roger Mullin in Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, the ex-PM’s constituency.
  Jeremy Corbyn announced her appointment as Shadow Secretary of State on Wednesday, along with that of former leadership rival Owen Smith, who will return to the frontbench to take over the Northern Ireland brief. 
  Scottis
  
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• May’s stubborn refusal to read the runes on Brexit

  14-06-2017 20:12
  Britain’s prime minister lacks legitimacy to stick to a hard-line course
  
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• Tim Farron resigns as leader of the Liberal Democrats

  14-06-2017 20:05
  Clashes between politics and Christian faith cited as reason for standing down
  
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• Tim Farron Quits As Lib Dem Leader: His Statement In Full

  14-06-2017 19:35
  
  Tim Farron has stood down as leader of the Liberal Democrats.
  The Westmorland and Lonsdale MP said he found it “impossible” to continue as Lib Dem leader while “living as a faithful Christian”.
  In a statement to staff at his party’s headquarters, he said: “I seem to be the subject of suspicion because of what I believe and who my faith is in.
  “In which case we are kidding ourselves if we think we yet live in a tolerant, liberal society.
  “That&rsquo
  
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• Tim Farron Quits As Lib Dem Leader

  14-06-2017 19:35
  
  Tim Farron has stood down as leader of the Liberal Democrats.
  It comes just hours after he set the wheels in motion for a deputy leadership contest for Parliamentary party.
  “In the last parliament we didn’t have any women in our parliamentary party and we didn’t feel it was right to elect a deputy in those circumstances. But I wanted to revive the role as it gives the party another powerful voice and has helped give prominence to many of our notable MPs, including Ming Campbel
  
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• Michael Gove Under Pressure To Match EU Climate Change Targets After Brexit

  14-06-2017 19:23
  
  Newly-appointed environment secretary Michael Gove should make sure the UK matches EU climate change targets after Brexit, a Green MEP has said. 
  Molly Scott Cato, who had hoped to become the Greens’ second MP at the election and currently represents the South West and Gibraltar in the European Parliament, said Gove should show commitment to his new role by making sure the UK matches or betters EU targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
  MEPs were due to vote on Wednesday on the
  
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• UK plans ‘very generous’ offer to 3m EU citizens

  14-06-2017 19:15
  Brexit talks opening gambit with Davis reported angry at talk of chaos in department
  
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• Nick Timothy says Tory campaign was a 'failure'

  14-06-2017 19:03 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Theresa May's former aide says other top Conservatives should have played more of a role in election.
  
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• No deal with the DUP is better than a bad deal for the Tories

  14-06-2017 18:51
  Theresa May must beware of tarnishing her party’s image, writes Sebastian Payne
  
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• Labour demands answers over Grenfell Tower fire tragedy

  14-06-2017 18:40 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Jeremy Corbyn leads calls for answers over sprinkler systems and provision of safety equipment.
  
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• Sturgeon says speculation about her plans for a referendum is 'nonsense'

  14-06-2017 18:36 via bbc.co.uk
  
  In a series of tweets, the first minister says she will set out her plans after "talking to people across the SNP".
  
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• Theresa May: 10 reasons why the PM blew her majority

  14-06-2017 18:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Theories abound about how Theresa May threw away her Commons majority in last week's general election - here are 10 of them.
  
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• How she lost it

  14-06-2017 18:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Theories abound about how Theresa May threw away her Commons majority in last week's general election - here are 10 of them.
  
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• Paddick quits Lib Dem frontbench over Tim Farron's 'views'

  14-06-2017 17:36 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The ex-policeman cites concerns over leader Tim Farron's "views on various issues" for his exit.
  
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• Jeremy Corbyn demands to know contents of Tory-DUP deal

  14-06-2017 17:35 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Labour leader wants a date for the Queen's Speech saying "it was the very least we need to know".
  
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• Yes, the Grenfell Tower fire is political - to suggest otherwise does the victims a disservice

  14-06-2017 17:01
  
  Some tragedies are unavoidably political and this is one of them
  
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• Ian Blackford MP elected SNP Westminster leader

  14-06-2017 16:47 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber takes over from Angus Robertson who lost his seat at the election.
  
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• Britain First Provoke Muslims Helping Grenfell Fire Families Outside East London Mosque

  14-06-2017 16:45
  
  Britain First today posted an angry video claiming it had been “ABUSED” outside the East London Mosque for the “heinous crime of standing on a British pavement and filming” - despite clear evidence to the contrary. 
  Leader, Paul Golding, recorded a five minute diatribe from a car as they left the scene, claiming if they had stayed any longer they would have been “physically attacked”.He says: “We’ve just gone into the Whitechapel area of Londo
  
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• Brian Paddick, Lib Dem Home Affairs Spokesman, Quits Over Tim Farron's 'Views'

  14-06-2017 16:37
  
  Brian Paddick has quit as Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman citing “concerns” about Tim Farron’s views on “various issues”.
  Lord Paddick, the former senior Metropolitan Police officer and Lib Dem London mayoral candidate, announced the move this afternoon on Twitter.I've resigned as @LibDems Shadow Home Secretary over concerns about the leader's views on various issues that were highlighted during GE17.— Brian Paddick (@brianpaddick) June 14, 2017
  Lord
  
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• London Fire: Grenfell Tower Disaster 'Unimaginable And Horrific', Says John Bercow

  14-06-2017 16:24
  
  John Bercow has offered his condolences for the “unimaginable and horrific” fire which engulfed Grenfell Tower in west London today.
  Six people are confirmed dead as a result of the blaze, but police said that figure was expected to rise.
  “All of us will be aware of and horrified by the tragic fire which engulfed the vast majority of an enormous block of flats in London in the early hours of this morning,” the Commons Speaker said. 
  He told MPs: “I want also, I
  
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• London Fire: Jeremy Corbyn Says Ministers Face Questions On Tory Council Cuts And Safety Review

  14-06-2017 16:08
  
  Jeremy Corbyn has suggested Tory austerity and council cuts could be partly to blame for the Grenfell Tower fire disaster.
  The Labour leader said that while the immediate priority was on the rescue effort, questions had to be asked about spending on safety.
  “If you cut local authority expenditure then the price is paid somehow,” he said in a pooled TV clip.
  Six people are confirmed dead and scores admitted to hospital in a critical condition after the blaze ripped through the tower b
  
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• UK Population Prepared To Pay Into Billion Pound Fund To Fight Toxic Air, Research Shows

  14-06-2017 15:44
  
  The UK population is so worried about the effects of toxic air that most people would be prepared to pay into a fund to fight it, new research has revealed.
  A joint study commissioned by charity Global Action Plan and the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change saw 2,000 people asked for their views on how pollution impacts their health.
  Of those surveyed, 82% said they were worried about its effects and 65% said they would be willing to pay directly into a ring-fenced fund to tackle the problem,&n
  
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• London tower block’s refurbishment raises fire safety questions

  14-06-2017 14:54
  New cladding was installed last year in tower built during high-rise housing boom
  
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• Why cross-party co-operation on Brexit will not happen

  14-06-2017 14:40
  It is hard to see why Jeremy Corbyn or Theresa May would wish to participate
  
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• Former Barclays director becomes minister responsible for City of London

  14-06-2017 13:54
  Steve Barclay appointed in post-election reshuffle to help financial centre through Brexit test
  
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• Wage growth hit by higher inflation

  14-06-2017 13:08 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Average earnings fell by 0.6% in real terms for the three months to April as inflation bites.
  
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• Five things we have learned from the election

  14-06-2017 12:58
  
  The key points we can take away from the election results
  
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• Belgium Deputy PM: Brussels not looking to punish UK

  14-06-2017 12:56 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium Alexander de Croo on Brexit talks.
  
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• Theresa May's New Advisor Gavin Barwell Failed To Review Tower Block Fire Regulations - Despite Four Years Of Warnings

  14-06-2017 12:44
  
  Theresa May’s new chief of staff failed to carry out a review of fire regulations in tower blocks – despite being warned of the potential for a devastating blaze.
  Former Housing Minster Gavin Barwell – who was given a top Downing Street job within days of losing his seat last week – refused to give a date for when the review of regulations would take place just eight months ago.
  The review was called for after an inquest into a tower block fire in Camberwell, south-east L
  
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• Ali G Met The DUP's Sammy Wilson And Got Upset About The RAC

  14-06-2017 12:15
  
  The DUP have been making headlines over the last few days as reporters scramble to see what kind of deal they strike with Theresa May and the Tories.
  But it turns out none other than Ali G was way ahead, sitting down with the Party’s Sammy Wilson way back in 1999.
  Obviously, they got into a bit of a disagreement over car breakdown companies.
  Of course Mr G is confusing the car breakdown service with the Royal Ulster Constabulary, the country’s police force from 1922 up until 2001.
  I
  
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• Perks will stop if UK ends up staying in EU, says Guy Verhofstadt

  14-06-2017 11:56
  
  Britain is free to change its mind and stay in union, but would have to give up rebate, says EU parliament’s Brexit coordinatorBritain is free to change its mind and stay in the EU, but would have to give up special perks including the hard-fought budget rebate, the European parliament’s coordinator on Brexit has said.The Liberal MEP Guy Verhofstadt picked up on comments made by the French president, Emmanuel Macron, on Tuesday that the door to the EU would remain open to Britain dur
  
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• Conservative Party On 'Death Row' Unless It Changes, Warns Tory MP Robert Halfon

  14-06-2017 11:38
  
  The Conservative Party is on “death row” unless is fundamentally changes, including changing its name, a Tory MP sacked by Theresa May in her reshuffle has warned.
  Robert Halfon, who lost his job as skills minister yesterday, said the prime minister’s general election manifesto “frightened people”.
  “I genuinely believe we face potential calamity as a party because people do not understand our values, they see us just in terms of austerity,” he told
  
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• PM 'must listen' to other parties over Brexit says Cameron

  14-06-2017 11:30 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Former prime minister says "pressure for a softer" exit from the EU is growing after the election result.
  
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• Ken Clarke Tells MPs To Work Together Across Party Lines To Secure 'National Interest' Brexit

  14-06-2017 11:13
  
  Ken Clarke has called on MPs to “rise above tribal arguments” to achieve a “cross-party” agreement on what sort of Brexit Theresa May should try and negotiate with Brussels.
  The veteran europhile Tory MP said with Brexit, May faced a “bigger test than any prime minister has faced in my lifetime” and than the Conservatives and Labour Party should work together in the “national interest”.
  “Both major parties are helplessly split on the issue,&
  
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• The Waugh Zone Wednesday June 14, 2017

  14-06-2017 10:37
  
  1. THE HOUSE AT POO CORNER
  The House of Commons felt like a very different place yesterday. The cheers, back-slapping and smiles on the Labour benches were in such stark contrast to the gloom of the Tories opposite, it was hard to remember which side had emerged with more seats in the general election.
  Sitting on the frontbench looking more isolated than ever, Theresa May endured Corbyn’s taunts that he was the one offering ‘strong and stable’ leadership while she presided ove
  
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• May needs to listen to other parties on Brexit, says Cameron

  14-06-2017 09:29
  
  Ex-PM says May will face pressure for softer EU exit day after Sir John Major said a hard Brexit is ‘increasingly unsustainable’• Politics live - latest developmentsDavid Cameron has said Theresa May will face pressure for a softer version of Brexit in the wake of losing her parliamentary majority, adding she should consult more widely on the process.
  Cameron’s intervention came a day after another former PM, Sir John Major, said the idea of a more robust Brexit was &ldquo
  
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• Farron resigns as leader of Lib Dems

  14-06-2017 07:55
  Clashes between politics and Christian beliefs cited for departure
  
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• What cost Theresa May her majority in UK election?

  14-06-2017 06:03
  Brexit backlash, Corbyn surge and redrawing of class divide were factors
  
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• Brexit timeline: key dates in UK’s divorce with EU

  14-06-2017 06:03
  Long-awaited negotiations set to begin as Britain heads for exit by April 2019
  
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• Why almost all the UK election predictions were wrong

  14-06-2017 06:02
  Unprecedented underestimate of Labour support confounded expectations
  
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• Why almost all the election predictions were wrong

  14-06-2017 06:02
  Unprecedented underestimate of Labour support confounded expectations
  
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• Retreat from austerity holds few fears for gilt market

  14-06-2017 06:00
  UK bonds investors remain focused on a weakening economy as austerity agenda is questioned
  
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