Political news

• Labour MP Sounds Very Tory On Brexit After 'Parroting' Boris Johnson

  16-07-2017 22:38
  
  .@RLong_Bailey says Labour want to retain benefits of single market and customs union. "We want to have our cake and eat it" #bbcsp pic.twitter.com/wWNn00mIYa— DailySunday Politics (@daily_politics) July 16, 2017
  Commentators have pointed to a senior Labour politician adopting the same language as the Conservative Party on Brexit as both parties battle for the eurosceptic vote.
  Labour’s Shadow Business Secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey appeared on the BBC’s Sunday Politics&nb
  
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• Hammond seeks Brexit transition as cushion for economy

  16-07-2017 19:54 via ft.com
  Chancellor claims moves to undermine him and resist business-friendly deal
  
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• How Jeremy Corbyn Is Inspiring The American Left

  16-07-2017 18:10
  
  If the British and the Americans are two people still separated by a common language, one unlikely phrase appears to have crossed the divide. The ‘absolute boy’, the meme-fuelled nickname given to Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, during the election campaign.
  “We’re popping bottles to celebrate the absolute top boy, Jezza,” begins the popular and irreverent American leftist podcast, Chapo Trap House, in its “victory lap” episode celebrating Labour&rs
  
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• Chancellor Philip Hammond hits back over public pay leaks

  16-07-2017 17:40 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Public servants do get a "premium", Philip Hammond says, amid reports he described them as "overpaid".
  
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• Theresa May gains Conservative support to sack ministers

  16-07-2017 17:31 via ft.com
  Rank-and-file urges prime minister to bring discipline to feuding cabinet
  
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• Donald Trump Is Trying To Reinvent Counting

  16-07-2017 17:05
  
  Donald Trump may have just attempted his most audacious use of alternative facts to date.
  Reacting to the latest approval rating poll which puts him at just 36% down from 42% in spring, he said:The ABC/Washington Post Poll, even though almost 40% is not bad at this time, was just about the most inaccurate poll around election time!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 16, 2017
  There are two major issues here - firstly, as any human older than around two-years-old can tell you, 36 is no
  
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• Brexit: Hammond warns of UK investment uncertainty

  16-07-2017 16:40 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The chancellor says firms want more clarity about what the future relationship will be with Europe.
  
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• Donald Trump's Resignation 'Most Likely' Consequence Of Crisis Caused By Son's Russia Emails

  16-07-2017 16:22
  
  One of America’s leading law experts has said Donald Trump’s resignation is the most likely end result of a constitutional crisis caused by his son and son-in-law’s meeting with a Russian lawyer last year.
  Writing in the Evening Standard, Philip Bobbitt said if Don Jr and Jared Kushner are prosecuted then stepping down as President would be the easiest way out.
  Don Jr and Kushner along with then-campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, met with Natalia Veselnitskaya believin
  
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• Labour's Long-Bailey: 'we want to have our cake and eat it' on Brexit

  16-07-2017 15:20
  
  Shadow business secretary says keeping access to customs union and single market could be hard but party must be flexibleThe shadow business secretary has described the aim of Labour’s Brexit policy as “have our cake and eat it”, while conceding it would be difficult to keep the benefits of single market and customs union memberships without major concessions. Rebecca Long-Bailey said maintaining access to, or even membership of, the customs union and single market could prove
  
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• Brexit Minister urges MSPs to back changes to repeal bill

  16-07-2017 15:17 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Brexit Minister Mike Russell wants MSPs from all parties to back the Scottish government's position.
  
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• Governments have to invest in the fourth industrial revolution | Larry Elliott

  16-07-2017 15:11
  
  Despite the unprecedented speed of current breakthroughs investment is weak and money is either stashed away or distributed to shareholdersPrepare for the age of the driverless car and the robot that does the housework. That was the message from the World Economic Forum earlier this year as it hailed the start of a new industrial revolution. According to the WEF, the fourth big structural change in the past 250 years is upon us. The first industrial revolution was about water and steam. The seco
  
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• Sunday Show Round Up: Tory Wars, Tony Blair And Grenfell 'Murders'

  16-07-2017 15:09
  
  The Andrew Marr Show
  Setting the tone for the day, former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith hit out at Cabinet ministers briefing against their colleagues. (A full round up of the Tory wars is here.) During the paper review on Marr, Duncan Smith said the new generation of Tory MPs were unimpressed with the behaviour of some at the top of the party.Iain Duncan Smith's advice to Theresa May is to "keep going" and tells Cabinet plotters to "shut up for God's sake" #marr pic.twitter.com/D3iFcUeDvb&
  
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• Tony Blair: I think Corbyn could be PM

  16-07-2017 15:01 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Tony Blair stands by his criticism of Jeremy Corbyn, despite changing his mind on his chances of being PM.
  
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• This Alex Jones Rant As A Folk Song Is Sublime

  16-07-2017 14:41
  
  Alex Jones has been keeping tinfoil hat manufacturers in business for quite a while now for his angry, conspiratorial and downright mad rants.
  But thanks the multimedia production company Super Deluxe, there is now one video of the radio host you can watch and actually come away from feeling rather soothed.
  And, if you’re not familiar with Jones, here’s some background...
  -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post UK, and use is subject to our terms. It ma
  
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• 'Shut Up For God's Sake' Tory Cabinet Wars Spill Out Into The Open On TV

  16-07-2017 13:59
  
   
  Tory Cabinet wars exploded into the open today as Philip Hammond accused Brexiteer Cabinet Ministers of leaking stories about him to the media.
  It was reported this weekend that Hammond described public sector workers as “overpaid” and that driving a train is so easy “even a woman can do it” in a Cabinet meeting.
  Appearing on the Andrew Marr Show, the Chancellor denied the train comment, but when asked about the public sector pay remark he replied: “It&rsquo
  
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• 9 Signs Brexit Isn't Quite Going As Planned

  16-07-2017 13:53
  
  1) The Government Is Eating Itself
  Just this morning the Chancellor all but admitted the Cabinet is deeply divided over negotiations.
  Hammond has been hit by a series of press reports claiming the he told the Cabinet that public sector workers were “overpaid” and that driving a train was now so easy that “even” a woman could do it.
  Appearing on BBC1’s The Andrew Marr Show, he blamed colleagues opposed to the agenda he had been setting out for extended transitional a
  
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• Philip Hammond refuses to deny saying public sector workers ‘overpaid’ – video

  16-07-2017 13:50
  
  Speaking to the BBC’s Andrew Marr, the chancellor refuses to deny saying public sector workers are ‘overpaid’ during a cabinet meeting this week, but refutes allegations that he disparaged women during the same meeting, saying he ‘wouldn’t make a remark like that’Hammond refuses to deny saying public sector workers are overpaidContinue reading...
  
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• Philip Hammond refuses to deny saying public sector workers are ‘overpaid’ – video

  16-07-2017 13:50
  
  Speaking to the BBC’s Andrew Marr, the chancellor refuses to deny that he said public sector workers were ‘overpaid’ during a cabinet meeting this week, but rejects allegations that he disparaged women during the same meeting, saying he ‘wouldn’t make a remark like that’Hammond refuses to deny saying public sector workers are overpaidContinue reading...
  
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• Hammond: pensions make public sector pay better than private sector

  16-07-2017 13:12
  
  Chancellor says public sector staff are 10% ahead of private counterparts once pensions are considered as he refuses to deny calling workers overpaidPhilip Hammond has argued that public sector workers remain on average better compensated than their private counterparts, refusing to deny telling cabinet colleagues that public sector staff were “overpaid”.The chancellor has been the subject of two leaks from this week’s cabinet meeting: one about his comments on pay, the other t
  
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• Tony Blair: I Pay Tribute To Jeremy Corbyn For The Election Campaign

  16-07-2017 12:42
  
  "I've got to pay tribute to his temperament during the campaign" - Tony Blair praises @jeremycorbyn's General Election campaign #Ridge pic.twitter.com/g6o7gCf81q— SophyRidge On Sunday (@RidgeOnSunday) July 16, 2017
  Tony Blair has paid tribute to Jeremy Corbyn as he admitted he was “way off” when he predicted possible annihilation at the ballot box with the left-winger as Labour leader.
  The former Prime Minister - who won three elections - has frequently spoken out against Corb
  
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• Philip Hammond accuses cabinet Brexiters of leaking against him

  16-07-2017 12:41 via ft.com
  Hardliners working to obstruct business-friendly Brexit strategy, says chancellor
  
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• Acid attack punishments assessed in government review

  16-07-2017 12:31 via bbc.co.uk
  
  There were more than 400 incidents in England and Wales in the six months to April 2017.
  
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• Public sector pay: Philip Hammond shown cleaner's payslip

  16-07-2017 12:22 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The chancellor is asked if a weekly wage of £297 constituted "being overpaid".
  
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• McDonnell: wiping out student loans is 'an ambition' for Labour

  16-07-2017 12:17
  
  Shadow chancellor says party remains committed to abolishing tuition fees but rows back slightly on Corbyn statement of ‘dealing with’ student debtsJohn McDonnell has rowed back slightly on Jeremy Corbyn’s pre-election suggestion that Labour could wipe out existing student debt, saying this was “an ambition” for the party in power but would not necessarily happen.In an interview with the New Musical Express shortly before last month’s election, Corbyn had said
  
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• John McDonnell: I Don't Regret Saying Grenfell Victims Were 'Murdered'

  16-07-2017 11:33
  
  .@johnmcdonnellMP says he does not regret saying Grenfell tower victims were "murdered by political decisions" #marr pic.twitter.com/GJe0E3rVVq— The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) July 16, 2017
  John McDonnell has stood by his claim the victims of the Grenfell Tower blaze were murdered, and called for politicians to be “held to account” over the deaths
  The Shadow Chancellor originally said the victims were “murdered by political decisions” during an appearance at Glas
  
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• Donald Trump's Russia Scandal Latest

  16-07-2017 11:19
  
  As Air Force One flew home from Europe, news was set to break about a meeting that Donald Trump’s eldest son had with a Kremlin-connected lawyer, promising yet another round of unwelcome headlines about the president and Russia.
  And that happened twice within a week.
  The day-after-day drip-drip-drip of revelations over the past week about Donald Trump Jr’s contact with the Russian lawyer in 2016 underscores the White House’s inability to shake off the Russia story and close the
  
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• Political turmoil has left me with nothing to aim at | Stewart Lee

  16-07-2017 11:00
  
  Satirists are supposed to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable, but all I see everywhere are victims and losersLast summer I wrote a comedy drama script, currently “in development with a major broadcaster”, concerning a charming, confident, clever and machiavellian politician. Named Horace Thompson, he manipulates popular culture to consolidate support for a controversial referendum he narrowly won, intending to further his own self-interest. And he was in the Bullingdon
  
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• Hammond said public sector workers were overpaid, report claims

  16-07-2017 10:43
  
  Report from cabinet discussion on pay cap raises speculation about briefing war among ministers jostling for positionPhilip Hammond is at the centre of a cabinet storm after a report he told ministers that public sector workers were “overpaid”.The chancellor made his comment at Tuesday’s weekly cabinet meeting, according to the Sunday Times. Continue reading...
  
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• Amber Rudd signals sentencing crackdown on acid attacks

  16-07-2017 10:16
  
  ‘Life sentences must not be reserved for survivors,’ home secretary says, as she sets out strategy after London assaultsThe home secretary has indicated acid attack convictions could soon carry tougher sentences as the government unveiled a crackdown on corrosive substances.Amber Rudd warned that an overhaul of current guidelines would ensure those who use noxious liquids as a weapon “feel the full force of the law”. Continue reading...
  
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• London Acid Attacks See 16-Year-Old Charged With 15 Offences

  16-07-2017 10:03
  
  A 16-year-old boy has been charged by police investigating five linked acid attacks which took place in less than 90 minutes in London.
  The teenager is charged with 15 offences including grievous bodily harm and possession of an item to discharge a noxious substance, the Metropolitan Police said.
  He has been remanded in custody to appear before Stratford Youth Court on Monday.Police said the teenager has been charged with one count of GBH with intent, one count of possession of an item to discha
  
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• Election intimidation at 'tipping point', warns watchdog

  16-07-2017 09:43 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Standards watchdog says it is a "dangerous moment" for UK politics and urges leaders to take action.
  
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• Donald Trump Asked To Theresa May To 'Fix' Better UK Reception For Him

  16-07-2017 09:20
  
  Donald Trump has demonstrated his limited knowledge of the UK public and the influence of Theresa May by saying he will not come to Britain for his controversial state visit until he is sure of getting a “better reception”, it has been reported.
  The President was said to have told the Prime Minister he had not had “great coverage” in the UK and had urged her to “fix it for me”, according to The Sun on Sunday.
  It was originally reported last month that Tru
  
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• Donald Trump Asked Theresa May To 'Fix' Better UK Reception For Him

  16-07-2017 09:20
  
  Donald Trump has demonstrated his limited knowledge of the UK public and the influence of Theresa May by saying he will not come to Britain for his controversial state visit until he is sure of getting a “better reception”, it has been reported.
  The President was said to have told the Prime Minister he had not had “great coverage” in the UK and had urged her to “fix it for me”, according to The Sun on Sunday.
  It was originally reported last month that Tru
  
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• Brexit: former civil service head warns Theresa May of chaos

  16-07-2017 09:13
  
  Gus O’Donnell says squabbles, unrealistic expectations and overburdened administration means UK is in for a ‘rough ride’Top former civil servants have warned Theresa May that squabbling cabinet ministers, unrealistic expectations and an overburdened administration risk derailing her hopes of a smooth Brexit. Related: Brexit followed by Corbyn in No 10 would put UK flat on its back – BlairContinue reading...
  
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• Election euphoria won’t last if Labour doesn’t foil Brexit folly

  16-07-2017 07:59
  
  Countervailing action is needed now to curtail economic disaster and preserve the enthusiastic support of young votersAt a friend’s wedding celebration on a remote Swedish island last weekend, I kept being approached by baffled Swedes. Their recurring refrain was: why is your country doing this?Sweden is a fellow member of the European Union and, in common with the UK, enjoys “the best of both worlds”. Like us, at the moment, it possesses all the advantages of EU membership, no
  
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• Theresa May’s new Downing Street team emerges

  16-07-2017 06:31 via ft.com
  In the prime minister’s office, officials are clawing their way to the summer break
  
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• The new team behind Theresa May in Downing Street

  16-07-2017 06:31 via ft.com
  In the prime minister’s office, officials are clawing their way to the summer break
  
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• Theresa May could still have a future – as a human sponge | Andrew Rawnsley

  16-07-2017 01:05
  
  She very nearly quit as prime minister on election night. She may end up wishing she hadWilliam Petty, the 2nd Earl of Shelburne, is one of the less well-remembered people to have been a tenant of Number 10. I mention him because, as Tory MPs argue about how long they should give Theresa May, the brief, but illuminating lifespan of that 18th-century prime minister is a possible guide to her future.Shelburne was propelled into office after Britain suffered the enormous humiliation of losing the A
  
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• Quiet please: the Brexit ball is in play – cartoon

  16-07-2017 01:05
  
  David Simonds on the not-so-‘great’ repeal bill Continue reading...
  
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• It’s not just farms and the environment. We need polices for everyone | Margaret Clark

  16-07-2017 01:05
  
  The government must give country communities and businesses the support they needThe countryside plays a crucial part in the economic and social wellbeing of the nation. The 12 national organisations that make up the Rural Coalition share a vision for a living and working English countryside and a concern for its communities’ future sustainability.Many rural areas have faced cuts to important services and facilities resulting from public sector austerity and private sector efficiency savin
  
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• Brexit is our generation’s Dunkirk, but this time there will be no salvation | Will Hutton

  16-07-2017 01:05
  
  A new film captures a time when industrial power and innovation were key to our survival. Oh, for that spirit todayAll countries and societies have their myths and Dunkirk is one of Britain’s most enduring, and although in its way it is glorious, it sometimes feels misdirected. The extraordinary evacuation of the stranded, defeated British army in May and June 1940 staved off what would otherwise have been an inevitably successful German invasion, runs the myth. Defeat became the platform
  
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• Jon Lansman: ‘To keep Labour’s new members engaged, we must give them power’

  16-07-2017 01:04
  
  Momentum founder wants the party to roll back the centralisation of the Blair years and give its members a stronger voiceLabour members must be handed greater power to choose the party’s candidates and leadership after their role in securing a strong election result, one of Jeremy Corbyn’s closest allies says.Jon Lansman, who founded the Momentum group that formed from Corbyn’s first leadership campaign, said the party needed to ensure that the thousands of members who had sign
  
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• Brexit threatens Britain’s place at the nuclear top table | Ian Chapman

  16-07-2017 01:04
  
  The UK is currently a world leader in fusion research; leaving Euratom would be calamitousIn the south of France, the largest scientific experiment mankind has ever embarked upon is rising out of the ground. This facility, the Iter project, will demonstrate nuclear fusion power on a commercial scale, involving the European Union, US, Japan, South Korea, China, Russia and India. Fusion is the process that powers the sun and the stars, and bringing it to Earth has long been a staple of science fic
  
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