Political news

• Are Australia's proud memorials to racism under threat from leftwing fascists? | First Dog on the Moon

  18-08-2017 22:00 via theguardian.com
  One day we will see the monuments to mass murderers and genocidal maniacs toppled. I look forward to the alt-right whining and hurt racist feelingsSign up here to get an email whenever First Dog cartoons are publishedGet all your needs met at the First Dog shop if what you need is First Dog merchandise and printsContinue reading...
  
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• Martin Rowson on the Barcelona van attack – cartoon

  18-08-2017 21:11 via theguardian.com
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• The Guardian view on attacks in Spain: fighting terror means protecting freedom | Editorial

  18-08-2017 19:58 via theguardian.com
  Terrorism will win unless defending freedom is part of the answerMost Europeans have rarely lived amid such peace and plenty, and take prosperity and security for granted. It is that assumption of established wellbeing that makes a terror attack the more shocking, and the fear it inspires the more contagious. This is most true on the streets of a place like Barcelona, whose ancient buildings belie its reputation as one of the youngest, liveliest and loveliest of European cities.It is p
  
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• Centrists and the left in a polarised world | Letters

  18-08-2017 19:50 via theguardian.com
  Readers respond to recent articles by Guardian columnists Owen Jones and Simon JenkinsThe most effective deceits are those that are wrapped up in a kernel of truth and Owen Jones is certainly right that postwar consensus-based politics has been damaged by the weakening of the role of the state in a mixed economy and the acceptance of increasing inequality (Centrists attack the left, but they are the true extremists, 17 August).But that political central ground is defined by the acceptance that t
  
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• North East up in arms over advert for London-based Teesside job

  18-08-2017 19:41
  Wording branded ‘a sick joke’ that shows ‘callous indifference’
  
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• Vince Cable defends MPs over spending claims

  18-08-2017 19:38 via bbc.co.uk
  The Liberal Democrat leader says his party has nothing to apologise for after questions were raised about campaign spending.
  
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• Nicola Sturgeon admits to difficulties of SNP name

  18-08-2017 19:29
  Scottish first minister regrets unwelcome nationalist associations
  
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• The NHS saved me. As a scientist, I must help to save it | Stephen Hawking

  18-08-2017 19:00 via theguardian.com
  The crisis in the health service has been created by politicians who want to privatise it – when public opinion, and the evidence, point in the opposite directionLike many people, I have personal experience of the NHS. In my case, medical care, personal life and scientific life are all intertwined. I have received a large amount of high-quality NHS treatment and would not be here today if it were not for the service.The care I have received since being diagnosed with motor neurone disease
  
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• Nicola Sturgeon would change SNP name

  18-08-2017 18:52 via bbc.co.uk
  The SNP leader said that if she could turn the clock back 90 years and change the SNP's name she would.
  
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• Ukip politicians condemn leadership candidate's '£9,000 to leave UK' idea

  18-08-2017 18:34 via theguardian.com
  Peter Whittle says John Rees-Evans’s suggestion of paying dual-nationals to leave is ‘utterly and entirely wrong’Senior Ukip politicians have condemned a party leadership candidate’s suggestion that British dual-nationals could be paid up to £9,000 to leave the UK. Related: Nigel Farage: the biopic. A disaster movie no one is waiting for | Stuart HeritageContinue reading...
  
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• John McDonnell: ‘The government could collapse at any time. We’ve got to divide and demoralise them’

  18-08-2017 18:14 via theguardian.com
  Labour’s shadow chancellor is a lifelong radical, a confirmed eurosceptic and an ardent critic of austerity. Now he is ready to seize power from the ‘incompetent’ ToriesJohn McDonnell is sunk deep in a leather sofa in a corner of the bustling cafe bar of Norwich Playhouse, clutching a mug of tea. The shadow chancellor has taken a break from his regular holiday boating on the Norfolk Broads with his wife and a revolving cast of other family members to pop into the city
  
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• John McDonnell hints at deal on Labour leadership rule changes

  18-08-2017 18:12 via theguardian.com
  Shadow chancellor restates he will not run for leadership and calls for conference focus on getting members more involvedJohn McDonnell has signalled there could be a compromise on proposed changes to the Labour leadership election rules as he said the “heat is off” on the need to reduce MPs’ influence on the process. The shadow chancellor said there was “less of a sense of urgency” around the need to pass an amendment at the party’s autumn conference to allow
  
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• Young people should 'think twice' about university - Frank Field

  18-08-2017 18:10 via bbc.co.uk
  Labour's Frank Field says apprenticeships can be more worthwhile than degrees.
  
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• Brexit Briefing: The Customs Are Always Right

  18-08-2017 17:31
  
  You can sign up for this briefing by clicking here, and you’ll receive it straight to your inbox every Thursday afternoon.If you like what you read, make sure you subscribe to our Commons People podcast here for even more analysis about what goes on in Westminster. 1) The UK’s Post-Brexit Customs Plans Involve A Lot More Hassle For Businesses That Export To The Continent.It’s taken just over a year, but the Government is finally putting some flesh on the bo
  
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• Department For Work and Pensions To Axe 800 Jobs

  18-08-2017 17:25
  
  The department for work and pensions is set to make more than 800 staff redundant, union chiefs say.
  A programme of office closures and the implementation of a new “corporate centre hub strategy” will see the positions axed as early as February next year. 
  The Public and Commercial Services union, which represents civil servants, said under new protocols its period of consultation with the department had been limited to just 45 days, and that the plans were “unwelcome and
  
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• By the busload: £940m bill for Boris Johnson's mayoral 'vanity projects'

  18-08-2017 16:09 via theguardian.com
  Margaret Hodge asks how ex-mayor ‘allowed to get away with this’, after Garden Bridge joins new Routemaster bus and other projects in costing taxpayer dearly The scrapping of Boris Johnson’s Garden Bridge project has exposed a £940m bill for his “vanity projects” as London mayor and prompted a senior Labour figure to say her party was partly to blame.The figure is the total spent on eight projects closely associated with the former mayor, including the pedestr
  
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• Trump is ‘hostile to trade’, says American advising UK

  18-08-2017 15:59
  Former White House official Pippa Malmgren warns there is no ‘magic’ trade deal
  
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• Barcelona attack: Theresa May says UK stands with Spain against 'evil'

  18-08-2017 15:57 via bbc.co.uk
  Theresa May "offered any assistance we can provide" after the attacks in Spain.
  
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• Labour MP Sarah Champion Vows To Continue Campaign On Behalf Of Child Abuse Victims

  18-08-2017 15:44
  
  Labour MP Sarah Champion has vowed to continue campaigning for child abuse victims despite losing her job in Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet.  
  Champion resigned as shadow women and equalities secretary after a column she wrote in The Sun which warning Britain has a “problem with British Pakistani men raping and exploiting white girls”.After sharp criticism of the article - it was branded “racist” by some - she attempted to distance herself by claiming the conte
  
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• Week in Review: Prospect of Trump state visit haunts No.10 as Nazi debate rages

  18-08-2017 15:33
  
  The prime minister's offer of a state visit to the US president has created a moral throughline between her and a Nazi sympathiser
  
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• Is Nick Clegg our anti-Brexit hero – or just a wind-up merchant? | Matt Forde

  18-08-2017 15:11 via theguardian.com
  I desperately hope that Clegg’s How to Stop Brexit handbook is not a joke – and provides the leadership the pro-EU resistance is sorely lackingI can’t be the only one who’s stared out of the window lately and wondered what I could do to stop Brexit happening, before being crushed by a feeling of insignificance. In more desperate moments I try to reassure myself that somewhere someone in a position of authority must be trying to stop this madness. Millions of us are like s
  
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• Barcelona reaction: Leanne Wood comments spark outrage

  18-08-2017 15:10 via bbc.co.uk
  The Plaid Cymru leader is urged to apologise or resign for linking the Barcelona attack to far-right terrorism.
  
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• May: UK stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Spain

  18-08-2017 14:53 via bbc.co.uk
  Theresa May says countries must work together to confront terrorism.
  
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• Corbyn 'shocked and appalled' by Barcelona attack

  18-08-2017 14:52 via bbc.co.uk
  Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says he is "shocked and appalled" by the attacks in Barcelona.
  
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• The Sun doesn't run the Labour Party - Jeremy Corbyn

  18-08-2017 14:24 via bbc.co.uk
  Jeremy Corbyn takes a swipe at the paper after claims Labour mayors will be frozen out of conference.
  
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• 'Sick joke' to locate Redcar steelworks job in London, says Labour

  18-08-2017 13:55 via theguardian.com
  MPs say role, which involves ‘occasional trips’ to Tees Valley, undermines government’s devolution pledgeLabour MPs have accused ministers of playing a “sick joke” after it emerged that a government job overseeing regeneration in Tees Valley will be based in London.Sajid Javid’s Department for Communities and Local Government is advertising for a London-based project lead for Tees Valley’s Mayoral Development Corporation, a role it says “can includ
  
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• London-based Redcar steelworks job is a 'sick joke'

  18-08-2017 13:48 via bbc.co.uk
  The government is seeking someone to oversee the regeneration of the Redcar steelworks site.
  
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• Brexit: UK looks to keep visa-free travel from EU

  18-08-2017 13:00 via bbc.co.uk
  EU visitors would need permission only to work, study or live long-term in the UK.
  
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• Edinburgh divided over plans to redevelop historic Royal High School

  18-08-2017 12:35
  Critics say turning site into a hotel would be ‘sticking Mickey Mouse ears on the Mona Lisa’
  
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• Fallon apologises to families of soldiers killed in Land Rovers in Iraq

  18-08-2017 12:24 via theguardian.com
  Defence secretary says sorry to relatives for delay in introducing better-protected vehicles that ‘could have saved lives’The defence secretary has apologised to families of British soldiers killed while travelling in Snatch Land Rovers for delays in replacing the lightly armoured vehicles.In the letter to families seen by the BBC, Michael Fallon said bringing better protected vehicles into service could have saved lives. Continue reading...
  
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• William Hague Urges 'Liberal Approach' To Immigration After Brexit

  18-08-2017 12:14
  
  William Hague has warned Theresa May she needs to adopt a “liberal approach” to immigration after Brexit.
  The former Conservative Party leader and foreign secretary, said it was “essential to our economy in the short term”.
  He told BBC Radio 4 that while the UK would “take back control” of immigration policy once it left the UK this did not have to mean shutting the door.
  “We take back control but we use that to enter a strong free trade agreement.
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• Jeremy Corbyn: Wrong to blame 'entire community' for abuse

  18-08-2017 09:55 via bbc.co.uk
  The Labour leader denies Tory claims he sacked Sarah Champion over an article about "Pakistani men".
  
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• Caste discrimination: Why won't the government legislate?

  18-08-2017 09:54
  
  Years after the Equalities Act, government indecision has left one last form of discrimination off the statute book.
  
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• Barack Obama Offers Support For Victims Of Barcelona Attack

  18-08-2017 09:49
  
  Former US President Barack Obama tweeted in support of victims of an attack in Barcelona that left at least 13 dead and 100 injured.
  Obama said he and Michelle Obama were thinking of the victims and their families and offered “un abrazo,” the Spanish word for hug.
  Michelle and I are thinking of the victims and their families in Barcelona. Americans will always stand with our Spanish friends. Un abrazo.— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 17, 2017
  A white van hit
  
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• Mother wins MoD apology over 'Snatch' Land Rover death

  18-08-2017 09:00 via bbc.co.uk
  After a 12-year legal battle, Sue Smith finds justice for her son who died in a Snatch Land Rover in Iraq.
  
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• South Korea's thirst for craft beer helps food and drink exports top £10bn

  18-08-2017 08:32 via theguardian.com
  Sales of trendy brands such as Brewdog to the east Asian country outshone whisky, shellfish and ice cream in year to JuneSoaring demand for British craft beers in South Korea helped UK food and drink exports top £10bn in the first six months of 2017, the best first half figures ever.Ireland, France and the US are the top three destinations for British food and drink, but the east Asian country was the fastest growing with export revenues up 77% as beer sales jumped more than 420% year-on-y
  
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• Donald Trump’s Quick Response To Barcelona Attack Makes His Charlottesville Reactions Look Even Worse

  18-08-2017 08:24
  
  Donald Trump issued an explosive statement against “Radical Islamic Terror” just hours after an attack in Barcelona, Spain, on Thursday left at least 13 people dead.
  Earlier this week, Trump said he needed to get all “the facts” before singling out hate groups for condemnation after violent protests sparked by a white supremacist rally left one woman dead in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday. 
  Trump initially posted a measured resp
  
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• Seven Reasons The UK's New Customs System Might Not Be Ready For Brexit

  18-08-2017 08:01
  
  Not enough money, too few staff and a lack of capacity – that’s the damning assessment of the Government’s system to process customs post-Brexit.
  This week it was announced the UK would push for a “highly streamlined customs arrangement” with the EU after Brexit – and a new Customs Declaration Service (CDS) will be at the core of the system.
  Yet just last month a report from the National Audit Office said CDS, which is due to be rolled out in January 2019, di
  
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• Sheffield fears tree-felling PFI fight will cost millions

  18-08-2017 05:02
  Warning of ‘catastrophic financial consequences’ if private finance contract is breached
  
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• UK targets ready meals, pizzas and burgers amid calorie crackdown

  18-08-2017 03:25
  Government health body asked to submit plan aimed at reducing childhood obesity
  
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• Pizza and crisps makers urged to reduce fat to tackle childhood obesity

  18-08-2017 01:01 via theguardian.com
  Public Health England widens focus from cutting sugar as children are copying adults in consuming too many calories per day Public health bosses are urging food manufacturers to make chips, pizzas, crisps and burgers healthier, opening a second front in efforts to tackle childhood obesity.Public Health England wants to go further than the focus on cutting sugar by demanding firms that make products eaten regularly by children ensure they are far less fattening by reducing the calories in them. C
  
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• Leaving EU without deal would be no disaster, says thinktank

  18-08-2017 01:01 via theguardian.com
  Institute for Economic Affairs says UK should resort to WTO rules and strike free trade agreements with trading partners Leaving the European Union without a deal in place would not spell disaster for the UK economy, according to a free market thinktank advocating trade with the rest of the world over a “hamstrung” deal with Brussels. Despite repeated warnings that leaving without an agreement would hurt British companies and consumers, the report from the Institute of Economic Affai
  
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