Political news

• Boris Johnson meets eastern Libyan strongman in Benghazi

  24-08-2017 23:47 via bbc.co.uk
  UK foreign secretary says eastern Libya strongman would give up military rule if elected president.
  
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• Tory Pollster: Theresa May's Election Campaign Trashed Her Brand As Badly As Gerald Ratner

  24-08-2017 23:01
  
  Theresa May’s dire election campaign trashed her own “brand” as badly as Gerald Ratner ruined his family jewellery firm, a leading Tory pollster and peer has declared.
  In a frank analysis of his party’s performance at the polls, Lord Hayward said that the election result, plus the Brexit vote and London Mayor election, also proved that the Conservatives can never again rely on “fear” tactics.
  The veteran pollster and former MP, who first coined the phrase &ld
  
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• Tories may compel firms to disclose gap between pay of CEOs and workers

  24-08-2017 22:24 via theguardian.com
  Government plans expected to include requirement that top companies explain ratio between earnings of bosses and staffBritain’s top companies could be forced to disclose and explain the pay gap between their chief executive and workers under plans to be set out by Theresa May as she tries to show her domestic reform agenda remains on track.Despite the Conservatives’ disastrous general election performance, the government is keen to demonstrate that it will get to grips with rising co
  
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• Steve Bell on Donald Trump's presidency – cartoon

  24-08-2017 22:19 via theguardian.com
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• Theresa May to force reporting of pay gap between bosses and workers

  24-08-2017 22:17
  Plan to put downward pressure on boardroom salaries falls short of radical reform
  
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• No secure care place available for 'dangerous' teenager, UK judge told

  24-08-2017 21:30 via theguardian.com
  Interim judgment sent to education secretary as search continues for secure accommodation for 14-year-old boyA senior judge has expressed concern after being told there is no secure accommodation anywhere in the country for a “troubled and dangerous” teenager believed to be involved in serious gangland activity.Mr Justice Hayden said the case of 14-year-old F, who cannot be identified, raised “a dilemma you would not expect to see in a mature society in 2017”.Continue rea
  
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• Theresa May under fire as student visa myth exposed

  24-08-2017 21:06 via theguardian.com
  Prime minister left looking isolated as figures show fewer than 5,000 foreign students stayed on in UK after visas expiredTheresa May’s determination to continue counting foreign students in the government’s immigration target left her increasingly isolated on Thursday night, after official figures revealed that fewer than 5,000 a year stay on after their visa expires.A string of Conservative and opposition politicians called on the prime minister to end the focus on overseas student
  
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• Pressure grows for immigration targets to exclude foreign students

  24-08-2017 21:06 via theguardian.com
  Figures show under 5,000 foreign students stayed on in UK after visas expired, with Theresa May looking isolated on the issueTheresa May’s determination to continue counting foreign students in the government’s immigration target left her increasingly isolated on Thursday night, after official figures revealed that fewer than 5,000 a year stay on after their visa expires.A string of Conservative and opposition politicians called on the prime minister to end the focus on overseas stud
  
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• UK political parties received record £40m of donations in election run-up

  24-08-2017 20:14 via theguardian.com
  Conservatives received almost £25m between April and June compared with Labour’s £9.5m
  British political parties received a record £40m of donations in the three months before the election, with the Conservatives bringing in more than twice as much as Labour.More than half of the money was given to the Conservative party, which raised almost £25m between April and June compared with £9.5m for Labour. Continue reading...
  
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• Piece by piece, the case for severing Britain’s ties to Europe is falling apart | Martin Kettle

  24-08-2017 20:12 via theguardian.com
  With Brexiteers’ migration claims exposed as false, politicians must embrace the ‘Norway option’ of single market membership without delayThose who switched off with a sigh of relief in July may not have noticed. But something big is slowly stirring in the undergrowth of British politics. Fact by fact, announcement by announcement, the case for Britain to remain in the European Union’s single market and customs union is growing stronger and more irresistible by the day. S
  
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• Tory Donors Spent Nearly £25m To Lose 13 Seats At The Election

  24-08-2017 20:06
  
  Conservative Party donors spent almost £25 million in the run-up to this year’s general election that saw Theresa May lose 13 MPs.
  The sum handed to the Tories was more than double the £9.5 million that Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party was given, the Electoral Commission said.
  The snap general election was effectively called to strengthen the Conservative majority, with expectations of a landslide and some polls suggesting May had a 20-point lead ahead of the vote.
  
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• Net migration to UK falls as Brexit breeds uncertainty

  24-08-2017 20:05
  Number seeking work dips sharply and data spur debate on skills shortages
  
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• The Guardian view on migration: evidence trumps prejudice | Editorial

  24-08-2017 20:03 via theguardian.com
  The instincts that drove Theresa May at the home office are no guide to the best border policy for Brexit BritainThe volume of immigration is a measure of a country’s attractiveness to foreigners. It follows that a political strategy of reducing net migration involves making the UK less appealing as a place to live and work. A strict border regime can impede the daily flow, but it also contributes to a culture of insularity that discourages outsiders from wanting to get in. A more efficien
  
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• The Guardian view on the new GCSEs: missing the point | Editorial

  24-08-2017 20:02 via theguardian.com
  For too long educational reform has prioritised the brightest. Time to consider everyone elseIt is traditional among Brits who have already left school to complain that GCSE exams get easier every year. This time they got harder. Sweeping reforms have made the curriculum more demanding, with increased rote learning and fewer opportunities to retake exams. Easy ways for some parents and schools to boost the grades of weaker students, such as coursework, have been cut back. And a more fi
  
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• May determined to press on with migrant cuts despite opposition

  24-08-2017 19:57
  Pressure to ease clampdown increased by news of flawed data
  
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• A flawed basis for UK curbs on foreign students

  24-08-2017 19:50
  Inaccurate data highlight the absurdity of the net migration target
  
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• New-style GCSEs help identify the best but may not benefit the rest

  24-08-2017 19:49 via theguardian.com
  Drop in proportion of 4 or C grades may be the result of driving children down a more academic route that does not suit themThe most obvious difference between this year’s GCSE results and previous years’ is the new grading system measuring attainment in some subjects on a scale from 9 at best to 1 at the bottom. But whether it will have any significant impact on overall educational attainment is not clear.
  The shift from A*-G grades has triggered debate and confusion in schools and
  
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• New CCTV of Corbyn's 'traingate' journey published

  24-08-2017 19:13 via bbc.co.uk
  Footage shows people sitting on the floor between carriages on the service used by Jeremy Corbyn.
  
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• Exit checks data raises questions over May's focus on student overstayers

  24-08-2017 19:06 via theguardian.com
  Cracking down on ‘bogus colleges’ made for good headlines but limitations of migration estimates have been well known for years“Students, yes; overstayers, no.” That was the blunt message from Theresa May, then home secretary, to Conservative party members at their conference two years ago.“Let me be clear about students – we welcome students coming to study,” she said. “But the fact is, too many of them are not returning home as soon as their visa
  
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• UK seeks bespoke deal with EU on data protection

  24-08-2017 18:31
  British government’s post-Brexit proposals seek to safeguard information flows
  
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• Is it OK to be friends with a Tory? | Joseph Harker and Sonia Sodha

  24-08-2017 17:38 via theguardian.com
  Labour MP Laura Pidcock’s refusal to associate with Tories has left us wondering. The Guardian’s Joseph Harker and the Observer’s Sonia Sodha go head to head Continue reading...
  
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• Jeremy Corbyn Predicts A General Election 'In The Near Future'

  24-08-2017 17:31
  
  Theresa May’s government is doomed to collapse and a fresh election “in the near future” is inevitable, Jeremy Corbyn has told HuffPost UK.
  The Labour leader said the Tory minority administration will fail before its five-year fixed term is up and Brits should have a fresh choice on their Prime Minister if the Conservatives switch leader.
  In an exclusive interview, Corbyn also talked up Emily Thornberry as performing “extremely well” standing in for him at Prime Min
  
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• UK overestimates non-EU students staying illegally, data suggests

  24-08-2017 17:29 via bbc.co.uk
  The UK does not have a major problem with foreign students overstaying visas, new data suggests.
  
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• Jeremy Corbyn Slaps Down Labour MP Over Women-Only Train Carriages

  24-08-2017 17:12
  
  Jeremy Corbyn has slapped down a Labour MP who suggested he should back female-only train carriages to protect women from sex attacks. 
  Shadow minister Chris Williamson faced fury from women’s rights campaigners after saying the carriages were an “idea worth exploring” as they could reduce sexual offences and create “safe spaces”.
  Opponents said the move would “normalise attacks” and the focus should be on perpetrators, but the concept first emerged
  
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• Family beg May to help UK ex-soldier held in Turkey after fighting Isis

  24-08-2017 16:55 via theguardian.com
  Joe Robinson is charged with membership of terrorist organisation after fighting with US-backed Kurdish group in Syria in 2015The family of a former British soldier arrested in Turkey after fighting against Isis in Syria have begged Theresa May for help after his lawyer revealed he has been charged with “being a member of a terrorist organisation”.Joe Robinson, 24, from Accrington, Lancashire, is facing up to 16 years in a Turkish prison, after he spent four weeks as a combat medic w
  
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• Bogus Student Visa Figures 'Happened On Theresa May's Watch'

  24-08-2017 16:37
  
  Over-inflated figures on the number of international students over-staying their visas in the UK were put out on Theresa May’s watch, the Lib Dems say.
  Latest migration figures show just 4,600 students failed to leave the country when they should have last year, with samples showing 97% left on time.
  The official statistics equate to less than a twentieth of previous estimates of 100,000, which led the prime minister to promise to clamp down on the situation when she was home secretary.
  L
  
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• 17 From '17: Tan Dhesi Talks Hindu Films, Teenage Ambitions And Martial Arts

  24-08-2017 16:16
  
  The 2017 General Election saw 92 MPs elected to the Commons for the very first time. In a series of exclusive interviews, HuffPost UK is speaking to new MPs from the Conservatives, Labour, SNP and Lib Dems. This week, it’s Labour’s Tan Dhesi, from Slough.
  Tan Dhesi already has many strings to his bow.
  Trained in construction, fluent in eight languages and a champion of Sikh martial arts, he has just become the first MP to wear a turban in Parliament.
  Here’s his 17 fr
  
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• 17 From '17: Tan Dhesi Talks Hindi Films, Teenage Ambitions And Martial Arts

  24-08-2017 16:16
  
  The 2017 General Election saw 92 MPs elected to the Commons for the very first time. In a series of exclusive interviews, HuffPost UK is speaking to new MPs from the Conservatives, Labour, SNP and Lib Dems. This week, it’s Labour’s Tan Dhesi, from Slough.
  Tan Dhesi already has many strings to his bow.
  Trained in construction, fluent in eight languages and a champion of Sikh martial arts, he has just become the first MP to wear a turban in Parliament.
  Here’s his 17 fr
  
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• Exam grade reset brings reality to Britain’s education system

  24-08-2017 16:04
  Secondary school results reflect changes under Cameron, writes Sebastian Payne
  
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• Big net migration fall since Brexit vote, latest estimates show

  24-08-2017 15:49 via bbc.co.uk
  Net migration falls to 246,000 - the lowest for three years - as Poles and other EU migrants depart.
  
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• What’s the latest in the Brexit negotiations? Just ask Abrexa

  24-08-2017 15:40
  Borders, customs unions and justice: the FT’s digital assistant will help you catch up
  
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• BBC criticised over 10% pay rises for staff last year

  24-08-2017 15:14
  Disclosure of 2016 remuneration awards puts broadcaster back in the spotlight
  
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• Len McCluskey tips Emily Thornberry as next Labour leader

  24-08-2017 15:04 via theguardian.com
  Influential union leader foresees shadow foreign secretary taking over should vacancy arise, sources sayThe influential Unite chief, Len McCluskey, has tipped Emily Thornberry to become Labour’s first female leader, according to party and trade union sources. McCluskey, one of the most prominent backers of the current Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, is understood to have expressed admiration for the shadow foreign secretary, although sources stressed Corbyn was secure at the top of the party
  
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• UK’s wishful thinking on Germany

  24-08-2017 14:48
  Some British ministers hope a new coalition in Berlin could be more sympathetic
  
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• Home Office called on to reimburse those sent deportation letters in error

  24-08-2017 14:30 via theguardian.com
  Many EU nationals spent thousands on legal fees after letters were sent out in what the PM called an ‘unfortunate error’Calls are growing for the Home Office to reimburse the legal fees of EU nationals who sought help after being sent deportation letters in error.MP’s, lawyers, and campaign groups are among those demanding urgent action from the government after some of the recipients of the letters spent over £1,000 in legal fees. Continue reading...
  
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• Brian Paddick: Khan should justify his position on victims of crime being reported to Home Office

  24-08-2017 14:18
  
  Former police chief on why Khan's position is so damaging
  
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• New data show UK vastly overestimated students overstaying visas

  24-08-2017 14:07
  Just 4,600 foreign students remained last year, compared with estimates of 100,000
  
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• Why is the government so afraid to publish its Brexit impact studies?

  24-08-2017 14:05
  
  Up to 50 studies are being hidden from the public
  
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• Brexit: UK seeks data transfer pact with EU

  24-08-2017 14:05 via bbc.co.uk
  The government's latest Brexit paper discusses how data transfers will be affected by leaving the EU.
  
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• Denouncing Tories feels good. But Laura Pidcock has to work with them | Anne Perkins

  24-08-2017 14:04 via theguardian.com
  The new MP is right to be angry about complacency, but in an age of unstable majorities, effectiveness at Westminster relies on unexpected alliancesLaura Pidcock, the Labour MP for North West Durham, has told an interviewer she would never hang out with Tory women because she considers them the enemy. Pidcock is both young – she’s 29 – and female: she didn’t get where she has by smiling sweetly. She is a fighter. Even in politics, these are not attributes widely admired i
  
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• Ruth Davidson defends reinstatement of Tory councillors

  24-08-2017 14:01 via bbc.co.uk
  Ruth Davidson says two councillors who made offensive Twitter posts deserve a chance to change.
  
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• Record political donations in run-up to UK general election

  24-08-2017 13:48
  Conservatives received 60% more than all other parties combined
  
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• Weak pound is hitting spending rather than boosting UK trade | Larry Elliott

  24-08-2017 13:35 via theguardian.com
  Sterling’s slide should have improved net trade – but Britain’s manufacturing base is now too small to take advantageThe downside to a weak pound is immediately apparent because imports get dearer and foreign holidays get more expensive. With sterling at its lowest level for eight years, there have been plenty of horror stories of travellers from the UK being gouged by foreign exchange bureaux.The benefits of a weaker currency tend to be less obvious but are potentially signifi
  
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• Harriet Harman: I would have beaten Ed Miliband to Labour leadership

  24-08-2017 13:26 via theguardian.com
  Former deputy Labour leader says she was never seen as leadership materialHarriet Harman has said she would have beaten Ed Miliband in the 2010 Labour leadership election if she had chosen to stand for the role, and she was struck by how little discussion there was of possible female candidates for the role.Labour’s former deputy leader said she “definitely would have got it” having been acting leader of the party twice, but there was no sense in the party that she was “l
  
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• The immigration stats blunder shows how far perception is from the truth | Abi Wilkinson

  24-08-2017 13:24 via theguardian.com
  New figures show fewer immigrants in the UK than was thought – but it’s doubtful this will change media reports that warp public understanding of realityIt turns out that there are fewer immigrants living in the UK than previously believed. We now know that the Home Office has ordered an official review of British immigration figures. Apparently, it was formerly assumed that tens of thousands of international students remained in the country illegally after graduating. However, the b
  
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• UK seeks early deal with EU on post-Brexit data sharing

  24-08-2017 13:00 via theguardian.com
  Britain to argue that there should be no substantial regulatory changes as a result of leaving the EUThe government is seeking to negotiate a deal over data sharing with Europe in which there are no substantial regulatory changes as a result of Brexit.The ambitious strategy emerged on Thursday in the last of a series of summer policy papers published by the Department for Exiting the European Union ahead of the next round of talks in Brussels on Monday. Continue reading...
  
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• Net migration to UK drops to lowest level for three years

  24-08-2017 12:50 via theguardian.com
  More EU citizens leaving UK after Brexit vote, as research reveals impact of international students on net migration is much lower than thoughtNet migration to the UK has fallen to its lowest level in three years, as significantly more EU citizens left the country in the wake of the Brexit vote, official statistics have shown.Related research also revealed that the impact of international students on net migration is much lower than previously thought as 97% of students from beyond the European
  
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• Election donations: Tories given most of record £40.1m total

  24-08-2017 12:25 via bbc.co.uk
  Figures from the Electoral Commission show the Tories received more than half of the total £40.1m.
  
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• Food industry warns of Brexit workforce shortage

  24-08-2017 12:21 via bbc.co.uk
  The food industry warns that a Brexit workforce shortage could leave a third of its businesses unviable.
  
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• The answer to Brexit turmoil is staring us in the face | Christopher Whelan

  24-08-2017 12:00 via theguardian.com
  Before the EEC, Britain was part of Efta. Returning into its arms would solve many of the seemingly intractable problems posed by BrexitAs politicians struggle over Brexit, is the optimal solution staring them in the face? Optimal does not mean perfect, but if perfectionists never compromise, the struggle over Europe will never end either.After all, the referendum vote was very close, so an optimal outcome is one that satisfies most of the people most of the time. And that is the European Free T
  
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