Political news

• Councils to be allowed to charge for road closures

  01-09-2017 23:30 via bbc.co.uk
  Companies in England would be charged for closing busy routes at peak times, under government plans.
  
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• Ten Own Goals From The UK's Brexit Position Papers

  01-09-2017 21:43
  
  The Government’s own Brexit position papers repeatedly concede being in the EU has benefited Britain, pro-soft Brexit campaigners have said.
  Brexit Secretary David Davis has been at the negotiating table with his European counterpart Michel Barnier this week, thrashing out the first steps towards a deal. 
  But Open Britain, the pro-single market campaign group, has said the flurry of papers the Government has put out, aimed at making Brexit a smooth process, contain a number of own go
  
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• Martin Rowson on Liam Fox and Brexit negotiations – cartoon

  01-09-2017 21:12
  Continue reading...
  
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• The Guardian view on the Brexit talks: clouds of delusion | Editorial

  01-09-2017 20:08
  Richard Nixon had his ‘madman theory’; is Theresa May trying to frighten Europe with the ‘blithering idiot gambit’?What a difference a year makes! Last summer, David Davis bluffly predicted that we would by now be in the middle of trade talks with all our favoured partners. “We can negotiate a free trade area twice the size of the EU. Deals with the US and China alone will give us a trade area almost twice the size of the EU – and of course, we will also be se
  
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• Questions on Labour’s Middle East position | Letters

  01-09-2017 19:32
  Jonathan Rosenhead is concerned by what he sees as a shift in Labour’s stated position on IsraelRoger van Zwanenberg (Blame China not CUP for censoring articles, Letters, 25 August) points up our double standards on free speech – criticising China but acquiescing in the domestic limitations imposed on criticism of Israel. A case in point is the migration in Labour’s position on Israel in less than three months. Between the much-praised radical Labour manifesto of June and the j
  
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• Young Black People Are Nine Times More Likely To Be Jailed Than White Offenders

  01-09-2017 19:27
  
  Young black people are nine times more likely to be jailed than young white people, according to new analysis from the Ministry of Justice.
  The findings were released on Friday ahead of next week’s expected publication of the final report of the review into race and the criminal justice system, headed by Labour MP David Lammy.
  The number of young people aged between 10 and 17 years old held in custody has reduced “substantially” across all ethnic groups since 2007/08, the
  
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• Labour members could force Brexit policy rethink at party conference

  01-09-2017 19:11
  Campaign supporter says free movement debate could ‘demonstrate we have become a bottom-up party again’Labour members could force a rethink of party policy on free movement and permanent membership of the single market, with Brexit set to overtake internal reform as the key topic dominating the autumn conference, according to senior sources.Pro-EU MPs and activists are organising to get new commitments to the single market and the continuation of free movement on the agenda for the c
  
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• David Davis' Cringe-worthy US Speech: 'I'm Proud To Be A Charming Bastard'

  01-09-2017 18:37
  
  'Do you feel more a lot welcome in Washington than you do in Brussels?' - journalist asks Brexit Secretary David Davis pic.twitter.com/Mgp7mXWPJn— Sky News (@SkyNews) September 1, 2017
  David Davis has proudly recounted the day a newspaper called him a “charming bastard” - but falsely claimed the story was on the front page.
  The Brexit Secretary was asked by a reporter in Washington if he felt more welcome in America than Brussels, given EU divorce talks were growing so tense.
  
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• Brexit negotiations quiz: put the face to the quote

  01-09-2017 18:35
  Britain’s negotiations with the EU over Brexit continued this week, and opinions differed on how much progress is being made. How closely have you been following?“We can’t be blackmailed into paying a price on the first part... We think we should begin discussions on the final settlement because that’s good for business, and it’s good for the prosperity both of the British people and of the rest of the people of the European Union"Boris JohnsonLiam FoxMichael GoveDa
  
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• Electric cars need not take steam out of kettles

  01-09-2017 18:14 via ft.com
  There is enough time to plan the infrastructure to smooth the shift
  
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• Ed Miliband: evidence against Murdoch bid for Sky is growing

  01-09-2017 18:13
  Former Labour leader says Fox News scandal weakens deal, and calls for inquiry into impact on broadcasting standards
  Ed Miliband has claimed that evidence against the Murdochs being allowed to take full control of Sky is growing, and there is an “overwhelming” case for the government to launch a full investigation into how the proposed deal would affect broadcasting standards in the UK.In an article for the Guardian, the former Labour leader also claimed that Ofcom’s report int
  
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• Brexit: David Davis 'optimistic' over EU trade deal

  01-09-2017 17:54 via bbc.co.uk
  Brexit secretary says "seamless" deal is possible as Liam Fox says UK won't be "blackmailed" by EU.
  
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• The laughing gas verdicts represent a failure of Britain’s drug policy | Harry Sumnall

  01-09-2017 17:27
  The opportunity is being missed to license lower-risk substances like nitrous oxide. Instead, users are being directed towards more harmful drugs• Harry Sumnall is professor in substance use at the Public Health Institute, Liverpool John Moores UniversityThe Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 was designed to provide a blanket ban on new psychoactive substances (popularly, although erroneously, known as “legal highs”), as the existing legislation was considered too slow in respondi
  
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• Summer posturing has done little to move Brexit forward

  01-09-2017 17:27 via ft.com
  Position papers and Labour’s U-turn do not address the question of responsibility
  
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• Summer posturing has done little to advance Brexit

  01-09-2017 17:27 via ft.com
  Policy papers and Labour’s U-turn do not address the question of responsibility
  
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• David Davis takes aim at Trump's isolationist rhetoric in US speech

  01-09-2017 17:14
  Brexit secretary also tells US Chamber of Commerce Britain will not take part in a ‘race to the bottom’ to secure trade dealsThe Brexit secretary, David Davis, has taken aim at the isolationist rhetoric of Donald Trump in a pointed speech in which he told US business leaders that free trade was the solution to, not the cause of, global turmoil.Speaking to the US Chamber of Commerce, Davis said Britain would not take part in a “race to the bottom” in order to secure new fr
  
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• Theresa May’s Japan trip shows road ahead for British companies

  01-09-2017 16:55 via ft.com
  Japanese officials commit to UK pledge but remain concerned about impact of Brexit
  
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• Fianna Fáil attacks Sinn Féin rejection of DUP compromise offer

  01-09-2017 16:43
  Rejection of proposal on Irish language act has cast doubt on resumption of talks aimed at restoring power-sharing in BelfastIreland’s largest opposition party, Fianna Fáil, has criticised Sinn Féin’s rejection of a compromise offer from the Democratic Unionists over an Irish language act in Northern Ireland.The rejection of the offer has cast doubt on the resumption of negotiations aimed at restoring power-sharing in Belfast.Continue reading...
  
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• Theresa May Admits She Has Never Actually Tried Singing Karaoke

  01-09-2017 15:53
  
  In perhaps her least surprising admission to date, Theresa May has confessed that she has never actually done karaoke.
  The prime minister is on an official visit to Japan, where karaoke originated in the 1970s.
  When questioned by reporters, she told them: “I’ve got a confession to make.”Journalists from a swathe of publications held their breath for a moment, wondering if they were in for a fields-of-wheat level of confession.
  She continued: “It may be a shock to you
  
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• Rudd, Rabb or... Rees-Mogg? Readers on the next Tory leader

  01-09-2017 15:51
  We asked our readers who is shaping up to be the most promising candidate to succeed Theresa MayTheresa May says she’s not going anywhere, telling television interviewers she “is in this for the long term” while touting for post-Brexit business in Japan. Related: Senior Tories cast doubt on Theresa May's long-term future as leaderContinue reading...
  
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• St Olave’s use of exclusions was no secret – we pupils all knew about it | Jack Cornish

  01-09-2017 15:29
  It was always made clear to us that the focus was on the school’s performance, to the neglect of individuals’ welfareThe public reaction to claims that St Olave’s grammar school unlawfully threw out sixth-formers who struggled with their AS-level exams has rightfully been one of shock and disgust. But having been a pupil there, I feel only the disgust.
  Let me be clear, my experience at school was a good one. The vast majority of staff genuinely cared about their students and w
  
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• Liam Fox’s cry of ‘blackmail’ over Brexit

  01-09-2017 15:07 via ft.com
  Trade minister’s comments cap an acrimonious week in relations between UK and EU
  
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• Theresa May meets Japanese Emperor Akihito

  01-09-2017 14:50 via bbc.co.uk
  The PM wraps up a three-day visit to Japan with private talks at the Imperial Palace.
  
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• Momentum conference lineup shows move into Labour mainstream

  01-09-2017 14:46
  Campaign group’s conference to host up to 40 MPs from across the party, a year after being seen as rival to main event
  Just 12 months ago, it was a “rival conference” viewed with suspicion by most Labour MPs. A year later, Momentum’s conference feels part of the furniture, expected to host up to 40 MPs and speakers from across the party’s political spectrum.The lineup of Labour politicians at The World Transformed 2017 includes the former deputy prime minister John
  
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• EU's border stance paves way for Northern Ireland to get special status

  01-09-2017 14:27
  EU officials believe there will have to be a ‘standalone’ Irish border deal post-Brexit, dismissing UK customs waiver proposalThe EU believes that there will have to be a “standalone” deal on Northern Ireland’s border with the Republic of Ireland, paving the way for a special status for the province after Brexit.Senior sources at the European commission said a tailor-made solution that works for Ireland must be found. Continue reading...
  
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• Manchester bomber’s brother should face UK trial, says mayor

  01-09-2017 14:21 via ft.com
  Andy Burnham calls for government to bring Hashem Abedi back from Libya
  
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• Home Office makes thousands in profit on some visa applications

  01-09-2017 14:11
  Size of margins raises concerns department has incentive to reject applicants on technicalities, forcing them to reapplyThe Home Office is making profits of up to 800% on immigration applications from families, many of whom are eligible to live in the UK but are turned down on technicalities and forced to reapply – and pay again.Guardian analysis of Home Office figures on the fees for applications shows a vast discrepancy between how much it costs the government to process each immigration
  
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• Nine G4S staff suspended after fresh UK migrant abuse claims

  01-09-2017 13:44 via ft.com
  Security employees filmed by BBC allegedly assaulting detainees at Gatwick removal centre
  
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• Week in Review: A shambles to which the Brexiters have no answer

  01-09-2017 13:41
  
  When will Brexiters accept reality?
  
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• The EU is blackmailing Britain – and it may well work | Simon Jenkins

  01-09-2017 13:04
  Brexit negotiations between David Davis and Michel Barnier have stalled over money, and this time it’s not clear how Britain will muddle throughThe stalled Brexit negotiations are now serious. We used to assume that these matters would resolve into predictable compromises. There is a box of fudge under the table, a quid pro quo at the end of the road. Even in North Korea we sense that sanity will one day out. Related: Liam Fox accuses EU of trying to 'blackmail' UK over Brexit dealContinue
  
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• UK manufacturing growth 'accelerates'

  01-09-2017 12:30 via bbc.co.uk
  The sector continued to see "solid progress" in August, according to a closely watched survey.
  
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• Liam Fox warns EU not to 'blackmail' UK over exit bill

  01-09-2017 12:27 via bbc.co.uk
  The international trade secretary called for Brexit talks to move onto the final deal.
  
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• Labour Could Keep UK In EU Single Market 'Permanently', Tom Watson Reveals

  01-09-2017 12:09
  
  The UK could stay in the EU single market ‘permanently’ despite Brexit, Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson has declared.
  In what appeared to be a toughening of his party’s stance against a ‘hard Brexit’, Watson suggested remaining in the trade bloc for good was crucial for jobs and prosperity of ordinary Britons.
  He told BBC’s Newsnight that Labour was now ‘the party of soft Brexit’.Jeremy Corbyn said in July that the UK would not remain in th
  
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• Theresa May’s never done karaoke. Here are five songs to get her started | Rebecca Nicholson

  01-09-2017 11:41
  The prime minister’s confession may have shocked her Japanese audience, but it’s not too late to get up to speed with some Brexit-appropriate classicsSo Theresa May has never done karaoke, and that’s OK. Perhaps she’s more of a dancer. In Japan for talks with the prime minister, Shinzo Abe, she told reporters: “I’ve got a confession to make. It may be a shock to you all, but I’m not a great karaoke fan. I’ve never done karaoke, actually, I’m
  
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• It's not just young Tories who hate the working class

  01-09-2017 11:41
  
  These views go far back and are widely held
  
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• Jeremy Corbyn Allies Push Labour Leadership Rule Change 'Compromise' To Ensure Leftwing Successor

  01-09-2017 10:57
  
  Fresh plans to change Labour’s leadership rules to ensure a left-wing successor to Jeremy Corbyn are set to be debated by the party’s annual conference, HuffPost UK has learned.
  The TSSA train workers’ union is tabling a motion for the party’s ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) this month, with the aim of watering down MPs’ power of veto over future candidates.
  Under the new plan, seen as a “compromise” that will get majority backing, the current
  
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• Liam Fox Told To 'Get A Grip' As He Accuses EU Of 'Blackmailing' Brits

  01-09-2017 10:24
  
  Brexit tensions threatened to boil over again today as Liam Fox accused the EU of “blackmailing” the UK over the so-called divorce bill. 
  The International Trade Secretary called for talks on the financial settlement to get back underway as soon as possible “because that’s good for business”. 
  But his intervention has been ridiculed by former permanent secretary to the Treasury Nick Macpherson for suggesting the UK was “the smaller negotiator with th
  
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• Think coming out is easy nowadays? Then ask Kezia Dugdale | Matthew Todd

  01-09-2017 10:00
  Society is less homophobic, but I know only too well that fear of rejection still makes us hide who we are. The legacy of gay shame is the next LGBT frontierKezia Dugdale, the former Scottish Labour leader, says she was outed as gay by a magazine last year. Speaking to the Victoria Derbyshire show on BBC2, Dugdale said that she had frequently been asked about her sexuality and always answered honestly – but then would ask the journalist not to print the comments. All respected her wishes u
  
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• Revealed: MPs using immigration enforcement hotline to report people to the Home Office

  01-09-2017 09:57
  
  MPs accused of a "fundamental betrayal of trust" for tipping off the Home Office
  
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• Remember, you don't want to get caught out being poor when disaster strikes | First Dog on the Moon

  01-09-2017 09:34
  An unprecedented once in 500 years storm could strike at any moment and you need to be ready. Here’s your handy guide to surviving natural disastersSign 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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• Liam Fox warns UK cannot be ‘blackmailed’ over Brexit bill

  01-09-2017 09:20 via ft.com
  Trade minister hits out after Barnier accuses London of reneging on ‘obligations’
  
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• Politics Live - readers' edition: Friday 1 September

  01-09-2017 09:08
  A forum where readers can discuss today’s politics and share links to breaking news and to the most interesting politics stories, blogs and tweets on the web8.08am BSTI’m not writing my usual blog today but here, as an alternative, is the Politics Live readers’ edition. It is a place for you to discuss today’s politics, and to share links to breaking news and to the most interesting stories and blogs on the web.Feel free to express your views robustly, but please treat ot
  
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• DUP wants an immediate return to Stormont

  01-09-2017 09:08 via bbc.co.uk
  Arlene Foster says her plan is a "common-sense solution" to the ongoing power-sharing deadlock.
  
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• Is a frictionless Irish border 'magical thinking'? – Brexit Means... podcast

  01-09-2017 08:00
  After Brexit, the 310-mile boundary between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic will become the only land border between Britain and the European Union – with potentially major consequences for the movement of large volumes of goods and people, and for the survival of the 20-year-old peace process that followed the Good Friday agreementSubscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Soundcloud and Acast and join the discussion on Facebook, Twitter and emailThe EU and UK are bot
  
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• The rigged crapshoot of top exam grades

  01-09-2017 06:13 via ft.com
  Cheating scandal in elite schools highlights a wider university entrance stitch-up
  
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• With Trump in the White House, it's time for Australia to think big | Michael Fullilove

  01-09-2017 06:11
  As the US is doing less under Trump’s presidency, Australia should step up and contribute to a stable balance of power in Asia and the rest of the worldAustralians are not keen on Donald Trump. The 2017 Lowy Institute poll found that 60% of Australians say Trump causes them to have an unfavourable opinion of the US. Pew Research Centre polling shows that the proportion of Australians who are confident that the US president will “do the right thing” in world affairs has dropped
  
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• Staines voters lose patience with slow Brexit process

  01-09-2017 06:00 via ft.com
  Leavers frustrated by confused messages from government and complexity of talks
  
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• Northern Rock investors accuse Treasury of profiting from bailout

  01-09-2017 06:00 via ft.com
  Shareholders renew compensation push as 10th anniversary of bank’s failure nears
  
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• Liam Fox accuses EU of trying to 'blackmail' UK over Brexit deal

  01-09-2017 04:24
  Speaking from Japan, international trade secretary hits back at Barnier claims that British government is being unrealistic about financial settlementThe international trade secretary, Liam Fox, has ratcheted up the government’s war of words with the EU over Brexit by saying Britain will not be “blackmailed” into paying an excessive exit settlement to speed up a deal.Fox’s comment follows a tense press conference in Brussels on Thursday after the third round of exit talks
  
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• Westminster whispers

  01-09-2017 03:21 via bbc.co.uk
  Voices in Westminster are whispering about change but how realistic is talk of a new political force?
  
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