Political news

• Martin Rowson on Theresa May's Brexit speech in Florence – cartoon

  22-09-2017 20:59
  Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Waugh Zone Special: May's Florence Brexit Speech

  22-09-2017 20:17
  
  1. NORWAY? NO WAY
  The inherent problem with last year’s Brexit referendum was that its binary In/Out choice meant Leave voters could only tell us what they didn’t want (to be in the EU) - not what they did want. And just as the ‘Vote Leave’ campaign refused to specify a vision for post-Brexit Britain, Theresa May today followed a similar approach.  The PM spent quite a bit of time saying what wouldn’t work, but not what would.
  Still, what she ruled out was sig
  
  Read more

• Corbyn admits colleagues unhappy at 'restricted' conference speeches

  22-09-2017 20:09 via bbc.co.uk
  Corbyn says conference speaking time will be "restricted," as big names like Andy Burnham miss out.
  
  Read more

• Theresa May asks EU for two-year Brexit transition period

  22-09-2017 19:53
  Speech calling for a pause to full exit until 2021 described as ‘constructive’ by Michel Barnier, the bloc’s chief negotiatorTheresa May has proposed delaying a full Brexit until 2021 by asking EU countries to agree to a two-year transition period during which the UK would continue to enjoy unfettered access to the single market.The prime minister said the government would be prepared to accept EU rules in that time, including allowing EU citizens to live and work in Britain, s
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• May’s Italian overture deserves a fair hearing

  22-09-2017 19:49
  But the UK prime minister failed to define Brexit Britain’s ultimate destination
  
  Read more

• Five key points from Theresa May’s speech

  22-09-2017 19:44
  What the UK prime minister said about Brexit in Florence
  
  Read more

• Journey from wintry Lancaster House to warmth of Florence

  22-09-2017 19:43
  Nine months on, May strikes positive tone in keynote Brexit speech
  
  Read more

• Florence and the Machine: Maybot turns to Brussels to supply creativity | John Crace

  22-09-2017 19:40
  Theresa May’s coolly anticipated Brexit speech proved all filler, no killer – and still managed to vex Brexiteers, remainers and the EU in one fell swoopIt was the Renaissance, Jim, but not as we know it. Shortly after David Davis, Philip Hammond and Boris Johnson had sat down in their front row seats in the dingy annexe of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, the Machine took the stage. She glanced at the words ‘Shared History, Shared Challenges, Shared Future’ projected on
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Grenfell Tenants 'Deserve Answers' From The Labour Party, Says Campaigner

  22-09-2017 19:38
  
  A key Grenfell campaigner has voiced her anger after it emerged just three out of more than 300 events at the Labour Party conference have been devoted to the tragedy. 
  Pilgrim Tucker told HuffPost UK more time should have been set aside to debate the fallout from the blaze and tenants “deserve answers” from Jeremy Corbyn.
  The Unite official said hardly anyone directly affected by the inferno was invited to share their experiences, while housing bosses and MPs dominated th
  
  Read more

• Grenfell Tenants 'Deserve Answers' From The Labour Party Over Social Housing, Says Campaigner

  22-09-2017 19:38
  
  A key Grenfell campaigner has voiced her anger after it emerged just three out of more than 300 events at the Labour Party conference have been devoted to the tragedy. 
  Pilgrim Tucker told HuffPost UK more time should have been set aside to debate the fallout from the blaze and tenants “deserve answers” from Jeremy Corbyn’s party.
  The activist, who has been heavily involved in supporting Grenfell tenants, said hardly anyone directly affected by the inferno was invite
  
  Read more

• EU gives guarded welcome to May’s conciliatory Florence speech

  22-09-2017 19:36
  PM sets out plans to keep Britain in EU in all but name until 2021
  
  Read more

• May tailors tone to European audience with evolving position

  22-09-2017 19:23
  How the EU and UK reacted to May’s Florence speech
  
  Read more

• Theresa May proposes two-year 'period of implementation' after UK leaves EU - live updates

  22-09-2017 19:20
  Rolling coverage of Theresa May’s speech in Florence on Brexit, with reaction and analysisMay’s Florence speech - Snap verdictMay’s speech - Summary and analysis 6.11pm BST Related: Theresa May asks EU for two-year Brexit transition periodRelated: Theresa May's Florence speech: key pointsRelated: Theresa May’s Florence speech – our writers’ verdicts | The panel6.07pm BSTHere is Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, on the speech.PM didn't need to go t
  
  Read more

• Theresa May proposes two-year 'period of implementation' after UK leaves EU - as it happened

  22-09-2017 19:20
  Rolling coverage of Theresa May’s speech in Florence on Brexit, with reaction and analysisMay’s Florence speech - Snap verdictMay’s speech - Summary and analysis 6.11pm BST Related: Theresa May asks EU for two-year Brexit transition periodRelated: Theresa May's Florence speech: key pointsRelated: Theresa May’s Florence speech – our writers’ verdicts | The panel6.07pm BSTHere is Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, on the speech.PM didn't need to go t
  
  Read more

• Still in the dark over Brexit’s final destination

  22-09-2017 19:02
  Theresa May was vague on what the UK’s long-term relationship with the EU should be
  
  Read more

• Labour Plans To End Period Poverty With Free Sanitary Products In Schools And Foodbanks

  22-09-2017 19:01
  
  Labour will end period poverty if it gets into power by handing out free sanitary products in schools, foodbanks and homeless shelters.
  The party says it wants all women, regardless of age, social status or background, to be able to easily access the hygiene products they need.
  Shadow women and equalities minister Dawn Butler will unveil the policy at Labour Women’s Conference in Brighton this Saturday.
  She told HufffPost UK: “We are going to be announcing the Period Poverty Campaig
  
  Read more

• ‘Dante sends Brexit to hell,’ protesters warn May in Florence

  22-09-2017 18:55
  British expats in Italy angered by failure to agree deal on migrants
  
  Read more

• Brexit Briefing: The Very Long Goodbye

  22-09-2017 18:51
  
  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. 
  ‘Why Can’t We Be Friends?’ Theresa May Asks The EUIn January, Theresa May used a speech at Lancaster House in London to tell the EU the UK would rather walk away from the Brexit talks than
  
  Read more

• Theresa May urges EU to retain trade terms for two years after Brexit

  22-09-2017 18:42 via bbc.co.uk
  UK prime minister says transition period needed before new "partnership" with EU, in Brexit speech.
  
  Read more

• May offers 45 minutes of repetitive and platitudinous abstraction

  22-09-2017 18:28
  The prime minister delivers little of value in her Brexit vision
  
  Read more

• Theresa May's Florence Speech On Brexit Prompts Questions Why We're Leaving In The First Place

  22-09-2017 18:15
  
  Theresa May has been accused of making a stronger case for remaining in the European Union than leaving it with her high profile Brexit speech.
  In her much-hyped appearance in Florence on Friday afternoon, May confirmed she wants the UK be given a two-year transition period after it leaves EU, meaning nothing will really be happening for at least another four years.
  The Prime Minister also talked about forming a new partnership with the EU “that can stand strongly together in the world&rdq
  
  Read more

• Sadiq Khan: London mayor who took on Trump won't flinch in fight with Uber

  22-09-2017 18:10
  The pugnacious 46-year-old, who has stripped the ride-hail firm of its London license, has a history of standing up to powerful interests – not least TrumpSadiq Khan, the first Muslim mayor of a western capital city, is no stranger to making powerful enemies, and few come as mighty and ill-tempered as Donald Trump. The mayor of London and the US president have clashed several times – spats that appeared engineered by Trump to show who’s boss. Khan has not flinched, chastising a
  
  Read more

• Theresa May seeks two-year transition to smooth UK’s exit

  22-09-2017 17:21
  Prime minister uses Florence address as attempt to unblock stuttering Brexit talks
  
  Read more

• Pound To Euro Exchange Rate Slides During Theresa May's Florence Brexit Speech

  22-09-2017 17:09
  
  The pound has fallen after Theresa May said Britain would continue paying into the EU budget until 2020 - but not expanding on the details - in her major Brexit speech in Florence.
  As the PM spoke to propose an “implementation period” of “around two years” after Britain leaves the EU when existing market access arrangements would apply, the pound took a dive against the dollar and the euro by around 0.6 percent.
  This defied earlier predictions that the pound, which has tu
  
  Read more

• May's Florence Speech Snap Verdict: Brexit Means 'Nothing Has Changed'. For Four More Years.

  22-09-2017 17:01
  
  We still don’t know what Brexit means. But thanks to Theresa May’s ‘status quo’ speech in Florence, we do know it won’t be really happening for at least another four years.
  The two-year transition period, pushing back ‘real Brexit’ from 2019 to 2021, is the main headline. And there were other key concessions that the EU will bank: guarantees of EU nationals’ rights, no ‘physical’ border in Northern Ireland and, of course, an offer on h
  
  Read more

• Florence speech: May kicks the Brexit can two years down the road

  22-09-2017 17:01
  
  The Brexit battle has been prolonged
  
  Read more

• Theresa May in Florence: FT commentators on the Brexit speech

  22-09-2017 16:58
  The UK prime minister has delivered a keynote address 
  
  Read more

• Man charged in Parsons Green Tube bombing

  22-09-2017 16:53
  Teenager arrested in Dover to appear in court on attempted murder charge
  
  Read more

• Theresa May wants two-year 'implementation' UK EU deal

  22-09-2017 16:37 via bbc.co.uk
  Theresa May says an "implementation period" of two years "will create valuable certainty" for the UK and EU.
  
  Read more

• Theresa May Asks EU To Give UK Two-Year Transition Period After Brexit

  22-09-2017 16:27
  
  Theresa May has confirmed she wants the UK be given a two-year transition period after it leaves EU.
  Under her plan, EU citizens would keep their right to move freely to the UK during that time but they would have to register their presence.
  In a high profile speech in Florence on Friday afternoon, the prime minister said she wanted existing EU market access rules to be maintained during this period.
  “We are very clear the transitional period will be time limited and we will leave by March
  
  Read more

• Sadiq Khan Says Londoners Should Be Angry With Uber Over Shock Licensing Ruling - Not TfL

  22-09-2017 16:22
  
  Sadiq Khan has told Londoners they should be angry with Uber over the fact that the service has been banned from the capital - not Transport for London. 
  The Mayor of London’s comments come after both he and London’s transport agency faced a barrage of fury over the shock decision to revoke Uber’s operating licence in the capital. 
  TfL concluded today that Uber was not “fit and proper to hold a private hire operator licence”, with the current licence set t
  
  Read more

• Theresa May’s Florence speech, annotated

  22-09-2017 16:16
  The full text of the prime minister’s Brexit speech
  
  Read more

• Uber London loses licence to operate

  22-09-2017 15:09 via bbc.co.uk
  Ride-hailing app Uber is "not fit and proper" to operate in London, the transport regulator says.
  
  Read more

• Home Office wrongly denying people bank accounts in 10% of cases

  22-09-2017 15:08
  Study of Theresa May’s ‘hostile environment’ measures against illegal immigrants finds high error rateAs many as one in 10 people refused a new account because they failed an immigration status check were wrongly denied access to Britain’s banking system because of mistakes in Home Office records, according to an official watchdog.An examination of Theresa May’s existing “hostile environment” measures against illegal immigrants by the chief inspector of
  
  Read more

• The Tory temperament means a U-turn on Europe is always possible

  22-09-2017 15:04
  Conservative pragmatists and purists have long been locked in a struggle over the EU
  
  Read more

• New top cops not rising through ranks

  22-09-2017 15:04 via bbc.co.uk
  The Direct Entry scheme allows civilians with talent and outside experience to join forces in senior roles.
  
  Read more

• Europe regained? Permanence evades Tory thinking on membership

  22-09-2017 15:04
  Conservative pragmatists and purists have long been locked in a struggle over the EU
  
  Read more

• Labour can't take election win for granted, warns thinktank

  22-09-2017 14:48
  Supporters wrong to assume Corbyn will be next prime minister and party voters are fragile group, says pressure groupLabour may not be able to repeat the conditions that led to the party’s shock election result in June, a leading “soft left” thinktank has said, suggesting in a report that a “one more heave” strategy may be fundamentally flawed.The report by Compass, a leftwing pressure group formed by politicians unhappy with Labour’s direction under Tony Blai
  
  Read more

• Week in review: The Tories need to take their heads out of the sand

  22-09-2017 13:37
  
  The Conservatives have consistently ignored warnings about their policies - now we're all paying the price
  
  Read more

• Tory MP did not vote in EU referendum because choice was 'very difficult'

  22-09-2017 13:26 via bbc.co.uk
  Kirstene Hair did not vote in the EU referendum because there were "very strong" arguments on both sides.
  
  Read more

• Why should only the Tories have their own Glastonbury?

  22-09-2017 12:48
  Labour’s has a collapsing big tent, while hardly anyone comes to the Lib Dems’
  
  Read more

• Brexit: PM bids to break deadlock with two-year deal offer

  22-09-2017 12:38 via bbc.co.uk
  PM expected to offer two-year transition period with continued EU payments in major Brexit speech.
  
  Read more

• Plaid leader Wood says McEvoy 'impossible to work with'

  22-09-2017 12:25 via bbc.co.uk
  Leanne Wood defends suspension of a member of Plaid Cymru assembly group as his supporters complain.
  
  Read more

• Parliament advertises for new Black Rod

  22-09-2017 12:04 via bbc.co.uk
  Black Rod is best known for a ceremonial role in the State Opening of Parliament.
  
  Read more

• What Is The Meaning Of Dotard?

  22-09-2017 12:00
  
  The leader of North Korea has introduced a lot of people to an interesting new word.
  In response to Donald Trump’s UN General Assembly speech, in which the US president threatened to “totally destroy” the country, Kim Jong-un made a rare statement to call Trump a “mentally deranged dotard.”
  The term got people scrambling for a dictionary to look up what the word could possibly mean.Kim Jong Un calls Trump a mentally deranged U.S. dotard. Searches for 'dotard' are hi
  
  Read more

• Labour-backed report calls for more generous legal aid system

  22-09-2017 11:57
  Review criticises coalition government’s cuts and calls for new law enshrining right to justiceAn additional £400m a year should be spent restoring access to a more generous system of legal aid, according to a Labour-backed report which calls for a legally enforceable right to justice.The two-year-long review, led by the former justice minister Lord Bach, launches an alternative vision of equality before the law and condemns austerity policies that have imposed a “disproportion
  
  Read more

• 'Boris is Boris': who said what this week in Brexit?

  22-09-2017 11:57
  An international week in Brexit that saw Theresa May head to Vancouver before meetings in London and a big speech in Florence. But who said what?
  'Boris is Boris'Theresa MayMichael GoveAmber RuddDonald Trump'It’s a bit like a school where discipline has broken down completely [and] the headteacher is barricaded in her own office'Amber RuddVince CableNicola SturgeonKen Clarke'I said before [that the referendum] was a dumb idea, other things should've been tried first. In some possible branc
  
  Read more

• Michael Gove Accused Of Suppressing Report Into Whether Brexit Will Cause Food Prices To Rise

  22-09-2017 11:12
  Michael Gove has been accused of suppressing figures about a possible increase in food prices after Brexit. 
  The government has refused to publish a Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) analysis because “premature disclosure of information could seriously mislead the public and is not in the public interest”.
  Unite, the union which represents food, drink and agriculture workers, submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the department.
  It as
  
  Read more

• Bank immigration checks 'nightmare' warning from expert

  22-09-2017 11:06 via bbc.co.uk
  Freezing accounts of illegal immigrants will lead to mistakes, says former TSB board member.
  
  Read more

• UK's terror fight 'puts unsustainable strain on police'

  22-09-2017 10:53 via bbc.co.uk
  Resources are being diverted from mainstream policing, the National Police Chiefs' Council says.
  
  Read more

Follow @political_UKnws on Twitter!