Political news

• UK schools teach maths Singapore-style to boost standards

  20-10-2017 23:30
  Asian textbooks adapted for British classrooms in bid to emulate success
  
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• Donald Trump will not visit Britain until 2018, White House confirms

  20-10-2017 23:06
  Still to be determined whether Trump will meet Queen in UKAnalysis: Was Trump right to blame terrorism for rising UK crime figures?
  Donald Trump will not visit Britain until next year, the White House confirmed on Friday. Related: Trump links UK crime rise to 'spread of Islamic terror'Continue reading...
  
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• MP Clive Lewis sorry for 'unacceptable language' after video

  20-10-2017 21:26 via bbc.co.uk
  Labour's Clive Lewis apologises after he is filmed using offensive language on stage at a Labour event.
  
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• 'Cured' epilepsy MP James Frith joins calls for valproate inquiry

  20-10-2017 21:01 via bbc.co.uk
  About 20,000 children have been left with disabilities caused by sodium valproate since the 1970s.
  
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• Ingram Pinn’s illustration of the week: The Brexit Bill

  20-10-2017 20:56
  Theresa May is asked for larger divorce payments
  
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• With hardcore Brexiteers urging ‘no deal’, Labour’s duty is clear | Jonathan Freedland

  20-10-2017 20:54
  Theresa May’s government is divided and vulnerable. If the opposition steps up, it could end this madnessSome of you will be old enough to remember when the choice was leave or remain. How quaint it seems now. Because once the country voted in June 2016, we faced a new choice. For the true believers, simply leaving the European Union was not good enough: it had to be a hard, rather than a soft, Brexit. Now even a hard departure is not sufficient for the most devout Brexiteers. Demonstratin
  
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• Martin Rowson on Brexit divorce talks – cartoon

  20-10-2017 20:46
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• Labour MP Clive Lewis apologises for 'get on your knees' comment

  20-10-2017 20:33
  Female MPs criticised Lewis for language used at a conference fringe meeting, with Tories urging Corbyn to condemn remarksThe Labour MP Clive Lewis has apologised for using a misogynist phrase at a Labour party conference fringe event last month after being criticised by several prominent female colleagues. Video from the Momentum event in Brighton surfaced on Friday in which Lewis, the MP for Norwich, told the actor Sam Swann to “get on your knees bitch”. The language attracted wide
  
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• May’s Brexit weakness focuses EU minds

  20-10-2017 20:09
  Bloc fears pushing too hard could topple British PM and leave Eurosceptic in charge
  
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• The Guardian view on the EU summit: a decent 24 hours for Theresa May | Editorial

  20-10-2017 19:51
  The EU27 and the UK did well by keeping the Brexit ball in play. A finesse of the difficult issues in their next meeting in December will be much harderIt is a sign of how little has actually been achieved in the UK’s Brexit negotiations that the outcome of this week’s European council meeting in Brussels has promptly been hailed on both sides as progress. On the face of it, after all, the Brexit takeaway from the EU summit is extremely thin. The first phase of the article 50 ne
  
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• Plaid Cymru needs to earn trust of voters, Leanne Wood says

  20-10-2017 19:50 via bbc.co.uk
  Leanne Wood tells the Plaid Cymru conference the party can offer voters 'a new way for Wales'.
  
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• Labour’s Tom Watson: ‘Do Jeremy Corbyn and I get on better now? Yes, a lot’

  20-10-2017 19:13
  Only a year ago Labour’s deputy leader was stricken at his party’s dysfunctional disarray. Now he’s making parallels to Blair’s 1997 landslide and is convinced the Tories are on the brink of collapse. But will his bitter row with Unite’s Len McCluskey ever be resolved?The first time we met, in 2014, Tom Watson was essentially operating a one-man child abuse hotline out of his parliamentary office. His reputation as a champion of phone-hacking victims made him one of
  
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• Oh yes, May’s ‘sticking it’ to Brussels. Like a zebra sticking it to a lion pack | Marina Hyde

  20-10-2017 19:11
  The prime minister’s pleas to EU leaders haven’t fully paid off, it seems. Her captors’ response is that the torture bit isn’t over yetTheresa May is now contractually obliged to appear only in footage that can be soundtracked by Coldplay singing, “Nobody said it was easy … ”. Watching her in scenes from the European council summit in Brussels, it sometimes seems she’s already biting her lip and turning away in slow motion, sparing the News at Ten
  
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• Anger over Donald Trump's UK crime tweet

  20-10-2017 19:06 via bbc.co.uk
  Donald Trump links rise in crime "in UK" to "radical Islamic terror", sparking a backlash in the UK.
  
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• Emmanuel Macron accuses Brexiters of bluffing over no-deal divorce

  20-10-2017 19:05
  French president tells EU leaders’ summit that Theresa May has never raised cliff-edge Brexit as an option during any discussionsEmmanuel Macron has accused Brexiters of seeking to “bluff” the EU into softening its negotiating stance by championing a no-deal scenario.In a dramatic intervention at a summit of European leaders in Brussels, the French president said such an outcome was “in no case” part of the discussions, in an apparent reference to reports that the B
  
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• Brexit: UK will struggle to change UK borders in time, says watchdog

  20-10-2017 18:55 via bbc.co.uk
  UK spending watchdog warns of big increase in workload for border forces following Brexit.
  
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• Tell us how working in hospitality has changed since Brexit

  20-10-2017 18:43
  Share your experiences and help us understand what issues the hospitality industry is facing as the Brexit process continues
  A staffing crisis in the hospitality industry is inevitable as a result of the Brexit vote, according to an industry association. Related: Scheme to avert Brexit staff crisis will come too late, says hospitality industryContinue reading...
  
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• Yes, the House of Lords needs reform. Why not create vocational peerages? | Maurice Glasman

  20-10-2017 18:27
  Forget term limits. The vital role played by the second chamber would be enhanced with peers from every walk of life – including cleaners and nursesAs we crawl towards Brexit, it is inevitable that our attention will turn towards our institutions of national self-government. As parliamentary sovereignty is reasserted, the anomalies of the UK’s ancient constitution will re-emerge. Not the least of these is the House of Lords. There was a suggestion this week that there should be 15-ye
  
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• Brexit talks: has the balance of power shifted and what happens next?

  20-10-2017 18:15
  Negotiations are still at square one but all sides now say they expect a breakthrough before DecemberAfter the chilliness of recent Brexit negotiations, there was a flurry of warm words at the summit of EU leaders in Brussels this week. Evidence of actual progress was harder to find, but there were important clues about how it could be achieved. Related: Brexiters trying to 'bluff' UK's readiness for no-deal scenario, says MacronContinue reading...
  
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• Brexit: Talk of deadlock is exaggerated, says Donald Tusk

  20-10-2017 18:14 via bbc.co.uk
  EU leaders say there is not enough progress to start trade talks yet, but they hope to begin in December.
  
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• Merkel hopeful of Brexit deal after May's pleas - politics live

  20-10-2017 17:57
  The European Union has announced that preparations can begin for the second stage of Brexit talks on the UK’s future trade relationsMay pleads with EU27 for Brexit deal she can defend 4.57pm BSTThanks for following the blog today and for all your comments. Here is a summary of the day’s events:4.53pm BSTHere is the Guardian story on Macron’s comments accusing Brexiters of trying to “bluff” the EU into softening its negotiating stance. Related: Brexiters trying to 'b
  
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• Customs declarations to treble after Brexit – leaving staff struggling

  20-10-2017 17:27
  Auditors paint bleak picture of Britain’s readiness to cope with extra workload at the border as staff numbers are cutCustoms declarations are expected to more than treble after Brexit while immigration officials face making more than double the number of decisions, Whitehall’s official spending watchdog has found.As Theresa May’s government prepares to leave the EU, the National Audit Office has warned that the extra workload will come as staff numbers at the border are being
  
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• Raqqa Drone Footage Shows Horrific Devastation In The Syrian City After Isis Fighting

  20-10-2017 17:01
  
  Drone footage from Raqqa on Thursday showed the extent of the devastation caused by weeks of fighting between Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and so-called Islamic State militants.
  Entire neighbourhoods are seen turned to rubble, with little sign of civilian life having survived the fighting.
  On Tuesday, the Kurdish-led SDF said that military operations in Raqqa have ended and that their troops have taken full control of the city.
  The US-led coalition cautioned that the clearing opera
  
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• No Donald Trump, 'Radical Islamic Terror' Did Not Cause A 13% Rise In UK Crime

  20-10-2017 16:59
  
  Donald Trump has stoked a wave of anger and mockery after claiming that Islamic terrorism is responsible for a 13 per cent rise in crime in the UK.
  In a tweet that appears to be an attempt to win support for his controversial ban on immigration from predominantly Muslim countries, the President wrote Friday morning: “United Kingdom crime rises 13% annually amid spread of Radical Islamic terror.”Just out report: "United Kingdom crime rises 13% annually amid spread of Radical Isla
  
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• Brexit Briefing: Brussels Gives An Inch

  20-10-2017 16:54
  
  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) May’s Cunning Plan Of Dialling Down The Aggression Seems To Be Working.At times these Brexit talks have felt like a rather vanilla reenactment of World War 1: Britain and the great European powers m
  
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• UK may consider electric vehicle subsidy to increase cycling

  20-10-2017 16:28
  Roads minister Jesse Norman says government could push councils to do more to fight pollution and inactive livingThe UK government could potentially consider providing subsidies for electric bicycles and electric cars as part of a concerted policy effort to get more people cycling, the roads minister, Jesse Norman, has said.With the UK facing health crises from pollution and inactive living, other plans could include using electric cargo bikes to deliver packages from internet retailers rather t
  
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• US to close CIA division’s UK intelligence monitoring unit

  20-10-2017 16:26
  Decision ends 7 decades of collaboration with BBC at Caversham Park
  
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• Labour MP Clive Lewis Apologises For Telling Someone To 'Get On Your Knees B****'

  20-10-2017 15:57
  
  Labour MP Clive Lewis has been reprimanded by the party after a video emerged of him appearing to tell an audience member at an event to get “on your knees, bitch”.
  Female MPs from across the Commons condemned the Norwich South MP after his comments were posted on the Guido Fawkes website.
  Lewis, who has been tipped as a potential future party leader, apologised for what he said during an event organised by the pro-Jeremy Corbyn Momentum organisation during the Labour Party con
  
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• EU leaders demand May makes ‘firm and concrete’ Brexit divorce offer

  20-10-2017 15:55
  French president Emmanuel Macron suggests final bill should be more than €40bn
  
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• Who said being an MP was a full-time job?

  20-10-2017 15:52
  Some argue that career politicians are less valuable than those with a ‘hinterland’
  
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• Theresa May Sitting Alone In Brussels Has Been Turned Into A Brutal Brexit Meme

  20-10-2017 15:32
  
  Poor Theresa May.
  Just when things were looking up for her after getting the “green light” to begin talks about a future trade deal between the EU and the UK, a photo of her sitting alone at a table in Brussels gets turned into an unfortunate meme.
  The shot of a lonely-looking May is being viewed as a brutal metaphor for how isolated Britain is during these Brexit negotiations.
   Brexit summed up in just one picture by Theresa May in Brussels today pic.twitter.com/ahE4VELi5r
  
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• Ignore the naysayers. The Brexit negotiations are going better than EU leaders can let on | Henry Newman

  20-10-2017 15:24
  The EU and Britain are like a couple who’ve been on a few dates. It’s too soon to go further but they’ll get there eventuallyThe European council’s decision to tell Theresa May to, in effect, “Go back, try harder” is no surprise. It always seemed overwhelmingly likely that the 27 heads of government would rubber-stamp the recommendation of their lead negotiator for Brexit, Michel Barnier, that the UK has not yet made “sufficient progress” to talk t
  
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• All speeches should be shorter but I wouldn't dare tell that to Xi | John Crace

  20-10-2017 15:22
  It’s been a week of mindfulness, a marathon monologue and a merry mission to MadridWarning: one diary entry may be uncharacteristically upbeat with little hint of the writer’s usual predisposition towards depression. Do not be alarmed, normal service will almost certainly be resumed by the end of the week.Continue reading...
  
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• UK Labour party chairman received £165,000 from former union

  20-10-2017 15:20
  National Union of Mineworkers made £90,000 ‘termination payment’ to Ian Lavery
  
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• Political podcasting tips: Miliband, Chorley and Mason

  20-10-2017 15:12 via bbc.co.uk
  Getting tips about going digital from Ed Miliband, Matt Chorley and Chris Mason.
  
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• Labour MP Reveals How She Feared She Would See Police Officer Beaten As 999 Worker Protection Bill Gets Green Light

  20-10-2017 15:11
  
  A Labour MP revealed how she feared she would see a police officer attacked while out on the beat with him, as plans for a new law to protect 999 workers were given government backing.
  A private members’ bill to afford better safeguarding to police officers, paramedics, firefighters and other emergency workers passed its second reading in the Commons on Friday.
  The legislation, put forward by Labour’s Chris Bryant, looks set to become law after it received cross-party support. 
  
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• June Sarpong on number of disabled and female MPs

  20-10-2017 15:10 via bbc.co.uk
  Looking at the role model of the UK Parliament when it comes to representing a diverse UK
  
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• Plaid conference: Wood on election result and leadership

  20-10-2017 15:08 via bbc.co.uk
  Plaid Cymru's leader said Welsh businesses "want certainty" over a Brexit deal as her party calls for a £30m cushion to help them.
  
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• Tougher measures for 999 staff attacks backed

  20-10-2017 15:06 via bbc.co.uk
  We need to stand by those who stand by us, says an MP whose bill is a step closer to becoming law.
  
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• Britain’s welfare state can be adapted but it will cost money

  20-10-2017 14:40
  Pensioner benefits have been protected while working age entitlements were cut
  
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• 'Christ, she’s hard work,' said Pot Plant One as Theresa left the room | John Crace

  20-10-2017 14:29
  Told by her green advisers to make her Brexit speech short and meaningless, Maybot perked up. That she could doTheresa May was in her customary position around the table in Brussels. Alone. She sat with her shoulders slumped, trying to catch the eye of the four pot plants in front of her. After several minutes of uncomfortable silence, she said: “How do you think that went?”“Could have been worse,” replied Pot Plant One. “At least the EU have agreed to hold talks ab
  
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• The EU summit, Brexit, and Theresa May: who said what? - quiz

  20-10-2017 14:27
  Take our quiz to see how closely you’ve been following the latest Brexit negotiations, arguments and machinations“The enemy, the opponents, are out there. They’re on the other side of the negotiating table. Those are the people we have to negotiate with."Philip HammondBoris JohnsonDavid DavisNigel FarageWho recommended Theresa May give a speech admitting Brexit "cannot be done"?Peter MandelsonTony BlairAlastair CampbellGordon Brown"I think it is unthinkable that there would be
  
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• Blankfein tweets above the cacophony

  20-10-2017 14:25
  Goldman Sachs chief’s message gives Frankfurt post-Brexit momentum
  
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• EU leaders demand UK raises Brexit divorce payment

  20-10-2017 14:18
  Theresa May rebuffed in her hopes to move on to trade and transition talks
  
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• Tories must seek new leader now, says donor Alexander Temerko

  20-10-2017 14:15 via bbc.co.uk
  Alexander Temerko says the party is in a 'deep crisis' and needs urgent reform and new leadership.
  
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• Three key points about how the Brexit talks are going

  20-10-2017 14:12 via bbc.co.uk
  Theresa May didn't come back empty-handed from the EU, but there's still a long way to go on Brexit.
  
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• Labour party chair received £165,000 from union, watchdog finds

  20-10-2017 14:07
  Regulator says no further action is to be taken over payments to Ian Lavery, who was president of NUM for eight yearsThe chair of the Labour party received just over £165,000 from a trade union he ran that had only 10 members, an official report says. Ian Lavery, Jeremy Corbyn’s campaign chief and close ally, ran the National Union of Mineworkers (Northumberland area) until he entered parliament in 2010. The official union watchdog launched an investigation into payments to Lavery af
  
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• Appreciating 'The Splendid Gift' In Congo

  20-10-2017 13:42
  When did you last think about Congo? For those of a certain generation it probably reminds you of Um Bongo, the super-sweet fruit drink with the catchy jingle. Or as the setting for Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness', a controversial book which paints a picture of a savage country. Or maybe it conjures up images of river and rainforest, those endless tracts of unspoilt wilderness brought to us by nature documentaries.This week is Congo Week, celebrating its huge potential. And it is also commemorating
  
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• Journalist Sam Kriss Suspended From Labour Party Over Sexual Harassment Allegations

  20-10-2017 13:41
  
  A freelance journalist has been suspended from the Labour Party after allegations of sexual harassment were made against him.
  Sources told HuffPost UK Sam Kriss has been informed via letter that his membership has been suspended pending further investigations.
  A party spokesman said: “The Labour Party is aware of complaints about Sam Kriss.  The party takes all complaints seriously and will take all appropriate action in line with the party’s rulebook and procedures.”
  It
  
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• Universal credit: Tory peer criticises 'insane' wait for payments

  20-10-2017 13:27 via bbc.co.uk
  Next boss and Tory peer Lord Wolfson says a six-week wait for benefit payments "must be wrong".
  
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