Political news

• Labour demands Brexit studies release

  31-10-2017 23:50 via bbc.co.uk
  The opposition seeks to use an "ancient" Parliamentary tool to force the government's hand.
  
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• Brexit: UK-EU negotiations to resume next week

  31-10-2017 23:29 via bbc.co.uk
  David Davis says the prospect of no deal is "not impossible but very, very improbable".
  
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• NI budget planned amid deadlocked Stormont talks

  31-10-2017 22:40 via bbc.co.uk
  As further talks at Stormont break up without a deal, Westminster party whips are asked to set time aside for a budget bill.
  
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• ‘Great British Bake Off’ 2016 Finalist Jane Beedle Reveals The One Thing That Will Improve Your Chances Of Getting Onto The 2018 Series

  31-10-2017 22:34
  If you’ve got the baking bug since watching ‘The Great British Bake Off’ and fancy applying for next year’s show, we’ve got some inside information on how you can improve your chances of making it onto the Channel 4 show.Jane Beedle, who made it all the way through to last year’s final, has revealed that you don’t necessarily have to be a whizz at every type of bake, but you do need to master one: bread.Jane, who was runner-up behind 2016’s eventua
  
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• ‘Great British Bake Off’ 2017 Final: Sophie Faldo Crowned Winner

  31-10-2017 22:24
  Sophie Faldo has been crowned the winner of this year’s ‘Great British Bake Off’.The 33-year-old beat off stiff competition from her fellow finalists Steven Carter-Bailey and Kate Lyon on the Channel 4 show. Sophie was the bookies’ favourite going into the final and also topped an exclusive HuffPost UK poll, with 50% of readers voting her as their favourite to win this year’s competition.After being crowned the winner, a clearly emotional Sophie said: “I&
  
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• Labour activist 'warned' about pursuing rape claim

  31-10-2017 22:08 via bbc.co.uk
  Labour supporter Bex Bailey says she was told that reporting the 2011 incident could "damage" her.
  
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• Steve Bell on Donald Trump and George Papadopoulos – cartoon

  31-10-2017 21:57 via theguardian.com
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• Labour activist says she was raped at party event and told not to report it

  31-10-2017 21:49 via theguardian.com
  New allegation emerges after female Westminster staffer reports being assaulted on a hotel bed by an MPAllegations of sexual misconduct in Westminster took a new turn on Tuesday as a Labour activist spoke of being raped at a party event after a woman had described being assaulted on a hotel bed by an MP last year.The two women both criticised the lack of proper processes for reporting their allegations, as political parties struggled with a fifth day of serious revelations about harassment and a
  
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• UK territories eligible for development aid

  31-10-2017 21:44 via bbc.co.uk
  Overseas territories will now be eligible for some of Britain's £13bn aid budget in humanitarian crises.
  
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• New York: Six Dead After Truck Collision And Shooting In Lower Manhattan

  31-10-2017 21:30
  At least six people were killed and multiple people injured in an incident on the west side of lower Manhattan in New York City. Police are investigating reports of gunfire and a vehicle striking people near the West Side Highway and Chambers Street.Officials told the New York Times and NY1 at least six people had been killed in the incident. A law enforcement source told Reuters that the incident is being treated as terror-related. New York Police Department said o
  
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• New York: Eight Dead As Truck Drives Into Cyclists In Suspected Terror Attack In Lower Manhattan

  31-10-2017 21:30
  At least eight people have been killed and multiple people injured after a man drove a rental truck down a bike path in lower Manhattan in New York City in what police are treating as a suspected terror attack. According to authorities, the driver went down the wrong way of a bike path on the west of the city, then rammed into a school bus that contained two adults and two children.The driver, a 29-year-old man, then got out the vehicle and was said by NYPD commissioner James P. O’Nei
  
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• David Davis concedes Brexit financial deal will probably favour EU

  31-10-2017 21:27 via theguardian.com
  The Brexit secretary admits to a House of Lords committee that the cost of the UK leaving EU was likely to be ‘a sore point’David Davis has conceded that Britain’s Brexit withdrawal agreement is likely to favour the European Union in money terms but insisted that the future relationship would favour both sides.His comments, which could be designed to soften people up to the idea of a hefty multibillion-pound financial settlement, came after the government said it was accelerati
  
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• Stella Creasy: Political Parties Must Train Staff To Deal With Sex Assaults

  31-10-2017 21:23
  Political staff should be given proper training to deal with reports of sexual assaults, a Labour MP has said.Stella Creasy wants all party workers to be supported in properly dealing with serious allegations, after former NEC member Bex Bailey came forward to say she had been raped at an event - but discouraged from reporting the attack.The Walthamstow MP told HuffPost UK: “Bex is a good friend of mine and she has been indescribably brave in coming forward.″Despite being absolu
  
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• David Davis admits Brexit deal will probably favour EU – video

  31-10-2017 21:07 via theguardian.com
  David Davis says on Tuesday at the House of Lords that the withdrawal agreement from the EU will probably ‘on balance’ favour the 27-nation bloc. Divorce talks between the UK and the EU will resume on 7 November, Davis said. Five previous rounds have failed to resolve big differences on key issues• Brexit: Whitehall headcount to balloon by 8,000 workers Continue reading...
  
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• Banks need Brexit transition deal by end of year, warns FCA chief

  31-10-2017 20:43 via theguardian.com
  City firms will be forced to make ‘irreversible’ staff moves if agreement is not reached, says Andrew BaileyBanks could start to make irreversible moves to transfer staff from London to rival cities in the EU unless there is clarity over Brexit by the end of the year, the Financial Conduct Authority chief executive has told MPs.Andrew Bailey, in a wide-ranging appearance before MPs on the Treasury select committee, said contingency plans being implemented by major banks involved leas
  
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• Theresa May fails to back Michael Fallon as sex scandal escalates

  31-10-2017 20:37
  Labour activist says party official told her not to report alleged rape
  
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• The Guardian view on prisoner voting: a tiny concession | Editorial

  31-10-2017 20:25 via theguardian.com
  Allowing a handful of short-sentence inmates the right to vote is going to cause a major storm among Tories. David Lidington must hold his nerveDavid Lidington, the justice secretary, appeared to confirm in the Commons on Tuesday that the government has finally climbed down over prisoner voting. It is a tiny concession, to a small group of short-term prisoners who are already allowed out on day release. The angry denunciation it met from the Tory backbenches is an indication of the struggle that
  
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• Brexit deal ‘will favour EU on money’, says Davis

  31-10-2017 20:17
  Minister gives clearest view of government’s preferred end game
  
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• NHS chief accuses Jeremy Hunt of 'own goal' over pay rises

  31-10-2017 20:01 via theguardian.com
  Simon Stevens insists increases should not depend on higher productivity and health secretary must find new money to boost salariesThe head of the NHS has rejected Jeremy Hunt’s insistence that its staff’s pay rise next year should depend on them improving their productivity as “an own goal of the first magnitude”.Simon Stevens’s remarks set him on a collision course with the health secretary weeks before the budget, in which Philip Hammond is expected to set out wh
  
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• Time To Make Universal Credit Fit For Purpose In 21st Century Britain

  31-10-2017 20:00
  The pace of the roll-out of Universal Credit has quickened in recent months - and so too have the complaints and reputational hit that the reform is taking.
  Much of the focus has been on the six week wait before new claimants moving out of work receive their first payment, which is the result of requiring people to wait seven days before earning any benefit entitlement and the view that all families should be got used to monthly payments in arrears. This is a classic case of the design of UC run
  
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• Physical Inactivity Is One Of Our Biggest Crises - Can We Make Physical Activity A National Religion?

  31-10-2017 19:51
  What is it that we value most? It's a question I've been asking myself a lot lately. Is it our family? The home we share? The community we live and work in?It seems that for many of us, these are all values that we hold dearly - and they can all be traced back to our health and wellbeing. Why then, is there so little policy focus on what contributes to the health and happiness of people, families and communities?Somewhere along the way, politics has lost sight of the things that we value most. W
  
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• Hospitality And Temporary Workers 'More Likely To Stay Silent Over Sexual Harassment', Experts Warn

  31-10-2017 19:38
  Hollywood and Westminster have been rocked by allegations of sexual harassment, but it’s junior staff and those on “precarious” contracts across other sectors who are less likely to come forward through fear of losing their jobs, experts say.The power dynamic of sexual assault and the pattern for predators to target victims who don’t always know their rights mean that the hospitality industry and workers on temporary or zero hour contracts are facing additional challenges
  
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• For sale: one Brexit, wheels falling off, loads of miles on the clock | John Crace

  31-10-2017 19:32 via theguardian.com
  David Davis channelled a used car dealer when he told Lords they shouldn’t worry their pretty little heads about hypotheticalsAnother day, another committee appearance for David Davis. This time it was the Lords EU select committee. The longer the EU negotiations go on, the more closely the Brexit secretary resembles a slightly desperate secondhand car dealer.You want a car with low mileage? He’s got just the thing. Well, maybe not that low a mileage, but a very reliable little runne
  
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• Classification controversy marks terrible coming of age for Paralympic sport

  31-10-2017 19:22 via theguardian.com
  The growth of Paralympic sport into an elite and lucrative competition means allegations of corruption and foul play have also increasedA couple of decades ago very few people paid attention to Paralympic sport. It was patronisingly considered by some to be a few plucky people in wheelchairs making their way around a track as best they could. Related: Paralympic athletes face reclassification in row over exaggerated disabilitiesContinue reading...
  
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• Fixed-odds maximum bet 'could drop to £2'

  31-10-2017 19:20 via bbc.co.uk
  Some gambling machines currently allow punters to bet - and potentially lose - £100 every 20 seconds.
  
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• When Halloween Costumes Blur The Line Between Topical And Offensive

  31-10-2017 19:05
  Patricia Yaker EkallIt seems Halloween 2017 is over the typically ghoulish or questionably 'sexy' costume and so into representing itself in all its ironically tragic and momentous glory.
  From costumes poking fun at advertising faux pas, to ones celebrating the unsung hero and others that simply allow memes to come to life, it's great to see people getting creative with their costumes.
  But with the good comes the darn right ugly, which came out swinging this year. In a post taken from Twitter an
  
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• The untapped promise of digitisation in Britain

  31-10-2017 18:57
  Digital technology can promote manufacturing productivity
  
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• Kevin Spacey Accusations Lead To Halt In 'House Of Cards' Series 6 Production

  31-10-2017 18:56
  Production on the forthcoming sixth series of ‘House Of Cards’ has been “suspended” indefinitely, following the allegations levelled against its lead actor, Kevin Spacey.Earlier this week, Kevin issued a response after actor Anthony Rapp accused the two-time Oscar-winner of “trying to seduce him” when he was just 14 years old, following a party at his apartment 30 years ago.In a joint statement issued to Deadline, Netflix and production company MRC confirmed t
  
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• Former Labour NEC Member Bex Bailey Was Raped At Party Event - But Discouraged From Reporting Attack

  31-10-2017 18:56
  A former member of Labour’s ruling NEC has revealed that she was raped during a party event - but was discouraged from reporting the assault.Bex Bailey, a former Parliamentary aide to leadership contender Liz Kendall, told BBC Radio 4 that she was attacked as a 19-year-old by a senior member of the party.Bailey, who told the PM programme said that the sexual assault took place in 2011, called for the creation of a new independent body, free from political ‘bias’, to investigate
  
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• Why I Joined Today's 'March Of The Mummies' Against Maternity Discrimination

  31-10-2017 18:41
  For expectant mothers there's so much to think about - and so much to prepare for. In amongst those many thoughts and all the excitement are also some concerns, not least the serious worries for many about what will happen at work.I know a lot of mothers reading this right now will not be surprised to hear findings from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) showing that one in nine pregnant or new mothers are dismissed or treated so badly that they feel they have to leave their job. No
  
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• Westminster staffer says she was sexually assaulted by MP

  31-10-2017 18:39 via theguardian.com
  Woman criticises PM’s proposals for dealing with claims of harassment and abuse after her experience of reporting incidentA Westminster staffer who says she was sexually assaulted by an MP last year has criticised Theresa May’s “inadequate” proposals for dealing with allegations of harassment and abuse by politicians.The woman, who works for another MP, said she was speaking out because measures proposed by May will still not be sufficiently independent of the political p
  
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• David Davis Admits Brexit Withdrawal Agreement 'Will Probably Favour The EU'

  31-10-2017 18:38
  David Davis has conceded the UK’s Brexit agreement “will probably favour the EU”.The cabinet minister told the House of Lords European Union select committee on Tuesday that any withdrawal agreement would benefit the EU “in terms of the things like money and so on.”But he said he hoped the future relationship “will favour both sides and will be important to both of us”.Davis will travel to Brussels to meet the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier,
  
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• UK political donor Arron Banks winds up charity after probe

  31-10-2017 18:35
  Love Saves the Day Foundation received no income and had no expenditure
  
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• Powys House Fire Sees Father And Five Children Killed In 'Unexplained' Blaze

  31-10-2017 18:35
  One man and five children aged between four and 11 are believed to have died in a fire which ripped through a farmhouse in Llangammarch Wells, Powys, Dyfed-Powys Police said.The blaze that occurred shortly after midnight on Monday is being treated as “unexplained”.David Cuthbertson, 68, was named locally as the man who lived at the property with his nine children.Three children aged three, 12 and 10 managed to escape and are currently being treated in hospital. Their injuries are not
  
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• Bex Bailey: I was raped at a Labour Party event in 2011

  31-10-2017 18:34 via bbc.co.uk
  A Labour activist calls for changes to the way the party handles allegations.
  
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• Labour former NEC member says she was raped at party event and discouraged from reporting it - Politics live

  31-10-2017 18:33 via theguardian.com
  Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happenNo 10 lobby briefing - SummaryWhat cabinet was told about Brexit 5.33pm GMTHere are some more lines from the David Davis hearing. These are from the BBC’s Esther Webber, the Observer’s Michael Savage and Reuters’ William James.David Davis says whatever happens "we will have a basic deal - I think of it as a deal without the bits we want"Davis: Even if we didn't get a full deal some areas eg security both o
  
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• Crackdown on fixed-odds betting terminals unveiled

  31-10-2017 18:33 via theguardian.com
  Maximum bet to fall to between £2 and £50 as minister addresses gaming and advertising concerns but Labour calls review ‘deeply disappointing’What are your experiences of FOBTs?The maximum stake on fixed-odds betting terminals will be cut after the government admitted that existing limits on the machines, which allow gamblers to bet up to £300 a minute, are inappropriate.Unveiling the keenly-awaited review, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)
  
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• UK government revives landmark student debt sale

  31-10-2017 18:29
  Whitehall aims to complete the sale of the first set of loans by end of year
  
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• Coming Of Age In A Mausoleum

  31-10-2017 18:20
  When I was 15 years old, I lived for a while in a mausoleum. It was a very short while, less than a week. But it was actually an ecstatic time, this summer of honeysuckle and fireflies and stars, and the deep education that I got, being alive in there. I was desperately in love with a girl who was dead, and with a man who was living but psychotic. And it was the happiest time of my life.This is how I came to be there. I had come there from a place where I felt dead, which is my hometown of Bruns
  
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• Wendy Williams Faints Live On Air After 'Overheating' In Statue Of Liberty Halloween Costume

  31-10-2017 18:19
  Wendy Williams has assured fans she’s doing well, after fainting live on air during the Halloween edition of her US talk show.On Tuesday (31 October), Wendy was introducing her show’s annual costume competition, and came out in a glitzy outfit inspired by the Statue of Liberty.However, as she discussed the upcoming segment, she suddenly stopped in the middle of a sentence and attempted to gather her footing.To the shock of her live studio audience, Wendy then fell suddenly to the flo
  
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• It Is No Longer Tenable For The Government To Maintain Silence On The Mueller Investigation

  31-10-2017 18:15
  It is no longer tenable for the British Government to maintain its silence over Kremlin subversion of our democracy and the British links being exposed by the U.S. investigation into Russian interference in the American Presidential election.The documents published on Monday by the American Justice Department's special counsel, Robert Mueller, revealed that a British-based Maltese academic, Professor Mifsud, apparently acted as a contact point between the Russians and George Papadopoulos, a memb
  
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• House of Lords 'should cut number of peers to 600'

  31-10-2017 18:08 via bbc.co.uk
  Fifteen year limits on service are among options to cut the number of peers by a quarter by 2027.
  
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• Black History Month: Slidercuts On How To Tackle The Misrepresentation Of Afro Hair

  31-10-2017 17:56
  To mark Black History Month, celebrity barber, Slidercuts aka Mark Maciver has spoken out about what needs to be done to tackle the misrepresentation of afro hair in the media, schools and professional industries.Maciver who has styled for likes of Tinie Tempah and Lebron James spoke to HuffPost UK in his barbershop in Hornsey Road, London, about how the standards of beauty often impose more pressure on women than men.Watch the video above to find out more.
  
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• House of Lords reform plan urges cutting numbers by quarter

  31-10-2017 17:55
  Biggest shake-up of upper chamber since removal of hereditary members in 1999
  
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• ‘No deal’ Brexit would require 5,000 more customs officials

  31-10-2017 17:41
  Ministers briefed on ‘accelerating’ plans to deal with all EU exit scenarios
  
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• London Photo Of George Papadopoulos Was Taken At Least Four Years Ago

  31-10-2017 17:39
  An ex-Donald Trump aide who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about “dirt” he was offered on Hillary Clinton, has been at the centre of speculation over a picture recently posted to Twitter suggesting he was in London only six days ago.It was announced on Monday that George Papadopoulos admitted the charge on October 5 as Special Counsel Robert Mueller steps up his investigation into the Trump campaign’s alleged ties to Russia.Papadopoulos is the third adviser to Trump&rs
  
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• Brexit: Whitehall headcount to balloon by 8,000 workers

  31-10-2017 17:34 via theguardian.com
  David Davis tells cabinet of ‘significant acceleration’ to get UK ready, including creation of up to 5,000 extra jobs in HMRCPreparations to leave the EU have already cost the government half a billion pounds and will lead the headcount in Whitehall to balloon by at least 8,000 workers by the end of next year, the government has admitted.The Brexit secretary, David Davis, told the cabinet there had been a “significant acceleration” in work to get Britain ready for its EU
  
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• Jo Malone On How Reclaiming Her Sense Of Smell Was Key To Rebuilding Her Life After Breast Cancer

  31-10-2017 17:30
  For Jo Malone, smell and memory are intrinsically linked. While this can be a great source of joy, it can also bring back many painful memories.“If I close my eyes and smell a scent, it unlocks the whole memory and I can recall where everything was,” the businesswoman who founded a fragrance empire, told HuffPost UK. “It’s almost like photographic memory, but for my nose.”“Even now, if I smell basil oil, I can remember the chemo unit. I can remember
  
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• Jeremy Hunt Admits NHS Doctors Who Walked Out On Strike 'Had A Point'

  31-10-2017 17:28
  Jeremy Hunt has admitted junior doctors who walked out on strike last year in a dispute over their contracts “had a point”.Appearing before a Parliamentary select committee, the health secretary said he agreed with the concerns raised over patient safety and that more had to be done to ensure the NHS was properly resourced and funded in the years ahead.“There was one point where I thought the junior doctors had a point, which is where they said ’You say you care about pat
  
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• Foreign Office Needs More Money To Cope With Brexit, Says Former Chief Diplomat

  31-10-2017 17:28
  The Foreign Office must be given extra money if Theresa May’s ‘Global Britain’ slogan is to actually “mean something”, the former head of the diplomatic service has said.Lord Ricketts told the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday that Britain would need invest more in diplomacy after Brexit.He said the Foreign Office had “no margin” to open the new positions it would need in Europe once the UK left the EU without cutting posts in other parts of t
  
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