Political news

• Labour vows to factor climate change risk into economic forecasts

  13-11-2017 23:29
  Shadow chancellor John McDonnell to say ‘overwhelming challenge of climate change’ must be addressed from very centre of governmentThe risk posed by climate change would be factored into projections from the government’s independent economic forecaster if Labour took office, the shadow chancellor will announce on Tuesday.John McDonnell will highlight the human and economic costs of manmade climate change, calling it the “greatest single public challenge” and say the
  
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• Awaiting The Crown, Charles Faces 'Unprecedented' Challenge At Home And Abroad

  13-11-2017 23:19
  When you speak to Royal observers, two portrayals of Britain’s future monarch emerge. The first is of Charles the convenor, tactfully using his power to draw together divided minds and encourage consensus. The second is that of Charles the activist, driving change and declaring his views, challenging constitutional orthodoxy.It is perhaps the latter which goes further in explaining events at court this summer. With little international fanfare, a series of fundamental changes to the w
  
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• Amber Rudd Tells New Tory MPs To Help 'Change' The Party

  13-11-2017 22:42
  Amber Rudd has said the Conservative Party needs to “change” to fight off Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party which is “right behind” the government.Speaking at a drinks reception in central-London on Monday evening, the home secretary appealed to the “next generation” of Tory MPs elected in 2015 and 2017 to take the fight to Labour.“We need to adapt our ideas and our reality to a changing context,” she said.“To continue with the principles an
  
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• NI budget reveals health spend increase

  13-11-2017 22:31 via bbc.co.uk
  The region's civil service will start running out of money unless action is taken, says NI secretary.
  
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• Conservatives criticised over handling of sexual harassment inquiries

  13-11-2017 22:28
  Alleged victims express concern over failure to promise anonymity, while unions concerned over makeup of cross-party working groupThe Conservatives are facing criticism for failing to promise to protect the identities of alleged victims of sexual assault and harassment or announce the disciplinary panel which will hear cases against MPs.As the party launches inquiries into claims of improper conduct against at least four parliamentarians, complainants said that they have been offered no guarante
  
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• Parliament to have 'take-it-or-leave-it' vote on final Brexit deal, Davis says

  13-11-2017 22:23
  MPs and peers will vote on agreement, but will have no say in case of no-deal Brexit, will not be able to reverse decision and will not be able to reopen talksDavid Davis has promised to introduce legislation to parliament that will allow MPs to vote on the final Brexit deal but the concession was not enough to kill off a potential rebellion from Conservative backbenchers.The Brexit secretary announced the move in the Commons after it became clear that the government could face defeat on an amen
  
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• Tories Under Attack Over 'Crass' Survey Asking Residents To Rate Grenfell Fire With Marks Out Of Ten

  13-11-2017 22:20
  Tory activists in Kensington and Chelsea have come under attack for a “crass” and “insensitive” survey that asked residents to rate the importance of the Grenfell Tower tragedy on a scale of nought to 10.The leaflet, which was sent out in a wealthy area of the West London borough, asks constituents to put a number on how much they care about “The tragedy of Grenfell and the help for the families affected and the wider community”.Dropped through letterboxes in
  
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• Theresa May steps up her attack on Russian electoral ‘meddling’

  13-11-2017 22:05
  UK prime minister accuses Moscow of using cyber espionage ‘to sow discord in the west’
  
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• Parliament to get binding vote on final Brexit deal

  13-11-2017 21:49 via bbc.co.uk
  MPs and peers will be given a take-it-or-leave it say on agreement via an Act of Parliament, David Davis says.
  
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• Bob Geldof: Lord Mayor Of Dublin Blasts Singer's Hypocrisy Over Aung San Suu Kyi Protest

  13-11-2017 21:40
  The Lord Mayor of Dublin has blasted Bob Geldof after returning his Freedom of the City award in protest against Aung San Suu Kyi holding the same honour, claiming the gesture was ironic as the singer held a British knighthood despite “the shameful record of British imperialism across the globe”.Micheal Mac Donncha, a councillor for the Irish nationalist Sinn Fein party, was responding after the musician and activist called the Myanmar leader “a hand ma
  
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• Former Castle Point MP Bob Spink fraud trial under way

  13-11-2017 21:33 via bbc.co.uk
  The former Castle Point MP has denied submitting false signatures on nomination papers.
  
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• Five flashpoints on the flagship Brexit bill

  13-11-2017 20:44
  UK ministers could be forced into major concessions to get legislation approved
  
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• Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's Boss Is Still Correcting Boris Johnson's 'Huge, Huge Gaffe'

  13-11-2017 20:26
  Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s boss has condemned Boris Johnson for committing a “huge, huge gaffe” after incorrectly suggesting the British mother jailed in Iran was training journalists.The Foreign Secretary today apologised for his mistake after Iran state TV used his comments to support the regime’s trumped-up charge that she was in the country spying.The Government has now fully adopted Nazanin’s family’s position, namely that she was in the country on holid
  
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• Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's Boss Condemns Boris Johnson's 'Huge, Huge Gaffe'

  13-11-2017 20:26
  Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s boss has condemned Boris Johnson for committing a “huge, huge gaffe” after incorrectly suggesting the British mother jailed in Iran is a journalist who was training other reporters.The Foreign Secretary today apologised for his mistake after Iran state TV used his comments to support the regime’s trumped-up charge she was in the country spying.The Government has now fully adopted Nazanin’s family’s position, namely that she was in t
  
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• Pensions regulator names employers taken to court over breaches

  13-11-2017 19:41
  Some 169 workplaces have not paid fines levied on them for not complying with enrolment
  
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• May grants full vote on Brexit deal in concession to pro-Europeans

  13-11-2017 19:30
  Political turmoil within government takes toll on PM’s plans
  
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• Pound comes under pressure amid concerns over May's future

  13-11-2017 19:11
  Investors spooked by rumours of revolt by Tory backbenchers and warning from IMF about UK crashing out of EU with no dealThe pound has come under pressure on international currency markets after investors were spooked by weekend rumours of a backbench revolt that could topple Theresa May’s government and add to the uncertainty surrounding Brexit talks.Sterling shed a cent against the US dollar, to below $1.31, and a similar amount against the euro to €1.122 on Monday as concerns about
  
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• Analysis: Government's Brexit Vote U-Turn Changes Nothing

  13-11-2017 19:05
  Just three weeks ago David Davis prompted a wave of gasps from anti-Brexit MPs when he stated what was surely blindingly obvious: if the talks with the EU go to the wire, Parliament will not get a vote until after the deal has been signed.In the Commons this afternoon, he effectively repeated the same message.It was dressed up as the Government listening to MPs concerns over scrutiny ahead of the debate beginning on the EU Withdrawal Bill. At first, it seemed to be handing more power to Parliame
  
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• Why The Government Can Afford To Scrap The NHS Pay Cap, And Why They Can't Afford Not To

  13-11-2017 19:04
  In the last few days of the General Election campaign earlier this year, Theresa May was confronted by a nurse at a Question Time debate, who asked if it was fair that her pay had barely increased since 2009. The Prime Minister responded by saying that while she recognises the work that she does, hard choices have to be made and that 'there isn't a magic money tree that we can shake which suddenly provides for everything that we want'.NHS workers, as with workers across the public sector, have f
  
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• Michael Gove and Boris Johnson: how did their friendship come out of the deep freeze?

  13-11-2017 19:03
  The politicians fell out after Gove torpedoed Johnson’s Tory leadership bid. Now they are back on good terms – and the reason is BrexitNot too long ago Michael Gove would describe his once-close relationship with Boris Johnson as being in the “deep freeze.” Such froideur was inevitable, given the way Gove had torpedoed his chum’s bid to replace David Cameron as Tory party leader and prime minister. You’ll recall that fine June day in 2016 when Johnson was pois
  
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• Paradise Papers - Action Required From Public Sector Procurement And Charities

  13-11-2017 18:51
  The recent disclosure and publication of the Paradise Papers, like the Panama Papers before them and many other revelations about tax avoidance and murky tax practices by governments, corporates and individuals should sound a wake-up call to both charities and those in the public sector engaged in procurement.I have long argued, as have many others, that when government or other public sector bodies are awarding public contracts for goods and services they should take into account the bidders' t
  
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• The Most Reverend And Right Honourable The Lord Archbishop of Canterbury: Thank You

  13-11-2017 18:37
  Sometimes I think people have a really odd view of what it's like to be transgender. The reality, I hate to break it to you, is a lot more boring than that - we have jobs, and families, commitments, rent to make and bills to pay. In fact, you could probably swap my life out with that of a childless, white, 32-year-old and realise that, by and large, our existences are startlingly similar. Except for one thing - how the world talks about us.Your beliefs, whether religious or secular, are a choice
  
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• Dyslexic students 'discriminated against' in allowance assessments

  13-11-2017 18:37 via bbc.co.uk
  Peers call for assessments for dyslexic students claiming disability allowance to be reviewed.
  
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• Poor leadership is the Achilles heel of the Brexiter cause

  13-11-2017 18:35
  Leave voters are intelligent and civic-minded, yet their politicians are a fiasco
  
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• MPs Will Get Final Say On Brexit Deal, Government Agrees In U-Turn

  13-11-2017 18:33
  MPs will get a vote on the final Brexit deal, David Davis has confirmed after the Government backed down in the face of Tory rebels.The Brexit Secretary told the Commons this afternoon the EU Withdrawal Bill will be amended to ensure MPs will have the power to reject or approve the final deal with Brussels.However, if MPs did vote down the agreement, it could lead to the UK leaving the EU without a deal.The announcement comes just a day before MPs beginning debating changes to the Government&rsq
  
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• Labour MP Liz McInnes Says Parliament Has Become 'Dysfunctional Mess'

  13-11-2017 18:32
  Parliament has become ‘a dysfunctional mess’, with thousands of workers left with no proper employment protection, according to a shadow minister. Labour’s Liz McInnes says recent allegations of sexual harassment and abuse within Westminster have exposed the fact there are no real HR functions in place to guide MPs and their staff.Her comments came as a petition was launched for Parliament to officially recognise Unite as an official trade unions for those working there.&n
  
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• Five People Who've Been Bullied On Why 'Being Different Is Better'

  13-11-2017 18:22
  Being bullied as a child or teenager can have a lasting impact, with those affected remembering the incidents as adults like they were only yesterday.As part of HuffPost UK’s original video series New Activists, five people who were bullied when they were younger reflect on their experiences, to mark Anti-Bulling Week.The group has one overall message for anyone watching who is affected: embrace your individuality. Trans activist Charlie Craggs describes being bullied from the age of
  
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• Downing St aide ‘touched my breast’, says TV writer

  13-11-2017 18:14
  Davidson says Westminster sex scandals deterring women from entering politics
  
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• Boris Johnson Apologises And Admits He Was 'Wrong' To Claim Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe Was Training Journalists In Iran

  13-11-2017 18:14
  Boris Johnson has finally admitted it was “wrong” of him to claim Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was in Iran to train journalists and apologised if he caused “any further anguish”.The foreign secretary was forced back to the Commons on Monday to face MPs over the crisis of the British mother given a five-year sentence on allegations of spying.Johnson has faced calls to resign for his comments to the foreign affairs committee. Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s family has insisted she w
  
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• 'I'm A Celebrity' Line-Up 2017 'Revealed' In Full Ahead Of New Series Launch

  13-11-2017 18:13
  The full ‘I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!’ line-up has seemingly been confirmed ahead of any official announcement.Comedian Shappui Khorsandi and YouTuber Jack Maynard look to have become the latest additions to the ITV reality show, after been seen landing at Brisbane airport.A Mirror journalist who is currently in Australia also tweeted the full line-up, which is also believed to include footballer Jamie Vardy’s wife Rebekah, although she was yet to be seen at th
  
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• The Essential Winter Bucket List For Kids

  13-11-2017 18:06
  Winter is the perfect time to pack in some fun calendar events with your children; the sort of experiences that will become family lore of ‘remember whens’ or that are so successful they become a much-anticipated annual family excursion.Here are some of those essential family fun moments you can have together this year.1. Go ice skating together. There are pop up ice skating rinks kicking off from November throughout the UK, from the centrepiece of winter wonderlands to the grou
  
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• Westminster sets £10.6bn budget for Northern Ireland

  13-11-2017 18:03
  London stops short of direct rule but move seen as setback for Good Friday agreement
  
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• Why I'm Saying NO To Child Marriage In Tanzania

  13-11-2017 17:45
  Upendo is 23 and lives in Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. She is a young campaigner with Plan International UK's Youth For Change project - a global network of youth activists working with organisations and governments to create positive change for girls.Imagine what you were doing when you were 11. You had probably just started secondary school, perhaps you dreamed of being a doctor, artist, computer scientist? Maybe you looked forward to the weekend when you could go to the cinema with your friends
  
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• The Four-Letter Word That Changes Everything

  13-11-2017 17:43
  It's not the one you're thinking of, or any from the typical arsenal of word-weapons - the ones we humans launch at one another in moments of anger, when the red mist descends and none of the others are quite hitting their target. No, the four-letter word that insulted me recently was one that is usually wholly innocuous; one more commonly looked upon as a "goody" of the word world. One associated with reward, with gifting; getting something for nothing. And who doesn't love the instant gratific
  
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• Want A Healthy, Prosperous And Resilient City? You Need A Bicycle Mayor

  13-11-2017 17:37
  Amsterdam has just elected a new Bicycle Mayor. Katelijne Boerma becomes the second person to hold the title and promises to take what is arguably the world capital of city cycling onto even more exciting developments. With it, Amsterdam will continue to be a leader in smart mobility, and how we meet the far-reaching urban challenges we face. And it will continue to provide a shop window for the vast array of economic, health and social benefits that orientating a city around the human scale of
  
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• UK has 2 weeks to clear Brexit logjam, say EU business leaders

  13-11-2017 17:37
  May urged to drive progress in talks and agree transitional deal as ‘time is short’
  
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• Who Cares For Young Carers?

  13-11-2017 17:35
  You arrive home from a hard day's work and you're shattered, but there's still more to be done: dinner needs cooking, the washing machine's been on since you left this morning and you just haven't had the chance to get on with any of the cleaning. You'll have to see how it's gone today, how much help one or other of your parents might require that night. Your mum might need her medicine. Your dad might need lifting and helping into bed. Homework? Forget homework. There's too much other work to b
  
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• Acid Attack Murder Victim ‘Complained To New Woman His Girlfriend Was Controlling’

  13-11-2017 17:27
  A man allegedly murdered in an acid attack by his ex-girlfriend, had planned to move out of her flat just two weeks before, a court heard on Monday.Mark van Dongen, 29, told another woman he had started seeing that Berlinah Wallace, 48, had hacked into his emails and he was moving into a hotel.Wallace is accused of throwing sulfuric acid in van Dongen’s face causing such serious injuries he opted to die in a euthanasia clinic 15 months later.South African-born Wallace denies charges of mur
  
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• Ministers Accused MPs Of Scaremongering Five Times After They Raised Universal Credit Fears

  13-11-2017 17:24
  Government ministers accused opposition MPs of scaremongering five times after they raised concerns about the roll-out of Universal Credit.Work and pensions secretary David Gauke said members should talk about the overhaul of the benefits system “in a more responsible way” as he was questioned in the Commons on Monday afternoon.Several Labour and SNP members gave examples of incidents where their constituents had faced housing problems or had to wait long periods for their first paym
  
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• CBI: 'Pick up the pace' on Brexit talks

  13-11-2017 17:24 via bbc.co.uk
  The head of the CBI says business wants the UK and Europe to speed up Brexit negotiations.
  
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• Parents Of Premature Babies Shares Experiences Of Their Time In Neonatal Care In Heartbreaking Video

  13-11-2017 17:20
  A moving video capturing parents’ heartbreaking experiences of their time in neonatal care has been released by a national baby charity ahead of World Prematurity Day 2017.Bliss, the UK’s leading premature and sick baby charity, showed parents speaking openly about the emotions they went through after their babies arrived early.The charity is encouraging parents to share their experiences of prematurity using the hashtag #PrematurityIs, to show other parents that they are n
  
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• Universal credit callers face five minutes on hold

  13-11-2017 17:16 via bbc.co.uk
  Data obtained by the BBC shows people spending more time on hold - with many paying while they wait.
  
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• Johnson apology for Iran detainee 'anguish'

  13-11-2017 17:16 via bbc.co.uk
  Boris Johnson says his previous comments about Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe “could and should have been clearer"
  
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• 'Strictly Come Dancing': Coleen Nolan Slams 'Cruel' Judges Over Ruth Langsford Remarks

  13-11-2017 17:15
  Coleen Nolan has slammed the “cruel” ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ judges over comments they made about her ‘Loose Women’ co-star Ruth Langsford.Ruth and her partner Anton Du Beke were eliminated from the ballroom competition on Sunday (12 November) night, but not before the panel had some harsh words of criticism for her.Ahead of her performance in the dance off, Bruno Tonioli told her: “It’s ‘Strictly’, it’s not ascot darling,&rd
  
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• Workload of GPs to be reduced in Scotland to boost retention

  13-11-2017 16:51
  Doctors to receive guaranteed income under Scottish government’s draft deal with BMA
  
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• The 2018 Pirelli Calendar Is A Step In The Right Direction

  13-11-2017 16:49
  Pirelli has released it’s 2018 calendar featuring an all star cast of the bold and the beautiful in fashion, film and music. The stand-out aspect of this calendar is that all the featured subjects are black.From Whoopi Godlberg and Ru Paul, to Duckie Thot and Adwoa Aboah, the line-up of celebrities is indeed impressive.It has the story of ‘Alice In Wonderland’ at its heart.Speaking about the relevance of the choice to make the subjects of the calendar solely blac
  
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• Carl Sargeant's Wife Found Ex-Welsh Minister Hanged At Home, Inquest Told

  13-11-2017 16:49
  Wales Assembly Member Carl Sargeant was found hanged at his home by his wife, a coroner’s court has heard.The 49-year-old was found dead last Tuesday by his wife Bernadette, four days after being removed from his role as cabinet secretary for communities and children.The father-of-two, from Connah’s Quay, North Wales, was suspended from the Labour Party over allegations of “unwanted attention, inappropriate touching or groping”.Sargeant’s wife had gone downstairs an
  
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• European Union gives impetus to joint defence plan

  13-11-2017 16:28 via bbc.co.uk
  Twenty-three European Union member states sign up to a plan for closer defence co-operation.
  
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• This Is Who Is Winning In Wearable Tech In 2017

  13-11-2017 16:20
  You might have seen the headlines about the unsold Snap Spectacles lying in warehouses or startups like Doppler Labs biting the dust without a big tech company swooping in to save them.It's not all doom and gloom, though. It was the second Wareable Tech Awards, in association with Currys PC World, this week - we chose 15 Award winners, with the help of a panel of expert judges and hopefully by the end of it, everyone's excitement was restored.Image credit: WareableThe theme of the evening was ve
  
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• Shark With Head Of A Snake And 300 Teeth Found Swimming In The Algarve

  13-11-2017 16:19
  If you’ve been daydreaming about holidays for next year, you might want to reconsider your destination after a prehistoric shark was found swimming in the waters off the Algarve.The rare frilled shark, which measured around five feet in length, had over 300 teeth and a slimy snake-like body, is normally found in open water.But this individual was picked up when it was swimming near the Portimao resort on the south coast of Portugal.The team of Portuguese scientists responsible for the find
  
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