Political news

• David Davis Warns EU That Punishing UK Over Brexit Will Damage Their Economies

  16-11-2017 21:49
  Brexit Secretary David Davis has warned Germany and other European nations not to “put politics above prosperity” during negotiations over the UK quitting the European Union.In a provocative speech in Berlin, Davis signalled Germany and other EU states risked damaging their own economies by playing hardball with Britain as they thrashed out trade deals.After detailling the many economic ties between the UK and Germany, he said: “In the face of those facts I know that no one wou
  
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• Martin Rowson on political upheavals – cartoon

  16-11-2017 21:28
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• The Guardian view on the austerity budgets: end the social and economic failure | Editorial

  16-11-2017 20:44
  Labour successfully made the case that tax-and-spend policies will revive the UK’s flatlining economy – and even some Tories now agree. Unfortunately the Treasury remains wedded to a failed ideology of spending cutsWhen Philip Hammond stands up to deliver his first autumn budget next week, he will be acutely aware that it could also be his last. Recent chancellors bestrode the political scene and their colleagues were in no doubt that their fortunes rested on the whims of Treasury. T
  
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• SNP suspends Mark McDonald after 'new information' emerges

  16-11-2017 20:15
  Minister resigned his cabinet post two weeks ago after admitting ‘inappropriate’ behaviour towards womenThe SNP has suspended Mark McDonald, the former Scottish government minister who resigned his cabinet post two weeks ago after admitting “inappropriate” behaviour towards women, saying it has received new information. McDonald resigned his cabinet position for childcare and early years on 4 November after apologising “unreservedly” for sending an unspecified
  
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• The Guardian view on Twitter’s blue ticks: a conflict of interest | Editorial

  16-11-2017 20:14
  Social media companies must accept that their duties to democracy rival their commercial incentivesIn the early days of the digital revolution, it seemed the old hierarchies might be eliminated. The lone blogger could challenge the media giant. The idealism did not last long. Old corporates learned how to exploit the new market; new tech companies acquired huge empires, with their own hierarchies. People with more “friends” and “followers” have more impact. More significa
  
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• Philip Hammond’s local council fails to build enough homes

  16-11-2017 19:53
  Runnymede among 15 to be given ultimatum by Sajid Javid over housing plans
  
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• Car tax evasion triples after scrapping of paper disc

  16-11-2017 19:52
  Treasury may be losing out on up to £107m revenues a year
  
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• UK government set to reverse plan on specific Brexit date

  16-11-2017 19:50
  Fixing day of departure in law could be dropped after rebellion
  
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• This budget is the Tories’ big chance. Watch them waste it | Martin Kettle

  16-11-2017 19:45
  Theresa May’s party remains shackled to deficit reduction. As a result, her chancellor’s job is impossibleHistory has few iron laws. Yet a reading of British history suggests at least one exception. Those who are at first described as mutineers invariably win the argument. Mutinies happen because a system has reached breaking point and cannot continue.The 15 Conservative MPs whom the Daily Telegraph dubbed “The Brexit mutineers” this week can therefore take comf
  
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• Davis urges May to hold back Brexit money until trade talks

  16-11-2017 19:33
  PM under pressure to give EU assurances on divorce settlement
  
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• Brexit Briefing: Mutiny And A Bounty

  16-11-2017 19:07
  And so it began. This week the EU Withdrawal Bill hit Parliament for its Committee Stage.This is where MPs can try to amend the legislation, and with the Government’s slim majority of 13 (rising to 25 when you count in ‘Labour Leavers’), there is a good chance changes could be snuck through thanks to the so-called Brexit Mutineers.Theresa May and David Davis tried to head off two possible defeats with amendments of their own – yet both seemed to rile up potential rebels m
  
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• New Zimbabwe Or Just A Return To The Old?

  16-11-2017 19:00
  After 30 years of ‘Uncle Bob’, the population of Zimbabwe deserves a break. Is this it?Robert Mugabe’s attachment to power has put Zimbabwe on its knees economically, socially and politically. So the appearance of General Constantino Chiwenga insisting the Zimbabwean Defence Forces are dealing with a “criminal gang” and would restore the constitution and the rule of law is perhaps enough to suggest there’s a way out, a new route to recovery via more democratic
  
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• School counsellors needed to tackle self-harm 'epidemic', minister told

  16-11-2017 18:44 via bbc.co.uk
  More school counsellors are needed to deal with a rise in emotional problems, the government is told.
  
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• Cometh the hour, cometh John McDonnell, the man with a plan | John Crace

  16-11-2017 18:42
  The shadow chancellor was like a news anchor reading a list of casualties as he rattled off the catastrophes of austerity Not so long ago, no one felt obliged to take much notice of a pre-budget speech from John McDonnell. The Labour shadow chancellor was free to suggest almost anything he wanted – nationalisation of the Isle of Man, an SAS assault on Bermuda – and no one would bat an eye because there didn’t seem to be a chance of him ever getting the top job. It was just John
  
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• Why Have Minimum Alcohol Pricing?

  16-11-2017 18:32
  Scotland is poised to become the first country in the world to charge a minimum price per unit of alcohol. The unanimous ruling by the UK Supreme Court to back the Scottish Government proposal quashes a legal challenge by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), allowing authorities to proceed with legislation that was initially approved five years ago.So what does this mean for those buying alcohol in Scotland? And will it spread to the rest of the UK?What is minimum pricing? The proposal aims to c
  
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• Government Concedes Millennial Housing Crisis Has Nothing To Do With Avocados

  16-11-2017 18:31
  The UK faces a housing crisis that means young people in many parts of the country cannot afford to buy a property unless they have a better than modest Lottery win or have featured in Made in Chelsea.There are many reasons for this. Demand far outstripping supply, as not enough houses are being built in booming cities and towns. The insecurity of renting encouraging more to rent. Rampant NIMBY-ism in rural areas.What is not fuelling a situation - where a mortgage is now many, many more times th
  
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• Baby Boomers, Not Avocados, To Blame For Millennial Housing Crisis, Says Minister Sajid Javid

  16-11-2017 18:31
  ‘Baby boomers’ who have paid off their own mortgages should not be allowed to get in the way of the construction of homes for a younger generation “crying out for help with housing”, Communities Secretary Sajid Javid has said.In a speech in Bristol, Javid admitted the shortage of affordable property risks creating a “rootless generation” who drift from one short-term rental to another and never put down roots in a community.He went on to reject the resistance
  
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• Christians Envious Of The 'Respect' Islam Enjoys Should Be Careful What They Wish For

  16-11-2017 18:27
  A common accusation during the furore over Greggs replacing baby Jesus with a sausage roll in advent calendar was one of double standards. Many of those voicing opposition to the bakery chain's promotional picture pointed out that they wouldn't do that to Muhammad.And of course, they're right. But one practical problem with 'doing that' to Muhammad is that there tend to be very few images of the founder of Islam. Most Muslims consider depictions of Muhammad to be 'forbidden', so replacing him wi
  
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• Gerry Adams to clear way for Sinn Féin to enter mainstream politics

  16-11-2017 18:26
  Republican leader set to announce retirement date at Dublin party conference
  
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• Who Tanned The Leather For Your Designer Bag?

  16-11-2017 18:25
  In transit from Bangladesh to Manchester, I walked past the luxury stores in Dubai airport, all of which have leather bags displayed in their windows. The spotlights in the store windows shine down on an array of beautiful bags, but I want to shine a spotlight on a darker story which needs to be revealed. The previous day I had visited the tanneries in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where the leather used for many of the world's designer bags and shoes originates.author's ownUntil recently, the district of
  
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• Have I Got News For You Episode Featuring Sexual Harassment 'Jokes' Tops BBC Complaints

  16-11-2017 18:24
  An episode of Have I Got News For You where Jo Brand took an all-male panel to task over their jokes about sexual assault was the most complained about BBC show of the past two weeks, figures reveal.The broadcaster received a total of 234 complaints about the programme, which was first shown on November 3.At the time, many viewers took to Twitter to accuse panelists of trying to “downplay” recent sexual harassment allegations within Parliament.While Daily Mail columnist Quentin Letts
  
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• No wonder the north is angry. Here’s a plan to bridge the bitter Brexit divide | Larry Elliott

  16-11-2017 18:21
  This could be a moment to radically reboot the country. But the left must develop a gameplan to address Britain’s stark regional imbalances.Britain is a broken country badly in need of a plan to piece it back together. It is now almost 18 months since the vote for Brexit exposed the deep schism between leavers and remainers, but there is one thing on which both sides should be able to agree: the status quo is not an option. Related: We’ll never stop Brexit or Trump until we
  
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• Goldman Sachs boss calls for second Brexit referendum - Politics live

  16-11-2017 18:11
  Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happenGoldman Sachs boss calls for second Brexit referendumAfternoon summary 5.10pm GMT 4.55pm GMTThe Times revelation that Michael Gove’s colleagues think he is auditioning for the job of chancellor because he has taken to using “long, economicky words” in cabinet (see 9.42am) is generating much comment.Stefan Stern has written an article for the Guardian suggesting some more “economicky” words Gove
  
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• Theresa May to talk Brexit with EU chief Donald Tusk

  16-11-2017 18:09 via bbc.co.uk
  The prime minister is hoping the EU will agree to start talking about a trade deal.
  
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• We're in a post-truth world with eroding trust and accountability. It can't end well | Nick Enfield

  16-11-2017 18:00
  In our new normal, experts are dismissed and alternative facts flagrantly offered. This suspicion of specialists is part of a bigger problemWe often defer to others’ expertise, and for good reason. The entire edifice of modern society only exists thanks to the division of labour, from construction to machine operation to medical treatment. The system works as long as we have trust in others’ knowledge, skills and intentions.This trust is often tested, most notably of late in relation
  
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• Ditch tax cuts to fund universal credit, says Iain Duncan Smith's thinktank

  16-11-2017 18:00
  Centre for Social Justice urges chancellor to row back on manifesto pledge to reduce income tax and invest in benefits insteadIain Duncan Smith’s thinktank is calling on the chancellor to renege on promised Tory tax cuts and instead plough billions of pounds into universal credit if he wants to help families that are just about managing.The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), founded and chaired by the former Conservative leader, said that Philip Hammond should cancel plans to raise the thres
  
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• Missguided Really Isn't Photoshopping Models' Stretch Marks - Just Their Knickers

  16-11-2017 17:58
  Missguided has clapped back (in the nicest possible way) to accusations that they have been misleading customers about whether or not they retouch models’ stretch marks. The fashion brand had recently been applauded for not editing out models’ stretch marks on their bum, thighs and breasts.But then some accused Missguided of actually photoshopping the stretch marks in to the photos.The brand took to Twitter to clear the air by sharing two photos one showing a model wearing
  
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• Missguided Really Isn't Photoshopping Models' Stretch Marks

  16-11-2017 17:58
  Missguided has clapped back (in the nicest possible way) to accusations that they have been misleading customers about whether or not they retouch models’ stretch marks.The fashion brand had recently been applauded for not editing out models’ stretch marks on their bum, thighs and breasts.But then some accused Missguided of actually photoshopping the stretch marks in to the photos.The brand took to Twitter to clear the air by sharing two photos one showing a model wearing two th
  
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• Donald Trump Singed With 'Sick Burn' By New Zealand Prime Minister

  16-11-2017 17:57
  Donald Trump has been quipped into place by New Zealand’s newly elected Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern.The leaders shared a light-hearted exchange while in the Philippines for trade talks with the 37-year-old responding to a comment from the Republican with a razor-sharp zinger.The remark caught the attention of famed Kiwi comedian, Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Concords fame, among other New Zealanders, who beamed over the “sick burn” and contrasted Ardern’s sassiness
  
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• Goldman Sachs boss calls for second Brexit referendum

  16-11-2017 17:54
  New Lloyd Blankfein tweet says lots of CEOs wish for new vote to confirm support is still there for such a ‘monumental and irreversible’ decisionThe boss of Goldman Sachs has suggested a second EU referendum to confirm there is a consensus in the UK on the “monumental and irreversible” Brexit decision.Lloyd Blankfein, in his latest intervention via Twitter on Brexit, said there was “lots of handwringing” from chief executives about Brexit and the “tough
  
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• Government Quietly Puts Off Green Paper On Social Care Funding

  16-11-2017 17:52
  The government has quietly delayed the publication of a green paper on social care funding.Initially expected this autumn, Cabinet Office minister Damian Green used a written statement on Thursday to say it will not be published until summer 2018.It will include a full examination of reform of social care and support for older people, promised by Theresa May before the snap election and her ill-fated dementia tax announcement. Councils across the country have warned of a looming crisis as t
  
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• BBC Journalists Napping On The Job Have The Right Idea, Say Sleep Experts

  16-11-2017 17:48
  Sleep experts have come out in full support of work naps, after photos of BBC employees sleeping at their desks were published on The Sun’s front page, prompting accusations of laziness.Speaking to HuffPost UK, sleep experts said work naps are important for businesses to flourish, as they enhance performance and can help us solve problems.Dr Guy Meadows, clinical director of The Sleep School, says: “When it comes to the workplace, employees should have the opportunity to ha
  
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• Who Is Jack Maynard? I'm A Celebrity's Most Famous Contestant You've Never Heard Of

  16-11-2017 17:45
  Every year, there is always at least one ‘I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!’ contestant that has everyone crying ‘Whoooooo?’, and this year that spot is filled by Jack Maynard. But the 22-year-old is probably the most famous jungle campmate you’ve never heard of, and that’s because he’s famous on YouTube. As a vlogger, Jack has a army of online fans and his upcoming stint on the ITV reality show looks set to turn him into a household
  
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• Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein Calls For A Second Brexit Referendum

  16-11-2017 17:44
  The CEO of Goldman Sachs has called for a second referendum on Brexit, claiming “many wish for a confirming vote on a decision so monumental and irreversible”. In a rare tweet, Lloyd Blankfein told his 70,000 followers that Britain should make sure the consensus is “still there” to leave the EU. The banking boss wrote on Thursday: “Here in UK, lots of hand-wringing from CEOs over Brexit. “Better sense of the tough and risky road ahead. Relu
  
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• Gaia Pope: Police Arrest Man, 49, On Suspicion Of Murder

  16-11-2017 17:41
  Police searching for missing teenager Gaia Pope have arrested a 49-year-old man on suspicion of murder.A Dorset Police spokesman said: “He is currently assisting police with enquiries. It is believed he was known to Gaia.”It comes hours after investigators discovered “items of women’s clothing” in a field near Swanage.The 19-year-old, from Langton Matravers, was staying at an address in Swanage when she disappeared on the afternoon of 7 November.Earlier this week de
  
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• Yemen Is On The Verge Of The World's Largest Famine - Time For May To Stop Fuelling The War

  16-11-2017 17:39
  This week, the UN warned that after three years of bombing and conflict Yemen is on the verge of the 'largest famine the world has seen in decades.' Millions of lives are under threat, but the Saudi-led bombing has intensified, and those that are providing arms and support have continued to look the other way while terrible atrocities and abuses have taken placeThe crisis has been exacerbated by the ongoing Saudi-led blockade, which has prevented food and lifesaving medicine from reaching those
  
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• Theresa May could back down on Brexit date, says cabinet minister

  16-11-2017 17:37
  Justice secretary David Lidington says PM is listening to colleagues over her attempt to fix the EU exit date as 29 March 2019A senior cabinet minister has hinted that Theresa May could back down on her attempt to fix the date of Brexit as 29 March 2019 in the face of a serious Conservative revolt.David Lidington, the justice secretary, said the prime minister was listening to suggestions from her colleagues, when asked whether the exit date amendment could be withdrawn in the face of opposition
  
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• Invisible Children: How Bereaved Kids Don't Officially Exist In The UK

  16-11-2017 17:35
  My little boy turned seven a few weeks ago. His birthday is always incredibly bittersweet for me. With every year that goes by, I'm reminded of how much further he moves away from his mother's physical presence. She was killed just after his second birthday.Clearly, as a single parent, he is the main focus of my life and the centre of my universe. He's such an incredible child: funny, clever, spirited and so emotionally intelligent. His presence is what strikes me most, though; he's just so incr
  
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• UK government '10 years late' on air quality targets

  16-11-2017 17:29
  Report from the National Audit Office finds overall improvement in air quality but does not expect to meet EU targets until 2021The government will be more than a decade late in meeting EU targets on air quality, a report from the National Audit Office (NAO) has revealed.The cost of health impacts from air pollution, including fine particulate matter and nitrogen oxides, is estimated at £20bn. Nearly 30,000 deaths were thought to be caused in 2008 by fine particulate matter pollution, some
  
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• Peers Are Claiming Without Contributing To Our Democracy

  16-11-2017 17:20
  The past two years have not been good for the House of Lords.Despite legislation to expel those who commit crimes or fail to attend, there are still those who do very little yet continue to collect large pay cheques.New appointments based on patronage continue, swelling the already supersized chamber. The upper house is being treated by some as a retirement home or private members' club. This is no fit state for the Mother of all Parliaments.At the end of 2015 we conducted an audit of the House
  
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• Labour MP Chris Bryant says journalist taunted him about suicide

  16-11-2017 17:17 via bbc.co.uk
  Labour MP Chris Bryant claims a journalist said people were "taking bets" on when he would kill himself.
  
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• This Incredible Process Uses 3,000 Artificial 'Suns' To Create Clean Jet Fuel

  16-11-2017 17:06
  A team of scientists have become the first people to ever complete an entire process of using solar power to convert water and carbon dioxide into a jet fuel that could feasibly be used by commercial airlines.Experts say that carbon-neutral air travel is one of the biggest missing links in the potential for a future without fossil fuels, and this could be one of the first steps towards an alternative solution.Philipp Furler, who worked on the study, said: “Oil is a limited resource; a
  
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• Gove plots to become a great British Brexit chancellor

  16-11-2017 17:01
  And to that end, he has been learning a lot of complicated economic language
  
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• Tories Must Stop Playing Politics With People's Lives

  16-11-2017 16:59
  When is one life more important than another?Or, to put more starkly, when is it permissible to risk people burning to death in their own homes, but others must be protected?According to this government the answer seems to be: We will protect MPs by installing sprinklers, but everyone else can take their chances.Grenfell survivors and the friends and families of the victims are rightly outraged that parliament is to spend a reported £1.3million to fit sprinklers in parliament.At the same t
  
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• Maintaining The 'Me' In 'Mummy' - Style Tips For New And Expectant Mums

  16-11-2017 16:49
  Becoming a mum is inevitably a life-changing experience. As a stylist, I get a lot of questions from pregnant clients and new mums on how they can adapt their style to suit their changing lifestyle. I feel it's so important that women still feel like themselves after they become a parent, so I'm a big fan of using clothes and accessories to celebrate the 'me' in 'mummy'. I think one of the key things is to be really prepared, and be smart with mixing maternity wear with stylish high-street items
  
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• Brexit: Goldman Sachs chief Lloyd Blankfein suggests second vote

  16-11-2017 16:48 via bbc.co.uk
  Lloyd Blankfein tweets that many want a "confirming vote" on a "monumental and irreversible" decision.
  
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• UK hopes to end long legal dispute with Iran over 1976 arms deal

  16-11-2017 16:47
  Government says Boris Johnson’s expected settlement of Chieftain tanks row is not related to talks over release of Nazanin Zaghari-RatcliffeThe UK hopes to finally end a near four-decade legal dispute with the Iranian government over hundreds of Chieftain tanks Tehran bought from the UK in 1976, but never received. The British government admits it owes Iran up to £300m, but the countries have wrangled over the precise sum and whether any payment could be made while Tehran was still u
  
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• How To Know If You're In A Toxic Friendship (And How To End It)

  16-11-2017 16:44
  When it comes to bullying, we often think of playground tactics such as pulling hair and stealing lunch money. But actually it can take many different forms and go on long after childhood.That’s why this Anti-Bullying Week we’re also focusing on adult forms of bullying, whether that’s at work or in our personal relationships.Enter: toxic friendships, a particularly insidious way people can be made to feel manipulated and worthless in adulthood.Toxic friendships can be hard
  
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• Leaked EU paper dents May's hopes for bespoke Brexit trade deal

  16-11-2017 16:16
  PM may want ‘deep and special’ relationship, but paper says UK will have to make do with ‘standard FTA’ like Canada’sTheresa May’s hopes of negotiating a “deep and special” trading relationship with the EU have been dealt a fresh blow by leaked documents which emphasise that only a basic free trade deal similar to that struck with Canada will be offered.
  An internal discussion paper prepared by the European commission spells out how the British gov
  
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• '£90k is a lot of avocados': Javid defends millennials who can't afford a home

  16-11-2017 16:08
  Communities secretary criticises baby boomers who have long paid off their mortgages for saying young people are too profligate to own propertyThe communities secretary, Sajid Javid, has lambasted baby boomers who believe young people could afford a home if they cut back on nights out and avocados, saying such critics were out of touch with a broken housing system.Javid warned that without urgent action to make homes more affordable, an entire generation could becomes rootless, and resentful of
  
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