Political news

• 'Horrific' Suicide Rate Among Autism Community Must Be Tackled, MPs Demand

  29-11-2017 23:25
  The “horrific” level of suicides in the autism community needs to be urgently confronted, MPs from across the political spectrum are urging the Government.The SNP’s Dr Lisa Cameron will lead a debate in the Commons calling for the Government to do more to provide support to those on the autistic spectrum who also suffer from mental illness.She will be backed up by Conservative MP Anne-Marie Trevelyan, who has described the suicide rate in the autism community as “truly sh
  
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• Welsh first minister says he will not attend Carl Sargeant funeral

  29-11-2017 23:24
  Carwyn Jones said although he would liked to have paid respects to Labour politician, he would ‘respect the wishes of the family’The Welsh first minister will not attend the funeral of the Labour politician Carl Sargeant, who was found dead after being sacked as a minister amid allegations of harassment.Carwyn Jones said he and his wife, Lisa, would have liked to attend his friend’s funeral on Friday but would respect the wishes of the family and stay away.Continue reading...
  
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• ‘The Apprentice’: Fired Candidate Bushra Shaikh Eyes ‘I’m A Celebrity’ Spot

  29-11-2017 23:01
  While ‘The Apprentice’ sees candidates vying for a business deal with Lord Sugar, it’s not uncommon for those who are unsuccessful on the show to stick around in the entertainment industry - and that’s exactly what this week’s boardroom casualty is hoping to do. After nine weeks on the show, Bushra Shaikh was fired by Alan in Wednesday (29 November) night’s episode, and speaking to HuffPost UK, she admitted that there’s one reality TV show that’s c
  
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• Tories briefed on new policies after fears about 'compassionless' image

  29-11-2017 23:00
  Principles developed after backlash over party’s rhetoric on foxhunting and ivory trade during the general electionConservative MPs have been briefed by No 10 on seven new policy principles underpinned by a focus on the environment, after internal polling suggested the party is not seen as caring enough.Groups of Tories were called in to Downing Street for meetings with Gavin Barwell, the prime minister’s chief of staff, this week to be told about the party’s political narrativ
  
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• Maya Jama And Sarah Jane Crawford Twinned At The MOBO Awards - Kicking Off The Sequins Trend

  29-11-2017 22:41
  There’s been a lot of twinning at important events lately and the MOBO awards was no different. Maya Jama, who presented at the 22nd annual award ceremony along with Marvin Humes, stunned on the red carpet wearing a sequinned halter neck mini dress.And, aside from a fur stole, Jama rocked the look almost exactly like Sarah-Jane Crawford - hair down, subtle smokey eye and all. Wearing the same outfit as another person at the same event is never what an attendee hopes for
  
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• Maya Jama And Sarah Jane Crawford Twinned At The MOBO Awards

  29-11-2017 22:41
  There’s been a lot of twinning at important events lately and the MOBO awards was no different.Maya Jama, who presented at the 22nd annual award ceremony along with Marvin Humes, stunned on the red carpet wearing a sequinned halter neck mini dress.And, aside from a fur stole, Jama rocked the look almost exactly like Sarah-Jane Crawford - hair down, subtle smokey eye and all.Wearing the same outfit as another person at the same event is never what an attendee hopes for, but the fa
  
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• Donald Trump retweets far-right group's anti-Muslim videos

  29-11-2017 22:16 via bbc.co.uk
  UK Prime Minister Theresa May condemns the tweets and says Britain First "peddle lies".
  
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• Scottish politicians to ask European court of justice if UK can stop Brexit

  29-11-2017 22:14
  Cross-party group plans to ask judges in Scotland’s court of session to refer the issue to ECJ to rule whether article 50 can be revoked by UK on its ownThe European court of justice is to be asked if the UK can stop the Brexit process unilaterally in a legal challenge being launched in Scotland by pro-European politicians.A group of four politicians from Labour, the Scottish National party and Scottish Greens wants the European court to rule on whether article 50 can be revoked by the UK
  
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• Jo Cox MP's Widow Condemns Donald Trump's Anti-Muslim 'Britain First' Tweets

  29-11-2017 21:58
  .@MrBrendanCox calls Donald Trump "a purveyor of hate" after Britain First retweets https://t.co/Qvpq4okf9spic.twitter.com/FX1ehUlKsD— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) November 29, 2017The husband of the British MP murdered by a right-wing extremist has condemned Donald Trump for being a “purveyor of hate” after the US President shared anti-Muslim tweets from a notorious far-right group.Brendan Cox, the widow of Jo Cox, joined the chorus of disapproval after Trump retweeted t
  
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• Steve Bell on Donald Trump and Britain First – cartoon

  29-11-2017 21:31
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• Muslim MP Says Donald Trump Can Visit Britain, On One Condition

  29-11-2017 21:08
  Donald Trump’s contentious state visit to the UK should go ahead, but only if the US president promises to visit multicultural British communities, a Muslim MP has urged.Nadhim Zahawi wrote in a letter to the White House of his “strong discontent” over Trump’s sharing of inflammatory, anti-Islam videos from far-right party Britain First.He added that the American head of state should opt to spend time among British Muslims in their communities in places like Coventry, Bir
  
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• Bath resignation shines light on university governance

  29-11-2017 20:54
  Glynis Breakwell furore exposes ‘murky world’ of excessive pay, says union
  
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• Michel Barnier raises UK hackles with speech about Isis and Brexit

  29-11-2017 20:37
  EU negotiator says: ‘Rather than stay shoulder to shoulder with the union, the British chose to be on their own again’Michel Barnier caused irritation in Downing Street on Wednesday with a speech in which he appeared to link Britain’s vote to leave the EU with global solidarity in the battle against Isis.Speaking at a security conference in Berlin, the European commission’s chief negotiator in the Brexit talks spoke about the shock across the rest of the EU at the referen
  
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• Brexit negotiators believe end to Irish border impasse is near

  29-11-2017 20:35
  UK and EU both increasingly hopeful that sufficient agreement can be reached in coming days in order to progress talksUK and EU negotiators are increasingly optimistic that sufficient agreement on the future of the Irish border can be reached in the coming days to progress Brexit talks to the next stage.Sources indicate the ground has now been laid for political agreement on the question of the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland after Brexit, which would allow both sides to start discus
  
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• This is not a strategy – it’s a fast track to the dark ages of rail | Simon Jenkins

  29-11-2017 20:30
  As transport secretary, Chris Grayling should be investing in the northern axis, not vanity projects like the Oxbridge lineThe transport secretary Chris Grayling announced this week that he plans to reopen five, possibly eight, railway lines closed by Richard Beeching, to cut overcrowding and increase capacity. Beeching, who wrote a report back in the 1960s that identified 5,000 miles of railway line for closure, has been dead for a quarter of a century. The lines he closed are reopening all the
  
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• Brexit: UK divorce bill offer worth up to 50bn euros

  29-11-2017 20:25 via bbc.co.uk
  The "divorce bill" is welcomed in Brussels, but Downing Street denies reports an even higher figure was offered.
  
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• Industrial strategy must consider the workers too | Letters

  29-11-2017 20:18
  Reactions to the UK’s new industrial strategy and to the 59% fall in apprentice numbersWhile I welcome the publication of the government’s industrial strategy (An industrial strategy ‘for exciting times’, 27 November), I have spotted three major omissions. First, the need for a more highly trained and skilled workforce is clear and accepted all round. Why then does the Department for Education continue to fund schools in large part on the basis of numbers retained in the
  
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• The question Labour must answer: why isn’t it further ahead in the polls? | Owen Jones

  29-11-2017 20:07
  To win the next election the party has to appeal to pensioners and get more working-class young people to turn out to voteIf this Tory parody of a government is so shambolic, so chronically divided, so utterly directionless, then why no astronomical Labour lead in the polls? If we have a prime minister in name only, afflicted by cabinet resignations, presiding over falling wages and a chaotic Brexit process, then why has Labour not opened up a 20-point advantage over its crisis-stricken rivals?I
  
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• Minister denies Scottish policing is in crisis after string of suspensions

  29-11-2017 20:02
  Labour accuses Michael Matheson of complacency, with chief constable on special leave and four officers suspendedThere is no crisis in Scottish policing, the Holyrood justice minister has said following a string of high-profile suspensions from the national force. In a statement to the Holyrood chamber on Wednesday, Michael Matheson said: “Our ongoing scrutiny of Police Scotland has consistently shown that police officers and police staff at all levels remain committed to delivering polici
  
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• London and Dublin struggle to break Brexit stalemate

  29-11-2017 19:59
  Political rift over the future of Northern Ireland puts a strain on Anglo-Irish relations
  
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• London and Dublin scramble to break Brexit stalemate

  29-11-2017 19:59
  Anglo-Irish relations under pressure amid rift over future of Northern Ireland
  
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• Universal credit helpline closure could hit poorest over Xmas, says MP

  29-11-2017 19:53
  Labour’s Frank Field says ‘chaos’ could leave some without money for food, lighting and heatingSome universal credit claimants are at risk of destitution over Christmas because a vital helpline will only be fully operational for two out of 10 days over the holiday, an MP has warned.Labour MP Frank Field, chair of the Commons work and pensions committee, has urged the government to keep the universal credit helpline open during the Christmas break for claimants at risk of spendi
  
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• Martine McCutcheon Admits She's Open To Role In Rival Soap 19 Years After 'EastEnders' Stint

  29-11-2017 19:39
  It may have been 19 years since Tiffany Butcher was dramatically killed off at Christmas in ‘EastEnders’, but the popular character has remained in the forefront of fans’ minds over the years.Now, the actress who played her, Martine McCutcheon, has admitted she is open to a role in a rival soap.The star has said she would like to see if she’s still got the skills to keep up with working on a soap, as she believes it’s still the hardest thing she’s done in her
  
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• Tory hardliners could vote against Brexit deal over £50bn divorce bill

  29-11-2017 19:34
  MP says members of pro-leave group are demanding meeting with chief whip to express unease about ongoing paymentsTheresa May has been put on notice by hardline Conservative Eurosceptics that they could be prepared to vote against her final Brexit deal if the UK continues to pay the £50bn divorce bill for years to come or does not get good trade terms.A group of Tory MPs are unhappy about the scale of the proposed sum and believe leaving on World Trade Organisation terms would be better, me
  
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• 'Mulan' Live Action Remake Will Star Chinese Actress Liu Yifei In Lead Role

  29-11-2017 19:31
  Disney has announced that they have found their star for the upcoming live-action remake of ‘Mulan’.As revealed by The Hollywood Reporter, the titular role has gone to Chinese actress Liu Yifei, who also goes by the name Crystal Liu.It was previously said that Disney were particularly keen to cast an actress of Chinese descent in the role, with producers reportedly seeing as many as 1000 different candidates in casting calls across five different continents.Already a celebrated figur
  
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• Brexit: Barnier suggests vote challenged European terror unity

  29-11-2017 19:16 via bbc.co.uk
  Michel Barnier says the UK chose to be "on their own" when solidarity was called for.
  
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• Theresa May forges surprise consensus as Eurosceptics fall into line

  29-11-2017 19:13
  Pro-Brexit MPs brush off divorce bill and intensify focus on trade talks
  
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• May forges surprise consensus as Eurosceptics fall into line

  29-11-2017 19:13
  Pro-Brexit MPs brush off divorce bill as focus intensifies on trade talks
  
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• Who Is Jayda Fransen? The Notorious Islamophobe Whose Warnings About Islam Donald Trump Retweeted

  29-11-2017 19:10
  Jayda Fransen was a notorious Islamophobe long before her warnings about Islam were retweeted by Donald Trump.The 31-year-old was convicted of religiously aggravated assault for shouting at a woman in a hijab last year.She told the woman Muslims cannot control their sexual urges, saying: “That’s why they are coming into my country raping women across the continent”.Fransen has also advocated shooting Muslims and called for her opponents to be hanged.On Wednesday, Trum
  
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• Brexit bill battle turns to presentation rather than hard cash

  29-11-2017 19:06
  Potential calculations underscore London and EU’s differing priorities
  
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• Battle on Brexit bill turns to presentation rather than hard cash

  29-11-2017 19:06
  Potential calculations underscore differing priorities of UK and EU
  
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• Hard lessons on settling the Brexit divorce bill

  29-11-2017 19:03
  May is close to a breakthrough but the real battle is still to come
  
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• Of Course Ireland Was Going To Be A Thorn In The Side Of Brexit - Has History Taught Us Nothing?

  29-11-2017 18:40
  As an Irish person living in the UK, I am still shaking my head in confusion, struggling to comprehend Brexit and the factors that persuaded 52% of the electorate to vote to leave the EU. While many have tried to look for rational explanations for the result, the consensus appears to be that there is not one to be found. The UK’s decision to leave the EU was, instead, a hugely emotive one. Brexit stirred up something in the hearts of many British people: a nostalgia for empire, a fear of t
  
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• Of Course Ireland Was Going To Be A Thorn In The Side Of Brexit

  29-11-2017 18:40
  As an Irish person living in the UK, I am still shaking my head in confusion, struggling to comprehend Brexit and the factors that persuaded 52% of the electorate to vote to leave the EU. While many have tried to look for rational explanations for the result, the consensus appears to be that there is not one to be found. The UK’s decision to leave the EU was, instead, a hugely emotive one. Brexit stirred up something in the hearts of many British people: a nostalgia for empire, a fear of t
  
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• Bankers’ bonus cap could be scrapped after Brexit, says Carney

  29-11-2017 18:39
  Governor of Bank of England presents list of EU regulations the UK may axe
  
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• Yes, Spending A Weekend In New York Is Actually Possible And Here's How To Do It

  29-11-2017 18:37
  After WOW air announced £99 flights between London and NYC, dreams of jetting off to the Big Apple for a weekend can actually become a reality. But, if you want to spend 48 hours in NYC then you’ll need to pack your schedule, and know exactly where to eat, sleep, drink and sightsee.Where to stay?Dark wooden floors and deep red furnishings create a deliciously private ambience at the Hotel on Rivington, and as the reception is on the second floor, you can slip in and out at ungodly ho
  
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• No contest: Thornberry has Damian Green on the ropes from the off at PMQs | John Crace

  29-11-2017 18:36
  ‘I really am not going there,’ says Emily Thornberry, going right there, and enjoying every moment of Green’s discomfortWith Theresa May off on her travels in the Middle East trying to persuade the Saudis not to use the £3bn of weapons we sell them against the Yemeni people, prime ministers questions was left in the hands of the deputies. In the red corner we had Emily Thornberry, in the blue Damian Green.It was no contest. Thornberry wasn’t at her very best, fluffi
  
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• No 10 condemns Trump's tweets but won't cancel state visit - as it happened

  29-11-2017 18:34
  Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen, including PMQsBrexit ‘divorce bill’ row - Summary of latest developmentsAfternoon summary 5.26pm GMTExports are critical for our business and for the industry. Tariffs could block exports and equally they could block tariffs, or if tariffs were to be accepted on imports, we could see inflation at a consumer level increasing quite rapidly. Tariffs are not something we would want either way.WTO tariffs on dairy
  
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• Make It A Crisis And The Women Will Come

  29-11-2017 18:34
  Could necessity become the driver for diversity and the solution to our crisis? Consider Bletchley Park, the Government’s top secret code breaking centre during the Second World War. The work done there is credited with having reduced the war by two to three years, saving thousands of lives and much of that work was done by women.It’s estimated that by the time the war ended, 75% of the workforce at Bletchley was female. The women numbered around 8,000, many taking crucial roles in p
  
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• WISE WORDS: Kevin Bacon Explains Why Being A Celebrity Is '99% Great' Despite What Some Might Say

  29-11-2017 18:33
  For the latest in our WISE WORDS interview series - which sees stars from a range of fields share the important life lessons they’ve learned along the way - we’re posing some of the big questions to Kevin Bacon.The actor has been in the business for more than 40 years, and while he’ll always be most loved for his role as Ren in ‘Footloose’, more recently he’s been sending himself up fronting EE’s various ad campaigns.Following the launch of the
  
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• Trump causes uproar by retweeting far-right UK group

  29-11-2017 18:33
  UK prime minister offers rare rebuke, saying president was ‘wrong’ to promote posts
  
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• As Meghan Markle Chooses To Become A British Citizen I Just Wait For My Wife To Be Able To Come Home

  29-11-2017 18:24
  On Monday, I woke to the news that Meghan Markle will marry her prince and join the House of Windsor. American by birth and citizenship, Markle will likely become the Duchess of Sussex and move into Kensington Palace in the new year.On Tuesday, I woke to a letter from the Home Office, informing me that my wife, my best friend and my partner of seven years, has been denied entry into the UK to live with me as my spouse, bringing to a devastating close a year that has tested our patience, our limi
  
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• Brexiters nowhere to be seen as UK raises white flag over EU divorce bill

  29-11-2017 18:20
  Britain has had to cave in, say analysts, with secret financial settlement in stark contrast to bombast of triggering article 50When the time came to hoist the white flag, the cabinet’s swashbuckling Brexiters were nowhere to be seen. Instead, it was left to civil servants to hammer out the terms of Britain’s expensive retreat from the EU, settling a divorce bill that could pave the way for a wider exit agreement struck almost entirely on terms demanded by Brussels.The secretive circ
  
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• Theresa May: Donald Trump Was 'Wrong' To Retweet Anti-Muslim Propaganda By Far Right Britain First Party

  29-11-2017 17:57
  Theresa May has criticised Donald Trump directly for the first time after the President retweeted video propaganda produced by the UK’s far-right ‘Britain First’ party.In an unprecedented condemnation of the White House, No10 hit out at Trump’s decision to share with his 43 million Twitter followers three inflammatory anti-Islam videos spread by Britain First’s Deputy Leader Jayda Fransen.“Britain First seeks to divide communities through their use of hateful
  
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• Devil’s Advocate

  29-11-2017 17:51
  “What are you going to do if he dies?”I stared at the text message and was gripped with terror. It was a little past midnight. I was stood in a park in the middle of Edinburgh and my heart began to pound in my rib-cage. I had just spent ten months writing and honing a show that hinged on a routine about the petrol-headed-uber-rascal Jeremy Clarkson and that very morning he had been rushed to hospital with pneumonia, and for a man of his age who smokes as much as he reportedly did, th
  
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• Most Popular Baby Names 2016: Top 100 UK Boys' And Girls' Names Released By BabyCentre

  29-11-2017 17:49
  It’s that time of year again - no, not Chritmas, time for parenting site, BabyCentre to release its official top 100 baby names.The lists are created from a survey of more than 94,665 parents who between them gave birth to 51,073 boys and 43,592 girls this year.Olivia retained the top girl’s spot for the third year running, while for boys Muhammad has moved back to poll position, ahead of Oliver - names that continue to battle it out year on year.The survey a
  
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• Personality Trumps Looks When It Comes To Relationships, Refreshing Research Finds

  29-11-2017 17:47
  People believe personality is more important than physical attraction in a relationship, research that’ll make you feel warm and fuzzy has found.The global study of 20 countries, conducted by YouGov, found that in every single country people voted with their hearts, instead of their eyes.In Britain, more than half (52%) of both men and women surveyed ranked having “a personality I like” as the characteristic they consider to be the most important factor in a romantic partner.In
  
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• Most Popular Baby Names 2017: Top 100 UK Boys' And Girls' Names Released By BabyCentre

  29-11-2017 17:44
  It’s that time of year again - no, not Chritmas, time for parenting site, BabyCentre to release its official top 100 baby names.The lists are created from a survey of more than 94,665 parents who between them gave birth to 51,073 boys and 43,592 girls this year.Olivia retained the top girl’s spot for the third year running, while for boys Muhammad has moved back to poll position, ahead of Oliver - names that continue to battle it out year on year. The su
  
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• Michael Stone's Lawyers Claim They Have Levi Bellfield's 'Confession' To Russell Murders

  29-11-2017 17:41
  Lawyers for the man convicted of the 1996 Russell murders have said they have new evidence of his innocence including a “very detailed confession” to the killings from serial killer Levi Bellfield.Michael Stone was jailed in 2001 for the killing of Lin Russell, 45, and her six-year-old daughter Megan and is serving three life sentences.Josie, nine, survived but was gravely injured in the frenzied knife attack.Bellfield is currently serving a life-sentence for the rape
  
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• Quiz: Which Of These Foods Should You Keep In The Fridge?

  29-11-2017 17:35
  New guidance on food labelling has been issued to tackle food waste.Food labels will be simplified to help consumers know when their food has expired and how is best to store it: little blue fridge logos will indicate which foods need to be refrigerated, while snowflake logos will advise people where foods can be frozen.We spoke to sustainability experts Wrap, who issued the guidance, and devised a quiz about where’s best to store food at home to keep it fresher for longer.
  
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