Political news

• UK spying fears spark Russian software ban

  01-12-2017 23:17
  Intelligence agency warns government departments over Kaspersky products
  
  Read more

• MPs demand Whirlpool explain end to dryer replacement scheme

  01-12-2017 22:02 via theguardian.com
  US company says ‘fall in demand’ behind decision, but 1 million potentially deadly tumble dryers remain in UK householdsMPs have demanded to know why home appliances provider Whirlpool has ended a product replacement scheme for defective products when there are still more than 1 million potentially deadly tumble dryers remaining in British households. The decision follows last week’s announcement that Whirlpool is the ‘worst offender’ for white goods fires in London
  
  Read more

• Ireland will have final say on progress of Brexit talks, says EU

  01-12-2017 21:47 via theguardian.com
  Donald Tusk says that if Ireland cannot accept UK offer for its border, EU will not allow negotiations to move on to tradeIreland will have the final say on whether the UK has made sufficient progress in Brexit negotiations to move on to the next stage, Donald Tusk, the president of the European council, has said.In a strongly worded statement expressing solidarity with Ireland, Tusk said Brexit problems were of Britain’s own making, but Ireland’s problems were the EU’s. Contin
  
  Read more

• UK wants to remain in EU aviation safety agency

  01-12-2017 21:03
  Move will place industry under indirect jurisdiction of European Court of Justice
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Trump 'admires and respects' Theresa May, says US ambassador

  01-12-2017 20:58 via theguardian.com
  Woody Johnson attempts to ease tensions after president criticised PM for calling him ‘wrong’ to share extremist materialDonald Trump’s ambassador to Britain has insisted that the US president “admires and respects” Theresa May, following the transatlantic spat over Trump sharing anti-Muslim propaganda online.Woody Johnson used an interview with Bloomberg on Friday to attempt to calm the diplomatic storm created by Trump’s retweets of videos from the far-right
  
  Read more

• Steelworkers lured into transferring millions out of pension funds

  01-12-2017 20:45
  Probe starts after Port Talbot and Scunthorpe workers targeted by financial advisers
  
  Read more

• Steelworkers lured into transferring £25m out of pension funds

  01-12-2017 20:45
  Probe starts after Port Talbot and Scunthorpe workers targeted by financial advisers
  
  Read more

• In the age of Trump, it’s time to ditch the special relationship | Jonathan Freedland

  01-12-2017 20:36 via theguardian.com
  For too long Britain has been neurotic about its links to the US. The president’s hate-filled tweets must make us more hard-headedWhen Donald Trump took the oath of office, less than 11 months ago, the word of the hour was normalisation. Let’s not treat this man like a normal president, his US opponents said, because he’s not. You can’t, for example, assume that most of what he or his White House says is the truth – as you would for a normal occupant of that office
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Jacob Rees-Mogg met Steve Bannon to discuss US-UK politics

  01-12-2017 20:31 via theguardian.com
  Exclusive Tory grassroots favourite met ex-Trump adviser this week to discuss how conservative movements can win in BritainJacob Rees-Mogg had a private meeting with former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon in London on Thursday to talk about how conservative movements can win in the US and UK, the Guardian has learned.Rees-Mogg, a favourite among Conservative members to be the next party leader, spent more than an hour at the meeting in a Mayfair hotel with Bannon, who was at one point seen as
  
  Read more

• Martin Rowson on the Tories and their laptops – cartoon

  01-12-2017 20:18 via theguardian.com
  Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Ingram Pinn’s illustration of the week: The special relationship

  01-12-2017 20:16
  Trump’s retweets endanger the transatlantic bond between the US and Britain
  
  Read more

• EU Tells May: If Brexit Offer Is Unacceptable To Ireland, It's Unacceptable To Us

  01-12-2017 20:15
  Tusk said: “The key to the UK’s future lies in some ways in Dublin, at least as long as Brexit negotiations continue.”Varadkar warned: “I am also prepared to stand firm if the offer falls short.”He said the next couple of days will be crucial, the Press Association reported.Theresa May is hoping EU leaders will give the go-ahead for the second phase of the negotiations, including talks on a free trade deal, to begin at the European Council summit on December 14-15.S
  
  Read more

• Brussels may include 'punishment clause' in post-Brexit trade deal

  01-12-2017 20:00 via theguardian.com
  Exclusive: EU could impose punitive tariffs on key British exports such as beef if UK seeks to lower regulatory standardsThe EU is exploring the inclusion of a “punishment clause” in any future trade deal with the UK to allow Brussels to slap tariffs on key British exports to the bloc if the UK government seeks to gain a commercial advantage by lowering regulatory standards.In a move that would torpedo the post-Brexit plans of the British cabinet’s key Brexiters, any significan
  
  Read more

• David Davis and other Tory MPs rally behind Damian Green

  01-12-2017 19:56 via theguardian.com
  Brexit secretary threatens to quit as he and colleagues criticise police after ex-detective raises fresh claims about pornography
  David Davis and a string of other Tory MPs have rallied behind Damian Green, the effective deputy prime minister, after a former detective came forward with fresh allegations about pornography on Green’s Commons computer nine years ago.The Brexit secretary let it be known that he would resign in protest were Green to be forced out solely on the basis of allegati
  
  Read more

• Amendments To The Snoopers' Charter Are A Good Step But There Is Still More To Be Done

  01-12-2017 19:47
  In George Orwell’s 1984, Winston Smith, a nonconformist working at the Ministry of Truth, commits the worst of thought-crimes against the Big Brother state. He buys a diary and expresses his private thoughts in it. These days, diaries aren’t necessary: we have a web of ‘communications data’ which can reveal who you have spoken to and when, what you have searched on the internet, your use of social media, essentially enough personal data to work out almost everything about
  
  Read more

• Brexit talks near deal on Irish border

  01-12-2017 19:46
  Tusk says EU has given Dublin a de facto veto over divorce agreement
  
  Read more

• 96 Things You Probably Didn't Know About The 'Strictly Come Dancing' Professional Dancers

  01-12-2017 19:24
  1. Pasha Kovalev’s former competitive dance partner is Anya Garnis, who joined ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ as a pro for one series in 2013, where she partnered ‘Casualty’ actor Patrick Robinson.2. Pasha and Anya moved to the US in 2001 and began competing professionally, becoming US National Latin Finalists and Ohio Star Ball Finalists.3. Pasha’s professional partner now is former ‘Strictly’ dancer, Katya Virshilas, although he is touring with Anya in
  
  Read more

• Parents 'face tension at UK borders over surnames'

  01-12-2017 19:21 via bbc.co.uk
  MP says children's passports should include parents to avoid "suspicion" when their surnames differed.
  
  Read more

• Corbyn’s calculated ‘threat’ to the banks

  01-12-2017 19:20
  Labour is raising real concerns; but it does not have a serious answer
  
  Read more

• Vice-chancellor of Southampton university in new pay row

  01-12-2017 19:11
  Sir Christopher Snowden’s salary rises to £423,000 despite college’s bronze rating
  
  Read more

• Brexit offer 'must be acceptable to Ireland'

  01-12-2017 19:09 via bbc.co.uk
  European Council President Donald Tusk says "the key to the UK's future lies - in some ways - in Dublin".
  
  Read more

• NASA's Juno Spacecraft Captures The Swirling Storms Of Jupiter

  01-12-2017 18:05
  NASA’s Juno spacecraft has provided us with a seemingly endless supply of incredible photos of Jupiter.That trend continues with this stunning image of the gas giant’s swirling storms found near the north pole.While vital to science, it’s fair to say that this latest image is just as deserving to be the next wallpaper for your laptop or smartphone because it really is that pretty,Taken from an altitude of just 11,747 miles above the clouds, Juno was not only able to capture the
  
  Read more

• David Cameron admits shortcomings on social care

  01-12-2017 18:00
  Former UK prime minister expresses regret over his government’s record in area
  
  Read more

• Bob Spink found guilty of election fraud

  01-12-2017 17:55 via bbc.co.uk
  Former Tory and UKIP politician Bob Spink was found guilty of permitting false signatures on a nomination form.
  
  Read more

• Davis warns May not to sack Damian Green over police claims

  01-12-2017 17:53
  Fresh allegation of ‘thousands’ of legal pornographic images on computer
  
  Read more

• Let’s Face It, Christmas Has Been Rebranded

  01-12-2017 17:51
  A crisp winter’s evening. The still air is broken by the sound of a church bell ringing. Startled, yet filled with excitement, a small child scrambles to the window. They peer through the pane, leaving a ring of condensation against the frosty glass. Is it? Could it be? A glimpse, no more, of something in the distance – far away across the snow-covered vista. It’s magical. It’s here. It’s really here! The child rushes to find a warm coat as, carried on the wind, sof
  
  Read more

• Carl Sargeant: Hundreds gather for funeral of ex-minister

  01-12-2017 17:49 via bbc.co.uk
  Mourners pay their respects to the ex-Labour minister in his hometown of Connah's Quay.
  
  Read more

• Around The World In 2,555 Days: Why I Left Everything To Travel With My Three Kids

  01-12-2017 17:48
  Mark Twain once famously said that I would be “more disappointed” by the things I didn’t do than the ones I did. “Sail away from the safe harbour”, he encouraged. “Catch the trade winds in your sails”, he commanded. “Explore. Dream. Discover”.I can’t say that I would follow all the advice of Mark Twain, but on this occasion, his words could have been expressly reserved for me. You see, seven years ago, my husband and I packed up our ent
  
  Read more

• Plan To Cut Number Of MPs In Parliament Would Create Scottish Constituency The Size Of Cyprus

  01-12-2017 17:44
  Plans to cut the number of MPs in Parliament from 650 to 600 would inflate one Scottish constituency to the size of Cyprus.Were proposals to redraw constituency boundaries to go ahead, the new Highland South constituency would be unmanageably large, the SNP’s David Linden told the Commons.The Glasgow East MP was taking part in a debate on a private members’ bill tabled by Afzal Khan, who has called for the number of MPs to remain the same, with reviews of Parliamentary boundaries eve
  
  Read more

• A Focus On Children's Emotional Wellbeing For A Positive Future Legacy

  01-12-2017 17:40
  When I was 17 years old doing my A-levels I worked with an after school play scheme that helped primary school children with their self-esteem, achievement and feelings through physical play and exercise. It not only had a huge impact on the kid’s lives but my own too. At the time I wasn’t a very happy teenager and seeing the way the scheme uplifted young children gave me a bit of comfort that I myself was worthwhile.I already knew the impact physical activity could have on the way a
  
  Read more

• Yet Another New Low From The White House

  01-12-2017 17:35
  How’s this for the start of an article in the New York Times? “Donald Trump is completely unfit to be president of the United States. That is not an ideological expression. That is an expression of the shock of mounting evidence that he is intellectually deficient, temperamentally unsound and morally bankrupt.”The writer was the New York Times columnist Charles Blow, who, as if we needed reminding, went on to detail the US president’s serial missteps of just the past few
  
  Read more

• SNP MP rebuked for calling Lords 'ermine vermin'

  01-12-2017 17:30 via bbc.co.uk
  The Speaker says David Linden's comment about members of the Lords are "unbecoming" of Parliament.
  
  Read more

• 10-Year-Old Cancer Survivor's Sensational Skate Routine Shows How Far She Has Come

  01-12-2017 17:28
  A 10-year-old who was diagnosed with cancer just before her first birthday, showed how far she has come by performing a sensational ice skating routine.Georgia Hillman, from Dundee, Scotland, glided on the rink at the Natural History Museum with former ‘Dancing On Ice’ star, Frankie Seaman. She won the experience with the professional skater after being awarded a Cancer Research UK Kids & Teens ‘Star Award’ for her strength and courage through her
  
  Read more

• These Women With Ulcerative Colitis Want You To Know What Their Lives Are Really Like

  01-12-2017 17:23
  Approximately 146,000 people in the UK are dealing with a hidden condition that causes their daily life to be more difficult, dictated by access to bathrooms.Ulcerative colitis is a chronic condition that causes inflammation and ulceration of the large bowel and is one of the two main forms of inflammatory bowel disease (the other being Crohn’s).The symptoms can very from person to person, but generally include diarrhoea, cramp, fatigue and anaemia in more extreme cases, but this does
  
  Read more

• Nicky Morgan: ‘It’s time for the senior people in my party to stop appeasing the Brexiters’

  01-12-2017 17:23 via theguardian.com
  The Tory backbencher is not enjoying her new role as a rebel, but she believes her party must face a few issues – not least, why Boris Johnson is still in his jobNicky Morgan has the infamous Daily Telegraph front page – “Brexit mutineers” – defiantly pinned up on her office wall, but she strikes me as a funny kind of rebel. Everything about her body language projects confidence – the hearty handshake, the headmistressy briskness, the breakneck speed of delive
  
  Read more

• We Can’t Let Children With Disabilities Be Forgotten

  01-12-2017 17:22
  In a week where the UK news cycle seemed to stand still for the news out of Kensington Palace, it’s easy to forget that the world is facing emergencies and conflicts on an unprecedented scale. From hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people fleeing to Bangladesh, to the food crisis in East Africa, and conflicts raging in Yemen, Syria and Northern Nigeria, humanitarian charities are stretched to their limits in a way I haven’t experienced in the decades I’ve worked in the sector.T
  
  Read more

• Damian Green and the decade-long feud with ex-Met officer Bob Quick

  01-12-2017 17:22 via theguardian.com
  The Tory MP was arrested and his Commons office raided in 2008 during an investigation headed by QuickThe decade-long feud between Damian Green and Bob Quick, now coming to a head with a Cabinet Office investigation into Green, can be traced back to a day in 2006 when a young civil servant working in Jacqui Smith’s Home Office was allegedly told by the now first secretary of state to get “as much dirt on the Labour party, the Labour government as possible”.Christopher Galley ha
  
  Read more

• Britain First Parody Account 'British First' Goes Viral After Spoof Tweets Sent Amid Donald Trump Row

  01-12-2017 17:16
  Britain First has had huge publicity and, it says, “hundreds” of people applying to be members, after Donald Trump tweeted three anti-Islam videos posted by the far right group’s deputy leader.The fringe group is at the centre of a row between Theresa May, who condemned Trump for retweeting them, and the president, who shot back telling her to focus on the “Radical Islamic Terrorism” in the UK. But Britain First’s new prominence has appeared to have one s
  
  Read more

• Best Winter Pop-Ups In London 2017, From Cosy Igloos To Rooftop Ice Rinks

  01-12-2017 17:16
  If you love Christmas more than Buddy the Elf, let London be your playground.This winter the capital is home to more winter pop-ups than ever before, with fairy lights, festive music and mulled wine in abundance.There’s something to suit everyone with ice-skating, Christmassy cinema screenings and dinner in an igloo being just a few of the activities on offer.Excited? Check out our round-up of some of the best venues below.1. Coppa Club, Tower BridgeCoppa Club’s popular igloos are ba
  
  Read more

• How London's loss is Dublin's gain after Brexit

  01-12-2017 17:15 via theguardian.com
  Close to 100 banks, insurers and law firms may be sizing up the Irish capital as an EU base but on the whole a hard Brexit is bad news for IrelandAfter the initial shock of the EU referendum subsided last year, Ireland’s political and business leaders began focusing on the opportunities Brexit could deliver, with Dublin touted as a new “Canary dwarf” luring thousands of banking jobs from London.Around 18 months on, the thorny issues of the border with Northern Ireland and the p
  
  Read more

• McDonalds Apologises After Muslim Woman Claims She Was Denied Service Because Of Her Hijab

  01-12-2017 16:47
  McDonalds has apologised to a Muslim woman who was allegedly told she could not enter one of its London stores while wearing a hijab.The incident is thought to have taken place in the fast-food chain’s outlet on Seven Sisters Road in Holloway yesterday (Thursday).In footage recorded by the woman, who has decided to remain anonymous, she can be heard asking a worker why she can’t enter the restaurant.“Why can’t I come into McDonalds?” she asks. “Is it beca
  
  Read more

• Muslim Charity Helps Collect Thousands Of Coats For Vulnerable People

  01-12-2017 16:37
  A Muslim charity has helped collect more than 23,000 coats and other items of clothing to help vulnerable people around the UK this winter.Human Appeal, a Muslim humanitarian charity, partnered with Hands On London for the Wrap Up campaign in Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and London.Collections were held in November in rail stations and other venues, and people were also able to leave them at special drop-off points and send them using free labels.This year’s total of 23,500 items i
  
  Read more

• Why I'm Not Going To Applaud Your Advert Just Because It's 'Photoshop-Free'

  01-12-2017 16:35
  Reading praise for an advert being “photoshop free”, I found myself questioning, what does that mean anymore?Whenever an advertising campaign uses buzzwords like “photoshop-free”, I am always intrigued by what the company’s version of not altering a woman’s body looks like.  Fashion brand Anine Bing’s latest lingerie campaign is photoshop-free. It features a range of women aged between 19 and 64.The founder of the LA based and Scandinavia
  
  Read more

• Boots Opticians' Children's Glasses Display Criticised For Sexist Slogans And Colours

  01-12-2017 16:27
  Boots Opticians has been criticised for a display of pink and blue glasses for kids’ that features sexist slogans.Paul Trueman, from north Devon, was sent a photo of the display in a Boots Opticians store by a friend. The glasses had the slogans “pretty as a princess” next to pink frames and “super tough for super heroes” next to the blue ones.Although there was no specific signage stating these glasses were for boys and girls, these colours used
  
  Read more

• Mobile phone interrupts Commons debate on mobile phones in prison

  01-12-2017 16:12 via bbc.co.uk
  MPs debating ways to stop mobile phones getting into prison are interrupted by a ringing phone.
  
  Read more

• Apple And Stanford University Launch Heart Study On Apple Watch

  01-12-2017 15:57
  Apple has today launched a major health experiment called the Apple Heart Study.In a partnership with Stanford University School of Medicine, the study uses the heart rate sensor on the Apple Watch to collect heart rate data and in turn better understand the condition of an irregular heart beat.One such example of this is AFib, a condition that affects potentially tens of millions of people and can lead to blood clots or even heart failure.The problem is that for many, the symptoms needed to dia
  
  Read more

• Move Over Secret Santa – Elfless Acts Are The New Black

  01-12-2017 15:55
  Shocking statistics suggest that 99% of the presents we buy each year are not being used just six months on, and already on their way to landfill or even worse, the ocean. This only speeds up the ticking time bomb of the dire warning that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the seas than fish.As a result, a brand new idea has been launched to keep making the season one filled with joy and fun, but avoiding unnecessary waste, and it’s proving popular with the everyone, especially the mill
  
  Read more

• The Battle To Reverse Legal Aid Cuts Is Stepping Up A Gear

  01-12-2017 15:28
  A single mother battling against a dodgy landlord who refuses to tackle the damp affecting her baby’s health. A young family forced to skip meals after a flawed benefits decision. A parent worried they’ll not be able to see their child after a difficult divorce.No-one wants to find themselves in these desperate situations. As a society we have to guarantee that those who do can access the legal support they need.Without that legal help the rights that we have - often hard-won by soci
  
  Read more

• Meet Katie Ghose, The Women's Aid Executive Fighting For The Futures Of Those Fleeing Abuse

  01-12-2017 15:21
  Every day, Katie Ghose is fighting vital yet virtually unknown battles which have the power to transform thousands of lives.Recently, the chief executive of Women’s Aid urged the Government to review their anonymous voter registration policy, so women who had escaped domestic abuse would be able to vote but not be tracked by past partners via the electoral register. After months of fierce campaigning alongside survivor Mehala Osborne, the Government finally took action.Her latest
  
  Read more

• Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's Most Bizarre Moments From Their First Outing In Nottingham

  01-12-2017 15:14
  From an octogenarian who treated the Royals to a bag of Haribo to a man who brought his pet barn owl to meet the couple, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s first public outing since announcing their engagement was marked by a series of bizarre and hilarious moments.Hundreds of excited fans braved the cold of Nottingham’s streets in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the pair, who greeted cheering crowds as they arrived for a World Aids Day event in the city. But while Suits star M
  
  Read more

Follow @political_UKnws on Twitter!