Political news

• 5 Times David Davis Highlighted In-Depth Brexit Reports That He Now Says Don't Exist

  06-12-2017 23:40
  David Davis has revealed the government has not assessed the impact of Brexit on different key sectors of the British economy - despite repeated suggestions by the Brexit Secretary lots of work was being done.It was an incredible moment of political theatre at the Brexit select committee hearing ...“I haven’t looked at the impact of Brexit at all”
  *David Davis then proceeds to actually fucking giggle* pic.twitter.com/0ILFgMCapR— James Felton (@JimMFelton) Decemb
  
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• Labour's chief whip in Lords to stand down over expenses claims

  06-12-2017 23:28 via theguardian.com
  Steve Bassam will quit in January after questions were raised over his claiming of £6,400 a year in expenses for travelling to London from BrightonLabour’s chief whip in the House of Lords will stand down in the New Year after questions were raised about his expenses claims.
  Steve Bassam had already offered to repay expenses claimed for travelling between London and his home in Brighton, although he said he had not breached parliamentary rules but could have dealt with the issue in a
  
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• ‘The Apprentice’: Fired Candidate Jade English On How Being In The Boardroom Early On Can Be Beneficial

  06-12-2017 23:01
  Jade English was one of two candidates to bow out of ‘The Apprentice’ on Wednesday (6 December) night, being fired by Lord Sugar after being brought into the boardroom for the first time.And while getting to this point in the competition without being in the firing line could be seen as an achievement, Jade admitted that facing the tense situation earlier on in the series could have been beneficial.“I hadn’t been in the boardroom before so I had to figure that out pretty
  
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• Listen: David Miliband on Brexit

  06-12-2017 22:50
  Britain has set itself on a "desperate and dangerous path" as it negotiates its exit from the European Union, David Miliband, former UK foreign secretary, tells Pilita Clark
  
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• Anger As Dozens Of Grenfell Tower Families To Spend Christmas In Hotels

  06-12-2017 21:55
  Dozens of families made homeless in the deadly Grenfell Tower fire are set to spend Christmas in hotels, where campaigners claim children are forced to sleep on the floor and survivors have no access to hot meals.Almost six months on from the blaze that claimed 71 lives, 105 households are still living in hotels, council figures revealed today.With some survivors now claiming a lack of support from authorities means it feels as though they are being “penalised for being alive”,
  
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• Hain urges probe of South Africa accounts in London

  06-12-2017 20:48
  State-owned groups have been ‘looted’ by individuals, says former minister
  
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• Tory And DUP MPs Comes To David Davis' Rescue Over Brexit Impact Assessments

  06-12-2017 20:33
  Tory and DUP MPs have spared David Davis’ blushes by blocking claims he did not honour instructions to hand over the work the Government had carried out on the impact of Brexit.Conservatives on the Brexit Select Committee decided Davis did comply with Parliament’s demand to give MPs the Government’s analysis of how leaving the EU will impact on 58 sectors of the economy.Labour, Lib Dem, SNP and Plaid Cymru MPs all voted against, but the 10 Tory MPs on the committee along with S
  
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• Theresa May Clashes With Donald Trump Again As US Recognises Jerusalem As Israel's Capital

  06-12-2017 20:28
  In second fall-out with Donald Trump in just over a week, Theresa May has said she disagrees with the US President’s “unhelpful” decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.It followed Jeremy Corbyn blasting the decision to reverse decades of US policy as a “reckless threat to peace”.In defiance of warnings from around the world, Trump said his administration would begin a process of moving the US embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which is expected
  
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• Jeremy Corbyn Condemns Donald Trump's Plan To Recognise Jerusalem As Israel's Capital As 'Reckless Threat To Peace'

  06-12-2017 20:28
  Jeremy Corbyn has condemned Donald Trump’s decision to reverse decades of US policy by recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, claiming it was a “reckless threat to peace”.In defiance of warnings from around the world, Trump said his administration would begin a process of moving the US embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which is expected to take years.The status of Jerusalem - home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions - is one of the thornies
  
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• Theresa May's Cabinet Hasn't Discussed What Kind Of Brexit It Wants, Philip Hammond Reveals

  06-12-2017 19:55
  Theresa May’s Cabinet has not agreed what kind of Brexit it wants the UK to end up with, the Chancellor has revealed.Philip Hammond let slip to MPs that the Tory government’s most senior ministers had yet to discuss, let alone approve, any “end state” plan for Brexit after 2019.His remarks, which were seized on by critics as “beyond parody”, came on a day of fresh embarrassment for the Prime Minister as:More than 18 months after the EU referendum, it remains u
  
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• Universities deserve stronger leadership from vice-chancellors

  06-12-2017 19:00
  Controversies over high pay have brought the sector into disrepute
  
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• May and helpers turn on Christmas lights

  06-12-2017 18:49 via bbc.co.uk
  Theresa May turns on the Christmas lights in Downing Street with the help of three girls who won a competition to choose designs for the PM's Christmas card.
  
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• Top Tories Are Delaying Universal Credit For Their Own Constituencies

  06-12-2017 18:21
  On Tuesday, Labour MPs secured another parliamentary victory over the government, forcing them to release impact assessments on the roll out of Universal Credit.It is only weeks since the Opposition defeated the Tories on the general principle, with the Commons unanimously voting for a “pause and fix”. Unfortunately, the government has not honoured that vote as they were forced to do yesterday.Instead, they came forward with various, mostly welcome but inadequate, concessions under c
  
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• Parliament's Sports And Social Bar Closed After Fight Between Parliamentary Staff

  06-12-2017 18:20
  A popular bar in the Houses of Parliament bar has been closed after a fight involving two members of staff.Two men have been arrested after the incident at The Sports and Social club, a regular haunt of parliamentary staff and MPs’ researchers.A 57-year-old man is in custody on suspicion of GBH and affray and a 64-year-old man, also a Commons employee, has been taken to hospital following the incident on Tuesday evening. I've been sent this from the intranet in Parliament pic.twitter.
  
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• Why Are Top Tories Delaying Universal Credit For Their Own Constituencies?

  06-12-2017 18:19
  On Tuesday, Labour MPs secured another parliamentary victory over the government, forcing them to release impact assessments on the roll out of Universal Credit. It is only weeks since the Opposition defeated the Tories on the general principle, with the Commons unanimously voting for a “pause and fix”. Unfortunately, the government has not honoured that vote as they were forced to do yesterday. Instead, they came forward with various, mostly welcome but inadequate, concess
  
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• Despite Missteps In Burma Pope Francis Deserves Praise

  06-12-2017 18:11
  As Pope Francis returns to the Vatican following a trip to Burma and Bangladesh, he has been met with both praise and criticism for how he addressed the plight of Burma’s ethnic Rohingya, who faced a horrific military campaign that drove over 600,000 out of Burma and into refugee camps in Bangladesh. The pope’s words and actions in Burma were calculated, perhaps too much so, and sought to inspire compassion while also remaining pragmatic and protecting the Christians also persecuted
  
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• Diplomatic Immunity

  06-12-2017 17:59
  She walked into the clinic room and promptly exclaimed “Another new one? Are you going be as useless as the last doctor I saw here?” Now, this was a somewhat difficult question to answer. Firstly, because I had no idea which doctor she was referring to, and secondly, it’s never very professional to agree that your colleagues are in fact, “useless”. Being the coward I am, I decided to deflect the question, and assured her with a sickly sweet smile that I would move h
  
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• Man arrested after fight outside Parliamentary bar

  06-12-2017 17:52 via bbc.co.uk
  A Commons employee is arrested on suspicion of GBH and another taken to hospital after incident.
  
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• Philip Hammond: UK Productivity Rates Low Because More Disabled People Are In Work

  06-12-2017 17:43
  Philip Hammond has been criticised after suggesting low productivity rates in the UK could be linked to the employment of more disabled people.The Chancellor made the claim while giving evidence to the Commons Treasury select committee on the 2017 Budget.Asked about a fall in productivity rates earlier this year, he said: “The consequences of high levels of unemployment, particularly youth unemployment, will be felt for many, many years to come.“It is almost certainly the case t
  
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• Gender Stereotyping in Toy Catalogues Is Having 'Long-Lasting' Negative Effects On Both Boys And Girls

  06-12-2017 17:43
  In the run up to Christmas, you may be asking your children to write a list of presents they would like Santa Claus to leave in their stocking.While many people will browse the internet, thousands of families still rely on the old paper catalogues distributed by retailers, according to a new report by campaign group LetToysBeToys.The report showed the “majority” of these publications are still presenting play in a gender stereotyped way that suggests certain
  
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• Brexit divorce deal hopes fading on Irish impasse

  06-12-2017 17:43
  May call to DUP fails to break deadlock as Varadkar says talks may restart next year
  
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• Brexit divorce deal hopes fade on Irish impasse

  06-12-2017 17:43
  May fails to break deadlock with DUP and Varadkar suggests talks restart next year
  
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• Britons’ Brexit views unchanged — but more expect bad deal

  06-12-2017 17:41
  Three polls reveal pessimism over talks and growing support for second referendum
  
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• Britons’ Brexit views unchanged — but more are expecting a bad deal

  06-12-2017 17:41
  Three new polls reveal pessimism over talks and growing support for second referendum
  
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• Child Taken To Visit Father Christmas Photographed Signing 'Help' To His Parents

  06-12-2017 17:33
  Most parents know that Christmas traditions don’t always live up to their kids’ expectations, especially when it comes to meeting the big man himself.One mother has shared a particularly hilarious photo captured when she took her son to meet Santa Claus at a shopping centre.Kerry Spencer, who lives in Maryland, USA, with her son, shared the picture on Twitter of one-year-old Samuel, who is now a teenager.Spencer explained: “We taught our baby sign language. This is the sig
  
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• How Independent Journalists In Africa Are Flourishing

  06-12-2017 17:31
  The space for independent media is shrinking in many countries across the globe. With the rise of internet use, many are no longer willing to pay for access to news content, resulting in the media becoming dominated by commercial interests, advertising and public relations. This poses a threat for less profitable endeavours such as investigative journalism and social justice reporting.  Those offline can also struggle to access critical information that could enable them to make more i
  
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• Forget The Shelf - 'Elf On The Self' Is Now A Thing Thanks To This Makeup Artist

  06-12-2017 17:26
  ‘Elf On The Shelf’ is a Christmas tradition that is loved and loathed in equal amounts by parents - but one woman has more reason than most to find it ‘creepy’ as it has turned its mishchevious attention to her face.For those who don’t know, the idea of ‘Elf On The Shelf’ is that a visiting elf appears around the house in a new position every morning to deligth kids in the lead up to Christmas.Well, British makeup artist Zoe Pratt had
  
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• Duke Of Cambridge Says Millennial Parents Are Facing A 'Moment Of Reckoning'

  06-12-2017 17:23
  The Duke of Cambridge has said millennial parents, like himself, are facing a “moment of reckoning” in the struggle against children and their use of technology.Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge were on a royal engagement at the Children’s Global Media Summit in Manchester today (Wednesday 6 December), where the father-of-three was attending as a keynote speaker.He used the platform to openly express his concern about the “slow creep” of tec
  
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• Newborn ‘Stolen’ From Her Parents Is Reunited With Relatives 40 Years On

  06-12-2017 17:20
  A woman taken from her mother as a newborn baby has appeared with the campaign group who reunited her with her relatives in Argentina.Adriana, who has asked not to have her surname released, is the 126th child found by the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo. The group searches for people who disappeared under Argentina’s military rule between 1976 – 1983.Adriana’s parents – since identified as engineering students Violeta Ortolani and Edgardo Garnier – vanished
  
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• 'Dear Mark Carney... capitalism stinks': Bank complaint letters revealed

  06-12-2017 17:19 via bbc.co.uk
  The public vents its anger at the Bank of England governor in hate mail released to the BBC.
  
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• UK eyes tax boost for asset managers to ease Brexit fears

  06-12-2017 17:04
  Ministers to reconsider tax treatment of people working for short periods in Britain
  
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• Hammond eyes tax boost for asset managers to ease Brexit fears

  06-12-2017 17:04
  Ministers consider overhaul of ‘60-day rule’ for short-term business visitors
  
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• The Alternative Gadget Gift Guide For Christmas

  06-12-2017 17:03
  Christmas is always a difficult time of year because unlike birthdays you’re not just buying for one person.That can present you with a whole host of tastes and age groups. Well rather than falling into the same old product categories (toy guns, headphones, dolls etc) we’ve come up with what we think is a great alternative gift guide.There’s not a games console in sight, instead we’ve picked the gadgets that we think represent the best of new and old technology, whether i
  
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• Quiz: How Well Do You Know Britain? Prepare To Have Your Perceptions Challenged

  06-12-2017 17:00
  Brits really don’t have as good an idea as they think about their country, new research has revealed.Interviews with almost 30,000 people from 38 different countries, conducted by Ipsos MORI, found that the UK came 9th in a test of accuracy of factual realities. They were asked about a range of issues from crime to health.The most accurate country was Sweden, while South Africa came in last.Bobby Duffy, managing director of Ipsos MORI Social Research Institute, said people tend to “o
  
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• Celebrating Volunteering: The Hidden Heroes Who Are Changing The World

  06-12-2017 16:54
  Dr Maria Uyvico did more than just perform the first ever emergency C-section in Mugu District Hospital whilst volunteering in Nepal. Determined to improve the healthcare available for women and girls, she also repaired the doors and roof, and fixed broken beds.In the developed world a C-section is a routine procedure, but until Dr Uyvico set up a functioning operating theatre and mentored local doctors to carry out the operation, they hadn’t ever been done in this remote region - and pati
  
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• Labour leadership in UK has antisemitic views, says Israeli minister

  06-12-2017 16:51 via theguardian.com
  Gilad Erdan, security minister tipped to be Israel’s next PM, attacks ‘people who don’t understand Hamas is a terror organisation’A senior Israeli cabinet minister, tipped as the country’s next prime minister, has accused the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour party of being antisemitic.On a visit to Brussels, Gilad Erdan, Israel’s public security minister, said his government had become concerned by the views expressed by figures in the highest echelo
  
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• Change A Child’s Life Story This Christmas

  06-12-2017 16:50
  On Christmas Day, many children will be lucky enough to discover a whole new world of adventures, meet new people and learn about the past as they unwrap the gift of a new books, waiting for them under the Christmas tree. But for hundreds of thousands of children, it will be a very different story.Books have the power to transform lives. By sparking children’s imaginations, stimulating their critical thinking, and helping them develop empathy, books and a love of reading give children the
  
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• Awards Aside, Can We Ever Win The Battle Against Children’s Mental Health?

  06-12-2017 16:45
  It’s an extreme honour to start this article with the amazing news that The Worrinots landed gold at the 2017 UK App Awards (in the Children’s / Education category). However, whilst very proud, I’m not telling you that to brag.Achievement should never be measured in awards. Success should be measured in results. Despite the results from our user basis being very promising, it’s merely the tip of the iceberg. The bigger underlying problem - of growing children’s ment
  
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• Disabled People Are Not For Sale

  06-12-2017 16:39
  The UK has had a policy of competitive tendering for public services since the 1980s. There is no evidence to support this policy - but plenty of evidence that it has a severe negative impact on social care and human rights.At the heart of this policy is a set of policy rules, set by central government, forcing local government to tender for public services - effectively selling off disabled people and their support workers at the lowest possible cost. Every few years people are put out to tende
  
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• Pret To Give Customers A 50p Discount For Bringing A Reusable Cup

  06-12-2017 16:21
  Last week I tweeted that Pret was considering increasing its discount from 25p to 50p for any customer bringing a reusable cup. We are thinking of doing this to help change habits. It’s well known that “reduce” is better than “recycle”.How do we encourage more customers to bring reusable coffee cups to @Pret? We’re thinking of increasing the discount for bringing your own cup from 25p to 50p. Our organic filter coffee would cost just 49p! I’d love to hea
  
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• Hand Balancer Sammy Dinneen On Spending Two Hours A Day Upside Down And Why It's A Full Body Workout

  06-12-2017 15:57
  Perfecting a headstand in yoga is one of our ultimate goals - one that, at times, seems almost impossible to do. But believe it or not, for some people this is the basis of their career. It might sound niche, but that’s exactly what athlete and hand balancer, Sammy Dinneen, has done.According to the handstand artist, the key to success is not only strengthening your arms, but creating a full body workout training regime to make you stronger all over. Dinneen trained at
  
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• PM's internet safety adviser urges end to password sharing

  06-12-2017 15:54 via bbc.co.uk
  Baroness Shields says that MPs should not be sharing passwords with their staff.
  
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• House of St Barnabas CEO Sandra Schembri On Why You Shouldn't Just Care About Homelessness At Christmas

  06-12-2017 15:43
  Christmas can be a particularly difficult time for homeless people. Not only is the weather bitterly cold, but the holiday season is associated with family and joy, meaning loneliness is ever-present.Knowing this, many of us look to support homeless charities throughout December, which, of course, is a good thing. But Sandra Schembri, CEO of The House of St Barnabas, wants to remind the nation to keep the issue of homelessness on the agenda all year round. “Homelessness does not care
  
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• Controversy Over '12-Pack' Of Sausage Rolls Prompts Quorn To Change Packaging*

  06-12-2017 15:33
  Tis the season for sausage rolls to cause chaos.Just one month after Greggs issued an apology for replacing baby Jesus with a sausage roll in its advent calendar, Quorn has been called out for misleading consumers with a pack of mini sausage rolls.The ‘12-pack’ of mini meat-free sausage rolls actually contained three large sausage rolls. But the company had placed an asterisk next to the 12 on the top of the packet and then revealed, in small print further down, that there would be &
  
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• 'Only hard border is down middle of Labour'

  06-12-2017 15:30 via bbc.co.uk
  Theresa May is asked to give "a fully-itemised account" that could be independently-audited over the payments relating to the UK's exit from the EU.
  
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• PMQs: Theresa May asked for 'quick update on Brexit negotiations'

  06-12-2017 15:29 via bbc.co.uk
  There has been "very good progress" made on Brexit negotiations, Theresa May tells the House of Commons.
  
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• PMQs: Corbyn asks May about government Brexit documents

  06-12-2017 15:28 via bbc.co.uk
  Jeremy Corbyn asks about documents referred to by David Davis, adding the Brexit secretary admitted on Wednesday "they actually don't exist".
  
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• Gender Identity Shouldn't Be A Battleground

  06-12-2017 15:27
  The Church of England, Topshop and the NHS are not often bracketed together, but all of them have been in the news recently over their handling of issues around gender identity. Debate continues to rage in conventional and social media over matters like the desirability of gender neutral changing rooms in clothes shops, school uniform policies, and healthcare access to Gender Identity Development Services. Discussions easily become heated, and frequently divide people along unexpected lines. For
  
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• MPs Demand David Davis Face Contempt Of Parliament Vote For 'Misleading' Them Over Brexit Impact Assessments

  06-12-2017 15:24
  David Davis has been accused of misleading parliament after he claimed the government had not conducted impact assessments on the economic impact of Brexit - having previously suggested to it had.Opposition MPs have demanded the Brexit secretary be held in contempt of parliament.Davis told the Commons Exiting the EU Committee on Wednesday “no sort of systematic impact assessment” had been done on various key sectors of the economy.However in October he suggested impact assessments di
  
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• PM Vows To Contact Trump As Fears Mount Over US Embassy Move To Jerusalem

  06-12-2017 15:21
  Theresa May has vowed to speak to Donald Trump amid reports he plans to formally recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel by moving the US embassy there.The Prime Minister made it clear during PMQs in the House of Commons that Britain will not follow suit if the US President presses ahead with the controversial move.He is expected to reverse decades of US foreign policy by shifting the American embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to the holy city in an announcement on Wednesday.The planned move&
  
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