Political news

• May and Trump talk Brexit and Israel

  19-12-2017 23:19 via bbc.co.uk
  The phone call is their first since a spat over the US President's re-tweeting of anti-Muslim videos.
  
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• Theresa May And Donald Trump Discuss Brexit Deal In First Conversation Since Britain First Controversy

  19-12-2017 22:34
  Theresa May and Donald Trump discussed the importance of a post-Brexit trade deal in their first conversation since the president retweeted far-right organisation Britain First.The PM called Trump on Tuesday afternoon - the first time the two world leaders have officially spoken since he retweeted propaganda posted by Britain First’s deputy leader Jayda Fransen, and publicly rebuked May for criticising his actions.Downing Street said May began the call by offering her condolences over the
  
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• Council tax bills in England may rise by up to 5.99%

  19-12-2017 22:09 via bbc.co.uk
  Ministers say extra funding will relieve pressure on services but councils say it is not enough.
  
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• Uber Drivers Forced To Work Exhausting Hours To Make Ends Meet Are A 'Danger To Public Safety', Claims GMB Union

  19-12-2017 21:48
  Uber is a danger to public safety because it forces drivers to work exhausting hours just to make ends meet, a union has told a court.The GMB union has mounted legal efforts to become a participant in the taxi-hailing firm’s appeal against a decision not to renew its licence in London.In September, Transport for London refused to renew Uber’s licence on the grounds of “public safety and security implications” in a shock ruling. During a hearing at Westminster Magistr
  
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• 'Extra £450m funding' for police in England and Wales

  19-12-2017 21:01 via bbc.co.uk
  More government cash pledged but portion of council tax for policing could rise.
  
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• Brexit: Michael Gove 'warns colleagues to avoid re-run of project fear'

  19-12-2017 20:48
  Environment secretary believed to have made statement during the final cabinet meeting of the yearMichael Gove has warned senior colleagues to avoid a re-run of “project fear” during a crunch cabinet meeting over what Brexit end state the government should be aiming for, the Guardian understands. Those present claimed the environment secretary – who was one of the figureheads of the Vote Leave campaign – urged the room to avoid a repeat of the divisive arguments of the EU
  
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• Ralf Little video accuses Jeremy Hunt of misleading public

  19-12-2017 20:13
  Actor escalates Twitter row over mental health services by producing video featuring Luciana Berger and Norman LambThe actor Ralf Little has escalated his row with Jeremy Hunt by producing a video in which he accuses the health secretary of misleading the public about services for the mentally ill.The move comes after the pair became embroiled in a Twitter spat in which the Royle Family star disputed Hunt’s claims that the NHS had overseen “the biggest expansion of mental health prov
  
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• May to water down plan to enshrine Brexit day in law

  19-12-2017 20:04
  Prime minister seeks to avert a second Commons defeat on EU withdrawal bill
  
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• Arthur Collins Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison Over Acid Attack In London Nightclub

  19-12-2017 20:04
  Arthur Collins, the ex-boyfriend of reality TV-star Ferne McCann, has been sentenced to 20 years in jail over an acid attack in a London nightclub that injured 22 people. The 25-year-old threw the corrosive substance at a crowd in Mangle E8 in the early hours of April 17, leaving 16 people suffering with serious burns. Police said that in the immediate aftermath of the incident there were fears that the eye injuries of three victims were so severe that their vision could be permanently
  
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• Hunt practises his caring face as Tory MPs drop pretence over NHS | John Crace

  19-12-2017 19:30
  If the health secretary is worried about the struggles of the NHS then he is putting on a good act of not showing itIn any other year, Jeremy Hunt would be a worried man. But as the government concentrates all its resources on Brexit, no one seems to much mind that the NHS is near enough on its knees. Who cares that hundreds of people may be waiting on trolleys in corridors on the off chance they might get to see a doctor before Christmas, when the cabinet is just now getting round to agreeing t
  
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• UK councils allowed to lift tax 6% to help fund social care

  19-12-2017 19:23
  Labour accuses government of ‘shifting burden’ for local services away from Whitehall
  
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• Councils allowed to lift tax 6% to help fund social care

  19-12-2017 19:23
  Labour accuses government of ‘shifting burden’ for local services away from Whitehall
  
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• Three judges sue Ministry of Justice for race discrimination

  19-12-2017 19:13
  Cases add to pressure on MoJ, which recently rejected recommendations to set diversity targets in the judiciaryThree judges from black and Asian backgrounds are suing the Ministry of Justice for race discrimination and victimisation, the Guardian has learned.Recorder Peter Herbert, one of the group bringing employment tribunal cases, has been involved in a long-running case against the ministry over a speech he made saying that racism could be found in the judiciary. He lodged proceedings this w
  
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• May can berate Putin. But Brexit is his dream policy | Rafael Behr

  19-12-2017 19:13
  As the Russian leader tries to diminish Europe, he finds ideologues such as Boris Johnson are doing the job for himWith lighter diplomatic baggage, Boris Johnson might have been a hit in Moscow. The foreign secretary’s artfully dishevelled, pseudo-Churchillian kitsch is not to everyone’s taste, but it could work in the bombastic idiom of Russian politics. Related: Facebook and Twitter to give details of Russian-backed Brexit postsContinue reading...
  
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• Hammond plays down Brexit rift reports

  19-12-2017 19:04 via bbc.co.uk
  Ministers take turns to have their say on what life outside the EU should look like.
  
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• 'EastEnders' Spoilers: Johnny Carter To Exit As Ted Reilly Quits Soap

  19-12-2017 19:04
  EastEnders’ Carter clan is set to decrease in number in the coming weeks, as Johnny will be leaving the soap.Actor Ted Reilly has quit his role as Mick and Linda’s son and has already filmed his final scenes, it has been confirmed.A spokesperson for the BBC soap said in a statement: “We can confirm Ted has finished filming with ‘EastEnders’ and wish him all the best for the future.”Taking to Twitter after the announcement, Ted insisted it was his cho
  
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• Hard Brexit Explained In One 'Killer Graphic' – How The EU Ridiculed Theresa May’s ‘Red Lines’

  19-12-2017 19:00
  The EU has warned Britain is heading for a ‘Hard Brexit’ – with a “killer graphic” claiming a bare-bones trade deal will be the automatic result of Theresa May’s plans.The slide lays bare what Brussels thinks is the logic of the Prime Minister’s “red line” demands to be free of European courts, trade rules, migration and payments.The graphic was presented by EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier to all 27 EU leaders at last week’s summit &
  
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• Labour criticises move to let past donations to DUP stay hidden

  19-12-2017 18:49
  Transparency rules were extended to Northern Ireland in 2014, but minister says they will only apply from after Brexit voteLabour has criticised an attempt by the government to allow the Democratic Unionist party to conceal details of past political donations, including during the EU referendum, despite a 2014 law that extended party transparency rules to Northern Ireland.The government has announced it will bring into force new transparency rules for Northern Ireland’s political parties t
  
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• Facebook grilled on Britain First page by MPs

  19-12-2017 18:45 via bbc.co.uk
  MPs have been grilling Facebook, Twitter and Google on hate speech on their platforms.
  
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• The Little Drummer Boy

  19-12-2017 18:10
  I admit it. I love this song. The little drummer boy plays his drum and the baby smiles. Corny as it may be, this song is the ultimate “yes!” for every person who ever felt unheard - not good enough, not pretty enough, not rich enough, not cool enough. It’s a song for every outsider who nevertheless is worthy. I thought of this song while attending the annual production at our son’s specialist school, a modern Christmas musical that featured none of the classics.Once upon
  
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• The Untreatable Has Become Treatable

  19-12-2017 18:07
  “Multiple sclerosis is untreatable, and research into treatments of the disease is the graveyard of many promising careers.”Or so I was told by a respected neurologist in 1993. I was not to be put off though, and soon afterwards joined a team in Cambridge researching a new treatment for MS.We were working on an antibody that killed off lymphocytes – one of the white blood cells that fight off illness. We believe these cells are responsible for relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS),
  
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• Fee cap hits businesses using apprenticeship levy for MBAs

  19-12-2017 18:07
  Only £18,000 can be used on masters level degree courses
  
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• Toyota Will Make Every Car In Its Range Electric By 2025

  19-12-2017 18:02
  Despite being responsible for the most famous hybrid car in history, the Prius, Toyota has been relatively quiet about its plans for going electric.Well now the world’s second-largest car manufacturer has announced that by 2025, every car it makes will be available with an electric motor.The company’s shift over to electrification comes with some sales claims including 5.5 million electrified vehicles and 1.1 zero-emission vehicles by 2030.Now while that might sound like a lot of car
  
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• Thousands of UK families miss out on free childcare provision

  19-12-2017 17:50
  Government figures reveal 22,000 households failed to secure a nursery place or childminder
  
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• Cabinet agrees to demand bespoke deal after first proper discussion on Brexit outcome – as it happened

  19-12-2017 17:46
  Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen.Cabinet discusses Brexit outcome for first time - SummaryAfternoon summary 4.46pm GMTThe current statutory guidance for teaching relationships and sex education was last set in 2000. It needs updating to reflect today’s world as it does not address risks to children that have emerged over the last 17 years, including cyber bullying, ‘sexting’ and staying safe online. 4.35pm GMTOn the day the cabinet had i
  
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• Cameron House Fire: Couple Killed Are Named

  19-12-2017 17:42
  Two men who died in a fire at a five-star luxury hotel on the banks of Loch Lomond have been named.Richard Dyson and Simon Midgley, both from London, were staying at Cameron House in Balloch, when the fire broke out at around 6.45am on Monday.Midgley had posted a picture of the hotel on Saturday to social media, stating it was to be “home for the weekend.”Thought their identities have not been officially confirmed by police, friends and relatives have been leaving condolences for the
  
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• Political cards

  19-12-2017 17:40 via bbc.co.uk
  Theresa May, Jeremy Corbyn and Nicola Sturgeon opt for more traditional festive greetings.
  
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• If Our Democracy Is To Work For Everyone - All Voices Must Be Heard

  19-12-2017 17:37
  Suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst famously said “deeds, not words”. And as the Minister responsible for democratic participation, I am keeping that in the front of my mind as we approach 100 years since women won the right to vote and 90 years since women won equal voting rights to men.A key part of my work has been to seek to identify the needs of under registered groups, and those who feel excluded from our democracy. I visited every region in the UK to help understand why some groups
  
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• Husband Of British Woman Jailed In Iran Reveals Backlash To Boris Johnson Tehran Visit

  19-12-2017 17:35
  The campaign to free a British woman jailed in Iran has warned of a “backlash”  to Boris Johnson’s visit to the country that is threatening the prospect of her being released by Christmas.Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe is being held in one of Iran’s most brutal prisons on charges of spying and spreading propaganda, despite only being in the country on holiday with her daughter visiting her parents.Her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, had last week spoken of the “fir
  
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• Self-parking cars to be legalised in UK

  19-12-2017 17:22 via bbc.co.uk
  The UK wants to modify a ban on using mobile phones to allow drivers to activate self-parking cars.
  
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• Crossrail's Elizabeth Line Added To TfL's Tube Map To Mark One Year Until Start Of New Service

  19-12-2017 17:13
  Transport for London (TfL) has released an updated tube map featuring the Elizabeth line to mark one year until the new service starts running.The Elizabeth line will open in December 2018 alongside 10 new “state-of-the-art” stations, TfL said.The service will allow passengers to travel from Paddington to Canary Wharf in just 17 minutes and will eventually see customers from Heathrow and Reading able to get to the West End and the City without changing trains.The line will run as thr
  
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• 25 Hilarious Moments British TV Served Up In 2017

  19-12-2017 17:12
  In a year that’s been pretty heavy in the news, thank goodness for TV, which has helped us get through 2017. Whether it’s people falling over, puerile innuendos or the general brilliance of Alison Hammond, there’s been a lot to laugh and smile about in the last 12 months.Here’s just a few of our favourite hilarious moments. 1. When Craig Revel Horwood’s impression of Bruno Tonoli ended spectacularly badly on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’2. When Ruth
  
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• 27 Genuinely Brilliant Things That Happened In The Entertainment World This Year

  19-12-2017 17:09
  It’s no secret that 2017 has been a tough year, but while it’s often felt like the doom and gloom is never ending, we’re here to remind you that hasn’t always been the case.In the world of entertainment at least, there have more than a few heartwarming, laugh-out-loud funny and uplifting moments, that have brought plenty of joy in the past 12 months. Here are 27 of 2017′s best bits... 1. Beyoncé’s pregnancy announcementA post shared by Beyonc&
  
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• Tower Hamlets postal voters to be monitored under pilot scheme

  19-12-2017 17:01
  Scandal-hit London borough is one of several local authority areas selected to trial a package of anti-fraud measuresPostal voters in the scandal-hit London borough of Tower Hamlets are to be closely monitored as part of new pilot schemes designed to stamp out electoral fraud, a government minister has said.Chris Skidmore, the minister for the constitution, said a package of measures would be introduced across several local authorities in May as the government experimented with new systems to en
  
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• Parental Leave Needs To Be Brought Into The 21st Century

  19-12-2017 16:54
  Good flexible working is the Holy Grail for many people these days and they are prepared to be very creative to get it.For some years now working mums have been one of the fastest growing demographic groups for freelancing, franchising and self employment. Surveys show a huge appetite for self employment. Dads too are increasingly going self employed for childcare reasons, although still not to the degree of mums.It’s not just self employment, though. Many parents are flexing around severa
  
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• Social media sites dealing with abuse?

  19-12-2017 16:43 via bbc.co.uk
  Social media giants have made progress, but have not done enough to tackle extremism and abuse on their sites, says Yvette Cooper.
  
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• Merry Effing Christmas

  19-12-2017 16:42
  Christmas is such meaningless bullshit. There I’ve said it. It’s such commercial, wasteful, dragged out bullshit. I don’t just mean from the standpoint of someone who is cynical and is only at the start of the parenting part of my life. I’m saying it as a human being who is already under so much pressure, as a lot of us are, who really doesn’t need the unnecessary, suffocating and pretentious carnival of horrors that is the Western Christmas.
It’s rare t
  
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• Anti-Bird Spikes Fitted To Trees To Protect Cars From Pigeon Poo

  19-12-2017 16:39
  Anti-bird spikes have been fitted to trees – in a bid to protect cars beneath them from pigeon poo.The spikes – normally used to prevent birds from resting or nesting on buildings – have been nailed to two trees in an exclusive suburb of Bristol.They have been installed along branches overhanging a car park used by a number of luxury vehicles including BMWs and Audis.Green Party councillor Paula O’Rourke who represents the area said the spikes “look awful” and
  
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• The Alien Object 'Oumuama' Is Actually Covered In A Layer Of Organic Material

  19-12-2017 16:32
  Having been ruled out as an alien spacecraft, scientists now believe that the interstellar object known as ‘Oumuama’ could feature a rich organic skin.The global team of researchers used data collected from telescopes around the world to closely analyse the composition of the object.What they found was an object with an icy core that has a thick dry crust - created as a result of millions or billions of years of exposure to cosmic radiation.Considering its composition then you would
  
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• Brexit will cause loss of influence on scale of 1970s, says ex-MI6 chief

  19-12-2017 16:27
  Sir John Sawers tells MPs Britain will need to figure out how to rebuild its economy and international standing after leaving EUBrexit is set to cause a loss of UK influence on a par with the 1970s, requiring a national assessment of how the UK’s future standing can be recovered once Brexit is complete, Sir John Sawers, the former head of MI6, has warned.
  Speaking to the foreign affairs select committee, Sawers said: “We can see the trend of the coming years and we do not want to go
  
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• All I Want For Christmas Is....Nothing!

  19-12-2017 16:20
  Last year I wrote a post entitled The Reality of Christmas and was open about the stresses that I felt as a parent of a child with additional needs, who didn’t quite get Christmas.I spoke about the pressure some of us feel trying to live up to the expectations of social media in hammering the hell out of Christmas, introducing children to Elf on a Shelf, visits to Father Christmas, nativity and the countless other events that the festivities bring. I wanted to show the world that Christmas
  
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• Funding change could see domestic violence refuges shut

  19-12-2017 16:17 via bbc.co.uk
  Proposals to change how women's domestic violence refuges are funded could mean the accommodation is no longer paid for mainly from housing benefit.
  
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• The Non-human Hacker Is No Science Fiction, But They’re Usually On Your Side

  19-12-2017 16:14
  The world of intelligent machines and computers has been with us for decades, and throughout their history, security has been a lifelong struggle between cybersecurity experts and threat actors. However, for the first time, neither party is necessarily human; the threat Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) pose to the public, businesses and government agencies is no longer in our future, but happening now all around us. Interestingly, the very same technology that threatens to
  
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• The Move Government Has Made To Protect Domestic Violence Victims Is Welcome

  19-12-2017 16:11
  Today in the House of Lords, the government has introduced The Secure Tenancies (Victims of Domestic Abuse) Bill, the origins of which lie in the infamous 2016 Housing and Planning Act 2016. An Act that among other things, effectively destroyed security of tenure for social housing tenants.During the parliamentary passage of the legislation, a sharp-eyed housing official in Haringey contacted me to warn of the likely implications for women fleeing domestic violence. I then tabled an amendment de
  
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• Five Tips To Survive GDPR Compliance In 2018 (And Beyond)

  19-12-2017 16:04
  This year has been tough for organizations that have to pass compliance audits, and 2018 is not looking any better. The regulatory landscape is going to keep on changing. In the U.S. all credit reporting agencies are now obliged to comply with the New York Cybersecurity Rules, while all federal contractors must face NIST Special Publication 800-171 that comes into force December 31, 2017 and will regulate the protection of controlled unclassified information (CUI). For the UK, the most far-reach
  
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• A Connected Toy Story – Keeping Playtime Safe

  19-12-2017 15:49
  For many of us, our first experience of technology was the toys we played with: Merlin, Simon, Scalextric or the Super Nintendo – nostalgic novelties that allowed us to bridge between fantasy and reality.Over the last decade, digitalisation has narrowed this connection, blurring the lines between what’s real and what’s not. Everything is now connected to the internet, even our toys, allowing us to reach previously unreachable worlds.This Christmas, thousands of junior techies w
  
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• In the age of Brexit, we need to rediscover the politics of ideas | Claudia Wood

  19-12-2017 15:22
  Today’s tribal, kneejerk politics is a far cry from the dynamic, big-vision world I once knew
  • Claudia Wood is a former chief executive of the thinktank DemosThe year is drawing to a close, and so is my career in Westminster. Clearing out my desk, I have come across clippings from the early years of Demos, some 25 years ago, and they provide a stark reminder of the tremendous change in the language and nature of our political sphere. What struck me is the ambition of the ideas, but a
  
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• Brexit predictions for 2018

  19-12-2017 15:06
  UK’s will aim to gain maximum access to EU markets while reclaiming sovereignty
  
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• Mind The Gap: The Communication Mismatch Between Parents And Teens

  19-12-2017 15:00
  Communication between teenagers and parents can be a complicated matter, especially when it comes to discussing tricky topics like sex, bullying and online safety. Amidst hormones and struggling for independence, new data published in the NCS (National Citizen Service)’s Youth Report ‘Welcome to our World’ has revealed a significant communication mismatch surrounding so-called ‘battleground issues’. Widespread surveys of England’s adults and adolescents found
  
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• Jeremy Corbyn leads criticism of Paradise Papers legal action

  19-12-2017 15:00
  Labour leader among senior politicians alarmed by Appleby action against BBC and Guardian over tax haven investigations
  Jeremy Corbyn has expressed his support for the Guardian and the BBC in the face of legal action over their reporting on overseas tax havens, which he described as “an immoral scourge”.The Labour leader said the investigative reporting involved in the Panama Papers and Paradise Papers was essential to promoting democratic debate. Continue reading...
  
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