Political news

• Stephen Crabb MP cleared over harassment claims

  22-12-2017 23:53 via bbc.co.uk
  Former Welsh secretary Stephen Crabb cleared of breaching Tory party rules.
  
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• I'm more than 'Madame Brexit' - Theresa May

  22-12-2017 23:12 via bbc.co.uk
  The PM insists she is "in it for the long-term" and shrugs off claims she has had a bad year.
  
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• Aldi Skipton Stabbing Of Jodie Willsher Sees Man Charged With Murder

  22-12-2017 21:06
  A man has been charged with murder after supermarket worker Jodie Willsher was stabbed to death in an Aldi store in Skipton, North Yorkshire Police said on Friday. The mother-of-one died on Thursday after being rushed to Airedale General Hospital following the attack at the Keighley Road store around 3.30pm. Neville Hord, from Skipton, has been remanded in custody over the 30-year-old’s death.The 44-year-old is due to appear at York Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, the BBC r
  
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• Christmas Number One 2017 Revealed, As Ed Sheeran Claims Festive Top Spot With 'Perfect'

  22-12-2017 20:35
  Ed Sheeran has claimed this year’s Christmas number one with ‘Perfect’.The singer fought off competition from Mariah Carey and Wham!’s classic festive hits to land the chart top spot.Ed had a total of 85,000 combined sales acquired this week, split across 45,000 downloads and six million streams.Posting a thank-you video on YouTube, he said: “Thank you very much for making ‘Perfect’ Christmas Number 1.“This is an actual dream come tr
  
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• Christmas Traffic: Severe Jams From Lunchtime, Expert Warns As 1.3M Extra Drivers Hit The Roads

  22-12-2017 19:01
  Drivers embarking on the Christmas getaway will not be able to escape severe jams on many roads on Friday, a traffic expert has warned.Dr Graham Cookson, chief economist at transportation analysts Inrix, said many motorists will find themselves stuck in long queues from Friday afternoon onwards.An estimated 1.3 million drivers on leisure trips will fight for road space with regular commuters on the last working day before Christmas.Highways England reported 46 traffic incidents on motorways and
  
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• A restorative reshuffle for the UK government

  22-12-2017 18:49
  May should freshen her domestic agenda in the new year
  
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• Trump Ambassador To Netherlands Caught Out After Accusing TV Reporter Of 'Fake News'

  22-12-2017 18:09
  The US ambassador to the Netherlands has been caught out after dismissing suggestions he once said there were “no-go zones” in the country because of radical Muslims - only to be shown footage of him stating precisely that.A now viral video shows Donald Trump’s pick Pete Hoekstra accusing journalist Wouter Zwart of “fake news” after he was confronted about saying that cars and politicians are being “set on fire”.@Nieuwsuur to new US ambassador: "You ment
  
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• Theresa May Rejects Grenfell Survivors' Call For Diverse Inquiry Panel

  22-12-2017 18:03
  Theresa May has rejected calls from Grenfell survivors for an independent, diverse panel to sit alongside the head of a public inquiry into the disaster.More than 22,000 people signed a petition, delivered to Downing Street by family members of those who died, amid doubts over inquiry leader Sir Martin Moore-Bick’s suitability.It is feared that the retired Court of Appeal judge lacks first-hand experience of the complex cultural factors underpinning the tragedy.Lawyers representing vi
  
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• UK passports: 'The blue belongs to us' after Brexit

  22-12-2017 17:55 via bbc.co.uk
  Why British passports are changing colours after Brexit – and do Brits welcome the switch?
  
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• Woman Who Turns 100 On Christmas Day Says Secret To Long Life Is Family And Whisky

  22-12-2017 17:24
  A great-grandmother who turns 100 on Christmas day has revealed the secret to her long life: friends, family and whisky.Edith Pryor, who lives at Bupa Erskine Hall care home in Northwood, was born in 1917 on 25 December.Edith says: “For as long as I can remember now, people have been asking me what it’s like to have my birthday on Christmas Day. I must say, after doing it for 100 years I’m rather used to it now, though I do quite like that I get two cakes!”Edith was
  
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• How To Deal With Family You Don't Get On With At Christmas

  22-12-2017 17:22
  Christmas is about merriment and family, but what if the family you’re expected to be so happy to see actually make you come out in hives.Whether you fell out once upon a time or simply can’t stand them, the thought of having to reunite can fill you with dread and risk ruining your Christmas.It’s not wonder why Relate, the UK’s leading relationship charity, gets an upsurge in calls in January.“The festive season puts pressure on people and we put the pressure on our
  
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• Nigel Farage Wishes Britain A 'Happy Brexmas' After Blue Passport Decision

  22-12-2017 17:17
  Nigel Farage has lauded the decision to change British passports from burgundy to blue as being the “first real, tangible victory” since the EU referendum and used it to wish Britain a Merry Christmas in the way only he can - by coining the term, “Happy Brexmas”.  The Home Office announced Friday that the “iconic” blue and gold design which came into use almost 100 years is set to return. The passports, Immigration Minister Brandon Lewis sa
  
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• Three Burned Cakes: Christmas Without Mum

  22-12-2017 16:59
  This begins with my mother and I baking the Christmas cake together over our shared birthday weekend in October, evolves into a scramble over Mum’s bed for the most holey, misshapen, shrivelled, old-hockey-sock-stocking on Christmas Eve, and culminates in the Rawlinson choir of doom ploughing proudly through the carols in our old school’s chapel on Christmas Day. The rules are rigid (one present in the morning, but the rest after supper) and dissenters are quickly made to conform (as
  
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• Listen: Farewell Damian Green and 2017 political roundup

  22-12-2017 16:57
  Was Theresa May’s de facto deputy right to resign? And who will replace him? Plus a review of the political year for the Conservatives, Labour, Brexit and the British economy
  
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• Typhoon fighter jets intercept prime minister's plane in exercise

  22-12-2017 16:50 via bbc.co.uk
  Theresa May watched the manoeuvre from the cockpit during her journey from Cyprus.
  
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• How I Cope With The Festive Season Whilst Living With Depression And Anxiety

  22-12-2017 16:47
  I have a love-hate relationship with this time of year.One of the reasons I love it is because of the presents. The art of gift giving is something I’ve always enjoyed. Hunting around for a thoughtful gift, wrapping it up beautifully and then seeing the recipient’s face light up as they open it. It’s wonderful and makes Christmas time magical.Having many repeated conversations with family/friends who you wouldn’t normally socialise with is something I hate. It’s not
  
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• Boris Johnson says UK wants better relations with Russia

  22-12-2017 16:43 via bbc.co.uk
  Boris Johnson and Sergei Lavrov clash over cyber-attacks but also trade jokes after talks in Moscow.
  
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• Four Models To Watch Out For In 2018

  22-12-2017 16:14
  Towards the end of any year, questions always arise about what’s next.Who’s going to be the next name in fashion? Who’s face is going to be splashed across magazine covers, Instagram stories and new campaigns?And most importantly, in the age of model activism, who’s going to make a mark in the next few months? We’ve selected four faces you’ll be seeing more of in 2018. Emma Breschi, model and film maker.Breschi only signed with Models 1 in November 2
  
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• What Water And Sanitation Can Learn From Facebook

  22-12-2017 16:00
   As I look back on this year, and reflect upon what’s before us in 2018, I find myself thinking of a number which at first seems very little to do with the WaterAid business of water, sanitation and hygiene.That is Facebook’s announcement this year that they have now reached 2 billion people, or nearly one-quarter of the population of the planet. While this has not been achieved without controversy, it is perhaps the strongest modern-day example of the power that results from ca
  
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• Corbyn's 162 questions

  22-12-2017 15:56 via bbc.co.uk
  Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has asked 162 questions at PMQs in 2017. Here's a list of the subjects raised.
  
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• Tube Escalator Stunt Goes Viral After Darts Fan Smashes Groin Against Emergency Button

  22-12-2017 15:55
  It is a drunken tale that won’t soon be forgotten, not least because it was caught on film and some 10 million people have already seen it.Having reportedly necked 10 pints of beer at the darts, Freddie Andrews decided to slide down the metal chute between two escalators, a decision he now says he “regrets”.Aptly dressed in sporting attire - football kit - the 22-year-old from Tonbridge, Kent, slid onto the chute with some grace, beginning on his hip as though sliding across a
  
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• 'Celebrity Big Brother' 2018 Line-Up: All The Rumoured Housemates

  22-12-2017 15:50
  We already know that ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ is going to be female-centric when it returns for its January run, in what Channel 5 has claimed is a commemoration of 100 years since women were given the vote here in Britain. We also know the date of launch night, we’ve seen photos of the house… all that’s left now is to actually meet the contestants.As ever, Channel 5 is keeping its cards pretty close to its chest when it comes to who’ll be heading into the Bor
  
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• Aldi Stabbing Victim Was Employee Attacked In Supermarket Aisle

  22-12-2017 15:31
  Tributes have been paid to an Aldi supermarket worker who was stabbed to death in an aisle at work.A 44-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder following the attack in front of shoppers at the store in Skipton, North Yorkshire, on Thursday afternoon, The Press Association reports.Customers and colleagues tried to help by pinning down the attacker before police arrived.Police have not named the 30-year-old woman who died but said her family have been informed.She was named locally a
  
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• A Smart Toy Could Have Personal Details For Life, Not Just For Christmas

  22-12-2017 15:22
  Each Christmas, the average child aged nine and under receives around £350 worth of toys. In recent years, toys have become more sophisticated, computerised and connected, but this has led to increasing privacy and security concerns. The big question for parents is how can they know if these ‘connected’ Christmas gifts are actually safe and secure?Families are increasingly using so-called smart or connected devices to facilitate everyday tasks and services. You can turn off the
  
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• Food Banks In 2017: Change Is Possible

  22-12-2017 15:21
  Three years ago, Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) and the Trussell Trust were among the organisations who published Emergency Use Only one of the first pieces of research to shed light on the drivers of the enormous increases in food bank use that we have seen this decade. We found that the immediate trigger for food bank use was all-too-often caused by the benefit system – through delays, errors, and sanctions – that prompted an acute income crisis, leaving households with little o
  
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• Disney/fox Deal Signals The Beginning Of The End Of Mass Media As We Know It

  22-12-2017 15:18
  Wily old fox, Rupert Murdoch, has pulled off another masterstroke with his deal to sell 20th Century Fox and other Fox assets to Disney for $66billion.While most commentators analyse what this all means for the Murdoch dynasty, or how such a merger can yield synergistic benefits, for me this deal has a more significant meaning. It signals the beginning of the end of the decades old mass media industries as we currently know them. Most players in the mass media and entertainment industries have l
  
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• How To Have The Most Sustainable Christmas Ever

  22-12-2017 15:17
  Mince pies, cocktails, tree chocolates. One of the most delightful things about the Christmas period is that it’s socially acceptable, and pretty much expected, to have loads of everything.But the idea of a more sustainable Christmas can seem impossible when you factor in the build up of non-recyclable cards and unwanted presents, not to mention the amount of delicious food that is often thrown away when the celebrations are finished. A shocking survey from Sky Ocean Rescue revealed t
  
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• Money Can't Buy A Happy Life, Or A Peaceful Death

  22-12-2017 15:16
  As we approach the end of another year, permit me the indulgence of quoting Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and Scourge’s encounter with The Spirit of Christmas Yet-to-Come, “Money can’t buy a happy life, or a peaceful death”.According to GoCompare, a British financial services comparison website, the UK spends £21 billion a year on Christmas, that’s an average of £753 per household. Generosity can take many forms and it is right to enjoy time w
  
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• How Generation Z Are Changing The Way Business Is Done

  22-12-2017 15:15
  Think of millennials and you will probably envision young people sitting around playing video games, lazily completing their studies and dreaming about the day they start up the next Microsoft from their bedroom.Actually, many of us inside this age bracket have become bored of these stereotypes and it is becoming more and more accepted that young people in the ‘Millennial’ demographic have much more of a social conscience and a passion for changing the world around them.I take a look
  
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• View From Bidi Bidi Refugee Camp: Why Britain Is Right To Invest In Development

  22-12-2017 15:14
  Let me take you to northern Uganda on the border with South Sudan, where you will find one million refugees, brought there by war, disease and drought. And to the Bidi Bidi camp in particular, which I visited recently, where over 270,000 refugees now live. Refugee numbers here are growing faster than even in Syria, yet it’s a place largely forgotten by the world.It hasn’t been forgotten by the UK though. I saw British investment and expertise in aid helping to build temporary shelter
  
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• Come On Everybody: Let’s Stand Up 4 Sitting Down And Change The Fact That 1.7m Older People Feel Shut Out From The High Street

  22-12-2017 15:13
  Over the past decade, the shopping experience has changed beyond recognition. Online shopping and contactless payments are the norm, same day deliveries are becoming common place. Oh and guess what - drone deliveries are just around the corner.While this is exciting in many respects, it’s not good news for everyone. As many high streets sink into the shadows, shopping has become less of an inclusive and social experience. It is a sad fact that 1.7 million older people feel completely shut
  
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• Recent UK-China Talks Are A Boost To Tourism And Aviation Ties, But Uk Is Still Playing Catch-up

  22-12-2017 15:12
  The past two weeks have been very good for UK-China relations, economically, politically and tourism wise as well. There has been much talking and dialogue been done over the years but not much execution of any concrete actions when it comes to increasing tourism and economic ties between the two nations. So, it was particularly nice to see a number of trade agreements being made when Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with the British Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond, carrying on their pl
  
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• Let's Not Cast Generation Snowflake Adrift

  22-12-2017 15:11
  Well, snow is forecast (in some forecasts anyway) as the Christmas air turns chilly, so let’s talk about Generation Snowflake.See what I did there. Seamless TV breakfast-esque link or what, eh? Susanna Reid eat your heart out.Anyhow, as you were.We need to talk about our Millennial Snowflakes. Or, to be more accurate, let’s discuss how we talk about them. Let’s face it, they’re much maligned.According to a new survey by insurance giant Aviva https://www.aviva.com/newsroom
  
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• Ukrainians Caught Up In Conflict Struggle To Access Healthcare In Once Peaceful Villages

  22-12-2017 15:10
  To the east of Ukraine’s port city of Mariupol, the village of Lebendynske was once a hub of agriculture, with villagers making a profit from selling vegetables and dairy produce to their metropolitan neighbours.But three years into a conflict on its doorstep, which has seen shells fall on homes, streets and community buildings, residents left behind live a daily existence of anxiety and fear over their future.With a checkpoint placed at the entrance of the village and buses running just t
  
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• How Women's Rights Defenders Make A Difference In Kenya

  22-12-2017 15:08
  In Kilifi County, one of the poorest counties of Kenya, prospects for women and girls often look dire. Aside from the impoverished conditions, they face further marginalisation due to the belief that a woman’s role is in the home.Local citizen Dama, for example, knew so little about her rights that she regularly missed school then became pregnant and dropped out altogether at the age of 15. The next two years she spent in an abusive relationship with the father of her child, looking after
  
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• Post-Brexit UK Must Not Become Go-To Arms Dealer For Repressive Regimes

  22-12-2017 15:07
  Since the 2016 referendum, the British Government has stepped up its arms sales offensive. In the hunt for post-Brexit allies, the British Government has had dealings with Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait, and more. The Prime Minister has been leading the charge, with her International Trade Secretary following suit.The arms trade is exempted from agreements to limit exports subsidies, which means that governments are free to promote their arms exports in a variety of ways.While th
  
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• Feeling Stressed This Party Season? Don’t Panic

  22-12-2017 15:01
  Your friends might think an evening of mulled wine and mince pies sounds like a good idea, but if the thought of going to your friend’s flat to mingle with their distant cousin, work colleague and neighbour sounds like a nightmare, you may be suffering with social anxiety.What is social anxiety and how do I know if I’m suffering from it?Social anxiety can affect people in many different ways: some of us are quite happy to just cancel plans and do as we please, whereas some people fin
  
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• Crumbling Parliament could be next Grenfell, Black Rod warns

  22-12-2017 15:00 via bbc.co.uk
  Black Rod urges MPs to back a £3.5bn plan to repair the Houses of Parliament to prevent a "major fire".
  
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• 5 Important Stories Buried In The Week Before Christmas

  22-12-2017 15:00
  Thursday marked the last day of term before MPs left Parliament for a two-week recess.As is now tradition, Governments tend to rush out unpopular decisions quietly in written and oral statements from ministers with the hope a blitz of announcements and people winding down for Christmas will help provide cover.This year was notable for two pieces of embarrassing news for the Government being even more of a distraction: Damian Green being forced to resign over sex harassment and pornography allega
  
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• No, Sadiq Khan Is Not Cutting Support For Disabled Londoners

  22-12-2017 14:57
  Do the London Tories have no shame? Not content with their appalling and divisive campaign against Sadiq Khan last year, they’ve now decided the best way to rehabilitate themselves with Londoners is to play dirty politics with the lives of thousands of disabled people living in the city, based on nothing but untruths and deliberate inaccuracies.For those who don’t know, London’s Taxicard service offers subsidised travel in licensed taxis and private hire vehicles to Londoners w
  
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• Russian tampering in UK elections ‘not successful’

  22-12-2017 14:56
  Boris Johnson’s jokes mask continuing tensions with Moscow counterpart
  
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• Johnson says Russia has ‘not successfully’ interfered in UK elections

  22-12-2017 14:56
  Foreign secretary holds tense press conference with counterpart in Moscow
  
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• The Village Angels: The Everyday Heroes Of Manchester's Village Star In New Documentary

  22-12-2017 14:55
  A community safety initiative set up by a Mancunian charity is now the focus of a new documentary and national initiative to make UK nightlife more LGBT inclusive.The Village Angels are a group of volunteers who keep nightlife revellers safe in Manchester's Village. Maybe someone has had a bit too much fun and needs help ordering a cab home. Maybe someone has been made homeless and doesn't know where to turn. Maybe someone needs a shoulder to cry on. The Angels are the everyday heroes on hand to
  
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• A Business Wish List For 2018

  22-12-2017 14:54
  Predictions. We all make them; they are woven throughout our day-to-day lives, the weather, sport, and of course, business. However, just as the saying goes,  “Predicting the future is easy, getting it right is the hard part...” - they often prove futile. As we brace ourselves for 2018, and a new year in business awaits, I wish to share with you, not predictions, but what I want to see business stand for in 2018.Firstly, I want it to be technologically innovative and progressive
  
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• We Need To Talk About Those Who Would Gain From A Hard Brexit

  22-12-2017 14:53
  In 2017 we saw an increase in realism about Brexit. Rather than getting the government to pull a switch and ‘Hey Presto’ we are out of the EU, and EU citizens in the UK are made to leave, reasonable people now understand that Brexit is complicated and expensive, and it will take some time to get past a transitionary period to something that could realistically be called Brexit.The frequency in which people rant things like “We should just leave NOW. They need us more than we ne
  
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• Why Government Inaction Is Holding Back A Greener Future

  22-12-2017 14:50
  It seems like only yesterday that Sir Vince Cable, the then Business Secretary, opened a £350million bioethanol plant on the banks of the River Humber in Hull on a warm day in July 2013.Lauded on that day as the largest of its kind in Europe, the Vivergo Fuels plant turns feed wheat into bioethanol which is blended with petrol to reduce carbon emissions, and high protein animal feed to substitute for less sustainable imported soy. Producing 420million litres of bioethanol a year, it is the
  
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• MPs Call For IPSA To Abandon 'Scrooge' Policy That Stops Them Paying Staff Early

  22-12-2017 14:35
  MPs have called for a Parliamentary standards watchdog to scrap rules that prevent them from paying their staff early in time for Christmas.More than 100 Westminster politicians from all parties have lent their signatures to a letter crafted by Labour’s Faisal Rashid, who wants IPSA to relax its ‘Scrooge-like’ policy in time for the festive season in 2018.They want Parliamentary staff, including researchers, cleaners and other office workers, to be given the option to receive t
  
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• UK to see return of dark blue passports after Brexit

  22-12-2017 14:32
  Document will replace burgundy EU version from 2019 to delight of Leave voters
  
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• Primary School Applications 2018: Everything You Need To Know (Including The Deadline)

  22-12-2017 14:12
  Parents whose children will start primary school in September 2018 have until 15 January 2018 to apply for a place.You will need to fill out an application - either on the Government’s website or by requesting a paper form from your local council - so it’s best to get started before the deadline to ensure you have enough time to fill it all out. Once the application has been submitted online, an automated email acknowledgement will be sent to you to conf
  
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• 'Iconic' blue British passport to return after Brexit

  22-12-2017 14:10 via bbc.co.uk
  The 'iconic' design will replace the burgundy passports that have been in use for almost 30 years.
  
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