Political news

• Elon Musk's Car Is Currently Livestreaming Its Journey To Mars

  06-02-2018 23:32
  Having successfully tested its Falcon Heavy rocket, SpaceX is now livestreaming the incredible journey of the rocket’s payload: Elon Musk’s Tesla sports car.The Tesla Roadster, complete with SpaceX’s astronaut suit for a driver, is now beginning its 400 million kilometre journey towards Mars as part of a heliocentric orbit that could potentially see it float through the solar system for up to a billion years.The car is currently still attached to the Falcon Heavy’s upper
  
  Read more

• Votes for women: Pardoning suffragettes 'complicated'

  06-02-2018 23:21 via bbc.co.uk
  Campaigners want posthumous pardons but the home secretary says it isn't "straightforward".
  
  Read more

• SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket Launch Success

  06-02-2018 22:35
  SpaceX has successfully launched its Falcon Heavy rocket.The rocket - the most powerful since the Space Shuttle - launched without incident, delivering its unique payload in the form of Elon Musk’s very own Tesla sports car.Both side rockets then returned to Earth and successfully landed simultaneously.Launching high into orbit at 20:45 GMT, the rocket performed perfectly despite concerns over high altitude winds that had delayed the launch to within just 15 minutes of its cutoff point.
  On
  
  Read more

• ‘VIP paedophile ring’ accuser charged over child abuse images

  06-02-2018 22:25 via bbc.co.uk
  The man, known as Nick, faces charges relating to the possession of child sex abuse images.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Stark choices for Chris Grayling over failed East Coast rail line

  06-02-2018 21:23 via ft.com
  Transport secretary must renationalise or ‘reward’ failure
  
  Read more

• East Coast rail line failure leaves Chris Grayling with stark choices

  06-02-2018 21:23 via ft.com
  Transport secretary must decide between renationalising or ‘rewarding’ failure
  
  Read more

• Fresh Brexit Row As Jacob Rees-Mogg Warns EU's 'Punishment Plan' Is Unacceptable

  06-02-2018 21:11
  Jacob Rees-Mogg has issued another Brexit warning to Theresa May after claims the EU wants the power to issue instant punishments to the UK during any transition period.The Guardian revealed tonight Brussels is looking to bypass the European Court of Justice (ECJ) if it believes the UK has breached EU law during the transition period.Avoiding the lengthy ECJ process could see the UK hit with penalising trade tariffs, the introduction of lengthy customs checks at borders and even the grounding of
  
  Read more

• 'Suspicious Package' Reported Outside Ecuadorian Embassy, Home Of Julian Assange

  06-02-2018 21:02
  Police attended the Ecuadorian Embassy in SW1 following reports of a small suspicious package. The item was assessed by specialist officers and deemed to be non-suspicious. There are no injuries and this incident has now been stood down.February 6, 2018
  Police are in attendance at the Ecuadorian Embassy in SW1 following reports of a small suspicious package. There are no reported injuries. The item is being assessed by specialist officers.February 6, 2018
  The news comes just hours after the Wiki
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Jacob Rees-Mogg and the shadowy group of Tories shaping Brexit

  06-02-2018 20:47 via theguardian.com
  Powerful European Research Group accused of misusing funds – and tearing Conservatives apartIt has no website, no public list of members, and it is accused of misusing taxpayers’ money. But despite its shadowy status, Jacob Rees-Mogg’s European Research Group is powerful enough to shape Theresa May’s Brexit policy – and has been accused of tearing the Conservative party apart.The ERG, and its chairman Rees-Mogg, are vigorous proponents of a hard Brexit approach. The
  
  Read more

• Domestic Violence Victims Could Register To Vote Anonymously Under New Government Plans

  06-02-2018 20:30
  Domestic violence victims will be able to register to vote anonymously under new plans unveiled by Theresa May.Addressing a reception in Parliament to mark 100 years since the Representation of the People Act, which allowed some women to vote for the first time, the PM said many are still denied their rights today.She unveiled new government plans to allow women at risk of domestic abuse to register to participate in elections anonymously, preventing their ex-partners from obtaining their new ad
  
  Read more

• How we miss the courage of the suffragettes

  06-02-2018 19:56 via ft.com
  Theresa May uses words not deeds to tackle the online abuse of women
  
  Read more

• Boris Johnson's ‘Liberal’ Brexit Speech Earmarked For Valentine’s Day

  06-02-2018 19:47
  Boris Johnson is set to underline his status as the Government’s leading Brexiteer with a major speech on Valentine’s Day making the “liberal” case for leaving the EU, HuffPost UK has been told.In a move that may be seen as him trying to ‘play Cupid’ between the different wings of the Tory party, the Foreign Secretary has pencilled in February 14 as the date for his latest intervention, party sources said.Johnson had been due to make his speech on Monday, sett
  
  Read more

• Katie Price urges MPs to tackle online abuse

  06-02-2018 19:39 via bbc.co.uk
  The reality TV star tells of the "horrific" social media abuse targeted at her disabled son.
  
  Read more

• MPs to debate changes to help abuse victims to vote

  06-02-2018 19:33 via bbc.co.uk
  Plan to make it easier for domestic violence victims to register to vote follows public campaign.
  
  Read more

• Boris Johnson’s ‘Liberal’ Brexit Speech Pencilled In For Valentine’s Day, Sources Claim

  06-02-2018 19:21
  Boris Johnson is set to underline his status as the Government’s leading Brexiteer with a major speech on Valentine’s Day making the “liberal” case for leaving the EU, HuffPost UK has been told.In a move that may be seen as him trying to ‘play Cupid’ between the different wings of the Tory party, the Foreign Secretary has pencilled in February 14 as the date for his latest intervention, party sources said.Johnson had been due to make his speech on Monday, sett
  
  Read more

• Katy Perry Admits She Would Rewrite 'I Kissed A Girl' Because Of 'Bisexual Stereotypes'

  06-02-2018 19:02
  Katy Perry has spoken out about the more controversial aspects of her first chart-topping song, ‘I Kissed A Girl’.Back in 2008, Katy reached number one on both sides of the Atlantic with her debut single, though she took a lot of heat from some critics at the time, who felt that the lyrics trivialised bisexuality, particularly after she claimed shortly after the song was released that she’d, in fact, never actually kissed a woman before.Almost a decade later, Katy has addressed
  
  Read more

• HPV Vaccine For Gay And Bisexual Men Is Long Overdue But It’s Not Enough To Protect Everyone From Preventable Cancers

  06-02-2018 18:46
  Yesterday, we finally took a step forward to better protecting the nation’s health through the introduction of a potentially life-saving Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) routine vaccination programme for gay and bisexual men from April 2018. This brings England in line with Scotland and Wales where such a scheme has been up and running since mid-2017. The rollout will go some way towards protecting gay and bisexual men from preventable cancers caused by HPV, including anal, penile and neck canc
  
  Read more

• Taiwan Earthquake: Two Dead As 6.4 Magnitude Quake Topples Buildings

  06-02-2018 18:35
  Two people have been killed and several buildings have collapsed in Taiwan after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck close to the city of Hualien.A further 114 people have been injured after the quake hit about 14 miles northeast of the city shortly before midnight on Tuesday, and the epicentre was shallow at just 1km.Among the buildings toppled in the quake was the Marshal Hotel in Hualien, where three people were trapped inside, the government said.Four other buildings, including two hotels and
  
  Read more

• Taiwan Earthquake: Hotel Collapses After 6.4 Magnitude Earthquake

  06-02-2018 18:35
  A hotel has collapsed in Taiwan after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck close to the city of Hualien.The quake hit about 14 miles northeast of the city shortly before midnight on Tuesday, and the epicentre was shallow at just 1km.But the quake took down a multi-story building and an official from the Ministry of Interior’s fire station division told Reuters that people were trapped.Powerful 6.4 magnitude earthquake in Taiwan topples buildings near eastern city of Hualien, media reports say
  
  Read more

• Taiwan Earthquake: Four Dead As 6.4 Magnitude Quake Topples Buildings

  06-02-2018 18:35
  Four people have been killed and several buildings have collapsed in Taiwan after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck close to the city of Hualien.A further 225 people have been injured and 145 more thought to be missing after the quake hit about 14 miles northeast of the city shortly before midnight on Tuesday, and the epicentre was shallow at just 1km.Among the buildings toppled in the quake was the Marshal Hotel in Hualien, where three people were trapped inside, the government said.Four other
  
  Read more

• Theresa May marks a century of women’s suffrage in the UK

  06-02-2018 18:28 via ft.com
  Prime minister dodges question of whether suffragettes will be pardoned
  
  Read more

• Lana Del Rey Addresses Foiled Kidnap Plot In Tearful Speech During Concert

  06-02-2018 18:18
  Lana Del Rey had a tearful moment during her concert on Monday night (5 February), after police foiled a “credible” threat to kidnap the singer in Florida.Last Friday, police detained 43-year-old Michael Hunt in Orlando over “threatening” posts he made on social media, after which he was charged with aggravated stalking with a credible threat and attempted kidnapping with a weapon.Having already posted a message thanking fans for their support a night earlier, Lana return
  
  Read more

• Katie Price Says Changing Law To Protect Son From Online Trolls Would Be Her Greatest Achievement

  06-02-2018 18:05
  Katie Price has revealed just how important her fight to protect her disabled son from online trolls is, saying changing the law to tackle online abuse would be the biggest success of her career.  The TV personality on Tuesday detailed the onslaught of abuse her son Harvey has faced as she addressed the House of Commons on what is International Safer Internet Day. Harvey is partially blind, autistic and has Prader-Willi syndrome, and has been targeted by trolls. The 15-year-old ha
  
  Read more

• Katie Price Says Changing Law To Protect Son From Online Trolls Will Be Her Greatest Achievement

  06-02-2018 18:05
  Katie Price has explained just how important her fight to protect her disabled son from online trolls is, saying changing the law to tackle online abuse would be the biggest success of her career. The TV personality on Tuesday detailed the onslaught of abuse her son Harvey has faced as she addressed the House of Commons on what is International Safer Internet Day.Harvey is partially blind, autistic and has Prader-Willi syndrome, and has been targeted by trolls who have even made sex videos
  
  Read more

• How 'The Good Place' Can Teach Us All To Become Better People

  06-02-2018 18:05
  The Good Place is the godsend sitcom the world desperately needed. In the ugly times we’re living in, a brutish Trumpian society where the boundaries of common sense are constantly being pushed to near-absurd levels, this show provides a much-needed relief - one that is both comic and intellectual, but above all of the heart. Riveting from start to finish, it provides a perfect blend of comedy, suspense, philosophical metafiction, sheer out-there insanity, and poignancy. If you haven&rsquo
  
  Read more

• Don't Knock Social Media Users - They're The Diarists Of Our Times

  06-02-2018 18:05
  For all his adult life, my dad has kept a diary. The entries are brief, but it’s a diary nonetheless: the key ingredients of his day, presented without analysis or reflection, consistently, for the last sixty-odd years. Sometimes instalments can be as simple as: “Went to work, had meetings, lost at squash”, but they’ve been enough to settle family debates about, say, how long we lived in a certain house, or which year we went on that sailing holiday. As the spaces are nec
  
  Read more

• Tory Immigration Policy Is In The Mire. It's Time For A Rational Approach

  06-02-2018 18:02
  The government’s immigration policy is in a mess on every front including policy, legislation and implementation. In addition, the negotiations with the EU 27 are going badly, with previously agreed policies being torn up as Theresa May conducts the only negotiations that matter to her, the ones with her own backbenchers. The chaos caused is having serious consequences across a range of sectors, with perhaps the most chilling occurring in the NHS.The frequently postponed Immigration Bill w
  
  Read more

• This Dysfunctional, Leaderless Government Is Leading Us Toward A Bleak Brexit

  06-02-2018 18:02
  “This year, the Government has to conduct one of the most difficult negotiations in our history. It is not up to the job”.This was written the other day by Juliet Samuel in the Daily Telegraph, a paper not always completely opposed to the current governing party.What was true a few weeks ago remains true now, nothing has weakened the strength of that criticism. In the House of Lords we have started to scrutinise the EU Withdrawal Bill, a deeply flawed Bill presented by a dysfunctiona
  
  Read more

• Theresa May Launches Probe Into Demise Of Printed Press And Whether It Can Be Saved

  06-02-2018 17:36
  Theresa May has announced a review into the sustainability of the UK’s printed press, including the role of “clickbait” journalism in the demise of newspapers.Speaking in Manchester on Tuesday, the prime minister said more than 200 local papers had folded since 2005 and warned this was “dangerous for our democracy”.She warned: “When trusted and credible news sources decline, we can become vulnerable to news which is untrustworthy.”The review will look in
  
  Read more

• Theresa May announces review into future of newspapers

  06-02-2018 17:19 via bbc.co.uk
  The prime minister says the closure of titles is dangerous and warns of "untrustworthy" sources taking their place.
  
  Read more

• Only one charity formally asks to return Presidents Club cash

  06-02-2018 17:14 via ft.com
  Refunded donations from fund-raising scandal need approval by watchdog
  
  Read more

• Most charities have not applied to return funds to Presidents Club

  06-02-2018 17:14 via ft.com
  All returned donations must be approved by the Charities Commission
  
  Read more

• Theresa May Says Women Can Succeed In Politics Without Being A 'Stereotype Of A Man'

  06-02-2018 16:56
  Theresa May has advised younger women they do not need to be the “stereotype of a man” in order to have a successful career in politics.Speaking to journalists to mark the 100-year anniversary of some women getting the vote on Tuesday, the prime minister was asked what advice she would give to her younger self .“When I first became an MP there were only 13 Conservative women MPs. The number is considerably more now – over 60,” she said.“I think the import
  
  Read more

• Why I’m Going #Hungry4Democracy

  06-02-2018 16:53
  One hundred years ago today, the first women won the right to vote. On February 6th 1918, royal assent was granted to the Representation of the People Act, extending the franchise to 5.6 million more men and, for the first time ever, 8.4 million women. This was a crucial and historic moment, but it was by no means the end of the struggle for democracy.Since 1918, our democracy has developed massively. Women were granted full voting rights alongside men in 1928, the voting age was lowered in 1969
  
  Read more

• EU plans to cut UK’s market access if Brexit transition terms broken

  06-02-2018 16:53 via ft.com
  Brussels draft says bloc could retaliate without recourse to court if deal breached
  
  Read more

• Could Safer Internet Day 2018 Be Britain's Last?

  06-02-2018 16:53
  There are fears that 2018 could mark the final “Safer Internet Day” in Britain. The annual landmark event in the online safety calendar is celebrated in over a hundred countries, but Britain’s day has always been funded by European cash. 
  Each year Safer Internet Day aims to raise awareness of emerging online safety issues. As the biggest safer internet day in Europe, the UK’s day is a recognised success story. Last year it reached 2.8 million children and 2.5 millio
  
  Read more

• Could Health And Social Services Be Safeguarded By A New Approach To Tax?

  06-02-2018 16:52
  Challenging situations often yield fresh thinking. So the current winter pressures on the NHS have flushed out some different takes on how to bolster funding.A panel of health experts has joined members of the Health Select Committee in calling on the Government to look at a ’hypothecated tax”, ring fenced for the NHS. Committee chair Sarah Wollaston committee suggested recently that it could even be paid for by the over 40s.Hypothecation is essentially about earmarking tax revenues
  
  Read more

• Grenfell-Style Cladding Will Only Be Removed If Residents Pay £2m Tribunal Hears

  06-02-2018 16:51
  Grenfell-style cladding will only be removed from a housing complex in Croydon if residents stump up £500,000 or the Government provides funding, a tribunal has heard.Leaseholders at Citiscape, two connected buildings holding 95 flats in the south London borough, face huge costs after their homes were found to be encased in flammable material.FirstPort Property Services Ltd manages the development and has gone to a first-tier property tribunal in an effort to make residents pay towards saf
  
  Read more

• In pictures: MPs wear suffragette tributes in Commons

  06-02-2018 16:31 via bbc.co.uk
  MPs wore tributes to suffragettes in a special debate to mark 100 years since the law that let women vote for the first time.
  
  Read more

• Carillion: Ex-chairman Philip Green takes blame for collapse

  06-02-2018 16:29 via bbc.co.uk
  Former chairman Philip Green tells MPs he takes "full responsibility" for what happened.
  
  Read more

• Joann Van Den Herik: 8 Facts About Gigi And Bella Hadid's Body Positive Model Cousin

  06-02-2018 16:18
  Joann van den Herik’s profile as a model is growing, especially on social media.Soon you’ll be seeing her on billboards sporting lingerie from Debenhams and after reading these facts about her, you’ll see why they were quick to snap her up for their campaign. Here are eight things you should know about curve model-on-the-rise Joann van den Herik. She is...A post shared by Joann (@joannvdherik) on Jan 23, 2018 at 3:40am PSTDebenhams New DD+ modelThe 19-year-old is a fa
  
  Read more

• Puppy ‘Bludgeoned With Hammer And Put Into Microwave’

  06-02-2018 16:03
  Two men have been arrested as police investigate reports that a puppy was bludgeoned with a hammer and then put into a microwave.The 11-week-old animal was killed in the Ailsbury Park area of Lurgan, Co Armagh on Saturday.The men, aged 23 and 16, have been arrested on suspicion of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal.They remain in police custody.It is believed footage of the alleged attack was shared on social media platforms including Snapchat.The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI
  
  Read more

• Votes for women: Suffragette actions in Houses of Parliament

  06-02-2018 16:02 via bbc.co.uk
  It is 100 years since the Representation of the People Act gave some women the vote for the first time in the UK.
  
  Read more

• As We Mark 100 Years Of Women Having The Vote, Getting Young Women Into Politics Is More Urgent Than Ever

  06-02-2018 16:02
  This week I will stand up in front a group of teenage girls at a school in Westminster with the theme – how to make it in politics. Or more accurately, how to make it as a woman in politics.As we mark the 100th anniversary of women getting the vote, the topic has never been more urgent. As anyone who has seen the headlines in recent weeks knows, sexism and sexual behaviour have dominated the news. Just today as I marked on Facebook the centenary of some women securing the right to vot
  
  Read more

• Jones apologises to Price after false information row

  06-02-2018 15:48 via bbc.co.uk
  Carwyn Jones says sorry after criticising Plaid Cymru's Adam Price using inaccurate information.
  
  Read more

• Police unlawfully retaining custody images, claims Norman Lamb

  06-02-2018 15:41 via bbc.co.uk
  Millions of photos of innocent people are being stored on a giant database, MPs are told.
  
  Read more

• What Happens To Your Body When Travelling and How To Combat The Effects

  06-02-2018 15:40
  When you travel for business, whether you’re a regular or an occasional traveller, it can affect you both physically and mentally. Some business travellers relish being out of their comfort zones, whereas others find it harder to adjust to a change in routine. From temporarily losing your sense of taste while flying to feeling out of sorts by the whole experience, it’s important to understand what travel does to your body and recognise the value of downtime in combating these effects
  
  Read more

• Julian Assange Set To Remain In Ecuadorian Embassy After Court Refuses To Quash His Arrest Warrant

  06-02-2018 15:40
  Julian Assange still faces arrest if he leaves the Ecuadorian embassy in London after a court ruled a warrant against him was still valid.The WikiLeaks founder applied to have a warrant for skipping bail quashed, which would free him to leave the embassy, where he has hidden since June 2012, without fear of arrest.Swedish prosecutors had already dropped their investigation over sexual assault and rape allegations, which he denies.Westminster Magistrates’ Court previously heard the 46-year-
  
  Read more

• Dads In The Data: Why We Need A Rethink Of UK Family Statistics

  06-02-2018 15:34
  One often hears it said that ‘the devil is in the detail’, and family policy is no exception. If you don’t look hard for evidence of what’s really happening in families, how can you hope to develop policy that fits reality?When we started our investigation of how information on fathers and father-figures is recorded in Britain’s main research and statistical datasets three years ago, we suspected we might uncover some gaps and inconsistencies.And sure enough, we did
  
  Read more

• Carillion Collapse: Finance Chief Denies Being 'Asleep At The Wheel'

  06-02-2018 15:26
  A Carillion boss who was sacked before the outsourcing giant’s collapse denied he was “asleep at the wheel” when the firm’s finances spiraled out of control.Former finance director Zafar Khan was paid an eye-watering £425,000 when he was cut adrift in September, just four months before Carillion went bust with £1.5bn of liabilities.It came as a raft of former Carillion directors appeared before a powerful Commons committee - and gave conflicting reasons for th
  
  Read more

Follow @political_UKnws on Twitter!