Political news

• George Soros's foundation backs campaign to reverse Brexit

  07-02-2018 23:51 via theguardian.com
  US business magnate has given £400,000 to Best for Britain group since June 2017 electionA key pro-EU campaign to reverse the Brexit vote has been given more than £400,000 of funding by American billionaire George Soros’s foundation, the Guardian can disclose.The business magnate, who is the founder of the Open Society Foundation (OSF), made more than £1bn betting against the pound on Black Wednesday, which forced the British government to pull it from the European exchan
  
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• Holiday homes tax 'loophole' to be examined, minister says

  07-02-2018 23:28 via bbc.co.uk
  The Tory MP for St Austell and Newquay says councils in tourist areas are losing out on revenue.
  
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• Tory rebels fail to block another year of council austerity

  07-02-2018 22:12 via ft.com
  MPs vote through local authority spending deal despite rural campaign to lift funding
  
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• What did the suffragettes do for you?

  07-02-2018 21:29 via bbc.co.uk
  Scarlett Moffatt tells the story of women’s suffrage.
  
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• UCL academics back motion of no-confidence in how college is run

  07-02-2018 21:28 via ft.com
  Probe has started into whether leadership has breached key decision-making rules
  
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• Brexit: Official forecasts suggest economies throughout UK will be hit

  07-02-2018 21:11 via bbc.co.uk
  Government assessments predict the biggest hit for regions that voted to Leave.
  
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• Tesco Women Fighting For Equal Pay Describe 'Devastating' Impact On Their Earnings

  07-02-2018 20:24
  Women who are challenging Tesco over years of allegedly unequal pay have laid bare their feelings about their employer, with one saying cuts to her income have been “devastating”.Two women, who have both worked at the supermarket for more than 20 years, told HuffPost UK their cases had “opened their eyes” to the issue, as they prepare to be part of legal claim saying their jobs on the shop floor, where most staff are women, should be paid as much as jobs in warehouse
  
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• Cabinet Minister Fears ‘Wipeout’ Of Flagship Tory Councils In Local Elections

  07-02-2018 20:14
  Ministers are predicting a “wipeout” of flagship Tory councils in the local elections this year amid fears that the party has failed to prepare for a fresh battle with Jeremy Corbyn.A Cabinet source told HuffPost UK that they expected Westminster, Barnet and Wandsworth in London to fall to Labour for the first time in a generation.A Tory peer and pollster added that Trafford in Greater Manchester – one of the Tories’ few heartlands in northern cities and the backyard of 1
  
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• Universal Credit: One Million Children 'To Miss Out On Free School Meals'

  07-02-2018 20:06
  A million children whose parents claim Universal Credit will miss out on free school meals because of a new earnings threshold, it was claimed. Children’s Minister Nadhim Zahawi has announced children in Universal Credit-claiming families with net earnings less than £7,400 will be entitled for free school meals.  Zahawi said the move will see an extra 50,000 children entitled to help. But the Children’s Society and Labour have described the move as “a huge
  
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• Universal Credit: New Free School Meals Threshold 'To Hit One Million Children'

  07-02-2018 20:06
  A million children whose parents claim Universal Credit will miss out on free school meals because of a new earnings threshold, it was claimed.Children’s Minister Nadhim Zahawi has announced children in Universal Credit-claiming families with net earnings less than £7,400 will be entitled for free school meals. Zahawi said the move will see an extra 50,000 children entitled to help. But the Children’s Society and Labour have described the move as “a huge step backwar
  
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• New Drug Could Lead To A More Effective Asthma Treatment

  07-02-2018 20:02
  A new treatment has been discovered that could prove more effective than the current medication used to treat millions of asthma sufferers around the globe.The treatment was discovered by teams from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and Shanghai University after sifting through some 6,000 different compounds.Eventually they found a drug called (TSG12) that relaxes the muscles and opens the airways in those suffering from asthma.The treatment, which is non-toxic to humans, prevents pulmonary resi
  
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• No Breakthrough After 'Robust' Brexit War Cabinet Meeting, HuffPost UK Learns

  07-02-2018 19:38
  Cabinet divisions over Brexit remain as entrenched as ever despite a crunch meeting of Theresa May’s top ministers, HuffPost UK has been told.The 11-strong members of the Cabinet’s Brexit subcommittee met on Wednesday afternoon for the first of two get-togethers to thrash out details of the UK’s EU departure.Ahead of the meeting, pressure was growing on Theresa May to set out exactly what she wants from the Brexit deal and clarify the future customs arrangements between the UK
  
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• MPs seek publication of RBS report on alleged abuse of businesses

  07-02-2018 19:34 via ft.com
  Treasury committe gives FCA little more than a week to produce findings
  
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• North, Northern Ireland And Midlands To Be 'Devastated' By 'No Deal' Brexit, Leaked Analysis Reveals

  07-02-2018 19:27
  A “no deal’ Brexit will shrink the North East of England’s economy by 16%, the Government’s own analysis reveals as it lays bare how the north, Midlands and Northern Ireland would be worst affected by quitting the EU.Sky News and the BBC have both published details from the controversial leaked Brexit impact assessment, and it makes grim reading for every region and country that makes up the UK.The full table from the government’s Brexit economic forecast showing pr
  
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• James Bulger’s Mother Accuses Authorities Of ‘Colluding’ To Cover Up Extent Of Jon Venables' Offending

  07-02-2018 19:15
  The mother of murdered toddler James Bulger accused authorities of “colluding” to cover up the extent of his killer’s “vile” behaviour as he was jailed yet again on Wednesday.Jon Venables has been living anonymously since his release from prison for the kidnap, torture and murder of two-year-old James 25 years ago, but in November last year he was caught with a stash of indecent pictures of children on his computer for a second time. James’s mother, Denis
  
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• Hard Brexit would cost public finances £80bn, says secret analysis

  07-02-2018 19:12 via theguardian.com
  Leave-voting heartlands of north-east and West Midlands would be worst hit, report findsA no-deal Brexit would blow an £80bn hole in the public finances, with the leave-voting heartlands of north-east England and West Midlands worst affected, according to new detail from the government’s own secret economic analysis.The Guardian has learned that the secret papers, which assess the economic impact of leaving the bloc, predict that if there is no deal, the government will need to borro
  
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• Joanna Lumley Pours Water On Any Hope Of More 'Absolutely Fabulous'

  07-02-2018 19:04
  Joanna Lumley has quashed speculation of any further ‘Absolutely Fabulous’ episodes or films, claiming creator and co-star Jennifer Saunders has refused to write any more.The actress, who played the iconic Patsy Stone in the BBC sitcom and its 2016 film adaptation, also said she agreed with the decision, claiming it is best to “leave it where it is”. Speaking to HuffPost UK’s Matt Bagwell on ‘BUILD’, she said: “Miss Saunders, who is on stage a
  
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• Theresa May and ministers hammer out Brexit positions

  07-02-2018 18:45 via bbc.co.uk
  The cabinet committee met as an impact assessments of Brexit on UK regional economies are revealed.
  
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• Jacob Rees-Mogg Claims University Scuffle Was 'Not As Dramatic As It Looked'

  07-02-2018 18:44
  Jacob Rees-Mogg told MPs a scuffle he became embroiled in at a university was ‘not as dramatic as it looked’.The high-profile Brexiteer said he was more concerned about the persistent online abuse of female MPs than “a small protest”.Rees-Mogg was addressing the University of West England’s (UWE) politics and international relations society in Bristol on Friday when a group of masked protesters burst into the room, sparking an altercation.The Somerset MP told t
  
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• Jacob Rees-Mogg says heckling good for politicians

  07-02-2018 18:40 via bbc.co.uk
  The Conservative MP argues for open debate in an inquiry into university free speech.
  
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• MPs launch inquiry into real fur being sold as fake fur

  07-02-2018 18:12 via bbc.co.uk
  The environment committee says passing off real fur as fake must be "stopped in its tracks".
  
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• I Am Exploring The Worlds Of Non-Monogamy And Kink

  07-02-2018 18:07
  A few months ago, I decided to embark on a new journey. A journey into the worlds of consensual non-monogamy and kink.I am in my 30s and I’ve been in long-term relationships most of my life but monogamy wasn’t working out particularly well for me. In a romantic relationship I am a people-pleaser: I lose my sense of self too easily and get very bogged down with the shoulds.The idea of non-monogamy has been percolating for a few years now and it began when I read ‘How to Think Mo
  
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• 'Flatpack Empire' : 20 Moments That Make The Ikea Documentary Must-See Viewing

  07-02-2018 18:03
  Love it or hate it, Ikea is one of the most intriguing businesses on the planet.With its endless amounts of meatballs, super-frustrating helpful arrows on the floor and flatpacks aplenty, the furniture retailer has become of the UK’s most-loved brands and on Tuesday (6 February) the BBC gave viewers a look behind the scenes.Here are 20 moments that made it must-see viewing...1. When it started with this guy’s frank take on IkeaIt was clear that from this point on, we’d be in fo
  
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• Japanese Beauty Vs Korean Beauty: How The Two Trends Compare

  07-02-2018 17:55
  The trend for Korean beauty products has taken over our shopping aisles, our #shelfies, and many of our faces. However J-Beauty is preparing to give K-Beauty a run for its money in 2018, as Japanese beauty products are once again growing in popularity in the UK.Though there are some similarities, these Eastern Asian takes on makeup and skincare differ on the desired result.Here’s the low down on the four main areas that vary the most:SkinThe Korean beauty trend  (or&nbs
  
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• Theresa May and Japan's UK investors to hold talks

  07-02-2018 17:53 via bbc.co.uk
  Major Japanese investors in Britain, including carmakers,, are due to meet the prime minister and chancellor.
  
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• No wonder MPs are getting bored of prime minister's questions | John Crace

  07-02-2018 17:43 via theguardian.com
  Both party leaders are second-rate at the dispatch box, and neither wants to talk about BrexitWeek by week, the empty spaces on the green benches grow wider. Prime minister’s questions used to be a standing-room-only affair, but in the hands of Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn it’s driving many MPs to an early lunch.It’s not just that both party leaders are second-rate operators at the dispatch box – you can almost feel the sense of relief when one of them manages to success
  
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• Why I'm Joining Other Survivors Of Terrorism To Take On Violent Hatred

  07-02-2018 17:38
  Last month, a group of us who have been impacted by terrorist acts came together to launch a new group. We’re calling ourselves Survivors Against Terror and what we want to do is support grieving families and push back against hate speech in our society.We haven’t got all the answers. We’re just ordinary people whose lives were shaken by the senseless acts of terrorists. We want to reach out and encourage dialogue that will stop violent extremists from creating division and hat
  
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• Mental Health Could Be Social Media Companies’ Deepwater Horizon

  07-02-2018 17:36
  The 21st Century wouldn’t be the same without social media – it’s connected billions of people around the world, helped topple corrupt governments and has created a global multibillion-dollar industry.But this great leap forward in connecting people is beginning to have worrying impacts on mental health for some, especially among young people.Mental health has long been an issue close to my heart, and, in my new role as Universities Minister, it is an area I want to contin
  
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• We Must Talk About Our Salaries To Achieve True Pay Equality

  07-02-2018 17:34
  It is nearly 50 years since the Equal Pay Act which was hard won after the 1968 strike by Dagenham sewing machinists who challenged why they were paid less than the men for their skilled work. They famously won their case and the rest is history.  Recent high profile legal challenges against a number of local authorities and others involving household names such as the BBC, Asda, Sainsbury’s and now Tesco’s shows that the fight for equal pay is far from won.Yet the law is clear.
  
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• Theresa May's Brexit: What They Say Isn't What You Get

  07-02-2018 17:34
  Since Theresa May first declared that ‘Brexit means Brexit’, analysts have struggled to make sense of what this will really look like. From the start, the Prime Minister was swift to rule out more possibilities rather than focus on what she wanted to achieve. There would be a swift end to free movement, Britain would leave the Single Market, the European Court of Justice will not overrule the UK Supreme Court anymore and so on.In fact, we know more about what Brexit is not than what
  
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• Why Supermarkets Must Follow Iceland's Lead On Plastic-Free

  07-02-2018 17:33
  When Iceland announced it will be plastic-free on own brand products by 2023, it was a watershed moment for the UK retail industry.As the first major retailer in the world to make this commitment, Iceland is setting the standard for waste reduction. Recognising the importance of Corporate and Social Responsibility (CSR), Iceland is leading the way in waste reduction, a huge global issue which is firmly on the national and international agenda. And for me, it is a move that makes perfect sense.Re
  
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• UK politicians briefly unite against Barnier’s Brexit demands

  07-02-2018 17:11 via theguardian.com
  Even Lib Dems disapprove of negotiator’s plan to let EU punish UK during transition periodMichel Barnier succeeded in briefly uniting British politicians on Wednesday with new demands for a Brexit transition agreement that instead raised old fears of a no-deal departure.The proposal for special rules to punish the UK for flouting EU law during the 21-month period was predictably deemed “unacceptable” by hardliners such as Jacob Rees-Mogg, who already regard the notion of regula
  
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• The 'Car As King' Is Dead, Long Live Sustainable Mobility

  07-02-2018 17:09
  The Government has confirmed that transport in the UK is now the single largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Not only that, emissions from transport are continuing to increase. Between 2015 and 2016, the latest data available, transport emissions rose 2%. Since 1990, transport emissions have dropped just 2% in total. In contrast, the energy sector has cut emissions by 57%. In 2014, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was clear that 'aggressive' and 'sustained' efforts were needed on tr
  
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• Labour MP Apologises After 'Deeply Offensive' Burns Supper Speech

  07-02-2018 17:06
  Labour MP Hugh Gaffney has said sorry for “deeply offensive” remarks he made during a Burns Supper speech.The Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill MP made a ‘joke’ about Robert Burns not being “bent”, according to the Herald, and used a racist term in reference to a Chinese meal. The MP has been reprimanded by the party and will attend equality and diversity training but Labour faced calls to suspend Gaffney. In a statement apologising for his comments
  
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• Public Do Not Believe Government Is Doing Enough To Tackle Plastic Waste, Poll Shows

  07-02-2018 17:04
  The public do not believe the government is doing enough to tackle plastic waste, according to a new poll.The survey, carried out by D-CYFOR, shows 61% do not believe enough is being done to encourage companies to create and use recyclable packaging, 24% support a “latte levy” on disposable coffee cups proposed by MPs, while 49% want to see coffee shops charging less if customers bring their own reusable cups.More than £15,000 has been spent on supplying bottled water for the D
  
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• Environment Department Supplied With £15,000 Of Bottled Water In The Past 3 Years

  07-02-2018 17:04
  The public do not believe the government is doing enough to tackle plastic waste, according to a new poll.The survey, carried out by D-CYFOR, shows 61% do not believe enough is being done to encourage companies to create and use recyclable packaging, 24% support a “latte levy” on disposable coffee cups proposed by MPs, while 49% want to see coffee shops charging less if customers bring their own reusable cups.More than £15,000 has been spent on supplying bottled water for the D
  
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• Labour MP Hugh Gaffney sorry for 'deeply offensive' Burns Supper remarks

  07-02-2018 16:59 via bbc.co.uk
  Hugh Gaffney said he would undergo equality and diversity training after making the offensive comments.
  
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• Brexit in 300 words

  07-02-2018 16:39 via bbc.co.uk
  A very quick guide to where things stand in the UK's negotiations with the EU.
  
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• Children Should Sit Exams Earlier To Cope With Test Stress, Says School Standards Minister

  07-02-2018 16:28
  Children should sit exams earlier on in their education to help them cope with exam pressures, the School Standards Minister has said.Nick Gibb told a joint hearing of the Health and Education Select Committees that exam pressures have “always been there”.“The way to deal with exam pressures is to make sure that young people have taken exams earlier on in their school career – at the end of Year 7 at the end of Year 8 and so on – so they are used to taking exam
  
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• British group wins right to take Brexit case to European court

  07-02-2018 16:27 via theguardian.com
  Britons living in EU can take case to ECJ arguing existing rights cannot be removed after Brexit
  British citizens seeking to retain their EU citizenship rights after Brexit have won a landmark legal ruling that will result in their case being heard in the European court of justice.Five British nationals settled in the Netherlands had asked the court in Amsterdam to refer their case to the ECJ last month on the grounds that their existing rights could not be removed because of the UK referendum t
  
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• Police Scotland chief resigns over misconduct allegations

  07-02-2018 16:21 via ft.com
  Phil Gormley had been on leave since September, facing allegations of gross misconduct
  
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• Sadiq Khan Is Right To Ensure Community Support For His Housing Plans

  07-02-2018 15:47
  When I worked at Shelter 18 years ago, rough sleeping and homelessness were at an all-time high. The Labour government brought those numbers right down, but the crisis has returned under the Conservatives.Under their watch, it’s harder for councils to build new social housing and invest in crucial estate regeneration projects. With many housing estates in desperate need of improvement, and thousands of new homes required to meet the needs of London’s growing population, we must adopt
  
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• What We Needed From The Government’s Response To The Taylor Review Today

  07-02-2018 15:34
  Yesterday, Britain celebrated the success of the ‘deeds not words’ campaign that won women the vote. Today, we have something of the opposite in the government’s response to last summer’s Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices. It’s not nothing, but those hoping for a bold new dawn in the rules that govern Britain’s labour market will be disappointed.First, the good news. The government has got something concrete to say about boosting enforce
  
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• Deeds Not Words – What We Needed From The Government’s Response To The Taylor Review Today

  07-02-2018 15:34
  Yesterday, Britain celebrated the success of the ‘deeds not words’ campaign that won women the vote. Today, we have something of the opposite in the government’s response to last summer’s Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices. It’s not nothing, but those hoping for a bold new dawn in the rules that govern Britain’s labour market will be disappointed.First, the good news. The government has got something concrete to say about boosting enforce
  
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• PMQs: Corbyn and May on gun crime and police funding

  07-02-2018 15:30 via bbc.co.uk
  Jeremy Corbyn quotes a Conservative MP and a chief constable as he questions the PM on gun crime and police funding.
  
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• Super Bowl LII Proved Chip Kelly Was Right After All: Culture Does Beat Scheme

  07-02-2018 15:23
  If you’d told NFL fans at the end of the 2013 season that, in five years’ time, the Philadelphia Eagles would have the best record in the league and, led by quarterback Nick Foles, obliterate the best defence in football in the NFC Championship game and then score 41 points in the Super Bowl to beat the greatest quarterback and coach of all time... you’d probably believe it.That year was the first of former coach Chip Kelly’s reign in Philadelphia, in which his explosive
  
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• PMQs: Corbyn and May on police cuts and Labour's economic plans

  07-02-2018 15:23 via bbc.co.uk
  Theresa May says Labour's economic plans would "bankrupt Britain" and leave the police with less money.
  
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• Theresa May refuses to exclude NHS contracts from US trade deals

  07-02-2018 15:22 via theguardian.com
  Prime minister is asked to give guarantee that US corporations will not have access to NHS
  Theresa May has refused to rule out giving US companies access to NHS contracts as part of a future trade deal with Donald Trump’s White House. At prime minister’s questions on Wednesday, the Liberal Democrat leader, Vince Cable, challenged May over how she would respond if Washington pushed for access to Britain’s public services for US corporations. Continue reading...
  
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• MPs Could Get Vote On Keeping The UK Inside The Single Market

  07-02-2018 15:20
  MPs may be given the chance to vote on keeping the United Kingdom inside the single market.Pro-EU Conservative MP Stephen Hammond revealed on Wednesday he would table amendments to the Trade Bill which would propose the UK join the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).EFTA membership allows membership of the the European Economic Area (EEA) and subsequently access to the EU single market. Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are EFTA members in the EEA.Theresa May has ruled out EFTA membership as
  
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• Can You Really Reverse A Vasectomy? Asking For A Friend...

  07-02-2018 15:19
  When we found out we were pregnant with number three, me and Rob agreed straight away that this was the last baby we’d have. I suggested that we just take early retirement from sex. We’ve had a very successful career and surely now that the breeding was finished, it was time we got our sexual P45? Funnily enough Rob wasn’t mad keen on this idea and came up with an alternative. He would get the snip.Fine. Great! Now we’ve always been incredibly decisive people - with both
  
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