Political news

• David Cameron And George Osborne Re-Unite To Hail Austerity As ‘The Right Thing To Do’

  01-03-2018 23:59
  David Cameron and George Osborne, the political duo responsible for the post 2010 austerity drive, have reemerged to celebrate the UK hitting the public finance targets - two years late. Former Chancellor turned Evening Standard editor Osborne, who presided over unprecedented spending cuts and tax increases amounting to £110bn, marked the news on Twitter. The current budget deficit – the money borrowed by the government to fund day-to-day spending rather than long-term inve
  
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• David Cameron And George Osborne Condemned After Gloating Over Austerity

  01-03-2018 23:59
  David Cameron and George Osborne were savagely attacked when they resurfaced to celebrate the UK hitting their austerity target two years late. Former Chancellor turned Evening Standard editor Osborne, who presided over unprecedented spending cuts and tax increases amounting to £110bn, trumpeted the news on Twitter. The current budget deficit – the money borrowed by the government to fund day-to-day spending rather than long-term investment – hit a surplus in 201
  
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• Theresa May Vows To ‘Bring Our Country Back Together’ With Five Tests For Brexit

  01-03-2018 23:32
  Theresa May will put national unity at the heart of her latest plan for Brexit as she sets out five “tests” for the UK’s successful exit from the EU.In a long-awaited speech in the City of London on Friday, the Prime Minister will seek to heal the wounds caused by the referendum vote with a promise to “bring our country back together”.May, whose vision of a ‘hard Brexit’ led her to lose her Commons majority at last year’s general election, has come
  
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• UK cabinet at odds hours before key Brexit speech

  01-03-2018 23:30 via ft.com
  Disputes over text as May prepares to deliver vision of future relationship with Europe
  
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• Theresa May urges Britain to 'come back together'

  01-03-2018 23:30
  PM’s speech puts stress on ‘tolerant democracy’ in overture to EU remainers while also attempting to calm Tory rebelsThe ‘road to Brexit’: did the Tories’ sales pitch workTheresa May will urge the warring Brexit tribes to put their differences behind them on Friday as she promises to deliver a deal with Brussels that will keep Britain an “open, outward-looking, tolerant, European democracy”.In a carefully calibrated speech, its platform hastily rel
  
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• UK Weather: Military Leads Major Rescue Operation As Hundreds Of Motorists Trapped On A31

  01-03-2018 23:15
  The military has been called to help a major rescue after hundreds of drivers became trapped in sub-zero temperatures as blizzards hitting large swathes of the UK caused deaths and wreaked disruption. Hampshire Police said it had called for the military to help as it dealt with a “build-up of traffic” and stranded motorists on the A31.Meanwhile further west, Avon and Somerset Police said it was dealing with up to 100 cars stranded in snow on the A303 at Ilminster and a furt
  
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• UK Weather: Hundreds Trapped Overnight In Cars And On Trains As Military Leads Major Rescue Operation

  01-03-2018 23:15
  Hundreds of people were trapped in cars and on trains overnight as sub-zero temperatures and blizzards hit large swathes of the UK.The military was called to lead a major rescue operation on the A31 in Hampshire and M62 in Greater Manchester.The severe weather also left hundreds of people stranded on trains overnight.Photos shared on social media showed passengers sleeping in the overhead rack and on seats with foil blackets aboard the 5.30pm South Western Railway train travelling from London Wa
  
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• Tory Vice-Chair For Women Demands Debate On UK Abortion Laws

  01-03-2018 22:12
  Tory vice-chair for women Maria Caulfield has called for a debate on UK abortion laws, claiming there is “significant” public support for the time limit to be lower than 24 weeks. The Lewes MP said the UK has the some of the “most liberal” abortion laws in the world and the public want a fresh discussion on the issue. Theresa May came under fire from Labour for promoting Caulfield, who has previously attempted to block the relaxation of abortion laws, in her Jan
  
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• Jacob Rees Mogg Admits Error Over Jeremy Corbyn's Voting Record

  01-03-2018 21:26
  Tory backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg has admitted he was wrong to claim Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn voted against the Good Friday Agreement.The hardline Brexiteer made the false claim during an interview on Channel 4 News about EU withdrawal and the Northern Irish border issue.Asked if it was worth sacrificing peace in Northern Ireland for Brexit, the Tory MP said: “I am unaware of any Brexiteer who is in favour of abandoning the Good Friday Agreement. It’s Jeremy Corbyn, incidentally, w
  
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• Leveson accused minsters of breaking promises to phone hacking victims

  01-03-2018 20:37 via bbc.co.uk
  Press inquiry chief warned ministers not to break promises to phone hacking victims, it emerges.
  
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• Gove attacks water industry over high pay and dividends

  01-03-2018 20:34 via ft.com
  Environment secretary urges action to reduce calls for renationalisation
  
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• New battle inside UK Labour party as Momentum challenges Unite

  01-03-2018 20:20 via ft.com
  Grassroots ‘new politics’ campaign group takes on UK’s biggest union for control
  
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• Homeless Man Found Dead In Tent In Nottinghamshire As UK Hit By Sub-Zero Temperatures And Blizzards

  01-03-2018 19:50
  A homeless man has been found dead inside a tent in Nottinghamshire as the UK continues to be hit by sub-zero temperatures and blizzards.A body was discovered near St Swithun’s Church in Retford on Tuesday morning, police confirmed to Lincolnshire Live.The man is reportedly known as Ben, a former bricklayer, according to local scout leader Hazel Newstead, who said that locals were “deeply saddened” by the tragedy.Here’s How You Can Help The Homeless During The Brutal Weat
  
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• Boris Johnson unable to answer questions on Garden Bridge

  01-03-2018 19:48 via ft.com
  Former London Mayor says he did not waste ‘a single penny’ of £46m of public money
  
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• Sturgeon shocked by Holyrood survey on sexism and abuse

  01-03-2018 19:22
  One in three women at Scottish parliament reported sexual harassment or bad behaviourNicola Sturgeon has reacted with disappointment to a survey that found that one in five Holyrood staff and one in three women had experienced sexual harassment or sexist behaviour while working in the Scottish parliament. Of those who reported experience of sexual harassment at Holyrood, 45% identified the perpetrator as an MSP.Continue reading...
  
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• Boris Johnson defends garden bridge plan that will cost public £46m

  01-03-2018 18:58
  Foreign secretary faces London Assembly oversight panel over costs and disputed deals with scrapped city projectBoris Johnson has said that he cannot recall why he signed a key directive as London mayor that contributed to the loss of more than £40m of public money on the city’s garden bridge. Facing increasing pressure over the abandoned project, Johnson, appearing before London Assembly members, answered detailed questions on the scheme for the first time on Thursday. Johnson offer
  
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• Brexit Briefing: Tony Blair, John Major And Everyone Else All Chip In

  01-03-2018 18:53
  You can sign up for this briefing by clicking here, and you’ll receive it straight to your inbox every Thursday afternoon.If you like what you read, make sure you subscribe to our Commons People podcast here for even more analysis about what goes on in Westminster. 1) The Cabinet Were A Week Away From Being Forced To Eat Each Other (Probably)Lucky is not a word normally associated with Theresa May, but given the Syrian snowstorm sweeping across the UK, it is fortuitous
  
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• MSPs agree emergency timetable for Scottish Brexit bill

  01-03-2018 18:43 via bbc.co.uk
  MSPs will debate the Scottish alternative to the EU Withdrawal Bill over a period of three weeks in March.
  
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• Boris blusters his way around his £40m garden bridge fiasco | John Crace

  01-03-2018 18:40
  The foreign secretary’s past is catching up with him, but he really doesn’t seem to careThis hasn’t been the best of weeks for the foreign secretary. First he got caught out comparing Northern Ireland to London’s congestion charge zone. Then a letter he wrote to the prime minister suggesting a hard border was a price worth paying for Brexit got leaked to Sky News. Now he had to face the Greater London Authority’s oversight committee to explain why, when he was Londo
  
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• 1 In 5 Scottish Parliament Staff Suffered Sexual Harassment Or Sexism, Says Survey

  01-03-2018 18:31
  Nicola Sturgeon said she was “shocked, saddened and disappointed” after a survey revealed a fifth of staff working at the Scottish Parliament have experienced sexual harassment or sexism. The confidential survey of more than 1,000 employees, commissioned by the Scottish Parliament but carried out by an independent market research company, found that 30% of women and 6% of men employed at Holyrood encountered the behaviour while working.For women, the most commonly reported
  
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• What's New On Netflix UK In March 2018? Best Films And Series To Enjoy

  01-03-2018 18:29
  Here’s your comprehensive guide to what is new to Netflix this March in the UK...NEW NETFLIX ORIGINALS‘Thunder’: Season one (1 March)A team of under-21 soccer players in Montreal copes with triumphs and challenges on and off the field while chasing dreams of professional stardom.‘Girls Incarcerated’: Season one (2 March)This documentary series follows the lives of teenage girls housed in a maximum security juvenile detention center.‘Ghost Wars’
  
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• Just Eat Will Soon Be Offering An 'Opt Out' From Single-Use Plastic Extras

  01-03-2018 18:26
  Takeaways delivered through Just Eat are about to become a bit more eco-friendly.From 1 April, Just Eat will be trialling a pre-ticked box on its app and website to nudge customers to opt out of receiving extra single-use plastic items such as plastic cutlery, straws and sauce sachets.Your food will still arrive in plastic tubs, but the takeaway giant has announced it is making some steps to move away from these.Just Eat has a shop through which it supplies some restaurants with takeaway tu
  
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• Greg James's Sport Relief Challenge Forced To End Due To Dangerous Weather Conditions

  01-03-2018 18:26
  Greg James has been forced to end his Sport Relief ‘Gregathlon’ early, after a “frustrating” day of battling against the worsening weather conditions. For months, Greg has been preparing to climb the Three Peaks and cycle the 500 miles between them but on Thursday (1 March), day four of his challenge, he was forced to call it off.Speaking live on Radio 1, he said: “It’s been a really frustrating day today, we’ve been in and out of meetings and discussing
  
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• Franco Manca Delivers Thousands Of Free Pizzas To Rough Sleepers As UK Temperatures Plummet

  01-03-2018 18:22
  A trendy restaurant chain has given away thousands of free pizzas as part of a drive to help the homeless during this week’s extreme weather.Franco Manca announced the initiative last week amid safety concerns for rough sleepers in the face of the “Beast from the East”.The chain tweeted out an appeal for orders, asking its followers to “pls tweet us if you know anyone who could do with some warming pizza on us during the week”.  Sandro Spahiu, the chain&rs
  
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• 'I'm Determined To Cycle Again': Charlie Webster On Coping With PTSD After Near-Death Malaria Experience

  01-03-2018 18:07
  Charlie Webster has opened up how exercise has helped her combat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which she began suffering while recovering from a rare strain of malaria in August 2016. The former Sky Sports presenter was diagnosed with malaria in Rio De Janeiro, shortly after she completed a gruelling 3000-mile cycling challenge. Her physical recuperation involved a hospital stay in Brazil, where she put into a medically-induced coma, before a return to the UK. In the past 18 months, Cha
  
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• UK government rejects second inquiry into press wrongdoing

  01-03-2018 18:04 via ft.com
  Victory for newspapers that have lobbied against a second examination
  
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• Prince William Reveals Royals Feel 'Responsibility' To Provide Mental Health Support

  01-03-2018 17:51
  The Duke of Cambridge today launched a mental health website and online training tools for employees and management to support wellbeing in the workplace.After leading a national conversation around mental health , alongside the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, William said: “We feel a responsibility to make sure it can carry on with proper support, information and signposting.”Speaking at the Workplace Wellbeing conference in central London on Thursday, he added: &ld
  
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• Donald Tusk asks UK for 'better' Northern Ireland idea

  01-03-2018 17:33 via bbc.co.uk
  Theresa May met the EU's Donald Tusk amid differences over Brexit plans for Northern Ireland.
  
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• For Our Children, Growing Up Online Means Growing Up Fast

  01-03-2018 17:27
  Parenting is a minefield. It always has been, especially when it comes to teenagers.To be the parent of a teenager is to worry. I know – as the father of four daughters I’ve been there. Are they doing well at school? Are they where they say they will be? Who are their friends and are they trustworthy?With rapid advances in technology, today’s parents will be asking themselves that last question far earlier in their children’s lives than previous generations had to.Before
  
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• Why America Won't Disarm - No Matter How Many People Get Shot And Who Is In The White House

  01-03-2018 17:23
  The first two months of this year already saw 17 shootings at schools in the United States, according to gun control activists at Everytown for Gun Safety. Not all of them made the national headlines because they weren’t as horrific as the latest incident in Parkland, Florida, where a 19-year-old shooter took the lives of 17 students and staff at the school he was attending.In the past, U.S. President Donald Trump vowed not to infringe on the American’s right to bear arms in any way.
  
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• How I Marvelled At Black Panther’s Reimagining Of Africa

  01-03-2018 17:23
  Watching Marvel’s highly anticipated comic-book film adaptation, Black Panther, was no ordinary tried and tested cinematic experience. Much like the unapologetic showmanship, flamboyance and atmospheric idiosyncrasies of Sunday service black congregational worship, the cinema metamorphosised beyond its remnants of unswept popcorn kernels and sticky milkshake residue into an augmented space. It became a “mega-church” sanctuary of spiritual catharsis –with all the impassion
  
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• Beat The 'Beast From The East' With These Transport Apps

  01-03-2018 17:23
  With the ‘beast from the east’ hitting the UK from one side and Storm Emma arriving from the other the chances are that getting from A to B is going to be pretty difficult over the next few days.This is where technology can really come into its own, helping you to beat the weather and get to work (reasonably) on time.Now before we list our favourite apps it’s important to note that above all else you should follow the Met Office’s official guidelines. If you’re luck
  
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• Jon Lansman to run for general secretary of Labour party

  01-03-2018 17:04 via ft.com
  Founder of Momentum pitches himself against candidate from UK’s biggest union
  
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• Bitcoin Is 'Gigantic Ponzi Scheme' Used To Fund Terror, Says Diane Abbott

  01-03-2018 17:03
  The cryptocurrency Bitcoin is being used to fund terror and Labour would regulate it, Diane Abbott has said. The Shadow Home Secretary described the digital currency as “a gigantic Ponzi scheme” that could easily collapse and said the Treasury should look to clamp down on its spread.In an interview with The House magazine, Abbott also said the war on drugs had “failed”  but stressed Labour was not in favour of decriminalising cannabis for recreational use. 
  
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• They Are What We Eat - Why Children Copy Their Parents' Eating Habits

  01-03-2018 16:59
  If we want to improve our children’s eating, we must make sure that we, as adults, are setting a good example. Sadly here, most of us set anything but. Many of the worries we have about our children’s eating are rooted in our own dis-ordered eating and dysfunctional beliefs...Before we begin to tackle any eating related issues of our children, we must work with our own eating issues, otherwise we will pass them on, or create new problems in our children based on our own problems. Som
  
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• How I Survived My First Year Of University

  01-03-2018 16:47
  The first year of university is one of the most daunting experiences for any student, that, and getting a letter about the TV license... University is meant to be a time where you make close friends, mature, and grow as a person; it’s tough, but pays off eventually. Picture this: you’ve just finished moving your belongings into your room, your parents have waved you off and you’ve finally got the independence you’ve wanted for years. Now what?Anxiety and IntroversionMy fi
  
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• Labour extends Ken Livingstone suspension over anti-Semitism claims

  01-03-2018 16:32 via bbc.co.uk
  Former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone faces an internal Labour investigation into his past comments.
  
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• NHS Staff Are Going The Extra Mile To Care For Britons During The Big Chill #ThankYouNHS

  01-03-2018 16:26
  NHS workers are being hailed among the heroes whom have helped keep the nation going as it continues to be battered by the Beast from the East and Storm Emma.Though a number of Trusts have cancelled non-urgent operations and appointments, staff members across the country have been making an extra effort to ensure they can treat patients, with some even sleeping at hospitals overnight.One cancer surgeon walked for two hours and 50 minutes to operate on a patient, the BBC revealed. Please hel
  
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• Queer Eye's Tom Reveals He And Abby Couldn't Make Their Relationship Work Because Nothing In This World Is Pure Anymore

  01-03-2018 16:25
  If you’re currently watching the new series of ‘Queer Eye’ on Netflix (well done, if you are - if you’re not, you should be), you’ll remember a loveable guy called Tom from episode one. This is him with the ‘Queer Eye’ guys: After he was nominated for the show, he admitted he was hoping to use it to win back ex-wife and love of his life, Abby. And after a makeover from the ‘Queer Eye’ lads, it looked like he’d finall
  
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• London Tube Station Could Be Renamed Grenfell In Tribute to Fire Victims, Sadiq Khan Says

  01-03-2018 16:24
  Sadiq Khan has backed renaming the tube station nearest Grenfell Tower in London, in tribute to the 72 people who died there in a devastating blaze in June. Speaking on LBC radio, the Mayor of London said it would be a fitting tribute to change the name of Latimer Road to “Grenfell Station”.Khan said: “I’ve agreed to make sure that we start consulting as soon as possible [...] It’s really important that we remember the awful fire, but also those fantastic
  
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• How To Care For Elderly People In The Snow

  01-03-2018 16:22
  Red weather warnings are in place across the UK, meaning there’s a risk to life from extreme conditions. While it’s tempting to batten down the hatches and stay indoors for a couple of days, it’s also important to consider those who are vulnerable - particularly elderly family members, friends and neighbours. Severe weather will stretch from the north of Cardiff to south Exeter between 3pm on Thursday and 2am on Friday, with blizzards, severe thunderstorms and co
  
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• SNP MP says he was wrongly pursued over bus fare fine

  01-03-2018 16:03 via bbc.co.uk
  MP Alan Brown says he was wrongly pursued over an unpaid fine and threatened with court.
  
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• UK will allow imperial pint bottles of Champagne again

  01-03-2018 16:01 via bbc.co.uk
  Winston Churchill's favourite tipple of a pint bottle of Champagne - later banned by Brussels - is set to make a return to post-Brexit Britain.
  
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• Transport Is Crucial To Realising The Northern Powerhouse

  01-03-2018 15:36
  Transport has always been central to turning the Northern Powerhouse from a concept into a reality.Giving people the ability to move around the North of England quickly, seamlessly and in an affordable way would open up access to education, services and job opportunities with the potential to deliver a £100billion boost to the UK economy and create 850,000 additional jobs.On Friday, Chris Grayling, the Transport Secretary, will have the opportunity to set out his current thinking on how we
  
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• How To Avoid Dry Skin As The UK Snow Continues

  01-03-2018 15:33
  Whether you’re battling cold winds to get into work, or stuck indoors with the heating on full blast due to a “red weather alert” in your area, the recent UK snow may be having a detrimental impact on your skin.“When the temperature is in the minus numbers with snow and icy winds, it’s important to look after your skin to keep it from going dry and chapped,” British Skin Foundation spokesperson Lisa Bickerstaffe tells HuffPost UK.“Try to keep trips outsi
  
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• Why We Can’t Wait For Westminster To Move On Health Inequality

  01-03-2018 15:21
  One of the starkest social inequalities we face in the UK today centres on health and physical activity. While some communities have access to great facilities and opportunities for physical activity, we know that more disadvantaged socioeconomic groups face a host of barriers to achieving an active lifestyle, with devastating results for health and wellbeing.Too little is being done to tackle this crisis. By prioritising cure over prevention, deferring key decisions and ducking pressing issues
  
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• Little Miss Inventor Is A Badass Engineer Who Will Inspire Kids To Get Into STEM

  01-03-2018 15:18
  A new ‘Little Miss’ character has been added to the series and she’s going to inspire your kids - especially girls - to get inventive.Little Miss Inventor, the 36th ‘Little Miss’ character, is a female engineer. Her brain is full of ideas, which she turns into extraordinary inventions in a shed at the bottom of her garden. As well as inventing things for herself, she also invents things for her friends, whether it’s a chatter-natter ha
  
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• Stratolaunch: Watch The World's Largest Airplane Take Its First Test Run

  01-03-2018 15:17
  Stratolaunch is without question the biggest airplane ever created, and earlier this week it took to the runway for its first test.The vast airplane is the brainchild of Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen and once operational will be able to launch spacecraft from high-altitude.Earlier this week the aircraft took to the runway to carry out a simple speed test and while that in itself wouldn’t normally deserve pause, it does give us a first look at the sheer size of the aircraft.Stratolaunch
  
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• Tony Blair: EU reform can change UK minds on Brexit

  01-03-2018 15:16 via bbc.co.uk
  The ex-prime minister says "comprehensive" changes to EU migration rules could help "avert" Brexit.
  
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• Brexiters adopt the sonic screwdriver strategy

  01-03-2018 15:10 via ft.com
  If you believe in a technological solution to a problem hard enough, one will appear
  
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