Political news

• Theresa May To Host Meeting On Post-Brexit Powers For Wales And Scotland

  13-03-2018 23:30
  Theresa May will meet Scottish and Welsh leaders in Downing Street on Wednesday in a bid to resolve a dispute over devolved powers after Brexit. First ministers Nicola Sturgeon and Carwyn Jones will be updated on the government’s negotiations, including a clause of the EU Withdrawal Bill which would see some - but not all - powers transferred from the EU directly to Holyrood and the Senedd. Representatives from the Northern Ireland civil service, which is effectively running the
  
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• Bright and breezy Philip Hammond’s upbeat tone belies balancing act

  13-03-2018 22:58 via ft.com
  UK chancellor channels his inner Tigger but counsels caution in Spring Statement
  
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• Jennie Formby looks set to be Labour's general secretary

  13-03-2018 21:52
  Organiser for Unite union, whose candidacy has been promoted by Corbyn’s office, receives support of GMB unionJennie Formby, an organiser for the Unite union, looks all but certain to be Labour’s next general secretary, completing Jeremy Corbyn’s control of the most senior posts in the party, after the GMB union threw its weight behind her.Formby’s candidacy has been keenly promoted by Corbyn’s office, and supportive Labour MPs include Chris Williamson, and party ch
  
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• Budget watchdog plays ‘Eeyore’ to Hammond’s ‘Tigger’

  13-03-2018 21:46 via ft.com
  Office for Budget Responsibility fails to reflect chancellor’s optimism
  
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• Bright and breezy Hammond’s upbeat tone belies balancing act

  13-03-2018 21:43 via ft.com
  Chancellor channels his inner Tigger, but counsels caution
  
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• Philip Hammond has limited room for Budget giveaways

  13-03-2018 21:22 via ft.com
  UK fiscal watchdog has not cut borrowing as much as economists expected
  
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• Hammond has limited room for Budget giveaways

  13-03-2018 21:22 via ft.com
  UK fiscal watchdog has not cut borrowing as much as economists expected
  
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• UK police probe death of Russian exile with Berezovsky links

  13-03-2018 21:21 via ft.com
  Nikolai Glushkov managed a number of companies including Aeroflot
  
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• Childcare voucher changes delayed after Commons debate

  13-03-2018 20:53
  Government agrees to keep system open for six more months after pressure from LabourLabour has pushed the government into agreeing to a six-month extension of the workplace childcare voucher system after using a parliamentary procedure to force a vote on a series of changes that ministers had hoped to put in place by directive.However, as expected, the government won a vote on a parallel opposition motion that would have halted the imposition of an earnings threshold for free school meals. Conti
  
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• Treasury hints it could impose revenue-based tech tax

  13-03-2018 20:52 via ft.com
  Governments globally are concerned some US tech groups aggressive minimise bills
  
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• Spy poisoning: why Putin may have engineered gruesome calling card

  13-03-2018 20:18
  Insiders say all trails lead back to Moscow, suggesting a deliberate act to incite row with UKThe response from the Kremlin has been uncompromising. The foreign ministry described Theresa May’s accusation against Moscow as a “circus show”. Its boss Sergei Lavrov said there was no proof the poison used against Sergei Skripal came from Russia. And the embassy in London promised an “equal and opposite reaction” to any UK measures. Beneath this bluster, however, is cool
  
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• Trade and migration impact could dwarf £3bn Brexit gain, says OBR

  13-03-2018 20:15 via ft.com
  UK faces decades of post-Brexit bills as pensions liabilities fall due until 2064
  
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• Unite's Jennie Formby On Course For 'Coronation' As Labour General Secretary After GMB Swing Behind Her Candidacy

  13-03-2018 20:11
  Unite’s Jennie Formby is on course for a ‘coronation’ as Labour’s new general secretary after the GMB union swung behind her candidacy, HuffPost can reveal.GMB general secretary Tim Roache said that he had discussed the vacancy with colleagues and decided that Formby was the candidate who could best unite the party and the labour movement.“This isn’t a small decision, we’ve taken time as a union to discuss it, to think about where Labour needs to be.&ldq
  
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• Philip Hammond delivers scant fiscal cheer amid Brexit gloom

  13-03-2018 19:54 via ft.com
  The chancellor’s minimalist Spring Statement ignored long-term perils
  
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• Despite the Salisbury attack, Britain can’t cut off all links with Russia | Tony Brenton

  13-03-2018 19:49
  Relations now are at a dangerous level. But in the long term, we need Moscow’s help to tackle the major international problems• Tony Brenton was Britain’s ambassador to Moscow from 2004 to 2008The safety of the people is the highest law, said Cicero. He was right. And it is a core duty of the British government to deal effectively with a nerve gas attack on our streets, which has seriously incapacitated three people and endangered many more. Theresa May has risen to the cha
  
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• Steve Bell on Trump and Tillerson backing the UK – cartoon

  13-03-2018 19:45
  Continue reading...
  
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• Deadline looms on UK sanctions threat against Russia

  13-03-2018 19:45 via ft.com
  Moscow demands access to case files on nerve agent attack before responding
  
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• The debt numbers do not justify Hammond’s ‘Tiggerish’ outlook

  13-03-2018 19:32 via ft.com
  Good times are not here again, despite political pressure to loosen the pursestrings
  
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• Spring Statement 2018: sluggish growth ahead for Philip Hammond

  13-03-2018 19:32 via ft.com
  Options for UK chancellor after Spring Statement 2018 on economy
  
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• Growth up, debt down–what next for Philip Hammond

  13-03-2018 19:32 via ft.com
  Options for UK chancellor after Spring Statement 2018 on economy
  
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• Free School Meal Eligibility Cuts Go Ahead In England After Tory And DUP MPs Vote For Universal Credit Changes

  13-03-2018 19:29
  Tory and DUP MPs have voted for controversial cuts to free school meals in England – despite protecting Northern Ireland from similar curbs.Labour staged a last-gasp bid to block the changes to universal credit benefit thresholds, but was defeated by 312 votes to 254.Crucially, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) - which is propping up Theresa May’s government - backed the Government.Nine DUP MPs sided with 302 Conservatives.In a rare English-only breakdown of the vote, the Commons d
  
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• The Crown’s Matt Smith Was Paid More Than Claire Foy, Executive Producer Reveals

  13-03-2018 19:28
  Despite the fact she plays the lead role in Netflix’s ‘The Crown’, it has emerged that Claire Foy was paid less for her work on the drama than co-star Matt Smith. The actress played a young Queen Elizabeth II in the first two seasons while, Matt played her husband, Prince Philip.Producers Suzanne Mackie and Andy Harries were speaking on a panel in Israel, alongside production designer Martin Childs on Tuesday (13 March), when they made the revelation that Matt was paid more.Var
  
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• Hammond tries full-on Tigger but finds Eeyore a better fit | John Crace

  13-03-2018 19:21
  His days of doom and gloom were over – but maybe things weren’t so grrrrreat after allAs an exercise in expectation management it could hardly have been improved upon. Philip Hammond had promised he wouldn’t have anything very interesting to say in his spring statement and he was as good as his word. But as the chancellor is a man of some vanity who finds it hard to resist any opportunity to be the centre of attention, the fact that he had nothing very much to say wasn’t
  
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• UK weighs sanctions options to punish Russia over attack

  13-03-2018 19:19 via ft.com
  How far can Theresa May go to inflict pain on the Kremlin without damaging UK?
  
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• Hammond lets his inner Tigger bounce

  13-03-2018 19:15 via ft.com
  The chancellor said his Spring Statement would be dull — and it was
  
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• Three Bits Of Bad News Buried In Philip Hammond's Spring Statement

  13-03-2018 19:08
  Philip Hammond tried hard to focus on the positives as he delivered his spring budget statement.His Commons address on Tuesday was on the short side, lasting just 26 minutes, but he promised “light at the end of the tunnel” with the UK’s economy growing faster than expected.The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) revised up its growth forecast for 2018 from 1.4% to 1.5%, while borrowing is forecast to be £45.2bn this year, £4.7bn lower than forecast in November -
  
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• Russia Snubs Theresa May Over Spy Poisoning Accusation As Deadline Passes

  13-03-2018 19:07
  PM poised to unveil Russia response as deadline loomsMoscow refuses to yield to ultimatum without seeing samplesTrump tells May he stands “with the UK all the way” on SalisburyMerkel joins allies in supporting UK with “full solidarity” pledgeFresh terror probe as another Putin enemy dies in UK Donald Trump has told Theresa May the US backs the UK “all the way” after blaming Russia for the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury as
  
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• Donald Trump Tells Theresa May: US Backs UK 'All The Way' Over Russia Spy Poisoning Accusation

  13-03-2018 19:07
  Donald Trump has told Theresa May the US backs the UK “all the way” after the Prime Minister outlined how it was “highly likely” Russia was to blame for the poisoning of ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury.During a telephone conversation between the Prime Minister and US President, Trump agreed that Moscow must provide “unambiguous answers as to how this nerve agent came to be used”, according to Downing Street.A No 10 spokesperson said: &ldquo
  
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• Tax on coffee cups and chewing gum mooted to cut plastic waste

  13-03-2018 19:03 via ft.com
  Chancellor uses Spring Statement to announce consultation on single-use plastics
  
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• Strikes at universities continue as academics reject pension deal

  13-03-2018 19:02 via ft.com
  Staff angry at being asked to give up ‘defined benefits’ retirement schemes
  
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• Hammond proclaims the Tory party ‘champion of the entrepreneur’

  13-03-2018 18:57 via ft.com
  Chancellor unveils range of measures designed to help small businesses
  
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• Give us Brexit clarity or risk constant talks, Juncker tells May

  13-03-2018 18:32
  PM’s ‘wishes’ must be turned into a concrete blueprint, European commission head tells MEPsThe European commission president has warned Theresa May that Brussels urgently needs her “broad suggestions” on the UK’s post-Brexit relationship with the EU to be turned into workable solutions.Jean-Claude Juncker used a speech in the European parliament to appeal for May’s “wishes”, sketched out in her Mansion House speech on 2 March, to be turned in
  
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• UK plans enterprise fund to lure wealthy investors to back start-ups

  13-03-2018 18:28 via ft.com
  Fund to be focused on ‘knowledge-intensive businesses’ under Spring Statement proposals
  
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• Days of copper coins and £50 note could be numbered

  13-03-2018 18:24 via ft.com
  UK Treasury questions whether mix of eight coins and four banknotes ‘meet current and future needs’
  
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• Terror Police Investigate 'Unexplained' Death Of Russian Exile Nikolai Glushkov

  13-03-2018 18:10
  Counter-terrorism police are investigating the death of a Russian exile who was friends with the late oligarch Boris Berezovsky, who famously fell out with Russian president Vladimir Putin. Nikolai Glushkov, who received political asylum in the UK, was found dead at his London home on Monday by friends and family. He was 68. On Tuesday the Met Police issued a statement, saying: “At this stage the Met Police Counter Terrorism Command is leading the investigation as a pre
  
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• UK will save no money from Brexit for next five years, says OBR

  13-03-2018 18:08
  Country will continue paying divorce bill until at least 2064, predicts budget watchdog The UK will save no money from leaving the European Union over the next five years and could be paying its Brexit divorce bill until at least 2064, according to the government’s independent budget watchdog. Outlining the cost of severing links with the EU, the Office for Budget Responsibility said government spending up until 2023 would have been the same if the UK had voted to remain in the 2016 refere
  
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• ‘Fantastic Beasts 2’ Trailer Gives First Glimpse Of Jude Law As Albus Dumbledore

  13-03-2018 18:07
  Warner Bros have unveiled the first official trailer for ‘Fantastic Beasts 2’ - or ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald’, to give the film its full name. Clocking in at just under two minutes, the clip includes our first proper look at Jude Law as Albus Dumbledore, as he enlists former student Newt Scamander to help thwart the title character’s dangerous plans.Johnny Depp, returning as Gellert Grindelwald, features in the trailer for just a few seconds and d
  
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• Trump says US will condemn Russia if it is found to be behind Skripal poisoning - Politics live

  13-03-2018 17:58
  Rolling coverage of political developments, including the US president saying he will discuss Salisbury spy poisoning case with Theresa MayAfternoon summaryLunchtime summary 4.58pm GMT Afternoon summary 4.43pm GMT The Lib Dems’ leader, Vince Cable, has said there should be an EU-wide boycott of this summer’s World Cup in Russia.He said:Do it collectively. That would really hurt them. The World Cup would not be viable. It would make it pointless.I am not advocating Britain acting unil
  
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• Spring Statement: Whitehall given £1.6bn to prepare for Brexit

  13-03-2018 17:56 via ft.com
  Home Office receives largest sum of £395m, while Defra gets £310m and HMRC gets £260m
  
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• Apple Has Designed A Coffee And Crumb-Proof Keyboard

  13-03-2018 17:51
  Apple has patented a keyboard that is potentially immune to spilled coffee and crumbs, two of the most dangerous substances to be allowed near a gadget. Spilled coffee is about as destructive to a keyboard as a 40ft drop.This is a scientific fact that can be confirmed by anyone who has tried, desperately, to mop up their now ruined keyboard with tattered bits of napkin.Then there are crumbs, don’t even get us started on the devastating damage that crumbs can cause.Thankfully, Apple&rs
  
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• How Brides-To-Be Are Spending Less On Their Wedding Dresses And Still Looking A Million Dollars

  13-03-2018 17:50
  Wedding season is upon us and, with the royal wedding coming up in May, there’s been a notable shift in wedding trends, with an increased interest in brands associated with Meghan Markle.Though many may want to look like royalty on their wedding day, they know they don’t have to fork out to look amazing. According to fashion search platform Lyst, wedding dresses are getting cheaper. In April 2017, the average price of a wedding dress on Lyst was £832, which was 25% lo
  
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• Mothers Just Want To Keep Their Children Safe. We Need To Help Them Do It

  13-03-2018 17:45
  This weekend, families across Britain celebrated Mother’s Day. And so they should. Mothers ought to be honoured every day for the tireless work they do. From the pre-work school run to cheering from the sidelines of a muddy football pitch, their first instinct is almost always striving for what is best for their children.But what mothers want more than anything is for their children to be safe. And while they should not be afraid, the challenges of protecting children, especially in an inc
  
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• Elon Musk Is Teaching Us How To Love Tech Again

  13-03-2018 17:43
  “Better video coming soon, but it would look a bit like this,” says Elon Musk in a tweet a few days ago.He must be joking. That video is the most exciting thing we’ve seen in a long time. It shows a pavement and just a few people (looks like between six and ten) in a pod the size of a small bus on a pavement. The pod is lowered directly into the ground and passes along an underground tunnel, driverlessly, at speed, passing smoothly along through a series of tunnels, elevating a
  
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• Two Years Ago My Love Died

  13-03-2018 17:42
  Two years ago my love suddenly died. You probably know the story by now. He felt rough at work. He went home and spoke to his mum. He told her he had a headache. He evidently took some pain killers, lay down on his bed and died. He was out of touch with me and I was out of my mind with worry. It took a couple of days for me to sound the alarm, three days for his friends and I to break into his house to find him there. He was only fifty-three. We’d only been seeing each other for about eigh
  
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• History Will Judge Theresa May’s ‘Hostile Environment’ On Immigration As Economically Damaging And Dangerous

  13-03-2018 17:38
  Throughout history, at times of economic crisis and difficulties we have seen the danger of scapegoating vulnerable and minority communities, often accompanied by a rise in the far right as happened in the 1930s. Following the crash of 2008, we are currently seeing the rise of the far right across Europe and even an emboldened KKK in the US.  The governments of the US and across Europe are enacting draconian policies which contribute to a hostile climate on migration, Islamophobia and racis
  
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• Lukewarm response from business to Spring Statement

  13-03-2018 17:34 via ft.com
  Corporate lobby groups complain on Brexit but are relieved at lack of tax ‘tinkering’
  
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• YouTube Boss Blasted By MPs For Failing To Take Action Against Online Terrorists

  13-03-2018 17:30
  YouTube bosses have been blasted by MPs for failing to remove extremist material posted on their website by known terrorist groups.Parliament’s home affairs select committee told William McCants, global policy lead for counter terrorism, that his organisation’s processes for taking down radical and dangerous material were “simply not good enough”.It follows repeated requests from the committee to remove content uploaded by a number of banned far-right organisations, inclu
  
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• UK university strikes to continue as academics reject pensions deal

  13-03-2018 17:20 via ft.com
  Plan to guarantee benefits for members but water them down from April
  
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• Channel 4 Moving Jobs Outside London Is Great News For The Future Of British Broadcasting

  13-03-2018 16:43
  Over the years, Channel 4 has demonstrated time and again its commitment to providing quality television programmes - many of which have become instantly recognisable in households across the UK as well as abroad.Presently it boasts an impressive media portfolio, encompassing E4, More4, Film4 and 4Music, as well as online activities, a bespoke video-on-demand service and other standalone digital projects. However, in considering the future of our publicly owned, national broadcasting organisatio
  
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• Kids Drawings Of The Cars Of The Future Show How Forward-Thinking They Are

  13-03-2018 16:42
  Cars have come on a long way in recent years with developments in driverless models and those powered by electricity rather than petrol. But according to children, the cars of the future will go far beyond our current dreams: they will be powered by chocolate, with touch-screen doors, magnetic hover plates and rainbow headlights.A group of kids were asked to draw their ideal car of the future, by insurance comparison site, Go Compare. They then asked an illustrator to bring t
  
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