Political news

• Supreme Court Rules Out Further Hearing On Plight Of Alfie

  20-03-2018 23:24
  The parents of a 22-month-old boy who has been at the centre of a life support treatment battle have failed to persuade Supreme Court justices to consider the case.A High Court judge has ruled that doctors can stop treating Alfie Evans, against the wishes of his parents Kate James and Tom Evans, and three Court of Appeal judges have upheld that decision.Alfie’s parents, who come from Liverpool, wanted to stage a fight at the Supreme Court in London.But a panel of three justices, headed by
  
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• Sixth Teenager Charged With Murder Of Lewis Blackman In Kensington

  20-03-2018 23:24
  A sixth teenager has been charged with the murder of a 19-year-old after a fracas at a party, the Met Police have said.The 17-year-old, who cannot be named because of his age, was allegedly part of a mob who chased down Lewis Blackman on February 18 following the gathering in Kensington.The new defendant was arrested at 3.44pm at Heathrow Airport on Monday and taken to a west London police station.He was charged with the murder of Mr Blackman and violent disorder in relation to the same incident
  
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• RAF Engineer Dies After Red Arrows Crash

  20-03-2018 23:24
  An RAF engineer has died after a Red Arrows jet crashed in a “big fireball” at the air force’s fighter pilot training ground in north Wales.The pilot of the Hawk fast jet survived the accident at RAF Valley in Anglesey on Tuesday afternoon and is now in hospital, authorities said. Witnesses reported seeing someone eject from the aircraft with a parachute before it smashed into the ground then “burned bright orange”.
  
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• Peers Inflict Double Defeat Amid Nuclear Safeguard Concerns Post-Brexit

  20-03-2018 23:24
  The Government has suffered a double defeat at the hands of peers over its move to put in place a domestic nuclear safeguards regime after leaving the European Union.The setback came as the Tory administration was accused of “playing Russian roulette” with the UK’s energy security by quitting Europe’s nuclear regulator.During report stage of the Nuclear Safeguards Bill in the House of Lords, peers backed by 265 votes to 194, majority 71, a call to delay Britain leaving Eu
  
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• Parents Of Alfie Evans Denied Chance To Appeal Life Support Ruling

  20-03-2018 23:24
  The parents of a 22-month-old boy who has been at the centre of a life support treatment battle have failed to persuade Supreme Court justices to consider the case.A High Court judge has ruled that doctors can stop treating Alfie Evans, against the wishes of his parents Kate James and Tom Evans, and three Court of Appeal judges have upheld that decision.Alfie’s parents, who come from Liverpool, wanted to stage a fight at the Supreme Court in London.Tom Evans and Kate James have been fighti
  
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• MSPs Pass ‘Landmark’ Scottish Forestry Bill

  20-03-2018 23:24
  Opposition MSPs have united to block plans to bring forestry under the direct control of the Scottish Government.While Holyrood approved landmark legislation devolving control of the sector – which is worth almost £1 billion a year to Scotland – they also backed Labour amendments requiring ministers to set up a single agency or two agencies to take over the work of the Forestry Commission.Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said while this was not the approach he favoured
  
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• May Criticised For Police Spending Claims

  20-03-2018 23:24
  Theresa May has been criticised by the official statistics watchdog for wrongly claiming the Government was providing an extra £450 million for policing.Sir David Norgrove, the chairman of the UK Statistics Authority, said the Prime Minister’s comments in the Commons could have led the public to conclude “incorrectly” that central government was providing the additional funding for police spending in 2018/19.In a letter to Labour shadow policing minister Louise Haigh, who
  
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• Cambridge Analytica Chief Suspended Following Undercover Sting

  20-03-2018 23:24
  The chief executive of the controversial British data firm at the centre of allegations of electoral interference has been suspended, the company has announced.In a statement, the board of Cambridge Analytica (CA) said that Alexander Nix had been suspended “with immediate effect, pending a full, independent investigation”.It said comments by Mr Nix recorded in secret filming by Channel 4 News and “other allegations” did not represent “the values or operations of the
  
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• Lords Call On Government To Re-Think Free School Meals Cuts

  20-03-2018 23:16
  Ministers are being urged to re-think plans to cut free school meals in England after a defeat in the House of Lords. Peers backed a motion tabled by Labour’s Steve Bassam on Tuesday evening, which calls on the government to delay implementing changes to its free school meals policy until a full impact assessment is carried out. Charities and other campaigners claim that the welfare reforms tied to universal credit would see up to a million children denied eligibility for free lu
  
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• NHS pay cap set to be lifted with 6.5% increase

  20-03-2018 22:00 via ft.com
  Government and staff unions poised for phased deal to end austerity restriction
  
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• Stephen Hawking’S Ashes To Be Interred Close To Newton In Westminster Abbey

  20-03-2018 20:25
  Professor Stephen Hawking’s ashes will be interred close to the remains of another of Britain’s greatest physicists, Sir Isaac Newton, in Westminster Abbey later this year. He will also join the likes of Charles Darwin and a host of other famous names following a Service of Thanksgiving later this year, staff at the abbey said.Professor Hawking passed away on March 14 this year at the age of 76 having become one of the most renowned scientists in his field despite his decades-long ba
  
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• Sadness Of Grandfather Whose Clifftop Home Has Partly Collapsed

  20-03-2018 20:25
  A grandfather whose clifftop home has partially collapsed on to a beach has said he had hoped to spend his final years there.Widower Maurice Broom, 74, bought the property in Hemsby, Norfolk two years ago for £40,000.He said his wife died of cancer in 2012, and he moved to Hemsby as his children had felt uncomfortable visiting the home he had shared with her in nearby Caister-on-Sea.Maurice Broom, whose home at Hemsby has partially collapsed on to the beach (Sam Russell/PA)“She suffe
  
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• Police Worker Prosecutes Himself By Accident, Say Mocking Colleagues

  20-03-2018 20:25
  A police worker has been ridiculed by colleagues after accidentally prosecuting himself for having an untaxed vehicle.Members of West Yorkshire Police’s Roads Policing Unit (RPU) took to Twitter to mock another member of their team who appears to have put his own name on a form rather than the real offender.They also posted the letter he received from the DVLA telling him he must pay £81 or be taken to court.It said the offence relates to an untaxed vehicle found in Bradford and appe
  
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• Police Appeal For Video Footage Near Murdered Russian Businessman’S Home

  20-03-2018 20:25
  Drivers or cyclists who captured video footage near the home of a murdered Russian businessman are being asked to contact police.Former Aeroflot deputy director Nikolai Glushkov was found apparently strangled at his terraced house in Clarence Avenue, New Malden on March 12.Scotland Yard has appealed for anyone using a dashboard or head mounted camera who captured footage near the 68-year-old’s home on March 11 or March 12 to submit the video to police.Nikolai Glushkov (Met Police
  
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• Only 13% Of Stem Foundation Apprenticeships Started By Women

  20-03-2018 20:25
  Fewer than one in five students taking up a foundation apprenticeship in a Stem subject is female, new figures have shown.Despite more than half (53.7%) of all 2017 entrants to the foundation apprenticeship programme being female, for the science, technology, engineering or maths strands female representation was 13.2%.This has risen from 8.1% for the 2016 entrants to the apprenticeship programme, which gives high school pupils the chance to choose a work placement as one of their senior subject
  
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• Olivia And Jack Retain Titles As Most Popular Baby Names

  20-03-2018 20:25
  Jack and Olivia are the most popular baby names in Scotland for the second year running.National Records of Scotland statistics show 486 babies registered in Scotland in 2017 were named Jack and 512 were called Olivia.Oliva knocked Emily off the top spot in 2015 while Jack has been number one since 2008.JackOliverJamesLewisLoganThe second most popular boys’ name in 2017 was Oliver, followed by James, Lewis, Logan, Noah, Harris, Alexander, Leo and Harry.For girls the rest of the top 10 is E
  
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• Nanny Was Tortured In Bath Then Burned As Killers Barbecued Chicken, Court Told

  20-03-2018 20:25
  A couple tortured their French nanny in the bath then threw her body on a bonfire in the garden as they barbecued chicken, a court heard.When Sophie Lionnet’s charred remains were uncovered by firefighters in Wimbledon, south west London, they were initially passed off as the carcass of a sheep, the Old Bailey heard.Jurors were told how the 21-year-old was murdered by Sabrina Kouider, 35, and her partner Ouissem Medouni, 40, for “punishment and revenge”.In the weeks b
  
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• Mothercare Appoints KPMG For Crunch Talks With Banks

  20-03-2018 20:25
  Retail chain Mothercare has appointed KPMG to advise on a refinancing of the firm as it holds crunch talks with lenders, it has emerged.The group – whose shares slumped 14% on Monday – has called in KPMG to help it secure waivers to its financial covenants as it looks at “additional sources of financing”.Details of the appointment come amid mounting speculation that it may yet breach the terms of its banking agreements.Mothercare’s lenders include HSBC and Barclays.
  
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• Man Charged With Murder After Pedestrian ‘Dragged By Car’

  20-03-2018 20:25
  A man has been charged with murdering a pedestrian who is believed to have been dragged along a street by a car.Mohammed Miah – described by his family as “kind-hearted, courageous and caring” – died after the incident in High Street, West Bromwich, at 2.40am on Saturday.Paul Emmerson was charged with murder on Tuesday and has been remanded into custody, West Midlands Police said.The 38-year-old, of Kemp Road, Kitts Green, Birmingham, will appear at Birmingham Magist
  
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• Judge Considering Whether To Halt Fellaini Boot Dispute

  20-03-2018 20:25
  A High Court judge is considering whether to halt a legal row centred on footballer Marouane Fellaini.An investment company representing the 30-year-old Manchester United and Belgium midfielder is suing kit manufacturer New Balance.Rosalina Investments says bosses at the sportswear firm breached an agreement to make payments if Fellaini wore New Balance boots.Lawyers representing New Balance on Tuesday asked Mrs Justice May to halt litigation.  They say Rosalina’s claim had &ldqu
  
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• Jennie Formby Named As New Labour Party General Secretary

  20-03-2018 20:25
  A union official has been appointed Labour’s new general secretary, becoming only the second woman to hold the post.Jennie Formby, South East regional secretary of Unite, was chosen by Labour’s national executive ahead of her only rival for the job – Christine Blower, former leader of the National Union of Teachers.The job became vacant after the resignation last month of Iain McNicol, who said he was standing down to pursue new challenges after serving for a “tumult
  
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• I’M Five – Think Of My Reputation!

  20-03-2018 20:25
  Children start to worry about their reputations from the age of five, say psychologists.By the time they go to nursery school, they are already developing “adult” concerns about social status, according to a review of recent research.Dr Alex Shaw, one of the authors from the University of Chicago, US, said: “We’re finding that the kinds of complex and strategic self-presentation behaviour we see in adults appear at a much younger age than previously known.”A child&r
  
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• How To Delete Your Facebook Account Or Just Be More Savvy About Your Data

  20-03-2018 20:25
  As British firm Cambridge Analytica is accused of misusing data gleaned from Facebook users, people are questioning how they will continue to use the social media site.Here’s how to find out just what sort of information you share via apps on Facebook and ultimately how to delete your account.What sort of data does Facebook have on its users and what does it share? Every interaction on Facebook generates data. Users volunteer some information in their profile like their hometown and birthd
  
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• Former Eurovision Host Katie Boyle, Lady Saunders Dies Aged 91

  20-03-2018 20:25
  Former Eurovision Song Contest host and actress Katie Boyle, Lady Saunders died “peacefully at home” aged 91, her agent has said.Lady Saunders, who was married to the late producer of The Mousetrap Sir Peter Saunders, was best known for presenting the music spectacular in the 1960s and 1970s.The Italian-born British star’s career started as a model, before working as a continuity announcer for the BBC in the 1950s.The Queen met Katie Boyle whose husband Peter was the first prod
  
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• Eyewitness Describes ‘Big Fireball’ After Red Arrows Jet Crashes

  20-03-2018 20:25
  An eyewitness has described seeing a “big fireball” after a Red Arrows jet crashed following an incident at RAF Valley in north Wales.The Ministry of Defence confirmed a Hawk aircraft was involved in the accident at the Anglesey base, where pilots and aircrew are trained.It is understood there were two people on board the fast-jet, with onlookers reporting they saw someone eject from the aircraft before it hit the ground.
  
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• EU 27 Could Reject Brexit Transition Deal, Warns Donald Tusk

  20-03-2018 20:25
  European Council president Donald Tusk has warned there is no guarantee EU leaders will accept the agreement on the terms of Britain’s withdrawal when they meet in Brussels this week.Mr Tusk has said that he still needs more time to consult with “some of the most concerned member states” ahead of their two-day summit starting on Thursday.The leaders of the remaining 27 had been expected to rubber stamp the agreement – including the transitional arrangements after the UK l
  
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• DUP Politicians ‘Ready To Get Back Into Government Without Preconditions’

  20-03-2018 20:25
  DUP politicians “stand ready” to get back into Stormont without any preconditions or red lines to tackle the issues which matter to the people of Northern Ireland, the party’s Westminster leader has said. Speaking in the Commons, Nigel Dodds argued: “There is a refusal on the part of Sinn Fein in particular to actually take hard decisions, to work within the parameters of a devolved legislature which actually has to set budgets and work within the block grant and that was
  
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• Councils Overpaid By £36 Million In ‘Historic’ Government Error

  20-03-2018 20:25
  Local Government Secretary Sajid Javid has revealed his department made “an historic error” in overpaying councils by £36 million.The error relates to the business rates pilot scheme and impacts 27 councils and the Greater London Authority.Mr Javid, in a statement to the Commons, said he has instructed officials not to seek to recover the money in light of the “extraordinary circumstance”.Shadow local government secretary Andrew Gwynne described the incident as an &
  
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• ‘Carpool Karaoke’ Clip Positive Message About Down Syndrome, Say Parents

  20-03-2018 20:25
  Families starring in a “carpool karaoke” video featuring children with Down Syndrome say they are overjoyed by the worldwide reaction.The clip features 50 youngsters and their mothers singing along and using Makaton sign language to the Christina Perri hit A Thousand Years – all done in the style of James Corden’s carpool karaoke section of The Late Late Show.A quick reminder that this is the most beautiful Carpool Karaoke ever. #wouldntchangeathinghttps://t.co/EMoTCEiaq3
  
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• Cap On Care Costs Set To Feature In Jeremy Hunt’S Reforms

  20-03-2018 20:25
  A cap on the “punitive” costs faced by people requiring care is set to be included in the latest Government plan for reform of the system in Englandd, Jeremy Hunt indicated.The Health and Social Care Secretary acknowledged there was an “illness lottery” which left people suffering from conditions such as dementia facing far bigger bills than others who need hospital treatment for cancer.In a speech setting out his plans for a forthcoming Green Paper, Mr Hunt acknowledged
  
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• Cambridge Analytica Boss Boasted Of Securing Donald Trump’S Election Victory

  20-03-2018 20:25
  Secret recordings have captured the chief executive of under-fire data firm Cambridge Analytica boasting of the firm’s pivotal role in securing US President Donald Trump’s election victory.Captured by a Channel 4 journalist posing as a fixer for a wealthy Sri Lankan family seeking to get candidates elected, Alexander Nix claims his firm ran “all” the elements of the Trump campaign.He says: “We did all the research, all the data, all the analytics, all the targeting,
  
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• Britain Holds Back From Escalating Reprisals On Russia After Salisbury Poisoning

  20-03-2018 20:25
  Britain has held back from an immediate escalation of the round of tit-for-tat reprisals with Russia in the wake of the Salisbury poison attack.But Prime Minister Theresa May told a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) that further measures were under active consideration and she was ready to deploy them “at any time”.There had been speculation that the NSC might agree new retaliatory measures, after Moscow’s response to the UK’s first round of sanctions went fu
  
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• Average House Price Rises To More Than £148,000

  20-03-2018 20:25
  The average house price in Scotland increased at the start of 2018, according to new figures.The latest UK House Price Index found the average price of a property in Scotland stood at £148,512 in January, an increase of 7.3% on January in the previous year and 1.4% on December 2017.The biggest price increases were in East Lothian and West Lothian, where average prices increased by 13.9% to £219,393 and 13.3% to £156,149 respectively.The biggest decrease
  
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• Ariel Exoplanet Mission Given The Go-Ahead

  20-03-2018 20:25
  British scientists are to play a leading role in a new European Space Agency (Esa) mission to study the atmospheres of planets beyond the solar system.The Ariel space telescope, due to be launched in 2028, will spend four years observing 1,000 “exoplanets” orbiting distant stars.It will carry out the first large-scale survey of exoplanet atmospheric chemistry, focusing on warm and hot worlds orbiting close to their parent stars.#ARIEL – the Atmospheric Remote‐sensing Infr
  
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• Would You Wear Leftover Bananas And Pineapples? These Fashion Innovators Are Making That Possible

  20-03-2018 20:00
  Expect to be dressing in leftover bananas stalks, pineapple leaves and sugarcane in coming years, thanks to US-based fashion company Crop A Porter, recipients on Tuesday of a €300,000 (£262,000) grant to develop sustainable fashion innovations.Crop A Porter’s Agraloop technology transforms food crop waste into bio-fibre textiles, providing a sustainable way to make fashion materials. The company was confirmed as the majority winner of a H&M
  
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• Cambridge Analytica's Role In Helping Donald Trump Win Revealed In New Undercover Recording

  20-03-2018 20:00
  Senior members of Cambridge Analytica have been recorded bragging about helping Donald Trump win the 2016 US presidential election by using smear campaigns, untraceable social media posts and a secret self-destructing email system.Filmed by undercover journalists for the UK’s Channel 4 News, the footage also reveals Mark Turnbull, the managing director Cambridge Analytica’s (CA) political division, taking credit for the “Defeat Crooked Hilary” brand of attack ad
  
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• Ireland’s border is a problem it can’t afford to leave unsolved | Charles Grant

  20-03-2018 19:48
  The border issue could still wreck Brexit talks. But no-deal would damage Ireland almost as much as it would BritainAt this week’s summit of heads of government, the European Union and the United Kingdom are likely to agree on a transition period and a timetable for talks on the outline of the future trade deal. In the autumn, the two sides will probably finalise the text of the withdrawal agreement, enabling the UK to leave the EU at the end of March 2019. However, the issue of the Irish
  
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• Theresa May steps back from further action against Russian nation

  20-03-2018 19:35 via ft.com
  Security moves target Putin associates but hopes for western unity falter
  
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• Theresa May steps back from further action against Russia

  20-03-2018 19:35 via ft.com
  Security checks to target Putin associates but hopes for western unity falter
  
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• Never mind the pollocks, here's Michael Gove | John Crace

  20-03-2018 19:26
  So the fishermen had been sold down the river for the Brexit deal. At least they’d never vote LabourIt wasn’t until about 20 minutes in that the first pun was heard. That was a sign of just how seriously the subject was being taken. Normally you only have to mention the word fish and the handful of MPs that are still in the chamber fall over themselves to come up with any old pollocks about red herrings and dab hands. Now everyone was trying to be on their best behaviour. These were
  
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• Brexit talks approach the limit of easy concessions

  20-03-2018 19:25 via ft.com
  The UK prime minister must confront her party on the Irish border issue
  
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• Corbyn ally Jennie Formby named Labour general secretary

  20-03-2018 18:59
  Appointment of Unite union candidate cements leader’s control of top positions
  Jennie Formby, the Unite candidate, is to be the new Labour party general secretary. She was appointed from a shortlist of two after the Momentum founder, Jon Lansman, abandoned his attempt to win the job last week.Formby, a Unite union organiser, has been on the party’s ruling national executive committee (NEC) for seven years. She was strongly backed by Jeremy Corbyn and her appointment cements the party
  
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• Rees-Mogg criticised over firm's Russian bank investment

  20-03-2018 18:48
  MP who sought tough sanctions is partner in firm that has £60m invested in Russia’s largest bankJacob Rees-Mogg was accused by Labour of “letting the side down” because his fund management firm profits from a £60m investment in a Russian bank that has been the target of European Union sanctions since 2014.The criticism came after Somerset Capital Management (SCM) confirmed that it runs an emerging markets fund that holds a stake worth around £60m in Russia&rsq
  
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• Corbyn says Labour has team to win election as Formby appointed general secretary – as it happened

  20-03-2018 18:46
  Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happenJacob Rees-Mogg’s LBC phone-in - SummaryLunchtime summaryAfternoon summary 5.45pm GMT Last year’s general election showed the strength of our movement when we are united, challenging this government’s failed and damaging policies and campaigning for real change, in the interests of communities across the UK.Labour is preparing for government and I look forward to working with Jeremy Corbyn, our party&rsquo
  
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• Watchdog rebukes Theresa May over police funding claims

  20-03-2018 18:39
  UK Statistics Authority rules that PM misled public with claim of extra £450m for local forcesTheresa May has been officially rebuked for misleading MPs and the public over false claims that the government is providing an extra £450m in funding to local police forces in 2018/19.The chair of the UK Statistics Authority, Sir David Norgrove, ruled on Tuesday that the claim made by May repeatedly at prime minister’s questions last month “could have led the public to conclude
  
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• Unite veteran Jennie Formby appointed as Labour general secretary

  20-03-2018 18:33 via ft.com
  Selection of union official to key managerial role tightens grip of the left on the party
  
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• Corbyn supporter Formby appointed as Labour general secretary

  20-03-2018 18:33 via ft.com
  Selection of former Unite official to key managerial role tightens grip of the left on the party
  
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• Working With People On Low Incomes Has Been Life-Changing, Says Sheen

  20-03-2018 17:35
  Hollywood star Michael Sheen has said working with people struggling on low incomes has been literally “life-changing”.The actor spoke on Tuesday as he launched the End High Cost Credit Alliance to provide “fairer alternatives” to mainstream rent-to-own firms and payday lenders.The umbrella group, involving 50 partners, was announced at the Responsible Finance 18 conference at Glasgow City Chambers.Mr Sheen, who has appeared in Frost/Nixon, The Queen and the Twilight seri
  
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• What Is Cambridge Analytica? The Company Linked To Trump And Brexit Explained

  20-03-2018 17:35
  A data analytics firm which worked on President Donald Trump’s election campaign and has been linked to Brexit is embroiled in a storm over Facebook data and dirty tactics.So what is Cambridge Analytica? And what exactly do they do?Here are answers to some of the key questions about the British firm.What is Cambridge Analytica?Cambridge Analytica is a British company which uses personal information from social media users to help clients try to influence voters or consumers, crafting messa
  
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• Thousands Raised In Memory Of First UK Woman Killed Fighting With Kurdish Forces

  20-03-2018 17:35
  Thousands of pounds have been donated in memory of the first British woman to die fighting alongside Kurdish forces in
  Syria.A fundraising page was set up by a friend of Anna Campbell’s family after it emerged she had died in Afrin while fighting
  with the Kurdish Women’s Protection Units (YPJ).The money will be raised to help support victims of the conflict and is expected to be donated to Kurdish organisations contributing to the cause, her family said.Dirk and Rose Campbell, father
  
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