Political news

• Croydon Stabbings: Two Teenagers In Hospital As London Crime Wave Continues

  06-04-2018 23:03
  Two teenagers have been stabbed at a shopping centre in Croydon as violent attacks continue to sweep the capital. A 16-year-old boy and another victim, described by police as being in his “late teens or early 20s”, were found at the Whitgift Shopping Centre on Friday afternoon suffering from stab injuries.Officers were called at 5.17pm to reports of a stabbing, with paramedics and the London Air Ambulance also attending the scene. The condition of the victims is currently u
  
  Read more

• Met Says It Has Not 'Lost Control' Of The Streets As It Announces 300 Extra Officers Will Patrol Crime Hot-Spots

  06-04-2018 20:59
  An extra 300 police officers will patrol London’s violent crime hotspots this weekend following days of bloodshed, the Met said Friday, while declaring it has “not lost control” of the streets. Commissioner Cressida Dick also promised more weapons searches following five stabbings across the city on Thursday and a string of murders in recent days.Dick is under increasing pressure to combat so-called “postcode wars” between rival gangs that have led to
  
  Read more

• Leaked minutes show Labour at odds over antisemitism claims

  06-04-2018 20:10
  Exclusive: Corbyn supporters tried to block action against members facing complaintsThe depth of the split in the Labour party’s ruling body over antisemitism and racism has been laid bare in leaked minutes that show fierce disagreements over disciplinary action.Key supporters of Jeremy Corbyn attempted to block action against Labour members facing complaints, according to the minutes obtained by the Guardian. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Russia’s misinformation is an exercise in distraction

  06-04-2018 20:09 via ft.com
  The UK should focus on its next response to the Skripal poisoning
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• No Further Action Against Pensioner Richard Osborn-Brooks, Arrested Over Fatal Stabbing Of Burglar

  06-04-2018 19:30
  Police will take no further action against a pensioner who was arrested after a burglar was fatally stabbed in his south-east London home.The Metropolitan Police Service said on Friday that, following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, no action will be taken against 78-year-old Richard Osborn-Brooks.Henry Vincent, 37, was fatally stabbed during a burglary in Osborn-Brooks’ Hither Green home on Wednesday.Police said that Vincent’s family had been informed of the decisio
  
  Read more

• David Lammy: ‘Kids are getting killed. Where is the prime minister? Where is Sadiq Khan?’

  06-04-2018 18:25
  Following a shocking rise in violence in London in which four of his constituents died, the Tottenham MP is calling for politicians to admit the ‘war on drugs’ has failed – and that black lives matterDavid Lammy is one of those politicians whose public profile has never correlated with his position in his party, or converted into frontbench power, and this sort of maverick celebrity operator tends to attract suspicion. Elected to represent Tottenham 18 years ago, the 46-year-ol
  
  Read more

• Sergei Skripal is ‘improving rapidly’ from Salisbury poison attack

  06-04-2018 18:06 via ft.com
  Former Russian double agent is no longer in a critical condition
  
  Read more

• Jail For Fraudster Who Posed As Grenfell Widow In £19,000 Scam

  06-04-2018 17:08
  A fraudster has been jailed for four-and-a-half years after posing as a Grenfell Tower survivor in a £19,000 scam.Joyce Msokeri said she escaped the fire and thought her husband had died but she was actually single and living miles away.She then filled a room at a Hilton hotel with donations from well-wishers, and concocted an elaborate ploy to claim insurance on her fictitious partner’s death.When her scheme faltered, she preyed on a vulnerable man to play her husband, telling inves
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• The UK Must Embrace Refugees’ Entrepreneurial Potential

  06-04-2018 16:58
  In February, the government announced it was halfway towards fulfilling David Cameron’s pledge to resettle 20,000 refugees in the UK by 2020. But resettlement is only half the story.Constrained by the time-consuming asylum process and facing discrimination from employers, refugees find it hard to thrive in Britain. But in our latest report, the Centre for Entrepreneurs suggests that entrepreneurship is empowering refugees, helping them start afresh.Take Faith Gakanje-Ajala’s story. I
  
  Read more

• There Are Now Nearly 14 Million Disabled People In The UK – So Why Doesn’t Society Reflect This?

  06-04-2018 16:57
  The number of disabled people in the UK is on the rise.According to new Government data, there are now 13.9 million disabled people in the UK.That means disabled people now make up 22% of the UK population – more than one in five.And yet Scope’s research shows nearly half the population don’t know a disabled person.Clearly, something isn’t adding up.The reality is that vast numbers of disabled people continue to be excluded from many parts of society.Employment is just on
  
  Read more

• Behind The Backs Of This Nation Of Animal-Lovers, A Massive Slaughter Is Taking Place

  06-04-2018 16:56
  Britain has a reputation as a country that loves and cares for animals. And in some ways that’s well deserved. Battersea Dogs’ Home is world-famous, well-supported, and the subject of popular television shows. Donkey sanctuaries flourish around the nation. And we, finally, banned hunting in 2004.Well, that’s officially. But it is a ban that has been notably, disastrously, ineffective. The League Against Cruel Sports reported yesterday that it had received 550 reports of illegal
  
  Read more

• In The Night Garden: How Igglepiggle And His Friends Talk Your Toddler’s Language

  06-04-2018 16:51
  by Sarah Rose, Lecturer in Developmental Psychology, Staffordshire UniversityBedtime can often be a trying experience for young children – and their parents. But evidence suggests that regular bedtimes are very important for children’s wellbeing and development.One regular element of the routine for many families is the children’s TV show In the Night Garden. Narrated by classical actor Derek Jacobi, it is a programme which aims to calm and relax toddlers be
  
  Read more

• Only A Truly Ambitious Plan Will Reverse Our Youth Violence Epidemic

  06-04-2018 16:39
  This week we tragically lost more young people in violent attacks. On Monday Amber Rudd will launch a violent crime strategy which she has admitted needs to spearhead a new approach to tackling this epidemic. The UK saw a 21% increase in knife crime last year, with 39 teenagers stabbed to death. This year alone, 50 people have been killed in London.No one denies this is an epidemic. But if we want a long term fix, MPs and ministers must be the leaders we were elected to be and deliver a 10-year
  
  Read more

• Ireland Rugby Star Paddy Jackson Admits Shame After Rape Case Acquittal

  06-04-2018 16:37
  An Ireland rugby player last week acquitted of rape has said he is ashamed that his accuser left his home distressed, and has apologised for engaging in “degrading and offensive” WhatsApp chats.Paddy Jackson, 26, and his Ireland and Ulster teammate Stuart Olding, 25, were unanimously acquitted at Belfast Crown Court of raping the woman at a party at his south Belfast home in June 2016.Jackson was also found not guilty of sexual assault in a case that led to an outpouring of onli
  
  Read more

• Labour general secretary criticised for removal of senior Jewish official

  06-04-2018 16:15
  Move by Jennie Formby raises concerns about how it could be perceivedLabour’s new general secretary has been criticised for placing the parliamentary party’s secretary on gardening leave for the duration of his notice period, amid concern over how the removal of the party’s most senior Jewish employee could be perceived.John Cryer, the chair of the parliamentary Labour party (PLP), wrote to Jennie Formby about her decision over Dan Simpson, the PLP secretary. Continue reading..
  
  Read more

• Man Arrested Over Murder Of Tanesha Melbourne

  06-04-2018 15:31
  A 30-year-old man has been arrested over the murder of teenager Tanesha Melbourne-Blake, in Tottenham, north London. The 17-year-old was killed in a drive-by attack as she sat chatting with friends on Monday night.The suspect was arrested in the Homerton area of east London on Friday morning on suspicion of murder, a Met Police spokesman said. He added: “He was taken to a London police station and remains in custody.”Detective Inspector Beverley Kofi, of the Homicide and Ma
  
  Read more

• 10 Wedding Guest Dresses Under £50 To Wear This Spring/Summer

  06-04-2018 15:29
  Shopping for a dress to wear to a spring/summer wedding in the UK can be difficult as there are many factors to consider. How ‘dressed up’ should I be? What hem length is appropriate? How can I wear a showy dress without looking as if I’m trying to upstage the bride? Should I make allowances for the weather? And, most importantly, how do I find the perfect outfit without breaking the bank?  We’ve found ten dress picks from the high street varying in length, styl
  
  Read more

• Mum Warns Parents To Avoid Extra Car Seat Accessories After Daughter Flung About During Accident

  06-04-2018 15:00
  A mum has been commended for warning parents against purchasing additional unofficial car seat accessories for their children, after her daughter had a near miss in an accident.Parents can buy car seat strap covers from high street shops, some of which are fluffy or have animal faces on them to appeal to kids. However, Hannah McKinney, from Georgia, US, put a warning on Facebook as she claims her two-month-old daughter was ejected from her car seat due to the sheep skin seatbelt c
  
  Read more

• Sergei Skripal: Poisoned Russian Spy No Longer In Critical Condition

  06-04-2018 14:44
  Former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal is “responding well to treatment, improving rapidly and is no longer in a critical condition”, according to doctors at Salisbury District Hospital.Dr Christine Blanshard, medical director at Salisbury District Hospital, said: “Following intense media coverage yesterday, I would like to take the opportunity to update you on the condition of the two remaining patients being treated at Salisbury District Hospital.“Last Thursday, I i
  
  Read more

• Labour MP under fire after attending rally against anti-Semitism

  06-04-2018 14:38 via ft.com
  Momentum and other leftwing campaigners target Bristol MP for bringing party into ‘disrepute’
  
  Read more

• Week in Review: The new age of conspiracy theory

  06-04-2018 14:24
  
  It's not paranoia if the world really is going mad.
  
  Read more

• Myth busting: Why didn't the Skripals die on the spot?

  06-04-2018 14:12
  
  Internet conspiracy theories suggest the survival of Yulia Skripal proves Salisbury was not a nerve agent attack. This is why they are wrong.
  
  Read more

• UK science can still take nothing for granted post-Brexit

  06-04-2018 14:03 via ft.com
  Despite benefits, Britain has not committed to next EU research initiative
  
  Read more

• Why You Should Walk To Work This Spring And Beyond

  06-04-2018 14:00
  Instead of sitting in traffic or struggling to find a seat on the bus or train, why not get outside in the great outdoors and try walking to work?Friday (6 April) is Walk To Work Day, encouraging the nation to shake up their morning routine and pound the pavement before they start their working day.Of course, if you live miles away from your place of work we’re not suggesting you set your alarm hours earlier, but getting off the bus a stop earlier, taking a detour to the train station
  
  Read more

• ‘Teletubbies’ Actor Simon Shelton Died Due To ‘Alcohol Consumption And Hypothermia’, Inquest Rules

  06-04-2018 13:33
  ‘Teletubbies’ actor Simon Shelton’s cause of death has been revealed, with an inquest hearing that he died of hypothermia, after drinking a significant amount of alcohol.Simon was found dead in January and the cause of death was unclear at the time. The verdict, from coroner Anita Bhardwaj, was published on Friday (6 April) morning.  Bhardwaj wrote (via Sky News) that Simon, whose legal name, was Simon Barnes, “was 52 with a medical history of alcohol dependence
  
  Read more

• Jeremy Hunt Facing Commons Ambush Over Student Nursing Bursary Cuts

  06-04-2018 13:02
  Jeremy Hunt is facing a last-ditch Commons move to save nursing bursaries as Labour seeks to put the issue at the heart of its local election campaign.In a fresh Parliamentary ambush due when MPs return from their Easter break, the Opposition are to table a vote on regulations enacting the scrapping of postgraduate support, HuffPost UK has learned.Deploying an arcane procedure known as ‘praying against’ regulations, Labour hopes to persuade Tory and Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) re
  
  Read more

• CBBC Buzz: New Social App For Under 13s Aims To Allow Kids To Interact Safely Online

  06-04-2018 13:01
  A new social community app has launched for children aged under 13, which hopes to take their attention away from other networks such as Snapchat and Instagram.Most social media sites have a lower age limit of 13, but many kids set up accounts before they reach this age. The new social forum called ‘CBBC Buzz’ has been created by the BBC as a “safe space” for children to interact with content.The app allows kids to get creative with BBC shows and characters. Children
  
  Read more

• Watch Virgin Galactic's New SpaceShipTwo Go Supersonic

  06-04-2018 12:59
  Virgin Galactic has released footage showing the first successful powered test of its new SpaceShipTwo VSS Unity.Designed for tourists who want to head into space, the spacecraft can be seen in mid-rocket burn as it goes supersonic.While not technically entering space, the craft did reach an impressive altitude of over 80,000ft before cruising back down to ground and landing at Virgin Galactic’s base of operations.This was the first successful powered test of Virgin Galactic’s new sp
  
  Read more

• 'Great British Bake Off': Channel 4 Responds To Claims Judges And Hosts Were Paid For Charity Specials

  06-04-2018 12:58
  Channel 4 has insisted the judges and hosts of ‘The Great British Bake Off’ gave “significant” donations to Stand Up To Cancer, after it was claimed they were paid to film the recent charity specials. The Sun claimed Paul Hollywood received as much as £117,500 to judge the five episodes, which featured celebrities showing off their baking skills to raise money for the charity. However, bosses have spoken out to clarify the report, insisting all money
  
  Read more

• Kylie Minogue 'Golden' Sees The Pop Princess Try On Country For Size - And It Fits: HuffPost Verdict

  06-04-2018 12:37
  K E Y   P O I N T S ‘Golden’ is Kylie’s first album for new label BMGShe had already recorded a more traditional pop album, but ditched the recordings after a ‘life-changing’ trip to Nashville saw her embrace a country soundCo-writers on the album include Amy Wadge (Ed Sheeran), Nathan Chapman (Taylor Swift) and Richard ‘Biff’ Stannard, who was responsible for some of her biggest previous hits including ‘Love At First Sight’ an
  
  Read more

• Family Days Out: Great Places To Take A Walk To Find Some Spring Flowers

  06-04-2018 12:30
  Now spring seems to have (finally) sprung, we want to take full advantage of the beautiful flowers blossoming, after being stuck indoors for so long.Suggesting going for a walk to your kids might not be greeted by the most enthusiastic response, but if there’s an appealing destination (and a pit-stop for a drink and snack), it may sweeten the deal. There are so many beautiful parks throughout the UK, so we’ve picked out a handful dotted around the country which are perfect spots
  
  Read more

• Lidl's Gin Beats Gordon’s And Sipsmith In Blind Taste Test

  06-04-2018 12:24
  With more than 100 brands of gin lining UK shelves, choosing the best can be a minefield - but a decent G&T can be found where you least expect it. Lidl’s own-brand Hortus London Dry Gin has been ranked higher than popular brands Sipsmith and Gordon’s in Good Housekeeping’s blind taste test of 21 different London dry gins.The supermarket gin scored 77/100 thanks to its “herby aromas with tangy citrus notes, followed by lots of liquorice, citrus and a light,
  
  Read more

• Danniella Westbrook Says Her Face Is ‘Rotting Away’ Due To Botched Surgery

  06-04-2018 12:23
  Danniella Westbrook has opened up about her appearance, stating that her face is “rotting away” due to botched surgery. The former ‘EastEnders’ star has had numerous cosmetic procedures over the years and is facing another, after being left with no cheekbone on the left side of her face and painful screws in her mouth.Danniella’s latest health woes began when she was hospitalised with blood poisoning after receiving £750,000 worth of dental implants on pr
  
  Read more

• MIT's Wearable Headset Can Hear The Words You Say In Your Head

  06-04-2018 12:14
  The idea of humans being able to read each other’s minds has almost exclusively been the domain of science fiction and fantasy, and yet in reality we’re closer than you might think.MIT researchers have created a wearable headset that when worn can actually hear the words you vocalise in your head. That’s right.The headset works by measuring the tiny neuromuscular signals that we create when we say words in our heads.They are completely imperceptible to the human eye, but when e
  
  Read more

• Primark Collaborates With Henry Holland To Create Bags Made From Sustainable Cotton

  06-04-2018 11:49
  Primark has just announced its collaboration with fun, quirky designer Henry Holland, who has designed four printed tote bags, which cost £3 each, so you won’t need to save all your lunch money to nab a label.The designs feature a pink cat in curlers, a sixties pug in sunglasses and two slogan totes in bold HH fashion and are made from 100% sustainable cotton. “We wanted to create something that worked for the Primark customer and was infused with the Henry Holland DNA. Co
  
  Read more

• Are The Conservatives Hamstrung On Housing?

  06-04-2018 11:47
  Last month Matt Singh crunched data to show that the UK ‘youthquake’ was more a ‘rentquake’ because private renters more than any other group surged to vote Labour at last year’s general election. Now, the latest Ipsos MORI Issues Index – the longest running barometer of public concern – has housing on 22%, below only September and October 1974 among 408 monthly measures. True, housing is well below the NHS and Brexit which are very much top of mind
  
  Read more

• London Is Now Less Safe Than New York. Can The Mayor Turn Back the Tide Of Violence?

  06-04-2018 11:45
  Headlines over the Easter weekend made for grim reading: London’s murder rate has overtaken New York’s for the first time. The two cities are similar in size. In February and March 37 Londoners were fatally stabbed or shot, compared with 33 in NYC.These tragic numbers tell us something about the success of New York in tackling violent crime. The policy there for some time has been one of a coordinated response, community focused prevention work, and intelligent law enforcement. Effor
  
  Read more

• Free school meals

  06-04-2018 11:41 via bbc.co.uk
  New research into how children and families will be affected by changes to free school meals has been published
  
  Read more

• Thanks To The British People's Hard Work, We Have Reached A Turning Point In Our Economic Recovery

  06-04-2018 11:18
  I guess we are all shaped by our past. My parents left school at 15 and 14 years old. That decision was not out of choice but of economic necessity although they would probably say that’s just how it was in those days. My mother grew up in a large and close family on a council estate in West London. My father spent much of his childhood between children’s homes.I was luckier. I arrived at a time when our family was moving slowly but steadily upward on the back of my father’s lo
  
  Read more

• Thousands Raised For Richard Osborn-Brooks, Pensioner Accused Of Killing Intruder In His Hither Green Home

  06-04-2018 10:33
  Thousands of pounds have been donated to a fund for the pensioner who is on bail for killing an intruder in his house.Richard Osborn-Brooks, 78, was bailed on Thursday after he allegedly stabbed Henry Vincent, one of two burglars who had broken into his home.As neighbours defended his actions, a fundraiser had raised more than £4,000 towards any legal costs by Friday morning.“I can’t begin to imagine what he must be feeling right now having gone through this and how worried he
  
  Read more

• Homelessness, exploitation, failure: The price of May's anti-migrant project

  06-04-2018 10:25
  
  Plan to turn landlords into border guards does exactly what migrant rights groups warned it would.
  
  Read more

• Smoking Around Your Children Could Increase Their Risk Of Lung Disease Later In Life

  06-04-2018 10:23
  Smoking around your children could increase their risk of lung disease later in life. Three-quarters of cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can be traced back to childhood risk factors, a study found.COPD is the name for a group of lung conditions which cause breathing difficulties including emphysema and chronic bronchitis, which mainly affect middle-aged or older adults who smoke.While smoking remains the biggest risk factor for COPD, a new Australian study sho
  
  Read more

• Sugar Tax On Food And Drink 'Would Encourage Half Of Brits' To Have Healthier Diets

  06-04-2018 10:22
  A tax on sugary drink or food, such as the soft drinks levy, would encourage just under half of Britons to cut back on the products, a survey has found.As the sugar tax comes into effect, analysts Mintel found it is likely to have an effect on 47% of consumers, with that figure rising to 53% of 16 to 34-year-olds.Regionally, 53% of Londoners are the most likely to be deterred by a tax, dropping to fewer than four in 10 (38%) of consumers living in Scotland.However, 75% of consumers say that clea
  
  Read more

• How To ‘Spring Clean’ Your Child’s Finances

  06-04-2018 10:09
  Friday marks the start of the personal tax year. Some of you may have been topping up your ISA or pension to maximise your tax-free savings. However, for most, I imagine that apart from the YTD Earnings on your pay slip being reset to a somewhat depressing ‘zero’, the date passes without too much notice.We should not, however, let Friday’s deadline pass unnoticed. It presents an ideal opportunity to spring clean our finances, to set our affairs in order and to establish some cl
  
  Read more

• 'Strictly Come Dancing': Shirley Ballas Seemingly Confirms Return As Head Judge

  06-04-2018 10:05
  Shirley Ballas has all but confirmed she will be returning to ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ this year. The Queen Of Latin had been strongly rumoured to have signed up for a second series as Head Judge of the BBC ballroom show, with her now throwing weight behind the reports on Twitter. After Lorraine’s showbiz reporter discussed the claims she will be returning on the ITV breakfast show, Shirley then retweeted a message of congratulations from him. Congratulations @Shi
  
  Read more

• Apple iPad (2018) Review: This Will Be The Best Tablet For Pretty Much Everyone - HuffPost Verdict

  06-04-2018 09:21
  K E Y   P O I N T SThis is Apple’s 6th Generation iPad and has a 9.7-inch display, Touch ID and now, the ability to recognise Apple Pencil - the company’s high-end stylus.Apple has pushed this as a tablet designed specifically for education but honestly, this is the new iPad. Period.The biggest changes here are the faster processor and the addition of Apple Pencil support, both of which are long overdue.That’s it though, Apple doesn’t really have much competitio
  
  Read more

• British Snowboarder Suffocates After Falling Head-First Into Snow In France

  06-04-2018 09:19
  A British snowboarder has died after falling head-first into snow and suffocating in France.The unidentified 25-year-old was working in the French Alps resort of Meribel when the incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon, according to French media.The Le Dauphine Libere newspaper reported: “The man is believed to have died by asphyxiation, not being able to release himself after having fallen head first into the snow.”An investigation into the man’s death has been laun
  
  Read more

• The Tories Must Rethink Their Free School Meals Policy - 160,000 Children In Need Will Lose Out

  06-04-2018 09:17
  Last month, the Education Secretary, Damian Hinds, made a philosophical point during our debate on his government’s policy to reduce eligibility for free school meals. He said that: “the mere repetition of a falsehood does not make it into the truth.”Although it was aimed at the Opposition, he rather gave away the Tories’ way of doing things since they came into power eight years ago.Esther McVey provided a classic example in the very same debate. The Work and Pensions Se
  
  Read more

• '120 BPM (Beats Per Minute)' Is An Urgent, Life-Affirming Film For Our Times - HuffPost Verdict

  06-04-2018 08:20
  K E Y   P O I N T S’120 BPM’ was the winner of 2017 Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix.The subtitled French drama follows the AIDS activist group ACT-UP in 1990s Paris.Neither of the two lead stars - Nahuel Pérez Biscayart or Arnaud Valois - had any knowledge of the ACT-UP movement prior to auditioning.Arnaud Valois had given up on an acting a career and had moved to Thailand to be a massage therapist when he was discovered by chance on Facebook by director Robin Campil
  
  Read more

• We Need To Talk About How To Make Renting Better

  06-04-2018 08:02
  Many associate renting with sheer doom and gloom: you have to pay an eye-watering amount of cash each month, you often can’t have pets and, to top that off, financial and contractual security hang in the balance.It seems we need to have a conversation about renting - and it needs to happen soon. The number of private renters aged 35-44 has doubled in the last 10 years, a Family Resource Survey revealed, and at this rate it’s estimated that the number of private renters could ove
  
  Read more

Follow @political_UKnws on Twitter!