Political news

• Syria: UK cabinet backs continued cooperation with France and US – live updates

  12-04-2018 23:00
  Donald Trump remains vague on possible US response to chemical attack in Syria, while Theresa May believed to have laid out Britain’s next stepsRetaliatory strikes: where do various countries stand?
  ‘Deconfliction’: what is it and what form might US strikes take? 9.49pm BST Following a meeting with his national security team, Donald Trump’s White House issued a statement saying “no final decision has been made” on intervention in Syria.“We are continuing
  
  Read more

• English councils face cash crunch as social care costs bite

  12-04-2018 22:38 via ft.com
  Local authorities run down reserves in face of government funding cuts
  
  Read more

• Corbyn demands privy council briefing prior to UK military action in Syria

  12-04-2018 22:10
  Labour leader says decision to join attack against regime should not be made by cabinet aloneJeremy Corbyn has demanded a private briefing on the government’s intelligence about the Douma chemical weapons attack, saying “more bombing, more killing, more war will not save life” in Syria. Repeating his declaration that parliament must be consulted before military action is taken, the Labour leader urged Theresa May to learn lessons from the Chilcot report showing failures in the
  
  Read more

• Cabinet backs May's call for robust response to Syria crisis

  12-04-2018 21:34
  Unanimous support for need to challenge Assad’s likely use of chemical weapons paves way for military action
  The cabinet today unanimously backed Theresa May’s warning that Syria’s use of chemical weapons could not go unchallenged, leaving the way open for British participation in military action against Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
  Downing Street said senior ministers had agreed it was “highly likely” that the Syrian government was responsible for the “sho
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Bargain Hunter Tom Church Buys Car To Travel To Bristol And Back Because It's Cheaper Than A Train Ticket

  12-04-2018 21:34
  A man has claimed he bought a car to drive from London to Bristol and back because it was cheaper than purchasing a train ticket.Tom Church, 27, wanted to visit a friend in the South West but was put off by the cost of train travel after discovering a peak time return from Bristol to London can cost £218.10.After seeing someone else complaining about the same trains on social news site, Reddit, inspiration struck him.He said that buying a second-hand car, vehicle excise duty, insurance and
  
  Read more

• UK cabinet gives backing to strike against Syria

  12-04-2018 21:25 via ft.com
  Emergency meeting agrees plans for military action alongside US and France
  
  Read more

• 'War Cabinet' Agrees Syria Chemical Attack Must Not Go 'Unchallenged' - But Offers No Timetable For Action

  12-04-2018 21:22
  Downing Street has said the Cabinet agreed the use of chemical weapons in Syria must not go “unchallenged” - but gave no immediate details of UK involvement in any military action against the regime of Bashar Assad.Following a two-hour emergency meeting summoned by Theresa May, No 10 said ministers had agreed Assad had a “track record” of using chemical weapons and that it was “highly likely” he was responsible for the attack on the rebel-held town of Douma on
  
  Read more

• Theresa May Wins Backing From 'War Cabinet' On Syria As PM And Trump Agree To ‘Deter’ Assad’s Attacks

  12-04-2018 21:22
  Theresa May won the backing of senior ministers on her ‘War Cabinet’ for action against Syrian President Bashar Assad as the Prime Minister and Donald Trump agreed that the use of chemical weapons must not go unchallenged.On Thursday night, May and the US President agreed a need “to deter the further use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime” during a fresh phone call on the crisis.The two leaders said they would work closely together on the international response
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Shadow International Development Secretary Kate Osamor: 'Assad Needs To Be Removed'

  12-04-2018 20:55
  President Bashar al-Assad “needs to be removed” if evidence is found that he launched chemical attacks on the Syrian people, Kate Osamor has said. The Shadow International Development Secretary said “intervention must take place” in Syria before she added that the President should be ousted. A suspected chemical attack on the rebel-held enclave of Douma in Eastern Ghouta in which 40 people, including children, were killed has sparked widespread outrage from worl
  
  Read more

• BBC defends Rivers of Blood broadcast

  12-04-2018 20:47 via bbc.co.uk
  The infamous speech made by right-wing politician Enoch Powell will be played in full on Radio 4.
  
  Read more

• France has evidence Assad regime used chemical weapons in Syria, says Macron – live

  12-04-2018 20:13
  Donald Trump remains vague on possible US response to chemical attack in Syria, while Theresa May believed to have laid out Britain’s next stepsRetaliatory strikes: where do various countries stand?
  ‘Deconfliction’: what is it and what form might US strikes take? 7.13pm BST President Trump has stuck to tax reform so far, but Russia’s UN ambassador has said the top diplomatic priority is to avert further conflict in Syria. He did not rule out the possibility of US-Russian
  
  Read more

• BBC Blasted For Plan To Broadcast Enoch Powell's 'Rivers Of Blood' Speech In Full

  12-04-2018 19:53
  The BBC has faced a backlash for its plans to broadcast Enoch Powell’s ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech in full to mark the 50th anniversary of the politician’s controversial address on immigration.Former Labour Cabinet minister Lord Andrew Adonis has written to the head of the watchdog Ofcom asking her to instruct the corporation not to broadcast a speech that “is an incitement to racial hatred and violence”.The BBC defended the broadcast as the speech would be &ldqu
  
  Read more

• Retaliatory strikes in Syria: where do various countries stand?

  12-04-2018 19:30
  As Donald Trump appears to row back on imminent action, other nations outline their positionsSyria crisis – live updatesUS: After earlier saying missiles “will be coming” and Russia should “get ready” for a strike on Syria in retaliation for the chemical attack in Douma, Donald Trump has rowed back on the suggestion that a strike is necessarily imminent. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Don't tell generation rent the fall in house prices is bad news | Larry Elliott

  12-04-2018 19:20
  Estate agents face a quiet house-buying season with demand and mortgage lending in declineApril traditionally marks the start of Britain’s house-buying season. Once the daffodils come out, estate agents ready themselves for a rush of prospective buyers.Not this year, though. The body that represents estate agents, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, says demand for housing has now fallen for 12 months. New buyer inquiries are down and that is having a knock-on effect in the mortg
  
  Read more

• Labour warns Apollo against pursuing interest in FirstGroup

  12-04-2018 19:10
  Bus and rail company FirstGroup rejected offer from US private equity group Labour and the RMT union have warned the US private equity firm Apollo Global Management off pursuing its interest in the transport firm FirstGroup, after the British company rejected a takeover approach.FirstGroup, which operates UK rail franchises including Great Western and TransPennine Express, nearly 20% of local bus routes outside London and the US Greyhound coach service, said it had turned down a proposed cash bi
  
  Read more

• Where UK ministers and other key MPs stand on possible Syria attack

  12-04-2018 19:08
  Hawks such as Boris Johnson and Michael Gove have been calling for action for some timeThe prime minister and her close aides have tried to take the same methodical, step-by-step approach to calibrating Britain’s response to the Douma attack that they deployed after the Salisbury poisoning – though that is far harder to achieve when action is likely to be led by the erratic Donald Trump. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Rochdale abuse: Richard Farnell abuse denial 'defies belief'

  12-04-2018 18:50 via bbc.co.uk
  Richard Farnell "refused to accept responsibility" for child exploitation in Rochdale, a report says.
  
  Read more

• I’m a Tory MP and former soldier. Bombing Syria would make things worse | Bob Seely

  12-04-2018 18:49
  Assad’s use of chemical weapons is despicable. But any move that risks confrontation with Russia carries profound dangerI trust the prime minister. Theresa May’s caution is admirable compared with Vladimir Putin’s macho conduct or the infantile tweeting of Donald Trump. I also understand that our alliances dictate that she now has to support the US and France – in some way – if action is taken against Bashar al-Assad’s regime. They have recently supported the
  
  Read more

• Activists bring case at appeal court over UK arms sales to Saudis

  12-04-2018 18:48
  Campaigners warn that British weapons could be used to kill or injure civilians in YemenHuman rights campaigners have begun an attempt to overturn a high court judgment that allows the British government to continue to export arms to Saudi Arabia for use in Yemen. The Campaign Against Arms Trade brought the case against Liam Fox, the international trade secretary, seeking permission to appeal against a decision last July that granting licences for the export of arms from the UK to Saudi Arabia w
  
  Read more

• 'Cash-for-ash' inquiry: Arlene Foster says she regrets spiralling costs

  12-04-2018 18:45
  DUP leader says she believes Sinn Féin protests over RHI costs were an excuse to bring down power-sharing executiveNorthern Ireland’s former first minister Arlene Foster has told the inquiry into the green energy scheme that resulted in the collapse of the power-sharing government that she deeply regretted its spiralling costs.The renewable heat incentive (RHI) programme was championed by Foster when she was the devolved enterprise minister but its costs ran into hundreds of million
  
  Read more

• Ken Clarke: MPs must get vote on Syria

  12-04-2018 18:38 via bbc.co.uk
  Ex-Tory Chancellor Ken Clarke says military action in Syria should require Parliamentary approval.
  
  Read more

• Ealing’s Decision To Ban Anti-Abortion Protesters Is A Landmark, But It’s Not The End Of The Campaign

  12-04-2018 18:34
  As the MP for Ealing Central and Acton, I’ve been campaigning for a long time to move the protesters away from the Marie Stopes clinic on Mattock Lane. On Tuesday night, the campaign paid off – the Council voted to introduce a Public Spaces Protection Order, a Safe Zone to disperse protesters away from the clinic gates. It’s a huge step forward.When I found out about the vote, I was serving on a Parliamentary delegation with the Liberal Democrat Lord David Steel – the spo
  
  Read more

• Husband of woman who died after deportation attempt gets apology

  12-04-2018 18:27
  Home Office acknowledges distress caused by text sent after Nancy Motsamai’s deathThe husband of a woman who was accused of faking an illness to avoid deportation and who died five days later has received an apology from the Home Office for aspects of its handling of the case. Nancy Motsamai, 35, collapsed at Heathrow airport on 7 March as she was escorted to a flight back to her native South Africa. An immigration official questioned whether she was really sick, and she and her husband we
  
  Read more

• Boohoo, Missguided And Pretty Little Thing Have 'Airport Outfit' Sections

  12-04-2018 18:20
  Dressing for travel has become something of a fine art. As interest in celebrity airport outfits has been charted by the likes of Vogue and Who What Wear, we find ourselves increasingly wanting to balancing the need for comfort with style. Never ones to miss out on a trend, fashion brands Boohoo, Missguided and Pretty Little Thing have decided to make the search for comfy chic outfits easier for their customers by dedicating sections of their websites to ‘airport outfits’.A
  
  Read more

• Corbyn's war

  12-04-2018 18:19 via bbc.co.uk
  The Labour leader insists he is not a pacifist and will back military action as a "last resort".
  
  Read more

• Cliff Richard sues BBC for filming police raid on his home

  12-04-2018 18:14 via ft.com
  Case will establish if there is right to privacy in early stages of an investigation
  
  Read more

• Disabled People Are Hit Hard By A Benefits System Which Continues To Unravel

  12-04-2018 17:56
  Almost a third of assessments for Personal Independence Payments (PIP) are not ‘up to scratch’, according to recent figures released by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).This revelation follows a series of problems with the benefits system, which are causing unacceptable levels of stress to disabled people across the UK.A DWP report published last month identified errors in the payment of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) that could affect 75,000 disabled people. This h
  
  Read more

• Caribbean nations demand solution to 'illegal immigrants' anomaly

  12-04-2018 17:56
  High commissioners from Caribbean Commonwealth nations call for more compassionate approach by UK government Caribbean diplomats have condemned the Home Office’s treatment of many long-term Commonwealth-born UK residents as “illegal immigrants”.They have called on the UK government to resolve an immigration anomaly that has left many people being denied health services, prevented from working, and facing destitution, detention and possible deportation despite having lived in th
  
  Read more

• Never Heard Of Childhood Dementia? Until Our Son Was Diagnosed Neither Had We

  12-04-2018 17:53
  On 17th December 2017 we celebrated our son Lleyton’s 11th birthday with a Harry Potter themed party.This was a milestone we were told he might never reach when he was diagnosed with a form of childhood dementia at just five months old.Never heard of childhood dementia? Neither had we.Following a rather straightforward pregnancy – morning sickness aside – Lleyton was born at exactly 11.58pm on Sunday 17th December. As with any new parents, we were excited to take him home.Later
  
  Read more

• We Mustn’t Have A ‘Cheat Day’ When It Comes To The Planet

  12-04-2018 17:47
  We’ve all done it. We didn’t bring our trusty canvas tote, so we fork out 5p for a plastic bag – ‘only this once’ – which will inevitably end up wedged under the kitchen sink with the other 43. Then, weighed down by bargains from the reduced section, the bus doesn’t appeal, so we grab an Uber instead. It’s only the third this week – next week we’ll be better.When it comes to our personal lives, we are chronic cheat day-ers, utterly para
  
  Read more

• What Is Palm Oil Used For And Why Is It Bad For The Environment?

  12-04-2018 17:14
  As Iceland becomes the first UK supermarket to pledge to remove palm oil from its own-brand products, you’d be forgiven for scratching your head and wondering what on earth it is.While it might be a sworn enemy for environmentalists, others will be surprised to know that this ingredient - found in a range of household products, food items and toiletries - is causing widespread deforestation and destruction of animal habitats.The edible vegetable oil is derived from fruit grown on the Afric
  
  Read more

• On Cyprus, Home To UK's Middle East Military Hub, Tourists Fear Syria Fallout

  12-04-2018 17:10
  The weather may be a balmy 22C in Cyprus as the holiday season kicks off, but residents and tourists on the Mediterranean island have been distracted by a unexpected development: the possibility of military strikes. With Theresa May reportedly prepared to take action against the Assad regime in Syria, in retaliation for the chemical attack on the town of Douma, there are now fears that Britain’s military airbase in Cyprus could become a target. Russia’s ambassador to Lebano
  
  Read more

• Harry Styles Fans Created This Giant Rainbow Flag At His London Concert

  12-04-2018 17:09
  Midway through Harry Styles’ first date at London’s O2 arena, the audience transformed itself into a giant pride flag, providing a moving moment that any artist would be proud to have organised. However, it wasn’t the former One Direction star, or even a member of his creative team, who was behind the move, which was carefully choreographed on Wednesday (11 April) night. This was down to the fans themselves.And the fan project from @RainbowHProject that turned the stadium
  
  Read more

• Brexit: stand by for the museum of Nigel’s garage

  12-04-2018 16:59 via ft.com
  Roll up, roll up to view the oil spot of freedom and the broken lawnmower of liberty
  
  Read more

• Government Staff Lost More Than 600 Laptops, Phones And USBs In Last Four Years

  12-04-2018 16:58
  Staff in five government departments have lost more than 600 laptops, mobile phones and USB sticks in the last four years.The figures, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, show that since 2014 the Home Office has recorded 327 devices missing, the Department for Transport 172 and the Treasury 117, while the offices of Wales and Scotland lost seven between them.Other departments - including the Ministry of Defence, Department for Work and Pensions and Attorney General’s office - di
  
  Read more

• MP's daughter in 'toxic' relationship before she died, inquest hears

  12-04-2018 16:51
  Natalie Lewis-Hoyle, whose father is deputy speaker, was found dead in Heybridge, EssexThe daughter of the deputy speaker of the House of Commons was in a “toxic” relationship before being found dead in her bedroom, an inquest has heard. Natalie Lewis-Hoyle, 28, died in Heybridge, Essex, on 15 December.The hearing in Chelmsford was told that the young parish councillor was full of life and had a “whole bundle of energy”. Her mother, Miriam Lewis, said she had been reflect
  
  Read more

• Chemical weapons agency backs UK findings on Skripal nerve agent

  12-04-2018 16:50 via ft.com
  OPCW confirms Britain’s scientific analysis of toxic agent used in Salisbury attack
  
  Read more

• Russian spy poisoning: Nerve agent inspectors back UK

  12-04-2018 16:48 via bbc.co.uk
  The international chemical weapons watchdog confirms the UK's analysis of the nerve agent in Salisbury.
  
  Read more

• Why deny Mo Mowlam, my stepmum, credit for the Good Friday agreement? | Henrietta Norton

  12-04-2018 16:40
  Amid this week’s official celebrations her name was barely mentioned. But ordinary people know what she didAs I watched the 20-year celebrations of the Good Friday agreement play out, my frustration and anger began to boil over. “Where the fuck is she?” I wanted to shout at the television and radio. As the day went on I decided to just avoid the media altogether; it was only going to make me cross, and that’s not what the day was about. It was a d
  
  Read more

• Penny Mordaunt hails UK aid as a shield against crime, poverty and terrorism

  12-04-2018 16:24
  Development secretary mounts evocative defence of aid spending and announces partnership to promote investment in Asia and AfricaPenny Mordaunt on Britain’s big plan to save the worldUK Aid is a shield against pandemics, organised crime, poverty and terrorism, and an example of British values,Penny Mordaunt, the international development secretary has said.
  In a speech short on detail, but long on colour and allusion, Mordaunt evoked images of past glories and wartime Britain. Continue rea
  
  Read more

• What Is Bipolar Disorder? Symptoms, Diagnosis And Treatment Explained

  12-04-2018 16:02
  Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a fairly common mental illness affecting one in every 100 adults in the UK.Despite its prevalence, misconceptions around the illness continue to persist. In a blog on HuffPost UK, Sharon Sutton said she gets frustrated by the inaccurate cultural reference of linking bipolar to Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’. What’s more, illustrations of bipolar in the media often centre on a person wi
  
  Read more

• 'UK's last lion tamer' Thomas Chipperfield refused licence

  12-04-2018 16:02 via bbc.co.uk
  Thomas Chipperfield cannot use two lions and a tiger in his travelling circus, a court rules.
  
  Read more

• UK launched cyber-attack on Islamic State

  12-04-2018 16:02 via bbc.co.uk
  The attack suppressed IS propaganda and hindered their ability to plan attacks, GCHQ says.
  
  Read more

• Delaying Brexit day makes sense for leave and remain | Geraint Davies

  12-04-2018 15:41
  Like a panicked, hungover student trying to get their essay done, Theresa May’s cabinet risks likely failure. Let’s be sensible, and change the deadlineYou may have never heard of Wallonia, a French-speaking region in Belgium with a population smaller than Yorkshire’s. But in 2016 – just after the Brexit referendum vote – Walloons (as the people of Wallonia are known) decided to block Ceta, one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive trade agreements, be
  
  Read more

• Coastal Cool: 10 Alternative Hotels And B&Bs On The Kent Coast

  12-04-2018 15:20
  Kent’s wonderful coastline is just a short hop away - and where else do bustling historic harbours, dramatic cliffs and quaint seaside towns rub up against cutting edge culture and contemporary cuisine? A network of sophisticated and affordable boutique hotels and B&Bs cater for all tastes and budgets. Welcome to your next great weekend away…Albion House, RamsgateAlbion House sits high atop Ramsgate’s East cliff, overlooking the only Royal Harbour in the country. It’
  
  Read more

• Ex-Rochdale council leader lied to us, child abuse inquiry finds

  12-04-2018 14:48
  Richard Farnell may face police investigation after inquiry says his evidence defied beliefRochdale’s recently resigned council leader is facing a possible police investigation after an official inquiry concluded that he lied under oath about child sexual abuse allegations.The independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (IICSA) said the evidence given by Richard Farnell about his knowledge of abuse in the town defied belief. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• How detailed will the Brexit trade framework be?

  12-04-2018 14:32 via ft.com
  Too little time to spell out terms of agreement in several sectors with EU
  
  Read more

• Big Ben clock tower hands removed for maintenance

  12-04-2018 14:16 via bbc.co.uk
  The London landmark chimed for the last time in August ahead of restoration work.
  
  Read more

• Universal Credit penalty for self-employed, says Citizens Advice

  12-04-2018 14:15 via bbc.co.uk
  Citizens Advice says a bad month of self-employment income will not be rescued by the new benefit.
  
  Read more

• Finland has found the answer to homelessness. It couldn’t be simpler | Harry Quilter-Pinner

  12-04-2018 14:12
  The number of rough sleepers in Britain is soaring, with deaths now a weekly occurrence. It’s time we got over our prejudices“I was born in Liverpool and grew up on a council estate. I had a clean home, toys and nice meals as a kid. When I was nine years old, the sexual abuse started. My abusers made me feel special. They gave me gifts, moneys, cigarettes and sweets. When I was 13 I ran away from home and soon found myself in the murky world of prostitution on the streets. My life wa
  
  Read more

Follow @political_UKnws on Twitter!