Political news

• Speaker Bercow Slaps Down Tory MP Who Questioned Jeremy Corbyn’s Patriotism Over Syria

  16-04-2018 21:55
  Commons Speaker John Bercow has slapped down a Tory MP who questioned Jeremy Corbyn’s patriotism over Syria.Dartford MP Gareth Johnson said that the Corbyn had attacked the UK government so much that some wondered “whose side is he on – theirs or ours?”The Tory backbencher’s words came as the Labour leader also came under attack from his own MPs after he declared that military action on humanitarian grounds was “legally questionable”.During a highly char
  
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• McVey calls 'rape clause' an 'opportunity' for victims

  16-04-2018 21:54 via bbc.co.uk
  The UK minister was heckled by spectators as she gave evidence to a Scottish Parliament committee.
  
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• Amber Rudd: Windrush generation treatment 'appalling'

  16-04-2018 21:13 via bbc.co.uk
  The home secretary apologises to those affected and promises fees for documentation will be waived.
  
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• Scientists Discover Enzyme That Eats The Worst Polluting Plastics

  16-04-2018 21:10
  Two scientists have accidentally stumbled upon an organic enzyme that can eat some of our worst polluting plastics, providing a possible solution to what is arguably one of the world’s biggest environmental problems.Polythylene terephthalate or PET is one of the worst man-made plastics for recycling taking hundreds of years to break down into the environment.Yet despite this, the amount of waste plastic in the oceans could treble in the next 10 years unless urgent action is taken to curb t
  
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• Windrush generation peers attack 'incompetent' Home Office

  16-04-2018 20:39 via bbc.co.uk
  Baroness Benjamin says her cohort of Commonwealth citizens "are being treated as criminals".
  
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• Treatment of Windrush children affronts British decency

  16-04-2018 20:23 via ft.com
  Legal uncertainty over Commonwealth migrants must be resolved
  
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• Jeremy Corbyn Secures Debate On MPs Approving Military Action As PM Refuses To Promise Vote Before More Syria Bombing

  16-04-2018 19:49
  Jeremy Corbyn has secured an emergency debate in the House of Commons on the need for MPs to approve military interventions after Theresa May refused to confirm she will consult MPs before taking action in Syria.In the Commons this afternoon, MPs from all sides questioned why May had not recalled Parliament before giving the green light to bombing targets in Syria in the early hours of Saturday morning.Later, MPs supported an emergency debate application from the Labour leader which will allow t
  
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• Theresa May Rolls Eyes At Jeremy Corbyn After He Accuses Her Of Bowing To The ‘Whims Of The US President’ Over Syria

  16-04-2018 19:31
  Jeremy Corbyn faced groans and shouts of “shame!” from Conservative MPs in the House of Commons after accusing Theresa May of bowing to “the whims of the US President” by bombing Syria.Responding to the Prime Minister’s statement in the Commons over Saturday’s missile attack in alliance with the US and France, the Labour leader condemned May for acting without consulting MPs.He described the chemical attack in Douma as “horrific” but faced a backla
  
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• UK and US move on Chinese group citing national security

  16-04-2018 19:16 via ft.com
  Telecoms company ZTE hit by sanctions amid growing backlash in west
  
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• 'This Morning', 'Loose Women' And Good Morning Britain's New Studios Get Very Mixed Reviews From Viewers

  16-04-2018 19:10
  ITV’s line-up of daytime shows got a new home on Monday (16 April), as ‘Good Morning Britain’, ‘This Morning’, ‘Lorraine’ and ‘Loose Women’ came live from Television Centre for the very first time. The hit series were forced out of their previous studios at ITV’s former headquarters on London’s Southbank due to redevelopment, leaving bosses to hunt for a new location. Luckily, they found one in the shape of the refurbish
  
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• It is too early to write off a new centrist party in the UK

  16-04-2018 19:10 via ft.com
  Voters must feel the effects of populism on their living standards before they will act
  
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• Theresa May defends air strikes against Syria

  16-04-2018 19:08 via ft.com
  UK prime minister tells House of Commons that the government acted lawfully
  
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• US And UK Say Russia Has Infected 'Millions Of Computers' In Wave Of Cyber Attacks

  16-04-2018 18:41
  The United States and United Kingdom on Monday said that Russian government-backed hackers have infected computer routers around the world in a cyber espionage campaign that targeted government agencies, businesses and critical infrastructure operators.US and UK officials told reporters in a conference call that they plan to issue a joint alert on the attacks, which target routers that form a key part of the internet infrastructure, in a cyber espionage campaign that could be levered in the futu
  
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• UK And US Issue Joint Alert Over Russian Hackers That Have 'Infected Millions'

  16-04-2018 18:41
  UK and US spies issued an unprecedented joint alert over Russian-sponsored cyber attacks on Monday, confirming “millions” of devices have been infected by “hostile” hackers.Officials said that Kremlin-backed aggressors have accessed computer routers around the world as part of a cyber espionage campaign that targeted government agencies, businesses and critical infrastructure operators.The attacks targeted routers that form a key part of the internet infrastructure, in a
  
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• Chefs Reveal Shopping At Supermarkets For Restaurant Ingredients Is 'Quite Common'

  16-04-2018 18:33
  Chefs have revealed it’s not unusual for them to have to buy emergency ingredients from supermarkets. The revelation comes after a Bristol restaurant chef was dismissed for serving a £1.15 Asda Camembert, still in its original packaging, to a customer paying £13 for the baked dish.Last week Emma Daniels took to Trip Advisor to complain about the sharing platter from Severn Shed restaurant in Bristol. After eating the dish, which consisted of baked Camembert, chutney a
  
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• Trust In The Lords: How Peers Have The Ability To Stop Brexit Reducing Human Rights

  16-04-2018 18:23
  What do you think the average age of members of the House of Lords is? This isn’t one of those counter-intuitive answers, it’s pretty old… it’s 69 to be exact. Well this week we are hoping they might heed the wisdom of youth, ahead of a key vote on Brexit. Members of the House of Lords should know that young people in the UK are worried about the impact Brexit could have on their human rights. This is the key finding of a new YouGov poll for Amnesty International, w
  
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• Theresa May insists Syria attacks were lawful

  16-04-2018 18:19 via ft.com
  Commons told use of chlorine gas on Douma was ‘stain on humanity’
  
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• Theresa May statement on UK military action in Syria

  16-04-2018 18:15 via bbc.co.uk
  Britain took part in military air strikes in Syria because it could not wait to “alleviate further humanitarian suffering” caused by chemical weapons, says Theresa May.
  
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• Jeremy Corbyn statement on UK military action in Syria

  16-04-2018 18:15 via bbc.co.uk
  Jeremy Corbyn says this weekend's military action in Syrian is "legally questionable".
  
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• As A Bereaved Parent, I Know The Impact The Children's Funeral Fund Will Have

  16-04-2018 18:12
  Martin Legacy.Because of my loss no other parent will have to bear the burden of finding money for their own childs funeral.#martinsfundpic.twitter.com/ucbGRhvTMD— Carolyn Harris (@carolynharris24) April 11, 2018We all have those moments when we realise something has happened that has changed the course of our lives forever.  Most of us will probably only experience this a handful times throughout our lives.My first ‘life-changing moment’ was probably the day I gave birth
  
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• I Am A Young Disabled Person And I Have Deleted Facebook

  16-04-2018 17:34
  You might think this isn’t a big deal; lots of people are deleting their Facebook accounts in light of the shocking Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal. For those of you who don’t know me, I think Edward Snowden is a hero and did a huge service to the public for exposing the extent of mass surveillance. So it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that I am horrified by the way 87 million Facebook users’ data has been treated. What is a surprise is that I have chosen to #De
  
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• What Is Vitamin C And Why Is It In My Moisturiser?

  16-04-2018 17:22
  Vitamin C is a skincare ingredient that has grown in popularity over recent years. It tends to be easy to spot as beauty companies love to package creams containing it in bright tangerine pots. But what’s behind the orange wrapping and does putting this vitamin on your skin, rather than including it in your diet, actually have any benefits?The BuzzThis cold-busting vitamin has been much hyped in the beauty world with devotees extolling it’s anti-ageing properties.A post shared by Sun
  
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• I Grew Up With Violence As A Part Of My Daily Life - I Can't Take Another Young Death Being Treated As 'Just Another Statistic'

  16-04-2018 17:18
  I was born to immigrant parents squatting in an abandoned council block in Hackney in the nineties, when the borough was a very different place. Living in a council flat, a place with little support, I was surrounded by people that most would consider criminals. But to me they weren’t criminals, they were friends and role models - they were a part of my home. Being around them growing up, I became normalised to violent fights, gangs and stabbings - they were a part of daily life. And I kno
  
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• EU Citizens Must Vote In Next Month's Local Elections

  16-04-2018 17:17
  British and European citizens will be voting in local elections on 3rd May. For the latter, it may be the last time they exercise this democratic right.Is this really the last local election for European citizens living in Britain? It certainly looks that way, given that voting rights of migrant EU citizens are not covered by the recently negotiated withdrawal agreement. The right to vote in local elections is enshrined in European law and the only chance to protect it beyond Brexit is through a
  
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• The Uncertainty Hanging Over Windrush Families Is Unacceptable

  16-04-2018 17:13
  There are few moments more iconic in modern British history than the arrival of HMS Windrush.When the Windrush docked in Essex in June 1948, it brought nearly five hundred Caribbean migrants to live, work and settle in Britain. By the 1960s that number had swelled to hundreds of thousands of people, who had answered a call to fill jobs here, and had travelled from Britain’s old West Indian colonies to make their lives in the mother country.Life for these families was often t
  
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• Amber Rudd apologises for mistreatment of Windrush generation

  16-04-2018 17:06 via ft.com
  Home secretary concedes immigration officials ‘too concerned with policy’
  
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• BBC News Coverage Of Ant McPartlin's Court Hearing Interrupted By Car Crash

  16-04-2018 16:55
  A three-vehicle pile up was caught live on BBC News as they reported on Ant McPartlin’s court hearing for drink-driving. The rather unfortunate moment occurred as media waited outside Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court for the presenter to make a statement, after he pleaded guilty to being under the influence when he crashed his car last month. As reporter Alison Freeman updated viewers on the developments in court, a white van pulled into shot, with another car bumping into
  
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• Touch Free Packaging Shows How Disconnected We Are From What's On Our Plate

  16-04-2018 16:44
  I began writing this in a coffee fuelled rage, muttering under my breath as I typed frantically about how ridiculous this whole situation is. My initial thoughts were: ‘if it is that terrifying to touch, and the thought of eating a dead animal really revolts you so much, perhaps it’s time to start questioning why you’re eating meat at all.’And then I stopped, and reflected, and decided I’m going to start off in defence of millennials. I am one, after all. Where has
  
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• Amber Rudd Admits She Does Not Know How Many Windrush Immigrants Have Been Wrongly Deported By Her Department

  16-04-2018 16:36
  Amber Rudd has admitted the Home Office does not know how many Windrush immigrants have been wrongly deported as she apologised for the “appalling” treatment.Reports suggest that many who answered the call to come to the UK to work in essential services in the 1950s and 1960s are being denied access to state healthcare, losing their jobs and even being threatened with deportation.“There is absolutely no question about their right to remain and I am very sorry,” Rudd
  
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• Syria crisis: the west continues to fail

  16-04-2018 16:24 via ft.com
  The FT's Roula Khalaf says bombing will not provide a lasting solution
  
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• Students And Young People Can Swing The Local Elections - So Register To Vote And Have Your Say

  16-04-2018 16:23
  Voting as a political and social act is often something we consider to be part and parcel of everyday life. In fact, we have become so accustomed to voting that a culture of apathy has grown around the act. Despite young voters surging to the polling booths in 2017 (64% aged 18-24), young voters on average remain the lowest ranking demographic to politically enfranchise themselves at the general election.It is imperative to remember that voting, indeed democratic free association as a whole, is
  
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• Students And Young People Can Swing The Local Elections - So Get Registered And Have Your Say

  16-04-2018 16:23
  Voting as a political and social act is often something we consider to be part and parcel of everyday life. In fact, we have become so accustomed to voting that a culture of apathy has grown around the act. Despite young voters surging to the polling booths in 2017 (64% aged 18-24), young voters on average remain the lowest ranking demographic to politically enfranchise themselves at the general election.It is imperative to remember that voting, indeed democratic free association as a whole, is
  
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• Beyoncé At Coachella: 10 Things You Might Have Missed

  16-04-2018 16:20
  We didn’t exactly need convincing, but after her long-awaited headlining slot at Coachella this weekend, there’s no contesting that Beyoncé is at the top of her game right now.Her performance on Saturday featured more timeless hits, seamless choreography, note-perfect vocals and unquestionable charisma than most other stars could even dream of.And while everyone has a favourite part of the show, here are some of the more subtle moments you might have missed out on first time a
  
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• Enoch Powell right about immigration, UKIP's Neil Hamilton claims

  16-04-2018 16:18 via bbc.co.uk
  Neil Hamilton claims the "rivers of blood" anti-immigration speech had been "proved right by events".
  
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• Grenfell Refurbishment Turned Tower Into Major Fire Safety Hazard, Leaked Report Reveals

  16-04-2018 15:50
  Survivor groups have reacted with anger after a leaked report into the Grenfell Tower fire revealed the blaze would have had “little opportunity” to spread beyond the flat it started in, had the building not been renovated with combustible material.The 210-page report, which has been prepared as part of the Metropolitan Police Service investigation, concludes that the fire would not have spread beyond flat 16 - where the fire originated on the fourth floor - if th
  
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• Yahoo And AOL Mail Will Scan The Contents Of Emails To Provide More Targeted Ads

  16-04-2018 15:48
  Oath, the parent company of brands such as HuffPost, TechCrunch and others has recently updated its privacy policy, which means it now has the right to scan the emails of Yahoo and AOL mail users.According to the new policy, Oath now has the right to: “analyze all communications content (such as Mail and Messenger content including instant messages and SMS messages) and all photos and other content uploaded to your account”.The company says it will use this information: “t
  
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• Windrush scandal shows what happens when anti-immigrant hysteria takes over

  16-04-2018 15:43
  
  This is not an error in the system. It is the system operating as it is meant to.
  
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• Windrush detentions: Immigration minister Caroline Nokes

  16-04-2018 15:42 via bbc.co.uk
  Caroline Nokes says the UK invited people to rebuild Britain and it has a duty to "regularise" their immigration status.
  
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• Diane Abbott Slammed For Using Fake Bombing Raid Image In Syria Tweet

  16-04-2018 15:41
  Diane Abbott has come under fire after posting a fake image of a bombing raid in a social media post about the Syrian air strikes.The Labour frontbencher used the image in a post hitting out at International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt, who was defending the Government’s refusal to hold a parliamentary vote before launching air strikes in response to the chemical weapon attack at Douma.Twitter users pointed out that the image used to illustrate her point was a composite showing wh
  
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• Labour increases pressure on Theresa May over Syria attacks

  16-04-2018 15:36 via ft.com
  Corbyn uses expert legal advice to claim there is no basis under international law for action
  
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• Windrush immigration cases bring back the spectre of Enoch Powell

  16-04-2018 15:29 via ft.com
  As Britain barrels towards Brexit, it must settle the status of Commonwealth citizens
  
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• What was hit?

  16-04-2018 15:18 via bbc.co.uk
  The US says missiles hit targets "associated with the Syrian regime's chemical weapons programme".
  
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• Esther McVey Sparks Outrage After Claiming 'Rape Clause' Benefits Women

  16-04-2018 15:15
  Understandable anger at Holyrood committee this morning. Esther McVey completely deaf to the human impact of Tory welfare cuts. pic.twitter.com/QgcFtSzQH5— Fergus Mutch (@Fergoodness) April 16, 2018 Tory minister Esther McVey has been called “disgraceful” for suggesting the controversial ‘rape clause’ rule benefits women. The Work and Pensions Secretary was defending the controversial two-child benefit cap policy in front of Holyrood’s Social Securit
  
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• Chakrabarti: Time for Labour to tackle anti-Semitism

  16-04-2018 13:56 via bbc.co.uk
  The Labour peer says officials have the "resources" and political will to address "serious problem".
  
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• The UK’s looming customs union vote

  16-04-2018 13:50 via ft.com
  Ministers likely to lose some votes in Lords over EU withdrawal bill
  
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• May to meet with Caribbean officials over ‘Windrush’ immigrants

  16-04-2018 13:42 via ft.com
  MPs have demanded response to concerns over immigration status
  
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• Theresa May U-Turn As PM Agrees To Meet Caribbean Leaders Over 'Windrush Generation' Deportation Threats

  16-04-2018 13:30
  Theresa May will meet Caribbean state leaders this week after deportation threats to “Windrush generation” immigrants sparked widespread alarm. The news is a U-turn for the Prime Minister after she refused a formal diplomatic request to discuss concerns leaders have for scores of long-term British residents incorrectly deemed illegal immigrants.Downing Street confirmed the news in a statement after sustained cross-party pressure to take action but said the PM only became aw
  
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• Syria air strikes: Macron says he convinced Trump not to pull out troops

  16-04-2018 13:13 via bbc.co.uk
  France's president also says he convinced his US ally to limit recent strikes to chemical sites.
  
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• Labour Legal Opinion Argues UK's Syria Military Strikes Against International Law

  16-04-2018 13:11
  Labour has released legal advice which it said showed the British military strikes on Syria were illegal.The legal opinion published on Monday, prepared by Oxford professor Dapo Akande, said the joint British, US and French action against the Syrian regime was “not in accordance with the United Nations Charter and international law”.The government has published a section of its own legal advice which it said concluded the strikes were legal on the basis of “humanitarian in
  
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• UK Weather Forecast Predicts The Hottest Day Of The Year So Far

  16-04-2018 13:04
  Britain will bask in sunshine and warm temperatures this week as the country looks set to see the hottest day of the year so far.As the UK experiences its first taste of spring, just weeks after snow swept across many areas, the mercury could rise to up to 10C above the average for April, the Met Office has said.Meteorologist Alex Burkill said the weather will be “turning warmer for a little time” as hotter air is dragged up from the south, causing temperatures to rise as high as 25C
  
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