Political news

• Dale Winton Dead: Piers Morgan And Davina McCall Lead Tributes To TV Presenter

  18-04-2018 23:49
  Tributes have poured in for Dale Winton, following the sad news of his death. On Wednesday (18 April) night, it was announced that the ‘Supermarket Sweep’ had died at home.His agent telling Press Association: “While we know many will share this terrible loss, we ask that you respect the family’s privacy at this time of grief.”Kind messages were soon shared online, with Piers Morgan and Davina McCall among the first to post on Twitter. Graham Norton also sh
  
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• Tenants' Tsar Needed To Protect Renters' Rights Post-Grenfell, Says Labour

  18-04-2018 23:30
  A tenants’ tsar and extending Freedom Of Information law to cover housing associations form part of post-Grenfell housing reforms to be unveiled by Labour. Jeremy Corbyn’s party is proposing a series of measures to better protect social housing residents, including forcing landlords to carry out fire safety tests, after the devastating North Kensington inferno claimed the lives of 71 people in June 2017. In the wake of the tragic blaze, it emerged that residents had repeate
  
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• Labour would rip up definition of affordable housing, Corbyn says

  18-04-2018 23:30
  Party plans to replace it with a measure linked to income, according to a new green paper A Labour government would rip up the government’s definition of affordable housing and instead bring in a measure linked to people’s incomes, Jeremy Corbyn will say on Thursday.A report, Housing for the Many, accuses ministers of stretching the term affordable to breaking point to include homes let at up to 80% of market rents – more than £1,500 a month in some areas – and home
  
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• Labour To Redefine 'Affordable Housing' To Help The 'Just Coping' Class

  18-04-2018 23:30
  Labour will redefine ‘affordable housing’ to help more people on middle incomes buy their own homes, the party will announce on Thursday.Jeremy Corbyn and Shadow Housing Secretary John Healey are set to unveil plans to link affordable house prices to average incomes, instead of allowing them to be dictated by local market values.The announcement is alongside a pledge to build a million “genuinely affordable homes” over ten years – although the majority will be for s
  
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• Government suffers two Brexit defeats in House of Lords

  18-04-2018 23:04 via ft.com
  Peers vote heavily for negotiating new customs union and limiting ministerial powers
  
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• Dale Winton Dead: TV Presenter Has Died Aged 62, Agent Says

  18-04-2018 22:40
  TV presenter Dale Winton has died at the age of 62, his agent has said.The ‘Supermarket Sweep’ star died at his home earlier on Wednesday.Winton was a TV favourite with shows including ‘In It To Win It’.More recently the star, known for his tanned appearance, made a show for Channel 5, Dale Winton’s Florida Fly Drive.His long-term agent Jan Kennedy said in a statement to the Press Association: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm the passing of D
  
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• Dale Winton Dead: TV Presenter Dies Aged 62, Agent Says

  18-04-2018 22:40
  Dale Winton has died at the age of 62, his agent has said.In a statement to the Press Association, his long-term agent Jan Kennedy said: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm the passing of Dale Winton who died at home earlier today.“While we know many will share this terrible loss, we ask that you respect the family’s privacy at this time of grief.”No further details were announced.Dale began his career in the entertainment industry when he DJ’ed on the Lon
  
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• Steve Bell on the Windrush scandal – cartoon

  18-04-2018 21:46
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• David Cameron Thinks Brexit Is The 'Wrong Course' But Admits Britain Was An 'Unhappy Tenant' In The EU

  18-04-2018 21:35
  David Cameron has said Britain chose the “wrong course” by voting for Brexit but admitted quitting the EU was a “legitimate choice” as the UK was often a  “slightly reluctant and sometimes unhappy tenant” in the bloc.In a rare interview since resigning as Prime Minister after losing the 2016 EU referendum, Cameron told US broadcaster CNN that the vote was “the right thing to do” as he argued “power after power” was handed to Brusse
  
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• Brexit: Ministers suffer first defeat on EU Withdrawal Bill

  18-04-2018 21:16 via bbc.co.uk
  Peers back a proposal that seeks to retain the option of a customs union with the EU.
  
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• Nigel Farage: two of my children have German passports

  18-04-2018 21:15
  In interview with Nick Clegg, former Ukip leader also suggests Britain lost second world warNigel Farage has admitted two of his children have both British and German passports, which would allow them to take advantage of free movement rights post-Brexit, but insisted they feel British rather than European.In a robust exchange with former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, the ex-Ukip leader also suggested Britain had lost the second world war because the nation had been “bankrupted”
  
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• Government in chaos over Windrush after double setback for May

  18-04-2018 21:03
  PM’s claim about destruction of landing cards and assurances over Albert Thompson’s treatment called into question
  Theresa May’s attempt to get a grip on the Windrush crisis descended into chaos on Wednesday after two major announcements she made on the subject were immediately called into question.In a day of confusion over the treatment of Windrush-era arrivals unfairly targeted over their immigration status, May promised that Albert Thompson, a London man denied free NHS can
  
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• Government loses two House of Lords votes on EU withdrawal bill – as it happened

  18-04-2018 21:01
  Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments, including Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn at PMQs and peers voting on the EU withdrawal billReport: government suffers Lords defeat on leaving customs unionPMQs - Snap verdictPMQs - Verdict from the Twitter commentariatEvening summary 7.59pm BST7.37pm BST The Lords have now released the detailed voting figures for the second defeat. You can read them in detail here. There were 14 Conservative rebels this time. Continue reading...
  
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• Mother's anger over MP's Iraq Facebook posts

  18-04-2018 20:31 via bbc.co.uk
  The mother of a soldier who died in Iraq criticises an MP who posed for pictures on Saddam's throne.
  
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• Labour MP Louise Haigh Blasts 'Heartbreaking' Life Expectancy Drop For Women

  18-04-2018 20:09
  Labour MP Louise Haigh has called a drop in life expectancy for women living in deprived towns a “national shame” during a debate in Parliament. ONS data published in March showed life expectancy for the poorest girls in England had fallen for the first time on record since the 1920s.The poorest 10% of girls had a life expectancy of 78 years and 10 months - a fall of two months. There had had been a rise of three months for the wealthiest 10% of girls, however, who were expected
  
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• Government suffers Brexit defeat in House of Lords

  18-04-2018 19:52 via ft.com
  Peers vote heavily for negotiating new customs union
  
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• Fear for EU citizens in wake of Windrush scandal

  18-04-2018 19:27 via ft.com
  ‘Hostile environment’ policy risks same problems on larger scale after Brexit, warn experts
  
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• A poor and fumbling Maybot still puts one over Corbyn at PMQs | John Crace

  18-04-2018 18:56
  The Labour leader’s problem is that he struggles to think on his feet … or indeed sitting downOne of Jeremy Corbyn’s more appealing characteristics is his willingness to stand up for the underdog. There are times, though, when he can take it just a little too far.Even by its usual fairly dismal standards, this has been a terrible week for the government. Theresa May might have got lucky with her first bombing raid on Syria, but she has been held bang to rights over the shamefu
  
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• Hairdresser Daryll Rowe Guilty Of Deliberately Trying To Infect Men With HIV After Meeting On Grindr

  18-04-2018 18:52
  A hairdresser has been found guilty of deliberately trying to infect 10 men with HIV after meeting them on Grindr.Daryll Rowe was convicted of five counts of grievous bodily harm with intent, and five counts of attempting to do so on Wednesday afternoon at Lewes Crown Court.The jury of seven women and five men returned its verdicts after 18 hours deliberating.The court was silent, and 27-year-old Rowe sat motionless, as the verdicts were announced just before 4pm.Initially four unanimous verdict
  
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• Brexit bill: May under pressure after two big defeats in Lords

  18-04-2018 18:51
  Amendment calling for UK to continue in customs union with EU passed by majority of 123Theresa May was under pressure to reopen the issue of Britain’s membership of a customs union after suffering two big defeats in the House of Lords on the government’s key Brexit bill.Peers backed an amendment to the EU withdrawal bill that would force the government to explain what it has done to pursue remaining in a customs union, by 348 votes to 225 – a convincing majority of 123. Continu
  
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• May Suffers Major Lords Defeat As Peers Vote To Keep Open Option Of EU Customs Union Membership

  18-04-2018 18:30
  Theresa May has suffered a major Parliamentary defeat over Brexit after the House of Lords voted to keep open the option of staying in the EU Customs Union.Peers voted by 348 to 225 for a cross-party amendment to the EU (Withdrawal) Bill to require the Government to say how its negotiations with Brussels will continue the crucial tariff-free trade arrangement with the European Union.The huge size of the majority - 123 votes - underlined the strength of the alliance of Labour, Liberal Democrat, c
  
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• May Suffers Lords Major Defeat As Peers Vote To Avoid Hard Brexit And Keep Open EU Customs Union Membership

  18-04-2018 18:30
  Theresa May has suffered a major Parliamentary defeat over Brexit after the House of Lords voted to keep open the option of staying in the EU Customs Union.Peers voted by 348 to 225 for a cross-party amendment to the EU (Withdrawal) Bill to require the Government to say how its negotiations with Brussels will continue the crucial tariff-free trade arrangement with the European Union.The huge size of the majority - 123 votes- underlined the strength of the alliance of Labour, Liberal Democrat, cr
  
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• Two-thirds of NHS healthcare assistants doing nurses' duties, union finds

  18-04-2018 18:16
  Unison survey finds HCAs give out medication, dress wounds and take blood pressuresAlmost two-thirds of healthcare assistants (HCAs) are performing roles usually undertaken by nurses, such as giving patients drugs and dressing their wounds, in the latest illustration of the NHS’s staffing crisis.The apparently growing trend of assistants acting as “nurse substitutes” has sparked concern that patients may receive inferior or potentially unsafe care because they do not have the s
  
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• A British illusion of Commonwealth trade after Brexit

  18-04-2018 18:08 via ft.com
  Deals with disparate economies cannot replace the EU single market
  
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• Jeremy Hunt got 'bulk discount' on seven flats from Tory donor

  18-04-2018 17:54
  Health secretary now under investigation over purchase of luxury apartments on south coastJeremy Hunt received a “bulk discount” on seven flats bought from a Conservative donor, the Guardian can disclose, as parliament’s watchdog opened an investigation into the health secretary’s admission that he breached money laundering rules.The health secretary was forced to apologise for failing to declare his part-ownership of a company, which bought the luxury seaside flats in So
  
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• GKN takeover sparks soul-searching by CBI

  18-04-2018 17:53 via ft.com
  Business group questions whether short-term investors should have a say on bids
  
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• CBI questions role of speculators in takeover battles

  18-04-2018 17:53 via ft.com
  Business group calls for a review of the rules after Melrose-GKN deal
  
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• Jeremy Corbyn And The Left Have Been Shameless On Syria

  18-04-2018 17:50
  And after all that, no-one was killed and not much happened. Britain, France and the USA struck key positions of Bashar al-Assad and didn’t kill anyone. It was designed to convey a message, which it probably did, but mostly was just about symbolism and gestures.It is a response perhaps many years too late now. Removing Assad – if that really is the aim, which if so would require a detailed and coherent wider strategy – feels simply a purpose of reminding ourselves that we are b
  
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• Alarm Bells Begin To Ring On The Financial Risks Of Climate Change

  18-04-2018 17:46
  Climate change has the potential to wipe out trillions of pounds worth of assets. The alarm bells are beginning to ring in the financial world, and central banks are beginning to catch-on.Bank of England Governor Mark Carney recently warned of the “catastrophic impacts” climate change could have for our financial system. According to Carney, the climate risks we are facing are so severe that they could result in a ‘climate Minsky moment’ involving a rapid, system-wide col
  
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• Not On The High Street To Suspend Sale Of Faux Fur After Discovering Some Items May Contain Real Fur

  18-04-2018 17:42
  Not On The High Street has said it will suspend the sale of faux fur products on its website after discovering some items may have been made from animal fur.Kate Burns, general counsel at the retailer said it was in the process of “taking down every single faux fur product on the site” after a charity, Humane Society International (HSI), wrote to it yesterday to say it suspected several items from one seller were made from animal products. Burns made the admission, for which she
  
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• How Running A Marathon Changed My Life In More Ways Than I Could Ever Imagine

  18-04-2018 17:42
  It’s no secret that many people find exercise is one of the best mental health remedies available. They are starting to realise that getting to the gym or going for a run can be what gets them through the day. I’m no different. Despite being literally the worst at sports in my whole year at school, I started running when I was at uni and it helped me get over a nasty break-up and pulled me through a very dark time in my life. I’m not fast and I’m not athletic, I just
  
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• Theresa May 'Incorrectly' Claimed Migrant Denied Cancer Treatment Will Now Get Care

  18-04-2018 17:35
  The Prime Minister said in PMQs that Albert Thompson, my constituent, will be receiving the NHS treatment he needs. But he has not received the radiotherapy he needs nor been made aware of any plans to provide it. To say otherwise is wrong, and she must correct the record. pic.twitter.com/zMDhgC64TC— Chuka Umunna (@ChukaUmunna) April 18, 2018Theresa May faces another accusation of misleading MPs today after she “incorrectly” claimed a migrant had been offered lifesaving cancer
  
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• Windrush scandal leaves Amber Rudd embattled

  18-04-2018 17:24 via ft.com
  Seemingly effortless rise of UK home secretary now being questioned
  
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• Is A British Passport The Only Way To Ensure You Are Not An Illegal Immigrant?

  18-04-2018 17:06
  I remember as a young child of six going, with my stepfather and sisters, to get my passport photo taken in Fallowfield, Manchester. There were no photo booths back then. I sensed that taking these photos was important and now I wonder if my parents hadn’t got British passports for themselves and for us where would we be today? Would I have to prove that I was born in Manchester? Would my parents have to provide evidence of tax payments and national insurance contributions dating back to t
  
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• Abuse Of People With Disfigurements Needs To Be Recognised For What It Is - A Hate Crime

  18-04-2018 16:59
  When I was a little boy and throughout my teenage years I was frequently laughed at, mocked and stared at, all because of how I looked. I was born with a large birthmark on my face and so people seemed to think it was okay to call me awful names, comparing me to ‘evil’ film and TV characters. I would often be cornered by a group of people who would compete to see who could call me the most offensive names. Nasty things were written about me online, I was told I would never achieve ce
  
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• The 10 things that will now shape Brexit

  18-04-2018 16:50 via ft.com
  The UK government’s professed intentions are not that significant
  
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• This Video Of Barack Obama Is The Perfect Example Of Fake News

  18-04-2018 16:37
  A video supposedly showing Barack Obama call the current President Donald Trump a “total and complete dipsh*t” has appeared on Youtube.Except of course he hasn’t. The video is completely fake.It is in fact a collaboration between Buzzfeed and “Get Out” director Jordan Peele to show us just how far AI-powered video editing has come and the potential dangers it can pose in the rise of fake news.In the past we’ve seen video footage which shows how you can use AI
  
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• Brexit: 'Windrush warning' over right-to-remain process

  18-04-2018 16:28 via bbc.co.uk
  EU nationals must not face a "bureaucratic nightmare" to stay in the UK, Guy Verhofstadt warns.
  
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• Bounce: Could This Be Your New Workout?

  18-04-2018 16:21
  Five minutes into my first Bounce session, I am seriously regretting that last-minute banana I scoffed at home for an extra boost - the energy, I most definitely needed; the feeling of nausea every time my feet hit the trampoline, I could most definitely have done without.With over 150 branches across the UK, Bounce is the latest fitness trend taking over local dance studios and town halls - and I’m here to find out if it’s the new workout for me. The 60-minute class consis
  
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• Why Religion Is The Solution To The Commonwealth's Problems

  18-04-2018 16:17
  This week, over fifty Heads of Government from around the Commonwealth of Nations have descended on London for the 25th Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM). The meeting’s agenda will have these leaders focusing on trade, security, democracy and climate change. Just one short week to ponder some of the greatest issues that we share – but also the opportunity to bring about change together.But as I ponder the meeting’s agenda, I can’t help but feel that they&rs
  
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• Theresa May 'Misled Parliament' In Trying To Blame Labour For Windrush Fiasco

  18-04-2018 15:48
  Theresa May has been accused of misleading Parliament over the Windrush fiasco after she suggested Labour had junked migrants’ identity documents.An embattled May told MPs during Prime Minister’s Question Time that “the decision to destroy the landing cards was taken in 2009 under a Labour government”.That prompted loud cheers from Tory MPs, given the Home Secretaries that year were Labour’s Jacqui Smith and Alan Johnson. The PM’s broadside was designed t
  
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• Ofcom opens new investigations into Kremlin-funded RT channel

  18-04-2018 15:47 via ft.com
  Broadcaster could lose licences if UK regulator deems it has breached rules on impartiality
  
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• Who decided to destroy Windrush cards?

  18-04-2018 15:30 via bbc.co.uk
  Jeremy Corbyn asks Theresa May to clarify her role in the disposal of documents for people arriving in the Windrush generation.
  
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• PMQs: Corbyn and May clash over Windrush furore

  18-04-2018 15:29 via bbc.co.uk
  A series of questions about Windrush immigration end with heated exchanges between Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May.
  
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• Facebook's Facial Recognition Software Is Now In The UK, Here's How It Works

  18-04-2018 15:11
  Facebook has started rolling out a new facial recognition technology in the EU and Canada that allow the company to identify you in pictures uploaded to the site.The feature has already garnered a not inconsiderable amount of controversy having been rolled out in elsewhere in the world over the last six years.Indeed in the US Facebook is facing a class action lawsuit over the use of the technology.The feature, along with the ability to turn it off, is being launched by Facebook as part of some m
  
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• Theresa May Scrambles To Defend Senior Tory's 'Rape Clause' Comments At PMQs

  18-04-2018 15:06
  Theresa May was forced to defend a senior Tory’s “disgraceful” claim the so-called ‘rape clause’ system offered women access to “double support”. During a tense Prime Minister’s Questions in Parliament, the SNP’s Ian Blackford asked if May agreed with Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey  about the Government’s controversial two-child cap policy. McVey drew ire when she appeared before Holyrood’s Social Security
  
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• Theresa May Praises 'Incredible Bravery' Of Labour MPs Who Spoke Out Over Anti-Semitism

  18-04-2018 14:36
  Theresa May has praised the “incredible bravery” of two Labour MPs who spoke out about anti-Semitic abuse they have received from members of their own party. The PM described Luciana Berger and Ruth Smeeth as “the best of this House of Commons and the best of Members of Parliament” after they revealed their struggles in a debate on Tuesday. She used a question from former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith to praise the pair, who appeared visibly emotional as
  
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• 10 Summer Dresses Under £50 You Can Wear To Work

  18-04-2018 14:26
  Dressing for work in the summer is all about getting the balance right between keeping cool and not making it obvious you would have rather be on the beach. As heatwaves are often short-lived in the UK, every year we find ourselves with a lack of options in our wardrobe, so we’ve rounded up 10 options from the high street of varying colour, length and sizes, all for under £50.Bamboo dress, £49, size 6-12, Warehouse. WarehouseMustard yellow wrap front midi dress, sizes 6-18
  
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• PMQs verdict: May dodges bullet with claim Labour destroyed landing cards

  18-04-2018 14:25
  Corbyn didn’t seem prepared for the PM’s reply to his killer question on the Windrush generationTheresa May said people who came to the UK from the Commonwealth countries had made a huge contribution to the nation. These people were British. There was no intention of making them leave, she said. Continue reading...
  
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• Erenumab: Monthly Injection To Prevent Migraines 'Could Be Available Next Year'

  18-04-2018 14:23
  A migraine is more than just a headache, having potentially debilitating effects on the one in five women and one in 15 men affected in the UK. But a treatment to prevent migraines could be on the horizon.A trial of a new monthly injection, called erenumab, found the drug can significantly reduce the frequency of migraines for regular sufferers and lesson their impact when they do strike. “Our study found that erenumab reduced the average number of monthly migraine headaches by more t
  
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