Political news

• Windrush: UK citizenship fees and language tests waived

  23-04-2018 23:50 via bbc.co.uk
  Compensation is also promised - as Labour warns against "token" sums for those affected.
  
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• Brexit: Government insists UK will leave customs union

  23-04-2018 23:05 via bbc.co.uk
  The government rules out a U-turn on customs after a House of Lords defeat on its Brexit bill.
  
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• Theresa May rejects calls for confidence vote on customs union

  23-04-2018 21:15 via ft.com
  Eurosceptics urge prime minister to force MPs into line on key Brexit issue
  
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• Diane Abbott Hits Out Over 'Shameful' Treatment Of Windrush Generation That Took 'Unparalleled Pride In Being British'

  23-04-2018 20:21
  Labour’s Diane Abbott has blasted the Government for overseeing one of the Home Office’s “biggest scandals” as she called out the “shameful” treatment of the Windrush generation who took “unparalleled pride in being British”.The Shadow Home Secretary was responding to Amber Rudd in the House of Commons after the Tory minister announced those caught up in the scandal will be entitled to gain British citizenship at no cost.In a passionate rebuttal,&n
  
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• Amber Rudd promises easier route to citizenship for Windrush migrants

  23-04-2018 20:08 via ft.com
  Home secretary blames scandal on policies of successive governments
  
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• Toronto: Van 'Hits Multiple Pedestrians' In Canadian City

  23-04-2018 20:02
  Several people have been injured after a van hit pedestrians in the northern part of Toronto, the city’s police force has said.Toronto Police described a “collision” in which “numerous pedestrians have been struck by a white van” in the Yonge St and Finch area of the city.The driver of the van has been taken into custody, police said.Reuters news agency quoted police as estimating between eight and 10 people had been injured. No information on their conditions
  
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• Toronto Van Attack: 10 Dead And 15 Injured After Man Drives Deliberately Into Pedestrians In Canadian City

  23-04-2018 20:02
  10 dead and 15 injured as pedestrians struck during lunch time.The suspect has been named by police as Alek Minassian, 25.Reports suggest driver not involved with any organised militant group.Praise for officer’s restraint as Toronto van attack suspect screamed ‘kill me’A white rental van has killed 10 people and injured 16 after deliberately ploughing into pedestrians on a busy, mile-long street in Toronto.Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders identified the suspect as Alek Minas
  
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• Toronto: 9 Dead And 16 Injured After Van Drives Into Pedestrians In Canadian City

  23-04-2018 20:02
  A white Ryder rental van has killed nine people and injured 16 when its driver ploughed through a busy Toronto street in Canada’s biggest city.Toronto Deputy Chief Peter Yuen revealed the casualty toll as he confirmed the driver had been arrested and was being held in custody.The city’s Sunnybrook Hospital said it has received seven people from the incident at the Yonge Street and Finch Avenue area of the city, five of which were in a critical condition.The incident occurred just bef
  
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• Toronto: 10 Dead And 15 Injured After Van Drives Deliberately Into Pedestrians In Canadian City

  23-04-2018 20:02
  10 dead and 15 injured as pedestrians struck during lunch time.The suspect has been named by police as Alek Minassian, 25.Reports suggest driver not involved with any organised militant group.A white Ryder rental van has killed 10 people and injured 16 after deliberately ploughing into pedestrians on a busy, mile-long Toronto street in Canada’s biggest city.Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders identified the suspect as Alek Minassian, 25, who he said had not previously been known to authorit
  
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• May suffers two defeats on EU withdrawal bill as peers vote to keep EU rights charter in domestic law - Politics live

  23-04-2018 20:02
  Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happenNo 10 lobby briefing - SummaryLunchtime summary 7.02pm BST Peers are now voting on a third amendment. This is amendment 19, another tabled by the crossbencher Lord Pannick and the Lib Dem Lord Beith. It backs up amendment 18 (see 6.48pm) by removing a paragraph from the bill clarifying the terms under which the bill would let ministers make regulations specifying in what circumstances retained EU law could be challenged in
  
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• EU Withdrawal Bill suffers third Lords defeat on human rights charter

  23-04-2018 20:02 via bbc.co.uk
  Peers vote to keep the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in force after Brexit.
  
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• Measured May has succumbed to a tawdry migrant pose

  23-04-2018 19:37 via ft.com
  A rightwing, pro-Brexit politician could adopt a sensible immigration policy
  
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• The customs union is imperative for Britain’s future prosperity

  23-04-2018 19:19 via ft.com
  After Brexit the UK must keep its borders open to European trade
  
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• May is chasing a fantasists’ Brexit. She must change course now | Rafael Behr

  23-04-2018 19:19
  It’s clear a sensible withdrawal will involve compromise. No one will be totally happy but a brave PM would do what was rightWho can say, hand on heart, that the customs union was uppermost in their mind in the polling booth on referendum day? Each vote contained a multitude of motives, and the subtleties of the EU’s common external tariff were in the mix somewhere, but as obscure chemical elements in a complex electoral compound. The only certain description we have of that substanc
  
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• Stephen Lawrence Day to be created in tribute to murdered teenager

  23-04-2018 19:15
  Harry and Meghan join Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May at celebration of teenager’s life and legacyTheresa May has announced an annual Stephen Lawrence Day to be held on the anniversary of the teenager’s murder.
  The prime minister made the announcement at a memorial service to mark the 25th anniversary of the hate crime that shocked Britain and led to the Metropolitan police being described as institutionally racist.Stephen’s mother, Doreen Lawrence, welcomed the announcement. &ld
  
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• Local elections voter ID trial 'like picking up parcel'

  23-04-2018 19:10 via bbc.co.uk
  Labour says next month's pilot will "disenfranchise legitimate voters".
  
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• Who Is In 'The Split' Cast? Where You Might Have Seen The Stars Of BBC One's New Drama Before

  23-04-2018 19:00
  The BBC is set to explore modern marriage and the legacy of divorce in their latest drama, ‘The Split’. The new six-part series tells the story of a family of female lawyers at the centre of London’s emotionally-charged divorce circuit, putting their private lives and those of their clients under the microscope. The show boasts a fantastic cast, many of whom have starred in a range of other shows, but if you’re struggling to quite put your finger on exactly wher
  
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• First Royal Baby Pictures Captured As Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge Leave Hospital With Their Third Child

  23-04-2018 18:59
  The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge posed for their first public photographs with the new royal baby as they left St Mary’s Hospital in London with their third child today [Monday 23 April]. The couple, who welcomed a baby boy weighing 8lbs 7oz at 11.01am on 23 April, introduced their son to the world, standing on the steps of the Lindo Wing. The proud parents beamed with happiness as they waved to the crowds, who had been waiting outside the hospital for up to 15 days to see
  
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• Rudd tries to quarantine Windrush scandal

  23-04-2018 18:51
  
  Home secretary desperately tries to isolate the debacle, but character of Home Office makes it impossible.
  
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• May Suffers Fresh Brexit Defeat As Lords Vote To Keep EU Rights In British Law

  23-04-2018 18:49
  Theresa May has suffered a fresh Parliamentary defeat over Brexit after the House of Lords voted to keep the EU’s human rights charter in British law.Peers voted by 316 votes to 245 for a cross-party amendment to the EU (Withdrawal) Bill that aims to retain the so-called Charter of Fundamental Rights even after the UK quits the bloc in 2019.Several senior Tory rebels helped inflict the defeat - by a majority of 71 - including former Cabinet ministers David Willetts, Michael Heseltine and C
  
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• It’s Weird Being an Immigrant Muslim Morrissey Fan

  23-04-2018 18:46
  Any pre-adolescent who discovered Morrissey at a time when all around were bopping to Wham! was most likely in a weird place ­– in my case, Bangladesh. There I was, this little Muslim boy unsatisfied with the verses the Qur’an offered to explain the way the world worked, turning instead to pop music for answers, when my moment of apostasy came halfway through tape two of Now That’s What I Call Music Vol II.“The devil will find work for idle hands to do. I stole and th
  
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• Windrush generation will get UK citizenship, says Amber Rudd

  23-04-2018 18:44
  Home Office will waive fees and knowledge test, and applicants may get compensationThe home secretary has pledged that the Windrush generation will be granted British citizenship, as the government attempted to draw a line under the scandal.
  Amber Rudd told the Commons that citizenship would be granted to anyone from the group of Caribbean immigrants who wanted it and applicants would qualify for compensation for their often “heartbreaking” treatment. The Home Office would waive fees
  
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• Matt Campbell Dead: Donations On Chef’s London Marathon Fundraising Page Reach £79k

  23-04-2018 18:43
  Following the sad news of Matt Campbell’s death, donations on the chef’s London Marathon fundraising page have reached over £79k. On Monday (23 April) morning, a statement from the race organisers explained that Matt - who appeared on last year’s ‘Masterchef: The Professionals’ - died after collapsing during the race.The 29-year-old was taking part in the London Marathon in memory of his father, Martin, and raising money for Brathay Trust, a charity Marti
  
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• Matt Campbell Dead: Donations On Chef’s London Marathon Fundraising Page Reach £45k

  23-04-2018 18:43
  Following the sad news of Matt Campbell’s death, donations on the chef’s London Marathon fundraising page have reached over £45k. On Monday (23 April) morning, a statement from the race organisers explained that Matt - who appeared on last year’s ‘Masterchef: The Professionals’ - died after collapsing during the race.The 29-year-old was taking part in the London Marathon in memory of his father, Martin, and raising money for Brathay Trust, a charity Marti
  
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• The Windrush scandal is no accident – it is Tory policy working as intended | Suzanne Moore

  23-04-2018 18:40
  Forget bureaucratic ineptitude. The Tories are convinced they have the consent of the people to enact inhumane policiesOn their deathbed, who would want to look back and say: “I am proud of creating a hostile environment for immigrants so that some people who had lived in Britain all their lives were deported to countries they had never been to”? Who wants to take responsibility for the heartbreaking stories we have been hearing?The closest I have heard to anyone being honest about t
  
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• Rudd announces measures to help Windrush generation

  23-04-2018 18:30 via ft.com
  ‘State has let these people down,’ says home secretary
  
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• Martin Rowson on the birth of the Cambridges’ third child – cartoon

  23-04-2018 18:19
  Continue reading...
  
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• Barbara Bush Deserves A Better Eulogy - Alcohol In Pregnancy Is No Laughing Matter

  23-04-2018 18:12
  I tuned into the funeral of former First Lady Barbara Bush out of respect for a strong woman. Not thirty seconds into my viewing, historian Jon Meacham repeated the quip that has been going around since she died, “You want to know why George W. is the way he is… Because I drank and smoked while I was pregnant with him.” The room full of former presidents and other leaders erupted into laughter. I froze. Then I turned off my television. My heart was racing.Thousands of miles aw
  
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• I Asked My Ex 10 Questions About Our Relationship And It Emotionally Crippled Me

  23-04-2018 18:07
  I’m the kind of girl that if we break up, you will never see or hear from me again. Most of my breakups have been relatively ugly and I have always cut my ex-lovers out of my life for good. Firstly, because it’s better for my mental health, and secondly, I just don’t have space for that kind of negativity in my life - there’s enough of it within myself that I need to deal with. Yet sometimes I still wonder what my exes would have to say about me, since I’m not on ta
  
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• Toddler Groups: Sanity Saver Or Nest Of Vipers?

  23-04-2018 18:04
  Every day thousands of baby and toddler groups take place in churches and community venues across the country. Different from their more formal cousin, the baby and toddler class, they are intended to be a way for parents of under 5s to meet each other while the children burn off some energy. They have a reputation for draughty halls, dirty toys, tantruming toddlers and bad coffee, but what they are most often known for, is cliques and bitchiness.So what makes people go? Well, parenting can be l
  
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• How Joseph Muscat's glittering political career lost its lustre

  23-04-2018 18:01
  Questions over financial deals involving his inner circle have dashed the Maltese leader’s hopes of even higher officeWhen Ali Sadr, the son of one of Iran’s richest men, got married in a lavish ceremony at the Four Seasons hotel in Florence in June 2015, the guest list included VIPs from around the world.Among the notable attendees were Joseph Muscat, the prime minister of Malta, his wife, Michelle, and chief of staff, Keith Schembri. Continue reading...
  
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• New Westminster Bullying Inquiry Risks Giving MPs A ‘Clean Slate’ For Past Misconduct, FDA Union Warns

  23-04-2018 17:55
  An independent inquiry into bullying and harassment at Westminster risks giving guilty MPs a “clean slate” for past misconduct, the senior civil servants’ union has warned.The First Division Association (FDA) hit out after it emerged that the new probe will not look into allegations against individuals, including claims that Commons Speaker John Bercow mistreated his staff.The inquiry’s terms of reference were announced on Monday by ‘non-executive’ members of
  
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• Windrush Generation Will Have Have British Citizenship Fees Waived, Amber Rudd Announces

  23-04-2018 17:49
  The Windrush generation will be entitled to gain British citizenship at no cost, Amber Rudd has announced.Speaking in the Commons on Monday afternoon, the home secretary revealed the government will waive citizenship and language tests fees in the wake of the scandal that saw people wrongly threatened with deportation.Rudd confirmed victims will be paid compensation.“It was never the intention that the Windrush generation should be disadvantaged by measures put in place to tackle illegal i
  
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• Jurgen Klopp: Brexit 'makes no sense at all'

  23-04-2018 17:41 via bbc.co.uk
  The German football manager says people should "vote again with the right information".
  
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• No Alexandra Shulman, Women Shouldn't Stop Wearing Frills When They're 40

  23-04-2018 17:19
  “The one thing that looks frightful as you age is a swamp of frilly fabric,” wrote Alexandra Shulman, the former Editor-in-Chief of British Vogue, in a guide on how to master ageless style.Writing for The Telegraph’s Stella Magazine, the 60-year-old advised women to avoid frills along with tiers, flounces and bows - which she regards as “completely unacceptable in ageless style, not working for most people past the age of two”.Though Shulman’s advice did
  
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• Rudd says online EU registration will be 'as easy as shopping at LK Bennett'

  23-04-2018 16:58
  Home secretary compares application system for EU citizens to setting up account with luxury fashion retailerAn application system for EU nationals seeking to remain in the UK after Brexit will be “as easy as setting up an online account at LK Bennett”, according to Amber Rudd.
  The home secretary referred to the fashion retailer during a private business dinner earlier this month, the Financial Times reported. Continue reading...
  
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• Google Is Replacing SMS With New 'Chat' Instant-Messaging Service

  23-04-2018 16:52
  Sending a text message (SMS) sucks.There’s no nice way of saying it, which is why Google has been working with companies all over the world to kill the now ancient technology once and for all.Well here we are, some two years since Google first announced its intention, and starting this year SMS is going to be killed off and replaced with a brand-new instant-messaging technology called simply Chat.That’s right, the days of seeing that green bubble on your iPhone every time you tr
  
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• If St George’s Day becomes a public holiday, how should we celebrate it?

  23-04-2018 16:50
  Jeremy Corbyn has announced that the saints’ days of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland will become days off – if Labour wins the next electionName: St George’s Day.Date: 23 April. Continue reading...
  
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• Royal Baby: Watch BBC Newsreader Simon McCoy's Underwhelmed Reaction To The News

  23-04-2018 16:45
  When the news broke that the Duchess of Cambridge was in the early stages of labour on Monday morning, Sky News presenter Kay Burley was quickly on our screens providing commentary from the Lindo Wing.“The Duchess of Cambridge has gone into labour with her third child”Kay Burley: pic.twitter.com/7lgn1q2iUn— Elliot Gonzalez (@elliot_gonzalez) April 23, 2018However, for some people, who prefer po-faced royal coverage, there was only one man for the job.DISPATCH THE SIMON MCCOY TO
  
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• Matt Campbell Dead: 'Masterchef: The Professionals' Judge Marcus Wareing Leads Tributes To 'Talented And Innovative' Chef

  23-04-2018 16:20
  ‘Masterchef: The Professionals’ judge Marcus Wareing has led the tributes to former contestant Matt Campbell, following news of his death. The 29-year-old chef passed away after collapsing during Sunday’s (22 April) London Marathon. Taking to Twitter after news of his death was announced, Marcus hailed Matt as a “talented, innovative and driven chef”.He wrote: “It is with huge sadness that I received the news of Matt Campbell’s untimely death e
  
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• Matt Smith Breaks Silence Over ‘The Crown’ Unequal Pay Revelation

  23-04-2018 16:19
  Matt Smith has spoken out about the fact he was paid more than Claire Foy for ‘The Crown’, stating he supports his co-star “completely”.Last month, one of the show’s producers revealed the former ‘Doctor Who’ star was paid more than Claire, despite the fact she had the leading role, featured in more scenes than her on-screen husband and took the centre stage in promotional materials.Speaking about the matter for the first time, on Sunday (22 April) night
  
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• Royal Baby: Advice For Prince William And Kate On Introducing Children To Their Newborn Sibling

  23-04-2018 16:13
  As well as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge getting used to having three kids around, Prince George and Princess Charlotte will need to adapt to having a brand-new baby sibling. While this isn’t anything new to Prince George, who became a big brother when he was two years old, it is the first time Charlotte will meet a newborn sibling. Introducing a new addition to your family is an exciting time, but change doesn’t always go smoothly. So what’s t
  
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• The Capita crisis may be the undoing of the Tories at the local elections | Aditya Chakrabortty

  23-04-2018 15:44
  With councils from Barnet to Preston suffering the consequences of outsourcing, the government must acknowledge it is not fit for purposeThe crisis at Capita will today be treated like a business story – albeit a huge one, with a big company shooting up distress flares and launching an urgent £700m whip-round. But this story is far larger than that. It holds up a mirror to how the British state is now locked in a sick codependency with outsourcing companies whose very business model
  
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• We Need Better Pathways Into Elite Sport For People With A Learning Disability

  23-04-2018 15:43
  I’m one of the fortunate athletes with a learning disability who has been able to progress to the top of my game and compete in many competitions, including the Paralympics, winning gold in 2012 and two silvers and a bronze in 2016. Sadly, for many other athletes with a learning disability, they will never get that opportunity. Currently, the only events open to us are swimming, athletics and table tennis, which is an issue that desperately needs addressing. I spoke about it at a meeting i
  
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• Starbucks Employee Petitions For Coffee Chain To Ditch Plastic Straws

  23-04-2018 15:41
  A Starbucks employee has launched a petition calling on her employer to ditch plastic straws.Stephanie Muttillo, from New Jersey, said Starbucks has a duty to help tackle the growing problem of plastic waste. “I would like to see Starbucks, the company I work for, help lead the way to shrink our footprint on the planet,” she explained. “Plastic straws are too lightweight to be recycled, and oftentimes are made out of the same plastic as styrofoam, which cann
  
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• No frills over 40? Why you should ignore age-based fashion rules

  23-04-2018 15:26
  Former Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman would like to ban frills and bows on anyone over the age of 40. Where’s the fun in that?My mother made many of our clothes when we were small and, in her book, frills and little girls were a match made in heaven. Also, she believed women went into sartorial retirement the moment they had their first baby. Having had five kids before she was 30, she wisely relented on the latter point. Unfortunately, however, either her dressmaking skills, or the speed
  
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• The London Marathon 2018 Saw 89% Drop In Air Pollution

  23-04-2018 15:15
  A section of the London Marathon route saw an impressive 89% drop in air pollution, revealing just how much of an impact the capital’s daily traffic can have on air quality.The figures, discovered by Global Action Plan, have come from the London Air Quality Network which is a collection of air quality monitoring stations dotted around the city and managed by Kings College London.Using the Upper Thames Street monitoring station as their benchmark, the NGO examined the air quality at the sit
  
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• The Five Years Of Fashion Revolution

  23-04-2018 15:06
  On 8 May 2013, the two of us wrote an email which began, ‘like many, we have seen the terrible tragedy in Bangladesh as a call to arms and feel that we should build on the momentum which has been generated. An annual Fashion Revolution Day would be a way to ensure that these deaths are not in vain, show the world that change is possible, and celebrate those involved in creating a more sustainable future for fashion’.  The responses to our request for involvement fell into two qu
  
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• Threat to women's refugees in government funding cuts

  23-04-2018 15:04 via bbc.co.uk
  Some of those running women's refuges say they will be forced to close if the government's funding proposals are implemented.
  
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• Customs union Q&A: what is it and can the UK manage without it?

  23-04-2018 15:04
  Theresa May has ruled out staying in a customs union after Brexit, but are her proposals workable?As the Brexit countdown clock ticks ever louder, Westminster’s gaze has once again swung around to the issue of whether or not Britain should remain in a customs union. But the political focus can easily obscure rather than illuminate more fundamental issues at stake.What is a customs union? Continue reading...
  
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