Political news

• Boris Johnson cleared over burqa comments

  20-12-2018 23:31
  Former foreign secretary was ‘respectful and tolerant’, according to independent panelBoris Johnson has been cleared of breaking the Conservative party’s code of conduct over his comments about veiled Muslim women.An independent panel investigated the former foreign secretary’s comments after he used his Daily Telegraph column to suggest women wearing the burqa looked like letter boxes or bank robbers. Continue reading...
  
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• Far-right and far-left extremists use abuse for own agenda - Sarah Champion

  20-12-2018 22:19 via bbc.co.uk
  Sarah Champion says child abuse is being used by the far right and left, as Newsnight investigates a women-led group based in Sunderland.
  
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• Gender pay gap widens at nearly a third of Whitehall departments

  20-12-2018 21:18
  Female civil servants face ‘loyalty penalty’ after external hires join on ‘much higher’ pay The gender pay gap has widened at nearly a third of government departments over the past 12 months, despite pledges to reduce the difference in earnings between male and female civil servants.In the midst of Brexit chaos, 18 government departments posted their gender pay gap results for 2018 on Wednesday, without issuing press releases or announcements. Continue reading...
  
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• Putin: Voters' choices of Trump and Brexit 'disrespected'

  20-12-2018 20:47 via bbc.co.uk
  Russia's president says the US and UK political classes do not want to accept voters' choices.
  
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• Varadkar comments cast doubt on Brexit backstop

  20-12-2018 20:28 via ft.com
  Irish prime minister suggests Dublin will keep border with UK open even in event of no-deal
  
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• Consumer confidence hits five-year low as Brexit uncertainty bites

  20-12-2018 20:12
  GfK index shows most of fall fuelled by fears for economy rather than personal financeConsumer confidence has slumped to a five-year low as Brexit uncertainty left shoppers fearing for the stability of the UK economy in the months ahead.The GfK index, which is used by the European commission to judge consumer confidence, fell to -14 in December, down from -13 in the previous month and -10 in October. Continue reading...
  
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• Labour and Tory MPs strengthen efforts to prevent no-deal Brexit

  20-12-2018 20:09
  MPs table amendment to finance bill that would prevent cliff-edge BrexitSenior Labour and Conservative MPs are to ramp up efforts to block any possibility of a no-deal Brexit ahead of the vote on Theresa May’s deal, with a plan to mandate the prime minister to extend or cancel article 50 if the prospect of crashing out looms.Efforts were kickstarted on Thursday by a cross-party group of prominent MPs led by Yvette Cooper, who tabled a new amendment to the finance bill that would only allow
  
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• Fiona Onasanya: Jeremy Corbyn says Peterborough MP should quit

  20-12-2018 19:53 via bbc.co.uk
  Peterborough MP Fiona Onasanya lied to police about who was driving her speeding car.
  
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• The Guardian view on a Brexit citizens’ assembly: the people’s voice is needed | Editorial

  20-12-2018 19:38
  A polarised politics has prevented a civil and respectful debate about Brexit. Ireland shows deliberative democracy may help to break the deadlockThe failure of Theresa May’s government to anticipate and then adequately address the political crisis caused by the result of the vote to leave the European Union in June 2016 is vaporising trust in politics. Once voters looked to parliament for reassurance that MPs knew what they were doing and had faith in their ability to weigh risks and move
  
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• Steve Bell on tackling the homelessness crisis – cartoon

  20-12-2018 19:30
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• Drakeford turned down one-to-one with PM for Labour event

  20-12-2018 19:18 via bbc.co.uk
  Wales' new first minister turns down a one-to-one with Theresa May to get to a Labour celebration.
  
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• Ministers at odds over second Brexit referendum

  20-12-2018 18:58 via ft.com
  Collective cabinet responsibility breaking down in Theresa May’s team
  
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• 4,600 disabled people 'wrongly' lost benefit

  20-12-2018 18:21 via bbc.co.uk
  Payments stopped despite claimants having a "good reason" for missing assessments, ministers say.
  
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• One thing about Brexit is certain — no one knows anything

  20-12-2018 18:05 via ft.com
  Even the professionals’ predictions about what would happen have turned out wrong
  
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• Suspended MP quits Labour over party's record on antisemitism

  20-12-2018 18:04
  Ivan Lewis, who was accused of sexual harassment, says party has failed to condemn antisemitic behaviourSuspended MP Ivan Lewis has announced his resignation from the Labour party, accusing Jeremy Corbyn of being “unwilling to condemn those whose hatred of Israel becomes Jewish hatred” and complaining that the disciplinary process against him was “subject to political manipulation”.The Bury South MP said he would continue to sit in parliament as an independent, but his de
  
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• Labour MP Ivan Lewis quits party

  20-12-2018 17:49 via ft.com
  Former minister under investigation cites Corbyn’s ‘anti-Western world view’
  
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• There’s a national emergency all right – but it isn’t Brexit | Aditya Chakrabortty

  20-12-2018 17:40
  As another vote looms amid the pantomime of Westminster, the core issues behind leave’s win have been ignoredLet me warn you right away that this column is trivial. Or rather, it’s about what is deemed trivial, which is a topic now under discussion at the highest levels of government. Even before gathering her cabinet ministers on Tuesday, Theresa May let it be known she would order them to focus on planning for Britain to leave Europe without a deal. Any business deemed “non-e
  
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• The Bank's decision to hold interest rates was inevitable | Larry Elliot

  20-12-2018 17:01
  Rate rises are off the agenda due to Brexit uncertainty and mothballed investment By now, had things turned out differently, Theresa May would have secured the passage of her Brexit withdrawal bill through parliament and the UK would unquestionably be on course to leave the EU at the end of March.In those circumstances, the Bank of England would be taking a very different view of the prospects for the economy and a much more hawkish view about interest rates. There would have been a good chance
  
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• Is this how parliament ends – not with a bang but a row about a whisper? | Jonathan Jones

  20-12-2018 16:56
  In this image of MPs with John Bercow, the Commons has retreated from the reality of Brexit into form and ritualIt is a superbly theatrical tableau of passion. As MPs harangue the Speaker during this week’s row in the House of Commons over what Jeremy Corbyn did or didn’t say about Theresa May, their gestures and facial expressions are so eloquent and contrived it is hard to believe the picture wasn’t elaborately staged by some great history painter. That is because everyone in
  
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• Theresa May's message to Poles in UK - in Polish

  20-12-2018 16:18 via bbc.co.uk
  The prime minister tries out her language skills, telling Polish people they can stay in the UK after Brexit.
  
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• Andrea Leadsom and Amber Rudd suggest rival Brexit 'Plan Bs'

  20-12-2018 16:01 via bbc.co.uk
  Andrea Leadsom and Amber Rudd are at odds over what should happen if MPs reject Theresa May's deal.
  
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• Labour MP compares herself to Jesus after penalty points conviction

  20-12-2018 15:54
  Fiona Onasanya, convicted of lying to police, sends message to MPs asking for prayersA Labour MP found guilty of lying to the police to avoid a speeding ticket has sent a message to parliamentary colleagues likening her predicament to those of biblical figures, including Jesus, and asking them to pray for her.Fiona Onasanya was suspended and urged to quit her Peterborough seat by the Labour party after her conviction for perverting the course of justice. Continue reading...
  
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• The immigration white paper threatens the economy and integration

  20-12-2018 15:17
  
  A cross-party group of MPs, mayors and religious figures respond to the much-delayed immigration proposals released yesterday by Sajid Javid.
  
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• Kremlin-backed RT breached impartiality rules, Ofcom finds

  20-12-2018 15:05 via ft.com
  Broadcaster guilty of ‘serious failure’ in coverage of Salisbury attack, says UK watchdog
  
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• Jeremy Corbyn hits out at media over 'stupid woman' row

  20-12-2018 14:41 via bbc.co.uk
  Jeremy Corbyn accuses the media of being "obsessed" with the story when homeless people are dying.
  
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• 'You're on the side of Hitler': Anna Soubry accosted by pro-Brexit supporters

  20-12-2018 14:38
  Tory MP and second referendum campaigner urges police to clamp down on ‘far right’ protesters The Conservative MP Anna Soubry has urged police to clamp down on “far-right” protesters outside parliament after a group of pro-Brexit supporters harassed her, shouting that she was a traitor and “on the side of Adolf Hitler”.Soubry said that while she had not been harmed, she was worried about the safety of MPs and reporters if the group was left unchallenged by pol
  
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• Love Islander Zara McDermott on politicians and TV stars

  20-12-2018 14:31 via bbc.co.uk
  From civil servant to reality TV star, Love Islander Zara McDermott looks at what real people make of the world of politics.
  
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• Brexit: Border not addressed in no-deal plan as backstop only option

  20-12-2018 14:21 via bbc.co.uk
  It would not be helpful for the contingency plan to be "dominated by that border debate", says Simon Coveney.
  
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• The polls are clear: support for staying in the EU has rocketed | Peter Kellner

  20-12-2018 14:12
  The latest YouGov survey shows that, across the board, faith in Brexit is falling by the day. A people’s vote is now imperative• Polly Toynbee on why Labour needs to seize the initiative – and back a people’s voteWith deadlock in Westminster over how to move forward with Brexit, what are the polls saying about people’s changing attitudes towards leaving the EU? The latest YouGov survey for the People’s Vote campaign contains three important messages. Continue r
  
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• Ministers clash over second Brexit referendum

  20-12-2018 13:55 via ft.com
  Collective cabinet responsibility breaking down in Theresa May’s team
  
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• This government really is stupid. Labour must get smart on Brexit | Polly Toynbee

  20-12-2018 13:52
  ‘Respecting’ the referendum result has become a liability for Jeremy Corbyn and co as public opinion swings behind remain
  • The polls show a people’s vote is now imperative, says former YouGov president Peter KellnerThis is Britain’s stupidest hour – the age of crass, world-beating idiocy. History might, rather politely, record it as “the parliament of stupids”. As it departs today, many will think: good riddance to them, and to our stupid, obstinat
  
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• Homeless people's deaths 'up 24%' over five years

  20-12-2018 13:31 via bbc.co.uk
  Almost 600 homeless people died in England and Wales last year, says the Office of National Statistics.
  
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• Bank cuts growth forecast amid Brexit worries

  20-12-2018 13:15 via bbc.co.uk
  The Bank of England keeps rates on hold and warns the lack of Brexit clarity is hitting the economy.
  
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• I’m homeless – and your government is to blame, James Brokenshire | Penny Anderson

  20-12-2018 13:03
  The housing minister’s ignorant comments are a grave insult, at a time when more and more of us are dying on the streetsDear Mr Brokenshire,I am writing this in a cheap hotel room. You see, I’ve been homeless for a while and this room is a Christmas gift to myself. More than I can afford, it’s a sanctuary; a brief respite from the merry-go-round of moving from one temporary place to the next. And I’m one of the lucky ones. On Wednesday night a homeless man died on the str
  
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• Brexit uncertainty has ‘intensified considerably’, BoE warns

  20-12-2018 13:03 via ft.com
  Policymakers hold interest rates steady in unanimous decision
  
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• BoE warns Brexit uncertainty has ‘intensified considerably’

  20-12-2018 13:03 via ft.com
  Policymakers hold interest rates steady in unanimous decision
  
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• Brexit predictions for 2019

  20-12-2018 13:01 via ft.com
  What does the crystal ball forecast for next year and the murky state of UK politics?
  
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• Brexit: the risk rises of delay beyond March 29

  20-12-2018 12:58 via ft.com
  In several scenarios, the likelihood is increasing of extending the Article 50 process
  
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• The year in Brexit: an insider's guide

  20-12-2018 12:54 via ft.com
  The FT's Sebastian Payne pops up to put key moments from the past 12 months in the frame
  
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• Drones Shut Down Britain's Second-Biggest Airport During Peak Holiday Travel Season

  20-12-2018 12:22
  
  Tens of thousands of passengers face disruption as police investigate.
  
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• Ireland calls no-deal Brexit plan a ‘damage limitation exercise’

  20-12-2018 11:24
  Irish government says security, travel and trade will suffer if UK crashes out of EUSecurity in Ireland would be “seriously impacted” by a no-deal Brexit because of sudden changes toarrangements with the UK over crime, the Irish government has warned.It also said Ireland would “suffer considerably” from the “adverse economic and social impact” a no-deal Brexit would have on the UK. Continue reading...
  
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• Diane Abbott: 'Tories staged mini riot'

  20-12-2018 10:43 via bbc.co.uk
  Shadow home secretary says Tory MPs staged a "mini riot" over Jeremy Corbyn's alleged jibe.
  
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• EU no-deal plans: Our childish outburst has put us at their mercy

  20-12-2018 10:39
  
  No-deal prep plans offer a life raft to prevent the detonation of UK trading systems, but we will be at the EU's control.
  
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• How to tackle grade inflation? Open university exams to all | Sonia Sodha

  20-12-2018 10:00
  The proportion of people getting top degrees is soaring, and there is little oversight. This system needs radical changeGrade inflation is one of the hardy perennials of education stories. And in recent years universities as well as schools have increasingly come under the spotlight. On Thursday a new report by the university regulator suggested that if you control for factors such as the grades of young people going to university, social class and the universities they are attending, a slightly
  
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• Leadsom hits out at Rudd for second Brexit referendum remarks

  20-12-2018 09:56
  Leader of Commons lays bare cabinet divisions by dismissing idea of holding another voteAndrea Leadsom has rebuked Amber Rudd after the work and pensions secretary broke ranks with the government by saying there was a “plausible argument” for a second referendum if MPs voted down the EU withdrawal bill.Leadsom, the leader of the House of Commons, said: “We won’t have a second referendum. That is not government policy.” Continue reading...
  
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• Home Office criticised for deleting records on death of detainee

  20-12-2018 07:00
  Coroner in case of man facing deportation who died in custody accuses officials of manipulating statisticsA coroner has accused the Home Office of “manipulating statistics” relating to deaths in immigration detention after it emerged that some records relating to the death of a detainee had been deleted.Senior coroner André Rebello made the comments at the conclusion of an inquest at Liverpool and Wirral coroner’s court on Wednesday into the death of 35-year-old Polish m
  
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• US creates Brexit market safety net with German clearing permit

  20-12-2018 06:01 via ft.com
  US regulator approves licence for Deutsche Börse exchange, raising the stakes for LCH
  
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• Eurex gains permit to handle clearing for US asset managers

  20-12-2018 06:01 via ft.com
  US regulator approves licence for Deutsche Börse exchange, raising the stakes for LCH
  
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• Brexit Britain should follow Canada’s lead

  20-12-2018 06:00 via ft.com
  Ottawa offers an example of how second-rank powers can project global influence
  
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• Will Brexit result in more 'Skype families'?

  20-12-2018 03:44 via bbc.co.uk
  Thousands of Britons will spend Christmas apart from a loved one. Will Brexit make more Skype families?
  
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