Politics
Labour gain shock by-election victory in Tory stronghold
Labour gained a shock by-election victory in Rochester West last night in a ward seen by many as a Conservative safe seat. Alex Paterson took 47.5 per cent of the vote in Medway, gaining 26.5 points on the Tories who managed to secure just 39.5 per cent of the vote following the resignation of Kelly Tolhurst (Con). Cllr Paterson said he was convinced Labour could win the seat, even though the ward delivered two Conservative councillors at the last election in 2015....
Labour slam Tory council for spending £57k on covering tree roots on TWO streets
A council's plan to spend £57,000 on covering tree roots with tarmac has been labelled 'bonkers' by their Labour opponents. Westminster City Council are splashing the cash tarmacking around the base of trees on just two streets in pretty Little Venice - £500 each. But former councillor Murad Qureshi, who is running again in May, said the quote is five times as high as other estimates and there are 'better ways' to cover the pits. The former London Assembly member,...
Devastating chart shows the iceberg effect of Brexit
Brexit will have a devastating "iceberg" effect on Britain, with the benefits at the top being far outweighed by the negative impacts below the line. A new graph has been revealed which details the cost of Brexit. The benefits of de-regulation can be seen above the line, but they are far outweighed by the negative impact of immediate loss of access, regulatory divergence, customs and tariffs. The graph has been leaked online a day after Donald Tusk warned that Brexit will...
Online translator launched to decipher the real meanings behind what politicians say
In a nod to George Orwell's doublespeak an online platform has been launched that deciphers the real meanings behind what politicians say. The platform has released a list of common political sayings and the truth behind them after new research revealed that nine out of ten young people believe all politicians lie. The survey, commissioned by youth political platform, Shout Out UK, asked the 2,000 respondents what common phrases politicians use that confuse them, so it could translate them. More than three quarters...
Tories vote to cover up secret source of massive Brexit campaign donation funnelled to DUP
A Tory three-line whip instructed Conservative MPs to ensure we will not be finding out who funnelled £435,000 to the leave campaign in the last few weeks of the Brexit campaign. Whoever it was chose to do it through the DUP party in Northern Ireland to keep their identity secret as party donors at the time were anonymous in Northern Ireland. The Electoral Commission demanded the government allowed the same transparency over donations to Northern Irish parties during the EU...
FTA only possible route for UK – here’s a timely reminder of how that will impact the regions
Donald Tusk has today confirmed that a free trade agreement (FTA) on goods with no tariffs is the only possible route for the UK's exit from the European Union. The President of the European Council said the EU does not want to build a wall with Britain, but Brexit means "we will be drifting apart". He said the EU wanted an "ambitious and advanced" free trade agreement, but the UK's red lines limit what it can get from the final Brexit deal. Tusk...
Trump: Guns don’t kill people – gamers do
Donald Trump is set to meet with members of the video game industry just days after he backed off the National Rifle Association. The President believes increased violence in video games could be behind the recent shootings in the country. In response to the shooting in Parkland, Florida, on Valentine’s Day, Trump held a White House roundtable where he said: “We have to do something about maybe what they’re seeing and how they’re seeing it, and also, video games.” “I’m hearing...
Airbus set to take flight out of UK amidst Brexit uncertainty
Airbus has warned it could take flight away from the UK without imminent clarity over customs rules after Brexit. The European aerospace manufacturer said it would soon have to decide whether to start stockpiling parts to avoid border delays, adding costs that could make its British operations uncompetitive. Airbus employs about 15,000 people in the UK and moves parts between other EU countries and wing-making operations at Broughton in north Wales and Filton, near Bristol. In 2015, Airbus contributed over £1...
Petition calling for an end to cash payments for non-referrals gets 140k signatures
A petition calling for an end to the practice of rewarding GPs with cash incentives to cut the number of patients they refer to hospital has reached 140,000 signatures. With the NHS cash-strapped and struggling to provide beds this winter, bosses are looking for any opportunity to save money. That means that in some cases GPs have been offered cash rewards to cut the number of patients they refer to hospital - including people who might have cancer. Campaigners say this practice...