Politics

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn attended a memorial service in memory of the Tolpuddle Martyrs in Dorest. The group were 19th-century Dorset agricultural labourers who were arrested for and convicted of swearing a secret oath as members of the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers.  On 18 March 1834, the Tolpuddle Martyrs were sentenced to penal transportation to Australia. The Tolpuddle Martyrs festival is held annually in Tolpuddle. Recent festivals have featured speakers such as Tony Benn and musicians such as Billy Bragg and...

A Europhile academic declared his home an independent Republic in a bid to avoid Brexit, recreating Ealing comedy 'Passport to Pimlico'. Dr William Riches, 77, made his wife the President and gave his children and grandchildren citizenship of the Independent Republic of Middlewatch - the name of his house - so they do not need passports to cross the threshold. However, when Britain does leave the European Union visitors will require a visa costing at least £50 to enter the...

Tory Philip Hammond refused to deny saying public sector workers are “overpaid” even when the Shadow Chancellor showed him a pay slip from a cleaner who made £297 a week. Millionaire Hammond still was dumbstruck by McDonnell's clever ploy. John McDonnell slammed the Chancellor for the comments, allegedly made during a cabinet meeting last week. McDonnell told the BBC’s Andrew Marr: “I was at Bart’s Hospital yesterday with the cleaners, who are on strike. Why are they on strike? Because...

GMB, Unison and Unite have submitted a police staff pay claim to break the government imposed pay cap. Police staff, along with other public sector workers, have had thousands of pounds pinched from their wages due to a government imposed 1% pay cap which forces them to foot the bill for the 2008 crash. GMB analysis shows that most police staff salaries have lost between 9.4 per cent (CPI) and 13.5 per cent (RPI) of their value since 2010. The...

Theresa May should take some notes on how to get the Brexit negotiators onside and hopefully get a better deal for the UK. Corbyn was using the carrot rather than stick method when he met with the EU's Brexit team. The Labour leader made a bid to charm the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier. He decided to give Mr Barnier an Arsenal shirt, with the official's name printed on the back. Both Mr Corbyn and his Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir...

Rhodri Philipps, 4th Viscount St Davids, has been sentenced to 12 weeks in prison over Facebook post about Brexit campaigner Gina Miller. The aristocrat offered money on Facebook for anyone to run over and kill anti-Brexit campaigner Gina Miller. Writing on the social platform he said: “£5,000 for the first person to ‘accidentally’ run over this bloody troublesome first generation immigrant.” He also described Miller as a “fucking boat jumper” and added: “If this is what we should expect from immigrants, send...

Emily Thornberry brought the house down today in PMQs when she faced up against Damian Green in the absence of Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May. The Labour Deputy landed the first blows after Green spun her questions on Brexit to call for constructive inputs from her party's bench. Thornberry reminded him, as Corbyn reminded May earlier this week, that they are the ones who are supposed to provide the answers. She said: "I know that the Right Honourable Gentleman is new to this,...

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn trolled Theresa May by sending her a copy of Labour's manifesto for policy inspiration. The PM was criticised by Tory MPs after she appealed to other parties to support her policies, saying they should “come forward” with their own ideas for policy and to “contribute, not just criticise”. Corbyn sent her a card that read: “Dear Prime Minister, you asked for policy ideas. So here’s our General Election manifesto. Kind regards, JB Corbyn.” The card was sent following...

Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth joined MP’s from all sides, as well as medical bodies and scientists rounding on the government for pulling out of the European nuclear body Euratom as part of its chaotic Brexit plans. The Royal College of Radiologists today warned that ‘thousands’ of cancer patients face delays to their treatment as leaving Euratom 'threatens supply of key cancer treatment material,’ as radioactive isotopes that decay quickly need to flow freely from Europe. The Labour frontbencher...