Category Archives: UK news

Peer who never spoke in Lords last year claims £50,000 expenses

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Exclusive: Lord Brookman among dozens not to speak, raising fresh questions about the chamber

A Labour peer claimed almost £50,000 in attendance and travel expenses covering every single day the House of Lords was sitting last year, despite never speaking or asking any written questions, a Guardian investigation reveals.

The former trade union general secretary David Brookman was among dozens of other lords and baronesses who never took part in a single debate, while almost a third of the 800 peers barely participated in parliamentary business over a 12-month period despite costing almost £3.2m in allowances.

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Trump calls Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage ‘very good guys’ – video

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Donald Trump praised the politicians on Thursday, saying they were 'two very good guys, very interesting people'. Speaking to reporters as he left the White House, the US president said he wasn't sure he would endorse either candidate to be the new UK prime minister: 'I haven't thought about supporting them. Maybe it's not my business to support people. But I have a lot of respect for both of those men'

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How wildcats will be reared for release in England and Wales

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Swiss expert behind successful reintroduction in Bavaria is training UK conservationists

“If any beast has the devil’s strength in him it is the wildcat,” wrote a 15th-century hunting author – but historic persecution has brought the wildcat to the brink of extinction in Britain.

Now there is a new attempt to breed hundreds of wildcats in captivity and return the shy animal to England and Wales, where it has not roamed for 150 years.

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Boris Johnson declines to comment on Brexit court summons – video

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The MP has been summoned to court over allegations that he lied and misled the public during the Brexit referendum campaign in 2016. The former UK foreign secretary is accused of misconduct in public office over claims he lied by saying Britain gave £350m a week to the EU. The ruling follows a crowdfunded move to launch a private prosecution of the MP, who is the frontrunner in the Tory leadership contest

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Apple and WhatsApp condemn GCHQ plans to eavesdrop on encrypted chats

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GCHQ ‘ghost protocol’ would seriously undermine user security and trust, says letter

A GCHQ proposal that would enable eavesdropping on encrypted chat services has been condemned as a “serious threat” to digital security and human rights.

In an open letter signed by more than 50 companies, civil society organisations and security experts – including Apple, WhatsApp, Liberty and Privacy International – GCHQ was called on to abandon its so-called “ghost protocol”, and instead focus on “protecting privacy rights, cybersecurity, public confidence, and transparency”.

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Raids on two Northern Irish journalists’ homes had ‘inappropriate’ warrants, court says

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The two reporters, Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey, had been investigating the 1994 Loughinisland massacre

Police inappropriately obtained search warrants to raid the homes of two Northern Irish investigative journalists, a court has concluded, in a case that has raised concerns about press freedom in Britain.

Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey highlighted apparent collusion between the police and suspected murderers in the 1994 Loughinisland massacre, where six Catholic men were killed by masked Ulster Volunteer Force killers.

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Boris Johnson to appear in court over Brexit misconduct claims

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MP summonsed to face accusations over comments made before EU referendum

Boris Johnson has been summoned to court to face accusations of misconduct in public office over claims that he lied by saying Britain gave £350m a week to the European Union.

The ruling follows a crowdfunded move to launch a private prosecution of the MP, who is the frontrunner in the Tory leadership contest.

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Labour under pressure to ballot members on second EU referendum

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Campaigners say thousands of signatures have come in from members on the issue

Labour’s ruling body is facing demands to ballot all party members about whether to start campaigning immediately for a second EU referendum, as thousands sign petitions asking for the party’s policy to change in the wake of the European elections.

Campaigners in the Labour party wanting a “people’s vote” wrote to the national executive committee on Tuesday requesting a members’ ballot or special conference. Each of these options has been endorsed by Labour’s deputy leader, Tom Watson.

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John Bercow defies Eurosceptics with vow to stay on as Speaker

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Exclusive: move likely to anger hardliners who fear Bercow wants to stop no-deal Brexit

John Bercow has said he plans to stay in his post as Speaker of the House of Commons despite previous expectations he was about to leave, risking the fury of hardline Eurosceptics who believe he wants to thwart a no-deal Brexit.

The Speaker told the Guardian it was not “sensible to vacate the chair” while there were major issues before parliament. And, amid growing indications that frontrunners for the Conservative leadership are willing to depart the EU without a deal, he warned candidates not to try to force such an outcome without the permission of MPs.

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Treatment of Northern Irish journalists likened to police state, court hears

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Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney were held over alleged theft of Loughinisland report

The arrest of two Northern Irish journalists after they embarrassed authorities by obtaining documents relating to a mass murder “was the kind of operation more associated with a police state than with a liberal democracy”, a court has heard.

Northern Irish police raided the homes and offices of the award-winning journalists Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey last August over the alleged theft of a police watchdog report, in a case that has gained global attention owing to concerns over its impact on press freedom in Britain.

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Saudi Arabia accused of hacking London-based dissident

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Kingdom targeted satirist Ghanem Almasarir with Israeli malware, letter of claim alleges

Saudi Arabia has been accused of launching a sophisticated hacking attack against a prominent dissident in London who is allegedly living under police protection, according to a letter of claim that has been sent to the kingdom and seen by the Guardian.

The letter of claim, which was delivered to the Saudi embassy in London on Tuesday, was sent on behalf of the Saudi satirist Ghanem Almasarir, and alleges he was targeted by Saudi Arabia with malware developed by the NSO Group, the controversial Israeli surveillance company.

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UK refuses to back ‘game-changing’ resolution on drug pricing

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Global agreement urges governments to share information on actual cost of medicines, with aim of making them more affordable

The UK government has refused to sign up to a global resolution on greater transparency for drug pricing.

The resolution urges governments and others buying health products to share information on actual prices paid, and pushes for greater transparency on patents, clinical trial results and other factors affecting pricing from laboratories to patients.

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Labour expels Alastair Campbell from party

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Former communications chief for Tony Blair voted for Lib Dems in European elections

Guardian Opinion cartoon – Martin Rowson on the expulsion

Alastair Campbell, the former communications chief to Tony Blair, has been expelled from the Labour party for saying he voted for the Liberal Democrats in the European elections because of their support for a second Brexit referendum.

The People’s Vote campaigner said he was “sad and disappointed” at his expulsion, especially as he felt it had happened on the day the Labour leadership appeared to be moving in the direction of supporting another Brexit poll because of the exodus of remainers from the party.

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Corbyn backs referendum on Brexit deal after EU election exodus

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To break parliamentary deadlock, deal has to be put to public vote, Labour leader says

Jeremy Corbyn has pledged to support a second referendum on any Brexit deal after the Labour leadership came under overwhelming pressure to halt the exodus of its remain voters who backed pro-EU parties at the European elections.

The Labour leader said he was “listening very carefully” to both sides of the debate after the party fell behind the Liberal Democrats and also lost ground to the Greens.

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Northern Ireland’s Alliance leader gets push in EU elections from anti-Brexit stance

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Naomi Long wins seat after trebling party’s vote, saying supporters want to remain in EU

Opposition to Brexit has propelled the leader of Northern Ireland’s Alliance party to a dramatic victory in the European elections.

Naomi Long, an outspoken advocate of a second referendum on the UK’s European Union membership, won a seat on Monday with 105,958 first preference votes after almost trebling support for her party compared with the 2014 election.

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Michael Gove to pledge free UK citizenship for 3m EU nationals

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Tory leadership candidate also plans to abolish need to prove settled status if he becomes PM

Michael Gove will pledge free British citizenship for 3 million EU nationals after Brexit if he becomes prime minister, as well as abolishing the burden of providing proof of settled status, the Guardian understands.

The environment secretary, one of the leading figures in Vote Leave, is understood to believe strongly that the pledge would honour the promises given to EU citizens by that campaign during the 2016 referendum.

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Sajid Javid joins race to replace Theresa May as Tory leader

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Home secretary announces bid as hopefuls weigh up whether to take part in TV debate

Sajid Javid has become the latest Conservative to declare he is standing for the party leadership, telling party members: “First and foremost, we must deliver Brexit.”

The home secretary made his announcement on Monday in a video posted on Twitter. He said: “As last night’s results made all too clear, we must get on and deliver Brexit,” adding it was important to “restore trust, bring unity, and create new opportunities across the UK”.

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‘Immigrants make Britain great’: Magid Magid’s unlikely journey to Green MEP – video

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Magid Magid shot to fame as the lord mayor of Sheffield on a platform of hope and anti-racism in his city. A year later he has been elected as the first Green MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber. We followed him on the campaign trail and find out how he got his message out and what he will do in Brussels


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Brexit: top Tories would bring down any PM who backs no deal

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Philip Hammond and senior party figures warn that MPs are prepared to take drastic action

Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab have been warned that Tory MPs would be prepared to bring down any prime minister backing a no-deal Brexit, triggering a general election, amid fears the leadership hopefuls will veer to the right in response to a surge in support for Nigel Farage at the European election.

A string of senior Conservatives, led by Philip Hammond, the chancellor, delivered a sobering message to candidates that many Tory MPs are prepared to take drastic action to stop a no-deal Brexit.

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Why London’s not such a capital place to live | Letter

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Figures that appear to show Londoners are significantly better off than people in other parts of Britain don’t tell the whole story, says Maggie Kemmner

The article (Big regional gaps revealed in disposable incomes across UK, 23 May) is very misleading. It makes no allowances for the increased housing costs most Londoners face.

In February 2019, Londoners spent the biggest proportion of their income on rent as compared to other areas of the UK; more than one third of a household’s income. The average monthly rental was £1,599 as compared to a £940 UK average. Over a year, this amounts to £7,908 extra housing costs: which pretty much wipes out the “extra money” that Londoners have to spend post-tax as compared to the UK average. This data is from statistica.com.

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