Lead News

Cabinet ministers should “exert their collective authority” and rebel against Theresa May’s proposed Brexit deal, ex-Brexit Secretary David Davis has said. The PM has suggested a temporary customs arrangement for the whole UK to remain in the customs union while the Irish border issue is resolved.   Brexiteers suspect this could turn into a permanent situation, restricting the freedom to ...

Forecasting body blames growing risks of no-deal Brexit as it downgrades estimate The British economy is heading for its worst year in almost a decade amid the growing risks from no-deal Brexit, according to a leading economic forecaster. After official figures revealed zero growth in GDP in August, the EY Item Club said the economy would struggle to recover in ...

Minister’s remarks contradict PM’s and follow warning of poll tax-style backlash Theresa May faces a House of Commons revolt over universal credit after the minister responsible for the system contradicted the government line and admitted it will leave some families “worse off”. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) needs to pass regulations in order to implement the next phase ...

Downing Street spokeswoman tries to ease cabinet Brexiters’ concerns over Irish backstop Downing Street has insisted the government will not sign up to any deal with the EU that would keep the UK in a customs union indefinitely, as the prime minister tries to assuage concerns in her cabinet. British negotiators in Brussels are thought to be preparing to sign ...

  The UK’s foreign secretary has told Saudi Arabia that Britain expects urgent answers over the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. In a phone call to Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, Jeremy Hunt warned that “friendships depend on shared values”.  Mr Khashoggi was last seen visiting the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last week, and Turkey says he may ...

Penny Mordaunt increases pressure on government not to make concessions to EU Penny Mordaunt has refused to explicitly back Theresa May’s Chequers plan for Brexit, increasing pressure on the government not to make dramatic concessions to Brussels in the crucial days ahead. The international development secretary said she would not give a “running commentary” on the proposals when asked if ...

WFP urgently needs US $66mn to provide assistance till Mar 2019   Photo: This file photo shows miserable condition of a Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazar. Dhaka, Oct 9 : The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Bangladesh has welcomed a new contribution of US $22.25 million from the United Kingdom that will help meet the immediate food and ...

Watchdog demands meeting with education department over ‘potentially misleading’ claims about school funding The education secretary, Damian Hinds, has been publicly reprimanded by the UK statistics watchdog over his department’s repeated misuse of data, in particular its “potentially misleading” claims over schools funding. The UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) complained it had had reason to write to the Department for Education ...

  LONDON : Screenwriter Ray Galton, who co-wrote the landmark British comedy series “Hancock’s Half Hour” and “Steptoe and Son,” has died at 88. Galton’s family said Saturday that he died Friday evening after a “long and heart-breaking battle with dementia.” The London-born Galton was diagnosed with life-threatening tuberculosis as a teenager. In a sanatorium, he met another sick teen, ...

Sinn Féin and the SDLP have rejected the possibility of Stormont having a say over what kind of backstop may emerge if there is a ‘no deal’ Brexit Proposals being worked on by the British government are said to include some kind of role for MLAs. Sinn Féin and the SDLP said they oppose this. Earlier the parties, along with ...