Britain plans diplomatic expansion as it eyes post-Brexit influence

Political reporter(wp/Reuters):
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt will set out on Wednesday plans to “reinvigorate and expand” British diplomacy after years of budget cuts as the country looks to boost its influence around the world after Brexit.

With just five months until Britain leaves the European Union, its biggest foreign policy shift in more than 40 years, Hunt will say Britain plans to hire nearly 1,000 more diplomatic staff, open new embassies and boost language training.

“Our democratic values are arguably under greater threat than at any time since the fall of the Berlin Wall... We can use our influence, reach and power to defend our values by becoming an invisible chain that links the world’s democracies,” Hunt will say in a speech, according to advance extracts.

Since Britain voted in a 2016 referendum to leave the EU, the government has repeatedly flagged its ambition for a ‘Global Britain’, but lawmakers and foreign policy experts have accused it of lacking a strategy or resources to deliver on that goal.

The Foreign Office has faced budget cuts under successive governments which have seen it reduce embassy jobs and sell off exotic properties overseas. At the same time its remit has shrunk, with key policy areas including foreign aid, trade and the relationship with the EU moved to other departments.

The Foreign Office’s operating expenditure fell by 21.6 percent between 2010 and 2015 and was then frozen in real terms, spending watchdog the National Audit Office said last year.

“There is a mismatch between the rhetoric and ambition around a Global Britain and actually what we invest in the diplomatic service itself,” said Tom Raines, head of the Europe Programme at global affairs think-tank Chatham House.

The mismatch, he added, was “quite obvious to others”.

In his speech, entitled “Britain’s role in the world after Brexit”, Hunt will say the new jobs will include 335 diplomatic positions overseas, 328 in London and 329 new local staff around the world.

According to the National Audit Office, the Foreign Office employed 12,865 staff globally in 2016-17.

The government also plans to create 12 new embassies or missions, many of them in Commonwealth countries as it looks to revitalise links with former colonies.

“There is a perception in many places that Brexit is an isolationist or backwards step for the UK, which has generally been seen as internationalist and open... so there is a big job for the UK to correct that narrative,” said Raines.

The Foreign Office will also boost language training, increasing the number of languages taught at the department to 70 from 50, including the addition of Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Gujarati.

Drugs firm ITH Pharma charged over contaminated food that 'killed newborn' at London hospital

Health reporter(wp/es):

Police investigating the death of a premature baby given contaminated food in a London hospital today charged a drugs company with a series of offences.

Yousef Al-Kharboush died from septicaemia at St Thomas’ hospital on June 1, 2014, nine days after being born two months premature with twin brother Abdulilah.

He was one of two babies to die within 10 days at St Thomas’. A third died at the Rosie hospital in Cambridge.

A total of 23 babies at nine  British hospitals developed a bacterial infection after receiving the intravenous food, known as Total Parental Nutrition (TPN) and made by ITH Pharma, in Harlesden. The others recovered after being given antibiotics.

A four-year investigation by the Met and the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency established that only Yousef’s death was potentially linked to the contaminated batch of TPN.

Today the Met announced that ITH Pharma had been charged with seven counts of supplying a medicinal product not of the nature or quality specified in the prescription.

The firm was also charged with failing to take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure patients were not infected by contaminants, in breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act. Its representatives will appear at Westminster magistrates’ court on December 17.

Yousef’s parents Raaid Sakkijha and Ghada Al-Kharboush today said the length of the investigation had exacerbated their grief.

Mr Sakkijha said: “It has been like living with an open wound that will not close... we never celebrate events such as Yousef’s brother’s birthday because it is too painful a reminder.”

Arti Shah of Fieldfisher law firm, representing the family in an ongoing civil case, said they “suffered the worst grief imaginable”. 

The twins were born by emergency section at 32 weeks gestation and drip-fed the liquid food, a batch of which had been contaminated with the lethal bug Bacillus cereus, in intensive care. 

At the time, ITH Pharma reportedly said the contamination was in an unspecified raw ingredient from a supplier.

ITH Pharma said today it has “every sympathy for all the families affected” but “will vigorously defend this case”.

Scale of student anxiety and distress is worry for us all, says universities chief

University reporter(wp/es):

The head of the universities regulator today said it is “impossible not to be concerned” at the scale of anxiety and depression among students. 

Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of the Office for Students, said improving mental health and wellbeing is a priority for her organisation and universities must make sure they give support.

She said that every time she meets groups of students they bring up the problem of mental health, and the issue has been raised as a priority by her own organisation’s student panel.

In a blog published today, Ms Dandridge said: “It is impossible not to be concerned at the scale and seriousness of distress, anxiety and depression among students. 

"As the Office for Students we take very seriously an issue that students are telling us is one of the highest priorities for them, and where we have the regulatory levers, operating at a sector level, to contribute to possible solutions.” 

Her blog came as she spoke today to MPs at the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Students.

She pointed to research that indicates student suicide numbers are rising and the demand and cost of student support services is increasing. 

Figures from the Office for National Statistics, highlighted in a report by Universities UK, show the number of student suicides rose from 108 to 134 between 2001 and 2015. 

She wrote: “Going to university is a huge transition for many and one that brings both social and psychological challenge ... For our international students this is an even bigger transition.”

She said it is not her role to instruct universities how to give support, or tell students what to do, but that her organisation will “directly challenge” universities and colleges to support students’ mental health and wellbeing in the “access and participation plans” they must write if they want to charge higher fees. 

The Office for Students has launched a £6 million challenge to universities to come up with new ways of improving mental health, and has funded a guide for colleges on preventing student suicides.

Ms Dandridge wrote: “Mental health and wellbeing are complex issues and there is no simple solution. But higher education providers are full of people who excel at working with complexity.”

She said universities should be leading the way in research and innovation on the issue because they employ experts in health and wellbeing.

She added: “This is not about trying to protect students from the brutality and complexities of life. Nor is it about undermining the fundamental role of universities to educate and research. 

“It is about acknowledging that there is a significant problem of mental health in our society, that we all need to look after our mental health in the same way as we do our physical health, and that higher education providers have a responsibility to address these issues so as to enable their students to flourish and unlock their potential.”

For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 116123, visit a  local Samaritans branch or see samaritans.org

Next should shut stores as High Street sales slump, says City

Business reporter(wp/es):

Fashion chain Next faced calls to shut more stores quickly on Wednesday as it admitted its High Street arm was dragging the business back.

The retailer admitted that traditional sales on the High Street fell by 8% in the third-quarter to October 31, giving a shock to investors. Next shares were down 200p, or almost 4%, to 5106p despite holding its profit guidance.

“This has been the trend for some time now and as ever raises the question about when management seeks to rationalise its store estate in recognition of the shift in where revenues and profits are being generated,” added Neil Wilson, an analyst at Markets.com.

Next has seen rivals including Marks & Spencer and Debenhams shutter scores of shops as they face tough online competition and weak consumer spending. 

Chief executive Simon, Lord Wolfson said in September he was in talks with landlords to renew many of the leases expiring over the next few years and the new terms were “attractive enough to keep stores open”. He has previously argued that online and stores can be complementary, as shoppers can use stores to collect and return shopping. 

Next, which has more than 500 stores in Britain, has closed at least 22 this year and others are earmarked for closure. 

“A weak outturn might increase pressure on management to consider more radical solutions to the structural challenges facing its physical shops,” said AJ Bell’s Russ Mould. 

However, though stores accounted for two-thirds of Next’s business a decade ago, they now make up less than half of its total revenues. 

The online business has continued to offset the High Street gloom, growing by 12.7%, albeit at a slower pace when compared with 14.8% for the year. 

The City had also expected a 3% growth in full-price own-brand sales, but the outcome was “a disappointing” 1.3%, said retail analyst Nick Bubb. 

Its finance arm, which allows customers to pay for their shopping on credit, is expected to contribute 17% of Next’s profit this year. But analysts fear this further exposes Next to a potential consumer downturn.

Marks & Spencer revealed in May that it would close more than 100 stores by 2022, as part of a shake-up of the business to try to make it more profitable, and Debenhams said last week that it will shut up to 50 stores over the next five years, after it previously said it planned to close only 10.

Conman whose £82k fraud on his ex-girfriend was exposed when he used her disabled parking badge jailed

Crime reporter(wp/es):

A love-rat conman whose £82,000 fraud on his ex-girlfriend was exposed when he was caught dodging a parking offence has been jailed for four-and-a-half years. 

Alan Bohrer, 64, began helping himself to Susan Franks’s fortune while they were dating in 2012, offering to manage her finances and then secretly writing out cheques to himself. 

A part-time film extra and gambling addict, Bohrer forged Mrs Franks’s signature on 42 cheques over four years, continuing the fraud after breaking up with her in 2014 when he started seeing a younger woman. 

Mrs Franks, 59, a property entrepreneur, model and actress, eventually discovered the fraud in 2016 when Bohrer asked her to lie to the police after he had been caught using her disabled blue badge for parking. 

She lost faith in his honesty and took back control of her finances, then found Bohrer had sliced cheques out of her chequebook with a knife and paid himself £82,500. 

Bohrer denied the fraud but was convicted by a jury at Harrow crown court. 

Speaking after the case, Mrs Franks said: “I am very, very sad it has come to this.

He is an ex-boyfriend and we had some really, really good times together. 

“My sadness has turned to anger. I didn’t think he would steal off me. He still had the keys to my house even when we finished.”

She said she had paid for them to go on cruises together, but Bohrer would spend most of his time in the ship’s casino instead of with her. 

“I paid because I did not want to go on my own but he would be in the casino morning, noon and night. He loved the casino and I would have to go to the shows on my own.”

She said her “heart sank” when she discovered his fraud and added: “It is unbelievable that someone I trusted has done that to me.”

She said she tended Bohrer after he had been ill, but he started going to private card clubs up to five days a week and then began dating another woman. 

The court heard Bohrer and Mrs Franks had first dated when they were young but he married her best friend instead. They got together again in 1999 as his divorce was about to be finalised. 

Bohrer offered to manage her finances, which included a large inheritance from her father and an extensive property portfolio. 

“She placed complete trust in him. He knew all her finances and assets and had the key to her house and the alarm code,” prosecutor Nicholas Alexander told the court. 

He said the arrangement ended in June 2016 when Bohrer “asked her to lie to the police that she had been with him when he used her blue badge without her permission”. 

Bohrer, of Colindale, denied fraud but was convicted of two counts of fraud and one of forgery and was jailed on Friday. 

Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab says deal 'expected' by mid-November

Political reporter(wp/es):

Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab has revealed that he expects a deal on Britain's EU withdrawal to be finalised by November 21.

Downing Street has so far said only that it is working to conclude a deal "as soon as possible", and hopes to do so during the autumn.

But Mr Raab told a cross-party committee of MPs that the end of negotiations, which have stretched on for 19 months, was now "firmly in sight".

The October summit of the European Council - long-billed as the "moment of truth" for Brexit negotiations - passed without a deal, and leaders of the remaining 27 EU countries decided not to schedule a special summit in November unless chief negotiator Michel Barnier told them there had been "decisive" progress in talks.

But Mr Raab appeared to suggest that he expected a deal within the next three weeks, as he set a date for himself and negotiator Olly Robbins to appear before the House of Commons Exiting the EU Committee.

"I would be happy to give evidence to the committee when a deal is finished and currently expect November 21 to be suitable," wrote Mr Raab.

The letter, released by the committee on Wednesday, was dated October 24 and therefore does not reflect any breakthrough in the past few days.

Negotiations are deadlocked on the question of a "backstop" arrangement to guarantee that there will be no hard border in Ireland.

Prime Minister Theresa May insists she will not accept an EU proposal which would establish a customs border between Northern Ireland and the British mainland, while Brussels is resisting her plan to keep the whole UK temporarily in a customs union.

Mr Raab wrote: "Despite our differences, we are not far from an agreement on this issue. We agree on the principle of a UK-wide customs backstop. An agreement on the details of that backstop should be possible.

"Both sides agree that this backstop cannot provide for a permanent UK/EU relationship and are committed to a future relationship that works for the whole of the UK, including Northern Ireland.

"We are open to talking about ways to achieve this and committed to continuing discussions in order to reach an agreement.

"The end is now firmly in sight and, while obstacles remain, it cannot be beyond us to navigate them. We have resolved most of the issues and we are building up together what the future relationship should look like and making real progress.

"We now need to acknowledge the progress that has been made and now work rapidly through the remaining issues and come to an agreement that works for both sides."

Mr Raab had been due to give evidence to the committee on October 24, but pulled out shortly before the crunch October 17-18 European Council summit, with his office saying that he was committed to appear only once a deal was finalised.

In a letter accepting his proposal of a November 21 evidence session, committee chair Hilary Benn said he was "disappointed" with the new Brexit Secretary's failure to follow the pattern of regular updates established by his predecessor David Davis.

And he rejected as "not sufficient or effective" Mr Raab's proposal that he could update the committee by letter until the deal was agreed.

"Having been a member of this committee, you will know that this is not how committees undertake inquiries and is not conducive to scrutiny," said Mr Benn.

With Mr Barnier meeting "almost daily" with European Parliament representatives, the Government was failing to live up to Mr Davis's promise to match the EU negotiator for openness, Mr Benn said.

UK academic charged with spying in UAE temporarily released, wife says

Diplomatic correspondent,Dubai(wp/Reuters):

A British academic charged with espionage in the United Arab Emirates has been temporarily released until his next hearing on Nov. 21, his wife said on Tuesday.

Matthew Hedges, a 31-year-old doctoral student at Durham University, has been held since May 5, when he was arrested at the Dubai airport after a two-week research visit. He was formally charged this month with spying on the Gulf state, where he has been held in solitary confinement.

Hedges was released on Monday and will be subject to constant monitoring until the November hearing, said his wife, Daniela Tejada, adding that they were not notified in advance that he would be released.

“I of course welcome this development. However, I cannot allow myself to get too excited by this information as Matt is not fully free yet,” she said in a written statement.

Reuters earlier reported, citing sources, Hedges had been released on bail.

The BBC reported Hedges has been released without his passport, told to remain in the UAE until the next hearing, and must wear an ankle monitor.

A UAE government spokesperson could immediately be reached for comment outside working hours.

A spokeswoman for Britain’s foreign office in London said: “We are monitoring developments closely and have made the Emirati authorities aware of all our concerns. We continue to do everything we can for Matthew and his family.”

The UAE’s Federal Court of Appeal last week postponed hearing his case until Nov. 21 to re-examine the evidence.

The country’s attorney general has said Hedges was charged with spying for a foreign state, without naming it, and jeopardizing the military, economic and political security of the country.

More than 120 academics from around the world have issued a petition urging UAE authorities to release him.

According to Durham University’s website, Hedges is a doctoral student in the School of Government and International Affairs whose research interests include civil-military relations, political economy and tribalism.

Last year, he co-wrote an article in an academic journal on the Muslim Brotherhood and the Gulf Cooperation Council, of which the UAE is a member.

The UAE is a tourism and trade hub for the Middle East, but tolerates little public criticism of its ruling families or policies and staunchly opposes the Islamist ideology of the Brotherhood.

UK airlines hit out at higher levy on long-haul flights

Staff reporter(wp/reuters):

Britain’s aviation industry hit out at the government on Monday over its decision to increase a tax on long-haul flights, saying it made a mockery of the government’s ambition for a ‘Global Britain’ after it leaves the European Union.

British finance minister Philip Hammond said in his annual budget that Air Passenger Duty (APD) would be frozen for short-haul flights but would rise in line with inflation for long-haul.

The owner of British Airways, IAG (ICAG.L), said the tax hindered its efforts to fly to new trading markets.

“It’s ironic that this Brexit budget has undermined Britain’s global competitiveness by upping Air Passenger Duty, the world’s highest aviation tax, again,” IAG said.

“We want to offer more flights to key trading markets, like our European competitors, but APD stifles route development to new emerging markets. If Britain wants to compete on the global stage post Brexit, it should be scrapped now.”

IAG said British Airways passengers paid 682 million pounds in APD last year.

A spokeswoman for Virgin Atlantic said customers were already paying a levy that was twice that of any other EU nation, to leave the UK. “APD now accounts for more than a quarter of our lowest fare,” she said.

Hammond said short-haul APD rates for 2020-21 would not rise, remaining at the same level as they have been since 2012. For long-haul they will increase by 2 pounds, while the rates for those travelling in premium economy, business and first class will increase by 4 pounds.

Tim Alderslade, the head of industry body Airlines UK, said the planned tax increase sent the wrong signal. “APD is nothing but a tax on Global Britain,” he said in a statement.

Uber goes to court to defend business model over UK worker rights

Staff reporter,London(wp/reuters):
Uber heads to a British court on Tuesday to defend its business model of treating drivers as self-employed, entitling them to few rights in law, in the latest stage of a long-running battle at the taxi app.

The Silicon Valley-based company, which could be valued at $120 billion in a forthcoming flotation, has faced legal action, protests, regulator crackdowns and license losses around the world as it challenges existing competitors and rapidly expands.

In 2016, two British drivers successfully argued at a tribunal that Uber exerted significant control over them to provide an on-demand taxi service and that they should be given workers’ rights, which include receiving the minimum wage.

An employment appeal tribunal upheld that decision last year prompting Uber to go to the Court of Appeal, with a two-day hearing due to begin on Tuesday.

Unions argue that the gig economy - where people often work for various employers at the same time without fixed contracts - is exploitative, whilst Uber says its drivers enjoy the terms of their work and on average earn much more than the minimum wage.

“We will do everything that we can to preserve that flexibility and preserve that power for our driver partners because every single one that I’ve talked to says that they absolutely treasure it,” CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said last week in London.

In Britain, the self-employed are entitled to only basic protections such as health and safety but workers receive benefits such as the minimum wage, paid holidays and rest breaks. Uber has introduced a number of benefits for drivers.

Co-claimant in the case and chair of the drivers’ branch of The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain James Farrar criticized the taxi app for continuing to oppose the original tribunal decision.

“It’s two years since we beat Uber at the Employment Tribunal, yet minicab drivers all over the UK are still waiting for justice, while Uber exhausts endless appeals,” he said.

Rights at firms such as Uber, fellow taxi service Addison Lee and food courier Deliveroo have risen up the political agenda in Britain as more people work for companies without fixed hours or a guaranteed income.

A march backed by several trade unions and involving cleaners, receptionists and security officers is due to take place on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Theresa May launched a review into working practices but her administration has yet to provide a response after a consultation closed over the summer.

The government will reply in “due course,” a business ministry spokeswoman said.

UK Budget 2018:: What will Philip Hammond's measures mean for Londoners?

Political reporter(wp/es):

Mr Hammond told MPs that “austerity is finally coming to an end” with the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) expecting "resilient" growth over the coming years.

He announced an extra £500 million for preparations for Brexit and hinted that there would be an emergency budget in Spring.

He also announced cash injections for defence and schools, cuts to business rates, a freeze on beer and cider duty and spirit duty for the next year and a rise in the National Living Wage.

But what will the measures really mean for Londoners?

Business owner

Howard Wong, 33, is co-founder of desserts manufacturer Little Moons.

The family-run gourmet dessert brand provides a range of treats handmade in the UK, made by wrapping bite-sized balls of artisan gelato ice cream in a layer of soft, chewy mochi.

Boxes are supplied to Waitrose and Ocado. £4.99 per box of six mochi.

What were you looking for in the Budget? 

Mr Wong told the Standard: “At this point, I don't think the budget will have much impact on our business but welcome moves to support small shops on the high street.

“I think more needs to be done to help small manufacturing businesses meet rising costs of energy, higher raw material import prices and increasing labour costs.

“The biggest issue we are currently facing is uncertainty over Brexit and the chance of a hard Brexit putting off European customers from starting business with us.”

What will the announcements in the Budget actually mean for you?

“With Brexit one of the big struggles for us is labour, workers have been going home and restaurants and retailers have been feeling the impact.

“The apprenticeships scheme is good for that. Also it’s good to see support for small businesses and the change in entrepreneur relief from 12 months to two years might change things for us.”

Mr Hammond said for smaller firms taking on apprentices, the Government will half the amount they have to contribute from 10 per cent to 5 per cent. He said a support for apprenticeships was worth £695 million.

Business rate bills have been cut by one-third for the next two years for all retailers in England with a rateable value of £51,000 or less, delivering an annual saving of up to £8,000 for up to 90 per cent of all independent shops, pubs, restaurants and cafes.

Start-Up Loans funding will be extended to 2021, helping 10,000 entrepreneurs.

First-time buyer

Adam Bradford, 26, wants to buy his first home but is struggling to get on to the property ladder due to the high cost of living in London.

The young marketing entrepreneur from south-east London said he moved his agency to London from Sheffield because income in the capital is higher, but said he is now priced out of buying his own home.

Annual salary: £30,000 to 35,000

Lives: a rented flat in south-east London for £1,000 a month

What were you looking for in the Budget? 

"There was some speculation around things to help younger people who were looking to buy property. Thinktanks were talking about some kind of scheme or tax benefit when you put down your deposit. 

"[I was hoping] for schemes to help people invest in property. 

"The cost of living is very high. Young people are getting stuck in a trap where you end up renting but because of that you can't buy. 

"Unless you are fortunate to have parents who are able to help you out it's very hard."

Mr Bradford suggested ideas including a part subsidised deposit scheme to help people get on the property ladder and a reprieve for the first two years of mortgages for first time buyers. 

He added: "I think the Government could have backed a scheme to get access for support for a deposit."

What will the announcements in the Budget actually mean for you?

"Absolutely nothing. I haven't heard anything that's going to make the situation easier, for people like me who are looking climb the ladder but we are trapped. We are all priced out.

"But nothing has been mentioned. There was lots about businesses. It seems as though the Chancellor is throwing a lot of money around but it's not hitting the people who want to progress in society. 

"There's thousands of people like me who are working but in some degreee you could say our social mobility is trapped."

Mr Bradford said he is ideally looking to buy a house with his partner, but there doesn't seem to be an affordable way to do it.

Business owner

Ed Hauck, 41, from Surrey, is the co-founder of start-up The Curators, a Covent Garden-based start-up which has been making “full of flavour” snacks for sale in the UK, predominantly in Sainsbury’s.

Founder of the business with Max Rees, 34, the entrepreneur wanted to see more support for manufacturing and innovation and said there still remains a “massive amount of uncertainty”.

What were you looking for in the Budget? 

Mr Hauck told the Standard: “I wanted to see whether there would be any support for encouraging us to employ more people.

“I was also curious to see what was in there to support small businesses, in particular in terms of support for innovation and possible some sort of financial support for those going into the Brexit unknown.”

What will the announcements in the Budget actually mean for you?

“It was disappointing there was hardly anything for manufacturing and innovation. I didn’t see a lot around really supporting both of those. That aspect is a really big thing for us because it’s quite hard to generate more product ideas, it can be quite a gamble for small businesses.

“I think there’s some reasons to be optimistic but there still remains a massive amount of uncertainty which is holding a lot of small businesses back. I don’t think it went far enough to address those fears.

“Also, while I think it’s great they’re looking at business rates I don’t think it’s going far enough to address the scale of the problem for the high streets.”