EU will collapse if more countries follow UK and quit, says Juncker

Political reporter(wp/es):

The European Union could collapse if more countries decide to follow Britain and leave, the president of the European Commission warned today.

As the Government prepares to formally trigger Article 50 next Wednesday, Jean-Claude Juncker said other nations quitting the bloc would spark “the end”.

He stated that the upcoming talks would be “friendly and firm” but added “we are not naive”. He continued: “Britain is part of Europe so I am everything but in a hostile mood when it comes to Britain.

“But I don’t want others to take the same avenue because just suppose for one second that others would leave … two, three, four, five ... that would be the end.”

Expectations that Mr Juncker will adopt a tough stance towards Britain to deter others from leaving were dismissed. However, he confirmed  the UK would be slapped with a  £50 billion “divorce bill” .

In an interview with the BBC, he said: “There will be no sanctions, no punishment, nothing of that kind but Britain has to go and I suppose that the Government does know it. They have to honour the commitments and former commitments.”

Britain’s eventual payment would be calculated “scientifically” but it would be “around” £50 billion, he suggested. “It will be a bill reflecting former commitments by the British Government and by the British Parliament.”

The payment covers liabilities for projects the UK previously agreed to help fund, as well as pensions for EU officials who served during the period of its membership.

No 10 has described the letter Mrs May will send to start Britain’s two-year process of leaving the EU as one of the most important documents in recent history.

Mr Juncker, the former prime minister of Luxembourg, said that he would feel sad when it arrives. Asked by the BBC if he felt it signalled a failure, he agreed, adding: “It’s a failure and a tragedy”.

He also set out that one of his key negotiating priorities will be protecting the rights of the three million EU citizens currently living in Britain. This comes after the Tories voted down plans to include protections for EU citizens in their Brexit Bill. 

“It’s for me a priority,” he said. “It’s about people. I am strongly committed to preserve the rights of Europeans living in Britain and the British people living on the European continent. This is not about bargaining. This is about respecting human dignity.”

Tomorrow leaders of the 27 other EU members will meet in Italy to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, which created the European Economic Community, the precursor of the EU. 

Signed by Italy, France, Belgium the Netherlands, West Germany and Luxembourg, the treaty was a major stepping stone towards European integration.

There will also be “March for Europe” rallies in Rome and London.  Organisers say they want to use the anniversary to “relaunch and complete Europe’s economic and political unity”.

NHS boss hails ‘gift’ of donated kidney after less than a year on transplant list

Health reporter(wp/es):

A hospital boss who underwent a kidney transplant after less than a year on the waiting list spoke today of the “amazing gift”.

Matthew Hopkins, 50, chief executive of Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS trust, was selected for a “pre-emptive” operation months before he faced being placed on daily dialysis. A friend had volunteered to donate a kidney but another kidney, for which Mr Hopkins was a good match, became available after the death of a donor.

He had the procedure at St George’s hospital in Tooting this month, hours after receiving an early-morning phone call telling him an organ was available. 

Kidney patients normally wait two and a half years for a transplant due to the shortage of donors. Last year 256 NHS patients died waiting for a kidney. Mr Hopkins said: “It’s an amazing gift. I just feel very, very lucky — and lucky from the point that it came so quickly. The normal waiting time is a minimum of two years. 

“In other communities, such as the black community, where kidney disease is more prevalent, or for South-East Asians, there is an even longer waiting time. I’m going to be very sensible in making sure I look after this kidney.”

Under transplant rules, Mr Hopkins knows nothing of the donor and the donor’s family are not told which patient receives the organ.

He inherited polycystic kidney disease and was facing the prospect of daily peritoneal dialysis, in which fluids are drained from the abdomen. Mr Hopkins said: “I have known I have this since 1993. The team at St George’s have kept a close eye on me. Because I’m fit and healthy, they were keen to do a pre-emptive transplant before I became dependent on dialysis.”

He praised the “excellent” treatment he received and was discharged four days after the hour-long operation. He expects to be off work for eight weeks. 

St George’s performs 130 kidney transplants a year. The process involves “re-plumbing” the third kidney into his body rather than removing one of his own kidneys. Sally Johnson, director of organ donation and transplantation for NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “Organ donation saves lives and we urge people to join the NHS Organ Donor Register.”

Vigil to be held in Trafalgar Square tonight in memory of terror attack victims

Staff  reporter(wp/es):

Londoners will gather for a candlelit vigil in Trafalgar Square this evening in memory of the victims of the Westminster terror attack. 

Sadiq Khan invited residents - as well as visitors - to attend the event at 6pm to show the world that London remains united.

He said: “London is the greatest city in the world. We will never be cowed by terrorism. We stand together, in the face of those who seek to harm us and destroy our way of life. We always have, and we always will.”

The Mayor believes the vigil will give people the opportunity to remember those who have lost their lives, show solidarity for those injured, and express sympathy to their families and loved ones.

He added that the event would show the world that Londoners were “more committed than ever” to the capital’s values of openness and freedom. 

The Mayor has invited all Government ministers, MPs and peers, borough leaders, faith leaders and military chiefs to the vigil. 

This morning a book of condolence was laid in Westminster Hall for MPs, staff and the public to write messages to honour those who died in yesterday’s attack.

People on social media have also shown their support by sharing a graphic using the iconic Underground emblem, emblazoned with the slogan “We are not afraid”.

The House of Commons’ deputy speaker Lindsay Hoyle said support was in place for all staff in Westminster affected by the attack. 

He said: “It is another alarm, it is another one we have to take seriously, but the one thing I can be sure of - terrorism will not defeat democracy.”

“It’s a horrible day for members, but we’ve got to get on and show terrorism will not defeat the House of Commons.”

London attack: British-born attacker 'known to MI5'

Crime reporter(wp):

The Westminster attacker was British-born and known to the police and intelligence services, the prime minister has revealed.

In a statement to the Commons, Theresa May said he had been investigated some years ago over violent extremism but had been a "peripheral figure".

"He was not part of the current intelligence picture," she said.

Eight arrests have been made following the attack on Wednesday that left four dead.

Those that died are PC Keith Palmer, Aysha Frade who worked at a London college, a man in his 50s and the attacker.

Seven of the injured are still in hospital in a critical condition.

A further 29 had been treated in hospital, Mr Rowley added.

In the attack on Wednesday afternoon, a man drove a car along a pavement on Westminster Bridge knocking down pedestrians, creating panic and leaving dozens injured.

He then ran towards Parliament where he stabbed PC Palmer who was unarmed. Armed police then shot dead the attacker in the grounds.

Mrs May paid tribute to PC Palmer saying: "He was every inch a hero and his actions will never be forgotten."

Mrs Frade worked at a London sixth form college just a few hundred metres from Westminster Bridge.

Principal at DLD College, Rachel Borland, said she was "highly regarded and loved by our students and by her colleagues".

In an earlier statement made outside Scotland Yard, Acting Deputy Commissioner Mark Rowley said seven arrests had been made during raids in London and Birmingham - an eighth was announced several hours later.

"It is still our belief - which continues to be borne out by our investigation - that this attacker acted alone and was inspired by international terrorism.

"To be explicit, at this stage we have no specific information about further threats to the public."

He urged journalists not to publish the attacker's name while searches were continuing.

He said Londoners should expect to see more police officers on the streets, after officers' leave had been cancelled and duty hours extended.

It was initially thought that three members of the public had been killed on Westminster Bridge, but Mr Rowley referred to just two in his statement.

Director General of MI5 Andrew Parker condemned the attack as "appalling and disgusting".

The agency's operational response was "fully mobilised in support of the police", he said.

Ken Livingstone calls for 12 Labour MPs to be suspended for 'undermining' Jeremy Corbyn

Pic:Ken Livingstone has called for 'about a dozen' Labour MPs to be suspended
Political reporter(wp/es):

Former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has called for a group of Labour MPs to be suspended for deliberately undermining leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Mr Livingstone, a close ally of the party leader, named London MPs Chuka Umunna and Wes Streeting among the “about a dozen” of MPs who he believes should be suspended.

The veteran Labour politician is himself currently suspended from the party over alleged anti-Semitic comments.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live just days after Mr Corbyn issued a plea for party unity, Mr Livingstone called for the removal of "disloyal" MPs.

"Those that have been most over the top I think should be suspended," he told interviewer Emma Barnett.

He also called for the reintroduction of automatic re-selection of MPs, a move which could see centrist politicians in the party removed by grassroots Corbyn supporters.

“I think the other thing that Jeremy should do is re-introduce automatic re-selection. It's really ridiculous that MPs in safe seats have a job for life.

"I'm particularly talking about Chuka Umunna, Wes Streeting - basically it's the same group of MPs who were screaming that I'd said Hitler was a Zionist and I was anti-Semitic.

"The moment that issue went on hold, they were then blaming Jeremy for Britain voting to leave (the EU). Just endless criticism. It's only about a dozen of them.

"The simple fact is they are consciously undermining Jeremy and damaging the Labour Party."

Mr Livingstone said he expected to lose his disciplinary hearing next week on his suspension from the party, and indicated he will take Labour to court if that is the result.

The comments which led to his suspension took place on the Vanessa Feltz show on BBC Radio London, when he referred to Hitler’s policy of moving Jewish people to Israel as Zionism.

19-year-old found dead in Mercedes after shooting in east London

Crime reporter(wp/es):

A 19-year-old was found dead in a car after being shot in east London, it has emerged.

The victim was shot as he sat in a Mercedes, before being found by shocked passers-by after a “commotion” in a busy road in Ilford last night.

Paramedics found the man unconscious with a gunshot wound and battled to save him but he died at the scene.

The incident comes just two days after an 18-year-old was shot dead as he cycled through an estate in near-by Barking.

David Adegbite, 18, was ambushed by a gang who surrounded him in a car park on the St Ann’s estate shortly after 7pm on Sunday.

Scotland Yard said today it was too early to say if the two shootings were linked.

Officers were called to reports of the shooting at the Ilford Lane junction with Bedford Road, Ilford, at 10.10pm last night.

Witnesses described hearing two gun shots ring out after a fight broke out near the junction of Bedford Road.

A shop worker said: “There was some sort of a gang fight, probably over drugs, and then a stabbing and two gun shots and then the shooters drove off.

“Armed police come down and blocked off the road.”

Khalid Hussain, chair of Ilford Business Association, who runs K1tyres in Ilford Lane, said CCTV showed a car pulling up alongside another vehicle last night. 

He said: “There’s some kind of commotion, and it looks like the man the car is shot. The car looks like a Mercedes.

“The other car drives off then there’s a Good Samaritan who runs to the car. I think he calls police and tries to help them man inside.”

Residents of the road where the man was shot, a quiet street of Victorian terraces, spoke of their shock at the killing.

Rafa Roblewski, 31, a student who recently moved to the street with his girlfriend said: “It’s really scary this has happened. We hoped we were moving somewhere nicer and then a man is shot dead here.”

Buses were diverted and a cordon was still in place this morning as forensic officers combed the area for evidence.

A Met spokeswoman said: “Police were called by the London Ambulance Service (LAS) on to a report of a man unconscious after being shot in Ilford Lane at the junction with Bedford Road, Ilford.

“Officers attended along with the LAS and found a man suffering from a gunshot wound. He was attended to by paramedics but was pronounced dead at the scene at 23.22pm.”

The family of the man, whose age is not known, have not yet been informed of his death. There have been no arrests.

Woman dies in Westminster attack

Pic:police shoot attaker
Crime reporter(wp)

A woman has died on Westminster Bridge in central London in what police are treating as a terrorist incident.

A police officer was also stabbed in the nearby Houses of Parliament by an attacker, who was shot by police.

The attacker struck several pedestrians as he drove a car across the bridge, before crashing it into railings.

A doctor at St Thomas' Hospital said a number of other people were hurt - some with "catastrophic" injuries.

A Downing Street source said Prime Minister Theresa May was safe.

Prime Minister Theresa May was seen being ushered into a silver Jaguar car as what sounded like gunfire rang out at Parliament during the incident.

MPs said they had heard three or four gunshots and staff inside Parliament were told to stay inside their offices.

Commons Leader David Lidington told MPs the "alleged assailant was shot by armed police".

Tom Peck, political editor for the Independent, tweeted: "There was a loud bang. Screams. Commotion. Then the sound of gunshots. Armed police everywhere."

Press Association political editor Andrew Woodcock witnessed the scenes unfolding from his office window overlooking New Palace Yard.

"I heard shouts and screams from outside and looked out, and there was a group of maybe 40 or 50 people running round the corner from Bridge Street into Parliament Square.

"They appeared to be running away from something.

"As the group arrived at the Carriage Gates, where policemen are posted at the security entrance, a man suddenly ran out of the crowd and into the yard.

"He seemed to be holding up a long kitchen knife.

"I heard what sounded like shots - I think about three of them - and then the next thing I knew there were two people lying on the ground and others running to help them.

"Armed police were quickly on the scene and I heard them shouting to people to get out of the yard."