extending Brexit transition beyond 2020 would be a last resort with deal '95 per cent' complete

Pic: Theresa May said the Government must hold its nerve (wp )
Political reporter(wp/es):

Theresa May has said the Government must hold its nerve as Brexit negotiations entered their final stages.

The Prime Minister addressed the Commons to say that the Tories must "not give in to those who want to stop Brexit with a politicians' vote."

She added that she "did not want nor expect to extend the Brexit transition period past the end of 2020."

Mrs May added that there may be circumstances in which a short extension to the transition period after Britain leaves the EU is a preferable option.

However, in a statement to the Commons, she said the transition period would have to be completed well before the end of the parliament in June 2022.

"There are some limited circumstances in which it could be argued that an extension to the implementation period might be preferable if we were certain it was only for a short time," she said.

"A short extension to the implementation period would mean only one set of changes for businesses at the point we move to the future relationship.

"But in any such scenario we would have to be out of this implementation period well before the end of this parliament."

Mrs May added: "The Brexit talks are not about my interests, they are about the national interest.

"And the interest of the whole of the United Kingdom. Serving our national interest will demand that we hold our nerve through these last stages of the negotiations - the hardest part of all.

"It will mean not giving in to those who want to stop Brexit with a politicians' vote.

"Politicians telling the people they got it wrong the first time and should try again."

In her highly-anticipated statement on Brexit, the Prime Minister said that 95% of  the Brexit withdrawal agreement had been completed and "broad agreement on structure and scope" of future relations with EU was reached.

However Jeremy Corbyn said the government was hamstrung by its own divisions, and that the Prime Minister was "losing control."

Mrs May also condemned the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and demanded answers about his death.

The Prime Minister's comments came before a statement on the case by Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Mrs May told MPs: "I am sure the whole House will join me in condemning the killing of Jamal Khashoggi in the strongest possible terms.

"We must get to the truth of what happened."

The Prime Minister's remarks in the Commons followed former foreign secretary Boris Johnson urging a robust response to Saudi Arabia over Mr Khashoggi's death.

Britain should "refuse to turn a blind eye" to the murder of the dissident journalist and pressure Saudi Arabia into ending the brutal civil war in Yemen, Mr Johnson said in his Daily Telegraph column.

The former foreign secretary drew parallels between the Istanbul killing and the Novichok attack in Salisbury in March, calling them "state-sponsored plots" designed to "send a terrifying public warning" to opponents.

The Gulf kingdom admitted on Friday that Washington Post columnist Mr Khashoggi, a vocal critic of Riyadh, was killed at its Istanbul consulate but claimed he died after a fight broke out.

Two charged with murder after father found dead outside his home in south London

Crime reporter,London(wp/es):

Police have charged two men with murder after father died following a mass brawl near his south-west London flat.

Ian Tomlin, 46, was found slumped by the lifts outside his flat in south-west London on Wednesday night. 

Michael Swan, 45, and Gary Beech, 48, will appear in court in connection with his death.

Officers at the Met said Mr Tomlin died of a head injury caused by blunt force trauma following an incident in a communal area of a block of flats in Battersea, south-west London, on Wednesday.

Police were called to a group fighting at the building on Charlotte Despard Avenue at about 5.30pm.

Medics battled to save Mr Tomlin's life, but he was pronounced dead 45 minutes later.

Swan, of Enterprise Way, Wandsworth, and Beech, of Charlotte Despard Avenue, Battersea, will appear at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court on Saturday.

The famous faces who joined thousands of protesters at huge march

Staff reporter(wp/es):

Thousands of people from across the country have marched in the capital to demand a final say on the Brexit deal – including famous faces.

Organisers claim more than half a million joined in the central London protest, calling for a fresh referendum.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan led Saturday’s march, which kicked off at about 1pm and was included by celebs such as Delia Smith and Lord of the Rings actor Andy Serkis.

Mr Serkis said he believed there should be a second referendum, “now people are more informed”, compared to 2016 when the vote was cast.

He added: “The will of the people doesn’t have to stand still, it’s not an immovable thing that is fixed.”

Humans and Crazy Rich Asians actress Gemma Chan also attended, holding a banner with actor Dominic Cooper, which read: “Even Baldrick had a f***ing plan.”

Comedian Jenny Éclair wrote on Twitter that it was a “lovely day for marching”, adding there were so many people there was no room to actually march.

Deborah Meaden, the entrepreneur and Dragon’s Den star also attended, posting an image with herself and Labour MP Chuku Umunna.

She said: “If there's one thing business doesn't like its uncertainty."

Ms Meaden explained what she would do if someone came to me and said, 'I will make your family poorer,' as well as damage businesses and cut off ties to a trading partner.

She said she would respond: "I'm out."

Chefs Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Delia Smith also marched.

Leading speeches in Parliament Square, Delia Smith said people were not fully informed when they voted but now understood "the dire consequences".

"When the vote first happened we weren't fully informed," she said.

"Now we know the dire consequences that can be summed in two words: unmitigated chaos."

She ended by asking MPs where they are and said: "where are you let's be having you," in homage to another famous speech she made.

Stars from the Thick of It were also out in force for the march.

And for the stars unable to attend, tweets of solidarity were posted out.

Actor Hugh Grant said: “Very sorry not to be in the UK for #PeoplesVoteMArch. Will march by myself along around a French village chanting.”

The so-called People's Vote is the idea of another vote on the final Brexit deal, which would likely take the form of another referendum.

UK should bring forward new petrol and diesel car ban to 2032 – MPs

Staff reporter(wp/reuters):
Britain should bring forward a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by eight years to 2032 to help the country reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, a parliamentary committee said on Friday.
Britain hopes to become a world leader in electric vehicle technology and currently plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2040 as a part of efforts to meet its climate targets.

“If we are serious about being EV (electric vehicle) world leaders, the government must come forward with a target of new sales of cars and vans to be zero emission by 2032,” said Rachel Reeves, Chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, which authored the report.

The report said the country should improve incentives for the uptake of electric vehicles and criticised a recent decision to cut grants for new plug-in hybrid electric vehicles from November.

It also said the country’s infrastructure, to allow for the charging of electric vehicles, was not fit for purpose.

“The government needs to get a grip and lead on coordinating the financial support and technical know-how necessary for local authorities to promote this infrastructure and help ensure that electric cars are an attractive option for consumers,” Reeves said.

Britain has around 16,500 charging points but will need this to increase to at least 100,000 by 2020, a report from UK-based data company Emu Analytics said in May.

Britain’s energy industry association, Energy UK, backed the call for an earlier start to the ban.

“We firmly support the committee’s call for greater ambition and believe that an accelerated timetable for the roll out of Electric Vehicles (EVs) is both desirable and feasible,” it said.

However, Britain’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said the 2040 ban was already ambitious and said meeting the target earlier would be almost impossible.

“Zero emission vehicles make up just 0.6 percent of the market, meaning consumer appetite would have to grow by some 17,000 percent in just over a decade. This is unrealistic,” SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes said in a statement.

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino urges government to put brakes on EU departure

Pic:Pochettino(wp)
Political reporter(wp/es):

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has likened Brexit to a car crash and admits English football faces an uncertain future after the country leaves the European Union.

As Britain heads towards an exit in March and the uncertainty of a ‘no deal’ Brexit looms large, Pochettino has become the second high-profile Premier League manager to criticise the decision to hold the referendum.

The Argentine did not go as far as Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp, who has thrown his support behind a second public vote, but said the government should have the bravery to put the brakes on Brexit rather than driving the country into the unknown.

“After two and a half years, I still don’t know if it will be good or bad [for English football],” Pochettino said. “For me, it’s about applying common sense. If the politicians now realise it [Brexit] will be tough and it will be bad for England, why not go back and explain, ‘This is what is going to happen to us?’ 

“If not, it’s like doing nothing when you are going to crash [your car]. If I’m going to crash but Jesus [Perez, Tottenham assistant manager] is saying come on, come on, push, faster... No! Stop!

“I feel sorry,” Pochettino added. “First of all for the people I love but also for the people who do not have the opportunity to say, ‘I need more information.’ We still don’t know the consequences. 

“I feel so sorry because it’s a situation that should be dealt with by people who have all the information, who know the reality. If people are for or against Brexit, they manipulate everything. 

“It’s so unfair to put the responsibility on the people because there are consequences. We said Brexit, we bought into an idea. But afterwards, who suffers? We don’t know.

“If someone told you it would be good for my family, for myself and then the consequences are different [to expected], you are the guilty one. That’s what I don’t like. If I am responsible for picking a starting XI, I need to take the responsibility — I cannot ask the fans who should play. 

“And I know the consequences if I don’t pick right and a get a good result. It’s such an important a decision and after two and a half years, 99 per cent of the people of this country still don’t know if it’s good [to be] in or out.”

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has described Brexit as a “fantastic opportunity” to redress the balance of English and overseas academy players in the top flight but Mike Garlick and Peter Coates, his counterparts at Burnley and Stoke respectively, say it will be “hugely damaging” for English football.

There are concerns that Brexit could prevent Premier League clubs from signings stars from the EU under new freedom-of-movement regulations. Last year, Spurs director Donna-Maria Cullen wrote that Brexit had “added a straight 20 per cent on costs for foreign goods”, pushing up the price of building Tottenham’s new stadium, which is now close to £1billion.

For Pochettino, a second referendum on the terms of an exit deal could only increase the uncertainty. 

“We don’t know if another referendum will be good or bad,” he said. “If I need to vote in or out [again], I still don’t know what the best decision for us will be. If you’re going to vote, it’s because you believe it will be good for you, for the people you love and your friends, country, everyone. But after two and a half years, we still don’t know.”

Christian Eriksen and Mousa Dembele are back for tomorrow’s match at West Ham but Dele Alli, Danny Rose and Jan Vertonghen remain sidelined.

20 men found guilty of raping and abusing young girls

Crime reporter(wp/es):

A gang of twenty men have been found guilty of sexually abusing girls as young as 11 in Yorkshire between 2004 and 2011.

The group were convicted of more than 120 offences against 15 young girls in the Huddersfield area following their "campaign of rape and other sexual abuse".

The case can be reported for the first time today after a judge lifted a reporting restriction imposed on the series of trials almost 12 months ago.

Three trials at Leeds Crown Court this year have heard how more than a dozen vulnerable teenage girls were plied with drink and drugs and then "used and abused at will".

Those already sentenced have received prison terms totalling 221 years.

The group's ringleader Amere Singh Dhaliwal, 35, was jailed for life and told he must serve a minimum of 18 years in prison by a judge who told him: "Your treatment of these girls was inhuman."

Dhaliwal was jailed for life earlier this year and told he must serve a minimum of 18 years in prison by judge Geoffrey Marson QC who said: "Your treatment of these girls was inhuman."

Dhaliwal, who has children of his own, was convicted of 54 separate counts, including 22 rapes, involving 11 different girls.

The judge told him earlier this year: "You treated them as commodities to be passed around for your own sexual gratification and the gratification of others.

"The extent and gravity of your offending far exceeds anything which I have previously encountered."

The judge went on: "It was a very significant campaign of rape and other sexual abuse.

"Children's lives have been ruined and families profoundly affected by seeing their children, over months and years, out of control, having been groomed by you and other members of your gang."

At the end of the first trial, the judge said: "The way you treated these girls defies understanding; this abuse was vile and wicked.

"As cases of sexual abuse with which the courts have to deal, this case comes at the top of the scale.

"None of you has expressed any remorse for what you did."

He added: "The sentences I pass on you are severe and are intended to be so. They are intended to deter others from behaving in this way."

Nick Clegg joins Facebook as head of global affairs and communications

Pic:Facebook has hired Nick Clegg, the former UK deputy prime minister
ICT reporter(wp/es):

Facebook has hired former Liberal Democrats leader Sir Nick Clegg as the company's head of global affairs and communications.

The former UK deputy prime minister, 51, will take up the role from Monday and will spend a week at the company's Menlo Park headquarters.

He will then relocate to California in January with his wife Miriam and their three sons. 

It comes as Mark Zuckerberg seeks to repair the company's reputation in the face of rows over transparency and the role of "fake news" on the platform following the 2016 EU referendum and the 2017 election of Donald Trump as US president.

Sir Nick's new title will be Vice President of Global Affairs and Communications at Facebook, reporting to chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg.

He will succeed Elliot Schrage, who is set to stay on at the firm as an advisor. 

It is understood Mark Zuckerberg wooed Sir Nick by saying he would have a leading role in shaping the company's strategy, the Financial Times reported.

Sir Nick is the most senior politician from Europe to work for Facebook and in a statement on his Facebook page he said he was looking forward to "an exciting new adventure".

He added that the firm and its apps, including Whatsapp and Instagram was "at the heart of some of the most complex and difficult questions we face as a society", over individual privacy, democratic integrity, the balance between free speech and prohibition online, artificial intelligence and the well-being of children.

He went on: "I believe that Facebook must continue to play a role in finding answers to those questions - not by acting alone in Silicon Valley, but by working with people, organisations, governments and regulators around the world to ensure that technology is a force for good.

"I am looking forward to being part of this endeavour."

The timing of the move to the United States may raise eyebrows after Mr Clegg took a prominent role in the campaign for a second "People's Vote" Brexit referendum.

Addressing this he added: "As someone who has spent a lifetime arguing for Britain's wholehearted commitment to Europe, it is of course a wrench to be leaving the public debate at a crucial time in the Brexit process.

"But the key decisions will soon pass to Parliament, of which I am no longer a Member, and once I had decided to take up this unique new challenge at Facebook, I felt it was best to get going sooner rather than later."

The politician, who lost his Sheffield Hallam seat at last year's general election, was leader of the Lib Dems from 2007 to 2015.

Facebook has come under intense scrutiny following the Cambridge Analytica scandal and alleged election meddling.

The firm already has links to the Lib Dems as Richard Allan, its public policy chief for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, is a peer for the party.