British lawmakers instruct May to change Brexit deal; EU says 'No'

Political reporter(wp/reuters):::
British lawmakers on Tuesday instructed Prime Minister Theresa May to reopen a Brexit treaty with the European Union to replace a controversial Irish border arrangement - and promptly received a flat rejection from Brussels.

Two weeks after overwhelmingly rejecting May’s Brexit deal, parliament backed a proposal intended to send her back to Brussels with a stronger mandate to seek changes that were more likely to win their support.

At the same time, they rejected a proposal to give parliament a path to prevent a potentially chaotic ‘no-deal’ exit by making May ask Brussels for a delay if she cannot get a deal through parliament.

With two months left until Britain is due by law to leave the EU, investors and allies have urged the government to clinch a deal to allow an orderly exit from the club it joined in 1973.

“Tonight, a majority of honourable members have said they would support a deal with changes to the backstop,” May said, only two weeks after her divorce deal was crushed in the biggest parliamentary defeat in modern British history.

“It is now clear that there is a route that can secure a substantial and sustainable majority in the house for leaving the EU with a deal,” May said, adding she would seek “legally binding changes”.

The Irish backstop is an insurance policy that aims to prevent the reintroduction of a hard border between Ireland and the British province of Northern Ireland, a crucial part of a 1998 peace deal that ended decades of sectarian violence, and preserve frictionless trade.

However, critics said it could bind the United Kingdom to the EU’s rules indefinitely.

The proposal, put forward by influential Conservative lawmaker Graham Brady and passed by 317 votes to 301, called for the backstop to be replaced with unspecified “alternative arrangements”, and said parliament would support May’s Brexit deal if such a change was made.

“RENEGING ON COMMITMENTS”

However, Brussels has repeatedly said it does not want to reopen a treaty signed off by the other 27 EU leaders.

Speaking immediately after the vote in parliament, a spokesman for European Council President Donald Tusk said the backstop was part of the withdrawal deal and not up for negotiation, a stance echoed by the Irish government.

“This is a deal which was negotiated with the UK, by the UK, signed off by the UK and the prime minister - and now it looks as though this evening, essentially, there is a row-back and a reneging on the commitments that were made,” said Irish European Affairs minister Helen McEntee.

French President Emmanuel Macron’s office said there could be no renegotiation and demanded a “credible” British proposal.

If the British parliament cannot find a majority for a way forward, the United Kingdom will leave the largest global trading bloc without any deal, a scenario that businesses fear will bring chaos to the world’s fifth biggest economy.

Neither May nor her ministers spelled out what compromises she would seek from the EU, but suggestions include securing a time limit to the backstop or allowing a unilateral exit clause - elements that defeat its purpose, according to the EU.

Hardline pro-Brexit Conservative lawmakers made clear that their support for May on Tuesday was conditional on her securing a deal they approved of.

“The backstop is not going to get through this parliament,” Steve Baker, a leading member of the group, told Reuters. “Change the backstop, fix the date of the end of the implementation period, and agree a plan C.”

“MAY WILL BE REBUFFED”

However, EU diplomats played down May’s chances of being able to present a substantially different deal to the British parliament in a decisive vote expected to take place on Feb. 13.

“May will now come back to Brussels and be rebuffed,” one diplomat said. “The House of Commons will have to vote again mid-February on plan C. And it will have to be plan A all over again, but with even more pressure of no-deal Brexit looming.”

Members of parliament (MPs) on Tuesday rejected two amendments that set out a clear path for parliament to prevent a no-deal exit if May cannot get a deal passed next month.

However, they did later approve a symbolic proposal calling on the government to stop a potentially disorderly no-deal exit, sending a signal that a majority oppose such a departure.

It provided no mechanism for preventing a no-deal Brexit, but kept open the option that members of parliament could try to take the initiative in the “amendable” vote that May has promised for Feb. 14 if she cannot get a deal approved.

Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said he would meet May to “find a sensible Brexit solution that works for the whole country”, listing changes that Labour wanted to see, but that May has shown no sign of supporting.

Sterling, which recently hit a 2-1/2-month high of $1.3218 on hopes that a no-deal Brexit would be avoided, fell about 0.8 percent. [GBP/]

“This isn’t a good night for the country,” Labour lawmaker Wes Streeting tweeted.

“The prime minister voted against her own deal to go back to Brussels for something she’s said is impossible. MPs voted against ‘no deal’ - but also voted to make ‘no deal’ more likely. We’ll be back for another round of Groundhog Day soon.”

Leicester woman jailed for blackmailing girl over indecent images

Pic--Shilpa Uga (left) and Jatin Gohil both admitted making and distributing images of the girl/LEICESTERSHIRE POLICE
Crime reporter(wp/bbc):::

A teenager tried to kill herself after being blackmailed by a "callous" woman who threatened to share indecent images of her, a court heard.

The girl was contacted through social media by Shilpa Uga, posing as a 21-year-old man who asked her to send intimate photos and videos.

Uga, from Leicester, then demanded large amounts of money from the girl.

She was jailed for three years after admitting blackmail and five counts of having indecent images of a child.

• Latest news and stories from the East Midlands

Leicester Crown Court on Friday heard Uga had been in contact with the girl between January and April 2014, when the girl was aged 16.

Uga, 26, of Pine Tree Avenue, later threatened to post the images she had received online if the girl did not hand over the cash she had asked for.

Uga's offences only came to light when the teenager tried to take her own life and was found by a family member.

'Traumatic period'

During the police investigation it was revealed Uga had also shared the photos and videos with Jatin Gohil, 28, of St Barnabas Road, Leicester.

He pleaded guilty earlier this month to seven counts of possession, making and distributing indecent images of a child.

He was also jailed for three years, and both defendants were placed on the sex offenders register.

Det Con Skarv Hussain said: "This was an extremely traumatic period for the victim who felt she had no alternative than to take her life.

"Uga's actions were callous and she had no regard for the effect it would have on the young victim."

Paedophile Sophie Elms, ‪18, of Royal Wootton Bassett jailed

Pic--When Elms was arrested indecent images and video including those classed in category A - the most serious - were found on her mobile phones/wp
Crime reporter(wp/bbc):::

A teenage paedophile has been jailed for sex attacks on two young children.

Sophie Elms, ‪18, had previously pleaded guilty to 16 child sex offences including distributing indecent images.

Elms, of Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire was arrested after sending images and videos of her assaulting the children to a known sex offender.

Being aged just 17 when she committed the offences Elms was one of the youngest women in the UK to commit such crimes, Swindon Crown Court heard.

Jailing the ex-childcare student for seven years at 10 months, Judge Jason Taylor QC told her she had deliberately inflicted "psychological damage" on her victims.

'Unimaginable, horrific event'

Her victims were aged only about two and three when she attacked them, the court heard.

Elms was arrested on 10 March 2018 after Wiltshire Police received information from West Mercia Police as part of an investigation of a local sex offender, who is currently serving a 15-year jail term.

As she stood in the dock a statement was read out by the father of one of the victims.

He described the impact of her offences on the family as "unimaginable" and said the "horrific event" has "damaged all their lives".

"At the time of committing these atrocious crimes, she was studying child care with a long term aim of working with very young children in the future," Det Insp Simon Childe, of Wiltshire Police, said.

'Immature individual'

Four mobile phones owned by the defendant were seized and found to contain indecent images and video including those classed in category A - the most serious, the court heard.

Elms had also taken and distributed indecent photos of another child.

In mitigation, her defence team described her as a "vulnerable, immature individual" who had been "instigated" into committing the offences by the man she had been communicating with online.

But Judge Taylor said her offences had been carried out in a "deliberate and targeted manner".

He told Elms: "Only time will tell what psychological damage you have inflicted on your victims."

Flybe confirms shareholder call for removal of chairman, sale investigation

Business reporter(wp/reuters):::

Flybe Group Plc confirmed on Monday its largest shareholder had urged the airline to remove Chairman Simon Laffin and investigate its cut-price sale to a consortium.

Hosking Partners LLP, which owns 18.72 percent of Flybe according to Refinitv Eikon data, has asked the company to appoint industry veteran Eric Kohn as director, Flybe said.

Earlier this month, Flybe agreed to be bought by a group comprising Richard Branson’s Virgin Atlantic, Stobart Group and Cyrus Capital for $2.8 million (2.13 million pounds), a 94 percent discount to the stock’s closing price a day before the sale announcement.

The company, which operates routes from about 25 British airports, including domestic connections to London’s Heathrow, has struggled with higher fuel costs, currency fluctuations and uncertainties presented by Brexit.

Flybe said on Monday Hosking had asked for a general meeting to consider its resolutions. Sky News first reported the news on Friday.

The company reaffirmed its confidence in Laffin, and said it believes that “any independent scrutiny of its conduct will support the board’s decision-making.”

Laffin, who previously worked in senior positions at Safeway Plc, Aegis Group plc, Mitchells & Butlers plc and Northern Rock plc, has chaired Flybe for more than 5 years.

London Metal Exchange lifts suspension on holding Rusal metal in LME warehouses

Business reporter(wp/reuters):::

The London Metal Exchange (LME) said on Monday it had lifted a temporary suspension, with immediate effect, on storing metal produced by aluminium producer Rusal (0486.HK) in LME-approved warehouses, after the United States formally lifted sanctions against the Russian firm.

“For the avoidance of doubt, this means that all Rusal metal can be placed (in LME-approved facilities) on warrant,” the exchange said in a notice to members, warehouse companies and their London agents.

Tesco says changes to UK business to impact up to 9,000 jobs

Business reporter(wp/reuters):::
Tesco, Britain’s biggest retailer, said on Monday it was making changes to its UK business that could impact up to 9,000 jobs.

It estimated that half of that number could be re-deployed across the business.

Tesco, Britain’s biggest private sector employer with a staff of over 300,000, said the main change in its stores would be to its fresh meat, fish and delicatessen counters.

It expects to close counters in about 90 stores, with the remaining 700 trading with either “a full or flexible counter.”

Tesco said it also needed less staff for stock control, merchandising and at its head office.

UK grocers, fast food warn of major disruption from no-deal Brexit

Business reporter(wp/reuters):::
Britain’s food security could be threatened if it leaves the EU without a deal and suffers an abrupt hit to trade with the bloc, a lobby group representing firms including Sainsbury’s, Asda, McDonald’s and KFC said on Monday.

Business leaders have expressed alarm at the prospect of chaos at ports if Britain does not agree on the terms of its withdrawal from the European Union, scheduled for March 29.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) made its latest warning in a letter sent to MPs. It was also signed by the bosses of supermarket groups the Co-operative, Marks & Spencer, Lidl and Waitrose.

“While we have been working closely with our suppliers on contingency plans it is not possible to mitigate all the risks to our supply chains and we fear significant disruption in the short term as a result if there is no Brexit deal,” the letter said.

“We are therefore asking you to work with your colleagues in Parliament urgently to find a solution that avoids the shock of a no-deal Brexit on 29 March and removes these risks for UK consumers.”

The letter was published ahead of key Brexit votes in Parliament set for Tuesday.

It noted that nearly one third of the food eaten in the UK comes from the EU. The situation would be even more acute in March when British produce is out of season, with 90 percent of lettuces, 80 percent of tomatoes and 70 percent of soft fruit sourced from the EU at that time of year.

“As this produce is fresh and perishable, it needs to be moved quickly from farms to our stores,” it said. “This complex, ‘just in time’ supply chain will be significantly disrupted in the event of no deal.”

The BRC noted that even if the British government does not undertake checks on products at the border, there will still be major disruption at Calais as the French government has said it will enforce sanitary and customs checks on exports from the EU.

The BRC letter highlighted the UK government’s own data suggesting freight trade between Calais and Dover may reduce by 87 percent against current levels as a result.

“For consumers, this will reduce the availability and shelf life of many products in our stores,” it said.

The BRC also expressed concern about the pressure on food prices from higher transport costs, currency devaluation and tariffs.

Only around 10 percent of Britain’s food imports are now subject to tariffs. If the UK were to revert to WTO Most Favoured Nation status in a no-deal scenario, it would greatly increase import costs, which could in turn put upward pressure on food prices, the BRC said.

It said the UK could set import tariffs at zero but that would have “a devastating impact” on Britain’s farmers, a key part of the supermarkets’ supply chain.

The signatories said they were stockpiling where possible, but noted that all of Britain’s frozen and chilled storage is already being used, with very little general warehousing space available.

They said it is impossible to stockpile fresh produce, such as salad leaves and fresh fruit, with supermarkets typically storing no more than two weeks’ inventory.