Labour would pay 20 billion pounds in water nationalisation - Sunday Times

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A future Labour government would offer shareholders in British water utilities a total of 20 billion pounds in a nationalisation programme, compared with a current market value of around 44 billion pounds, the Sunday Times newspaper said.

Citing extracts from an internal Labour Party briefing document, the newspaper said Labour only intended to compensate shareholders for investment already put into the utilities, and not for the loss of future profits.

“Shareholder investment on the books of UK water and sewerage companies is less than 20 billion pounds,” the newspaper quoted the document as saying.

“We think this is a better place to start than market values because it reflects how much shareholders have actually put into a company, and doesn’t incorporate future expected profits, which will not exist under public ownership,” the document added.

John McDonnell: No trust left in PM over Brexit talks

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Labour's shadow chancellor says he does not trust Theresa May after details from cross-party talks on Brexit were leaked to the press.

The PM has called on Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to "put their differences aside" and agree a Brexit deal.

But John McDonnell said she had "blown the confidentially" of the talks and "jeopardised the negotiations".

The UK was due to leave the EU on 29 March, but it was delayed to 31 October after MPs failed to agree a deal.

Mrs May put the plan she had negotiated with the EU to Parliament three times, but it did not have the support of the Commons.

'Uncomfortable' decision

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, she said Mr Corbyn should "listen to what voters said" in Thursday's local elections - which saw the Conservatives lose 1,334 councillors and Labour fail to make expected gains, instead losing 82 seats.

The Liberal Democrats benefited from Tory losses, gaining 703 seats, with the Greens and independents also making gains.

The prime minister blamed the Brexit impasse for the losses - but said the elections gave "fresh urgency" to find a way to "break the deadlock".

Mrs May also said she hoped to find a "unified, cross-party position" with Labour - despite admitting that her colleagues "find this decision uncomfortable" and that "frankly, it is not what I wanted either".

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• Tories call for unity after election drubbing

Mr McDonnell agreed that the message from the polls was to "get on with it" and come to an agreement over Brexit quickly.

But while he said the talks between the two parties would continue on Tuesday, he said they had been undermined after an article in the Sunday Times, detailing where Mrs May was willing to compromise - namely on customs, goods alignment and workers' rights.

The paper also said the PM could put forward plans for a comprehensive, but temporary, customs arrangement with the EU that would last until the next general election.

Mr McDonnell told the BBC's Andrew Marr show: "We have maintained confidentiality as that is what we were asked to do. We haven't briefed the media.

"So it is disappointing the prime minister has broken that and I think it is an act of bad faith.

"I fully understand now why she couldn't negotiate a decent deal with our European partners if she behaves in this way."

Asked if he trusted the prime minister, the shadow chancellor said: "No. Sorry. Not after this weekend when she has blown the confidentiality we had, and I actually think she has jeopardised the negotiation for her own personal protection."

He criticised other senior Tories who were "threatening to tear up any deal we do" once the party has a new leader, adding: "It is like trying to enter into contract with a company going into administration."

'Deeply divisive deal'

The BBC's political correspondent Chris Mason said reaching a deal was "fraught with risk" for both Mrs May and Mr Corbyn.

"A deal on a customs union would be deeply divisive for the Conservatives," he said. "Accepting there'd be no new referendum would split Labour."

Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 committee of Tory backbenchers, told the Daily Telegraph that staying in a customs union could lead to a "catastrophic split" in the Conservative Party.

And, in the same paper, Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage said: "If the Tories do a deal with Labour on the customs union they will be going into coalition with the opposition against the people."

He told Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme that millions of people would give up on Labour and the Conservatives if they agreed a deal, adding it would be the "final betrayal".

But the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Ruth Davidson, said her party needed to "start walking ourselves back" from the extremes of the argument to find a compromise, telling the BBC's Andrew Marr show "there is a deal to be done" with Labour.

• May must go now, says former Tory leader
• Local elections: Main parties punished

Meanwhile, the People's Vote campaign - which wants a referendum on a final Brexit deal - has published a letter signed by more than 100 opposition MPs saying any new, agreed deal should be put to the public for a vote.

"The very worst thing we could do at this time is a Westminster stitch-up, whether over the PM's deal or another deal," the letter read.

On Saturday, former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith said a deal with Labour would not be legitimate.

"As a result of the devastating [local] election result, the PM has in effect become a caretaker," he told the BBC.

"As such, she is not empowered to make any deal with the Labour Party which itself suffered a very similar result. Two discredited administrations making a discredited deal is not the answer to the electorate."

May presses Labour to reach Brexit deal, but leaks jeopardise talks

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British Prime Minister Theresa May on Sunday stepped up calls for Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn to agree a cross-party deal to leave the European Union, following poor results for both parties in local elections on Thursday.

The parties have been in negotiations for over a month to try to broker a Brexit deal that can secure majority support in parliament, after May’s minority government suffered three heavy defeats on her preferred deal this year and was forced to delay Britain’s departure.

“To the leader of the opposition I say this: Let’s listen to what the voters said in the local elections and put our differences aside for a moment. Let’s do a deal,” she wrote in the Mail on Sunday newspaper.

Labour responded by saying any deal should be done quickly, but accused May of leaking details of the compromise under discussion and jeopardising the talks.

May’s Conservatives lost more than a thousand seats on English local councils that were up for re-election, and Labour - which would typically aim to gain hundreds of seats in a mid-term vote - lost 81.

The talks with Labour are a last resort for May, whose party’s deep divisions over Brexit have so far stopped her getting approval for an exit agreement and left the world’s fifth largest economy in prolonged political limbo.

The Sunday Times reported that the Conservatives would offer new concessions to Labour when talks restart on Tuesday, including a temporary customs union with the EU until a national election due in June 2022.

“At that point Labour could use their manifesto to argue for a softer Brexit if they wanted to and a new Conservative prime minister could argue for a harder Brexit,” a source cited by the Sunday Times said.

Labour’s Corbyn has made a permanent customs union with the EU a condition for supporting May’s Brexit plans, while most Conservatives oppose a customs union as it would stop Britain from reaching its own trade deals with other countries.

JEOPARDISED

The report on the terms of a possible compromise angered Corbyn’s senior ally John McDonnell, who oversees the party’s finance policy and has been involved in the Brexit talks.

Asked if he trusted May, McDonnell said: “No, sorry. Not after this weekend when she’s blown the confidentiality... I actually think she’s jeopardised the negotiations for her own personal protection.”

Nevertheless, McDonnell said talks would continue this week and if a deal could still be struck, it must be concluded quickly.

Even then, the parliamentary approval - required by law - is not straightforward.

A customs union would upset the most pro-Brexit members of the Conservative Party who say it does not honour the terms of the country’s 2016 vote to leave the EU.

Eurosceptic lawmaker John Redwood tweeted on Sunday that a cross-party agreement that amounted to staying in the bloc was “the last thing we need.”

On the other side of the Brexit divide, the Observer newspaper reported that scores of Labour lawmakers had written to May and Corbyn to insist on a second Brexit referendum on any deal agreed.

Veteran Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, whose new Brexit Party is predicted to make big gains in European Parliament elections this month, said a Conservative-Labour Brexit deal on a customs union would be “a coalition of politicians against the people.”

A temporary customs union would also be likely to raise EU concerns that it could lead to customs checks on the border between euro zone member Ireland and the UK province of Northern Ireland if it later breaks down - something Ireland objects to strongly.

'Trash Girl' Nadia Sparkes moves schools over bullying

Pic-Nadia Sparkes said the "Trash Girl" nickname made her feel "like a superhero"/bbc

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A 13-year-old nicknamed "Trash Girl" by bullies for picking litter has changed schools after pupils assaulted her.

Nadia Sparkes won international praise and awards for gathering litter on her journey to and from school, and refused to let the taunts deter her.

Police got involved last term when she was shown a knife and punched at school, her mother said.

Her old school, Hellesdon High School near Norwich, said pupils' safety and welfare was of paramount importance.

Since 2017, Nadia has set off for school an hour early each day to pick up litter and put it in her bicycle basket.

She turned the "Trash Girl" slur on its head and embraced the nickname because it made her feel "like a superhero" - attracting more than 4,000 followers on social media.

But Paula Sparkes said her daughter was not championed at her school.

"The staff were not on her side to help and support her and we felt it was not appropriate for her to be there any more," she said.

She said police became involved last term when Nadia was allegedly shown a knife and shortly afterwards chased and punched by a pupil.

Norfolk Police confirmed it was called to an incident at the school and had referred a teenager to the Youth Offending Team, which was providing support.

"Officers also provided extra knife crime prevention presentations to all years groups," a spokeswoman added.

In a separate incident, Nadia had to sit through a class covered in orange juice that had been thrown in her face, her mother said.

"Nadia picked up a [volunteering] award from the prime minister earlier this month - it's a shame when you think what the school could have achieved with this, and they haven't."

She met one of her new teachers, Reepham High School's Matt Willer, when the pair were both nominated for an eco hero award.

Mr Willer, who runs an allotment project, said: "I'd heard of the amazing work she was doing collecting rubbish and how, very sadly, she was being bullied because she was doing something different.

"This hit a nerve with me and we discussed how Nadia might like to come and have a look at Reepham High."

Nadia had a "brilliant" start at Reepham after the Easter break and proudly wore her uniform made from recycled plastic bottles.

"She is literally wearing litter, it's like it's meant to be," said Mrs Sparkes.

Nadia's new school is about 11 miles from her home but she hopes to continue litter-picking en route to the bus stop.

Mr Willer said the teenager would be a "huge asset" to the allotment project.

"All the volunteers look forward to working with her as we all set a sound example about respecting the environment and living more sustainably."

Hellesdon principal Tom Rolfe said the school did not tolerate bullying and would not actively discourage a pupil from pursuing their passion.

"We promote an ethos that reflects high moral standards, a culture of social responsibility and fosters a safe learning environment for all students," he added.

"All students are respected and their individuality is valued."

UK police say will not investigate Huawei leak that felled defence minister

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British police said they will not probe a leak of information about Chinese telecoms company Huawei that cost Gavin Williamson his job as defence minister this week, as no criminal offence was committed.

Williamson strenuously denied being responsible for the leak, but May said she had lost confidence in him, after the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported discussions from within Britain’s National Security Council.

“I am satisfied that what was disclosed did not contain information that would breach the Official Secrets Act,” Britain’s top counter-terrorism police officer, Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Neil Basu, said on Saturday.

“The leak did not cause damage to the public interest at a level at which it would be necessary to engage misconduct in a public office. It would be inappropriate to carry out a police investigation in these circumstances.”

Theresa May must go now, former Tory leader says

Pic--Theresa May must resign or the Conservatives should force her out, Iain Duncan Smith has said/wp
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Prime Minister Theresa May must resign or the Conservatives should force her out following the party's heavy local election losses, Iain Duncan Smith has said.

The former Tory leader called Mrs May a "caretaker PM", describing attempts to find a deal with Labour as "absurd".

It comes after the party suffered its worst local election result since 1995.

Other senior Conservatives have urged Tory MPs to compromise with Labour to ensure Brexit is delivered.

But Mr Duncan Smith, a leading Brexiteer in the party, said many Conservatives would refuse to back a deal reached between the two parties.

He said Mrs May must announce her departure "very soon" in the wake of the party's heavy losses.

If she did not go, the 1922 Committee of backbench MPs would have to force her to do so, he said.

The committee recently narrowly agreed not to change the party rules to allow another confidence vote to take place that could oust Mrs May.

However, some senior Conservatives believe that in the wake of the council defeats, the mood on the 1922 executive committee has changed.

Elections were held on Thursday for 248 English councils, six mayors, and all 11 councils in Northern Ireland - where counting continues. No elections took place in Scotland or Wales.

Labour failed to make expected gains in the elections, instead losing 82 seats, while the Liberal Democrats benefited from Tory losses, gaining 703 seats. The Greens and independents also made gains.

'Deliver Brexit'

Both Mrs May and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn have insisted they will push ahead with talks seeking cross-party agreement on leaving the EU, following the local election results.

Mrs May said it was clear the public wanted "to see the issue of Brexit resolved".

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the party needed to listen to the results and be "in the mood for compromise".

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Hancock said the nation wanted MPs to "get on, deliver Brexit, and then move on".

Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson echoed Mr Hancock as she reflected on the Conservatives' and Labour Party's "almighty kicking" in the local elections.

"The solution doesn't lie in the trenches of one extreme or another - of overturning the referendum, or of crashing out with no deal," said Ms Davidson, who was speaking at the Scottish Conservatives conference in Aberdeen.

"It lies in those colleagues currently round the table taking the difficult first steps towards each other.

"So I say to the negotiating teams of our party and the Labour Party, who are currently locked in talks - get Brexit sorted, get a deal over the line and let Britain move on."

The UK was due to leave the EU on 29 March, but the deadline was pushed back to 31 October after Parliament was unable to agree a way forward.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Hancock said the Tories might have to move towards Labour's proposal of a permanent customs union - in order to solve the impasse in Westminster.

Mrs May's government has previously ruled out remaining in a customs union after the UK leaves the EU, arguing it would prevent the UK from setting its own trade policy.

Labour has said the EU may show flexibility over the issue and allow the UK "a say" in future trade deals.

Mr Hancock suggested "coming up with something in-between", and called for "an open dialogue in which we can make an agreement".

But Mr Duncan Smith said a customs union was "the worst of all worlds because you lose your decision-making capacity".

'Find a solution'

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said there was a "glimmer of hope" that a compromise between the Conservative and Labour "core-voters" could be reached.

"If we can find a solution that delivers the benefits of the customs union without signing up to the current arrangements, then I think there will be potential," he said.

He added that while he supported the withdrawal deal reached between the EU and Mrs May, there might be things that could be done to make it "more acceptable" to Labour without compromising on the "things that we think are essential".

But he also warned that a customs union would not be a "long-term solution".

'Stitched up'

Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Hunt's remarks on a customs union provided "yet more evidence" that many in the cabinet believed the "most important thing right now" was the race to be Mrs May's successor.

Labour's MP for Redcar, Anna Turley, also reacted to Mr Hunt's comments that a customs union was not a long-term solution, tweeting: "This is why we can't trust the Tories by doing a deal stitched up in Number 10 which they will seek to unravel under their next leader."

Brexit deal could be done in "next few days", top Conservative says

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Prime Minister Theresa May could reach a Brexit deal with the opposition Labour Party within days, a leading Conservative Party figure said on Saturday, after senior ministers urged compromise following poor local election results.

Ruth Davidson, the Conservatives’ leader in Scotland, told party members that a cross-partisan agreement on Brexit was needed before this month’s European elections, or Britain’s major parties would face an even bigger backlash from voters.

The Conservatives lost 1,332 seats on English local councils that were up for re-election, and Labour - which would typically aim to gain hundreds of seats in a mid-term vote - instead lost 81.

Many voters expressed frustration at May’s failure to have taken Britain out of the European Union, almost three years after the country decided to leave in a referendum.

“If we thought yesterday’s results were a wake-up call, just wait for the European elections on the 23rd of May,” Davidson told a party conference in Aberdeen.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, she said there had been progress in the weeks of talks between the Conservatives and Labour to find a Brexit deal which passes parliamentary muster.

“There is a deal that could be done in the next few days ... and I really hope we can get to that point,” she said, describing the results as “a kick up the backside”.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said on Friday there was now a huge impetus on every lawmaker to get a Brexit deal done.

But even if the Conservative and Labour Party leaderships reach a Brexit compromise, there is no guarantee that it will pass through parliament, which has roundly rejected May’s proposals three times already.

In an indication of the hostility May faces from the most pro-Brexit wing of her party, former leader Iain Duncan Smith renewed his call for her to step down soon, calling her a “caretaker prime minister” after the local election losses.

Complicating the picture, the main beneficiaries of the swing against the two major UK parties were the pro-EU Liberal Democrats, who campaigned on a demand for a new referendum, aiming to reverse Brexit.

“MOOD FOR COMPROMISE”

Health minister Matt Hancock urged pragmatism in a BBC radio interview earlier on Saturday.

“I think we need to be in the mood for compromise,” he said.

Foreign minister Jeremy Hunt also saw a “glimmer of hope” that there might be a deal with Labour soon.

But an EU customs union that prevented Britain from striking its own trade deals was not a viable long-term option for the world’s fifth-largest economy, he said.

Earlier on Saturday, Buzzfeed News reported sources saying that May was optimistic about a deal, and that behind closed doors the government had already compromised on a customs union.

“In the last week government ministers and officials presented Labour with a new offer on a customs arrangement that would effectively see the UK remain in the key aspects of a customs union with the EU,” the sources familiar with the talks said.

One source told Buzzfeed “the offer would be tantamount to the government accepting in full Labour’s demands”.

However, the sources did not think a deal was necessarily imminent, as Labour might wish to delay any agreement until after the European elections to maximise the damage to May.

The political editor of the Spectator magazine, which has close links to the Conservatives, said in a column for the Sun newspaper that there had been an agreement to an initial “comprehensive customs arrangement” very like a customs union.

Labour and the Conservatives would then leave open whether this would lead in future to Labour’s preferred customs union, with EU consultation rights, or the looser arrangement favoured by the Conservatives.

It is unclear if the EU would approve a temporary customs deal, as border controls might later be needed between Ireland and Northern Ireland if the deal broke down.