European negotiators to offer Brits option to retain EU status after Brexit

Staff reporter(wp/es):

Plans to allow UK nationals to retain their EU citizenship after Brexit will form part of the European Parliament's negotiating position, it has been revealed.

The "associate citizenship" status would give those who adopt it the right of freedom of movement and residence throughout the EU as well as the right to vote for a representative in the European Parliament.

It would be made available to nationals of former member states of the EU who "feel and wish to be part of the European project".

The proposal was put forward last month by Luxembourg MEP Charles Goerens for inclusion in a future EU treaty.

But following Wednesday's House of Commons vote backing Theresa May's plan to trigger withdrawal talks by the end of March, Mr Goerens agreed with the European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt that it should be brought forward more quickly.

Mr Verhofstadt told a meeting of the Parliament's Constitutional Affairs Committee in Brussels on Thursday that he would ensure associate citizenship status was "on the table" for the withdrawal talks under Article 50 of the EU Treaties.

"Some things cannot wait until treaty change," said Mr Verhofstadt.

"Therefore, the ability to keep European citizenship for those who risk losing it will be on the table of the upcoming Brexit negotiations and will be discussed at the moment of the Parliament's resolution, right after the triggering of Article 50 in March."

Mr Goerens said that Wednesday's vote had made the prospect of Article 50 being invoked "very real indeed".

He had therefore agreed with Mr Verhofstadt that "this has become a very important issue that cannot await treaty change - as was my intention when I first tabled my amendment - since this might take years".

The liberal MEP continued: "The European Parliament will define its position on the Brexit agreement through a resolution during spring 2017.

“This seems to be the best opportunity to give Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt the possibility to enforce the Associate EU Citizenship."

Reacting to the news, Lib Dem MEP Catherine Bearder told the Independent: “The option of being able to retain EU citizenship offers a glimmer of hope for the millions of British people devastated by the referendum result.

“Everyone who supports this should write to MEPs and tell them how passionately they feel about maintaining their rights as EU citizens, including the ability to live, study and work abroad."

Young man shot dead in Kilburn while walking 'with relatives'

Pic: Yasir
Crime reporter(wp/es):

A young man died after being gunned down in front of horrified shoppers in Kilburn as he crossed a busy high street.

Witnesses described how the victim, aged in his early 20s, staggered to the pavement and collapsed outside a cafe after being shot in the stomach yesterday.

Police sealed off a 200 yard stretch of Kilburn High Road as paramedics battled to save his life for 20 minutes, while scores of armed officers swarmed surrounding streets as they hunted the gunmen who were seen to flee down a side road into a housing estate. 

The victim, named locally as Yasir, was said to have been accompanied by an older woman and a younger boy - thought to be relatives - when he was struck by a single shot.

One witness, takeaway worker Yosif, 27, said there was a single “loud bang”.

He said: “I assumed he’d been hit by a car because he looked disorientated and was wobbling. 

“He was with an older woman and a younger boy. They were crying around his body, utterly distraught.”

A friend of the victim said he had been trying to turn his life around after being stabbed in a separate violent incident in Kilburn last year.

Bruno Tampo, 22, who runs a charity mentoring young people into work, said: “He got stabbed last year. He’d just recovered from that and I think he’d just moved in to a new place.

“When I found out he’d been shot I crumbled.

“Yasir had such a good heart. It’s crazy what happened to him. He was a good friend.”

A spokesman for the Met said detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command are investigating, and no-one had yet been arrested.

The killing comes three days after trainee gas engineer Salim Coulter, 24, was shot dead as he climbed into the passenger seat of a friend’s car in Fulham, four miles away.

Police said the gunman was “lying in wait” for Mr Coulter outside Jerky’s Jamaican restaurant in Walham Grove before blasting him in the head at close range.

Kingston Council made £525,000 in a WEEK from new traffic restriction

Staff reporter(wp/es):

A London council has made over £500,000 in just one week from a new traffic restriction.

Temporary bollards and signposts went up on earlier this year as part of a trial traffic-calming measure for a proposed cycling route.

But a letter sent to councillors revealed that 8,055 penalty charge notices were issued between November 14 and November 20 - totalling at least £525,000.

The traffic restrictions were set up by Kingston Council, south west London, and restrict usage of the road to buses, taxis and for access only.

Drivers passing through the bollards will receive a minimum fine of £65, with charges reaching £195 if not paid within 28 days.

Residents have criticised the unfair measures, claiming motorists are unaware of the new restrictions and the ensuing fine.

Roger Marlow, 74, from East Molesey, was fined after driving through the bollards to reach his bridge club last month.

He said: “I went through there and got a £65 ticket.

“When I went this week I flagged down a number of cars who didn’t know not to go through there.

“They must be making an absolute fortune, it must be a money making machine.

“At least eight or nine cars went through - there are some notices but there hasn’t been a consultation.”

Tony Edmonds, 57, who lives nearby, said: “I spoke to the council and they said they’re getting a lot of complaints about it.

“They said around 5,500 warning notices had been given out.

“That means people don’t understand the signage.”

Kingston Council issued 5,482 warning notices to drivers passing through the bollards before “live enforcement” of the restrictions began on November 14.

The council is trialling only allowing cyclists and buses to use the road as a cut through as part of their mini-Holland proposals, which hope to build European-style cycle tracks across the borough as part of a £33m scheme.

Liberal Democrat leader Liz Green said: “It’s a scary amount of money.

“The whole thing from start to finish has been badly implemented - it’s just a disaster.

“There is just a plethora of signs. There was no consultation, there was no chance to object.”

The council says on its website that money raised through fines will be ring-fenced for transportation services and the trial is not a “money making scheme”.

A Kingston Council spokeswoman said: “In order to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians, we are conducting a trial road closure which is aimed at reducing traffic.

“The council has been monitoring traffic flows, and following a lengthy bedding in process, which included the installation of cameras and the issuing of warning notices, has started issuing fines to motorists who fail to comply with the closure.

“Over the next few months the council will be measuring the actual impacts of traffic flow and congestion on neighbouring roads and will subsequently carry out consultation on whether or not to make the scheme permanent.”

Commuter hell as 'around half' of trains are out of action on final day of strike

Staff reporter(wp/es):

Frustrated commuters described a journey from hell as the crippling Southern Rail strike entered its third and final day.

Customers have been hit by three consecutive days of “utterly atrocious” travel misery in a walk-out which left services cut by around half.

While commuters are set to have a few days of relief from Friday, a second strike is set to hit from Tuesday next week – unless the crisis can be averted with a court decision.

On Thursday morning, passengers branded their journeys “abysmal” as services were cancelled due to a lack of staff.

Jo Crowley said on Twitter: “Think I might invoice @SouthernRailUK for lost hours working, lost income and stress due to their disgusting service. Everyone should.”

Jack Blythman called his journey a “hell commute” after his train was cancelled due to congestion while Roy Stephenson said: “Late, overcrowded and then trapped on the platform at London Bridge.”

Claire Llewellyn added: “Cattle are transported under better conditions. Sort it out!!!

The Brighton mainline, Oxsted and Redhill routes all faced major disruption while most other lines were partly closed.

Southern Rail apologised for the problems and urged customers to apply for special strike-day compensation for their journey if they were delayed for over half an hour.

A spokesman said that it was too early to tell on Thursday morning how many trains were cancelled but added that approximately 50 per cent of the normal timetable was planned to run.

This week’s strike – which ends at 11.59pm – is by RMT unionmembers and part of a long-running dispute over changes to the role of train conductors. 

The dispute began months ago when Southern’s parent company, Govia Thameslink Railway, revealed plans for drivers to be in charge of opening and closing the train doors.

Train drivers’ union Aslef joined in the row, also announcing a wave of walk-outs over safety risks of the proposed change.

This week’s RMT strike will be followed by two 24-hour walk-outs by Aslef from midnight on Tuesday, December 13 and again on Friday, December 16 at midnight.

But the High Court is set to rule later on Thursday on whether parent company GTR can block the train drivers’ strike planned for next week.

The company claimed the strike action breaches customers’ rights. A decision is expected to be reached at 2pm.

Two further 48 hour strikes are planned by RMT from Monday, December 19 at midnight and for 48 hours from December 31 to January 2.

Aslef have also planned a five day strike to hit Southern in January, from Monday 9 to Saturday 14.

A spokesman for Southern Rail said: "Services on the third day of the RMT conductors' strike are also being affected by the ASLEF overtime ban and as a result, we are having to withdraw more trains from the timetable today for which we apologise."

On Thursday, a Conservative MP representing constituents who use Southern, said the disruption on the line is straining passengers’ jobs and family life.

Arundel and South Downs MP Nick Herbert, writing in the Telegraph, said he knows of some commuters who have lost jobs or become sick with worry due to the service.

Piccadilly Circus lights to be switched off for longest time since the Blitz

Pic:Piccadilly Circus is set to go dark while the tourist hotspot's famous advertising boards are replaced 
Staff reporter(wp/es):

Piccadilly Circus’s iconic billboards will be switched off for modernisation for the longest period of time since the Blitz.

The switch-off is part of a plan to remove the six illuminated advertising boards which overlook the tourist hotspot and replace them with one ultra-high definition curved screen.

Westminster Council granted permission to Land Securities, who own the site, to carry out the overhaul, the Telegraph reported.

Work on the boards, which currently advertise Coca Cola and Samsung, is set to be complete next autumn.

The regeneration will mark the first time the boards have gone dark for an extended period of time since the 1940s. 

They have almost been constantly illuminated since the Second World War except being turned off as a mark of respect during Winston Churchill and Princess Diana’s funerals.

Land Securities’ partner, Ocean Outdoor, hope to tempt new advertisers to join the big names currently featured on the boards.

Twitter and Facebook feeds will appear on the revamped version alongside live video feeds.

Tim Bleakley, chief executive of Ocean Outdoor, told the Telegraph the new technology at the site will “protect its heritage while keeping ahead of trends”.

Aedamar Howlett, Coca-Cola GB's marketing chief, added: "This new technology will allow us to be more agile and tailor our messages in real-time, as well as be more creative when it comes to the content and engaging consumers directly."

Mayor Sadiq Khan promises to spend £875m to clean up London's poisonous air

Pic: Sadiq Khan
Staff reporter(wp/es):

Sadiq Khan today promised to double spending on cleaning up London’s poisonous air to £875 million over the next five years.

The Mayor said that “bold action” was needed to combat pollution, and challenged the Government to prove they shared his ambition.

He has called on ministers to bring in a national diesel scrappage scheme and reform vehicle excise duty — making it less attractive to buy polluting cars — as well as giving London more powers to tackle poor air quality.

Mr Khan said: “With nearly 10,000 Londoners dying early every year due to air pollution, tackling poor air quality is a public health emergency that requires bold action.

“London’s air quality continues to breach legal levels, which is why I have taken this unprecedented action. The onus is now on the Government to prove that they share my ambition.”

The funding increase from £425 million for the period to 2021/22, ahead of the publication of the new Transport for London business plan tomorrow, was welcomed by campaigners.

Dr Samantha Walker from Asthma UK said: “It is clear that action is needed and we welcome the extra investment to help clean up the air we breathe.”

60 anti-Brexit MPs set to vote against start of EU withdrawal process

Political reporter(wp/es):

At least 60 anti-Brexit MPs were today expected to vote against moving Article 50 to begin the formal moves to leave the European Union.

Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer, openeing the debate, was set to say there was “no consensus for hard Brexit”.

A handful of Labour MPs were set to join with nine Liberal Democrats and up to 53 SNP MPs in rejecting Theresa May’s demand that they “respect”  the June referendum result.

Most Labour MPs were not expected to defy the PM’s amendment, for fear of offending local voters who backed Leave in the referendum.  But hard-liners said they would not back Brexit unless the Prime Minister published a proper plan for the future relationship with Europe.

Former Labour Cabinet minister Ben Bradshaw said: “I will not vote today to invoke Article 50 by March when we still have no idea what sort of #Brexit the Government will pursue.”

Shadow early year ministers Tulip Siddiq added: “It’s been six months since the referendum. It’s ludicrous that it’s taken this long for Theresa May to acknowledge that Brexit is important enough that the British people need to know what her Government’s plans are for exiting the European Union.

“I have to be honest - it’s going to take a lot for the Government to convince me to vote against nearly 75 per cent of my constituents in Hampstead and Kilburn who voted to remain in the European Union.”

Brexit Secretary David Davis was expected to set down a challenge to the pro-EU MPs in his speech opening this afternoon’s debate, by saying they were disregarding the wishes of the country as expressed in the referendum.

The Prime Minister was not expected to return from her trip to the Middle East in time to vote. 

Mrs May defused a Tory revolt last night by promising to publish her negotiation aims before moving Article 50 next year. But No 10 sources made plain that she would not give out detailed negotiating points, but just broad aims, possibly in a ministerial statement.

Sir Keir warned Mrs May not to hide her plans behind a smokescreen. “There’s a level of detail she cannot possibly reveal,” he accepted. “What would be unacceptable is to say we will process with the process for two years without even telling you what the overall objectives are.”

Meanwhile, George Freeman, who heads Mrs May’s policy board, described Brexit as an “Arctic Convoy moment” for the UK.

Asked in an interview with website ConservativeHome whether he felt energised by the June 23 referendum result, he said: “Yes. This feels to me like an ‘Arctic Convoy’ moment for HMS Britain. All officers on deck. Action stations.”

Pressed on the fact that the Arctic Convoys were a “pretty desperate business,” he added: “But equally, in the end it was a lifeline, and a defining test for the country that we passed.”