Prime Minister Theresa May set out what she called a &quot;fair deal&quot; for EU citizens living in Britain on Thursday, saying in her first test of negotiating strength that she did not want anyone to have to leave because of Brexit or to split up families.

Outlining the five main principles of her &quot;fair and serious offer&quot;, May told other EU leaders at a summit in Brussels that she wanted to offer certainty to EU citizens about their future in Britain, again using a softer tone in her approach to Brexit.

But while her five principles go some way to ease concerns of the roughly 3 million EU nationals in Britain, their leaders will no doubt want to see more detail and may query the lack of a firm cut-off date for any changes to immigration rules - the EU is insisting on no changes until Britain leaves in 2019.

And her reduced stature, after losing her parliamentary majority in a June 8 election, among leaders who have made clear that they are more concerned about the future of the European Union than Britain&#39;s departure, could see her on the back foot.

&quot;The prime minister tonight set out details of the rights and status EU citizens in the UK will enjoy after Brexit - vowing to give them reassurance, and to make them a priority in negotiations,&quot; a senior British government source said.

&quot;The PM said the UK&#39;s position represented a fair and serious offer &ndash; and one aimed at giving as much certainty as possible to citizens who have settled in the UK, building careers and lives, and contributing so much to our society.&quot;

It was her first foray into the Brexit talks, one which was timed to coincide with coffee at the end of dinner by EU leaders who have warned the British prime minister not to use Council summits as a negotiating chamber for Britain&#39;s departure.

May outlined the plan many in her party who campaigned for Brexit hope will reduce the flow of migrants to Britain, then she left. The others went on to discuss Britain&#39;s departure from the European Union without her.

Certainity

May told leaders she wanted to offer certainty by saying no EU citizens in Britain lawfully would be asked to leave at the time of Brexit, and that all EU citizens lawfully in the country at the point of Brexit would be able to regularise their status.

She would also offer any EU citizen resident for five years - at some cut-off date - the opportunity to get settled status, a new category which would treat them as if they were British citizens for healthcare, education, benefits and pensions.

Those who by then had less than five years residency would be allowed to build up to five years to obtain that status. The government will also offer a grace period of most likely up to two years to allow people to regularise their status so that &quot;no one will face a cliff edge&quot;, she said.

The 85-page residency form, which many struggled to fill in after Britain voted to leave the European Union a year ago on Friday, will be replaced by a more streamlined system, &quot;using digital tools to register people in a light-touch way&quot;.

In a nod to the million or more Britons living on the continent, she said that: &quot;Reciprocity was, of course, vital.&quot;

But, even with the softer tone and expressed eagerness to sort out one of the relatively easy problems that the Brexit talks will have to unpick, there were bound to be sticking points.

EU leaders argue that while Britain is in the bloc it must adhere to its rules. May offered a window in which to set the cut-off which can be debated with Brussels - no earlier than her confirmation of withdrawal three months ago and no later than Brexit, due on March 30, 2019, two years after it was triggered.

There would be no changes until the latter date: &quot;All EU citizens currently (in Britain) will have their rights protected under EU law until the date we leave the EU,&quot; the source said.

Other non-negotiables were the role of the European Court of Justice - May has repeatedly said that &quot;we&#39;re taking back control of our own rules&quot; and, the source said, EU citizens could rely on the protection of &quot;our highly respected courts&quot;.

The EU wants their citizens&#39; rights after Brexit enforceable in their European court in Luxembourg.

May&#39;s aides declined to add detail, saying the government would present a paper to parliament on Monday that would explore the implications of the changes for family members from non-EU states and marriages of people of different nationality.

The EU has insisted that sweeping political guarantees are worth little without detailed legal agreements which tackle the complex diversity of people&#39;s family situations.

&quot;Both sides should seek to agree terms and give certainty as early as possible in the talks,&quot; May said.

The loss of majority for Theresa May in the June 8 elections has undercut her negotiating power in the Brexit talks with EU leaders who have hinted that they are more concerned about the future of EU than Britain's departure

Prime Minister Theresa May set out what she called a "fair deal" for EU citizens living in Britain on Thursday, saying in her first test of negotiating strength that she did not want anyone to have to leave because of Brexit or to split up families. Outlining the five main principles of her "fair and serious offer", May told other EU leaders at a summit in Brussels that she wanted to offer certainty to EU citizens about their future in Britain, again using a softer tone in her approach to Brexit. But while her five principles go some way to ease concerns of the roughly 3 million EU nationals in Britain, their leaders will no doubt want to see more detail and may query the lack of a firm cut-off date for any changes to immigration rules - the EU is insisting on no changes until Britain leaves in 2019. And her reduced stature, after losing her parliamentary majority in a June 8 election, among leaders who have made clear that they are more concerned about the future of the European Union than Britain's departure, could see her on the back foot. "The prime minister tonight set out details of the rights and status EU citizens in the UK will enjoy after Brexit - vowing to give them reassurance, and to make them a priority in negotiations," a senior British government source said. "The PM said the UK's position represented a fair and serious offer – and one aimed at giving as much certainty as possible to citizens who have settled in the UK, building careers and lives, and contributing so much to our society." It was her first foray into the Brexit talks, one which was timed to coincide with coffee at the end of dinner by EU leaders who have warned the British prime minister not to use Council summits as a negotiating chamber for Britain's departure. May outlined the plan many in her party who campaigned for Brexit hope will reduce the flow of migrants to Britain, then she left. The others went on to discuss Britain's departure from the European Union without her. Certainity May told leaders she wanted to offer certainty by saying no EU citizens in Britain lawfully would be asked to leave at the time of Brexit, and that all EU citizens lawfully in the country at the point of Brexit would be able to regularise their status. She would also offer any EU citizen resident for five years - at some cut-off date - the opportunity to get settled status, a new category which would treat them as if they were British citizens for healthcare, education, benefits and pensions. Those who by then had less than five years residency would be allowed to build up to five years to obtain that status. The government will also offer a grace period of most likely up to two years to allow people to regularise their status so that "no one will face a cliff edge", she said. The 85-page residency form, which many struggled to fill in after Britain voted to leave the European Union a year ago on Friday, will be replaced by a more streamlined system, "using digital tools to register people in a light-touch way". In a nod to the million or more Britons living on the continent, she said that: "Reciprocity was, of course, vital." But, even with the softer tone and expressed eagerness to sort out one of the relatively easy problems that the Brexit talks will have to unpick, there were bound to be sticking points. EU leaders argue that while Britain is in the bloc it must adhere to its rules. May offered a window in which to set the cut-off which can be debated with Brussels - no earlier than her confirmation of withdrawal three months ago and no later than Brexit, due on March 30, 2019, two years after it was triggered. There would be no changes until the latter date: "All EU citizens currently (in Britain) will have their rights protected under EU law until the date we leave the EU," the source said. Other non-negotiables were the role of the European Court of Justice - May has repeatedly said that "we're taking back control of our own rules" and, the source said, EU citizens could rely on the protection of "our highly respected courts". The EU wants their citizens' rights after Brexit enforceable in their European court in Luxembourg. May's aides declined to add detail, saying the government would present a paper to parliament on Monday that would explore the implications of the changes for family members from non-EU states and marriages of people of different nationality. The EU has insisted that sweeping political guarantees are worth little without detailed legal agreements which tackle the complex diversity of people's family situations. "Both sides should seek to agree terms and give certainty as early as possible in the talks," May said.

Theresa May offers 'fair deal' to EU citizens living in Britain

Prime Minister Theresa May, leading a so-called &quot;zombie&quot; government after a disastrous election, on Wednesday unveiled a diluted programme of action that included the mammoth legislation needed to take Britain out of the EU.

The state opening of parliament by Queen Elizabeth II came after a string of tragedies which have shaken the nation, and the election on June 8 in which May&#39;s Conservatives saw their parliamentary majority wiped out.

The queen, at an occasion shorn of its usual pageantry, read out the watered-down list of proposed legislation and lawmakers will then spend the next few days debating before bringing it to a vote.

May could be forced to resign if she loses the vote, expected on June 29, just as the country embarks on highly sensitive negotiations for Britain&#39;s withdrawal from the European Union.

Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he was ready to step in and build a rival government -- although he and other opposition parties lack the collective numbers to bring down May.

&quot;This is a government without a majority, without a mandate, without a serious legislative programme led by a prime minister who&#39;s lost her political authority,&quot; Corbyn told parliament.

&quot;Labour is not merely an opposition. We are a government in waiting,&quot; he said during hours of heated debate in which May fended off calls to resign.

After four terror attacks and a deadly tower block blaze that have darkened the national mood in the past three months, anti-government campaigners also staged &quot;Day of Rage&quot; protests that converged outside parliament.

&quot;Bring Down The Government&quot;, &quot;Austerity Kills&quot; and &quot;You Can&#39;t Trust Her&quot;, read some of the placards.

A banner said &quot;We Need Justice For Grenfell Tower&quot; -- a reference to the tower block fire last week in which 79 people died, prompting criticism of budget cuts and officials for ignoring warnings about fire safety risks.

May apologised for the chaotic official response to the fire, telling MPs it was &quot;not good enough&quot;.

&quot;As prime minister, I apologise for that failure,&quot; she said.

May humbled&nbsp;

The enfeebled premier, who is still locked in difficult talks with a Northern Irish party to prop up her administration, said her programme was about seizing opportunities offered by Brexit.

The queen said: &quot;My government&#39;s priority is to secure the best possible deal as the country leaves the European Union.&quot;&nbsp;

She said her government would seek &quot;to build the widest possible consensus on the country&#39;s future outside the European Union&quot;, amid divisions within May&#39;s own cabinet over the best strategy.

Business leaders reacted positively to the change of tone in the speech and Corbyn said he also hoped for a Brexit deal &quot;that puts jobs and the economy first&quot;.

The speech announced no fewer than eight bills to implement Brexit, and new legislation aimed at tackling extremist content online after the terror attacks.

But the speech was notable also for what it did not contain.&nbsp;

There was no mention of May&#39;s hugely controversial invitation to US President Donald Trump to come on a state visit.&nbsp;

Also absent were key pledges the Conservatives had given in their manifesto for the recent election which analysts said had bombed with the electorate -- such as reform of social care for the elderly and more shake-ups in schools.

There was no mention too of May&#39;s controversial promise to allow a parliamentary vote to repeal a ban on fox hunting, which angered left-wingers.

The Times branded May&#39;s administration the &quot;stumbling husk of a zombie government&quot; and said she was now &quot;so weak that she cannot arbitrate between squabbling cabinet ministers&quot;.

&quot;Downing Street is a vacuum,&quot; the newspaper said, two days after Britain and the EU formally started their Brexit negotiations.

No deal yet

May called the snap general election in a bid to strengthen her mandate heading into the Brexit talks.

But the plan spectacularly backfired, leaving her with a minority government that is now trying to form a majority with Northern Ireland&#39;s ultra-conservative Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

May has resisted calls to resign and is hoping for the support of the DUP&#39;s 10 MPs to boost her tally of 317 seats in the 650-seat parliament, but a deal has proved elusive so far.

&quot;We are doing what is in the national interest, which is forming a government to address the challenges that face this country at the moment,&quot; May said.

But a DUP source said a deal was &quot;certainly not imminent&quot; as the talks &quot;haven&#39;t proceeded in a way that the DUP would have expected&quot; and cautioned that the party &quot;can&#39;t be taken for granted&quot;.

Even with DUP backing, the government would command only a tiny majority, and just a few rebel MPs could be enough to undermine it fatally.

The Times branded May's administration the 'stumbling husk of a zombie government' and said she was now 'so weak that she cannot arbitrate between squabbling cabinet ministers'

Prime Minister Theresa May, leading a so-called "zombie" government after a disastrous election, on Wednesday unveiled a diluted programme of action that included the mammoth legislation needed to take Britain out of the EU. The state opening of parliament by Queen Elizabeth II came after a string of tragedies which have shaken the nation, and the election on June 8 in which May's Conservatives saw their parliamentary majority wiped out. The queen, at an occasion shorn of its usual pageantry, read out the watered-down list of proposed legislation and lawmakers will then spend the next few days debating before bringing it to a vote. May could be forced to resign if she loses the vote, expected on June 29, just as the country embarks on highly sensitive negotiations for Britain's withdrawal from the European Union. Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he was ready to step in and build a rival government -- although he and other opposition parties lack the collective numbers to bring down May. "This is a government without a majority, without a mandate, without a serious legislative programme led by a prime minister who's lost her political authority," Corbyn told parliament. "Labour is not merely an opposition. We are a government in waiting," he said during hours of heated debate in which May fended off calls to resign. After four terror attacks and a deadly tower block blaze that have darkened the national mood in the past three months, anti-government campaigners also staged "Day of Rage" protests that converged outside parliament. "Bring Down The Government", "Austerity Kills" and "You Can't Trust Her", read some of the placards. A banner said "We Need Justice For Grenfell Tower" -- a reference to the tower block fire last week in which 79 people died, prompting criticism of budget cuts and officials for ignoring warnings about fire safety risks. May apologised for the chaotic official response to the fire, telling MPs it was "not good enough". "As prime minister, I apologise for that failure," she said. May humbled The enfeebled premier, who is still locked in difficult talks with a Northern Irish party to prop up her administration, said her programme was about seizing opportunities offered by Brexit. The queen said: "My government's priority is to secure the best possible deal as the country leaves the European Union." She said her government would seek "to build the widest possible consensus on the country's future outside the European Union", amid divisions within May's own cabinet over the best strategy. Business leaders reacted positively to the change of tone in the speech and Corbyn said he also hoped for a Brexit deal "that puts jobs and the economy first". The speech announced no fewer than eight bills to implement Brexit, and new legislation aimed at tackling extremist content online after the terror attacks. But the speech was notable also for what it did not contain. There was no mention of May's hugely controversial invitation to US President Donald Trump to come on a state visit. Also absent were key pledges the Conservatives had given in their manifesto for the recent election which analysts said had bombed with the electorate -- such as reform of social care for the elderly and more shake-ups in schools. There was no mention too of May's controversial promise to allow a parliamentary vote to repeal a ban on fox hunting, which angered left-wingers. The Times branded May's administration the "stumbling husk of a zombie government" and said she was now "so weak that she cannot arbitrate between squabbling cabinet ministers". "Downing Street is a vacuum," the newspaper said, two days after Britain and the EU formally started their Brexit negotiations. No deal yet May called the snap general election in a bid to strengthen her mandate heading into the Brexit talks. But the plan spectacularly backfired, leaving her with a minority government that is now trying to form a majority with Northern Ireland's ultra-conservative Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). May has resisted calls to resign and is hoping for the support of the DUP's 10 MPs to boost her tally of 317 seats in the 650-seat parliament, but a deal has proved elusive so far. "We are doing what is in the national interest, which is forming a government to address the challenges that face this country at the moment," May said. But a DUP source said a deal was "certainly not imminent" as the talks "haven't proceeded in a way that the DUP would have expected" and cautioned that the party "can't be taken for granted". Even with DUP backing, the government would command only a tiny majority, and just a few rebel MPs could be enough to undermine it fatally.

Brexit laws head agenda for UK's 'zombie government'

Britain&#39;s biggest carmaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) will hire 5,000 staff as it boosts its skills in autonomous and electric technology, a welcome business endorsement as Prime Minister Theresa May starts Brexit talks after a botched election.

JLR, which employs more than 40,000 people globally, said it would hire 1,000 electronic and software engineers as well as 4,000 additional personnel including in manufacturing, most of whom will be based in Britain.

The recruitment process will take place over the next 12 months, just as Britain begins talks to leave the European Union, which carmakers have warned must result in a deal which retains free and unfettered trade to protect jobs.

The carmaker, which is owned by Tata Motors, will build its first electric vehicle, the I-PACE, in Austria but has said it wants to build such models in Britain if conditions such as support from government and academia are met.

Automakers are racing to produce greener cars and improve charge times in a bid to meet rising customer demand and fulfil air quality targets but Britain lacks sufficient manufacturing capacity, an area ministers have said they want to build up.

JLR, which builds just under a third of Britain&#39;s 1.7 million cars, has said half of all its new models will be available in an electric version by the end of the decade, requiring new skills among its staff.

Sunday&#39;s announcement comes as May is still trying to seal a deal with Northern Ireland&#39;s Democratic Unionist Party to support her government a week and a half after unexpectedly failing to win an outright majority at a national election.

The news is a welcome bright spot as the prospect of greater political uncertainty before Monday&#39;s start to Brexit talks has seen business confidence tumble in recent days, according to surveys and business groups.

JLR, which employs more than 40,000 people globally, said it would hire 1,000 electronic and software engineers as well as 4,000 additional personnel including in manufacturing, most of whom will be based in Britain

Britain's biggest carmaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) will hire 5,000 staff as it boosts its skills in autonomous and electric technology, a welcome business endorsement as Prime Minister Theresa May starts Brexit talks after a botched election. JLR, which employs more than 40,000 people globally, said it would hire 1,000 electronic and software engineers as well as 4,000 additional personnel including in manufacturing, most of whom will be based in Britain. The recruitment process will take place over the next 12 months, just as Britain begins talks to leave the European Union, which carmakers have warned must result in a deal which retains free and unfettered trade to protect jobs. The carmaker, which is owned by Tata Motors, will build its first electric vehicle, the I-PACE, in Austria but has said it wants to build such models in Britain if conditions such as support from government and academia are met. Automakers are racing to produce greener cars and improve charge times in a bid to meet rising customer demand and fulfil air quality targets but Britain lacks sufficient manufacturing capacity, an area ministers have said they want to build up. JLR, which builds just under a third of Britain's 1.7 million cars, has said half of all its new models will be available in an electric version by the end of the decade, requiring new skills among its staff. Sunday's announcement comes as May is still trying to seal a deal with Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party to support her government a week and a half after unexpectedly failing to win an outright majority at a national election. The news is a welcome bright spot as the prospect of greater political uncertainty before Monday's start to Brexit talks has seen business confidence tumble in recent days, according to surveys and business groups.

In Brexit boost, Jaguar Land Rover to hire 5,000 staff

Prime Minister Theresa&nbsp;May&nbsp;on Tuesday said talks with Northern Ireland&#39;s DUP about a deal to support her minority government had been &quot;productive&quot;, and confirmed that Brexit negotiations would begin next week.

May&nbsp;met with Northern Ireland&#39;s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) earlier on Tuesday to thrash out a deal that would see the DUP support&nbsp;May&nbsp;in government after she failed to win an outright majority at an election last week.&nbsp;

&quot;What we&#39;re doing in relation to the talks that we&#39;re holding, the productive talks we&#39;re holding with the Democratic Unionist Party, is ensuring that it is possible to, with their support, give the stability to the UK government that I think is necessary at this time,&quot;&nbsp;May&nbsp;told a news conference in Paris following a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.

&quot;I confirmed to President Macron that the timetable for the Brexit negotiation remains on course and will begin next week.&quot;

&nbsp;

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May?met with the?Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) on Tuesday to discuss?a deal that would see the DUP support?her in government after she failed to win a?majority in last week's election?

Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday said talks with Northern Ireland's DUP about a deal to support her minority government had been "productive", and confirmed that Brexit negotiations would begin next week. May met with Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) earlier on Tuesday to thrash out a deal that would see the DUP support May in government after she failed to win an outright majority at an election last week. "What we're doing in relation to the talks that we're holding, the productive talks we're holding with the Democratic Unionist Party, is ensuring that it is possible to, with their support, give the stability to the UK government that I think is necessary at this time," May told a news conference in Paris following a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. "I confirmed to President Macron that the timetable for the Brexit negotiation remains on course and will begin next week."

May says minority government talks 'productive', Brexit negotiation starts next week

On the Andrew Marr show on 11 June, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne described the Prime Minister, Theresa May as a &lsquo;dead woman walking&rsquo;. Osborne had his own reasons for glee at May&rsquo;s terrible miscalculation in calling a snap election on 8 June, having been previously sacked from the Cabinet, as May cosied up to the party&rsquo;s Eurosceptics for a &lsquo;hard Brexit&rsquo;. The latter would mean a departure from both the Single Market and the Customs Union &ndash; a move that, May sensed, required a greater parliamentary majority and legitimacy for herself and her party. It was the logical outcome of the Conservative Party&rsquo;s shift to the right, the supposedly acceptable response to the resurgence of xenophobic populism in the UK.

&nbsp;

But Osborne&rsquo;s necrotic comments were not hyperbole. Predictions at the start of the election campaign were that May might increase her majority in Parliament from 17 to upwards of 100. On Friday 9 June morning, against all expectations and most pollsters, Jeremy Corbyn, the allegedly &lsquo;unelectable&rsquo; leftist, had added 30 new seats for Labour. Better than any leader since Clement Atlee, he had increased the party&rsquo;s share of the popular vote to over 40 per cent. The Conservatives lost a total of 13 seats, missing an overall majority in the House of Commons by 8 seats. Far from achieving a &lsquo;strong and stable&rsquo; basis for Brexit, May had unwittingly set up one of the most spectacular and important electoral upsets in modern British history.

&nbsp;

Theresa May&rsquo;s robotic mantra of the need for &lsquo;strong and stable&rsquo; government summarises, in almost comic fashion, the many ways in which this election turned the UK on its head. Because if there is one expression you could never use for a &lsquo;hung parliament&rsquo; where no party holds a majority, it is &lsquo;stability&rsquo;. But there were other ironies which showed how the results had global implications. Throughout the election campaign which was accompanied by two serious terrorist attacks in Manchester and London, the parties of the right made a play of Corbyn&rsquo;s historical conversations with members of the IRA. Yet two days after the election, May was building an alliance with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of Northern Ireland, whose 10 seats would allow her to govern. The DUP had strong links to Protestant paramilitary forces, principally the Ulster Volunteer Force, from the mid-1980s. And in forging a relationship with the DUP, May threatened to undo British government neutrality in Northern Ireland, which was key to peace via the Good Friday agreement. Overnight, Corbyn&rsquo;s insistence that radical extremism needed to be tackled not with the suppression of rights, but by understanding its root international causes in UK colonial/postcolonial intervention, seemed to make perfect sense. And his logic was supported further by the publicised connections between MI6 and the Libyan bomber in Manchester, and by the UK&rsquo;s continued arms deals with Saudi Arabia.

&nbsp;

At least the DUP, reflecting Northern Ireland&rsquo;s overwhelming support in the EU referendum for Remain, was likely to argue May should follow a softer Brexit line. In other ways then, and against all claims of &lsquo;stability&rsquo;, the government&rsquo;s Brexit negotiations are thrown into disarray and further uncertainty. It is clear that the majority in the House of Commons would no longer back the &lsquo;hard&rsquo; Brexit that May had nurtured on the back of post-imperial sentiments and a nod to popular xenophobia. The entire Brexit strategy has been premised so far on her penchant for being a &lsquo;difficult woman&rsquo; in Brussels negotiations. But the only element of the election that allows May to hang on to power at all, are the newly won Conservative seats in Scotland. Furthermore, Ruth Davidson, the Conservative leader in Scotland, is strongly in favour of a &lsquo;soft&rsquo; Brexit, remaining if possible in the Single Market.

&nbsp;

Negotiators on the EU side will now look at the UK with uncertainty. May seems illegitimate both in the UK, and in the context of changing international relations. There are suggestions that not only could the negotiations themselves be delayed, but that the 27 EU states might even entertain a total reconsideration of Brexit itself, should the UK government choose to revoke the signing of article 50 and stay in the Union. The 2016 referendum, after all, was legally only &lsquo;advisory&rsquo;. And there is no doubt that the surge of dissatisfaction with Theresa May&rsquo;s Conservatives on 8 June was driven, in part, by the &lsquo;48%&rsquo; &ndash; the relatively well educated, demographically younger, and more left-wing supporters of Remain.

&nbsp;

The constituency that feels most cheated are the 18 to 25-years-olds &ndash; the population of the UK that is perhaps most clearly connected to promises of overseas work, whose horizons are increasingly global, being connected to the like-minded like never before via social media and travel. Although denigrated by the right-wing tabloids as a man who would take Britain &lsquo;back to the 1970s&rsquo; via old-fashioned socialism, Jeremy Corbyn managed to harness this constituency in a way that made a remarkable difference to the outcome of the election. It has also had a knock-on effect elsewhere in the world. Donald Trump, whose diminutive hand held that of Theresa May&#39;s, has now postponed his planned visit to the UK for fear of protests led by the very same constituencies that came out to vote for Corbyn. The &lsquo;special relationship&rsquo; too then, between the USA and UK, like Anglophone influence in the EU, has never seemed more uncertain.

&nbsp;

Perhaps the 2017 General Election in the UK shows something broader. Political scientists and commentators have looked at the rise of authoritarian populism in the USA, UK, India, Russia and Turkey as part of a possible global shift towards anti-cosmopolitanism, in the face of global economic crisis. The UK election of June 2017, alongside the Presidential elections in France of this year, suggest that important parts of Europe, at least, are bucking this trend. Most importantly, they show that a younger generation of voters and leaders are emerging to contest this global shift to the right, and to lay the possible foundations for a new kind of politics.

Jeremy Corbyn's success came from successfully appealing to the young adults of Britain who suffered most from Brexit

On the Andrew Marr show on 11 June, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne described the Prime Minister, Theresa May as a ‘dead woman walking’. Osborne had his own reasons for glee at May’s terrible miscalculation in calling a snap election on 8 June, having been previously sacked from the Cabinet, as May cosied up to the party’s Eurosceptics for a ‘hard Brexit’. The latter would mean a departure from both the Single Market and the Customs Union – a move that, May sensed, required a greater parliamentary majority and legitimacy for herself and her party. It was the logical outcome of the Conservative Party’s shift to the right, the supposedly acceptable response to the resurgence of xenophobic populism in the UK. But Osborne’s necrotic comments were not hyperbole. Predictions at the start of the election campaign were that May might increase her majority in Parliament from 17 to upwards of 100. On Friday 9 June morning, against all expectations and most pollsters, Jeremy Corbyn, the allegedly ‘unelectable’ leftist, had added 30 new seats for Labour. Better than any leader since Clement Atlee, he had increased the party’s share of the popular vote to over 40 per cent. The Conservatives lost a total of 13 seats, missing an overall majority in the House of Commons by 8 seats. Far from achieving a ‘strong and stable’ basis for Brexit, May had unwittingly set up one of the most spectacular and important electoral upsets in modern British history. Theresa May’s robotic mantra of the need for ‘strong and stable’ government summarises, in almost comic fashion, the many ways in which this election turned the UK on its head. Because if there is one expression you could never use for a ‘hung parliament’ where no party holds a majority, it is ‘stability’. But there were other ironies which showed how the results had global implications. Throughout the election campaign which was accompanied by two serious terrorist attacks in Manchester and London, the parties of the right made a play of Corbyn’s historical conversations with members of the IRA. Yet two days after the election, May was building an alliance with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of Northern Ireland, whose 10 seats would allow her to govern. The DUP had strong links to Protestant paramilitary forces, principally the Ulster Volunteer Force, from the mid-1980s. And in forging a relationship with the DUP, May threatened to undo British government neutrality in Northern Ireland, which was key to peace via the Good Friday agreement. Overnight, Corbyn’s insistence that radical extremism needed to be tackled not with the suppression of rights, but by understanding its root international causes in UK colonial/postcolonial intervention, seemed to make perfect sense. And his logic was supported further by the publicised connections between MI6 and the Libyan bomber in Manchester, and by the UK’s continued arms deals with Saudi Arabia. At least the DUP, reflecting Northern Ireland’s overwhelming support in the EU referendum for Remain, was likely to argue May should follow a softer Brexit line. In other ways then, and against all claims of ‘stability’, the government’s Brexit negotiations are thrown into disarray and further uncertainty. It is clear that the majority in the House of Commons would no longer back the ‘hard’ Brexit that May had nurtured on the back of post-imperial sentiments and a nod to popular xenophobia. The entire Brexit strategy has been premised so far on her penchant for being a ‘difficult woman’ in Brussels negotiations. But the only element of the election that allows May to hang on to power at all, are the newly won Conservative seats in Scotland. Furthermore, Ruth Davidson, the Conservative leader in Scotland, is strongly in favour of a ‘soft’ Brexit, remaining if possible in the Single Market. Negotiators on the EU side will now look at the UK with uncertainty. May seems illegitimate both in the UK, and in the context of changing international relations. There are suggestions that not only could the negotiations themselves be delayed, but that the 27 EU states might even entertain a total reconsideration of Brexit itself, should the UK government choose to revoke the signing of article 50 and stay in the Union. The 2016 referendum, after all, was legally only ‘advisory’. And there is no doubt that the surge of dissatisfaction with Theresa May’s Conservatives on 8 June was driven, in part, by the ‘48%’ – the relatively well educated, demographically younger, and more left-wing supporters of Remain. The constituency that feels most cheated are the 18 to 25-years-olds – the population of the UK that is perhaps most clearly connected to promises of overseas work, whose horizons are increasingly global, being connected to the like-minded like never before via social media and travel. Although denigrated by the right-wing tabloids as a man who would take Britain ‘back to the 1970s’ via old-fashioned socialism, Jeremy Corbyn managed to harness this constituency in a way that made a remarkable difference to the outcome of the election. It has also had a knock-on effect elsewhere in the world. Donald Trump, whose diminutive hand held that of Theresa May's, has now postponed his planned visit to the UK for fear of protests led by the very same constituencies that came out to vote for Corbyn. The ‘special relationship’ too then, between the USA and UK, like Anglophone influence in the EU, has never seemed more uncertain. Perhaps the 2017 General Election in the UK shows something broader. Political scientists and commentators have looked at the rise of authoritarian populism in the USA, UK, India, Russia and Turkey as part of a possible global shift towards anti-cosmopolitanism, in the face of global economic crisis. The UK election of June 2017, alongside the Presidential elections in France of this year, suggest that important parts of Europe, at least, are bucking this trend. Most importantly, they show that a younger generation of voters and leaders are emerging to contest this global shift to the right, and to lay the possible foundations for a new kind of politics.

Revolution of the young: The 2017 Election in the UK

A British author ate his book during a live TV show after his prediction that the opposition Labour party would poll less than 38 per cent votes went wrong.

Matthew Goodwin, 35, a professor of politics at the University of Kent, is the co-author of &#39;Brexit: Why Britain voted to leave the European Union&#39;.

He said in a tweet last month that he did not think Jeremy Corbyn&#39;s Labour party would poll 38 per cent in the general election on June 8. However, the Labour party won 40.3 per cent of the vote.

&quot;I&#39;m saying this out loud. I do not believe that Labour, under Jeremy Corbyn, will poll 38%. I will happily eat my new Brexit book if they do,&quot; he had tweeted.

After the results came in, Goodwin was trolled by Labour supporters for his tweet.

Appearing on Sky News yesterday, he was asked if he is a man of his word, to which he replied: &quot;Well indeed I am. I was surprised that Jeremy Corbyn got two percentage points more than I had expected, and I did say that I would eat this book,&quot; Metro news reported.

&quot;Two percentage points makes a big difference, I am a man of my word, so what I am going to do is just sit here and eat my book, while you guys carry on,&quot; he said as he began eating pages of his book, the report said.

Goodwin scrunched up a piece of paper and uncomfortably shoved it into his mouth and said: &quot;It is actually a hardback, there are lots of chemicals but I have got to get through the whole thing.&quot;

He then gave a slightly sad thumbs up to the camera. Later, a Sky News producer tweeted that Goodwin did not swallow the page he was munching on, the report added.

(PTI)&nbsp;

After underestimating Corbyn's success by 2%, Goodwin delivered on his promise and chewed pages from his Brexit book

A British author ate his book during a live TV show after his prediction that the opposition Labour party would poll less than 38 per cent votes went wrong. Matthew Goodwin, 35, a professor of politics at the University of Kent, is the co-author of 'Brexit: Why Britain voted to leave the European Union'. He said in a tweet last month that he did not think Jeremy Corbyn's Labour party would poll 38 per cent in the general election on June 8. However, the Labour party won 40.3 per cent of the vote. "I'm saying this out loud. I do not believe that Labour, under Jeremy Corbyn, will poll 38%. I will happily eat my new Brexit book if they do," he had tweeted. After the results came in, Goodwin was trolled by Labour supporters for his tweet. Appearing on Sky News yesterday, he was asked if he is a man of his word, to which he replied: "Well indeed I am. I was surprised that Jeremy Corbyn got two percentage points more than I had expected, and I did say that I would eat this book," Metro news reported. "Two percentage points makes a big difference, I am a man of my word, so what I am going to do is just sit here and eat my book, while you guys carry on," he said as he began eating pages of his book, the report said. Goodwin scrunched up a piece of paper and uncomfortably shoved it into his mouth and said: "It is actually a hardback, there are lots of chemicals but I have got to get through the whole thing." He then gave a slightly sad thumbs up to the camera. Later, a Sky News producer tweeted that Goodwin did not swallow the page he was munching on, the report added. (PTI)

Author eats his book on live TV after incorrect UK poll prediction

British Prime Minister Theresa May reached an &quot;outline agreement&quot; on Saturday with the ultra-conservative Democratic Unionist Party in order to be able to govern after a humiliating election that has left her authority in tatters.

She also confirmed to German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a phone call that Britain was ready to begin Brexit negotiations &quot;as planned in the next couple of weeks&quot;, reassuring EU leaders who had expressed doubts after May&#39;s electoral losses.

May&#39;s Conservatives lost their parliamentary majority in Thursday&#39;s vote and need the support of the 10 MPs from Northern Ireland&#39;s DUP to have a majority.

&quot;We can confirm that the Democratic Unionist Party have agreed to the principles of an outline agreement to support the Conservative government,&quot; a spokesman for May said.

The spokesman indicated this would not be a formal coalition but a minority government with looser DUP support on a &quot;confidence and supply basis&quot;.

&quot;We welcome this commitment, which can provide the stability and certainty the whole country requires as we embark on Brexit and beyond,&quot; he said.

The details of the agreement &quot;will be put forward for discussion and agreement&quot; at a cabinet meeting on Monday, a day before the new parliament meets, the spokesman said.

There was no mention of what concessions the DUP may have asked for, amid growing concern about the influence of a party opposed to abortion and gay marriage, and which has proved hugely controversial in the past over the homophobic and sectarian views of some of its representatives.

May earlier on Saturday lost her two closest aides as she struggled to reassert her leadership after a crushing election setback.

The Conservative leader has been warned that her days are numbered after calling Thursday&#39;s vote three years early hoping to strengthen her hand going into Brexit negotiations with Brussels, only to lose her majority.

Senior party figures have cautioned against any immediate leadership challenge, saying it would cause only further disruption as Britain prepares to start the Brexit talks as early as June 19.

But media reports suggest they had demanded the departure of May&#39;s joint chiefs of staff, Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill, as the price for allowing the 60-year-old vicar&#39;s daughter to stay in office.

They were replaced by Gavin Barwell, a former housing minister who lost his seat in the election.

&#39;Toxic&#39; atmosphere&nbsp;

May put on a brave face after Thursday&#39;s vote, expressing sorrow for the MPs who lost their seats but refusing to acknowledge how her election gamble backfired.

&quot;From hubris to humiliation,&quot; said the left-leaning Guardian, while the Times headline read: &quot;May stares into the abyss&quot;.

The resignations of Timothy and Hill, on whom May had been heavily reliant since her previous job at the interior ministry, will be a personal blow.

Timothy said he took responsibility for the Conservative manifesto, including a plan for elderly social care that caused a backlash among core voters.

A party spokesman confirmed the resignation of Hill, a combative character who one former colleague said had helped create a &quot;toxic&quot; atmosphere at the heart of the government.

May is preparing to name the rest of her cabinet, after revealing Friday that her five most senior ministers would stay in their posts.

Several Conservative lawmakers have warned she cannot carry on indefinitely, after throwing away a 17-seat majority in the 650-seat House of Commons.

But former party leader Iain Duncan Smith said a leadership contest now would be a &quot;catastrophe&quot;.

&#39;DUP has got to go&#39;

The Conservatives won 318 seats, down from 331 in 2015 after the opposition Labour party under socialist leader Jeremy Corbyn scored hefty gains.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson, who is gay, was among the first to express disquiet over a deal with the ultra-conservative DUP.

&quot;I sought, and to be fair to the prime minister, received a categoric assurance that in talking to the DUP that there would be no suggestion of any rollback on LGBTI rights in the rest of the UK,&quot; she told reporters.

Several hundred people -- many Labour voters -- protested in central London against the potential alliance, with one organiser leading chants of &quot;racist, sexist, anti-gay, the DUP has got to go&quot;.

Joining forces with the hardline Protestant party also threatens London&#39;s neutrality in Northern Ireland, which is key to the delicate balance of power in a province once plagued by violence.

On Brexit, the DUP supports leaving the EU but opposes a return to a &quot;hard&quot; border with Ireland -- which could happen if May carries through her threat to walk away from the talks rather than accept a &quot;bad deal&quot;.

The new parliament will be sworn in Tuesday, but the real test for May is likely to come when MPs vote on her programme after it is outlined in parliament by Queen Elizabeth II on June 19.

European Council President Donald Tusk has warned there is &quot;no time to lose&quot; in starting Brexit talks, after May on March 29 started the two-year countdown to ending Britain&#39;s four-decade membership.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

British PM Theresa May told?German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a phone call that Britain was ready to begin Brexit negotiations 'as planned in the next couple of weeks'

British Prime Minister Theresa May reached an "outline agreement" on Saturday with the ultra-conservative Democratic Unionist Party in order to be able to govern after a humiliating election that has left her authority in tatters. She also confirmed to German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a phone call that Britain was ready to begin Brexit negotiations "as planned in the next couple of weeks", reassuring EU leaders who had expressed doubts after May's electoral losses. May's Conservatives lost their parliamentary majority in Thursday's vote and need the support of the 10 MPs from Northern Ireland's DUP to have a majority. "We can confirm that the Democratic Unionist Party have agreed to the principles of an outline agreement to support the Conservative government," a spokesman for May said. The spokesman indicated this would not be a formal coalition but a minority government with looser DUP support on a "confidence and supply basis". "We welcome this commitment, which can provide the stability and certainty the whole country requires as we embark on Brexit and beyond," he said. The details of the agreement "will be put forward for discussion and agreement" at a cabinet meeting on Monday, a day before the new parliament meets, the spokesman said. There was no mention of what concessions the DUP may have asked for, amid growing concern about the influence of a party opposed to abortion and gay marriage, and which has proved hugely controversial in the past over the homophobic and sectarian views of some of its representatives. May earlier on Saturday lost her two closest aides as she struggled to reassert her leadership after a crushing election setback. The Conservative leader has been warned that her days are numbered after calling Thursday's vote three years early hoping to strengthen her hand going into Brexit negotiations with Brussels, only to lose her majority. Senior party figures have cautioned against any immediate leadership challenge, saying it would cause only further disruption as Britain prepares to start the Brexit talks as early as June 19. But media reports suggest they had demanded the departure of May's joint chiefs of staff, Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill, as the price for allowing the 60-year-old vicar's daughter to stay in office. They were replaced by Gavin Barwell, a former housing minister who lost his seat in the election. 'Toxic' atmosphere May put on a brave face after Thursday's vote, expressing sorrow for the MPs who lost their seats but refusing to acknowledge how her election gamble backfired. "From hubris to humiliation," said the left-leaning Guardian, while the Times headline read: "May stares into the abyss". The resignations of Timothy and Hill, on whom May had been heavily reliant since her previous job at the interior ministry, will be a personal blow. Timothy said he took responsibility for the Conservative manifesto, including a plan for elderly social care that caused a backlash among core voters. A party spokesman confirmed the resignation of Hill, a combative character who one former colleague said had helped create a "toxic" atmosphere at the heart of the government. May is preparing to name the rest of her cabinet, after revealing Friday that her five most senior ministers would stay in their posts. Several Conservative lawmakers have warned she cannot carry on indefinitely, after throwing away a 17-seat majority in the 650-seat House of Commons. But former party leader Iain Duncan Smith said a leadership contest now would be a "catastrophe". 'DUP has got to go' The Conservatives won 318 seats, down from 331 in 2015 after the opposition Labour party under socialist leader Jeremy Corbyn scored hefty gains. Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson, who is gay, was among the first to express disquiet over a deal with the ultra-conservative DUP. "I sought, and to be fair to the prime minister, received a categoric assurance that in talking to the DUP that there would be no suggestion of any rollback on LGBTI rights in the rest of the UK," she told reporters. Several hundred people -- many Labour voters -- protested in central London against the potential alliance, with one organiser leading chants of "racist, sexist, anti-gay, the DUP has got to go". Joining forces with the hardline Protestant party also threatens London's neutrality in Northern Ireland, which is key to the delicate balance of power in a province once plagued by violence. On Brexit, the DUP supports leaving the EU but opposes a return to a "hard" border with Ireland -- which could happen if May carries through her threat to walk away from the talks rather than accept a "bad deal". The new parliament will be sworn in Tuesday, but the real test for May is likely to come when MPs vote on her programme after it is outlined in parliament by Queen Elizabeth II on June 19. European Council President Donald Tusk has warned there is "no time to lose" in starting Brexit talks, after May on March 29 started the two-year countdown to ending Britain's four-decade membership.

Britain's May reaches 'outline' power deal, Brexit talks to begin in 'next couple of weeks'

UK Elections 2017 has been a tight race between the Conservatives and Labour party candidates. While PM Theresa May was sure of making it to the finished line with a majority, Jeremy Corbyn has managed to pull a masterstroke.&nbsp;

Jeremy Bernard Corbyn, 68, the grand old man of British politics had a different game plan from the beginning. His policies and the Labour party&#39;s manifesto stood its ground on local and domestic issues that made a connect with the British citizens. Corbyn was able to shave off Theresa May&#39;s lead in the popularity polls in the last two weeks. His focus on education, security, income tax and importantly his stance on Brexit clearly touched a chord while May and her party did not have a solid post-Brexit roadmap for UK citizens.&nbsp;

Corbyn has served as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition since 12 September 2015. He was born in Chippenham and is the youngest of the four sons in the family.&nbsp;

Always a crusader, while still in&nbsp;school, he became active in The Wrekin constituency Young Socialists, his local Labour Party, and the League Against Cruel Sports.&nbsp; 
He joined the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) in 1966 whilst at school and later became one of its three vice-chairs.

&nbsp;

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<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Whatever the final result, our positive campaign has changed politics for the better. <a href="https://t.co/EHLta2rnIW">pic.twitter.com/EHLta2rnIW</a>
&mdash; Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) <a href="https://twitter.com/jeremycorbyn/status/872975310249230336">June 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Brexit:

Corbyn has consistently spoken for Britain to remain as an EU member but after the referendum result, Corbyn over the last two weeks of campaigning has maintained that the &ldquo;result must be respected&rdquo; and a &quot;close new relationship with the EU&quot; should be targeted. He said that one of his first acts as Britain&#39;s prime minister would be to call German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron to chalk out a plan for Brexit. He also promised to guarantee the rights of EU citizens based in the UK while&nbsp;rejecting the idea of &#39;no deal&#39; in EU negotiations.

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

Education:

What also added&nbsp;to his popularity&nbsp;is his commitment to education and providing for the youth by announcing the scrapping of tuition fees for universities. He also announced&nbsp;the scrapping of upfront costs for colleges and further education courses while reintroducing maintenance grants for students. He also wooed&nbsp;new mothers by plugging the gap in childcare after maternity leave helping them to come back to work with the aid of National Education Service.

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

Terrorism:

In the wake of London Bridge terror attacks, both May and Corbyn differ on opinions. Corbyn chose to not support counter-terrorism legislation as a parliamentarian. He promised to reverse the cutting of around 20,000 police officers since 2010. He also vowed his support for Trident, that is&nbsp;UK&rsquo;s Vanguard fleet of submarines carrying nuclear missiles. Corbyn has however been a strong opponent of&nbsp;nuclear weapons.

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

Income Tax:

Motivated to ensure that the national debt is reduced, Corbyn in his party&rsquo;s manifesto looked&nbsp;to raise tax revenues from the top earners in the country. For those earning above &pound;80,000 ($103,544), income tax rate would increase 45 per cent for earnings above the amount and then to 50 pence in each pound for people with an income of more than &pound;123,000.

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

Trump:

Before Trump had withdrawn from the Paris climate accord and talks were still on, Corbyn spoke about calling US President Donald Trump and urging him to not withdraw from the accord. He continuously criticised May&rsquo;s approach in dealing with Trump calling it &quot;dereliction of duty&quot; when she failed to sign a joint statement with other EU leaders condemning the US administration.&nbsp;

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

Iraq War:

Corbyn identifies himself as an anti-war activist. In October 2001, Corbyn was elected to the steering committee of the Stop the War Coalition, which was formed to oppose the Afghanistan War. He also opposed the Iraq War in 2003 and spoke at anti-war rallies in Britain and overseas. He helped organise the February anti-Iraq War protest which was claimed to be the largest such protest in British political history. In 2006, Corbyn was one of 12 Labour MPs to support Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party&#39;s call for a parliamentary inquiry into the Iraq War.&nbsp; 
 
(WION) 
&nbsp;

Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn almost singlehandedly chipped PM Theresa May's political capital

UK Elections 2017 has been a tight race between the Conservatives and Labour party candidates. While PM Theresa May was sure of making it to the finished line with a majority, Jeremy Corbyn has managed to pull a masterstroke. Jeremy Bernard Corbyn, 68, the grand old man of British politics had a different game plan from the beginning. His policies and the Labour party's manifesto stood its ground on local and domestic issues that made a connect with the British citizens. Corbyn was able to shave off Theresa May's lead in the popularity polls in the last two weeks. His focus on education, security, income tax and importantly his stance on Brexit clearly touched a chord while May and her party did not have a solid post-Brexit roadmap for UK citizens. Corbyn has served as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition since 12 September 2015. He was born in Chippenham and is the youngest of the four sons in the family. Always a crusader, while still in school, he became active in The Wrekin constituency Young Socialists, his local Labour Party, and the League Against Cruel Sports. He joined the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) in 1966 whilst at school and later became one of its three vice-chairs. Whatever the final result, our positive campaign has changed politics for the better. pic.twitter.com/EHLta2rnIW — Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) June 9, 2017 × Brexit: Corbyn has consistently spoken for Britain to remain as an EU member but after the referendum result, Corbyn over the last two weeks of campaigning has maintained that the “result must be respected” and a "close new relationship with the EU" should be targeted. He said that one of his first acts as Britain's prime minister would be to call German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron to chalk out a plan for Brexit. He also promised to guarantee the rights of EU citizens based in the UK while rejecting the idea of 'no deal' in EU negotiations. Education: What also added to his popularity is his commitment to education and providing for the youth by announcing the scrapping of tuition fees for universities. He also announced the scrapping of upfront costs for colleges and further education courses while reintroducing maintenance grants for students. He also wooed new mothers by plugging the gap in childcare after maternity leave helping them to come back to work with the aid of National Education Service. Terrorism: In the wake of London Bridge terror attacks, both May and Corbyn differ on opinions. Corbyn chose to not support counter-terrorism legislation as a parliamentarian. He promised to reverse the cutting of around 20,000 police officers since 2010. He also vowed his support for Trident, that is UK’s Vanguard fleet of submarines carrying nuclear missiles. Corbyn has however been a strong opponent of nuclear weapons. Income Tax: Motivated to ensure that the national debt is reduced, Corbyn in his party’s manifesto looked to raise tax revenues from the top earners in the country. For those earning above £80,000 ($103,544), income tax rate would increase 45 per cent for earnings above the amount and then to 50 pence in each pound for people with an income of more than £123,000. Trump: Before Trump had withdrawn from the Paris climate accord and talks were still on, Corbyn spoke about calling US President Donald Trump and urging him to not withdraw from the accord. He continuously criticised May’s approach in dealing with Trump calling it "dereliction of duty" when she failed to sign a joint statement with other EU leaders condemning the US administration. Iraq War: Corbyn identifies himself as an anti-war activist. In October 2001, Corbyn was elected to the steering committee of the Stop the War Coalition, which was formed to oppose the Afghanistan War. He also opposed the Iraq War in 2003 and spoke at anti-war rallies in Britain and overseas. He helped organise the February anti-Iraq War protest which was claimed to be the largest such protest in British political history. In 2006, Corbyn was one of 12 Labour MPs to support Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party's call for a parliamentary inquiry into the Iraq War. (WION)

How ?Corbyn strategy? stumped PM May

By Ankit Saproo

British PM Theresa May&#39;s decision to call for early snap elections in April was guided mainly by polls which pointed to a huge victory. However, as early results poured in it clearly revealed&nbsp;Britain was a different country two months ago.

Her political instinct was clearly out of sync with reality. A majority&nbsp;would have given her an entire five-year term to negotiate the Brexit process on her own terms.&nbsp;

In her speech announcing the early elections, May had said, &quot;It was with reluctance that I decided the country needs this election, but it is with strong conviction that I say it is necessary to secure the strong and stable leadership the country needs to see us through Brexit and beyond.&quot;

A confident May even suggested to&nbsp;the British people that they should vote for the Conservative party&nbsp;if they want Brexit to be a success.&nbsp;Unfortunately, the election results out today prove&nbsp;her political instincts were&nbsp;clearly out of sync with reality.

What led to the failure?

Just like her predecessor ex-prime minister David Cameron, May was against Brexit but remained silent during the entire campaign leading up to the referendum on June 23, 2016.

David Cameron resigned as the Prime Minister&nbsp;after Britain voted in favour of Brexit.&nbsp;Theresa May, who was home secretary in the Cameron government, took over as the next Prime Minister and quickly became a votary of Brexit saying that it is what the people wanted. In the end, it was her &#39;Great Switch&#39; which was rejected by the British people.&nbsp;

On March 29, 2016, she won a major victory in the UK Parliament when the European Union Bill was passed by a huge majority with the support of the Labour party. The Scottish National Party and the Liberal Democrats had opposed the bill.

With the bipartisan support for the bill to initiate the process of UK&#39;s exit, Theresa May activated Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. This was a major victory for the Theresa May-led government and gave her the confidence to go for what has been described as &quot;Hard Brexit&quot;.

In a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/british-pm-theresa-may-signs-letter-that-will-start-brexit-13913">letter to the European Council President Donald Tusk</a>, Theresa May said that the Brexit referendum &quot;was a vote to restore, as we see it, our national self-determination&quot;.

Donald Tusk urged Theresa May not to let &quot;emotions&quot;&nbsp;get in the way of the negotiating process as it would lead to talks collapsing even before they start.

The appeal from the European Council President came after Theresa May accused Brussels of meddling in the election process and undermining British stance on the terms of negotiations governing Brexit.&nbsp;With her allegedly hard position on Brexit negotiations, she alienated most of UK&#39;s allies in the European Union.&nbsp;

What next?

With&nbsp;the Conservative party losing the majority in the House of Commons&nbsp;Theresa May is clearly handicapped, almost a lame duck when she leads the Brexit talks.

In fact, analysts are already hinting at the possibility of a new referendum on Brexit. The House is clearly divided after this historic verdict. Is this the beginning of the end of Brexit or end of a&nbsp;new beginning? &nbsp; &nbsp;

(WION)&nbsp;

May even went to the extent of suggesting that the British people should vote the Conservatives to power if they want Brexit to be a success, a report in The Guardian said

By Ankit Saproo British PM Theresa May's decision to call for early snap elections in April was guided mainly by polls which pointed to a huge victory. However, as early results poured in it clearly revealed Britain was a different country two months ago. Her political instinct was clearly out of sync with reality. A majority would have given her an entire five-year term to negotiate the Brexit process on her own terms. In her speech announcing the early elections, May had said, "It was with reluctance that I decided the country needs this election, but it is with strong conviction that I say it is necessary to secure the strong and stable leadership the country needs to see us through Brexit and beyond." A confident May even suggested to the British people that they should vote for the Conservative party if they want Brexit to be a success. Unfortunately, the election results out today prove her political instincts were clearly out of sync with reality. What led to the failure? Just like her predecessor ex-prime minister David Cameron, May was against Brexit but remained silent during the entire campaign leading up to the referendum on June 23, 2016. David Cameron resigned as the Prime Minister after Britain voted in favour of Brexit. Theresa May, who was home secretary in the Cameron government, took over as the next Prime Minister and quickly became a votary of Brexit saying that it is what the people wanted. In the end, it was her 'Great Switch' which was rejected by the British people. On March 29, 2016, she won a major victory in the UK Parliament when the European Union Bill was passed by a huge majority with the support of the Labour party. The Scottish National Party and the Liberal Democrats had opposed the bill. With the bipartisan support for the bill to initiate the process of UK's exit, Theresa May activated Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. This was a major victory for the Theresa May-led government and gave her the confidence to go for what has been described as "Hard Brexit". In a letter to the European Council President Donald Tusk, Theresa May said that the Brexit referendum "was a vote to restore, as we see it, our national self-determination". Donald Tusk urged Theresa May not to let "emotions" get in the way of the negotiating process as it would lead to talks collapsing even before they start. The appeal from the European Council President came after Theresa May accused Brussels of meddling in the election process and undermining British stance on the terms of negotiations governing Brexit. With her allegedly hard position on Brexit negotiations, she alienated most of UK's allies in the European Union. What next? With the Conservative party losing the majority in the House of Commons Theresa May is clearly handicapped, almost a lame duck when she leads the Brexit talks. In fact, analysts are already hinting at the possibility of a new referendum on Brexit. The House is clearly divided after this historic verdict. Is this the beginning of the end of Brexit or end of a new beginning? (WION)

Theresa May's gamble and why it failed

&nbsp;

By&nbsp;Rajendra K. Jain*

In calling for a snap UK elections on 8 June 2017 &ndash; the third one in two years &ndash;Prime Minister Theresa May hoped to &ldquo;guarantee certainty and security for years ahead&rdquo; by significantly increasing her majority in Parliament. What she sought was a &ldquo;strong and stable&rdquo; mandate to steer Britain through an uncertain period and ending 44 years of association with the European Union. With a significant 20-point lead, her logic seemed almost infallible at the time of the announcement.

&nbsp;

In the desultory six-week electoral campaign, there was no serious discussion on either Brexit or the key bread-and-butter issues confronting the country. Theresa May ran a dismal campaign. She increasingly came across as an uninspiring, insipid leader who was media-shy and clearly uncomfortable when confronted with difficult questions. She was assailed for making a major policy U-turn on care for the elderly. She also came under severe criticism for her poor handling of recent terror attacks in Manchester and London and for her role as Home Secretary when she oversaw cuts to the police force. On the eve of elections, her significant lead had declined to around 7 per cent.

&nbsp;

The results of recent general elections represent one of the biggest political upsets in British history and a hung parliament for the seventh time since the beginning of the 20th century. In what became a two-party contest, both the Green Party and the right-wing, Euroskeptic United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) were wiped out.

&nbsp;

With 649 of 650 seats declared so far, the Conservative Party won 318 seats and loss of a clear majority (down from 331 seats and a majority of 17 seats). The Jeremy Corbyn-led Labour Party got 261 seats for the Labour Party (a gain of 31 seats and a larger voice in Parliament). The smaller parties won Scottish National Party (35 seats), Liberal Democrats (12 seats), and Democratic Union Party (10 seats).

&nbsp;

Theresa May, therefore, grossly miscalculated and ended in a worse situation than in what she was before the elections. By hindsight, the snap general elections seem almost foolhardy: there was no need whatsoever as Theresa May and her party would have remained in office until 2020 if they had not been held.

&nbsp;

As the leader of the largest party with the greatest voting share, Theresa May is making efforts to cobble together a government with the support of the Northern Ireland-based Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

&nbsp;

While the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker expressed hope that the election result would have &ldquo;no major impact&rdquo; on Brexit negotiations, and that divorce talks could start as per schedule on 19th June. The EU&rsquo;s chief negotiator Michel Barnier also tweeted that the &ldquo;timetable and EU positions are clear&rdquo; and negotiations should start &ldquo;when the UK is ready&rdquo;. Negotiations will have to be concluded by April 2019, i.e. two years after Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty was triggered. This is fixed in treaty law.

&nbsp;

The EU-27 have mandated a two-stage process: first negotiating the terms of divorce and exit formalities prior to envisaging the architecture of future relations with the UK. London, however, would prefer simultaneous or parallel discussions on divorce terms and future or transitional arrangements in place. There may not be enough time to successfully complete both things.

&nbsp;

Brexit is irreversible. But still, there is no clarity whether it would be a &ldquo;hard&rdquo; or &ldquo;soft&rdquo; Brexit. The former would result in the UK giving up full access to the European single market and customs union, regaining control over borders (and thereby immigration) and freedom to negotiate new trade deals and apply laws within its own territory.

&nbsp;

A &ldquo;soft&rdquo; Brexit, on the other hand, would result in the UK retaining as much of the existing arrangements as possible with unfettered access to the single market. However, London would not get a voice in EU decision-making: no seat in the European Council, no MEPs in the European Parliament and no Commissioner. Such an arrangement would be somewhat like the one that Norway has.

&nbsp;

One of the biggest obstacles to a smooth Brexit is the hardening position of the EU about Britain&rsquo;s Brexit bill. Brussels&rsquo; opening demand has recently been significantly enhanced from the initial &euro;60 billion to &euro;100 billion to cover post-Brexit farm payments and EU administration fees in 2019 and 2010.

&nbsp;

Other difficult questions which need to be addressed include the role of the European Court of Justice during transitional arrangements and whether the UK should stay in all or none of the EU&rsquo;s regulatory regimes.

&nbsp;

Election results will make already complex negotiations more difficult. With a hung parliament and a weak prime minister, it would now become extremely difficult to make the kind of painful and controversial compromises necessary for a Brexit deal. It also leaves the new prime minister with very little wriggling room in dealing with right-wingers in her party. She will be compelled to constantly negotiate on most crucial issues both within the party and with the DUP, which prefers soft borders between the north and south of Ireland.

&nbsp;

Europe has clearly been shocked by the UK election results. We are heading towards a period of greater uncertainty. There is, as Commissioner G&uuml;nther Oettinger put it, a real danger that &ldquo;negotiations will turn out badly for both sides&rdquo;. Plagued as the EU has been with recurrent crises, the continent would like to concentrate on other pressing problems and revive hope in the future of the European project. Brexit is not merely about the future of the UK, but about the future of Europe as well.

&nbsp;

Jain is&nbsp;Professor of European Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

Election results will make already complex negotiations on Brexit more difficult

By Rajendra K. Jain* In calling for a snap UK elections on 8 June 2017 – the third one in two years –Prime Minister Theresa May hoped to “guarantee certainty and security for years ahead” by significantly increasing her majority in Parliament. What she sought was a “strong and stable” mandate to steer Britain through an uncertain period and ending 44 years of association with the European Union. With a significant 20-point lead, her logic seemed almost infallible at the time of the announcement. In the desultory six-week electoral campaign, there was no serious discussion on either Brexit or the key bread-and-butter issues confronting the country. Theresa May ran a dismal campaign. She increasingly came across as an uninspiring, insipid leader who was media-shy and clearly uncomfortable when confronted with difficult questions. She was assailed for making a major policy U-turn on care for the elderly. She also came under severe criticism for her poor handling of recent terror attacks in Manchester and London and for her role as Home Secretary when she oversaw cuts to the police force. On the eve of elections, her significant lead had declined to around 7 per cent. The results of recent general elections represent one of the biggest political upsets in British history and a hung parliament for the seventh time since the beginning of the 20th century. In what became a two-party contest, both the Green Party and the right-wing, Euroskeptic United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) were wiped out. With 649 of 650 seats declared so far, the Conservative Party won 318 seats and loss of a clear majority (down from 331 seats and a majority of 17 seats). The Jeremy Corbyn-led Labour Party got 261 seats for the Labour Party (a gain of 31 seats and a larger voice in Parliament). The smaller parties won Scottish National Party (35 seats), Liberal Democrats (12 seats), and Democratic Union Party (10 seats). Theresa May, therefore, grossly miscalculated and ended in a worse situation than in what she was before the elections. By hindsight, the snap general elections seem almost foolhardy: there was no need whatsoever as Theresa May and her party would have remained in office until 2020 if they had not been held. As the leader of the largest party with the greatest voting share, Theresa May is making efforts to cobble together a government with the support of the Northern Ireland-based Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). While the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker expressed hope that the election result would have “no major impact” on Brexit negotiations, and that divorce talks could start as per schedule on 19th June. The EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier also tweeted that the “timetable and EU positions are clear” and negotiations should start “when the UK is ready”. Negotiations will have to be concluded by April 2019, i.e. two years after Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty was triggered. This is fixed in treaty law. The EU-27 have mandated a two-stage process: first negotiating the terms of divorce and exit formalities prior to envisaging the architecture of future relations with the UK. London, however, would prefer simultaneous or parallel discussions on divorce terms and future or transitional arrangements in place. There may not be enough time to successfully complete both things. Brexit is irreversible. But still, there is no clarity whether it would be a “hard” or “soft” Brexit. The former would result in the UK giving up full access to the European single market and customs union, regaining control over borders (and thereby immigration) and freedom to negotiate new trade deals and apply laws within its own territory. A “soft” Brexit, on the other hand, would result in the UK retaining as much of the existing arrangements as possible with unfettered access to the single market. However, London would not get a voice in EU decision-making: no seat in the European Council, no MEPs in the European Parliament and no Commissioner. Such an arrangement would be somewhat like the one that Norway has. One of the biggest obstacles to a smooth Brexit is the hardening position of the EU about Britain’s Brexit bill. Brussels’ opening demand has recently been significantly enhanced from the initial €60 billion to €100 billion to cover post-Brexit farm payments and EU administration fees in 2019 and 2010. Other difficult questions which need to be addressed include the role of the European Court of Justice during transitional arrangements and whether the UK should stay in all or none of the EU’s regulatory regimes. Election results will make already complex negotiations more difficult. With a hung parliament and a weak prime minister, it would now become extremely difficult to make the kind of painful and controversial compromises necessary for a Brexit deal. It also leaves the new prime minister with very little wriggling room in dealing with right-wingers in her party. She will be compelled to constantly negotiate on most crucial issues both within the party and with the DUP, which prefers soft borders between the north and south of Ireland. Europe has clearly been shocked by the UK election results. We are heading towards a period of greater uncertainty. There is, as Commissioner Günther Oettinger put it, a real danger that “negotiations will turn out badly for both sides”. Plagued as the EU has been with recurrent crises, the continent would like to concentrate on other pressing problems and revive hope in the future of the European project. Brexit is not merely about the future of the UK, but about the future of Europe as well. Jain is Professor of European Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

Electoral Mayhem: The UK, Brexit and Europe

Britain went to the polls on Thursday for a snap election called by Prime Minister Theresa May ahead of Brexit after a campaign shadowed by terrorism.

May called the vote in April, when opinion poll ratings for her and her centre-right Conservative party were sky high, presenting herself as the strong leader to take Britain into Brexit talks.

But Islamist attacks in London and Manchester have put her under pressure over her six years as interior minister, while campaign missteps have dented her reputation as a safe pair of hands.

Meanwhile opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, an anti-war campaigner deemed unelectable by a majority of his own lawmakers, has run an energetic campaign, promising change and an end to austerity.

While May has been touring target seats around the country, delivering slogan-heavy speeches to small groups of hand-picked activists, Corbyn has drawn large crowds to open-air rallies.

Speaking to reporters on her plane during a final burst of campaigning on Wednesday, May insisted she had no regrets about calling the vote three years early.

&quot;I&#39;ve enjoyed the campaign,&quot; she said. &quot;There is a very clear choice for people when they come to vote.&quot;

Asked what would constitute success, the 60-year-old vicar&#39;s daughter said: &quot;I never predict election results.&quot;

Corbyn, a 68-year-old leftwinger who has never held ministerial office and defied the odds to win the Labour leadership two years ago, urged supporters in Glasgow to think big.

&quot;Wouldn&#39;t it be great if on Friday we woke up to... a Labour government that will be a government for all of our communities across the whole of the country,&quot; he said.

&#39;Little confidence&#39;&nbsp;

It is the third time Britain has gone to the polls in two years, twice for a general election and once for the EU referendum, and voter fatigue appeared to be an issue among the early voters.

&quot;I don&#39;t think it has really been a campaign, we don&#39;t know anything about what they are going to do about Brexit, it&#39;s been pointless really,&quot; said Joe Kerney, 53, at a polling station in Hackney, east London.

&quot;I have little confidence in anybody,&quot; added voter Simon Bolton, 41. &quot;I think we lack quality in terms of who we can choose, it is very limited.&quot;

The election is May&#39;s first since taking office after Britons voted by 52 percent to leave the European Union.

May has accused Corbyn of being unprepared for negotiations set to begin on June 19, and unwilling to curb mass migration -- a key driver of the Brexit vote.

But her government&#39;s record on cutting funding for health and education have also featured strongly in the campaign, to the benefit of Labour.

The Conservatives were also damaged by a manifesto plan for elderly care that would see some pay more.

Then came the suicide bombing at a Manchester concert on May 22, which killed 22 people including seven children, followed by Saturday&#39;s knife and van attack in London, which left eight dead.

Campaigning was twice suspended in the aftermath of the attacks, which May blamed on &quot;evil&quot; Islamist ideology.

The Conservatives have always been strong on defence and security, and they have sought to exploit Corbyn&#39;s anti-nuclear stance and his alleged past support for Irish paramilitaries.

But May also faced uncomfortable questions over cuts to police numbers during her time as interior minister, amid accusations that the attackers in Manchester and London Bridge had slipped through the intelligence net.

Security tightened&nbsp;

Security on voting day was reviewed following the London attack, with the city&#39;s Metropolitan Police force implementing a &quot;specialist and highly flexible operation&quot; which it said could be deployed as needed.

Polling stations, many located in schools and community centres, opened at 7:00am (0600 GMT) and will close at 10:00pm, with 49.6 million registered voters electing a total of 650 MPs to parliament.

Overall turnout in the 2015 general election was 66.4 percent.

An exit poll will give an indication of the outcome, although final results will not emerge until early Friday.

As the Conservatives and Labour trade blows, the smaller pro-European Liberal Democrats and the pro-Brexit UK Independence Party (UKIP) have failed to gain much traction.

Britain went to the polls on Thursday for a snap election called by Prime Minister Theresa May ahead of Brexit after a campaign shadowed by terrorism.

Britain went to the polls on Thursday for a snap election called by Prime Minister Theresa May ahead of Brexit after a campaign shadowed by terrorism. May called the vote in April, when opinion poll ratings for her and her centre-right Conservative party were sky high, presenting herself as the strong leader to take Britain into Brexit talks. But Islamist attacks in London and Manchester have put her under pressure over her six years as interior minister, while campaign missteps have dented her reputation as a safe pair of hands. Meanwhile opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, an anti-war campaigner deemed unelectable by a majority of his own lawmakers, has run an energetic campaign, promising change and an end to austerity. While May has been touring target seats around the country, delivering slogan-heavy speeches to small groups of hand-picked activists, Corbyn has drawn large crowds to open-air rallies. Speaking to reporters on her plane during a final burst of campaigning on Wednesday, May insisted she had no regrets about calling the vote three years early. "I've enjoyed the campaign," she said. "There is a very clear choice for people when they come to vote." Asked what would constitute success, the 60-year-old vicar's daughter said: "I never predict election results." Corbyn, a 68-year-old leftwinger who has never held ministerial office and defied the odds to win the Labour leadership two years ago, urged supporters in Glasgow to think big. "Wouldn't it be great if on Friday we woke up to... a Labour government that will be a government for all of our communities across the whole of the country," he said. 'Little confidence' It is the third time Britain has gone to the polls in two years, twice for a general election and once for the EU referendum, and voter fatigue appeared to be an issue among the early voters. "I don't think it has really been a campaign, we don't know anything about what they are going to do about Brexit, it's been pointless really," said Joe Kerney, 53, at a polling station in Hackney, east London. "I have little confidence in anybody," added voter Simon Bolton, 41. "I think we lack quality in terms of who we can choose, it is very limited." The election is May's first since taking office after Britons voted by 52 percent to leave the European Union. May has accused Corbyn of being unprepared for negotiations set to begin on June 19, and unwilling to curb mass migration -- a key driver of the Brexit vote. But her government's record on cutting funding for health and education have also featured strongly in the campaign, to the benefit of Labour. The Conservatives were also damaged by a manifesto plan for elderly care that would see some pay more. Then came the suicide bombing at a Manchester concert on May 22, which killed 22 people including seven children, followed by Saturday's knife and van attack in London, which left eight dead. Campaigning was twice suspended in the aftermath of the attacks, which May blamed on "evil" Islamist ideology. The Conservatives have always been strong on defence and security, and they have sought to exploit Corbyn's anti-nuclear stance and his alleged past support for Irish paramilitaries. But May also faced uncomfortable questions over cuts to police numbers during her time as interior minister, amid accusations that the attackers in Manchester and London Bridge had slipped through the intelligence net. Security tightened Security on voting day was reviewed following the London attack, with the city's Metropolitan Police force implementing a "specialist and highly flexible operation" which it said could be deployed as needed. Polling stations, many located in schools and community centres, opened at 7:00am (0600 GMT) and will close at 10:00pm, with 49.6 million registered voters electing a total of 650 MPs to parliament. Overall turnout in the 2015 general election was 66.4 percent. An exit poll will give an indication of the outcome, although final results will not emerge until early Friday. As the Conservatives and Labour trade blows, the smaller pro-European Liberal Democrats and the pro-Brexit UK Independence Party (UKIP) have failed to gain much traction.

In shadow of terror, Britons vote in key election

&nbsp;Until the Brexit referendum, Gary Hill had never voted.

Now the 58-year-old roofer plans to back Prime Minister Theresa May&#39;s Conservatives in Thursday&#39;s election because he wants Britain out of the European Union.

The EU divorce has broken the mould of British politics, luring new voters like Hill to the ballot box and deeply eroding old party loyalties. That makes turnout - and the election result - all the harder to call.

May, who last year campaigned quietly to stay in the European Union, is now leading the march for the exit. If she can poach Brexit-supporting voters from the opposition Labour Party and the United Kingdom Independence Party, her big gamble on a snap election could pay off.

In contrast, if opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn - who voted against EU membership in 1975 - can entice enough younger pro-EU supporters out to vote Labour in the hope of a &quot;softer&quot; Brexit, he could be in with a chance.

&quot;As long as they get us out of Europe I&#39;m not bothered&quot; about other issues, Hill, perched on a wall below Wakefield&#39;s imposing cathedral, told Reuters.

&quot;I&#39;ve never agreed with Europe. They&#39;ve got too much power over us now - we need to get it back.&quot;

Nearly 3 million more people voted in the referendum than at the 2015 national election, with the biggest increases in leave-supporting areas, like Wakefield in northern England.

The city, held by the Labour Party since 1932, voted 66 percent in favour of leaving the EU. Turnout was more than 10 percentage points higher in the referendum than in the 2015 election.

&quot;The big unknown&quot;

Whether people like Hill will turn out again, and how far socialist leader Corbyn will succeed in attracting his own cohort of new voters, is driving uncertainty about the election result.

Since May called the election in April, her party&#39;s poll lead has narrowed. But different polling methods have produced a dramatically wide range of forecasts - from May losing her majority in parliament to winning a landslide victory.

&quot;(Turnout) is the big unknown, it is one of the reasons why there is a difference between all the polls at the moment,&quot; said Anthony Wells, director of political and social research at pollsters YouGov.

Wakefield&#39;s Brexit-supporting Conservative candidate Antony Calvert, hoping to overturn a 2,613-vote Labour majority, is aware he needs to get people like Hill to vote again on June 8.

&quot;These are not habitual voters, these are one-off voters. What we are seeing is people still talking about Brexit all the time, and we need to just ensure that is motivating people to the ballot box next Thursday,&quot; he said.

Wakefield is among the seats anti-EU UKIP is not contesting. It won 7,862 votes there in 2015.

May has made much of Brexit in the election campaign, pitching herself as the only leader capable of delivering a successful divorce. Corbyn has said the issue of Brexit is settled but many in his party oppose leaving the EU.

Tribal Politics

Gillian Cruise, a lifelong Labour voter in Wakefield until she switched to the Conservatives in 2015 because of their promise to hold the referendum, has now volunteered to campaign for May&#39;s party.

The 49-year-old is angry at the city&#39;s incumbent Labour lawmaker, who voted in parliament against starting the formal Brexit process.

&quot;We told her that we wanted to leave and she threw it back,&quot; said Cruise. Some are following her to the Conservatives, but others cannot bring themselves to abandon their roots.

&quot;There are still a lot that voted to leave the EU that just can&#39;t bring themselves to vote Conservative because it is so ingrained in them to vote Labour,&quot; she said.

&quot;Those are the people that I want to talk to.&quot;

Pro-EU group Open Britain is campaigning for candidates who will fight what it describes as May&#39;s &quot;hard, destructive&quot; Brexit. Gina Miller, whose legal action forced the government to give parliament a vote on triggering Brexit, is running a campaign to support pro-EU candidates.

In 41 seats, parties have stood aside to try to help a fellow &quot;progressive alliance&quot; candidate win.

But Wells said such attempts to encourage tactical voting would have little impact because of the collapse in support for smaller parties such as the Liberal Democrats, with most seats a straight race between Conservatives and Labour.

(Reuters)

If May is able to?poach Brexit-supporting voters from the opposition Labour Party and the United Kingdom Independence Party, her big gamble on a snap election could pay off

Until the Brexit referendum, Gary Hill had never voted. Now the 58-year-old roofer plans to back Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservatives in Thursday's election because he wants Britain out of the European Union. The EU divorce has broken the mould of British politics, luring new voters like Hill to the ballot box and deeply eroding old party loyalties. That makes turnout - and the election result - all the harder to call. May, who last year campaigned quietly to stay in the European Union, is now leading the march for the exit. If she can poach Brexit-supporting voters from the opposition Labour Party and the United Kingdom Independence Party, her big gamble on a snap election could pay off. In contrast, if opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn - who voted against EU membership in 1975 - can entice enough younger pro-EU supporters out to vote Labour in the hope of a "softer" Brexit, he could be in with a chance. "As long as they get us out of Europe I'm not bothered" about other issues, Hill, perched on a wall below Wakefield's imposing cathedral, told Reuters. "I've never agreed with Europe. They've got too much power over us now - we need to get it back." Nearly 3 million more people voted in the referendum than at the 2015 national election, with the biggest increases in leave-supporting areas, like Wakefield in northern England. The city, held by the Labour Party since 1932, voted 66 percent in favour of leaving the EU. Turnout was more than 10 percentage points higher in the referendum than in the 2015 election. "The big unknown" Whether people like Hill will turn out again, and how far socialist leader Corbyn will succeed in attracting his own cohort of new voters, is driving uncertainty about the election result. Since May called the election in April, her party's poll lead has narrowed. But different polling methods have produced a dramatically wide range of forecasts - from May losing her majority in parliament to winning a landslide victory. "(Turnout) is the big unknown, it is one of the reasons why there is a difference between all the polls at the moment," said Anthony Wells, director of political and social research at pollsters YouGov. Wakefield's Brexit-supporting Conservative candidate Antony Calvert, hoping to overturn a 2,613-vote Labour majority, is aware he needs to get people like Hill to vote again on June 8. "These are not habitual voters, these are one-off voters. What we are seeing is people still talking about Brexit all the time, and we need to just ensure that is motivating people to the ballot box next Thursday," he said. Wakefield is among the seats anti-EU UKIP is not contesting. It won 7,862 votes there in 2015. May has made much of Brexit in the election campaign, pitching herself as the only leader capable of delivering a successful divorce. Corbyn has said the issue of Brexit is settled but many in his party oppose leaving the EU. Tribal Politics Gillian Cruise, a lifelong Labour voter in Wakefield until she switched to the Conservatives in 2015 because of their promise to hold the referendum, has now volunteered to campaign for May's party. The 49-year-old is angry at the city's incumbent Labour lawmaker, who voted in parliament against starting the formal Brexit process. "We told her that we wanted to leave and she threw it back," said Cruise. Some are following her to the Conservatives, but others cannot bring themselves to abandon their roots. "There are still a lot that voted to leave the EU that just can't bring themselves to vote Conservative because it is so ingrained in them to vote Labour," she said. "Those are the people that I want to talk to." Pro-EU group Open Britain is campaigning for candidates who will fight what it describes as May's "hard, destructive" Brexit. Gina Miller, whose legal action forced the government to give parliament a vote on triggering Brexit, is running a campaign to support pro-EU candidates. In 41 seats, parties have stood aside to try to help a fellow "progressive alliance" candidate win. But Wells said such attempts to encourage tactical voting would have little impact because of the collapse in support for smaller parties such as the Liberal Democrats, with most seats a straight race between Conservatives and Labour. (Reuters)

Theresa May's election gamble could depend on turnout in Brexit heartlands

Although Britain&#39;s economic growth is ticking along in the run-up to the general election, flat wages and the government&#39;s austerity programme continue to bite and cause anger among those left behind.

A world away from the glistening skyscrapers of London&#39;s City finance district, normal life for some resembles that depicted in last year&#39;s Cannes winner &quot;I, Daniel Blake&quot;.

The British film&#39;s protagonists, in the northeastern English city of Newcastle, battle with the impact of cuts to social services in place since 2010, struggling to make ends meet and relying on food banks.

Widening living standards is a hot topic in the looming general election due June 8, and one that analysts say played a crucial role in last year&#39;s shock referendum vote in favour of the country&#39;s exit from the European Union.

The Brexit verdict has been framed by some commentators as a reflection of the social divide between the haves and the have-nots in one of the world&#39;s richest economies.

Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May, who called the general election to strengthen her hand in the coming Brexit talks, claims she wants a society that works for everyone, albeit one that is not free of austerity nor social spending cuts.

Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the main opposition Labour Party and who has gained ground in recent opinion polls, argues that the yawning gap between rich and poor needs to be addressed.

While official statistics show that Britain&#39;s unemployment rate sits at a 42-year low of 4.6 per cent, many workers find themselves on low wages and short-term contracts.

Median household income stood at &pound;26,300 (30,100 euros, $33,700) in the year to March 2016, just four per cent above the pre-financial crisis value of ten years ago.

Statistics also show that income inequality in Britain has actually declined slightly since the 2008 crisis, reversing a sharp increase in previous decades, as higher-income households saw their earnings fall more in real terms.

However, the statistics mask the disproportionate effect of income stagnation on the lowest earners, with the Resolution Foundation, a think-tank, warning that inequality in living standards could reach levels not seen for 30 years.

Meanwhile the Equality Trust states that in 2017, the country&#39;s 1,000 richest people will together own more wealth than that held by 40 per cent of the poorest households combined.

Small-jobs economy

&quot;Record numbers of people visited food banks last year, millions are locked out of a decent home, and two-thirds of children in poverty are in working households,&quot; Equality Trust&#39;s executive director Wanda Wyporska said this month.

According to the Office for National Statistics, 6.5 per cent of the British population, or 3.9 million people, was living in poverty in 2014, the most recent year for which data are available.

To survive, many Britons, especially the youngest, have to take on more than one low-paid and often low-skilled job at a time, scrambling in what is often called the &quot;gig economy&quot;.

At the same time, the number of so-called &quot;zero hour&quot; contracts is breaking records at 900,000 jobs. Such positions guarantee neither a number of hours to be worked nor a fixed rate of pay.

As a direct consequence, the TUC union calculates that over the last seven years, UK wages have not kept pace with inflation -- the longest period of time since the 1870s.

&quot;British workers have endured the longest pay squeeze since Victorian times,&quot; said TUC General Secretary Frances O&#39;Grady. &quot;And now even more pain is on the horizon.&quot;

Ahead of the election, May has vowed to improve workers&#39; rights, cap energy prices, lift minimum earnings and raise the threshold at which income tax is paid.

But she has been forced to reverse a manifesto commitment on capping social care costs following heavy public criticism and opposition from within her Conservative Party.

Corbyn, meanwhile, has pledged to hike taxes on the well-off, renationalise key industries like railways, scrap university tuition fees and pump cash into the state-run National Health Service.

His critics say Labour has not properly assessed the cost of those proposals.

(AFP)

Widening living standards is a hot topic in the general election due to be held on June 8

Although Britain's economic growth is ticking along in the run-up to the general election, flat wages and the government's austerity programme continue to bite and cause anger among those left behind. A world away from the glistening skyscrapers of London's City finance district, normal life for some resembles that depicted in last year's Cannes winner "I, Daniel Blake". The British film's protagonists, in the northeastern English city of Newcastle, battle with the impact of cuts to social services in place since 2010, struggling to make ends meet and relying on food banks. Widening living standards is a hot topic in the looming general election due June 8, and one that analysts say played a crucial role in last year's shock referendum vote in favour of the country's exit from the European Union. The Brexit verdict has been framed by some commentators as a reflection of the social divide between the haves and the have-nots in one of the world's richest economies. Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May, who called the general election to strengthen her hand in the coming Brexit talks, claims she wants a society that works for everyone, albeit one that is not free of austerity nor social spending cuts. Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the main opposition Labour Party and who has gained ground in recent opinion polls, argues that the yawning gap between rich and poor needs to be addressed. While official statistics show that Britain's unemployment rate sits at a 42-year low of 4.6 per cent, many workers find themselves on low wages and short-term contracts. Median household income stood at £26,300 (30,100 euros, $33,700) in the year to March 2016, just four per cent above the pre-financial crisis value of ten years ago. Statistics also show that income inequality in Britain has actually declined slightly since the 2008 crisis, reversing a sharp increase in previous decades, as higher-income households saw their earnings fall more in real terms. However, the statistics mask the disproportionate effect of income stagnation on the lowest earners, with the Resolution Foundation, a think-tank, warning that inequality in living standards could reach levels not seen for 30 years. Meanwhile the Equality Trust states that in 2017, the country's 1,000 richest people will together own more wealth than that held by 40 per cent of the poorest households combined. Small-jobs economy "Record numbers of people visited food banks last year, millions are locked out of a decent home, and two-thirds of children in poverty are in working households," Equality Trust's executive director Wanda Wyporska said this month. According to the Office for National Statistics, 6.5 per cent of the British population, or 3.9 million people, was living in poverty in 2014, the most recent year for which data are available. To survive, many Britons, especially the youngest, have to take on more than one low-paid and often low-skilled job at a time, scrambling in what is often called the "gig economy". At the same time, the number of so-called "zero hour" contracts is breaking records at 900,000 jobs. Such positions guarantee neither a number of hours to be worked nor a fixed rate of pay. As a direct consequence, the TUC union calculates that over the last seven years, UK wages have not kept pace with inflation -- the longest period of time since the 1870s. "British workers have endured the longest pay squeeze since Victorian times," said TUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady. "And now even more pain is on the horizon." Ahead of the election, May has vowed to improve workers' rights, cap energy prices, lift minimum earnings and raise the threshold at which income tax is paid. But she has been forced to reverse a manifesto commitment on capping social care costs following heavy public criticism and opposition from within her Conservative Party. Corbyn, meanwhile, has pledged to hike taxes on the well-off, renationalise key industries like railways, scrap university tuition fees and pump cash into the state-run National Health Service. His critics say Labour has not properly assessed the cost of those proposals. (AFP)

Gulf in living standards at heart of UK election battle

Theresa May faces her first nationwide electoral test as Britain&#39;s prime minister on Thursday, as she toughens her Brexit position just weeks before a crucial general election.

Britain will choose thousands of new local councillors in a vote that will be closely watched for proof of the strength of May&#39;s Conservatives, which opinion polls suggest are on course for a thumping victory in the June 8 parliamentary elections.

Nearly 5,000 local authority seats are being contested across England, Scotland and Wales on Thursday along with eight metropolitan mayoralties.

Experts warn against using the results to predict the outcome of next month&#39;s vote, noting that such elections are normally fought on local issues, and are often used to punish the sitting government.

But the proximity of the general election and the political upheaval caused by last year&#39;s shock Brexit referendum has created a unique context.

&#39;Threats against Britain&#39;

May invoked Britain&#39;s formal notice of its intention to leave the European Union on March 29.

Two weeks ago the prime minister called the surprise June general election to strengthen her mandate as she heads into EU negotiations, and she is well aware Brexit will be on many voters&#39; minds on Thursday.

Speaking outside her Downing Street office a day before the local elections, May took aim at Brussels for making &quot;threats against Britain&quot; over the divorce proceedings.

The two sides have clashed over the costs of the exit, prompting May to accuse the EU of toughening its stance in statements &quot;deliberately timed to affect the result of the general election&quot; in June.

Opposition leaders have claimed the prime minister is using the EU talks as a distraction from other issues, with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn accusing May of &quot;playing party games with Brexit&quot;.

Labour sits more than 20 points behind the Conservatives, with the local polls expected to indicate the challenge facing Corbyn&#39;s party ahead of the general election.

&quot;They will provide some vital information about the pattern of support and where parties are performing particularly strongly or weakly,&quot; said Anthony Wells of polling company YouGov.

Local elections spillover

&quot;The Conservatives are doing very well and that is almost certainly likely to have some spillover into the local elections,&quot; said Roger Scully, a politics professor at the University of Cardiff.

But drawing a national picture from Thursday&#39;s vote will be made harder by the absence of council elections in England&#39;s biggest cities, where Labour is traditionally strong.

&quot;Let&#39;s see what happens. That might be an interesting measure of how things are going more generally, and how accurate the polling is,&quot; a senior Labour source said.

The smaller, pro-EU Liberal Democrats, who were almost wiped out in the 2015 general election after entering a coalition government with the Conservatives, are hoping to pick up some momentum for the June vote with gains on Thursday.

By contrast, the anti-EU, anti-mass immigration UK Independence Party is predicted to lose most of its council seats as it struggles to define itself now that its principal goal -- Brexit -- is on its way to being achieved.

Meanwhile, in Scotland, the local elections will indicate the strength of the ruling Scottish National Party, which has used the Brexit vote to call for a new referendum on independence.

(AFP)

Britain will choose thousands of new local councillors in a vote that will be closely watched for proof of the strength of May's Conservatives

Theresa May faces her first nationwide electoral test as Britain's prime minister on Thursday, as she toughens her Brexit position just weeks before a crucial general election. Britain will choose thousands of new local councillors in a vote that will be closely watched for proof of the strength of May's Conservatives, which opinion polls suggest are on course for a thumping victory in the June 8 parliamentary elections. Nearly 5,000 local authority seats are being contested across England, Scotland and Wales on Thursday along with eight metropolitan mayoralties. Experts warn against using the results to predict the outcome of next month's vote, noting that such elections are normally fought on local issues, and are often used to punish the sitting government. But the proximity of the general election and the political upheaval caused by last year's shock Brexit referendum has created a unique context. 'Threats against Britain' May invoked Britain's formal notice of its intention to leave the European Union on March 29. Two weeks ago the prime minister called the surprise June general election to strengthen her mandate as she heads into EU negotiations, and she is well aware Brexit will be on many voters' minds on Thursday. Speaking outside her Downing Street office a day before the local elections, May took aim at Brussels for making "threats against Britain" over the divorce proceedings. The two sides have clashed over the costs of the exit, prompting May to accuse the EU of toughening its stance in statements "deliberately timed to affect the result of the general election" in June. Opposition leaders have claimed the prime minister is using the EU talks as a distraction from other issues, with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn accusing May of "playing party games with Brexit". Labour sits more than 20 points behind the Conservatives, with the local polls expected to indicate the challenge facing Corbyn's party ahead of the general election. "They will provide some vital information about the pattern of support and where parties are performing particularly strongly or weakly," said Anthony Wells of polling company YouGov. Local elections spillover "The Conservatives are doing very well and that is almost certainly likely to have some spillover into the local elections," said Roger Scully, a politics professor at the University of Cardiff. But drawing a national picture from Thursday's vote will be made harder by the absence of council elections in England's biggest cities, where Labour is traditionally strong. "Let's see what happens. That might be an interesting measure of how things are going more generally, and how accurate the polling is," a senior Labour source said. The smaller, pro-EU Liberal Democrats, who were almost wiped out in the 2015 general election after entering a coalition government with the Conservatives, are hoping to pick up some momentum for the June vote with gains on Thursday. By contrast, the anti-EU, anti-mass immigration UK Independence Party is predicted to lose most of its council seats as it struggles to define itself now that its principal goal -- Brexit -- is on its way to being achieved. Meanwhile, in Scotland, the local elections will indicate the strength of the ruling Scottish National Party, which has used the Brexit vote to call for a new referendum on independence. (AFP)

May takes tough Brexit stance as UK holds local elections

British Prime Minister Theresa May called on Tuesday for an early election on June 8, saying it was the only way to guarantee political stability for years ahead as Britain negotiates its way out of the European Union. 
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Hearing May will announce General Election for June 8th - one source not confirmed
&mdash; Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) <a href="https://twitter.com/bbclaurak/status/854272269748772864">April 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The pound strengthened by almost half a cent against the dollar as May spoke, reflecting investor relief that earlier rumours of a shock resignation did not transpire. Ten-year British government bond yields rose slightly.

&quot;I have just chaired a meeting of the cabinet where we agreed that the government should call a General Election to be held on the 8th of June,&quot; May said in a surprise statement outside her Downing Street office.

&quot;It was with reluctance that I decided the country needs this election, but it is with strong conviction that I say it is necessary to secure the strong and stable leadership the country needs to see us through Brexit and beyond.&quot;

She said she would introduce legislation on Wednesday to pave the way for the early election. Under current legislation, the next election was not scheduled to take place until 2020.

Despite repeatedly rejecting calls from within her Conservative party for an early vote, May has now decided to take advantage of her commanding lead over the main opposition Labour Party in opinion polls.

The margin reached 20 points in the latest polls.

May accused her domestic political opponents of &quot;game-playing&quot; over Brexit.

May&#39;s Conservatives, who were split on the issue of European Union membership ahead of last year&#39;s referendum, are currently far ahead of Labour, the main opposition party, according to opinion polls.

She said this was a one-off chance to get an election done while the EU was agreeing on its negotiating position.&nbsp;The other 27 EU leaders are set to hold a summit on April 29 where they will agree on a strategy for negotiating Britain&#39;s expected departure in 2019.

The negotiations themselves are not expected to start until May or June at the earliest -- and Brussels said this timetable would not change.

May said the government had the right plan to negotiate Brexit, and there would be no change of course.

(Agencies)

May said it was the only way to guarantee political stability for years ahead as Britain negotiates its way out of the European Union

British Prime Minister Theresa May called on Tuesday for an early election on June 8, saying it was the only way to guarantee political stability for years ahead as Britain negotiates its way out of the European Union. Hearing May will announce General Election for June 8th - one source not confirmed — Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) April 18, 2017 × The pound strengthened by almost half a cent against the dollar as May spoke, reflecting investor relief that earlier rumours of a shock resignation did not transpire. Ten-year British government bond yields rose slightly. "I have just chaired a meeting of the cabinet where we agreed that the government should call a General Election to be held on the 8th of June," May said in a surprise statement outside her Downing Street office. "It was with reluctance that I decided the country needs this election, but it is with strong conviction that I say it is necessary to secure the strong and stable leadership the country needs to see us through Brexit and beyond." She said she would introduce legislation on Wednesday to pave the way for the early election. Under current legislation, the next election was not scheduled to take place until 2020. Despite repeatedly rejecting calls from within her Conservative party for an early vote, May has now decided to take advantage of her commanding lead over the main opposition Labour Party in opinion polls. The margin reached 20 points in the latest polls. May accused her domestic political opponents of "game-playing" over Brexit. May's Conservatives, who were split on the issue of European Union membership ahead of last year's referendum, are currently far ahead of Labour, the main opposition party, according to opinion polls. She said this was a one-off chance to get an election done while the EU was agreeing on its negotiating position. The other 27 EU leaders are set to hold a summit on April 29 where they will agree on a strategy for negotiating Britain's expected departure in 2019. The negotiations themselves are not expected to start until May or June at the earliest -- and Brussels said this timetable would not change. May said the government had the right plan to negotiate Brexit, and there would be no change of course. (Agencies)

British PM Theresa May confirms early UK election on June 8

French President Francois Hollande said Thursday that Britain must agree on the conditions of its withdrawal from the EU before the bloc&#39;s members discuss other issues such as a trade deal.

&quot;First we must begin discussions on the modalities of the withdrawal, especially on the rights of citizens and the obligations arising from the commitments that the United Kingdom has made,&quot; Hollande said.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

France said the countries must focus on rights of citizens and the obligations arising from the commitments that UK had made

French President Francois Hollande said Thursday that Britain must agree on the conditions of its withdrawal from the EU before the bloc's members discuss other issues such as a trade deal. "First we must begin discussions on the modalities of the withdrawal, especially on the rights of citizens and the obligations arising from the commitments that the United Kingdom has made," Hollande said. (AFP)

France says no trade deal with UK before Brexit

The big data company credited with helping Donald Trump win the US&nbsp;presidency has registered a company in Australia and plans to meet the country&#39;s ruling conservative Liberal Party next week, according to documents and a government official.

Cambridge Analytica, which has also said its &quot;psychographic&quot; methods helped the successful campaign for Britain to leave the European Union, has registered an Australian office at a property currently being redeveloped in the Sydney beachfront suburb of Maroubra, corporate filings show.

The presence of Cambridge Analytica in Australia underscores its efforts to capitalise on two high profile successes in the past year and enlarge its footprint in established Western democracies.

The person named in filings as the only shareholder of Cambridge Analytica&#39;s Australian operation, Allan Lorraine, confirmed in a telephone call he was working with the firm but declined to comment further.

Cambridge Analytica&#39;s US&nbsp;head office declined an interview request with the company&#39;s global chief executive officer, Alexander Nix, to discuss its Australian plans.

Nix is scheduled to speak at an Australian data analytics conference next week and will be meeting officials from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull&#39;s Liberal Party.

&quot;Senior Liberals will be talking to Mr Nix and the Cambridge Analytica team while they&#39;re out here in Australia, and will be interested to talk with them about their capacities and what they&#39;re offering people in the Australian political system,&quot; said Tony Nutt, party&#39;s federal director.

The main opposition Labor Party declined to comment.

&nbsp;

MICROTARGETING VOTERS

Cambridge Analytica says it uses &quot;behavioural microtargeting&quot;, or combining analysis of people&#39;s personalities with demographics, to predict and influence mass behaviour. It says it has data on 220 million Americans, two thirds of the population.

Its London-based parent company, consumer researcher SCL Group Ltd, says it formed Cambridge Analytica in 2013 to work on the US&nbsp;election. Cambridge Analytica worked for the campaign of failed Republican candidate Ted Cruz before signing on with Trump.

Although it has a population of only 24 million, Australia offers high sales volumes for companies which make money from elections. It has federal elections every three years, among the shortest election cycles of developed nations, and is one of the only countries with compulsory voting enforced by fines at federal, state and local government level.

The Australian arm of Cambridge Analytica has so far lodged no financial disclosures, according to regulatory records, suggesting it has not traded in the country despite being established before the federal election in 2016 and several state elections.

While profiling would-be voters and targeting messaging is nothing new, Cambridge Analytica achieved a degree of notoriety after media reports revealed the extent of its data gathering and apparent effectiveness.

&quot;It is scary how accurate the information is you can glean from publicly available data,&quot; said Bela Stantic, an information technology professor who runs the Big Data and Smart Analytics laboratory at Griffith University in Australia.

&nbsp;

DIFFERENT MARKET

Still, Australian election analysts questioned whether Cambridge Analytica&#39;s model, which involves analysing people&#39;s voting and party registration history, as well as social media profiles and other data, would work in Australia.

Most Australians do not register for political parties and voting histories are not recorded, while the country&#39;s compulsory voting system also weakens the power of campaigns aimed at encouraging - or discouraging - certain demographic groups to vote.

&quot;They might find it useful but still most political professionals in this country would be of the view that campaigns are not about motivating people to vote, it&#39;s about banging the same message long enough that those who aren&#39;t interested hear it,&quot; said Antony Green, election analyst at the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

Alex Oliver, director of the polling program at non-partisan think tank the Lowy Institute, said Australian law required organisations to disclose the source of political advertising.

&quot;I&#39;d be concerned about the intentions and bona fides of a commercial organisation which claimed to have influenced important elections through audience targeting and psychological manipulation,&quot; Oliver said in an email.

&quot;That practice, if indeed it could be achieved, would impinge on the proper functioning of a democratic system.&quot;

(Reuters)

Cambridge Analytica, whose 'psychographic' methods helped the Trump & Brexit campaign, wants to enlarge its footprint in Western democracies

The big data company credited with helping Donald Trump win the US presidency has registered a company in Australia and plans to meet the country's ruling conservative Liberal Party next week, according to documents and a government official. Cambridge Analytica, which has also said its "psychographic" methods helped the successful campaign for Britain to leave the European Union, has registered an Australian office at a property currently being redeveloped in the Sydney beachfront suburb of Maroubra, corporate filings show. The presence of Cambridge Analytica in Australia underscores its efforts to capitalise on two high profile successes in the past year and enlarge its footprint in established Western democracies. The person named in filings as the only shareholder of Cambridge Analytica's Australian operation, Allan Lorraine, confirmed in a telephone call he was working with the firm but declined to comment further. Cambridge Analytica's US head office declined an interview request with the company's global chief executive officer, Alexander Nix, to discuss its Australian plans. Nix is scheduled to speak at an Australian data analytics conference next week and will be meeting officials from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's Liberal Party. "Senior Liberals will be talking to Mr Nix and the Cambridge Analytica team while they're out here in Australia, and will be interested to talk with them about their capacities and what they're offering people in the Australian political system," said Tony Nutt, party's federal director. The main opposition Labor Party declined to comment. MICROTARGETING VOTERS Cambridge Analytica says it uses "behavioural microtargeting", or combining analysis of people's personalities with demographics, to predict and influence mass behaviour. It says it has data on 220 million Americans, two thirds of the population. Its London-based parent company, consumer researcher SCL Group Ltd, says it formed Cambridge Analytica in 2013 to work on the US election. Cambridge Analytica worked for the campaign of failed Republican candidate Ted Cruz before signing on with Trump. Although it has a population of only 24 million, Australia offers high sales volumes for companies which make money from elections. It has federal elections every three years, among the shortest election cycles of developed nations, and is one of the only countries with compulsory voting enforced by fines at federal, state and local government level. The Australian arm of Cambridge Analytica has so far lodged no financial disclosures, according to regulatory records, suggesting it has not traded in the country despite being established before the federal election in 2016 and several state elections. While profiling would-be voters and targeting messaging is nothing new, Cambridge Analytica achieved a degree of notoriety after media reports revealed the extent of its data gathering and apparent effectiveness. "It is scary how accurate the information is you can glean from publicly available data," said Bela Stantic, an information technology professor who runs the Big Data and Smart Analytics laboratory at Griffith University in Australia. DIFFERENT MARKET Still, Australian election analysts questioned whether Cambridge Analytica's model, which involves analysing people's voting and party registration history, as well as social media profiles and other data, would work in Australia. Most Australians do not register for political parties and voting histories are not recorded, while the country's compulsory voting system also weakens the power of campaigns aimed at encouraging - or discouraging - certain demographic groups to vote. "They might find it useful but still most political professionals in this country would be of the view that campaigns are not about motivating people to vote, it's about banging the same message long enough that those who aren't interested hear it," said Antony Green, election analyst at the Australian Broadcasting Corp. Alex Oliver, director of the polling program at non-partisan think tank the Lowy Institute, said Australian law required organisations to disclose the source of political advertising. "I'd be concerned about the intentions and bona fides of a commercial organisation which claimed to have influenced important elections through audience targeting and psychological manipulation," Oliver said in an email. "That practice, if indeed it could be achieved, would impinge on the proper functioning of a democratic system." (Reuters)

Trump's 'big data' consultant to meet Australian government

British PM Theresa May addressed the British Parliament declaring &quot;Britain&#39;s better days are ahead&quot; as Britain formally launched the process to leave the EU on Wednesday.

The United Kingdom is leaving the European Union,&quot; May told parliament nine months after Britain shocked investors and world leaders by unexpectedly voting to quit the bloc. &quot;This is an historic moment from which there can be no turning back.&quot;

PM Theresa May said,&quot;We will remain reliable partners of the European Union, despite Brexit we will partner NATO.&quot;

Tim Barrow, Britain&#39;s ambassador to the European Union, personally delivered the letter signed by British Prime Minister Theresa May at Tusk&#39;s office in Brussels to trigger Britain&#39;s exit from the European Union, AFP reported.

German chancellor Angela Merkel urged&nbsp;&#39;fair and constructive&#39; Brexit negotiations. French President Francois Hollande said Brexit will be &quot;economically painful&quot; for Britain, after London formally launched the process to quit the European Union.&nbsp;

The move will &quot;force Europe to go forward, undoubtedly with different speeds&quot;, the French president declared.

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After nine months the UK has delivered. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Brexit?src=hash">#Brexit</a>
&mdash; Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) <a href="https://twitter.com/eucopresident/status/847047933405093892">March 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The Article 50 letter. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Brexit?src=hash">#Brexit</a> <a href="https://t.co/SO5R5BTvhw">pic.twitter.com/SO5R5BTvhw</a>
&mdash; Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) <a href="https://twitter.com/eucopresident/status/847048551792291840">March 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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At 13.20 today, UK <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Brexit?src=hash">#Brexit</a> notification letter (article 50) will be handed to me by Ambassador Tim Barrow: <a href="https://t.co/HYCdJfmuLH">https://t.co/HYCdJfmuLH</a> <a href="https://t.co/FBcAx8MSon">pic.twitter.com/FBcAx8MSon</a>
&mdash; Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) <a href="https://twitter.com/eucopresident/status/846983434484494338">March 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The European Union (EU) was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2012 for&nbsp;&quot;for over six decades having&nbsp;contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe&quot;. Britain will become the first country ever to seek a divorce, striking a blow at the heart of the union forged after&nbsp;World War II.

(WION with Agency inputs)

Britain formally launched the process to leave the European Union, handing a letter to EU president Donald Tusk

British PM Theresa May addressed the British Parliament declaring "Britain's better days are ahead" as Britain formally launched the process to leave the EU on Wednesday. The United Kingdom is leaving the European Union," May told parliament nine months after Britain shocked investors and world leaders by unexpectedly voting to quit the bloc. "This is an historic moment from which there can be no turning back." PM Theresa May said,"We will remain reliable partners of the European Union, despite Brexit we will partner NATO." Tim Barrow, Britain's ambassador to the European Union, personally delivered the letter signed by British Prime Minister Theresa May at Tusk's office in Brussels to trigger Britain's exit from the European Union, AFP reported. German chancellor Angela Merkel urged 'fair and constructive' Brexit negotiations. French President Francois Hollande said Brexit will be "economically painful" for Britain, after London formally launched the process to quit the European Union. The move will "force Europe to go forward, undoubtedly with different speeds", the French president declared. After nine months the UK has delivered. #Brexit — Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) March 29, 2017 × The Article 50 letter. #Brexit pic.twitter.com/SO5R5BTvhw — Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) March 29, 2017 × At 13.20 today, UK #Brexit notification letter (article 50) will be handed to me by Ambassador Tim Barrow: https://t.co/HYCdJfmuLH pic.twitter.com/FBcAx8MSon — Donald Tusk (@eucopresident) March 29, 2017 × The European Union (EU) was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2012 for "for over six decades having contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe". Britain will become the first country ever to seek a divorce, striking a blow at the heart of the union forged after World War II. (WION with Agency inputs)

Britain officially triggers Brexit, PM Theresa May says 'no turning back'

The Scottish parliament on Tuesday backed First Minister Nicola Sturgeon&#39;s bid for a new independence referendum, further complicating Britain&#39;s political situation just as years of talks on the terms of Brexit were about to begin.

The United Kingdom&#39;s vote last year to exit the European Union has strained ties between its four constituent parts because England and Wales voted to leave while Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to remain.

The Edinburgh legislature&#39;s vote backing Sturgeon&#39;s bid for a referendum in late 2018 or early 2019 came a day before British Prime Minister Theresa May triggers Article 50 of the EU&#39;s Lisbon Treaty, the first formal step towards Brexit.

It is far from certain that the British government will authorise a new independence vote. May has said &quot;now is not the time&quot; and insisted her focus was on getting a good Brexit deal that would work for every part of the UK.

&quot;Scotland, like the rest of the UK, stands at a crossroads,&quot; Sturgeon told the Edinburgh assembly at the start of Tuesday&#39;s debate.

&quot;When Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty is triggered tomorrow, change for our country becomes inevitable ... There will be an impact on trade, on investment and on living standards, and an impact on the very nature of the society we live in.&quot;

Scotland voted against independence by 55 to 45 per cent in 2014 but Sturgeon argues circumstances have changed due to the Brexit vote and that Scots should not be dragged out of the EU against their will.

She has proposed a new independence referendum between autumn 2018 and spring 2019, once the terms of Brexit have become clearer but before it has taken effect.

&quot;When the nature of the change that is made inevitable by Brexit becomes clear, that change should not be imposed upon us,&quot; she said in parliament on Tuesday.

&quot;The people of Scotland should have the right to choose between Brexit, possibly a very hard Brexit, or becoming an independent country able to chart our own course.&quot;

Sturgeon&#39;s motion passed by 69 votes to 59.

She has repeatedly said it would be anti-democratic for London to stand in the way of Scotland&#39;s elected government if it wanted to hold a referendum.

She said on Tuesday that if London sought to block her plan, she would return to the Scottish parliament after the Easter break to say how she would handle the situation. She gave no further details.

The vote in the Scottish parliament had originally been scheduled to take place on Wednesday last week, but was suspended because of an attack on the British parliament in London in which five people died, including the attacker.

(Reuters)

Scotland voted against independence by 55 to 45% in 2014, but Sturgeon argues circumstances have changed due to the Brexit vote

The Scottish parliament on Tuesday backed First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's bid for a new independence referendum, further complicating Britain's political situation just as years of talks on the terms of Brexit were about to begin. The United Kingdom's vote last year to exit the European Union has strained ties between its four constituent parts because England and Wales voted to leave while Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to remain. The Edinburgh legislature's vote backing Sturgeon's bid for a referendum in late 2018 or early 2019 came a day before British Prime Minister Theresa May triggers Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty, the first formal step towards Brexit. It is far from certain that the British government will authorise a new independence vote. May has said "now is not the time" and insisted her focus was on getting a good Brexit deal that would work for every part of the UK. "Scotland, like the rest of the UK, stands at a crossroads," Sturgeon told the Edinburgh assembly at the start of Tuesday's debate. "When Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty is triggered tomorrow, change for our country becomes inevitable ... There will be an impact on trade, on investment and on living standards, and an impact on the very nature of the society we live in." Scotland voted against independence by 55 to 45 per cent in 2014 but Sturgeon argues circumstances have changed due to the Brexit vote and that Scots should not be dragged out of the EU against their will. She has proposed a new independence referendum between autumn 2018 and spring 2019, once the terms of Brexit have become clearer but before it has taken effect. "When the nature of the change that is made inevitable by Brexit becomes clear, that change should not be imposed upon us," she said in parliament on Tuesday. "The people of Scotland should have the right to choose between Brexit, possibly a very hard Brexit, or becoming an independent country able to chart our own course." Sturgeon's motion passed by 69 votes to 59. She has repeatedly said it would be anti-democratic for London to stand in the way of Scotland's elected government if it wanted to hold a referendum. She said on Tuesday that if London sought to block her plan, she would return to the Scottish parliament after the Easter break to say how she would handle the situation. She gave no further details. The vote in the Scottish parliament had originally been scheduled to take place on Wednesday last week, but was suspended because of an attack on the British parliament in London in which five people died, including the attacker. (Reuters)

Scottish parliament backs Sturgeon's bid for new independence referendum

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday signed the historic letter that will launch Brexit when it is delivered to Brussels on Wednesday, a photo released by her office showed.

Sitting in front of a lone Union Jack national flag and a portrait of Britain&#39;s first prime minister, Robert Walpole, a serene-looking May signed the letter to begin the country`s departure from the European Union.

The letter will be taken from 10 Downing Street to Brussels, where it will be delivered by Tim Barrow, Britain&#39;s EU ambassador, to EU President Donald Tusk around 1130 GMT on Wednesday.

Formally notifying Tusk of Britain&#39;s intention to leave the bloc, by triggering Article 50 of the EU&#39;s Lisbon Treaty, sets the clock ticking on a two-year negotiating period to end the UK`s 44 years of membership.

On the eve of launching Brexit, May on Tuesday evening made separate phone calls to Tusk, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

&quot;They agreed that a strong EU was in everyone&#39;s interests and that the UK would remain a close and committed ally,&quot;&nbsp;

Downing Street said.

&quot;They also agreed on the importance of entering into negotiations in a constructive and positive spirit, and of ensuring a smooth and orderly exit process.&quot;

As Britain begins its break with the bloc on Wednesday, May will address parliament and promise to represent everyone in the UK -- including EU citizens -- in the negotiations with Brussels.

She will express hope &quot;that we are no longer defined by the vote we cast, but by our determination to make a success of the result&quot;.

&quot;We are one great union of people and nations with a proud history and a bright future. And, now that the decision has been made to leave the EU, it is time to come together,&quot; the prime minister will say, according to her speech published in advance by Downing Street.

Britain voted by 52 per cent to leave the European Union in a referendum on June 23, 2016.

(AFP)

The letter will be taken ?to Brussels, where it will be delivered by Tim Barrow, Britain's EU ambassador, to EU President Donald Tusk?on Wednesday

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday signed the historic letter that will launch Brexit when it is delivered to Brussels on Wednesday, a photo released by her office showed. Sitting in front of a lone Union Jack national flag and a portrait of Britain's first prime minister, Robert Walpole, a serene-looking May signed the letter to begin the country`s departure from the European Union. The letter will be taken from 10 Downing Street to Brussels, where it will be delivered by Tim Barrow, Britain's EU ambassador, to EU President Donald Tusk around 1130 GMT on Wednesday. Formally notifying Tusk of Britain's intention to leave the bloc, by triggering Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty, sets the clock ticking on a two-year negotiating period to end the UK`s 44 years of membership. On the eve of launching Brexit, May on Tuesday evening made separate phone calls to Tusk, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. "They agreed that a strong EU was in everyone's interests and that the UK would remain a close and committed ally," Downing Street said. "They also agreed on the importance of entering into negotiations in a constructive and positive spirit, and of ensuring a smooth and orderly exit process." As Britain begins its break with the bloc on Wednesday, May will address parliament and promise to represent everyone in the UK -- including EU citizens -- in the negotiations with Brussels. She will express hope "that we are no longer defined by the vote we cast, but by our determination to make a success of the result". "We are one great union of people and nations with a proud history and a bright future. And, now that the decision has been made to leave the EU, it is time to come together," the prime minister will say, according to her speech published in advance by Downing Street. Britain voted by 52 per cent to leave the European Union in a referendum on June 23, 2016. (AFP)

British PM Theresa May signs letter that will start Brexit

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*****WORK IN PROGRESS, for the love of god do not publish yet***********************

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&nbsp;

There is much&nbsp;confusion, even in newsrooms, about just what constitutes Fake News. WION is not the&nbsp;first outlet to write about it, but I experienced the phenomenon first-hand.&nbsp;My story is illustrative of the&nbsp;real&nbsp;fake news.

Unsurprisingly,&nbsp;Twitter was unusually electric in the days leading up to the November 8, 2016 US election. That&#39;s to be expected. But with hindsight we know something was indeed very very wrong.

I had a small taste of what&nbsp;US intelligence agencies say was Russia advancing&nbsp;Trump&#39;s&nbsp;election campaign&nbsp;by&nbsp;putting&nbsp;forth a &quot;co-ordinated multifaceted cyber campaign&quot;.

An anonymous account supporting--the avatar wore a MAGA (Make America Great Again) hate, atop a Pepe frog--began harassing me, making Nazi jokes and asking &quot;triggered, liberal?&quot;&nbsp;

To this question I said, &quot;No not really&quot;, or something to that effect.

While I myself wasn&#39;t profoundly bothered by this stuff, I sent a complaint to Twitter, thinking comments about gas chamber jokes had no place on Twitter.

Twitter did nothing. But that isn&#39;t even what&#39;s noteworthy. After the election, the account disappeared!

I wouldn&#39;t have thought too much of it: It was only one account, perhaps the account had just been deleted

Only when a fellow journalist described blocking hundreds, if not thousands of such accounts, and having them all disappear immediately after the election did it occur to me that this is what happened to me.

It wasn&#39;t unreasonable to assume that Trump, who did indeed win millions of votes, had a lage presence on social media. Believing Trump supporters would make Nazi jokes was also, let&#39;s say, not difficult to believe.&nbsp;This was the point.

Countless fake accounts were designed to appear like&nbsp;real people. These accounts&nbsp;intimidated journalists and shared news stories favourable to Donald Trump. They had names like &quot;Moms for Trump&quot;, &quot;Vets for Trump&quot;, &quot;Deplorable for...&quot; and the like.

This is being investigated right now by the FBI in the investigation of President Trump himself. What effect this had on the US election this had is hard to say, but there were six Trump bots for every Clinton one (and none of Clintons had geolocations from Russia or any other hostile country).

&nbsp;

Breitbart, Infowars

Some of the stories these bots linked to were preposterous&nbsp;lies, like the Democrats rape and kill children in the basement of a Washington pizza parlour. This is the most flagrant kind of Fake News--a fake person spreading outrageous lies.&nbsp;

Stories from Breitbart and Infowars, while false, do not meet this criteria of Fake News. They twisted facts to reach a distorted narrative. But it must be said, these bots spread many stories from these sites, and the FBI is investigating both sites for their involvement&nbsp;

It may very well be that these sites produce stories that are simply untrue, or grossly so. It&#39;s possible that&nbsp;they were connected to the Trump-Russia world of Fake News, but that remains to be seen.

But it&#39;s important that Fake News as a concept does not conflated with other forms of dishonest journalism.

&nbsp;

Disingenuous news, while fake, is not the same as Fake News

If a reporter makes up a quote, or even a story, that is fraud, but there is an important distinction between this and the wider phenomeonon of Fake News.&nbsp;

One disingenous reporter making up stories&nbsp;inside an otherwise real news outlet is pernicious, but poses a different&nbsp;threat. In some ways the threat is greater and smaller. On the one hand, they benefit from operating within a respectable establishment, and for being taken more seriously for it. Once they are exposed, the normal newsroom will fire them immediately. The fraud is a&nbsp;threat&nbsp;to the real newsroom.

In the case of Fake News, the newsroom&nbsp;is&nbsp;the fraud. Remember, it&#39;s a metaphorical newsroom. The stories about Clinton and Podesta being killers and rapists were pumped out from Macedonia by frauds who deliberatey pumped out false stories to discredit people for money.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

because they are operating within a system that does have real fact-checking, that will&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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Breitbart and Infowars under investigation for ties to Russia: report <a href="https://t.co/EVokfwL7RE">https://t.co/EVokfwL7RE</a> <a href="https://t.co/lmBBUBr6vl">pic.twitter.com/lmBBUBr6vl</a>
&mdash; Raw Story (@RawStory) <a href="https://twitter.com/RawStory/status/844013056837541888">March 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Bad journalism should not be conflated with Fake News, and the people confusing the issue are usually the source of the Fake News itself

*****WORK IN PROGRESS, for the love of god do not publish yet*********************** There is much confusion, even in newsrooms, about just what constitutes Fake News. WION is not the first outlet to write about it, but I experienced the phenomenon first-hand. My story is illustrative of the real fake news. Unsurprisingly, Twitter was unusually electric in the days leading up to the November 8, 2016 US election. That's to be expected. But with hindsight we know something was indeed very very wrong. I had a small taste of what US intelligence agencies say was Russia advancing Trump's election campaign by putting forth a "co-ordinated multifaceted cyber campaign". An anonymous account supporting--the avatar wore a MAGA (Make America Great Again) hate, atop a Pepe frog--began harassing me, making Nazi jokes and asking "triggered, liberal?" To this question I said, "No not really", or something to that effect. While I myself wasn't profoundly bothered by this stuff, I sent a complaint to Twitter, thinking comments about gas chamber jokes had no place on Twitter. Twitter did nothing. But that isn't even what's noteworthy. After the election, the account disappeared! I wouldn't have thought too much of it: It was only one account, perhaps the account had just been deleted Only when a fellow journalist described blocking hundreds, if not thousands of such accounts, and having them all disappear immediately after the election did it occur to me that this is what happened to me. It wasn't unreasonable to assume that Trump, who did indeed win millions of votes, had a lage presence on social media. Believing Trump supporters would make Nazi jokes was also, let's say, not difficult to believe. This was the point. Countless fake accounts were designed to appear like real people. These accounts intimidated journalists and shared news stories favourable to Donald Trump. They had names like "Moms for Trump", "Vets for Trump", "Deplorable for..." and the like. This is being investigated right now by the FBI in the investigation of President Trump himself. What effect this had on the US election this had is hard to say, but there were six Trump bots for every Clinton one (and none of Clintons had geolocations from Russia or any other hostile country). Breitbart, Infowars Some of the stories these bots linked to were preposterous lies, like the Democrats rape and kill children in the basement of a Washington pizza parlour. This is the most flagrant kind of Fake News--a fake person spreading outrageous lies. Stories from Breitbart and Infowars, while false, do not meet this criteria of Fake News. They twisted facts to reach a distorted narrative. But it must be said, these bots spread many stories from these sites, and the FBI is investigating both sites for their involvement It may very well be that these sites produce stories that are simply untrue, or grossly so. It's possible that they were connected to the Trump-Russia world of Fake News, but that remains to be seen. But it's important that Fake News as a concept does not conflated with other forms of dishonest journalism. Disingenuous news, while fake, is not the same as Fake News If a reporter makes up a quote, or even a story, that is fraud, but there is an important distinction between this and the wider phenomeonon of Fake News. One disingenous reporter making up stories inside an otherwise real news outlet is pernicious, but poses a different threat. In some ways the threat is greater and smaller. On the one hand, they benefit from operating within a respectable establishment, and for being taken more seriously for it. Once they are exposed, the normal newsroom will fire them immediately. The fraud is a threat to the real newsroom. In the case of Fake News, the newsroom is the fraud. Remember, it's a metaphorical newsroom. The stories about Clinton and Podesta being killers and rapists were pumped out from Macedonia by frauds who deliberatey pumped out false stories to discredit people for money. because they are operating within a system that does have real fact-checking, that will Breitbart and Infowars under investigation for ties to Russia: report https://t.co/EVokfwL7RE pic.twitter.com/lmBBUBr6vl — Raw Story (@RawStory) March 21, 2017 ×

Fake News: What it's really about---work in progess, don't publish yet!!

Britain&#39;s economy has for months defied the cataclysmic predictions made by campaigners for staying in the EU ahead of last year&#39;s referendum but its smooth run shows signs of hitting the skids.

As Britain begins the delicate process of extracting itself from the European Union, headwinds are expected for the economy even though the forecast financial storm has so far failed to materialise.

The first nine months since the Brexit vote have been deftly handled by Prime Minister Theresa May, aided by the Bank of England&#39;s injections of liquidity into the banking system and unflagging consumer confidence.

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<h5>The real question is what will happen over the two years of likely fraught negotiations ahead</h5>
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The economy grew by a wholly respectable 1.8 per cent in 2016 and could expand by 2 per cent this year, according to the latest forecasts.

But economists say the positive results are due to the fact that nothing concrete has happened on the Brexit front since the referendum on June 23.

The real question is what will happen over the two years of likely fraught negotiations ahead.

Top of the rollercoaster&nbsp;

&quot;Right now, it feels like we&#39;re just reaching the top of the Article 50 rollercoaster,&quot; said Paul Drechsler, head of the Confederation of British Industry, the country&#39;s main big business lobby.

&quot;Any minute now... we&#39;ll suddenly drop into the twists and turns of negotiations,&quot; he said.

Drechsler said the worst outcome would be if London and Brussels were to hammer out a divorce without a new trade deal in place that would allow businesses on both sides to prepare for the hefty cost of Britain leaving the European single market.

May, who has said she will take Britain out of the single market in order to be able to reduce immigration, has said she is ready to implement Brexit without a deal if the conditions put forward by EU negotiators are too demanding.

Businesses are warning against such an outcome and say that it would hit two key sectors particularly hard -- the powerful financial sector and a car industry that is currently in full bloom.

By way of example, if Britain is forced to fall back on World Trade Organization rules for trading with the EU after it leaves, British car exports would face a 10-per cent tariff at the EU border.

Any announcement by carmakers about their activities in Britain is already making the government jumpy, be that investment by Nissan in Sunderland in northeast England, job cuts by Ford in Wales or PSA&#39;s takeover of Vauxhall factories.

British employers have also been pushing hard for EU nationals to be allowed to continue coming in.

The immigrant labour force, particularly from Eastern Europe, has greatly helped the economy in recent years but constituted a key argument for the Brexit campaign and helped explain the vote outcome.

Sectors that depend on low-skilled workers such as retail, catering and construction have already suffered from a slowdown in arrivals seen since the vote, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development said in a study published last month.

Gas in the tank

Businesses are also questioning whether to invest over the next two years, since there will be uncertainty until the end of the negotiations.

&quot;UK demand for funding from both businesses and households has been softening somewhat at the beginning of this year, which we believe is the first sign of the gradual slowing of the economy that we expect for 2017,&quot; said Boris Glass, senior economist at S&amp;P Global Ratings.

Consumers are also beginning to feel the effect of a sharp rise in prices due to more expensive imports -- a consequence of the devaluation of the pound on currency markets caused by the Brexit vote.

With Britain facing turbulence, finance minister Philip Hammond presented a cautious budget last week that he hopes will give him enough spending power to act quickly if the economy starts to sputter.

Hammond said that &quot;as we embark on the journey that we will be taking over the next couple of years, we are confident that we have got enough gas in the tank to see us through that journey&quot;.

(AFP)

Economists say the positive results so far are due to the fact that nothing concrete has happened on the Brexit front since the referendum

Britain's economy has for months defied the cataclysmic predictions made by campaigners for staying in the EU ahead of last year's referendum but its smooth run shows signs of hitting the skids. As Britain begins the delicate process of extracting itself from the European Union, headwinds are expected for the economy even though the forecast financial storm has so far failed to materialise. The first nine months since the Brexit vote have been deftly handled by Prime Minister Theresa May, aided by the Bank of England's injections of liquidity into the banking system and unflagging consumer confidence. The real question is what will happen over the two years of likely fraught negotiations ahead × The economy grew by a wholly respectable 1.8 per cent in 2016 and could expand by 2 per cent this year, according to the latest forecasts. But economists say the positive results are due to the fact that nothing concrete has happened on the Brexit front since the referendum on June 23. The real question is what will happen over the two years of likely fraught negotiations ahead. Top of the rollercoaster "Right now, it feels like we're just reaching the top of the Article 50 rollercoaster," said Paul Drechsler, head of the Confederation of British Industry, the country's main big business lobby. "Any minute now... we'll suddenly drop into the twists and turns of negotiations," he said. Drechsler said the worst outcome would be if London and Brussels were to hammer out a divorce without a new trade deal in place that would allow businesses on both sides to prepare for the hefty cost of Britain leaving the European single market. May, who has said she will take Britain out of the single market in order to be able to reduce immigration, has said she is ready to implement Brexit without a deal if the conditions put forward by EU negotiators are too demanding. Businesses are warning against such an outcome and say that it would hit two key sectors particularly hard -- the powerful financial sector and a car industry that is currently in full bloom. By way of example, if Britain is forced to fall back on World Trade Organization rules for trading with the EU after it leaves, British car exports would face a 10-per cent tariff at the EU border. Any announcement by carmakers about their activities in Britain is already making the government jumpy, be that investment by Nissan in Sunderland in northeast England, job cuts by Ford in Wales or PSA's takeover of Vauxhall factories. British employers have also been pushing hard for EU nationals to be allowed to continue coming in. The immigrant labour force, particularly from Eastern Europe, has greatly helped the economy in recent years but constituted a key argument for the Brexit campaign and helped explain the vote outcome. Sectors that depend on low-skilled workers such as retail, catering and construction have already suffered from a slowdown in arrivals seen since the vote, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development said in a study published last month. Gas in the tank Businesses are also questioning whether to invest over the next two years, since there will be uncertainty until the end of the negotiations. "UK demand for funding from both businesses and households has been softening somewhat at the beginning of this year, which we believe is the first sign of the gradual slowing of the economy that we expect for 2017," said Boris Glass, senior economist at S&P Global Ratings. Consumers are also beginning to feel the effect of a sharp rise in prices due to more expensive imports -- a consequence of the devaluation of the pound on currency markets caused by the Brexit vote. With Britain facing turbulence, finance minister Philip Hammond presented a cautious budget last week that he hopes will give him enough spending power to act quickly if the economy starts to sputter. Hammond said that "as we embark on the journey that we will be taking over the next couple of years, we are confident that we have got enough gas in the tank to see us through that journey". (AFP)

First warning signs appear post-Brexit for UK's resilient economy

British Prime Minister Theresa May will press her case on Monday for a strong union in Scotland, using a visit to staff working on international aid to say &quot;there is no limit to what we can do&quot; when Britain works together.

May is battling to keep the United Kingdom together after Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union revealed deep divisions, with England and Wales voting for Brexit, while Scotland and Northern Ireland supported staying in the bloc.

Just days before the British leader launches the formal divorce procedure with the EU, May wants to try to stem demands in Scotland for a new independence referendum by promising to get a Brexit deal that will suit all parts of the country.

Due to visit staff from the Department for International Development in East Kilbride in southern Scotland before meeting First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, May will also say Britain will not turn its back on the world as it negotiates Brexit.

&quot;Indeed, we are going to take this opportunity to forge a more global Britain. The closest friend and ally with Europe, but also a country that looks beyond Europe to build relationships with old friends and new allies alike,&quot; she will say, according to excerpts of a speech released by her office.

Referencing British support for programmes in Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Syria and Afghanistan, May will say &quot;UK Aid is a badge of hope for so many around the world&quot;.

&quot;And it says this: That when this great union of nations &ndash; England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland &ndash; sets its mind on something and works together with determination, we are an unstoppable force,&quot; she said.

May is a fierce unionist and hopes to stall plans by Sturgeon to hold a new referendum on independence in late 2018 or early 2019 after the country voted against breaking away in 2014 by 55 to 45 per cent.

A debate in the Scottish parliament before voting on Sturgeon&#39;s proposal was suspended last week when an attacker, later identified as British-born Khalid Masood, ploughed his car into pedestrians and tried to force his way into parliament in London, killing four. He was shot dead.

That debate is due to resume on Tuesday.

On Monday May will appeal to a sense of history and shared values to make her case for a strong union in Scotland, saying Britain has a &quot;proud shared heritage&quot;.

&quot;And on that foundation we have built a country where we share the challenges that we face, and bring all the expertise, ingenuity and goodwill we share across this union to bear to tackle them,&quot; she will say.

&quot;So as Britain leaves the European Union, and we forge a new role for ourselves in the world, the strength and stability of our union will become even more important.&quot;

(Reuters)

May is battling to keep the United Kingdom together: England and Wales voted to leave the EU but Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to stay

British Prime Minister Theresa May will press her case on Monday for a strong union in Scotland, using a visit to staff working on international aid to say "there is no limit to what we can do" when Britain works together. May is battling to keep the United Kingdom together after Britain's vote to leave the European Union revealed deep divisions, with England and Wales voting for Brexit, while Scotland and Northern Ireland supported staying in the bloc. Just days before the British leader launches the formal divorce procedure with the EU, May wants to try to stem demands in Scotland for a new independence referendum by promising to get a Brexit deal that will suit all parts of the country. Due to visit staff from the Department for International Development in East Kilbride in southern Scotland before meeting First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, May will also say Britain will not turn its back on the world as it negotiates Brexit. "Indeed, we are going to take this opportunity to forge a more global Britain. The closest friend and ally with Europe, but also a country that looks beyond Europe to build relationships with old friends and new allies alike," she will say, according to excerpts of a speech released by her office. Referencing British support for programmes in Somalia, South Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Syria and Afghanistan, May will say "UK Aid is a badge of hope for so many around the world". "And it says this: That when this great union of nations – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – sets its mind on something and works together with determination, we are an unstoppable force," she said. May is a fierce unionist and hopes to stall plans by Sturgeon to hold a new referendum on independence in late 2018 or early 2019 after the country voted against breaking away in 2014 by 55 to 45 per cent. A debate in the Scottish parliament before voting on Sturgeon's proposal was suspended last week when an attacker, later identified as British-born Khalid Masood, ploughed his car into pedestrians and tried to force his way into parliament in London, killing four. He was shot dead. That debate is due to resume on Tuesday. On Monday May will appeal to a sense of history and shared values to make her case for a strong union in Scotland, saying Britain has a "proud shared heritage". "And on that foundation we have built a country where we share the challenges that we face, and bring all the expertise, ingenuity and goodwill we share across this union to bear to tackle them," she will say. "So as Britain leaves the European Union, and we forge a new role for ourselves in the world, the strength and stability of our union will become even more important." (Reuters)

British PM Theresa May to press for stronger union on Scotland visit

Prime Minister Theresa May will write to the European Union on March 29 formally announcing Britain&#39;s withdrawal from the bloc, EU sources told Reuters on Monday, saying Brussels had been told of the plan by British officials.

That letter next Wednesday will start the clock ticking on a two-year countdown to Brexit and allow negotiations to start between London and Brussels in the coming weeks.

By the end of next week, after he has received May&#39;s letter, European Council President Donald Tusk should have distributed draft guidelines for the negotiations to the 27 other national governments. Tusk will also summon those 27 leaders for a summit to endorse the final guidelines, probably in early May.

Once those are in place, giving a negotiating mandate to the EU executive, the European Commission, chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier should be able to schedule talks with his British counterpart, Brexit Secretary David Davis.

(Reuters)

Prime Minister Theresa May will write to the European Union on March 29 formally announcing Britain's withdrawal from the bloc

Prime Minister Theresa May will write to the European Union on March 29 formally announcing Britain's withdrawal from the bloc, EU sources told Reuters on Monday, saying Brussels had been told of the plan by British officials. That letter next Wednesday will start the clock ticking on a two-year countdown to Brexit and allow negotiations to start between London and Brussels in the coming weeks. By the end of next week, after he has received May's letter, European Council President Donald Tusk should have distributed draft guidelines for the negotiations to the 27 other national governments. Tusk will also summon those 27 leaders for a summit to endorse the final guidelines, probably in early May. Once those are in place, giving a negotiating mandate to the EU executive, the European Commission, chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier should be able to schedule talks with his British counterpart, Brexit Secretary David Davis. (Reuters)

Britain to launch Brexit process on March 29: EU sources

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