The UK election 2019 have resulted in a turn of unexpected and extraordinary events. The exit polls predicted a relatively small majority of the Conservatives but the results where the Conservatives gained a massive majority have shocked the entire world. Johnson's Conservative party has won 365 of 650 seats in parliament, giving it a majority of 80, final results of the general election showed.The main opposition Labour party won 203 of the remaining seats, while the Scottish National Party was third on 48. The anti-Brexit Liberal Democrats won 11 seats. Other parties took 23. #UKElection #BorisJohnsonWins #UK

UK election: Triumphant return for Boris Johnson

Counting underway in UK general election. According to exit poll may be this is the worst ever result for Labour party.

Counting underway in UK general election

The UK election 2019 have resulted in a turn of unexpected and extraordinary events. The exit polls predicted a relatively small majority of the Conservatives but the results where the Conservatives gained a massive majority have shocked the entire world.

WION Dispatch: Unexpected and extraordinary story of UK election 2019

Boris Johnson won a massive victory in the UK election, putting the country on course to leave the European Union next month after the biggest shift in British political allegiances for decades. Now the question is will this win get the Brexit done? #UKElections2019 #Brexit #BorisJohnsonWins

UK Elections 2019: Can brute majority 'get Brexit done'?

Prime Minister Boris Johnson won a thundering election victory that will allow him to take Britain out of the European Union in a matter of weeks.

UK PM Boris Johnson: Threat of 2nd referendum no more

Boris Johnson won a decisive victory in the UK election, putting the country on course to leave the European Union next month after the biggest shift in British political allegiances for decades. The Conservatives have cross-passed the majority mark of 326 seats. It's a historic win for the party as reports suggest that the rival Labour Party has suffered the worst defeat in the last many years. The Labour Party is far behind at 194 seats.

UK Election 2019: Boris Johnson wins parliamentary elections

Corbyn quits as Labour Party Leader. To know more watch

Labour Party Faces Worst Poll Failure

Britain's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/uk-election-2019-a-choice-between-low-tax-individualism-or-generous-state-with-unknown-price-tag-264595">general election</a> campaign, which <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/uk-general-election-when-and-how-could-it-happen-247993">ends on Wednesday night</a>, has turned the spotlight on the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/what-would-russia-prefer-to-happen-in-the-uk-election-267143"> closed world </a>of the ultra-rich.

The main opposition Labour party has repeatedly attacked tax avoidance and evasion and promised to renationalise key industries, including mail delivery, energy and the railways.

Billionaire mobile phone magnate John Caudwell on Monday warned Labour tax hikes for the top five per cent of earners and business tax would stifle investment.

But the ruling Conservatives, who are promising across-the-board tax cuts, have been more accommodating, proposing few changes that would alter Britain's status as an attractive destination for the elite.

Who are the ultra-rich?

The Sunday Times in May said there were 151 billionaires in Britain. The 1,000 richest families and individuals have a record combined wealth of £771.3 billion ($1.01 trillion, 916 billion euros).

Those with the biggest fortunes come from across the world, including Russia and Asia.

The Indian-origin Gopichand and Srichand Hinduja brothers head the list with £22 billion, with the Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov eighth, just in front of his compatriot Roman Abramovich.

Favourable tax regime

Britain owes its special status to its tax regime, especially the "non-dom" status that allows some British residents to maintain fiscal residency overseas and not pay income tax on earnings from outside the country.

"The UK provides an attractive tax regime for foreigners who have large amounts of income from investments because this is the easiest type of income to shelter from UK taxation using the 'non-dom' regime," said Andrew Summers, from the London School of Economics.

According to the revenue and customs service, 78,300 people were classified as "non-dom" in 2017-2018, allowing them to pay £2 billion less to the Treasury.

Another advantage of the British tax system is that capital gains tax can be offset by much lower taxes on property, even on the most expensive.

Unlike France, there is no fortune tax.

Education and financial services

Efun Chin, founder and principal of Mayfair Legal, said: "The UK has been an attractive destination to many foreigners for many years, decades and many reasons as well.

"It's due probably to historical reasons where Britain used to have an empire and many Commonwealth nationals would see the UK as the destination to study because of the quality of the institutions."

Meanwhile, anyone investing at least £2 million in the country can get a dedicated "Golden Visa" allowing them to stay for five years.

"It would definitely be a mistake to think that the only reason for a wealthy person to move to the UK would be to save some tax," said Summers, an assistant professor of law at the LSE.

He pointed to "well-established advantages for doing business", from international openness, a favourable time zone, a widely spoken language and respected legal system.

Brexit and Labour: A&nbsp;deterrent?

Despite the vote for Brexit in 2016 and uncertainty over the actual departure date from the European Union, Britain is still a favourite destination for the ultra-rich.

"Of course they were talking about Brexit but they have not been stopped by Brexit," said Chin.

Diplomatic tensions in 2018 between Britain and Russia, for example, can have a much more important temporary effect.

Summers observed: "its position as a gateway to the EU has also been an important factor but this status is now less certain."

In the short-term, there is the hypothetical victory at the election for Labour, which has promised to target the rich.

"If Labour says they would like to close down independent private schools, I think that would have an effect," said Chin.

Britain's general election campaign, which ends on Wednesday night, has turned the spotlight on the closed world of the ultra-rich. The main opposition Labour party has repeatedly attacked tax avoidance and evasion and promised to renationalise key industries, including mail delivery, energy and the railways.

Britain's general election campaign, which ends on Wednesday night, has turned the spotlight on the closed world of the ultra-rich. The main opposition Labour party has repeatedly attacked tax avoidance and evasion and promised to renationalise key industries, including mail delivery, energy and the railways. Billionaire mobile phone magnate John Caudwell on Monday warned Labour tax hikes for the top five per cent of earners and business tax would stifle investment. But the ruling Conservatives, who are promising across-the-board tax cuts, have been more accommodating, proposing few changes that would alter Britain's status as an attractive destination for the elite. Who are the ultra-rich? The Sunday Times in May said there were 151 billionaires in Britain. The 1,000 richest families and individuals have a record combined wealth of £771.3 billion ($1.01 trillion, 916 billion euros). Those with the biggest fortunes come from across the world, including Russia and Asia. The Indian-origin Gopichand and Srichand Hinduja brothers head the list with £22 billion, with the Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov eighth, just in front of his compatriot Roman Abramovich. Favourable tax regime Britain owes its special status to its tax regime, especially the "non-dom" status that allows some British residents to maintain fiscal residency overseas and not pay income tax on earnings from outside the country. "The UK provides an attractive tax regime for foreigners who have large amounts of income from investments because this is the easiest type of income to shelter from UK taxation using the 'non-dom' regime," said Andrew Summers, from the London School of Economics. According to the revenue and customs service, 78,300 people were classified as "non-dom" in 2017-2018, allowing them to pay £2 billion less to the Treasury. Another advantage of the British tax system is that capital gains tax can be offset by much lower taxes on property, even on the most expensive. Unlike France, there is no fortune tax. Education and financial services Efun Chin, founder and principal of Mayfair Legal, said: "The UK has been an attractive destination to many foreigners for many years, decades and many reasons as well. "It's due probably to historical reasons where Britain used to have an empire and many Commonwealth nationals would see the UK as the destination to study because of the quality of the institutions." Meanwhile, anyone investing at least £2 million in the country can get a dedicated "Golden Visa" allowing them to stay for five years. "It would definitely be a mistake to think that the only reason for a wealthy person to move to the UK would be to save some tax," said Summers, an assistant professor of law at the LSE. He pointed to "well-established advantages for doing business", from international openness, a favourable time zone, a widely spoken language and respected legal system. Brexit and Labour: A deterrent? Despite the vote for Brexit in 2016 and uncertainty over the actual departure date from the European Union, Britain is still a favourite destination for the ultra-rich. "Of course they were talking about Brexit but they have not been stopped by Brexit," said Chin. Diplomatic tensions in 2018 between Britain and Russia, for example, can have a much more important temporary effect. Summers observed: "its position as a gateway to the EU has also been an important factor but this status is now less certain." In the short-term, there is the hypothetical victory at the election for Labour, which has promised to target the rich. "If Labour says they would like to close down independent private schools, I think that would have an effect," said Chin.

Ultra-rich attract interest in Britain's general election campaign

Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-pm-boris-johnson-rejects-calls-for-no-deal-brexit-in-election-pitch-259559">Boris&nbsp;Johnson</a>&nbsp;will bolster his argument on Tuesday for leaving the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/european-union-presses-uk-to-resubmit-brexit-plan-as-end-game-looms-254002">&nbsp;European Union </a>early next year, urging&nbsp;voters&nbsp;to return him to power so Britain&nbsp;can&nbsp;"rip&nbsp;up&nbsp;the&nbsp;EU&nbsp;rule&nbsp;book&nbsp;and write a new one for ourselves".

Just days before Britain votes in an election he called to try to break the deadlock over Brexit,&nbsp;Johnson&nbsp;will repeat his desire to "finally get Brexit done" on a tour of traditionally Labour supporting areas he hopes to win over.

He will also hope to get his campaign back on track after he was criticised on Monday for his response to being shown a photo of a sick child lying on a hospital floor and after being heckled by a voter over his election tactics.

Johnson&nbsp;has put his oft-repeated pledge for a quick Brexit at the heart of his election campaign, hoping to win the backing of those who voted to leave the&nbsp;EU&nbsp;in the 2016 referendum.

The main opposition Labour Party has also said it will get Brexit "sorted" in six months, but its leader, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boris-johnson-or-jeremy-corbyn-who-will-be-the-next-uk-prime-minister-265670">Jeremy Corbyn</a>, has put more emphasis on policies to increase spending on healthcare and education, and increase the role of the state.

"If (we) do break free, there's a bright future waiting for us with all the opportunities of Brexit," he will say on a campaign trip&nbsp;to Staffordshire in central England, according to excerpts of his speech.

"We&nbsp;can&nbsp;literally&nbsp;rip&nbsp;up&nbsp;the&nbsp;EU&nbsp;rule&nbsp;book&nbsp;and write a new one for ourselves.&nbsp;We&nbsp;can&nbsp;do all this and so much more if&nbsp;we&nbsp;regain our independence -&nbsp;we&nbsp;just need to vote for it, one more time, this Thursday."

Opinion polls put&nbsp;Johnson&nbsp;in the lead before Thursday's vote, but some have shown Labour is catching&nbsp;up, and with so many Britons as yet undecided, the result is hard to predict.

Johnson's team hopes to break the opposition party's hold on&nbsp;voters&nbsp;in regions of northern and central England, the country's so-called red-wall, who have, sometimes for generations, rejected his party's overtures.

The Conservative message is a simple appeal to those Labour supporters who backed Brexit - only&nbsp;Johnson&nbsp;will get it done. Labour says even if Britain leaves at the current deadline of January&nbsp;31, that would only mean the beginning of what could be lengthy new trade talks with both the&nbsp;EU&nbsp;and other countries.

"The stalemate in parliament has held this country back for too long,"&nbsp;Johnson&nbsp;will say. "It's time to send in the bulldozers and smash through the gridlock."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will bolster his argument on Tuesday for leaving the European Union early next year, urging voters to return him to power so Britain can "rip up the EU rule book and write a new one for ourselves".

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will bolster his argument on Tuesday for leaving the European Union early next year, urging voters to return him to power so Britain can "rip up the EU rule book and write a new one for ourselves". Just days before Britain votes in an election he called to try to break the deadlock over Brexit, Johnson will repeat his desire to "finally get Brexit done" on a tour of traditionally Labour supporting areas he hopes to win over. He will also hope to get his campaign back on track after he was criticised on Monday for his response to being shown a photo of a sick child lying on a hospital floor and after being heckled by a voter over his election tactics. Johnson has put his oft-repeated pledge for a quick Brexit at the heart of his election campaign, hoping to win the backing of those who voted to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum. The main opposition Labour Party has also said it will get Brexit "sorted" in six months, but its leader, Jeremy Corbyn, has put more emphasis on policies to increase spending on healthcare and education, and increase the role of the state. "If (we) do break free, there's a bright future waiting for us with all the opportunities of Brexit," he will say on a campaign trip to Staffordshire in central England, according to excerpts of his speech. "We can literally rip up the EU rule book and write a new one for ourselves. We can do all this and so much more if we regain our independence - we just need to vote for it, one more time, this Thursday." Opinion polls put Johnson in the lead before Thursday's vote, but some have shown Labour is catching up, and with so many Britons as yet undecided, the result is hard to predict. Johnson's team hopes to break the opposition party's hold on voters in regions of northern and central England, the country's so-called red-wall, who have, sometimes for generations, rejected his party's overtures. The Conservative message is a simple appeal to those Labour supporters who backed Brexit - only Johnson will get it done. Labour says even if Britain leaves at the current deadline of January 31, that would only mean the beginning of what could be lengthy new trade talks with both the EU and other countries. "The stalemate in parliament has held this country back for too long," Johnson will say. "It's time to send in the bulldozers and smash through the gridlock."

We can rip up the European Union rule book, Johnson tells UK voters

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is heading into Britain's election next week with a lead in opinion polls, but some of the surveys also suggest that his chance of winning a parliamentary majority could be too close to call.

Four opinion polls published on Saturday put the lead of Johnson's Conservative Party over the main opposition Labour Party at between eight and 15 points, five days before the December&nbsp;12 national election.

At the lowest end of that range, Johnson cannot count on winning the majority in parliament he needs to take Britain out of the European Union by Jan. 31, especially if voters choose to put aside their usual allegiances to vote tactically over Brexit.

Polling firm Savanta ComRes said Johnson's lead over Labour had shrunk to eight points from 10 in a previous poll published on Wednesday - the tightest margin of Saturday's four surveys.

Its head of politics, Chris Hopkins, said the final few days of the campaign could be crucial.

"The margins are incredibly tight," he said. "The Conservative lead over Labour dropping or increasing by one or two points could be the difference between a hung parliament and a sizeable Conservative majority."

The election pits Johnson's plan to get Brexit done next month against Labour's call for a second referendum on a new Brexit deal under its veteran socialist leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Opinion pollsters were embarrassed by Britain's last election in 2017, when they under-estimated the size of Labour's support which cost previous prime minister Theresa May her majority and threw Brexit into chaos.

They also failed to predict the victory of the Leave campaign in the 2016 EU membership referendum.

However, one poll, published before the 2017 election, by YouGov, was more accurate in predicting the number of seats won by each party.

Known as an MRP poll - an acronym for its Multilevel Regression and Post-stratification model - it predicted 93% of results in individual constituencies correctly.

The Sunday Times said a poll by Datapraxis, also using the MRP model and based on 500,000 online interviews, predicted that Johnson would win a majority of 38 in parliament next week, down from a projection of 48 two weeks ago.

"We have never seen as many undecided voters this late in the campaign," Datapraxis boss Paul Hilder said. "As many as 80-90 constituencies are still up for grabs. A much larger Conservative landslide is still possible - but so is a hung parliament."

YouGov said last month that its MRP model suggested the Conservatives were on course for a majority of 68. YouGov will publish an updated version of the poll on Tuesday.

Best for Britain, a group that wants a second referendum to stop Brexit, said an MRP poll it commissioned showed Johnson was on course to win 345 seats in parliament - or a majority of 40 - without tactical voting, a term for when people back parties they do not usually support in an attempt to defeat others.

But tactical voting by 41,000 voters in just 36 swing seats could prevent Johnson from getting a majority, it said.

"This election is on a knife-edge," the group's chief executive Naomi Smith said. "If enough remainers hold their nose and vote for the candidate with the best chance of stopping the Tories (Conservatives) in their seat we're heading for a hung parliament and a final say referendum."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is heading into Britain's election next week with a lead in opinion polls, but some of the surveys also suggest that his chance of winning a parliamentary majority could be too close to call.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is heading into Britain's election next week with a lead in opinion polls, but some of the surveys also suggest that his chance of winning a parliamentary majority could be too close to call. Four opinion polls published on Saturday put the lead of Johnson's Conservative Party over the main opposition Labour Party at between eight and 15 points, five days before the December 12 national election. At the lowest end of that range, Johnson cannot count on winning the majority in parliament he needs to take Britain out of the European Union by Jan. 31, especially if voters choose to put aside their usual allegiances to vote tactically over Brexit. Polling firm Savanta ComRes said Johnson's lead over Labour had shrunk to eight points from 10 in a previous poll published on Wednesday - the tightest margin of Saturday's four surveys. Its head of politics, Chris Hopkins, said the final few days of the campaign could be crucial. "The margins are incredibly tight," he said. "The Conservative lead over Labour dropping or increasing by one or two points could be the difference between a hung parliament and a sizeable Conservative majority." The election pits Johnson's plan to get Brexit done next month against Labour's call for a second referendum on a new Brexit deal under its veteran socialist leader Jeremy Corbyn. Opinion pollsters were embarrassed by Britain's last election in 2017, when they under-estimated the size of Labour's support which cost previous prime minister Theresa May her majority and threw Brexit into chaos. They also failed to predict the victory of the Leave campaign in the 2016 EU membership referendum. However, one poll, published before the 2017 election, by YouGov, was more accurate in predicting the number of seats won by each party. Known as an MRP poll - an acronym for its Multilevel Regression and Post-stratification model - it predicted 93% of results in individual constituencies correctly. The Sunday Times said a poll by Datapraxis, also using the MRP model and based on 500,000 online interviews, predicted that Johnson would win a majority of 38 in parliament next week, down from a projection of 48 two weeks ago. "We have never seen as many undecided voters this late in the campaign," Datapraxis boss Paul Hilder said. "As many as 80-90 constituencies are still up for grabs. A much larger Conservative landslide is still possible - but so is a hung parliament." YouGov said last month that its MRP model suggested the Conservatives were on course for a majority of 68. YouGov will publish an updated version of the poll on Tuesday. Best for Britain, a group that wants a second referendum to stop Brexit, said an MRP poll it commissioned showed Johnson was on course to win 345 seats in parliament - or a majority of 40 - without tactical voting, a term for when people back parties they do not usually support in an attempt to defeat others. But tactical voting by 41,000 voters in just 36 swing seats could prevent Johnson from getting a majority, it said. "This election is on a knife-edge," the group's chief executive Naomi Smith said. "If enough remainers hold their nose and vote for the candidate with the best chance of stopping the Tories (Conservatives) in their seat we're heading for a hung parliament and a final say referendum."

Knife-edge? UK's Johnson ahead but polls suggest majority might be tough

Corbyn has Claimed Massive Brexit Fraud UK PM dismisses Labour party's claims.

UK Elections 2019: Corbyn Claims Massive Brexit Fraud

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announced, that he planned to step down, saying on state television he would ask his ruling Labour Party to start a process on January 12 to choose a new leader for the country.

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announces step down

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday it would be "best" if US President Donald Trump does not get involved in Britain's election when he visits London for a NATO summit next week.

Trump waded into the election in October by saying opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn would be "so bad" for Britain and that Johnson should agree a pact with Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage.

But senior Conservatives are nervous that Trump could upset the campaign when in London, just over a week before the December&nbsp;12 election which polls indicate Johnson is on course to win.

"What we don't do traditionally as loving allies and friends, what we don't do traditionally, is get involved in each other's election campaigns," Johnson, 55, told LBC radio.

"The best (thing) when you have close friends and allies like the US and the UK is for neither side to get involved in each other's election."

Johnson has said that, if he retains power, he will deliver Brexit by Jan. 31 -- after nearly four years of political crisis following a 2016 referendum in which Britons voted to leave the European Union.

He said he wanted to keep in place government preparations for a possible no-deal Brexit - under which Britain would leave without agreement on the terms with Brussels and potentially expose itself to more economic uncertainty - but that he expected to secure a trade deal with the EU by the end of 2020.

"Many of those preparations will be extremely valuable as we come out of EU arrangements anyway," he told reporters.

NHA 'not for sale'

The US president, who is due to arrive on Monday, has cast Johnson as "Britain's Trump" and during a previous visit criticised Johnson's predecessor Theresa May over her Brexit policy.

Labour's Corbyn has said Johnson will sell off parts of Britain's widely cherished health service to US businesses after Brexit, but Johnson denied this. Trump previously said everything including health should be on the table in trade talks, though he later said health would not be.

Johnson said he would use Brexit to introduce new state aid rules, change state purchasing policies and reform farming so that public bodies aim to "buy British" goods.

"The NHS is not for sale," he said.

Taking questions from LBC listeners, he declined to say how many children he had or whether he would have any more.

Johnson, 55, is living at the prime minister's Downing Street residence with his partner Carrie Symonds after separating from his wife last year.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday it would be "best" if US President Donald Trump does not get involved in Britain's election when he visits London for a NATO summit next week.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday it would be "best" if US President Donald Trump does not get involved in Britain's election when he visits London for a NATO summit next week. Trump waded into the election in October by saying opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn would be "so bad" for Britain and that Johnson should agree a pact with Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage. But senior Conservatives are nervous that Trump could upset the campaign when in London, just over a week before the December 12 election which polls indicate Johnson is on course to win. "What we don't do traditionally as loving allies and friends, what we don't do traditionally, is get involved in each other's election campaigns," Johnson, 55, told LBC radio. "The best (thing) when you have close friends and allies like the US and the UK is for neither side to get involved in each other's election." Johnson has said that, if he retains power, he will deliver Brexit by Jan. 31 -- after nearly four years of political crisis following a 2016 referendum in which Britons voted to leave the European Union. He said he wanted to keep in place government preparations for a possible no-deal Brexit - under which Britain would leave without agreement on the terms with Brussels and potentially expose itself to more economic uncertainty - but that he expected to secure a trade deal with the EU by the end of 2020. "Many of those preparations will be extremely valuable as we come out of EU arrangements anyway," he told reporters. NHA 'not for sale' The US president, who is due to arrive on Monday, has cast Johnson as "Britain's Trump" and during a previous visit criticised Johnson's predecessor Theresa May over her Brexit policy. Labour's Corbyn has said Johnson will sell off parts of Britain's widely cherished health service to US businesses after Brexit, but Johnson denied this. Trump previously said everything including health should be on the table in trade talks, though he later said health would not be. Johnson said he would use Brexit to introduce new state aid rules, change state purchasing policies and reform farming so that public bodies aim to "buy British" goods. "The NHS is not for sale," he said. Taking questions from LBC listeners, he declined to say how many children he had or whether he would have any more. Johnson, 55, is living at the prime minister's Downing Street residence with his partner Carrie Symonds after separating from his wife last year.

It would be 'best' if Trump doesn't get involved in Britain's election: Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson's Conservative Party would win a comfortable majority in Britain's parliament if the upcoming election were held this week, according to a poll by respected research firm YouGov.

Boris Johnson's Conservative Party would win a comfortable majority in Britain's parliament if the upcoming election were held this week, according to a poll by respected research firm YouGov. Britain votes on December 12, with Prime Minister Johnson hoping to secure a majority to be able to push through his Brexit deal to take the country out of the European Union. YouGov's poll, published Wednesday, said if the elections were held on Thursday the Conservatives would grab 44 seats from the main opposition Labour party to win a 68-seat majority. The data showed larger swings from Labour to the Conservatives in areas that are more pro-Brexit, especially in England's northern and central regions. "As expected, the key thing deciding the extent to which each of these seats is moving against Labour (is) how that seat voted in the European Union referendum" in 2016, said Chris Curtis, YouGov's political research manager. The poll -- the first in this campaign to predict election results seat-by-seat -- uses a model that correctly forecast 93 percent of seats in the last general election in 2017, according to YouGov. It said the Conservatives' total seat count would climb to 359, compared to 211 for Labour -- predicting that the left-wing party would lose 51 seats overall. "In terms of seats won, this would be the Conservatives' best performance since 1987," said the pollster, who analysed data including interviews with around 100,000 people about their voting intentions. Johnson, who took over a minority administration in July and been unable to speed his EU divorce deal through parliament, has pledged to take Britain out of the bloc by January 31. If the centre-right Conservatives are returned to power in the third general election in four years, he is promising to bring back his Brexit deal to parliament before Christmas. Among the smaller parties in the House of Commons, the poll said the Scottish National Party (SNP) would gain eight seats to a total of 43, while the Liberal Democrats were predicted a total of 13 seats, Welsh party Plaid Cymru four and the Green Party one. It came as Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn accused Johnson of plotting a "toxic" deal with Donald Trump to allow US pharmaceutical companies access to Britain's state health service. Labour is currently being investigated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) following a number of complaints about alleged anti-Semitism in the party. mpa/roc/kaf/hg © Agence France-Presse

UK election poll predicts Boris Johnson's Conservative Party majority

Labour&nbsp;leader&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-labour-leader-corbyn-i-would-stay-neutral-in-a-second-brexit-referendum-264124">Jeremy Corbyn</a> on Tuesday declined repeated invitations to&nbsp;apologise&nbsp;to Britain's Jews&nbsp;after&nbsp;the country's most senior rabbi suggested anti-Semitism was a "new poison" within the main opposition party, which had been "sanctioned from the very top".

Corbyn was asked several times in a BBC television interview if he would like to offer his apologies to the British Jewish community over his perceived failure to clamp down on the problem within the left-wing party.

"What I'll say is this: I am determined that our society is safe for people of all faiths," Corbyn said.

"I don't want anyone to be feeling insecure in our society and our government will protect every community against the abuse they receive."

In an unprecedented intervention ahead of the December 12 snap general election, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis suggested Corbyn was "unfit for high office".

Labour&nbsp;has been dogged by allegations about widespread anti-Semitism among members since Corbyn, 70,&nbsp;a lifelong supporter of Palestinian causes,&nbsp;took over as a leader&nbsp;in 2015.

In a speech earlier Tuesday to launch a package of race and faith policies, Corbyn hit back at the charges, branding anti-Semitism "vile and wrong".

"There is no place whatsoever for anti-Semitism," he said.&nbsp;

"We have a rapid and effective system" for dealing with complaints, he said, "and that process is constantly under review".

The comments contrasted starkly with the assessment of Mirvis.

In a scathing commentary in The Times newspaper, Mirvis wrote that the veteran socialist was responsible for "a failure of leadership" which was "incompatible with the British values of which we are so proud".

"How complicit in prejudice would a&nbsp;leader&nbsp;of Her Majesty's opposition have to be to be considered unfit for office?" he asked, adding British Jews were justifiably "gripped by anxiety" ahead of the election.

The chief rabbi said it was not his place to tell anyone who to support next month but he advised: "every person to vote with their conscience".

Mirvis dismissed claims&nbsp;Labour&nbsp;was doing everything it could to deal with anti-Semitism as a "mendacious fiction"

Corbyn told the BBC: "No, he's not right. Because he would have to produce the evidence to say that's mendacious."

Watch: Jeremy Corbyn refuses to apologise over anti-semitism claims

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/jeremy-corbyn-refuses-to-apologise-over-anti-semitism-264753/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

'Sense of insecurity'

The anti-Semitism controversy came to a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-pm-johnson-and-labour-leader-corbyn-battle-it-out-on-first-televised-debate-brexit-still-at-large-263259">head within&nbsp;Labour&nbsp;in February</a>, when nine MPs quit the party, citing the leadership's handling of the issue.

Two former&nbsp;Labour&nbsp;lawmakers spoke out Tuesday in support of Mirvis's condemnation.

"It is heartbreaking to see a party so many of us joined to fight racism and which had such a proud record of fighting for equality reduced to this," said Ian Austin, who left&nbsp;Labour&nbsp;in February.

"Corbyn &amp; co should be so ashamed," he wrote on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the highest-ranking Anglican cleric, said the intervention by Mirvis "ought to alert us to the deep sense of insecurity and fear felt by many British Jews".

The Muslim Council of Britain said it also supported Mirvis speaking out but also claimed that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's governing Conservatives had likewise failed to deal with allegations of Islamophobia in their ranks.&nbsp;

"This is an issue that is particularly acute in the Conservative Party who have approached Islamophobia with denial, dismissal and deceit," it added.

Deep divisions

A 2016 report by Shami Chakrabarti, the former head of civil rights group Liberty, concluded the&nbsp;Labour&nbsp;party was "not overrun by anti-Semitism".

But others disagreed and the Equality and Human Rights Commission has launched a formal inquiry into whether&nbsp;Labour&nbsp;"unlawfully discriminated against, harassed or victimised people because they are Jewish".

The row has exposed deep divisions between&nbsp;Labour&nbsp;members denouncing Corbyn's complacency, and his hard-left supporters who defend him to the hilt.

At Tuesday's unveiling of its "race and faith" manifesto, the party had hoped to move beyond the damaging topic with a set of wide-ranging proposals aimed at improving&nbsp;social&nbsp;justice and human rights and promoting racial equality.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on Tuesday declined repeated invitations to apologise to Britain's Jews after the country's most senior rabbi suggested anti-Semitism was a "new poison" within the main opposition party, which had been "sanctioned from the very top".

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on Tuesday declined repeated invitations to apologise to Britain's Jews after the country's most senior rabbi suggested anti-Semitism was a "new poison" within the main opposition party, which had been "sanctioned from the very top". Corbyn was asked several times in a BBC television interview if he would like to offer his apologies to the British Jewish community over his perceived failure to clamp down on the problem within the left-wing party. "What I'll say is this: I am determined that our society is safe for people of all faiths," Corbyn said. "I don't want anyone to be feeling insecure in our society and our government will protect every community against the abuse they receive." In an unprecedented intervention ahead of the December 12 snap general election, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis suggested Corbyn was "unfit for high office". Labour has been dogged by allegations about widespread anti-Semitism among members since Corbyn, 70, a lifelong supporter of Palestinian causes, took over as a leader in 2015. In a speech earlier Tuesday to launch a package of race and faith policies, Corbyn hit back at the charges, branding anti-Semitism "vile and wrong". "There is no place whatsoever for anti-Semitism," he said. "We have a rapid and effective system" for dealing with complaints, he said, "and that process is constantly under review". The comments contrasted starkly with the assessment of Mirvis. In a scathing commentary in The Times newspaper, Mirvis wrote that the veteran socialist was responsible for "a failure of leadership" which was "incompatible with the British values of which we are so proud". "How complicit in prejudice would a leader of Her Majesty's opposition have to be to be considered unfit for office?" he asked, adding British Jews were justifiably "gripped by anxiety" ahead of the election. The chief rabbi said it was not his place to tell anyone who to support next month but he advised: "every person to vote with their conscience". Mirvis dismissed claims Labour was doing everything it could to deal with anti-Semitism as a "mendacious fiction" Corbyn told the BBC: "No, he's not right. Because he would have to produce the evidence to say that's mendacious." Watch: Jeremy Corbyn refuses to apologise over anti-semitism claims 'Sense of insecurity' The anti-Semitism controversy came to a head within Labour in February, when nine MPs quit the party, citing the leadership's handling of the issue. Two former Labour lawmakers spoke out Tuesday in support of Mirvis's condemnation. "It is heartbreaking to see a party so many of us joined to fight racism and which had such a proud record of fighting for equality reduced to this," said Ian Austin, who left Labour in February. "Corbyn & co should be so ashamed," he wrote on Twitter. Meanwhile, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the highest-ranking Anglican cleric, said the intervention by Mirvis "ought to alert us to the deep sense of insecurity and fear felt by many British Jews". The Muslim Council of Britain said it also supported Mirvis speaking out but also claimed that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's governing Conservatives had likewise failed to deal with allegations of Islamophobia in their ranks. "This is an issue that is particularly acute in the Conservative Party who have approached Islamophobia with denial, dismissal and deceit," it added. Deep divisions A 2016 report by Shami Chakrabarti, the former head of civil rights group Liberty, concluded the Labour party was "not overrun by anti-Semitism". But others disagreed and the Equality and Human Rights Commission has launched a formal inquiry into whether Labour "unlawfully discriminated against, harassed or victimised people because they are Jewish". The row has exposed deep divisions between Labour members denouncing Corbyn's complacency, and his hard-left supporters who defend him to the hilt. At Tuesday's unveiling of its "race and faith" manifesto, the party had hoped to move beyond the damaging topic with a set of wide-ranging proposals aimed at improving social justice and human rights and promoting racial equality.

United Kingdom's Labour party leader Corbyn declines to apologise after anti-semitism claims

The political parties of the United Kingdom are gearing up for their upcoming general election. The general election is scheduled to be held on December 12, 2019.

A total of 650 people will be chosen as members of Parliament (MPs), to decide laws and policies.

The Indian diaspora along with other South Asian communities in Britain plays the role of kingmaker in the polls.

There has been a sense of anger among the British-Indian community over the Labour party's stand on the abrogation of Article 370.&nbsp;

Watch: How will Indian diaspora impact UK elections?

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These are the people that every party is looking to win over. Britain’s minority communities, particularly the South Asians that makeup nearly 5 per cent of the population.

Traditionally ethnic minorities vote Labour, in the past two general elections 77 per cent of people in the minority community voted Labour that’s 1 in 5 of Labour’s voters while the conservatives have only 1 in 20.

But that is set to change, there has been much anger from the Hindu community over Labour passing a motion criticizing India's actions in Kashmir at its annual conference. It has led to claims the party is "Anti-Indian" and "Anti-Hindu".

British-Indians protested by turning their backs on London's mayor, a Labour MP, Sadiq Khan.

Kuldeep Shekhawat from overseas friends of Bhartiya Janta Party once considering running as an MP for Labour but now he is firmly backing the Tories.

The biggest reason for this is a guy called Bob Blackman, for every Indian event he is there whether it is the parliament, whether it is in public, whether it is the national elections of India whether we call him to a shop or a restaurant Bob Blackman stands out. He is there for the community and he is one solid reason why the Indian community says at least there is one person who is with us. Policy-wise what they have done the number of ministers in the present cabinet our home secretary is from Indian origin. The Indian community sees the conservatives are for us, they are not against us that is why they are for the conservatives now.

The conservatives certainly are looking to woo British-Indian voters with a Pro-India manifesto highlighting its desire to build stronger links with dynamic economies like India.

"I have met the Prime Minister himself and on the record, he had told me that the first thing he will do after Brexit is visiting India so that is very good for a country that looks a community from a very positive angle," said Kuldeep Shekhawat.

The big question is whether it will be enough to change British-Indian voter's minds.

The political parties of the United Kingdom are gearing up for their upcoming general election. The general election is scheduled to be held on December 12, 2019.

The political parties of the United Kingdom are gearing up for their upcoming general election. The general election is scheduled to be held on December 12, 2019. A total of 650 people will be chosen as members of Parliament (MPs), to decide laws and policies. The Indian diaspora along with other South Asian communities in Britain plays the role of kingmaker in the polls. There has been a sense of anger among the British-Indian community over the Labour party's stand on the abrogation of Article 370. Watch: How will Indian diaspora impact UK elections? These are the people that every party is looking to win over. Britain’s minority communities, particularly the South Asians that makeup nearly 5 per cent of the population. Traditionally ethnic minorities vote Labour, in the past two general elections 77 per cent of people in the minority community voted Labour that’s 1 in 5 of Labour’s voters while the conservatives have only 1 in 20. But that is set to change, there has been much anger from the Hindu community over Labour passing a motion criticizing India's actions in Kashmir at its annual conference. It has led to claims the party is "Anti-Indian" and "Anti-Hindu". British-Indians protested by turning their backs on London's mayor, a Labour MP, Sadiq Khan. Kuldeep Shekhawat from overseas friends of Bhartiya Janta Party once considering running as an MP for Labour but now he is firmly backing the Tories. The biggest reason for this is a guy called Bob Blackman, for every Indian event he is there whether it is the parliament, whether it is in public, whether it is the national elections of India whether we call him to a shop or a restaurant Bob Blackman stands out. He is there for the community and he is one solid reason why the Indian community says at least there is one person who is with us. Policy-wise what they have done the number of ministers in the present cabinet our home secretary is from Indian origin. The Indian community sees the conservatives are for us, they are not against us that is why they are for the conservatives now. The conservatives certainly are looking to woo British-Indian voters with a Pro-India manifesto highlighting its desire to build stronger links with dynamic economies like India. "I have met the Prime Minister himself and on the record, he had told me that the first thing he will do after Brexit is visiting India so that is very good for a country that looks a community from a very positive angle," said Kuldeep Shekhawat. The big question is whether it will be enough to change British-Indian voter's minds.

British election: Boris or Corbyn; who will manage to woo the British-Indian voters?

More than 2 million under-35s have applied to vote in Britain's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-set-for-third-election-in-four-years-to-try-to-break-brexit-gridlock-258692">December&nbsp;12 election</a> since the poll was called just four weeks ago, government data showed ahead of Tuesday's registration deadline.

The outcome of next month's election, which will determine how, when and even whether Britain leaves the European Union, remains uncertain. Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uks-johnson-pitches-christmas-present-brexit-push-in-manifesto-264151">Boris Johnson</a>'s Conservatives are ahead in opinion polls but two published this week have shown their lead narrowing.

Game of Thrones actress Emilia Clarke and Grime star Stormzy are among celebrities who have been urging people to register to take part in the election. Voters have until 2359 GMT on Tuesday to register and can do so online.

Britain's electoral watchdog, the Electoral Commission, said one in three 18 and 19-year-olds are not registered to vote.

"Private renters, too, anyone who has recently moved home, people without a fixed address and those in some black and Asian communities - all these groups are less likely to be registered. They are at risk of missing out," said Electoral Commission Director of Communications, Policy and Research Craig Westwood.

"If you want to make sure your voice is heard, do it now."

Government data shows that nearly 3.2 million people applied to register to vote between October&nbsp;29, when the election was called, and Monday. Of these almost 1.2 million were under 25 and just under 966,000 were aged 25-34.

The final number added to the electoral register could be lower, as some may turn out to have already been registered.

Labour leader <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-labour-leader-corbyn-i-would-stay-neutral-in-a-second-brexit-referendum-264124">Jeremy Corbyn</a> has been on a push to encourage people to register, particularly young voters who are typically more likely to back his left-leaning party.

"Dodgy landlords are registered to vote. Bad bosses are registered to vote. And the super-rich who've rigged the system are registered to vote. Are you?," he said on Twitter on Tuesday.

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Dodgy landlords are registered to vote. 
 
Bad bosses are registered to vote. 
 
And the super-rich who've rigged the system are registered to vote. 
 
Are you?<a href="https://t.co/qXdulxPFk2">https://t.co/qXdulxPFk2</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RegisterToVote?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RegisterToVote</a>
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) <a href="https://twitter.com/jeremycorbyn/status/1199244046482493441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Stormzy also shared the link to register online and urged people it was "very, very, very important" everyone did so.

"Don't sit there and think 'my one little vote ain't gonna do anything' - your vote is CRUCIAL. Your 'one little vote' can quite literally tip the scale for what will be the most important election of our generation," he said on Twitter.

More than 2 million under-35s have applied to vote in Britain's December 12 election since the poll was called just four weeks ago, government data showed ahead of Tuesday's registration deadline.

More than 2 million under-35s have applied to vote in Britain's December 12 election since the poll was called just four weeks ago, government data showed ahead of Tuesday's registration deadline. The outcome of next month's election, which will determine how, when and even whether Britain leaves the European Union, remains uncertain. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservatives are ahead in opinion polls but two published this week have shown their lead narrowing. Game of Thrones actress Emilia Clarke and Grime star Stormzy are among celebrities who have been urging people to register to take part in the election. Voters have until 2359 GMT on Tuesday to register and can do so online. Britain's electoral watchdog, the Electoral Commission, said one in three 18 and 19-year-olds are not registered to vote. "Private renters, too, anyone who has recently moved home, people without a fixed address and those in some black and Asian communities - all these groups are less likely to be registered. They are at risk of missing out," said Electoral Commission Director of Communications, Policy and Research Craig Westwood. "If you want to make sure your voice is heard, do it now." Government data shows that nearly 3.2 million people applied to register to vote between October 29, when the election was called, and Monday. Of these almost 1.2 million were under 25 and just under 966,000 were aged 25-34. The final number added to the electoral register could be lower, as some may turn out to have already been registered. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been on a push to encourage people to register, particularly young voters who are typically more likely to back his left-leaning party. "Dodgy landlords are registered to vote. Bad bosses are registered to vote. And the super-rich who've rigged the system are registered to vote. Are you?," he said on Twitter on Tuesday. Dodgy landlords are registered to vote. Bad bosses are registered to vote. And the super-rich who've rigged the system are registered to vote. Are you?https://t.co/qXdulxPFk2#RegisterToVote — Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) November 26, 2019 × Stormzy also shared the link to register online and urged people it was "very, very, very important" everyone did so. "Don't sit there and think 'my one little vote ain't gonna do anything' - your vote is CRUCIAL. Your 'one little vote' can quite literally tip the scale for what will be the most important election of our generation," he said on Twitter.

Millions apply to vote in British election ahead of Tuesday's deadline

The Labour Party of the United Kingdom continues to offend India by interfering into its internal affairs. Its recent utterances also have the potential to drive a wedge in the UK’s South Asian community in general and British Indian community in particular.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

As the country gears up for midterm 2019 General Elections on December 12, the Labour Party released its Manifesto on November 21. The party once again has clubbed the situation in Kashmir with un-comparable situations in other parts of the world such as Yemen and Myanmar and put it into the category of regions witnessing “World’s most pressing humanitarian crises”.&nbsp;

In addition, while offering to apologise, if voted to power, over the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre of April 13, 1919 ( when a British General had opened fire on unarmed Indians in Amritsar and killed hundreds of innocent people ), the party has mischievously also assured to review the role played by the British Government during Operation Blue Star in 1984 (when the Indian Armed forces had moved into Golden Temple Gurudwara in Amritsar to flush out terrorists). &nbsp;

The erroneous reference to Kashmir in the Manifesto is a reiteration of what was stated in the “Emergency Motion” which the Labour Party delegates had passed two months ago on September 25, 2019 at Party’s annual conference in Brighton. In fact, the Motion contained many more highly objectionable statements. For Instance, it urged the Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn to “accept that Kashmir is a disputed territory and the people of J&amp;K should be given the right of self-determination in accordance with UN resolutions”. It went on to allege that “the enforced disappearance of civilians, the state-endorsed sexual violence of women by armed forces and the overall prevalence of human rights violations in the region not only continues but has exasperated further in the past week”; the “past week” &nbsp;was an obvious reference to the abrogation of Article 370 of Indian Constitution and the administrative bifurcation of the State of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories. &nbsp;&nbsp;

In its official reaction within hours of the adoption of the Motion, the Government of India had dismissed it as a “vote bank politics”, while regretting the uninformed and unfounded positions taken by the Labour Party delegates. While taking note of the fact the British government has called Kashmir a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan, the Government Spokesperson made it clear that there was no intention to engage the Labour Party on this issue. The Indian High Commission in the UK, however, cancelled a scheduled dinner with Labour friends of India so as to register its disapproval of the Motion.&nbsp;

The Indian diaspora in the UK was, however, not as mild in its reaction as the official Spokesperson of India. It was quick and firm in expressing its dismay and disappointment. In a strongly worded letter &nbsp;addressed to party leader Jeremy Corbyn, over 100 British -Indian &nbsp;organisations, representing diverse Indian communities, were explicit in conveying that the Party motion was not acceptable to them as it sought “to interfere in internal matters of and between the &nbsp;third countries” and was drafted in a “one-sided and partial manner”. The diaspora expressed its deep concern over the wider attempts to drag Kashmir into UK’s domestic politics which it said would have ramifications for the communal harmony in the UK. The diaspora went on to warn the party that it would reconsider the level of engagement with Labour Party.&nbsp;

In the wake of the backlash from the British Indian community, the Labour Party took some damage-control steps. The Chairman of the Party Ian Lavery acknowledged that the language used in the Emergency Motion has caused offence to not just sections of the Indian diaspora but to India itself. Lavery went on to underline "Kashmir is a bilateral matter for India and Pakistan to resolve together by means of a peaceful solution..." &nbsp;

The damage has, however, been already done. An opinion poll of British Indian voters by Optimus reveals the declining popularity and support from British Indians for the Labour Party for which they are known to have voted in the past. The estimated 1.5 million British Indian community has several wealthy and influential members; in some of the constituencies, up to 40 per cent voters are of Indian origin and thus have the potential to influence the outcome. &nbsp;

An apology from the elected British Government over Jallianwala Bagh massacre is overdue and if it comes the British would not be doing a favour to Indians. However, any review of the Operation Blue Star has the potential to re-open the wounds and drive a wedge between the Hindu and Sikh communities. &nbsp;&nbsp;

In short, the Labour Party must realise that it has no legal or moral right to comment upon issues which are internal to India. The Party should also tread with caution while dealing with issues which involve the sensitivities of the people in India and Indian diaspora in the UK. Dividing the South Asian communities in UK will only backfire to the disadvantage of communal harmony in that country where the society is already divided over the vexed issue of Brexit. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The Labour Party Manifesto is titled: “It is Time For Real Change”. Yes indeed; it is time for the Labour Party to change its attitude towards India.&nbsp; 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

The Labour Party of the United Kingdom continues to offend India by interfering into its internal affairs. Its recent utterances also have the potential to drive a wedge in the UK’s South Asian community in general and British Indian community in particular.

The Labour Party of the United Kingdom continues to offend India by interfering into its internal affairs. Its recent utterances also have the potential to drive a wedge in the UK’s South Asian community in general and British Indian community in particular. As the country gears up for midterm 2019 General Elections on December 12, the Labour Party released its Manifesto on November 21. The party once again has clubbed the situation in Kashmir with un-comparable situations in other parts of the world such as Yemen and Myanmar and put it into the category of regions witnessing “World’s most pressing humanitarian crises”. In addition, while offering to apologise, if voted to power, over the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre of April 13, 1919 ( when a British General had opened fire on unarmed Indians in Amritsar and killed hundreds of innocent people ), the party has mischievously also assured to review the role played by the British Government during Operation Blue Star in 1984 (when the Indian Armed forces had moved into Golden Temple Gurudwara in Amritsar to flush out terrorists). The erroneous reference to Kashmir in the Manifesto is a reiteration of what was stated in the “Emergency Motion” which the Labour Party delegates had passed two months ago on September 25, 2019 at Party’s annual conference in Brighton. In fact, the Motion contained many more highly objectionable statements. For Instance, it urged the Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn to “accept that Kashmir is a disputed territory and the people of J&K should be given the right of self-determination in accordance with UN resolutions”. It went on to allege that “the enforced disappearance of civilians, the state-endorsed sexual violence of women by armed forces and the overall prevalence of human rights violations in the region not only continues but has exasperated further in the past week”; the “past week” was an obvious reference to the abrogation of Article 370 of Indian Constitution and the administrative bifurcation of the State of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories. In its official reaction within hours of the adoption of the Motion, the Government of India had dismissed it as a “vote bank politics”, while regretting the uninformed and unfounded positions taken by the Labour Party delegates. While taking note of the fact the British government has called Kashmir a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan, the Government Spokesperson made it clear that there was no intention to engage the Labour Party on this issue. The Indian High Commission in the UK, however, cancelled a scheduled dinner with Labour friends of India so as to register its disapproval of the Motion. The Indian diaspora in the UK was, however, not as mild in its reaction as the official Spokesperson of India. It was quick and firm in expressing its dismay and disappointment. In a strongly worded letter  addressed to party leader Jeremy Corbyn, over 100 British -Indian  organisations, representing diverse Indian communities, were explicit in conveying that the Party motion was not acceptable to them as it sought “to interfere in internal matters of and between the third countries” and was drafted in a “one-sided and partial manner”. The diaspora expressed its deep concern over the wider attempts to drag Kashmir into UK’s domestic politics which it said would have ramifications for the communal harmony in the UK. The diaspora went on to warn the party that it would reconsider the level of engagement with Labour Party. In the wake of the backlash from the British Indian community, the Labour Party took some damage-control steps. The Chairman of the Party Ian Lavery acknowledged that the language used in the Emergency Motion has caused offence to not just sections of the Indian diaspora but to India itself. Lavery went on to underline "Kashmir is a bilateral matter for India and Pakistan to resolve together by means of a peaceful solution..." The damage has, however, been already done. An opinion poll of British Indian voters by Optimus reveals the declining popularity and support from British Indians for the Labour Party for which they are known to have voted in the past. The estimated 1.5 million British Indian community has several wealthy and influential members; in some of the constituencies, up to 40 per cent voters are of Indian origin and thus have the potential to influence the outcome. An apology from the elected British Government over Jallianwala Bagh massacre is overdue and if it comes the British would not be doing a favour to Indians. However, any review of the Operation Blue Star has the potential to re-open the wounds and drive a wedge between the Hindu and Sikh communities. In short, the Labour Party must realise that it has no legal or moral right to comment upon issues which are internal to India. The Party should also tread with caution while dealing with issues which involve the sensitivities of the people in India and Indian diaspora in the UK. Dividing the South Asian communities in UK will only backfire to the disadvantage of communal harmony in that country where the society is already divided over the vexed issue of Brexit. The Labour Party Manifesto is titled: “It is Time For Real Change”. Yes indeed; it is time for the Labour Party to change its attitude towards India. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Kashmir issue: The Labour Party of UK offends India yet again

Exposing The Inconsistencies, Contradictions & Double-Standards In Labour's Election Manifesto.

Gravitas: Labour party's 'divide & rule' manifesto

What happens to Britain in case of no clear election result?

Britain's opposition Labour Party will hold a rally outside an Amazon depot on Saturday as it highlights its promise to target multinational firms it accuses of dodging taxes and cheating workers should it win next month's general election.

In its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ready-for-change-britains-labour-unveils-radical-manifesto-263627">manifesto launched</a> on Thursday, Labour unveiled a plan to spend almost 83 billion pounds ($106 billion) on a programme of widespread nationalisation and free public services with the revenue coming from taxes on high earners and corporations.

Also watch:&nbsp;Labour Party's 'Divide &amp; Rule' Manifesto

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Labour said its "Fair Tax Programme" would ensure the City of London financial district, big businesses and those who dodged tax paid their share.

"Huge multinational companies often act as if the rules we all live by don't apply to them. They use loopholes to claim they don't owe tax and cynically push their workers to the limit," Labour leader <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-pm-johnson-and-labour-leader-corbyn-battle-it-out-on-first-televised-debate-brexit-still-at-large-263259">Jeremy Corbyn</a> will say outside the Amazon depot in Yorkshire, northern England.

"The next Labour government will challenge head-on the tax and wage cheat culture of so many multinational companies, who use their power and our weak laws to rip off both the taxpayer and their workers," Corbyn will say, according to extracts of his planned comments released by his office.

Amazon said Corbyn's claims were false.

"The government wrote the tax laws and they are designed to encourage investment, and we are investing heavily in creating jobs and infrastructure across the UK - more than 18 billion pounds since 2010," an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement.

Labour is lagging Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party by about 10 points or more in the polls but it hopes that targetting "vested interests" will win over voters ahead of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-set-for-third-election-in-four-years-to-try-to-break-brexit-gridlock-258692">December&nbsp;12 election</a>.

"Jeremy Corbyn is lashing out at businesses because he is desperate to distract from the fact that he has no credible plan to get Brexit done," Conservative Party Chairman James Cleverly said.

The party has earmarked tech firms such as Amazon, Alphabet's Google, and Facebook for additional taxes, saying it would bring in measures to stop multinationals avoiding tax through profit-shifting schemes. It said this would bring in 6.3 billion pounds in 2023-4.

Other planned measures include establishing an inquiry into the finance sector, introducing a 20 per cent&nbsp;Offshore Company Property Levy, and scrapping non-domiciled status, which allows some people resident in Britain to limit the tax they pay.&nbsp;

Britain's opposition Labour Party will hold a rally outside an Amazon depot on Saturday as it highlights its promise to target multinational firms it accuses of dodging taxes and cheating workers should it win next month's general election.

Britain's opposition Labour Party will hold a rally outside an Amazon depot on Saturday as it highlights its promise to target multinational firms it accuses of dodging taxes and cheating workers should it win next month's general election. In its manifesto launched on Thursday, Labour unveiled a plan to spend almost 83 billion pounds ($106 billion) on a programme of widespread nationalisation and free public services with the revenue coming from taxes on high earners and corporations. Also watch: Labour Party's 'Divide & Rule' Manifesto × Labour said its "Fair Tax Programme" would ensure the City of London financial district, big businesses and those who dodged tax paid their share. "Huge multinational companies often act as if the rules we all live by don't apply to them. They use loopholes to claim they don't owe tax and cynically push their workers to the limit," Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn will say outside the Amazon depot in Yorkshire, northern England. "The next Labour government will challenge head-on the tax and wage cheat culture of so many multinational companies, who use their power and our weak laws to rip off both the taxpayer and their workers," Corbyn will say, according to extracts of his planned comments released by his office. Amazon said Corbyn's claims were false. "The government wrote the tax laws and they are designed to encourage investment, and we are investing heavily in creating jobs and infrastructure across the UK - more than 18 billion pounds since 2010," an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement. Labour is lagging Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party by about 10 points or more in the polls but it hopes that targetting "vested interests" will win over voters ahead of the December 12 election. "Jeremy Corbyn is lashing out at businesses because he is desperate to distract from the fact that he has no credible plan to get Brexit done," Conservative Party Chairman James Cleverly said. The party has earmarked tech firms such as Amazon, Alphabet's Google, and Facebook for additional taxes, saying it would bring in measures to stop multinationals avoiding tax through profit-shifting schemes. It said this would bring in 6.3 billion pounds in 2023-4. Other planned measures include establishing an inquiry into the finance sector, introducing a 20 per cent Offshore Company Property Levy, and scrapping non-domiciled status, which allows some people resident in Britain to limit the tax they pay.

United Kingdom's Labour vows action on 'tax and wage cheat' multinationals

Watch in WION Dispatch: UK's Labour party compares Kashmir to Yemen. Watch this complete video to know more about this. #WIONDispatch

WION Dispatch: UK's Labour party compares Kashmir to Yemen

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/labour-partys-brexit-policy-explained-263619">Labour Party</a> leader Jeremy Corbyn will unveil his opposition party's election manifesto on Thursday, setting out how in government he plans to transform Britain with "the most radical and ambitious plan" in decades.

With three weeks before Britain votes in its second election in just over two years, Corbyn will press his message that only Labour can challenge the status quo, fighting for ordinary people against "bankers, billionaires and the establishment".

Lagging in the polls, the 70-year-old socialist will hope his message of change will drown out criticism of his Brexit stance, which even some in his party say lacks the clarity of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's vow to "get Brexit done".

Both parties have promised to end economic austerity and relax the purse strings for stretched public services before the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-set-for-third-election-in-four-years-to-try-to-break-brexit-gridlock-258692">December&nbsp;12 election</a>, which will determine how, when and even whether Britain's departure from the European Union happens.

Trying to combat criticism from Johnson's Conservative Party over Labour's spending plans, Corbyn will say how he plans to pay for his manifesto, which includes scrapping university fees, reducing the working week and nationalising utilities.

"This is a manifesto of hope. A manifesto that will bring real change. A manifesto full of popular policies that the political establishment has blocked for a generation," Corbyn will say, according to excerpts of his speech.

"Those policies are fully costed, with no tax increases for 95 per cent&nbsp;of taxpayers."

Held after three years of negotiations to leave the European Union, the December election for the first time will show how far <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/brexit-why-is-there-an-irish-backstop-188953">Brexit </a>has torn traditional political allegiances apart and will test an electorate increasingly tired of voting.

Most polls put the Conservative Party in front, but few are able or willing to predict a victor in the election.

Labour has put at the forefront of its campaign its attack on "vested interests", taking aim at Johnson, who was educated at England's elite Eton public school, has considerable personal wealth and whose party has wealthy backers.

Corbyn has also said it will move to reverse privatisations began by former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, promising to nationalise rail, mail, water, and BT's broadband network to provide free internet for all.

Those pledges have been mocked by the Conservatives, with Johnson calling plans to nationalise broadband as a "crazed Communist scheme".

Corbyn is defiant.

"Over the next three weeks, the most powerful people in Britain and their supporters are going to tell you that everything in this manifesto is impossible," he will say.

"But they know we mean what we say. They know we will deliver our plans, which is why they want to stop us being elected."

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn will unveil his opposition party's election manifesto on Thursday, setting out how in government he plans to transform Britain with "the most radical and ambitious plan" in decades.

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn will unveil his opposition party's election manifesto on Thursday, setting out how in government he plans to transform Britain with "the most radical and ambitious plan" in decades. With three weeks before Britain votes in its second election in just over two years, Corbyn will press his message that only Labour can challenge the status quo, fighting for ordinary people against "bankers, billionaires and the establishment". Lagging in the polls, the 70-year-old socialist will hope his message of change will drown out criticism of his Brexit stance, which even some in his party say lacks the clarity of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's vow to "get Brexit done". Both parties have promised to end economic austerity and relax the purse strings for stretched public services before the December 12 election, which will determine how, when and even whether Britain's departure from the European Union happens. Trying to combat criticism from Johnson's Conservative Party over Labour's spending plans, Corbyn will say how he plans to pay for his manifesto, which includes scrapping university fees, reducing the working week and nationalising utilities. "This is a manifesto of hope. A manifesto that will bring real change. A manifesto full of popular policies that the political establishment has blocked for a generation," Corbyn will say, according to excerpts of his speech. "Those policies are fully costed, with no tax increases for 95 per cent of taxpayers." Held after three years of negotiations to leave the European Union, the December election for the first time will show how far Brexit has torn traditional political allegiances apart and will test an electorate increasingly tired of voting. Most polls put the Conservative Party in front, but few are able or willing to predict a victor in the election. Labour has put at the forefront of its campaign its attack on "vested interests", taking aim at Johnson, who was educated at England's elite Eton public school, has considerable personal wealth and whose party has wealthy backers. Corbyn has also said it will move to reverse privatisations began by former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, promising to nationalise rail, mail, water, and BT's broadband network to provide free internet for all. Those pledges have been mocked by the Conservatives, with Johnson calling plans to nationalise broadband as a "crazed Communist scheme". Corbyn is defiant. "Over the next three weeks, the most powerful people in Britain and their supporters are going to tell you that everything in this manifesto is impossible," he will say. "But they know we mean what we say. They know we will deliver our plans, which is why they want to stop us being elected."

Ready for change? Britain's Labour unveils 'radical' manifesto

By Chris Stafford

Of all the criticisms of Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party, of which there are many, one of the more prominent in recent times has been the party’s ambiguous stance on Brexit.

Corbyn would rather not spend all that much time talking about Brexit, preferring to stick to his strengths and discuss inequality, championing the needs of the many over those of the few. But the upcoming 2019 general election is set to focus heavily on the issue and all parties need a clear, credible policy platform if they want to attract voters.

Jeremy Corbyn was heavily criticised during and after the 2016 referendum for his lukewarm support for the Remain campaign, famously assessing his support for EU membership as a “Seven, seven-and-a-half out of ten”.

Historically, Corbyn has not been a supporter of EU membership, voting against continued membership in the 1975 referendum. But his reasons for this are very different to those offered by groups such as UKIP or the Conservatives.

While the Labour Party has been very pro-European in recent history, this was not always the case, and in the 1980s the party leadership was much more hostile towards Europe. During the New Labour years, MPs such as Corbyn were a relic of Labour’s past, ardent left-wingers who saw the EU as a capitalist club, opposed to the socialist roots of the Labour Party.

After pledging to respect the result of the 2016 referendum, the Labour Party adopted an ambiguous stance on Brexit for most of Theresa May’s time as prime minister. The strategy initially proved to be somewhat successful, with the party effectively sitting on the fence and letting the issue of Europe tear the Conservatives apart.

But it eventually became difficult to criticise the Conservatives’ handling of Brexit without actually offering a credible alternative. Voters started to want clear, decisive party positions on Brexit, as evidenced by the success of the Liberal Democrats and the Brexit Party at the 2019 European elections.

The new plan

In an attempt to appear more decisive on Brexit, and after significant internal debate, Labour is now presenting a Brexit policy. The plan is to go back to Europe and renegotiate the Brexit deal. This new agreement would then be put back to the British public in a referendum.

Labour’s Brexit deal would, if all goes to plan, see the UK maintain a close trading relationship with the EU, creating a customs union and staying in close alignment with the single market, allowing the UK to continue to trade with Europe without tariffs. But this would likely mean that the UK couldn’t negotiate its own trade deals with non-EU countries – something that the Conservatives’ current deal would allow by effectively cutting all trading links with Europe and leaving the single market entirely.

Labour claims that it would take about three months to negotiate this deal, with a referendum held within six months. Alongside the newly negotiated “credible leave option”, the referendum ballot would also include the option to remain as an EU member.

Although this is a much clearer position than the party has held for a while, the policy still amounts to sitting on the fence to a certain extent. It is an attempt to appeal to both Leave and Remain voters.

It is also unclear how successful it would be if implemented. Would the EU be willing to renegotiate the withdrawal deal again? Signs from the continent suggest that many of the EU27 just want the UK gone already, with Brexit taking up far too much of their time at the expense of other pressing issues. Brexit is, and always has been, just one of many problems for the continent to deal with.

Assuming the EU did agree to renegotiate the deal again, how much effort would they put into it if they thought the government would then actively campaign against it in a subsequent referendum? That is a possibility under Labour, which has not been particularly clear about what its official position would be in a fresh referendum. Again, the answer may depend on whether or not Europe wants the UK to stay.

(Chris Stafford is Doctoral Researcher, University of Nottingham) 
 
(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/labours-brexit-policy-explained-127380">original article</a>) 
&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp;

By Chris Stafford Of all the criticisms of Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party, of which there are many, one of the more prominent in recent times has been the party’s ambiguous stance on Brexit.

By Chris Stafford Of all the criticisms of Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party, of which there are many, one of the more prominent in recent times has been the party’s ambiguous stance on Brexit. Corbyn would rather not spend all that much time talking about Brexit, preferring to stick to his strengths and discuss inequality, championing the needs of the many over those of the few. But the upcoming 2019 general election is set to focus heavily on the issue and all parties need a clear, credible policy platform if they want to attract voters. Jeremy Corbyn was heavily criticised during and after the 2016 referendum for his lukewarm support for the Remain campaign, famously assessing his support for EU membership as a “Seven, seven-and-a-half out of ten”. Historically, Corbyn has not been a supporter of EU membership, voting against continued membership in the 1975 referendum. But his reasons for this are very different to those offered by groups such as UKIP or the Conservatives. While the Labour Party has been very pro-European in recent history, this was not always the case, and in the 1980s the party leadership was much more hostile towards Europe. During the New Labour years, MPs such as Corbyn were a relic of Labour’s past, ardent left-wingers who saw the EU as a capitalist club, opposed to the socialist roots of the Labour Party. After pledging to respect the result of the 2016 referendum, the Labour Party adopted an ambiguous stance on Brexit for most of Theresa May’s time as prime minister. The strategy initially proved to be somewhat successful, with the party effectively sitting on the fence and letting the issue of Europe tear the Conservatives apart. But it eventually became difficult to criticise the Conservatives’ handling of Brexit without actually offering a credible alternative. Voters started to want clear, decisive party positions on Brexit, as evidenced by the success of the Liberal Democrats and the Brexit Party at the 2019 European elections. The new plan In an attempt to appear more decisive on Brexit, and after significant internal debate, Labour is now presenting a Brexit policy. The plan is to go back to Europe and renegotiate the Brexit deal. This new agreement would then be put back to the British public in a referendum. Labour’s Brexit deal would, if all goes to plan, see the UK maintain a close trading relationship with the EU, creating a customs union and staying in close alignment with the single market, allowing the UK to continue to trade with Europe without tariffs. But this would likely mean that the UK couldn’t negotiate its own trade deals with non-EU countries – something that the Conservatives’ current deal would allow by effectively cutting all trading links with Europe and leaving the single market entirely. Labour claims that it would take about three months to negotiate this deal, with a referendum held within six months. Alongside the newly negotiated “credible leave option”, the referendum ballot would also include the option to remain as an EU member. Although this is a much clearer position than the party has held for a while, the policy still amounts to sitting on the fence to a certain extent. It is an attempt to appeal to both Leave and Remain voters. It is also unclear how successful it would be if implemented. Would the EU be willing to renegotiate the withdrawal deal again? Signs from the continent suggest that many of the EU27 just want the UK gone already, with Brexit taking up far too much of their time at the expense of other pressing issues. Brexit is, and always has been, just one of many problems for the continent to deal with. Assuming the EU did agree to renegotiate the deal again, how much effort would they put into it if they thought the government would then actively campaign against it in a subsequent referendum? That is a possibility under Labour, which has not been particularly clear about what its official position would be in a fresh referendum. Again, the answer may depend on whether or not Europe wants the UK to stay. (Chris Stafford is Doctoral Researcher, University of Nottingham) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Labour Party’s Brexit policy explained

Britain's Boris Johnson and&nbsp;Labour&nbsp;leader&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boris-johnson-presses-election-rival-jeremy-corbyn-to-explain-brexit-stance-260104">Jeremy Corbyn</a> go head-to-head Tuesday in their&nbsp;first&nbsp;TV&nbsp;debate&nbsp;of the&nbsp;election&nbsp;campaign, facing scrutiny over their plans for Brexit and more public spending.

Johnson, who took over as the&nbsp;leader&nbsp;of the governing Conservatives in July, has held a double-digit lead over&nbsp;Labour&nbsp;in opinion polls for weeks, making the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-set-for-third-election-in-four-years-to-try-to-break-brexit-gridlock-258692">December 12&nbsp;election</a>&nbsp;his to lose.

Corbyn meanwhile is seeking to repeat the success of the last campaign in 2017, when his promise to end austerity and deliver change "for the many, not the few" fired up voters and denied the Tories an outright win.

The two men have sparred only a handful of times in parliament, making the prime-time&nbsp;debate, broadcast on ITV television at 8:00&nbsp;pm&nbsp;(2000 GMT), a rare opportunity to see how they engage up close.

Both sides will also be hoping the hour-long clash could put the boosters on what has so far been a slow-burning&nbsp;election&nbsp;campaign.

Johnson fired the starting gun with a letter to Corbyn overnight questioning his plans for Britain's looming departure from the European Union.

The Conservatives are campaigning on a pledge to "get Brexit done", promising to end years of political disagreements and several delays by leaving the EU on January 31.

Corbyn has promised to renegotiate Johnson's exit deal and hold another referendum, appealing to around half of voters who still oppose the shock result of the&nbsp;first&nbsp;2016&nbsp;vote&nbsp;for Brexit.

But the&nbsp;Labour&nbsp;leader&nbsp;has yet to say how he would campaign in that&nbsp;vote, and Johnson warned in his letter that he offered only more "dither and delay".

Corbyn meanwhile has sought to shift attention to the impact of a decade of Conservative spending cuts, promising a swathe of nationalisations and huge investment in public services.

Labour&nbsp;has attacked the wealthy elites, and sought to link them to Johnson's Tories.

The party claimed Tuesday that 48 of Britain's 151 billionaires have donated more than £50 million to the Tories since 2005,&nbsp;10 of them giving money since Johnson became&nbsp;leader.

Finance spokesman John McDonnell said that having that much money was "obscene", adding: "We know whose side Boris Johnson is on,&nbsp;the billionaires, the bankers and big business."

Johnson warns that&nbsp;Labour&nbsp;would cripple the economy,&nbsp;although he also has his own big spending plans, with more money for hospitals, schools and police, as well as infrastructure including broadband.

The two leaders will answer questions submitted by viewers in front of a live audience, a format that had been challenged by smaller parties.

The Scottish National Party and the Liberal Democrats went to court to protest their exclusion from the&nbsp;debate, but the High Court rejected their case on Monday.

Although the next prime minister is almost certainly going to be either Johnson or Corbyn, the role of smaller parties could be crucial.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boris-johnsons-election-campaign-launch-marred-by-gaffe-resignation-doctored-video-260463">The Conservatives</a> failed to win a majority of MPs in 2017, forcing them to agree an alliance with Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

Their arrangement collapsed over rows over Brexit, leaving Johnson without the support he needed to get his EU exit deal ratified by parliament.

This time, he has faced a challenge from Nigel Farage's hardline Brexit Party, although it has agreed not to field candidates in Tory-held seats.

Labour&nbsp;meanwhile is languishing so far behind the Conservatives that polling expert John Curtice, from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, has suggested it has almost zero chance of winning a majority.

But he noted Corbyn could still take power at the head of a loose coalition involving the SNP and Lib Dems, both of whom strongly oppose Brexit.

Britain's Boris Johnson and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn go head-to-head Tuesday in their first TV debate of the election campaign, facing scrutiny over their plans for Brexit and more public spending.

Britain's Boris Johnson and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn go head-to-head Tuesday in their first TV debate of the election campaign, facing scrutiny over their plans for Brexit and more public spending. Johnson, who took over as the leader of the governing Conservatives in July, has held a double-digit lead over Labour in opinion polls for weeks, making the December 12 election his to lose. Corbyn meanwhile is seeking to repeat the success of the last campaign in 2017, when his promise to end austerity and deliver change "for the many, not the few" fired up voters and denied the Tories an outright win. The two men have sparred only a handful of times in parliament, making the prime-time debate, broadcast on ITV television at 8:00 pm (2000 GMT), a rare opportunity to see how they engage up close. Both sides will also be hoping the hour-long clash could put the boosters on what has so far been a slow-burning election campaign. Johnson fired the starting gun with a letter to Corbyn overnight questioning his plans for Britain's looming departure from the European Union. The Conservatives are campaigning on a pledge to "get Brexit done", promising to end years of political disagreements and several delays by leaving the EU on January 31. Corbyn has promised to renegotiate Johnson's exit deal and hold another referendum, appealing to around half of voters who still oppose the shock result of the first 2016 vote for Brexit. But the Labour leader has yet to say how he would campaign in that vote, and Johnson warned in his letter that he offered only more "dither and delay". Corbyn meanwhile has sought to shift attention to the impact of a decade of Conservative spending cuts, promising a swathe of nationalisations and huge investment in public services. Labour has attacked the wealthy elites, and sought to link them to Johnson's Tories. The party claimed Tuesday that 48 of Britain's 151 billionaires have donated more than £50 million to the Tories since 2005, 10 of them giving money since Johnson became leader. Finance spokesman John McDonnell said that having that much money was "obscene", adding: "We know whose side Boris Johnson is on, the billionaires, the bankers and big business." Johnson warns that Labour would cripple the economy, although he also has his own big spending plans, with more money for hospitals, schools and police, as well as infrastructure including broadband. The two leaders will answer questions submitted by viewers in front of a live audience, a format that had been challenged by smaller parties. The Scottish National Party and the Liberal Democrats went to court to protest their exclusion from the debate, but the High Court rejected their case on Monday. Although the next prime minister is almost certainly going to be either Johnson or Corbyn, the role of smaller parties could be crucial. The Conservatives failed to win a majority of MPs in 2017, forcing them to agree an alliance with Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). Their arrangement collapsed over rows over Brexit, leaving Johnson without the support he needed to get his EU exit deal ratified by parliament. This time, he has faced a challenge from Nigel Farage's hardline Brexit Party, although it has agreed not to field candidates in Tory-held seats. Labour meanwhile is languishing so far behind the Conservatives that polling expert John Curtice, from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, has suggested it has almost zero chance of winning a majority. But he noted Corbyn could still take power at the head of a loose coalition involving the SNP and Lib Dems, both of whom strongly oppose Brexit.

UK PM Boris Johnson, Labour leader face off in first election debate

Britain's main opposition Labour party on Friday promised free, fast broadband internet for everyone, in the most eye-catching of a series of big spending pledges ahead of next month's election.

Labour said it would bring the parts of telecoms giant BT that deal with broadband into public ownership, as part of a sweeping programme of nationalisations.

"The internet has become such a central part of our lives. It opens up opportunities for work, creativity, entertainment and friendship," said Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

"What was once a luxury is now an essential utility."

"That's why full-fibre broadband must be a public service, bringing communities together, with equal access, in an inclusive and connected society."

Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson has previously promised to deliver high-speed broadband to all households by 2025 via the private sector.

He condemned Labour's plan as "slightly fantastical" saying it would cost "many tens of billions" of taxpayers' money.

Lobby group TechUK said the move was "fundamentally misguided" and would spell "disaster" for the telecoms industry and the fast-growing digital sector.

"Renationalisation would immediately halt the investment being driven not just by BT but the growing number of new and innovative companies that compete with BT," said chief executive Julian David.

But Labour's finance chief, John McDonnell, accused BT of diverting billions of pounds of profits to shareholders since it was privatised in 1984, saying his plan would lead to long-term investment.

Very ambitious

Labour proposes to privatise BT's Openreach, which runs almost all of Britain's existing digital network, and other elements of the firm to create a new public entity, British Broadband.

But BT, whose shares fell 3.7 per cent on the news before rebounding, warned that Labour had underestimated the cost of its proposal of full, free coverage by 2030.

Labour foresees a one-off cost to establish the network of £20.3 billion (23.7 billion euros, $26.1 billion), part of a previously announced £250 billion fund.

The cost of privatising the relevant parts of BT would be set by parliament and paid for by swapping bonds for shares, Labour said.

Meanwhile, it said a new tax on global digital companies such as Amazon, Facebook and Google would "more than" cover annual maintenance costs of around £230 million.

But BT chief executive Philip Jansen said Labour's goal was "very, very ambitious", telling the BBC that building the network alone could cost £30 to 40 billion.&nbsp;

There would be further costs associated with staff pensions, while Openreach currently has a revenue of £5 billion a year, he said.

Johnson has already committed £5 billion to boost coverage and 5G networks in the hardest to reach areas.

Boosting productivity

The pledge is the most radical so far in the campaign for the December 12 election, which has been dominated by Britain's looming exit from the EU but also by promises to end a decade of austerity measures.

Labour wants to nationalise the water, railways and mail delivery companies, and invest hundreds of billions of pounds in infrastructure and public services.

Johnson's Conservatives, who were responsible for the belt-tightening measures since 2010, have also promised big investments but not on the same scale.

Improving broadband coverage and speeds has become a priority for both parties in a bid to improve productivity, particularly in rural areas.

Only eight per cent of UK premises are connected to full-fibre broadband, compared to 97 per cent in Japan and 98 per cent in South Korea, Labour says.

It claims that by allowing fast, the comprehensive network could boost productivity by £59 billion by 2025.

Britain's main opposition Labour party on Friday promised free, fast broadband internet for everyone, in the most eye-catching of a series of big spending pledges ahead of next month's election.

Britain's main opposition Labour party on Friday promised free, fast broadband internet for everyone, in the most eye-catching of a series of big spending pledges ahead of next month's election. Labour said it would bring the parts of telecoms giant BT that deal with broadband into public ownership, as part of a sweeping programme of nationalisations. "The internet has become such a central part of our lives. It opens up opportunities for work, creativity, entertainment and friendship," said Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. "What was once a luxury is now an essential utility." "That's why full-fibre broadband must be a public service, bringing communities together, with equal access, in an inclusive and connected society." Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson has previously promised to deliver high-speed broadband to all households by 2025 via the private sector. He condemned Labour's plan as "slightly fantastical" saying it would cost "many tens of billions" of taxpayers' money. Lobby group TechUK said the move was "fundamentally misguided" and would spell "disaster" for the telecoms industry and the fast-growing digital sector. "Renationalisation would immediately halt the investment being driven not just by BT but the growing number of new and innovative companies that compete with BT," said chief executive Julian David. But Labour's finance chief, John McDonnell, accused BT of diverting billions of pounds of profits to shareholders since it was privatised in 1984, saying his plan would lead to long-term investment. Very ambitious Labour proposes to privatise BT's Openreach, which runs almost all of Britain's existing digital network, and other elements of the firm to create a new public entity, British Broadband. But BT, whose shares fell 3.7 per cent on the news before rebounding, warned that Labour had underestimated the cost of its proposal of full, free coverage by 2030. Labour foresees a one-off cost to establish the network of £20.3 billion (23.7 billion euros, $26.1 billion), part of a previously announced £250 billion fund. The cost of privatising the relevant parts of BT would be set by parliament and paid for by swapping bonds for shares, Labour said. Meanwhile, it said a new tax on global digital companies such as Amazon, Facebook and Google would "more than" cover annual maintenance costs of around £230 million. But BT chief executive Philip Jansen said Labour's goal was "very, very ambitious", telling the BBC that building the network alone could cost £30 to 40 billion. There would be further costs associated with staff pensions, while Openreach currently has a revenue of £5 billion a year, he said. Johnson has already committed £5 billion to boost coverage and 5G networks in the hardest to reach areas. Boosting productivity The pledge is the most radical so far in the campaign for the December 12 election, which has been dominated by Britain's looming exit from the EU but also by promises to end a decade of austerity measures. Labour wants to nationalise the water, railways and mail delivery companies, and invest hundreds of billions of pounds in infrastructure and public services. Johnson's Conservatives, who were responsible for the belt-tightening measures since 2010, have also promised big investments but not on the same scale. Improving broadband coverage and speeds has become a priority for both parties in a bid to improve productivity, particularly in rural areas. Only eight per cent of UK premises are connected to full-fibre broadband, compared to 97 per cent in Japan and 98 per cent in South Korea, Labour says. It claims that by allowing fast, the comprehensive network could boost productivity by £59 billion by 2025.

In election pledge, UK Labour promises free broadband for all

Hackers hit Britain's two main political parties with back-to-back cyberattacks on Tuesday, sources told Reuters, attempting to force political websites offline with a flood of malicious traffic just weeks ahead of a national election.

The attacks come after Britain's security agencies have warned that Russia and other countries may attempt to disrupt the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-set-for-third-election-in-four-years-to-try-to-break-brexit-gridlock-258692">December&nbsp;12 vote</a> with cyberattacks or divisive political messages on social media, a charge Moscow denies.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-labour-party-targeted-in-large-scale-cyber-attack-261584">opposition Labour Party</a> said on Tuesday morning it had "experienced a sophisticated and large-scale cyberattack on Labour digital platforms," but that the attack was repelled and no data was compromised.

Just hours later, the party's website and other online services came under a second digital bombardment, followed by a third attack on the website of the governing Conservative Party shortly before 1600 GMT, according to two people with knowledge of the matter and documents seen by Reuters.

The sources said there was currently nothing to link the attacks on either party to a foreign state.

One of sources said the attack on the Conservatives was larger and appeared to be conducted by different hackers, but did not take down any party websites.

Asked about the second attack, a Labour spokesman said: "We have ongoing security processes in place to protect our platforms, so users may be experiencing some differences. We are dealing with this quickly and efficiently."

A Conservative Party spokeswoman had no immediate comment and said she was unaware of the attack.

Britain goes to the polls on December&nbsp;12 in an election called by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to try to break the Brexit deadlock in parliament more than three years since the country voted to leave the European Union.

The country's National Cyber Security Centre, part of the GCHQ signals intelligence agency, said the first attack on Labour was a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack - a technique used by hackers to take down websites by overwhelming them with traffic.

The sources said the same technique had been used in the subsequent attacks against Labour and the Conservatives.

"DDoS attacks are a common form of attack used by a very wide range of attackers. Mitigation techniques are available and worked in this case," a NCSC spokesman said.

The nature of such attacks often makes it difficult to attribute responsibility to any particular group, he said.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the first attack on his party was successfully repelled by the party's defence systems when the digital assault began on Monday.

"But if this is a sign of things to come in this election, I feel very nervous about it all," he said. "Because a cyberattack against a political party in an election is suspicious and something one is very worried about."

Hackers hit Britain's two main political parties with back-to-back cyberattacks on Tuesday, sources told Reuters, attempting to force political websites offline with a flood of malicious traffic just weeks ahead of a national election.

Hackers hit Britain's two main political parties with back-to-back cyberattacks on Tuesday, sources told Reuters, attempting to force political websites offline with a flood of malicious traffic just weeks ahead of a national election. The attacks come after Britain's security agencies have warned that Russia and other countries may attempt to disrupt the December 12 vote with cyberattacks or divisive political messages on social media, a charge Moscow denies. The opposition Labour Party said on Tuesday morning it had "experienced a sophisticated and large-scale cyberattack on Labour digital platforms," but that the attack was repelled and no data was compromised. Just hours later, the party's website and other online services came under a second digital bombardment, followed by a third attack on the website of the governing Conservative Party shortly before 1600 GMT, according to two people with knowledge of the matter and documents seen by Reuters. The sources said there was currently nothing to link the attacks on either party to a foreign state. One of sources said the attack on the Conservatives was larger and appeared to be conducted by different hackers, but did not take down any party websites. Asked about the second attack, a Labour spokesman said: "We have ongoing security processes in place to protect our platforms, so users may be experiencing some differences. We are dealing with this quickly and efficiently." A Conservative Party spokeswoman had no immediate comment and said she was unaware of the attack. Britain goes to the polls on December 12 in an election called by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to try to break the Brexit deadlock in parliament more than three years since the country voted to leave the European Union. The country's National Cyber Security Centre, part of the GCHQ signals intelligence agency, said the first attack on Labour was a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack - a technique used by hackers to take down websites by overwhelming them with traffic. The sources said the same technique had been used in the subsequent attacks against Labour and the Conservatives. "DDoS attacks are a common form of attack used by a very wide range of attackers. Mitigation techniques are available and worked in this case," a NCSC spokesman said. The nature of such attacks often makes it difficult to attribute responsibility to any particular group, he said. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the first attack on his party was successfully repelled by the party's defence systems when the digital assault began on Monday. "But if this is a sign of things to come in this election, I feel very nervous about it all," he said. "Because a cyberattack against a political party in an election is suspicious and something one is very worried about."

Hackers hit UK political parties with cyber attacks

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Britain's opposition Labour Party said on Tuesday it was subject to a large-scale cyberattack on its digital platforms but that it was confident no data breach occurred just weeks before a national election.

A spokesman for the party said Labour had reported the attack to the National Cyber Security Centre and that while the attack had "slowed down some of our campaign activities", they had been restored earlier on Tuesday.

Britain's security services have warned about the risk of cyber-attacks by Russia and other countries, including during elections, when both the country's main parties launch online campaigns to target their messages to the voting public.

"We have experienced a sophisticated and large scale cyber attack on Labour digital platforms," the spokesman said in a statement.

"We took swift action and these attempts failed due to our robust security systems. The integrity of all our platforms was maintained and we are confident that no data breach occurred."

Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre, part of the country's GCHQ signals intelligence agency, was not immediately available for comment.

Britain goes to the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-set-for-third-election-in-four-years-to-try-to-break-brexit-gridlock-258692">polls on December&nbsp;12</a> in an election called by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to try to break the Brexit deadlock in parliament, more than three years since the country voted to leave the European Union.

Britain's opposition Labour Party said on Tuesday it was subject to a large-scale cyberattack on its digital platforms but that it was confident no data breach occurred just weeks before a national election.

Britain's opposition Labour Party said on Tuesday it was subject to a large-scale cyberattack on its digital platforms but that it was confident no data breach occurred just weeks before a national election. A spokesman for the party said Labour had reported the attack to the National Cyber Security Centre and that while the attack had "slowed down some of our campaign activities", they had been restored earlier on Tuesday. Britain's security services have warned about the risk of cyber-attacks by Russia and other countries, including during elections, when both the country's main parties launch online campaigns to target their messages to the voting public. "We have experienced a sophisticated and large scale cyber attack on Labour digital platforms," the spokesman said in a statement. "We took swift action and these attempts failed due to our robust security systems. The integrity of all our platforms was maintained and we are confident that no data breach occurred." Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre, part of the country's GCHQ signals intelligence agency, was not immediately available for comment. Britain goes to the polls on December 12 in an election called by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to try to break the Brexit deadlock in parliament, more than three years since the country voted to leave the European Union.

UK Labour Party targeted in large-scale cyber attack

Britain's longest-serving Indian-origin MP Keith Vaz announced his retirement from the parliament on Sunday, weeks after Commons Standards Committee recommended he should be handed a six-month suspension over cocaine and prostitute scandal.

The 62-year-old was found to have "expressed a willingness" to purchase cocaine for others during an encounter with male prostitutes. Subsequently, he had faced calls to step down, including his own party.

A Labour MP for Leicester East from the past 32 years, Vaz announced his retirement, clearing he will not stand in the next month's General Elections, reported the Independent.

"I have decided to retire after completing 32 years as the Member of Parliament for Leicester East," Vaz said in a statement. "In that time I have won eight general elections. It has been an honour and a privilege to serve my constituency since I came to the city in 1985." "I want to thank the people of Leicester East for their absolute loyalty and support," he added.

Reacting to Vaz's announcement, Labour party leader <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boris-johnson-presses-election-rival-jeremy-corbyn-to-explain-brexit-stance-260104">Jeremy Corbyn</a> described him as "among the pioneering group of black and Asian Labour MPs elected in 1987."

"Keith has made a substantial and significant contribution to public life, both as a constituency MP for the people of Leicester and for the Asian community across the country. He has helped to pave the way for more BAME people to become involved in politics," Corbyn said.

Vaz's resignation comes after the standards committee found he "caused significant damage to the reputation and integrity of the House of Commons".

Britain's longest-serving Indian-origin MP Keith Vaz announced his retirement from the parliament on Sunday, weeks after Commons Standards Committee recommended he should be handed a six-month suspension over cocaine and prostitute scandal.

Britain's longest-serving Indian-origin MP Keith Vaz announced his retirement from the parliament on Sunday, weeks after Commons Standards Committee recommended he should be handed a six-month suspension over cocaine and prostitute scandal. The 62-year-old was found to have "expressed a willingness" to purchase cocaine for others during an encounter with male prostitutes. Subsequently, he had faced calls to step down, including his own party. A Labour MP for Leicester East from the past 32 years, Vaz announced his retirement, clearing he will not stand in the next month's General Elections, reported the Independent. "I have decided to retire after completing 32 years as the Member of Parliament for Leicester East," Vaz said in a statement. "In that time I have won eight general elections. It has been an honour and a privilege to serve my constituency since I came to the city in 1985." "I want to thank the people of Leicester East for their absolute loyalty and support," he added. Reacting to Vaz's announcement, Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn described him as "among the pioneering group of black and Asian Labour MPs elected in 1987." "Keith has made a substantial and significant contribution to public life, both as a constituency MP for the people of Leicester and for the Asian community across the country. He has helped to pave the way for more BAME people to become involved in politics," Corbyn said. Vaz's resignation comes after the standards committee found he "caused significant damage to the reputation and integrity of the House of Commons".

Longest-serving British Indian MP announces retirement

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