Nominations closed on Sunday in the race to replace Nigel Farage as leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), who stood down after achieving his life&#39;s mission of Brexit. 
 
But the process was plunged into confusion after the front-runner Steven Woolfe failed to submit his nomination before the deadline. 
 
Farage and the rise of UKIP, an anti-EU, anti-mass immigration party with Brexit as its founding tenet, played a key role in the campaign for a referendum on Britain&#39;s membership of the European Union. 
 
Farage, who first became UKIP leader in 2006, stepped down after the June 23 vote to leave the EU, saying his &quot;I want my country back&quot; mantra was now &quot;I want my life back&quot;. 
 
Bookmakers have the party&#39;s immigration spokesman Woolfe as the front-runner -- though he missed the nomination deadline due to claimed technical problems. 
 
Candidate list to be announced tomorrow&nbsp; 
 
The candidate list will be announced tomorrow following a vetting procedure. 
 
&quot;Nominations have been received. Vetting will take place over the next few days. It must be understood that UKIP cannot comment on the process,&quot; a party spokesman said in a statement. 
 
Woolfe submitted his application 25 minutes before the deadline, but due to technical problems, it did not go through until 17 minutes after the cut-off. 
 
Woolfe told party officials he was having difficulties. 
 
&quot;These problems were resolved and the paperwork submitted,&quot; a spokesman said. 
 
European Parliament members Bill Etheridge and Jonathan Arnott have also declared their interest in the leadership, as has local councillor Lisa Duffy and party executive committee member Elizabeth Jones. 
 
Changes made in July ruled out several possible candidates, including the party&#39;s only MP Douglas Carswell and former MP Mark Reckless. 
 
UKIP scored the third-highest number of votes in the 2015 general election, taking 12.7 per cent of the vote, but only won one constituency. 
 
(AFP)

Process plunged into confusion when front-runner Steven Woolfe failed to submit his nomination before deadline due to technical problem

Nominations closed on Sunday in the race to replace Nigel Farage as leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), who stood down after achieving his life's mission of Brexit. But the process was plunged into confusion after the front-runner Steven Woolfe failed to submit his nomination before the deadline. Farage and the rise of UKIP, an anti-EU, anti-mass immigration party with Brexit as its founding tenet, played a key role in the campaign for a referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union. Farage, who first became UKIP leader in 2006, stepped down after the June 23 vote to leave the EU, saying his "I want my country back" mantra was now "I want my life back". Bookmakers have the party's immigration spokesman Woolfe as the front-runner -- though he missed the nomination deadline due to claimed technical problems. Candidate list to be announced tomorrow The candidate list will be announced tomorrow following a vetting procedure. "Nominations have been received. Vetting will take place over the next few days. It must be understood that UKIP cannot comment on the process," a party spokesman said in a statement. Woolfe submitted his application 25 minutes before the deadline, but due to technical problems, it did not go through until 17 minutes after the cut-off. Woolfe told party officials he was having difficulties. "These problems were resolved and the paperwork submitted," a spokesman said. European Parliament members Bill Etheridge and Jonathan Arnott have also declared their interest in the leadership, as has local councillor Lisa Duffy and party executive committee member Elizabeth Jones. Changes made in July ruled out several possible candidates, including the party's only MP Douglas Carswell and former MP Mark Reckless. UKIP scored the third-highest number of votes in the 2015 general election, taking 12.7 per cent of the vote, but only won one constituency. (AFP)

UK Independence Party leadership race: Commotion ensues as nominations close

Scotland Yard warned yesterday that a terror attack in the UK is a case of &quot;when&quot; rather than &quot;if&quot; and the current threat level of &quot;severe&quot; in the country meant an attack was imminent. 
 
&quot;I feel and understand that fear, and as the police officer in charge of preventing such an attack I know you want me to reassure you. I am afraid I cannot do that entirely. Our threat level has been at &quot;severe&quot; for two years. It remains there. It means an attack is highly likely; you could say it is a case of when, not if,&quot; Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the chief of Metropolitan Police said. 
 
The warning by Britain&#39;s top police chief came as &#39;The Sunday Times&#39; quoted a senior intelligence source as saying that at least four active terror plots in Britain are being investigated by police and security services. 
 
&quot;There&#39;s four or five cases where there is a sense of a plot, where they are planning and plotting and intending to commit an act of terrorism rather than just being extremists,&quot; the source told the newspaper. 
 
Last week Ben Wallace, the UK&#39;s new security minister, held talks with retail bosses and operators of sporting venues to review security at stadiums and shopping centres. 
 
&quot;In light of events in Germany and France, the government is keen to ensure that shopping centres and sports stadiums where there are large crowds are getting the support they require,&quot; said Wallace. 
 
Another intelligence source said that Islamic State militants were increasingly going after &quot;softer targets&quot;, as well as seeking to recruit people with mental health problems. 
 
&quot;Unbalanced people, mentally ill people, people with particularly violent or anti-societal or sociopathic tendencies are being recruited as foot soldiers; and then that is playing itself out in the most innocent and unassuming targets, such as the street crowds on Bastille Day in Nice,&quot; the source said. 
 
A current review by the UK&#39;s National Police Chiefs&#39; Council is expected to redeploy firearms officers from rural areas of the UK to major cities deemed to be at greater threat of terrorism. 
 
The review, which started in March when Theresa May was home secretary and is now being overseen by her successor Amber Rudd, is expected to report in October. 
 
(PTI)

The warning came after 'The Sunday Times' quoted a senior intelligence source saying four active terror plots are under investigation

Scotland Yard warned yesterday that a terror attack in the UK is a case of "when" rather than "if" and the current threat level of "severe" in the country meant an attack was imminent. "I feel and understand that fear, and as the police officer in charge of preventing such an attack I know you want me to reassure you. I am afraid I cannot do that entirely. Our threat level has been at "severe" for two years. It remains there. It means an attack is highly likely; you could say it is a case of when, not if," Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the chief of Metropolitan Police said. The warning by Britain's top police chief came as 'The Sunday Times' quoted a senior intelligence source as saying that at least four active terror plots in Britain are being investigated by police and security services. "There's four or five cases where there is a sense of a plot, where they are planning and plotting and intending to commit an act of terrorism rather than just being extremists," the source told the newspaper. Last week Ben Wallace, the UK's new security minister, held talks with retail bosses and operators of sporting venues to review security at stadiums and shopping centres. "In light of events in Germany and France, the government is keen to ensure that shopping centres and sports stadiums where there are large crowds are getting the support they require," said Wallace. Another intelligence source said that Islamic State militants were increasingly going after "softer targets", as well as seeking to recruit people with mental health problems. "Unbalanced people, mentally ill people, people with particularly violent or anti-societal or sociopathic tendencies are being recruited as foot soldiers; and then that is playing itself out in the most innocent and unassuming targets, such as the street crowds on Bastille Day in Nice," the source said. A current review by the UK's National Police Chiefs' Council is expected to redeploy firearms officers from rural areas of the UK to major cities deemed to be at greater threat of terrorism. The review, which started in March when Theresa May was home secretary and is now being overseen by her successor Amber Rudd, is expected to report in October. (PTI)

Terror attack in UK imminent: Scotland Yard

The husband of a British woman who was killed in Pakistan has called for the UK and Pakistani governments to ensure his wife received justice, as he sought to keep the spotlight on so-called &quot;honour&quot; killings. 
 
Mukhtar Kazam presented at an emotional press conference a copy of the post-mortem report into his wife Samia Shahid`s death, seen by AFP, which said the 28-year-old had marks on her neck, and suggested she had been strangled. 
 
Kazam has branded her death an &quot;honour killing&quot;, a near daily occurrence in Pakistan in which a relative is murdered by another for bringing the family &quot;dishonour&quot;. 
 
The practice was dragged into the international spotlight earlier this month with the killing of Qandeel Baloch, a polarising Pakistani social media star.&nbsp; 
 
Brother confesses to murder, calls sister&#39;s behaviour &#39;intolerable&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Shahid&#39;s brother has confessed to the murder, saying his sister`s behaviour had been &quot;intolerable&quot;. Kazam sought to keep international attention on &quot;honour&quot; killings when he spoke to media assembled in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, close to the capital Islamabad, Thursday. 
 
&quot;I request the British and Pakistani governments to conduct a fair trial,&quot; he said.&nbsp; 
 
Kazam and Samia, who was a dual British-Pakistani citizen, had been married for two years and were living in Dubai, police told AFP, adding that it was Shahid&#39;s second marriage. 
? 
Kazam is Pakistani, an officer told AFP. Police had initially said that he also was British-Pakistani. 
 
Kazam said his wife converted to Shia Islam, his sect, before their wedding, which had irked her parents.&nbsp; 
 
In a complaint to police, he has claimed she was murdered during a visit to her family in their village in Punjab province on July 20. 
&nbsp; 
Shahid`s father has denied the charges and said he did not want an investigation, claiming his daughter died of natural causes.&nbsp; 
 
Police told AFP that Shahid`s first husband, Mohammad Shakeel, is being investigated in the murder but received pre-arrest bail on Thursday.&nbsp; 
 
Her parents and a cousin are also being investigated, said Jhelum district police chief Mujahid Akbar.&nbsp; 
 
Special committee formed to investigate into murder&nbsp; 
 
The chief minister of Punjab province, Shahbaz Sharif, brother to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has formed a special committee that is also tasked with investigating the murder, a senior government official told AFP. 
 
The victims of &quot;honour&quot; killings are overwhelmingly women, with hundreds killed each year.&nbsp; 
 
They have long polarised Pakistan, with progressives calling for tough legislation against them and conservatives resisting.&nbsp; 
But the murder of Qandeel Baloch appears to have spurred politicians to take action.&nbsp; 
 
Last week, the law minister announced that bills aimed at tackling loopholes that facilitate &quot;honour&quot; killings would soon be voted on by parliament. 
 
Rights groups and politicians have for years called for tougher laws to tackle perpetrators of violence against women in Pakistan.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

Mukhtar Kazam, Samia's husband, said the 28-year-old had marks on her neck suggesting she had been strangled

The husband of a British woman who was killed in Pakistan has called for the UK and Pakistani governments to ensure his wife received justice, as he sought to keep the spotlight on so-called "honour" killings. Mukhtar Kazam presented at an emotional press conference a copy of the post-mortem report into his wife Samia Shahid`s death, seen by AFP, which said the 28-year-old had marks on her neck, and suggested she had been strangled. Kazam has branded her death an "honour killing", a near daily occurrence in Pakistan in which a relative is murdered by another for bringing the family "dishonour". The practice was dragged into the international spotlight earlier this month with the killing of Qandeel Baloch, a polarising Pakistani social media star. Brother confesses to murder, calls sister's behaviour 'intolerable' Shahid's brother has confessed to the murder, saying his sister`s behaviour had been "intolerable". Kazam sought to keep international attention on "honour" killings when he spoke to media assembled in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, close to the capital Islamabad, Thursday. "I request the British and Pakistani governments to conduct a fair trial," he said. Kazam and Samia, who was a dual British-Pakistani citizen, had been married for two years and were living in Dubai, police told AFP, adding that it was Shahid's second marriage. ? Kazam is Pakistani, an officer told AFP. Police had initially said that he also was British-Pakistani. Kazam said his wife converted to Shia Islam, his sect, before their wedding, which had irked her parents. In a complaint to police, he has claimed she was murdered during a visit to her family in their village in Punjab province on July 20. Shahid`s father has denied the charges and said he did not want an investigation, claiming his daughter died of natural causes. Police told AFP that Shahid`s first husband, Mohammad Shakeel, is being investigated in the murder but received pre-arrest bail on Thursday. Her parents and a cousin are also being investigated, said Jhelum district police chief Mujahid Akbar. Special committee formed to investigate into murder The chief minister of Punjab province, Shahbaz Sharif, brother to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has formed a special committee that is also tasked with investigating the murder, a senior government official told AFP. The victims of "honour" killings are overwhelmingly women, with hundreds killed each year. They have long polarised Pakistan, with progressives calling for tough legislation against them and conservatives resisting. But the murder of Qandeel Baloch appears to have spurred politicians to take action. Last week, the law minister announced that bills aimed at tackling loopholes that facilitate "honour" killings would soon be voted on by parliament. Rights groups and politicians have for years called for tougher laws to tackle perpetrators of violence against women in Pakistan. (AFP)

Husband of UK woman killed for 'honour' in Pakistan calls for justice

Estonia will take over the rotating EU presidency from Britain in late 2017 after London pulled out to focus on negotiations to leave the bloc, the 28 members of the union said yesterday. 
 
In the first major step towards Brexit after last month&#39;s shock referendum result, Prime Minister Theresa May announced that Britain would no longer take up its scheduled six-month stint next July. 
 
Ambassadors of the 28 member states had reached a &quot;broad agreement&quot; on July 20 to bring forward Estonia&#39;s presidency by six months to take Britain&#39;s place, a spokesman for European Council president Donald Tusk said last week. 
 
A statement on yesterday said that decision was formalised. 
 
Croatia, which in 2013 became the latest state to join the EU, will take over the presidency in the first semester of 2020, the members&#39; statement added. 
 
Slovakia currently holds the presidency and will be followed by Malta in the first half of 2017. 
 
(AFP)

Britain will not take up its scheduled six-month term next July. Estonia will take control over the rotating presidency in late 2017

Estonia will take over the rotating EU presidency from Britain in late 2017 after London pulled out to focus on negotiations to leave the bloc, the 28 members of the union said yesterday. In the first major step towards Brexit after last month's shock referendum result, Prime Minister Theresa May announced that Britain would no longer take up its scheduled six-month stint next July. Ambassadors of the 28 member states had reached a "broad agreement" on July 20 to bring forward Estonia's presidency by six months to take Britain's place, a spokesman for European Council president Donald Tusk said last week. A statement on yesterday said that decision was formalised. Croatia, which in 2013 became the latest state to join the EU, will take over the presidency in the first semester of 2020, the members' statement added. Slovakia currently holds the presidency and will be followed by Malta in the first half of 2017. (AFP)

Estonia to take over EU presidency from UK

Britain will need months of preparation before Brexit talks can start, European Union Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said today, chiding the government in London for not preparing better for the possibility of a &#39;Leave&#39; vote. 
 
Juncker, who also confirmed Britain would lose unrestricted access to the internal European Union market if it did not accept free movement of workers, said his preference would have been for Brexit talks to start as soon as possible. 
 
&quot;(But) this is not the case. The British government needs several months to fine-tune its position,&quot; Juncker told France 2 television. 
 
New British Prime Minister Theresa May told Juncker in mid-July that Britain hoped to hold positive talks with the EU following the result of the June 23 referendum, but needed time to prepare for the negotiations. 
 
Juncker said there was no deadline, since article 50 of the EU treaty, which specifies the exit procedures, could only be activated by Britain. 
 
&quot;I would have preferred the UK presents us its letter of resignation, so to speak, as soon as possible, as I had thought that the British, especially those who wanted to leave the EU, would have prepared for this possibility,&quot; Juncker said. 
 
He said the EU would not grant tariff-free access to the internal market for UK goods and services if Britain did not accept free movement of workers from within the EU. 
 
&quot;There will be no access to the internal market for those who do not accept the rules, without exception or nuance, that make up the very nature of the internal market system,&quot; Juncker said. 
 
French President Francois Hollande has warned that Britain would lose free EU market access and that the City of London would no longer be able to act as a clearing house in euros, if the UK stopped free movement of workers from Europe. 
 
Asked about Boris Johnson&#39;s comparison of the EU&#39;s aims to unify Europe to those of Adolf Hitler, made before Johnson&#39;s appointment as foreign minister while he was campaigning for the &#39;Leave&#39; camp, Juncker said he was looking forward to meeting him. 
 
&quot;He may notice then that the difference between Hitler and me is more than a matter of nuance,&quot; Juncker said. 
 
(Reuters)

Juncker confirmed Britain would lose tariff-free access to the internal European Union market if it did not accept free movement of workers

Britain will need months of preparation before Brexit talks can start, European Union Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said today, chiding the government in London for not preparing better for the possibility of a 'Leave' vote. Juncker, who also confirmed Britain would lose unrestricted access to the internal European Union market if it did not accept free movement of workers, said his preference would have been for Brexit talks to start as soon as possible. "(But) this is not the case. The British government needs several months to fine-tune its position," Juncker told France 2 television. New British Prime Minister Theresa May told Juncker in mid-July that Britain hoped to hold positive talks with the EU following the result of the June 23 referendum, but needed time to prepare for the negotiations. Juncker said there was no deadline, since article 50 of the EU treaty, which specifies the exit procedures, could only be activated by Britain. "I would have preferred the UK presents us its letter of resignation, so to speak, as soon as possible, as I had thought that the British, especially those who wanted to leave the EU, would have prepared for this possibility," Juncker said. He said the EU would not grant tariff-free access to the internal market for UK goods and services if Britain did not accept free movement of workers from within the EU. "There will be no access to the internal market for those who do not accept the rules, without exception or nuance, that make up the very nature of the internal market system," Juncker said. French President Francois Hollande has warned that Britain would lose free EU market access and that the City of London would no longer be able to act as a clearing house in euros, if the UK stopped free movement of workers from Europe. Asked about Boris Johnson's comparison of the EU's aims to unify Europe to those of Adolf Hitler, made before Johnson's appointment as foreign minister while he was campaigning for the 'Leave' camp, Juncker said he was looking forward to meeting him. "He may notice then that the difference between Hitler and me is more than a matter of nuance," Juncker said. (Reuters)

EU president Juncker: No deadline for start of Brexit talks

British police said today there had been almost 6,200 hate crimes reported in the last month following the vote to leave the European Union in a referendum where immigration had been a key issue. In the four weeks from June 16, police forces across the country said 6,193 offences had been reported, with the most common crimes being harassment, assault and other violence such as verbal abuse or spitting. 
 
Britons voted on June 23 to exit the EU following bitter and deeply divisive campaigning in which the control of immigration was one of the main arguments of those who supported leaving the bloc. 
 
Since the result was declared, Muslims and Eastern Europeans say they have been particularly targeted. The latest figures showed there were 3001 offences in the first two weeks of July, down six per cent compared to the previous fortnight, but still 20 per cent higher than the same period last year.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Following increases in hate crime seen after the EU referendum, police forces have been taking a robust approach to these crimes and we are pleased to see the numbers of incidents have begun to fall,&quot; said Mark Hamilton, the National Police Chiefs&#39; Council spokesman on hate crimes. &quot;Clearly any hate crime is unacceptable and these numbers are still far too high.&quot; 
 
Critics of the &quot;Leave&quot; campaign say its focus on immigration helped stoke xenophobia and racism, an accusation its leaders reject. A week before the vote, opposition Labour lawmaker Jo Cox, a strong supporter of remaining in the EU, was shot and stabbed to death in her constituency in northern England. 
 
(Reuters)

Since the result was declared, Muslims and Eastern Europeans say they have been particularly targeted

British police said today there had been almost 6,200 hate crimes reported in the last month following the vote to leave the European Union in a referendum where immigration had been a key issue. In the four weeks from June 16, police forces across the country said 6,193 offences had been reported, with the most common crimes being harassment, assault and other violence such as verbal abuse or spitting. Britons voted on June 23 to exit the EU following bitter and deeply divisive campaigning in which the control of immigration was one of the main arguments of those who supported leaving the bloc. Since the result was declared, Muslims and Eastern Europeans say they have been particularly targeted. The latest figures showed there were 3001 offences in the first two weeks of July, down six per cent compared to the previous fortnight, but still 20 per cent higher than the same period last year. "Following increases in hate crime seen after the EU referendum, police forces have been taking a robust approach to these crimes and we are pleased to see the numbers of incidents have begun to fall," said Mark Hamilton, the National Police Chiefs' Council spokesman on hate crimes. "Clearly any hate crime is unacceptable and these numbers are still far too high." Critics of the "Leave" campaign say its focus on immigration helped stoke xenophobia and racism, an accusation its leaders reject. A week before the vote, opposition Labour lawmaker Jo Cox, a strong supporter of remaining in the EU, was shot and stabbed to death in her constituency in northern England. (Reuters)

UK police report almost 6,200 hate crimes in month after Brexit vote

Belgium is ready to take on Britain&#39;s rotating six-month EU presidency in 2017 after London announced it would drop out to focus on its Brexit negotiations, a Belgian official said Wednesday. 
 
&quot;Belgium is ready to take over this presidency if we are asked,&quot; foreign ministry spokesman Didier Vanderhasselt told AFP. 
 
A spokeswoman for British Prime Minister Theresa May said earlier Britain would no longer assume the EU presidency as planned in the second half of next year, as the government will &quot;be prioritising the negotiations to leave the European Union.&quot; 
 
The decision, reached in a phone call between May and EU Council President Donald Tusk on Tuesday evening, reflects the scale of the task facing Britain as it seeks to negotiate a new relationship with the EU after a June 23 public vote to leave. 
 
&quot;The Prime Minister suggested that the UK should relinquish the rotating Presidency of the Council, currently scheduled for the second half of 2017, noting that we would be prioritising the negotiations to leave the European Union,&quot; the spokeswoman said. 
 
A spokesman for Tusk said there had been no decision yet on who would take up the vacant slot, and that discussions on the issue would begin immediately between ambassadors. 
 
Belgium is among the EU nations that have been pushing strongest for Britain to trigger article 50 of the Lisbon treaty, which would set in motion the negotiations for the Brexit divorce proceedings. 
 
The presidency of the European Council -- the gathering of national ministers from the EU&#39;s 28 member states -- rotates among members every six months. 
 
Slovakia currently has the presidency, until December 31, to be followed by Malta. Britain was due to take it from July 1 until December 31, 2017. 
 
(AFP, Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Britain to give up its planned presidency of the European Council, due to start in July 2017, to focus on Brexit negotiations

Belgium is ready to take on Britain's rotating six-month EU presidency in 2017 after London announced it would drop out to focus on its Brexit negotiations, a Belgian official said Wednesday. "Belgium is ready to take over this presidency if we are asked," foreign ministry spokesman Didier Vanderhasselt told AFP. A spokeswoman for British Prime Minister Theresa May said earlier Britain would no longer assume the EU presidency as planned in the second half of next year, as the government will "be prioritising the negotiations to leave the European Union." The decision, reached in a phone call between May and EU Council President Donald Tusk on Tuesday evening, reflects the scale of the task facing Britain as it seeks to negotiate a new relationship with the EU after a June 23 public vote to leave. "The Prime Minister suggested that the UK should relinquish the rotating Presidency of the Council, currently scheduled for the second half of 2017, noting that we would be prioritising the negotiations to leave the European Union," the spokeswoman said. A spokesman for Tusk said there had been no decision yet on who would take up the vacant slot, and that discussions on the issue would begin immediately between ambassadors. Belgium is among the EU nations that have been pushing strongest for Britain to trigger article 50 of the Lisbon treaty, which would set in motion the negotiations for the Brexit divorce proceedings. The presidency of the European Council -- the gathering of national ministers from the EU's 28 member states -- rotates among members every six months. Slovakia currently has the presidency, until December 31, to be followed by Malta. Britain was due to take it from July 1 until December 31, 2017. (AFP, Reuters)

UK relinquishes planned presidency of European Council, Belgium ready to take over

An Uber driver told a British tribunal today he had earned less than the minimum wage, despite the firm saying he received nearly three times as much, in a case that could threaten the app&#39;s business model. 
 
Lawyers are representing two drivers at an employment tribunal, arguing that Uber is acting unlawfully by not offering rights such as holiday and sick pay. 
 
Uber, which allows users to book and pay for a taxi by smartphone, says its more than 30,000 London drivers enjoy the flexibility of being able to work when they choose and receive on average much more than the minimum wage. 
 
The case could hit Uber&#39;s reliance on using self-employed drivers. 
 
James Farrar, a driver with the firm since December 2014, said that last August he earned less than the 6.70 Pounds ($8.80) an hour for those aged 21 and older which was then the rate for the minimum wage in Britain. 
 
&quot;They claim that, based on the total number of hours logged into the app, I have been paid 13.77 Pounds on an average hourly basis,&quot; he wrote in a witness statement.&nbsp;&quot;I calculated my net earnings for August 2015 after the expenses I set off and they came to 5.03 Pounds an hour.&quot; 
 
Uber&#39;s lawyer David Reade said that Farrar had picked a month in which he had logged onto the app for the longest period of time, but cancelled or not accepted the most amount of jobs, thereby reducing his hourly pay. 
 
Most employees in Britain are entitled to the minimum wage, but the self-employed are among those who do not qualify.&nbsp;The issue of low pay and a lack of job security has sparked a public outcry in Britain in recent years, with firms such as sports retailer Sports Direct facing a backlash over their use of zero-hour contracts. 
 
Last year Uber, whose investors include Goldman Sachs and Alphabet Inc unit Google, said its drivers received average payments of 16 Pounds an hour in October after the firm&#39;s service fee. 
 
The former start-up has grown rapidly, and is valued at $62.5 billion but has faced protests, bans and restrictions in several cities, including in London where traditional black-cab drivers tried to have the app ruled illegal. 
 
The case is due to last until next Tuesday and a decision on whether Uber is acting unlawfully is unlikely to be given by the judge for several weeks. 
 
(Reuters)

Lawyers representing two drivers argued that Uber is acting unlawfully by not offering rights such as holiday and sick pay

An Uber driver told a British tribunal today he had earned less than the minimum wage, despite the firm saying he received nearly three times as much, in a case that could threaten the app's business model. Lawyers are representing two drivers at an employment tribunal, arguing that Uber is acting unlawfully by not offering rights such as holiday and sick pay. Uber, which allows users to book and pay for a taxi by smartphone, says its more than 30,000 London drivers enjoy the flexibility of being able to work when they choose and receive on average much more than the minimum wage. The case could hit Uber's reliance on using self-employed drivers. James Farrar, a driver with the firm since December 2014, said that last August he earned less than the 6.70 Pounds ($8.80) an hour for those aged 21 and older which was then the rate for the minimum wage in Britain. "They claim that, based on the total number of hours logged into the app, I have been paid 13.77 Pounds on an average hourly basis," he wrote in a witness statement. "I calculated my net earnings for August 2015 after the expenses I set off and they came to 5.03 Pounds an hour." Uber's lawyer David Reade said that Farrar had picked a month in which he had logged onto the app for the longest period of time, but cancelled or not accepted the most amount of jobs, thereby reducing his hourly pay. Most employees in Britain are entitled to the minimum wage, but the self-employed are among those who do not qualify. The issue of low pay and a lack of job security has sparked a public outcry in Britain in recent years, with firms such as sports retailer Sports Direct facing a backlash over their use of zero-hour contracts. Last year Uber, whose investors include Goldman Sachs and Alphabet Inc unit Google, said its drivers received average payments of 16 Pounds an hour in October after the firm's service fee. The former start-up has grown rapidly, and is valued at $62.5 billion but has faced protests, bans and restrictions in several cities, including in London where traditional black-cab drivers tried to have the app ruled illegal. The case is due to last until next Tuesday and a decision on whether Uber is acting unlawfully is unlikely to be given by the judge for several weeks. (Reuters)

Uber driver tells UK tribunal he earned less than minimal wage

Branding him a liar, a&nbsp;coward&nbsp;or a joker, Europe&#39;s political class greeted Eurosceptic Boris Johnson&#39;s appointment as Britain&#39;s foreign minister with a chorus of dismay on Thursday.

French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault eschewed the customary diplomatic niceties to ask how a man who had told lies as leader of the Leave campaign in last month&#39;s British EU referendum could be a credible interlocutor.

&quot;I am not at all worried about Boris Johnson, but ... during the campaign he lied a lot to the British people and now it is he who has his back to the wall,&quot; Ayrault told Europe 1 radio.

&quot;I need a partner with whom I can negotiate and who is clear, credible and reliable.&quot;

Johnson told reporters later he had received &quot;a charming letter&quot; from Ayrault saying how much he looked forward to working together and to deepening Anglo-French cooperation.

But he acknowledged: &quot;After a vote like the referendum result on June 23, it is inevitable there is going to be a certain amount of plaster coming off the ceiling in the chancelleries of Europe.

&quot;It wasn&#39;t the result they were expecting. Clearly they are making their views known in a frank and free way.&quot;

Johnson was accused of misleading voters by proclaiming that Britain was paying 350 million pounds ($468 million) a week to the EU that could be spent on the National Health Service. The figure did not take account of London&#39;s budget rebate or of EU spending on public and private sector projects in the UK.

EU leaders including European Council President Donald Tusk condemned Johnson&#39;s comparison during the campaign of the EU&#39;s goals with those of Hitler and Napoleon.

The rambunctious former mayor of London has insulted or lampooned a series of world leaders including U.S. President Barack Obama, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and both the Democratic and Republican candidates to succeed Obama.

After the June 23 vote to leave the European Union, Johnson took time off to play cricket and abruptly dropped a widely expected bid to stand as prime minister in place of fellow Conservative David Cameron, who had campaigned to stay in.

Cameron&#39;s successor, Theresa May, named the former mayor of London and one-time EU-bashing Brussels journalist as her foreign secretary late on Wednesday, and put another veteran Eurosceptic, David Davis, in charge of EU exit negotiations.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Johnson&#39;s appointment was a clear signal that Britain intended to leave the European Union and urged May to end uncertainty and give formal notice soon of London&#39;s intention to withdraw.

Merkel declined comment on Johnson&#39;s elevation when asked on a visit to Kyrgyzstan, but Steinmeier indirectly branded him &quot;irresponsible&quot;.

Speaking just before Johnson was appointed, Steinmeier said: &quot;It is bitter for Britain. People there are experiencing a rude awakening after irresponsible politicians first lured the country into Brexit then, once the decision was made, bolted and instead of taking responsibility went off to play cricket.

&quot;I find this outrageous but it&#39;s not just bitter for Britain. It&#39;s also bitter for the European Union.&quot;

Bastille Day&nbsp;boos

Attending a Bastille Day reception at the French ambassador&#39;s residence in London on Wednesday evening, Johnson was booed by a small section of the crowd of several hundred mostly French and British guests.

That was a foretaste of the potentially hostile reception he can expect when he attends his first EU foreign ministers&#39; meeting in Brussels on Monday.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini had invited ministers to an informal night-before dinner to discuss the foreign policy impact of Brexit, but diplomats said that date was now in doubt following Johnson&#39;s nomination.

Former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, now the leading federalist liberal in the European Parliament, summed up the feelings of many on the continent when he tweeted: &quot;Clearly British humour has no borders.&quot;

Rebecca Harms, leader of the ecologist Greens group in the EU legislature said: &quot;At first I thought it was a joke. Now I don&#39;t know whether to laugh or cry. But I know it&#39;s not good when irresponsibility is rewarded in politics.&quot;

Johnson made his name as a Daily Telegraph journalist in Brussels in 1989-94, attacking the federalist ambitions of then European Commission President Jacques Delors and lampooning EU regulation, often stretching the facts to breaking point.

&quot;He was already a little brat back then and he hasn&#39;t changed,&quot; Pascal Lamy, who was Delors&#39; chief of staff and later head of the World Trade Organisation, said last month.

Earlier this year, Johnson won a magazine prize for a limerick depicting Erdogan cavorting with a goat, written to ridicule the Turkish leader&#39;s efforts to have German courts punish a German satirist for insulting him.

&quot;His negative comments on Erdogan and Turkey are unacceptable,&quot; a senior Turkish official said. &quot;However we&#39;re sure of one thing, that British-Turkish relations are more important than that and can&#39;t be hostage to these statements.

&quot;With his new responsibilities we are expecting a more positive attitude from Mr. Johnson,&quot; said the official of the new British minister, who had a Turkish great-grandfather.

Some of the strongest criticism came in Britain&#39;s own media.

The left-leaning Daily Mirror tabloid splashed a picture of then mayor Johnson strapped on a zipwire at the London Olympics wearing a helmet and waving Union Jack flags.

The caption: &quot;Dear World... Sorry&quot;

(Reuters) 
 
&nbsp;

While his French counterpart called him a 'liar', former Belgian prime minister Verhofstadt tweeted 'Clearly British humour has no borders'

Branding him a liar, a coward or a joker, Europe's political class greeted Eurosceptic Boris Johnson's appointment as Britain's foreign minister with a chorus of dismay on Thursday. French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault eschewed the customary diplomatic niceties to ask how a man who had told lies as leader of the Leave campaign in last month's British EU referendum could be a credible interlocutor. "I am not at all worried about Boris Johnson, but ... during the campaign he lied a lot to the British people and now it is he who has his back to the wall," Ayrault told Europe 1 radio. "I need a partner with whom I can negotiate and who is clear, credible and reliable." Johnson told reporters later he had received "a charming letter" from Ayrault saying how much he looked forward to working together and to deepening Anglo-French cooperation. But he acknowledged: "After a vote like the referendum result on June 23, it is inevitable there is going to be a certain amount of plaster coming off the ceiling in the chancelleries of Europe. "It wasn't the result they were expecting. Clearly they are making their views known in a frank and free way." Johnson was accused of misleading voters by proclaiming that Britain was paying 350 million pounds ($468 million) a week to the EU that could be spent on the National Health Service. The figure did not take account of London's budget rebate or of EU spending on public and private sector projects in the UK. EU leaders including European Council President Donald Tusk condemned Johnson's comparison during the campaign of the EU's goals with those of Hitler and Napoleon. The rambunctious former mayor of London has insulted or lampooned a series of world leaders including U.S. President Barack Obama, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and both the Democratic and Republican candidates to succeed Obama. After the June 23 vote to leave the European Union, Johnson took time off to play cricket and abruptly dropped a widely expected bid to stand as prime minister in place of fellow Conservative David Cameron, who had campaigned to stay in. Cameron's successor, Theresa May, named the former mayor of London and one-time EU-bashing Brussels journalist as her foreign secretary late on Wednesday, and put another veteran Eurosceptic, David Davis, in charge of EU exit negotiations. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Johnson's appointment was a clear signal that Britain intended to leave the European Union and urged May to end uncertainty and give formal notice soon of London's intention to withdraw. Merkel declined comment on Johnson's elevation when asked on a visit to Kyrgyzstan, but Steinmeier indirectly branded him "irresponsible". Speaking just before Johnson was appointed, Steinmeier said: "It is bitter for Britain. People there are experiencing a rude awakening after irresponsible politicians first lured the country into Brexit then, once the decision was made, bolted and instead of taking responsibility went off to play cricket. "I find this outrageous but it's not just bitter for Britain. It's also bitter for the European Union." Bastille Day boos Attending a Bastille Day reception at the French ambassador's residence in London on Wednesday evening, Johnson was booed by a small section of the crowd of several hundred mostly French and British guests. That was a foretaste of the potentially hostile reception he can expect when he attends his first EU foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels on Monday. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini had invited ministers to an informal night-before dinner to discuss the foreign policy impact of Brexit, but diplomats said that date was now in doubt following Johnson's nomination. Former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, now the leading federalist liberal in the European Parliament, summed up the feelings of many on the continent when he tweeted: "Clearly British humour has no borders." Rebecca Harms, leader of the ecologist Greens group in the EU legislature said: "At first I thought it was a joke. Now I don't know whether to laugh or cry. But I know it's not good when irresponsibility is rewarded in politics." Johnson made his name as a Daily Telegraph journalist in Brussels in 1989-94, attacking the federalist ambitions of then European Commission President Jacques Delors and lampooning EU regulation, often stretching the facts to breaking point. "He was already a little brat back then and he hasn't changed," Pascal Lamy, who was Delors' chief of staff and later head of the World Trade Organisation, said last month. Earlier this year, Johnson won a magazine prize for a limerick depicting Erdogan cavorting with a goat, written to ridicule the Turkish leader's efforts to have German courts punish a German satirist for insulting him. "His negative comments on Erdogan and Turkey are unacceptable," a senior Turkish official said. "However we're sure of one thing, that British-Turkish relations are more important than that and can't be hostage to these statements. "With his new responsibilities we are expecting a more positive attitude from Mr. Johnson," said the official of the new British minister, who had a Turkish great-grandfather. Some of the strongest criticism came in Britain's own media. The left-leaning Daily Mirror tabloid splashed a picture of then mayor Johnson strapped on a zipwire at the London Olympics wearing a helmet and waving Union Jack flags. The caption: "Dear World... Sorry" (Reuters)

'Liar', 'coward', 'joker': Europe gives UK's Johnson hostile welcome

Interior minister Theresa May opened up a strong lead on Tuesday in what is now a three-horse race to become Britain&#39;s next Prime Minister, but the first stage of voting was overshadowed by post-Brexit carnage for property investors and the Pound. 
 
In symptoms of market concern about the economic impact of leaving the European Union, sterling hit new 31-year lows and three funds investing in British property said they were suspending trading because too many people were rushing to withdraw their money at once. 
 
May won 165 votes in a first ballot of Conservative members of parliament and Andrea Leadsom, a junior energy minister, won 66, increasing the likelihood that Britain will get only its second woman Prime Minister after Margaret Thatcher. Justice secretary Michael Gove was third on 48. 
 
Former defence minister Liam Fox won the fewest votes, 16, and was eliminated from the battle to replace David Cameron, who has said he will step down after Britons voted in a June 23 referendum to break away from the EU. 
 
Soon afterwards, work and pensions minister Stephen Crabb, who placed fourth with 34 votes, said he was pulling out and throwing his &quot;wholehearted support&quot; behind May. Fox said he would also back her.&nbsp; 
 
May, 59, said: &quot;There is a big job before us: to unite our party and the country, to negotiate the best possible deal as we leave the EU, and to make Britain work for everyone.&nbsp;I am the only candidate capable of delivering these three things as Prime Minister, and tonight it is clear that I am also the only one capable of drawing support from the whole of the Conservative Party.&quot; 
 
&#39;No coronation&#39; 
 
The drawn-out selection process will ultimately be decided by about 150,000 Conservative Party members in September, once MPs have whittled the field down to two candidates. 
 
Given strong eurosceptic sentiment among grassroots Conservatives, Leadsom, 53, and Gove, 48, remain in contention. Both were leading voices in the victorious Leave campaign, while May favoured remaining inside the 28-nation EU. 
 
Leadsom backer Stewart Jackson told Sky News: &quot;This shows she&#39;s ready to go all the way, there isn&#39;t going to be a coronation&quot; of May. 
 
In the meantime, signs are multiplying that concern about the impact of Brexit on trade, investment and business confidence is starting to hit the economy. 
 
The 4.4-billion-Pound ($5.7 billion) Property Portfolio run by M&amp;G Investments, the fund arm of insurer Prudential, was the latest to suspend business on Tuesday afternoon. Insurer Aviva&#39;s fund arm had earlier stopped trading in its 1.8-billion-Pound UK Property Trust, while Standard Life Investments suspended a 2.9-billion-Pound fund late on Monday. 
 
Shares plunged in other property-related funds, and asset managers and insurers were also hit. 
 
The Pound, which has borne the brunt of market concern about potential damage to the economy, plumbed new 31-year lows and is now down more than 12 per cent since the referendum.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;There is evidence that some risks have begun to crystallise. The current outlook for UK financial stability is challenging,&quot; the Bank of England said, announcing measures to encourage banks to keep lending. 
 
In a possible blow to London&#39;s financial centre, Germany&#39;s Deutsche Boerse signalled on Tuesday that the headquarters of a European giant to be created from its merger with the London Stock Exchange Group may now have to be outside the United Kingdom. 
 
Voters were bombarded in the run-up to the referendum with warnings from Cameron and a host of financial institutions and think tanks that Brexit would plunge Britain into a self-inflicted recession by jeopardising its access to the EU&#39;s tariff-free single market. 
 
The Leave campaign derided such arguments as &#39;Project Fear&#39;, arguing Britain would prosper by regaining &#39;independence&#39; from Brussels and freeing itself to set its own laws, clinch its own trade deals and set a cap on immigration - something it cannot do under EU rules allowing free movement throughout the bloc. 
 
&#39;Bloody difficult woman&#39; 
 
Whoever wins the Conservative leadership and the keys to 10 Downing Street will have to stabilise the economy and unify a party that was deeply split by the referendum campaign. 
 
The victor will also need to decide when to initiate divorce proceedings with the EU, and how to extricate Britain from 43 years of membership while trying to negotiate favourable terms of trade. 
 
The most seasoned candidates in the field are May and Gove, who stunned colleagues and commentators alike when he abruptly withdrew his support for former London mayor Boris Johnson last week, effectively forcing him from the race. Leadsom entered parliament only six years ago after a long career in financial services, and has never served in the cabinet. 
 
Gove and Leadsom have both argued forcefully that the next prime minister should come from the winning side in the referendum, which would disqualify May. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve managed to bring people together across the Conservative Party behind a hopeful and optimistic message of change, and I hope that I&#39;ll be able to take that message to the country,&quot; Gove said. 
 
In unguarded comments earlier on Tuesday, caught on camera and broadcast by Sky News, former Conservative minister Ken Clarke made disparaging remarks about all three contenders, saying that with Gove as Prime Minister &quot;we would go to war with at least three countries at once&quot;. 
 
He described May as &quot;a bloody difficult woman&quot;, but no more difficult than Thatcher, in whose cabinet he served. He added that she was &quot;good&quot;, but lacking in foreign policy experience. 
 
Of Leadsom, Clarke said: &quot;She does have experience in the city...She is not one of the tiny band of lunatics who think we can have a sort of glorious economic future outside the (EU) single market. So long as she understands that she&#39;s not to deliver on some of the extremely stupid things she&#39;s been saying.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

The victor will need to decide when to pull out of the EU, and how to favourably extricate Britain after 43 years of membership

Interior minister Theresa May opened up a strong lead on Tuesday in what is now a three-horse race to become Britain's next Prime Minister, but the first stage of voting was overshadowed by post-Brexit carnage for property investors and the Pound. In symptoms of market concern about the economic impact of leaving the European Union, sterling hit new 31-year lows and three funds investing in British property said they were suspending trading because too many people were rushing to withdraw their money at once. May won 165 votes in a first ballot of Conservative members of parliament and Andrea Leadsom, a junior energy minister, won 66, increasing the likelihood that Britain will get only its second woman Prime Minister after Margaret Thatcher. Justice secretary Michael Gove was third on 48. Former defence minister Liam Fox won the fewest votes, 16, and was eliminated from the battle to replace David Cameron, who has said he will step down after Britons voted in a June 23 referendum to break away from the EU. Soon afterwards, work and pensions minister Stephen Crabb, who placed fourth with 34 votes, said he was pulling out and throwing his "wholehearted support" behind May. Fox said he would also back her. May, 59, said: "There is a big job before us: to unite our party and the country, to negotiate the best possible deal as we leave the EU, and to make Britain work for everyone. I am the only candidate capable of delivering these three things as Prime Minister, and tonight it is clear that I am also the only one capable of drawing support from the whole of the Conservative Party." 'No coronation' The drawn-out selection process will ultimately be decided by about 150,000 Conservative Party members in September, once MPs have whittled the field down to two candidates. Given strong eurosceptic sentiment among grassroots Conservatives, Leadsom, 53, and Gove, 48, remain in contention. Both were leading voices in the victorious Leave campaign, while May favoured remaining inside the 28-nation EU. Leadsom backer Stewart Jackson told Sky News: "This shows she's ready to go all the way, there isn't going to be a coronation" of May. In the meantime, signs are multiplying that concern about the impact of Brexit on trade, investment and business confidence is starting to hit the economy. The 4.4-billion-Pound ($5.7 billion) Property Portfolio run by M&G Investments, the fund arm of insurer Prudential, was the latest to suspend business on Tuesday afternoon. Insurer Aviva's fund arm had earlier stopped trading in its 1.8-billion-Pound UK Property Trust, while Standard Life Investments suspended a 2.9-billion-Pound fund late on Monday. Shares plunged in other property-related funds, and asset managers and insurers were also hit. The Pound, which has borne the brunt of market concern about potential damage to the economy, plumbed new 31-year lows and is now down more than 12 per cent since the referendum. "There is evidence that some risks have begun to crystallise. The current outlook for UK financial stability is challenging," the Bank of England said, announcing measures to encourage banks to keep lending. In a possible blow to London's financial centre, Germany's Deutsche Boerse signalled on Tuesday that the headquarters of a European giant to be created from its merger with the London Stock Exchange Group may now have to be outside the United Kingdom. Voters were bombarded in the run-up to the referendum with warnings from Cameron and a host of financial institutions and think tanks that Brexit would plunge Britain into a self-inflicted recession by jeopardising its access to the EU's tariff-free single market. The Leave campaign derided such arguments as 'Project Fear', arguing Britain would prosper by regaining 'independence' from Brussels and freeing itself to set its own laws, clinch its own trade deals and set a cap on immigration - something it cannot do under EU rules allowing free movement throughout the bloc. 'Bloody difficult woman' Whoever wins the Conservative leadership and the keys to 10 Downing Street will have to stabilise the economy and unify a party that was deeply split by the referendum campaign. The victor will also need to decide when to initiate divorce proceedings with the EU, and how to extricate Britain from 43 years of membership while trying to negotiate favourable terms of trade. The most seasoned candidates in the field are May and Gove, who stunned colleagues and commentators alike when he abruptly withdrew his support for former London mayor Boris Johnson last week, effectively forcing him from the race. Leadsom entered parliament only six years ago after a long career in financial services, and has never served in the cabinet. Gove and Leadsom have both argued forcefully that the next prime minister should come from the winning side in the referendum, which would disqualify May. "I've managed to bring people together across the Conservative Party behind a hopeful and optimistic message of change, and I hope that I'll be able to take that message to the country," Gove said. In unguarded comments earlier on Tuesday, caught on camera and broadcast by Sky News, former Conservative minister Ken Clarke made disparaging remarks about all three contenders, saying that with Gove as Prime Minister "we would go to war with at least three countries at once". He described May as "a bloody difficult woman", but no more difficult than Thatcher, in whose cabinet he served. He added that she was "good", but lacking in foreign policy experience. Of Leadsom, Clarke said: "She does have experience in the city...She is not one of the tiny band of lunatics who think we can have a sort of glorious economic future outside the (EU) single market. So long as she understands that she's not to deliver on some of the extremely stupid things she's been saying." (Reuters)

May leads three-horse PM race as Brexit hits Pound and property

An official inquiry into Britain&#39;s role in the Iraq War will finally deliver its findings on July 13, seven years after it was set up, with attention firmly focused on how far it will criticise former prime minister Tony Blair. 
 
Britain&#39;s role in the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq and Blair&#39;s justification for military action in which 179 British soldiers died, is a highly charged issue for many Britons, millions of whom opposed the invasion. The issue still overshadows foreign policy. 
 
Blair&#39;s involvement divided Labour party&nbsp; 
 
It also remains a divisive issue for Blair&#39;s Labour Party which has been plunged into crisis since Britain voted to leave the European Union last week and the report&#39;s publication is likely to reopen old wounds. 
 
One of the key issues will be the inquiry&#39;s conclusion on the legal basis for going to war, with many Britons believing Blair deliberately misled the public, an accusation he denies. 
 
The main reason given for the invasion -- that Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction -- has been debunked after none was found. A spokesman for Blair declined to comment. 
 
A lowdown on how inquiry unfolded&nbsp; 
 
The inquiry, headed by civil servant John Chilcot, was set up in July 2009, shortly after the last British combat troops returned home, by former prime minister Gordon Brown to learn the lessons of the war and its aftermath. 
 
Public hearings, including two appearances by Blair, ended in 2011 but since then the writing of the report has been dogged by rows over the release of secret government files and details of contacts between the British leader and the then US president George W. Bush. 
 
It was further delayed to allow those who faced criticism to give their response ahead of publication. 
 
The inquiry has taken longer to complete than the British military involvement in the conflict itself, has cost well over 10 million Pounds ($13.5 million), and runs to some 2.6 million words in length, about three times the length of the Bible or four times that of Leo Tolstoy&#39;s epic novel War and Peace. 
 
One of the five members of the inquiry committee, historian Martin Gilbert, died last year. 
 
The inquiry will publish details of notes from Blair to former US president George W. Bush and quotes from more than 130 records of conversations. 
 
However, the inquiry has previously said that it is not seeking to use material that reflects Bush&#39;s views. 
 
The war is now widely regarded by both politicians and the public in Britain as a huge mistake. 
 
For many Britons, a report that fails to heap opprobrium on Blair and his senior team of ministers will be nothing more than a whitewash. A YouGov poll of 7,983 adults in May found 53 per cent said they could never forgive Blair and just 8 per cent thought he had done nothing wrong. 
 
Labour&#39;s current leader, socialist Jeremy Corbyn, has said he believes the war was illegal and that Blair should be tried for war crimes if evidence showed he broke international law. Corbyn is currently facing a challenge to his own position which his allies blame on Blair supporters within the party. 
 
(Reuters)

The war is now widely regarded as a 'huge mistake' by British politicians and the public

An official inquiry into Britain's role in the Iraq War will finally deliver its findings on July 13, seven years after it was set up, with attention firmly focused on how far it will criticise former prime minister Tony Blair. Britain's role in the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq and Blair's justification for military action in which 179 British soldiers died, is a highly charged issue for many Britons, millions of whom opposed the invasion. The issue still overshadows foreign policy. Blair's involvement divided Labour party It also remains a divisive issue for Blair's Labour Party which has been plunged into crisis since Britain voted to leave the European Union last week and the report's publication is likely to reopen old wounds. One of the key issues will be the inquiry's conclusion on the legal basis for going to war, with many Britons believing Blair deliberately misled the public, an accusation he denies. The main reason given for the invasion -- that Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction -- has been debunked after none was found. A spokesman for Blair declined to comment. A lowdown on how inquiry unfolded The inquiry, headed by civil servant John Chilcot, was set up in July 2009, shortly after the last British combat troops returned home, by former prime minister Gordon Brown to learn the lessons of the war and its aftermath. Public hearings, including two appearances by Blair, ended in 2011 but since then the writing of the report has been dogged by rows over the release of secret government files and details of contacts between the British leader and the then US president George W. Bush. It was further delayed to allow those who faced criticism to give their response ahead of publication. The inquiry has taken longer to complete than the British military involvement in the conflict itself, has cost well over 10 million Pounds ($13.5 million), and runs to some 2.6 million words in length, about three times the length of the Bible or four times that of Leo Tolstoy's epic novel War and Peace. One of the five members of the inquiry committee, historian Martin Gilbert, died last year. The inquiry will publish details of notes from Blair to former US president George W. Bush and quotes from more than 130 records of conversations. However, the inquiry has previously said that it is not seeking to use material that reflects Bush's views. The war is now widely regarded by both politicians and the public in Britain as a huge mistake. For many Britons, a report that fails to heap opprobrium on Blair and his senior team of ministers will be nothing more than a whitewash. A YouGov poll of 7,983 adults in May found 53 per cent said they could never forgive Blair and just 8 per cent thought he had done nothing wrong. Labour's current leader, socialist Jeremy Corbyn, has said he believes the war was illegal and that Blair should be tried for war crimes if evidence showed he broke international law. Corbyn is currently facing a challenge to his own position which his allies blame on Blair supporters within the party. (Reuters)

With Iraq war report due to be published, former British PM Tony Blair comes under spotlight

British leadership contender Andrea Leadsom said the UK could pull out of the European Union as early as next year following last week&#39;s referendum vote to leave the bloc. 
 
In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, Leadsom said she had a fast-track policy for leaving and that only someone who had herself voted to leave the EU could be trusted to take the country out of Europe. 
 
Limited extracts of the interview, without direct quotes on her comments about the timing of an exit, were released by the paper on Saturday. 
 
Leadsom, 53, has emerged as the top pro-Brexit contender to succeed Prime Minister David Cameron as leader of the ruling Conservative party, according to newspapers. 
 
The front runner, interior minister Theresa May, was a supporter of the campaign to stay in the EU, which some political analysts believe may count against her. 
 
The newspaper quoted Leadsom, who is expected to announce her candidacy on Monday, as saying she admired the leadership qualities and toughness of former Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher who drove notoriously hard bargains with EU leaders during her time in office in the 1980s. 
 
&quot;I think that&#39;s an ideal combination and I do like to think that&#39;s where I am,&quot; she said. 
 
Cameron said he would resign following voters&#39; rejection of his campaign to stay in the EU, and lawmakers have to whittle down the five contenders to replace him to just two before Conservative party members take a final vote, expected in early September. 
 
(Reuters)

Leadsom has emerged as the top pro-Brexit contender to succeed Prime Minister David Cameron as leader of the ruling Conservative party

British leadership contender Andrea Leadsom said the UK could pull out of the European Union as early as next year following last week's referendum vote to leave the bloc. In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, Leadsom said she had a fast-track policy for leaving and that only someone who had herself voted to leave the EU could be trusted to take the country out of Europe. Limited extracts of the interview, without direct quotes on her comments about the timing of an exit, were released by the paper on Saturday. Leadsom, 53, has emerged as the top pro-Brexit contender to succeed Prime Minister David Cameron as leader of the ruling Conservative party, according to newspapers. The front runner, interior minister Theresa May, was a supporter of the campaign to stay in the EU, which some political analysts believe may count against her. The newspaper quoted Leadsom, who is expected to announce her candidacy on Monday, as saying she admired the leadership qualities and toughness of former Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher who drove notoriously hard bargains with EU leaders during her time in office in the 1980s. "I think that's an ideal combination and I do like to think that's where I am," she said. Cameron said he would resign following voters' rejection of his campaign to stay in the EU, and lawmakers have to whittle down the five contenders to replace him to just two before Conservative party members take a final vote, expected in early September. (Reuters)

PM contender Leadsom says UK could leave EU next year

Britain&#39;s Home Secretary Theresa May, a candidate in the contest to be the UK&#39;s next prime minister and leader of the Conservative party, said today that if she became the next premier she would not trigger article 50 this year to ensure a clear negotiating stance on a post-Brexit deal with the European Union. 
 
May is a front-runner in the contest to be the country&#39;s next prime minister but said that there should still be an election within the party rather than a &quot;coronation&quot; of the most popular candidate. 
 
&quot;I think there should be a contest. I think it&#39;s important that members have their opportunity to have their say. And I think that what people want to hear is what the arguments are and people putting those arguments together and this isn&#39;t a new position that I&#39;ve taken,&quot; she told journalist Robert Peston. 
 
Prime Minister David Cameron resigned after Britons voted to leave the EU on June 23. He had led the campaign for &quot;Remain&quot; alongside May. 
 
May said that the vote was a &quot;very clear message&quot; that the British public wanted control over immigration. 
 
&quot;What I know is that there&#39;s no single silver bullet that actually solves the problems and concerns people have on immigration,&quot; she told Peston on Sunday. &quot;The Brexit vote gave us a very clear message from people that we couldn&#39;t allow free movement to continue as it had done hitherto, we need to bring control into movement of people coming into the UK from the EU.&quot; 
 
Cameron has said his successor would have to decide when to trigger article 50, the formal step that will begin the process of negotiating the terms of Britain&#39;s exit. 
 
May said it was not possible to set an &quot;absolute deadline&quot; and if she were to be the next prime minister she would not invoke article 50 before the end of the year. 
 
&quot;We need to establish our own negotiating position. Of course, once we hit Article 50, once we invoke that the process at the EU level starts, they say that could take up to two years. What&#39;s important for us though is that we get the right deal. And that&#39;s a deal which is about controlling free movement but it&#39;s also about ensuring that we&#39;ve got the best deal possible in trading goods and services,&quot; she said. 
 
Work and Pensions Secretary, Stephen Crabb, was the first Conservative minister to put himself forward to succeed Cameron and also backed Remain during the referendum campaign. 
 
But he said that his party must unite despite a majority of his colleagues supporting Leave. 
 
&quot;Every day that goes by, the longer that we as colleagues use labels like Remain or Leave to describe each other, the deeper the division that will be in the party,&quot; he told ITV. &quot;And I tell you, if we allow this leadership contest to be seen just through the prism of whether you were leave or remain, we risk splitting the party, mark my words.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Prime Minister David Cameron said his successor would have to decide when to trigger the formal step that begins the UK's EU exit

Britain's Home Secretary Theresa May, a candidate in the contest to be the UK's next prime minister and leader of the Conservative party, said today that if she became the next premier she would not trigger article 50 this year to ensure a clear negotiating stance on a post-Brexit deal with the European Union. May is a front-runner in the contest to be the country's next prime minister but said that there should still be an election within the party rather than a "coronation" of the most popular candidate. "I think there should be a contest. I think it's important that members have their opportunity to have their say. And I think that what people want to hear is what the arguments are and people putting those arguments together and this isn't a new position that I've taken," she told journalist Robert Peston. Prime Minister David Cameron resigned after Britons voted to leave the EU on June 23. He had led the campaign for "Remain" alongside May. May said that the vote was a "very clear message" that the British public wanted control over immigration. "What I know is that there's no single silver bullet that actually solves the problems and concerns people have on immigration," she told Peston on Sunday. "The Brexit vote gave us a very clear message from people that we couldn't allow free movement to continue as it had done hitherto, we need to bring control into movement of people coming into the UK from the EU." Cameron has said his successor would have to decide when to trigger article 50, the formal step that will begin the process of negotiating the terms of Britain's exit. May said it was not possible to set an "absolute deadline" and if she were to be the next prime minister she would not invoke article 50 before the end of the year. "We need to establish our own negotiating position. Of course, once we hit Article 50, once we invoke that the process at the EU level starts, they say that could take up to two years. What's important for us though is that we get the right deal. And that's a deal which is about controlling free movement but it's also about ensuring that we've got the best deal possible in trading goods and services," she said. Work and Pensions Secretary, Stephen Crabb, was the first Conservative minister to put himself forward to succeed Cameron and also backed Remain during the referendum campaign. But he said that his party must unite despite a majority of his colleagues supporting Leave. "Every day that goes by, the longer that we as colleagues use labels like Remain or Leave to describe each other, the deeper the division that will be in the party," he told ITV. "And I tell you, if we allow this leadership contest to be seen just through the prism of whether you were leave or remain, we risk splitting the party, mark my words." (Reuters)

Theresa May: Britain needs clear negotiating stance before article 50

It&rsquo;s been only a week since the UK took the decision to Brexit but that one vote has altered the Britain I thought I knew. Born and raised in Canada, I have spent most of my professional life in the UK. It was my adopted home. I loved it and, in turn, I hoped it loved me.&nbsp; 
 
It doesn&rsquo;t. 
 
The vote to leave was largely an anti-immigrant vote and the Leave campaign seems to have given legitimacy to the ugliest facets of society &ndash; xenophobia and racism. 
 
I have spent the week interviewing experts on what the vote means for Britain. It turns out some of the brightest minds are foreign-born &ndash; an American risk analyst, an Indian economics professor, a Belarussian negotiation expert, and a Slovenian international economics expert. 
 
We had all considered the vibrant international capital of London home... but there&#39;s doubt seeping in now. Our beloved city has grown an ugly underbelly. The Slovenian economics expert put it best.&nbsp; 
 
His 26-year-old son, raised in Britain since he was a year old, called him after the vote. &ldquo;They don&rsquo;t like us. They don&rsquo;t want us,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp; 
 
We are &ldquo;the other&rdquo;. 
 
The American is considering returning to New York or perhaps Frankfurt; he has German roots and can get a passport. The Indian says she might take European job offers more seriously, and the Belarussian believes England is an uglier place now and wonders if it is the right place to raise her son. 
 
It has gotten ugly &ndash; fast. There has been a 57% rise in racist abuse after the Brexit vote, according to the National Police Chiefs&rsquo; Council. &nbsp; 
 
There&#39;s been racist graffiti scrawled on a Polish community centre in London. Letters stuffed through the doors of Polish families calling them &ldquo;Polish vermin&rdquo;, Muslims threatened with violence, an African American man verbally abused by teenagers in Manchester, a woman of South Asian descent born in Britain told to &ldquo;go home&rdquo; -- she swiftly retorted, &ldquo;I AM HOME&rdquo; -- and children of foreign parents taunted at schools.&nbsp; 
 
It all makes me sick. 
 
Then I wonder if this &ldquo;sudden&rdquo; surge of hatred for immigrants &ndash; &ldquo;the other&rdquo; &ndash; has always been there. Bubbling under the surface. Do the postman, the bartender, and the saleswoman all quietly judge me as soon as I open my mouth? Are they also wishing I would just go home? 
 
If this is the real Britain, well, I don&rsquo;t love you either and in this break-up, it&rsquo;s not me &ndash; it&rsquo;s you.

UK has seen a 57 per cent rise in racist abuse since it decided to exit the EU and Clark, a Canadian, suddenly finds herself as 'the other'

It’s been only a week since the UK took the decision to Brexit but that one vote has altered the Britain I thought I knew. Born and raised in Canada, I have spent most of my professional life in the UK. It was my adopted home. I loved it and, in turn, I hoped it loved me. It doesn’t. The vote to leave was largely an anti-immigrant vote and the Leave campaign seems to have given legitimacy to the ugliest facets of society – xenophobia and racism. I have spent the week interviewing experts on what the vote means for Britain. It turns out some of the brightest minds are foreign-born – an American risk analyst, an Indian economics professor, a Belarussian negotiation expert, and a Slovenian international economics expert. We had all considered the vibrant international capital of London home... but there's doubt seeping in now. Our beloved city has grown an ugly underbelly. The Slovenian economics expert put it best. His 26-year-old son, raised in Britain since he was a year old, called him after the vote. “They don’t like us. They don’t want us,” he said. We are “the other”. The American is considering returning to New York or perhaps Frankfurt; he has German roots and can get a passport. The Indian says she might take European job offers more seriously, and the Belarussian believes England is an uglier place now and wonders if it is the right place to raise her son. It has gotten ugly – fast. There has been a 57% rise in racist abuse after the Brexit vote, according to the National Police Chiefs’ Council. There's been racist graffiti scrawled on a Polish community centre in London. Letters stuffed through the doors of Polish families calling them “Polish vermin”, Muslims threatened with violence, an African American man verbally abused by teenagers in Manchester, a woman of South Asian descent born in Britain told to “go home” -- she swiftly retorted, “I AM HOME” -- and children of foreign parents taunted at schools. It all makes me sick. Then I wonder if this “sudden” surge of hatred for immigrants – “the other” – has always been there. Bubbling under the surface. Do the postman, the bartender, and the saleswoman all quietly judge me as soon as I open my mouth? Are they also wishing I would just go home? If this is the real Britain, well, I don’t love you either and in this break-up, it’s not me – it’s you.

If this is the real Britain, then I don't love you

Controversial Australian Bernard Tomic was ordered to apologise today after he used the word &quot;retard&quot; in a Wimbledon press conference. 
 
Tomic&#39;s comments were branded as &quot;damaging and offensive&quot; by a learning disability charity as the world number 19 once again found himself in trouble. 
 
The Australian made the comments after being asked how he felt being made to wait for his first round opponent Fernando Verdasco to arrive on court for a match on Wednesday. 
 
&quot;I think he was up in the locker getting something taped. When I left, I thought he was leaving, so I just happened to walk out,&quot; said the 23-year-old. 
 
&quot;I did get to the court prior to him very early, and unfortunately I had to stand on court like a retard.&quot; 
 
The learning disability charity Mencap asked Tomic to say sorry. 
 
&quot;I&#39;d like the player to apologise and would encourage him to meet people with a learning disability so he can understand why the word is so damaging and offensive,&quot; Ciara Lawrence, who has a learning disability and is a campaigns support officer at Mencap, told the Press Association. 
 
&quot;Time and time again I hear this word used as if it has no effect. People clearly don&#39;t understand how upsetting and offensive this is to people with a learning disability like me. 
 
&quot;I am sick and tired of people in high-profile positions who are respected by the public using this word. It can make the public and people who look up to sports stars think it is okay to use words like this when it&#39;s not. 
 
&quot;It makes people with a learning disability seen not as people but as second-class citizens, and is no different to discriminating against someone who is gay or black.&quot; 
 
Tomic has been plagued by off-court controversies during his career. 
 
Most recently, he made headlines in Madrid when he turned his racquet the wrong way to face a match point against Fabio Fognini. 
 
Tomic later told his post-match news conference: &quot;I don&#39;t care about that match point. Would you care if you were 23 and worth over $10 million?&quot; 
 
In July last year, he was arrested in Miami after a wild party in a hotel penthouse suite. 
 
He was dropped from the Davis Cup team and has since opted out of the Olympics. 
 
(AFP)

The player made the offensive comment on being asked how he felt about waiting for his opponent Fernando Verdasco to arrive on court

Controversial Australian Bernard Tomic was ordered to apologise today after he used the word "retard" in a Wimbledon press conference. Tomic's comments were branded as "damaging and offensive" by a learning disability charity as the world number 19 once again found himself in trouble. The Australian made the comments after being asked how he felt being made to wait for his first round opponent Fernando Verdasco to arrive on court for a match on Wednesday. "I think he was up in the locker getting something taped. When I left, I thought he was leaving, so I just happened to walk out," said the 23-year-old. "I did get to the court prior to him very early, and unfortunately I had to stand on court like a retard." The learning disability charity Mencap asked Tomic to say sorry. "I'd like the player to apologise and would encourage him to meet people with a learning disability so he can understand why the word is so damaging and offensive," Ciara Lawrence, who has a learning disability and is a campaigns support officer at Mencap, told the Press Association. "Time and time again I hear this word used as if it has no effect. People clearly don't understand how upsetting and offensive this is to people with a learning disability like me. "I am sick and tired of people in high-profile positions who are respected by the public using this word. It can make the public and people who look up to sports stars think it is okay to use words like this when it's not. "It makes people with a learning disability seen not as people but as second-class citizens, and is no different to discriminating against someone who is gay or black." Tomic has been plagued by off-court controversies during his career. Most recently, he made headlines in Madrid when he turned his racquet the wrong way to face a match point against Fabio Fognini. Tomic later told his post-match news conference: "I don't care about that match point. Would you care if you were 23 and worth over $10 million?" In July last year, he was arrested in Miami after a wild party in a hotel penthouse suite. He was dropped from the Davis Cup team and has since opted out of the Olympics. (AFP)

Tomic told to apologise for 'retard' comment

Conservative Party member Theresa May said in an article published in The Times, London, on Thursday she was set to launch her campaign for the position of the leader of the Tory party and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. 
 
&quot;Today I will launch my campaign to become the leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. And I do so for three clear reasons.&nbsp;First, following last week&rsquo;s referendum, our country needs strong, proven leadership to steer us through this period of economic and political uncertainty, and to negotiate the best possible terms as we leave the European Union,&quot; she wrote in the piece. 
 
Her article assumes significance in a scenario where former London mayor Boris Johnson&#39;s name was still doing the rounds as the front-runner for the Prime Minister&#39;s position following David Cameron&#39;s decision to step down. Johnson was one of the foremost &#39;Leave&quot; campaigners. 
 
Barely a few hours before the nominations for the leadership of the Tory party closed on Thursday, Johnson announced he was no longer in the race&nbsp;for Prime Ministership after Micheal Gove, justice minister, announced that he would no longer support his candidature. 
 
Now the contest is pitched between Gove and May who as the interior minister campaigned to remain in the EU. 
 
May pitched the Tories as the only solid option for UK &quot;with the labour party tearing itself to pieces&quot;. 
 
&quot;We need leadership that can unite our party and our country. With the Labour Party tearing itself to pieces, and divisive nationalists in Scotland and Wales, it is the patriotic duty of the Conservative Party to unite and govern in the best interests of the whole country,&quot; she wrote. 
 
&quot;We need a bold, new, positive vision for the future of our country &mdash; a vision of a country that works not for a privileged few but for everyone, regardless of who they are and regardless of where they&rsquo;re from.&quot; 
 
May went on to write about the hardships the poor and the marginalised faced in today&#39;s Britain. &quot;If you&rsquo;re born poor in today&rsquo;s Britain, you will die on average nine years earlier than others. If you&rsquo;re black, you&rsquo;re treated more harshly by the criminal justice system than if you&rsquo;re white. If you&rsquo;re a white, working-class boy, you&rsquo;re less likely than anybody else in Britain to go to university.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
May wrote she will be arguing in favour of a new and radical programme of social reform. This programme will include big changes to the way Britian thinks about its economy, its society and its democracy. She stressed that she was a believer in capitalism and free markets, but where capitalism was not helping to provide opportunity for all, she wanted to reform it. 
 
&quot;We need to think differently about the role of the state. Instead of thinking of it always as the problem, we should acknowledge that often it is only the state that can provide solutions to the problems we face. So yes, the state needs to be small, but it needs to be strong.&quot; 
 
She added, &quot;Under my leadership, the motives of the Conservative Party will never be in any doubt. We will put ourselves at the service of ordinary, working people and we will strive to make Britain a country that works for everyone, regardless of who they are and regardless of where they&rsquo;re from.&quot; 
 
(WION)

In an editorial for The Times, the interior minister announced her campaign for occupying 10, Downing Street

Conservative Party member Theresa May said in an article published in The Times, London, on Thursday she was set to launch her campaign for the position of the leader of the Tory party and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. "Today I will launch my campaign to become the leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. And I do so for three clear reasons. First, following last week’s referendum, our country needs strong, proven leadership to steer us through this period of economic and political uncertainty, and to negotiate the best possible terms as we leave the European Union," she wrote in the piece. Her article assumes significance in a scenario where former London mayor Boris Johnson's name was still doing the rounds as the front-runner for the Prime Minister's position following David Cameron's decision to step down. Johnson was one of the foremost 'Leave" campaigners. Barely a few hours before the nominations for the leadership of the Tory party closed on Thursday, Johnson announced he was no longer in the race for Prime Ministership after Micheal Gove, justice minister, announced that he would no longer support his candidature. Now the contest is pitched between Gove and May who as the interior minister campaigned to remain in the EU. May pitched the Tories as the only solid option for UK "with the labour party tearing itself to pieces". "We need leadership that can unite our party and our country. With the Labour Party tearing itself to pieces, and divisive nationalists in Scotland and Wales, it is the patriotic duty of the Conservative Party to unite and govern in the best interests of the whole country," she wrote. "We need a bold, new, positive vision for the future of our country — a vision of a country that works not for a privileged few but for everyone, regardless of who they are and regardless of where they’re from." May went on to write about the hardships the poor and the marginalised faced in today's Britain. "If you’re born poor in today’s Britain, you will die on average nine years earlier than others. If you’re black, you’re treated more harshly by the criminal justice system than if you’re white. If you’re a white, working-class boy, you’re less likely than anybody else in Britain to go to university." May wrote she will be arguing in favour of a new and radical programme of social reform. This programme will include big changes to the way Britian thinks about its economy, its society and its democracy. She stressed that she was a believer in capitalism and free markets, but where capitalism was not helping to provide opportunity for all, she wanted to reform it. "We need to think differently about the role of the state. Instead of thinking of it always as the problem, we should acknowledge that often it is only the state that can provide solutions to the problems we face. So yes, the state needs to be small, but it needs to be strong." She added, "Under my leadership, the motives of the Conservative Party will never be in any doubt. We will put ourselves at the service of ordinary, working people and we will strive to make Britain a country that works for everyone, regardless of who they are and regardless of where they’re from." (WION)

Theresa May in race for Tory leadership and UK PM's post

Seven-times Wimbledon champion Roger Federer has been warned - take 772nd-ranked British qualifier Marcus Willis lightly at your peril. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think Roger is going to have played anyone like Marcus. I know that for a fact. It will be tricky,&quot; Liam Broady, Willis&#39; fellow Britain, said on Tuesday. 
 
&quot;That&#39;s what Marcus always is. He makes opponents win matches. He serves well, serves big, puts pressure on. 
 
&quot;Obviously, Roger&#39;s the greatest player of all time. But personally, I think it will be a really interesting match-up.&quot; 
 
Willis, who almost quit to take up coaching and had to battle through six rounds of qualifying, stunned Lithuania&#39;s Ricardas Berankis, ranked 718 places above him, on Monday. 
 
Some of his play, including rarely seen sliced forehands, bamboozled Berankis. 
 
It set Wimbledon abuzz, but a repeat against 34-year-old 17-times grand slam champion Federer would seem barely credible even for the most far-fetched Hollywood plot. 
 
Or would it? 
 
&quot;Stranger things have happened, I know that,&quot; Broady, beaten 6-2 6-3 6-4 by world number two Andy Murray, said. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s so tricky, he&#39;s so talented. He&#39;s very aware of what he&#39;s doing on the court, how to make it awkward for people.&quot; 
 
Murray was also asked about Willis&#39; chances. 
 
&quot;Amazing things do happen in sport sometimes,&quot; Murray, who pointed to England&#39;s defeat by Iceland at Euro 2016, said. 
 
&quot;Obviously, Roger&#39;s a massive, massive favourite going into the match. I would expect him to win fairly comfortably. 
 
&quot;But Marcus&#39; game style, it&#39;s pretty old-school. He serve-and-volleys a lot. Uses a lot of slice. Hits the ball fairly flat. Has great hands. Great feel. 
 
&quot;Very few guys play like that now. It&#39;s just amazing, an amazing opportunity for him.&quot; 
 
Perhaps the best advice came from Broady though after his own Centre Court debut against Murray. 
 
&quot;By the end of the second set, most of the third, it was just kind of a match against another guy,&quot; the 22-year-old said. 
 
&quot;Sometimes you watch on TV. You think that the top players in the world are superhuman. They&#39;re so good at what they do that you forget they&#39;re just men. Obviously they&#39;re spectacular at tennis, but they are just men.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Marcus Willis had to battle through six rounds of qualifying and stunned Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis, ranked 718 places above him

Seven-times Wimbledon champion Roger Federer has been warned - take 772nd-ranked British qualifier Marcus Willis lightly at your peril. "I don't think Roger is going to have played anyone like Marcus. I know that for a fact. It will be tricky," Liam Broady, Willis' fellow Britain, said on Tuesday. "That's what Marcus always is. He makes opponents win matches. He serves well, serves big, puts pressure on. "Obviously, Roger's the greatest player of all time. But personally, I think it will be a really interesting match-up." Willis, who almost quit to take up coaching and had to battle through six rounds of qualifying, stunned Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis, ranked 718 places above him, on Monday. Some of his play, including rarely seen sliced forehands, bamboozled Berankis. It set Wimbledon abuzz, but a repeat against 34-year-old 17-times grand slam champion Federer would seem barely credible even for the most far-fetched Hollywood plot. Or would it? "Stranger things have happened, I know that," Broady, beaten 6-2 6-3 6-4 by world number two Andy Murray, said. "He's so tricky, he's so talented. He's very aware of what he's doing on the court, how to make it awkward for people." Murray was also asked about Willis' chances. "Amazing things do happen in sport sometimes," Murray, who pointed to England's defeat by Iceland at Euro 2016, said. "Obviously, Roger's a massive, massive favourite going into the match. I would expect him to win fairly comfortably. "But Marcus' game style, it's pretty old-school. He serve-and-volleys a lot. Uses a lot of slice. Hits the ball fairly flat. Has great hands. Great feel. "Very few guys play like that now. It's just amazing, an amazing opportunity for him." Perhaps the best advice came from Broady though after his own Centre Court debut against Murray. "By the end of the second set, most of the third, it was just kind of a match against another guy," the 22-year-old said. "Sometimes you watch on TV. You think that the top players in the world are superhuman. They're so good at what they do that you forget they're just men. Obviously they're spectacular at tennis, but they are just men." (Reuters)

Roger Federer warned to expect the unexpected from Willis

Tara Moore praised the influence of her mind trainer Tony Lekic after the Briton registered a first ever singles victory at a grand slam tournament when she beat Alison Van Uytvanck in the opening round at Wimbledon on Tuesday. 
 
Coming into the grasscourt tournament ranked 227th in the world, the wildcard overcame the Belgian ranked 100 places above her 6-3 6-2 to set up a second round encounter against Russian 13th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s been a great benefit. He doesn&#39;t just help me with on-court stuff. There&#39;s a lot of off-court stuff that people don&#39;t see, a lot of behind the scenes things that are tough to handle for a tennis player,&quot; Moore told British media. 
 
&quot;We travel a lot. We&#39;re away from loved ones and friends a lot. That&#39;s really difficult. Tennis is so difficult without all the little things. He&#39;s definitely there to help with the little things. That&#39;s been monumental for me.&quot; 
 
Moore said she also drew inspiration from 772nd-ranked British qualifier Marcus Willis&#39; win over Lithuanian world number 54 Ricardas Berankis, which set up a second round encounter against seven-time champion Roger Federer. 
 
&quot;I was watching, cheering and screaming at the screen. Willis has done so great. For sure it was an inspiration,&quot; Moore said. 
 
&quot;The British players are very supportive of each other and push each other on. I definitely think (British) tennis is on the up.&quot; 
 
The 23-year-old will also team up with Switzerland&#39;s Conny Perrin for a women&#39;s doubles first round clash against Colombian Mariana Duque-Marino and Puerto Rican Monica Puig today. 
 
(Reuters) 
 
&nbsp;

Tara Moore is the first British woman to reach the second round at Wimbeldon

Tara Moore praised the influence of her mind trainer Tony Lekic after the Briton registered a first ever singles victory at a grand slam tournament when she beat Alison Van Uytvanck in the opening round at Wimbledon on Tuesday. Coming into the grasscourt tournament ranked 227th in the world, the wildcard overcame the Belgian ranked 100 places above her 6-3 6-2 to set up a second round encounter against Russian 13th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova. "It's been a great benefit. He doesn't just help me with on-court stuff. There's a lot of off-court stuff that people don't see, a lot of behind the scenes things that are tough to handle for a tennis player," Moore told British media. "We travel a lot. We're away from loved ones and friends a lot. That's really difficult. Tennis is so difficult without all the little things. He's definitely there to help with the little things. That's been monumental for me." Moore said she also drew inspiration from 772nd-ranked British qualifier Marcus Willis' win over Lithuanian world number 54 Ricardas Berankis, which set up a second round encounter against seven-time champion Roger Federer. "I was watching, cheering and screaming at the screen. Willis has done so great. For sure it was an inspiration," Moore said. "The British players are very supportive of each other and push each other on. I definitely think (British) tennis is on the up." The 23-year-old will also team up with Switzerland's Conny Perrin for a women's doubles first round clash against Colombian Mariana Duque-Marino and Puerto Rican Monica Puig today. (Reuters)

Moore hails mind trainer after Wimbledon breakthrough

Hungary&#39;s government is drawing up a list of incentives to lure companies leaving Britain after the Brexit vote, economy minister Mihaly Varga told business daily Vilaggazdasag in an interview published today. 
 
The interview did not go into details on what sort of offers would be made to persuade companies to move to Hungary, or how far the plan had progressed. 
 
Varga said Britain&#39;s exit from the EU would probably affect Hungary in the longer term, as it would hit the EU&#39;s budget, and thus the development funds flowing to eastern Europe. 
 
But Varga said this was not an immediate issue, as Britain&#39;s negotiations with the EU would last at least for two years, and there was no need to amend Hungary&#39;s budget this year or next. 
 
He said Hungary also had no plan to follow Britain&#39;s example in leaving the EU. 
 
&quot;There is no such intention, no such plan, no such scenario or idea,&quot; Varga told the paper. 
 
He said he expected market turbulence to subside this week after Friday&#39;s sharp falls. 
 
(Reuters)

Budapest has no plan to follow London's example in leaving the EU, said economy minister Mihaly Varga

Hungary's government is drawing up a list of incentives to lure companies leaving Britain after the Brexit vote, economy minister Mihaly Varga told business daily Vilaggazdasag in an interview published today. The interview did not go into details on what sort of offers would be made to persuade companies to move to Hungary, or how far the plan had progressed. Varga said Britain's exit from the EU would probably affect Hungary in the longer term, as it would hit the EU's budget, and thus the development funds flowing to eastern Europe. But Varga said this was not an immediate issue, as Britain's negotiations with the EU would last at least for two years, and there was no need to amend Hungary's budget this year or next. He said Hungary also had no plan to follow Britain's example in leaving the EU. "There is no such intention, no such plan, no such scenario or idea," Varga told the paper. He said he expected market turbulence to subside this week after Friday's sharp falls. (Reuters)

Hungary prepares incentives to lure firms leaving Britain after Brexit vote

&nbsp;As she has done for most of the past 18 summers, Venus Williams on Monday took a large, languid stride into the second round of Wimbledon. 
 
The oldest woman in the main singles draw, five-times champion Williams was at times sublime as she beat Croatian Donna Vekic 7-6(3) 6-4 on a sunny Court One. 
 
While the full Williams armoury had been on display, it was her mental strength which stood out -- perhaps no surprise given she is playing her 71st grand slam singles tournament, a record among current female players. 
 
Vekic produced startling groundstrokes at times, but eighth seed Williams maintained her composure, increasing the pressure when things got tight as her opponent wilted in the spotlight. 
 
There cannot be too many grand slam years left for Williams, who celebrated her 36th birthday this month, but she showed more than enough on Day One to suggest she could again go deep in her favourite major. 
 
(Reuters)

Donna Vekic produced startling groundstrokes, but eighth seed Williams beat her by 7-6(3) 6-4

As she has done for most of the past 18 summers, Venus Williams on Monday took a large, languid stride into the second round of Wimbledon. The oldest woman in the main singles draw, five-times champion Williams was at times sublime as she beat Croatian Donna Vekic 7-6(3) 6-4 on a sunny Court One. While the full Williams armoury had been on display, it was her mental strength which stood out -- perhaps no surprise given she is playing her 71st grand slam singles tournament, a record among current female players. Vekic produced startling groundstrokes at times, but eighth seed Williams maintained her composure, increasing the pressure when things got tight as her opponent wilted in the spotlight. There cannot be too many grand slam years left for Williams, who celebrated her 36th birthday this month, but she showed more than enough on Day One to suggest she could again go deep in her favourite major. (Reuters)

Venus vaults Vekic at Wimbledon

World number one Novak Djokovic and 17-time major winner Roger Federer get Wimbledon under way today with history beckoning for the two Grand Slam A-listers. 
 
Top seed Djokovic is halfway to the first calendar Grand Slam since 1969 after ending his agonising wait for a maiden French Open crown earlier this month. 
 
The 29-year-old defending champion currently holds all four majors and if he wins a third successive Wimbledon title and fourth in all, he will become just the second man in history to win five successive Slams. 
 
Only Don Budge, who won six straight from 1937 Wimbledon to the 1938 US Championships, has achieved the feat. 
 
Djokovic is such a hot favourite to triumph on July 10 that women&#39;s champion Serena Williams is already tipping the Serb for more greatness. 
 
&quot;I think he&#39;ll get it easy,&quot; said the American who will begin her bid for an Open era record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam on Tuesday. 
 
Djokovic has won six of the last eight Grand Slams, taking him to a career tally of 12 - within two of Rafael Nadal`s mark and five behind Federer`s record. 
 
Djokovic takes on British wild card James Ward in the opening match on Centre Court. 
 
Ward, the 29-year-old son of a London taxi driver, is ranked at 177 in the world and made the third round last year with Australian coach Darren Tandy. 
 
But Tandy was diagnosed with cancer of the colon later in the year and died on Christmas Eve. 
 
&quot;It`s been a tough time. Obviously the end of last year was very difficult,&quot; Ward told the Press Association. 
 
&quot;He was my tennis coach so every time I play tennis it reminds me of him.&quot; 
 
Federer, whose last major triumph was at Wimbledon in 2012 when he won his seventh title at the All England Club, against Argentina`s world number 51 Guido Pella. 
 
Federer, 34, has been runner-up to Djokovic for the last two years and is attempting to become the oldest ever Wimbledon champion in modern times. 
 
But the Swiss has been dogged by knee and back problems this year and his injury-enforced withdrawal from the French Open ended his streak of 65 successive Grand Slam appearances stretching back to 1999. 
 
He has since suffered semi-final losses on grass at Stuttgart and Halle, the last of which against Alexander Zverev was his first against a teenager in 10 years. 
 
Federer`s failure to win a title in 2016 means he will enter Wimbledon on his longest trophy drought since 2000.&quot;Clearly I`m not thinking of the title right away,&quot; said the Swiss when asked to assess his chances. 
 
&quot;Novak or Andy (Murray) are the big favourites.&quot; 
 
Pella, 26, was forced to retire from his first round match on his Wimbledon debut in 2013 while he fell in qualifying last year. 
 
The Centre Court programme also sees women`s second seed and French Open champion Garbine Muguruza taking on Camila Giorgi, the world number 68 from Italy. 
 
Muguruza was runner-up to Williams last year. Giorgi reached the fourth round in 2012. 
 
On Court One, 36-year-old Venus Williams, seeded eighth and a five-time champion, takes on Croatia`s Donna Vekic. 
 
Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori, who has yet to get beyond the fourth round, takes on big-serving Australian Sam Groth. 
 
Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber faces Britain`s Laura Robson in the same arena. 
 
Canadian sixth seed Milos Raonic, with John McEnroe in his corner, meets Spain`s Pablo Carreno Busta as he looks to improve on his 2014 semi-final showing. 
 
Meanwhile, armed police will patrol the tournament, both inside and outside the grounds while organisers have also increased the numbers of their private security staff. 
 
Armed officers were also used at Wimbledon last year but on a lower scale on the 10th anniversary of the 7/7 attacks in London. 
 
&quot;(There will be) significant numbers of officers patrolling the local area, firearms officers and a highly mobile reserve that can respond to emerging incidents,&quot; said a police spokesman. 
 
&quot;Officers will be working in uniform and in plain clothes during the event.&quot; 
 
Rain is also expected in the first week but forecasters are confident showers will pass by the time play gets under way. 
 
(AFP)

Roger Federer has been runner-up to Djokovic for the Past two years and is attempting to become the oldest ever Wimbledon champion

World number one Novak Djokovic and 17-time major winner Roger Federer get Wimbledon under way today with history beckoning for the two Grand Slam A-listers. Top seed Djokovic is halfway to the first calendar Grand Slam since 1969 after ending his agonising wait for a maiden French Open crown earlier this month. The 29-year-old defending champion currently holds all four majors and if he wins a third successive Wimbledon title and fourth in all, he will become just the second man in history to win five successive Slams. Only Don Budge, who won six straight from 1937 Wimbledon to the 1938 US Championships, has achieved the feat. Djokovic is such a hot favourite to triumph on July 10 that women's champion Serena Williams is already tipping the Serb for more greatness. "I think he'll get it easy," said the American who will begin her bid for an Open era record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam on Tuesday. Djokovic has won six of the last eight Grand Slams, taking him to a career tally of 12 - within two of Rafael Nadal`s mark and five behind Federer`s record. Djokovic takes on British wild card James Ward in the opening match on Centre Court. Ward, the 29-year-old son of a London taxi driver, is ranked at 177 in the world and made the third round last year with Australian coach Darren Tandy. But Tandy was diagnosed with cancer of the colon later in the year and died on Christmas Eve. "It`s been a tough time. Obviously the end of last year was very difficult," Ward told the Press Association. "He was my tennis coach so every time I play tennis it reminds me of him." Federer, whose last major triumph was at Wimbledon in 2012 when he won his seventh title at the All England Club, against Argentina`s world number 51 Guido Pella. Federer, 34, has been runner-up to Djokovic for the last two years and is attempting to become the oldest ever Wimbledon champion in modern times. But the Swiss has been dogged by knee and back problems this year and his injury-enforced withdrawal from the French Open ended his streak of 65 successive Grand Slam appearances stretching back to 1999. He has since suffered semi-final losses on grass at Stuttgart and Halle, the last of which against Alexander Zverev was his first against a teenager in 10 years. Federer`s failure to win a title in 2016 means he will enter Wimbledon on his longest trophy drought since 2000."Clearly I`m not thinking of the title right away," said the Swiss when asked to assess his chances. "Novak or Andy (Murray) are the big favourites." Pella, 26, was forced to retire from his first round match on his Wimbledon debut in 2013 while he fell in qualifying last year. The Centre Court programme also sees women`s second seed and French Open champion Garbine Muguruza taking on Camila Giorgi, the world number 68 from Italy. Muguruza was runner-up to Williams last year. Giorgi reached the fourth round in 2012. On Court One, 36-year-old Venus Williams, seeded eighth and a five-time champion, takes on Croatia`s Donna Vekic. Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori, who has yet to get beyond the fourth round, takes on big-serving Australian Sam Groth. Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber faces Britain`s Laura Robson in the same arena. Canadian sixth seed Milos Raonic, with John McEnroe in his corner, meets Spain`s Pablo Carreno Busta as he looks to improve on his 2014 semi-final showing. Meanwhile, armed police will patrol the tournament, both inside and outside the grounds while organisers have also increased the numbers of their private security staff. Armed officers were also used at Wimbledon last year but on a lower scale on the 10th anniversary of the 7/7 attacks in London. "(There will be) significant numbers of officers patrolling the local area, firearms officers and a highly mobile reserve that can respond to emerging incidents," said a police spokesman. "Officers will be working in uniform and in plain clothes during the event." Rain is also expected in the first week but forecasters are confident showers will pass by the time play gets under way. (AFP)

History on line as Djokovic, Federer get Wimbledon under way

It was not quite the triple bagel that Novak Djokovic was aiming for during the opening 41 minutes of his first-round match, but the Serbian is unlikely to be too disappointed after he beat Britain&#39;s James Ward 6-0 7-6(3) 6-4 at Wimbledon today. 
 
The holder of all four grand slam titles appeared to be hurtling towards his 29th successive win at a major when he opened his Wimbledon defence by jumping out to a 6-0 3-0 lead. 
 
But Ward, the son of a London black cab driver, did not want to make a quick getaway on his Centre Court debut and held both arms aloft after finally getting a game against his name on the scoreboard. 
 
The 177th-ranked wildcard went on a roll as he won three games on the trot but despite his fightback, he simply did not have enough weapons to stop Djokovic from setting up a second- round showdown with Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. 
 
(Reuters)

Britain's James Ward, despite his fightback, did not have enough weapons to stop Djokovic from setting up a second-round showdown

It was not quite the triple bagel that Novak Djokovic was aiming for during the opening 41 minutes of his first-round match, but the Serbian is unlikely to be too disappointed after he beat Britain's James Ward 6-0 7-6(3) 6-4 at Wimbledon today. The holder of all four grand slam titles appeared to be hurtling towards his 29th successive win at a major when he opened his Wimbledon defence by jumping out to a 6-0 3-0 lead. But Ward, the son of a London black cab driver, did not want to make a quick getaway on his Centre Court debut and held both arms aloft after finally getting a game against his name on the scoreboard. The 177th-ranked wildcard went on a roll as he won three games on the trot but despite his fightback, he simply did not have enough weapons to stop Djokovic from setting up a second- round showdown with Frenchman Adrian Mannarino. (Reuters)

Djokovic beats Ward by 6-0 7-6 6-4, makes solid start to Wimbledon title defence

China&#39;s policymakers and leading economists today voiced concerns about Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union, with the finance minister saying it has heightened market uncertainty, though some expect a limited impact on the Chinese economy. 
 
The &quot;Brexit&quot; decision &quot;will cast a shadow over the global economy ... The repercussions and fallout will emerge in the next five to 10 years,&quot; said Lou Jiwei, China&#39;s minister of finance, at the first annual meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in Beijing. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s difficult to predict now,&quot; he said. &quot;The knee-jerk reaction from the market is probably a bit excessive and needs to calm down and take an objective view.&quot; 
 
Stock markets around the world plunged in the wake of the referendum. Sterling&#39;s value also plummeted. 
 
Lou&#39;s views were echoed by the head of China&#39;s top economic planning authority and other economists at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the northern city of Tianjin. 
 
&quot;For Chinese firms that are going to invest or carry out mergers, entrepreneurs are smarter than me, and they will definitely wait and see,&quot; Xu Shaoshi, chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, said at WEF today. 
 
&quot;The Brexit incident wil affect China&#39;s economy via investment, trade and capital,&quot; he said. &quot;But I believe the impact will not be big and relevant government departments have made contingency plans.&quot; 
 
Huang Yiping, a professor at Peking University and a member of the central bank&#39;s monetary policy committee, said it is hard to judge the direct impact of the British referendum on China&#39;s economy. 
 
&quot;If (Brexit) is an important landmark in terms of a reversal of globalisation, I think that&#39;s very bad for the world, it&#39;s very bad for China,&quot; Huang said. 
 
Li Daokui, a professor at Tsinghua University and a former adviser to China&#39;s central bank, was more optimistic on the referendum&#39;s effects on the world&#39;s second-largest economy. 
 
&quot;China is perhaps one of the least impacted economies in the world by the event of Brexit,&quot; he told an audience at WEF. 
 
&quot;The only short-term impact I can think about is the exchange rate of the Renminbi ... But I do think within a few trading sessions that situation will very quickly be subdued,&quot; Li said. 
 
Also speaking at WEF was economist Nouriel Roubini, famed for predicting the global financial crisis, who said the decision to leave the European Union &quot;creates a whole bunch of financial, economic, political and geopolitical uncertainties.&quot; 
 
It could be the &quot;beginning of the disintegration&quot; of the bloc of countries, the euro zone or the United Kingdom, said Roubini. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t expect a global recession or another global financial crisis,&quot; he added. &quot;I think the impact of Brexit is significant but not of the same size and magnitude of the one we had 2007 to 2009.&quot; 
 
Michael Falcon, CEO of Global Investment Management Asia Pacific at JP Morgan, said he expects more market volatility but doubts the vote will derail a global recovery. 
 
&quot;It is a shock, not a crisis, and so far markets seem to be handling this pretty well,&quot; Falcon said at the WEF conference. 
 
(Reuters)

The repercussions and fallout will emerge in the next five to 10 years, said Lou Jiwei, China's finance minister

China's policymakers and leading economists today voiced concerns about Britain's vote to leave the European Union, with the finance minister saying it has heightened market uncertainty, though some expect a limited impact on the Chinese economy. The "Brexit" decision "will cast a shadow over the global economy ... The repercussions and fallout will emerge in the next five to 10 years," said Lou Jiwei, China's minister of finance, at the first annual meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in Beijing. "It's difficult to predict now," he said. "The knee-jerk reaction from the market is probably a bit excessive and needs to calm down and take an objective view." Stock markets around the world plunged in the wake of the referendum. Sterling's value also plummeted. Lou's views were echoed by the head of China's top economic planning authority and other economists at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in the northern city of Tianjin. "For Chinese firms that are going to invest or carry out mergers, entrepreneurs are smarter than me, and they will definitely wait and see," Xu Shaoshi, chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, said at WEF today. "The Brexit incident wil affect China's economy via investment, trade and capital," he said. "But I believe the impact will not be big and relevant government departments have made contingency plans." Huang Yiping, a professor at Peking University and a member of the central bank's monetary policy committee, said it is hard to judge the direct impact of the British referendum on China's economy. "If (Brexit) is an important landmark in terms of a reversal of globalisation, I think that's very bad for the world, it's very bad for China," Huang said. Li Daokui, a professor at Tsinghua University and a former adviser to China's central bank, was more optimistic on the referendum's effects on the world's second-largest economy. "China is perhaps one of the least impacted economies in the world by the event of Brexit," he told an audience at WEF. "The only short-term impact I can think about is the exchange rate of the Renminbi ... But I do think within a few trading sessions that situation will very quickly be subdued," Li said. Also speaking at WEF was economist Nouriel Roubini, famed for predicting the global financial crisis, who said the decision to leave the European Union "creates a whole bunch of financial, economic, political and geopolitical uncertainties." It could be the "beginning of the disintegration" of the bloc of countries, the euro zone or the United Kingdom, said Roubini. "I don't expect a global recession or another global financial crisis," he added. "I think the impact of Brexit is significant but not of the same size and magnitude of the one we had 2007 to 2009." Michael Falcon, CEO of Global Investment Management Asia Pacific at JP Morgan, said he expects more market volatility but doubts the vote will derail a global recovery. "It is a shock, not a crisis, and so far markets seem to be handling this pretty well," Falcon said at the WEF conference. (Reuters)

China's finance minister sees 'Brexit' heightening uncertainty for markets

Britain&#39;s European Commissioner Jonathan Hill announced Saturday that he will stand down following his country&#39;s decision to leave the EU, saying he was &quot;very disappointed&#39; but &quot;what is done cannot be undone.&quot;

&quot;As we move to a new phase, I don&#39;t believe it is right that I should carry on as the British Commissioner as though nothing had happened,&quot; said a statement by Hill, who is commissioner for financial services.

&quot;At the same time, there needs to be an orderly handover, so I have said that I will work with him to make sure that happens in the weeks ahead.&quot;

Hill, 55, a professional lobbyist and former Conservative party leader in Britain&#39;s upper house of parliament, follows his close ally Prime Minister David Cameron in stepping down in the wake of the referendum on Thursday.

He had already faced calls in the European Parliament to give up the sensitive financial services portfolio, which will be a focus of interest in exit negotiations between Brussels and London. He has had a key role in setting regulations that give Britain&#39;s huge banking sector access to euro zone markets.

As long as Britain remains an EU member it will continue to have a seat on the 28-strong Commission, giving Cameron, or more likely his successor, a right to nominate another commissioner, whose appointment would be subject to EU parliamentary approval.

The distribution of portfolios in the Commission is in the gift of its president, former Luxembourg premier Juncker, in negotiation with the leader of the member state nominating their commissioner.

Hill&#39;s appointment to the finance job in 2014 was seen as a peace offering from Juncker to Cameron, who had tried to block the Commission president&#39;s own appointment that year. It was viewed with some suspicion by euro zone bankers keen to challenge London&#39;s dominance as Europe&#39;s financial capital.

 
(With inputs from AFP and Reuters)

Move comes the day after UK votes to leave Europe

Britain's European Commissioner Jonathan Hill announced Saturday that he will stand down following his country's decision to leave the EU, saying he was "very disappointed' but "what is done cannot be undone." "As we move to a new phase, I don't believe it is right that I should carry on as the British Commissioner as though nothing had happened," said a statement by Hill, who is commissioner for financial services. "At the same time, there needs to be an orderly handover, so I have said that I will work with him to make sure that happens in the weeks ahead." Hill, 55, a professional lobbyist and former Conservative party leader in Britain's upper house of parliament, follows his close ally Prime Minister David Cameron in stepping down in the wake of the referendum on Thursday. He had already faced calls in the European Parliament to give up the sensitive financial services portfolio, which will be a focus of interest in exit negotiations between Brussels and London. He has had a key role in setting regulations that give Britain's huge banking sector access to euro zone markets. As long as Britain remains an EU member it will continue to have a seat on the 28-strong Commission, giving Cameron, or more likely his successor, a right to nominate another commissioner, whose appointment would be subject to EU parliamentary approval. The distribution of portfolios in the Commission is in the gift of its president, former Luxembourg premier Juncker, in negotiation with the leader of the member state nominating their commissioner. Hill's appointment to the finance job in 2014 was seen as a peace offering from Juncker to Cameron, who had tried to block the Commission president's own appointment that year. It was viewed with some suspicion by euro zone bankers keen to challenge London's dominance as Europe's financial capital. (With inputs from AFP and Reuters)

Britain's European Commissioner to step down

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