Day: December 12, 2017

    Theresa May has insisted Britain's offer of a Brexit fee around £40bn will be off the table if there is no final deal on a future UK partnership with the EU. Having returned from Brussels last week with a draft agreement on initial divorce matters, the Prime Minister faced a 105 minute grilling by MPs on the terms of the deal struck on the first phase of Brexit negotiations. Mrs May confirmed the UK has consented to a financial settlement worth between £35bn-39bn; agreed measures to protect the rights of EU citizens in the UK; and made a commitment to there being no hard border on the island of Ireland. The Prime Minister hailed a new sense of optimism in Brexit negotiations, with good news for both Leavers and Remainers who want a smooth and orderly departure from the EU....

    The UK has shivered through the coldest night of the year so far, with temperatures plunging as low as -13C. Large swathes of the country saw temperatures fall below freezing, and the Met Office says the village of Shawbury in Shropshire was coldest of all. Severe weather warnings for snow and ice are in place until 11am on Tuesday across much of the UK as forecasters warned the icy conditions could bring further travel disruption. Hundreds of schools are also staying closed for the day - including in Staffordshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire and parts of Wales - amid concerns of treacherous conditions on untreated paths, and fears that snow will have compacted into ice. The Met Office said: "Some roads and railways are likely to be affected with some journ...