ENGLISH

    Theresa May has unveiled a new party code of conduct guaranteeing an independent voice in investigations of abuse and harassment, as both the Conservatives and Labour faced pressure over whether they had failed victims. The code was revealed by May in a letter to the Speaker of the Commons, John Bercow, about her party’s plans to tackle the issue, following claims that have led to the resignation of one minister, Michael Fallon, and left two others facing investigations. She said parties had a role to play, but it cannot be right when dealing with serious issues relating to behaviour in parliament that vulnerable or concerned people are expected to navigate different grievance procedures according to political party. May added: “Neither can it be right that such difficult ...

    The BBC has come under fire this week after allegedly refusing to investigate sexual harassment claims against Chris Evans. A former colleague of the DJ sent an email to Director General Lord Hall listing a number of claims regarding Evans. She said that over the two years they worked together, he ‘flashed his penis’ daily and once grabbed her breasts, reports the Metro. The woman added that the 51-year-old DJ would ‘sometimes touch himself’ in front of her. However this week she was allegedly told that there would not be a probe into the claims, because they did not take place while he was employed by the BBC. Talking to The Sun, Tory Andrew Bridgen said: I’m appalled Lord Hall and the BBC have tried to sweep these very serious allegations under the carpet. Post-Jimmy Sav...

    These stunning houses on a beautiful street have become practically worthless with residents saying they are now prisoners in their own homes. The Georgian terraces are one of the most desirable locations in a UK city centre, with one in the area recently put on the market for £520,000. But the homes are unsellable due to a legal complication that prevents residents from extending the leaseholds on their properties or buying the freeholds. The time remaining on the leaseholds has dropped below the 70 to 80 year limit at which a bank will grant a mortgage, Chronicle Live reports. The freehold, and power to extend leaseholds, lies with the St Mary Magdalene and Holy Jesus Trust which owns the land in Newcastle city centre. Founded in the 12th century, the trust is made up of...

    House prices in the North West of England are forecast to surge at nearly double the rate of that in London over the next five years, according to a report. Between 2018 and 2022, house prices across Britain are projected by real estate adviser Savills to grow by 14.2%. Savills expects different pockets of Britain will see marked differences in house price growth over the period. Its projections range from an average 18% increase in the North West a home to the northern powerhouse to about 7% in London. House price growth: five year forecast (2018-22) (PA). The report said the North West region in particular has a robust economic outlook and strong employment growth. It said house prices in the North West are relatively modest compared with incomes, at around 5.6 times wag...

    This supermarket will now accept your old £1 coins until New Year's Eve If you still find yourself coming across old £1 coins at home, then fear not, because Iceland has just announced that it will accept the old round pound coins until 31st December. The old coins ceased to be legal tender on 15 October 2017, but supermarket chain Iceland had already joined a handful of retailers including Poundland and Tesco in making the decision to continue accepting the coins, despite it going out of circulation. Initially, Iceland told customers they would be able to spend their old one pound coins until 31st October. And now that time has passed, the supermarket chain has issued a new statement, announcing that it will now accept the old coins for a further two months until the end ...

    The Government has lost an opposition vote calling on it to publish impact assessments of Brexit on over 50 key industries. There was no official division as only Labour MPs backed it and no Tory MPs objected. Speaker John Bercow said he expects the Government to respect the decision - despite confusion over whether the result is binding. Opposition day debate motions are traditionally non-binding, but Labour had tabled a special 'Humble Address' motion. It is a centuries-old and infrequently used procedure that asks the Queen directly to request documents from the Government. Mr Bercow had only advised: "Motions of this kind have in the past been seen as effective or binding. But he warned ministers could be in contempt of Parliament if they ignore the call. SNP MP Peter ...