United Kingdom

    Theresa May faces fresh allegations of rigging Parliament over a near-unprecedented move to prevent MPs amending the Budget. Labour has accused the Prime Minister of running scared of an expected attempt to use the Finance Bill to force a vote on scrapping VAT on domestic fuel. With the Democratic Unionist Party likely to oppose the Government on such a vote, it left her facing a possible embarrassing defeat, the Opposition claimed. An amendment was expected because like the notorious £350m-a-week extra for the NHS zero-rating of fuel was a key plank of the Vote Leave campaign that secured Brexit. The controversy comes hard-on-the-heels of the row over the Conservatives seizing control of all Commons committees despite losing their majority at the general election. The Ind...

    The former international development secretary said we should have had more conviction and clarity of our end-state destination. A key figure in the Vote Leave campaign during 2016's EU referendum, Ms Patel admitted the current state of negotiations was not ideal at all. Theresa May She also suggested Cabinet ministers were to blame for splits at the top of the party attacking those trying to crowbar the Prime Minister. Responding to an audience question at a Spectator event on Monday night, Ms Patel said: I think she is juggling now with a difficult set of cards, post-the election, and not a strong majority. But also, as you said, personalities and certain views in Cabinet as well trying to crowbar and put their own marker, in terms of direction of travel on Brexit. Ms Pa...

    The European Parliament waded into the dispute as a senior Irish politician warned that any watch towers put up on a new hard border with Northern Ireland risked coming under attack within days. Speaking to the Evening Standard, Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament’s chief Brexit negotiator, demanded that Theresa May come up with fresh thinking to defuse the border stand-off, or risk stalling talks. For us, dividing up Ireland is not an option at all, he said. The European Parliament fully backs the Irish government concerns about the negative impact of Brexit and the need to ensure the continuity and stability of the Northern Ireland peace process. He insisted that a UK offer include a commitment to stick to European Union rules and regulations within Northern Ireland...

      The first UK civil claim against Harvey Weinstein has been issued in the High Court. A woman, who worked in the film industry and wishes to remain anonymous, is alleging a series of sexual assaults by the film producer. The claim, which was lodged by personal injury lawyer Jill Greenfield on the woman's behalf, is expected to exceed £300,000. Harvey Weinstein denies any allegations of non-consensual sex. The claim form, which has been seen by the BBC, states the woman is seeking damages for personal injury, expenses, and consequential loss. It also includes a claim against the Weinstein Company UK Ltd and the Weinstein Company LLC in the US, who are liable as employers of Weinstein. It's understood the woman has not yet submitted an official complaint to Scotland Y...

    The news was confirmed this morning by a delighted Prince of Wales in a statement that also revealed the couple became engaged in London earlier this month. Visiting Poundbury in Dorset the Prince of Wales told reporters he was thrilled and very happy indeed. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said: We are very excited for Harry and Meghan. It has been wonderful getting to know Meghan and to see how happy she and Harry are together. The statement did not reveal the exact date or location of the ceremony but said further details about the wedding day will be announced in due course. Confirmation of the engagement comes after an eighteen month romance between the 33 year old Prince, who is fifth in line to the throne, and the 36 year year old American actress. A Buckingham Pa...

    A plan being pushed in the Brexit sub-committee of Theresa May's Cabinet would see the UK agree to a system of voluntary referral of cases to the ECJ following Britain’s departure from the EU. Theresa May has been warned not to retreat from a pledge to take back control of our laws as she faced lobbying from at least one senior minister for a compromise with Brussels over the powers of European judges after Brexit. Eurosceptic ministers and backbenchers have expressed alarm at a plan being pushed in the Cabinet’s Brexit sub-committee for the UK to agree to a system of “voluntary referral” of cases to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) following Britain’s departure from the EU. Mrs May has previously made the jurisdiction of the ECJ a red line in Britain’s negotiations, sa...

    Theresa May faced a storm of criticism from senior MPs last night over her government’s handling of an inquiry into alleged inappropriate behaviour by her deputy, Damian Green, after Downing Street suggested a report into his conduct might never be published. Green, the first secretary of state and de facto deputy prime minister, is under investigation by the Cabinet Office over claims he made inappropriate advances to a young Tory party activist and that pornography was found by police on his House of Commons computer. Green has strenuously denied both sets of claims. Last night, however, Downing Street refused to say either when the inquiry would be concluded or whether the results would be made public, prompting claims that May was going back on a previous commitment to...

    Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s engagement is reportedly set to be announced imminently. Speculation of a major royal announcement has been rife and bookmakers have now suspended betting on the potential wedding. There have been rumours that Prince Harry had proposed to the 36-year-old actress and the BBC are also reportedly primed for a Royal announcement. The pair have been dating since last summer and 36-year-old Markle is rumoured to be moving to the UK after quitting the hit US show, Suits. Markle is believed to be moving her dogs to the UK with claims that she is looking to settle in London, according to the MailOnline. The news comes as Prince Harry, who is fifth in line to the throne, has been unveiled as one of the guest editors of one of BBC Radio 4's Today prog...

    Theresa May's government appears to have more important things to worry about than the fate of 28,000 Gibraltarians, according to Spanish sources who warned Gibraltar will crash out of the Single Market without the cushion of a Brexit deal transition deal. After Mrs May triggered the Brexit negotiations in March, the EU blindsided the British government by insisting that any deal could only apply to Gibraltar if Spain agreed. The EU-27 negotiating mandate effectively takes Madrid's side in the centuries-old territorial dispute over the rock. Senior Spanish government sources today told The Guardian that the British government had made no proposals at all to it regarding the future of Gibraltar. In a thinly veiled swipe at Mrs May’s struggles since she lost the Conservative...

    A moped gang who broke into 17 mobile phone stores and caused £1m of damage is facing time in prison. The gang of 10, aged between 19 and 24, used hammers, knives, angle grinders and a battering ram to break into Three mobile stores across east and north London, stealing phones and tablets from the stock room. On Thursday, four men were found guilty of conspiracy to commit burglary at Blackfriars crown court for offences between May and November 2016. Two other gang members were found guilty of the same offence at a previous trial, and four others pleaded guilty to their part in the burglaries in August. In three separate raids, gang members, who wore crash helmets and dark clothing during the burglaries, threatened and attacked security staff. During one robbery, a witnes...