United Kingdom

    The EU has given the British government 11 days to come up with a fresh Brexit plan to avoid crashing out of the bloc at 11pm on 12 April. In the immediate aftermath of the crushing rejection of the prime minister’s deal, the European council president, Donald Tusk, called an emergency leaders’ summit. Should the UK seek a lengthy extension, leaders will debate any request at an extraordinary meeting on 10 April. Should May succeed in getting her deal past the Commons next week at a fourth time of asking, the EU would likely waive through an extension until 22 May. But speaking in Poland, the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, said it was becoming more likely the UK could crash out on the new default Brexit date of 12 April. The European commission’s most sen...

    The Conservative MP behind a series of indicative votes in the Commons has insisted the process could still find a consensus despite Wednesday night’s first attempt ending in deadlock, saying a final collapse of Theresa May’s deal would focus minds. Eight votes on alternative Brexit options, put before the Commons after MPs seized control of the parliamentary process from the government, resulted in no majority for any of them, although the vote was close on one softer Brexit option. Oliver Letwin, the Tory former minister whose amendment created the process, said this was to be expected, and that if May’s deal is defeated for a third time if put to MPs on Friday, this could forge unity if the only other option was no deal on 12 April. The process that led to Wedne...

    Theresa May’s announcement to Conservative MPs that she is prepared to step down for the second phase of Brexit talks should her EU withdrawal deal pass has sparked speculation about who might replace her. The Prime Minister’s decision to tell the 1922 Committee that she won’t stand in the way of new leadership prompted leading Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg to say: The great joy of the Tory Party is it has so many talented people in it. It’s like finding a fast bowler in Yorkshire. You just call and one appears. Here’s a look at key names currently being floated to take the helm if Mrs May steps down. Boris Johnson Prominent Brexiteer and former foreign secretary Mr Johnson has been a leading voice of opposition to Mrs May’s Brexit plan. The colourful Old Etonian...

    Theresa May has told Conservative MPs at a closed meeting that she will step aside as prime minister after she has delivered Brexit. She pledged to quit before the next stage of negotiations with the EU, but only if Tories who have so far refused to back her deal finally fall into line. The emotional announcement at the private gathering of Conservative MPs means that if her deal is approved, it would be a new prime minister that would decide how to approach talks on the UK’s future relations with the EU. It comes as Ms May desperately tries to gather enough votes from rebel Tories and the Northern Irish DUP, to try and pass her deal so that the UK can leave the EU on 22 May. However, reports already have already begun to emerge that if Ms May’s deal is passed, th...

    Vile racist abuse has been tagged onto a popular Indian takeaway, leaving the owner questioning: Where am I living now? Distraught Muzibur Rahman, who runs Saffron Indian Takeaway in Solihull , says he feels victimised and incredibly hurt. The word "P***" was emblazoned on the shutters of the longstanding curry house in huge black graffiti. Mr Rahman first opened up Saffron Indian Takeaway in Damsen Lane back in 1995, setting up in Solihull 24 years ago. "Well, I'm devastated," he said. "I can't really express my feelings. This is something very unusual that has happened. "In a long time we have been in Solihull, this kind of thing has never happened before. "I've got lots of customers, friendly people living here and they use us regularly. Nobody said nothing ...

    Brexit chaos could plunge Britain into a general election in weeks, ministers said yesterday after rebel MPs voted to seize control of Brexit from the embattled Prime Minister. Three pro-EU ministers quit the Government to back a Commons amendment enabling MPs to take control of Commons business to stage a series of 'indicative votes' on alternatives to the Prime Minister's deal tomorrow. They were among 30 Conservative MPs to defy the whips and support the cross-party amendment which was passed by 392 to 302 - a majority of 27 - in another humiliating reverse for Theresa May. However, Mrs May has warned the government is not bound to honour the result of the indicative votes as they 'could lead to an outcome that is unnegotiable with the EU'. Tuesday had been tou...

    Theresa May has days left in Downing Street amid a cabinet coup to oust her, according to several reports. Speculation the prime minister will be ousted is at fever pitch, with The Sunday Times reporting 11 cabinet ministers had told them they want Mrs May to move aside and make way for a replacement. Her de facto deputy David Lidington has been named as her potential caretaker replacement, while several are said to be ready to throw their weight behind Environment Secretary Michael Gove. Her former policy adviser George Freeman tweeted it was all over for the PM, adding: She's done her best. But across the country you can see the anger. Everyone feels betrayed. Government's gridlocked. Trust in democracy collapsing. This can't go on. We need a new PM who can reac...

    An online petition demanding that Article 50 is revoked and the UK stays in the EU has now hit four million signatures. The petition, which has attracted an influx of signatories in recent days, reached the four million mark shortly after 9am on Saturday. Backed by dozens of high profile celebrities, it gained support in the wake of Theresa May's speech on Wednesday night, even crashing the Parliament website several times, and Revoke Article 50 began trending on Twitter. Should it pass the 4.2 million mark, it will be the most popular petition submitted to the Parliament website. The most popular is currently a 2016 petition calling for a second EU referendum should the winning vote and turnout not reach a certain threshold. By contrast, the most popular pro-Bre...

    Around 40% of NHS compensation claims are already due to delays in treatment or diagnosis, but this could increase if people continue to be left on long waiting lists, according to a report published by the National Audit Office (NAO). Long waiting lists for treatment could see the number of angry patients suing the NHS rise significantly, new research suggests. Sir Amyas Morse, head of the NAO, said the NHS had made good progress in increasing the number of urgent cancer referrals but that more must be done to tackle the increasing number of patients on non-urgent waiting lists. Between March 2013 and November 2018, the waiting list grew from 2.7 million to 4.2 million. nder current health service targets, 92% of patients with non-urgent conditions such a those n...

    The European Union is poised to take control of Britain’s exit by rejecting Theresa May’s request for a three-month delay and setting a new withdrawal date of no later than 22 May. The prime minister is seeking an extension of the negotiating period to 30 June to allow the necessary legislation to be passed should she finally get MPs to back her deal next week. But EU ambassadors at a meeting late on Wednesday night agreed that the risks of having the UK as a member state beyond 23 May, when European elections are due, were too high. Sources said that during the discussions some member states had favoured a longer period and some a shorter but that the room coalesced around 22 May as the absolute limit. The heads of state and government will hold a discussion this...