Business Leader Suspended Over Brexit Remarks

The boss of a leading business organisation has reportedly been suspended after telling Sky News he favoured leaving the EU.

In an interview on Thursday, John Longworth, director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said Britain would be better off if voters decided to leave the EU.

"With the reforms that we have received so far, the UK would be better off taking a decision to leave the European Union," he told Sky News.

His comments were at odds with the majority of BCC members, who are in favour of staying in the EU, according to the organisation's own research.

The Financial Times reports that the BCC was forced to hold an emergency board meeting on Friday to discuss how to reconcile the divergence in views between the director-general and many of his members.

A BCC spokesman told Sky News: "Still no official comment from us at this time. As and when we do, I'll be sure to share it."

But Sky News understands the BCC's president, Nora Senior, instigated the suspension and members have now been told that Mr Longworth has been temporarily suspended for breaching the group's official position of neutrality.

Several senior members told the Financial Times Mr Longworth's view did not reflect that of the majority of member chambers.

"Quite a few people are very unhappy about his position. They think he has massively overstepped the mark and abused his role," said one.

A recent survey by the BCC of 2,000 of its members found that 60% would vote to stay in the EU, while only 30% would vote for the "Out" camp, with 10% undecided.

Mr Longworth later clarified that his comments were made only in a personal capacity, but that was not enough to reassure some of his members.

Phil Smith, managing director of Business West, the largest chamber, said he was "appalled" by Mr Longworth's "very public" recommendation that Britain should vote to leave the EU.

"Chambers up and down the country are at this time carefully listening to their members' views and ensuring that we properly represent our business community in this very important and complicated issue," said Mr Smith, whose members cover Bristol, Bath, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.

"I don't believe that John had a mandate from the 50 or so British accredited chambers of commerce that he is supposed to represent."

Richard Swart, a member of the northeast chamber, described the interviews as a "dereliction of duty to most members' views".

Mr Longworth gave several interviews on Thursday explaining his decision to be the first leader of any major business organisation to back Brexit.

In his speech to the London conference, Mr Longworth said that the UK could create a "brighter economic future for itself" outside the EU.

The long-term risks of staying in the EU were "likely to be as daunting as the short-term risks of leaving", he added.

Afterwards his spokesman said: "The BCC's director-general has been very clear where his remarks reflect his personal assessment, rather than the position of the BCC."

The organisation had previously said that it would not campaign in the run-up to the referendum on 23 June.

It is set to carry out another survey of member companies in the coming weeks.

Business Leader Suspended Over Brexit Remarks

The boss of a leading business organisation has reportedly been suspended after telling Sky News he favoured leaving the EU.

In an interview on Thursday, John Longworth, director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said Britain would be better off if voters decided to leave the EU.

"With the reforms that we have received so far, the UK would be better off taking a decision to leave the European Union," he told Sky News.

His comments were at odds with the majority of BCC members, who are in favour of staying in the EU, according to the organisation's own research.

The Financial Times reports that the BCC was forced to hold an emergency board meeting on Friday to discuss how to reconcile the divergence in views between the director-general and many of his members.

A BCC spokesman told Sky News: "Still no official comment from us at this time. As and when we do, I'll be sure to share it."

But Sky News understands the BCC's president, Nora Senior, instigated the suspension and members have now been told that Mr Longworth has been temporarily suspended for breaching the group's official position of neutrality.

Several senior members told the Financial Times Mr Longworth's view did not reflect that of the majority of member chambers.

"Quite a few people are very unhappy about his position. They think he has massively overstepped the mark and abused his role," said one.

A recent survey by the BCC of 2,000 of its members found that 60% would vote to stay in the EU, while only 30% would vote for the "Out" camp, with 10% undecided.

Mr Longworth later clarified that his comments were made only in a personal capacity, but that was not enough to reassure some of his members.

Phil Smith, managing director of Business West, the largest chamber, said he was "appalled" by Mr Longworth's "very public" recommendation that Britain should vote to leave the EU.

"Chambers up and down the country are at this time carefully listening to their members' views and ensuring that we properly represent our business community in this very important and complicated issue," said Mr Smith, whose members cover Bristol, Bath, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.

"I don't believe that John had a mandate from the 50 or so British accredited chambers of commerce that he is supposed to represent."

Richard Swart, a member of the northeast chamber, described the interviews as a "dereliction of duty to most members' views".

Mr Longworth gave several interviews on Thursday explaining his decision to be the first leader of any major business organisation to back Brexit.

In his speech to the London conference, Mr Longworth said that the UK could create a "brighter economic future for itself" outside the EU.

The long-term risks of staying in the EU were "likely to be as daunting as the short-term risks of leaving", he added.

Afterwards his spokesman said: "The BCC's director-general has been very clear where his remarks reflect his personal assessment, rather than the position of the BCC."

The organisation had previously said that it would not campaign in the run-up to the referendum on 23 June.

It is set to carry out another survey of member companies in the coming weeks.

Floury Burglar Leads Police To His Front Door

A burglar has been locked up after he left a trail of floury footsteps from the crime scene to his own front door.

Anthony Rudkin wore gloves to ransack his neighbour's flat in Whitecross Road in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset last October.

The 48-year-old did not realise a large bag of flour had spilt over the hallway carpet and he had walked through it.

Rudkin went back to his flat having taken jewellery and a Playstation 4 from his neighbour, who was not in at the time.

After the neighbour arrived back home and alerted police, officers followed the trail of flour to Rudkin's home.

Once inside they found more flour, along with a pair and gloves and trainers with the same pattern on the soles as the one left in the flour.

Rudkin later admitted burglary and was jailed for two years and five months at Bristol Crown Court on Friday.

PC Dave Cousins of Avon and Somerset Police said: "Some investigations are incredibly complex and require some thorough and intelligent police work.

"However, in this case the actions of the victim and the attending officers resulted in Rudkin's quick arrest and seizure of key evidence.

"Rudkin thought he was being clever by using gloves to cover his tracks but failed to realise he had trodden in flour and led us straight to his front door.

"We treat all dwelling burglaries very seriously as they have a significant impact on the victim.

"And we will relentlessly pursue those who commit these crimes to bring them to justice."

Trump Backtracks On Vow To Order Torture

Republican White House candidate Donald Trump has performed a sudden U-turn on his vow to endorse the use of torture on terrorism suspects if elected.

In a statement to the Wall Street Journal, the real estate billionaire said he would not order the American military to break international laws if he becomes US president.

The Republican front runner said he would "use every legal power that I have to stop these terrorist enemies".

"I do, however, understand that the United States is bound by laws and treaties and I will not order our military or other officials to violate those laws and will seek their advice on such matters.

"I will not order a military officer to disobey the law."

Mr Trump's new stance contrasts starkly with remarks he made at a Republican debate less than 24 hours earlier.

On stage at the forum in Detroit, he stood by previous pledges that he would order "a hell of a lot worse" than waterboarding.

"Can you imagine these people, these animals, over in the Middle East that chop off heads, sitting around talking and seeing that we're having a hard problem with waterboarding?" he told moderators.

His statement on Friday follows an open letter written by Republican foreign policy mavens opposing his candidacy, in part, because of his "embrace of the expansive use of torture".

Mr Trump's tough talk has fired up supporters frustrated over the rules of engagement on the US-led campaign against the Islamic State group and other jihadists.

In another policy pivot, Mr Trump said in Thursday's debate he was dropping his stance advocating visa restrictions on highly skilled foreign workers.

He also raised eyebrows during the live Fox News forum as he appeared to defend the size of his manhood.

Despite some bruising exchanges, his rivals all pledged to support Mr Trump if he becomes the Republican party's candidate for November's elections.

Mr Trump has meanwhile cancelled a scheduled speech at Saturday's Conservative Political Action Conference.

His campaign said in a statement that he will instead hold rallies in Kansas and Florida.

Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall Get Married in London

(LONDON)— Media mogul Rupert Murdoch and model-actress Jerry Hall have married in London.

They were photographed emerging with smiles Friday from Spencer House, an 18th-century aristocratic palace in central London.

Murdoch’s News U.K. confirmed Murdoch and Hall, who announced their engagement in January, had married.

It is the fourth marriage for 84-year-old Murdoch, executive chairman of News Corp.

It is 59-year-old Hall’s first marriage. She and her former partner Mick Jagger had an unofficial private Hindu marriage ceremony in Bali, Indonesia, in 1990. During divorce proceedings in 1999 a British court declared the marriage invalid.

Murdoch and Hall are due to hold a celebration ceremony Saturday at St. Bride’s, the “journalists’ church” in London’s Fleet Street.

Facebook Set To Pay Millions More In UK Tax

Facebook is to pay millions more in tax after overhauling its structure, the company has confirmed.

The social network giant was the subject of controversy last year when it was revealed that it paid just £4,327 in corporation tax in 2014.

That was against UK revenues of £105m in 2014 - a year where it made a profit on its worldwide operation of almost £2bn.

It has confirmed that under new arrangements, the majority of its advertising revenue initiated in Britain will now be taxed in the UK.

But there was criticism from Liberal Democrat economics spokeswoman Baroness Kramer, who said it showed the UK corporation tax system was "fundamentally broken".

Sales will no longer be routed through Ireland for Facebook's largest advertisers, but revenues from smaller business sales still will.

The changes should mean a higher UK corporation tax bill. They are due to come into effect in April so the first tax bill under the new structure will come in 2017.

How much more tax this means Facebook will pay has not been made clear.

But according to figures from data firm DueDil, Facebook UK paid £855,832 in tax from 2007-2014.

:: It made a pre-tax loss of £54,186,962 in that period, and its most recent turnover (according to 2014 figures) was £105m.

:: In Ireland from 2008 to 2014, Facebook Ireland paid €14,868,000 (£11,505,549) in tax and it made a pre-tax profit of €3,270,000 (£2,530,619) in that period.

:: Facebook Ireland's most recent turnover (according to 2014 figures) was €4.837bn (£3.743bn).

The latest move by Facebook comes after search engine Google reached a controversial deal with tax authorities to pay £130m in taxes going back 10 years. Critics say the sum is derisory.

Facebook's 2015 worldwide results posted earlier this year showed revenue climbed 44% to $17.93bn (£12.6bn) while net income rose 25% to $3.69bn (£2.59bn).

Facebook said: "On Monday we will start notifying large UK customers that from the start of April they will receive invoices from Facebook UK and not Facebook Ireland.

"What this means in practice is that UK sales made directly by our UK team will be booked in the UK, not Ireland. Facebook UK will then record the revenue from these sales."

It said the changes would provide "transparency".

HM Revenue & Customs did not comment specifically on Facebook , but said it "closely examined" firms to ensure they pay tax due in the UK.

Company Rapped Over Fake Online Reviews

 A marketing firm which wrote more than 800 fake online reviews for clients including car dealers, mechanics and landscape gardeners has been ordered to take them down after a competition probe.

Total SEO wrote the reviews for 86 small businesses that were published across 26 different websites, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said.

It is the first time the CMA has acted over fake online reviews although it stopped short of using its powers to issue a fine or disqualify directors.

Instead it said that the firm, registered in Dorking, Surrey – which has co-operated with the investigation – had made legal undertakings to stop the practice and take down the fake reviews it had already put up.

The CMA has also written to Total SEO's clients to warn them that third parties writing fake reviews might mean them breaking the law themselves.

Nisha Arora, the CMA's senior director for consumers, said: "Our enforcement action against Total SEO makes clear that posting fake reviews about clients is unacceptable."

The CMA has also produced a written explanation for firms warning them that writing or commissioning fake reviews could lead to civil or criminal action.

Total SEO said it had offered online review writing and publication for clients "for a relatively short period of time".