The veteran diplomat who has quit as Britain's top Brexit negotiator in Brussels has fired a blistering broadside at Theresa May and Tory ministers.
In a scathing email sent to his Brussels staff, Sir Ivan Rogers accuses the UK's top politicians of "ill-founded arguments and muddled thinking".
Though he does not name the Prime Minister, it is clear that she and her "three Brexiteers" - Boris Johnson, David Davis and Liam Fox - are the targets of his attack.
:: Brexit Britain is more racist - Sky Data poll
In a devastating final paragraph of his email, Sir Ivan writes: "For my part, I hope that in my day-to-day dealings with you I have demonstrated the values which I have always espoused as a public servant.
"I hope you will continue to challenge ill-founded arguments and muddled thinking and that you will never be afraid to speak the truth to those in power.
"I hope that you will support each other in those difficult moments where you have to deliver messages that are disagreeable to those who need to hear them.
"I hope that you will continue to be interested in the views of others, even where you disagree with them, and in understanding why others act and think in the way that they do.
"I hope that you will always provide the best advice and counsel you can to the politicians that our people have elected, and be proud of the essential role we play in the service of a great democracy."
The tone of his email suggests that Sir Ivan, a career diplomat who says he has served the last four Prime Ministers, has been involved in bitter clashes with Mrs May in recent months.
In the highly acclaimed All Out War, by Tim Shipman, it was revealed that Sir Ivan clashed with Mr Cameron and members of his inner circle during last year's pre-referendum negotiations in Brussels.
In his email, Sir Ivan appears to show a lack of confidence in Mrs May's Brexit strategy, by questioning her plans to trigger Article 50 by the end of March this year.
Referring to her stubborn refusal to reveal her strategy to MPs, the public or even - it has been reported - the Queen, he writes: "We do not yet know what the Government will set as negotiating objectives for the UK's relationship with the EU after exit."
And referring to elections for a new French president and Angela Merkel's re-election bid in Germany, he continues: "There is much we will not know until later this year about the political shape of the EU itself, and who the political protagonists in any negotiation with the UK will be."
In what will be seen by critics as a defence of his own lengthy experience and a suggestion that no-one else could do a better job, he writes: "Serious multilateral negotiating experience is in short supply in Whitehall, and that is not the case in the Commission or in the Council.
"The Government will only achieve the best for the country if it harnesses the best experience we have - a large proportion of which is concentrated in UKREP - and negotiates resolutely.
"Senior Ministers, who will decide on our positions, issue by issue, also need from you detailed, unvarnished - even where this is uncomfortable - and nuanced understanding of the views, interests and incentives of the other 27."
He also hits out at senior ministers, particularly the International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, who have suggested that the UK will enjoy a trade bonanza once it leaves the European Union.
"Contrary to the beliefs of some, free trade does not just happen when it is not thwarted by authorities: increasing market access to other markets and consumer choice in our own, depends on the deals, multilateral, pluri-lateral and bilateral that we strike, and the terms that we agree. I shall advise my successor to continue to make these points."
Responding to Sir Ivan's email, Number 10 said it had nothing to add to an earlier statement, which said: "Sir Ivan Rogers has resigned a few months early as UK Permanent Representative to the European Union.
"Sir Ivan has taken this decision now to enable a successor to be appointed before the UK invokes Article 50 by the end of March. We are grateful for his work and commitment over the last three years."
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
British freerunner Nye Frankie Newman dies in 'accident' on Paris metro
Tributes have been paid to a British freerunner who died in an accident on the Paris metro on New Year's Day.
Nye Frankie Newman, from Guildford, has been described by members of his parkour group Brewman as an "inspirational" freerunner.
The 20-year-old regularly took part in the sport, which sees people climb and jump over obstacles and buildings in urban environments, and posted images of him leaping between buildings on his social media accounts.
Luke Stones, a member of the Brewman group, announced Mr Newman's death in "train accident" in a post on 1 January, and insisted his friend "wasn't train surfing as many of you assume".
He wrote: "Nye was an incredible human being who was always up for anything, he experienced things in his short life that many won't experience in their lifetimes."
Another member of the group, Rikkie Brewer, said Mr Newman was "the best human in the world" and "had such an attitude towards life that it impacted many other beings".
Brewman mourned the loss of a member of the team, writing on its Instagram page: "Even though we're one member down, this year is going to be bigger than ever for us!"
Two days before his death, Mr Newman posted a picture on Facebook which appeared to have been taken by him from the top of a railway bridge in Paris.
Last month, his parkour group was criticised by Paris transport network chiefs after posting a video showing members "surfing" a train over the Seine River.
Train surfing involves riding on the outside of a moving train.
Photographs on Mr Newman's social media accounts show him leaping between buildings in Hong Kong and somersaulting on the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland.
A day before his death he posted on Facebook, saying that he'd had "a hectic year full of lots of mental memories".
He also listed the countries and cities he visited in 2016, including Greece, Switzerland, China, Hong Kong and the Netherlands, adding: "It's been a hectic year full of lots of mental memories and some unfortunate things like leaving the EU, but hopefully it will all only lead to a better future."
Nye Frankie Newman, from Guildford, has been described by members of his parkour group Brewman as an "inspirational" freerunner.
The 20-year-old regularly took part in the sport, which sees people climb and jump over obstacles and buildings in urban environments, and posted images of him leaping between buildings on his social media accounts.
Luke Stones, a member of the Brewman group, announced Mr Newman's death in "train accident" in a post on 1 January, and insisted his friend "wasn't train surfing as many of you assume".
He wrote: "Nye was an incredible human being who was always up for anything, he experienced things in his short life that many won't experience in their lifetimes."
Another member of the group, Rikkie Brewer, said Mr Newman was "the best human in the world" and "had such an attitude towards life that it impacted many other beings".
Brewman mourned the loss of a member of the team, writing on its Instagram page: "Even though we're one member down, this year is going to be bigger than ever for us!"
Two days before his death, Mr Newman posted a picture on Facebook which appeared to have been taken by him from the top of a railway bridge in Paris.
Last month, his parkour group was criticised by Paris transport network chiefs after posting a video showing members "surfing" a train over the Seine River.
Train surfing involves riding on the outside of a moving train.
Photographs on Mr Newman's social media accounts show him leaping between buildings in Hong Kong and somersaulting on the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland.
A day before his death he posted on Facebook, saying that he'd had "a hectic year full of lots of mental memories".
He also listed the countries and cities he visited in 2016, including Greece, Switzerland, China, Hong Kong and the Netherlands, adding: "It's been a hectic year full of lots of mental memories and some unfortunate things like leaving the EU, but hopefully it will all only lead to a better future."
Israeli soldier convicted of killing wounded Palestinian
An Israeli soldier who killed a wounded Palestinian man has been convicted of manslaughter.
Sergeant Elor Azaria, 20, shot Abdul Fattah al-Sharif in the head in the West Bank city of Hebron in March 2016.
At the time, al-Sharif was lying on the ground after being shot by other soldiers while he carried out a stabbing attack.
Footage of the incident appeared to show the Palestinian motionless.
Lawyers for Azaria claimed he shot al-Sharif because he believed the man had a hidden bomb.
But Judge Colonel Maya Heller said Azaria had no reason to open fire and called his testimony "evolving and evasive".
She added: "The fact that the man on the ground was a terrorist does not justify a disproportionate response."
Azaria, who will be sentenced at a later date, faces up to 20 years in prison.
Following the verdict, hundreds of demonstrators near the courtroom in Tel Aviv blocked a road and clashed with police.
Israeli defence minister Avigdor Lieberman said he agreed with the "difficult verdict", while military prosecutor Lt Col Nadav Weissman called the decision "important, clear, decisive".
Sergeant Elor Azaria, 20, shot Abdul Fattah al-Sharif in the head in the West Bank city of Hebron in March 2016.
At the time, al-Sharif was lying on the ground after being shot by other soldiers while he carried out a stabbing attack.
Footage of the incident appeared to show the Palestinian motionless.
Lawyers for Azaria claimed he shot al-Sharif because he believed the man had a hidden bomb.
But Judge Colonel Maya Heller said Azaria had no reason to open fire and called his testimony "evolving and evasive".
She added: "The fact that the man on the ground was a terrorist does not justify a disproportionate response."
Azaria, who will be sentenced at a later date, faces up to 20 years in prison.
Following the verdict, hundreds of demonstrators near the courtroom in Tel Aviv blocked a road and clashed with police.
Israeli defence minister Avigdor Lieberman said he agreed with the "difficult verdict", while military prosecutor Lt Col Nadav Weissman called the decision "important, clear, decisive".
Labour General Election majority 'currently unthinkable'
Labour may win as little as 20% of the vote and fewer than 150 seats at the next general election, according to a think tank affiliated to the party.
New analysis by the Fabian Society suggests confusion over Brexit, a slump in support in Scotland, and Jeremy Corbyn's unpopularity mean Labour has virtually no chance of winning outright in the next election.
The damning assessment of Labour's prospects comes after a YovGov poll for The Times suggested support for Labour is now at just 24%, its lowest since Michael Foot was leader in 1983.
And it follows the Unite leader Len McCluskey apparently calling on Mr Corbyn to consider quitting if the polls are "still awful" in 2019, even though he later claimed he still backed the Labour leader.
After analysing existing poll data and historical trends, the Fabians predict that the next election, whether held imminently or in 2020, is very likely to see Labour win fewer than 200 seats for the first time since 1935, possibly falling to about 140.
Currently the party has 231 MPs.
Their report says Labour's general election vote over the past 40 years has tended to be almost eight percentage points lower than its poll rating in the second year of the preceding Parliament.
If this happens in 2020, the Labour vote could fall to 20% or less, the report concludes.
But using projections based on recent polls, the report says that even if either UKIP or the Lib Dems could tie with Labour on 20%, the electoral system would mean neither would win more than 20 seats, with Labour remaining at 140 to 150 and the Conservatives more than 400 seats, with a vast Commons majority.
Andrew Harrop, the Fabians' general secretary, who wrote the report, said Mr Corbyn and his team appeared to have little idea how to respond to such challenges or how to win back the four million voters who supported Labour in 2015 but say they would not do so now.
:: Corbyn hits back after Obama suggests Labour has disintegrated
Despite his triumph against Owen Smith in a leadership challenge last year, his team had produced "no roadmap" for overcoming Labour's plight, Mr Harrop wrote, while the wider Parliamentary Labour Party had become "barely audible", he claims.
"In place of the sound and fury of Jeremy Corbyn's first 12 months, there is quietude, passivity and resignation," he said.
"And on Brexit, the greatest political question for two generations, the party's position is muffled and inconsistent. This is the calm of stalemate, of insignificance, even of looming death."
The Fabian report says Labour's failure to produce a coherent response to Brexit is one of the main obstacles facing the party.
Using YouGov data, it calculates that the party has lost a net 400,000 votes since the last election among pro-Leave electors, and 100,000 among those who backed Remain, making its backing more strongly pro-Remain than before.
This poses a "Brexit dilemma", the study says, pointing out that Labour needs to somehow appeal more to Leave voters without alienating existing supporters who opposed Brexit.
The report stresses the need for Labour to accept that winning an outright victory in the next election is "currently unthinkable" and prepare instead for an era of "quasi-federal, multi-party politics", where it relies on the assistance of other parties like the Lib Dems or Scottish Nationalists.
While the proposed shakeup of Commons constituency boundaries would further disadvantage Labour, it is only likely to affect about 10 MPs, the report argues, making this a "sideshow".
Overall, Mr Harrop says this is "not a story of victory or death … but, whenever an election comes, the party must fight for every vote and every seat, because there is a huge difference between winning 150 and 250 MPs."
But Labour frontbencher Andrew Gwynne urged people not to "write off" the party.
The shadow minister without portfolio acknowledged there were challenges facing his party having "come out of a pretty tumultuous 18 months" with the general election defeat, two leadership contests and the EU referendum.
He told Sky News: "We have got to start looking outwards, we have got to reconnect with those voters that supported us in previous elections and that means that we have got to from now on unite, put together a policy platform and ensure that we represent those communities that we seek to serve in government.
"Let's put the divisions of the past behind us and make sure we start communicating with an aim to win the next election.
"Don't write us off three-and-a-half years before the general election."
New analysis by the Fabian Society suggests confusion over Brexit, a slump in support in Scotland, and Jeremy Corbyn's unpopularity mean Labour has virtually no chance of winning outright in the next election.
The damning assessment of Labour's prospects comes after a YovGov poll for The Times suggested support for Labour is now at just 24%, its lowest since Michael Foot was leader in 1983.
And it follows the Unite leader Len McCluskey apparently calling on Mr Corbyn to consider quitting if the polls are "still awful" in 2019, even though he later claimed he still backed the Labour leader.
After analysing existing poll data and historical trends, the Fabians predict that the next election, whether held imminently or in 2020, is very likely to see Labour win fewer than 200 seats for the first time since 1935, possibly falling to about 140.
Currently the party has 231 MPs.
Their report says Labour's general election vote over the past 40 years has tended to be almost eight percentage points lower than its poll rating in the second year of the preceding Parliament.
If this happens in 2020, the Labour vote could fall to 20% or less, the report concludes.
But using projections based on recent polls, the report says that even if either UKIP or the Lib Dems could tie with Labour on 20%, the electoral system would mean neither would win more than 20 seats, with Labour remaining at 140 to 150 and the Conservatives more than 400 seats, with a vast Commons majority.
Andrew Harrop, the Fabians' general secretary, who wrote the report, said Mr Corbyn and his team appeared to have little idea how to respond to such challenges or how to win back the four million voters who supported Labour in 2015 but say they would not do so now.
:: Corbyn hits back after Obama suggests Labour has disintegrated
Despite his triumph against Owen Smith in a leadership challenge last year, his team had produced "no roadmap" for overcoming Labour's plight, Mr Harrop wrote, while the wider Parliamentary Labour Party had become "barely audible", he claims.
"In place of the sound and fury of Jeremy Corbyn's first 12 months, there is quietude, passivity and resignation," he said.
"And on Brexit, the greatest political question for two generations, the party's position is muffled and inconsistent. This is the calm of stalemate, of insignificance, even of looming death."
The Fabian report says Labour's failure to produce a coherent response to Brexit is one of the main obstacles facing the party.
Using YouGov data, it calculates that the party has lost a net 400,000 votes since the last election among pro-Leave electors, and 100,000 among those who backed Remain, making its backing more strongly pro-Remain than before.
This poses a "Brexit dilemma", the study says, pointing out that Labour needs to somehow appeal more to Leave voters without alienating existing supporters who opposed Brexit.
The report stresses the need for Labour to accept that winning an outright victory in the next election is "currently unthinkable" and prepare instead for an era of "quasi-federal, multi-party politics", where it relies on the assistance of other parties like the Lib Dems or Scottish Nationalists.
While the proposed shakeup of Commons constituency boundaries would further disadvantage Labour, it is only likely to affect about 10 MPs, the report argues, making this a "sideshow".
Overall, Mr Harrop says this is "not a story of victory or death … but, whenever an election comes, the party must fight for every vote and every seat, because there is a huge difference between winning 150 and 250 MPs."
But Labour frontbencher Andrew Gwynne urged people not to "write off" the party.
The shadow minister without portfolio acknowledged there were challenges facing his party having "come out of a pretty tumultuous 18 months" with the general election defeat, two leadership contests and the EU referendum.
He told Sky News: "We have got to start looking outwards, we have got to reconnect with those voters that supported us in previous elections and that means that we have got to from now on unite, put together a policy platform and ensure that we represent those communities that we seek to serve in government.
"Let's put the divisions of the past behind us and make sure we start communicating with an aim to win the next election.
"Don't write us off three-and-a-half years before the general election."
Toddler's buggy toppled in 'horrific' handbag robbery in London
A toddler has been suffering "terrible nightmares" after her buggy was knocked over while her mother’s handbag was snatched in north London.
Video of the incident, which happened on Sunday afternoon, shows the mother and daughter on Darenth Road in Stamford Hill.
A man is seen running along the pavement towards the woman and her two-year-old.
He knocks the buggy over before grabbing the handbag and running back the way he came.
The little girl was unharmed, and while her mother was shocked, she did not need hospital treatment.
"This was a horrific robbery. The woman is still very shaken and scared to leave her home," said Chaim Kahan from the Stamford Hill Shomrim neighbourhood watch group.
"The two-year-old girl who was toppled over in the buggy has since had terrible nightmares, waking up every few minutes, asking if the robber has already been caught."
Metropolitan Police said the suspect was a "light-skinned black male, aged 25-30 years (and) 5ft 9ins tall".
He is described as slim build with short cropped black hair and dressed in a blue trench coat and blue jeans.
Anyone with information is urged to call police on 101 or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Video of the incident, which happened on Sunday afternoon, shows the mother and daughter on Darenth Road in Stamford Hill.
A man is seen running along the pavement towards the woman and her two-year-old.
He knocks the buggy over before grabbing the handbag and running back the way he came.
The little girl was unharmed, and while her mother was shocked, she did not need hospital treatment.
"This was a horrific robbery. The woman is still very shaken and scared to leave her home," said Chaim Kahan from the Stamford Hill Shomrim neighbourhood watch group.
"The two-year-old girl who was toppled over in the buggy has since had terrible nightmares, waking up every few minutes, asking if the robber has already been caught."
Metropolitan Police said the suspect was a "light-skinned black male, aged 25-30 years (and) 5ft 9ins tall".
He is described as slim build with short cropped black hair and dressed in a blue trench coat and blue jeans.
Anyone with information is urged to call police on 101 or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Man survives six hours treading water after marlin drags him off boat
A man has survived treading water for six hours after being dragged out of his boat by a marlin off the coast of Western Australia.
The fisherman, believed to be in his 20s, was in a boat on his own when the drama began.
He hooked a marlin - a game fish that can weigh up to 400kg.
But the giant fish dragged him overboard and his boat drifted away.
He was found hours later by a passing fishing boat.
Exmouth Volunteer Marine Rescue Group Commander Rusty Ellis said the man was "extremely lucky" to be found in such a remote area.
"He was just one tiny little head bobbing in the ocean," he said.
Cmdr Ellis added that Tuesday's rescue highlighted the need for anglers to take proper safety precautions when fishing off Australia's west coast, with two lone fisherman killed at sea near the same area last year.
The fisherman, believed to be in his 20s, was in a boat on his own when the drama began.
He hooked a marlin - a game fish that can weigh up to 400kg.
But the giant fish dragged him overboard and his boat drifted away.
He was found hours later by a passing fishing boat.
Exmouth Volunteer Marine Rescue Group Commander Rusty Ellis said the man was "extremely lucky" to be found in such a remote area.
"He was just one tiny little head bobbing in the ocean," he said.
Cmdr Ellis added that Tuesday's rescue highlighted the need for anglers to take proper safety precautions when fishing off Australia's west coast, with two lone fisherman killed at sea near the same area last year.
'Thrilled' Janet Jackson welcomes first child at age 50
Janet Jackson has given birth to her first child at age 50 - a baby boy named Eissa.
The pop superstar "had a stress-free healthy delivery and is resting comfortably", said a statement by a representative.
"Janet Jackson and husband Wissam Al Mana are thrilled to welcome their new son Eissa Al Mana into the world," added the statement.
Jackson, younger sister of late king of pop Michael Jackson, and Al Mana, a Qatari business magnate whose company sells luxury fashion brands throughout Gulf Arab kingdoms, were married in 2012.
Last year the singer, who shot to fame in the late 1980s with her albums Control and Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, postponed a global tour saying that she and her husband were planning to start a family.
The pop superstar "had a stress-free healthy delivery and is resting comfortably", said a statement by a representative.
"Janet Jackson and husband Wissam Al Mana are thrilled to welcome their new son Eissa Al Mana into the world," added the statement.
Jackson, younger sister of late king of pop Michael Jackson, and Al Mana, a Qatari business magnate whose company sells luxury fashion brands throughout Gulf Arab kingdoms, were married in 2012.
Last year the singer, who shot to fame in the late 1980s with her albums Control and Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, postponed a global tour saying that she and her husband were planning to start a family.
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