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Monday, February 6, 2017

MPs to debate calls for a vote on final terms of Brexit

Demands for a Commons vote on the final terms of Brexit are to be debated by MPs on day two of the committee stage of the Government's Article 50 Bill.

After MPs sat until after midnight on day one and debated the Bill for seven hours, MPs will also hear calls for impact assessments on the UK leaving the European Union.

During day two, the Prime Minister will be hoping to avoid a potential Tory rebellion over how Parliament will be allowed to vote on the final Brexit deal.

An amendment to the Article 50 Bill tabled by Labour's former Shadow Chancellor Chris Leslie and supported by Labour backbenchers and smaller parties could attract Tory support.

Pro-Remain Tory MP Anna Soubry has said she may have "no alternative" but to vote against the Government unless a vote on the Brexit deal is guaranteed before it is agreed with the EU.

The first day of the committee stage ended with comfortable Government majorities in three votes on amendments tabled by Labour and the Scottish and Welsh Nationalists to the Article 50 Bill.

But shortly before the final votes there was a furious row between the SNP's Alex Salmond and the Deputy Speaker Lindsay Hoyle which came close to seeing Mr Salmond thrown out of the chamber.

The former Scottish First Minister, now his party's foreign affairs spokesman, shouted in a rage at Mr Hoyle after the Deputy Speaker cut short the speech of his SNP colleague Joanna Cherry to allow a minister to reply to the debate.

The first of the three midnight votes, on a Labour new clause calling for more consultation of the Joint Ministerial Committee of Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish ministers was defeated by 333-276, a Government majority of 57.

The second, on an SNP call for unanimous backing for the Government's Brexit deal from the Joint Ministerial Committee, was defeated by 332-62, a Government majority of 270.

And the third and final vote of the night, on Plaid Cymru's call for continued levels of EU funding for Wales after Brexit, was defeated by 330-267, a Government majority of 63.

Three hours earlier, a Labour new clause calling for Parliament to be kept informed of Brexit negotiations every two months was defeated by 333-284, a Government majority of 49.

The Government's full turnout of Tory MPs was achieved by leaving nothing to chance, even sending a coach to a Tory fundraising party in Battersea Park to bring Conservative MPs back to the Commons to vote.

During the fundraising event, a copy of Theresa May's Lancaster House speech on Brexit was auctioned for £110,000 and a copy of her Philadelphia speech to leading Republicans for £70,000.

Labour, meanwhile, faced more rancour and recriminations over the party's split on Brexit, with the mood at the weekly meeting of the Parliament Labour Party (PLP) described as "bloody" by one senior Labour MP.

At the PLP meeting, Labour's chief whip Nick Brown faced criticism of Jeremy Corbyn's decision to impose a three-line whip on his MPs in last week's vote on the Article 50 Bill's second reading, when 47 Labour MPs rebelled.

There was also fury among many Labour MPs aimed at the Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott, who missed the vote claiming she had a migraine, despite speaking in the Commons only hours before the vote.

Mr Brown told Labour MPs he was "a firm advocate of consistency", which most of those present took as a clear signal that Labour MPs will be ordered to vote for the Bill's third reading in the Commons on Wednesday.

If waverers inside the Shadow Cabinet like Ms Abbott or the Shadow Business Secretary Clive Lewis fail to obey the Labour leader's orders, they are likely to have to resign or be sacked, plunging Labour into further turmoil.

A formal decision on Labour's strategy for the crucial third reading vote will be taken by the shadow cabinet shortly before day two of the Bill's committee stage gets under way in the Commons.

Speaker John Bercow 'strongly' opposes Trump address to Parliament

Commons Speaker John Bercow has dramatically vetoed President Trump addressing Parliament during his state visit to the UK later this year.

The Speaker was cheered loudly and applauded by MPs after he denounced the President and said he would refuse to invite him to Westminster.

The applause came at the end of a lengthy statement from Mr Bercow in which he said the House of Commons believes in equality and an independent judiciary.

Mr Bercow's bombshell announcement came in response to a plea from Labour MP Steve Doughty, who has tabled a Commons motion calling on the parliamentary authorities to withhold permission.

Responding to Mr Doughty, Mr Bercow said there was no automatic right for foreign leaders to address Parliament during a visit to the UK, it was an earned honour.

He told MPs: "There are many precedents for state visits to take place to our country which do not include an address to both Houses of Parliament."

"The second point is in relation to Westminster Hall there are three key holders to Westminster Hall, the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Speaker of the House of Lords and the Lord Great Chamberlain.

"Ordinarily we are able to work by consensus and the hall would be used for a purpose such as an address or another purpose by agreement of the three key holders.

"I must say to you, to all who signed your early day motion and to others with strong views about this matter on either side of the argument that before the imposition of the migrant ban I would myself have been strongly opposed to an address by President Trump in Westminster Hall.

"After the imposition of the migrant ban by President Trump I am even more strongly opposed to an address by President Trump in Westminster Hall."

Mr Bercow went on: "We value our relationship with the United States. If a state visit takes place, that is way beyond and above the pay grade of the speaker.

"However, as far as this place is concerned, I feel very strongly that our opposition to racism and to sexism and our support for equality before the law, and an independent judiciary, are hugely important considerations in the House of Commons."

On the question of whether President Trump should speak in the Royal Gallery rather than Westminster Hall, Mr Bercow added: "So far as the Royal Gallery is concerned, and again I operate on advice, I do not perhaps have as strong a say in that matter.

"It is in a different part of the building although customarily an invitation to a visiting leader to deliver an address there would be issued in the names of the two speakers."

But he told MPs: "I would not wish to issue an invitation to President Trump to speak in the Royal Gallery."

Immediately after the applause, veteran left-wing MP Dennis Skinner rose and told Mr Bercow: "Two words: well done!"

Mr Bercow then responded: "I will let the applause go… this time."

Reacting to Mr Bercow's statement, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said: "This is the right decision by The Speaker.

"The Prime Minister might wish to kowtow to the nasty misogynist that now sits in the Oval Office but no-one else does. We do not want him to speak to us. He is not welcome.

"Speaking within Parliament is a rare honour, the highest honour we can offer.

"In the past, we have hosted speeches from leaders in equality, justice and human rights, from Mandela to Obama to Aung San Suu Kyi. Trump is not fit to shine their shoes."

A Downing Street spokesperson responded to the comments, saying: "We look forward to welcoming the President to the UK later this year. The dates and arrangements for the state visit will be worked out in due course."

And Mr Trump's friend Nigel Farage, the former UKIP leader, tweeted: "For Speaker Bercow to uphold our finest Parliamentary traditions, he should be neutral."

Only a select few world statesmen and women have been granted the honour of addressing the Commons and the Lords under the magnificent hammer-beam roof of Westminster Hall.

It has a central role in British history, from Richard II's removal as king to the trial of King Charles I.

It served as the location for the lying-in-state of Winston Churchill, several monarchs and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

Presidents Reagan and Clinton spoke in the Royal Gallery. Some other leaders have had to address Parliament from the Queen's Robing Room in the Lords.

But with Barack Obama having been allowed to make his own speech in Westminster Hall in 2011, Mr Bercow's dramatic intervention is a huge snub to the new President.

Donald Trump: Americans are in favour of travel ban

Donald Trump has asserted he has popular support for his travel ban and claimed polls which suggest otherwise "are fake news".

The President is fighting to restore the controversial executive order, which was halted after a ruling by federal judge James Robert.

On Sunday, an appeal court denied a formal request by the US Department of Justice to lift the suspension on the ban, which temporarily blocked all refugees and citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US.

Mr Trump's administration has until 3pm on Monday (11pm GMT) to file more arguments before a final decision is made.

Hitting out a CNN poll which suggested 53% of Americans were opposed to the measure, Mr Trump tweeted: "Any negative polls are fake news, just like the CNN, ABC, NBC polls in the election.

"Sorry, people want border security and extreme vetting.

He added: "I call my own shots, largely based on an accumulation of data, and everyone knows it. Some FAKE NEWS media, in order to marginalize, lies!"

:: Budweiser's Super Bowl immigration ad sparks boycott calls

Mr Trump's comments came as a group of prominent Democrats, including former secretaries of state John Kerry and Madeleine Albright, called for a federal appeals court to uphold its suspension of the travel ban.

In a brief submitted to the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the officials described the executive order as "ill-conceived, poorly implemented and ill-explained".

The group, which also includes ex-national security adviser Susan Rice and former Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano, also argued that the ban feeds Islamic State propaganda that the US is at war with Islam.

They said: "We view the order as one that ultimately undermines the national security of the United States, rather than making us safer.

"Reinstating the executive order would wreak havoc on innocent lives and deeply held American values."

It follows another brief jointly submitted to the court by 97 companies, mostly from the US tech industry.

:: Is President Trump still trying to be a tycoon?

The firms - which include Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Twitter - said Mr Trump's executive order "inflicts significant harm on American business, innovation, and growth".

They added the measure "departs dramatically from the principles that have governed our immigration law for decades".

Stefano Brizzi: Cannibal who dismembered PC's body found dead in jail

Stefano Brizzi, who was imprisoned for murdering a police officer and dissolving his body in acid, has been found dead in jail.

A Prison Service spokesperson confirmed Brizzi, 50, died on Sunday at HMP Belmarsh, southeast London.

They added: "As with all deaths in custody there will be an independent investigation by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman."

Brizzi was jailed for life in December and told he would serve a minimum of 24 years in jail for murdering PC Gordon Semple at his home in London.

The pair met on gay dating app Grindr.

Police believed he had attempted to cook and eat Mr Semple's body after strangling him during a bondage session.

Investigators believe a leg had been placed in a roasting tin in the oven and found traces of Mr Semple's DNA on grease in the cooker, in a blender and on a set of chopsticks.

Detectives also found pieces of his flesh floating in chemicals in the bath and an odontologist found that a bite mark on a discarded rib found in the kitchen bin matched Brizzi's lower teeth.

During his trial at the Old Bailey, the court heard Brizzi was a fan of the Breaking Bad series and had been inspired by an episode of the show to dissolve PC Semple's body in acid.

He was arrested after police called to his flat to investigate a foul stench discovered the gruesome scene.

Queen becomes first monarch to celebrate Sapphire Jubilee

Queen Elizabeth II becomes Britain's first ever monarch to mark her Sapphire Jubilee today.

It's 65 years since she became Queen following the death of her father King George VI.

As Britain's longest reigning sovereign, this is a milestone in her reign that the United Kingdom has never seen before with any other monarch.

To mark the occasion Buckingham Palace have re-released a photograph of the Queen wearing distinctive sapphire jewellery.

The picture was taken by the photographer David Bailey in 2014 for the GREAT campaign, a publicity campaign to promote Britain around the world.

In the photograph The Queen is wearing a suite of sapphire jewellery given to her by King George VI as a wedding present in 1947.

It was on the 6 February, 1952 that her father died while at Sandringham. Princess Elizabeth, who was 25, was in Kenya on a royal tour with her husband Prince Philip at the time.

To mark the day gun salutes will be fired in Green Park and at The Tower of London.

But there are no grand national celebrations planned for the Sapphire Jubilee.

As in previous years, Accession day will be a low key affair for the Queen, who is spending it privately on the Sandringham estate.

On Sunday her majesty was given flowers by well-wishers in Norfolk after she attended a church service at St Peter and St Paul in West Newton.

Sunday, February 5, 2017

Israel's Netanyahu says Theresa May's govt offers 'opportunities'

Israel's Prime Minister has said ahead of a visit to London he hopes the UK will line up against Iran alongside his country and the US.

Benjamin Netanyahu said there are "opportunities" that stem from "a new government in Britain" as he prepared to fly to the UK to meet Theresa May and Boris Johnson.

He said he aims to speak to both the British government and the US, in a visit "next week", about "tightening relations" with Israel.

His visit has prompted Labour's leader Jeremy Corbyn to tell Mrs May to make sure Mr Netanyahu knows "the British government will stand unequivocally behind the rights of the Palestinian people."

The Israeli PM has sparked controversy in the last few weeks by backing the building of 3,000 new settlement homes in a policy some have claimed breaks international law.

Mr Netanyahu said: "We are in a period of diplomatic opportunities and challenges.

"The opportunities stem from the fact that there is a new administration in Washington, and a new government in Britain.

"I intend to speak with both of them about tightening relations, between each side and Israel and trilaterally.

"This is what I will do next week in Washington and in London tomorrow.

"The challenges stem from the fact the Iranians also understand what I have just said.

"They are trying to test the boundaries with extraordinary aggression, gall and defiance.

"I think that the most important thing at the moment is that countries like the US, which will take the lead, Israel and the UK line up together against Iran's aggression and set clear limits to it.

"This will be the first issue, among many, that I will discuss with UK Prime Minister Theresa May and, of course, with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson."

Iran has said it will launch missiles as part of a military exercise despite US sanctions over a test firing last weekend.

Jeremy Corbyn said: "When Theresa May meets the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tomorrow, she has let it be known she will tell him that building settlements on occupied Palestinian land 'undermines trust'.

"The Israeli government's decision to build 3,000 new settlement homes in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem is illegal under international law and a threat to peace and international security.

"It undermines still further the prospect of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

"Theresa May must make clear to the Israeli Prime Minister that the British government will stand unequivocally behind the rights of the Palestinian people, along with the many who support them in Israel, as well as human rights and justice across the region."

Judges reject Donald Trump's appeal to reinstate his travel ban

Judges have rejected Donald Trump's appeal to have his travel ban immediately reinstated.

Federal Judge James Robart halted the ban on Friday after questioning the constitutionality of the President's controversial executive order, which blocks citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the US and all refugees.

The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco on Sunday denied a formal request by the US Department of Justice to lift the ruling.

Instead, it gave the Trump administration until Monday afternoon to file more arguments - and challengers of the ban to respond to the emergency appeal.

Acting solicitor general Noel Francisco had argued on Saturday night that the President's authority is "largely immune from judicial control" when it comes to deciding who can enter or stay in the US.

The federal government warned thwarting enforcement of the executive order is harming the public and that aliens have "no constitutional rights" to enter the United States.

President Trump, who argues the restrictions are aimed at stopping terrorist attacks in the US, has pledged to overturn the "ridiculous" ruling and even launched a personal attack on Mr Robart, describing him as a "so-called judge" in a series of ill-tempered tweets.

He has also accused Mr Robart of opening "up our country to potential terrorists and others that do not have our best interests at heart".

Mr Robart was appointed by George W Bush, and it is unusual for a president to attack a member of the judiciary as the US Constitution designates it as a check to the power of the executive branch and Congress.

The President's decree, signed on 27 January, barred entry for 120 days of any refugees awaiting resettlement.

Citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen were also banned from the US for 90 days under the strict controls.

The "extreme vetting" order has sparked anti-Trump protests across the US and abroad, triggered nationwide court challenges and has caused widespread confusion for many foreigners, particularly dual nationals, travelling to the US.

The travel ban has been heavily criticised by human rights campaigners who say the ban is against Muslims - but officials deny this.

This is not Mr Trump's first public showdown with a member of the legal profession over his order.

Last week he fired the Obama-appointed acting US attorney general Sally Yates after she told justice department lawyers not to enforce his immigration ban