I listened to Andrew Neill interviewing Tony Blair yesterday.
I think Mr Neill is a brilliant interviewer, that leaves no stone unturned.
Tony Blairs interview was followed by a representative of Extinction Rebellion, who was extremely unprepared, and admitted that the outrageous claims made by her colleagues regarding the deaths of billions of children in the next decade, were completely untrue.
Mr Blair made a number of valid points.
Brexit is the most important decision this country will make in over 70 years.
The choice that most people are considering to solve the current impasse, appear to be a vote by the electorate. This means a general election, or a referendum.
A general election usually involves each party putting forward a manifesto which normally covers a number of different policies.
Whereas a referendum is usually designed to solve a single issue.
Brexit is by far the most important single issue.
Yet the Tories could gain a small majority on 35% of the vote on a no deal manifesto.
This could mean leaving without a deal, when the majority of the electorate voted for the parties that were not in favour of this.
Labour and the Lib Dems could achieve a larger percentage of the vote, yet be in the minority.
Therefore to think that a general election is a solution is foolish.
However a referendum followed by a general election provides a definitive solution.
Just to argue that it is somehow undemocratic, does not provide a solution.
A referendum on Brexit which solved this problem, followed by a general election which established how we wished to move forward post Brexit, is much more sensible.
Just to say, polticians should sort it out, or just do it, provides no solution.
If the problem is Brexit, then the way out is a referendum.
Leaving without a deal, or revoking article 50 are clearly less democratic than a referendum.
We are where we are, we cant turn the clock back.
To continually bang on about 17.4 million, the will of the people, democracy, solves nothing, and just leads to extension after extension, however a referendum does.
Brexit: Labour MPs bombard Jeremy Corbyn with calls for him to back fresh referendum before general election
Labour MPs are blitzing Jeremy Corbyn with demands for a U-turn that would see him throw his weight behind a fresh Brexit referendum before a general election.
The whips’ office is receiving “dozens of phone calls”, The Independent understands – reflecting the “almost unanimous” support amongst rank-and-file MPs for a Final Say vote to come first.
Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, became the latest big-hitter to argue for a referendum, joining Tom Watson, the deputy leader and – privately – shadow chancellor John McDonnell and Keir Starmer, the Brexit spokesman.
Many of the front pages feature the same picture of Boris Johnson and his Irish counterpart, Leo Varadkar, deep in conversation as they stroll through the grounds of a Merseyside hotel - following their Brexit meeting yesterday.
"Dare we dream of a deal?" is the headline in the Daily Mail, which says: "Even the most pessimistic pundit would have to say that an agreement now feels like an evens shot."
The Daily Express is similarly upbeat - claiming that Mr Johnson won a "dramatic breakthrough" - while admitting it may not be possible to finalise a deal before next week's European Council summit.
An unnamed EU diplomat tells the Financial Times that the talks included a "new and substantially different offer" from the PM on customs co-operation.
But the paper points out that if Mr Johnson has bowed to the demand from Brussels to keep Northern Ireland in the customs union - even for a limited time - the Democratic Unionists and hardline Tory Eurosceptics would refuse to support it, creating a new "political storm" in Westminster.
I listened to Andrew Neill interviewing Tony Blair yesterday.
I think Mr Neill is a brilliant interviewer, that leaves no stone unturned.
Tony Blairs interview was followed by a representative of Extinction Rebellion, who was extremely unprepared, and admitted that the outrageous claims made by her colleagues regarding the deaths of billions of children in the next decade, were completely untrue.
Mr Blair made a number of valid points.
Brexit is the most important decision this country will make in over 70 years.
The choice that most people are considering to solve the current impasse, appear to be a vote by the electorate. This means a general election, or a referendum.
A general election usually involves each party putting forward a manifesto which normally covers a number of different policies.
Whereas a referendum is usually designed to solve a single issue.
Brexit is by far the most important single issue.
Yet the Tories could gain a small majority on 35% of the vote on a no deal manifesto.
This could mean leaving without a deal, when the majority of the electorate voted for the parties that were not in favour of this.
Labour and the Lib Dems could achieve a larger percentage of the vote, yet be in the minority.
Therefore to think that a general election is a solution is foolish.
However a referendum followed by a general election provides a definitive solution.
Just to argue that it is somehow undemocratic, does not provide a solution.
A referendum on Brexit which solved this problem, followed by a general election which established how we wished to move forward post Brexit, is much more sensible.
Just to say, polticians should sort it out, or just do it, provides no solution.
If the problem is Brexit, then the way out is a referendum.
Leaving without a deal, or revoking article 50 are clearly less democratic than a referendum.
We are where we are, we cant turn the clock back.
To continually bang on about 17.4 million, the will of the people, democracy, solves nothing, and just leads to extension after extension, however a referendum does.
Brexit: Labour MPs bombard Jeremy Corbyn with calls for him to back fresh referendum before general election
Labour MPs are blitzing Jeremy Corbyn with demands for a U-turn that would see him throw his weight behind a fresh Brexit referendum before a general election.
The whips’ office is receiving “dozens of phone calls”, The Independent understands – reflecting the “almost unanimous” support amongst rank-and-file MPs for a Final Say vote to come first.
Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, became the latest big-hitter to argue for a referendum, joining Tom Watson, the deputy leader and – privately – shadow chancellor John McDonnell and Keir Starmer, the Brexit spokesman.
Even though details of Boris Johnson's latest proposals for Brexit are not officially known, several of the papers believe they have worked them out.
The Daily Mail says it has been told by sources that the prime minister has, in effect, agreed to scrap the customs border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic - replacing it with one in the Irish Sea.
The paper uses the example of a fridge, claiming that an exporter from the British mainland would have to pay the required EU tariff if it was heading to Northern Ireland.
That would mean that if the fridge was destined for the Irish Republic or the rest of the EU then it could simply continue its journey.
But if it was staying in Northern Ireland, the importer there would receive a rebate if the UK's tariff for fridges was lower than that of the EU's.
A picture of Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of the jailed British-Iranian woman, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, being reunited with his five-year-old daughter, Gabriella, is on many of the front pages.
The two are seen hugging after the girl flew home from Iran, where she had been living with her grandparents.
The Sun reports the prime minster is facing a Conservative revolt because he is accused of going back on a promise to end investigations into troops who served in Northern Ireland.
Mr Johnson vowed to end unfair prosecutions during his leadership campaign, and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is said to have brandished the pledge during a cabinet meeting when he learned the law would not be in Monday's Queen Speech.
The Daily Telegraph says the planned amnesty had been jettisoned in favour of laws on sustainable cat litter. Number 10 tells the paper it is determined to legislate on the issue of legacy prosecutions.
The Daily Mail leads with a claim from the head of NHS England that rumours spread outside school gates have led to a lower take-up of childhood vaccinations. Simon Stevens tells the paper internet firms need to do more to stamp out fake health news.
A spat between the man who edited the Daily Mail for 26 years, Paul Dacre, and his successor, Geordie Greig makes the front page of one of its rivals.
The Financial Times reports that Mr Dacre has responded angrily to a claim made by his replacement that the paper's softer tone had brought back advertisers.
In a letter to the Financial Times, he accuses Mr Greig of being "economic" with the truth and defends his long tenure, saying he had made billions in profit.
The article points out the current editor loathes his predecessor. Daily Mail Group Media says revenue from new advertisers in the past year has more than offset those it has lost.
The Sunday Times has learned that Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to offer the EU "a historic grand bargain on Brexit".
Mr Johnson will reportedly offer Brussels a choice between helping him deliver his deal this week or agreeing a "friendly" version of no-deal by the end of the month.
The paper says the prime minister will seek to enlist the leaders of Germany and France to help persuade the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, to flesh out the agreement that was reached with Irish officials a few days ago.
Jacob Rees-Mogg's appeal to Brexiteers to support Mr Johnson's efforts to secure a deal is the lead in the Sunday Telegraph. In an editorial, the paper says that there has been a "devastating collapse in trust in our institutions" that can only be repaired by honouring the vote to leave the EU.
The former Cabinet Office minister, David Lidington, meanwhile, warns in the Observer that a no-deal Brexit "would do massive harm" to the Conservative Party's reputation as "the champion of business". He says the party would be "in dire straits" - "but even worse would be the damage to the union of the United Kingdom".
A similar note is sounded by a group of Tory peers writing in the Sunday Times. The peers, including the former party chairs Lady Warsi and Lord Patten, describe it as "shocking" for the Conservative and Unionist Party to be considering anything that risks the breakup of the UK and which could unravel peace on the island of Ireland
The Sun on Sunday suggests 19 Labour MPs are "ready to defy Jeremy Corbyn and back the prime minister if he returns from Brussels with a deal". It points out "their support would be enough to carry it over the line" during next Saturday's special sitting of the Commons.
And a Banksy painting of chimps filling the Commons benches has, according to the Mail on Sunday led to questions in the art world about whether it really is the product of the elusive street artist.
The work, which recently sold for almost £10m, uses a realistic style not usually seen in Banksy's pieces, prompting some to ask whether it was created by another artist, Mason Storm. A spokesman for Banksy has declined to comment; while Storm says only that "whoever painted it is a genius".
The Sunday Mirror says figures suggest there were 15 million cases in the 12 months to August where patients had to wait a month to see their GP. Doctors' leaders say the delays are due to shortages of staff and resources. The Department of Health insists it is "funding up to 20,000 extra staff in GP practices".
The Sunday Express says new signs reminding motorists to drive on the left have been put up outside the military base where 19-year-old Harry Dunn died in a road accident. The other vehicle involved is said to have been on the wrong side of the road. The paper says the temporary signs and directional arrows appeared within the past few days outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire.
Friends of the Earth claim in the Sunday Times that "fracking in the UK is dead". The company Cuadrilla is reported to have "begun removing equipment from its only testing area, after the work was blamed for minor earthquakes in August".
The paper says an energy white paper from the government is "set to prioritise renewable energy over fracking". A pro-fracking group insists exploiting the UK's natural gas resources is the only way to meet carbon emissions targets.
A study reported in the Mail on Sunday suggests sons cost £20,000 more than daughters because they live at home for four years longer.
The average age for daughters to fly the nest was found to be 22, while sons wait until they are 26. The cost of housing an adult child is said to be around £400 a month, with some parents dipping into their pensions or working extra hours.
Boris Johnson’s hopes of Brexit deal dealt blow after DUP deputy leader warns proposal ‘cannot work’ Nigel Dodds insists Northern Ireland must remain full part of UK customs union, potentially endangering PM’s hopes of getting agreement through parliament
Many of the newspapers report the sentiment that the chances of a Brexit agreement appear to be diminishing.
The Guardian says a breakthrough "failed to materialise" this weekend, despite intensive negotiations, leading European Union leaders to conclude that it may now be impossible for the UK to leave by 31 October with a deal. The i says hopes of an agreement seem to be "slipping away".
The Financial Times explains the process is "in jeopardy" because the EU is "baffled" by the UK's "fiendishly complex" and "not properly worked out" customs proposals for Northern Ireland.
Therefore, the Times says, EU negotiators are demanding more concessions from Prime Minister Boris Johnson on customs arrangements.
The paper suggests Brussels is increasing pressure on Number 10 by saying it would be prepared to back the plan in principle even if a legal text cannot be finalised in time for Thursday's EU summit - provided Mr Johnson gives ground.
The idea that the UK should offer fresh concessions has prompted "fury" from Brexiteers, according to the Daily Telegraph. An unnamed cabinet member tells the paper: "The EU needs to understand all their very clever negotiating tactics don't mean anything if you can't get a deal through the House of Commons."
A number of the papers have been briefed about aspects of Monday's Queen's Speech. The Daily Express describes plans for a "law and order crackdown", under which foreign criminals who "sneaked back into the UK after being deported" would face at least two years in jail.
The Daily Mail reports another proposed law would see murderers who refuse to reveal where they buried their victims spending longer behind bars.
Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror examines proposals to use new immigration rules to encourage skilled migrants to live outside London, reporting that Labour sees them as "confused" and a "gimmick".
The Daily Mail focuses on a calculation by business lobby group the CBI that Labour's renationalisation plans would cost "at least £196bn".
The organisation describes the cost the programme, which could include buying Royal Mail and the train companies, as "beyond eye-watering". But Labour disputes the figures, telling the paper the CBI's intervention is "incoherent scaremongering".
The remorse expressed by the wife of an American diplomat, Anne Sacoolas, for a fatal car crash in which she is a suspect in the UK gets short shrift from the tabloids.
For the Sun they are "crocodile tears". Mrs Sacoolas must now admit she was wrong to flee the UK, return from the US and let the police continue their investigations, its editorial says.
The Daily Mirror agrees that if she had "an ounce of decency" she would be on the "first flight back to Britain". Mrs Sacoolas would get a fair hearing here, the paper concludes, so she "must return voluntarily - or be sent back by Donald Trump".
The Guardian is one of several papers to note that, for the first time, renewable energy sources have provided more electricity to UK homes and businesses than fossil fuels.
The paper says figures from the last quarter confirm predictions by the National Grid that 2019 would be the first year since the Industrial Revolution that zero-carbon electricity - renewables and nuclear - overtook gas and coal-fired power.
Meanwhile another source of CO2 emissions, flights, is in the firing line of a report commissioned by the government's climate change advisers.
The Times says the report concludes air miles schemes should be banned because they encourage excessive flying. The study says there is evidence that frequent flyer loyalty programmes are particularly damaging because they can result in people taking extra flights to "maintain their privileged traveller status"
Writing for the Daily Telegraph, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Max Hill, says criminal justice has not adapted at the same speed as the rest of society to the growing awareness of mental health.
His assessment is that up to one in five cases the CPS deals with involves a victim, witness or defendant with a mental health condition. We need to modernise our approach, knock down stigmas and ensure justice is delivered for all, he writes.
Finally, the Times reports on an unlikely boom in the construction of Almshouses. It is a result of our aging society and, the paper says, the lack of affordable housing. While entry requirements can be strict, and run in accordance with the benefactor's wishes, they typically cost a fraction of the market rate to rent.
The boss of the Almshouse Association tells the Times the houses have been around since before William the Conqueror and clearly remain "a sustainable model for charitable giving".
Brexit: Boris Johnson’s hard line on immigrants risks ‘retaliatory deportations’ for UK citizens in Europe Exclusive: UK citizens fear ‘consequences’ of British government’s announcements after Brexit
I try very hard not to hate, but Priti Patel certainly tests my resolve, a thoroughly odious & dreadful individual. God forbid decisions about our future, & the future of displaced people, rest with her.
Even so, she comes a distant 2nd to the complete & utter fraud that Farage is. I can barely believe that adults can't see through Farage.
So, I did rather enjoy this tweet.
Apologies if anyone finds the content a little offensive. If it helps balance things, I find Farage offensive.
MEP hits back at Nigel Farage after being branded 'stuck up' in fiery exchange Judith Bunting did not take the Brexit Party leader's comments lying down - and pointed out his hypocrisy
An MEP has hit back at Nigel Farage after he branded her a “stuck up snob” in a fiery Brussels exchange.
Judith Bunting, the Lib Dem MEP for South East England, noted Mr Farage said she grew up in Peterborough and went to a state grammar school.
Mr Farage, on the other hand, went to a 'prestigious independent boarding school costing almost £15,000 a year.
Ms Bunting told the Mirror: “I don’t hold any of this against him, it’s a free country, but it’s not exactly Che Guevara territory, is it, Nigel?”
She added: "When it comes to being called stuck up and labelled a snob by a man whose life has been characterised by privilege and affluence, I'm afraid I cannot hold back."
She added: "No doubt Mr Farage feels he has the right to stand up and label me patronising and stuck up because I dare to hold and voice my opinions, despite my ordinary background.
“He may even feel justified in doing so.
“But on the accusation of snobbery, Mr Farage - Old Alleynian, former City trader and friend of billionaire presidents - has no right, no grounds and frankly no shame."
The row broke out on the floor of the European Parliament on Thursday, when Ms Bunting accused Mr Farage of supporting “inaccurate facts” in the run up to the EU Referendum.
Mr Farage said: “You patronising stuck up snob!
Today the Sunday Mirror revealed the Brexit Party are sourcing official merchandise in Bangladesh and China – despite Mr Farage vowing to fight for “British jobs for British people”.
A £10 T-shirt and £24.99 hoodie are both made in Bangladesh, where textile workers pocket as little as 39p an hour.
I try very hard not to hate, but Priti Patel certainly tests my resolve, a thoroughly odious & dreadful individual. God forbid decisions about our future, & the future of displaced people, rest with her.
Even so, she comes a distant 2nd to the complete & utter fraud that Farage is. I can barely believe that adults can't see through Farage.
So, I did rather enjoy this tweet.
Apologies if anyone finds the content a little offensive. If it helps balance things, I find Farage offensive.
It is hard to think of a more hateful bunch of sitting politicians in my lifetime.
It is really difficult to have any respect for so many of them.
We have those that have been given senior Cabinet positions, purely because of their fanatical Brexit views.
There are others that have clearly abandoned their previously moderate, sensible opinions, in order to get a Cabinet position, and blindly back Boris, and whatever his ever changing position seems to be.
I regard Tories cheering Priti Patels plans to end Freedom of Movement as worrying. Making the announcement with such glee makes me feel ashamed.
How is it even possible for someone with a surname that is Patel, seem so happy about this policy.
The added threat of deporting those that havent applied for the right to remain, is also an embarrassment.
The Brits living in the EU must be hoping that the EU will be far more sympathetic.
I am not sure if there has ever been such an unappealing bunch to choose from when it comes to a general election.
I could only hope that Boris might acheive his wish of ending up dead in a ditch, and could be joined by Jeremy Corbyn in some sort of suicide pact, allowing us to have a much more preferable choice in the election.
I also have little patience when it comes to those that write off the option of a second referendum, purely on the basis of 17.4 million people, the will of the people, and democracy etc. Despite the fact that it would provide a definitive solution in the fairly near future.
They cannot provide an alternative solution.
They also seem prepared to completely ignore the completely undemocratic way in which our last 2 PMs have been chosen. In addition to the vote after vote on the Withdrawal Agreement, and the numerous elections, despite the fact that they are supposed to occur every 5 years.
Not sure I've ever seen a speech by a Politician that upset me more than this one by Priti Patel, as she vowed to end Freedom of Movement & did so whilst smiling, smirking, & looking directly at the camera. Just ugh.
Comments
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/news/dyson-scraps-£25bn-electric-car-project/ar-AAIAjZg?ocid=spartandhp
Labour MPs are blitzing Jeremy Corbyn with demands for a U-turn that would see him throw his weight behind a fresh Brexit referendum before a general election.
The whips’ office is receiving “dozens of phone calls”, The Independent understands – reflecting the “almost unanimous” support amongst rank-and-file MPs for a Final Say vote to come first.
Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, became the latest big-hitter to argue for a referendum, joining Tom Watson, the deputy leader and – privately – shadow chancellor John McDonnell and Keir Starmer, the Brexit spokesman.
https://uk.yahoo.com/news/brexit-labour-mps-bombard-jeremy-160352654.html
Many of the front pages feature the same picture of Boris Johnson and his Irish counterpart, Leo Varadkar, deep in conversation as they stroll through the grounds of a Merseyside hotel - following their Brexit meeting yesterday.
"Dare we dream of a deal?" is the headline in the Daily Mail, which says: "Even the most pessimistic pundit would have to say that an agreement now feels like an evens shot."
The Daily Express is similarly upbeat - claiming that Mr Johnson won a "dramatic breakthrough" - while admitting it may not be possible to finalise a deal before next week's European Council summit.
An unnamed EU diplomat tells the Financial Times that the talks included a "new and substantially different offer" from the PM on customs co-operation.
But the paper points out that if Mr Johnson has bowed to the demand from Brussels to keep Northern Ireland in the customs union - even for a limited time - the Democratic Unionists and hardline Tory Eurosceptics would refuse to support it, creating a new "political storm" in Westminster.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-50008905
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair has told Andrew Neil a general election would be "the wrong way" to resolve the Brexit impasse.
He said the electorate must be asked specifically about the issue of EU membership, not who they want to govern them.
"If your problem is Brexit, go back on Brexit," he added.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-49994108/tony-blair-election-wrong-way-to-resolve-brexit-impasse
Even though details of Boris Johnson's latest proposals for Brexit are not officially known, several of the papers believe they have worked them out.
The Daily Mail says it has been told by sources that the prime minister has, in effect, agreed to scrap the customs border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic - replacing it with one in the Irish Sea.
The paper uses the example of a fridge, claiming that an exporter from the British mainland would have to pay the required EU tariff if it was heading to Northern Ireland.
That would mean that if the fridge was destined for the Irish Republic or the rest of the EU then it could simply continue its journey.
But if it was staying in Northern Ireland, the importer there would receive a rebate if the UK's tariff for fridges was lower than that of the EU's.
A picture of Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of the jailed British-Iranian woman, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, being reunited with his five-year-old daughter, Gabriella, is on many of the front pages.
The two are seen hugging after the girl flew home from Iran, where she had been living with her grandparents.
The Sun reports the prime minster is facing a Conservative revolt because he is accused of going back on a promise to end investigations into troops who served in Northern Ireland.
Mr Johnson vowed to end unfair prosecutions during his leadership campaign, and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is said to have brandished the pledge during a cabinet meeting when he learned the law would not be in Monday's Queen Speech.
The Daily Telegraph says the planned amnesty had been jettisoned in favour of laws on sustainable cat litter. Number 10 tells the paper it is determined to legislate on the issue of legacy prosecutions.
The Daily Mail leads with a claim from the head of NHS England that rumours spread outside school gates have led to a lower take-up of childhood vaccinations. Simon Stevens tells the paper internet firms need to do more to stamp out fake health news.
A spat between the man who edited the Daily Mail for 26 years, Paul Dacre, and his successor, Geordie Greig makes the front page of one of its rivals.
The Financial Times reports that Mr Dacre has responded angrily to a claim made by his replacement that the paper's softer tone had brought back advertisers.
In a letter to the Financial Times, he accuses Mr Greig of being "economic" with the truth and defends his long tenure, saying he had made billions in profit.
The article points out the current editor loathes his predecessor. Daily Mail Group Media says revenue from new advertisers in the past year has more than offset those it has lost.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-50023039
The Sunday Times has learned that Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to offer the EU "a historic grand bargain on Brexit".
Mr Johnson will reportedly offer Brussels a choice between helping him deliver his deal this week or agreeing a "friendly" version of no-deal by the end of the month.
The paper says the prime minister will seek to enlist the leaders of Germany and France to help persuade the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, to flesh out the agreement that was reached with Irish officials a few days ago.
Jacob Rees-Mogg's appeal to Brexiteers to support Mr Johnson's efforts to secure a deal is the lead in the Sunday Telegraph. In an editorial, the paper says that there has been a "devastating collapse in trust in our institutions" that can only be repaired by honouring the vote to leave the EU.
The former Cabinet Office minister, David Lidington, meanwhile, warns in the Observer that a no-deal Brexit "would do massive harm" to the Conservative Party's reputation as "the champion of business". He says the party would be "in dire straits" - "but even worse would be the damage to the union of the United Kingdom".
A similar note is sounded by a group of Tory peers writing in the Sunday Times. The peers, including the former party chairs Lady Warsi and Lord Patten, describe it as "shocking" for the Conservative and Unionist Party to be considering anything that risks the breakup of the UK and which could unravel peace on the island of Ireland
The Sun on Sunday suggests 19 Labour MPs are "ready to defy Jeremy Corbyn and back the prime minister if he returns from Brussels with a deal". It points out "their support would be enough to carry it over the line" during next Saturday's special sitting of the Commons.
And a Banksy painting of chimps filling the Commons benches has, according to the Mail on Sunday led to questions in the art world about whether it really is the product of the elusive street artist.
The work, which recently sold for almost £10m, uses a realistic style not usually seen in Banksy's pieces, prompting some to ask whether it was created by another artist, Mason Storm. A spokesman for Banksy has declined to comment; while Storm says only that "whoever painted it is a genius".
The Sunday Mirror says figures suggest there were 15 million cases in the 12 months to August where patients had to wait a month to see their GP. Doctors' leaders say the delays are due to shortages of staff and resources. The Department of Health insists it is "funding up to 20,000 extra staff in GP practices".
The Sunday Express says new signs reminding motorists to drive on the left have been put up outside the military base where 19-year-old Harry Dunn died in a road accident. The other vehicle involved is said to have been on the wrong side of the road. The paper says the temporary signs and directional arrows appeared within the past few days outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire.
Friends of the Earth claim in the Sunday Times that "fracking in the UK is dead". The company Cuadrilla is reported to have "begun removing equipment from its only testing area, after the work was blamed for minor earthquakes in August".
The paper says an energy white paper from the government is "set to prioritise renewable energy over fracking". A pro-fracking group insists exploiting the UK's natural gas resources is the only way to meet carbon emissions targets.
A study reported in the Mail on Sunday suggests sons cost £20,000 more than daughters because they live at home for four years longer.
The average age for daughters to fly the nest was found to be 22, while sons wait until they are 26. The cost of housing an adult child is said to be around £400 a month, with some parents dipping into their pensions or working extra hours.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-50030600
Nigel Dodds insists Northern Ireland must remain full part of UK customs union, potentially endangering PM’s hopes of getting agreement through parliament
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-news-boris-johnson-deal-dup-nigel-dodds-ireland-a9153631.html
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-referendum-keir-starmer-jeremy-corbyn-general-election-a9153196.html
Many of the newspapers report the sentiment that the chances of a Brexit agreement appear to be diminishing.
The Guardian says a breakthrough "failed to materialise" this weekend, despite intensive negotiations, leading European Union leaders to conclude that it may now be impossible for the UK to leave by 31 October with a deal. The i says hopes of an agreement seem to be "slipping away".
The Financial Times explains the process is "in jeopardy" because the EU is "baffled" by the UK's "fiendishly complex" and "not properly worked out" customs proposals for Northern Ireland.
Therefore, the Times says, EU negotiators are demanding more concessions from Prime Minister Boris Johnson on customs arrangements.
The paper suggests Brussels is increasing pressure on Number 10 by saying it would be prepared to back the plan in principle even if a legal text cannot be finalised in time for Thursday's EU summit - provided Mr Johnson gives ground.
The idea that the UK should offer fresh concessions has prompted "fury" from Brexiteers, according to the Daily Telegraph. An unnamed cabinet member tells the paper: "The EU needs to understand all their very clever negotiating tactics don't mean anything if you can't get a deal through the House of Commons."
A number of the papers have been briefed about aspects of Monday's Queen's Speech. The Daily Express describes plans for a "law and order crackdown", under which foreign criminals who "sneaked back into the UK after being deported" would face at least two years in jail.
The Daily Mail reports another proposed law would see murderers who refuse to reveal where they buried their victims spending longer behind bars.
Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror examines proposals to use new immigration rules to encourage skilled migrants to live outside London, reporting that Labour sees them as "confused" and a "gimmick".
The Daily Mail focuses on a calculation by business lobby group the CBI that Labour's renationalisation plans would cost "at least £196bn".
The organisation describes the cost the programme, which could include buying Royal Mail and the train companies, as "beyond eye-watering". But Labour disputes the figures, telling the paper the CBI's intervention is "incoherent scaremongering".
The remorse expressed by the wife of an American diplomat, Anne Sacoolas, for a fatal car crash in which she is a suspect in the UK gets short shrift from the tabloids.
For the Sun they are "crocodile tears". Mrs Sacoolas must now admit she was wrong to flee the UK, return from the US and let the police continue their investigations, its editorial says.
The Daily Mirror agrees that if she had "an ounce of decency" she would be on the "first flight back to Britain". Mrs Sacoolas would get a fair hearing here, the paper concludes, so she "must return voluntarily - or be sent back by Donald Trump".
The Guardian is one of several papers to note that, for the first time, renewable energy sources have provided more electricity to UK homes and businesses than fossil fuels.
The paper says figures from the last quarter confirm predictions by the National Grid that 2019 would be the first year since the Industrial Revolution that zero-carbon electricity - renewables and nuclear - overtook gas and coal-fired power.
Meanwhile another source of CO2 emissions, flights, is in the firing line of a report commissioned by the government's climate change advisers.
The Times says the report concludes air miles schemes should be banned because they encourage excessive flying. The study says there is evidence that frequent flyer loyalty programmes are particularly damaging because they can result in people taking extra flights to "maintain their privileged traveller status"
Writing for the Daily Telegraph, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Max Hill, says criminal justice has not adapted at the same speed as the rest of society to the growing awareness of mental health.
His assessment is that up to one in five cases the CPS deals with involves a victim, witness or defendant with a mental health condition. We need to modernise our approach, knock down stigmas and ensure justice is delivered for all, he writes.
Finally, the Times reports on an unlikely boom in the construction of Almshouses. It is a result of our aging society and, the paper says, the lack of affordable housing. While entry requirements can be strict, and run in accordance with the benefactor's wishes, they typically cost a fraction of the market rate to rent.
The boss of the Almshouse Association tells the Times the houses have been around since before William the Conqueror and clearly remain "a sustainable model for charitable giving".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-50037303
Brexit: Boris Johnson’s hard line on immigrants risks ‘retaliatory deportations’ for UK citizens in Europe
Exclusive: UK citizens fear ‘consequences’ of British government’s announcements after Brexit
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-brexit-immigrants-deportations-europe-uk-citizens-a9154371.html
I try very hard not to hate, but Priti Patel certainly tests my resolve, a thoroughly odious & dreadful individual. God forbid decisions about our future, & the future of displaced people, rest with her.
Even so, she comes a distant 2nd to the complete & utter fraud that Farage is. I can barely believe that adults can't see through Farage.
So, I did rather enjoy this tweet.
Apologies if anyone finds the content a little offensive. If it helps balance things, I find Farage offensive.
Judith Bunting did not take the Brexit Party leader's comments lying down - and pointed out his hypocrisy
An MEP has hit back at Nigel Farage after he branded her a “stuck up snob” in a fiery Brussels exchange.
Judith Bunting, the Lib Dem MEP for South East England, noted Mr Farage said she grew up in Peterborough and went to a state grammar school.
Mr Farage, on the other hand, went to a 'prestigious independent boarding school costing almost £15,000 a year.
Ms Bunting told the Mirror: “I don’t hold any of this against him, it’s a free country, but it’s not exactly Che Guevara territory, is it, Nigel?”
She added: "When it comes to being called stuck up and labelled a snob by a man whose life has been characterised by privilege and affluence, I'm afraid I cannot hold back."
She added: "No doubt Mr Farage feels he has the right to stand up and label me patronising and stuck up because I dare to hold and voice my opinions, despite my ordinary background.
“He may even feel justified in doing so.
“But on the accusation of snobbery, Mr Farage - Old Alleynian, former City trader and friend of billionaire presidents - has no right, no grounds and frankly no shame."
The row broke out on the floor of the European Parliament on Thursday, when Ms Bunting accused Mr Farage of supporting “inaccurate facts” in the run up to the EU Referendum.
Mr Farage said: “You patronising stuck up snob!
Today the Sunday Mirror revealed the Brexit Party are sourcing official merchandise in Bangladesh and China – despite Mr Farage vowing to fight for “British jobs for British people”.
A £10 T-shirt and £24.99 hoodie are both made in Bangladesh, where textile workers pocket as little as 39p an hour.
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/mep-hits-back-nigel-farage-20572788
It is really difficult to have any respect for so many of them.
We have those that have been given senior Cabinet positions, purely because of their fanatical Brexit views.
There are others that have clearly abandoned their previously moderate, sensible opinions, in order to get a Cabinet position, and blindly back Boris, and whatever his ever changing position seems to be.
I regard Tories cheering Priti Patels plans to end Freedom of Movement as worrying. Making the announcement with such glee makes me feel ashamed.
How is it even possible for someone with a surname that is Patel, seem so happy about this policy.
The added threat of deporting those that havent applied for the right to remain, is also an embarrassment.
The Brits living in the EU must be hoping that the EU will be far more sympathetic.
I am not sure if there has ever been such an unappealing bunch to choose from when it comes to a general election.
I could only hope that Boris might acheive his wish of ending up dead in a ditch, and could be joined by Jeremy Corbyn in some sort of suicide pact, allowing us to have a much more preferable choice in the election.
I also have little patience when it comes to those that write off the option of a second referendum, purely on the basis of 17.4 million people, the will of the people, and democracy etc. Despite the fact that it would provide a definitive solution in the fairly near future.
They cannot provide an alternative solution.
They also seem prepared to completely ignore the completely undemocratic way in which our last 2 PMs have been chosen. In addition to the vote after vote on the Withdrawal Agreement, and the numerous elections, despite the fact that they are supposed to occur every 5 years.
There is absolutely no logic to this argument.
Not sure I've ever seen a speech by a Politician that upset me more than this one by Priti Patel, as she vowed to end Freedom of Movement & did so whilst smiling, smirking, & looking directly at the camera. Just ugh.
The Tartan Terror
If the cap fits: Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is an ideal role for cheeky comic Janette Tough, aka Jimmy Krankie