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Until recently, we used to comfort ourselves with the thought that the United Kingdom’s uncodified constitution was a great national strength. We didn’t need guidance laid down in one document because precedence, compromise and common sense were enough to ensure the smooth operation of power. As soon as a document is written, power passes from
From our UK edition
From our UK edition
The poem is La Belle Dame sans Merci by John Keats. ATONY (2), CORYZA (3), LOCKJAW (6), ENTERITIS (8) and NEUROMA (13) are examples of WHAT CAN AIL THEE (1A), while AND NO BIRDS SING might be a comment on GOOSE (26), MARABOU (28), CRANE (38) and RAVEN (39). JK, upwards in the tenth column,
From our UK edition
From our UK edition
This is an extraordinary and precarious moment in our country’s history. The Prime Minister has been found to have acted illegally when he tried to shut down parliament.The highest court in the land has found that Boris Johnson broke the law when he tried to shut down democratic accountability at a crucial moment for our
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There is no love lost between Jeremy Corbyn and Tom Watson, so the Labour leader will have to grin and bear it as his deputy takes to the stage this afternoon. Here is the pick of today’s events in Brighton: Labour events: 8:30: Policy Seminar 9:45: Morning Plenary Session: Tackling The Climate Emergency 12:35: Votes
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Labour’s shadow chancellor John McDonnell takes to the stage in Brighton today. Last year, he made an unashamedly socialist pitch. So expect more of the same. Here are the events to keep an eye on today: Labour conference: 8:30: Policy Seminars 9:45: Morning Plenary Session: New Economy John McDonnell’s Speech 12:35: Votes 12:45: Break 14:00:
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Labour is back in Brighton for the party’s annual conference. Here is the pick of the fringe events for the day: 9:45: Morning Plenary Session: Rebuilding public services 12:35: Votes 12:45: Break 14:00: Afternoon Plenary Session: Rebuilding public services 17:20: Votes Fringe events: 11:00: Taking on Brexit and the Climate Emergency Melanie Smallman (chair), Hilary Benn MP,
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Parliament’s responsibility Sir: I always enjoy reading the intelligent and outspoken Lionel Shriver. But her latest article (14 September) puts forward an invalid argument. As Ms Shriver points out, no one in the USA seriously argued that the disaster of Trump’s election, and the damage it could cause the country, meant the result should be
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Talking Turkey David Cameron again accused the Leave campaign of ‘lying’ about the prospect of Turkey joining the EU. A reminder of what he himself has said on the subject: — ‘I’m here to make the case for Turkey’s membership. And to fight for it… I will remain your strongest possible advocate for EU membership
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Home ‘I will uphold the constitution, I will obey the law, but we will come out on 31 October,’ Boris Johnson told the BBC, adding that the EU ‘have had a bellyful of all this stuff’. After a lunch of chicken and pollock at the Bouquet Garni in Luxembourg with Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of
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The past three years of agonising non-progress on Brexit have damaged Britain in many ways. Our political institutions have looked ridiculous and, through endless uncertainty, unnerved markets. But we have also learned much about the EU. Its behaviour, and that of its officials, has served to reassure those who were uncertain about their Brexit vote
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The unclued lights were all leaders of the USSR. First prize Wendy Atkin, Sleaford, Lincs Runners-up Robert Burgon, North Berwick, East Lothian; Sandra Speak, Dursley, Glos
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Party speak Should the next Speaker of the House of Commons be a Labour MP on the basis that John Bercow was a Conservative before taking the chair? There has been a tradition in recent decades that the two main parties alternate in filling the role. But it doesn’t go back far — Michael Martin,
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Home A bill sponsored by Hilary Benn and supported by Alistair Burt and other dissident Tories was passed — becoming the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019. It commanded the Prime Minister to send by 19 October a letter of stipulated wording to the President of the European Council requesting that the deadline for
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Another week, another set of economic figures that suggest the country is showing remarkable resilience while politics implodes. Rather than fall into recession, as so many predicted, the economy leapt forward in July. We now have the lowest unemployment for 45 years, an extraordinary figure. Income inequality is near a 30-year low. The confidence crisis
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Shambles at sea Sir: On 19 July Iranian Republican Guard forces captured the UK flagged tanker Stena Impero, as described by former defence secretary Penny Mordaunt in her Spectator Diary (3 August). It was a national humiliation and it needn’t have happened. As was made clear at the House of Commons Defence Committee hearing on
From our UK edition
From our UK edition
The unclued Across lights are words abbreviated by F which includes ‘40’ and the unclued Down lights are abbreviated by f which includes ‘furlongs’. First prize Heather Kingham, Barnay, France Runners-up Brian Midgley, Ettington, Warwickshire; Michael Pigden, Barnet, Hertfordshire
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