Tactical voting reached a new peak at June's general election as voters tried to get round a failed system, according to electoral reform campaigners. The Electoral Reform Society branded the poll a “hold your nose election,” claiming 6.5 million voted tactically rather than for what they believed in.
In the latest in a series of papers setting out its Brexit negotiating plans, the government will say disputes need to be resolved in a clear and sensible way, saying it is determined to agree new arrangements. This will be crucial for both UK and EU citizens and businesses that buy and sell across borders, it says.
The Big Ben has fallen silent for major repair work expected to last until 2021. The Monday midday bongs were the last regular chimes from the famous bell until the repairs to its tower are complete. It will still be used for special occasions, including New Year's Eve and Remembrance Sunday.
Removing all trade tariffs and barriers would help generate an annual £135bn uplift to the UK economy, according to a group of pro-Brexit economists. A hard Brexit is economically much superior to soft argues Prof Patrick Minford, lead author of a report from Economists for Free Trade, which insists that eliminating tariffs, either within free trade deals or unilaterally, would deliver huge gains.
Mark Prisk, the UK’s trade envoy to Brazil makes his first visit to Recife this year with the purpose of increasing dialogue between the region and United Kingdom. He will discuss topics such as trade, smart cities and the UK government’s international awards scheme, Chevening in bilaterals with Porto Digital and Fiepe. The Trade Envoy was previously in São Paulo in where he held meetings with government and private sector representatives.
The British Embassy in Buenos Aires has announced that the call for applications for Chevening scholarships will be open until 7 November. The scholarships are awarded to applicants with proven leadership skills and a strong professional and academic background.
The number of visitors to the UK rose to 3.5 million in June, up 7% from the same month last year, according to official figures. The number of visitors from North America shot up by 34%, and visitors overall spent £2.2bn, a rise of 2%, the UK Office of National Statistics, ONS, said.
Lord Hague has compared Brexit to taking control of a gun, saying it is possible to find a solution without using it to “shoot your foot off”. The former Conservative leader said he believes there is sufficient common ground among the different political parties to negotiate with the EU.
The number of students accepted on to UK degree courses has fallen this year, early UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) figures show. In total, 416,310 people have taken up places, down 2% compared with the same point last year.
Over the past 12 months, I've said many times that while the UK is leaving the EU, we are not leaving Europe. No one voted to end the special ties between the UK and Ireland or to undermine the unique arrangements between Ireland and Northern Ireland which have underpinned the peace process and have been in place well before our membership of the EU.