It has been a recurring question over the past week: are you going to the Conservative party conference?
To which the answer is no. The same appears to be true for several of my contacts, as the UK’s now-opposition party struggles to find its place in a fractured political landscape.
Since its founding in 1834, the Conservative party has been the dominant political force in the UK. But now, under former trade secretary Kemi Badenoch, it is scraping by on 16 per cent in the polls. The Reform UK party of Nigel Farage is its foremost challenger on the right, and it is topping the polls at double that figure.
But, despite the gloom around the Conservatives, there is one pang of regret I have now that the party conference is under way. To miss the very useful panel discussions being organised by the Conservative Middle East Council – or Cmec, as it is known to its affiliates – is a big miss for my day job.
Cmec is a venerable part of the Conservative party’s international ties around the world. It is still a viable forum in the wake of the party’s devastation in last year’s general election.
One of the more important aspects of Cmec’s impact on UK politics is that it has trailblazed for a similar body in the governing Labour party – called the Labour Middle East Council – and here I argue that Reform UK should take steps to replicate it within its emerging policy structures.
The panels hosted by Cmec at this week’s event feature voices from the Middle East, including Emir Majid Arslan, a leading member of Lebanon’s Druze community. And it will play a prominent role in hosting Arab ambassadors and other diplomats at the conference venue in Manchester.
In UK politics, there are generally two types of ad hoc meeting groups that allow for discussions with international representatives. There are internal party meetings, and there are wider set-ups known as All-Party Parliamentary Groups. Both tend to have their own characteristics and are obviously driven by particular agendas.
What Cmec has done is to uniquely offer a big-tent approach to Middle Eastern issues, where agreement and consensus are not obligations but desired outcomes. Indeed, the forum was singled out for its exemplary record by Labour Middle East Council chairman William Patey.
Mr Patey talked about how “Lmec” was formed with the purpose of providing an entry point for the region in the governing party’s politics. He talked of how, as an ambassador, he had seen Cmec’s role in familiarising UK politicians with the Middle East on high-level trips and how it allowed the British body politic become familiar with the region and its issues, as seen by the people based there.
Lmec’s own panels at the Labour party conference in Liverpool last week hosted Moroccan MPs and a good complement of the ambassadors based in London. It also featured Middle East minister Hamish Falconer, who talked about the prospects of US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire initiative in Gaza coming to fruition.
The Reform UK party's internal councils will no doubt come, and the Cmec model is a commendable one
One of the most prominent voices within UK Parliament on the policy towards Gaza has been Cmec chairman Kit Malthouse. He has made impassioned pleas to the Labour government to recognise the finding of genocide by the UN. At one point, he beseeched then-Labour foreign secretary David Lammy to consider the costs of the UK’s policy regarding the conflict. He even stunned fellow MPs into silence when he asked Mr Lammy if he feared facing the international courts over the UK’s failure to meet its international obligations.
Reform UK is just about five years old and lacks the institutional structures of its rivals. Mr Farage is a veteran campaigner on the issues facing the English electorate, but he confines himself to these top-line priorities. Deputy leader Richard Tice carries both the finance and the foreign affairs briefs as a spokesman on these issues.
Meanwhile, much of the heavy lifting on specific measures is carried by businessman Zia Yusuf, who is Reform UK’s policy chief. Its internal councils will no doubt come, and the Cmec model is a commendable one for the party as it makes political gains.
Mr Tice does have personal links to the Gulf, and people around him are in close contact with developments in countries such as Libya. This is welcome, given that familiarity with the broad developments in the region is helpful when trying to factor some of the dynamism on display in the region into his thinking on UK politics.
Giving institutional form to those currents in Reform UK would be valuable all-round. In Cmec, there is a readily available formula for successful linkage to the Middle East.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
THREE
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500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Scotland's team:
15-Sean Maitland, 14-Darcy Graham, 13-Nick Grigg, 12-Sam Johnson, 11-Byron McGuigan, 10-Finn Russell, 9-Ali Price, 8-Magnus Bradbury, 7-Hamish Watson, 6-Sam Skinner, 5-Grant Gilchrist, 4-Ben Toolis, 3-Willem Nel, 2-Stuart McInally (captain), 1-Allan Dell
Replacements: 16-Fraser Brown, 17-Gordon Reid, 18-Simon Berghan, 19-Jonny Gray, 20-Josh Strauss, 21-Greig Laidlaw, 22-Adam Hastings, 23-Chris Harris
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
UAE rugby season
FIXTURES
West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers v Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Division 1
Dubai Sharks v Dubai Hurricanes II
Al Ain Amblers v Dubai Knights Eagles II
Dubai Tigers II v Abu Dhabi Saracens
Jebel Ali Dragons II v Abu Dhabi Harlequins II
Sharjah Wanderers v Dubai Exiles II
LAST SEASON
West Asia Premiership
Winners – Bahrain
Runners-up – Dubai Exiles
UAE Premiership
Winners – Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners-up – Jebel Ali Dragons
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners – Dubai Hurricanes
Runners-up – Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Conference
Winners – Dubai Tigers
Runners-up – Al Ain Amblers
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
The specs: 2019 Jeep Wrangler
Price, base: Dh132,000
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 285hp @ 6,400rpm
Torque: 347Nm @ 4,100rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.6L to 10.3L / 100km
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
THE LOWDOWN
Photograph
Rating: 4/5
Produced by: Poetic License Motion Pictures; RSVP Movies
Director: Ritesh Batra
Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar, Deepak Chauhan, Vijay Raaz
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
History's medical milestones
1799 - First small pox vaccine administered
1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery
1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases
1895 - Discovery of x-rays
1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time
1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1953 - Structure of DNA discovered
1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place
1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill
1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.
1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
Tenet
Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, Kenneth Branagh
Rating: 5/5
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
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'Cheb%20Khaled'
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Biog:
Age: 34
Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite sport: anything extreme
Favourite person: Muhammad Ali
