Theresa May yesterday set January 15 as the date for Parliament to vote on Britain’s Brexit deal with Brussels, knowing the opposition Labour Party wants to trigger a general election.
Britain is set to leave the EU on March 29. Despite a high-profile campaign for a second referendum, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has dedicated his party to a quest to take power before the break with Europe.
“We want a people’s vote, which is called a general election,” said Barry Gardiner, the Labour international trade spokesman. “It’s actually the quickest way to go back to the people.”
Skwawkbox, a pro-Corbyn blog, caused controversy when it suggested an election could be triggered for March 21. If elected, that would give Mr Corbyn a week to revoke Brexit.
Mr Corbyn would have to abstain on Mrs May’s Brexit deal and allow it to pass. Labour would gamble that the Democratic Unionist Party, which gives Mrs May a majority in the Commons but opposes the Brussels deal, would turn on its ally.
“This would be a high-stakes and stunningly audacious move by Corbyn and his team,” Skwawkbox said.
“But it probably represents the most realistic chance for the UK to remove the Tories and achieve a ‘Labour Brexit’ that would avoid the excesses the Tories are hoping for.”
The report was later denied but its publication underlined the depth of planning in Mr Corbyn’s inner circle.
He and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, along with the Unite public sector union leader Len McCluskey, refuse to go along with calls for a second referendum, despite its popularity among most Labour members.
Labour has many seats in the north of England, which voted heavily in favour of Brexit in the 2016 referendum, and the move would allow Mrs May’s Conservatives to say the opposition did not respect the public will.
But there is power behind calls for the second vote, including within Momentum, the activist base that took Mr Corbyn to the Labour leadership in 2015. It is made up of tens of thousands of young, urban members who want stay to in Europe.
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At the party’s annual conference in Liverpool in September last year, Keir Starmer,
the shadow Brexit secretary and a supporter of remaining in Europe, said Labour’s position would now include the possibility of another referendum if all other options failed.
This led to division at the top of the party over the past few weeks as time runs out before the country crashes out of the EU without any deal in place, with all the economic disruption that this could cause.
Mr McDonnell, 67, a close friend and political ally of Mr Corbyn for four decades, indicated in November that the party would “inevitably” back a second referendum because the preferred option of a general election was unlikely to happen.
Mr McDonnell, 67, is politically astute but he is divisive within the party and across Westminster.
A former political officer for a key New Labour figure told The National that Mr McDonnell was “one of the few grown-ups in the room”.
His economic platform, which once seemed radical and included promises to re-nationalise important parts of Britain’s infrastructure, was praised by former Conservative minister Jim O’Neill.
Mr O’Neill said that by “addressing the failures of the market, house prices and low wages, Labour have caught the public mood”.
The push for an election also comes from fears that Mr Corbyn could suffer an electoral backlash if Britain left the EU without a deal.
A poll commissioned by the People’s Vote organisation, which is pushing for a second referendum, was published over the weekend. It showed Labour could lose a quarter of its support if it allowed a “no-deal” settlement.
The survey, which had an unusually large sample of 25,000 people, showed the state of support for the main parties as 40 per cent for the Conservatives and 34 per cent for Labour.
But when asked how they would vote if Labour allowed no deal to happen, their support dropped to 26 per cent.
Until the past few months, the party’s position on Brexit allowed it to avoid committing to any concrete policy as it watched the government tear itself to pieces over such issues as the Northern Ireland backstop.
As Britain enters the final countdown to March 29, the Labour Party could yet play a trump card to end the trials and tribulations of Mrs May, if not Brexit.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The flights: South African Airways flies from Dubai International Airport with a stop in Johannesburg, with prices starting from around Dh4,000 return. Emirates can get you there with a stop in Lusaka from around Dh4,600 return.
The details: Visas are available for 247 Zambian kwacha or US$20 (Dh73) per person on arrival at Livingstone Airport. Single entry into Victoria Falls for international visitors costs 371 kwacha or $30 (Dh110). Microlight flights are available through Batoka Sky, with 15-minute flights costing 2,265 kwacha (Dh680).
Accommodation: The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Hotel by Anantara is an ideal place to stay, within walking distance of the falls and right on the Zambezi River. Rooms here start from 6,635 kwacha (Dh2,398) per night, including breakfast, taxes and Wi-Fi. Water arrivals cost from 587 kwacha (Dh212) per person.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
GREATEST ROYAL RUMBLE CARD
The line-up as it stands for the Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia on April 27
50-man Royal Rumble
Universal Championship
Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns
Casket match
The Undertaker v Rusev
Intercontinental Championship
Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
SmackDown Tag Team Championship
The Bludgeon Brothers v The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship
Sheamus and Cesaro v Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy
United States Championship
Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal
Singles match
Triple H v John Cena
To be confirmed
AJ Styles will defend his WWE World Heavyweight title and Cedric Alexander his Cruiserweight Championship, but matches have yet to be announced
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
MAIN CARD
Bantamweight 56.4kg
Abrorbek Madiminbekov v Mehdi El Jamari
Super heavyweight 94 kg
Adnan Mohammad v Mohammed Ajaraam
Lightweight 60kg
Zakaria Eljamari v Faridoon Alik Zai
Light heavyweight 81.4kg
Mahmood Amin v Taha Marrouni
Light welterweight 64.5kg
Siyovush Gulmamadov v Nouredine Samir
Light heavyweight 81.4kg
Ilyass Habibali v Haroun Baka
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
more from Janine di Giovanni
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MATCH INFO
Osasuna 1 Real Madrid 4
Osasuna: García (14')
Real Madrid: Isco (33'), Ramos (38'), Vázquez (84'), Jovic (90' 2)
Second ODI
England 322-7 (50 ovs)
India 236 (50 ovs)
England win by 86 runs
Next match: Tuesday, July 17, Headingley
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Jawan
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
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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.
