Mrs May has already survived one vote of no confidence. Getty
Mrs May has already survived one vote of no confidence. Getty
Mrs May has already survived one vote of no confidence. Getty
Mrs May has already survived one vote of no confidence. Getty

Election rumours put British politics on edge


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After a week of increasing chaos, with a lost vote on the EU Withdrawal Agreement and a thwarted vote of no confidence in the government, the last thing that the political classes of Britain wanted to hear were rumours of an imminent election.

However, according to Stephen Bush, the influential political editor of the New Statesman, nine government ministers – including three in the cabinet – have told their local Conservative associations to prepare for an early poll.

“In addition, a further two associations reported that speakers had suggested moving fundraising events to accommodate a possible contest,” he wrote.

Perhaps to curb the air of febrile tension across Westminster, Theresa May responded to the speculation created by the article when her spokesman told the Westminster lobby of political journalists on Friday lunchtime that there would be no snap election.

“Downing Street spokeswoman insists Theresa May is ruling out a snap general election. Tuck that one away for future reference,” wrote Kevin Schofield, editor of PoliticsHome.com, on Twitter:

But the New Statesman story chimed with a report in the Daily Mail on Thursday which said that the country’s highest ranked civil servant, Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill, had ordered his senior staff in Whitehall to draw up plans for an election which could take place as early as February 28.

With Mrs May seemingly unable to get a parliamentary majority for any single deal which would resolve the stand-off in the House of Commons, the newspaper claimed that even Conservative cabinet ministers accepted that an election was the only to get through the impasse.

Under the current law, introduced by David Cameron in 2011 to attempt to make snap elections as thing of the past, elections can only be held at five-year intervals. But if the sitting government can procure a majority of two-thirds, an election can be called.

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Read more:

Vote on May’s Brexit deal: Who are the movers and shakers?

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This would require the Labour opposition to back such a call – which given that this is currently the policy of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership would not appear to be a problem. The Labour party backed the last election in 2017 which broke the five-yearly cycle and saw their vote increase massively.

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson came out against an early poll during a speech on Friday in which he sought to re-establish himself as a runner in the next Conservative party leadership contest, saying “most people in this country feel that they've had enough elections.”

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Transmission: nine-speed automatic

Power: 630bhp

Torque: 900Nm

Price: Dh810,000

While you're here
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UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES

All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated

Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid

Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona

The low down on MPS

What is myofascial pain syndrome?

Myofascial pain syndrome refers to pain and inflammation in the body’s soft tissue. MPS is a chronic condition that affects the fascia (­connective tissue that covers the muscles, which develops knots, also known as trigger points).

What are trigger points?

Trigger points are irritable knots in the soft ­tissue that covers muscle tissue. Through injury or overuse, muscle fibres contract as a reactive and protective measure, creating tension in the form of hard and, palpable nodules. Overuse and ­sustained posture are the main culprits in developing ­trigger points.

What is myofascial or trigger-point release?

Releasing these nodules requires a hands-on technique that involves applying gentle ­sustained pressure to release muscular shortness and tightness. This eliminates restrictions in ­connective tissue in orderto restore motion and alleviate pain. ­Therapy balls have proven effective at causing enough commotion in the tissue, prompting the release of these hard knots.

Petrarch: Everywhere a Wanderer
Christopher Celenza,
Reaktion Books

The Buckingham Murders

Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu

Director: Hansal Mehta

Rating: 4 / 5

'The worst thing you can eat'

Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.

Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines: 

Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.

Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.

Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.

Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.

Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

PROFILE OF SWVL

Started: April 2017

Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport

Size: 450 employees

Investment: approximately $80 million

Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani

Fight card

1. Featherweight 66kg: Ben Lucas (AUS) v Ibrahim Kendil (EGY)

2. Lightweight 70kg: Mohammed Kareem Aljnan (SYR) v Alphonse Besala (CMR)

3. Welterweight 77kg:Marcos Costa (BRA) v Abdelhakim Wahid (MAR)

4. Lightweight 70kg: Omar Ramadan (EGY) v Abdimitalipov Atabek (KGZ)

5. Featherweight 66kg: Ahmed Al Darmaki (UAE) v Kagimu Kigga (UGA)

6. Catchweight 85kg: Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) v Iuri Fraga (BRA)

7. Featherweight 66kg: Yousef Al Husani (UAE) v Mohamed Allam (EGY)

8. Catchweight 73kg: Mostafa Radi (PAL) v Ahmed Abdelraouf of Egypt (EGY)

9.  Featherweight 66kg: Jaures Dea (CMR) v Andre Pinheiro (BRA)

10. Catchweight 90kg: Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Juscelino Ferreira (BRA)

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