Is Britain heading for a pre-Brexit general election?
Theresa May faces a confidence motion after losing a vote on her Brexit deal with Brussels by a margin of 230. There were 120 members of her own Conservative party and the Democratic Unionist Party, which holds the balance of power, who voted against her. However these rebels are now going to fall into line to support the government, fearing the alternative of a Marxist-leaning Labour leadership gaining control of Downing St.
Can the UK prime minister salvage her Brexit deal after such a massive loss?
It’s not going to be easy. The EU is showing very little sign of compromise. Domestic opponents of Mrs May come from both sides of the spectrum. Those on the right want a clean break from Europe. Those on the left want a closer partnership post-membership. However this would mean compromises that Mrs May has ruled out.
What is the main sticking point and can it be addressed?
Some opponents of the withdrawal agreement demand the removal of the so-called Irish border backstop. However that has been put in place to ensure that goods and services can flow freely between the two parts of the island. Without it there is a fear that old hatreds will be stirred up and there will be a return to violence. The government in Dublin has played a strong diplomatic hand in securing the backstop and will not want to give it up. A hot mike caught the Irish foreign minister telling a colleague that the government does not want to be seen as the one that reimposed the hard border in Ireland.
Is that the only impediment or does solution lie elsewhere?
Related to the Irish border provisions is the sticking point of a Customs Union between the EU and Britain. This would damage Britain’s ability to strike free trade deals with other non-European economies. Mrs May said on Wednesday that she would not forfeit the commercial opportunities around the rest of the world by tying the UK economy to Europe in an arrangement that replicated many of the established links.
Does it all come down to trade ties?
No. The issue of immigration is just as important. Other influential politicians are urging Mrs May to scrap the current template and position Britain alongside Norway. That is an independent, non-EU nation that has full access to the EU single market. The drawback here is that unlimited flows of immigration between Britain and the EU states would continue post departure. This breaks the pledge that Britain would regain control of its borders by establishing a new skills-based immigration policy.
If all of the above is unacceptable, what happens next?
The default position is that Britain leaves the EU in a sudden break on March 29th. However a growing campaign backed by former prime minister Tony Blair and others is backing a second referendum. The government opposes this saying it would revive the bitter divisions of the 2016 and could lead to ongoing rancour.
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Read more about Brexit:
EU split on renegotiating deal of Britain’s messy divorce
British pound trades flat after Brexit vote but volatility to linger
Opinion: Brexit chaos exposes UK's diminishing clout on the world stage
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE SPECS
Engine: 4.4-litre V8
Transmission: Automatic
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
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Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Film: Raid
Dir: Rajkumar Gupta
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Ileana D'cruz and Saurabh Shukla
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
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MATCH INFO
Manchester City 3 (Sterling 46', De Bruyne 65', Gundogan 70')
Aston Villa 0
Red card: Fernandinho (Manchester City)
Man of the Match: Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
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Specs
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
SPECS
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