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☆ Labour's Sadiq Khan wins re-election as London mayor
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan hopes to convince U.S. tech firms to invest more in London. Sadiq Khan was re-elected as London's mayor, final results showed on Saturday, helping to cement the Labour Party's commanding lead over the governing Conservatives in local elections ahead of Britain's national vote later this year. For Labour, London is the latest of a number of councils and mayoralties it has won in the local elections, which took place on Thursday, inflicting heavy losses on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservatives. Opinion polls predict that Labour will win the next national election, propelling its leader Keir Starmer to power and ending 14 years of Conservative government in Britain. Khan, 53, who became the first Muslim mayor of the British capital in 2016, has pledged to build more social housing and work with a future national Labour government to boost police capacity.

Persons: London Sadiq Khan, Sadiq Khan, Rishi Sunak's, It's, Khan, Susan Hall, Keir Starmer, Rishi Sunak Organizations: U.S, Labour, Conservatives, Tory, Conservative, Labour Party, Labour government Locations: London, Britain

☆ Sadiq Khan wins third term as London mayor, Labour sources say, capping strong showing for opposition in English elections
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Sadiq Khan has won a third term as London’s mayor, Labour Party sources claimed on Saturday, capping a round of local elections across England that confirmed the political supremacy of the main opposition party. Sunak has resisted calls to outline when he will hold that vote, and Labour leads opinion polls by a huge margin. Keir Starmer’s opposition party won control of eight councils, and also stormed to victory on Thursday in a Westminster by-election in Blackpool. In particular the loss of Oldham council, a north-west English town, where around a quarter of the population is Muslim. If his victory is confirmed, Khan would become the first mayor of London to serve a third term since the post was created in 2000.

Persons: CNN — Sadiq Khan, Khan, Susan Hall, Rishi Sunak, –, Sunak, Keir Starmer’s, Yvette Cooper, Donald Trump Organizations: CNN, Labour Party, Conservative, England, Labour, Conservatives, Tories, BBC Locations: England, West Midlands, Tees, Westminster, Blackpool, Gaza, Oldham, London

New Labour Party MP for Blackpool South, Chris Webb (C) reacts as his win is announced at the count centre in Blackpool, north-west England on May 3, 2024, during the Blackpool South by-election. The opposition Labour Party won a Blackpool South by-election, taking the seat from the Conservatives. The Reform UK party, founded by Brexit proponent Nigel Farage, came in third. Labour leader Keir Starmer posted on the social media platform X that the "swing towards Labour in Blackpool South is historic." Angela Richardson, deputy chair of the Conservative Party, told the BBC the result "was not unexpected," especially given the circumstances that sparked the by-election.

Persons: Chris Webb, Rishi Sunak's, David Jones, Nigel Farage, Scott Benton's, Keir Starmer, Angela Richardson Organizations: New Labour Party, Blackpool South, Blackpool, LONDON, Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party, Labour Party, Conservatives, New Labour, Conservative, Reform UK, Labour, Conservative Party Locations: Blackpool, England, Britain

☆ Britain’s Conservatives suffer heavy losses in a sign that Rishi Sunak is in real trouble
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Britain’s governing Conservative Party suffered heavy losses in local elections, a sign that they could be in real trouble when the country holds a general election at some point later this year. It also means that if a general election were held tomorrow, the opposition Labour Party would almost certainly win power. What these results don’t tell us is when the general election will take place. Conservatives are divided on when they think Sunak should bite the ballot bullet. Others think Sunak should look toward the end of the year, as it allows the most time for things to improve.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer, Sunak, Rwanda –, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Johnson, Truss Organizations: CNN, Conservative Party, Labour Party, Conservative, Labour, Reform, Conservatives Locations: Rwanda

☆ England’s Local Elections and Their Wider Significance, Explained
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Megan Specia | More About Megan Specia | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Voters in England and Wales will cast ballots for mayors, council members and police commissioners on Thursday. And while the elections will, of course, focus on local issues like garbage collection and public safety, this vote is expected to have broader significance. Local elections, by their nature, are about who leads communities and ensures the delivery of certain public services. The Conservatives face a fierce challenge from the opposition Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer. About one-third of England’s council seats are being contested on Thursday, and 10 mayoral seats in major English metro areas, home to about a third of Britain’s population, are also up for election.

Persons: Rishi Sunak’s, Keir Starmer Organizations: Conservative Party, Conservatives, Labour Party, Labour Locations: England, Wales

☆ Trump meets with foreign leaders looking to boost their relationships with GOP leader ahead of election
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Alayna Treene | Steve Contorno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

In recent weeks, Trump, seizing the role of both an erstwhile diplomat and ascending opposition party leader, has extended welcomes to a series of foreign leaders at his homes in Florida and New York. It’s not unusual for foreign leaders to meet with the leader of the party that doesn’t control the White House – especially one with a serious chance of becoming commander in chief. Biden and his top envoys have also met and spoken with opposition leaders, something that has been a longstanding practice for US officials. Last week, Trump met with Poland’s Duda at Trump Tower, where the two discussed NATO spending over dinner. Trump, both while president and during his 2024 campaign, has called on NATO countries to spend more on defense.

Persons: Donald Trump, hasn’t, Trump, Andrzej Duda, David Cameron, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Taro Aso, It’s, Sen, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Biden, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Antony Blinken, Keir Starmer, Joe Biden, “ They’re, he’s, “, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, ” Biden, ”, Kim Jong Un, ” Trump, Brian Hughes, Viktor Orban, Putin, Javier Milei, Orban, Viktor Orbán, Orbán, Aso, Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Lindsey Graham, Salman, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Poland’s Duda, Duda, meanwhile, Cameron, Karen Pierce, Cameron’s, Pierce didn’t, Queen Elizabeth II Organizations: CNN, Air Force, British, Saudi Crown, Middle East, Republican, UK Labour Party, US State Department, Biden, Trump, NATO, Conservative Political, Japanese, White, Liberal Democratic Party, Saudi, New York Times, South Carolina Republican, Hamas, The New York Times, Trump Tower, Republicans, Democrats, UK Locations: House, huddling, Florida, New York, Lago, Manhattan, Japan, China, North Korea, Berlin, United Kingdom, Israel, Poland, Belarus, Munich, Europe, America, Ukraine, Korean, United States, Palm, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, American, Russia, British, Washington

☆ State-backed cyberattacks, AI deepfakes, and more: Experts reveal UK election cyber threats
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

State actors have since made routine attacks in various countries to manipulate the outcome of elections, according to cyber experts. "Right now, generative AI can be used for harm or for good and so we see both applications every day increasingly adopted," Meyers told CNBC. "This democratic process is extremely fragile," Meyers told CNBC. "You can train those voice AI models very easily ... through exposure to social [media]," Holmes told CNBC in an interview. It's just one example of many deepfakes that have cybersecurity experts worried about what's to come as the U.K. approaches elections later this year.

Persons: Andrew Brookes, Rishi Sunak, Todd McKinnon, Okta's McKinnon, We're, Adam Meyers, CrowdStrike, Meyers, Dan Holmes, Holmes, Keir Starmer, what's Organizations: Getty, Britain, CNBC, British, U.S, APT, New Zealand, Labour Party, Local, Facebook, Meta, Google Locations: Russian, Moscow, London, Wuhan, U.S, Australia, New, China, cybersecurity, Russia, Iran

☆ Vaughan Gething to become Welsh first minister and Europe’s first Black leader
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Reuters —Vaughan Gething won the Welsh Labour Party leadership contest on Saturday, meaning he will become the first Black leader of the semi-autonomous government in Wales. Devolution, Welsh solutions to Welsh problems and opportunities is in my blood,” Gething, currently minister for economy, added. Keir Starmer, leader of Britain’s Labour Party, which opinion polls show as likely to win power in a national election due later this year, congratulated Gething in a statement. Drakeford will resign as first minister of Wales on March 19, the Labour Party said in a statement, with the Welsh parliament, the Senedd, formally set to elect the next leader on March 20. Also congratulating Gething on the win, Conservative British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on social media that he was committed to working together constructively.

Persons: Reuters — Vaughan Gething, ” Gething, Mark Drakeford, Keir Starmer, Gething, Vaughan, ” Starmer, Drakeford, Rishi Sunak Organizations: Reuters, Welsh Labour Party, “, Welsh, Britain’s Labour Party, UK Labour Party, Wales, Labour, Labour Party, Conservative British Locations: Wales, Zambian, Britain

☆ George Galloway: Pro-Palestinian firebrand politician wins UK byelection in blow to main opposition Labour Party
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Britain’s opposition Labour Party, widely expected to win a general election due to be held within months, has lost one of its safest parliamentary seats to a pro-Palestinian former party member in a chaotic by-election. Labour initially stood by Ali, only to withdraw their support but too close to the by-election to put forward another candidate. Galloway was expelled from the Labour Party in 2003 after he opposed then Prime Minister and Labour leader Tony Blair’s support for the war in Iraq. Galloway’s victory is noteworthy for the context in which it took place, but doesn’t necessarily tell us much about the general election that will take place at some point this year. It does send a warning, however, to Starmer and the Labour Party about the need to properly screen candidates, as it could be badly hurt by similar stories emerging in the run up to the general election.

Persons: London CNN —, George Galloway, Azhar Ali, Israel, Ali, Galloway, Keir Starmer, Jeremy Corbyn, Tony Blair’s Organizations: London CNN, Labour Party, Veteran, Labour, Sun, CNN, Tottenham Hotspur, North London Jewish, Champion’s League, Press TV Locations: Rochdale, Gaza, British, Galloway, Britain, Israel, Iraq, Russia, Iran, Starmer

☆ Labour opposition deals another historic blow to UK PM Rishi Sunak with by-election defeats
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Winning candidate Gen Kitchen said the result was a "stunning victory for the Labour Party and must send a message from Northamptonshire to Downing Street." LONDON — U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's ruling Conservative Party suffered another double by-election defeat on Thursday, as the opposition Labour Party's momentum shows no sign of slowing. The double defeat of Thursday was the latest in a string of unfavorable by-election results for the ruling party in what were previously considered safe seats. "I was very pleased last night to see that we were clearly getting Tory switchers, in other words people who hadn't voted for the Labour Party before, coming out last night and voting for the Labour Party in a by-election." The Labour Party maintains a lead of more than 20 points over the Conservatives in all national polling, with a general election due no later than January 2025.

Persons: Kitchen, Peter Bone, —, Rishi Sunak's, Helen Harrison, Gen Kitchen, Chris Skidmore, Damien Egan, Keir Starmer, Tory switchers, hadn't, Boris Johnson, Robert Ford Organizations: Labour, Labour Party, Downing, Conservative, Conservatives, LONDON, Conservative Party, Kettering Leisure Village, Tamworth, Liberal Democrats, BBC, University of Manchester, CNBC Locations: Northamptonshire, Wellingborough , Northamptonshire, KETTERING, England, Wellingborough, Kettering, Kettering , England, Kingswood , South Gloucestershire, North, Kingswood, Mid Bedfordshire, West Midlands, Selby, Ainsty, Somerton, Frome

LONDON (AP) — Voters in two districts in England delivered new blows to beleaguered Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, electing opposition-party lawmakers in seats that Sunak’s Conservatives had held for years. Labour Party candidate Damien Egan won the House of Commons seats of Kingswood in southwest England, and Labour's Gen Kitchen took Wellingborough in the country’s center, results announced Friday showed. The Conservatives won both by large margins at the last national election in 2019 but saw support collapse in Thursday's special elections. The hard-right Reform party — formerly known as the Brexit Party — came third, putting more pressure on the Conservatives. The Conservatives pointed to the low turnout — less than 40% of eligible voters cast ballots — as a sign British electors are not enthusiastic about Labour.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Damien Egan, Kitchen, —, Brexit Party —, Keir Starmer, Chris Skidmore, Peter Bone, Sunak, Liz Truss, Brexit, Boris Johnson, John Curtice, ” “, ” Organizations: —, Labour Party, Wellingborough, Conservatives, Brexit Party, Labour, Conservative, European Union, University of Strathclyde, BBC Locations: England, Kingswood, Wellingborough

☆ The U.K. Labour Party’s Worst Enemy Might Be Itself
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Mark Landler | Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

These days, the only thing that can stop the Labour Party, it seems, is the Labour Party. For more than a year, the leader of Britain’s main opposition party, Keir Starmer, has sat on a double-digit lead in the polls over the Conservative Party. “The question is, can he come back next week fighting?”Labour still holds a double-digit lead over the Conservatives in polls. It could swiftly regain its stride with victories in two parliamentary by-elections on Thursday, both of which it is expected to win. But Labour’s setbacks are a reminder that with a general election still at least a few months away, Mr. Starmer cannot take anything for granted.

Persons: Britain’s, Keir Starmer, Starmer, “ Keir, ”, John McTernan, Rishi Sunak Organizations: Labour Party, Conservative Party, Manchester soccer, Britain’s Premier League, Labour, Conservative Locations: Israel, Man

☆ UK Opposition Labour Party Pledge Productivity Fix in Latest Pitch to Business
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's opposition Labour Party will pledge to fix Britain's stagnating productivity at a conference for businesses on Thursday, its latest charm offensive to companies and investors ahead of a national election expected this year. Keir Starmer, leader of the left-leaning party, will tell assembled executives that Labour will "get under the bonnet to fix an unprecedented stagnation in British productivity growth." "The depth of the changes we've made to transform the Labour Party's relationship with business is something I take immense pride in," he will say, according to extracts released by the party. Ahead of the conference, the party's finance policy chief Rachel Reeves said that Labour would champion Britain's financial sector and not bring in a new cap on bankers' bonuses. Labour also wants closer economic ties with the European Union, including deeper co-operation with the bloc on financial services.

Persons: Keir Starmer, Rishi Sunak's, Rachel Reeves, Alistair Smout Organizations: Labour Party, Labour, Economic, Conservative, Business, Growth, European Union Locations: Davos

☆ Barclays CEO says difference in Labour and Conservative economic policy is 'fairly minimal'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

LIVERPOOL, U.K. - Oct. 11, 2023: Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer applauds a speaker the final day of the annual Labour Party conference in Liverpool, northwest England, on October 11, 2023. Paul Ellis | Afp | Getty ImagesPolitical risk in the U.K. is "far less than it's ever been" as the difference between the ruling Conservative Party and main opposition Labour on economic policy is "fairly minimal," Barclays CEO C.S. The U.K. is set to hold a General Election later this year, and the latest polling consistently suggests a landslide Labour victory, bringing an end to fourteen years of Conservative rule. "I think the political risk in the U.K. is far less than it's ever been," Venkatakrishnan told CNBC at WEF. The difference in economic policies between the two, and they're both striving to say so, are fairly minimal," he said, referencing two former British leaders.

Persons: Keir Starmer applauds, Paul Ellis, Venkatakrishnan, Keir Starmer, Rishi Sunak's, Rachel Reeves, Margaret Thatcher, James Callaghan, Labour's Organizations: LIVERPOOL, Labour Party, Afp, Getty, Conservative Party, Labour, Barclays, C.S, Conservative, Labour's Shadow, Economic, CNBC Wednesday, CNBC, WEF, British Locations: Liverpool, England, Davos, Switzerland

Britain's Labour Party Leader Keir Starmer attends television interviews on the final day of the party's annual conference in Liverpool, Britain, October 11, 2023. It is not unusual for opposition leaders to receive summit invitations, but COP28 is particularly resonant. Ireland's climate minister, Eamon Ryan, hailed Britain's climate leadership, but also said Sunak's reset of some measures had not gone down well when the news was reported while he was in New York for the U.N. General Assembly. Britain's development minister Andrew Mitchell, at COP28, told Reuters what Sunak did "was very good government". But the Conservatives' former finance minister George Osborne questioned whether Sunak had been angered that Kitsotakis had met Starmer before him.

Persons: Keir Starmer, Phil Noble, Starmer, King, Jordan, John Kerry, General Antonio Guterres, Rishi Sunak, COP28, Sunak, Espen Barth Eide, Eamon Ryan, Andrew Mitchell, we're, Kyriakos, Sunak's, George Osborne, Kitsotakis, Elizabeth Piper, Kate Abnett, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Britain's Labour, REUTERS, Labour Party, UN, Labour, General, Reuters, Greek, Elgin, British, Conservatives, Thomson Locations: Liverpool, Britain, DUBAI, Dubai, Israel, Gaza, Qatar, Brazil, London, COP28, Norwegian, New York

☆ UK needs new plan to reverse hit to living standards, researchers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

People walk alongside the City of London financial district in London, Britain, October 25, 2023. REUTERS/ Susannah Ireland/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Britain needs a new economic strategy to reverse 15 years of falling living standards and worsening inequality, a leading think tank and an academic research centre said on Monday. "There is no excuse for fatalism," Torsten Bell, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, said. "Closing the gap with peers like Australia, France and Germany would deliver huge living standards gains, with typical households over 8,000 pounds better off." ($1 = 0.7881 pounds)Writing by William Schomberg; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Susannah Ireland, Jeremy Hunt, Keir Starmer, Torsten Bell, William Schomberg, Daniel Wallis Organizations: City, REUTERS, Foundation, London School of Economics, Centre for Economic, Labour Party, Conservative Party, Starmer's Labour, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Australia, France, Germany, Birmingham, Manchester

☆ UK's Hunt says he hopes to reverse public investment freeze
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] British Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt speaks at the Resolution Foundation, in London, Britain December 4, 2023. REUTERS/Hollie Adams Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Dec 4 (Reuters) - British finance minister Jeremy Hunt said on Monday that he hoped in future to reverse the decline in public investment which is forecast in the government's latest budget plans. "I don't think you want declining public investment. And I very much hope we'll be able to get back into a place where we don't have to do that," Hunt said at an event hosted by the Resolution Foundation think tank. In government budget forecasts published last month, British public sector net investment is forecast to fall steadily from 2.6% of gross domestic product in the current financial year to 1.8% in the 2028/29 financial year.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Hollie Adams, we'll, Hunt, Keir Starmer, David Milliken, Kate Holton Organizations: REUTERS, Labour Party, Labour, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, British

☆ Labour leader Starmer praises Thatcher in bid to woo UK Conservative voters
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Keir Starmer, leader of Britain's Labour Party, speaks during the Prime Minister's Questions, at the House of Commons in London, Britain November 29, 2023. UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Keir Starmer, leader of Britain's main opposition Labour Party, has praised former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, a deeply unpopular figure among many Labour supporters, as he seeks to woo Conservative voters before an election expected next year. Thatcher, dubbed the "Iron Lady" by the UK press at the time, was Britain's Conservative leader from 1979 to 1990. "Every moment of meaningful change in modern British politics begins with the realisation that politics must act in service of the British people, rather than dictating to them," Starmer wrote in an article for the Sunday Telegraph newspaper. After hailing Thatcher, Starmer wrote that Labour had "changed dramatically in the last three years".

Persons: Keir Starmer, Jessica Taylor, Handout, Britain's, Margaret Thatcher, Starmer, Rishi Sunak's, Thatcher, Tony Blair, Clement Attlee, Jeremy Corbyn, Victoria Atkins, Margaret Thatcher's, Michael Holden, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Britain's Labour Party, REUTERS, Labour Party, Labour, Conservative, Sunday Telegraph, Sky News, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ Majority of Britons support rejoining the EU single market - poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - A majority of Britons support rejoining the European Union's single market even though that would mean the restoration of the free movement of workers from the bloc, according to a poll published on Wednesday. Curbing immigration was a key reason Britons voted to leave the European Union in 2016. Support for joining the single market, which also guarantees the free movement of goods and services, was divided along political lines. For those respondents who voted to leave the EU and who would back the opposition Labour Party in an election tomorrow, 53% support single market membership, with 31% opposed. For those who voted for Brexit and intend to vote for the governing Conservatives, only 29% would support a return to the single market, with 54% opposed.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Brexit, Keir Starmer, YouGov, Farouq Suleiman, Kate Holton, Nick Macfie Organizations: REUTERS, European Union, EU, Labour Party, Brexit, Conservatives, Labour, Thomson Locations: United Kingdom, Britain

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak escalated his war of words with the leader of Greece on Wednesday, accusing Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of trying to “grandstand” over the disputed Parthenon Marbles and breaking a promise to the U.K. government. Athens wants them returned so they can be displayed alongside the rest of the Parthenon sculptures at a purpose-built museum in Athens. Sunak said Mitsotakis had reneged on a promise not to talk publicly about the marbles during his visit. The leader of the U.K. opposition Labour Party, Keir Starmer, met with Mitsotakis in London on Monday. It’s not that difficult, prime minister.”___Associated Press writers Nicholas Paphitis and Derek Gatopoulos in Athens contributed to this report.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Mitsotakis, Lord Elgin, Sunak, Leonardo da Vinci’s, Mona Lisa ”, ” Sunak, “, Critics, Keir Starmer, Starmer, ”, ” Starmer, It’s, Nicholas Paphitis, Derek Gatopoulos Organizations: British, British Museum, ”, “, European Union, Conservative, National Health Service, Labour Party, Mitsotakis, Associated Press Locations: Greece, Athens, loggerheads, United Kingdom, ” Greece, Brexit, London

☆ Parthenon Sculptures spat: Britain’s Rishi Sunak cancels meeting with Greek prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Reuters —Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis accused his British counterpart, Rishi Sunak, of canceling a scheduled meeting in London on Tuesday in a diplomatic spat over the status of the Parthenon Sculptures. “I express my annoyance that the British Prime Minister cancelled our planned meeting just hours before it was due to take place,” Mitsotakis said in a statement. “Greece’s positions on the issue of the Parthenon Sculptures are well known. Deputy British Prime Minister Oliver Dowden was available to meet Mitsotakis to discuss these issues instead, Sunak’s office said. A law prevents the British Museum from removing objects from the collection apart from in certain circumstances, but the legislation does not prohibit a loan.

Persons: Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Rishi Sunak, Lord Elgin, ” Mitsotakis, “, ”, George Osborne, Mitsotakis, Mona Lisa, Daniel Leal, Sunak, Oliver Dowden, Keir Starmer, Starmer Organizations: Reuters, Greek, British Museum, British, BBC, Elgin, Getty, Financial, Labour Party Locations: London, Greece, Athens, Ottoman Empire, Mitsotakis

REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki Acquire Licensing RightsATHENS/LONDON, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis accused his British counterpart Rishi Sunak of cancelling a scheduled meeting in London on Tuesday in a diplomatic row over the status of the Parthenon Sculptures. "I express my annoyance that the British Prime Minister cancelled our planned meeting just hours before it was due to take place," Mitsotakis said in a statement. "Greece's positions on the issue of the Parthenon Sculptures are well known. Deputy British Prime Minister Oliver Dowden was available to meet Mitsotakis to discuss these issues instead, Sunak's office said. A law prevents the British museum from removing objects from the collection apart from in certain circumstances, but the legislation does not prohibit a loan.

Persons: Louisa Gouliamaki, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Rishi, Lord Elgin, Mitsotakis, George Osborne, Mona Lisa, Sunak, Oliver Dowden, Keir Starmer, Starmer, Renee Maltezou, Angus MacSwan, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, British Museum, British, BBC, Financial, Thomson Locations: Athens, Greece, LONDON, London, Ottoman Empire, Mitsotakis

☆ Greece PM Laments Lack of Progress With UK on Parthenon Sculptures
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON (Reuters) - Talks over a possible return of the British Museum's Parthenon Sculptures to Athens are not advancing quickly enough, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Sunday as he prepared to meet British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak this week. Athens has long campaigned for the return of the Elgin Marbles, as they are often described. The 75 metres of Parthenon frieze, 15 metopes and 17 sculptures were removed by diplomat Lord Elgin in the early 19th century, when he was ambassador to the Ottoman Empire then ruling Greece. "We have not made as much progress as I would like in the negotiations," Mitsotakis told BBC television on Sunday. The Financial Times last week reported that Starmer would not block a "mutually acceptable" loan deal for the sculptures.

Persons: Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Rishi Sunak, Lord Elgin, Mitsotakis, we've, George Osborne, Sunak, Keir Starmer, Starmer, William Schomberg, Lefteris Papadimas, David Goodman Organizations: British, Elgin, BBC, Museum, Labour Party, Financial Locations: Athens, Ottoman Empire, Greece, British

☆ Greece PM laments lack of progress with UK on Parthenon Sculptures
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] An employee views examples of the Parthenon sculptures, sometimes referred to in the UK as the Elgin Marbles, on display at the British Museum in London, Britain, January 25, 2023. Athens has long campaigned for the return of the Elgin Marbles, as they are often described. The 75 metres of Parthenon frieze, 15 metopes and 17 sculptures were removed by diplomat Lord Elgin in the early 19th century, when he was ambassador to the Ottoman Empire then ruling Greece. "We have not made as much progress as I would like in the negotiations," Mitsotakis told BBC television on Sunday. The Financial Times last week reported that Starmer would not block a "mutually acceptable" loan deal for the sculptures.

Persons: Toby Melville, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Rishi Sunak, Lord Elgin, Mitsotakis, we've, George Osborne, Sunak, Keir Starmer, Starmer, William Schomberg, Lefteris Papadimas, David Goodman Organizations: Elgin, British Museum, REUTERS, British, BBC, Museum, Labour Party, Financial, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Athens, Ottoman Empire, Greece, British

☆ Fact Check: SNP’s Westminster leader held his Remembrance Sunday wreath correctly
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Comparison online of the way Britain’s party leaders held their poppy wreaths on Remembrance Sunday has sparked a false claim that the Scottish National Party’s (SNP) Westminster leader Stephen Flynn held his garland upside down. In an X post (archived) on Nov. 14, Flynn said his wreath was made by Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory in Edinburgh, Scotland. Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory told Reuters that the card was placed at the bottom of the wreath. There are also differences in the designs of poppies, the Scottish National War Memorial spokesperson said. Stephen Flynn held his wreath the correct way up on Remembrance Sunday, according to the wreath maker, who said the card was deliberately placed at the bottom.

Persons: Stephen Flynn, Flynn, Ed Davey, Keir Starmer, Rishi Sunak, Lady Haig’s, Lady Haig’s Poppy, Pam Gosal, Jackson Carlaw, Read Organizations: Scottish National, Facebook, Liberal, Conservative Party, Memorial, Reuters, Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory, Scottish, Thomson Locations: Scotland, England, Edinburgh

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