thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--Iran Strikes Back At US With Missile Attack At Bases In Iraq

Nasser Karimi, Amir Vahdat and Jon Gambrell, / Associated Press

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Iran has struck back at the United States for the killing of a top Iranian general, firing a series of ballistic missiles at two Iraqi bases housing US troops in Iraq.
A US official said there were very few if any casualties from the attack.
Iranian state TV said it was in revenge for the US killing of Revolutionary Guard general Qassem Soleimani, whose death last week in an American drone strike near Baghdad prompted calls for avenge.
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Soleimani’s killing and the strikes by Iran came as tensions have been rising steadily across the Middle East after president Donald Trump’s decision to unilaterally withdraw America from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers.
They also marked the first time in recent years that Washington and Tehran have attacked each other directly rather than through proxies in the region. It raised the chances of open conflict erupting between the two enemies, which have been at odds since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Iran initially announced only one strike, but US officials confirmed both.
Iran’s foreign minister Javad Zarif said the missile strikes were proportionate and carried out in self-defence, adding that the country did not “seek escalation of war”. Minutes later, Trump suggested he would make a statement in the morning.
Iran took & concluded proportionate measures in self-defense under Article 51 of UN Charter targeting base from which cowardly armed attack against our citizens & senior officials were launched.
We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression. — Javad Zarif (@JZarif) January 8, 2020
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All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq. Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2020
US defence officials were at the White House, probably to discuss options with Trump, who launched the strike on Soleimani while facing an upcoming impeachment trial in the Senate.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned the US and its regional allies against retaliating over the missile attack against the Ain al-Asad air base in Iraq’s western Anbar province. The Guard issued the warning via a statement carried by Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency.
“We are warning all American allies, who gave their bases to its terrorist army, that any territory that is the starting point of aggressive acts against Iran will be targeted,” it said. It also threatened Israel.
After the strikes, a former Iranian nuclear negotiator posted a picture of the Islamic Republic’s flag on Twitter, appearing to mimic Trump who posted an American flag following the killing of Soleimani and others on Friday in a drone strike in Baghdad.
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Pieces of missiles following the attack on Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq, a facility jointly operated by U.S. and Iraqi forces. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Ain al-Asad air base was first used by American forces after the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, and later saw American troops stationed there amid the fight against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. It houses about 1,500 US and coalition forces.
Two Iraqi security officials said at least one of the missiles appeared to have struck a plane at the base, igniting a fire. It was not immediately clear whether it was an Iraqi or US jet.
About 70 Norwegian troops also were on the air base but no injuries were reported, Brynjar Stordal, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Armed Forces told the Associated Press.
Trump visited the sprawling Ain al-Asad air base, about 100 miles west of Baghdad, in December 2018, making his first presidential visit to troops in the region.
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He did not meet with any Iraqi officials at the time, and his visit inflamed sensitivities about the continued presence of US forces in Iraq. Vice President Mike Pence also has visited the base.
Iranian state TV said the Guard’s aerospace division that controls Iran’s missile program launched the attack, which it said was part of an operation called Martyr Soleimani.
The US also acknowledged another missile attack on a base in Irbil in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region.
“As we evaluate the situation and our response, we will take all necessary measures to protect and defend US personnel, partners and allies in the region,” said Jonathan Hoffman, an assistant to the US defence secretary.
Wednesday’s revenge attack happened just hours after crowds in Iran mourned Soleimani at his funeral. It also came as the US continued to reinforce its own positions in the region and warned of an unspecified threat to shipping from Iran in the region’s waterways, crucial routes for global energy supplies.
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US embassies and consulates from Asia to Africa and Europe issued security alerts for Americans.
A stampede broke out Tuesday at Soleimani’s funeral, and at least 56 people were killed and more than 200 injured as thousands thronged the procession, Iranian news reports said.
The stampede took place in Soleimani’s hometown of Kerman as his coffin was being borne through the city in south-eastern Iran, said Pirhossein Koulivand, head of Iran’s emergency medical services.
“Unfortunately as a result of the stampede, some of our compatriots have been injured and some have been killed during the funeral processions,” Koulivand said, and state TV quoted him as saying that 56 had died and 213 had been injured.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-09--Love Island: Ollie Williams Hints At Made In Chelsea Appearance

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Ollie Williams may be about to enter the Love Island villa, but has hinted that he’s set to star on another reality show.
The Cornish land owner and heir to the Lanhydrock estate has said there have been “murmurings” about him appearing on Made In Chelsea.
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Ollie has spent years partying in London after studying just outside of the capital, and while he says his social scene has not overlapped with the stars of the E4 reality show, he suggested a role is on the cards.
Love Island's Ollie Williams ITV
Speaking to HuffPost UK and other journalists in Cape Town, South Africa ahead of entering the villa on Sunday, he said: “I know there’s been murmurs of possibly going into the show. I haven’t been formally approached by the show but there have been murmurs regarding my sister and I.”
Asked if appearing on Made In Chelsea is something he’d consider after leaving the villa, Ollie added: “Yeah potentially. [Love Island] for me is all about finding love, it’s not about getting famous after this. If that happens it happens, but if I was going to pick a TV show to go into after this it would actually be ITV racing.
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“I’d like to be a racing pundit of all things because I’m really into racing.”
After it was pointed out he would be following in the footsteps of series three Islander Chris Hughes, who now fronts part of ITV’s racing coverage, Ollie joked: “Yeah, but he doesn’t know much about horses.”
Ollie is set to inherit the title of Lord of the Manor of Lanhydrock when his father passes away or abdicates, but he says he won’t be “shouting or bragging” about his family’s wealth in the villa.
He says: “In the past, girls don’t really know about my background because they don’t really see it until I take them home, and then they’re a bit like ‘whoah’.
“I’m not snobby, I don’t brag about my wealth. I don’t brag about money. I’m just a down to earth bloke and that’s basically the way I operate my life.”
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Ollie’s wealthy family have also been supportive of his quest for love in the villa, despite threatening to cut him off.
“Initially my dad actually wrote me out of his will, but he was jesting,” Ollie says. “He’s very supportive. My mum is actually a massive fan of the show which is interesting because I’m not, I’ve never watched it before.”
But despite not having seen the show, Ollie says he applied for the show – unlike many other contestants, who are scouted by producers – because his mum said he would “be really good for it” and he was “bored because Cornwall is a pretty boring place for a 23 year old”.
The start of 2020 has panned out very differently for Ollie, as he should have been heading to Sandhurst on Monday, the day after Love Island begins, but an injury to his knee while playing rugby put a stop to his military dreams.
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“How weird is that?” he remarks, explaining his injury also ended his ambitions of playing rugby professionally.
“It was pretty tough because going to Sandhurst is the classic middle class back up plan. For that to be taken away, I’ve now got to twiddle my thumbs and sit at home and take more of a managerial role when dad steps back or I’ve got to take a desk job, and I couldn’t think of anything worse frankly. It’s really not me.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--SPAC Nation: MPs Call For Action To Stop Chruch 'Exploiting' Young People While It Is Investigated

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MPs have called for the church SPAC Nation to be stripped of its charitable status while it is investigated to prevent more young people being exploited.
The church is under investigation by the Charity Commission over financial and safeguarding concerns following an investigation by HuffPost UK, while the Metropolitan Police is reviewing allegations of fraud and other offences
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Labour MP Steve Reed outlined allegations that SPAC Nation is operating like a “cult”, “brainwashing” young people into donating money to the church on the promise of becoming rich themselves in a practice called giving “seed”.
SPAC Nation has also faced claims that some members of the church had been taking teenagers to donate blood for medical trials in a practice known as “bleeding for seed”.
The church, which denies the claims, has previously been praised by politicians for its work to tackle knife crime and gang violence.
MPs heard the church operates across London and has “expanded into other cities”, including Birmingham and Leicester.
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Reed and other MPs called for something to be done to stop SPAC Nation continuing to operate while the commission and police investigations are ongoing.
Pastor Tobi Adegboyega, leader of SPAC Nation HuffPost UK
In a Commons debate, the Croydon North MP said: “Given the severity and the number of the volume of the allegations and the type of allegations that we’re hearing, is there nothing further that can be done, perhaps by the government working with the police and crime commissioners, wherever that may be necessary or the police forces where that may be necessary to prevent this organisation, even if temporarily, from being able to stand outside school gates, start outside youth centres and target young people?”
Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh meanwhile called for SPAC Nation to be temporarily stripped of charitable status.
“The Charity Commission can often move very slowly,” the Mitcham and Morden MP said.
“And given the seriousness of the allegations would there not be a possibility of suspending charitable status while the investigations are going ahead and considering other charities from memory who deal with young people I am aware that this has happened in the past?”
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DUP MP Jim Shannon called for the establishment of a specialist police unit.
“It’s hard not to be moved and I’m feeling concerned about it.
“The massiveness and the magnitude of what (Reed) has outlined, it occurred to me that it wouldn’t just be an ordinary police investigation it probably needs a certain specialised unit set aside with the resources and the manpower and womanpower to have the investigation concluded and to put an end to what’s gone wrong.
“Exploitation of young people is abysmal and is despicable and needs to be addressed.”
Responding, culture minister Helen Whately said she found the allegations “deeply, deeply concerning” and said they must be “properly and urgently investigated”.
But she stressed that she could not comment on specific allegations and would not make any further commitments until investigations had run their course.
Responding to McDonagh’s call for a temporary suspension of charitable status, she said: “I’m very happy to write back to her with a full response to that question.
“But let me reiterate that I know that the Charity Commission is, as I said before, investigating.
“And also, because they don’t look into criminal activity, but the police are reviewing these allegations, so those two things are very much all happening.”
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Whately also revealed that leading SPAC Nation pastor, Tobi Adegboyega, did not meet then-prime minister Theresa May when he visited Downing Street in May 2018.
“My understanding is that he attended a roundtable along with 25 other church leaders to discuss youth violence and it was in that context that he was in Number 10 Downing Street.”
A Charity Commission spokesperson told HuffPost UK that it is urgently progressing its investigation into SPAC Nation.
“We welcome yesterday’s debate in Parliament,” the spokesperson said.
“The issues raised in relation to the charity are highly concerning, and clearly entirely at odds with what people expect of charities.
“Our ongoing inquiry allows us to examine these concerns in full to establish what has happened and determine our next steps. While we will progress our investigations at pace, we must also ensure that our work in this case is robust and thorough, and that we work closely with other agencies/organisations where appropriate”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--Why Submarine Boris Can’t Stay Below The Surface For Too Long

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Breaking the Waves?
Boris Johnson is not normally the shy and retiring type. Spot him at an NHS hospital or a new rail project, especially in the north of England of the midlands, and you can be sure there will be a TV camera in tow.
Today, having shown an uncharacteristic reluctance to appear in public to discuss the Iraq crisis, he broke cover for the first time since his Christmas holiday. Of course, he had little choice but to turn up to Prime Minister’s Questions (Dominic Raab, his first secretary of state was heading to the US, after all), but he still dodged pretty much every question thrown at him by Jeremy Corbyn.
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What Johnson did manage to do was to get his key soundbite on the TV news, namely that Qasem Soleimani had “the blood of British troops on his hands”. There was no detailed evidence given for the claim, let alone any specifics on the US claim that the Iranian military chief was preparing an imminent attack that justified his assassination in international law. Instead “most reasonable people” would think the operation was justified, he said.
That’s exactly the kind of hit-and-run approach that Labour finds so difficult to get a handle on right now. And it is proving similarly hard for the Opposition to come up with answers to Johnson’s splash-the-cash politics of amnesia, where he washes his hands of 10 years of Conservative rule and posits himself as the nation’s saviour.
In PMQs (restricted to a swift half hour thanks to Speaker Hoyle), the PM managed to shrug off Tory austerity not least because the MPs asking for more funds were (literally) on his side. He talked of ‘record sums’ being (now) invested in education, got the Chancellor to say the Eden Project would indeed get an offshoot in Morecambe, spirited up concern over an NHS ward closure in Bishop Auckland and said “the bell is tolling for West Midlands Rail”.
In every case, these were public service failures on the Tories’ own watch, yet Johnson portrayed himself as the head of a new government determined to fix them all. Uppermost in his mind of course is that he has to keep the promises to voters made by all those Conservative MPs who smashed through Labour’s ‘red wall’. The ‘northern powerhouse’ and ‘midlands engine’ are certainly back in business as never before.
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Which reminds me of that other Tory politician who made an artform out of surfacing only when he needed to. George Osborne, once dubbed the ‘Submarine Chancellor’, was on the Today programme smoothly outlining why the Conservatives have long championed public infrastructure and investment in the north and midlands (even before they had a direct electoral imperative to do so).
Former arch-Remainer Osborne even suggested that it would be “no bad thing” if the UK was free of EU rules on financial services. That prompted what some will think an outlandish thought: could he be brought into a Johnson government? Could Lord Osborne of Tatton serve as Secretary of State for Regional Infrastructure? Stranger things have happened, as Peter Mandelson’s comeback under Gordon Brown proved (and Brown ally Jim O’Neill got an infrastructure role under Cameron).
Osborne is of course associated with the austerity Johnson tries to avoid, but don’t forget the PM said the cuts were needed to rescue the nation’s finances after Labour. And who better to push through the Heseltinian good works of which the PM is so fond? Especially if they are in the Lords and no longer a threat for the top job?
Although Johnson looks in a very strong position right now, he constantly tells friends of his “deep sense of responsibility” to deliver for the north, not just on his 2016 Vote Leave promises but also now on his 2019 pledges to invest in the region. In order to prove it, he will have to do better than sending a junior transport minister (Chris Heaton-Harris) to a rail conference as he did today.
Heaton-Harris said “we are absolutely near the end game” of the Northern Rail franchise, but with the Trans-Pennine route also causing misery, he couldn’t promise “change overnight” in service. Government sources tell us there will be a significant move on Northern Rail on Thursday, which suggests Johnson really is focused on the issue.
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If it looks like he’s failing to deliver, and the voters tire of the Submarine Boris approach, Labour could spring back to life quicker than people think.
Quote Of The Day
“That man had the blood of British troops on his hands”
Boris Johnson weeps no tears for Iranian military chief Qasem Soleimani
Wednesday Cheat Sheet
Keir Starmer won the backing of Britain’s biggest union Unison and cleared the parliamentary hurdle in the Labour leadership with the backing of 24 MPs (though in reality he has at least 42). He also appointed Simon Fletcher, a former key aide to Jeremy Corbyn, Ken Livingstone and Ed Miliband.
Rebecca Long Bailey finally got her own campaign director, Momentum’s Jon Lansman and comms guy Matt Zarb-Cousin.
Barry Gardiner is considering a run for the Labour leadership, HuffPost revealed. Allies said he had the broad support, experience and loyalty needed for the top job. Unite’s Len McCluskey denied having been in contact with Gardiner over his plans. Ian Murray impressed colleagues in the deputy leader hustings and secured 20 nominations, but Angela Rayner is way ahead with 45.
Boris Johnson and new European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen had a “positive” first meeting in Downing Street, No.10 said. But earlier, she used an LSE speech to warn it was “basically impossible” to negotiate a comprehensive free trade deal by the deadline of December 2020. Johnson is insisting he won’t extend the transition period by a single day.
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The Commons has rejected an attempt by Labour to reinstate child refugee protection rights in the Brexit bill. MPs voted 348 to 252 against the amendment. Government sources insist the rights will be negotiated with Brussels in coming months and then introduced via secondary legislation.
Ulster Unionist peer Ken Maginnis has been named and shamed in the Commons by SNP MP Hannah Bardell for shouting abuse at security staff who refused to allow him into parliament without a pass. Maginnis claimed Bardell was trying to “settle a score” because she is “queer” and he is opposed to gay marriage.
Labour’s general secretary Jennie Formby and Corbyn’s chief of staff Karie Murphy have backed off plans (revealed by HuffPost) for a radical reorganisation of party staff. Following an outcry from MPs and unions, Formby emailed staff to say the review “will not formally start until a new leader is in place”.
Dame Eleanor Laing, Dame Rosie Winterton and Nigel Evans were elected Deputy Speakers of the House of Commons.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--Peer Accuses MP Of Raising His 'Abusive' Behaviour Because She Is 'Queer'

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A peer who shouted abuse at parliamentary security staff has accused the MP who highlighted his behaviour of attempting to “settle a score” because she is “queer” and he is opposed to gay marriage.
Lord Ken Maginnis was accused of “one of the worst cases of abuse of security staff I have seen” by SNP MP Hannah Bardell.
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The Northern Irish Ulster Unionist peer launched a tirade at staff, calling them “crooked” after he forgot his pass to enter parliament and they would not allow him in, Bardell told the Commons.
The peer did not deny Bardell’s allegations, but instead accused her of seeking “cheap publicity” and trying to “score a few points” because he is opposed to gay marriage.
He also called the security staff member a “little git” who was being a “jobsworth”.
Bardell, in response, said Lord Maginnis was spouting “homophobic bile” and that taxpayers would be “enraged” to be funding his “comfy job in the House of Lords”.
Lord Maginnis was in 2013 convicted of assaulting a motorist in a road rage incident in Northern Ireland. PA Archive/PA Images
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If members of parliament, journalists and staff working in the Palace of Westminster forget their pass they normally need to get a temporary day pass issued by officials.
But Lord Maginnis, who was in 2013 convicted of a road rage assault, instead shouted at security staff at the Westminster underground entrance to parliament and questioned why they did not know who he was after 46 years in parliament.
The peer told HuffPost UK: “[It] would probably all have blown over except this Bardell woman decided to get herself a bit of publicity.
“She and I are known to be on other sides – I am opposed to abortion, I am opposed to gay people like her seeking to change marriage.
“You might say I’m old fashioned, or you could say I’m conservative in Biblical terms – I mean, I’m not a preacher or anything.
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“She obviously, being what she is and wanting to make changes, decided she would score a few points for herself.
“With no disrespect, I have had a lot of experience before politics. [...]
“I was a major for 12 years in the Ulster Defence Regiment in Northern Ireland – I survived 10 assassination attempts – so I’m not altogether a softie, if you know what I mean by that.
“Queers like Ms Bardell don’t particularly annoy me.
“Okay, she’s got her cheap publicity out of it.”
SNP digital, culture, media and sport spokesperson Hannah Bardell PA Archive/PA Images
Responding to Lord Maginnis’s comments, Bardell said: “It is unbelievable that someone who plays a part in the UK legislative process – albeit unelected – has made these comments.
“These views, and his behaviour, have no place in our society and the British taxpayer should be rightly enraged to be funding Lord Maginnis’ comfy job in the House of Lords.
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“I challenged his behaviour because staff do not deserve to be subjected to this kind of abuse.
“Since this incident, House staff have been in touch to tell me they’ve also received abuse when challenging MPs and peers, so this is clearly not an isolated case.
“Lord Maginnis has now not only admitted to this terrible behaviour, but he is now turning to spouting this homophobic bile.
“While I might not annoy him, homophobic, rude and intolerable men abusing their positions of power annoy me, greatly.”
Lord Maginnis, who is 81, said he could stand in one position for a long time, unless he has something to lean on or sit on, because he is disabled, walks with a stick, and has diabetes – which means he has no feeling in his feet or legs.
He said: “This little git [the security staff member] knew exactly what the situation was. I said: ‘Do you not know me?’
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“He said: ‘I do know you but I have to see your pass.’”
Maginnis claimed a number of fellow peers then arrived on the scene and vouched for him as a Lords member “but the guy decided to be awkward”.
“It doesn’t happen at any other single entrance in parliament,” he said.
“He wanted to walk me about a quarter of a mile.
“With my arthritis and my lack of balance and particularly at that time of the day I don’t like somebody who knows me trying to make a fool of me.
“And, yeah, I did shout at him and tell him he was a jobsworth or something.
“I don’t deny it.”
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In an earlier response to Bardell in the Commons after prime minister’s questions, speaker Lindsay Hoyle said he expected the Lords authorities to look into the issue.
“No member of staff of either House should have to put up with abuse,” Hoyle said.
Responding to the abuse allegation alone, a House of Lords spokesperson said: “Parliament has a clear behaviour code which defines what is and isn’t an acceptable way to behave.
“All members of staff have the right to work in an environment free from abuse or bullying.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Want To 'Step Back' As Senior Members Of The Royal Family

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Buckingham Palace has insisted discussions with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are at an “early stage” after the couple dramatically announced they plan to “step back” as senior members of the royal family.
In a bombshell move on Wednesday night, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed plans to split their time between the UK and the US.
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Harry and Meghan said in a personal statement they will work to become “financially independent”, while continuing to “fully support” the Queen.
But Buckingham Palace warned the couple their decision to “step back” from the royal family will be “complicated”.
The sequence of events led to speculation that a rift has developed at the heart of the monarchy - and that the couple did not consult the Queen or the Prince of Wales about the contents of their statement.
The pair said: “After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution.
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“We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the royal family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen.”
But a Buckingham Palace spokesperson later said discussions were “at an early stage”, adding: “We understand their desire to take a different approach, but these are complicated issues that will take time to work through.”
The BBC’s royal correspondent reported that no other member of the royal family was consulted before the statement, and the palace is understood to be “disappointed” and “hurt”.
The PA Media news agency also claimed Harry and Meghan had just begun talks with the Queen and Charles about their future roles when they made their decision to go public.
The head of state and her son were only recently informed of the Sussexes intention to explore their public positions as members of the monarchy, and were not aware the statement was due to be issued.
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The proposed move would see them balance their time between the UK and North America, while “continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages”.
Harry and Meghan said it would allow them to raise their son Archie “with an appreciation for the royal tradition” while also giving them “space to focus on the next chapter”.
The couple’s plans include the launch of a new charity.
“We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties,” the statement added.
“Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support.”
The Sussex’s financial aims have been outlined on their official website which states the couple “…value the ability to earn a professional income, which in the current structure they are prohibited from doing. For this reason they have made the choice to become members of the royal family with financial independence.”
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Any future role which the couple take on for financial gain will have to be scrutinised to ensure they are not seen as profiteering from their position as members of the monarchy.
Royal commentators are likely to interpret the couple’s decision – and the Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal that has engulfed the Duke of York – as a full-blown crisis for the monarchy.
Harry – one of the most popular members of the royal family with the public – and Andrew will now have a far lower public profile at a time of potentially great change for the country as Britain leaves the EU.
The couple’s move follows weeks of speculation about their future after they took an extended break from royal duties over the festive period.
In an ITV documentary they spoke about the pressures they have been facing and family rifts, and in a separate move Harry issued a damning statement against the media accusing sections of the press of bullying his wife.
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Graham Smith from the organisation Republic, which campaigns for an elected head of state, said about Harry and Meghan’s decision: “This really is wanting to have your cake and eat it. They have said they will dip in and out of royal duties as it suits them but won’t stop taking public money until they find other sources of income.”
Harry and Meghan have only recently returned from their six-week break spent in the Canadian province of British Columbia with their eight-month-old son Archie.
Their first royal engagement of the new decade was to visit Canada’s High Commission in central London to thank Canadians in person for the warmth of the welcome they received.
It is likely they will be spending their time in the Commonwealth country when not in the UK and may travel to America, Meghan’s homeland and where her mother lives.
Any move to Canada, even for a period of the year, would throw up important questions about Meghan and Harry’s long-term future within the royal family.
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Meghan, a former actress, lived and worked in Toronto during her time starring in the popular US drama Suits, and the couple were famously pictured together when Meghan joined her then-boyfriend Harry at the 2017 Invictus Games in the city.
The cost of security for the couple would also be an issue, and as Canada is a realm, a country where the Queen is head of state, it may have to pay for keeping the couple and their son Archie safe.
The couple’s aim to be “financially independent” may point towards them seeking a job, or a paid role with an organisation whose aims complement their own beliefs.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--Barry Gardiner Preparing To Run For Labour Leader In Shock Late Entry

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Barry Gardiner is preparing to run for Labour leader in a shock last-minute entry to the race, HuffPost UK can reveal.
The shadow international trade secretary, an ally of Jeremy Corbyn, is seeking support from MPs in a bid to get on the ballot.
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It comes as left-wingers and Corbyn loyalists fear the campaign of Rebecca Long Bailey, their favoured candidate, has been floundering while shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer races ahead.
Unite boss Len McCluskey is believed to have approached Gardiner and a number of other shadow frontbench figures asking them to stand.
Shadow international trade secretary Barry Gardiner speaking at a Labour Party rally in Hastings, East Sussex. PA Wire/PA Images
However, McCluskey has denied he is uneasy with Long Bailey’s campaign and tweeted that he hasn’t been approached by Gardiner to support him as leader.
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HuffPost UK understands Gardiner, the MP for Brent North since 1997, will centre his pitch on loyalty and has begun searching for a campaign team.
A source close to Gardiner told HuffPost UK: “Barry recognises the challenges the party faces over the next five years and believes he has the broad base of support, experience and loyalty to the party to win the race and take the fight to the Tories.”
I wish journalists including @pollytoynbee would stop claiming that I or Unite have backed anyone for Labour leader so far. To be clear, we haven’t. The decision will only be made when our executive committee meets on 24 Jan, to which candidates will be invited to make their case — Len McCluskey (@LenMcCluskey) January 7, 2020
Hours after the HuffPost UK story was published, Gardiner told the Guardian: “I am considering running and will decide in the next 24 hours.”
The shadow minister has served in frontbench posts in both the Tony Blair and Gordon Brown administrations.
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Starmer has a commanding lead, according to a YouGov released last week, and has cleared the 22-MP hurdle to get on the ballot.
Gardiner could struggle to win enough nominations, however, with candidates including Clive Lewis and Emily Thornberry fighting to stay in the contest.
There are 202 Labour MPs and nominations close in five days.
Rebecca Long Bailey is in second place with the support of seven MPs. Jess Phillips has the support of six MPs.
Lisa Nandy, who impressed backbenchers with her pitch at the first leadership hustings in front of MPs on Tuesday night, has the backing of two MPs.
Thornberry has received the backing of one MP. Clive Lewis has not received the vote of any MPs so far.
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Under party rules, once the required 22 MPs have been secured, leadership contenders then need to win 5% of local party nominations or 5% of party affiliates such as trade unions or socialist societies.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--Keir Starmer Hires Ex-Corbyn Aide Simon Fletcher In Bid To End Labour 'Factionalism'

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Keir Starmer has underscored his pledge to end divisions within Labour by hiring a key former adviser to Jeremy Corbyn, Ed Miliband and Ken Livingstone.
Simon Fletcher, a former campaigns chief for Corbyn and aide to Livingstone, has been taken on as Starmer’s strategic campaign adviser, HuffPost UK can reveal.
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Fletcher’s new role is a clear signal to the left of the party that the shadow Brexit secretary can be trusted to continue Labour’s radical policy agenda.
But with ‘centrist’ and ‘soft left’ MPs on board, it also sends the message that he can unite the different wings of the Labour movement, his supporters say.
Writing for HuffPost UK, Fletcher said that “Keir Starmer has the greatest capacity to deliver most effectively on the challenges Labour faces”.
The party veteran added: “On a personal level, I was struck over the Christmas break just how many friends of mine who consistently supported Jeremy Corbyn were also now supporting Keir Starmer for leader.
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“He has set out a refusal to oversteer away from Labour’s radical policy framework, a commitment to seek to unify the party and an intention to be serious about holding Boris Johnson to account, in order to face the electoral challenge ahead.”
One source said that the appointment underlined Starmer’s “determination to end factionalism and unite the whole Labour movement”.
Fletcher was Corbyn’s original campaign manager in the 2015 leadership election and was chief of staff until Karie Murphy was installed in the Opposition leader’s office.
He served as director of campaigns and planning for Corbyn, but also worked for former leader Ed Miliband and was Ken Livingstone’s chief of staff during his time as London Mayor.
Simon Fletcher and Angela Rayner HuffPost UK
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In his blog, Fletcher urged an end to the divisive stances of some in the party and called for a politics that showed the public how they would be better off under a Starmer government.
“Labour can only win as an alliance of lower and middle income people: it can only win by building alliances that enable it to lead the majority.”
He also said Labour had to “Demonstrate that we understand the chasm that has opened up between the party and Jewish people in Britain”.
In what appeared to be a swipe at the 2019 strategy of targeting unwinnable seats and not defending heartlands, he added “we will need a serious, professional electoral apparatus that inspires and involves the membership and is clear about the voters and seats we have to target.”
HuffPost reported last year that John McDonnell, an admirer of Fletcher, was furious that he was blocked from running for the safe seat of Jarrow.
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PA Wire/PA Images
As well as Fletcher, Starmer has taken on Kat Fletcher, another ally of Corbyn and Livingstone and former deputy director of the London region.
Former Darlington MP Jenny Chapman will chair the campaign, Kat Fletcher will be ‘director of field operations’, ex-Sadiq Khan aide Ellie Robinson becomes director of stakeholder management and Ben Nunn director of communications.
Morgan McSweeney - a former chief at the Local Government Association’s Labour group - will be campaign manager and Chris Ward deputy campaigns manager.
A spokesman for Starmer said: “This campaign will draw on the talent, energy and enthusiasm of activists from across the Labour movement.”
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The boost to Starmer’s campaign came as he also secured the endorsement of Unison, Britain’s biggest union, and surged into first place on nominations from MPs.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--Why I Am Backing Keir Starmer For Labour Leader

Keir Starmer AP
The best contributions to Labour’s post-election debate have shown humility towards the electorate and openness to the opinions of fellow members. We will not be well-served by a post-mortem in which everyone rushes to explain that they were right.
Labour lost votes to Remain and Leave parties. We have strong support among young people but insufficient among older people. We have been rolled back in pro-Remain Scotland, as well as pro-Leave Blyth Valley. The task facing us is massive. And even as we are considering it, we face a new round of elections this spring that cannot be ignored during the leadership election.
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Although Boris Johnson made noises about funding for schools and hospitals, and around infrastructure for the north – for which he must be held to account – the reality of a Tory government, as with every Tory government, will be an onslaught against working class communities, trade unions and public services. Britain will align itself with Trump. The hard Brexiters will favour trade deals with the USA that bring more privatisation and deregulation.
This coming attack requires a number of things for Labour.
One, a recognition that Labour can only win as an alliance of lower and middle income people: it can only win by building alliances that enable it to lead the majority. False counter-positions of the electorate, or disregarding some segments of voters against others, only undermine the ability to tell the whole story. If we understand the working class as the majority of society then we will have a greater chance of creating an electoral alliance.
Two, no return to the politics of triangulation, privatisation and outsourcing masked by “public service reform”, the rush to war, and attacks on civil liberties. The reasons Labour members – not all of whom came from the left of the party – voted for Jeremy Corbyn have not gone away.
Members require a leadership that will retain the ambition that took the party by storm in 2015. Corbynism is not a blip, but a recognition that people join Labour out of high ambitions for the kind of society they want to live in. This is essential to retaining Labour’s status as a mass membership party. As Aneurin Bevan said: “Unity must be achieved on the basis of policies which inspire.” This includes recognising that the climate crisis vindicates the need for socialist principles in terms of ownership, planning, and investment in the economy.
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Three, there must be a willingness to sharpen our message to cut through. Individual policies contained in both the 2017 and 2019 manifestos are indeed popular. What was not successful was our ability to convince enough people about the whole package. This was more the case in 2019, evidently. Labour has to find a way to turn the overall programme into something that is understood to be of benefit to individuals and their loved ones. Appeals to voters’ altruism in the next five years will not lead us back into contention: it is necessary to demonstrate that our policies will directly improve your own quality of life and standard of living.
“On a personal level, I have been struck just how many friends of mine who consistently supported Jeremy Corbyn are also now supporting Keir Starmer for leader.”
Four, unity in action. That is not false unity for its own sake but on the basis that we are maintaining our values and our radicalism and that we are serious about winning. Parties are difficult things to lead, and sometimes there are sharp disagreements. All leaderships take decisions that not everyone likes. Nonetheless, Labour must demonstrate to the electorate that we are united in action and that we are not going to allow internal fights to define us. Unity and a positive political culture means taking the range of different strands of opinion in the party seriously. Within the Labour left we need to preserve and encourage the development of a range of left voices and publications.
Five, we have to rebuild trust with the Jewish community and demonstrate that we understand the chasm that has opened up between the party and Jewish people in Britain.
Six, on Brexit, we have to put the leave-remain divide behind us: we need to fight against an orientation to trade deals with the USA and other right-wing governments around the world that would sacrifice public services, safeguards of workplace rights, and environmental protections.
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Seven, we will need a serious, professional electoral apparatus that inspires and involves the membership and is clear about the voters and seats we have to target.
Eight, we must not under-estimate Johnson. In truth, the party was too slow to respond to the fact that circumstances had changed when Johnson became prime minister. Our messaging around his leadership of the Tories was too unclear and unstable. He was and is not Theresa May. A general election against Johnson was never going to be a rerun of 2017. In parliament, in our media operation, in our targeting, and in our mass movement we must recognise this and overhaul how we talk about him, how we hold him to account and how we utilise the platform of parliament to disarm his operation.
Nine, there now needs to be a renewal of political education in the Labour party. It is exciting that we have gone to a party of half a million people and seen a revival of interest in ideas around socialism and social progress. The party itself should take more responsibility for promoting discussion of these values in theory and practice.
Ten, the relationship with the trade union movement and the collective link with the trade unions should be maintained and seen as a strength.
There are a number of excellent candidates for the Labour leadership, who would deserve full support if they were elected. However, I think that Keir Starmer has the greatest capacity to deliver most effectively on the challenges Labour faces that I’ve set out here. On a personal level, I was struck over the Christmas break just how many friends of mine who consistently supported Jeremy Corbyn were also now supporting Keir Starmer for leader. He has set out a refusal to oversteer away from Labour’s radical policy framework, a commitment to seek to unify the party and an intention to be serious about holding Johnson to account, in order to face the electoral challenge ahead. For these reasons I will be supporting him in this leadership election.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--Donald Trump Urges UK To Abandon Iran Nuclear Deal In Aftermath Of Missile Strikes

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Donald Trump has called on the UK and other allies to abandon the Iran nuclear deal as he spoke in the aftermath of missile attacks on military bases housing American troops in Iraq.
The US president also said Iran “appears to be standing down” in a sign that tensions between the two countries could be calming.
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At a press conference at the White House, Trump seemed intent on de-escalating the crisis, indicating that he would not retaliate militarily for the strikes.
But referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, known commonly as the Iran nuclear deal, he said: “The very defective JCPOA expires shortly anyway and gives Iran a clear and quick path to nuclear breakout.
“Iran must abandon its nuclear ambitions and end its support for terrorism.
“The time has come for the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russia and China to recognise this reality.
“They must now break away from the remnants of the Iran deal – or JCPOA – and we must all work together towards making a deal with Iran that makes the world a safer and more peaceful place.”
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US President Donald Trump delivers a statement about Iran. REUTERS
Trump added no Americans were harmed in last night’s attack by the Iranian regime and that Iran “appears to be standing down”.
Instead of a military response, he said the US would immediately put in place new economic sanctions “until Iran changes its behaviour”.
Trump’s call to break from the Iranian nuclear deal contrasts to Boris Johnson saying on Wednesday that the pact remains the best way to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
“It is our view that the JCPOA remains the best way of preventing nuclear proliferation in Iran, the best way of encouraging the Iranians not to develop a nuclear weapon,” the UK prime minister told parliament.
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“We think that after this crisis has abated, which of course we sincerely hope it will, that way forward will remain. It is a shell that has currently been voided but it remains a shell into which we can put substance again.”
On Sunday, Iran said it would abandon limitations on enriching uranium, taking a further step back from commitments under the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal.
Trump’s press conference came after Iran struck back at the US for killing its most powerful military commander, firing a barrage of ballistic missiles at two Iraqi military bases that house American troops.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made clear that Iran’s missile strikes were in revenge for the US killing of Revolutionary Guard General Qassem Soleimani.
His death last week in an American drone strike in Baghdad prompted angry calls for vengeance and drew massive crowds of Iranians to the streets to mourn him.
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Despite the heightened rhetoric, there were some indications soon after that there might not be more immediate retaliation by either side.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--US And Iran Relations Have Been Tense For Decades. Here’s Why

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The statement “Iran and the United States do not get on” is perhaps one thing we can all agree on. What is less clear, however, is: why?
Coverage of the current crisis talks of Donald Trump, nuclear deals, the legacy of Barack Obama and an Iran determined to establish itself as the major power in the Middle East.
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But to truly appreciate today’s news, it’s necessary to go a lot further back – to 1908, in fact.
What’s more, it’s also critical to look at the UK’s role in all of this, during a bygone age of empire when Britain was the United States of its time.
A hostage held at the US embassy in Tehran is shown to the crowd by Iranian students on November 8, 1979 ASSOCIATED PRESS
1908: The founding of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company
As with so many conflicts in the Middle East, the current US-Iran tensions have their historical roots in the control of natural resources – specifically, oil.
It was the British who first sought to exploit the oil reserves in what was then called Persia, at a time when the US had very little presence beyond its own borders.
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In 1908 the British, still in full-blown global empire mode, founded the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC) after the discovery of a huge oil field in the country, and set about making a fortune while giving Persia a mere 16% of the profits.
Oil mining pioneers at a picnic near Masjid i-Suleiman in Persia (Iran) with their dogs, circa 1900. Hulton Archive via Getty Images
Unsurprisingly, the imbalance in how oil revenues were split between the native Persians and the imperialist Brits became a source of friction.
A number of attempts were made by the Iranians (as they made themselves known from 1935 onwards) to renegotiate the terms of the deal with the APOC but these either came to nothing or produced agreements that were ultimately no more beneficial.
1941: Second World War and the invasion
In one of the west’s many demonstrations of scant respect for sovereignty during this period, in 1941 Britain and its ally the Soviet Union invaded and occupied Iran to secure oil supplies for their increasingly thirsty war machines.
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This occupation helped stoke a tide of nationalism that swept the Middle East after the end of the Second World War and in Iran specifically. This further increased calls for the nationalisation of the country’s energy resources.
1951: Iran elects Mohammed Mossadegh as prime minister
In 1951, the Iranian parliament voted to nationalise the APOC (now called the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company), an event followed by the democratic election of Mohammed Mossadegh, a champion of nationalisation.
Premier Mohammed Mossadegh of Iran rests in bed on Oct. 12, 1951. Mossadegh was named Iran's prime minister on April 28, 1951. (AP Photo) ASSOCIATED PRESS
Over the next two years, Mossadegh tried to implement nationalisation, engaging in heated diplomacy with the British and the United States – which by this point, after its contribution to the Allies’ victory, was far more involved in international affairs than in previous decades.
The British, not wanting to give up such a lucrative cash cow in a period when the consumption of oil was only increasing, resisted Mossadegh’s attempts and sought ways to remove him from the picture.
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1953: The coup
Eventually, Britain chose possibly the most extreme option – subverting Iranian democracy by toppling Iran’s leader and replacing him with one they liked.
The coup was orchestrated by the CIA and MI6 and used the rising tensions of the Cold War as a pretext, framing it as necessary to stop energy supplies from falling into Soviet hands.
FILE -- In this August 19, 1953 file photo, a crowd of demonstrators tears down the Iran Party's sign from the front of the headquarters in Tehran, Iran, during the pre-Shah riot which swept through the capital and ousted Persian Prime Minister Dr. Mossadegh and his government. On Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2013, Iran's parliament approved fast tracking debate on a bill that seeks to sue the U.S. for its involvement in the 1953 coup that overthrew the country’s democratically elected prime minister. Newly declassified documents revealed recently offer more details of how the CIA orchestrated the overthrow of Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh 60 years ago. (AP Photo, File) ASSOCIATED PRESS
By bribing a number of influential people and groups in Iran, the western intelligence services were able to orchestrate a large riot that was used as an opportunity to arrest Mossadegh and replace him with a new pro-western PM, Fazlollah Zahedi, who was given the seal of approval by the equally pro-western shah (monarch) Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
1954: The name change
In a clear sign of who was behind events in Iran, the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company was renamed British Petroleum (yes, that BP) in 1954.
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Things were never going to be the same, though, and BP, rather than have a sole monopoly on Iranian oil, instead entered into a consortium of companies that controlled much of the world’s oil supplies for the next two decades.
1979: Iranian revolution
It won’t come as a surprise to learn that the ordinary people of Iran were less than happy with having a leader imposed on them by foreign powers and discontent grew and grew, culminating in strikes and huge demonstrations that paralysed the country.
Under huge pressure, Pahlavi fled to the US and in his place came Ruhollah Khomeini, who would soon become known in the west as Ayatollah Khomeini.
He had spent the previous 15 years in exile due to his opposition to Pahlavi but returned to Iran to be greeted by crowds numbering in the millions.
Crowds gather in Tehran for the return of Ayatollah Khomeini. Ahmad Kavousian via Getty Images
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Khomeini formed a new government, held a referendum and founded the Islamic Republic of Iran that the world knows today. He dubbed the US the “Great Satan”.
Ayatolla Ruholla Khomeini leads daily prayers at his small villa near Paris before his return to Iran. Bettmann via Getty Images
Almost immediately, the first of a number of crises occurred, each of which would further cement the hostility between Iran and the US (Britain, having lost its empire after the war, was increasingly out of the picture).
1979-81: The US embassy hostage crisis
In November of 1979 a group of Iranian students, angry at American refusals to extradite Pahlavi, stormed the US embassy and took 52 people hostage – for nearly two years.
The failure of the US to secure the release of its own citizens either through negotiations or a failed rescue attempt was a humiliating blow on the international stage and was a significant factor in the end of the Jimmy Carter administration.
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Hostage taking at the American Embassy and demonstration in Tehran, Iran in November, 1979. Alain MINGAM via Getty Images
Donald Trump referenced the hostages recently when he said 52 cultural sites in Iran could be targeted by US strikes.
1984: Sponsor of terrorism
The US designated Iran a state sponsor of terrorism, citing more than 60 attacks against the US across the Middle East.
1985-86: Iran-Contra scandal
Carter’s successor, Ronald Reagan, became embroiled in his own Iran-related scandal a few years later.
In what came to be known as the Iran-Contra affair, Reagan actually sold weapons to Iran and used the money to fund anti-communist rebels trying to topple the government in Nicaragua, despite such funding being banned by Congress.
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1988: US shoots down Iranian passenger plane
On July 3, 1988, an American warship patrolling in the Persian Gulf shot down an Iranian Airbus A300 flying from Bandar Abbas, in Iran, to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
All 290 people on board died. The US claimed the aircraft was mistaken for a fighter jet.
Thousands of Iranians chanting "Death to America" participate in a mass funeral for 76 people killed when the USS Vincennes shot down Iran Air Flight 655, in Tehran, Iran, July 7, 1988. ASSOCIATED PRESS
1990s: The sanctions
Over the course of the decade, the US stepped up sanctions on Iran in an attempt to prevent its “acquisition of chemical, biological, nuclear, or advanced conventional weapons”.
2000s: Fears of a nuclear Iran
Relations deteriorated to a new low after it was revealed Iran was developing nuclear facilities that western nations said could be used to make a nuclear bomb.
The then government of ultra-conservative president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denied the claims but the UN, US and EU imposed harsh sanctions, crippling the country’s economy.
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2002: The ‘Axis of Evil’
Signs that the election of reformist cleric Mohammed Khatami in 1997 marked a shift in relations for the better were dashed by George Bush in 2002, when he included Iran alongside Iraq and North Korea in his infamous “Axis of Evil” speech.
President George W. Bush labels North Korea, Iran and Iraq an "axis of evil" during his State of the Union address on Capitol Hill. ASSOCIATED PRESS
The designation caused outrage in Iran – which, a year later, was more than happy to take advantage of the chaos resulting from the US invasion of Iraq to increase its influence across the Middle East.
2015: The deal
The election of Barack Obama marked a profound shift in relations between the US and Iran and a long-term deal was finally agreed that would allow Iran limit its nuclear capabilities to civilian energy use in return for the lifting of sanctions.
Despite the deal being widely hailed as a positive step for peace, one man was very vocal in his disdain for the agreement throughout the negotiations – Donald Trump.
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President Obama must remember that the worst thing you can do in a deal is seem desperate to make it. Be cool, move slowly - and think! IRAN — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 20, 2013
2018: The end of the deal
Now president, Trump pulls out of the Iran deal in 2018 to the dismay of other world powers.
He reinstates sanctions and Iran’s economy freefalls.
2019: The military actions begin
Further sanctions target Iran’s oil exports, prompting a number of retaliatory strikes from Iran against oil tankers in the Persian Gulf.
Things escalate on June 20 when Iran shoots down a US military drone and, shortly after, announces it will roll back a number of the commitments made under the original nuclear deal.
2020: The death of Qassem Soleimani
All of which brings us to 2020 and the current situation. An attack on a military base in Iraq by an Iranian-backed militia sparks a US airstrike that kills 25 members of the group.
This in turn prompts the storming of the US embassy in Iraq. The US responds by killing Qassem Soleimani. Iran responds by attacking a military base in Iraq holding US personnel, with no reported injuries so far. And the rest is, well, the present.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--Dancing On Ice's Matt Evers Brushes Off Ofcom Complaints After First Same-Sex Routine

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Dancing On Ice skater Matt Evers has brushed off complaints made to Ofcom about his first same-sex skate over the weekend.
Matt is currently partnered with Steps star Ian “H” Watkins on the ITV show, marking the first time that two men have ever performed together.
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He and H gave their debut performance in Sunday night’s live show, winning praise from viewers and moving judge John Barrowman to tears.
Sadly, some people were unhappy at the sight of two men dancing together, with 16 viewers making official complaints to the media regulator.
H Watkins and Matt Evers on the ice Matt Frost/ITV/Shutterstock
After several media outlets picked up on the handful of complaints, Matt made it clear on his Twitter page that he wasn’t going to let them get him down.
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“16 out of 5.5 million... the odds are in our favour,” he wrote, while in a tweet from Attitude magazine which pointed out the small number of complaints (though, of course, 16 is still far too many), Matt added: “Cheers to change.”
16 out of 5.5 million... the odds are in our favor. 😂😂😂😂 https://t.co/mFs2tvp29I — Matt Evers (@TheMattEvers) January 8, 2020
Two weeks ago, H hit back at one viewer who admitted they were “offended” at the thought of having two men skating together “pushed in front of him”.
“Just because you disagree does not change the fact that I exist. WE exist. The LGBTQ community exists,” the singer wrote. “Your views are not old fashioned, they are archaic – but they make the LGBTQ community grow stronger, so thank you for that. How beautiful would the world be with acceptance?”
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Although rival series Strictly Come Dancing has not featured a same-sex couple competing yet, they did showcast a routine between professionals Johannes Radebe and Graziano Di Prima during one of last year’s results shows.
Again, this performance was largely met with praise from viewers, although some also took issue with it, including almost 200 viewers who made formal complaints about watching two men ballroom dancing.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--9 Things Couples Regret Spending So Much Money On For Their Weddings

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When you’re in the thick of wedding planning, every little decision starts to feel hugely important. The idea that everything should be perfect for your guests makes it hard to pinpoint the areas where you could probably save yourself some money.
Often, it’s not until after the big day that you realise which splurges were worth every penny and which you could have cut back or skipped altogether.
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Below, former brides and grooms reveal the wedding elements they regret spending so much on in hindsight.
Cavan Images via Getty Images
1. The flowers
“Our florals cost $3,600. That may not be much to some, but after everything you spend on the wedding, it all adds up. The flowers were so pretty but at the end of the wedding, we couldn’t give them away so they were literally thrown in the garbage.” — Lyndsey R.
2. The fancy photographer
“We should have looked around for others but we thought we couldn’t go wrong as he was an award-winning photographer. However, his creative direction simply didn’t align with our aesthetics. We should have looked into his portfolio more and discussed what we had in mind. But I feel like we could have found a photographer who was more flexible and willing to accommodate our ideas for a more reasonable price.” — Debbie T.
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3. The traditional wedding dress
“My husband and I were extremely broke when we had our wedding, and the budget was under $3,000. We pretty much didn’t spend money on anything. However, looking back, I wish I didn’t spend money on a traditional wedding dress and instead wish I had gone with a simpler dress that I could’ve worn again on some other occasion. We also got super tacky fake flowers that I wish we just left out. Other than that, I’m really proud of the way we pulled off our wedding with barely any money.” — Yaoyao M.
4. The decor items
“I wish I hadn’t spent so much money on little knickknacks that you sit on tables for decoration. A simple arrangement of flowers would’ve been just fine. Now I’m stuck with extra junk in my basement.” — Somer S.
Adél Békefi via Getty Images In retrospect, these married couples wish they hadn't shelled out so much for flowers, decorations and desserts.
5. The dessert table
“Our dessert table basically went to waste ― everyone was pretty full from canapés, entrees and mains and barely touched it. There was so much left over that had to get thrown out as we were leaving the next day for our honeymoon. We couldn’t even give it to our guests as it was a destination wedding and they were all leaving too.” — Steph A.
6. The venue
“As beautiful and amazing as our wedding day was, we both wish that we wouldn’t have spent so much money on the venue, as we would have rather taken that money and used it towards our honeymoon.” — Kelsey B.
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7. The bridesmaid dresses
“Looking back, I would not have spent so much money on bridesmaids dresses. Ultimately, everyone is looking at the bridal gown and not what the bridal party is wearing. I could’ve gotten something for a lot cheaper that was still nice and not have spent so much money on dresses and then even more for alterations. Let’s be honest: the girls will probably never wear them again anyway.” — Steph A.
8. The additional food
“We were so worried about everyone having food all the time that we paid extra to make sure it was always available and we had a lot left over. Our guests were more excited to dance and socialise! I guess this is something we just couldn’t have predicted but it was still a great day overall.” — Debbie T.
9. Themed decorations


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--Teen In Court Over Murder Of Vulnerable Man Whose Arms And Legs Remain Missing

Nowell Road, Barnes Google Street View
A teenager accused of killing a vulnerable man who was stabbed repeatedly and dismembered with a knife has appeared at the Old Bailey.
The 17-year-old boy, from the Earl’s Court area in central London, is charged with the murder of a 53-year-old man.
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The dismembered torso and head of the victim, previously named in court documents as William Algar, were found at a house in Nowell Road, Barnes, south London, on January 3.
The vulnerable man, who was said to have suffered health issues, was subjected to a serious knife attack before the “dismemberment and degradation” of his body.
A post-mortem examination found the victim had suffered about 20 stab wounds, including a fatal 8cm deep injury to the chest, and was then cut up with a blade.
His arms and legs had been removed and could not be found in the house.
The alleged killer, who cannot be identified because of his age, spoke only to confirm his identity when he appeared by video link from Feltham Young Offender Institute.
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Judge Wendy Joseph QC adjourned setting a trial date until a further hearing on January 16 at the Old Bailey.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--Iran Plane Crash: 3 Brits Killed In Ukrainian Jet Crash Identified

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Three Britons who died after a Ukrainian passenger plane crashed moments after take-off from Iran have been named.
All 167 passengers and nine crew on the Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) Boeing 737 flight from Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv were killed minutes after take-off at 6.10am local time (2.40am GMT) on Wednesday.
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The aircraft burst into flames and came down around six miles away from the Iranian airport.
BP has confirmed one of those killed in the Tehran plane crash as 42-year-old reservoir engineer Sam Zokaei, who has worked at the oil company for more than 14 years.
Sam Zokaei Facebook
Zokaei, from Twickenham, London, was on holiday from working at BP’s site at Sunbury-on-Thames in Middlesex.
The company said in a statement: “With the deepest regret, we can confirm that one of our colleagues at BP, Sam Zokaei, was a passenger on the Ukrainian International Airlines plane that crashed in Iran this morning, reportedly with no survivors.
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“We are shocked and deeply saddened by this tragic loss of our friend and colleague, and all of our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
Engineer Saeed Tahmasebi Khademasadi was also among the Britons killed in the crash.
Saeed Tahmasebi Khademasadi Imperial College London
A spokesman for Imperial College London, where he was a post-graduate researcher, said: “We are deeply saddened at this tragic news.
“Saeed Tahmasebi Khademasadi was a brilliant engineer with a bright future.
“His contributions to systems engineering earned respect from everyone who dealt with him and will benefit society for years to come.
“He was a warm, humble and generous colleague, and close friend to many in our community.
“Our thoughts and sincere condolences are with Saeed’s family, friends and colleagues, as well as all those affected by this tragedy.”
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He was also an engineer at Laing O’Rourke. A company spokesman said: “Everyone here is shocked and saddened by this very tragic news.
“Saeed was a popular and well-respected engineer, and will be missed by his colleagues.
“Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this most difficult time and we will do all we can to support them through it.”
Rescue workers search the scene of the crash ASSOCIATED PRESS
Mohammad Reza Kadkhoda Zadeh, a 40-year-old father-of-one is also reported to have lost his life.
Zadeh lived in Brighton, east Sussex, and ran a dry-cleaning business in nearby Hassocks. He is believed to have been visiting friends and family over the Christmas period and was described by shocked neighbours and friends as a “quiet, polite and lovely” man.
Staff at a pet store next door to his business paid tribute to “a lovely man [with] a lovely smile”.
Store owner Stephen Edgington, 68, told PA news agency: “Reza was a lovely guy. He was good looking, sociable.
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“Before he left we were chatting and he said “do you realise I have been here so many years?”.”
Edgington, who works at the store with his wife Nola, said they were told what had happened on Wednesday morning by Zadeh’s employees.
Meanwhile, Savvas Savvidis – who rented a room from Zadeh – described him as a “super-nice person”. “Right away we got along so well,” the 36-year-old said.
“It’s so sad. Before he left we had a conversation, he told me that he spent all his life working, working really hard, and now finally he wants to start to enjoy life a bit more.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--EU Chief Ursula Von Der Leyen Warns UK Trade Deal Deadline 'Impossible'

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Boris Johnson has been warned by the new European Commission president it will be “impossible” for the UK and EU to strike a comprehensive new trade deal by the end of the year.
In a speech in London on Wednesday, Ursula von der Leyen said the tight negotiating timetable would force the EU to “prioritise” unless there was an extension beyond 2020.
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The threat means Brussels could be entertaining only a skeleton free trade deal before the December 2020 deadline in order to avoid a no-deal situation.
Johnson has said the UK will not follow EU rules after Brexit but von der Leyen, who will be meeting with the prime minister in Downing Street today, said that would create a “distant” relationship.
“Our partnership cannot and will not be the same as before,” she said in her speech at the London School of Economics, where she formerly studied.
“It will not be as close as before because with every choice comes a consequence. With every decision comes a trade-off.
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“Without the free movement of people, you cannot have the free movement of capital, goods and services.
“Without a level playing field on environment, labour and state aid, you cannot have the highest quality access to the world’s largest single market.
“The more divergence there is, the more distant the partnership will be.”
Von der Leyen said the EU was willing to sign off on a deal that was “unprecedented in scope” and that would go “well beyond trade”.
But she was blunt in her analysis that an 11-month negotiation period for such a deal was not possible.
“Without an extension of the transition period beyond 2020, you cannot expect to agree on every single aspect of our new partnership,” she warned. “We will have to prioritise.”
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She added: “It is basically impossible to negotiate all.”
The German politician, who took over from Jean Claude-Juncker last month, said Britain’s January 31 exit day would be “tough and emotional”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--Boris Johnson Says Qassem Soleimani Had 'Blood Of British Troops On His Hands'

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Boris Johnson has said assassinated Iranian general Qassem Soleimani had the “blood of British troops on his hands”.
But the prime minister told MPs on Wednesday he opposed any further escalation of violence in the Middle East.
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Last night Iran struck back at the United States for the killing of Soleimani by firing ballistic missiles at two military bases in Iraq that house American troops.
Reuters
In his first public appearance since the US strike, Johnson said America had the right to defend its bases.
“Clearly the strict issue of legality is not for the UK to determine since it was not our operation,” the prime minister said during PMQs.
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“But I think most reasonable people would accept that the United States has the right to protect its bases and its personnel.”
The PM said Soleimani had supplied “improvised explosive devices to terrorists, which I’m afraid killed and maimed British troops”.
Johnson said: “That man had the blood of British troops on his hands.”
He added: “As far as we can tell there were no casualties last night sustained by the US and no British personnel were injured in the attacks.”
Jeremy Corbyn accused Johnson of being “unable to stand up to President Trump” over Iran, because he had “hitched his wagon to a trade deal with the United States”.
The Labour leader’s spokesperson said the assassination of Soleimani was “clearly illegal” unless there was evidence of imminent attack.
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“The issue is not the record of Qassem Soleimani inside or outside Iran, the fact is that he was a top ranking government official of an internationally recognised government who was killed by the US in a third country and that is clearly illegal in international law,” the spokesperson added.
“The only circumstances in which it could be justified legally is if there was evidence of imminent threat to US forces under the control of Soleimani. There’s no such evidence been produced.”
Iran’s missile attack was a major escalation between the two long-time foes and Iran’s most direct assault on America since the 1979 seizing of the US embassy in Tehran.
Iranian state TV said it was in revenge for the killing of Soleimani last week in an American drone strike near Baghdad.
US and Iraqi officials said there were no immediate reports of casualties, though buildings were still being searched. The Iraqi government later confirmed there were no casualties among Iraqi forces.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--Boris Johnson Says Murderer Who Fought London Bridge Terrorist Should Be 'Recognised' For Bravery

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Boris Johnson has suggested a convicted murderer who helped fight off a terrorist on London Bridge should be honoured for his bravery.
Serving prisoner Steven Gallant took on Usman Khan as he embarked on a killing spree armed with two knives and wearing a fake suicide vest on November 29.
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Jack Merritt and Saskia Jones died in the attack, which started at a prisoner rehabilitation event in Fishmongers’ Hall that Gallant was attending, having been allowed out on licence for the first time since he was sentenced for killing Barrie Jackson in Hull in 2005 alongside another man.
The 42-year-old, who was jailed for a minimum of 17 years, helped restrain Khan on London Bridge before the terrorist was shot dead by police.
Harrowing footage shows Gallant, wearing a purple top with sleeves rolled up, and two other men, running on to the bridge after Khan and tackling him to the ground.
New footage of yesterday's terror attack on #LondonBridge.
Three members of the public armed with a fire extinguisher and a Narwhal tusk take the attacher down.
👍👍Heroes. pic.twitter.com/eKHDpOXRX0 — 🇫🇷Amreen Nazanin Rajavi(Amy) (@Amreen__Rizvi) November 30, 2019
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The prime minister said he was “lost in admiration” of Gallant’s “gallantry” and said it should be “recognised in the proper way”.
Gallant’s local MP Karl Turner asked Johnson at prime minister’s questions: “In 2005 my constituent Steven Gallant did a bad thing for which he is serving a life sentence in prison.
“But on November 29 he was the third man on London Bridge, he wrestled the knife-wielding murderous terrorist to the ground so that police marksmen could shoot him dead.
“Steven is rightly serving life in prison but will the prime minister congratulated and pay tribute to Stephen for his bravery that day which no doubt saved lives?”
Johnson said Turner had made a “very good point” which he thought all MPs would agree with.
The PM went on: “I am lost in admiration for the bravery of Stephen Gallant and indeed others who went to the assistance of members of the public on that day and fought a very determined terrorist.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--Why Tom Hanks Thanked His 5 Kids At The Golden Globes When He Only Has 4

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Tom Hanks proved once more he has a heart of gold during his Golden Globes speech on Sunday.
The actor, who received the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award, was moved to tears while giving his acceptance speech, which he used to thank many people, including his wife, actor Rita Wilson, and his four children: sons Colin, Chet and Truman; and daughter Elizabeth.
Some may have missed that Hanks mentioned an extra child in his remarks.
“A man is blessed,” he said. “A man is blessed with a family sitting down front like that. A wife who is fantastic in every way, who has taught me what love is. Five kids who are braver and stronger and wiser than their old man is.”
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According to People magazine, Hanks considers Colin’s wife, Samantha Bryant, one of his own. He “thinks of Sam as a daughter,” an anonymous source said. Colin and Samantha have been married since 2010 and have two children, Olivia Jane Hanks and Charlotte Bryant Hanks.
“And a loving group of people who have put [up] with me being away months and months and months at a time,” Hanks said in his speech. “Of course, otherwise I wouldn’t be standing here if they didn’t have to put up with that. So I can’t tell you how much your love means to me.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--18 Celebs You May Not Know Have Famous Siblings

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Half of the internet was shocked to learn during the Golden Globe Awards broadcast that actor Jonah Hill has an equally famous sister: Booksmart star Beanie Feldstein.
Though they go by different surnames ― Hill swapped his middle name as a stage name before hitting it big ― Hill is Feldstein’s proud older brother. (She’s 10 years younger, to be exact.)
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While arriving for the Golden Globes — where she was nominated for her role in Booksmart — Feldstein shared how happy she was over her brother’s recent engagement, calling him “my best friend in the world” while talking to Us Weekly.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--Angela Rayner Surges Ahead In Deputy Leader Race – But The Frontrunner Has Competition

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Angela Rayner looks set to be the first deputy Labour leader contender to make the ballot as a clutch of MPs got behind her campaign.
The shadow education secretary shot ahead in the first round of MP nominations, bagging the support of 16 other MPs – including herself, just five short of the 22 needed to make the ballot.
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But the favourite faces competition after the first hustings on Wednesday saw two of the shadow education secretary’s rivals impress MPs.
Ian Murray, the party’s only remaining Scottish MP, made a passionate case for reviving Labour’s fortunes north of the border, a pitch that won over six backers and put him in second place.
Rosena Allin-Khan, the shadow sports minister and qualified doctor, was also said to have been “refreshing”, with a number of moderate MPs prepared to give her support.
Angela Rayner campaigning in Chingford and Woodford Green Nicola Tree via Getty Images
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Corbyn allies Richard Burgon and Dawn Butler, who are also vying to replace Tom Watson, were less popular with MPs, according to those in the Westminster committee room, but may prove a hit with the party’s left-wing membership if they make it onto the ballot paper.
Rayner‘s opening pitch included telling MPs “my story is your story – one of the labour moment and one of Labour in government” as she sought to bring onside her parliamentary colleagues.
Labour deputy leader nominations:
Rosena Allin Khan: 2
Richard Burgon: 5
Dawn Butler: 3
Ian Murray: 6
Angela Rayner: 16 — Rachel Wearmouth (@REWearmouth) January 8, 2020
Barnsley MP Steph Peacock and Ilford South’s Sam Tarry were among those who left the debate backing Rayner.
Peacock said: “I thought Angie did very well. I’ll be nominating her. She’s got an incredibly strong back story and she really connects with people.”
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She added: “I think they all put in a good show and all had different things to offer. Ian Murray, for example, is in a unique position, being the only remaining Scottish MP.”
Murray, who a number of MPs said was “superb”, has survived three election surges from the SNP in Scotland to hang on to his Edinburgh South seat.
He got laughs by jokingly referring to himself as “the cockroach after the nuclear holocaust”.
“I’m standing for deputy leader because of my track record in beating the odds,” he said, highlighting – like Rayner – his working class roots.
“I decided to put my name forward because I have what it takes to help Labour win again across the UK. Yes, Scotland’s voice needs to be heard at the top of the party, but we must also send a message to every nation and region of the UK, where too many voters don’t think they are being heard. Every part of our UK matters.”
Murray also sought to win over doubters who fear that Labour could end up with men for both deputy leader and leader, as shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer was surging ahead for the top job.
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The Scottish MP promised he would push for a second female deputy in such circumstances.
The tone of the debate was “extremely positive” overall, MPs said.
Scottish Labour MP Ian Murray Ken Jack via Getty Images
Candidates were asked about the contact rate in their constituencies, which reveals the number of voters who have been canvassed.
MPs said that Butler, who is the shadow equalities minister, had to text her office to ask while Burgon avoided answering.
The shadow justice secretary, a staunch ally of the outgoing leader, said he would be a “campaigning deputy leader”, that he saw the party as a “a coalition of socialists, social democrats and trade unions” and that “unity is strength”.
Burgon has backing from the new 2019 intake of MPs, including Ian Byrne and Zarah Sultana.
Butler, meanwhile, stressed she was loyal to the party and would rebuild trust.
Both MPs won over a handful of their colleagues.
Allin-Khan got backing from Anna McMorrin; new MP for Putney, Fleur Anderson; and the chair of the women’s parliamentary Labour party, Rosie Duffield.
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She said she was “grieving” after the December 12 general election, which saw the Conservatives record an 80-seat majority.
“With your help, I am determined to snatch the keys off Boris Johnson,” she said.
In the first round of MP nominations, however, just two officially backed her.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--Peer Accused Of Launching Tirade Of Abuse At Parliament Security Staff

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A peer who was once convicted of a road rage assault has been accused of launching a tirade of abuse at security staff in the House of Lords, calling them “crooked” after he forgot his pass to enter parliament.
Lord Ken Maginnis was accused of “one of the worse cases of abuse of security staff I have seen” by SNP MP Hannah Bardell.
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The Northern Ireland peer, who was in 2013 found guilty of assaulting a man in a road rage incident, allegedly abused security staff after he arrived at parliament having forgotten his ID pass.
Normally, members of parliament, journalists and staff working in the Palace of Westminster would then need to get a temporary day pass issued by officials at a pass office.
But Lord Maginnis instead shouted at security staff and questioned why they did not know who he was after 46 years in parliament, Bardell claimed.
Raising a point of order after prime minister’s questions, she told the Commons: “Yesterday on reentering the building for the first time after Christmas I witnessed one of the worst cases of abuse of security staff that I have seen in my time here.
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“One of the members of the other place [Lords] who I will name so as not to incriminate anybody else – Lord Ken Maginnis – had forgotten his pass, something that we have all been guilty of.
“However, instead of taking the advice of the security staff who as we all know are here for our security and our safety, he proceeded to verbally abuse and shout at both the member[s] of staff, calling them ‘crooked’, saying did they not know who he was, he had been here for 46 years, and refusing to take the advice and assistance of myself, the security staff and the police that then attended.
“I have reported this incident to the authorities but I seek your advice as the member is not elected, so I am interested to know to whom he is accountable and what can be done to make sure no member of staff on the estate is ever treated in that way or abused in the manner which I and others witnessed yesterday?”
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Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle said he expected the Lords authorities to look into the issue.
Hoyle replied: “No member of staff of either House should have to put up with abuse.
“I would say we have a policy that runs through all of this estate and I would always encourage members to respect the people who are carrying out their duties to make sure we are safe.
“Normally we would not name a member of either House in this way but what I do take very seriously is that staff carrying out their duties should not have to put up with abuse.
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“We are aware of the situation, I would expect those in another place [the Lords] to look into that and I want to reassure those staff it will not be tolerated and we will ensure that that message goes across to all members.”
HuffPost UK has approached Lord Maginnis for comment.
A House of Lords spokesperson said: “We can’t comment on the specifics of this particular incident.
“Parliament has a clear behaviour code which defines what is and isn’t an acceptable way to behave.
“All members of staff have the right to work in an environment free from abuse or bullying.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--Elton John Pledges $1 Million To Help Combat Australian Wildfires: 'We Have To Fight'

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In the last week, a number of high-profile celebrities have contributed towards the relief efforts, with the Tiny Dancer singer revealing he would be donating $1 million to the cause.
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During a performance in Sydney, he explained (via The Independent): “This is a magnificent country that I’ve been coming to since 1971.
“I love it here so much. To see what is happening here breaks my heart and so we have to come together and we have to fight, and this is my bit towards it.”
Elton John Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP
He added: “I love Australia so much and to those that have lost their homes, God bless, I hope that your lives will be repaired very soon.”
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Meanwhile, the Daily Mail has claimed that Kylie Jenner has also pledged the same amount to the cause, after she faced criticism over her posts about the wildfires.
A number of the Kylie’s fans took issue after she posted a photo of a koala who had been injured by the bushfires, only to follow this with a picture of her slippers, made from real mink fur.
Kylie Jenner David Livingston via Getty Images
Several big-name Australian stars have since revealed they had contributed to help combat the wildfires, including the reality star’s namesake, Kylie Minogue, and actors Chris and Liam Hemsworth.
American singer Pink also donated $1 million to the cause, while Russell Crowe took the opportunity to raise awareness of fighting climate change in his Golden Globes acceptance speech, inspired by the devastating wildfires.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-08--White House Farm: ITV’s New Show Dramatises The Jeremy Bamber Murders. Here’s What You Need To Know

Like The Moorside, Little Boy Boy and A Confession before it, White House Farm is set to tell one of Britain’s most shocking true-life crimes.
Beginning on ITV on 8 January, the six-part series has been hotly anticipated as it dramatises the shocking Jeremy Bamber murders that happened at an Essex farmhouse in 1985.
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Ahead of its debut, here’s everything you need to know about it…
(L-R) Mark Addy (DS Stan Jones), Freddie Fox (Jeremy Bamber) and Stephen Graham (DCI Thomas 'Taff' Jones). ITV
It is based on the real-life Jeremy Bamber murders
White House Farm recounts the events leading up to and following a fateful night in August 1985, when five members of the same family were murdered at an Essex farmhouse – some as they slept in their beds.
The victims were wealthy and respected Nevill and June Bamber, their adoptive daughter Sheila Caffell, and her twin six-year-old boys, Daniel and Nicholas.
Police initially believed that glamorous former model Sheila, who had problems with her mental health, had killed her family before turning the gun on herself, having been found with the weapon still in her hands.
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While the head investigating officer, DCI Thomas ‘Taff’ Jones, believed it was an open and shut case, Detective Sergeant Stan Jones had doubts about the murder-suicide theory, with his suspicions aroused over Sheila’s brother Jeremy Bamber, who first called the police to the farm.
Fast-forward 14 months, and Jeremy was charged and convicted of the murders.
White House Farm ITV
“The story of this reversal is one of the most astonishing and controversial tales in the history of British policing,” says writer and executive producer Kris Mrksa. For me, it is also one of the most heart breaking.
“Our main ambition was to do justice to the emotional truth of the terrible crimes that took place at White House Farm. That a decent family, including two small boys, were murdered in cold blood, apparently so that a greedy young man could secure his inheritance. And that he might have gotten away with it, if it weren’t for the courage and perseverance of a few brave people.”
While Jeremy Bamber denies his guilt to this day, he is currently serving life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. He is one of the few prisoners in the UK subject to a whole-life order.
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The show relies heavily on the book The Murders at White House Farm, partly based on the extensive research and interviews competed by author Carol Ann Lee
Carol corresponded with Jeremy Bamber from his prison cell over a three-year period to get an idea of the case, as well as speaking to all the key players from Essex police, as well as friends and family of the victims.
Her book is seen as the most detailed and balanced account of this notorious crime, and will also be republished to tie in with White House Farm’s debut on TV.
But while Carol spoke to Jeremy Bamber for her book, White House Farm bosses confirmed they did not approach him about the dramatisation.
Freddie Fox plays Jeremy Bamber ITV
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The drama was made with the blessing of one remaining family member
Colin Caffell, the father of Daniel and Nicolas, had written a book about his loss in the years since the murders called In Search Of The Rainbow. But until now, he had not cooperated with any programme about the case.
Producers therefore reached out to him at “a very early stage”, explaining how important it was to tell the story.
“This was crucial to us,” says co-executive producer Willow Grylls. “As was having his blessing.”
“Colin’s book is uncomfortably honest,” Willow continues. “Not just about Sheila but about himself. What I found remarkable was his personal journey to make sense of this tragedy. Colin’s own ability to transcend tragedy and rebuild his life is inspiring.”
ITV
Director Paul Whittington added that it was also important for Colin that we see his ex-wife Shelia “as a wonderful mother as well as someone who suffered from mental illness”.
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Willow revealed that as well as speaking to Colin and using Carol Ann Lee’s book, they also “spoke to many other people who were involved in this case”.
“There was a huge amount of research to ensure that we were as accurate as possible,” he says.
However, the majority of filming locations were changed out of respect
“Aside from filming Jeremy Bamber’s trial at Chelmsford Crown Court, where it took place in 1986, we avoided filming at any of the real locations out of respect,” director Paul Whittington says.
“Wherever we film - whether a real location or not - we are always acutely aware and sensitive to the fact we are portraying real life with real victims. Along with the responsibility that comes with that.”
The programme makers have a history of quality storytelling
White House Farm is produced by New Pictures who previously made The Missing for the BBC. It was written by Kris Mrksa, whose previous credits include The Slap and Requiem, and was directed by Paul Whittington, who worked on the acclaimed real-life drama Little Boy Blue and ITV’s Hatton Garden.
The White House Farm cast is seriously impressive
Freddie Fox (Cucumber, Year Of The Rabbit, The Three Musketeers)
Freddie Fox plays Jeremy Bamber ITV
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Freddie takes on the role of killer Jeremy Bamber, who like Sheila, was also adopted by Nevill and June Bamber.
Freddie says he “cannot and would not” give an opinion on whether he feels Jeremy Bamber is guilty or innocent.
“It is not my place to do that,” he says. “But obviously he is a psychologically interesting person who is both articulate, well-spoken, well-educated, determined and, quite possibly, manipulative. It was a very interesting balance to strike.”
Mark Addy (The Full Monty, Game Of Thrones, Atlantis, The Syndicate)
Mark Addy plays DS Stan Jones ITV
Mark plays DS Stan Jones, who was the officer who first had suspicions about Bamber.
In real-life, Stan never received any official recognition for helping convict him, which is something Mark disagrees with.
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“I think Stan should have got some official recognition,” he says. “But the police could not condone him going above his commanding officer’s head so he got a cup of tea and a pat on the back. That was possibly enough for Stan.
“And in my version of Stan he was happy with that because justice was served. It wasn’t about him being feted or decorated. It was about justice for those two six-year-old boys and the three adult victims.”
Stephen Graham (This Is England, Line Of Duty, A Christmas Carol, The Virtues)
Stephen Graham plays DCI Thomas 'Taff' Jones ITV
Stephen appears as DCI Thomas ‘Taff’ Jones, the head investigating officer who believed the case was an open-and-shut one of murder-suicide.
Mark Stanley (BBC’s Little Women, Sanditon, Elizabeth Is Missing)
Mark Stanley plays Colin ITV
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Mark plays Colin Caffell, Sheila’s ex-husband and father of Daniel and Nicholas, whose performance was praised by the man himself.
Mark says: “He also got in touch after he watched it all to say, ‘You’ve played it as I wanted it - and how I felt I was. Which is that I survived it.’”
He adds: “He is a better survivor than I ever would be. He went through absolute hell. But to see him come on set and to be able to do that with strength; I’ve got a massive amount of respect for him for being able to do that. I think Colin is incredible.”
Colin’s partner, Heather, is played by Grace Calder (Outlander, Deadwater Fell).
Cressida Bonas (Tulip Fever, The Bye Bye Man, Doctor Thorne)
Cressida Bonas plays Sheila ITV
Cressida plays Shelia Caffell, a former fashion model who has schizophrenia and no longer has full-time custody of her two sons.
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“From all I’ve read, she loved her children very much and was a good mother,” Cressida says. “A kind person and very lost. But at this time mental health was spoken about and treated differently to today.”
Gemma Whelan (Game Of Thrones, Gentleman Jack, Upstart Crow)
Gemma Whelan plays Ann ITV
Gemma plays Ann Eaton, who is cousin to Sheila and Jeremy, and lives close to their parents’ farmhouse.
Gemma says Ann was “pivotal in alerting the police to the way Jeremy behaved after the murders and other aspects they overlooked when originally deciding this was a case of murder-suicide”.
“She knew there was no way Sheila could have done it. Ann made people look again at the case,” she explains.
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Alexa Davies (Raised By Wolves, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again)
Freddie Fox (Jeremy Bamber) and Alexa Davies (Julie Mugford) ITV
Alexa plays Julie Mugford, Jeremy’s girlfriend, who initially supports him following the killings at White House Farm.
“I believe she was head over heels in love with Jeremy,” Alexa says of her character. “It is hard to understand at first why she didn’t immediately go to the police if she knew what had really happened. It’s hard for people to excuse that. But it’s not as black and white as that.
“Outwardly Jeremy could be very charming and attractive. Her life was completely set out. She hoped to marry Jeremy and have children.”
Her brother David is played by Richard Goulding (King Charles III, Ripper Street), who supports his sister’s suspicions.
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Amanda Burton (Silent Witness, Waterloo Road, Midsomer Murders) plays June Bamber, Jeremy’s adopted mother, who is deeply religious and has strong ideas about parenting.
June’s husband Nevill is played by Nicholas Farrell (The Iron Lady, The Chariots Of Fire).
Alfie Allen (Game Of Thrones) also appears as Brett Collins, one of Jeremy Bamber’s friends.