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Sturgeon pledges to ‘protect Scotland from Tories’
Nicola Sturgeon will launch the Scottish National Party’s manifesto later with an attack on Prime Minister Boris Johnson as “dangerous and unfit for office”. Calling his Brexit deal a “nightmare” for Scotland, Ms Sturgeon will say only the SNP offers a chance to “escape Brexit and put Scotland’s future in Scotland’s hands”. The party – the third-biggest in Parliament after the 2017 election – hopes to have the balance of power, and the chance to force another Scottish independence referendum, if no party wins a majority this time around. Mr Johnson has ruled out giving consent for another public vote if he remains PM.
Jeremy Corbyn will be back on the campaign trail after admitting in a BBC interview that Labour’s plans to scrap a tax break worth up to £250 for married couples could result in some who earn less than £80,000 a year paying more tax. That’s contrary to previous claims, although the Labour leader said those affected could benefit from a higher living wage and extended free nursery provision. Mr Corbyn also struggled to move on from claims of anti-Semitism within his party, says our political editor Laura Kuenssberg, on a day when the Muslim Council of Britain accused the Conservative Party of “denial, dismissal and deceit” over the issue of Islamophobia.
In other election news:
- The Liberal Democrats say they would increase the minimum wage by 20% for zero-hour contract employees
- A Conservative candidate is criticised for apparently setting up a door knock at a supporter’s house in front of a political journalist by phoning the householder in advance
- We run through the key issues affecting the natural world to help you scrutinise parties’ pledges
- Are any big names worried about losing their seats? We analyse who might be getting nervous
Trump invited to attend impeachment hearing or ‘stop complaining’
Donald Trump should either attend impeachment hearings in Congress that could result in him being removed from office, or “stop complaining about the process”. That’s the blunt message Jerrold Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, delivered alongside an invitation to the US president to attend and question witnesses on 4 December. Mr Trump has called the inquiry a “witch hunt” and denies breaking the law by pressuring Ukraine’s leader to dig up damaging information on political rival Joe Biden. Struggling to follow what’s happening? Fear not, our guides in 100, 300 and 800 words will get you up to speed.
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UK would be ‘outgunned’ in Russia conflict
Nato leaders are set to meet in London next week to mark the military alliance’s 70th anniversary and some timely research from the Royal United Services Institute will give them food for thought. It imagines a “high-intensity conflict” with Russia in Eastern Europe, where 800 UK personnel are stationed as part of a Nato force, and says the British army and its allies would be hampered by a “critical shortage” of artillery and ammunition. The scenario might be unlikely, it acknowledges, but UK ground forces would be “comprehensively outgunned and outranged”, leaving enemy artillery free to defeat UK units. In response, the Ministry of Defence says the UK “does not stand alone” and its armed forces are “well equipped to take a leading role in countering threats”.
The beauty industry’s ugly problem
By Ellie Costello, Victoria Derbyshire programme
The British Beauty Council is calling for an independent government body to be set up to investigate claims of bullying and unfair dismissal in the industry. “I was seeing grown women, strong women, crying at their desks. It was so toxic and harsh that people were just desperate to leave,” says Sarah (not her real name), who had a senior role working for an international beauty brand.
The Victoria Derbyshire programme has spoken to more than 20 people, from a company director to make-up artists in department stores, who claim to be victims of bullying, abuse and bad practice. The industry has no union, so employees can find they have no-one to put their case to or seek advice from outside of their company.
What the papers say
Several papers lead on Jeremy Corbyn’s refusal to apologise over claims of anti-Semitism within the Labour Party, during what the Times calls a “searching interview” on the BBC. Referring to his performance on The Andrew Neil Interviews, the Daily Express asks: “Has Corbyn horror show gifted Boris keys to No 10?” The Daily Mirror, however, focuses on the Conservatives, saying a trade minister has held “secret talks” with a US drug firm over a post-Brexit pact targeting the NHS. Others focus on a £105m Euromillions lottery jackpot, with the Sun re-naming winner Steve Thompson “worth a few bob the builder”.
Daily digest
Corporations UK ‘has particularly extreme form of capitalism’
Lorry deaths Victims’ remains arrive back in Vietnam
Space agency UK set for ‘active’ role at European meeting
Service stations Why are snacks so expensive?
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Lookahead
10:00 The trial of Ayoub Majdouline, 18, who is charged with murdering 14-year-old Jaden Moodie in Leyton, east London, on 8 January is due to open at the Old Bailey.
11:00 The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, talks about the state of political discourse with Emma Barnett on BBC Radio 5 live.
On this day
1967 French President Charles de Gaulle says for the second time he will veto Britain’s application to join the European Common Market.
From elsewhere
I beg your pardon: the strange history of presidents sparing turkeys (NPR)
A night spent answering calls at The Silver Line broke my heart (Telegraph)
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