Today’s Political Headlines – 16 February 2018

Today’s Political Headlines include three billboards outside Grenfell Tower, Theresa May meeting Angela Merkel, Sinn Féin proving a power sharing deal could have been reached and the end(?) of UKIP.

Grenfell Tower billboards
Three billboards confronted Londoners with a reminder of the fire at Grenfell Tower yesterday, the Huffington Post has the story of the billboards that read ’71 dead and still no arrests, how come?’. The billboards were driven around with the intention of highlighting the lack of progress that has been made eight months since the fire. The billboards recreated a scene from the film ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’. The campaign appeared at Westminster, St Paul’s Cathedral and the tower itself.

Theresa May to meet Angela Merkel
The BBC reports that Theresa May will travel to Berlin to hold talks with Angela Merkel. Merkel will be a key player in the UK’s attempt to agree the transition that will be in place once the UK leaves the EU. This meeting comes ahead of May making a speech at the Munich Security Conference where it is expected she will signal her intention to maintain the security partnership with the EU.

Sinn Féin provide papers that prove a power sharing deal could have been reached
The Guardian reports on claims made by Sinn Féin that they have documents that prove an agreement was in place for power-sharing in Northern Ireland to resume, only for the DUP to prevent this moving forward. The DUP denies the claims saying that an offer of an Irish language act was never on the table, Sinn Féin leader, Mary Lou McDonald said that she tried to persuade the DUP leadership to close the deal before any opposition to it was voiced.

The end of UKIP?
Nigel Farage has admitted that UKIP may be on the verge of collapse, the Express runs the story as members of UKIP will vote on whether Henry Bolton should continue as leader this weekend. Farage conceded that the problems the party faces could be worse than the press realised due to branches closing and UKIP councillors choosing to run as independents in upcoming elections. UKIP also faces large legal bills from a libel case involving one of its MEPs.

EU Punishment clause removed
The Sun reports on the EU removing a punishment clause from the draft Brexit transition agreement which could have led to the UK being fined if it broke the EU’s rules. The EU27 agreed that the clause should be replaced with language that was less ‘tough-sounding’, this change comes ahead of the UK and EU beginning negotiations on the terms of the transition next month.

Liverpool prison the worst inspectors have ever seen
The Independent reports on an ‘abject failure’ to improve the prison two years after a warning that it was not safe. A report by the Justice select committee has revealed the Government is not acting on prison inspections and a deterioration in conditions is continuing. MPs on the committee want the prison inspectorate to be given additional resources so they can follow up on the recommendations they make.

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