George Bunn
Guest Reporter
Vladimir Putin has banned some of Labour's highest-ranking Ministers from entering Russia as part of a new high-profile sanctions package against Britain.
Top Cabinet members Angela Rayner, Yvette Cooper, Rachel Reeves, Ed Miliband and more have all been barred from going to the world's largest country, its foreign affairs ministry said.
Russian bigwigs said they were putting members of the UK's political, media and military establishment on a so-called "stop list".
It comes just hours after a diplomatic row between Britain and Russia erupted after Moscow expelled a British diplomat from the UK embassy in the Russian capital.
The diplomat has been stripped of his accreditation and ordered to leave Russia within two weeks.
In response, Downing Street said: "To be clear, we refute these allegations. They're baseless. We're now considering our response."
A spokesman added: "Today's announcement is no surprise coming from President Putin's government, which has overseen an illegal war in Ukraine.
"The UK Government is unapologetic about protecting our national interests and will now respond in due course."
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Kim Leadbeater's controversial assisted dying Bill could be scrapped before Friday's vote in the Commons after a group of cross-party MPs tabled a motion to stop it.
The Bill looks to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill adults - but it has been the centre of serious concerns over a "slippery slope" into a Canada-style setup where non-terminally ill patients are eligible to undergo euthanasia.
But Dr Ben Spencer, the Conservative MP, Munira Wilson, a Liberal Democrat, and Labour's Anna Dixon have co-sponsored a so-called "wrecking amendment" which could stop the Bill.
Their proposed amendment says: "This House declines to give a Second Reading to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill because the House's procedures for the consideration of Private Members' Bills do not allow for sufficient debate on and scrutiny of a Bill on a matter of this importance."
Friday's debate is set to last just five hours - and this afternoon, The Times reported that more than 130 MPs have requested to speak during the session - further stoking fears it hasn't been given enough time.
Dr Spencer said: "Irrespective of one's view on the rights and wrongs of assisted dying legislation, this area should be scrutinised and debated properly prior to a vote in Parliament.
"There have been concerns raised from a range of professionals, including judges and medics, around the provisions of the Bill and that this is being rushed through."
Reform has hit back at plans by Labour to clear the asylum backlog by pledging millions in legal aid.
It comes as ministers are set to announce millions in extra funding for lawyers to represent asylum seekers to help clear a large backlog of appeals that is blocking efforts to move migrants out of hotels.
The backlog is caused by a shortage of lawyers to represent asylum seekers and a lack of judges, with only enough lawyers available to represent about half of claimants, with justice secretary Shabana Mahmood, set to announce a major increase in legal aid funding this week.
Fees for immigration and asylum legal cases have not increased since 1996, which equates to a real terms cut of 48 per cent.
The move is designed to increase the number of firms and lawyers willing to take on asylum cases, however, Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice said that it was an attempt to "game the legal system" by Labour.
The Boston and Skegness MP said: "This needs to be called out for what it is. This is a left wing Government funding lefty lawyers to game the legal system so that those who arrive here illegally can stay in the country.
"Those that come here illegally should not be allowed to remain in the country, for Labour to not only support this but fund it to the tune of millions makes a mockery of our already weak system.
"We should only be funding the legal deportation of illegal migrants, nothing else. Reform UK are clear, if you arrive in the country illegally, you will not be able to remain."
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has accused the Conservatives of abandoning "any commitment to climate action."
He told MPs: "There is a pattern here. Every week (shadow energy secretary Claire Coutinho) takes to Twitter to express her latest outrage about a policy, asking ‘who on earth could support this?’ and every week, someone pops up in her replies and says, politely, ‘you did just a few months back’."
He added: "Any passing bandwagon, and she’ll leap on it, even if it means trashing her record and let me give her a little lesson about opposition. The job of opposition is to oppose the government, not to oppose yourself and this is where she has ended up.
"So out of the window goes any commitment to climate action, ignoring the factors that route to energy security, good jobs and lower bills, ignoring the factors backed by business, ignoring the fact that this country has an honourable tradition of a bipartisan consensus.
"I am happy to say that the last government proposed some ambitious targets, that Cop26 was an important milestone for the world. And the truth is about this is it’s not just irresponsible, it’s not just crass opportunism.”
Scottish ministers have been hit with a dire warning over the NHS with claims the service is "fighting for survival."
The latest figures showed more than 7,000 Scots have been waiting more than two years for treatment, including 1,349 people who have been waiting at least three years. Opposition parties hit out at the Scottish Government as Public Health Scotland (PHS) published its latest official data on NHS waiting times.
Its figures showed that as of September 30 this year there were 636,238 individuals waiting either for an outpatient appointment or for hospital treatment – the equivalent of one in nine people in Scotland. However, opposition parties claimed that by the time patients on other lists were added, there were more than 863,000 Scots on an NHS waiting list.
PHS, however, insisted figures "should not be added together" to prevent double counting, noting that patients may be "waiting to attend more than one scheduled hospital appointment or admission."
A former Lord Chief Justice has issued a stark warning over the Government's assisted dying bill, claiming that "no one has grappled with the detail."
Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, who held the role between 2013 and 2017 said that the process of the assisted dying requests coming before the courts needed "working out precisely."
He told the BBC: "It seems to me that the one really difficult question that hasn’t been addressed in this is how is the judge to proceed, as it cannot possibly be a rubber stamping exercise.
"There has to be a process, by which the evidence is put before the judge, and the judge will need help – will need either the official solicitor or some other body that can bring the evidence before him."
Foreign Secretary David Lammy says the UK will "stand opposed" to the annexation of Palestinian territory after Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said it was "possible and necessary to conquer Gaza".
Speaking in the House of Commons, Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson Calum Miller told MPs: "The comments last week by Smotrich, advocating the annexation of the West Bank, together with continuing devastation in northern Gaza, have reinforced that elements of the Israeli cabinet have no interest in a two-state solution.
“There is now a real and imminent risk that the extremists in the Israeli cabinet will succeed in annexing Palestinian Territories before any negotiations can take place. So in light of this, does the Foreign Secretary agree that now is the time to recognise Palestine?"
Lammy replied: "Annexation would be illegal and we would stand opposed to it. I want to make that fundamentally clear."
Rachel Reeves is set to meet with some of Britain's hottest tech companies later this week.
The Chancellor will be aiming to persuade them that the government's financial market reforms should tip the balance in favour of them floating in London.
According to Sky News, the meeting will take place on Thursday and will include tech "unicorns" valued at $1billion or more, such as Monzo, Revolut and Zilch.
The Treasury declined to comment on which companies will be attending.
City Minister Tulip Siddiq is expected to join Reeves in this meeting.
One insider told Sky News that the talks would be aimed at reinforcing the global competitiveness of London's capital markets.
A new plan for rent-controlled homes in London will also be available to barristers and solicitors.
It comes as Sadiq Khan announced plans for at least 6,000 new rent–controlled properties, known as Key Worker Living Rent (KWLR) homes, in the city by 2030.
The list of professionals that would be eligible includes vets, psychologists and the clergy, provided their household income is less than £67,000 a year - as well as solicitors, barristers and even actors.
The London Mayor, a former solicitor himself, said: "The housing crisis in our capital doesn’t just affect those on the lowest incomes, it impacts those on ordinary incomes who struggle to meet high housing costs in London. That includes the everyday heroes who are the backbone of our city – our nurses, teachers, bus drivers, shop workers, and cleaners."
Parliament would be required to pass laws to give the Mayor the necessary powers to regulate prices set by private landlords. However, a Government spokesman said in August that ministers have "no plans whatsoever to devolve rent control powers."
Rent control measures introduced by former first minister Nicola Sturgeon in Scotland last April backfired and drove up rents instead.
Jo Galloway, of the Unison trade union, said that the plans "should help deliver more safe, secure and affordable homes for staff who keep the capital’s vital public services running. Unison has long campaigned for a fairer rental market and for essential workers’ voices to be heard and represented."
Kristian Niemietz, of the Institute of Economic Affairs think tank, told The Telegraph that the proposals in London were "not much of a solution" adding that it was a "new type of public housing."
David Lammy has said the UK will not send troops to fight or directly support military operations in Ukraine.
The Foreign Secretary said "there has been a longstanding position that we are not committing UK troops to the theatre of action", adding that London would continue to support Kyiv through aid and training.
It comes after French newspaper Le Monde reported on Monday that France and the UK are "not ruling out" sending troops and private defence companies to Ukraine.
Lammy told reporters: "We are very clear that we stand ready and continue to support the Ukrainians with training particularly, but there has been a longstanding position that we are not committing UK troops to the theatre of action. That is certainly the UK position, and remains the UK position at this time."
MPs are to vote on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will give children and young people the protection they need to "avoid a life imprisoned by addiction", the Health Secretary has said.
Wes Streeting said the number of children vaping is "growing at an alarming rate" and it is "unacceptable" that vapes are being deliberately targeted at children with flavours like "gummy bear and rainbow burst."
The Bill prevents anyone born after January 1 2009 from legally smoking by gradually raising the age at which tobacco can be bought. It also restricts sweet vape flavours and will review the packaging of e-cigarettes to reduce their appeal to children and young people.
The legislation includes a total ban on vape advertising and sponsorship, including displays seen by children and young people such as on buses, in cinemas and in shop windows, bringing them in line with current tobacco restrictions.
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has slammed the Church of England for not supporting people during Britain’s obesity crisis.
Johnson said the Church's failure to provide people with the "spiritual sustenance" they need is leading people to "gorge themselves."
The former Uxbridge and South Ruislip MP said when he was younger it was “very rare for there to be a fatso in the class. Now they’re all fatsos, and I’d be shot for saying they’re fatsos, but it’s the truth", adding "the living bread is being provided by Tesco...And they’re gorging themselves on the real living bread."
A petition calling for another General Election just four months after Labour's landslide victory has hit over 2.5million signatures.
The petition, set up by pub owner Michael Westwood, had been promoted by controversial billionaire CEO Elon Musk, who said: "The people of Britain have had enough of a tyrannical police state."
Westwood, 40, has three pubs in the West Midlands and supplies beers, wine and spirits to the drinks industry via his wholesale firm, The Jinja Beer Company. He voted Tory on July 4 but told The Telegraph he is not a self-avowed tribal voter.
An MP has said faith-based schools "are not the preserve of the wealthy" in a warning over Labour's controversial private school VAT plans.
Iqbal Mohamed, the independent MP for Dewsbury and Batley, told the Commons: "It is not… the children of the wealthy who attend independent schools in constituencies like mine in Dewsbury and Batley, where faith schools are often the only option for families who can’t get their children into local state school due to demand or where state schools cannot meet their religious and spiritual needs.
"These families are overwhelmingly from low-income backgrounds, and the removal of business rates relief on charitable private schools will result in a further increase of their fees, in addition to the VAT that is also proposed.
"For wealthy families, this might not be a problem. For the families in my constituency, it is a major problem."
He later said: "In many communities, faith-based schools are not the preserve of the wealthy. They are a place overwhelmingly educating the children of ordinary working class families."
The UK has retaliatory tariffs on iconic US goods including Harley Davidson motorbikes ready to be immediately deployed in case of a trade war with Donald Trump.
The British government has been wargaming how to respond to potential Trump tariffs on UK goods, with officials briefing ministers that they can repurpose former EU measures against the US without any need for further investigation.
The UK tariffs were still in place when Britain formally left the EU in February 2020, and included American products like Jack Daniel’s bourbon, Levi’s jeans and Harley Davidsons. They were suspended in 2022.
Politico reports that the UK can immediately place these tariffs back on the US if Trump delivers on his threat to hit all overseas imports with 10 to 20 per cent tariffs without triggering pushback from Britain's trade watchdog.
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Top Cabinet members Angela Rayner, Yvette Cooper, Rachel Reeves, Ed Miliband and more have all been barred from going to the world's largest country, its foreign affairs ministry said.
Russian bigwigs said they were putting members of the UK's political, media and military establishment on a so-called "stop list".
It comes just hours after a diplomatic row between Britain and Russia erupted after Moscow expelled a British diplomat from the UK embassy in the Russian capital.
The diplomat has been stripped of his accreditation and ordered to leave Russia within two weeks.
In response, Downing Street said: "To be clear, we refute these allegations. They're baseless. We're now considering our response."
A spokesman added: "Today's announcement is no surprise coming from President Putin's government, which has overseen an illegal war in Ukraine.
"The UK Government is unapologetic about protecting our national interests and will now respond in due course."
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Assisted dying Bill could be AXED before Friday vote as cross-party MPs join forces on 'wrecking amendment'
Kim Leadbeater's controversial assisted dying Bill could be scrapped before Friday's vote in the Commons after a group of cross-party MPs tabled a motion to stop it.
The Bill looks to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill adults - but it has been the centre of serious concerns over a "slippery slope" into a Canada-style setup where non-terminally ill patients are eligible to undergo euthanasia.
But Dr Ben Spencer, the Conservative MP, Munira Wilson, a Liberal Democrat, and Labour's Anna Dixon have co-sponsored a so-called "wrecking amendment" which could stop the Bill.
Their proposed amendment says: "This House declines to give a Second Reading to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill because the House's procedures for the consideration of Private Members' Bills do not allow for sufficient debate on and scrutiny of a Bill on a matter of this importance."
Friday's debate is set to last just five hours - and this afternoon, The Times reported that more than 130 MPs have requested to speak during the session - further stoking fears it hasn't been given enough time.
Dr Spencer said: "Irrespective of one's view on the rights and wrongs of assisted dying legislation, this area should be scrutinised and debated properly prior to a vote in Parliament.
"There have been concerns raised from a range of professionals, including judges and medics, around the provisions of the Bill and that this is being rushed through."
ICYMI: Reform UK slams ‘lefty lawyers’ as Labour plans to clear asylum seeker backlog
Reform has hit back at plans by Labour to clear the asylum backlog by pledging millions in legal aid.
It comes as ministers are set to announce millions in extra funding for lawyers to represent asylum seekers to help clear a large backlog of appeals that is blocking efforts to move migrants out of hotels.
The backlog is caused by a shortage of lawyers to represent asylum seekers and a lack of judges, with only enough lawyers available to represent about half of claimants, with justice secretary Shabana Mahmood, set to announce a major increase in legal aid funding this week.
Fees for immigration and asylum legal cases have not increased since 1996, which equates to a real terms cut of 48 per cent.
The move is designed to increase the number of firms and lawyers willing to take on asylum cases, however, Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice said that it was an attempt to "game the legal system" by Labour.
The Boston and Skegness MP said: "This needs to be called out for what it is. This is a left wing Government funding lefty lawyers to game the legal system so that those who arrive here illegally can stay in the country.
"Those that come here illegally should not be allowed to remain in the country, for Labour to not only support this but fund it to the tune of millions makes a mockery of our already weak system.
"We should only be funding the legal deportation of illegal migrants, nothing else. Reform UK are clear, if you arrive in the country illegally, you will not be able to remain."
Miliband says Tories have abandoned 'any commitment to climate action'
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has accused the Conservatives of abandoning "any commitment to climate action."
He told MPs: "There is a pattern here. Every week (shadow energy secretary Claire Coutinho) takes to Twitter to express her latest outrage about a policy, asking ‘who on earth could support this?’ and every week, someone pops up in her replies and says, politely, ‘you did just a few months back’."
He added: "Any passing bandwagon, and she’ll leap on it, even if it means trashing her record and let me give her a little lesson about opposition. The job of opposition is to oppose the government, not to oppose yourself and this is where she has ended up.
"So out of the window goes any commitment to climate action, ignoring the factors that route to energy security, good jobs and lower bills, ignoring the factors backed by business, ignoring the fact that this country has an honourable tradition of a bipartisan consensus.
"I am happy to say that the last government proposed some ambitious targets, that Cop26 was an important milestone for the world. And the truth is about this is it’s not just irresponsible, it’s not just crass opportunism.”
Ministers have been warned that the NHS in Scotland is 'fighting for survival'
Scottish ministers have been hit with a dire warning over the NHS with claims the service is "fighting for survival."
The latest figures showed more than 7,000 Scots have been waiting more than two years for treatment, including 1,349 people who have been waiting at least three years. Opposition parties hit out at the Scottish Government as Public Health Scotland (PHS) published its latest official data on NHS waiting times.
Its figures showed that as of September 30 this year there were 636,238 individuals waiting either for an outpatient appointment or for hospital treatment – the equivalent of one in nine people in Scotland. However, opposition parties claimed that by the time patients on other lists were added, there were more than 863,000 Scots on an NHS waiting list.
PHS, however, insisted figures "should not be added together" to prevent double counting, noting that patients may be "waiting to attend more than one scheduled hospital appointment or admission."
Former chief justice claims assisted dying could have major impact on courts
A former Lord Chief Justice has issued a stark warning over the Government's assisted dying bill, claiming that "no one has grappled with the detail."
Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, who held the role between 2013 and 2017 said that the process of the assisted dying requests coming before the courts needed "working out precisely."
He told the BBC: "It seems to me that the one really difficult question that hasn’t been addressed in this is how is the judge to proceed, as it cannot possibly be a rubber stamping exercise.
"There has to be a process, by which the evidence is put before the judge, and the judge will need help – will need either the official solicitor or some other body that can bring the evidence before him."
Lammy says UK will oppose any annexation of Palestinian territory by Israel
Foreign Secretary David Lammy says the UK will "stand opposed" to the annexation of Palestinian territory after Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said it was "possible and necessary to conquer Gaza".
Speaking in the House of Commons, Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson Calum Miller told MPs: "The comments last week by Smotrich, advocating the annexation of the West Bank, together with continuing devastation in northern Gaza, have reinforced that elements of the Israeli cabinet have no interest in a two-state solution.
“There is now a real and imminent risk that the extremists in the Israeli cabinet will succeed in annexing Palestinian Territories before any negotiations can take place. So in light of this, does the Foreign Secretary agree that now is the time to recognise Palestine?"
Lammy replied: "Annexation would be illegal and we would stand opposed to it. I want to make that fundamentally clear."
Reeves to meet some of Britain's hottest tech companies to bolster London listings
Rachel Reeves is set to meet with some of Britain's hottest tech companies later this week.
The Chancellor will be aiming to persuade them that the government's financial market reforms should tip the balance in favour of them floating in London.
According to Sky News, the meeting will take place on Thursday and will include tech "unicorns" valued at $1billion or more, such as Monzo, Revolut and Zilch.
The Treasury declined to comment on which companies will be attending.
City Minister Tulip Siddiq is expected to join Reeves in this meeting.
One insider told Sky News that the talks would be aimed at reinforcing the global competitiveness of London's capital markets.
Khan's rent-controlled homes meant for 'key workers' on 'ordinary incomes' will be available to solicitors and barristers
A new plan for rent-controlled homes in London will also be available to barristers and solicitors.
It comes as Sadiq Khan announced plans for at least 6,000 new rent–controlled properties, known as Key Worker Living Rent (KWLR) homes, in the city by 2030.
The list of professionals that would be eligible includes vets, psychologists and the clergy, provided their household income is less than £67,000 a year - as well as solicitors, barristers and even actors.
The London Mayor, a former solicitor himself, said: "The housing crisis in our capital doesn’t just affect those on the lowest incomes, it impacts those on ordinary incomes who struggle to meet high housing costs in London. That includes the everyday heroes who are the backbone of our city – our nurses, teachers, bus drivers, shop workers, and cleaners."
Parliament would be required to pass laws to give the Mayor the necessary powers to regulate prices set by private landlords. However, a Government spokesman said in August that ministers have "no plans whatsoever to devolve rent control powers."
Rent control measures introduced by former first minister Nicola Sturgeon in Scotland last April backfired and drove up rents instead.
Jo Galloway, of the Unison trade union, said that the plans "should help deliver more safe, secure and affordable homes for staff who keep the capital’s vital public services running. Unison has long campaigned for a fairer rental market and for essential workers’ voices to be heard and represented."
Kristian Niemietz, of the Institute of Economic Affairs think tank, told The Telegraph that the proposals in London were "not much of a solution" adding that it was a "new type of public housing."
Lammy rules out sending British troops to Ukraine
David Lammy has said the UK will not send troops to fight or directly support military operations in Ukraine.
The Foreign Secretary said "there has been a longstanding position that we are not committing UK troops to the theatre of action", adding that London would continue to support Kyiv through aid and training.
It comes after French newspaper Le Monde reported on Monday that France and the UK are "not ruling out" sending troops and private defence companies to Ukraine.
Lammy told reporters: "We are very clear that we stand ready and continue to support the Ukrainians with training particularly, but there has been a longstanding position that we are not committing UK troops to the theatre of action. That is certainly the UK position, and remains the UK position at this time."
MPs to vote on smoking ban and vape sales ‘deliberately targeted at children’
MPs are to vote on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will give children and young people the protection they need to "avoid a life imprisoned by addiction", the Health Secretary has said.
Wes Streeting said the number of children vaping is "growing at an alarming rate" and it is "unacceptable" that vapes are being deliberately targeted at children with flavours like "gummy bear and rainbow burst."
The Bill prevents anyone born after January 1 2009 from legally smoking by gradually raising the age at which tobacco can be bought. It also restricts sweet vape flavours and will review the packaging of e-cigarettes to reduce their appeal to children and young people.
The legislation includes a total ban on vape advertising and sponsorship, including displays seen by children and young people such as on buses, in cinemas and in shop windows, bringing them in line with current tobacco restrictions.
'Gorging themselves!' Boris Johnson lashes out at Church of England as 'spiritual sustenance' fuels obesity crisis
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has slammed the Church of England for not supporting people during Britain’s obesity crisis.
Johnson said the Church's failure to provide people with the "spiritual sustenance" they need is leading people to "gorge themselves."
The former Uxbridge and South Ruislip MP said when he was younger it was “very rare for there to be a fatso in the class. Now they’re all fatsos, and I’d be shot for saying they’re fatsos, but it’s the truth", adding "the living bread is being provided by Tesco...And they’re gorging themselves on the real living bread."
Petition demanding a second General Election hits 2.5 million signatures
A petition calling for another General Election just four months after Labour's landslide victory has hit over 2.5million signatures.
The petition, set up by pub owner Michael Westwood, had been promoted by controversial billionaire CEO Elon Musk, who said: "The people of Britain have had enough of a tyrannical police state."
Westwood, 40, has three pubs in the West Midlands and supplies beers, wine and spirits to the drinks industry via his wholesale firm, The Jinja Beer Company. He voted Tory on July 4 but told The Telegraph he is not a self-avowed tribal voter.
Faith-based schools 'are not the preserve of the wealthy' warns Independent MP
An MP has said faith-based schools "are not the preserve of the wealthy" in a warning over Labour's controversial private school VAT plans.
Iqbal Mohamed, the independent MP for Dewsbury and Batley, told the Commons: "It is not… the children of the wealthy who attend independent schools in constituencies like mine in Dewsbury and Batley, where faith schools are often the only option for families who can’t get their children into local state school due to demand or where state schools cannot meet their religious and spiritual needs.
"These families are overwhelmingly from low-income backgrounds, and the removal of business rates relief on charitable private schools will result in a further increase of their fees, in addition to the VAT that is also proposed.
"For wealthy families, this might not be a problem. For the families in my constituency, it is a major problem."
He later said: "In many communities, faith-based schools are not the preserve of the wealthy. They are a place overwhelmingly educating the children of ordinary working class families."
Starmer could hit back at Trump tariffs by taxing Harleys and Jack Daniel’s
The UK has retaliatory tariffs on iconic US goods including Harley Davidson motorbikes ready to be immediately deployed in case of a trade war with Donald Trump.
The British government has been wargaming how to respond to potential Trump tariffs on UK goods, with officials briefing ministers that they can repurpose former EU measures against the US without any need for further investigation.
The UK tariffs were still in place when Britain formally left the EU in February 2020, and included American products like Jack Daniel’s bourbon, Levi’s jeans and Harley Davidsons. They were suspended in 2022.
Politico reports that the UK can immediately place these tariffs back on the US if Trump delivers on his threat to hit all overseas imports with 10 to 20 per cent tariffs without triggering pushback from Britain's trade watchdog.
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