I’m not writing my usual blog today but here, as an alternative, is the Politics Live readers’ edition. It is a place for you to discuss today’s politics, and to share links to breaking news and to the most interesting stories and blogs on the web.
Feel free to express your views robustly, but please treat others with respect and don’t resort to abuse. Guardian comment pages are supposed to be a haven from the Twitter/social media rant-orama, not an extension of it.
You can read all today’s Guardian politics stories here.
And here are some of the main ones on our site this morning.
- Nicola Sturgeon has accused Theresa May of sealing the fate of the United Kingdom after the prime minister rejected her demand for a second Scottish independence referendum before the Brexit talks conclude.
- British intelligence officials have denied an allegation that the UK helped former president Barack Obama “wiretap” Donald Trump during the 2016 election.
- All schools in England are likely to face real-term cuts to funding by 2019-20, with around half seeing a reduction per pupil of 6% to 11%, according to a report, which casts doubts on the impact of the government’s proposed new funding formula.
- Income tax should be increased by 1p to deliver a £4.6bn boost to the struggling NHS while a long-term funding solution is found, the former Liberal Democrat health minister Norman Lamb has said.
- Cheaper alternatives for the renovation of the Houses of Parliament are to be sought by MPs to keep costs below the estimated £3.5bn bill.
On Thursday nights local council byelections take place. There were four last night. Britain Elects has the results.
Four council by-elections tonight: three Conservative, one Labour.https://t.co/Q1lXVZh7PI pic.twitter.com/bWaMYNt84p
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 16, 2017
Labour HOLD South Heaton (Newcastle upon Tyne).
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 16, 2017
South Heaton (Newcastle upon Tyne) result:
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 16, 2017
LAB: 46.8% (-11.8)
GRN: 27.1% (+1.7)
LDEM: 15.9% (+11.5)
UKIP: 5.4% (-1.5)
CON: 4.9% (+0.2)
Conservative HOLD Saham Toney (Breckland).
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 16, 2017
Saham Toney (Breckland):
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 16, 2017
CON: 48.1% (-2.7)
LDEM: 15.1% (+15.1)
IND: 14.9% (+14.9)
UKIP: 11.5% (-20.1)
LAB: 10.3% (+10.3)
No Grn as prev.
Conservative HOLD Walton le Dale East (South Ribble).
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 16, 2017
Walton le Dale East (South Ribble) result:
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 16, 2017
CON: 49.4% (-5.1)
LAB: 36.0% (-9.4)
LDEM: 14.6% (+14.6)
Conservative HOLD Warbreck (Blackpool).
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 16, 2017
Warbreck (Blackpool) result:
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 16, 2017
CON: 54.8% (+17.5)
LAB: 35.2% (+6.3)
UKIP: 5.6% (-13.4)
LDEM: 4.3% (-2.8)
Holds for all in tonight's by-elections:https://t.co/Q1lXVZh7PI pic.twitter.com/QFvAeCsKLs
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 16, 2017
