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- Public sector workers including teachers and police officers are reportedly to be given a £2bn pay rise.
- MPs have given Boris Johnson a brutal preview of the scale of the challenge facing his premiership, as Conservative rebels voted to block any attempt to suspend parliament in order to force through a no-deal Brexit.
- The European commission’s new president has said a hard Brexit would have “massively negative consequences” for both Britain and the EU, and said Brussels could provide emergency help for nations such as Ireland that bear the brunt of such an outcome.
- Theresa May is throwing down the gauntlet to her successor, pushing for fathers to have more time with their newborns. Writing in the Guardian she says she hopes that better paternity leave and time off work to care for premature infants will be one of her lasting legacies as prime minister.
- Sadiq Khan will demand an overhaul of tenancy laws in a campaign for London rent controls that is set to be the cornerstone of his 2020 re-election campaign.
Local council byelections take place on Thursdays. There were five yesterday. Britain Elects has the results.
Tonight's contests include a by-election for Northumbria's Police & Crime Commissioner (Labour held), and on the council by-election front: two Conservative defences, two Lib Dem defences, one Plaid Cymru defence.@andrewteale previews them for you here:https://t.co/dRQ8rZHukN
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) July 18, 2019
Llanbadarn Fawr Sulien (Ceredigion) result:
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) July 18, 2019
PC: 63.3% (-7.4)
LDEM: 31.6% (+16.3)
LAB: 5.1% (-3.6)
Plaid Cymru HOLD.
Westbury North (Wiltshire) result:
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) July 18, 2019
LDEM: 52.4% (-5.6)
IND (Cunningham): 24.8% (+24.8)
CON: 15.0% (-14.0)
LAB: 6.1% (-6.9)
IND (Morland): 1.7% (+1.7)
Liberal Democrat HOLD.
East Sheen (Richmond upon Thames) result:
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) July 18, 2019
LDEM: 58.9% (+12.6)
CON: 35.5% (-11.8)
WEP: 2.9% (+2.9)
LAB: 2.7% (-3.8)
Liberal Democrat HOLD.
Brixworth (Daventry) result:
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) July 18, 2019
LDEM: 49.5% (+38.6)
CON: 37.3% (-28.2)
LAB: 13.2% (-10.5)
Liberal Democrat GAIN from Conservative.
Downs North (Ashford) result:
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) July 18, 2019
CON: 37.4% (-10.0)
GRN: 31.0% (+7.5)
LDEM: 11.4% (-7.3)
ASHI: 10.9% (+10.9)
UKIP: 3.6% (+3.6)
LAB: 2.8% (-7.6)
Conservative HOLD.
The Northumbria Police & Crime Commissioner count is tonight verifying votes, but will commence the full count from 10am tomorrow morning.
— Britain Elects (@britainelects) July 18, 2019
