Brexit, Brexit, Brexit... it’s been inescapable today as Cabinet ministers finally got a look a Theresa May’s proposed divorce deal with the EU.
But what has else has been going on while politicos obsessed over the Prime Minister’s ‘day of judgement’?
Trump’s Dressing Down Of May
With her much-anticipated deal up for scrutiny by ministers today, May probably expected some strongly-worded criticism from MPs (and Tory Brexiteer Peter Bone certainly delivered during PMQs this afternoon.)
But what the PM was unlikely to be prepared for was the dressing down she received from Donald Trump when she called to congratulate him on the Republican Party’s successes in last week’s midterm elections.
Speaking from on-board Air Force One, the President reportedly used the call as an opportunity to give May a tongue-lashing over Iran, accusing Britain of not doing enough to contain the country.
According to the Washington Post, Trump also quizzed her over Brexit, complaining about “unfair” trade deals with European countries.
Anyone else think May might be tempted to send her congratulations via email next time?…
Cervical Cancer Screening Blunder
It was revealed today that a blunder by the NHS meant more than 40,000 women in England did not receive letters about vital cervical cancer screening between January and June this year.
The BBC reported that while the majority of the letters were inviting women to book a screening, around 4,000 were test results. As many as 200 of these were abnormal results.
Around 4.5 million women aged 25-64 receive invitations for cervical cancer screening each year.
The news comes just months after it was revealed tens of thousands of women had not been invited for breast cancer screening.
HuffPost UK has contacted NHS England and Capita – which run cervical cancer screening services – for comment.
Government’s Gamble Fails To Pay Off
It was seriously big news in Westminster today, but you may have missed a major U-turn by the government among all the Brexit drama.
When Philip Hammond announced a delay to a planned crackdown on highly addictive betting machines in the Autumn Budget, he not only sparked the resignation of highly-respected sports minister Tracey Crouch, but created the threat of a major Commons rebellion.
With 25 Tory MPs having joined more than 60 opposition politicians to call for the maximum stakes on fixed-odds betting terminals to be cut from £100 to £2 in April – rather than the proposed October 2019 date – it looked as if the government could lose the first vote on the budget in 40 years.
But in a bid to cool the situation down, culture secretary Jeremy Wright announced a serious step down by the government, revealing that the change would be brought forward by six months.
“Common sense has prevailed,” tweeted Crouch in response to the news.
The government had argued that the extra time was needed to give the gambling industry time to adjust, amid fears that the move would lead to job losses in betting shops.
Warning Sirens Sound Over No-Deal
No-one promised this round-up would be Brexit-free.
In what could prove to be a push for on-the-fence MPs over May’s proposed Brexit deal, the International Monetary Fund warned today that crashing out of the EU could cost the UK the equivalent of almost £6,000 per household.
The country’s GDP would fall by 7.8% if the UK was forced to accept World Trade Organisation rules, the Washington-based organisation said in its annual economic forecast.
However, it predicted that a smooth transition to a free trade agreement with the EU would see the UK’s economy grow by around 1.5%.
Taking Workers For A Ride
You may have also missed a “huge win” for workers in the courts today.
In a move that will affect thousands of people, the Employment Appeal Tribunal upheld claims that drivers for taxi firm Addison Lee are not self-employed, but workers entitled to rights including the national minimum wage and holiday pay.
GMB, which brought the case, called on other employers to “take note”, saying the union “will not stop pursuing these exploitative companies on behalf of our members”.
The decision follows similar “groundbreaking” rulings involving Uber and delivery company Hermes.