As polling stations closed on Thursday night, and the fifth minister resigned from Gordon Brown's government within three days, it was suggested that British politics were coming to resemble a Shakespearean tragedy, with the Prime Minister cast as a tragically flawed hero. By yesterday morning, as a sixth minister stepped down for "family reasons", the political drama being played out in Downing Street had lapsed into a bad, door-slamming, Whitehall farce.
There has never been anything quite like this in British political history - a government falling to pieces before the voters' eyes. The spectacle is all the more bizarre because there is no discernible ideological fault-line running through the Labour party, as there was in the Conservative party in the run-up to Margaret Thatcher's overthrow in 1990.
Nor is Brown personally reviled by a large section of the British electorate, as was Mrs Thatcher. His unpopularity is neither personal nor ideological - it is just that growing numbers of his own MPs, and the public, believe he is hopelessly inadequate to the job. The Prime Minister can only achieve at the moment a vague sense of sympathy, but the office he holds demands respect, otherwise humiliation follows.
Brown was supposed to be re-shuffling his cabinet team early next week after an expected kicking from voters in this week's local government and European elections, but many of the cards have already voluntarily slipped out of his pack.
So a patched-up new administration had to be rushed out yesterday morning in a desperate effort to restore his authority. This was not so much a reshuffle as an operation to plug the holes in his government caused by a series of resignations.
Having allowed his political cronies to let it be known that Alistair Darling, the chancellor of the exchequer, was to be moved, he had to abandon the change when his supposed subordinate simply refused to budge to a different job.
Brown is now so weak he could not afford to let Darling resign in a sulk. Thus, as Brown clings on to power in the teeth of the biggest economic crisis in a generation, the British economy remains in the hands of a man who no longer enjoys the confidence of the prime minister.
Jacqui Smith and Hazel Blears, two ministers deeply implicated in the expenses scandal that has tarnished the reputation of British politics in the past four weeks, jumped this week before they could be pushed.
On Thursday night James Purnell, an arch loyalist of the former prime minister Tony Blair, timed his resignation to cause as much damage as possible to Brown. He urged the prime minister to resign for the good of the Labour party and give it what he woundingly called a "fighting chance" of winning the next election, which must be held within a year.
No one can remember a British government losing authority so completely. One comparison is with the summer of 1962, when the Conservative prime minister Harold Macmillan sacked one third of his cabinet on what was dubbed the Night of the Long Knives. But Macmillan had the courage to fire those he regarded as disloyal or incompetent, and to wield the knife before they could embarrass him by resigning. Brown, by comparison, dithers until he becomes the victim of political circumstances, not the man who directs events.
Some years ago in the heyday of Blair's rule, it became known that the prime minister's circle regarded Brown, then the chancellor, to be so "psychologically flawed" that he could never be trusted to step up to the premiership. More recently it has been suggested that was specifically Blair's own view, not just that of a member of his staff.
It was a vicious thing to say of anyone, even of a political rival, but the more that is seen of Brown trying to be prime minister, the more people think it is accurate. He resembles a chimpanzee trying to operate a highly complicated piece of machinery. He pulls levers and presses buttons, but nothing happens; he tugs on strings to assert his authority, but the string goes limp in his hands.
During his 10-year premiership, Blair glided around the country and the world, spreading easy bonhomie and charming those he met. By contrast, Brown looks sullen and his body language is simply wrong. He smiles at the wrong moment when he talks, and he speaks in political slogans rather than in phrases normal people understand.
Brown looks grey and haunted, and he has aged a decade in the two years he has been in 10 Downing Street. There are bags under his eyes, and his fingernails are bitten to the quick. This is not a man upon whom authority rests easily. He looks miserable, and increasingly he makes the British people feel miserable.
The key to the disasters that have befallen his premiership may well be partly psychological, but they are also perhaps a consequence of a Scottish upbringing that makes him an outsider in the incestuous world of London where politics and journalism intersect.
Born in 1951, the second of three sons of a minister of the Presbyterian Church, he was brought up in the drab Scottish industrial town of Kircaldy. He was a keen rugby player and an academically precocious child who was accelerated through the school system to win a place at Edinburgh University at the age of only 15.
But his world was to darken, literally, just before he went up to university when he was kicked so violently on the rugby pitch that both his retinas became detached. He remains blind in one eye, and regained only limited vision in the other after a series of operations, and weeks spent recuperating lying rock-still in a darkened room. Though his staff are cagey about providing details, it appears his eyesight is currently deteriorating further, which might account for his awkward public manner and his lack of social confidence.
Indeed, he has had more than his share of personal trauma in his life. An obsessive political wonk, Brown married late, to Sarah, an elegant and charming woman who has done her best to make up for her husband's manifest presentational shortcomings. They suffered a tragedy when their first child, Jennifer, was born prematurely and died in early 2002. They went on to have two sons, one of whom has been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.
So life has not been easy for Gordon Brown, especially compared to the man in whose shadow he was forced to live for a decade, Tony Blair. Blair had it easy: a comfortable middle-class background, an exclusive private school followed by Oxford University, the ideal background to shin up the greasy pole of British politics. (David Cameron, the Conservative party leader, had a similarly easy start in life, only more so.)
Perhaps this accounts for Brown's awkward manner, his bullying of rivals, his refusal to admit mistakes, or to say sorry when he fails. When one of his close aides was caught out sending vicious e-mails besmirching Conservative opponents, Brown reluctantly fired him, yet could not bring himself to apologise to the targets of the smears. It's that strange psychological flaw that Blair so unhelpfully highlighted.
Brown's reaction to the current scandal over the mass abuse of the expenses system by scores of MPs has been equally flat-footed and inept. He has not adequately disciplined those in his own party caught out by the publication of their receipts; nor has he understood the public's rage about the abuse of public money.
Gordon Brown appeared yesterday lunchtime to have seen off the move to overthrow him by pleading with his supporters to fill the gaps in his cabinet. But his medium-term prospects still look dire. Dozens of Labour MPs know they face losing their seats and their careers at a general election within a year, and that the longer this political farce plays out in London, the worse the defeat will be.
Even if Brown clings on for the next few weeks, his government is becalmed and will not be able to achieve anything. His allies and enemies alike know - as Tennyson wrote of King Arthur - that "authority forgets a dying king".
Perhaps it is a genuine tragedy, after all, that the political death of an essentially humane and decent man will be regarded with relief on all sides of the political spectrum.
* The National
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: CVT auto
Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km
On sale: now
Price: from Dh195,000
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Profile of Udrive
Date started: March 2016
Founder: Hasib Khan
Based: Dubai
Employees: 40
Amount raised (to date): $3.25m – $750,000 seed funding in 2017 and a Seed round of $2.5m last year. Raised $1.3m from Eureeca investors in January 2021 as part of a Series A round with a $5m target.
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The five stages of early child’s play
From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:
1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.
2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.
3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.
4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.
5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.
Biography
Favourite book: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Holiday choice: Anything Disney-related
Proudest achievement: Receiving a presidential award for foreign services.
Family: Wife and three children.
Like motto: You always get what you ask for, the universe listens.
Test series fixtures
(All matches start at 2pm UAE)
1st Test Lord's, London from Thursday to Monday
2nd Test Nottingham from July 14-18
3rd Test The Oval, London from July 27-31
4th Test Manchester from August 4-8
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Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
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TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
THE BIO
Ambition: To create awareness among young about people with disabilities and make the world a more inclusive place
Job Title: Human resources administrator, Expo 2020 Dubai
First jobs: Co-ordinator with Magrudy Enterprises; HR coordinator at Jumeirah Group
Entrepreneur: Started his own graphic design business
Favourite singer: Avril Lavigne
Favourite travel destination: Germany and Saudi Arabia
Family: Six sisters
Juvenile arthritis
Along with doctors, families and teachers can help pick up cases of arthritis in children.
Most types of childhood arthritis are known as juvenile idiopathic arthritis. JIA causes pain and inflammation in one or more joints for at least six weeks.
Dr Betina Rogalski said "The younger the child the more difficult it into pick up the symptoms. If the child is small, it may just be a bit grumpy or pull its leg a way or not feel like walking,” she said.
According to The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases in US, the most common symptoms of juvenile arthritis are joint swelling, pain, and stiffness that doesn’t go away. Usually it affects the knees, hands, and feet, and it’s worse in the morning or after a nap.
Limping in the morning because of a stiff knee, excessive clumsiness, having a high fever and skin rash are other symptoms. Children may also have swelling in lymph nodes in the neck and other parts of the body.
Arthritis in children can cause eye inflammation and growth problems and can cause bones and joints to grow unevenly.
In the UK, about 15,000 children and young people are affected by arthritis.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is the most popular virtual currency in the world. It was created in 2009 as a new way of paying for things that would not be subject to central banks that are capable of devaluing currency. A Bitcoin itself is essentially a line of computer code. It's signed digitally when it goes from one owner to another. There are sustainability concerns around the cryptocurrency, which stem from the process of "mining" that is central to its existence.
The "miners" use computers to make complex calculations that verify transactions in Bitcoin. This uses a tremendous amount of energy via computers and server farms all over the world, which has given rise to concerns about the amount of fossil fuel-dependent electricity used to power the computers.
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Hot%20Seat
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last-16. first leg
Atletico Madrid v Juventus, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
RESULTS
%3Cp%3E5pm%3A%20Wathba%20Stallions%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(Turf)%202%2C200m%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20RB%20Sarab%2C%20Allaia%20Tiar%20(jockey)%2C%20Khalifa%20Al%20Neyadi%20(trainer)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E5.30pm%3A%20Mamsha%20Alkhair%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Mutaqadim%2C%20Ray%20Dawson%2C%20Ibrahim%20Al%20Hadhrami%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E6pm%3A%20Emirates%20Fillies%20Classic%20%E2%80%93%20Prestige%20(PA)%20Dh100%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Almotajalliah%2C%20Ray%20Dawson%2C%20Ibrahim%20Al%20Hadhrami%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E6.30pm%3A%20Emirates%20Colts%20Classic%20%E2%80%93%20Prestige%20(PA)%20Dh100%2C000%20(T)%201%2C600m%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Fadwaan%2C%20Antonio%20Fresu%2C%20Ahmed%20Al%20Mehairbi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E7pm%3A%20The%20President%E2%80%99s%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Group%201%20(PA)%20Dh2%2C500%2C000%20(T)%202%2C200m%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Mujeeb%2C%20Richard%20Mullen%2C%20Salem%20Al%20Ketbi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E7.30pm%3A%20The%20President%E2%80%99s%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Listed%20(TB)%20Dh380%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%3Cbr%3EWinner%3A%20Western%20Writer%2C%20Richard%20Mullen%2C%20Bhupat%20Seemar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
T20 World Cup Qualifier
Final: Netherlands beat PNG by seven wickets
Qualified teams
1. Netherlands
2. PNG
3. Ireland
4. Namibia
5. Scotland
6. Oman
T20 World Cup 2020, Australia
Group A: Sri Lanka, PNG, Ireland, Oman
Group B: Bangladesh, Netherlands, Namibia, Scotland
The five pillars of Islam
