They came from as far away as Orkney, off the north coast of Scotland. They came from Wales and Cornwall and from all over England. At one point I found myself marching next to a group of Welsh language speakers; behind me walked a woman with a placard reading “Fromage Not Farage” – Nigel Farage being one of the politicians who threw his weight behind the Brexit vote to pull Britain out of the European Union.
Many other placards were rather rude, in a gentle British kind of way. For an enormous crowd of 700,000 people, everyone was jolly and polite in the autumn sunshine. And yet the People’s Vote march last weekend demanding a referendum on the final terms of any Brexit deal turned out to be the biggest outpouring of political anger in London since the 2003 marches against the Iraq war.
And that – for some people – is the catch. What is the point of protesting against Brexit in 2018 when Tony Blair’s government did not listen to protesters on the Iraq war 15 years ago? Why should Prime Minister Theresa May listen to demonstrators now?
The most obvious reason is raw politics. Mr Blair won three election victories by a landslide. In 2003, he led a largely united government behind the Iraq war. But Mrs May is living on borrowed time. Sections of her own party cannot wait to get rid of her. She unwisely forced Britain into a general election in 2017 and lost seats, credibility and any clear mandate to negotiate Brexit. Her Conservative government is propped up by unreliable allies from Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party.
_______________________
Read more from Gavin Esler:
Why I joined the People's Vote campaign
In a crunch week for Brexit, there are echoes of the crash and burn of the DeLorean dream
Politicians could learn a lesson from ancient Rome and know when to quit
_______________________
The second reason why a rethink on Brexit is possible came last week in Brussels. I spent the week in the corridors of the EU talking to members of the European Parliament and officials in the European Commission. One Irish MEP, hearing Mrs May pleading for more time, turned to me and said: “More time for what? More time to waste?” The British government, he added, had spent two years arguing among its own ranks. Another MEP said the British keep coming to Brussels demanding “our help to deliver Brexit” – without being clear about what Brexit is supposed to be.
The British traditionally have a reputation for being difficult at European summits but are always well-prepared and well-briefed. Former prime minister Margaret Thatcher was respected by the EU, even if she was not liked. But Mrs May, I was told repeatedly, is blundering around. "She has such a difficult hand to play," was how one MEP put it. Drawing pity is not, on the whole, a successful negotiating technique.
One further political fact helped propel me and 700,000 others onto London's streets at the weekend – the lack of coherent opposition to Mrs May. Traditionally you might expect the British Labour Party to sense the new public mood on Brexit and lead the charge against Mrs May’s government.
But Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn announced on the day of the march that he would instead be in Geneva to meet Michelle Bachelet, the former president of Chile and current United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. I have interviewed Ms Bachelet and she speaks eloquently about the death of her father, a doctor, during the military coup in Chile. Mr Corbyn cares deeply about Latin America. But the Chilean coup was in 1973. Meeting Ms Bachelet to discuss human rights and reminisce about the 1970s while hundreds of thousands are demonstrating in Britain in 2018 is nostalgia, not pressing politics.
The truth is that Mr Corbyn's Labour Party is as divided as Mrs May's Conservatives. Both leaders are constantly undermined from within.
The result is a massive leadership vacuum at the summit of British politics. Millions of British people think no political party truly represents their interests. Those attending the People’s Vote rally included the Labour mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, numerous backbench Labour and Conservative MPs and other party representatives.
But the biggest demonstration in London for 15 years shows that it is the people who are leading the leaders and it’s not clear how the British government or opposition will settle their internal feuds. What is clear is that massive public discontent is growing about the supposed “inevitability” of Brexit.
The atmosphere is so febrile that over the next few weeks, we could have a new prime minister, a general election or even a prolonged stalemate because no faction feels strong enough to push hard for a new kind of leadership. The uncertainty is bad for British business.
That’s why marching last Saturday felt like a big political moment, when people from all parties and backgrounds, from Scottish and Welsh nationalists to activists in Northern Ireland who held their own demonstration in Belfast, to Londoners and those who travelled up from the far corners of England, all had something to say.
And there is one further reason the march might change politics. For many British people, Mr Blair’s reputation has been forever blighted by that unpopular 2003 war. If Mrs May forces through a Brexit deal without the endorsement of the public, the reputation of the Conservative party as the party of business, pragmatism and careful moderate change might disappear for a generation.
Gavin Esler is a journalist, author and television presenter
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJune%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Alnamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMicrofinance%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E16%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFamily%20offices%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
What is double taxation?
- Americans living abroad file taxes with the Internal Revenue Service, which can cost hundreds of dollars to complete even though about 60 per cent do not owe taxes, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service
- Those obligations apply to millions of Americans residing overseas – estimates range from 3.9 million to 5.5 million – including so-called "accidental Americans" who are unaware they hold dual citizenship
- The double taxation policy has been a contentious issue for decades, with many overseas Americans feeling that it punishes them for pursuing opportunities abroad
- Unlike most countries, the US follows a citizenship-based taxation system, meaning that Americans must file taxes annually, even if they do not earn any income in the US.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 374hp at 5,500-6,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm from 1,900-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km
Price: from Dh285,000
On sale: from January 2022
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
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The specs: Macan Turbo
Engine: Dual synchronous electric motors
Power: 639hp
Torque: 1,130Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Touring range: 591km
Price: From Dh412,500
On sale: Deliveries start in October
Results
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: RB Kings Bay, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: AF Ensito, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
8pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,400m; Winner: AF Sourouh, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
8.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m; Winner: Baaher, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
9pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Mootahady, Antonio Fresu, Eric Lemartinel
9.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Dubai Canal, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
10pm: Al Ain Cup – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Harrab, Bernardo Pinheiro, Majed Al Jahouri
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Cargoz%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20January%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Premlal%20Pullisserry%20and%20Lijo%20Antony%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2030%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Dirt) 1,200m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,900m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (D) 2,000m
8.15pm: Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,600m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,400m
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
What is a calorie?
A food calorie, or kilocalorie, is a measure of nutritional energy generated from what is consumed.
One calorie, is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1°C.
A kilocalorie represents a 1,000 true calories of energy.
Energy density figures are often quoted as calories per serving, with one gram of fat in food containing nine calories, and a gram of protein or carbohydrate providing about four.
Alcohol contains about seven calories a gram.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
