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Brexit deal legal advice Theresa May tried to withhold from parliament

THOMAS COLSON, BUSINESS INSIDE UK|AIWA! NO!|The government tried to prevent the full legal advice being published, and MPs found the government in contempt of parliament for refusing a demand to do so.

Downing Street has published the legal advice it was given on Theresa May’s Brexit deal by the government’s top law officer, Attorney General Geoffrey Cox.
Here’s everything you need to know about the legal advice the government tried to withhold.

LONDON — The government has published the full legal advice it was given on Theresa May’s Brexit plan after MPs found the government to be in contempt of parliament for refusing to do so.

The advice, from Attorney General Geoffrey Cox, the country’s top law officer, examines the legal effect of the proposed backstop arrangement, or Northern Ireland protocol, which is a fallback measure designed to maintain an invisible border in Ireland.

The measure is deeply unpopular among Brexit-supporting MPs because would keep the UK in the customs union and Northern Ireland even more closely aligned to the EU, as well as requiring checks on goods moving between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

Here’s what you need to know about Cox’s legal advice:

Cox warns that the backstop arrangement contained within the withdrawal agreement would “endure indefinitely,” a phrase which has enraged Brexiteers who say it would represent an incomplete Brexit.
It confirms the government does not have the right to withdraw from the backstop unilaterally, something Brexiteers have advocated.
There is a legal risk that the UK could become stuck in “protracted and repeating rounds of negotiations” with Brussels.
The date on the Attorney General’s advice is 13 November, the same day MPs asked for the advice to be published. This could mean that the government had not actually received any formal legal advice on the Withdrawal Agreement before, despite May publishing her formal Brexit plan weeks earlier.

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Labour’s shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer said: “Having reviewed the Attorney General’s legal advice, it’s obvious why this needed to be placed in the public domain.

“All week we have heard from Government ministers that releasing this information. could harm the national interest. Nothing of the sort. All this advice reveals is the central weaknesses in the Government’s deal.

“It is unthinkable that the Government tried to keep this information from Parliament — and indeed the public — before next week’s vote.”

The government had refused previous requests to publish the advice, which comes just a week before MPs vote on the deal itself, saying it would set a dangerous precedent if the Attorney General could not provide the Prime Minister with honest, confidential legal advice without fear of it being made public.

Cox instead published a 48-page legal commentary outlining the advice he had provided on the Brexit plan and was grilled by MPs in the Commons for two hours on the subject on Monday.

But MPs voted 311 to 293 to find May’s government in contempt on Tuesday afternoon, forcing Downing Street to publish the advice in full. It was the first time in British parliamentary history the government has been found in contempt by MPs.

BREXIT: ‘A Car Crash’ Or Birth of British Posterity

SIENNA RODGERS, LABOURLIST|AIWA! NO!|Labour has tabled an amendment to the meaningful vote that blocks parliament from approving either Theresa May’s current Brexit deal or a ‘no deal’ Brexit.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May are set to battle it out for business leaders over Brexit. Mr Corbyn and the Prime Minister will be making rival speeches to woo business leaders on Monday at the annual CBI conference. Mrs May and the opposition leader will both pitch for industry backing for their opposing Brexit visions, after a chaotic week in UK politics.

The deal now on offer fails Keir Starmer’s six tests, it effectively says, as its ambitions for a future UK-EU relationship do not include a permanent customs union or a strong single market deal, would diminish security, includes a backstop, etc etc. Rejecting both the “worst of all worlds deal” and the “chaos” that would ensue from “crashing out without a deal”, in Jeremy Corbyn’s words, this is simply setting out the essentials of Labour’s Brexit position.

The most interesting part of the amendment is the following: it commits parliament to “every option” that prevents this deal or no deal. Again, this can be interpreted as a simple reiteration of Labour policy, but it goes further than resolving to “keep all options on the table”, as frontbenchers oft repeat and the conference composite motion stipulates. Every option presumably includes: a general election, extending Article 50, a fresh referendum, even revoking Article 50 and staying in the EU without a public vote.

It is notable that not a single one of these options is explicitly mentioned in the amendment – not even the least controversial alternative for opposition parties, a general election. This is entirely sensible: the aim is to win as much support as possible. MPs such as, er, Corbyn himself, may not be comfortable with voting for something that openly backs a ‘people’s vote’, for instance. Of course, this is a wrecking amendment rather than a serious bit of legislative work, and Labour will whip against the motion as a whole, so the objective is only to show strength against the government.

Today on LabourList, I’ve put together a (sourced) list of Labour MPs who are on the record as supporters of another EU referendum. (If your name should be on the list but isn’t yet, please get in touch.) So far, it amounts to 62, i.e. a quarter of the parliamentary party. These numbers are crucial to understanding Labour’s position on the ‘people’s vote’ issue. Journalists got very excited yesterday when John McDonnell said that if Labour’s no-confidence vote falls, as expected, the party would call on the government to “join us in a public vote”. But in reality, not only is the leader resistant to the idea, it doesn’t look as if a ‘people’s vote’ motion would pass.

Last night, the DUP voted with the government to defeat a Labour amendment on the Offensive Weapons Bill. It’s a reminder that, although they’re set to vote against the Brexit deal, the DUP remains the government’s confidence-and-supply partner. The New Statesman has found that “even to overcome Labour’s EEA rebels, you would need 21 Conservative MPs to vote for another referendum”. And just nine Tories have declared their support for a public vote so far.

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LONDON Mayor Pledges £1.3m To Help Businesses Launch 2,000 New Apprenticeships

Clayton Sullivan-Webb, managing director of Grundon Waste Management and Lisa Dixon, managing director of JLD Driver Training (pictured right), celebrate being shortlisted for the Apprenticeships 4 England Employer Awards 2016 with some of Grundon's apprentices.

Grundon’s entry focused on its driver training programme, which currently has 17 drivers studying for their Level Two Apprenticeship in driving a Large Goods Vehicle (LGV). A further three apprentice technicians are also undertaking training. — Clayton Sullivan-Webb, managing director of Grundon Waste Management and Lisa Dixon, managing director of JLD Driver Training (pictured right), celebrate being shortlisted for the Apprenticeships 4 England Employer Awards with some of Grundon’s apprentices.
Grundon’s entry focused on its driver training programme, which currently has 17 drivers studying for their Level Two Apprenticeship in driving a Large Goods Vehicle (LGV). A further three apprentice technicians are also undertaking training.

|CRIMSON TAZVINZWA, AIWA! NO!|Apprenticeships4England|Sadiq Khan confirms his pro-business credentials as he pledges £1.3m boost to London schemes for young people
•New apprenticeships to be created in retail, hospitality and construction
•Sadiq calls on Ministers to devolve adult careers provision to City Hall

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, who campaigned to be London’s most pro-business Mayor ever has today reaffirmed his commitment to delivering skills and training for London’s young people by announcing £1.3 million in funding to help businesses create 2,000 new apprenticeships.

In the UK, apprenticeships are funded through a levy that is paid by all businesses with an annual pay bill in excess of £3 million. However, apprenticeship starts in London have fallen by 21 per cent since the Government introduced the levy in April 2017. London’s businesses contribute more to the apprenticeship levy than any other region – but two in five of these businesses don’t spend any of the available levy funds, and a further two in five spend less than half.

This means that money is being returned to the Treasury, rather than being invested in young Londoners, with retail, hospitality and construction among the most affected sectors.

Speaking today at Skills London, the capital’s largest careers fair, Sadiq announced that he is investing £1.3m in pilot projects designed to help employers spend their levy funds on high quality apprenticeships, or else transfer the money down the supply chain to smaller business, to keep the benefits of the funding in the capital. Through this process, the Mayor expects to boost his credentials as the pro-business Mayor and help businesses create 2000 new training opportunities for London’s young people, with a particular focus on retail, hospitality and construction industries.

The Mayor is calling on apprenticeship funding to be devolved to London alongside funding and responsibility for adult careers services. This would include the devolution of the London area-based delivery of the National Careers Service. He also wants to see London’s share of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which will replace valuable European funds following Brexit, to be fully devolved to London.

Sadiq is already working hard to help young Londoners succeed. He has set up his Construction Academy to improve construction skills. He has also expanded the London Enterprise Adviser Network and is investing £114m in new buildings and equipment for skills training across London.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “From biotech, engineering and construction to retail, hospitality and healthcare, London needs workers with the skills to support the rich variety of our economy.

“Given the uncertainty surrounding Brexit, ensuring a better and more responsive skills network – as well as continued access to global talent – is more important than ever.

“Apprenticeships are a key part of my commitment to being London’s most pro-business Mayor and giving young Londoners the skills they need to succeed – they benefit individuals, businesses and the whole London economy – so I’m delighted to be able to announce further funding to unlock more opportunities across the capital.

“Now we need the government to recognise our success and devolve adult careers services provision to City Hall.”

London has a strong, dynamic, global economy, but the region’s employment rate has lagged-behind the national average for three decades. More than 230,000 working-age Londoners are unemployed, with particularly high rates of youth unemployment. Ensuring an effective and responsive skills system is critical to tackling this issue.

Sadiq believes that an effective skills system is critical to meeting the needs of London’s businesses. Employers repeatedly report skills shortage vacancies and skills gaps in their workforce, impacting on growth and productivity.

London First Chief Executive, Jasmine Whitbread said: “Every young Londoner should have the chance to be a part of our capital’s success. Skills London will bring together more than 200 employers, 35,000 youngsters, and a record 55,000 career opportunities – including apprenticeships and on-the-job training.

“We’re delighted the Mayor is taking action to boost apprenticeship numbers in the capital, particularly in the construction sector, which is facing chronic skills shortages.

“London fares best when in charge of its own destiny, so it’s good news the Mayor will take control of the adult education budget. This should be extended to the National Careers Service to ensure business, educators and civic leaders are working together to give our young people the very best start in the world of work.”

Anthony Impey, Chief Executive of IT and telecoms business Optimity and chair of the GLA Apprenticeship Group said: “The Mayor’s announcement comes at a critical time for London’s businesses, who are already struggling to recruit the people they need, even before the full impact of Brexit. Never has the need been greater for companies to develop their own talent, and apprenticeships provide an excellent way to do this.

“I have first-hand experience of the immense benefits apprenticeships can provide organisations of any size, not least their return on investment. I’ve also seen the huge impact that it can have on young Londoners, by supercharging the start of their careers and giving them access to some of London’s most exciting sectors. The Mayor’s support is vital to ensure that these advantages are available to as many as possible.

“London’s global competitive advantage rests on its ability to be a world-class place to recruit and develop talent, and the Mayor’s ambition for apprenticeship plays a key role in achieving this.”

Mary Vine-Morris, London Director of the Association of Colleges said: “London is a city open for business – the Mayor’s new investment in apprenticeships makes that clear.

To continue to be one of the best cities in the world to work and to live, it is vital that London works with employers to ensure a strong pipeline of skilled workers.

For too long there has been too little investment, politically as well as financially in London’s apprenticeship offer. That is why we welcome the drive to make better use of London’s levy spend. Rather than it going back to treasury unspent, it would be better being used to create more meaningful opportunities for London’s young people to get into work and to get on in life.”

Sarah Beale, CITB Chief Executive said: “Construction apprenticeships offer huge opportunities to young people, enabling them to earn as they learn, avoid the debt of student loans and gain the practical skills experience employers want.

“CITB estimates that London will require an estimated 10,000 construction workers between now and 2022 with plant operatives, civil engineers and scaffolders among the most in-demand roles. Creating new, high quality construction apprenticeships to help young people fill these job roles is welcome news.

“CITB is supporting the development of the Mayor of London’s new Construction Academy. We look forward to working with the Mayor and partners across industry to give London’s young people the best possible chance of starting rewarding construction careers.”

With the Adult Education Budget set to be devolved to City Hall from 2019/20, the Mayor will have £311 million to provide the targeted, high quality skills training Londoners require.

This will be supplemented by £71 million from the European Social Fund. This money will be used to help young people and adults who may have missed out on opportunities due to circumstances beyond their control and now need a second chance to access education, training and employment.

Sam Gurney, TUC Regional Secretary, London, East and South East, said: “It is crucial that young Londoners have access to quality apprenticeships, which provide genuine training and pay a fair rate for the job.

“We welcome the Mayor’s new funding and hope that it will support Londoners to gain the skills our city needs.

“In particular we welcome work to increase the number of women, BME and disabled people taking up apprenticeships in areas like construction and engineering where they are seriously underrepresented.”

Apprenticeships app4women apprenticeshipsdirectory

LONDON’S 10 Most Influential Fashionistas

|CRIMSON TAZVINZWA, AIWA! NO!|If you only could know about TEN people in fashion today, these would be the names that matter most. Some are famous, others are more behind the scenes— but each has an outsize influence on the fashion industry.

People in the fashion industry are constantly bringing new and interesting creations to the runway which is why fashion trends never get old. Great fashion comes from within and the talents of some of the most influential people in the business.

From designers to models, photographers, and other people in the fashion industry, there is no shortage of iconic superstars when it comes to the most influential people who have affected the manner in which we dress. The fashion industry is known for its long history of trend-setters, ground-breakers, and visionaries that have created and popularised fashion. Here are ten of the most influential people in fashion today.

1. Coco Chanel

Coco Chanel is a fashion designer with creations that have truly stood the test of time. Her designs have always been popular and still remain a staple in the fashion world decades after her death.

Coco Chanel is a true pioneer in fashion and forged ahead with designs that no one else was producing at the time. Chanel designs still reign in the fashion industry as one of the finest for nearly three quarters of a century. Her designs are very stylish with many creations artfully crafted as a mix of male and female design inspirations. Many of the Chanel creations are very luxurious without being too gaudy or overstated.

Coco Chanel first introduced her famous cologne called Chanel No. 5 during the 1920s. It was the first cologne ever to bear the name of a renowned designer. During this same decade, the Chanel suit was first introduced which was designed with a fitted skirt and a jacket without a collar. The design included inspirations borrowed from menswear. Additionally, her fashion helped women to move away from the constraints of tight fitting underclothing, corsets, and other uncomfortable garments.

Coco Chanel was also responsible for bringing the little black dress to the forefront of fashion. This showed the fashion world that the colour black can be used for elegant evening-wear, instead of solely being used by those in mourning.

Approximately ten years following the death of Coco Chanel in 1971, fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld took over the company to keep her legacy alive. Currently, Chanel fashions continue to be popular and generate millions of dollars in sales year after year.

2. Giorgio Armani

Giorgio Armani began his career as a window designer before working his way up to menswear designs. His career in the fashion industry spans more than 35 years and he has been named one of the top fashion designers in the world for 2014-2015.

Following his foray into designer menswear, Armani built a fashion empire of luxurious designs which include Emporio Armani and Giorgio Armani Privé lines of clothing. His empire also includes shoes, accessories, home décor, and cosmetics as well. His designs are known for unique fabrics which are used in unusual frameworks.

During the 1980s Giorgio Armani redefined the business suit for both women and men and set a new standard for business apparel near the end of the 20^th century. Power suits and other business apparel were made with lightweight fabrics designed with flexibility for all day comfort. In addition to comfort, the contemporary apparel was also designed with exquisite tailoring which provided business professionals with the best of both worlds.

The Armani designer brand is one of the few top companies that continue to remain independent in terms of international investment channels. Currently, there are more than five hundred distribution stores around the globe.

3. Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren launched his fashion empire from a job he held with a tie manufacturer. It was here he launched Polo Fashions in the late 1960s by designing wide ties which were a popular style at the time.

By the beginning of the 1970s, his line of menswear won the City Award. A couple of years later, he unveiled the classic Polo shirt with short sleeves and a collar. Not long after, Ralph Lauren designed the first women’s suit with the Polo logo which was designed with hints of menswear fashion in mind. This became the new power suit and rivalled the Armani business suit, also designed with a combination of women’s and men’s fashion in mind.

The Polo line became a fashion statement in itself and is still popular in the fashion world today. Additionally, the short sleeve Polo shirt is still considered a staple in every man’s wardrobe across the globe. Both lines of apparel for men and women is very creative and unique. This is why his designs stand out in the fashion industry and make a statement about gender equality.

4. Karl Lagerfeld

Karl Lagerfeld was born in Germany and left for Paris during his early twenties to go to school. It was in Paris that he won an award for a coat design in a contest sponsored by International Wool Secretariat. This placed him on the map when he was offered a job at the Balmain fashion house.

In addition to owning his own brand of designer clothing, Karl Lagerfeld became artistic director for Chanel in the early 1980s. Currently he is also associated with other major designer brand names such as Jean Patou, Chloe, Macy’s, Fendi, and H&M. His designs are well known for bold colours with consistent innovation and reinvention. The Lagerfeld label was recently sold to Tommy Hilfiger.

Karl Lagerfeld currently designs clothing for Macy’s department store and has gotten involved with professional film and photography. In recent years, he has also become known for his glassware designs which are offered by Orrefors, a Swedish company that manufactures exquisite crystal glassware.

5. Valentino Garavani

Valentino Garavani is known for designing Jacqueline Kennedy’s wedding address, in addition to winning the Neiman Marcus award for many of his designs. Valentino designs are known for their luxurious fabrics as well as chic business style. He typically designs most of his creations to meet specific tastes of notable people and fans of the Valentino label. The Valentino website is designed with virtual 3D to allow his clients to view 360 degrees of the creation they are looking to purchase.

Valentino still remains at the top of the fashion world despite stepping down in 2007. His masterpieces which create a natural sense of beauty are timeless creations that still remain in demand by fashionistas with discerning tastes. Jacqueline Kennedy developed an interest in Valentino designs after noticing some of her friends in Valentino creations. As a result, Valentino became her “go to” designer for suits and dresses, as well as her wedding dresses for her marriage to John F. Kennedy and later, Aristotle Onassis in 1968.

6. Marc Jacobs

Marc Jacobs grew up in New York and was raised by his grandmother who taught him how to knit. The skills he learned from his grandmother marked the beginning of his success designing oversized sweaters. Following his graduation from the Parsons design school, he went to work designing street wear made of opulent fabrics for Perry Ellis. A few years later he was named Creative Director for Louis Vuitton.

Marc Jacobs also owns two designer label brands known as Marc Jacobs and Marc by Marc Jacobs, in addition to designing other fashions including shoes, jewellery, sunglasses, and other accessories. His designs are available in over 50 countries around the world with close to three hundred retail stores throughout the countries.

As a result of his work with Louis Vuitton and the creation of his own labels, Marc Jacobs has become known as the most sought after designer for contemporary fashion. The designs borrow from the past with new and innovative styling and a touch of mix and match vintage looks.

7. Tom Ford

Tom Ford considers his start in the fashion industry as the point when he purchased his first pair of Gucci shoes at the age of 12. He went on to work with Marc Jacobs at Perry Ellis before going to work for Gucci to try and bring back the slowly diminishing designer brand that was nearly bankrupt in the early 1990s.

His designs while working as Creative Director for Gucci put new life in a brand that was lacking in creativity. Many of his designs included chic satin shirts and other fashions made of metallic fabric. This brought Gucci back to the forefront in fashion with an estimated company worth of more than $4 billion by the end of the 1990s.

The most well-known labels that carry Tom Ford’s designs include Yves Saint Laurent, Perry Ellis, and Cathy Hardwick, in addition to his own brand label known as Tom Ford. He has also been awarded by the American Best Fashion Designers in the World for his menswear designs. Recently, he has been making movies which have also been the recipient of many awards as well.

8. Jérôme LaMaar

Jérôme LaMaar was born in New York City and got his start in the fashion industry working as an intern for Baby Phat fashions at the age of 15. Three years later he was named Senior Designer and Creative Brand Coordinator for Baby Phat by Kimora Lee Simons.

While working for Baby Phat, Jérôme became interested in designing jewellery as a pastime. Two years later, he was commissioned to work with Adventures of Mimidesigning the costumes for Mariah Carey’s world tour. His designs include a combination of class and inane with a 2015 collection that emanates a disco vibe.

Following his position at Phat, Jérôme went on to work for Chado Ralph Rucci, a fashion design company. At this time he was also appointed by Promostyl Paris as a fashion trend forecaster. A few years later, he became a consultant for the Armani brand label before travelling to Japan to hone his skills as a silversmith for jewellery fashions.

As a result of his experience as a consultant, forecaster, and designer, Jérôme is currently highly sought after by some of the biggest names in the fashion industry. The brand labels include Givaudan, Calvin Klein, Victoria’s Secret, Tommy Hilfiger, GAP, Swarovski, Adidas, Moussy Japan, and many more.

9. Kim Haller

Kim Haller started out designing knitwear for major brand labels such as Jason Wu and Calvin Klein before introducing her own line of fashion knitwear creations. Her forte is working with yarn creating sculpted creations including one-piece garments, dresses, sweaters, skirts, and more.

The popularity of her designs prompted a need for more knitwear designers in the fashion industry. As a result, she became a consultant for knitwear providing support for other designers aspiring to expand their own knitwear lines. She has also worked as a design consultant for the Michael Kors Collection.

In addition to her consultancy for aspiring fashion designers in knitwear, Kim Haller has also designed popular knitwear for major brand labels in the fashion industry. Some of the labels include DKNY, Anne Klein, TSE Cashmere, Derek Lam, Adrienne Vittadini, Maiyet, and many more. She is one of the most sought after knitwear designers in the fashion industry as the result of her innovative creations and the ability to manage technical challenges associated with designing fine knitwear.

10. Miuccia Prada

Miuccia Prada began her career in the fashion industry after managing a leather goods company owned by her grandfather in Milan. While managing the company, she was able to convert it into a thriving enterprise that took charge of many different brand labels. Miuccia Prada owns an endless variety of brand labels which started when she managed brands such as Jil Sander, Fendi, and Helmut Lang.

During the mid-1980s, the Prada brand began to rise to the top of the fashion world with the introduction of simple black nylon handbags and other similar products that were adorned with understated labelling. This made the Prada brand stand out in an era where many other fashion brands were inundated with logos.

At the end of the 1980s, Prada introduced a new line called Uniforms for the Slightly Disenfranchised. This line of clothing was categorised as a ready to wear style for women and marked the beginning of Prada’s journey into new designs, regardless of what was currently considered fashion industry trend at any given time. This is why she is considered to be one of the most influential female fashion designers to date. Instead of designing her creation with an eye on trends, she disregards fashion industry trends to create designs that are feminine but still powerful and intelligent. Miuccia Prada holds a Ph.D in political science with no formal training in fashion design.

About the Author

Micar computers is a UK-based supplier of the original bespoke ERP software solution for the apparel industry. Are you in the clothing, textile or footwear sector? Check out our products page to find out how our tailor made ERP software could improve your business.

U.K. Parliament Seizes Facebook Documents As Part Of Ongoing Inquiry

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg appears before the House and Energy Committee in Washington on April 11, 2018.David Butow / Redux for NBC News file

The seizure of the documents comes after Mark Zuckerberg declined to appear in London on Tuesday before officials investigating disinformation and election interference.

|Saphora Smith and Olivia Solon, CNBC NEWS|AIWA! NO!|LONDON — British lawmakers have obtained documents that could be “highly relevant” to an inquiry that has been looking into Facebook’s response to disinformation, a spokesperson told NBC News on Sunday.

Cambridge Analytica, the Trump campaign-linked data firm under fire for sweeping collection of Facebook data, issued an expanded statement Thursday about its practices in the 2016 US presidential election.
In the statement, the firm reemphasized its claim that it “did not use Facebook data from research company GSR on the 2016 presidential election,” a reference to Global Science Research, which gathered up data en masse on behalf of Strategic Communication Laboratories, the parent company of Cambridge Analytica, according to a report in The Interceptlast March.
Cambridge Analytica’s statement said the Trump campaign hired it in June 2016, and from “August onwards,” its data team used Republican National Committee voter files, polling, the Trump campaign itself, voting returns released by states and “consumer data available from commercial brokers.”
CNN politics

The documents reportedly contain revelations Facebook has been fighting to keep out of the public domain relating to the company’s data and privacy policies that led to the Cambridge Analytica Scandal, The Observer newspaper in London reported Saturday.

Image result for cambridge analytica — Alexander Nix, former Cambridge Analytica CEO

The Observer reported that the files, which it said include correspondence from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, were seized from the founder of a U.S. software company, Six4Three, which is engaged in legal action against the tech giant.

NBC News could not confirm the details of the report, but a spokesperson for the parliamentary committee conducting the investigation confirmed that it had obtained potentially useful documents for its inquiry.

“The committee used a parliamentary order to obtain documents that could be highly relevant to the inquiry,” a spokesperson for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee told NBC News.

A spokesperson for Facebook told NBC News late Saturday that “the materials obtained by the DCMS committee are subject to a protective order of the San Mateo Superior Court restricting their disclosure.”

Six4Three filed a complaint against Facebook at the Superior Court of California County of San Matteo in 2015. According to court documents, the company accuses Zuckerberg of attempting to “deliberately” mislead tens of thousands of software companies into “developing applications that generated substantial user growth and revenues for Facebook.”

NBC News has reached out to representatives for Six4Three for comment.

For two years Facebook has been rocked by crises involving covert Russian propaganda, the mishandling of millions of users’ personal information and the hiring of a public relations firm that had what one former employee called an “in-house fake news shop.”

Sources have told NBC News that Zuckerberg and Sandberg believe Facebook’s negative image is a public relations problem that stems from a bungled press strategy and sensational media coverage, not a structural or philosophical shortcoming that requires a wholesale course correction.

Zuckerberg says he isn’t leaving Facebook despite controversy

NOV. 21, 201800:51

The British parliament’s seizure of the documents comes after Zuckerberg declined to appear before an international coalition of elected officials investigating disinformation and election interference that is scheduled to meet in London on Tuesday.

Representatives from the U.K., Canada, Australia, Ireland, Argentina, Brazil, Singapore and Latvia invited Zuckerberg to give evidence at a meeting at the Houses of Parliament, but Zuckerberg declined.

British lawmaker Damian Collins — who is the chairman of the DCMS committee tasked with investigating disinformation and assembled the international coalition — told NBC News Zuckerberg was “frightened of being exposed.”

Collins said “the really big question” he wanted to ask Zuckerberg was, “what did he know about the concerns about data privacy?”

EXCLUSIVE

Facebook hired firm with ‘in-house fake news shop’ to combat PR crisis

Collins assembled the “International Grand Committee” partly as a response to Zuckerberg’s insistence that he was too busy to visit individual national parliaments to answer further questions about Facebook’s efforts to crack down on the misuse of its platform.

In the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which triggered global scrutiny of Facebook’s data collection practices, Zuckerberg has only answered to lawmakers in public twice: before Congress in April and European Parliament in May.

Facebook has offered Richard Allan, vice president of policy solutions, to attend next week’s hearing in Zuckerberg’s place.

“It makes it look like he’s got something to hide and he’s worried that we may have information and questions we could put to him that would put him in a difficult position,” Collins said.

“He’s deliberately avoiding that sort of scrutiny.”

UK – Amber Rudd says No Deal Brexit WILL be blocked – crushing PM’s biggest threat

Amber Rudd, who rejoined the Cabinet days ago, declared the House of Commons WILL block No Deal – directly contradicting her boss Theresa May

**Amber Rudd declared the House of Commons WILL block No Deal** (Image: Getty)

Dan Bloom, Online Political Editor – MIRROR|AIWA! NO!|Amber Rudd, who rejoined the Cabinet days ago, declared the House of Commons WILL block No Deal – directly contradicting her boss Theresa May

Theresa May’s threat to hurl Britain into a No Deal Brexit was brutally punctured today by one of her biggest allies.

For more than two years the Prime Minister has warned the EU “no deal is better than a bad deal” – despite fears it could cause food shortages and civil unrest.

Now she has turned No Deal into a threat against Labour – warning if they don’t accept her version of Brexit, No Deal is inevitable.

But today Amber Rudd directly contradicted that, just days after returned to Mrs May’s Cabinet as Work and Pensions Secretary.

“It is my view that Parliament, the House of Commons, will stop No Deal,” she told the BBC.

“There isn’t a majority in the House of Commons to allow that to take place.”

BREXIT – The Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 (FTSE) slips on Brexit and trade war fears

The FTSE index has dropped due to possibility of non - deal Brexit. — The FTSE index has dropped 6 per cent in the past four days as pollsters showed a vote to Brexit has become more likely.

The FTSE 100 fell 0.7% to 6,947 as Brexit fears, the US tech sell-off and trade war concerns weighed on investor sentiment.

In other parts of the world, stock markets suffered a bigger setback.

In Germany, the DAX declined 1.6% to 11,066 while on Wall Street, the Dow Jones slid 1.5% lower to 24,627 at around 4:45pm UK time.

Brent crude oil slumped 5.2% to $63.31 per barrel as the market worried about increasing supply.

LARGE AND MID CAP RISERS AND FALLERS

Shares in Indivior dropped 46.7% to 109.9p on the news that the US Court of Appeals dropped a preliminary injunction against US rival Dr Reddy’s Laboratories.

Low-cost airline EasyJet fell 5.5% to £11.10, despite its annual profit hitting the top end of its guidance range, as the company reiterated revenue per seat would fall in the first half of the current year.

Shares in global healthcare company BTG rallied 34.1% to 824.7p after Boston Scientific agreed a recommended cash offer of 840p per share, valuing the business at £3.3bn.

Catering company Compass gained 3.4% to £16.41 after the market looked past a modest fall in profit and warmed to a strong performance at its North American division.

Shares in AO World slumped 5.8% to 117p as investors reacted to a reported first half loss with revenue growth of 9.9% and just 5.7% in the UK where AO says its core major domestic appliance market is ‘tougher than expected’.

Mining group Anglo American fell 2.9% to £16.74 after diamond sales at its De Beers unit fell.

Broking house Plus500 rallied 11.2% to £14.29 on fresh guidance that its results for 2018 would beat market expectations.

Instrumentation and controls company Spectris surged 12.4% to £23.65 as sales rose 9% in the four months through October. The company also announced it would review its assets to narrow its focus on more profitable businesses.

Caution on Brexit and a new round of PPI provisions put banking group CYBG on the back foot as it traded 16.9% lower at 206.4p

Plastic piping and ventilation system manufacturer Polypipe Group said its revenue had increased 10.2% in the fourth months through October on a like-for-like basis. Its shares fell 2.3% to 361.6p.

Specialist building products supplier SIG shed 1.9% to 106.1p despite forecasting a ‘significant’ profit improvement in the second half, as margin improvement offset falling revenue.

SMALL CAP RISERS AND FALLERS

Aviation services group John Menzies was flat at 500p after it announced it was continuing to trade ahead of last year and was on track to meets its full-year expectations, though revenue growth had slowed.

A profit warning and dividend cut at KCOM wiped nearly a third of its market cap, leaving the share price dwindling at 64.5p.

Story provided by StockMarketWire.com

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