BBC Politics 97

Header

News In Brief

The left-wing Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn has called for the Government to scrap warheads following its defence review . Speaking outside Downing Street, where campaigners for nuclear disarmament were gathered, he said: "Nuclear weapons are evil, immoral and totally unnecessary." He added: "I think that defence review should include a thorough look at Britain's nuclear capability and the mothballing of it, and indeed, cancelling the use of all nuclear weapons."

The Prime Minister is to meet Chancellor Helmut Kohl in Bonn next week when he makes his first visit to Germany since taking office. The June 6 meeting, a week before the crucial Amsterdam summit, will allow the two leaders to discuss key issues for the EU. It will also be Tony Blair's first major one-to-one talk abroad with an EU counterpart. He is expected to discuss his priorities for the EU, monetary union and other matters on the negotiating table at the Amsterdam summit.

A crucial mini-summit of EU finance ministers is to be held in York to smooth the way for monetary union. The informal gathering will be held between March 20th and 22nd 1998 during the UK's presidency of the EU, which runs from January to July, and will be hosted by the Chancellor and the Governor of the Bank of England. The meeting is particularly significant as it precedes the Special European Council meeting, where decisions on membership of EMU will be made.

The Government has mapped out a timetable for the surrender of large calibre handguns ordered after the Dunblane massacre. People can start handing over their weapons on July 1, and must have done so by October 1, when the ownership of weapons above .22 calibre will become illegal under the terms of this year's Firearms (Amendment) Act. The timetable is dependent on Parliament approving a compensation package which will be debated in both the Commons and the Lords on June 9.

A leading Liberal Democrat strategist has quit his post just weeks after the party's election success. The director of Strategy and Planning Alan Leaman, a former head of leader Paddy Ashdown's office, is to seek a new challenge beyond the party. Mr Leaman contested the Liberal Democrat target seat of Mid Dorset and Poole North at the election, but lost by a whisker.

Diana, Princess of Wales, 1961-1997

Conference 97 Devolution The Archive

News | Issues | Background | Parties | Analysis | TV/Radio/Web
Interactive | Forum | Live | About This Site

© BBC 1997

politics97@bbc.co.uk