Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 8 Jun 2018

Theresa May yesterday refused to placate Brexiteers by giving a
firm promise that the so-called “backstop” relationship between the
UK and EU will only be temporary. She has been accused of fudging
the issue, despite including a date in her Brexit plans at the
insistence of David Davis beyond which the agreement will not
apply.

Remarks made by Boris Johnson at a private dinner have been
leaked to the press – and include him observing he is becoming
“increasingly admiring” of Donald Trump. Johnson also exposes the
depth of Cabinet divisions over Brexit, calling the Treasury “the
heart of Remain”, and says there “may now be a meltdown” as the UK
leaves the EU.

Canada took an important step towards making the recreational
use of cannabis legal yesterday, with senators voting 56 to 30 in
favour, with one abstention. The Commons will now consider and vote
on the proposal, with the vote expected to be close. The Trudeau
government has sought the support of indigenous senators to pass
the bill.

MPs have warned that England football fans will be at risk of
homophobic, racist and anti-British attacks when they travel to
Russia for the World Cup. The foreign affairs committee says police
and the Foreign Office have only offered “vague reassurance” to the
more than 10,000 fans planning to travel to Russia for the
tournament.

The chief executive of Tesco has blamed the collapse of some
other retailers on changes to the rates that businesses pay on
their premises introduced last year. Dave Lewis said increased
rates had played a “large part” in closing some firms. He said the
rates did not create a “level playing field” between online and
physical retailers.

Facebook has admitted that a software problem means 14 million
users may have accidentally posted information to the public when
they had previously chosen to keep it visible only to friends. The
bug was active between 18 and 22 May on the giant social network.
Head of privacy Erin Egan apologised and said the glitch was a
“mistake”.

The chief executive of telecoms giant BT is to step down in the
second half of this year after 14 years with the firm. Gavin
Patterson will not now receive his “incentive share plan award”,
the firm says, after his remuneration was criticised. Shares in BT
are at a six-year low and the firm is to cut 13,000 jobs in an
attempt to restructure.

The new editor of the Daily Mail, after 26 years of Paul Dacre
being in charge, is staunchly opposed  to Brexit. Geordie
Greig, the current editor of the Mail on Sunday, is to take over
from Dacre. According to The Guardian, the decision is an attempt
to “detoxify” the Mail’s image after controversy over recent
pro-Brexit attacks on public figures.

Comedian Michael McIntyre yesterday joked to a live audience
about being robbed in north London on Monday. The 42-year-old was
targeted by two men on a moped who smashed the windows of his Range
Rover and made off with his Rolex watch. He told fans watching a
show in Ireland: “I could have done with you – 9,000
Dubliners.”

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has confirmed the
government’s plans for a third runway at Heathrow, and MPs are
expected to vote on the proposal in the next three weeks.

A third runway at Heathrow “was given the green light in 2016,
but remains a controversial matter for nearby residents,
politicians from all parties, environmentalists and business
leaders”, says Sky News.