Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Sunday 18 May 2014

1. LABOUR CANDIDATE SLAMS MILIBAND

A Labour candidate in a key target seat says Ed Miliband will “never form a credible government” unless he does more to win over “the aspirational southern voter”. According to the Sunday Times, Tristan Osborne, the candidate in Chatham and Aylseford, also said Miliband’s party machine “is not functioning in any capacity”.

Any hope for Ed Miliband? London elections hold the key

2. MIGRANTS ‘SHOULD LEARN TO BE BRITISH’

Immigrants should learn English and “respect our way of life”, says new culture secretary Sajid Javid. Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph, he says it is legitimate for voters to have concern over “excessive” immigration. He also criticises migrants who have lived in the UK for years but still cannot speak the language.

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Javid: Migrants must learn to be British

3. UK RICH ARE WEALTHIER THAN EVER

Britain’s richest people are wealthier than they have ever been thanks to a combined fortune of £519bn, says The Sunday Times Rich List. The 1,000 richest men and women have a combined worth which is equivalent to a third of the nation’s annual GDP. Their wealth has risen by 15.4% on last year’s total of £449bn.

4. GERMANY ATTACKS CAMERON OVER UKIP

A close ally of German chancellor Angela Merkel has accused David Cameron of a “desperate attempt to appease Ukip”. Gunther Krichbaum, head of the German government's committee on EU affairs, has rejected Cameron’s proposal to extricate the UK from the EU’s commitment to “ever closer union”.

5. MPS TO PROBE SERCO OVER ASSAULT

Allegations of sexual abuse at an immigration detention centre were concealed from the media and public, claims The Observer. Serco, the private outsourcing firm, will be investigated by MPs after it appeared it failed to seriously investigate a claim of repeated sexual assaults by one of its employees against a female resident.

6. CARNEY: DEEP PROBLEMS IN HOUSING

House prices are the biggest risk to the economy and the British housing market has “deep, deep” problems, says the governor of the Bank of England. Speaking to Sky News, Mark Carney says the UK is in urgent need of new house building as the number of large mortgages being approved is one the rise.

London house price bubble: is it time to quit the capital?

7. FARAGE STOKES ROMANIAN FIRE

Nigel Farage says Romanians are more likely to commit crime. The Ukip leader says: “Where there are differential crime rates between nationalities, it is perfectly legitimate to point this out and to discuss it in the public sphere.” He added that police figures show “a high level of criminality within the Romanian community in Britain”.

8. SCUDAMORE ‘SHOULD CONSIDER POSITION’

Richard Scudamore should give “serious consideration” to his future as Premier League chief executive after it was revealed he had sent sexist emails, says the FA’s only female director. Heather Rabbatts also suggested there was “growing evidence of a closed culture of sexism” at the Premier League.

9. AARON RAMSEY SAVES AFC BLUSHES

Arsenal’s nine-year wait for a trophy is over following a dramatic FA Cup final. Aaron Ramsey grabbed the winner against Hull City in extra time after the match ended 2-2. Hull went 2-0 up in the first eight minutes, before Wenger’s team responded with goals from Santi Cazorla and Laurent Koscielny.

Ramsey FA Cup winner ends Arsenal trophy drought