Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Sunday 3 Jun 2018

1. No-deal Brexit 'would see food run out within weeks'

Britain would run out of medicine, fuel and food within a fortnight if the UK leaves the European Union without a deal, according senior civil servants. Under a scenario drawn up for David Davis, the port of Dover would collapse "on day one" if Britain crashes out of the EU. An official said the scenario is so shocking that it has only been shared with a handful of ministers and is "locked in a safe".

2. Paper cup manufacturer says a ban is unnecessary

A manufacturer of disposable paper cups says a ban is unnecessary. Paul Synott said all paper cups produced in the UK could be recycled with better infrastructure. Synott, who is also spokesman for the Paper Cup Alliance, said despite public perception, "all paper cups produced in the UK can be recycled". However, more than 99.75% of disposable used cups in the UK do not get recycled.

3. G7 slams tariffs but Trump says US has been 'ripped off'

G7 ministers have slammed US tariffs on steel and aluminium and warned a trade war could start within "a few days". As tensions rise, US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has met Chinese Vice Premier Liu He to try to ease relations. However, US President Donald Trump insisted on Twitter that the US had been "ripped off by other countries for years on trade".

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

4. Report says legalising cannabis would fund the NHS

Legalising cannabis in the UK could earn the Treasury between £1bn and £3.5bn a year in tax revenues, a report has concluded. Health Poverty Action says the move is an "idea whose time has come" and suggests that the windfall could be used to fund the NHS. "Prohibition has failed," said a spokeswoman. The Liberal Democrats and the Greens believe in a regulated cannabis market.

5. Whale dies in Thailand after swallowing 80 plastic bags

A whale has died near the border between Thailand and Malaysia after consuming more than 80 plastic bags. A team of vets tried to help stabilise its condition but the whale died on Friday afternoon, say officials. A marine biologist said the bags had made it impossible for the whale to consume any nutritional food. "It’s a huge problem," he added.

6. Donor calls on Tories to replace May with Gove

A leading Tory donor says Michael Gove should replace Theresa May as party leader. Crispin Odey, a hedge fund manager who backed the Leave campaign, says May has shown that she cannot "carry Brexit through". He told The Observer: "There’s no point in voting for freedom if you don’t know what to do when you’re free."

7. Low-paid workers 'face 10 more years of wage squeeze'

Britain’s 10m low-paid workers face another decade of wage squeeze, according to the the Centre for Social Justice thinktank. Having seen their pay stall for two decades, those paid between £10,000 and £15,000 will see global economic competition, automation, the shift to the gig economy and a widening regional divide heap further pressure on their incomes.

8. Spain swears in socialist PM without a crucifix

Pedro Sánchez has been sworn in as the country's new prime minister after the ousting of conservative Mariano Rajoy. The socialist Sánchez, who is an atheist, took the oath without a bible or crucifix, an unprecedented act in modern Spanish history. He promised to "faithfully fulfil" his duties "with conscience and honour". He is expected to name his cabinet within days.

9. Sinn Fein supporters 'will vote DUP' because of abortion

Some Sinn Fein supporters will vote for the DUP because of the party's position on abortion, says the leader of the latter party. Arlene Foster told Sky News a lot of people were feeling "disenfranchised" by the outcome of the recent referendum in the Republic of Ireland, in which voters chose to lift the constitutional ban on abortion.

10. Ex-con Jonathan Aitken to become a prison chaplain

Jonathan Aitken, the former Tory minister and ex-prisoner, plans to work as a part-time prison chaplain. Aitken will be ordained at St Paul’s Cathedral by the first female Bishop of London, Dame Sarah Mullally. He tells The Sunday Times: "I’m every bit as excited as I was on my first day on the East Anglian Daily Times as the assistant tennis and funerals correspondent."

Continue reading for free

We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.

Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.