These three things will change the world today.
1. Hungary’s Momentum movement is aiming for power
After successfully forcing Budapest to abandon its 2024 Olympic bid, political movement Momentum are setting their eyes on power.
Go deeper with GlobalData
The group, made out of young professionals and students, campaigned against the city’s bid to host the Olympics, saying that Hungary wasn’t rich enough yet to host the Games. After collecting over 266,000 signatures the city has been forced to step down from the bid.
Momentum has now announced plans to set itself up as a political party and launch a campaign for government next year. Political analysts have said the party could have a shot at winning seats and being a real threat to right-wing prime minister Viktor Orban.
Opposition groups have struggled to have an impact on major issues since Orban gained power in 2010 and began centralising control in the hands of the ruling Fidesz party.
Zoltan Novak, project director at the Centre for Fair Political Analysis, a Budapest-based think-tank, told Reuters the challenge Momentum created around the Olympic bid was “painful” for Fidesz.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataHe believes that if Momentum can attract enough young voters, “they have a realistic chance of getting into parliament in 2018. We don’t know at this stage how strong the movement is.”
2. UK Stoke Central by-election
The main parliamentary constituency in Stoke-On-Trent, Stoke Central, is having a by-election today after Labour MP Tristram Hunt stepped down earlier this year.
Labour has held Stoke constantly since the 1950s, but UKIP have been encroaching on Labour’s hold. In the last election in 2015, Labour won 39.3 percent of the vote, but UKIOP came second with 22.7 percent.
In addition, Stoke voted overwhelmingly for Brexit – it was dubbed the ‘Brexit capital’ of the country as it had the highest proportion of those who wanted out of the EU. Around 65 percent of people in Stoke voted leave.
As a result, Stoke has been heavily targeted by UKIP, with party leader Paul Nuttall standing in the area, and running a controversial campaign to be the new MP. If he wins the seat he will be UKIP’s second MP and the first of the party’s leaders to gain power, something ex-leader Nigel Farage never managed to achieve.
As well, it would be a major signal that Labour is struggling as this area was once considered the party’s heartland. A recent Guardian/ICM national poll put the party 18 points behind the Conservatives.
3. New regulations are being proposed for self-driving cars
A new Vehicle Technology and Aviation Bill has set its sights on regulating self-driving cars.
According to proposals by MPs, insurance cover for the autonomous vehicles must offer protection for when the driver is in control and when the vehicle is in charge.
This is to ensure it is easy for accident victims to claim compensation if a collision occurs when the cars are in automatic mode.
Insurers could still try to recover their costs from the vehicles’ developer however if the owner of the car makes an unauthorised change to the software or fails to install an update then they would be liable too.
The Department of Transport will determine which cars are classified as self-driving.
Autonomous cars are already being tested on UK roads, however car companies believe it could be more than 10 years before we see the vehicles for sale or to hire by the general public.
