Political Headlines – Gauke surprised if May backs no deal Brexit and May meets Rees-Mogg for peace talks

Today’s political headlines include Gauke would be ‘very surprised’ if May backed a no deal Brexit,  MPs in attempt to block no-deal Brexit, May meets Rees-Mogg for peace talks and Johnson cleared in burka row. 

Gauke would be ‘very surprised’ if May backed no deal Brexit
Justice Secretary David Gauke has told the BBC’s Nick Robinson that he would be ‘very surprised’ if Theresa May decided to back a no-deal Brexit once her deal failed, and that if she did, he would find it ‘very difficult’ to remain in the cabinet. He warned about the risk of an ‘accidental no deal’ and suggested that the best way of preventing this was to support Theresa May’s deal.

MPs in attempt to block no deal Brexit
The Guardian reports that a cross-party group of MPs has tabled an amendment to the finance bill in an attempt to ensure that a no deal Brexit can only happen if MPs actively vote to proceed with it. Yvette Cooper, the group’s leader, said that the risks of no deal were ‘far too high and it would be irresponsible to let it happen’. Other signatories to the amendment include prominent figures such as Nicky Morgan, Hilary Benn, Rachel Reeves, Oliver Letwin, Nick Boles and Harriet Harman.

May meets Rees-Mogg for peace talks
According to The Times, Theresa May met Jacob Rees-Mogg and nine other Conservative MPs on Tuesday for ‘peace’ talks, during which she empathised with him over the negative press coverage he received in the aftermath of the failed coup, asking him to imagine what hers had been like for the last two and a half years. According to one attendee, May appealed for the party ‘to come together and find a way through’.

Johnson cleared in burka row
In an exclusive, The Daily Telegraph reports that Boris Johnson has been cleared of wrongdoing following an investigation into remarks he made about women wearing burkas in his newspaper column. A panel of senior lawyers concluded that he had been ‘respectful and tolerant’ of Muslims, and had been exercising his right to free speech.

Almost 600 homeless people died last year
The Financial Times carries details of experimental estimates by the Office for National Statistics which show that almost 600 homeless people died in England and Wales in 2017. 84% of them male. While mortality was highest in London, it was higher as a proportion of the population in Greater Manchester, Liverpool and the West of England.

Ivan Lewis quits Labour over delayed investigation and anti-Semitism
The BBC reports that Ivan Lewis has resigned from the Labour Party. The MP had been suspended for over a year after allegations of sexual harassment, and claimed that the investigation had been subject to ‘politically motivated delay’. He also accused Jeremy Corbyn of not condemning ‘those whose hatred of Israel becomes Jew hatred’.

Convicted MP compares herself to Jesus
The Guardian says the suspended Labour MP Fiona Onasanya, convicted of lying to police to avoid a speeding ticket, has compared herself to Jesus in a message sent to colleagues on WhatsApp, adding that her conviction was ‘the beginning of the next chapter’ of her story. It is unclear if she plans to remain as an MP if she is sentenced to less than a year.

‘Chief nanny’ calls for taxes on chocolate and crisps
The Times reports that Dame Sally Davies, the Chief Medical Officer, has declared herself to be the ‘chief nanny’, issuing a call for taxes on chocolate and crisps, with the proceeds used to subsidise vegetables. She said that voluntary efforts by the food industry had proved insufficient and that it should paid for the harm it was doing.

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