Political Headlines – Michael Gove, House of Lords, Galileo, Sajid Javid
Today’s Political Headlines include Gove’s leaked letter, public perceptions of the House of Lords and the role of the EU’s Galileo programme.
Gove criticises Hammond in leaked letter
The Daily Telegraph has seen a letter sent by Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Michael Gove to the Chancellor Philip Hammond. In the letter, Gove accuses Hammond of being ‘short-sighted’ about Brexit and inflicting a ‘damaging blow’ to the Conservatives’ environmental credibility. He blames the Treasury for a defeat over environmental protections after Brexit last week and for blocking plans for give a new environmental watchdog the power to fine the Government and local authorities.
Lords of out tune with the will of the people, new poll finds
The Daily Mail says that a new poll has found that 76% of people agree that the House of Lords is ‘out of tune with the will of the British people’, with even more agreeing that it is an ‘outdated throwback’. Just 17% of respondents think that the House of Lords should be left untouched. Iain Duncan Smith said that peers should take the findings as a ‘warning’.
Galileo programme ‘key flashpoint’ in Brexit negotiations
The Daily Telegraph reports that the EU’s Galileo satellite navigation programme has become a ‘key flashpoint’ in Brexit negotiations this week. The UK has accused Brussels of not honouring promises made during the Brexit Bill negotiations by shutting British businesses out of the system, despite the UK having agreed not to demand its share of the costs back in return for continued access in the post-Brexit security partnership.
Javid promises new deal for police
The Sun says that Home Secretary Sajid Javid will promise ‘overstretched’ police chiefs a new deal when he addresses the Police Federation today. The paper says that this will mark a ‘seismic change of tone’ from that of Theresa May. An aide told the paper that while no new spending would be promised today, Javid wanted the Treasury to release more money.
Brexit leaves households £900 a year worse off, Bank of England says
The Times reports that the Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, claimed yesterday that households were at least £900 a year worse off and the economy as much as £40bn smaller as a result of Brexit. Boris Johnson claimed that Brexit had ‘absolutely not’ damaged the country’s interests.
May under growing pressure over customs union from Brexiteers
The Guardian claims that Theresa May is facing ‘growing pressure’ from Brexiteers to fully leave the customs union. Boris Johnson said that the UK should leave it with ‘confidence and brio and zap and dynamism’, Michael Gove said that the backstop should only be in place for a ‘short time’ and Jacob Rees-Mogg questioned if the Government ‘really wants to leave at all’. Separately, the BBC reports that Philip Hammond told the CBI’s annual dinner that staying in the customs union was not necessary.
Boris calls for ‘Brexit plane’
According to the Daily Mirror Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has ‘sparked outrage’ by calling for a private jet. Speaking on a trip to South America, Johnson complained that the plane shared by the Prime Minister, cabinet ministers and the royal family ‘never seems to be available’ and agreed with a reporter’s suggestion that he needed a ‘Brexit plane’.
UK becoming Europe’s cocaine capital, minister warns
The BBC reports that Security Minister Ben Wallace has said that the UK ‘is fast becoming the biggest consumer of cocaine in Europe’. Speaking during a debate on the Government’s serious violence strategy, he said that he wished he had more money and promised to bring forward new measures to crack down on knife possession and extend stop and search powers within weeks.
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