Archive for: Political Database

Today’s political headlines includes Corbyn’s promise to abolish SATs, Corbyn’s warning, Tory chairs plotting against May and Burgon regrets his Zionism remarks. 

Corbyn promises to abolish SATs
The Times says that Jeremy Corbyn has promised to abolish the SATs exams sat by primary school children in a bid to tackle the ‘extreme pressure’ on teachers and pupils. They would be replaced by a more flexible system, which Labour will consult on over the summer. However, the Conservatives have said that this would be a ‘retrograde’ move which would ‘keep parents in the dark’.

Corbyn warns that Government inflexibility is stalling Brexit talks
The Guardian reports that Jeremy Corbyn has said that talks over Brexit between Labour and the Government are stalling because of the Government’s plans for deregulation and a trade deal with the USA after Brexit. He said he didn’t want a ‘deregulated, low-tax society’ and hinted that he would rather hold binding Indicative votes in the Commons.

Tory chairs plot no confidence vote in May
The Daily Telegraph claims chairs of local Conservative associations are circulating a petition asking the party’s National Convention to call an emergency general meeting at which a vote of no confidence in Theresa May would be held. The party is obliged to hold the meeting if over 65 chairs sign the petition; between 40 and 50 are believed to have done so. Such a vote would not force May to resign, but it would put pressure on her.

Burgon regrets Zionism remarks
The Guardian says that the Shadow Justice Secretary Richard Burgon has expressed regret after a video of him saying ‘Zionism is the enemy of peace’ emerged. He had previously denied making such a remark, but when the evidence emerged said that ‘it is now clear that I did and I regret doing so’. The Jewish Leadership Council called for a ‘full apology’.

Javid reviews disclosure of criminal records
The Daily Telegraph reports that Home Secretary Sajid Javid is reviewing the rule which means that anyone with more than one criminal conviction will automatically have them disclosed to prospective employers for the rest of their lives. He wants to give juvenile criminals a second chance, but victims’ rights groups have raised concerns.

Electoral Commission approves Change UK’s application
The Times reports that the Electoral Commission has approved a request from The Independent Group of breakaway MPs to register a new political party under the name of Change UK ahead of next month’s European elections. However, the new party’s proposed logo has been rejected as it was ‘likely to mislead voters’.

Candidate in Tory video accused of selling fake wine
The Daily Mirror says that Gurch Singh, a council candidate in Theresa May’s constituency who appeared in the Conservatives’ most recent election broadcast ran a shop which had additional conditions placed on its licence after it was found to be stocking counterfeit wine and selling alcohol to under-age children. Singh said that the wine came from a reputable supplier and that the only proof of the sales to children came from an anonymous complaint.

Westminster at risk of Notre Dame style fire
The Sun reports that Labour MP Chris Bryant has warned that the Palace of Westminster could be ravaged by fire if a further two year delay to restoration work goes ahead. Under the revised plans work would not start until 2028. Bryant said ‘Parliament has become a potential death trap of catastrophic proportions because we have allowed years of neglect.’

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Today’s political headlines includes short notice evictions to be banned, Leadership contenders want May to stay for months, Hammond mocks Brexiteer leadership campaigners and progress unlikely in Brexit talks. 

Short notice evictions to be banned
The Guardian says that housing campaigners have backed Government plans to ban ‘no-fault evictions’, with a consultation on abolishing ‘section 21 evictions’ which allow landlords to evict tenants at short notice and with no good reason. The Government says that this is one of the main causes of family homelessness, and Theresa May said the change ‘will not only protect tenants from unethical behaviour, but also give them the long-term certainty and the peace of mind they deserve.’ The news was welcomed by Shelter but the Residential Landlords Association warned that it could result in fewer homes being available to rent.

Leadership contenders want May to stay for months
According to The Times, Cabinet contenders for the leadership want Theresa May to stay in place until the first stage of Brexit is completed, even if this takes until the end of the year. They fear that a summer leadership content would aid those, such as Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab, who want to reopen the Brexit deal. However, former leader Iain Duncan Smith yesterday called on May to step down by the end of June.

Hammond mocks Brexiteer leadership campaigners
The Daily Telegraph says Chancellor Philip Hammond used a speech in Washington to mock Brexiteer candidates in the last Conservative leadership election, saying Boris Johnson and Michael Gove formed an ‘unintended suicide pact’ while Andrea Leadsom had a ‘private suicide pact’. He also joked he was the only Tory MP not running for leader and that if a no-deal Brexit had happened he would have been visiting as the ‘designated survivor’.

Progress unlikely in Brexit talks unless red line shifts
The Guardian has been told by ‘sources close to the talks’ between Labour and the Government over Brexit that further advances are unlikely unless the Government’s red line over a customs union with the EU moves. Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington said ‘there is going to have to be movement on both sides’. Three working groups are to be established next week, covering security, environmental protection and consumers’ and workers’ rights.

Corbyn links youth service cuts to crime
The Daily Mirror reveals that Jeremy Corbyn will use a visit to an educational activity centre in Yorkshire to claim that the Conservatives have cut council spending in youth services by 70% since 2010. He will warn that ‘these cuts are creating the conditions in which crime can thrive’ and pledge to legislate ‘to guarantee quality youth services’.

NHS giving doctors cash to avoid early retirements
The Financial Times says that there is a ‘growing staffing crisis’ in the NHS, with the service topping-up doctors’ salaries with cash to help them avoid higher taxes as a result of stricter pension rules which have led many staff to take early retirement or to reduce the hours they are working. The paper warns that this ‘threatens to undermine the multibillion-pound funding injection’ announced by Theresa May last year.

Javid to make ‘veiled leadership pitch’
The Daily Telegraph reports that Home Secretary Sajid Javid is to make a speech on crime today, which it describes as a ‘veiled leadership pitch’. He will say that ‘we cannot afford to leave anyone behind’ and advocate a ‘public health’ approach to tackling knife crime, coordinating teachers, medical professionals and other branches of Government.

Lammy criticised over ‘Nazi’ remarks
The Times says that Labour MP David Lammy has been criticised after he compared Conservative Brexiteers to Nazis yesterday, saying that they should not be ‘appeased’. He said the ‘BBC should not allow this extreme hard-right fascism to flourish’, but Conservative MP Conor Burns suggested that Lammy had ‘lost it’.

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Today’s political headlines includes Corbyn saying Assange should not be extradited to the USA, Government stands down no-deal Brexit planning and May’s attempts to break the deadlock. 

Corbyn says Assange should not be extradited to the USA
As the BBC reports, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has called on the UK not to extradite Julian Assange to the USA as he had revealed ‘evidence of atrocities in Iraq and Afghanistan’. The WikiLeaks founder, who was arrested yesterday after losing the diplomatic protection which had allowed him to stay in the Ecuadorian embassy for the last seven years, faces a computer hacking charge in the USA, while Sweden is considering whether to reopen a sexual assault case against him. Theresa May said his arrest showed ‘no-one is above the law’.

Government stands down no-deal Brexit planning
Sky News has obtained an email sent to civil servants in a ‘frontline Brexit department’ announcing that the Government has ‘stood down our no-deal operational planning with immediate effect’ following a meeting chaired by Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill yesterday. A Government spokesperson said it would ‘continue to make all necessary preparations’.

May hints at using Withdrawal Agreement Bill to break deadlock
The Times says that Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn agreed to continue Brexit talks after a short meeting yesterday, with May suggesting that the two sides were closer than thought but that if no agreement could be reached they would agree on a ‘small number’ of options to put to MPs. She suggested that the Withdrawal Agreement Bill could be introduced ‘soon’ and that it might be ‘a useful forum to resolve some of the outstanding issues’.

Labour considering automatic voter registration
The Guardian reports that Cat Smith, Labour’s shadow minister for voter engagement has said that the party is considering automatic voter registration in a bid to increase turnout at elections. An estimated 7 million people in the UK are not on the electoral register and the policy has been introduced in places such as Canada and Belgium.

Johnson meets DUP leadership
The Times says that Boris Johnson and his leadership campaign team held a private meeting with the DUP’s leader Arlene Foster and deputy leader Nigel Dpdds yesterday, with a source telling the paper that potential Conservative leadership candidates wanted to ‘pay homage’ to the Northern Irish party.  Foster refused to say if she had confidence in Theresa May.

Conservative Party plans leadership contest
The Daily Mail reveals that the Conservative Party has drawn up plans for a summer leadership contest, including locations around the country for six hustings between the candidates. Yesterday, Anne Marie Morris and Greg Hands called for new leadership, but other MPs such as Ken Clarke and Nicky Morgan said Theresa May should continue.

Tory MPs may refuse to campaign in European elections
According to The Guardian, some Conservative MPs have threatened to boycott the European elections, saying that they will instruct their local associations not to campaign, claiming that they are concerned about the safety of their activists. Conservative MP Anne Marie Morris refused to rule out voting for Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party, which launches today.

May tells MPs to reflect during Easter recess
The Sun reports that it was confirmed yesterday that MPs would now enter an 11-day recess, with Theresa May telling them to use the time to ‘reflect’ on Brexit. The news came mere hours after European Council President Donald Tusk told the UK not to ‘waste’ the extension it had been granted.

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Today’s political headlines includes Tusk rejecting the short extension request, Withdrawal Agreement Bill could be voted on in days, talks between Labour and Government having no resolution and plots to end May’s premiership. 

Tusk rejects short extension request
The Guardian reports that European Council President Donald Tusk has used a letter to EU leaders ahead of their summit today to reject Theresa May’s request for a short delay to Brexit, with an EU diplomat suggesting that the leaders will instead agree an extension until either the end of this year, or until March 2020. Tusk wrote that the EU’s ‘experience so far’ and the ‘deep divisions’ among MPs meant that there was ‘little reason to believe’ that the deal would be ratified by the end of May’s proposed extension in June. He warned a short extension would lead to more ‘short extensions and emergency summits’, continuing uncertainty, overshadowing other EU business and risking an ‘accidental no-deal Brexit’.

Withdrawal Agreement Bill could be voted on in days
The Daily Mail claims that if a deal is reached with Labour, the Withdrawal Agreement Bill to ratify the deal with the EU could be put to MPs within days. One option would allow free votes on issues such as a customs union or a second referendum which, if successful, would then be incorporated. However, this is felt to be a high-risk option as Parliament would have to be prorogued if the bill failed and the Government wanted to try again.

Talks between Labour and Government over Brexit reach no resolution
The Times says that talks between Labour and the Government over Brexit ‘broke down without progress’ yesterday. According to sources, four hours of negotiation showed that the parties were ‘far away’ from each other, with Labour claiming that ministers had offered no further concessions while the Conservatives suggested that Labour was not negotiating sincerely. Discussions will resume tomorrow, but the paper suggests the lack of progress will not help Theresa May at today’s European Council summit

Local Tories debate telling May to go, while 1922 Committee plots leadership election
According to The Daily Telegraph, a number of local Conservative associations are to debate motions calling for Theresa May to be removed as party leader in an attempt to pressure MPs into taking action. The paper adds that members of the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs are working on plans for May to step down as leader on May 23 but remain as Prime Minister, allowing a new leader to be in place by July.

Tory MPs fail to vote for Article 50 extension
The Guardian reports that most Conservative MPs either voted against or abstained on a motion to approve Theresa May’s request for a delay to Brexit yesterday, with four cabinet ministers joining those abstaining. Just 31% of the MPs who voted for her proposal were Conservatives, with Brexiteers suggesting that this showed that the party would not back a softer Brexit, such as a customs union with the EU.

IMF warns of no-deal Brexit economic impact
The Financial Times reports that analysis by the International Monetary Fund shows that the British economy would be hit seven times harder than that of the EU in a no-deal Brexit scenario, and would fall into a recession. The IMF has modelled two no-deal scenarios, with the economic impact being even worse if there is also border disruption.

160 MPs make £42m profit on taxpayer-subsidised homes
The Daily Mirror reveals that 160 MPs have made a £42m profit by selling homes whose mortgage interest was paid for under the old expenses system. Beneficiaries include Michael Gove, Maria Miller and Sir Graham Brady. The former chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, Sir Alistair Graham, has suggested that they ought to ‘repay any gain’.

Stanley Johnson says he wants to be Conservative MEP
Stanley Johnson, the father of Boris Johnson and a former MEP, has confirmed to The Daily Telegraph that he has put his name forward to stand as a Conservative candidate in the forthcoming European elections, saying there was ‘a really important job to do. Current MEP David Campbell Bannerman is stepping down as it would be ‘dishonourable’ to continue.

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Today’s political headlines includes Labour expecting to hold further Brexit talks with the Government, tech firms to face new regulation, Johnson’s thoughts on Brexit latest and the majority who want a strong leader. 

Labour expects to hold further Brexit talks with Government
The BBC reports that Labour has said it is expecting to hold further talks to find a Brexit compromise with the Government, as peers continue considering a bill put forward by Yvette Cooper which would force Theresa May to request a Brexit extension, rather than accepting a no-deal Brexit. Solicitor General Robert Buckland said the likely outcome of talks was ‘something approximating a customs arrangement or customs union’. The Financial Times says French President Emmanuel Macron is demanding ‘tough political conditions’ on any Brexit extension, including guarantees that the UK will not disrupt the EU’s business.

Tech firms to face new regulation as Wright says industry has ‘reached a turning point’
Writing in The Sun, Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Jeremy Wright says that he used a face-to-face meeting with Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg to warn him that the UK had ‘reached a turning point’ over the social media firm’s failure to tackle harmful content, with new laws the ‘only option’. The Online Harms White Paper, published today, will contain new measures to make firms responsible for protecting their users, with senior management at risk of prosecution, and companies potentially being banned from the UK.

Johnson says May shouldn’t ‘surrender’ to Corbyn over customs union
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Boris Johnson insists that Conservative MPs won’t let Theresa May ‘surrender’ to Jeremy Corbyn, insisting that agreeing to a customs union with the EU ‘cannot, must not and will not happen.’ The paper adds that May has given ‘the clearest signal yet’ that she will agree a customs union, saying that a cross-party deal is needed and would require ‘compromise on both sides’.

Over half the population want a ‘strong leader’
The Times reports that new research by the Hansard Society finds that over half the population wants a ‘strong leader willing to break the rules’, with nearly-three quarters agreeing that the country’s governance needed ‘quite a lot’ or ‘a great deal’ of improvement. Ruth Fox, the society’s director said that this ‘would challenge core tenets of our democracy’ and was ‘a potentially toxic recipe for the future of British politics’.

Jewish Labour Movement says it has no confidence in Corbyn
The Guardian reports that the Jewish Labour Movement has voted for a motion of no confidence in Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party which claimed that the party was ‘institutionally antisemitic’. Separately, the party has denied a story in The Sunday Times criticising its handling of complaints about antisemitism.

No Afghan translators have arrived in the UK despite Williamson’s promise
The Daily Mail reveals that despite Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson’s pledge last June to allow 50 Afghan interpreters who had helped British troops to settle in the UK with their families, none have yet arrived despite increasing danger in their home country. So far just one interpreter has been given permission to come to the UK, and will arrive within weeks.

Brexit confusion could cause problems for EU tenants
The Guardian says that the Residential Landlords Association has warned that confusion over Brexit will cause problems for tenants from the EU, criticising the Government for not giving clear guidance about the settled status scheme. Landlords face fines of up to £5000 if they are found to be renting a property to an illegal immigrant.

Rudd plays down Johnson alliance rumours
According to The Times, Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd has been playing down suggestions that she will back Boris Johnson’s campaign for the Conservative leadership in a ‘Bamber’ alliance, which would see her become Chancellor and unite the remain and leave strands of the party.

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Today’s political headlines includes the inconclusive Brexit talks, MPs voting to force Prime Minister to request Brexit extension, Lynton Crosby’s firm linked to no-deal Brexit Facebook ads and Carney warns of alarmingly high risk of no-deal. 

Brexit talks ‘inconclusive’, Corbyn says
The Times says that both Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn are facing backlashes from their parties over their talks to try to end the Brexit deadlock, with two ministers resigning from the Government. Both sides initially said the first meeting was ‘constructive’ and announced that a working party would meet today. However, Corbyn subsequently claimed that it was ‘inconclusive’ and that May’s position had not changed as much as he’d expected. Emily Thornberry, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, has written to other members of the shadow cabinet insisting that any deal agreed by Parliament should be subject to a referendum.

MPs vote to force Prime Minister to request Brexit extension
As The Guardian reports, last night MPs voted by a margin of just one vote to back a bill tabled by Yvette Cooper and Sir Oliver Letwin which forces the Prime Minister to request an extension to the Brexit process. It passed through all of its stages in the Commons within hours and will now be considered by the Lords. An attempt by Hilary Benn to reserve Monday for further indicative votes resulted in a tie, which was broken by Speaker John Bercow, who followed precedent and voted with the Government, causing the vote to be lost.

Lynton Crosby’s firm linked to no-deal Brexit Facebook adverts
The Guardian reveals that a series of apparently separate grassroots campaigns placing adverts on Facebook backing a no-deal Brexit are actually being overseen by employees of CTF Partners, a lobbying company run by Sir Lynton Crosby, who assisted with the last four Conservative General election campaigns and has been linked to a leadership bid by Boris Johnson. It is not clear who is paying for the adverts, which may have cost as much as £1m.

Carney warns of ‘alarmingly high’ risk of no-deal Brexit
The Financial Times says Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has criticised his predecessor, Mervyn King, claiming that suggesting that a no-deal Brexit could be easily managed was ‘absolute nonsense’ and the risk of such a scenario was ‘alarmingly high’. He confirmed there was ‘absolutely no’ chance he would continue in post after January 2020.

All English regions other than London favour no-deal Brexit over remaining in the EU
According to a YouGov poll featured in The Daily Telegraph, London is the only region of England and Wales which did not believe that the UK should leave the EU without a deal rather than revoke its application to leave should no deal be agreed by 12 April. However, Scotland would also prefer to remain a member of the EU.

Windrush scandal compensation to cost up to £310m
The Daily Telegraph reports that Home Secretary Sajid Javid has announced that compensation to Windrush scandal victims will cost up to £310m, with a ‘baseline estimate’ of £200m, and there will be no cap on the amount they can claim. He said this was an attempt to ‘right the wrongs’ of ‘a terrible mistake that should not have happened’.

MPs criticise China
The Sun carries details of a new report by the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee about China. It warns of ‘troubling allegations’ about Chinese interference in British universities, recommends that Chinese companies such as Huawei shouldn’t be allowed to build vital technology, and attacks the Chinese government for supporting Russia over the Salisbury poisonings. However, it also warns against deploying naval vessels to the South China Sea.

MPs call for delay to loan charge implementation
The Financial Times says a report by the loan charge all-party parliamentary group, to which over 100 MPs belong, calls for a six month delay to the implementation of the loan charge, due to be brought in tomorrow, and for an independent review, claiming that it was a ‘cynical’ cover-up by HMRC and the policy breaks civil service and ministerial codes.

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Today’s political headlines includes MPs rejecting all Brexit options again, Sedwill warns of no-deal risks, Brexiteers to urge May to give EU ultimatum and Boles quits Tories. 

MPs reject all Brexit options again
As The Times reports, a majority of MPs again failed to back any of the alternative Brexit proposals put forward in yesterday’s indicative votes. A customs union was rejected by 3 votes, a second referendum by 12, and the ‘Common Market 2.0’ plan by 21. The Cabinet will hold a five-hour meeting today, with speculation that Theresa May could threaten Brexiteers with a general election and Chancellor Philip Hammond will warn that if the Government doesn’t put forward a compromise proposal, it should hold a referendum as neither the Conservatives or the UK can ‘afford an election’.

Sedwill warns of no-deal risks
The Daily Mail has obtained a letter warning about the risks of a no-deal Brexit from Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill to Cabinet ministers. He writes that this would force up food prices by up to 10q, disrupt national security making the UK ‘less safe’, lead to the reimposition of direct rule in Northern Ireland and cause a recession, with the Government under pressure ‘to bail out companies’.

Brexiteers to urge May to give EU ultimatum
According to The Sun, Brexiteer ministers will use today’s Cabinet meeting to press Theresa May to issue a final ultimatum to the EU – either the backstop is improved or the UK will leave with no deal in ten days. However, according to the paper consensus is growing for a run-off vote between May’s deal and a customs union with the EU.

Boles quits Tories
The Guardian reports that former minister Nick Boles quit the Conservatives yesterday, announcing his departure in the Commons after his ‘Common Market 2.0’ Brexit proposal failed. He said that he had chosen to leave because ‘my party refuses to compromise’ and would now sit as an ‘independent progressive conservative’.

MPs call for ‘Big Four’ accounting firms to be split up
The Financial Times carries details of a new report by the Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee which calls for the break-up of the ‘Big Four’ accounting firms by the Competition and Markets Authority when it publishes its final proposals for the sector in a ‘few weeks’. Committee chair Rachel Reeves said change was ‘long overdue’ and the dominance of a few firms had led to ‘audits which investors and the public cannot rely on.’

Social media firms to be fined over knife sales
According to The Daily Telegraph, the Government’s new white paper on online harms, expected next week, will announce fines for social media firms which allow the sale of knives and don’t remove violent content, such as ‘drill’ music videos. This would be policed by a regulator with the power to fine companies up to 4% of their global turnover.

Parents who home educate children to be required to register
The Times reports that Education Secretary Damian Hinds is to require parents whose children are home educated to register with local authorities, allowing intervention to take place where the standard of the education provided is too low or only a religious education is being given. If parents refuse to register, existing ‘school attendance orders’ will be used to force them to send their children to school, with other penalties under consideration.

Climate change protesters disrupt Brexit debate
The Guardian says that yesterday’s debate on Brexit in the Commons was disrupted by semi-naked climate change protesters who glued themselves to the glass of the public gallery. They were removed by the police and 12 people were arrested for outraging public decency.

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Today’s political headlines includes MPs voting on half of May’s Brexit deal, EU leaders preparing to offer UK year-long extension, Tory leadership contenders jostle for position and soft brexit backers working on compromise. 

MPs to vote on half of May’s Brexit deal
As the BBC reports, yesterday the Government announced that MPs will vote on the Withdrawal Agreement half of Theresa May’s Brexit deal today. However, Labour has confirmed that it was oppose the Government, accusing it of trying to push through a ‘blindfold Brexit’, while the DUP are also opposed, suggesting that the Government is likely to be defeated.

EU leaders prepare to offer UK year-long extension
According to The Times, if MPs fail to back the Withdrawal Agreement today, EU leaders are preparing for a special summit on April 10 at which the UK will be offered a choice of an extension of up to a year, forcing it to hold European elections in May, or a no-deal Brexit. The paper adds that preparations for the European elections are being increased, with returning officers being placed on standby.

Tory leadership contenders jostle for position
The Daily Telegraph reports on emerging contenders for the Conservative leadership, claiming that Jeremy Hunt has told colleagues that he has the definite backing of 75 MPs and the possible support of a further 25, while Sajid Javid has been trying to persuade Michael Gove to support his leadership bid. The paper adds that Dominic Raab has ‘set out his stall as the “no-deal Brexit candidate”’. The Sun claims that Liz Truss has hinted that she will also stand, announcing that she backs a Canada-style free trade deal with the EU, while a party source claimed that up to 30 MPs were considering standing.

Soft Brexit backers working on compromise options
The Guardian says that MPs who back a softer Brexit are working on compromise options to be voted on by the Commons in Monday’s round of indicative votes, including discussions with the Labour frontbench. One senior MP told the paper that they were trying to combine Labour’s alternative Brexit, Ken Clarke’s customs union proposal, and the ‘common market 2.0’ option. The Times adds that supporters of the ‘common market 2.0’ plan have been holding talks with the DUP and the SNP.

British Chambers of Commerce say that MPs have let businesses down
The Financial Times reports that Adam Marshall, the director-general of the British Chambers, told the organisation’s annual conference yesterday that MPs had ‘let British businesses down’, complaining about Brexit uncertainty and saying that politicians’ ‘tactics’ and ‘soundbites’ had left businesses in despair.

Efforts to deselect Grieve led by former UKIP candidate
The Times says that attempts by local Conservative members to deselect Dominic Grieve are being led by a man, Jon Conway, who stood against him for UKIP two years ago. He is to face a vote of no confidence today as a result of his support for a second Brexit referendum.

Former Labour members arrested as part of investigation into antisemitism dossier
The Sun reports that the police have arrested three former Labour members, including a former council candidate, on suspicion of publishing or producing ‘race hate material’, as part of an investigation into a leaked dossier of antisemitic social media posts handed to Metropolitan Police chief constable Cressida Dick during an interview on LBC.

Lord Winston demands licence plates for cyclists
The Times says that Labour peer and IVF pioneer Lord Winston is calling for cyclists to be made to carry licence plates, after he was kicked and had his phone thrown to the ground by a woman he criticised for cycling on the pavement. He told the paper that he was considering introducing a private member’s bill on the proposal.

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Today’s political headlines includes May to be pressed to set departure date, Rees-Mogg apologises for changing mind over Brexit, Ministers could resign if Government doesn’t allow free votes today and Brexit extension could see UK leave EU in April 2020. 

May to be pressed to set departure date
According to The Daily Telegraph, at today’s meeting of the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs, Theresa May is to be urged to say that she will resign by the autumn. This would lead a number of Brexiteers to withdraw their opposition to her Brexit deal. Speaking at an event organised by the paper, Boris Johnson has hinted that he might reluctantly back the deal if she did so. If she can secure enough backing, a new vote on the deal may be held on Thursday, although Michael Gove has suggested she pick Friday instead.

Rees-Mogg apologises for changing mind over Brexit deal
Writing in the Daily Mail, Jacob Rees-Mogg apologises for changing his mind and backing Theresa May’s Brexit deal, so long as the DUP also back it. He claims that it has become clear that parliamentary numbers mean that ‘all the other potential outcomes are worse’. The paper adds that the European Research Group is likely to split over the deal, with a number of ‘refuseniks’ refusing to back it under any circumstances.

Ministers could resign if Government doesn’t allow free votes today
The Daily Telegraph claims that Theresa May has been warned that up to 20 pro-European junior ministers could resign unless she allows them to vote freely on their preferred Brexit outcomes today, although no Cabinet ministers are expected to quit. The Guardian adds that Jeremy Corbyn is considering whether to back the ‘Common Market 2.0’ proposal in today’s votes, which would keep the UK in the EEA and EFTA.

Brexit extension could see UK leave EU in April 2020
The Guardian reveals that the EU is to suggest a revised Brexit date of 1 April 2020 should the UK request a longer Brexit extension in the coming weeks. The date is contained in papers prepared for use should May have opted to request a longer extension at last week’s European Council summit.

Cameron tells ministers to push for soft Brexit
The Sun claims that former Prime Minister David Cameron has been privately critical to ministers over Theresa May’s failure to pursue a cross-party Brexit compromise, urging remainer MPs to force her to back a customs union with the EU. He apparently told one MP that May would always ‘put the party’s interest first’.

Automatic speed limiters to be fitted to all new cars
The Times says that new measures adopted by the European Commission will mean that all new cars sold in the EU must be fitted with automatic speed limiting and emergency braking technology within the next three years. The Government has pledged that British vehicle standards will be aligned with those of the EU after Brexit.

Government refuses to rethink ‘loan charge’ policy
The Financial Times says that Government has refused to rethink its ‘loan charge’ policy, which will see at least 50,000 people who used loan-based tax avoidance schemes taxed in a single financial year on income on loans they received up to two decades ago, leaving them with bills of up to six figures which they say they cannot pay. Sir Ed Davey, chair of the Loan Charge All-Party Parliamentary Group, said this ‘offends against the rule of law’.

Tory MP criticised after using antisemitic term
The Guardian says that former Brexit minister Suella Braverman has been criticised by the Board of Deputies of British Jews after she used the term ‘cultural Marxism’, often linked to antisemitic conspiracy theories, in a speech. Questioned afterwards, the Conservative MP said that she stood by her use of the phrase, despite its far-right connotations.

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Today’s political headlines covers the latest Brexit developments including the EU’s agreed conditional delay and Corbyn to meet May for Brexit talks.  

EU agrees Brexit delay
As the BBC reports, the EU last night agreed an extension to the Brexit process. If Theresa May’s deal is approved next week, the UK will leave the EU on 22 May. If MPs reject it again, the UK will have until 12 April to set out its next steps or it will leave without a deal. May said that this gave MPs a ‘clear choice’. The Times adds that divisions emerged between EU leaders as they struggled to reach consensus on the way forward.

Corbyn to meet May for Brexit talks next week
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn gave the Daily Mirror an exclusive interview during his visit to Brussels yesterday, telling the paper that he will meet the Prime Minister on Monday, indicating Labour might back her deal if she shifted towards a softer Brexit. He said that Labour would ‘do everything we can to help’ Parliament come to a cross-party agreement.

No-deal plans activated
The Financial Times reports that the Government has activated various no-deal Brexit contingency plans. Ministers at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are now getting daily reports on potential food and water shortages, while the Ministry of Defence has activated a crisis management centre at its Whitehall nuclear bunker.

MPs tell May to quit over Brexit chaos
In an exclusive, The Daily Telegraph claims that Sir Graham Brady, chair of the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs, visited Theresa May on Monday to tell her that MPs want her to resign over her handling of the Brexit process. The Times says that Chief Whip Julian Smith has told Conservative MPs that May’s attempt to blame MPs for the Brexit chaos was ‘appalling’.

Johnson receives JCB donation
The Guardian reports that Boris Johnson has received £15,000 in donations from the Brexit-backing manufacturer JCB, bringing the total amount of support he has been given to nearly £140,000 since late 2018. Other Tory leadership contenders have also received donations from various sources, with Dominic Raab receiving over £50,000 this month.

MPs warn of Brexit abuse
The Daily Mirror reports that Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle has said that a Brexiteer tried to assault him while he was out in his constituency, bending his glasses. He accused Theresa May of having used her speech on Wednesday to whip up ‘fear and division’. The Daily Telegraph says that Deputy Speaker Lindsay Hoyle has advised MPs to travel home by cab to avoid ‘abuse and intimidation’.

MPs ‘clueless’ about technology
The Sun reports that Matthew Taylor, head of the RSA and the Government’s gig economy advisor, has warned that MPs are ‘clueless’ about the impact of technology on the workforce, with a survey finding that less than half of MPs felt they had the expertise to make judgements on tech policy. He has published a repot setting out a five point plan.

Labour launches local election campaign
The Guardian says that Labour’s deputy chair Ian Lavery used the launch of the party’s local election campaign, held in Stoke-on-Trent, to warn that the most deprived areas of the country were being worst affected by cuts to local government funding. Figures published by the party show that the ten most deprived councils have suffered above average cuts.

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