Archive for: Political Database

Today’s Political Headlines include grammar school expansion, May’s two Brexit groups, Ministry of Defence spending plans and Leave.EU’s breach of election law. 

Government announces funding for grammar school expansion
The Daily Telegraph reports that Damian Hinds, the Education Secretary, will announce today a £50m Selective Schools Expansion Fund, allowing grammar schools to create up to 16,000 extra places over the next four years. He told the paper that grammar schools will be allowed to set lower pass marks in their entrance exams for disadvantaged children and that he was making money available to create new Voluntary Aided faith schools.

May divides Brexit sub-committee into two customs working groups
The Times reports that Theresa May has divided her Brexit cabinet sub-committee into two groups: one working on her favoured customs partnership plans, and one working on the ‘max-fac’ plan favoured by Brexiteers. The Financial Times adds that the Prime Minister has postponed Brexit legislation over fears that she could be defeated and does not expect a breakthrough on customs and border issues next week. The Guardian says that Labour backbenchers are keeping up their fight for Jeremy Corbyn to reconsider his opposition to EEA membership, as new polling shows majority support for a vote on the deal.

Ministry of Defence spending plans criticised by MPs
The BBC says that the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee has criticised the Ministry of Defence’s spending plans for being unrealistic, warning that they could be more than £20bn over budget. The Ministry of Defence claimed that MPs were highlighting an ‘unlikely worst-case scenario’. According to the Financial Times, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is to call for foreign companies to be blocked from a £1bn Royal Navy contract, which the paper warns ‘could push up costs for the stretched Ministry of Defence’.

Leave.EU fined for breaching election law
The BBC reports that Leave.EU has been fined £70,000 for breaching election law during the referendum on EU membership. The group failed to report at least £77,380 it spent and a senior figure has been referred to the police. Co-founder Arron Banks has claimed that this is a ‘politically motivated attack’.

Blair called on to apologise for rendition of dissident to Libya
The Times says that Tony Blair is being called on to apologise for the rendition to Libya of Abdul Hakim Belhaj, an opponent of the Gaddafi regime, and Fatima Boudchar, his pregnant wife, in 2014. Yesterday, Theresa May formally apologised to the couple as part of an out-of-court settlement.

MPs to debate votes at 16
The Daily Mail reports that MPs will debate a bill put forward by Labour MP Peter Kyle this morning, which would lower the voting age to 16 and put a polling station in every school. The paper reports that a growing number of Conservative MPs support the measure, with British Youth Council figures showing it has the backing of at least 314 out of 650 MPs.

Hunt and Hammond arguing about NHS budget increase
According to The Guardian, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Chancellor Philip Hammond are in dispute over a funding increase for the NHS. Hunt wants the NHS budget to grow by at least £5.2bn a year but Hammond favours an increase of around £3.25bn. The Prime Minister is expected to announce an increase around 7 July, the NHS’s 70th birthday.

Prime Minister ‘blasted’ by Grenfell families
The Daily Mirror says that families of those who died in the fire at Grenfell Tower have ‘blasted’ the Prime Minister following a meeting. The relatives want new members to be added to the panel leading the public inquiry, with a petition on the topic to be debated by MPs on Monday. However, Theresa May refused to commit herself either way in the meeting.

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Today’s Political Headlines include Government defeat in the Lords (again), the Iran deal, Windrush errors and clashes over Northern Ireland. 

Government defeated by peers in single market vote
The Guardian reports that a shock defeat for the Government in the Lords will lead to MPs voting on remaining in the European Economic Area. 83 Labour peers voted against the party’s whip on an amendment for continued membership of the EEA. The Times says that Boris Johnson has dared Theresa May to fire him, with friends indicating that he has no intention of resigning despite describing the Prime Minister’s favoured customs plan as ‘crazy’. The Daily Telegraph suggests that May could bypass deadlock over this plan by putting it to the full Cabinet, rather than its Brexit sub-committee. According to the Financial Times, the Department for International Trade will get an additional £10m to prevent the loss of trade promotion jobs.

UK remains committed to Iran deal, despite US withdrawal
The BBC reports that the UK has insisted that it remains committed to the Iran nuclear deal, despite the decision of US President Donald Trump to abandon it. In a joint statement with France and Germany, the Prime Minister said that the agreement ‘remains important for our shared security’. Labour accused the President of a ‘reckless, senseless and immoral act of diplomatic sabotage’.

Home Office warned about Windrush errors five years ago
According to The Guardian, the Home Office was warned that Windrush generation residents had been incorrectly classified as being in the country illegally as long ago as 2013. The paper says that this undermines claims made by the department that it had thought that only a small number of people were affected by the scandal.

Cabinet clashes over plans to investigate killings by troops in Northern Ireland
The Sun claims that Cabinet ministers have clashed over plans to set up a new investigation unit into all 302 killings by troops during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The plans, put forward by Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley, will now be decided on by the Prime Minister after they were attacked by Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox and Brexit Secretary David Davis.

Hugh Grant urges MPs to vote for press reforms
The Daily Telegraph says that Hugh Grant has been persuading Conservative MPs to vote for Labour amendments which the paper claims amount to ‘curbs on press freedom’. Grant held a series of one-on-one meetings, and ten Conservative MPs are considering rebelling against the Government. Writing in the paper, Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Matt Hancock claims that the measures would ‘undermine the freedom of our press’.

Abrahams ousted from Labour’s frontbench after bullying investigation
The BBC reports that Debbie Abrahams has been sacked as Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary following an investigation into claims of workplace bullying. Abrahams, who was suspended from the role earlier this year, claims that the probe was ‘neither thorough, fair, nor independent’ and ‘strongly refutes’ the claims.

Heidi Alexander quits as MP
As The Guardian reports, Heidi Alexander is to stand down as the Labour MP for Lewisham East to take up the role of London’s Deputy Mayor for Transport, replacing Val Shawcross. The paper suggests that the Labour candidacy will prompt a battle between Momentum, trades unionists and Labour centrists, who control the local party’s executive.

Security firms could be banned from helping EU with Galileo programme
The Times claims the Government is investigating ways of banning technology companies from transferring sensitive information to Europe, if the EU blocks the UK from the Galileo satellite navigation system. The paper claims that there is ‘growing alarm in Westminster’ that the EU’s approach could threaten the future defence and security co-operation treaty.

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Today’s Political Headlines include mixed local election results, Sinn Féin’s Órfhlaith Begley wins West Tyrone by-election, more claims against John Bercow and departments in the dark. 

Mixed results for Conservatives and Labour in England local elections
Results are coming in from the local elections across the country, with 150 areas electing councillors, including all London boroughs. The Independent reports that although early results indicated that Labour had made gains in London they failed to take key London councils such as Barnet, Kensington and Chelsea, Wandsworth and Westminster. The Guardian reports that on a varied night for the leading parties, early analysis suggested a 1% swing to the Conservatives outside London, but a swing to Labour in the capital.

Sinn Féin’s Órfhlaith Begley wins West Tyrone by-election
Sinn Féin’s Órfhlaith Begley has won the West Tyrone by-election. The poll was triggered by the resignation of Sinn Féin’s Barry McElduff in January. The turnout was 55.13%. The BBC reports that police arrested a man on suspicion of possessing a firearm with intent following an incident at a polling station in Greencastle. It is understood after handing over his ballot paper, the man produced what appeared to be a handgun.

Further claims have emerged against speaker John Bercow
According to The Guardian, Bercow has faced fresh allegations of bullying, with parliament’s former Black Rod saying John Bercow’s ‘intemperate behaviour’ is ‘unworthy of someone in such public office’. It comes as Downing Street backed calls for a full investigation into bullying in Parliament, after former private secretary Angus Sinclair claimed Mr Bercow had verbally abused him and smashed a phone on a desk in a fit of rage. 

Committee report finds that Defra and International Trade departments are ‘in the dark’ over Brexit preparations
The BBC reports that a report from the Public Accounts Committee has found that the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Department for International Trade face an unprecedented challenge in preparing for Brexit. The two departments appear to lack a ‘clear plan’ of priorities.

European parliament and commission to keep UK outpost at former Conservative HQ
The Guardian has an exclusive report explaining how the EU plans to defy Tory Brexiteers and retain its offices in London. High-profile Brexiters had called last year for the EU to hand back the large red-brick building that was previously Margaret Thatcher’s headquarters and the scene of her general election victories.

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Today’s Political Headlines include Bercow accused of bullying, rebels threatening Government ‘collapse’, May rejected Rudd’s plans to exclude doctors from migration quotas and dirty money. 

Bercow accused of bullying by former private secretary
Speaking to BBC Newsnight, Angus Sinclair, John Bercow’s former private secretary accused the Speaker of bullying. By speaking about his experiences, Sinclair was breaking the terms of a non-disclosure agreement signed in 2010, as part of a deal in which he was paid £86,250, but said that he felt that this was ‘in the public interest’. Bercow has denied the accusations, which follow similar ones about Sinclair’s successor, Kate Emms.

Eurosceptic MPs threaten Government ‘collapse’ over customs plans
The Daily Telegraph says that sixty Conservative MPs from the European Research Group led by Jacob Rees-Mogg have sent the Prime Minister a thirty page dossier opposing plans for a post-Brexit customs partnership with the EU, warning that the Government will ‘collapse’ if she continues with them. According to The Guardian, the Cabinet Brexit sub-committee will not decide on the policy today, in order to head off a rebellion.

May rejected plans to exclude doctors from migration quotas
The Financial Times reports that Theresa May rejected calls from Amber Rudd to exempt doctors coming to work in the NHS from quotas for highly skilled migrants and claims that the Home Office may have falsely accused up to 7,000 foreign students of faking their English proficiency and ordered them to leave the country. The Guardian says that Labour is to use a parliamentary procedure to try to force the Government to publish papers relating to the Windrush scandal, The Daily Telegraph raises fears of another scandal over the deportation of highly-skilled migrants for minor tax errors, and The Times reports that ministers are investigating claims that an official received a bonus for deporting illegal migrants.

Government backs down over ‘dirty money’ amendment
The Guardian says that the UK’s overseas territories will be forced to adopt public registers of company ownership by the end of the decade, after the Government conceded its support to a backbench amendment designed to hamper the flow of ‘dirty money’. The amendment was tabled by Conservative MP Andrew Mitchell and Labour MP Margaret Hodge.

Brexit thinktank founder accused of working for Russia
The Times reports that Bob Seely, a Conservative MP, has accused Christopher Chandler, founder of the pro-Brexit thinktank the Legatum Institute of being a suspected Russian agent. He cited security files, authenticated by French, British and American sources. The institute has dismissed the claims as ‘complete nonsense’.

Cabinet ministers warn that local elections could lock Tories out of London
According to The Daily Telegraph, cabinet ministers have privately warned that Thursday’s local elections could lock the Conservatives out of London ‘for a generation’, which could be ‘hugely damaging’ to Theresa May’s leadership. Conservative strongholds such as Westminster or Wandsworth could be lost, the paper suggests.

Hammond threatens to disrupt EU’s Galileo project
The Financial Times claims that Chancellor Philip Hammond wants to undermine the EU’s Galileo satellite navigation project by disrupting the transfer of encryption technology from the UK, following the EU’s decision to bar UK companies from sensitive parts of the project.

Home Office undermining modern slavery strategy, report says
The Times says that a Public Accounts Committee report finds that Home Office failings are undermining the Government’s modern slavery strategy. The report claims the department does not know if the strategy is working and is taking too long to turn it into action.

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Today’s Political Headlines include Rudd’s resignation, utility companies avoiding roads, capping interest payments and David Davis backlash. 

Rudd resigns, having ‘inadvertently misled’ Parliament
Home Secretary Amber Rudd resigned last night, admitting that she ‘inadvertently misled’ MPs over targets for removing illegal immigrants, the BBC reports. The BBC expects her successor to be announced ‘within hours’. Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott said that Amber Rudd had ‘done the right thing’, but that as ‘architect of the crisis’ Theresa May must come before the Commons to explain what she knew.

Government plans to order utility companies to avoid roads
The Times reveals that the Government intends to order utility companies to put new pipes or cables under pavements and verges under plans to cut congestion and reduce potholes. The paper has conducted an investigation into British roads, which also finds that they are 27th for quality in the world, the use of variable speed limits will be cut and that local councils are using bureaucratic measures to avoid repairing potholes.

Labour announces plans to cap interest payments and overdraft fees
The Financial Times reports that Labour is to announce plans to cap the total amount that can be paid in overdraft fees or interest payments in order to help those caught in a ‘debt trap’. The party proposes that the cap on charges by payday lenders should be extended by the Financial Conduct Authority to cover the cost of overdraft borrowing.

Davis faces backlash after urging Prime Minister to ignore top Brexit civil servant
According to The Daily Telegraph, Brexit Secretary David Davis is facing a backlash over claims he told the Prime Minister to ignore a customs partnership plan backed by Oliver Robbins, her top Brexit civil servant. Writing in The Sun, Davis warns that a bid by the House of Lords to let Parliament control the negotiations would lead to a major constitutional crisis. The paper also claims that a senior cabinet minister has told it that May’s favoured customs plan ‘would be a disaster’. DUP leader Arlene Foster has told the BBC that Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, does not understand the unionist stance on Brexit.

McDonnell dismisses Russian Twitter bot claims
According to The Guardian, John McDonnell has said that claims made by The Sunday Times that Labour was supported by Russian Twitter bots during the general election are similar to smears against Neil Kinnock before the 1992 election. He dismissed the assertion that 6,500 suspect accounts published pro-Corbyn, anti-Conservative messages as ‘ludicrous’.

£15 congestion charge may be imposed at Heathrow
The Daily Telegraph reports that Heathrow may impose a £15 congestion charge on 82 miles of road surrounding the airport in a bid to meet emissions targets. The airport is consulting on the plans, which it views as a ‘last resort’, but according to ‘Whitehall sources’ Transport Secretary Chris Grayling believes they are the only realistic way to meet emissions targets.

Hancock to hold talks with FA over Wembley sale
In an exclusive, The Sun reveals that Culture Secretary Matt Hancock is to hold talks with the Football Association to ensure that Wembley remains England’s base ‘for generations to come’. The paper claims that ministers are ‘furious’ that the FA did not give the Government a warning about how advanced talks to sell the stadium were.

Politicians call for Sainsbury’s-ASDA deal to be investigated
As the BBC reports, senior politicians have called for an investigation into the deal between Sainsbury’s and Walmart-owned ASDA. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable warned that local monopolies would be created, while Shadow Business Secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey expressed concern about the impact on suppliers.

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Today’s Political Headlines include the UK attempting to outmanoeuvre the EU, Home Office migrant targets, Raab’s aide selling sex and Tory rebels forcing the Government to be more transparent. 

UK to try to outmanoeuvre EU on post-Brexit relationship
The Sun says that the Government has agreed a ‘high-risk’ plan to publish a post-Brexit trade deal wish list. It will publish the draft text of the political statement on the future relationship in a bid to outmanoeuvre the EU. The Daily Mail warns that British citizens may have to pay £6 every time they visit the EU after Brexit, while The Daily Telegraph says that the DUP has threatened to bring down the Government if the UK stays in the customs union or single market after Brexit, ahead of a symbolic vote by MPs on the customs union today.

Home Office had migrant removal targets
The BBC reports that immigration enforcement teams had been set targets to remove people with no right to stay in the country. Giving evidence to MPs over the Windrush scandal, Home Secretary Amber Rudd had denied that targets were currently in use, but a report shows that they existed in December 2015.

Raab aide caught selling sex online, sparking security fears
In an exclusive, the Daily Mirror reveals that an aide to Housing Minister Dominic Raab has been caught selling sex to ‘sugar daddies’, telling an undercover reporter that ‘I know everything about him. I know his every move’. The paper calls this a ‘huge potential security breach’ as it makes the aide a possible blackmail target.

Tory rebels to force Government to make overseas territories more transparent
The Times claims that new laws forcing the UK’s overseas territories to improve transparency and expose ‘corrupt Russian oligarchs’ are to be forced on the Government. A coalition of Tory rebels, Labour, the SNP and other opposition parties will challenge the Government next week. Andrew Mitchell, leader of the rebels, said that he had the backing of 19 Conservative backbenchers.

£300m investment in AI in new sector deal
The Financial Times reports that the Government is to invest £300m into artificial intelligence research in a bid to fend off competition from France and Germany. The new AI sector deal will be jointly overseen by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Food and drink firms join forces to eliminate plastic
The Daily Mail says that 42 of the UK’s supermarkets and food and drink firms have joined forces to create the ‘UK Plastics Pact’. They have agreed to eliminate non-reusable packaging by 2025, in a move backed by Environment Secretary Michael Gove.

Task force to support veterans will be announced today
The Sun says that the Government is to launch a task force of ministers from every department to support veterans. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson will launch the Veterans Strategy today at a meeting of the Ministerial Covenant and Veterans Board.

Heidi Alexander may quit Commons to work for Mayor of London
According to The Guardian, Labour MP Heidi Alexander is considering leaving the House of Commons in order to work for the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, in a ‘prominent role’. The Lewisham East MP quit the frontbench in protest in 2016 and co-chairs Labour’s campaign for the single market.

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Today’s Political Headlines include Rudd vowing to change the Home Office culture, Corbyn meeting Jewish leaders, Government suffering Brexit defeat in the Lords, and the border issues. 

Rudd vows to change Home Office culture
The Times says that Amber Rudd has promised to change the culture of the Home Office, amid concerns that the Windrush scandal could lead the Tories to lose ethic minority support. An emergency package of measures announced by the Home Secretary will see every Commonwealth citizen who arrived in the UK between 1948 and 1988 offered citizenship or settled status. According to the Financial Times, she has also claimed that the post-Brexit registration system for EU nationals will be ‘as easy to use as setting up an online account at LK Bennett’.

Corbyn to meet Jewish leaders
The BBC reports that Jeremy Corbyn is to meet the Jewish Leadership Council and the Board of Deputies of British Jews today to discuss the steps he has taken to address antisemitism in the Labour Party. The bodies want disciplinary cases to be sped up and elected officials to be thrown out if they share a platform with offenders.

Government suffers third Brexit defeat in Lords
The Guardian reports that the Government was defeated on the EU Withdrawal Bill in the House of Lords yesterday, with peers voting by a majority of 77 to keep the fundamental charter of EU rights in force after Brexit. The Government also lost a series of other votes that could have given ministers the power to restrict the use of EU law principles to challenge the Government, but won a vote on public health protection.

EU note suggests their border plan may not work
The Times has seen a ‘confidential diplomatic note’ in which the European Commission and other EU negotiators admit that their ‘backstop’ plan to prevent a hard border in Ireland after Brexit will not work, as Northern Ireland could become a loophole in the single market.

May urged to confront pro-EU rebels
According to The Sun, Theresa May is being urged by her allies to confront pro-EU rebels with a vote in the Commons, with the paper reporting that May will instead tell ministers to stay away from a debate on the customs union on Thursday. Allies have apparently warned May that avoiding confrontation is ‘emboldening Brussels negotiators’.

MPs launch inquiry into hand car washes
The BBC reports that the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee has launched an inquiry into hand car washes, investigating concerns that they are damaging the environment and exploiting workers. Committee chair Mary Creagh said that though the washes were ‘cheap and convenient’, prices may be ‘too good to be true’.

Food banks hand out record number of meals
The Daily Mirror reports that the Trussell Trust, the UK’s largest food bank operator, handed out nearly 12 million meals in the last year, a record number and an increase of 13% on the last year. The trust called on the Government to increase benefits in line with the cost of essentials and said that some claimants had been ‘let down’ by the Universal Credit rollout.

Government nearing deal over plans to cut gambling machine stakes
The Times says that the Treasury has now signalled that a deal has been reached on plans to cut the maximum stake on highly addictive gambling machines to £2. Allies of the Chancellor said that an agreement with Culture Secretary Matt Hancock was ‘very nearly there’ and that levies on other forms of gambling would increase to replace lost revenue.

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Today’s Political Headlines include the EU rejecting the UK’s border proposals, Cabinet split over post-Brexit immigration, Rudd passing blame over Windrush and Brexit bill still uncertain. 

EU rejects UK’s border proposals, while three Conservative MPs back customs union
The Daily Telegraph reports that the EU has rejected the UK’s proposals for avoiding a hard border in Northern Ireland, in what a source called a ‘systematic and forensic annihilation’. The paper says that the Prime Minister may now have no choice but to stay in a customs union with the EU if she wants to avoid a hard border in Northern Ireland. The EU has also suspended its internal discussion on the EU-UK trade deal, pending a resolution to the ‘impasse’, while Theresa May is to hold weekly meetings of her Brexit ‘war cabinet’. The Guardian says that three Conservative select committee chairs have signed a motion urging the Government to remain in a customs union with the EU.

Cabinet split over post-Brexit immigration policy delays
The Times claims that the Cabinet is split over delays to the country’s post-Brexit immigration policy, with Home Secretary Amber Rudd being urged to speed up the bill by Brexit-supporting ministers. The bill is currently scheduled to be introduced early next year and Brexiteers are concerned that it has been delayed so that preferential access for EU workers can be part of the Brexit negotiations.

Union chief accuses Rudd of blaming staff over Windrush scandal
The Guardian says that Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA union has accused Amber Rudd of blaming civil service staff for the Windrush scandal in an attempt to deflect from the Government’s hostile policies, a claim which has been backed by Nick Clegg. The paper adds that official accounts appear to contradict the claim of Theresa May’s former advisor Nick Timothy that May attempted to block the controversial ‘go home’ vans.

Brexit bill still uncertain according to NAO
The BBC reports that a National Audit Office report has found that the total cost of the Brexit ‘divorce’ bill is still uncertain. It said that the Government’s figure of £35-39bn was a ‘reasonable estimate’ but that it could increase or decrease as a result of ‘relatively small changes’ to things such as inflation, the exchange rate and the UK’s economic performance.

McDonnell says Labour less of a threat to the City than the Conservatives
The Financial Times carries details of a speech by Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell yesterday, in which he told the City of London that the Conservatives’ ‘mishandled Brexit’ posed more of a threat than Labour’s plans for higher taxes and more intervention in business. He told City executives that they would have ‘a seat at the policymaking table’.

Commonwealth meets to determine whether Prince Charles will succeed the Queen
The BBC says that Commonwealth leaders are to meet behind closed doors later today to decide whether Prince Charles will succeed the Queen as head of the Commonwealth. Yesterday the Queen said that it was her ‘sincere wish’ that he would take over ‘one day’.

Cable calls for tech firms to be broken up
The Guardian reports on a speech by Sir Vince Cable, leader of the Liberal Democrats. He called for the large tech firms, such as Google, Amazon and Facebook, to be broken up. He suggested that the EU was better placed to do this than national governments and that it was worth considering whether the public should be paid for the use of their data.

Jowell becomes first patient to give data to new global cancer database
The Daily Mirror reports that Baroness Tessa Jowell is the first patient to give her medical data to a new global cancer database. Her daughter, Jess Mills, says that Jowell ‘feels a deep sense of responsibility’ to give a voice to patients and help other cancer sufferers.

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Today’s Political Headlines include the destruction of Windrush documentation, Labour antisemitism, Parliament backing May on Syria and Arron Banks staff working on Brexit. 

Labour calls on Government to explain the destruction of Windrush landing cards
The Guardian reports that Labour is calling on the Government to explain the destruction of thousands of landing cards containing information about the Windrush migrants. David Lammy said that the problems being faced by the Windrush generation were ‘a direct result of systemic incompetence, callousness and cruelty within our immigration system.’ The Home Office said that the cards did not provide ‘reliable evidence’ and that their retention could have breached ‘data protection’ principles.

Antisemitism in Labour raised in Parliamentary debate
The Times says that Labour’s antisemitism row intensified after three of the party’s Jewish MPs received standing ovations in the Commons after attacking the way it had handled the issue. Jewish leaders have also said that they will boycott a meeting with Jeremy Corbyn next week after it emerged that a hard-left group which denies that Labour has a problem with antisemitism had also been invited.

Parliament backs May on Syria, as NAO warns armed forces ill-equipped to handle cyber-attacks
The Times reports that Theresa May has received backing from the Commons for her decision not to consult Parliament for missile strikes on the Syrian regime, with a vote freeing Theresa May’s hands for future intervention. The Daily Telegraph adds that a report by the National Audit Office claims that the UK’s armed forces are ill-equipped to handle the increasing threat of cyber-attacks from Russia and a new era of ‘electronic warfare’.

Staff employed by Arron Banks worked on Brexit campaign
The Guardian reports that a former Cambridge Analytica employee has told the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sports Committee that insurance companies owned by Arron Banks, the key backer of Leave.EU, were used as part of the Brexit campaign. Brittany Kaiser, the former business development director, said that she saw employees staffing a Leave.EU call centre.

EU takes action to prepare for no-deal Brexit
The Financial Times claims that the European Commission is to issue dozens of legal proposals over the next ten weeks to prepare the EU for a no-deal Brexit. Diplomats have been told that the measures will cover a wide range of areas. Separately, the paper also reports that the Government has asked the Supreme Court to rule on emergency Brexit legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly.

Senior police officer says police ‘too slow to change’ after Lawrence death
The Guardian has interviewed Chief Constable Jon Boucher, the national police chiefs’ lead on race and religion to mark the 25th anniversary of the death of Stephen Lawrence. He told the paper that the police had been too slow to improve their record on race and that he was challenging his fellow leaders to do more.

Gove calls on Premier League to lead fight against plastics
Environment Secretary Michael Gove is to call on Premier League bosses to lead the charge against plastics, The Sun reports. He will be meeting sports leaders on a warship as part of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, suggesting measures such as giving fans cashback when they return used cups.

De La Rue abandons plan to appeal passport decision
The BBC says that De La Rue has abandoned its plan to appeal against the Government’s decision to award a contract to make the UK’s new passports to the Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto. The firm had originally described the decision as ‘shocking’ but said that it had ‘submitted the highest quality and technically most secure bid’.

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Today’s Political Headlines include Theresa May facing questions on Syria, the rise of personal health budgets, the meeting of the Commonwealth heads and the Government’s rejection of a Windrush issues discussion. 

Theresa May to face MPs’ questions over Syrian air strikes
The BBC says that Theresa May is to face questions from MPs today about her decision to authorise air strikes against the Syrian government. Opposition parties have criticised the decision not to consult MPs, with Labour calling for a change in the law. The Daily Telegraph reports that Russia has launched a ‘dirty tricks’ campaign against the UK and the US in retaliation, with Whitehall sources citing a 20-fold increase in Russian disinformation online.

Personal health budgets to be available to more patients
The Times reports that the Government wants to increase the number of people with ‘personal health budget’ from 23,000 to 350,000. Under the scheme, people will have the right to select and pay for treatments they want, so long as they are approved by a doctor. The scheme will be widened to include people with mental health problems, dementia, physical and learning disabilities, army veterans and wheelchair users.

London set to host Commonwealth meeting for the first time in 20 years
As the Financial Times reports, London is hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting for the first time in twenty years. Theresa May is to use the opportunity to pledge to put the 52 other Commonwealth nations at the heart of ‘global Britain’. The Daily Telegraph says that Theresa May is establishing a £7m fund for female entrepreneurs in the Commonwealth, and that Jeremy Corbyn has said that the Prince of Wales should not automatically succeed the Queen as head of the organisation.

Government rejects request to discuss Windrush generation immigration issues
The Guardian says that Downing Street has rejected a formal diplomatic request from representatives of 12 Caribbean countries to discuss the immigration problems being experienced by some Windrush-generation British residents. Officials have said that there will be ‘a number of opportunities’ for the matter to be raised with the Prime Minister at the Commonwealth meeting.

NHS Digital criticised over data protection
The Financial Times carries details of a report by the Commons Health and Social Care Committee, which finds that NHS Digital ‘appears unable to protect patient data’. The committee expressed concern that personal non-medical information had been shared with the Home Office in order to trace illegal immigrants.

Pro-EU MPs launch campaign for a ‘people’s vote’ on the deal
The Guardian reports that MPs and celebrities have launched a campaign for a ‘people’s vote’ in the final Brexit deal. The MPs involved in the campaign include Anna Soubry, Chuka Umunna, Caroline Lucas and Layla Moran. Separately, the Financial Times expects the House of Lords to vote to remain in a customs union with the EU this week.

Lords report recommends sharing public datasets
The Times says a report by the House of Lords Artificial Intelligence Committee has recommended that data held on people by the NHS and other public institutions should be made available to artificial intelligence firms to counter giant US technology committees. The Daily Telegraph focuses on the report’s suggestion that ‘killer robots’ could become reality unless the Government improves its regulation of artificial intelligence.

Suspended Conservative MP interviewed by police
According to The Times, police have interviewed Charlie Elphicke, an MP suspended by the Conservative Party in November, over alleged sexual offences. He denies any wrongdoing and says that he is ‘completely confident I will be able to prove my innocence’.

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