Archive for: Political Services

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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Today’s political headlines includes May blaming MPs for Brexit delay and EU countries prepared to block Brexit extension unless MPs approve deal. 

May blames MPs for Brexit delay
As The Times reports, Theresa May used a public statement last night to try and put pressure on MPs to back her Brexit deal, claiming that ‘you the public have had enough’ of arguments about Brexit when there are ‘real concerns’ about issues such as the NHS. She claimed that the Brexit extension she had requested was a ‘matter of great personal regret’, blaming MPs for the delay. Labour MP Wes Streeting claimed that May’s speech was ‘incendiary and irresponsible’ given the background of ‘very credible’ death threats to MPs. Prior to the address, May had convened a meeting of opposition leaders, but Jeremy Corbyn had walked out because Chukka Umunna, spokesperson for The Independent Group, was present.

EU countries prepared to block Brexit extension unless MPs approve deal
The Daily Telegraph reports that at least three EU countries, including France, are prepared to block any approval of Theresa May’s requested Brexit extension at today’s summit unless she can convince them that she has a credible strategy to pass her Brexit deal. European Council President Donald Tusk said that he thought that a short extension would be granted, subject to the Withdrawal Agreement being approved by the House of Commons.

Corbyn to meet Barnier
The Guardian says that Jeremy Corbyn will hold talks with the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier ahead of today’s European Council summit, outlining his Brexit vision and the progress of cross-party talks. He will also attend a gathering in Brussels of European socialist prime ministers and opposition leaders.

MPs to get fresh chance to take control of Brexit
The Financial Times says that on Monday MPs will get a further chance to take control of the Brexit process from the Government by voting on an amendment to a Brexit motion tabled by Theresa May. The amendment would allow indicative votes later in the week on different Brexit options and is similar to one which was narrowly rejected last week.

Hinds claims that truancy contributes to knife crime
The Daily Telegraph reports that Education Secretary Damian Hinds has denied claims that an increase in pupils being excluded from school is contributing to the rise in knife crime. He insisted that the situation is more complex, with truancy levels a ‘much bigger concern’, with absent students more at risk of committing crime and unable to be helped by schools.

Hancock criticised over genetic test claim
The Times says Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock has been criticised after he claimed that his life may have been saved by a genetic test. Angela Culhane of Prostate Cancer UK warned about the accuracy of such tests, while David Curtis of University College London claimed that Hancock had ‘massively misinterpreted’ the meaning of his test results’ and had ended up wasting ‘the NHS’s scarce resources’.

Labour hints at fuel duty increase
The Sun reports that Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary Andy McDonald has hinted that his party would end the nine year freeze of fuel duty, saying that it was ‘not a sensible approach’ when train and bus fares were rising. A spokesperson later clarified that the party was not pledging to do so. He also suggested that Air Passenger Duty might also increase.

NHS won’t be able to solve GP shortage
The Guardian carries details of a report by the health think tanks the King’s Fund, the Nuffield Trust and the Health Foundation which warns that the NHS will never be able to solve the GP shortage and that instead it will have to use the skills of other health professionals, such as pharmacists and physiotherapists, ‘much more widely and routinely’.

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Today’s political headlines covers Bercow ruling out a third meaningful vote, Brexiteers threaten strike, EU offers May helping hand and social media firms to be forced to hand over algorithms. 

Bercow rules out another meaningful vote
The Guardian claims that the Government has been ‘plunged into constitutional chaos’ after Speaker John Bercow ruled that another meaningful vote on Theresa May’s Brexit deal would fall foul of a parliamentary convention dating back to 1604 which prevents MPs from voting on the same deal twice, suggesting that for a further vote to be allowed, the EU would have to agree to changes to the deal and that May will be forced to request a long extension to the Brexit negotiations. However, the Commons could use a ‘paving vote’ to set aside the convention, if it did wish to vote for May’s deal, while Solicitor General Robert Buckland suggested that the Government could end the parliamentary session early and begin a new one in order to re-run the vote.

Brexiteers threaten strike over delay
The Sun claims that as many as twenty ‘hardline’ Brexiteers have threatened to go ‘on strike’ on key votes if Theresa May agrees a year-long Brexit delay with the EU, pushing the Government to the ‘verge of collapse’. The paper has also conducted a survey of Conservative MPs who voted against May’s deal, and two-thirds of those who responded confirmed they would not back it if it was brought back to the Commons unamended.

EU offers May ‘helping hand’
The Guardian says that the EU is to give Theresa May ‘a helping hand’ by formally agreeing the length of the Brexit extension at its summit on Thursday and keeping this on offer until just before midnight on 29 March, when the UK is currently due to leave. Changing the date that the UK leaves the EU might be sufficient for John Bercow to allow the Government to hold another meaningful vote.

Social media firms to be forced to hand over algorithms
The Daily Telegraph says that the Government’s forthcoming white paper on online harms will give a new regulator the power to force firms to hand over algorithms showing how people are targeted with content based on their personal details, which may ‘reveal their role in fuelling self-harm and suicides’.

Industrial strategy criticised by MPs
The Financial Times carries details of a critical report by the Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee on the Government’s industrial strategy. It warns that there is a risk that the strategy will fail in its efforts to improve productivity levels because it is focusing on innovative sectors but neglecting others, such as hospitality and retail, and is too focused on London and South East England.

Jewish Labour Movement to hold no confidence vote in Corbyn
The Times says the Jewish Labour Movement, the Jewish affiliate of the Labour Party will debate a vote of no confidence in Jeremy Corbyn at its annual meeting in April. The motion says the party has a ‘culture of antisemitism’ and that Corbyn ‘is directly responsible’ so a ‘Labour government led by him would not be in the interest of British Jews’.

Lord Forsyth criticises loan charge
Speaking to the Financial Times, Lord Forsyth, Chair of the Lords Economics Affairs Committee, calls on the Government to scrap the retrospective aspect of the loan charge because ‘ordinary people are being ruined’. He argued that it should instead pursue the developers of tax avoidance schemes and the employers who used them.

Electric scooters could be allowed on roads
The Times reports that the Government will  launch a ‘wide-ranging review of traffic laws’ which could see electric scooters allowed on the roads for the first time and the speed limit for electric bicycles increased. The plans are contained in the Department for Transport’s Future of Mobility: Urban Strategy, published today.

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Today’s political headlines follows last night’s Brexit chaos and includes all the latest after MPs reject no-deal Brexit and prepare to vote on extension. 

MPs reject no-deal Brexit and prepare to vote on extension
As the BBC reports, MPs will vote later today on whether to ask the EU for permission to delay Brexit, following their decision to reject a no-deal Brexit in a non-binding vote last night. Thirteen ministers rebelled against the whip, abstaining against Government attempts to keep a no-deal Brexit on the table. Work and Pensions Minister Sarah Newton resigned and voted against the Government. Theresa May said that she would hold a third vote on her Brexit deal, which would require a short extension, but otherwise MPs will need to request a long extension and the UK would have to take part in the European Parliament elections.

Labour to hold cross-party talks to find Brexit compromise
The Daily Telegraph reports that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has announced cross-party talks to find a ‘compromise solution’ on Brexit and reach a ‘consensus’ amongst MPs. The paper adds that Chancellor Philip Hammond and Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Michael Gove have each appeared to endorse indicative votes to solve the impasse.

Government in talks with Brexiteers over deal
The Guardian says that the European Research Group and the DUP have re-entered talks with the Government as it bids for their support ahead of the next vote on the deal. They want more clarity from Attorney General Geoffrey Cox’s legal advice on the UK’s right to withdraw from a treaty under the Vienna Convention.

Brexiteers try to block People’s Vote
The Sun reports that Conservative, DUP and Labour opponents of a People’s Vote, led by the European Research Group, are joining forces to table an amendment to today’s vote which would rule it out. It claims that a second referendum would be ‘divisive and expensive’ and that the result of the first should be ‘respected’.

Hammond promises end to austerity, if MPs back deal
The Financial Times says that Chancellor Philip Hammond used yesterday’s Spring Statement to promise an end to austerity, so long as MPs back Theresa May’s Brexit deal. He said that growth forecasts have been downgraded for this year, but increased for 2021. Announcements included a £3bn affordable homes guarantee scheme, ending fossil-fuel heating in new houses, free sanitary products in schools and £100m to tackle knife crime.

Amesbury apologises for sharing antisemitic image
The Sun says that Labour’s Shadow Employment Minister Mike Amesbury has apologised after it emerged that he had shared an antisemitic image and referred to the ‘illuminati’ conspiracy theory on Facebook in 2013. He originally denied sharing the post, but later said that he had forgotten doing so and was ‘mortified’ by it.

Lord Steel admits to believing abuse allegations against Cyril Smith but doing nothing
The Guardian reports that the former Liberal leader Lord Steel has told the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse that he believed that allegations against Sir Cyril Smith were true but that he did nothing to assess if Smith was still a risk to children and allowed him to continue in office.

Johnson criticises spending on historic child abuse allegations
The Daily Mirror reports that Boris Johnson used an interview with LBC yesterday to claim that money spent on investigating historic child abuse allegations had been ‘spaffed up a wall’. Labour’s deputy chair Ian Lavery said the remarks were ‘an insult to every survivor of child sex abuse’, while the NSPCC described them as ‘an affront to victims’.

Vuelio Political Services clients were updated with vote results and Sarah Newton’s resignation as they happened.