Archive for: Political Services

Today’s Political Headlines include May left humiliated over Chequers deal, Javid primising to target gangs, UK creates a cyber-force and Williamson pledges more support for Ukrainian military.

May left ‘humiliated’ as EU leaders reject Chequers deal
As The Times says, Theresa May was ‘humiliated’ by EU leaders yesterday as they rejected her Chequers strategy for Brexit. The paper adds that a number of factors led to this outcome, including May’s decision to read out an article she had written for Die Welt, her rejection of revised proposals on Ireland without seeing the text, reports that International Trade Secretary Liam Fox was planning to scrap food regulations to secure a trade deal with the USA, support for May from Hungary’s President Viktor Orban, and her admission that revised Irish backstop proposals wouldn’t be ready by the next summit in October.

Javid promises to target ‘county lines’ gang network
Writing for the Daily Mail, Home Secretary Sajid Javid has promised to combat the ‘county lines’ network, under which drugs gangs use children as couriers to supply drugs in small towns and seaside resorts. He has announced a £3.6m National County Lines Co-ordination Centre, allowing police forces to work together in their efforts to tackle the problem, and that there will be several large-scale raids in the next week.

UK creates £250m cyber-force
The Times reports that the Ministry of Defence and GCHQ are setting-up a £250m cyber-force which will aim to target hostile states, terrorist groups and gangs, with around 2,000 personnel – a quadrupling of the number of people in offensive cyber positions. This follows a review commissioned by Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, with the creation of the force due to be officially announced soon.

Williamson pledges more support for Ukrainian military
The Daily Telegraph has visited the Ukraine with Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, paying a trip to the frontline of the conflict with Russian-backed separatists. Williamson accuses the Russians of trying to ‘reverse the outcome of the Cold War’ and said that the UK was ‘upping our training and support efforts’ with the Ukrainian armed forces.

60% of public support tax increases to fund public spending
The Guardian reports that the latest British Social Attitudes survey shows that 60% of the British public would now support an increase in taxes to fund higher public spending – the highest level for 15 years. This includes 53% of Conservative supporters. The public’s top public spending priority was revealed to be health, followed by education.

Labour would see surge in support if it backed second referendum
The Independent reveals that two new polls show that backing a second referendum on Brexit would give Labour a boost in support which would ‘carry it to the brink of Government’. A YouGov poll shows that backing the People’s Vote would see the party gain an extra 1.5m voters, while an ICM poll showed that the party would win marginal seats from the Tories – including some that voted to leave the EU.

Nuclear deterrent ‘not fit for purpose’, MPs warn
The Guardian carries details of a new report by the Commons Public Accounts Committee that warns that decisions by the Ministry of Defence to delay maintenance at the department’s 13 sites to support nuclear submarines have left the UK’s nuclear deterrent programme ‘not fit for purpose’.

UKIP to become a ‘radical, populist party’
The BBC says UKIP will release an interim manifesto at its conference, with leader Gerard Batten claiming it should become a ‘radical, populist party’ standing up to the ‘politically-correct thought police’ and helping ‘the people who form the backbone of Britain’.

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Today’s Political Headlines include May pitching her Chequers deal to EU27, People’s Vote’s plans for a second referendum, new immigration limits and May says take pride in living in a council house. 

May set to pitch Chequers deal to EU27
Prime Minister Theresa May flies to Salzburg today to meet with leaders of the EU27, with The Guardian reporting that chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier has rejected calls for the EU to soften their stance on the Irish border. The FT reports that May is planning to appeal directly to other EU leaders in order to reach a compromise on the issue.

People’s Vote publishes plan for second EU referendum
The BBC have reported on a document released by the People’s Vote campaign, which sets out the route towards securing another public vote on Brexit. The Daily Express have splashed on an exclusive with Theresa May, who has heavily criticised the calls, saying that ‘we’ve had the people’s vote – it was the referendum’.

Plans for new immigration limits given boost
The Times are reporting that Government plans for new restrictions on low-skilled migration have been bolstered by a report released by the Migration Advisory Committee. The committee called for an end to low-skilled migration from the EU, with a move towards a global system whereby EU citizens are treated the same as those from non-EU countries. The Guardian have led with the response from business groups, who have reacted with anger, saying that major industries may collapse due to labour shortages.

Take pride in living in a council house, says May
The Telegraph are reporting on a speech set to be made by Theresa May later today, in which she will indicate a major shift in Conservative housing policy and commit to spending an extra £2bn on social housing. In the speech, May will say people should feel ‘proud’ of living in council housing, and both politicians and society should stop ‘looking down’ on council housing residents.

Hunt impresses on visit to Japan
Sky News have reported on praise for Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who became the first UK minister to give a speech in Japanese. Hunt is visiting Japan to strengthen UK relations with the country and took the opportunity in his speech to pledge a ‘new era of friendship’.

Watson furious at conference snub
The Sun have details of a row between Deputy Labour leader Tom Watson and leader Jeremy Corbyn, after Watson was unhappy with his speaking slot at the upcoming Labour conference. Watson is said to have directly challenged Corbyn in a shadow cabinet meeting, and is alleged to have criticised a member of Corbyn’s staff for leaking discussions.

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Today’s Political Headlines include the Bank of England’s warning, Russia accused of insulting the public’s intelligence, Conservative MEPs criticised for not voting against Hungary and the union head’s claims against Israel. 

Bank of England warns house prices call fall by a third in no-deal Brexit scenario
The Times reports that the Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, has warned the Cabinet that a chaotic no-deal Brexit would cause house prices to fall by 35% and force mortgage rates up. A source told the paper that no Cabinet Brexiteers had challenged Carney’s vision. The Daily Telegraph has details of the no-deal papers published yesterday, including the news that travellers will need to have six months left on their passport when visiting the EU, driving licences may no longer by valid in the EU and that manufacturers in sectors such as furniture and bicycles would have to comply with different national regulations in order to continue exporting to the EU.

Russia accused of ‘insulting the public’s intelligence’ over Salisbury claims
The Daily Telegraph reports that Theresa May has accused Russia of ‘insulting the public’s intelligence’ after the two Salisbury poisoning suspects appeared on the state TV channel RT to claim that they went to the ‘wonderful’ city in order to visit the ‘beautiful’ cathedral. The Government claimed that their story consisted of ‘lies and blatant fabrications’.

Conservative MEPs criticised for not voting against Hungary
The Guardian says that Conservative MEPs have been criticised by Jewish and Muslim leaders for voting against censuring Hungary over reduced judicial and media independence, as well as corruption. The Board of Deputies of British Jews described the move as ‘very concerning’, while the Muslim Council of Britain said it was ‘deeply disappointing’.

Union head claims that Israel concocted antisemitism row to distract from ‘atrocities’
The Independent reports that Mark Serwotka, the leader of the Public and Commercial Services Union, has suggested that Israel created the antisemitism row into order to distract attention from its ‘atrocities’. He said that he was ‘not a conspiracy theorist’ but there had been a ‘systematic attempt to shut down all those advocating justice for the Palestinians’.

Duffield says Labour tensions have left her considering quitting
In an exclusive, The Guardian claims that Canterbury’s Labour MP Rosie Duffield, who faced a motion against her by her local party has said that the tensions have left her considering quitting Parliament. She said that it would be ‘nice if Jeremy could help each MP going through this with a personal statement’ so that it was clear people ‘don’t do it in his name.’

Union calls for immediate walkout by prison officers
The Daily Mirror reports that the Prison Officers Association has called for its members to walk out today as an immediate ‘protest’, the union having been banned from striking after legal action last year. The move follows the release of an urgent report into the ‘dangerous’ conditions at HMP Bedford by the Chief Inspector of Prisons, Peter Clarke.

Latte levy to be extended to takeaway soft drinks
The Sun reveals that the Treasury is planning to extend the so-called ‘latte levy’ on coffee cups to also cover soft drinks and shakes served in containers with a plastic lining. Conservative MP Robert Halfon criticised the plan, claiming that the Government ‘shouldn’t be charging people more for a milkshake at Burger King’.

Freeman calls for May to step down
Speaking at an event organised by The Times, George Freeman, the former chair of Theresa May’s policy board, has called on her to step down after Brexit so that a new leader can be elected to shape the UK’s future relationship with the EU, ‘liberated from the poisonous politics of the EU referendum and the shambles that has followed.’

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Today’s Political Headlines include Raab’ and Brown’s warnings, Welby’s attack and May’s announcement. 

Raab warns UK won’t pay divorce bill without a Brexit deal
The Daily Telegraph reports that Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab has warned that the UK will not pay its divorce bill if it leaves the EU without a deal, using a meeting today to tell the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier ‘There’s no deal without the whole deal.’ Writing in prior to the release of 28 new no-deal technical notices, he dismisses ‘scaremongering nonsense’. The Sun adds that the Government has reached agreement with the four largest mobile phone providers to continue to offer free roaming in Europe after Brexit.

Welby attacks online giants who ‘leech off the taxpayer’
The Times says that Justin Welby has been criticised by Conservative MPs after he used a speech to the TUC to claim that online giants such as Amazon ‘leech off the taxpayer’ and called for a ‘new unionisation’ of the UK. He also called on the Government to scrap Universal Credit and to end the need for food banks and night shelters.

May to announce strict new immigration policy at conference
The Times claims that Theresa May is planning to announce strict post-Brexit immigration controls at her party’s conference in a bid to win over Brexiteers, with the Cabinet to agree a policy at a meeting less than a week before. Today, Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott will put forward Labour’s proposed new immigration system, including a simplified visa structure, The Guardian says.

‘Leaderless’ world ‘in danger of sleepwalking’ into financial crisis, Brown warns
Speaking to The Guardian, Gordon Brown said that the world is ‘in danger of sleepwalking’ into another financial crisis and was now ‘leaderless’, so the co-operation which tackled the crisis in 2008 ‘would not be possible’. He warned that lessons from that crisis had not been learnt and ‘the penalties for wrong-doing have not been increased sufficiently’.

Hancock says all patients should be able to Skype their GP
The Daily Telegraph reports that Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock will today say that every patients ought to be able to Skype their GP and accuse the NHS of trying to block innovation. Speaking at the HQ of Babylon, the firm behind the GP at Hand app, he will promise to ‘change the rules so we can harness new technology’.

Labour peers plot to give MPs option to think again on Brexiteer amendments
The Guardian reveals that Labour’s Lords leader, Angela Smith, plans to give MPs a chance to think again on amendments to the Taxation (Cross-Border Trade) Bill originally tabled by Conservative Brexiteers. While peers are unable to amend this bill, following advice, they will try to attach the amendments to the Trade Bill, giving MPs the chance to reject them.

Investigation launched into Corbyn’s aides
According to The Daily Telegraph, an investigation has been launched into Jeremy Corbyn’s private secretary Iram Awan, after she was accused of entering Parliament for nine months despite delays with her pass being vetted by the security services. A former Left Unity member, she is believed to have donated to a charity endorsed by Islamic extremists. Another aide, Andrew Murray, who used to belong to the Communist Party of Britain, is also alleged to have broken rules by entering the estate despite an eleven-month pass delay.

Brexit uncertainty to lead to ‘extremely challenging’ spending negotiations
The Financial Times carries details of a new report by the Institute for Government, which warns that negotiations between the Treasury and other departments ahead of the 2019 public spending review will be ‘extremely challenging’ owing to Brexit-induced uncertainty, with the Treasury struggling to meet higher spending demands

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Today’s Political Headlines include the possible Brexit deal, McDonnell promising to restore the balance of power in the workplace, Johnson to throw rocks at May’s Brexit plans and arrests fall as police budgets are cut. 

Brexit deal possible by November, Barnier says
The Times reports that Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, has claimed that a deal could be agreed in less than two months. Meanwhile, Theresa May has ordered every cabinet minister to tour the country in the run-up to Conservative Party conference, to secure support at home, and Tory aides have been told that Michel Barnier’s stance on the Chequers plan has softened and they should prepare for a Commons vote on it by Christmas.

McDonnell promises to ‘restore the balance of power in the workplace’
The BBC reports that Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell is to use his speech to the TUC today to ‘restore the balance of power in the workplace’ by giving workers in insecure employment the same rights as those who are permanently employed, such as sick pay. He will promise new protections for trade unions and greater employee ownership.

Johnson to ‘throw rocks’ at Theresa May’s Brexit plans
The Guardian claims that Boris Johnson will continue to ‘throw rocks’ at Theresa May’s Chequers proposals in the lead-up to the Conservative Party Conference in an attempt to persuade her to return to her Lancaster House plan. It adds that he has no current plans to launch a leadership challenge owing to the recent revelations about his personal life.

Arrests fall as police budgets are cut
The Daily Telegraph carries the findings of a report by the National Audit Office which finds that police forces are now struggling as their funding and staffing levels fall. Arrests have decreased, patrols have been cut, fewer crimes result in charges, and proactive work has reduced. The NAO adds that because the Home Office takes a ‘light touch’ approach, it does not know if the current system is sustainable.

Boundary changes won’t be voted on until after Brexit
The Financial Times says that despite the Boundary Commission publishing its proposed changes to constituency boundaries yesterday, they are unlikely to be voted on until after Brexit in order to prevent further disputes. The plans are opposed by Labour, with Jon Trickett branding them a ‘Tory stitch-up’, and many Tory MPs, who fear losing their seats.

£1.1trillion economic boost from no-deal Brexit, Rees-Mogg claims
The Daily Telegraph reveals that Jacob Rees-Mogg will claim that a no-deal Brexit would grow the UK economy by £1.1trillion over 15 years at an event organised by the group Economists for Free Trade, at which he will advocate a Canada-style trade deal with the EU. The Sun has details of the European Reform Group’s plans for Northern Ireland which would see the introduction of an ‘Inland Clearance’ scheme, avoiding a hard border through checks at firms’ premises.

Public Health England advisor quits over drinks industry links
The Times reports that Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, Public Health England’s Chief External Alcohol Advisor has left the body in protest at its links with the drinks industry. It has launched a campaign with the charity Drinkaware, which is funded by the sector. The paper adds that PHE’s tobacco advisor, John Britton, is considering following suit.

Network Rail sells £1.5bn of property to private sector
The Financial Times reports that Network Rail has agreed to sell 5000 commercial properties to the private sector for £1.5bn,delivering ‘significant additional funding’ to deliver upgrades. However, Labour’s Shadow Rail Minister Rachael Maskell claimed that the deal would ‘undermine the financial sustainability of the railway and damage small and medium-sized enterprises across the country’.

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Today’s Political Headlines include world leaders joining UK to condemn Russia, Raab infuriating Barnier, Johnson splits with his wife and Hammond’s cuts to fund a no-deal Brexit. 

World leaders join with UK to condemn Russia over nerve agent attack
The Times reports that US, German, French and Canadian leaders have expressed ‘full confidence’ in the UK’s assessment that Russian agents carried out the Salisbury nerve agent attack. Security officials told the paper that the novichok used in the attack could have killed up to 4,000 people and was discarded in a ‘reckless’ manner. Russia has accused the UK of ‘anti-Russian hysteria’ and the UK is preparing for a Russian-sponsored disinformation campaign.

Raab’s Northern Ireland threat left Barnier ‘furious’
The Daily Telegraph claims that Dominic Raab threatened Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, that the EU would have to order the Irish government to instate the border with Northern Ireland, leaving him ‘absolutely furious’. It also says that progress on outstanding issues has been ‘close to zero’. The Guardian adds that Ireland is hoping to agree a side deal which would allow it to continue to use the UK as a ‘land bridge’ for goods bound for the country without the need for border checks.

Johnson splits with wife in blow to leadership ambitions
The Sun reveals that Boris Johnson has split with his wife, Marina, who accused him of cheating on her again. The paper claims that this new revelation is ‘likely to deal a fresh blow’ to the former Foreign Secretary’s hopes of becoming party leader as it is likely to put off grassroots members with ‘traditional views on marriage’.

Chancellor warns of spending cuts to fund no-deal Brexit
The Financial Times claims that Chancellor Philip Hammond has ‘irritated Downing Street’, after he warned that there might be spending cuts in order to fund a no-deal Brexit, telling ministers that they would have to find savings within their budgets to fund the costs of long-term disruption. Separately, Treasury minister John Glen was pictured carrying a document about the Government’s contingency planning (codenamed ‘Operation Yellowhammer’) which warned of financial instability and the need to ‘maintain confidence’.

Blair says that he’s ‘not sure’ that moderates can regain control of Labour
Speaking to the BBC’s Nick Robinson, Tony Blair said that he is ‘not sure it is possible’ for moderates to regain control of the Labour Party from the left. He said that there had been ‘a profound change’ under Corbyn, resulting in ‘a different type of Labour Party’, and that he thought that something would emerge to fill the ‘vacuum’ between the two main parties.

Treasury axes tax cut for self-employed
The Financial Times reports that Chancellor Philip Hammond has abandoned plans to cut Class 2 National Insurance contributions, a measure which would gave delivered a tax cut for millions of self-employed people. Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell described the move as ‘yet another betrayal of the self-employed’.

Cable proposes new Lib Dem supporters scheme
The Guardian says that Sir Vince Cable is to propose a range of measures to reform the Liberal Democrats, including a new scheme for supporters who will be able to vote for the party leader without paying in order to make the party a Momentum-style ‘movement for moderates’. He is also expected to talk about his future as leader in today’s speech.

Bradley admits not knowing that Northern Ireland votes on sectarian lines
The Daily Mail reports that Karen Bradley, the Northern Ireland Secretary, has admitted that she did not know that ‘people who are nationalists don’t vote for unionist parties and vice-versa’. The paper adds that she has announced a pay cut for members of the Northern Irish Assembly because of the powersharing stalemate.

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Today’s Political Headlines include Labour adopting the antisemitism definition in full, Mervyn King attacking Brexit preparations, Raab promising the UK will not ‘roll over’ and Welby calling for reform of unjust economy. 

Labour adopts antisemitism definition in full, rejecting Corbyn statement
The Times reports that Labour’s National Executive Committee has adopted the IHRA’s antisemitism definition in full, rejecting a statement by Jeremy Corbyn on criticisms of Israel which he believes would still be permitted and replacing it with a shorter statement on freedom of speech on Israel and Palestine. The Metropolitan Police has said that it will investigate possible hate crimes by Labour members contained in a leaked dossier.

Mervyn King describes Brexit preparations as ‘incompetent’
Interviewed by the BBC, Mervyn King, the former Governor of the Bank of England, has described the Government’s preparations for Brexit as ‘incompetent’. While King backed Brexit, he claimed that last-minute preparations for no-deal were undermining the UK’s negotiating position and predicted that the UK would end up with Brexit in name only.

UK will not ‘roll over’ in negotiations, Raab says
The Guardian reports that Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab told MPs yesterday that the UK would not ‘roll over’ when the EU criticised it, refusing to abandon the Government’s Chequers proposals in favour of a Canada-style free trade agreement. However, The Daily Telegraph claims that Michel Barnier, the bloc’s chief negotiator warned the Commons Exiting the EU Committee that the plan was ‘not acceptable’ and proposed an alternative, Canada-style deal, similar to that advocated by Boris Johnson.

Welby calls for reform of ‘unjust’ economy
Speaking to the BBC to mark the launch of a new report by the Commission on Economic Justice, Archbishop Justin Welby has said that the economy is ‘unjust’ and called for a new regulator for large technology firms which handle data, and for the minimum wage to rise. The commission, established by the Institute for Public Policy Research, also recommends higher wages for those on zero-hours contracts and increasing corporation tax.

Chair of Commons standards watchdog resigns
The Times says that the chair of the Commons Standards and Privileges Committees Sir Kevin Barron has resigned and accused Parliament of making a ‘sacrifice of transparency’ after it banned the identification of MPs who were being investigated. He said that he was ‘proud of the changes made to the code of conduct’ during his eight years in office.

May prepares to abandon three-year tenancy plans
The Sun claims that Theresa May and Philip Hammond are to abandon plans to make three-year tenancies mandatory. The Treasury is worried that the measure will stop investment in property development, while Theresa May’s team fear that rebel backbenchers would torpedo the plans in the House of Commons.

Cabinet argues over calorie count plans
The Daily Telegraph reveals that a cabinet row has erupted over plans to display calorie counts on all restaurant menus, due to be announced by the Government shortly. The Treasury has warned that the proposal is ‘burdensome’ for small businesses, with Chief Secretary Liz Truss writing to the Department of Health and Social Care to accuse it of underestimating its impact on them.

Carney to stay as Bank of England Governor until 2020
The Financial Times reports that Mark Carney is expected to remain Governor of the Bank of England until 2020 in a plan endorsed by Theresa May in order to maintain stability during Brexit. His new departure date is expected to be announced by the Chancellor Philip Hammond, whose proposal it was to retain him, in the next week.

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Today’s Political Headlines include Frank Field’s resignation, Poland’s Brexit support, Davidson considering a Westminster role and Wonga in administration. 

Frank Field resigns the Labour Whip
The BBC reports that the Labour MP for Birkenhead Frank Field has resigned the Labour whip. Field said that the party is becoming a force for anti-Semitism in British politics and said a culture of intolerance and nastiness exists in local parties. A month ago, Field lost a confidence vote in his local party after voting with the Government in a vote relating to Brexit. Field criticised the Labour leadership in his resignation letter saying they are doing nothing to address anti-Semitism in the party.

Poland offers Brexit support
The Guardian reports that the Government of Poland will make an attempt to persuade the EU to become more open to the UK’s Brexit plans, this comes as Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he has not seen any progress on the Chequers proposal from Brussels. The Polish Foreign Minister has said Poland wants to maintain their relationship with the UK after Brexit.

Davidson considering Westminster role
The Sun has revealed that leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Ruth Davidson, may move south of the border to Westminster, abandoning her role as an MSP to take up a ministerial position. The move is allegedly the first step towards a potential Tory leadership bid, with Davidson moving into Government via a peerage and a place in the House of Lords.

Wonga goes into administration
The Guardian is reporting on the collapse of payday lender Wonga, which went into administration yesterday. The downfall follows a sharp increase in compensation claims against the lender, each of which allegedly cost the company £550 to deal with. The Financial Conduct Authority has told roughly 200,000 customers who still owe over £400m to continue repaying their loans.

Raab heads to Brussels for Brexit talks
The Express looks ahead to Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab preparing for six hours of talks with Michel Barnier. It is expecting issues such as the Irish border to be discussed. This comes after Raab recently admitted that a deal may not be reached by October. The extended session is perhaps an indication of the desire of both sides to come to a deal as soon as possible.

Sturgeon praised for handling of Salmond case
The Guardian are reporting on the support given to SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon from senior SNP politicians, praising her handling of harassment allegations against former First Minister Alex Salmond. Senior SNP figures including Westminster leader Ian Blackford have backed Sturgeon. The move comes after a crowdfunding appeal launched by Salmond reached £90,000, which he said would be used to cover his legal fees for taking the SNP Government to court.

Who’s in and who’s out? Vuelio Political Services track all the moves and changes in UK politics, at Westminster and beyond.