Archive for: Political Services

Today’s Political Headlines include Barnier softening his opposition to Brexit finance plans, Labour NEC Member Peter Willsman attacking Corbyn critics, the culture of denial in Aid sector and John McDonnell’s criticism of Corbyn. 

Barnier softening his opposition to May’s post-Brexit plan
The FT reports that chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier has relaxed his opposition to Theresa May’s Brexit plan for financial services. After initially rejecting May’s proposals, Barnier has amended his position after clarification from the UK that Brussels would have control over the City of London’s access to EU markets.

Labour NEC Member attacks critics of Corbyn
The Jewish Chronicle has revealed a tape of Peter Willsman, an ally of Jeremy Corbyn and member of Labour’s ruling body, in which he angrily questions whether colleagues had experienced anti-Semitism in the Party, blaming Jewish ‘Trump fanatics’ for false anti-Semitism claims. Labour MP Luciana Berger has called for Willsman to be suspended to enable a formal investigation, while Deputy Leader Tom Watson has criticised Willsman on Twitter.

International development committee warns of ‘culture of denial’ in Aid sector
The Guardian leads with the latest report from the international development committee, which condemns the aid sector for failing to deal with endemic sexual abuse. The report has claimed that charities are more concerned for their reputation rather than dealing with cases, with the UN failing to demonstrate leadership in dealing with abuse.

Shadow Chancellor criticises Corbyn over antisemitism
The Times reports that Jeremy Corbyn’s closest ally and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has met with Corbyn to criticise his handling of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party. He is said to have urged Corbyn to end the disciplinary process underway against Margaret Hodge, who is alleged to have sworn at Corbyn and called him an anti-Semite.

Leaked Labour democracy review calls for online voting at conference
Labour’s ‘Democracy Review’ has been entirely leaked to The Huffington Post, who report that the review proposes to introduce e-voting to Labour meetings. The move is aimed at handing more power to the party membership, allowing online ballots for conference and local constituencies.

Jeremy Hunt gets the nationality of his wife wrong
Sky News reports that during talks with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and officials, the Foreign Secretary accidentally stated that his wife is Japanese, when she is actually Chinese. As well as risking upsetting his wife, Mr Hunt’s blunder also threatened to offend the Chinese officials sat across the table from him.

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Today’s Political Headlines include Barnier rejecting May’s customs proposals, support for a second referendum and the Shadow Cabinet rebelling over antisemitism defintion. 

Barnier rejects May’s customs proposals
The Guardian reports that the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, has rejected Theresa May’s proposals on customs, effectively killing off her Chequers plan. He also warned that attempts to go behind his back and appeal directly to EU leaders would be a waste of time, but said that the was ‘pleased’ with the progress of discussions on foreign policy and security. The BBC adds that May is in Austria today to hold Brexit talks with the country’s Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz.

Majority now back second referendum, poll finds
According to a YouGov poll for The Times, the proportion of voters backing a referendum on the terms of the Brexit deal has overtaken those who don’t. The poll also shows a narrow lead in favour of remaining in the EU if a referendum on membership was held tomorrow.

Shadow Cabinet in ‘open rebellion’ over antisemitism definition
The Daily Telegraph says that members of Labour’s Shadow Cabinet are in ‘open rebellion’ over Jeremy Corbyn’s failure to accept the international definition of antisemitism. Deputy Leader Tom Watson has warned that disciplining Dame Margaret Hodge for calling Corbyn antisemitic is ‘counter-productive’, while Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth and Shadow International Trade Secretary Barry Gardiner have also been critical.

Private probation firms face early contract termination
The Guardian says that the eight private firms running ‘community rehabilitation companies’ in England and Wales are to have their contracts terminated two years early, in 2020, abandoning reforms introduced by Chris Grayling. Justice Secretary David Gauke claimed that the reforms were ‘ambitious and innovative’ but there were ‘clear lessons that need to be learned’.

McVey urges teenagers to get summer jobs
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey has claimed that a decline in the number of teenagers taking summer jobs is leaving people unprepared for the workplace. She is launching an initiative to improve ‘essential skills’ by advertising 20,000 holiday jobs on a Government website.

Medical cannabis to be available on the NHS within weeks
The Daily Mirror reports that Home Secretary Sajid Javid has confirmed that medical cannabis products will be available on prescription from the NHS within weeks. This follows the high-profile case of the epileptic child Billy Caldwell, whose medical cannabis was seized by the Home Office, leading to reviews of the drug by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs and Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies.

Home Office suspends co-operation with US in jihadi case
The Guardian says that the Home Office has temporarily suspended co-operation with US authorities over the case of two British jihabis facing execution in the country, following a request from a legal representative of the family of one of the detainees, in order to allow for a ruling by the courts.

New business envoy appointed
The Financial Times reveals that Theresa May has appointed a new business envoy, whose role will be to strengthen links with British companies and foreign investors. The post, which has been vacant for a year, will be held by William Vereker, a former executive at UBS who has also worked at Morgan Stanley, Lehman Brothers and Nomura.

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Today’s Political Headlines includes May taking back control over Brexit negotiations, the British-Irish intergovernmental conference and calls to update treason laws.

May takes back control of Brexit negotiations
The Guardian reports that Theresa May has taken control of the Brexit negotiations, supported by the Cabinet Office Europe Unit, effectively ‘sidelining’ the new Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab and his department and leaving him with responsibility for domestic preparations, no-deal planning and legislation. The BBC says that Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock has confirmed that the NHS is planning to stockpile medicines and other products in the event of a ‘no deal’ Brexit.

British and Irish ministers hold first intergovernmental conference for over a decade
The BBC reports that British and Irish ministers are meeting in London at the first session of their intergovernmental conference since 2007. It adds that the conference is popular with nationalists, but that unionists are more suspicious of it and that the Government has been resisting Irish requests for it be convened for ‘many months’.

Treason laws should be updated to prosecute jihadis
The Daily Telegraph says that the former Home Secretary Amber Rudd, former head of MI5 Lord Evans and former Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge have called for the UK’s treason laws to be updated and used to prosecute jihadis who have fought in Syria, backing a report by Policy Exchange. However, the paper adds that the newly-appointed Director of Public Prosecutions, Max Hill, has advocated a more liberal approach to returning jihadis.

Sarah Champion given increased security after death threats
The Times reveals that Labour MP Sarah Champion has been given increased security after she received death threats. Champion has been accused by activists in Rotherham, her constituency, of ‘industrial-scale racism’ after she condemned the sexual abuse of girls by British Pakistani men, whose ‘common ethnic heritage’ she highlighted.

Labour demands to know if Government blacklists are still in place
The Guardian says that Labour has called on the Government to confirm whether secret blacklists are still in place, monitoring the political views of civil servants, trades unionists and councillors. This follows the release of papers by the National Archives showing that the Thatcher government and MI5 compiled lists of those seen as subversive or threats.

Campaigners warn new planning rules threaten greenbelt land
The Daily Telegraph warns that greenbelt land has been put at risk of development under the Government’s new National Planning Policy Framework. Under the policy, councils will lose some of their ability to control development if house building falls below 75% of Government targets, but the Campaign to Protect Rural England has warned that house builders will be able to game this system by sitting on land.

Taxpayers could face a ‘retirement levy’ to fund social care
According to The Daily Telegraph, the Government is considering a ‘retirement levy’, under which taxpayers would pay a lump sum to the Government to fund the cost of residential and social care in old age. A source close to Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock told the paper that ‘nothing is off the table’.

Government tries to bury bad news on last day of Parliament
The Daily Mirror highlights fifteen pieces of ‘bad news’ which the Government issued on the last day of Parliament making it ‘next to impossible’ to properly scrutinise them. These include lower pay rises for public sector staff than experts recommended, the sale of the home of the Red Arrows, delays to school funding plans and court closures.

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Today’s Political Headlines includes Amazon planning for a ‘no-deal’, May’s meeting with her cabinet in the North-East and the EU rejecting the UK’s plans for financial services post-Brexit

Amazon planning for ‘no deal’ Brexit civil unrest
The Times says that the head of Amazon UK, Doug Gurr, has warned that there could be ‘civil unrest’ within a fortnight of a ‘no deal’ Brexit and that Amazon was making contingency plans for such a scenario, and that Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab has accused the EU of ‘irresponsibility’ for pointing out that there were no arrangements in place for the treatment of UK and EU expats if no agreement was reached. The i warns that the Government might suspend food safety controls at borders in the event of a ‘no deal’ Brexit.

May holds cabinet meeting in the North East
As The Guardian reports, Theresa May is to hold a cabinet meeting in the North East today as she launches a campaign to get public backing for her Brexit proposals. She will use the opportunity to back the Northern Powerhouse with up to £780m for an upgrade to the east coast mainline and the confirmation of the ‘North of Tyne’ devolution deal. The Financial Times adds that May is also sending senior ministers to EU27 countries in a bid to secure their backing for her proposed deal.

EU rejects UK financial services plans
The Financial Times claims that the EU has rejected the UK’s plans for financial services after Brexit as they would deny the bloc its ‘decision-making autonomy’, breaking with the principle that the EU is able to freely withdraw access rights to its market. The Guardian has been told that EU officials will reject an extension of the Article 50 negotiations if there is not a major realignment of British politics, for example another referendum or election.

Javid secretly drops UK opposition to death penalty for terrorists
According to documents seen by The Daily Telegraph, Home Secretary Sajid Javid has secretly dropped the UK’s opposition to the death penalty and Guantanamo Bay to allow two members of ISIL to be sent to the USA for prosecution. A senior source told the paper that the USA had been verbally warned not to send the duo to Guantanamo Bay.

Whistleblowers criticise universal credit flaws
The Guardian says that it has been told by whistleblowers that ‘design flaws and process faults’ in universal credit are so bad that mistakes and delays are virtually inevitable. A service centre worker told the paper that the administration of the benefit ‘is having an actively harmful effect on a huge number of claimants’.

Jewish Labour MPs to urge parliamentary party to accept full antisemitism definition
According to the BBC, Jewish Labour MPs will use a meeting later today to persuade the parliamentary party to accept the full International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism, unlike new guidelines adopted by the party last week. The Guardian adds that John McDonnell suggested the party should ‘just move on’ from holding an inquiry into Margaret Hodge, after she accused Jeremy Corbyn of being an antisemite.

Senior Tory officials to attend meeting on Andrew Griffiths’ future
The Guardian reveals that a leaked e-mail discloses that Andrew Griffiths, who resigned as a minister after sending sexually explicit messages to two women, will have his future discussed by members of his local Conservative association in the presence of senior party officials. The paper suggests that this means that the party is trying to block local attempts to force him to step down.

UK’s tax burden highest since Harold Wilson was Prime Minister
The Daily Mail carries details of a TaxPayers’ Alliance report which claims that the UK’s tax burden has reached its highest for almost half a century. According to the campaign group, this year’s tax is the equivalent of 34.3% of GDP, the highest proportion since 1969-70, under Harold Wilson’s Labour government.

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Today’s Political Headlines includes BoJo’s claim that it’s not too late to save Brexit, Raab’s first meeting with Barnier, May’s tour of Britain and Labour’s conflict over whether to take action against Margaret Hodge. 

Johnson claims it is ‘not too late to save Brexit’
The Daily Telegraph reports that Boris Johnson used his resignation speech to claim that it was ‘not too late to save Brexit’ and described Theresa May’s Chequers plan as a ‘miserable, permanent limbo’. He criticised the Government for ‘a fog of self-doubt’ and for allowing Northern Ireland to ‘dominate the debate’, and called for a return to the approach set out by Theresa May at Lancaster House. The Sun suggests that Johnson had prepared a ‘much more damning version of the speech’ but was persuaded not to deliver it by allies.

Raab prepares for first meeting with Barnier amid ‘no deal’ warnings
As the BBC reports, Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab is to hold his first meeting with the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier today. It has also seen a draft European Commission paper warning of the impact of a ‘no deal’ Brexit on European businesses and citizens. The BBC adds that the National Audit Office has warned that millions of International Driving Permits may need to be issued in less than a year if the two parties don’t agree on mutual recognition of driving licences. The Financial Times claims that Raab is to publish 70 documents explaining how a ‘no deal’ Brexit would affect a range of sectors.

May plans tour of grassroots Conservatives
According to The Times, Theresa May is planning to go on a tour of grassroots Conservatives this summer in a bid to convince them to back her Brexit policy. Earlier this week, party chairman held a meeting with heads of local associations, described as ‘tense’ and ‘emotionally charged’. The Guardian adds that May struggled to explain her plan for post-Brexit customs when giving evidence to the Commons Liaison Committee yesterday.

Labour to take action against Margaret Hodge
According to The Guardian, the Labour Party is in ‘open conflict’ over a decision to take disciplinary action against Margaret Hodge after she called Jeremy Corbyn an antisemite. Separately, John Woodcock resigned from the party, claiming that an ongoing disciplinary process against him had been rigged.

Soldiers compensated for higher taxes in Scotland
The BBC reports that the Government is to give compensation to about 8,000 soldiers who face having to pay more income tax because they live in Scotland. The total cost will come to around £4m this year and the payments will be reviewed annually. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson criticised what he described as an ‘unfair raid’ on troops’ pay.

Schools to give lessons on mental health
The Times says that the Government plans to add lessons on mental health to new compulsory lessons on sex and relationships in all schools from autumn 2020. The proposals would also cover physical health, exercise and healthy eating. Education Secretary Damian Hinds said the policy would ensure ‘young people are ready for the adult world’.

Proposed rule change would grant anonymity to MPs accused of cheating expenses
The Daily Telegraph says the Government is attempting to quietly push through a change which would grant MPs accused of breaking expenses rules anonymity. As the paper notes, the news comes as DUP MP Ian Paisley Jr is given a 30-day suspension from the Commons for a breach of the rules.

Parliamentary committee warns of legal aid ‘deserts’
The Guardian carries details of a new report by the Joint Committee on Human Rights, which warns that legal aid ‘deserts’ have emerged as a result of changes to the law in 2012. The report calls for an urgent review of how people can enforce their rights, changes to Legal Aid Agency’s funding scheme and more legal support for families at inquests.

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Today’s Political Headlines includes May’s Brexit plan on the brink of collapse, Vote Leave fined, MPs to vote on more holiday and Labour plans to increase candidate diversity. 

May’s Brexit plans ‘on brink of collapse’ after she gives way to Brexiteers
The Times asserts that Theresa May’s proposed Brexit deal is ‘on the brink of collapse’ after she conceded to amendments put forward by Brexiteers, intended to block her customs proposals. However, Number 10 has disputed that the amendments would do this. Defence minister Guto Bebb resigned so that he could vote against the changes. Pro-remain rebels, who came close to defeating the Government last night, have suggested that they might vote for a new amendment to the trade bill today, which calls for the UK to remain in a customs union with the EU. The Sun says that Olly Robbins, Theresa May’s Brexit advisor, has succeeded in moving 50 Brexit negotiators from the Department for Exiting the European to the Cabinet Office, where they will report directly to him.

Vote Leave fined and referred to the police for breaking electoral law
As the BBC reports, the official pro-Brexit campaign Vote Leave has been fined £61,000 and referred to the police after the Electoral Commission found that it had overspent by almost £500,000 during the referendum. The campaign group was also found to have worked jointly with BeLeave (whose founder, Darren Grimes has been fined and referred to the police) and to have returned an ‘incomplete and inaccurate spending record’.

MPs to vote on beginning recess five days early
The BBC says that MPs will vote today on a proposal to start the summer recess on Thursday, five days early. Labour MPs have been critical, with Angela Rayner describing the proposal as ‘pathetic’ and David Lammy accusing the Government of having ‘run out of ideas’.

Labour plans new measures to increase candidate diversity
The Guardian reveals that Labour’s democracy review proposes compiling a legal case for reserving seats in local elections for female, minority ethnic and disabled candidates, and that the party campaigns to change the law to allow all-BAME shortlists for parliamentary seats. The proposals will be considered by the party’s National Executive Committee today.

Criticism of foreign aid as ‘corrupt’ is ‘valid’, admits senior civil servant
The Daily Telegraph says that Matthew Rycroft, Permanent Secretary of the Department for International Development, has claimed that criticism of overseas aid spending as ‘corrupt’ and wasteful is ‘valid’ and needs to be addressed. He said that one of his ‘big challenges’ was to explain why aid spending ‘is the right thing to do’.

OBR warns that NHS spending rise will increase pressure on public finances
According to the Financial Times, the Office for Budget Responsibility will today warn that the Prime Minister’s promise to increase NHS spending has increased pressure on public finances. As a result, there will need to be tax increases or spending cuts, otherwise borrowing will increase significantly in the 2020s.

Speaker will be covered by new harassment rules
The Guardian says that the Leader of the House of Commons, Andrea Leadsom, has said that new rules on bullying and harassment of staff will cover the Speaker. The new rules, which will be debated on Thursday, won’t cover behaviour prior to the June 2017 general election.

McVey trying to kill off online pensions dashboard
The Times claims that Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey may axe plans for an online dashboard to help people keep track of their pensions. Consultation on the proposals ended in March, but McVey is reported to believe that the service should not be the state’s responsibility and that it would distract from rolling out universal credit.

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Today’s Political Headlines includes Trump’s attack on UK politics, Eurosceptics threatening to vote against the Trade Bill, Hammond defending treatment of financial services and O’Mara quitting Labour.  

Trump says May’s Brexit plans would ‘kill’ US trade deal
In an interview with The Sun, US President Donald Trump makes the explosive claim that Theresa May’s new Brexit approach would ‘kill’ a proposed new trade deal between the two countries and criticises her for ignoring his negotiating advice. Trump, who is visiting the UK, also criticises Sadiq Khan for having ‘done a very bad job on terrorism’, claims that immigration is causing the UK to lose its culture and praises Boris Johnson.

Eurosceptics threaten to vote against Trade Bill in protest over Brexit plan
According to The Times, Eurosceptic Conservative MPs reacted with anger to the publication of Theresa May’s Brexit white paper yesterday, claiming that the proposed role for the European Court of Justice and movement of people breached red lines. As a result, they have threatened to vote against the Government’s Trade Bill next week.

Hammond defends treatment of financial services in Brexit white paper
Chancellor Philip Hammond has written in the Financial Times, defending the treatment of financial services in the Government’s Brexit white paper. He says that the proposals are a ‘pragmatic solution’ which would allow the sector ‘to flourish’. However, Catherine McGuinness, the City of London Corporation’s policy chair, described the white paper as ‘a real blow’ for financial and professional services.

O’Mara quits Labour
The Guardian reports that Labour MP Jared O’Mara has quit the party, despite only having the whip reinstated earlier this year following his suspension as a result of the discovery of a series of offensive posts online. He claims to have been made to ‘feel like a criminal’ and that he had felt unwelcome in the party as a ‘working-class, underprivileged disabled man’.

Ofcom head calls for online firms to be regulated
Writing in The Times, the head of Ofcom Sharon White calls for independent regulation of large online firms such as Facebook and Google in a bid to tackle fake news and harmful content. The firms would face penalties if they failed to act. The Government is due to set out its position in an internet safety white paper later this year.

Taxpayers could lose over £5bn over MoD property deal
The Guardian carries details of a report by the Commons Public Accounts Committee, which warns that taxpayers could lose more than £5bn as a result of a 1996 decision to sell off housing owned by the Ministry of Defence. This is an increase from an earlier estimate of £4.2bn because the committee expects rental costs to grow after a renegotiation in 2021, despite the Ministry of Defence predicting that they will fall.

Labour demands ‘hostile environment’ review
The BBC reports that, following the suspension of data-sharing aimed at identifying illegal immigrants, Labour has called on the Government to go further and conduct a detailed review of the ‘hostile environment’ policy. Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott warned that this was needed to avoid a repeat of the problems affecting the Windrush generation.

Charity Commission finds ‘serious failings’ at Presidents Club
The Financial Times says that the Charity Commission’s investigation into the Presidents Club following the paper’s exposé of its annual dinner has found serious failings on the part of the charity’s three trustees. Jo Swinson, deputy leader of the Lib Dems, welcomed the findings.

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Today’s Political Headlines includes Facebook’s fine, Tory resignations, more troops to Afghanistan and the Trump BoJo friendship. 

Facebook given maximum fine for Cambridge Analytica scandal
The Guardian reports that the Information Commissioner has announced that it will fine Facebook the maximum possible – £500,000 – for its role in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Elizabeth Denham, the Commissioner, said if the penalties introduced by the GDPR had been in place, the fine could have been hundreds of millions of pounds. Facebook has said that it is ‘reviewing the report’ and will respond soon. An enforcement notice has been filed against Aggregate IQ, which the investigation found had ‘significant links’ to Cambridge Analytica.

Tory vice-chairs quit over Brexit plans
The Daily Telegraph says that two vice-chairmen of the Conservative Party have resigned over Theresa May’s Brexit plans. MPs Maria Caulfield and Ben Bradley described the Chequers agreement as the ‘worst of all worlds’ and warned that it would lead to ‘Prime Minister Corbyn’. A cabinet minister has told The Times that he expects the compromise to be voted down by the House of Commons in the autumn.

May to announce that 440 more troops will be sent to Afghanistan
According to the BBC, Theresa May will use the NATO summit to announce that the UK is to send 440 more troops to Afghanistan, taking total UK troop numbers to 1,090. May said that the deployment will help to deliver ‘stability and security’. The Times adds that the Prime Minister is not expected to produce a funded plan for the military at the summit, despite pressure from Donald Trump.

Trump hints at meeting with Johnson during UK trip
The Times reports that Donald Trump has hinted that he would like to speak to his ‘friend’ Boris Johnson during his trip to the UK later this week, describing him as ‘very supportive’. The US President also claimed that the UK was in ‘turmoil’ and suggested that his meeting with Vladimir Putin might be easier than that with Theresa May.

Labour appoints anti-Semitism row MP as shadow equalities minister
The BBC says that Labour has made Naz Shah a shadow equalities minister, despite her having previously made anti-Semitic comments. Shah lost the parliamentary whip in 2016 after posts by her on social media which she admitted were anti-Semitic were discovered.

Hancock received £32,000 from thinktank that proposes scrapping the NHS
The Daily Mirror reports that the new Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock accepted donations totalling £32,000 from Neil Record, chair of the Institute of Economic Affairs whose head of health and welfare wants the NHS to be privatised. He also received a £5,000 donation from Gurdev Dadral, director of a private nursing agency.

Government draws up plans to stockpile food for ‘no deal’ Brexit
In an exclusive, The Sun reveals that ministers have drawn up secret plans to stockpile processed food and medicine in a bid to convince the EU that the UK is prepared for a ‘no deal’ Brexit. The paper adds that the Government will start to announce its contingency measures in the coming week.

MPs to debate ‘sanctioning’ McVey
The Daily Mirror says that Labour is to lead a debate on ‘sanctioning’ Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey by cutting her salary to zero for a month. The move forms part of a motion of censure in the House of Commons following McVey’s admission that she misrepresented a report on universal credit by the National Audit Office.

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Today’s Political Headlines includes Johnson’s resignation, the first meeting of the revamped cabinet, Williamson blaming Russia for Dawn Sturgess’ death and Farage’s high earnings. 

Johnson resigns, launching attack on May’s Brexit proposals
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson’s resignation dominates today’s papers. The Times carries details of his resignation letter, in which he asserts that the Brexit ‘dream is dying’ and that the UK is ‘truly headed for the status of colony’. The paper adds that the Prime Minister has vowed to fight a confidence vote if MPs demand her replacement. The Daily Mail adds that Johnson has faced criticism for staging photos of himself signing the letter. Lib Dem MP Layla Moran described Johnson as a ‘poundshop Churchill impressionist’ and Labour MP David Lammy accused him of being a ‘self-obsessed, vain egomaniac devoid of substance’.

May holds first meeting of revamped Cabinet
The BBC reports that Theresa May is to hold the first meeting of her new Cabinet this morning. Following the departures of David Davis and Boris Johnson, May has appointed Dominic Raab as Brexit Secretary and Jeremy Hunt as Foreign Secretary. Matt Hancock has succeeded Hunt as Health and Social Care Secretary, Jeremy Wright has taken Hunt’s role as Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, and Geoffrey Cox follows Wright as Attorney General. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has accused May of presiding over a ‘sinking ship’.

Williamson blames Russia for death of British woman
The Financial Times says that Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has blamed Russia for the death of Dawn Sturgess, the British woman poisoned by a nerve agent in Salisbury. He told MPs that it was ‘the simple reality’ that her death was the result of the Russian attack on the Skripals earlier this year. According to the paper, Government officials have said that Williamson went too far in his claims.

Farage has highest outside earnings of any UK MEP
The Guardian claims that Nigel Farage has the highest earnings outside the European Parliament of any of the UK’s 73 MEPs, making between £524,000 and £700,000 from television and radio work in the last four years. The claim is made in a Transparency International report, which also shows that Farage has the seventh highest earnings overall.

Williamson establishes team to consider amnesty from prosecution for veterans
The Daily Mail reports that Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has set up a team that is considering ways of preventing former soldiers from being prosecuted for historical allegations. Williamson told the Commons that the issue had gone on for ‘far too long’.

Commission recommends Government backs just one new nuclear power station
The Guardian says that the National Infrastructure Commission has recommended that the Government only backs one new power station after Hinckley Point C, suggesting that renewable energy sources would be a safer investment. The Commission recommends that by 2030 a minimum of 50% of power should be generated from renewable sources.

Gauke to announce in-cell phones for prisoners
According to The Daily Telegraph, Justice Secretary David Gauke will today announce the introduction of in-cell telephones to prisons in England and Wales at a cost of £7m. The Government says that queues for public phones in prisons are a factor in violence and fuel demand for illicit mobile phones, while improving inmates’ family relationships is a key factor in reducing reoffending rates.

New anti-terrorism laws could criminalise the ‘inquisitive’
The Guardian reports that the Joint Committee on Human Rights has warned that proposed counter-terrorism legislation would put academics, journalists and people with ‘inquisitive and foolish minds’ at risk of prosecution and receiving a prison sentence of up to 15 years.

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