Archive for: Political Services

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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Today’s Political Headlines include the Brexit summit at Chequers, the Labour Party’s antisemitism code, German minister accused of putting security at risk,and the Trump baby. 

Brexiteer ministers expected to confront Prime Minister during Brexit summit
The Daily Telegraph expects at least six cabinet ministers to confront Theresa May during today’s summit at Chequers, following the revelation that her proposed deal would see the UK promise to obey EU standards on many goods after Brexit, with British judges following European rulings ‘where relevant’. A leaked document also reveals that this would make reaching a trade deal with the US harder. The paper says International Trade Secretary Liam Fox appears to have withdrawn his opposition after being given ‘personal assurances’ by the Prime Minister, but Jacob Rees-Mogg has claimed that the proposal is ‘not Brexit’.

Labour Party criticised over new antisemitism code
The BBC says that the Labour Party has been criticised by campaigners and some of its own MPs for its new code of conduct on antisemitism. While the party claims that the code meets the full International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, critics including the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Jewish Leadership Councils and MPs Chuka Umunna, Liz Kendall and Anna Turley have accused it of omitting elements.

German minister accuses EU of putting security at risk in Brexit talks
The Times claims that German interior minister Horst Seehofer has attacked EU negotiators for putting the ‘security of citizens at risk’ during Brexit talks. He made the claims in a confidential letter to the European Commission. Seehofer has caused chaos in Germany’s coalition government this week over his stance on migration.

Hammond refuses to overhaul business rates
The Daily Mail says that Chancellor Philip Hammond has been accused of ‘betraying struggling high street retailers’ after he refused to overhaul business rates. Writing to MPs, he said that he would not consider the issue until after an inquiry into taxing digital firms was completed. Former retail boss Bill Grimsey, who has written a report on saving town centres, claimed that Hammond was ‘divorced from reality’.

McVey rejects calls for a further apology
The Guardian reports that Work and Pensions Secretary Ether McVey has refused to apologise to MPs for misleading them about the progress of welfare reforms, despite being forced to appear in the Commons to answer an urgent question. She has only apologised for claiming that the National Audit Office had called for the process to be sped up.

Brexit shows dangers of global trade war, Carney says
The Financial Times carries remarks made by Bank of England Governor Mark Carney in which he warns world leaders that the UK’s economic performance after Brexit shows the dangers of deglobalisation. He warned that the imposition of further tariffs as part of an international trade war would hit global growth.

Williamson would accept amnesty for IRA terrorists in return for one for soldiers
According to The Sun, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has written to the Prime Minister to say that he would back an amnesty for IRA terrorists if this allowed former British soldiers to escape investigation over killings of civilians during the troubles in Northern Ireland.

Giant baby Trump to be flown during presidential visit
The Daily Mirror reports that Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, has given permission for a giant blimp in the shape of a nappy-wearing Donald Trump to be flown during the US President’s visit to the UK next week. Strict conditions will be imposed on the flight of the £16,000 inflatable baby from Parliament Square Gardens.

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Today’s Political Headlines include Vote Leave to be found guilty of breaking electoral law, the dangers of a hard Brexit, post-Brexit fishing plans and Unite’s stance on Brexit. 

Vote Leave campaign expected to be found guilty of breaking electoral law
The BBC says that it has been told that the Vote Leave campaign is expected to be found guilty of four charges of breaking electoral law. A draft of an investigation by the Electoral Commission concludes that the Brexit campaign broke spending limits and failed to obey campaign rules, but former Vote Leave chief executive Matthew Elliot has denied the claims.

Hammond to warn of hard Brexit dangers at Cabinet summit
The Times alleges that Theresa May has asked Chancellor Philip Hammond and Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Secretary Greg Clark to warn of the dangers of a hard Brexit for tax revenues and businesses when the Cabinet meets on Friday. According to The Daily Telegraph, May is set to face an ‘almighty row’ with Eurosceptic ministers, with a source telling the paper her plans were ‘a fiction designed to keep us in the EU and single market’. The Financial Times adds that May is ‘pleading’ with EU leaders not to reject her proposal, with an EU diplomat telling the paper she didn’t ‘want to be fighting on two fronts’.

Gove sets out post-Brexit fishing plans
The Daily Telegraph reports that Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Michael Gove is to set out his post-Brexit fishing plans in a white paper today. The proposals would see the UK own the sea and the fish it contains for up to 200 miles from the coast, with a ‘zonal attachment’ scheme based on the distribution of fish stocks replacing EU quotas.

Unite says it is ‘open to the possibility’ of a vote on the Brexit deal
The Guardian says that Unite has issued a statement at its conference, claiming that it is ‘highly unlikely’ that Labour will back Theresa May’s Brexit deal in parliament. The union also reveals that it is ‘open to the possibility’ of a public vote being held on the deal. The paper suggests that this ‘could increase pressure on Jeremy Corbyn’ to follow suit.

NHS may offer medical cannabis ‘within weeks’
The Times claims that medicinal cannabis may be available from the NHS ‘within weeks’, following a review by Dame Sally Davies, the Chief Medical Officer. Her report said that current controls on the drug were ‘very difficult to defend’. A further report on rescheduling the drug will now be produced by the advisory council for the misuse of drugs.

Home Office forced immigrants to take DNA tests
According to the Financial Times, the Home Office has admitted that it forced some foreign parents of British children seeking to remain in the UK to take DNA tests, despite this contravening the department’s own policy. After the paper informed the Home Office of the cases, immigration minister Caroline Nokes ordered an urgent review.

Corbyn tells Unite conference Labour is ‘the political voice of the working class’
The Mirror reports that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told Unite’s policy conference that ‘Labour is back as the political voice of the working class’. He said that more needed to be done to ‘give a real voice to working class communities who feel they aren’t heard in politics’ and accused the Conservatives of ‘posturing’ over Brexit, putting jobs at risk.

Reports warn of Brexit’s regional economic impact
The Guardian says that two reports have found that Brexit will make people outside London worse off. Analysis by the Institute for Public Policy Research warns that households outside the capital will be disproportionately affected by price rises in the event of a hard Brexit. Research by Oliver Wyman found that poor areas would be worst hit as households spend a greater proportion of their income on weekly shopping and transport.

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Today’s Political Headlines include the UK Brexit negotiator’s belief that there’s no chance of a bespoke trade deal, Rees-Mogg’s revolt warning, US/UK defence spending and NHS spending. 

UK Brexit negotiator claims there is ‘no chance’ of a bespoke trade deal
The Times claims that Theresa May’s chief Brexit negotiator Oliver Robbins has told Cabinet ministers that there is ‘no chance’ of the UK agreeing a bespoke trade agreement with the EU. A ‘Government figure’ told the paper that the UK may face a choice between a Norway-style arrangement which would keep the UK in the single market or a simple free trade agreement. The BBC adds that the Government has produced a third model for post-Brexit customs arrangements that will also be discussed by Cabinet ministers on Friday.

Rees-Mogg warns Eurosceptics will rebel if May doesn’t deliver
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Conservative backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg warns Theresa May that he and his fellow Eurosceptics will vote against the final Brexit deal if she doesn’t ‘deliver what she said she would’. He compares the Prime Minister to Sir Robert Peel, the Prime Minister forced to quit after his party revolted against him over the corn laws.

US Defense Secretary calls for UK to increase military spending
In an exclusive, The Sun reports that Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson received an ultimatum from his US counterpart Jim Mattis two weeks ago, warning that the UK’s military prowess is ‘at risk of erosion’ and that defence spending should increase or France would become ‘the US partner of choice’. He wants an answer by next week’s NATO summit.

NAO chief calls for higher NHS spending
Speaking to The Guardian, Sir Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office has warned that the NHS will need more funding than that promised by Theresa May if it is to meet the challenges of the ageing population. He called on politicians ‘to be willing to think bigger’, warning that current spending plans would only sustain current services.

NHS confirms it is planning for no-deal Brexit
The Financial Times reports that NHS England Chief Executive Simon Stevens has confirmed that his organisation is carrying out ‘significant planning’ for a no-deal Brexit in order to ensure that it will continue to have access to medicines and equipment. At the moment, over 37m packs of medicine are imported into the UK from Europe each month.

Political parties should publish gender of candidates, campaigners say
The Guardian says that campaigners including the Electoral Reform Society and the Fawcett Society have joined forces to call on the Government to introduce legislation forcing political parties to publish the gender breakdown of their candidates. Provision for this is included in the Equality Act 2010, but the relevant section has never been enacted.

Former schools minister calls on Government not to use ‘misleading’ statistic
The BBC says that former Lib Dem Schools Minister David Laws, now the chair of the Education Policy Institute, has called on the Government not to use a statistic suggesting that more pupils now attend a good or outstanding school than did in 2010. He said that the statistic ‘misrepresents the level of improvement in school standards’.

Mail launches campaign to save the high street
The Daily Mail has launched a campaign to ‘save Britain’s high streets’ after 50,000 retail jobs were lost in the first six months of 2018. The paper points the finger of blame at high business rates which disproportionately affect high street retailers rather than online stores, with Frank Field, Chair of the Commons Work and Pensions Committee, calling for a ‘specific sales tax’ to be introduced to target them. The campaign is also backed by Jacob Rees-Mogg and Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable, together with various business organisations.

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Today’s Political Headlines include ‘the worst possible Brexit deal’. EU planning a ‘no deal’ Brexit scenario, Chinese firms as frontrunners to operate HS2 and the Government warning it will miss carbon targets. 

May’s former aide warns that the UK risks ‘the worst possible Brexit deal’
The Daily Telegraph reports that Theresa May’s former aide Nick Timothy has warned that the UK risks agreeing what the paper calls ‘the worst possible Brexit deal’, with free movement of workers set to effectively continue under proposals to be discussed by the Cabinet. Ministers have been warned that there are only six weeks of negotiations left to agree a deal by the EU summit in October. The Guardian claims that Theresa May will tell her fellow leaders that the Government is making progress on Brexit at today’s EU summit.

EU works on no deal Brexit as it prepares to issue warning about negotiation progress
The Financial Times says that the EU is increasing work on emergency plans to cope with a hard Brexit, including transitional measures covering transport, financial services and customs to be implemented if no deal is agreed. The paper also claims that Theresa May will be given a ‘serious and grave’ warning over the progress of Brexit negotiations by fellow EU leaders at today’s summit.

Chinese firms are frontrunners to operate HS2
The Times reveals that the Chinese firms Guangshen Railway Co and MTR are the frontrunners to operate HS2 because two British-led consortia, including Virgin and First Group, are unwilling to take on the financial risk required. Final bids are due early next month, with a decision due next May.

Government warned that it will miss carbon targets
The Guardian carries details of a report by the Committee on Climate Change, which warns that the Government will miss its legally binging carbon budgets in 2025 and 2030 because not enough progress had been made in cutting emissions from buildings and transport. The committee, chaired by the Tory peer Lord Deben, accuses ministers of not pursing low-cost options such as onshore windfarms, home insulation and tree-planting.

Truss rebuked by Downing Street over speech
According to The Times, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Liz Truss, has been rebuked by Downing Street after she criticised Government policies and mocked Michael Gove in a speech. The Financial Times suggests that Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson could quit if he doesn’t secure extra funding. The Daily Mail adds that senior backbenchers are becoming fed up with Cabinet infighting, with Nigel Evans telling ministers to ‘put a sock in it’.

Welsh Conservative leader resigns
The Guardian reports that Andrew RT Davies, the Welsh Conservative leader, has resigned ‘unexpectedly’. The paper says that supporters and opponents of Davies have linked his resignation to his support for Brexit and his comments about Airbus last week, which were criticised for being ‘inflammatory’ by defence minister Guto Bebb.

Mordaunt to use foreign aid to support Commonwealth veterans
The Daily Telegraph says that Penny Mordaunt, the International Development Secretary, will announce today that the aid budget will be used to support war veterans living in poverty in the Commonwealth. She will also outline plans to work with the Ministry of Defence to support islands in the Commonwealth affected by hurricanes.

Clark requests £100m for satellite system feasibility study
The Financial Times claims that Greg Clark, the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Secretary, has made a formal request to the Treasury for £100m to fund a two-year feasibility study for a British satellite navigation system as an alternative to the EU’s Galileo programme. Officials plan to launch the first tenders for the new system in the autumn.

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Today’s Political Headlines include vote for the third runway at Heathrow, election law reform, attacks against unsustainable budget increases and BMW’s Brexit warning. 

MPs vote for third runway at Heathrow
As The Times reports, last night MPs voted in favour of a third runway at Heathrow, with a majority of 296, following the imposition of a three-line whip by the Conservatives, Labour’s decision to allow a free vote and the SNP abstaining. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who has opposed the proposals, missed the vote as he was in Afghanistan, drawing criticism from fellow Tories. The paper adds that various councils, Sadiq Khan and Greenpeace are launching a legal challenge to the decision.

Electoral Commission calls for ‘urgent’ reform of election law
The Guardian reports that the Electoral Commission has called for urgent reform to the law, as British democracy ‘may be under threat’. The regulator has called on the Government to change the law in order to tackle misinformation, misuse of personal data and overseas interference. Its recommendations are particularly targeted at digital campaigning.

Truss attacks calls for ‘unsustainable’ budget increases
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Liz Truss, attacks calls by fellow ministers for ‘unsustainable’ increases in their budgets, warning that this would result in the Conservatives being ‘crushed’ and would be a ‘complete contradiction of the Brexit vote’. Instead, she calls for ‘better value for money’. She also criticises colleagues for ‘talking about banning things’ and promises to review ‘over-regulated’ jobs.

BMW warns that UK plants could close if Brexit causes delays
The Financial Times reports that BMW has warned that it will have to close its plants in the UK if it cannot import components from the EU quickly and reliably. Customs manager Stephan Freismuth said ‘if at the end of the day the supply chain will have a stop at the border, then we cannot produce our products in the UK’, but added that the company didn’t ‘want to give up our UK plants’.

Commons Defence Committee report recommends spending increase
The BBC says that a report by the Commons Defence Committee recommends that defence spending should increase from 2% to 3% of GDP, in order to maintain the UK’s influence with the USA and in NATO. It recommends spending the extra funding on increased readiness and anti-submarine warfare, countering Russian threats.

EU to offer better trade deal if UK relaxes red lines
The Sun claims that the EU is to call for a ‘realistic and workable’ vision for post-Brexit UK-EU relations and introduce an ‘evolution clause’ into the conclusions of the leaders’ summit later this week. The clause promises that the EU will ‘reconsider its offer on trade, in the event that the UK changes its red lines. The paper adds that French President Emmanuel Macron is set to rebuke the UK for the lack of progress in negotiations.

Hungary warns that no deal would be ‘very devastating’ for the EU
The Daily Mail has been told by the Hungarian Foreign Minister, Peter Szijjarto, that if the EU failed to reach a trade deal with the UK, its competitiveness would ‘further decrease’ and a ‘very devastating’ situation would result. He also criticised attempts to exclude the UK from participating in joint security projects.

Government rejects tidal lagoon plans
The Guardian reports that the Government has rejected plans for a £1.3bn tidal lagoon in Swansea Bay because it judged the scheme to be too expensive when compared to other energy sources such as offshore wind and nuclear power. Government analysis suggested that supporting the lagoon would have cost the average consumer £700 more by 2050.

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Today’s Political Headlines include the Heathrow third runway vote, Labour’s promise to end defence outsourcing, over 50 Tory MPs ready to block a no-deal Brexit and a former adviser to Theresa May calls to unlock home ownership for young workers. 

Grayling calls on Tory MPs to back third runway
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has urged his party’s MPs to back a third runway at Heathrow in today’s vote, arguing that Brexit means that the UK needs ‘to demonstrate clearly that out future lies very much at the heart of the world stage.’ Some Conservative MPs have criticised the absence of Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who had previously promised to prevent the scheme. The Guardian adds that Len McCluskey, General Secretary of Unite, has written to Labour MPs, calling on them to back the scheme, bringing him into conflict with the party’s leadership.

Labour to promise end to defence outsourcing
The BBC reports that Nia Griffith, the Shadow Defence Secretary, will promise in a speech today that a Labour government would end outsourcing of large defence contracts and criticise the performance of firms such as Capita and Carillion. The Daily Mail says that allies of Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson have claimed that dozens of Conservative MPs could vote to block the budget if defence spending isn’t increased.

Over 50 Tory MPs ready to block no deal Brexit
The Financial Times claims that ‘senior Conservative politicians’ believe that over 50 Conservative MPs, including some current ministers, are prepared to block any attempt by the UK to leave the EU without a deal. The paper also reports that Downing Street is trying to reassure businesses following dismissive remarks from two Cabinet ministers.

Former adviser calls on May to unlock home ownership for young workers
The Sun reports that Conservative MP Neil O’Brien, a former adviser to Theresa May, is calling for a million new houses to be set aside for workers under 40. A report by his new think tank, Onward, calls for half a million new homes to be built for rent to those under 40 with discounts of up to a fifth, and for Government support for 500,000 loans for deposits.

MPs and campaigners call for Home Office fees to be cut
The Guardian says that MPs and campaigners are calling for Home Office fees for asylum, immigration, nationality and customs services to be reduced urgently. The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, David Bolt, launched a consultation on the charges, and Labour MP Stephen Doughty claimed that it is ‘never acceptable’ for the Home Office to profit from applications.

New research shows that over 30,000 children are in gangs
The Times says that new research shows that over 30,000 children aged between 10 and 15 claim to belong to gangs. Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield warned that criminals prey on young people by ‘taking the place of society’, with analysis by her office showing that up to 70,000 under-25s could be part of a gang network.

No trade deal with US if geographical protections maintained, Paul Ryan warns
The Daily Telegraph claims that International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has written to Brexit Secretary David Davis, warning that he has been told by senior Republican Paul Ryan that a free trade deal with the US would not be possible if EU geographical indication protections for food and drink such as Champagne and Parma ham are maintained after Brexit.

Pro-Corbyn group launches campaign for a ‘people’s vote’ on the deal
The Guardian reports that a pro-Corbyn group is to launch a campaign for a ‘people’s vote’ on the final Brexit deal. The group, Labour for a People’s Vote, is led by former Momentum members and trade union leaders, with activists from 62 local parties pledging to raise the issue in a motion to Labour’s conference in September.

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Today’s Political Headlines include the passing of the Brexit Bill, the UK’s defence, the Gosport hospital scandal and British expats. 

May welcomes passing of Brexit Bill
The BBC reports that Theresa May has welcomed the passing of the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, following the decision of some Conservative rebels to back a compromise stance on a ‘meaningful vote’ on the final deal. The bill has now gone forward for Royal Assent. The Prime Minister claimed that this was ‘a crucial step’ to deliver a ‘smooth and orderly Brexit’, with a white paper and votes on the Trade and Customs Bill to follow in ‘the next few weeks’. The Guardian says that Labour MP Naz Shah has criticised Tory whips for rejecting a pairing request, leading her to discharge herself from hospital and vote in her pyjamas.

May asked Williamson to justify the UK’s role as a ‘tier one’ military power
The Financial Times claims that Theresa May asked Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson to justify the UK’s position as a ‘tier one’ military power at a ‘tense meeting’ on Tuesday, telling him to focus more on cyber warfare. A spokesman said that it was ‘categorically untrue’ that the position of the UK ‘as a leading defence nation is somehow in question’.

Campaigners warn that Gosport hospital scandal could be repeated
The Times says that campaigners have warned that the NHS could see a repeat of the opiate scandal that killed up to 650 patients at the Gosport War Memorial Hospital, because it still ignores whistle-blowers. An independent report into the scandal was published yesterday, and Health and Social Care Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said that the police will investigate new material raised by it and consider criminal charges, if appropriate.

Javid criticises EU member states over arrangements for British expats
The Daily Telegraph reports that Home Secretary Sajid Javid has criticised the EU for failing to match the UK’s progress on making arrangement for expats post-Brexit, ahead of the publication today of the UK’s settled status scheme for EU citizens resident in the UK. He asked the European Parliament and Commission to exert pressure on member states to publish ‘similar plans’ to ‘support British nationals in their countries’.

Chancellor to set out strategy for post-Brexit ‘global financial partnerships’
The Financial Times says that Philip Hammond will today use his annual speech at Mansion House to set out a strategy for securing new ‘global financial partnerships’ after Brexit, targeted at countries such as China, India, South Korea and Australia. The BBC adds that the Chancellor will admit that taxes will have to increase to fund NHS spending increases.

Government to introduce anti-upskirting legislation today
As the BBC reports, the Government is to introduce legislation to make upskirting a criminal offence today, after Tory backbencher Sir Christopher Chope blocked an earlier attempt by Lib Dem MP Wera Hobhouse. If it passes, offenders could spend up to two years in prison.

May criticises Trump’s immigration policies but defends visit
The Guardian says that Theresa May described Donald Trump’s policy of separating immigrant children from their parents as ‘deeply disturbing’ and ‘wrong’, but defended her decision to invite him to the UK next month, indicating that she would raise her concerns with him when they meet.

Speaker urged to set departure date
The Daily Mail claims that friends of Commons Speaker John Bercow have told him to make a statement naming the date on which he will step down. When originally elected, he promised to serve for nine years, and that deadline will be met on Friday. MPs who have spoken to him have reportedly urged him to resign by next summer’s recess at the latest.

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Today’s Political Headlines include Lord Hague calling for cannabis legalisation, the Government being defeated by the Lords over Brexit ‘meaningful vote’ and Hammond warning that the NHS spending boost leaves no cash for other policies

Lord Hague calls for cannabis legalisation
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, former Conservative leader Lord Hague claims that the war against cannabis has been ‘comprehensively and irreversibly lost’ and that the Conservatives should ‘be bold’ and imitate Canada, which is legalising the drug. The paper adds that Home Secretary Sajid Javid was prevented from raising the issue at Cabinet yesterday, following the controversy over the supply of medicinal cannabis to 12-year-old Billy Caldwell.

Government again defeated by Lords over Brexit ‘meaningful vote’
The Guardian reports that the Government has been defeated again by the House of Lords over the issue of a ‘meaningful vote’, after Viscount Hailsham tabled an amendment based on the deal Dominic Grieve thought he had struck with the Government last week. MPs will vote on the amendment on Wednesday. The Financial Times claims that UK negotiators are now suggesting that a deal with the EU may not be agreed until November or December, rather than early autumn as originally expected.

Hammond warns that NHS spending boost leaves no cash for other policies
The Times claims that Chancellor Philip Hammond told the Cabinet that after having to find £25bn for the NHS and other money to replace funding currently provided by the EU, there will be no funding for other policies. A cabinet minister said that Hammond had dispelled ‘any sense that the taps were about to be turned on’. The paper also reports that Theresa May has said she is prepared to use legislation to roll back Andrew Lansley’s NHS reforms.

First details of ‘settled status’ plan to be published
The Guardian reports that the Government will reveal the first details of the new ‘settled status’ immigration scheme for the 3.4m EU citizens living in the UK on Thursday. A ‘statement of intent’ will list some of the evidence they will need to provide, but will be ‘like a consultation paper’ an ‘informed source’ told the paper.

New £20m fund to combat loneliness
The Daily Telegraph says that schemes to be supported by the Government as part of a new £20m Building Connections fund to tackle loneliness include mobile coffee vans, woodworking in sheds for middle-aged men, an app for young mothers and converting redundant public spaces into ‘loneliness gardens’.

Rail firms admit they only realised the extent of problems at the ‘last minute’
The Daily Mail reports that executives from rail firms admitted to the Commons Transport Committee that they only realised at the ‘very last minute’ that their timetables would not work. The Financial Times adds that Lib Dem MP Tim Farron and local rail users have worked with a charter train operator to restore services to a line in the Lake District.

Government set to water down petrol and diesel car ban
According to the Financial Times, the UK’s plan to ban petrol, diesel and most hybrid cars by 2040 is set to be downgraded to a ‘mission’ in the ‘Road to Zero Strategy’ due to be published by the Government tomorrow. Concerns about the policy’s impact on the automotive sector have been raised by Business Secretary Greg Clark.

Javid causes rift with India over student visa scheme
The Times alleges that Sajid Javid has caused a ‘diplomatic rift’ by deciding not to include Indian students in a new fast-track visa system because of concerns about ‘non-compliance’ (i.e. disappearing after entering the country). An Indian government source told the paper that ‘relations are not at their best right now, while Lord Bilimoria warned that ‘If this is the way they treat India, they can dream on about a FTA with India.’

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