Archive for: Political Services

Today’s Political Headlines include the former Russian spy crisis, EU adviser upsetting May’s free trade plans, the EU/USA trade wars and the country on a diet. 

Former Russian spy collapses in Salisbury following contact with unnamed substance
The BBC reports that Russia claims to have ‘no information’ about what could have caused Sergei Skripal and an unnamed woman to collapse in Salisbury yesterday, following contact with an unnamed substance. Skripal was a former Russian spy, who had been convicted of passing secrets to MI6 and was sent to the UK as part of a prisoner swap. The widow of Alexander Litvinenko, poisoned in London in 2006, said the incident felt like ‘déjà vu’.

EU adviser strikes blow against May’s free trade deal plans
The Guardian says that Stefaan de Rynck, adviser to the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, struck a blow against Theresa May’s ‘chances of securing a deep free-trade deal with the EU’ last night, criticising her proposed mutual recognition of standards. The paper also reports that the Irish Taoiseach has dismissed Theresa May’s suggestion that the US-Canada border could be a model for the UK-Ireland border after Brexit.

EU prepares for trade war with the USA and UK-USA air talks are cut short
The Times reports that the European Union is ‘gearing up’ for a trade war with the USA, following President Trump’s decision to impose high tariffs on imported steel and aluminium, and threats towards car imports. Products to be targeted by the EU in retaliation include Harley-Davidson motorcycles, bourbon whiskey and Levi jeans, with the French President, Emmanuel Macron, saying the EU should react ‘quickly’ and ‘in a proportionate manner’. Meanwhile, the Financial Times claims that talks between the UK and the USA over a post-Brexit ‘Open Skies’ agreement have been cut short after the UK was offered a worse deal.

Local authorities and developers deny responsibility for the housing crisis
Following Theresa May’s announcement of a shake-up of planning rules yesterday, the Financial Times reports that local authorities and developers have denied that they are to blame for the housing crisis. The Guardian adds that the Government has yet to enact its pledge in the autumn budget to give councils more powers to crack down on empty homes.

Public Health England recommends calorie cut for processed foods
The Financial Times reports that Public Health England has recommended the calorie content of processed foods is cut by 20% by 2024 and extended the remit of a campaign against childhood obesity beyond sugar. The body estimates that reaching the target will prevent 35,000 premature deaths and save £9bn in health and care costs over 25 years.

Jobs or services would have to be cut to fund public sector pay rise
New analysis by the Centre for Labour and Social Studies (Class) published in The Guardian, reveals that the Government cannot fund a 1% pay increase for public sector workers without cutting jobs or public services. The report, commissioned by the PCS union, casts doubt on the Government’s claim to have lifted the public sector pay cap.

Justice Secretary targets violence and gangs in jails
The BBC reports that Justice Secretary David Gauke is to unveil measures to clamp down on violence and smuggling drugs, phones and weapons in prisons. Gauke will promise to ‘remove the influence of gangs’, so that prisons can become ‘places of hope not despair’.

Safeguarding incidents reported to Charity Commission include claims of child sex abuse
International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt has said that 26 charities have come forward to report safeguarding cases, including claims of sexual abuse of children and rape, The Guardian reports. Seven groups reported incidents that occurred in the last financial year and reports of serious incidents across all charities have doubled in the last month.

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Today’s Political Headlines include May’s speech on planning policy, May’s criticism of Trump over the steel tariff plans, higher tax for baby boomers and legal action over immigration data blocks. 

May to give speech on planning policy today
As the BBC reports, Theresa May is due to give a speech on housing today. She will warn firms that are slow to build new homes that they could be refused planning permission in the future and criticise bonuses ‘based not on the number of homes they build but on their profits or share price’. Writing in The Daily Telegraph, May argues that ‘England needs more homes’ but promises ‘extra protection for Green Belt land’, environmental protections, and ‘a stronger emphasis on good design’.

May criticises Trump over steel tariff plans
In a phone call yesterday, Theresa May criticised President Trump for his plans for tariffs on steel and aluminium imports and after he threatened taxes on EU-made cars, The Times says. A spokesperson told the paper that the Prime Minister said that ‘multilateral action was the only way to resolve the problem of global overcapacity in all parties’ interests’.

Willetts to argue for higher taxes on baby boomers
David Willetts, the former Conservative minister and the Chair of the Resolution Foundation, will use a speech today to argue that the Government needs to target the wealth of baby boomers, through capital or property taxes, according to The Guardian. The paper also reports that the Institute for Public Policy Research has said that income tax bands could be scrapped without costing the Government and giving average earners as much as £1,100.

Legal action over Home Office plans to block access to immigration data
Two organisations are to challenge plans by the Home Office to deny millions of people access to the immigration data held on them in court, The Guardian says. The Open Rights Group (which campaigns on data privacy) and the3million (which represents EU citizens in the UK) argue that a clause in the Data Protection Bill breaches EU law.

EU to offer UK a Canada-style trade deal, as Tory customs union rebels back down
The Daily Telegraph claims the EU is to offer the UK a Canada-style trade deal this week, with only a short section on customs and services (and potentially no mention of financial services). The Sun says Conservative rebels are to back down on their threat to vote to keep the UK in a customs union, following Theresa May’s vow to keep the UK aligned in key industries. As the BBC reports, a Sinn Féin delegation is to meet EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier today, with the DUP meeting him tomorrow.

Five-sixths of employers fail to submit gender pay gap data
Just one sixth of employers with 250 or more staff have submitted gender pay gap data to the Government, with just a month before the deadline, according to the Financial Times. The Government expects about 9,000 employers to be captured by the regulations, but the paper’s calculations suggest that 13,500 could be affected. Only 1,442 have reported.

Government did not pursue opportunity to retrieve £364m from Carillion
The Guardian reports that the Government was aware of a plan that could have retrieved more than £360m from Carillion, limiting the cost to taxpayers and sparing cuts to pensions, but it did not encourage the firm to pursue it. The plan, presented by EY in December, would have broken the firm up, selling the profitable parts and liquidating the rest.

Team Sky ‘crossed an ethical line’, committee finds
A report by the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee has concluded that Team Sky ‘crossed an ethical line’ by using drugs permitted by anti-doping rules to enhance performance, instead of just for medical purposes, the BBC reports. Team Sky says that it ‘strongly refutes’ the claims in the report.

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Today’s Political Headlines include Davis ‘standing up’ to the EU, John Major’s speech, no deal harming the car industry and calls for more spending on the armed forces. 

Davis stands up to Brussels pressure over Northern Ireland
Brexit Secretary David Davis has said that the UK will not pay the Brexit divorce bill, unless the EU backs down on its attempts to keep Northern Ireland subject to its rules, The Times reports. The Guardian says that Theresa May is under pressure to explain how she will avoid a hard Irish border in her speech on Friday, but that she has conceded that EU citizens who move to the UK during the transition period will be able to stay permanently. In The Daily Telegraph, Ruth Davidson criticises Boris Johnson’s ‘casual disregard’ over the Irish border, but says that Theresa May will use her speech to make clear ‘what is achievable and what is fantasy’. The BBC adds that May is to meet European Council President Donald Tusk today.

John Major calls for MPs to have a free vote on the Brexit deal
As the BBC reports, Sir John Major said, in a speech to the Creative Industries Federation, that MPs should have a free vote on the Brexit deal with the option to hold a referendum. Eurosceptic backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg said that Major was ‘getting it wrong again.’

No deal Brexit would harm car industry, report says
A report by the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee warns that failing to strike a deal on Brexit would put ‘hundreds of thousands’ of jobs at risk, the BBC says. If trade barriers are erected after Brexit, the sector could be cost £4.5bn in lost exports. However, Toyota has pledged to build the next-generation Auris in the UK despite Brexit, the Financial Times reports.

General says the UK needs to spend more on the armed forces
General Sir Gordon Messenger, vice-chief of the defence staff, has told The Times that the UK needs to spend more on the armed forces, or it would risk defeat to Russia or North Korea. He also stressed the importance of the information war and the use of data.

Boris Johnson could be investigated over garden bridge
The Guardian claims that Boris Johnson could be investigated for misconduct in public office according to a senior lawyer, if it is shown that pressure from him during his tenure as Mayor of London led to the loss of £40m on the abandoned garden bridge project. He will be questioned by a London Assembly committee today.

Osborne’s austerity target met, two years late
The Financial Times reveals that the UK has eliminated the deficit on its day-to-day budget, two years after the target set by George Osborne in 2010. Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies described the news as ‘quite an achievement’, but said that it had ‘come at the cost of an unprecedented squeeze in public spending’.

Libor grants under review
In an exclusive, The Sun says that the Treasury is reviewing all Libor charity cash grants, after ministers raided hundreds of millions for their own budgets. The review started last autumn, after concerns were raised by the National Audit Office. The Public Accounts Committee has promised to question officials over the revelations.

Liz Truss: Middle class professionals put up barriers to stop others joining them~
The Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Liz Truss, has accused middle class professionals, such as doctors, lawyers and teachers, of being a ‘blob’ which is ‘constantly lobbying to put barriers up to prevent new people joining them’, according to the Daily Mail. She suggested that ‘professional regulations can be a damaging restraint on trade’ and praised free schools where ‘teachers don’t have to have traditional training’.

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Today’s Political Headlines include EU set to publish draft withdrawal agreement, the battle to become Labour General Secretary, the Labour Party’s sexual misconduct dossier and BoJo thinking the UK should welcome the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince.

EU set to publish draft withdrawal agreement
The EU is set to publish a legal draft of the EU withdrawal agreement today, the BBC reports. It will say that Northern Ireland will have to follow single market rules unless an alternative is found. The Times says that Theresa May is to reject the draft, as it would threaten the UK’s ‘constitutional integrity’. Sky News has published a leaked letter from Boris Johnson to the Prime Minister, in which he says ‘it is wrong to see the task as maintaining “no border”’.

Battle to become Labour General Secretary exposes party tensions
According to The Guardian, the battle to become the new General Secretary of the Labour Party ‘is set to expose a faultline which has been quietly widening on the left of the party’ between Momentum and the trade unions. Momentum founder Jon Lansman is considering challenging Unite’s Jennie Formby, who has the support of the leader’s office.

Sexual misconduct dossier submitted to Corbyn by Labour activists
The BBC reports that Labour activists have submitted a dossier to Jeremy Corbyn, detailing cases of harassment, intimidation and abuse at all levels of the party. The report by LabourToo recommends a number of changes to how the party functions.

UK should welcome Saudi Arabian Crown Prince, Johnson argues
Writing in The Times, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson argues that the UK should welcome Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman when he visits next week, who he says has achieved ‘genuine reform’. Johnson also stresses the importance of co-operating with Saudi Arabia on security. The paper adds that ‘concerted protests remain likely’ despite Johnson’s intervention.

Mail discovers Mosley leaflet
The Daily Mail says that in 1961 Max Mosley published what it calls ‘arguably one of the most racist official leaflets ever published in a modern British parliamentary election’. In an interview with Channel 4 News, Mosley admitted that the pamphlet ‘probably was racist’ but asserted that it might not be ‘genuine’. As a result, the paper claims that Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson is under pressure to return £540,000 donated to him by Mosley.

Cambridge Analytica denies working on EU referendum
Giving evidence to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, the Chief Executive of the data marketing company Cambridge Analytica, Alexander Nix, denied that his firm had worked on the EU referendum, despite claims to the contrary by Arron Banks of Leave.EU, The Guardian reports.

BBC aid charity didn’t tell Government about staff sacked for sexual misconduct
BBC Media Action, the BBC’s international development charity, sacked six staff for sexual misconduct without telling the Government, The Daily Telegraph reveals. Between 2012 and 2017 the charity received £70m from the Government.

Hammond attacked over night on beach comments; Government fails to spend housing cash
According to The Daily Telegraph, Chancellor Philip Hammond is ‘under fire’ after telling the Cabinet about a night he had spent on a beach during a discussion about helping homeless people during the cold snap. Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror reports the Government failed to spend £72m allocated to affordable housing last year.

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Today’s Political Headlines include a Labour stance on Brexit, new powers for the Office for Students, Northern Ireland’s status post-Brexit and Lidington’s Brexit speech.

Labour would keep UK in a customs union with EU after Brexit
Jeremy Corbyn is to clarify that Labour would keep the UK in a customs union with the EU after Brexit in a speech today, The Guardian reports. However, he will warn that staying in the single market could stop the delivery of the party’s ‘ambitious economic platform’. Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Brexit Secretary David Davis says that the plan ‘would necessitate two serious breaches of Labour’s manifesto’.

Watchdog given new powers over universities
The Times has seen documents detailing the powers to be given to the new Office for Students, which show that the watchdog will force universities to act on high pay, grade inflation and support for disadvantaged students. The regulatory framework is to be put before parliament on Wednesday, with the powers to be taken up in April.

EU’s draft Brexit agreement threatens to break truce over Northern Ireland
The Financial Times warns that the ‘truce’ over Northern Ireland’s status post-Brexit may be ‘shattered’ this week, when the EU publishes a draft withdrawal agreement which leaves out the compromise language secured by Theresa May. The draft omits the commitment to ‘no new regulatory barriers’ between the UK mainland and Northern Ireland, with the EU claiming that it was waiting for ‘workable UK proposals’.

Brexit bill changes will ‘strengthen and enhance’ devolution, Lidington to claim
Speaking at the Airbus plant in Flintshire, Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington is to say that ‘very big changes’ to the EU (Withdrawal) Bill will ‘strengthen and enhance’ devolution settlements, but the BBC says the Scottish and Welsh governments have described the current proposals as a ‘power grab’. Meanwhile, according to The Sun, Tory whips are planning an away-day ‘bonding session’ for all the party’s MPs.

Energy tariff cap legislation introduced
The BBC reports that legislation to cap expensive energy tariffs is to be introduced to Parliament today, which the Government claims will protect 11 million people. The bill will limit the cost of standard variable tariffs until 2020, with the cap then being extended on an annual basis until 2023. Energy UK said it was vital that the cap did not stifle competition.

New plans will spare domestic violence victims from facing abusers in court
The Times reports that proposals to be announced by Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary, today will spare victims of domestic violence from having to come face-to-face with their abusers in court. Instead, they will be automatically eligible to give evidence via video link or behind screens. Writing in the paper, Rudd outlines various proposals which will form part of consultation on the draft Domestic Abuse Bill.

UK targets Indonesia as part of ‘Global Britain’ strategy
The Daily Telegraph says that the UK is targeting Indonesia, in what it claims is ‘one of the first tests of the UK’s post-Brexit “Global Britain” strategy.’ British firms could gain contracts to regenerate Indonesia’s road and rail networks, UK Export Finance is offering ‘increased support’ and there has been a ‘surge’ in bilateral meetings.

Momentum sees membership grow after press attacks on Corbyn
Data seen by The Guardian shows that Momentum, the Corbyn-supporting group, experiences surges in membership immediately after negative newspaper articles about the Labour leader. The organisation claimed that attacks on Corbyn were being seen as a ‘sign of approval’, with negative stories in the Daily Mail being an effective recruitment tool.

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Today’s Political Headlines include Cabinet disagreements over May’s transition strategy, Unilever choosing the Netherlands over the UK, Williamson warning of a Russian threat and Abbott causing controversy.

Cabinet did not agree May’s transition strategy
The Daily Telegraph reports that the Cabinet did not agree Theresa May’s strategy for the transition period before it was sent to the EU. The strategy prompted a backlash after raising the prospect of an open-ended transition period. The paper also reports that David Lidington has offered to transfer to Scotland all powers repatriated from the EU that involve devolved policy areas, in an attempt to break deadlock. As the BBC says, ministers are to gather at Chequers this afternoon to agree the Government’s approach to Brexit. The Times adds that Jeremy Corbyn is planning a major Brexit speech on Monday to set out his approach, while fears of defeat over the customs union have prompted the Government to delay the Taxation (Cross-Border Trade) Bill for up to two months.

Government braced for Unilever to pick Netherlands as its new HQ
According to the Financial Times, Theresa May is braced for the Anglo-Dutch conglomerate Unilever to announce that it has chosen the Netherlands rather than the UK for its unified headquarters following months of political pressure. The paper adds that the UK hasn’t lost all hope and believes it could still benefit from the reorganisation in other ways.

Williamson warns of Russian threat, announces new combat air strategy
Appearing before the Commons Defence Select Committee, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said that ‘state-based threats’ are his department’s ‘top priority’, citing threats from Russia, China and North Korea. The Times says that this is a change from earlier policy, which put terrorism first. The Financial Times adds that Williamson promised a new combat air strategy in the summer and a review of national security capabilities by the end of March,

Abbott causes controversy by comparing UK attitudes to immigration to 1930s Germany
The Daily Telegraph claims that Diane Abbott has ‘sparked fury’ by comparing those with concerns about immigration to the UK to people who ‘scapegoated’ minority groups in pre-Nazi Germany. Abbott used Weimar Germany as an example in a speech on immigration policy, arguing that ‘economic collapse has always led to scapegoating the other’.

Domestic abusers to be given longer sentences
According to The Times, new guidance drawn up by the Sentencing Council will see domestic abusers given longer sentences than those who commit similar offences outside the home environment. The change has been made because such behaviour is rarely a ‘one-off’.

Tories set to lose at least three London boroughs
The Mirror reports that a poll shows the Conservatives are set to face a ‘humiliating’ defeat in at least three London boroughs this May. Across the capital, Labour has 54% of the vote and the Tories have 28%. If this result is replicated at the London council elections in May, Labour would have the highest share won by a party in the elections since 1968.

Gove asks Ofwat to investigate water companies’ behaviour
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary, Michael Gove, has written to Ofwat asking it to investigate concerns over prices, leaks, executive pay and payments to shareholders by water companies, the BBC says. He is willing to give Ofwat new powers if it asks for them.

Sinn Fein says May has no plan to save powersharing
Sinn Fein has accused Theresa May of having no plan to save powersharing in Northern Ireland, and claim the Prime Minister is ‘facilitating’ the DUP in blocking the process, The Guardian reports. The party’s leader, Mary Lou McDonald warned that a political vacuum would be ‘extremely dangerous’.

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Today’s Political Headlines include Tory MPs’ demands for a harder Brexit, Corbyn attacking the press, the continuing Oxfam scandal and Diane Abbott calling for fairer immigration for families.

Over 60 Tory MPs write to May demanding harder Brexit
The Times reports that over 60 Conservative MPs have written to Theresa May, telling her they will no longer support her Brexit plans if the Cabinet agrees to keep the UK too closely aligned to the EU. Their demands would make it impossible for the UK to stay in EU agencies, and reject the transition period unless a trade deal is agreed by next March, which the paper reports that ‘experts believe is all but impossible’. The Daily Telegraph claims that Boris Johnson has told German officials that the negotiations are ‘a mess.’

Corbyn attacks press over spy accusations
As the BBC reports, Jeremy Corbyn has warned the press that ‘change is coming’ and accused the media of publishing ‘lies and smears’ about his contact with a Czech spy in the 1980s. In a statement, The Sun said that it would ‘keep asking’ questions. According to The Guardian, intelligence experts who have seen Czechoslovakian files say that there is no evidence that Jeremy Corbyn was a spy or agent of influence.

Oxfam accused of being ‘quite possibly deliberately’ misleading by minister
The Times reports that International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt accused Oxfam of ‘quite possibly deliberately’ misleading governments, the police, and the public over sexual exploitation by its staff in Haiti in 2011. Meanwhile, Save the Children has apologised to three women who raised concerns about its former chief executive, Justin Forsyth.

Diane Abbott to call for fairer immigration for families
Diane Abbott will announce a pledge to end ‘family break-up through the immigration system’ in a speech today, The Guardian says. She will renew Labour’s commitment to scrap the Government’s migration target, allow parents or carers of admitted child refugees to come to the country, and end the practice of deporting children without entitlement to be in the UK once they turn 18 even if their parents are entitled to be here.

New FCA and Charity Commission chairs face criticism
Two public appointments came under scrutiny in the House of Commons yesterday. The Financial Times says that Charles Randell, incoming chairman of the Financial Conduct Authority, was questioned over his use of a film partnership accused of being a tax-avoidance scheme. The Guardian reports that the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee has unanimously refused to endorse Baroness Stowell of Beeston as chair of the Charity Commission because she lacked ‘any real insight, knowledge or vision’.

Committee launches investigation into social media’s impact on children
According to the Daily Mail, the Commons Science and Technology Committee has opened an investigation into the effect of social networks on children. Norman Lamb, the committee’s chair, said ‘Social media and smartphones are increasingly being used by children and young people. It is vital that we understand the impact this is having on them – the benefits as well as the risks.’

Labour and Lib Dem peers should resign to cut size of Lords, says Prime Minister
Theresa May is calling on Labour and the Liberal Democrats to encourage their peers to retire in order to cut the size of the House of Lords, claiming that the Conservatives were better at ‘embracing retirement at the appropriate time’, the BBC reports.

Lib Dem spokesperson steps down over sex for favours accusation
In an exclusive, The Sun says that Lord Lester has stood down as a Liberal Democrat spokesperson over a sex for favours scandal. A female campaigner has launched a complaint alleging that the peer tried to grope her when she approached him for help to pass legislation, and offered support in return for a sexual relationship. Lester denies the claims.

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Today’s Political Headlines include three billboards outside Grenfell Tower, Theresa May meeting Angela Merkel, Sinn Féin proving a power sharing deal could have been reached and the end(?) of UKIP.

Grenfell Tower billboards
Three billboards confronted Londoners with a reminder of the fire at Grenfell Tower yesterday, the Huffington Post has the story of the billboards that read ’71 dead and still no arrests, how come?’. The billboards were driven around with the intention of highlighting the lack of progress that has been made eight months since the fire. The billboards recreated a scene from the film ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’. The campaign appeared at Westminster, St Paul’s Cathedral and the tower itself.

Theresa May to meet Angela Merkel
The BBC reports that Theresa May will travel to Berlin to hold talks with Angela Merkel. Merkel will be a key player in the UK’s attempt to agree the transition that will be in place once the UK leaves the EU. This meeting comes ahead of May making a speech at the Munich Security Conference where it is expected she will signal her intention to maintain the security partnership with the EU.

Sinn Féin provide papers that prove a power sharing deal could have been reached
The Guardian reports on claims made by Sinn Féin that they have documents that prove an agreement was in place for power-sharing in Northern Ireland to resume, only for the DUP to prevent this moving forward. The DUP denies the claims saying that an offer of an Irish language act was never on the table, Sinn Féin leader, Mary Lou McDonald said that she tried to persuade the DUP leadership to close the deal before any opposition to it was voiced.

The end of UKIP?
Nigel Farage has admitted that UKIP may be on the verge of collapse, the Express runs the story as members of UKIP will vote on whether Henry Bolton should continue as leader this weekend. Farage conceded that the problems the party faces could be worse than the press realised due to branches closing and UKIP councillors choosing to run as independents in upcoming elections. UKIP also faces large legal bills from a libel case involving one of its MEPs.

EU Punishment clause removed
The Sun reports on the EU removing a punishment clause from the draft Brexit transition agreement which could have led to the UK being fined if it broke the EU’s rules. The EU27 agreed that the clause should be replaced with language that was less ‘tough-sounding’, this change comes ahead of the UK and EU beginning negotiations on the terms of the transition next month.

Liverpool prison the worst inspectors have ever seen
The Independent reports on an ‘abject failure’ to improve the prison two years after a warning that it was not safe. A report by the Justice select committee has revealed the Government is not acting on prison inspections and a deterioration in conditions is continuing. MPs on the committee want the prison inspectorate to be given additional resources so they can follow up on the recommendations they make.

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Today’s Political Headlines include Boris Johnson’s Brexit speech, Labour’s animal welfare plan, McVey’s call for McDonnell to apologise and the Oxfam crisis. 

Boris Johnson to reach out to voters alienated over Brexit in speech today
Boris Johnson is to give a speech on Brexit today, with the BBC reporting that he will try to reach out to voters alienated by Brexit, claiming ‘that Brexit is not grounds for fear but hope’. The Daily Telegraph reports that Johnson will argue that ‘It is only by taking back control of our laws that UK firms and entrepreneurs will have the freedom to innovate’ and that stopping Brexit ‘would be a disastrous mistake’.

Labour to unveil animal welfare plan today
Labour is to unveil a new 50-point animal welfare plan today. The Guardian reports that the party would introduce bans on foie gras and badger culling, further curbs on hunting with dogs, mandatory CCTV at abattoirs, and a ban on the export of live animals for slaughter. Other measures include expanding healthcare for pets with owners on low-incomes and greater rights for tenants to own pets.

McVey calls for McDonnell to apologise over ‘lynching’ comments
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey has called on John McDonnell to apologise for making comments at a comedy night about people in her constituency who wanted her to be lynched. She said that his refusal to apologise had given people ‘permission’ to bully her online.

Oxfam chief executive ‘should go’, says committee member
Nigel Evans, a Conservative member of the International Development Committee, has said that Mark Goldring, Oxfam’s chief executive, ‘should go’, The Times reports. The paper adds that both Lord Hague and Jeremy Corbyn have called for ministers not to cut the aid budget as a result of the scandal surrounding the charity. 

Times tables tests to be introduced
According to The Daily Telegraph, the new Education Secretary Damian Hinds will announce today that children as young as eight will be forced to take times tables tests for the first time in 75 years. Schools Minister Nick Gibb told the paper that this was part of the Government’s drive to make the UK a world leader in mathematics.

Committees criticise delays to immigration plan and disability assessment firms
A report by the Home Affairs Committee finds that delays to the Government’s white paper on the post-Brexit immigration system are causing anxiety for EU citizens and uncertainty for businesses, The Guardian says. Meanwhile, The Sun has details of a report by the Work and Pensions Committee criticising firms which assess disability benefits, whose staff are ‘at best lacking in competence and at worst actively deceitful’.

UK fails to hit defence spending target, report claims
The Financial Times has details of a report by the Institute for Strategic Studies that concludes the UK has missed its target of spending 2% of GDP on defence for the second year in a row. Instead, it calculates the figure as 1.98%. The report is released as Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson meets fellow NATO members in Brussels.

DUP leader says no to a free-standing Irish Language Act
The BBC reports that Arlene Foster, leader of the DUP, has said there will not be a free-standing Irish Language Act. Sinn Fein has said that such an act is ‘essential’ to restoring power sharing at Stormont. Foster refused to comment on reports that a package with three acts on Irish, Ulster Scots and other cultural matters was under discussion.

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