Politics on Sunday – 11 February 2018

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This Sunday, the political shows offered up guests from across the political spectrum and yet one of the biggest headlines was that Andrew Marr – a man who has been interviewing and reassuring guests for over 10 years – was caught on mic saying that Penny Mordaunt gave a good interview.

Guests who featured on yesterday’s political shows included Penny Mordaunt, Andrew Gwynne, Chuka Umunna, Anna Soubry, Henry Bolton, Alastair Campbell, John McDonnell, Neale Richmond and David Gauke.

International Development Secretary, Penny Mordaunt, was the guest who faced the most pressing questions in the wake of the scandal surrounding Oxfam. Mordaunt sent a strong message to the charity saying that funding will be withdrawn if it does not comply fully with the authorities. This was also a wider warning to aid charities that if they don’t protect vulnerable people they face the risk of losing Government funding. Mordaunt confirmed she is still chipper about the prospects for Brexit and rejected Marr’s suggestion that she and her fellow pro-Brexit MPs misled the public into thinking it would be an easy process. Mordaunt also said that in the coming week more meat will be put on the Brexit bone. At the end of the interview Marr told her the interview was ‘very good’ – which inevitably led to people voicing concerns at the political standpoint of the BBC.

Supporters of the EU, Anna Soubry and Chuka Umunna appeared together on Andrew Marr’s sofa to show a united cross-party image for Remain. Soubry went as far to say that she thinks there is a majority in the House of Commons who are against the UK leaving the Customs Union and the single market. Soubry also welcomed the fact that ideologically she was closer to Labour MP Umunna than her fellow Conservative Jacob Rees-Mogg. This was not the last mention of Jacob Rees-Mogg as Umunna said he cannot imagine Jeremy Corbyn instructing Labour MPs to vote the same way as some of the Brexiteers.

UKIP leader Henry Bolton also took questions from Marr. Bolton unsurprisingly does not want UKIP to have a leadership election. His reasoning was that if another leadership election took place then UKIP would not be able to shape the Brexit deal.

Appearing on Peston, Alastair Campbell raised concerns for the aid budget saying that due to the scandal surrounding Oxfam, figures on the right of British politics will use the scandal to further their aims and attempt to reduce aid spending. Campbell had his advice on Brexit rejected by John McDonnell, with the Shadow Chancellor accusing Campbell of ‘threatening politics’. James Cleverley suggested this was hypocritical, on Twitter.

Work and Pensions Secretary, David Gauke, represented the Government on Peston and he faced questions on whether Philip Hammond has been silenced by Theresa May after it was revealed that he would not be one of the Ministers ‘putting meat on the Brexit bone’. Gauke said the Chancellor not giving a speech ‘doesn’t mean the Chancellor is not expressing his views internally in the Cabinet’.

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Today’s Political Headlines – 12 February 2018

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Today’s Political Headlines include the immigration systems post-Brexit, allegations against Oxfam, Boris’ Brexit speech outgunned and George Soros pledging a further £100,000 to anti-Brexit campaign. 

Home Office may not have new systems ready for Brexit and whistleblowers reveal the asylum ‘lottery’
According to The Times, Theresa May has overruled the Home Office to insist that EU citizens who arrive during the Brexit transition period will not have the automatic right to remain in the UK, despite warnings from senior officials that they would struggle to create separate systems to register existing EU citizens and new arrivals in time. Separately, Home Office whistleblowers have told The Guardian that the asylum process is a ‘lottery’, with interviews ‘rushed, biased and resolved by “cut and paste” decisions by overworked Home Office staff’.

Oxfam to meet International Development Secretary over abuse allegations
The BBC reports that senior managers at Oxfam are to meet International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt later today to tell her more about allegations that the charity’s staff used prostitutes in Haiti in 2011. Mordaunt’s predecessor, Priti Patel, tells The Sun that officials ‘at the highest levels’ knew about abuse claims but tried to keep them hushed up.

Cabinet ministers to ‘outgun’ Boris Johnson’s Brexit speech
The Times says that Boris Johnson’s Cabinet colleagues are planning to ‘outgun’ his speech on Brexit this week, by following it up with five further speeches. These include two from the Prime Minister on security and the future partnership, one from David Davis on business, one from Liam Fox on global deals, and one from David Lidington on the devolved nations. May will say that the UK wishes to keep the European arrest warrant and stay in Europol.

George Soros pledges extra £100,000 to anti-Brexit campaign
George Soros’ Open Society Foundation is to pledge an extra £100,000 to the pro-EU group Best for Britain, The Guardian says. He linked the increased donation to the campaign against him in the right-wing press, saying ‘I am happy to take the fight to those who have tried to use a smear campaign, not arguments, to prop up their failing case’.

Theresa May flies to Northern Ireland amid hopes of power-sharing deal
The Guardian reports that Theresa May is to fly to Belfast today, amid hopes that Northern Ireland’s main political parties are close to reaching a deal to restore power-sharing in the executive. She will be joined by Leo Varadkar, the Taoiseach, who has cancelled a meeting with the Welsh First Minister.

Diesel trains to be scrapped by 2040
Rail Minister Jo Johnson, is to announce today that every diesel train in the country should be scrapped by 2040, The Daily Telegraph says. This forms part of plans to cut pollution on the rail network, but the Government has not specified how this will be paid for.

DWP spends over £100m on disability benefit appeals over two years
According to The Guardian, the Department for Work and Pensions spent over £100m on administering reviews and appeals against disability benefits in just over two years. The Ministry of Justice also spends tens of millions on the reviews. Neil Heslop, chief executive of Leonard Cheshire, described the amounts as ‘staggering’.

Transport for London’s operational deficit expected to reach £1bn
The Financial Times reports that Transport for London is expecting an operational deficit of nearly £1bn next year. This has been caused by the Government removing a revenue grant, Sadiq Khan’s decision to freeze fares, and falling passenger numbers, attributed to increased working from home, use of ride-hailing apps, and safety concerns.

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Today’s Political Headlines – 9 February 2018

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Today’s Political Headlines include the crackdown on unpaid internships, Barnier’s Labour memo, a riled David Davis and donors paying to meet ministers at the Conservative Black and White Ball.   

Crackdown on unpaid internships launched
In an exclusive, The Guardian reveals that the Government has launched a crackdown on unpaid internships. Companies have been sent more than 550 warning letters, and enforcement teams have been created to tackle repeat offenders. HMRC is expected to target sectors with a track record of using unpaid interns, including the media, performing arts, law and accountancy.

Barnier memo raises questions about Labour’s Brexit policy
The Daily Telegraph reports that a memo circulated by EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier after meeting Jeremy Corbyn raises questions about Labour’s Brexit policy. According to the memo, Corbyn said that he was open to remaining in the customs union and said that he would run negotiations ‘very differently’. Labour, however, claim Corbyn instead said ‘a customs union was a viable end point’. Separately, The Guardian says that 30 pro-EU MPs and campaigners have written to the party’s national executive committee calling for a membership consultation on the party’s Brexit policy.

EU being ‘discourteous’ says David Davis
The Times says that Brexit Secretary David Davis has criticised the EU for being ‘discourteous’, with a source close to him telling the paper that the draft legal text of the transition period published by the EU was ‘deliberately inflammatory and designed to provoke a reaction’. The source also described this week’s talks as frustrating. The Sun claims that the UK is to reject the EU’s demand that Brussels sets fishing quotas during the transition period.

Donors pay to meet ministers at Conservative Black and White Ball
The Mirror reports on the Conservative Party’s Black and White Ball, which was held on Tuesday. It says that the Prime Minister told guests that she wanted to ‘defeat socialism’. For the last two years there has been a ban on auctioning access to cabinet ministers, but that was lifted this year and The Times reveals that a donor paid £55,000 to spend a day with Theresa May.

Gina Miller accuses group she founded of being ‘undemocratic’
The Daily Telegraph has spoken to the founder of the pro-EU campaign group Best for Britain, Gina Miller, who accuses it of being ‘undemocratic’. Miller said the public had the ‘right to know’ who was backing the organisation and that it should not aim to bring down the Government.

Draft EU agreement would see Northern Ireland effectively stay in single market and customs union
According to The Guardian, EU negotiators have warned that the draft withdrawal agreement will see Northern Ireland effectively remain in the single market and customs union, in order to avoid a hard border. The paper suggests that this is likely to cause a ‘major row’.

Committee report proposes housing strategy for the elderly
A report by the House of Commons Communities and Local Government Committee recommends that the Government develops a strategy to deal with older people’s housing needs. The BBC says that proposals include a handyman service, age-proofing new-build homes and a national helpline.

Tech firms questioned about fake news
As the Financial Times reports, MPs on the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee visited Washington yesterday to hear from firms including Google, Facebook and Twitter. The committee’s chair, Damian Collins, said that the firms had a level of ‘disconnect’ about their responsibility for combating fake news and disinformation.

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Today’s Political Headlines – 8 February 2018

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Today’s Political Headlines include details of the Brexit economic impact, the Nick Timothy/George Soros story, council tax increases and Michael Gove’s plan to ban pet shops from selling puppies.   

Further details of Brexit economic impact leaked
Further details of the Government’s leaked Brexit economic assessments have been published. According to The Guardian, in the event of ‘no deal’, the Government will need to borrow £120bn more over 15 years, while the North East would be the worst affected region with GDP growth 16% less. Sky News adds details of the expected impact on individual sectors, with retail expected to suffer a 20% increase in costs, and car manufacturing to experience a 13% increase.

Best for Britain campaign funder revealed
The Daily Telegraph leads with an article carrying the byline (alongside others) of Nick Timothy, the Prime Minister’s former chief of staff. The story reveals that the billionaire George Soros, who it claims is known as ‘the man who broke the Bank of England’, is one of three senior figures backing Best for Britain, a group campaigning to remain in the EU.

Council tax to increase as councils suffer budget shortfalls
Council tax is the subject of the main story of both The Times and the Daily Mail. The Times reports that Surrey County Council has one of the largest budget shortfalls in the country, while nine out of ten councils will end the year millions of pounds over budget. The Daily Mail says that a study by the Local Government Information Unit shows that average council tax bills are due to increase by £100.

Michael Gove to ban pet shops from selling puppies
The Sun says that the Government is planning to ban pet shops from selling puppies, forcing buyers to deal directly with breeders or rehousing centres. Other changes being examined by Michael Gove include enhanced licensing conditions for breeders and online sales being made in person.

One in five Westminster staff sexually harassed in last twelve months
A report by a cross-party working group shown to The Independent has found that one in five people working in Westminster has experienced sexual harassment in the last twelve months. The study is to be published by House of Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom alongside recommendations for a new staff grievance procedure.

Universal Credit programme criticised by new report
According to The Guardian, a report by the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee warns that the Government is expecting the public to ‘take it on faith’ that Universal Credit will deliver an improved service to claimants. According to the committee no business case has been produced for the programme, which started seven years ago.

Hospital bosses caught up in scandals to be banned from working for the NHS
The Daily Telegraph says that two former managers at Liverpool Community Health, which was found to have caused ‘significant unnecessary harm’ to patients are still working in the NHS. According to the paper, ministers will today announce plans to ban managers caught up in care scandals from working for the NHS again.

Minister says pupils should take more exams to reduce stress
Schools minister Nick Gibb claimed yesterday that students should sit more exams so that they find GCSEs less stressful, The Times reports. Gibbs was criticised by members of the education and health select committees, who claimed that there was a link between exam pressures and mental health.

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PMQs: Theresa May’s word cloud – 7 February 2018

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This week’s Prime Minister’s Questions focused on police, women’s rights, Brexit and the NHS. We present the world cloud for Theresa May’s PMQs on 7 February 2018:

PMQs Theresa May

Women’s Rights
The Prime Minister opened by marking yesterday as the centenary of women in the UK securing the right to vote. After some Labour MPs shouted ‘some women’, May reminded the house that it was under a Conservative government that all women gained the right to vote 10 years later.

In light of this, SNP Westminster Leader Ian Blackford, said that 3.8 million women are still not receiving the pension they are entitled to and asked if the Prime Minister would do her bit for gender equality. This is regarding women born in the 1950s losing out due to the increase in state pension age for women. May claimed the government has already acted, and extra money has been provided to give greater protection to the women born in the 1950s, and said that an extra £1bn has been put in to ensure nobody is going to see their pension entitlement change by more than 18 months.

Conservative MP Vicky Ford asked May if she agrees the government should take no lessons on the topic of intimidation of MPs from Labour given the shadow chancellor has backed violence against women (a reference to a comment made by McDonnell about lynching Esther McVey). May called on McDonnell to apologise.

Crime
Corbyn’s main focus this week was crime, asking the Prime Minister if she regrets cutting 21,000 police officers, and added that recorded crime is up by a fifth. He referenced May’s time as Home Secretary, claiming that £2.3bn was cut from police budgets.

May defended her run as home secretary, saying she asked HMIC to change the way police crime is recorded, so it is done properly. She said the police now do more to help vulnerable people, and to tackle issues like domestic violence and modern slavery.

Corbyn claimed that people do not feel safe and are not safe, and quoted Philip Davies, a Tory, criticising the government’s record on crime, and a Merseyside police officer saying he needs more resources to tackle gun crime. May argued that Corbyn does not have a good record on giving more power to the police and said that he would bankrupt the economy and not be able to afford to fund any public services.

Labour MP Stephen Morgan said the Prime Minister continues to be ‘in denial’ about rising levels of crime and said that local businesses in his Portsmouth constituency have seen break-ins as a result of Tory cuts to the police budget. May said that those concerned should raise it with the police and said operational changes need not mean that cuts cause damage.

NHS
Veteran Labour MP Dennis Skinner quoted the record of the last Labour government on NHS funding, a move not always popular with the Labour benches. He said NHS staff have told him that the best period they’ve seen was when money for the NHS was increased between 1997 and 2010 – ‘a golden period’ and then called on the government to ‘get weaving’. May claimed that the last Labour government were only able to spend that much money because the Conservatives ‘left a golden economic legacy’.

Conservative MP Derek Thomas challenged the PM on NHS funding saying its growth in the south-west is 2.2% less than the national average and asked her to address this as the region ‘deserves a fair share’. May told him the national formula does take into account a number of factors including demographics and rurality, and Cornwall will see a further increase next year.

Brexit
Tory MP Sir Bill Cash marked the anniversary of the Maastricht treaty, congratulating the PM on her approach to the customs union and asking her to be robust when discussing these matters in order to ‘repudiate any EU threats’. May assured the house that the government will be robust in any arguments.

Another Tory MP, Chris Philp, asked May for an assurance that the government will only agree the Brexit deal as a whole, and that it will not accept separate side deals. May said the government is working on the basis that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.

Vince Cable, the Lib Dem leader, said America wants access to NHS contracts as part of a future UK-US trade deal. He asked if the PM can guarantee that the NHS will be excluded from trade negotiations and whether she will tell President Trump that ‘the NHS is not for sale’. May said that she will go into talks trying to get the best deal for the UK. Labour Chair of the Brexit committee, Hilary Benn, followed up with a question on post-Brexit border control, asking the PM why she is so opposed to remaining in the customs union when it would be better for the economy to ensure the border remains as it is. May said if the UK was in the customs union, it would not be able to do trade deals around the world. She said Benn should read the paper the government published on customs arrangements last summer.

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Today’s Political Headlines – 7 February 2018

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Today’s Political Headlines include key meetings on Brexit, the EU’s power to punish, May’s press review and the Government overhauling employment rights for millions. 

May prepares to chair key meetings on Brexit
Theresa May is to chair the first of two meetings of her Brexit cabinet committee today, the BBC reports. Today’s meeting will focus on Northern Ireland and immigration, while tomorrow’s will focus on trade. As the BBC notes, the meeting comes as the British Chambers of Commerce criticised the Government for ‘continued division’ and warned that businesses’ ‘patience is wearing thin’. The Guardian says that the Public Accounts Committee has found that the Government has been ‘too slow’ at making preparations for Brexit, and that a University of Sussex report suggests that manufacturing exports could be cut by a third.

EU will have power to punish UK at will during transition, leaked document shows
The Guardian reports that a leaked document shows that the EU will be able to punish the UK at will during the transition period, by closing access to parts of the single market. This would allow the EU countries to act against the UK without having to go through the European Court of Justice.

May pledges review of the press, criticises online abuse of politicians
As The Guardian says, Theresa May has announced a review into whether state intervention is needed to preserve local and national newspapers, calling the decline in local journalism a threat to democracy. The review will examine the rise in ‘clickbait’ news. The announcement was made in a speech marking the enfranchisement of women in which, The Times reports, May criticised online abuse of political candidates and representatives, and praised the ‘heroism’ of the suffragettes.

Government to overhaul employment rights for millions
The Government has promised to overhaul employment rights for millions of workers, including those in the gig economy, the BBC says. Nearly all of the recommendations of the Taylor review into working practices are to be adopted, but unions warn that the plans will still leave 1.8m workers without key rights. Quoted in The Daily Telegraph, the Institute for Directors claims the Government has missed an opportunity to reform National Insurance.

Boris plans Valentine’s Day Brexit speech
The Daily Mail claims that Boris Johnson is planning on making a major speech on Brexit on Valentine’s Day to set out his vision of a ‘liberal Brexit’. Allies of Johnson told the paper that no date or venue had been set, and the paper claims that ‘the intervention will inevitably be interpreted as a bid to push his own credentials to take over from Theresa May.’ Meanwhile, The Times suggests that senior Conservatives are searching for a candidate to prevent Boris Johnson or Jacob Rees-Mogg winning a sudden leadership contest.

Jack Sargeant elected for his father’s old Welsh Assembly seat
Jack Sargeant has been elected as the new Welsh Assembly Member for Alyn and Deeside. As the BBC reports, he will be following in the footsteps of his father, Carl Sargeant who died in November, having apparently taken his own life, causing the by-election.

Treasury planning loan to bail out Ministry of Defence
According to an exclusive in The Sun, the Treasury is offering to meet the Ministry of Defence’s funding shortfall through a loan until the next spending review in 2020. This would have to be repaid by cutting troops or selling off assets. The paper expects this to ‘spark another major Cabinet row’ between Philip Hammond and Gavin Williamson.

Carillion chief executive admits board should have asked more questions
The Financial Times reports that Keith Cochrane, Chief Executive of Carillion when it collapsed, admitted to MPs in an evidence session yesterday that the board should have asked ‘more probing questions’. Former Finance Director Emma Mercer suggested that her predecessor Zafar Khan and former Chief Executive Richard Howson had been ‘aggressive’ with how contracts were accounted for, a claim Khan denied.

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Issue spotlight

Making sense of the Carillion Collapse

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The Carillion Collapse sent shockwaves throughout the nation’s infrastructure and establishment. The liquidation of a company with such a diverse portfolio of responsibilities, contracts and employees, was always going to lead to a major national crisis.

Now the dust is beginning to settle (though there’s clearly still some way to go), and Carillion’s stakeholders are fighting to be heard. From the Government, which is both regulator and customer, to the unions representing frontline workers – Carillion’s roots run deep.

Vuelio specialises in managing stakeholder relations, whether that’s building relationships with key influencers or tracking incoming phone calls from members of the public. Using our stakeholder tools and the in-house intelligence of our Political Services Team, we’ve been tackling the Carillion fallout since it collapsed.

We’ve read the reports, monitored the mentions and unravelled the endless relationship ties to create one clear picture of Carillion’s Stakeholders. Our white paper ‘Collapse of Carillion’ brings everything together and answers the big questions:

  • How has the Opposition been capitalising on the firm’s demise?
  • What are the conflicts surrounding financial services companies?
  • How have Carillion’s competitors reacted?
  • In what way is the media covering this?
  • What’s being done to stop this happening again?

The white paper also includes an exclusive diagram of Carillion’s stakeholders and research into the political social media reaction – so you can see which politicians and Lords have been saying what.

No matter if you’re directly or indirectly affected by Carillion, download our whitepaper and see how the biggest story of 2018 has unfolded.

Today’s Political Headlines – 6 February 2018

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Today’s Political Headlines include Barnier telling the UK to make a choice, Trump’s NHS error, Theresa May marking the centenary of the suffrage act and the EU rules the UK could be forced to accept. 

Barnier tells the UK to ‘make a choice’
Visiting the UK yesterday, the European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier warned that future trade barriers are ‘unavoidable’ if the UK leaves the customs union. The Financial Times reports that EU officials believe that UK ideas are ‘unrealistic’, whilst Barnier said that it was time for the UK ‘to make a choice’ and that there was ‘not a moment to lose’. The paper also says that the EU is pressing for more clarity over the Irish border as it comes within weeks of publishing a legal text of December’s Brexit divorce agreement.

Trump rebuked over NHS claims
Following a tweet from President Trump, claiming that the NHS was ‘going broke and not working’, the BBC reports Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt hit back that he was ‘proud to be from the country that invented universal coverage’. Downing Street said that Hunt was speaking for the government, while NHS England Chief Executive Simon Stevens has invited Trump to visit a hospital on his trip to the UK later this year.

May marks suffrage act with vow to tackle abuse in public life
The Guardian says Theresa May is to mark the centenary of the 1918 Representation of the People Act today by giving a speech in Manchester. May will address the topic of abuse in public life, and lay out steps to tackle it, including backing some recommendations from a Committee on Standards in Public Life report, publishing a social media code of practice and asking the Law Commission to review legislation on ‘offensive online communications’. The BBC reports that campaigners, including the Fawcett Society and Ruth Davidson, have called for convicted suffragettes to be given a posthumous pardon.

UK could be forced to accept 37 EU rules during transition
The Daily Telegraph has obtained a leaked Whitehall analysis that reveals that the UK could be forced to accept 37 EU directives during the transition period. It suggests that contentious measures include new recycling targets, giving Brussels the power to ‘mount a massive raid on the City of London’ and new renewable and energy efficiency targets.

Soubry tells May to expel hard Brexiteers
Anna Soubry told the BBC’s Newsnight programme that Theresa May needed to ‘get a spine’ and remove 35 ‘hard ideological Brexiteers’ from the Conservative Party, warning that by pandering to them she was forgetting a larger group ‘who are getting sick and tired’. She said that if Boris Johnson or Jacob Rees-Mogg took over the party she would leave.

May’s mission statement criticised by ministers
An internal mission statement drawn up by Theresa May’s aides called ‘Building a Britain Fit for the Future’ has been criticised by ministers as ‘pathetic’ and ‘anaemic’, The Times says. The plan, first shown to the cabinet and ministers, was shared with MPs last week.

East Coast rail franchise may return to public sector
The Guardian reports that the East Coast rail franchise could return to the public sector, with Transport Secretary Chris Grayling telling MPs that Virgin Trains had breached its £3.3bn contract. Another option would be for the Government to offer Virgin Trains East Coast a ‘short-term, not for profit’ contract.

Rural MPs threaten to revolt over council funding cuts
According to the Financial Times, the Government is coming under pressure to increase funding to councils, following the imposition of spending controls on Northamptonshire County Council. The paper reports that ministers ‘have been locked in talks with MPs’ to secure the votes they need to pass the local authority funding settlement on Wednesday.

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Politics on Sunday – 4 February 2018

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The Sunday political shows gave us guests from local, regional and national government alongside a former head of the civil service and the leader of the Liberal Democrats.

Andrew Marr’s headline guests were Amber Rudd and Gerry Adams. Rudd was asked about Brexit and Brexiteers in the Conservative party; she said they should be aware of the unity in the Cabinet committee on Brexit. Rudd rebuked Jacob Rees-Mogg for his suspicions of how civil servants in the Treasury are reporting their figures. The Home Secretary was confident about the prospects for Britain after Brexit saying the country will ‘absolutely grow’ once the UK has left the EU.

Asked a question about possibly becoming chancellor under Boris Johnson, if he were to become PM, she responded by saying the question was ‘too difficult to answer on a number of levels’ and so passed on answering.

Gerry Adams made what will be his last appearance on Marr in his position as President of Sinn Féin. He expressed a view that the current lack of government in Northern Ireland ‘could be solved by tomorrow’. Adams also gave a warning to Theresa May that her deal with the DUP will ‘end in tears’ once things hit a rocky patch.

He was also asked why he never joined the IRA; his answer was that he was very active in Sinn Féin and despite never joining, he never distanced himself from them. Adams did say that he wished nobody had been harmed in the conflict. He also made clear his view that Brexit will be a disaster for the people of Ireland as the UK Government is unclear on what they want to do. ‘Outstanding’ was the word the Sinn Féin leader chose to use when describing Jeremy Corbyn and said he would like to see him as the next PM.

Vince Cable and Claire Kober were the other guests of note on Marr’s show. The former began positively, highlighting the Lib Dems’ unity on the issue of Brexit. Cable also showed how things can change in a year by pointing out he was not even an elected politician this time last year. Sir Vince believes the Government is making a mess of negotiations with the EU, and he is continuing to press Labour to back the position of a vote on the final deal.

Former leader of Haringey Council, Claire Kober, has had a tumultuous week and she cited the abuse she received in her position and put it down to her being a woman. Kober said that she had not raised any complaints with the Labour NEC due to her lack of faith in it.

A number of pro-Brexit MPs have been voicing concerns that the civil service may not be acting in a completely neutral manner when approaching Brexit, so a former head of the civil service went on Peston on Sunday to say, ‘If you’re selling snake oil, you don’t like the idea of experts testing your product’. Lord O’Donnell did not have any time for the accusations against civil servants, saying they appear to be measures to ‘shoot the messenger’. His wider point was that people like to promote the impartiality of the Civil Service when it is convenient for them.

Shadow Attorney General, Baroness Chakrabarti, used part of her interview with Peston to respond to Claire Kober’s remarks on The Andrew Marr show. Chakrabarti said Labour must do more to get sexism and antisemitism out of the Party but said any complaint made to Labour’s NEC will be investigated. Chakrabarti also called for BBC Director General, Tony Hall, to do more on the issue of equal pay.

Housing Minister, Dominic Raab also appeared on Peston and confidently claimed that the PM would not support the UK remaining in a customs union – contradicting remarks made by Rudd. Raab did support Rudd’s remarks relating to unity in the party. Stella Creasy was another guest on Peston who spoke on the Claire Kober situation calling for Labour to act and sharing the difficulty she has experienced when it comes to making complaints.

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Peston Marr

Today’s Political Headlines – 5 February 2018

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Today’s Political Headlines include Downing Street ruling out being part of a customs union, Westminster’s Freemasons’ lodges, the UK’s potentially painful trade concessions to South Korea and the warning against a bonfire of regulations. 

Downing Street rules out customs union
Downing Street has confirmed that the UK is to leave the customs union after Brexit, the BBC reports, quoting a source who said, ‘to put this to rest, we are categorically leaving’. Political correspondent Eleanor Garnier says that a bespoke deal could still involve some sort of customs arrangement. The Times adds that the Brexit ‘war cabinet’ is preparing a compromise with ‘a time-limited extension to elements of the existing customs union’.

Westminster Freemasons’ lodges revealed
The Guardian leads with the revelation that there are two lodges of Freemasons operating secretly at Westminster, one for politicians and one for journalists. The paper reports that the identities of the members are unknown, while the United Grand Lodge of England has insisted that there is no contradiction between being a Freemason and a journalist.

‘Painful concessions’ needed to agree South Korean deal
According to The Daily Telegraph, the UK may have to make ‘painful trade concessions’ to South Korea, in order to ensure continuity during the Brexit transition period. A ‘senior trade lobbyist’ told the paper that ‘worries are mounting’ about whether it will be possible to replicate existing trade deals.

Bank of England deputy governor warns against ‘bonfire of regulations’
In an interview with the Financial Times, Sam Woods, deputy governor of the Bank of England, warned against a ‘bonfire of regulations’ after Brexit. He pledged to ‘maintain standards of resilience in the financial sector at least as high as those we have today’.

Former civil service chief says Brexiteers are ‘selling snake oil’
Appearing on Peston on Sunday, Lord O’Donnell, the former head of the civil service, accused Brexiteers of ‘selling snake oil’, The Daily Telegraph says. He said that allegations by Jacob Rees-Mogg that the civil service were ‘fiddling the figures’ with regard to Brexit were ‘completely crazy’.

Hospitals cancel urgent operations
In an exclusive, The Guardian claims that hospitals have cancelled urgent operations for patients with cancer, heart disease and other life-threatening diseases, despite having been ordered not to do so. According to the paper, doctors’ leaders and the Patients Association have warned that people could die as a result.

Justice Secretary to review divorce laws
The Justice Secretary, David Gauke, has agreed to review divorce laws, The Times says. This follows a campaign by the newspaper for reforms, including no-fault divorce. He told the paper that he ‘will study the evidence for change’ but would not ‘rush to a conclusion’.

Lib Dems’ expert panel recommends dedicated NHS tax
A panel of health experts, convened by the Liberal Democrats, has recommended a new ring-fenced tax to fund the NHS, the BBC reports. The panel also recommends that the NHS should receive an extra £4bn on top of inflation in the next financial year and a cap on the amount paid for social care by individuals.

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Today’s Political Headlines – 2 February 2018

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Today’s Political Headlines include the UK’s potential to stay in a customs union with the EU, Brexit migration figures, NHS spending on compensation and medicines under review and ‘Auntie May’. 

UK might stay in customs union with the EU
The Financial Times claims that Theresa May’s advisers are considering striking a customs union deal on trade in goods with the EU, which would allow the UK to strike trade deals on services (although the paper notes that ‘services-only deals are a relative novelty’). The Daily Telegraph reports that International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has ruled out such an arrangement, but the Prime Minister has been less clear.

Brexit economic analysis reveals that EU migration might fall by just 40,000
The Daily Telegraph claims that leaked Government economic analysis of Brexit reveals that ministers are planning for EU migration to fall by just 40,000 a year if the UK reaches a free trade deal with the EU. If the Government fails to agree a deal with the EU, the analysis expects EU migration to fall by 90,000. An estimated 230,000 immigrants migrated to the UK in the year to June 2017.

NHS spending on compensation and medicines under scrutiny
Two articles in this morning’s papers focus on high costs being incurred by the NHS. The Daily Telegraph says that health service leaders have written to the Justice Secretary David Gauke, claiming that unless victims of NHS errors receive less compensation, the service will be bankrupted. Meanwhile, an investigation by The Times finds that the NHS has been overcharged for thousands of drugs.

Labour considers new policy to cut house-building costs
A new policy to cut the cost of council house building is being considered by Labour and is detailed in The Guardian. The proposals, drawn up by Shadow Housing Secretary John Healey, would see an English Sovereign Land Trust established to buy land at its pre-planning consent value, cutting the cost of building 10,000 homes a year by £10bn.

May praised by Chinese state media and dubbed ‘Auntie May’
According to The Guardian, Chinese state-run media has praised Theresa May following her trip to the country. The Global Times reportedly said that she had ‘sidestepped’ issues including human rights and Hong Kong, and had sought ‘pragmatic collaboration’. The Times adds that young social media users in the country have dubbed her ‘Auntie May’ and says that she is set to announce £300m of commercial deals to export British cultural brands.

Groups opposed to hard Brexit join forces
The Guardian reports that groups opposed to a hard Brexit have coalesced under the leadership of Chuka Umunna. The groups, with over 500,000 members, will work together as the grassroots coordinating group (GCG). Other politicians involved include Anna Soubry, Caroline Lucas and Jo Swinson.

Unlimited fines for carmakers who cheat emissions tests
New Department for Transport proposals would see carmakers who cheat emissions tests faced with unlimited fines, The Times says. The proposals, which go beyond EU law, come after the scandal triggered by Volkswagen’s use of ‘defeat device’ software to beat tests.

Brexit minister admits making mistake
Yesterday, in the House of Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg asked Brexit minister Steve Baker whether Treasury officials had ‘deliberately developed a model to show that all options other than staying in the customs union were bad’, attributing his claim to Charles Grant of the Centre for European Reform. Baker said that Rees-Mogg’s account was ‘essentially correct’, but later had to back down after an audio recording of Grant emerged. Baker will now apologise to Grant and ‘clarify’ his remarks to the Commons, as the BBC reports.

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Today’s Political Headlines – 1 February 2018

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Today’s Political Headlines include the rights of EU citizens in the UK during the Brexit transition, the benefits of EU migrants compared to a US trade deal, May’s talks with China’s Xi Jinping and water companies criticised by Gove. 

May: EU citizens coming to UK during transition should not enjoy same rights
The Guardian says that Theresa May has ‘sparked a new clash’ with the EU, after she argued that EU citizens arriving in the UK during the transition period should not have the same rights as EU citizens arriving at present. The European Parliament’s Brexit co-ordinator, Guy Verhofstadt, told the paper ‘Citizens’ rights during the transition is not negotiable.’

Cost of cutting EU migration to UK revealed; EU strategy paper leaks
BuzzFeed News has released more details from the leaked Government Brexit impact analysis. The analysis reveals that the cost to the UK economy of cutting migration from the EU would be greater than the benefits of a trade deal with the US. The Government will now allow MPs and peers to view the document in a ‘secure reading room’. The Financial Times has obtained a leaked strategy paper, which shows the EU is threatening sanctions to stop the UK from undercutting the EU economy after Brexit.

May to hold talks with Chinese President
Theresa May is to hold talks with Xi Jinping, the Chinese President, later today. According to the BBC, the agenda will include trade and security issues, including the North Korean nuclear programme. The Prime Minister will also raise environmental concerns. Yesterday, May agreed a new trade and investment review with the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. The Guardian adds that Liam Fox admitted that a trade deal with China ‘may be some time away’, but that trade could be increased despite remaining in a customs union with the EU.

Water companies criticised by Gove
In a letter to Ofwat, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Michael Gove has criticised water companies for using ‘opaque financial structures based in tax havens’ and making ‘excessive profits’, The Daily Telegraph reports. He has offered to give Ofwat new powers to reign in the companies.

MPs vote to move out of the Palace of Westminster to allow refurbishment
In what The Times calls a ‘surprise result’, MPs have voted to move out of the Palace of Westminster for at least six years to allow refurbishment work to go ahead. The ‘full decant’ is expected to start in 2025 at the earliest. A plan drawn up by Downing Street and Conservative whips to postpone the decision until 2022 failed, with an amendment by Meg Hillier succeeding. The move now needs the approval of the House of Lords.

Senior minister prepares to resign
In an exclusive, The Sun claims that a ‘senior minister’ is ‘close to resigning’, in a move which could lead to Theresa May’s ‘downfall’. The minister, who has been frustrated by the failure to promote younger MPs, would then call for a new direction from the backbenches.

‘Baby leave’ voting system for MPs likely to be approved
A system that allows MPs who have recently become parents to nominate a colleague to vote in Parliament on their behalf is likely to be approved today, The Guardian says. The proposal, put forward by Harriet Harman and Maria Miller, will be handed over to the Speaker, John Bercow, and the Procedure Committee to consider enacting, if it is approved.

£21bn hole in defence spending
The Ministry of Defence’s equipment plan is ‘not affordable’ according to a National Audit Office report, an article in The Times says. The department has a funding hole of £21bn over ten years, omitted the £1.3bn cost of five new frigates from the plan and experienced a £576m increase in the cost of four replacement Trident submarines.

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PMQs: Theresa May’s word cloud – 31 January 2018

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With the Prime Minister in China, Minister for the Cabinet Office David Lidington took her place, and Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, took Jeremy Corbyn’s slot. Lidington faced questions from MPs on Carillion, female representation in Parliament, lowering the voting age to 16 and the leaked Brexit document. Here’s the word cloud for Lidington’s answers:

David Lidington

MPs were left in a flutter throughout the session as they discovered a robin was on the loose in the House. SNP leader Ian Blackford used this as an opportunity to poke fun at David Lidington, asking if he is sending out a round robin letter, hinting that he is eyeing up a leadership challenge.

Carillion
Labour MP Ian Mearns asked if the government will act to stop directors siphoning off money from pension funds, Lidington assured that efforts are being made to ensure Carillion apprentices can stay in work. He said that it will be wrong for him to pre-empt the inquiry from the official receiver and said the government will publish proposals to protect pension funds later this year.

Democratic Representation
With next week marking the centenary of women securing the right to vote, Thornberry asked what can be done to increase female representation in parliament. Lidington agreed that there is more to do to increase female MPs in parliament and reminded the house that the Conservatives have had two female Prime Ministers, while Labour have had none.

Thornberry then asked if the voting age will be lowered to 16, arguing that over 2,000 16 and 17-year-olds having caring responsibilities. Lidington said that 18 is the normal age of majority, and said the age of majority should be set matching rights and responsibilities. He said that while it’s important for young people to be interested in current affairs, the voting age should remain 18. Thornberry retorted that as the Conservative Party and DUP are the only parties that don’t support lowering the voting age to 16, they are not the ‘coalition of chaos’ but the ‘coalition of cavemen’.

Brexit Forecast
SNP Westminster Leader Ian Blackford asked if the minister believes the single market is essential for jobs and prosperity, in light of the leak from Buzzfeed. Lidington said that we must leave the Single Market and Customs Union if we want to leave the EU, and said the UK is seeking ‘a new partnership with our neighbours in the European Union’, which is beneficial to everyone in all EU countries. Blackford described this as a government in crisis and an international embarrassment, adding that the Chancellor and Home Secretary support the Single Market while the PM wants to make everyone poorer. Lidington said that the most important single market for Scotland is the rest of the UK.

Education
Conservative MP Ranil Jayawardena asked about the attainment gap and free schools, and Lidington stated that the government’s ambition is to ensure the schools system works for every child in every community. Cambridge’s Labour MP Daniel Zeichner, asked about the contribution of international students to the economy, arguing that there is a ‘steady increase’ in students threatened by the policies of the current government. Lidington said that the UK is the second-most popular destination for students in the world and added that university-sponsored student visa applications are up by nearly a fifth since 2010. Conservative MP Robert Neill asked about schools funding and questioned the Education & Skills Funding Agency. Lidington admitted that more work needs to be done on this front.

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Today’s Political Headlines – 31 January 2018

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Today’s Political Headlines include the continued controversy surroung the government’s leaked Brexit forecasts, Theresa May’s visit to China and the UK’s skilled immigration cap. 

Brexit analysis causes continued controversy
Brexit minister Steve Baker has claimed that Government economic forecasts are ‘always wrong’ and that the leaked Brexit forecast ‘is not yet anywhere near being approved by ministers’, according to The Daily Telegraph. A ‘Cabinet source’ told the paper that it was ‘Project Fear Mark II’. The Guardian suggests that Baker’s claim has ‘triggered a furious backlash’ and says that Labour is to try to force the Government to publish the analysis using the same procedure previously deployed to force the publication of the Government’s sectoral reports. Theresa May has told the Financial Times that economic assessments will be given to Parliament after the final deal has been agreed, but ahead of the vote on it, 

Theresa May: ‘I’m not a quitter’
The Times reports that Theresa May has told reporters that ‘I’m not a quitter, and there is a long-term job to be done.’ She refused to say if she would fight on in the event of a vote of confidence. May insisted that she had a plan to get ‘the best Brexit deal’ and that ‘we need to ensure that we do speak about the achievements that we’ve seen’. 

Theresa May: China should play by rules
Theresa May has written an opinion piece for the Financial Times ahead of her trip to China, in which she argues for ‘deepening co-operation’ but warns that the two countries ‘will not always see eye-to-eye’, raising issues such as steel overcapacity, intellectual property, and trade rules. The paper describes this as a ‘blunt warning’.

Housing developers to lose right to build
Housing developers should lose planning permission on unused land, if they fail to hit construction targets, a review into land-banking is expected to conclude in the spring, according to The Times. The paper has interviewed Sajid Javid, who said ‘We are on the side of people who want more homes.’

Inheritance tax gifting limit under review
Chancellor Philip Hammond has ordered a review into inheritance tax, The Daily Telegraph says. The review, to be carried out by the Office for Tax Simplification, could lead to an increase in the tax-free gifting limit, which has been frozen at £3000 since 1981. The paper says that the move would ‘help younger generations onto the property ladder’.

UK should add folic acid to flour, study says
The BBC reports on a new study in Public Health News, which suggests that adding folic acid to flour would prevent spina bifida in unborn babies and not harm the public. Ministers in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have already backed the move.

Parliament could be ‘at risk’, Historic England warns
The Guardian has seen a Historic England briefing note, which warns that the Palace of Westminster could be placed on the ‘at risk’ register of historic sites. MPs have a free vote tonight on whether or not to delay making a decision on repairs until the end of parliament, or to set up a delivery authority to draw up options to be voted on in 18 months’ time. 

UK hits skilled immigration cap
The Financial Times reports that the UK has hit the cap for skilled non-EU migrants for two months in a row, attributing this to companies being ‘forced to look further afield to make up for falling numbers of European immigrants.’ The NHS is amongst those being forced to turn away potential workers, whilst the Institute for Directors described it as a ‘particularly big concern’ for businesses.

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Today’s Political Headlines – 30 January 2018

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Today’s Political Headlines include BuzzFeed’s scoop on the state of the UK economy after Brexit, Tory donors calling on May to quit and all PIP claims to be reviewed following a court ruling. 

Brexit impact assessments leak, as May rejects the EU’s transition terms
BuzzFeed News has obtained a copy of the Government’s economic analysis of Brexit. It suggests that the UK would be worse off outside the EU in every scenario modelled. The news comes as The Daily Telegraph reports that Theresa May is to reject the EU’s proposed transition period terms over free movement and ‘rule taking’, and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox tells The Sun that Eurosceptics will have to ‘live with disappointment’. The Guardian says that a new report by Open Britain and the Labour Campaign for the Single Market argues ‘there is no leftwing case for leaving the single market and the customs union’. The paper also reports that the German ambassador has ascribed British Euroscepticism to a sense of national identity built around the Second World War.

Tory donors call on May to quit
The Times claims that displeasure with Theresa May ‘boiled over’ at a Conservative fundraising event on Thursday. An account of the event that suggests around a quarter of the 50 donors attending called for May to go has been circulating amongst pro-Brexit MPs.

PIP claims to be reviewed following court ruling
The BBC reports that the Department for Work and Pensions will review the claims of every person receiving Personal Independence Payments (PIP) – a total of 1.6m claims. This follows the Government’s decision not to challenge a court ruling that PIP changes were unfair to people with mental health conditions.

MoD housing deal cost taxpayers £4bn
A report by the National Audit Office suggests that British taxpayers could have lost as much as £4bn because of a 1996 Ministry of Defence property deal, The Daily Telegraph says. In the deal, the MoD sold around 55,000 houses and then leased them back.

Robert Halfon suggests referendum on NHS spending increases
Conservative MP Robert Halfon has called for a referendum on raising NHS spending, The Guardian reports. He has suggested the Government should legislate for a referendum every ten years on how much to increase NHS spending, and consider a new hypothecated ringfenced tax for health and social care spending.

China ‘baffled’ over May’s delay in visiting
As Theresa May prepares to leave for her first trade mission to China, The Times reports that the Chinese are ‘baffled’ that it has taken her 18 months to visit. The Financial Times suggests May will not endorse China’s Belt and Road initiative in which it invests in Asian and central and eastern European infrastructure during the visit. The Guardian says that Brexit ‘has severely eroded’ the UK’s negotiating position and its value to China.

Gavin Williamson under pressure over defence spending
The Times says that Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson came ‘under renewed pressure’ when three former security chiefs – Lord Ricketts (Former national security adviser), Sir John Sawyers (former MI6 head) and Robert Hannigan (former GCHQ director) – criticised the removal of defence from the national security capability review as a ‘backwards step’, driven by politics.

MPs could lose seats for sexual harassment or bullying
The Financial Times has seen a copy of draft plans, expected to be published later this week, under which MPs found to have engaged in sexual harassment or bullying could be suspended by the parliamentary commissioner for standards and trigger a recall process.

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Politics on Sunday – 28 January 2018

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The leader of the opposition was the big guest on a day that seemed to be all about Piers Morgan and that interview. 

With the exception of Jeremy Corbyn, Sunday’s political shows seemed to lack star power – it was as though high-profile politicians knew they did not have the clout to match up to Piers Morgan interviewing Donald Trump later that day. As such, the guests across all the morning shows mainly find themselves on the fringes of politics.

In his appearance on Andrew Marr, the Labour leader unveiled a new housing police aimed at reducing the number of homeless people. A Labour government would purchase 8,000 homes and make them available to people with a history of homelessness through housing associations. More controversially, Corbyn said his Labour government would allow local authorities to take homes that are being kept empty; he finds the idea of building luxury blocks and keeping them empty ‘grossly insulting’.

Corbyn provided clarity on what Labour does not want from Brexit without saying what they do want. ‘The remain ship has sailed’ was the remark Corbyn made as he ruled out Labour calling for a second referendum. The Norway model was also rejected with Corbyn saying he would want Britain to be able to be an important player in negotiating trade deals in the future. This referred to the fact that while Norway is in the single market, they are unable to influence it.

Andrew Marr spends too much of his time reading the Daily Mail, was an accusation Corbyn made against the presenter when he was told that he has not condemned the actions of the Government of Iran. Corbyn went on to say that the Labour Party has and will continue to take a tough stance on those that abuse human rights.

Minister for the Cabinet Office, David Lidington was one of the other guests on The Andrew Marr Show and he faced a similar line of questioning. Lidington’s presence was particular interesting in light of Philip Hammond’s remarks saying he wants the UK and EU to be as close as possible post-Brexit. Lidington said Hammond ‘is fully onboard’ with the plans of the government and the government wants future trade with the EU to be as free as possible. When asked about homelessness, Lidington did not present as many fresh ideas as Corbyn saying the Government is taking the issue seriously and investing in prevention.

Leader of the House of Lords, Baroness Natalie Evans, appeared on Peston and Sunday and Sunday with Paterson, expressing confidence that the EU Withdrawal Bill would pass through the Lords unscathed. Evans also suggested Jacob Rees-Mogg’s fear that BRINO (Brexit in name only) will happen, did not have any real substance to them. Rees-Mogg was also a guest on Peston and could not resist letting it be known that his view on Philip Hammond should not be expressed in public. Nadine Dorries was not as diplomatic as Rees-Mogg, she said he ‘needs to go’ when asked about Hammond’s future.

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Today’s Political Headlines – 29 January 2018

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Today’s Political Headlines are dominated by Brexit – with a ‘coordinated attempt’ to discredit the Chancellor and civil servants; the potential transition deal delay; and the Lords committee’s criticism. 

Brexit: Brexiteers in ‘co-ordinated attempt’ to discredit Chancellor & civil servants
According to this morning’s Times, Brexiteers are on ‘a co-ordinated attempt to discredit Philip Hammond and senior officials’. Key cabinet members are to be shown government economic impact assessments for different Brexit options this week, the paper reports. The Daily Telegraph has obtained a WhatsApp message in which energy minister Claire Perry claims that the ‘sell out traitor mob’ who criticised the Brexit bill are the ‘swivel-eyed few’.

Brexit: Transition deal may be delayed over law vetting demand
The Financial Times warns that the UK could be on a ‘collision course’ with the EU over demands to vet new EU laws agreed during the transition period. According to the paper, senior officials on each side are worried that the disagreement could delay reaching a deal. Meanwhile, The Times says that EU negotiators expect the UK to request an extended transition period, but that this will be kept secret to avoid a rebellion by Eurosceptics.

Brexit: Lords committee criticises Withdrawal Bill
The House of Lords Constitution Committee has criticised the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill ahead of the start of debates this week, The Guardian reports. The committee says that ‘the bill risks fundamentally undermining legal certainty’, criticising the ‘overly broad’ powers and the failure to secure agreement from the devolved governments.

Social media firms called on to do more about grooming
The Times dedicates its front page to a call for social media firms to crack down on online grooming. According to the paper, the NSPCC is calling for the Home Office to put pressure on social media companies to use artificial intelligence to block predatory behaviour online. The charity says that the Government’s new voluntary code ‘does not go far enough’.

Pensions Regulator criticised for failure to act over Carillion
The House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee has criticised the Pensions Regulator for allowing Carillion to defer pension deficit contributions in September, according to The Guardian. Frank Field, who chairs the committee, said ‘It’s clear that Carillion has been trying to wriggle out of its obligations to its pensioners for the last 10 years.’

Tory peer and Church of England call for Government action over gambling adverts
A study commissioned by the Conservative peer Lord Chadlington has found that 65% of teenagers think that television channels carry too much advertising for gambling, the Daily Mail reports. He is calling for the Government to ban gambling advertising during sporting events. Alan Smith, the Bishop of St Albans, told The Daily Telegraph that advertising for gambling was ‘an increasing moral crisis for us as a society.’

Increased automation may deepen the UK’s economic divide
The Financial Times has details of a report by the Centre for Cities think-tank, which suggests ‘the rise of the robots’ will deepen the UK’s economic divide, with a third of jobs in some northern and midlands cities vulnerable to automation and globalisation. The centre’s chief executive, Andrew Carter, has called for more devolution.

Labour would buy 8,000 properties for the homeless
Appearing on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn pledged to provide 8,000 homes ‘immediately’ to house people with a history of rough sleeping, should his party enter government. He described the scale of homelessness as ‘disgusting’ and ‘wholly unnecessary’.

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Today’s Political Headlines – 26 January 2018

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Today’s Political Headlines include Brexit news, with May, Hammond and Davis; Lord Mendelsohn who has been ‘effectively sacked’ for attending the Presidents Club dinner; Gavin Williamson warning of a Russian attack; and Donald Trump visiting the UK. 

May rebukes Hammond for Brexit claims and tones down Davis speech
Theresa May rebuked the Chancellor last night, The Times claims, after he predicted ‘very modest’ changes in the UK’s relationship with the EU after Brexit in a speech to the CBI at the World Economic Forum. The Daily Telegraph adds that Downing Street has toned down a major speech by David Davis today so that it focuses on negotiating trade deals during a transition period, rather than on managing expectations and selling the transition period as the price to pay for Brexit. The paper also reports that Jacob Rees-Mogg, chair of the European Research Group, has said that the Government’s tone on Brexit needs to ‘fundamentally change’. The Sun suggests that Downing Street ‘fears a vote of no confidence’ after at least three more Tory MPs said that they planned to call for May to go.

Lord Mendelsohn ‘effectively sacked’ for attending controversial dinner
Lord Mendelsohn has been ‘effectively sacked’ from his role as a Labour party spokesperson on business and international trade for attending the controversial Presidents Club dinner, The Times reports. The Financial Times adds that the Attorney-General has said that it is possible that criminal offences were committed at the event and that the Bank of England is investigating the regifting of tea with its Governor, Mark Carney, to the event’s auction.

Gavin Williamson warns of Russian attack, admits affair
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has warned that Russia could kill ‘thousands and thousands and thousands’ of people in the UK, with an attack on infrastructure and energy supply, in an interview with The Daily Telegraph. He has also been speaking to the Daily Mail, admitting to an affair that happened before he became an MP.

Donald Trump will visit the UK, apologises for Britain First tweets
The Times reports that President Trump is to make a working visit to the UK in the summer, which is likely to include meeting the Queen. The visit’s outline was agreed when Trump met with Theresa May at Davos yesterday. The news comes as Trump tells Piers Morgan, in an interview for ITV, that he ‘would certainly apologise’ for retweeting Britain First.

Tessa Jowell calls for global cancer co-operation
The Guardian reports that Baroness Jowell received a standing ovation in the House of Lords yesterday. Jowell, who has a high-grade brain tumour, used her speech to promote the Eliminate Cancer Initiative, which links patients and doctors globally through a clinical trials network, and which is building a global database.

Companies prepare for no-deal Brexit
According to the Financial Times, a majority of UK companies are preparing for a no-deal Brexit, as time runs out for clarity on the transition period. A survey by the CBI has found that over 60% of companies have implemented contingency plans, or intend to do so.

Minister boycotts John Humphry’s interview
In an exclusive, The Guardian reports that minister Tracey Crouch refused to be interviewed on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme after presenter John Humphrys was recorded joking about his colleague Carrie Gracie’s fight for equal pay. The paper claims that other female MPs ‘are using informal parliamentary networks to encourage a potential boycott.’

Sadiq Khan launches legal action over Worboys release
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has applied for judicial review of the Parole Board’s decision to release the rapist John Worboys, The Guardian says. In a statement, Khan described it as ‘an astonishing and deeply concerning decision’.

 

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Today’s Political Headlines – 25 January 2018

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Today’s Political Headlines include the Presidents Club debacle, Theresa May addressing Davos, the 1922 Committee Chair begging MPs not to trigger a challenge against the PM and Ministerial turnover putting projects at risk. 

Presidents Club closes down, as minister faces calls to quit
The fallout from the Financial Times’s exposé of sexual harassment at the Presidents Club dinner has continued. The club is to be wound up and charities have returned donations. David Meller, a chair of the club, has resigned from the board of the Department for Education, while Theresa May has come under pressure to sack Nadhim Zahawi, the minister for children and families, who attended the event. Mark Carney and Boris Johnson have said that they did not authorise meetings with them being auctioned at the event.

May to tell investors to put pressure on social media firms over content
When she addresses the World Economic Forum in Davos today, the Prime Minister will call on investment companies to put pressure on social media providers to remove terrorist and extremist content, The Times reports. She will tell attendees that ‘No one wants to be known as the terrorists’ platform or the first-choice app for paedophiles’.

1922 Committee Chair begs MPs not to trigger challenge against May
An exclusive in The Sun reveals that Sir Graham Brady, the Chair of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs, has begged MPs not to trigger a challenge against Theresa May. A no confidence vote would be automatically triggered if he receives 48 letters. He apparently declined to comment on the claim.

Ministerial turnover putting projects at risk
The unusually high turnover of ministers – more than two-thirds have been appointed since June – is putting Government projects at risk, according to the Institute for Government. The thinktank’s findings are reported by the Financial Times. Sir Richard Mottram, former Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary said that ‘The system incentivises short-termism and eye-catching initiatives.’

Sara Khan appointed to head Commission for Countering Extremism
Sara Khan has been appointed to head the new Commission for Countering Extremism, the BBC reports. The campaigner promised that the commission will challenge ‘extremism in the name of our shared values, fundamental freedoms and human rights’. However, Baroness Warsi has accused Khan of being a Home Office ‘mouthpiece’.

Theresa May’s relationship with Donald Trump under the microscope
Two different accounts of Theresa May’s relationship with Donald Trump are being reported today, ahead of their meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The Daily Telegraph says that Trump compared May to Winston Churchill during a phone call in December, with a source saying that the pair ‘have a surprisingly warm relationship’. However, Bloomberg News claims ‘May finds it almost impossible to make headway and get her points across’.

Department for International Trade criticised
The Guardian says that the Department for International Trade has been criticised by the National Audit Office. The department is apparently struggling to meet deadlines, to recruit specialist staff, and to retrain its workforce. A departmental spokesperson said that ‘Overall, our plans are on track and we have met every EU exit delivery milestone to date.’

Prisons minister says that he will ‘get back to basics’
The Daily Mail reports on evidence given to the Justice Select Committee by the new justice minister, Rory Stewart. Following reports about poor conditions in prisons, Stewart said ‘My instinct is we need to get back to basics. We need to absolutely insist that we are going to run clean, decent prisons.’

 

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PMQs: Theresa May’s word cloud – 24 January 2018

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At Prime Minister’s Questions, Theresa May faced questions from MPs that largely focused on the NHS. There were also discussions on welfare and cancer treatment. We present the word cloud for Theresa May’s answers on 24 January at PMQs.

Prime ministers Questions

NHS
Jeremy Corbyn’s questioning of the PM focused on the NHS and whether Theresa May agreed with Boris Johnson that the NHS needed more money, May did not seem comfortable with Corbyn’s initial questions but the PM grew into the debate and handled Corbyn’s questions with some ease towards the end.

Corbyn found a reply to May, who regularly brings up the Welsh health service that is Labour run, by stating the Prime Minister is responsible for funding to the Welsh Government.

 

Welfare
The PM was asked about a teacher who has having to wait six weeks for universal credit and how this related to child poverty. May replied that changes have been made and advance payments are now available, but did not mention the thousands of children living in poverty.

When later asked a question on people with disabilities who have committed suicide after their payments were stopped, the PM said those that can work are encouraged to work and that work is the best route out of poverty.

 

Cancer Treatment
This morning Tessa Jowell spoke publicly for the first time since being diagnosed with a high-grade brain tumour in a very moving manner. The PM and Jeremy Hunt were asked whether they would meet Baroness Jowell and health experts and discuss possible improvements in cancer diagnosis and treatment.

May did not give an answer as to whether she would meet Baroness Jowell but was encouraged by the approach she had taken and sent her best wishes. May accepted more cancer drugs need to be looked at and the Health Secretary will be more than happy to meet Baroness Jowell.

 

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