Archive for: Political Services

A round-up of the latest political headlines, including several Brexit issues, supporters of David Davis to oust May by Christmas and Hammond’s remarks. 

Brexit: 48 hours to agree deal
According to The Guardian, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, has told member states that the UK has just 48 hours to agree to a text on a potential deal, or negotiations will not move on to the next stage. A DUP source told The Sun that there would be no deal on the Irish border this week, saying that ‘This is a battle of who blinks first, and we’ve cut off our eyelids.’ The Daily Telegraph adds that European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has indicated his willingness to continue discussions into next week.
Brexit: Davis admits impact assessments don’t exist
The Financial Times reports that David Davis has avoided being censured for alleged contempt of parliament by the Brexit select committee, after admitting that ‘There’s no sort of systemic impact assessment.’ Critics have suggested that this contradicts statements made by him in the past. Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse said ‘Whether it is through incompetence or insincerity, David Davis has been misleading parliament from the start.’
Brexit: Article 50 extension amendment attracts Conservative rebels’ support
The Times says that as many as 24 Tory MPs are prepared to rebel against the Government next week, in support of an amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill, allowing MPs to seek an extension to Article 50 negotiations if there is no satisfactory trade agreement by March 2019. Tory MP Anna Soubry and Labour MP Chukka Umunna have written an article for the paper supporting the amendment.
Supporters of David Davis plot to oust Theresa May ‘by Christmas’
An exclusive in The Sun claims that supporters of David Davis are plotting to out Theresa May as Prime Minister. His ally Andrew Mitchell is organising drinks evenings with Davis and the new generation of Tory MPs, whilst an ally said that May will ‘be gone by Christmas’.
Hammond causes a storm with remarks on defence, disability and Brexit
The Guardian reports that remarks made by Philip Hammond to the Treasury select committee have offended disabled groups, after he claimed that the UK’s low productivity could be attributed to disabled people in the workforce. The Daily Telegraph reported that the Chancellor said that Cabinet members still have not been allowed to discuss the end state of Brexit. The Times adds that Hammond told the committee he’d welcome a chance to discuss the defence budget with new Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson once Williamson had got ‘his head around the defence budget’.
Drug shortage causes patients to wait
The Times also reports that a shortage of drugs is causing patients with cancer and severe mental illness to go without essential medicines. The shortage has cost the NHS £180m in six months, with ministers now investigating fears that the market is being manipulated.
Labour Lords’ chief whip to stand down over expenses claims
Steve Bassam, Labour’s chief whip in the House of Lords is to stand down in early 2018, following questions about his expenses, The Guardian reports. He has offered to repay the claims in question, but insists that he has not breached parliamentary rules.
Gavin Williamson interviewed by the Mail
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has claimed that British citizens who fought for Islamic State should not be allowed to return to the country in an interview with the Daily Mail. He told the paper that ‘Quite simply, my view is a dead terrorist can’t cause any harm to Britain.’

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A round-up of the latest political headlines, including pressure on Theresa May, the Chancellor’s MoD ban and MI5 foiling a plot to assassinate the PM. 

Growing Brexit pressure on Theresa May
The Guardian claims that Theresa May is facing ‘mounting pressure’ to secure a breakthrough in negotiations with the EU, after the DUP expressed shock at the handling of the border issue and Brexit-supporting Conservatives said that it was time to walk away from the talks. The paper also says that parliamentarians have criticised the tight security around access to the Brexit analyses, claiming that their content is ‘little more’ than what is already in the public domain.

Chancellor banned from using Ministry of Defence planes
The Times reports that the MoD has banned Chancellor Philip Hammond from using its planes, until the Treasury settles a bill of six figures, covering past flights. This comes as Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson prepares to fight the Treasury for up to £2bn per annum in extra funding for the armed forces.
MI5 foils plot to assassinate Theresa May
The Daily Telegraph says that MI5 has stopped a plot to assassinate Theresa May. Islamic extremists planned to use an improvised explosive device to blow up Downing Street’s gates, before entering No 10. Cabinet members were told of the plot yesterday by MI5’s head, and two men have been charged with terror offences.
Security services ‘missed vital clues’
The Daily Mail carries the news that clues were missed in the lead up to the attacks in Manchester, London Bridge and Westminster. A review to be published today claims that an investigation into the Manchester bomber Salman Abedi would have been opened ‘had its true significance been properly understood’.
Gig economy reforms to be delayed
According to The Guardian, reforms to the gig economy which would improve employment rights for 1.1m people are to be delayed until next year, amid concerns that they might be opposed by the right wing of the Conservative party. Matthew Taylor, who led the Government’s review of the gig economy, said ‘I would rather it was later and stronger rather than earlier and weaker.’
Highest reading standards for a generation
The Times says that improvements in reading standards by boys have put the UK joint eighth in the world in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study results, up from tenth in 2011. Schools minister Nick Gibb attributed the success to the use of phonics, which he said had been prevented from use by ‘dogmatic romanticism’ before 2010. However, the paper points out that phonics programmes were announced by Ed Balls in 2008.
Ministers threaten to change the law to force Channel 4 to leave London
The Government is planning to change the law in order to force Channel 4 to relocate away from London, if it won’t do so voluntarily, according to The Times. The broadcaster has claimed that moving would be ‘highly damaging’, but a Whitehall source told the paper that the firm’s new management had until the new year to agree.
Tory peer planning to move into home owned by offshore trust
The Mirror reveals that the Conservative peer Michelle Mone is planning to move into an £11m home owned by an offshore trust linked to her boyfriend, Doug Barrowman. The paper claims that he may have avoided around £1m in tax by using the trust rather than a company, leading Labour MP John Mann to say that ‘using a loophole like this isn’t acceptable.’

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A round-up of the latest political headlines, including Brexit, child and pensioner poverty and the NHS. 

Theresa May in crunch Brexit meeting
Theresa May is in Brussels today to meet European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker for crucial Brexit talks. The Irish cabinet will also meet this morning to discuss Brexit. The papers have varying assessments of May’s likely success. The Times claims that a deal is ’85-90 percent there’, the Financial Times says the UK and the EU are on the ‘brink’ of a deal, but according to The Daily Telegraph the Government is ‘highly pessimistic’ about its chances of success and may might ask for an extension.
Increase in child and pensioner poverty
The Guardian reports research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, which found that almost 400,000 more children and 300,000 more pensioners in the UK were living in poverty than in 2012-13, in the first sustained increase in 20 years. The foundation blamed the increase on ‘political choices, wage stagnation and economic uncertainty’ and called for benefits to be unfreezed, training increased, and a more-ambitious house-building programme.
NHS to rule out more ‘poor-value’ treatments
The Times reports that the NHS is to rule out more poor-value treatments, as it comes under pressure to find more savings. The chief executive of NHS Clinical Commissioners told the paper that ‘There are a range of interventions that we shouldn’t be doing because they don’t work, […] We are now starting a piece of work to bring that all together and we hope there will be significant savings.’
Syrian aid programme suspended after allegations that it funded jihadis
The Guardian reports that a foreign aid scheme funded by the Government has been suspended following allegations to be made in a BBC Panorama documentary this evening. The scheme, intended to fund a civilian police force through a programme run by Adam Smith International, allegedly saw money being channelled to jihadi groups.
Social Mobility Commission chair who resigned was due to be replaced
The Daily Mail says that Alan Milburn, who quit as chairman of the Social Mobility Commission because he had ‘little hope’ May could deliver change had already been told that May planned to replace him. A Whitehall source said ‘Milburn was sacked and is now having a rant on his way out the door.’
Cabinet split over Damian Green’s future
The Times has details of a cabinet split over the future of Damian Green, the First Secretary of State. Apparently, May’s team of staff are also split, with her chief of staff Gavin Barwell wanting Green to resign, whilst her director of communications, Robbie Gibb thinks he should stay.
Funding for ‘mini nuclear power stations’ to be announced
The Government is expected to announce up to £100m of funding for small nuclear power stations this Thursday, says The Guardian. The competition to find the best value ‘small modular reactor’ has been delayed, leading to lobbying by firms.
Jeremy Hunt: social media sites should limit access by the young
The Daily Mail reports comments made by Health Secretary that social media sites should limit access by vulnerable youngsters. He said that sites should monitor whether young people are putting their mental health at risk by spending too much time online.

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A round-up of the latest political headlines, including DUP’s Irish border deal warning, calls to cancel Trump’s visit and the £1bn care home funding gap. 

DUP in Irish border deal warning
The Financial Times says that the DUP has warned that if the Government treats Northern Ireland differently to the rest of the UK in Brexit negotiations, it will withdraw its support. However, Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkhar is maintaining his instance on Northern Ireland remaining part of the EU customs union, and avoiding a hard border.

Calls to cancel Trump visit
The Times reports that President Trump is still expected to visit the UK in February in order to open the US embassy, despite criticism from MPs and other politicians, including Mayor of London Sadiq Kahn. However, The Daily Telegraph claims that US diplomats have ‘dropped plans’ for Trump’s visit and that it has been ‘pushed into the long grass’.

Warning over £1bn care home funding gap
According to the Financial Times, the UK’s care home sector has a £1bn annual funding gap. A report by the Competition and Markets found that the ‘current model of service provision cannot be sustained without additional public funding’. The Labour Party called for an end to cuts to local authorities, but the Government pointed to increases in social care spending.

Corbyn: ‘we’re a threat’ to banks
The Guardian reports Jeremy Corbyn’s response to a warning from investment bank Morgan Stanley that he poses just as much of a threat to business as Brexit. In a video, he said ‘So when they say we’re a threat, they’re right. We’re a threat to a damaging and failed system that’s rigged for the few.’

Damian Green faces ‘desperate fight’ to save job
In an exclusive, The Sun says that the Cabinet Office’s investigation into First Secretary of State Damian Green’s conduct ‘will say it is unclear whether he broke the ministerial code, which is a sackable offence.’ Having seen the initial findings, the paper claims that Downing Street has been working on ‘a desperate plan’ to save Green’s job.

Record migration fall after Brexit vote
The Times has details of the largest ever annual fall in net migration ever recorded. Overall net migration fell by 106,000 to 230,000 in the year after the vote to leave the EU. Immigration minister Brandon Lewis said, ‘With more Europeans continuing to arrive than leave, these figures show that claims of a ‘Brexodus’ are misguided.’

NHS patients to face treatment rationing and longer waits
Simon Stevens, the NHS England Chief Executive, has announced plans to ‘make taxpayers’ money go further’, drawing up a list of 36 conditions which don’t need treatment, and saying that new guidance expected from NICE could not be implemented without advance funding agreement. According to The Times, Government sources dismissed this as ‘grandstanding’.

Changes to ‘snooper’s charter’ see police lose powers
A series of changes to the ‘snooper’s charter’ will see senior police officers ‘lose the power to self-authorise access to personal phone and web browsing records’, The Guardian reports. A consultation paper published by the Home Office makes it clear that the changes, being made to comply with a European court ruling, will limit access to personal communications data by the police and other bodies to crimes with a prison sentence of six months or more. Labour’s Tom Watson said the proposals were ‘flawed’ and didn’t go far enough.

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A round-up of the latest political headlines, including the big Budget day stories, Brexit divorce agreement deadline and Kezia Dugdale on ‘I’m a Celebrity’. 

Budget: Last minute briefing as Downing Street takes control
This morning’s Daily Telegraph reports that 10 Downing Street took control of a last minute Budget briefing, as it is worried that the statement will ‘fall flat’. The paper quotes a Cabinet source who described it as ‘the worst Budget build-up in history’, as the Treasury first issued an ‘uninspiring’ statement and claimed that no policy announcements would be made, before performing a U-turn over two hours later. According to The Sun, May cannot sack Philip Hammond as Chancellor as ‘she fears she is too weak’.

Budget: More funding for schools and house-building measures
The Times reports that schools are to be paid £600 for each extra pupil they persuade to sits Maths A-level, with teachers in poorly-performing areas to benefit from £1,000 career development grants. The paper also expects measures to increase house-building, including direct state intervention (including a land-buying programme) and loosened borrowing restrictions for councils.

Budget: Veterans to get funding from LIBOR fines
In an exclusive, The Sun says that the Chancellor is to announce that veterans will benefit from £4.5m of fines from bankers as a result of the LIBOR scandal. £1.5m will be allocated to fund a new support programme by the charity Help For Heroes, whilst the Scar Free Foundation Centre for Conflict Wound Research will be given £2.95m. In total, over £30m in funding from the fines will be allocated today.

EU and UK aim to reach Brexit divorce deal within three weeks
The UK and the EU are aiming to reach a Brexit divorce deal within three weeks, according to the Financial Times. Negotiators have apparently pencilled in the week of December 4 as a breakthrough moment, with senior EU diplomats suggesting that there is ‘now a better than even chance of agreement’ on ‘sufficient progress’ at the EU summit in December.

Kezia Dugdale avoids ‘I’m a Celebrity’ suspension
Former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale has avoided being suspended by her party, according to an article in The Daily Telegraph. The party’s MSP group ruled that Dugdale would not be suspended despite taking ‘an unauthorised leave of absence’ to appear on the TV show I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! and would instead be interviewed on her return.

Hinkley Point power station deal to hit poorest hardest, report says
The Guardian carries details of a report by the Public Accounts Committee, which has found that the price the Government has promised to pay for power from the new Hinckley Point C power station will add £10-15 to the average household energy bill, hitting the poorest households the hardest.

Brexit rebels force Government climbdown
The Times reports on the progress of the EU Withdrawal Bill through Parliament yesterday. Conservative rebels, led by Dominic Grieve, forced the Government to announce that it would attempt to find a compromise on plans to remove the right of citizens to sue the Government, and on protecting citizens’ rights outlined in the EU’s charter of fundamental rights.

Conservative claims over police budget protection ‘a lie’ says Mirror
The Mirror claims that Theresa May’s boast that the Government had ‘protected’ police budgets is ‘a lie’. It reports research by the House of Commons showing a £413m cut in police force funding. Labour’s Shadow Policing Minister Louise Haigh said the cuts were ‘a threat to public safety’, whilst the Government did not deny the accuracy of the figures.

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