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Today’s political headlines includes positive Brexit talks, Conservative MEP candidates keeping a low profile, Corbyn under pressure to accept a second referendum and the Government to back revised climate change target. 

Brexit talks more positive, sources say
The Guardian says sources on both sides of the Brexit talks between the Government and Labour have suggested that discussions have become more positive, although no new offer has been made. Shadow Environment Secretary Sue Hayman said the negotiations were ‘really constructive’ and engaged more with ‘the nuts and bolts of the detail’, while Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington said he was encouraged by the ‘need for greater urgency’.

Conservative MEP candidates told to keep a low profile
According to The Times, Conservative candidates for the European Parliament have been told to ‘lie low’ in order to avoid antagonising voters before the local elections. The official launch of the party’s campaign is expected to be held on 7 May, with a senior Conservative explaining that canvass returns had improved over recess as ‘Brexit was off the boil and attention was away from Westminster’.

Corbyn under pressure to accept second referendum
The Daily Mirror claims that Jeremy Corbyn is resisting pressure to agree to a referendum on any Brexit deal ahead of a meeting of Labour’s National Executive Committee today. The party is coming under pressure to do so from many of its own MPs, as well as the Unison, GMB and Usdaw trade unions. However, it is likely to maintain its stance of only having a referendum on a Conservative or no-deal Brexit.

Government to back revised climate change target
The Times suggests that the Government will back a revised climate target from the Climate Change Committee when it is announced this week. Although Cabinet ministers have yet to back the move, Theresa May is likely to endorse the proposed target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, although the Government won’t back all of the suggested measures to reach it. The new target is likely to be included in the new Environment Bill, which is due to be included in the Queen’s Speech in the autumn.

Hunt warns Brexit deal with Labour could lose Tory support
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has told The Daily Telegraph that if the Government reached a Brexit deal with Labour it risked creating a situation where ‘you lose more Conservative MPs than you gain Labour MPs’. He questioned if Jeremy Corbyn was ‘serious about delivering Brexit’, adding that he didn’t expect a ‘rose garden moment’. He also warned against holding a leadership contest before Brexit had happened.

May to face grassroots confidence vote
The Sun says that Theresa May is to become the first Conservative leader to face an emergency vote from party activists demanding her resignation. The first emergency general meeting in the party’s history has been called, after the threshold of signatures from constituency chairmen needed to call one was passed. Theresa May has been invited to address the meeting, though the vote on her leadership will not be binding.

Victims’ Commissioner attacks need to pay to report crime
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Baroness Newlove, the Victims’ Commissioner, warns victims of anti-social behaviour are being forced to pay to report crimes to the police as, unlike 999, the 101 non-emergency phone number is not free. She criticises police and councils for not treating anti-social behaviour seriously and says ‘little has changed’ since her husband was kicked to death after confronting teenagers vandalising their car twelve years ago.

May must present final Brexit deadline to Parliament next week or she’ll miss deadline
In an exclusive, The Sun claims that, according to a Cabinet minister, Theresa May has until the end of next week to return her Brexit deal to Parliament, or she will miss her 30 June deadline for leaving the EU. This is because the Withdrawal Agreement Bill to implement the deal will need around six weeks to pass through Parliament.

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Today’s political headlines includes the Huawei leak, unvaccinated children could be barred from schools, Labour plans £3bn tax increase and talks restart to restore Northern Ireland Assembly.

Sedwill gives ministers ultimatum over leak
The Guardian says that Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill has written to Cabinet ministers who attended the National Security Council meeting on Tuesday, insisting that they tell him by 3pm if they were involved in the leak of the council’s decision on Huawei’s involvement in the 5G network. A number of ministers have now denied being behind the leak, including Jeremy Hunt, Gavin Williamson, Penny Mordaunt, Liam Fox and Sajid Javid.

Unvaccinated children could be barred from schools
The Daily Mirror reports that Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock has warned that children who have not received the MMR vaccination could be banned from schools. The warning came after Unicef revealed that over 0.5m children in the UK have not received the vaccine, with cases of measles increasing fourfold over the last year.

Labour plans £3bn tax increase to fund social care
The Daily Mail says that Labour is to increase taxes on the top 5% of earners in order to fund an increase in social care spending of over £3bn. It would fund care for over 160,000 elderly people who currently go without care, including 50,000 with dementia. Shadow social care minister Barbara Keeley said the ‘Tory government has shamefully abandoned older people and young adults with care needs’.

Talks to restore Northern Ireland Assembly to restart
The Financial Times says that Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley and the Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney are expected to announce today that new talks to try and restore the Northern Ireland Assembly will take place after May’s local government elections. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou Mcdonald said that her party’s support depended on an Irish language act, while DUP leader Arlene Foster said the assembly should return ‘immediately’ with a parallel process to address Sinn Féin’s issues.

Private schools provide benefit of over £20bn to the country each year
The Times leads with research for the Independent Schools Council which finds that private schools provide economic benefits and savings to the taxpayer of over £20bn a year, including supporting more jobs than the city of Liverpool. The report also shows fees increased by 3.7% last year, with experts warning increases were causing schools to lose ‘middle-class goodwill’.

Portsmouth and Brighton identified as least representative councils for BAME people
The Guardian carries details of analysis by Operation Black Vote which shows that 23% of the councils studied have no BAME councillors, increasing to a third if those with just one BAME councillor are included. Portsmouth and Brighton and Hove councils were identified as being amongst those least representative of their population.

Brady backs removing backstop from Brexit bill
In an exclusive, The Sun reveals that Brexiteers plan to table an amendment to the Withdrawal Agreement Bill which would remove the Irish backstop, with the Chair of the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs, Sir Graham Brady, urging the Prime Minister to adopt this plan herself. Number 10 has pointed out that the whole agreement needs ratification and that the EU will not reopen it for further negotiations.

Lib Dem memo shows Tories face local election catastrophe
The Daily Mirror has seen an internal Liberal Democrat memo based on analysis of data collected by the party’s canvassers ahead of the local elections, which reveals that the Conservatives are on course for a ‘catastrophe’. Just 45% of voters who said they were backing the Tories in 2015 have said they will definitely or probably vote for them this year.

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Today’s political headlines includes Corbyn’s promise to abolish SATs, Corbyn’s warning, Tory chairs plotting against May and Burgon regrets his Zionism remarks. 

Corbyn promises to abolish SATs
The Times says that Jeremy Corbyn has promised to abolish the SATs exams sat by primary school children in a bid to tackle the ‘extreme pressure’ on teachers and pupils. They would be replaced by a more flexible system, which Labour will consult on over the summer. However, the Conservatives have said that this would be a ‘retrograde’ move which would ‘keep parents in the dark’.

Corbyn warns that Government inflexibility is stalling Brexit talks
The Guardian reports that Jeremy Corbyn has said that talks over Brexit between Labour and the Government are stalling because of the Government’s plans for deregulation and a trade deal with the USA after Brexit. He said he didn’t want a ‘deregulated, low-tax society’ and hinted that he would rather hold binding Indicative votes in the Commons.

Tory chairs plot no confidence vote in May
The Daily Telegraph claims chairs of local Conservative associations are circulating a petition asking the party’s National Convention to call an emergency general meeting at which a vote of no confidence in Theresa May would be held. The party is obliged to hold the meeting if over 65 chairs sign the petition; between 40 and 50 are believed to have done so. Such a vote would not force May to resign, but it would put pressure on her.

Burgon regrets Zionism remarks
The Guardian says that the Shadow Justice Secretary Richard Burgon has expressed regret after a video of him saying ‘Zionism is the enemy of peace’ emerged. He had previously denied making such a remark, but when the evidence emerged said that ‘it is now clear that I did and I regret doing so’. The Jewish Leadership Council called for a ‘full apology’.

Javid reviews disclosure of criminal records
The Daily Telegraph reports that Home Secretary Sajid Javid is reviewing the rule which means that anyone with more than one criminal conviction will automatically have them disclosed to prospective employers for the rest of their lives. He wants to give juvenile criminals a second chance, but victims’ rights groups have raised concerns.

Electoral Commission approves Change UK’s application
The Times reports that the Electoral Commission has approved a request from The Independent Group of breakaway MPs to register a new political party under the name of Change UK ahead of next month’s European elections. However, the new party’s proposed logo has been rejected as it was ‘likely to mislead voters’.

Candidate in Tory video accused of selling fake wine
The Daily Mirror says that Gurch Singh, a council candidate in Theresa May’s constituency who appeared in the Conservatives’ most recent election broadcast ran a shop which had additional conditions placed on its licence after it was found to be stocking counterfeit wine and selling alcohol to under-age children. Singh said that the wine came from a reputable supplier and that the only proof of the sales to children came from an anonymous complaint.

Westminster at risk of Notre Dame style fire
The Sun reports that Labour MP Chris Bryant has warned that the Palace of Westminster could be ravaged by fire if a further two year delay to restoration work goes ahead. Under the revised plans work would not start until 2028. Bryant said ‘Parliament has become a potential death trap of catastrophic proportions because we have allowed years of neglect.’

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Today’s political headlines includes thousands applying to be Change UK MEP candidates, Tories worrying about leadership contest, Javid’s close brush with a life of crime and climate change protesters closing down parts of London. 

Over 3,000 people want to be Change UK MEP candidates
According to The Times, over 3,000 people have applied to stand as candidates for Change UK at the European elections. Its MPs are working through the applications and will pick candidates from a shortlist of 100 at the weekend. Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has admitted that the elections will be ‘disastrous’ for the Conservatives, with the paper adding that they have yet to make various key campaign decisions.

Tories worry about leadership contest
The Sun reveals that ‘senior Tories’ are worried that their party is being infiltrated by Brexit activists hoping to influence the elections for its new leader. Membership has grown by 30,000 over the last year, reaching a total of over 150,000 – the highest in at least seven years. Some of this has been attributed to a recruitment drive, but others are thought to be both former UKIP members and remainers, who want to vote in a leadership contest.

Javid says he could have embarked on life of crime
The Daily Telegraph reports that Home Secretary Sajid Javid admitted in a speech yesterday that he could have entered a life of crime, having been brought up on ‘the most dangerous street in Britain’, and that he was worried about the safety of his children, staying ‘up late at night waiting to hear the key turning in the door’. He said that the Government needed to change its ‘mindset’ to ‘stop the violence before it begins’.

Climate change protesters close roads in capital
The Financial Times reports that Extinction Rebellion, the environmental activist group, shut down four roads in London yesterday, including Waterloo Bridge and Oxford Circus, as part of its bid to draw attention to climate change. It said it would try to keep the roads blockade for ‘as long as possible’, unless the Government would agree to talks. It wants a climate emergency to be declared, zero greenhouse emissions by 2025 and a citizen’s assembly to discuss climate issues.

Government under pressure to end Brexit talks
The Guardian claims that the Government is feeling under pressure to end its talks over Brexit with Labour and move on to its alternative, finding a compromise in the Commons through a series of votes or amendments to the withdrawal bill. Theresa May’s former advisor Nikki da Costa suggested that doing this before the European elections would need ‘a level of legislative aggression’ this Government had not displayed so far.

German foreign minister warns Brexit won’t be delayed after October
Germany’s Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has used an interview with the Financial Times to warn that Brexit will not be delayed after October, saying that ‘they will have to decide what they want’ as ‘you cannot drag out Brexit for a decade’. He added that a further extension might be interpreted as a ‘signal that they plan to stay in the EU after all’.

Corbyn defends Begum’s right to legal aid
The Guardian says that Jeremy Corbyn has defended Shamima Begum’s right to legal aid. Begum, who left the UK to join ISIS, may be applying for the funding to challenge the Government’s decision to strip her of her British citizenship in the courts. Corbyn said ‘she has legal rights, just like anybody else does’ and being represented in court was ‘a fundamental point in any democratic society.’

Labour suspends council candidate for sharing antisemitic conspiracy theories
The Daily Telegraph says that Labour has suspended a council candidate in Brighton and Hove after the paper revealed that she had posted ‘highly offensive’ conspiracy theories about the Rothschilds and Israel online. The party refused to comment on the case, while the candidate, Alexandrina Braithwaite, said she was ‘sorry for the offence I have caused.’

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Today’s political headlines includes short notice evictions to be banned, Leadership contenders want May to stay for months, Hammond mocks Brexiteer leadership campaigners and progress unlikely in Brexit talks. 

Short notice evictions to be banned
The Guardian says that housing campaigners have backed Government plans to ban ‘no-fault evictions’, with a consultation on abolishing ‘section 21 evictions’ which allow landlords to evict tenants at short notice and with no good reason. The Government says that this is one of the main causes of family homelessness, and Theresa May said the change ‘will not only protect tenants from unethical behaviour, but also give them the long-term certainty and the peace of mind they deserve.’ The news was welcomed by Shelter but the Residential Landlords Association warned that it could result in fewer homes being available to rent.

Leadership contenders want May to stay for months
According to The Times, Cabinet contenders for the leadership want Theresa May to stay in place until the first stage of Brexit is completed, even if this takes until the end of the year. They fear that a summer leadership content would aid those, such as Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab, who want to reopen the Brexit deal. However, former leader Iain Duncan Smith yesterday called on May to step down by the end of June.

Hammond mocks Brexiteer leadership campaigners
The Daily Telegraph says Chancellor Philip Hammond used a speech in Washington to mock Brexiteer candidates in the last Conservative leadership election, saying Boris Johnson and Michael Gove formed an ‘unintended suicide pact’ while Andrea Leadsom had a ‘private suicide pact’. He also joked he was the only Tory MP not running for leader and that if a no-deal Brexit had happened he would have been visiting as the ‘designated survivor’.

Progress unlikely in Brexit talks unless red line shifts
The Guardian has been told by ‘sources close to the talks’ between Labour and the Government over Brexit that further advances are unlikely unless the Government’s red line over a customs union with the EU moves. Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington said ‘there is going to have to be movement on both sides’. Three working groups are to be established next week, covering security, environmental protection and consumers’ and workers’ rights.

Corbyn links youth service cuts to crime
The Daily Mirror reveals that Jeremy Corbyn will use a visit to an educational activity centre in Yorkshire to claim that the Conservatives have cut council spending in youth services by 70% since 2010. He will warn that ‘these cuts are creating the conditions in which crime can thrive’ and pledge to legislate ‘to guarantee quality youth services’.

NHS giving doctors cash to avoid early retirements
The Financial Times says that there is a ‘growing staffing crisis’ in the NHS, with the service topping-up doctors’ salaries with cash to help them avoid higher taxes as a result of stricter pension rules which have led many staff to take early retirement or to reduce the hours they are working. The paper warns that this ‘threatens to undermine the multibillion-pound funding injection’ announced by Theresa May last year.

Javid to make ‘veiled leadership pitch’
The Daily Telegraph reports that Home Secretary Sajid Javid is to make a speech on crime today, which it describes as a ‘veiled leadership pitch’. He will say that ‘we cannot afford to leave anyone behind’ and advocate a ‘public health’ approach to tackling knife crime, coordinating teachers, medical professionals and other branches of Government.

Lammy criticised over ‘Nazi’ remarks
The Times says that Labour MP David Lammy has been criticised after he compared Conservative Brexiteers to Nazis yesterday, saying that they should not be ‘appeased’. He said the ‘BBC should not allow this extreme hard-right fascism to flourish’, but Conservative MP Conor Burns suggested that Lammy had ‘lost it’.

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