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Today’s political headlines includes the Brexit delay, the latest plot to oust May, a brand new MP expenses scandal and Scruton sacked over ‘unacceptable comments’. 

UK given Brexit delay until October
As The Guardian reports, last night European leaders agreed to delay Brexit until 31 October, giving the UK an option to leave earlier if the deal is approved by Parliament. The EU will review the UK’s behaviour at a summit in June, with European Council President Donald Tusk suggesting that a further extension could be granted if necessary. French President Emmanuel Macron advocated a shorter extension, but settled for a compromise after other leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who advocated a delay until December, said this would not allow the impasse in the UK to be resolved.

Conservative MPs plot to oust May
The Daily Telegraph claims that Conservative MPs are ‘plotting’ to get rid of Theresa May by changing rules which mean that she cannot be ousted until a year after the last confidence vote, attempting to gain 10,000 members’ signatures to support the change. The executive of the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs yesterday discussed moving against May after next month’s local and European elections. According to The Guardian, Theresa May will try to remain as Prime Minister during the delay to Brexit and continue to try to get her Brexit deal through Parliament.

16 MPs claim taxpayers money for London homes while renting their own out
The Daily Mirror reveals that 16 MPs, including International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, are claiming money to rent homes in London, while also letting properties in the city. While this is not a breach of parliamentary rules, the Defend Council Housing campaign said that the news was ‘scandalous’ and the ‘gravy train’ needed to be ended.

Scruton sacked over ‘unacceptable comments’
The Times reports that Sir Roger Scruton has been sacked as a housing adviser to the Government after making ‘unacceptable comments’ about Islamophobia, antisemitism, George Soros, the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and China in an interview with the New Stateman. Labour is calling on the Government to remove his knighthood.

Senior Tories urge Brexiteer ministers to stay in post
The Sun claims that senior Tories have told Brexit-supporting ministers not to resign over cross-party talks with Labour or a possible second referendum in order to keep a ‘balance of power’ with pro-EU ministers, citing the example of the appointment of Amber Rudd following the resignation of Esther McVey, and to avoid a Jeremy Corbyn-led government.

Wright says online rules won’t affect press freedom
The Daily Mail reports that Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Jeremy Wright has used a letter to the Society of Editors to promise that the proposals in the new Online Harms White Paper would not affect ‘journalistic or editorial content’, with safeguards introduced to protect the role of the press.

Minister should oversee Parliament refurbishment, Spelman says
The Times says that Dame Caroline Spelman, chair of the committee on the restoration of Parliament, has said that a minister should be appointed to oversee this, suggesting Andrea Leadsom as a possible candidate. She warned that if this did not happen, there could be repeats of last week’s incident which saw the Commons suspended after a leak.

Government criticised over response to childcare and Universal Credit inquiry
The Sun says that members of the Commons Work and Pensions Committee have criticised the Government’s response to their inquiry into childcare and Universal Credit as ‘skimpy and disappointing’, demanding they look again at the ideas they suggested to help parents return to work, accusing it of ‘dismissing the serious problems that are plaguing parents’.

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Today’s political headlines includes Labour expecting to hold further Brexit talks with the Government, tech firms to face new regulation, Johnson’s thoughts on Brexit latest and the majority who want a strong leader. 

Labour expects to hold further Brexit talks with Government
The BBC reports that Labour has said it is expecting to hold further talks to find a Brexit compromise with the Government, as peers continue considering a bill put forward by Yvette Cooper which would force Theresa May to request a Brexit extension, rather than accepting a no-deal Brexit. Solicitor General Robert Buckland said the likely outcome of talks was ‘something approximating a customs arrangement or customs union’. The Financial Times says French President Emmanuel Macron is demanding ‘tough political conditions’ on any Brexit extension, including guarantees that the UK will not disrupt the EU’s business.

Tech firms to face new regulation as Wright says industry has ‘reached a turning point’
Writing in The Sun, Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Jeremy Wright says that he used a face-to-face meeting with Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg to warn him that the UK had ‘reached a turning point’ over the social media firm’s failure to tackle harmful content, with new laws the ‘only option’. The Online Harms White Paper, published today, will contain new measures to make firms responsible for protecting their users, with senior management at risk of prosecution, and companies potentially being banned from the UK.

Johnson says May shouldn’t ‘surrender’ to Corbyn over customs union
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Boris Johnson insists that Conservative MPs won’t let Theresa May ‘surrender’ to Jeremy Corbyn, insisting that agreeing to a customs union with the EU ‘cannot, must not and will not happen.’ The paper adds that May has given ‘the clearest signal yet’ that she will agree a customs union, saying that a cross-party deal is needed and would require ‘compromise on both sides’.

Over half the population want a ‘strong leader’
The Times reports that new research by the Hansard Society finds that over half the population wants a ‘strong leader willing to break the rules’, with nearly-three quarters agreeing that the country’s governance needed ‘quite a lot’ or ‘a great deal’ of improvement. Ruth Fox, the society’s director said that this ‘would challenge core tenets of our democracy’ and was ‘a potentially toxic recipe for the future of British politics’.

Jewish Labour Movement says it has no confidence in Corbyn
The Guardian reports that the Jewish Labour Movement has voted for a motion of no confidence in Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party which claimed that the party was ‘institutionally antisemitic’. Separately, the party has denied a story in The Sunday Times criticising its handling of complaints about antisemitism.

No Afghan translators have arrived in the UK despite Williamson’s promise
The Daily Mail reveals that despite Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson’s pledge last June to allow 50 Afghan interpreters who had helped British troops to settle in the UK with their families, none have yet arrived despite increasing danger in their home country. So far just one interpreter has been given permission to come to the UK, and will arrive within weeks.

Brexit confusion could cause problems for EU tenants
The Guardian says that the Residential Landlords Association has warned that confusion over Brexit will cause problems for tenants from the EU, criticising the Government for not giving clear guidance about the settled status scheme. Landlords face fines of up to £5000 if they are found to be renting a property to an illegal immigrant.

Rudd plays down Johnson alliance rumours
According to The Times, Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd has been playing down suggestions that she will back Boris Johnson’s campaign for the Conservative leadership in a ‘Bamber’ alliance, which would see her become Chancellor and unite the remain and leave strands of the party.

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Today’s political headlines includes the inconclusive Brexit talks, MPs voting to force Prime Minister to request Brexit extension, Lynton Crosby’s firm linked to no-deal Brexit Facebook ads and Carney warns of alarmingly high risk of no-deal. 

Brexit talks ‘inconclusive’, Corbyn says
The Times says that both Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn are facing backlashes from their parties over their talks to try to end the Brexit deadlock, with two ministers resigning from the Government. Both sides initially said the first meeting was ‘constructive’ and announced that a working party would meet today. However, Corbyn subsequently claimed that it was ‘inconclusive’ and that May’s position had not changed as much as he’d expected. Emily Thornberry, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, has written to other members of the shadow cabinet insisting that any deal agreed by Parliament should be subject to a referendum.

MPs vote to force Prime Minister to request Brexit extension
As The Guardian reports, last night MPs voted by a margin of just one vote to back a bill tabled by Yvette Cooper and Sir Oliver Letwin which forces the Prime Minister to request an extension to the Brexit process. It passed through all of its stages in the Commons within hours and will now be considered by the Lords. An attempt by Hilary Benn to reserve Monday for further indicative votes resulted in a tie, which was broken by Speaker John Bercow, who followed precedent and voted with the Government, causing the vote to be lost.

Lynton Crosby’s firm linked to no-deal Brexit Facebook adverts
The Guardian reveals that a series of apparently separate grassroots campaigns placing adverts on Facebook backing a no-deal Brexit are actually being overseen by employees of CTF Partners, a lobbying company run by Sir Lynton Crosby, who assisted with the last four Conservative General election campaigns and has been linked to a leadership bid by Boris Johnson. It is not clear who is paying for the adverts, which may have cost as much as £1m.

Carney warns of ‘alarmingly high’ risk of no-deal Brexit
The Financial Times says Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has criticised his predecessor, Mervyn King, claiming that suggesting that a no-deal Brexit could be easily managed was ‘absolute nonsense’ and the risk of such a scenario was ‘alarmingly high’. He confirmed there was ‘absolutely no’ chance he would continue in post after January 2020.

All English regions other than London favour no-deal Brexit over remaining in the EU
According to a YouGov poll featured in The Daily Telegraph, London is the only region of England and Wales which did not believe that the UK should leave the EU without a deal rather than revoke its application to leave should no deal be agreed by 12 April. However, Scotland would also prefer to remain a member of the EU.

Windrush scandal compensation to cost up to £310m
The Daily Telegraph reports that Home Secretary Sajid Javid has announced that compensation to Windrush scandal victims will cost up to £310m, with a ‘baseline estimate’ of £200m, and there will be no cap on the amount they can claim. He said this was an attempt to ‘right the wrongs’ of ‘a terrible mistake that should not have happened’.

MPs criticise China
The Sun carries details of a new report by the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee about China. It warns of ‘troubling allegations’ about Chinese interference in British universities, recommends that Chinese companies such as Huawei shouldn’t be allowed to build vital technology, and attacks the Chinese government for supporting Russia over the Salisbury poisonings. However, it also warns against deploying naval vessels to the South China Sea.

MPs call for delay to loan charge implementation
The Financial Times says a report by the loan charge all-party parliamentary group, to which over 100 MPs belong, calls for a six month delay to the implementation of the loan charge, due to be brought in tomorrow, and for an independent review, claiming that it was a ‘cynical’ cover-up by HMRC and the policy breaks civil service and ministerial codes.

Brexit is nine days away, apparently, find out what will happen next with Vuelio Political Services. 

Today’s political headlines includes May’s offer to Corbyn to compromise on Brexit, EU leaders would reject request for short delay, manufacturing growth sectors vulnerable to Brexit and Lamb warns he may quit Lib Dems. 

May offers Corbyn Brexit compromise talks
The Guardian reports that Theresa May used a statement after yesterday’s seven-hour long Cabinet meeting to offer to enter talks with Jeremy Corbyn to find a Brexit compromise, which he has accepted. She said she would request a further extension from the EU, but hoped for a deal with Labour or a decision by Parliament before next Wednesday so European Parliament elections could be avoided. Sources say that the meeting was ‘at times fractious and bad tempered’, with 14 ministers opposed to a long extension, although some claimed that only four favoured a no-deal Brexit. However, The Daily Telegraph claims that 14 ministers were in favour of no-deal, with 10 preferring an extension. Jacob Rees-Mogg said that the decision is ‘an attempt to overturn the referendum that wanted a clear Brexit’.

EU leaders would reject request for short delay
According to The Times, EU leaders will reject a request for a short delay to Brexit, with French President Emmanuel Macron saying that the only choice was between a long extension or no-deal. However, European Council President Donald Tusk said that leaders should ‘be patient’ and see what happens in the UK.

Manufacturing growth sectors vulnerable to Brexit
The Financial Times says that UK manufacturing growth over the past decade has been driven by just four sectors – food, motor vehicles, other transport equipment and repair of machinery – and that these rely most on a close relationship with the EU. PwC warned that Brexit would be ‘costly’ to these industries, which new Office for National Statistics figures show were responsible for 86% of manufacturing growth between 2008 and 2018.

Lamb warns he may quit ‘intransigent’ Lib Dems
The Sun reports that former Liberal Democrat leadership contender Norman Lamb has warned that he may quit the party as it was being ‘intransigent’ over Brexit. He was the only one of the party’s MPs to vote in favour of a customs union during Monday’s indicative votes and said he was worried his party had become ‘the mirror image of the ERG.’

MPs call for prison sentences of under a year to be abolished
The Daily Telegraph says that a new report by the Commons Justice Committee endorses Justice Secretary David Gauke’s plan to axe prison sentences shorter than six months, but suggests that he should go further and abolish all sentences of less than a year. It says this would improve prison safety and allow more to be spent on rehabilitation.

NAO criticises nuclear submarine storage
The Guardian reports that the National Audit Office has criticised the Ministry of Defence over the cost of nuclear submarine storage. It says that failings in the ‘dismal’ programme have cost the UK £500m, with none of the 20 vessels decommissioned since 1980 having been disposed of, risking the UK’s reputation as a ‘responsible nuclear power’.

Police investigate pro-Brexit railway sabotage attempts
The Mirror reports that the British Transport Police are investigating two pro-Brexit attempts to ‘sabotage’ the rail network by placing devices on the tracks which would disrupt signalling systems. Safeguards introduced as a result of EU regulations meant that the devices did not function successfully.

Councils left ‘in the dark’ about Brexit
The BBC carries details of a new report by the Commons Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, which says that the Government has left councils ‘in the dark’ about Brexit and needs to provide more support urgently. It also calls for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to be fast-tracked to replace EU funding.

Brexit is nine days away, apparently, find out what will happen next with Vuelio Political Services. 

Today’s political headlines includes MPs rejecting all Brexit options again, Sedwill warns of no-deal risks, Brexiteers to urge May to give EU ultimatum and Boles quits Tories. 

MPs reject all Brexit options again
As The Times reports, a majority of MPs again failed to back any of the alternative Brexit proposals put forward in yesterday’s indicative votes. A customs union was rejected by 3 votes, a second referendum by 12, and the ‘Common Market 2.0’ plan by 21. The Cabinet will hold a five-hour meeting today, with speculation that Theresa May could threaten Brexiteers with a general election and Chancellor Philip Hammond will warn that if the Government doesn’t put forward a compromise proposal, it should hold a referendum as neither the Conservatives or the UK can ‘afford an election’.

Sedwill warns of no-deal risks
The Daily Mail has obtained a letter warning about the risks of a no-deal Brexit from Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill to Cabinet ministers. He writes that this would force up food prices by up to 10q, disrupt national security making the UK ‘less safe’, lead to the reimposition of direct rule in Northern Ireland and cause a recession, with the Government under pressure ‘to bail out companies’.

Brexiteers to urge May to give EU ultimatum
According to The Sun, Brexiteer ministers will use today’s Cabinet meeting to press Theresa May to issue a final ultimatum to the EU – either the backstop is improved or the UK will leave with no deal in ten days. However, according to the paper consensus is growing for a run-off vote between May’s deal and a customs union with the EU.

Boles quits Tories
The Guardian reports that former minister Nick Boles quit the Conservatives yesterday, announcing his departure in the Commons after his ‘Common Market 2.0’ Brexit proposal failed. He said that he had chosen to leave because ‘my party refuses to compromise’ and would now sit as an ‘independent progressive conservative’.

MPs call for ‘Big Four’ accounting firms to be split up
The Financial Times carries details of a new report by the Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee which calls for the break-up of the ‘Big Four’ accounting firms by the Competition and Markets Authority when it publishes its final proposals for the sector in a ‘few weeks’. Committee chair Rachel Reeves said change was ‘long overdue’ and the dominance of a few firms had led to ‘audits which investors and the public cannot rely on.’

Social media firms to be fined over knife sales
According to The Daily Telegraph, the Government’s new white paper on online harms, expected next week, will announce fines for social media firms which allow the sale of knives and don’t remove violent content, such as ‘drill’ music videos. This would be policed by a regulator with the power to fine companies up to 4% of their global turnover.

Parents who home educate children to be required to register
The Times reports that Education Secretary Damian Hinds is to require parents whose children are home educated to register with local authorities, allowing intervention to take place where the standard of the education provided is too low or only a religious education is being given. If parents refuse to register, existing ‘school attendance orders’ will be used to force them to send their children to school, with other penalties under consideration.

Climate change protesters disrupt Brexit debate
The Guardian says that yesterday’s debate on Brexit in the Commons was disrupted by semi-naked climate change protesters who glued themselves to the glass of the public gallery. They were removed by the police and 12 people were arrested for outraging public decency.

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