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Today’s political headlines include May not listening on knife crime, Ministers believe Brexit deal will lose by 100 votes, EHRC may launch inquiry into Labour’s handling of antisemitism and Mercer calls on May to allow younger generation to lead Conservatives. 

Theresa May is not listening on knife crime says former head of the Metropolitan Police
The BBC report on remarks made by former head of the Metropolitan Police, Lord Stevens where he accuses the Prime Minister of not listening to police concerns about knife crime. This comes after Jeremy Corbyn accused May of not doing enough to tackle the causes of knife crime. Lord Stevens criticised May’s handling of crime and policing in both her position of Prime Minister and Home Secretary, Stevens said the Home Office have not been listening for the last six years. He did throw his support behind Sajid Javid as the person to see the crisis through and wants him to chair the summit on knife crime being held at Downing Street.

Ministers believe Brexit deal will be voted against by 100 votes
The Telegraph reports that the Cabinet is expecting to lose next weeks Brexit vote by up to 100 votes after the latest talks did not produce a deal. It is reported that Number 10 is making plans to hold a third vote on the deal as they are expecting to lose the second vote, we may even see a speech from the Prime Minister to gather support from MPs on Friday. MPs have been warned that the Easter recess could be cancelled if Brexit is delayed. A minister told the paper that the next move would depend on the scale of the defeat.

EHRC may launch inquiry into Labour’s handling of antisemitism
The Guardian has an exclusive that reveals that the Equality and Human Rights Commission is close to a decision on whether it will hold an inquiry into the Labour party’s handling of antisemitism. The inquiry would look at whether their handling of cases was compliant with equalities law. This is the latest in a series of stories into Labours handling of antisemitism, recently a number of emails were leaked that has cast doubt on the handling of cases by senior figures in the party. The Campaign Against Antisemitism compiled a dossier and asked the EHRC to open the investigation that is being considered with a second complaint filed by the Jewish Labour movement.

Mercer calls on May to allow younger generation to lead the Conservatives
The Sun has an exclusive with Conservative MP Johnny Mercer where he has called on Theresa May and the Government to step aside for the new generation to take charge. Mercer says that May and her Government are failing ‘today’s digital generation of impassioned voters’, he also accused senior members of his own party of being career politicians. Mercer said there are a generation of politically homeless people who need to be reached and if they are, a movement will be built.

Corbyn working with Conservative backbenchers for soft Brexit
The Mirror has an exclusive that Jeremy Corbyn has been holding talks with backbenchers across Parliament who would be prepared to back a Norway-plus Brexit. The Labour leader is said to have been more confident that a sensible deal can be reached as he hopes to appeal to both leave and remain voters with this compromise. The move also carries the intention of moving beyond Brexit and shifting attention to domestic policy.

Labour staff to strike in pay row
The Huffington Post reports on a pay row between the Labour Party and its staff, the row comes after staff rejected a below-inflation pay offer made to them. The GMB union’s Labour branch rejected an offer of a £600 increase in salary and workers represented by Unite are expected to do the same. The party had warnings earlier in the year that unless it scraps projects or finds savings it will be heading for a budget deficit this year.

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Today’s political headlines include May’s denial that knife crime is linked to police cuts, schools increasingly reliant on parental donations, Rudd to end repeat assessments for disable pensioners and Brexiteers warn against deal ambush. 

May denies link between knife crime and police cuts
The Guardian says that a political row has erupted after Theresa May claimed that there was ‘no direct correlation between certain crimes and police numbers’, after a recent spate of stabbings. However, Mark Burns-Williamson of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners warned that cuts to police and youth services had created a ‘toxic mix’.

Schools increasingly reliant on parental donations
In an exclusive, The Times reports on schools’ increasing use of contributions from parents to fund salaries, textbooks and equipment, and building repairs. MPs debated school funding yesterday after a petition started by headteachers got over 100,000 signatures. 700 schools responded to a freedom of information request, with over 200 saying that they had requested parental donations in the last year.

Rudd to end repeat assessments for disabled pensioners
The Daily Telegraph reports that Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd is to say that disabled pensioners will no longer have to undergo repeat benefit assessments, in a speech drawing on her own father’s blindness. She will set out an ambition to ‘significantly improve’ her department’s treatment of disabled people, with the benefits system as their ‘ally’.

Brexiteers warn against deal ambush
The Times claims that Conservative Brexiteers have warned Theresa May that she cannot ambush the with a legal agreement on the Irish backstop just before next week’s vote on Theresa May’s deal and expect to gain their support. Leaders of the European Research Group warned that they would need ‘good time’ to conduct ‘a proper analysis’.

Government delays vote over fears of defeat
The Financial Times reports that the Government chose to delay a vote on a financial services bill it needs to pass before Brexit yesterday after it faced defeat over a cross-party amendment which would have forced the crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man to introduce public registers of company ownership.

Cox denies he’s given up on backstop changes
The Daily Mail says that Attorney General Geoffrey Cox is returning to Brussels for further Brexit negotiations today and has rejected claims yesterday that he had abandoned his previous negotiating objectives, claiming that was a case of ‘misunderstood fag ends dressed up as facts’. He said that reports that he had given up plans to time-limit or secure a unilateral exit from the Irish backstop were mostly inaccurate.

Formby criticised over Labour antisemitism
The Guardian says that Jennie Formby, Labour’s General Secretary, has come under further criticism for her handling of antisemitism in the party following a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party yesterday. MP Louise Ellman said that she was ‘angry’ with Formby’s responses.

Grayling accused of ‘running scared’
The Daily Mirror reports that Labour has accused Transport Secretary Chris Grayling of running scared aft Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock answered an urgent questions on the payment of £33m to Eurotunnel over no-deal Brexit ferry contracts instead of him. Downing Street justified the decision on the grounds that the contracts were for the transport of ‘crucial medicines’.

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Today’s political headlines include the new fund for deprived communities facing bribe allegations, UKIP’s shift to the far-right, Cox abandons attempt to secure backstop changes and Chancellor to announce ‘windfall’ in Spring Statement. 

New fund for deprived communities faces Brexit deal bribe allegations
The Times says that a new £1.6bn fund for ‘struggling communities’ announced by the Government is being seen as an attempt to secure Labour MPs’ support of Theresa May’s Brexit deal. The Stronger Towns Fund, which will be spent over four years, faces criticism both from Labour MPs, who believe that it does not go far enough, and Conservative MPs, with Sheryll Murray suggesting that it was ‘pork-barrel politics’ targeted at Labour areas and disadvantaging ‘Conservative-voting communities’.

Investigation reveals UKIP’s shift to ‘far-right’
The Guardian leads with an investigation into UKIP, which finds that a membership surge has led the party to move to the far-right, with moderates replaced by those ‘attracted by an anti-Islam agenda based on street protest’. Membership has increased by 50% in the last year, but many senior figures and organisers have left, hampering the party’s election-fighting capabilities.

Cox abandons attempt to secure backstop time-limit or unilateral exit
The Daily Telegraph says it has been told that Attorney General Geoffrey Cox has abandoned his attempts to secure either an unilateral exit from or a time-limit on the Irish backstop, and is instead seeking an arbitration mechanism outside the European Court of Justice. This falls short of the demands of Brexiteers such as Bill Cash and Steve Baker, leading ministers to conclude that Theresa May will lose the next vote on her deal.

Chancellor to announce ‘windfall’ in Spring Statement
The Financial Times claims that Chancellor Philip Hammond is set to announce a ‘multibillion-pound windfall’ due to higher tax receipts in the Spring Statement next week, and that this could be spent on public services if a no-deal Brexit does not occur. There will be no new tax or spending announcements in the statement – instead the money would be made available to this year’s spending review.

Miller criticises NDA reforms
The Daily Telegraph reports that Maria Miller, Chair of the Commons Women and Equalities Committee, has said that Government plans to clarify the use of non-disclosure agreements do not go far enough if they ‘simply reiterate the existing law’. Consultation on the proposals opens today, but doesn’t cover sexual harassment at work as this is a civil offence.

Inquiry into politicians and child sexual abuse opens
The Guardian reports a three-week long inquiry into allegations of child sexual abuse involving politicians and officials begins today, including ‘potentially explosive’ claims about the whips’ offices withholding details of criminal offences. The Times adds that former MI5 Director-General Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller is to be questioned about the suppression of allegations relating to Sir Peter Morrison, once an aide to Margaret Thatcher.

Ministers to consult on junk food advert ‘watershed’
The Daily Telegraph says that ministers have approved the launch of a consultation on banning junk food adverts before 9pm in a bid to prevent children from being exposed to advertising for unhealthy foods. The plans are opposed by broadcasters, who believe that advertisers would spend money online instead.

Mann and Flint say as many as 35 Labour MPs could back May’s Brexit deal
The Sun says that Labour MP John Mann has claimed that up to 35 Labour MPs are prepared to support Theresa May’s Brexit deal because they wished to avoid both a no-deal Brexit and a second referendum, a stance which fellow Labour MP Caroline Flint agreed with.

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Today’s political headlines include Labour’s plans to compromise on Brexit votes, Umunna named spokesperson of the Independent Group and NHS to scrap A&E target. 

Labour moves towards Brexit referendum compromise plan
The Guardian says that the Labour Party is ‘moving towards a compromise plan’ under which it would abstain on Theresa May’s Brexit deal, allowing it to pass through Parliament, but would back an amendment put forward by Peter Kyle and Phil Wilson ‘withholding support’ from the deal until it had been voted on by the public. Kyle claims to have ‘every reason to believe’ that Parliament will vote for his proposal.

Independent Group makes Umunna spokesperson
The BBC reports that the Independent Group of MPs has appointed Chukka Umunna as its lead spokesperson, while Sarah Wollaston has been given responsibility for ‘new colleagues’. Each member of the group has been allocated a group of policy areas on which they will lead. Umunna said that these drew on ‘the talents and experiences of our group’.

NHS to scrap A & E four hour target
The Times says that NHS England wishes to axe the target for hospitals to treat A&E patients within four hours because it leads to the system being gamed, rather than the best care being provided. New targets, focused on those requiring a hospital bed rather than those with minor injuries, will be piloted in the spring.

Tory Brexiteers prepared to back deal if May announces plan to quit
According to The Sun, Brexiteer MPs have told the Prime Minister that they will support her deal, even if she only gets minor amendments to it, so long as she outlines a timetable for her departure as Prime Minister this year. This would allow her successor to negotiate the future trade deal with the EU.

Eustice quits over Brexit extension
The Times reports that Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Minister George Eustice resigned yesterday, citing the Government’s ‘series of rather undignified retreats’ over Brexit. According to the paper, he criticised the Prime Minister’s decision to seek an extension to Brexit negotiations at a meeting she held with 16 Brexiteer ministers the night before.

Salary increase for MPs sparks outrage
The Daily Mail claims that a decision to increase MPs’ salary by 2.7% sparked ‘fury’. The announcement by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has been criticised for outstripping increases for parliamentary staffers and civil servants, while Leave campaigner John Longworth said there should be no rise until Brexit had been ‘sorted out’.

Grayling’s probation reforms criticised
The Daily Telegraph carries details of a ‘damning report’ by the National Audit Office on probation reforms introduced by Chris Grayling while he was Justice Secretary. According to the report, the number of offenders returned to prison for breaching their licence conditions has increased by 47% while a plan to end contracts early will cost an extra £467m.

Fox criticised over expensive ‘vanity project’ podcast
The Daily Mirror reports that International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has spent over £100,000 on a podcast series hosted by Nick Hewer which was designed to encourage firms to export their goods, but just 8,398 people have listened to it, with each listener therefore costing the taxpayer £12.70. Lib Dem MP Layla Moran called the podcast a ‘vanity project’.

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Today’s political headlines include May’s pledge to secure Labour support, Labour confirms backing for second referendum and Tory MPs rebel over plan for extending Brexit vote. 

May to make pledge on workers’ rights to secure Labour MPs’ support for Brexit deal
The Guardian says that Theresa May is expected to use a ministerial statement next week to set out a series of pledges on workers’ rights and to reduce restrictions on trade unions in a bid to secure Labour MPs’ backing for her Brexit deal/ Measures to be offered include a ‘non-regression lock’ after Brexit, votes by MPs on adopting future EU rules on workers’ rights, and a reporting mechanism involving trade unions and the CBI on these. Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary James Brokenshire is expected to announce a £1.6bn fund for towns and coastal communities before the next meaningful vote.

Labour confirms backing for second referendum
As the BBC reports, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has confirmed that his party is now backing a new Brexit referendum after MPs voted against his Brexit plans, and that he would vote to remain a member of the EU. He added that he will continue to pursue ‘other available options’, such as a general election or Labour’s plan for a ‘close economic relationship’.

Tory MPs rebel over plan for vote on extending Brexit negotiations
The Daily Telegraph reports that over 100 Conservative MPs revelled yesterday against Government plans to give MPs a vote on extending Article 50 if Theresa May’s deal is rejected. 20 of them, including Esther McVey, voted against the proposal with a further 88 choosing to abstain in protest, including Boris Johnson, Dominic Raab and Jacob Rees-Mogg.

Norwegian sovereign wealth fund to increase investments in the UK despite Brexit
The Times says that Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest, has decided to increase its exposure to British investments whatever the outcome of the Brexit negotiations, claiming that the UK was still an attractive destination over the next 30 plus years. Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg welcomed the news, but Chris Leslie of the Independent Group said that Brexit meant that ‘British assets are in the global bargain basement’.

Economic sentiment lowest in six years over no-deal Brexit fears
The Financial Times reports that economic sentiment in the UK has fallen this month, reaching its lowest level in six years according to a European Commission indicator. The CBI said that the best way to improve this was to avoid a no-deal Brexit and agree ‘a deal that commands a majority in parliament and is acceptable to the EU and protects our economy’.

Williamson suspended after Labour MPs revolt over antisemitism
The Daily Mail claims that Labour only suspended its MP Chris Williamson for saying that the party was ‘too apologetic’ for antisemitism because 38 MPs and deputy leader Tom Watson pressed for this, with leader Jeremy Corbyn having initially ‘intervened personally to block his suspension’, pledging only to ‘investigate’ the remarks.

Burns under investigation over Thatcher library charity
The Times claims that Conservative MP Conor Burns is ‘under scrutiny’ from the Charity Commission over his involvement in a campaign to build a library and museum dedicated to Margaret Thatcher. Much of the money raised by the campaign has apparently instead been spent on other things, including student exchanges between the UK and the USA.

May to defend aid budget
The Sun says that Theresa May is to use a speech at a conference on Jordan today to defend the £14bn aid budget, pledging to continue spending 0.7% of GDP on foreign aid. She will promise that the UK will continue to be a ‘global champion’, spending aid ‘innovatively and in a way that delivers value of money for the UK taxpayer’.

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