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Today’s political headlines include companies activating no-deal plans, Osborne says Brexit delay is most likely scenario, European Commission warns no-deal could result in a hard border between ROI and NI, and May facing ‘disaster’ if she calls an election. 

Companies activate no-deal plans amid ‘panic’
The Guardian says that ‘the scale of no-deal panic gripping major companies’ has been revealed by a series of announcements, including P&O re-registering its ships in Cyprus, Sony moving its European HQ to Amsterdam, and Bentley, Dixons Carphone and Pets at Home announcing plans to stockpile and secure supplies. Despite Sir James Dyson’s backing of Brexit, his firm is to relocate its HQ to Singapore, although it denies that this is Brexit-related.

Osborne says that Brexit being delayed is ‘most likely’ scenario
Former Chancellor George Osborne has told the BBC that he believes that Brexit being delayed is now the ‘most likely’ scenario. He warned that the prospect of a no-deal Brexit meant a gun is being ‘held to the British economy’s head’ and called on Theresa May to say that it was not a possibility. Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has confirmed to the BBC that Labour is ‘highly likely’ to support an amendment which would suspend Article 50 process for leaving the EU if a deal is not reached by the end of next month.

European Commission warns that no-deal Brexit could result in hard border in Ireland
The Times reports that the European Commission admitted yesterday that a no-deal Brexit could result in a hard border in Ireland. A spokesperson warned that a no-deal Brexit would put ‘the Good Friday agreement, support to peace and trans-border co-operation’ at risk. Meanwhile the Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar warned that this scenario would leave Ireland with ‘very difficult choices’, and it might try to negotiate an agreement with the EU.

May faces ‘disaster’ if she calls election, party officials warn
In an exclusive, The Sun says that Conservative officials have warned Theresa May that he could face ‘disaster’ if she calls a snap general election, with an internal assessment showing that the party’s grassroots is demoralised and its data is out of date. The paper has also seen research conducted by Will Tanner, May’s former adviser, for the thinktank Onward which shows that it would take only a ‘tiny swing’ for Labour to become the largest party.

Court IT system collapses and could see prisoners released
The Times says that it has been warned by lawyers that a nationwide IT breakdown at courts could lead to criminals being freed. The collapse of the main computer system used by courts in England and Wales has forced trials to be adjourned and delayed, while a secure email system used by lawyers and judges has also been affected.

Healey blasts Grenfell-style cladding as ‘cause for national shame’
The Daily Mirror says that Shadow Housing Secretary John Healey used a Commons debate to describe the paper’s revelations of an attempt to cover-up unsafe Grenfell-style cladding on a Manchester tower block as a ‘cause for national shame’. Housing Minister Kit Malthouse said that the block in question was ‘safe’ and that ‘more assertive measures’ of tacking outstanding problems with cladding were under consideration.

MPs call for Government to improve governance of academies
The Financial Times carries details of a new report by the Commons Public Accounts Committee that calls on the Government to improve the governance and oversight of academy trusts. It finds that the collapse of a number of trusts has been costly and damaged pupils’ education, and that some had misused public money and overpaid staff.

Charities call for reform of benefits for the terminally ill
The Daily Express uses its front page to call for reform to the way the benefits system treats those with serious illnesses. Currently people get fast-track access to Personal Independence Payments at the highest rate if they are given less than six months to live by a nurse or doctor, but charities such as Marie Curie and the Motor Neurone Disease Association are campaigning for this limit to be axed, allowing doctors to use their judgement.

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Today’s political headlines include May seeking changes to the backstop, Rudd warning that 40 ministers may quit to prevent no-deal, Labour tables an amendment for a second referendum and Robbins casts doubt on Brexit plan. 

May to seek changes to backstop, as MPs put forward alternative plans
The BBC reports that Theresa May used her statement yesterday to say that she was going to seek changes to the Irish backstop from the EU, and axed the £65 fee that EU citizens were to be charged to remain in the country. Labour has tabled an amendment calling for MPs to vote on Brexit options, and on a further referendum. Both Rachel Reeves and Yvette Cooper have put forward plans to extend the Article 50 negotiating period, while Hilary Benn has tabled an amendment calling for a non-binding vote on different options.

Rudd warns that 40 ministers may quit to prevent no-deal Brexit
The Times claims that Amber Rudd, the Work and Pensions Secretary, has demanded that Theresa May gives all Conservative MPs a free vote on extending Article 50 and stopping a no-deal Brexit, otherwise up to 40 ministers will resign. Business minister Richard Harrington has confirmed that he will quit if a no-deal Brexit is pursued, while culture minister Margot James and defence minister Tobias Ellwood are apparently also considering their position.

Labour tables amendment calling for vote on a second referendum
The Guardian reports that Labour has tabled a compromise amendment calling for MPs to vote on holding a second referendum, although it does not commit the party to supporting it. Labour’s alternative Brexit plan has been criticised by the People’s Vote campaign for having ‘little regard for what could actually be delivered’ because it proposes the UK staying in a customs union in a strong relationship with the single market.

Robbins uses text to Chancellor to cast doubt on Brexit plan
The Daily Telegraph claims that Oliver Robbins, the chief Brexit negotiator, texted Chancellor Philip Hammond during a Cabinet conference call to warn that the idea of renegotiating the backstop was ‘for the birds’. According to the paper, a Government source confirmed that a text had been sent, but claimed the content had been ‘misrepresented’.

Second referendum amendment could be tabled today
The Sun reports that pro-EU MPs may table an amendment calling for a second referendum today. Conservative Dr Sarah Wollaston is in talks with MPs from other parties about the ‘Doctor’s Amendment’, so called because other signatories will include her fellow Tory Dr Philip Lee, Dr Paul Williams from Labour and Dr Philippa Whitford from the SNP.

Barnier tells May not to focus on the backstop
The Guardian reports that the EU’s Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, has called on Theresa May to move away from renegotiating the backstop, saying that to secure support in Parliament she needed to focus ‘much more on the future relationship between the EU and the UK’, adding that the EU was ‘ready to work again on the political declaration’.

MPs call for register of online trolls
The Daily Telegraph says that the Commons Petitions Committee has called for trolls who were convicted of online abuse to be listed on a government register, claiming that current legislation is ‘not fit for purpose’ and media firms had failed to self-regulate. The committee was responding to a petition from over 220,000 people put forward by Katie Price, whose disable son has been subjected to online trolling.

Osamor used House of Commons notepaper to beg for son to avoid jail
The Times reports that Labour MP Kate Osamor may face a parliamentary inquiry after it emerged that she had written to a judge on House of Commons notepaper begging for her ‘beautiful son’, who works as her chief of staff, to be spared jail after he was convicted of possessing drugs with intent to supply.

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Today’s political headlines include May abandoning the cross-party approach to Brexit and considering amendments to the Good Friday Agreement, the new legislation on domestic abuse and Starmer saying Labour’s general election demand is not realistic. 

May abandons cross-party Brexit approach
The Times says that Theresa May has stopped her cross-party Brexit approach, instead telling the Cabinet last night that she will focus on trying to get the EU to agree to changes to the backstop that would placate rebel Tories and the DUP. She blamed Jeremy Corbyn for this, claiming that it was the result of his refusal to meet for talks unless a no-deal Brexit was taken off the table, and said that she would use the result of a vote on January 29 to demonstrate that the changes she wants would deliver a majority for the deal.

May considers attempt to amend the Good Friday Agreement
In an exclusive, The Daily Telegraph claims that Theresa May is considering trying to amend the Good Friday Agreement in an attempt to assure Ireland that the UK is committed to no hard border between the two countries after Brexit, in an attempt to avoid having to commit to the backstop. According to the paper, senior EU sources regard the plan as a ‘non-starter’ while UK Government sources are ‘sceptical’.

Government announces new domestic abuse legislation
The BBC reports that new legislation to protect domestic abuse victims has been announced by the Government. The legislation will create a legal definition of domestic abuse, including economic abuse and control, prevent abusers from cross-examining victims, create a national ‘domestic abuse commissioner’ and force abusers into rehabilitation schemes.

Starmer says Labour’s general election demand is not ‘realistic’
The Financial Times reports that Labour’s Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer said yesterday that his party’s demand for a general election was not ‘realistic’, claiming that the realistic options were instead ‘a close economic relationship and a public vote’. Meanwhile, Labour backbencher, David Lammy, warned that Labour’s stance was leaving some MPs so frustrated that they might ‘go off and form another party’.

Airlines criticised for not warning passengers about no-deal Brexit impact
The Times says that airlines are being criticised for not telling customers that plane tickets might be cancelled and passports might not be valid if no Brexit deal is reached. According to the International Air Transport Association, as many as five million tickets could need to be cancelled, as EU legislation would cap flight levels at the same level as last year.

Tory backbenchers behind plans to take control of Brexit to meet
The Daily Telegraph reports that Dominic Grieve and Nick Boles, two of the Tory MPs planning attempts to take control of Brexit from the Government, are meeting today to discuss their strategy and whether they should combine forces. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox claimed at the weekend that ‘Parliament has not the right to hijack the Brexit process’ and ‘steal the result from the people.’

Farage lined-up to lead new pro-Brexit party
The Guardian says that Nigel Farage is being lined-up to lead a new pro-Brexit party should the UK not leave the EU by 29 March. The party is being registered by Catherine Blaiklock, once UKIP’s economics spokesperson, who told the paper that she thought ‘people feel treason has been committed. It’s democracy.’

Speaker considers delaying retirement
The Sun claims that Commons Speaker John Bercow is ‘seriously reflecting’ on whether he should continue longer than planned, following reports that the Government is considering denying him the peerage normally given to former Speakers, with friends suggesting that Bercow is ‘seriously annoyed’ about what he views as ‘an attempt to bully him’.

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Today’s political headlines include May warned of mass resignations if she tries to stop MPs from blocking no-deal Brexit, Corbyn warned of resignations if he backs another referendum, Bercow may miss out on peerage and UK could extend EU membership without electing new MEPs. 

May warned of mass resignations if she tries to stop MPs from blocking no-deal Brexit
The Daily Telegraph reveals that Theresa May has been warned by members of her Cabinet that she will face ‘mass resignations’ if she tries to stop MPs from blocking a no-deal Brexit, with up to ’20 mid-ranking ministers’ have indicated that they are prepared to quit the Government to do so. One Cabinet minister has told the paper that the Prime Minister would be ‘wise’ to give a free vote on the issue. The paper has also obtained Cabinet Office guidance suggesting that a second referendum would take over a year to organise.

Frontbenchers might resign if Corbyn backed another referendum
The Guardian claims that up to a dozen Labour frontbenchers might resign if Jeremy Corbyn were to back a second referendum on Brexit. The paper claims that ‘a string of junior shadow ministers’ have told the paper that they worry that doing so would lead to a backlash in constituencies which voted to leave the EU. The Times adds that a number of Labour MPs have defied their leadership’s instructions by meeting Theresa May for talks on Brexit yesterday, claiming that both May and Corbyn ‘are battling not to be sidelined’.

Government may not give Bercow peerage
The Times suggests that John Bercow might be the first Speaker in 230 years not to be given a peerage by the Government. A Cabinet source told the paper that they couldn’t ‘imagine we would look favourably on those who’ve cheated centuries of procedure’ and insiders have said that the Prime Minister has the power to refuse to award the peerage.

UK could extend EU membership without electing new MEPs
European Parliament legal advice has been leaked to the Financial Times, showing that the UK would be able to extend its membership of the EU beyond this summer without needing to elect MEPs. The UK would not have any seats, but they would only be reallocated to other members once Brexit has happened. However, some European Commission and Council lawyers are concerned that this would undermine the parliament’s authority.

Johnson to make pitch for Tory leadership
The Daily Mail says that Boris Johnson will today make a ‘thinly-veiled pitch for the Tory leadership’ at the HQ of JCB in Staffordshire. He will call for ‘no new taxes’, express his concerns about the ‘worrying’ gap between London and the rest of the country, and call for investment in ‘great public services’.

UK fails to agree post-Brexit trade deals
The Financial Times has obtained a Government memo which shows that the UK has not finalised most of the trade deals needed to replace the 40 agreements made by the EU, and will not have done so by the time the UK leaves the EU on 29 March. Without a transition period, the memo warns, most of these deals will lapse.

Hitachi ditches plans for nuclear power stations
The Times claims that the UK’s plans for new nuclear power stations are now ‘in disarray’ after Hitachi announced that it was suspending plans for two plants and writing off £2bn spent on preparations. This follows the decision of Toshiba to pull out of a project in November. The Government is currently developing a new way to finance nuclear plants.

Plans for calories on menus may be abandoned
According to The Sun plans to force restaurants to include calorie information on menus may be abandoned by the Government, with Chancellor Philip Hammond and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liz Truss claiming that the policy would be burdensome for businesses, especially small ones. The Department of Health and Social Care is also unsupportive.

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Today’s political headlines include May’s historic defeat over Brexit deal, Cabinet split over way forward, Corbyn fails to raise the possibility of a second referendum and Hammond suggests Article 50 could be extended. 

May suffers historic defeat over Brexit deal
As The Times reports, last night Theresa May suffered a ‘historic defeat’ over her Brexit deal, with 202 MPs voting in favour of her plan and 432 against. She has now called for cross-party talks, although according to the paper, a spokesperson said that she would be ‘determined to preserve her interpretation of the referendum result’ in these. Labour has now called a motion of no confidence to be voted on this evening, but the support of Brexiteers and the DUP means that the Government is likely to win.

Cabinet split over way forward
According to The Daily Telegraph, the Cabinet is ‘deeply divided’ over its response to the Brexit defeat. Ministers including Philip Hammond, Amber Rudd and Greg Clark support a series of indicative votes by MPs on alternative outcomes such as an Article 50 extension or a second referendum, but others, such as Jeremy Hunt, Andrea Leadsom and Chris Grayling oppose removing the ‘no deal’ option. Damian Hinds, Karen Bradley and James Brokenshire reportedly support May bringing the deal back for another vote.

Corbyn fails to raise possibility of a second referendum
The Guardian claims that Jeremy Corbyn has ‘risked antagonising’ remain supporters in his party after he failed to refer to the possibility of a second referendum in either of his speeches yesterday evening, arguing that ‘a general election would be the best outcome for the country’. The Times adds that if Labour’s vote of no confidence in the Government fails today, the party could make further attempts in ‘a sustained campaign’.

Hammond suggests that Article 50 could be extended
The Financial Times says that Chancellor Philip Hammond used a conference call with businesses leaders last night to suggest that the Article 50 period to negotiate Brexit could be extended and that a consensus needed to be built in Parliament. He also said that the Government would not put ‘obstacles’ in the way of Nick Boles’ plans to block a no-deal Brexit and let MPs find a workable Brexit solution.

DUP calls for ‘fundamental change’
The Daily Telegraph reports that DUP leader Arlene Foster said that the rejection of May’s deal by MPs showed that she needed to ‘seek fundamental change to the Withdrawal Agreement’ from the EU, while Boris Johnson claimed that the vote gave May a ‘massive mandate’ for renegotiation and also called on the Government to prepare ‘for no-deal with ever more enthusiasm’.

Cross-party plan suggests delaying Brexit until December
According to The Times, a bill published by backbench Conservatives Nick Boles, Sir Oliver Letwin and Nicky Morgan, backed by Labour MPs Hilary Benn and Yvette Cooper, would strip the Government of its power to set the Brexit terms, leaving this to MPs, and if this failed would compel the Prime Minister to request an extension of Article 50 until December.

Tusk suggests UK should cancel Brexit
The Daily Mail says that European Council President Donald Tusk has suggested that the UK should remain in the EU, asking ‘If a deal is impossible, and no one wants no deal, then who will finally have the courage to say what the only positive solution is?’ European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has warned that the changes of a ‘disorderly withdrawal’ have increased and that the ‘time is almost up’.

Lords backs upskirting ban
The BBC reports that the House of Lords has approved a bill outlawing upskirting in a victory for campaigner Gina Martin, who was upskirted at a music festival 18 months ago, and Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse who introduced a private members’ bill as a result.

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Today’s political headlines include May preparing for a historic defeat, Merkel offering May more help, Corbyn could call a vote of no confidence this evening and the MP who has delayed giving birth in order to vote. 

May prepares for ‘historic defeat’
The Times reports that Theresa May is braced for what it calls a ‘historic defeat’ when the Commons votes on her Brexit deal today. Yesterday she called on backbench Conservatives and the DUP to give it a ‘second look’ after assurances from the European Union were released, but just half of her MPs turned up to listen to her appeals on the evening before the vote.

Merkel offers May more help
The Sun claims that Theresa May was offered ‘last-minute help’ by German Chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday, and will tell the cabinet when it discusses ‘Plan B’ this morning that the EU could make more concessions after the Commons rejects the deal this evening, including persuading Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to accept an end-date for the backstop.

Corbyn could call for a vote of no confidence this evening
According to The Guardian, Jeremy Corbyn could call for a vote of no confidence as soon as this evening unless May makes ‘major unexpected concessions’. A source told the paper that if this vote were lost, it would not mean that Labour would automatically back a second referendum.

MP delays giving birth to vote on deal
The BBC reports that Labour MP Tulip Siddiq has delayed giving birth via caesarean section so that she can vote against the deal today. Harriet Harman said that Siddiq ‘should not have to chose’ between giving birth and voting, while Speaker John Bercow described the lack of proxy voting as ‘extremely regrettable’ and delays in implementing it ‘frankly lamentable’.

Senior MPs reject ‘daft’ Boles plan
The Financial Times claims that the likelihood of ‘political paralysis’ has increased after senior MPs rejected a proposal put forward by Nick Boles to use the Commons Liaison Committee to agree an alternative Brexit plan. Pete Wishart, a member of the committee, called it a ‘daft suggestion’. The paper adds that an amendment by Tory backbencher Andrew Murrison will propose a December 2021 end-date for the backstop, and that the Government is considering supporting it.

Pro-Brexit Facebook advert funding unclear
The Guardian says that an obscure pro-Brexit group, Britain’s Future, has spent £31,000 on more than 200 Facebook adverts in the last seven days, but that despite changes by Facebook to improve transparency, there is no evidence to show who is paying for the advertising.

May puts RAF plane on standby
The Daily Mirror claims that Theresa May has put her RAF plane on standby in case she needs to fly to Brussels to seek immediate concessions in the aftermath of her deal being rejected in tonight’s vote.

£132m awarded to charity despite misconduct investigation
The Times reveals that the Government has awarded £132m to the International Planned Parenthood Foundation, despite a senior official being under investigation for harassment and misconduct. Penny Mordaunt, the International Development Secretary, had promised not to fund charities which did not meet ‘high standards on safeguarding and protection’.

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