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Today’s political headlines include the Tory MPs united in criticism of May’s Brexit plans, EU leaders are prepared to help May sell deal to Parliament, calls for petrol and diesel cars to be banned by 2032 and the 13 MPs accepting pver £100,000 of gifts and trips from Saudis. 

Tory MPs united in criticism of May’s Brexit plans
The Times claims that Theresa May’s concessions in Brussels have annoyed all wings of her party, leaving her ‘facing the most perilous week of her premiership’. It says David Davis has rung ministers to call for a change of plan, while Remain-backing Tories such as Nick Boles and Anna Soubry have also criticised May’s approach. The Sun adds that the proposed extension to the transition period was backed by the inner Brexit cabinet last week on the condition that it was at most three to six months long, while a meeting of Brexiteer cabinet ministers accepted it on Monday. The Daily Telegraph reports that Scottish Secretary David Mundell has told Theresa May that he could not accept an extended transition period.

EU leaders prepared to help May sell deal to Parliament
According to The Guardian, EU leaders are to help Theresa May to build a ‘coalition of the reasonable’ in Parliament to avoid a no-deal Brexit. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that ‘all avenues’ to find a deal should be followed, while European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker apparently told leaders that May needed ‘help’ to sell a deal to MPs.

Committee calls for new petrol and diesel cars to be banned by 2032
The Financial Times has details of a new report by the Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee which calls on the Government to ban sales of almost all new petrol and diesel cars by 2032, claiming that the Government’s current 2040 target was ‘vague’ and ‘unambitious’. The committee claims that this will help the UK meet climate targets and develop technology it could export.

MPs accept over £100,000 from Saudis this year
In an exclusive, the Daily Mail reveals that British politicians have accepted £106,418 in gifts trips and other benefits from the Saudi Arabian regime so far this year – three times higher than the equivalent figure for 2016. Eight Tory and five Labour MPs have been on trips to the country, with the Conservative Leo Docherty describing them as ‘working visits that take time and effort to a serious purpose’.

Mercer claims he ‘wouldn’t vote’ if he wasn’t an MP
The Times reports on an interview of Tory backbencher Johnny Mercer in which he claims that he ‘wouldn’t vote’ in an election, there was ‘absolutely no chance’ that he would stand for Parliament if he was asked to now as he was ‘not comfortable’ that his values were the same as those of his party, and that the Government is a ‘shit show’.

Mordaunt speech interrupted by protester
The Guardian says that International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt was interrupted by a protester who invaded the stage during a speech to a conference on sexual abuse in the aid sector. The whistle-blower Alexia Pepper De Caires accused Mordaunt and her department of trying ‘to control women who are speaking out in this sector’.

Petraeus warns prosecuting veterans risks damaging military
The Daily Mail reports that General David Petraeus, the former head of the US military, used a speech at the thinktank Policy Exchange to warn that prosecuting military veterans could put the relationship between the British and American armed forces ‘at risk’ and leave the UK’s military capabilities ‘greatly diminished’.

MPs accept over £2m of free overseas trips
BBC analysis shows MPs have accepted over £2m of free overseas trips in the last two years, over half being funded by foreign governments. The most common destination was Israel and the Palestinian territories and nine of the ten biggest recipients were Conservative MPs.

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Today’s political headlines include May raising the prospect of extending the Brexit transition, MPs may not get a meaningful vote, Government admits to £1bn error in disability benefit and May promises serious response to bullying scandal. 

May raises prospect of extending Brexit transition
The Daily Telegraph reports that Theresa May told fellow EU leaders last night that she was prepared to extend the Brexit transition period and called on them to have ‘courage’ and come up with ‘creative’ ideas to solve the negotiating deadlock, adding that she was ‘confident’ that a deal could be reached. The Financial Times says that EU leaders have cancelled plans to host a special Brexit summit next month but are ready to host it when necessary, with chief negotiator Michel Barnier saying that ‘much more time’ was needed.

MPs may not get ‘meaningful vote’ on Brexit deal, Raab says
The BBC reports that Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab has suggested that MPs may not get a ‘meaningful vote’ on the final Brexit deal, instead being offered a choice of accepting or rejecting the deal rather than being able to amend the motion. Tory MP Dominic Grieve, who campaigned for the ‘meaningful vote’ has called on Downing Street to issue a ‘very rapid’ clarification, while Ken Clark said that the Government ‘won’t get away’ with this.

Government admits to £1bn error in disability benefit
The Daily Mirror reports that over 100,000 sick and disabled people are to be paid over £1bn after the Government admitted to errors in Employment and Support Allowance which had led claimants to lose out on up to £20,000 each over seven years. Once ongoing payments are taken into account, the total cost of the error will be £1.67bn by 2025.

May promises ‘serious response’ to bullying scandal
The Guardian says that Theresa May has promised a ‘serious response’ to Dame Laura Cox’s report on bullying in Parliament after Labour MP Teresa Cox used Prime Minister’s Questions to raise the case of a constituent who worked in Parliament and was being sexually harassed by a co-worker, but was ‘treated like the problem rather than the victim’.

Valerie Vaz accused of bullying
The Times reports that the Shadow Leader of the House of Commons, Valerie Vaz, who had led Labour’s response to the bullying scandal was herself accused of bullying by one of her staff in 2012. Vaz denies the allegations and Labour has declined to investigate as the events happened too long ago.

Williamson suggests Capita may lose army recruitment contract
The Daily Telegraph says that, appearing before the Commons Defence Committee yesterday, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said that he was considering cancelling the army’s recruitment contract with Capita as recruitment figures were ‘atrocious’, although he admitted that this was not all the firm’s fault.

France publishes no-deal Brexit law
The Sun reports that France has published its draft law for a no-deal Brexit. British citizens would become third country nationals, barred from holding jobs reserved from EU citizens with access to healthcare and welfare restricted and would require a visa or residence permit to enter the country. Border controls would also be reinstated.

Trump notifies Congress of intention to reach trade deal with UK
The Daily Telegraph reports that President Donald Trump has formally notified the US Congress that he intends to start negotiating a trade agreement with the UK. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer wrote that negotiations would begin ‘as soon as’ the UK was ready after Brexit and that preparatory work to ensure that the two countries would be ‘well prepared’ for this is underway.

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Today’s political headlines include Sajid Javid’s review of whether ageism and misogyny should be made hate crimes, Barron’s calls for Bercow to quit, May’s last-ditch appeal and settling the Brexit position. 

Ageism may become a hate crime
The Daily Telegraph reports that Home Secretary Sajid Javid is to ask the Law Commission to review whether ageism and misogyny should be made hate crimes. Javid said that the Government’s ‘refreshed action plan’ would outline how it planned to tackle the causes of hate crime, support victims and ‘ensure offenders face the full force of the law’. He also revealed the racial abuse he has faced personally. Figures to be published today will show that hate crimes have doubled in the UK since 2012-13.

Barron calls for Bercow to quit following publication of harassment report
Writing in The Times, Sir Kevin Barron, the outgoing chair of the Commons Standards Committee, calls for John Bercow to quit as Speaker after a report by Dame Laura Cox found that allegations of sexual harassment by MPs had been ‘tolerated and concealed’. Last night Kate Green, one of three MPs who blocked the opening of an inquiry into Bercow’s behaviour in May, was elected unopposed as Barron’s replacement.

May to make ‘last-ditch appeal’
The Times says that Theresa May is to ‘make a last-ditch appeal’ to fellow EU leaders tomorrow  before they meet for dinner without her, after admitting in the House of Commons yesterday that the EU had rejected her proposed UK-wide customs arrangement but insisting that progress had been made in the negotiations. European Council President Donald Tusk has warned that a no-deal Brexit is now ‘more likely than ever before’.

EU gives UK a day to settle Brexit position
The Financial Times claims that the EU has decided to give the UK a day to settle its position on Brexit before responding, with deputy chief negotiator Sabine Weyand telling diplomats that the bloc was waiting to see if May could get support from her cabinet and the DUP.

Eight cabinet ministers attend Brexit ‘pizza summit’
The Daily Telegraph says that eight cabinet ministers concerned about Theresa May’s Brexit plans gathered in Andrea Leadsom’s office yesterday evening, including Dominic Raab, Jeremy Hunt, Michael Gove, Penny Mordaunt, Chris Grayling, Liz Truss and Geoffrey Cox, with the paper suggesting that this is likely to cause Downing Street ‘concern’.

Universal Credit faces further delay
Leaked documents seen by the BBC suggest that the rollout of Universal Credit may be delayed by a further nine months, with new measures to reduce the impact of moving to the benefit on claimants. These include continuing to pay previous benefits for two weeks after a claim has been made, reducing the amount taken per month to repay advance payments, and more help for the self-employed.

Hammond mulls increasing tax on gas
According to The Sun, Philip Hammond is considering increasing the Climate Change Levy paid by firms on gas to match the tax rate on electricity, nearly doubling it, encouraging them to reduce their carbon usage and raising money to spend on the NHS. The Treasury is already committed to equalising the rates by 2025.

Asylum seekers could contribute £42m to economy if employment restrictions lifted
The Guardian carries details of a report by the Lift the Ban coalition of businesses, faith groups, thinktanks and non-profit groups which claims that asylum seekers would contribute £42m to the UK economy if restrictions on them working were eased. The organisation is calling for them to be allowed to work after six months waiting for a decision rather than a year and in any occupation, rather than only if they can fill a role on a shortage list.

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Today’s political headlines include May’s refusal to back the draft Brexit deal, the Government’s loneliness strategy, police infiltration in the SWP and Hancock’s controversial claims he has not received any letters about Universal Credit. 

May refuses to back draft Brexit deal as ministers start implementing no-deal plans
The Daily Telegraph claims that Theresa May refused to back a draft Brexit deal that had been negotiated by UK and EU officials yesterday because she worried that the Cabinet would not support it. Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab headed to Brussels for an unscheduled meeting at which he set out the UK’s concerns, with all talks now suspended until a summit of EU leaders on Wednesday. The Times adds that ministers have now been told to start implementing plans for a no-deal Brexit, while The Guardian says that the ‘pizza group’ of pro-Brexit Cabinet members convened by Andrea Leadsom will meet tonight to discuss May’s proposed deal, with backbenchers suggesting that they should now quit the Government.

Government launches loneliness strategy
The Daily Mail reports that Theresa May is launching the Government’s loneliness strategy, encouraging GPs to refer lonely people to activities such as dancing and cookery classes, walking clubs and art groups. Other parts of the strategy include £1.8m for community cafes and gardens and getting postal workers to check on lonely people during their rounds.

24 police officers infiltrated SWP
In an exclusive, The Guardian reveals that the police used 24 undercover officers to infiltrate the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) between 1970 and 2007, four of whom deceived women into sexual relationships. The paper and the Undercover Research Group have compiled a database of groups infiltrated by the police since 1968, showing that the SWP accounts for one-third of the cases identified. Only three far-right groups are listed.

Hancock claim not to have received any letters about Universal Credit contradicted
The Daily Mirror reports that despite Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock claiming that he had received ‘no letters at all’ about Universal Credit, he was actually sent an email on the subject by a constituent just three days before. Separately, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon warns in the paper that Universal Credit is ‘not fit for purpose’.

Hammond’s ability to raise taxes limited
The Financial Times says that a number of factors are limiting Philip Hammond’s ability to raise taxes at the budget: opposition amongst Tory MPs to changes to pension tax relief, Eurosceptic and DUP protests about the Government’s Brexit strategy, and Theresa May’s claim at the party conference that the end of austerity was ‘in sight’.

Russians targeting British spies
According to the Daily Mirror, the Foreign Office has warned that Russian spies are trying to make former MI6 officers and diplomats turn traitor. A memo claims that ‘Russian services regard both current and former members of the service as high-priority targets’ and warns them that ‘close relations’ might be threatened.

Former ministers should be held to account for decisions, thinktank says
The Daily Telegraph says that the thinktank the Institute for Government has recommended that former ministers should be required to appear before parliamentary committees in order to give evidence on mistakes made while they were in office and that civil servants should regularly produce feasibility and risk assessments for major projects.

Leasehold reform to be consulted on
The Financial Times carries details of the Government proposed leasehold reforms, on which a consultation will be launched today. Under the proposals, annual ground rents on new leasehold properties will be capped at £10 and the sale of most new houses as leasehold will be banned, with exemptions for shared ownership and community-led schemes.

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Today’s political headlines include Sturgeon’s conference speech, the IMF’s calls for a spending increase in the event of a hard Brexit, Hammond under pressure to back digital tax and May accused of trying to avoid public scrutiny. 

Sturgeon to use conference speech to deliver message of ‘hope’
The BBC says that Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is to use her speech to her party’s conference to set out a message of ‘hope and optimism’, contrasting Scotland’s ‘progressive values’ with the ‘unfolding calamity’ at Westminster, claiming that ‘much more hope will be possible’ when the country becomes independent.

IMF calls for spending increase in hard Brexit scenario
The Financial Times reports that the International Monetary Fund has advised Philip Hammond to increase public spending after a hard Brexit, contrary to his warning that there was no money for a fiscal stimulus in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The IMF urged the UK to adopt a ‘flexible’ monetary policy, suggesting interest rates might be lowered in this scenario, and cut its growth forecast for the country.

Hammond under pressure to back digital tax
The Times claims that Chancellor Philip Hammond is facing ‘mounting pressure’ to include a digital tax in the budget later this month, after the release of Facebook’s UK results shows that it paid just £7.4m in tax last year, on revenues of £1.27bn. Damian Collins, Chair of the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, said the firm should be ‘should be paying a level of tax which more accurately reflects the value of their business in the UK’.

May accused of ‘trying to avoid public scrutiny’ by not updating Commons on Brexit
The Guardian says that Labour has accused Theresa May of ‘trying to avoid public scrutiny’ by not appearing in the House of Commons to give a statement on the Salzburg summit. Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab is expected to deliver an update on the negotiations today.

Water companies should be able to force every household to have a water meter
The Daily Telegraph carries details of a new report by the Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, which calls for all water companies to be allowed to force every household to have a water meter. The committee admits that this may lead to ‘significant bill increases’ but chair Neil Parish said that it would make sure that all ‘companies have the same tools at their disposal to reduce consumption of water in their regions’. The Financial Times adds that the report criticises Ofwat for letting water firms put investors ahead of consumers.

CBI calls for £2bn package to support businesses
The Guardian reports that the CBI is calling on Philip Hammond to unveil a £2bn package of measures to support businesses in the budget. Its proposals include increasing the annual investment allowance, making it easier for small and medium-sized enterprises to access funding from the apprenticeship levy, and changes to business rates.

Brussels delays trade plan after UK signals more concessions
The Times expects that the EU’s Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier to delay the publication of a draft political declaration on a future trade deal, originally scheduled for tomorrow, so that it can be redrafted to show areas of agreement and disagreement between the sides and take into account a changed negotiating position. Downing Street has played down suggestions that a border deal is imminent, claiming that more concessions are necessary.

Mordaunt to replace taxpayers’ aid funding with cash from private investors
According to The Sun, International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt will use a speech today to outline her plan to use private investors to fund overseas aid, reducing the amount contributed by taxpayers. According to the plans, non-Government money will be allowed to be used in order to reach the 0.7% of GDP on aid target.

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