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Today’s Political Headlines include France blocking a Brexit security deal, NHS hospital deficit, Jewish leader accusing Corbyn of antisemitism and Muslin Council of Britain calling for investigation into Conservative party Islamaphobia. 

French blocking Brexit security deal
According to The Times, France is blocking the UK’s attempts to reach a post-Brexit security deal. The country is objecting to the UK continuing to participate in the Prüm Convention, which allows for the sharing of DNA, fingerprint and vehicle information to identify criminals. Continued UK participation is reportedly backed by Germany.

NHS hospitals record deficit of almost £1bn
The Financial Times reports that NHS hospitals ended the year with a deficit of £1bn, almost twice the amount expected. Data released today by NHS Improvement shows that the service has been affected by a ‘surge in demand’ but the body claims that the figure is £1.5bn better than that for 2015-16. The Nuffield Trust, however, described the figure as ‘window dressing’ and claimed that ‘the true, underlying figure is much, much worse’.

Jewish leader accuses Corbyn of holding antisemitic views
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Jonathan Arkush, the outgoing president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn held ‘antisemitic views’ which had left Jews asking ‘do we have a future here?’ He also criticised the Archbishop of Canterbury for not speaking out with a ‘stronger, clearer voice’.

Muslim Council of Britain calls for investigation into Islamophobia in the Conservatives
As the BBC reports, the Muslim Council of Britain has called on the Conservatives to launch an inquiry into Islamophobia in their party. In an open letter to Brandon Lewis, the party’s chair, the council complains of ‘more than weekly incidents’ of Islamophobia and specifically cites the MP Bob Blackman.

Cleverly accuses Labour of playing party politics over Northern Irish abortion
The Guardian reports that James Cleverly, one of the Conservative Party’s Deputy Chairs, has accused Labour of exploiting the campaign to change abortion law in Northern Ireland for political gain. However, at least 13 female Conservative MPs back a change in the law, with a number backing a free vote on an amendment tabled by Labour’s Stella Creasy.

Former cabinet ministers trying to unite Tories behind ‘sensible Brexit’
The Times reports that former cabinet ministers Amber Rudd, Damian Green and Justine Greening are trying to unite Conservative MPs behind a ‘sensible Brexit’. The trio held a meeting with Theresa May yesterday, having consulted with backbench MPs, that a large majority of the parliamentary party was in favour of a compromise with the EU.

UK to be offered ‘less privileged and more expensive’ deal on research after Brexit
In an exclusive, The Guardian claims that the EU is preparing to give the UK a ‘less privileged and more expensive’ deal on science and research collaboration than that offered to some non-EU countries, such as Israel. Instead, the UK will be offered the same deal extended to countries such as Canada and South Korea, but plans to try and change this through its participation in EU budget negotiations.

Businesses warn May that they won’t invest due to Brexit uncertainty
According to the Financial Times, when a delegation of European business leaders met the Prime Minister and David Davis, the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, yesterday they warned them that they would not invest in the UK until the uncertainty of the negotiations were over. The group was led by Carl-Henric Svanberg, outgoing chairman of BP, and included representatives of Vodaphone, Nestlé, BMW, E.ON and others.

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Today’s Political Headlines include Theresa May challenged to ‘prove’ she is a feminist over abortion laws in Northern Ireland, Uk participating in EU budget negotiations, the Treasury and Bank of England at loggerheads and the NHS wasting resources. 

Prime Minister asked to back abortion law change in Northern Ireland
The BBC reports that Shadow Attorney General Shami Chakrabarti has challenged Theresa May to prove that she is a feminist by backing reform of abortion law in Northern Ireland and showing that she would ‘stick up for all women’. MPs from all parties have called on the Prime Minister to support a change in the law, following the successful referendum in Ireland.

European Commission and Brexiteers angry at UK participation in EU budget negotiations
The Times claims that the European Commission and Brexiteers are ‘united in anger’ after the European Council invited the UK to take part in negotiations to determine the EU’s budget up to 2027. The offer, which the UK has accepted, was made because the UK will still be paying into the budget after Brexit.

Treasury and Bank of England in post-Brexit regulatory clash
The Financial Times reports that the Treasury and the Bank of England have clashed over the regulation of the City of London after Brexit. Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, wants to keep the UK close to the EU rule book, but the Bank of England does not want to become a ‘rule taker’. One source described relations as ‘very, very bad’ and another as ‘terrible’.

Senior doctor accuses NHS of wasting resources
The Daily Telegraph says that a senior doctor has accused the NHS of a ‘ridiculous waste of resources’. Writing for the paper, Professor Keith Willett, medical director for acute care, warns of the problems caused by a failure to tackle bedblocking, leaving ‘highly skilled surgeons, anaesthetists and nurses sitting around waiting for patients’.

Number of leave voters in Labour seats could be lower than thought
The Guardian reports that a new study by the pro-remain group Best for Britain has found that the number of Labour leave voters in each constituency might be lower than had previously been thought. It claims that this means that Labour MPs in pro-Brexit seats who fear being punished by their electorate unless they adopt a hardline stance on Brexit may be worrying unnecessarily.

Free schools programme to be redirected to the North East
The BBC reports that the Government is to redirect its free schools programme towards the worst-performing areas of England, especially the North East. The money forms part of £680m which the Department of Education has allocated to help create 40,000 more good primary and secondary school places by 2021.

‘Influential Tories’ call on Government to introduce online sales tax
According to The Sun, ‘influential Tories’ are lobbying the Government to introduce a 3% sales tax on internet firms such as Amazon, eBay and Google in order to create a level playing field. Neil O’Brien MP has claimed that as much as £500m could be raised through the tax and this could be used to cut business rates.

Government announces plans to extend badger cull
The Daily Mail reports that the Government has announced plans to ‘dramatically extend’ the badger cull, allowing farmers to kill badgers in areas where cows are at a low risk of bovine TB on a case by case basis. The paper adds that Natural England is facing two legal challenges over the programme.

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Today’s Political Headlines include the UK’s negotiating tactics with the EU, Boris Johnson being prank called and Mark Carney issuing a warning over post-Brexit policy 

EU official says that the UK is ‘chasing a fantasy’
The Guardian reports that the EU has accused the Government of ‘chasing a fantasy’ and warned that it ‘doesn’t negotiate under threat’, following a suggestion that the UK would seek to recover over €1bn of contributions towards the Galileo satellite navigation programme. Disputes have also arisen over suggestions that the whole UK could remain partially inside the customs union or that the backstop could be timelimited.

Boris Johnson taken in by hoax callers
As The Times reports, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has been taken in by a Russian hoax-caller who pretended to be the new Prime Minister of Armenia. The callers, who have previously deceived Sir Elton John and President Erdogan, continued the conversation for 18 minutes and an investigation into the incident is now underway.

Mark Carney issues warning over post-Brexit policy
The Financial Times reports that Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of England, has warned that a ‘disruptive’ Brexit could lead to the institution having to choose between higher inflation or restricting economic activity. He said that ‘the bank is ready for Brexit’.

Home Office criticised over criminal record checks modernisation plan
The Guardian says that a report by the Commons Public Accounts Committee accuses the Home Office of a ‘masterclass in incompetence’ in its attempts to improve the Disclosure and Barring Service, which runs the criminal records checking scheme. The modernisation plan is over four years late and is expected to cost more that £229m more than expected.

Williamson warns that military cuts could lead to nuclear weapons being used
The Sun reports that Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has warned that the UK could be forced to use nuclear weapons if funding for conventional equipment was cut. Williamson told the RUSI’s Sea Power Conference that there needed to be funding for ‘conventional deterrence’. The paper suggests that Williamson is concerned about pressure to redirect conventional spending to cyber defence.

Hunt claims people want to pay more tax to fund NHS
The Daily Telegraph reports that Health and Social Care Secretary Jeremy Hunt told the Institute for Government that people recognise that they will have to pay more tax to fund the NHS last night, in what the paper claims is ‘a direct challenge’ to the Chancellor, Philip Hammond. It claims that the Treasury is ‘pushing back very hard’ against suggestions from Hunt and Theresa May that taxes should go up to pay for an increase in NHS funding.

Hague criticised for working for Putin-linked law firm
The Daily Mirror says that William Hague is ‘pocketing cash’ from Linklaters, despite the law firm being criticised by the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee for its links to Vladimir Putin. Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said that ‘Lord Hague has serious questions to answer’ and called on Theresa May to take ‘urgent action’.

SNP commission recommends income tax breaks for skilled immigrants
The Daily Telegraph says that a report by the SNP’s Sustainable Growth Commission published today will recommend that giving skilled immigrants income tax breaks in order to encourage them to move to Scotland. Andrew Wilson, chair of the commission, said the Scotland’s ‘greatest national challenge’ was increasing its working age population.

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Today’s Political Headlines include Gove’s leaked letter, public perceptions of the House of Lords and the role of the EU’s Galileo programme.

Gove criticises Hammond in leaked letter

The Daily Telegraph has seen a letter sent by Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Michael Gove to the Chancellor Philip Hammond. In the letter, Gove accuses Hammond of being ‘short-sighted’ about Brexit and inflicting a ‘damaging blow’ to the Conservatives’ environmental credibility. He blames the Treasury for a defeat over environmental protections after Brexit last week and for blocking plans for give a new environmental watchdog the power to fine the Government and local authorities.

Lords of out tune with the will of the people, new poll finds

The Daily Mail says that a new poll has found that 76% of people agree that the House of Lords is ‘out of tune with the will of the British people’, with even more agreeing that it is an ‘outdated throwback’. Just 17% of respondents think that the House of Lords should be left untouched. Iain Duncan Smith said that peers should take the findings as a ‘warning’.

Galileo programme ‘key flashpoint’ in Brexit negotiations

The Daily Telegraph reports that the EU’s Galileo satellite navigation programme has become a ‘key flashpoint’ in Brexit negotiations this week. The UK has accused Brussels of not honouring promises made during the Brexit Bill negotiations by shutting British businesses out of the system, despite the UK having agreed not to demand its share of the costs back in return for continued access in the post-Brexit security partnership.

Javid promises new deal for police

The Sun says that Home Secretary Sajid Javid will promise ‘overstretched’ police chiefs a new deal when he addresses the Police Federation today. The paper says that this will mark a ‘seismic change of tone’ from that of Theresa May. An aide told the paper that while no new spending would be promised today, Javid wanted the Treasury to release more money.

Brexit leaves households £900 a year worse off, Bank of England says

The Times reports that the Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, claimed yesterday that households were at least £900 a year worse off and the economy as much as £40bn smaller as a result of Brexit. Boris Johnson claimed that Brexit had ‘absolutely not’ damaged the country’s interests.

May under growing pressure over customs union from Brexiteers

The Guardian claims that Theresa May is facing ‘growing pressure’ from Brexiteers to fully leave the customs union. Boris Johnson said that the UK should leave it with ‘confidence and brio and zap and dynamism’, Michael Gove said that the backstop should only be in place for a ‘short time’ and Jacob Rees-Mogg questioned if the Government ‘really wants to leave at all’. Separately, the BBC reports that Philip Hammond told the CBI’s annual dinner that staying in the customs union was not necessary.

Boris calls for ‘Brexit plane’

According to the Daily Mirror Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has ‘sparked outrage’ by calling for a private jet. Speaking on a trip to South America, Johnson complained that the plane shared by the Prime Minister, cabinet ministers and the royal family ‘never seems to be available’ and agreed with a reporter’s suggestion that he needed a ‘Brexit plane’.

UK becoming Europe’s cocaine capital, minister warns

The BBC reports that Security Minister Ben Wallace has said that the UK ‘is fast becoming the biggest consumer of cocaine in Europe’. Speaking during a debate on the Government’s serious violence strategy, he said that he wished he had more money and promised to bring forward new measures to crack down on knife possession and extend stop and search powers within weeks.

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Today’s Political Headlines include clean air, scrapping NHS reforms, Ken Livingstone resigning and Grenfell Tower.

Clean air strategy to be launched
The Daily Telegraph says that Michael Gove, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary, and Jeremy Hunt, the Health and Social Care Secretary, are to announce a new clean air strategy today. Wood burning stoves are to be targeted, having been identified as the ‘UK’s biggest environmental threat to human health’. Writing in the paper, the ministers claim that the UK will set a ‘gold standard’ for air quality after Brexit, going ‘further and faster’ than proposed changes to EU regulations.

Government considers scrapping some of the 2012 NHS reforms
The BBC claims that the Government is considering scrapping some of the controversial reform to the NHS in England introduced in 2012. The Prime Minister has committed to a better deal for the health service, but the BBC’s political editor, Laura Kuenssberg, has been told that extra funding would come with more reform attached.

Ken Livingstone resigns from Labour
As The Guardian reports, Ken Livingstone has announced his resignation from the Labour Party. He said that issues surrounding his suspension for antisemitism had become ‘a distraction from the key political issues of our time’ and that he would continue to work towards achieving a Corbyn-led Government.

Grenfell Tower inquiry opens with tributes to victims
The Times reports on the opening of the inquiry into the fire at Grenfell Tower. Families of six of the 72 victims paid tributes, with the remainder to follow over the next two weeks. The inquiry’s chair, Sir Martin Moore-Bick, said that the tributes were an ‘integral part of evidence for this inquiry’.

Gove in gaffe at thinktank launch event
The Daily Mirror says that Michael Gove made a gaffe at the launch event for the new thinktank Onward, aimed at attracting young people to the Conservatives. He compared himself to Ike Turner (described by the paper as an ‘infamous wife-beater’) and joked about Meghan Markle’s ‘exotic’ heritage. The Sun adds that Ruth Davidson used the event to call on the Conservatives to ‘speak to the entire nation’.

Theresa May: customs union backstop would only apply in ‘very limited’ circumstances
The Guardian says that Theresa May has claimed that her backstop plan to keep the UK aligned to the customs union post-2020 would only apply in a ‘very limited’ set of circumstances and that ‘nobody wants this to be the solution that is achieved’. The Financial Times reports that the Government has published a plan to be implemented if there is disruption at channel ports after Brexit, involving closing 13 miles of the M20 to hold lorries.

Nuclear defence programme will cost £50.8bn over next decade
The Financial Times reports that the National Audit Office has assessed the cost of the nuclear defence programme over the next decade for the first time. The total cost is £50.8bn from 2018 to 2028, with a £2.9bn shortfall predicted if cost-cutting is delivered.

Northern Ireland Secretary urged to ‘redouble’ efforts to restore devolution
The BBC carries details of a new report by the Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, which calls on Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley to ‘redouble’ her efforts to restore devolution. It also calls on her to outline how ‘urgent’ decisions will be made in the interim.

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