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Today’s Political Headlines include Brexit Britain NOT being a Mad Max-style world, Michael Gove paying farmers for looking after animals, Corbyn to rethink the financial sector and Academics planning to escalate strike action.

David Davis: Brexit Britain will not be a ‘Mad Max-style world’
David Davis is to tell business leaders in Austria that fears that Brexit will turn the UK into a ‘Mad Max-style world borrowed from dystopian fiction’, are unfounded The Guardian reports. He will say that the UK will continue to uphold high standards and say ‘fears about a race to the bottom are based on nothing’. The Financial Times says that Theresa May will keep cabinet ministers at a meeting at Chequers on Thursday until they have agreed a Brexit plan with a high level of alignment between EU and UK rules.

Michael Gove announces farmers will get paid more cash for looking after animals better
Michael Gove is to address the National Farming Union today, outlining his plans for agriculture after Brexit, according to The Daily Telegraph. He will say that farmers will be given larger subsidies for taking better care of livestock, as will landowners who encourage people to be more ‘connected’ to the countryside and increase understanding of farming.

Corbyn to call for ‘fundamental rethink’ of the financial sector
Jeremy Corbyn will call for a ‘fundamental rethink’ of the financial sector when he addresses the EEF manufacturers’ organisation today, the BBC reports. Corbyn will say that finance should be ‘the servant of industry, not the masters of us all’ and promise new powers for the Government to prevent hostile takeovers.

Academics announce plan to escalate strike action
Academics have announced plans to escalate strike action, The Times says, with as many as 42,000 staff walking out on Thursday and Friday in the first of 14 days of strikes, with further dates being planned. Separately, The Guardian reports that Theresa May admitted in her speech yesterday that the education system was failing to serve the ‘needs of every child’.

Oxfam executives to be questioned by MPs
Senior Oxfam executives are to be questioned by the Commons International Development Committee today, as the BBC reports. Those giving evidence include chief executive Mark Goldring and chair of trustees Caroline Thomson, as well as Kevin Watkins of Save the Children and Matthew Rycroft, Permanent Secretary of the Department for International Development. The Times reveals that Goldring is under investigation by Oxfam for his handling of a sexual assault case.

24 smart meters need to be installed every minute to reach target
The Times reports that analysis of official figures by Which? shows that energy companies would need to install 24 smart meters a minute to meet the deadline of installing one in every home by 2020. Which? says that this is ‘unlikely given the current pace of installation’.

Aid review warns of prioritising ‘short-term and immediate results’ over ‘lasting change’
A report by the Independent Commission for Aid Impact warns that foreign aid risks making countries dependent on handouts by prioritising ‘short-term and immediate results’ over ‘lasting change’, The Daily Telegraph reports. The Department for International Development was criticised for not measuring long-term transformative change and not reflecting its commitments on development effectiveness in its value for money approach.

Documents covering Corbyn spy accusations revealed
The Daily Mail has seen secret papers which show that Czech secret agent Jan Sarkozy told his bosses that Jeremy Corbyn had ‘an active supply of information on British intelligence services’. The Mirror reports that Conservative MP Ben Bradley has deleted a tweet making accusations against Jeremy Corbyn after Corbyn threatened to take legal action.

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Today’s Political Headlines include calls to end rough sleeping, Boris Johnson’s speech on Brexit, and the breakdown of talks to restore a Northern Ireland Executive. 

Calls for Government action following the death of a rough sleeper outside Parliament

The Guardian have reported that MPs have expressed sadness after learning that a man believed to have been sleeping rough had died outside the Houses of Parliament. Numerous Labour MPs have responded on twitter, drawing attention to the man’s death and criticise policies they said had contributed to a sharp rise in the number of rough sleepers in the UK.

Boris Johnson’s Policy Exchange speech called for “hope not fear” in the UKs departure from the EU

The BBC reports that the Foreign Secretary has told his fellow Brexiteers they should not “gloat” about the UK’s departure from the EU, which he said was a cause for “hope not fear”. He has urged people to “unite about what we all believe in”, an “outward-looking, confident” UK, and that leaving the EU was not a “great V-sign from the cliffs of Dover”. The Guardian reports that Johnson’s speech struggled to woo remainers, and used his speech to try to simultaneously reach out to remainers while doubling down on his arguments in favour of a hard break from the EU.

Jean-Claude Juncker denies claims by Boris Johnson that he wants to create a European “superstate”

The Independent reports that President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker has said that claims he wants to create a European “superstate” are “total nonsense”. He said that the President of the European Commission should be directly elected by the voters of Europe.

Talks between the DUP and Sinn Fein broken down in attempts to strike a Northern Ireland deal

Sky News are reporting that talks between the leaders of Northern Ireland’s two biggest political parties to re-establish a government in Stormont have broken down. DUP leader Arlene Foster said there was “no prospect” of negotiations leading to a new power sharing agreement with Sinn Fein. The Telegraph have reported on comments made by former Northern Ireland Secretary, Theresa Villiers, saying that Westminster being forced to set Northern Ireland’s budget is “increasingly inevitable”.

British Steel pensions scheme is a victim to a major mis-selling scandal

The Financial Times have reported that British Steel pension savers were “shamelessly” exploited by “dubious financial advisers” after a restructuring of the scheme last year, drawing upon a report by the Work and Pensions Select Committee that sharply criticised the Pensions Regulator and Financial Conduct Authority. The Times have reported that more than 50,000 British workers may be being cheated out of part of their pension each year.

Tories blame the SNP for Scotland’s productivity falling to its lowest level in eight years

The Times have run a story explaining how Scotland’s productivity has fallen to its lowest level in eight years, with opposition politicians have claimed showed that the SNP administration was damaging the economy. The report, published by the Scottish Government, suggested that the financial crisis of 2008 had taken a long time to work its way through and the effects were still being felt within the Scottish economy.

Reports suggesting that Jeremy Corbyn met a communist spy at the height of the Cold War

The Sun have run a story which found that Jeremy Corbyn met a Communist spy during the Cold War and warned the Soviet-backed spies of a clampdown by British intelligence during the height of the war. The Daily Mail have also run a similar story, claiming that  Corbyn met the Czech agent at least three times after being vetted in 1986, with two meetings taking place in the House of Commons.

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Today’s Political Headlines include Boris Johnson’s Brexit speech, Labour’s animal welfare plan, McVey’s call for McDonnell to apologise and the Oxfam crisis. 

Boris Johnson to reach out to voters alienated over Brexit in speech today
Boris Johnson is to give a speech on Brexit today, with the BBC reporting that he will try to reach out to voters alienated by Brexit, claiming ‘that Brexit is not grounds for fear but hope’. The Daily Telegraph reports that Johnson will argue that ‘It is only by taking back control of our laws that UK firms and entrepreneurs will have the freedom to innovate’ and that stopping Brexit ‘would be a disastrous mistake’.

Labour to unveil animal welfare plan today
Labour is to unveil a new 50-point animal welfare plan today. The Guardian reports that the party would introduce bans on foie gras and badger culling, further curbs on hunting with dogs, mandatory CCTV at abattoirs, and a ban on the export of live animals for slaughter. Other measures include expanding healthcare for pets with owners on low-incomes and greater rights for tenants to own pets.

McVey calls for McDonnell to apologise over ‘lynching’ comments
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey has called on John McDonnell to apologise for making comments at a comedy night about people in her constituency who wanted her to be lynched. She said that his refusal to apologise had given people ‘permission’ to bully her online.

Oxfam chief executive ‘should go’, says committee member
Nigel Evans, a Conservative member of the International Development Committee, has said that Mark Goldring, Oxfam’s chief executive, ‘should go’, The Times reports. The paper adds that both Lord Hague and Jeremy Corbyn have called for ministers not to cut the aid budget as a result of the scandal surrounding the charity. 

Times tables tests to be introduced
According to The Daily Telegraph, the new Education Secretary Damian Hinds will announce today that children as young as eight will be forced to take times tables tests for the first time in 75 years. Schools Minister Nick Gibb told the paper that this was part of the Government’s drive to make the UK a world leader in mathematics.

Committees criticise delays to immigration plan and disability assessment firms
A report by the Home Affairs Committee finds that delays to the Government’s white paper on the post-Brexit immigration system are causing anxiety for EU citizens and uncertainty for businesses, The Guardian says. Meanwhile, The Sun has details of a report by the Work and Pensions Committee criticising firms which assess disability benefits, whose staff are ‘at best lacking in competence and at worst actively deceitful’.

UK fails to hit defence spending target, report claims
The Financial Times has details of a report by the Institute for Strategic Studies that concludes the UK has missed its target of spending 2% of GDP on defence for the second year in a row. Instead, it calculates the figure as 1.98%. The report is released as Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson meets fellow NATO members in Brussels.

DUP leader says no to a free-standing Irish Language Act
The BBC reports that Arlene Foster, leader of the DUP, has said there will not be a free-standing Irish Language Act. Sinn Fein has said that such an act is ‘essential’ to restoring power sharing at Stormont. Foster refused to comment on reports that a package with three acts on Irish, Ulster Scots and other cultural matters was under discussion.

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Today’s Political Headlines include the immigration systems post-Brexit, allegations against Oxfam, Boris’ Brexit speech outgunned and George Soros pledging a further £100,000 to anti-Brexit campaign. 

Home Office may not have new systems ready for Brexit and whistleblowers reveal the asylum ‘lottery’
According to The Times, Theresa May has overruled the Home Office to insist that EU citizens who arrive during the Brexit transition period will not have the automatic right to remain in the UK, despite warnings from senior officials that they would struggle to create separate systems to register existing EU citizens and new arrivals in time. Separately, Home Office whistleblowers have told The Guardian that the asylum process is a ‘lottery’, with interviews ‘rushed, biased and resolved by “cut and paste” decisions by overworked Home Office staff’.

Oxfam to meet International Development Secretary over abuse allegations
The BBC reports that senior managers at Oxfam are to meet International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt later today to tell her more about allegations that the charity’s staff used prostitutes in Haiti in 2011. Mordaunt’s predecessor, Priti Patel, tells The Sun that officials ‘at the highest levels’ knew about abuse claims but tried to keep them hushed up.

Cabinet ministers to ‘outgun’ Boris Johnson’s Brexit speech
The Times says that Boris Johnson’s Cabinet colleagues are planning to ‘outgun’ his speech on Brexit this week, by following it up with five further speeches. These include two from the Prime Minister on security and the future partnership, one from David Davis on business, one from Liam Fox on global deals, and one from David Lidington on the devolved nations. May will say that the UK wishes to keep the European arrest warrant and stay in Europol.

George Soros pledges extra £100,000 to anti-Brexit campaign
George Soros’ Open Society Foundation is to pledge an extra £100,000 to the pro-EU group Best for Britain, The Guardian says. He linked the increased donation to the campaign against him in the right-wing press, saying ‘I am happy to take the fight to those who have tried to use a smear campaign, not arguments, to prop up their failing case’.

Theresa May flies to Northern Ireland amid hopes of power-sharing deal
The Guardian reports that Theresa May is to fly to Belfast today, amid hopes that Northern Ireland’s main political parties are close to reaching a deal to restore power-sharing in the executive. She will be joined by Leo Varadkar, the Taoiseach, who has cancelled a meeting with the Welsh First Minister.

Diesel trains to be scrapped by 2040
Rail Minister Jo Johnson, is to announce today that every diesel train in the country should be scrapped by 2040, The Daily Telegraph says. This forms part of plans to cut pollution on the rail network, but the Government has not specified how this will be paid for.

DWP spends over £100m on disability benefit appeals over two years
According to The Guardian, the Department for Work and Pensions spent over £100m on administering reviews and appeals against disability benefits in just over two years. The Ministry of Justice also spends tens of millions on the reviews. Neil Heslop, chief executive of Leonard Cheshire, described the amounts as ‘staggering’.

Transport for London’s operational deficit expected to reach £1bn
The Financial Times reports that Transport for London is expecting an operational deficit of nearly £1bn next year. This has been caused by the Government removing a revenue grant, Sadiq Khan’s decision to freeze fares, and falling passenger numbers, attributed to increased working from home, use of ride-hailing apps, and safety concerns.

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