Today’s Political Headlines – 23 February 2018

Today’s Political Headlines include Brexiteers claiming victory after the policy meeting at Chequers, May plans for migration U-turn, Jeremy Corbyn to announce Labour’s support for staying in the customs union and Gove possibly banning plastic straws.

Brexiteers claim victory after Brexit policy meeting
The Daily Telegraph claims that ‘Brexiteers were claiming victory’ following yesterday’s meeting to decide Brexit policy. A source said Chancellor Philip Hammond was ‘shocked’ by the consensus in favour of divergence. The UK will remain close enough to the EU that trade ‘should be as frictionless as possible’, but the paper warns that the EU has ruled out May’s favoured ‘three baskets’ strategy. The Financial Times suggests that the meeting also pleased pro-Europeans, with one saying it was wrong that divergence had ‘prevailed’, while another source said ‘It seems like everyone thinks they got what they wanted.’

May plans for transition period migration U-turn
The Times says the Government is planning a U-turn on its policy that immigrants from the EU during the Brexit transition period should not be allowed to stay permanently. Instead, the Government is considering making a unilateral guarantee that EU citizens who arrive during the period can remain. Meanwhile, a ‘senior EU source’ tells The Guardian that the UK will lose its rebate from the end of 2020, if it extends the transition period beyond then.

Jeremy Corbyn to signal UK staying in customs union
The Guardian says that Jeremy Corbyn is expected to signal that Labour will support the UK staying in a customs union with the EU in a speech on Monday. The paper reports that Tory rebel Anna Soubry has tabled an amendment calling on the Government to remain in a customs union, and that if Labour decide to back it, May is facing a ‘highly damaging defeat.’

Gove says that plastic straws could be banned in Brexit Britain
Speaking on a Daily Telegraph podcast, Michael Gove, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary, has said that plastic straws may be banned. He said that banning plastic straws would be easier after the UK leaves the EU, but also spoke of the need for a balanced approach. The paper says that the UK uses an estimated 8.5m billion plastic straws a year.

Hunt sets out plan to tackle medication mistakes
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has written about medication mistakes for The Daily Telegraph. He warns that errors could be responsible for up to 22,000 deaths and sets out steps to tackle the problem, including improved data, electronic prescribing and working with the clinical community. The paper reports that the errors cost the NHS £1.6bn a year.

Net migration from the EU falls to lowest level for five years
As the BBC reports, the number of EU citizens leaving the UK is at its highest level for a decade, according to figures produced by the Office for National Statistics. Net EU migration was at its lowest level for five years. Immigration minister Caroline Noakes said that the UK was still attracting the ‘brightest and best people’.

Government back organ donation ‘opt-out’ bill
The Mirror says that the Government is supporting a bill to change the law on organ donation, which is due to be voted on today. The bill will create an ‘opt-out’ organ donation system in England and at a reception organised by the paper last night, health minister Jackie Doyle-Price said the Government would give its backing to the bill.

Labour considering land value tax
According to The Guardian, Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has said that Labour is considering a land value tax to boost local government revenues. Speaking at an event organised by the Resolution Foundation, he said that cuts to local services mean ‘that people are now willing to consider more radical solutions than they have in the past.’

You can access the Vuelio Political services to meet your political needs.