Archive for: Political Database

Today’s political headlines includes Johnson pledging Australian-style immigration system, social care bosses warn that services may be cut, new plan to block n0-deal Brexit and pro-cannabis Tory group is funded by cannabis manufacturers. 

Johnson pledges Australian-style immigration system
According to The Daily Telegraph, Boris Johnson has promised that he will bring in an Australian-style points-based immigration system in order to restore ‘public faith’. Migrants won’t be allowed to ‘cut ahead in the queue’ by taking jobs which could be done by British workers and won’t be entitled to benefits when they first arrive in the UK. He also called for the country to be ‘much more open’ to highly-skilled immigrants, but didn’t say what his immigration target would be as he wanted to consult the Migration Advisory Committee.

Social care bosses warn that services may be cut
The Guardian carries details of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services’ annual survey, which warns that the social care system is ‘not only failing financially, it is failing people’, putting them at risk of being denied basic support. Without urgent funding guarantees, local authorities might have to start decommissioning services this autumn. The association is calling for an urgent cross-party agreement.

New plan to block no-deal Brexit
The Times says that Dominic Grieve and Margaret Beckett are putting forward a plan to block Government spending if the new Prime Minister attempts a no-deal Brexit without Parliament’s approval. The move, expected to be backed by Labour in Tuesday’s vote, would make approval of the latest ‘estimates’ (Government expenditure) on policies including schools, benefits and aid contingent on MPs approving either a deal or no-deal.

Pro-cannabis Tory group is funded by cannabis manufacturers
The Daily Mail reports that a new pro-cannabis legalisation group, the Conservative Drug Policy Reform Group, is to launch today, chaired by the MP Crispin Blunt. The group, which is not affiliated to the party, has received £400,000 from firms which sell cannabis for recreational and medicinal use in Canada and the USA.

Johnson plans to turn on the ‘spending taps’ with Javid as Chancellor
The Financial Times says that Sajid Javid is emerging as Boris Johnson’s ‘favoured choice’ of Chancellor, as he has worked at the Treasury before and has links to the City. A source close to the Johnson campaign told the paper that Johnson ‘really is planning to turn on the spending taps’.

Hunt pledges to protect pensioners’ free TV licence
The Daily Mirror claims that a new poll shows that 85% of senior citizens would refuse to pay for a TV licence if they lose their entitlement to a free one. Jeremy Hunt has said that he would protect the benefit if he is elected, expressing concern that failing to do so ‘would be against our manifesto’.

Williamson readmitted by Labour
The Guardian says the Labour Party has readmitted the MP Chris Williamson, who had been suspended after he claimed that it was ‘too apologetic’ about antisemitism. Other MPs have expressed their displeasure, with Ruth Smeeth saying that she was ‘horrified’ while Jess Phillips claimed to be ‘disgusted’. Party investigators had recommended tougher sanctions, but were over-ruled by a panel which included MPs Keith Vaz and George Howarth.

Party conference recess may be scrapped
According to The Sun, talks are underway to axe the parliamentary recess for the party conferences in late September and early October. A Eurosceptic claimed that the move would to give ‘MPs more time to stop us leaving’, but a senior Tory told the paper that the new Prime Minister would need more time to get a deal through Parliament.

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Today’s political headlines includes Hunt accusing Johnson of cowardice, Johnson and Symonds have been driven out of their flat, and Johnson’s Brexit stance while being contradicted over no-deal tariff claims. 

Hunt accuses Johnson of cowardice
Writing in The Times, Jeremy Hunt accuses Boris Johnson of being a ‘coward’ who is willing to ‘slink through the back door’ of 10 Downing Street while avoiding being questioned, telling him to ‘man up’. He has been refusing to provide an explanation of the incident at the flat he shares with his partner, Carrie Symonds, which led to police being called after neighbours heard screaming. Johnson has also only agreed to participate in two broadcast debates, both of which will only take place after ballot papers are sent to members.

Anarchists drive Johnson and Symonds out of flat
According to the Daily Mail, Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds have been forced to go into hiding after anarchists from the group Class War staged a protest outside their flat, with a friend of the couple telling the paper that the couple have ‘a very loving and stable relationship’ and have ‘spent the weekend together’. The Daily Mirror says that Johnson’s friends claim that he is ‘yearning’ to be with his estranged wife, while The Sun claims that the row followed a series of four over the last six weeks in what a friend described as ‘an incredibly volatile relationship’, including the couple nearly splitting up earlier this month.

Johnson says he won’t ‘bottle’ Brexit
Boris Johnson has used his column in The Daily Telegraph to promise that he won’t ‘bottle’ Brexit and that ‘we can, we must and we will leave’ the European Union on 31 October. He also claims that once Brexit has been completed, the focus should be to ‘turbocharge’ the economy, promising higher pay not higher taxes.

Cox and Fox contradict Johnson over no-deal tariff claims
The Financial Times claims Attorney-General Geoffrey Cox has told the Government that, despite claims by Boris Johnson, the UK would probably not be able to maintain its existing tariff-free trade with the EU in the event of a no-deal Brexit, even for a time-limited period. Cox’s stance has also been backed by International Trade Secretary Liam Fox.

Hunt says UK would consider joining US attack on Iran
In an exclusive, the Daily Mail reports that Foreign Secretary and leadership contender Jeremy Hunt has said that the UK would consider joining a US-led military attack on Iran, but that it would do so ‘on a case-by-case basis’. He added that Iran should ‘stop its destabilising activity throughout the Middle East’ and said that it was ‘almost certainly’ responsible for recent sabotage to oil tankers.

NHS boss raises prospect of compulsory tax on gambling firms
The Times says that Simon Stevens, the head of NHS England, has said that the voluntary levy on the gambling industry wasn’t raising enough to pay for the treatment of addicts and ‘the possibility of a mandatory levy’ should be left open. Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said he was ‘determined to do everything I can to help anyone affected’.

Most types of Brexit to worsen UK’s finances
The Guardian reports that a new report by the UK in a Changing Europe thinktank finds that most types of Brexit would lead to the UK’s finances becoming worse, giving the country less capacity to tackle issues such as child poverty, social care and left-behind communities.

Report claims current technology could make backstop obsolete
The Daily Telegraph carries details of a new report by the thinktank Prosperity UK, which claims that a hard border on the island of Ireland could be prevented using existing technology to deliver ‘invisible’ customs checks, making the backstop ‘obsolete’ within three years. The report was led by Nicky Morgan and Greg Hands and is supported by Brexiteers such as Iain Duncan Smith, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Steve Baker.

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Today’s political headlines includes rivals raising the heat on Johnson, Corbyn to set out Labour’s Brexit stance, Raab’s campaign manager accuses Tory MPs of pretending to support him and Farage says he could do a deal with Johnson. 

Rivals raise heat on Johnson
The Times says rival leadership candidates used last night’s debate to raise the heat on Boris Johnson, who softened his stance on Brexit, moved away from his suggested tax cuts on high earners and refused to commit to blocking Heathrow expansion. Rory Stewart also came under scrutiny, later agreeing that his performance was ‘lacklustre’. In the second round of voting, Johnson got 126 votes while Dominic Raab was eliminated. Jeremy Hunt, Michael Gove and Sajid Javid all grew support marginally, but Stewart’s votes nearly doubled.

Corbyn to set out Labour’s Brexit stance
The Guardian reports that in the ‘coming days’ Jeremy Corbyn will set out Labour’s latest Brexit stance in a speech, but is unlikely to back deputy leader Tom Watson’s calls for the party to adopt a more pro-remain approach. Instead he will develop his existing position of a public vote on any Brexit deal, although some shadow cabinet members are concerned about the impact this would have in their constituencies.

Raab’s campaign manager accuses Tory MPs of pretending to support him
The Times says that Sr Hugo Swire, Dominic Raab’s campaign manager, has said that his elimination was ‘a surprise and a big disappointment’, accusing MPs of pretending to support Raab. He said that most of Raab’s backers were now likely to transfer their support to Boris Johnson as it was ‘difficult to see them not backing’ a hard-Brexiteer.

Farage says he could do deal with Johnson
Speaking at an event organised by The Daily Telegraph, Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has indicated that he could form an election pact with Boris Johnson, saying that if Johnson chose to fight an election backing a no-deal Brexit there ‘is a deal that could be done’ which would lead to ‘a massive, massive majority’.

Hammond threatens to resign over school funding plan
The Sun says that Chancellor Philip Hammond openly threatened his resignation yesterday over a dispute with Theresa May about plans to boost school funding by £27bn. Asked if he had quit, he said ‘no, not yet’. Cabinet ministers have indicated to the paper they are backing Hammond and believe the decision on the plans should be left to May’s successor.

Johnson rebuilds links with business leaders
The Financial Times says Boris Johnson held a private breakfast with business leaders yesterday, accompanied by Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liz Truss, in an attempt to rebuild his relationship with them after his ‘fuck business’ remarks last year. He told attendees these had been taken out of context and pointed to his record as Mayor of London.

Khan accuses Tory candidates of adopting far right language
The Guardian says Sadiq Khan is to accuse Tory leadership contenders of adopting the language of the far right, warning that it could lead to events such as the massacre at the mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand. He will describe the Conservatives’ approach to Islamophobia as ‘utterly shameful’. The paper adds that during yesterday’s debate Sajid Javid got the other candidates to commit to an investigation into Islamophobia in the party.

Labour to announce plans for warnings on alcohol
The Sun reports that Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth is to announce plans to make alcohol carry warnings about the dangers of drinking too much, with details of calories and national drinking guidelines. He will warn that ‘the current voluntary approach is simply not fit for purpose’, but Chris Snowdon of the Institute of Economic Affairs claimed that ‘the nanny statists are at it again’.

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Today’s political headlines includes suggestions Rory Stewart could have been a spy, Gove’s claims that the final two candidates must believe in Brexit, homeless camps removed and half of Tories would be happy with Farage as leader. 

Stewart may have been MI6 spy
The Daily Telegraph suggests that Rory Stewart may have worked for MI6 as a spy prior to his election, with a ‘Whitehall security source’ telling it that he was recruited while at university and worked for the service for seven years. He has denied being a spy but has also pointed out that even if he had been, he would be legally obliged to deny it. He has now secured the backing of David Lidington, the de-facto deputy prime minister, in the leadership contest, and is the second favourite with the bookmakers. 

Gove claims that the final two candidates must ‘believe in Brexit’
Writing in The Times, Michael Gove calls on MPs to ensure the two leadership candidates they put to the party membership ‘believe in Brexit’, arguing against choosing a pair of candidates who will ‘polarise our party’. The paper claims that this is an attempt by Gove to undermine Rory Stewart’s campaign and secure his own place in the final round. Sajid Javid has also claimed that ‘blue on blue’ attacks are damaging the party’s prospects. 

Number of homeless camps removed trebles
In an exclusive, The Guardian claims that the number of homeless camps which local authorities forcibly removed has more than trebled since 2014, rising from 72 to 254. Charities say that this is a sign of a growing homelessness problem due to changes to welfare, poorly-funded support services and insecure housing. Over the same period, complaints about such camps have grown by 448%. 

Almost half of Tory membership would be happy with Farage as leader, poll finds
A YouGov poll of Conservative members for The Times finds that 46% of them would be happy for Nigel Farage to become party leader, while 40% would be unhappy. 68% of members want to attract voters from UKIP and the Brexit Party, compared to just 25% from Labour and the Liberal Democrats. Farage has admitted that he has been approached by Tory donors but rejected the idea of a pact between the two parties. 

Parliamentary standards authority doesn’t recognise maternity leave, Creasy says
Writing in The Guardian, Labour MP Stella Creasy claims Parliament is effectively telling her to ‘choose between being a mum and being an MP’. She is pregnant but has been told by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority that it does not recognise maternity leave and won’t automatically provide extra support. She was also forced to work as normal without further support after suffering two miscarriages. 

Mothers should live with children in prison
The Daily Telegraph carries details of a new report commissioned by the Ministry of Justice and conducted by Lord Farmer, which argues that women in prison should be kept with their children in mini-prisons in the community in an attempt to break the reoffending cycle. Such a scheme would target those jailed for less than two years for offences such as theft, fraud or minor assaults. 

Government rejects ‘fast fashion tax’
The Daily Mail says that the Government is being criticised after it rejected the Commons Environmental Audit Committee’s suggestion of a ‘fast fashion tax’ of 1p per item in order to cover the costs of collecting and recycling the 300,000 tonnes of clothes incinerated or sent to landfill each year. Instead, ministers claim to have developed their own initiatives, including encouraging voluntary efforts by the industry. 

Hammond criticises Johnson over unfunded spending commitments
According to The Sun, Chancellor Philip Hammond has criticised Boris Johnson for making unfunded spending commitments on tax cuts and faster broadband, with just Rory Stewart acceding to his request that leadership candidates stick to sensible spending plans. Speaking at Mansion House in the City of London, Hammond urged ‘all candidates to be cautious’ and said the lack of agreements was ‘a disappointment’. 

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Today’s political headlines includes Johnson allies telling vanity candidates to withdraw, Johnson under pressure over TV debates, Umunna joining Lib Dems and the Mirror’s Grenfell, Never Again campaign. 

Johnson allies tell ‘vanity candidates’ to withdraw from contest
The Daily Telegraph reports that supporters of Boris Johnson are calling on ‘vanity candidates’ to pull out of the Conservative leadership election after seven of the ten candidates got through the first round, but Johnson secured 114 votes, ahead of Jeremy Hunt who had 71 fewer than him. Matt Hancock is apparently considering withdrawing and endorsing Sajid Javid.

Johnson under pressure over TV debates
According to The Times, Boris Johnson is under pressure to appear in television debates as all the other candidates did agree to. In a joint statement they said that debates would ‘shape and define’ their visions for the UK, while a spokesman for Johnson said that he was in talks with Channel 4. David Gauke, who supports Rory Stewart, said that if candidates ‘have something to hide they should not be running’.

Umunna joins Lib Dems
The Times reports that Chukka Umunna has joined the Liberal Democrats, saying that he was ‘wrong’ when he thought that a new party could succeed and had ‘vastly underestimated the importance of having an infrastructure’. He called on others to follow him and ‘to grab the chance to fundamentally change the system for ever now’. Lib Dem leader Vince Cable added that he was in talks with other MPs about possible defections.

Mirror launches ‘Grenfell, Never Again’ campaign
The Daily Mirror has launched a ‘Grenfell, Never Again’ campaign, marking two years after the fire at Grenfell Tower. It says that ‘tens of thousands of people are still living in unsafe buildings, families are still waiting to the rehoused and fire service funding has been cut’ and calls for the removal of risky cladding, sprinkler fitment, fire service cuts to be reversed and an independent body to oversee it, and an independent tenants’ rights regulator.

Major attacks leadership candidates over proroguing
The Guardian says that Sir John Major has ‘launched a blistering assault’ on the Tory candidates who have suggested that Parliament could be prorogued in order to ensure a no-deal Brexit. He accused them of ‘hypocrisy on a gold-plated standard’ and said that it was ‘fundamentally unconstitutional’. It adds that Rory Stewart has said that he would set up an ‘alternative parliament’ if Boris Johnson were to prorogue Parliament.

Raab claims he’s the candidate most feared by the EU
The Daily Telegraph says Dominic Raab has claimed that he is the Tory leadership contender who the EU would fear the most, telling the paper that as Prime Minister he would focus on those earning £15,000 a year, not those earning £50,000 a year. He denied having a ‘short temper’ and said he couldn’t speak about the NDA involving a former colleague.

IoD warns businesses aren’t prepared for October Brexit
The Financial Times reports that the Institute of Directors has warned that businesses have not made much progress in preparing for Brexit in October despite the growing probability of a no-deal Brexit. It calls on them to step up their preparations as they ‘cannot afford to put their faith in politicians to produce a Brexit resolution’.

Hammond tells candidates to promise to keep national debt falling
The Sun reports that Philip Hammond has written to the Conservative leadership candidates to ask them to commit to keeping the national debt falling, warning that failing to do so would risk losing the distinction between his party’s ‘fiscal responsibility’ and Labour’s ‘reckless promises’.

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Today’s political headlines includes polls favoring Boris for PM, Labour launching an attempt to block no-deal, May to make net zero emissions target legally binding and Oxfam given three weeks to reform. 

New poll shows Johnson would deliver best election results for Tories
The Daily Telegraph reports that Boris Johnson is to launch his Conservative leadership campaign today, pledging to leave the EU on 31 October no matter what, and warning that further delays will ensure that the party will ‘kick the bucket’. A new poll by ComRes released today suggests that Johnson could win up to 140 seats if he led the party, increasing its share of the vote from 23% to 37% – much more than any of his rivals.

Labour launches attempt to block no-deal Brexit
The Guardian says that Labour is today launching the first stage of a cross-party attempt to block a no-deal Brexit. It is tabling a motion backed by the SNP, Plaid Cymru, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens and Conservative MP Oliver Letwin which would give MPs control of the parliamentary agenda on 25 June, allowing legislation to prevent a no-deal Brexit to be commenced. To pass, the support of more Tory MPs will be needed.

May to make net zero emissions target legally-binding
The Guardian reports that Theresa May is to make a commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 law, putting forward an amendment to the Climate Change Act today. This has been welcomed by environmental campaigners, though concerns have been raised by the use of international carbon credits which Greenpeace argues will ‘shift the burden to developing nations’.

Oxfam given three weeks to reform or it will lose aid funding
The Times reports that the Charity Commission has told Oxfam to produce a reform plan within three weeks or lose access to funding from the taxpayer permanently. The official warning was issued following a report into the charity after revelations about sexual exploitation in Haiti and harassment and discrimination in the UK became public last year. A source at the commission said that Oxfam’s ‘broken promises were a recurring theme’.

Javid tells Tories not to pick a ‘comfort zone choice’
The Times reports that Sajid Javid will today tell Conservative MPs that they shouldn’t make a ‘comfort zone choice’, arguing that he offers ‘a new kind of leadership and a new kind of leader’. He will be introduced by the Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson who will claim that her leadership shows that success follows picking ‘someone totally different’.

MPs raise concerns about NHS waiting times
The Financial Times carries details of a warning by the Public Accounts Committee that health leaders have a ‘troubling’ lack of understanding about the harm caused to patients by growing waiting lists. Just 38% of NHS trusts meet the 62-day waiting time limit to treat urgently-referred cancer patients.

Thousands sign petition on pensioners’ TV licences
The Sun says that over 249,000 people have signed an Age UK petition calling on the BBC to change its mind about abolishing free TV licences for the over-75s. Tory leadership candidate Matt Hancock said that the decision should be reversed, while Michael Gove and Esther McVey pledged to decriminalise non-payment of the licence fee.

Cabinet bickers over no-deal Brexit preparations
According to The Times, Cabinet ministers were split over no-deal Brexit preparations at their meeting yesterday. Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay criticised the Treasury, raising concerns about a ‘drift’ in planning, while Home Secretary Sajid Javid claimed that Chancellor Philip Hammond had ignored a request for more border force funding; Hammond said that he hadn’t seen it, with Javid later submitting a formal request.

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Today’s political headlines includes Gove battling to save his leadership bid after cocaine revelations, Johnson to cut income tax for three million, Rudd backs Hunt for leader and Corbyn defending Lisa Forbes. 

Gove battles to save campaign after cocaine revelations
The Times reports Michael Gove is in a battle to ‘save his campaign’ after he was accused of hypocrisy over his past use of cocaine. He has insisted that ‘people should be given the chance to redeem themselves and to change’, but leadership rival Sajid Javid said that drug-users ‘should be thinking about the impact they’re having on others’. As Education Secretary he introduced rules saying that teachers should be permanently banned if convicted of using Class A drugs, while as a journalist he condemned drug-using ‘middle-class professionals’.

Johnson to cut income tax for three million
The Daily Telegraph says that Boris Johnson would cut three million people’s income tax if he becomes Prime Minister, increasing the 40p rate threshold to £80,000 from £50,000. This will cost £9.6bn a year, which he intends to fund from the £26.6bn ‘fiscal headroom’ set aside by the Treasury for no-deal Brexit preparations. He claims that this will ‘stimulate’ the economy, allowing ‘for much greater economic growth’.

Rudd backs Hunt for leader as he endorses cutting abortion time limit
The Times says that Amber Rudd is backing Jeremy Hunt’s campaign for the Tory leadership, claiming he would be a ‘serious leader’, adding the UK needs ‘a skilled negotiator and deal-maker, not an instruction for more optimism’. The Guardian adds Hunt has been criticised after he argued in favour of halving the legal time limit for abortions from 24 to 12 weeks.

New Labour MP ‘not a racist’, Corbyn says
The Guardian says Jeremy Corbyn has defended Lisa Forbes, elected for the party in last week’s Peterborough by-election, as ‘not a racist in any way’. The Jewish Labour Movement has called for Forbes to have the whip suspended over antisemitic posts on social media, including liking a Facebook post claiming Theresa May had a ‘Zionist slave masters agenda’ and endorsing a post which claimed that the CIA and Mossad had created Islamic extremists.

Concerns raised about ‘secretive’ Home Office visa algorithm
According to the Financial Times, the Home Office has been criticised for its use of a ‘secretive algorithm’ to process visa applications, grading them prior to forwarding them to caseworkers. It has refused to provide details about the factors the algorithm uses to makes decisions, leading Christina Blacklaws, President of the Law Society, to warn that it ‘may well disadvantage certain groups of people’ on grounds such as age or country of origin.

Corbyn considers reshuffling Thornberry over second referendum support
The Guardian claims Jeremy Corbyn is considering reshuffling his frontbench and moving Emily Thornberry from Shadow Foreign Secretary as punishment for calling for the party to back a second Brexit referendum. Some of Corbyn’s allies are also backing a new contest for Deputy Leader, so that Tom Watson can be replaced after his calls for a referendum.

Godsiff to be rebuked over support for anti-LGBT education campaigners
The Daily Mirror says Labour MP Roger Godsiff is to be rebuked by the party’s chief whip Nick Brown after he told campaigners protesting against the teaching of LGBT relationships at primary schools in Birmingham that they were ‘right’ and had a ‘just cause’. A party spokesperson said that it ‘has long supported and campaigned for LGBT inclusive education’.

Hancock vows to raise National Living Wage while Javid promises schools investment
The Sun says that Matt Hancock is to promise to make the next decade the ‘soaring twenties’ and increase the National Living Wage to £10.21 by 2022, giving millions an extra £3500 a year. The paper also reports that Sajid Javid has promised to end austerity if he becomes Prime Minister, and give ‘a multi-year, multibillion-pound boost’ to schools spending.

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Today’s political headlines includes Gove saying he would delay Brexit to get a deal, the ‘very close’ Peterborough by-election, Hancock comparing Corbyn to Hitler and the £1tn cost of net zero emissions. 

Gove says he would delay Brexit to get a deal
The Daily Telegraph reports that Michael Gove told the One Nation group of centrist Conservative MPs that he would delay Brexit beyond 31 October, if it would deliver a deal, and that, while no-deal should be ‘on the table’, it wasn’t ‘the best option’. However, Dominic Raab told the same group that he would definitely leave by that date, and was prepared to suspend Parliament in order to do so, and Jeremy Hunt warned that a ‘hardline approach’ from the UK would merely lead the EU to respond in kind.

Brexit Party and Labour ‘very, very close’ in Peterborough by-election
The Guardian reports from today’s by-election in Peterborough, with a source in the local Labour party claiming it is ‘very, very close’ between them and the Brexit Party, and warning Labour may find it hard to get its voters to turn out. According to the paper, the Tories, who held the seat from 2005 to 2017, ‘are widely thought to be out of the running’.

Hancock compares Corbyn to Hitler
The Times reports that Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock has compared Jeremy Corbyn to Hitler, warning that if the Conservative Party did not pick someone who could beat him, the UK ‘could end up with the first antisemitic leader of a western nation’ since World War Two. Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said that the remarks were ‘a disgrace’.

Chancellor warns of cost of net zero emissions
According to the Financial Times, Chancellor Philip Hammond has written to Theresa May to warn that reaching net zero emissions by 2050 will cost the country more than £1tn, meaning that less would be available for other areas of public spending and making some sectors of British industry ‘economically uncompetitive’.

Trump compares Irish border to that between USA and Mexico
The Guardian reports that Donald Trump started his visit to Ireland by comparing its border with Northern Ireland to that between the USA and Mexico, saying that he thought it would ‘all work out very well’ after Brexit ‘with your wall, your border’. Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkhar later said that Trump ‘shares our objective to keep the border open’.

Small employers may have to report gender pay gap
The Financial Times reports that Hilary Spencer, Director of the Government Equalities Office told members of the Commons Treasury Committee yesterday that the Government was considering bringing employers with under 250 employees into the scope of gender pay reporting, and increasing enforcement powers.

Grayling confirms HS2 is being reviewed
The Daily Mail says that Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has confirmed that a review is being conducted into the deliverability of HS2, with the new chairman of the rail projects, Allan Cook, assessing whether it can be built within its current £65bn budget. He also indicated that elements could be scaled back, following the problems with Crossrail.

Gibb defends teaching of same-sex relationships
Writing in The Times, schools minister Nick Gibb says that pupils in Birmingham schools, should be taught about British values, including same-sex relationships, despite protests against this by Muslim parents. He also describes Ann Widdecombe’s defence of gay conversion therapy as ‘deeply offensive’ and warned Conservative leadership candidates that members and the public would not be ‘impressed’ if they sided with the protesters.

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Today’s political headlines includes warnings against Gove, Hunt and Javid raise concerns about Huawei, Widdecombe in gay cure row and Brokenshire’s suggestions that young people could use pensions to buy houses. 

Rivals warn that Gove would hand keys of Number 10 to Corbyn
The Times says that leadership rivals have said that electing Michael Gove would help to ensure that Jeremy Corbyn becomes Prime Minister, after it emerged that Gove was thinking about extending the Brexit process as the UK is not prepared enough for a no-deal Brexit. Priti Patel warned that the ‘longer we delay Brexit the more oxygen we give to alternative political parties’. It has also been suggested that he may win the backing of Amber Rudd after talks between her and Boris Johnson collapsed over Johnson’s support for no-deal.

Hunt and Javid raise concerns about Huawei ahead of Trump visit
The Daily Telegraph reports that Jeremy Hunt has said that the UK would ‘never take a decision that would affect our intelligence-sharing capabilities with the US’ while Sajid Javid also raised concerns as the US Ambassador to the UK, Woody Johnson, described the UK’s intention to let Huawei bid for 5G contracts as a ‘big risk’, ahead of President Trump’s visit today. The Daily Mirror says that Trump’s visit will be the most expensive in history, costing around £40m in security provision, with 10,000 police officers brought into central London.

Widdecombe in gay cure row
The Daily Mirror says that there has been a backlash against Ann Widdecombe, the former Tory minister and newly-elected Brexit Party MEP after she suggested that ‘science may produce an answer’ to homosexuality and defended her support for ‘gay cure’ treatments. Labour MP Wes Streeting called her ‘a relic from a bygone era’.

Brokenshire to say young should use pensions to buy houses
The Daily Telegraph reports that Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary James Brokenshire will today say that young people should be able to take money out of their pensions to fund a deposit on their first home, but former pensions minister Sir Steve Webb warned that this would force prices up and leave people working longer. The BBC adds that Brokenshire will also call on the least popular Tory leadership contenders to withdraw.

Labour MPs call for independent complaints procedure after Prescott allegations
The Guardian says that Labour MPs Jess Phillips and Stella Creasy are urging the party to adopt an independent complains procedure, after e-mails leaked to The Sunday Timesshowed that the suspension of staff member David Prescott from the party over harassment allegations was blocked after the intervention of members of Jeremy Corbyn’s office.

Gyimah enters leadership election and pledges second referendum
The Times reports that a thirteenth candidate, Sam Gyimah, has entered the Conservative leadership election, becoming the first one to back a second Brexit referendum, but pledging that if he became Prime Minister he would not campaign for either side, but would vote to remain in the EU.

Johnson campaign foils Gove’s attempt at spying
The Sun claims that an attempt by Michael Gove’s leadership campaign team to spy on Boris Johnson’s campaign and find out when he was holding his launch event to avoid a clash has been foiled. Johnson is expected to announce his plans to reform education today, and may reveal his ‘army’ of supporters tomorrow

Hancock to promise no immigration restrictions on medics
The Guardian reports that Matt Hancock, the Health and Social Care Secretary, will today promise to lift all immigration restrictions on qualified doctors and nurses, should he become Prime Minister. He will say the NHS was ‘the best health service in the world’ and under his leadership he would ‘make sure it has access to the very best talent in the world’.

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Today’s political headlines includes the Lib Dems are top of the polls as Swinson launches leadership campaign, Trump indicates support for Johnson and a record number of patients are forced to change surgery as GPs close.

Lib Dems top poll as Swinson launches leadership campaign
A new poll by YouGov for The Times shows that the Liberal Democrats have taken the lead, with 24% of the vote, followed by the Brexit Party on 22%. The Conservatives and Labour are each on 19%. The unprecedented finding appears to reflect the electorate dividing between those who want a no-deal Brexit and those who’d rather remain in the EU. The Guardian says that Lib Dem deputy leader Jo Swinson has confirmed that she is standing for the leadership, saying that the ‘country is crying out for a liberal movement that will challenge the forces of nationalism and populism’.

Trump indicates support for Johnson
According to The Daily Telegraph, Donald Trump has indicated that Boris Johnson is his preferred leader of the Conservative Party. While he hasn’t formally endorsed him, yesterday he said that Johnson was a ‘friend’ and that he had ‘a lot of respect’ for him. The two men are expected to hold private talks when Trump visits the UK next week, which would be a breach of convention, while Nigel Farage could also be invited.

Record number of patients forced to change surgery as GPs close
The Daily Mirror reports that last year 519,000 patients had to change GP because their clinic closed, which is a record high. According to the Patients Association, this is because of ‘long-term failures in workforce planning and shortage of funding for the NHS in the face of rising patient need’. The number of surgeries closing has increased sevenfold since 2013.

Harper joins Tory race
The Daily Telegraph reports that Mark Harper, the former Chief Whip, has announced his candidacy for the Conservative leadership. He is the twelfth MP to do so, and admits that he is an ‘underdog’. However, he claims that he has an advantage over ministers who ‘shared the responsibility’ for failing to deliver Brexit with Theresa May, telling the paper ‘we’ve seen basically the same faces saying the same things that they’ve been saying for the last three years’.

Labour peer claimed £50,000 in expenses but didn’t speak
An investigation by The Guardian reveals that Labour peer David Brockman claimed almost £50,000 in expenses from the House of Lords despite not speaking or asking questions. Other findings include that 88 peers didn’t speak, hold posts or take part in committees, and that 46 didn’t vote, sit on committees or hold posts.

Trump to confront May over Huawei
The Times says that Donald Trump will confront Theresa May about the security risk posed by Huawei when he visits next week. His national security advisor, John Bolton, said that the USA would only be happy with ‘zero’ risk in its federal telecoms network, suggesting that it was trying to convince its intelligence partners to follow its lead.

Most Tory leadership contenders say they’re feminists
The Guardian says that eight of the Tory leadership contenders, including frontrunner Boris Johnson, have said that they are feminists. This follows Dominic Raab saying that he ‘probably’ wasn’t one, choosing to defend a claim he made in 2011 that feminists were ‘obnoxious bigots’.

Candidates endorse report calling for increased public spending
The Daily Mail reports that five Conservative leadership candidates, including Michael Gove and Jeremy Hunt, have backed a report from the think tank Onward calling on the Government to ‘turn on all the taps’ and boost spending on schools, hire more police officers and cut corporation tax. However, Chancellor Philip Hammond has warned that radical tax cuts could be unaffordable.

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