Archive for: Political Database

Today’s political headlines include Carney’s warning of economic slowdown, MPs may not vote on Brexit until March, May heads to Dublin and Instagram pledges to remove self-harm images. 

Carney warns of Brexit-related economic slowdown
The Times reports that the Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, has said that this year the economy will grow at the slowest rate since the financial crisis because of the ‘fog of Brexit’, with a one in four chance of a recession by the summer. According to the Financial Times, ‘Project After’, a secret group of civil servants in close contact with the Bank of England, is drawing up a plan to kick-start the economy in the event of a no-deal Brexit, including cuts to taxes and tariffs and increased investment.

MPs may not vote on Brexit deal until March
The Guardian claims that MPs may not get a chance to vote on a new Brexit deal until March, after Theresa May and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker agreed during their talks yesterday to meet again by the end of February. This would, the paper says, but Parliament under pressure to accept the deal or face a no-deal Brexit and still require Article 50 to be extended to allow necessary legislation to be passed. The Sun adds that Number 10 is preparing to back a package of workers’ rights in a bid to secure Labour MPs’ support.

May heads to Dublin for Brexit talks
The BBC says that Theresa May is to travel to Dublin today for discussions about Brexit with the Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar as part of her attempt to secure legally-binding changes to the backstop. He will also be holding talks with the five main political parties in Northern Ireland earlier in the day.

Instagram pledges to remove self-harm images
The Times says that Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, has promised to remove all graphic self-harming images from the service following a meeting with Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock yesterday. Hancock said that he would ‘be asking other social companies to act’.

Planning overhaul needed to deliver housing targets, NAO warns
The Daily Telegraph carries details of a new report by the National Audit Office, which warns that the Government will only reach its target of building 300,000 houses every year if councils stop using outdated figures to calculate housing need. Separately a new report by the thinktank Civitas shows a sharp increase in young adults still living with their parents.

‘Death tax’ to hit 300,000 families
The Daily Mail claims that a new ‘death tax’ will hit up to 300,000 families after the Government classified an increase in fees for probate as a fee rather than a tax, allowing it to avoid full parliamentary scrutiny. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable said this was ‘a clear abuse of executive power’.

Evening with May fetches £75,000 at Conservative ball
The Daily Mirror reports on the Conservative Party’s Black and White Ball. Among the lots auctioned to party donors were an evening with Theresa May which fetched £75,000, and a set of posters signed by her which brought in £175,000. Labour Party chair Ian Lavery said that the event was ‘stomach-churning’.

New ‘cheat proof’ expenses system to be introduced
In an exclusive, The Sun reveals that a ‘cheat proof’ expenses system for MPs will be introduced, a decade after the expenses scandal. The watchdog IPSA has announced that a new digital system will go live in April, saving £1m and also allowing claims to be verified and challenged more easily.

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Today’s political headlines include May’s denial that she plans to abandon the backstop, holding talks with Northern Irish parties, Merkel putting pressure on Ireland and May’s visit to Brussels. 

May denies she plans to abandon backstop
The Daily Telegraph says that Theresa May is now on a ‘collision course’ with the DUP and Eurosceptic backbenchers after she told business leaders in Northern Ireland that she was ‘not proposing’ to get rid of the Northern Irish backstop, and just wanted ‘changes’ to it including addressing ‘the potentially indefinite nature of the backstop’. She reiterated that she had an ‘unshakeable’ commitment to avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland.

May to hold talks with Northern Irish parties
The BBC reports that Theresa May is to use the second day of her visit to Northern Ireland to hold talks with its five main political parties, discussing both Brexit and the collapse of the Northern Ireland Assembly. Separately, Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is in Brussels for discussions about Brexit, while the Government’s Alternative Arrangements Working Group of MPs will conclude its discussions about alternatives to the backstop.

Merkel puts pressure on Ireland over backstop
The Times claims that the German Chancellor Angela Merkel is attempting to rescue the Brexit deal by pressuring Ireland to abandon its insistence on the backstop, suggesting that it could be solved through what the paper describes as ‘a combination of technology and a sophisticated customs scheme’, perhaps by adding extra clauses in the agreement committing both sides to develop alternative arrangements during the transition period.

May to visit Brussels for talks
The Guardian reports that Theresa May is visiting Brussels tomorrow for Brexit talks, meeting both the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and the European Council President Donald Tusk. She is expected to seek the reopening of the Withdrawal Agreement after the Brady amendment calling for an alternative to the backstop passed yesterday.

Fox considering zero tariffs in no-deal Brexit scenario
The Financial Times says that International Trade Secretary Liam Fox is considering reducing tariffs on most imports to zero in the event of a no-deal Brexit, in an attempt to keep consumer prices low. However, critics warn that this would damage British manufacturers and reduce other countries’ incentive to agree trade deals with the UK.

Fully driverless car trials could be underway by end of year
The Times says that advanced trials of fully driverless cars on public roads will be possible by the end of the year as the Government is to end the requirement for a dedicated safety driver, subject to a strict application process. However, critics have raised safety concerns about the proposals.

Children’s Commissioner proposes fines for social media firms
The Daily Telegraph reports that the Children’s Commissioner, Anne Longfield, has commissioned a law firm to draft a bill to introduce a statutory duty of care to protect children online, which could lead to social media firms being fined millions of pounds, and is urging the Government to adopt it. Labour is to commit to a similar policy.

Labour membership falls
In an exclusive, Labour membership figures have been leaked to The Mirror showing that it has fallen to 512,000, a decline of around 10% since December 2017. However, this suggests that the party is still over four times larger than the Conservatives, based on membership figures released in March 2018.

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Today’s political headlines include ministers considering withholding £60m from Nissan, Truss says women should be less ‘squeamish’ about money making, Government intervention called for over cost of cystic fibrosis drug and Government sets up group of MPs to find backstop alternative. 

Ministers considering withholding £60m package from Nissan
According to The Times, the Government is considering withdrawing a £60m support package from Nissan, after it reversed its promise to build the next generation of its X-Trail SUV in Sunderland, giving the Government less than 24-hours’ notice. Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Greg Clark said that while ‘no jobs will be lost’, the development was a ‘blow to the sector and the region’.

Women should be less ‘squeamish’ about money making, Truss says
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liz Truss has told The Daily Telegraph that women should be less ‘squeamish’ about making money, claiming that female entrepreneurs often find a money-making focus ‘vulgar’ but that they should instead ‘celebrate’ profits. The Treasury is to release a report today showing that female start-up founders are missing out on investment.

Government intervention called for over cost of cystic fibrosis drug
In an exclusive, The Guardian says that campaigners are calling on the Government to intervene over the cost of the drug Orkambi which tackles the cost of cystic fibrosis. Negotiations between the NHS and the manufacturers have been in ‘stalemate’ since July. They’d like the Government to set aside the drug’s patent in the national interest.

Government sets up group of MPs to find backstop alternative
The BBC reports that the Government has established an Alternative Arrangements Working Group made up of leave and remain MPs to try and find a way of avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland, after the ‘Malthouse Compromise’ plan gained what the Government called ‘significant support’. The group of MPs will have regular meetings with Stephen Barclay, the Brexit Secretary, and senior civil servants.

Johnson claims early election may be ‘scare tactic’
Writing for The Daily Telegraph, Boris Johnson claims that preparation for a snap election may be a ‘scare tactic’ designed to encourage Tory MPs to back Theresa May’s Brexit deal. He described the idea of an election this year as ‘lunacy’ because the ‘big questions’ about Brexit still haven’t been answered. Yesterday, Home Secretary Sajid Javid said that voters ‘would never forgive us’ if an early election was called.

Centrist Labour MPs plot split
The Times claims at a group of centrist Labour MPs are discussing leaving the party to create their own centrist political group, although a member of the group told the paper that though a split would be inevitable, it would not happen soon as ‘we’re all looking to the next set of Commons Brexit votes at the moment’.

Hancock to meet Instagram boss
The Daily Telegraph reports that Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock is to meet the worldwide Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, on Thursday, to tell him to enforce the service’s ban on under-13s creating profiles, and to use Instagram’s experience in removing terrorist-related content to remove suicide and self-harm content.

NHS to use smart meters to track dementia patients
The Daily Mail says that the NHS is to use energy smart meters to track dementia patients at home, flagging up sudden changes of routine which might indicate that they need help and alerting relatives or carers. Privacy campaigners have raised concerns about the meters, but a trial is due to begin in Liverpool later this year.

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Today’s political headlines include Barnier’s rejection of a backstop renegotiation, May and Corbyn’s talk, Sajid Javid’s knife crime measure criticised and May prepares to woo Labour MPs with cash. 

Barnier says the backstop is here to stay
The BBC reports on remarks by Michel Barnier where he says that the Irish backstop cannot be renegotiated. The EU’s chief negotiator was speaking in the European Parliament where he suggested that there are no other realistic solutions to the issue. These remarks came after the House of Commons voted to get the Prime Minister to seek another arrangement. The story reports that both Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker echoed the remarks of Barnier.

May and Corbyn has ‘serious and engaged’ talk on a possible customs union
The Guardian reports on a discussion between Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn where they discussed Brexit. The outcome of the meeting is that both Number 10 and Labour are disagreeing on whether May would be willing to soften her opposition to a customs union with the EU after Brexit. The Labour leader met May after MPs voted against a no-deal scenario, this is something Corbyn had previously refused to rule out. The two are expected to meet again with the next few days.

Sajid Javid’s measures to tackle knife crime criticised
The Mirror report on criticism from bereaved parents and anti-knife crime campaigners directed at the Home Secretary’s measures to try to tackle knife crime. Some of the measures picked up on is limiting the use of social media of suspects, curfews and geographical restrictions. Campaigners want the Government to stop intervening and allow the police to enforce the law under the current laws, one of the other major criticisms is the legislation will not solve anything if communities are not worked with. Javid has an article in the Telegraph where he states his own concerns with his own children when they are on a night out.

May prepares to offer Labour MPs cash injection to Leave constituencies
The Times are reporting that Theresa May is planning to win round Labour MPs by offering investment in Leave-backing areas of the country. May is hoping to secure the backing of 20 Labour MPs in the next vote on the withdrawal agreement, with discussions taking place directly between Number 10 and MPs including John Mann and Kevin Barron, without the involvement of Jeremy Corbyn.

Tom Watson v Tony the Tiger
The Sun report on remarks made by Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, Tom Watson at the  Advertising Association conference where he took aim at cereals and how they encourage a sugary diet. Watson said food adverts should encourage people to go to work on an egg not obesity inducing cereal. Watson called for companies to take action and remove characters from their packaging and pledged that if advertisers take these steps he will be their biggest advocate when Labour is next in power.

Wright urges social media companies to more to tackle harmful content
Writing in The Daily Telegraph ahead of a speech today, Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright has told social media giants that they must do more to address the promotion of harmful online content, threatening sanctions against those who do not address the issue. Wright will outline the Government’s approach ahead of a White Paper, which will further detail the responsibilities of social media companies.

People scared to speak about Christian persecution says Jeremy Hunt
As reported by The Sun, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said that people are scared to speak up on the persecution of Christians as they fear they could be linked to “misguided imperialism”.  This comes after his department launched a review of Britain’s support for persecuted Christians. At the launch of the review he said 80% of religious persecution around the globe is against Christians, he also said that this is not about protecting Christians but fighting all religious persecution.

PM’s Europe Adviser warned the PM against renegotiating with Brussels
The Telegraph reports that Oliver Robbins told Theresa May this week that her plan to renegotiate her own Brexit deal was not going to work. He allegedly raised concerns over the so-called Malthouse-compromise to secure changes to the Northern Ireland backstop.

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Today’s political headlines include the May’s fortnight to pass deal, warnings from Irish Foreign Minister, Philip May’s pivotal role and the extremely valuable amendment. 

Pro-European ministers give May a fortnight to pass deal
The Daily Telegraph says that a dozen pro-European Government ministers held a phone call last night in which they decided that Theresa May had a fortnight to secure her deal with the EU and hold a second meaningful vote, abandoning a possible rebellion to support Yvette Cooper’s amendment ruling out a no-deal Brexit. The Times adds that Conservative MPs who voted for May’s deal are preparing to push for a softer Brexit if Cooper’s amendment passes tomorrow, and that Downing Street is ‘desperate’ to stop it from doing so.

Irish minister warns that the backstop ‘isn’t going to change’
The Guardian claims that Theresa May has suffered a ‘blow’ after the Irish Foreign Minister, Simon Coveney, warned that the backstop ‘isn’t going to change’, was only in the Brexit agreement because of red lines set by the UK, and was expanded to cover the whole of the UK at the request of the British government.

May’s husband plays ‘pivotal role’ in Brexit strategy
The Daily Telegraph reveals that Philip May, the Prime Minister’s husband, has assumed a ‘pivotal role’ in a disagreement between those, such as Gavin Barwell and David Lidington, who want to build a consensus with Labour, and others include Julian Smith, Brandon Lewis and Robbie Gibb who have warned that if May does not gain the support of Brexiteers and the DUP she may destroy her party, with her husband backing the latter faction.

Hancock describes Irish backstop amendment as ‘extremely valuable’
According to The Times, Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock has described the work done by those backing an amendment tabled by Sir Graham Brady calling for the Northern Ireland backstop to be replaced by ‘alternative arrangements’ as ‘extremely valuable. The paper says this is ‘the clearest indication yet’ that Downing Street is backing the amendment, but Government sources fear the Speaker won’t select it to be voted on.

May secretly rules-out a no-deal Brexit
In an exclusive, The Sun claims that Theresa May has told Cabinet ministers that she won’t pursue a no-deal Brexit, but cannot yet say so publicly because it would weaken her hand in negotiations with the EU. A senior Tory told the paper that the Prime Minister is ‘terrified’ of job losses resulting from such a scenario.

Hancock pressures social media firms to tackle harmful content
The Financial Times says that Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock has ‘stepped up the pressure’ on social media firms to tackle content which may encourage self-harm and suicide, saying that the Government could ‘legislate if we need to’, although ‘it would be far better to do it in concert’ with the companies.

Senior Tories back attempt to end indefinite detention of immigrants
The Guardian reports that Harriet Harman has secured the backing of senior Conservatives such as David Davis for an amendment to the Immigration Bill which would stop people from being indefinitely held in immigration detention centres. Harman said that the support meant that she was ‘very confident’ that the Home Office would accept her amendment.

Government to offer teachers cash in effort to solve shortage
The BBC says that Government is publishing new plans today in an attempt to increase teacher retention and solve the teacher shortage in England. The plans will offer some young teachers payments of £5000 in their third and fifth years teaching, more support for training and a reduced teaching timetable.

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Today’s political headlines include May discussing Brexit plans with union leaders, Barnier’s warning that no-deal is still the default, Minister meet secretly to stop no-deal and Dutch in effort to lure British companies. 

May to discuss Brexit plan with union leaders
The BBC says that Theresa May is to meet the leaders of Unison, the TUC, Unite and the GMB in an attempt to discuss her Brexit plan today. Yesterday she met the leaders of the devolved administrations, but Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister, said that there ‘wasn’t much indication that the Prime Minister is listening’ while Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford claimed that May ‘repeated many of her red lines’.

Barnier warns that no-deal Brexit is still the ‘default’
The Guardian reports that Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, has warned that Yvette Cooper’s plan to stop a no-deal Brexit will fail as this was the ‘default’ unless there was ‘a positive majority for another solution’. The paper adds that Labour ‘looks set’ to whip its MPs to support Cooper’s amendment in order to rule out a no-deal scenario.

Ministers meet secretly to stop no-deal Brexit
The Daily Telegraph reveals that almost 20 ministers, including five Cabinet members, have been holding secret meetings to discuss preventing a no-deal Brexit. One member refers to the group as the ‘hair-shirt club’. Those attending include Philip Hammond, Amber Rudd, Greg Clarke, David Gauke and Claire Perry, as well as business minister Richard Harrington, who told the paper that his ‘clear objective is to stop the nonsense of a hard Brexit.’

Dutch in effort to lure British companies after Brexit
According to The Times, the Dutch investment agency has announced that it is talks with over 250 British companies about relocating to the Netherlands after Brexit. The country has tax-breaks for newly arrived workers and foreign banks who relocated could avoid a cap on bonuses. The Financial Times reports that Airbus Chief Executive Tom Enders has used a video to warn people not to ‘listen to the Brexiteers’ madness which asserts that, because we have huge plants here, we will not move and we will always be here. They are wrong’.

Rees-Mogg suggests Queen should shut down Parliament
The Sun reports that Jacob Rees-Mogg has called on Theresa May to ask the Queen to progue Parliament if MPs vote to prevent a no-deal Brexit, although he claimed that he wanted to avoid a ‘constitutional crisis’. He confirmed that he could not vote for the deal ‘as long as the backstop is there’. Tory MP Nick Boles accused Rees-Mogg of a ‘coup’.

Corbyn attacks Government over Davos attendance
The Guardian says that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has accused the Government of wasting time at a ‘billionaire’s jamboree’ after it emerged that a quarter of the Cabinet are attending the World Economic Forum at Davos this week. In its defence, Downing Street said that the event was ‘an opportunity to discuss investment opportunities into the UK’.

Hancock unveils plan to tackle antibiotic resistant infections
The Times reports that Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock will use today’s launch of a 20-year plan to fight antibiotic resistant infections to announce that the NHS will pay companies up front for producing an effective new drug, in a commitment which could cost the public purse millions of pounds. Hancock said that this would make firms ‘more likely to invest the more than a billion dollars it costs to bring a new drug to market’.

JCB hires Davis for £3,000 an hour
The Mirror reports that JCB has employed former Brexit Secretary David Davis as an advisor, paying him £60,000 for 20 hours work. The Labour MP Ian Murray said this was ‘an absolute insult to the people of the UK who have been left facing deeper austerity and increased living costs as a result of the calamitous Brexit he campaigned for and still supports.’

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Today’s political headlines include May seeking changes to the backstop, Rudd warning that 40 ministers may quit to prevent no-deal, Labour tables an amendment for a second referendum and Robbins casts doubt on Brexit plan. 

May to seek changes to backstop, as MPs put forward alternative plans
The BBC reports that Theresa May used her statement yesterday to say that she was going to seek changes to the Irish backstop from the EU, and axed the £65 fee that EU citizens were to be charged to remain in the country. Labour has tabled an amendment calling for MPs to vote on Brexit options, and on a further referendum. Both Rachel Reeves and Yvette Cooper have put forward plans to extend the Article 50 negotiating period, while Hilary Benn has tabled an amendment calling for a non-binding vote on different options.

Rudd warns that 40 ministers may quit to prevent no-deal Brexit
The Times claims that Amber Rudd, the Work and Pensions Secretary, has demanded that Theresa May gives all Conservative MPs a free vote on extending Article 50 and stopping a no-deal Brexit, otherwise up to 40 ministers will resign. Business minister Richard Harrington has confirmed that he will quit if a no-deal Brexit is pursued, while culture minister Margot James and defence minister Tobias Ellwood are apparently also considering their position.

Labour tables amendment calling for vote on a second referendum
The Guardian reports that Labour has tabled a compromise amendment calling for MPs to vote on holding a second referendum, although it does not commit the party to supporting it. Labour’s alternative Brexit plan has been criticised by the People’s Vote campaign for having ‘little regard for what could actually be delivered’ because it proposes the UK staying in a customs union in a strong relationship with the single market.

Robbins uses text to Chancellor to cast doubt on Brexit plan
The Daily Telegraph claims that Oliver Robbins, the chief Brexit negotiator, texted Chancellor Philip Hammond during a Cabinet conference call to warn that the idea of renegotiating the backstop was ‘for the birds’. According to the paper, a Government source confirmed that a text had been sent, but claimed the content had been ‘misrepresented’.

Second referendum amendment could be tabled today
The Sun reports that pro-EU MPs may table an amendment calling for a second referendum today. Conservative Dr Sarah Wollaston is in talks with MPs from other parties about the ‘Doctor’s Amendment’, so called because other signatories will include her fellow Tory Dr Philip Lee, Dr Paul Williams from Labour and Dr Philippa Whitford from the SNP.

Barnier tells May not to focus on the backstop
The Guardian reports that the EU’s Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, has called on Theresa May to move away from renegotiating the backstop, saying that to secure support in Parliament she needed to focus ‘much more on the future relationship between the EU and the UK’, adding that the EU was ‘ready to work again on the political declaration’.

MPs call for register of online trolls
The Daily Telegraph says that the Commons Petitions Committee has called for trolls who were convicted of online abuse to be listed on a government register, claiming that current legislation is ‘not fit for purpose’ and media firms had failed to self-regulate. The committee was responding to a petition from over 220,000 people put forward by Katie Price, whose disable son has been subjected to online trolling.

Osamor used House of Commons notepaper to beg for son to avoid jail
The Times reports that Labour MP Kate Osamor may face a parliamentary inquiry after it emerged that she had written to a judge on House of Commons notepaper begging for her ‘beautiful son’, who works as her chief of staff, to be spared jail after he was convicted of possessing drugs with intent to supply.

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Today’s political headlines include May warned of mass resignations if she tries to stop MPs from blocking no-deal Brexit, Corbyn warned of resignations if he backs another referendum, Bercow may miss out on peerage and UK could extend EU membership without electing new MEPs. 

May warned of mass resignations if she tries to stop MPs from blocking no-deal Brexit
The Daily Telegraph reveals that Theresa May has been warned by members of her Cabinet that she will face ‘mass resignations’ if she tries to stop MPs from blocking a no-deal Brexit, with up to ’20 mid-ranking ministers’ have indicated that they are prepared to quit the Government to do so. One Cabinet minister has told the paper that the Prime Minister would be ‘wise’ to give a free vote on the issue. The paper has also obtained Cabinet Office guidance suggesting that a second referendum would take over a year to organise.

Frontbenchers might resign if Corbyn backed another referendum
The Guardian claims that up to a dozen Labour frontbenchers might resign if Jeremy Corbyn were to back a second referendum on Brexit. The paper claims that ‘a string of junior shadow ministers’ have told the paper that they worry that doing so would lead to a backlash in constituencies which voted to leave the EU. The Times adds that a number of Labour MPs have defied their leadership’s instructions by meeting Theresa May for talks on Brexit yesterday, claiming that both May and Corbyn ‘are battling not to be sidelined’.

Government may not give Bercow peerage
The Times suggests that John Bercow might be the first Speaker in 230 years not to be given a peerage by the Government. A Cabinet source told the paper that they couldn’t ‘imagine we would look favourably on those who’ve cheated centuries of procedure’ and insiders have said that the Prime Minister has the power to refuse to award the peerage.

UK could extend EU membership without electing new MEPs
European Parliament legal advice has been leaked to the Financial Times, showing that the UK would be able to extend its membership of the EU beyond this summer without needing to elect MEPs. The UK would not have any seats, but they would only be reallocated to other members once Brexit has happened. However, some European Commission and Council lawyers are concerned that this would undermine the parliament’s authority.

Johnson to make pitch for Tory leadership
The Daily Mail says that Boris Johnson will today make a ‘thinly-veiled pitch for the Tory leadership’ at the HQ of JCB in Staffordshire. He will call for ‘no new taxes’, express his concerns about the ‘worrying’ gap between London and the rest of the country, and call for investment in ‘great public services’.

UK fails to agree post-Brexit trade deals
The Financial Times has obtained a Government memo which shows that the UK has not finalised most of the trade deals needed to replace the 40 agreements made by the EU, and will not have done so by the time the UK leaves the EU on 29 March. Without a transition period, the memo warns, most of these deals will lapse.

Hitachi ditches plans for nuclear power stations
The Times claims that the UK’s plans for new nuclear power stations are now ‘in disarray’ after Hitachi announced that it was suspending plans for two plants and writing off £2bn spent on preparations. This follows the decision of Toshiba to pull out of a project in November. The Government is currently developing a new way to finance nuclear plants.

Plans for calories on menus may be abandoned
According to The Sun plans to force restaurants to include calorie information on menus may be abandoned by the Government, with Chancellor Philip Hammond and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liz Truss claiming that the policy would be burdensome for businesses, especially small ones. The Department of Health and Social Care is also unsupportive.

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Today’s political headlines include May’s historic defeat over Brexit deal, Cabinet split over way forward, Corbyn fails to raise the possibility of a second referendum and Hammond suggests Article 50 could be extended. 

May suffers historic defeat over Brexit deal
As The Times reports, last night Theresa May suffered a ‘historic defeat’ over her Brexit deal, with 202 MPs voting in favour of her plan and 432 against. She has now called for cross-party talks, although according to the paper, a spokesperson said that she would be ‘determined to preserve her interpretation of the referendum result’ in these. Labour has now called a motion of no confidence to be voted on this evening, but the support of Brexiteers and the DUP means that the Government is likely to win.

Cabinet split over way forward
According to The Daily Telegraph, the Cabinet is ‘deeply divided’ over its response to the Brexit defeat. Ministers including Philip Hammond, Amber Rudd and Greg Clark support a series of indicative votes by MPs on alternative outcomes such as an Article 50 extension or a second referendum, but others, such as Jeremy Hunt, Andrea Leadsom and Chris Grayling oppose removing the ‘no deal’ option. Damian Hinds, Karen Bradley and James Brokenshire reportedly support May bringing the deal back for another vote.

Corbyn fails to raise possibility of a second referendum
The Guardian claims that Jeremy Corbyn has ‘risked antagonising’ remain supporters in his party after he failed to refer to the possibility of a second referendum in either of his speeches yesterday evening, arguing that ‘a general election would be the best outcome for the country’. The Times adds that if Labour’s vote of no confidence in the Government fails today, the party could make further attempts in ‘a sustained campaign’.

Hammond suggests that Article 50 could be extended
The Financial Times says that Chancellor Philip Hammond used a conference call with businesses leaders last night to suggest that the Article 50 period to negotiate Brexit could be extended and that a consensus needed to be built in Parliament. He also said that the Government would not put ‘obstacles’ in the way of Nick Boles’ plans to block a no-deal Brexit and let MPs find a workable Brexit solution.

DUP calls for ‘fundamental change’
The Daily Telegraph reports that DUP leader Arlene Foster said that the rejection of May’s deal by MPs showed that she needed to ‘seek fundamental change to the Withdrawal Agreement’ from the EU, while Boris Johnson claimed that the vote gave May a ‘massive mandate’ for renegotiation and also called on the Government to prepare ‘for no-deal with ever more enthusiasm’.

Cross-party plan suggests delaying Brexit until December
According to The Times, a bill published by backbench Conservatives Nick Boles, Sir Oliver Letwin and Nicky Morgan, backed by Labour MPs Hilary Benn and Yvette Cooper, would strip the Government of its power to set the Brexit terms, leaving this to MPs, and if this failed would compel the Prime Minister to request an extension of Article 50 until December.

Tusk suggests UK should cancel Brexit
The Daily Mail says that European Council President Donald Tusk has suggested that the UK should remain in the EU, asking ‘If a deal is impossible, and no one wants no deal, then who will finally have the courage to say what the only positive solution is?’ European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has warned that the changes of a ‘disorderly withdrawal’ have increased and that the ‘time is almost up’.

Lords backs upskirting ban
The BBC reports that the House of Lords has approved a bill outlawing upskirting in a victory for campaigner Gina Martin, who was upskirted at a music festival 18 months ago, and Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse who introduced a private members’ bill as a result.

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