Archive for: Political Database

Today’s political headlines are dominated by Brexit with Theresa May under pressure to publish Brexit legal advice and her meeting with NATO leaders ahead of the outline deal. There’s also a call to scrap the benefits freeze and Javid telling the Met chief to ‘step up’ the fight against knife crime. 

May under pressure to publish Brexit legal advice
Theresa May is facing mounting pressure to publish the full legal advice she has been given on the Irish backstop. The Sun reports that Labour has allied with Tory rebels – including Jacob Rees Mogg and Environment Secretary Michael Gove – in order to force May to release the information. Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer has threatened to use ‘parliamentary procedures’ if May refuses to do so.

May heads to Brussels to meet with NATO leaders
The Sun reports on the Prime Minister’s trip to Brussels for a dinner with NATO leaders ahead of the outline Brexit deal. It is said she will also take the opportunity to hold talks with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, before travelling to Paris to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Tories call on May to scrap benefits freeze
The Times reports that Theresa May has been advised by fellow party members to put an end to the ‘immoral’ freeze on benefits. May has been warned that failing to do so would damage the party at the next election.

Javid tells Met Chief to ‘step up’ in fight against knife crime
The Financial Times reports that Home Secretary Sajid Javid has told Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Cressida Dick to ‘step up’ and get violent crime ‘under control’ after five fatalities in the past six days in London.

Prince Charles: ‘I won’t be a meddling King’
The Telegraph reports that ahead of his 70th birthday, Prince Charles publicly vowed that he will not be a ‘meddling king’ but will operate within the constitutional parameters set out for a monarch. The Prince, who has always had the reputation of interfering in public life on issues like architecture and environment, said that he completely acknowledges the fact that his role as the King will be completely different to his role as the Prince of Wales.

France and UK must strengthen links ‘to hedge against Trump’
The Guardian reports that in order to hedge against the unpredictability of Donald Trump’s White House, France and the UK need to overcome the risks of Brexit and ‘deepen their military alliance’. According to former French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve and former head of NATO George Robertson, there is a need for British and French intelligence agencies to work together to make sure that military forces are shared and concessions are made in the Brexit talks between UK and Brussels to bring the two allies closer together.

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Today’s political headlines include EU preparations to back border compromise, pointlessly cruel benefit sanctions, a stealth death tax and advice for pet owners planning European visits after Brexit. 

EU prepares to back border compromise as May pressures Eurosceptic ministers
The Times claims that the EU is preparing to back a compromise on the Irish border in order to resolve the Brexit negotiations in which the UK would be offered an ‘independent mechanism’ for ending a temporary customs arrangement between the two sides. The Financial Times adds that Theresa May is to pile pressure on Eurosceptic cabinet ministers today, warning them that time is running out and the Government will soon have to tell businesses to start spending money on no-deal Brexit preparations.

Benefit sanctions ‘pointlessly cruel’, MPs claim
The BBC says that a new report by the Commons Work and Pensions Committee warns that the Government’s benefits sanctions are ‘pointlessly cruel’, with single parents, care leavers and people with disabilities and health conditions ‘disproportionately vulnerable’. The Department for Work and Pensions insisted that its sanctions are ‘reasonable’ and ‘only used in the minority of cases’.

Government introduces ‘stealth death tax’
The Daily Mail warns of what it calls a ‘stealth death tax’, after the Government announced an increase in the cost of obtaining probate, with around 280,000 families having to pay more than the current £215, with 56,000 becoming liable for £2,500-£6,000. Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable says the increase could ‘cause a lot of families a great deal of difficulty’.

Pet owners planning European visit after Brexit urged to visit vets
According to The Daily Telegraph, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Michael Gove will today warn pet owners planning to travel with their pets after March 2019 to see a vet this month to ensure that they can still visit Europe in the event of a no-deal Brexit, which would lead to more stringent requirements including acquiring a £55 certificate.

Hammond admits lobbying led to delay in maximum stake reduction
The Times reports that Philip Hammond admitted to the Commons Treasury Committee yesterday that he delayed the implementation of the maximum stake for Fixed-Odds Betting Terminals because of lobbying from the industry. He told the committee that delaying the change would mean more of the 15,000-21,000 job losses would be voluntary, but committee chair Nicky Morgan warned of the impact of the delay on those addicted.

Culture Secretary admits he doesn’t subscribe to newspapers
The Guardian reports that Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Jeremy Wright told the Society of Editors conference yesterday that quality journalism was ‘not sufficiently rewarded’, but admitted to not subscribing to any British newspapers or magazines, instead reading a summary of news and comment, and only named a female columnist he liked reading after being asked five times.

£7bn hole in defence budget
The Daily Mail carries details of a new report by the National Audit Office that warns that the Ministry of Defence needs to find ‘immediate’ savings owning to a £7bn hole in the department’s budget. As a result, the department’s 10-year plan, covering 2018 to 2028, remains ‘unaffordable’ and it is considering deferring or delaying projects.

MPs warn against returning gold to Venezuela
The Daily Telegraph says that MPs from both Labour and the Conservatives have warned that if the Bank of England returns £422m worth of gold bars it holds to the Venezuelan Government as it is seeking, there is a risk that it will be used, in the words of Labour MP Graham Jones, to help the ‘Boligarchs line their own pockets’.

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Today’s political headlines include Crouch’s resignation over the gambling machine stake cut delay, Banks investigated over Brexit donations, Cameron’s aim to return at Foreign Secretary and Rudd was failed by officials. 

Crouch resigns over gambling machine stake cut delay
The Daily Telegraph reports that sports minister Tracey Crouch has resigned over a decision to delay the reduction in the maximum stake for fixed-odds betting terminals. She warned in her resignation letter that £1.6bn would be lost in machines because of the delay and claimed that ministers had made ‘commitments’ to MPs with ‘registered interests’, a reference to those who have received donations from the industry. The paper warns that 35 backbench Tories could back an amendment to the finance bill on the topic later this month.

Banks investigated over Brexit donations
The Times reports that Brexit donor Arron Banks is being investigated by the National Crime Agency over allegations that he hid the source of illegal overseas donations. The investigation concerns a loan of £2m to Better for the Country by Banks and his insurance companies and a further gift of £6m from Banks on behalf of Leave.EU. Damián Collins, Chair of the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee has called for Banks ‘to put beyond doubt and suspicion that Russian money was not involved in the referendum effort’.

Cameron aims for return to frontline politics
The Sun asserts that David Cameron has told friends that he would like to return to frontline politics and wants to be Foreign Secretary, claiming that he is now bored. The paper adds that Boris Johnson has given up on his ambition to be the next Conservative leader, fearing being humiliated by finishing fourth or fifth.

Rudd failed by officials, leaked report shows
The Times says that a leaked report shows that Amber Rudd was failed by senior officials while she was Home Secretary, leading her to have to resign after telling a committee of MPs that there weren’t targets for the removal of illegal immigrants. The report, to be published today, reveals that mistakes by officials led to Rudd not being properly informed.

Labour to remove hunting loopholes
In an exclusive, The Guardian reports that a Labour Government would strengthen the 2004 Hunting Act in order to remove loopholes. According to campaigners, hunting is continuing under the cover of trail hunting, with convictions falling to historic lows and the National Wildlife Crime Unit suffering cuts to its funding.

EU proposes new backstop compromise
The Financial Times claims that the EU’s Brexit negotiators have floated a new compromise backstop proposal in which the withdrawal agreement would contain a ‘bare-bones’ all-UK customs union with the EU, avoiding the need for a second customs treaty after Brexit, while Northern Ireland would be in a deeper customs union. This temporary measure would remain in place until a permanent trade agreement is in place

Labour MPs defy whip and vote to oppose tax cuts
The Guardian reports that twenty Labour MPs, including Lisa Nandy, Lucy Powell and Yvette Cooper, defied their whip to vote with the Liberal Democrats against the Government’s tax cuts for middle and high earners. Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell said that he did not oppose the cuts because he didn’t want to ‘take money out of people’s pockets’.

Councils told to prepare for no-deal Brexit
According to The Mirror, a leaked briefing reveals that councils are being told to prepare for three months of disruption in a no-deal Brexit. The minutes of a recent Local Resilience Forum meeting reveal that councils should plan for ‘reasonable worst case scenarios’ such as runs on fuel, food and banks, and to report to central government every eight hours.

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Today’s political headlines follow yesterday’s Autumn Budget and cover Hammond’s spending, Labour’s criticisms, the Brexit ‘double deal dividend’ and the digital services tax.

Hammond’s ‘giveaway’ Budget
The Times calls yesterday’s Budget ‘the biggest giveaway’ since the Conservatives came to power in 2010 as Hammond used his windfall from higher growth and lower deficit forecasts to ease austerity with £103bn of extra spending. Headline measures include tax cuts for 32m workers and funding for the NHS spending increase announced earlier in the year, as well as emergency cash injections for schools, freezes on beer and spirit duty and more money for Northern Ireland.

Labour criticises Budget for ‘broken promises’
The BBC reports that Labour has attacked claims by the Chancellor that austerity is ending, with Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell warning that benefit cuts are continuing and Jeremy Corbyn suggesting that the Budget was full of ‘broken promises’. The Resolution Foundation thinktank notes that changes to income tax thresholds will give the poorest families £30, compared to £410 for the richest.

Hammond promises Brexit ‘double deal dividend’
The Daily Telegraph says that Hammond promised a ‘double deal dividend’ if the UK reaches a Brexit deal with the EU as the economy would benefit from the ‘end of uncertainty’. However, he warned that an emergency Budget in the spring was possible if the outlook ‘changes materially’ and he would take ‘whatever action is necessary’.

Tech firms targeted with digital services tax
The Guardian reports that Hammond is targeting US tech firms such as Google, Facebook and Amazon with a digital services tax, as the UK can no longer wait for a global consensus on the route forward. He expects the tax to raise more than £400m a year, but the Office of Budget Responsibility believes that the major tech companies might pay just £30m each.

£3bn boost for Universal Credit
The Sun says that almost £3bn was spent on a rescue package for Universal Credit, reversing over half of the cuts made to the benefit by George Osborne. As a result, the paper calls Hammond ‘Mr Increditable’. The Chancellor claimed that 2.4m families would benefit from £630 more a year.

Budget welcomed by business groups
According to the Financial Times, the Budget was welcomed by business groups. The CBI said it offered ‘significant support for investment’ and the Federation of Small Businesses said that it was Hammond’s ‘first small-business friendly Budget’, particularly welcoming the freezing of the VAT threshold. However, business groups have also warned of the continuing uncertainty caused by Brexit. 

Hammond kills off PFI
The Times reports that Hammond has committed to no longer use PFI schemes following the collapse of Carillion earlier this year, with existing schemes to be managed by ‘centres of best practice’. According to the paper, the Treasury is looking at new funding models, such as a national infrastructure bank.

Unpopular measures hidden in the detail
The Daily Mirror reveals 13 details from the Budget it says Hammond ‘won’t want you to read’. They include the poorest in society not benefitting, a new plastic tax taking four years to introduce, a six-month delay to cutting stakes on fixed-odds betting terminals and a tax on vaping.

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Today’s political headlines include Hain’s claims that Sir Philip Green was responsible for the injunction dominating the press, Javid admits officials illegally requested DNA samples, DWP in denial over Universal Credit and May postpones her plans to present revised Brexit proposals. 

Hain claims Sir Philip Green was responsible for injunction
As The Daily Telegraph reports, Lord Hain used parliamentary privilege to claim that the businessman Sir Philip Green was the subject of an injunction preventing the paper from running a story. Following the revelation, MPs including Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable and Frank Field suggested that Green should lose his knighthood. Green refused to comment on events in Parliament but denied any ‘unlawful sexual or racist behaviour’.

Javid admits officials illegally requested DNA samples
The Times reports that Home Secretary Sajid Javid admitted yesterday that officials from his department had been illegally requiring DNA samples from people who wanted to stay in or visit the UK. Those affected include children of Gurkhas and Afghan translators who worked for the British military, but the scale of the error isn’t known. Javid said that those affected would be reimbursed.

Department of Work and Pensions ‘in denial’ about Universal Credit
The Daily Mirror says that a new report by the Commons Public Accounts Committee has found that Universal Credit is creating ‘unacceptable hardship’ for many claimants, accusing the Department of Work and Pensions of being ‘in denial’ about the benefit and being unable to make improvements as a result.

May postpones plans to present revised Brexit proposals to Cabinet
According to The Sun, Theresa May cancelled plans to present revised Brexit proposals to her Cabinet yesterday because they were not ready. In a reference to Attorney General Geoffrey Cox, who has emerged as a critic of May’s strategy, a source told the paper that the plan needed ‘Cox-proofing’. The paper suggests that May has just ten days to agree her offer to the EU if a November summit of EU leaders to discuss it is to go ahead.

Hannan claims EU citizens in UK will be able to vote
The Guardian reports that Brexiteer MEP Daniel Hannan told his colleagues via WhatsApp that he had seen part of the draft Brexit withdrawal agreement and that it would give EU citizens voting rights in England and Northern Ireland (they are devolved in Scotland and Wales). He described this as an ‘odd decision’, claiming that bilateral agreements should be reached with each country instead.

Defence to be given £500m bail out in Budget
In an exclusive, The Sun reveals that Chancellor Philip Hammond is to announce a £500m bailout for the Ministry of Defence in Monday’s Budget. However, he has insisted that the department will not get ‘special treatment’ and its long-term funding will be settled in spring’s spending review.

Raab warns of French ‘go slow approach’ in no-deal Brexit
The Daily Mail says that Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab has warned that the UK should be ready for a ‘go slow approach’ by the French in the case of a no-deal Brexit, although he believes that border issues in such a scenario could be ‘alleviated’ through ‘pragmatism on both sides’.

MPs recommend that FCA regulates commercial lending
The Financial Times carries details of a new report by the House of Commons Treasury Committee, which concludes that commercial lending should be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The committee’s inquiry followed scandals over the way small businesses were treated by RBS and HBOS.

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Today’s political headlines include May’s Brexit plans compared to the first circle of hell, rogue landlords exploiting loopholes, three MPs quit committee over bullying scandal and annual spending needs to increase £31bn to meet austerity promise. 

May’s Brexit plans compared to ‘first circle of hell’ at Cabinet meeting
The Times claims that leaked Cabinet papers show that Theresa May’s Brexit plan could lead to a ‘long-running’ multiyear implementation period with an ‘annual decision point’ to review its extension. Various ministers raised concerns at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, including Attorney General Geoffrey Cox who compared the plans to Dante’s ‘first circle of hell’. The Financial Times adds that the ‘stormy’ meeting greeted plans to charter ships to import food and medicines in a no-deal Brexit scenario with ‘disbelief’ and that the Cabinet will now discuss Brexit preparations on a weekly basis. The Sun says that Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington called for more compromises, adding that he was the only attendee to have been an MP when Black Wednesday happened and that ‘level of chaos’ could not be repeated. May will address the 1922 Committee of backbench Tories this evening.

Rogue landlords exploit loopholes to continue renting out properties
An investigation by The Guardian and ITV has found that convicted landlords who have been found unsuitable to rent out property are exploiting legal loopholes in order to continue to do so. Additionally, the investigation reveals that more than six months after its launch by the Government, no entries have been made to the rogue landlord database and the Government has admitted that the public won’t be able to find out if any are.

Three MPs quit committee chaired by Bercow over bullying scandal
The Guardian reports that three Conservative MPs have resigned from a committee on representation and inclusion chaired by Commons Speaker John Bercow because of a failure to tackle bullying at Westminster. The House of Commons Commission meets today to respond to the independent report on the scandal, with sources claiming that House of Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom will call for a robust response.

Annual spending needs £31bn increase to meet end to austerity promise
The Financial Times carries details of a new Resolution Foundation report that warns that the Chancellor needs to increase annual spending by £31bn by 2022-3 in order to deliver the Prime Minister’s promised end to austerity. It says that doing this would only be consistent with the Government’s pledge to lower debt as a proportion of GDP if taxes were increased.

Prime Minister faces revolt over abortion and same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland
The Sun reports that Theresa May is facing a revolt over Northern Ireland. Yesterday five ministers voted for a bill tabled by Labour backbencher Diana Johnson to modernise abortion law, while a ‘slew’ of Conservative MPs have backed a separate cross-party amendment to legislation on Northern Ireland today which loosens laws on abortion and same-sex marriage.

Cable calls for halt to Universal Credit rollout
Writing in the Daily Mirror, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable calls for the rollout of Universal Credit to be halted because it is a ‘slow-motion disaster’ which will impoverish tens of thousands of families. He backs the theory behind the policy and claims that it could be ‘salvaged’ if ‘major reforms’ are implemented.

European Court of Justice to be ‘ultimate arbiter’ in post-Brexit disputes
In an exclusive, The Sun reports that British negotiators have conceded that the European Court of Justice will be the ‘ultimate arbiter’ of disputes about European law after Brexit. However, EU negotiators are still waiting for their British counterparts to provide a technical explanation of how this will be implemented via a joint committee system.

Security minister turns down meeting with peer amid fears about Russian lobbying
The Times reveals that Security Minister Ben Wallace turned down a meeting with the Conservative peer Lord Barker of Battle, who wanted to discuss sanctions on Russia, amid concerns about Russian lobbying. Lord Barker is the chairman of the Russian energy firm En+ which has been subject to sanctions since the Salisbury attack, along with its majority owner Oleg Deripaska, an ally of Vladimir Putin.

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Today’s political headlines include May’s rejection of the Northern Ireland only backstop, Hammond’s £13bn windfall, the call to end prosecution of veterans and fake news disappointment. 

May rejects Northern Ireland only backstop
The Times reports that Theresa May has rejected the EU’s calls for a Northern Ireland only backstop, which relieves some pressure from backbench Brexiteers but increases the risk of a no-deal Brexit. She called on the EU to agree to either an extended transition period or a UK-wide customs deal, either of which must end ‘well before’ June 2022. Former Brexit minister Steve Baker withdrew amendments he had proposed to legislation on Northern Ireland, while former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson joined the ‘Stand Up 4 Brexit’ group.

Hammond to get £13bn windfall
The Financial Times says that Philip Hammond will receive a £13bn annual ‘windfall’ in the Budget as a result of the Office for Budget Responsibility underestimating the strength of tax receipts, helping to meet spending commitments to the NHS and to social housing. Given the threat of rebellion from backbench Tories, the paper expects the Chancellor to save major tax changes until next year when the UK has left the EU.

Cross-party letter calls for end to prosecution of veterans
In an exclusive, the Daily Express claims that over a third of Conservative MPs and peers from several parties have signed an open letter calling for an end to the prosecution of military veterans over incidents which happened up to fifty years ago. The letter brands this ‘legal assault’ a ‘national disgrace’ and calls for a ‘statute of limitations’ to be introduced.

Committee chair unhappy over response to ‘fake news’ report
The BBC reports that Damian Collins, Chair of the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee has said that he is ‘disappointed’ by the Government’s response to the committee’s report on ‘fake news’. Just three of the report’s 42 recommendations have been accepted by the Government, with some such as a levy on social media firms and limits on political donations completely rejected.

Committee calls for stronger action against sexual images
The Guardian says that a new report by the Commons Women and Equalities Committee advocates stronger measures against sending unsolicited sexual images and public viewing of pornography, including a new law to criminalise non-consensual creation and distribution of sexual images and new requirements for train operators, licensees and universities.

Scrutinising Brexit legislation changes an ‘impossible task’, report warns
According to The Times, a new report by the Hansard Society warns that if the Government does not increase the pace of its release of new legislation for when the UK leaves the EU, Parliament will face an ‘impossible task’ in scrutinising them. Of the estimated 800-1,000 statutory instruments which will be required, only 71 have been put to Parliament, with just two having completed the scrutiny process.

Hunt dismisses calls for Saudi arms sales boycott
The Mirror reports that Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has rejected calls for a boycott of arms sales to Saudi Arabia following the death of Jamal Khashoggi. He admitted that the country’s claims about the death were ‘not credible’ and said that if the reports about the death were proved correct, the UK ‘will act accordingly’.

MPs call on Hammond to abandon beer duty tax rise
The Sun says that 54 Conservative MPs have now signed a letter to the Chancellor organised by Nigel Evans that calls on him to scrap a planned 3.5% in beer duty. They warn that the measure would lead to the closure of pubs with the loss of 3,000 jobs and that the industry makes ‘an extremely positive overall contribution to society’.

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Today’s political headlines include the Tory MPs united in criticism of May’s Brexit plans, EU leaders are prepared to help May sell deal to Parliament, calls for petrol and diesel cars to be banned by 2032 and the 13 MPs accepting pver £100,000 of gifts and trips from Saudis. 

Tory MPs united in criticism of May’s Brexit plans
The Times claims that Theresa May’s concessions in Brussels have annoyed all wings of her party, leaving her ‘facing the most perilous week of her premiership’. It says David Davis has rung ministers to call for a change of plan, while Remain-backing Tories such as Nick Boles and Anna Soubry have also criticised May’s approach. The Sun adds that the proposed extension to the transition period was backed by the inner Brexit cabinet last week on the condition that it was at most three to six months long, while a meeting of Brexiteer cabinet ministers accepted it on Monday. The Daily Telegraph reports that Scottish Secretary David Mundell has told Theresa May that he could not accept an extended transition period.

EU leaders prepared to help May sell deal to Parliament
According to The Guardian, EU leaders are to help Theresa May to build a ‘coalition of the reasonable’ in Parliament to avoid a no-deal Brexit. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that ‘all avenues’ to find a deal should be followed, while European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker apparently told leaders that May needed ‘help’ to sell a deal to MPs.

Committee calls for new petrol and diesel cars to be banned by 2032
The Financial Times has details of a new report by the Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee which calls on the Government to ban sales of almost all new petrol and diesel cars by 2032, claiming that the Government’s current 2040 target was ‘vague’ and ‘unambitious’. The committee claims that this will help the UK meet climate targets and develop technology it could export.

MPs accept over £100,000 from Saudis this year
In an exclusive, the Daily Mail reveals that British politicians have accepted £106,418 in gifts trips and other benefits from the Saudi Arabian regime so far this year – three times higher than the equivalent figure for 2016. Eight Tory and five Labour MPs have been on trips to the country, with the Conservative Leo Docherty describing them as ‘working visits that take time and effort to a serious purpose’.

Mercer claims he ‘wouldn’t vote’ if he wasn’t an MP
The Times reports on an interview of Tory backbencher Johnny Mercer in which he claims that he ‘wouldn’t vote’ in an election, there was ‘absolutely no chance’ that he would stand for Parliament if he was asked to now as he was ‘not comfortable’ that his values were the same as those of his party, and that the Government is a ‘shit show’.

Mordaunt speech interrupted by protester
The Guardian says that International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt was interrupted by a protester who invaded the stage during a speech to a conference on sexual abuse in the aid sector. The whistle-blower Alexia Pepper De Caires accused Mordaunt and her department of trying ‘to control women who are speaking out in this sector’.

Petraeus warns prosecuting veterans risks damaging military
The Daily Mail reports that General David Petraeus, the former head of the US military, used a speech at the thinktank Policy Exchange to warn that prosecuting military veterans could put the relationship between the British and American armed forces ‘at risk’ and leave the UK’s military capabilities ‘greatly diminished’.

MPs accept over £2m of free overseas trips
BBC analysis shows MPs have accepted over £2m of free overseas trips in the last two years, over half being funded by foreign governments. The most common destination was Israel and the Palestinian territories and nine of the ten biggest recipients were Conservative MPs.

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Today’s political headlines include May’s call for the EU to give ground on negotiations, the UK to fund list of suspected aid charity predators, Barnier and Fox suggest extending the Brexit transition and the UK’s debt to the EU still £36bn after a no deal scenario. 

Theresa May to call on EU to ‘give ground’ in negotiations
The BBC says that Theresa May is to urge EU leaders to ‘give ground’ on the Brexit backstop when she addresses them before a dinner later today. The Guardian adds that at a meeting of her Cabinet yesterday Theresa May told ministers to ‘stand firm’ but a number of ministers, including Geoffrey Cox, Michael Gove and Jeremy Hunt, expressed concern about the backstop and the status of Northern Ireland, with Chief Whip Julian Smith warning that an indefinite backstop would not pass through the Commons.

UK to fund list of suspected aid charity predators
The Times reports that the International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt is to announce that the UK will use £2m of aid spending to launch a global register of suspected sexual predators in the aid industry. The new Soteria programme will work from hubs in Africa and Asia, allowing NGOs to vet employees.

Barnier and Fox suggest extending Brexit transition
According to the Financial Times, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has said that he would be prepared to extend the transition period by a further year if the UK accepted a ‘two-tier’ Irish backstop. Separately, The Times reports that International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has suggested extending the transition period for a ‘few more months’ in order agree a free trade deal and avoid needing to implement the backstop.

UK would still owe EU up to £36bn even if no trade deal is agreed, Hammond says
The Daily Telegraph claims that Chancellor Philip Hammond told the Cabinet that the UK would have to pay the EU up to £36bn even if it fails to agree a trade deal. Legal advice suggests that the UK is only likely to save £6-9bn if there is no trade deal, as the UK would be unlikely to persuade international arbitrators that it no longer had to pay the remainder.

MPs accused of politicising bullying inquiry
The Guardian says that MPs have accused each other of politicising the inquiry into bullying in Parliament amid calls for Speaker John Bercow to quit. He has indicated that he will remain in post until next summer, with Labour’s Emily Thornberry saying that it was ‘not the time’ for a change and Margaret Beckett claiming that ‘the constitutional future of this country’, in the form of Brexit legislation, ‘trumps bad behaviour’.

Hunt calls on Johnson to back May
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt calls on his predecessor Boris Johnson and Brexiteer cabinet ministers to back Theresa May ‘to the hilt’, warning that if they don’t ‘the danger is that Brexit will be derailed altogether’. He urged EU leaders not to repeat the ‘mistake’ of the pre-referendum negotiations with David Cameron.

Lib Dems say multinationals should publish tax returns
The Financial Times reports that the Liberal Democrats are calling for multinational companies to be forced to publish their tax returns in order to tackle tax avoidance. Leader Sir Vince Cable claimed that the move would ‘shame’ firms into paying more tax and would make the UK ‘a world leader in tax transparency’.

MPs call for children to be taught how to behave around dogs
The BBC has details of a new report by the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee that claims that there needs to be more education for children on how to behave around dogs in order to avoid injury. It also calls for a review of the causes of dog aggression and training for owners whose dogs misbehave.

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