Archive for: Political Services

Today’s Political Headlines include tributes to Tessa Jowell, doubts around May’s customs plans, MI5 chief condemning Russia and a new Windrush-style scandal. 

Politicians pay tribute to Tessa Jowell
The Guardian reports that politicians from across the political spectrum have paid tribute to Tessa Jowell following the announcement of her death yesterday. The Government has announced it will double its investment in brain cancer research to £40m and introduce a new test for brain cancer in all NHS hospitals, an issue Jowell focused on in the last months of her life, and spoke about to the BBC.

Gove casts doubts on May’s customs plans
Appearing on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Michael Gove, cast doubt on Theresa May’s proposed post-Brexit customs partnership, which he said had ‘flaws’ and had questions about its ‘deliverability’. Labour’s Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer told the programme that a customs union was the only solution. The Daily Mirror reports that David Miliband will share a platform with Nicky Morgan and Nick Clegg today, calling on MPs to vote down the Brexit deal if it is not good enough.

Head of MI5 to condemn Russia in speech today
The Times says that the head of MI5 is to deliver ‘Britain’s strongest condemnation yet of Russia’. Addressing European security chiefs in Berlin today, Andrew Parker, Director-General of the Security Service, will criticise the country for its ‘flagrant breaches’ of international law, blame it for the Salisbury poisonings and condemn its disinformation campaign. He will also call for a continued UK-Europe security partnership after Brexit.

Khan warns of new Windrush-style scandal
The Guardian reports that Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has warned that the Government may face another Windrush-style scandal, with children and teenagers born in the UK being left without access to education or employment owing to a £1,000 fee to gain citizenship. Khan has commissioned research to understand the scale of the problem and called for the Government to streamline the application process and waive the fees.

Erdogan calls UK a ‘valuable and reliable’ ally
The Times reports that President Erdogan of Turkey has called the UK a ‘valuable and reliable’ ally. He is in London for one of just two foreign visits while he campaigns for elections next month, and has promised to ‘co-operate more with the UK post-Brexit in every field’. He will meet the Queen, speak at Chatham House and meet investors.

Carillion used small suppliers to prop it up, MPs say
The Financial Times says that MPs investigating Carillion’s collapse have revealed new evidence showing that the firm used suppliers to ‘prop up its failing business model’. The final report is due to be published on Wednesday by the House of Commons Work and Pensions and Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committees.

Lords warned off attempts to resurrect Leveson
According to The Daily Telegraph, MPs have warned that attempts by the House of Lords to resurrect a second Leveson inquiry would breach the constitution and intensify calls for reform. Jacob Rees-Mogg has claimed that efforts by the Lords to salvage the inquiry would breach a convention which stops peers from ‘wrecking’ Government legislation.

Gyimah calls for the UK to rediscover its ‘spark of genius’
Writing for The Daily Telegraph, Universities and Science Minister Sam Gyimah has called for the UK to rediscover its ‘spark of genius’ and become a ‘science and technology superpower’. Today he, together with Business Secretary Greg Clark, will launch UK Research and Innovation, the new funding agency.

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Today’s Political Headlines include extending the Brexit deadline, NHS data sharing, Leveson II defeated and Johnson commits to Iran deal. 

Brexiteers suggest extending transition to break customs deadlock
The Sun claims that Brexiteers, including Theresa May’s former special adviser Nick Timothy and allies of Michael Gove, are suggesting extending the Brexit transition period to break deadlock over customs plans. This would give more time for their preferred ‘maximum facilitation’ plan to be implemented. May was reportedly planning to use a meeting of the Cabinet’s Brexit subcommittee on Tuesday to adopt an amended version of her plans for a customs partnership, but the paper claims that signs of a compromise are emerging.

Government stops forcing NHS to share data with Home Office
The Guardian reports that the Government has suspended arrangements under which the NHS shared patients’ data with the Home Office so that it could identify people breaking immigration rules. Opponents had warned that the policy was scaring some people away from seeking NHS care. The change was announced during a debate on the Data Protection Bill, with the Government accepting an amendment tabled by Conservative Dr Sarah Wollaston (Chair of the Health Committee) and Labour’s Dr Paul Williams.

Labour attempt to launch part two of Leveson defeated
The Guardian reports that the Government managed to narrowly defeat a Labour attempt to start the second phase of the Leveson inquiry in a House of Commons vote yesterday. Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Matt Hancock hailed ‘a great day for a free and fair press’ but Ed Miliband accused the Conservatives of breaking a pledge to phone-hacking victims and of giving the DUP what it has called ‘a Leveson for Northern Ireland’.

Johnson pledges UK commitment to Iran deal
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson told the House of Commons yesterday that the UK has ‘no intention of walking away’ from the Iran nuclear deal, despite the USA having pulled out. As the BBC reports, Sir Michael Fallon, Defence Secretary when the deal was signed, said that President Trump’s criticism of the ‘rather flimsy agreement’ was justified.

Tory MPs call for House of Lords to be overhauled
The Daily Mail says that ‘leading Tory MPs’ including Iain Duncan Smith, Bernard Jenkin, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Daniel Kawczynski have called for reform of the House of Lords after it amended the EU (Withdrawal) Bill 14 times. Duncan Smith called for a ‘complete and total overhaul’ while Rees-Mogg said that peers ‘are completely obsessed by the European Union.’

Williamson criticised over leak
According to The Times, ‘senior Conservatives’ and Number 10 have criticised Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson accusing him of playing politics with the Northern Irish peace process and leaking plans to set up a historical murders unit. The Daily Mail reports that service records of troops who served in the province are to be handed over to police.

May to face criticism over Erdoğan visit
The Financial Times says that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will start a three-day visit to the UK on Sunday, meeting both the Queen and Theresa May. The paper says the Prime Minister is likely to face criticism as the visit will be during snap elections which have been criticised by opposition and human rights groups.

Grayling announces digital railway overhaul
The BBC reports that Transport Secretary Chris Grayling is to announce a digital overhaul of the rail network. Network Rail will aim for 70% of journeys to benefit from digital technology by 2033, with new signalling improving frequency and capacity and reducing failures.

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Today’s Political Headlines include Boris’ criticism of the ‘crazy’ customs plans, rail firms propose fares overhaul, tax old people to fund young people and the reduction in the Department for International Trade. 

Boris criticises ‘crazy’ customs partnership plans
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has told the Daily Mail that Downing Street’s proposed post-Brexit customs partnership plans are ‘crazy’ and would create ‘a whole new web of bureaucracy’. The Daily Telegraph has spoken to Jacob Rees-Mogg, chair of the pro-Brexit European Research Group, who tells the paper that Boris Johnson would be ‘more aggressive’ in negotiations than Theresa May, but that this could lead to a better deal. According to The Guardian, more work is being done on the customs proposals and they will not be discussed at this week’s cabinet Brexit sub-committee.

Rail firms to propose fares overhaul
The Times carries the news that rail companies are to propose what the paper calls ‘the biggest overhaul of the fares system since privatisation’. A public consultation will begin next month, with a report containing recommendations for the Government to be published in late autumn. Issues expected to be addressed include ‘split ticketing’, journeys which are both peak and off-peak, and part-time season tickets.

Give 25-year-olds £10,000 to fix intergenerational contract, think tank say
The Guardian says that a think tank has called for every person in Britain to receive £10,000 when they turn 25 in order to tackle the ‘broken’ intergenerational contract between millennials and baby boomers. The suggestion is made in the final report of the Resolution Foundation’s intergenerational commission, chaired by former Conservative minister David Willetts.

Department for International Trade axes 10% of trade promotion jobs
The Financial Times reports that the Department for International Trade is to cut hundreds of jobs promoting UK exports to countries such as China and Brazil, undermining the Government’s claims to be creating a ‘global Britain’. 10% of trade promotion jobs are expected to be cut owing to a budget squeeze which has pitted International Trade Secretary Liam Fox against the Treasury.

Williamson says that the UK is considering creating its own satellite navigation system
The Daily Telegraph says that it has been told by Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson that the UK has ordered experts to start drawing-up plans for the UK’s own £3bn satellite navigation system as a replacement for the EU’s Galileo scheme. He has suggested that it could be delivered in partnership with countries such as Japan, South Korea or Australia.

MPs to debate children ‘farmed out’ to care homes
The BBC reports that Labour MP Ann Coffey is to use a Commons debate to accuse the Government of breaking a promise to cut the number of children being ‘farmed out’ to children’s homes out of their area, warning that they could fall prey to paedophile and drugs gangs. The Daily Telegraph quotes Nadhim Zahawi, the children’s minister, as saying that children from broken homes should have the right to keep in touch with their grandparents.

Labour MPs revive progressive alliance debate
According to The Guardian, MPs from different wings of the Labour Party have revived the debate about a progressive alliance. Jon Cruddas and Clive Lewis have signed a letter to the paper calling for the reinstatement of three members expelled for supporting a National Health Action candidate against Jeremy Hunt at the last general election.

Editors criticise Labour press regulation amendments
The Times reports that editors have criticised two Labour amendments to the Data Protection Bill, which will be voted on tomorrow. They have warned that the amendments would ‘harm local democracy’ and ‘bring in stricter press regulation by the back door’. One would impose sanctions on publishers that didn’t join a state-recognised regulator, while the other would establish a new Leveson-style inquiry.

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Today’s Political Headlines include breast cancer screening failures, Government blocking Windrush disclosures, Sajid Javid siding with the Brexiteers and May’s ultimatum over the customs union. 

NHS breast cancer screening error
In a statement made yesterday by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, it was announced that around 450,000 women in England missed out on breast cancer screening due to a technical error. The Telegraph has reported that a nurse has accused the NHS of a ‘cover up’ after she and thousands of others fell victim to the biggest cancer scandal in the health service’s history. 

MPs vote against Windrush disclosures
The Guardian reports that the Government has defeated a Labour motion in the Commons seeking access to documents laying out the policies behind the Windrush crisis. Labour had hoped to force the Government to release documents about its immigration policy relating to people who came to the UK from Commonwealth countries. The Financial Times reports that the Prime Minister has announced an inquiry into what went wrong with the Windrush scandal, promising a review with ‘full access to all relevant information in the Home Office’.

Sajid Javid sides with hard-Brexiteers over the PM’s customs union plan
New Home Secretary and Remain voter Sajid Javid has switched sides to join Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and other Brexiteers in arguing that Mrs May’s preferred option for a customs deal should be ‘killed off’. The Telegraph reports that Theresa May has conceded that her plans for a customs partnership with the EU are ‘dead’ after senior Cabinet ministers turned on her during a crunch Brexit meeting.

May is being given an ultimatum by MPs over customs union
Sky News is reporting that Theresa May is facing huge pressure from pro-Brexit MPs as her feuding Cabinet ministers prepare to meet in a ferocious showdown on Government policy on customs. The Prime Minister’s so-called ‘Brexit war cabinet’ is meeting to attempt to reach a deal on whether the UK should leave Europe’s customs union or enter a ‘customs partnership’.

May and Corbyn clash over council tax bills ahead of local elections
The BBC reports that the two party leaders clashed yesterday over council tax bills ahead of today’s local elections. At Prime Minister’s Questions, Jeremy Corbyn said residents ‘paid more and got less’ from Conservative councils. But May said some residents in Labour-run Lambeth were paying twice as much council tax as those living in neighbouring Conservative Wandsworth.

Sajid Javid challenges Corbyn to condemn hard-left activists 
The Telegraph reports that Javid has challenged Jeremy Corbyn to ‘stamp on’ racist abuse coming from the hard left after the new Home Secretary was subjected to racially-charged abuse following his appointment, including being called a ‘coconut’ and an ‘uncle Tom’. 

PM calls for an investigation into claims of bullying by House of Commons speaker John Bercow
The Guardian reports that John Bercow, has come under mounting pressure after the prime minister called for new claims of bullying against him to be formally investigated. Bercow’s former private secretary alleged in a TV interview that the Speaker was prone to angry outbursts and obscene language.

TSB chief Paul Pester to forfeit £2m bonus in wake of IT meltdown
The Independent has reported that the Chief Executive of TSB will forfeit a £2m bonus payment in the light of an IT failure that left thousands of customers locked out of their accounts. Pester, as well as the bank’s chairman Richard Meddings, appeared before the Treasury Select Committee saying that they had received 40,000 complaints about the outage but did not know exactly how many of the bank’s 1.9 million online customers had been affected.

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Today’s Political Headlines include Javid’s Home Secretary debut, the Government’s Brexit defeat in the Lords, Trump postponing his trade tariff decision and Netanyahu’s accusations against Iran. 

Sajid Javid makes his debut as Home Secretary
Both the Guardian and The Times lead on Sajid Javid’s debut as Home Secretary, questioning the extent to which he may amend policy on immigration. The Times has reported that Javid has told the Home Office that he will ditch the policy of creating a ‘hostile environment’. He criticised the use of the term ‘hostile’, calling it ‘unhelpful’ and not representative of the UK’s values. The newspapers claim that Javid will consider the department’s structures, as well as reviewing individual policies in the upcoming weeks.

Lords defeat Government in Brexit vote
The Daily Mail’s front page features an editorial on the Lords’ Brexit victory yesterday. May was compared to Adolf Hitler during the debate last night as peers handed the Government another defeat over Brexit. The House of Lords voted in favour of giving Parliament powers to stop the UK from leaving the EU without a deal. 19 rebel Tories backed the amendment, which was passed by 335 votes to 244. If the amendment is not overturned by the Commons, May will lose the option of walking away with no deal. The Mail says that “the Remainer elite, in cahoots with Brussels, is fighting a guerrilla war against Brexit using any means it can”.

Trump postpones decision over EU trade tariffs
The Guardian has reported that Donald Trump has postponed a decision on the introduction of EU trade tariffs. The White House has extended the EU’s exemption from tariffs on steel and aluminium, which was due to expire today. In March, Trump imposed a worldwide 25% tariff on steel imports and a 10% tariff on aluminium, granting temporary exemptions to Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the EU. The White House has announced that, in addition to those involving the EU, negotiations with Canada and Mexico have also been extended.

Israeli Prime Minister accuses Iran of lying about weapons programme
The Daily Telegraph devotes its front page to the television broadcast delivered last night by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing Iran of lying about its weapons programme both before and after the 2015 nuclear deal. Netanyahu claimed that Israeli spies had obtained ‘half a tonne’ of confidential documents proving that Iran’s leaders had failed to provide a full account of their past nuclear activities and that they were maintaining the expertise to build a bomb in the future. Netanyahu declared ‘the nuclear deal is based on lies. It is based on Iranian lies and Iranian deception’.

Theresa May faces mounting pressure to resign
The Daily Mirror’s front page features the headlines ‘Mayday Mayday’, referring to a ‘Prime Minister in Crisis’. The story reports on the mounting pressure on Theresa May to resign over the Windrush scandal. The newspaper speaks of May being left exposed to attack, after the resignation of her close ally Amber Rudd and criticism from new Home Secretary Savid Javid over her previous ‘hostile environment’ immigration policy.

The UK faces a care crisis
The Daily Express leads with two stories that it claims highlight a ‘caring crisis’. One is about a man suffering from Parkinson’s who was reportedly beaten in a care home, while the other story is about a terminal cancer patient’s 16-hour wait for a hospital bed.

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Today’s Political Headlines include Rudd’s resignation, utility companies avoiding roads, capping interest payments and David Davis backlash. 

Rudd resigns, having ‘inadvertently misled’ Parliament
Home Secretary Amber Rudd resigned last night, admitting that she ‘inadvertently misled’ MPs over targets for removing illegal immigrants, the BBC reports. The BBC expects her successor to be announced ‘within hours’. Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott said that Amber Rudd had ‘done the right thing’, but that as ‘architect of the crisis’ Theresa May must come before the Commons to explain what she knew.

Government plans to order utility companies to avoid roads
The Times reveals that the Government intends to order utility companies to put new pipes or cables under pavements and verges under plans to cut congestion and reduce potholes. The paper has conducted an investigation into British roads, which also finds that they are 27th for quality in the world, the use of variable speed limits will be cut and that local councils are using bureaucratic measures to avoid repairing potholes.

Labour announces plans to cap interest payments and overdraft fees
The Financial Times reports that Labour is to announce plans to cap the total amount that can be paid in overdraft fees or interest payments in order to help those caught in a ‘debt trap’. The party proposes that the cap on charges by payday lenders should be extended by the Financial Conduct Authority to cover the cost of overdraft borrowing.

Davis faces backlash after urging Prime Minister to ignore top Brexit civil servant
According to The Daily Telegraph, Brexit Secretary David Davis is facing a backlash over claims he told the Prime Minister to ignore a customs partnership plan backed by Oliver Robbins, her top Brexit civil servant. Writing in The Sun, Davis warns that a bid by the House of Lords to let Parliament control the negotiations would lead to a major constitutional crisis. The paper also claims that a senior cabinet minister has told it that May’s favoured customs plan ‘would be a disaster’. DUP leader Arlene Foster has told the BBC that Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, does not understand the unionist stance on Brexit.

McDonnell dismisses Russian Twitter bot claims
According to The Guardian, John McDonnell has said that claims made by The Sunday Times that Labour was supported by Russian Twitter bots during the general election are similar to smears against Neil Kinnock before the 1992 election. He dismissed the assertion that 6,500 suspect accounts published pro-Corbyn, anti-Conservative messages as ‘ludicrous’.

£15 congestion charge may be imposed at Heathrow
The Daily Telegraph reports that Heathrow may impose a £15 congestion charge on 82 miles of road surrounding the airport in a bid to meet emissions targets. The airport is consulting on the plans, which it views as a ‘last resort’, but according to ‘Whitehall sources’ Transport Secretary Chris Grayling believes they are the only realistic way to meet emissions targets.

Hancock to hold talks with FA over Wembley sale
In an exclusive, The Sun reveals that Culture Secretary Matt Hancock is to hold talks with the Football Association to ensure that Wembley remains England’s base ‘for generations to come’. The paper claims that ministers are ‘furious’ that the FA did not give the Government a warning about how advanced talks to sell the stadium were.

Politicians call for Sainsbury’s-ASDA deal to be investigated
As the BBC reports, senior politicians have called for an investigation into the deal between Sainsbury’s and Walmart-owned ASDA. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable warned that local monopolies would be created, while Shadow Business Secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey expressed concern about the impact on suppliers.

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Today’s Political Headlines include the UK attempting to outmanoeuvre the EU, Home Office migrant targets, Raab’s aide selling sex and Tory rebels forcing the Government to be more transparent. 

UK to try to outmanoeuvre EU on post-Brexit relationship
The Sun says that the Government has agreed a ‘high-risk’ plan to publish a post-Brexit trade deal wish list. It will publish the draft text of the political statement on the future relationship in a bid to outmanoeuvre the EU. The Daily Mail warns that British citizens may have to pay £6 every time they visit the EU after Brexit, while The Daily Telegraph says that the DUP has threatened to bring down the Government if the UK stays in the customs union or single market after Brexit, ahead of a symbolic vote by MPs on the customs union today.

Home Office had migrant removal targets
The BBC reports that immigration enforcement teams had been set targets to remove people with no right to stay in the country. Giving evidence to MPs over the Windrush scandal, Home Secretary Amber Rudd had denied that targets were currently in use, but a report shows that they existed in December 2015.

Raab aide caught selling sex online, sparking security fears
In an exclusive, the Daily Mirror reveals that an aide to Housing Minister Dominic Raab has been caught selling sex to ‘sugar daddies’, telling an undercover reporter that ‘I know everything about him. I know his every move’. The paper calls this a ‘huge potential security breach’ as it makes the aide a possible blackmail target.

Tory rebels to force Government to make overseas territories more transparent
The Times claims that new laws forcing the UK’s overseas territories to improve transparency and expose ‘corrupt Russian oligarchs’ are to be forced on the Government. A coalition of Tory rebels, Labour, the SNP and other opposition parties will challenge the Government next week. Andrew Mitchell, leader of the rebels, said that he had the backing of 19 Conservative backbenchers.

£300m investment in AI in new sector deal
The Financial Times reports that the Government is to invest £300m into artificial intelligence research in a bid to fend off competition from France and Germany. The new AI sector deal will be jointly overseen by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Food and drink firms join forces to eliminate plastic
The Daily Mail says that 42 of the UK’s supermarkets and food and drink firms have joined forces to create the ‘UK Plastics Pact’. They have agreed to eliminate non-reusable packaging by 2025, in a move backed by Environment Secretary Michael Gove.

Task force to support veterans will be announced today
The Sun says that the Government is to launch a task force of ministers from every department to support veterans. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson will launch the Veterans Strategy today at a meeting of the Ministerial Covenant and Veterans Board.

Heidi Alexander may quit Commons to work for Mayor of London
According to The Guardian, Labour MP Heidi Alexander is considering leaving the House of Commons in order to work for the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, in a ‘prominent role’. The Lewisham East MP quit the frontbench in protest in 2016 and co-chairs Labour’s campaign for the single market.

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Today’s Political Headlines include Rudd vowing to change the Home Office culture, Corbyn meeting Jewish leaders, Government suffering Brexit defeat in the Lords, and the border issues. 

Rudd vows to change Home Office culture
The Times says that Amber Rudd has promised to change the culture of the Home Office, amid concerns that the Windrush scandal could lead the Tories to lose ethic minority support. An emergency package of measures announced by the Home Secretary will see every Commonwealth citizen who arrived in the UK between 1948 and 1988 offered citizenship or settled status. According to the Financial Times, she has also claimed that the post-Brexit registration system for EU nationals will be ‘as easy to use as setting up an online account at LK Bennett’.

Corbyn to meet Jewish leaders
The BBC reports that Jeremy Corbyn is to meet the Jewish Leadership Council and the Board of Deputies of British Jews today to discuss the steps he has taken to address antisemitism in the Labour Party. The bodies want disciplinary cases to be sped up and elected officials to be thrown out if they share a platform with offenders.

Government suffers third Brexit defeat in Lords
The Guardian reports that the Government was defeated on the EU Withdrawal Bill in the House of Lords yesterday, with peers voting by a majority of 77 to keep the fundamental charter of EU rights in force after Brexit. The Government also lost a series of other votes that could have given ministers the power to restrict the use of EU law principles to challenge the Government, but won a vote on public health protection.

EU note suggests their border plan may not work
The Times has seen a ‘confidential diplomatic note’ in which the European Commission and other EU negotiators admit that their ‘backstop’ plan to prevent a hard border in Ireland after Brexit will not work, as Northern Ireland could become a loophole in the single market.

May urged to confront pro-EU rebels
According to The Sun, Theresa May is being urged by her allies to confront pro-EU rebels with a vote in the Commons, with the paper reporting that May will instead tell ministers to stay away from a debate on the customs union on Thursday. Allies have apparently warned May that avoiding confrontation is ‘emboldening Brussels negotiators’.

MPs launch inquiry into hand car washes
The BBC reports that the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee has launched an inquiry into hand car washes, investigating concerns that they are damaging the environment and exploiting workers. Committee chair Mary Creagh said that though the washes were ‘cheap and convenient’, prices may be ‘too good to be true’.

Food banks hand out record number of meals
The Daily Mirror reports that the Trussell Trust, the UK’s largest food bank operator, handed out nearly 12 million meals in the last year, a record number and an increase of 13% on the last year. The trust called on the Government to increase benefits in line with the cost of essentials and said that some claimants had been ‘let down’ by the Universal Credit rollout.

Government nearing deal over plans to cut gambling machine stakes
The Times says that the Treasury has now signalled that a deal has been reached on plans to cut the maximum stake on highly addictive gambling machines to £2. Allies of the Chancellor said that an agreement with Culture Secretary Matt Hancock was ‘very nearly there’ and that levies on other forms of gambling would increase to replace lost revenue.

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Today’s Political Headlines include the UK leaving the customs union, the hostile environment made for Windrush generation, help for children of alcoholics and Hammond blocking the betting machine curb.  

Government insists that the UK will leave EU customs union
The BBC reports that the Government has insisted that the UK will not be in a customs union with the EU, ahead of a symbolic vote of the issue this week. The Times reveals that Brexit-supporting cabinet ministers are to call on Theresa May to abandon her proposals for a customs partnership with the EU, which they view as unworkable, and urge her to focus on an option which minimises but does not eliminate checks. The paper reports that May will respond by telling ministers that the Government needs room for manoeuvre on the issue.

Letter shows Government knew that ‘hostile environment’ hurt Windrush generation
According to The Guardian, a May 2016 letter from James Brokenshire, the then immigration minister, shows that the Government has known about the impact of its ‘hostile environment’ policy on the Windrush generation for years. The paper says that Home Office sources have indicated that legislation could be rushed through Parliament to give those affected, citizenship.

£6m to help children of alcoholics
The BBC reports that the Government has announced £6m to help children with alcoholic parents get support and advice, including fast access to mental health services and programmes to treat addiction. The move, announced by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, has been welcomed by Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth, who grew up with an alcoholic father and says that the plans ‘would have made a tremendous difference to my childhood.’

Hammond blocks curb on betting machines
The Times claims that Philip Hammond has prevented a cut to the maximum stake on fixed odds betting terminals, with the Treasury refusing to sign off a decision as it is not confident that lost tax revenues would be replaced. The issue has reportedly been left until after the local elections, with bookmakers hoping to reach a ‘backroom deal’ with ministers.

Labour to make St George’s Day a national holiday
The Independent reports that Labour would make St George’s Day a national holiday, with the plan to be announced in a speech by Jeremy Corbyn today. He will say that it will be a day to ‘celebrate our country’s tradition of fairness, inclusivity and social justice’. UK-wide public holidays would also be held on St David’s Day, St Patrick’s Day and St Andrew’s Day.

Labour to force vote on Office for Students
The Guardian reports that Labour is to force a final debate and vote on the Office for Students tonight. If the vote was lost, the watchdog would not have powers enabling it to regulate universities. Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner said that the regulator had become ministers’ ‘puppet’ and was not pursuing ‘the sector’s best interests’.

Firms to be forced to publish pay ratios
The Financial Times says that legislation to be put forward next month will force companies to publish the ratio of their chief executive’s salary to that of their average worker. The move forms part of a wider programme of corporate governance reforms, which will introduce several other reporting requirements.

Labour to consult local leaders over £250bn infrastructure plan
The Guardian says that Labour is to open a series of consultations with regional mayors and councils over its plans for £250bn of transport and infrastructure spending, promising to prioritise projects to productivity and help the rest of the country catch-up with London.

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