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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.

May steals the headlines but there’s more news than just Brexit – keep up to date with what matters to you with Vuelio Political Services.

Today’s political headlines include businesses planning to relocate because of Brexit, the Government’s plans to fund deprived communities, Javid believes Brexit delay is likely and MPs tell MoD to scale back spending. 

One in three British businesses planning relocation because of Brexit
The Guardian carries the finding of a survey by the Institute of Directors which finds that almost one in three British businesses is planning to relocate some operations abroad in order to cope with a hard Brexit. 29% of firms said that they had either done so already or were planning to, mostly to the EU. Edwin Morgan, the IoD’s Director General said ‘we can no more ignore the real consequences of delay and confusion’.

Government plans fund for deprived communities in attempt to win Brexit support
The Sun reports that Theresa May is planning a ‘National Renewal’ fund to invest in deprived areas such as coastal resorts and former mining communities, as well as new legislation on workers’ rights. The constituencies of a dozen Labour MPs who voted with the Government on Tuesday are set to benefit, with Labour MP David Lammy saying that colleagues who accepted the funding were ‘cowards and facilitators’ on whom ‘history will be brutal’.

Javid believes Brexit delay is likely as MPs’ February recess is cancelled
According to The Daily Telegraph, Home Secretary Sajid Javid has warned a Cabinet colleague that Brexit is likely to be delayed as there is not enough time to pass necessary legislation, with the paper claiming that up to nine Cabinet ministers believe this. As The Times reports, yesterday it was announced that Parliament’s February recess was to be cancelled, although the Government chief whip said that MPs who had made plans could still take the week off, with permission. The Guardian adds that EU officials are worried that a no-deal Brexit may happen at the end of June because Theresa May won’t ask for a long enough extension in an attempt to placate Brexiteers.

MPs tell MoD to ‘scale back’ spending
The Financial Times reports that the Commons Public Affairs Committee has called on the Ministry of Defence to ‘stop, delay and scale back’ parts of its plans in order to deal with a gap of up to £15bn in its equipment plan for the next decade. Despite promises made last year, a new report concludes that ‘little progress’ has been made.

Schools to lose background checks on EU teachers in no-deal Brexit
In an exclusive, The Sun says schools will lose access to an EU database of banned teachers in a no-deal Brexit scenario, with officials saying schools will receive guidance on what to do ‘shortly’. Other issues include foreign qualifications no longer being recognised, with Commons Education Committee Chair Robert Halfon saying he was ‘incredibly alarmed’.

Gauke defends legal aid for Jack Shepherd
The Daily Telegraph has been told by Justice Secretary David Gauke that denying Jack Shepherd, convicted of manslaughter over the death of Charlotte Brown during a trip on his speedboat on a date, legal aid for his appeal because he has fled the country might set a precedent which would lead to trials not being able to be held in absentia, leading to ‘victims or the families of the victims’ losing out.

Schools told to be ‘flexible’ about post-Brexit meals, while Unilever stockpiles Magnums
The Guardian reports that the Government has told schools to be ‘flexible;’ about school dinner standards in the event of post-Brexit food shortages. The Daily Mirror adds that Unilever has announced that it is stockpiling ice creams made in the EU, such as Magnums and Ben and Jerry’s, in case of a no-deal Brexit.

Pressure to axe business rates intensifies
According to the Financial Times, the Government is being put under increased pressure from MPs to scrap the business rate system in an attempt to stop high streets from further declining. The Commons Treasury Committee has launched an inquiry on the effect of recent changes to the system and the benefits of alternative taxes, such as one on land value.

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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 new Tory Brexit plan, Corbyn yet to confirm Labour support for Cooper’s amendment, food firms warning of no-deal disruption and EU negotiators warning of the high risk of no-deal. 

New Tory Brexit compromise plan emerges
The Times reports that Conservative Brexiteers have refused to back a Government-supported amendment to today’s Brexit motion calling for the Irish backstop to be replaced with ‘alternative arrangements’. However, a new plan, called the ‘Malthouse Compromise’ after MP Kit Malthouse, has emerged following negotiations between the European Research Group and supporters of May’s deal, which would extend the transition period and replace the backstop with a ‘safety net’ allowing trade on WTO terms with no tariffs should a future relationship not be agreed. The paper notes that this proposal is ‘unlikely to be accepted by the EU’.

Corbyn yet to confirm Labour support for Cooper amendment
The Guardian reports that Jeremy Corbyn has yet to confirm if Labour will officially support Yvette Cooper’s amendment which aims to rule-out a no-deal Brexit. While several Labour MPs say they’ve been told that the party will back the plan, concerns have been raised about the policy by shadow ministers including Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Jon Trickett, who’d prefer a shorter extension to Article 50, and party chair Ian Lavery.

Food firms warn of no-deal disruption
The Mirror carries details of a warning from food retailers including Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and McDonald’s which warns of ‘significant disruption’ to food supply chains in a no-deal Brexit scenario. The letter to MPs also warns that it is ‘impossible to stockpile fresh produce’ and that space to stockpile other products is running out.

EU negotiator warns that there’s a ‘very high’ risk of no-deal
The Guardian says that Sabine Weyand, the EU’s deputy chief Brexit negotiator, has warned that there is a ‘very high’ risk of a no-deal Brexit, explaining that a ‘stable majority’ for the deal is needed in Parliament, but it was difficult to see how a ‘positive majority’ could be found, and that negotiations between the bloc and the UK were ‘finished’.

Javid unveils no-deal Brexit immigration plan
The Daily Telegraph reports that Home Secretary Sajid Javid has announced that EU citizens who arrive in the UK after 29 March in the event of a no-deal Brexit will have to apply for visas to stay in the UK in order to obtain temporary leave to remain, entitling them to stay for three years before applying through the new immigration system which begins in 2021.

Labour in U-turn over Immigration Bill
The Guardian says that Labour ‘was forced into an embarrassing U-turn’ yesterday after the party initially said that it wouldn’t oppose the Immigration Bill, which ends free movement after Brexit. However, following an online backlash it announced that it would vote against the bill, rather than abstain, although a number of MPs missed the vote, which the Government won comfortably.

UK would have to elect MEPs if Brexit delayed
The Times claims that it has been told by ‘senior Brussels sources’ that the UK would have to hold EU elections this spring if the Commons were to vote to delay Brexit by nine months. Otherwise, legal advice suggests that all EU decisions would be vulnerable to challenge.

MPs vote for proxy-voting trial
The BBC reports that last night MPs voted unanimously in favour of introducing a year-long trial of proxy-voting for MPs who are on parental leave, which is expected to be in place in time for this evening’s Brexit votes. An amendment to the trial by Philip Davies allowing MPs who’ve suffered a miscarriage to benefit was also passed without opposition.

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Today’s political headlines include the Queen’s call on people to seek out the common ground, Ministers speak out against no-deal Brexit, EU split over no-deal legislation and Gov to announce new food-labelling plans. 

Queen in call to seek ‘common ground’
The Times reports that the Queen used a speech yesterday to call on people to ‘seek out the common ground’ and not to lose ‘sight of the bigger picture’, in remarks interpreted as a reference to the Brexit debate. The paper adds that other royals are expected to make similar interventions ‘in the coming days’.

Ministers speak out against no-deal Brexit
According to The Daily Telegraph, yesterday ‘Remain ministers went to war’ by raising their concerns about a no-deal Brexit. Business minister Richard Harrington warned that it would be ‘a disaster for business’, while Chancellor Philip Hammond used a speech at Davos to warn that a no-deal Brexit would be a ‘betrayal’ of the Brexit vote. Appearing on Newsnight Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd refused to rule out resigning in order to vote for Yvette Cooper’s amendment blocking a no-deal Brexit four times.

EU split over no-deal legislation
The BBC says that some EU countries are calling for the EU’s no-deal legislation to be made more generous, for example by giving UK hauliers the right to operate within the EU and allowing UK airlines to fly connecting flights within the bloc. However, the French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told the BBC that his country’s ‘clear red line’ was that the UK could not get ‘the benefits of the single market’.

Gove to announce new food-labelling plans
The Daily Mail says that Michael Gove is to announce new plans to force food retailers to list all ingredients in their products, in response to the death of a 15-year-old girl after eating a Pret A Manger baguette which contained sesame seeds. Various options are being consulted on, ranging from listing all ingredients in their products (which the paper believes Gove backs) to insisting on labels reminding consumers to ask staff about allergens.

Government considers extending protection from redundancy for new mothers
The Guardian reports that the Government is launching a consultation on extending protection against redundancy for pregnant or new mothers so that it would continue for six months after they’ve given birth. The consultation will also consider extending the protection to those returning from adoption or shared parental leave.

Universities criticised over unconditional offers
The Sun says that universities have been warned by the Office for Students that if they continue to make unconditional offers which stipulate that students must make them their ‘firm choice’, they could be breaching consumer law. Education Secretary Damian Hinds said that the increase in unconditional offers is ‘disturbing’.

Salmond charged with attempted rape
The BBC reports that the former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond appeared in court yesterday. He has been charged on 14 counts – two of attempted rape, nine of sexual assault, two of indecent assault and one of breach of the peace. He said ‘I refute absolutely these allegations of criminality’.

Conservatives struggle to raise funds
The Financial Times claims that the Conservatives are struggling to attract money from large donors, with one former minister warning that the party is ‘facing emerging financial difficulties’. The paper claims that there are two sets of ‘disgruntled donors’: Brexiteers who oppose Theresa May’s Brexit plan and the network of businesses built up by David Cameron.

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