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Today’s Political Headlines include the possible Brexit deal, McDonnell promising to restore the balance of power in the workplace, Johnson to throw rocks at May’s Brexit plans and arrests fall as police budgets are cut. 

Brexit deal possible by November, Barnier says
The Times reports that Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, has claimed that a deal could be agreed in less than two months. Meanwhile, Theresa May has ordered every cabinet minister to tour the country in the run-up to Conservative Party conference, to secure support at home, and Tory aides have been told that Michel Barnier’s stance on the Chequers plan has softened and they should prepare for a Commons vote on it by Christmas.

McDonnell promises to ‘restore the balance of power in the workplace’
The BBC reports that Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell is to use his speech to the TUC today to ‘restore the balance of power in the workplace’ by giving workers in insecure employment the same rights as those who are permanently employed, such as sick pay. He will promise new protections for trade unions and greater employee ownership.

Johnson to ‘throw rocks’ at Theresa May’s Brexit plans
The Guardian claims that Boris Johnson will continue to ‘throw rocks’ at Theresa May’s Chequers proposals in the lead-up to the Conservative Party Conference in an attempt to persuade her to return to her Lancaster House plan. It adds that he has no current plans to launch a leadership challenge owing to the recent revelations about his personal life.

Arrests fall as police budgets are cut
The Daily Telegraph carries the findings of a report by the National Audit Office which finds that police forces are now struggling as their funding and staffing levels fall. Arrests have decreased, patrols have been cut, fewer crimes result in charges, and proactive work has reduced. The NAO adds that because the Home Office takes a ‘light touch’ approach, it does not know if the current system is sustainable.

Boundary changes won’t be voted on until after Brexit
The Financial Times says that despite the Boundary Commission publishing its proposed changes to constituency boundaries yesterday, they are unlikely to be voted on until after Brexit in order to prevent further disputes. The plans are opposed by Labour, with Jon Trickett branding them a ‘Tory stitch-up’, and many Tory MPs, who fear losing their seats.

£1.1trillion economic boost from no-deal Brexit, Rees-Mogg claims
The Daily Telegraph reveals that Jacob Rees-Mogg will claim that a no-deal Brexit would grow the UK economy by £1.1trillion over 15 years at an event organised by the group Economists for Free Trade, at which he will advocate a Canada-style trade deal with the EU. The Sun has details of the European Reform Group’s plans for Northern Ireland which would see the introduction of an ‘Inland Clearance’ scheme, avoiding a hard border through checks at firms’ premises.

Public Health England advisor quits over drinks industry links
The Times reports that Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, Public Health England’s Chief External Alcohol Advisor has left the body in protest at its links with the drinks industry. It has launched a campaign with the charity Drinkaware, which is funded by the sector. The paper adds that PHE’s tobacco advisor, John Britton, is considering following suit.

Network Rail sells £1.5bn of property to private sector
The Financial Times reports that Network Rail has agreed to sell 5000 commercial properties to the private sector for £1.5bn,delivering ‘significant additional funding’ to deliver upgrades. However, Labour’s Shadow Rail Minister Rachael Maskell claimed that the deal would ‘undermine the financial sustainability of the railway and damage small and medium-sized enterprises across the country’.

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Today’s Political Headlines include world leaders joining UK to condemn Russia, Raab infuriating Barnier, Johnson splits with his wife and Hammond’s cuts to fund a no-deal Brexit. 

World leaders join with UK to condemn Russia over nerve agent attack
The Times reports that US, German, French and Canadian leaders have expressed ‘full confidence’ in the UK’s assessment that Russian agents carried out the Salisbury nerve agent attack. Security officials told the paper that the novichok used in the attack could have killed up to 4,000 people and was discarded in a ‘reckless’ manner. Russia has accused the UK of ‘anti-Russian hysteria’ and the UK is preparing for a Russian-sponsored disinformation campaign.

Raab’s Northern Ireland threat left Barnier ‘furious’
The Daily Telegraph claims that Dominic Raab threatened Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, that the EU would have to order the Irish government to instate the border with Northern Ireland, leaving him ‘absolutely furious’. It also says that progress on outstanding issues has been ‘close to zero’. The Guardian adds that Ireland is hoping to agree a side deal which would allow it to continue to use the UK as a ‘land bridge’ for goods bound for the country without the need for border checks.

Johnson splits with wife in blow to leadership ambitions
The Sun reveals that Boris Johnson has split with his wife, Marina, who accused him of cheating on her again. The paper claims that this new revelation is ‘likely to deal a fresh blow’ to the former Foreign Secretary’s hopes of becoming party leader as it is likely to put off grassroots members with ‘traditional views on marriage’.

Chancellor warns of spending cuts to fund no-deal Brexit
The Financial Times claims that Chancellor Philip Hammond has ‘irritated Downing Street’, after he warned that there might be spending cuts in order to fund a no-deal Brexit, telling ministers that they would have to find savings within their budgets to fund the costs of long-term disruption. Separately, Treasury minister John Glen was pictured carrying a document about the Government’s contingency planning (codenamed ‘Operation Yellowhammer’) which warned of financial instability and the need to ‘maintain confidence’.

Blair says that he’s ‘not sure’ that moderates can regain control of Labour
Speaking to the BBC’s Nick Robinson, Tony Blair said that he is ‘not sure it is possible’ for moderates to regain control of the Labour Party from the left. He said that there had been ‘a profound change’ under Corbyn, resulting in ‘a different type of Labour Party’, and that he thought that something would emerge to fill the ‘vacuum’ between the two main parties.

Treasury axes tax cut for self-employed
The Financial Times reports that Chancellor Philip Hammond has abandoned plans to cut Class 2 National Insurance contributions, a measure which would gave delivered a tax cut for millions of self-employed people. Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell described the move as ‘yet another betrayal of the self-employed’.

Cable proposes new Lib Dem supporters scheme
The Guardian says that Sir Vince Cable is to propose a range of measures to reform the Liberal Democrats, including a new scheme for supporters who will be able to vote for the party leader without paying in order to make the party a Momentum-style ‘movement for moderates’. He is also expected to talk about his future as leader in today’s speech.

Bradley admits not knowing that Northern Ireland votes on sectarian lines
The Daily Mail reports that Karen Bradley, the Northern Ireland Secretary, has admitted that she did not know that ‘people who are nationalists don’t vote for unionist parties and vice-versa’. The paper adds that she has announced a pay cut for members of the Northern Irish Assembly because of the powersharing stalemate.

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Today’s Political Headlines include May’s cyberwar with Russia, Barnier told MPs the Chequers plan was dead, new Brexit proposals from Eurosceptic Tories and Hancock to improve dangerous NHS IT systems. 

May orders cyberwar after accusing Russian spies of carrying out Salisbury attack
The Times reports that Theresa May has ordered a cyberwar against Russian spying operations, having yesterday accused two of the country’s agents of carrying out the nerve agent attack in Salisbury. She promised to do ‘whatever is necessary to keep our people safe’ and revealed that the operation was ‘almost certainly’ approved at a senior level in the Russian state.

Barnier told MPs Chequers plan was ‘dead’
The Guardian reports that Stephen Kinnock has revealed that EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier told British MPs that Theresa May’s Chequers plan for Brexit was ‘dead’ earlier this week. The paper also says that Labour’s Shadow Brexit Secretary, Sir Keir Starmer, has confirmed that Labour would vote against a Canadian-style EU-UK free trade deal, which is apparently now favoured by David Davis, Boris Johnson and Barnier.

Eurosceptic Tories plan to release their own Brexit proposals
The BBC says that the Eurosceptic European Research Group of Tory MPs is to make several days’ worth of announcements from Sunday onwards making the case for a free trade agreement with the EU, covering topics including money, migration, the Irish border, agriculture and fishing, with a major event expected to be held in Westminster on Monday.

Hancock promises to improve ‘dangerous’ NHS IT systems
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock has warned that NHS IT systems are ‘downright dangerous’. He promises to ‘bring the NHS into the 21^st century’ and to deal with the issue that different systems in use are not compatible. Today he will announce a £200m fund to develop cross-NHS systems and confirm that the new NHS app will begin testing in five parts of the country by the end of the month.

New agricultural workers scheme to be tested
The Financial Times reports that the Government is to test a new scheme for non-EU agricultural workers next year, similar to the old seasonal workers scheme which ran from 1945 to 2013, in a bid to assuage concerns. Growers have warned that labour shortages after Brexit could lead to crops being left to rot.

Government agrees to consider making misogyny a hate crime
The Guardian reports that the Government has announced a comprehensive review of hate crime legislation, including whether to consider misogyny as a hate crime. Labour MP Stella Creasy had tabled an amendment on misogyny to the Voyeurism Bill but withdrew it after the fully-funded review was promised.

Marriage age could increase to 18
The Times claims that the Government could increase the minimum age for marriage to 18 following an investigation by the paper into forced relationships. Equalities minister Baroness Williams of Trafford has agreed to look into the point, while backbench Conservative Pauline Latham has introduced a private members’ bill to make the change.

Grayling seeks to reach aviation agreements with other EU countries
The Daily Mail says that the Government is trying to reach agreements on aviation with the 27 individual EU countries in order to keep planes flying if a no-deal Brexit happens. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling is to write to his counterparts across the EU, bypassing the European Commission.

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Today’s Political Headlines include Javid’s stop-and-search plans, the ongoing antisemitism issues in the Labour party, the Brexit latest and a lack of foreign students. 

Javid plans greater use of stop-and-search powers
The Times says that Sajid Javid is planning to extend the use of stop-and-search powers to cover anyone thought to be carrying acid without good reason, as well as those carrying laser pointers and drones. This would ease restrictions on the use of the powers which were imposed by Theresa May when she was Home Secretary.

Willsman elected to Labours NEC as it prepares to adopt antisemitism definition
The Daily Telegraph reports that Peter Willsman has been elected to Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) by party members, despite having claimed that ‘Trump fanatics’ were ‘making up’ antisemitism allegations. He has said that he will use the post to ‘defend our leader’. Amanda Bowman of the Board of Deputies of British Jews described his election as ‘deeply concerning’. The Guardian adds that the NEC is expected to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism in full, alongside a clarification on free speech when talking about Israel. The Sun has obtained footage of Corbyn praising a meal he had with Hamas.

Voters in marginal constituencies reject Chequers plans, but 2.6m more Britons now back remaining in the EU
The Daily Telegraph reveals a new poll for pro-Brexit group Global Britain by IQR, which finds that most voters in marginal constituencies believe that the Chequers Brexit proposals are ‘bad for Britain’. Meanwhile, The Independent carries a study by Focaldata and YouGov for pro-EU campaigners Best for Britain which shows that 2.6m voters have switched from backing Brexit to wanting to stay in the EU, enough to change the referendum result.

Universities call for foreign students’ right to work to be reinstated
The Financial Times reports that Universities UK has called for the Government to reintroduce the right for foreign students to work in the UK after graduation on a temporary basis in order to help attract international talent. The policy was axed in 2012, but the group believes that it would help to relieve the country’s skills gap.

MPs to vote on making misogyny a hate crime
The Sun reports that MPs are to vote on an amendment tabled by Labour MP Stella Creasy which would make misogyny a hate crime. The amendment has been tabled to the Voyeurism Bill and would make misogyny an aggravating factor in upskirting offences, and she hopes to use it as the first step to making misogyny equal to other offences such as those based on race.

New planning policy to be challenged in courts
The Guardian says that the Government is to be challenged in the courts over its new National Planning Policy Framework. Friends of the Earth believes that the policy was illegally adopted because its environmental impact was not assessed, despite it making it ‘virtually impossible’ for councils to reject fracking proposals.

Budget may be brought forward to next month
The Times claims that the budget could be brought forward to late October in order to avoid a clash with the closing stages of the Brexit negotiations. Another possibility is that it could instead be postponed, perhaps to December. Philip Hammond faces a dilemma as the outcome of negotiations will change the assumptions contained in the budget, but enough notice should be given in order that changes can be implemented in the next financial year.

Sturgeon to set out details of new legislation
The BBC reports that Nicola Sturgeon is to set out her plans for the new year, announcing a dozen new pieces of legislation. The Scottish First Minister’s new proposals are expected to cover areas including mental health, the economy, low-carbon growth and social security.

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