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Today’s Political Headlines include pressure on Corbyn over anti-Semitism, the Home Office ignoring the forced marriages of British teenagers, Shapps’ cryptic deal and the big society is failing. 

Pressure increases on Corbyn over anti-Semitism
The Times reports on a speech made in 2010 by Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn in which he compared Israel’s actions to those of Nazi Germany. The Telegraph has also splashed on allegations that Corbyn silenced a Holocaust survivor after they objected to the comparisons being made between Israel and Nazi Germany. The Guardian has added to the claims, reporting that Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell supported an anti-Zionist group accused of anti-Semitism.

Home Office ignores the forced marriage of British teenagers
The Times reports that the Home Office granted visas to the husbands of British teenagers forced into marriage abroad. Their investigation found that despite appeals from the women for the applications to be blocked, just under half of the visa requests were approved.

Shapps’ cryptic deal
The FT has revealed that former Conservative Party Chairman Grant Shapps has resigned from two appointments after a secret pay deal was discovered, despite Shapps listing his role as ‘unpaid’. The MP was set to receive cryptocurrency tokens ahead of public sale, which could have amounted to hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Cameron’s failing ‘big society’
The Guardian reports that a youth scheme set up by former Prime Minister David Cameron is failing to reach teenagers. Councils have called for ministers to divert funds into local government schemes rather than into the National Citizen Service (NCS), set up by Cameron in 2010. According to the Local Government Association, just 12% of eligible people used the NCS in 2016.

Vaz accused of bullying Commons clerk over expenses
The Guardian reports on claims broadcast by Newsnight on Wednesday that Labour MP Keith Vaz intimidated a House of Commons clerk, after she tried to control Vaz’s behaviour on trips abroad. Vaz is alleged to have bullied the clerk of the home affairs select committee, which he chaired at the time, after she raised concerns over an unscheduled dinner he attended in 2008 on a trip to Ukraine.

Scottish Government criticised over education tests
The Telegraph has reported on hundreds of complaints made to the SNP Government over primary school assessments introduced this year. The criticisms were revealed following a Freedom of Information request, which revealed 172 pages of comments detailing the ‘soul destroying’ impact of the tests.

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Today’s Political Headlines include May to meet Macron, further anti-Semitism claims against Labour, gender pay gap report and criticism of the Home Office’s approach to child refugees from Calais. 

May to meet Macron after cutting short summer holiday
The Times reports that Theresa May is set to meet Emmanuel Macron on Friday for a Brexit summit at his summer residence in the south of France. May is seeking to persuade Macron to agree to her Chequers deal, and to soften his stance on security cooperation and financial services. The Guardian claims that Macron is unlikely to make an agreement without the approval of Brussels.

Further anti-Semitism claims against Labour
The Times’ Henry Zeffman has revealed that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn hosted an event at the House of Commons in 2010 which compared the Israeli government to the Nazis. Jeremy Corbyn has since released an apology for the event. The latest revelations come after leading figures in the party condemned NEC member Peter Willsman for questioning the legitimacy of anti-Semitism claims in Labour.

Report on gender pay gap calls for new approach to pay negotiation
The Telegraph is reporting on guidance set to be released today by the Government Equalities Office, which aims to address the issue of pay disparity. The guidance suggests women should seek salary increases by focusing on ‘pay ranges’ rather than specific figures. It also calls for employers to increase the number of women on job shortlists, in order to increase selection of female candidates.

Home Office criticised for approach to child refugees from Calais
The Telegraph reports on the recent Court of Appeal ruling which criticised the Home Office for its treatment of child refugees. Judges said there were flaws in the assessment process, saying that inadequate reasons were provided for their refusal, with the Government acting in an ‘unfair and unlawful’ manner.

Hunt says possibility of no-deal Brexit is increasing
The Telegraph has reported on Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt’s remarks that the likelihood of the UK leaving the EU without a deal are ‘increasing by the day’. Hunt met with counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian in Paris on Tuesday and called for the European Commission to change its approach to Theresa May’s Chequers deal.

Kent lorry park may remain in place years after Brexit, Conservative councils say
Sky have obtained Brexit impact reports from Conservative-run Dover District Council and Kent County Council, that suggest the conversion of the M20 motorway into a lorry park could remain in place for ‘many years’ after the UK leaves the EU. The report from Dover District Council also expressed exasperation at the pace of the Government’s preparations for Brexit.

Latest Tory leadership contenders
The FT reports that Home Secretary Sajid Javid is the favourite to succeed Theresa May as Prime Minister, following a strong return to ministerial office after previously being described by an ally of May as a ministerial flop. However, The Times reports that Boris Johnson is the favourite among Conservative party members, despite being backed by just 8% of members a month ago in a poll by ConservativeHome.

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Today’s Political Headlines include Barnier softening his opposition to Brexit finance plans, Labour NEC Member Peter Willsman attacking Corbyn critics, the culture of denial in Aid sector and John McDonnell’s criticism of Corbyn. 

Barnier softening his opposition to May’s post-Brexit plan
The FT reports that chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier has relaxed his opposition to Theresa May’s Brexit plan for financial services. After initially rejecting May’s proposals, Barnier has amended his position after clarification from the UK that Brussels would have control over the City of London’s access to EU markets.

Labour NEC Member attacks critics of Corbyn
The Jewish Chronicle has revealed a tape of Peter Willsman, an ally of Jeremy Corbyn and member of Labour’s ruling body, in which he angrily questions whether colleagues had experienced anti-Semitism in the Party, blaming Jewish ‘Trump fanatics’ for false anti-Semitism claims. Labour MP Luciana Berger has called for Willsman to be suspended to enable a formal investigation, while Deputy Leader Tom Watson has criticised Willsman on Twitter.

International development committee warns of ‘culture of denial’ in Aid sector
The Guardian leads with the latest report from the international development committee, which condemns the aid sector for failing to deal with endemic sexual abuse. The report has claimed that charities are more concerned for their reputation rather than dealing with cases, with the UN failing to demonstrate leadership in dealing with abuse.

Shadow Chancellor criticises Corbyn over antisemitism
The Times reports that Jeremy Corbyn’s closest ally and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has met with Corbyn to criticise his handling of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party. He is said to have urged Corbyn to end the disciplinary process underway against Margaret Hodge, who is alleged to have sworn at Corbyn and called him an anti-Semite.

Leaked Labour democracy review calls for online voting at conference
Labour’s ‘Democracy Review’ has been entirely leaked to The Huffington Post, who report that the review proposes to introduce e-voting to Labour meetings. The move is aimed at handing more power to the party membership, allowing online ballots for conference and local constituencies.

Jeremy Hunt gets the nationality of his wife wrong
Sky News reports that during talks with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and officials, the Foreign Secretary accidentally stated that his wife is Japanese, when she is actually Chinese. As well as risking upsetting his wife, Mr Hunt’s blunder also threatened to offend the Chinese officials sat across the table from him.

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Today’s Political Headlines include Tory Brexiteers’ criticism of May’s no-deal planning, Corbyn accused of taking Labour to a dark place, the IEA’s offer to ‘US donors’ and the reintroduction of ID Cards. 

May facing criticism over no-deal Brexit
The Telegraph reports that May is facing further criticism from Brexiteers in her own party over the Government’s planning for a ‘no deal’ Brexit. They are angry at what they perceive to be overly negative planning, after viewing some of the 70 reports due to be released in August that set out Britain’s approach to ‘no-deal’. Jacob Rees-Mogg has added his assessment in the Mail, describing the plans as ‘Fretful, weak and incompetent’.

Corbyn accused of taking Labour to a ‘dark place’
The Times has reported that Jeremy Corbyn is facing further pressure over anti-Semitism in the Labour Party. It follows reports of Labour MP Ian Austin clashing with the party chairman over the failure of the party to adopt the full IHRA definition of anti-Semitism.

IEA offered ‘US donors’ introductions to UK ministers working on Brexit
The Guardian has revealed a video in which the director of the Institute for Economic Affairs is recorded offering possible access to the Brexit ministers. Mark Littlewood is recorded saying his organisation knew high-profile Brexiteers such as Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and Liam Fox, and that donors could fund and shape IEA research, which would always support the argument for free-trade deals.

Policy Exchange calls for a reintroduction of ID Cards
The Times reports on a Policy Exchange paper due to be released later today that calls for the reintroduction of a national identity system after Brexit. The report states that the Government plans to give 3.8 million EU citizens should be administered through an ID card system, with the scheme extended to UK-born citizens.

Fears over Brexit food crisis
The Times reports that plans have been drawn up by Ministers to call in the army if Britain leaves the EU without a deal, to help deliver food, medicines and fuel in the event of shortages. This follows from recent reports that the Government is preparing to stockpile food and essential medicines as part of their ‘no deal’ planning.

Report calls for state loans for young house buyers
The Guardian reports on new analysis released by the Housing and Finance Institute that urges the Government to offer loans to young people to enable them to pay for a deposit. The HFI say the initiative should be part of a wider strategy to increase the number of homeowners by one million by 2035.

Environment secretary Michael Gove summons water companies
The Times reports that Michael Gove has summoned chief executives of several water companies to explain why water leakages targets set by regulator Ofwat have not been met. Gove has said that customers expect a ‘reliable and resilient supply’, despite recent dry weather. The call comes ahead of a ‘drought summit’ between farmers and the Government, to discuss the effect of the recent dry weather on food supplies.

Northern Rail restoring cancelled services
The Telegraph reports that Northern Rail are set to reinstate three-quarters of services initially removed in May. The move comes after hundreds of delays, a situation described by Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham as ‘rail chaos’.

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Today’s Political Headlines include Barnier rejecting May’s customs proposals, support for a second referendum and the Shadow Cabinet rebelling over antisemitism defintion. 

Barnier rejects May’s customs proposals
The Guardian reports that the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, has rejected Theresa May’s proposals on customs, effectively killing off her Chequers plan. He also warned that attempts to go behind his back and appeal directly to EU leaders would be a waste of time, but said that the was ‘pleased’ with the progress of discussions on foreign policy and security. The BBC adds that May is in Austria today to hold Brexit talks with the country’s Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz.

Majority now back second referendum, poll finds
According to a YouGov poll for The Times, the proportion of voters backing a referendum on the terms of the Brexit deal has overtaken those who don’t. The poll also shows a narrow lead in favour of remaining in the EU if a referendum on membership was held tomorrow.

Shadow Cabinet in ‘open rebellion’ over antisemitism definition
The Daily Telegraph says that members of Labour’s Shadow Cabinet are in ‘open rebellion’ over Jeremy Corbyn’s failure to accept the international definition of antisemitism. Deputy Leader Tom Watson has warned that disciplining Dame Margaret Hodge for calling Corbyn antisemitic is ‘counter-productive’, while Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth and Shadow International Trade Secretary Barry Gardiner have also been critical.

Private probation firms face early contract termination
The Guardian says that the eight private firms running ‘community rehabilitation companies’ in England and Wales are to have their contracts terminated two years early, in 2020, abandoning reforms introduced by Chris Grayling. Justice Secretary David Gauke claimed that the reforms were ‘ambitious and innovative’ but there were ‘clear lessons that need to be learned’.

McVey urges teenagers to get summer jobs
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey has claimed that a decline in the number of teenagers taking summer jobs is leaving people unprepared for the workplace. She is launching an initiative to improve ‘essential skills’ by advertising 20,000 holiday jobs on a Government website.

Medical cannabis to be available on the NHS within weeks
The Daily Mirror reports that Home Secretary Sajid Javid has confirmed that medical cannabis products will be available on prescription from the NHS within weeks. This follows the high-profile case of the epileptic child Billy Caldwell, whose medical cannabis was seized by the Home Office, leading to reviews of the drug by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs and Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies.

Home Office suspends co-operation with US in jihadi case
The Guardian says that the Home Office has temporarily suspended co-operation with US authorities over the case of two British jihabis facing execution in the country, following a request from a legal representative of the family of one of the detainees, in order to allow for a ruling by the courts.

New business envoy appointed
The Financial Times reveals that Theresa May has appointed a new business envoy, whose role will be to strengthen links with British companies and foreign investors. The post, which has been vacant for a year, will be held by William Vereker, a former executive at UBS who has also worked at Morgan Stanley, Lehman Brothers and Nomura.

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