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Today’s Political Headlines include Rudd accused of muddying the Brexit waters, the Committee report criticising rail franchising, May warned to abandon customs plans and Gove stands down in shock collar row. Oh, and Trump is visiting. 

Rudd accused of widening tensions over Brexit and abandons immigration targets
The Times says that Amber Rudd has been accused of deliberately widening Conservative tensions over Brexit by saying that she was ‘not going to be drawn’ over whether the UK would stay in a customs union with the EU. It also reports that she has promised to end immigration removal targets, having previously denied their existence, and that new statistics show that knife crime has increased 22% in the last year.

Committee report heavily criticises rail franchising
The Guardian carries details of a report on rail franchising by the Commons Public Accounts Committee. The report finds that the current system is broken, with passengers carrying the cost. It accuses the Government of ‘completely inadequate’ management of two franchises, of failing to learn from its mistakes, and of being too ambitious. The Government has described the report as imbalanced and disappointing.

May warned to abandon Brexit customs plans
The Times claims that Theresa May has been warned to abandon her plans for a ‘blue skies’ customs deal with the EU after both remain and leave supporting Conservative MPs rejected it, with ‘senior Government figures’ expecting the plan to be dropped before a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. The Financial Times says that the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, told a financial conference that claims that ‘the EU desperately needs the City of London’ were false. The Daily Telegraph reports that Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has accused Nicola Sturgeon of rejecting the Governments EU (Withdrawal) Bill for ‘nationalist’ reasons.

Gove stands down in shock collar row
The Times reports that Michael Gove has stood down in a row over shock collars for pets, limiting proposals for a ban to those used to train animals as opposed to those used to contain them. The move was confirmed in what the paper calls ‘a carefully scripted exchange’ with former Conservative minister John Hayes.

New poll puts Labour on 51% in London
The Sun reports on a new poll, showing that Labour has the support of 51% of voters in London ahead of the local elections next week, compared to 29% for the Conservatives. The paper warns that this would mean that Labour would not gain control of Wandsworth and Westminster councils, with its support having dropped 3% since February.

Starmer attacks Len McCluskey in antisemitism row
The Times says that Sir Keir Starmer has attacked Len McCluskey, after the general-secretary of Unite accused ‘Cobyn-hater’ Labour MPs of presenting the party as a ‘morass of misogyny, antisemitism and bullying’. However, Starmer said that the party’s antisemitism problem was ‘obvious’ and those who denied it were ‘part of the problem’.

Ruth Davidson announces pregnancy
As the BBC reports, Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has announced that she is three months pregnant. She and her partner Jen Wilson are expecting their first child in October, following IVF, and she has confirmed that she will be taking some time off for maternity leave.

Date for Trump visit set
The BBC reports that President Trump is to visit the UK on Friday 13 July, after previously cancelling a trip. It will not be a state visit, although the BBC understands that an invitation for one still stands. He will hold talks with Theresa May and is likely to meet the Queen.

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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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Today’s Political Headlines include the EU rejecting the UK’s border proposals, Cabinet split over post-Brexit immigration, Rudd passing blame over Windrush and Brexit bill still uncertain. 

EU rejects UK’s border proposals, while three Conservative MPs back customs union
The Daily Telegraph reports that the EU has rejected the UK’s proposals for avoiding a hard border in Northern Ireland, in what a source called a ‘systematic and forensic annihilation’. The paper says that the Prime Minister may now have no choice but to stay in a customs union with the EU if she wants to avoid a hard border in Northern Ireland. The EU has also suspended its internal discussion on the EU-UK trade deal, pending a resolution to the ‘impasse’, while Theresa May is to hold weekly meetings of her Brexit ‘war cabinet’. The Guardian says that three Conservative select committee chairs have signed a motion urging the Government to remain in a customs union with the EU.

Cabinet split over post-Brexit immigration policy delays
The Times claims that the Cabinet is split over delays to the country’s post-Brexit immigration policy, with Home Secretary Amber Rudd being urged to speed up the bill by Brexit-supporting ministers. The bill is currently scheduled to be introduced early next year and Brexiteers are concerned that it has been delayed so that preferential access for EU workers can be part of the Brexit negotiations.

Union chief accuses Rudd of blaming staff over Windrush scandal
The Guardian says that Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA union has accused Amber Rudd of blaming civil service staff for the Windrush scandal in an attempt to deflect from the Government’s hostile policies, a claim which has been backed by Nick Clegg. The paper adds that official accounts appear to contradict the claim of Theresa May’s former advisor Nick Timothy that May attempted to block the controversial ‘go home’ vans.

Brexit bill still uncertain according to NAO
The BBC reports that a National Audit Office report has found that the total cost of the Brexit ‘divorce’ bill is still uncertain. It said that the Government’s figure of £35-39bn was a ‘reasonable estimate’ but that it could increase or decrease as a result of ‘relatively small changes’ to things such as inflation, the exchange rate and the UK’s economic performance.

McDonnell says Labour less of a threat to the City than the Conservatives
The Financial Times carries details of a speech by Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell yesterday, in which he told the City of London that the Conservatives’ ‘mishandled Brexit’ posed more of a threat than Labour’s plans for higher taxes and more intervention in business. He told City executives that they would have ‘a seat at the policymaking table’.

Commonwealth meets to determine whether Prince Charles will succeed the Queen
The BBC says that Commonwealth leaders are to meet behind closed doors later today to decide whether Prince Charles will succeed the Queen as head of the Commonwealth. Yesterday the Queen said that it was her ‘sincere wish’ that he would take over ‘one day’.

Cable calls for tech firms to be broken up
The Guardian reports on a speech by Sir Vince Cable, leader of the Liberal Democrats. He called for the large tech firms, such as Google, Amazon and Facebook, to be broken up. He suggested that the EU was better placed to do this than national governments and that it was worth considering whether the public should be paid for the use of their data.

Jowell becomes first patient to give data to new global cancer database
The Daily Mirror reports that Baroness Tessa Jowell is the first patient to give her medical data to a new global cancer database. Her daughter, Jess Mills, says that Jowell ‘feels a deep sense of responsibility’ to give a voice to patients and help other cancer sufferers.

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