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Today’s Political Headlines include a Labour stance on Brexit, new powers for the Office for Students, Northern Ireland’s status post-Brexit and Lidington’s Brexit speech.

Labour would keep UK in a customs union with EU after Brexit
Jeremy Corbyn is to clarify that Labour would keep the UK in a customs union with the EU after Brexit in a speech today, The Guardian reports. However, he will warn that staying in the single market could stop the delivery of the party’s ‘ambitious economic platform’. Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Brexit Secretary David Davis says that the plan ‘would necessitate two serious breaches of Labour’s manifesto’.

Watchdog given new powers over universities
The Times has seen documents detailing the powers to be given to the new Office for Students, which show that the watchdog will force universities to act on high pay, grade inflation and support for disadvantaged students. The regulatory framework is to be put before parliament on Wednesday, with the powers to be taken up in April.

EU’s draft Brexit agreement threatens to break truce over Northern Ireland
The Financial Times warns that the ‘truce’ over Northern Ireland’s status post-Brexit may be ‘shattered’ this week, when the EU publishes a draft withdrawal agreement which leaves out the compromise language secured by Theresa May. The draft omits the commitment to ‘no new regulatory barriers’ between the UK mainland and Northern Ireland, with the EU claiming that it was waiting for ‘workable UK proposals’.

Brexit bill changes will ‘strengthen and enhance’ devolution, Lidington to claim
Speaking at the Airbus plant in Flintshire, Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington is to say that ‘very big changes’ to the EU (Withdrawal) Bill will ‘strengthen and enhance’ devolution settlements, but the BBC says the Scottish and Welsh governments have described the current proposals as a ‘power grab’. Meanwhile, according to The Sun, Tory whips are planning an away-day ‘bonding session’ for all the party’s MPs.

Energy tariff cap legislation introduced
The BBC reports that legislation to cap expensive energy tariffs is to be introduced to Parliament today, which the Government claims will protect 11 million people. The bill will limit the cost of standard variable tariffs until 2020, with the cap then being extended on an annual basis until 2023. Energy UK said it was vital that the cap did not stifle competition.

New plans will spare domestic violence victims from facing abusers in court
The Times reports that proposals to be announced by Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary, today will spare victims of domestic violence from having to come face-to-face with their abusers in court. Instead, they will be automatically eligible to give evidence via video link or behind screens. Writing in the paper, Rudd outlines various proposals which will form part of consultation on the draft Domestic Abuse Bill.

UK targets Indonesia as part of ‘Global Britain’ strategy
The Daily Telegraph says that the UK is targeting Indonesia, in what it claims is ‘one of the first tests of the UK’s post-Brexit “Global Britain” strategy.’ British firms could gain contracts to regenerate Indonesia’s road and rail networks, UK Export Finance is offering ‘increased support’ and there has been a ‘surge’ in bilateral meetings.

Momentum sees membership grow after press attacks on Corbyn
Data seen by The Guardian shows that Momentum, the Corbyn-supporting group, experiences surges in membership immediately after negative newspaper articles about the Labour leader. The organisation claimed that attacks on Corbyn were being seen as a ‘sign of approval’, with negative stories in the Daily Mail being an effective recruitment tool.

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Today’s Political Headlines include Brexiteers claiming victory after the policy meeting at Chequers, May plans for migration U-turn, Jeremy Corbyn to announce Labour’s support for staying in the customs union and Gove possibly banning plastic straws.

Brexiteers claim victory after Brexit policy meeting
The Daily Telegraph claims that ‘Brexiteers were claiming victory’ following yesterday’s meeting to decide Brexit policy. A source said Chancellor Philip Hammond was ‘shocked’ by the consensus in favour of divergence. The UK will remain close enough to the EU that trade ‘should be as frictionless as possible’, but the paper warns that the EU has ruled out May’s favoured ‘three baskets’ strategy. The Financial Times suggests that the meeting also pleased pro-Europeans, with one saying it was wrong that divergence had ‘prevailed’, while another source said ‘It seems like everyone thinks they got what they wanted.’

May plans for transition period migration U-turn
The Times says the Government is planning a U-turn on its policy that immigrants from the EU during the Brexit transition period should not be allowed to stay permanently. Instead, the Government is considering making a unilateral guarantee that EU citizens who arrive during the period can remain. Meanwhile, a ‘senior EU source’ tells The Guardian that the UK will lose its rebate from the end of 2020, if it extends the transition period beyond then.

Jeremy Corbyn to signal UK staying in customs union
The Guardian says that Jeremy Corbyn is expected to signal that Labour will support the UK staying in a customs union with the EU in a speech on Monday. The paper reports that Tory rebel Anna Soubry has tabled an amendment calling on the Government to remain in a customs union, and that if Labour decide to back it, May is facing a ‘highly damaging defeat.’

Gove says that plastic straws could be banned in Brexit Britain
Speaking on a Daily Telegraph podcast, Michael Gove, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary, has said that plastic straws may be banned. He said that banning plastic straws would be easier after the UK leaves the EU, but also spoke of the need for a balanced approach. The paper says that the UK uses an estimated 8.5m billion plastic straws a year.

Hunt sets out plan to tackle medication mistakes
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has written about medication mistakes for The Daily Telegraph. He warns that errors could be responsible for up to 22,000 deaths and sets out steps to tackle the problem, including improved data, electronic prescribing and working with the clinical community. The paper reports that the errors cost the NHS £1.6bn a year.

Net migration from the EU falls to lowest level for five years
As the BBC reports, the number of EU citizens leaving the UK is at its highest level for a decade, according to figures produced by the Office for National Statistics. Net EU migration was at its lowest level for five years. Immigration minister Caroline Noakes said that the UK was still attracting the ‘brightest and best people’.

Government back organ donation ‘opt-out’ bill
The Mirror says that the Government is supporting a bill to change the law on organ donation, which is due to be voted on today. The bill will create an ‘opt-out’ organ donation system in England and at a reception organised by the paper last night, health minister Jackie Doyle-Price said the Government would give its backing to the bill.

Labour considering land value tax
According to The Guardian, Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has said that Labour is considering a land value tax to boost local government revenues. Speaking at an event organised by the Resolution Foundation, he said that cuts to local services mean ‘that people are now willing to consider more radical solutions than they have in the past.’

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Today’s Political Headlines include Cabinet disagreements over May’s transition strategy, Unilever choosing the Netherlands over the UK, Williamson warning of a Russian threat and Abbott causing controversy.

Cabinet did not agree May’s transition strategy
The Daily Telegraph reports that the Cabinet did not agree Theresa May’s strategy for the transition period before it was sent to the EU. The strategy prompted a backlash after raising the prospect of an open-ended transition period. The paper also reports that David Lidington has offered to transfer to Scotland all powers repatriated from the EU that involve devolved policy areas, in an attempt to break deadlock. As the BBC says, ministers are to gather at Chequers this afternoon to agree the Government’s approach to Brexit. The Times adds that Jeremy Corbyn is planning a major Brexit speech on Monday to set out his approach, while fears of defeat over the customs union have prompted the Government to delay the Taxation (Cross-Border Trade) Bill for up to two months.

Government braced for Unilever to pick Netherlands as its new HQ
According to the Financial Times, Theresa May is braced for the Anglo-Dutch conglomerate Unilever to announce that it has chosen the Netherlands rather than the UK for its unified headquarters following months of political pressure. The paper adds that the UK hasn’t lost all hope and believes it could still benefit from the reorganisation in other ways.

Williamson warns of Russian threat, announces new combat air strategy
Appearing before the Commons Defence Select Committee, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said that ‘state-based threats’ are his department’s ‘top priority’, citing threats from Russia, China and North Korea. The Times says that this is a change from earlier policy, which put terrorism first. The Financial Times adds that Williamson promised a new combat air strategy in the summer and a review of national security capabilities by the end of March,

Abbott causes controversy by comparing UK attitudes to immigration to 1930s Germany
The Daily Telegraph claims that Diane Abbott has ‘sparked fury’ by comparing those with concerns about immigration to the UK to people who ‘scapegoated’ minority groups in pre-Nazi Germany. Abbott used Weimar Germany as an example in a speech on immigration policy, arguing that ‘economic collapse has always led to scapegoating the other’.

Domestic abusers to be given longer sentences
According to The Times, new guidance drawn up by the Sentencing Council will see domestic abusers given longer sentences than those who commit similar offences outside the home environment. The change has been made because such behaviour is rarely a ‘one-off’.

Tories set to lose at least three London boroughs
The Mirror reports that a poll shows the Conservatives are set to face a ‘humiliating’ defeat in at least three London boroughs this May. Across the capital, Labour has 54% of the vote and the Tories have 28%. If this result is replicated at the London council elections in May, Labour would have the highest share won by a party in the elections since 1968.

Gove asks Ofwat to investigate water companies’ behaviour
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary, Michael Gove, has written to Ofwat asking it to investigate concerns over prices, leaks, executive pay and payments to shareholders by water companies, the BBC says. He is willing to give Ofwat new powers if it asks for them.

Sinn Fein says May has no plan to save powersharing
Sinn Fein has accused Theresa May of having no plan to save powersharing in Northern Ireland, and claim the Prime Minister is ‘facilitating’ the DUP in blocking the process, The Guardian reports. The party’s leader, Mary Lou McDonald warned that a political vacuum would be ‘extremely dangerous’.

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Today’s Political Headlines include Tory MPs’ demands for a harder Brexit, Corbyn attacking the press, the continuing Oxfam scandal and Diane Abbott calling for fairer immigration for families.

Over 60 Tory MPs write to May demanding harder Brexit
The Times reports that over 60 Conservative MPs have written to Theresa May, telling her they will no longer support her Brexit plans if the Cabinet agrees to keep the UK too closely aligned to the EU. Their demands would make it impossible for the UK to stay in EU agencies, and reject the transition period unless a trade deal is agreed by next March, which the paper reports that ‘experts believe is all but impossible’. The Daily Telegraph claims that Boris Johnson has told German officials that the negotiations are ‘a mess.’

Corbyn attacks press over spy accusations
As the BBC reports, Jeremy Corbyn has warned the press that ‘change is coming’ and accused the media of publishing ‘lies and smears’ about his contact with a Czech spy in the 1980s. In a statement, The Sun said that it would ‘keep asking’ questions. According to The Guardian, intelligence experts who have seen Czechoslovakian files say that there is no evidence that Jeremy Corbyn was a spy or agent of influence.

Oxfam accused of being ‘quite possibly deliberately’ misleading by minister
The Times reports that International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt accused Oxfam of ‘quite possibly deliberately’ misleading governments, the police, and the public over sexual exploitation by its staff in Haiti in 2011. Meanwhile, Save the Children has apologised to three women who raised concerns about its former chief executive, Justin Forsyth.

Diane Abbott to call for fairer immigration for families
Diane Abbott will announce a pledge to end ‘family break-up through the immigration system’ in a speech today, The Guardian says. She will renew Labour’s commitment to scrap the Government’s migration target, allow parents or carers of admitted child refugees to come to the country, and end the practice of deporting children without entitlement to be in the UK once they turn 18 even if their parents are entitled to be here.

New FCA and Charity Commission chairs face criticism
Two public appointments came under scrutiny in the House of Commons yesterday. The Financial Times says that Charles Randell, incoming chairman of the Financial Conduct Authority, was questioned over his use of a film partnership accused of being a tax-avoidance scheme. The Guardian reports that the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee has unanimously refused to endorse Baroness Stowell of Beeston as chair of the Charity Commission because she lacked ‘any real insight, knowledge or vision’.

Committee launches investigation into social media’s impact on children
According to the Daily Mail, the Commons Science and Technology Committee has opened an investigation into the effect of social networks on children. Norman Lamb, the committee’s chair, said ‘Social media and smartphones are increasingly being used by children and young people. It is vital that we understand the impact this is having on them – the benefits as well as the risks.’

Labour and Lib Dem peers should resign to cut size of Lords, says Prime Minister
Theresa May is calling on Labour and the Liberal Democrats to encourage their peers to retire in order to cut the size of the House of Lords, claiming that the Conservatives were better at ‘embracing retirement at the appropriate time’, the BBC reports.

Lib Dem spokesperson steps down over sex for favours accusation
In an exclusive, The Sun says that Lord Lester has stood down as a Liberal Democrat spokesperson over a sex for favours scandal. A female campaigner has launched a complaint alleging that the peer tried to grope her when she approached him for help to pass legislation, and offered support in return for a sexual relationship. Lester denies the claims.

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Today’s Political Headlines include the Education review, the visa cap limit being repeatedly met, Labour not compensating PFI investors and the MPs’ report on Carillion.

Education review
Theresa May is to claim that too many people go to university and pay too much for their courses The Daily Telegraph says. She will announce a year-long review of tertiary education and university funding, with the paper suggesting that cuts to fees for arts and social science courses and improved vocational education are favoured. The Times warns that May’s plans have already come under attack, with Justine Greening, the former Education Secretary, claiming that they risk damaging social mobility and Mark Leach, chief executive of the think tank Wonkhe saying that the proposals ‘simply don’t add up’.

Visa cap hit for unprecedented third month
The Guardian reports that the UK has hit its cap on visas for skilled non-European workers for an unprecedented third month and that this is deepening the staffing crisis in the NHS. Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers, said NHS organisations were ‘increasingly concerned at their inability to obtain permits for essential medical colleagues’.

Labour might not compensate PFI investors
John McDonnell, the Shadow Chancellor, has suggested that some investors in private finance initiatives might not receive compensation if Labour renationalised contracts, the Financial Times reports. Addressing a meeting of Labour activists, McDonnell said ‘Parliament will determine the value of every industry and sector that we nationalise’ and told the paper that ‘Some of the schemes we know could well be in perilous difficulty, so it’s almost like handing them back rather than us giving compensation’.

MPs publish report on Carillion
A joint report published today by the Commons Work and Pensions and Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committees finds that Carillion’s annual reports were ‘worthless’, that investors were fleeing the firm and that one major investor had considered suing the company, the BBC reports.

Corbyn to disappoint Labour MPs by not committing to customs union
According to The Times, Jeremy Corbyn will disappoint Labour MPs today by not making a clearer commitment to remaining in a customs union with the EU following Brexit. The paper said that backbenchers had expected Corbyn to make the commitment following a meeting of the shadow cabinet’s Brexit sub-committee today.

May to resist pressure to abandon plan to reduce the number of MPs
The Times says that Theresa May is to resist calls to abandon plans to cut the number of MPs to 600 from the current 650. Today the Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee will call on the Prime Minister to accept that MPs are unlikely to vote for the change and put in place arrangements for a new boundary review. May is apparently confident that she will win the vote in September, as the DUP is no longer opposing it.

James Brokenshire returns to Parliament after lung surgery
James Brokenshire, the former Northern Ireland Secretary, has announced that he is to return to frontline politics, The Daily Telegraph says. He stepped down to have lung surgery, but says that he is ‘recovering strongly’ and will return to Westminster on Tuesday.

Labour MPs paid up to £10,000 to meet spies during Cold War
The Daily Mail reports comments by Jan Sarkocy, a former Czech spy, that Labour MPs were paid up to £10,000 to meet Eastern Bloc agents during the Cold War. Jeremy Corbyn has denied Sarkocy’s claim that he was a paid informant of the Czech secret police.

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