{"id":111606,"date":"2018-01-16T09:26:14","date_gmt":"2018-01-16T09:26:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk?p=111606&preview=true&preview_id=111606"},"modified":"2018-01-16T09:26:33","modified_gmt":"2018-01-16T09:26:33","slug":"todays-political-headlines-16-january-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vuelio.com\/uk\/blog\/todays-political-headlines-16-january-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"Today\u2019s Political Headlines – 16 January 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

A round-up of the latest political headlines, including the Carillion collapse, Labour MPs threatening to leave the party, the EU toughening up its Brexit position and Boris’ claim that \u00a3350m was too low.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Carillion collapse raises questions<\/span>
\n<\/strong>Yesterday\u2019s collapse of Carillion dominates the headlines today. As the Financial Times<\/em> reports<\/a>, the Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee is to open an inquiry into government sourcing; Labour has questioned why the firm continued to be awarded contracts after issuing a profit warning; and former pensions minister Steve Webb has questioned the company\u2019s decision to continue to pay dividends. The paper also analyses<\/a> the reasons for Carillion\u2019s collapse, describing outsourcing as a \u2018messy business with little margin for profit\u2019, and Carillion as \u2018a lawful sort of Ponzi scheme\u2019.<\/p>\n

Labour MPs threaten to leave party if deselected<\/span>
\n<\/strong>The Times<\/em> claims<\/a> that moderate Labour MPs are threatening to quit the party if they are deselected, and would instead sit in the Commons as independents. Fears of deselection have been intensified by the victory of three Momentum candidates in elections of the party\u2019s National Executive Committee, including the organisation\u2019s founder Jon Lansman.<\/p>\n

EU stance on transition period toughens, as Cabinet is split on future trade deal<\/span>
\n<\/strong>The Financial Times<\/em> reports<\/a> that the EU has toughened up its conditions for a transition deal, including on free movement, maintaining trade agreements, and fishing quotas. The paper also has details<\/a> of a split in the Cabinet over the direction of trade talks, with Philip Hammond favouring a \u2018top-down\u2019 approach and Boris Johnson a \u2018bottom-up\u2019 one.<\/p>\n

Boris claims that \u00a3350m figure was actually too low<\/span>
\n<\/strong>In an interview<\/a> with The Guardian<\/em>, Boris Johnson has suggested that the Vote Leave campaign\u2019s claim that the EU costs the UK \u00a3350m a week was too low, and that the true figure is \u00a3438m. He told the paper that when the cash becomes available to spend \u2018the NHS should be at the very top of the list.\u2019 The paper says that the claim is \u2018likely to provoke some remain supporters\u2019.<\/p>\n

Plight of the Rohingya people raised by select committee report<\/span>
\n<\/strong>A report by the House of Commons International Development Committee raises concerns about the plight of Rohingya people being returned to Myanmar, as detailed<\/a> by the BBC. The report calls the situation a \u2018huge human tragedy\u2019 and warns of \u2018prospects of it becoming a powder keg of radicalisation\u2019. While the report welcomes the Government\u2019s plan, it says that it faces \u2018substantial challenges\u2019.<\/p>\n

Select committee demands action on white goods electrical safety<\/span>
\n<\/strong>The Guardian<\/em> reports<\/a> that the Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee has criticised the Government for being slow to overhaul \u2018slow and poorly resourced\u2019 safety procedures which led to 1m potentially dangerous tumble dryers being in use in the UK.<\/p>\n

Explanations demanded over release of cancer data<\/span>
\n<\/strong>According<\/a> to The Daily Telegraph<\/em>, ministers are seeking explanations from Public Health England over the decision to hand over medical data to a firm working to tobacco giant Philip Morris. The Commons Health Committee is due to question the body today, and its chair Sarah Wollaston said that she wanted to see evidence of \u2018due diligence\u2019.<\/p>\n

Hard Brexit could cost Scotland \u00a312.7bn a year<\/span>
\n<\/strong>Analysis by the Scottish Government has found that Brexit would cost the Scottish economy \u00a312.7bn a year, the BBC reports<\/a>. Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister, said that keeping single market membership would be \u2018least damaging\u2019, but the Scottish Conservatives dismissed the analysis as \u2018completely over-the-top scaremongering\u2019.<\/p>\n

Want more political insight? Find out more about\u00a0Vuelio political services<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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