Today’s political headlines include the Tory MPs united in criticism of May’s Brexit plans, EU leaders are prepared to help May sell deal to Parliament, calls for petrol and diesel cars to be banned by 2032 and the 13 MPs accepting pver \u00a3100,000 of gifts and trips from Saudis.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Tory MPs united in criticism of May\u2019s Brexit plans<\/span> EU leaders prepared to help May sell deal to Parliament<\/span> Committee calls for new petrol and diesel cars to be banned by 2032<\/span> MPs accept over \u00a3100,000 from Saudis this year<\/span> Mercer claims he \u2018wouldn\u2019t vote\u2019 if he wasn\u2019t an MP<\/span> Mordaunt speech interrupted by protester<\/span> Petraeus warns prosecuting veterans risks damaging military<\/span> MPs accept over \u00a32m of free overseas trips<\/span>
\n<\/strong>The Times\u00a0<\/em>claims<\/a>\u00a0that Theresa May\u2019s concessions in Brussels have annoyed all wings of her party, leaving her \u2018facing the most perilous week of her premiership\u2019. It says David Davis has rung ministers to call for a change of plan, while Remain-backing Tories such as Nick Boles and Anna Soubry have also criticised May\u2019s approach.\u00a0The Sun<\/em>\u00a0adds<\/a>\u00a0that the proposed extension to the transition period was backed by the inner Brexit cabinet last week on the condition that it was at most three to six months long, while a meeting of Brexiteer cabinet ministers accepted it on Monday.\u00a0The Daily Telegraph\u00a0<\/em>reports<\/a>\u00a0that Scottish Secretary David Mundell has told Theresa May that he could not accept an extended transition period.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>According<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0The Guardian<\/em>, EU leaders are to help Theresa May to build a \u2018coalition of the reasonable\u2019 in Parliament to avoid a no-deal Brexit. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that \u2018all avenues\u2019 to find a deal should be followed, while European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker apparently told leaders that May needed \u2018help\u2019 to sell a deal to MPs.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The\u00a0Financial Times\u00a0<\/em>has details<\/a>\u00a0of a new report by the Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee which calls on the Government to ban sales of almost all new petrol and diesel cars by 2032, claiming that the Government\u2019s current 2040 target was \u2018vague\u2019 and \u2018unambitious\u2019. The committee claims that this will help the UK meet climate targets and develop technology it could export.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>In an\u00a0exclusive<\/a>, the\u00a0Daily Mail\u00a0<\/em>reveals that British politicians have accepted \u00a3106,418 in gifts trips and other benefits from the Saudi Arabian regime so far this year \u2013 three times higher than the equivalent figure for 2016. Eight Tory and five Labour MPs have been on trips to the country, with the Conservative Leo Docherty describing them as \u2018working visits that take time and effort to a serious purpose\u2019.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Times\u00a0<\/em>reports<\/a>\u00a0on an interview of Tory backbencher Johnny Mercer in which he claims that he \u2018wouldn\u2019t vote\u2019 in an election, there was \u2018absolutely no chance\u2019 that he would stand for Parliament if he was asked to now as he was \u2018not comfortable\u2019 that his values were the same as those of his party, and that the Government is a \u2018shit show\u2019.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Guardian\u00a0<\/em>says<\/a>\u00a0that International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt was interrupted by a protester who invaded the stage during a speech to a conference on sexual abuse in the aid sector. The whistle-blower Alexia Pepper De Caires accused Mordaunt and her department of trying \u2018to control women who are speaking out in this sector\u2019.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The\u00a0Daily Mail\u00a0<\/em>reports<\/a>\u00a0that General David Petraeus, the former head of the US military, used a speech at the thinktank Policy Exchange to warn that prosecuting military veterans could put the relationship between the British and American armed forces \u2018at risk\u2019 and leave the UK\u2019s military capabilities \u2018greatly diminished\u2019.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>BBC\u00a0analysis<\/a>\u00a0shows MPs have accepted over \u00a32m of free overseas trips in the last two years, over half being funded by foreign governments. The most common destination was Israel and the Palestinian territories and nine of the ten biggest recipients were Conservative MPs.<\/p>\n