Today’s political headlines include more Brexit news, with ministers telling May no-deal is preferable to accepting EU demands and Labour and Tory rebels trying to force the Government to publish Brexit legal advice, as well as Lord Lester facing a record suspension for sexual harassment and Babcock under extra scrutiny.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Ministers to tell May no-deal is preferable to accepting EU demands<\/span> Labour and Tory rebels in bid to force Government to publish Brexit legal advice<\/span> Peer recommended for record suspension from the Lord for sexual harassment<\/span> Defence contractor under extra scrutiny<\/span> Johnson backs calls to offer Asia Bibi asylum in UK<\/span> Hundreds of civil servants complain about harassment and bullying<\/span> Government faces \u2018almost certain\u2019 defeat over betting machine stake cut<\/span> No-deal Brexit to cost NHS \u00a32.3bn<\/span>
\n<\/strong>The Daily Telegraph<\/em>\u00a0reports<\/a>\u00a0that Eurosceptic ministers including Dominic Raab, Andrea Leadsom and Liam Fox are to use a Cabinet meeting today to warn the Prime Minister that a no-deal Brexit would be preferable to giving into the EU\u2019s demands. According to the paper, the latest round of negotiations broke down at 3am on Monday morning. Speaking at the Lord Mayor\u2019s Banquet, Theresa May said that she would not reach \u2018an agreement at any cost\u2019 and that negotiations were \u2018now in the end game\u2019.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Guardian<\/em>\u00a0says<\/a>\u00a0that Labour is to use a parliamentary procedure today to try to force the Government to publish its legal advice on the Irish backstop plan.\u00a0The Sun<\/em>\u00a0adds<\/a>\u00a0that an amendment to Labour\u2019s motion has been tabled by the European Research Group of Brexiteer Tory MPs, which is confident it has the support of over 40 backbenchers.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Times<\/em>\u00a0has spoken<\/a>\u00a0to the women\u2019s rights campaigner Jasvinder Sanghera following the publication of a report recommending that Lord Lester of Herne Hill be suspended from the Lords until 2022 for sexually harassing her. She said that she hoped that \u2018by speaking out, victims were creating a climate in which people were more willing to listen\u2019.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The\u00a0Financial Times<\/em>\u00a0says<\/a>\u00a0that Babcock, the UK\u2019s second-largest defence supplier, has been placed under extra scrutiny, relating to a contract covering maintenance of the UK\u2019s Vanguard submarines which carry the country\u2019s nuclear deterrent. Officials told the paper that the department had \u2018real concern\u2019 and that relations were \u2018strained\u2019.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The\u00a0Daily Mail<\/em>\u00a0reports<\/a>\u00a0that former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is backing calls for the Pakistani woman Asia Bibi, cleared of blasphemy last month but at risk of attack from extremists, to be offered asylum in the UK. He has written to Home Secretary Sajid Javid to say that threats of violence against UK missions in the country should not \u2018deter us from doing the right thing\u2019.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>An\u00a0investigation<\/a>\u00a0by\u00a0The Guardian<\/em>\u00a0has found that while hundreds of civil servants have made complaints about bullying or sexual harassment by colleagues, just a fraction of those accused were subject to disciplinary action. Not all departments and bodies provided data as a result of the paper\u2019s request and some of those that did failed to provide exact figures.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Times<\/em>\u00a0claims<\/a>\u00a0that the Government is \u2018almost certain\u2019 to be defeated over its plan to delay the cut in the maximum stake for fixed-odds betting terminals after 21 Conservative MPs signed amendments designed to bring forward the cut, including Boris Johnson, David Davis, Priti Patel and Justine Greening. Labour has also said that it will back the amendments, laid by Labour MP Carolyn Harris, former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith and SNP MP Ronnie Cowan.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The\u00a0Financial Times<\/em>\u00a0carries details<\/a>\u00a0of a report by the Nuffield Trust which warns that a no-deal Brexit would result in a \u00a32.3bn \u2018cost shock\u2019 for the NHS in England, owing to an increase in red tape and trade barriers. This would take up all the funding available to improve patient care in the next two years.<\/p>\n