Today’s political headlines cover the moderate MPs set to announce their departure from Labour, the call for Facebook to be regulated and the moderate Tories facing\u00a0deselection.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Moderate MPs set to announce departure from Labour MPs allege Facebook broke laws and should be regulated Five moderate Tories face deselection attempts May ready for \u2018howls of rage\u2019 over no-deal Brexit tariffs Gove announces increased efforts to tackle plastic pollution Border security checks to be abandoned in no-deal Brexit British attempts to speed-up Japanese trade deal fail Labour MP Paul Flynn dies
\n<\/strong>The BBC\u00a0says<\/a>\u00a0that senior Labour sources have claimed that a small group of MPs will announce their departure from the party at an event this morning over the leadership\u2019s handling of Brexit and antisemitism. Stephen Kinnock urged the MPs to \u2018stay in and fight\u2019.\u00a0The Guardian<\/em>\u00a0adds<\/a>\u00a0that Chuka Umunna is expected to be one of those involved, while others could include Chris Leslie, Luciana Berger, Gavin Shuker, Angela Smith and Mike Gapes.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Guardian<\/em>\u00a0carries details<\/a>\u00a0of a new report by the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee into disinformation and fake news which says that Facebook broke privacy and competition laws, and should be subject to statutory regulation. The report labels the social media firm\u2019s executives \u2018digital gangsters\u2019, accuses chief executive Mark Zuckerberg of contempt for Parliament, claims that electoral law is not fit for purposes, and calls for an independent investigation into recent elections and referenda.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Daily Telegraph<\/em>\u00a0reports<\/a>\u00a0that two more moderate Conservative MPs are facing deselection votes. Sir Alan Duncan and Dr Sarah Wollaston join Heidi Alexander, Dominic Grieve and Nick Boles in facing votes of no confidence from their constituency associations, in what it claims is known as the \u2018purple momentum\u2019 drive.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>According<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0The Times<\/em>, the Prime Minister is preparing for \u2018howls of rage\u2019 as ministers finalise no-deal Brexit tariffs. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox favours dropping them to zero in as many areas as possible, but other ministers want to protect producers, including farmers. Tariff details will be published next week, with a decision due on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The\u00a0Financial Times<\/em>\u00a0says<\/a>\u00a0that Michael Gove, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Sectary, has increased his efforts to tackle plastic pollution, setting out plans for a new tax, standardised recycling and a bottle return scheme. However, the paper says that this is likely to \u2018irritate food and drinks companies\u2019 as they have already warned that don\u2019t have the capacity to respond to consultations on topics other than Brexit.\u00a0The Times<\/em>\u00a0adds<\/a>\u00a0that the proposals also include a levy on all clothing sold in an attempt to reduce waste.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Sun<\/em>\u00a0says<\/a>\u00a0that HMRC will announce a six-month \u2018standstill\u2019 this week, abandoning no-deal Brexit security and safety checks, as the Border Force is insufficiently prepared to administer these, having already said it will waive the requirement for goods declarations.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The\u00a0Financial Times<\/em>\u00a0claims<\/a>\u00a0that British attempts to persuade Japan to agree to a quick trade deal after Brexit have \u2018backfired\u2019. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox wrote to their counterparts to tell them that \u2018time is of the essence\u2019. However, the Japanese found this to be a \u2018high-handed approach\u2019 and are unwilling to replicate their trade deal with the EU, instead seeking preferential terms.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The BBC\u00a0reports<\/a>\u00a0that Labour MP Paul Flynn has died at the age of 84. Flynn, who had announced that he would step down \u2018as soon as possible\u2019 in October, had been suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. Jeremy Corbyn described Flynn as \u2018an independent thinker who was a credit to the Labour Party\u2019, adding that he \u2018will be greatly missed\u2019.<\/p>\n