Today’s political headlines include Cameron urging the Tories to remain before they defected, May warning that time is running out on Brexit talks and Gove and Hammond clashing over Brexit preparations.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Cameron urged defecting Tories to remain May warns that time is running out in Brexit talks Gove and Hammond clash over Brexit preparations Retailers warn of no-deal Brexit impact on food supplies Government\u2019s climate advisors call for gas boilers and cookers to be banned Wright to warn Zuckerberg over online harms MPs call for reforms to save the high street Bangladesh says Begum is not one of their citizens
\n<\/strong>The Times<\/em>\u00a0reveals<\/a>\u00a0that David Cameron sent a text message to the three Conservative MPs who defected to the Independent Group yesterday urging them to stay. The MPs – Heidi Allen, Anna Soubry and Dr Sarah Wollaston – warned that the Conservatives had been taken over by hard Brexiteers. The new group will meet on Monday to decide their leadership and begin hiring staff, having already received \u2018thousands of donations\u2019 according to the paper.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The BBC\u00a0reports<\/a>\u00a0that Theresa May claimed that progress had been made in Brexit talks with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker yesterday, but warned that \u2018time is of the essence\u2019. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said that the \u2018critical thing\u2019 was enabling Attorney General Geoffrey Cox to change his advice about the backstop to MPs.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>According<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0The Daily Telegraph<\/em>, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Michael Gove used a meeting of a Cabinet sub-committee yesterday to accuse Chancellor Philip Hammond of damaging preparations for a no-deal Brexit by not releasing funding early enough. Gove and Hammond are also currently disagreeing on whether to impose tariffs on agricultural goods in a no-deal Brexit scenario.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Guardian<\/em>\u00a0says<\/a>\u00a0that bodies representing retailers in the UK and Ireland have warned that a no-deal Brexit could lead to tariffs of 40% or over being imposed on foods including beef and cheddar cheese, forcing up prices in shops. There could also be shortages of fresh produce caused by delays at borders.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Times<\/em>\u00a0reports<\/a>\u00a0that a new report by the Committee on Climate Change, which advises the Government, calls for gas boilers and cookers to be banned in new homes within six years so that the UK will meet legally-binding emissions targets. The proposals has been criticised by the Home Builders Federation, which warns that it would make homes harder to sell, adding that alternatives need to be \u2018suitably attractive, available and efficient\u2019.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Daily Telegraph<\/em>\u00a0says<\/a>\u00a0that the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, Jeremy Wright, is to call on Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to demand more action on online harms, warning him that \u2018the era of self-regulation is over\u2019. The paper adds that a white paper on new laws to regulate social media is \u2018just weeks away\u2019.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The\u00a0Financial Times<\/em>\u00a0carries details<\/a>\u00a0of a new report by the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee that recommends making \u2018wide reforms\u2019 to business rates and planning rules in order to allow high streets and town centres to succeed. It also recommends a levy on online retail sales and \u2018green taxes\u2019 on deliveries and packaging.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Guardian<\/em>\u00a0reports<\/a>\u00a0that Bangladesh has denied that Shamima Begum is a Bangladeshi citizen following the decision by Home Secretary Sajid Javid to remove the teenager\u2019s British citizenship, claiming that there \u2018is no question of her being allowed\u2019 into the country. Javid continues to insist that he \u2018would never make any decision that would make an individual stateless\u2019, adding that his decision had not affected Begum\u2019s baby son.<\/p>\n