6.30pm WATCH: Simon Burns MP: "Liberal Democrat, Crossbench, and even Labour peers" have helped "strengthen" NHS reforms
4pm ToryDiary: Who said that surveys showing strong support for a high top tax rate were "the usual opinion poll guff"?
3.45pm WATCH: Matthew Hancock MP: Tomorrow's Budget will be "a Budget for working families"
3pm Steve Baker MP on Comment: It’s time to denationalise marriage
2.45pm WATCH: The Queen reacts to the Speaker's assertion that she is the "kaleidoscope Queen of a kaleidoscope country"
2.30pm MPsETC: Jacob Rees-Mogg urges the Government to respect ancient British liberties and restrict powers of entry
2pm Local government: Boris opens up 8% lead in latest poll
12.30pm WATCH: The Queen gives Diamond Jubilee address to Westminster Hall
Noon ConHomeUSA newslinks: Paul Ryan unveils "Path to Prosperity" budget
10.30am Kit Malthouse on Comment: Dealing with some misconceptions about compulsory sobriety
ToryDiary: A fresh statement of ConservativeHome's purpose
Also on ToryDiary: Tory members support abolition of 50p rate but urge Osborne to make lower petrol duty his Budget priority
Christopher Pincher MP on Comment: National pay bargaining is a throwback to the collectivist 1970s – and it should go
Also on Comment: Matthew Jupp - Why the Chancellor should leave higher rate tax relief for pensions alone
Peter Walker on Local Government: Changing police employment conditions is key to reform
WATCH: Boris Johnson gives schoolchildren a lesson on the history of the Olympic torch
Budget news 1) Taxpayers to be told how Government spends their tax
"Each person will be sent an annual tax statement setting out what proportion of their income has been deducted and explaining… what ministers have used it for. The move, which will come into force in 2014, is expected to help ministers persuade voters of the need for public spending cuts, including welfare payments… For example, according to Treasury calculations based on current taxes, someone earning £50,000 would be informed that their taxes will fund £4,727 worth of welfare payments, including £493 of housing benefit annually and £860 in sickness benefits." – Daily Telegraph
> From yesterday - Charlie Elphicke MP on Comment: We should target overseas tax dodgers, help the low-paid and only then abolish 50p
Budget news 2) £20bn in government loans for small business
"George Osborne will pledge to remove a crucial barrier to Britain's economic recovery today by offering £20bn of government-backed, low-cost loans to small firms. After failing to persuade the banks to release more of their cash reserves to boost the flatlining economy, the Chancellor will announce that companies with a turnover of up to £50m will be able to apply for the first £5bn tranche of loans from today. Banks taking part in the credit easing scheme will provide loans one percentage point lower than they would otherwise have been." – Independent
Budget news 3) Redistributive taxes on the rich to appease Lib Dems?
"It is likely that Mr Osborne will announce a new minimum rate of tax that everyone will pay, irrespective of how they define their income, as part of a range of measures designed to squeeze the super-rich. A version of the “tycoon tax” floated by Mr Clegg, this is said to go beyond closing loopholes and clamping down on stamp duty evasion… Mr Osborne is also expected to make the case that the Budget measures will, overall, redistribute money from rich to poor." – Rachel Sylvester in the Times (£)
> From yesterday:
Budget news 4) Boris Island?
"More airport capacity is needed in the South-east of England for the country to remain a competitive force in world trade, David Cameron warned yesterday. He said the Government would carefully examine the case for a new "Boris Island" airport in the Thames estuary, the pet project of the London Mayor, Boris Johnson. But Mr Cameron's words will also reopen the possibility of expanding Heathrow airport later in the decade, even though a third runway has been ruled out by the Coalition." – Independent
> Yesterday on ToryDiary: The Government finally goes for growth but the politics won't be easy
Tories retake poll lead but appear at odds with public on 50p tax – Guardian
Tim Montgomerie: Class is the Tories' Clause IV moment – can Osborne and Cameron show they are on the side of strivers rather than millionaires?
"What Cameron and Osborne need is a blood-on-the-carpet moment that demonstrates they are on the side of working families. Nothing is more likely to help the two men counter the notion that they are out-of-touch than a battle with elements within their own party who want them to defend people who got rich from the property boom. They should relish a fight with Tory MPs who are more worried about people with £2m homes than people on incomes of £20,000. Every penny raised should be used to fund tax relief for working people. It should be the beginning of a much broader move to increase tax on wealth and cut tax on wealth creation as well as lighten the load of those still aspiring to the first rung of the housing ladder." – Tim Montgomerie in the Guardian
> From yesterday - Columnist Bruce Anderson: Osborne may at last be about to reveal his economic philosophy
OBR to raise forecast for economic growth
"Forecasts for the UK economy will be revised a touch higher in the Budget on Wednesday, as the Office for Budget Responsibility is expected to follow recent more optimistic moves by private sector economists." – FT (£)
Budget news in brief:
Budget comment in brief:
The government's plans for roads built by private companies ‘will end in mass tolls’
"The Prime Minister’s commitment to “massively increase” the amount of private sector finance on trunk roads ran into strong opposition from transport groups yesterday, but won the support of the business lobby. Motoring organisations and transport charities said that plans to let private companies charge drivers to use new roads and possibly new lanes on existing routes would inevitably lead to more widespread tolls." - The Times (£)
> From yesterday - WATCH:
I'm prepared to risk unpopularity over developing the countryside, says David Cameron
"The Coalition is prepared to risk "short-term unpopularity" over controversial plans to build new towns, runways and roads across miles of British countryside, David Cameron has said. Mr Cameron said he was ready to ignore "furious objections" to make sure the country has better transport links and enough housing. He admitted there would be “costs and protests” about the construction projects, especially a new airport runway near London." – Daily Telegraph
Government u-turn forced on aircraft carriers
"David Cameron will perform a humiliating U-turn over the warplanes that will fly from the Royal Navy’s planned new aircraft carriers. Military chiefs have advised him to axe plans to buy the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter after the cost of converting the carriers to fly them trebled to £2billion. Instead, the Government will buy the F-35B version which takes off and lands like the Harrier jump jet – a move they controversially decided against in the Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2010." – Daily Mail
Lords approve NHS reforms and Labour force emergency Commons debate
"The government's planned changes to the NHS in England have cleared their final reading in the House of Lords. Labour have forced a Commons debate on whether MPs can consider planned NHS changes for a final time before an assessment of the potential risks to the health service is published. It will take place on Tuesday after being granted by Speaker John Bercow. The government has agreed to a series of changes to the bill and want it to become law as soon as possible." – BBC | Guardian
Labour warns thousands more schools are needed by 2015 to cope with birth rise
"At least 454,571 places will be needed to cope with rising birth rates and an influx of foreigners. That means 2,030 extra schools, based on an intake of 224 pupils, Labour claims. Shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg urged Chancellor George Osborne to use his Budget to deal with the "growing crisis" in schools." – The Sun
Diamond Jubilee: The Queen to address Parliament – BBC
SNP attacks Shetland and Orkney 'troublemakers' after islanders say they may not join independent Scotland – Daily Telegraph
Veteran Argentine politician launches vicious attack on Maggie as he claims Iron Lady suffered 'illness of alcoholism' – Daily Mail
Terence Blacker: Like it or not, Sentamu is the best hope for the Church of England - Independent
Royal Mail keeps no records of £1million-worth of undelivered presents it auctions off every year - Daily Telegraph
Newspaper boss speaks out on town’s ‘failed’ multi-culturalism – HoldTheFrontPage
Mark Thompson to leave the BBC after the Olympics – FT (£)
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