‘Boris Johnson will warn David Cameron this week that he must be prepared to leave the European Union if he wants to get a better deal from Brussels. In what will be seen as a throwing down of the gauntlet, the mayor of London will say the UK should “not be frightened” of quitting the EU. Johnson’s position is in stark contrast to Cameron, who has repeatedly insisted that he wants Britain to stay and is prepared to lead the “in” campaign.’ – Sunday Times (£)
>Today: ToryDiary: With a glimmer in his eye, Boris performs an EU fan dance
‘George Osborne’s plans to raid people’s bank accounts are a “power too far” for the taxman and will damage innocent families and vulnerable people, according to a powerful new coalition calling for him to ditch the proposals. In a letter to The Sunday Times, organisations representing consumers, businesses, banks, building societies, lawyers and accountants warn that they are “deeply concerned” by plans to hand the power to seize unpaid tax to “error prone” revenue officials.’ – Sunday Times (£)
‘Three days before Mr Salmond’s live TV debate with anti-independence campaign leader Alistair Darling, a poll for The Mail on Sunday revealed no boost for the ‘Yes’ campaign from the Games in Glasgow. The Survation survey, the first of Scottish voters to be conducted since the Games began, puts the ‘Yes’ vote on 40 per cent – down one point on last month – and ‘No’ unchanged on 46 per cent. The outcome will be a bitter disappointment for Scottish Nationalists.’ – Mail on Sunday
Energy Secretary Ed Davey is dodging his own green taxes – by switching his gas and electricity supplier to a company exempt from the charges slapped on domestic bills…Green sceptic Peter Lilley, a Tory member of the energy and climate change committee, said last night: ‘He has found a way to avoid this unfair burden on families which his own department is inflicting. It is a form of tax avoidance.’ – Mail on Sunday
‘“Jumping straight in has a lot to be recommended,” he says. It is “a better way of getting into the job” than reading endless reports “in peace time”. Mr Hammond feels he had a head start, crossing the road to the Foreign Office from the Ministry of Defence, where as Defence Secretary he received security briefings and got to know MI6, and GCHQ, the government’s listening station, both of which now report to him.’ – Sunday Telegraph
‘The Apprentice star Karren Brady has been hired by David Cameron – as a member of the House of Lords. Ms Brady, 44, who is an aide to Lord Sugar on the hit BBC television programme, will be handed a Conservative peerage by the Prime Minister later this month, The Mail on Sunday understands.’ – Mail on Sunday
‘Ed Miliband is coming under intense pressure from his MPs to sack Ed Balls to boost Labour’s prospects in next year’s General Election. The whispering campaign against the Shadow Chancellor has started as Mr Balls fights an increasingly open battle with health spokesman Andy Burnham over their manifesto policies. The group, who are largely affiliated to the unions, are swinging behind Mr Burnham’s call for the party to back a ring-fenced tax to boost funding for the NHS.’ – Mail on Sunday
‘In an outspoken statement, Mr Miliband said Mr Cameron’s ‘silence on the killing of hundreds of innocent Palestinian civilians caused by Israel’s military action will be inexplicable to people across Britain and internationally’. The remarks sparked an angry response from Downing Street, with aides accusing the Labour leader of misrepresenting Mr Cameron’s views.’ – Mail on Sunday
>Yesterday: ToryDiary: Is Conservative backbench opinion shifting against Israel over Gaza?
‘Nick Clegg is set to attack David Cameron’s hard-line stance on immigration, in a major speech announcing a new government crackdown on sham marriages and cheap migrant labour. The Deputy Prime Minister will declare that immigration has been good for Britain and good for the economy, striking a radically different tone from Mr Cameron.’ – Sunday Telegraph
‘Military chiefs are drawing up plans for hundreds of British troops to be deployed as part of a “persistent presence” in eastern Europe to deter Russian aggression. Defence sources say soldiers and armoured vehicles could spend most of the next 12 months on war games in Poland and the Baltic states. The move would be a key strategic step for the UK and comes as it withdraws 20,000 troops from permanent bases in Germany.’ – Sunday Times (£)
>Yesterday: ToryDiary: It will take more than a letter to revive the West
‘The NHS has been accused of fuelling the obesity epidemic after an investigation disclosed that dozens of fast food restaurants, coffee bars and shops are selling discounted chocolate at hospitals. Medical experts urged the health service to “get its house in order” and clear its hospitals of junk food companies.’ – Sunday Telegraph
‘Tory MPs, who complain that the ‘best candidate’ for the job, the current deputy clerk David Natzler, has been unfairly passed over, have urged Mr Cameron to ‘pause’ the process. Last night Tory MP Simon Burns said: ‘Given that there was an in-house candidate who was eminently qualified to do the job, this is bizarre. If this is Bercow’s idea of political correctness – to have a woman – then it’s absolutely staggering.’ – Mail on Sunday