“Mass immigration added a city the size of Coventry to the UK population last year as record numbers continued to pour in. The revelation that net migration hit 318,000 in 2014 – the second highest total ever recorded – left David Cameron further than ever from meeting his ‘tens of thousands’ pledge. But the Prime Minister said he would not ‘cave in’ to his critics. He blamed his former Lib Dem Coalition partners for the spectacular failure and added that he would take personal charge of ensuring no Whitehall department shirks the challenge.” – Daily Mail
Europe:
Comment:
Editorial:
>Today: Alok Sharma MP and Stephan Meyer MdB in Comment: Britain and Germany can work together to deliver free movement reform
>Yesterday: ToryDiary: Cameron is now more exposed on immigration than before
“David Cameron has appointed The Sunday Times columnist Camilla Cavendish to lead his Downing Street policy unit in a shake-up of his political operation. Ms Cavendish, a Eurosceptic who has called on the prime minister to steal Labour’s plans to abolish non-dom tax status, is one of a clutch of journalists to be hired or promoted by the Conservatives as they plan for five years unshackled from the Liberal Democrats. Craig Oliver, a former editor of the BBC’s Ten O’Clock News, has been promoted from his former position as director of communications. While retaining his media role, he will be given new responsibility for co-ordinating and implementing domestic policy. George Osborne, the chancellor, last week moved to strengthen his own operation by hiring James Chapman, the political editor of the Daily Mail.” – The Times (£)
“When George Osborne told the CBI on Wednesday that Greg Hands, his ally and Treasury chief secretary, was writing to government departments to ask them “to identify further savings”, he set the tone for the weeks ahead. The chancellor said his main priority for his second term in office was to secure faster productivity growth, because this was “the route to raising standards of living for everyone in this country”. His first step will be to publish a “productivity plan” before the Budget on 8 July. But his more immediate task will be pursuing his ambition of improving Britain’s public finances and eliminating the 5 per cent of national income deficit by the end of the parliament – and this means more government spending cuts.” – Financial Times
“Those caring to dwell on the general election campaign may recall David Cameron’s neon lit promise to extend the Right to Buy (RTB) from council tenants to their housing association counterparts. Its glow dimmed soon after it was announced, perhaps because opinion polls – which in those far-off days, people believed – suggested it wasn’t popular with voters. But now that we have a Conservative national government the policy and its implications are a hot issue once more, especially in the capital where housing costs are all we talk about, you know. Boris Johnson himself has been loquacious on the theme and, in particular, the new style RTB. The problem is, the mayor isn’t sure what the policy actually is.” – The Guardian
“Plans to censor TV broadcasters under counter-terrorism powers caused a split between Conservative Cabinet colleagues, a leaked memo revealed last night. The proposals by Theresa May were attacked by Sajid Javid, who warned that the Government could be ‘seen to be interfering with freedom of speech without sufficient justification’. Mr Javid, who at the time was Culture Secretary, wrote a letter to the Prime Minister expressing his concerns. Mrs May had wanted to gain counter-extremism powers to vet programmes before they were aired. The Home Secretary expressed a desire to introduce pre-broadcast vetting following the murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby in Woolwich, south-east London, in May 2013.” – Daily Mail
“Education Secretary Nicky Morgan will take on militant teaching unions today by hailing free schools as the “modern engines of social justice”. In a major speech, she will confirm Government plans to create another 500 of the semi-independent schools, which are bitterly opposed by the Lefty leadership of the NUT and NASUWT. There are currently 254 of the schools, which are state-funded but run by charities, parents and education groups. Ms Morgan will say: “Free schools are at the heart of the Government’s commitment to deliver real social justice by ensuring all pupils have access to a world-class education.” – The Sun (£)
“Britain needs more working-class civil servants – new Cabinet Office Minister Matt Hancock will declare in a direct challenge to Whitehall chiefs. The Tory high-flyer will say that while a third of young people in the country come from working-class backgrounds, they account for just 7 per cent of civil service “fast track” applicants. In a London speech, he will insist: “Some of the most brilliant people in the world join the British civil service. But to govern modern Britain, the Civil Service must become more like modern Britain. What matters is not the bowler hat, but what’s underneath it.”” – The Sun (£)
“A ‘sugar tax’ could be introduced on unhealthy foods to pay for treating obesity, a government minister has warned. George Freeman, the life sciences minister, said companies that continue to produce foods that lead to poor lifestyles will be penalised. He told an audience at the Hay Festival: ‘I don’t think heavy-handed legislation is the way to go… but companies should know that if you insist on selling these products, we will tax them.’ Mr Freeman, who works in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, is the first minister to support such a tax.” – Daily Mail
“Last night Mr Jenkins came under growing pressure, as MPs accused him of failing to learn the lessons of its £290million in June 2012 for rigging Libor interest rates. Mark Garnier, a former Conservative member of the Treasury Committee, said the scam raised questions over whether Mr Jenkins was ‘fit for purpose’ and he should be hauled in to give evidence to the committee. ‘This demands very, very tough scrutiny of Mr Jenkins’ leadership,’ he said. His call was echoed by Labour MP John Mann who was also a member of the committee.” – Daily Mail
“Lord Howe of Aberavon, the former Conservative deputy prime minister, chancellor and foreign secretary, announced this week that he would be standing down after more than half a century as an MP and a peer. It is a step that others have been encouraged to take amid fears at the growing size of the upper chamber. Baroness D’Souza, the Lord Speaker, recently warned her colleagues that they had a “public duty” to retire when they reached old age… Lord Howe, 88, said that he would leave “with fond memories and with a strong sense of the privilege of having been able to serve in both chambers over so many decades”.” – The Times (£)
“The Labour leadership candidate Liz Kendall said yesterday that her party must become as “passionate about wealth creation as wealth distribution”, as she outlined a vision for the party that heavily echoed Tony Blair. The MP for Leicester West declared her support for successful free schools, pledged to ring-fence defence spending and demanded public services reform. Distancing herself from Ed Miliband’s legacy, she disowned his energy price-freeze policy and warned the party against the “fantasy” that British voters had swung to the left.” – The Times (£)
Comment:
Sketches:
>Today: The Deep End: Heresy of the week: Unfortunately, David Brooks is wrong – there is no centre-right ‘moment’
“Andy Burnham, the shadow health secretary, has made a surprise move to assert his independence from the trades unions by saying he will not take any union cash to fund his Labour leadership campaign. Burnham made his announcement as one of his chief rivals, Liz Kendall, tried to seize the mantle as the change candidate and new Labour MPs expressed their concern that the nomination process may narrow the field to two before the party has had a chance to hear the start of a debate.” – The Guardian
Comment:
>Yesterday: Graeme Archer’s column: The gap between Labour “the party” and Labour, the peoplle who bellieve communal effort can overcome want, has become far too vast
“The point is that Labour’s most important fights are against the Tories in England and they are losing much more than they are winning. There are not enough seats in Scotland, Wales and the urban north of England to make good the shortfall. Back in the days when Labour won elections, its pollster Philip Gould used to conduct his focus groups in Watford because it was the sort of place the party needed to win from the Tories. Unless Labour picks a leader who understands Watford it has no chance at all in 2020. That much is clear.” – The Times (£)
“The longest-serving MP in the Commons yesterday branded the SNP’s parliamentarians “goons” playing “infantile games”. Sir Gerald Kaufman, who has been a Labour MP for 45 years, heaped censure on the Scottish Nationalists for their controversial offensive to claim one of the opposition front benches. The party, which increased its number of MPs from six to 56 this month, has descended into a row with Labour over the Commons seating arrangement and was criticised for attempting to oust Dennis Skinner, the 83-year-old MP, from his conventional seat.” – The Times (£)
“Nigel Farage has blamed jealous colleagues for the Ukip civil war — as he said he was off for a holiday. The Ukip chief said the bitter infighting caused by his chaotic non-resignation on May 8 was fuelled by people “allowing themselves to display personal grudges”. And in a public rebuke to deputy chair Suzanne Evans, he said deputy leader Paul Nuttall would take over “for a few weeks” while he took a break. He had vowed to crown Evans interim leader the day after his Election defeat two weeks ago.” – The Sun (£)
>Yesterday: Local Government: UKIP take charge in Thanet