“Allies of Boris Johnson last night reacted with fury after a savage attack on his character and his claim to the Tory crown. They hit back after former Conservative MP Matthew Parris warned the London Mayor was a ‘dangerous charmer’ and would be a disaster as party leader. Mr Parris – who has close links to No 10 through his partner, ex-Downing Street speechwriter Julian Glover – ripped into Mr Johnson’s character.” – Daily Mail
Comment:
“The only big beast trusted in Downing Street and also respected by most Brexiteers, IDS-style compassionate Conservatives, public service reformers and right-wing opinion formers is Michael Gove. As ConservativeHome has recommended, the super-brainy former Times writer should be appointed deputy PM as the centrepiece of a government relaunch.” – The Times (£)
“David Cameron has called a series of secret cabinet meetings for pro-European Union ministers only, as he fears that he is increasingly isolated at the head of the campaign. The so-called Remain cabinet meets at locations and times divulged only to cabinet ministers committed to staying in the EU, with those such as Michael Gove, the justice secretary who supports a Brexit, kept in the dark.” – The Times (£)
Number Ten:
Leave:
Comment:
“The longer this campaign goes on, the clearer it becomes. On one side, you have those, like me, who want to remain. We not only offer certainty: certainty about our access to the Single Market; certainty about jobs and prices. We are also backed up by a welter of opinion, from businesses small and large to independent experts… On the other, you have those who want to leave, who make assertions with little evidence, and don’t have their claims backed up. All they offer is risk at a time of uncertainty.” – Daily Telegraph
>Today:
>Yesterday: ToryDiary: Less secure inside the EU, though still unsecure outside it
“More than six million workers will suffer a surprise cut to their take-home pay from next month after a stealth raid by George Osborne that will net the Treasury £5.5 billion a year. The rise in national insurance payments will cause an affected worker earning £40,000 to lose about £40 a month, under reforms announced three years ago but taking effect now.” – The Times (£)
“Ministers face a revolt over plans to make all state schools academies after council bosses demanded a rethink. A cross-party group of town hall leaders said there was “no evidence” academies outperformed council-run schools. The blast from Local Government Association chiefs came a day after the National Union of Teachers voted to ballot for strikes over the plan.” – The Sun
Comment:
>Today:
>Yesterday: Rob Leitch in Comment: The greatest Conservative education reform of all – changing the way progress is measured
“British soldiers would become targets for IS and hostile fighters if they end up stationed in Libya’s capital, a senior MP has warned. Crispin Blunt, the former justice minister, claimed talks have been held over stationing 1,000 British troops in a Baghdad-style ‘Green Zone’ as part of the military assistance offered to Libya’s fledgling unity government.” – Daily Mail
“Fewer than one in five older voters intend to support Scottish Labour in May’s election, according to a new poll. The Survation poll of 1,000 people aged over 60 found that 19 per cent intend to back the party in the constituency vote, with 18 per cent supporting it in the regional list vote. Meanwhile, 43 per cent of those polled said they would vote SNP in the constituency vote, with 28 per cent backing Ruth Davidson’s Scottish Conservatives.” – The Scotsman
“The leading Republican Presidential candidate said that England was among the countries which have become ‘weak’ and cannot protect themselves. Mr Trump said Europe had ‘very, very severe’ problems with terrorism and that it needed better law enforcement. The property mogul spoke out after saying that, were he to become President, he would make America’s allies pay for the ‘cloak of protection’ the US offers.” – Daily Mail