“Sajid Javid promised steel workers he will do everything he can to save their ‘absolutely vital’ jobs as he met them face-to-face this afternoon – but he also warned that they could be out of a job in just three weeks. As the Business Secretary finally arrived at the UK’s biggest steel plant in Port Talbot today, furious protesters confronted him by demanding to know if the Government is letting them ‘go to the wall’.” – Daily Mail
China:
“The problem with the latest furore around Business Secretary Sajid Javid is that he’s not actually been at the centre of the Tata Steel crisis. Perhaps he should have been – that’s a moot point. But when the industry in question is entirely privately owned and the government has made it clear for years that it will remain so, what can Javid do except promise to set up task forces and make comforting remarks to the unfortunate steel workers who face redundancy?” – Daily Telegraph
Editorial:
>Today:
>Yesterday: ToryDiary: Why Conservatives should want to intervene in Port Talbot
“Tens of thousands of savers have endured savage cuts to their retirement incomes as the Chancellor’s pension reforms have backfired. An investigation by the Daily Mail reveals pension firms have rushed to cut annuity rates by up to 17pc – costing savers tens of thousands of pounds over the course of their retirement.” – Daily Mail
“He subsidises house purchase through mortgage aid, driving savings into inert property and encouraging the under-use of living space… Osborne should do the exact opposite. He should encourage the sub-letting of rooms, buying-to-let, Airbnb and any other form of rental. He should promote, not tax, market activity, attracting supply from the readiest source of new housing: under-used space. He should help, not impede, the matching of supply with demand. That would make him a proper Tory.” – The Guardian
>Yesterday: George Osborne MP in Comment: Four radical reforms which show what this modern, compassionate Conservative Government is all about
“Senior Brexit Tories joined the feud over the national living wage, arguing that the policy would fuel immigration unless Britain leaves the EU. Chris Grayling, the Commons leader, and David Davis, the influential backbencher, backed John Whittingdale’s warning that freedom of movement rules meant that the pay rise would attract more low-skilled workers from Europe.” – The Times (£)
Other EU:
Comment:
>Today: David Kirkby in Comment: The National Living Wage could undermine the Northern Powerhouse – so let’s vary it by region
>Yesterday:
“The education secretary, Nicky Morgan, has come under fire for choosing a City lawyer with an annual income of £500,000 to chair Britain’s leading equality and human rights body. Two parliamentary committees have written to Morgan, who is also minister for women and equalities, to warn that there could be a conflict of interest if David Isaac was appointed to the role – because his legal firm carries out “significant work for the government”.” – The Guardian
“Michael Gove’s reputation may have taken a hammering from teachers, but his time as education secretary has won him a surprising political champion. David Laws, the former Liberal Democrat schools minister, is touting Mr Gove as the smart bet to be Tory leader after David Cameron steps down before the next general election.” – The Times (£)
“Security officials fear Islamic State is plotting to use drones to spray deadly nuclear waste over British cities. The threat is considered so real that David Cameron and Barack Obama last night held a ‘war game’ session on how to respond to such an attack – which could kill thousands and leave a target town or city uninhabitable for years.” – Daily Mail
“Leading allies of Jeremy Corbyn have ordered his grassroots supporters to “get a grip” on Labour, fight internal party battles and push for left-wing activists to become MPs. Jon Lansman, the founder of Momentum, the controversial network of Mr Corbyn’s supporters, told a meeting of its backers last week: “It’s our responsibility to change the party.”” – The Times (£)
“It has generated endless headlines thanks to an extraordinary succession of Labour activists and officials who have been disciplined by the party after being caught (largely by the media) making deeply offensive remarks about Jews. Some, such as Khadim Hussain, the former Labour mayor of Bradford, have used the internet to spread the bizarre anti-Semitic conspiracy theory that Israeli spies helped found Islamic State, in a secret plot to force Western nations to invade the Middle East.” – Daily Mail
Comment:
“The SNP has accused Labour of presiding over years of council-tax hikes and planning further tax rises for the low-paid as the nationalists were urged to support a tax on the highest earners. Labour has dismissed Nicola Sturgeon’s concerns that a 50p tax rate could cost Scotland £30 million through tax avoidance as “smoke and mirrors”, insisting HMRC has the power to make sure Scots pay up.” – The Scotsman
“President Barack Obama on Friday slammed Donald Trump for suggesting that Japan and South Korea should consider developing nuclear weapons, calling the mogul ignorant about foreign policy and unfit to occupy the White House. Speaking after a nuclear summit in Washington, Mr Obama questioned Mr Trump’s claim that Tokyo and Seoul would have less trouble dealing with North Korea if they had nuclear weapons — a suggestion the tycoon made in an interview with the New York Times that was at odds with decades of US nuclear non-proliferation policy.” – FT