“Doctors, nurses and members of the armed forces will not receive a pay rise above one per cent this year, Downing Street has said. Number 10 indicated the public sector pay cap will continue to apply to those professions whose pay bodies have already had recommendations accepted by the Government for 2017/18. That means the pay ceiling will remain in place until at least April 2018 – depending on whether the Treasury decides to lift the public sector pay cap. However, other professions whose pay bodies are yet to make a recommendation this year could still have their pay increased above the one per cent ceiling.” – Daily Telegraph
>Today: Iain Duncan Smith’s column: My message to these panic-stricken, self-indulgent Cabinet members. Pull yourselves together.
“Philip Hammond has said that Britain needs to have a “grown-up debate” about whether people are prepared to pay more tax to increase public spending amid a deepening Cabinet split. The Chancellor said that all voters need to consider the “serious question” of whether they are prepared accept higher taxes to ease austerity after “seven years of hard slog”. In a speech on Monday night he said: “The serious question to the electorate cannot be ‘would you like us to tax someone who isn’t you to pay for you to consume more?’, but ‘would you be willing to pay more tax to consume more public services?’” – Daily Telegraph
>Today: Prospects for the economy 1) Andrew Lilico: It’s steady as she goes – but there are some risks ahead
“Public sector pay is back on the front pages. Increasing it is Boris Johnson’s new big thing. Michael Gove is with him 100 per cent. … In some ways this surge of political focus on rewards for public servants might be confusing: after all, public sector pay directly affects far fewer people these days. The proportion of workers found in the public sector is at its lowest level this century at just 16.4 per cent, down from almost one in five pre-crisis.” – The Times (£)
Editorial:
“Britain will take back control of all fishing rights within 200 miles of the coast after Brexit, according to a Government briefing paper seen by The Daily Telegraph. The UK will no longer be bound by Europe’s Common Fisheries Policy when it leaves the EU, meaning it will revert to UN rules on fishing, which provide for the 200-mile zone, compared to just 12 miles of protected waters under EU policy. But Admiral Lord West of Spithead, the former head of the Royal Navy, warned Britain would become a “laughing stock” if it did not have sufficient patrol ships to enforce the 200-mile zone.” – Daily Telegraph
More Brexit
Comment:
>Yesterday: Ray Bassett in Comment: Ireland should consider following Britain out of the EU
“Theresa May wants to stay on as Prime Minister for five years, her official spokesman has insisted as her ministers hit back at suggestions she should stand down after Brexit in 2019. Mrs May now feels she can remain in 10 Downing Street until 2022 weeks despite failing to win a House of Commons majority at the general election. Before the election Mrs May said that she would serve a full five year term if re-elected as Prime Minister.” – Daily Telegraph
More May
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>Today:
“Whitehall department is spending more than £3,000 changing its name despite criticism for cutting funding to Olympic and Paralympic sports. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport announced that it was amending its name to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Officials said the change will cost the department £3,000 to reprint stationery and print new portable “pull out banners” displaying its new name.” – Daily Telegraph
“A report on the foreign funding of extremism in the UK was given to Downing Street last year but Theresa May is still to decide whether to make its findings published, the prime minister has revealed. The Green party co-leader, Caroline Lucas, said the delay in publishing the Home Office investigation, believed to focus on the influence of Saudi Arabia, “leaves question marks over whether their decision is influenced by our diplomatic ties”.” – Guardian
“Kensington and Chelsea Conservatives have selected a new leader after the previous head of the council stepped down amid criticism over the response to the Grenfell disaster. Former cabinet member Elizabeth Campbell said after her selection: “The first thing I want to do is I want to apologise. This is our community and we have failed it when people needed us the most. “So, no buts, no ifs, no excuses – I am truly sorry.”” – Daily Telegraph
“Jeremy Corbyn has announced a reshuffle of his top team – including promoting two MPs who were only elected last month. The Labour leader is shoring up support by placing a number of his supporters in his shadow cabinet, after he surprised Westminster and won 30 more seats in June’s election. Today he brought in 20 MPs into his team – including newly elected Afzal Khan and Anneliese Dodds. Loyal supporter Chris Williamson, who regained his seat in Derby North, is appointed to home affairs, looking after fire services in the wake of the Grenfell tower fire. However, a number of moderates are among the Corbyn-supporters in the freshly re-vamped team.”
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>Yesterday: Simon Marcus in Comment: The Conservatives need a grassroots army to match Labour’s
“Donald Trump has attacked North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Twitter after Pyongyang’s latest missile test, asking, “Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?” Shortly after North Korea launched another ballistic missile toward Japan early on Tuesday, the US President reacted on social media and suggested China do more to rein in its neighbour. “North Korea has just launched another missile. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?,” Mr Trump said, without mentioning Mr Kim by name.” – Daily Telegraph
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