Theresa May has officially called on Labour for their support in delivering Brexit and other legislation following the loss of her parliamentary majority. The Prime Minister made a direct appeal to opposition MPs to “contribute, not just criticise” and help “clarify and improve” her policies in the Commons. She insisted that her determination to change Britain in the interests of those who are “just about managing” remains “undimmed”.” – Daily Telegraph
Editorials:
Comment:
Sketches:
“Theresa May has said she will aim to improve rights for those working in the gig economy but fell short of promising legislation to tackle the problem, as she gave a speech aimed at relaunching her faltering leadership. The prime minister said it was important to make sure “all work is fair and decent”, speaking at the launch of a new report on modern working practices by Matthew Taylor, a former policy adviser to Tony Blair. She said the government would carefully study his recommendations, which include ensuring workers in the gig economy have sick and holiday pay, the possibility of a higher minimum wage for non-guaranteed hours and a new definition of “dependent contractors” to stop companies wrongly claiming their workers are self-employed.” – Guardian
Editorials:
Comment:
“David Davis has conceded that there may have to be some transitional period in the UK’s departure from the EU. However, the Brexit secretary said this would be for the sake of France, Belgium and the Netherlands rather than the UK. Rejecting claims the UK has softened its hard Brexit position, he told a House of Lords select committee on Tuesday that Britain’s nearest neighbours were not in the same state of preparedness for customs checks and border controls. Such “practicalities” would force a need for a transition period, rather than a change of government Brexit strategy, he said.” – Guardian
“Theresa May has postponed the publication of an “explosive” report on race until the autumn in a further sign of her weakened position. … Details of the new Brexit immigration policy, originally due to be published in time to allow a summer-long consultation with business leaders, are also being held back. The broad outline of a work permit deal has been decided but continuing disagreements, including about whether EU citizens will receive preferential treatment, have caused the timetable to slip.” – The Times (£)
“Downing Street has slapped down Boris Johnson after he said there is “no plan” for leaving the EU without a Brexit deal. Theresa May’s official spokesman refuted claims by the Foreign Secretary that the Government had not planned for crashing out of the EU in March 2019 with no deal in place. It comes as some members of the Government have tried to distance themselves from Theresa May’s harder pre-election stance that “no deal is better than a bad deal”. After hearing of Mr Johnson’s words, the No 10 spokesman said: “I’ve repeatedly said that contingency planning is taking place for a range of scenarios.”” – Independent
More Brexit
Comment:
>Yesterday: Torydiary: Britain is not free to decide alone whether to remain in Euratom
>Today: ToryDiary: Tory MPs, the Repeal Bill, high motives for backing it, and a lower one too: self-preservation
“Theresa May has ordered an inquiry into the contaminated blood scandal that has left 2,400 people dead, the Government has announced. The Prime Minister announced the decision at a Cabinet meeting this morning and the details will be agreed in consultation with the families affected, her spokesman said. Thousands of people were given NHS blood products infected with hepatitis C and HIV in the 1970s and 1980s. Many of those affected and their families believe they were not told of the risks involved and there have been allegations of a cover up for many years.” – Daily Telegraph
Comment:
“… But for me, one of the key attributes of being a British conservative is standing up to populist enthusiasm when it threatens limited government, individual rights, due process and the rule of law. … There’s lots to do to build this position. A practical rather than ideological approach to leaving the European Union would be just one example. But we have to start somewhere, so here’s one idea. The Conservative Party should drop its opposition to the Human Rights Act and its complaints about judicial review. One day, you see, conservatives might be very grateful for these things.” – The Times (£)
More Conservatives
>Yesterday: Zac Goldsmith in Comment: Why I seek to become Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee
>Today:
“Jeremy Corbyn faced controversy last night after it emerged that he spent part of Monday evening with a journalist who denies the Srebrenica genocide, defends the Assad regime and suggests that the murder of the Labour MP Jo Cox could have been a conspiracy. Mr Corbyn was pictured at a restaurant in his constituency of Islington north with Marcus Papadopoulos, a frequent contributor to Russian state television. Mr Papadopoulos said that they had spent the evening together but a Labour spokesman said that Mr Corbyn’s party had been joined only briefly by the controversial journalist.”
More Labour
“Donald Trump Jr fiercely defended himself last night after being lambasted by Democrats and Republicans for agreeing to meet with a “Russian government lawyer” in an attempt to get “dirt” on Hillary Clinton during the US presidential election. The president’s eldest son told Fox News’s Sean Hannity: “In retrospect, I probably would have done things a little differently. I probably know more now. Hindsight’s always 20/20.” But he added: “There is nothing I would ever do to endanger this country. We would do anything for this country. We would never put that in jeopardy.”. – Daily Telegraph
Comment: