Davis: The ECJ is not ‘necessary or appropriate’

‘The Brexit Secretary will declare that Britain ‘will take back control of its laws’ as the judges in Luxembourg will no longer have supremacy over the country’s courts. But Mr Davis last night faced accusations of a ‘climbdown’ as he will stop short of demanding a completely clean break from the European Court of Justice. In the latest in a series of papers setting out Britain’s negotiating position, he will reject the European Commission’s call for the rights of EU citizens living in Britain to be enforced by the ECJ following the country’s departure. Mr Davis will make clear ‘it is not necessary or appropriate for the European Court of Justice to have direct jurisdiction over a non-member state’ and say ‘such an arrangement would be unprecedented’. The Brexit Secretary will, however, leave open the door to the ECJ having some influence on our laws, saying British judges will have the option of taking account of judgments made at the court in Luxembourg.’ – Daily Mail

• Lib Dems claim the position paper is a ‘climb-down’ – The Times
• The Government is right, the ECJ is completely unacceptable – The Sun Says
• EU citizens in Britain must live under British law – Daily Telegraph Leader
• Are Brexiteers ready for what could replace it? – Rupert Myers, Daily Telegraph
• Raab: the UK will keep ‘half an eye’ on EU law, but will not follow it – The Guardian
• Why the EFTA court model could still be controversial – FT
• Baroness Hale suggests ministers should have a role in selecting Supreme Court judges – The Times

>Today: Alex Morton’s column: Of course it’s hard to escape a would-be superstate. The very difficulty demonstrates why we’re leaving.

>Yesterday: David Lidington on Comment: Mutual recognition of UK and EU courts would show that both sides are putting citizens first

Non-EU immigration likely to stay above 150,000 a year

‘Mass immigration from outside Europe is ‘unlikely to fall significantly’ unless ministers introduce tough new measures, a report warns today. The scope to tackle migration from non-EU nationals will be limited unless the Government takes ‘further and determined action’, according to a respected think-tank. MigrationWatch said net migration from outside the Brussels bloc – those people arriving minus those leaving – was likely to run at 155,000 a year until 2021. That would be the equivalent of more than the population of Slough – 146,000 – arriving from the rest of the world every 12 months for the next five years. It currently stands at 175,000.’ – Daily Mail

• What’s the plan, Home Secretary? – The Sun Says

Surprise surplus in July

‘The national debt shrank last month thanks to the first July surplus for 15 years, giving the chancellor a boost as he prepares for his first autumn budget. The state raised £200 million more in tax than it spent, confounding economists who had forecast borrowing to rise from £308 million last July to as much as £1.5 billion. The figures could provide Philip Hammond with an opportunity to lift austerity. Since June’s election, pressure has been mounting for an end to the public sector pay cap and more investment in areas such as housing. George Osborne, the former chancellor, urged his successor to invest in rail links in the north of England.’ – The Times

• New deal to export red London buses – The Sun
• Hammond urged to save businesses from ‘staircase tax’ – The Sun
• Business rates review will spark anger – Alan Cochrane, Daily Telegraph

Grayling tells political leaders in the North to ‘step up’ to improve transport

‘The north of England should take responsibility for improving its poor rail links, the transport secretary has said as he rejected claims that plans for a high-speed line between Liverpool and Hull had been abandoned. Chris Grayling told politicians and business leaders in the region to “step up” and deliver better roads and railways with money already provided by government. He said Labour MPs were wrong to cast doubts on plans for a new trans-Pennine line, known as HS3 or Northern Powerhouse Rail. In a speech today Theresa May is expected to address the proposals and the wider Northern Powerhouse project, which has slipped down the government’s agenda since the prime minister sacked George Osborne, who had championed it as chancellor. Andy Burnham, the Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, wrote on Twitter: “[We] need better than this from the transport secretary. We are ready to play our part. But can’t solve without serious backing from government.”’ – The Times

• Ailing infrastructure can no longer be ignored – FT Leader
• We must increase investment in our future – Jeremy Warner, Daily Telegraph
• May hits back at critics over Northern Powerhouse – FT
• How long must we wait? – Andy Burnham, The Guardian

>Today: Tony Lodge on Comment: Exposing Labour’s double standards on rail Continue to all today’s Newslinks