10pm ToryDiary: Ten things you need to know about historic Tory plans for welfare reform
3pm Melanchthon on CentreRight reinforces Graeme Archer's case against AV
2pm ThinkTankCentral: Regulation was partly to blame for financial crisis, says David Davis
1pm Graeme Archer on CentreRight:
AV MPs will have the support of 50% of their voters only if we assume
that every voter ascribes equal weight to their first and last choices.
This strikes me as absurd…
1pm WATCH: Lord Young talks to Sky News about the health and safety culture
11am ThinkTankCentral: George Osborne should give every taxpayer a receipt, detailing how their money is spent
Bernard Jenkin MP on Platform: Why Britain should vote 'no' to AV
Local government: Two hundred achievements of Boris Johnson
Also on Local government the quote of the day from Eric Pickles:
"By ending the weekly collection, Labour has doubled the country’s rat population. We are only 20ft away from a rat any time."
Tory Conference slogan:
"TOGETHER IN THE NATIONAL INTEREST"
"The Conservatives will
promote their coalition with the Liberal Democrats at their annual
conference starting tomorrow by making its slogan: "Together in the
national interest." The move to highlight the partnership between David
Cameron and Nick Clegg will be coupled with a message that the
Coalition Government is doing its patriotic duty by tackling the £155bn
deficit." – Independent
Andrew Lansley announces immediate £50m cancer drugs fund – FT (£)
Up to 40,000 may escape jail as Ministry of Justice cuts costs
"Tens of thousands of people accused of crimes from minor assault to
criminal damage would no longer be locked up awaiting trial under plans
to ease prison overcrowding. The move would affect up to 40,000
defendants a year who come before magistrates and are remanded in
custody before facing trial on lower- level offences, The Times has
learnt. Under plans being examined by officials the accused defendants
would be released on bail, a cheaper option that would ease the
unprecedented pressure on jails." – Times (£)
Police may want right-to-strike if forced to give up perks
"Police would be given the right to strike for the first time in 90
years in return for sacrificing their lucrative overtime payments and
bonuses, under a Home Office proposal." – Telegraph
"Police could lose their generous overtime payments and
‘jobs-for-life’ protection under an explosive review. Home Secretary
Theresa May said nothing will be ‘off limits’ as she seeks to slash
billions from her department’s budget. It risks placing the Government
on a collision course with police who claim that – when widespread cuts
are made in public spending – they will be needed to tackle protests."
– Daily Mail
The Telegraph wants an agenda for growth from this week's Tory Conference – Telegraph leader
The Guardian hopes that the Tories will use this week to rise above party politics
"Two weeks ago in Liverpool, the Lib Dems managed to flex their own
ideological muscles occasionally while at the same time showing
themselves overwhelmingly committed to the pragmatic give and take of
coalition. One of the important wider tests of the coming week is
whether the Tory party, historic coalition sceptics, can do the same
thing. If the answer is yes, the coalition's prospects are good. If the
Tories spend the week complaining about the Lib Dems, never mind Mr
Cameron, they will do themselves no favours at all." – Guardian leader
"The conference will treat him like a returning hero and those who
seek to raise the small matter of an un-won election will be regarded
as intolerable curmudgeons." – Patrick O'Flynn in The Express
Christopher Chope accused
David Cameron of ‘appeasement’ yesterday, saying that the Conservatives
in the Coalition have been ‘held to ransom’ by Liberal Democrats – Daily Mail
> Yesterday's ToryDiary: Liberal Democrats holding Conservative Ministers "to ransom"
Sayeeda Warsi commits the Tories to stay in Birmingham for future Conferences – Birmingham Post
> ConservativeHome's Birmingham programme begins Sunday at 6pm with a Rally for Boris
Vince Cable backs Liam Fox on aircraft carriers – Guardian
George Osborne attacks "chaotic and disorganised" MoD – Telegraph
"Dr
Fox reminded Mr Cameron that "we have repeatedly and robustly argued"
that national security is "the first duty of government". How is the
new Government discharging that duty? Dr Fox is right about one thing.
The process is poor. This is supposed to be a Strategic Defence and
Security Review. As he says, it is more like the production of "a cuts
package"." – Charles Moore in The Telegraph
"There is little doubt that the scale of the proposed reductions
will change Britain’s status as a military power – probably
permanently. The country’s defence spending will almost certainly fall
below 2 per cent of GDP. This would put the UK at a similar level of
commitment to defence as Italy and Spain." – FT leader (£)
The public should be able to challenge council decisions to ban events on grounds of health and safety – BBC
Francis Maude interview: 'The modernisers' moderniser'
"Francis Maude is the moderniser’s moderniser. He was wearing open-necked
shirts when many Tories were still clinging on to their braces. He
championed gay rights, promoted women in the party and encouraged the
Conservatives to be “nice”, rather than ruthless, long before most of his
colleagues." – Times (£)
Eric Pickles is interviewed in the Daily Mail:
Every Englishman has a right to put the bin out without waiting for it to be collected
Conservatives 39%, Labour 36%, Liberal Democrats 15% – ComRes for The Independent
Annabel Goldie blames tactical voting for poor Tory performance in Scotland – Scotsman
Matthew Parris proposes that Conservatives act against inequality
"Though Conservatives believe fiercely in inequality of outcome, most
of us feel uncomfortable about gross inequalities in the situations
from which young people start… Why not tax employers who let wage
differentials sprawl? Why not skew pupil premiums dramatically towards
the poor? Why not make fee-paying schools’ VAT-exemption depend on what
proportion of scholarship students they take from non-fee-paying
families? Would one in four be so shocking?" – Matthew Parris in The Times (£)
Andrew Grice: Ed Miliband must keep door open to Clegg
"Labour MPs and activists hate Mr Clegg for joining forces with the
Tory enemy. Mr Miliband must somehow persuade them to love the Liberal
Democrats, and even be prepared to do a deal with Mr Clegg after the
next election." – Andrew Grice in The Independent
Gordon Brown 'absolutely furious' about Ed Miliband's attack on his economic record – Daily Mail
BBC staff call off strike targeted on Tory Conference – Express
The Sun gives Ed Miliband the credit: "Ed Miliband was right to tell
striking BBC staff not to black out David Cameron's speech to next
week's Tory conference. Our supposedly impartial state-funded
broadcaster could not air the views of the Labour and Lib Dem leaders
and then silence the Prime Minister. It was quite a U-turn for Ed. Only
days ago he refused to condemn the walkout and backed the right to
strike. We told him to prove he is not a union puppet if he wants to
win over Sun readers. Looks like he took it to heart. Well read, Ed."
Scrap Harriet Harman's Equality Act – Daily Mail leader
And finally… Champagne ban causes Lord Strathclyde to cancel his soirée
"Some might think that the Conservatives have reason to celebrate,
after Ed Miliband's victory in the Labour leadership contest, but at
the Tory party conference in Birmingham there will be a distinct lack
of fizz. Mandrake hears that Lord Strathclyde, the leader in the House
of Lords, whose party is usually a highlight of the annual
get-together, has called off his shindig as part of an austerity
drive." – Telegraph
Please use this thread to highlight other interesting news and commentary and visit PoliticsHome.com for breaking political news and views throughout the day.