8.15pm Parliament: 27 Tory MPs rebel on EU bailouts motion
8pm WATCH: The Camerons welcome the Obamas to Number 10
5.30pm Parliament: Philip and David Davies lambast the Government over its law and order policies
4.30pm ToryDiary: Michael Gove seeks to makes it easier for headteachers to sack bad teachers
4pm Gazette: Lord Ashcroft to lead review of UK military bases on Cyprus
2.45pm David T Breaker on Comment: Why a privacy law would be morally wrong
2pm Parliament: Moderate Tory Eurosceptics seek to water down today's hardline Eurosceptic motion on bailouts
1.30pm WATCH: The Queen welcomes Barack and Michelle Obama to Buckingham Palace
1.15pm Latest on Local Government:
12.15pm Robin Simcox on Comment: Why are the New York Times publishing apologies for the Taliban?
11am Matthew Sinclair on Comment: British taxpayers' money shouldn't, and doesn't have to be, used for eurozone bailouts
10.15am ToryDiary: Senior UKIP MEP David Campbell Bannerman confirms he is defecting (back) to the Conservative Party
10am Local Government: New recruit gives Conservatives overall control in Stroud
9.45am DEVELOPING: Senior UKIP MEP about to defect to the Conservative Party
ToryDiary: Cameron and Obama reaffirm the "essential" US-UK relationship as they effectively threaten further military action against brutal Arab dictators
Also on ToryDiary: John Hemming did Britain a service yesterday
Alex Deane on Comment: We must welcome the report of the Red Tape Taskforce as a step towards making volunteering less bureaucratic
LeftWatch: The Left's thoughtful commentariat
Local Government:
ThinkTankCentral: Lord Turnbull publishes devastating critique of the Coalition's climate change policies
WATCH: President O'Bama "comes home" to Ireland
Cameron reportedly hopes Obama will endorse his deficit-cutting strategy…
"David Cameron is hopeful Barack Obama's two-day state visit to the UK, formally starting on Tuesday, will end with the two leaders asserting they are aligned on tackling financial deficits. Any implicit endorsement of the government's deficit reduction plan by the Democrat president would be a massive political prize for the Conservatives, helping to immunise the prime minister from some Labour attacks that the cuts go too fast and too deep." – The Guardian
…as Hillary Clinton and William Hague hail US-UK bond
"The relationship between the UK and the United States is "unique and indispensable", Foreign Secretary William Hague has said. In a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Mr Hague said the two countries stood side by side on issues like the Middle East peace process. Mrs Clinton said the US and UK had "a great working relationship". – BBC
What will Barack Obama's visit achieve? – Daily Telegraph
Cameron and Obama's relationship is strictly business – Philip Stephens is the FT (£)
Rachel Sylvester: The Giggs privacy affair is just part of a deepening battle between Parliament and judges
"The row over the private lives of celebrities has exposed a wider and more important battle for supremacy between Parliament and the judiciary… It is becoming increasingly clear that ministers intend to try to seize power back from the judges. Yesterday the Government announced the creation of a joint committee of MPs and peers to draw up proposals for dealing with the privacy issue. According to Downing Street, the Prime Minister is also planning to use Britain’s chairmanship of the Council of Europe later this year to try and reform the European Court of Human Rights." – Rachel Sylvester in The Times (£)
> WATCH: David Cameron: injunctions have become "rather unsustainable"
Hague declares war on EU foreign service
"William Hague has ordered British ambassadors around the world to fight off what he believes are attempts by the European Union’s foreign service to usurp their positions. The Foreign Secretary has cabled every British embassy in what amounts to a declaration of war against the EU body, which is run by the Labour peer Baroness Ashton of Upholland. In his letter to British missions, Mr Hague is understood to have warned diplomats not to allow EU representatives to assume or assert that they have a right to speak for Britain." – The Times (£)
Rebel MPs bid to block EU bailouts
"Rebel MPs will today demand that ministers block any more use of British taxpayers’ cash to bail out EU countries. Around 20 Conservatives have already signalled that they are ready to revolt by backing a protest motion due to be debated in the Commons." – Daily Express
> Mark Reckless MP on Comment yesterday: Parliament should decide if we pay for Euro bail-outs
David Cameron says everyone should volunteer for charity
"David Cameron has urged everyone to volunteer their time for charity and spoken about his own work coaching disadvantaged youngsters. Volunteering is part of the Big Society, the Prime Minister said, making a new attempt to explain his personal vision of how Britain should be. The idea is hard to explain and is still misunderstood by many people, Mr Cameron admitted, insisting that will not stop him trying to promote the Big Society." – Daily Telegraph
> Yesterday's ToryDiary: Cameron's ten new measures to boost voluntarism
Steve Richards: Will Cameron's idea of happiness last?
"David Cameron has made another speech about his Big Society… Cameron's speech yesterday was dismissed wearily by some as a fourth relaunch, but there is always something significant in prime-ministerial persistence. After all, while a theme can endure, it can also be easily dropped by a previously evangelising advocate. The removal of a policy can destabilise a government. Look at the tensions over the NHS." – Steve Richards in The Independent
Andrew Lansley suggests NHS Bill may need fresh scrutiny from MPs after 'listening exercise'
"The changes to the government's flagship NHS bill could be so substantial that it has to undergo fresh scrutiny by MPs – delaying its passage through the Commons, the health secretary said on Monday. The bill has already passed through the committee stage, where it was scrutinised line by line by MPs, but the proposals have been paused for a "listening exercise" with NHS staff and the public. A panel of experts, known as the Future Forum, was tasked with hearing concerns about the bill – a process that ends next week." – The Guardian
Gove to give schools more power to employ foreign teachers…
"Rules forcing teachers to retrain before being able to take-up jobs in state primaries and secondaries will be axed next year, it was disclosed. Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, said the move would initially apply to teachers from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. Research shows teaching qualifications offered in these countries are already equivalent to those in England, he said. The reforms will then be extended to staff from other countries such as South Africa, Jamaica and Singapore." – Daily Telegraph
…and to allow existing grammar schools take more pupils
"Grammar schools are to be allowed to expand to take in more pupils under plans being considered by ministers. Although the Coalition has refused to increase the number of selective schools in England – currently 164 – it is likely to allow existing ones to increase their intake. At present the number of places they can offer is restricted by local councils, which fear their expansion will make other schools in the area less attractive." – Daily Mail
Alex Salmond covets more financial clout for Scotland…
"Alex Salmond, Scotland’s first minister, said George Osborne had not ruled out more financial powers for Holyrood, after a meeting with the chancellor in London. The leader of the Scottish National party argued that his landslide election victory had given him a mandate to press for new job-creating powers, including enhanced borrowing and responsibility for setting corporation tax and excise duty." – FT (£)
…as he warns of Holyrood powers 'stalemate'
"First Minister Alex Salmond has warned the UK government against creating a "stalemate" over new increased powers for Holyrood. Following his party's historic victory in the Scottish Parliament elections, Mr Salmond yesterday began a series of top-level meetings with UK ministers, starting with Conservative Chancellor George Osborne." – The Scotsman
Tory MEP reignites row over Kenneth Clarke rape remarks
"A Tory MEP has reignited the controversy about degrees of severity in rape, suggesting that some rape victims shared responsibility for the crime. Writing on his blog, Roger Helmer weighed in behind the justice secretary, Kenneth Clarke, who last week suggested some forms of rape were more serious than others." – The Guardian
Ex-Tory peer on trial over expenses expresses horror at his prosecution – The Sun
Coalition news in brief
And finally… Lord Strathclyde on why Ann Widdecombe hasn't been given a peerage
"At a packed reception in Westminster, Strathclyde was challenged by Tory MPs as to why the former minister and shadow home secretary — who is easily one of the most popular Tories after her Strictly Come Dancing heroics — had been denied a peerage. ‘Fox hunting,’ he bellowed, ensuring he was overheard by at least half a dozen Tory politicians. By which he meant she was denied a place because, almost alone on the Tory benches, she voted for the historic ban on fox hunting." – Andrew Pierce in the Daily Mail