4pm Luke Tryl on Comment: We shouldn't be attacking young politicians
3.15pm LeftWatch: The New Statesman's "Plan B" suggestions to George Osborne would be a manifesto for economic ruin
2.15pm James Gray MP on Comment: Iain Duncan Smith should find a way to lessen the blow women will face because of pension changes
1.15pm ToryDiary: Michael Gove looks forward to the years when exam results get worse (but more honest)
Noon ConHomeUSA: Today's top Republican and American political news
11.30am Matthew Sinclair on Comment: If NHS standards were the same as our European peers', nearly 12,000 fewer people would die each year
11am WATCH: Liam Fox: "We are at the end stage, possibly, of the Libyan conflict"
ToryDiary: George Osborne has six weeks to save his economic policy
Jill Kirby on our Columnists' page: Health ministers should start talking about patients, not systems
Ryan Bourne on Comment: Osborne must cut taxes and he must cut them now
Also on Comment: Roger Helmer MEP - My profound disappointment with the policies of the Coalition
Local Government:
WATCH: Chris Grayling: Unemployment figures are "a consequence of what's happening in the €urozone"
David Cameron seeks to change the royal succession
"David Cameron has written to Commonwealth leaders proposing that the law be changed so that males should no longer automatically take precedence as successor to the crown. The proposed law change would apply to any children produced by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, even if a child was born before the revised law had reached the statute book. An elder daughter would therefore take precedence before a son. … Cameron is also proposing that Catholics should continue to be debarred from being head of state, but that anyone who marries a Catholic should not be debarred. The family would be entitled to bring up their children as Catholics as long as heirs do not seek to take the throne as a Catholic." – Guardian
Cameron appoints Louise Casey, (another) former Blair appointee "to lead government response to riots"
"Tony Blair's former "respect tsar" Louise Casey, one of Britain's least conventional civil servants, has been appointed to head the government's broad response to the riots, David Cameron has announced. It is an extraordinary return to the centre of social and criminal policy enforcement for Casey, who is not regarded as a natural ideological soulmate of the Conservatives." – Guardian
> Yesterday on ToryDiary: Conservative Ministers furious over LibDem adviser appointments
Theresa May seeks stronger police riot powers
"The home secretary, Theresa May, is to press ahead on Thursday with seeking public order curfew powers for the police to create "no-go" areas during riots. The powers are expected to include immediate curfews over large areas to tackle the kind of fast-moving disturbances that swept across many of England's major cities in August. May also wants to extend existing powers to impose curfews on individual teenagers aged under 16." – Guardian
Liam Fox: sacking me would make David Cameron look weak
"Dr Fox has told the Prime Minister he refuses to bow in the face of claims that his close friendship with Adam Werritty has made him unfit for office, because no evidence of wrongdoing has been found. His supporters warned last night that sacrificing the Defence Secretary without proof of misconduct would be seen in Tory circles as a return to the weak leadership of the Major years, when the former prime minister was buffeted by sleaze allegations." – Daily Telegraph
> Yesterday - WATCH: David Cameron: Decision on Liam Fox's position will come after inquiry
George Osborne: No EU bailout
"Chancellor George Osborne last night slapped down a fresh EU bid for Britain to bail out bankrupt eurozone countries. European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso wants the Treasury to cough up towards a bailout fund to shore up Greece's economy — and stave off any future euro financial crisis. Britain has already pledged more than £20billion in bailouts to struggling eurozone nations and Mr Osborne branded the new demand "disappointing". He told MPs "Let me be clear — British taxpayers will not be contributing to the eurozone's bailout of Greece." – The Sun
> Coverage from yesterday:
Mats Persson: Slovaks have undertaken tough but necessary reforms. Why should they bail out those who haven't?
"There are strong arguments in favor of approving the changes to the EFSF, especially if it will be used to strengthen Europe's banks. But consider this: In 2010, Slovakia's GDP per capita was €11,692, while Greece's was €19,822. Going into this crisis, average earnings in Slovakia stood at €8,700 per year, while in Greece they were around €23,900. Meanwhile, the average Slovak pension was €250 per month, compared to €830 a month in Greece. True, the Greek government has made efforts to adjust the country's entitlement culture, but you can see why sympathy for Athens is in short supply in Bratislava." - Mats Persson in the Wall Street Journal (£)
Andrew Lansley forced to assist struggling NHS trusts
"Health secretary Andrew Lansley is to provide subsidies to keep essential services going in the health service, as the National Audit Office (NAO) warns that at least 20 NHS trusts are not "financially or clinically viable in their current form". The public spending watchdog points out that the government has challenged the NHS to find £20bn in savings by March 2015 while hospitals work to achieve foundation trust status." - Guardian
> Coverage from yesterday:
Camilla Cavendish: The health service is going bust. The coalition must accept Labour’s offer of a compromise
"The big issue facing the NHS, and every healthcare system in the world, is financial. The three D’s — depression, dementia and diabetes — are likely to bankrupt the system unless it becomes more efficient. …a possible way out of this quandary has been offered by Andy Burnham, appointed last week as Labour’s Shadow Health Minister. He has offered to support the coalition on GP commissioning if it drops the Bill. … Accepting Labour’s offer would be humiliating in the short term, but politically better in the long term. And better for the NHS." – Camilla Cavendish in the Times (£)
Scottish boundary changes threaten lone Tory MP and Danny Alexander
"Danny Alexander, chief secretary to the Treasury and Nick Clegg's right-hand man in the coalition, faces a contest with the party's former leader Charles Kennedy after the Boundary Commission proposed abolishing his Highlands constituency and largely merging it with Kennedy's. The commission has also proposed splitting the seat held by David Mundell, the sole surviving Tory MP in Scotland and a minister in the Scotland Office, and sharing it between three enlarged constituencies." - Guardian
Government issues FA with deadline to reform or face legislation – Independent
Forced marriage rule struck down by Supreme Court
"The Supreme Court today dealt an embarrassing setback to David Cameron’s immigration policy and his promise to crack down on forced marriages. The UK’s highest court ruled by a 4-1 majority that the Government’s ban on foreign spouses under 21 entering the UK breaches human rights law." – The Times (£)
> Yesterday on Comment - Sam Bowman: For long-term growth, Britain should make its tax code more attractive to highly-skilled workers
Andrew Haldenby: The Civil Service should be run like a business
"In retrospect, Mr Cameron should have made reform of the Civil Service his first act when he took office 18 months ago. Sir Gus’s departure now gives him the chance to right that wrong. But the Prime Minister first has to avoid a classic stitch-up. Sir Gus is suggesting that his key role, that of the head of the Civil Service, be taken up by one of the existing permanent secretaries, on top of their departmental responsibilities. This would simply perpetuate the status quo, in which Whitehall is answerable to itself. … What Mr Cameron should do is open the position to all-comers. The best possible result would be that a private sector heavyweight comes forward and accepts the challenge of running the Civil Service in the manner of a strong, well-organised commercial operation." – Andrew Haldenby in the Daily Telegraph
Paul Dacre: It would a disaster if the phone-hacking scandal led to the shackling of our free press – Paul Dacre in the Times (£)
> Yesterday on The Right 100: The most important conservative journalist in Britain – Paul Dacre
"Mr Cameron said a home nation's flag would usually be raised if they reached a final but the move recognised the importance of the competition. Events are being organised across Wales for the match in New Zealand. Mr Cameron said: "Wales are the last home nation competing in the Rugby World Cup and I wish them every success in the semi-final against France on Saturday."" - BBC
And finally… Noel Gallagher calls Ed Miliband "uninspiring and dull"
"…appearing on BBC2's Newsnight, Noel said the only thing he knew about Mr Miliband was that he defeated his brother for the leadership. The star added: "Every time I have seen the guy who is head of Labour speaking he is utterly uninspiring and dull."" - The Sun
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