4pm Nadhim Zahawi MP on Comment: The Government shouldn't be picking winners. We need a balanced economy that takes all sectors of innovation into account
3.15pm MPsETC: Government defeats "fatal" Lords amendment to NHS Bill
2.45pm Local government: Poll for Gravesham Council byelection
2.30pm Sam Bowman on Comment: For long-term growth, Britain should make its tax code more attractive to highly-skilled workers
1pm ToryDiary: Cameron on the back foot as Miliband attacks unemployment figures
11am ConHomeUSA: Today's top Republican and American political news
10.30am ToryDiary: As unemployment rises, Chris Grayling says: Britain can't escape world economic turbulence
9am MPsETC: Roger Helmer MEP to resign from the European Parliament
ToryDiary: Conservative Ministers furious over LibDem adviser appointments
Also on ToryDiary: Why targets don't help the poor
Anthony Browne on our Columnists' page: As much as the Coalition may want to avoid one, a fight over Eurozone integration looks inevitable
Simon Burns MP on Comment: Don't let Labour wreck the health bill in the Lords
The Right 100: The most important conservative journalist in Britain – Paul Dacre
MPsETC: "Fresh Start Project" publishes goal of new UK-EU relationship
International: John Key's seven messages for New Zealand
Local Government: Several Tory councils refusing even to consider restoration of weekly rubbish collection
Ministers fear defeat in Health Bill
"The House of Lords could deliver a “fatal” blow to the Government’s Health Bill, ministers warned last night, as they pleaded with peers not to back an amendment that could scupper the reforms. … The fears centre on an amendment put forward by Lord Owen, the former leader of the SDP, and Lord Hennessy of Nympsfield, which calls for a new select committee to be set up to scrutinise the role of the Secretary of State under a new health system. In a clear sign of panic, Lord Howe, the Health Minister, wrote to every peer yesterday warning of an “undue risk” to the policy." – The Times (£)
> Coverage from yesterday:
Liam Fox's friend Adam Werritty linked to Conservative donor
"The close friend of Dr Liam Fox whose meetings with the Defence Secretary have triggered an official investigation works out of an office belonging to one of the Conservative Party’s biggest donors, The Daily Telegraph can disclose. Adam Werritty has been provided with a free desk by Michael Hintze, the founder of the CQS hedge fund, at the company’s London base." - Daily Telegraph
"Liam Fox's claim that Adam Werritty was operating in "a private capacity" when the men met twice in Dubai this year has been thrown into fresh doubt by hotel records seen by the Guardian. They reveal that Werritty booked into the five-star Shangri-La hotel earlier this year describing his position as "office of Dr Liam Fox" and naming his company as "Atlantic Bridge", the defence secretary's controversial rightwing charity which had close links to a group of powerful American business lobbyists." – Guardian
> Coverage from yesterday:
Daniel Finkelstein: The Prime Minister would be reluctant to get rid of a Cabinet colleague he likes simply to ease the news cycle for the Coalition
"David Cameron doesn’t know any better than anyone else the nature and consequences of the Defence Secretary’s relationship with Adam Werritty. But he does have a different responsibility. If he sacked Dr Fox based on concern about where the stories might go in future, he would be ending a man’s career. And all to make it easier for him, David Cameron, to get through the next 48 hours. The Prime Minister would be inflicting a terrible blow on someone he has worked with closely (Dr Fox is rather liked by the Downing Street team, even though they think he is, ahem, “a card”). He is reluctant to do this just to make the story go away." – Daniel Finkelstein in the Times (£)
Cameron demands more measures to tackle internet sleaze…
"Children in Britain are ‘growing up too early’, David Cameron warned last night as he hailed moves to make it easier for parents to shield them from internet sleaze. The Prime Minister said that a raft of measures to block access to pornography unveiled yesterday was just a first step – and that if significant progress is not made by the new year he will consider further action. As the Daily Mail revealed yesterday, four of Britain’s biggest internet providers – BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media – have agreed that new customers will have to make an ‘active choice’ over whether they want access to explicit websites" – Daily Mail
…And holds a "child advertising summit"
"The prime minister held discussions with 30 media and retail executives, including broadcasters, magazine editors, trade bodies and advertisers. The drive would include controls on billboard advertising near schools, and make it easier for parents to complain about sexualised images on TV and video. David Cameron's move is part of an effort to win back women voters disturbed by the coalition's hardline deficit-reduction programme." – Guardian
Finucane widow rails at "insult" as Prime Minister rejects inquiry
"David Cameron has angered the family of a solicitor shot dead in Belfast in 1989 by rejecting their demand for an independent public inquiry … family representatives, led by his widow, Geraldine, walked out of a Downing Street meeting with the Prime Minister. She said she had been insulted by Mr Cameron's offer to review the case and felt so angry she could hardly speak." - Independent
George Osborne's manufacturing-led recovery hits set-back
"The Chancellor's hopes for a manufacturing-led recovery were hit yesterday by new figures from the Office for National Statistics. The ONS's index of manufacturing production was 0.3 per cent lower in August than in July. The 0.1 per cent growth previously registered by the ONS for July was also revised down to a 0.2 per cent fall." – Independent
More riots are likely if Big Society falters, says Cameron aide – The Times (£)
Andrew Mitchell pledges to give more British aid money to Commonwealth countries
"Andrew Mitchell, the Development Secretary, pledged to divert more cash to the former members of the Empire, countries he called Britain’s “friends and family”. Britain should be “proud” of its historic ties to the Commonwealth." – Daily Telegraph
Jonathan Djanogly faces inquiries into legal aid profits
"Jonathan Djanogly, the justice minister, has admitted for the first time to MPs that inquiries had been launched by his own department and the Cabinet Office following an investigation by the Guardian that revealed he could personally profit from changes he was piloting in the Commons" – Guardian
Frustration with the new expenses system is damaging MPs’ mental well-being - Daily Telegraph
Ann Widdecombe: Education crisis has ceased to shock us
"Practice tests on the army's website asks applicants to match a number presented as numerals with its equivalent in words, eg, match thirty-two from a list including 32, 23, 332, 302 etc. Another question produces various shapes and asks which is the circle and which the rectangle. Such a revelation should be dynamite. It should be all over the front pages. But we are no longer shocked by anything which comes from British education and the utter crassness of tests for servicemen, teachers and other walks of life is no longer news." – Ann Widdecombe in the Daily Express
Patrick O'Flynn: David Cameron has got the message on mass immigration – Daily Express
Norman Lamont: The euro bailout is a huge Ponzi scheme
"The uncomfortable truth is that, instead of rescuing it, it would probably have been better if Greece had been allowed to default. That would have hurt French banks holding Greek bonds. But the problem would have been containable and it would have been far better to have got the crisis over with, than to allow it to fester while writing large cheques that are going to create as many problems as they solve. There comes a point where the political costs of rescuing the euro are too high. As Winston Churchill once observed, if we do not face reality, reality will face us. It would be better to recognise that the euro experiment has failed." – Norman Lamont in the Daily Mail
Families are facing the biggest fall in income since 1970s – Daily Mail
Government child poverty targets "will not be met" – Daily Telegraph
Clegg U-turn over voter registration – Guardian
Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell to stand down
"Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus who was yesterday asked by the Prime Minister David Cameron to head an inquiry into Defence Secretary Liam Fox's relationship with "adviser" Adam Werritty, said he will step down at the end of the year. Sir Gus, who has been in the role for six years and had enjoyed at 32-year career in the civil service, had previously announced that he would step down before the next general election." - Daily Telegraph
> Yesterday on Columnists, Anthony Browne: Reformers should be glad that Jeremy Heywood will be the new Cabinet Secretary
Ed Miliband panned by former Labour ministers
"Charles Clarke and Frank Field said the Labour leader had failed to appear credible on the economy. Former Home Secretary Mr Clarke said Mr Miliband lacked a "coherent" argument. He added: "We are simply dismissed by most people thinking about the most central question facing the country today, which is the economy." Mr Field, minister for welfare reform under Tony Blair, said Labour should apologise for the mess they made of the country's finances." – The Sun
Labour leader sees lead over Tories cut to just one point
"Labour's lead over the Conservatives has dropped to just one point, its lowest for a year, according to The Independent'slatest "poll of polls". It suggests that David Cameron has emerged from the party conference season in a stronger position than Ed Miliband, who has barely made any difference to Labour's ratings in his first year as party leader." – Independent
And finally… "Millie's fillies": Ed Miliband shows off the feminine side of his shadow cabinet in photoshoot – Daily Mail
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