6.30pm ToryDiary: Warsi: "There is nothing in our history which suggests that hatred between Muslim and Jews is inevitable".
6.30pm WATCH: "In essence, motorists are facing fuel poverty", says Robert Halfon MP
3pm Jonathan Isaby on Comment: Call it what it is: The Government should merge income tax and National Insurance
2pm MPsETC: Hammond hails Afghanistan "progress" – and the training of national security forces
1.45pm WATCH: UK Border Force chief Brodie Clark says he was "meticulous" in meeting Theresa May's requirements
1pm On our Columnist's page, Andrew Lilico responds to Bruce Anderson labelling him as a "belly-aching" right wing pundit: Failing to engage with the main issues of public concern has always been a losing strategy
12.45pm WATCH: On a trip to Burma, Andrew Mitchell says there are grounds for "cautious optimism" about the political situation there
Noon ConHomeUSA: Today's top Republican and American political news
11.30am Local government: Lord Rogers' towers for millionaires don't work everywhere
11.15am MPsETC: Tories claim motorists will save £274 on fuel duty compared to Labour's plans
ToryDiary: Cameron: I am determined to do everything possible to deliver fundamental reform of EU
On our Columnists' page, Bruce Anderson gives four reasons we should trust Cameron, Osborne and Hague in response to Iain Martin on Comment yesterday: If the Cameroons are going to be three years late to every party, why should the rest of us stand around talking politely and waiting for them to turn up?
John Glen MP on Comment: How to avoid becoming a fast food opposition
Local Government:
WATCH:
More than a 100 MPs will today demand George Osborne scraps 3p rise in petrol duty
"In a Commons debate, they will tell the Chancellor the fuel duty rise scheduled for January will punish hard-working families. Dozens of Tory MPs are expected to defy the party whip. Today’s vote was triggered by a Downing Street e-petition which was signed by 100,000 voters and demanded lower taxes on petrol and diesel. More than 100 MPs have signed a motion calling for the Government to abandon the 3p rise in duty planned for January and another 5p rise scheduled for August" - Daily Mail
The Government is supposed to be rethinking increase, due to the effects the increase would have on motorists and growth
"Downing Street is considering scrapping January’s planned rise of 3p a litre in petrol duty to avoid imposing another crippling burden on motorists and damaging growth prospects. The Government is worried that the rise will hurt the economy, but cancelling it entirely would leave a £1.5 billion hole in the public finances" - Times (£)
In a move to bring down costs, Osborne announces "fundamental reassessments" of Private Finance Initiative contracts - BBC
Tory MPs, in a report from the Free Enterprise Group, call for the Royal Bank of Scotland to be broken up and the merger of Lloyds TSB and HBOS reversed - Times (£)
"Change brings opportunities" says Cameron, as he accuses the EU of being "out of touch"
Cameron "accused the EU of being “out of touch” with European citizens. “It’s the pointless interference, rules and regulations that stifle growth not unleash it,” the Prime Minister said. “The sense that the EU is somehow an abstract end in itself, immune from developments in the real world, rather than a means of helping to deliver better living standards for the people of its nations.” He said: “It does not have to be like this. Out of crisis can come opportunity for the European Union, if its member states are ready to grasp it.” - Telegraph
During the Lord Mayor's speech, Cameron said that Colonel Gaddafi's regime was responsible for the production of chemical weapons
"David Cameron said British chemical warfare specialists would join an international team to dispose of the weapons. “In the last few days we have learnt that the new Libyan authorities have found chemical weapons that were kept hidden from the world,” Cameron said. It is understood that the weapons were developed without the knowledge of inspectors who were in Libya before the international military intervention in March" - Telegraph
Phillip Hammond confirms that missiles could be used to protect London from terrorist attack during the Olympics, following question in Parliament from Liam Fox
"The announcement came as it emerged that America had repeatedly raised concerns about security at the Games and was preparing to send 1,000 agents to protect American citizens. Mr Hammond was pressed on the subject of Olympics security in the House of Commons by his predecessor, Dr Liam Fox. Dr Fox said surface-to-air missiles had been used at Olympic Games since Atlanta in 1996. He asked Mr Hammond to confirm that “there will be a full level of multi-layered defence and deterrence for the London Games, including ground-to-air based missiles in London” - Telegraph
An independent Scotland "would lose defence contracts", warns Phillip Hammond - Scotsman
Pressure increases on Theresa May, as it emerges that border security was relaxed 2,500 times
"Leaked emails reveal border checks were being relaxed up to 260 times a week across Britain. From August to October staff used "level 2" reduced security checks 2,450 times. Separate leaked emails reveal private jets flew into some airports with no checks at all. Borders staff complained they did not even see the people who landed" - Sun
Clarke tells newspaper editor conference that the press should "carry on enraging some politicians" if it is in the public's interest
"The press should remain free to “carry on enraging some politicians, getting under the skin of governments and deeply embarrassing public figures” on matters of genuine public interest, Kenneth Clarke, the Justice Secretary, told newspaper editors at their annual conference. Mr Clarke said that the press watchdog must have “more convincing teeth” and cover the entire industry if it were to restore confidence after the phone-hacking scandal. But he added that the industry should continue to be allowed to regulate itself" - Times (£)
Louise Mensch calls on News International to make "full disclosure" over claims MPs on the select committee were under surveillance in 2009 - Guardian
The information commissioner rules that Oliver Letwin committed "a series of data protection breaches by dumping correspondence from constituents in a park bin" in Westminster – Guardian
Thatcher biopic, 'The Iron Lady', has angered some of her friends over its portrayal of the former PM
"The Iron Lady, a new biopic starring Meryl Streep as Baroness Thatcher, has drawn an angry response from friends over its portrayal of the former prime minister as a lonely figure sliding into dementia. In the opening scenes, a frail Lady Thatcher is seen shuffling into a corner shop to buy a pint of milk and expressing shock at 21st-century prices…Another scene shows her oblivious to the fact that her husband, Sir Denis, is dead. She imagines him to be in the room and conducts conversations with him, before revisiting her glory years in a series of flashbacks" - Telegraph
> Yesterday WATCH: The official UK trailer for upcoming Mrs Thatcher biopic "The Iron Lady"
Baroness Trumpington gives fellow peer two fingers after he makes reference to her age
"The formidable 89-year-old Conservative life peer was unimpressed when her relatively junior colleague gestured towards her to illustrate his point about the extreme age of World War II veterans. Lady Trumpington hit back against his patronising reference with a distinctly unparliamentary gesture of her own – commonly known as the two-finger salute" - Daily Mail
And finally … Cameron defends Larry the cat, resisiting calls for his resignation – The Australian
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