5pm In Local government on the Tower Hamlets voter fraud scandal:
4.45pm MPsETC: What is the No Turning Back group? Matthew Barrett profiles the keepers of the Thatcherite flame
3.15pm WATCH: David Cameron addresses Clean Energy summit
11.45am ConHomeUSA newslinks: Romney urged to set out positive vision
ToryDiary: The Spectator's Fraser Nelson makes the case for Boris
Columnist Andrew Lilico: On Green Millenarianism
Quentin Langley on Comment: A tour of the Prime Minister's reshuffle options
Local government:
Britain has plunged into the first double-dip recession since 1975 and is enduring its longest economic slump for a century – Daily Mail
"Ministers can’t blame Labour for ever. Cutting the deficit is right. But that seems the only shot in George Osborne’s locker. The Chancellor looks a one-trick pony lacking the imagination to drag us out of this slump." – The Sun Says
The BBC's Paul Mason and the Daily Mail agree: The Government has no growth plan
Osborne must embrace tax reform, faster infrastructure projects and bank lending measures – Alex Brummer in the Daily Mail
Jeremy Warner in The Telegraph argues that the Government is cutting the wrong things: "When you look at where the axe is falling hardest, it is on government investment – spending on schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, affordable housing, and so on. This is the easiest thing to chop, so that’s where the Coalition has acted first. In fact, this form of state spending should be doubled, tripled or even quadrupled, with the money made up by further cuts in entitlements and bureaucracy."
Too many taxes + over-hyped reforms + inflation = Double dip recession …concludes Allister Heath for City AM
Nick Clegg's message to the banks: "Don't unnecessarily hoard capital when businesses need loans. Don't sit on your hands while firms are crying out for cash" – Quoted in The Independent
The government will today unveil a £70bn bonanza of lucrative public sector contracts
"Companies including BAE, Serco, Babcock and Capita have been invited to a Cabinet Office briefing where Francis Maude, cabinet secretary, will present a five year pipeline of bid opportunities in 13 sectors ranging from construction, energy and medical life sciences, which includes NHS drugs and equipment. The total includes £5.4bn of welfare-to-work contracts and £2.6bn of property and facilities management work as well as the retendering of smaller deals such as the provision of travel management for civil servants." – FT (£)
On ConHome yesterday:
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will soon expect some high earners to quiz their partners to find out if they claim child benefit – BBC
Jeremy Hunt gets Cameron's full support – Independent | The Sun
Jeremy Hunt could face three investigations after his special adviser resigned for leaking privileged information to the Murdoch empire – Daily Mail
Jeremy Hunt accused of throwing special adviser, Adam Smith, to the wolves – Guardian
> Yesterday's ToryDiary: Cameron puts in strong performance at PMQs while Jeremy Hunt enjoys full support from Tory MPs
Alex Salmond has conceded he had agreed to lobby UK ministers to support News International’s multi-billion takeover of BSkyB, insisting that anyone who questioned his actions “shouldn’t be in politics”– Scotsman
Rupert Murdoch disclosed that he had met the Prime Minister on at least five more occasions than David Cameron has previously admitted
"The chairman and chief executive of News Corporation provided details of diary entries to the Leveson Inquiry which showed that the two men had met on at least seven occasions since Mr Cameron became Prime Minister. Downing Street has previously acknowledged only that the Prime Minister had met the media tycoon twice since May 2010… On Wednesday night it emerged that only one-to-one or “substantial” meetings were disclosed officially, whereas Mr Murdoch recorded meetings at social dinners and other events." – Telegraph
PM to tell meeting of 23 countries that UK is spearheading green revolution – Guardian
The controversial bill cutting legal aid in England and Wales has survived a last-ditch attack in the Lords and is now set to become law – BBC
Two-thirds of voters, regardless of party, class and age reject city mayors – Guardian
Mark Hoban slams EU budget request
"Mark Hoban, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, said that the draft budget conflicted with economic reality in Europe. “It is unacceptable for the Commission to propose an inflation-busting budget increase when governments across Europe are making difficult decisions on public spending,” Mr Hoban said at the European Parliament. The Brussels executive “must improve its financial discipline”, he added." – Times (£)
> Yesterday's MPsETC: There's one place in Europe which is a stranger to austerity. Guess where?
Sayeeda Warsi says she's ready to lead Tory attempt to win support of minority voters – Tim Shipman in the Daily Mail
Foodbank handouts double as more families end up on the breadline – Guardian
And finally… Should Cameron get a tattoo to deal with posh boy image?
In the FT (£), Robert Shrimsley uncovers some secret Downing Street strategising: "On balance we do not think a tattoo is a good idea; especially not a full-arm depiction of the home secretary surrounded by immigration queues at Heathrow. But if you are determined to persist with it, we recommend against henna tattoos. It is true they fade in a month but this might suggest a lack of conviction."
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