8.30pm ToryDiary: New poll says UKIP could beat Tories into third place in 2014's European Elections
5.45pm WATCH: Farage attacks Heseltine over EU
1.15pm ToryDiary: Where are the DUP and Sinn Fein outriders for peace?
11.30am In the wake of ConservativeHome's series on women, Elizabeth Anderson, the Policy Director of CF Women, reports from its policy debate this week
10.30am ToryDiary: No, Cameron isn't Henry VIII. None the less, imagine: your church has a hall in which wedding receptions are held…
Two EU-related posts lead ConservativeHome:
Local Government: New free school opens in Herefordshire
Also on LeftWatch: Ed Miliband's green energy subsidies cost one billion pounds
Thinkers Corner: Anthony O'Hear: The Riddle of the Voucher, Part Two
Osborne tells Germany: Britain could leave…
"Britain could quit the European Union unless there is significant change in the way Brussels runs it, George Osborne vowed yesterday. In a blunt ultimatum delivered through a German newspaper the Chancellor demanded a reshaping of the EU with a vastly new relationship for the UK. While saying he “very much” hoped Britain would stay in the EU, he warned: “In order that we can remain… the EU must change.” – Daily Express
(…But does Ashworth believe that the Chancellor is "snarling like a pitbull?")
"In a surprise intervention, the leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament hit out at those in his own party demanding a hard line against Brussels. MEP Richard Ashworth said the strident Euroscepticism gave the impression of a Britain that was ‘snarling like a pitbull across the Channel’. He said Britain was ‘making ourselves look pretty darned unattractive’ as a partner in the EU." – Daily Mail
Heseltine: Germany may not help. Hezza chutzpah as he quotes Thatcher
"The former Deputy Prime Minister told The Times that Mr Cameron was taking a “punt” in promising to give voters a say before he knew what the question would be. He also questioned No 10’s faith that Germany would help Mr Cameron to cut a special deal for Britain. The outcome was “totally unpredictable”, he said. Margaret Thatcher would have approached the issue with more caution, Lord Heseltine suggested. “Mrs Thatcher said, ‘Never go into a room unless you know how to get out of it’.” – The Times (£)
Meanwhile, Miliband is wary of a referendum commitment…
"Ed Miliband will seek to close down the debate over Europe within Labour as he accuses David Cameron of putting his party ahead of the country by drawing up plans for an EU referendum. Mr Miliband is determined to avoid any Labour commitment to a referendum in its 2015 manifesto, although the party’s official position is that the “door is still open” to the possibility. Labour strategists believe that any such promise could be harmful to a future government which could even lead to the collapse of that administration." – Financial Times (£)
> Today:
> Yesterday:
…as he strives to escape the shadow of Blair
"Ed Miliband will offer rare praise for new Labour today but insist that he is right to drop Tony Blair’s guiding principles. The Labour leader will say that Mr Blair was right to break away from old Labour and open the party to the private sector. But he will add that new Labour ended up being careless of the effect that “rampant free markets” had on communities. In a speech to the Fabian Society, Mr Miliband will build on the One Nation theme of his party conference speech last autumn, making clear that he regards it as a political project rather than a one-off slogan." – The Times (£)
> Today: LeftWatch – Ed Miliband's green energy subsidies cost one billion pounds
Britain "heads for triple dip recession" – The Guardian
Unemployed not just statistics, says Justin Welby – Daily Telegraph
Justice Minister Helen Grant says that she can't sell her house – Daily Express
Grayling wants to build a super-prison – and is closing seven smaller prisons
"Seven public jails are to shut their doors in England and Wales in the biggest prison closure programme in decades, Chris Grayling, the Justice Secretary, announced yesterday. The move will lead to a net loss of more than 1,500 spaces in jails and hundreds of people will lose their jobs. Mr Grayling unveiled the huge closure programme after a stabilisation of the prison population left the service with spare capacity of some 5,000 spaces." – The Times (£)
Syrian rebels seize control of key Assad airbase – The Guardian
Boles: countryside economy on verge of "biggest boom for 200 years"
"Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, Nick Boles suggested the roll-out of superfast broadband will provide the biggest boost to the rural economy since the advent of industrial technology in the early 19th century – but said it must come alongside an unprecedented wave of house-building. “I’m one of the great optimists,” he said. “I think for the rural economy, the next 50 years are going to be better than anything it’s seen for a couple of hundred." – Yorkshire Post
NHS in Scotland faces its worse crisis for years – Herald Scotland
The cull supporter who had two pet badgers. The Times interviews Owen Paterson
"He must feel a slight twinge at the proposed badger cull in an attempt to prevent the spread of bovine TB. “I find it hard to understand the point of view of those who think it is kind to let badgers waste away from TB. It is a quite horrible disease and I am appalled at the idea that Bessie and Baz’s descendants could be dying from it. You need to manage wildlife so you can have healthy badgers living in sensible quantities alongside healthy cattle.” – Rachel Sylvester and Alice Thomson, The Times (£)
Millions face tax rise in pensions shake-up – Daily Telegraph
Clegg curse to run riot in 2015: LibDem leader confirms that he will stand at next election
"Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has confirmed he will be running for Parliament at the next general election, and is confident he will remain leader of the Liberal Democrats. Mr Clegg was speaking during a visit to meet students and apprentices at Penwith College in Penzance, Cornwall, today. Asked about his own future – and to predict his own role in politicsfollowing the 2015 election – the party leader said: "I will be MP for Sheffield Hallam and leader of the Liberal Democrats." – The Independent
Police in joint venture talks with Post Office – Financial Times (£)
Matthew Parris: Cameron should run against his own party
"This is what Mr Cameron must now concentrate on. He consistently polls ahead of the Conservative Party. The hard truth is that a very significant minority of his parliamentary party are an irremediably disobliging bunch: they aren’t going to change; they can’t be made to look nice; they aren’t going to pipe down; and they’re always going to be able to grab media attention. Mr Cameron might as well give up on them. Or — even better — use them. Use them as Bad Cop to the Prime Minister’s Good Cop. The more they fume and scowl, the more agreeable and rational he appears." – The Times (£)
Islamist extremists attend more than 200 university events – Daily Telegraph
Graeme Archer: The Union is for Protestant and Catholic alike
"Sectarianism won’t die out while one side seeks cheap shots at the other’s expense (remember that “Sinn Fein” means “We, ourselves”, often translated, worse, as “Ourselves, alone”). Instead, Belfast council could be proud enough of the country – the country that so values pluralism that it found the political will to make Belfast’s coalition Alliance and Sinn Fein leadership first a possibility, and then a reality – to see that to fly the Union flag above its chamber would not be a sop to a long-gone Protestant hegemony, but the simple patriotic act of a civilised city council." – Graeme Archer, Daily Telegraph
Socialist Workers Party bosses engulfed in allegations that they set up a
"socialist sharia court" to handle rape claims against mystery man
"Comrade Delta" – The Independent
Tom Walker: why I am resigning from the SWP – Communist Party of Great Britain
Full Socialist Unity leaked report of SWP conference closed session
> Today: LeftWatch – Socialist
Workers Party bosses engulfed etc
Another Ukip public figure leaves party amid same sex marriage row – The Independent
Leveson debate prompts criticism over 'draconian' punitive damages plan – The Guardian
A thousand priests sign Daily Telegraph letter voicing alarm that same-sex marriage could threaten religious freedom in a way last seen during “centuries of persecution” of Roman Catholics in England – Daily Telegraph
Biggest freeze in 20 years to bring snow by start of next week – Daily Express
(Savile, Savile, Savile) – Everyone, everywhere
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