7pm Sarah Newton MP on Comment: All party members should vote in the MEP selection ballot
6.45pm LISTEN: William Hague's speech on the Wharton Bill: "Labour don't know whether they will vote against something they're opposed to."
3pm LeftWatch: Miliband will be pushed and prodded towards seeking to tack an amendment onto the bill in the autumn calling for a pre-2015 referendum. This would convulse the Conservative benches, and cause endless problems for David Cameron. 304-0 for James Wharton's EU referendum bill. What Miliband will do next.
12.30pm Local Government: Councils should not try to block health reform
10am James Wharton MP on Comment: Today the voters learn who really believes that the people deserve a say on the EU
9.30am On the day of the NHS's 65th anniversary, Sir Merrick Cockell writes on Comment: To flourish in the future, the health service must be integrated with social care
ToryDiary: CCHQ unveils poster to mark today's debate on James Wharton's referendum bill
In his Friday Diary, Iain Dale asks: Why have so few politicians taken up the cause of fathers' rights?
"One thing is certain: until politicians have the guts to act in a way which is strong and do the right thing for the taxpayer instead of being pushed around by the media, the problem will never go away. If we want the public to have faith in Parliament, scrapping expenses is the biggest way to go about it." - Nadine Dorries MP on Comment: How to reform MPs' expenses
Local Government: George Pender makes a visit to a recycling plant
The Deep End: Heresy of the week: British politics is too clear cut
Cameron rallies supporters in advance of the EU referendum vote
"In his email to Tory supporters, the Prime Minister wrote: “The Bill has my full support. It has support from across the parliamentary party, ministers and back- benchers, Conservatives of all views. We are united behind it and together we will vote for it. The political picture here is a simple one. Conservatives want to give people a choice on Europe. Labour don’t – they’re refusing to back our Bill. Ed Miliband was facing a growing split among Labour over the referendum proposal last night." – Daily Express
>Today: ToryDiary - CCHQ unveils poster to mark today's debate on James Wharton's referendum bill
>Wednesday: WATCH - James Wharton MP says "it's about time people were given a say"
Good riddance, Tom Watson…
"Mr Watson should never have been close to the Shadow Cabinet in the first place. He is too divisive a figure, too closely associated with Len McCluskey, the general secretary of Unite, with whom he once shared a flat. Whenever a dog barked in the night of Labour politics, one thought always occurred: Mr Watson, I presume." – Philip Collins, The Times (£)
>Yesterday: LeftWatch - Tom Watson resigns – with an embittered letter to Ed Miliband
…but can Miliband prevent the union takeover of Labour?
"The Labour leader’s spokesman said it was clear Unite had done ‘wrong’ and suggested Mr McCluskey would have to take responsibility ‘for what he has done’ – a strong hint that he too should consider his position. Last night the row intensified as the furious union boss said he had lost faith in Labour HQ, which he bankrolls, accused the party of a ‘smear’ against him and demanded an independent inquiry. The controversy raises uncomfortable questions for Mr Miliband over who really controls Labour – and what would happen if Unite stopped funding the party."- Daily Mail
The Prime Minister writes in the Sun: Happy Birthday, NHS
"The National Health Service is one of our most precious institutions. We all know it because we have all been touched by it. I will never forget the care my son Ivan received and the inspirational people who helped Sam and me through the difficult times. The consultants, the community nurses, the care team — they all became part of our lives. With experienced support and dedicated professional care like that, you know just how special it is. So I yield to no one in my love of the NHS. But we don’t demonstrate that love by covering up things that go wrong. Or by pretending the NHS can just ignore the big challenges it faces." – David Cameron, The Sun
Bercow spent £100k on travel – including £84 to be chauffeured 400 yards
"A spokesman for Mr Bercow defended his travel arrangements, saying they reflected his duties as an ambassador for Parliament. A House of Commons spokesman said: ‘It is an important duty of the Speaker to foster good relations with fellow speakers and parliamentarians. The vast majority of travel is economy class.’" – Daily Mail
Hague: We will work with new Egyptian regime
"William Hague has said the UK "will work with the people in authority in Egypt" but condemned the ousting of its president as "a dangerous thing". The foreign secretary told the BBC the UK wanted to see a civilian-led government in Egypt. But he said "we have to work with whoever is in authority" to protect Britons and UK firms in Egypt." – BBC News
Rural broadband scheme hits trouble
"In an analysis published on Friday, the National Audit Office condemns the culture department for a series of failures that have left the programme running 22 months late and more than £200m over budget. It is also strongly critical of BT, whose chief executive, Ian Livingston, is soon to become David Cameron’s trade minister. The report accuses the telecoms company of not being open about what it charges, and says there is evidence it is inflating its bill by including contingency costs." – FT (£)
Cameron battling to protect pensioners from cuts
"Ministers who want to ditch the uprating suggested that its cost had grown from £450 million in 2010 to £2.4 billion in future years. But at a meeting in Downing Street last week, Mr Cameron said he was determined to keep the triple lock in place and intended to campaign on a pledge to keep it at the 2015 general election. The Prime Minister has already seen off challenges to the winter fuel allowance, the benefit worth up to £300 a year paid to pensioners regardless of their income, which costs £2 billion a year." – The Times (£)
Lord Ashcroft introduces British Army veterans to employers
"One of the problems we have found is that most employers simply don't understand what most military jobs involve, and so find it hard to picture what former service personnel could bring to their organisation. For that reason, I asked a young serving soldier, Corporal Lee Davidson of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, to come along and tell us what he does all day." – LordAshcroft.com
James Arbuthnot: Only a disaster will reverse defence cuts
"I foresee that the economies of the West shall gradually get stronger and we shall therefore be in a position to spend more on our own defence but before Europe decides to do that, and to create the defences that the instability of the world requires, we shall have to go through a major, perhaps a catastrophic incident, that reminds our people that without strong defences we have no schools, no hospitals, no welfare payments and no economy.” – The Times (£)
2am, Sunday: The date we wave goodbye to Abu Qatada
"Qatada, 53, is due finally to be put on a plane at RAF Northolt in west London around 2am on Sunday. It will carry British officials and Jordanians who will take charge of the Islamic fundamentalist when it lands at an isolated airstrip. Qatada, who faces terrorism charges in his home country, is expected to be taken to the maximum security Muwaqqar prison in a military zone near the capital Amman." – Daily Express
Free foil for drug users – on the taxpayer
"Home secretary Theresa May has announced drug treatment centres will now have to offer foil after Government advisors argued it would encourage users to visit the centres. Foil is used as a cooking surface when heating drugs such as heroin so they can be injected, while marijuana, cocaine and crystal meth can be smoked through it. Ms May said: "The available evidence shows that the provision of foil can encourage people to take their first steps into treatment, reducing the immediate harm and facilitating the onward journey towards recovery and abstinence."" – Daily Express
News in brief
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