“Public health minister Jane Ellison said: “Smoking kills nearly 80,000 people each year in England alone and our cancer outcomes stubbornly lag behind much of Europe. Quite apart from the enormous pressure this creates on the NHS, it is a cruel waste of human potential. Yet we know that the vast majority of smokers want to quit and even more tragically we also know that two-thirds of smokers become addicted before they are 18.” – Daily Express
> Yesterday: Nick de Bois MP on Comment – Plain packaging doesn’t work
“The badger cull will not be extended nationally this year after an independent report found failures in the effectiveness and humaneness of trials last year. But the controversial culls, intended to combat tuberculosis (TB) in cattle, will continue in the pilot areas despite fierce opposition, Owen Paterson, the environment secretary, has announced. The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs had planned to extend the cull to 10 new areas this year but on Thursday abandoned the plans in light of the report into the trials in Gloucestershire and Somerset.” – Daily Telegraph
“MPs overruled the demand of an independent watchdog that Maria Miller, the Culture Secretary, pay back £45,000. Instead she agreed to repay £5,800, her own estimate of how much she had overcharged the taxpayer for interest on the mortgage of her five-bedroom London home, and was given “warm support” by David Cameron. In response to being told to say sorry for providing the “minimum necessary” help to a 15-month inquiry into her claims, Mrs Miller gave a 32-second apology in the Commons yesterday in which she thanked MPs for “bringing this matter to an end”.” – The Times (£)
“Amid growing tension between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats over rising house prices, the Business Secretary told The Independent: “The fundamental problem is a chronic imbalance between supply and demand. A recovering mortgage market is just fuelling demand again.” Mr Cable warned: “A family on average income is nowhere near able to afford a house at the average price. Property has become much more unaffordable for people on middle incomes.” – The Independent
> Today: Columnist Iain Dale – Vince Cable – the worst Business Secretary since Stephen Byers
> Yesterday: ToryDiary – Tory members are learning to love the Lib Dems again
“The personalised statements will show that more than one pound in every five goes on welfare, more than any other area of spending. Chancellor George Osborne hopes by showing millions of people where their money goes, voters will be more willing to accept more years of austerity. The breakdown shows that around 23 per cent of all taxes go on welfare, 19 per cent on health and 15 per cent on pensions. Education accounts for 13 per cent.” – Daily Mail
> Yesterday: Luke Springthorpe on Comment – Osborne is pushing against the financial regulator? Good – he needs to keep it up
“When asked what his proudest achievement in office had been, during a question and answer session in Berkshire yesterday, Mr Cameron said: ‘I am proud of the fact that we have taken 0.7 of this year’s GDP and given it to the poorest countries in the world. ‘I think there are lots of countries, and lots of politicians as well, I could probably name them, who would have broken that promise.” – Daily Mail
“The Department for Education is believed to be investigating 12 schools in the city after claims that non-Muslim members of staff were being isolated, male and female pupils segregated and assemblies used to promote the teachings of Al Qaeda. Yesterday the Prime Minister said: ‘We will not accept any school being run by extremists or promoting extremist views.” – Daily Mail
> Yesterday:
“British Muslims don’t really feel a sense of otherness. In fact, polls show they’re much more likely to identify with Britishness than the general population. The Citizenship Survey found that most Muslims agree with two propositions: that Islam is the most important thing in their life, and that their primary loyalty lies with the British state. Most are baffled by the idea of a tension between the two.
Perhaps this is why Britain has proven consistently unable to get into a lather about the idea of a Muslim enemy within – it’s just not the British way, and never has been.” – Daily Telegraph
“Weeks later, in typically evasive style, Boris refuses to give the PM a straight answer about whether he will again become an MP. “I want Dave Cameron re-elected, I want Dave back in office and, compared to that, my own future is trivial,” he blusters, smashing his fist on a table in mock outrage. “I love playing soccer but I’m no good at all,” he adds, before saying that Cameron’s position on the pitch would be: “Midfield playmaker. He’s there, he’s distributing the ball, he’s… yeah.” – The Sun (£)
“What this affair is really about is Chris Grayling’s reform of the prison system, which involves a toughening-up of conditions. He’s the Nasty Justice Secretary…This is a very effective device for the justice establishment, which is starting to behave in a similar way to the “blob” that Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, has spent the past few years struggling with over his reforms to the school system. The justice blob disagrees with the substance of Mr Grayling’s changes and needs a hook to get more attention. The books are the hook.” – Daily Telegraph
“Mr Miliband is looking at allowing a state-backed body to compete alongside existing rail franchise owners such as Virgin and Stagecoach when contracts are put out to tender. However, he said that the plan had not yet been agreed because it had to be “affordable”. Mr Miliband is under pressure from across his party, including the Blairite Progress movement, to take back control of the railways. On Tuesday the plan was backed by Len McCluskey, general secretary of the Unite union, who said that it would be overwhelmingly popular.” – The Times (£)
> Yesterday: Grant Shapps MP on Comment – The extraordinary things Labour are saying about Ed Miliband
“Ed Miliband last night demanded that Nigel Farage is barred from the leaders’ debates at next year’s General Election. His call came the day after Ukip leader Mr Farage trounced Nick Clegg in a second debate on Europe. A senior Tory source indicated that the Conservatives would also seek to block Mr Farage – even though the anti-EU party has been ahead of the Liberal Democrats in the opinion polls for months.” – Daily Mail
> Today: Heresy of the Week on the Deep End – Nigel Farage, peacenik
“The Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) has said there are not enough Scottish mothers who want to go back to work to deliver the dramatic increase in revenue predicted in the Scottish Government’s white paper for independence. Generating a childcare revolution that would increase tax revenues by getting more mothers back to work was the key announcement when the blueprint for independence was launched last year.” – Scotsman
> Yesterday: Columnist Brian Monteith – Scotland’s No campaign must hold its nerve