Newslinks for Sunday 28th December 2014

Carswell fires broadside against racism in UKIP

‘There has never been anything splendid about isolation. It was our interdependence that put the Great into Great Britain – and it is what sustains our living standards today. In such a world, a dislike of foreigners is not merely offensive, but absurd…Far from being a party that tolerates pejorative comments about people’s heritage and background, Ukip in 2015 has to show that we have a serious internationalist agenda. We stand to realign our trade relations precisely because we wish to join in with the rest of the world.’ – Douglas Carswell MP, Mail on Sunday

A contrast with Farage – Mail on Sunday
UKIP leader tops poll of “worst moral leadership” – Sunday Times (£)
Young voters shun the people’s army – The Observer
Blunkett: Labour made mistakes on immigration, but Britain can’t close its borders – The Sun on Sunday (£)
Might Sir John Major run the EU renegotiation? – Sunday Telegraph
‘Farce’ of British presidency of the EU – The Observer

>Today:

ToryDiary: Who will take over this troubled EU renegotiation?
Daniel Kawczynski MP on Comment: It’s time to stand up for the free movement of peoples within Europe

Economy 1) IDS attacks Labour’s jobs myths

‘Duncan Smith, the work and pensions secretary, commissioned research from his department in an attempt to demolish what he sees as the five biggest “jobs myths”. It found that 19 out of 20 new positions created this year were full time and the number of part-timers seeking full-time positions was down by a record 148,000. Two-thirds of the rise in employment since 2010 has been in managerial and professional occupations, according to the research.’ – Sunday Times (£)

The choice in May is clear – Michael Gove MP, Sunday Express

Economy 2) Laws compares Osborne’s plans to Foot’s ‘suicide note’

‘George Osborne’s economic plans are the Conservative version of Michael Foot’s election “suicide note”, the chancellor’s former deputy David Laws will declare today. Osborne is planning public spending cuts on a scale that will make Margaret Thatcher look like Tony Benn, the Liberal Democrat minister for schools said in the most outspoken attack yet on his coalition partners.’ – Sunday Times (£)

Might Clegg face a Portillo moment in May? – The Observer

>Yesterday: ToryDiary: The economic battle will be won in millions of hearts, not in the big picture

Oborne: 2015 will be a big year for Owen Paterson

‘Paterson is unfancied by bookmakers. But he will emerge as leader of the Conservative ultras determined to take the party out of Europe. If David Cameron loses the election, Paterson will run for the leadership and he stands a chance of winning. Boris Johnson, however, will be back in parliament by then and despairing Tories will be looking for a vote-winner.’ – Peter Oborne, Sunday Telegraph

How the Green Blob got its man – Christopher Booker, Sunday Telegraph
Don’t bet against Theresa May – Anne McElvoy, The Observer
Warning that a free vote on hunting will harm Tory poll prospects – Sunday Express

Labour 1) Miliband and Alexander at daggers drawn

‘Miliband’s allies have accused Mr Alexander of ‘sulking’ after Miliband put Lucy Powell in charge of day-to-day campaigning in the Election. Alexander’s friends have hit back, claiming he is ‘frustrated’ by Miliband’s ‘inability to act decisively’…A well-placed source said: ‘The tension is palpable when Miliband and Alexander are together. Alexander talks down to Ed and Ed bristles at it.’ – Mail on Sunday

Can Lucy Powell get Ed back on track? – Sunday Times (£)
Tories plan campaign to Kinnockise him – Iain Martin, Sunday Telegraph
Opposition hiring a staffer to seek celebrity endorsements – The Sun on Sunday (£)
Loose ends for 2015 – Sunday Times Leader (£)

Labour 2) 30 target seats written off

‘Ed Miliband’s election strategists have written off almost a third of Labour’s 106 official target seats, according to party insiders. The Labour leader’s team are now focusing on gaining around 75 constituencies, which would put him in Downing Street, but with a narrow majority.’ – Sunday Times (£)

They could lose 31 seats to the SNP – Mail on Sunday
Labour leader was ditched by the pro-UK campaign – Sunday Telegraph
England should save Scotland from herself – Bruce Anderson, Sunday Telegraph
129 days to go before the election – Adam Boulton, Sunday Times (£)
My 2015 predictions – Rod Liddle, Sunday Times (£)

Network Rail incompetence causes chaos for East Coast passengers

‘Rail services in and out of London’s King’s Cross yesterday were cancelled as “essential work” continued a day longer than expected. The mayhem continued as passengers were re-directed to nearby Finsbury Park. The station there was swamped and forced to temporarily close due to overcrowding. Last night the Office of Rail Regulation watchdog launched a probe into disruption caused by Network Rail’s late-running works.’ – The Sun on Sunday (£)

Clueless managers – The Sun on Sunday Says (£)
Rein in the railways – Mail on Sunday Leader
Better planning, please – Sunday Telegraph Leader

Fears of an ISIS attack on Royal Guards

‘Security chiefs have taken the dramatic step of withdrawing Royal Guards from their high-profile posts outside palaces amid mounting fears of ‘lone wolf’ terrorist attacks. Elite soldiers of the Queen’s Guard have pulled back from public positions at many landmarks in response to possible threats from Islamic extremists. For the first time since the height of the IRA’s terror campaign, the soldiers are also no longer allowed on sentry duty alone.’ – Mail on Sunday

Terror spoils another pleasure – Mail on Sunday Leader
Cyber-security lessons in schools – Mail on Sunday
Guantanamo to release last UK inmate – Sunday Times (£)

£2 billion cost of lies and errors on welfare forms

‘Benefits cheats stole £1.13billion from taxpayers last year by lying on working and child tax credit forms, a report reveals. An estimated 420,000 people fibbed to bag an income boost, while a million made errors on forms leading to £880 million being wrongly paid.’ – The Sun on Sunday (£)

Waste in DECC – The Sun on Sunday (£)

Truss to ban subsidies for solar panels on farmland

‘Taxpayer subsidies for large-scale solar farms on fields where crops once grew will this week be banned because they are a “blight” on the countryside. Liz Truss, the Environment Secretary, said that the sight of “row upon row” of large-scale solar farms on once productive agricultural land “makes the heart sink”.’ – Sunday Telegraph

>Yesterday: Liz Truss MP on Comment: Never forget the economic power of the countryside

NHS hangover advice: Don’t get drunk

‘Health bosses have issued official advice on how to combat a hangover — saying the best method is to stay sober. Experts state the obvious in a guide on the NHS Choices website.’ – The Sun on Sunday (£)

A bonkers use of our money – The Sun on Sunday Says (£)
£300,000 NHS managers double in 12 months – Sunday Telegraph
Overpaid bureaucratic elite – Sunday Telegraph Leader
300 operations a day cancelled – Sunday Times (£)
A&E representative calls for more drunk and disorderly arrests – Sky News

Plans to seize the vehicles of fly-tippers

‘Fly-tippers face losing the cars or vans they use to illegally dump old furniture and rubbish. Under tough new laws, enforcement officers are to be given the power to seize vehicles from outside offenders’ homes or businesses without having to go to court for a warrant. Last year, councils reported 852,000 fly-tipping incidents in England.’ – Mail on Sunday

Speeding fines rise – Mail on Sunday

News in Brief

The inside story of the Better Together campaign – Ben Riley-Smith, Sunday Telegraph
Thatcher statue to be unveiled in the Falklands – Mail on Sunday
Meet Britain’s next astronaut – Sunday Times (£)
Esther Rantzen to be made a Dame – Sunday Telegraph
AirAsia flight missing – Mail on Sunday
Ashya King’s parents fear returning to the UK – Mail on Sunday
Underground Nazi weapons site discovered – Sunday Times (£)
Rise in pauper’s funerals – WalesOnline