“A radical extension of Margaret Thatcher’s flagship housing policy is set to be included in the Conservative manifesto as Tories bid to woo working-class voters. The Right to Buy would be extended to up to 2.5million housing-association tenants, transforming the lives of many. The reform, backed by senior Conservatives including Iain Duncan Smith, Boris Johnson and David Davis, is expected to be included in a ‘big doorstep offer’ on housing from the Tories.” – Daily Mail
“David Cameron should rule out coalition with any other party after the general election, according to Boris Johnson. The London Mayor suggests it would be ‘fatal’ for the Conservative Party to give any suggestion that it is in the market for a fresh power-sharing deal with the Liberal Democrats or another smaller party. ‘We should say “stuff coalition with anyone”,’ Mr Johnson told the Daily Mail. ‘We are there to win, we are there to offer leadership, we are there to be a Conservative government.” – Daily Mail
Comment:
“Islamic extremists who reject British values will today be warned that ‘the game is up’. In an uncompromising speech, Theresa May will promise to drive out the ‘significant’ number of fanatics who have been allowed to infiltrate schools, universities, town halls and charities. Under Tory manifesto plans, the Home Secretary would ban preachers of hate from spreading their bile in public or on the internet.” – Daily Mail
“The US apart, no other nation in the West can project force on a global scale to deal with such a diverse set of challenges. And our commitment to defending the world order is unstinting. That is why we’re pressing hard to strengthen NATO – the bedrock of our defence… As Ash Carter said: “The UK military has the ability to act independently, to be a force of its own in the world.” And whether ally or adversary my message is the same. The UK Armed Forces are forces to be reckoned with. They keep Britain safe. They help support our interests and values across the world. In turn, we will make sure that they have the resources they need.” – Daily Telegraph
“Senior figures from all three major parties have been caught out in a sting that reveals the seedy side of party funding. Tory cabinet ministers, a Labour frontbencher and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg were covertly recorded as they discussed donations offered by a hedge fund manager posing as a potential donor. Multi-millionaire Paul Wilmott became a member of all three parties to participate in the sting organised by Channel 4’s Dispatches programme in order to test how rigorously the rules were followed. He tells the politicians that he wishes to keep his identity a secret.” – Daily Mail
Comment:
“Ed Miliband faced a fresh union election scandal last night amid claims Labour bosses are trying to make it easier for one of his key allies to become London Mayor. Critics say the selection process is a “textbook union stitch-up” so that shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan is chosen. Mr Khan is expected to reveal he is running after the General Election. But insiders claim his union backing gives him access to contact details of union members, allowing him to canvass their support before his rivals.” – The Sun (£)
“London council estates should be demolished in order to build swaths of new houses for sale, according to Lord Adonis, one of the Labour party’s most senior figures. Knocking down existing council housing would give the opportunity to build “mixed communities” that would function as “city villages”, the Labour peer said in a report. The controversial recommendations come amid growing concern about the lack of affordable and social housing in the UK after years of above-inflation price growth.” – Financial Times
“Alex Salmond vowed yesterday to hold a Labour minority government to ransom to secure a £180billion debt-fuelled spending spree. Scotland’s former first minister boasted that an SNP landslide at the General Election would allow him to dictate Ed Balls’s first Budget as Chancellor – and demand that he ‘end austerity’. Mr Salmond also declared construction of the HS2 rail line would have to start in Scotland and Britain’s nuclear defences be scaled back.” – Daily Mail
Editorials:
>Today: ToryDiary: The 290 seat Conservative Government. 1) Cameron should be ready to negotiate with Salmond
“Fifteen per cent of responders saw the Tory leader as the most impressive politician of 2014 — level-pegging with Ukip chief Nigel Farage. But Red Ed scraped in below SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon on seven per cent, while hapless Lib Dem Nick Clegg got just four per cent of votes. But the “Mumdex” survey by Asda found that, when asked who was most likely to form the next Government, the Conservatives and Labour were neck and neck.” – The Sun (£)
Comment:
>Yesterday: July Iles in Comment: What have the Conservatives done for women and families?
“We’ve all laughed at Ed Miliband for five years. At his inability to eat a bacon sandwich. At his attempt to present himself as a man of the people — hiding the fact that he is actually one of the super-rich he derides — with a £350,000 family income, a £2.5 million beautiful home and, of course, two kitchens. I can’t help but be impressed, though, at his continued willingness to stand in the arena and take on all-comers. The TV debates might not quite be the coliseum but however much this man gets pilloried he picks himself up off the floor and asks for more of the same.” – The Times (£)
>Today: The Deep End: Does Labour actually want to win the next election?
>Yesterday: ToryDiary: The Conservatives must not just rely on Miliband’s inability to debate
“Ukip will form an electoral pact with Northern Irish MPs to keep the Tories in power after the next election, Nigel Farage said this morning. The Ukip leader said the Conservative Party will emerge from the general election as the largest party but wouldn’t have enough MPs to govern on their own. Mr Farage said he would force an early referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU as his price for keeping David Cameron in Number 10.” – Daily Mail
“Nigel Farage today vowed to form a pact with Northern Ireland MPs after the next election to force a law guaranteeing an EU referendum through Parliament. The UK Independence Party leader forecast that the Tories will be the biggest party in the Commons after the general election in May. But he warned that they would fall short of an overall majority, giving an alliance of Ukip and Ulster’s Democratic Unionist Party huge influence at Westminster.” – Daily Express
>Today: Nadhim Zahawi MP’s column: In Farage’s Britain, it would be legal to discriminate against me on the grounds of race
“Thinking outside the box can do wonders for disadvantaged pupils, according to evidence from schools about how they are using the Government’s pupil premium to improve performance. In one case, the simple act of buying a pupil a football kit and providing soccer coaching, as his parents were unable to afford it, dramatically improved his performance, Schools minister David Laws told The Independent. “It got him taking part in lessons and attending again,” said the Liberal Democrat.” – The Independent