Budget 1) Osborne: It’s decision time
‘We’ve come a long way in five years but it’s not enough just to get back to where we were as a country before Labour’s Great Recession. For the first time ever, every part of the UK must reach its undoubted potential. I want to see growth, more jobs and better wages in all parts of the country and we have a plan to deliver this. The choice facing Britain couldn’t be clearer. We can stick with the competence of a strong Conservative team working to a long-term economic plan to secure a better future for you, your family and Britain.’ – George Osborne, The Sun on Sunday (£)
- The Chancellor’s plan for the North – Sunday Express
- Keep cutting the deficit, keep growing the economy – Sunday Times Leader (£)
- Tax, tax, tax – Sunday Times (£)
- We need fast internet everywhere to secure growth – Will Hutton, The Observer
- Tory shame on defence – Iain Martin, Sunday Telegraph
>Today: Dr Liam Fox MP on Comment: Osborne should make this a Budget for winning
>Yesterday:
- ToryDiary: Why the Conservatives should commit to the NATO two per cent spending target
- Mark Field MP on Comment: No glittering giveaways. No electoral sweeteners. We need a deeply unexciting Budget.
Budget 2) Plans to extend pension freedoms to current pensioners
‘Five million retired people are to be given the right to cash in annuities worth more than £10 billion in a Budget pension windfall. Chancellor George Osborne is to grant them the same right to cash in annuities as those who have not already taken their pensions. Under reforms to be introduced next month, workers will be able to cash in part or all of their savings.’ – Mail on Sunday
- But will people have enough money to live on? – The Sun on Sunday (£)
- Half a million more people are claiming housing benefit – The Observer
- More to do on ISAs – Sunday Telegraph
>Yesterday: WATCH: BBC editors on what to expect from the Budget
Budget 3) The crucial week for the Tory election campaign
‘What would a successful budget look like? Our latest poll shows that voters’ top priority is help for low-paid families through increases in income tax and national insurance thresholds. YouGov finds consistently that the Tories still suffer from their reputation as a party out of touch with ordinary voters. Measures this week to dispel that reputation would do far more good than anything else — as long as voters believe that any tax cut is a reward for a growing economy and not a cynical election bribe.’ – Peter Kellner, Sunday Times (£)
- How do the policies add up? – The Independent on Sunday
Budget 4) A new push on inheritance tax
‘Millions will be able to pass their homes to their kids tax free under plans being drawn up by the Chancellor. George Osborne wants to reform inheritance tax on family houses. Moves to raise the threshold to £1million or abolish tax have been blocked by Lib Dems. But Mr Osborne is working on an alternative.’ – The Sun on Sunday (£)
- A toast to George – The Sun on Sunday Says (£)
Budget 5) The Lib Dems belatedly try to ‘scale back’ Osborne’s plans
‘A Liberal Democrat involved in the process reveals: ‘The Tories came to us with things they knew we couldn’t say no to, to get the OK for things they wanted.’ Indeed, the Budget will contain clear Liberal Democrat ‘wins’ such as more money for mental health.However, the Liberal Democrats have become increasingly concerned in recent days about just how much Osborne would be announcing from the despatch box on Wednesday. One tells me: ‘It all got a bit out of hand, it is being scaled back.’ – James Forsyth, Mail on Sunday
- Cable attacks Tory support for immigration restrictions – Mail on Sunday
Farage 1) I’d support a minority Tory government in return for an early referendum
‘Nigel Farage has revealed his radical plans for Ukip to support a minority Conservative government after the next election. The UK Independence Party leader says that he is willing to make a deal with the Tories on the condition that they hold an EU referendum before Christmas. The detailed plans for a hung parliament set out that Ukip and Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party would work together to support the Conservatives on a vote by vote basis.’ – Sunday Telegraph
- He doesn’t want Mrs Farage to have a vote on the issue – Sunday Telegraph
- Britain doesn’t need this chaos – Sunday Telegraph Leader
- Scottish UKIP leader facing calls to resign after calling Muslim opponent ‘Abu Hamza’ – Scotland on Sunday
- Ten true things we can’t say about race – Trevor Phillips, Sunday Times (£)
- The fight is on in Thanet – Guido Fawkes, The Sun on Sunday (£)
- Lord Carey: Christians shouldn’t feel the need to hide their faith – Sunday Telegraph
>Today: ToryDiary: How to lose an EU referendum, by Nigel Farage
Farage 2) Heseltine compares the UKIP leader to Enoch Powell
‘Powell was a more intelligent politician than Farage, but had the same irresponsible instinct – to mix up race relations with immigration. Of course the Government is right to exercise control of the level of immigration, but it is one of this country’s proudest claims that there should be no prejudice on grounds of colour, class or creed…Farage’s words followed a now-familiar pattern. He came up with a ridiculous, headline-generating statement, then claimed not to have said what the recording of the interview clearly revealed…His more extreme supporters can add a nod and a wink on the doorstep.’ – Lord Heseltine, Mail on Sunday
- We must stop mass immigration – Camilla Cavendish, Sunday Times (£)
- £62 million owed by health tourists – Mail on Sunday
- The latest extract from Farage’s memoirs – Sunday Telegraph
- Our leaders should debate – Peter Hitchens, Mail on Sunday
- The broadcasters are fooling around with the election – Lord Dobbs, Sunday Times (£)
Nightmare Coalitions 1) Labour MPs plot to wreck any deal with the SNP
‘Labour MPs are hatching secret plans to wreck any deal with the Scottish Nationalists by holding an emergency summit after the Election. A meeting of the entire Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) would be convened in order to veto any attempt by Mr Miliband to win Downing Street by brokering a deal with Nicola Sturgeon’s SNP.’ – Mail on Sunday
- Ed’s in my back pocket, jokes Salmond – The Sun on Sunday (£)
- Miliband launches Labour pledge card – Mail on Sunday
- A third of the shadow cabinet doubt their leader’s ability – Sunday Times (£)
- Blair’s fundraising war against the unions – Sunday Times (£)
- The failure of a moribund opposition – Mail on Sunday Leader
Nightmare Coalitions 2) Cameron warned not to rush into a new pact with the Lib Dems
‘David Cameron has been warned he will face a leadership challenge if he seeks to force another coalition deal on Tory MPs after the election. Senior Conservatives have privately advised Downing Street that backbench MPs will trigger a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister’s leadership within days of the election if he seeks to repeat his deal with Nick Clegg without their consent.’ – Sunday Telegraph
- Lib Dem rush for the Lords – Sunday Times (£)
- We saved the country and destroyed our party – Stephen Lloyd MP, Independent on Sunday
- Who is the real Tim Farron? – Mail on Sunday
- Reporter calls the Deputy Prime Minister a ‘two-faced swine’ – Mail on Sunday
- Lib Dems plan extra spending on mental health – Sunday Telegraph
- Alexander asks for Tories to vote tactically – Scotland on Sunday
Lord Ashcroft: Our Boys deserve an Afghanistan and Iraq memorial
‘The raw courage that our servicemen have displayed in Iraq and Afghanistan must never be forgotten. To play a key role in not just one, but two, recent overseas campaigns has put a tremendous strain on our Armed Forces – and has involved huge personal sacrifices…I strongly believe that today’s heroes – men and women who took the fight to Saddam Hussein and the Taliban – will become tomorrow’s legends, individuals whose courage will be revered for ever.’ – Lord Ashcroft, The Sun on Sunday
- A tribute to sacrifice – The Sun on Sunday Says
- Ex-hostage recounts his ordeal – Sunday Times (£)
- Body of former Royal Marine returned to his family – Mail on Sunday
- Claims that new evidence links Cage director and Emwazi – Mail on Sunday
- Clegg blocks new University terror rules – Sunday Telegraph
No sign of Barbara Castle’s alleged dossier on sexual abuse
‘A search of an Oxford archive for an explosive sex abuse dossier allegedly compiled by the Labour grande dame Barbara Castle has failed to find any evidence of the documents. It is the second time that a dossier supposedly outlining the activities of a Westminster paedophile ring and naming offenders has appeared to be more myth than reality.’ – Sunday Times (£)
- Theresa May must deliver justice to victims – Sunday Express Leader
- Rob Wilson alleges he was threatened for blowing the whistle on police errors – Mail on Sunday
- 300 toddlers stopped and searched – Sunday Times (£)
- MPs’ concerns about ‘out of hand’ police raids – Sunday Times (£)
Where is Putin? Rumours fly
‘Vladimir Putin is ‘alive’ but ‘neutralised’ as shadowy security chiefs stage a stealthy coup in Moscow, it was claimed last night. Former FSB chief Nikolai Patrushev was behind the plot, claimed chairman of the pro-Kremlin national Islamic Committee, Geydar Dzhemal. There have been no confirmed sightings of Putin for nine days.’ – Mail on Sunday
News in Brief
- BBC executives compare Clarkson to Savile – Mail on Sunday
- Victoria Borwick discusses Kensington’s problems – Sunday Times (£)
- Frank Field recovering after being rushed to hospital – The Observer
- Life with Terry Pratchett – Sunday Telegraph
- Westminster Gandhi statue unveiled – Mail on Sunday
- Defeated MPs to be offered counselling – Sunday Times (£)
- Ten tips on running a country – The Independent on Sunday
- The grim fate of the British agents betrayed by George Blake – Sunday Telegraph
- Happy mother’s day – Sunday Telegraph
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