“One million votes from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities helped put David Cameron back into Downing Street, according to new research into attitudes among minority voters. Labour remains well ahead with BAME voters on 52%, finds research by the thinkthank British Future, but the gap between the two main parties is shrinking dramatically, especially among Asian voters. One-third (33%) of BAME voters supported the Conservatives in 2015, its best result so far. The Liberal Democrats and the Green party each took 5% of the BAME vote, with 2% voting for Ukip.” – The Guardian
>Today:
>Yesterday:
“At least 1.5million European migrants living in the UK are to be barred from voting in the referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU, Downing Street said last night. In a key concession to the Tory Right and Ukip, David Cameron has ruled that most EU citizens living in Britain should have no say on whether the UK decides to go it alone. Mr Cameron has also ruled out giving 16 and 17-year-olds a vote in the referendum, which could be held as early as next spring. The details will be published in a Europe Referendum Bill, which will be included in the Queen’s Speech on Wednesday.” – Daily Mail
Comment:
>Today: ToryDiary: Downing Street’s plan for the EU referendum franchise – right, consistent and a gentle rebuke to Farage
“George Osborne is gearing up for a new Treasury study of the economics of British membership of a reformed EU, in a re-run of his contentious series of analysis papers on Scottish independence. The UK chancellor used the Treasury papers on Scotland last year as a base from which to attack the campaign for independence — highlighting risks related to the currency and higher taxes. Mr Osborne, who believes that the Scottish papers were effective in helping secure a No vote, is said by Treasury colleagues to be considering a similar exercise looking at Britain’s relationship with the EU, including the economics of a potential “Brexit”.” – Financial Times
Comment:
“My Austrian MEP friend was incredulous. ‘Is that it?’ he asked, stunned by the modest nature of the concessions David Cameron is seeking from his fellow heads of government. Like other Euro-integrationists, the MEP had been expecting tough demands from our Government. Now he is stunned and relieved by how little is being demanded. After the unexpected Conservative victory this month, EU leaders were braced for a fundamental renegotiation of Britain’s relationship with Brussels… Yet, extraordinarily, David Cameron has so far not asked for it. Instead, he wants to keep the existing deal, making only some minimal changes in time for a referendum next year in which he will lead the campaign to keep us in. I struggle to think of any political story where the media coverage is so far removed from the reality. It’s not that the EU won’t repatriate significant powers to Britain. It’s that Britain won’t ask.” – Daily Mail
“David Miliband is being urged to lead the campaign to keep Britain in the EU – before making a sensational return to Parliament. The former foreign secretary, who slammed his brother’s campaign after Labour’s disastrous election defeat this month, has refused to rule out a political come-back. Now senior figures in the party are calling for him to use the EU referendum as a springboard for coming back to Parliament ahead of the 2020 election. It has even been suggested that veteran MP and ally Barry Sheerman – whose daughter works for Mr Miliband – could step down to free up his seat. The growing clamour for Mr Miliband’s return comes amid calls for Labour to introduce a ‘break clause’ on its next leader – giving the party the chance to get rid of whoever they choose in case they are underperforming.” – Daily Mail
“David Cameron’s pledge to scrap the human rights act has sparked the first major Tory row since the election – after a senior MP launched a furious attack on ‘utterly bizarre’ colleagues threatening to resign over the issue. Former Defence Secretary Liam Fox said the pledge to replace European human rights laws with a ‘British Bill of Rights’ was a manifesto commitment which the party ‘must put into law’. It came after an unnamed member of the government threatened to quit over Mr Cameron’s controversial election pledge. The anonymous figure claimed the proposals would undermine vital protections for British citizens who can use the European Court of Human Rights to appeal against decisions in the UK.” – Daily Mail
“MPs will defeat David Cameron’s attempts to overturn the hunting ban, Liam Fox has predicted in what would prove a major blow for countryside campaigners. The former defence secretary said a “substantial” number of Tory MPs will vote against repealing the controversial law should there be a free vote. Just a few dozen Conservative MPs would likely need to vote no to kill off the best chance in a decade of overturning a law first implemented under Tony Blair. Labour and the Liberal Democrats are likely to oppose repealing the Hunting Act while the SNP have indicated they will sit out the vote as it is an English-only matter.” – Daily Telegraph
“David Cameron has dropped plans to block a 10 per cent pay rise for MPs in the wake of backbenchers’ protests. The decision means MPs will now almost certainly see their salaries rise by £7,000 to £74,000 a year following a final review by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. The pay rise, expected in the autumn, will be backdated to the General Election. The Prime Minister described the plan as ‘totally unacceptable’ when it was first put forward in 2013 by Ipsa. But government sources said yesterday that he had now abandoned plans to block the increase. However, Mr Cameron imposed another five-year freeze on ministerial pay.” – Daily Mail
“David Cameron will not be remembered as a statesman if he fails to commit to spending 2 per cent of Britain’s national income on defence, the former head of the RAF has said. Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Graydon said that Mr Cameron must “repair the damage” that has been done to Britain’s defence and security and restore the nation’s reputation on the international stage. British defence chiefs have been furiously lobbying the Tories to make the commitment, amid fears for Britain’s military capability and status as a global power.” – Daily Telegraph
>Today: The Deep End: Has Britain really resigned as a world power?
“The Prime Minister should put himself at the head of a national coalition for change. He should personally lead it, but improving social mobility is not just a job for government. Action is required at every level. Parents, communities, schools, colleges, councils, employers and universities all will need to take a lead if Britain is not to become a permanently divided nation. A growing economy provides the bedrock for a new national effort to make Britain the most open, fair and aspirational society in the world. That should be Mr Cameron’s core mission for his second term.” – Daily Telegraph
>Yesterday: Chris Walker in Comment: Housing is key to a Conservative vision for working people
“Nicky Morgan has been branded a hypocrite after congratulating Ireland for voting in favour of gay marriage – despite voting against it in Britain two years ago. The Minister for Women and Equalities tweeted her 30,000 followers that the historic vote was ‘an important day in Ireland’ that sent ‘a great message’. But she soon faced a barrage of criticism on the social media site because she voted against the bill for equal marriage in Britain in 2013.” – Daily Mail
“David Cameron has dropped plans — blocked by the Liberal Democrats during the coalition government — to make it easier for firms to sack workers. Sajid Javid, the business secretary, said the government would not revive the so-called “fire at will” proposals despite the Tories’ overall majority. The Beecroft report in 2012 recommended a relaxation of employment laws, including allowing companies to dismiss anyone without giving a reason provided they paid compensation. The report suggested that an employer could simply state it was not happy with a worker’s performance and then follow a set process, including giving notice and paying a defined level of compensation, without the action being considered as unfair dismissal.” – The Times (£)
Editorial:
>Yesterday: Video: WATCH: Javid talks to Marr about plans for business
“Sajid Javid, the business secretary, has insisted that freedom of speech will be protected in the government’s plans to give Ofcom more powers to tackle extremism, claiming that a disagreement between him and Theresa May over the issue of pre-broadcast censorship was “perfectly normal”. The Guardian revealed on Thursday how Javid, as culture secretary, had written to May, the home secretary, in March to warn against the home office’s plans to give the broadcasting regulator the power to vet programmes before they were broadcast. But Javid told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday that the leak had generated “a bit of overexcitement” and that it was normal for cabinet colleagues to argue about policy.” – The Guardian
>Today: Adam Simmonds in Local Government: Let’s make crime fighting central to the Queen’s Speech
“Ivan Massow has just launched a campaign to be selected as Conservative candidate for Mayor of London, yet here he is, sitting in the kitchen of his grand central London home – there is an Aga so large it could melt Greenland, and an island the size of… well, Greenland – telling me he has always found it harder to admit to being a Tory than to being gay. Clearly he is not alone in this. Across the country there are people who would rather come out as gay than Conservative, and they’re completely heterosexual.” – Daily Telegraph
“Labour needs to do more to prove that it is checking new members after claims that the Unite union was adding 1,000 a day to the roll entitled to vote in the leadership election, two leading frontbenchers said yesterday. Tristram Hunt, shadow education secretary and Pat McFadden, shadow Europe minister, said that proper checks were vital after the claim, reportedly made by Unite’s political director. Harriet Harman, Labour’s acting leader, insisted that there would be no repeat of the tactics that led to Ed Miliband winning on the back of union votes in 2010, saying that new “one member one vote” rules were now in place to limit their ability to influence the vote. “There’s absolutely not going to be a stitch-up by the unions in this election,” she said.” – The Times (£)
“Labour has fallen into its “deepest crisis” and could “dwindle to a very small number of MPs” unless it changes radically, a former minister has said. Kim Howells, who served as a minister under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, said that the party is in “real dire straits” after the “unmitigated gloom” of Ed Miliband. He said that unless it engages in some “radical thinking” about the reasons for its defeat in the general election Labour will become a “very small and very unimportant party”. He also launched a damning critique of the two main leadership contenders, Andy Burnham, the shadow health secretary, and Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary.” – Daily Telegraph