“In her 21st birthday broadcast to the Commonwealth, Princess Elizabeth memorably promised that ‘my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service’. She could not have expected as she said those words that the burden of monarchy would fall on her shoulders so soon afterwards, but more than 63 years after she ascended the throne, the Queen has never wavered from that pledge. On a day of history, of celebration and gratitude as she becomes our longest-reigning monarch, David Cameron will express the thanks of a nation by describing the Queen as “a rock of stability in a world of constant change” – Daily Telegraph
“After inflicting a humiliating defeat on David Cameron over the rules surrounding his EU referendum on Monday, eurosceptic Conservatives MPs are plotting a second assault at party conference. Steve Baker, the leader of the Conservatives for Britain, told the FT that Mr Cameron must use the annual gathering in Manchester next month to tell ministers whether they will have the freedom to campaign for a Brexit” – Financial Times
“Eurozone countries will gang up on Britain as they did over the Greek bailout unless major changes can be won during renegotiations with the EU, George Osborne claimed yesterday. However, the prime minister and chancellor have been warned that they could struggle to win such reforms in a report published today by the European Council on Foreign Relations, which says that they have yet to win round key allies” – The Times (£)
“Ministers have underestimated the ‘dramatic impact’ of the national living wage on companies’ profitability and hiring, and badly timed its introduction, says the new CBI president. ‘I’ve talked to several chief executives and been surprised by the impact on their profits of the change,’ Paul Drechsler told the FT… Mr Drechsler’s comments reflect growing business concern about the impact of the ‘national living wage’ — set at £7.20 from April for over-25s — which was the centrepiece of George Osborne’s summer Budget” – Financial Times
“More than 50 magistrates are understood to have resigned from the bench in recent weeks amid an extraordinary judicial revolt against new court charges which critics claim encourage innocent people to plead guilty. Pressure to reform the criminal courts charge, which was introduced earlier this year, has increased as more cases emerge of impoverished people being forced to pay hundreds of pounds for minor offences… Campaigners hope…Michael Gove will consider ditching or reforming the measure” – Independent
“Britain’s biggest insurer has called on George Osborne to scrap tax relief on pension savings, which would cost high earners more than £1,000 a year. Aviva, which has millions of pension savers in the UK, wants the chancellor to replace the present system with one that offers all savers a £1 top-up to their pension for every £2 saved. The insurer, formerly known as Norwich Union, says the overhaul would encourage more people to save for old age and not cost the exchequer any extra money” – The Times (£)
“A Conservative minister has been expelled from the Labour Party after it was discovered that she had a vote in its leadership contest. Baroness Altmann, the former director of Saga, was made a Tory peer to enable her to become the government’s pensions minister earlier this year… It has now emerged that she had been a member of the Labour party since March last year” – The Times (£)
“As many as eight members of the shadow cabinet are considering declaring that they cannot serve on the frontbench if Jeremy Corbyn is elected as Labour leader on Saturday. But they are coming under pressure from Corbyn supporters and loyalists to put party unity first and work with the MP from Islington North. Chris Leslie, the shadow chancellor, said: “If Corbyn wins, as I said early in the summer, I do not feel I could serve in his shadow cabinet. I don’t believe he shares my instincts about responsibility in the economy, social issues or foreign affairs’” – Guardian
“Renegade Labour MPs have revealed they are prepared to defy Jeremy Corbyn’s anti-war orders by backing RAF air strikes in Syria. An increasing number of opposition MPs are in favour of deepening Britain’s involvement in the war, after being forced by Ed Miliband to vote down missile attacks on President Assad in 2013… ‘Dozens’ of Labour MPs are ready to break any whip the veteran peace campaigner imposes against bombing in Syria, one senior party figure told The Sun” – The Sun (£)
>Today:
>Yesterday:
“Refugees granted asylum in Britain are going back to the country they fled for holidays, a Tory MP claimed today. Adam Holloway complained he had been unable to get his hair cut because his barber had returned to his home country. And he hit out at refugees who have reached safe countries embarking on dangerous journeys to reach mainland Europe” – Daily Mail
The Scottish Conservative Party has launched investigation after councillor joked about ISIL ‘moles’ entering Nicola Sturgeon’s home. Gordon McCaskill, a Tory councillor for East Renfrewshire, was responding to the Scottish First Minister’s claim on Sunday that she would be ‘absolutely happy’ to house a refugee from Syria. Mr McCaskill wrote on Twitter: ‘Scenes we’d like to see: the refugees Nicola invites into her house are Daesh [Islamic State] moles’” – Daily Telegraph
“Bosses of Britain’s biggest charities were humbled by MPs yesterday as they were accused of treating their supporters like ‘cash machines’… Committee chairman Bernard Jenkin said the Daily Mail ‘should be congratulated’ for uncovering ‘what amounts to a scandal in the way that charities have been raising money’. And he accused the bosses of either being ‘slipshod’ or ‘wilfully blind’ in their oversight of the fundraising” – Daily Mail