“The prime minister will use a speech on Tuesday to denounce those who want to stay in the EU “at all costs”, warning that there are “real problems” with their approach that could drive the UK to the exit door. He will say remaining in an unreformed EU would mean “eurozone countries could potentially spend our money” and “significant risks” to Britain by “allowing our sovereignty to be eroded”. – Sunday Times (£)
“The government is preparing to announce the next phase for airport expansion within weeks, ahead of a new public consultation on increasing aviation capacity. The Prime Minister has been wrestling with a “difficult decision” over whether to approve a third runway at Heathrow because he promised before the 2010 election that he would oppose such a plan.” – Sunday Telegraph
“One figure familiar with the content of the call tells me the greetings were brief and small-talk over in seconds. Putin complained ‘very strongly’ about Britain’s ‘speculation’ that a bomb was the cause of the crash and of a ‘failure to share intelligence’. The response to that, says a senior intelligence source, was ‘British spooks have as much intention of sharing security intercepts with Moscow as James Bond has of working with SMERSH’.” – Mail on Sunday
“The safest airline in the world is El Al, the Israeli national carrier. At its main hub near Tel Aviv hold bags are put through a decompression chamber that simulates the atmospheric pressure changes that can set off bombs in flight (stand well back). And on each flight it has armed air marshals masquerading as ordinary passengers. But the main difference between its policy and ours is that El Al practises so-called profiling of passengers. Put bluntly, it subjects Muslim passengers to far more stringent security checks than it does Jewish or Christian ones. This is something that for political reasons is simply not contemplated by American or British authorities.” – Sunday Times (£)
> Yesterday: ToryDiary – Cameron must rediscover the will to wage war
“Mr Duncan Smith is said to have threatened to resign over a bid by Mr Osborne to grab £2 billion from the welfare budget to soften the blow of tax-credit cuts…And last night he won support from Right-wing ally Mr Paterson, who told The Mail on Sunday: ‘It is completely unacceptable for the Treasury to try to get out of the tax-credits muddle by wrecking the universal credits benefits reforms which have been one of the Government’s great successes.'” – Mail on Sunday
> Today: Brian Monteith on Comment – If Britain votes to leave the EU, Osborne must resign
“Since then, everyone has woken up to what the cuts to tax credits will do to the incomes of more than 3 million poorer workers and the chancellor’s claim to be the champion of the strivers. In the latest Conservative Home poll, he has taken a tumble. You may be amused to learn that this was brought to my attention by one of his cabinet colleagues. “George has fallen to eighth,” he remarked with ill-disguised relish.” – Observer
“A consultation document being drawn up by Michael Gove, the justice secretary, and due to be published in the next month, will make clear that Britain will remain a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) — a move that will irritate Eurosceptics who want to see the UK withdraw altogether. However, ministers are considering enshrining the notion of parliamentary sovereignty explicitly in law.” – Sunday Times (£)
“Lord Deben, chairman of the UK’s independent committee on climate change, told the Observer of his concerns, particularly regarding the continued waste of energy from draughty homes and the failure to exploit the potential of renewable heat technology. His comments follow criticism from international figures, including the UN’s chief scientist, about Britain’s lack of leadership on renewable energy before the crucial Paris talks in December, where demanding new targets on reducing carbon emissions are due to be set.” – Observer
“Mr Timothy insisted he did not favour a return to the fully selective system of the 1950s and 60s when pupils were sent either to grammar schools or “secondary moderns” based on their results in 11-plus exams. But he told The Telegraph that the 17 year-old law preventing an expansion of academic selection was denying many parents the right to choose the most appropriate state education for their children.” – Sunday Telegraph
“Six weeks ago, the Labour leader, a long-term opponent of nuclear weapons, said he wanted Ms Eagle to “lead a debate” and conduct a review of Labour’s defence policy, including the renewal of Trident. Despite this, the pro-Trident defence spokeswoman has been unable to secure a one-on-one meeting with Mr Corbyn to discuss the issue.” – Independent on Sunday
“Insiders say the situation has become so desperate that many staff wages went unpaid last month, and leader Nigel Farage has been forced to ring round backers begging for a financial lifeline. The problems have been compounded by the fact that the party’s biggest donor, Arron Banks, is now channelling his money instead into his own campaign for the UK to vote to leave the EU.” – Mail on Sunday