“Theresa May has given the go-ahead for the proposed £18bn nuclear power station at Hinkley Point in Somerset, ending months of uncertainty over the fate of Europe’s biggest energy project. The plans were unexpectedly put on hold in July to give the new UK prime minister time to assess concerns over its high cost, unproven technology and the role of Chinese investors… However, Mrs May has concluded that Hinkley is crucial to keeping Britain’s lights on and reducing carbon emissions as old power stations accounting for over half the country’s existing generating capacity are phased out over the next 15 years.” – FT
More May:
Analysis:
>Yesterday: Emran Mian in Comment: So much for the ‘progressive majority’ – most British voters sit broadly on the right
“An official inquiry into police behaviour at the Battle of Orgreave, one of the worst clashes of the miners’ strike, is set to be announced by the home secretary. Campaigners allege that South Yorkshire police orchestrated the violence between officers and miners at the coking plant in 1984 before systematically falsifying evidence against pickets. Demands for an inquiry have grown after evidence of misconduct and cover-up by the South Yorkshire force was presented during recent investigations into the Hillsborough football disaster in which 96 fans died.” – The Times (£)
“Theresa May appears to believe in the power of inquiries…many of her early decisions in government, from Hinkley Point to grammar schools, have been spookily foreshadowed by her adviser Nick Timothy’s previous writings. In May this year he wrote a piece for the ConservativeHome website headlined “As with Hillsborough, we must get to the bottom of what happened at Orgreave”.” – The Times (£)
Editorial:
>Today: ToryDiary: An Orgreave inquiry. “Better to throw open the archives and the files and leave it to the historians”
“The BBC will be forced to reveal the salaries of stars paid more than £150,000 within the next year, after the new Culture Secretary accused the corporation of a “lack of openness and transparency”. Karen Bradley, who will publish a draft version of the BBC’s next royal charter on Thursday, said disclosing stars’ pay would help the corporation make savings that would ensure it did not lose top shows such as the Great British Bake Off again.” – Daily Telegraph
More ministers:
Aid:
>Today: Elizabeth Truss MP in Comment: We will reform the courts system to ensure everyone has access to justice
“A strong, successful, independent BBC is good for the UK, and the Government wants to support it. The draft BBC Royal Charter I publish today does just that. It builds on the BBC’s strong points, prioritising its independence and ensuring its financial stability for years to come. It also addresses several weaknesses, including a lack of openness and transparency. The BBC is funded by the TV licence fee, which will provide it with more than £18 billion between now and 2021-22. It is vital that the people paying for the BBC – its viewers and listeners – know where their money is going and that it is being well spent.” – Daily Telegraph
“David Cameron made clear that he regarded doubts over his botched Libyan intervention as “unhelpful”, the former chief of the defence staff said yesterday. Lord Richards of Herstmonceux, the general who led the 2011 military campaign, heaped more pressure on the former prime minister in the wake of highly critical parliamentary inquiry. The foreign affairs committee holds Mr Cameron “ultimately responsible” for the economic collapse of Libya fuelling the spread of Islamic State in North Africa and helping trigger the migrant crisis.” – The Times (£)
Comment:
“The tactics being deployed by hard-left activists to deselect an MP and seize control of the local Labour Party have been revealed by leaked documents that will heighten fears about the targeting of MPs opposed to Jeremy Corbyn. The documents, seen by The Times, show how a Momentum group in Liverpool has organised recruitment drives and set up secret forums to devise strategies for wresting control from Labour members it feels are hostile.” – The Times (£)
Comment:
Editorial:
“Jeremy Corbyn’s team has published a roll call of Labour MPs it claims have abused him. With barely a week left in the Labour leadership contest, the veteran left-winger’s office blamed challenger Owen Smith for the abuse and accused him of running a negative campaign, branding him the ‘real disunity candidate’. In a remarkable move that threatens to deepen Labour’s civil war, the name-and-shame list of MPs who have abused Mr Corbyn includes his deputy leader Tom Watson because he called the grassroots Corbyn campaign Momentum a ‘rabble’.” – Daily Mail
More Labour:
Sketch:
>Yesterday: Andrew Gimson’s PMQs sketch: May offers Corbyn an undefended target
“Alex Salmond has told his successor Nicola Sturgeon to block Brexit from going ahead. Scotland voted 62 per cent to 38 per cent in favour of remaining in the EU – one of only three regions in the UK to reject Brexit. Scottish MEPs are powerless to prevent the UK Government passing the necessary legislation for the whole of the UK to leave the EU but Mr Salmond, who stood down as First Minister after losing the 2014 independence referendum, said it was Ms Sturgeon’s responsibility to deliver the wishes of Scottish voters.” – Daily Mail
EU:
Employment:
Comment:
Editorial:
>Today: Daniel Hannan MEP’s column: Most Remainers are not Remoaners – we must work with the sensible, reasonable majority
>Yesterday: