‘Jeremy Corbyn’s drive for party unity descended into farce yesterday after his senior aide humiliated a shadow minister by rewriting a key Trident announcement via autocue. Clive Lewis, the shadow defence secretary, had been due to commit the Labour Party to abide by plans to renew the UK’s nuclear deterrent as part of a deal with the unions. However, Seumas Milne, the Labour leader’s director of communications, intervened to water down the text minutes before Mr Lewis was due to address the conference.’ – The Times (£)
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‘Just two days after re-electing Jeremy Corbyn as leader, the party’s credibility was shredded again. It wheeled out a series of hard-Left 1970s policies at the party conference that enraged even its union paymasters. Delegates were told of an outright ban on fracking, which would risk thousands of jobs, a £10-an-hour minimum wage and a plan to put every adult on state benefits.’ – Daily Mail
Comment:
More Labour
>Today: Profile: The Corbynites who are killing the Labour Party
>Yesterday: Video: WATCH: McDonnell explains how Labour will ‘rehabilitate’ socialism
‘Treasury officials have privately warned that the UK could face a “black hole” in tax revenue from the City in the event of a so-called hard Brexit. Senior city figures are preparing analysis which is likely to show the Exchequer losing at least £10 billion a year if the Brexit deal disrupts the ability of banks and city firms to do business in Europe. The government’s independent watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility, will draw up revised forecasts taking into account Brexit for the autumn statement. The banking sector contributes £31 billion in multiple forms of taxation, with more than a third of this dependent on EU access.’ – The Times (£)
>Today: Iain Duncan Smith’s column: Sticking to the plan
‘Theresa May yesterday hinted the Government was preparing a massive housebuilding programme as she vowed to rebuild voters shattered trust in politics. In a Facebook post ahead of this weekend’s Tory conference, the PM vowed to “get to grips” with the unfairness felt by millions by building homes, tackling big business and opening “great” schools. Sources for weeks have claimed the Government is preparing a housebuilding bonanza for the PM’s speech in Birmingham – as part of a package of social reforms. Insiders claim this may range from more funding for smaller developers to build homes on ‘brownfield’ sites to allowing more firms to build on the green belt.’ – The Sun (£)
Other government
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‘Nicola Sturgeon should heed Alex Neil and rule out another independence referendum because the SNP’s deepening split on the issue is causing “damaging” economic uncertainty, opposition parties have said.The Tories and Liberal Democrats argued that Mr Neil’s outspoken intervention in the Telegraph, in which he urged Ms Sturgeon to abandon plans for a 2014 vote in the near future, showed the SNP’s response to Brexit was “increasingly chaotic”.’ – Daily Telegraph
‘Hillary Clinton accused Donald Trump of promulgating a “racist lie” over Barack Obama’s birthplace and suggested he may not pay income tax as the first of three presidential debates grew vitriolic and personal. It began in a civilised manner, with both candidates greeting each other, shaking hands and easing themselves into the first question on trade…’ – Daily Telegraph
Comment:
>Today: Video: WATCH: Clinton V Trump – the opening statements