“Theresa May is to push ahead with a new system to vet foreign investment in Britain, but has heeded warnings from chancellor Philip Hammond that the country cannot afford to adopt “French-style” protectionism. The UK prime minister wants the government to be able to intervene in an “orderly and structured” way in sensitive foreign investment and is studying regimes used in other countries such as the US and Australia. But at a ministerial meeting last month Mr Hammond led a chorus of warnings that any new regime must not undermine Britain’s position as Europe’s top destination for foreign direct investment, particularly with Brexit approaching in 2019.” – FT
Comment:
>Today: ToryDiary: Why the Right should make its peace with the State
>Yesterday: Tim Bale in Comment: Memo to May. Don’t forget One Nation, Prime Minister.
“Admissions tutors must look at a youngster’s ‘potential’ and decide whether their exam performance may have been held back by poverty, the aides said. And they suggested bright pupils attending poorly-performing schools in deprived areas can be given a lower A-level grade offers. The advisers, the Social Mobility Advisory Group, was set up at the request of universities minister Jo Johnson and is chaired by Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of Universities UK, which represents vice chancellors.” – Daily Mail
“Hundreds of child refugees stuck in Calais will be brought to Britain in the coming months, Home Secretary Amber Rudd has vowed. The first group of around 100 unaccompanied youngsters languishing in northern France, less than an hour from Britain, will come here in the next few weeks. France has vowed to shut down the notorious ‘Jungle’ camp in Calais, starting next week (October 17).” – Daily Mail
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Comment:
>Yesterday: Andrew Green in Comment: The EU and migration. Work permits are the way forward.
“The international development secretary yesterday rowed back from signals that she was prepared to underspend on her aid budget, which is enshrined in law, to avoid wasting taxpayers’ money. Priti Patel had indicated that she could retreat from the government’s commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of gross national income on overseas assistance each year, according to three newspapers. It was reported that she had told officials she would stop pouring money into schemes that could turn out to be wasteful or corrupt simply in order to meet the legal expenditure requirement.” – The Times (£)
“Parents should ‘disinherit’ their children and pass homes and savings straight to their grandchildren, the housing minister has argued. Gavin Barwell said his mother will leave her estate and £750,000 home to his three sons and two nephews – and said others should also consider skipping a generation. Mr Barwell said this could ease the housing crisis and combat ‘inter-generational unfairness’ by helping the young to get a foot on the housing ladder.” – Daily Mail
“When the attorney-general stands up next week to defend the government’s right to trigger Brexit, he will be ranged against up to 50 legal heavyweights. Jeremy Wright, QC, will be heavily outnumbered when he leads the government’s team in the constitutional challenge over Brexit against 16 QCs and junior barristers, plus at least another 20 to 30 solicitors. Mr Wright has stepped in to open the defence in the historic two-day challenge before the lord chief justice and another judge. He has gone in fighting, saying before the hearing: “We do not believe this case has legal merit. The result of the referendum should be respected.” – Daily Mail
“MPs are plotting a fresh bid to block Brexit by claiming any deal that takes Britain out of the EU’s single market should be first voted on by Parliament. Remarkably, the cross-party group of pro-EU MPs – including senior Tories – claim that June’s Brexit vote was not a decision to leave the single market. Ed Miliband, who is leading the demands, says Parliament must not be overlooked because of ‘the importance of these decisions for the UK economy’.” – Daily Mail
Comment:
Editorial:
>Yesterday: ToryDiary: How practicable would it be for the Commons to bring down Brexit?
“Labour descended into fresh chaos today as two whips quit Jeremy Corbyn’s frontbench in protest at his latest reshuffle. Conor McGinn and Holly Lynch resigned today following the Labour leader’s decision to sack the party’s highly-respected chief whip Dame Rosie Winterton on Friday, which sparked widespread condemnation from moderate MPs. Their resignations came as Mr Corbyn was still trying to find new MPs to fill vacant positions in his frontbench following mass resignations in the summer.” – Daily Mail
“Mike Hookem, the Ukip MEP, has posted a photograph of his hands on Twitter as evidence that he did not punch his colleague Steven Woolfe. The picture was accompanied by the words: “Can you see any bruising or abrasions?” Mr Woolfe, who claimed that Mr Hookem “came at him” outside a meeting in Strasbourg, was discharged from hospital yesterday.” – The Times (£)
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