“In the first signs that MPs are planning to use the Commons to thwart the prime minister, Grant Shapps, the former Conservative chairman, is set to launch an attempt to alter her “Great Repeal Bill”. The bill, which is designed to enshrine EU rules into British law, was announced during the Conservative Party conference by Mrs May and regarded as a sign that Britain was taking back control of its laws. It will be included in the next Queen’s Speech. However, under a measure set to unleash a Tory rebellion, Mr Shapps is planning to attach a “sunset clause” under which the EU-made laws within the bill would stop being in force after five years. Mr Shapps believes that this would allow Britain to eliminate the effects of EU bureaucracy.” – The Times (£)
More Brexit:
Devolution:
>Today: ToryDiary: Why the Government didn’t support the SNP’s version of the ‘Turing Bill’
“The Great Repeal Bill plans to incorporate all EU law into our own. In its current form it’s more the Great Continuity Bill. We should tack on a “sunset clause”. While it isn’t practical for parliament to debate every clause of EU legislation before we leave, a five-year sunset would allow MPs to scrutinise former EU law, removing job-destroying clauses before the five-year sunset. Theresa May could instruct her ministers to emphasise our business-friendly attitude to job and wealth creation. Then let’s introduce a Great Repeal Bill which should force the repeal of EU red tape with a sunset clause. That way it will stand a chance of being a repeal, rather than a continuity, bill; and it might end up being Great for Britain.” – The Times (£)
Tories:
Editorial:
“Gambling companies could face a number of new curbs, from a ban on daytime TV advertising to reduced stakes on betting machines, as the government prepares to launch a review of the UK bookmaking industry. Ministers will announce the review on Monday, according to two officials, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will examine new rules on advertising and prizes. Campaigners argue a clampdown is needed because gambling addiction is on the rise. Tougher rules would be unpopular with the industry: higher taxes and tighter regulation have already hit earnings for some of the big betting chains.” – FT
“A former Conservative MP has demanded that people who make malicious allegations be prosecuted after police dropped a second child sex abuse investigation against him. Harvey Proctor, 69, was wrongly accused of child murder and of being part of a Westminster VIP paedophile ring in the 1980s. A complainant, known as Nick, made allegations that groups of men, including Mr Proctor, abused children and Mr Proctor’s house was raided last year by officers with Operation Midland.” – The Times (£)
“Jeremy Corbyn was in talks with his team about giving Shami Chakrabarti a peerage months before she carried out a heavily criticised investigation into anti-semitism in the party. The Labour leader wanted to put Baroness Chakrabarti’s name on the list back in March and discussed her with staff in the leader’s office. It has been claimed the human rights campaigner was aware her name was listed before agreeing to conduct a Labour report into anti-semitism – an allegation that has been denied by Baroness Chakrabarti.” – Daily Mail
More Labour:
“Two of the loudest voices in the Labour Party calling for Jeremy Corbyn to go have been Lord Mandelson and Alastair Campbell. Now it can be revealed the high priests of political spin also unsuccessfully moved against Corbyn’s predecessor Red Ed Miliband. Mandelson, who resigned twice in disgrace from Tony Blair’s Cabinet, and Campbell, who was Blair’s communications chief, both begged former Labour Home Secretary Alan Johnson to challenge the failing Miliband.” – Daily Mail
“Ukip would suffer the same fate as the Republican Party under Donald Trump if the “far-right” candidate Raheem Kassam took over, a leadership rival said yesterday. Hostilities within the party flared up again as Nigel Farage and three of the candidates to replace him toured the television studios. Paul Nuttall, the party’s former deputy leader, Suzanne Evans, its former deputy chairwoman, and Mr Kassam, a former aide to Mr Farage, have all declared their candidacies.” – The Times (£)
“Nuttall, or whoever wins, will not turn Ukip into a party with major parliamentary representation. Not only is the first-past-the-post system unhelpful to them, but Ukip has completed its mission of winning a referendum to leave the EU – and many of its former voters will now return to the mainstream. But it does have a continuing role to play in the tapestry of British politics if it can pull itself together. Labour is in trouble. It is trapped in a London-centric war between outdated ideologies – Blairite and Marxist – that have no relevance in a wider country that has voted to enter a new era. May has recognised the changing mood and moved to swallow Ukip. Ukip must be agile and move to swallow Labour.” – Daily Telegraph
>Today: Mark Jenkinson in Comment: May is bringing Conservatives home
>Yesterday: Tom Lees in Comment: Infrastructure – May’s key to winning over the north