“In a think tank pamphlet published in 2007, Mrs May argued it should be “impossible to override” parliament. She wrote that “ministers should have to set out their negotiating positions” to a Commons committee “and gain its approval” before talks with the EU. Ministers failing to comply would have to resign. In the article, written with Nick Timothy, her special adviser, Mrs May complained that there was no requirement for ministers to give MPs “information about their negotiating position in advance . . . Even if the whole House of Commons objected to a European proposal, the government could still support it”.” – The Times (£)
Editorial:
“Ministers are under fresh pressure tonight to reveal details of the last-ditch ‘secret deal’ they offered Nissan in their successful bid to keep the car maker in the UK. Business Secretary Greg Clark and Downing Street are still refusing to say what assurances were in the letter sent to Nissan that contained a commitment to ensure the firm will ‘remain competitive’ after Britain leaves the EU. Labour is demanding to know if taxpayer-funded financial incentives were offered, while Mr Clark could be hauled in front of the Commons Business committee next week.” – Daily Mail
Comment:
Editorial:
More Brexit:
More Clark:
>Yesterday: David Green in Comment: Who needs the Single Market? Britain doesn’t. We’d be better off under WTO rules.
“Tony Blair was compared to fascist dictators today after he laid out his plans for Britain to hold a second EU referendum to amend for the ‘catastrophe’ of Brexit. The former Prime Minister said voters must be given the chance to change their minds on the EU and called for the losing Remain campaign to become the ‘new insurgents’. He wants a referendum to be held on the final deal Theresa May secures with Brussels before Britain officially leaves.” – Daily Mail
More Labour:
“Free trade has been our dominant view since the repeal of the Corn Laws. It is a democratic one. As our system of government developed over centuries, we did not ask ourselves “What should our role in the world be?” We asked a much more primary question – “Who should rule us, and by what right?” The almost boringly obvious answer is “Ourselves, by the consent of our people.” Our post-imperial rulers, longing for a world role, neglected this point. But, as we discovered this summer, 17.4 million voters did not.” – Daily Telegraph
>Today: ToryDiary: Blair and New Labour signed up to the Article 50 process he rails against
“Mark Carney may announce within days that he is to quit his job as governor of the Bank of England amid signs he has become a controversial figure in the post-Brexit debate. Senior City figures who know the governor said they believed it was more likely than not that he would choose to return to Canada in 2018, adding that his family’s feelings were a concern. He has the option of leaving five years after his appointment, which was in July 2013, or staying for the full eight-year term. Suggestions that he could leave before 2018 were firmly rejected.” – The Times (£)
“No one can plausibly deny that for each part of the UK, the most important trade (never mind social and cultural) relationships are those we have with the rest of the country. This is as true of us in Northern Ireland as it is in Scotland. There is no evidence to support the case that either Scotland or Northern Ireland should stay in the EU “for the sake of” trade with the rest of the EU. The reality is that trade with the EU won’t stop when we’re out of it, any more than it does for those who have never been in it. Just like the US, China, and Australia, the Brexited UK will quite capably conduct trade with the EU.” – The Guardian
“Iain Duncan Smith is to challenge Theresa May to reverse £3.4bn of cuts to universal credit as a report claims they will leave 3 million working claimants £1,000 a year worse off. The former work and pensions secretary, who resigned from the cabinet in March over disability benefit reductions, will seize on the promise made by the prime minister on the steps of No 10 to help those who are “just about managing”, by calling on the government to invest in in-work benefits.” – The Guardian
Comment:
>Today: Mark Florman in Comment: The Government should incentivise business to act responsibly. Here’s how.
“Russian aggression in the English Channel is like a return to the days of the Cold War, a defence minister has said as he indicated the UK will spend more on the military in the wake of Brexit. Mike Penning, the Armed Forces minister, said that Russia was “sending a message” by last week sailing an aircraft carrier and seven additional vessels through the Channel on their way to Syria. Mr Penning said it is a “sign of what they could do” as he criticised Vladimir Putin’s country for sending its flagship, the Admiral Kuznetsov, past the UK on its voyage to the war-torn country as Russia prepares to bomb rebel forces in Aleppo.” – Daily Telegraph
Comment:
““There may be a little bit of tinkering here and there but I think broadly what we’ve got is what we end up with.” The package of powers that the UK Government plans to devolve to the National Assembly could be the “last major piece of legislation on Wales for a long time”, according to the man charged with taking the Wales Bill on the final stage of its journey through Parliament. Lord Bourne – who led the Conservative group in the Assembly for more than a decade and is now a Wales Office minister – has urged AMs not to delay the passing of the landmark legislation.” – Wales Online
“Mobile phone coverage in Britain is so bad that foreign visitors often get a better signal, MPs warn today. Their report found that 17million customers have poor reception at home – or none at all. It identified 525 ‘not spots’ where coverage is non-existent. Partial blackspots where signals are provided by only one firm are even more common.” – Daily Mail
“A second-generation migrant who was born to practising Muslims is now running to lead Ukip — on a ticket of tackling immigration and radical Islam. Raheem Kassam’s candidacy was viewed as a long shot until he won the backing of Arron Banks, the party’s main funder, transforming his chances overnight. He is now positioned as the heir to Nigel Farage’s supporters, the bookmakers’ second-favourite and the alternative to the more temperate choice of Paul Nuttall, deputy leader for six years.” – The Times (£)
>Yesterday: Iain Dale’s column: The UKIP leadership election. Is there a secret Nuttall-Evans pact?