“Theresa May last night vowed to resist the plot by Remainers to keep Britain’s borders open after Brexit, declaring: ‘The people have spoken’. A gang of MPs and peers led by Nick Clegg have threatened to block the formal EU exit process unless the Prime Minister agrees to a so-called soft Brexit – code for allowing free movement to continue. They plan to seize on last week’s High Court ruling that Parliament must have a say on Article 50 being triggered to table amendments which would tie Mrs May’s hands.” – Daily Mail
More May:
Comment:
>Today: Michael Tomlinson MP in Comment: The Conservatives – delivering to improve workers rights for over a century
“Jeremy Hunt yesterday suggested a parliamentary vote to delay Brexit could lead to an early General Election. The Health Secretary played down suggestions that Theresa May would be forced to call a snap poll – saying it was the ‘last thing’ the Government or the people wanted. But he appeared to suggest that if MPs vote down triggering Article 50 – formally starting talks on leaving the EU – an election would be necessary.” – Daily Mail
More Hunt:
Comment:
Editorial:
>Yesterday: ToryDiary: Cases for and against an early general election
“These are long-term, structural problems which are deeply ingrained in our economy and our politics. They’ve taken years to build up, and will take years to solve. We must use the spur of our newly-won freedoms outside the EU to rebalance our economy, as I set out in a new paper published by the Social Market Foundation think tank this week. The key is to start investing more in crucial economic infrastructure like roads, bridges, railways and ports, and to keep doing it consistently and predictably no matter what the short-term economic weather may be, so we match (or beat) other developed economies.” – The Times (£)
“A former Tory cabinet minister called for Sajid Javid to be sacked from the cabinet yesterday for branding the High Court Brexit ruling “unacceptable”. Lord Patten of Barnes, who was also once party chairman, said that the communities secretary should be “out on his ear” and “doesn’t know what the rule of law means in politics”. His comments came after Mr Javid accused the three judges who ruled that MPs should have a say on triggering Brexit negotiations of seeking to “frustrate the will of the British people”.” – The Times (£)
Comment:
Editorial:
>Today: ToryDiary: Hands off the Daily Mail
“Theresa May will decide whether to scrap the so-called triple lock on state pensions before the next election. Pressure to ditch the safeguard grew yesterday with a report by the Commons’ work and pensions committee that concluded it was unsustainable. Damian Green, the work and pensions secretary, has previously hinted that the lock, which guarantees a minimum annual rise to state pensions of 2.5 per cent, could be phased out “over time”. Government sources insisted, however, that the lock would stay in place until the election, due in 2020, because it was a manifesto promise.” – The Times (£)
More Green:
Comment:
>Yesterday: James Cartlidge MP in Comment: The triple lock. The NHS. The aid budget. If there’s to be a snap election, we’ll need a new manifesto
“Justine Greening is ready to abandon the ban on pupils taking term-time holidays if she loses a looming court case. The education secretary, already busy with the reintroduction of grammar schools, does not want another bruising Commons fight, allies said. The strict ban on term-time holidays was introduced by Michael Gove in 2013. It limited head teachers’ discretion, making it all but impossible for them to grant parents’ requests.” – The Times (£)
“His team may have failed to win, but John Bercow still had plenty to cheer about yesterday. The sports-mad Commons Speaker was enjoying yet another apparent freebie, watching his beloved Arsenal from the luxury of the directors’ box. Mr Bercow, 53, has been given more than £40,000 worth of tickets and hospitality over the last three years.” – Daily Mail