“Theresa May would be prepared to go to war over Gibraltar, one of her predecessors as leader of the Conservative Party said yesterday in remarks that were criticised as being inflammatory. The prime minister led a rush to reassure the territory that its interests would be protected in Brexit talks after the UK was caught by surprise when the EU said that Madrid should be given an effective veto over how a future deal applied to Gibraltar. The reaction of some senior Conservatives was dismissed as “ludicrous”, however, after Lord Howard of Lympne compared the defence of Gibraltar’s interests to the military campaign to retake the Falkland Islands when they were seized by Argentina in 1982.” – The Times (£)
More Fallon:
Comment:
>Yesterday:
“Theresa May will spearhead a post-Brexit trade blitz today when she begins a three-day trip to the Middle East designed to foster business links and underline the UK’s security credentials. The Prime Minister will travel to Jordan today, where she will offer military assistance in the Arab state’s efforts to fight Islamic State in neighbouring Syria. Mrs May will then make her first trip to Saudi Arabia to develop trade links with the state which is already the UK’s leading business partner in the Middle East.” – Daily Mail
More Brexit:
Comment:
>Today: ToryDiary: The Brexit negotiation – and why the importance of tariff-free trade has been over-hyped
>Yesterday: ToryDiary: The Brexit negotiation. Don’t believe everything you see in the media. (Not that you would anyway.)
“Our Plan for Britain is about getting a better deal for ordinary working people, and part of that is making sure everyone has the skills they need to land the job they want. So we are pleased to be able to launch the Institute for Apprenticeships today. It marks an important milestone as we work with business to invest in the home grown-skills our country needs. A big part of this is ensuring technical education as a real alternative to traditional academic routes. As the Education Secretary has described, there must be “parity of esteem” between technical and academic education.” – The Times (£)
Editorial:
>Today:
“Nine grammar schools will expand as part of a £2.4 billion education funding announcement being made today. The money will pay for extra classrooms in existing grammars, it is understood. This is separate to ministers’ plans to overturn a ban on opening new grammar schools. Education Secretary Justine Greening said today’s money would ease the school places crisis by creating more than 600,000 extra places by 2021. She said some 1,500 projects to improve and expand school buildings at grammars, academies, primaries and secondaries would get the green light.” – Daily Mail
Comment:
Editorial:
“Sex offenders and other serious criminals could escape justice under new curbs on the use of bail, police leaders have warned. From Monday police will be expected to release offenders from bail within 28 days unless there are serious concerns in a bid to stop them languishing in “legal limbo”… Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary, is pushing ahead with the plans despite the warnings. She said that the changes are justified because it “cannot be right” that some people are left languishing for years on bail.” – Daily Telegraph
More law:
Editorial:
“Greg Clark, UK business secretary, will visit Seoul this week in a bid to salvage the multibillion pound Moorside nuclear power project in Cumbria. Moorside is an important part of Britain’s plans for a new generation of nuclear reactors to maintain energy security but its future has been thrown into doubt by the financial crisis at Toshiba, the Japanese group leading the Cumbrian project. Mr Clark will meet senior South Korean government officials and nuclear industry executives to discuss potential investment in Moorside by Kepco, the state-controlled utility.” – FT
“Ministers spent £60 million of taxpayers’ money on a foreign aid project just months after admitting the cash could be used to fund fraud, corruption and even terrorism. Two payments of £38 million and £22 million from Britain’s bloated overseas aid budget was handed to the World Bank to spend on the controversial Green Climate Fund at the end of last year. But in April the project – which ploughs money into green projects around the world – was given a “major” risk rating by the Department for International Development (Dfid). It raised fears in its annual review that money given to the fund could be used for “fraud, corruption and other prohibited practices including money laundering and the financing of terrorism”.” – The Sun
“Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary is to quit her post after May’s local government elections. It has emerged that Teresa Pearce will step down to focus on her constituency – as new analysis shows Labour are on course to lose 50 vital council seats. She took over from colleague Grahame Morris, who was recovering from an illness. She told The Mirror: “I have been in an acting role for Grahame as he was ill. “It is now clear he is not coming back to the role for some time and it needs to be a permanent position especially as we have elections next month.” It is thought she will be replaced by Roberta Blackman-Woods, the MP for the City of Durham.” – The Sun
Editorial:
“Donald Trump has warned that the US will take unilateral action to eliminate the nuclear threat from North Korea unless China increases pressure on the regime in Pyongyang. In an interview with the Financial Times, the US president said he would discuss the growing threat from Kim Jong Un’s nuclear programme with Xi Jinping when he hosts the Chinese president at his Florida resort this week, in their first meeting… But he made clear that he would deal with North Korea with or without China’s help. Asked if he would consider a “grand bargain” – where China pressures Pyongyang in exchange for a guarantee that the US would later remove troops from the Korean peninsula – Mr Trump said: “Well if China is not going to solve North Korea, we will. That is all I am telling you.”” – FT