“Theresa May today survived her first parliamentary test since the election when a Labour bid to sabotage the Queen’s Speech was voted down in the Commons. Jeremy Corbyn had tabled an amendment calling for an end to the public sector pay cap and for more police and firefighters to be recruited in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster. But the beleaguered PM was able to scrape together enough support and the amendment was voted down by 323 votes to 309 votes, giving her a slender majority of just 14 MPs. It comes after Mrs May finally struck a deal to get the backing of the DUP after promising to pour a staggering £1billion into the coffers of Northern Ireland’s devolved executive.” – Daily Mail
More Ulster:
Comment:
>Today: Gary Porter in Local Government: A disappointing Queen’s Speech for local government
“Brussels is willing to scrap its demand for the European Court Justice to oversee a Brexit deal on citizens’ rights – in a first potential coup for Theresa May. Sources claimed the EU is no longer wedded to the idea of the ECJ being an “ultimate arbiter” of the agreement. But they told Bloomberg they hope the PM will improve the package on offer to EU nationals in the UK in return… But senior Tories have hinted a separate “oversight body” could be set up in a compromise, with one claiming: “It’s a serious option.” – The Sun
More EU:
Comment:
Editorial:
>Today:
>Yesterday:
“Philip Hammond, the chancellor, faces a cabinet revolt over public sector pay as ministers demand an end to the 1 per cent wage cap on five million workers. Sir Michael Fallon, the defence secretary, and Chris Grayling, the transport secretary, called for the easing of the central austerity measure yesterday. Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, is to add to the pressure within days, using a meeting to urge Mr Hammond to agree a more generous deal for nurses. Justine Greening, the education secretary and an ally of the prime minister, is pressing for more cash to head off a rebellion by Tory MPs over a reorganisation of school funding.” – The Times (£)
Comment:
Editorial:
>Today: ToryDiary: Market sentiment
“A retired judge with a controversial record in housing cases will be appointed to lead the Grenfell Tower fire inquiry today despite initial misgivings among Theresa May’s top team. Sir Martin Moore-Bick, who recently retired as a lord justice of appeal, will be confirmed a week after he was recommended to No 10 by Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, the lord chief justice. The delay is understood to have been caused partly by concerns over his suitability. It was also down to the need to explain the process to survivors, relatives and others affected by the blaze that swept through Grenfell Tower in west London on June 14.” – The Times (£)
Comment:
>Yesterday:
“The Tories should not make Boris Johnson their next leader because of the “traffic chaos” he caused when he was London Mayor, Lord Tebbit has said. He urged the party to choose someone from the “younger generation” to takeover from Theresa May instead. The Tory grandee said the Conservatives should skip over the likes of Mr Johnson, the Brexit Secretary David Davis and the Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon when the time comes to replace Mrs May as he savaged the Foreign Secretary. Lord Tebbit, who served in Margaret Thatcher’s cabinet, said the party’s next leader should be someone like the Communities Secretary Sajid Javid or International Development Secretary Priti Patel from a “new generation” of Conservative MPs.” – Daily Telegraph
Comment:
>Today: Francis Maude in Comment: To win, we must modernise all over again
>Yesterday: ToryDiary: Should May stay on? Who should the next Party leader be? Please take our monthly survey.
“Ruth Davidson has put Nicola Sturgeon “on notice” that she intends to replace her as First Minister at the next Holyrood election after unveiling a reshuffle of her top team. The Scottish Tory leader said the move, in which she created a new post of chief policy coordinator, demonstrated her determination to provide a credible alternative government by 2021. It is understood that Donald Cameron, who has been handed the policy role, will oversee the creation over the next four years of a comprehensive programme for government as the Tories seek to broaden their support beyond their Unionist base..” – Daily Telegraph
Comment:
>Yesterday: Henry Hill’s Red, White, and Blue column: Sturgeon plays for time with short pause to referendum demand
“A female Tory MP today told how her party posters had swastikas carved into them and someone urinated on her office doorstep in a campaign of hate during the recent election campaign. Sheryll Murray said she had been targeted by abuse online by trolls who posted offensive messages like ‘burn the witch’ and ‘stab the C’. And she described how rogue activists plastered Labour posters all over her home and then took photographs of it. The Conservative MP for South East Cornwall said the abuse she suffered during the recent campaign was hardly an example of the ‘kinder, gentler’ politics Jeremy Corbyn promised when he was voted Labour leader.” – Daily Mail
“Momentum, the network of Jeremy Corbyn supporters, launched a new campaign yesterday in anticipation of a second general election this year. The organisation, which comprises 150 local groups, has gained more than 3,000 new members since Theresa May called the election at the end of April, growing its subscriber base to 27,000. After claiming it “significantly contributed” to Labour’s better-than-expected performance on June 8, when the party increased its vote share and number of seats, Momentum plans to start campaigning again in marginal constituencies outside an official election campaign period.” – The Times (£)
>Yesterday: MPs Etc.: CCHQ’s torture of Tory candidates continues