“Boris Johnson will finally unveil his detailed plan for Brexit to EU leaders within the next 24 hours, The Daily Telegraph can disclose. Downing Street will set out the Prime Minister’s preferred alternative to the Irish backstop in a series of calls to EU capitals ahead of a formal text being delivered to Brussels after his speech to the Conservative Party conference on Wednesday. Senior sources with knowledge of the UK proposals confirmed reports that it would require a customs border to be created in Ireland, but with technology to smooth the movement of goods between north and south. Under the proposals, “customs clearance centres” set five or 10 miles back from the border would be used to move pre-cleared consignments that will be tracked by GPS or mobile devices fitted to vehicles.” – Daily Telegraph
>Today: David Shiels on Comment: What now are the chances of unstopping the backstop?
“Opposition parties will not call for a vote of no confidence in the government to topple the PM this week. Speaking after cross-party talks, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he will back a motion “at a point we can win it and take no-deal off the table”. The SNP’s Ian Blackford said his party was keen to push for an early no confidence vote but wanted to take the other parties with them. Green Caroline Lucas said the parties were “united about stopping no-deal”. The cross-party group also requested an emergency debate on disclosure of no-deal Brexit planning papers, but this was rejected by the Speaker John Bercow.” – BBC
>Today: ToryDiary: Our survey. Activists support the withdrawal of the whip from Tory rebels – but lean towards wanting a way back for them
“Britain will have a minimum wage that is one of the highest in the industrialised world, Sajid Javid pledged yesterday, as he moved to cast the Tories as the party of working people. In an attempt to outflank Labour, the chancellor announced that the government would increase the national minimum wage from £8.21 to £10.50 an hour by 2024. Mr Javid said the rise would “end low pay” in Britain by ensuring that no one could earn less than two thirds of the average hourly wage.” – The Times
>Yesterday:
“Boris Johnson is asking the European Union to rule out a further extension to Article 50 as part of a new Brexit deal, The Times has learnt. The prime minister will publish a legal text spelling out his proposed alternative to the Irish backstop within days as negotiations with Brussels enter a crucial period. He has privately made clear that an agreement should include a commitment from the 27 other EU nations that they will not allow another Brexit delay. Mr Johnson’s intention is to confront MPs in parliament with a binary choice of agreeing the revised deal or ensuring that Britain falls out of the EU without agreement at the end of the month. If he succeeds, the prime minister will, in effect, nullify the Benn Act, which compels him to seek an extension to Article 50.” – The Times
“Tory chairman James Cleverly has said he fears there will be riots if Brexit does not happen. The MP, who worked for Boris Johnson when he was London mayor, referred to the riots that erupted in the capital in 2011, saying: ‘I never want to go through something like that again.’ Asked at a Politico event last night whether he feared there would be disorder if Britain failed to leave the EU, he said: ‘I do.’ It came after the Prime Minister was accused of whipping up fears of riots before the date on which Britain is supposed to leave the EU.” – Daily Mail
“Nicky Morgan blasted web giants yesterday for failing to tackle Britain’s online bullying “culture” – and vowed a crackdown. The Culture Secretary said she was “disappointed” by the efforts of the likes of Twitter to police their social media platforms. And she said there was no way such abuse would be tolerated for so long ‘offline’ in the real world. It came as she tore into middle-aged Brits she claimed were responsible for much of the abuse – saying they are ‘frankly old enough to know better’.” – The Sun
“Sexual predators and the most violent criminals face longer jail terms under Tory law and order plans. Ministers want to end the policy of letting hardened offenders go free only half way through sentences. Instead they would have to serve at least two thirds of their time. The move will be unveiled by Justice Secretary Robert Buckland tomorrow, along with radical plans to make drunken yobs and drink drivers wear electronic ‘sobriety bracelets’.Judges will be able to make offenders wear the US-style tags in an effort to tackle booze-fuelled crime.” – Daily Mail
“Struggling Brits renting new housing association properties would be able to start buying their homes from as little as ten per cent of their value if radical Tory proposals go ahead. Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said the Government will lower the current minimum threshold from 25 per cent for these new tenants…The Housing Secretary announced new planning rules will make it easier for owners to extend and encourage developers to build attractive houses on tree-lined streets.” – The Sun
>Today: Nicholas Boys Smith on Local Government: New homes and places can and should be beautiful
“Next comes the suggestion that the Government might somehow find a way to avoid implementing the Benn Act, obviously intended by Parliament to prevent a no-deal Brexit on 31 October. Disagreeing with it is one thing, but finding a technicality by which to evade a law, the intent of which is quite clear, is another. Conservatives should have sufficient historical perspective to know that achieving desirable political ends does not justify questionable legal means. They should not set precedents that one day will be used against them by their enemies…So when Boris speaks this week in Manchester he should proclaim all the greatest Tory beliefs, and include the rule of law among them. He should make clear his administration will never challenge that. That means leaving with a deal, or winning an election, fair and square. The Tories should not be in a fight with the law.” – William Hague, Daily Telegraph
“Downing Street and the Scottish Tories have reached a secret agreement to stonewall questions about what Nicola Sturgeon would need to “trigger” a second independence referendum, the Telegraph can disclose. Senior insiders said the party’s leadership will refuse to set any “arbitrary red lines” for what they would consider a mandate for another separation vote, in order to give themselves maximum flexibility. Boris Johnson is coming under increasing pressure to set out how he would respond to a request from Ms Sturgeon for the referendum powers, with the First Minister expected to table another request by Christmas.” – Daily Telegraph
“A Treasury minister has rejected claims by Philip Hammond that some of the Conservatives’ financial backers are shorting the pound in expectation of a no-deal Brexit. Simon Clarke, who joined the Treasury as exchequer secretary after the former chancellor left government in July, described the claims as a smear. In a column in The Times on Saturday, Mr Hammond launched an attack on those who financed Boris Johnson’s leadership campaign. He said Mr Johnson was backed by financiers who have “bet billions on a hard Brexit — and there is only one outcome that works for them: a crash-out no-deal Brexit that sends the currency tumbling and inflation soaring”.” – The Times
“Boris Johnson has insisted allegations about his personal conduct are not overshadowing the Tory conference. Journalist Charlotte Edwardes has accused the PM of touching her thigh, and that of another woman, at a lunch in 1999, which he denies. Rumours were circulating at conference that Mary Wakefield – who is married to the PM’s chief adviser – was the second woman, but she has rejected that. The PM said people wanted to hear about his plans to “improve their lives”. The row erupted after Ms Edwardes wrote a column in the Sunday Times on the eve of the Conservative conference in Manchester, describing the alleged incident.” – BBC
>Today: Lord Ashcroft’s Conference Diary: Perhaps Johnson really is the British Trump. And voters like it.
“The BBC has reversed its decision to sanction BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty for breaking impartiality guidelines with her comments about Donald Trump, following a staff uprising against the ruling and enormous political pressure.” – The Guardian