Political news

• David Cameron says it is too soon to halt austerity

  04-07-2017 23:08
  Former prime minister urges Conservatives to maintain fiscal discipline
  
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• Theresa May urged to rebuild business bridges for Brexit

  04-07-2017 22:30
  Former Number 10 aide calls for closer ties as executives meet atChevening
  
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• From Brexit to Trump, on both sides of the Atlantic populism has run aground | Rafael Behr

  04-07-2017 21:52
  
  Until recently both were forces to be feared. But with the G20 about to start, the vision of rolling revolution has been exposed as pure fantasyA nation’s standing in the world is hard to measure, and change is not always obvious from the inside. To get a sense of perspective, try holding Theresa May’s appearance at the G20 summit in Hamburg on Friday against the memory of a similar event eight years ago.The comparison is a little unfair because the 2009 meeting was in London. Gordon
  
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• No 10 to investigate abuse of candidates in election campaign

  04-07-2017 21:13
  
  Ministers will examine whether cross-party work can deal with harassment after MPs complain of online and real-life abuse and intimidationDowning Street will investigate an increase in abuse and intimidation of political candidates at the election, after a series of complaints from Tory MPs.
  Theresa May led a discussion about the concerns with her cabinet on Tuesday, after candidates were subject to incidents of harassment in real life and on social media.Continue reading...
  
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• Theresa May faces Tory revolt over school funding shake-up

  04-07-2017 21:02
  
  Schools minister challenged by MPs from his own party and Labour about extra cash promises after plans to scrap free school meals is axedTheresa May is facing a Conservative revolt over education policy, as MPs raised concerns about when struggling schools would get the extra money promised through a funding formula shake-up.
  Nick Gibb, the schools minister, was challenged repeatedly by Tory colleagues about when schools in their areas would get more money, after he confirmed the Conservatives w
  
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• 'Harder work for less money': public sector workers on the pay cap

  04-07-2017 19:55
  
  A pay freeze since 2011 has seen incomes fall well behind inflation. We asked people to tell us how this has affected themMedian hourly earnings of public sector workers dropped in real terms by almost 6% between 2005 and 2015, with some sectors experiencing worse drops than others.Teachers have seen average pay fall by £3 an hour in real terms, police officers by £2 and prison officers by £1, while the wages of nurses have stagnated during a decade of public sector salary free
  
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• Jeremy Corbyn Playing 'Political Football With Grenfell Tower Fire', Sajid Javid Says

  04-07-2017 19:54
  
  Sajid Javid has accused of Jeremy Corbyn of playing “political football” with the Grenfell Tower fire.
  The Communities Secretary said the Labour leader had politicised the tragedy that killed at least 80 people, when he said “austerity and cuts played their part” in causing it.
  Javid’s attack comes as he was accused of shifting blame for the blaze onto councils in a speech to local Government leaders.
  In a Channel 4 News interview to be broadcast tonight, Javid told
  
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• David Cameron says it is too soon halt austerity

  04-07-2017 19:48
  Former prime minister urges Conservatives to maintain fiscal discipline
  
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• Two top BBC figures in running to head Theresa May's communications

  04-07-2017 19:46
  
  James Landale and Robbie Gibb interviewed for the role after Katie Perrior quit before general electionTwo senior figures from the BBC are in the race to become Theresa May’s new head of communications, including its high-profile diplomatic editor.James Landale, who was previously the corporation’s deputy political editor, has been interviewed for the role as well as Robbie Gibb, who heads the BBC’s operations at Westminster, according to Downing Street sources. Continue readin
  
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• Northern Ireland power-sharing talks extended until after summer

  04-07-2017 19:41
  UK and Irish governments call time on inconclusive process
  
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• Jeremy No-Mates gets a taste of bitter Brexit medicine | John Crace

  04-07-2017 19:21
  
  NHS pay is least of Hunt’s problems – is ‘Hard Brexit means people fleeing UK’ in his briefing a possible hostile question, or an answer he should read out?At times like these you can almost feel sorry for the health secretary. It can’t be much fun being Jeremy No-Mates. Disliked by everyone working in the NHS and kept at arm’s length by cabinet colleagues who fear his failure might be contagious, Hunt is a man on borrowed time. If the Tories weren’t in
  
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• Why would we scrap £9,000-a-year tuition fees when we know they work? | Jo Johnson

  04-07-2017 19:16
  
  What critics fail, or refuse, to understand is that our charges actually improve access to higher education by allowing universities to offer more places• Jo Johnson is minister of state for universities and scienceLast weekend my colleague Damian Green gave a characteristically thought-provoking speech about how the government should address the needs of younger voters. In answer to a question about tuition fees, he suggested a national debate, in which we could calmly examine the argument
  
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• David Cameron calls Tory austerity critics selfish, not compassionate

  04-07-2017 18:50
  
  Former British PM says ministers calling for public sector pay cap to be lifted wanted to spend money they might need in futureDavid Cameron has described critics of austerity as “selfish”, saying their calls to boost spending and raise public sector pay may appear compassionate but would simply saddle future generations with debt.The comments triggered a furious response from Labour and the Lib Dems, who described the former prime minister as totally out of touch, claiming it was as
  
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• Theresa May braced for a fall as Brexit tests loom

  04-07-2017 18:11
  Facing cabinet indiscipline and a divided party, European leaders wonder if the PM will survive long enough to negotiate the UK’s exit
  
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• This is what I learned in parliament: the Tories enjoy making people poorer | Laura Pidcock

  04-07-2017 17:59
  
  Voting to impoverish public servants is bad enough, laughing about it is contemptuous and cold-hearted. They don’t deserve their power• Laura Pidcock is Labour MP for North West DurhamLast Tuesday I made my first speech in parliament. It happened very quickly. With all my energy used up fighting the general election, it was not until the weekend before the event I started thinking about what I wanted to say.Inside the House of Commons there is hype around someone giving their “m
  
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• David Cameron Under Fire From Labour As He Says Critics Of His Austerity Pay Cap Are 'Selfish'

  04-07-2017 17:52
  
  David Cameron has sparked an angry backlash from Labour after declaring that critics of austerity are “selfish”.
  In a rare return to the political front line, the former Prime Minister said that those calling for an end to the 1% public sector pay cap would be “spending money today that you may need tomorrow”.
  His remarks, aimed at both Labour and Tory MPs calling for an end to the seven-year wages freeze, triggered a swift response from Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell.
  
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• David Cameron accuses anti-austerity Tories of being 'selfish', not 'compassionate' – as it happened

  04-07-2017 17:52
  
  Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happenAfternoon summary 4.52pm BSTBREAKING: Sinn Fein Stormont leader @moneillsf says devolution crisis represents "a monumental failure by Theresa May." pic.twitter.com/5nHthYeEzK 4.37pm BSTDemocratic Unionist leader Arlene Foster has confirmed there has been no deal to restore power sharing government in Northern Ireland.Foster came out of Stormont Castle to speak to the media this afternoon stressing that there would still be
  
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• Wales and Scotland offer free abortions to women from Northern Ireland

  04-07-2017 17:37
  
  Welsh and Scottish leaders follow UK government with committment to fund procedures despite objections from DUPThe Welsh and Scottish governments will offer free abortions to Northern Irish women, their leaders have confirmed, after the UK government said last week it would fund the procedures in order to head off a Commons revolt on the Queen’s speech.The confirmation came as the Democratic Unionist MP Ian Paisley Jr said his party would not compromise its hardline stance on abortion, eve
  
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• David Gauke rules out changes to pensions tax relief

  04-07-2017 17:19
  First policy statement by new work and pensions secretary
  
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• Hard Brexit 'means people fleeing UK', Jeremy Hunt note says

  04-07-2017 16:45
  
  Health secretary photographed holding paper that appears to suggest fears of mass exodus from Britain once it leaves the EUJeremy Hunt has been photographed holding a briefing note that says a “hard Brexit means people fleeing UK”.The health secretary was on his way to a cabinet meeting in Downing Street when he was pictured with the folded note, written in large type, which appeared to be preparation for health questions in the House of Commons. Continue reading...
  
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• Grenfell fire inquiry could be widened to reflect residents’ concerns

  04-07-2017 16:14
  
  Justice secretary says Sir Martin Moore-Bick will consult residents before agreeing scope of inquiry
  The government has defended the appointment of a retired appeal court judge to lead the inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire and hinted that his remit could be widened, after he faced calls to resign from two Labour MPs.Five days after the appointment of Sir Martin Moore-Bick as head of the inquiry, the MP for Kensington, Emma Dent Coad, and the new shadow fire minister, Chris Williamson, called
  
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• Grenfell Tower: Justice Secretary David Lidington Backs Inquiry Chair After Survivors Demand Sacking

  04-07-2017 15:50
  
  Calls for the resignation of the Grenfell Tower inquiry chairman look set to be ignored by the Government. 
  Justice Secretary David Lidington said he has “complete confidence” in Sir Martin Moore-Bick, despite survivors demanding Prime Minister Theresa May replace him immediately. 
  Victims of the fire have threatened not to cooperate with the investigation unless the chairman is replaced.
  They regard his legal experience in the banking and commercial sector not appropriate.
  
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• Europe’s changing political climate

  04-07-2017 14:55
  Franco-German partnership offers hope for fresh burst of eurozone and EU integration
  
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• Lib Dems may back government on case-by-case basis, say sources

  04-07-2017 14:22
  
  Party would be ‘up for talking’ to Tories about supporting issues such as mental health and housing outside of a formal dealLiberal Democrat MPs will consider supporting the government on key issues such as housing and mental health, but sources said the party would agree no formal deal after Theresa May’s chief of staff, Gavin Barwell, contacted his counterpart in Tim Farron’s office.Last week, Barwell, the former MP for Croydon Central, contacted the Lib Dems to discuss
  
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• Sleep with the fishes: Gove's first move raises alarm over UK hard Brexit strategy

  04-07-2017 14:11
  
  Decision to pull out of London convention will have little effect, except to poison European opinion against Britain
  
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• Senior Labour figures clash over concerns of working-class voters

  04-07-2017 13:41
  
  Gloria De Piero and Graham Jones say party is failing in its heartlands – but Dennis Skinner says Corbyn is on course for victorySenior Labour figures have clashed over whether the party is giving enough attention to the concerns of core working-class voters to beat the Tories at the next general election. Gloria De Piero, the newly appointed shadow justice minister, and former whip Graham Jones have told the Guardian that Labour’s leadership must reach out to the party’s heart
  
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• The Tories would rather cosy up to despots than keep us safe | Owen Jones

  04-07-2017 13:23
  
  Thousands have died at the extremists’ hands. It is scandalous that Theresa May has not released a report into foreign fundingThey export extremist ideology which menaces Britain’s national security. The hatred that is manufactured and disseminated within their kingdoms threatens the safety and indeed lives of everyone reading this article. From Saudi Arabia to Kuwait, they are key allies and partners of the British government, and the Tories are endeavouring to forge ever closer lin
  
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• Jeremy Hunt Photographed With Papers Warning 'Hard Brexit Means People Fleeing The UK'

  04-07-2017 13:17
  
  Jeremy Hunt was photographed holding notes that warned a “hard Brexit means people fleeing the UK”, as he walked into Downing Street this morning.
  The health secretary faced questions in the Commons shortly after the snap was taken and the document shows the first question he was due to be asked in bold, as well as his prepared answer.
  The photograph of Hunt’s notes was tweeted by the Daily Mirror’s Associate Picture Editor.Peek: Jeremy Hunt holding papers as he arrives
  
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• Vote Leave Campaign Chief Dominic Cummings Admits Leaving The EU Could 'Be An Error'

  04-07-2017 11:51
  
  The brains behind the Brexit vote has admitted it might be possible that leaving the EU “will be an error” and the referendum itself was a “dumb idea”.
  Dominic Cummings, the campaign director for the official Vote Leave campaign, claimed “other things should have been tried first” before the referendum was called - suggesting he would have backed further attempts at reform.
  Cummings, a former advisor to Michael Gove in the Department for Education, also descr
  
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• Emma Dent Coad Slams Kensington And Chelsea Council For 'Sitting On £300m' While Grenfell Survivors Suffer

  04-07-2017 11:05
  
  Kensington and Chelsea Council is sitting on a third of a billion pounds while Grenfell Tower survivors are repeatedly offered unsuitable housing, local MP Emma Dent Coad has claimed.
  Although around 100 housing offers have been made, only eight have so far been accepted as incidents of survivors beings offered accommodation at the top of tower blocks, in estates earmarked for demolition and beside busy roads have emerged.
  But Coad, the new MP for Kensington, insisted that the council should be
  
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• Philip Hammond Blames Brexit For Public Sector Pay Squeeze, Says Plunging Pound Jacked Up Inflation

  04-07-2017 11:02
  
  Chancellor Philip Hammond has suggested Brexit is to blame for the public sector pay squeeze rather than Tory policy.
  In a jibe at fellow ministers Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, he also warned that their calls for wage hikes for teachers, nurses and others may have to mean tax rises for millions.
  Hammond, one of the ministers battling for a “soft” UK exit from the EU, hit out as he defended the 1% pay cap for public sector workers, declaring the Government “must hold our ner
  
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• Labour MPs Should Face Deselection If They Fail To Back Jeremy Corbyn, Says Shadow Minister

  04-07-2017 10:02
  
  NEW: Corbyn ally & newly promoted MP Chris Williamson tells me he favours mandatory reselection of Labour candidates to 'concentrate minds'. pic.twitter.com/2PRHOCL2GG— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) July 3, 2017
  One of Jeremy Corbyn’s closest allies in parliament has warned Labour MPs they risk deselection if they fail to back his leadership.
  Chris Williamson, the MP for Derby North who was appointed shadow fire services minister yesterday, said “MPs need to reflect the
  
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• The Waugh Zone Tuesday July 4, 2017

  04-07-2017 09:51
  
  1. PAY DAY MOANS?
  As the Cabinet meets this morning, ministers will look united as they stroll up and down Downing Street uniformly refusing to answer yelled questions from reporters. But behind the scenes, on public sector pay, they look even more like ferrets fighting in a sack.
  After days of fellow ministers urging him publicly to act on the issue, Philip Hammond last night put his foot down – and kept it on the austerity accelerator.  In his speech to the CBI, he said: “It
  
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• Post-Brexit EU drug regulation deal urged by ministers

  04-07-2017 08:50 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The move would be "in the interests of public health and safety," say Greg Clark and Jeremy Hunt.
  
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• Hammond says UK must 'hold nerve' over public pay

  04-07-2017 08:45 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Chancellor insists the government must strike a "fair balance" between workers and taxpayers.
  
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• UK manufacturers say Brexit uncertainty will force them to make cuts

  04-07-2017 07:00
  
  Business leaders seek clarity over transitional arrangements as new figures point to slowdown for carmakersBritish manufacturers are fast approaching a “tipping point” where a lack of certainty over the direction of Brexit negotiations will force them to make painful cuts whatever the outcome, they say.The stark warning, due to be delivered on Tuesday by Engineering Employers’ Federation chief executive Terry Scuoler, comes as business leaders begin a week of crunch meetings wi
  
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• UK civil service in turf war over Brexit

  04-07-2017 06:01
  With power vacuum at top of government, ministries compete to shape process
  
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• Pensions secretary ‘will not shy away from big decisions’

  04-07-2017 06:01
  David Gauke’s first policy statement since being appointed last month
  
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• Councils warn of £5.8bn 'funding gap' by 2020

  04-07-2017 02:38 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Local authorities in England must be "at front of the queue" for extra resources, council chiefs say.
  
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• UK medical chief vows to spread ‘genetics dream’

  04-07-2017 01:01
  Chief medical officer wants to restructure ‘cottage industry’ by centralising labs
  
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• Local councils to see central funding fall 77% by 2020

  04-07-2017 01:01
  Local Government Association estimates a £5.8bn funding gap
  
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• Philip Hammond urges Tories to ‘hold our nerve’ on public sector pay

  04-07-2017 00:08
  Chancellor makes case for ‘sound money’ as Boris Johnson joins split over austerity
  
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