ToryDiary: Today's Free Schools announcement by Michael Gove proves his radical preparation for Government
Tobias Ellwood MP on Platform: If we're serious about successfully concluding military operations in Afghanistan, we need to recognise our mistakes and not repeat them
Parliament: Iain Stewart uses his maiden speech to show how Milton Keynes is leading the way in promoting flexibility in the education system
- Audit Commission told to stop opposing weekly bin collections
- Boris Johnson's positive approval rating
International: Spanish conservatives prosper as the socialist government gets the blame for 20% unemployment
ThinkTankCentral: Ten facts about the rich public sector and the poor private sector
Gazette: Hendon's new MP, Matthew Offord, marries
WATCH:
The axe falls early on over £10 billion of spending
"The austerity drive hit home for the first time yesterday as the coalition Government signalled billions of pounds of cuts to hospitals, libraries, leisure projects and roads. Free swimming for the over-60s and under-16s is to be abolished as the Government disclosed a series of projects it said the country could no longer afford." - The Times £
"A total of 12 projects worth £2bn which were approved by the previous government – including plans for a new £25m visitor centre at Stonehenge, a new hospital in the North-East of England and a cinema on the South Bank in London – have lost their public funding. Another 12 totalling £8.5bn have been put on hold pending a spending review. The first round of spending cuts, announced by Danny Alexander, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, was a foretaste of expected sweeping reductions to government budgets as the Government attempts to reduce Britain's £156bn deficit." - The Independent
Discovery of fresh £1bn 'Labour black hole' clears way for Treasury cuts list - The Guardian
"The announcement of spending cuts might have much greater political than economic significance... With one fell swoop, the two political narratives - which will dominate the debate around the much bigger cuts to be announced in the Budget, and the very specific cuts to departmental expenditure to be announced in the autumn - have emerged." - Iain Watson of BBC News
Jeff Randall: The days of spend now and pay back later are over. Later is now - Daily Telegraph
"The deep programme of cuts - and the ones made yesterday show how painful they will be - are not just an unpleasant necessity to reduce our debts. They represent a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rebalance the economy. Our future as a competitive nation is at stake if we duck the challenge." - Daily Mail editorial
Unite urges Lib Dem members to shun public spending cuts - BBC
> Yesterday's ToryDiary: Coalition announces £2bn more spending cuts
David Cameron wins concessions at first EU summit
"David Cameron came away from his first EU summit last night declaring he had won two crucial concessions. The PM saw off plans for Brussels to see our Budget before it is unveiled in Parliament. And he secured a deal to make sure the UK will not face sanctions if it breaks EU deficit rules. They apply to nations in or about to join the euro." - The Sun
"David Cameron turned on the charm at his first European summit to exempt Britain from EU plans to direct national budgets and punish nations which miss economic targets. The Prime Minister was made to feel at home in Brussels with a full English breakfast and went on to demonstrate his twin-track policy of “positive engagement” with Europe while defending Britain’s national interests." - The Times £
"There are things we can do at the EU level that are important and in British interests, even my most eurosceptic colleagues would agree. I strongly believe where there is political will in Europe, Europe is strong. Where I am entirely at one with my party is that Europe should be about political will and should not be about endless institution-building and new rules and new processes." - David Cameron quoted in The Herald"Can we expect a positive and constructive relationship with our European partners under this Government? Despite Mr Cameron's Eurosceptic background and his provocative decision to pull the Tories out of the mainstream European People's Party while in opposition, the initial signs have been surprisingly positive. Mr Cameron has visited Paris and Berlin before making the British prime minister's traditional pilgrimage to Washington; a small gesture perhaps, but not an insignificant one." - Independent editorial
Andrew Lansley laments Labour's failure to improve GP access
"Patients are finding it harder to see their GP as one in five - ten million people - say they cannot get an appointment within two working days, an official survey has found... Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: “The previous Government poured £161 million into enforcing a one-size fits all extended opening hours scheme. And yet patient satisfaction on access has gone down. Instead of the Government telling GPs what patients want, we want patients to tell their GP themselves what they want and then give GPs the freedom to provide services and be accountable for the results they achieve." - Daily Telegraph
Child tax credits "to be cut for 2 million families"
"More than two million middle-class families will lose their entitlement to child tax credits worth hundreds of pounds a year after Nick Clegg said they did not "need" the benefit. The Deputy Prime Minister signalled that the move would form part of next week's emergency Budget, insisting it was not "unreasonable" to expect the middle classes to make sacrifices. Currently, parents can claim child tax credit if they earn up to £58,000, or £66,000 if the child is under the age of one... However The Daily Telegraph understands that the Government is considering restricting the benefit to parents with a combined income of no more than £30,000, or possibly as low as £25,000." - Daily Telegraph
Coalition plans to improve children's fortunes
"Nick Clegg yesterday vowed to smash the 'outdated' attitude that means mothers take more time off work than fathers after the birth of a child. The Deputy Prime Minister called the current system, which allows new fathers two weeks' paternity leave, 'measly'. He said the coalition Government will encourage shared parenting by introducing flexible parental leave, which will allow mothers and fathers to divide their time off." - Daily Mail
"A new body, to be chaired by Prime Minister David Cameron, will identify a "small number" of proposals by the end of the year to reduce the burden on parents and to improve childrens' lives. Areas of focus include encouraging shared parenting, extending flexible working to all, greater availability of mediation for couples to help children in the event of family breakdown and increased funding for respite care for families of disabled children." - BBC
Theresa May bans radical preacher Zakir Naik from entering UK
"A radical preacher who claimed that “every Muslim should be a terrorist” has been banned from coming to Britain, The Daily Telegraph can disclose. In her first major test of being tough on extremism, Theresa May, the new Home Secretary, said she was banning Zakir Naik from entering the UK." - Daily Telegraph
"Ministers have promised to put the brake on any new fixed speed cameras and warned they will no longer be used as a 'cash cow' to milk motorists. Transport minister Mike Penning told MPs yesterday that the Government will scrap millions of pounds a year in grants handed to local authorities to fund new speed traps." - Daily Mail
BP defended by David Cameron
"Cameron came to the defence of BP yesterday as the oil giant’s boss faced a wave of American fury over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill... Mr Cameron said: “BP is an important multinational company. It’s important to the UK. It’s also important, I would argue, to the United States. I want to see it as a strong and stable company. And I know what BP also wants is some form of clarity and certainty about the future, so it can be a strong and stable company. As the British Prime Minister, I’d like to see that happen." - Daily Express
Business leaders urge Osborne to avoid introducing punishing new taxes - Press Association
Labour London Mayoral candidate deadline is today - BBC
- Who gets up every morning thinking about a Tory victory at the next General Election?
- Even Andy Burnham thinks George Osborne's NHS spending pledge is "irresponsible"
Local government: Fight poverty, not inequality says Andrew Boff
International: A super tax on the mining industry is breaking Australia's Labour government
Jeremy Brier on CentreRight: José María Aznar rallies support for Israel - for the sake of the West
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