ToryDiary: David Cameron is right to continue meeting real people at public meetings
Tim Montgomerie on CentreRight: Who are the most influential Tory MPs not in the Cabinet?
Marcus Booth and Dylan Thomas on Platform: The politics of aspiration should mean an end to tuition fees
- Pickles announces new restrictions on public sector lobbying
- John Moss: How to get the Housing Benefit bill under control
ThinkTankCentral: The Government policies which were recommended by Policy Exchange
Melanchthon on CentreRight: Why do we need Trident II?
Cameron and Zardari try to put relations back on track
"David Cameron met President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday at the start of talks in which he was expected to pledge Britain's support for Pakistan as the two countries try to repair a diplomatic row. Cameron invited Zardari, who is on a five-day visit to Britain, to dinner on Thursday at his Chequers official country residence -- the first foreign leader to be accorded the honour since Cameron took power in May, according to aides. Formal talks on Friday will focus on strengthening cooperation in countering terrorism, a spokesman for Cameron said." - Reut ers
Pakistan's president Asif Ali Zardari meets British MPs in low-key UK visit - The Guardian
Ed Husain: How to stop the import – and export – of terror
"President Zardari will no doubt strike a defiant pose in protest at David Cameron’s speech criticising Pakistan’s “export of terrorism” in India last week. We expect that: he has numerous critics to appease back home and is here to groom his undergraduate son for dynastic leadership at a party rally in Birmingham tomorrow. Grandstanding in Britain — Pakistan’s former imperial master— plays well to the gallery. But such huffing must not lead Mr Cameron meekly to apologise." - Ed Husain in The Times (£)
"The BBC was at the centre of a furious funding row last night after it was revealed it received a £200,000 Government handout to counter violent extremism." - The Sun
I'm sorry I misspoke, says Cameron after accusing Iran of having nuclear weapon
"Having got his history of the Second World War wrong recently, David Cameron blundered over current affairs yesterday when he claimed Iran had developed a nuclear weapon. His aides admitted that he "misspoke" during a question-and-answer session with the public when he was asked why he was supporting Turkey's interest in joining the European Union. The Prime Minister replied that Turkish membership could help to address problems "like the Middle East peace process, like the fact that Iran has got a nuclear weapon". - The Independent
David Cameron says sorry to pensioner for gaffe over second world war - The Guardian
David Cameron ignored advice over ‘prison camp’ remark - The Times (£)
Shadow Europe minister brands Cameron "a foreign policy klutz" - Daily Mail
> WATCH: David Cameron erroneously says that "Iran has got a nuclear weapon" (his spokesman says he meant to say Iran was pursuing a nuclear weapon)
David Cameron hails public's 100,000 spending cut ideas
"David Cameron has said the coalition will use some of the spending cut ideas suggested by members of the public and those working in the public sector. Downing Street says about 100,000 ideas have been submitted to the Spending Challenge website. Ideas include encouraging volunteers to form teams of "civic gardeners" and reduce the demand for council staff." - BBC
"Now comes the hard part. The challenge facing ministers is not only to reduce departmental budgets by as much as a quarter, but to do so in a way that restructures the delivery of public services, to the ultimate benefit of the country and the taxpayer. This is a tall order." - Telegraph editorial
Local authorities threaten legal action over axed school buildings programme
"At least two councils are taking steps to sue the government in the high court over the cancellation of multi-million-pound contracts to build new schools, it emerged today. Local authorities attacked the education secretary, Michael Gove, for refusing to give them answers over whether new buildings for thousands of pupils would eventually go ahead." - The Guardian
After lighting the blue touchpaper, coalition waits for first blast
"In a hectic opening few months, they have lit a hundred fuses, starting consultations, reviews and commissions into all areas of life. Many will detonate, to varying degrees, throughout the autumn. Demonstrations such as the one that greeted Mr Cameron at a question and answer session in Hove yesterday will be dwarfed by an “autumn of discontent” being planned by public sector unions." - The Times (£)
NHS sheds 11,000 jobs, with many more at risk
"The scale and speed of cuts to the NHS became apparent yesterday as confirmed job losses this year reached 11,000 and union leaders threatened to take the Government to a judicial review over the pace of reform." - The Times (£)
Cash-rich GPs must listen to their patients
"The Health Secretary said he hoped that, in return, family doctors would consider providing out- of-hours care to their patients - a responsibility they were relieved of in 2004, when Labour so disastrously renegotiated their contracts. Yesterday, the GPs delivered their contemptuous answer, with, according to a survey, only one in eight saying they would be prepared to return to working evenings and weekends... it is deeply depressing that GPs have been so arrogantly dismissive of the Health Secretary's plea." - Daily Mail editorial
"Lights are set to be switched off on swathes of Britain’s motorway network to save money. The move, which will see stretches of road plunged into darkness between midnight and 5am, is also intended to cut Britain’s carbon footprint. " - Daily Telegraph
Police to get new device to trap drug drivers
"A simple testing device to catch motorists driving under the influence of drugs is to be installed at every police station within two years, the Government will announce on Friday." - Daily Telegraph
Government Urged To Consider Strike Ban
"The Government has been urged to consider banning strikes in essential services as unions prepare to take action against spending cuts. The advice came from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) which said there were a number of "high stakes" options available to avoid strikes." - Sky News
Business seeks more ambitious cuts to red tape - City AM
ContactPoint child database scrapped - Daily Telegraph
And finally... Jeff Randall is unimpressed with Labour's would-be leaders
"So far, observing the battle for Labour's captaincy has been like watching a 0-0 draw between reserve sides in a Sunday pub league. Lots of huffing and puffing, but no goals, little excitement, and a gloomy acceptance among supporters that it really doesn't matter who wins, because the players are simply not good enough, and no amount of post-match lagers can change that...Labour's problem is that none of the candidates can accept the real reason for the party's abysmal performance at the ballot box. As research by Demos, the think tank, revealed this week, the public is sick of borrow, tax and waste. The days of bribing voters wit h their own devalued money are over.
" - Jeff Randall in the Daily Telegraph
ToryDiary: Bernard Jenkin launches another salvo against cha nging the electoral system as he claims the "new politics was somewhat oversold"
ToryDiary: What are the greatest threats to the Coalition?
Local Government: Can you help the campaign to replace a new Labour MP with a Conservative in his old council seat?
JP Floru on CentreRight: Direct compensation would turn many nimbies into happy neighbours
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