Tim Archer on Platform: Why we need electoral reform - and it's nothing to do with AV Local Government: Two new posts on CentreRight: Jeremy Hunt, the Culture Secretary, reacted to the offer by the BBC Trust by saying he was "pleased" at the suggestion, and that the Government would be implementing it next year. But Mr Hunt retained the option of cutting the fee in 2012-2013, a decision that will be made as part of the next long-term licence fee settlement. The freezing of the licence fee is a blow to the BBC's management, which had been promised a 2 per cent increase next April by the previous Labour government with a smaller increase to come in the following year. - The Independent Cable in revolt over immigration cap "Liam Fox will warn David Cameron that axing the next generation of fighter jets will leave Britain vulnerable in any future conflict with China. The Defence Secretary will highlight military concerns that failing to pay for the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) stealth jets could compromise Britain’s defences against a threat from Beijing. It would also threaten a rift with the US, he will say, suggesting to the Pentagon that Britain was no longer serious about meeting possible future threat - The Times (£) "David Miliband...would like to persuade Nick Clegg to pull out of plans for a referendum on the alternative vote next May. Instead, Miliband wants the Liberal Democrat leader to consider his proposal of a joint referendum on the House of Commons voting system and an elected House of Lords on the same day – something Miliband has called a democracy day." - The Guardian "Ed Miliband would seek as Labour leader to exploit divisions between Nick Clegg and backbench Liberal Democrat MPs, such as the party's former leader Sir Menzies Campbell, by offering to co-operate on issues such as university tuition fees.In an attempt to prise apart the coalition ahead of May's local and devolved elections, Miliband today makes a "direct offer" to work with Lib Dem MPs in areas where they disagree with the Tories." - The Guardian Nick Clegg to Mumsnet mothers: "I am not a Tory" - The Guardian Mrs Clegg launches ethical fashion range - The Independent "So, if the Liberal Democrats can show in 2015 that they have increased popular power they have a story. The best place to do this is in education. In time, there will be credit to be taken for the free schools reforms. and the Liberal Democrats need to grab some of it. They need a brilliant junior minister in the department, helping out Michael Gove. Liberal Democrat policy used to be, in effect, faxed over by the NUT. Fortunately, the man who changed that is available for the job. Step out of the shadows, David Laws." - The Times Crispin Blunt in prison fruit riots palaver "Mr Blunt insisted menus must take account of 'seasonal variations and prisoners' preferences'. 'It is worth remembering that discontent about the quality of food, changes to menus and failure to deliver what was previously promised have been known to be the catalyst for serious disturbances,' he said. 'An undersize apple handed out at the servery will create issues of order and control, so we use suppliers that are sensitive to that need and that use their sourcing ability to maintain consistency from their supply base.' "- Daily Mail Fury erupted last night after Crispin Blunt told prison bosses to avoid misshapen fruit, small portions, badly cooked food and even menu changes. He ordered prisons to deliver "nutritious" nosh so that "socially excluded" inmates - who include murderers and paedos - can improve their health. He went on: "Discontent about the quality of food, menu changes and failure to deliver what was promised have been known to be catalysts for serious disturbances." - The Sun Boris requests Congestion Charge exemption for Popemobile - BBC "Prime Minister David Cameron is to attend the funeral of his father Ian, who died last week at the age of 77. Mr Cameron and his wife Samantha will join other family members to say their final farewells to the father he described as "an amazing man - a real life enhancer". His attendance at the private ceremony in Berkshire means Mr Cameron will miss Pope Benedict XVI's address to MPs in Parliament's Westminster Hall. He will meet the Pontiff for talks on Friday." - Press Association David Gauke says £42 billion tax evasion and avoidance gap is "staggering" 500,000 benefit scroungers will be made to seek work -Daily Express Revenue floats plan to cut out employers and take tax directly - The Times Chote approved by MPs as Office of Budget Responsibility Head - Reuters MI5 Chief warns over Somalia threat - The Times (£) Her Maj has tea as Pope sticks to Pop - The Sun Mary Dejevsky: In defence of Benedict and his faith - The Independent And finally...Prince Phillip asks Annabel Goldie : "Are you wearing tartan knickers?" ToryDiary: A narrative for this government (Draft #4), by Charles Moore Local Government: Folly of Thames Water's £3.6 billion Super Sewer Parliament: Douglas Carswell wants the banks to stop treating your money as if it were theirs on CentreRight: I want you to write to your MPs asking them for a report on progress in the repatriation of powers from Brussels WATCH
ToryDiary: If the BBC employed a few more Conservatives, it might occasionally run stories that examined the wastefulness and inefficiency of the bloated state"At school I wanted to be a cricketer – my friend David Masters made it, but I didn’t." Rehman Chisti MP answers ConservativeHome's Twenty Questions for the class of 2010.
“A lot of damage is being done to British industry,” the business secretary told the Financial Times on Thursday. He said companies were moving jobs overseas in response to punitive caps that left them unable to hire key staff. “I’ve got a file full of examples. This is not just people whingeing,” he said. The cap on non-EU workers was a manifesto pledge for David Cameron and proved popular with voters: it was reluctantly accepted by Lib Dems in the May coalition negotiations." - Financial Times
Liam Fox, defence secretary, bravely argues with Thatcherite zeal that Trident is a special case...There is a solution, but it is one that will require a lot of eating of words among those Tories for whom the mention of Trident induces a kind of priapic response. We must extend the life of the present system by modifying the principle of “continuous at sea deterrence” (CASD), the year-round deployment of at least one nuclear submarine - Financial Times (£)
"He came to the rescue of Cameron in the latter's hour of need and enabled him to steer the economy out of Labour's morass. I have no doubt Cameron will show gratitude, offering honorary life membership of the Tory party, a safe seat and a comfy place on the Notting Hill sofa. For Clegg that might be enough. But as leader of the Liberal Democrats, he has booked a ticket to oblivion." -The Guardian
"Cameron and Clegg are a formidable team – the same goes for their ministerial colleagues – and they would surely be an unstoppable combination on the campaign trail too. Clegg now has an historic opportunity to make the leap Davies dared not make all those years ago, demonstrating that this notion of a "realignment of the left" based on the Liberal party – or the Lib Dems – was one of the great blind alleys of British political history." -The Guardian
"Boris Johnson was pictured handing money to a man last Friday. Chief executive of homelessness charity Thames Reach Jeremy Swain blogged: ‘I would advise Boris to give money straight to his local drug dealer and cut out the middle wo/man.’ But Dave Clarke, trustee from homelessness charity the Simon Community, said: ‘People should not feel coerced into doing it but it’s a personal choice for them. I think quite often it can be helpful if someone does genuinely need to get a cup of coffee to get warm.’ " - Inside Housing
"The cost of avoidance, evasion and other problems collecting tax rose by £4bn to £42bn in the year to 2008-09 after businesses fell behind paying value added tax during the recession. The Treasury condemned the scale of the tax “gap” – the difference between the tax collected and the tax that should be collected – which has become an increasingly contentious issue at a time of looming spending cuts." - Financial Times (£)
"Annabel Goldie...was among a group of dignitaries being presented to the pope at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. Prince Philip rst met the Scottish Labour leader, Iain Gray, who is believed to have been sporting a special papal tartan tie. At this point, the prince was said to have turned to Goldie, who was standing nearby, and asked if she had a "pair of knickers made out of this?" Goldie retorted: "I couldn't possibly comment – and even if I did, I couldn't possibly exhibit them." - The Guardian
Friday, 17 September 2010
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Government accepts the BBC's offer to freeze the licence fee for two years
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