ToryDiary: The ECHR doesn't just give prisoners the vote. It's also the elephant in the room on security.
International: Dan Hamilton's preview of today's US Senate races
Tony Lodge on Platform: How Energy Storage Can Save Green Power
Local Government: Home ownership for Heroes
Parliament: Gordon Brown makes his first Commons speech since the general election
Prisoners to get the vote for the first time
"Prisoners will be given the vote in general elections for the first time in 140 years after David Cameron conceded there was nothing he could do to halt a European court ruling demanding the change, The Daily Telegraph can disclose. For months, the Government’s lawyers have tried to find a way to avoid allowing 70,000 British inmates the right to take part in ballots. But on Wednesday a representative for the Coalition will tell the Court of Appeal that the law will be changed following legal advice that the taxpayer could have to pay tens of millions of pounds in compensation." - Daily Telegraph
Cameron and Sarkozy to agree "landmark defence alliance"
"David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy will sign two declarations during a summit in London paving the way for the sharing of an aircraft carrier, sending a joint military force into battle, working together on cyber warfare and developing warheads for nuclear missiles." - The Independent
"Under the cost-cutting initiative set to provoke fury among veterans and supporters of the Armed Forces, Britain and France will also share aircraft carriers, transport planes and nuclear secrets. And in a further move that raises serious concerns about Britain’s military independence, the French Government effectively will get a power of veto over any future expedition to defend the Falkland Islands." - Daily Express
"Can we trust the French? We're about to find out when the marriage of convenience between our fighting forces is signed today. It makes sense financially. We're both skint and need to pool resources. And we do not doubt their troops' tenacity. Not since 1066. But modern French politicians have been a craven lot. They refused to support us over Iraq and sent tiny numbers of soldiers to Afghanistan." - The Sun
The entente is about to get even more cordiale - Ben Macintyre in The Times (£)
> Yesterday's ToryDiary: Liam Fox explains why UK and France are increasing defence co-operation
In the Commons David Cameron "attempts to portray European council's agreement to 2.9% increase as British triumph"
"The prime minister said he had built an alliance that had rejected the European parliament's "crazy" proposal for a 6% increase. The parliament and council will now have to agree to a 2.9% rise or face a freeze in the budget, an outcome Cameron said "we'd be perfectly content with". - The Guardian
"David Cameron has said he is willing to see talks on the European Union budget end in “deadlock” to prevent MEPs winning a major increase in spending... He said: “Either the Council and Parliament have to agree to 2.9 per cent or there will be deadlock, in which case the EU will have to live on a repeat of last year’s budget, handed out in twelfths over the next 12 months, an outcome we’d be perfectly happy with.” - Daily Telegraph
> Yesterday in Parliament: David Cameron mocked by Ed Miliband for abandoning campaign to freeze EU budget
> Melanchthon on CentreRight yesterday asked Does Europe matter to voters? and urged readers to lobby their MPs on Britain's relationship with the EU
Labour overtake Tories in ComRes poll
"It is the first time that ComRes has shown Labour in the lead since September 2007, when Gordon Brown was on the brink of calling a general election months after succeeding Tony Blair as Prime Minister. The new survey puts Labour on 37 per cent, up three points since a ComRes survey for The Independent on Sunday two weeks ago, just before the Chancellor, George Osborne, unveiled his spending review. The Tories have dropped five points to 35 per cent, while the Liberal Democrats are on 16 per cent (up two points) and other parties on 12 per cent (no change)." - The Independent
Theresa May steps up security checks on airline passengers after cargo plane bomb plot
"The government has announced a series of measures intended to protect the travelling public from the emerging threat of cargo-hold bombs created by al-Qaida as questions continued to be asked about the initial British response to the alert. Theresa May, the home secretary, outlined pre-departure checks that will be imposed on visitors seeking to enter and leave the UK, including electronic "no fly" lists for terrorism suspects, compiled as a result of passenger profiling." - The Guardian
"David Cameron was unaware of the al-Qaeda parcel bomb threat until nearly 11 hours after a live device was found at East Midlands Airport, it emerged last night." - Daily Telegraph
"The cargo bomb plot has shown Mr Cameron the harsh choice he must make between principle and protection." - Rachel Sylvester in The Times (£)
> WATCH: Theresa May announces new restrictions on freight from Somalia and toner cartridges in hand luggage
David Davis warns Cameron to brace himself for 'major' Tory rebellion over anti-terror laws
"David Cameron is facing a 'major scale' rebellion over controversial anti-terror laws, a senior Tory MP warned last night. Former leadership contender David Davis claimed 25 or more Tory MPs would vote against the government if it seeks to keep control orders. With the same number of Lib Dems also planning to revolt over the power - which has been compared to house arrest - it raises the prospect of ministers suffering a humiliating Commons defeat." - Daily Mail
"Control orders are a type of house arrest, the sort of thing you are supposed to find only in countries like Burma. They were not introduced lightly and nor should they have been. In opposition the Conservatives promised to review them; but the Lib Dems went further and promised their abolition. However, that was then: they are in government now, and things look different from that side of the fence." - Philip Johnston in the Daily Telegraph
The Coalition's liberalism is straining under the demands of power - Steve Richards in The Independent
Small firms should be free to fire at will says enterprise tsar, Lord Young
"Lord Young, who served as Employment Secretary under Margaret Thatcher, said firms were reluctant to create jobs because it was too difficult to get rid of staff. The peer has been asked by the Prime Minister to come up with a ‘brutally honest’ report on how to overturn the ‘institutional bias’ against small businesses. But he also favours freeing up firms from the layers of red tape imposed over the past two decades." - Daily Mail
Michael Gove to allow BNP members to be barred from teaching
"Headteachers are to be given the power to dismiss teachers who are members of the BNP or other groups which have an "extremist tenor". The pledge by the education secretary, Michael Gove, follows the case of a BNP activist who used a school laptop to post comments describing some immigrants as "filth". Gove said he would allow school heads and governing bodies to sack teachers for membership of the far-right party. Members of the BNP are barred from working as police or prison officers." - The Guardian
Liberal Democrats work on maintaining their identity
"Liberal Democrats are to intensify efforts to maintain their political identity with a radical policy rethink next year that will form the basis for a manifesto and policy approach in the second half of this parliament. The policy work is being overseen by Norman Lamb MP, chairman of the federal policy committee and one of Nick Clegg's closest political allies." - The Guardian
William Hague begins Israel visit - Jerusalem Post
Government unveils plan for home energy efficiency - Reuters
Court hears how woman stabbed Labour MP over his support for the Iraq War - The Guardian
Adoption changes to sweep away race rules - The Times (£)
Times reveals online readership figures - BBC
Lady Thatcher back home after hospital stay
"Baroness Thatcher has arrived home after being released from a London hospital yesterday afternoon. The former Prime Minister looked frail as she appeared on her doorstep to give a brief wave and a smile before returning inside. She had been whisked by car out of the private Cromwell Hospital in west London for the short journey back to her Belgravia home. Lady Thatcher was admitted almost two weeks ago with an infection after suffering from the flu. Her spokesman said she had now been given the all-clear by doctors. David Cameron, the Prime Minister, sent his "warmest wishes" and is to find a new date to welcome h er back to Number 10 to celebrate her birthday." - Daily Telegraph
ToryDiary: The Seven Political Preferences of Working Class Voters
Paul Goodman on CentreRight: Five principles for considering Islam
Dan Hamilton on CentreRight offers some observations on the Brazilian elections
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