ToryDiary: While Lansley's bill is stalled, Gove's reforms carry on The story of the AV campaign: Yes2AV advocates still can't decide if they should have reached out to Conservatives or kicked them harder Scott Colvin on Comment: How to use politicians to get what you want Local Government: Cllr Colin Barrow - Localism must go further Parliament: Zac Goldsmith leads the charge to end fish discards Theresa May opposes common EU asylum policy... ....While France and Italy lead move to reinstate national border controls "European nations moved to reverse decades of unfettered travel across the continent when a majority of EU governments agreed the need to reinstate national passport controls amid fears of a flood of immigrants fleeing the upheaval in north Africa. In a serious blow to one of the cornerstones of a united, integrated Europe, EU interior ministers embarked on a radical revision of the passport-free travel regime known as the Schengen system to allow the 26 participating governments to restore border controls." - The Guardian Iain Duncan Smith says that mass immigration has made the UK's poor even poorer - Daily Mail Oborne: Osborne won't rescue Greece "This is the hideous background to the meeting of European finance ministers that takes place on Monday and Tuesday in Brussels. Britain will once again be asked to throw good money after bad…This will give George Osborne an opportunity to remedy Alistair Darling’s mistake of 12 months ago. I understand that he will take it. The Chancellor will argue next week that Britain played no role in the first Greek bail-out, and so the rescue mechanism to which his predecessor mistakenly subscribed does not apply." - Peter Oborne, Daily Telegraph Liberal Democrat peers won't back the Conservatives on police reform. Tory MPs won't back Clegg on Lords reform The Deputy Prime Minister's appears before Commons Political and Constitutional Reform Committee. He supports Cameron on police reform and soft-pedals on Scotland "Nick Clegg promised to rescue David Cameron’s police reforms yesterday after a Liberal Democrat revolt in the Lords soured the coalition anniversary. The Deputy Prime Minister sought to ease Tory fears that his promised “muscular liberalism” heralded a phase of civil war within the Government. He told his party that it had a “duty” to honour the coalition agreement and that he would work to overturn the Government’s defeat in the Lords when Tory plans for elected police commissioners return to the Commons." - The Times (£) "Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has said the government would not accept a UK-wide referendum on the future of the Union. Speaking at the constitutional affairs committee yesterday, Mr Clegg insisted that the UK government and MPs in Westminster could take part in discussions on the Union, but said a UK-wide one was "not appropriate"." - Scotsman "There will be a special joint select committee to scrutinise the Coalition's draft proposals, and when legislation follows, the Lib Dems want the Conservatives to take the lead - so that the Leader of the Lords, Lord Strathclyde, will have to bite the bullet and seek to persuade his peers, mostly opponents of change, to swallow it." - Mark D'Arcy, BBC Yesterday on ConservativeHome: Laws could make surprise return to government Yesterday on ConservativeHome: Cameron opens Madeleine McCann files "David Cameron has ordered the Met Police to reopen every file on missing Madeleine McCann for a full review of all evidence gathered on her. The PM acted after the abducted youngster's parents wrote to him in an emotional open letter, published in The Sun yesterday. Mr Cameron wrote to Kate and Gerry McCann saying he hoped "new action" in the missing Madeleine case would "help boost efforts in the search"." - The Sun Lansley says NHS services in London will change "The government has admitted for the first time that health services on the ground in London will have to change because of NHS reorganisation. The coalition is turning every hospital in London into a foundation trust, with more control over its own spending. Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has told BBC London this will inevitably mean changes to the way services are delivered. A series of hospital mergers is already planned in the city." - BBC Coalition and Political News in Brief New Chilcot evidence claims Campbell misled enquiry over dossier Secrets, lies and the case for the Iraq War - Daily Mail Editorial Yesterday: WATCH - New questions for Alistair Campbell over Iraq inquiry MPs back call for review of IPSA "The Commons agreed without a vote that a committee of MPs should examine the legislation setting up the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa), passed in the wake of the expenses scandal in 2009. Leading the calls for a review of the workings of the Parliamentary Standards Act 2009, Tory Adam Afriyie told MPs: "This issue of expenses is incendiary but it is our duty to act without fear or favour in the interests of democracy, our constituents and the taxpayer." - BBC The cost of fighting poverty under Labour "Labour spent £1million of taxpayers’ money for every six children it lifted out of poverty, Government sources said yesterday. The amount invested in tax credits since 2003 equates to a startling £166,000 per child – prompting ministers to insist that pouring money into the welfare system has simply not worked. Official figures published yesterday show that the number of children living in poverty in Britain fell during the last year of the Labour government – but inequality remained at an all-time high." - Daily Mail "Labour gained 800 seats. It was a disaster" In most of the places that it needs to win if it hopes to form a government, Labour fell short. In Milton Keynes, Southampton, the Medway towns, Harlow, Dartford and Portsmouth, there are no signs of Labour recovery. The results shattered the idea that victory is possible without enticing Tory voters in the South back to Labour. Half the Labour gains did come directly from the Tories but almost all from the Midlands and the North. - Philip Collins, The Times (£) Yesterday: LeftWatch: Ivan Lewis: 1) Labour "overspent without delivering sufficient value for money." 2) Er, I withdraw that. Other comment David Laws: On Comment: Gazette: Alex Deane elected as Common Councilman in the City of London WATCH: New questions for Alistair Campbell over Iraq inquiry"Theresa May last night told European Union chiefs that Britain will not accept a fresh wave of asylum seekers following the political upheaval in North Africa. In a showdown at a meeting of ministers in Brussels, the Home Secretary ruled out any UK involvement in a common EU asylum policy to address a surge of immigrants from countries in turmoil such as Tunisia and Libya. Her warning came during an EU row over border controls following fears about growing levels of illegal migration." - Daily Express
"Liberal Democrat peers admitted they defeated a flagship Tory plan for the public to elect police commissioners, partly to take revenge for the No campaign's personal attacks on Mr Clegg during the referendum on the voting system. And there were signs that the Tories may not throw their full weight behind Mr Clegg's ambitious programme of constitutional reforms, including a mainly elected House of Lords." - The Independent
"His friends suggested that Mr Laws, who has already repaid £56,592, was the victim of a standards committee wishing to flex its muscles. Mr Cameron said that Mr Laws was “clearly a very talented individual who has a lot to offer public life”. He said that he would read the report of the Committee on Standards and Privileges, “and take it from there”. Nick Clegg, describing Mr Laws as “a good friend and a close colleague”, said that his motives were not about financial gain but protecting his privacy." - The Times (£)"Alastair Campbell misled the Iraq Inquiry, according to a senior intelligence officer who has claimed that intense political pressure was applied to turn a dossier reporting on Saddam Hussein's absent weapons of mass destruction arsenal into a justification for invading Iraq. Tony Blair's communications director had repeatedly dismissed claims that the dossier of September 2002 was embellished to pave the way for military action." - The Indep endent
Also on ToryDiary: James Brokenshire appointed Security Minister
Friday, 13 May 2011
Today's top ConHome features
Today's other newslinks
Highlights from yesterday
Posts
