Also on ToryDiary: Do we want a producer-centred NHS or a patient-driven NHS?
Lord Ashcroft on Comment: Why Britain's flawed defamation laws need overhauling
Seats and Candidates: Candidates' list members to be assigned to regions before new constituency boundaries come in
Local Government:
- Cllr Ravi Govindia: Tackling worklessness in Wandsworth
- Painting the map blue
WATCH: William Hague says that the arrest of Ratko Mladic is an "historic moment" for the Balkans
Tory MPs in campaign to stop Nick Clegg diluting NHS reforms
"Conservative MPs are planning a sustained political assault on Nick Clegg to stop the Deputy Prime Minister delaying and diluting Coalition health reforms. Mr Clegg yesterday moved to postpone much of the planned NHS reforms, insisting that managers, not doctors, would stay in charge of budgets in many areas... In response to Mr Clegg’s criticism, back-bench Tories have drawn up a list of “red lines” that they say the Lib Dems must not be allowed to cross on health." - Daily Telegraph
"A thoughtful Tory backbencher, who was involved in the committee stage of the health and social care bill, has decided to set down his thoughts in writing. Nick de Bois, the MP for Enfield North, sent an email to colleagues while Clegg was speaking at University College London Hospital. The email, a copy of which has been leaked to me, has a clear message: it is time for the Tories to recapture the debate by insisting that core "red lines" must not be crossed." - Nick Watt of The Guardian< /p>
- If you love the NHS, stop kicking Lansley - Ex-Labour health minister Lord Warner in The Times (£)
> Andrew Lilico on Comment yesterday: Which bits of NHS reform really matter?
> Nick de Bois MP on Comment earlier in the month: NHS reforms will mean competition on quality, not price
David Cameron confirms Apache helicopters will be sent to Libya...
"David Cameron has confirmed that Britain will step up the campaign against Colonel Gaddafi by sending Apache helicopters to Libya. The decision follows claims that the embattled leader is becoming increasingly paranoid and is "on the run". MI6 told the Prime Minister it has discovered that Col Gaddafi's behaviour is becoming more erratic as Nato's airstrikes take their toll." - Sky News
...as he warns that the West must help fledgling democracies in North Africa and the Middle East
"The Arab spring risks fuelling extremism and immigration unless fledgling democracies are given help by the West, David Cameron has warned. Britain is to commit £110 million to help ensure the uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East succeed, he disclosed at the G8 meeting of world leaders in France. He said: “There is a real case for saying if you can secure greater democracy and freedom in countries like Egypt and Tunisia, that is good for us back at home." - Daily Telegraph
- UK cuts embassy staff in Yemen and urges Britons to leave - Reuters
Britain now giving more per head in foreign aid than any other country (and the Daily Mail isn't happy about it)
"David Cameron agreed to pump millions more into foreign aid while making cuts at home yesterday... And a damning report released at the G8 summit reveals that Britain spends more on aid as a percentage of national income than any other country in the world – while British taxpayers suffer through an age of austerity. The UK is spending exactly twice as much on foreign handouts as a share of Gross Domestic Product as the G8 average of the world’s leading economies." - Daily Mail
- Cameron To Urge G8 To Back Aid Package - Sky News
New rules to allow certain schools to select on the basis of family income...
"As part of a sweeping reform of national admissions rules to be unveiled today, hundreds of academies and free schools will be allowed to select pupils based on family income for the first time. They will be allowed to discriminate in favour of children who are eligible for free school meals — those whose parents earn £16,000 or less — in an attempt to close the gap between rich and poor." - Daily Telegraph
...as Gove also bans school place lotteries
"Lotteries for school places will be banned under new admissions laws published today, in a move that will strengthen the ability of the middle class to use their wealth to secure the best schools. It comes as the Government publishes a slimmed-down version of the admissions code that will allow popular schools to expand at the expense of undersubscribed schools. Councils will no longer be able to allocate places at oversubscribed schools randomly, rather than by catchment area." - The Times (£)
Net migration to UK reaches five-year high
"Net migration to Britain has risen to its highest level for five years, fuelled by a sharp fall in the number of people going to live abroad and a resurgence in Polish migrants coming to live in the UK." - The Guardian
- Migrant workers "flooding" Britain - Daily Express
The arrest of Rato Mladic is welcomed
"The arrest of Ratko Mladic is a historic moment for a region that was torn apart by the appalling wars of the 1990s. Ratko Mladic stands accused of terrible crimes committed in Bosnia-Herzegovina and it is right that he will now be brought to face international justice. Today our thoughts are with the relatives of those killed during the siege of Sarajevo and genocide in Srebrenica." - Foreign Secretary William Hague quoted in the Daily Telegraph
"It is very, very important that this man Mladic is brought to The Hague quickly, the trial starts quickly, the hearing is expeditious in dealing with the matter and, actually, at the end of it justice prevails. I saw the result of what this man did. I saw murdered men, women and children. I saw what was happening in Srebrenica... Politically this is a very important milestone for Serbia because it wants to be a member of the European Union." - Bob Stewart MP, former Commander of UN Forces in Bosnia, writing in the Daily Express
Osborne faces down Cabinet 'jitters' about economic strategy
"George Osborne has been forced to fend off doubts about his economic strategy from cabinet colleagues worried that growth is so weak. The Chancellor, who refuses to consider a "Plan B", defended his approach in a discussion on Britain's economic prospects at Tuesday's cabinet meeting." - The Independent
- Consumer confidence jumps in May to new 2011 high - Reuters
Ken Clarke defends air passenger data deal with the US
"The justice secretary, Kenneth Clarke, has defended a joint American-European agreement to store the personal data, including credit card details, of millions of transatlantic air passengers for 15 years. Clarke said that despite strong concerns about civil liberties, the agreement to share passenger name records with the US department of homeland security was crucial to improving US and EU security." - The Guardian
Ex-Tory peer Lord Hanningfield found guilty of fiddling expenses
"A former Tory frontbencher faces jail after being found guilty yesterday on six counts of fiddling his parliamentary expenses. Lord Hanningfield, who had been a Conservative transport spokesman as well as leader of Essex County Council, was convicted for false claims for overnight stays, mileage and train fares... Lord Hanningfield, who will be sentenced in three weeks' time, said as he left court: "I am devastated, but I have no regrets. I did nothing wrong." - The Independent
- Fiddling ex-Labour MP Chaytor tagged and freed after just 4 months of 18-month jail sentence - Daily Mirror
Government may be advised to buy more forests instead of selling them
"The independent panel appointed to advise the Government on the future of publicly owned forests could recommend that more woodland is bought by the State, according to the bishop leading the review." - The Times (£)
Jeremy Hunt announces broadband boost for rural Britain
"The Government has announced a new tranche of funding to kick-start superfast broadband in rural areas. Wiltshire, Norfolk and Devon & Somerset were chosen from 18 bids for a part of the £530 million ear-marked for new projects.' - Daily Telegraph
Peter Oborne: This isn’t a special relationship, it’s sinister and sycophantic
"This week’s visit by Barack Obama has been a national embarrassment... It took the President a very long time to force his way through Westminster Hall after making his over-hyped speech. This was because each and every member of our political class wanted to talk to him or shake his hand. It was like teenagers surrounding a pop star, but with very much less excuse." - Peter Oborne in the Daily Telegraph
- Barack Obama gets what it means to be British. Do we? - Philip Collins in The Times (£)
Political news in brief
- Boris Johnson sends Obama congestion charge bill - BBC
- Pickles announces £2.1m towards preservation of Auschwitz - The Independent
- Ed Miliband to marry today - Press Association
- Sex attack victim accepts Ken Clarke's sentencing proposals are "fair enough" after meeting him - BBC
- German Foreign Minister raises concerns about failings of Baroness Ashton - The Times (£)
- Spanish socialists suffer huge losses in regional elections - The Guardian
And finally... Labour ensured that 2010 saw a record number of new laws introduced
"A "late push" of new laws in the last months of the Labour government helped to make 2010 a record-breaking year for new legislation, researchers say. In total, 3,506 laws were introduced in the UK last year - up 41% on the previous year - legal information company Sweet & Maxwell reports... Almost all - 98% - were introduced as statutory instruments, which do not require full debate in Parliament, the company said." - BBC
ToryDiary: Euroscepticism will triumph in the Conservative Party. It's just a matter of time.
LeftWatch: Labour's Ed Miliband problem: polling indicates "he is looking less, and not more, like a Prime Minister as his time in office goes on."
Martin Cakebread on Comment: Rather than cut the Forces' pay, isn't it time we cut final salary pensions for all MPs and civil servants?
WATCH: Was Ken Clarke asleep during Obama's speech?
WATCH: Balls said the OECD doesn't support Osborne's plan. The OECD says it doesn't support Balls.
From ConHome USA : Karl Rove talks to Fox News' Bill O'Reilly about whether the GOP can beat Obama in 2012
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