ToryDiary: It's time to end the Tory war on multiculturalism: "Don't be against multiculturalism - be for integration. Be for teaching English history in schools. Be for teaching migrants English (even at this time of tight budgets). Be for cutting immigration to the tens of thousands. Be for a national holiday to celebrate the Queen's Birthday. I should have seen before the Munich speech that a single word in it would compromise the effectiveness of all the others." Matthew Sinclair on Comment: Why are the Government taxing ordinary motorists to pay for a rich man's high-speed train? Also on Comment: Lord Ashcroft: How the restored St Paul's Cathedral was saved by brave bomb disposal experts during WWII Parliament: Conservative MPs urge Greece to leave the €uro but Treasury minister Mark Hoban declines to agree Also on Parliament: After fighting against endless coalition, for intervention in Libya, the irrepressible Mark Pritchard turns his attention to circus animals John Moss on the Local Government Blog: Labour's plans to strangle the private rented sector Today's MUST-READ "Imagine a Downing Street meeting. Mr Hilton is demanding the impossible, by yesterday. Mr Osborne is considering the political and fiscal implications. Oliver Letwin, the cabinet office minister, and Jeremy Heywood are working out the legislative consequences. Ed Llewellyn, the chief of staff, is organising the paperwork while also ready to ply the fire-hoses if – when – Mr Hilton boils over. Mr Cameron is there to take the decisions. It is a formidable way to run government." - The Financial Times (£) > Yesterday on Comment - David T Breaker: Steve Hilton - traditionalist in disguise and Paul Goodman explained why Hilton is likely to stay Ken Clarke (and Nick Clegg) defeated by Cameron (and Sun and Mail) over proposal to cut sentences by 50% "David Cameron will use today’s announcement of the long-delayed sentencing reforms to insist that he has not gone soft on crime. He is expected to announce a new category of knife crime and plans for tougher remission rules for those accused of serious crimes. Mr Cameron will say that the compromise — hailed by Mr Clarke’s camp as a score draw — strikes the right balance between punishment and rehabilitation." - The Times (£) "Proposals to allow criminals to serve only half their sentences if they plead guilty at an early stage are set to be dropped entirely, the BBC understands. The idea was attacked by many Tory MPs and victims' groups - especially after it emerged it might apply to rapists. Government sources ruled that out earlier this month, but the policy was expected to be retained for a number of lesser crimes." - BBC Cameron: We cannot afford a Greek bailout "Mark Hoban, financial secretary to the Treasury, broke protocol by declining to say the single currency would continue to exist. "I am not going to comment on whether the eurozone will remain intact or not. Clearly this crisis demonstrates the huge strain the eurozone in under. That is why it was right for us to stay out of the eurozone," he said." - The Guardian Cameron: A majority Conservative government would have been more radical on immigration and welfare... "Mr Cameron has been under fire from Tory backbenchers over compromises with the Lib Dems over NHS reforms. And he has been criticised for being too "liberal" on sentencing policy. But he chose not to get into those areas when he questioned by DJ Steve Wright about what difference being in coalition with the Lib Dems had made." - BBC "'If I was running a Conservative-only Government I think we would be making further steps on things like immigration control or making sure that our welfare reforms were absolutely making sure that if you're not prepared to work you can't go on welfare." - Daily Mail ...as the Coalition looks set to miss immigration targets "Prime Minister David Cameron and Home Secretary Theresa May have pledged to reduce net migration from the current 242,000 to less than 100,000 people. But immigration system reforms will leave net migration at about 165,000 by 2015, according to analysis by Oxford University's Migration Observatory." - BBC Government sticks to pensions plans, but moves to ease women's pension fears "Despite Mr Duncan Smith insistence that ministers were committed to the plans, his officials have started to look at other options in order to prevent women in their late 50s seeing their retirement plans disrupted by the change. But the Treasury is insisting that any alternative proposal should not cost extra money, and one option is to bring forward the state pension age for both men and women." - The Independent Michael Gove could reduce school Summer holidays to four weeks "The Education Secretary called for a shake-up of primary and secondary education at his flagship academies and free schools, including a more flexible, month-long summer recess. State-educated children have traditionally enjoyed a six-week break between the end of July and the first week of September – but Mr Gove’s reforms could lead to the shortest summer holiday in Europe." -Daily Mail Ministers move to block debate on circus animals "The Speaker of the Commons, John Bercow, is being urged by MPs not to allow the Government to block demands for a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses. Ministers plan to head off calls for the practice to be outlawed in a Commons debate on Thursday by tabling a counter-motion which stops short of a ban. There is now a risk that MPs will be able to vote only with the Government motion rather than the backbench call for a ban." - The Independent Steve Richards: The roads to reform are paved with good intentions "Competition can and should be used to shake up complacent public services, but the reformers apply their faith too indiscriminately, without any proper analysis of whether markets can work effectively in services that are a monopoly, such as the railways, or in health, where demand is different and less predictable than weekly shopping. They assume always that the private sector is more efficient than the public alternative, although evidence suggests that the reality is much more mixed." - The Independent Other political news and comment in brief: Mandelson: Ed Miliband must stand up to the unions "...Lord Mandelson said: 'We need to take a few risks; talk more directly to the country; be more innovative and courageous.' At the moment to some in the country we appear almost too tactical, we appear too afraid that what we say might suddenly trigger some disagreement in our party.' He added: 'A leader has got to speak in national terms, he’s got to speak in a way that reflects the national interest not sectional interests, not party interests, not simply trade union interests.'" - Daily Mail And finally... the Daily Mirror calls Cameron "Dastardly Dave" David Cameron's coalition sabotages futures of millions of women with pension plans - Daily Mirror David T Breaker on Comment: Steve Hilton - traditionalist in disguise LeftWatch: Ed Miliband less popular than - wait for it... wait for it... Nick Clegg Julia Manning on Comment: The elderly need love, not rights Roger Helmer MEP on Comment: We are transferring new powers to the EU faster than the previous Labour administration did Lord Flight on Comment: Britain's public spending crisis is not the fault of the banks - both the Labour Government and consumers were over-spending WATCH: Sajid Javid MP tells BBCTV that Greece will default. He describes the €uro as a "bankruptcy machine" Tim Montgomerie on Comment: HiSpeed rail advocates accuse southern NIMBYs of protecting their lawns at the expense of northern jobs ToryDiary: Why would Hilton leave? ConHomeUSA: Today's Republican and American political news Parliament: Christopher Chope makes the case for a maximum limit for unfair dismissal compensation
Bruce Anderson: Why Steve Hilton is Thatcher’s heir in No 10 rows
Mr Anderson paints Steve Hilton as the true heir to Mrs Thatcher in Downing Street in his impatience with the status quo. He then paints this picture of a meeting in Downing Streeet:
"Asked if Britain could afford to help the bailout, or if it could afford not to, Mr Cameron said: “I absolutely don’t believe we should. I don’t believe that we will and I shall be fighting very hard to achieve that at the European Council this week.”" - The Times (£)
"The government will press ahead with plans to raise the state pension age for women but ministers have promised to look at "transitional" arrangements. The coalition wants to raise the pension age for women from 60 to 65 by 2018 as a prelude to both female and male pension ages rising to 66 in 2020. Critics say 330,000 women face working up to two years longer before retiring as a result of the proposals." - BBC
WATCH: William Hague: The President of Syria "is losing legitimacy and he needs to reform or step aside"
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
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