Papers go in hard on Theresa May's immigration debacle - especially the Daily Telegraph - which presents her as saying: "I'm sorry, I haven't a clue"
"Theresa May has admitted that she secretly agreed to relax border controls on hundreds of thousands of passengers at British ports and airports. Checks on migrants were eased amid concern at lengthy queues of passengers at passport control, fuelling fears of disorder in arrivals halls and disruption to flight schedules. The Home Secretary also told MPs that the number of suspected terrorists, criminals and illegal immigrants who entered the country will never be known, as a result of officials widening the policy to include non-EU nationals." - The Times (£)
"A leaked document shows that in July the Home Secretary authorised UK Border Agency staff not to carry out full checks on the passports of hundreds of thousands of people arriving at British airports and ports for a six-week period." - Daily Telegraph
- "Last night a damaging leaked document also revealed that the rule change was brought in to cut queues at airports, not for security reasons. Home Office sources also admitted Mrs May was kept informed about the original scheme." - Daily Mail
- "Ms May is battling the worst problem of her 18 months in her post and the UKBA faces fresh questions over its competence. ... Mr Cameron yesterday expressed his full confidence in Ms May and stayed in the Commons to give her his support as she faced a torrent of opposition criticism." - Independent
- "The home secretary said as a result of the extra measures "we will never know how many people entered the country who should have been prevented from doing so after being flagged by the warnings index"." - Guardian
- The Sun Says: "The borders scandal makes a farce of all the promised "crackdowns". Just a
- bout any foreigner has been able to waltz in with barely a glance at their passport."
- The Daily Telegraph's editorial attacks Labour for their record on immigration: "Meanwhile, it ill behoves Labour to make such a song and dance about this affair, given that it was the last government that so lost control of our borders that hundreds of thousands of people entered the country illegally and will never be removed."
- Immigration petition set to trigger MP debate after 100,000 join fight to limit population - Daily Telegraph
> Coverage from yesterday:
David Cameron: Germany should be doing more to rescue the Euro
"The Prime Minister said it was “difficult to understand” why the European Central Bank, which relies largely on German funding, was not “doing more” to help beleaguered nations. ... Mr Cameron is thought to be in support of a plan for the European Central Bank effectively to print money in a Continent-wide quantitative easing programme which could be used to rescue Italy and possibly Spain. The ECB is heavily dependent on German financing but Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, has refused to support the bank playing a central role in a eurozone bailout pa ckage because of fears that it will cause high inflation. It is the first time that the Prime Minister has publicly expressed his anger at Germany for blocking a deal involving the ECB." - Daily Telegraph
- "Major planning has been carried out by the treasury and Britain’s other financial regulators, including the Bank of England and the Financial Services Authority, on the likely impact of the collapse of the euro, British prime minister David Cameron said." - Irish Times
- "Mr Berlusconi told Libero that after the budget vote, he would ask for a confidence vote on the reform package he has promised to the EU and the European Central Bank." - The Times (£)
- Cameron seeks to bolster trade ties with China - Reuters
- Simon Heffer: "What we are witnessing is the economic colonisation of Europe by stealth by the Germans. Once, it would have taken an invading military force to topple the leadership of a European nation. Today, it can be done through sheer economic pressure"
> From yesterday: WATCH: David Cameron: "Britain will not contribute to the €urozone bailout fund"
Tories alarmed at the rise of the "Groupe de Francfort"
"Tory MPs have united with smaller members of the eurozone in alarm at the emergence of the “Groupe de Francfort”, an informal gathering of high-powered figures to take key decisions on the single currency. ... The Frankfurt group met four times at the G20 in Cannes and agreed to put the latest €8 billion instalment of the Greek bailout on hold until the question of a referendum was settled. This overruled the 17 finance ministers of the eurogroup, which had earlier agreed to release the cash for Athens. ... One official fro m an excluded eurozone country said: “We seem to be in a state of crisis with structures popping up to do what needs to be done.” Priti Patel, Tory MP for Witham, said that the development was worrying. “The last thing that Europe needs is more backroom deals,” she said." - The Times (£)
> Yesterday on ToryDiary: Cameron needs to tell Britain where he stands on Europe
Michael Gove announces new drive for discipline in schools
"Trainee teachers will be instilled with a zero-tolerance approach to ill discipline in school. They will be taught to bring back the traditions of pupils standing when a teacher enters the room and of keeping quiet in corridors. A trainee unable to prove they can control a rowdy classroom will not qualify for a teaching post. The radical shake-up by Education Secretary Michael Gove is designed to raise standards in state education. New teachers will have to punish any pupil who steps outside strict codes of behaviour." - Daily Mail
Transport Select Committee report endorses HS2
"The House of Commons transport committee is giving the project cross-party support ahead of a critical juncture for the plans, with the government set to approve High Speed Two (HS2) when it publishes its response to a public consultation before Christmas. Louise Ellman, the Labour chair of the committee, embraced the pro-camp's argument that a new line will eliminate concerns over a capacity squeeze on the west coast main line – one of the UK's main transport arteries." - Guardian
- Stop these Nimby rail battle insults over HS2, Ministers are warned -Daily Mail
> From yesterday - Victoria Borwick on Comment: We need a solution to help increase aviation capacity - either growing Gatwick or building a completely new airport
Eric Pickles: More state employees should work from home, to save the Treasury £15bn a year
"The move would reduce the amount spent on office space, cut sickness levels and could even increase productivity by up to 15 per cent, the report found. ... The report, which was announced by Mr Pickles, called on public services to share office accommodation, depots and customer service desks to save money. It also suggested that councils, health centres, emergency services and other organisations should pool their properties so buildings could be used for the best purpose in that area." -
Daily TelegraphAndrew Lansley announces patient protection standards for healthcare assistants
"Hundreds of thousands of unregulated healthcare assistants in the NHS will be made to meet new minimum training standards to protect patients from poor care, The Times has learnt. Care workers will be subject to a code of conduct and those who break the rules face being barred from working in the health service.The changes stop short of the compulsory regulation which was demanded by nursing bodies, who said that stronger rules were needed to ensure that patients are treated with dignity." - The Times (£)
- NHS cancer figures contradict David Cameron and Andrew Lansley's claims - Guardian
Rachel Sylvester: Lords Heseltine and Young are figureheads for competing Conservative economic approaches
"They also disagree about the extent to which ministers should step in to help struggling businesses. Lord Heseltine is still “totally convinced” that governments “do and should and could” intervene. Lord Young is equally certain that British companies must be allowed to live or die on their own merits. “It is odd how old arguments return in politics,” he wrote this year after the Bombardier train factory in Derby lost a contract to build new Thameslink carriages." - Rachel Sylvester for the Times (£)
Treasury Select Committee calls for revamp of the Bank of England's governance
"In a report published today, the committee says the Bank's governance is out of date and too weak for its expanded task of combating financial crises. The MPs call for the Bank's court to become a smaller, expert supervisory board with its own staff. The board should also decide where money is spent at the Bank, review the Bank's conduct and publish its minutes." -Independent
Liam Fox and Adam Werritty may be called as witnesses - BBC
Class A drugs caused me long-term mental damage: Tory MP Louise Mensch's candid confession - Daily Mail
Police will have the right to fire rubber bullets on student protesters as they prepare for huge London demonstration
"Police are prepared to use plastic bullets for the first time on the British mainland if student protests planned for tomorrow erupt into violence. Scotland Yard revealed yesterday that the baton rounds have been authorised for a student fees march in London amid fears it could be hijacked by anarchists and troublemakers. Baton gun rounds have never been used on the British mainland, but they have been linked to deaths in Northern Ireland." - Daily Mail
- Millbank demo student avoids prison sentence despite 'utterly disgraceful behaviour' so he can study human rights - Daily Mail
Welfare reforms could force 600,000 off incapacity benefit - Guardian
- Jobless rate rises for young in UK - The Sun
Elected officials banned from running with the London 2012 Olympics torch relay - Daily Telegraph
- Government buys £750,000 of Olympic tickets - Independent
- "Lord Coe faced tough questions from senior MPs yesterday regarding a lucrative Olympic contract awarded to a controversial American chemicals company that campaigners say will taint London 2012." - Independent
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