ConservativeHome Top Features

Today's ConservativeHome Top Features Tory Diary: Downing Street won't like the changes at the Times Roger Scruton on Thinkers' Corner: Conservatives must think. So come and do so at the second Conservative Renewal conference. In this week's Culture Column, Daniel Hannan MEP marks Independence Day by praising the author of the Declaration of Independence itself.Thomas Jefferson, Anglosphere hero Craig Whittaker MP on Comment: How care for vulnerable children is being improved Local Government: Boris urges colleges and prisons to help defeat race hatred The Deep End: Bitcoin and the privatisation of currency Today's ConservativeHome Newslinks Army ousts Morsi in Egypt "Mr Morsi, who had earlier refused to resign, was told at 7pm local time he was no longer president as Egypt’s military seized control in a coup. As the streets of Cairo erupted in jubilation, Gen Abdulfattah al-Sisi, the head of the army, made a televised address to the nation accusing Mr Morsi of rejecting calls for national dialogue. Backed by the main religious leaders, Ahmed al-Tayyeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar University, and Pope Tawadros II of the Coptic Church, he said the military was taking up its “patriotic duty to the Egyptian masses”." - Daily Telegraph Hague criticises army from Britain "William Hague has called for restraint in Egypt after president Mohamed Morsi was ousted by the military. The foreign secretary said the UK did not support military intervention and warned British citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to the country – apart from the Red Sea resorts – as thousands of demonstrators took to the streets. Hague said: "The situation is clearly dangerous and we call on all sides to show restraint and avoid violence. "The United Kingdom does not support military intervention as a way to resolve disputes in a democratic system." - The Guardian Obama avoids calling Morsi ouster a ‘coup’ - Financial Times (£) What to do about holidays? - The Independent How Egypt’s military pulled the plug on Morsi’s regime - David Gardner, Financial Times The army isn't the answer for Egypt - Richard Spencer, Daily Telegraph Now Egypt’s Army has taken control, its most important task is to relinquish it - Times Editorial The army establishes a fragile peace in Egypt - Daily Telegraph Editorial Portugal's bond yields surge, Ministers quit and share prices fall as country struggles with loan repayments "Political disarray in Lisbon triggered a surge in Portugal’s bond yields and declines in share prices across Europe yesterday amid fears that the country will struggle to exit its ¤78 billion bailout on time. With Greece facing the threat of delays to its official loan payments, euro area periphery woes spread to Portugal with the resignation of two high-profile government ministers. The yield on ten-year Portuguese bonds spiked to 7.5 per cent, the highest level since late 2012, while the country’s key share index suffer ed its sharpest slide since 2011." - The Times (£) Carney gets off to hat-trick with leap in UK services - Financial Times UK would face huge bill to opt out of EU - The Times (£) In or out, Britain has to play by Europe’s rules - John Cridland, The Times (£) Intellectuals catching up with ordinary folk on EU - Daily Express Editorial King of Belgium abdicates amid paternity scandal - The Times (£) > Yesterday: Stuart Coster on Comment: Labour's retreat and muddle on the EU referendum bill Chris Skidmore MP on Comment: Why historians believe we need a better deal from Europe May overrules own advisers to ban Khat "The Home Secretary said that, if she did not act, Britain could become a transit route for illegally shipping khat into mainland Europe. The amphetamine-like substance is already banned in most European countries, including France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and Ireland. Security experts have also warned that proceeds from selling the drug could be fuelling Islamist extremist groups, such as al-Shabab." -Daily Mail Ban Khat? she might as well ban cats - David Nutt, The Guardian Home Office report reveals effects of immigration... "It said that half the population lives in a town or city which has experienced high levels of immigration over the past decade. Ministers said this ‘uncontrolled’ flow had caused a number of problems for wider society, ranging from pressure on maternity services, high rates of infectious diseases and a squeeze on school places, to disproportionate levels of some types of crime, inflated rents and immigrants living in ‘beds in sheds’. - Daily Mail Warning over Pakistani cousin marriages - The Guardian Sir Norman Bettison referred to police watchdog over Stephen Lawrence - Daily Mail > Yesterday: The Deep End - Immigration is a poor excuse for secularisation Police officer in Diplomatic Protection Group and another woman arrested over Mitchell affair "Two women, including a serving police officer, have been arrested as part of Scotland Yard’s investigation into the so-called ‘plebgate’ affair involving former Tory chief whip Andrew Mitchell. A 37-year-old police constable from the Diplomatic Protection Group, which is tasked with protecting diplomatic and government officials, was arrested at her place of work on suspicion of misconduct in a public office, the Metropolitan Police said." - Daily Mail …As a Cameron secret letter calls for an influx of foreign pupils "Britain should encourage large numbers of foreign pupils to attend state schools under a controversial plan pushed by David Cameron which could see overseas parents charged thousands of pounds in fees. The recommendation, which comes in a leaked letter from the Prime Minister’s private secretary that was obtained by The Times, is likely to trigger a massive row about fees and the capacity of the state school sector." - The Times (£) Church gets go ahead to take over state schools - The Times (£) Gove takes on parents, saying that too many children are being raised in chaotic homes "In an outspoken intervention, the Education Secretary warned that many households were being turned into guesthouses with “fleeting” fathers playing a bit-part in children’s lives and young people being left to fend for themselves. Children often turn up at school without eating breakfast in the morning as a result of poor parenting – not because of financial hardships, he said. Mr Gove insisted that schools were now increasingly seen as the only major source of stability in many children’s lives." - Daily Telegraph Fresh from taking on Osborne, Pickles takes on travellers who invade a cricket pitch "Unaware that this political heavyweight was tailing them, the 40 or so travellers smashed down a metal gate and fence and set up camp on the cricket pitch. Acting on impulse, the minister — a Yorkshireman once known as the Beast of Bradford — challenged the travellers as to why they were setting up camp on parish council property. Mr Pickles, a man known for his imposing physical presence, cut a lonely but intimidating figure as he remonstrated with the travellers shortly after 10pm." - Daily Mail Local council cuts will lead to skeleton service, warns Sir Merrick Cockell - The Guardian Speaker takes on Defence Secretary over closure of army bases "Bercow accused Hammond of a "woefully inadequate" and "utterly incompetent" performance after the shadow defence secretary, Jim Murphy, was forced to respond to a statement with no idea about which bases would close. The speaker criticised the defence secretary on Wednesday after he announced that the number of army reserve bases would be cut by 26 – from 334 to 308 – as the government revamps the renamed Territorial Army." - The Guardian And finally, on this day of taking-ons, Zac Goldsmith takes on Owen Paterson over GM foods, labelling him an 'industry puppet' "The Richmond Park MP accused his fellow party member of making "nonsensical" claims about the benefits of GM technology, claiming that Mr Paterson is a puppet of the industry and does not understand the dangers genetically modified crops pose to the ecosystem. Speaking to The Independent, Mr Goldsmith said the environment secretary's recent speech to formally launch his campaign to grow GM crops in Britain was "nonsense"." - The Independent Grayling to announce plans for 70 'resettlement prisons' that hold offenders close to home before their release "Plans to create 70 “resettlement prisons” so offenders can be held close to their home before release will be announced today by Chris Grayling, the Justice Secretary. The moves are aimed at smoothing prisoners’ return to the outside world, reducing their chances of returning to crime. Mr Grayling said the move would mean all offenders receiving “through the gate” supervision and support to turn their lives around." - The Independent Tameside Hospital Chief Executive quits "Christine Green quit at Tameside Hospital, Gtr Manchester, after claims some patients had to wait up to four days to see a consultant. Others were left languishing in corridors for hours. It is understood the decision was agreed with the trust’s board last week. But the decision was announced yesterday after three local MPs — David Heyes, Jonathan Reynolds and Andrew Gwynne — renewed calls for her to go." - The Sun Health regulator bosses admit they 'got it wrong' by leaving out names of executives involved in Morecambe cover-up - Daily Mail Civil servant paid £73,000 to prepare for MPs’ questions on NHS computer system - The Times (£) Diane Abbott brands health charge ‘xenophobic’ - The Sun End free ride - Sun Editorial A £200 bill won't stop foreigners abusing our NHS - Professor J Meirion Thomas, Daily Mail PMQs: Oh dear, what can the matter be? Miliband's papers are stuck in the lavatory... "Notes esigned to help Ed Miliband rebuff a Tory onslaught over Labour’s links to the Unite union have been published after being left in a Commons toilet. In a major embarrassment for the Labour leader, they show his aides were expecting him to be forced to defend Tom Watson, his party’s campaign chief, during Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday." -The Times (£) Cameron to Miliband: You're McCluskey's sock puppet "Mr Cameron deflected questions from the Labour leader on primary school class sizes, and instead said Mr Miliband was reading from a script written by Unite's general secretary Len McCluskey. Mr Cameron said: "You go up and down the country speaking for Len McCluskey. "I have got the press release here - 'How Unite plans to change the Labour Party' - and this is what it says: 'We give millions of pounds to the party, the relationship has to change. We want a firmly class-based and left-wing General Election campaign'." - Daily Express > Yesterday: Andrew Lilico on Comment: How David Cameron could win the next General Election – by not holding it in May 2015 In his PMQs review, Andrew Gimson sees Cameron bring Len McCluskey before a wider public by using him to beat Miliband: Unite's constituency push revealed "And now a private document from Unite has emerged which spells out its attempts to support candidates in no fewer than 41 constituencies. In the report, the union’s political officer describes a “furious” operation to help with selections, with more than three officials working almost full-time on “candidate selection matters”. He notes the growing press interest in the “malign” influence of the union, adding: “A Times editorial attacking us is a medal of honour.” - Financial Times Labour admits union paid for 500 new members - The Independent Shadow Defence Secretary Jim Murphy blasts Unite - The Sun Labour under fire after union puts pressure on whistleblower - The Times (£) Miliband’s challenge - Daily Mail Editorial Falkirk may seem minor, but for Labour it really matters - Martin Kettle, The Guardian Labour must ignore the siren voices of the futile Left - Simon Danczuk MP, The Times (£) Labour leads fightback against critics of HS2 - Financial Times  Schools and hospitals should buy British food, says Mary Creagh -Daily Telegraph > Yesterday: LeftWatch: The plot thickens over Labour's Falkirk scandal Local Government: Labour councillors approved illegal pay rise Columnist Stephan Shakespeare: As the Left's ideas decline across Europe, Labour doesn't know what to say Peter Oborne: In praise of Kenneth Minogue "Prof Minogue is not a household name, but he does hold an honoured place among the small group of political philosophers, writers and economists who made the case for freedom and questioned the growth of government power in the post-war era. Here are some of the others: Michael Oakeshott; FA Hayek; Maurice Cowling; Bill and Shirley Letwin (parents of Oliver, the Conservative politician); columnists. TE Utley, George Gale, Peregrine Worsthorne, Colin Welch and Frank Johnson; John O’Sullivan; Roger Scruton. Most of these fine people, li ke Ken Minogue, are now dead." - Daily Telegraph News in Brief Murray battles through five sets to reach Wimbledon semi-finals -The Times (£) Green taxes will push energy bills up to £2,000 - Daily Mail Business leaders back pay rise for MPs - Financial Times  Taxpayer funding £500,000 Whitehall payoffs - Daily Telegraph Snowden row intensifies as hidden bug found in Ecuador's embassy - The Guardian Murdoch’s secret rant over hacking inquiry - Daily Express Your chance to win the Ridley prize - Spectator Temperatures set to hit 30C next week - Daily Mail Yesterday on ConservativeHome In his PMQs review, Andrew Gimson sees Cameron bring Len McCluskey before a wider public by using him to beat Miliband ToryDiary: The significance of Team 2015 Columns Greg Clark MP's latest Weekly Letter From a Treasury Minister:Has Labour changed? No, it hasn't. Brown's heirs are in charge. Henry Hill's Red, White and Blue column: Scotland scraps right to buy, and Wales introduces opt-out organ donation Comment Emma Carr: Theresa May’s right – we need to rethink stop and search Andrew Lilico: How David Cameron could win the next General Election – by not holding it in May 2015 LeftWatch: The plot thickens over Labour's Falkirk scandal Local Government: Labour councillors approved illegal pay rise WATCH: Ahead of the EU Referendum vote, James Wharton MP says "it's about time people were given a say"