Today's ConservativeHome Top Features
ToryDiary: "This site has argued from the start that the strategist isn't the man to have acted improperly, and it can be argued that since he hasn't, the controversy should now end. Unfortunately, however, it won't." - Yesterday's statements won't quell the Crosby controversy
Garvan Walshe's weekly foreign affairs column: Israeli-Palestinian peace talks are back - don’t let a boycott ruin themHenry Hill's Red, White and Blue column: Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales welcome their future sovereign
Councillor George Bathurst on Comment: The Conservative Renewal Conference offers a chance to honestly debate immigration
Local Government: Councils should allow more cash machines to help revive high streets
The Deep End: Pornography, cathedrals and the conservative case for common ownership
Today's ConservativeHome Newslinks
Crosby and the Cabinet Secretary reject tobacco lobbying allegations
"Mr Crosby himself denied that he had "any conversation or discussion" with the Prime Minister over tobacco or “sought to improperly use my position as part-time campaign adviser”. That went farther than Mr Cameron, who has thus far said only that he has not been “lobbied by” the strategist and that he did not “intervene” in the decision to shelve the plans. A Downing Street source said that Mr Cameron had made a decision not to say explicitly that he had never discussed tobacco regulation because he did not want to set a precedent." - The Times (£)
>Today: ToryDiary - Yesterday's statements won't quell the Crosby controversy
Help to Buy is "mad", say business leaders
- Osborne extends the scheme - FT (£)
- Stop driving up prices, start boosting supply - The Times Leader (£)
- EU migrants get access to the taxpayer-funded scheme - Daily Mail
- Laudable intent, risky results - Daily Express Leader
- Treasury urges housebuilders to construct more homes - FT (£)
- Ministers must plan how to turn off the tap - Daily Telegraph Leader
"The Prime Minister said Britain had suffered a ‘frightening’ decade of ‘completely lax’ border policies, which had placed huge strain on communities. And he hinted at further measures to cut the number of people arriving in the UK. His comments come after the Office for Budget Responsibility warned Britain would need millions more immigrants in the coming decades to offset the effects of an ageing population." - Daily Mail
Rural residents short-changed by public services
"MPs say that reduced cash for rural areas is “deeply unfair” and warn that current policies do not reflect the difficulties of providing services spread far apart with inadequate transport and support. They point out, too, that broadband is very slow and that large parts of the country have no mobile phone signal. A quarter of the population — about 12.7 million people — live in rural areas, which make up 86 per cent of England." - The Times (£)
Taliban 1: Tory MEP Sajjad Karim attacks "Anti-EU Taliban" in his own party
"Writing on Twitter during a debate on Europe, he said: 'It seems the anti-EU taliban find it difficult to accept a different point of view!' He added: 'The ANTI-EU TALIBAN don't want an informed British public or an informed debate. Bring it on!' Mr Karim later insisted he had not used the term lightly, adding: 'That's exactly what they are.' 'You are no longer allowed to hold a view unless it's the same view as them,' he told Huffington Post." - Daily Mail
- Britain extends lead as Europe's top investment destination - The Times (£)
- Export activity at highest level since 2007 - FT (£)
>Yesterday: ToryDiary - If it carries on like this, the review of EU powers is set to fail - and here are four reasons why
Taliban 2: Cable pummels the "capital Taliban" rebalancing the banks
"Vince Cable, business secretary, has lifted the lid on tensions between the government and the Bank of England criticising its “capital Taliban” whom he accuses of holding back the recovery by imposing excessive financial burdens on the banks. Mr Cable believes the BoE has held back small business lending by demanding banks hold onerous levels of capital as a cushion against further shocks, a view shared by George Osborne, chancellor." - FT (£)
Revolution in Whitehall buying policy seeks to save £1bn
"In a challenge to departmental autonomy, the purchase of “common services” – from travel to energy – will be delivered by a new executive agency, to be called the Crown Commercial Service. A prominent private sector figure is being sought to chair the organisation, which will start work in the autumn." - FT (£)
What is the Royal baby's economic impact?
- Republican moaners are out of touch... - The Sun Says
- ...and sidelined - Daily Telegraph Leader
- The Royals make up for dreary politicians - Mary Riddell, Daily Telegraph
- PM's union flag cufflinks in honour of the Royal baby - Daily Mail
>Yesterday: ToryDiary - The royal baby may be crowned King as this century grows old - testament to the monarchy's enduring power
>Yesterday: WATCH - First public viewing of royal baby
Gove polling reveals public opposition to teachers' strikes
"Most Brits oppose the upcoming teacher strikes — with a third believing they should be banned from walking out EVER. And nearly two-thirds support Government plans for pay based on performance. Of 1,700 voters polled about the strikes by NUT and NASUWT members over pay and conditions, just 29 per cent were in support." - The Sun
Stafford nurses falsified hospital records to hit targets
"Two nurses faked patient records to meet targets at scandal-hit Stafford Hospital - with one also found to have used foul mouthed language about patients. Sharon Turner and Tracy White falsified accident and emergency discharge times to avoid missing a government goal for patients to be dealt with within four hours. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) also found that nurse Sharon Turner used foul mouthed language about patients and threatened to make her colleague’s life 'hell'." - Daily Mail
- Consultant shortage hits A&E - The Guardian
"There is something else Conservatives always promise and which now needs to be made a reality: a smaller, less intervention-prone State. So let us begin with a slap on the wrist for Maria Miller who thinks it her job to act as arbiter of sexism. This interfering busybody grandstands about a men-only golf club but says nothing about women-only clubs such as the WI and the University Women’s Club…Tell me, Maria, do you think David Cameron’s candidates’ A-list is sexist? If so will you please write to him in the same terms that you wrote to the BBC?" - Anne Widdecombe, Daily Express
- Cameron must hold to his pledge - Daily Mail Leader
- The proposals add little and bring unintended consequences - FT Leader (£)
- Ministers launch new assault on paedophile gangs - The Sun
- 5,000 patients can't be discharged due to lack of home care - Daily Mail
- How the American left murdered Detroit - Daniel Finkelstein, The Times (£)
- Prince William's foreign policy adviser controversially joins pro-EU camp - Daily Mail
- Paul Gambaccini reveals BBC labelled his personnel file with a "Camp as Christmas" symbol - Daily Mail
- Has David Cameron lost a front tooth? - Daily Mail
Yesterday on ConservativeHome
ToryDiary: "Maybe Coalition politics or civil service intransigence makes a proper, punchy review unfeasible at the moment - but if that is the case, it might have been better not to start a halfway house process rather than end up with a fudge which provides ammunition to our enemies in Brussels and at home." - If it carries on like this, the review of EU powers is set to fail - and here are four reasons why
Lucius Winslow on Comment: Why Conservatives have a future in Northern Ireland
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