Teatime newslinks for Friday 18th November 2011

CAMERON AND MERKEL MEET

• ToryDiary: Merkel says nein, nein, nein to Cameron
• "David Cameron and Angela Merkel have acknowledged differences over the eurozone crisis but stressed they have the "same plan" for European growth. The UK PM and German chancellor met in Berlin to discuss the eurozone crisis and issues including Iran and Syria." - BBC
• "They were all smiles and jokes and on first name terms, but ... it was clear they had failed to resolve any of the key differences on how best to drag Europe out of its debt-ridden quagmire." - Guardian
• "I think it’s very good that they have a friendly relationship because I think Britain needs to start putting forwards its proposal that we need a looser relationship as they plunge into political union and tight budget control from the centre." - John Redwood MP on Merkel and Cameron - PolHome (£)
• Britain v Germany: who's better off? - Guardian interactive guide
• MPsETC: Bundesbank should deploy its £130 billion of gold reserves if Germany wants to save €uro, says John Baron MP

EUROPE

• "London’s housing stock is fast becoming the wealth haven of choice for Italian and Greek investors, with buyers from the troubled eurozone economies on course to double their spending on property in the capital this year." - FT (£)
• "Greece aims to halve its budget deficit next year provided that a debt swap being negotiated with private sector bondholders goes ahead as planned." - FT (£)
• "Spaniards look poised to elect a new government with a clear mandate for change, at a time when political turmoil in Greece and Italy has brought a sharp escalation of Europe's debt crisis." - WSJ
• "José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Spain’s prime minister, on Thursday became the latest leader to demand that the [European Central Bank] find a solution to the euro crisis, saying that “this is what we transferred power for” and that it had to be a bank “that defends the common policy and its countries.”" - New York Times
• "Poland's prime minister, trying to keep his country in the good graces of jittery bond markets, laid out plans to raise the retirement age, tax farmers and pursue other measures to shore up state finances." - WSJ
• Chris Patten, Miriam Clegg, Polly Toynbee, Simon Cowell and Dame Suzy Leather - Quentin Letts imagines what a Europe-imposed British government might look like

ECONOMY

• Clegg and Miliband both visit Wales on economic trips: "Deputy Minister Nick Clegg was due to visit a recycling project that trains the long-term unemployed in Cardiff on Friday. Labour leader Ed Miliband, at Ford in Bridgend, said the Welsh government's hands were "tied" by Westminster." -BBC
• "A Conservative MP suggests that caps should be put on some benefits paid for children in workless households." - BBC
• Harriett Baldwin MP on Comment: Welfare could be localised and extra children shouldn't always mean more benefits
• Matt Sinclair on Comment: George Osborne can't let energy intensive industry down at the Autumn Statement

OTHER TORY & POLITICAL NEWS

• Pickles to serve up curry college in government integration strategy - Guardian
• Local government: Council byelection results from yesterday
• LeftWatch: Ken Livingstone's route to victory: hanging George Osborne and prosecuting Tony Blair
• Ken Livingstone on Tony Blair and New Labour: 'Go and bring a private prosecution against him for war crimes' - Dan Hodges of Telegraph Blogs
• "Meryl Streep was so determined to make a movie about Margaret Thatcher, she slashed her fee and donated the rest to charity, according to a US report." - UTV