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UNEASE OVER DAVID CAMERON'S VETO

"David Cameron has defended his decision not to block the use of EU institutions by a new eurozone fiscal pact. He told the Commons the pact "places no obligations" on the UK, but he would take "legal action" if the future role of the European Court threatened UK. Conservative MPs have accused the PM of weakening the stance he took last year when he vetoed EU treaty change." - BBC
Full text of Cameron's Commons statement today - Number 10
"We’re back to business as usual, ministers and mandarins cutting deals, and the people of this country ignored. If you’re a Eurosceptic there’s only one show in town after yesterday, and that’s calling for a referendum. We cannot leave SW1 people to make euro policy anymore" - Douglas Carswell MP quoted by PoliticsHome (£)
"Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith asked for reassurances about whether British interests are properly protected under the new non-EU treaty. My information is that he is still seeking further reassurance from lawyers - which means that he is not yet satisfied. Owen Paterson also made comments at Cabinet, which will remind people there are two big eurosceptic beasts at the coffin shaped table." - Joe Murphy

ED MILIBAND'S EUROPEAN POSING

LeftWatch: Now pandering Miliband poses as a Euro-sceptic
"[M]y guess is that — just as when Miliband attacked Cameron for not signing up to the latest treaty, but couldn't say whether he'd have signed it himself — this is more him trying to have his cake and eat it." - Peter Hoskin
"If one thing can be guaranteed to help rally support on the Tory benches is the sound of Labour's leader revving up the bandwagon." - Tim Shipman
"Ed Miliband still won’t say whether he would have signed Britain up to a new European treaty without safeguards for our country. This confusion is exactly why the nation sees him as weak and indecisive." - Nadhim Zahawi MP quoted by PoliticsHome (£)
Ed Miliband would have done nothing about Fiscal Union - Iain Martin

CONSERVATIVES EXTEND LEAD OVER LABOUR ON ECONOMIC CREDIBILITY

"Even after the economy shrank by 0.2 per cent and the unemployment rate rose to its highest point since 1995, the public still think [the Tories are] better at handling the economy than Labour... Before Christmas, 31 per cent said the Tories would best handle the economy, against 27 per cent over Labour. In today’s YouGov poll, that four point lead has trebled to become a 12 point lead — the biggest since autumn 2010" - Coffee House
"The number accusing the Government of cutting spending too fast is down from 58% to 48%. The proportion saying the cuts are necessary is up from 55 to 60%, while the number saying they are unnecessary is down from 34% to 26%." - Liberal Conspiracy

FALKLAND ISLANDS DEBATE

The government has ruled out bringing in a UK law to ensure the Falkland Islands' right to remain British - BBC
"The Navy’s most sophisticated warship is being sent to the South Atlantic in a move that will send a powerful message to Argentina. Dauntless will set sail for the Falkland Islands in the coming weeks armed with a battery of missiles that could "take out all of South America's fighter aircraft let alone Argentina's," according to one Navy source. Although Mr Hague played down the deployment he said the ship was a "formidable vessel"." - Daily Telegraph
Britain’s Falklands message to Argentina: don’t even think about it - Nile Gardiner

OTHER TORY & POLITICAL NEWS

"Should Chris Huhne's legal travails force Cameron to reshuffle his cabinet, the PM may well take an opportunity to move the discredited Lansley." - New Statesman
ToryDiary: New Northern Ireland Conservative Party formed in challenge to UUP
Mandelson sidesteps Lords disclosure rules - FT Westminster
The Government's fetish for entrepreneurs is dangerously misguided - Robert Colvile
Judge calls for law change over deathbed wills - Daily Telegraph

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