Tuesday 12th June 2007

4PM PICK OF THE WEB

• James Cleverly critisises attempts to legislate against breastfeeding in public
• ToryRadio is bemused at Tony Blair complaining about the media
• Peter Hitchens asks if democracy the same as freedom in his column, a theme picked up by this website
• Richard Spring MP describes the need for an Iraq inquiry
• Mike Smithson has started officially recording wagers made between his commenters
• 18 Doughty Street has a Citizen Journalist video interview of regular ConservativeHome commenter Justin Hinchcliffe, funny ending
• Archbishop Cranmer says Amen to depoliticising education
• An Englishman's Castle applies the Army Officer test to Brown, Cameron, Willetts et al...

2.30pm PlayPolitical: Mitt Romney's web campaign team

Noon ToryDiary: Lowering and simplifying tax for small business

11.00am ToryDiary: Smoking Police?

Interviews: Any questions for Nadine Dorries?

ToryDiary: Skills give Conservatives competitive edge over Brown

YourPlatform: Paul Stephenson: Look Over There

IRAQ

"Iraq believes that Gordon Brown will follow Tony Blair’s policies and refuse to sanction a swift pullout of troops when he becomes Prime Minister." - Times

"Tony Blair suffered the final backbench revolt of his premiership over Iraq last night when the Government's majority was nearly halved to 35 as it fought off a Tory call for an inquiry into the war." - Telegraph

What are the precedents for a war inquiry? - Independent

BAE/SAUDI ALLEGATIONS

"Pressure was mounting on ministers for full disclosure of the government's role in Britain's biggest arms deal last night after claims that the Ministry of Defence directly administered payments of more than £1bn to Prince Bandar of Saudi Arabia." - Guardian

"There are lots of unanswered questions about the al-Yamamah arms deal and the allegations of corruption by BAE, but there's one that's bugging me: where are the Conservatives, or - to give them their full glorious title - Her Majesty's Official Opposition?" Mark Pack in the Guardian

ENGLISH MPs CAN'T STOP ENGLISH PAYING FOR SCOTTISH STUDENTS

"I suppose it's too much to hope that Gordon Brown gives a monkey's about the gross discrimination faced by English students in Scotland. I don't know whether our next prime minister is even aware that under the chaotic devolutionary settlement, the English taxpayer is now to be called upon to shell out the thick end of £2bn so that Scottish students can be charged nothing at all for studies in Scotland - while English students will be asked to pay their full whack of fees." - Boris Johnson in the Guardian

TORIES BACK BROWN TAX RISE

"The Conservatives are unlikely to oppose attempts to increase capital gains tax on private equity companies, one of the party’s leading cheerleaders for private equity has told The Times." - Times

NEW TORY CONTROLLED COUNCIL FREES UP £1.5MILLION

"The new administration at Weston Town Hall says it has already freed up to £1.5million since taking control of North Somerset Council." - Weston & Somerset Mercury

LONG HANDOVER TO BROWN MAY BE BENEFICIAL

"Fifteen days to go. It may look messy but the seemingly endless handover in 10 Downing Street, feeling rather like a very long flight to the Far East, will not only end soon but may turn out to have been beneficial." - Peter Riddell in the Times

NEW ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAWS UNVEILED

"Golf clubs and other private members' establishments will no longer be able to ban women members from their bars or discriminate in any other way on gender grounds under a shakeup of equality laws unveiled today." - Guardian

Please use this thread to highlight other interesting news and commentary...