Newslinks for Saturday 19th March 2011

10pm WATCH: French warplanes strike Libyan city

4pm ToryDiary: Goldie pledges a £200 pensioner council tax cut each year

3.30pm WATCH: Sir Malcolm Rifkind - "The aircraft can attack tanks, military units - anything now advancing on Benghazi"

3pm ToryDiary: Halfon's hunt for Gaddafi's cash for British Universities

12.15pm WATCH: Plane shot down over Benghazi

11am David Roache on Comment: Public Sector Pensions – let’s have the facts

ToryDiary: Ten things you should know about George Osborne

Comment:

Martin Cakebread: Why I am optimistic about the Government’s plans for the Armed Forces

Karl McCartney MP: Lincoln’s Community Larder and the Big Society

Local Government: Harrow Council's transparency u-turn

Parliament: Conservative MPs line up to support Cameron on Libya - but he's probed about the arms embargo

WATCH:

• Cameron is transformed into a hawk
• "The Prime Minister could lose a tooth" - Comic Relief takes Masterchef to Downing Street

As Paris Libya summit looms, Cameron says Gaddafi must go

"Libya's Colonel Gaddafi  was given an ultimatum to  surrender power last night as British jets readied for military action against his murderous regime.  In a clear hardening of tone just hours after the United Nations backed a no-fly zone, the Prime Minister said: ‘It is almost impossible to envisage a future for Libya that includes him. Gaddafi must go, he has no legitimacy.’ " - Daily Mail

"Mr Cameron will meet French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Arab allies as UK planes are due to deploy to help impose a United Nations-backed no-fly zone.  The UN Security Council agreed to "all necessary measures", short of military occupation, to protect civilians from leader Col Muammar Gaddafi's forces…A joint statement by the UK, France and the US demanded that Col Gaddafi's troops stop their advance on the rebel stronghold of Benghazi and pull back from the towns of Ajdabiya, Misrata, and Zawiya." - BBC

The Prime Minister sweeps all before him in the Commons...

"They talked glowingly of Mr Cameron's "breathtaking courage," and his "superb leadership." Even those who admitted they had doubted the Prime Minister were forced to admit he had brought off a "remarkable diplomatic success".  In the eyes of some, Mr Cameron has come a long way in fewer than three weeks – from naïve novice to bold statesman…as he travels to Paris this morning for a meeting of the European Union and Arab League, the Prime Minister has a right to feel vindicated." - Daily Telegraph

"The normally pugnacious Chris Bryant summed up the mood in the House as the former Labour foreign minister acknowledged that the government had the “support it needs”, following an hour’s debate over the UN’s resolution to implement a no-fly zone over parts of Libya.  Ed Miliband, Labour leader, also gave his backing, saying it would be “quite wrong” for Britain to “stand by and do nothing”." - Financial Times (£)

"Cameron's team hope his success in helping to shape the world's response to the Libya crisis, along with Nicolas Sarkozy, will be a defining moment of his early premiership. "I have always said that you would only see the mettle of David Cameron and the class act when he was challenged by his first international crisis," one of his oldest political allies said.  "The way he is emerging during this crisis has utterly vindicated our judgment in him." - The Guardian

"Mr Cameron and Mr Obama had not spoken for eight days, an unusual communication hiatus between the White House and Downing Street.  Downing Street officials insist that the Anglo-American wheels were being well oiled by regular conversations between William Hague and Hillary Clinton, Sir Peter Ricketts, the National Security Adviser, and his West Wing counterpart Tom Donilon, Sir Mark Lyall Grant, Britain’s UN ambassador, and Susan Rice, the US envoy." - The Times (£)

...And Tony Blair lines up to support him (while urging change across the region)...

"Events in Libya cannot be divorced from what is happening across the Middle East. It is here that Western policy is still evolving. The implications are vast…The key to making those decisions is to develop a strategic framework for helping to shape this revolutionary change sweeping the region. We need a policy that is clear, explicable and that marries our principles to the concerns of realpolitik.  It also has to recognise that we are not spectators in what is happening. History, attitude and interests all dictate that we are players." - The Times (£)

...But Cameron faces a newspaper squeeze from his left and right.  The traditional Tory papers, the Telegraph and Mail, are deeply sceptical.  The Guardian is opposed.

"Some of the praise for the UN’s robust resolution must go to David Cameron. He was one of the first Western leaders to call for a no-fly zone, laying out the compelling moral case for supporting and protecting those brave Libyans who dared to challenge their oppressor despite their lack of arms or aircraft…in the first real international test of his premiership, Mr Cameron has shown leadership." - The Times Editorial (£)

"At a time when the Government is desperately battling to restore sanity to our public finances, the last thing we need is a costly war. And are Britain's national interests best served by confronting another Muslim state? Gaddafi may be a ruthless oppressor of his own people but, now that he has stopped sponsoring terror groups and has renounced nuclear weapons, he hardly poses an immediate threat to national security." - Daily Telegraph Editorial

• This time, do we know what we are doing? - Daily Mail Editorial
• A welcome moment of unity, but there are dangers ahead - Independent Editorial
• The perils of intervention - The Guardian Editorial
• Show him we’re serious - The Sun

The commentators' take -

• A good intervention is hard to pull off – but we should still try - Charles Moore, Daily Telegraph
• Remember Basra, and beware mission creep - Matthew Parris, The Times (£)
• To have an impact, this kind of intervention needs clear objectives - Patrick Cockburn, The Independent
• The first Libyan battle is won - Sir Malcolm Rifkind, The Guardian
• Did the debacle of Iraq teach us nothing? - Sir Andrew Green, Daily Mail
• Does Sarkozy deserve more credit than Cameron? - David Blackburn, Coffee House

> Yesterday's Conservative Home Libya crisis coverage -

Tory Diary:

• Can Cameron turn a diplomatic triumph into a military success?
• Today, Britain has a new foreign policy - and it isn't neo-conservatism. It's the politics of "it depends".
• What has Libya got to do with us? Is this another Iraq? David Cameron provides the answers

Comment: Robin Simcox - What is it with Democrats and interventionism?

Parliament:

• David Cameron makes an emergency statement to the Commons saying that UK forces are being deployed to enforce the UN Resolution in Libya and that MPs will have a debate on the deployment next week
• The Government has published the text of the motion on Libya which MPs will debate on Monday
• Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Richard Ottaway expresses his concern that a no-fly zone will result in stalemate and that we therefore need a Plan B in Libya

WATCH:

• David Cameron tells Nick Robinson he will judge Gaddafi by his actions rather than his words after the Libyan authorities announce a ceasefire
• Nick Clegg gives his unequivocal backing to military action in Libya on the grounds of "upholding international law"
• David Cameron's statement to the Commons on Libya in full
• William Hague welcomes last night's UN resolution authorising action against Libya

As next week's budget looms, the Financial Times profiles George Osborne

"George Osborne is assiduously building a formidable base inside and outside the Conservative party that could support a leadership bid once David Cameron steps down, the Financial Times has learnt.  The chancellor will deliver his second Budget next week with some senior Labour figures talking about him as the next Tory leader, even if they still believe his tough fiscal stance will cost Britain both growth and jobs." - Financial Times (£)

Read the full profile here

Latest budget stories -

• Osborne to introduce new tax break for business giants' overseas earnings - Daily Mail
• Red tape rethink to spur office conversions - Financial Times (£)
• Green 'revolution' hit by new curbs on investment bank - The Guardian
• Economic predictions to cast shadow over Osborne Budget - The Times (£)

In his first column for the Daily Mail, Iain Martin urges the Chancellor to cut taxes in next week's budget

"Since the war, electorally successful governments have tended to appeal to the ‘strivers’. Mrs Thatcher felt an instinctive connection with such Britons. Tony Blair realised he would have to connect with them even if his words were phoney.  So far, Cameron and Osborne, both drawn from privileged backgrounds, have not seemed interested in those who strive. This, then, should be Osborne’s chance to repair that damage." - Iain Martin, Daily Mail

Other pre-budget comment -

• Osborne's black swan threat for Budget - Alex Brummer, Daily Mail
• Why Osborne will struggle to sell his Budget of growth - Andrew Grice, The Independent

Yesterday in Comment -

Mark Field MP: Our economic mission needs an explicitly stronger moral dimension

Cable to receive hundreds of red tape complaints at FSB conference

"The submissions make for depressing reading, providing a glimpse into how civil servants tie up businesses in red tape, suffocating entrepreneurship and job creation.  From fines for those who conclude that running their business should take priority over filling in forms for the Office for National Statistics, to the insistence that a bat box must be heated. What has been most shocking has been the intransigence of officials." - Daily Telegraph

At the Scottish Conservative Conference, Goldie wants more powers to cut Scottish taxes...

"Scottish families could have their financial burden eased by tax cuts if Holyrood gets new financial powers, Annabel Goldie hinted yesterday.  But speaking ahead of her party’s spring conference the Scottish Tory leader insisted that any cuts could not be “irresponsible” and they would have to be specifically aimed at boosting the economy…The Tories promoted themselves as the straight talkers of the coming Scottish Parliamentary election." - Daily Express

...But Michael Forsyth warns that the tax plan could help to break up the UK

"Senior Tories are openly rebelling against David Cameron's plans to give the Scottish parliament greater tax-raising powers, days before the party goes into the Scottish election campaign.  Lord Forsyth, the party's former Scotland secretary, claimed new measures to give Holyrood control over income tax rates could lead to the break-up of the UK, a view backed privately by senior party figures in Scotland." - The Guardian

May to support case for gay marriage

"Heterosexual couples could soon win the right to form civil partnerships and gay and lesbians the right to marry in register offices under equality law reforms.  Theresa May signalled that the Government is to press ahead with the radical proposals in spite of fears among churches that it will undermine the concept of marriage.  The Home Secretary confirmed the coalition’s intention to move towards equalising civil marriage and civil partnerships in her first major speech on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality yesterday." - The Times (£)

The Euro-enthusiast tilt of the British Bill of Rights Commission

"A panel set up to challenge  the erosion of British sovereignty by European courts was branded a ‘con’ last night.  It emerged that the commission investigating the creation of a British Bill of Rights would be barred from considering whether Britain should withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights.  Critics also claimed the commission was ‘dominated’ by Europhiles and human rights lawyers." - Daily Mail

Expenses watchdog to relax rules on MPs

"The post-scandal crackdown on MPs’ expenses is to be relaxed next week with a series of concessions that risk reigniting anger on all sides. The expenses watchdog is expected to rewrite some of the more draconinan rules after a ten-month campaign by mutinous MPs.  The changes will let more MPs claim second-home allowances, MPs with families claim more and MPs charge more on their parliamentary credit cards." - The Times (£)

Other Political and Coalition News

• Cameron letter calls for EU changes to drive growth - The Independent
• May deadline for UK nuclear review - Politics Home (£)
• Cameron will urge nation to give generously from their salary - The Times (£)
• Clarke cracks down on wave of squatters - The Independent

The Guardian profiles Ed Miliband as he prepares to end six months as Labour leader…

On Friday, it will be six months since Miliband was elected Labour leader, having beaten his brother David, the favourite, by just over 1% of the vote. Yet, apart from those last three facts, for the new leader of a major party, strikingly little about Ed Miliband has registered with the public. "A quarter of the public have no opinion of him," wrote Tom Mludzinski of Ipsos Mori in late January, "while the same proportion (37%) are satisfied as are dissatisfied with his performance. " - Andy Beckett, The Guardian

…While the Daily Mail previews the first biography of the Speaker

"He didn't stand a chance. At almost a foot shorter than his tormentors, John Bercow was easily whisked up and carried — kicking and screaming — to the school pond. As the other teenagers laughed, he was tossed in. ‘Bercow can be in there with the other amphibians,’ mocked one of the boys in his class.  It was the late Seventies. Few could have guessed that the boy who emerged dripping and humiliated from the Finchley Manorhill comprehensive biology pond would one day occupy one of the most distinguished posts in the land." - Daily Mail

And finally…new papers expose Thatcher in Page 3 shocker

"Cambridge archives have revealed how Margaret Thatcher was left spluttering over her morning coffee after her chief whip posted her a saucy photo of a topless woman…he accidentally attached another page featuring a Sun newspaper advert of a topless girl seductively lying in bed with her lover.  The light-hearted gaffe was made in a letter sent to Thatcher on January 20, 1980.  It was revealed for the first time today after the Churchill Archive Centre (CAC), Churchill College, Cambridge, released previously unseen documents." - Cambridge News

The Guardian has more Thatcher paper stories.  Read about how she stoked rebellion against her own Government, and about -

•  Her aversion to the BBC
•  Her begging letters from Ministers
•  Her dislike of flock wallpaper

Read the new Margaret Thatcher private papers in full

Newslinks for Friday 18th March 2011

6.45pm WATCH: Nick Clegg gives his unequivocal backing to military action in Libya on the grounds of "upholding international law"

6.15pm Timothy Barnes on Comment: The Big Society does not have to have a Red Nose

5.15pm ToryDiary: What has Libya got to do with us? Is this another Iraq? David Cameron provides the answers

4.30pm WATCH: David Cameron tells Nick Robinson he will judge Gaddafi by his actions rather than his words after the Libyan authorities announce a ceasefire

4.15pm Will Tanner of Reform on ThinkTankCentral: Information, Choice and the English Baccalaureate

4.00pm Local Government: Council fat cat's new job with League Against Cruel Sport

3.30pm Parliament update: The Government has published the text of the motion on Libya which MPs will debate on Monday

3.15pm Robin Simcox on Comment: What is it with Democrats and interventionism?

3pm ToryDiary: Today, Britain has a new foreign policy - and it isn't neo-conservatism. It's the politics of "it depends".

1.30pm WATCH: David Cameron's statement to the Commons on Libya in full

12.30pm Latest in Local Government:

• Council byelection results from yesterday
• Shapps criticises councils over Supporting People budget cuts
• Rochdale Lib Dem councillor defects to Conservatives

11.15am Parliament: David Cameron makes an emergency statement to the Commons saying that UK forces are being deployed to enforce the UN Resolution in Libya and that MPs will have a debate on the deployment next week and as of 1pm the Libyan Government declared a ceasefire

10am Parliament: Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Richard Ottaway expresses his concern that a no-fly zone will result in stalemate and that we therefore need a Plan B in Libya

ToryDiary: Can Cameron turn a diplomatic triumph into a military success?

Also on ToryDiary: Party Members expect Tory MPs to "normally support" the Government in Commons votes and call on regular rebels to be disciplined

Mark Field MP on Comment: Our economic mission needs an explicitly stronger moral dimension

Also on Comment, Robert Leitch asks: Isn't it time to bring prostitution into the 21st Century?

Parliament: Yesterday's Defra Questions saw MPs discussing putting Chris Huhne out of a job, how to deal with urban foxes and whether the state should buy British

Local Government:

• Why won't the police act against anti-gay thuggery in Tower Hamlets?
• Glyn Gaskarth: Hutton's half measure on pensions

ThinkTankCentral: Tim Worstall exposes the flawed and contradictory claims of UK Uncut for the Institute of Economic Affairs

WATCH: William Hague welcomes last night's UN resolution authorising action against Libya

Britain poised for military action against Libya after UN approves resolution

"Britain is poised to join international military action to protect Libyan citizens from a "brutal" assault by Muammar Gaddafi after the United Nations approved the intervention. The Security Council voted in favour of the imposition a no-fly zone over the country and authorised member states to employ "all necessary measures" short of putting troops on the ground. Prime Minister David Cameron will chair an emergency Cabinet meeting to discuss the next steps before addressing MPs in the Commons on the latest situation. Downing Street played down suggestions - raised by France in the run-up to the vote - that action could start within hours and US officials suggested it may take until Sunday to be ready." - Press Association

"Foreign Secretary William Hague said: ‘We have been clear that the world would not accept Gaddafi’s brutality against his own people. This resolution is the expression of that resolve. It is a positive response to the call by the Arab League last weekend for measures to protect and safeguard the civilian population of Libya and it is the culmination of a great deal of hard work in the last few days. This resolution calls for an immediate ceasefire. For an end to violence. We have said all along that Gaddafi must go. It is necessary to take these measures to avoid greater bloodshed’... Malcolm Rifkind, a former foreign secretary, said: ‘I’m absolutely delighted. Without action of this kind, Benghazi would have been a bloodbath'." - Daily Mail

"Obama called French President Nicolas Sarkozy and U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron after the passage of a resolution authorizing measures to impose a no-fly zone, protect civilians and impose a ceasefire on Gadhafi's military. "The leaders agreed that Libya must immediately comply with all terms of the resolution and that violence against the civilian population of Libya must cease," the White House said in a statement." - Wall Street Journal

The UN resolution represents a "diplomatic coup for Cameron"

"David Cameron was looking a more seasoned figure on the international stage last night than his critics would have believed likely even a week ago. By forcing the diplomatic pace over Libya, by gambling when many counterparts were playing safe, he can claim a decent slice of the credit for the passage of last night’s resolution." - The Times (£)

"David Cameron is experiencing one of his most significant moments since becoming prime minister last May. The vote at the United Nations to take "all necessary measures" to protect civilians in Libya, allowing a no-fly zone, is little short of a personal triumph. It may well define his approach to foreign policy for the rest of his premiership." - Nick Watt of The Guardian

• I’ll attack passenger jets, warns Gaddafi, as air strikes loom - Daily Telegraph
• Libya's No-Fly Zone: What Does It Mean? - Sky News

Government U-turns on public sector "diversity audits"...

"Just two months after setting out the requirement for 27,000 public sector bodies to carry out detailed “diversity audits” of their staff, the Government has signalled an about-turn. A “policy review paper” says the burden of red tape will be reduced and revised draft guidelines make no reference to private information about employees being collected or published. Dominic Raab, the Conservative MP for Esher and Walton who has led opposition to the original plans, said: “It is welcome that the coalition is thinking twice about this aspect of Labour’s Equality Act. Forcing 27,000 schools, police forces, councils and other public bodies to audit their staff for ethnicity, gender, sexuality, disability and other social criteria is the last thing the public sector needs in tough financial times." - Daily Telegraph

...as Vince Cable introduces moratorium on red tape for firms employing fewer than ten staff

"Small firms in Britain would benefit from a three-year moratorium on new regulation under a plan the government was set to announce on Friday to cut business red tape and boost the economy. At a speech to the Federation of Small Businesses annual conference in Liverpool, Business Secretary Vince Cable will outline how the government plans to review regulation to cut bureaucracy, a media brief from Cable's office said." - Reuters

"He will also abolish the extension of flexible working rights planned for 300,000 families from April and publish all 22,000 regulations that effect business. Companies will be invited to pick the rules that cause the most problems in a "crowd sourcing" exercise. A Business Department spokesman said the least popular regulations would go in front of a 'Reducing Regulation Committee', chaired by Mr Cable, within "months". - Daily Telegraph

Osborne's Budget should set out a strategy for radical tax reform

"When George Osborne makes his second budget statement as chancellor of the exchequer on March 23rd, he seems set to outline a grand “growth strategy” to counter claims that he is more interested in cutting spending than boosting the economy. But the budget is meant to be about tax—on which, for all its radicalism elsewhere, the government has been timid. Mr Osborne should rectify that." - The Economist

BoE Deputy Governor says we live in "very hazardous times"

"Britain has entered a hazardous period as new question marks hang over the recovery at a time of persistently above-target inflation, a top Bank of England official said yesterday. Charlie Bean, the Deputy Governor, told The Times that it was still not clear whether the economy was passing through a soft patch or had entered “a more durable slowing” amid public worries about the Treasury’s spending cuts and tax rises." - The Times (£)

• Ipsos-Mori poll shows voters blame Labour for fiscal woe - but want spending cut more slowly - The Economist

The latest pre-Budget pleas

• Small businesses call for simplification of taxes and regulation in Budget - City AM
• AA calls for fuel duty increase to be cancelled - Press Association

> Yesterday's ToryDiary: First Budget whispers suggest a merging of income tax and NI, tax breaks for "business angels" and a hike in airport tax...

Liam Fox says defence jobs may be spared if savings are found elsewhere

"Liam Fox, the defence secretary, has told unions that if they can find convincing ways of cutting the Ministry of Defence's budget then thousands of threatened civilian jobs might be saved. Union leaders say they were told there was no "political imperative" to lose 25,000 ministry jobs, the figure set out in last year's strategic defence and security review, and that ministers would look seriously at any fresh proposals to reduce the number of compulsory redundancies. A meeting between the two sides has been scheduled for next week to discuss ideas." - The Guardian

Theresa May announces increase in control orders

"The number of suspected British terrorists subject to control orders has increased to 10, the Home Secretary has said. Theresa May said three of these were living in the Metropolitan Police service area, while the remaining seven were based elsewhere in the UK. There have been two new control orders since the last quarterly update to MPs in December, she said. One further control order has been made, but not yet served, Mrs May said." - Sky News

Scottish Tories gather in Perth for pre-Holyrood election conference

"David Cameron will today insist the Conservatives “are delivering for Scotland”, and claim confidence is returning to the British economy, suggesting “hard-grafting Scots” will have to rise early and work late to help the UK grow jobs and wealth. In an article for The Herald, the Prime Minister, ahead of a keynote speech to the Scottish Conservative Party conference in Perth, boasts how the Tories are working for Scotland at Westminster, citing the restoration of the earnings link to pensions, introducing the immigration cap, reforming welfare, abolishing ID cards, doubling the operational allowance for British troops and rebating fuel duty for people in the Highlands and Northern Isles." - The Herald

"Speaking as the conference was getting under way, Scottish leader Annabel Goldie said politicians must be honest about the tough financial situation, while offering hope for the future. She argues the Tories were behind key Scottish government policies, including boosting police officer numbers by 1,000, rates relief for small businesses and a new, national drug strategy. "Over four years, the Scottish Conservatives have delivered a £2bn package of measures for Scotland," said Miss Goldie. "We have made Scotland safer, fairer, more competitive and more secure. In short, a better Scotland." - BBC

• Tory divisions over extra Scottish tax powers laid bare - Daily Telegraph

Clegg refuses to 'lie low' with AV campaign

"Nick Clegg will defy calls for him to "lie low" in the referendum for voting system reform when he speaks at the launch of the Liberal Democrats' "Yes To AV" campaign. Labour leader Ed Miliband has claimed that the Deputy Prime Minister's unpopularity made him a liability to the chances of victory in the May 5 vote. Mr Clegg will insist the issue is not about party politics, and will set out his determination to argue the case for a change to the alternative vote (AV) "with passion". - Sky News

Peter Oborne: Labour’s tawdry smear tactics can’t disguise its absence of ideas

"Serious evidence is starting to emerge that Ed Miliband, the new Labour leader, is making the same errors which ultimately doomed poor Kinnock. To his credit, Miliband has recovered from a poor start. He has established a high-calibre team around him. Likeable and talented, he is fast growing into his job, and indeed I would expect him to improve further. Nevertheless, he has so far failed to develop anything resembling a worthwhile alternative political analysis. Like Kinnock, he is concentrating only on being the voice of opposition, as the events of the past few days show with disconcerting clarity." - Peter Oborne in the Daily Telegraph

Other political news in brief

• Hague calls for end to Israeli settlement building - Press Association
• Ken Clarke axes routine searches of prisoners' cells - The Sun
• Squatting to be made illegal - Daily Telegraph
• Judge rules ten-year peace protest in Parliament Square must end - The Independent

And finally... Nick Clegg's effort at team-building with Tory MPs ends in farce

"A planned charm offensive by Nick Clegg to build ties with new Tory MPs has backfired spectacularly. A getting-to-know-you meeting was a "disaster from beginning to end", said one Conservative, after the Deputy Prime Minister failed to turn up and guests had to dash off down Whitehall - twice - for Commons votes. Angry MPs eventually abandoned the event at Mr Clegg's office overlooking Horse Guards Parade." - Last night's Evening Standard

Newslinks for Thursday 17th March 2011

7.45pm WATCH: Daniel Hannan MEP blasts the European Union for using taxpayers' money in a "nakedly propagandist" way on manipulating the media

5.30pm ToryDiary: First Budget whispers suggest a merging of income tax and NI, tax breaks for "business angels" and a hike in airport tax...

4.45pm Local Government: Councils hammer scouts

4.45pm WATCH: William Hague updates MPs on the action being considered against Colonel Gaddafi, saying there are clear grounds for a new UN resolution

3.15pm Local Government: Review could end dependence on Whitehall grant

2pm Nick de Bois MP on Comment: We must show the British people that we are not resigned to accepting ludicrous decisions imposed by European institutions

12.45pm Parliament: Rob Wilson suggests that independent schools should offer some free places to local children on free school meals

12.15pm Local government: More councils join "Spotlight on Spend"

Noon Jeremy Hunt MP on Comment: Why local TV is vital in the context of our localist agenda

Plus Harry Phibbs on What Winston Churchill said on AV

10.45am Gazette: Portrait of The Queen unveiled at Scottish Parliament after campaign by Tory MSP

ToryDiary: Further evidence of UKIP's threat to the Conservatives

Ruth Porter on Comment: The family is a crucial - and oft-forgotten - element of the Big Society

Also on Comment, Alex Deane writes that David Davis's voice must be heard on defence cuts - he speaks for many in the Party, and beyond

Local Government: 2,295 council staff are earning over £100,000 a year

Parliament: Justine Greening and an array of Tory backbenchers expose Labour's hypocrisy on the cost of filling a car with petrol

LeftWatch: Labour frontbencher smears the Government as wanting to clear central London of black and ethnic minority women

ThinkTankCentral:

• Alex Morton of Policy Exchange: How the planning system can be changed to quickly help to increase the supply of new homes
• Will Tanner of Reform: The challenges for the “army of armchair auditors”

AmericaInTheWorld: "When freedom was at stake, the leader of the free world was nowhere to be seen."

WATCH: Ed Miliband and Caroline Flint put the case for and against adopting AV from a Labour perspective

George Osborne may seek to merge income tax and national insurance as part of an historic tax simplification...

"Income tax and national insurance could be merged as part of a drive to simplify the tax system by the Coalition Government. The move is expected to be signalled by George Osborne in his Budget next Wednesday. Although such a huge change would take years to implement, the Chancellor is determined to be seen as a reformer and not just as the axeman who cleared the budget deficit he inherited from Labour. The idea has been under discussion for years, but politicians have shied away from implementing it... One minister said yesterday: "It would be a radical reform and lasting legacy for the Government. We don't want to be remembered for cuts, cuts and more cuts." - The Independent

...and extend tax breaks for "business angels"

"Tax breaks for business angels investing in Britain’s small companies are set to be extended in George Osborne’s “Budget for growth” next week as part of the chancellor’s efforts to encourage the nation’s entrepreneurs. The current Enterprise Investment Scheme offers individual tax breaks, amounting to 20 per cent relief, for those investing up to £500,000 in companies which must have less than £7m in gross assets and fewer than 50 employees." - FT (£)

• Ben Brogan: George Osborne’s stock is high, but this Budget is a dangerous moment - Daily Telegraph

Jo Johnson MP: Why a high-tax London is a disaster for Britain

"George Osborne, the chancellor of the exchequer, has already outlined plans to give Britain the most competitive business tax regime of any major western economy. The coalition government has reversed planned increases in payroll taxes, lowered small business tax rates and is reducing corporation tax over four years to 24 per cent, its lowest ever rate. The UK tax regime was once seen as an asset. It can be again. A more competitive, simpler and more stable tax system will be better for everyone, rich and poor alike." - FT (£)

Osborne has got the cuts right, says OECD

"George Osborne's deficit-busting plans won a strong endorsement from leading international economists yesterday. But they also warned him he must address 'a range of obstacles' to growth. The influential Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development said the Chancellor's austerity package 'strikes the right balance' between cutting the deficit and supporting the recovery." - Daily Mail

• OECD’s forecast for Britain’s economic growth downgraded - The Times (£)

> Yesterday in Comment: Dale Bassett looks at the OECD economic survey of the UK and notes its support for the cuts and its call for more education reform

Cameron fails to rule out further NHS concessions

"David Cameron failed to rule out further changes to the planned NHS reform as it faces growing opposition from politicians and health professionals. The Prime Minister insisted the Government was “abolishing bureaucracy” in the health service and had ruled out price competition and the “cherry-picking” of services by private providers. But he failed to answer Ed Miliband’s questions in the Commons as to whether or not the controversial Health and Social Care Bill would be altered further after it was condemned by Liberal Democrat activists." - Daily Telegraph

• Tory MPs accused of false election promises over NHS - The Guardian

> Yesterday's coverage on ConHome:

• ToryDiary: Cameron and Miliband clash on the NHS at PMQs
• Dr Rachel Joyce: Competition, Choice and Transparency are vital for high quality NHS commissioning
• Mark Clarke: Competition Law in the NHS will lead to better services at lower costs
• Parliament: Four Conservative MPs signal concerns about the Health Bill
• WATCH: The exchanges between Cameron and Miliband on the NHS from PMQs

Cameron seeks outside legal advice to beat EU law on temporary workers

"David Cameron has gone over the head of his Attorney-General to try to flout a European law granting extra employment rights to 1.4 million temporary workers. The Prime Minister is unhappy with advice from Dominic Grieve, QC, and has approached independent lawyers for a second opinion, The Times has learnt. The move is the latest to expose tensions within the Government over Europe, and conflicting views over compliance with EU rulings or laws." - The Times (£)

University funding slashed by £940 million...

"Cuts of almost £1 billion to higher education budgets will mean virtually every English university sees its funding slashed next year. University budgets for the next academic year will be 12.6 per cent lower than those initially proposed for 2010-11, though this year’s grants were also cut by £190 million last month." - Daily Telegraph

• Budgets for elite universities protected - FT (£)

...as MPs warn that the Government's student visa proposals could 'cripple' the sector

"A cross-party group of MPs has heavily criticised the government's proposals to reduce the number of international students entering the UK. The Home Affairs select committee strongly recommended the government abandon plans to raise the level of English required to gain a visa. The MPs also said there was evidence the plans were based on flawed data and risked crippling a thriving industry." - BBC

"Because my amendment was rejected by the Labour and LibDem majority on the committee, our report published overnight would leave a gaping hole in our immigration controls for foreign students to stay on and work after graduation. This is unacceptable and I strongly urge Damian Green to ignore the recommendations backed by the LibDem and Labour members at paragraphs 58 and 59 of the report." - Home Affais Select Committee member and Tory MP Mark Reckless on his blog

Migrants paid £2,000 to go home... but can ask to come back in two years

"Illegal immigrants ‘bribed’ thousands of pounds to leave the country will be allowed to apply to return after just two years, it emerged last night. The amount of time before they can re-apply for entry is being reduced from the current five-year minimum. Critics said the combination of payouts and swift returns could amount to a ‘fare-paid holiday at taxpayers’ expense’. The new rules will apply to illegal immigrants who have entered the country without permission, failed asylum seekers and visa overstayers." - Daily Mail

Jobless total rises despite private sector revival

"The rate of job cuts in the public sector increased in the final quarter of last year, helping to push unemployment to a 17-year high. There were glimmers of hope, though, in the labour market data published by the Office for National Statistics yesterday. They showed that the worst of the public sector cuts were offset by a rise in the numbers of jobs created in the private sector. Public sector employment fell by 45,000 to 6.3 million in the final three months of last year, while private sector employment climbed by 77,000." - The Times (£)

> Yesterday's ToryDiary: Employment minister Chris Grayling welcomes drop in those claiming Job Seeker's Allowance but admits "real concern" over new unemployment figures

More than 100 MPs defy Miliband on AV

"Labour MPs have refused to back the stance of Ed Miliband on changing the voting system in a show of defiance towards the party leader. Given a free choice over the issue, 102 Labour MPs have come out for the “No to AV” campaign, with only 85 supporting reform ahead of the referendum on May 5." - FT (£)

• Charles Kennedy gets permission from Nick Clegg share pro-AV platform with Miliband - The Guardian

> Yesterday in LeftWatch: More than 200 MPs and peers launch Labour No to AV

Anti-extremist think-tank is facing closure

"A last-minute offer of Home Office cash is unlikely to prevent Britain’s only counter-extremism think-tank from closing within days, it has warned. MPs from all parties are lobbying to try to keep Quilliam afloat after its funding was cut in December. Theresa May, the Home Secretary, has offered £40,000 to cover Quilliam’s office costs and the salary of Maajid Nawaz, the director, for three months. However, Mr Nawaz said that he would be unable to pay the salaries and office overheads." - The Times (£)

> Yesterday in Parliament: MPs queue up to support Quilliam

Cameron "rift with Obama" over Libya

"David Cameron called for the United Nations to “show some leadership” yesterday as his quest for a no-fly zone over Libya exposed deep divisions with President Obama. The Prime Minister let his frustration show as he conceded that there was “a wide range of views” among the 15 members of the UN Security Council. Downing Street officials insisted that Mr Cameron’s call for leadership, hours after Britain and France had targeted Colonel Muammar Gaddafi by tabling a UN resolution without American support, was not specifically aimed at Mr Obama." - The Times (£)

• Britons urged to leave Bahrain - The Guardian
• Hague says no sign of serious instability in Saudi Arabia - Reuters
• Foreign Office tells Britons to leave Tokyo - Daily Mail 
• Energy bills to rocket after Japanese nuclear catastrophe - Daily Express
• British mercy mission to Japan blocked by Foreign Office red tape - Daily Mail

And finally... David Cameron marks St Patrick's Day

"The Queen’s historic visit to the Republic of Ireland means an “enormous amount” to her personally, the Prime Minister revealed at St Patrick’s Day celebrations held in Parliament. David Cameron also branded the impending Royal tour a symbol of the “strong partnership and friendship” between Britain and Ireland as he addressed the Belfast Telegraph-sponsored reception in the House of Lords. But that did not extend to sport as he joked that while Ireland may have won the cricket, “the rugby will be different”, referring to the weekend Six Nations final match against England in Dublin." - Belfast Telegraph

Newslinks for Wednesday 16th March 2011

6.45pm ToryDiary: IDS defines his mission

6pm Two takes on Comment on the current debate about competition in the NHS:

• Dr Rachel Joyce: Competition, Choice and Transparency are vital for high quality NHS commissioning
• Mark Clarke: Competition Law in the NHS will lead to better services at lower costs

5pm Dale Bassett on Comment looks at today's OECD economic survey of the UK and notes its support for the cuts and its call for more education reform

4.45pm WATCH: The exchanges between Cameron adn Miliband on the NHS from today's PMQs

3.30pm Parliament: MPs queue up to support Quilliam

1.30pm Andrew Lilico on Comment: When should a Conservative support a revolution?

1pm ToryDiary: Cameron and Miliband clash on the NHS at PMQs

11.45am Parliament: Four Conservative MPs signal concerns about the Health Bill

10.15am ToryDiary: Employment minister Chris Grayling welcomes drop in those claiming Job Seeker's Allowance but admits "real concern" over new unemployment figures

ToryDiary: The Middle East needs George Bush

Also on ToryDiary: The Daily Mail's new Saturday politics columnist is Iain Martin

Robert Marr on Comment: The five mistakes George Osborne must avoid making next week in his efforts to stimulate growth

Also on Comment, John Baron MP says The Government should focus on the mission in Afghanistan, and not become missionaries

Local Government: Free schools planned for Thurrock, Hemel Hempstead, Oxford, Hull...

Jesse Norman MP on LeftWatch writes that Labour's economic relaunch was a car crash

Also on LeftWatch: More than 200 MPs and peers launch Labour No to AV

WATCH: Sports Minister Hugh Robertson marks 500 days until the London 2012 Olympic Games

Francis Maude says quango cull will save £30 billion...

"A massive £30billion is being saved by the Government's bonfire of the quangos, it is revealed today. Originally, PM David Cameron had anticipated saving £1billion from tearing apart Britain's 901 busybody organisations. But new analysis has shown the Government will rescue 30 times that figure over the next four years. About £2.6billion alone will come in staff and admin costs that will no longer have to be paid out. The rest will come in programmes being scrapped. Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude, writing in The Sun today reveals the giant new sum - equivalent to the combined budgets of the Home Office and Department for Transport." - The Sun

...whilst officials reportedly sabotage Cameron's war on red tape

"Ministers are failing to stem the flow of red tape engulfing businesses because Whitehall officials are circumventing rules designed to block excessive regulation, The Times has learnt. Hundreds of new laws have been drawn up since the Government introduced rules to ease the regulatory burden on businesses, according to sources familiar with new legislation being produced across the Government." - The Times (£)

Ken Clarke's libel law reforms finally published in draft Defamation Bill

"Sweeping reforms to stop corporations using their financial power to bring libel actions against their critics were announced under plans to promote free speech. The changes aim to end the "inequality of arms" between big companies and individuals. Justice Secretary Ken Clarke wants to make it harder to bring defamation cases and simplify court processes to reduce the cost for defendants." - Yesterday's Evening Standard

"Ministers have ruled out reforming Britain's privacy laws or bringing in new legislation to stop super-injunctions silencing the media, the Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke said yesterday... His comments will be a blow to media organisations and freedom of speech campaigners, who have become increasingly alarmed by the use of super-injunctions in the courts to silence the press on privacy grounds." - The Independent

• The publication of a draft Defamation Bill is an important step towards correcting the flaws in the current law - Daily Telegraph editorial
• The libel reforms are a step in the right direction – but do they go far enough? - Joshua Rozenberg in The Guardian

BMA demands Government abandon health reform Bill - but stops short of no-confidencing Lansley

"In what is turning out to be a torrid week for the Health Secretary, the British Medical Association (BMA) called on him to withdraw the Health and Social Care Bill, now going through Parliament, and warned that it would lead to the "fragmentation" and "privatisation" of the NHS. However, the BMA failed to back a vote of no confidence and stopped short of condemning its leadership for pursuing a policy of "critical engagement" with the Government rather than outright opposition to the Bill, after an appeal from the chairman, Hamish Meldrum, not to "tie our hands". - The Independent

"No 10 responded to the British Medical Association vote on NHS reforms by describing the general meeting as unrepresentative of the BMA membership, adding it was disappointed it had decided to oppose reforms it had previously supported. Andrew Lansley, the health secretary, has insisted he will only be making minor changes to the language of the health and social care bill in response to the Liberal Democrat decision to oppose it." - The Guardian

Clegg dashes Tory hopes of ECHR opt out

"Coalition ministers are set to dash hopes of Britain opting out of European human rights laws, it emerged last night. The Government is expected to set up a commission to look at meddling by the European Court of Human Rights over issues such as allowing prisoners to vote, which are deeply opposed by many Tory MPs. But Lib Dem Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is understood to have won an agreement to stop the commission even considering the possibility of withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights." - Daily Express

> Marcus Booth: In defence of the European Convention on Human Rights

> Nick de Bois MP: Now it's time for a free vote on leaving the ECHR

Will George Osborne find the courage to cut taxes?

"With just a week to go before his ‘Budget for growth’, George Osborne should consider a remarkable fact of economics: governments often raise more money by cutting taxes than increasing them. The point was dramatically illustrated during Margaret Thatcher’s premiership, when her chancellors slashed the top rate of income tax from 83 per cent to 40 per cent by the time she left office...  We understand the political difficulties of being seen to cut taxes for the comfortably-off at a time of acute hardship for the poor. But those stubborn facts remain: high taxes are the enemy of growth — and only growth can rescue us, rich and poor alike, from our calamitous debt crisis." - Daily Mail editorial

• George Osborne must promise tax cuts, says IoD - Daily Telegraph
• Osborne’s £1bn fuel tax take - The Sun

Conservatives were wrong to ignore child poverty, says Iain Duncan Smith

"The Conservatives made the mistake of ignoring the issue of child poverty, ceding the ground to the left with the result that the discussion became fixated by income levels alone, the work and pensions secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, has said. Giving the Sir Keith Joseph lecture, he said: "The Conservatives ignored the issue for far too long. We seem to have felt uncomfortable discussing poverty, certainly in the context of society at home." - The Guardian

"Giving poor people more money can actually make their lives worse, Iain Duncan Smith has insisted. The Work and Pensions Secretary hit out at the former Labour government for becoming "fixated" on increasing income levels through benefits and tax credits. Pushing people into employment is the "best route" for bringing them out of poverty, he added." - Press Association

• Cabinet clashes over control of £4.8 billion benefits - FT (£)

Radicalisation review 'to urge more student monitoring'

"A review of policy on radicalisation will call for more monitoring of students by university and college lecturers, the BBC understands. Calls for more analysis of work to look for signs of a growing threat are likely to be resisted by staff who fear they would be seen as spies." - BBC

Unions to fight cuts with £35m war chest to pay wages of striking workers in bid to 'unleash hell'

"Unions have amassed a staggering £35 million war chest to 'unleash hell' on the Government with a wave of strikes over savings in public spending. The funds are expected to be used to fund a nationwide campaign against the coalition's cuts programme - and even cover the wages of workers taking industrial action... Conservative Party chairman Baroness Warsi said: 'Ed Miliband won the leadership because of the unions. The Labour Party is now almost wholly dependent on them for donations. It’s time for him to stop dithering and speak out'." - Daily Mail

> As long ago as December 2009 we reported that Unions had a £25m war chest to "unleash hell" on Tory government

Cameron's fears for UK nationals in Japan

"David Cameron spoke last night of his fears there are UK casualties among the death toll. The Prime Minister said: "As yet there are no confirmed British fatalities, but we have severe concerns about a number of British nationals." Around 17,000 UK nationals were in Japan at the time and yesterday The Sun revealed how at least ten were feared dead." - The Sun

• Britain’s nuclear industry faces safety review - The Times (£)

Daniel Finkelstein is voting NO2AV

"I’ve been thinking why the arguments in the referendum campaign have been so poor. The first reason, I’ve concluded, is that no one really wants AV. Even the “yes” campaign. What they actually wanted was a proper proportional system, but they couldn’t get MPs to agree to a referendum on it... AV swaps some of the disadvantages and unfairnesses of the current system for one that I think is even worse. It’ll be a “no” from me." - Daniel Finkelstein in The Times (£)

Political news in brief

• UK to seek further sanctions against Libya at UN - Reuters
• Justice minister tries to ease anti-bribery rules - The Guardian
• Sentencing Council recommends downgrading punishment for spitting at police officers - The Sun
• We don't know what the police 'frontline' is, Home Office admits - Daily Telegraph
• Super-rich to be given fast-track to settle in Britain - The Guardian
• Tobacco display ban faces legal challenge - Press Association
• Elections to devolved bodies could be five-yearly - Press Association
• Councils to help first-time buyers on to housing ladder - BBC

And finally... Michael Cockerell unmasks the real-life Sir Humphreys

"The cabinet secretary of the day is the most powerful unelected member of the government; he is the real-life Sir Humphrey from Yes, Prime Minister, who pulls the invisible strings across the whole of Whitehall... Unlike the prime minister, the top mandarin is allowed to see all the papers of previous governments. In Whitehall, where knowledge is power, the Cabinet Secretary is the person who knows most of all... For my new television documentary I managed to persuade all five of the surviving cabinet secretaries to talk about their ways of operating within Whitehall’s secret citadel." Michael Cockerell previews his BBC4 documentary in the Daily Telegraph