Newslinks for Wednesday 30th May 2012
8pm WATCH: Alan Milburn: "The glass ceiling might have been scratched, but it certainly hasn't been broken"
4.30pm ToryDiary: Andrew Lansley is right to reform doctors' pensions
1.15pm MPsETC: Tory MPs refute media myth that Parliament being in recess means they are "on holiday"
ToryDiary: Ken Clarke bids to end unjustified compensation payouts for terrorist suspects
Columnist Jill Kirby: It's time to scrap the child poverty target, and replace it with broader measures
Richard Ashworth MEP on Comment: In the EU, "austerity" means reality, and growth can only be achieved through competitiveness
Local Government: Independents and Conservatives reach deal to run Mole Valley
The Deep End: What it means to be a conservative
David Cameron is "consulting" on plans to put a referendum in the next manifesto
"David Cameron is consulting senior Conservatives over plans to promise a referendum on Europe in the party’s next manifesto. ... Chancellor George Osborne is believed to be encouraging senior ministers to make their views known on the issue. ... A senior Government source said the Prime Minister was inviting views on whether to promise a referendum. ‘We are thinking a lot about Europe and wanting to hear Conservative views,’ they said." - Daily Mail
70% of Tories 'want to quit EU'
"Seven out of 10 Conservative members would vote to leave the European Union and eight out of 10 want the party to promise an in/out referendum in its manifesto at the next general election, according to a poll released today. The Channel 4 News survey found that more than one-third of Tories (36 per cent) believe Britain will be outside the EU in 10 years time, while 38 per cent said the UK would remain a member but on renegotiated terms, while just 26 per cent expect the relationship to remain the same." - Independent
> Yesterday on ToryDiary: Special ConHome poll: Almost three in four Tory members would vote to leave the EU now
Ministers are "preparing the ground" for a u-turn on the charity tax
"On Tuesday Conservative MP David Ruffley, a member of the Treasury select committee, told the BBC minsters were "preparing the ground" for another major policy reverse on the plan to limit tax relief for charity donations at £50,000 or 25% of a person's income, whichever was bigger." - Guardian
"Treasury sources confirmed that ministers were considering raising the proposed cap above £50,000 and allowing the tax relief to be rolled over between years. They are also examining whether the proposed rules can be redrawn to protect legitimate UK charities by specifically outlawing donations to bogus foreign charities." - Independent
- Government turns on petrol fat cats - The Sun
- Greggs shares leap over pasty tax U-turn - The Times (£)
More U-Turn coverage
- From secret justice to VAT, coalition U-turns are in the right direction - Simon Jenkins for the Guardian
- The stakes are perilously high for our winner-takes-all Chancellor - Benedict Brogan for the Daily Telegraph
- "Mr Osborne’s reputation as the master strategist – the man who persuaded Britain to embrace austerity and who made the country a “safe haven” – has taken a battering." - FT (£)
- A U-turn every three weeks: Government's 32 major policy retreats in two years - Daily Mirror
> From yesterday:
- ToryDiary: The Government is wrong to U-turn on the pasty tax
- Dr Eamonn Butler on Comment: It's Tax Freedom Day today. Yes, for almost five months you've been working just to pay taxes.
Michael Gove warns Leveson on liberty
"The case for more regulation of the press needs to be very strong "before we further curtail liberty", Michael Gove has told the Leveson Inquiry. The education secretary said he was "concerned about any prior restraint and on their [journalists'] exercising of freedom of speech." He said existing laws should be used to judge individuals and institutions."" - BBC
- Michael Gove plays a blinder at Leveson - David Hughes for the Daily Telegraph
- Links between media and MPs can be too close, says Gove - Scotsman
- Michael Gove: Rupert Murdoch is an 'impressive and significant figure' - Guardian
- Michael Gove open-minded over state schools being run for profit - Guardian
> Yesterday on ToryDiary: If Michael Gove wants to stop the party leadership talk...
Secret court hearings still under attack, despite concessions
"The Government's original plans for a major extension of "secret courts" in civil proceedings have been substantially scaled back in the face of protests from lawyers and MPs of all parties. But the Justice and Security Bill, which was finally published after wrangling within the Coalition, still faces widespread criticism for undermining fundamental British principles of open justice. Critics also warned that the revised proposals could still prevent the public from learning about allegations of complicity in rendition by the intelligence services." -Independent
- "If the Justice and Security Bill passes, the security services will have greater jurisdiction to withhold information" - John Kampfner for the Independent
- 'Nobody's going to stop me chillaxing:' Clarke brushes aside photos of him yawning at the cricket and vows to carry on - Daily Mail
Damian Green says the Government's student immigration policy will not harm Britain
"Immigration Minister Damian Green said the government was "determined to prevent the abuse of student visas as part of our plans to get net migration down to the tens of thousands." "Students coming to the UK for over a year are not visitors", he said. "Numbers affect communities, public services and infrastructure." - BBC
- Immigration policies will damage higher education, say education experts - Guardian
Daniel Finkelstein: The Government needs Police Commissioner elections to succeed to help restore trust in politicians
"The Right cannot afford the November police commissioner election to be a similar flop. It needs to take very seriously the fears that turnout could be low and candidates could be of poor calibre. The elections are not a minor event; they are a major test of a central idea. Because, when it comes to trust in politicians, if this fails, what else is there?" - Daniel Finkelstein for the Times (£)
William Hague kicks out Syrian diplomats
"The country's Charge D’Affaires is being expelled along with two other diplomats as an expression of “horror” at the regime, Foreign Secretary William Hague said. ... Mr Hague said there was no desire by the United Nations Security Council for a military intervention but said international pressure on the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad would continue to be increased." - The Sun
- Syrian diplomats expelled across world as outrage over Houla massacre grows - Guardian
- The time has now come to act and show that the Assad regime is wrong - Times (£) editorial
A new special relationship: Cameron holds eight conversations with Blair on how to run the country
"David Cameron has developed a ‘special relationship’ with Tony Blair, holding at least eight conversations with him on how to run the country. Mr Blair visited Mr Cameron’s official country residence of Chequers last July – a meeting that has previously never been disclosed by Downing Street. The pair have also had at least seven phone conversations since Mr Cameron took the keys to No10, a rate of around once every three months." - Daily Mail
Work Programme has made £9bn ‘black hole’ - The Times (£)
Wildlife minister under fire in another game-shooting case - Independent
Nick Clegg unveils "flexi-hours" for parents
"Parents will be able to drop their children off earlier and pick them up later under a new shake-up of childcare rules, it will be announced today. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will unveil plans which offer greater flexibility to mums and dads over how they use their 15 hours a week of free childcare. ... But this time limit will now be extended by two hours so that parents can use their free entitlement from 7am to 7pm." - Daily Mail
> From yesterday - Alistair Thompson on Comment: Cowardly Clegg - and his attempt to distract attention from his own links to the Murdochs
'First nuclear station for 30 years': Ministers 'on cusp' of signing new deal - Daily Mail
Labour 'underestimated Galloway in Bradford by-election'
"The Labour Party "massively underestimated" the threat from George Galloway and Respect in local elections in West Yorkshire, a report has said. The report found that the Labour Party in Bradford West failed to engage with the community, which has a large population of Asian origin. ... The report, conducted by the party's ruling National Executive Committee (NEC), said Labour had failed to win the trust of Bradford West voters." - BBC
Scottish independence supporters disagree about celebrating the Diamond Jubilee
"Divisions in the Yes Scotland camp over the monarchy will be laid bare in parliament today when Alex Salmond proposes a motion praising the Queen. ... However, the wording of the motion will not sit easily with those in the parliament, including SNP MSPs Roseanna Cunningham and Christine Grahame, who believe that an independent Scotland should dispense with the monarchy." - Scotsman
Olympic Tube strike averted - Independent
Blackberrys for police scheme fails to cut costs, say MPs - BBC
Decision due on doctors' industrial action vote - BBC
- Medical profession must open doors to poor students, says Alan Milburn - Guardian
School children need compulsory body image lessons, say MPs - BBC
Ignorant officials sidelining religion, warns Archbishop of Canterbury - Daily Telegraph
Sinn Fein faithful back meeting the Queen and Troubles apology - Belfast Telegraph
And finally... The odd couple: Angelina Jolie brings Hollywood to the Foreign Office as she teams up with William Hague to tackle sexual violence in warzones - Daily Mail
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