Newslinks for Friday 22nd June 2012

5.30pm

• Local Government: The police should fight crime - not waste time at London Assembly committee meetings
• WATCH: The Queen to meet Martin McGuinness

2.45pm WATCH:  Miliband - "The last Labour Government went wrong on immigration".

1.15pm Local Government: Council byelection results from yesterday

11am Ben Harris-Quinney on Comment: What really matters isn't tax avoidance. It's whether you are a a net benefactor or a net detractor.

ToryDiary: Michael Gove's O-level gambit is a sign of a deeper frustration. Where will it take him?

Columnist Bruce Anderson: David Cameron needs to show leadership to this Britain of vulnerable jobs, pay cuts and threatened futures

Nick de Bois MP on Comment: Making the positive case for public sector reform

LeftWatch: Miliband apologises for Blair and Brown's immigration shambles

Local Government: Labour councils funding left-wing think tanks

The Deep End: And now for some more good news from Europe (in Polish)

WATCH: Labour frontbencher Kevin Brennan says that 3 out of 10 pupils is 60%

Curse of Clegg threatens Gove.  He will try to stop the Education Secretary restoring O-Levels...

"Michael Gove's plans to scrap GCSEs and replace them with old-style O-levels looked bound for the scrapheap last night after a furious Nick Clegg threatened to reject the idea." - The Independent

• "The abolition of O-levels in the Eighties was actually an early sign of the culture of dishonesty in our national life. Britain fell into the grip of a dishonest kindness. We started to hand out good exam results like sweeties — regardless of whether pupils had really learnt anything at school." - Tim Montgomerie Daily Mail
• "Nick Clegg’s gang moan they weren’t consulted. Left-wing teaching unions are apoplectic. Might that be because tougher exams would force dud teachers to raise
  their game?" - The Sun Says
• "Following the leaking of his latest plans to overhaul the education system, Michael Gove was summoned to the Commons to explain himself. Instead of retreating, in the face of an incandescent reaction from the teaching unions and his Liberal Democrat colleagues, he laid out a compelling and radical agenda for transforming secondary education." - Daily Telegraph leader
• "For the first time in living memory, Britain has a government that is on the brink of delivering huge improvements to the state education system. ..Yet once again the coalition could be about to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, courtesy of the Liberal Democrats." - Allister Heath City AM

>Yesterday:

• MPsETC: Michael Gove defends O-Level plan as a path towards "a more equal education system"
• ToryDiary: Michael Gove speeds his extraordinary sense of forward momentum by abolishing GCSEs

..And Lord Baker raises doubts too

"The problem that my predecessor Keith Joseph found with the old Certificate of Secondary Education, the CSE – which Mr Gove wants to reintroduce – was that it had become a valueless piece of paper. Employers didn't rate it but students who obtained it were led to believe it was a passport to jobs and success. It wasn't. So don't resurrect a failure." - Lord Baker, The Independent

• "The headlines proclaimed that Michael Gove was bringing back the O-level, but the real significance of Thursday's story was that he is reinventing the old CSE – the little-lamented qualification sat by youngsters not deemed to be up to the "ordinary" standard." Guardian leader

Cameron moves for cover after Carr assault.  He now won't give a "running commentary" on other people's tax affairs.

"Prime Minister David Cameron has refused to criticise Gary Barlow over alleged use of a tax avoidance scheme... he was not going to give a "running commentary" on people's tax affairs - but he had made an exception for comedian Jimmy Carr because "it was a particularly egregious example of an avoidance scheme that seemed to me to be wrong"." - BBC

•  "David Cameron is facing calls to pay back cheap loans of £1.2 million to the Conservative Party from companies registered in tax havens." - Daily Telegraph
• "Jimmy Carr is known as the hardest-working man in comedy, performing on more than 200 nights a year. This, in itself, should have made HM Revenue & Customs deeply suspicious. Why put in so many hours if he was really handing over most of his takings to the Government?" Fraser Nelson, Daily Telegraph
• "Some senior Tories feared Mr Cameron’s intervention could lead to an unwelcome media spotlight on the tax affairs of party donors and even ministers." - Daily Mail
• Why Google or Tesco should collect our taxes - Lord Rees-Mogg, The Times (£)

>Yesterday:

• ToryDiary:Tax avoidance confessions of a former Shadow Treasury Minister
• ToryDiary: Jimmy Carr, martyr to socialism
• WATCH: David Cameron refuses to condemn Gary Barlow's tax arrangements

Justine Greening insists HS2 will go ahead and will be "a thing of beauty"

"The Transport Secretary said that despite opposition from Conservative supporters, the £32 billion scheme is progressing “full steam ahead”...“I think the Victorians did show the way: they did a lot of investment in infrastructure but a lot of the things they left behind people think are things of beauty.” "- Daily Telegraph

Miliband says Labour was wrong on immigration...

"Labour badly mishandled the issue of immigration in government, Ed Miliband is expected to say. In a speech later, Mr Miliband will say his party "got it wrong" when it allowed uncontrolled immigration from new EU states in 2004." - BBC

• "In an interview with the Guardian, Miliband concedes that immigration is being discussed in "every kitchen" and that the Labour party has been too quick to dismisses the concerns of ordinary people as "prejudice"." - The Guardian
• Labour's cowardice on immigration is sickening - Ian Birrell, The Independent

...As Warsi attacks 'racist' curbs on migration in Cabinet

"Baroness Warsi pleaded with cabinet colleagues to drop what she warned would be seen as a "racist" policy when they discussed curbs on migrants bringing family members to live with them in Britain. The row exploded when Theresa May, the Home Secretary, proposed that UK citizens earning less than £40,000 should not be allowed to bring in a foreign wife or husband, The Independent has learnt." - The Independent

90% of doctors defy BMA to keep working

"The strike snub suggested that thousands of doctors who had voted to take part subsequently had second thoughts. More than 80 per cent of those who responded to the BMA's ballot last month backed industrial action." - Daily Mail 

>Yesterday:

• WATCH: Simon Burns: "We believe that the [GP pensions] deal that has been put forward is a fair one"
• WATCH: Andrew Lansley: "I'm disappointed the BMA have gone down this path, because it won't achieve anything"

David Cameron welcomes Aung San Suu Kyi to Downing Street

"The Prime Minister declared the visit as 'a great moment, that few expected and few dared to hope for', as they stood side by side at a Number 10. 'Over these years you have been a symbol of courage and of hope for our people and for your people and around the world' he told the Burmese pro-democracy leader." - Daily Mail

"House of Lords reform would cost half a billion pounds"

"Jesse Norman, the Tory MP who is campaigning against Mr Clegg’s proposals, said: ‘At a time of national austerity, it is hard to imagine how anyone could justify spending nearly £500 million of
taxpayers’ money on what would be an unprecedented constitutional upheaval." - Daily Mail

EU rules that workers who are ill on holiday are entitled to extra corresponding paid leave - BBC

Ofcom chief’s bid for top job at the BBC raises questions over conflict of interest - The Times (£)

John Swinney to consider local income tax - Daily Telegraph

Defence 1: PM "must keep promise on Bomber Command costs" - Daily Express

Defence 2: MOD procurement may be privatised - The Times(£)

Row as Dalai Lama visits Scotland - BBC

Europe 1: European Court asks for more money - Daily Telegraph

Europe 2: "Britain is left out of talks on the EU’s future" - The Times (£)

And finally...Labour's education spokeman Kevin Brennan gets his maths wrong - Daily Telegraph

> Please use the thread below to provide links to news topics likely to be of interest to ConservativeHome readers and to comment on political topics that haven't been given their own blog. Read our comments policy here.

Newslinks for Thursday 21st June 2012

8.15pm WATCH: David Cameron refuses to condemn Gary Barlow's tax arrangements

5pm MPsETC: Michael Gove defends O-Level plan as a path towards "a more equal education system"

4pm Malcolm Moss on Comment: The Government should change Britain's outdated casino laws to help boost local economies

2.30pm WATCH:

• Peter Bone MP says England will win Euro 2012, in part because "we'll be the only financially sound country"
• Simon Burns: "We believe that the [GP pensions] deal that has been put forward is a fair one"

2pm MPsETC: Tory MPs speak out against regional pay in Commons debate

11.30am WATCH: Andrew Lansley: "I'm disappointed the BMA have gone down this path, because it won't achieve anything"

10am ToryDiary: Tax avoidance confessions of a former Shadow Treasury Minister

ToryDiary: Jimmy Carr, martyr to socialism

Also on ToryDiary: Michael Gove speeds his extraordinary sense of forward momentum by abolishing GCSEs

Columnist Andrew Lilico: If the €uro collapses, what should British policymakers do?

Elizabeth Truss MP on Comment: It’s time Britain got a "Maths shock" and recognised the subject’s impact on our future prosperity

LeftWatch: Labour's NEC election results: Red Ken, Karl Marx, and the "extreme left"

Local government: Boris says the Government "not moving fast enough" on strike ballots minimum threshold

The Deep End: The DIY guide to eugenics

WATCH: David Cameron: Jimmy Carr tax avoidance "not morally acceptable"

Michael Gove plans to scrap GCSEs and return to O-Levels

"The most radical shake-up in school exams for 30 years will see dumbed-down GCSEs scrapped and rigorous O-levels brought back. Leaked documents seen by the Mail reveal Education Secretary Michael Gove has drawn up a blueprint which would tear up the current exam system as well as abolishing the National Curriculum." - Daily Mail

• "Sources have told the BBC that Mr Gove believes GCSEs "have gone beyond the point of rescue". The changes, planned to be brought in for pupils from autumn 2014, would amount to the biggest change to the exams system for a generation. Less academic pupils would sit a different "more straightforward" exam, like the old CSE." - BBC

David Cameron says Jimmy Carr is "morally wrong" to avoid tax

"David Cameron last night blasted comedian Jimmy Carr — describing his tax dodging as “morally wrong”. The PM said Carr, exposed for squirrelling £3.3million away from Revenue and Customs, was undertaking “straightforward tax avoidance”. And he said it was unfair Carr did not pay his taxes in the same way as fans who watch his shows." - The Sun

• "This avoidance damages society. It robs the Treasury of the money it needs to fund services to the public, while leaving the public with the sense that, for some people, the normal rules don’t apply." - The Times (£) leader

Cameron says Government will "look at" scrapping fuel duty rise

"The Prime Minister said the Coalition would “look at” scrapping the 3p increase in petrol tax planned for this autumn. However, he dampened speculation that the Treasury will actually be able to afford to cancel the extra duty." - Daily Telegraph

• "Voters are taxed enough, and strained enough, already. Drivers, in particular, have been treated as the state’s milch cows for many a long year, paying swingeing motoring taxes (higher, according to some estimates, than in any country in the world save Turkey), of which less than half are reinvested in the road network." Daily Telegraph leader

Most GPs expected to work today as opposition to strike grows

"A survey by The Daily Telegraph found that two thirds of GP surgeries expected to have all their doctors working on Thursday and would be open for business as usual. The vast majority of hospitals said few or no operations would be cancelled." - Daily Telegraph

• "Addressing a conference of NHS leaders in Manchester, Andrew Lansley said: “In seeking a more generous deal for doctors they are seeking a less fair deal for staff overall. I don’t think that NHS staff or the public will sympathise with this.” The Times (£)
• "Doctors receive a return on their pension of £5 for every £1 they contribute, so what exactly are they striking for?" - Dr Sarah Wollaston for the Daily Express

> Yesterday: Chris Skidmore MP on Comment: A letter to Ed Miliband - will he condemn tomorrow's doctor's strike?

David Cameron told to expect heavy defeat on Lords reform

"David Cameron has been told by the government's chief whip that he is on course to suffer a heavy defeat on House of Lords reform ... In a sign of the collapse in relations between Downing Street and large sections of the Conservative parliamentary party, more than 100 Tory MPs have indicated to the whips that they are prepared to rebel." - Guardian

• Nick Clegg: The House of Lords is an affront to democracy - Independent

Judge attacks Theresa May over immigration case

"Theresa May has been accused of “unacceptable and regrettable behaviour” by a judge as she became only the second Home Secretary in history to be found guilty of contempt of court. Mrs May ignored a legal agreement to release an Algerian robber from immigration detention."- Daily Telegraph

Health Minister Anne Milton attacks EU plan to ban cheap meat

"Anne Milton, the public health minister, said Europe appears to have “taken leave of its senses” over the decision in April to outlaw “desinewed” meat, a technique for removing scraps from bones. There are fears the ban could raise the price of burgers, sausages and pies, as well as wasting hundreds of tonnes of meat per week." - Daily Telegraph

Lord Ashcroft warns Tories that voters will make up their own mind about Ed Miliband

"An onslaught against Miliband would not improve the Tories' standing, and could damage it further. Voters think parties go on the attack when they have nothing to say for themselves. A view is gaining ground that the government lacks direction.." - Lord Ashcroft for the Guardian

• The Tory party faces an existential threat that Labour must analyse - Labour MP Jon Trickett for the Guardian

Some rave reviews for William Hague's performance at PMQs

"Mr Hague has retrieved his mojo. On yesterday’s evidence he is back to number two on the starting grid." Quentin Letts Daily Mail

• "William Hague had an heroic PMQs and I do hope Dave and Nick tuned in to see how it’s done." - Ann Treneman The Times (£)
• "Simon Hughes addressed him as 'the deputy … er, the foreign secretary'. This was greeted with mocking laughter from Labour, possibly because it implied that Mr Hughes can't tell the difference. As the jeering died away, Mr Hague said: "I won't mention to the deputy prime minister his slip. It's entirely between ourselves, within these four walls." - Simon Hoggart in The Guardian

> Yesterday: 

• WATCH:Peter Bone calls for coalition to be ended
• WATCH:William Hague speculates on the absence of Ed Balls
• ToryDiary: Hague navigates around Bone's booby trap

Dominic Raab MP: How bankers and unions can get their just deserts

"The capitalist case for standing up to the unions and empowering investors to take back control of their companies needs to be made in meritocratic terms. Civil service reforms to strengthen performance accountability should be bolstered by linking public sector pay to productivity. Militant unions should be banned from striking in the emergency services and transport sector if they cannot command majority support from members. Selling such reforms would be far easier if they were combined with a consistent message – based on just deserts – that applied in the City." - Dominic Raab MP for the FT (£)

Peter Oborne calls for George Osborne to be replaced as Chancellor of the Exchequer by Philip Hammond

"Tony Blair regrets bitterly to this day that he never shifted Gordon Brown out of the Treasury. David Cameron now faces a comparable decision. It remains to be seen whether he has the wisdom, the insight or the stomach to make the right decision." - Daily Telegraph

Spending cuts could last a decade, warns Sir Jeremy Heywood

"Sir Jeremy Heywood, the Cabinet Secretary, said that work to balance the public finances was only a quarter of the way to completion. He told civil servants at the Institute for Government: “We are 25 per cent through fiscal adjustment. Spending cuts could last seven, eight, 10 years.” - Daily Telegraph

> Yesterday:

• Sean Worth on Comment:Spending restraint makes public service reform even more important
• ToryDiary: A message from a former Downing Street aide. Too much civil service. Not enough political vision

Yvette Cooper: Labour has learnt its lesson on immigration

"This isn’t the easiest subject for the Labour Party. In government we didn’t do enough to address people’s concerns on immigration. By the election, we had lost the argument — people felt that the system was unfair and politicians weren’t listening. We need to change." - Yvette Cooper for the Times (£)

Ken Livingstone tops poll for Labour's NEC - BBC

Police still failing to protect victims like Fiona Pilkington - The Sun

• "The case of Fiona Pilkington was supposed to be the wake-up call that changed how police dealt with anti-social behaviour...Yet, two years on from being told by the police watchdog to raise their game, not a single force adequately identifies such vulnerable people." - The Sun Says

Bishops claiming up to £27,000 a year to attend the House of Lords - Independent

Who will find David Cameron a pro gay marriage archbishop? - Daily Telegraph

Boris dinner with Rupert Murdoch "not declared" - BBC

More vulnerable children to go to boarding school - The Times (£)

Poll shows just 27% of Scots want independence - Scotsman

Ministers to maintain England football boycott - BBC

> Yesterday MPsETC: Ministers will not attend any Euro 2012 match unless Ukraine changes justice policy

> Please use the thread below to provide links to news topics likely to be of interest to ConservativeHome readers and to comment on political topics that haven't been given their own blog. Read our comments policy here.

Newslinks for Wednesday 20th June 2012

6.15pm J P Floru on Comment: Bienvenue aux réfugiés Français du socialisme!

4.15pm Sean Worth on Comment:Spending restraint makes public service reform even more important

2.45pm Chris Skidmore MP on Comment: A letter to Ed Miliband - will he condemn tomorrow's doctor's strike?

2.30pm WATCH:

• Peter Bone calls for coalition to be ended
• William Hague speculates on the absence of Ed Balls

1.00pm ToryDiary: Hague navigates around Bone's booby trap

11.00am MPsETC: Ministers will not attend any Euro 2012 match unless Ukraine changes justice policy

10.00am Matthew Hancock MP on Comment: Insurance that works - a solution to the pressing problem of social care

ToryDiary: A message from a former Downing Street aide. Too much civil service. Not enough political vision

Columnist Jill Kirby: The real divide in the West today is not between the young and the old, but between those paying for the state and those paid by the state

Comment:

• Mark Field MP says "I suspect the joint plan of the Chancellor and the Governor is simply to keep the show on the road"
• Matthew Tinsley on Helping older workers

Local Government:  Harry Phibbs interviews Eric Pickles: "The Party activists are vital. I remember that I wouldn't be here without them"

The Deep End: George W Bush, humanitarian hero

WATCH David Cameron: I made Falklands point "with some vigour"

David Cameron confronts Argentine President over the Falklands

"The Prime Minister “sought out” Cristina Kirchner on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Los Cabos, Mexico, to warn her to respect the “self-determination of the Falklands”. Argentina has become increasingly aggressive in its remarks about the islands following the 30th anniversary of the Falklands. Mrs Kirchner attempted to force a package marked UN-Malvinas, the Argentine name for the Falklands, into Mr Cameron’s hands. He refused to accept it and walked off." - Daily Telegraph

• "This was what Churchill called jaw jaw not war war but it was diplomatic posturing designed for domestic consumption when the memory of invasion and of deaths on both sides are still fresh." - Nick Robinson BBC

Spain and Italy to be bailed out in £600 billion deal - Daily Telegraph

Socialists close to agreeing coalition deal in Greece - Daily Mail

‘Pathetic’ Rio summit risks producing more hot air - The Times (£)

>Yesterday: Marina Yannakoudakis MEP on Comment - What price the pro-bailout victory in Greece?

Francis Maude announces shake-up of the civil service

"Plans to make it easier to sack under-performing staff members were "not an attack on civil servants", Francis Maude has told MPs. The bottom 10% of staff face being fired after a year if they fail to
improve and ministers will be given the power to choose who runs departments. The PCS union said reversing job cuts was the best way to boost performance." - BBC

• "Tory MPs exhorted him to go further. Edward Leigh demanded: “Are you really going to achieve where everybody else has failed and get fewer permanent secretaries who have got an Oxbridge degree in Latin, who can write a beautiful minute and are charming and actually get people who can run a project?” "- The Times (£)
• "Mr Maude, wearing half-moon spectacles which from time to time he lowered to emphasise his gravity (pure Anne Robinson), was telling the House about his plan to ‘reform’ the civil service. The old ’uns are always the best." - Quentin Letts in the Daily Mail
• "Our plans will meet the needs of the future" - Francis Maude and Sir Bob Kerslake, Daily Telegraph

Conservative MPs plan revolt on Lords reform to punish Lib Dems for abstention on Hunt

"Senior Conservative backbenchers are threatening to mount their biggest rebellion since the general election in protest against the Government's plans to reform the House of Lords. The revolt has spread to all sections of the party, provoking a fresh crisis for Coalition unity." - The Independent

Cross-party support for Theresa May in row over deportations with European Court of Human Rights

"MPs from all parties have accepted a government motion designed to send a clear message to judges that the right to a family life is not "absolute". The government is introducing new rules spelling out how judges should apply the European Convention on Human Rights. It is concerned too many people are using Article 8 - the right to a family life - to avoid deportation." - BBC

• "For all Theresa May’s strident talk on booting out foreign convicts, it boils down to whether our bleeding-heart judges take her seriously. The Home Secretary says she’ll write tough new laws if they don’t. She could save us some time by drawing them up right now." - The Sun Says

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley urges BMA to reconsider doctors' strike as poll shows support slipping

"A growing number of GPs last night signalled they are ready to put their patients first by defying the call to strike tomorrow...findings of two separate polls appear to show that support for the protest over modest changes to doctors’ pensions is weakening." - Daily Mail

• "How tragic if the sacred bond of trust between GPs and patients is
  destroyed by naked selfishness" - Daily Mail leader
• "Luckily most doctors are seeing sense and only about a fifth of surgeries intend to close. The rest must think hard before downing their stethoscopes. A £68,000-a-year pension should be ample for anyone." - The Sun Says
• "The NHS cash squeeze is now so serious that almost half of the health service's chief executives expect the quality of patient care to decline in the next year, with treatments rationed and waiting times rising" - The Guardian
• "The striking doctor won't see you now" - Ann Widdecombe, Daily Express

John Whittingdale says the BBC Director General must not be political

"Ofcom boss Ed Richards’s bid to become director general of the BBC has been dealt a blow after a  senior Tory said nobody with overt political affiliations should get the job. The comments by John Whittingdale, the chairman of the Commons select committee for culture, media and sport, are clearly aimed at Mr Richards – a former senior adviser in Tony Blair’s government." - Daily Mail

James Delingpole asks if the Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Paterson is "the soundest politician in Britain"

"Paterson is doing a great job (as you can tell from the near-absence of Northern Ireland stories in the media, despite ongoing campaigns by the paramilitaries – kneecappings, pipe-bombings etc). But the price he is paying for his competence and quiet success is to end up completely off most journalists’ radar. Mark my words, though. His time will come." - James Delingpole Bogpaper.com

Fall in inflation puts Bank of England under pressure to cut interest rates...

"Interest rates could be cut to just 0.25 per cent as soon as next month in a desperate bid to revive Britain's ailing economy. The Bank of England is under mounting pressure to kick-start growth having seen the UK crash back into recession and the debt storm in the eurozone intensify." - Daily Mail

• "Since November 2009, just 31 months ago, prices are up 9.6 per cent – the pound in your pocket has lost a tenth of its value, a true scandal. Sure, inflation is finally slowing – but that won’t reverse the cumulative effect of the failure of the past two and half years. Price stability – what price stability?" - Alister Heath City AM

...Meanwhile, Osborne fights plan to ditch 3p rise in fuel duty as Treasury resists demands from Cameron

"Sources in Whitehall say intense efforts are being made to find £1.5billion to plug the income gap if the fuel duty rise is pulled. Ideas under consideration include cutting the 3p rise to 1p or 2p, or deferring part or all of the rise until next spring. But Chancellor George Osborne has told colleagues not to expect him to find enough cash." - Daily Mail

Tougher A-level grading proposed by Ofqual

"Sweeping reforms to school exams could lead to elite A-levels with a tougher grading scale so universities can identify the brightest pupils." Daily Mail

>Yesterday MPsETC: Asked to make a statement on his Departmental responsibilities, Michael Gove replies: "Today is the birthday of Britain's greatest living poet"

French leaders furious at David Cameron's plan to attract tax exiles

"Claude Bartolone, a senior figure in President Hollande’s Socialist Party, implied that Mr Cameron must have been affected by the G20 festivities when he said that Britain was ready to welcome French people fleeing the planned 75 per cent income tax rate. “I hope that it was an after-dinner remark and that he didn’t have all his wits about him when he said these things,” said Mr Bartolone." - The Times (£)

• Cable to set out pay reforms - BBC

The Government must go further and faster on reforming public services says former Downing Street adviser Sean Worth

"The Conservatives are in danger of becoming permanently associated with slashing spending on schools, hospitals and other services instead of reforming them, according to the man who was, up until a fortnight ago, the prime minister's most senior special adviser on public sector reform." - The Guardian

David Miliband says "Labour can win next election" - BBC

Louise Mensch launches rival to Twitter - The Guardian

"Mubarak is dead chaos" - The Sun

Lord Plumb "did not declare lobbying interest" - The Independent

Day of sunshine brings Spelman Rain Goddess agony - Daily Telegraph

And finally...Tax avoiding comedian Jimmy Carr performed a sketch lampooning Barclays

"Playing a female bank clerk, he joked: ‘Why don’t you apply for the Barclays 1 per cent tax scam? ‘You will need the world’s biggest, most aggressive team of blood-hungry amoral tax lawyers. If you meet the criteria, you’ll pay 1 per cent tax, like Barclays do.’ "- Daily Mail

> Please use the thread below to provide links to news topics likely to be of interest to ConservativeHome readers and to comment on political topics that haven't been given their own blog. Read our comments policy here.

Newslinks for Tuesday 19th June 2012

Noon MPsETC: Asked to make a statement on his Departmental responsibilities, Michael Gove replies: "Today is the birthday of Britain's greatest living poet"

ToryDiary: How many Conservatives in the Cabinet line up with Boris in opposing fiscal union?

Marina Yannakoudakis MEP on Comment: What price the pro-bailout victory in Greece?

Local Government: Labour councillor quits saying Ed Miliband is a "wet flannel"

The Deep End: The real problem with the banking system

WATCH: Aung San Suu Kyi returns to Britain

Cameron at the G20: The Prime Minister pleads for the Eurozone solution that he can't deliver...

"David Cameron on Monday put Britain on standby for a protracted eurozone crisis, using a speech at the G20 summit to plead with Greek politicians and European leaders to seize a chance to stabilise the single currency. Mr Cameron has taken a business delegation with him to the Mexico summit as part of a drive to forge better links with emerging economies, conceding that Britain’s main European export markets could face years of stagnation." - Financial Times (£)

• Greek election stock market rally fizzles out - Daily Express
• Spain's borrowing costs climb - Financial Times (£)

...As he says refugees from Hollande's high taxes will be welcome in Britain...

"Britain would “roll out the red carpet” to welcome French businesses if President Hollande imposed a 75 per cent wealth tax, David Cameron said yesterday. It was an attack on Paris’s economic policies, including lowering the retirement age, and a push for a stronger euro. By contrast, he attempted to build bridges with Germany." - The Times (£)

• "Labour has accused David Cameron of using Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi as a 'political shield' during her visit to the UK this week. " - Daily Mail
• Journalists at the News of the World allegedly hacked the emails of a key witness in a libel trial the newspaper fought when Andy Coulson was editor - Daily Telegraph

...And looks beyond Europe to the wider world...

"The Prime Minister said the situation was so grave that Britain would now have to look beyond Europe and forge economic links with more successful parts of the world. Spanish borrowing costs soared beyond the 7 per cent level at which Greece, Ireland and Portugal had to beg for a bailout…Mr Cameron said eurozone leaders might be able to do enough only to 'keep the show on the road' for a few more months." - Daily Mail

(...Including Argentina, whose Government he slams)

"Mr Cameron…savaged embargoes imposed by Argentina on the British territory. [He] gave examples of how export revenues from oil, gas and mining had to be exchanged in local banks and that limits had been imposed on investment in farm land. He finished with the barbed remark: “And that is just from one G20 member.” Mr Cameron declined to name Argentina, but his reference to the harassment left his audience in little doubt exactly to whom he was referring." - Daily Express

• Our only hope is to look beyond the EU - Daily Mail Editorial
• Greek businessmen tell Sun of dreams that are stymied by the Euro - Sun Editorial
• Greek election result won't rescue the Euro - Iain Martin, Daily Express
• All politicians can do now is hold our hands - Rachel Sylvester, The Times (£)
• Greece has won Europe a respite – now it must use it - Gideon Rachman, Financial Times (£)
• Muddling through may be our salvation - Steve Richards, The Independent
• Europe's on the brink of probably the gravest and most frightening tumult of our lifetime - Max Hastings, Daily Mail
• Another bad day for the Euro - John Redwood's Blog
• My solution? Tax, tax, tax the rich - Polly Toynbee, The Guardian

> Yesterday: WATCH -

• ‪ToryDiary: As the G20 meets, Cameron highlights five threats to the world economy. (But is anyone listening?)
• Columnist Bruce Anderson: We need a new economic genius to help end Europe's crisis
• WATCH: Greek election result fails to quell Euro concerns
• WATCH: UK market reacts to Greek election‬

Cable calls for Plan A+ in speech which makes no fewer than 20 references to the 1930s as well as references to economic 'slump' and 'depression'...

Vince Cable yesterday called for the Coalition to move to a 'Plan A+' to help drag Britain out of an economic 'slump' . The Liberal Democrat Business Secretary urged ministers to accelerate plans for kick-starting growth, including a multi-billion scheme that could pave the way for the construction of tens of thousands of new homes. Mr Cable also hinted that the Bank of England should do more to make it clear that interest rates will remain at rock bottom rates until Britain is decisively back on the path to recovery." - Daily Mail

• Cable eyes councils for housing guarantees - Financial Times (£)

Tory MPs urge George Osborne not to yield to Liberal Democrats over scrapping national pay bargaining

"Conservative MPs urged Mr Osborne should push through the changes. Aidan Burley MP said: “The Chancellor needs to hold firm. The principle of regional pay is long established from London weighting for policemen to special allowances for MPs. “Rather than increase the north-south divide, it will perpetuate it. This needs to be a private sector led recovery"…Andrea Leadsom MP added: “I worry that the national pay bargaining in the public sector has the effect of squeezing out the private sector in certain areas." - Daily Telegraph

• Creative industry tax plan launched - The Independent
• TUC claims youth unemployment has soared by nearly 900% in just over a decade. Grayling claims Labour hid the problem when it was in power - The Sun
• The Times (£) campaigns for everyone to pay a "fair share" of tax - Editorial

> Yesterday: ToryDiary - Why regional public sector pay won't happen

Cameron signals childcare shake-up today

"School days could be extended until 8pm and red tape on childcare provision slashed under Government reforms. David Cameron will today launch a commission on childcare to draw up measures to reduce costs for parents and ease bureaucratic restrictions on providers. It will investigate whether there is red tape that could be abolished or rules – such as adult-to-child ratios for organisations offering childcare – that could be relaxed." - Daily Mail

• Elizabeth Truss MP pushes for childminder boost - The Guardian

Lord Fink accused of breaking House of Lords hospitality rules - The Independent

Boris: I want new airport capacity.  And supreme power: "but for God's sake don't quote me saying that." And as for those city women...cor...wow...gosh

"Mr Johnson – a firm advocate of an island airport on the Thames – told New York Magazine: ‘London is the most commercially important city in Europe, and it’s the most populous city…We have to have a new airport.One of the only reasons I want to assume supreme power in England is to make sure that happens.’  He then added: ‘For God’s sake, don’t quote me saying that.’ " - Daily Mail

• Political timidity stops airports plans taking off - Daily Telegraph Editorial
• Fraudsters swindled £42,000 from London 'Boris Bike' hire scheme by diverting fine refunds to friends - Daily Mail
• Boris: men flock to cities like London because “There are a greater range of girls at the bar, of reproductive choice.” - The Sun

Nadine Dorries denies wrongdoing over student daughter who works in her office as long war with Telegraph continues - Daily Telegraph

Anne Milton launches review of the free nursery milk scheme amid evidence taxpayers are being ripped off by more than £10million a year

"Ministers claim that milk being supplied via 'middle men' has seen the Government billed up to £1 a pint – while it can be bought in shops for an average of 36p. They have warned that the cost of the scheme has doubled in four years to £53million, which could soar to £76million by 2016 unless costs are curbed. Public Health Minister Anne Milton said the Government would then face being overcharged £20million a year." - Daily Mail

Now Lord Maginnis claims that UUP can't expel him over gay remark because he's a crossbencher - Newsletter

"Snake" and "windsock" Sir Jeremy Heywood under attack

"Sir Jeremy’s ascent to his current role as the most powerful civil servant in the country is based on two assets, his friends say: an incredible work ethic and intellectual rigour. “He never stopped working, and didn’t seem to have much of a life outside,” says one. His willingness to get involved in Downing Street operations has seen him forge a closer relationship with the current prime minister since he became cabinet secretary in January than his predecessor, Sir Gus O’Donnell, did." - Financial Times (£)

• Maude takes axe to free holidays and clothing allowances for civil servants - Daily Telegraph
• Number of political special advisers rises despite pledge to cut back - The Guardian

Prescott heads queue of former Labour ministers seeking to serve as directly elected police commissioners - The Times (£)

Darling warns on SNP plan for sterling

"The SNP’S flagship plans for a “sterling zone” currency union after independence are likely to be rejected by the remaining UK countries, former Chancellor Alistair Darling will argue today…Mr Darling, who will lead the pro-union campaign in the referendum campaign, says the fear of a eurozone-style meltdown will thwart any hopes of a currency union with London built around the pound after Scottish independence. The alternative of Scotland simply using the pound would be more like “serfdom, than freedom”, Mr Darling will say." - Scotsman

• Alex Salmond orders SNP MSPs: 'Ssshhh! Don't mention independence' - Daily Telegraph
• To take a brave stand on independence, be honest - Andrew Mckie, Herald Scotland

Battle of Slimming World vs WeightWatchers as MPs strive to stave off fat - The Times (£)

Graeme Archer: We should vote for the Director General of the BBC

"Every other club I elect to join, from the Tory party to the Royal Statistical Society, from my building society to – well that's it, actually; I'm not very "clubbable" – all these bodies take my membership fee, in some form or other, and then offer me a vote in the organisation's leadership. Why is the national broadcaster immune to this process? I don't propose a free-for-all; I'm too Tory to be entirely allergic to the concept of a role for the Establishment. Let the BBC Board pick a shortlist of three names, the initial application for which should be open to any UK citizen. Then submit those names to every licence fee payer, along with detailed biographies, and ask them to vote." - Graeme Archer, Daily Telegraph

Defence 1: Armed Forces must wait five years longer for pension - Daily Telegraph

Defence 2: Plan to split Army into two forces - The Independent

Defence 3: The Harrier graveyard - Daily Express

Politics Home Awards

• Paul Goodman is Political Blogger of the Year.
• Grant Shapps wins award for tweeting and tries to tweet while collecting award

> Yesterday: ToryDiary - The PoliticsHome Political Blogger of the Year is Paul Goodman

Now Rain Goddess Spelman plans Royal Ascot downpour and Wimbledon washout - Daily Mail

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