Newslinks for Wednesday 29th May 2013
6pm ToryDiary: Freeborn Philip Hammond's spending review rebellion may be more loyal than it looks
3.45pm Richard Ottaway MP: To the colleagues who heckled me, I say: it is in our national interest to stay in the EU
1.15pm Rory Meakin on ThinkTankCentral: "Most people agree that the system we have now doesn't make sense in a world of multinational companies, intellectual property and the internet. How much UK tax should companies like Starbucks and Google pay with a fairer system? Are they getting away with paying too little?" Three steps to fix our broken corporate tax system
11.30am Mohammed Amin on Comment: Calling terrorists jihadis helps them
ToryDiary: Will James Wharton's EU referendum bill help Cameron, harm him - or make little difference at all?
ToryDiary: Where is the fury over the weekend spikes in NHS deaths?
Christopher Pincher MP on Comment: "Concerns remain and the doom-merchants still point across the Atlantic, where shale has revolutionised the energy market, muttering darkly about environmental disaster. Their claims must be countered and critiqued. The myths they market must be exploded." Exposing the mythical horror stories about shale gas
LocalGovt:
- Local Government has shown the way on coping with real spending cuts
- Councils spending £347 million a year in fees to investment managers for Pension Funds
In this week's Red, White and Blue column, Henry Hill looks at the implications of London devolution
The Deep End: Liberalism, post-liberalism and loneliness
Osborne's Star Chamber will see cutting Cabinet Ministers scrutinise their colleagues
'In an ominous sign for rebellious ministers, Mr Pickles, one of the most hawkish members of the Cabinet, has been given a prime seat alongside the Chancellor. At the right-hand side of Mr Alexander will be Ken Clarke, the former Chancellor and another fiscally conservative minister. Oliver Letwin, the Prime Minister’s policy guru, will also be a member of the group. Treasury officials said that the star chamber may not be needed if all ministers fall into line.' - The Times (£)
- Start with Whitehall waste - Sun Says
- We need cuts, not slices - Daily Telegraph Leader
- Pickles targets council pension funds for savings - The Times (£)
- Osborne rules out tax rises - Daily Express
- Magistrates attack Grayling's court closure plans - The Times (£)
- Brussels allows member states to break the deficit limit - FT (£)
- Bribery Act reviewed to cut red tape costs - FT (£)
- Government under fire over "distorted" statistics - FT (£)
Coulson spills the beans: On Boris...
'"David responded: “Well, if he wins [London], he’ll want my job next”.’ Mr Coulson went on: ‘If proof were needed that our PM is a man untroubled by self-doubt, it came in his next sentence - “so I think he’ll be a bloody brilliant candidate for us”. Stabbing David, or anyone else for that matter, in the back would be distinctly off brand - just not very Boris. He would much prefer to see David fail miserably in the election and ride in on his bike to save party and country.'’' - Daily Mail
- Mayor to sign £1bn deal for London's "third financial district" - FT (£)
…and on Ed Balls
'He added that the Tories must “pray” Ed Balls remains shadow chancellor until the election: “Appointing him as George’s opposite number was the Miliband gift that will keep giving.” He compared the relationship between the two Eds with the “dysfunctional” pairing of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, claiming “each thinks he is smarter than the other”. He said: “The Conservatives should imagine in detail how it would work if they won . . . and share that vision with the public.”' - The Times (£)
Nick Herbert: Civil libertarians must stop opposing the Snoopers' Charter...
'The familiar argument is that the excessive infringement of civil liberties becomes a “recruiting sergeant” for terrorists. This may be true in the case of measures such as long periods of detention without trial. But using new technology to intercept terrorist plots doesn’t recruit terrorists: it jails them.' - Nick Herbert, The Times (£)
- Michael Howard and Blairites team up for more security powers - The Times (£)
- Inquiry to explore if MI5 spending cuts played a part in Woolwich oversights - Daily Telegraph
…but do the authorities abuse their existing powers?
'There can be no justification for someone being on police bail for three and a half years, as the Metropolitan Police admit has happened. Nobody should live under the shadow of suspicion for so long, subject to restrictions on movement, curfews and limited financial transactions, especially as some of the people held will not be charged and some of those charged will be acquitted.' - The Times Leader (£)
- Snoopers' Charter wouldn't have saved Drummer Rigby, say MI5 officers - The Independent
- 57,000 in limbo on bail indefinitely - Daily Mail
- Little Hitlers on the march - AN Wilson, Daily Mail
- Law Society calls for reduction in bail powers - Daily Express
- Morrisons suspend employee for wearing poppy and Help For Heroes wristband - Daily Mail
Charm offensive and a three line whip for the EU Referendum Bill
'Grant Shapps, the party chairman, wrote to the chairmen of Conservative associations to explain that an “historic vote” in the Commons would take place on Friday, July 5. He asked local chairmen to “understand the absence” of their MPs on a day that they would usually spend in their constituencies.' - The Times (£)
- Clear your diaries, Hague tells MPs - Daily Express
- Three-line whip to support the EU Referendum Bill - Daily Mail
- Referendum should happen before the next election - Daily Express Leader
- UKIP rise continues - The Sun
- Britain should stay in the EU, urges GOP's Jon Huntsman in the FT (£)
Nick Boles: Seeing the housing crunch has made me change my mind on immigration
'He said: ‘I had the classic metropolitan view about immigration that it was broadly good for me because it made life more varied and interesting and there were lots of people bringing different skills into the economy. I wasn’t really aware of the effect on people who were competing for relatively low skilled jobs and competing for public services.' - Daily Mail
- Housing shortage costs councils £91m on bed and breakfasts - Daily Mail
BBC "groupthink" bias on Islamism and immigration
'The corporation suffers from left wing ‘groupthink’ that prevents its journalists from challenging institutional bias and results in pro-immigration ‘propaganda’, according to the research published yesterday. It was also accused of ‘downplaying’ violence by Islamists while being happy to criticise Christianity and report on the activities of other violent extremists.' - Daily Mail
- Hay Festival snubs left-winger's controversial book on immigration - Daily Mail
More bad polling news for the PM
'Most worryingly for Tory strategists, the notion that the party is at war with itself appears to be growing. Fifty-six per cent regard the Conservatives as more divided than during John Major’s turbulent leadership in the 1990s, with only 23 per cent disagreeing. Forty-nine per cent of Tory voters and 72 per cent of Ukip supporters see the party as more split than it was in the 1990s. The recent turmoil also seems to have tarnished the voters’ view of the Prime Minister’s leadership ability, with 61 per cent doubting he possesses the qualities required to win the election outright in 2015' - The Independent
Cameron must show us what he is willing to fight for
'Dave cannot out-Nigel Mr Farage on the right while chained to Nick on the left. But the clue is in the title Prime Minister. Mr Cameron possesses more power than he has been prepared to wield. Long-stay German chancellors who had to contend with coalitions might remind him that no one was ever left in much doubt as to who the major partner was in their liaisons.' - Anne McElvoy, The Times (£)
News in brief
- Tough welfare reforms could cause a "revolution", says German Finance Minister - Daily Mail
- NHS surgery patients 82% more likely to die at weekends - Daily Mail
- Prospectors find shale gas in Lincolnshire - The Times (£)
- Hague is right to open the door to arming Syrian rebels - The Times (£)
- Revolving door between accountancy firms and Government - FT (£)
- Google to bring internet to remote African regions…with blimps - Guardian
- Lib Dem Trident cut proposal comes under attack - The Times (£)
- Ash dieback disease treatment row - Daily Mail
- Throw the book at those who deface memorials - Stephen Pollard, Daily Express
- 295 MPs bring in £7m of outside earnings between them - Daily Mail
- Britain blocks EU plastic bag ban - Daily Telegraph
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