Newslinks for Sunday 7th July 2013

7.30pm ToryDiary: Congratulations to Andy Murray, CCHQ-style

6.30pm WATCH:

• May - I was very pleased that we were finally able to achieve the deportation."
• Grayling - "There will be no pact with UKIP."
• Farage - We're not just Tories".

3pm WATCH: Abu Qatada is deported

1pm WATCH: Lord Hurd on Egypt - "Tony Blair leaps in before he's thought things through"

11.15am ToryDiary: The many virtues of the Home Secretary's statement on Abu Qatada

9.45am MPsETC: "Delighted"..."Well done, Theresa"..."Very good news"..."Now for the ECHR". Tory MPS queue to praise May over Qatada deportation

ToryDiary: Theresa May, Strong Woman

Nick de Bois MP on Comment: Why shouldn't union members choose who gets their political levy?

Good news for the Tories 1) Abu Qatada is deported from Britain

“Abu Qatada, the notorious hate cleric, is expected to appear in a Jordanian court to face terrorist charges this morning, marking the end of an eight-year battle by the British government to deport him…Just after 2am, Abu Qatada was due to board a small private jet for a 5-hour flight to Amman, the Jordanian capital…The deportation marks a triumph for Theresa May, the home secretary, after previous attempts to deport Abu Qatada were thwarted by human rights laws” – Sunday Times (£)

• The comfy prison cell awaiting Abu Qatada in Jordan – Sunday Telegraph
• Move his family, or we stop paying council tax, say neighbours - Mail on Sunday
• Theresa May urges action on “jihad tourism” – Independent on Sunday
• Gove halts free school linked to extremists - Sunday Express

> Today: ToryDiary - Theresa May, Strong Woman

Good news for the Tories 2) Feelgood factor reaches its highest level since 2010

“A Sunday Times YouGov poll reveals that the feelgood factor is at its highest since the general election in 2010, with a growing belief that we have weathered the economic storm. …A majority of people surveyed by YouGov believe that economically the worst is over and 15% of respondents even expect to be better off over the next 12 months. When asked about the financial situation of their household, 53% of respondents expected it to get better or stay the same over the next year. A total of 41% expected it to get worse — giving a 12-point lead to the cheerful over the glum” – Sunday Times (£)

Good news for the Tories 3) Miliband can't stop the McCluskey row: says he will “mend not end” Labour’s link with the trade unions

“Some people will ask whether…we should break the link with the trade unions. They will say trade unions helped found the Labour party, but that they have decreasing relevance in today's world, represent a minority of the workforce, and their relationship with Labour is a problem. But the presence of ordinary working people… in a political party should be its biggest asset…So we should mend the relationship, not end it” - Ed Miliband, Observer

• Reform Labour or face certain defeat, insiders warn Miliband - Observer
• Blunkett tells Miliband that radical change is needed – Mail on Sunday
• Tom Watson allies accused of smearing Labour candidate – Mail on Sunday
• Miliband's wounded, and it could prove fatal - Mail on Sunday Editorial

Meanwhile McCluskey tells Labour to put its house in order and insists Unite did nothing wrong…

“We want to give our democracy back to ordinary working people. We say they need to be given a fair crack of the whip in the Labour Party in particular…The party that wants to make Britain a fairer place should start by putting its own house in order. That is what caused the Falkirk argument. Unite was working completely within the rules to secure the selection of a working-class woman as Labour candidate, someone with 30 years membership of the Party” – Sunday Mirror

…and Matthew d’Ancona says Miliband’s future depends on his battle with McCluskey

“What started as a constituency scandal in Falkirk has become a national confrontation between Miliband and Len McCluskey, the general secretary of Unite. The resignation from the shadow cabinet of Tom Watson – a close ally of McCluskey – has only fuelled the flames of controversy. Like Watson’s resignation from the Labour front bench in 2006, to which he alluded in his resignation letter, it has forced the question: who’s in charge?” –Sunday Telegraph

• Ed gets a taste of the medicine he fed his brother – Adam Boulton, Sunday Times (£)

> Today: Nick de Bois MP on Comment: Why shouldn't union members choose who gets their political levy?

> Yesterday: LeftWatch - Miliband will want you to think that he’s broken from the unions – and Ken Livingstone to think that he hasn’t

Tony Blair says the Egyptian army was right to depose President Morsi

“The events that led to the Egyptian army's removal of President Mohamed Morsi confronted the military with a simple choice: intervention or chaos. Seventeen million people on the street is not the same as an election. But it is an awesome manifestation of people power…The Muslim Brotherhood was unable to shift from being an opposition movement to being a government...The economy is tanking. Ordinary law and order has virtually disappeared. Services aren't functioning properly” - Observer

• Sheer numbers are plunging Egypt beyond control - Sunday Express
• Nobel Laureate becomes new Prime Minister - Mail on Sunday
• Sometimes democracy starts with a coup, not a free election – Camilla Cavendish, Sunday Times (£)

Ministers to seize back 100 powers from Brussels

“In the first part of efforts to renegotiate Britain’s relationship with the European Union…Theresa May, the Home Secretary, will give MPs details of proposals to opt out of 133 EU measures covering justice, home affairs and the police — including the controversial European Arrest Warrant — by next spring. Some of the measures that are seen to be in the national interest will then be opted back into, in a complex process, but ‘more than two thirds’ will disappear permanently from British law” – Sunday Telegraph

• Free trade talks worth £100 billion to Britain - Sunday Express

Chris Grayling wants young offenders who misbehave to lose privileges

“Mr Grayling said last night: ‘The youth custody system is failing. We need to instil discipline, education and the simple principle of good behaviour. It seems ludicrous to me that we dole out privileges regardless of how they behave. Quite simply, we need to teach these young people right from wrong. Luxuries must be a reward for good behaviour not an automatic right.’ Ministers are worried different institutions impose different rules and want consistency. They also want more education on the inside” – Sun on Sunday

• We scuppered legal aid plans - Mail on Sunday

Is Owen Paterson planning to kill off HS2?

"Well-placed sources claimed that Environment Secretary Owen Paterson has vowed to kill off the project on the grounds that it will damage the environment. The Prime Minister has made the vastly ambitious scheme, linking London and the North with 225mph trains, a symbol of his commitment to investing in the nation’s future." - Mail on Sunday

• HS2 is "the maddest waste of money since Concorde" - Simon Jenkins, Mail on Sunday
• Pull the emergency brake on HS2 - Dominic Lawson, Sunday Times (£)

Lord Hennessy warns that TV election debates create “plausible tarts”

“Warning that they meant future leaders would be selected for being ‘plausible tarts’ rather than simply ‘decent’, he said a culture of ‘celebritocracy’ could blight politics. Lord Hennessy, a cross-bench peer, added that Clement Attlee, the post-war Labour prime minister, would never be elected today because his ‘considerable virtues’ would be eclipsed by his ‘charisma and presence of a gerbil’” – Sunday Telegraph

Douglas Hurd: Boris Johnson follows in Disraeli’s footsteps

“His reputation has soared past these difficulties. This is in large part because he is entertaining and makes good use of his education in his rhetoric. Of course, there is a question of control. While Disraeli tried to keep his comedy in check and did not let his wit gallop away with him, Boris allows himself to be consumed by his own jokes. This makes it difficult when he wants to make a serious point. But, one way or another, Boris has nonetheless done today what Disraeli did in the 19th Century, namely raise the level of interest in politics up several pegs” – Mail on Sunday 

• First Boris Bike London death - Sunday Express

News in brief

• David Cameron’s younger daughter gets sticker stuck up her nose – Mail on Sunday
• Clegg hit by charity cover-up claims - Mail on Sunday
• MPs to lose gold-plated pensions - Sunday Telegraph
• Two killed, ten critically injured in San Francisco plane crash - Observer
• Michael Parkinson reveals he has cancer – Sun on Sunday
• Way cleared to Pope John Paul II becoming a saint - Sunday Express
• Prescott: I'm quitting Privy Council over press regulation plan - Sunday Mirror
• Charles Saatchi announces he is divorcing Nigella Lawson – Mail on Sunday
• John Bercow’s outbursts said to be caused by marital difficulties – Mail on Sunday

And finally, the BBC apologises for “insensitive” comment on Wimbledon winner Marion Bartoli’s appearance

“The Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli said she would not let comments about her appearance by the BBC presenter John Inverdale spoil the greatest day of her life. The BBC was forced to apologise after Inverdale suggested the French player was ‘never going to be a looker, on Radio 5 Live, shortly after she defeated Sabine Lisicki to win the women's final on Centre Court…Bartoli said: ‘It doesn't matter, honestly. I am not blonde, yes. That is a fact. Have I dreamt about having a model contract? No. I'm sorry. But have I dreamed about winning Wimbledon? Absolutely, yes’” - Observer

> 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 Saturday 6th July 2013

6.30pm Paul Goodman on ToryDiary: "The best case against keeping out of Syria begins with turning the argument about that Sunni extremist arc on its head.  A million refugees have fled Syria for Jordan; another million have done so for Lebanon.  The longer the Syrian civil war continues, the larger the flow of refugees will be." I've written the case against intervening in Syria. Here's a case for doing so.

11.45am LeftWatch: Miliband will want you to think that he’s broken from the unions – and Ken Livingstone to think that he hasn’t

ToryDiary: Well done, Wharton – now the rest of the eurosceptic movement needs to fire up the engines

Calum Crichton on Comment: The flaws and faults in the SNP's argument about equality

304-0: Britain has moved "one step closer" to an EU Referendum, says Cameron...

"In a landmark parliamentary 304 MPs voted in favour of a referendum, with none voting against as almost all Labour and Lib Dems MPs boycotted Westminster. ... There was loud cheering on the Commons' green benches as a backbench Bill, spearheaded by Tory MP James Wharton, cleared the first hurdle in its difficult battle to become law." - Daily Mail

• "For now, [Cameron] has achieved something distinctly unusual in the modern Tory party – unity on Europe." - Daily Telegraph editorial

> Today on ToryDiary: Well done, Wharton – now the rest of the eurosceptic movement needs to fire up the engines

> Yesterday:

• James Wharton MP on Comment: Today the voters learn who really believes that the people deserve a say on the EU
• LeftWatch: 304-0 for James Wharton's EU referendum bill. What Miliband will do next.
• LISTEN: William Hague's speech on the Wharton Bill: "Labour don't know whether they will vote against something they're opposed to."

...but not all Tories are happy

"But [Cameron's pre-vote] attempt to woo his MPs has not won everyone over. One said: ‘In 2011 I was threatened with death for voting for an EU referendum, now I’m whipped and invited to a ****ing BBQ.’" - Daily Mail

Now Labour have called in the police over Falkirk and Unite...

"Police last night launched a probe into vote-rigging within the Labour Party. ... As the gravest crisis of his leadership intensified, Ed Miliband promised to hand over an internal report on the scandal which he is accused of having known about for months. ... Last night Mr Miliband was also alleged to have ignored complaints that Unite had fixed other elections in the South West." - Daily Mail

...as Miliband plans to reform his party's relationship with the unions...

"Ed Miliband is to review the Labour party's historic relationship with the trade union movement amid calls from senior party figures for him to use a bitter row with the Unite general secretary, Len McCluskey, to break the formal link. ... senior party aides indicated that Miliband would embark on a bold step of reform in the coming weeks." - The Guardian

...Len McCluskey isn't best pleased...

"He said: 'The Labour leadership have shot themselves in the foot and created this media storm over what is a genuinely irrelevant issue to ordinary British workers. ... It is depressing that Labour leaders have got to have a situation where they punch up union leaders. ... Ed doesn’t need to punch up me, I’m his friend, I support him.'" - The Sun

• "Some party figures are privately speculating that the argument between the former allies [Miliband and McCluskey] will leave at least one suffering fatal political damage." - Daily Telegraph

...Eric Joyce has his say...

"The amateur, hubristic and irresponsible actions of a small number of Unite officials at the top of the organisation will require some rules to be changed to prevent another Falkirk." - Eric Joyce, The Guardian

• "Yesterday, Mr Miliband made much of the fact he has referred Labour’s internal report into Falkirk to the police. ... In reality, however, this was an act of weakness, coming 24 hours after the Tory MP Henry Smith wrote a public letter to the Chief Constable of Scotland calling for a full fraud inquiry." - Daily Mail editorial
• "Having belatedly involved the police, Mr Miliband must be more combative." - Financial Times editorial
• "The question facing Labour is not whether it can rediscover the old labour-based culture of the 20th century and become the kind of party it used to be. That is a fantasy." - Guardian editorial
• "Tom Watson: my part in his downfall" - Dan Hodges, Daily Telegraph
• "Labour's union row is a helpful distraction for warring Tories" - Gaby Hinsliff, The Guardian
• "Mr Miliband can still turn this sorry saga to his advantage. He had some tough words for Unite yesterday but now needs to match them with action." - Andrew Grice, The Independent

...and suspended candidate Karie Murphy denies wrongdoing

"When [Karie Murphy was] asked if she had signed voters up to the Falkirk Labour Party without their consent, she replied: ‘No, absolutely not true.’ ... She added: ‘I don’t know what the allegations are. Until I know what the allegations are it would be inappropriate to try and defend myself. ... ‘I’ll follow the discipline of the union. I’ll comply with what the party needs from me. That’s as much as I can say.’" - Daily Mail

More deficit woe for George Osborne?

"Expectations of a £3bn windfall from secret Swiss bank accounts have been thrown into doubt after the banking industry said that less money was hidden in Switzerland than previously thought. ... The announcement is potentially embarrassing for the government because it increases expectations of a significant revision to the public sector borrowing figures, which were flattered last month by the inclusion of the full £3.2bn estimate" - Financial Times

Next week, Gove will unveil the new history curriculum – Churchill's in it

"The document, seen by the Mail, will state clearly that every pupil must ‘know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day’. ... Mr Gove is insisting that pupils learn about leading historical figures such as Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Oliver Cromwell and Queen Victoria. ... Pupils aged 11 to 14 will also be expected to study ‘the Second World War and the wartime leadership of Winston Churchill’, the only modern politician who is mentioned." - Daily Mail

• "Michael Gove has abandoned plans to drop climate change from the geography national curriculum." - The Guardian

And the Education Secretary also wants to act against homophobic language

"Education Secretary Michael Gove yesterday declared war on the ‘utterly outrageous and medieval’ use of the word ‘gay’ as an insult. .. He will study current laws to ensure they are ‘properly policed’ and could even ‘sharpen’ them in a bid to stamp out offensive homophobic language." - Daily Mail

• "The Archbishop of Canterbury yesterday warned leaders of the Church of England that they must learn to accept the sexual revolution over gay rights." - Daily Mail

Look out, Hunt: the NHS faces a £30 billion funding gap

"The chief executive of the NHS, Sir David Nicholson, is expected next week to warn of a funding gap of £30bn by 2020 as he launches a 'national conversation' about the hard choices ahead for the health service. ... The Health Service Journal reported that Tim Kelsey, NHS England director for patients and information, had told an audience of technology entrepreneurs: 'We are about to run out of cash in a very serious fashion.'" - Financial Times

• The controversial Liverpool Care Pathway can continue under a new set of guidelines, says an impending report - Daily Mail

> Yesterday:

• Sir Merrick Cockell on Comment: To flourish in the future, the health service must be integrated with social care
• Local Government: Councils should not try to block health reform

Matthew Parris: Scrap Tory associations and rebuild the party

"The national party is evaporating away, and what's left is a miscellany of types: the very old, the very loyal, the absolute bricks, the rather lonely, the slightly embarrassed guest and ... yes, it has to be said, a goodly clutch of ideological obsessives ... It is overwhelmingly these last who take a passionate and sustained interest in politics and this tail can wag the dog." - Matthew Parris, The Times (£)

• "Falkirk is a farce, but the flaws in selecting political candidates are not Labour's alone" - Graeme Archer, Daily Telegraph

Quentin Letts versus John Bercow

"For the truth is that the Commons Speaker keeps exploding. Repeatedly, and most embarrassingly (to himself but more damagingly to his office), the man who chairs our legislature has lost his grip, big time." - Quentin Letts, Daily Mail

Anthony King versus the entire British Government

"The blunders committed by British governments in the past 30 years have been monumental. The only reason no one has noticed is that the numerous blunder-beads have never been hung on a single string. Each has typically been seen as a one-off – the fault of this or that administration. Some passed unnoticed – even at the time." - Anthony King, Financial Times

"I just wish [Clegg] would travel the few miles from his home in Putney to my neighbourhood in Bermondsey. He would witness the devastating effect of a society that does not value marriage" - Selena Gray, Daily Mail

Ipsa chief defends higher pay for MPs

"Sir Ian dismissed the argument that this is the wrong time for a salary hike for MPs, saying that there will never be a good time to increase their pay. ... David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband have all opposed the idea of a substantial pay increase for MPs, but Sir Ian came close to telling them to mind their own business." - The Independent

• "The pay rise is a step too far, and MPs would be advised to legislate briefly and quickly to stop it. But the additional payments for children are justified." - Independent editorial
• "A £10,000 pay rise for MPs? Good – they deserve it" - Andrew Grice, Independent
• "Greedy MPs unleash my inner Guy Fawkes" - Matthew Norman, Daily Telegraph

News in brief

• Police to apologise for using the names of dead children in undercover operations - The Times (£)
• Boris buses criticised as "moving saunas" - Daily Telegraph
• Inside Mark Carney's £3 million house, paid for by the taxpayer - Daily Mail
• The BBC's Jeremy Bowen injured as violence tears through Cairo - Daily Mail
• Councils to experiment with a "late night levy" on venues selling alcohol after midnight - Financial Times
• International sports stars could benefit from new fast-track tax exemptions in the UK - Financial Times
• Britain poised to send more military support to Lebanon, to bolster its border with Syria - Independent
• Help to Buy scheme fuelling housing market bubble, warns Labour - The Guardian
• Growing speculation about a Sarkozy comeback - The Guardian

> 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 Friday 5th July 2013

7pm Sarah Newton MP on Comment: All party members should vote in the MEP selection ballot

6.45pm LISTEN: William Hague's speech on the Wharton Bill: "Labour don't know whether they will vote against something they're opposed to."

3pm LeftWatch: Miliband will be pushed and prodded towards seeking to tack an amendment onto the bill in the autumn calling for a pre-2015 referendum.  This would convulse the Conservative benches, and cause endless problems for David Cameron. 304-0 for James Wharton's EU referendum bill. What Miliband will do next.

12.30pm Local Government: Councils should not try to block health reform

10am James Wharton MP on Comment: Today the voters learn who really believes that the people deserve a say on the EU

9.30am On the day of the NHS's 65th anniversary, Sir Merrick Cockell writes on Comment: To flourish in the future, the health service must be integrated with social care

ToryDiary: CCHQ unveils poster to mark today's debate on James Wharton's referendum bill

In his Friday Diary, Iain Dale asks: Why have so few politicians taken up the cause of fathers' rights?

"One thing is certain: until politicians have the guts to act in a way which is strong and do the right thing for the taxpayer instead of being pushed around by the media, the problem will never go away. If we want the public to have faith in Parliament, scrapping expenses is the biggest way to go about it." - Nadine Dorries MP on Comment: How to reform MPs' expenses

Local Government: George Pender makes a visit to a recycling plant

The Deep End: Heresy of the week: British politics is too clear cut

Cameron rallies supporters in advance of the EU referendum vote

"In his email to Tory supporters, the Prime Minister wrote: “The Bill has my full support. It has support from across the parliamentary party, ministers and back- benchers, Conservatives of all views. We are united behind it and together we will vote for it. The political picture here is a simple one. Conservatives want to give people a choice on Europe. Labour don’t – they’re refusing to back our Bill. Ed Miliband was facing a growing split among Labour over the referendum proposal last night." - Daily Express 

• A referendum is inevitable - Daily Express Leader 
• The Tories are the only party offering the people a say - The Sun Says 
• PM cooks a hog roast for backbenchers on the eve of the vote - The Independent 
• Hague challenges Lib Dems and Labour to support democracy - Daily Telegraph 
• Shadow minister Ian Austin says Labour should back a referendum - Daily Mail 
• The Eurozone crisis is back on, yet again - Daily Express 
• CBI warns against leaving the EU - FT (£) 

>Today: ToryDiary - CCHQ unveils poster to mark today's debate on James Wharton's referendum bill
>Wednesday: WATCH - James Wharton MP says "it's about time people were given a say"

Good riddance, Tom Watson...

"Mr Watson should never have been close to the Shadow Cabinet in the first place. He is too divisive a figure, too closely associated with Len McCluskey, the general secretary of Unite, with whom he once shared a flat. Whenever a dog barked in the night of Labour politics, one thought always occurred: Mr Watson, I presume." - Philip Collins, The Times (£) 

>Yesterday: LeftWatch - Tom Watson resigns - with an embittered letter to Ed Miliband 

…but can Miliband prevent the union takeover of Labour?

"The Labour leader’s spokesman said it was clear Unite had done ‘wrong’ and suggested Mr McCluskey would have to take responsibility ‘for what he has done’ – a strong hint that he too should consider his position. Last night the row intensified as the furious union boss said he had lost faith in Labour HQ, which he bankrolls, accused the party of a ‘smear’ against him and demanded an independent inquiry. The controversy raises uncomfortable questions for Mr Miliband over who really controls Labour – and what would happen if Unite stopped funding the party."- Daily Mail 

• Scottish Unite figures suspended - The Times (£) 
• Ed is too weak to lead - Daily Mail Leader 
• Unite have Labour in a headlock - Andrew Pierce, Daily Mail 
• Tories should beware alienating union members - Isabel Hardman, Daily Telegraph 

The Prime Minister writes in the Sun: Happy Birthday, NHS

"The National Health Service is one of our most precious institutions. We all know it because we have all been touched by it. I will never forget the care my son Ivan received and the inspirational people who helped Sam and me through the difficult times. The consultants, the community nurses, the care team — they all became part of our lives. With experienced support and dedicated professional care like that, you know just how special it is. So I yield to no one in my love of the NHS. But we don’t demonstrate that love by covering up things that go wrong. Or by pretending the NHS can just ignore the big challenges it faces." - David Cameron, The Sun

• …and pledges a doctor or nurse for every vulnerable patient - The Sun 
• The CQC spent £785,000 on its spin team - Daily Telegraph 

Bercow spent £100k on travel - including £84 to be chauffeured 400 yards

"A spokesman for Mr Bercow defended his travel arrangements, saying they reflected his duties as an ambassador for Parliament. A House of Commons spokesman said: ‘It is an important duty of the Speaker to foster good relations with fellow speakers and parliamentarians. The vast majority of travel is economy class.’" - Daily Mail 

• Border Agency spent £13m a year covering migrants' costs in lost cases - Daily Mail 

Hague: We will work with new Egyptian regime

"William Hague has said the UK "will work with the people in authority in Egypt" but condemned the ousting of its president as "a dangerous thing". The foreign secretary told the BBC the UK wanted to see a civilian-led government in Egypt. But he said "we have to work with whoever is in authority" to protect Britons and UK firms in Egypt." - BBC News 

• Capitalism is what the Arab world needs - Fraser Nelson, Daily Telegraph 

Rural broadband scheme hits trouble

"In an analysis published on Friday, the National Audit Office condemns the culture department for a series of failures that have left the programme running 22 months late and more than £200m over budget. It is also strongly critical of BT, whose chief executive, Ian Livingston, is soon to become David Cameron’s trade minister. The report accuses the telecoms company of not being open about what it charges, and says there is evidence it is inflating its bill by including contingency costs." - FT (£) 

• Treasury campaigns for Whitehall to learn from business - FT (£) 

Cameron battling to protect pensioners from cuts

"Ministers who want to ditch the uprating suggested that its cost had grown from £450 million in 2010 to £2.4 billion in future years. But at a meeting in Downing Street last week, Mr Cameron said he was determined to keep the triple lock in place and intended to campaign on a pledge to keep it at the 2015 general election. The Prime Minister has already seen off challenges to the winter fuel allowance, the benefit worth up to £300 a year paid to pensioners regardless of their income, which costs £2 billion a year." - The Times (£) 

• The triple lock is unaffordable - The Times Leader (£) 

Lord Ashcroft introduces British Army veterans to employers

"One of the problems we have found is that most employers simply don't understand what most military jobs involve, and so find it hard to picture what former service personnel could bring to their organisation. For that reason, I asked a young serving soldier, Corporal Lee Davidson of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, to come along and tell us what he does all day." - LordAshcroft.com 

James Arbuthnot: Only a disaster will reverse defence cuts

"I foresee that the economies of the West shall gradually get stronger and we shall therefore be in a position to spend more on our own defence but before Europe decides to do that, and to create the defences that the instability of the world requires, we shall have to go through a major, perhaps a catastrophic incident, that reminds our people that without strong defences we have no schools, no hospitals, no welfare payments and no economy.” - The Times (£) 

2am, Sunday: The date we wave goodbye to Abu Qatada

"Qatada, 53, is due finally to be put on a plane at RAF Northolt in west London around 2am on Sunday. It will carry British officials and Jordanians who will take charge of the Islamic fundamentalist when it lands at an isolated airstrip. Qatada, who faces terrorism charges in his home country, is expected to be taken to the maximum security Muwaqqar prison in a military zone near the capital Amman." - Daily Express 

Free foil for drug users - on the taxpayer

"Home secretary Theresa May has announced drug treatment centres will now have to offer foil after Government advisors argued it would encourage users to visit the centres. Foil is used as a cooking surface when heating drugs such as heroin so they can be injected, while marijuana, cocaine and crystal meth can be smoked through it. Ms May said: "The available evidence shows that the provision of foil can encourage people to take their first steps into treatment, reducing the immediate harm and facilitating the onward journey towards recovery and abstinence."" - Daily Express 

News in brief

• The BBC is biased to its core - Daily Express Leader 
• Open-door immigration breaks our creaking planning system - The Times (£) 
• The Church faces further collapse in support - The Times (£) 
• Party funding talks put on hold - The Times (£) 
• 150 MPs claim more expenses for their children - Daily Telegraph 
• Low interest rates for three more years - Daily Mail 
• MPs go bats - Ann Treneman, The Times (£) 

> 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 4th July 2013

4.15pm LeftWatch: Tom Watson resigns - with an embittered letter to Ed Miliband

1pm Neil Carmichael MP on Comment: School Governors and governance - time to step-up delivery

12.45pm Local Government: Durand Academy head hits back at Hodge

10.45am ToryDiary: " 'I am in blood/ Stepp'd in so far, that, should I wade no more,/ Returning were as tedious as go o'er." In other words, it's relatively easy for a government to commit to a grand scheme such as HS2, but extremely hard for it to escape from the commitment.' " Three reasons why Cameron wants to stick with HS2

Tory Diary: Downing Street won't like the changes at the Times

Roger Scruton on Thinkers' Corner: Conservatives must think. So come and do so at the second Conservative Renewal conference.

In this week's Culture Column, Daniel Hannan MEP marks Independence Day by praising the author of the Declaration of Independence itself. Thomas Jefferson, Anglosphere hero

Craig Whittaker MP on Comment: How care for vulnerable children is being improved

Local Government: Boris urges colleges and prisons to help defeat race hatred

The Deep End: Bitcoin and the privatisation of currency

Army ousts Morsi in Egypt

"Mr Morsi, who had earlier refused to resign, was told at 7pm local time he was no longer president as Egypt’s military seized control in a coup. As the streets of Cairo erupted in jubilation, Gen Abdulfattah al-Sisi, the head of the army, made a televised address to the nation accusing Mr Morsi of rejecting calls for national dialogue. Backed by the main religious leaders, Ahmed al-Tayyeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar University, and Pope Tawadros II of the Coptic Church, he said the military was taking up its “patriotic duty to the Egyptian masses”." - Daily Telegraph

Hague criticises army from Britain

"William Hague has called for restraint in Egypt after president Mohamed Morsi was ousted by the military. The foreign secretary said the UK did not support military intervention and warned British citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to the country – apart from the Red Sea resorts – as thousands of demonstrators took to the streets. Hague said: "The situation is clearly dangerous and we call on all sides to show restraint and avoid violence. "The United Kingdom does not support military intervention as a way to resolve disputes in a democratic system." - The Guardian

• Obama avoids calling Morsi ouster a ‘coup’ - Financial Times (£)
• What to do about holidays? - The Independent
• How Egypt’s military pulled the plug on Morsi’s regime - David Gardner, Financial Times
• The army isn't the answer for Egypt - Richard Spencer, Daily Telegraph
• Now Egypt’s Army has taken control, its most important task is to relinquish it - Times Editorial
• The army establishes a fragile peace in Egypt - Daily Telegraph Editorial

Portugal's bond yields surge, Ministers quit and share prices fall as country struggles with loan repayments

"Political disarray in Lisbon triggered a surge in Portugal’s bond yields and declines in share prices across Europe yesterday amid fears that the country will struggle to exit its ¤78 billion bailout on time. With Greece facing the threat of delays to its official loan payments, euro area periphery woes spread to Portugal with the resignation of two high-profile government ministers. The yield on ten-year Portuguese bonds spiked to 7.5 per cent, the highest level since late 2012, while the country’s key share index suffered its sharpest slide since 2011." - The Times (£)

• Carney gets off to hat-trick with leap in UK services - Financial Times
• UK would face huge bill to opt out of EU - The Times (£)
• In or out, Britain has to play by Europe’s rules - John Cridland, The Times (£)
• Intellectuals catching up with ordinary folk on EU - Daily Express Editorial
• King of Belgium abdicates amid paternity scandal - The Times (£)

> Yesterday:

• Stuart Coster on Comment: Labour's retreat and muddle on the EU referendum bill
• Chris Skidmore MP on Comment: Why historians believe we need a better deal from Europe

May overrules own advisers to ban Khat

"The Home Secretary said that, if she did not act, Britain could become a transit route for illegally shipping khat into mainland Europe. The amphetamine-like substance is already banned in most European countries, including France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and Ireland. Security experts have also warned that proceeds from selling the drug could be fuelling Islamist extremist groups, such as al-Shabab." - Daily Mail

• Ban Khat? she might as well ban cats - David Nutt, The Guardian

Home Office report reveals effects of immigration...

"It said that half the population lives in a town or city which has experienced high levels of immigration over the past decade. Ministers said this ‘uncontrolled’ flow had caused a number of problems for wider society, ranging from pressure on maternity services, high rates of infectious diseases and a squeeze on school places, to disproportionate levels of some types of crime, inflated rents and immigrants living in ‘beds in sheds’. - Daily Mail

• Warning over Pakistani cousin marriages - The Guardian
• Sir Norman Bettison referred to police watchdog over Stephen Lawrence - Daily Mail

> Yesterday: The Deep End - Immigration is a poor excuse for secularisation

…As a Cameron secret letter calls for an influx of foreign pupils

"Britain should encourage large numbers of foreign pupils to attend state schools under a controversial plan pushed by David Cameron which could see overseas parents charged thousands of pounds in fees. The recommendation, which comes in a leaked letter from the Prime Minister’s private secretary that was obtained by The Times, is likely to trigger a massive row about fees and the capacity of the state school sector." - The Times (£)

• Church gets go ahead to take over state schools - The Times (£)

Police officer in Diplomatic Protection Group and another woman arrested over Mitchell affair

§"Two women, including a serving police officer, have been arrested as part of Scotland Yard’s investigation into the so-called ‘plebgate’ affair involving former Tory chief whip Andrew Mitchell. A 37-year-old police constable from the Diplomatic Protection Group, which is tasked with protecting diplomatic and government officials, was arrested at her place of work on suspicion of misconduct in a public office, the Metropolitan Police said." - Daily Mail

Gove takes on parents, saying that too many children are being raised in chaotic homes

"In an outspoken intervention, the Education Secretary warned that many households were being turned into guesthouses with “fleeting” fathers playing a bit-part in children’s lives and young people being left to fend for themselves. Children often turn up at school without eating breakfast in the morning as a result of poor parenting – not because of financial hardships, he said. Mr Gove insisted that schools were now increasingly seen as the only major source of stability in many children’s lives." - Daily Telegraph

Fresh from taking on Osborne, Pickles takes on travellers who invade a cricket pitch

"Unaware that this political heavyweight was tailing them, the 40 or so travellers smashed down a metal gate and fence and set up camp on the cricket pitch. Acting on impulse, the minister — a Yorkshireman once known as the Beast of Bradford — challenged the travellers as to why they were setting up camp on parish council property. Mr Pickles, a man known for his imposing physical presence, cut a lonely but intimidating figure as he remonstrated with the travellers shortly after 10pm." - Daily Mail

• Local council cuts will lead to skeleton service, warns Sir Merrick Cockell - The Guardian

Speaker takes on Defence Secretary over closure of army bases

"Bercow accused Hammond of a "woefully inadequate" and "utterly incompetent" performance after the shadow defence secretary, Jim Murphy, was forced to respond to a statement with no idea about which bases would close. The speaker criticised the defence secretary on Wednesday after he announced that the number of army reserve bases would be cut by 26 – from 334 to 308 – as the government revamps the renamed Territorial Army." - The Guardian

And finally, on this day of taking-ons, Zac Goldsmith takes on Owen Paterson over GM foods, labelling him an 'industry puppet'

"The Richmond Park MP accused his fellow party member of making "nonsensical" claims about the benefits of GM technology, claiming that Mr Paterson is a puppet of the industry and does not understand the dangers genetically modified crops pose to the ecosystem. Speaking to The Independent, Mr Goldsmith said the environment secretary's recent speech to formally launch his campaign to grow GM crops in Britain was "nonsense"." - The Independent

Grayling to announce plans for 70 'resettlement prisons' that hold offenders close to home before their release

"Plans to create 70 “resettlement prisons” so offenders can be held close to their home before release will be announced today by Chris Grayling, the Justice Secretary. The moves are aimed at smoothing prisoners’ return to the outside world, reducing their chances of returning to crime. Mr Grayling said the move would mean all offenders receiving “through the gate” supervision and support to turn their lives around." - The Independent

Tameside Hospital Chief Executive quits

"Christine Green quit at Tameside Hospital, Gtr Manchester, after claims some patients had to wait up to four days to see a consultant. Others were left languishing in corridors for hours. It is understood the decision was agreed with the trust’s board last week. But the decision was announced yesterday after three local MPs — David Heyes, Jonathan Reynolds and Andrew Gwynne — renewed calls for her to go." - The Sun

• Health regulator bosses admit they 'got it wrong' by leaving out names of executives involved in Morecambe cover-up - Daily Mail
• Civil servant paid £73,000 to prepare for MPs’ questions on NHS computer system - The Times (£)
• Diane Abbott brands health charge ‘xenophobic’ - The Sun
• End free ride - Sun Editorial
• A £200 bill won't stop foreigners abusing our NHS - Professor J Meirion Thomas, Daily Mail

PMQs: Oh dear, what can the matter be? Miliband's papers are stuck in the lavatory...

"Notes esigned to help Ed Miliband rebuff a Tory onslaught over Labour’s links to the Unite union have been published after being left in a Commons toilet. In a major embarrassment for the Labour leader, they show his aides were expecting him to be forced to defend Tom Watson, his party’s campaign chief, during Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday." - The Times (£)

Cameron to Miliband: You're McCluskey's sock puppet

"Mr Cameron deflected questions from the Labour leader on primary school class sizes, and instead said Mr Miliband was reading from a script written by Unite's general secretary Len McCluskey. Mr Cameron said: "You go up and down the country speaking for Len McCluskey. "I have got the press release here - 'How Unite plans to change the Labour Party' - and this is what it says: 'We give millions of pounds to the party, the relationship has to change. We want a firmly class-based and left-wing General Election campaign'." - Daily Express

> Yesterday:

• Andrew Lilico on Comment: How David Cameron could win the next General Election – by not holding it in May 2015
• In his PMQs review, Andrew Gimson sees Cameron bring Len McCluskey before a wider public by using him to beat Miliband:

Unite's constituency push revealed

"And now a private document from Unite has emerged which spells out its attempts to support candidates in no fewer than 41 constituencies. In the report, the union’s political officer describes a “furious” operation to help with selections, with more than three officials working almost full-time on “candidate selection matters”. He notes the growing press interest in the “malign” influence of the union, adding: “A Times editorial attacking us is a medal of honour.” - Financial Times

• Labour admits union paid for 500 new members - The Independent
• Shadow Defence Secretary Jim Murphy blasts Unite - The Sun
• Labour under fire after union puts pressure on whistleblower - The Times (£)
• Miliband’s challenge - Daily Mail Editorial
• Falkirk may seem minor, but for Labour it really matters - Martin Kettle, The Guardian
• Labour must ignore the siren voices of the futile Left - Simon Danczuk MP, The Times (£)
• Labour leads fightback against critics of HS2 - Financial Times 
• Schools and hospitals should buy British food, says Mary Creagh - Daily Telegraph

> Yesterday:

• LeftWatch: The plot thickens over Labour's Falkirk scandal
• Local Government: Labour councillors approved illegal pay rise
• Columnist Stephan Shakespeare: As the Left's ideas decline across Europe, Labour doesn't know what to say

Peter Oborne: In praise of Kenneth Minogue

"Prof Minogue is not a household name, but he does hold an honoured place among the small group of political philosophers, writers and economists who made the case for freedom and questioned the growth of government power in the post-war era. Here are some of the others: Michael Oakeshott; FA Hayek; Maurice Cowling; Bill and Shirley Letwin (parents of Oliver, the Conservative politician); columnists. TE Utley, George Gale, Peregrine Worsthorne, Colin Welch and Frank Johnson; John O’Sullivan; Roger Scruton. Most of these fine people, like Ken Minogue, are now dead." - Daily Telegraph

News in Brief

• Murray battles through five sets to reach Wimbledon semi-finals - The Times (£)
• Green taxes will push energy bills up to £2,000 - Daily Mail
• Business leaders back pay rise for MPs - Financial Times 
• Taxpayer funding £500,000 Whitehall payoffs - Daily Telegraph
• Snowden row intensifies as hidden bug found in Ecuador's embassy - The Guardian
• Murdoch’s secret rant over hacking inquiry - Daily Express
• Your chance to win the Ridley prize - Spectator
• Temperatures set to hit 30C next week - Daily Mail

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