“A Canadian soldier has died after being shot at the National War Memorial in Ottawa, as one gunman was killed in parliament and police hunted for at least one other assailant. … A statement from Prime Minister Stephen Harper said that he has ‘condemned this despicable attack’. … British Prime Minister David Cameron has offered his condolences, tweeting: ‘I’m appalled by today’s attack in Ottawa. I offer my full support to @pmharper and the Canadian people as they deal with this incident.'” – The Independent
“The prime minister has welcomed an ambitious proposal to devolve power to UK city regions along the same brisk timetable as the Scottish devolution process, suggesting Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire could gain more autonomy in 2015. … The report from the City Growth Commission argues that devolution from Whitehall to city regions will boost economic output in the UK’s 15 largest metropolitan areas (“metros”) by £79bn per year – approaching 5% of current GDP.” – The Guardian
And comment
> Yesterday: Henry Hill’s column – SNP drag Labour behind Tories in two Scots polls
“As the Daily Mail’s investigation into allegations of appalling failings of Welsh patients dominated Prime Minister’s Questions, David Cameron accused Labour of causing the crisis by slashing NHS funding. … He told MPs that the British Medical Association and even some Labour MPs were now calling for a public inquiry in Wales into claims of neglect, long waiting lists and poor access to lifesaving treatments.” – Daily Mail
And comment:
> Yesterday:
“The NHS is asking for an additional £8bn by 2020 to implement a radical plan, including switching funding from hospitals into other services including GP surgeries, which bosses say is vital to ensure the service can safeguard its future. … NHS bosses warn the Westminster parties to accept the need for the service’s funding to increase from just under £100bn this year to around £120bn by the end of the next parliament – an extra £8bn on top of planned increases in line with inflation – or risk patients suffering ‘severe’ consequences.” – The Guardian
And comment:
“The prime minister will read the riot act to the president of the European parliament today over a bid to raise the European Union’s annual budget. … David Cameron, who is travelling to Brussels for a meeting of the European Council, will demand ‘downward pressure’ on the overall budget for the European institutions. … Mr Cameron will tell Martin Schulz, the newly re-elected European parliament president, that ‘we should be looking more ruthlessly at how we can prioritise and re-allocate’, according to British government sources.” – The Times (£)
And comment:
> Today: Sir Bill Cash MP on Comment – We must face down the EU establishment
“European migrants would never get British benefits until they find a job, under proposals from Work secretary Iain Duncan Smith yesterday. … He said, ideally, EU jobseekers would not be ‘eligible to claim’ for Universal Credit – his reform where six existing benefits are paid out in one single payment to claimants. … Speaking yesterday he said: ‘We have already introduced a series of measures to tighten up access to benefits: no longer can people come here from abroad and expect to get something for nothing.'” – The Sun (£)
“Jean-Claude Juncker, the incoming president of the European commission, has rejected out of hand any attempt by David Cameron to ‘destroy’ the fundamental rules of the EU on free movement of people. … In an echo of the remarks by the outgoing president José Manuel Barroso, who warned that the prime minister is making a ‘historic mistake’ on the EU, Juncker said on Wednesday that he would not compromise in an ‘irresponsible way’ on rights that date back to foundation of the EEC.” – The Guardian
And comment:
> Yesterday: ToryDiary – Tory MEPs to disobey Downing Street over Juncker vote
“Ukip’s recent clean-up at the European Elections, the swipes it seems to be making on the foundations of the Conservative Party and its clear populist style has, it appears, not made a dent in the level of support Britons have for EU membership. … In fact, new research by IpsosMori suggests that support for the European Union (EU) has grown and is at its highest since 1991, shattering perceptions that the UK is edging closer towards a swift exit from the single market.” – The Independent
“UKIP are on course to win next month’s crunch Rochester and Strood by-election, according to a new poll. … The ComRes survey for ITV News gave the anti-EU party a 43-30 per cent lead over the Conservatives. … Labour are on 21 per cent, with the Lib Dems and Greens both on 3 per cent. … Voters in the Kent seat will go to the polls on November 20.” – The Sun (£)
And comment:
> Today:
“Ministers are set to offer £2million more in childcare grants to make Britain the female employment capital of Europe. … Almost half a million women are expected to enter the labour market by the start of 2016 – largely thanks to government tax breaks. … George Osborne welcomed the surge but said there was ‘more we can do to support women into work’. … He revealed he was considering boosting a scheme to help those who want to set themselves up as childminders.” – Daily Mail
And comment:
> Today:
“Theresa May will today order a sweeping review of Police use of tasers – amid fears cops are focusing on ethnic minorities. … The Home Secretary said far more ‘transparency’ was needed. … She claimed research showed 50 per cent of those tasered by the Met were from black or ethnic minority backgrounds. … The review – led by police chiefs and Home Office officials – will also study the use of physical restraint by cops.” – The Sun (£)
And comment:
“Today’s results are the first since these new rules were introduced. For some schools, still adjusting to the more rigorous and demanding approach to the curriculum that the Government has introduced, their performance table figures may represent a fall or be lower than they expected. But we remain committed to improving our education system, raising academic standards and ensuring that school leavers have the knowledge and skills for life in modern Britain.” – Nick Gibb, Daily Telegraph
“Millions in Libor fines levied on sinning bankers should be used to pay penniless Gurkhas pensions, MPs have demanded. … As many as 7,000 of the fiercely loyal Nepalese ex-soldiers are still without any old age support, an alarming new Commons report reveals. … Tory MP Jackie Doyle-Price: ‘Gurkha veterans are part of the British Military family. … We owe it to them to put right any wrongs and ensure that we continue to treat them fairly and with dignity.'” – The Sun (£)
“Social media users should be forced to reveal their identities to Twitter in a bid to stamp out web trolls, an MP has said. … Charlie Elphicke said the move would end ‘hate tweeting’ by forcing sick online bullies out of the shadows. … The Tory MP for Dover hit out just days after it was announced that jail terms for those who abuse people online were being quadrupled to two years.” – The Sun (£)
“Former Conservative cabinet minister Lord Tebbit, 83, made the proposal to combat the rampant weed in a letter to an insect charity. … Tebbit said ragwort was a major problem in his part of East Anglia and proposed it could be weeded out by ‘Neets’ – young people who are not in education, work or training – and ‘low level criminals’.” – Daily Mail
“A rise in interest rates is unlikely until next year as it could leave the UK ‘vulnerable to shocks’, the Bank of England signalled yesterday. … Bank officials also warned that the UK’s recovering economy was showing ‘signs that the pace of growth was beginning to ease’ as it struggled in the face of a deepening economic crisis in the eurozone. … The downbeat comments, published yesterday in the minutes of this month’s meeting of the monetary policy committee, suggested there will be no increase in official borrowing costs until after the General Election in May.” – Daily Mail
And comment:
“This is the picture which last night intensified pressure on the head of the Government’s child abuse inquiry to resign. … It shows Fiona Woolf with Lady Brittan, the wife of former Home Secretary Lord Brittan, at an awards ceremony in October 2013. This is despite Mrs Woolf telling MPs that she had had no social contact with the Brittans since April 2013. … Last night a Home Office source insisted it was a ‘minor omission’, but Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs queued up to demand her resignation.” – Daily Mail
And comment:
Sir David Higgins is expected to rule out big changes to the UK’s proposed north-south high-speed rail line as he battles to keep the project within a £50bn budget. … Sir David, chairman of HS2 and a former London Olympics executive, will next week unveil his analysis of the impact of the line north of Birmingham. … ‘He is struggling to keep it within the spending envelope he has,’ said one person briefed on the plans.” – Financial Times
“The British military was led into a ‘perfect storm’ by trying to fight conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq at the same time, Britain’s former military leaders have admitted in a damning assessment of military policy. … General Sir Peter Wall, who stood down as Chief of the General Staff last month, said that the British plan for the Afghanistan conflict was based on a ‘wrong’ calculation, with commanders saying that the Armed Forces were left ‘under prepared and under-resourced.'” – Daily Telegraph
And comment:
> Yesterday: The Deep End – No, the Iraq disaster was not caused by us leaving too early
“And as Jon Snow became embroiled in a furious shouting match with Philip Davies, the Channel 4 newsroom turned into their unlikely sparring arena. … They traded insults for ten minutes – with Mr Davies saying Mr Snow was ‘past it’ – before fellow presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy waded in and told their visitor to ‘clear off’.” – Daily Mail
“It was a real family affair last night as Boris Johnson was joined by his brother, sister and parents for the launch of his latest book. … The Mayor of London has written a biography about Sir Winston Churchill – called The Churchill Factor: How One Man Made History – and launched it at Dartmouth House in Mayfair.” – Daily Mail
“Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude recently sold his West Sussex home to glamour model Katie Price, aka Jordan, pictured, for £1.3million. … They had been neighbours since 2011. More-fun-than-he-looks Maude says: ‘She’s very nice. She has invited us to her Halloween party. I think we’ll go.’” – the Ephraim Hardcastle column in the Daily Mail