“Brussels has been accused of hiding the truth about the rising cost of European Union membership after delaying next year’s draft budget and proposals for major spending increases until after the referendum. EU budget proposals for 2017 were to be published by the European Commission on May 25 but, according to an internal Brussels document, have been “postponed to end June 2016” — safely after the in-out referendum on June 23.” – The Times(£)
Comment
>Yesterday:
“David Cameron will next week use the Queen’s Speech to push ahead with a British Bill of Rights in a bid to assert the “supremacy” of UK courts in the run up to the EU referendum. The Government will on Wednesday announce a consultation to be held in the wake of the EU referendum aimed at giving British judges the final say on human rights cases. However it will recommend that Britain should remain a member of the European Convention of Human Rights in a move which will provoke a Cabinet split.” – Daily Telegraph
>Today:ToryDiary: Corbyn’s hand in Cameron’s Queen Speech
“Police have been asked to investigate claims letters sent in David Cameron’s name led to a breach of election law. The former Liberal Democrat MP Adrian Sanders has demanded police take action. He said the general election mailshots last year meant the Conservatives had broken local spending limits. A Conservative Party spokesman said they did not fall under constituency spending restrictions because they did not name the party’s local candidate.” – BBC
>Yesterday:
WATCH: Andrew Neil on police investigations into claims of Conservative election fraud
“Parents were given approval for term-time holidays yesterday after the High Court backed a father who refused to pay a fine for taking his daughter out of school. Jon Platt won his case by arguing that his daughter had attended school regularly, despite a week-long holiday to Florida. His victory paves the way for thousands of similar challenges. The government vowed that it would change the law and tighten guidance to prevent families from exploiting the ruling.” – The Times(£)
“Even David Cameron (with whom she sits in Cabinet in London once a month), has tipped her as his possible successor in Downing Street. She laughs, her eyes crinkling at the thought. ‘He picked the only contender for the job who wasn’t sitting in the House of Commons, and therefore wasn’t backing one colleague against another,’ she says diplomatically. ‘It was a phenomenally adroit side-step. And anyway, I have no interest in the job. It is a painfully lonely job being Prime Minister.’ If not her, then who does she think should take over from Cameron when he steps down? Ruth believes the next leader will not necessarily come from the obvious frontrunners, but from the younger generation of Tory MPs.” – Interview Daily Mail
“Hundreds more prisoners are about to be released temporarily from jail in a drive to allow more inmates to take up education and jobs in the community. Michael Gove, the justice secretary, is planning to reverse a decline in the numbers, which followed a murder and other serious crimes committed by prisoners while on temporary release in recent years.He insisted that the move was not a “soft option” and said that it would be wrong to allow “very few” prominent cases to “distract us from the long-term advantages for society”.” – The Times(£)
“Let them go, says Mr Whittingdale. “If somebody becomes so successful that they can demand a very high salary, great. If they can go and get paid a huge amount on another channel, let them do it. The BBC shouldn’t need to feel it has to match the competition to keep somebody. “The BBC will go off and find the next Graham Norton or the next Chris Evans or Gary Lineker. The BBC is very good at discovering and developing new talent.” – Interview with John Whittingdale Daily Telegraph
“Talks aimed at resolving a dispute over a new contract for junior doctors will continue into next week.The arbitration service Acas announced that f ive days of “intensive” talks had been held between the British Medical Association (BMA), Government officials and NHS employers and will resume on Monday for up to three more days…Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt wants to cut the number of hours over a weekend for which junior doctors can claim extra pay, while offsetting this with a hike in basic pay.” – Daily Mail
“Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is to address the annual conference of Blairite group Progress on Saturday. Progress has been described by shadow chancellor John McDonnell as a “right wing conservative” group who had never accepted Mr Corbyn as Labour leader. Mr Corbyn will address its members, which include some of Labour’s best-known MPs, at their conference in central London.” – BBC
“Sadiq Khan called on Labour to unite and get into “the habit of winning elections” as the newly elected London mayor urged the party to go back to the strategy followed by previous leaders John Smith and Tony Blair. In his first interview with a national newspaper since his decisive election victory, the new mayor delivered a warning to his party about the importance of securing power, saying “I’ve achieved more in these seven days than in the last six years in opposition.” – The Guardian
>Yesterday: Salvatore Murtas on Comment: Khan’s challenge to secularism
“Neil Hamilton has rejected suggestions by UKIP leader Nigel Farage that he is too old for frontline politics. The former Tory MP, 67, defeated UKIP Wales leader Nathan Gill to lead the party’s seven-strong assembly group. Mr Farage said he was “not particularly in favour of Mr Hamilton’s return to the front line, aged nearly 70”. Mr Hamilton replied: “If Attenborough can still survive in a jungle of wild animals and predators at 90, I’m sure I’ll be fine in the assembly.” – BBC
“MPs could be banned from “talking out” or “filibustering” laws proposed by backbenchers, under proposals drawn up by an influential parliamentary committee. The House of Commons procedure committee, which is investigating the way that backbench legislation is made, has recommended that some bills proposed by backbenchers be given a guaranteed vote at their second reading – far increasing their chances of becoming law.” – Independent
“The parliamentary Labour party is in need of an enraged Samson, baited beyond endurance and prepared to bring down the temple on the Corbynite Philistines, even though he or she may perish in the attempt. This is not the likelihood, but nor is it unimaginable. I believe such a person may arise. Don’t assume there are no heroes left among Labour moderates. Sometimes, something simply snaps. Never, in life or politics, rule out the “oh sod it” that comes right out of the blue.” – Matthew Parris The Times(£)