Queen’s Speech 1) The first programme for majority Conservative government in almost 20 years
‘A series of ‘blue collar conservative’ bills, appealing to ordinary working class families, are expected to form the centrepiece of the Queen’s Speech. These will included new laws expanding childcare, making it easier to buy a home and creating more three million more apprenticeships. Bills paving the way for an in/out EU referendum, tax cuts and new powers for Scotland, will also be introduced. Mr Cameron promised a ‘tax lock bill’ during the election campaign making it illegal for George Osborne to raise the headline rates of income tax, National Insurance or VAT until at least 2020…The PM said: ‘Every decision we take, every policy we pursue, every programme we initiate, never forget: we’re here to give everyone in our country the chance to make the most of their life.’ – Daily Mail
- This will be a radical plan for change – Stephen Pollard, Daily Express
- Whips prepare ‘zero tolerance’ approach to MP absences – The Independent
- Clegg will respond for the Lib Dems – The Guardian
- This is a dangerous Queen’s Speech – Mary Riddell, Daily Telegraph
- Cameron backs Uber over taxi strike – Daily Telegraph
>Yesterday: Dr Spencer Pitfield on Comment: The Conservative Policy Forum shaped our manifesto
Queen’s Speech 2) Human Rights Act repeal delayed for consultation
‘David Cameron has stepped back from an early confrontation with his own MPs over a controversial move to scrap European human rights laws. The prime minister has delayed the introduction of a British Bill of Rights, which will not be in the first wave of bills introduced into the Commons after the Queen’s Speech today…Despite detailed legislation drawn up by Conservative lawyers during the last parliament, a government source said it was now more important to get the bill “right, rather than quickly”, adding that it would be “odd if we did not consult widely”.’ – The Times (£)
- Luvvies line up to defend the Act – Daily Mail
- Pipe down, Sherlock – Daily Mail Leader
- Why is the Government stalling? – The Sun Says (£)
- Number of foreign criminals awaiting deportation rises to 5,000 – The Times (£)
- Euro judges put offenders’ rights before victims – The Sun (£)
>Yesterday:
- Securing a Majority 7) Bringing Human Rights Home. Gove’s three pipe problem.
- Jan Zeber on Comment: An opportunity to reclaim human rights
Queen’s Speech 3) Low-paid workers to be permanently taken out of income tax
‘Workers on the minimum wage will be permanently removed from paying income tax, David Cameron will say today – as he pledges to lead a ‘one nation’ government in his second term. New legislation will be introduced in today’s Queen’s Speech to ensure that the personal allowance for income tax rises in line with the minimum wage.’ – Daily Mail
- The Tax Lock will prevent Income Tax, NI or VAT rises – Daily Telegraph
- 1.2 million might be hit by drag on child benefit threshold – Daily Mail
Queen’s Speech 4) EU Referendum Bill takes pride of place
‘David Cameron will prepare the ground today for an EU referendum as soon as early next year by making legislation setting up the vote his first priority. The EU referendum bill, which will contain the wording of the question to be put to the British people, will be among the first to be debated by MPs. Speaking ahead of today’s Queen’s Speech, Mr Cameron said he would not “waste a single moment”.’ – The Times (£)
- Business is divided on the question of In or Out – Matthew Elliott, Daily Telegraph
- SNP demand a Scottish veto on Brexit – The Times (£)
- Umunna: Companies should speak out in favour of the EU – FT
>Today: ToryDiary: Should Britain leave the EU? Have your say in our latest survey.
Gove: History will not forgive us if we flunk this renegotiation
‘In a pointed intervention, the Justice Secretary dismissed suggestions that Britain could only hope to achieve a superficial deal. Speaking to Tory activists in Hampshire, he said: ‘It’s an opportunity that history will not forgive us for fudging or failing to grasp. Let’s make sure that the arguments aren’t left to the Prime Minister and to ministers in government, but that a genuine people’s movement stands behind that fight for change.’ – Daily Mail
- Downing Street remains bullish about its chances – FT
>Today: Daniel Hannan MEP’s column: Why Cameron should introduce a Sovereignty Act to reassert the supremacy of Parliament
France and Germany plan EU Corporation Tax harmonisation
‘France and Germany are pushing plans to introduce a minimum corporation tax rate across the continent, it was reported today, in a move that could result in higher taxes on British companies. European officials will debate plans to set a EU-wide floor on corporation tax in order to crack down on tax havens such as Ireland and Luxembourg, it emerged. The plans are a direct challenge to David Cameron, who is calling for sovereignty to be returned to EU members.’ – Daily Telegraph
- Amazon agrees to pay tax on UK sales – Daily Mail
- Scandal over UKIP’s head of candidates and his lover, a favoured candidate… – Daily Mail
IFS lays out potential welfare savings
‘At least £2.5 billion a year could be saved on housing benefit if the government forced claimants to pay 10 per cent of their rent. A further £5 billion could be found if David Cameron scrapped child benefit for more than four million families earning over £30,000, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said yesterday. George Osborne has pledged to find £12 billion in welfare savings by 2017-18 but has identified only £1.5 billion so far.’ – The Times (£)
- TfL travel perks cost £22 million – The Sun (£)
Sturgeon wants Scots to dodge austerity – despite the hefty perks they already get
‘Nicola Sturgeon last night warned David Cameron to cushion the impact of cuts in Scotland – or face a backlash north of the border. The SNP leader said she had a mandate to oppose austerity after her party won a landslide victory in Scotland. However, the Scots have already been protected from the worst effects of public spending cuts compared to England, a study by the House of Commons Library revealed earlier this week. It showed the typical Scot gets £1,600 more taxpayers’ cash than an Englishman – and the gap has widened since 2010.’ – Daily Mail
- Queen of La-La-Land – Daily Mail Leader
- Her MPs resume their fight for space on the Commons benches – The Sun (£)
- Podemos’ victory in Spain is no earthquake – The Times Leader (£)
>Today:
- Securing the Majority 8) A Constitutional Convention
- The Deep End: The federal European state that actually works
Might David Miliband come back?
‘David Miliband has fuelled speculation he is plotting a Commons return after refusing to rule out standing in a by-election. The former Labour Foreign Secretary would only say he won’t run in the party’s current leadership contest now. Pressed duirng a US TV interview on if he is plotting to be an MP again, Mr Miliband would only say: “I’m not a candidate in the election I promise you”.’ – The Sun (£)
- Umunna endorses Liz Kendall – Daily Mail
- Labour’s biggest donor savages Cooper and Burnham – The Sun (£)
- Candidate sacked for pulling sickies to go canvassing – Daily Mail
- The BBC spends £2,500 a week on copies of The Guardian – Daily Mail
>Yesterday: Left Watch: Unite seek to force Labour even further to the left
Finkelstein: It’s time for the Lib Dems to shut up shop
‘So what, exactly, does the party offer a person of liberal disposition seeking to promote their ideas? Not power, not financial resources, not a large activist base. Not much…In no respect — organisationally or philosophically — is having a separate Lib Dem party helping anyone. And nobody has a responsibility to “curate” the party of some long dead historical figure. It was fun while it lasted, but now it is game over.’ – Daniel Finkelstein, The Times (£)
- Will Tory moderates take their place? – Rafael Behr, The Guardian
- Grandee says Carmichael should be excused because ‘lots of people lie’ – Daily Mail
- Crowdfunding push to overturn his election – FT
- He should stay – for now – Guardian Leader
- Parliamentary standards inquiry launched – The Times (£)
- We should learn from Farage, says Norman Lamb – Huffington Post
The badger cull resumes
‘Farmers are to be permitted to employ marksmen to shoot thousands more badgers after the government rejected the advice of leading vets that the animals could die slowly and painfully. Culls will resume in Somerset and Gloucestershire this autumn to help prevent badgers infecting cattle with tuberculosis. Badgers will be killed using two methods: picked off by marksmen as they roam freely, known as “controlled shooting”, or trapped in cages before being shot at close range.’ – The Times (£)
- It’s a vital part of the fight against bovine TB – Minette Batters, The Times (£)
Stormont lurches towards crisis
‘Northern Ireland’s faltering power-sharing Executive has lurched towards another crisis after the Assembly voted down a bid to implement welfare reforms in the region. The fall of the already long-delayed proposed legislation, prompted by Sinn Fein and SDLP opposition, leaves the stumbling administration facing a budgetary black hole estimated at around £600 million.’ – Belfast Telegraph
>Today: Henry Hill’s Red, White and Blue column: Northern Ireland Assembly back to the brink over welfare reform
>Yesterday: MPs ETC: A good election for unionism in Northern Ireland
News in Brief
- London’s cabbies must move with the times – The Times Leader (£)
- Genetically engineered herpes virus developed to fight cancer – The Sun (£)
- New bird flu threat – Daily Telegraph
- FIFA officials arrested on corruption allegations – Daily Mail
- Concerns grow over China’s aggressive military stance – The Times (£)
- Israel responds to rocket attack – FT
- BA owner bids for Aer Lingus – Daily Telegraph
- A survivor’s memories of Dunkirk – The Sun (£)
- First Libor-fixing trial begins – The Times (£)
And finally…Madame Tussaud’s adds wrinkles and grey hairs to Cameron’s waxwork
‘The ghoulish museum confirmed it has given David Cameron’s figure a makeover to reflect “the man he is now” by ageing his face and dressing him in a Paul Smith suit, Thomas Pink “conservative blue tie” and Barker shoes. Mr Cameron’s lifesize wax double was first unveiled in 2010 by his wife Samantha and has been touched up to reflect the PM’s new look – including wisps of grey hair around his temples and a few added worry-lines on his face. The more “distinguished” PM was unveiled at the central London attraction ahead of the Queen’s Speech.’ – The Sun (£)