“Tensions between Boris Johnson and David Cameron flared again last night after it emerged the London Mayor claimed the Prime Minister had not been tough enough in his approach to talks over Britain’s future in the EU… ‘Boris masquerades as anti-European because it wins him cheap support from the faithful, but behind the facade he is a pro-European through and through,’ said a well-placed source. ‘This is a shameless piece of political grandstanding from a shameless politician’” – Mail on Sunday
“Liam Fox declares today that Britain should leave the European Union, delivering a significant blow to David Cameron’s hopes of winning Tory backing for his renegotiation with Brussels… Writing in The Sunday Times, Fox condemns the sight of the prime minister parading around Europe with a ‘political begging bowl’” – Sunday Times (£)
“David Cameron is facing demands from his own Cabinet ministers to set them free to campaign in the European Union referendum, as Eurosceptic Tories warn that forcing them to stay quiet would be ‘a catastrophic mistake’… The ministers are backed by Graham Brady, the party’s most senior backbench MP” – Sunday Telegraph
“Leading Tory Eurosceptics branded David Cameron’s renegotiation of British membership of the EU as a ‘farce’ as they claimed the introduction of a new ‘national living wage’ from next year would fatally undermine his plans to cut immigration… Steve Baker, the Tory MP for Wycombe …said: ‘As the Office for Budget Responsibilty (OBR) has made clear, even if the prime minister secures a deal on migrant benefits, this wouldn’t have even the slightest impact on immigration flows” – Observer
>Yesterday:
“David Cameron is to give armed police officers who shoot to kill greater protection from prosecution. The prime minister stepped in after police chiefs warned that the fight against terrorism is being compromised because firearms officers risk prosecution if they pull the trigger. Cameron ordered a review of the law after a national security council meeting last week” – Sunday Times (£)
“David Cameron urged his No 10 advisers to ‘physically attack’ him to counter claims that he does not care about ordinary people. He told his staff in a handwritten note: ‘Physically attack me with the right words before an interview! I will do as I am told.’ The scrawled note, written in reply at the top of a secret No 10 memo warning him of his ‘awful’ shortcomings, is revealed in bombshell new book on the 2015 Election by political academics Philip Cowley and Dennis Kavanagh” – Mail on Sunday
“The Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan, has asked officials to review home schooling amid fears that thousand of children are having their minds ‘filled with poison’ by radicalised parents. Between 20,000 and 50,000 children are thought to be educated at home – but the Government has no idea of the exact number because parents are under no obligation to inform their local council” – Independent on Sunday
“The ‘Tatler Tory’ scandal claimed another political victim last night when a former friend of Margaret Thatcher was forced to resign in disgrace. Donal Blaney, a former ally of shamed Mark Clarke, resigned as chairman of the influential Conservative Way Forward campaign group, set up to honour the former Prime Minister’s legacy, as the result of an investigation by The Mail on Sunday. Dramatically, Blaney said he is also leaving Britain to live and work full-time in America” – Mail on Sunday
>Yesterday:
Tory Diary: CCHQ should not be cancelling CF Christmas parties
“Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt will meet heartbroken parents who exposed health bosses trying to cover up failings they say led to the death of their baby. Mr Hunt, who is understood to have been deeply moved by the efforts of Allyn and Jenny Condon, has agreed to a face-to-face summit in the new year after The Mail on Sunday revealed their campaign for answers after their eight-week-old son Ben died in April” – Mail on Sunday
“Douglas Carswell has hit out against ‘dark forces’ in UKIP after learning yesterday of an apparent ‘blackmail plot’ against him involving secret tapes and false allegations about his private life. The UKIP MP received a phone call from a party figure asking ‘grossly intrusive questions’ about his marriage – which he now believes was a warning to him to stop rebelling against Nigel Farage…The call was made a few days after Carswell had a blazing row in the Commons with one of Farage’s key aides, party secretary Matthew Richardson” – Mail on Sunday
“Jeremy Corbyn declared yesterday: ‘I’m not going anywhere’ as he ordered his shadow cabinet to stop plotting against him or face the sack. In an interview with The Sunday Times to mark his 100th day as Labour leader tomorrow, Corbyn said critics in his top team ‘obsess’ about him and accused them of failing to use their talents for the good of the party. Asked whether he was prepared to sack his critics in a ‘revenge reshuffle’, Corbyn did not deny the claims” – Sunday Times (£)
“Six of Lord Janner’s alleged sex attack victims vowed to continue their legal battle against the disgraced former Labour peer hours after learning of his death. The veteran politician, who had been suffering from dementia for several years, died peacefully in his sleep at his north London home on Saturday after a long illness, his family said. The 87-year-old’s family said he would be ‘deeply missed’ and asked for their period of mourning to be respected” – Mail on Sunday
“After a year in which the world has been rocked by sickening terrorist outrages and the war against brutal extremists, the Queen has chosen to deliver her most Christian Christmas message yet, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. Sources familiar with the broadcast say she will use her traditional annual speech to reflect on her personal faith as well as her belief in the continuing role of Christianity at the centre of British life, despite rising secularism” – Mail on Sunday
“Hillary Clinton ripped into Donald Trump at tonight’s Democratic debate over his plan to ban Muslim immigrants. ‘He is becoming ISIS’ best recruiter,’ she claimed. ‘They are going to people showing videos of Donald Trump insulting Islam and Muslims in order to recruit more radical jihadists.’ Clinton said that Americans need to work more closely with the Muslim American community because ‘they will be our early warning signal’ against possible terrorist attacks” – Mail on Sunday