“The top minister said David Cameron had privately promised him and others they can campaign for an EU exit once the poll date is announced — and keep their jobs. The source added: “He’s going to wait right until the last minute but he will release his Cabinet.” The revelation comes with Downing Street under intense pressure to make clear whether ministers will be bound by collective responsibility.” – The Sun
“whatever the shortcomings of the European “project” it is manifestly not in our interests for either it or the United Kingdom to fall apart. Such will be the challenges to the western world in the coming years, from a turbulent Middle East and a volatile world economy, that the dismembering of our own country by nationalists or the breaking up of Europe into uncontrolled rivalry would make many dangers more threatening still.” – Daily Telegraph
“We should have left a stronger presence of 1,500 [troops],” the former commander said. “Cameron did not really listen to the military advice. There is a point at which you are banging your head against a wall. Cameron was not saying: ‘I disagree with you’ [over the need for the bigger force], just that we were not doing it any longer. The government was prepared to take the risk because they wanted to win the election. They just decided that they were not going to be a part of it.” – The Times (£)
“Figures from the Office for National Statistics show borrowing for November was £14.2billion, up by £1.3billion compared with the same month in 2014. Total borrowing for the financial year, which began in April 2015, is already £66.9billion. According to the Chancellor’s forecasts for getting the UK back into the black by 2020, total borrowing for the year to March is only supposed to stand at £68.9billion.” – Daily Mail
“The Labour leader said that he had become “quite assertive” in managing his diary because he wanted to ensure he had plenty of time for the visits that keep him in touch with the people he represents – as well as some time for digging his allotment. In a long and wideranging interview with Red Pepper magazine, he also discussed his plans to open up Labour’s policymaking, why Labour lost the 1983 general election and his belief in people’s intrinsic goodness.” – The Guardian