“Barack Obama’s dire warnings about Brexit were unravelling last night as he admitted the US would do a trade deal with the UK – and our defence and intelligence special relationship would be unchanged… the Out campaign yesterday seized on an apparent clarification from Mr Obama, who said that he had simply meant an independent Britain would not be able to do a trade deal faster than the EU.” – Daily Mail
Editorial:
“Of course the elites want to remain. They will always have power. The losers are the hundreds of millions of Europeans whose only power is their vote – their ability to sack their governments at elections. That power is being taken away. It is indefensible, and it will lead to real trouble. We can be stronger, richer, more influential if we vote Leave. In believing that we can all be scared into thinking otherwise, the Remainers are fatally underestimating the British public.” – Daily Telegraph
>Today: Who should represent Leave and Remain in the BBC’s big TV referendum debate?
>Yesterday:
“Britain will be subject to a migration “free-for-all” as the next wave of EU expansion hands millions more people the right to move here, Michael Gove warns today. Mr Gove’s claim that the NHS faces “unquantifiable strain” if Britain remains in the EU, comes as the Brexit campaign seeks to rebound from a series of setbacks and in-fighting.” – The Times (£)
“if we vote to leave, we take back control. We can control the numbers who come here, we can increase the resources available to the health service, we can free ourselves from regulations that slow the development of new life-saving treatments, we can invest more in drugs and doctors, we can set an example to the world of what a progressive public health service can achieve. That is the sort of reform I believe everyone can get behind.” – The Times (£)
“Theresa May was put on the spot over soaring immigration figures yesterday as she admitted: “Yes, free movement makes it harder to control.” The Home Secretary was grilled on the issue in a hard-hitting interview with Andrew Marr on his BBC One show… The interview came on the eve of Mrs May’s first major speech on the EU since the launch of the official referendum campaign this morning.” – The Sun
“David Cameron has been told to “butt out” after reports that he wants MPs to scrap a £3.5 billion, six-year refurbishment of the Palace of Westminster. The parliamentary committee in charge of the project meets today as it puts the finishing touches to plans for a temporary relocation of MPs and peers. The prime minister is said to fear a massive public backlash when confirmation of the full details of the overhaul are published within weeks.” – The Times (£)
“David Cameron could be defeated in the Commons today over the government’s policy on taking in child refugees. At least 12 Tory MPs are said to be considering backing a Labour amendment demanding that the UK admits more unaccompanied young people who have fled to Europe from war-torn parts of the Middle East. The amendment to the immigration bill, backed by the House of Lords last month, commits Britain to take in 3,000 lone child refugees who are already in Europe.” – Daily Mail
“Nicky Morgan is preparing to make a U-turn over plans to force all schools to become academies as she battles to contain a Tory rebellion. The education secretary is considering allowing the best-performing councils to run their own academy chains in a concession to up to 40 Tory rebels. Some councils could also be allowed to keep powers to force academies to take vulnerable pupils or those with special needs and direct them to expand to meet demand for new places.” – The Times (£)
“Jeremy Hunt will make a last-ditch appeal to junior doctors today to call off tomorrow’s strike after he rejected a cross-party compromise. The health secretary is expected to make a Commons statement detailing preparations to protect patients during the two-day walkout that will include emergency care for the first time in NHS history… Mr Hunt dismissed as “opportunism” a suggestion that the new contract was piloted and the results subjected to an independent evaluation.” – The Times (£)
Editorial:
“Sir David Normington, commissioner for public appointments, who acts as a watchdog, has accused John Whittingdale of trying to fill a prominent position at the National Portrait Gallery with a Tory placeman. He wrote to Mr Whittingdale to warn him that a number of his preferred candidates to be a trustee had “political affiliations” to the Conservative party. He added that political activity should not give them preferential consideration.” – The Times (£)
>Today: Public Appointments: Calling Conservatives! New public appointments announced
“Sadiq Khan is “unfit” to run London and protect Britain’s capital from a terrorist attack because of questions about his links to Islamist extremists, Zac Goldsmith says today. In an exclusive interview with The Daily Telegraph, the Conservative candidate for the London mayoralty warns that Mr Khan has “given platforms and oxygen and cover and excuses” for extremists.” – Daily Telegraph
“The Tories will today focus on plans to scrap stamp duty for first-time buyers on all properties up to the value of £250,000 and protect the Right to Buy a council house, with proceeds used to fund the “building of new social housing”. Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies said: “The next Welsh Government must show far more ambition, and a willingness to work with the whole sector, recognising the need to deliver 70,000 new homes over the next Assembly term.”” – Wales Online
“Nicola Sturgeon has indicated that she alone will decide when the time is right for a second independence referendum. The First Minister said another vote would happen when there was evidence that a majority of Scots supported the break-up of Britain, but refused to say how she would reach that decision. A new vote would need permission from Westminster, but Ms Sturgeon claimed it would be an “affront to democracy” if it was blocked.” – Daily Telegraph
“The UK Independence Party could shake off its fusty image and rebrand itself to appeal to a new generation of younger voters after the European Union referendum, Nigel Farage has suggested. The Ukip leader wants his Eurosceptic party to appeal more to 18 to 30 year olds in a Jeremy Corbyn-style attempt to win hundreds of thousands of new supporters for the party. His plan is to sign up young people for £3 a time on the internet, and make them Ukip “shareholders” with a veto over the party’s policies.” – Daily Telegraph
“Ted Cruz and John Kasich have announced that their campaigns will cede certain states in an attempt to keep Donald Trump from reaching the 1,237 delegates he needs to clinch the Republican nomination. In a pair of coordinated statements released on Sunday night, the Cruz and Kasich campaigns said that the Texan senator would concentrate his resources in Indiana while the Ohio governor would put all his effort into Oregon and New Mexico.” – The Guardian