Europhile rebels make early election more likely, claims Downing Street source
“The government believes that about five Tory pro-Europeanssuch as Anna Soubry, Nicky Morgan and Alistair Burt are ready to go public with their opposition to the government’s handling of Brexit now — and a total of 20 people have indicated that they could vote against the government. A further 30 Remain-supporting Conservative MPs could speak out against the government, according to early estimates… “This week showed us why we are on course to have a general election next year,” one source close to Downing Street said. No 10 firmly rejects this, saying that the next election would be in 2020 after the government had concluded divorce talks with the EU.” – The Times (£)
- Brexiteers win half the seats on new Cabinet committee – FT
- May leaves Scottish Secretary off new committee – The Scotsman
- EU will strike good deal if it can be convinced there’s no threat, Cabinet believe – The Sun
- Prime Minister hardens stance against second independence vote – The Scotsman
- Gove attacks pro-EU campaigners for trying to ‘de-legitimise’ result – The Sun
- Nissan boss confident after Brexit talks – Daily Mail
- One in three of May’s trade envoys backs new Royal Yacht – Daily Telegraph
- ‘Shocked’ EU migrants launch campaign to resist hard Brexit – Daily Express
- Academics warn that brain drain has begun and is costing millions – The Times (£)
More Brexit:
- Spain calls in Argentina to help claim Gibraltar – Daily Express
- Just 15 per cent of Catholic voters backed leaving the EU – News Letter
More EU:
- Belgians thwart EU-Canada trade deal – The Times (£)
- ‘Crazed socialists’ in tiny Wallonia torpedo deal – The Sun
Editorial:
- Ministers must not neglect universities as they plan for life outside the EU – The Times (£)
>Today:
- ToryDiary: How close should May get to the Democratic Unionist Party?
- Charlie Elphicke MP in Comment: We’ve heard it before. We’re hearing it again. But this time the Calais Jungle really must be closed.
- Mohammed Amin in Comment: Ultra-hard Brexit – a mathematical perspective
Matthew Parris: Brexit is going to be the biggest national crisis since Suez
“As in a bad dream, I have the sensation of falling. We British are on our way to making the biggest screw-up since Suez and, somewhere deep down, the new governing class know it. We are heading for national humiliation, nobody’s in charge, and nobody knows what to do. This Brexit thing is out of control… For me the horror dawned after a long discussion in a group who follow politics closely. Reading the runes, we were trying to work out – and only in broad outline – what the plan for Brexit might be. Scenarios were conjured, possible game-plans stress-tested. But every guess, followed through, led fast into the nettles.” – The Times (£)
- Britain after Brexit: our editor’s lecture in Tokyo – Lionel Barber, FT
- Why shouldn’t Al Murray mock Brexit? Leavers are the new elite – Michael Deacon’s sketch, Daily Telegraph
- When the pound goes south, it affects national power too – David Willetts, FT
- The Norman Conquest was a disaster for England – Daniel Hannan, Daily Telegraph
Carney warns May not to interfere with his job
“The Governor of the Bank of England last night issued an extraordinary warning to Theresa May to stop telling him how to do his job. In an unprecedented intervention, Mark Carney hit back angrily at the Prime Minister’s claim this month that his policies had damaged the interests of savers, pensioners and the young. And he stressed he would resist any interference from Mrs May in setting interest rates or monetary policy.” – Daily Mail
- ‘Return of project fear’ as Bank governor warns prices will rise – Daily Mail
- UK gilt yields soar over hard Brexit and inflation fears – FT
>Yesterday: Lewis Baston’s column: Wilson. Attlee. Major. The costs, gains and consequences of devaluation
Child abuse inquiry judge accused of being a ‘racist tyrant’
“Dame Lowell Goddard ruled her inquiry like a ‘monstrous tyrant’ and finally quit in a fit of petulance before going out for lunch, it was claimed yesterday. Her doomed reign was allegedly peppered with expletive-ridden tantrums and racist diatribes that left horrified staff feeling ‘totally paralysed’… She rejected accusations that she flew into rages at junior staff, insisting relations were so warm she even greeted the cleaner by name every day.” – Daily Mail
- Home Office knew about fears over abuse judge – The Times (£)
- Goddard ‘put under pressure’ to lead investigation – The Times (£)
- Number 10 under pressure over knowledge of judge’s comments – Daily Mail
- Inquiry will be cut back to get it on track – The Times (£)
VIP abuse:
- Metropolitan Police braced for hammering in report – Daily Mail
- Lord Brittan’s widow in battle with police chief – Daily Telegraph
- Hogan-Howe read scripted apology to veteran – The Times (£)
- Lord Bramall tells of his anger as police chief apologises – Daily Mail
Editorial:
- This flawed inquiry needs a clear focus – Daily Mail
Charles Moore: Hogan-Howe’s apology is a form of evasion
“So the Met chief’s apology, though sincere, is a form of evasion. Lord Bramall is well aware of that. He had always, until now, refused to accept an apology “until I know what is being apologised for”. When he learnt, however, that the Henriques report might not see the light of day he decided, given his age, that a bird in the hand was worth two in the bush. He let Sir Bernard through his front door.” – Daily Telegraph
May warns health chief that there is no extra money available
“Theresa May has told the head of the NHS that it will get no extra money despite rapidly escalating problems that led to warnings this week that hospitals are close to breaking point. The prime minister dashed any hopes of a cash boost in next month’s autumn statement when she met Simon Stevens, the chief executive of NHS England, senior NHS sources have told the Guardian. Instead she told him last month that the NHS should urgently focus on making efficiencies to fill the £22bn hole in its finances and not publicly seek more than the “£10bn extra” that ministers insist they have already pledged to provide during this parliament.” – The Guardian
- Why losing the European Medicines Agency is bad news for patients, jobs, and the NHS – Daniel Zeichner, The Guardian
Osborne joins airport debate
“George Osborne has broken rank and demanded Heathrow expansion as soon as possible – and insisting it’s given the green-light BEFORE Gatwick. The former Chancellor piled into the debate just days before the Government is expected to finally announce which airport will be allowed to build a new runway. In a series of tweets, the Tory MP said the economic case for Heathrow was “overwhelming”.” – The Sun
- Anti-Heathrow MPs plan to thwart the Government – The Guardian
Corbyn ‘fails to understand anti-Semitism’
“Senior Labour figures are braced for a weekend of scrutiny about the party’s record on Jewish issues as a report is set to accuse Jeremy Corbyn of not understanding modern antisemitism. The report by the home affairs select committee will accuse Baroness Chakrabarti’s recent report into antisemitism within Labour of being compromised by its failure to differentiate between antisemitism and other forms of racism – and by her subsequent acceptance of a peerage and a position in the shadow cabinet.” – The Times (£)
- Stop the War chief accused of hypocrisy – The Times (£)
More Labour:
- Party will support Trident renewal despite Corbyn’s opposition – Daily Telegraph
Editorial:
- Left-wing hypocrites must hate themselves – Janice Turner, The Times (£)
- If they really wanted to ‘stop the war’ in Syria, they’d target Russia – Jonathan Freedland, The Guardian
- Corbyn’s support for Putin shames Labour – Dominic Sandbrook, Daily Mail
Robertson sets out SNP dividing line on Brexit
“Theresa May was warned her days in charge of the United Kingdom were ‘numbered’ today by the furious deputy leader of the SNP. Angus Robertson, who won a landslide election to the post yesterday, insisted ‘Remain means Remain’ and demanded the Prime Minister help Scotland stay in the EU or face a second independence referendum… SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon earlier insisted it was ‘inconceivable’ Westminster could refuse to allow a second independence referendum if Britain quits the single market during Brexit. No 10 today warned the question of Scottish independence was settled and urged the SNP to ‘respect’ the 2014 referendum.” – Daily Mail
- Sturgeon’s demand to stay in single market ‘impossible’ – Daily Telegraph
- Hamilton dares First Minister to call referendum – Daily Express
- DUP dismiss threat as bid to appease ‘hardliners’ – News Letter
- SNP members united on independence and Europe – FT
- Boulton and Swinney clash on finances – Daily Express
- Row over Mundell’s absence from Brexit committee – The Times (£)
- Sturgeon to open German ’embassy’ – Daily Telegraph
- Swinney says Scottish univerisities will still discriminate against British students – Daily Telegraph
More SNP:
- Nationalist MPs threaten to vote down new Parliamentary code of conduct – Daily Telegraph
- Outrage as SNP plan to block grammars despite Scotland being exempt – The Sun
Wales:
- Former Plaid Cymru leader quits party and Assembly group – Wales Online
- Call for Welsh referendum if Scotland votes to leave the UK – Wales Online
Sketch:
- The smug levels are chokingly high – Patrick Kidd, The Times (£)
Editorial:
- Haggling over right to hold referendum is premature – The Scotsman
>Yesterday: ToryDiary: Brexit has caught the SNP between its members and the voters
UKIP MEPs demand Farage drops support for Trump
“Ukip MEPs have demanded Nigel Farage end his association with Donald Trump as a sex scandal around the Republican candidate deepens. The interim Ukip leader has appeared alongside Mr Trump at rallies and been a leading defender of him on TV and radio. The Republican candidate has faced an unprecedented withdrawal of support from his party less than a month from polling day after tapes emerged of him making sexist and lewd remarks about women.” – Daily Mail
- Farage backtracks on US position – The Guardian
News in Brief:
- The Maldives quits the Commonwealth – Daily Mail
- Army set to buy £3bn armoured car fleet from German firms – The Times (£)
- Payouts for 100,000 pensioners who were mis-sold annuities – Daily Telegraph
- Trump faces further harassment claims as poll numbers fall – FT
- Doom for Deutsche Bank as Qatar ‘pulls the plug’ – Daily Express