Brexit: Leak lists Government’s priority industries during Brexit talks…
“The government has divided British industries into high, medium and low priority in the Brexit negotiations, leading to complaints from businesses and ministers, who described the leaked list as “dynamite”. Ministers have been criticised for deciding that some sectors were more closely linked to the EU and therefore required special attention during the Brexit process, potentially at the expense of others. This is leading to fears that some industries, including steel and the business services sector, which are marked “low” priority, will not get the help that they believe is necessary.” – The Times (£)
- Fox downplays concern over trade deal’s impact on farmers – FT
- Italian Prime Minister warns against a ‘destructive’ Brexit – Daily Mail
- Carswell attacks attempt to keep UK inside ECJ-based patent agreement – Daily Express
More Brexit:
- Apple boss says company is ‘very confident’ about UK’s Brexit future – The Sun
- Commission says Scotland would have to join queue for EU membership – Daily Telegraph
- No continuity membership if Scotland chooses independence – The Scotsman
- MEPs ‘panic’ over €150 billion Brexit budget black hole – Daily Express
- Drop green levies to ‘weaponise’ energy prices, think tank urges – The Sun
Comment:
- How May can sidestep the immigration trap – Philip Collins, The Times (£)
- Prime Minister’s policies make a mockery of her rhetoric – Martin Wolf, FT
…as Government keeps up pressure on the House of Lords
“A debate on the abolition or full-scale reform of the House of Lords should be launched if peers attempt to delay the government’s Article 50 bill, a former minister has said. Sir Oliver Letwin yesterday warned peers that they could call into question the future of the upper chamber if they hampered the passage of legislation that will allow the government to launch Brexit negotiations. Theresa May has pledged to trigger Article 50 by the end of March but the timetable could be thrown into doubt if the House of Lords tries to amend the bill and send it back to the Commons. The warning came after government sources issued a similar threat earlier this week. However, David Davis, the Brexit secretary, yesterday toned down the combative rhetoric, calling on peers to do their “patriotic duty”.” – The Times (£)
- Upper house faces backlash over expected amendments to Brexit bill – FT
- Lords confident they can force changes – The Independent
- Welsh peers not scared of ‘Brexit bullying’ – Wales Online
>Today: Matthew Barrett in Comment: Don’t be so eager to scrap the Lords, Conservative MPs. We may need it one day to check Labour tyranny.
Prime Minister ‘unaware’ that UK’s entire hunter-killer submarine fleet is out of action
“The Royal Navy’s fleet of attack submarines are all currently out of action – and Ministry of Defence chiefs are said to have kept it a secret from the Prime Minister. Britain’s seven ‘hunter-killer’ vessels are understood to be ‘non-operational’, with five understood to be undergoing maintenance. It is believed the HMS Astute, commissioned in 2010, is the only one currently at sea although she is still ‘weeks away’ from active service following a tune-up… Sources said the Navy’s three Astute-class vessels – built by BAE Systems – are ‘beset by problems’ despite costing around £1.2billion each.” – Daily Mail
Gove: Baker’s technical schools haven’t worked
“UTCs were the biggest institutional innovation in vocational education made by David Cameron’s government, in which I served as education secretary. Technical schools that recruited students at 14 and educated them until 19, each was meant to have a specialism, such as engineering, a relationship with a sponsoring university and a mission to inspire students who didn’t want to follow an academic path. Some UTCs, like Reading, have been successes. But the majority have not.” – The Times (£)
- Technical school pupils do worse in their GCSEs – The Times (£)
Ministers 1) Rudd defends decision to close ‘Dubs’ scheme
“Ministers decided cap the number of orphaned Syrian children coming to the UK at 350 to stop fuelling people trafficking routes. Home Secretary Amber Rudd said the so-called Dubs amendment that opened Britain’s doors to unaccompanied Syrian children was acting as a pull factor for an increasing number of children trying to reach Europe, which exposed them to traffickers. Yesterday’s decision to close the scheme caused uproar, and today the Archbishop of Canterbury said he was ‘saddened and shocked’ at the decision.” – Daily Mail
- May slaps down the Archbishop of Canterbury – The Sun
Comment:
- Dubs’ amendment made me proud to be a Tory MP – Heidi Allen, Daily Telegraph
- Closing the door will only help traffickers – Yvette Cooper, Times Red Box
- Stopping the amendment is shameful and heartless – Stella Creasy, The Guardian
Sketch:
- Rudd settles for outrage – John Crace, The Guardian
>Yesterday: ToryDiary: Cooper’s anger over unaccompanied child refugees should be targeted at Paris, Rome and Athens, not the Home Office
Ministers 2) Crouch warns FA to stop playing ‘Russian roulette’ with public money
“MPs have handed the Football Association a vote of no confidence and warned there should be reforms in its governance arrangements as soon as possible. Tracey Crouch, the Sports Minister, warned the governing body to stop playing ‘Russian roulette’ with public money. She said the FA must bring forward effective plans to review governance arrangements, as its current model ‘does not stand up to scrutiny’. A vote of no confidence in the English game’s governing body, led by Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee chairman Damian Collins, was passed unopposed at the end of a backbench business debate.” – Daily Mail
- UK Parliament has ‘no confidence’ in footballing body – FT
Comment:
- This 17-vote censure is more whimper than roar – David Conn, The Guardian
Lewis ‘sounds out support’ to challenge Corbyn
“Clive Lewis, who quit the shadow cabinet before the Brexit vote, has begun sounding out MPs for support amid mounting speculation he will try to topple Jeremy Corbyn, The Telegraph understands. Owen Jones, a Left-wing commentator who is popular with the Labour leader’s grassroots supporters, has spoken to MPs to gauge their willingness to support Mr Lewis as a future candidate, according to sources. It follows Mr Lewis’s decision to resign his role as shadow business secretary, forcing Mr Corbyn to reshuffle his top team after the loss of one of his most talented MPs.” – Daily Telegraph
- Shadow Cabinet reshuffled again after scores quit over Article 50 – The Sun
- Leader to keep ambitious rebel close – The Times (£)
- Corbyn sacks election coordinator – Daily Telegraph
- Rees is the new Shadow Welsh Secretary – Wales Online
Comment:
- Why the Labour leader’s time really should be up, in charts – Daniel Capurro, Daily Telegraph
- Corbyn shows true followership on Brexit – John Rentoul, The Independent
Editorial:
- Under Corbyn the Opposition are going nowhere – Daily Telegraph
- He should either use his leadership or leave it – FT
>Yesterday:
- MPs Etc.: The Brexit Bill passes the Commons unamended by 494 votes to 122. Clive Lewis quits the Shadow Cabinet.
- Garvan Walshe’s column: How a real leader of the Opposition would deal with Article 50
Trump determined to defend migration controls in court
“Just minutes after a San Francisco appeals court ruled not to reinstate President Donald Trump’s travel ban, the president lashed out on Twitter in all caps. ‘SEE YOU IN COURT, THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!’ Trump wrote. He also spoke to reporters in the West Wing and called the judges’ ruling a ‘political decision’. He reiterated that he would appeal: ‘It’s a very very serious situation so we look forward to seeing them in court,’ he said, according to NBC News. The president also told NBC News that the ruling didn’t undercut his new presidency.” – Daily Mail
- European voters back the President’s approach – The Times (£)
Comment:
- Le Pen has taken Europe a step closer to revolution – Jeremy Warner, Daily Telegraph
Editorial:
- Europe’s leaders must explain how they will control its external borders – The Times (£)
>Yesterday: Richard Harwood QC in Comment: Parliament needs no role in appointing judges
News in Brief:
- Germany to speed up deportations as Merkel tries to stave off rising anger – Daily Mail
- Nearly every town hall in the country planning to raise council tax – Daily Telegraph
- Motoring bosses attack councils hiking parking fees – The Sun
- Former Rolls-Royce CEO quizzed in corruption probe – FT
- New NHS scandal is inevitable, Mid-Staffs inquiry chief warns – The Times (£)
- Did health chiefs plot with the BBC to ambush ministers? – Daily Mail
- Hospitals are in a state of ‘war’, warns Government adviser – The Guardian
- Sturgeon apologises for MSP’s pro-IRA comments – The Scotsman
- Stable Executive needed to resolve legacy issues, says Northern Irish Office – Belfast Telegraph