Windfall Tax “to be announced within days” with the energy rice cap expected to rise to £2,800 in the autumn
“Boris Johnson is this week poised to announce help for millions of households to pay their energy bills as he battles to move on from Sue Gray’s partygate report. The Treasury is finalising plans for a windfall tax on energy firms, which will be used to fund new support for those struggling most with the cost of living crunch. On Tuesday, it emerged the energy price cap is set to jump to £2,800 in the autumn, according to estimates from the regulator Ofgem – an increase of around £800…Extra support on Universal Credit – the benefits payment that more than five million people receive – is widely expected. Mr Sunak favours “targeted” support. One option being considered is agreeing to increase Universal Credit in line with inflation now, rather than next spring as planned. Another is to give roughly the same group of people one-off cheques instead.” – Daily Telegraph
- Johnson complains the Cabinet are too young to remember the 1970s – The Sun
- Never underestimate inflation’s potential to cause violent disruption – Andrew Lilico, Daily Telegraph
- Public borrowing falls as economy bounces back from pandemic – Financial Times
- UK economy is ‘grinding to a halt’ according to Purchasing Managers’ Index – City AM
- The Chancellor is on our side – Leader, Daily Mail
- We rely on Sunak to save the day – Leader, Daily Express
MPs to be banned from being political consultants to big firms – but other second jobs will still be allowed
“MPs will not face a cap on how much they can earn or the number of hours they are allowed to work outside Parliament after a proposed crackdown on second jobs was watered down. The Commons standards committee approved plans on Tuesday night to ban members from taking on political consultancy roles with big firms, but shied away from more radical action. A blueprint for reform was drawn up in the wake of the Owen Paterson scandal that would have imposed strict limits on the extra-parliamentary revenue streams of backbenchers.” – Daily Telegraph
- It’s time for MPs to choose whether they want to burnish or tarnish parliament’s reputation – Chris Bryant MP, The Times
No 10 braced for Sue Gray’s report this morning
“Senior civil servant Sue Gray is to hand her completed report into Downing Street lockdown parties to No 10 later..Downing Street is expected to receive the report in the morning and has promised to publish its findings. After the report’s findings are published, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to make his promised statement to the Commons. No 10 said it hoped this could take place at 12:30 – after Mr Johnson has faced Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer at Prime Minister’s Questions – but has warned the timings may slip depending on when the PM receives the report.” – BBC
- Insiders tell of packed Downing Street lockdown parties – BBC
- Claims security guard was mocked when he tried to intervene – The Sun
- Attending a party won’t topple the PM, but misleading Parliament still could – Philip Johnston, Daily Telegraph
- ITV reporter Paul Brand’s husband ‘didn’t leak photo of lockdown party’ – The Times
- Johnson had better have some ironclad explanations – Leader, The Times
- Khan calls on Met to justify not imposing further fines on the PM – The Guardian
- There are good reasons why Partygate might finish the PM – Henry Hill, Daily Telegraph
- Argentina’s President fined £20,000 for lockdown dinner – Daily Telegraph
Raab unveils justice reforms “to give victims a voice”
“Dominic Raab today attacks Labour’s ‘spineless’ opposition to Tory law and order reforms as he launches a swathe of new rights for victims of crime. The Justice Secretary, writing exclusively for the Daily Mail, blasts Sir Keir Starmer’s party for voting against tough action on offenders. And he vows the measures will ‘help victims secure justice, lock up more dangerous criminals – and make our streets safer’. A Victims Bill, published by the Government today, sets out to ‘fire up our justice system to do better’, Mr Raab says.” – Daily Mail
Eustice launches bill to allow gene editing of crops
“The UK will on Wednesday introduce legislation to accelerate the genetic engineering of crops in England — to the delight of plant scientists and dismay of some environmental campaigners and organic farming bodies. “Outside the EU we are free to follow the science,” said George Eustice, environment secretary. “Precision technologies allow us to speed up the breeding of plants that have natural resistance to diseases and better use of soil nutrients, so we can have higher yields with fewer pesticides and fertilisers.” The launch of the genetic technology bill was welcomed by crop researchers.” – Financial Times
- Why some farmers are turning away from the Tories – BBC
Civil servants threaten to strike
“Civil servants have voted to back national strike action that would hit airports, ports, courts and other key infrastructure. Britain’s largest civil-service union today voted in favour of national strike action after taking issue with a 2 per cent pay offer from the government and plans to cut 91,000 jobs. Union chiefs said members are relying on foodbanks and Universal Credit. But ministers insisted they needed to balance the risk of triggering higher inflation if pay rises were too generous.” – The Times
- Big public sector pay increases could fuel inflation, Clarke warns – Daily Telegraph
- Ministers and bosses must face down pay demands – Daniel Finkelstein, The Times
- The Government should crack down on trade union militancy – Leader, The Times
- RMT votes for summer of rail strike – Daily Mail
- Can’t the union barons see a rail strike paralysing Britain would be suicidal madness? – David Blunkett, Daily Mail
Tugendhat calls for top Foreign Office official to resign
“The top civil servant in the Foreign Office lacks “integrity and honesty” and must resign, a senior Conservative MP has said. Sir Philip Barton, who earned more than the prime minister last year, is heavily criticised in a report by MPs on the “chaotic” withdrawal from Afghanistan last summer. Barton refused to return from his holiday in the Dordogne during the fall of Kabul. The permanent under-secretary at the Foreign Office is paid a salary of between £185,000 and £189,999 — about £25,000 more than Boris Johnson. Tom Tugendhat, the Conservative chairman of the foreign affairs committee, told Times Radio that Barton had presided over a “disaster” during the evacuation of Afghanistan.” – The Times
- Learning the right lessons from Afghanistan – Leader, Daily Telegraph
>Today: ToryDiary: The Government and Afghanistan. “A disaster – a betrayal of our allies.” Tugendhat’s committee’s excoriating report.
Hollinrake attacks plan to accommodate asylum seekers in North Yorkshire
“A Conservative MP has accused the Home Office of using his North Yorkshire constituency as a “sacrificial lamb for national policy”, as a controversial accommodation centre for 1,500 asylum seekers is set to open there. The Home Office says the site – the RAF Linton-on-Ouse airbase, which ceased military operations in 2020 – will accommodate its first 60 asylum seekers by 31 May. Kevin Hollinrake, whose Thirsk and Malton constituency includes the base, is angry about the plans and accused the Home Office of “pretty much an abuse of power”. Hollinrake, who had a majority of 25,154 at the 2019 general election, said his constituents are universally dismayed by the proposals.” – The Guardian
- More than 2,600 Channel migrants have arrived in UK in May – Daily Mail
Setback for Trump in Georgia
“Donald Trump’s grip on the Republican party suffered a slip after his handpicked candidate for Georgia governor was trounced at the polls. Mr Trump recruited David Perdue, an ex-senator, to challenge incumbent Brian Kemp in the Republican primaries. Mr Kemp had rejected Mr Trump’s pleas to overturn the 2020 Georgia election results.” – BBC
- Trump is losing his stranglehold on Republicans – Edward Luce, Financial Times
Sinn Fein declares the Northern Ireland Protocol “is working”
“Sinn Fein told Conservatives on Tuesday to “stop pandering to the DUP” by threatening to rip up the Northern Ireland Protocol at a historic meeting in Parliament. Mary Lou McDonald, the party leader who has predicted a referendum on Irish reunification in the next decade, accused Boris Johnson of using the row over the Brexit treaty to distract from partygate and the calls for his resignation.” – Daily Telegraph
>Today: Columnist Daniel Hannan: The Northern Ireland Protocol is designed only to cause Britain maximum pain
Tombs: Putin deserves nothing less than defeat
“The appeasers may have their way, and Russia be offered a token victory. The language of Kissinger and others is already undermining the Ukrainians’ negotiating position. Why should Putin make any concession if he thinks opposition is weakening? His domestic authority, like that of Hitler, would be strengthened by even a semi-success. Worse still, it seems up to now that China is pulling back from its support for Russia and thinking twice about attacking Taiwan: but what if Putin proves the West to be as divided and feeble as its enemies hope?” – Robert Tombs, Daily Telegraph
- Russian forces move to encircle Severodonetsk and sever supply lines – The Times
>Today: Matt Hancock on Comment: Putin’s war is reminding us of a lasting truth – that our system and values are better than his
News in brief
- Johnson has his enemies to thank for surviving partygate – Patrick O’Flynn, The Spectator
- The realignment has finally reached Australia – Helen Dale, CapX
- G.K. Chesterton and the pandemic – Kittie Helmick, The Critic
- Europe is running out of time to save Ukraine and stop global famine – Daniel Johnson, The Article
- Two-thirds of voters think that Johnson should quit if he is criticised in Sue Gray’s report – Independent