“Hopes of a breakthrough to end the RMT rail union’s crippling strikes were growing last night after ministers climbed down over demands for guardless trains. Train bosses discussed a new offer with RMT negotiators, including a pay increase of at least 9 per cent over two years to workers for 14 train firms. This was up from 8 per cent. But it is understood the union was told that ministers were willing to scrap demands for more driver-only operated (DOO) trains as part of a deal. Ministers inserted the demand last month in a bid to help save taxpayers millions of pounds as they look to overhaul the industry and plug the financial hole left by passenger numbers failing to bounce back after the Covid-19 pandemic.” – Daily Mail
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“Steve Barclay has privately conceded he will have to increase his pay offer to NHS staff, in a U-turn that may help to end the growing wave of strikes. However, the Treasury has made clear he will have to find any new cash from within the existing health budget, raising the prospect of cuts to key services. According to senior sources who have spoken to the Guardian, Barclay has acknowledged that more than 1 million frontline personnel deserve more money – after months of repeatedly insisting the existing £1,400 award for 2022-23 was all the government could afford.” – The Guardian
“Boris Johnson could agree not to challenge Rishi Sunak in exchange for the promise of a safe seat at the next election, friends of the former prime minister have said. Johnson would “leverage” his position over Sunak if the Conservatives did badly in the local elections in May under plans being discussed by his allies. Four months after he left Downing Street, a determined group of Johnson’s supporters still hope he will return as prime minister before the next general election… Friends of Johnson are mulling ways in which he could agree an informal truce with Sunak which ensures that he is still in the Commons after the next election.” – The Times
>Today:
“Prime minister Rishi Sunak is facing a potential backbench rebellion over the UK government’s flagship online safety bill, with three dozen Tory MPs set to back an amendment that would see social media bosses face prison if they failed to adequately protect under 18s online. The much anticipated bill, which aims to protect children from harmful content and remove illegal online material, places some of the world’s most stringent checks on tech companies and is due to return to the House of Commons next week. Thirty-six Conservative MPs, including former home secretary Priti Patel and former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, have in recent days thrown their weight behind the amendment led by backbenchers Miriam Cates and Sir Bill Cash.” – FT
“An MP suspended from the Tory party in Parliament today – after he compared the Covid vaccine rollout to the Holocaust. Comments from Andrew Bridgen, the MP for North West Leicestershire, were described by fellow Tories today as “disgusting” and “fake news”. He tweeted earlier this morning: “As one consultant cardiologist said to me this is the biggest crime against humanity since the holocaust.” The NHS has dished out life-saving jabs to millions amid a record-breaking rollout throughout the pandemic. Almost 15 million people have had an autumn booster campaign to keep themselves and their family protected.” – The Sun
>Today: ToryDiary: Bridgen and vaccines. A cautionary tale in vanishing down a rabbit hole.
“Rishi Sunak will meet Emmanuel Macron in March for crunch talks on stopping small boats. In Paris the close political pals will also discuss global security, climate change and the economy. It will be the first formal UK-France summit to take place since 2018. A No10 spokesperson said: “The idea of this summit was discussed by the two leaders during their first phone call in October 2022. It will be the first meeting of this kind since 2018 and an opportunity to deepen co-operation between the UK and France in a huge range of areas including security, climate and energy, the economy, migration and shared foreign policy goals.” Mr Sunak’s close relationship with Macron marks a shift from that of his predecessor.” – The Sun
>Today: Poppy Coburn in Comment: The Government needs to stop funding the charities blocking its programme
“Rishi Sunak has told Nicola Sturgeon to ‘work together’ as the pair clashed over independence and gender rules during his visit to Scotland. The PM and the SNP leader had ‘robust’ exchanges during around an hour of talks over dinner last night. In interviews this morning, Mr Sunak said he wanted to cooperate on ‘challenges that we all face collectively around the UK’. He also made clear the UK government is still considering how to respond to the law passed by Holyrood that would cut the age limit for changing gender identity, and remove the requirement for a medical diagnosis.” – Daily Mail
>Yesterday: Will Lloyd in Comment: Sunak is incapable of being interesting. This could be a formidable political advantage.
“Labour will back Rishi Sunak if he agrees a Northern Ireland Brexit deal with the European Union, Sir Keir Starmer will pledge today, as both sides move closer towards a settlement. In a speech in Belfast, Starmer will say that an agreement to reform the Northern Ireland protocol is in the national interest. The move is designed to give “cover” to Sunak even if any deal is opposed by Tory Brexiteers and the Democratic Unionist Party. Starmer will “say to the prime minister, ‘If there is a deal to do in the coming weeks, do it.’ Whatever political cover you need, whatever mechanism in Westminster you require, if it delivers for our national interest and the people of Northern Ireland, we will support you.”” – The Times
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>Yesterday:
“This has turned out to be one of the biggest surprises of post-Covid Britain: we ended up with a huge, debilitating hole in our workforce. There’s the well-publicised issue of the over-50s who lost the habit of working and didn’t fancy getting back into it. But then, also, the more complex question of mental health. There are now 2.5 million off on long-term sick, up 500,000 since the first lockdown. Studies show that most of them are complaining about anxiety, depression or other mental health issues. None of this was expected.” – Daily Telegraph
>Yesterday: ToryDiary: Conservative Stakhanovism – or the perils of a simplistic crackdown on the economically inactive