“Rishi Sunak has launched a high-stakes gamble to seal a deal with Brussels over Northern Ireland, making a surprise visit to Belfast as Tory Eurosceptics warned he was going too far to accommodate the EU. The UK prime minister is seeking to win backing from Northern Irish parties for an outline deal with the EU to resolve the two-year old dispute over the region’s post-Brexit trade. Unionists, Conservatives and businesses complain the current arrangements have impeded business with the mainland. Sunak will hold talks in Belfast before heading to Munich on Saturday, where, on the margins of a security conference, he is expected to meet EU leaders to try to settle the damaging Brexit dispute.” – The Financial Times
“Rishi Sunak promised to “accelerate” support for Ukraine in the coming weeks in a meeting with the Polish president at No 10. As pressure grows on western countries to supply Ukraine with fighter jets, Sunak and Andrzej Duda agreed on the importance of providing more assistance in repelling Russia’s forces, Downing Street said. Sunak told Duda at the start of their meeting: “I think there’s nothing that we are more united on than our staunch support for Ukraine. And I know we’ll talk about that later today, what more we can both do to ensure that Ukraine wins this conflict.” Duda thanked Sunak for his “very clear support” for Ukraine. The UK and Poland have both pledged to provide tanks but have been more hesitant over aircraft.” – The Times
“The Home Secretary has demanded the police force searching for Nicola Bulley explain its decision to reveal that she was suffering from issues with alcohol and the menopause. Suella Braverman is understood to have been concerned by the move as Ms Bulley’s family released a statement clarifying that she had a “crisis” brought on after she stopped taking HRT because of the side effects. Lancashire Constabulary is facing a growing backlash over its handling of the case, and has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct over contact it had with Ms Bulley over a concern for welfare just over two weeks before she vanished… Police initially said her health was “not relevant” to the investigation and it was not a factor…” – The Daily Telegraph
>Today:
“EU plans for acquiring military equipment risk erecting barriers within Nato, Ben Wallace has said. The defence secretary is concerned that the bloc’s planned centralised process for arms procurement could create an EU-first policy that would lead to bureaucratic obstacles for Nato. The Times understands that Wallace warned this week of a threat to Nato standards if sourcing from EU-only industry was placed before strategic military requirements. He told defence ministers during talks in Brussels that both Britain and Norway were European, playing a key role in Nato supply chains, without being part of the EU, and that breaking up procurement along the bloc’s membership lines would undermine the alliance.” – The Times
“Jeremy Hunt should cut business taxes at next month’s budget to boost the economy, George Osborne has suggested. The former chancellor warned that the historically high burden on industry risked putting companies off investing in Britain. He referenced pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca, which has decided to build its new vaccine factory in Ireland because of the UK’s high levies. The remarks will heap pressure on the incumbent Chancellor to reverse his plans for a 6 percentage point rise in Corporation Tax. Mr Osborne slashed the rate from 28pc to 20pc during his six years at the Treasury, and outlined plans to take it below 15pc. That is now set to be reversed by Mr Hunt, who will put it up from… 19pc…to 25pc in his Spring budget.” – The Daily Telegraph
“Nurses have announced plans to walk out of cancer wards and intensive care for 48 hours in a major escalation of their industrial action. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) also hopes to bolster its picket lines by increasing the amount it will pay members who lose pay as a result of striking. The union, which is seeking pay rise of up to 19.7 per cent, said its next strike will run continuously for 48 hours from 6am on March 1. Previous action took place only during the day shift, for 12 hours each time. Nurses will strike at 120 NHS employers in England from March 1…Health leaders described the development as the ‘most worrying escalation of strikes yet’ and Health Secretary Steve Barclay warned it will ‘risk patient safety’.” – The Daily Mail
“Lenders have been told by the City minister that they could sue the Bank of England over tough new financial rules amid fears that Threadneedle Street’s regulations are putting the City at risk. Andrew Griffith suggested that finance executives could take legal action against the Bank over reforms to so-called Basel rules, which risk forcing British lenders to hold back billions of pounds more in cash than their rivals in the European Union. The comments are a sign of deepening tensions between the Bank and the Government, which is attempting to make London more competitive following concerns that its role as a global financial hub is being eroded. Rishi Sunak… dropped plans for a right to overrule the Bank’s decisions…” – The Daily Telegraph
“Britain must stand up to “totalitarian” China and prepare sanctions to deter Beijing from invading Taiwan, Liz Truss is to say in a speech in Tokyo. In her first major foreign policy intervention since being ousted from No 10, she will address a conference in Japan to rally support across the West for a more robust approach to Beijing. Speaking alongside Scott Morrison, the former prime minister of Australia, and Guy Verhofstadt, the former prime minister of Belgium, Truss is expected to increase the pressure on Rishi Sunak to strengthen western support for Taiwan, the democratic island state regarded by Beijing as part of China. Sunak is facing a backlash from Tory MPs over his reluctance to label China a “threat” at next month’s integrated review of foreign policy…” – The Times
“Tory members fear up to half of local associations will be axed amid claims the party grassroots are being “punished” for electing Liz Truss. Conservative HQ is said to be assessing the “viability” of local bodies across the country ahead of proposed changes to constituency boundaries this summer. Activists told The Telegraph party bosses were “seizing the moment” to try to push through a long-term plan to curtail the powers of the rank and file. Conservative officials insisted no associations would be forced into mergers and local members would always have a say over how and when they happened. A Tory source said amalgamations were being encouraged in some areas, but disputed claims that half of associations could disappear before the next election.” – The Daily Telegraph
“Net zero is “absolutely the right agenda” for the Government to pursue, Kwasi Kwarteng insisted on Thursday night. The former chancellor used only his second public appearance since his sacking by Liz Truss to defend green objectives amid the cost of living crisis. “The idea that just burning more coal and burning fossil fuels is the future I think is wrong, it’s false,” Mr Kwarteng told TalkTV. “I think the net zero agenda is absolutely the right agenda. The idea you can burn coal like we did in the 50s, forever and ever, is absurd.” Mr Kwarteng said energy price shocks had been caused by supply chain issues after lockdown and the invasion of Ukraine, rather than emissions targets. He added that he was never particularly supportive of fracking…” – The Daily Telegraph
“Jeremy Corbyn is poised to challenge Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to bar him from standing at the next election for Labour…Starmer revealed the veteran wouldn’t stand again while welcoming a decision by the equality regulator to lift the party out of special measures over antisemitism failings under Corbyn. Mr Corbyn said: “Keir Starmer’s statement about my future is a flagrant attack on the democratic rights of Islington North Labour Party members. It is up to them – not party leaders – to decide who their candidate should be. Any attempt to block my candidacy is a denial of due process, and should be opposed by anybody who believes in the value of democracy.” Ally Diane Abbott indicated he wouldn’t run as an independent in his London seat Islington North…” – The Sun
>Today:
>Yesterday:
“The Scottish National party should consider “more evolutionary” constitutional change as an alternative to the “de facto” independence referendum proposed by Nicola Sturgeon, a member of the outgoing first minister’s government has said. The call by Ben Macpherson, minister for social security and local government, highlights the intensifying debate inside the SNP over future strategy following Sturgeon’s shock resignation announcement…The SNP’s national executive announced on Thursday that members would vote to elect Sturgeon’s successor as party leader and first minister between March 13 and March 27… Macpherson’s call is likely to dismay…SNP members…impatient with what they see as Sturgeon’s overly cautious approach…” – The Financial Times
>Yesterday: