“The prime minister is expected to unveil his deal as early as Monday — with or without the explicit endorsement of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) — as Boris Johnson and his allies warn the agreement risks “civil war”. In an appeal to his divided party, Sunak said that the proposed deal is not a threat to Brexit but is about “making sure that Brexit works in every part of the United Kingdom”. Speaking about the deal for the first time since details began to leak a month ago, the prime minister said: “As someone who believes in Brexit, voted for Brexit, campaigned for Brexit, I want to demonstrate that Brexit works and it works for every part of the United Kingdom.” – Sunday Times
“No British Prime Minister could ever sit back and just allow these problems to continue. That’s why my predecessors were right to create the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill – and why I supported them in doing so. For as long as the European Union refused to reopen negotiations on the Protocol itself, this Bill was the only way forwards. I have no doubt that it helped to create the conditions where the EU has been prepared to engage constructively. But my predecessors were also right to say this Bill was a last resort. Like them, I have always said a negotiated solution would be a better outcome. My job is to seize this opportunity, confront the hard choices, and give everything I’ve got. And I promise you this: I won’t agree any deal which doesn’t fix the problems and deliver for Northern Ireland and our precious Union.” – Sunday Telegraph
> Today: ToryDiary – Our survey. One in three Party activists support Sunak’s approach to the Protocol – and two in five oppose it.
“Ministers are launching Operation Save Our Salad to end the fruit and veg shortage. Food Minister Mark Spencer is hauling in supermarket chiefs for talks tomorrow to tackle the crisis The move comes after Cabinet Minister Therese Coffey sparked controversy when she suggested Brits should eat turnips instead. Mr Spencer told The Sun on Sunday: “I know families expect the fresh produce they need to be on the shelves when they go for their weekly shop. “That is why I am calling in supermarket chiefs to get shelves stocked again and to outline how we can avoid a repeat of this.” All the big supermarkets are expected to attend the meeting.” – Sun on Sunday
“Jeremy Hunt will hold showdown talks with ‘pro-growth’ MPs who want him to slash taxes to supercharge the economy. The MPs want No11 to use next month’s budget to reduce the tax burden which is at its highest since the second world war. Mr Hunt was handed a £31 bn pre-Budget windfall after duff forecasts were proved wrong by soaring tax takes. The better-than-expected finances heaped pressure on the Chancellor to cut taxes next month – but he has so far refused saying last week “it is vital we stick to our plan to reduce debt over the medium-term”. Tory MPs will set out their case at the meeting early next week. They will argue that the corporation tax rise – which is due to be hiked from 19 to 25 per cent in April – should be axed to encourage businesses to invest in Britain.” – Sun on Sunday
“Michael Gove will launch a Downing Street-backed project to take on Liz Truss’s low-tax supporters and find new policies for the next Tory manifesto this week. The levelling up secretary will give a speech at the Onward think tank, kickstarting a battle of ideas between those who think voters want investment and Thatcherites who focus solely on tax cuts. Nick Timothy, the former chief of staff to Theresa May, is chairing a programme called “the future of Conservatism” in conjunction with Onward and will write three reports over the next year to provide a policy platform for the general election and beyond.” – Sunday Times
“A Conservative MP who was deselected by local party officials has said it had “nothing to do” with her decision to resign in protest at Boris Johnson’s leadership. Theo Clarke, the MP for Stafford, revealed on Friday evening that a selection committee had not chosen her to stand as the Tory candidate for a new Stafford constituency with revised boundaries at the next general election. David Campbell-Bannerman, the chairman of the Conservative Democratic Organisation pressure group, told The Telegraph last week that dozens of sitting MPs could be ousted in a “reckoning” by Tory members furious at Mr Johnson’s removal from office…However, on Saturday night Ms Clarke told The Telegraph: “What has happened has nothing to do with Boris.” Instead, she said there had been “unhappiness from a minority” in her constituency party about her decision to take maternity leave.” – Sunday Telegraph
“Have you seen the balance of the UN lately? Have you noticed large swathes of the democratic world have yet to condemn the attack on Ukraine, a point exemplified just last week in the general assembly? Some will say this is due to energy interests, or China’s Belt and Road initiative, but this is pure distraction. They are hedging. They have watched the West acquiesce in landgrabs and violations, and fear they will be next. They are acting deferentially to the autocratic axis because they think it will become the world’s dominant power as the West melts away. US congressmen and women and UK parliamentarians accuse these nations of cowardice, seemingly incapable of seeing the irony.” – Sunday Times
“Luciana Berger has rejoined the Labour Party after Sir Keir Starmer apologised for the “disgusting” antisemitism and death threats she endured under Jeremy Corbyn and praised her “principled and brave” decision to leave. Berger resigned over a “culture of bullying, bigotry and harassment” in 2019, the highest-profile Jewish MP to walk out…Tom Watson, then Labour deputy leader, described it as the worst day in the party’s 120-year history. Since leaving parliament, she has avoided speaking frequently about Labour politics or Starmer’s attempts to rebuild relations with the Jewish community. However, she has now told him she will rejoin the party, work “with you to finish what you have started” and “make the difference our country so desperately deserves” – Sunday Times
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