Over 50 Tory MPs call for tighter rules to ease migrant crisis
“More than 50 Tory MPs have urged PM Rishi Sunak to alter “quirks” in modern slavery laws to make it easier to send some migrants home. The letter, arranged by former Brexit secretary David Davis, demands those travelling from “safe countries”, such as Albania, be returned more quickly. The MPs maintain a “simple” change in the law could ease the current crisis. A Home Office source said Home Secretary Suella Braverman was “working flat out” to solve the issue.” – BBC
- We don’t need more migrants. We need to stop Britain’s brightest and best from going overseas – Trevor Kavanagh, The Sun
- UK’s migrant policy fails on every level – Nick Ferrari, Daily Express
- Most people say Britain needs workers from abroad, poll on immigration reveals – The Times
- Starmer rules out a return to freedom of movement in EU – The Times
>Today:
Harper declares striking rail workers must accept reform in return for pay rise
“Striking rail workers need to accept reforms to see their pay increase, the transport secretary has said. RMT union members are holding a series of strikes over the festive period while trying to negotiate more money to match rising inflation. But Mark Harper said workplace reforms were the only way to “free up” funding to do this. The RMT called on Mr Harper to “facilitate” negotiations on a new pay deal between the union and rail bosses.” – BBC
>Yesterday: WATCH: Harper – The Government “doesn’t have a bottomless pit of taxpayers’ money”
Rebels claim to be “on the cusp” of defeating the Government over onshore wind
“Conservative rebels believe they are on the cusp of defeating the government over onshore wind and forcing Rishi Sunak to abandon a leadership campaign pledge. At least 30 Tory MPs, including Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, now back an amendment to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill that would force the government to end the ban on new onshore wind farms. Yesterday, Labour announced that it would support the amendment, which is led by Simon Clarke, the former levelling-up secretary. Labour’s backing means that only five more Conservative MPs would be needed to wipe out the government’s majority.” – The Times
- The ban on new onshore windfarms should be lifted – Leader, The Times
Gove “considering watering down” planning bill
“Rishi Sunak and Michael Gove are considering watering down their flagship planning bill in an attempt to head off a growing Tory revolt, rebels have claimed. Downing Street officials, along with the Levelling Up Secretary and ministers have held a series of discussions with planning rebels in an attempt to reach a compromise, The Telegraph understands. “The Government is making an effort to find where there is common ground,” a source involved in the discussions said. “There is no agreement yet, everyone is proceeding with caution.” Last week, Rishi Sunak was forced to delay long-awaited planning reforms after dozens of Tory MPs threatened to rebel.” – Daily Telegraph
- The Tories are tearing themselves apart over housing – but this is another crisis of their own making – John Harris, The Guardian
- UK homeowners forced to settle for below asking price, Zoopla says – The Guardian
>Today: Samuel Kasumu on Local Government: We Tories are in danger of turning our back on Thatcher’s home ownership legacy
>Yesterday: WATCH: Young people should vote Tory because we can help more people onto the housing ladder – Villiers
China 1) Sunak vows to take tougher action
“Rishi Sunak will today vow to stand up to China with actions not words – despite stopping short of dubbing the rogue state as a threat. The PM will make his first major foreign policy speech at the Lord Mayor’s Banquet tonight in the City, and vow to be “stronger” in standing up for freedom and openness. He will promise to “stand up to our competitors not with grand rhetoric but with robust pragmatism” to problem solve on the world stage.” – The Sun
- Germany’s Putin appeasement still shames Europe – Iain Dale, Daily Telegraph
China 2) Protests over zero Covid policy
“Xi Jinping faces one of his greatest challenges as president of China after tens of thousands of people took to the streets over Beijing’s strict coronavirus controls and suppression of freedom of speech. At least 10 cities, including Shanghai, Beijing and Chengdu, were shaken by rare political protests over the weekend, triggering clashes with police and security officers that led to a spate of arrests, including of two foreign journalists. The sudden outbreak of civil disobedience was initially sparked by outrage after a deadly apartment fire in Urumqi, Xinjiang, was partly blamed on coronavirus restrictions. While most of the protests appeared to have been stamped out by Monday, they followed months of frustration, especially among China’s young people, with relentless lockdowns, quarantines, mass testing and electronic surveillance under Xi’s zero-Covid policies.” – Financial Times
- Biggest protest in China since Tiananmen Square – The Times
- BBC says Chinese police assaulted and detained its reporter – The Guardian
- An unprecedented challenge – Leader, The Times
- China is paying the price for Xi Jinping’s autocratic hubris – Leader, Daily Telegraph
- This could be the beginning of the end for Xi Jinping – Matthew Henderson, Daily Telegraph
Public information campaign agreed to encourage energy saving
“Rishi Sunak has authorised an £18mn information campaign to persuade the British public to save energy ahead of the cold winter months. The prime minister’s predecessor in Downing Street, Liz Truss, had resisted on libertarian grounds spending any money on a push to encourage saving energy. But the new prime minister wants to reduce power use at a time when the state is subsidising gas and electric prices at a cost of tens of billions of pounds after they spiked because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The government said the public information campaign, called “Help for Households”, would offer technical tips and advice for people to cut their energy use while still staying warm.” – Financial Times
- Turn your boilers down to 60C to cut energy bills, households to be told – Daily Telegraph
- UK households have cut energy consumption by ten per cent, say suppliers – The Guardian
Police urged to stop tiptoeing around Just Stop Oil protesters
“Rishi Sunak will summon police chiefs to No 10 this week and urge them to take a more “robust” approach to managing disruptive Just Stop Oil protests. He and Suella Braverman, the home secretary, want police officers to stop following a lengthy list of steps set out in a “conflict management” model before taking action. Scotland Yard has warned that the environmental group is planning a fortnight of disruption in the run-up to Christmas starting next Monday.” – The Times
Sturgeon could break law with more indyref spending, claim Tories
“Senior mandarins in Scotland and Whitehall are being asked to rule whether Nicola Sturgeon can continue to spend taxpayers’ money on independence after the Supreme Court said she does not have the power to stage another referendum. Around £1.5 million has so far been spent on renewing Ms Sturgeon’s independence prospectus, according to Tory calculations, with Scottish Government civil servants permitted to help SNP ministers advance their political objectives.” – Daily Telegraph
- JK Rowling attacks Labour over support for SNP’s gender bill – Daily Telegraph
Labour challenged over proposal to end charitable status for independent schools
“Labour was last night accused of trying to price families out of private schools. Keir Starmer has vowed to retain Jeremy Corbyn’s policy of scrapping their charitable status. Tory MPs said it was a ‘spite measure’ that would make the schools the preserve of wealthy foreigners and pile pressure on the state sector. Independent schools claiming charitable status are expected to help the less privileged through bursaries or by sharing their facilities with state schools. In return, they do not have to charge VAT of 20 per cent on fees.” – Daily Mail
- All pupils would suffer under socialist plan – Leader, Daily Mail
- A vindictive policy that smacks of class envy – Stephen Glover, Daily Mail
MPs earning £5.3 million from second jobs
“MPs earned a record £5.3million from second jobs over the past year despite the Government promising a crackdown. Two-thirds of MPs, who made more than £2,000 the previous year, earned an equal or greater amount in the 12 months to September, research found. Several ex-Cabinet ministers have taken roles in areas they used to oversee in Government, with former attorney general Geoffrey Cox earning more than £1 million in fees as a barrister.” – Daily Mail
Hancock’s reality TV success “has led to talk of a political revival”
“After an apparent surge in public popularity, fuelled by an insatiable willingness to grapple with snakes, joust with spiders and eat just about anything, some now wonder if Matt Hancock’s appearance on I’m a Celebrity . . . Get Me Out of Here! might in fact have resurrected his political ambitions….Jamie Njoku-Goodwin, a special adviser when Hancock was culture secretary and health secretary, told The Times: “I’m intrigued to see what he does next.” – The Times
Timothy: The Tories have surrendered power to the Quangocrats
“Health ministers past and present bemoan the lack of levers available to them, and explain that those things that worked well during the pandemic happened despite not because of NHS structures. There are similar such examples across the public sector. The Home Office has removed itself from local policing matters, for example, but the College of Policing and National Police Chiefs Council have centralised and determined policing policies, to the frustration of ministers. To understand why officers are so keen to empathise with rather than arrest criminal protestors disrupting roads and vandalising private property, read the guidance issued by the College.” – Nick Timothy, Daily Telegraph
- NHS employs more than 2,000 managers on six-figure salaries – Daily Telegraph
- Armed forces personnel would drive ambulances and fill frontline roles in hospitals as NHS prepares for strikes – The Times
>Today: Anthony Browne on Comment: How I saw the future of medicine in the face of a small child
News in brief
- Yes, five million are on out-of-work benefits. Here’s the proof. – Fraser Nelson, The Spectator
- Why we should abolish MPs’ expenses and pay them more instead – Harry Phibbs, CapX
- A guide to the way the Bank controls the bond market and interest rates – John Redwood
- How did it all go so wrong for Truss? – Simon Clarke MP, The Critic
- The Tories must stop ‘quiet quitting’ – Peter Franklin, Unherd