Comprehensive, independent coverage of the UK Conservative Party

The best way to protect the freedom of the press would be to repeal Section 40 for good

Watson et al lost today, but they will inevitably return. The Government should honour its pledge to delete the preferred weapon against free expression.

Andrew Gimson’s PMQs sketch: May keeps playing and missing against Corbyn

The Labour leader showed up the Prime Minister’s unsustainable indecisiveness.

WATCH: “Typical Labour, letting people down” – Corbyn and May cross swords over the Customs Union

“The Labour manifesto said they wanted to strike trade deals, now they’ve gone back on that policy.”

Ben Roback: On Iran, Trump again displays the art of breaking deals

The President is often taken literally but not seriously, whereas he should be taken seriously but not literally.

Robert Halfon: Last week’s elections blazed a trail for fusing workers’ and metropolitan conservatism

The Conservative Government is also going to have to get back to its DNA – cutting taxes. Reductions for those on incomes below £45,000 would send a powerful signal.

Daniel Kawczynski: We must back Trump’s withdrawal of support from the Iran deal

Obama and his partners ignored the loudly-voiced concerns of our key Gulf strategic partners and Israel that the deal ignored potential Iranian interference in the region.

How Barnet was won

It wasn’t just about antisemitism. The Conservatives pledged to maintain weekly bin collections. Labour did not.

WATCH: Trump announces that America will withdraw from the Iran deal

“In just a short period of time, the world’s leading state sponsor of terror will be on the cusp of acquiring the world’s most dangerous weapon.”

Shield

Handouts to 25-year-olds won’t solve the housing crisis, still less the wider issue of generational unfairness

The Resolution Foundation’s new report is a serious piece of work, but its proposals to improve social care funding also bring political problems.

J.P.Floru: In defence of tax havens. May’s threat to the British Overseas Territories is un-Conservative.

Do we really want them either to declare independence, or else become benefit claimants, funded by British taxpayers?

Brexit 1) May’s Customs Partnership will ‘please no-one’, Cabinet Minister tells ConservativeHome

‘Theresa May’s proposal for a customs partnership is a “broken compromise” that risks “pleasing no one”, a Cabinet source has warned as they claimed that Downing Street may have got its numbers wrong on support for remaining in the customs union. An unnamed Cabinet minister has claimed that the Government’s fears over support for a customs union has forced Mrs May and her team to draft proposals that they believe MPs can be persuaded to vote for. However, the source argues that support for a customs union has been overstated, and that Mrs May should instead focus her efforts on a light touch arrangement, such as the maximum-facilitation (max-fac) proposal…Mrs May has now been forced to return to the drawing board, and is currently developing the options to make them more palatable to her ministers. However, speaking to the website Conservative Home, a Cabinet source has claimed that Mrs May should abandon the customs partnership altogether.’ – Daily Telegraph

  • Downing Street still won’t take the partnership idea off the table – Daily Mail
  • Grieve suggests the Foreign Secretary should resign – City AM
  • The Prime Minister decline to rebuke him for his latest outburst – The Times
  • She must lead – and that means facing down the Europhiles – The Sun Says
  • The clock is ticking – Daily Telegraph Leader
  • Some fear she might try to bypass the Brexit sub-committee – Daily Telegraph
  • Cabinet Brexiteers worry Williamson may ‘rat’ on them – The Sun
  • Fox to reveal Dubai deal – The Sun
  • Hammond grants DIT £10 million extra funding – FT

Opinion

>Today: ToryDiary: The consequences of Customs Union indecision. How Britain could end up with EEA-lite – formally or informally.

>Yesterday: 

Brexit 2) Lords defy May and Corbyn to vote to stay in the Single Market

‘The House of Lords voted to keep Britain in the single market last night, causing headaches for both Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn. The government was defeated on an amendment that would have forced Britain to remain a member of the European Economic Area (EEA) by 247 votes to 218, with rebels from both parties. Mr Corbyn had ordered his peers to abstain but 83 ignored him and 17 Tories abstained to deliver one of four defeats last night on the government’s Brexit legislation, amid signs of growing discord in the Lords. Ministers must now decide whether to undo 14 amendments to the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill when the legislation returns to the Commons.’ – The Times

Brexit 3) Trimble: Stop this baseless scaremongering about peace in Northern Ireland

‘In recent months senior politicians — some of whom were partners in the peace process — have sought to spread fear about a return to violence. They have warned about a breakdown in community relations and talked-up threats to the Good Friday agreement. Yet, as a new paper published today by Policy Exchange shows, those seeking to alter the position of the democratically elected UK government in delivering the result of the Brexit referendum with such scare tactics cannot appreciate the strength of peace — nor the facts of how a modern border can operate.The reality is that even Sinn Fein’s Gerry Adams and the moderate nationalist SDLP have said that Brexit will not result in a return to violence. What is more, fears over a hard border are only as strong as the refusal of those who do not engage with a workable technological solution. As highlighted by Policy Exchange, studies have shown how technology, pre-customs clearing and mutual standards recognition can be deployed to avoid physical barriers at the border. It is sad then that some have sought to disregard the facts for the sake of temporary political advantage…’ – David Trimble, The Times

  • Policy Exchange report finds that light-touch border solutions can work – City AM
  • The Government explores further responses to Brussels’ hardline on Galileo – The Times
  • The EU splashes millions on propaganda campaign targeting the young – The Sun

May, Macron and Merkel ‘regret’ Trump’s decision to pull out of the Iran deal

‘Prime Minister Theresa May said in a statement issued on behalf of the three nations ‘it is with regret and concern that we … take note of President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States of America from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.’ But EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini potentially put Europe on a collision course with the US by suggesting the European Union is determined to save the agreement, declaring ‘together with the rest of the international community, we will preserve this nuclear deal.’ Mogherini said the accord ‘is delivering on its goal which is guaranteeing that Iran doesn’t develop nuclear weapons,’ before making a direct appeal to the Iranian leader to stick to the 2015 agreement. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani meanwhile said his country will remain in the deal, and will instead trade with the other countries which signed it. Although, crucially, it remains unclear whether the US would choose to impose sanctions on countries, or foreign companies who take up Rouhani’s offer.’ – Daily Mail

>Today: Daniel Kawczynski on Comment: We must back Trump’s withdrawal of support from the Iran deal

>Yesterday: WATCH: Trump announces that America will withdraw from the Iran deal Continue to all today’s Newslinks