Isabel Hardman

What does everyone think about free schools? That's the question that is being asked of every Liberal Democrat who has the misfortune to pop up in broadcast interviews today, because it seems that you can now take any position you want on the subject, so long as you're wearing a certain hat or you've got your fingers crossed behind your back. Ed Davey this morning tried to explain the difference between what David Laws said last week at the despatch box in defence of free schools and what David Laws apparently thinks when he's not at the despatch box. Davey told the Today programme: 'He is defending the Government's position as a Coalition government as he should do, and I understand that.

One man who isn't on message at the start of the government's economy week is Justin Welby, who has been warning against excessive jubilation at the end of this week when the next tranche of GDP figures are released. He told the Telegraph: 'A flourishing economy is necessary but not sufficient. A healthy society flourishes and distributes economic resources effectively, but also has a deep spiritual base which gives it its virtue.' This sounds a little bit like pre-2010 David Cameron, but it doesn't quite chime with the political offensive that the Tories want to go on this week, accusing Labour of making consistently bad predictions about the economy.

Today is, as we all know, the start of economy week in Westminster, with politicians striving to show that all that jubilant talk about dawns breaking over the hill this summer wasn't misplaced. The Hinkley Point deal, the first new nuclear plant in a generation, is supposed to show that Britain is open for business, is building, and is providing jobs and training for a new generation of workers in a new generation of nuclear plants. On the Today programme this morning Energy Secretary Ed Davey tried to outline some of the value that this deal with EDF and Beijing-controlled energy companies China National Nuclear Corporation and China General Nuclear Power Group would have for this country.

Giving evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee this afternoon, Theresa May said it would be 'appropriate' for the West Mercia chief constable to apologise to Andrew Mitchell over the way the 'Plebgate' allegations were handled. She was being questioned on the Independent Police Complaints Commission's report, published this morning, which found that there was an 'issue of honesty and integrity' which went above 'merely naive or poor professional judgment' on the part of three Police Federation officers who gave an account of a meeting with Mitchell following the 'plebgate' allegations that contradicted the claims of the former chief whip.

Oh dear. Poor old Adam Afriyie. Just over a week ago he was boasting of a 'cross party' campaign behind his amendment to James Wharton's EU referendum bill. Now the updated list of signatures has been supported, and there hasn't exactly been a stampede of support. Last week, the amendments said this: Adam Afryie Keith Vaz Clause 1, page 1, line 4, leave out ‘before 31 December 2017’ and insert ‘on 23 October 2014’. Adam Afryie Keith Vaz Clause 1, page 1, line 5, leave out subsection (3). And this week, the updated amendments look like this: Adam Afryie Clause 1, page 1, line 4, leave out ‘before 31 December 2017’ and insert ‘on 23 October 2014’. Adam Afryie Clause 1, page 1, line 5, leave out subsection (3).

The government's business taskforce will give a presentation today to Cabinet on its report on slashing EU regulation. David Cameron has already indicated that he will support the 30 recommendations in the report, compiled by M&S chief executive Marc Bolland, Kingfisher chief executive Ian Cheshire, ATG Access managing director Glenn Cooper, BTG chief executive Louise Makin, entrepreneur Dale Murray and Diageo boss Paul Walsh. European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso has said that he will look to resolve complaints about legislation burdening companies, and Cameron sees this as an important way of showing that Britain can lead on making the case for reform in the European Union as a whole.

It is just two weeks since Boris Johnson came over all loyal at the Conservative party conference. The Mayor, it was reported, was putting his weight behind David Cameron because of the presence of Lynton Crosby and the apparent private offer of a safe seat. But it looks like he's back to being troublesome by immediately questioning the government's announcement that it will be relaxing visa rules for Chinese tourists. He told the World at One: 'Well, we'll have to see how this scheme actually works because the detail is a little bit unclear to us at the moment and I'm initially very, obviously very supportive and would hope that it will make sure that we are able to get large numbers of Chinese students, of tourists, people who are going to bring income to our city.

Number 10 didn't make any effort to shoot the fox hunting story that's doing the rounds at today's lobby briefing. Responding to calls from a cross-party group of MPs for a partial lifting of the hunting ban to allow farmers to use a full pack of dogs to flush out foxes, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said this morning that 'the Prime Minister has some sympathy with these concerns' around 'the impact is has on particular farming communities such as hill farmers'. He added that it was significant that these questions had been raised 'by MPs from across the house', saying: 'Given the cross party nature of concerns that have been raised in this area, I think this is something which the House may wish to address.

George Osborne is in Beijing at the moment, drumming up support for Britain in the global race. Although that doesn't quite work because Britain is obviously racing China in this global race, but all the same, he wants China to run alongside Britain cheering it, rather than sledging as it steams ahead. And to be able to do that, this country apparently needs to swallow some of its pride about the sort of country that China is.