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While the Tories are still thinking about how to solve their tax credits quandary, the Resolution Foundation has come up with a simple solution: the cuts need to be reversed. In a new report out today, the think tank says any of the proposals for ‘lessening the impact of families during the transition’ (in the words
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Are Pope Francis’ reforms and pronouncements risking a civil war within the Catholic church? On the latest View from 22 podcast, Damian Thompson and Fraser Nelson discuss this week’s Spectator cover feature on the Pope vs. the church. How concerned should Catholics be about the Pope’s wild statements? Is the church pining for the days of Pope Benedict? Is the Catholic church on track
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Following the plane crash in Siani this weekend, Downing Street has just announced all flights set to depart from Sharm to the UK have been delayed so further security checks can be undertaken. In a statement, No.10 says David Cameron spoke to President Sisi yesterday evening to discuss ensure there are ‘tightest possible security arrangements at Sharm el-Sheikh airport’.
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It’s a season of U-turns for the government as Jeremy Hunt will reportedly offer junior doctors an 11 per cent pay rise. In an attempt to head off strike action by the British Medical Association, who are balloting 45,000 junior doctors today, the Health Secretary will make a final offer to increase to their basic pay in
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Ukip has plumped for John Bickley as its candidate in the upcoming Oldham West & Royton by-election, following the death of Michael Meacher. Although other names were in the frame, Bickley was the natural choice — he came very close to winning in the nearby seat of Heywood & Middleton in a by-election last year. Ukip HQ
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George Osborne is speaking in Germany today, where he will apparently tell a business conference that Britain does not want ‘ever-closer union’ and the other EU member states will have to respect and work with this, if they don’t want to see a Brexit: ‘Remain or leave, is the question our democracy has demanded we put because, quite frankly, the British people
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Did Kids Company receive preferential treatment and funds because it was the ‘favoured’ charity of the Prime Minister? This was the key question put to two senior civil servants at the Public Accounts select committee this afternoon — and naturally, their answers were evasive. Richard Heaton, formerly the permanent secretary at the Cabinet Office, said
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24 hours after Scottish Labour voted to oppose renewing Trident, the party’s policy is firmly where it was before this weekend’s conference. On the World at One, the shadow defence secretary Maria Eagle thanked the Scottish Labour conference for their thoughts and said their vote won’t be changing Labour’s policy: ‘I welcome the input of Scottish Labour and
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Jeremy Corbyn said he wanted Labour to have an open debate about the big issues and he’s certainly got that. Yesterday, 70 per cent of the Scottish Labour conference voted for a motion opposing the renewal of the Trident independent nuclear deterrent — putting the party’s policy north of the border at odds with Labour as a whole. Although
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Voters support reducing the size of the welfare state but not necessarily through cutting tax credits. According to a new poll from ComRes and the Daily Mail, just under half back ‘reducing the size of the welfare state’ but 58 per cent oppose cutting tax credits for working people, while a similar percentage also oppose making
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There are two faces to Corbynism. Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell are doing everything they can at the moment to appear reasonable, not radical, but behind the scenes they are starting to stuff their offices with figures from the hard left. Look at their hiring of advisers such as Andrew Fisher and former Guardian columnist Seumus Milne. This
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The government needs to get thinking quickly about a new tax credits proposal that is acceptable to the Commons and the Lords. George Osborne will deliver his Autumn Statement in four weeks’ time and he has promised to outline the results of his ‘listening’ exercise. This afternoon’s debate on a backbench motion about the cuts
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Finally, Sir John Chilcot has announced when his inquiry into the Iraq war will arrive. He has written to the Prime Minister this morning to say the findings of his inquiry will be published in June or July next year. After years of increasing pressure from the public and government, Chilcot says the text will be finished the week commencing 18 April
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The Kids Company web of intrigue is slowly being untangled. A report from the National Audit Office reveals that despite repeated warnings from civil servants, £46 million was given to the charity over 15 years – from the Department for Education, local councils and lottery funds. It appears there was little auditing of where these funds were
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Lord Lisvane, better known as Sir Robert Rogers, thinks the talk of a constitutional crisis over tax credits is overblown. Having served in the House of Commons for over 40 years, most recently as Commons’ Clerk until he retired last year, he is one of the few people who fully understands the relationship between the
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David Cameron is off to Iceland today to give a speech on Britain’s European Union membership and it’s a clear signal that he will eventually campaign for Britain to remain in. Until now, the Prime Minister has avoided talking about why Britain should ‘Remain’ or ‘Leave’ the EU — instead focusing on the importance of the renegotiations. His
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George Osborne and John McDonnell went head-to-head at Treasury Questions today and one topic predictably dominated: tax credits. There was a charged atmosphere in the Commons as the shadow chancellor explained ‘the Chancellor has a choice before him’ and outlined his proposal for reversing the planned cuts to tax credits. The plan differs somewhat from Osborne’s: ‘He
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After the government’s humiliating defeats in the House of Lords yesterday over tax credits, how will it seek revenge on the upper chamber? Chris Grayling, the Leader of the House of Commons, spoke on the Today programme about the government’s plans. On tax credits, he said ‘the Chancellor is clear, he will look again at the transitional
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George Osborne and the government are apparently in ‘listening mode’ about tax credits and Bernard Jenkin has something to say. The Tory chair of the Public Administration select committee has a novel proposition for how to fund a way to soften the blow of the cuts. In my piece for Politico Europe today, Jenkin tells me: ‘I think
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Nicky Morgan and Lucy Powell appear to be the most ill-tempered pair regularly going head-to-head at the Dispatch Box. At Education Questions today, Powell asked about the government’s childcare plans and how it intends to help those who’s tax credits will be cut. Morgan answered by going on the attack: ‘I would believe the honourable