Tom Goodenough is online editor of The Spectator.
EU leaders have been arriving in Brussels for the crunch summit where Britain's reform demands will be thrashed out. David Cameron arrived earlier today where he did his best to make a bullish entrance, reassuring those back home he was 'battling for Britain': He'll be trying to convince other European leaders that its worth their while signing up to the deal first though.
In this week’s issue, Owen Matthews discusses Vladimir Putin’s endgame in Syria. He says Russia’s bombing of Aleppo this week was intended to send a clear message: that the Russian President is in charge. But Owen says Putin’s strategy is his riskiest yet. What does it mean for the hopes of peace in war-ravaged Syria? And could it be a good thing after all if Putin’s intervention does bring an end to the conflict? On this week’s podcast, Isabel Hardman is joined by Owen Matthews in Istanbul and Robert Service, Emeritus Professor of Russian history at St Antony’s College, Oxford.
Michael Fallon has used his visit to the Falklands to pinpoint Jeremy Corbyn - not Argentina - as the biggest threat to islanders. During his trip to the Falklands, the Defence Secretary insisted that Argentina wasn't the main worry for the Falklands - it was actually the Labour leader and his party. He said: 'The biggest threat at the moment isn't Argentina, actually it is Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour party who seem determined to override the wishes of the Islanders. That is the immediate threat.' His comments are a clear attempt to politicise both his visit to the Falklands and the islands themselves. It's hard not to blame Fallon for doing so and trying to label Corbyn as the 'biggest threat' to the Falklands.
EDF has bought itself some valuable time over its decision about whether or not to build a new nuclear plant at Hinkley Point. The energy giant said it was going to be extending the life of four of its nuclear power stations in the UK. Heysham 1 and Hartlepool will now stay open for another five years, until 2024; whilst Heysham 2 and Torness won't shut until 2030. The decision means several thousand people will stay in work. More significantly perhaps, it also helps ease some worries that Britain may struggle to keep the lights on in the future, by ensuring plants which generate about a quarter of electricity in Britain are going to stay open, at least for now.
Household incomes have finally topped the levels they were at just after the financial crash. The average household in Britain now earns £24,300 a year, above the last peak in 2009. The picture looks rosy, with rising employment and low inflation helping income growth rise. But is there more to it than meets the eye? It certainly seems that way if you live in London. Although those in the capital have enjoyed a healthy rise of nearly three per cent in their household incomes since the downturn, when you factor in housing costs, most Londoners are actually still losing out, according to the figures put out today by the Resolution Foundation.
David Cameron has claimed his deal with the EU gives Britain 'special status'. The PM has also said Brexit would be a 'leap in the dark' but with the high-profile loss of Michael Gove and Boris Johnson to the out campaign, it seems that not all Conservative MPs agree with him. Who are the other Tories who have turned their back on the PM? And which of David Cameron's party colleagues have voiced their approval for staying in the EU? Here The Spectator has put together a list of every Conservative MP – showing who is in, out, or yet to make up their mind about the big question of Europe.
It was a bad day in front of the Public Accounts Committee for Dame Lin Homer. Despite being the outgoing boss of HMRC, Homer admitted she was no tax expert: Meanwhile, Google boss Matt Brittin also had a miserable time in front of the committee. He was laughed at during the hearing after appearing to forget how much he earned: Met Police chief Bernard Hogan-Howe went on the defensive as he came up against John Humphrys on the Today programme. He dismissed Humphrys's claim about the police publicizing specific details of their investigation into Lord Bramall as 'nonsense': Jeremy Hunt vowed to impose new contracts on doctors following yesterday's strike.
It was never going to be an enjoyable experience trying to defend Google in front of the Public Accounts Committee following the recent row over their tax arrangements. But the company's European President Matt Brittin came in for a particularly torrid time as he was quizzed by Meg Hillier today. As well as appearing to forget how much he was paid, Brittin refused to give anything away about the company's tax arrangements in other European countries. He also got laughed at for telling the committee their Dublin office was set up for business rather than tax reasons. Brittin told MPs when asked about his salary: 'I don't have the figure. It's a salary, I will provide the figure privately.
Bernard Hogan-Howe did his best to appear calm on the Today show but it is clear he is increasingly rattled by the pressure he is under. The Met Police commissioner was on the front page of several newspapers this morning for all the wrong reasons. 'Just say sorry', screamed The Sun. The Daily Mail went with: 'And still he won't say sorry'. Those hoping for an apology from the police over their handling of the investigation into Lord Bramall amid unfounded allegations of child abuse have been left waiting longer though. His interview with John Humphrys this morning was tetchy to say the least. Hogan-Howe refused to say sorry and he repeatedly took Humphrys to task over minor points which will do little to win him fans.
Jacob Rees Mogg might be one of the best known Eurosceptic faces in Parliament but he won't be leading the charge for Brexit. The Tory backbencher laughed off the suggestion on the Daily Politics that he would be the face of the leave campaign - saying he didn't need to rule himself out 'because no one is going to rule me in': Mogg also talked about waiting for 'the great Mayor of London' to make up his mind about backing Brexit or asking whether Boris would fall in line behind the Prime Minister and vote to stay in. The Conservative MP for Somerset said if Boris 'jumped to stay in', then his hopes of becoming the next party leader would immediately 'vanish': Ruth Davidson admitted her confusion over which century Jacob Rees Mogg was actually from.
David Cameron's mum has joined the battle against Conservative cuts, it has emerged this morning. Mary Cameron's intervention after signing a petition to save childrens' centres has been splashed over the front page of the Daily Mirror. The headline: 'Cameron's mum fights Tory cuts' looks deeply embarrassing for her son. Is this a family rift? Is Mary Cameron trying to make life difficult for her son? The truth is less dramatic despite the excitement on Twitter, where the hashtag 'David Cameron's MUM', has been trending all morning. After all, Mary Cameron is not the only member of the Cameron family to criticise her local council over axed services.
Liam Fox, speaking on the World at One, denounced No 10's suggestions that leaving the EU would mean Britain could see a Sangatte-style 'Jungle' emerge in the UK. He said it was a 'complete red herring': https://soundcloud.com/spectator1828/liam-fox-on-migrant-camps David Cameron said his prison reform plans were a 'bold and radical second term agenda': But there was scepticism about whether it was too little, too late. Juliet Lyon from the Prison Reform Trust said it was 'certainly true' that the situation in prison had deteriorated rapidly under the PM's watch: Grant Shapps spoke about being the fall guy over the Tory bullying scandal.
David Cameron has outlined his plans for prison reform today. But does he genuinely care about prisons or is he only concerned with shaping his own legacy? The Prime Minister labelled the number of prisoners reoffending as 'scandalous’. He also pledged to protect the £130m prison education budget. His motives may seem worthy but it’s arguable he is merely paying lip service to an issue which has been bubbling along under his watch for years. That much appeared to be the view of the Prison Reform Trust’s Juliet Lyon. Speaking on Today, Lyon criticised the PM for turning late to the issue. She said: ‘It is certainly true (that things have become a scandal). Certainly things have got particularly worse over the last two or three years.
Haven’t had a chance to follow the day’s political events and interviews? Then don’t worry: here, The Spectator, brings you the best of today’s audio clips in one place for you to listen to. Philip Hammond hit out at the UN after a panel ruled that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was being 'arbitrarily detained' and should get compensation. The Foreign Secretary said Assange is a 'fugitive' and he called the UN verdict 'flawed': Julian Assange hit back at a press conference saying that Hammond's comments were 'ridiculous'. He also warned the UK there would be 'consequences' to ignoring the UN panel verdict: David Cameron has been on a charm offensive in Europe as he attempts to persuade fellow leaders to deliver on his draft deal.
The Spectator's fifth most-read article of the week was Nigel Farndale on what life was like on board a warship in our 'much reduced' Royal Navy. Nigel joined the crew of HMS Bulwark in the Mediterranean where he found a Royal Navy undergoing an identity crisis amidst swingeing cuts. Our fourth most-read piece was Damian Thompson on the furore surrounding the last-minute decision to pull an incendiary book about the Church of England. Publisher Bloomsbury sent a panicky message to reviewers asking them to return their copies of 'That Was The Church That Was: How the Church of England Lost the English People'. You can read Damian's article about why the decision was made by clicking here.
Haven’t had a chance to follow the day’s political events and interviews? Then don’t worry: here, The Spectator, brings you the best of today’s audio clips in one place for you to listen to.
Haven’t had a chance to follow the day’s political events and interviews? Then don’t worry: here, The Spectator, brings you the best of today’s audio clips in one place for you to listen to. David Cameron did his best to try and talk up the draft EU package he negotiated with Donald Tusk as he gave a statement to the Commons: Jeremy Corbyn took him to task for not being in Parliament yesterday, sarcastically saying he hoped the PM had a 'good time in Chippenham' instead: John Mann gave the most stinging response to the EU draft document, asking the PM: 'Is that it?' David Cameron is likely to be more concerned about the MPs on the benches behind him, however, if the debate was anything to go by.
David Cameron has delivered his statement to the Commons on the draft EU reform package. The PM said it was an 'important milestone' and again talked up the agreement - despite the furious backlash in the newspapers today. Have a listen to the opening lines of his statement here: After ignoring the issue during PMQs, Jeremy Corbyn labelled it a 'Tory Party drama'. He also criticised the PM for going to Chippenham yesterday instead of answering questions in the Commons about Donald Tusk's draft statement. Listen to what he had to say here: Corbyn was not the only one to take the PM to task over the deal. John Mann asked David Cameron: 'Is that it? Is that the best the Prime Minister can do?
David Cameron has done his best to talk up his draft package of reforms with the EU. He said yesterday: 'If I could get these terms for Britain, I sure would opt in'. But how have the papers reacted to the proposed agreement? The bad news for the Prime Minister is that many front pages don't share his enthusiasm for the draft deal. In fact, the newspapers could arguably be the worst set of morning reading for the PM since he became Tory leader in 2005.
Haven’t had a chance to follow the day’s political events and interviews? Then don’t worry: here, The Spectator, brings you the best of today’s audio clips in one place for you to listen to. David Cameron gave his reaction following the publication of Donald Tusk's proposals for Britain's renegotiation with the EU. Speaking to a Siemens factory in Chippenham after skipping going to Parliament, the PM told workers: ‘If I could get these terms for British membership, I sure would opt in’ Given the PM's absence in the Commons, it did not take long for Eurosceptics to pile in and attack the draft document. Steve Baker offered the most colourful analogy - saying David Cameron was reduced to 'polishing poo' on his EU deal.
