Political Headlines – McCluskey, Hunt, prisons and vaping

Today’s Political Headlines include Len McCluskey’s input in the anti-Semitism row, Hunt says no-deal Brexit would be a mistake, £10m crackdown on drugs and phones in prisons and the vaping report. 

Len McCluskey accuses Jewish leaders of ‘truculent hostility’ towards Labour
The Guardian reports that Unite general secretary Len McCluskey has accused Jewish leaders of ‘truculent hostility’ towards Labour, but also called for the party to adopt the full International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism. Margaret Hodge has told Sky News that when she was investigated for confronting Corbyn over antisemitism, it made her think about ‘what it felt like to be a Jew in Germany in the 30s’.

Hunt says no-deal Brexit ‘would be a mistake we would regret for generations’
The BBC says that Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who has just completed a tour of northern Europe has warned that a no-deal Brexit ‘would be a mistake we would regret for generations’ and refused to rule out accepting EU environmental and social legislation. The Times reports that Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Secretary Greg Clark warned in a meeting with Austrian and Finnish counterparts that if the European Commission rejected the UK’s proposals it would cause ‘lasting economic harm’ to millions across the continent. The Sun adds that the UK will publish its first batch of technical notices for a no-deal Brexit next week, covering topics including farming, fishing, customs and cigarette packets.

£10m crackdown on drugs and phones in prisons
The BBC reports that the Ministry of Justice is to invest £10m to counter the proliferation of drugs and mobile phones at ten of England’s most ‘challenging’ prisons. The policy will see the introduction of new body scanners and sniffer dogs, prison governors sent to military-style colleges and repairs and improvements to windows and perimeter walls.

Committee’s vaping report causes ‘outcry’ from scientists
The Daily Mail claims that a new report by the Commons Science and Technology Committee on vaping has caused ‘outcry’, with leading scientists describing it as ‘one-sided’. The report recommends reconsidering bans on vaping in public places, making it easier to obtain vaping devices on prescription and relaxing advertising restrictions.

Lord Sheikh claims calls for his expulsion from Tories are ‘politically motivated’
The Times reports that Lord Sheikh has claimed that Zac Goldsmith and Robert Halfon’s calls for him to be expelled from the Conservatives for attending the same event in Tunisia as Jeremy Corbyn are a ‘politically motivated’ attack. He denies meeting Hamas and says that he did not participate in the wreath-laying ceremony.

BMA warns of ‘potentially catastrophic consequences’ of no-deal Brexit
The Financial Times says that the British Medical Association has ‘stepped up’ its warnings about a no-deal Brexit, claiming that it poses ‘potentially catastrophic consequences for patients, the health workforce, services and the nation’s health’. A briefing paper suggests that care for those suffering from rare diseases and cancer would be disrupted, while the country’s response to pandemics would also be put at risk.

Ministers considering ‘inheritance insurance’ plan to fund social care
In an exclusive, The Sun reveals health ministers are considering proposals for ‘inheritance insurance’, under which elderly people would take money out of their pension on a tax-free basis and buy insurance to pay for their care. The insurer would guarantee to protect their home, allowing it to be passed onto their children.

New apprenticeships fall by 31% as business groups call for reforms
The Financial Times reports that new figures show that there has been a 31% drop in the people starting apprenticeships. Business groups have warned that the Government is in danger of missing its target of 3m apprenticeships by 2020 and called for it to take action.

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