Today’s Political Headlines – 11 January 2018

A round-up of the latest political headlines, including the Government’s environment strategy, Hammond calling on the EU to help with Brexit, Sadiq Khan’s warning that ‘no-deal’ could cause half a million job losses and the possible future leaders of the Tory party.   

Environment strategy unveiled
Theresa May will announce the Government’s environment strategy in a major speech today, the Daily Mail reports. The 25-year strategy will target the elimination of all ‘avoidable’ plastics, with calls for supermarkets to create ‘plastic free aisles’, a consultation on a levy on single-use plastics, extending the 5p carrier bag charge to all retailers, phasing out plastic cups and cutlery from Whitehall, a £10m scheme for schoolchildren to visit wildlife sites, and using the £13bn foreign aid budget to clean up oceans.

Hammond calls on EU to help with Brexit trade deal
The Financial Times says that the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, has called on the EU to give a signal as to the type of future relationship it wants with the UK. Hammond also called on the EU to abandon any ‘narrative of punishment’. The Daily Telegraph adds that Hammond has refused to rule out making substantial payments to the EU in order to secure access for UK-based financial services firms. The Times says that this approach was being considered by countries including Germany, although it had not yet been approved by Angela Merkel.

No-deal Brexit could cause half a million job losses, Sadiq Khan says
An economic forecast for the Mayor of London says that a no-deal Brexit could cause the UK to lose half a million jobs and nearly £50bn investment by 2030, The Guardian says. The report concludes that ‘the harder the Brexit, the more severe the economic damage could be’.

Gove: Future Tory leadership election could be between Williamson and Hinds
Environment Secretary Michael Gove has said that a future Conservative leadership election could be between Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson and new Education Secretary Damian Hinds, The Times reports. In The Daily Telegraph, May’s former chief of staff Nick Timothy also tips Hinds as a future leader and says that Justine Greening blocked tuition fee cuts.

Hospital bosses tell Hunt to spend more on the NHS
NHS Providers, which represents hospitals, has written to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to tell him that the NHS will be unable to meet its constitutional care standards without tens of billions of extra funding, The Guardian says. Yesterday, Hunt told MPs that the NHS would need ‘significantly more funding’ over the next decade. The Mirror has an article by an A&E doctor, who tells the Government ‘Don’t forget us. Defend us. Please.’

Government accuses Lords of voting to restrict press freedom
Culture Secretary Matt Hancock has accused the House of Lords of voting to restrict the freedom of the press, after Labour and Liberal Democrat peers voted to force the Government to launch either a new investigation into alleged breaches of data protection law or the second stage of the Leveson inquiry. Another amendment would require all publishers which are not part of Impress to pay the cost of data protection legal actions, The Times reports. Hancock has vowed to reverse the changes in the Commons.

John McDonnell to visit World Economic Forum
Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell is to attend this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos, according to The Times. A spokesman said he would ‘use the opportunity to set out why it is vital we rewrite the rules of the global economy’.

Tim Farron regrets saying that gay sex is not a sin
Former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron told Premier Christian Radio that he regrets saying that gay sex was not a sin, the BBC reports. Current leader, Sir Vince Cable has said that Farron’s personal views do not represent party policy.

Want more political insight? Get Vuelio political services