Sunak refuses to return £10m from Tory donor accused of making racist comments
“Rishi Sunak has said he has no intention to hand back the £10 million donated by a major Tory backer accused of making racist comments. The Prime Minister said Frank Hester rightly apologised for his comments and that “remorse should be accepted”. It comes amid a heated clash at Prime Minister’s Questions, where Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer challenged the PM, questioning if he took pride in being “bankrolled” by Mr Hester. The millionaire Tory party donor is alleged to have said Diane Abbott, Britain’s longest-serving black MP, made him “want to hate all black women” and that she “should be shot”. Earlier this morning, Post Office minister Kevin Hollinrake said returning the cash is not the “right thing to do” and suggested the Tories would accept further donations from the businessman.” – The Sun
- Sunak says donor’s remarks were racist but that businessman’s ‘remorse’ should be accepted – The Times
- Scottish Tories demand review of £10mn donation over racism dispute – FT
- Abbott accuses Tories of aiming to play ‘race card’ before election – The Guardian
- She was ignored more than 40 times by Speaker during PMQs – Daily Express
More:
- Labour MP suspended after ‘from the river to the sea’ remarks has whip restored – Daily Telegraph
Sketches:
- Starmer and Sunak break out the giant inflatable hammers to decide whose party is most racist – Madeline Grant, Daily Telegraph
- Racism row centre stage at PMQs, but Abbott’s stuck on the sidelines – Tom Peck, The Times
- Sunak failed to defend the indefensible while Abbott sat looking sad – Quentin Letts, Daily Mail
Comment:
- Common sense is lost in fights over racism – Juliet Samuel, The Times
- Why Sunak’s latest blunder troubles MPs – Stephen Bush, FT
Editorial:
- Labour must lead the way on reform of political donations – The Guardian
>Yesterday: ToryDiary: Andrew Gimson’s PMQs sketch: Starmer thinks he is winning the battle for the moral high ground
Gove writing list of extremist groups to be banned from government
“Ministers will name and shame extremist groups banned from having ties to the government because of their “unacceptable” conduct. Michael Gove, the communities secretary, has drawn up a new definition of extremism, as part of which ministers will publish a list of non-criminal groups barred from exerting any influence over government policy. Groups covered by the definition will be denied access to taxpayer funding and prevented from meeting ministers and officials or gaining a platform that could “legitimise” them through association with the government. While the new extremism definition has been announced, the list of banned groups will be published within the next few weeks after officials carry out a “robust process” of assessing which groups meet the new definition. Gove will then make a final decision.” – The Times
- He warns divisions in the wake of Hamas’s terrorist attack on Israel pose a ‘real risk’ to democracy – Daily Mail
- Extending extremism definition risks fuelling unlawful protest, warns Greenpeace – The Guardian
Editorial:
- Government’s new definition won’t even begin to crack down on anti-Semitic thugs – The Sun
- Pitfalls of trying to redefine extremism – Daily Mail
>Yesterday: Tom Jones in Comment: Immigration control is impossible without the right data
Sunak ‘seeks to block’ foreign state takeover of the Telegraph
“Rishi Sunak has tried to block the takeover of the Telegraph by Abu Dhabi-backed RedBird IMI by changing the law to stop a foreign state buying a British news organisation. The UK prime minister has proposed changes to legislation going through parliament to, in effect, prevent any foreign state from owning or having influence or control over a British newspaper. The plans were outlined on Wednesday by Lord Stephen Parkinson, culture minister, in the House of Lords. The proposals would “amend the media merger regime explicitly to rule out newspaper and periodical news magazine mergers involving ownership, influence or control by foreign states”, Parkinson said. Any deal involving a foreign state would be vetted by the Competition and Markets Authority…” – FT
- Amendment that will prevent other countries controlling or influencing a British news organisation – Daily Telegraph
- How the Tory establishment fought UAE-backed Telegraph takeover – FT
Hunt says ambition to scrap national insurance could take ‘many parliaments’
“Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said it could take “many parliaments” to realise his ambition to get rid of national insurance contributions, as the government fends off accusations from Labour that the project amounts to an irresponsible unfunded tax reduction. Speaking to MPs on Wednesday, Hunt said the idea would amount to the “biggest tax simplification in our lifetimes”, but that the government was not putting a timeline on it. “It is a long-term ambition to make work pay in the British economy — it is the right thing for economic growth,” Hunt told the Treasury select committee. “It will be the work of many parliaments. We will make progress but only when it’s affordable to do so.” Hunt added that he would not pursue the measure if it undermined public services such as health or pensions or required higher borrowing. His ability to push it through would depend on future levels of economic growth, making it impossible to say when it would happen, he said.” – FT
- Chancellor slams Labour ‘scaremongering’ over National Insurance plan bill – The Sun
- Labour told to stop scaring pensioners after ‘end of state pension’ claims – Daily Express
More:
- Private equity advisers warn Labour’s plan to tax carried interest will wound City – FT
Comment:
- Things must be bad if I agree with Brown – Iain Martin, The Times
>Today: Lord Ashcroft in Comment: My latest poll finds strong approval for many Budget measures – but no boost to Conservative fortunes
>Yesterday: ToryDiary: Who speaks for the Red Wall?
Britain should spend billions more on defence, warns Shapps
“Britain should spend billions more to save itself from World War Three, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has warned. Speaking in Poland where UK troops are in war games, he said he was “clearly in favour” of raising defence spending to three per cent of GDP. Current spend is 2.27 per cent, with the Government committed to 2.5 when conditions allow. Mr Shapps and Jeremy Hunt both pledged to raise defence spending to three per cent in the 2022 Tory leadership race. Amid threats from Russia and China, Mr Shapps said: “It is a more dangerous world now. Defence is the best way to protect ourselves. You have to show your adversaries, so I am clearly in favour.” He said the cost of beating Russia was “cheap at half the price”. Shapps said the world was now more dangerous which made the money more urgent.” – The Sun
- He wants three per cent of GDP – Daily Mail
- UK must play a role in EU’s defence strategy, urges European missile maker’s chief – FT
Palestine:
- Britain to help build aid pier as Defence Secretary deems airdrops dangerous – The Times
- Gaza aid drops halted after parcel killed five – Daily Telegraph
More:
- MoD faces fresh claims of ‘toxic’ culture as 99 cases investigated – The Guardian
Prime Minister will not commit to holding assisted dying vote
“Downing Street has declined to commit to holding a vote on whether to legalise assisted dying after Sir Keir Starmer promised one under a Labour government. Sir Keir said he would hold a free vote on the issue in the next parliament, opening the door to the law being changed before the end of the decade. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman was asked if Rishi Sunak would also allow MPs a vote before 2030 if the Conservatives win a historic fifth parliament. However, he told reporters that “we cannot speculate about future votes in a future parliament”. When asked which way the Prime Minister would personally vote, his spokesman replied that he “doesn’t feel it would be right as a party leader to pressure MPs one way or the other”.” – Daily Telegraph
- Calls to close loophole on private clinics prescribing puberty blockers – The Times
Sunak would be ‘barking mad’ to hold the election in May, warns 1922 Committee
“Top Tories have warned Rishi Sunak against holding a May election, as polling shows the party’s popularity is at a new low. In tense talks on Monday night, a number of senior MPs in the 1922 Committee told the Prime Minister that going to the polls in less than two months’ time would be ‘barking mad’. They reportedly urged him to focus on an autumn election, believing ‘seven months is a long time in politics’ – with hopes a successful summer of sport could change the ‘landscape’. But the party faces an uphill battle, with the latest polling by Savanta putting the Tory vote share at the lowest level since the end of Liz Truss’s premiership. The voting intention poll gave the Conservatives 25 per cent of the vote with Labour on 43 per cent.” – Daily Mail
- Bookmaker slashes odds of early poll – Daily Express
Comment:
- Farage’s return would be an extinction-level event for the Tories – Allister Heath, Daily Telegraph
- Working class Brits are being betrayed by Conservative and Labour – Leo McKinstry, The Sun
>Yesterday:
- Sarah Gall’s International column: What Australia can teach Britain about tackling illegal maritime immigration
- Daniel Hannan’s column: Portugal shows Britain is heading for a populist government
- Joseph Baum in Comment: The Conservatives are doomed without a sensible approach to housebuilding
Johnson was ‘absent manager of football team’, Drakeford tells Covid Inquiry
“Boris Johnson was like the “absent” manager of a football team during the pandemic, the first minister of Wales has claimed. In a written statement to the Covid inquiry Mark Drakeford, the outgoing leader of Wales, said that Johnson, then prime minister, did not attend key meetings and instead Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, was more influential. Drakeford said Gove was a “skilful lead minister” who was “a centre forward without a team lined up behind him, and where the manager was largely absent”… Drakeford said it would have been preferable to meet the prime minister at certain points and wrote regularly to him during the pandemic asking for meetings between the heads of the four nations. He said it would have been “optically important” for people to see them working together, and would have improved decision making, understanding and trust.” – The Times
- He mocks Tories and says ministers were ‘scared’ of Sturgeon – Daily Express
- Inquiry ‘is biased for failing to look at the impact of lockdown’, public health experts claim – Daily Mail
More Labour:
- Opposition to promise ‘access to the arts’ to widen involvement in creative industries – The Guardian
- Voters ‘stunned’ after Labour candidate ‘runs away’ from man talking about immigration – Daily Express
>Today: Nicholas Rogers in Local Government: Khan has failed London’s vital commercial shipping industry
Georgia judge dismisses three counts against Trump for ‘fatal’ lack of detail
“A judge has dismissed some of the charges against Donald Trump in his Georgia 2020 election interference case because of a “fatal” lack of detail. Judge Scott McAfee threw out six counts, including three against Mr Trump, in the sweeping racketeering indictment. But he left the central charge facing the former president, a racketeering conspiracy, in place. Mr Trump still faces 10 counts in the case. In his ruling, Judge McAfee criticised prosecutors for failing to provide enough detail about the alleged crime. “The lack of detail concerning an essential legal element is, in the undersigned’s opinion, fatal,” he wrote… However, the judge said prosecutors could refile the charges with further detail or seek leave to appeal his ruling.” – Daily Telegraph
- He and Biden named presumptive nominees after latest primary wins – The Sun
>Yesterday: James Johnson’s International column: Biden’s State of the Union speech showed why Americans shouldn’t count him out
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