Sunday papers – 9 June 2019

No deal

Despite growing calls for EU withdrawal on WTO terms, the Times reports a plot to avoid that scenario.

A powerful group of cross-party MPs are secretly plotting to seize control of parliament to stop a new Tory leader from forcing through a no-deal Brexit.
At least two groups of MPs, including former ministers, are engaged in clandestine talks about how to stop the next prime minister from leaving the EU without a deal.
The cross-party group, led earlier this year by Yvette Cooper, Nick Boles and Sir Oliver Letwin, are already examining how they can use parliamentary processes to thwart any attempt to force through a no-deal against the will of MPs on October 31.

Brexit

Barnier is at it again in the Telegraph.

The next prime minister will fail in any attempt to renegotiate the Brexit deal, Michel Barnier has said before warning the new leader’s choice is to accept the agreement, cancel Brexit or suffer a damaging no deal.
The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator said that it would make no difference which of the leadership hopefuls eventually succeeded Theresa May.
She stepped down as Conservative leader on Friday.  Most of the candidates to replace her have vowed to try and secure better terms with Brussels.

Breitbart reiterates his intransigence.

The European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, has told Tory Party leadership hopefuls that they cannot renegotiate the withdrawal treaty to improve the backstop, saying the one agreed by Theresa May is “the only one possible”.
“A new prime minister will not change the problem. The problem is there and the new prime minister will have the responsibility with us to solve this problem,” Mr Barnier said during a conference in Slovakia on Friday.

And the Express also reports his words.

MICHEL BARNIER has warned a “new Prime Minister will not change the problem” over Brexit, as he insisted Conservative hopefuls looking to replace Theresa May will fail in any attempt to renegotiate the withdrawal agreement.
Mrs May stepped down as Conservative Party leader on Friday, but will remain as Prime Minister until a replacement is elected, expected to be before the end of July. Several leading Tories vying to replace her, including Boris Johnson, Jeremy Hunt and Dominic Raab, have vowed to return to Brussels and secure better terms.

Tory leadership

Meanwhile, the contenders for the leadership of the Conservative Party are jostling for position.  The Mail reports:

Seven of the 11 declared candidates to be Britain’s next Prime Minister have admitted to The Mail on Sunday that they have dabbled in illegal drugs.
Asked to come clean after the shock revelations about Michael Gove’s cocaine use, just four of the  Tory leadership hopefuls could say they had never touched illicit substances.

Gove

Individually, the Environment minister has spoken about our fisheries in the Telegraph.

Boats will be banned on some British waters for the first time under new plans by Michael Gove to launch Highly Protected Marine Areas.
These are the strongest protections for areas of sea, and ban all human activity in some vulnerable ocean areas.
The Environment Minister has used World Ocean Day to launch a review into where the strict rules would be best implemented.

And he also wants to get rid of VAT, says BBC News …

Michael Gove says he wants to replace VAT after Brexit if he becomes PM, as he continues to face questions about taking cocaine as a young journalist.
A Times article Mr Gove wrote in 1999 – around the time he admits having taken the drug – has been republished.

… and replace it with another tax, reports the Telegraph.

Michael Gove has pledged to replace VAT with a “lower, simpler” alternative and cut business rates if he is elected Conservative leader.
Unveiling a radical economic manifesto in The Telegraph, the Environment Secretary pledges to take advantage of Brexit to scrap the 20 per cent tax currently levied on goods and services as a result of EU rules, in a move that could cut the cost of living.

Hancock

Another contender who has also admitted to taking drugs is the health secretary, reports the Telegraph.

The Health Secretary has admitted to having smoked cannabis and was facing questions on Saturday over other possible illicit drug use, as revelations that a fellow leadership contender had taken cocaine rocked the Tory campaign to succeed Theresa May.
A source close to Matt Hancock, who is the youngest of the declared candidates, said the 40-year-old had “tried cannabis a few times as a student but has not taken any illicit drugs since.”

Hunt

And Jeremy Hunt tells the Independent that he’s planning to build millions of homes.

Conservative leadership contender Jeremy Hunt is promising to deliver 1.5 million additional homes for “generation rent” over the next 10 years, as part of a radical five-point plan to win young voters over to the Tories and close the divide between young and old.
The foreign secretary, who is vying with Michael Gove for a slot alongside favourite Boris Johnson on the final ballot paper in the race for No 10, warned that the party could not win a majority if it gave up on young people.

He also promises to cut student loans’ interest in the Times.

Jeremy Hunt today unveils his radical blueprint for Britain’s future generations as he attempts to woo younger voters with a pledge to cut the interest rate on student loans.
The foreign secretary will shift his focus away from Brexit with a domestic policy blitz designed to appeal to the next generation of voters.

Hunt thinks he can get a deal with the EU, he tells the Express.

JEREMY HUNT has vowed to make “Britain walk tall in the world again” by seizing the opportunity offered by Brexit.
In his first major interview since the Tory leadership election was officially launched, the Foreign Secretary has positioned himself as “the deal maker” who can deliver Brexit. Speaking exclusively to the Sunday Express, he insisted that he would keep no deal on the table and push for it “with a heavy heart” if the European Union refuses to negotiate.

Javid

‘The Saj’ has earned the backing of the Scottish Conservative leader, reports the Mail.

Sajid Javid’s bid to be the next Prime Minister has been given a major boost after Ruth Davidson declared him ‘the man for the job’ and ‘the real deal’.
The powerful leader of the Scottish Conservatives is the most high-profile politician to endorse any candidate yet and her backing will be a shot in the arm for the Home Secretary’s leadership ambitions.

And BBC News reports he has a vision to unite the country.

Ruth Davidson has backed Sajid Javid to be the next Tory leader, saying he has a vision to unite a “divided Britain”.
The Scottish Conservative leader said Mr Javid’s life experience and knowledge made him the best candidate for the job and to be the next PM.
Writing in the Scottish Mail on Sunday, she said he embodied the party’s values of “aspiration, education, opportunity, hard work and just reward”.

Johnson

Meanwhile, front runner Boris has become the champion of Brexiteers, says the Telegraph.

Boris Johnson has secured the backing of some of the Conservatives’ staunchest Brexiteers after privately declaring that he would deliver a “clean, managed Brexit”.
The former foreign secretary told Eurosceptic grandees last week that Theresa May’s deal was “dead”.
The assurances, made in a meeting behind closed doors on Wednesday, have won Mr Johnson the endorsement of Steve Baker, the deputy chairman of the backbench European Research Group (ERG) of Eurosceptics.

The Mail says he won’t pay the ‘divorce bill’.

Boris Johnson has vowed to deliver Brexit and keep hold of the £39billion divorce payment from the EU unless better exit terms are offered – as he insisted only he can defeat Labour and the Brexit Party.
The leadership campaign front-runner pleaded with Conservative MPs and members, saying he would be prepared to refuse to pay the promised £39 billion to the European Union – and would step up preparations to counter no-deal ‘disruption’.

And Sky News reports his claim that he can beat Labour and The Brexit Party.

Boris Johnson has claimed only he can see off both Nigel Farage and Jeremy Corbyn as he urged Tory MPs and party members to make him their next leader and prime minister.
The leadership campaign frontrunner, who is up against the likes of Michael Gove, Jeremy Hunt and Dominic Raab, has claimed he would refuse to pay the promised £39bn divorce bill to the European Union unless better Brexit terms are on offer.

He says the EU will have to offer a better Brexit if it wants its £39billion, in the Independent.

Boris Johnson has said he would refuse to pay the promised £39bn to the EU unless it offers better terms on Brexit.
In his first major interview of the Tory leadership race, the front-runner to succeed Theresa May said he would step up preparations to counter no-deal “disruption” if he was chosen as the next leader of the Conservative Party.

The Times says he will return to ‘One Nation’ policies.

Boris Johnson today sets out his stall to be prime minister, pledging to deliver Brexit by “retaining” the £39bn demanded by Brussels until he gets a better deal and saying only he can save the country from Jeremy Corbyn and Nigel Farage.
In the first interview of his campaign, the leadership frontrunner said he would combine a tough line on Brexit with a full-throated return to One Nation Tory policies at home.

And the Times reports on a call he has had from the US president.

The first time Donald Trump tried to call Boris Johnson for a chat recently he assumed it was a hoax. He took a call from someone purporting to be the Downing Street switchboard.
“The person had a mild Irish accent and said, ‘This is the No 10 switchboard, we have got the president of the United States for you. I am just going to patch you through to the White House situation room,’” Johnson explained.

Leadsom

Another leadership candidate has admitted smoking cannabis.  The Mail says:

Conservative leadership contender Andrea Leadsom has admitted to smoking cannabis.
Ms Leadsom, 56, was being questioned about her past drug use after the revelation that her leadership rival Michael Gove took cocaine ‘on several occasions’ when he was a journalist 20 years ago.

The Express says her admission came after another candidate.

TORY leadership contender Andrea Leadsom has admitted to smoking cannabis at university – just hours after rival Michael Gove said he took cocaine more than 20 years ago.
The former Leader of the Commons told The Independent she once smoked the illegal drug while at university. The 56-year-old said she had never taken cocaine or any other class A drug but confessed to smoking weed while at Warwick University.

McVey

Esther McVey has said in the Times that she’s prepared to prorogue Parliament to get Brexit.

Esther McVey is prepared to suspend parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit as part of her vision to woo blue-collar workers, she has said.
In a wide-ranging interview, the former work and pensions secretary promised to use the £39bn she claims would be saved by leaving without a deal to fund a public sector pay increase.
Asked whether she would consider proroguing parliament to ensure that MPs were powerless to block a no-deal departure from the European Union on October 31, she said she would use “every tool” at her disposal to deliver on the referendum result.

Raab

Dominic Raab could also prorogue says the Express.

SUSPENDING Parliament to force Brexit through with or without a deal should not be ruled out, Tory leadership contender Dominic Raab warned.
The former Brexit Secretary, in the running for Prime Minister Theresa May’s role, said in shutting down Parliament it would strengthen the UK’s negotiating position with Brussels.

He will not rule it out, reports the Independent.

Conservative leadership candidate Dominic Raab has insisted he will not rule out the option of suspending parliament to stop MPs blocking a no-deal Brexit.
Mr Raab has been accused of risking dragging the Queen into politics by wielding the threat of prorogation, under which the prime minister goes to the monarch with a request for parliament not to sit until a certain date.

The Express says he thinks the country is in trouble.

DOMINIC RAAB has vowed to save the UK after branding the nation “on its knees” in a bid to garner support for the Conservative leadership.
During an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Raab admitted he is an “underdog” in the race but insists his inexperience is an advantage.
Referring to the “big beasts” as Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and Jeremy Hunt he said he did not think the contest would be a stitch up by the “so-called big beasts”.

The Telegraph reports that he already has 10 backers.

Just a year ago Dominic Raab had never been a member of the Cabinet.
Now he is a frontrunner for the Conservative leadership, with 10 former ministers publicly backing a well-advanced campaign to succeed Theresa May.
The 45-year-old is, he admits, an “underdog” in the race, but insists his relative inexperience around Mrs May’s Cabinet table is an advantage.

Stewart

Rory Stewart has spoken to the Times.

Rory Stewart has launched a fierce attack on Boris Johnson over his claims that Britain could leave the EU without a deal, saying: “I don’t believe it’s patriotic to bullshit.”
In an interview with The Sunday Times, the Tory leadership candidate declared: “I don’t believe it’s Conservative to bullshit. I don’t believe it’s democratic to bullshit.

Project Fear

The Independent is still claiming Brexit could – note the word could – cost us.

The cost of a family’s weekly shop could rocket by more than £800 a year if the UK leaves the EU without a deal, a major union has warned.
Analysis for the GMB found that the bill for a typical supermarket basket of goods would increase by £15.61 a week – 17 per cent – if Britain was forced to fall back on World Trade Organisation rules, which require tariffs on many goods.

EU

Looks like the bloc is heading for big trouble, says the Telegraph.

Germany is braced for catastrophic car tariffs that could send the country into a deep economic shock and create a perfect storm for Europe, experts have warned.
US taxes on car imports could act as a massive jolt to the bloc’s economy, wiping €14.5bn (£12.9bn) off GDP, according to analysis from investment advisers, Redburn.

Labour Party

The Labour leader is still being heavily criticised in the Times.

Jeremy Corbyn was plunged into a new scandal over his party’s handling of bullying and harassment last night after it emerged that his most senior aide dismissed an investigation into a close ally accused of inappropriate conduct around young women.
Karie Murphy, the Labour leader’s chief of staff, operated outside formal procedures and said that she would instead “have a word” with Peter Willsman, a veteran activist and friend of Corbyn.

CHUK

And it looks like members of a very new party could end up with the LimpDems, says the Times.

The former Change UK leader Heidi Allen and co-founder Sarah Wollaston have been in secret talks about joining the Liberal Democrats, according to party insiders.
Change UK was formed by MPs who rejected the main parties’ stance on Brexit and other issues and defected from Labour and the Conservatives in February.
Allen had been the party’s interim leader but she left on Tuesday, along with Wollaston, Chuka Umunna, Luciana Berger, Gavin Shuker and Angela Smith.

The party’s former leader could be heading the same way, reports the Mail.

Rebel MP Chuka Umunna is set to continue his battle against Brexit by standing for the Liberal Democrats in his own rock-solid Labour seat.
And sources say Mr Umunna will seek to capitalise on his South London constituency’s massive vote for Remain in order to overturn his own 26,000-plus majority.
The former Labour MP and five colleagues walked out of the newly formed Change UK party last week – sparking reports they were about to defect to the Lib Dems.

TBP

Nigel’s new party is promising to give grassroots members more say, reports Breitbart.

The Brexit Party will give its registered supporters the opportunity to influence the party’s policies, in what Nigel Farage described as the “new politics” of giving decision-making powers to the people, rather than party elites.
At the party’s first national conference on June 30th in Birmingham, Mr Farage has said that he and his team will unveil the direction of their policy development, adding: “Then we will start a consultation with our paying supporters – all 110,000-and-counting of them – and give them a vote on what happens next.”

Islam

Breitbart claims muslim gangs are taking over our jails.

Muslim prison gangs are forcing inmates to convert to Islam and follow religious practices or face violent repercussions, according to a government report.
The report, carried out by the Ministry of Justice, surveyed 83 male prisoners and 73 staff at three of the eight high-security prisons in the country. It found that large gangs of Muslim men were using intimidation tactics to force conversions and rules on other prisoners. The gangs were made up of multiple ranks including leadership, foot soldiers, recruiters, and enforcers.

NHS

Blood poisoning cases have soared, says the Mail.

The number of cases of sepsis has more than doubled in the past two years, shocking new figures reveal.
According to NHS England statistics, there were 350,344 cases of the life-threatening blood poisoning condition in 2017/18, up from 169,215 in 2015/16.
A leading doctor last night warned that a growing resistance to antibiotics was ‘almost certainly’ contributing to the spiralling sepsis crisis which is thought to claim up to 52,000 lives each year.

And the service is picking up the tab when things go wrong with private clinics, says the Times.

Private fertility clinics are leaving the NHS with annual bills of about £120m for treating sick and premature babies born to their clients, research shows.
A four-year study of 350,000 fertility patients found that private clinics charge parents large sums — but rely on the NHS to pick up the bill when things go wrong. That means the private infertility industry, which is worth about £300m a year, effectively gets a £120m annual subsidy from taxpayers by relying on the NHS.