As another Tory MP defects to Labour, former Conservative cabinet minister Justine Greening and the SNP’s Mhairi Black join Matt Frei and Gary Gibbon for the inside take on political break-ups.
As another scandal engulfs parliament, the SNP’s Mhairi Black and former Education Secretary Justine Greening join Matt Frei and Paul McNamara to discuss Westminster’s toxic culture.
Schools across England will receive an extra £1.3 billion over the next two years, the Government has announced, but the money will come from efficiencies and savings within the department’s own budget. Justine Greening confirmed plans for a national school funding formula, saying it would be supported by extra investment. But Labour demanded to know…
Gary Gibbon
Is No. 10 letting expectations on public sector pay get out of control? Cabinet ministers are dropping hints all over the place that the cap will go – but how soon can that happen?
Lindsey Hilsum
The Foreign Office had been reluctant to blame President Kagame’s government for the surge in fighting in the east of the DR Congo. That changed when it emerged Rwanda was behind the M23 rebel group which seized Goma.
Faisal Islam believes the flawed separation of train and track in the privatisation of BR is set to be rolled back.
Take Network Rail, for example. Bosses there have announced they won’t accept their bonuses – but not before the mother of all ding dongs between the transport secretary and her Labour nemesis about whether or not the government had any power over their remuneration.Now, in respectful homage to Dickens and the man of fact and calculations himself, Thomas Gradgrind, FactCheck has unearthed an interesting document which casts light on this dispute.
“On the day it announced the biggest infrastructure project for generations, the DfT released two different figures for how much it will cost, and is currently unable to offer an explanation why.”
Gary Gibbon
Cabinet had a group therapy session today on Europe. Lib Dems shared their pain. Conservatives explained their difficulties. On the whole, there was a combined effort one Cabinet minister said to “keep down the heat”.
With IDS back on the European warpath, the political dynamics of this issue could change radically.
MPs on the transport committee will say that if ministers continue to face opposition at the southern end of the proposed HS2 line, they ought to think about switching the project round, and start instead in the north, reports Michael Crick.
Gary Gibbon
Today, the PM has made it clear that he didn’t try to talk Dr Fox into resigning. His spokesman is even saying that the PM said something along the lines of “are you sure?” when Dr Fox surprised him with his phone call saying he’d decided to go at around 2.30pm. I wonder how surprised he was.