David cameron

Wednesday

Isabel Hardman

PMQs: Corbyn offers Cameron some respite from the EU deal

David Cameron’s focus today is on his statement to the Commons about his EU deal, and so was much of PMQs. John Mann opened the session by asking dramatically ‘Is that it?’ and criticising the Prime Minister’s deal, forcing him to defend it immediately. Angus Robertson used his questions to complain about the expected date of the referendum and its proximity to the Scottish, Welsh, local government and London Mayoral elections, though Cameron told him he was trying to find things to complain about. The only blessing for Cameron was that Jeremy Corbyn decided to attack him on cancer treatment and benefits, and only Christopher Chope asked a hostile question

Charles Moore Charles Moore

It’s depressing to see David Cameron engage in a culture war

In 2000, the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, accused Magdalen College, Oxford, of class bias in failing to admit a student called Laura Spence, a pupil at a Tyneside comprehensive. This was grossly unfair — how could the Chancellor know the details of a particular case? It was also outrageous in principle: why should a politician tell a university whom to admit? This Sunday, David Cameron did much the same thing. In the middle of his EU negotiations, the migrant crisis and the other genuinely important things the Prime Minister must deal with, he found time to offer an article to the Sunday Times, headlined ‘Watch out, universities;

Tom Goodenough Tom Goodenough

EU draft deal: How the papers have reacted to David Cameron’s reform package

David Cameron has done his best to talk up his draft package of reforms with the EU. He said yesterday: ‘If I could get these terms for Britain, I sure would opt in’. But how have the papers reacted to the proposed agreement? The bad news for the Prime Minister is that many front pages don’t share his enthusiasm for the draft deal. In fact, the newspapers could arguably be the worst set of morning reading for the PM since he became Tory leader in 2005. Here’s how the deal was received on Fleet Street: The Sun stuck the knife in with its front page, describing the deal as a

Tuesday

Isabel Hardman

Theresa May helps David Cameron with strong hint she’ll support ‘Remain’ campaign

Theresa May’s decision to say that the draft settlement for Britain’s relationship with the EU forms ‘a basis for a deal’ has made David Cameron’s rather difficult day – which has involved the Prime Minister trying to insist that he has got the deal he was after, even though his demands on benefits in particular have been watered down – a little easier. It is the strongest indication yet that the Home Secretary will campaign to stay in the EU after all. This is the statement she released this evening: ‘EU free movement rules have been abused for too long and EU law has stopped us deporting dangerous foreign criminals.

Dan Hitchens

Briefing: What is the EU ‘red card’ and will it make any difference at all?

The ‘red card’ on proposed EU legislation has been hailed by David Cameron as a breakthrough; the ‘Stronger In’ campaign have put it at the top of their list of renegotiation successes. But it already pretty much exists. The very similar ‘orange card’ was introduced by the 2009 Lisbon Treaty. (The European Commission’s website explains how it works.) Here’s a comparison of the two: Numbers ORANGE CARD: 51% of the 28 EU parliaments can force a review by the European Commission. RED CARD: 56% of the 28 EU parliaments can force a review by the EU Council. Time limit ORANGE CARD: 8 weeks RED CARD: 12 weeks Effects ORANGE CARD: The European Commission decides whether ‘to maintain, amend

Tom Goodenough Tom Goodenough

Today in audio: Tuesday 2nd February

Haven’t had a chance to follow the day’s political events and interviews? Then don’t worry: here, The Spectator, brings you the best of today’s audio clips in one place for you to listen to. David Cameron gave his reaction following the publication of Donald Tusk’s proposals for Britain’s renegotiation with the EU. Speaking to a Siemens factory in Chippenham after skipping going to Parliament, the PM told workers: ‘If I could get these terms for British membership, I sure would opt in’ Given the PM’s absence in the Commons, it did not take long for Eurosceptics to pile in and attack the draft document. Steve Baker offered the most colourful

Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

David Cameron’s two problems: benefits and Poland

From his speech and question session on today’s draft EU deal, it’s clear that David Cameron plans to spend the next two weeks promoting his negotiation success, rather than focusing on improving it. He naturally needs to persuade voters – and his colleagues – that this is a good deal that will make a big difference to Britain’s relationship with Europe. But as the press questions following the speech showed, this is going to be extremely difficult. The Prime Minister was insistent that he had secured a good deal on in-work benefits for EU migrants, saying ‘what I’ve got is basically something I’ve asked for’. He was then asked repeatedly about

James Forsyth James Forsyth

Jeremy Corbyn is right: Cameron should have made his EU speech in the Commons

With David Cameron in Chippenham, it was left to the Europe Minister David Lidington to respond to Jeremy Corbyn’s urgent question. Cameron’s absence was poor form. Lidington manfully tried to claim that it was explained by the fact the government didn’t know when Tusk would publish the draft, but the media were only alerted that Cameron would give a speech in Chippenham after Tusk had said the deal would be announced at midday today. Number 10 is defending Cameron’s absence by pointing to the fact he’d already decided to give a statement to parliament tomorrow—once the MPs have had a chance to examine the deal. But it was entirely predictable

Tom Goodenough Tom Goodenough

Why won’t David Cameron come clean about his EU migrant benefits deal?

For the last three years, David Cameron has held out the prospect of voting ‘no’ in the referendum if he could not get the deal he wanted. Today he has – unsurprisingly – claimed victory. Yes, he says, there’s more to do on the draft deal – but it not too much because what he’s got is enough. He’s already in full referendum campaign mode, so made his statement to workers in Chippenham, saying: ‘If I could get these terms for British membership, I sure would opt in’ But how much of a compromise has it been? Cameron looked a little shifty as he was spoke ‘emergency brake’ on in-work benefits for migrants.

Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

Draft EU deal: five things you need to know

David Cameron is insisting that there is more work that needs to be done on the draft deal for Britain’s relationship with Europe published by Donald Tusk today. But here are the key points about that draft deal so far: 1. Cameron has got a weaker benefits deal. As explained here, the Prime Minister has not got his four year ban on in-work benefits for migrants that he originally set out to get, nor has he got the ‘emergency brake’ that he was pushing for over the weekend. Instead, Britain will be able to limit in-work benefits for new EU migrants over a four year period, starting with no benefits at

The Spectator

David Cameron’s draft EU Deal: full text

The following document has been released by the European Commission: The Heads of State or Government of the 28 EU Member States meeting within the European Council, whose Governments are signatories of the Treaties on which the EU is founded, DESIRING to settle, in conformity with the Treaties, certain issues raised by the United Kingdom in its letter of 10 November 2015, INTENDING to clarify in this Decision certain questions of particular importance to the Member States so that such clarification will have to be taken into consideration as being an instrument for the interpretation of the Treaties; intending as well to agree arrangements for matters including the role of national Parliaments in the EU and

Steerpike Steerpike

Oxford’s diversity strategy: portraits of privileged white women replace portraits of privileged white men

It’s been a testing few weeks for Oxford University officials. First they faced a student uprising with the ‘Rhodes Must Fall’ campaign, then the Prime Minister took a pop at the academic establishment for a lack of diversity, claiming they are ‘not doing enough to attract talent from across our country’. Happily, one college is doing its best to tackle diversity issues head-on. Wadham College have commissioned a series of photographic portraits of graduates who have been nominated by members of the Wadham community. The aim is to ‘address the predominance in Hall and around College of portraits of white men’: ‘These are grand figures from Wadham’s past and they deserve their

Tom Goodenough Tom Goodenough

Boris Johnson: EU ‘red card’ is not enough

Downing Street is doing its best to spin national parliament’s right to use a ‘red card’ against EU laws – apparently won as part of the PM’s renegotiation with Donald Tusk – as a victory. But others are less impressed. David Cameron’s old friend Boris Johnson has been on LBC this morning talking about the EU renegotiation package. The London mayor, no stranger to being a thorn in the PM’s side, tried hard to appear convincing in backing Cameron. He said: ‘David Cameron has done a very good job at huge speed of getting a difficult package of measures.’ But Boris went on to say that what was on the

Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

Britain’s new EU relationship to be revealed: but is it that different?

Today at 11am we will find out what Britain’s new relationship with the EU will look like. Downing Street insists that the draft renegotiation outline being published by European Council president Donald Tusk is still a draft, and there may well be changes to it (though presumably not all of them beneficial to Britain) in the next few weeks.  But it looks as though the European Council summit on 18 and 19 February will be discussing and signing off this renegotiation, and that therefore the June referendum is on.  The biggest challenge that David Cameron, who will give a speech later today on the proposals, has to overcome is any

Monday

Isabel Hardman

Donald Tusk to table Britain’s draft EU deal tomorrow at noon

This is the analysis of the latest EU referendum negotiations in tonight’s Evening Blend email, a free round-up of the day’s political events. Click here to subscribe. Today in brief The EU renegotiation entered its endgame, with European Council president Donald Tusk saying he will publish proposals for a draft deal tomorrow at noon… …as eurosceptics continued to attack the plans for an emergency brake on in-work benefits for migrants. The British Medical Association announced next week’s junior doctors’ strike will be going ahead. A committee of MPs blasted the ‘catastrophic’ conditions that failed charity Kids Company had been allowed to operate in – read Miles Goslett’s original scoop exposing

Steerpike Steerpike

A warning flag on David Cameron’s Brussels negotiations

In the past week, David Cameron has held a number of last-minute talks with EU counterparts in the hope of agreeing a deal that can be put to EU leaders ahead of a summit on 18 February. This included a visit to Brussels on Friday to hold renegotiation talks with EP president Martin Schulz. Alas a flag gaffe on the part of workers at the European Parliament may have led to distress all round. Word reaches Steerpike that on the day of Cameron’s visit, the Union flag outside Parliament was hung upside down. The thick white parts of the diagonal cross ought to be above the thinner white parts — as historical advisor

Melanie McDonagh Melanie McDonagh

State education hypocrites aren’t new, but does Cameron really want to be one?

You can expect an oddly muted response to the news that the Camerons may be sending their son Elwen to Colet Court, the feeder prep for St Paul’s (public…i.e. private) school. All those pundits who are usually reliably furious at social immobility and Tory cuts are, I find, prone to pull their punches on this one. The reason is a certain diffidence about having to out themselves as users of private education themselves. Tu quoque, other people observe, and the impeccably liberal commentators slink off to expend their moral indignation on legal aid or the migrant crisis, things usefully remote from their own lives. I haven’t seen quite such a

Sunday

James Forsyth

Emergency brake breakthrough, claims Downing Street

[audioplayer src=”http://rss.acast.com/viewfrom22/whysexmatters-thedeathofsportandistheeusinkingwhetherbrexithappensornot-/media.mp3″ title=”Isabel Hardman, James Forsyth and Fraser Nelson discuss whether the European project is in grave danger – regardless of Brexit happening or not” startat=1420] Listen [/audioplayer] Donald Tusk will not circulate the proposed draft UK/EU deal tomorrow. It had been thought that Tusk would put out a draft on Monday after final talks over supper with Cameron this evening. Instead, there will be further meetings between UK and EU diplomats, before Tusk decides whether or not to circulate a draft text to the other member states on Tuesday. In a statement tonight, Downing Street has said that the European Commission accepts that the current UK immigration situation would

Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

Cameron seeks to beef up ’emergency brake’ as eurosceptics fight each other

David Cameron and Donald Tusk have been discussing Britain’s beef with the European Union over a dinner of beef this evening. The European Council president has just left, telling reporters there was ‘no deal’. Top of the Prime Minister’s menu was the issue of benefits that has been so chewy for him during his renegotiation. Cameron now appears to be seeking to beef up (sorry) the emergency brake offer that his eurosceptic critics described only on Friday as a ‘sick joke’, arguing that it must come into force straight after the referendum result, that the present levels of EU migration to the UK could be sufficient to trigger it, and that

Toby Young Toby Young

David Cameron is plain wrong about Oxford and race. Here’s why

I applaud the Prime Minister for pointing out the scandalous lack of black students at Britain’s top universities, but he’s wrong about whose fault it is – at least when it comes to Oxford, his alma mater. Yes, it’s true that Oxford only admitted five black British Caribbean applicants in 2013, a disgracefully low number, as David Cameron points out, but there’s no evidence to suggest that the cause is ‘ingrained, institutional and insidious’ attitudes, i.e. racism, on the part of Oxford’s admission authorities. How do I know this? Because Oxford already publishes a wealth of data about admissions – the new law Cameron is drafting to force universities to