Newslinks for Monday 28th April 2025

April 28, 2025

Return to EU by stealth

“Chancellor Rachel Reeves has finally admitted that Labour is planning to “betray” Brexit by agreeing to a new youth mobility scheme with the European Union. Speaking in Washington DC, Ms Reeves openly admitted that the Government wants “to enable young people from Europe and the UK to be able to work and travel overseas”. The new policy ambition is a major U-turn from Sir Keir Starmer’s ministers after the Government previously flatly rejected calls for such a scheme. The Conservatives said the Government’s new negotiating ambition is a betrayal of the 2016 referendum vote. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp blasted: “Rachel Reeves’s choices have damaged the economy, meaning borrowing is up significantly, inflation is rising, and economic growth forecasts have been cut.”” – Daily Express

Softer Brexit visa deal for under-30s to live in Europe edges closer – The i
UK-EU May summit could lay ground for review of post-Brexit deal, says German ambassador – Financial Times
Pat McFadden casts doubt on UK-US trade deal as EU beckons – The Times

Comment:

Brexit betrayal would prove toxic for PM – Daily Mail comment
‘This new plot to destroy Brexit shows just how much Labour hates Britain’ – Richard Tice, Daily Express
How the EU youth mobility scheme could save Brexit – Sam Leith, The Spectator

Headache for Chancellor as strike threats loom

“Millions of public sector workers including teachers and nurses should be given pay rises of as much as 4 per cent, ministers have been told in a move that will put further pressure on Rachel Reeves. The Times has been told that the independent pay review body representing 514,000 teachers has recommended a pay rise of close to 4 per cent, while the one for 1.38 million NHS workers has recommended closer to 3 per cent. The pay rises, for England, are significantly more than the 2.8 per cent that the government budgeted for and are likely to place further strain on public finances. Schools and hospitals will be told to find efficiency savings to help meet some of the costs. Other public sector workers such as police, prison officers and soldiers are likely to be given higher settlements in recognition of the fact that they cannot go on strike.” – The Times

Reeves at risk of breaking ‘no tax rises for workers’ pledge – Daily Telegraph
Private schools blame VAT and Reeves for fee rises of 20 per cent and higher – The i
Tony Blair ‘stopped Angela Rayner quitting over housing target’ – The Times

Comment:

Reeves is dragging Britain back to the 70s – and there’s no Thatcher to save us – Brian Monteith, Daily Telegraph

> Today: Starmer and Reeves made a pious display of paying the union danegeld. Guess who’s back for more?

Starmer plans migrant cuts to fight Reform amid local election backdrop

“Sir Keir Starmer will unveil a crackdown on immigration after this week’s local elections when Reform is expected to seize hundreds of seats. A white paper revealing the Government’s plans to bring down legal migration is due to be unveiled in the weeks following the voting on May 1. It is expected to make it harder for foreign students who come to the UK on graduate visas to stay in the country through taking low-paid jobs such as healthcare roles. Reform, the Right-wing party led by Nigel Farage, is expected to take hundreds of council seats on Thursday and is ahead in the race for two mayoralties. The party could also win the Runcorn and Helsby by-election, taking the seat from Labour. Sir Keir has not personally campaigned there yet, in a sign he is bracing for defeat.” – Daily Telegraph

Mayor is a meaningless job, says Reform’s man in mayoral race – The Times
Farage’s ‘Boris Johnson-style tactics’ could steal the Red wall, Labour fears – The i
Polling guru John Curtice makes bombshell prediction about Kemi Badenoch – Daily Express
Reform UK challenged to give details on donations after £2m mailshot campaign – The Guardian
Kemi Badenoch refuses to rule out town hall coalition deals with Reform UK as Tories brace for local elections – The Sun
‘Tories are not listening’: Ed Davey sure Lib Dems can woo more disgruntled voters – The Guardian

Comment:

Nigel Farage is on the brink of a huge victory on Thursday – but then Reform’s real test starts – Henry Hill, The Sun
The ‘Tumbleweed Tories’ don’t appear to be gripping the local elections – Telegraph View
It’s a mistake to inflate the danger of Farage – Tom Baldwin, The Times
Populists like Farage promise voters a simpler life. In fact, they produce ever more hassle and chaos – Andy Beckett, The Guardian
Rein in immigration judges or lose the public – Jenni Russell, The Times
Kemi Badenoch says Lib Dems are people who fix church roofs. Yes: that’s why we’re popular and she isn‘t – Ed Davey, The Guardian
Reform is on the cusp of glory. Or a wake up call – Kamal Ahmed, Daily Telegraph

> Today:

Kevin Hollinrake: We need to make a stand in these local elections. Conservatives can’t sit back and watch

Alexander Bowen: ‘Independent’ candidates are anything but and we should all worry about that

> Yesterday:

Badenoch: “Read my lips Trevor. I’m not going into coalition with Nigel Farage.”

We are all in a marathon one way or another. It’s long, hard work and the real result won’t come this week

So much for a bonfire of the quangos

“Hundreds of fat-cat public officials were paid more than the Prime Minister last year – sparking calls for Labour to speed up its promised ‘bonfire of the quangos’. More than 350 quango bosses received a higher taxpayer-paid salary than the £172,153 Keir Starmer is entitled to. And almost 1,500 staff in publicly owned bodies received more than £100,000 in pay and perks last year, according to research published. As taxpayers were forced to tighten their belts amid economic turmoil, some executives in public organisations were handed five-figure bonuses.” – Daily Mail

Keir Starmer is reported to sleaze watchdog over claim he broke election ‘purdah’ – Daily Mail

Comment:

The Government’s promised bonfire of quangos can’t happen soon enough – The Sun says
As Labour creates 27 new quangos in eight months… How quangocracy rakes in the cash – Ross Clark, Daily Mail