UK Politics

[Dong Zhou]

-Janet Daby wins Lewisham East, not a surprise as a Labour stronghold and no sense of an upset coming. The ex-deputy mayor of Lewisham, social worker and charity sector director got 50.2% of the vote on a 33.2% turnout but her majority is ccut from Heidi Alexander's 22,000 to 5,000 and share down 17%. Lib Dems did very well, a 19% swing from Labour to their candidate Lucy Salek who got 24.6% of vote. Daby has responded by reassuring she will vote against Hard Brexit and is willing to go against party whip on the issue.

-National Audit Office warns Universal Credit seems set to cost more to run then the previous benefit system but there is no alternative, due to major changes implemented, to continue, warns one in five are waiting too long to get benefits

-Government meaningful vote amendment is that if talks collapse, minister must make statement and vote will be about they have considered the statement. Greive says the compromise offered is unacceptable and likely to be revolt next week, Soubry says Remainers feel let down, Brexiteers deny they had any say in the late change while suspicion is aimed at David Davies.

-George Eustice floating banning import of foie gras after Brexit

-Government had agreed to Wera Hobhouse's private members bill: Upskirting to become a sexual offence. The problem is even with government support, one MP can wreck it. Step forward Christopher Chope who should object to block it. Not a good image for Tory party

-Watson not happy that fixed odd terminal curbs won't come in till 2020

-Francis Maude admits May has very limited power to impose herself on party

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-Keussenberg on the meaningful vote row

-Robert Peston sets out what happened with meaningful vote discussions

-Paul Waugh on May's handling of Grenfell

-Owen Jones Lewisham is not a reason to change Brexit strategy

-Brain Wilson bemoans lack of little details in Brexit

-Iain Dale on Dr Lee, Brexiteers losing, Culture Committee should resign

-Remainer Heather Peto wants Labour to allow debate on Brexit for members

-Matt Singh on the Lewisham numbers

[Dong Zhou]

-Sir Chope getting hammered by media and his own MP's, Boles going as far as saying Chope's knuckles drag across the ground, government more diplomatic about it being disappointing and promising to force this through. Government also annoyed with mental health bill being filibustered out by Philip Davies 148 minute speech but a few pointing out they have rejected chances to reform private member bill system to avoid such things

-Sir Grieve says government changing their minds on amendment feels like a slap in the face

-Wera Hobhouse vows to continue the upskirt bill fight

-D'Arcy Week Ahead

-Brandon Lewis promises to stamp out Islamophobia from Tory party but his proposed measures have been dismissed as not enough by Muslim Council of Britain.

-Sinn Fein leader Mary Louise McDonald calls Brexit a "Tory-conceived vanity" and disaster being pursued with reckless abandon, hard border can not happen and max-fac being solution is Alice in Wonderland, will be Irish referendum in her life time

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-Paul Goodman on David Davies imposing himself on whips on Brexit

-Tom Peck unhappy with Philip Davies and Chope

-Alicia Kearns on Sir Chope

-Sir Forsyth (sun) Brexit will define May, Brexit troubles, Javid visa changes, Hammond needs to stop humour

[Dong Zhou]

-NHS to get an extra 20 billion a year for it's birthday and May seems to be allowing it to be claimed as Brexit dividend. Though it will be funded by ways unknown and not as high as IFS and others wanted, Labour not being tasked with "what are you offering". May writes about it

-Mary Lou McDonald says Brexit can not proceed to next stage till Ireland issue is solved, wants intergovernmental conference formed to deal with Stormont issues

-Crispin Blunt says the cannabis oil scandal (it was a genuine medicine for a child, border force impounded it and Home Office refused until the seizures started and Javid had to release it) shows drug law needs reform, Dr Poulter says the situation is ridiculous and plenty of others like Baker, Caroline Lucas, Lamb and Flynn

-Jess Philips let's ripe at Chope and bemoans lack of proxy votes for pregnant woman

-Javid says he was mugged just before he became Home Secretary

-Lots of... teasing about LabourLive

-Reeves wants Sir Sorrel and WPP to wave gagging clause and explain what happen

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-Macer Hall doubts SNP will be a threat, summer maintenance could become a problem, little tales

-Rentoul believes Javid to be PM by end of year

-Paul Goodman on NHS spending

[Dong Zhou]

-The "where is the money" backlash on NHS spending has started and the "no Brexit divided so don't claim it is funded through it". May demanding 10 year plan from NHS to explain how it will use extra funding but hints country has to contribute more (code for tax rises), Ashworth saying Labour can match NHS spending and go further, McDonnell says May is using magic money tree, Dr Woolostan says Brexit dividend is tosh and a populist argument with no evidence, IFS says there is no Brexit dividend, Boris welcomes down-payment of Brexit dividend.

-Hunt says Brexit dividend (which will exist as forecasts tend to be wrong) won't cover most of the bill and there will be tax rises with the funding to be set out in budget

-Row in cabinet over ban on medical cannabis with Javid known to argue hard against May, Hunt has publicly said ban can't be justified,, May has shot down idea of change so Javid's attempt to get round this is expert panel. Labour says they would back change with Andy MmDonnell, whose son suffered intractable epilepsy, making personal appeal

-Thornbery says she would be willing to meet the "asteroid of awfulness" Trump during his visit

-Buckland says meaningful vote amendment of Greive's is well intentioned but weakens hand in Brussels as would introduce third party in negotiations, May says she understands rebels concerned but can't have hands tied

-Labour have strong reason to shout magic money tree but the "Tories offering more on NHS then you guys are" is sticking

-Healey pledges a million new affordable home over ten years but prices won't come down in short term

-May did not look comfortable being asked about Chope's knighthood. Sir Chope saying he supports an upskirting ban, indeed May should have banned it long ago, but opposes private members bills being highjacked by government, feels he is being scapegoated as a dinosaur and being condemned without fair hearing. Chope's office door plastered with knickers

-Seems Hunt threatened to resign last weekend if not given NHS cash boost

-Gardiner gets meaning of word selfie and band confused

-Lord Halisham to lay Grieve amendment based on what Grieve thought had been promised

-Government formerly adopt upskirting bill and aim to get it through by summer recess

-Pound "clarifies" after doing video for people's vote but as shadow N.Ireland Secretary and not party policy, suddenly remembers he means meaningful vote for parliament

-Brussels says UK wants same policy powers but with different constraints aka cherry picking and blocks back-channel talks between avaitian industry

-After ill tempered debate, Lords defeat government on meaningful vote by an increased majority of 119

-Labour trying a no confidence vote in Grayling

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-David Dimbleby retiring from Question Time

-Lord Adonis backs Greive

-Scott Mann housing reform

-Umunna on immigration

-Grieve says Brexit rebels could collapse government, lies awake at night if Brexit deal is rejected, Brexit is a risky process and a bad idea but it will happen as public want it

-Tugenhant saying rejecting Brexit deal would collapse government

-Sir Penning wants reform on medical cannabis rules, ditto Clegg

-One peer overheard calling Lord Robathan an idiot when he claims Lord Halisham is trying to destroy Brexit

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-D'Ancona NHS funding

-Aled ap Dafydd predicts Plaid leadership contest

-Martha Gill not impressed by Labour festival

[Dong Zhou]

-MP's warning they will personally go abroad and gets the cannabis medicine for one kid and try to bring it over border

-Eyes on how Hammond will respond to needing to find NHS money, rumours he told other departments he has no money to give them and suspicions he may just ignore manifesto tax promises.

-Lord Sewell declares Westminster has not breached his convention as size and scale of Brexit does not come under normal circumstance while government is not trying a powergrab of Scottish powers, SNP just playing political games. SNP's Mike Russell argues Brexit makes it even more important that the convention is followed

-Defence Committee wants spending of 3% GDP due to increased threats

-Daniel Kawczynski cleared after allegations of inappropriate behaviour

-Barnier says UK needs to be more realistic about level of police and judicial cooperation after Brexit, won't be allowed access to EU-only or Schengen-only police databases after Brexit, not allowed to attend meetings of the Eurojust or Europol management boards, not part of European Arrest Warrant due to UK redlines but can look at streamlining the extradition process, UK will be bound by convention of human rights. 75% of withdrawal agreement is finalized

-Corbyn says "need to be in centre ground" is right but the centre moves and isn't always what establishment thinks it is

-Maria Miller urges BBC to give a chance for a woman in charge of Question Time

-Javid announces review of cannabis for medical purposes but promises it won't be become a recreational drug, has granted license for Deacon. Decision welcomed by MP's including by Hunt while Javid's sources are briefing May was more open to it then people think

-Police had to visit Soubry's offices due to death threats.

-Laing filibusterers before Grayling no confidence vote has disabled MP was stuck in lift so couldn't vote, Grayling survived by 20. Grayling has indicated he may look at stronger powers to intervene when passenger disruption

-Draft EU summit conclusion leaked, says there hasn't been major progress on Brexit and states should prepare for no deal

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-Lord Hague urges cannabis to be legalized, war on drugs has been lost and the law has become indefensible

-Press liking that Hinds policy adviser is on Love Island

-Lord Saatchi (sun) NHS needs to be far more efficient

-Baroness Thomas on pip

-Latest Lords defeat sees Rees-Mogg accusing Lords of being cavalier on UK constitution

-Chope welcomes government taking on upskirting bill and wishes they had done this rather then abuse private members bill route, Nicky Morgan says he has brought party into disrepute

-UKIP suspend AM Mandy Jones for saying Neil Hamilton is not suitable to be Assembly Commissioner

-Damien Green jokes if Southgate wins another game he gets to take charge of Brexit talks, has no idea if there will be a Brexit dividend

-Grieve dismisses idea that losing on meaningful vote would collapse government

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-Kuessenberg on political side of NHS spending, Leo McKinstry says NHS benefiting from Brexit and discusses funding, Hinsliff argues the NHS spending shows how Brexit has caused chaos for Tories

-Behr on May's failure to understand diplomacy

-Professor Steve Peers is not impressed by EU's claims on policing/judiciary cooperation

-Ashcroft polling on Brexit, border and the union

-Gary Gibon warns immigration white paper is going to be delayed

[Dong Zhou]

PMQ's: Corbyn, after going through quite a list of prelim, goes on NHS funding, pointing out issues with Brexit dividend and growth being poor, that only tax rises can fund it so what tax rises will come. May says there will be a five year funding settlement but doesn't say how though she points out Corbyn himself has said he would use Brexit dividend for public services. Corbyn pleased she is reading his speeches and quotes himself which was more technical, quotes Tories manifesto about the danger of unplanned taxes so please explain what tax rises are coming. May says Hammond will set it out later, Labour's policy of deal at any price would ensure no money coming back. Corbyn focuses on Brexit divided by pointing out the figures do not add up then a poor joke about dodgy figures like a certain bus, May says she may read his speeches but his team need to actually read what she says and points out she didn't say what he thought about Brexit dividend and money will be explained by Hammond, if Corbyn is so concerned about people taxes then why did they oppose taking people out of tax?

Corbyn ignores that and quotes May email to Tory MP's about dividend but OFS warns there is no dividend for awhile and growth is doing poorly so where is money coming from (feels a bit of a repeat). May goes for balanced approach to economy, believes in low taxes, dealing with debt and investing in economy, Labour would bankrupt economy and Labour said 2% growth of NHS would make them envy of world but May has decided go further. Corbyn says Labour would have given 5% growth and IFS backs that Labour would have offered more, May unfunded promise and phantom tax then quotes someone unable to get wheelchair so needs more then simply standing still. May ignores the letter and quotes Simon Stevens welcome of the cash and where it will be used then points to Welsh Labour spend less which shows Labour say one thing then do another. Corbyn says health spending was up 5% and NHS spending means nothing for social care and other areas that impact NHS, points to current issues in NHS like waiting targets, deficits and lack of staff, May writing IOU's to simply stand still, why should anyone trust these IOU's? May sets out why Tories can be trusted with NHS, including keep giving extra during touch finical years and given a five year plan then a ten year plan to improve things. Labour's plans would bankrupt economy and IFS has pointed out Labour doesn't add up.

Not great, Corbyn had lost his knack of short and quick, some unforced errors, at least once repeated himself. Has a good basis for questions with lack of funding, maybe should have used phrase magic money tree, but didn't make it count. May clearly doesn't have answer to how this will be funded, had more effective counterpunches that somewhat disguised a lack of real answers and a good summary, long term she has to be worried that she is struggling on fiscal responsibility.

Blackford goes on Trump's child migration measures and wonders if there will be a red carpet for Trump. May takes shot at Blackford's walkout, agrees the images coming out of US is deeply disturbing but meeting will go ahead. Blackford calls it disappointing that she has not unreservedly condemned then goes on May's record like detaining children and only EU country to detain people indefinitely and asks for it to be stopped. May says what US is doing it is clearly wrong, May says she has ended routine detaining of families but it still needs to happen rarely and further reforms going to happen. Blackford avoiding his usual over the top style really helped him here though May answered well in second question.

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-Government defeat Grieve amendemt by 16.

Was expected Grieve would be defeated, a feeling he misplayed his hand and his "could bring down government" wasn't ill-intentioned as it sounded but politically a clanger. Corbyn was seen working hard to persuade Labour Brexiteers to vote against May and Sir Stramer promising it isn't about stopping Brexit, rumours Tory whips persuading Labour leavers they will go easy on them in election if they don't oppose them here, fury that the "on the nod" system is not being used for ill MP's. Government then offers a (seemingly weak) compromise that Grieve accepts, a sense Grieve was allowed to save face though other rebels refused to bow down and government kick confrontation further down the road

-Refusing the convention of "in house but sick, your vote is on the nod" is a disgrace. Naz Shash for example, in wheelchairs and sickbucket having been in hospital for a few days forced to stay for 3 hours and forced to the voting lobbies. This has angered MPP#s and media

-Hancock wants phones confiscated at start of school day

-Head of GCHQ argues EU needs British intelligence

-Barnier reminds UK facts have consequences

-Upskirting rules will also apply to men in kilts

-Ofcom rules Labour and Brexit donor John Mills breached TV broadcasting rules by running political organisations

-Number 10 confirm May has never taken weed. Ruth Davidson jokingly asked if she ever ran through a field of wheat on twitter and responded "I tried it once. In my mad twenties. But it did nothing for me, so I stopped. Now I warn others of the dangers."

-Welsh Assembly Presiding Officer Ellan Jones alarmed at the results of harassment survey among staff, 37 had reported and another 37 had been victim or witnessed something but not reported it out 128 replies, culture needs to change.

-McDonnell on overhauling finical system to ensure more investment in infrastructure and research

-Boris regrets US pulling out UN Human Rights Council, Gymiah condems Trumps treatment of migrant children

-Treasury Committee content with Visa's explanation for recent troubles

-Verhofstadt says Brexit is failure by EU and will hasten reform, may take entire transition phase to agree final deal, UK should be more flexible on red lines

-Hunt apologises for the victims of the Gosford NHS conspiracy/murders, both Ashworth and Hunt praise Lamb for forcing this issue, Hunt making clear he expects justice system to act

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-Lord Lexden jokes are cyclists who don't use bells in league with those seeking to bring down numbers of the Lords

-Freeman notes "It’s a shocker. Lacking coherence. Command of the game. Any sense of direction. Another night in Parliament watching the national team. A v quiet tearoom dreaming of a super sub. “We need some inspiration from somewhere”.’" In no way referring to current state of Tories

-Seema Malhotra on internet access for disabled

-Stephanie Peacock not happy with gig economy

-Soubry explains her voting stance

-Lisa Nandy on Transport department contempt for north

-Laura Smith on her stance towards Brexit vote

-Neil Hamilton fighting back to became Wales UKIP Assembly leader so will be vote, argues he is only one with the experience and ability to take on Carwyn Jones in chamber, the AM's need to work together as such egos and infighting have cost the party across UK (then calls for Mandy Jones to be expelled as disloyal)

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-D'Arcy on procedural gameplaying backfiring

-Tim Newmark opposes legalizing cannabis

-Goodman on Grieve amendment

-Helen Pidd on trains

-Ian Hamilton not happy with way government handles potential drugs use in medicine

[Dong Zhou]

-Greg Hands resigns as Trade Minister over Heathrow expansion which he opposes, apparently he was offered the Boris escape of having assignment outside country but he has chosen to refuse that. Naturally the "why doesn't Boris do the same" has started while May has lost a reliable, experienced hand.

-Dawn Butler has written to Lords authorities about Lord Sugar's tweet on Senegal team

-Dr Fox says nothing has changed after vote, no deal is still an option, Rees-Mogg says May goes into summit strengthened by winning vote

-Javid says EU needs to catch up on post-Brexit plans for expats

-Verhofstadt says Brexit could take two decades for EU approval without a precise blueprint in autumn, talks need to speed up, association deal might be a way forward

-Hammond says debt will be reduced but taxes will have to rise for NHS spending

-Khan to run for second term

-Labour against Heathrow expansion but will allow free vote due to strong views within party, Andy McDonald urges Tories to do likewise

-May does speech at Policy Exchange think tank, quips "‘Those of you here this evening who are regulars of the summer party circuit will have realised by now that this is something of a collector’s event: it is a centre right think tank reception of which Michael Gove is not the guest speaker.’

-Praise for Lord's clerk managing to read amendment ping pong with straight face

-Rees-Mogg hints his group could vote against a withdrawal deal that doesn't have firm commitments to trade deal, parts of Brexit can be written in future

-Convey says no Brexit deal if Irish border isn't solved, Vardaker says urgent need to intensify talks as time is really running out, backstop can not be time limited

-Juncker says May is trustworthy negotiating partner

-Rumours May told Williamson he needs to rethink our role as a tier one military nation and concentrate on cyberwarfare. May denies this but refuses to say we should be a tier one military power

-Government Debt and deficit down, deficit narrowest (only 1.9% of GDP now) since the crash and better then expected, this should give Hammond more wiggleroom. Interest rates held as expected, though at 66-3 vote tighter then expected, though this not where BoE wanted to be

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-Grieve fears a loss of collective sanity and bullying culture but "Grand Old Duke of York" being tagged to him and his group, Hilary Benn impressive in Brexit debate

-Luciana Berger on mental health

-Former Treasury head Nick MacPhearson "Axiom of the last 30 years. Europhile Tories always compromise to preserve party unity, Their opponents don't."

-Corbynites may not wish in future to represent, as on DP, to use Aaron Bastani for insinuations and slander against a woman over her loyalty and probity for opposing Brexit policy. Indeed they should disown him. Pity as he showed self deprecation and humour after he was busy being nasty. This is not an example of "gentler kinder politics" or maybe it is and my version of kinder gentler politics just differs from Corbyn

-Reeves has arranged for beer named after Alice Bacon, first Yorkshire female MP

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-Kuessenberg on who blinked first, Robert Peston thinks Brexiteers one

-Reality Check on Brexit divided

-Larry Elliot left needs to exploit Brexit crises for real change

-Kavanagh (sun) demands May be ousted

-David Baker on Tories revival in West Midlands

-Matt Singh on people don't understand why populace voted Brexit

-Henry Hill on Hands resignation

[Dong Zhou]

-US ambassador Woody Johnson says we need to stop being pessimistic about Brexit, says it isn't a major challenge and he doesn't get the nerves we have. Independent says Trump to get full state visit straight after Brexit

-Airbus say they may pull out of Brexit no deal as they fear they could lose EU safety certificates. Seen as a big moment as big business have been careful since referendum to keep concerns private

-Hammond say Treasury is not enemy of Brexit but seeking to protect decades old patterns of trade

-Eyes turning to August interest rate rise, while Bank of England warns if China economy goes wrong, we will be hit hard as Hong Kong means we are more exposed then generally thought

-Javid says EU citizens will have three questions to answer and a £65 fee with assumption of being let in

-House of Commons has spent £2.4m on "gagging clauses" for former staff since 2013

-May appoints PPS George Hollingberry to trade, has business background but not sure about trade, a sense this is about rewarding a loyalist.

-Justice Committee says probationary oversight is a mess and not sure it can be fixed

-Leadsom is sorry for the horrible treatment of Naz Shah but blames Labour

-Greg Clark says services need to be included in Brexit deal and UK have frictionless travel, professional qualifications of UK workers to be recognized in EU, UK firms must be able to send any profits generated by services delivered in the EU back to the UK.

-Environment committee looking at fashion industry

-Treasury summoned 20 MP's to give a one minute pitch for tax rises to help fund NHS

-Matt Hancock wants a woman in charge of Question Time

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-Jess Philips says claims about Bercow need to be investigated

-Sebastian Whale interviews Raab on Brexit and housing

-Lord Dubs wants Trump's visit cancelled

-Alastair Campbell vs Farage on DP, should learn to let the other talk

-When Farage thinks Mail's front page on EU migrants is silly...

-Lord Jim O'Neill says corporation tax cuts not brought in expected investment

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-Professor Tanja Bueltmann not happy with UK offer to EU nationals

-Gary Younge lessons from Windrush

-Professor Catherine Barnard on Brexit complexity

-Aditya Chakrabortty Airbus is a major blow to Brexit Britain, Andrew Lillco dismisses Airbus as crying wolf and we would get EU firms in a no deal

-Mark Wallace on ugly Labour infighting on Brexit

[Dong Zhou]

-Victoria Atkins says families of gang leaders and violent criminals should lose council houses

-David Davies says in ten years people will wonder why anyone doubted Brexit, English language gives us huge advantage

-Boris warns May against soft Brexit (sun) and project fear is being exposed as wrong

-Dr Fox says May isn't bluffing about no deal which would hurt Ireland and Netherlands, foreign investment shows confidence in Brexit Britain

-Mike Russell says Hollyrood will reject all Brexit bills until devolution situation is sorted

-SNP want Sewel written into law and ignoring what the author of the convention has actually said

-BMW calls for Brexit clarity by end of summer, Grayling says big business is worth listening to but he expects a good deal, Ben Wallace threatens Airbus with UK military contracts

-Ireland stepping up no deal preparation

-Abbott on Windrush scandal should end hostile environment

-D'Arcy's Week Ahead

-Gwynne warns Labour need to make clear which pledges will take time to achieve or there will be a backlash

-Grayling pulls out of summit on Northern Transport, Lisa Nandy says it shows his contempt

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-Sir Major suspects Thatcher's treatment of him was due to her illness

-Jon Lansmann says pound would be hit by global elites if Corbyn gets in

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-Andrew Grice feels May has handed Corbyn a econimic trump card with NHS spending

-Forsyth (sun) EU's migration troubles will hit Brexit, customs union, defence spending and other things

[Dong Zhou]

-Damian Collins seeking a ban on homophobic chants

-Rumours Williamson is saying he made May and will break her by getting budget voted down if she doesn't give MoD 20 billion over next decade

-Boris overheard saying "F business" (guess what F stands for) when asked about Airbus, Hunt says inappropriate for business to make these declaration

-anti-Brexit march saw chants of "Where's Jeremy Corbyn?" (visiting refugee camp I believe)

-May got Peru in sweepstakes, Sturgeon got Iceland, Corbyn blocked by Creasy from joining the Labour sweepstake

-Hunt aiming to half obseisty by 2030 so Sweets and fatty snacks sold at checkouts and as part of supermarket deals will be banned, restrictions on junk food adverts, calorie listings at restaurants

-Greening and Goldsmith oppose Heathrow expansion

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-Rawnsley NHS spending

-Remainer Will Hutton wants second referendum to save economy

-Ruth Sunderland says there is no Brexit divided, just a Brexit cost

-Nigel Nelson on reforms he wants, May will survive and other stories

-Peter Hitchens suspicious of medical use of cannabis