Brexit

Express
THERESA May is preparing a “sell out” on freedom of movement after Brexit and is close to agreeing to a system which is almost identical to the current deal, an MEP has claimed. Patrick O’Flynn said Downing Street is in the final stages of a plan which would effectively “rebadge” the existing arrangement after a few minor changes and would prioritise migrants from EU countries. The Ukip MEP, who represents the East of England, said the new system “keeps a virtually open door to any with job offers”.

Westmonster
Theresa May’s government are working on the “final stages” of a sell-out on immigration to the EU that will see freedom of movement replaced by a similar, mass migration system. That’s according to MEP and former Daily Express big hitter Patrick O’Flynn who tweeted: “Am told Downing Street is now working up the final stages of a sell-out on freedom of movement. “Effectively rebadging it with minor tweaks but creating a system that still discriminates in favour of EU migrants and keeps a virtually open door to any with job offers.”

Breitbart
The foreign secretary today told the European Union (EU) leaders they would be making “a very, very big mistake” allowing Britain to leave the bloc without a trade deal, but said the UK could “thrive” with such an outcome. Jeremy Hunt’s comments came after his Latvian counterpart said in the morning the chances of an agreement this autumn are “fifty-fifty” and called for “extra effort” by both sides. Asked about the possible market reaction to leaving without a deal, Mr Hunt, who backed staying in the EU during the referendum  campaign, said at a press conference: “Well, of course, there will be significant short-term impact, but I think in these situations the British economy would find a way to get through it and, indeed, we would find a way ultimately to thrive and be successful.

Westmonster
British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has once again warned that the chances of a No Deal, World Trade Brexit are on the increase and that the European Union must change its hardline stance if it wants to sort a deal in time. Speaking in Copenhagen, Hunt said that: “The risk of no Brexit deal has been increasing recently. The British government is doing everything it can to avoid that outcome.” He made clear that the ball was in the EU’s court, saying: “We have put some serious proposals on the table.

Conservative Party

Mail
Boris Johnson will make his comeback at Tory party conference next month – just as Brexit negotiations reach their climax. The former Foreign Secretary has agreed to give a keynote speech at a fringe event during the four-day gathering in Birmingham, the Daily Mail has learnt. His decision to speak comes after party chiefs last week launched disciplinary proceedings against him over his comments on the burka. The intervention will prove a nightmare for Theresa May  as she attempts to unite the party faithful around her Chequers plan. The conference will take place as Brexit talks will be at a crucial stage.

EU

Telegraph
The European Union’s Brexit negotiators fear that they are being bugged by the British secret service after the UK obtained sensitive documents “within hours” of them being presented to a meeting of EU officials last month, The Telegraph understands. A highly placed EU source revealed the security concerns as British negotiators were set to return to Brussels on Thursday to resume Brexit talks. The two sides remain far apart on the  key issues of customs arrangements and Ireland, with Latvia’s foreign minister warning on Wednesday that the risk of a ‘no deal’ outcome was now “50-50”.

Mail
Brexit negotiations took a bizarre turn last night after claims British security services are bugging Brussels officials. EU officials raised concerns after the UK obtained the contents of an unpublished slide show presentation within hours of a meeting, the Daily Telegraph reported. A senior member of Michel Barnier’s negotiating team raised the issue at a meeting on July 13, it was claimed.  Sabine Weyand reportedly told the European Council’s Article 50 Working Party that ‘it could not be excluded’ that British intelligence had penetrated their meetings.

Telegraph
The European Commission briefing given to top EU Brexit officials on July 5 this year was political dynamite, driving a coach and horses through a fundamental part of Britain’s expected negotiating strategy. Delivered by Michel Barnier’s top economic adviser on the eve of the crunch Chequers summit, the European Commission laid out what it saw as the hard economic arguments against allowing the UK to remain in the EU single market for goods only. Citing detailed examples from cars to chemicals, sources briefed on the meeting say that Stephanie Riso explained why European Commission economists believed accepting the British plan would do real damage to the EU single market.

Express
A set of scathing European Commission documents were kept top secret because they threatened to dismantle Theresa May’s controversial Chequers plan before its release and risk toppling her fragile minority government in Westminster. Member states intervened decided against releasing a set of slides rubbishing large segments of the Prime Minister’s White Paper before its release in July, which goes against the European Commission’s convention of transparent negotiations. The information was, however, kept out of the public eye after the request of a “high level” British official in order to avoid Mrs May’s Government being plunged into chaos.

Guardian
European officials have poured cold water on hopes that Theresa May could negotiate Brexit with other EU leaders in September to break the deadlock over Britain’s departure. Diplomatic sources have rejected suggestions that May could hold direct talks on Brexit  with the 27 other EU heads of state and government at a summit in Salzburg next month. “That is completely ridiculous, that is complete overspin of Salzburg,” one senior source told the Guardian. “It would mean that we would ditch our negotiating approach of the last two years and discuss at 28 instead of 27 to one, and I don’t see why this would happen.”

Express
MOTORISTS could be hit by soaring costs under EU proposals for compulsory labels on tyres, anti-Brussels campaigners warned last night. EU chiefs want to toughen regulations to ensure that all new tyres fitted to vehicles on public roads are printed with information about their fuel efficiency, safety and noise standards. And even though the UK is due to quit the EU next year, British drivers could still be affected by the change – expected in 2020 if agreed by MEPs – because Brussels regulations are due to remain in force after Brexit under Theresa May’s plans.

Scotland

Guardian
Almost two-thirds of Scottish voters believe the Westminster government is ignoring their concerns during Brexit negotiations, and there is now more support in Scotland for remaining in the EU than at the time of the 2016 referendum, polling suggests. According to research for the People’s Vote campaign, 66% of Scottish voters (excluding don’t knows) support staying in the EU, compared with 62% who voted for remain in the referendum.

Fisheries

Star
BRITISH fishermen are set to land a whopping Brexit haul once EU trawlermen are banned from English waters. In a boost for lovers of fish and chips, a new study of stocks in the North Sea has revealed a huge surge in numbers of valuable cod, plaice and hake since 2000. Marine scientists have discovered that the levels of 25 different breeds of fish have doubled in the past 18 years – and white fish stocks have quadrupled. Once other fishing fleets are banned from free movement in UK waters, it is forecast that British vessels could land colossal catches every day.

Labour Party

Guardian
Labour is preparing the ground to amend its antisemitism code of conduct to align with International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance guidelines, provided the party can find a way to include protections that allow for legitimate criticism of Israel’s creation. The shift comes after weeks of discord between Labour’s national executive committee (NEC) and the Jewish community after the party failed to adopt all 11 examples of antisemitism given by the IHRA, arguing that under one of them legitimate criticism of Israel could be deemed antisemitic. The Guardian understands the party is open to adopting the full IHRA definition, with all its examples, after it has finished conducting a consultation with the Jewish community.

Sky News
Jeremy Corbyn is poised to “take one for the team” and make a humiliating climbdown on anti-Semitism by backing an internationally recognised definition in full. His retreat is expected when the party’s national executive next meets on 4 September – the day before Labour MPs are certain to overwhelmingly back the full definition in a ballot. The compromise plan emerged just hours after former prime minister Gordon Brown said anti-Semitism was a “running sore” that had to be dealt with immediately and predicted change “within a few weeks”. It would be a major U-turn by the Labour leader and his left-wing allies, who at the last meeting of the executive sparked fury among MPs and Jewish groups by resisting adopting the definition in full in the party’s code of conduct.

Child abuse

Times
Detectives have charged 31 people with offences including rape and trafficking after an investigation into sexual offences against children in Yorkshire. The five alleged victims were girls aged between 12 and 18, with the offences said to have occurred between 2005 and 2012 in the Huddersfield area. West Yorkshire police said that 30 men and one woman will appear at Kirklees magistrates’ court on September 5 and 6. A further 12 men, who cannot be named for legal reasons, have been charged with “numerous offences in connection with the same investigation”.

Express
DETECTIVES yesterday charged 31 people with child sex offences including rape and trafficking. West Yorkshire Police said five schoolgirls aged 12 to 16 were exploited over the seven years between 2005 and 2012. Many of the defendants have been accused of raping girls aged 13 to 15. Some face charges of facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, trafficking or sexual assault. Thirty men and one woman, most of them from Huddersfield, will appear at Kirklees magistrates court on September 5 and 6. Police identified 19 of the defendants but said the other 12 could not be named due to legal reasons.

Breitbart
Thirty men and one woman have been charged with sexual offences in Huddersfield, including the rape and trafficking of girls as young as 12. Police said the alleged offences took place in the Yorkshire market town between 2005 and 2012 against five women, who were aged between 12 and 18 years old at the time. They are set to appear at Kirklees Magistrates Court on September 5 and 6 charged with offences including rape, sexual assault and trafficking with a view to sexual exploitation. All of the accused are aged between 29 and 42. Twelve of those charged cannot be named for legal reasons, according to the Huddersfield Daily Examiner.

Westmonster
Police have charged 31 people with sexual abuse of girls aged between 12 and 18 in the Huddersfield area. 1 woman and 30 men, 12 of whom cannot be named for legal reasons, have now been charged with offences ranging from facilitating the commission of a child sex offence to rape of young girls. Most of those charged are from the Huddersfield and Dewsbury area, and are set to appear before Kirklees Magistrates Court on September 5 and 6. Mohammed Sajjad, aged 31, of Huddersfield, is charged with four counts of rape of a female age 13-15, one rape of a girl under 13 and facilitating the commission of a child sex offence. Banaras Hussain, 37, is charged with one count of rape of a female over 16. Mubasher Hussain, aged 35, of Huddersfield, is charged with rape of a female aged 13-15 and sexual assault. Banaris Hussain, 35, from Huddersfield, is charged with one count of rape of a girl aged 13 – 15. Mohammed Suhail Arif, aged 30, also from Huddersfield, is charged with rape of girl aged 13-15.

Health

Mail
More Britons now fall victim to skin cancer than Australians due to the increasing popularity of sunbeds and package holidays. Cases of malignant melanoma have increased sevenfold since the 1970s, and it is now the fifth most common deadly cancer in the UK. The cancer killed 26,807 people in Britain between 2007 and 2016, compared to just 19,839 in Australia despite the latter country’s much higher levels of annual sunshine. Recent figures by the Office for National Statistics also revealed that in 1975, only 1,800 cases of malignant melanoma were detected in the UK.

Education

Times
Teenagers receiving their A-level results this morning will have places on more than 30,000 university courses to choose from as the number of applicants fell to its lowest level since tuition fees trebled in 2012. Just over half a million school leavers have sought places, presenting universities with a challenge to fill their courses. A watchdog has already warned them against offering places to those who lack the academic ability to cope. If students miss their target by one or even two grades, the chances are high that they will still be offered a place. Universities are heavily dependent on tuition fees for funding.

Mail
Eight in ten university courses still have spaces available ahead of A Level results today, as the number of teenagers who value going to university has plummeted in recent years.  Despite students turning their back on higher education, one in four students are expected to secure top grades as pupils anxiously wait to see whether their grades have got them into their university of choice.   Students looking to go to university through clearing face a ‘buyers’ market’ due to an oversupply of university places, as a Daily Mail audit found more than 27,000 courses have vacancies.

Times
A leading exam board will upload all of its marked A-level exam scripts today to help cut the numbers of schools challenging their pupils’ grades and seeking a re-mark, after a successful pilot last year. Edexcel will offer free access to the exam scripts so that teachers can judge whether the pupil or examiner was at fault before they go through the process of challenging the grade awarded. The offer last year had a dramatic effect on the number of challenges, known in the sector as “reviews”. They fell to 16,575 from 21,715 in 2016. For GCSEs the number of appeals fell to 69,330 from 81,425.

Rail travel

Times
Rail fares will rise by 3.2 per cent next year, angering commuters who could have to pay more than £100 extra to get to work. The increase will apply to about 40 per cent of fares from January, including season tickets on most commuter routes, some off-peak returns and anytime tickets in big cities. The Department for Transport uses the July retail prices index (RPI) measure of inflation, announced by the Office for National Statistics yesterday, to determine the annual increase. The consumer prices index (CPI), which is the Bank of England’s preferred measure, rose by only 2.5 per cent.

Mail
Rail commuters face spending up to a third of their take-home salary on a season ticket after another punishing fares hike was confirmed yesterday. The price of regulated fares will rise by up to 3.2 per cent in January – equivalent to hundreds of pounds more on many annual passes – in line with the Retail Price Index measure of inflation. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn  described the latest increase as an ‘insult to anyone who has suffered from the chaos on Britain’s railways’.

Sky News
Chris Grayling has been accused of “gross incompetence” after telling rail unions he wants to change how fare rises are determined – but also how employees’ wages are decided. The transport secretary sparked anger after he said he wanted to move the industry away from basing fare rises and wages on Retail Prices Index (RPI) inflation, using the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) instead. The cabinet minister wrote to union general secretaries following calls to use the lower CPI instead of RPI when it came to rail fare rises.

BBC News
Rail passengers will see the price of regulated rail fares in much of the UK rise by as much as 3.2% in January. The rise, determined by the RPI inflation measure,  could add more than £100 to annual season ticket prices. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has called for future rail fare and wage increases to be based on  the lower Consumer Prices Index – rather than the higher Retail Prices Index. The RMT union accused him of trying to impose a “pay cap” on its members. The cost of most train fares are set by train companies themselves but 40% of fares in England, Scotland and Wales are regulated so that they are only allowed to rise by an amount pegged to the RPI rate of inflation in July the previous year – currently 3.2%.

Mirror
Rail fares will rise by up to another 3.2% next year the Government has confirmed as the latest inflation rates were announced. Campaigners are calling on the Government to impose a freeze amid mounting anger at rip-off hikes. Around 40% of fares will rise by this amount in January, including season tickets on most commuter routes, some off-peak return tickets on long-distance journeys and Anytime tickets around major cities. The price of these fares is controlled by the Government which uses the July Retail Price Index (RPI) measure of inflation – announced by the Office for National Statistics on Wednesday – to determine the cap on the annual increase.

Space wars

Telegraph
The United States has challenged Russia about a satellite orbiting the earth exhibiting “abnormal behaviour”, raising questions about Moscow’s intentions to develop space weapons. A US official said the satellite was acting suspiciously, describing its recent launch as “a very troubling development” that appears to justify Donald Trump’s plans for a new  Space Force branch of the armed forces. “Its behaviour on-orbit was inconsistent with anything seen before,” Yleem Poblete, the assistant secretary at the state department’s bureau of arms control, verification and compliance, told a UN disarmament conference in Geneva on Tuesday.

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