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1. Boris: New MPs must ‘repay the public’s trust’
Newly elected MPs arrived in Westminster this morning for induction sessions and will be sworn in over the next two days. (The five new Tory members from North Eastern constituencies arrived by train at King’s Cross wearing matching blue scarves.) Tonight Boris Johnson will host them at a drinks reception at No. 10 where he is expected to say they must ‘repay the public’s trust’ and the ‘“People’s Government’ will deliver on the people’s priorities’.
2. Brexit bill will return to the Commons before Christmas
At today’s lobby briefing, Boris Johnson’s spokesman said the government will ‘start the process’ of passing the withdrawal agreement bill before Christmas; that’s expected to be Friday. The Telegraph reports that the bill will be stripped of some concessions added earlier this year. The spokesman also said the Intelligence and Security Committee report on Russian interference in UK politics has been cleared to be published.
3. McDonald: BBC ‘played a part’ in Labour’s defeat
Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald told Today that the BBC ‘played a part... consciously’ in Labour’s election loss and the organisation has ‘got to have a look in the mirror’. He added that the ‘rampant Tory party will dispense’ with the BBC after it ‘has been used and abused’.
4. Corbynites back Long-Bailey
More Corbynites have backed shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey as Jeremy Corbyn’s successor. Yesterday John McDonnell said she ‘could be a brilliant leader’ and that Angela Rayner and Dawn Butler could also make up a ‘terrific team’. Labour’s general secretary Jennie Formby has recommended that the leadership contest start on 7 January. On Coffee House, Stephen Fielding says that few Labour MPs have challenged the Corbynite interpretation of the election result.
5. Thornberry threatens to sue Flint
Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry said this morning that she is giving Caroline Flint ‘until the end of the day’ to withdraw a statement before ‘taking legal action’ after Flint accused her of saying ‘I’m glad my constituents aren’t as stupid as yours’. Thornberry insists that she ‘would never even think that, let alone say it’ and later told Sky News: ‘people can slag me off as long as it’s true. But they can’t make up shit about me.’
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