Tories press on with EU poll plans

THE Tory leadership will today attempt to push forward plans paving the way for a future in/out EU poll by piggy-backing on backbench legislation.

David Cameron was last night dealt a “devastating blow” when more than 100 Conservative MPs backed a vote criticising the Government’s failure to bring forward plans to enshrine an EU referendum in law.

A ballot is being held this morning for Private Member’s Bills, which party command will seek to use as a vehicle legally to commit to a poll on Britain’s relationship with Brussels.

Our plan is working, says Osborne

GEORGE Osborne insisted the Government was sticking to its economic course telling business leaders “now is not the time to lose our nerve”.

Spending more to rejuvenate the UK’s fortunes is “patently ludicrous” and would set the recovery back, the Chancellor added.

Addressing the CBI annual dinner at Grosvenor House last night, Mr Osborne also rubbished Labour calls for a temporary VAT cut, claiming the figures do not “stack up”.

May backs anonymity at arrest

CRIMINAL suspects who have been arrested should not normally be named until they are charged, the Home Secretary has said.

In a letter to the recently formed professional standards body, the College of Policing, Theresa May said she was concerned by reports that some forces have refused to name suspects who have been charged.

But Mrs May said she does believe in protecting the identities of suspects at point of arrest and has asked the College, led by chief executive Alex Marshall, to draw up clearer guidance.

Google faces new tax grilling

GOOGLE will today face a fresh grilling over its tax affairs after the global corporation was recalled to give evidence to a parliamentary inquiry.

Vice president Matt Brittin is due to appear before the Commons Public Accounts Committee just months after it last quizzed the firm about its low tax bill.

It comes as the chairwoman of the committee, Margaret Hodge, revealed that Amazon also faced being hauled back to explain its financial dealings after a Guardian investigation claimed its company filings showed its main UK company paid £3.2m in corporation tax on sales of £320m last year while the Seattle-based group told investors its 2012 UK sales were £4.2bn.

HS2 faces £3.3bn funding gap: NAO

THE HS2 high-speed rail project has an estimated £3.3 billion funding gap which the Government has yet to decide how to fill, a report from a Whitehall spending watchdog said today.

It was not clear how HS2 – which runs through Tory heartlands and is bitterly opposed by some – would deliver and rebalance economic growth, the report by the National Audit Office (NAO) added.

The timetable for planning phase one of the project – from London to Birmingham with work due to start in 2016/17 – was “challenging”, the NAO said.

Tighter dog ownership laws urged

THE Government’s moves to tackle irresponsible dog ownership do not go far enough, a committee of MPs has warned.

Ministers have announced plans to close a loophole which allowed owners of dogs to escape prosecution if the animal attacked someone in a private property.

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee backed that measure but said the plans fell short of creating a “comprehensive and effective regime for tackling the increasing problem of out-of-control dogs”.

Harry ends US tour on winning note

PRINCE Harry ended his US tour by thanking the people of America for their “extraordinary generosity” – as he was shown a rather risque sculpture.

Harry spent his final day playing in his fund-raising Sentebale Polo Cup match, and is believed to have raised a million dollars (£660,000) to help fund the work of his charity.

The seven-day tour has showcased the Prince as a modern, hard-working royal, in contrast to last summer’s high-profile gaffe when he was photographed nude during a “strip billiards” party in a £5,000-a-night hotel in Las Vegas.

Bercow in court for McAlpine case

COMMONS Speaker’s wife Sally Bercow will be at the High Court today for a hearing over her allegedly libellous tweet about Tory peer Lord McAlpine.

The former Conservative Party treasurer is seeking damages over a posting which he says meant that he was a paedophile who was guilty of sexually abusing boys living in care.

Mrs Bercow has always denied that her November 4 tweet, “Why is Lord McAlpine trending? *Innocent face*”, was defamatory.

Rise in ‘altruistic’ organ donors

THE number of people who give one of their organs to a complete stranger has almost tripled in a year, figures show.

There were 104 “altruistic donors” in 2012/13 – a rise from 38 in 2011/12, the Human Tissue Authority (HTA) said.

The watchdog said that 103 of the “living donors” gave away one of their kidneys and one person donated part of their liver.

Bomber flypast to mark Dambusters

A LANCASTER bomber is to perform a flypast at Derwent Reservoir today as part of events to mark the 70th anniversary of the war-time Dambusters air raid.

The dam, in the Hope Valley in Derbyshire, was used by the brave airmen for practice runs.

Today, the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and 617 Squadron will recreate history by flying over the twin towers of the reservoir.