Top story: MPs await most wide-ranging reshuffle yet
... aaand we’re back. Good morning to you, Graham Russell here to bring you the first morning briefing of 2018.
Theresa May is expected to sack or move about a quarter of her cabinet on Monday in an assertion of authority that was impossible in the aftermath of last year’s disastrous election result. The education secretary, Justine Greening, and the party chairman, Sir Patrick McLoughlin, appear to be the most likely victims, though the PM does have form for slipping in the odd surprise.
But plus ça change ... Philip Hammond, Amber Rudd, Boris Johnson and David Davis all appear set to keep their roles, a sign that May is still not strong enough to pick fights with potential challengers. But May will be appointing a new first secretary of state and Cabinet Office minister to replace Damian Green, who was in effect sacked before Christmas for not telling the truth about pornography being found on his office computer during a police raid in 2008.
It comes a day after after the PM blew the whistle to begin the year’s politics with an Andrew Marr interview during which she accepted the NHS was facing problems this winter, saying at one point “nothing’s perfect” as part of a response to a question about a stroke victim waiting hours to see a doctor.
Junior ministerial appointments are expected to bring in more women and more people from diverse backgrounds as the Tories seek to learn the lessons of 2017 and promote talent who look and sound representative of the country as a whole.
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Golden Globes puts spotlight on abuse – The 75th annual Golden Globes saw Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri triumph with four awards during a ceremony dominated by powerful speeches on sexual harassment delivered by women united in wearing black. Oprah Winfrey, who became the first black woman to win the Cecil B DeMille lifetime achievement award, told the audience: “I want all the girls watching here, now, to know that a new day is on the horizon. And when that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent women, many of whom are right here in this room tonight, and some pretty phenomenal men, fighting hard to make sure that they become the leaders who take us to the time when nobody ever has to say ‘me too’ again.” Host Seth Meyers didn’t hold back either. Here’s the full winners list plus a red carpet gallery.
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Pay gap comes at a cost – One of the BBC’s most senior journalists has resigned her position in protest at the broadcaster’s failure to address its gender pay gap. Carrie Gracie said she was resigning as China editor and did not trust management to deal with what she called a “secretive and illegal” pay culture. In a blunt open letter to licence fee payers, she wrote that a managerial “bunker mentality is likely to end in a disastrous legal defeat for the BBC and an exodus of female talent at every level”. Gracie wants to return to her old post in the newsroom “where I expect to be paid equally”. A string of influential figures have since variously praised Gracie as “brave”, “brilliant” and “principled”.
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Friendly fire and fury – Steve Bannon has belatedly clarified that he does not in fact think Donald Trump Jr committed treason, saying his comments for Michael Wolff’s explosive book were aimed at Paul Manafort instead. Referring to a meeting between Trump Jr and Russians in 2016, Bannon said Trump’s campaign chairman Manafort “should have known they [the Russians] are duplicitous, cunning and not our friends”. Bannon issued his statement after sharp criticism from Trump senior and his allies and losing the support of major Republican donors. Bannon did not apologise for any of his other remarks to Wolff, which included strident criticism of Jared Kushner and calling Ivanka Trump “dumb as a brick”.
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Grenfell independence – The Grenfell Tower inquiry has cancelled its contract with KPMG after protesters accused it of conflicts of interest that would damage the local community’s confidence in the investigation. KPMG audits the parent company of Celotex, which produced the insulation on the tower, audits the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and Rydon Group, the contractor that refurbished Grenfell Tower. The auditor said it was confident there was no conflict of interest but acted based on the “strength of opinion about our role”.
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Screened out – Devices on the parliamentary network used by MPs, peers and staff tried to access pornographic websites on average 160 times a day between June and October last year. The figures, arising from a freedom of information request, also show a sharp decrease in the number of attempts to access the websites in recent years. In 2016, the system blocked 113,208 attempts, down from 213,020 the previous year. Parliamentary authorities said many of the access attempts were not deliberate and that the data included guest wifi use.
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Lunchtime read: a taste of theatrical alchemy
Looking for a crocodile? Well, what size are you after? A stuffed goat, you say. What kind? These are some of the questions you might hear at the Royal Shakespeare Company’s props HQ. The sprawling site in Stratford-upon-Avon is part Aladdin’s Cave, part Steptoe’s junkyard, where people can be tugging wood through cutting machines or peering at needles, as the team work on three major productions, including a Twelfth Night set in 1890s Britain. For those who think prop-making is a skill rendered redundant by technology, the prospects for aspirants are surprisingly bright. “Making is having a huge renaissance,” says Dot Young, who leads the props course at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. “3D printing does the basic, boring bits – and allows us to immerse ourselves in cerebral, fun problem-solving.”
Sport
The England cricket captain, Joe Root, was taken to hospital with severe dehydration on the final day of the fifth Ashes test, causing him to initially retire hurt, but he resumed his innings after the dismissal of Moeen Ali.
Arsène Wenger turned on his players after watching them be pitched out of the FA Cup by Nottingham Forest. He said it “hurts very much” to experience a third-round defeat for the first time since he took over as Arsenal’s manager in 1996. Philippe Coutinho has arrived five months later than Barcelona hoped, and for more money, but they are convinced he will be worth it.
Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka has withdrawn from the event amid an ongoing custody battle and Drew Brees, who turns 39 this month, passed for 376 yards and two touchdowns to help the New Orleans Saints seal a 31-26 victory over the Carolina Panthers in their NFC wildcard playoff.
Business
Manufacturers are more upbeat about the world economy than at any time since 2014, a survey says, and they think overseas demand will sustain them through the uncertainty of Brexit. The FTSE100 is expected to reflect this optimistic outlook with a 0.2% rise at the opening this morning after another positive session for Asian shares overnight.
The pound is buying $1.357 and €1.127.
The papers
The looming cabinet reshuffle, BBC pay disparity and the NHS’s winter woes dominate the front pages today in a remarkable display of unity for a Monday.
The Guardian frames the upcoming cabinet changes as a means for Theresa May to assert control in the new year. It also gives over its picture slot to Peter Preston, the paper’s influential editor for nearly 20 years, who has died at 79.
The Telegraph reports the reshuffle will include the appointment of a “no-deal” Brexit minister working alongside David Davis. It also carries Carrie Gracie’s resignation from her editing role at the BBC over the gender pay gap. The Independent goes with the headline: “May gambles on reshuffle as NHS crisis deepens” and includes a picture of the wreckage in Idlib after a car bomb killed at least 18.
The Times leads with Carrie Gracie’s resignation, but also carries stories on the looming reshuffle and the “time’s up” movement at the Golden Globes.
The Mail says children were deluged with gambling ads during football matches over the Christmas holidays while the Mirror focuses on the human cost of the NHS winter crisis – a one-year-old who has had her heart operation postponed five times.
The FT says the medicines industry is pushing to stay under EU regulation after Brexit and the Sun says a gel containing nitroglycerin has been found effective in trials as a cure for impotence.
For more news: www.theguardian.com
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