Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Sunday 1 Jul 2018

Theresa May has told cabinet plotters – oust me if you dare. The
Prime Minister has insisted to her aides that she will not be
bullied out of office. As six senior ministers are reportedly
plotting to succeed her, May says she will fight her corner if Tory
MPs force a vote to oust her — declaring that she is content to
“win by one vote”.

The National Crime Agency is investigating fresh evidence of
links between Russia and Arron Banks, the Brexit campaign’s largest
donor. The Sunday Times says leaked emails show that Banks was
offered three Russian business deals during the EU referendum
campaign including a gold mine venture in Guinea, west Africa, and
a lucrative stake in the privatisation of Alrosa, Russia’s
state-controlled diamond miner.

“For schoolgirls, the skirt is on the way out,” says The Sunday
Times, as at least 40 secondaries have stopped girls from wearing
them. It is believed that the change to trousers comes as schools
opt for gender-neutral uniforms to cater for transgender pupils.
But feminists have opposed the move, arguing that all children
should be offered a choice.

Ministers led a secret Whitehall exercise last week to prepare
for 10 days of national mourning after the death of the Queen.
Taking charge of plans for the days following the Queen’s death for
the first time, their exercise, called “Castle Dove”, focused on
“D+1”, the day after the Queen’s death, with ministers deciding
when the prime minister would make public statements.

Southern towns in Syria have surrendered to the forces of
President Bashar al-Assad, reports The Observer. The United Nations
says fighting has driven 160,000 people towards the borders with
Jordan and Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, but both countries say
they will not allow any Syrians to cross. A crucial opposition-held
enclave in the southern Daraa province is shrinking under
airstrikes and ground attacks.

Education reforms introduced since 2010 are fuelling inequality
in the schools system, according to a major new study. Academics at
the UCL Institute of Education found that high-performing and
improving schools are accepting fewer children from poor
backgrounds. The reforms were mostly introduced under the coalition
government and masterminded by Michael Gove as education
secretary.

A major incident has been declared after two “rapidly developing
and aggressive” moorland fires merged in the north-west of England.
Greater Manchester Police issued the warning after fires on Winter
Hill and Scout Road near Bolton combined. Twenty-two fire engines
are on the scene as moorland near Bolton continues to be ravaged by
the “rapidly developing, aggressive” wildfires.

Jeremy Corbyn says Theresa May’s “birthday present” funding
pledge for the NHS will not tackle the immediate funding crisis.
The Labour leader told Sky News that the Prime Minister’s pledge
still falls short of the 3.7% increases the NHS has previously
received. He said Labour would put “far more money in straight
away” to deal with the NHS funding problems.

The heatwave is causing a spike in demand for lettuce and
simultaneously stopping lettuce from growing. A record 18m heads
were sold last week, 40% more than in the same period last year.
But Dieter Lloyd, the spokesperson for British Leafy Salad Growers,
said: “When the mercury hits 30C, lettuces can’t grow.” He added
that “we may be seeing some gaps on retailers’ shelves in the next
two weeks”.

Ministers are planning a minimum tenancy term of three years to
give people renting homes in England more security. Data shows 80%
of tenants currently have contracts of six or 12 months. “Being
able to call your rental property your home is vital to putting
down roots and building stronger communities,” said Communities
Secretary James Brokenshire. Labour says the plans do not go far
enough.