News round-up 5/9: PM shuffles ministers

Ministerial reshuffle

Most newspapers lead with the news that prime minister David Cameron has carried out a major reshuffle.

According to the Guardian, Mr Cameron has firmly shifted the political leaning of his government to the right. The paper says the movements have increased the possibility of coalition disputes, particularly over crime, environment and business policy.

The Daily Mail reports that David Cameron’s decision to give the planning minister job to Nick Boles, who according to the paper has described opponents of planning reform as “hysterical, scare-mongering latter-day Luddites,” will “signal a fresh row over the green belt.” It says George Osborne, who is championing planning changes, “is thought to have played a key role in Mr Boles’ appointment.”

The Financial Times reports that the PM has paved the way for a u-turn on Heathrow airport expansion in a “pro-business ministerial reshuffle” that will rip up green policies.

The Daily Telegraph says London Mayor Boris Johnson turned on Mr Cameron yesterday, demanding that Mr Cameron “come clean” about his “mad” plans for a third runway at Heathrow. His comments came after Justine Greening, the Transport Secretary and a third runway opponent, was transferred to the Department for International Development.

Planning reforms

Figures show that 2,000 extra building projects a month are being approved by councils following the government’s planning reforms, together with a “significant increase” in planning residential permissions, the Daily Telegraph reports. In light of this, the paper questions the need for the Chancellor to draw up new planning rules to stimulate growth.

Safeguarding children

The Guardian reports that child safeguarding professionals in Bristol “missed opportunities” to take a toddler into care before he died from a methadone overdose. It says 23-month-old Jayden-Lee Green, whose parents were drug addicts, was found dead in a “filthy flat” last year. It says a report by Bristol’s safeguarding children board found agencies including social workers, midwives, housing officials, health visitors and drug agencies “did not do enough to challenge the couple.”

Poverty

The international aid charity Save the Children has launched its first domestic fundraising appeal to help children across the UK whose parents cannot afford the rising cost of living, the Guardian reports. Although the fundraising target of £500,000 is modest compared to the charity’s international appeals, the paper writes that it is a “symbolically significant attack” on what Save the Children sees as the government’s failure to tackle increasing poverty and inequality in the UK.

School behaviour

Behaviour in schools is “far worse than official estimates indicate,” the Independent reports. It says research shows one in four trainee teachers said fewer than half of lessons were “under the relaxed comfortable charge of the teacher.”

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