Brittle Tory unity cracks again – Media roundup: April 26th, 2013

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Cameron accused of “divide and rule” as brittle Tory unity cracks again

“Graham Brady, chairman of the Conservative backbench 1922 committee, has been forced to intervene amid complaints from Tory MPs that David Cameron is seeking to “divide and rule” the party after reshaping his Downing Street political operation. Amid warnings that the prime minister’s new Conservative policy board looks a “bit lefty”, Brady has sought to reassure senior figures on the 1922 committee that their work is still valued. Downing Street risked a backlash when it announced Jo Johnson, the most pro-European among the 2010 intake of Tory MPs, will be the new head of the Downing Street policy unit. The younger brother of the London mayor, Boris Johnson, will chair – in Cameron’s absence – monthly sessions of the board tasked with rejuvenating the party and drawing up plans for its 2015 general election manifesto.” – Guardian

Michael Gove wants his own teaching union

“In an address to the National College for Teaching and Leadership in Nottingham on Thursday, the education secretary had warm words for the teaching profession overall, while reserving his ire for the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and NASUWT, which he described as “increasingly out of touch with the profession as a whole”. “The leadership teams of the NUT and NASUWT have demanded their members take industrial action – a work-to-rule – for reasons which are obscure to me but seem to amount to ‘we don’t like the last 25 years of education reform, why can’t we party like it’s 1968?’,” Gove said. The speech was the latest round in the skirmishing between Gove and the unions, which have opposed the introduction of academies and free schools, as well as resisting his attempts to change the employment conditions of teachers in state schools in England. Gove said: “There is a growing consensus that teachers should emulate other professions, and set up a new Royal College – like the Royal College of Surgeons or Paediatricians – identifying, exemplifying and defining best practice in the teaching profession.”” – Guardian

Other highlights

• More non-news from the Mail (some Labour candidates are Trade Unionists) – Daily Mail
• Cameron blamed for Luis Suarez ban (seriously) – Telegraph
• Miliband believes the age of Ed began in 2008 – Philip Collins, The Times(£)