Ed Miliband hardens criteria for Syria strike – Media roundup: September 3rd 2013

Subscribers to our morning email get the best of LabourList – including the Media and Blog Roundup – every weekday morning. As a subscriber, you would have already received this (and much more) in your inbox. You can sign up here.

Ed Miliband hardens criteria for Syria strike

Labour made clear last week that it accepted the attack justified a military response if a definitive link could be established to the Assad regime, if action was deemed lawful and if the UN was properly consulted. Party sources admitted that Miliband is now raising the bar because the attack east of Damascus that prompted the recall of parliament would not have met his new conditions. But they say Miliband is having to work in different circumstances after the prime minister declared following his defeat last Thursday that Britain would not take part in any military action. A senior Labour source said: “There would need to be very significant change [for Labour to support military action]. There are two examples: if al-Qaida got possession of very large stockpiles of weapons or if there is a direct threat to national security. The political reality is that the prime minister has said Britain will not take part in military action. Everyone is having to work within that context.” – Guardian

Tories consider Minimum Wage increase

The Conservative party is examining ways to raise the national minimum wage…Measures being considered include offering tax breaks to companies paying a wage level higher than the current national minimum of £6.19 an hour. And a possible demand for companies above a certain size or profit level to pay employees more than the minimum. However, sources say this is meeting some resistance inside government amid fears it may alienate business leaders. – BBC

Other highlights

• ‘Vulnerable’ Tories need to tackle UKIP, warns Coulson – The Times(£)
• Tory donor handed NHS contract – Daily Mirror