'Absurd'

The Independent's Morning Headlines email [View online]( March 07, 2023 [Morning Headlines]( 1 / [Boris Johnson’s ‘absurd’ plan to give father Stanley a knighthood ‘corrodes public trust’, Tories warn]( [Boris Johnson](’s “absurd” plan to give his father a [knighthood]( in his resignation honours will discredit the system and “corrode public trust”, senior [Conservatives]( have told The Independent. Top Tories joined [Labour]( leader Sir Keir Starmer in condemning the move by the former prime minister – one of up to 100 names he has reportedly nominated for honours. Former cabinet minister [David Davis]( told The Independent: “I think it’s ridiculous. It’s discrediting the honours system, which is rather a good one in that it doesn’t cost money and it recognises achievements of ordinary people. “There has been progressive corrosion of public trust in this system, so it doesn’t help to undermine that trust further just because of a family favour. It’s corrosive,” said Mr Davis.   2 / [Leaked WhatsApps reveal government struggle over Covid ‘sex ban’ advice]( The chief medical officer suggested couples were not likely to remain apart during the first weeks of the 2020 lockdown, according to leaked messages 3 / [Failure to catch Wayne Couzens for flashing made him ‘invincible’ before Sarah Everard murder, judge says]( Couzens, who is already serving a whole life term, given a new 19-month sentence for three flashing incidents 4 / [Family criticise police search as tributes pour in for three killed in Cardiff crash]( Two people are hospitalised in a serious condition 5 / [High street firms demand end to apprenticeship levy over taxpayer-funded MBAs for top executives]( Exclusive: Flagship policy ‘has come to the end of its usefulness’ says Lush co-founder   The Big Question What is the government’s planned small boats law and will it work? The government is set to unveil new laws that ministers claim will tackle small boat crossings in the [English Channel](, but questions are mounting over how the proposals will work. [Rishi Sunak]( has made “stopping the boats” one of his five priorities and has come under mounting pressure from Conservative MPs to take actions as numbers continue to soar. Senior Tories have told The Independent they[fear the prime minister is “over-promising”](, and that the legislation cannot be brought into effect before the next general election. One former minister predicted that the bill will face strong opposition and could be mired in new legal challenges, as the [Rwanda]( scheme remains stalled. Meanwhile, the Home Office internally estimates another rise in small boat crossings in 2023, following successive annual records as previous attempted “deterrents” failed. [For the full story click here >](   Enjoying this newsletter? Unlock unlimited, ad-free reading on the website and in The Independent app when you subscribe – plus, benefit from our [welcome offer when you join today](. Watch/ [Murderer’s distinctive £1,300 designer coat helps police track him down](   NUMBER OF THE DAY 100 – [Starbucks]( has said it plans to open more than 100 new UK coffee shops following a jump in sales. [Read more here](   QUOTE OF THE DAY “So I would have just had to drop out of uni, I would have been homeless, because you need a guarantor to get any kind of rent these days, or a reference or something ... That’s the situation we’re in, and no one seems to help or understand it properly ... It’s unbelievably stressful.” – Young people are giving up on higher education due to a lack of rent support, with some even relying on lecturers for help. [Read more here](     Other stories you might like   [Opinion: Chris Rock made Black people the butt of his jokes in a lazy Netflix special](   [Revealed: Students told to pay year’s rent upfront because they don’t have families](   Snow and ice warnings as Britain braces for coldest night of the year       Articles available exclusively to subscribers Marie Le Conte - [Will small boats prove the sticking point of Sunak’s premiership?](   Other newsletters you might like [The Race Report]( The Race Report Fortnightly, 6pm (UK time) Written by Nadine White [Join now]( [The View from Westminster ]( The View from Westminster Every weekday, 6pm (UK time) Written by John Rentoul [Join now](   If you can spare a minute we’d love your [feedback]( on our newsletters. [The Independent]( Join the conversation or follow us [Facebook]( [Twitter]( Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's Morning Headlines newsletter. 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