#it's the welsh version of MP member of parliament

[mosswolf]

ah. our MS abstained from the ceasefire vote the other day

[influencermagazineuk]

UK General Election Live Updates: Scottish Secretary Clarifies Betting Controversy

Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland and The Rt Hon Alister Jack MP, OGL 3 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3, via Wikimedia Commons Scottish Secretary Alister Jack, a key Tory cabinet minister, disclosed on Tuesday evening that he had placed three bets on the date of the general election, with one being successful. However, Jack insisted he had not breached any gambling rules. "I had no knowledge of the date of the election until the day it was called. As I have said previously, I placed no bets in May and am not under investigation by the Gambling Commission," he stated. This revelation comes amid an ongoing investigation by the Gambling Commission into the conduct of several Conservative politicians regarding suspicious bets on the general election date. Russell George, a Tory member of the Welsh parliament and associate of Sunak’s aide Craig Williams, is the latest to be scrutinized. George has expressed his willingness to fully cooperate with the investigation while temporarily stepping back from his shadow cabinet role to avoid distractions. Liz Kendall, Labour’s shadow secretary of state for work and pensions, faced tough questions on Good Morning Britain about the gambling scandal, council tax rebanding, and potential changes to tax-free allowances on pensions. Kendall emphasized Labour’s transparency, noting that the party was informed of only one case involving a Labour candidate, and praised Keir Starmer for his swift response. Work and pensions secretary Mel Stride defended Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's management of the betting scandal, asserting that Sunak had acted appropriately. Stride reiterated that those found guilty of breaking gambling rules by the Gambling Commission would be expelled from the party. He also criticized Labour for suspending Kevin Craig, highlighting that Craig had bet against himself in his election, which he deemed equally problematic. The scandal has overshadowed the ongoing election campaigns, putting pressure on political parties to address internal compliance and ethical issues. The Labour and Conservative parties are both under scrutiny as they navigate the fallout from the gambling investigations, aiming to maintain voter confidence. Stay tuned for more updates as the situation develops. Read the full article

[laurendormanblog]

Blog #9: Coronavirus Updates - April (so far)

This comes from a post from simplepolitics on Instagram, released throughout the month of April (so far.)

1 April:  A loss of smell and taste. Some people are reporting that they are experiencing a loss of smell and taste when they are ill with the Coronavirus. A King’s College study found that around 59% of those with confirmed cases of the virus experienced these symptoms. If I have this, do I definitely have the virus? No. Loss of smell and taste can be signs of various other things - including a regular cold. However, if it is in conjunction with a new persistent cough and a fever, it could well be another sign that you have the virus. You should, of course, isolate and head to 111 online for help/instructions. Is it on the official list of symptoms? No. Public Health England and the WHO agree there’s not enough evidence. The King’s College study though? They think it’s worth looking out for - in combination with the rest.

1 April: Police guidance. There have been lots of stories recently… stopped for buying Easter eggs. Drones taking photos. Road blocks. Questions about policing, consistency and levels of enforcement have been asked. Ministers have implied it’s gone too far. New guidance. The College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs Council have looked at what might be appropriate. They suggest that while people shouldn’t be leaving their house without reasonable excuse, we must ‘police by consent’. There has to be a relationship between officers and the public. So, road blocks are excessive. It’s okay to travel a bit for somewhere nice to exercise. Arrests and fines should be a last resort. In short - judgement and common sense should be used. 

1 April:  Virtual Commons? What’s happening? Parliament took an early recess due to the virus. It won’t be back until at least 21 April. In the crisis, things are changing daily. A group of 100 MPs has called for a digital Parliament to be set up to allow scrutiny of the government’s response. Aren’t some things happening online? Some select committees are still meeting virtually. The Cabinet also met remotely for the first time this week. But surely it can’t work for a whole Parliament? Cue Wales. Today, the Welsh Assembly becomes the UK’s first big democratic gathering to debate using Zoom. Each party has agreed to a limited number of members taking part so it works logistically. Yes it’s smaller than Westminster, but it shows what could be possible.

1 April: 

Largest single daily rise in deaths from COVID-19. 

Business Secretary thanked businesses supporting life-saving work and keeping employees safe. 

Reiterated forms of help available so far. Local authorities have received £12bn to help reach businesses in need. 

As taxpayers ‘stepped in to help the banks in 2008’ the government wants banks to repay the favour by helping businesses in need. 

Slight upturn in motor vehicle use in figures - reminder to stay safe and stay at home. 

Increasing testing is still the government’s top priority. Now at 10,000 tests a day.

Wimbledon and the Edinburgh festival among events that were cancelled today.

2 April: Message from Boris Johnson (This is an abbreviated version for brevity and clarity. All the effort has been made to represent the PM’s tone and message). 

If we can comply with these measures, together, we will begin to start to push the numbers down and turn the tide in the next few weeks and months. We’ve shipped in the last couple of weeks 397 million pieces of PPE. We’re also massively increasing testing. This is how we will unlock the coronavirus puzzle. This is how we will defeat it in the end. What we need to do is massively ramp up tests so that you can know whether you have had the disease. That will enable you to go to work in the confidence you can’t get the disease or be infectious. Second, people need to know they haven’t got it, rather than isolating themselves at home for no reason. And it’s crucial those who do have the disease are tested and take the necessary steps. I’m confident that we will beat it, and we will beat it together. We will do it by staying at home, protecting our NHS and saving lives. 

2 April: 

On protective equipment - said record quantity has been shipped to the frontline. Upgraded PPE guidance has been issued today.

On NHS Trusts - writing off £13.4 billion of historic debt. 

Unveiled 5 pillars to testing strategy:

1. Swab testing in NHS hospitals to find out whether you have the virus.

2. Swab testing delivered by commercial partners for frontline workers and their families.

3. Rolling out blood tests that will test whether you have had the virus. Currently working with 9 companies to evaluate their effectiveness.

4. Understanding what % of the population have had it through sampling.

5. Asking manufacturers, inventors and developers to assist the UK’s diagnostic capability. 

New target: 100,000 tests per day by the end of the month (that’s across all 5 pillars).

3 April: Matt Hancock on Radio 4.

I’m not assuming any antibody tests come on stream to hit the 100,000 test targets. These tests are important - the scientists say they are more important later, when we’re trying to come out of social distancing. It would be possible to come out of these measures without this test, but the more information we have from these tests, the better. We haven’t yet found an antibody test that works well enough to use. The first call on swab tests is for patients. Next is for critical staff, largely in the NHS. The modelling suggests that the peak of cases will come in the next few weeks, but is sensitive to people following social distancing. The ramp up of testing has been ongoing throughout. 

3 April:

NHS Nightingale hospital opened in London today. Planned, constructed and staffed in 9 days.

Thanked everyone staying at home for giving the NHS time to expand. 

Bristol and Harrogate join the list of planned new Nightingale hospitals.

Reiterated working hard to deliver PPE products.

Research and clinical trials are key. Three national clinical trials have been established. An expert therapeutics taskforce has also been set up to search for other candidate medicines for trials. 

Forecast is for a good weekend. Ended with this instruction - stay home, protect lives - and you will be doing your part.

The PM still has a fever and is staying in self-isolation.

4 April: 

UK’s highest daily total of deaths from COVID-19. There are regional variations to hospital admission:

In London, admissions fell slightly between 1-2 April.Admissions are steady in Wales.

They have gone up 35% in Yorkshire and the North East.

In the Midlands, they have gone up by 47%.

Over 10,000 tests to NHS staff were administered yesterday.

NHS capacity is being ramped up through supplies of non-invasive and invasive ventilators.

More to come next week about supporting children at risk or in need over the Easter holidays.

Welcomed constructive challenge and scrutiny of the government.

Key message - whatever the temptations this weekend - stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives. 

5 April: Matt Hancock has been to TV to say that it is not okay to sunbathe in public. Even if two meters from anyone. He suggested it’s not okay to sit down for a while during exercise. The only reasons to be out of your home are to run/walk, buy essentials or get to work. He repeated that if the minority still can’t follow these rules, the lockdown measures will be made stronger. 

5 April: 

Following the rules is ‘mission critical’. The more we follow the rules, the quicker we will be through it.

“Cannot rule out further steps” being introduced in terms of social distancing if people don’t follow guidance - but no changes are imminent.

The NHS now has more than 9,000 ventilators, which will rise 18,000 over the next few weeks. 

Welcomed former healthcare professionals back to the NHS.

There’s a new tracker to collate symptoms to better understand the disease. Encouraged anyone who has experienced symptoms to fill it in:

https://www.nhs.uk/coronavirus-status-checker/

5 April: 10 days after testing positive for COVID-19, the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has been admitted to hospital for tests.

6 April: Exit strategy. If restrictions are lifted too soon, the virus could come back again. Yet the longer lockdown goes on, the worse it will be for the economy as well as impacting on physical and mental health. Scientists need to make predictions about how people will behave once rules are lifted. Will we be more cautious? Or will we try to celebrate in large groups? There’s been some talk of a traffic light system - moving from red - to amber with some limited travel/shop openings - eventually back to green. Just one of many ideas. Current restrictions will be reviewed next week.

6 April: 

Last night the PM was admitted to hospital. He had a comfortable night in hospital and is in good spirits. He continues to lead the government. 

Government deploying a diplomatic network around the world to help source ventilators.

Working with airlines to bring British nationals home.

Thanked NHS staff - and urged people to continue to follow guidance and stay at home.

Staying at home is working - but it will take time for lower hospital admissions to filter through into lower numbers of deaths.

Still too early to talk about when restrictions will be lifted.

6 April: Boris Johnson has been moved to intensive care. Dominic Raab is in line to temporarily take over if the Prime Minister can no longer perform his duties.

7 April: Deputising for the PM. First, the bad news. At this point, the exact details aren’t 100% clear. Unlike other countries, we don’t have a rule book to follow. It pretty much depends on what the PM and other top dogs want to happen. What do we know? Dominic Raab is not the Prime Minister, even if he is standing in. Boris Johnson was elected into that role and keeps that position. Raab has stressed that Johnson is still in charge of the country. Instead, Raab will stand in where necessary. He will chair big meetings, he will keep the ship as steady as possible, he will sign off on documents that need signing. He will take over the day to day running of the fight against Coronavirus. Unless absolutely vital, he won’t make any big decisions that will change the course of the country. If the PM remains unable to fulfil his duties, Raab’s role will surely increase with time.

7 April: 

Update on Boris Johnson: He’s receiving the very best care, breathing without assistance but has had oxygen. Further updates will follow.

Described the PM as ‘a fighter’.

Cabinet had updates today on NHS capacity, PPE and other key areas of focus.

Largest daily death toll since the outbreak began. We aren’t however seeing an acceleration in new cases. 

Raab confirmed he has been asked to deputise for the PM for as long as it needed.

Confirmed cabinet will try to take decisions collectively. 

8 April: Downing Street has suggested that there will be no review into the lockdown measures in the next week. Instead, that first review will probably take place around 20th April.

8 April: 

PM remains in intensive care, but his condition is improving. Latest reports are he has been sitting up in bed.

Charity sector: All charities eligible for the job retention scheme. Some however, are on the frontline fighting the virus and can’t shut up shop or furlough employees. 

Announcing a £750 million package to help the charity sector. 

Government will also match whatever the public donate through the BBC’s ‘Big Night In’ charity appeal. 

Described new UK cases as ‘not accelerating out of control’.

9 April: 

PM remains in intensive care, but continues to make ‘positive steps forward’.

Message is ‘We’re not done yet’ - keep following the guidance to stay at home.

COBRA met today - believe it’s too early to relax measures and they will not give a further update until the end of next week.

Government continuing to gather data on the impact of social distancing measures. 

We have not yet reached the peak of the virus. 

Understands this will impact Easter weekend - but asks people not to undo efforts made so far.

Stay at home this bank holiday.

10 April:

Easter will be ‘a test of the nation’s resolve.’

The PM’s condition continues to improve. He is out of intensive care.

Thanked the NHS team for his care. 

Over 19k tests were carried out yesterday.

Capacity is there to test all key social care staff and HS staff who need to be tested. Still working towards 100k tests per day by month end.

PPE plan:

1. Clear guidance - treating PPE like a precious resource, only using where there is a clinical need. 

2. Distribution - making sure those that need it can get it at the right time.

3. Future Supply - making sure we have enough to see us through the crisis through new global supply lines and making our own.

Stay at home this bank holiday.

11 April: 

Still seeing deaths rise, though believe we will see a reduction in the next few weeks - as measures filter through.

Total crime has fallen as people follow guidance to stay at home.

Though there are new risks from fraud and children being exploited online.

The national domestic abuse helpline has seen a 120% increase in calls.

If you are in immediate danger - call 999 and press 55 on a mobile if you are unable to talk.

A national communications campaign is launching to signpost help for victims of domestic abuse.

£2 million pounds will be given to boost online support.

Stay at home this bank holiday.

12 April: Guidance for pet owners. There is no evidence of coronavirus circulating in pets or other animals in the UK and there is nothing to suggest animals may transmit the disease to humans. In line with the general advice on fighting coronavirus, you should wash your hands regularly, including before and after contact with animals. If you have symptoms of coronavirus you must remain at home for 7 days, or 14 days as a household. If your dog cannot exercise at home, you should ask someone outside of your household to walk your dog for you. All non-essential trips to vets should be avoided. If your pet needs urgent treatment, you must phone the vet to arrange the best approach to meet your pets’ needs.

12 April: 

Boris Johnson is out of hospital, but will not immediately return to work.

While daily deaths are slightly down, the total number has now reached over 10,000.

A new NHS app for ‘contact tracing’ is being developed. If you develop symptoms, it will anonymously alert people with whom you have been in contact, allowing them to take precautions. 

2,295 spare critical care beds in the country. People have always been able to access the care they need. This is more spare capacity than before the crisis.

Also, obviously, stay at home.

13 April: 

Overwhelming majority of people have stayed at home this Easter.

Death toll is now over 11,000. We are still not past the peak of the virus. 

Social distancing will be reviewed this week. Government don’t expect to make any changes to existing guidelines. 

Data suggest deaths may continue to rise this week before hopefully seeing a plateau.

Patrick Vallance said evidence is stronger that wearing masks stops you passing on the virus, rather than catching it. The government would change its mind on mask guidance, if evidence suggested it was the right thing to do.

14 April: Should strategy be UK wide? What’s happening? Nicola Sturgeon said she wouldn’t hesitate to diverge from UK plans if it saved lives. Wales’ First Minister talks about doing the right thing for Wales ‘at the right time for Wales’. Lockdown is set to continue for some time, but could the nations eventually come out of this at different times? Or should any exit be coordinated UK wide?

WOO

Having consistency across the UK makes getting the message to people much simpler. 

Enforcing different rules could be difficult - especially around borders.

BOO

Each nation has slightly different demographics and may be at different stages of the virus spread.

Some decisions, like school closures, were already taken separately

14 April: 

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) suggested today that the UK economy could shrink by 35% if lockdown lasts for three months.

Whilst the scale of what we are facing will have serious consequences, we came into crisis with a fundamentally sound economy. 

It will be temporary - we will ‘bounce back’.

Said he does not accept that people will be affected for a generation.

Added that the single most important thing we can do for the health or our economy is protect the health of our people.

Looking at the data, deaths continue to rise, while hospital admissions are stabilising.

Tomorrow, Matt Hancock will talk about social care.

14 April: OBR report. Office for Budget Responsibility, the government’s independent financial forecaster. They’ve looked at the impact of lockdown on the economy. So, what have they said? The economy could shrink by a record 35% by June. It would be the largest drop in living memory. A 3 month lockdown would take borrowing to an estimated £273bn this financial year, or 14% of gross domestic product (GDP). On unemployment, they expect a rise of 2.1 million to 3.4 million by the end of June. Was there any good news? It was pretty stark. We’re in for some rough times. That it could be temporary and recovery is possible is at least something to hold on to.

15 April: 

The NHS has spare capacity - everyone who has needed to have hospital care has been able to do so. 

Will not lift measures until it is safe to do so.

Next steps in action plan for social care:

All care home residents coming back from hospital will be tested before being admitted to the care home.

Increasing PPE supplies to social care settings.Introducing a new ‘brand’ for social care - to allow social care staff to identify themselves - ‘a badge of honour’. 

Supermarkets will be asked that carers have the same priority as NHS staff.

Wherever possible giving people’s family members a chance to say goodbye to family members.

Angela McLean, Deputy Chief Scientific Adviser said there was a ‘flattened curve’ in terms of new cases.

16 April: It’s not official yet and we await tonight’s big announcement, but because of the exclusive access that SP has to news websites, the television and social media, they can say that the lockdown will continue until 7th May at the earliest.

16 April: Virtual Parliament via Zoom - a way to keep questioning through the crisis. How does it work? Up to 120 MPs will be able to take part remotely at one time. 50 will be allowed to remain in the chamber under ‘strict social distancing rules’. Screens will be placed around the Commons Chamber. Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said it lets MPs “stay close to their communities” and continue “their important work scrutinising the government”. It’s thought the set-up will cover departmental questions, statements, PMQs and urgent questions. Decisions on legislation, voting and debates will be made later.

16 April: 

Cabinet and Cobra met today. They took advice from SAGE (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies).

While restrictions are working, changes to social distancing measures now would risk a second peak of the virus.

Current lockdown measures therefore remain in place for at least the next three weeks.

There are five criteria that government will need to see before they’d consider a relaxation of any measure:

Sufficient critical care and specialist treatment available. 

Sustained and consistent fall in daily death rate.

Reliable data that the rate of infection is decreasing across the board.

Operational challenges, like testing and PPE are in hand.

Any adjustments will not risk a second peak.

17 April: New guidance on going out. 

Exercise:

Exercising once a day is fine. Ministers have suggested that this should be half an hour/an hour, but it depends on levels of fitness.

Driving to the countryside to walk is okay, but the walk should be considerably longer then the drive.

It’s okay to rest, or even have lunch during a walk, but not to take a short walk and stay seated for a longer period.

Shopping:

It’s alright to pick up only a couple of essentials, like milk or bread.

You can buy several days' supplies at a time, including luxury items and booze.

DIY bits are allowed for repairs, but not redecoration.

Work:

Key workers and non-key workers can travel if work can’t be done from home.

It’s not okay to ‘work from home’ in the park. 

Other bits:

Animals can go to the vet for treatment. Not for prescriptions, which can be done on the phone.

You can move house for a couple of days to ‘cool off’ after an argument.

You can’t ‘move house’ for a few hours.

17 April: Vaccine taskforce:

Set up to accelerate the development of a vaccine - reporting to Business and Health Secretaries. 

Industry, academics and regulators are involved. 

21 research projects have been ‘green lighted’ with funding of around £14m. 

Building capacity to mass produce vaccines. 

There are no guarantees - but we are a country with a ‘history of pioneering science.’ 

Furloughed employee scheme now extended until end of June.

18 April: 

UK death toll has passed 15,000.

Providing an extra £1.6bn to local councils to help them provide vital services.

Those who are ‘shielded’ are being regularly checked in with through phone calls.

More than 90% of rough sleepers have been offered accommodation through local councils and charities.

Made clear to councils that all parks should remain open ‘for the health of the public’. 

People must abide by social distancing.

For clarity - funerals can go ahead with close family present. Cemeteries and graveyards should also remain open or be reopened.

On PPE: Said trying everything to get the equipment we need. 84 tonnes of PPE - including 400k gowns will arrive from Turkey tomorrow.

19 April: 

UK death toll has passed 16,000.

No date can be given as to when schools will reopen. The government has 5 key criteria that need to be met first. These include death rates decreasing and not risking a second peak.

Working with Childline and NSPCC to make sure vulnerable children have help.

Ordering laptops to help disadvantaged young people, children with social workers and care leavers.

Acknowledged the challenge of homeschooling - referenced resources including BBC Bitesize.

20 April: 

On PPE: Said it was ‘an international challenge’ and they were pursuing every possible option.

Coronavirus job retention scheme opened today at 8am. As of 4pm, 140,000 firms have applied.

Believes innovation and enterprise will help the economy recover. Launched two initiatives today - worth £1.25bn:

Future fund - to make sure high growth companies can continue to access investment.

Grant and loan funds for innovative firms across the sectors and regions.

On data: Rail and tube use down by 95%, showing how people are adhering to guidelines.

21 April: The advice on wearing face-masks in public is to be officially reviewed this week. Top dogs are suggesting the advice will not change. This is partly due to the shortage of masks and the potential threat to NHS supplies.

21 April: 

Said plan has always been to keep NHS capacity ahead of need.

Reiterated 5 criteria that must be met before any relaxation of measures.

On PPE: Said over 8000 offers of PPE equipment have been made and will be investigated. Working with 159 potential UK manufacturers. Said it was a 24/7 operation.

On vaccines: Our two most promising projects are Oxford and Imperial. Both will get circa £20 million each for further development. Human trials will begin this Thursday in Oxford.

22 April: 

UK Coronavirus hospital death toll is now over 18,000.

Said biggest risk is a second spike of the virus.

That’s why social distancing measures must remain in place.

Paid tribute to the armed forces for helping NHS to build capacity.General Sir Nick Carter, the chief of the defence staff gave an update on the logistics of the military operation.

Said we’re ‘coming through the peak - but we’re not done yet’. We should stay home, protect the NHS, save lives.

23 April: Human trials. What’s happening? Compared to normal timelines, this is warp speed. Scientists in Oxford begin human vaccine trials today. The government has already pledged £20 million in backing. How does it all work then? The vaccine is made from a harmless chimp virus - genetically engineered to carry Coronavirus. They’re starting with volunteers aged 18 to 55 and in good health. Up to 500 people will be on it by May, it runs for 6 months. Is confidence high? The Health Secretary is keen to point out that it’s an ‘uncertain science’. The Oxford team is starting production before the trial finishes, so there’s less delay if it proves successful.

23 April: 

Introducing strategy of Test, Track and Trace which will be key to keeping the infection rate down/.

Test - Capacity now at 51,000/day. Employers of essential workers can now get tests for staff on gov.uk. Essential workers (and their households) who need a test can also book online.

Track - There will be a mass antibody survey - encouraged anyone who is asked to take part.

Trace - Contact tracing app launching - to alert others who’ve been in significant contact with someone who has the virus. 18,000 people will be hired to work in contact tracing.

24 April:

UK hospital death toll now over 19,500.

Have agreement with France/Ireland to keep freight routes open - for medicines and raw materials etc.

Ferry/flight routes also protected for essential workers.

Green light for trials of drones to deliver medical supplies, starting next week on Isle of Wight.

Funding for England’s tram network - allowing essential local routes to remain open.

Said more slots will be opening on the online test booking portal. Stressed that tests are for people experiencing symptoms - will only test whether you currently have Coronavirus. 

25 April: 

More than 20,000 people have now died in hospital in the UK.

If you need urgent medical attention (not virus related) - still be sure to seek help from 111, your GP or 999.

Reminder that victims of domestic abuse can move home. 

There is a fall in overall crime - car crime, burglary and shoplifting. Sophisticated criminals are exploiting the virus, but the law force is adapting.

Protect yourself online by protecting your children (thinkyouknow.co.uk), stay safe online (cyber aware website), look after your money - be vigilant of scams.

Also, obviously, stay home.

26 April: Looks like Boris Johnson will be back working from Number 10 on Monday. Currently widely reported, but not yet confirmed.

26 April: 

Panic buying has eased and food availability is at normal levels.

Supermarkets all have social distancing measures. Staff absence rates in the food chain have reduced.

500,000 food parcels have been delivered to the ‘shielded’. Delivery slots have also been prioritised for those in this group.

Volunteer shoppers are being located for those in need.

Hospital admissions are down, which shows social distancing is working.

It’s still, however, too soon to talk about easing lockdown measures.

27 April: Boris Johnson returns...

We are making progress in hospital admissions, fewer COVID cases in ICU - signs we are passing the peak.

We are close to achieving the first aim of protecting the NHS.

This is the moment of biggest risk, as people will wonder if this is the time to go easy on these stressful measures.

Without our private sector, there will be no economy, no cash to fund rebuilding.

We must also recognise the risk of the second strike. That would bring a new wave of death and disease but also an economic disaster.

I refuse to throw away all the effort and sacrifice of the British people.

Maintain patience, because we are coming to the end of the first phase of this crisis.

We’ll continue to suppress the disease in the second phase, to keep the infection rate below one, but we will slowly begin to open different sectors of the economy.

We simply cannot spell out now how fast or slow, or even when, those changes will be made.

27 April:

Announced a life assurance scheme for families of NHS and social care frontline staff who die during essential coronavirus work. Families would receive £60k.

The 8th NHS Nightingale hospital opened today.

Reminded people that the NHS is still open for other medical issues. Urged people to come forward if they need help.

NHS cancer treatment and mental health support will start to resume from tomorrow.

Today’s public question was whether being able to hug grandchildren would be one of the first restrictions lifted.

All credit goes to simplepolitics on Instagram.

[global-news-station]

Britain´s bickering parliament has splintered into rival factions with their own remedies for Prime Minister Theresa May´s Brexit deal.

Tuesday will be their big chance to have their say.

Here is what the political lay of the land will look like when the House of Commons holds votes that could alter the course of Britain´s planned split from the EU on March 29.

May loyalists

About a third of MPs still say the deal May struck with Brussels was the best Britain could have hoped for when its voters shocked Europe by deciding to leave in 2016.

Some of them are paid government members and have no real choice. Others just want to see a deal done and the nagging uncertainties vanquished.

May hopes that more MPs join them, under the joint pressures of time and of fear that their version of a perfect Brexit will be subverted by those who want no deal or no Brexit at all.

No backstop

May´s minority government relies on the votes of a tiny Northern Irish party that loves Brexit but hates the “backstop” solution for keeping the border open with EU member Ireland.

Past sectarian strife and current political realities make it baulk at any border solution that — even temporarily — gives Northern Ireland a different economic status from the rest of the UK.

They are joined by a band of determined Brussels-bashers in May´s Conservative party who say the stop-gap arrangement turns Britain into an EU vassal state.

Both groups say new border technology tracking goods could preserve frictionless trade. Brussels thinks gadgets and computers are only part of a broader solution.

No deal

Some backstop opponents think London´s best bet is to make a clean break with Brussels without any binding deal.

They champion free trade rules and see government warnings about border chaos and an economic recession as nothing but scaremongering.

Better backstop

Yet nearly all backstop critics still want Brexit.

British media suggest some are now mulling compromises that could save May´s deal and ensure a timely escape from Europe.

One would give parliament the right to tell the government to leave the hated border arrangement should talks on a new EU-UK trade deal break down.

Another would simply set a time limit on how long the backstop can function.

But Brussels insists that it must remain until a permanent replacement is found.

No no-deal

Perhaps the fastest-growing lobby is the one trying to avert a no-deal scenario by any means possible.

This group spans the political divide and includes finance minister Philip Hammond and top members of the main opposition Labour party.

One popular plot involves overturning centuries-old traditions governing how the British legislature works.

Its ultimate aim is to give parliament the right to seize the initiative and tell May what to do.

The first idea could force May to seek a Brexit deadline extension that might run until the end of the year.

Another would let lawmakers vote on a set of alternate Brexit proposals to see which — if any — could muster majority support.

The “no no-dealers” are mostly moderates who have either long opposed Brexit or grown frustrated with May´s inability to win over critics at home and abroad.

Second referendum

Calls for a second Brexit referendum rang out almost as soon as the Leave camp won the first.

Its proponents argue that voters were deceived by false promises of independence and never warned about the economic risks.

They now add that May´s version of Brexit looks nothing like the one advertised during the campaign.

The group includes the Scottish and Welsh nationalist parties and the pro-EU Liberal Democrats.

Labour says it will only back a second popular vote if it fails to achieve its ultimate goal: snap elections.

May calls the idea undemocratic. There is also no agreement about what question another ballot would ask — or what would happen if Brexit won again.

  The post Brexit plots and passions split UK parliament appeared first on ARYNEWS.

http://bit.ly/2U9w1Gh

[paulflynnunrevised]

Avoid an answer? Throw dead cat on the table!

Welsh MPs 'star' in musical version of Commons inquiry

David CornockParliamentary correspondent, Wales

  Image copyrightMANUEL HARLAN

Image captionSpot the Welsh MP: a scene from 'Committee' at the Donmar Warehouse

If the transcript of a parliamentary select committee hearing were an obvious candidate for a musical then Andrew Lloyd Webber would probably have got there first.

But Lord Lloyd-Webber has left the stage clear for the creative brains behind Committee or The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee Takes Oral Evidence on Whitehall's Relationship With Kids Company - to give the musical its full title.

It is based on the verbatim transcript of the grilling of Kids Company founder Camila Batmanghelidjh and chair of trustees Alan Yentob (who is a BBC presenter and former BBC creative director).

Committee members who appear as characters in the show include Conservative former Welsh Secretaries Cheryl Gillan and David Jones and veteran Welsh Labour MP Paul Flynn.

London's Donmar Warehouse stresses "this production has not been authorised by any participant or Parliament" but as a veteran observer of these things I'd suggest there is little for Parliament to get too upset about.

It displays a fair insight into the way select committees work.

Early on, a clerk reveals to the audience: "All select committees are hoping their report gets their chair an appearance on the Today programme - that's the golden thing, the 8:10am slot on the Today programme". Cue a tuneful chorus of "the 8:10 am slot" from the cast.

Image copyrightMANUEL HARLAN

Image captionMPs on the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee grill Alan Yentob and Camila Batmanghelidjh in a scene from 'Committee'.

Director Adam Penford said (during rehearsals): "The idea of doing a new verbatim musical based on the transcript of a select committee hearing is quite a crazy idea but potentially incredibly exciting. "Whilst it's part of the musical function to explore how we hold ourselves to account as a society it also asks multiple questions about the relationship of government to the people."

The production presented new challenges for the actors. Robert Hands, who plays David Jones, said: "I've never played a real person before and I didn't know I could do it, I was a bit worried about it actually."

He needn't have worried. Indeed, every member of the cast is thoroughly convincing and instantly recognisable to anyone who watched the original hearing or knows the MPs involved.

'Ectoplasm'

Cheryl Gillan went to see it with other committee members. Her verdict? "A very interesting treatment of a very serious matter using the words that are in the public domain but surreal to see yourself portrayed on stage."

Paul Flynn is played by Anthony O'Donnell ('Dai Davies' in Stella), who delivers Flynn questions - "a spiel of psychobabble, a torrent of words, verbal ectoplasm" directed at Batmanghelidjh - with the gusto of the original.

The Newport West MP tells me he's looking forward to seeing it and meeting O'Donnell. He remembers Camila Batmanghelidjh's evidence with frustration. "It was all about distraction and changing the subject, throwing a dead cat on the table."

A frosty exchange between the two of them about spending £150 of the charity's money on a pair of shoes for a client is given a suitable theatrical treatment.

David Jones recalls: "It was the strangest parliamentary event I have been involved in. It was bizarre, the whole thing. Camila's conduct was extraordinary and in the end I gave up on her and just asked Alan Yentob questions.

"I think it was valuable and I think the value of it was that action is being taken as a consequence of it."

It was revealed on Monday that the Insolvency Service is trying to get the charity's directors, including Camila Batmanghelidjh and Alan Yentob, barred from holding company directorships for up to six years.

Paul Flynn also believes there is "unfinished business" in the committee's investigations.

You can sample the musical here or see it for yourself at the Donmar Warehouse, where it runs until August 12.

automatically copied from Paul Flynn - Read My Day http://ift.tt/2uVKzxT (hopefully before Mr Flynn has revised it).

[drjacquescoulardeau]

SHAME ON THESE BRITS WHO ARE SO BLIND

AND AS DUMB AS MY THUMB,

OR SHOULD I SAY AS MY DUMB

They are white British trash from the past.

 Tony Benn - Britain must Leave the EU to restore Democracy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQY2CHx4d3U 

 It is very hard to hear someone who is old, who has been important, and he is ranting and raving on a subject he knows too well. At least he does not need notes. Sad. Give him a pill, as Putin says. I guess Zoloft will do.

Dr. Jacques COULARDEAU

 Dennis Skinner: I will vote Leave because the EU will fail (Casual Politics)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yINAvMtZ2BM

 That's finished. The TUC have asked Corbyn to get rid of hard Brexit. May is dead since her government depends on ten MPs she has bought with hard currency bringing the Scots and the Welsh up in arms. Even the Queen was brandishing an EU flag on her head. And the money May gives to the Protestants in Northern Ireland is going to start the "problem" again. She is irresponsible. And you seem to forget that most members of our governments are NOT elected to anything. They are just appointed by a Prime Minister who was appointed too, unelected in France, though elected in GB or Germany. I am favorable to the dismantling of the "uncontrolled" commissioners, commissions and so on in Brussels, but the real bureaucracy is not those figure heads but the thousands of people under them who are plain "slaves" of the EU though they are the slave-owners of the people of the EU, including the commissioners and company. And that is going to get worse with Artificial Intelligence. These invisible bureaucrats are going to be replaced by AI machines. Look at the mess it can create when they are hacked like the NHS a few weeks ago. People can DIE because of this blind mechanical Artificial Dumbness. These machines are deaf and dumb and blind and insensitive. They are a mechanical version of the present bureaucrats who defend their privileges: salaries beyond 8,000 € net plus all the premiums, including a premium for the danger they are in when crossing a street or taking a train, the terrorist danger. I have known that in 1967-68 in Kinshasa. The premium was equal to my full net salary. Those Brits have the same in England: all administrations are just that: a collection of slave-owners who do what they want and the tower blocks OF THE POOR AND THE ETHNIC are clad with highly inflammable products, the gas pipes are unprotected, the fire doors are absent or unrepaired, the electrical networks, lines, outlets and everything are defective. All that stamped OK by some bureaucratic slave-owners. The regulations are from the EU? I doubt it, but if they are they are justified and it is mediocre middle-bureaucratic slave-owners who are deciding to forget about them and of course they have a kick back from the businesses that make an extra profit. We can see the result. Right now the Brits who are for leaving are gargling and gurgling all kinds of humdrum passé stale rotten arguments to make us forget the latest vote has rejected any hard Brexit and the present government already has the hangman's rope around their neck(s) that they bought themselves for hard currency from the most conservative and reactionary party in the UK, the DUP. Is that democracy? To buy support in Parliament?  Barbaric, barbarous monkeys bar-tending pub customers as if they were the publicans of the planet.

Dr. Jacques COULARDEAU

[deareffie]

19 April 2017

Dear Effie,

After every BBC politics news alert these days:

Anyway, where were we? Oh yeah, political party in-fighting. Thrilling stuff, eh? So UKIP are born, and nothing really happens with that for a while. In fact, there were a bunch of small parties that sprung up in the early 1990s to contest elections on the basis of opposition to (at least some element of) the EU, and UKIP was probably the least successful.

Meanwhile, the Conservative party get beaten by the Labour party at the 1997 general election, so Tony Blair become Prime Minister, big Donald Dewar gets his Scottish Parliament, and we finally get a national minimum wage. That’s right, more than 100 years after New Zealand introduced minimum wage legislation, right up until you were about 18 months old, the UK still had no minimum wage. Don’t believe anyone who speaks fondly of the good old days.

And then there was also Iraq. But we’ll get into that another time.

Anyway, ‘New Labour’ arrives (so called as this government said they weren’t *really* socialists, not like the crazy Russians, they just thought that capitalism needing reigning in sometimes, and that businesses were usually a good thing because jobs, and if someone’s making loads of money, that’s fine because then they have to spend it and that means other people get some too. Or something.) and the Conservatives do what every political party does when it loses an election - it takes a good look at itself, does some soul searching and tries to find someone to blame. 

Of course, like every other time a political party does this (ahem, Scottish Labour, ahem), they don’t seem to realise that ‘talk amongst yourselves’ is an instruction that a teacher gives a room of students while they’re fannying about fixing a projector, not a viable election strategy. 

Political parties’ obsession with introspection and navel gazing is one of the reasons ‘ordinary people’ (vomit) hate them. To any unaffiliated voter, it seems blindingly obvious that the main reasons political parties lose elections are either a) lack of money/media pals, or c) being horrendously out of touch. You don’t become more in touch with voters by locking yourself in a cupboard, having a leadership crisis and accusing each other of factionalism. 

Like, I don’t know about you, but every time I’ve taken a long hard look at myself in the mirror, I just become convinced that I should really start taking better care of my skin and that maybe it’s time for a haircut. If I talked to other people instead, maybe I’d find out that no one else really cares about my skin or my hair and most folk are actually much more concerned about employment, education, health and welfare. Maybe. Who can possibly say. 

(And breathe) 

So the Conservative Party is banished to the opposition benches at Westminster for 13 years, and doesn’t even make it as far as the opposition benches in the new shiny Holyrood for almost 20 years. We’ll definitely come back to Holyrood and devolution and all that another time, but I’m trying(ish) to get through Brexit first (aren’t we all, eh?).

Between 1997 and 2004, a bunch of semi-important people die, a bunch of other people are born, and somehow, as the Conservative Party tries to work out how they’ve suddenly become irrelevant, UKIP fail at making any inroads at general elections, but get three MEPs elected in the European Parliamentary elections of 1999, and start making headlines. Partly because they’ve attracted semi-famous, old people celebrity, talk show host and former Labour MP, Robert Kilroy-Silk. He joined UKIP in 2004, about the same time he got his show cancelled by the Beeb for writing a controversial article headlined “We owe Arabs nothing”. Weirdly, Joan Collins also got in on this action for a bit. 

Hanging out with UKIP, that is. Not writing inflammatory articles generalising varied and diverse peoples. As far as I know. 

However, as Kilroy-Silk resigned from UKIP, formed his own party, and then resigned from that in the space of the next 15 months, the more important thing to note about UKIP in 2004 is that they beat the Conservative party in an election for the first time (hilariously, an election caused by someone resigning as an MP to go and work in the EU). 

“Ah-hah!”, thought some members of the Conservative party. It was UKIP’s fault that they had lost the 1997 and 2001 elections! Of course! 

And when people still didn’t elect a Conservative government in 2005, even though Iraq, and even though Gordon Brown, it must be because those baddies over at UKIP were stealing traditional Conservative votes, right?! 

A few more years pass. Nigel Farage becomes leader of UKIP. He gets a disproportionate amount of airtime on the BBC despite the party (initially) not having any MPs. What he does have are opinions. Loads of them. And the reason he got on the Beeb so much is because they have a legal duty to provide 'balanced' coverage of issues. 

Presenting two sides of every story sometimes means that the BBC is actually not very representative of UK majority opinion. Or sometimes it has to look quite hard to find someone who’ll present what is a minority view. For example, take “equal marriage”. A majority of people in the UK agree with the statement “Gay or lesbian couples should have the right to marry one another if they want to” (and have done since 2012). However, the way the BBC fulfill their “balance” duty means that if they want to discuss gay marriage on a news, current affairs or comment show, they need to find someone who disagrees with that statement.

Enter one Nigel Paul Farage. This BBC “balance” throws up a diverse cast of characters, but most of them fade into obscurity again relatively quickly, or they have limited interest in party politics. Farage however, is relatively articulate, not afraid of saying controversial things (often for the sake of it, as far as I can tell) and available for all your Question Time booking needs. Viewing levels spike, because we’re all complicit in this mess, and suddenly Farage and UKIP have a way bigger platform than expected, and a heap of cash from some grumpy former Tories. 

So, the new version of the Maastricht Rebels in the Conservative Party start rumbling that maybe they’ll join UKIP if the Conservatives don’t start listening to them about the big bad EU, and that maybe the Conservatives will keep losing votes to UKIP.

Meanwhile, David Cameron’s all “I’m a cool young guy, stop crushing my big society vibes with all your crotchety old man shouting. Nobody cares about the EU apart from crazy Scottish fisherman and Welsh farmers!”

Turns out he was wrong and Davey’s vibes continued to be crushed until he agreed to include a cheeky wee manifesto pledge for the Conservative Party’s next general election manifesto in 2010. 

A referendum on EU membership. A surefire vote winner, that will be easily won by the majority of the Conservative party who want to stay as members of the EU because it’s where all the holidays and champagne comes from.

The Lib Dems put it off for five years but are ultimately ineffective. 

MASSIVE EDIT BECAUSE I FORGOT A REALLY KEY EVENT AND TOTALLY LIED ABOUT THE 2010 CONSERVATIVE MANIFESTO BECAUSE I’M AN IDIOT SORRY. I realised on reading this back that I had missed a couple things. 

The 2010 manifesto pledge was actually to “amend the 1972 European Communities Act so that any proposed future Treaty that transferred areas of power, or competences, would be subject to a referendum – a ‘referendum lock’”. My bad, sorry Dave.

And in fact, the Liberal Democrats’ manifesto did include a commitment to an in/out referendum on the EU, but only if a British government signs up for “fundamental change in the relationship between the UK and the EU”, including joining the Euro.   

But the really rather big thing that I missed, that just sort of passed me by because of all the excitement of #indyref1 in Scotland at the time was the 2014 European elections. In 2014, UKIP won the European elections in the UK, with 24 seats to Labour’s 20 and the Conservatives’ 19. Last time (in 2009), the Conservatives won as many as the other two put together (26 v 13 and 13).

Know how I’m always going about how Scotland isn’t the cool, internationalist socially-liberal, economically left-wing paradise it kids on it is? Well, in the first example of many, even the Glorious People’s Republic of Haggisland elected a UKIP MEP (Member of the European Parliament) in 2014: the baffling David Coburn (see previous and below caveat re: legit reasons for not being keen on the EU that may have prompted folk for vote for him), alongside two Labour MEPs, two SNP MEPs, and one Conservative MEP. 

It’s worth noting that Labour gained seats in this election. Under David Miliband, Labour increased their percentage of votes by almost as much as UKIP (around 10%) and they also won the most number of votes in the English local authority elections held the same day. Although only about a third of the people eligible to vote actually voted, and a lot of people who voted Lib Dem in 2010 had pretty much abandoned the party by this point, it’s a nice wee stat to keep on hand when anyone says that Labour has to do more to appeal to UKIP voters.

Anyway, that 2014 European election, although overshadowed up here by all the flag waving, seemed to be the final straw for the Conservative Party. This led to the 2015 manifesto commitment (I checked this time) for “the British people – not politicians – to have their say... over whether we should stay in or leave the EU, with an in-out referendum by the end of 2017″.

And so, in June 2016, the entire UK is asked to vote on remaining or leaving the EU basically because the Tories were having a tiff with themselves. A tiny number of very loud, very entitled people managed to be annoying enough that we literally had a referendum to try and get them to shut up.

Now, we talked before about how there are some totally legitimate, reasonable and not-racist reasons for opposing the EU. A really good example of this is in Scotland, where the fishing industry has had a long standing scepticism about the EU. It’s based on criticism of a EU rule called the Common Fisheries Policy that decides who can fish what kind of fish (and how much fish), and where. The EU policy is meant to protect the sustainability of fishing for the future (i.e. stopping someone accidentally catching all the fish, and there being none left), ensure all EU countries share their fish/fishing waters (e.g. Spain can’t stop Portgual fishing off its coasts), and ensure that fishing is carried out in a relatively environmentally friendly way (i.e. don’t throw loads of dead fish or gross chemicals back in the sea). However, the Scottish fishing industry says that in practice, the policy means that Scotland does not get a fair share of its own fishing waters, and that they love the environment as much as the next guy but that following the rules is cripplingly expensive. This means that people lose their jobs, or put up with terrible working conditions to make up for the policy costs, and/or that the price of a fish supper goes way up. See? Totes legit, not racist. Essentially about jobs and fish suppers.

That is not why the Government held this referendum.

Another totally legitimate, reasonable and not-racist reason for opposing the EU is that some of the trade deals the EU negotiates look like they might damage workers rights in the EU. Criticism of an agreement called TTIP ( which stands for Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, not just me spelling T in the Park wrong) between the US and the EU suggests it’ll mean that companies will be able to sue governments if their health and safety or environmental rules are seen to affect that company’s profit. Leaving the EU could be a way to ensure companies don’t have that power, and have to respect things like national minimum wage and trade union membership.See? Again, totes legit, not racist. 

That is not why the Government held this referendum.

The Government held this referendum to stitch together its Frankenstein’s monster of a party for a bit longer. The driving force behind all the decisions leading to this referendum was internal party politics. Whatever the fallout is (and we still don’t know because they literally didn’t even consider the possibility it might happen so didn’t draft any plan), it’s being imposed on 64 million people as a result of the Conservative Party playing chicken. With itself. Except we’re the ones who somehow get run over. And that’s partly why Brexit makes me grumpy. 

I swear I’ll try and get onto Scottish independence at some point. 

Big love, 

x

P.S. If I seem to meander a bit when I’m meant to be talking about Scottish independence, I’m sorry… 

Except mine are all about politics. I do want to bake a cake filled with rainbows and smiles though. I feel that’d be one initiative that could muster cross-party support.