U.K. Politics: Nadine Dorries resigns her post as MP - or does she?

[greek_boy]

Donation aka bribe?

[jordi_89]

YouGov maintain popularity trackers on UK public figures like Sunak, see here: https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics...sunak-likeable

In December 2022, Sunak had a 36% / 38% / 26% ratio (likeable, unlikeable and unsure).
In July 2023, it moved to 32% / 48% / 20% ratio (likeable, unlikeable and unsure).

So, 4% swing from likeable to unlikeable and 6% swing from don't know to unlikeable - overall, the unlikeable has swung from 38% in Dec-22 to 48% in Jul-23.

Not the most dramatic shift, but almost half the country considers him unlikeable now. Looks good for everyone but the Tories.

[bm08]

YouGov maintain popularity trackers on UK public figures like Sunak, see here: https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics...sunak-likeable

In December 2022, Sunak had a 36% / 38% / 26% ratio (likeable, unlikeable and unsure).
In July 2023, it moved to 32% / 48% / 20% ratio (likeable, unlikeable and unsure).

So, 4% swing from likeable to unlikeable and 6% swing from don't know to unlikeable - overall, the unlikeable has swung from 38% in Dec-22 to 48% in Jul-23.

Surely not a good sign. It shows as people get to know him, they find him unlikeable.

[Wayne]

YouGov maintain popularity trackers on UK public figures like Sunak, see here: https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics...sunak-likeable

In December 2022, Sunak had a 36% / 38% / 26% ratio (likeable, unlikeable and unsure).
In July 2023, it moved to 32% / 48% / 20% ratio (likeable, unlikeable and unsure).

So, 4% swing from likeable to unlikeable and 6% swing from don't know to unlikeable - overall, the unlikeable has swung from 38% in Dec-22 to 48% in Jul-23.

[jordi_89]

Sunak has become more unpopular lately than he already was, right? I've heard that some Tories are already asking for his head (politically speaking).

[theMathematician]

There are many public buildings in problematic state in Germany as well. Nothing happens though as 'There is no money.', although German taxes are among the highest in the world.

[Wayne]

This is fast becoming a national scandal - over 100 schools shut or partially shut as the concrete they are built with is deemed unsafe.

This is apparently just the tip of the iceberg as this issue apparently affects countless hospitals as well.

It's going to cost tens of billions to fix.

Jeremy Hunt says government will 'spend what it takes' to make schools safe

Jeremy Hunt has said the government "will spend what it takes" to make schools safe from crumbly concrete.

The chancellor did not give a figure but told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg "we must spend this money".

More than 100 schools must shut fully or partially due to risky reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).

Labour said Mr Hunt's funding promise was a "bare bones" response to a crisis that will be "the defining image of 13 years of Tory government".

The Treasury says Mr Hunt's promise does not mean any new money outside of current budgets.

The repairs will be paid for through unallocated funds for schools in existing departmental budgets.

The chancellor said that the majority of schools in England where RAAC has been identified were able to operate at least partially and said the government would continue to act "very, very fast" to mitigate any new risks that were found.

"We had an exhaustive process of going through every one of the 22,000 schools since 2018," he said, referencing a survey commissioned in England after an incident when RAAC in a building failed.

He added that "new information came to light" in the summer about heightened risks, and "the education secretary acted immediately".

That new information is understood to be the collapse last week of a beam made from aerated concrete, which had been thought to be safe.

The chancellor said it would not lead to months of disruption. "This problem is currently affecting around 100 schools but the majority of those are able to operate face-to-face," he added.

Mr Hunt said he did not want to speculate on press reports that 7,000 schools could ultimately be found to be at risk, but acknowledged that more "awkward" and "difficult" information could come to light.

He added: "What people need to know is that however difficult it is... we will do absolutely what it takes."

RAAC has become a serious political problem for the government, and raises questions about its whole approach over the years to cutting spending on public buildings.

When there is pressure on budgets, so-called "capital spending" - cash for infrastructure and buildings - is an easy target. However, the risk is that in the long term, those cut-backs have nasty effects. Labour says that RAAC is a prime example.

The government has yet to publish a full list of schools that have been forced to fully or partially shut but says it will do so "in due course". The BBC has created its own of those it knows are affected..

Labour has said it will to try to force publication after the Commons returns from summer recess on Monday. It has also demanded an "urgent audit" of the public sector estate on the impact of the material.

Bridget Phillipson, the shadow education secretary, said the country needed to know "exactly what is going on".

She added it was "all good and well" that Mr Hunt had promised to spend, "but that is the bare bones".

"The chickens are coming home to roost," she said.

"I can think of no more a defining image of 13 years of Tory government [than] children being sat in classrooms under metal props to prevent ceilings from falling on their heads."

The National Education Union, which represents about 440,000 educational staff in the UK, said significant investment was needed to prevent long-term disruption in schools.

"The government made a choice not to invest in educational buildings. It made a choice not to support the building of new schools," said Niamh Sweeney, the deputy general secretary.

"If you are still teaching 21st-Century education in a building which was built in the 1950s, that is not fit-for-purpose nowadays."

'My heart goes out'

Rachel De Souza, England's children's commissioner, had said that she was "shocked" about the sudden warnings issued on Thursday that more than 100 schools would need to mitigate against RAAC.

"My heart goes out to parents and children affected," she said, adding that she was "disappointed and frustrated" at the apparent lack of plan from the government.

She said she was happy to hear repairs would be funded by the government, "but we shouldn't even be in this situation".

"There should have been planning in place and a really good school building programme that has addressed this over the years," she said.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan will inform Parliament next week "of the plan to keep parents and the public updated on the issue", her department has said.

Writing in the Sun on Sunday newspaper, Ms Keegan said the government had "no choice" but to close schools, and that it was not a decision it had taken lightly.

"I want to reassure families that this is not a return to the dark days of school lockdowns," she said.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66700026

[greek_boy]

This is shocking:

[greek_boy]

WHAT THE....

[Wayne]

Nadine Dorries has reappeared again - almost three months to the day that she committed to resigning with immediate effect, she came out yesterday with a scathing resignation letter that has within it a blistering attack on Rishi Sunak. However, the letter was published via Mail Plus (a paid subscription is needed to read the original entry) and political journalists are stating that a copy was never sent to Rishi directly.

So, has she resigned as an MP or not?

Dear Prime Minister,

It has been the greatest honour and privilege of my life to have served the good people of Mid Bedfordshire as their MP for eighteen years and I count myself blessed to have worked in Westminster for almost a quarter of a century. Despite what some in the media and you yourself have implied, my team of caseworkers and I have continued to work for my constituents faithfully and diligently to this day.

When I arrived in Mid Bedfordshire in 2005, I inherited a Conservative majority of 8,000. Over five elections this has increased to almost 25,000, making it one of the safest seats in the country. A legacy I am proud of.

During my time as a Member of Parliament, I have served as a back bencher, a bill Committee Chair, a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State before becoming Minister of State in the Department of Health and Social Care during the Covid crisis, after which I was appointed as Secretary of State at the department of Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport. The offer to continue in my Cabinet role was extended to me by your predecessor, Liz Truss, and I am grateful for your personal phone call on the morning you appointed your cabinet in October, even if I declined to take the call.

As politicians, one of the greatest things we can do is to empower people to have opportunities to achieve their aspirations and to help them to change their lives for the better. In DHSC I championed meaningful improvements to maternity and neonatal safety. I launched the women's health strategy and pushed forward a national evidence-based trial for Group B Strep testing in pregnant women with the aim to reduce infant deaths. When I resigned as Secretary of State for DCMS I was able to thank the professional, dedicated, and hard-working civil servants for making our department the highest performing in Whitehall. We worked tirelessly to strengthen the Online Safety Bill to protect young people, froze the BBC licence fee, included the sale of Channel 4 into the Media Bill to protect its long-term future and led the world in imposing cultural sanctions when Putin invaded Ukraine.

I worked with and encouraged the tech sector, to search out untaught talents such as creative and critical thinking in deprived communities offering those who faced a life on low unskilled pay or benefits, access to higher paid employment and social mobility. What many of the CEOs I spoke to in the tech sector and business leaders really wanted was meaningful regulatory reform from you as chancellor to enable companies not only to establish in the UK, but to list on the London Stock Exchange rather than New York. You flashed your gleaming smile in your Prada shoes and Savile Row suit from behind a camera, but you just weren't listening. All they received in return were platitudes and a speech illustrating how wonderful life was in California. London is now losing its appeal as more UK-based companies seek better listing opportunities in the U.S. That, Prime Minister, is entirely down to you.

Long before my resignation announcement, in July 2022, I had advised the Cabinet Secretary, Simon Case, of my intention to step down. Senior figures in the party, close allies of yours, have continued to this day to implore me to wait until the next general election rather than inflict yet another damaging by-election on the party at a time when we are consistently twenty points behind in the polls.

Having witnessed first-hand, as Boris Johnson and then Liz Truss were taken down, I decided that the British people had a right to know what was happening in their name. Why is it that we have had five Conservative Prime Ministers since 2010, with not one of the previous four having left office as the result of losing a general election? That is a democratic deficit which the mother of parliaments should be deeply ashamed of and which, as you and I know, is the result of the machinations of a small group of individuals embedded deep at the centre of the party and Downing St.

To start with, my investigations focused on the political assassination of Boris Johnson, but as I spoke to more and more people - and I have spoken to a lot of people, from ex-Prime Ministers, Cabinet Ministers both ex and current through all levels of government and Westminster and even journalists - a dark story emerged which grew ever more disturbing with each person I spoke to.

It became clear to me as I worked that remaining as a back bencher was incompatible with publishing a book which exposes how the democratic process at the heart of our party has been corrupted. As I uncovered this alarming situation I knew, such were the forces ranged against me, that I was grateful to retain my parliamentary privilege until today. And, as you also know Prime Minister, those forces are today the most powerful figures in the land. The onslaught against me even included the bizarre spectacle of the Cabinet Secretary claiming (without evidence) to a select committee that he had reported me to the Whips and Speakers office (not only have neither office been able to confirm this was true, but they have no power to act, as he well knows). It is surely as clear a breach of Civil Service impartiality as you could wish to see.

But worst of all has been the spectacle of a Prime Minister demeaning his office by opening the gates to whip up a public frenzy against one of his own MPs. You failed to mention in your public comments that there could be no writ moved for a by-election over summer. And that the earliest any by-election could take place is at the end of September. The clearly orchestrated and almost daily personal attacks demonstrates the pitifully low level your Government has descended to.

It is a modus operandi established by your allies which has targeted Boris Johnson, transferred to Liz Truss and now moved on to me. But I have not been a Prime Minister. I do not have security or protection. Attacks from people, led by you, declared open season on myself and the past weeks have resulted in the police having to visit my home and contact me on a number of occasions due to threats to my person.

Since you took office a year ago, the country is run by a zombie Parliament where nothing meaningful has happened. What exactly has been done or have you achieved? You hold the office of Prime Minister unelected, without a single vote, not even from your own MPs. You have no mandate from the people and the Government is adrift. You have squandered the goodwill of the nation, for what?

And what a difference it is now since 2019, when Boris Johnson won an eighty-seat majority and a greater percentage of the vote share than Tony Blair in the Labour landslide victory of '97. We were a mere five points behind on the day he was removed from office. Since you became Prime Minister, his manifesto has been completely abandoned. We cannot simply disregard the democratic choice of the electorate, remove both the Prime Minister and the manifesto commitments they voted for and then expect to return to the people in the hope that they will continue to unquestioningly support us. They have agency, they will use it.

Levelling up has been discarded and with it, those deprived communities it sought to serve. Social care, ready to be launched, abandoned along with the hope of all of those who care for the elderly and the vulnerable. The Online Safety Bill has been watered down. BBC funding reform, the clock run down. The Mental Health Act, timed out. Defence spending, reduced. Our commitment to net zero, animal welfare and the green issues so relevant to the planet and voters under 40, squandered. As Lord Goldsmith wrote in his own resignation letter, because you simply do not care about the environment or the natural world. What exactly is it you do stand for?

You have increased Corporation tax to 25 per cent, taking us to the level of the highest tax take since World War two at 75 per cent of GDP, and you have completely failed in reducing illegal immigration or delivering on the benefits of Brexit. The bonfire of EU legislation, swerved. The Windsor framework agreement, a dead duck, brought into existence by shady promises of future preferment with grubby rewards and potential gongs to MPs. Stormont is still not sitting.

Disregarding your own chancellor, last week you took credit for reducing inflation, citing your 'plan'. There has been no budget, no new fiscal measures, no debate, there is no plan. Such statements take the British public for fools. The decline in the price of commodities such as oil and gas, the eased pressure on the supply of wheat and the increase in interest rates by the Bank of England are what has taken the heat out of the economy and reduced inflation. For you to personally claim credit for this was disingenuous at the very least.

It is a fact that there is no affection for Keir Starmer out on the doorstep. He does not have the winning X factor qualities of a Thatcher, a Blair, or a Boris Johnson, and sadly, Prime Minister, neither do you. Your actions have left some 200 or more of my MP colleagues to face an electoral tsunami and the loss of their livelihoods, because in your impatience to become Prime Minister you put your personal ambition above the stability of the country and our economy. Bewildered, we look in vain for the grand political vision for the people of this great country to hold on to, that would make all this disruption and subsequent inertia worthwhile, and we find absolutely nothing.

I shall take some comfort from explaining to people exactly how you and your allies achieved this undemocratic upheaval in my book. I am a proud working-class Conservative which is why the Levelling Up agenda was so important to me. I know personally how effective a strong and helping hand can be to lift someone out of poverty and how vision, hope and opportunity can change lives. You have abandoned the fundamental principles of Conservatism. History will not judge you kindly.

I shall today inform the Chancellor of my intention to take the Chiltern Hundreds, enabling the writ to be moved on September the 4th for the by-election you are so desperately seeking to take place.

Yours sincerely,

Nadine Dorries

On a related note, I am an admirer of many of our longstanding traditions but the resignation process for an MP is absolutely mindblowing.Technically, an MP is unable to resign - what they have to instead is write to the Chancellor of the Excheqer to request an "office of profit" (you might've heard of the Chiltern Hundreds) which, if granted by the Chancellor, automatically disqualifies them as an MP and results in a by-election being run in their constituency.

This is the only way an MP can be removed, it's bonkers!

[Wayne]

I'm at a loss does every country pump its sewage into the seas, rivers and what not? Or is this a UK thing?

Our sewerage systems were built in Victorian times and haven't been upgraded - when our water industry was privatised, rather than investing in the sewerage system, these private companies have taken over £70 billion out in dividends. People have gotten rich from water, at the expense of the rest of the UK. It is predicted that water bills will increase by 40% for most UK people in the coming years, as our sewerage system needs to be fixed. But make no mistake - had these privatised companies been required to invest their profits back into the infrastructure, we wouldn't be in this mess.

As the climate becomes more unstable, and rainfall increases, we will see more of this (it's less of an issue when we have sun/summer). But it's not only sewage - we also lose untold amounts of rainfall too because our systems are linked.

A 2022 report by the House of Commons found that just 14% of UK rivers had "good" ecological status. While we were in the EU, this wasn't a problem - these water companies were not allowed to do this in quite the same amounts as they are now. Robust EU legislation over the last four decades has forced member states (including the UK, as was) to up their game - between 1991 and 2019, the percentage of Europe’s bathing waters with “excellent” water quality increased from 53% to 85%. In several countries, including Austria, Greece and Malta, more than 95% of bathing sites are now classified as excellent. But since leaving the EU, the UK can do what it likes and our government take advantage of that.

Unfortunately for our government though, this policy is p1ssing off everyone - it's deeply unpopular.

[stevyy]

I'm at a loss does every country pump its sewage into the seas, rivers and what not? Or is this a UK thing?

[Wayne]

eww, are they pumping it in the North Sea? I hope it won't reach the shores of my beautiful state.

It's one of the most scandalous acts of this Conservative government.

Basically, most UK sewerage systems are combined - they receive rainwater and sewerage and in times of heavy rainfall, these systems are likely to overflow. The government legislated to allow water companies to release overspill into the sea, rather than have pay to upgrade the pipes. There is a really significant issue though - the cost of upgrading our sewerage systems is estimated to be at least £60 billion and our water companies cannot afford to meet this cost (though since our water industry was privatised, shareholders have received dividends of over £70 billion), so the cost will likely have to be met by the taxpayer at some point (at least some of the cost).

In 2022, our water companies pumped sewage into our canals, rivers and seas for almost 1.8m hours...



There's now even an app that has live updates, telling you which beaches to stay away from - it's absolutely shameful. In some rivers, wildlife has been completely destroyed - in the most severe cases, local ecology has been decimated.

[stevyy]

Taking back control....of sewages

eww, are they pumping it in the North Sea? I hope it won't reach the shores of my beautiful state.

[greek_boy]

Taking back control....of sewages

[Wayne]

Scottish government loses bid to delay gender reform review

The Scottish government has failed in a bid to delay a judicial review of Westminster's decision to block its gender recognition reforms.

The review is due to be held at the Court of Session next month.

But lawyers for the Scottish government argued it should be delayed until after an appeal in a separate case concerning the definition of "woman" is heard.

The request was rejected by judge Lady Haldane, who said the issues in the two cases were different.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack made a section 35 order in January to prevent Holyrood's Gender Recognition Reform Act from becoming law.

The legislation, which has been deeply divisive within the SNP, would make it easier for people in Scotland to change their legally recognised sex.

The Scottish government believes Mr Jack has acted illegally in vetoing it, and requested a judicial review of his decision in April.

At the time, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said the section 35 order was "an unprecedented challenge to the Scottish Parliament's ability to legislate on clearly devolved matters", and "risks setting a dangerous constitutional precedent".

But critics of the reforms within the SNP believe the Scottish government has little chance of winning the case, and fear that the gender legislation is unpopular with the public.

The Scottish government's lawyers went to the Court of Session on Friday to seek a delay of the hearing that has been scheduled for September.

Advocate Paul Reid told Lady Haldane that the postponement was needed because of an appeal brought to the Inner House of the Court of Session by the feminist campaign group For Women Scotland that is due to be held in October.

That case centres on the definition of "woman" in the Gender Representation on Public Boards Act, which is designed to increase the numbers of women who sit on public boards in Scotland.

Mr Reid said that the outcome of the For Women appeal could have ramifications for the Scottish government's judicial review.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotla...itics-66409588

If Sturgeon was still the leader of the SNP, this would be a symbolic and significant issue - but among all the other issues, I just can't see how this will have any material effect on the SNP's bid for independence, regardless of whether the eventual decision goes in favour of the Scottish government or not.

[westhammer]

God the Tories are so vile. Rishi in the pockets of the Oil & Gas companies - the biggest conflict of interest in the UK right now. You sure as hell can bet he won’t be stepping aside but if Joe Bloggs off the street has a conflict of interest related to their work something will be done about it!

[Wayne]

I'm so sick and tired of our government acting so unprofessionally.

By nominal GDP, we are the 6th largest economy in the world - even with the Brexit impact - and our government is conduct itself in a petty and petulant manner.

[greek_boy]

[Thriller]

Last-minute policies to ‘appeal to the regular bloke on the street’.

[Wayne]

Sunak orders review of low traffic neighbourhoods in pro-motorist message

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has ordered a review of low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) in England, saying that he is on the side of drivers.

He told the Sunday Telegraph he was supporting people to "use their cars to do all the things that matter to them".

His remarks form part of a sharpening debate on green policies following last week's by-elections.

LTNs aim to reduce traffic, in part by preventing drivers using quieter residential roads as through-routes.

Some research suggests they reduce localised pollution. But critics, including some Conservatives MPs, argue they harm the freedom of motorists and push traffic onto other roads, causing congestion.

In his Sunday Telegraph interview, Mr Sunak also said he was not planning to change the deadline for the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesels cars despite calls from some Conservatives to do so.

In a letter to Mr Sunak on Saturday, a group of 43 Conservative MPs and peers including Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Sir Jacob Rees Mogg and David Davis, suggested moving the target to 2035 to avoid "grave harm to the economy".

It read: "The public can only be left worse off by a heavy-handed ban that leaves them unable to purchase the vehicles they want.

"The future for this country is in imposing fewer burdens and being more lightly regulated than the EU, not in unilaterally imposing additional job-destroying burdens to meet an unnecessary and unworkable deadline."

But Mr Sunak said: "The 2030 target has been our policy for a long time and continues to be - we are not considering a delay to that date."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66351785

Energy security: Rishi Sunak to meet leaders over energy security plans

The prime minister will emphasise the need to strengthen Britain's energy security when he meets industry leaders this week.

Rishi Sunak is to set out details of the government's plans for the UK's fossil fuel and green industries.

The Sunday Times says he will announce multimillion-pound funding for a carbon capture project in Scotland.

The Tories are facing internal divisions over their green policies, with some MPs calling for a rethink.

Environmental groups have expressed "deep alarm" at reports the government may water down its green commitments.

Anger over London Mayor Sadiq Khan's plans to extend the capital's ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) was widely seen as helping Conservatives seal a narrow victory in the Uxbridge by-election.

Both Mr Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer have urged Mr Khan to reflect on the Ulez rollout as people struggle with cost-of-living pressures.

Mr Sunak is now setting out his position as being on the side of drivers.

In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, he said he has ordered a review of low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) because he supports people to "use their cars to do all the things that matter to them".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66350481

He's reading the room wrong here - he's taking all the wrong lessons from the Tory Party victory in the Uxbridge by-election. It's disgraceful that he might water down our climate pledges.

[jules25]

lol These people didn't give a sh*t when they thought it would effect everyone else but them.

And they only bought it last year. Idiots.

[jordi_89]

you can't be so dumb...

I saw this on Twitter yesterday, it was a good laugh.

[jordi_89]

At least, the UK is not governed by unelected bureaucrats in Brussels

When I see things like this it makes me think that if I just played the game I could have ended in a position / job where I wouldn't do as much but I'd be getting paid a way better salary than I do now. (and not just me, most of us actually, though having connections helps a lot)

[greek_boy]