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    Sunak minister says he quit government because he could not afford mortgage hike on £120k salary

    Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailA former minister said he quit the role because he could not afford his mortgage on a salary of almost £120,000 a year.George Freeman, who quit as science minister in Rishi Sunak’s November reshuffle, said he “simply could not afford” his monthly payments after they rose from £800 to £2,000.MPs are paid £86,584 a year, with an additional £31,680 for those promoted as ministers of state.It means Mr Freeman would have been paid £118,264 per year before resigning.But despite the figure making him one of the UK’s highest earners, the Tory MP wrote on his blog that a sharp increase in mortgage payments was part of the reason he stepped down.“I was so exhausted, bust and depressed that I was starting to lose the irrepressible spirit of optimism, endeavour, teamwork & progress which are the fundamentals of human achievement,” Mr Freeman said.He added: “And because my mortgage rises this month from £800 pcm to £2,000, which I simply couldn’t afford to pay on a ministerial salary.”Mr Freeman lashed out at what he called “political economy 2.0”, saying Britain is “in danger of making politics something only Hedge Funder Donors, young spin doctors and failed trade unionists can afford to do”.Quitting his government role will allow the MP, who spent more than a decade in the life sciences and technology sectors before entering parliament, to take on lucrative jobs outside parliament, as long as they are approved by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) watchdog.Interest rates spiked in the UK following Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng’s disastrous so-called mini budget in September 2022.They have also been pushed up by a series of Bank of England interest rate hikes in a bid to control spiralling inflation.Signs that inflation is returning to the Bank’s target and that interest rates are likely to begin falling this year have led to a series of lenders offering cheaper mortgages. But those facing renewal this year will still face paying around £400 a month more on average than they were.Resigning as science minister in November, Mr Freeman said it is “time to focus on my health, family wellbeing and life beyond the front bench”.The Mid Norfolk MP said he has championed science and technology since he was elected 13 years ago, holding five ministerial posts under four prime ministers.And in his blog post on Friday he pledged to use the build-up to this year’s general election to “share and inform the policymakers working on the manifestos across Westminster”.He said he was doing so “in the hope that the next government (whoever forms it) will be able to build on our successes and learn from our failings in delivering this vital mission”.Mr Freeman also used an interview in the New Statesman to say it is “very likely that we’re going to have a Labour government” after the election. More

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    Keir Starmer visits Iceland store as chairman Richard Walker backs Labour

    Sir Keir Starmer spoke to Iceland staff members at a Warrington store after the supermarket’s executive chairman gave his backing to Labour.Richard Walker, who quit the Conservative party last October in a blow to Rishi Sunak, said Sir Keir’s party was the “right choice” for business and voters.The former Tory donor said it was the Conservative party rather than him that had changed.”When I was trying to become a candidate, I was told to pipe down on issues that really matter to me, like the alarming rise of food banks, by very senior people within the party,” Mr Walker told BBC Breakfast. More

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    Watch live as Sunak’s Rwanda bill faces test in House of Lords

    Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailWatch live as the Rwanda bill faces a test in the House of Lords on Monday 29 January.Rishi Sunak is braced for further battle over his bill to revive the government’s asylum scheme, as the legislation faces scrutiny from a number of prominent critics.Some 71 members of the upper chamber are expected to speak at the second reading debate of the draft law.Among them is the Archbishop of Canterbury, who has voiced profound concerns about the plan to send asylum seekers who cross the Channel in small boats on a one-way flight to Kigali.Lord Carlile of Berriew, who earlier this month warned the government is moving towards “totalitarianism” in its handling of the policy, is also due to appear.The crossbench peer has suggested the Lords would seek to undo what he described as politicians “meddling” in the independent courts.Mr Sunak’s Safety of Rwanda Bill survived its third reading in the House of Commons earlier this month after the prime minister saw off a Tory rebellion which had sought to toughen the legislation. More

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    ‘Extraordinary and deeply harmful’: Charities’ rallying cry for Lords to block Rwanda bill

    Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the worldSign up to our free Morning Headlines emailMore than 250 charities, religious organisations and civil society bodies have called on the House of Lords to block the “deeply harmful” Rwanda bill, labelling it an attack on universal human rights and the constitutional role of the judiciary. In a joint statement ahead of the second reading of the bill in the Lords on Monday, the charities said that the government’s plans to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda would create a “two-tiered system” of human rights where some people had access to the UK courts and others didn’t, concluding: “Either we all have human rights or none of us do.” The group, which includes political organisations, faith groups, unions and councils, condemned the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill as “constitutionally extraordinary and deeply harmful”, saying it would “threaten the universality of human rights and is likely in breach of international law”. They also warned that the bill would breach the Good Friday agreement, which commits the UK government to “complete incorporation” of international human rights law in Northern Ireland. Three peers from the Liberal Democrats, Labour and the Greens, also backed the statement saying the bill must be stopped. Rishi Sunak’s government agreed on a legally binding treaty with Rwanda in December, arguing that it addressed concerns raised by the Supreme Court about the possibility of asylum seekers deported to Rwanda being transferred back to a country where they could be at risk. Rishi Sunak has said he is prepared to ignore orders from the European Court of Human Rights Mr Sunak brought forward legislation to declare, contrary to the finding of the UK’s highest court, that Rwanda is in fact a safe country. The bill also severely limits asylum seekers’ ability to challenge their Rwanda deportation in the UK courts, making a showdown with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) more likely. Peers in the House of Lords delivered an initial blow to Mr Sunak’s plans when they backed, by 214 votes to 171, a motion to delay the treaty until the government can prove that Rwanda is indeed safe. In a hastily-arranged press conference this month, Mr Sunak warned peers not to “frustrate the will of the people” by opposing his flagship legislation.In the joint civil society statement, shared exclusively with The Independent, charities called on the Lords “to reject the bill at second reading” on Monday – pointing out: “It was not a government manifesto commitment”.In the letter, 256 civil society organisations, including Amnesty International, Unison, the Methodist Church, the Muslim Council of Britain and the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute, said that the bill is “an attack on the constitutional role of the judiciary and the rule of law” because it “legislates something that has been authoritatively found to be false by the Supreme Court”. Home Secretary James Cleverly and Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs Vincent Biruta shake hands after they signed a new treaty in Kigali, Rwanda. The letter, coordinated by human rights organisation Liberty, continued: “If parliament validates legislating legal fictions in this way, it would set a dangerous precedent for future governments”. They also said that the bill would put the UK “on a direct collision course with the European Court of Human Rights”. The president of the ECHR, Siofra O’Leary, has said that the UK must legally comply with any Rule 39 orders issued by the Strasbourg court. A Rule 39 order grounded the first attempted flight carrying migrants from the UK to Rwanda in June 2022. Mr Sunak has put a clause in the Rwanda bill saying that it is “for ministers to decide whether to comply” with rulings from the ECHR.The statement addressed this saying: “Giving a minister legislative validation in ignoring them is a deeply concerning green light to the breaking of international law and erodes the UK’s commitment to the Convention.”LibDem peer Lord Purvis of Tweed, said that the Rwanda bill was “an unsustainable long-term policy”. He added: “It will cost the taxpayer millions while running roughshod over international law and doing nothing to solve the sky-high asylum backlog. “Let’s be clear, this bill sets a dangerous precedent for the future and that is why we will be voting against the bill and all that it stands for”. Labour peer Baroness Shami Chakrabarti, said the bill was “cruel, costly and un-British”, adding: “In dangerous and divided times for our country and the world, it is heartening to see so much of civil society coming together in defence of the best of our values”. Green party peer, Baroness Jenny Jones, called on her fellow members to “stop this appalling bill”. She said: “It is not a manifesto commitment and convention allows the Lords to reject it. If the prime minister wants to claim the Rwanda bill is the will of the people then please hold a general election”. Ahead of the second reading, human rights watchdog the Equality and Human Rights Commission also warned that the home secretary has been unable to confirm that the bill complies with the ECHR. A spokesperson said: “By disapplying sections of the Human Rights Act and seeking to prevent courts from considering the risk of refoulement, this bill could expose people to harm and breaches of their right to life, their rights to be free from torture and inhuman or degrading treatment and their right to effective remedy.”A Home Office spokesperson said:”We are determined to get flights off the ground to Rwanda and the UK has a strong and longstanding tradition of standing up for human rights.”Rwanda is a safe country that cares deeply about supporting refugees. It hosts more than 135,000 asylum seekers and stands ready to relocate people and help them rebuild their lives.” More

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    Top Tory peer calls for crackdown on secret polls after ‘Labour landslide’ survey row

    Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailA top Tory peer and pollster has called for a crackdown on political surveys after a row over an anonymous poll showing Labour was headed for a landslide election win.Lord Hayward has written to the elections watchdog calling for new rules on anonymously-funded polls after rebel Conservative peer David Frost organised a £40,000 survey that forecast a 1997-style victor for Sir Keir Starmer’s party. Lord Frost has refused to reveal the names of those who funded the poll, which was commissioned by a group called the Conservative Britain Alliance, who and has now been linked to an orchestrated right-wing revolt to oust the PM.Following the row, Lord Hayward wrote to Electoral Commission chairman John Pullinge and the UK Statistics Authority “in light of the imminence of a general election”.Conservative peer Lord Hayward called for tighter rules on polling ahead of a general election expected this autumn (PA)He said: “Recent events have highlighted the need for the ‘polling world’ to catch up with other aspects of politics and electioneering.”He added: “Is it really correct that a poll can be undertaken with no credible identifiable ‘beneficial owner’?”He went on to question whether British election polls are “adequately protected from external influence”, and whether polling companies should be able to correct the representation of their data before it is published in the media.YouGov later had to clarify a suggestion by the newspaper that the presence of Reform UK is the difference between Labour securing a majority and not.It said that was their own calculation based on an unreliable calculation.The YouGov poll of 14,000 people, published in the Daily Telegraph, suggested the Tories could retain as few as 169 seats, while Labour would sweep into power with 385 – giving Sir Keir a massive 120-seat majority.It predicted that chancellor Jeremy Hunt could be one of 11 cabinet ministers to lose their seats, in what would be the biggest collapse in support for a governing party since 1906.Other ministers under threat include education secretary Gillian Keegan and defence secretary Grant Shapps.It sparked suggestions that the poll was commissioned as part of a plot to destabilise Rishi Sunak’s leadership of the Conservative Party. The poll was cited by senior backbencher Sir Simon Clarke when he called for Mr Sunak to be ousted and warned the Tories face a “massacre” at the next general election.Lord Frost was ordered by Lords leader Lord True to reveal the names of secret backers who funded the £40,000 poll or face losing the Conservative whip.A defiant Lord Frost refused to reveal the names of the secret donors or confirm rumours that it was bankrolled from overseas. The group behind the poll is simply called the Conservative Britain Alliance, though there is no official record of their existence or membership. More

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    Why are UK councils going bankrupt? | Decomplicated

    UK councils have been declaring bankruptcy, with seven local councils issuing Section 114 notices since 2018. The bankruptcies follow extreme budget cuts that have seen services pared back to their bare minimum, meaning local councils struggling to provide adequate social care, transport, education and housing to their constituents. But how does a local council go bankrupt? What happens to the services that they provide to residents? And what happens when a local council misuses taxpayer’s money?This is Decomplicated. More

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    German company aims for rocket launch every month from Shetland Islands

    Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailA German company hopes to launch rockets into space as often as once a month from the island at the northernmost tip of the UK.Rocket Factory Augsburg’s (RFA) chief commercial officer said excitement is building ahead of their “Olympic gold medal” moment this summer – when they will try to achieve Europe’s first-ever launch delivering satellites into orbit.The company is one of several planning to use launch pads at SaxaVord Spaceport on the island of Unst, the most northerly of the Shetland Islands.In December, SaxaVord was granted the UK’s first vertical launch spaceport licence, allowing up to 30 launches each year.Jorn Spurmann spoke to the PA news agency about RFA’s plans for the first launch of their RFA One launcher – a 30m-tall three-stage rocket which can deliver a 1,300kg payload to a sun-synchronous orbit around Earth.He said “everything looks positive” for the first launch taking place in the summer but much will depend on their testing process.Mr Spurmann said: “We plan to be on pad in the summer and start the (testing) campaign.“Then we have an anticipated first launch attempt and we see how it goes.”He added: “We have on the Shetland Islands a dedicated launch pad purely for RFA. So, there’s no time pressure for us.”He said people on Unst, which has a population of around 600, were supportive of the project, saying: “The locals, they pretty much realise what a big opportunity it is for them.”After testing in Germany and elsewhere, the various components of the rocket and its cargo of satellites will be shipped to Lerwick in around a dozen containers before being driven north to Unst.Mr Spurmann said: “We do a full assembly and checkout testing in Augsburg.“And then we put it into a dozen containers roughly.“Then the final remating of these stages and encapsulation of the fairing, final testing – that all happens on site at the launch pad.”A “hot test” of the rocket’s first-stage engines at the launch pad is expected in the months ahead of the first flight.Ultimately, RFA wants to re-use the lower stage of its rockets in order to generate savings, similar to the Falcon series of rockets used by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.While this will not take place on the initial flights, the first stage of the RFA One rocket would be parachuted back to splash down in the sea after propelling the upper parts of the vehicle high into the atmosphere.The nine Helix engines on the lower part of the rocket make up the bulk of the vehicle’s cost.Mr Spurmann said: “We’re planning mid-term to get to a launch cadence of once a month, so 12 a year.“That should happen over three years. Then it really depends where the market is – if the market needs more, we have flexibility to do more.”RFA’s team of about 300 people will see the first successful launch as an “Olympic gold medal” moment, Mr Spurrmann said, as the project has been years in the making.However, if the attempt ends in failure, he said RFA would be ready with a second vehicle “as soon as possible” for another try.Last year, RFA’s British subsidiary received £3.5 million from the UK Space Agency to support its launch plans. More

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    Dorries pledges to hand back nearly £17,000 ‘golden goodbye’ given in error

    Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailNadine Dorries has pledged to pay back more than £16,000 she was mistakenly given during the turmoil that followed Boris Johnson’s departure from Downing Street. Ms Dorries was sacked as culture secretary by Mr Johnson’s successor, Liz Truss. But in a blunder she was later given the payment, the equivalent of three months’ salary in lieu of notice. She was not eligible for the payout, however, which according to the rules should only be given those under 65. Ms Dorries had turned 65 several months earlier. Ms Dorries promised to pay the money back “on Monday morning” as she said she was only made aware of the mistake on Friday.And she joked that as a result “everybody knows I’m not 49″. Government accounts show she received £16,876 as an exit payout as she departed the cabinet. Ms Dorries later quit as an MP in protest at her exclusion from Mr Johnson’s resignation honours list.She blamed Rishi Sunak for her lack of a gong and triggered a by-election in her Mid Bedfordshire seat. Wiithin weeks Labour had overturned a huge Tory majority to win the constituency. The Mirror revealed earlier this week that disgraced ex-MP Peter Bone had also wrongly been paid almost £5,600 after he spent just 82 days as the deputy leader of the Commons under Mr Johnson. He was 69 at the time.Baroness Stedman-Scott also got £17,442 when she stood down as a Department of Work and Pensions minister in 2022. She was 67. And Sir David Evennett also received £4,479 when he left his role as a Government whip in October 2022, at the age of 73. Labour has pledged to reform the rules on ministerial severance pay if it wins the next election this year after it emerged that last year’s political turmoil cost the taxpayer nearly £1 million.Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart said earlier this month that the payments “should not apply where a person has attained the age of 65.”If a former minister was incorrectly given a severance payment, the relevant department will contact the individual to recover the over-payment.” More