UK Politics

A senior Tory MP has described a forthcoming review into BBC funding as a “sham”, as Nadine Dorries called the licence fee a “regressive tax” which penalises women and poorer people.It comes after the culture secretary unveiled a two-year freeze to the organisation’s licence fee in January, with a review to be launched before the summer recess to examine alternatives.Appearing at the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee, Ms Dorries told MPs people needed to “wake up and smell the coffee”, insisting it was time for a model that is “more effective, modern and fair”.The cabinet minister labelled the existing licence fee a “regressive tax and it does penalise women and the poor more than it does others”, adding it was “antediluvian” to suggest it was still appropriate now.But Damian Green, the former de facto deputy prime minister under Theresa May, suggested it was “the wrong way round” for the minister to come to a decision before launching a consultation.He said: “You have decided that the licence fee can’t carry on, but now you’re going to consult on whether the licence fee can carry on or not. Doesn’t that make that consultation a complete sham?”Responding to the MP during the committee, Ms Dorries said: “No, all I said is, we are looking at a review… that is my position.”The cabinet minister said when the BBC funding model was introduced it was the “right model at the right time”. More

Inflation hits 40-year high as energy bills soarA leading expert on Covid laws has questioned the “inconsistency” of the Metropolitan Police fines handed out to Downing Street staff while Boris Johnson escaped further punishment.Scotland Yard announced 126 fines had been given out over eight events as its Partygate probe came to an end.Both the prime minister and his wife Carrie Johnson previously received £50 fixed penalty notices in relation to a 56th birthday party held for Mr Johnson in the Cabinet Room in June 2020.But the PM’s official spokesperson confirmed Mr Johnson had been told by police he would receive no further penalties, and The Independent understands the same assurance has been given to Ms johnson.Junior staff at No 10 are reportedly angry at being given fixed penalty notices – in some cases receiving multiple fines – while the PM and other senior figures avoided fresh action.Describing the outcome of the Partygate inquiry as a “bit odd”, barrister Adam Wagner said it appeared that Mr Johnson had avoided fines despite attending illegal leaving drink events.Show latest update

1652971546UK threat of unilateral action over Northern Ireland could ‘nix’ Brexit agreement, EU ambassador warnsThe EU’s Brexit negotiators have been given a firm instruction from the 27 member states that there can be no change in their mandate and no renegotiation of the Northern Ireland Protocol, Brussels’ ambassador to London has revealed.João Vale de Almeida said no “credible alternative” to the protocol had been identified and warned that unilateral UK action to override it could “nix” the agreement altogether.Our political editor Andrew Woodcock has the full story:Chiara Giordano19 May 2022 15:451652970915EU ambassador warns unilateral action over Northern Ireland Protocol will provoke response from BrusselsThe EU’s ambassador to the UK Joao Vale de Almeida warned unilateral action by Boris Johnson’s government over the Northern Ireland Protocol would provoke a response from Brussels.”There is still potential in the proposals that we’ve made, we would like to focus on that instead of going unilateral,” he said.”Unilateral calls for unilateral. Action calls for reaction.”And is that what we want, an escalation around Northern Ireland at this present point in time? I don’t think so.”Chiara Giordano19 May 2022 15:351652969335Starmer condemns ‘industrial scale lawbreaking’ at No 10Sir Keir Starmer is standing by his call for Boris Johnson to resign, as he condemned the PM for setting a culture of “industrial-scale law-breaking” in No 10.The Labour leader told reporters in Leeds: “What I want to see now is the full Sue Gray report published, there’s no further hiding places for the prime minister on that.”Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said it “beggars belief that Conservative MPs are allowing our great country to be run by a prime minister who broke the law then repeatedly lied about it”.Chiara Giordano19 May 2022 15:081652968323Time to ‘move on’ from Partygate, says Home Office ministerHome Office minister Kit Malthouse has said it is time to “move on” from Partygate.“I’m pleased that it’s done, thankful to the police for conducting themselves efficiently,” he told the BBC’s World at One.“I hope now we can now move on to the really pressing issues.”Asked if understood why the PM received only one fine, Malthouse said: “You’d have to discuss that with the police. My job is to look at the results and be relieved that it’s done, and get on with the really important stuff that we need to focus on.”Meanwhile, environment secretary George Eustice told the BBC: “The prime minister has apologised for everything that’s happened at No 10.“Obviously there’s been a very thorough investigation and rightly so. There were failings, and we acknowledge that. We acknowledge the angry that some people will feel.”Chiara Giordano19 May 2022 14:521652967395Legal expert questions ‘odd’ fines for junior No 10 staff while PM escapesA leading expert on Covid laws has questioned the “inconsistency” of the Metropolitan Police fines handed out to Downing Street staff while Boris Johnson escaped further punishment.Junior staff at No 10 are reportedly angry at being given fixed penalty notices – in some cases receiving multiple fines – while the PM and other senior figures avoided fresh action from Scotland Yard.My colleague Adam Forrest has the full story:Chiara Giordano19 May 2022 14:361652966280Police ‘rightly able to use their discretion’ over shoplifters stealing food out of desperation, says No 10Downing Street said the law does need to be enforced, but police officers are “rightly able to use their discretion”.The Prime Minister’s official spokesman was asked for Boris Johnson’s view on officers turning a blind eye to shoplifters stealing food out of desperation, after a police watchdog suggested discretion should be used during the cost-of-living crisis.He replied: “I think that the police minister talked about this this morning. Obviously the law does need to be enforced. At the same time police officers are rightly able to use their discretion.”Beyond that, he said he would not seek to say anything that could be perceived as treading on the police’s operational independence.Pressed on whether that meant police should be able to turn a blind eye in some cases, he said: “I’m just talking in broad terms about the long-standing principle where police officers are able to use discretion.”But I think you’ll know the policing minister challenged the premise of this question this morning … the financial pressures people (are) facing don’t necessarily mean they are going to turn to crime.”Chiara Giordano19 May 2022 14:181652965361Boris Johnson raises ‘significant concerns’ with Ukrainian president about rising food pricesBoris Johnson has raised “significant concerns” with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky about rising food prices linked to the Russian invasion.In a call this morning, the pair looked at options to “open up critical sea and land supply routes for Ukrainian grain stocks”, and committed to directing their teams to “work urgently on the next steps”, Downing Street said.A No 10 spokesperson said: “The prime minister spoke to Ukrainian president Zelensky today to discuss a range of issues, including military support and global food security.”The prime minister raised his significant concerns about the growing global fallout from Russia’s illegal invasion and president (Vladimir) Putin’s craven and reckless blockade of Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, including rising food prices in developing countries.”They looked at options to open up critical sea and land supply routes for Ukrainian grain stocks, and committed to direct their teams to work urgently on the next steps.”The PM also stressed his “undimmed admiration for the brave defenders of Mariupol” and urged Russia to treat any prisoners of war with dignity and respect, No 10 said.Chiara Giordano19 May 2022 14:021652963853Policing minister deflects questions about why Boris Johnson only received one finePolicing minister Kit Malthouse deflected questions to Scotland Yard when asked how Boris Johnson received only one fine despite reportedly being at multiple events.Mr Malthouse told BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme: “You’d have to discuss that with the police.”My job is to look at the results and be relieved that it’s done and get on with the really important stuff that we need to focus on.”Chiara Giordano19 May 2022 13:371652962026Downing Street ‘not aware’ of any more fines for ministersThe prime minister’s spokesman said he was not aware of any other ministers implicated in the Partygate scandal.Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have been dealt one fine each, both of which have been paid.As the Met ended its investigation today, the prime minister was spared another fine. It is understood the chancellor was also yet to be fined again.Asked if any other government ministers will confirm to MPs if they have been fined over the scandal, the PM’s spokesman said: “Our commitment is to update with regards to the prime minister and the cabinet secretary, as I have done.“I’m certainly not aware of any other ministers who would be involved in this. But that’s our commitment, as before.”Liam James19 May 2022 13:071652960744Boris Johnson will address Commons on Sue Gray report – No 10Downing Street said the prime minister will update parliament when the Sue Gray report is published.Boris Johnson’s official spokesman said: “I would say the prime minister is pleased the investigation has concluded and we’d like to thank the Met Police for their work in bringing this investigation to completion.“Beyond that … I think the prime minister will update parliament in the first instance on the publication, once Sue Gray’s report is published, and that’s when he will talk in more detail. So beyond that I wouldn’t be going into more detail.”Ms Gray’s report into Partygate could be published as soon as next week, a source close to her team told The Independent after the conclusion of the Met’s investigation.A version of the report was published in January but it was heavily redacted to avoid interfering with the police investigation.Liam James19 May 2022 12:45 More

A policing minister has rejected a suggestion from the HM chief inspector of constabulary that officers should use “discretion” when deciding whether to prosecute desperate shoppers during the cost-of-living crisis.Kit Malthouse said that “justice should be blind” and said he had written to chief constables last year to stress that they “should not be ignoring those seemingly small crimes”, and highlighted government support.As inflation hit a 40-year high, Andy Cooke, the HM chief inspector of constabulary and former chief constable of Merseyside Police, suggested on Wednesday the cost-of-living crisis will “invariably” fuel a rise in crime.“I think whenever you see an increase in the cost-of-living or whenever more people dropping into poverty, I think you invariably see a rise in crime,” he said. “And that’s going to be a challenge for policing to deal with”.Speaking about his advice for officers, Mr Cooke added: “What they’ve got to bear in mind is what is the best thing for the community, and that individual, in the way they deal with those issue.“And I certainly fully support police officers using their discretion — and they need to use discretion more often.”Mr Cooke told The Guardian he was not “giving a carte blanche for people to go out shoplifting”, but wanted officers to ensure cases were “dealt with in the best way possible”.But asked about the discretion comments on LBC Radio, Mr Malthouse said on Thursday he had “a lot of respect” for Mr Cooke, “but I’m afraid I find it a bit old fashioned thinking”.He stressed: “We first of all believe that the law should be blind and police officers should operate without fear of favour in the prosecution of the law.“Secondly, that it’s not quite right to say as the economy fluctuates so does crime. We’ve seen economic problems in the past when crime has risen or not.Cost of living: how to get helpThe cost of living crisis has touched every corner of the UK, pushing families to the brink with rising food and fuel prices.Citizens Advice provides free help to people in need. The organisation can help you find grants or benefits, or advise on rent, debt and budgeting.If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email, jo@samaritans.org or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.“We actually think there’s a growing body of evidence that says poverty doesn’t cause crime, actually crime and violence cause poverty and where you remove the crime and the violence very often people and neighbourhoods fly and prosper.“That’s not to say there isn’t a cost-of-living challenge, of course there is, but our job is to make sure we drive down crime, not withstanding that challenge for everybody”.Asked whether business owners should be assured the police will not turn a “blind eye” to those stealing food, he said: “Absolutely right. I wrote to chief constables just a year ago saying they should not be ignoring those seemingly small crimes.”He also told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “The broad rule is that justice should be blind and I hope and believe that is in the principle that sits behind not just the police, but the operation of the courts as well.“But what should we be doing? Well people should be turning to the comprehensive package of measures we’ve put in place to help with the cost-of-living.” More

New Zealand’s government said Thursday it will hand out an extra few hundred dollars to more than 2 million lower-income adults to help them navigate what it describes as “the peak of the global inflation storm.”The payments are part of a package of new measures announced in the government’s annual budget. Other plans include increasing health spending by a record amount, putting more money into reducing greenhouse gas emissions and boosting defense spending.A report by Treasury painted a rosy picture of the nation’s economy through next year but warned growth would slow markedly from 2024 due to rising interest rates, a reduction in the government’s pandemic spending, and supply issues made worse by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.A Treasury report forecast unemployment would hit a low of 3.1% this year before rising to 4.7% by 2026. It predicted inflation would fall from its current 30-year high of 6.9% to 2.2% over the next four years.The inflation payments of 350 New Zealand dollars ($220) over three months begin in August and are targeted at the half of all adults who earn less than 70,000 New Zealand dollars ($44,000) per year. The government also decided to extend some other temporary measures aimed at combatting spiraling living costs, including a cut to gas taxes and half-price public transportation fares.“Our economy has come through the COVID-19 shock better than almost anywhere else in the world,” said Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in a statement. “But as the pandemic subsides, other challenges both long-term and more immediate have come to the fore.”Ardern has been isolating at her Wellington residence this week after catching the virus. Her office said she’d experienced moderate symptoms and was improving, and at this point still planned to travel to the U.S. next week for a trade trip and to give the commencement speech at Harvard University.The record 1.8 billion New Zealand dollar ($1.1 billion) boost to health spending next year comes as New Zealand overhauls its publicly funded system by getting rid of a patchwork of 20 district health authorities in favor of a single system. The extra money will help pay off the debts of the district authorities, rebuild three hospitals and boost medicine spending.“This is going to make a massive difference to every New Zealander, in terms of the health care that they get,” said Finance Minister Grant Robertson. Treasury predicted the government’s books would return to the black by 2025 after it borrowed heavily during the pandemic. New Zealand’s net government debt is forecast to remain much lower than in most developed nations, peaking at 20% of GDP in 2024 before dropping to 15% two years later.Earlier this week, the government announced a new initiative to help pay for lower-income families to scrap their old gas guzzlers and replace them with cleaner hybrid or electric cars as part of a sweeping plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The budget plan also included a boost of 660 million New Zealand dollars to defense spending over four years to cover the cost of depreciating assets.Conservative opposition leader Christopher Luxon said the governing liberal Labour Party had an addiction to spending and the budget plans would put the economy into reverse, with New Zealanders experiencing the worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation.The budget plan was expected to be quickly approved by lawmakers since the Labour Party holds a majority of seats in the Parliament. More

International law should be applied to cyberspace to make it clear when a nation state has acted unlawfully and what action can be legally taken in response to a cyberattack, the Attorney General will say.Suella Braverman will speak on Thursday at the Chatham House foreign affairs think tank to set out the UK’s position on cybersecurity and international law and how it can help inform decisions on what constitutes unlawful action.Ms Braverman is expected to use the speech to highlight how a united international approach to the issue would help establish and shape such a framework, highlighting the global response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as an example.“The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has demonstrated, on the part of Russia, a callous disregard for established international rules,” she will say.

Commentators often talk in hushed tones of cyber weapons, with little understanding of what they are, or of the rules which govern how they are usedAttorney General Suella Braverman“However, the unprecedented and united international response in support of Ukraine has also reinforced the value of having a framework that makes clear when state action is unlawful.“Commentators often talk in hushed tones of cyber weapons, with little understanding of what they are, or of the rules which govern how they are used.“This misunderstanding means we can see every cyber incident as an act of warfare which threatens to bring down the modern world around us and it’s not uncommon for even seasoned observers to think in this way, as they speak of cyber as a new battlespace where no rules apply.“But cyberspace is not a lawless ‘grey zone’. International law governs and plays a fundamental role in regulating cyberspace.”The Attorney General will highlight the need for “leadership and partnerships” between the UK and its partners to shape and strengthen international cyber governance, with the aim of promoting a “free, open, peaceful and secure cyberspace”.Ms Braverman is expected to say the Government’s position is that the international principle of non-intervention – that every state has the right to sovereignty and territorial and political independence – should also be the approach in cyberspace, and that breaching these rules would give nations the right to retaliate.Her stance builds on one first made by the Government in 2018.“The UK’s position is that the rule on non-intervention provides a clearly established basis in international law for assessing the legality of state conduct in cyberspace during peacetime,” she will say.

It is therefore important to bring the non-intervention rule to life in the cyber context, through examples of what kinds of cyber behaviours could be unlawful in peacetimeAttorney General Suella Braverman“It serves as a benchmark by which to assess lawfulness, to hold those responsible to account, and to calibrate responses.“It is therefore important to bring the non-intervention rule to life in the cyber context, through examples of what kinds of cyber behaviours could be unlawful in peacetime.“To move the focus to the types of coercive and disruptive behaviours that responsible states should be clear are unlawful when it comes to the conduct of international affairs in peacetime.“And being clear on what is unlawful means we can then be clearer on the range of potential options that can lawfully be taken in response.“That is, the kinds of activities which would require legal justification, for example, as a proportionate response to prior illegality by another state.“This is crucial in enabling states to act within the law whilst taking robust and decisive action.”The approach will encourage “more agile and decisive international action in response to specific threats” and will help “avoid inadvertent or damaging escalations”, Ms Braverman will say. More

Legal action taken against the government’s decision to continue working with a PPE manufacturer accused of labour abuses is set to proceed to a full judicial hearing, in the first case of its kind to consider the presence of modern slavery in the UK’s supply chain.The High Court granted permission for The Citizens, a non-profit group, to proceed in challenging the decision to continue using the UK subsidiary of the Malaysian company, Supermax, as an approved supplier of disposable gloves for NHS workers.Supermax has faced multiple allegations of modern slavery, stretching back to 2019. The US has banned imports from the company after an investigation found “ample evidence” of forced labour within its factories, while Canada has also ceased business with the firm over similar concerns.In November 2021, the UK government said it would investigate the claims of modern slavery made against Supermax.Despite this, a month later an agreement was awarded to Supermax Heathcare Limited, the UK-based subsidiary of Supermax Corporation, and other suppliers in a contract deal worth £6bn.As a result, The Citizens launched a legal case against the government claiming it had failed to tackle alleged modern slavery abuse in the NHS supply chain.The lawsuit has been prepared by Wilson Solicitors LLP, which represents several current and former workers of Malaysian glove factories, including those run by Supermax. These workers have detailed allegations of debt bondage, physical abuse and forced labour while working at Supermax.Nusrat Uddin, the lead solicitor for the case, said: “The High Court’s order outlines that there is an arguable claim of a grave breach of public law obligations to answer and thus permission for the case to proceed to a full judicial review hearing has been allowed.“Whilst the High Court’s decision to grant permission is only the first stage of these legal proceedings, it is significant in that it is the first case in the English courts to consider the use of modern slavery in the government’s own procurement processes.”The Independent’s investigations into alleged labour abuses within the NHS supply chain have been used to help shape The Citizen’s legal case.Leaked documents, obtained by The Independent, showed Whitehall officials identified companies suspected of forced labour as long ago as November 2019 – with further concerns about suppliers highlighted by a UK diplomat over the summer of 2020.But tens of millions of items were still purchased from the firms, including Supermax, for use by NHS staff during the height of pandemic as demand soared in hospitals pushed to the brink by Covid-19.Wilson Solicitors said it had asked the government to reconsider its decision to continue awarding contracts to Supermax, arguing that public procurement legislation in the UK allowed for the authorities to discontinue relationships with suppliers on the basis of evidence of labour abuses.Workers in its factories claimed in 2019 that they had been forced to work up to 12 hours a day, for as many as 30 days in a row. Supermax has denied the allegations. It also declined to comment on the ongoing legal action being taken against the UK government.At the start of the pandemic, the Department of Health purchased hundreds of millions of gloves from Supermax’s UK subsidiary, in a deal worth £316 million. A further 135 million gloves were obtained for £7.9 million in July 2021.A spokesperson for The Citizens said: “We are extremely pleased that the court has recognised our potential position as an NGO with standing to bring such as challenge. We are grossly concerned with the government’s response during the pandemic and how it has awarded contracts particularly to PPE providers.”Addressing the legal case earlier this year, a spokesperson for the Department of Health, which was responsible for procuring PPE during the pandemic, said: “We have made strong commitments to eradicate modern slavery from all contracts in the government supply chain.“We take any allegations of this nature very seriously and do not hesitate to investigate claims made against manufacturers. A proper due-diligence process is carried out for all contracts and our suppliers are required to follow the highest legal and ethical standards. We cannot comment further at this stage.” More