There were eleven district, borough or county council by-elections throughout the country yesterday. According to the Twitter account “Britain Elects”, Honiton was ninth out of the eleven to declare and, as of this moment, after ten declarations, the only result awaited is Exmouth Littleham.
Yet the ” Conservative Home” website is already showing it as a Conservative Hold:
Is our Electoral Returning Officer, EDDC CEO Mark Williams, resourcing the counts in East Devon appropriately?
Who was the Minister responsible for this part of the world until the recent government reshuffle? Hugo Swire.
The reason this is important is explained at the end of the quote: there are attempts to stop arms sales to Saudi Arabia and if it were shown that they are using British-made cluster bombs in Yemen, this would hugely increase the possibility of this happening.
Tobias Ellwood, a minister at the Foreign Office, last night issued ‘corrections’ to six statements to Parliament about the use of British-made cluster bombs by Saudi forces in Yemen. …
… Ministers have repeatedly misled Parliament about the use of British-made cluster bombs by Saudi Arabian forces in Yemen, the Foreign Office admitted last night.
In an unprecedented move, Tobias Ellwood, a minister at the department, issued ‘corrections’ to six statements on the Yemen crisis dating back almost six months.
MPs and campaigners have been pressing the Government over the use by Saudi Arabia of British weapons and expertise in its bloody incursion in neighbouring Yemen.
In statements dating back to February, ministers have said that ‘we have assessed that there has not been a breach of international humanitarian law by the coalition’.
But yesterday Mr Ellwood admitted that they should have said ‘we have been unable to assess that there has been a breach of international humanitarian law by the Saudi-led coalition’.
The written answer also said it was not for the UK Government to assess the Saudi bombing operation.
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said it was an outrage that it had been slipped out on the final day of the parliamentary sitting along with a torrent of other bad news. …
…The Government is facing a court case that it should ban all arms sales to Saudi Arabia. The European Parliament has also voted overwhelmingly for an arms embargo on the Saudis while the conflict with Yemen continues.”
“The Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust (RCHT) and the Royal Devon and Exeter (RD&E) hospital are among the worst in the country for delays in discharging patients.
There were over 20,000 delayed discharges from the RD&E hospital last year, while the RCHT had more than 17,000 delays.
The report from the Commons Public Accounts Committee urges the government to address the scale and cost of bed-blocking across the country.”
Source- BBC Devon live news 08.11 am
Less space for urgent cases, more distress for patients
The results for the recent Honiton by-election were
Conservative 362
East Devon Alliance 211
Labour 197
UKIP 140
Whilst the Conservative candidate retained the seat, the results show a strong showing by East Devon Alliance and a particularly strong response for the Labour candidate.
Had all non-Tory parties entered into a Progressive Alliance where only one of the three candidates had stood, it is likely the chosen candidate would have won the seat.
East Devon District Council really is having problems with regeneration in Exmouth and Seaton.
In Exmouth, the relationship with preferred developer Moirai Capital Investments (see many East Devon Watch posts) has spectacularly bitten the dust. And what of the development at the old motel site in Seaton – grandly marketed as Seaton Heights:
which continues to deteriorate badly, despite promises made (many times) to either finish or start construction in June 2016 (it varies a lot depending just which press release you read) having been broken (though the company website STILL touts the off-plan £1,000 deposits it has been marketing for years).
EDDC Deputy CEO Richard Cohen was brought in specially for his regeneration expertise in London but, alas, he seems to have spent the vast majority of his time spearheading the relocation of council offices to Honiton and mopping up development issues in Cranbrook.
Now we have no less than THREE of our major towns with regeneration committees, as Axminster has joined Exmouth and Seaton as being in need of major new investment. Perhaps to be followed by Sidmouth when it is deserted by EDDC and has its replacement influx of more pensioners and Ottery as it struggles with more housing without accompanying infrastructure.
Not really a very good track record, is it?
Still, perhaps our LocalEnterprise Partnership will pump funds into these deprived areas.
Talks on the devolution of power from Westminster to East Devon will continue ‘in principle’ amid calls for a public consultation and more concrete facts.
If successful, the Heart of the South West (HOTSW) bid would see local authorities work with the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to take on more responsibility for economic growth and infrastructure in the region.
East Devon District Council’s cabinet agreed to carry on the conversation in principle at a meeting last Wednesday (July 13) but there was a consensus that more ‘concrete facts’ are needed.
[Independent, East Devon Alliance] Councillor Cathy Gardner said: “One thing that has concerned me since the beginning of this process is the complete absence of a public consultation. It could have a huge impact. It would be remiss of us to take this forward without seeing what people want.” EDDC’s full council will need to give the final go-ahead to continue talks.”
“Dickensian housing conditions reminiscent of the Victorian era have returned to Britain amid a rise in private renters living in squalid lodgings and rogue landlords demanding sex in return for delayed rent.
According to local authorities and housing activists the lack of housing stock, affordable homes and regulation is forcing more and more people, especially vulnerable and low-income workers into deceitful contracts and precarious rents.
A Sky News investigation spoke to dancer Sandrine Anterrion, who found herself in a homelessness cycle after being evicted for refusing to perform sexual favors on her landlord in exchange for rent. She now lives in a “flea-infested London flat with no hot water or working toilet.” …
Not too well if you read this story, where a large company preferred to go to the Hill Barton Business Park, further away from the M5 and a few miles extra driving on the A3052 road towards Sidmouth:
What is it about EDDC-owned Skypark that made Hill Barton more attractive, Owl wonders? Especially as developer St Modwen has gone to (expensive?) lengths to pretty it up, sacrificing 5 acres of rental opportunity land to do so:
Swire pinched the first part of Claire Wright’s election slogan (“free to speak, free to act”) in recent press coverage about his recent demotion to the back benches but, tellingly, he did not pinch the second part.
Swire is NOT, of course, free to act. He is bound by the devices and desires of his national party policies and subject to a very firm whip to ensure that he behaves himself now and in the future.
It rather circumscribes his ” freedom”.
“The government lacks a “coherent, enduring framework” for planning and managing policy implementation, according to the National Audit Office.
In two reports published today, the NAO assessed the means by which the government plans and manages its business through Single Department Plans, and the execution of the 2015 Spending Review.
Almost £2tn was allocated to departments in last year’s Spending Review and another £2tn was budgeted for welfare and benefits payments over five years. This involved complex cooperation between the centre of government and departments to set overall strategy.
Despite improvements in this area, auditors found that the government was lacking an overall management framework. Adopting such a system would allow the government to plan into the medium term, set achievable goals, know whether it is on track, adjusting its approach where necessary, and provide Parliament with clear accountability.
The NAO refuted the government’s claims that it already operates such an arrangement in the form of processes and guidelines. The auditors said this did not add up to a framework, and said the outcome of this lack of structure could be seen in projects that were not value for money and blighted by an absence of long-term, joined-up thinking.
Making the change to a more effective system would not be easy, however, due to the scale of government and the significant challenges facing the country, which have been compounded by the recent vote to leave the EU.
Some progress had been made following previous NAO and Public Accounts Committee probes, but improvements had not been as significant as expected. Although the government is working with departments more effectively, it is not making the most of in-house expertise. Also, the report noted that a heightened focus on the spending period up to 2020 had drawn attention away from longer-term funding decisions and their impact.
NAO head Amyas Morse said: “Time and again, we find that problems in the delivery of public services can be traced back to the way government goes about planning and managing business in pursuit of an administration’s policy objectives.” …
http://www.publicfinance.co.uk/news/2016/07/government-has-no-coherent-framework-implementing-policy
From eight very highly paid senior managers to five – well, it’s a start.
Whereas, in East Devon, after managing perfectly well on half a CEO when we shared him with South Somerset, we had to take him back full-time when they decided they could do without him.
Don’t get your hopes up – East Devon District Council has already stamped on it saying it would be just awful as they would lose control of planning!
“CREATING a national park across part of Dorset and east Devon could help ensure affordable housing goes to local people, according to campaigners.
The Dorset and East Devon National Park Team gave a presentation to Lyme Regis Town Council last week – pointing out the benefits the proposals could bring to the town and west Dorset.
Richard Brown, speaking on behalf of the national park team, said the proposals could “help affordable homes stay affordable”.
He added: “I think so many communities across Dorset are passing motions recognising that this is a great opportunity for Dorset.
National parks have a good track record in promoting the provision of affordable homes and keeping such homes affordable and available for local people.”
He added: “It would help develop affordable homes and a coherent Dorset tourism strategy.”
Speaking about a national park established in the South Downs, Mr Brown said that “people now stay longer and spend more”.
Although the project could be “five or six years away”, Mr Brown pointed out that “the proposed national park for Dorset remains unfinished business”.
The team say Natural England has already undertaken a positive first assessment of the proposal submitted to them in 2013.
The team’s current proposal for a national park includes the Dorset AONB land from Lyme Regis to Blandford Forum, excluding the Dorchester area, as well as much of Purbeck and east Devon, excluding Seaton and Sidmouth. But the national park boundary has yet to be finalised.
Mr Brown added: “The environment and the economy are two halves of the same coin.
“All of Dorset would benefit from the economic stimulus a national park brings. They are not against development. They work hard through local partnerships to deliver what local people want.”
The concept of creating a national park gained the backing of some town councillors.
Cllr Derek Hallett remained cautious, urging members to “look at it very carefully”, while Cllr Jeff Scowen described the proposals as “a marvellous idea”. …”
“… Supposedly the costliest power station on Earth lies like a beached whale on the shores of the Bristol Channel. Whitehall’s department of energy hated it from the start, seeing it not as sensible investment but diplomatic fantasy. The French government, which owns the contractor EDF, is happy to proceed, but only if the soaring cost, now put at £37bn, is guaranteed by future British governments and energy consumers. Accountants working for EDF have run screaming for the hills.
The world of nuclear energy has moved on from these giant 20th-century plants, not one of which has yet been made to work. But the lobbyists have been hard at work: from Weber Shandwick, Bell Pottinger and Finsbury, to the pro-nuclear former minister, John (Lord) Hutton. The cry is always: stop arguing the cost and get building. We don’t want the lights to go out, do we? Someone else will pay.” …
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jul/21/theresa-may-lobbyists-trident-heathrow-business
This comment is re-posted here, beginning this time with its final sentence:
…. my biggest overall impression is that there was nothing, NOTHING [during the years that Swire felt free to speak in Parliament] requiring any substantial expertise that a new Independent MP like Claire Wright couldn’t have done just as well if not better.
Hugo Swire became a minister in 2010, so we should get some indication of how he behaves as a back bencher from his time as an MP prior to 2010 – though in opposition at this point of course. I guess we should expect that, as an opposition MP charged with holding the Labour government to account, we should be seeing a far more questioning approach. Fortunately, his contributions are available online as part of the Hansard archive for us to review, as follows:
In 2006/2007 session, Hugo spoke in the commons on only 15 occasions – that’s 15 occasions out of several hundred sitting days and several thousand hours of debate, though of course not all of these 15 occasions actually contained anything of any significance. For example on one of these occasions he only said “Will the right hon. Lady give way?” to Tessa Jowell – not exactly earth shattering. He did speak about the lottery funding of the 2012 Olympics, the BBC and drugs in prisons on several occasions.
He started rehearsing his role as a Foreign Office minister by asking asking about Gaza, but did manage to mention East Devon a couple of times – on one occasion pleading for better protection against wrecks like the Napoli at Branscombe, and on another occasion to congratulate Devon Air Ambulance on backfilling for shortcomings of the NHS. However he did not secure a single debate on issues of serious import to East Devon.
So that is two mentions of East Devon in 2006-2007 but without securing any specific debates about issues affecting East Devon. Not IMO exactly good value for money – several hundred thousand pounds in salary and expenses for one short plea for support for the coastline after a shipwreck.
In 2007/2008 session, he spoke on 27 occasions. He rehearsed further for his ministerial role with questions about Zimbabwe, Afghanistan & Serbia, Muslim law, bank support for South American exports, and relationships between Harriet Harman and foreign oligarchs (perhaps he felt this was something he should research in case he needed to know about it in his future role). He also spoke about art collectors (presumably based on his expertise as a fine art auctioneer), female genital mutilation (not sure about his expertise on this subject), the sale of Shackleton barracks, casinos / gambling (again), election funding (oh, the irony considering the current scandals), called for hard evidence in support of government arguments about foetal abnormalities (oh, irony again given the lack of hard facts during the referendum), farmers growing eco-fuel, and against the EU Lisbon Treaty.
But to his credit he did speak very briefly about Job Centre closures in Sidmouth, Exmouth and Axminster, about cut-backs in care for the elderly, about the Waterloo-Exeter rail link, about funding for community power and heat generation in Cranbrook, pensions funding for Devon & Somerset Fire Service. More notably he secured two debates about the closure of Post Office Counters in small communities, and about the sell off “to the highest bidder” of Rolle College, Exmouth and more generally about education funding in East Devon cf. UK averages. (Of course, the Conservative government of which he was a minister made education funding in East Devon even lower cf. UK average, but surely that should not detract from his stance when in opposition, should it?)
For 2007/8, having secured two debates for East Devon issues I would mark Hugo as delivering better value-for-money than the previous year, though undoubtedly there were many more occasions where he could have spoken about issues of importance to East Devon and 27 occasions in several thousand hours of debate is not exactly a major contribution to political thinking. So, still poor value-for-money.
IN 2008/9 Hugo spoke on about 40 occasions. He continued his rehearsals for a ministerial role for a 3rd year running with comments on Afghanistan, Iran and Gaza, and drew on his expertise of army life (a very short experience indeed – a bit like his university experience) to ask questions about reductions in the strength of the TA, equipment shortages, and armoured vehicles held up in Israeli customs. He also spoke about transparency for MPs expenses (whilst his position on transparency was unclear on this occasion, we know from his outburst re his families use of tax havens that he is not that keen on transparency), on reducing the number of MPs (but funny how the government he was a minister in failed to make this happen), on getting more people registered to vote, on Labour economic disaster, Swine Flu, funding for local councils for heritage archives (of course later made made MUCH, MUCH worse under his own government), banks privatised after the financial crisis, Lyme disease, that we should join the Euro (yes – really!), and the perception of MPs having their “noses in the trough at a time of an economic recession if not a depression” (irony again). But he also spoke very briefly about tourism and taxes on furnished holiday lettings, road links to Exeter Airport and funds for mitigating its environmental impact, marine conservation cf. MV Napoli, Samurai Sword crime in East Devon, SW educational funding (again), fuel poverty (particularly in Exmouth), the EDDC judicial review into boundary changes, and secured debates on much higher than average sewerage charges in the SW, and about the MSC Napoli shipwreck.
So again, Hugo secured debates on two areas of interest to East Devon, by 40 comments in several thousand hours of debate is hardly stunning. Still terrible value-for-money.
Hugo spoke 28 times this year. He spoke on Gaza/Hamas/Israel, Afghanistan, Pakistan, USA/Argentina/Falklands, EU regulations, on restricting freedom of protest (in Parliament Square), on Lyme disease (again), on treatment for wounded armed servicemen, TA funding (again), bovine tuberculosis, pensioners cold weather payments, dementia, lottery funding, and unitary government in Devon, educational funding for Devon, upper gastro-intestinal surgery (based on a complaint by a constituent), water charges in the SW (though this time for drinking water rather than sewerage), Met Office redundancies, raising a 69 signature petition about home education (but of course later being a minister in a government that ignored petitions with several thousand times as many signatures) and securing a debate on Seaside Town Regeneration to discuss tax changes for furnished holiday letting.
Whilst this was perhaps a shortened parliamentary year (because of the election), 28 comments including securing one debate is still a pitiful result. Conclusion: Still poor VFM.
I should add that with the exception of the debates he secured which he introduced with a substantial speech, most of these were short comments or questions rather than making any serious points.
Swire has sprung to life in Parliament!
And what aspect of life in East Devon did he see fit to talk about?
Students in Exeter!!! Bet Ben Bradshaw is miffed!
Here is the extract:
Higher Education and Research Bill (19 Jul 2016)
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2016-07-19a.702.0&s=speaker%3A11265#g749.0
Hugo Swire: Has my hon. Friend made any study of the outrageous
discrimination suffered by English students studying at Scottish
universities after we come out of the European Union?
Higher Education and Research Bill (19 Jul 2016)
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2016-07-19a.702.0&s=speaker%3A11265#g750.1
Hugo Swire: The right hon. Gentleman will have heard what my hon. Friend
the Member for Cannock Chase (Amanda Milling) said, citing Sir Steve
Smith, the vice-chancellor of Exeter University. He will also be aware
of the huge number of overseas students at Exeter University, which make
it one of the leading universities in the country, if not in the world.
I know that the Minister shares my view about…
Etc, etc.
Perhaps he might next focus on the closure of Tipton St John Primary School – Owl is sure they would appreciate his help – although Claire Wright is doing as much as she can, an extra pair of hands would surely help!
Here is the consultation letter and, below it, the maps showing the two possible routes that it might follow onshore. Also details of where and when representatives of the project will be available for questioning.
Several points spring to mind:
How wide will trenches be?
Will roads need to be closed and, if so, for how long?
How big is the converter station?
Why are some of the cables put in fields, yet others are embedded in roads? Roads particularly affected are the B3178 disrupting Budleigh Salterton, East Budleigh and Colaton Raleigh and the B3184 to the airport, Many other key strategic routes will also be cut across and possibly interrupted, including the A30 and also the railway line.
The two routes out of Budleigh Salterton are very sensitive environmental areas – moleing underground was originally mentioned but seems to have been dropped
The consultation letter (followed by maps of alternative routes included with the letter)
I am writing to invite you to take part a public consultation on proposals to build a 220 kilometre underground and subsea electricity interconnector and converter station which will see power flowing between France, the Channel Island of Alderney, and East Devon.
The FAB Project has the approval of the UK energy regulator Ofgem to build the interconnector, linking the British electricity grid from the existing National Grid substation at Broadclyst to the French grid to help ensure the security of supply to both the UK and the continent. Alderney Renewable Energy (ARE) and Transmission Investment LLP formed a joint venture company, FAB Link, and FAB Link is working with the French grid company RTE – Reseau de Transport d’Electricite – to develop the FAB Project.
The project also intends to take advantage of proposed tidal generators in Alderney to provide reliable, sustainable and low-carbon electricity for consumers on both sides of the Channel, hence the FAB name, which stands for France-Alderney-Britain. It is also our intention to increase competition in electricity markets, cutting prices for consumers.
As shown in the enclosed maps, the cables would come ashore in Britain at Budleigh Salterton and thereafter would run underground between the coast and a new above-ground converter station.
The interconnector cables would run completely underground between the coast and a new above-ground converter station to be built near Exeter International Airport. From the converter station the high-voltage DC electricity transmitted through the interconnector would be converted to or from high-voltage AC current used by the National Grid. Further underground cables would then link up with the grid at Broadclyst. There will be no pylons associated with the FAB Project, and our intention is that we will leave the environment along the route exactly as we found it.
We are holding three public consultation events in East Devon and one public consultation event in Alderney where we will be able to explain our project in more detail. Each of the events is open to the public from 2pm to 8pm. They are:
• Tuesday, 26th July, 2016: Temple Methodist Church Hall, Budleigh Salterton;
• Wednesday, 27th July, 2016: Younghayes Centre, Cranbrook;
• Thursday, 28th July 2016: Woodbury Park Hotel, Woodbury;
The events will provide you with opportunities to express your views on the project. The opinions of all stakeholders will help to inform our proposals for the route of the interconnector and the construction of the converter station before the relevant planning applications are submitted to the relevant authorities at the end of 2016.
If you are not able to attend one of the events, please visit our website to learn more. Copies of the detailed plans, technical reports and environmental appraisals of the onshore and offshore proposals available at the public consultation events will also be available online at http://www.fablink.net from 25th July, and there will be opportunities to express your opinions via the website, phone or by post. The consultation will run until 5th September 2016.
If you do not have access to the internet the information will also be available to view at Budleigh Salterton Library in Station Road, Budleigh Salterton, EX9 6RH, from 25th July to 5th September during normal library opening hours, which are currently 09.30-18.00 on Mondays, 09.30-13.00 on Wednesdays, 09.30-17.30 on Thursdays, and 09.30-13.00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Please note the library is not open on Tuesdays or Sundays.
Route 1
Route 2:
“Owen Smith, who now faces Jeremy Corbyn in the Labour leadership battle, worked as a lobbyist in the pharmaceutical industry for five years before becoming the MP for Pontypridd in 2010.
After working for the US giant Pfizer, Smith moved to the controversial biotech firm Amgen in 2008. At the time, Amgen was battling an investigation into one of its most successful anaemia drugs, Aranesp.
Amgen was ultimately fined $762m for illegally promoting the drug to cancer patients in a way that increased the likelihood of their deaths. Amgen was hit with the fines after it emerged that the California company was “pursuing profits at the risk of patient safety” as it promoted a non-approved use of Aranesp.
Smith was in charge of corporate affairs, corporate and internal communications and public affairs at the British division of Amgen while the biotech company was being investigated.
The main whistleblower on Aranesp filed her case against Amgen in 2006, sparking a US investigation that took several years to conclude. The whistleblower also claimed that Amgen systematically overfilled vials of the drugs, when selling them in America, which enabled doctors to “pool” the excess amounts.
The doctors were then encouraged to bill Medicare and private insurers for the use of the excess drug, creating a system of “liquid kickbacks” according to one lawyer on the case.
Amgen also produces a drug called erythropoietin – better known as EPO – which it produced under its Epogen brand name. Epogen was connected to the international cycling scandal, which involved cyclists such as Lance Armstrong. …”
David Cameron was “Director of Corporate Affairs” at Carlton TV (i.e. a lobbyist):
“In July 1994, Cameron left his role as Special Adviser to work as the Director of Corporate Affairs at Carlton Communications. Carlton, which had won the ITV franchise for London weekdays in 1991, was a growing media company which also had film-distribution and video-producing arms. Cameron was suggested for the role to Carlton executive chairman Michael P. Green by his later mother-in-law Lady Astor. Cameron left Carlton to run for Parliament in 1997, returning to his job after his defeat.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Cameron#Carlton
and our own dear Hugo Swire had a similar job at the National Gallery:
“He was a financial consultant, then became of Head of Development for the National Gallery, then Director of the auction house Sotheby’s directly before his election from 1996.”
When it is the BIG, BIG story about EDDC dropping their development partner (Moirai Capital Investments) and going back to the drawing board for the seafront, which appeared on its website for only 24 hours, displaced by stories on the Tour of Britain, a school fete in Ottery and a by-election in Littleham.
Wonder how that decision came about?
“He said: “It is wonderful that the Pebblebed Heaths are enjoyed for recreation and provide a place to experience nature. However, the intensity of use of the Pebblebed Heaths can cause significant disturbance to wildlife, with adverse impacts of people and pets including predation of ground nesting birds, trampling and erosion of paths and tracks, along with nutrient enrichment through dog mess.”
Owl worries that it sounds as if Clinton Devon Estates would really like to ban or restrict people and dogs in the area.
And what about the quarrying that is being expanded around the heath and its impact?
And what happens when Mrs Leadsom decides that they are not being ” productive”?
“The Council is proposing to replace the existing narrow, substandard single carriageway in the Monkton area with around five miles of new road between the Honiton Bypass and Devonshire Inn – the junction of the A30 with the A303.
The scheme will comprise a wide carriageway with three lanes. It will be a laid out with two lanes in one direction and one lane in the other to enable overtaking in one direction, alternating along the route.
…
Exhibitions will be held at the following venues:
Thursday 4 August, 8am-6pm – Honiton Show
Friday 5 August, 2pm-8pm – Upottery Village Hall
Saturday 6 August, 10am-6pm – Upottery Village Hall
Tuesday 16 August, 12pm-8pm – Monkton Court Hotel
Saturday 20 August, 10am-6pm – Mackarness Hall, Honiton
Saturday 10 September, 10am-6pm – Upottery Village Hall”
Is this to make the road better for our councillors and officers to reach (or get away from) the forthcoming plush new offices in Honiton – centre of the EDDC universe?
East Devon Watch 