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3 Oct 2016

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Tory MP says only proportional representation will fix our broken political system

An interesting comment, too, below about how MPs act like sheep for their Whips …

” … “Mr Howlett was the only Conservative MP to vote dfor Green MP Caroline Lucas’s bill in support of introducing proportional representation for elections, which she previously tabled as a private members bill.

He suggested that though few Tories supported electoral reform, some MPs appeared to be open to persuasion.

“I know a number of MPs who I spoke to just outside the lobbies who were asking ‘Is this a whipped vote, or not a whipped vote? Oh it’s not a whipped vote, I’m not going to go through.’” They did think ‘you know what, it would be quite interesting to be thinking about that’.”

Mr Howlett also threw his support behind a petition organised by the Make Votes Matter campaign group calling on the Constitution Minister to look at the possibility of changing the voting system.

Labour supported queued around the block at the party’s conference in Liverpool last weekend to hear about proportional representation in what is understood to be the biggest rally in favour of the policy in the party’s recent history.

MPs from across the opposition party’s factions – including John McDonnell, Clive Lewis, Chuka Umunna, and Stephen Kinnock threw their weight behind the policy. Labour’s leader Jeremy Corbyn has yet to decide on the issue, however. …”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/proportional-representation-electoral-reform-ben-howlett-pr-make-vote-matter-a7341986.html

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East Devon Watch

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2 Oct 2016

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Affordable and Social Housing, Developers/ Development, Inequality

“Tory housing minister says building more council homes will increase inequality”

“Jeremy Corbyn’s pledge to dramatically increase the construction of council homes will actually increase inequality, the Conservative housing minister today claimed.

Gavin Barwell told the party’s conference that the Labour plan to build at least 500,000 council homes as part of an increase overall housebuilding to a million would increase inequality between people who owned homes and those that did not.

He told a fringe event at the Birmingham gathering on Sunday afternoon that far from solving the housing crisis, the plan and would widen “the divide in society”.

“If we carry on building at the current rate then by 2020 the average house in the south east of England will increase by about £1000 a week. That will mean normal people’s homes in Kent or Hampshire, or wherever, are going to be earning more than they’re earning,” Mr Barwell said.

“Think about the consequences of that in terms of the equality in society between people that are lucky enough to have or inherit a property – and those that don’t have property.

“That was what I think was so remarkable about what Jeremy Corbyn envisaged last week – because he envisaged a future where half of us live in council homes.

“If you’re going to build at the current rate – which is what he’s talking about – and half the people are going to go in council homes and half of them are going to own, the divide in society is only going to get wider and wider. I would have thought he cares about that.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tory-council-housing-housebuilding-gavin-barwell-conference-live-2016-a7341946.html

However, the new Minister is a NIMBY in his own constituency:

“The new Housing Minister that Theresa May tasked to increase home-building has been accused of taking a “not in my back yard” approach, after it emerged he fought against the construction of hundreds of properties in his own constituency.

Gavin Barwell was appointed by Theresa May last month as the incoming Prime Minister pledged to “get more houses built” and solve the housing crisis plaguing parts of Britain.

But plans opposed by Mr Barwell in his own constituency of Croydon Central, despite a huge housing shortage there, would have potentially provided homes for more than 500 families in the area. …”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tory-council-housing-housebuilding-gavin-barwell-conference-live-2016-a7341946.html

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East Devon Watch

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2 Oct 2016

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Accountability, Democracy, Devolution, EDDC, Sovereignty, Transparency

“Theresa May defends her plan to keep Brexit negotiation details secret from Parliament”

“Theresa May has defended her plan to keep key details of the EU exit negotiations secret from Britain’s Parliament.

The Prime Minister said that though MPs would be informed at “various stages”, they would not be privy to precisely what her negotiators were doing.

Last month Brexit Secretary David Davis told a Parliamentary Committee that he would “not be able to tell you everything, even in private”.

The approach is a stark contrast to the course being set by the EU, with plans reportedly being formed to keep the European Parliament informed with regular updates.

Questioned on the secrecy ahead of the Conservative party conference in Birmingham, the Prime Minister said transparency could jeopardise Britain’s negotiating position.

“First of all, of course parliament will be involved in this process. The Great Repeal Bill, Parliament will be having its say on that,” she told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show.

“Of course at various stages we will be keeping parliament informed. This is not about keeping silent for two years but its about making sure that we are able to negotiate, that we don’t set out all the cards in our negotiation.”

“Because as anybody will know who’s been involved in these things, if you do that up front, or if you give a running commentary you don’t get the right deal. What I’m determined to do is get the right deal for Britain.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/theresa-may-article-50-brexit-details-secret-parliament-david-davis-a7341266.html

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is sovereignty.

It seems she has learned well from EDDC Jedi-masters!

Just substitute Diviani for May and Morai or “Greater Exeter” or devolution deals withe the LEP for Parliament and local democracy for sovereignty and it is exactly the same situation. We don’t tell you anything at all during negotiations, we tell you almost nothing at all after negotiations and then we tell you all how to vote about the negotiations! Or maybe we don’t allow you to vote at all!

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East Devon Watch

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2 Oct 2016

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Accountability, East Devon economy, Stuart Hughes

Stuart Hughes suggests residents and businesses should pay to lure Tour of Britain back

“Would you pay for Tour of Britain to return to Devon

“Residents and businesses are being asked if they would like to see the Tour of Britain come back to Devon – and if they would put their hand in their pocket for its return.

The county council said this month’s stage, which set off from Sidmouth, drew record crowds, with an estimated 250,000 people lining the route.

But it said hosting the race again will require financing – and one option being considered is crowd-funding.

Councillor Stuart Hughes said: “With local government budgets increasingly being squeezed, it is prudent to investigate all opportunities. In 2010, when we hosted a stage in Exeter, we worked with local businesses. After talking with other towns, local authorities and stage partners, this appears to be an increasingly-common funding model. Any future Devon stage would likely need a similar cocktail of funding and we wanted to understand whether there was an appetite from the public for this. We’ve had a positive response so far, with over 90 per cent saying they’d like to see the Tour return to Devon.”

Residents can have their say by visiting https://surveys.devon.gov.uk/s/ToBftr/

http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/would_you_pay_for_tour_of_britain_to_return_to_devon_1_4717076

What if Honiton raised more money than Sidmouth? What if the Blackdown Hills raised less money than Broadclyst?

Sport being sold to the highest bidder.

Is that even allowed?

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East Devon Watch

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1 Oct 2016

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Accountability, Austerity cuts

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And here’s another £285 million squandered in Austerity Britain

“New claims have emerged that the government was warned the airport in St Helena, in the South Atlantic would be dangerous because of strong winds.

It is claimed that the Department for International Development (DfID), which approved the project, ignored a report by consultants a decade ago revealing serious concerns about the cliffside airport on the remote island.”

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3817108/How-ministers-blew-285MILLION-taxpayers-money-foreign-aid-project-build-useless-airport-despite-warnings-winds-mean-s-dangerous-land-there.htm