Chancellor blocks curb on high-stakes gambling – tax revenue more important

“Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond has blocked government attempts to curb high-stakes gambling machines commonly found in betting shops in order to preserve tax revenues, the Daily Mail newspaper reported on Saturday.

Britain’s ministry for culture, media and sports, which regulates the gambling industry, launched a consultation in October into the maximum wagers that should be allowed on gambling machines, including those known as fixed-odds betting terminals.

These machines currently allow gamblers to bet as much as 100 pounds ($130) every 20 seconds in electronic versions of casino games like roulette, and some British lawmakers have called for this to be reduced to 2 pounds.

The Daily Mail cited a government source as saying Britain’s finance ministry feared this would be “financially crippling” for tax revenues, and separately said Hammond had acted to ensure a clampdown on maximum gambling stakes was shelved. …”

http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/UKDomesticNews/~3/eywHCmJcdcU/uk-britain-gambling-idUKKBN1AL0DP

Left or centre? NHS or arms sales? New definitions

Our MP frequently visits the Middle East at the same time as our arms salesmen in his capacity as Chairman of the Conservative Middle East Council.

Indeed, in South America, when he was a Minister, he was alleged to have been an arms dealer himself:

https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/9bgdme/a-british-defence-minister-acted-as-an-arms-dealer-to-colombia-849

Here he talks about his attitude towards selling arms to Saudi Arabia:

https://www.hugoswire.org.uk/sale-arms-saudi-arabia-0

“… Each application is considered on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking into account the precise nature of the equipment and the identity and track record of the recipient. The Government has consistently said it does not, and will not, issue licences where it judges that the proposed export would provoke or prolong internal conflicts, or where there is a clear risk it might be used to facilitate internal repression or be used aggressively against another country. I have always fully supported this stance.

Saudi Arabia has publicly stated that it is investigating reports of alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law. This is an important process and the UK is fully behind thorough investigations into all allegations of violations of International Law. Finding a political solution to the conflict in Yemen is the best way to bring long-term stability and peace talks are a top priority.”

and a couple of other articles for balance:

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/saudi-arabia-arms-sales-yemen-war-uk-government-us-donald-trump-obama-aid-a7643066.html

“Since the conflict began two years ago in March 2015, the US and UK have together transferred more than US$5 billion worth of arms to Saudi Arabia which is leading the military coalition in Yemen. This is more than 10 times the estimated US$450 million that the US State Department and the UK’s Department for International Development have spent or budgeted to spend in aid to Yemen over the past two years. …

Weapons supplied in the past by states such as the UK and USA have been used to commit gross violations and helped to precipitate a humanitarian catastrophe. These governments have continued to authorize such arms transfers at the same time as providing aid to alleviate the very crisis they have helped to create. Yemeni civilians continue to pay the price of these brazenly hypocritical arms supplies.” …”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/saudi-arabia-yemen-uk-bombs-sold-arms-deal-used-unlawful-attacks-claims-a7776071.html

“… Conservatives are being pushed to make public a report, commissioned by former Prime Minister David Cameron, that investigates whether Saudi Arabia funds terrorist groups. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the report was confidential, and Ms Rudd said the report was “never meant to be seen”.”

EDDC external legal fees – over £800,000 over 4 years

“Costs of using external law firms and barristers

Date submitted: 7 July 2017

Summary of request

I would like to know the amount of money the council spent on the services of external law firms and barristers in the last years (year ending March 31 2017). If this is not possible within the restrictions of the Freedom of Information Act, one year of data will suffice.

Summary of response

2013/14 Legal fees including barristers £285,075.61
2014/15 Legal fees including barristers £353,060.78
2015/16 Legal fees including barristers £79,053.34
2016/17 Legal fees including barristers £107,390.74”

http://eastdevon.gov.uk/access-to-information/freedom-of-information/freedom-of-information-published-requests/

[Total: £824,580.47]

More on Swire saving services at Royal Brompton Hospital, London

Owl says: hypocrisy isn’t a strong enough word!

” … Yesterday, 21 MPs [including Swire] issued a letter to Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt MP calling for him to block plans to decommission congenital heart disease (CHD) services at the Trust.

Eight of the MPs joined Dr Jan Till, consultant paediatric electrophysiologist and co-director of children’s services, and Hannah Gibson, mother of a child being treated for CHD at the Trust, in parliament yesterday with a giant reprint of the letter to help raise awareness of the issue.

The letter was sent as more than a thousand patients, staff and supporters prepare to join a demonstration against the plans on Saturday 18 March, organised by three charities that support the Trust and its patients.

The letter outlines how NHS England’s plans are not based on evidence, will destroy some of the world’s leading research teams, will cost the NHS millions of pounds, and will not just affect CHD services but a range of other heart and lung services too.

In the letter, MPs call on Jeremy Hunt to intervene to halt the proposals, as he did the last time Royal Brompton’s CHD services were under threat during the now notorious ‘Safe and Sustainable’ review in 2013.

The letter concludes by adding “Would you not agree that the closure could only be justified if it is clearly set out how this would lead to a better service for patients? To date NHS England has completely failed to demonstrate this”.

Victoria Borwick MP, who signed the letter, said: “MPs have come together from across the political divide to support Royal Brompton, showing that this is not a party political issue. This is a matter of simple common sense. Royal Brompton Hospital offers world leading services as one of the biggest and best heart disease hospitals and is also renowned for its cystic fibrosis care. It is entirely wrong to put this in jeopardy.”

http://www.rbht.nhs.uk/about/news-events/mps-call-on-jeremy-hunt-to-block-nhs-england-plans-for-royal-brompton-services/

Thanks, Mr Swire – at least we know what your priorities are.

As your second home is in mid-Devon, not East Devon, will you be fighting for community hospitals there? Though, of course, community hospitals ARE remaining in your bit of East Devon but now removed from Ottery St Mary, Honiton, Axminster and Seaton – so no worries for you on that score. That’s Parish’s problem. Though as he has HIS second home in Somerset – and successfully campaigned for HIS local district hospital to stay open there – maybe he’s not too worried either.