When Suella Braverman resigned as home secretary just under two weeks ago for breaching the ministerial code, she made a series of claims to Liz Truss, the then prime minister, about her conduct.
A statement released on Monday to the home affairs select committee (HASC) appears to contradict some of those claims, leaving outstanding unanswered questions which could yet have a bearing on her political survival.
Did she mislead the public by claiming to have reported her mistake ‘rapidly’?
Last week, Braverman said that as soon as she realised the mistake she had made in sending a government document to a colleague, she reported it.
“As soon as l realised my mistake, I rapidly reported this on official channels, and informed the cabinet secretary,” she wrote.
Her new account casts doubt on the claim that she reported the mistake “rapidly”. Braverman said that she sent the email at 7.25am and realised at 10am that it had gone to the wrong person in error after reading their reply.
She says her first response was to reply to that person at 10.02am asking them to ignore the message and delete it – she did not inform anyone about the leak at that point.
She says she then attended a Home Office meeting for about an hour, and then went to the Commons to meet two constituents. At 11.50am in the Commons she met the then chief whip, Wendy Morton, who already knew about the mistake, and the Tory MP Andrew Percy, who said a member of his staff had received the email in error.
Percy told Morton about the Braverman email because he thought that potentially this was a serious breach of security. Braverman says at this point she decided not to attend PMQs as planned and to instead return to her office to report the error.
Did she mislead the public by claiming she resigned because she had sent the leaked document to an MP?
The original letter implies that she resigned because she passed a draft text of a written ministerial statement to Sir John Hayes, a Tory MP who is a close political ally of Braverman.
“Earlier today, l sent an official document from my personal email to a trusted parliamentary colleague as part of policy engagement, and with the aim of garnering support for government policy on migration.”
As Braverman admitted on Monday, she was only found out because of a second mistake; she copied in the wrong person, with the result the email went to another MP, not Hayes’s secretary.
Was the information within the briefing market-sensitive?
Braverman says in her letter the document that she passed on to Hayes “did not contain any market-sensitive data as all the data contained in the document was already in the public domain”.
At a lobby briefing on Monday the prime minister’s spokesperson backed the Braverman version. He said his understanding was that the document “wasn’t in any way market-sensitive”.
But on the day she was sacked as home secretary, lobby journalists were briefed by No 10 that she had leaked market-sensitive information.
Sources who have seen the document insist it did contain market-sensitive information because it related to visa quotas in particular industries which could affect share prices of specific companies in specific markets.
Has she discussed with Rishi Sunak all six occasions when she forwarded information from her official email address to her personal email address?
Monday’s letter says that on six occasions between 15 September and 16 October she sent documents from her government email account to her personal email account, each of which is alleged to be a breach of the ministerial code. The seventh occasion, on 19 October, was the incident that led to her resignation.
An appendix to her HASC letter says when she breached the rules on these six occasions but gives varying detail about the actual material within the emails.
One was a briefing on “recent protest activity and public disorder”; another says it was for a “virtual meeting that was subsequently cancelled”.
The Labour party has said it remains unclear whether she discussed any or all of the six breaches with Sunak and if not, why not?
Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton & Honiton Richard Foord has called on the Government to bring forward an urgent plan to improve cancer care in the light of new revelations.
1,281 local people had to wait more than two weeks to see a cancer specialist after a GP referral, new analysis of NHS data by the Liberal Democrats has found. While the NHS target is for 93 per cent of patients to see a cancer specialist after a referral, patients at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust this was the case for just 59.84 per cent of patients.
Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton & Honiton Richard Foord has called on the Government to bring forward an urgent plan to improve cancer care in the light of these revelations. Nationwide, 108 NHS trusts missed the two-week cancer referral target. 62,360 people had to wait more than two weeks to see a cancer specialist after a GP referral in August alone.
Commenting Richard Foord MP said: “It is deeply upsetting that so many people across our part of Devon are being let down. Early cancer diagnosis is crucial, and yet too few are able to see a specialist in good time. The government has failed to come up with a proper plan to help people as targets for waiting times are missed month after month. This is not the fault of our hardworking NHS staff, but instead of central Government.
“From ballooning ambulance waits to understaffed hospitals, this Conservative government been running the NHS into the ground. It’s just not good enough and people here deserve better. We need an urgent plan to improve cancer care and save our local health services. More inaction is not an option.”
More than a third of UK hospitality businesses, including pubs, restaurants and hotels, could go bust by early next year as energy bills surge and bookings fall, according to a new survey.
Sadly an acute example of the economic mismanagement by the government. – Owl
With nearly all businesses saying they face higher energy costs and food price inflation, 35% of respondents to a quarterly hospitality industry survey said they expected to be operating at a loss or to be unable to continue trading by the end of the year.
More than three-quarters of operators, 77%, reported a decrease in diners and drinkers, and 85% expected the situation to worsen, according to a joint report by UK Hospitality, the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) and Hospitality Ulster.
The trade bodies said the survey revealed the “stark situation facing hospitality businesses, with many on the brink due to the cost of doing business crisis.
“The vulnerability of the sector due to soaring energy costs, crippling rises in the cost of goods and dampening consumer confidence is on full display in this survey and, if urgent action isn’t taken, it is looking incredibly likely that we will lose a significant chunk of Britain’s iconic hospitality sector in the coming weeks and months.”
Hospitality businesses, many of which were hit by months of enforced closure under government pandemic lockdowns, experienced a bounceback in trading this summer as people enjoyed the ability to socialise more freely.
However, the recovery has been limited by the surging cost of food and shortages of labour, particularly for skilled roles such as chefs, which have led to hefty pay inflation.
Some pubs and hotels have already closed or said they are shutting down for the winter because they cannot deal with the high costs.
The hospitality sector is still recovering from Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns and is being hit by rising inflation directly – through increased staff, energy, food and drink costs – and indirectly, as consumers have less money to spend on going out.
More than half of Britons have said they plan to cut down on non-essential spending, according to the latest survey by the credit and debit card operator Barclaycard, as the key Christmas trading period when most businesses make their profits nears.
Three fifths of those cutting back say they will reduce meals out. Almost a third of Britons are taking packed lunches into work instead of buying food on the go.
A ‘second Cranbrook’ as a new town on the edge of Exeter is among the plans for new homes as part of the East Devon Local Plan. The new development could include up to 8,000 new homes along with a range of community facilities and amenities.
As part of the new draft Local Plan for East Devon, a new community has been identified as the best way to meet the required targets for housing growth, Housing provision will be made for at least 18,920 dwellings to be delivered in the plan area in the plan period by 2040, with at least 4,070 new homes should be affordable.
Councillors on Tuesday are set to recommend endorsement of the draft local plan which outlines plans for further housing growth across the district over the next 20 years. The Strategic Planning Committee are recommended to approval the plan for consultation.
The preferred site for the new town would span land north of the A3052 near Crealy Adventure Park to the A30 near Exeter Airport. The indicative boundary would see it spread towards Farringdon in the east, and out towards Westpoint to the west. To the north, it would run towards the junction between the A30 and Exeter Airport, and across the farmland between the sites.
Option 1 – the preferred option – for a new town in East Devon
An alternative location to be consulted on, but the second favourite, is a site which spans from the edge of Clyst St George to the west, to Woodbury Salterton to the east. The boundary of the site would head towards the edge of Woodbury to the south, while to the north, would run as far as land next to Crealy Adventure Park and the Cliff Hill Training Ground.
The plan would focus new development on the western side of the district, including a new settlement and other major strategic development close to Exeter, as well as promote significant development at the Principal Centre of Exmouth and the Main Centres of Axminster, Honiton, Ottery St Mary, Seaton, and Sidmouth to serve their own needs and that of the wider surrounding areas.
It would plan to support development at the Local Centres of Broadclyst, Budleigh Salterton, Colyton, Lympstone, and Woodbury that meets local needs and those in the immediate surroundings, and allow limited development to meet local needs at the Service Villages of Beer, Branscombe, Broadhembury, Chardstock, Clyst St Mary, Dunkeswell, East Budleigh, Exton, Feniton, Hawkchurch, Kilmington, Musbury, Newton Poppleford, Otterton, Payhembury, Plymtree, Sidbury, Stoke Canon, Tipton St John, Uplyme, Westclyst, West Hill and Whimple.
Cranbrook is not addressed in this local plan as a Cranbrook specific plan was adopted in autumn 2022 and the Cranbrook Plan will oversee its development until this local plan and the Cranbrook Plan are superseded by a new plan or plans that will be produced, probably in the late 2020s or early 2030s. A further 5,514 homes are already allocated in that document.
Here are all the proposed allocations for housing sites across East Devon as part of the Local Plan.
THE NEW TOWN
Local plan policy will provide for a second new town in East Devon on land in close proximity to the City of Exeter. This scale of proposed development will help ensure that a wide range of services and facilities will be provided at the new town with sufficient monies generated to support substantive infrastructure provision.
Amongst other key facilities this scale of development will be appropriate to ensure that a secondary school is planned and built to serve the new town with potential capacity to also support needs generated from surrounding areas. A new town will be a long time in the planning and it is unlikely that any new homes will be completed until around 2030. The second new town will, therefore, see most of its development happening outside of the life of this local plan and potentially running beyond the mid-point of the 21st Century.
TOPSHAM
Land at/close to Exeter, to the south of Junction 30 of the M5 offers an exciting opportunity for new mixed use development. This land lies to the east of the M5 Motorway and offers scope to accommodate a suggestion of approximately 580 new homes.
This land suggested for development abuts, to the south, land in the City of Exeter that is currently being built out for housing development. There are a range of sites and land parcels in the city itself between the city boundary with East Devon and Topsham that are being developed or have planning permission. Any development in East Devon should be seen within, and planned within, the context of city development as well.
AXMINSTER
The currently adopted local plan allocates a strategic site to the east of the town as an urban extension and this includes provision for an Axminster relief road. A masterplan envisaged the delivery of up to 850 houses, a school, employment land and a distributor road. However, there are very significant viability issues concerning the delivery of the relief road which would require in the region of £15million of public money to deliver. It is very unlikely that such funding will become available, and it is not recommended that the new local plan includes policy for a relief road to the east of Axminster because we cannot demonstrate that it could be implemented.
· Land east of Lyme Road and Pestaller Farm, Beavor Lane – This site is allocated for 293 dwellings and 1 hectare of employment land. This is a preferred allocation
· Land east of Chard Road – It is allocated for 2 hectares of employment land. It is a preferred allocation for employment use only.
· Land west of Chard Road. This land is proposed for 150 dwellings and 0.6 hectares of employment land. This is a preferred allocation.
· Land east of Musbury Road. This land is proposed for 168 dwellings and 0.6 hectares of employment land. This is a preferred allocation
· Land at Axminster Carpets. This land is allocated for mixed use redevelopment to retain the existing employment use and accommodate 50 dwellings plus additional employment uses.
· Scott Rowe Building, Axminster Hospital, Chard Road. This land is allocated for 10 dwellings. This is a preferred allocation.
· Land at Lea Combe, Field End. This land is allocated for 9 dwellings. It is a preferred allocation
· Great Jackleigh Farm. This land is allocated for 270 dwellings and 1 hectare of employment land. This is a ‘second choice’ site.
· Land east of Lyme Close. This land is allocated for 100 dwellings and 0.4 hectares of employment land. This is a ‘second choice’ site.
EXMOUTH
Exmouth is by some way the largest town in East Devon and it contains the greatest number and range of services and facilities, it has been categorised as the only Tier 1 settlement. There are strategically positive reasons why Exmouth could be a good future location for growth and development but it is also greatly constrained by areas of environmental importance and sensitivity.
· Land on the north-eastern side of Exmouth – this land on the north-eastern side of Exmouth is proposed for a mixed-use development to provide around 258 new homes and 1 hectare of employment land.
· Land at Douglas Gardens will form a small-scale residential extension on the southern side of Exmouth to accommodate around 44 new homes.
· Land close to Littleham will form a small-scale residential extension on the southern side of Exmouth to accommodate around 45 new homes
· This land south of Courtlands Lane will form a small-scale development on the northern side of Exmouth to accommodate around 12 new homes
· Land on the northern eastern side of Exmouth is proposed for a mixed-use development to provide 410 new homes and 1.6 hectares of employment and community uses land
· Land east of Liverton Business Park is allocated for employment uses and will form an extension to the existing business park and extends to around 3 hectares in size.
· Land to south of St John’s on the eastern side of Exmouth is proposed for proposed for 150 new homes and 0.6 hectares of employment land.
· Land at Courtlands Cross is proposed for 100 new homes and 0.4 hectares of employment land
HONITON
The well connected and central to East Devon location of Honiton, and the fact that the town has a good range of existing facilities and services supporting a large surrounding hinterland, points to it being a good location in principle for further development. However, the town is heavily constrained by the AONBs and its outstanding landscape setting.
Whilst Honiton has many attributes that would point to it being a good location to look for a higher level of growth, particularly for new housing development, there are significant constraints on the outward expansion of the town
· Land on the western side of Hayne Lane, Gittisham, Honiton. The site is proposed for 5.5 ha of employment land and will form an extension to the existing Heathpark Industrial Estate
· Land to the West of Combe Garden Centre, Gittisham, Honiton. The site is proposed for 9.1 ha of employment land and will form an extension to the existing Heathpark Industrial Estate
· Land at Heathfield, East of Hayne Lane, will form a smallscale residential extension on the West of Honiton to accommodate around 79 new homes.
· Land to the north and south of King Street, will form a small-scale development in the centre of Honiton to accommodate around 40 new homes.
· This land is the Former Millwater School at Bottom Road, Littletown, which will form a small-scale development in the south part of Honiton to accommodate around 30 new homes
· Land adjacent to St Michaels Church, will form a smallscale residential extension on the southern side of Honiton to accommodate around 30 new homes.
· Land at Ottery Moor Lane, will form a small-scale residential extension on the northern side of Honiton to accommodate around 21 new homes.
· Land at Middle Hill, Church Hill, will form a small-scale residential extension on the southern side of Honiton to accommodate around 10 new homes.
· Land at Hurlakes, Northcote Hill, will form a small-scale residential extension on the eastern side of Honiton to accommodate around 30 new homes.
· Land south of Northcote Hill, will form a medium-scale residential extension on the eastern side of Honiton to accommodate around 100 new homes.
– Land to the west of Hayne Lane for around 100 homes
– land at Hayne Farm at Hayne Lane for around 31 homes.
OTTERY ST MARY
Ottery St Mary is located fairly centrally in the District, with good transport links to Exeter. It is outside of the AONB’s, and, whilst it doesn’t have a train station, it does have good bus links and access to the strategic road network Expansion to the north, south and east is heavily constrained by the narrow approach roads to the town, the extensive Conservation Area and settings of Grade 1 and 2* listed buildings, and the floodplain of The River Otter. Land to the west of the town is relatively unconstrained and there is potential for westward expansion.
· Land at Barrack Farm, on the western side of Ottery St Mary, is proposed for a mixed-use development to provide around 70 new homes and 1.25 hectare of employment land.
· Land, which lies west of the town, adjacent to the sports centre and school, will provide 90 new homes
· Land which lies north and south of Salston Barton, is proposed for 20 houses
· Garden site on the eastern side of the town at Slade Road is proposed for 8 houses.
· Land lies south of Strawberry Lane and is proposed for 60 houses.
· Land at Gerway Farm, off Sidmouth Road, is proposed for 40 houses
SEATON
The population and range of community facilities and services in Seaton make it an appropriate place to locate a relatively large amount of housing and employment development. The amount of development should be limited to an extent, as new residents will need to travel elsewhere to access some strategic facilities which are lacking in Seaton (train station, secondary school, swimming pool).
· Land at Barnards Hill Lane is allocated for around 40 dwellings. In order to ensure no adverse effect on the integrity of the Beer Quarry and Caves SAC, suitable avoidance/mitigation/compensation measures will need to be identified.
· Land off Harepath Road is allocated for around 100 dwellings and 2.2 hectares of employment land. The employment land is located in the field immediately north of the existing Harepath Road Industrial Estate.
· Land at Clay Common is allocated for around 7 dwellings.
SIDMOUTH
Social and economic factors make Sidmouth a suitable place to locate a relatively large amount of development, with a reasonably large population and a range of jobs, community facilities and services in the town. However, the outstanding natural environment – AONB to the west, north, and east, and the sea to south – presents a major constraint to the amount and location of new development.
· Land south west of Woolbrook Road, to the north west of Sidmouth, is proposed for 127 new homes and 0.51 hectare of employment land.
· Land west of Two Bridges Road, Sidford. The proposed allocation is land to the east of the site only with a reduced site area at a much lower capacity than the original submitted site. The site would form a small-scale development to the north of Sidford to accommodate around 30 new homes.
· Peak Coach House, (Numbers 1-3 Belfry Cottages), Cotmaton Road, to the south west coastal fringe of Sidmouth, is proposed for 11 new homes.
BROADCLYST
Whilst an allocation of around 175 dwellings would represent a sizeable expansion to the village, this is not considered unreasonable to accommodate given the village’s strategically attractive location and relative insensitivity of the sites proposed.
· Land at Heathfield (Southeast of Woodbury View), Broadclyst, is proposed for 15 new homes.
· Land west of Whimple Road, Broadclyst, is proposed for 136 new homes and 0.54 hectare of employment land.
· Land to east of Town End, Broadclyst, is proposed for 24 new homes and 0.1 hectare of employment land (Site is adjacent to Brcl_12).
BUDLEIGH SALTERTON
The exceptional landscape quality and coastal location of Budleigh Salterton constrains its potential for development. Furthermore, there is limited potential for employment growth to address the existing lack of opportunities for local employment, although it is close to Exmouth with good bus links.
· Land adjacent to Clyst Hayes Farmhouse – Small parts of this site are a ‘second choice’ site for 50 new homes and 0.2 hectares of employment land.
· Land at Barn Lane are proposed as a ‘second choice’ allocation for 82 new homes and 0.3 hectares of employment land.
· Budleigh Salterton Community Hospital is allocated for 20 new homes. This is a preferred allocation.
COLYTON
The good level of services and facilities in Colyton suggest that it would be a good location in principle for some growth, although the majority of sites currently available for development are considered to be unsuitable. There is an outline planning permission for up to 72 new homes on previously developed land to the north west of the town (the Ceramtec site).
· Land at Hillhead is proposed for 25 new homes on the northern part of the site as a preferred choice with a further 24 on the southern part of the site being considered as a 2nd choice site.
LYMPSTONE
Taking into account the opportunities and constraints, the village is considered a suitable location for a low to moderate level of growth in the Local Plan.
· Little Paddocks, 22 Underhill Crescent, Lympstone, is proposed for 14 new homes.
· Land at Meeting Lane, Lympstone, is proposed for 131 new homes and 0.52 hectare of employment land.
· Land north west of Strawberry Hill, Lympstone, is proposed for 46 new homes and 0.18 hectare of employment land.
· Land off Grange Close, Lympstone, is proposed for 6 new homes
WOODBURY
The wide range of local facilities and services in Woodbury make it an appropriate place for development to meet local needs and those of immediate surrounds. The current relative lack of jobs in Woodbury provides justification for employment land to be delivered alongside housing.
· Land at Gilbrook (Wood_10) is allocated for around 60 dwellings and 0.24 hectares of employment land.
· Land south of Broadway (Wood_16) is allocated for around 67 dwellings and 0.27 hectares of employment land.
· Land east of Town Lane (Wood_20) is allocated for around 28 dwellings and 0.11 hectares of employment land.
BEER
· No allocation sites have been identified in Beer
BRANSCOMBE
· No allocation sites have been identified in Branscombe.
BROADHEMBURY
· Land opposite the Village Hall, is a ‘second choice’ allocation for 10 homes.
CHARDSTOCK
· – Land off Green Land, Chardstock, is proposed for 30 new homes and 0.12 hectare of employment land.
CLYST ST MARY
· Land north of Sidmouth Road, Clyst St Mary, is proposed for 37 new homes and 0.15 hectare of employment land.
· Land at Bishops Court Lane, Clyst St Mary, is proposed for 35 new homes and 0.14 hectare of employment land.
· – Land at Bishops Court Lane, Clyst St Mary, is proposed for 30 new homes and 0.12 hectare of employment land.
DUNKESWELL
· Broomfields, Dunkeswell, is proposed for 43 new homes and 0.17 hectare of employment land.
EAST BUDLEIGH
· No allocation sites have been identified in East Budleigh
EXTON
· Land west of Oaklands is allocated for around 17 dwellings.
· Land north and east of Exton Farm (Wood_28) is allocated for around 33 dwellings and 0.13 hectares of employment land
FENITON
· Land and buildings at Burland Mead in Feniton is allocated for around 42 dwellings
HAWKCHURCH
· Norton Store, Hawkchurch, Axminster, is proposed for 38 new homes and 0.15 hectare of employment land.
KILMINGTON
· Land east of George Lane, is a preferred allocation for 37 homes.
· Land to the west and south west of the Old Inn, is a ‘second choice’ site for 5 new homes.
· Land to the east of and off Whitford Road, between Ashes Farm and The Beacon Chapel, is a preferred allocation for 10 homes.
MUSBURY
· Part of this site is allocated for 15 new homes with employment uses on a small part of the site fronting the A358, as provided for in the Baxter’s Farm Development Brief. This is a preferred allocation
NEWTON POPPLEFORD
· No allocation sites have been identified in Newton Poppleford.
OTTERTON
· Land east of Hayes Close – is a ‘second choice’ allocation for 10 homes.
· Land adjacent to the North Star – is a ‘second choice’ allocation for 8 new homes
· Land at Hayes Lane – part of this site is a ‘second choice’ allocation for 5 new homes.
PAYHEMBURY
· No allocations are proposed for Payhembury
PLYMTREE
· No allocations are proposed for Plymtree
SIDBURY
· Land South of Furzehill, Sidbury, is proposed for 38 new homes.
STOKE CANON
· No allocations are proposed for Stoke Canon
TIPTON ST JOHN
· Land South of Otter Close Tipton St John is a ‘second choice’ allocation for 45 homes. But in the event that land is allocated in Ottery St Mary for the relocation of the primary school in Tipton St John, then this potential allocation would not be taken forward.
UPLYME
· No allocations are proposed for Uplyme
WESTCLYST
· No allocation sites have been identified in Westclyst
WEST HILL
· Land adjoining Wind Mill Lane is allocated for around 26 dwellings and 0.1 hectares of employment land.
· Land north and east of Eastfield is allocated for around 25 dwellings and 0.1 hectares of employment land
WHIMPLE
· Land at Station Road in Whimple is proposed for 33 new homes.
A co-host of a popular podcast describes the government as:
“A pile of old sh*t” and a “load of f*cking w*nkers.”
“They are just rich, entitled little pr*cks, all of them. And I don’t think they have any idea — especially the current one — of how anybody lives …”
Owl has the link to listen below.
From Politico London Newsletter: Sunak has his work cut out if he wants to convince struggling Brits he’s in touch with their concerns when his new economic plan is revealed. On the latest episode of the “Shagged, Married, Annoyed” podcast (one of the top 10 most popular podcasts in Britain), co-host Rosie Ramsey laid into Sunak and said the government was “a pile of old sh*t” and a “load of f*cking w*nkers.”
On Sunak himself, she said: “They are just rich, entitled little pr*cks, all of them. And I don’t think they have any idea — especially the current one — of how anybody lives … Don’t get me wrong, they’re always going to be of a different ilk — politics and MPs and whoever is prime minister — they’re always going to have been middle class or upper class. Currently it’s another level.” Listen here from around 36 minutes.
Suella Braverman, the home secretary, has said she “never ignored legal advice” on keeping asylum seekers at an overcrowded immigration centre. In a Commons statement, she claimed she never blocked proposals for asylum seekers to be housed in hotels (despite reports quoting multiple sources claiming she did). But Braverman also seemed to accept that the overcrowding at the Manston immigration centre was partly her responsibility, because she said she refused to “prematurely release thousands of people into local communities without having anywhere for them to stay”. (See 5.27pm.) She also outraged charities representing refugees by saying that asylum seekers were staging an “invasion” of the south coast of England. (See 6.43pm.) Some Tory MPs strongly backed her stance in the Commons, and while others are privately alarmed at what she is doing at the Home Office, they did not speak out in the chamber this afternoon. Braverman’s performance may boost her standing in her party in the short term, but it is unlikely to quell allegations that she mishandled the situation. These are from ITV’s Robert Peston.
East Devon Watch 