Patients in the South West of England are having to wait nearly three and a half times longer to get out of ambulances and into A&E compared to the national average.

Dan Whitehead news.sky.com 

Analysis of NHS data by Sky News has found in the week ending 1 January 2023, it took an average of two hours and 39 minutes to hand over patients to hospitals in the region, compared to 46 minutes nationally.

The target in England is 15 minutes.

Figures also show the six NHS Hospital Trusts with the longest handover times in England are all in the South West.

They are: University Hospitals Plymouth, Torbay and South Devon, Great Western Hospitals, Royal Cornwall Hospitals, North Bristol and Gloucestershire Hospitals.

So bad is the problem, that hospitals in the region have begun discharging patients who are well enough into local hotels, usually used by tourists, in a bid to free up bed space.

Sky News also found 55% of ambulances in the South West had handover delays of more than an hour, twice as bad as the England average of 26%.

An older population, spread more remotely, is part of the reason, but NHS England told Sky News that staff recruitment and illness, the number of sick patients and delays in discharging patients from hospital are all causes.

In Helston in Cornwall, 85-year-old Koulla Mechamikos is recovering from a broken hip.

She fell in her hallway last August – and had to wait 14 hours for an ambulance to arrive – and then another 26 hours in the back of an ambulance outside the Royal Cornwall Hospital.

‘I would have been better to die’

“They said we are just waiting for an ambulance to free up to come to you – we don’t know how long it’s going to be as we are so busy,” said Koulla’s daughter, Marianna Flint.

“It was a bit panicky because with that length of time, mum was then getting to a point of looking quite pale and was in a great amount of pain,” she added.

While she praised the care the paramedics and hospital staff gave her mother, having to wait in the back of an ambulance for more than an entire day was worrying.

“Basically the ambulances are now waiting rooms – because there’s no room in the hospital to take them – there’s no extra wing, there’s no bed space.”

Koulla told Sky News she remembers being “freezing” while on the floor. “It was scary, more scary than anything. I lost my mind completely. I would have been better [to] die…so many hours.”

The Royal Cornwall Hospital offered its “sincere” apologies to Koulla and Marianna.

Anne-Marie Perry is CEO of AbiCare, a company that has run so-called ‘Care Hotels’ since the COVID outbreak.

“One of the blockages coming out of hospital is community care provision, social care,” she said.

“So, if there’s no provision in the community, you can’t get people home, if you can’t get people home, they stay in hospital. If they stay in hospital, there’s a whole host of challenges associated to that hospital acquired dependency.”

She told Sky News the care offered can be cheaper than hospital beds.

“These are people that are deemed medically fit to get out of hospital to go home, but they can’t go home because there isn’t a package of care to wrap around them.

“We offer rehabilitation, we offer exercise classes, we offer social activity as well. So we’re a great interim.”

What the NHS had to say

Responding to the situation in the South West, a spokesperson for NHS England South West said: “There are multiple interdependent reasons for ambulance handover delays including the number of sick patients being seen at hospital, staffing recruitment and staff sickness, as well as delays with discharging patients when they are well enough.

“We are working hard with integrated care boards, hospital trusts and our ambulance service to address these delays and ensure patients are handed over at hospitals in a timely way, to ensure ambulance crews can get back on the road to help other patients as quickly as possible.”

From a Correspondent:

I spotted this tribute to Paul Diviani from EDDC Chief Executive in www.devonlive.com:

“EDDC’s Chief Executive Mark Williams added: “Paul was a joy and an inspiration to work with and I have many happy memories of much fun and laughter at the various events and meetings we attended together as leader and CEO over the years that I knew and worked with him.”

I too have memories of Paul Diviani and Mark Williams, slouched in their seats, laughing and talking together (they appeared very convivial and it was just after lunch) whilst a councillor was arguing the case for EDDC to cooperate with Dorset in the bid for a combined East Devon and Dorset National Park. As a member of the public I found this behaviour between the committee chairman, Paul Diviani, and the Chief Executive to be  totally unprofessional, indeed unacceptable. It was obvious that they couldn’t care less about what was being said.

I felt so strongly at the time, but who could I complain to? All channels of complaint flow through Mark Williams!

Do we know where all these historic landfill sites are? Most estuaries were a soft option, some are now covered by car parks. Extraordinary that this was deemed an acceptable practice as late as the 1970s. Lyme Regis is an obvious example of erosion spewing old landfill onto the beach from the cliffs above.- Owl 

Sandra Laville www.theguardian.com 

Hundreds of ageing landfill dumps on the coast of England containing plastics, chemicals and other waste are a ticking timebomb threatening to leach pollution on to beaches and into the sea, new research shows.

The waste sites date back 100 years in some cases, and little is known about what has been dumped in them. Climate breakdown with associated rising sea levels and flooding are increasing the risk of a cocktail of pollutants entering the sea.

More than three-quarters of the landfill dumps identified in a survey by the local government association are adjacent to designated environmentally protected areas.

The survey, by the Local Government Association coastal special interest group (LGA Coastal SIG), in collaboration with coastal group network, shows that 26 coastal councils have sites already spilling large amounts of waste on to cliffs and beaches.

The councils that responded to the survey identified 195 coastal landfill sites as being at risk of tidal flooding and/or erosion. But it is thought there are approximately 1,200 to 1,400 historical coastal waste dumps in the UK currently at risk of erosion and flooding, according to the LGA Coastal SIG.

Mark Stratton, officer lead for coastal landfill at the group, said: “There are hundreds of coastal landfill sites at risk of tidal flooding and erosion. During visits to sites, I have been overwhelmed by the scale of the problem, especially the threat of waste eroding or leaching out on to the often-designated natural coastal environment.

“The landfill sites have been inherited by councils, and stretch from the north to the south of England.”

The councils are asking for government help to tackle the threat, shore up the dumps to stop the leaching of pollution from sites that are already eroding or being flooded, and carry out an investigation into what the sites contain.

David Renard, Local Government Association environment spokesperson, said: “Our coastlines need urgent support. This problem will not go away, and funding is needed to prevent hundreds of disasters on our shores. Councils want to protect their local environments but need urgent support from the government to save our coastlines from this ticking timebomb.”

A spokesperson from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “We are committed to working closely with local authorities, who have the responsibility of ensuring historic landfill sites are managed in a consistent and environmentally friendly way. Findings from the LGA survey will help inform our planned national assessment on the impacts of coastal erosion and flooding at historic coastal landfill sites, which will help improve management of these sites in the future.”

The result of 13 years of Conservative government – Owl

Fifty thousand more people died last year than normal, with NHS delays blamed for one of the most deadly 12 months on record.

Chris Smyth, Kat Lay www.thetimes.co.uk

Excluding the pandemic years, 2022 brought the highest excess deaths total since 1951, according to an analysis by The Times.

There were 1,600 more deaths than usual during Christmas week as long waits for ambulances, cold weather and surging flu infections increased mortality rates by a fifth.

Covid accounts only for a minority of recent extra deaths, focusing attention on “compelling” evidence that the crisis in the NHS is killing hundreds of people a week.

Untreated health problems as people were urged to stay away from surgeries and hospitals during the pandemic are also thought to be contributing to the deaths. Experts have also cited lingering after-effects of Covid infection.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics yesterday showed the third consecutive week of more than 1,000 excess deaths in England and Wales and confirmed that last year one of the highest death totals in Britain was recorded.

Ministers say that countries across Europe had high excess deaths last year, pointing to a big increase in flu. But others pinned the blame on the government’s handling of the NHS, where there are long waits for 999 ambulances and emergency treatment in hospitals.

Today 999 call handlers will join paramedics in a second day of strikes in the ambulance service as an estimated 25,000 staff walk out. With ministers publishing draft laws to restrict strikes in the NHS and other public services, health leaders have accused the government of using the powers to “silence workers in their hour of need”.

Adrian Boyle, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said the latest death figures were “shockingly high”. He acknowledged it was “extremely difficult to determine the causes” but pointed to studies showing deaths rose with longer waits at A&E.

“Our own analysis indicates that an estimated 300-500 patients are dying per week across the UK associated with long waiting times in emergency departments,” he said. “This is awful, distressing and completely unacceptable. The health system is not functioning as it should. Our priority should not be to quibble about the data, but to mitigate the harm of this crisis.”

Overall the 656,735 UK deaths last year were 51,159 above the pre-Covid five-year average. The figure was exceeded only in four years prior to 1951 since records began 130 years ago.

Although 2020 and 2021 brought higher excess death totals as the pandemic hit, excess deaths last year were predominantly not driven by Covid. Stuart McDonald, a partner at LCP Health Analytics who works on the Faculty of Actuaries’ Continuous Mortality Investigation, said that even looking at figures adjusted for age, 1963 was the last time deaths had jumped so much above the rate three years earlier.

“Had we not just had two years of very extreme mortality, 2022 would really stand out,” he said, adding that it was most unusual for there to be month after month of high deaths. “At the start of the year we were seeing fewer deaths among older people because a lot of those people had frankly already died [of Covid], but it was clear even then that we were seeing higher deaths among younger people. Since the spring and beyond we’ve had fairly consistently high levels at all ages”.

McDonald said “it’s undeniable that the NHS crisis is part of the story”, adding: “Access to healthcare has been a problem all year and that’s been increasing — waiting times for ambulances [and] A&E. We also know there are people who should have got diagnosed with high blood pressure or should have had a statin who missed out [when the pandemic began].”

The Times reported last year that Professor Sir Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, had been raising alarm in government about an increase in heart deaths in the middle age linked to missed care during the pandemic.

Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, a statistician at Cambridge University, said it was “very difficult to divide up the causes of the excess, but I find evidence around delayed admissions compelling”.

He said that since the summer there had been more than 40,000 excess deaths in England and Wales. Adjusting for an ageing population and subtracting Covid “still leaves an average of around 450 excess non-Covid deaths each week since June”. Spiegelhalter said “multiple factors will be contributing to this: early flu, Covid, the impact of disrupted care in the pandemic, and the acute crisis in the NHS”.

Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, blamed “13 years of Conservative mismanagement of our health service”, saying: “The NHS is in the biggest crisis in its history and the crisis has a cost in lives.”

The Department of Health said: “There are a wide variety of factors that may be contributing to excess deaths and the health and social care secretary continues to receive regular briefings on Covid and flu cases.”

Britain’s largest housebuilder, Barratt Developments, has introduced a hiring freeze and is “significantly” cutting back on buying land as it steels itself for a further slump in the UK housing market.

Kalyeena Makortoff www.theguardian.com

Barratt said it was responding to a “marked slowdown” in the UK housing market after a rise in interest rates that had made mortgages more expensive for prospective homebuyers.

The company said the average weekly net number of private reservations of properties fell in the second half of last year, down from 259 to 155.

It was also forced to scrap building plans for 3,293 land plots, cancelling out the 3,003 plots that proceeded with construction. The net cancellation of 290 plots compares with the net addition of 8,869 a year earlier.

“The first half of the financial year has … seen a marked slowdown in the UK housing market,” said Barratt’s chief executive, David Thomas.

“Political and economic uncertainty impacted the first quarter; this was then compounded by rapid and significant changes in mortgage rates, which reduced affordability, homebuyer confidence and reservation activity through the second quarter.”

Barratt is warning that the outlook for the first half of 2023 is “uncertain”, adding that the health of the UK housing market would depend on homebuyer confidence and the availability of competitively priced mortgages.

Lenders have increased mortgage borrowing costs in response to rising UK interest rates, which have increased nine times in the past year. Lenders raised mortgage rates even further in the wake of the government’s disastrous mini-budget in September, as the resulting market turmoil led some lenders to pull their mortgages off the shelf, while others raised the costs of borrowing in response to the uncertainty.

The turmoil has increased costs for those needing to remortgage their homes, and depressed appetite among homebuyers, with the latter pushing down house prices across the UK.

Halifax, which is part of Lloyds Banking Group, the UK’s biggest high street bank, reported last week that the average UK house price had fallen for the fourth month in a row in December.

Last month, the lender predicted that rising interest rates as well as the broader cost of living crisis would dampen house prices by about 8% over the course of 2023.

Soaring interest rates have already had an impact on the construction sector, which contracted in December as housebuilders took on fewer projects.

However, Barratt said the group was still in a strong financial position. “This provides us with a robust platform and gives us flexibility to continue to respond to market conditions as they evolve throughout the coming year,” the company said.

“This government will have integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level.” – Rishi Sunak

This is the sort of thing you expect from dictatorships, but is now happening in Tory Britain. A “Secretary of State”, no less thinks, this behaviour is OK. Nothing “bizarre” about it. What next? – Owl

Boris Johnson bizarrely photoshopped out of picture Grant Shapps tweeted about space launch

Poppy Wood inews.co.uk 

Grant Shapps has denied doctoring a photograph of himself on a visit to Spaceport Cornwall in which former prime minister Boris Johnson appears to have been digitally deleted.

The Business Secretary shared a picture of himself visiting the rocket site in June 2021 ahead of Virgin Orbit’s unsuccessful satellite launch last night.

It showed Mr Shapps speaking to Virgin Orbit chief executive, Dan Hart, and another member of the space team in front of the LauncherOne rocket.

But canny observers on Twitter noticed that an almost-identical picture previously shared by No 10 had also featured then prime minister, Mr Johnson, standing in between the space scientists and Mr Shapps.

The pair visited the Spaceport site in Cornwall almost two years ago to discuss how Virgin Orbit would “help boost the UK’s incredible space industry, inspire the next generation, and enable vital environmental monitoring”.

The Business Secretary shared a picture of himself visiting the rocket site in June 2021 ahead of Virgin Orbit’s unsuccessful satellite launch last night

An almost-identical picture shared in June 2021 showed Mr Johnson standing between Mr Shapps and the space scientists (Photo: Grant Shapps/Twitter)

Mr Shapps has since deleted the tweet in which Mr Johnson appears to have been erased.

A source close to Business Secretary said: “Grant wasn’t aware anyone had edited the picture. He removed it as soon as it was pointed out. Obviously he wouldn’t endorse anyone rewriting history by removing the former PM from a picture.”

It comes as senior Tory MPs continue to distance themselves from the former prime minister as they attempt to rehabilitate the Conservative Party’s reputation following a slew of scandals embroiling Mr Johnson.

A Labour Party source said: “The Tories might want to erase their own leaders — but the country is stuck with the consequences of their appalling record: a crashed economy, a broken health service, and an asylum system that doesn’t work.”

The debacle comes after Virgin Orbit’s first space launch from UK soil ended in failure last night despite a promising start.

The evening had started out successfully with LauncherOne taking off at around 10pm while operators at Spaceport Cornwall blasted out the Rolling Stones hit Start Me Up.

But shortly before midnight, the US space company announced there had been an anomaly which meant the rocket containing nine satellites was heading back down to Earth. The rocket is assumed to have burned up on reentry, destroying all the satellites on board.

A former Conservative minister has quit the party, claiming it is dominated by “ideology and self-obsession”, and has instead thrown her support behind Keir Starmer.

Aubrey Allegretti www.theguardian.com 

Claire Perry O’Neill, who was part of Theresa May’s cabinet and was briefly retained by Boris Johnson to help run preparations for the Cop26 summit, praised the Labour leader’s “sober, fact-driven, competent political leadership”.

Perry O’Neill, who was a Tory MP from 2010 to 2019, said she liked and admired the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, and the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt. But in an article, she said the pair had become too beholden to inter-party factions to “deliver the big changes we need in a fact-based, competent way”.

“I spend most of my time now working in the private sector and this is not the way to build back confidence and deliver investment, especially in the crucial energy sector,” Perry O’Neill wrote in the Times.

Since leaving the government, she has held senior advisory positions – including at the consultancy firm McKinsey & Co, as well as Scottish Power. Perry O’Neill said she had quit the Conservatives earlier this month.

“My former party’s often cavalier approach to business and academia coupled with a post-Brexit reluctance to strategically engage with our European neighbours has damaged our ability to deliver the energy system we need,” she said.

However, Perry O’Neill lavished praise on Starmer. She said Labour had put “energy at the top of their proposed new government inbox”, and applauded its ambitions for green technologies and a national low-carbon wealth fund.

She added: “Even more important is their proposed focus on a new way of governing, focused on measurable outcomes not short-term shout-outs.

“Building a low-carbon, secure, affordable energy system for the UK is an immense challenge that needs sober, fact-driven, competent political leadership. I sense that is exactly what we will get should Labour win the next general election.”

The move risks undermining Sunak’s attempt to cast himself as the leader of a united party.

Starmer addressed Labour MPs in a private meeting to kick off the party’s 2023 strategy on Monday night, saying the year would be spent “setting out the plan” for Labour in government.

He said of the two speeches given last week – by Starmer and Sunak – there were “competing visions for Britain … the prime minister setting the bar so low for his promises to the country that he could hardly fail to flop over it”.

Starmer insisted Labour was the party of hope, change and optimism – and had a “proper plan to make all that change happen”, referencing a pledge for further devolution, as well as policies on jobs, skills and the NHS workforce.

He said the prize at the end was “massive” – a chance to “add ‘24 to ‘45 and ‘97 in the history books”.

The nasty party in action, as the Plymouth Conservatives lose another councillor!  – Owl

Amber Edwards www.plymouthherald.co.uk

A Plymouth Conservative councillor and former council leader has resigned from the Conservative group. Patrick Nicholson will be seeking re-election to Plymouth City Council on May 4th 2023 as an independent when the Conservative’s proposed Council budget for 2023/24 is published, and following his de-selection by the Plymouth-wide Conservative approval panel.

Councillor Nicholson was first elected in 1992 and has served the Plympton St Mary ward throughout his time on the city council. He also served as the youngest city council leader in 2000 and as the youngest-ever Lord Mayor of Plymouth in 2005.

Cllr Nicholson was deputy leader of the council and of the Conservative group until March 2022 when, along with then council leader Cllr Nick Kelly and other cabinet colleagues, he stood down.

Cllr Nicholson said: “With the publication of the Conservative council budget with damaging proposals for district centre car parking charges, cuts to ward councillors’ community grants, potential cuts affecting important Plympton and Plymouth facilities such as swimming pools and community venues like Harewood House. I cannot and will not support the budget in its current form as it will damage my Plympton St Mary Ward residents.

“I am also appalled and disgusted with the treatment I have received by the current chairs of the three Conservative associations in Plymouth since last August when I submitted my application to stand again as a Conservative candidate, by de-selecting me as the Plympton St. Mary Ward Conservative Candidate.

“Along with the leader of the Conservative group Cllr Richard Bingley, many of these individuals have been Labour and UKIP Party members whilst over the last 30 years I have diligently sought to represent the residents of the Plympton St Mary Ward. I am confirming my intention to stand for re-election as an independent candidate in the forthcoming Plymouth City Council Elections in May.”

In order to campaign for his re-election Cllr Nicholson has tendered his immediate resignation from the Conservative group and will join the Independent Alliance Group of Independent Councillors to freely speak up for the Plympton and Plymouth issues that he is passionate about.

These include the unnecessary loss of trees in Armada Way and the impending council budget-setting meeting in February which is likely to see the introduction of car parking charges in the city’s district shopping centres like Ridgeway, Chaddlewood and Estover, as well as the potential closure of community facilities like Plympton’s Harewood House and the Plympton Swimming Pool.

Cllr Nicholson. said: “Over my long council service I have always put my Plympton St Mary Ward residents first and so my constituents should have the final choice of re-electing me or choosing a successor”.

In September 2017 Owl reported: We’ve had the Heart of the South West LEP! We’ve had the “Golden Triangle” LEP (Exeter, Plymouth, Torquay).We”ve even had the “Golden Quadrangle” LEP (Owl’s suggestion for adding in Cornwall or Dorset). NOW we have the “Golden Pentangle” (adding in Cornwall AND Dorset), yet ANOTHER unelected, unaccountable and non-transparent quango: The Great South West, the LEP for LEPs

Oh and who is the power behind the GSW economic strategy? None other than Pennon, the South West’s biggest employer and parent company of South West Water. So profit before investment – just what we need in the region! – Owl

Darren Slade www.bournemouthecho.co.uk

A DRIVE to promote Dorset as part of a “powerhouse” brand called the Great South West will share its vision of the future at the Houses of Parliament today [10 Jan]

The Great South West Partnership wants the name to sit alongside the Northern Powerhouse, the Midlands Engine and the Western Gateway as part of efforts to grow the UK economy.

The partnership recently held its first board meeting to discuss plans to build on the region’s natural capital, develop a clean, digital economy and tackle climate change.

It will host a parliamentary reception at the House of Lords today to showcase the Great South West prospectus and its vision for the future.

Karl Tucker, chair of the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), said: “The Great South West is united by the idea that by working together, we can achieve more. It was therefore fantastic to come together with our partners to define our ambitions as a region, and set out our plan for becoming the country’s Natural Powerhouse.

“We are looking forward to the region’s green and blue opportunity being presented in Parliament, as part of our efforts to gain government support for the Great South West.”

Cecilia Bufton, chair of Dorset LEP, said: “I’m delighted that the Great South West Partnership is up and running, developing pan-regional activities in areas of our common interest. Thanks to the determination of many over the past five years, it is great to see the Great South West campaign move forward with such ambition.”

The partnership aims to unlock the region’s potential to be a world leader in clean growth. It wants organisations across the region to work together on business support, trade and investment, net zero, sustainable transport, clean energy, rural productivity and tourism.

It aims to make the south west the first net zero region, improving connectivity and supporting technologies that will help generate prosperity.

The partnership is made up of businesses, universities, LEPs and local authorities, including Dorset Council, BCP Council and Dorset LEP.

At their first meeting, the partnership agreed four initial funding awards:

• to support the high value manufacturing sector;
• to work with the Department for International Trade to deliver a regional trade and investment hub;
• to deliver a carbon emissions study;
• and to support the South West Social Mobility Commission.

Plans to tackle the housing crisis in part of Devon being putting refugees or homeless people on cruise ships will be explored. Torridge District Council voted to look into the feasibility of leasing or renting a vessel to accommodate emergency or other housing list people.

Lewis Clarke www.devonlive.com

Torridge District Council had previously declared that they were committed to tackling the housing crisis in the area. Previous ideas included the possible use of modular housing units, evaluating options to reduce the number of empty homes, and bringing forward schemes in partnership with local social housing providers

But at the full council meeting at the end of December, proposals to accommodate refugees or homeless people on cruise ships in Devon were discussed. Councillors voted ‘overwhelmingly’ in support of the motion put forward by Cllr David Brenton.

His motion said: “With the large numbers of cruise ships being scrapped or laid up due to a fall in demand following Covid. I propose that TDC explore the feasibility of forming a partnership with our neighboring authorities i.e North Devon and Exeter etc, with a view to leasing or renting a vessel to accommodate emergency or other housing list people.

“Cruise ships have a high standard of habitation and self-contained servicing and a suitable craft which would fit into Middle Dock could provide a quick solution for some of our desperate citizens needing housing.”

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Brenton added: “We live in radical times which call for radical measures to alleviate them. We do need to look at what’s coming our way and it’s about to hit the fan. It’s getting quite serious now over the question of accommodation.

“The very fact that our Home Secretary – who I try not to listen to very often, if at all – did mention it in one of her speeches about cruise ships being used for accommodation. I then heard it from the Scottish National Party housing minister, also talking about it.

“It is feasible I believe. They are scrapping perfectly good accommodation because there is no demand for it. We are in a unique position where we own Middle Dock which has got a good birthing situation there, despite over the years the shipyard had bought out some vast vessels to park alongside there.

“This clearly needs a lot of work to be done alongside this. It may be an ideal thing for an intern or apprentice to do some homework on this, but also to contact our neighbouring authorities.

“I have spoken to the housing officer at Exeter City Council who expressed an interest, but not in writing yet. I would also like you to have somebody look into this as a possibility.

“Bear in mind that the Ukrainian refugees are coming to the end of their period of being with host families and there are those who would like to find a place to live, and that will not be easy. We have AirB&B and all sorts of things conspiring to stop people getting accommodation, so we need to consider any possibility.”

Cllr Rachel Clarke added: “The idea in principle is very good. My concern is that when you put lots of people in tight accommodation like that, you’ve got to think of diseases and illnesses which could happen. Do we have the right infrastructure for doctors and nurses which we have a major problem with?

“It needs a lot of work and you’ve got to spread it out as there are other things, such as alcohol or drug issues. It’s not an easy fix. We’ve just got to think it through properly.”

Cllr Simon Newton said: “Scotland have been using cruise ships to accommodate Ukrainian refugees as they came over, initially as a holding centre and then when they could be found permanent accommodation, they could then move out. The difference there and going along the line of what Cllr Clarke has just said was that a single focus group who were socially going to mix well and easily together. While they came with many traumas they were unlikely to create other issues, whereas there are quite clearly many other issues.

“The idea is a good one, it’s thinking out of the box, and from my background, we’ve used this type of accommodation around the world many times in the past. You can sail up an instant hotel and accommodate people on it.

“Where you put it, and how you do it, is a completely different game. But the idea of thinking out of the box is completely worthy.”

Cllr Peter Christie added: “When I saw this first, I suspect I had the same feeling as many of us that this was slightly crackers. Having said that, I think it is worth looking at.

“I used to be in the merchant navy, and the big problem with ships is maintenance. I think we need to approach the harbourmaster, Appledore Shipyard, and ask them about this. It could be an ongoing cost that is so high it would rule it out, but by all means let’s look at it.”

Second home owners in East Devon will have their council tax doubled if planned Government legislation goes ahead. 

 “In East Devon we have a shortage of properties to enable people to rent or potentially purchase and stay and live/work in the area. 

 “If this change frees up empty properties to come onto the rental or purchase market then I and my cabinet colleagues welcome that.” 

(Bearing in mind that only seven per cent of that increase would go directly to EDDC as the bulk (73 per cent) would go to Devon County Council and the remainder to the police and fire service.) – Cllr Jack Rowland

Philippa Davies www.sidmouthherald.co.uk

Under the plans by East Devon District Council (EDDC) the owners of empty houses will also be charged double rates after just one year of non-occupation, instead of two. 

The proposals were agreed by the district council’s Cabinet on Wednesday, January 4, with the final decision to be made at the next full council meeting on Wednesday, February 22. The aim is to introduce the extra charges in April next year. 

The changes are subject to the Government signing off the relevant legislation under its Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill. 

District councillors are supporting the charges to encourage owners to bring empty homes back into use for the local community. 

The higher tax could also help make up for the money lost through reductions in council tax for lower income households. 

Councillor Jack Rowland, EDDC’s portfolio holder for finance, said: “This change, if the parliamentary bill receives approval and full council accept the cabinet recommendation next month, would be effective from April 2024 so the people affected by the change will have a full year’s notice of the change. 

 “In East Devon we have a shortage of properties to enable people to rent or potentially purchase and stay and live/work in the area. 

 “If this change frees up empty properties to come onto the rental or purchase market then I and my cabinet colleagues welcome that. 

“Where the people affected by this change may still choose to keep the property empty or as a second home, then the additional council tax they would have to pay will help ensure the current services provided by EDDC will be maintained, bearing in mind that only seven per cent of that increase would go directly to EDDC as the bulk (73 per cent) would go to Devon County Council and the remainder to the police and fire service.” 

The full Cabinet report can be found on EDDC’s website. 

Dear Simon,

The baseline housing target the EDDC coalition has inherited is 64% higher than needed to satisfy demographic growth trends and “normal” levels of inward  migration

This is the consequence of  the Tory “Build, build, build” strategy pursued by Conservative controlled EDC for decades.

The late Paul Diviani, alongside the faithful Philip Skinner, was the architect and driving force behind the current Local Plan, adopted in 2015, which was based on an aggressive development target of 950 houses/year, driven by a “jobs led policy on” scenario. 

In fact only around 580 houses/year were required to satisfy purely demographic growth trends. 

This is a Tory uplift of 370 or 64% and is the “poison chalice” that the coalition has inherited.

If the council goes is to go back to the drawing board, as you suggest, then you might like to “have a conversation” with Blue Leader Cllr Philip Skinner.

Regards,

Owl

Simon Jupp MP www.sidmouthherald.co.uk

The Conservative government wants decisions about homes to be driven locally. Councils should therefore be working hand-in-glove with the communities they serve to ensure homes are built in the right places with the right infrastructure.

Last month, the Secretary of State set out some welcome breathing room. Councils will be able to calculate housing need as a starting point but ultimately must consider how to protect the characteristics of each area – be that precious countryside, the character of an area, or heritage. There is no truly objective way to calculate how many homes are needed in an area and, since becoming an MP in 2019, I’ve repeatedly told Ministers that East Devon’s housing figures were the product of fanciful Whitehall algorithms.

Too often, it feels like communities have to grin and bear new housing development. My postbag has been full of complaints about East Devon District Council’s proposals for where homes should be built because they won’t help people stay in their own communities, reduce travel, or keep families close together. We must build new homes, but they must compliment the area, not concrete all over it. 

That’s why as your local MP I have responded to East Devon District Council’s Local Plan consultation – particularly to reflect concern among residents of north Exmouth, Lympstone, Farringdon and West Hill. I’d warmly encourage you to have your say too. Visit eastdevon.gov.uk. The consultation closes on 15 January.

Residents in north Exmouth and residents in Lympstone are extremely alarmed by the volume of development that is getting proposed, effectively merging the two historic towns together. I’m meeting with the Northeast Exmouth Residents Group again this week to look at the plans in depth.

Farringdon villagers stand to have a new town of 2,500 homes built a stone’s throw away. The parish is the most severely impacted of all in East Devon. I’m sitting down with residents here too, because I want to make sure their voice is heard.

The council should go back to the drawing board. The power is now in their hands to make the right calls, thanks to the Conservatives.

In the words of “Blue Leader” Cllr. Philip Skinner:

Cllr Diviani was ‘instrumental’ in the creation of the Greater Exeter Strategic plan – although the council eventually pulled out of the proposed arrangement with other neigbouring councils in 2020 – and he praised his ability to “see the bigger picture.”

“He balanced providing good services but at the same time of course driving our economic agenda, which is the agenda I very much wish to promote myself.”

Owl remembers Paul Diviani, alongside the faithful Philip Skinner, as the architect and driving force behind the Tory “Build, build, build” strategy. This resulted in the current Local Plan having a development target of 950 houses/year, based on an aggressive “jobs led policy on” scenario.  Where only around 580 houses/year would be required to satisfy purely demographic growth trends. 

This is an uplift of 370 or 64% and is the target that the current EDDC coalition has inherited (is lumbered with).

Remember this when you read the next post on Simon Jupp’s position on local housing targets.

Former East Devon District Council leader Paul Diviani has died following a long illness.

Rob Kershaw www.sidmouthherald.co.uk

Mr Diviani joined East Devon District Council in 1999, becoming leader in 2011, a role he held up until he stepped down in 2018. He had also served on Devon County Council, representing Honiton St Paul’s, as well as being a board memeber of the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership, chair of the Blackdown Hills Area of Natural Beauty, and numerous other public service or community roles.

He joined East Devon Council at the same time as the district’s current Tory leader, Cllr Philip Skinner, a friend both in and out of politics, who paid a heartfelt tribute to him on Friday.

“Paul Diviani was a very selfless man,” said Cllr Skinner. “He was a man who was never critical of other people; he was more concerned about doing good things.

“He had a very good insight to vision work, and he was very much a strategic thinker. Strategic, not just in the planning process, but strategic in the way that the council should operate, and the way that it should run.

“He balanced providing good services but at the same time of course driving our economic agenda, which is the agenda I very much wish to promote myself.”

Cllr Skinner said that Cllr Diviani was ‘instrumental’ in the creation of the Greater Exeter Strategic plan – although the council eventually pulled out of the proposed arrangement with other neigbouring councils in 2020 – and he praised his ability to “see the bigger picture.”

The Conservative leader for East Devon describing Cllr Diviani as a ‘lovely, lovely man.’

This comment from Anthony Rowcraft was posted a few days ago:

“A perfectly good care home, Shanford, in Budleigh Salterton was closed a couple of years ago amid much controversy and speculation as to who would benefit. Elderly patients were moved out against their wishes and staff given notice. It’s still empty!!!! Could it be reopened rather than using hotels??”

This has prompted Owl to commision an investigation into the current situation.

This investigation indicates that, despite attempts to sell  the unoccupied “Shandford” it  is still owned by Julie Rhodes of Agency Assistance who bought it at auction from Abbeyfield at the height of the Covid epidemic in December 2020.

To recapitulate the history of Shandford:

Shandford started as a care home in 1958 for local people funded by the people of Budleigh Salterton. In 2012, the trustees ceded it to Abbeyfield under a covenant that should Abbeyfield sell the property then the proceeds should be returned to “the people of Budleigh Salterton”

The closure was based on Abbeyfield’s declared aim of “freeing up assets” as it changes its business model to concentrate on larger homes; and County Councillor Christine Channon’s handpicked adviser, Chris Davis, who claimed that Shandford was no longer viable. Owl understands Chris Davis’ report has never been made public.

A local community effort to take back control failed despite the intervention of newly elected Simon Jupp MP.

During this process Owl received plausible arguments that showed that there were grounds to challenge the case for non-viability.

However, it now seems the proceeds (less expenses) have been returned to “the people of Budleigh Salterton” by way of the charity: “the Shandford Trust” registered just over a year ago.

A search of the Charity Commission web site reveals:

THE SHANDFORD TRUST – Charity 1192048 at year ending 31 December 2021 expended £696 on charitable activities, retaining £728.30k for future use.

“The Trust provides grant funding to older people for their accommodation or care, particularly those in financial need, those who are frail or with disabilities, who live in Budleigh Salterton, East Budleigh, Otterton, Colaton Raleigh or Bicton. It is indiscriminate as to age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.”

The charity commission lists Christopher Haward Davis as Chair of trustees. 

Dr Richard Mejzner is also listed as another of the eight trustees. It is Interesting to note that Mejzner is also a trustee of two other charities: LEAGUE OF FRIENDS OF THE BUDLEIGH SALTERTON HOSPITAL; and the recently registered SEACHANGE DEVON. This would seem to be the CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation) now running the old BS Cottage Hospital, previously managed by Westbank as a “Hospital Hub” (a hospital without any beds).

Sarah Hicks is Chair of Trustees of Seachange Devon and is also currently CEO of Westbank Community Health and Care. It’s a small world.

Is Budleigh about to lose its “hospital” as well?

Budleigh Salterton was one of the first hospitals to lose all its hospital beds which served as a convalescent stepping stone between acute care and returning home. It was retained as a “hospital hub”.

Of further interest is the fact that this hospital site has not only been offered up as a potential development site in the draft EDDC Local Plan (by the freeholders Clinton Devon Estates?), but has been allocated as such. Under the terms of the lease, the site reverts to the freeholder when it is no longer used as a hospital.

Below is an extract from  the Site Selection and Settlement Boundary Setting (under Tier 3 settlements)

Settlement: Budleigh Salterton 

Site reference number: Budl_06 

Site Address: Budleigh Salterton Community Hospital, East Budleigh Road, Budleigh Salterton, Devon, EX9 6HF

Accessibility assessment: Budl_06 is within 1600 metres of at least 8 different types of services and facilities, including a GP practice, community hall, post office, pubs, shops and a primary and school. The site is close to an hourly bus route. Pedestrian access into the town centre is available along safe walking routes.

Other known site constraints: The site is currently used but the NHS as a health and wellbeing hub, providing local employment and a community facility.

Site opportunities: It would be possible to convert existing buildings to residential use. 

Amended Maximum Yield following discounted areas on site: 20

Brief summary of the key positives and negatives of the site: Budl_06 may provide an opportunity for conversion of existing buildings and some new development on a brownfield site very well related to services and facilities if it is no longer required for community use.

Should the site be allocated?     YES

East Devon is not the only one drawing up plans, but Teignbridge’s target looks “modest” compared with the East Devon Total of 6,615 – see calculations shown below the paragraphs on Teignbridge. – Owl

Daniel Clark www.devonlive.com (Extract)

A blueprint for future development across Teignbridge to meet housing need for the forthcoming future has been published. The draft Teignbridge Local Plan, which would shape development in Teignbridge until 2040, outlines where and how homes in the district will be built.

The draft plan sets out new land allocations for 4,560 homes, with about a quarter of all new properties to be affordable and more homes built for people with mobility issues. This is in addition to land previously allocated for development in the current Teignbridge Local Plan. About 65 hectares of land is allocated in the draft plan for employment sites while two sites are identified for gypsies and travellers.

The plans includes three major expansion areas to existing settlements. Land is allocated at Bradmore, west of Houghton Barton, on the outskirts of Newton Abbot, for approximately 1050 homes. This is in addition to the 1,800 homes for the area already allocated in the existing Local Plan.

On the edge of Exeter, approximately 900 homes are planned for Markham village, which will be created as a small new village, which will sit in green surroundings, between the villages of Ide and Shillingford Abbot. A mixed use development of approximately 750 residential units at Peamore, as part of the West Exe Business Park, near to the M5 is also proposed.

Sufficient land will be made available in this plan to increase the rate of new housebuilding to an average of 741 homes per year. All new-build open market homes on allocated sites, whether occupied as an owned, rented or leasehold home, will be occupied as a primary residence, as secured through a legally enforceable mechanism.

Under the draft local plan, brownfield sites would be prioritised to help regenerate town centres while most new homes would be located close to jobs, services and sustainable transport. Some small development sites are also identified in larger villages where new homes would help sustain essential local services.

The approximate distribution of new homes across the district will be: • Newton Abbot and Kingsteignton Garden Community – 37% • Edge of Exeter – 46% • Coastal and rural towns – 5% • Villages – 12%

For details of the individual town and village proposals see www.devonlive.com

For East  Devon the new housing target is 6,615 calculated as follows:

The Government set out minimum numbers of homes that should be built each year. In December 2020 the Government advised that the figure for East Devon should be at least 928 new homes per year (but it is subject to year on year review). It is marginally below our current local plan policy that identifies a need for an average of 950 homes to be built each year. It is also considerably lower than the figure of 1,614 homes per year that a now abandoned Government proposal, from autumn 2020, generated.

Analysis from a base date of 1 April 20209 shows a projected 11,945 extra homes will be built in East Devon under the current local plan up to 31 March 2031. A 20 year requirement (from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2040) at 928 homes per year would give a grand total of 18,560 homes needed. Deducting 11,945 already projected to be built from a need of 18,560 leaves a residual figure of at least an extra 6,615 new homes up to 2040. 

Time running out to have your say on future development in East Devon

Time is running out to have your say on future developments in East Devon’s Local Plan consultation

www.thedevondaily.co.uk 

The deadline to have your say on how much building takes place in East Devon from now until 2040 is fast approaching – East Devon District Council’s (EDDC) Local Plan consultation ends on Sunday, 15 January!

Thousands of people have already commented on proposals in the new draft Local Plan including on how many new homes need to be built and where. The consultation seeks views on specific sites for development which could be next to your house.

The plan sets out various other aims, including: 

• How the district would address the climate change emergency;

• How and where new jobs should be created how we should support our town centres;

• How East Devon protects its built heritage and natural environment;

• How EDDC intends to deliver housing to meet the needs of local residents and ensure new homes are net zero carbon ensuring they are more efficient and cheaper to run.

The new Local Plan will be a key document when making planning decisions in East Devon so it is vital people tell EDDC what they think of the proposals now.

Everyone who lives, works and spends time in the district has been asked to share their views about the future of the district as part the consultation.

Councillor Dan Ledger, EDDC’s portfolio holder for strategic planning, said: “It is so important that people look at this consultation and tell us what they think before the consultation closes.

“There has been lots of stories in the press about potential future changes to the planning system and how these might reduce the number of homes that we need to build.

\“These changes are currently unclear but what is clear is that we will still need thousands of new homes, business and community spaces and we need to hear as many views as possible on the proposals in our new Local Plan to help us decide which are best for the future of East Devon.”

The consultation can be viewed online at www.eastdevon.gov.uk/local-plan.

The feedback EDDC receives on this draft plan will be used to help inform and refine EDDC’s thinking as the Local Plan is progressed.

In just over a years’ time, EDDC hopes to have a final version of the plan informed by the comments it receives that will be consulted on and then subject to an examination in public by a Government-appointed planning inspector.

Devon County Council’s Flood Risk Management Team said that the applicant had not submitted sufficient information in relation to surface water drainage.

It added: “The applicant does not appear to have provided any drainage strategy. Changes in ground levels can alter surface water flowpaths and may require mitigation to ensure there is no increased surface water risk to neighbouring land/property.”

exmouth.nub.news 

Plans to raise and level football pitches at Warren View Sports Ground have been submitted to East Devon District Council on behalf of Exmouth Town Youth Football Club.

According to the planning documents, the site floods regularly due to poor drainage and is located within flood zone three, the highest risk category.

The land is also reportedly “undulating with an uneven surface”.

If approved, the proposals would see the playing pitches raised “very marginally” (by around a metre or less in most places), levelled, and re-seeded.

Sport England, a public body, said it supported the raising of the playing field land and levelling of the pitches but asked for further information about drainage and pitch construction.

Devon County Council’s Flood Risk Management Team said that the applicant had not submitted sufficient information in relation to surface water drainage.

It added: “The applicant does not appear to have provided any drainage strategy. Changes in ground levels can alter surface water flowpaths and may require mitigation to ensure there is no increased surface water risk to neighbouring land/property.”

The plans have received five objections from the public at the time of writing, one neutral comment, and one comment in support.

Concerns raised include drainage issues, the height of the new pitches, and a perceived impact on wildlife.

Mark Hansford, objecting, said: “The fields are a habitat for a huge range of wildlife. There is at least one foxes den/set on the edge of the pitches and the foxes are out on the pitches at night and during the daylight. There is a badger set. There are oystercatchers and wading birds, bats, birds of prey and many small mammals.”

Penelope Cowman, remaining neutral, said: “I support the comments of the DCC Flood Risk Management Team that there is no drainage strategy. There is no mention of a geotechnical assessment of the ground or whether percolation tests have been carried out to ensure that soakaways will work or what alternative is proposed if they don’t?”

Robin Humphreys, objecting, said: “There are already considerable traffic and access problems when the football club is in operation which will be made worse if the surface is improved, allowing increased use of the site.

“Having been a resident overlooking the site for over 20 years the rationale for the development, that of flooding, has not been apparent.”

The application is currently awaiting a decision from the district council.

Nero fiddling while Rome burns? – Owl

Rishi Sunak has refused to accept that the NHS is in crisis, despite acknowledging the “enormous pressure” the health service is under this winter.

Adam Forrest www.independent.co.uk

The prime minister also refused to say whether he uses a private GP, insisting the issue is a “distraction from the things that really matter”.

Asked about overwhelmed emergency services, record waiting lists and whether the NHS was “in crisis”, Mr Sunak told BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “The NHS is undeniably under enormous pressure.”

Pointing to the Covid pressures, the PM added: “Recovering from Covid is going to be tough and we’re seeing that play out on our TV screens every day and in communities up and down the country.”

Mr Sunak refused three times to discuss reports that he uses a private GP, saying: “As a general policy I wouldn’t ever talk about me or my family’s healthcare situation … it’s not really relevant, what’s relevant is the difference I can make to the country.”

Asked if he was registered with a private GP, Mr Sunak said: “Yeah, my dad was a doctor. I grew up in a NHS family.” Asked why he won’t tell people if he used a private GP, he replied: “It’s just a personal choice. I think healthcare is somewhat private.”

It comes as Royal College of Nursing (RCN) general secretary Pat Cullen, in an interview with The Independent, said Mr Sunak’s pledge to bring down waiting lists would fail without pay being addressed and said the upcoming strike would be the biggest of its kind in the world.

Ms Cuillen also said Mr Sunak needs to “come clean” about whether he uses a private GP. “I think he needed to come clean,” the RCN boss told the BBC. “As a public servant he is elected by the public, so he is accountable to the public – and when you’re accountable to the public you have to be honest with them.”

The NHS is set for more disruption when nurses strike on 18 and 19 January, while ambulance staff are striking on 11 and 23 January. Junior doctors will walk out for three days in March if they back industrial action at Monday’s ballot.

Mr Sunak said he wanted to have a “reasonable, honest, two-way conversation about pay” with the unions – but suggested health secretary Steve Barclay would only talk about next year’s pay settlement when he meets NHS union chiefs on Monday.

Mr Barclay has hinted at pay increases on the table if the unions will agree to efficiency savings – but will try to discuss the 2023-24 pay review process, which starts in April, rather than this financial year’s pay row.

Despite Mr Barclay’s previous refusal to discuss pay, Mr Sunak denied it amounted to a shift in the government’s stance. “The door has always been open,” the prime minister told the BBC. “When it comes to pay, we’ve always said we want to talk about things that are affordable, that are reasonable.”

Pressed again if ministers were willing to talk about pay for this year, he said: “We’re about to start a new pay settlement round for this year [2023-24]. Before that process starts, the government is keen to sit down with the unions and talk about pay, and make sure they understand where we’re coming from.”

His comments come after Ms Cullen said the RCN would be willing to “meet the government halfway” on pay – effectively cutting the union’s pay demands from 19 to 10 per cent.

Ms Cullen said there was a “chink” of optimism and detected a “little shift” in the government’s stance on pay from Mr Sunak’s comments on Sunday – but said she still did not expect Mr Barclay to engage with this year’s pay demands.

“What the government wants to talk about is pay going forward … and that’s not going to avert strike action that’s planned for 10 days’ time,” she told Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg. “It must it must be about addressing pay for 2022-23.”

She added: “The prime minister talked about coming to the table, now that’s a move for me, because I have said, let’s meet halfway,” she said. “Grasp the nettle, come to the table. I can’t negotiate on my own, and I can’t negotiate on the airwaves.”

Mr Barclay is expected to unveil extra funding to expand bed capacity in hospitals and care homes as part of a package to be announced on Monday.

Hundreds of millions of pounds will be spent on block buying thousands of care home beds, according to the Sunday Times, in a bid to free up 1,000 to 2,000 hospital beds and ease pressure on emergency services.

Government officials reportedly believe there are enough spare beds at Care Quality Commission approved facilities, and could have a positive impact within four weeks.

The government’s plans will also propose more “virtual wards”, in which patients are “remotely monitored” in their own homes, using wearable devices, according to the Telegraph.

The government has been accused of trying to blame the NHS pressures on Covid. Mr Sunak said: “I think it’s not right to ignore the impact that Covid has had. Has the NHS had pressures before? Of course it has, but Covid has undeniably had an enormous difference.”

Prof Clive Kay, chief executive of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, asked if it sounded like the prime minister understood the gravity of the crisis facing the health service, said: “No, if I’m honest.”

Prof Kay told BBC: “I don’t think I heard [the PM] grasp the fact that this is a really, really difficult situation. This is not just a winter 2023 problem. We need some realistic conversations. The suggestion that’s going to be a quick fix, a sticking laster, it’s not a reality.”

Simon Jupp received £16,500 from five donations, including from FW Carter.

Richard Foord received £6,820 from four donations.

Details can be found using this interactive tool:

Sky News and Tortoise Media interactive tool

Every year, millions of pounds pour into Westminster – into the accounts of the people, groups, organisations and parties that work and operate at the centre of government. Although most of this money must technically be disclosed to the public, the way that information is reported, stored and displayed almost guarantees the records will not be widely scrutinised.

Payment records are spread across different government websites, often split into small files covering short periods of time and regularly published with duplicate entries, spelling mistakes and other errors. The data required to examine the financial interests of just one Member of Parliament is laborious to gather.

Tortoise Media and Sky News have programmatically collected and analysed thousands of donations and payment records from MPs, political parties, and all-party parliamentary groups (APPGs). The resulting database is an extensive, though not comprehensive, record of the financial interests in Westminster.

Because the purpose of this database is to look at exterior sources of money and influence, it does not cover the everyday expenses required to run a central government’s main legislative body. Notably, you won’t find any reference to Members’ annual base salary of £84,144. Nor will you find references to the additional compensation made by government ministers and MPs with other extra responsibilities.

It also doesn’t cover outgoings. For example, members sometimes report that they’ve donated a sum to charity or given it to their local party, but our database doesn’t make that distinction. (You can find more detail on how and why we made decisions like this in our publicly-accessible methodology.)

What the database does include is the following datasets for the entirety of the current parliament – from its start on 19 December 2019 to the most recent disclosures:

• From the Register of Members’ Financial Interests: Earnings from secondary employment, donations, gifts (including all gifted international travel), and other benefits for all sitting and former members of the current parliament
• From the Register of All-Party Parliamentary Groups: Donations, gifts and other benefits for all APPGs that have operated at any point during the current parliament, as well as membership lists for each group
• From the Electoral Commission: Donations, gifts and other benefits received by all political parties currently represented in the House of Commons

Simon Jupp received £16,500 from five donations,

Richard Foord received £6,820 from four donations.

Theresa May has earned more outside parliament since leaving Number 10 than any other MP, and nine times more than she earned in her two years as prime minister.

Catherine Neilan www.tortoisemedia.com

May has been paid £2.5 million for speaking engagements since 2019. That includes a six-figure fee for a speech in Saudi Arabia and is more than double the outside earnings of Boris Johnson since his stint in Downing Street – although he is expected to overtake her soon. 

The two ex-prime ministers are among 25 MPs who have earned more outside parliament since the last general election than from their salaries. A larger group of 36 MPs have earned more than £100,000 outside parliament overall in the same period. 

In total, MPs have earned £17.2 million from second jobs, but the vast majority of that money has gone to a relatively small number of people: 20 MPs receive more than two thirds of their income from second jobs. In fact, May’s outside earnings account for nearly 16 per cent of the total.

The top 5 earners are all Conservative MPs: 

• Theresa May – £2.55 million
• Geoffrey Cox – £2.19 million
• Boris Johnson – £1.06 million
• Fiona Bruce – £711,749
• John Redwood – £692,438

May’s clients for speaking engagements have included JPMorgan, the US investment bank, and Deutsche Bank, but she often doesn’t say who she is speaking to. 

One fee for £107,600 from the World Travel and Tourism Council was for a speech to a conference in Riyadh. The largest single item she has declared is £408,200 from the Cambridge Speaker Series, for six speeches last spring. She is the only MP to have registered any payments from this firm, which is based in California.

Other US-based speaking agencies which May has received six-figure sums from include the Washington Speakers Bureau and the Distinguished Speaker Series. Again, precisely who she was speaking to – and what was said – remains unclear. 

These earnings are among thousands of payments to MPs and associated bodies brought together by the Westminster Accounts tool, a searchable database developed by Tortoise and Sky News which makes it possible to create leader boards and league tables showing where the largest sums flow from and to.

The payments are from lobbyists and – often in kind – from all-party parliamentary groups (APPGs; informal networks of MPs often supported financially by companies seeking to forward an agenda) as well as second jobs. But not all second jobs are created equal. 

Matt Hancock, the former health secretary, lost the whip for his stint in the Australian jungle – the earnings for which had not been registered at the time of writing. But little is said of the many other sidelines supplementing MPs’ wages over many more hours and with much less clarity over the ultimate source of income.