Daily Archives: 31 Jul 2023

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Breaking: Claire Wright roots for Richard Foord to win Honiton & Sidmouth

Claire Wright, the three-times Independent parliamentary candidate for East Devon, is backing Liberal Democrat MP, Richard Foord, to take the new Honiton & Sidmouth constituency at the next general election.

Philippa Davies www.midweekherald.co.uk

Running against Conservative candidates, Claire achieved second place in the last three general elections, gaining almost 26,000 votes and over 40 per cent of the vote in December 2019.

She has now revealed that she has been talking with Richard over the last few months about how she can best support his campaign to win the newly formed constituency, which includes Claire’s home town of Ottery St Mary.

Richard spectacularly won the Tiverton and Honiton seat last year in a shock 6,144 majority by-election result, after disgraced Conservative MP, Neil Parish was forced to stand aside. It had previously been a safe Conservative seat.

Claire said: “I remain as fascinated with politics as ever and have been following Richard’s work since his election. What I have observed over the past year is a dedicated, hard-working, thoroughly decent man who cares very much about his constituents, so I contacted him to pledge my support.

“Richard’s priorities are very similar to my own, which were established after surveying hundreds of people and listening to thousands of others during my role as a county councillor for many years.

“Richard has already demonstrated that he is a committed champion for our precious NHS, which has been eviscerated after years of deliberate neglect by a government that doesn’t appear to believe in the welfare state.

“He also cares very much about, and is active on, environmental issues, including working to prevent sewage in our rivers and coastal waters and most recently speaking at a parliamentary debate to save our migratory birds from extinction, following the submission of a petition signed by over 100,000 people.

“Richard argued in favour of creating a new ‘swift brick’ policy – a simple and cheap option to help the birds nest, that ministers (and other local Conservative MPs) have disgracefully dismissed.

“He has also demonstrated that he cares very much about people who are desperately struggling in society, speaking out on local decisions to remove funding from the most vulnerable people, including those who are homeless.

“This is the man I want to be my MP.”

“Unfortunately, the government and its local representatives are attempting to hoodwink us by claiming that they will fix the very things that they have so badly and knowingly broken, while blaming other events and people for what has gone wrong.

“I really hope that local people will see through the hackneyed lines and lies and turn their backs on this endless deceit, instead supporting a conscientious and hard-working man, who cares far more about his constituents than he ever would about the slippery career pole and desire to divide and rule, that appears to motivate other local parliamentary representatives.

“By-elections are very different beasts from general elections and last year Richard was supported by thousands of Liberal Democrat activists from across the country. This time, he will need the support of a large number of local people to win the seat.”

Anyone interested in helping the campaign to get Richard elected is asked to contact Niamh Purvis at organiser.tivhonlibdems@gmail.com

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Planning applications validated by EDDC in week beginning 17 July

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40,000 shotguns in Devon! Highest in the country.

Yet Owl still flies!

The licence fee to keep a shotgun in Devon and Cornwall is to go up – although it hasn’t been agreed to what level, or when.

Nearly two years after the tragic shootings in Plymouth, the rise was endorsed by members of the region’s police and crime panel as they were told of measures to reduce the risk to the public.

Alison Stephenson, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk

Five people in Keyham died at the hands of gunman Jake Davison in August 2021, and earlier this year significant failings were found in the police’s handling of the initial shotgun licence given to him.

Speaking to the police and crime panel in Plymouth, police and crime commissioner Alison Hernandez, whose job it is to hold the chief constable to account, said she was assured that appropriate steps were being taken to respond to risk since the shootings.

Ms Hernandez said another £500,000 on top of £750,000 of additional funds had been invested in the force’s firearms and explosives licensing team to train offices in handling licence applications. Staff numbers have also  increased from 44 to 99.

An alliance with Dorset Police has also been scrapped so the force can concentrate on the issues it faces.

Devon and Cornwall Police manages the highest volume of firearms certificates and licences in the country – 40,000. It is claimed this is because of the rural and agricultural nature of the region.

Members of the panel raised concerns over the cost of processing licence applications and pleaded for temporary licences to be scrapped to save money.

“Temporary licences should be stopped and people should have their guns confiscated until they have the appropriate licence,” said Cllr Mandy Ewings (Ind, Tavistock South West).

Cllr Laura Wright (Lab, St Thomas, Exeter) said administrators were vital when it came to tightening up procedures but, at under £15 an hour, they were not coming into the service. More money needed to be made from the licences to pay for the cost of issuing them, she said.

“I pay a licence fee to watch BBC which is £159 a year and I’m happy to pay this but is it right that someone can own a potentially lethal instrument for £79?”

Miss Hernandez said the £79 was not just for one year but for five years: “It’s absolutely out of kilter with public feeling. It cannot be justified that’s it only that over a five year period. For people who don’t use guns in their day to day lives, it doesn’t feel right anyway, and gun users accept it’s got to change. The licence cost has not been reviewed since 2012.”

She said that she would support a fee which was rational but was not supporting “full cost recovery” which drove inefficiencies and put the burden on the customer.

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary said that although Devon and Cornwall had made significant progress, concerns remained over a backlog in processing licence applications and the improper use of temporary permits.

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Tory support collapse leaving rural voters ‘politically homeless’

Rural voters are becoming increasingly “politically homeless”, ministers have been warned, as polling suggests that support for the Conservatives in the countryside has rapidly declined.

Aubrey Allegretti www.theguardian.com

Labour is the main beneficiary but must “up its game” to see the change translate into votes at the next general election, said Jonathan Roberts, the director of external affairs at the Country Land and Business Association (CLA).

Fears about a drop-off in support across traditionally Tory-leaning rural areas have been compounded by a string of byelection losses, most recently in Selby and Ainsty, the North Yorkshire seat in which Labour overturned a mammoth Conservative majority.

Concerns that rural communities have been neglected by Westminster stretch back much further and are the fault of governments of all colours, argued Roberts.

“It’s very difficult for rural people to fully understand who is championing way of life,” he said. “There hasn’t been a robust and ambitious plan to grow the rural economy, and create good jobs and strengthen those communities and allow rural businesses to grow.”

Polling conducted by Survation found that support for the Conservatives among voters in the 100 most rural constituencies had dropped by 18 points to 41% compared with the 2019 general election. The party narrowly stayed out in front of Labour, whose support rose by 16 points to 35%. The Liberal Democrats fell by three points to sit on 13%.

The cost of living, a lack of growth and building more homes were among the most pressing issues highlighted by those surveyed.

Too often, Roberts said, the countryside is viewed “a place for people to go and to visit, rather than a fundamentally important part of our society and economy”.

The Lib Dems have performed well at byelections in rural seats such as Tiverton and Honiton, Somerton and Frome, and North Shropshire, but Roberts argued that at a general election voters are “less likely to cast their vote as a protest and looking at more seriously who is likely to form the next government”.

The CLA, which represents 28,000 rural businesses across England and Wales, fears that the divide between cities and the countryside has been widening. If closed, the productivity gap in the rural economy could raise the economic output of England alone by £43bn, according to the group.

A 28-page strategy for “unleashing rural opportunity” was published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in June.

Roberts acknowledged that the government had shown “some signs of responding” to the CLA’s concerns. But he cautioned: “There’s a question as to whether that’s going to be a little bit too late.”

A more longstanding failure by multiple governments to unlock the potential of the rural economy “has led to a political homelessness of many people in rural areas”, he said.

Jim McMahon, the shadow environment secretary, is among those Labour sources have suggested could be moved in a reshuffle. Roberts also hinted at dissatisfaction with his performance, saying that support for Labour among rural voters in the polls “belies the effort that they’re making to engage with rural communities”.

He added: “I think where the Labour party does need to up its game is on engagement with rural communities.”

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Environmental groups accuse Rishi Sunak of playing ‘political football’ with the climate crisis

Leading environmental groups have accused the Government of using the climate as a “political football”, as they warned they will “not stand by” if Rishi Sunak waters down the UK’s green commitments.

Poppy Wood inews.co.uk 

The National Trust, the Woodland Trust, Greenpeace and the RSPCA are among a handful of organisations who have written to Mr Sunak voicing their alarm that the Prime Minister appears to be poised to downgrade the Government’s green policies.

They demanded an urgent meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss the climate crisis, as they called for “public reassurances” on his plans to take action.

It comes as Mr Sunak has signalled he could delay or even abandon green policies that impose a direct cost on consumers, as the Conservative party looks to create a clear dividing line with Labour ahead of the next general election.

The Prime Minister has hinted he will look again at measures that will carry additional expense to consumers, with sources insisting that protecting households from rising costs is his number one priority.

The move follows the Tories’ surprise win in last week’s by-election in Uxbridge, with support for Labour dented by plans to expand London’s ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) expansion, due to come into force next month.

It has prompted a rethink of the Government’s green policies, with the Prime Minister saying earlier this week that the drive to reach the UK’s net zero targets should not “unnecessarily give people more hassle and more costs in their lives”.

Downing Street also confirmed that the Government will “continually examine and scrutinise” measures including a ban on new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, phasing out gas boilers by 2035, energy efficiency targets for private rented homes and low-traffic neighbourhoods.

But environmental groups said it was “with deep alarm that we have read reports over the last few weeks of your government considering watering down its commitments on almost every front of environmental policy”.

“We will not stand by whilst politicians use the environment as a political football,” they wrote.

“It is courage and leadership that we need now. In the past, we have mobilised many of our members collectively with extraordinary results, and our resolve to stand firm now against any and all attacks on this critical policy agenda remains absolute.”

The groups, which claim to represent more than 20m people in total, warned Mr Sunak that he does not have a “public mandate” for delaying the UK’s climate targets.

They also said the prospect of abandoning climate targets was “baffling” considering the economic benefits that green commitments will deliver.

Hilary McGrady, director general of the National Trust, told i: “The climate and nature crises can’t be a matter for negotiation – they demand our urgent, unswerving attention. Political differences must be set aside if we are to safeguard our economy and food supply, and secure jobs, homes and health for future generations. Ambivalence sends all the wrong signals to the market.”

Ms McGrady warned that wavering on the climate agenda could cost both parties at the ballot box.

“A general election is coming and poll after poll shows that voters are resolute in their commitment to the environment. Instead of being gradually erased, robust green policies should be inked into the manifestos of every political party hoping to form a future government,” she said.

“Only a few years ago, UK leaders set world-leading targets and promised the public good green jobs, cleaner air and seas, and a restored natural environment. Now is the time to double down on those commitments.”

Darren Moorcroft, chief executive of the Woodland Trust, said it was “incumbent” on environmental groups to express their concerns as political parties set out their stall ahead of the next general election, expected in late 2024.

“We will make our voices heard with regard to how people should view any political party as it runs into the general election on what it is doing for the environment,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“So instead of backtracking on environmental policies, we believe every political party that’s serious about winning should be setting out plans to get those good green jobs, to get cleaner air and seas to restore our natural environment.”

Labour also faces a reckoning over its green policies, after leader Sir Keir Starmer laid the blame for the party’s failure to take Boris Johnson’s old seat in Uxbridge on the London mayor’s Ulez policy.

At Labour’s National Policy Forum (NPF) in Nottingham day after the by-election, Sir Keir told his party: “We are doing something very wrong if policies put forward by the Labour party end up on each and every Tory leaflet.”

However, party figures have insisted Labour is still committed to its green policies, and sees it as an opportunity to create a clear ideological division between the Conservatives at the next ballot box.

A senior Labour source told i earlier this week that the clean energy target – one of Sir Keir’s five missions – “absolutely” remained in place and that there was no contradiction between pursuing policies to tackle climate change and reducing the cost of living for people.

“There is no circle to square. All our policies are about reducing bills, providing energy security and creating jobs,” they said. “So everything we’re proposing helps with the cost of living.”

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Sewage puts a quarter of people off swimming in the sea

“No one should have to go for a swim or build a sandcastle next to raw sewage. This Conservative government needs to stop letting water companies off the hook and finally ban these disgusting sewage discharges and defend our tourism sector.” – Tim Farron

Around a quarter of UK sea swimmers are being put off their hobby because of the levels of sewage, according to a new poll.

Matt Drake www.independent.co.uk

Just over 30 per cent of UK adults said they go sea swimming during the summer, and of these, 23 per cent said they will not do so this year because of sewage dumping by water companies.

The poll, carried out by Savanta with 2,272 UK adults between July 21 and 23, found 43 per cent of regular beachgoers said they were less likely to visit the British seaside this summer because of the sewage discharges.

Liberal Democrat environment spokesperson Tim Farron said: “Sewage dumping by water companies is ruining the British beach holiday.

“Coastal communities are at the mercy of water companies who unapologetically discharge raw sewage into popular swimming spots.

“If this continues, tourists will turn away from British beach holidays, leaving small businesses and local tourism to suffer from their mess.

“No one should have to go for a swim or build a sandcastle next to raw sewage. This Conservative government needs to stop letting water companies off the hook and finally ban these disgusting sewage discharges and defend our tourism sector.”

An analysis by the party earlier this year showed there were 1,504 sewage discharges in 2022 on beaches with a blue flag rating – a standard that is supposed to signify that a beach is free from such pollution.

They want sewage dumps on blue flag beaches to be banned and have warned that tourists may decide not to visit beaches at all, which would deprive coastal communities of revenue.

The government has recently said it will allow the Environment Agency (EA) to impose unlimited fines on water companies that pollute unnecessarily.

Current penalties are capped at £250,000, making it cheaper to pay than to fix the pollution issue, environment secretary Therese Coffey told MPs earlier this month.

Thames Water’s interim chief executive, Cathryn Ross, recently described many of her company’s pipes as “ageing assets” that should have been replaced.

The utility firm gathered a £14bn debt pile, with many critics blaming shareholders for taking too much money out of the company over the previous 30 years without investing enough in infrastructure.

Many other water companies have faced similar condemnation. They are only supposed to release raw sewage after heavy rain to stop sewage from backing up the system and flooding homes and businesses, with the most recent data showing they had collectively dumped sewage 372,533 times in 2022.

A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) spokesperson said: “Banning discharges overnight without any plan to fix storm overflows is reckless and would see sewage backing up into people’s homes and the street.

“The secretary of state demanded action plans on every storm overflow in the country and our Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan requires water companies to spend £56bn to eliminate the harm from storm overflows – the largest infrastructure investment in water company history.”

An online interactive map of sewage discharges, using information taken from water companies, showed on Friday afternoon dozens of live pollution alerts along the English and Welsh coasts.

A Water UK spokesperson said: “Just one out of every 10 beaches achieved an excellent water standard in the 1990s.

“Thanks to water company investment, that has increased to seven in 10 beaches today. The majority of remaining pollution comes from other sources.

“Nevertheless, we recognise that more should have been done sooner to tackle the harm to our seas caused by sewage overflows. We have listened and have an unprecedented plan to start to put it right.

“Over the next seven years, water and sewerage companies plan to spend £10bn – a tripling on current levels of investment – in the biggest transformation of our sewers since the Victorian era.

“As part of this, bathing waters will be prioritised and among the first to receive funding.”