Category Archives: Hugo Swire

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7 Nov 2017

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Accountability, Hugo Swire, Lobbying

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Swire says MPs should be transparent about lobbying – where to start!

Do you see what he is doing here?

Deflecting people away from the Paradise Papers. And Ms Patel wanting to offer international aid to Israeli soldiers. And Boris Johnson opening his big rather stupid mouth and endangering a Brit’s wife imprisoned in Iran. And sex scandals galore in the Houses of Parliament

Like Trump going on about “crooked Hillary” when his Russian links or tax documents are mentioned Swire looks for a diversion where a Tory government will NEVER change its policy of not just welcoming lobbying but actively encouraging it.

Remember (way back) when Swire was Foreign Office flunky and Cameron arranged for big businesses to be palled up with MPs?

https://eastdevonwatch.org/2015/02/25/the-tory-access-for-influence-buddy-system-that-pairs-high-ranking-mps-including-our-own-hugo-swire-with-multinational-corporation-executives/

On lobbying, can we perhaps now look forward to Mr Swire and all MPs publishing their diaries and list all schmoozing appointments (and who they sat with!) for the last 5 years to see which lobbyists they have met?

BUT ALSO:

Can we force all MPs to sign declarations that they have no offshore funds? (Nothing at all to do with lobbying but Owl refuses to be deflected!).

Owl thinks he doth protest too much!

“Conservative MP for East Devon, Hugo Swire, says MPs should “open their books” and be “entirely transparent” about lobbying.

The former foreign minister told the House of Commons that the spotlight was on Parliament and it was finally time to “address the issue of access, privileged access and lobbying and funding if we are not to have this repeated time and time again”.

Mr Swire was speaking following an urgent question on private meetings held with International Development Secretary Priti Patel, whilst she was on holiday in Israel.”

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30 Oct 2017

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, Education (local), Hugo Swire, Neil Parish

“Campaigners put pressure on government to improve ‘dire’ Devon education funding at national lobby”

As yet there appears to be no similar East Devon campaign group and our two MPs simply dole out meaningless platitudes without concrete follow-up action. Swire seems more preoccupied with who to back for next PM (or maybe ex-PM!) in order to regain a foreign office ministerial post while Parish’s preoccupations remain farmers and dualling the A303.

… “Tamsin Higgs, mother-of-three from Braunton, has been leading the parent-led and non-political Fair Funding For All Schools campaign in North Devon since the beginning of this year. For more information you can visit the campaign’s Facebook page here. Tamsin has also set up a campaign group in Torrington who recently met with Torridge MP Geoffrey Cox. …

… Tamsin said she regularly meets with the central school funding campaign group in London who, alongside the National Education Union, planned the national lobby at Westminster against school funding cuts. The group decided to take part in the lobby, which attracted more than 1,000 people, to apply pressure from all constituencies on the central government to increase funding and ensure schools are not losing out. …”

http://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/campaigners-put-pressure-government-improve-700472

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24 Oct 2017

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Accountability, Hugo Swire

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Swire’s preoccupations this week: naming ships and electric car manufacture

HMS Exeter? Why not HMS East Devon? Or HMS Honiton?

Or is Swire seeing his future increasingly in “Greater Exeter”? Or seeing himself as Bojo’s Minister of Defence, perhaps?

And how many electric car manufacturers can we expect at the East Devon Growth Point.

Oral Answers to Questions – Defence: Topical Questions (23 Oct 2017)
https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2017-10-23a.17.7&s=speaker%3A11265#g20.2

Hugo Swire: Five ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Exeter after Devon’s county capital, the first in 1680. Does my hon. Friend agree that it would be entirely appropriate if one of the new frigates continued that great tradition?

Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill (23 Oct 2017)
https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2017-10-23a.59.4&s=speaker%3A11265#g92.0

Hugo Swire: The hon. Gentleman will be aware that this country manufactures more automobiles than the whole of Italy. Does he not think that that manufacturing can go on when we change from the combustion engine to the electric vehicle?

Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill (23 Oct 2017)
https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2017-10-23a.59.4&s=speaker%3A11265#g95.0

Hugo Swire: Does my right hon. Friend not agree that, during the transition stage when we move to electric autonomous vehicles, there will be a period in which a goodly percentage of the population will retain normal diesel or petrol vehicles? How will we divide up the streets? If every single parking space in an urban area is given over to electric charging, will that prevent those who do not need to…

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19 Oct 2017

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Accountability, Democracy, Hugo Swire, Neil Parish

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The new way to stay in power – do nothing (and just one Tory rebels)

The new way to stay in power – abstain on anything important

“… Dr Wollaston, chairwoman of the health committee, at one stage threatened to vote against the Government unless ministers recognised they need to address a “fundamental flaw”.

… Dr Wollaston rebelled against the Tory whip by voting in favour of Labour’s motion.

She was the only Conservative MP to do so, according to the division list.

The result of the vote released by the House of Commons also said DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds voted in the aye lobby in support of Labour’s motion.

But Mr Dodds told the Press Association he did not vote in the aye lobby, adding: “They made a mistake.”

Labour MP Anneliese Dodds (Oxford East) was not listed on the ayes despite speaking out against UC roll-out in the debate.

Raising a point of order after the vote, Ms Abrahams said: “This is a major defeat for the Government on their flagship social security programme.

“Conservative whips and the Prime Minister have spent today strong-arming Conservative MPs to vote against a pause of the rollout of Universal Credit.

“While the Secretary of State has retreated on various aspects of his Universal Credit policy, in a panicked attempt to appease Tory MPs who know that the policy is not fit for purpose.

“Yet again, the Prime Minister and the Tories cannot command a majority in the House of Commons.

“The Prime Minister is in office, but not in power.”

Commons Speaker John Bercow said: “A resolution of the House of Commons is just that, an expression of the view of the nation’s elected representatives in the House of Commons.

“Constitutionally, and this is important…the House cannot direct ministers, and it is for ministers in the Government to decide how to respond to the clearly expressed view of the House.”

Mr Bercow added that he felt confident ministers would do so, having granted an urgent debate on the Government’s response to opposition day debates just two weeks ago

Tory MP Peter Bone (Wellingborough) said it would be helpful where a substantive motion was passed that the Government came to the House to explain what they intended to do about it.

Mr Bercow responded it was “a statement of fact” Labour’s motion was passed, adding: “I think it highly desirable that the Government, in the light of the result, should come to the House and show respect for the institution by indicating what it intends to do.”

Tory former minister Sir Edward Leigh questioned what the point of the Commons was if it merely expresses opinions “for the sake of it” as he made a point of order following the vote.

He said he had trooped through the lobbies to vote on hundreds of divisions on Wednesdays over 34 years as an MP, and that he was “under the impression that it served some purpose”.

And what worries me is that surely there is some sort of precedent here.

“This is not and should not be a university debating society, what is the point of the House of Commons if we just express opinions for the sake of it and surely when we vote it should have some effect?”

The division list was later updated, with Mr Dodds’ name no longer on the ayes list and Ms Dodds’ name appearing on the list of Labour MPs who supported the motion.”

http://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/totnes-mp-dr-sarah-wollaston-649637

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18 Oct 2017

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Democracy, East Devon Tories, Hugo Swire, Labour ( Devon)

Swire’s recent preoccupations: bolshie young people and Nay Pyi Taw

Recent questions and comments in Parliament
see: theyworkforyou.com

It seems that Swire still thinks politics is mired in the Russian revolution and that he is still at the Foreign Office.

Or, is he just toadying up to Boris in case Bojo becomes Leader and has promised great things to (only a select few of) those who might support him in this aim?

Bolshie young people not thinking the Tory way:

“A hundred years ago this month saw the start of the Russian revolution, which unleashed misery and purges against millions of Russian people. Although we are right to remind future generations and younger people about the evils of the past, for example through Holocaust Memorial Day, does my right hon. Friend agree that we owe it to the younger generation to educate them about the warped and failed Marxist-Leninist ideology that continues to unleash misery across the world? People should be very worried about that.”
[Boris Johnson replied in whole-hearted agreement]

Myanmar – Muslims in Burma

Hugo Swire: The hon. Lady makes an extremely good point about nationality, except that the British Government have shown to the Government in Nay Pyi Taw evidence kept in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office referring to a Muslim population in that part of what is now Burma going back many hundreds of years.”

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6 Oct 2017

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Accountability, East Devon Tories, Hugo Swire, Lobbying, Minority Government, Neil Parish, Sleaze

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Don’t punish the bully, punish the victim, says Tory donors

This is extraordinary. In any other walk of life a bully would be punished and his or her victim given support. In this increasingly mad party, it is the other way round. In this case the bully is being joined by other bullies to force the victim out of a job.

And as for raising more money from “ordinary” voters – do people not realise that these donors are now desperately squirreling away their cash to cushion them against Brexit problems. With lots of it probably going to those tax havens they love so much.

As an employer – for that is what Tory donors are – these rich donors who are calling the tune – it should be ashamed of themselves. But alas, shame is something rich Tory donors have never and will never experience.

And every member of the Conservative Party shares in this – including our MPs Swire and Parish if they stay silent and join in bearing in mind Swire tweeted his support of bully-boy Johnson very recently, after his attack on May.

Tory party members – you are all complicit with the behaviour of these bullies. Pay your subs and be one of the rabble they will call up on their behalf – that’s your role. And take over paying for their share while they still pull your strings.

“Conservative donors have called for Theresa May to stand down because she is being “bullied” by colleagues including Boris Johnson.

Following an ill-fated conference speech and rumours of a backbench plot against the prime minister, two wealthy supporters said the party must act quickly and install another leader.

In a further development, the party is discussing plans to emulate Labour and widen its financial support away from large donations from a select group of wealthy donors to smaller donations from its ordinary members.

Charlie Mullins, the founder of London-based Pimlico Plumbers, said May must leave because she was being bullied and undermined by Johnson.

He said: “She has got to go for her own sake. It is getting embarrassing. If this was a boxing match, the fight would have been stopped. She has been put in a position where she is being bullied, she is being intimidated, they are making her life hell. These are Conservative people who are destroying this woman and it needs to stop.”

Mullins, who has donated £50,000 and spent £30,000 on a stall at this year’s conference, said the foreign secretary had been successfully undermining the prime minister.

“She is a broken woman. They are setting her up,” he said. “Boris is not a fool. He knows what he is doing. Boris is knocking her at every opportunity he gets because he wants to be prime minister. Boris has been a big part of destroying this woman. …

A second donor said May appeared to be too weak to fight the business community’s corner and should leave by Christmas if the party wants to retain financial support from entrepreneurs.

The businessman, who has given more than £300,000 in total, said: “[The party] is losing support in the City. People worry that the Tories are taking us over a Brexit cliff edge and May looks too weak to control her ministers.

“We need to act now. Whether she is replaced by an old guard member like Michael Fallon or new blood, I am not sure.”

The Conservatives have grown increasingly concerned about the party’s failing support from big donors in the business community.

While the Tories generated £1.5m in membership fees last year, Labour raised £14.4m, according to figures published in August by the Electoral Commission.

John Griffin, the founder of taxi firm Addison Lee who has given more than £4m to the Conservatives, told the Guardian that he has had preliminary talks with party officials about helping to widen financial support from a select few individuals to other less wealthy donors.

“I think the party has performed very poorly in that particular area, so I have a cunning plan and we will be having meetings about that this month. They have underperformed in the area of collecting money,” he said.

“We don’t really want donors to give large sums. We want lots of people to give smaller sums. That is the plan. The Labour party are making a better fist of it. We need to consider that and emulate them.”

Griffin declined to go into further details but said he raised the idea with May at a fundraising dinner at the Dorchester hotel in central London last month. “She supports the idea in principle,” he said.

Griffin, who gave £1m to the party before this year’s election, said he wantedMay to remain as prime minister and called for Johnson to be given a “smacked bum” for undermining her.

“Boris has been a naughty boy and needs a smacked bum. That’s where I stand. He is a nice bloke, but there is a time for everything and he needs a bit more dignity,” he said. “I have encouraged the prime minister to make sure that these people in the cabinet stand in line and she must exercise her power.”

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/oct/05/conservative-donors-call-for-may-to-stand-down-over-bullying-by-johnson

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3 Oct 2017

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Accountability, Democracy, Hugo Swire, Neil Parish, Voting

Where’s Hugo and Neil? Hugo adored Boris’s speech and doesn’t think politically uneducated 16-year olds should be allowed to vote, Neil is worrying about farmers and plastic bottles

Anyone caught sight of Swire or Parish at the party conference? All we have from Hugo today are a couple of tweets on his Twitter account but they could have come from anywhere – Saudi, Maldives, Mid-Devon … and tweets on protecting farmers, plastic bottles and a desperate hope for a last-ditch meeting about Axe Valley college.

But we DO know Hugo adored Boris, as he re-tweeted:

“The most barnstorming speech of the conference so far. You’ve got to give it to him!”

and

He doesn’t like the idea of 16 year old voters unless they learn what’s best for them in school:

“Against 16 yrs old voting but might be prepared to look at it if politics and constitutional history were compulsory subjects in schools.”

So what’s different about 17 and 18 year old voters who didn’t get inculcated at school?

Looks like the education cuts and teacher shortages mean he won’t be changing his mind soon …!

And Neil?

His tweets today have been on:

Protecting farmers:

“My piece for @politicshome @housemagazinecz on food, farming & Brexit talks. @CommonsEFRA will be ensuring @DefraGovUK stands up for farmers”

Toadying to Gove on plastic bottle deposits

“90% of plastic bottles are recycled in Denmark & Germany. We need a bottle deposit scheme here too. @michaelgove is right to be in favour.”

and

Shutting the door after the 6th form horse has bolted at Axminster Academy which has announced closure of its 6th form:

“Urgent meeting set up with @AxeValleyCC & now writing to @JustineGreening . We must find a solution for A-Level Axe Valley pupils locally.”

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3 Oct 2017

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Accountability, East Devon Tories, Hugo Swire, Spin

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Which came first: national Tory policy or East Devon Tory policy?

“Jacob Rees-Mogg has compared this year’s Conservative conference to a North Korea-style rally, saying the party will face a crisis unless members are given more stake.

Rees-Mogg said ordinary party members had no power to debate policy compared to when he first entered politics. He told a Policy Exchange fringe meeting:

It has now become like an American presidential convention where we just expect them to turn up and cheer the great and the good. It isn’t even American, it’s Kim Jong Un style. If it stays like that for long enough we’re going to be in real trouble.

Asked about whether the party needed to give more power to its members, Rees-Mogg said:

We treat them appallingly. We expect them to do all the work, deliver all the leaflets, go out in the rain and then the CPF [the members’ policy-making forum] sends in its reports and it gets ignored. We used to have system that took the policy ideas from our members seriously.”

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/live/2017/oct/03/conservative-conference-2017-theresa-may-says-she-does-not-want-yes-men-in-her-cabinet

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25 Sep 2017

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Accountability, Housing (local), Hugo Swire, NHS (local), Post-Brexit Adjustments

The Red Tape Initiative – West Dorset MP and pal of Swire’s new, er, initiative

Does anyone else find this declaration of interest by Oliver Letwin, West Dorset MP, oldxEtonian pal of Swire and Cameron, champion of privatisation of anything and everything, but particularly the NHS, somewhat worrying?

Remember Letwin has been the centre of several controversies and foot in mouth incidents as well as authoring, with John Redwood (1988) “Britain’s Biggest Enterprise – ideas for radical reform of the NHS”.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Letwin#Controversies

He is now, as of April 2017, the founder and Chairman of the Red Tape Initiative, which he describes in his Parliamentary Declaration of interest:

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmregmem/170502/letwin_oliver.htm

as:

“From 19 April 2017, Chair (unpaid) of the Management Board of the Red Tape Initiative; a cross-party think tank established to identify regulatory changes that can be made by political consensus speedily after Brexit. (Registered 19 April 2017)”

https://redtapeinitiative.org.uk

which is made up of:

“Leading Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat politicians [who] have agreed to join the Advisory Board, alongside other distinguished people entirely independent from any political party.

The CBI, BCC, IOD and FSB are working with the RTI to construct groups of experts from a range of industries – as well as representatives of environmental and other NGOs – who can help us identify changes that could quickly be made in specific areas of EU regulation, with immediate benefits for jobs and businesses in the UK and with no adverse effects on our ecology or our society. We will be consulting relevant trade unions – via the TUC – on the proposals that emerge, in order to ensure that they are acceptable to employees as well as employers.”

Unfortunately, there is no list of the Management Board or of people, other than Letwin, who make up this group, other than someone called Nick Tyrone, whose blog can be found here:

https://nicktyrone.com

who had had a couple of relatively short tenures as leader of think tanks Radix and CentreForum, and who seems to work from a Centre in Westminster Kingsway College according to the postcode on the RTI website, but we do know its first three priorities:

“The first three areas that the RTI will address are:

1) the construction of housing

2) the construction of infrastructure

3) training and apprenticeships”

Ah – developers and zero-hours employers? Oh, Owl is SO excited!

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17 Sep 2017

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, Hugo Swire, Inequality, Neil Parish

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An invitation to our two well-fed MPs

From a correspondent”

“Could you, through your esteemed publication, inform your readers of a play that will be performed in the committee rooms of the HofP based upon the experience of Food Bank users.

All MPs have been invited and I would suggest to those readers represented by Huge Swin[r]e that he may like a ‘reminder’ to attend, where he may be interested to hear the stories of those making a ‘lifestyle choice’ to use them.

Yours
[signature]
(Who shall be urging their own MP Neil Parrish, to do the same)”

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13 Sep 2017

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Accountability, Democracy, East Devon Tories, EDDC, Hugo Swire, Misc, Neil Parish, NHS (local), Paul Diviani

A response to Councillor Shaw’s response to Councillor Allen’s response to Diviani’s vote at DCC!

Comment post to Councillor Shaw’s post:

“If councillors like Mike Allen want to distance themselves from Paul Diviani and regain some respect from the electorate, the first step will be to vote against him at today’s council meeting.

Any councillor voting against the motion of no confidence, then they are aligning themselves with Diviani’s anti-democratic approach of ignoring the electorate, his own council, and other councils he was supposed to represent, and they are showing everyone that they are no better than he is.

And if Mike Allen was relying on Hugo Swi[r]ne and Neil Pari[s]ah to fix the NHS issues in East Devon he was backing the wrong horse.”

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9 Sep 2017

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Accountability, Democracy, Hugo Swire

Swire: working for firemen but not for nurses

Written Answers – Department of Health: Fire and Rescue Services: Cancer
(8 Sep 2017)
https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2017-09-04.7823.h&s=speaker%3A11265#g7823.q0

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many fire fighters have developed cancer in the first 10 years after retirement since 1967.

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8 Sep 2017

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Accountability, Claire Wright, Environment (local), Hugo Swire, Post-Brexit Adjustments

Environment: Claire Wright asks us to write to Swire

Claire Wright Facebook:

“URGENT. DEBATE TODAY AND ON MONDAY 11 SEPT!!!

If you care about nature and environmental protections please email Hugo Swire about this.

He simply parrots Michael Gove’s misleading nonsense about all nature laws being transferred over, but there very different plans afoot within the Tory Party.

I know someone will say what’s the point, but if we don’t lobby him he will simply claim no one really cares or people don’t believe it is a priority.
He needs to speak and vote the right way on this Bill.

I lodged a motion on this very issue at Devon County Council earlier this year and got it through virtually unopposed, however the response from central government was anything but reassuring.

No promises whatsoever.

In East Devon there are important landscape legal protections and there are also many species currently protected under EU law that are at risk of losing that protection…. at a time when nature is more depleted than ever before.

If you are on Twitter tweet him with this link. The more public the better.
Even better back it up with an email. Simply paste the points in the article into an email as a request, with a short personal intro.

It will take just two minutes 🙂
Let’s hold Hugo Swire to account.
hugo.swire.mp@parliament.uk”

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6 Sep 2017

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Claire Wright, Hugo Swire

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Swire insults Claire Wright because she cares

So, there you can see the difference between Swire and Wright – carelessness and bitterness on his part and caring and compassion on Claire Wright’s part.

Who would you prefer to represent you?

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30 Aug 2017

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Accountability, Claire Wright, Hugo Swire, Labour ( Devon), Neil Parish

“Most Tory MPs have no link to constituency”

No link here is taken as not having been born or educated within 20 km of the constituency.

Think-tank Demos reveals that 64% of Labour MPs at the last election had strong ties to their areas but only 32% of Tory MPs could make the same claim.

And their research suggests that “voters are becoming less forgiving of political ‘blow-ins’, rejecting them in favour of more local candidates’.

… In all, in 60 of the 70 seats that changed hands, 86% were won by local candidates – 35% higher than the UK average as a whole.”

Source: Times (pay wall)

Well, 100% of OUR MPs (Swire and Parish) have no ties to the area and 100% of our MPs choose not to LIVE in their constituencies – Swire preferring Mid-Devon and Parish the Somerset/North Devon border.

Perhaps this is why local-born candidate Independent Claire Wright came so close to winning the last election in East Devon and why Caroline Kolek, who lives in Honiton, made a creditable and credible runner-up to Neil Parish in Tiverton and Honiton.

Our “sitting” MPs might not be so lucky next time and might find themselves sitting in their far away homes permanently!

All you have to do is vote Local! AND as a bonus you would get MPs PASSIONATE to save our local NHS, local education, and local environment.

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28 Aug 2017

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, Health and Social Care (local), Honiton/ Gittisham, Hugo Swire, Neil Parish, NHS (local), Seaton/ Colyford / Colyton

Honiton hospital beds close today; Seaton hospital Friends express dismay

“Seaton and District Hospital League of Friends has expressed its dismay at the loss of all its inpatient beds.

Speaking after the closure plans began last week chairman Dr. Mark Welland told the Herald: “We would like to express our deep gratitude to the many dedicated staff who have provided such a high quality of care to patients over the past 29 years, and also our sincere thanks to the numerous volunteers who have worked on the wards to support the patients and nurses.

“The League remains steadfast in its belief that beds are a necessary resource in Seaton, and will continue to explore every avenue that might lead to the reopening of the inpatient service in Seaton Hospital.

“At the same time, we would like to emphasise the ongoing work that will be taking place in Seaton Hospital – whilst it is true that no inpatient beds will be open, there are many more activities carried out at our hospital.

“These include the out-patient clinics which will continue to run, including rheumatology, ear nose and throat, audiology, spinal assessment, and general medicine clinics.

“The ever busy Seaton Hospital physiotherapy department will be continuing at full speed.

“Alongside these the hospital will continue to function as a base for community teams, including the rehabilitation team, speech and language therapy, community nursing, school nurse and health visitor teams, and the complex care team.

“There is now an opportunity for those hospital resources left under utilised by the bed closures to be put to new uses, and the Seaton and District Hospital League of Friends is currently active in establishing which services might be added to the above list to best serve the local community.

“The League continues to support the Seaton Friends Hospiscare at Home service, which will now be more vital than ever, with no opportunity to use hospital beds for end of life care. The Seaton Friends Hospiscare@Home service is entirely funded by the league, and receives no funding from NHS sources, even as the NHS support for end of life care locally is pared back. The League is very thankful to everyone who continues to support us, and to allow our work to continue.”

http://www.midweekherald.co.uk/news/dismay-over-seaton-hospital-bed-closures-1-5166084

And no thanks to our two MPs who simply turned up for photo opportunities and mouthed platitudes whilst voting in Parliament for these closures.

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24 Aug 2017

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Accountability, General Election, Hugo Swire, Lobbying, Neil Parish, Sleaze, Voting

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Cash for votes – Conservatives win by millions

“British political parties received a record £40m of donations in the three months before the election, with the Conservatives bringing in more than twice as much cash as Labour.

More than half of the money was given to the Conservative party, which raised almost £25m between April and June compared with £9.5m for Labour.

The funding received beat the previous record high for a three-month period, which was set during the runup to the election in 2015, by more than £9m.

The biggest donation to the Conservatives was £1.5m from Anthony Bamford, a Conservative peer and industrialist who also helped fund the Brexit campaign. Labour’s largest sum was from Unite, the trade union, which donated £1.3m.

Other wealthy businessmen who gave more than £1m each to the Tories including John Armitage, a hedge fund manager, John Gore, a musical theatre impresario, and John Griffin, the founder of the Addison Lee taxi firm.

The Liberal Democrats raised about £4.4m, while Ukip managed to get £150,000, the Greens around £175,000, the Women’s Equality party almost £300,000 and Plaid Cymru just £5,300.”

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/aug/24/uk-political-parties-received-record-40m-of-donations-before-election

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24 Aug 2017

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, Health and Social Care (local), Honiton/ Gittisham, Hugo Swire, Neil Parish, NHS (local), Paul Diviani, Sarah Randall Johnson, Seaton/ Colyford / Colyton

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Now Seaton and Honiton hospital beds are closed, here’s something to look forward to

Better keep fingers crossed that you or your loved ones are not in a similar position to some of the people mentioned here.

But if you are one of the unfortunate ones, remember Paul Diviani (EDDC), Sarah Randall Johnson (DCC), Neil Parish MP, Hugo Swire MP, Minister Jeremy Hunt and Prime Minister Theresa May all put you there. They all have one thing in common: they are Conservative politicians whose decisions led to this situation – and think carefully about whether you would vote for them now or in the future knowing what you know now.

“People who receive care at home have told a health watchdog that a lacklustre service has meant they have had to go two weeks without a shower, eat their dinner at 3.30 in the afternoon and be cared for by workers who can’t make a bed.

The failings highlighted in a report by Healthwatch England drew on the experiences of more than 3,000 people who receive care at home. Other problems described in the document include care workers coming at different times to those scheduled, not having enough time to fulfil all their duties and some missing appointments altogether.

Across England there are more than 8,500 home care providers, collectively helping an estimated 673,000 people with tasks such as washing, cooking, dressing and taking medication. The report suggested that home care was “in a fragile state” and that care packages were being “designed to meet the needs of the service provider rather than the service user”.

One home care user in Redcar and Cleveland said: “Sometimes they give me a shower but they go over their time. Most of the time they haven’t got the time to give me one so I go a couple of weeks without one and that is not right. I feel dirty.”

A woman in her 80s told Healthwatch Bradford her care workers were unable to boil an egg or make the bed, while another said staff needed to be taught “home care common sense”.

A care user in Barnet, north London, said: “I am diabetic and sometimes carers are late or don’t show up and that really affects my medications and insulin administration.”

However, Healthwatch, the health and care consumer champion, stressed that most people had positive things to say about their domiciliary care – with many older people praising the service because it enables them to remain in their own home and to maintain as much independence as possible.

Neil Tester, the deputy director of Healthwatch England, said: “We heard examples of compassionate care from dedicated staff, but people also talked about care that doesn’t meet even basic standards. Given the challenges facing the social care sector, it is more important than ever that people’s voices are heard.”

Izzi Seccombe, the chairwoman of the Local Government Association’s community wellbeing board, said: “This report shows that while most people report that their services are good there is a need to improve services.

“The financial pressure facing services is having an impact and even the very best efforts of councils are not enough to avert the real and growing crisis we are facing in ensuring older people receive the care they deserve.

“The continuing underfunding of adult social care, the significant pressures of an ageing population and the ‘national living wage’ are combining to heap pressure on the home care provider market.”

She added: “This study shows the strain providers are under, and emphasises the urgent need for a long-term, sustainable solution to the social care funding crisis.

“While the £2bn announced in the spring budget for social care was a step in the right direction, it is only one-off funding and social care services still face an annual £2.3bn funding gap by 2020.”

A Department of Health spokesman said: “Everyone deserves access to high-quality care, including those who receive it in their home. This is why we have introduced tougher inspections of care services to drive up standards, provided an additional £2bn for adult social care, and have committed to consult on the future of social care to ensure sustainability in the long term.”

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/aug/24/report-highlights-failings-of-home-care-services-in-england