Now we know this really is a government of piss and wind! – Owl

Government’s strategy for getting to Net Zero is inadequate and unlawful, the High Court has found, following a successful legal challenge brought by Good Law Project, Joanna Wheatley, Client Earth and Friends of the Earth. [Owl’s emphases here and below]

The Climate Change Act requires Government to hit Net Zero by 2050, to make proposals as to how it will meet that target, and to place a report before Parliament. 

In a detailed judgment and order published today – amid the first ever red alert for extreme heat – the High Court held that the proposals for achieving Net Zero approved by the Secretary of State were too vague to enable him to be satisfied that the statutory targets would be met. And that the report placed before Parliament lacked the specificity necessary to meet the Secretary of State’s duty to inform Parliament and the public of his plans.

The illegality of its landmark climate change strategy is a huge political embarrassment to the Government. On launch in October 2021 the Net Zero Strategy was hailed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a foreword “Our strategy for net zero is to lead the world in ending our contribution to climate change.” And by the Secretary of State, Kwasi Kwarteng: “This strategy demonstrates how the UK is leading by example, with a clear plan for the future.”

The Court has ordered that the existing Strategy be fleshed out with the detail necessary for Parliamentary – and public – scrutiny within the next 8 months. And the Government has been ordered to pay our costs.

The dangerous heatwave this week is a stark reminder of the very real threat we face. Our infrastructure and homes were designed for a climate that no longer exists. This cannot wait. The Net Zero target must be a road map to a sustainable future – not a lie we tell our children.

We are thrilled to have worked alongside our friends at Client Earth and Friends of the Earth to deliver this landmark victory. And we are hugely grateful to Baker McKenzie and Jason Coppel QC and Peter Lockley of 11 Kings Bench Walk who worked pro bono or at hugely discounted rates.

goodlawproject.org

Good Law Project only exists thanks to donations from people across the UK. If you’re in a position to support our work, you can do so here

The “Nasty Party” just got a whole lot nastier and personal. – Owl

Boris Johnson has withdrawn the Conservative whip from the defence committee chair, Tobias Ellwood, who failed to support the government in a confidence vote.

Jessica Elgot www.theguardian.com 

Ellwood, the MP for Bournemouth East who has been an outspoken critic of Johnson’s conduct during his time as prime minister, told whips he intended to continue with a trip abroad during the vote.

Ellwood will no longer be eligible to vote in the Tory party’s leadership election as he will no longer be regarded as a Conservative MP. He has backed Penny Mordaunt, who came second behind Rishi Sunak, in the latest round of voting on Monday night.

A spokesperson for the whips’ office said: “Tobias Ellwood MP has lost the Conservative party whip following his failure to vote in support of the government in the confidence vote last night.”

In a statement, Ellwood said he had been unable to return because of travel issues. He said: “Following my meeting yesterday with the president of Moldova I was unable to secure return travel due to unprecedented disruption both here and in the UK.”

A source in the whips’ office said confidence votes needed to be taken extremely seriously by all MPs and said a failure to vote in support was considered a failure to support the Conservative party agenda, regardless of whether Johnson was leader.

Ellwood was warned he could lose the whip if he did not attend the vote, despite being “slipped” – which is permission granted by whips not to attend. Ellwood’s slip was rescinded but the source said he ignored overtures to attend.

The source said Ellwood was reminded that the vote of confidence would be taking place and was informed of the repercussions if he were not present.

The source said he had been threatened with the loss of the whip and asked to return on multiple occasions.

Other Conservative MPs cancelled foreign trips, left poorly relatives and one MP still attended and voted even though their mother had died that morning, the source said.

However, it remained unclear why 11 other Conservative MPs missed the vote without any apparent repercussions. There was no vote recorded for MPs including John Baron, Nusrat Ghani, Tom Hunt and Johnny Mercer, the newly appointed veterans’ affairs minister.

It is understood that some of the missing Tory MPs were, like Ellwood, also on trips abroad, but that they were given permission to be “paired” with opposition MPs.

However, a government whip source said these were on government trips, while those not away who missed the vote were ill. Ellwood had not sought permission to be absent for his trip, they added.

In the debate before the vote, Johnson defended his three years in power in a combative speech that hinted at a “deep state” plot to drag the UK back into the EU when he leaves office.

The government won by 349 to 238, a majority of 111. In a highly unusual move, No 10 called the vote of confidence in itself after it rejected a Labour motion that singled out Johnson.

Labour had originally said it would seek to hold a confidence vote after Johnson announced he was staying on as prime minister until the autumn and a new Conservative leader was in place.

However, the government refused to accept the wording of the Labour motion, which expressed no confidence in the government and the prime minister, so ministers tabled a motion of their own.

A temporary ban on swimming and watersports at Exmouth beach has been lifted this evening (Tuesday, July 19) following a pollution scare.

Smelly (H₂S-“bad eggs”) black mud? Most likely the result of anaerobic (lack of oxygen) decomposition of organic compounds, rotting seaweed? Basically an indication of pollution of one sort or another whatever they say. See this and similar articles. – (Owl tries to recall some sixth form science)

Becca Gliddon eastdevonnews.co.uk 

Beachgoers were earlier told by East Devon District Council (EDDC) to avoid the water while the Environment Agency (EA) carried out tests.

This followed concerns over foul-smelling black sand being found at the eastern end of the beach close to Maer rocks on Monday, July 18.

Red flags and warning signs telling people to stay out the water were put along the seafront and lifeguards stepped up patrols.

EDDC said this evening that test results of water samples, taken yesterday, have now shown ‘a very low level of bacteria in the normal range’.

South West Water is still investigating the cause of the incident, but EDDC’s precautionary closure has now ended.

“Bathing and watersports are once again being allowed at Exmouth,” said a council spokesperson.

“We would like to thank everyone for their patience while these tests were carried out.”

The area of concern had been between Orcombe Point and the lifeboat station.

The black sand. Photo: Environment Agency.

The black sand is submerged during high tide. Photo: Environment Agency.

Samples have been sent for analysis to determine the black sand’s pollution risk. Photo: Environment Agency.

Environment Agency officials have confirmed a section of Exmouth beach remains off limits to swimmers amid reports ‘black and smelly’ pollution has been detected at the Devon beauty spot.

Chloe Parkman www.devonlive.com

It comes as East Devon District Council urges beachgoers to avoid entering the water between Orcombe Point and the lifeboat station due to the situation – which is now under formal investigation.

EDDC confirmed that both EA and South West Water have been investigating the incident. SWW is set to take bacteriological samples at low tide later today.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency told Devon Live: “The Environment Agency is investigating reports of a pollution incident at Exmouth, in the area between Orcombe Point and the lifeboat station. A member of the public alerted the Environment Agency to the incident, reporting black sand and an odour.

“We have liaised with South West Water and they will be taking bacteriological samples at low tide later today. East Devon Council, as owner of the beach, have put up signs advising against bathing and our Swimfo website carries the same message, advising against bathing.

“As soon as we have the results of South West Water’s sampling we will review the advice. With the current hot weather we appreciate people’s desire to cool off in the sea, but we must carry out our investigations fully and satisfy ourselves that there is no risk to bathers.”

EDDC says that lifeguards have put out red flags on the beach between Orcombe and the lifeboat station to advise against going into the sea in that area until the incident is resolved. Yesterday, a spokesperson for EDDC told Devon Live: “We are currently working with the Environment Agency which raised a pollution incident after reports of black sand with a foul odour near an abandoned sewer line at the eastern end of the beach. Currently, we are unsure whether this is a result of a sewage pollution, a surface water discharge or a natural occurrence.

“South West Water have been notified and will be attending [18 July] and the Environment Agency may also be attending today. Our lifeguards have put out red flags on the beach between Orcombe and the lifeboat station to advise against going into the sea in that area until the incident is resolved.”

SWW claims they have investigated and found that all assets are operating as expected. A SWW spokesperson said: “We’ve investigated the report of a potential issue and found that all of our assets are operating as expected.”

If anyone is concerned about pollution or any environmental incident they should call EA 24 hour incident hotline 0800 80 70 60.

“Conservatives on the ball as usual – arguing like five bald men over a comb while out there in the real world they have created over the last 12 years, real people wonder why they have water shortages while water companies pay billions to CEOs and shareholders instead of building reservoirs or fixing leaks, why they can’t (af)ford to eat, wash or get to work while utility companies post record profits, why filling up their cars needs a bank loan while oil companies post record profits, why their kids have to leave as wealthy incomers buy up all the local housing stock – and why FIrst Past The Post is good enough for us proles while they agonise over repeated rounds of run offs and vote transfers to identify the next star to continue to destroy our communities.”

Posted by the Guardian

A Conservative police and crime commissioner who pledged to crack down on speeding has been banned from driving for six months after being caught breaking the speed limit five times in a 12-week period.

Jessica Murray www.theguardian.com 

Caroline Henry, the PCC for Nottinghamshire, was sentenced at Nottingham magistrates court on Monday after previously admitting the offences.

She was elected in May 2021 after a campaign in which she used the slogan “make Notts safe” and promised to “reduce crime with action, not words”.

She is now facing calls to resign, with Nottingham Labour MP Lilian Greenwood saying “it’s untenable for her to continue in her role”.

The 52-year-old, who is the wife of the Broxtowe MP, Darren Henry, was caught speeding in a blue Mercedes and a silver Lexus with a personalised number plate in 30mph zones at four locations in Nottingham in March, May and June last year.

At a hearing earlier this year, magistrates were told that Henry had written a letter to the court saying she was “very sorry, embarrassed and ashamed”. Two of the offences were committed on consecutive days, the court heard.

Henry was captured over the speed limit twice near a primary school in Daybrook, Nottingham, as well as roads in Chilwell, Beeston and on the city’s A610.

Speed cameras clocked her speed as 40mph in a 30mph zone, with other excess speeds recorded at 35mph and 38mph.

Imposing a £2,450 fine as well as disqualifying her for six months, the district judge, Leo Pyle, said of the offences: “What they show is that you are driving at consistent speeds above the speed limits.”

On her official PCC website, Henry listed ensuring an “effective and efficient” police response to speeding as one of her priorities.

The judge dismissed Henry’s application to keep her driving licence due to “exceptional hardship”.

Her defence solicitor, Rhys Rosser, urged the court not to ban her so she can visit her child in hospital in Salisbury, saying it “cannot be done by public transport”. But district judge Pyle said that, despite it being an “inconvenience”, Henry’s husband could “facilitate” it.

Speaking outside court, Henry declined to comment on whether she would resign. “I am truly sorry for speeding,” she said. “Quite properly, today at Nottingham magistrates court I have been fined and banned from driving for six months.

“I remain committed to serving the people of Nottinghamshire as police and crime commissioner.”

Corruption could never occur in Local Government? -Owl

Lewis Clarke www.devonlive.com

Questions have been asked on how Mid Devon’s leader is not at risk of corruption after a report by Transparency International UK. Councillor Barry Warren (Lower Culm, Non-Aligned) spoke at a Mid Devon Council meeting on Wednesday, July 6, saying that they released a report entitled Corruption in UK Local Government The Mounting Risks.

He said: “On page 43 of the report is a paragraph which reads ‘council leaders have considerable patronage power which can facilitate corruption. They are able to appoint the members of their cabinet and award chairmanships, all roles which bring financial gain for the recipients in the form of special responsibility allowances.

“This may lead to situations where councillors are unwilling to challenge a leader because they fear losing one of these roles, or where they feel obliged to provide informal favours, such as offering information or turning a blind eye to misconduct.’”

He continued: “Since 2019 election two additional cabinet posts have been created. Seven cabinet members have been removed from their portfolios and replaced by other members and two changes of chairman of scrutiny committee have been instigated. What assurance can the leader give to the residents who are administered by Mid Devon District Council that there is no risk of potential corruption as identified in that report?”

Leader of the council, Councillor Bob Deed (Cadbury, Independent) responded saying: “What you’ve just read out probably applies to Westminster, but it certainly does not apply to Mid District Council.

“In terms of patronage as leader, I have always taken the view that the appointments that I make are based on the available members who would be suitable for the post which I am requesting them to undertake at the time.

“Throughout the last three years, the cabinet at any one time has represented the best available talent that was at my disposal. Patronage doesn’t come into it and never will come into it. I’m not sure that the leader from memory has any control over any committee chair apart from the cabinet because he’s in situ.

“I don’t know why you should think that there might be a problem among members of the cabinet or the leader’s approach in Mid Devon. When I was in the city, I was always considered somebody to be trusted, which was why 25 years ago I had £500million to control in terms of lending. My director never asked me about anything.”

Cllr Warren added: “I wasn’t thinking anything. I saw this and thought we ought to get it out the way because somebody raised it with me from outside. That clears the air nicely.”

People are advised to keep off a section of beach because of a reported pollution incident.

“All of our assets in the area are operating as expected”. – SSW

Has Captain Mainwaring been reincarnated in SWW? – Owl

BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

A large patch of black sand has been found on Exmouth beach. Image source, Google

East Devon District Council said there was a “large patch of black and smelly sand” at the east end of Exmouth beach.

South West Water (SWW) said “all of our assets in the area are operating as expected”.

The council said people should not bathe between Orcombe Point and Exmouth lifeboat station “until this is resolved”.

SWW said it would continue to “monitor the situation”.

The Environment Agency is also investigating.

The Tory contenders to be the next PM won’t discuss how to tackle the crises facing the country and are only interested in slagging each other off, and saying how much they are going to cut taxes and shrink the state. 

So Owl is not surprised that they aren’t interested in trying to convince the general public they have got what it takes to be Prime Minister.

So, for now, all “public debate” is off. 

Sky News has just announced it has cancelled the Tory leadership debate planned for tomorrow night after Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss said they would not take part. This is from Sky’s Tamara Cohen.

Conservative MPs have reacted with shock and sorrow to the scale of “blue-on-blue” attacks in the Conservative leadership race – culminating in bitter clashes during ITV’s debate on Sunday night. 

(Watch for breaking news – Owl)

Anushka Asthana www.itv.com 

Some warned that the in-fighting could “kill” their party, while others said the attacks were “shameful”. 

Westminster WhatsApp groups were “kicking off more than usual” after the debate, according to sources, as people warned about the damage that this could do to the party.

Following a night in which Liz Truss accused the former chancellor Rishi Sunak of driving the country towards recession, and he hit back that her ideas were “socialist”, and Kemi Badenoch accused Tom Tugendhat of failing to have enough experience, while Penny Mordaunt faced attacks over trans issues, MPs started messaging each other over WhatsApp.

They warned that the debate, but also “smears” in the newspaper, threatened to damage the party because of the divisiveness.

In messages seen by ITV News, one MP warned: “The division, smears and personal attacks this weekend have been disgraceful. Nothing will kill our party more than blue on blue.”

WhatsApp messages sent by Tory MPs as in-fighting threatens to destroy the party.

Another wrote: “We have an 80-seat majority and have spent time in-fighting and bringing down the party and are now fighting publicly. It’s shameful. I can’t believe this is happening.” 

One MP told ITV news that it was more “sorry than anger” in terms of the mood, but admitted: “It’s hard to see how people partner up when they go so hard at each other.”

WhatsApp messages seen by ITV News.

The battle continued on Monday morning as Liz Truss’s team highlighted a new analysis by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) suggesting that there will be £60bn more than the Office for Budget Responsibility’s base estimates in 2024/25.

Setting out the foreign secretary’s plans to use that to help families, a spokesperson said: “Under Rishi Sunak’s time as chancellor the tax burden in the UK has risen to the highest it has been in 70 years and the UK is forecast to have the lowest growth in the G20.”

Mordaunt tried to hit back at newspaper briefings suggesting she had changed her mind on the issue of whether trans people should be able to “self identify”, saying: “It is unedifying… I know why this is being done, but all attempts to paint me as an out-of-touch individual will fail.”

Some argued that the TV debates had been a mistake. 

Westminster Whatsapp groups were “kicking off more than usual” after the debate.

But not everyone agreed that there should not be robust attacks. One MP wrote: “Disagree. If we are changing a PM without the public’s permission then the public deserve to see who we are making the next PM.”

However, this morning it emerged that Rishi Sunak would no longer do a Sky News debate on Tuesday, but would now only do one when the competition was down to the final two. 

Vital sea defences to save Sidmouth’s crumbling coastline and protect the Esplanade has now gone up by £5million increasing the estimated cost to a total of £19million. Last October, East Devon District Council (EDDC) and the Sidmouth and East Beach Beach Management Plan Project Advisory Group approved a new and improved £14 million outline proposal.

Anita Merritt www.devonlive.com 

It is now proposing to proceed to the next stage, with plans to secure the extra funding from government or by bridging the shortfall if required. The aim is to start work on the scheme in spring 2025, giving Sidmouth seafront and East Beach the coastal defences it needs.

Both locations are said to be at increasing risk from predicted storm events due to climate change. Plans to protect vital flood defences for the town, which would also better protect the Esplanade and the town’s crumbling cliffs above East Beach, have long been needed and discussed.

After changes to DEFRA funding in 2020, EDDC was able to start work on plans for a new ‘hybrid option’ to replace the former 2018 ‘preferred option’. This option includes at least one additional rock island, which may reduce the need to raise the splash wall along The Esplanade and could lower the long-term costs of recharging the beach with new material, which will be needed in the future.

The hybrid option still includes a 120m rock-groyne at East Beach and requires a beach recharge on both East Beach and the town beach. This option was originally costed using 2020/21 prices, with funding coming from EDDC, Devon County Council, Sidmouth Town Council and the South West Regional Flood and Coastal Committee, along with DEFRA grant funding.

An outline business case is currently being prepared for the Sidmouth Beach Management Scheme (BMS) readying it for submission to the Environment Agency (EA) for funding. The increase in the cost of the scheme is said to be due to a number of factors including material costs rising by up to 200 per cent; diesel costs rising by 50 per cent as low VAT Red Diesel is no longer allowed; staff shortages caused by a smaller labour pool after leaving the EU; ongoing Covid issues; the Russia-Ukraine war increasing energy costs further; construction risks such as availability of materials and equipment and the danger of cliff falls on East Beach.

Sidmouth’s East Beach (Image: Daniel Clark)

A cross-country campaign has been launched by all the bodies developing flood and coastal defence projects seeking to change Government funding to enable the projects to proceed. The Sidmouth BMS is being used as an example to explain the urgent requirement for extra funding to avoid these government-funded schemes from failing.

To allow the scheme to progress, the authority will submit a report to EDDC’s cabinet and full council, seeking approval for the additional funds from the capital budget as a temporary loan until further money can be secured from elsewhere.

Councillor Geoff Jung, EDDC’s portfolio holder for coast country and environment and chair of the Sidmouth BMP Project Advisory Group, said: “The estimated uplift in costs is most worrying, but the advisory group considers that these works must proceed urgently to protect Sidmouth from the increasing risk from predicted storm events due to climate change. Therefore, the recommendation to proceed to the next stage will be put to a full council meeting shortly.

“I would like to thank our engineers’ officers, consultants and all members of the advisory group for all their work to get to this important stage.”

The anticipated timeline:

• Late summer 2022 – Submit the funding case for approval to EA, which if successful, secures the funding in principle. Approval should be granted by autumn 2022.
• Late autumn 2022 – Work on the scope of the detailed design stage with a sub group made from members of the Sidmouth and East Beach BMP Project Advisory Group. They will help represent Sidmouth residents, providing guidance on what the town needs from the scheme, what it looks like, how it will work and how it will be designed and built. This will include discussions on the number and position of additional rock breakwaters.
• Early 2023 – Finalise the scope for the detailed design.
• Followed by – Appointing an engineering consultant to manage the detailed design process and prepare for construction.
• Summer 2023 – autumn 2024 – Public consultation on the detailed design and propose a planning application.
• Autumn 2024 – Early 2025 – Appoint a contractor to build the scheme.
• Spring 2025 – Start construction.

A multi-millionaire Tory tycoon is refusing to hand over £500,000 of donations from himself to the party – unless Boris Johnson is given a chance to remain Prime Minister.

Dan Bloom www.mirror.co.uk (Extract)

Peter Cruddas – who Mr Johnson put in the Lords against official advice – said there has been a “coup” against the PM and said he should be allowed to be on the ballot for a new leader.

He told the Sunday Times: “I planned to donate a total of £500,000 this year but that is on hold and will not be paid unless the membership have a chance to vote on Boris being PM.

“I have no interest in Rishi who I deem to be not fit for high office due to his plotting and the orchestrated way he and others resigned to remove the PM.”

Five candidates remain to be Tory leader under rules agreed by the Conservative Party – which decided Mr Johnson would be barred from standing again.

Last year Boris Johnson overruled advice from the Appointments Commission to put Peter Cruddas in the Lords after he failed its vetting process.

Hitting net zero came bottom of a list of ten policy areas, behind cutting personal taxes, increasing defence spending and strengthening Britain’s global standing in YouGov survey.

Most pressing concern is winning the next election!

Right now these are the people with our future in their hands. Scary! – Owl

George Grylls www.thetimes.co.uk

Conservative Party members care very little about reducing greenhouse gas emissions, polling shows.

Only 4 per cent of those surveyed said that hitting the target of net-zero emissions by 2050 was one of their three priorities for the next Tory leader.

Members said the most pressing concern was winning the next election, followed by controlling immigration and helping families with the cost of living, a YouGov survey for The Times showed.

In April a poll for the think tank Onward found that 64 per cent of all voters supported the government’s plans to hit net zero. Nine per cent were opposed.

In the YouGov poll, 56 per cent of the Tory party members surveyed said that winning the next election was the most important issue. Hitting net zero came bottom of a list of ten policy areas, behind cutting personal taxes, increasing defence spending and strengthening Britain’s global standing.

Alok Sharma, the cabinet minister who led the Cop26 climate talks in Glasgow last year, has threatened to resign in protest at “lukewarm” commitments by Tory leadership candidates on the environment. He said that the failure of the five remaining contenders to commit themselves unequivocally to net zero emissions by 2050 risked causing “incredible damage” to British diplomacy.

Sharma told The Observer: “Anyone aspiring to lead our country needs to demonstrate that they take this issue incredibly seriously, that they’re willing to continue to lead and take up the mantle that Boris Johnson started off. I want to see candidates very proactively set out their support for our net-zero agenda for green growth. This is absolutely a leadership issue.”

Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, who came third in the first and second ballots of Tory MPs on Wednesday and Thursday, has promised to suspend the green energy levy to help households struggling with the cost of living. This would cost £4.2 billion a year.

Sharma said that the policy would not address the real cause of higher bills. “We need to very clearly understand what is actually driving the price of energy. It isn’t green levies, it is the wholesale gas price,” he said.

In 2019 the government committed itself to the 2050 target via an amendment to the Climate Change Act. Other candidates who have suggested they might change environmental policies if elected Tory leader include Kemi Badenoch and Tom Tugendhat. Badenoch called the 2050 target “arbitrary”. Tugendhat is reported to have told a hustings of the 1922 Committee of Conservative backbenchers that he thought the date should be delayed. However, he later reaffirmed his commitment to the target.

Asked if he would consider resigning if a candidate who was weak on net zero were elected, Sharma, 54, said: “I don’t rule anything out and I don’t rule anything in.”

This selection process, on display for the third time in six years, is symptomatic of a floundering political system

Aimee Meade inews.co.uk 

A few hours before the first Tory leadership debate was broadcast on Channel 4, I was talking to a terrific palliative care team. At one point, the doctor said in matter-of-fact manner that there was no point trying to call an ambulance these days since it might take up to five hours to arrive. I was astonished. We were talking in the centre of London, not a remote rural area. Yet this dismal situation comes amid routine stories of staff shortages, handover delays at hospitals, more people using emergency services due to an inability to access GPs, even avoidable deaths among waiting patients. The data shows average ambulance waiting times even for serious conditions is now more than double the target.

Clearly the health service is creaking under pressure. Partly this is the legacy of Covid-19. But it is also tied to the collapsing social-care system, which Boris Johnson promised to fix but remains trapped in a catastrophic crisis that is devastating millions of families. Accident-and-emergency waiting times are at record levels. Patient satisfaction is plummeting. Delayed diagnosis for conditions such as cancer will cause thousands of preventable deaths, leaving doctors to lament over lives they might have saved with earlier treatment.

Yet the picture is more complex than presented by shroud-waving medical unions. NHS funding has risen sharply since the Tories came to power in 2010. According to the King’s Fund think tank, Britain entered the Covid crisis spending a similar slice of its economy on health to comparable nations – yet treatment outcomes for many major conditions are significantly worse.

Health soaks up a rapidly growing proportion of day-to-day public spending in our ageing society and amid stunning scientific advances: rising from less than a third in 2010 to a predicted 44 per cent by 2024. Yet still we see a succession of patient safety scandals – and these tend to harm or kill older, female or disabled citizens.

Clearly health is a major issue. Yet when it came up in the first broadcast leadership debate, the discussion was unbearably banal. Rishi Sunak thanked doctors for “heroic” work and said he “really believed” in the NHS as proved by his funding. Kemi Badenoch said her chipped tooth showed the access difficulties in dentistry, then said the NHS needed more efficiency. Tom Tugendhat expressed gratitude to the NHS for treating injured army colleagues and delivering his children. Liz Truss said the NHS did “a fantastic job” during the pandemic but “we need to work as hard as we can to reduce the backlog.” Penny Mordaunt at least seemed to have some grasp of issues, although offered little more than calling for fewer caveats on spending while stating the obvious by saying innovation and prevention were vital.

Badenoch concluded by saying “there must be things we can do differently that would improve how we can tackle these issues”. But surely the point of a leadership contest is to present ideas and reforms for tackling such problems rather than simply spewing out a stream of cliches and inanities? This battle is, after all, picking our nation’s next prime minister. Badenoch still looks the most impressive candidate on the party right, yet she is such a blank sheet that after five years in parliament and serving in three ministerial offices her position on anything to do with China – the single most important foreign-policy issue – could not be discerned by a group of analysts monitoring relations with Beijing.

She does, however, have strong views on gender-neutral toilets; indeed, makeshift “Mens” and “Ladies” signs were taped to the doors at her launch event. This rammed home her strident opposition to gender self-identification, an issue seized on by culture warriors on the right despite being backed by the Commons’ Women and Equalities Committee and implemented in about 20 countries including Ireland and the United States. As a consequence, this subject has soaked up far more space in the leadership struggle than, say, the decrepit state of health and care systems or how to handle the rise of China under a belligerent nationalist dictatorship that are, dare I say, far more important to the future well-being of our country.

This battle for power has been a dispiriting spectacle so far – a tribal beauty contest scarred by smears and snide asides but devoid of serious policy ideas, let alone inspirational signs of fresh vision. They talk of delivery but ignore that Tory failures in office have resulted in low pay, a sluggish economy and struggling public services. The problem is that the candidates are seeking first the votes of 358 Tory MPs, so reliant on backroom deals and job offers struck secretly in Westminster, and then pitching to a party membership that is overwhelmingly white, older, male, middle-class and concentrated in safe Tory seats. So they strike hardline poses on migration, posture about tax cuts, pretend Brexit is a success, polish up their life stories and shy away from the toughest questions confronting our nation.

This selection process, on display for the third time in six years, is symptomatic of a floundering political system. It exposes a party searching desperately for a saviour after choosing a woman who proved not up to the job, followed by a man who was untrustworthy for high office. It is contemptuous of the electorate to impose a prime minister in this manner, especially when modern party leaders adopt a presidential style and determine election outcomes – as seen clearly in 2019 when Johnson cut through the Red Wall and Jeremy Corbyn repelled moderates. People may have strong views on whether Tugendhat won the first debate, Truss was a disaster or Sunak will emerge victorious. But few voters will be left inspired by this next wave of leaders jousting for power, let alone feel reassured over the future of our country.

The developer behind a controversial new build in Truro has been slammed by locals after it quietly lowered the number of affordable homes it promised to build. Wain Homes recently put forward its detailed plan to build 275 new properties at Dudman Farm, at Highertown in Truro.

Developers pleading poverty as usual – Owl

Edward Church www.cornwalllive.com 

Wain Homes pledged 30% of the homes will be sold as affordable – below market rate prices – in the application submitted in May 2022. Outline planning permission for the project was approved in 2016 on the basis that the affordable housing figure was at 40%.

Truro City Council’s planning committee was sent the reserved matters – the more detailed plans such as layout and design after outline permission is granted – to look over last week. Committee members, several of whom live in the area, strongly objected to the plans, with one, Councillor Karen La Borde, saying it’s unacceptable that the number of affordable houses could be changed at this stage.

Cllr La Borde said: “In 2016, the outline planning permission was agreed by Cornwall Council. The one thing which gets me overall is that the application is so old.

“When they agreed it, it was going to be 40% affordable housing, but now they say the site is unviable and they’ll do 30%, which is 5% less than they need and 10% less than they agreed to before. They say it’s viability, but surely they knew the site before they went there.

“They want their profit, it’s speculative development. They’ll be making profit and the people of Truro are losing out. They should not have been allowed six years to do this. We’re in a different time from 2016, we have different priorities.”

The 2022 planning documents submitted by Wain Homes said the 40% figure was not financially viable. The application reads: “The existing Section 106 agreement requires a 40% provision of affordable housing which would generate 110 affordable units across the scheme. This is above the policy requirement of 35% which would generate 97 affordable units.

“Due to viability considerations the application however proposes a level of 30% affordable housing which would generate 82 affordable units. The tenure split is proposed as 70% affordable rented homes and 30% intermediate housing for sale which accords with the Section 106 agreement.

“As the overall percentage would not be policy compliant, this will be subject to a separate request for a deed of variation to the existing Section 106 supported by the requisite viability assessment as required by Local Plan Policy 10: Managing viability.”

In short, the agreed terms of the Section 106 agreement from 2014-16, when it was submitted and approved, respectively, are being changed. The final decision is with Cornwall Council, which must respond by August 26.

Cllr La Borde, who also sits on Kenwyn Parish Council, which encompasses the area of Highertown including Dudman Farm, also joined many other locals in criticising the development as a whole on ecological grounds. She said: “The reaction to the idea of building 275 houses on that land is quite emotional.

A“Locals have been using the land for up to 20 years since it stopped being used for farmland. It’s become a public resource. We’re all used to it now, even more so after Covid. During lockdown it became a bit like the M1 down there, people going out all the time.

“It’s a very valuable resource. It’s not an easy site to develop because of the valley and the train track. But it’s just valuable land for the wellbeing of the people that live from Malabar to Threemilestone.

There are plans to build 275 homes at Highertown, Truro (Image: Google)

“It’s easily accessible and residents will be losing this great asset. We have a site over there that is sucking up as much carbon as it can as it’s been left for so long. Semi mature oak trees which will all have to go, the meadows of wild flowers are absolutely stunning.

“And, much has changed since the outline plans were approved. We now have 4,000 houses being built at Langarth, another 400 at Pydar Street and the city will have exceeded its national determinants for housing. We’re in a good spot in Truro, we don’t need these 275 houses here with the other developments.”

Martin Webster, who lives in an estate very near to the Dudman Farm site, said the area – which has become a popular walking spot – saved his life during the Covid lockdown. Mr Webster explained that it would be a huge loss for him, personally, should the development go ahead at all.

He said: “I’m a former veteran, served for 12 years and have PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). It was a lifesaver to walk in that countryside during lockdown and I know it saved a lot of other people’s lives.

“Having that unspoilt beauty removed, for me, it’s criminal. For someone who fought for it, I despise it and think the developers should be held accountable.”

Mr Webster said on a practical level he thinks the development will be disastrous for the area: “How will people feel here when their kids are in a class of 80 not 40? How much more of the natural area will be gone?

“Surely you need to improve the infrastructure of Truro before you start to okay these houses. There should be affordable housing for people but that’s not the priority for these companies.

“There’s lovely little pictures of the family, but it’s bulls**t. You go to houses on new builds and after two years they’re having to rebuild them. Also, the in road is always blocked with lots of cars. Imagine what it’ll be like when you’ve got 275 more houses being built.”

Cllr Steven Webb, mayor of Truro, told CornwallLive he felt it was wrong for a developer to sit on outline planning for this long and not have to start from scratch – given the changing priorities of local planning boards.

Fifty-two other locals added their criticisms on the council’s planning portal. Colin Andrews said: “It clashes with local policies. It is not needed. The council has met its housing need for Truro. It will have a negative impact on a local amenity.

“Biodiversity net gain cannot be met by the developer and wildlife will be destroyed. Not in the neighbourhood plan. It will increase pressure on a struggling traffic network.”

Sarah Searle added: “I walk with my dog and my young family daily in the area and to see the wildlife decimated and the green space disappear forever would be a travesty. Cornwall Council please do not approve planning. We are losing our green space in Cornwall at a mighty speed but we need it for our mental health and wildlife needs our help.

“We are in a climate emergency, take notice, do something to help and don’t approve nearly 300 houses in a green space where the road infrastructure is already at breaking point. Please listen to local people, the green space is important to us all. It’s was used so much during the pandemic and continues to be a popular place to walk and spend time outdoors. We can’t afford to lose it!”

A new bus timetable which ‘substantially’ reduces services in the Ottery St Mary area comes into force from Sunday, July 31. 

Philippa Davies www.sidmouthherald.co.uk

The changes affect Stagecoach’s 4/4A/4B routes between Exeter and Axminster via Cranbrook and Honiton, which currently run between Exeter and Ottery every 30 minutes in both directions. 

Service 4 will operate between Exeter and Cranbrook only. Two new routes, 44 and 44A, will serve Honiton and Axminster.  

Service 44 will operate hourly, Monday to Saturday daytime between Exeter and Honiton via Cranbrook (London Road), Rockbeare, Marsh Green and Ottery St Mary, with some journeys also serving Gittisham.  

Service 44A will run every two hours in each direction Monday to Saturday between Exeter and Axminister, via Cranbrook (London Road), Whimple, Ottery St Mary, Honiton and Wilmington. 

The buses will also finish earlier and there will be fewer services on Sundays and public holidays. 

Jess Bailey, the county councillor for the Otter Valley, said: “The substantial reduction in bus services to Ottery St Mary and the surrounding area comes as a real blow. Not only will it cause huge problems for the many people who rely on the service but it will force people back into their cars, which flies in the face of the climate emergency.” 

In other changes affecting the wider area, service 9A will no longer serve the Seaton to Lyme Regis route, which will be covered by another operator. The 9/9A/X9 Monday to Saturday evening service between Exeter and Sidmouth will be reduced from hourly to every 90 minutes, and the evening service between Sidmouth and Sidbury will be withdrawn. 

The changes are part of a Devon-wide review of Stagecoach’s services which aims to ‘provide a sustainable bus network now, so that we can grow services over the long term.’ 

Regional managing director Mike Watson said: “In addition to this, with the current nationwide shortage of bus drivers, we need to concentrate our resource on the services where demand is greatest to ensure that vital journeys and connections are maintained and to provide a network that best meets the changing needs of the communities we serve. 

“We will be working together with national and local government to attract more people out of their cars and onto more sustainable public transport. The more people who switch to bus, the stronger our networks will be.”

Truly shocking, “NHS safe in our hands” ? Clearly not, as all candidates for next PM want to shrink the state – Owl

A former GP with heart problems travelled nearly 300 miles to access emergency healthcare after deciding the wait nearer home was too long.

BBC News www.bbc.co.uk

Dr Alison Durkin spent hours waiting to be seen on Monday in an ambulance outside the Royal Cornwall Hospital.

When she felt worse the next day, she travelled from Helston to find a hospital with no queues and is now in a serious condition in London.

The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust apologised for the distress caused.

The Hospital, near Truro, declared an internal ‘critical incident’ this week due to “acute pressure” on beds.

‘Wouldn’t be here now’

Mrs Durkin said she was seen by a junior doctor on Monday evening and returned home, but when she woke up on Tuesday feeling worse, she and her husband Ross decided to travel from Helston to find emergency care.

He said: “The first thing we did was to check the situation at Plymouth and that was no better, so geographically we headed up country, Exeter was much the same, Bristol Royal infirmary had 88 people waiting in A&E.

“The only answer was to go to and find a hospital where there wasn’t a massive queue outside and where she could actually get decent quality of care.”

Mrs Durkin was admitted into Charing Cross Hospital, where she remains in a serious condition.

Mr Durkin said if they had not taken matters into their own hands, he feared the worst: “I’m not sure whether she’d still be here to be honest, it’s not an easy thing to say.

“It wasn’t a hard decision to make because we knew that if we did nothing, the potential outcome was she wouldn’t be here now,” he added.

Mrs Durkin was assessed in an ambulance outside the Royal Cornwall Hospital on Monday evening

The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust apologised for the distress caused to Mrs Durkin and her husband.

“Our staff are working exceptionally hard in very difficult circumstances and will always make sure patients are assessed on their arrival at our emergency department and those most critically ill will be admitted right away,” it said.

Cornwall Council, the body responsible for social care in the county, said it was “working closely with partners across the health and care sector to support people to leave hospital as soon as they can”.

It said recruitment in the sector continued “to be an issue”.

Liz Truss has sought to breathe new life into her faltering Conservative leadership campaign with a flurry of uncosted tax cut promises worth billions of pounds, as the five remaining candidates took part in their first mass debate.

Liz Truss bids to save Tory leadership campaign with new tax cut pledges

Peter Walker www.theguardian.com 

Truss, who has the third highest number of Tory MPs’ votes – behind Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt, promised to scrap a planned rise in corporation tax and suspend green energy levies, costing more than £20bn a year overall.

The unexpected offer, on top of an existing pledge by the foreign secretary to reverse a rise in national insurance, worth another near-£11bn a year, came as the would-be successors to Boris Johnson joined a Zoom Q&A hosted by the Conservative Home website.

Thursday’s second round of voting by Tory MPs, a process that will eventually whittle the candidates down to a final two with the winner then chosen by party members, saw Truss lagging well behind Sunak, the former chancellor, and Mordaunt, the surprise package of the race so far, who is now the bookmakers’ favourite.

After criticism of a somewhat flat campaign, Truss used a question about the cost of living crisis to set out significant new tax cut proposals.

“We immediately need to start putting money back into people’s pockets, we know families are struggling to make ends meet at the moment,” she said. “I would reverse the national insurance rise; I opposed it in cabinet at the time because I thought it was a mistake, I think it’s even more of a mistake now when we’re facing such strong economic headwinds.

“I would also have a temporary moratorium on the green energy level to cut £153 from people’s energy bills. And I would also not do the corporation tax hikes because I think it’s vitally important that we’re attracting investment into our country.”

Truss, along with some other candidates, had previously said she would reverse the national insurance increase, intended to help improve social care.

It has been estimated that scrapping the planned rise in corporation tax from 19% to 25% next year would cost about £15bn a year. Suspending green levels on energy bills would cost an estimated £5bn a year.

Labour has condemned an “arms race” of uncosted tax cut pledges among candidates. Sunak has said he would wait to stabilise inflation before cutting any taxes.

In a boost to Truss, shortly after the debate the attorney general, Suella Braverman, who was eliminated from the contest after finishing last in Thursday’s MPs’ vote, reiterated her call for supporters to switch to the foreign secretary.

Braverman is ideologically close to Kemi Badenoch, the former levelling up minister, who along with backbencher Tom Tugendhat is still in the contest, and came fourth in Thursday’s vote.

But in a robustly worded message to supporters, Braverman urged them to “look realistically at the numbers” and back Truss, the other candidate seen as being firmly on the right of the party.

“Liz and Kemi are not both going to make it into the final two,” Braverman wrote. “So a decision needs to be made to back one of them. The one we should back, I’d argue, is the one who can get to the final round: Liz can, Kemi cannot.”

In the ConservativeHome debate, Mordaunt, who has been the subject of a spate of negative briefings since emerging as a favourite, said she hoped for “a positive contest”. She said: “I don’t want mudslinging. Without that teamwork, we can’t deliver.”

In her closing speech the international trade minister pitched herself as the candidate who could take on Labour.

“We need to win at the next general election, and what all the polling shows is that you can only win with me,” Mordaunt said. “Every poll in our party, and in the country, I top it. I win against Keir Starmer in London; I poll the highest in both red wall and blue wall seats; I lead with women, with young people; and I also have the best reach in Scotland.

“So I have some question for you: do you want to win the next general election, or do you want to hand everything that we have achieved to the Labour party?”

“Whoever wins out of this contest in the end, they have an uphill climb.”

The five candidates still standing for the leadership of the Conservative party were in action in a TV debate broadcast on Channel 4 on Friday night. Here are the five key takeaways:

Martin Belam www.theguardian.com 

Tom Tugendhat was the only one able to answer freely

Given the opportunity to answer “Yes” or “No” to the question “is Boris Johnson honest?”, Tom Tugendhat was the only person able to do it. He got warm applause for simply saying: “No”.

Kemi Badenoch came closest, saying “Sometimes”. Rishi Sunak, Penny Mordaunt and Liz Truss all refused to be drawn into the one word answer, and prevaricated.

Τugendhat essentially played the role of the minority party candidate in a multi-party debate, free to just speak his mind, call out the hypocrisy in everybody else, all the while safe in the knowledge there’s virtually zero chance he will end up elected.

Truss has a delivery mantra problem

Truss tried to focus again and again about delivery in every department, saying that her trade deals with Australia and Japan had been considered impossible, and that she had stood up to Vladimir Putin. But it all felt heavily scripted from her.

Badenoch and Tugendhat felt more off the cuff, and Sunak was a more fluid performer here than he has been on the radio over the last 48 hours. Truss felt rigid and dogmatic.

Sunak’s Treasury experience is a potential asset – but not with party members

In a crucial exchange that was mostly Sunak vs Truss, the foreign secretary told the former chancellor that Covid was a once-in-a-century occurrence, and that the government should look accordingly at paying it back over a longer term. Sunak was clear, saying: “The best way for people to have money in their pocket is to get a grip of inflation.”

Again and again during the debate he demonstrated a better command of the numbers and Treasury brief, but you still ended up with the feeling that a man instinctively fiscally conservative is being pushed into a corner and portrayed as a leftist for not wanting to cut taxes

Trans rights questions are not going away for Mordaunt

The culture warriors in the Conservatives have identified the question of trans rights as a wedge issue they can use against Labour, but Mordaunt’s apparent different standpoints over the years have made it awkward for her too.

The trade minister claimed to be baffled that anybody found her position unclear. It may not be high up the agenda when you poll voters on what they care about, but expect to see this get asked of the women standing to be PM again and again.

There was little love in the room for any of the candidates

Applause was sporadic, and mostly directed either at Tugendhat, or when Sunak was singing the praises of an NHS worker who had asked a question. At the end Krishnan Guru-Murthy asked for a show of hands of the floating voters in the audience who had been persuaded to be more likely to vote Conservative. Ten hands went up at most.

It wasn’t a feral BBC Question Time audience, but at times, particularly when issues around trust and Partygate were being touched upon, the disdain for the audience with politicians was palpable. Whoever wins out of this contest in the end, they have an uphill climb.