The outgoing chief executive of Devon County Council says local authorities should be given more powers.

Ollie Heptinstall, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk

Dr Phil Norrey is retiring after more than 16 years at the helm, making him the longest-serving chief executive in the council’s history.

Addressing members for the final time at a full council meeting on Thursday [21 July], Dr Norrey predicted that despite the current “state of flux,” local government will resume its “right and proper place in the commonwealth of this country.”

His departure comes as negotiations continue between the government and Devon’s councils – including Torbay and Plymouth – about gaining greater powers from Westminster.

Leader John Hart (Conservative, Bickleigh and Wembury) provided an update on the talks at the meeting, saying that a ‘Great South West’ partnership could be formed involving Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset councils.

An exploratory meeting will be held next week but Cllr Hart suggested the government is still keen on devolution bids to involve new regional mayors – something Devon has flatly rejected.

Discussing how local politicians should be entrusted with more powers, Dr Norrey added: “I firmly believe that people should determine what happens to their communities, how resources are allocated, what the priorities are with a mandate given to them by the local electorate.”

“And actually, the role for central government in this country since the second world war has been one of aggregating powers unto itself and that process really needs to change. The world’s changed, it’s much more dynamic now, and all politics is local at the end of the day, isn’t it?

“But what I do know is that when that day comes; the culture, the foundation of this place will enable Devon County Council really to take advantage of that and to be the true leader it deserves to be. It is a leader but it’s got its hands tied behind its back at the moment.

He urged people listening who hold positions nationally to “unfetter people in local democratic positions and allow them to make the choices … because, to be honest, it’s not worked terribly well doing it the other way around, has it?”

“That’s not a party-political point. I’m talking over decades here, that central government doesn’t know best, does make mistakes, does duplicate, does overcomplicate, and doesn’t necessarily connect in the way that local government does. You [councillors] have got a direct connection!”

Dr Norrey described his time at county hall as a “privilege and a pleasure” during what he believed to be his 100th full council meeting as a senior officer.

“I’m hoping I’m going to retire 100 not out,” he quipped. “Some of you may think he’s retired hurt, but I don’t at all feel hurt. It’s been a very enjoyable innings. There have been some periods of stroke play but there’s been a lot of solid defence required, especially over the past few years.”

Among the several councillors to pay tribute was Cllr Hart, who has been leader for 13 years – working closely with Dr Norrey throughout.

“The last 13 years have been exemplary for me, because not only has this council run very smoothly, but it’s been [due to] your help to me and to the councillors.”

“All councillors owe you a lot, for your help, your persistence, your reliability, and also your knowledge and support – locally and nationally,” he added.

Dr Norrey is retiring at the end of August. Former county solicitor Jan Spicer (nee Shadbolt) will become interim chief executive until a permanent replacement is appointed.

From a Correspondent:

It is good news that the bats in Beer Quarry and Caves will now have their protected habitat status recognised by the planning officers in East Devon District Council. Even the East Devon Area of Natural Beauty is getting in on the act in their latest e-newsletter.

Cllr Jess Bailey (Ind, West Hill and Aylesbeare) wants to see even more action, including for bat protection to be included in every planning application. See Radio Exe News www.radioexe.co.uk 

Why is all this necessary? There are laws to protect these species, if the LPA follow the directives and adhere to legislation, permission should be denied. It seems surprising that this should need to be formally recognised when bats are already protected.

Well, the residents of East Budleigh would agree to the need for more formal procedures in planning.  

At the same time as the Beer Quarry project, supported amongst others by Clinton Devon Estates (CDE), was being actively promoted, the bats of East Budleigh were threatened by a planning application, with consent given in 2019.

CDE submitted a planning application to demolish the barn behind the Pound which was believed to house 14 different species of bats. (A dead horseshoe bat was found in the area). Despite heroic efforts by residents the barn was allowed to be demolished and a dwelling built.  Despite “mitigation”, trees and hedges were removed, and a retrospective application allowed considerable light pollution from the new property. At a stroke the flight lines and foraging areas that the bats are so dependent upon were removed.

Both Cllrs Jess Bailey and Geoff Jung mentioned the need to protect “pinch points” flight routes in urban areas.

See: The fight to protect East Budleigh bats but no need to fight in beer

A former Tory council has voted to end the mass outsourcing of frontline services, bringing most back in-house and ending one of the most controversial local government policies in recent years.

Amelia Hill www.theguardian.com 

Barnet council, in north London, called itself the country’s first “easyCouncil” in 2013 when it announced it would provide only the legal minimum of services, outsourcing everything else from disabilities and highways to planning and procurement through contractors Capita.

Bringing in the private sector at a cost of £500m over 10 years would, councillors claimed, allow them to reduce the number of direct employees from 3,200 to just 322 and ensure better public services for less money.

But the council, whose Finchley constituency was famously represented by Margaret Thatcher but which turned to Labour for the first time in the May local elections, has now voted to end that policy.

Damning the years of outsourcing as a “failed experiment” and the “death knell of the council outsourcing experiment”, the leader of Barnet council, Barry Rawlings, said: “This model of governance guaranteed savings only if other councils also came onboard: Barnet was going to be a shop window. Instead, the council has paid £229m more for Capita core contract services than was originally contracted.”

Services had already begun to be brought back in-house under the previous Conservative administration after a series of disasters. In 2017, the council was forced to admit its finances were in such a state that the regulator fined Capita, while the poor state of the borough’s roads became a big issue in the local elections.

In 2018, a Capita employee working for Barnet was jailed for 62 instances of fraud worth a total of £2m after his crimes were spotted – although the loss was not noticed by Capita or the council itself but by the employee’s own bank. Capita was forced to underwrite the financial loss to the council.

That same year, the council admitted it would have to axe services after revealing a financial black hole of £62m: precisely the fate that its outsourcing plan had claimed to safeguard against.

Problems have continued. The resident and blogger John Dix reviewed the invoices submitted by Capita. According to Dix, a parent phoning the library to check if a Harry Potter is in stock is charged by Capita at £8 a call while training for senior officers is charged at £1,200 a session.

By next year, however, most of the services outsourced by the previous Conservative administration will be back under direct council control. Rawlings said this will save taxpayers money and return 370 staff to direct employment by the council. The remaining Capita contract will close by 2026.

The decision has been condemned by Cllr Dan Thomas, leader of the local Conservative group. “Barnet Labour have taken an ideological decision to bring back in-house the services currently run by Capita, despite the fact that this decision will hit Barnet taxpayers’ bank accounts,” he claimed. “It is clear that this decision is simply politics.”

Rawlings disputed this, pointing to a report by Barnet council’s policy and resources committee that found little difference – and a potential benefit of £204,000 a year – financially between extending the contract for these services and returning them in-house.

A Capita spokesperson said: “We will provide further value for money for local taxpayers as we work with the council to continue to deliver top-quality services that make the borough a better place to live, work and study for all.”

The number of people who were stuck in hospital in Cornwall despite being fit enough to leave hit a record high of 243 last week. The figure is included in a new report detailing how bed blocking is affecting efforts to reduce the number of people awaiting surgery and treatment in Cornwall.

Richard Whitehouse www.cornwalllive.com 

Details of the latest figures are included in a report going to Cornwall Council’s health and adult social care overview and scrutiny committee next week giving an update on plans to cut the number of people waiting for surgery. Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) says that by the end of this month there should no longer be anyone in Cornwall waiting for more than two years for treatment and it is working to cut the number of people waiting 18 months to zero by March 2023.

However too many beds are being blocked from new patients at the county’s hospitals. This includes those run by RCHT – Treliske at Truro, West Cornwall Hospital at Penzance and St Michael’s Hospital at Hayle – as well as the community hospitals run by Cornwall Partnership Foundation NHS Trust (CPFT).

However in order to help reduce the number of people waiting for treatment the hospital trust needs to close a bed deficit of 79 by cutting the number of people who are stuck in hospital despite being ready for discharge. Those patients are waiting for care at home, require a rehabilitation bed at a community hospital or require a care home bed.

The report states: “On Thursday 14 July, 2022, it was reported that across CPFT and RCHT there were 243 patients who required care in another setting which is the highest number ever known in the Cornwall Health and Social Care system.” To try to cut the number of people waiting for surgery the trust is also increasing overall operating capacity by using a range of options to provide Saturday and Sunday operating. There are also plans to increase bed capacity at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro.

In a separate report going to the council’s overview and scrutiny committee hospital bosses provide an update on the operational pressures currently being faced by the NHS in Cornwall which are also linked with the number of people waiting to be discharged from hospital.

This report states: “Over the last two years the number of acute hospital beds occupied by patients who are waiting for social care or other community support almost doubled since 2019/20 and this has resulted in over 100 of Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust acute hospital beds are now not available for our emergency patients as they are occupied by people who have completed their acute hospital care and are waiting for some form of social or community care before they can be discharged.”

It also explains that category two ambulance response times – which have a target of 18 minutes – were more than two hours at the end of June. However in March they peaked at 230 minutes on average. The number of people waiting on trolleys in the emergency department has also increased significantly with 767 waiting for more than 12 hours to be transferred out of the department in March. At the end of June it had dropped to 615.

However the report notes that RCHT is one of six trusts which account for 34 per cent of all national 12-hour trolley waits. The report states: “It remains the highest priority of Trust board to continue to focus on internal improvements and to work collaboratively to resolve external factors and see step change improvements with our health and care partners.

“Unless all parts of our health and care system do everything possible to support the discharge of patients that no longer need to be in hospital so that we can provide the timely access to our essential emergency hospital services our mortality position won’t significantly change and harm will continue to occur.

“We see this issue as the greatest priority for our health and care Integrated Care Board which will be established on 1 July 2022 and look forward to working with our health and care partners to urgently progress these challenges.”

Boris claims the Treasury stifles investment but it was Maggie, not the Treasury, who did for the A303.

Boris Johnson, in his valedictory speech in the commons said:

“If we had always listened to the Treasury we’d never have built the M25 or the Channel Tunnel.”

To which Owl retorts:

“If we hadn’t listened to Margaret Thatcher we’d have dualled the A303 from the  M3 to the M5 by now, as promised by the Tories 50 years ago! That’s 50 years of broken promises Boris”

[In 1971, the Conservative Environment Secretary, Peter Walker announced the entire length of the A303 would be upgraded as part of a new roads programme that would deliver 1,000 new miles of motorway by 1980!

Owl remembers that the 1980’s was when Margaret Thatcher insisted that the Ilminster by-pass should be limited to three lanes on cost grounds, despite safety and future-proofing concerns.]

See history of these 50 years here

And it’s the Thatcher years we’re returning to!

Boris Johnson could be forced to face a by-election if he is found to have lied to parliament over the partygate scandal.

The cross-party committee also published advice from the Clerk of the Journals, Eve Samson, the Commons’ expert on parliamentary privilege, which suggested that whether Johnson intended to mislead MPs was not a factor that needed to be considered.

But she said intent could be seen as an “aggravating factor” when considering penalties.

Ned Simons www.huffingtonpost.co.uk 

The Commons privileges committee is examining whether the prime minister committed a contempt of parliament by misleading MPs when he said no lockdown breaking parties happened in No.10.

Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle confirmed the committee’s findings would fall within the remit of the Recall of MPs Act, following advice from a leading lawyer.

That would mean a suspension of 10 or more sitting days, or 14 calendar days, would trigger a recall petition.

If at least 10% of voters in Johnson’s Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat demand a by-election he would lose his place as an MP, but would be eligible to stand again in the contest.

The cross-party committee also published advice from the Clerk of the Journals, Eve Samson, the Commons’ expert on parliamentary privilege, which suggested that whether Johnson intended to mislead MPs was not a factor that needed to be considered.

But she said intent could be seen as an “aggravating factor” when considering penalties.

In a report setting out how it will handle the case, the privileges committee said: “We agree with the reasoning about the nature of a contempt in that paper, namely that the focus of the House’s jurisdiction is on whether or not an action or omission obstructs or impedes or has a tendency to obstruct or impede the functioning of the House, with the consequence that, looking at contempt in broad terms, intention is not necessary for a contempt to be committed.”

The case will be considered “on the balance of probabilities” – a lower standard than the criminal test of “beyond reasonable doubt”.

The privileges committee also insisted its inquiry will go ahead despite Johnson’s resignation as Tory leader and his expected departure from No. 10 in September.

“Since the House agreed the referral there have been political developments concerning the future role of the Rt Hon Boris Johnson, and some have suggested that the committee’s inquiry is no longer necessary,” the MPs said.

“Our inquiry, however, is into the question of whether the House was misled, and political developments are of no relevance to that.”

The MPs intend to call Johnson to give oral evidence in public in the autumn, under oath.

The committee has already said that whistle-blowers will be able to give evidence about the PM anonymously.

Johnson has also been ordered to hand over a cache of documents to the MPs investigating whether he lied to parliament with his partygate denials.

The committee wrote to the prime minister and cabinet secretary Simon Case demanding details relevant to its inquiry.

Downing Street was unable to set out a response to the committee, nor could it say when it would be replying.

The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “As with previous letters from the committee, we will need to consider them and then set our response, this is a formal parliamentary process.”

Asked if Johnson intends to co-operate with the inquiry, the spokesman said: “We have said we will assist the committee in their work but beyond that I will have to repeat again it will need to wait for the formal response.”

“Ms Truss is a remarkable politician in that she seems to have been gifted with the soaring oratorical skills of John Major, the mastery of the Commons displayed by Iain Duncan Smith, the common touch of David Cameron, the barnstorming, election-winning panache of Theresa May, as well as Mr Johnson’s inability to sift economic fantasy from reality.”

Editorial www.independent.co.uk 

At his final Prime Minister’s Questions, Boris Johnson dropped a particularly heavy hint to the cheering benches behind him – some of whom actually cannot wait to be rid of him –  that his favoured candidate in the leadership election is Liz Truss.

Perhaps exaggerating the facts and over-simplifying complex arguments, the prime minister declared that his successor should go for tax cuts and deregulation. He advised them, and by extension the Tory membership, that they shouldn’t take too much notice of the Treasury: “If we had always listened to the Treasury we’d never have built the M25 or the Channel Tunnel.”

Given that Rishi Sunak was in charge of the Treasury until recently, and wants to put beating inflation before tax cuts, it doesn’t take Alan Turing-level skills to decipher that remark. After all, Mr Johnson’s spin doctors have already briefed that Mr Sunak is a “treacherous bastard”, while a loyal cabinet ally warned: “Rishi will get everything he deserves for leading the charge in bringing down the prime minister.”

Mr Johnson’s valedictory “hasta la vista, baby” suggests that he has not quite ruled himself out of a return to frontline politics, or even No 10 one day. However, even he cannot be cynical enough to want to choose Ms Truss simply to make himself and his record look good.

But it may be that Mr Johnson’s resentment towards Mr Sunak, who owed so much of his precipitous rise to high office to Mr Johnson, is such that it has clouded his judgement about who will be best to lead the nation.

For the next few weeks, Mr Johnson will be in the background, intervening only occasionally, surreptitiously and in coded ways to assist Ms Truss, and deprive Mr Sunak of the reward for perceived treachery. No doubt the sympathetic Johnson loyalists in the party, those who treated him more like a US president or even a cult leader, will take the hint and vote for Ms Truss.

But Mr Johnson is not as wildly popular among the grassroots as he was despite it still sometimes being assumed by his parliamentary cheerleaders. In other words, Mr Johnson may not be able to stop Mr Sunak with as unsuitable a weapon as the bollard-like Ms Truss, to borrow a phrase.

Ms Truss is a remarkable politician in that she seems to have been gifted with the soaring oratorical skills of John Major, the mastery of the Commons displayed by Iain Duncan Smith, the common touch of David Cameron, the barnstorming, election-winning panache of Theresa May, as well as Mr Johnson’s inability to sift economic fantasy from reality.

Unless the economy takes a sudden turn for the better, she will lead the Conservatives to a terrible election defeat next time around. She threatens a trade war with Europe, unfunded tax cuts to stoke inflation, and an absurd plan to try and reschedule Britain’s debt, as if it were Argentina or Zimbabwe pleading with the IMF. Debt is still debt, and it will need to be serviced, whatever the maturity, and even if it is perpetual (as war debts used to be).

Indeed, Ms Truss’s ignorance of economics has been one of the most surprising and disturbing aspects of this leadership election. The best she can hope for is a pre-election boom engineered through generous spending on key Tory target seats and demographics, and she finds a way of preventing the Bank of England from raising interest rates to control inflation.

Whatever happens, the Tory civil war seems set to intensify. What began as a simple wish to replace Mr Johnson with a more honest figure has spiralled into soul-searching about tax cuts, transgender rights, culture wars and, inevitably, Brexit. It has become more bitterly personal than any previous leadership election, with the possible exception of when Michael Gove declared Mr Johnson unfit for leadership in 2016.

It is perfectly possible that Mr Sunak will win the MPs’ ballot but lose the membership vote by a slim margin (say 48 per cent to 52 per cent to Ms Truss) and refuse to serve in a Truss cabinet. Facing oblivion, the Tory party is guaranteed to panic again and again, and display that feature that voters can never forgive – division. With Brexit “done” and Boris gone, they have nothing to rally around. Lacklustre Liz is not the answer to their problems.

…..to change a lightweight?

The Conservative Party in East Devon has come under fire for failing to explain how jailed former councillor, John Humphreys, was allowed to stay in the party and even given a local honour, despite being investigated for sexually abusing boys. 

What are they hiding? This isn’t going away. – Owl

sidmouth.nub.news 

Humphreys, who once served as mayor of Exmouth, is serving a 21-year prison sentence for sexually assaulting two teenagers in the early 1990s and early 2000s.  

He was first questioned in 2005 but police did not find sufficient evidence. But following a complaint by another victim he was arrested in 2016, before being released under investigation on suspicion of sexually assaulting both boys.  

Humphreys continued to be a councillor until May 2019 and in December that year was presented with the honorary title of alderman by East Devon District Council (EDDC), allowing him free parking in the council’s car parks and the opportunity to represent the council at some functions.

At a full council meeting on Wednesday 20 July, some councillors demanded to know what senior Tories knew about the investigations into Humphreys and why he was allowed to continue in his role. 

A motion also asked for the council to call on East Devon Conservative MP, Simon Jupp, to use his influence to “obtain from the relevant part of the Conservative Party an urgent explanation as to what went wrong with the Conservative Party’s vetting and safeguarding processes.” 

The motion was proposed by Independent councillor for West Hill and Aylesbeare, Jess Bailey, who said: “In the 11 months since his conviction, answers have been sought from the Conservative Party. 

“For 11 months, we have been met with a deafening wall of silence. No one from the Conservative Party, locally or nationally, has provided any answers as to why it failed to suspend John Humphreys’ party membership in 2016 and to prevent him having any further involvement with activities that could bring him into contact with children.” 

Humphreys was already a councillor when he was arrested in 2016. He did not seek reelection to EDDC but was elected as an Exmouth Town Councillor in May 2019.

In April councillors agreed to commission an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the award of alderman to Humphreys.

Cllr Bailey argued Simon Jupp may be able to get answers that councillors had failed to do. 

“Surely Simon Jupp, our MP, is best placed of anyone to help this council obtain that information about what went wrong within the Conservative Party, practices and procedures and provide reassurance they have been rectified,” she said.

She acknowledged that Mr Jupp, who was elected in December 2019 before Humphreys’ crimes became public knowledge, was not to blame for failings in the selection process. 

“Of course, I accept that Simon Jupp is not personally responsible for safeguarding and vetting. Instead, we call on him to obtain an explanation from the relevant part of the Conservative Party urgently.”

Labour councillor for Exmouth Halsdon, Paul Millar, backed Cllr Bailey and recalled questions asked by one of Humphreys’ victims to the council.  

“To paraphrase what one of the brave victims asked through Cllr [Eileen] Wragg at one of our meetings … who knew he was being investigated for these serious offences?” Cllr Millar said.

“And why was he allowed to carry on as though nothing was happening? That’s the question every relevant agency needs to look at through independent inquiries in the coming months.”

Independent councillor for Exmouth Town, Joe Whibley, suggested there was no one brave enough to tackle issues surrounding sex abuse.  

“It’s quite clear from the John Humphreys affair that we simply do not know or do not have the courage to be able to act properly in such a situation, either individually, as an officer or at full council level,” said Cllr Whibley.

“Because we sit here time and time again nodding our heads and saying how terrible this is. But by doing nothing, we are potentially letting that happen again.”

Among the most emotional comments on the debate came from Cllr Eileen Wragg (Lib Dem, Exmouth Town) who had been in contact with Humphreys’ victims. 

She explained how she only narrowly beat him in an election as a county councillor and added:  “Had he got into county council, he would have had access to children’s services, vulnerable adults, all sorts of people, schools, colleges, you name it, he’d have been there. And yet, he would have been believed against any accusation or allegation. 

“Clearly, what’s happened here is that politics have been put before the safeguarding of children and Devon County Council, as the safeguarding authority, should hang its head in shame.”

Cllr Bailey repeated her call for Mr Jupp to help put pressure on the Conservative party structure in order to get answers. 

“Everybody knows that Simon Jupp isn’t primarily responsible for safeguarding,” she said. 

“We’re calling on him to help us. We know it’s not his duty to check the forms within the Conservative association. That’s the Conservative association. 

“The Conservative association chair is Councillor Bruce de Saram [a councillor representing Exmouth Littleham on East Devon District Council]. He’s never given any answers. So, the idea that we can all just work together and move forward is just not credible because you haven’t answered the questions.”

Before the meeting, Mr Jupp responded to Cllr Bailey to clarify the position. In an email, he wrote: “I would like to take this opportunity to inform you that Conservative Party processes, including vetting and safeguarding, are entirely separate from my role as member of parliament.

“The chair of East Devon Conservative Association is the appropriate person to contact in relation to the issues raised within the motion.”

However, the motion, for the council to express its deep disappointment that the Conservative Party allowed John Humphreys to hold prominent roles for more than four years and to call on Mr Jupp to ask senior party members for answers, was passed. 

……….the right wing press!

Penny Mordaunt’s exit from the Tory leadership race has left her pondering a familiar question: do the UK’s rightwing newspapers still shape political debate, or do they simply have a knack for spotting which way the wind is blowing?

Press attacks take toll as Penny Mordaunt misses out in PM race

Jim Waterson www.theguardian.com 

One Mordaunt-supporting Conservative MP was in no doubt that she had narrowly missed out on her chance to be prime minister due to relentless criticism from rightwing outlets. “The nasty personal attacks in the Mail and Telegraph cut through,” they said.

The papers portrayed her as having been absent from her former ministerial job and as a “woke” supporter of transgender rights. They put questions to Mordaunt’s team about other, more personal stories that did not ultimately appear in print.

Readers of the Daily Mail in particular were left in no doubt as to how the publication felt about Mordaunt, who topped polls of party members and briefly became the bookmakers’ favourite to be Britain’s next PM.

This may be due in part to Paul Dacre, the former Daily Mail editor who is rumoured to be in the running for a peerage in Boris Johnson’s resignation honours. He retains influence over his old newspaper and in December he wrote about sitting next to Liz Truss at a dinner: “She is clearly a toughie, possessed of a steely self-belief, an imperviousness to the media, a healthy contempt for the male species, a seemingly genuine belief in a low-tax, small-state economy and a disarming habit of asking abrupt questions and dismissing the response as ‘bollocks’ – a tactic clearly designed to gain further elucidation.”

In the two weeks since Johnson was ousted, the Mail has talked down Mordaunt on its front pages and attempted to boost the standing of Truss, who won through to the final two with Rishi Sunak on Wednesday.

Front-page headlines included “Mordaunt’s No 10 bid hits buffers”, “Mordaunt under the microscope”, “New favourite Penny under fire for ‘lies’ on trans views” and “Mordaunt flouted No 10 ban to meet boycotted group”.

Sunak also received critical treatment – in line with the outgoing Johnson administration’s reported desire for an “anyone but Rishi” candidate – while Truss enjoyed headlines such as “Unite now or we lose, Truss tells Tory right”, “Liz tax boost for families” and Wednesday’s eve-of-vote call to arms: “Truss allies warn: no dirty backroom deals.”

At points the Mail’s front pages have appeared targeted more at the pool of Conservative MPs voting in the first stage of the leadership than the general reader or even the Tory party members who will now receive a ballot.

“They clearly just decided they wanted Liz and would do all they could to get her in the final two,” said one Daily Mail journalist of the approach taken by executives including the editor, Ted Verity.

The Daily Telegraph has also been critical of Mordaunt, with her previously positive position towards transgender rights and self-identification policies as equalities minister being held against her.

The cabinet secretary, Simon Case, has opened a leak inquiry after documents relating to Mordaunt’s time as equalities minister were published on the front page of the Sunday Times. However, in common with many Whitehall leak inquiries, there is little expectation among Mordaunt supporters that this will uncover the culprit – and in any case, any damage has been done.

Sunak remains hopeful of picking up the endorsement of Rupert Murdoch’s Sun and Times as ballots are sent to party members. The role of Michael Gove, who helped mastermind Kemi Badenoch’s campaign, could be decisive on this issue. A former journalist at the Times, he remains close to Rupert Murdoch and is said to be strongly against Truss becoming prime minister.

Although Truss can now expect to receive full-blooded support from Tory outlets that remain loyal to Johnson, she may not receive entirely uncritical support from the Daily Mail, which will have its own views on how she should approach the contest. Dacre wrote in the Spectator last year: “I hope she won’t mind me suggesting that she might benefit from a Maggie-style makeover to smooth that metallic voice and irritating raucous laugh.”

From a correspondent:

Is the government now starting to really try to get a grip on the disgraceful state of our rivers and beaches or will all this vanish under a new tory prime minister?

There will be an amendment included in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill that will ensure water companies “take urgent action to tackle pollution from nutrients where they are threatening some of our most precious habitats”. This theoretically means the water companies will have to upgrade sewage works to reduce this form of pollution. In 2019 Environment Agency data found that one third of rivers were failing to meet ecological standards because of excess phosphorus.

But then there is also the Home Builders Federation which is lobbying hard to halt Natural England’s guidance to English councils to limit development where phosphates and sulphates were judged to be at dangerous levels and would damage the habitats of protected sites.  We have already seen this in our LPA with regard to pollution in the Axe.

The attitude of the Federation is to call this “Environmental Red Tape”.

I must applaud this next step in reducing high pollution as we will still have combined sewer outflows into our rivers until 2050. George Eustice, the Environment Secretary, has given the water companies until then to cut sewer spills by 80%!

Or will the new PM cancel this, giving priority to “build, build, build” at any cost?

What legacies are we leaving our grandchildren?

Will it change minds? Tory members, the electorate who will choose the next PM, have a habit of responding to communications “by return”. – Owl

The first of the 12 official public hustings organised by the Conservative party in the leadership contest has been set for July 28 in Leeds, before Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak tour the UK for questioning.

A hustings for the Conservative Councillors’ Association, organised separately and believed to be taking place behind closed doors, is expected to take place on Thursday.

Conservative members are expected to receive postal ballots by 5 August, with the ballot shutting at 5pm on 2 September ahead of the final announcement.

The candidates will also attend hustings in Exeter, Eastbourne, Northern Ireland, Manchester and London during their tour. 

Source Guardian

Can either “Rich Rishi!” or “Fizzy Liz” turn this around before the next election? – Owl

Larry Elliott www.theguardian.com 

Forget talk of a return to the inflationary spirals of the 1970s. The real story of Britain’s labour market is of an intensifying squeeze on living standards as the gap between pay and the cost of living widens.

Real regular pay – wages adjusted for prices once bonus payments have been stripped out – were 2.8% lower in the three months to May than in the same period of 2021. Not only was that the sixth monthly decline in a row, it was the biggest drop since modern records began in 2001.

What’s more, there is worse to come as inflation heads higher over the coming months. Pay growth excluding bonuses picked up slightly from 4.2% to 4.3% according to the latest Office for National Statistics data but nowhere near fast enough to keep up with price increases. If the Bank of England is right and inflation peaks above 11% after energy bills rise again in the autumn, the pressure on household budgets will be enormous.

Including bonuses, the picture is a bit brighter. Here the fall in real pay is smaller – at 0.9% – but the benefits of bonuses have been skewed towards better-paid workers in the finance and business services sectors and construction. These groups enjoyed annual total pay growth of 8.2% and 8.1% respectively, enough to keep pace with price rises.

But not all workers can rely on bonuses to top up their pay packets. Real earnings are falling particularly rapidly in the public sector, where total pay was just 1.5% higher in the three months to May than it was a year earlier.

The ONS labour market figures show a decline in inactivity as people return to the workforce in search of jobs. This is not entirely surprising: job vacancies are at record levels and households need paid employment when they are struggling to pay the bills.

Two big conclusions can be drawn from the latest data. The first is that there will be trouble ahead unless the government responds to the falling living standards of teachers, nurses, civil servants and other groups of public sector workers. This will mean either people leaving the public sector or strikes, and probably both.

The second is that the economy is rapidly reaching crunch point. If average regular pay is rising by just over 4% and annual inflation is running well above 10%, something has to give. That something will be consumer spending, with the lowest-paid and most vulnerable workers suffering most.

Problems ahead for the choice of “His Master’s Voice” Simon Jupp, as Simon returns to his constituency to prepare for….defeat? – Owl

Tories brace for ‘nastiest’ leadership campaign in party’s history

The identity of Britain’s next prime minister remains in the balance but, with the contenders whittled down to the final two, one thing seems certain: the Tories are entering the “nastiest” leadership campaign in their history.

By Gordon Rayner, Associate Editor www.telegraph.co.uk (Extracts)

…It will be a battle of ideology, policy and personality, with Mr Sunak, the prudent, centrist, polished public schoolboy against Ms Truss, the tax-cutting, Right-wing, robotic Yorkshire lass.

The two have already committed enough blue-on-blue attacks to last Labour through to the next election. 

Mr Sunak has dismissed his opponent’s “something for nothing” tax-cutting pledges as “fairytale” economics and attacked her past as a Remainer and a former Liberal Democrat. Ms Truss, who went to a comprehensive school, has attacked the former chancellor’s privileged education at Winchester College and accused him of leading the country into a recession….

One person who is already helping him from the sidelines is Dominic Cummings, the former Number 10 adviser who helped unseat Boris Johnson with “Dom bombs” about partygate. He now has Ms Truss in his sights, and has dubbed her “the human hand grenade” because “she blows up all she touches”. 

Mr Cummings has suggested that Boris Johnson wants her to win the contest because: “He knows Truss is mad as a box of snakes and is thinking ‘there’s a chance she blows, there’s another contest and I can return’.”

In his blog, he said she had been guilty of “compulsive pathological leaking” which “caused chaos and damaged the UK”. Previous experience suggests that Mr Cummings will make sure that plenty of other damaging stories about Ms Truss make it into the public domain.

Ms Truss, aware of her own shortcomings, has already felt the need to say she is not the slickest performer. Without the charisma of a Boris Johnson or even a Rory Stewart, she has no choice but to attack her opponent’s record and compare his policies to socialism.

One source in the Truss camp said: “Both of them have quite a few problems when it comes to winning over the membership.

“An awful lot of members are very cross that Boris is gone, so there isn’t a huge amount of affection for either candidate. It means they have got to work harder than normal to win over the membership.

“Rishi isn’t liked because he is regarded by the members as a high-tax chancellor, so he is retaliating with personal attacks on Liz, such as asking whether she had greater regrets about voting Remain or being a former Lib Dem, which was astonishingly pointed….

Mr Sunak also has another formidable opponent – Boris Johnson. In a proxy war with Mr Cummings, Number 10 will be doing everything it can behind the scenes to steer members towards loyalist “continuity Boris” candidate Ms Truss, rather than the man who triggered the Prime Minister’s downfall by resigning….

(Apologies, slightly later than usual – Owl)

• T1, Oak : remove epicormic growth and branches on trunk only up to 5m; MDC 100MM; On the north eastern side of the tree are several lateral branches extending out over a small apple tree, that finish around 75 to 80% up to the total height of the tree, reduce the end loads on these branches by up to 1.5m MDC 100mm; Thin canopy by 10% MDC 75mm. Reason: Appropriate arb management. 3 The Chestnuts Aylesbeare EX5 2BYRef. No: 22/1523/TRE | Validated: Fri 08 Jul 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Internal alterations and the raising of the roof of the existing garage to provide a home office / gym area. 15 Monmouth Way Honiton Devon EX14 2GYRef. No: 22/1525/FUL | Validated: Fri 08 Jul 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1 – Horse Chestnut. Crown lift over Portland Avenue to comply with The Highways Act 1980 and over the parking area, bin store and neighbouring driveway to 3m above ground level, maximum diameter of cut (MDC) 50mm T2 – Copper Beech. Crown lift over Portland Avenue to comply with The Highways Act 1980 and over the parking area to 3m above ground level, MDC 40mm T3 – Copper Beech. Dismantle to ground level T4 – Beech. Crown lift over Douglas Avenue to comply with the Highways Act 1980, MDC 40mm Reason for Works: T1, T2 & T4 are routine arboricultural management. T3 Appropriate arboricultural management due to condition of tree. Flat 6, St Hilarian 23 Portland Avenue Exmouth EX8 2BSRef. No: 22/1502/TRE | Validated: Thu 07 Jul 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolition and rebuild of existing barn to form two bedroomed dwelling (approval for dwelling under reference number 22/0809/VAR) Appledore Farm FarwayRef. No: 22/1506/FUL | Validated: Wed 06 Jul 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed single storey extensions to the side and rear along with window alterations and replacement cladding 15 Chrystel Close Tipton St John Devon EX10 0AYRef. No: 22/1505/FUL | Validated: Wed 06 Jul 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolish existing flat roof and provide new extension with a pitched roof, raised patio area and internal alterations Jenirens Farm Bungalow Buckerell Honiton EX14 3ERRef. No: 22/1504/FUL | Validated: Wed 06 Jul 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Conversion of existing un-listed machinery shed into one bedroom annex to service the existing residence Burnthouse Farm Northmostown Sidmouth EX10 0NLRef. No: 22/1507/LBC | Validated: Wed 06 Jul 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Side porch to Annexe. Rivendell Chardstock EX13 7BTRef. No: 22/1495/FUL | Validated: Tue 05 Jul 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1 and T2, Pittosporum – dismantle and fell. Row1, Pittosporum – reduce by approximately 2m to suitable live growth leaving as natural a form as possible. Remove low limb over shed. Berry Lodge Berry Lane Beer EX12 3JSRef. No: 22/1497/TCA | Validated: Tue 05 Jul 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed covered slurry store Lower Beavor Farm Axminster Devon EX13 5SERef. No: 22/1483/FUL | Validated: Mon 04 Jul 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision

• 18 Ground mounted Solar panels on 3 frames of 6 panels Woodhay Woodhouse Lane Uplyme DT7 3SXRef. No: 22/1484/FUL | Validated: Mon 04 Jul 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Replacement barn (part retrospective) Tottiskay Farm Southleigh EX24 6JBRef. No: 22/1487/FUL | Validated: Mon 04 Jul 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolition of existing STC store and Bus Garage on site to be replaced by 9 residential units with landscaped gardens and private parking. Axe Valley Mini Travel 26 Harbour Road Seaton EX12 2NARef. No: 22/1478/FUL | Validated: Fri 08 Jul 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed roof alterations works including a rear dormer and single storey rear and front porch extensions. 6 Ash Grove Exmouth EX8 3BNRef. No: 22/1486/FUL | Validated: Wed 06 Jul 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Single storey rear extension. 69 Oaklea Honiton EX14 1XHRef. No: 22/1488/FUL | Validated: Mon 04 Jul 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of side dormer extension.3 Homefield Close Ottery St Mary Devon EX11 1HSRef. No: 22/1480/CPL | Validated: Mon 04 Jul 2022 | Status: Approved
• Change of use of ground floor rear tenement from E (c) financial and professional services to C3 Dwellinghouses. 47 High Street Budleigh Salterton EX9 6LERef. No: 22/1472/FUL | Validated: Wed 06 Jul 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T2 – Lime. Reduce lower southern crown by 2m & remove major deadwood in upper northern crown T4 – Lime. Crown lift over footpath to 2.5m T6 – Lime. Reduce lowest branch over road & crown lift to comply with the Highways Act 1980 T8 – Alder. Crown lift to comply with the Highways Act 1980 T9 – Cherry. Crown lift to comply with the Highways Act 1980 T10 – Alder. Crown lift to achieve a 2m clearance from building T11 – Alder. Crown lift to 5.2m over access Reason for works: Actioning recommendations following tree survey, see report attached for further details. Fire Station Ottery St Mary EX11 1AQRef. No: 22/1477/TRE | Validated: Mon 04 Jul 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Creation of new vehicular access and repositioning of shed Little Holt Ebford Lane Ebford EX3 0QXRef. No: 22/1462/FUL | Validated: Mon 04 Jul 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Reconstruction and reconfiguring of main and rear roof slope, replacement of existing rusted steel sheeting and failing asbestos cement sheeting with natural slate; rebuilding and reducing size of chimney, partial reconstruction of gable wall, small flat-roofed extension to existing rear single storey extension to form new kitchen and associated external works Rose Lane Cottage Huxham Exeter EX5 4EPRef. No: 22/1444/FUL | Validated: Tue 05 Jul 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision

• Change of use of existing ‘Granny Annexe’ to holiday accommodation Fordton Farmhouse The Green Whimple Exeter EX5 2TXRef. No: 22/1433/FUL | Validated: Thu 07 Jul 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Change of Use of existing ‘Granny Annexe’ to holiday accommodation Fordton Farmhouse The Green Whimple Exeter EX5 2TXRef. No: 22/1434/LBC | Validated: Thu 07 Jul 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Raising of roof Dairy Farm Combpyne Axminster EX13 8SXRef. No: 22/1425/AGR | Validated: Thu 07 Jul 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of two dwellings and associated access Land East Of East Budleigh Road Budleigh Salterton EX9 6HERef. No: 22/1427/FUL | Validated: Fri 08 Jul 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Double door on front elevation replaced with 6 panel door; replace cellar fixed glazed window with double glazed doors on front elevation; cellar stairs removed and reinstate floor over; remove partition wall at ground floor; remove doors leading to hall at ground floor and block up opening; remove existing single storey lean-to extension on rear elevation and install 1no. arched window on rear elevation 5 Cornhill Ottery St Mary EX11 1DWRef. No: 22/1420/LBC | Validated: Tue 05 Jul 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolition of existing garage and construction of a self contained annexe. 11 Grange Avenue Exmouth Devon EX8 3HURef. No: 22/1405/FUL | Validated: Mon 04 Jul 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Erection of 5 dwelling houses with garaging (demolition of existing dwelling house). Provision of new vehicular access (closure of existing access). 15 Townsend Road Seaton EX12 2AYRef. No: 22/1386/OUT | Validated: Mon 04 Jul 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Open sided cover for cattle gathering areas and slurry store in and around farm yard area Slymlakes Farm Musbury Road Axminster Devon EX13 8TTRef. No: 22/1384/AGR | Validated: Fri 08 Jul 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolition of detached garage and erection of proposed detached dwelling. Land At Frogmore Road East BudleighRef. No: 22/1279/FUL | Validated: Wed 06 Jul 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision

Under Tory control, agricultural grade 1 land was sacrificed to build Cranbrook. There is very little grade 1 agricultural land in East Devon. Why, and was this wise? – Owl

Land classification East Devon: Source Natural England

Key to land classification:

Helena Horton www.theguardian.com 

The rate at which infrastructure is built on prime farmland in England has risen a hundredfold in the past decade, a report has found, as it calls the country’s food security into question.

Farmland that could grow 250,000 tonnes of vegetables a year has been lost to development, with 300,000 homes built on prime land since 2010.

There was a huge rise in “best and most versatile” agricultural land set aside for housing and industry between 2010 and 2022, up from 60 hectares (148 acres) a year to more than 6,000.

Politicians have been looking at the way land is used in the country, as in order to tackle the climate emergency as well as feed people, farming must become lower-emission, more productive and increase biodiversity.

This means that low-grade farmland, which requires more irrigation and fertiliser, may have to be used for infrastructure instead of prime land, which is more efficient for growing food.

As well as being at risk from development, prime land is also more at risk of flooding, raising deeper questions about food security as Britain experiences more extreme weather events as a result of the climate crisis.

Sixty per cent of grade 1 agricultural land (more than 200,000 hectares) is within flood zone 3, the areas at highest risk of flooding.

CPRE, the countryside charity that published the report, is calling for the government to produce a comprehensive land use strategy, setting out what type of land should be used for which purpose and is asking for a “brownfield first” approach to housebuilding. It is also calling for a firm presumption against development on prime farmland.

The government has been working on a land use framework that, before Boris Johnson’s resignation, was due for publication in the coming weeks, but sources at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said it could be delayed until the new prime minister is in post.

Crispin Truman, the chief executive of CPRE, said: “For the first time in several generations, our food security is at risk – yet we’ve seen a hundredfold increase in the loss of our best farmland to development since 2010. Heating, eating and housing are fundamental needs. A healthy environment, mitigating and adapting against the devastation threatened by the climate emergency, is the bedrock that underpins them all. We need to know what to put where. That’s why we need a land use strategy.”

The government recently admitted that the country needs to produce more of its own food, in its food strategy.

However, to reach net zero and stop biodiversity collapse, farming also has to change to become more sustainable. Experts have said this means looking at the way land is used and perhaps making some changes.

Truman added: “As we face a cost of living crisis, housing crisis and the adjustment of our farming sector to post-Brexit subsidies, we have multiple, critical priorities for our land. We need to move away from intensive farming practices and towards a more ‘multifunctional’ approach, reconciling food production with better management for natural and cultural heritage, and for public access. Policies which are put in place now will be crucial in the coming years to ensure the most efficient use of our land in the face of these challenges.”

Food charities have welcomed the report. Rob Percival, the head of food policy at the Soil Association, said: “Decisions concerning land use are complex and inadequately supported by government policy. Given competing demands for food, nature, climate adaptation, and societal demand for new homes, transport and energy infrastructures, it’s essential that government expedites its delivery of a land use framework.

“This framework, promised for 2023, should ensure that land is used for the purposes it best serves, with prime farmland harnessed for agroecology and the production of healthy foods. It’s high time we got on top of the challenge. The land use puzzle is only going to get more confounding as the climate and nature crises escalate.”

Tories in turmoil, a selection of what’s on offer to the right wing reader:

We want a vote to keep Boris Johnson as PM, demand Tory members www.telegraph.co.uk

More than 2,000 Conservative members have written to the party’s chairman to demand a vote on whether Boris Johnson should carry on as leader.

The party members want Mr Johnson’s name to be added to the ballot when 160,000 members vote for a new leader next month….

The petition is the first stage of a campaign by members to reinstate Mr Johnson, with further plans to pressure association chairmen to take action over his removal from the leadership.

Tory Party members don’t care about net zero target ‘because 90pc will be dead by 2050’ www.telegraph.co.uk

Conservative MP Chris Skidmore says climate change fight requires more urgent timeframe

Conservative Party members are unwilling to prioritise the Government’s 2050 net zero targets “because 90pc of them will be dead”, a Conservative MP has claimed.

Liz Truss ‘poses the greatest risk’ to UK economy www.telegraph.co.uk 

Leadership candidate’s economic plan is ‘concerning’, warn City analysts

Liz Truss’s policies pose the biggest risk to the British economy out of the remaining Tory leadership challengers, City analysts have warned, as she eyes multi billion-pound tax cuts and a Bank of England shake-up.

The Foreign Secretary’s “more substantial” economic plan is an “unseemly combination” of stimulative tax cuts and concerning views that scapegoat the Bank of England, according to economists at Citigroup.

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.