Category Archives: Misc

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Sidbury road closure scaled down after residents’ concerns

A planned month-long road closure in Sidbury for gas pipe work has been replaced with smaller and shorter closures. 

Philippa Davies www.sidmouthherald.co.uk

Cotford Road was due to close between Cotford Bridge and Chelsea Cottage from Monday, February 28 until Friday, March 25. 

But local residents and the district councillor for Sidmouth Rural Ward, John Loudoun, contacted Wales & West Utilities to raise concerns about the disruption this would cause, and the company has now changed its plans.  

Buckley Road will be closed at its junction with A375 Cotford Road with a diversion in place until Wednesday, February 23. 

From Friday, February 28 until  Friday, March 4, Cotford Road will be closed from Cotford Bridge to Roncombe Lane – including the first 100m of Roncombe Lane. A diversion route will be clearly signposted. Barring any engineering difficulties, Cotford Road will reopen on March 4. 

From Monday, March 7 until Monday 14, the first 100m of Roncombe Lane will remain closed. Access to Cotford Road will be maintained for homes on Roncombe Lane. 

From March 14, three-way traffic lights will be in place on Cotford Road at Cotford Bridge and Buckley Lane. Barring engineering difficulties, these lights are expected to be in place for one week.

The overall work is expected to finish by the end of March. 

Wales & West Utilities’ Jake Sami is managing the gas pipe upgrade work. He said: “We’re pleased that we’ve been able to update our plans to act on the views of the local community. We’re committed to working alongside local people to make sure we can do our essential work while keeping disruption to a minimum.” 

Cllr Loudoun said: “These are clearly essential works. I’m grateful to Wales & West Utilities for having reacted positively, and swiftly, to the concerns that I, and some residents, raised about the length of time and the impact on the flow of traffic along the A375, and through the village, that these works, as originally planned, would have had. 

“Residents will be pleased that the disruption that these works will bring has now been significantly reduced. I am pleased to have been able to work constructively with Wales & West Utilities on behalf of the village.” 

The company’s Customer Service Team can be contacted on freephone 0800 912 2999, via Twitter @WWUtilities or Facebook.com/WWUtilities. 

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“Exercise personal responsibility” – Boris Johnson

That is what Boris Johnson told everyone in his statement last night announcing the scrapping of all Covid legal restrictions from Thursday.

Since when has Boris Johnson, himself, exercised “personal responsibility”?

Another example of: “don’t do what I do, do what I say”? – Owl 

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Planning applications validated by EDDC for week beginning 7 February

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‘Cash-for-access culture:’ Leaked docs reveal Tory donors given access to PM’s top team

A further 18 companies were given so-called “VIP lane” access in the rush to supply the UK with an adequate amount of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the first Covid-19 wave, according to a campaign group.

www.thelondoneconomic.com

The Good Law Project said it had been leaked information which suggested the additional firms, which are on top of the 50 acknowledged by the Government, were awarded contracts worth almost £1 billion without competition.

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner called for ministers to “come clean” and declare whether they had “misled Parliament” over the additional 18 contracts that Good Law says it has uncovered.

Advisory board

It comes as last summer the Financial Times revealed existence of the “advisory board” through which the most generous Tory donors gained access to ministers “a hitherto unknown group of elite donors who enjoy frequent and direct access to the most powerful people in government”

Now the Times, have gained access to leaked docs reveal Tory donors given access to Boris Johnson’s top team during pandemic as part of secret ‘advisory board’ They included ex-Putin minister’s wife, alleged rapist invited after police interview, four billionaires.

In return for a £250,000 donation to the Conservatives, multimillionaires are being ushered into the heart of government as part of a secret ‘advisory board’

The article by Gabrel Pogrund and Henry Zeffman will send shockwaves through Westminster.

The Sunday Times reports that property tycoons, hedge fund managers, and a Russian banker are among a secret club of donors to be given access to government.

The board has 14 regular members, most of whom have given at least £250,000 to the Tory Party as part of a supposedly “transactional arrangement”, the newspaper says.

The members of the board have a combined wealth of at least £30 billion when their companies and families are taken into account.

In total the group, which includes four billionaires, have donated £22 million to the Tory Party, £10 million of which came under Mr Johnson’s leadership.

Anneliese Dodds, chair of the Labour Party, said: “These revelations raise serious national security questions about the cash-for-access culture that Boris Johnson has created at the heart of government.

“Boris Johnson must explain what donors with links to Putin’s Russia got in return for their six-figure annual membership fee and clarify whether these meetings had any impact on government policy at the height of the pandemic.”

Pipa Crerar tweeted the article and wrote: “They suggest donors got more than ‘just’ access but contact details of ministers that some used to lobby directly on Covid strategy/ procurement help and advice applying for public appointments lucrative public contracts approved by ministers and honours signed off by PM.”

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Six Tory donors given top cultural posts since Boris Johnson became PM

Boris Johnson has appointed six Tory donors to help run the country’s leading cultural institutions since entering Downing Street after an appeal to party backers to help “rebalance the representation” on public bodies.

Jon Ungoed-Thomas www.theguardian.com 

The donors, who have between them contributed more than £3m to party coffers, were appointed by the prime minister to the boards of the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, the Tate and the British Museum.

One of the latest appointments to be announced is Howard Shore as a trustee of the Tate. The investment banker has contributed £1.75m to the party as an individual and through his firm Shore Capital. Former Tory culture secretary Lord Vaizey was also appointed a trustee at the same time.

The government says such appointments are made after an open selection process in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s governance code on public appointments, but faces scrutiny over roles for individuals with ties to the party. Under the current system, the names of all candidates must be submitted to ministers, who then make the final appointment.

Peter Riddell, the former commissioner for public appointments, has warned of a “more intensive effort” to appoint political figures to public institutions.

It has emerged that Tory officials have been keen for donors to apply for public roles, circulating openings on public bodies to its donors. An email from party headquarters to donors in August 2019, the month after Johnson became PM, said: “We thought you may be interested in the latest list of public appointments. It is important Conservatives rebalance the representation at the head of these important public bodies.”

The Tory donors appointed by Johnson to leading cultural institutions include John Booth, who was made a trustee of the National Gallery in August last year. Booth has donated more than £200,000 to the Tory party.

In September businessman David Ross was reappointed as chair of the National Portrait Gallery. Ross helped arrange accommodation for a holiday in Mustique for Johnsonin December 2019 and has given more than £1m to the party. Ross sits on the gallery’s board with Tory MP Chris Grayling, whom Johnson appointed the previous year.

Other Tory donors appointed by Johnson to cultural institutions are: Lord Marland, a Tory peer who has donated more than £300,000 to the party, appointed as trustee of the British Museum; James Lambert, a businessman whose firm has donated more than £80,000 to the party, appointed as trustee of the National Gallery; and Dounia Nadar, a philanthropist who has donated more than £66,000 to the party. All three were appointed in December.

The government says the selection process for public bodies is open and rigorous, but Tory officials have been keen to support its financial backers seeking public roles. The Observer revealed this month how officials were keen to help one of its biggest donors Mohamed Amersi in his ultimately unsuccessful bid to become chair of the National Lottery Community Fund.

One email stated: “I know you work with the public appointments team. Can we see that he is at least considered for the role.” Amersi has told the Observer he was shortlisted on his merits for the job and was not aware of any help from the Conservative party.

The committee on standards in public life has called for stronger powers for the commissioner for public appointments to ensure the right balance between ministerial patronage and appointments on merit. There are concerns about appointments which are unregulated or don’t go through a rigorous and transparent selection process. The high court ruled last week that the government acted unlawfully and breached equality rules in appointing Baroness Dido Harding as interim chair of the National Institute for Health Protection in August 2020 during the pandemic.

The role of non-executive directors in government departments is unregulated and is overseen by the lead non-executive director Lord Nash, a Tory peer who, with his wife, has contributed more than £500,000 to the Conservative party. Tory donors who are non-executive directors include Dominic Johnson, a Tory donor and chief executive of Somerset Capital Management, a firm co-founded by the Brexit minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, at the Department for International Trade; Ben Goldsmith, brother of Lord Goldsmith, the international environment minister, at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; and Ranjit Baxi, a businessman in the recycling industry, at the Department for Transport.

Chris Bryant, the Labour MP and chair of the parliamentary committee on standards, said sweeping reforms were required across several areas of public life to restore public confidence, including appointments.

He said: “We need root and branch reform of the public appointments system and also the revolving door between government and industry, the governance of all party parliamentary groups and lobbying.”

A government spokesperson said: “The government encourages applications to public appointments from talented individuals from a wide range of backgrounds across the UK. All public appointments are made objectively based on merit.

“The governance code is clear that ‘political activity should not affect any judgment of merit nor be a bar to appointment’ and must be declared.”

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Boris Johnson’s stonewalling on Partygate won’t impress voters

In an excruciating BBC interview with Sophie Raworth on Sunday morning, the prime minister refused to answer questions on rule-breaking Downing Street parties a whopping 17 times in just 11 minutes.

Meanwhile expect more “diversionary” policy announcements – Owl

Editor’s Letter: www.independent.co.uk 

Johnson was asked what happened, whether parties took place at his flat, whether he was ashamed of his actions and whether he was burying his head in the sand about the issue. He dodged the questions, oscillating between attempting several subject changes and simply refusing to answer.

The PM also wouldn’t commit to resigning if he is found to have broken lockdown laws by the police.

Politicians are known for obfuscating in interviews and avoiding tough topics – often by answering something that they wish they’d been asked instead – but the prime minister’s squirming and swerving of Raworth’s questions looks particularly shifty at a time when he desperately needs to restore some trust in his leadership.

The Partygate saga has dragged on for months, spun out by a lack of responsibility taken by implicated parties, delays in the release of Sue Gray’s abbreviated report, outright lies and attempts to minimise, dismiss and distract. There have been very few resignations from people involved – notable examples include Allegra Stratton, moving from laughter at the mock press conference to tears in front of the TV cameras, and former mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey.

Nine out of 10 Independent readers told us at the end of January they think Boris Johnson should resign, after he admitted to attending a gathering in the garden of Downing Street during the first lockdown in May 2020. The excuse that he thought it was a work event went down like a concrete pool float at the time, and is unlikely to have aged any better since.

As Sunday’s disastrous interview shows, Johnson is still on the ropes. His evasive interview probably won’t endear him to the public, many of whom already feel that they’ve been gaslit over Partygate. Voters haven’t forgotten – or forgiven – and behaving as though they will is a serious miscalculation.

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Today’s sing along – all together now

🎶Oh the Grand old Duke of York, he had 12 million quid, he gave it to someone he didn’t know for something he never did🎵

“Once upon a time, Britons would have been astonished and appalled to find scandal simultaneously bespoiling their royal family, prime minister and largest police force. We are less shockable now. There’s a good reason, which is that there is much less naive reverence for institutions than there was in the past. There’s also a bad reason for our diminished capacity to be scandalised by scandal. We have become wearily accustomed to seeing the public trust betrayed. Where once jaws would have dropped, grotesque misconduct in public life often provokes no more than a fleeting furore or a resigned shrug. That makes us part of the problem, too. When we expect to be let down, we settle for further decay. The British won’t get better service from their institutions until they start demanding it and so insistently that they can’t be ignored.” [Concluding paragraph : Britain has had royal, political and policing scandals before, but never all three at once – Andrew Rawnsley]

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Two Plymouth councillors live in Gloucestershire

One of Owl’s not so myopic Moles has a sense of déjà vu.

Moley recalls that in 2010 Budleigh Salterton, for a year, became a French Commune. This was when Malcolm Florey, Conservative District Councillor for the Town, retired to live in France and continue his reign of governance from there. Budleigh Salterton sur Mer.

Rivals send moving card

Philip Churm, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk 

Cllrs Sue Dann, Tudor Evans and Bill Stevens prepare a moving card

In a light-hearted sneer at two Plymouth councillors who no longer live in the city, the Labour group is sending them a card wishing them well in their new home – more than hundred miles away.  

Cllr Dan Collins (Plympton Chaddlewood) and his partner Cllr Shannon Burden (Moor View) were both elected as Conservative councillors in May 2021.

Cllr Burden left the Conservative group five months later and now sits as an independent. 

The couple have now moved out of the city and are believed to be living in Gloucestershire but some councillors have been critical, suggesting they should not be representing residents of Plymouth if they live so far away. 

As councillors, they are entitled to claim allowance from Plymouth City Council of more than £11,000 each. 

Deputy leader of Plymouth Labour, Cllr Sue Dann (Sutton & Mount Gould) said:  “We thought a card would be a nice gesture to mark the occasion because no-one begrudges them pursuing their careers and their life together.”

While some Labour members maybe unhappy at Cllr Collins and Burden living away from the areas they represent, the rules don’t prevent it. 

The Local Government Act 1972 states: “If a member of a local authority fails throughout a period of six consecutive months from the date of his/her last attendance to attend any meeting of the authority, he/she shall, unless the failure was due to some reason approved by the authority before the expiry of that period, cease to be a member of the authority.”

Cllr Collins and Burden have both attended enough meetings to stay within the rules. 

Out of a possible six meetings in the past six months, Cllr Burden has been at three and Cllr Collins has been at all 10 of the meetings he could attend.  

Last October Cllr Burden strengthened the power of independents on Plymouth City Council which now stands at nine after several Tories left.  

Cllr Collins, who sits on the performance, finance and customer focus overview and scrutiny committee was criticised shortly before being elected for politicising traveller and gypsy communities by placing an advertisement saying: “Travellers on the playing field – Conservatives would have taken action to prevent this. Remember the Labour council did nothing, when you vote at the local elections.”

The large card, sent by to Cllrs Collins and Burden has a picture of a cow on the front with the words: “You’ve Moooo-ved.”  

Inside, the message reads: “Good luck in your new home. From the Labour Group in Plymouth.” 

Several attempts have been made to contact the two councillors but neither have replied. 

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East Devon car park rise causes spat

Leading East Devon politicians have been battling it out over proposals to double parking fees in parts of the district with Tory MP Simon Jupp accused of trying to be an opportunistic “populist” for criticising the plans.

Joe Ives, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk 

East Devon District Council (EDDC) will soon vote on proposals to increase car parking charges for nine ‘prime’ tourist hot spot car parks to increase revenue for council services. 

Councillors will also be asked to consider a 50 per cent price hike in 10 other prime location car parks, taking their fees to £1.50 an hour. Those in favour say inflation and the introduction of VAT on parking have eaten into income it generates. 

EDDC’s cabinet, which put forward the proposals, said that the £1.1 million it expects to raise from the price increase is necessary to balance the council’s budget and provide urgently needed funding elsewhere.

The raise, the council’s first for almost 12 years, has drawn Mr Jupp’s ire. He says the fees risk drawing business away from high streets.

In a recent article, Mr Jupp wrote: “These new increases will make East Devon’s town and high streets some of the most expensive to park in coastal Devon, Dorset and Cornwall.

“I am really concerned by the impact on local shops, jobs, and tourism. So are my Conservative colleagues on the council.

“I have heard from businesses who fear shoppers will drive to out-of-town supermarkets or shop online even more, with visitors choosing to go elsewhere.”

Mr Jupp also tweeted: “We need to encourage people back into our towns and high streets, not drive them away.”

Responding to the comments, leader of East Devon District Council (EDDC) Paul Arnott (Independent East Devon Alliance and Democratic Alliance Group, Coly Valley) said: “Mr Jupp’s comments parallel his party’s disarray nationally.

“At the key overview committee which passed the car park recommendations up to cabinet, all but one of the Conservative councillors backed the necessary increases.

“They, and all overview members, are to be applauded for their mature good judgement.

“It is sad to see Mr Jupp disrespecting his fellow Conservatives in this opportunistic way. The sooner young MPs such as him release themselves from the populist grip of Mr Johnson, the better for the integrity of both local and national affairs.”

EDDC says parking charges have been benchmarked with other providers around Devon and Dorset with a maximum tariff of £8 per day agreed by cross-party group of councillors on the overview and scrutiny committee. 

For local residents, a monthly payment option of £10 per month will be introduced for parking permits. The £2 winter parking offer will continue between October and March each year.

The proposals have alarmed some members of the public. A petition by Sidmouth Chamber of Commerce calling for a smaller rise of 20 per cent has received more than 350 signatures.

The change.org petition says EDDC has not expressed “any concern for the impact upon residents who shop in our town centres, or for the beleaguered traders, who have suffered a lot recently and did so much to support their customers during the pandemic.”

The council says it intends to introduce a monthly option for parking permits of £10 per month which works out at £2.31 a week “which we believe is a very competitive option to park in our car parks.”

Speaking at a recent EDDC cabinet meeting councillor Paul Millar (Labour, Democratic Alliance Group, Exmouth Halsdon) said he was originally against the rise but decided it was justified and would take parking prices in prime locations to levels seen in many other parts of Devon. 

Cllr Millar said: “We’re faced with a very difficult decision but one I think we have to take. It’s a decision about whether this council wants to be an austerity council or whether it wants to be a council that invests in its services for its residents.

“If Exeter, Teignbridge and Mid Devon are doing that by increasing their charges then why aren’t we?”

The move would allow the council to restructure its revenue budget, putting an extra £737,000 into staffing.  

This includes money for its contractor Streetscene, which cleans and maintains public spaces in East Devon including parks, public gardens and council-owned toilets. 

The revenue boost also allows the council to put £50,000 into a ‘tree strategy,’ without eating into its climate change budget. A further £159,000 will go into funding the council’s recycling and refuse service.

Additional funds will also go into hiring more staff for ‘development management,’ which is struggling to stay on top of record numbers of planning requests. Under the plans, two new members of staff will be hired at Manor Pavilion, Sidmouth. 

The council’s chief executive, Mark Williams, said: “There’s no logic why we should be so behind the curve in terms of the way we approach our charging policy for car parks compared to our neighbours.”

He said that with the increase “the council will be on a much better footing to achieve what it wants to achieve.”

The matter will go before full council for a final decision. If the budget is approved, the increases would come into effect at the start of the next financial year, beginning in April. 

The nine tourist hot-spot car parks to see a rise to £2 per hour rise are: 

Beer Central

Exmouth Queen’s Drive, Queens Drive Echelon, Foxholes, Beach Gardens

Budleigh Salterton: Lime Kiln

Sidmouth: Ham (East and West)

The other ‘prime location’ car parks set to see a rise to £1.50 per hour are: 

Sidmouth Roxburgh, Ham (East and West), Manor Road, Mill Street

Exmouth: Manor Pavilion, Imperial Road, Imperial Recreation Ground, London Inn

Honiton: Lace Walk, King Street and New Street (North and South), Fore Street

Budleigh Salterton: Rolle Mews.

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EDF’s U.K. Arm Swings Into Red on Nuclear Outages, Pandemic

What’s happening to one of our regional “Golden Opportunities”? – Owl

Electricite de France SA’s U.K. division reported millions of pounds in lost earnings as nuclear plant outages and the impact of the pandemic added to the burgeoning woes of France’s largest utility.

Todd Gillespie www.bloomberg.com 

EDF Energy Ltd. posted a 21 million-pound ($29 million) loss in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization for 2021, a major drop from its 712 million-pound gain the year before. EDF blamed the reversal on the “ongoing impact of Covid-19, high global gas prices, and unplanned outages at U.K. nuclear power stations.”

The company’s parent has come under increasing strain from repeated outages and strikes at its plants in France, where the state plans to inject about 2.1 billion euros ($2.4 billion) into EDF to bolster its finances. French nuclear stations are the backbone of the European power system, and the outages have contributed to higher power prices across the continent along with the wider gas supply crisis.

France to Pump $2.4 Billion Into EDF as Profit Set to Slump

In the U.K., EDF’s nuclear fleet produced 41.7 terawatt-hours of power in 2021, down by 4 TWh on the previous year. EDF plans to start electricity generation at its Hinkley Point C nuclear plant in southwest England in 2026. The company said on Friday that the pandemic “continues to have an impact on the project.” 

EDF Energy was compelled to help out as a swathe of energy suppliers collapsed in the U.K., getting paid 168 million pounds to take on more than 200,000 domestic customers from failed providers. In total, the company added more than 650,000 residential accounts last year, it said.

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Devon Doctors loses NHS 111 and urgent care contract

Devon Doctors has lost its contract to run Devon’s troubled urgent care services six years after taking it over.

Anita Merritt www.devonlive.com

Last month it was announced that Devon’s NHS 111 and out of hours GP service had been taken out of special measures after being rated inadequate in 2020 after urgent improvements were demanded.

A new organisation has now been appointed called Practice Plus Group Urgent Care, formerly known as Care UK Health Care. In the meantime, Exeter-based Devon Doctors will continue running the service until October.

Plus Group Urgent Care currently answers 1.5million calls a year to NHS 111, and runs out of hours services, urgent treatment centres, minor injuries units, hospitals and general practices nationwide.

Its NHS 111 service in Bristol was the first to be rated outstanding by independent health and social care regulator Care Quality Commission (CQC).

It is a stark contrast to Devon’s NHS 111. In July 2020, it was inspected by the CQC after concerns were raised about the service including safety fears and insufficient staffing to meet expected demand.

They included that prior to lockdown in March 2020, up to 300 call backs were reallocated back to patients’ own in hours GPs on Monday mornings as they had not been addressed by the service over the weekend.

It resulted in considerable delays for some patients in accessing advice or treatment, with some patients having waited up to 17 hours for contact from the service.

The inspection looked specifically at Devon NHS 111 and out of hours service, and some areas of the Somerset out of hours provision.

The service was inspected again in December 2020, and was placed into special measures, as the service was rated inadequate for being effective and well-led.

The purpose of special measures is to ensure that providers found to be providing inadequate care significantly improve. It is done by proving a framework of improvement and clear timeframe for changes to be made.

A further review in May 2021 found conditions imposed by the CQC had been met with further recommendations still ongoing.

An announced comprehensive inspection was then carried out over three days at the beginning November 2021, to follow up on breaches of regulations and to determine whether the service could be taken out of special measures.

The results of the inspection were published in January and the service’s overall rating is now ‘requires improvement’.

Prior to then, a rigorous, competitive procurement process was carried out for the future running of the service. Devon Doctors was among those who put in a bid and is said to be ‘disappointed’ to have not been successful.

Devon’s Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) built in a number of conditions for bidders to enter the tender process, including experience of delivering similar services and experience of service transformation.

The contract is for five years from 1 October 2022, with room for a three-year extension.

Practice Plus Group Urgent Care will run, Devon’s NHS 111, out-of-hours GP services and ClinicalAssessment Services (CAS) in which clinicians use their expertise to respond to callers, prioritising cases and directing people to the most appropriate services.

Out-of-hours and NHS 111 services have been under pressure for the last few years, both in Devon and nationwide, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr Paul Johnson, clinical chair of Devon CCG, said: “We are confident that people in Devon will see real improvements in the 111 and GP out-of-hours services.

“It is critically important that patients can access these services easily and then receive timely, high-quality care according to their needs.

“The CCG would like to thank Devon Doctors for its dedication and hard work over the past years in providing the service.”

The specification for the contract was partly built on what patients using the service told the CCG they needed and what they wanted to change.

Questions to bidders were based on a range of factors including the insight provided by those using the NHS 111 and GP out-of-hours services. Patient representatives were involved in the final evaluation of the bids.

Kevin Brown, director of Integrated Urgent Care at Practice Plus Group, said: “We are delighted to have been given this responsibility to support patients and NHS services across Devon.

“We will place collaboration, partnership working and innovation at the centre of the service to ensure that urgent and out-of-hours NHS care is comprehensive, resilient and easy to access locally.

“Between now and October we will be working closely with the existing team and the current provider, with whom we already have a strong relationship, and with NHS commissioners, GPs and other local NHS services to understand how we can best meet the current and future needs of patients in all parts of the community.”

A spokesperson for Devon Doctors said: “We were disappointed to learn that our bid to continue running Devon’s integrated urgent care service has been unsuccessful.

“We will be working closely with NHS Devon CCG and the new provider to ensure a smooth transfer of services between now and October 1, 2022. In the meantime, our priority continues to be to provide the best possible service for patients in the county.”

Local people will still be able to contact 111 and use the out-of-hours doctor service by phone on 111 or online at 111.nhs.uk as normal during the transition process

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Cash strapped council to have fewer meetings after damning report

Wirral Council is set to cut the number of committees it has, after being criticised for having an ‘overelaborate’ system last year.

George Morgan www.liverpoolecho.co.uk 

Two reports into the council, published last November, were highly critical and said it had avoided tough decisions, with councillors focused on “political point scoring”.

One of the reports, by Ada Burns, looked at the governance of the council and the move from a cabinet system, which gave a lot of power to just 10 councillors, to a committee system which spreads power more evenly across all 66 councillors.

One section of Ms Burns’ report read: “[The new system] has clearly improved member engagement but poses a further risk to the improvement journey because of its immaturity, its overelaborate design, and the administrative burden it’s placing on officers.

“The number of committees and requirements to ensure appropriate briefing of all the five political groups in the lead up to each meeting is posing a significant resource burden on the council.”

Any impact on the council’s resources is particularly important at the moment, as the local authority needs to agree a budget which includes £20m worth of savings on February 28.

To deal with some of the criticisms in the Ada Burns report, tonight’s meeting of Wirral Council’s Constitution and Standards Committee decided to cut the number of policy and services committees, the main decision making committees in the council, down from seven to six.

Committees for issues such as the economy, adult social care, environment and transport, tourism and leisure, and education, along with the most powerful committee, called Policy and Resources, will remain.

The main change agreed to tonight will see the responsibilities of the Housing Committee rolled into the Economy, Regeneration and Development Committee.

But Cllr Tom Anderson, who leads the Conservative group on the council, wanted to go even further and cut the number of committees to five.

He thought the administrative burden would not be shifted unless this change was made.

However, Labour’s Paul Stuart disagreed, and said there were other ways of cutting workload such as keeping committee agendas concise and not having lots of “irrelevant” reports to note.

Cllr Stuart said the number of committees could be reviewed again in the next year.

The committee voted by eight to three to reject the move to just five committees, with Labour, and the sole Liberal Democrat, Green and Independent councillors against and the Conservatives in favour.

The original proposal to move from seven to six committees was then passed.

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Boris Johnson allowed to read Partygate evidence before answering police questions

Boris Johnson is being allowed to read evidence gathered about him by the inquiry into the No 10 parties before answering police questions, a leaked letter reveals.

www.independent.co.uk 

Sue Gray has granted permission to everyone under investigation – all Downing Street staff and the prime minister – limited access to notes taken about them by her inquiry.

The letter, seen by ITV News, says she is allowing the access “as an exceptional measure”, pointing to the “particular circumstances surrounding this set of events”.

Dated 17 February, it reads: “I appreciate that this is a worrying time for those affected by this process, which I do not wish to compound,” ITV said.

The move – revealed ahead of Friday night’s deadline for Mr Johnson to submit his legal questionnaire – means he and all those under investigation will know what information the police hold on them, before responding.

It raises questions about whether, if an individual learns there is nothing incriminating in the notes on them, he or she will volunteer any additional information to the Met.

Mr Johnson is believed to be working in Downing Street today, ahead of flying to the Munich security conference on Saturday to deliver a speech on Russia’s threat to Ukraine.

Ms Gray has set strict conditions on the access allowed, including that it must be “with a member of the investigation team present” and be “time limited”.

“You will, in line with the process for investigations of this kind and in keeping with the interview process, not be allowed to bring any legal representative with you.” ITV said she has written.

“You will not be permitted to bring phones, tablets, computers or any other recording equipment into the room with you.

“You will not be permitted to challenge, suggest changes or amendments to the notes or otherwise challenge their contents.”

Mr Johnson is still fighting for his political life and will come under huge pressure to quit if it is confirmed he attended, or knew about, any parties that broke the law.

He has hired a personal lawyer to help him draft his response to questionnaire, in which he will argue it was part of his working day when he attended as many as six different gatherings.

The prime minister is in greatest danger over the “bring your own bottle” party in the No 10 garden, in May 2020, which he has admitted attending – while claiming he did not realise it was a party.

He has also not denied attending the “Abba party” in his flat in November 2020 – to celebrate the departure of Dominic Cummings – and appears to be preparing to argue he was working while it went on.

Last month, Ms Gray passed her evidence – including around 300 photographs – to the Met, which launched a separate investigation that has delayed the publication of her report.

Questionnaires have been sent to around 80 people under investigation, who may be issued with fixed penalty notices if they have broken Covid rules.

Staff will not be allowed to view any information Ms Gray gathered on anyone except themselves.

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Who now, is “in Bed with the Reds”?

“Reds under the Bed” was the phrase commonly used by the right wing to question, during the cold war, the allegiance of those on the left or even the centre.

“Is he one of us?” became a stock Thatcher question, asked of impartial civil servants and even would-be bishops.

It is quite a turn-around then, to find that those who used the phrase so freely on others have recently been all too eager to jump into the same bed as these bogeys, with serious consequences to national security! 

Here, by way of illustration, is the latest news on the “Laundromat” from Wednesday’s London Playbook:

Laundromat latest: Labour leader Keir Starmer has called for the Conservative Party to hand back millions of pounds of donations from Russian sources. Speaking on Tuesday night, he said: “Labour stands united with the government and our allies in the attempts to deal with the threat of Russian aggression. But alongside action abroad, there must finally be proper action to tackle corruption at home. For a decade, the Tories have not just failed to challenge Russian influence — they have enabled it. As a result, the U.K. is seen as a laundromat for kleptocrats’ dirty money, our institutions have been damaged and an entire cottage industry has grown up dedicated to lobbying for and protecting those close to the Kremlin. If Boris Johnson is now serious about tackling Russian dirty money and influence, he should immediately get his own house in order. That means returning the millions of pounds of Russian-linked cash that has been donated to the Tories and their MPs since he became prime minister, and reversing his plans to allow unlimited donations from abroad.”

Good luck with that … Former Conservative Minister Edward Faulks tells the Guardian’s Patrick Wintour that during Theresa May’s premiership, No. 10 “leant on him” to drop amendments in the Lords aimed at cracking down on money-laundering and “dirty money” in London.

“Is he one of us?“, might be a question to ask of Boris Johnson. – Owl

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Lib Dems in bid to force publication of full Sue Gray No 10 parties report

“Humble Address”

A new attempt will be launched next week to force publication of the full report into whether No 10 parties broke Covid laws, with Conservative MPs urged to support the move to ensure there are “no more cover-ups and no more lies”.

Aubrey Allegretti www.theguardian.com 

While more questionnaires were sent out by Scotland Yard to those who attended a dozen gatherings under investigation, a “humble address” motion was tabled in the House of Commons by the Liberal Democrats.

If passed, ministers would be forced to release a specific set of documents within two days of the Met concluding its investigation. A date has yet to be set for the vote, but could come on the next opposition day allocated to the Lib Dems.

It also emerged on Wednesday that the former major Tory donor John Armitage is now funding some staffing costs for the Labour frontbencher Wes Streeting, in an escalation of his opposition to Boris Johnson.

Armitage, who revealed last week he had lost confidence in Johnson after giving £3m to the Conservatives, has donated £15,000 to the running of Streeting’s office. He previously donated £12,500 to Labour in March last year and £60,000 to the former MP Frank Field in 2016 and 2017. He also donated £65,000 to the remain campaign.

The papers being demanded include an unredacted version of Sue Gray’s report, all accompanying evidence collected by the Cabinet Office, and a list of Downing Street staff issued with a fixed penalty notice.

The move will reignite pressure on the government over the Partygate scandal, which has resulted in calls from some Tory MPs for Boris Johnson to resign.

Despite the prime minister having attended some of the events under scrutiny, including a “bring your own booze” garden party organised by one of his most senior former civil service advisers, he has continued to deny any wrongdoing and has avoided a no-confidence vote.

There are concerns that some details may never be known, after a leaked Whitehall memo to those investigated by Gray said the Met “will not make public the details of their investigation and therefore your line manager will not be notified”.

The Lib Dem’s humble address motion was tabled and backed by all 13 of the party’s MPs. Ed Davey, the party leader, said Johnson “can’t be trusted to admit whether he or any other Conservative ministers end up being fined by the police”, and “we’ve seen time and again that his instinct is to lie, blame others or cover up the truth”.

He added: “MPs from across all parties need to come together and force Boris Johnson to come clean. The public deserves to know whether our prime minister has broken the law, and for the full Sue Gray report, including any photos, to be published.

“If Johnson is found to have broken the law, he must fess up and resign. No more cover-ups, no more lies.”

Labour’s next opposition day is on 23 February, meaning that if the Met investigation has concluded by that point, Keir Starmer could table his own humble address motion to force the publication of documents related to the Gray inquiry.

Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, has meanwhile written to the Cabinet Office minister Steve Barclay and the cabinet secretary, Simon Case, demanding a reassurance that Johnson and his staff have not been receiving any taxpayer-funded legal advice.

Downing Street also admitted this week that no minutes were taken at the garden party attended by Johnson on 20 May 2020 that he said he thought had been a “work event”.

A freedom of information request that asked for a record of discussions yielded no response, with No 10 pointing to government rules that say minutes do not need to be kept for some events, including those that are “purely informal or of a social nature”.

Johnson has refused to say whether he would step down if fined by the police for breaking Covid laws but his spokesperson has suggested Downing Street will reveal if the prime minister does get a fixed penalty notice.

This article was amended on 17 February 2022. Due to an editing error, an early version referred to Frank Field as the “the late” former MP. We apologise for this.

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For those who missed it, Bercow’s Monday Rant

“Johnson worst PM ‘by a country mile’ 

“A narcissist, ritually dishonest, having a nodding acquaintance with the truth at best on a leap year, responsible for a catalogue of failures, the most………

‘Never has a prime minister wielded so much power’ and made ‘so little effective use of it’, claims John Bercow, former Speaker of the House of Commons.

Use this link to watch Sky News video.

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Warning to stay away from East Devon seafronts as Storm Eunice blows in

East Devon residents have been warned to stay away from seafronts with winds of up to 100mph expected when Storm Eunice blows in on Friday, February 18. [Plus advice on recycling]

eastdevonnews.co.uk 

A number of schools across the district and in Exeter have also announced they will shut for the day due to the conditions.

They currently include Exmouth Community College and St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in the town, along with primary schools in Sidmouth, Ottery St Mary, Honiton, and Axminster. A full list can be found here.

The South West is set to be battered by gale-force gusts – the worst of them happening between 3am and 9pm.

Met Office chiefs have escalated a wind warning for the area to Amber.

A Red warning has been issued for northern Devon and its coastline.

Flood gates have been closed as a precautionary measure in Exmouth at Morton Crescent, Mamhead Slipway and by the Clock Tower.

East Devon District Council has today issued the following advice:

What to expect

There is a good chance that flying debris could result in a danger to life. It is likely there will be falling branches and some uprooted trees.

People are being advised to stay away from coastal paths and coastal areas where there will be large waves and beach debris is likely to be thrown onto sea fronts, coastal roads and properties.

There is a good chance that power cuts, which could occur and possibly affect other services, such as mobile phone coverage.

Roads, bridges and railway lines are likely to close, with delays and cancellations to public transport.

The Met Office says that Eunice may cause ‘significant disruption’ on the county’s roads, and that there is a good chance that flying debris could result in ‘a danger to life.’

Recycling

Devon’s recycling centres will likely be closed tomorrow (Friday, February 17).

Recycling crews have asked residents to ensure their recycling bins have their lids on, are weighed down so they cannot blow away and are tucked against walls and fences where possible. Residents have also been asked to wait until 7am to put them at the kerbside.

Travel

Devon County Council (DCC) is advising people to only travel if absolutely necessary. Wind speeds are being constantly monitored, so please check before you travel. If you must travel please plan your journey and leave extra time.

Teams of tree surgeons will also be on stand-by to clear any fallen trees on the county’s roads.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, DCC cabinet member for highway management, said: “The Met Office has increased its alert level and Storm Eunice will make travelling conditions quite perilous for much of Friday morning and we are advising if you can avoid travelling, please do so.

“The forecast of such strong winds may well lead to fallen trees or branches, and other debris.

“If you must travel, please take extra care, particularly when its dark when it’s more difficult to see debris on the road.

“To prepare for this, extra people are being drafted to staff our Network Operations Control Centre and highways teams and tree surgeons will be on standby.

“If possible, postpone your journey until conditions improve and if you do have to travel, slow down, allow extra time for your journey and drive according to the conditions. Keep an eye on travel updates and weather forecasts and please plan your journey.”

DCC is reminding people of the following advice:

  • Avoid overnight travel unless absolutely essential as roads will always be more hazardous at night with poorer visibility;
  • Be alert to fallen trees and branches, particularly on minor roads where they may not have been reported;
  • Consider if your journey is essential and be alert to weather warnings;
  • Never drive through floodwater or swollen flowing water, you don’t know how deep it is. Find an alternative route;
  • Allow additional time for your journey;
  • Reduce your speed and leave more space between you and the vehicle in front and leave plenty of room if you’re overtaking;
  • Drive with care and according to the conditions.
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Homeless given shelter during Storm Eunice

Torbay Council has brought in emergency measures as the resort prepares for gale force winds gusting up to 80mph in the resort.

Colleen Smith www.devonlive.com

The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning and Storm Eunice is forecast to hit the coastal resort from 3am tomorrow (February 18), with a rare Red weather warning issued for North Devon.

The council is closing some harbouside piers and docks and warning people to stay away from seafront areas where debris is likely to cause “significant injury”.

For the first time this winter, the council is activating its Severe Weather Emergency Protocol, guaranteeing overnight accommodation for the homeless for two nights from tonight (Thursday, February 17).

Members of the public who have concerns for people sleeping rough can report their location via Streetlink.

Cllr Steve Darling, leader of Torbay Council, said: “The welfare and safety of all residents is a priority of ours, particularly during periods of extreme weather.

“By activating our Severe Weather Emergency Protocol today, we are guaranteeing overnight accommodation for anyone who is street homeless.”

Cllr Darren Cowell, deputy leader of Torbay Council, added: “I’d like to strongly urge residents to stay away from coastal areas, particularly at times of high tide.

“Large waves are incredibly dangerous and bring with them a lot of debris.

“Our emergency services are likely to be dealing with a variety of emergencies so we need to do all we can to keep ourselves safe.”

A spokesman for the council said: “We’re advising people to take note of the warning, think before they travel and to stay away from coastal areas.

“Our Emergency Planning Team are liaising with council teams and emergency agencies to ensure arrangements are in place to be able to respond to damage and/or disruption caused by the strong winds.

“Gale force winds caused by Storm Eunice are expected to be their strongest in coastal areas between 3am and 9pm on Friday, with gusts of up to 80mph possible. Strong winds are also expected to continue over the weekend.

“Large waves are likely along the seafronts with residents urged not to head out and take photographs as beach debris is likely to be thrown which can cause significant injury.

“Tor Bay Harbour Authority have also made a number of preparations to ensure the safety of the public, this includes closing some piers and docks.

The Covid-19 vaccine clinic at St Boniface Church in Paignton on Friday 18 February has been cancelled but testing sites are due to operate as normal.

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Flood gates closed as Exmouth braces itself for Storm Eunice

Exmouth’s new tidal defence scheme is being brought into partial operation as Storm Eunice threatens to send huge waves crashing over the seafront. 

Philippa Davies www.exmouthjournal.co.uk 

East Devon District Council is closing all the Morton Crescent flood gates, along with Mamhead Slipway and the gate by the clock tower. 

The improved road drainage should mean the other road gates will not need to be closed, but the council is urging everyone to keep away from the seafront during the storm. 

The £13 million tidal defence scheme is designed to reduce the risk of tidal flooding to more than 1,400 residential and 400 commercial properties. 

It includes 27 new flood gates, which are usually kept open, but can be closed in minutes when flooding is imminent, creating a barrier to protect the town.