“Rishi likes to jump on his little jet. I don’t have a car, I don’t fly on planes.”

Robyn Vinter www.theguardian.com 

In the opinion of Claire Savage, the manager of the Ironstone Miner pub in Guisborough, the prime minister’s plan to water down net zero commitments that he says impose a direct cost on consumers is disingenuous.

And she is not alone in thinking that. Savage lives in the constituency of Simon Clarke, the Tory MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, who said on Tuesday that his constituents did not support the rollback.

The former levelling up secretary, who served under Liz Truss, posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Our climate is changing dramatically. The UK has carved out a world-leading role delivering net zero in a market-friendly way that will deliver clean, secure energy and thousands of jobs in deprived communities like Teesside. My red wall constituents overwhelmingly support it.”

And he appears to be right. Plans that could include delaying a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and watering down the phasing-out of gas boilers were not popular among those grabbing lunch in torrential rain on Wednesday.

For 17-year-old Jack McDougall, a college student, there needs to be a more holistic approach to tackling net zero: he said the commitments the prime minister was rolling back on were already not enough.

“It’s naive just to say we need to invest in more electric cars because in more deprived areas affording them is an issue. Mitigating climate change is really important so we need more investment, and wider investment, rather than less.”

McDougall, who is studying geography, added: “I’m going to spend my life being affected by this. The damage is already being proven by the wildfires we’re seeing.”

Joanne Powell, who works at a local accountancy firm, agreed but added that better infrastructure would incentivise more people to buy electric cars, rather than banning petrol cars. She said: “The main problem with the take-up of electric cars is that there aren’t enough charging points. Things are not going to get better until they install more.”

Green industry is growing on Teesside, where Europe’s first lithium refinery was given the green light last month.

It will start production in 2027, using materials imported from Australia, and is expected to have an annual production capacity of 50,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium chemicals, enough to provide batteries for 1m electric car batteries.

“In the north-east in general, more jobs are needed,” said Amy Leach, a criminology student. “It’s worth investing to create those jobs.”

Sunak’s move is designed to shore up support among those who voted for the Conservatives in 2019. But a new poll of 4,000 voters by Public First for the centre-right thinktank Onward shows it could backfire.

According to the poll, the target of reaching net zero by 2050 is overwhelmingly popular with voters, including Conservative ones, 49% of whom say they support it while only 20% oppose it.

The individual policies Sunak will roll back also poll well: 35% of respondents said they supported the plan to phase out gas boilers by 2035, compared with 27% who opposed it. Meanwhile, 38% supported ending the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030, with only 31% opposed to the move.

Sunak’s announcement came as a poll by the campaign group Green New Deal Rising found that most people wanted the UK government, fossil fuel companies and wealthy people to pay more for climate action measures.

A total of 60% of the public thought increasing taxes or ending subsidies for fossil fuel companies, rather than making cuts in other areas of UK spending, should be used to deliver the international climate funding the UK has promised.

At the Ironstone Miner, a Wetherspoon’s pub named after the industry that supported the town – and left its scars on the land – Savage said she felt there was a need for a more international view.

She said green technologies themselves were far from perfect and a big concern was the impact on people who lived and worked in the areas where minerals used for electric cars were mined.

“What about the people who are left with big holes in the ground and environmental problems? Aren’t we ruining the environment by digging up places?” she said. “I’m not against [net zero investment], not at all. I just want them to do what’s best for everyone, to do good.”

Pollution from treated and untreated sewage is the greatest threat to river biodiversity, causing more damage than runoff from farms, according to research.

Sandra Laville www.theguardian.com 

There is a need for more regulation of water companies and improvements at their treatment plans to protect rivers, say the authors of the study.

The research from the University of Oxford was released on World Rivers Day. No river in England passes tests for chemical or biological pollution, and government targets to improve the water quality in rivers will not be met.

“Improvements to wastewater plants should be implemented along with more regulations. These efforts are crucial in safeguarding the integrity and safety of our rivers – fundamental elements of both ecosystems and human wellbeing,” said the lead author, Dr Dania Albini, of Oxford’s biology department.

Treated sewage released by water companies into rivers and raw effluent that is dumped in rivers via storm overflows is the primary driver of increased nutrients, algae and sewage fungus in rivers, according to the study.

Sewage discharge radically alters plant, animal and microbe communities and increases the abundance of harmful species. While runoff from farmland has negative impacts on river water quality, the research reveals that sewage discharge into rivers has a greater impact on water quality and the animals and plants that live in rivers.

The findings were published in the journals Global Change Biology and Ecological Solutions and Evidence.

Albini said: “Our study highlights the disproportionate impact that sewage discharge has on river quality, presenting an urgent need for a comprehensive action plan targeting the sewage discharge problem.”

Sewage from households and businesses is treated by water companies at treatment plants and then discharged into rivers. Raw sewage is also discharged via storm overflows, but this should only take place in exceptional circumstances. Water companies are at the centre of a criminal investigation by the Environment Agency and an inquiry by the financial regulator Ofwat into failures in the way they run their treatment plants.

James Wallace, of the UK-based charity River Action, said: “This important research demonstrates yet again the damage from unregulated water companies and agriculture. In addition to the catastrophic impact on wildlife from nutrient pollution, the public should be aware that sewage systems do not remove dangerous bacteria such as E.coli and intestinal enterococci from treated sewage.

“When will the government make water companies and farms clean up their act, especially in places where human lives and sensitive protected habitats are threatened?”

Separate research by Dr Leon Barron, part of the Environmental Research Group at Imperial College, which involved hundreds of samples taken from 14 waterways in Greater London over three years, reveals that 21 compounds were detected that posed a potential risk to the environment in freshwater ecosystems. The pollutants included antibiotics, pain medication and pet parasite medications, which contain neonicotinoids.

The study showed that water companies’ treatment plants and combined sewer overflows, which release raw sewage and runoff, were the main sources of chemical risks to rivers overall.

The team found that smaller rivers feeding into the Thames were most affected by wastewater pollution.

The research compared sampling taken during Covid lockdowns with those taken when society opened up again. Barron, a senior author of the research, said it was the largest study of a heavily urbanised river system and provided uniquely detailed insights into London’s water quality.

Guy Woodward, a professor of ecology in the department of life sciences at Imperial, and a co-author of the paper, said: “This … picks up on several [chemicals] that are at potentially harmful concentrations for wildlife, but which have seemingly been overlooked in traditional surveys of our water quality in urban areas at this resolution.”

Anyone heard of the four “worrying” tax and regulation proposals our jet setting PM is scrapping in his “New Approach to Net Zero”?

Are they actual policies?

Or are they just “Red Herrings”,  argumentative fallacies? – Owl

Rishi Sunak, from the official record of his “New Approach to Net Zero” speech:

“The debate about how we get to Net Zero has thrown up a range of worrying proposals and today I want to confirm that under this government, they’ll never happen.

The proposal for government to interfere in how many passengers you can have in your car.

I’ve scrapped it.

The proposal that we should force you to have seven different bins in your home.

I’ve scrapped it.

The proposal to make you change your diet – and harm British farmers – by taxing meat.

Or to create new taxes to discourage flying or going on holiday.

I’ve scrapped those too.

We will never impose these unnecessary and heavy-handed measures on you, the British people but we will still meet our international commitments and hit Net Zero by 2050.“

How? – Owl

A second debate on South West Water’s record was hurriedly arranged to take place before MPs break up yet again. 

As a consequence of verbose schoolboy debating antics from the proposer, Mr Liddell-Grainger MP (Bridgwater and West Somerset), and nothing new from the Minister replying to him, the debate ran out of time and lapsed. 

Mr Liddell-Grainger’s seat is being redrawn and he is now the prospective Tory candidate for the new Tiverton & Minehead constituency, which may explain a lot.

The debate achieved nothing more than puff a few Conservative egos.

For example Mr Liddell-Grainger managed to insert this piece of totally irrelevant electioneering propaganda into his speech:

“That reminds me that there is in Tiverton an almost dead building firm called 3 Rivers Developments. It was conceived by senior officers in Mid Devon District Council, next to the Exe. They thought it would solve their financial problems. They have never built a Lego house, never mind a real one. They do not have a clue. Six years and £21 million later, the company is stony broke.”

What prompted this urgent debate?

A couple of weeks ago ago Owl reported that Mr Liddell-Grainger MP had made a scathing attack on South West Water (SWW) and its Chair, saying, in Parliament:

“She is running a mob that has convictions for polluting rivers, pays its top gun criminal bonuses and, despite the wettest July on record, still has a hosepipe ban. It is operating like a mafia.

“This is absolutely appalling. May we have an urgent debate in Government time on these ruddy water companies, who are blackmailing their customers and parliamentarians to stop the truth coming out?”

Mr Liddell-Grainger, remember, was the chair of Simon Jupp’s previous February Westminster Hall debate on SWW, used by both of them to indulge in political point scoring, thereby also achieving nothing of consequence.

The Debate (Link to Hansard)

On Tuesday 19 September Mr Liddell-Grainger (Landed Gentry according to Wikipedia) was granted a half hour slot for another Westminster Hall debate.

His opening harumph which did no more than repeat SWW’s well known failures in the style of a schoolboy from the lower fourth debating society took half of the 30 minutes allotted to the debate. 

The other half was taken by a “reply” from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Rebecca Pow. She listed all the actions the Government has taken (mostly only recently). Here is a sample quote: 

“No Government have ever done as much as this Government are doing to tackle storm overflows. In 2013, the Government set out expectations that water companies must monitor the vast majority of those combined sewer overflows, as I referenced earlier. It is that monitoring that has meant that regulators understand the scale of combined sewer overflow discharges and can take stronger action within the existing legal framework.

In 2022, the Government launched the storm overflows discharge reduction plan. Our strict targets will see the toughest ever crackdown on sewage spills and will require water companies to deliver the largest infrastructure project in water company history—that is, £56 billion by 2050….”

In between, the only other speaker in the “debate”, Richard Foord, managed to put his finger two relevant issues but didn’t get answers.

At around half time when Richard Foord asked Liddell-Grainger if he would “give way” he did so saying:

“I give way to the Member for the women’s auxiliary ballerina corps.”

Yes, seriously, it’s on the record – Owl

Richard Foord’s point was:

“The hon. Member is giving a bombastic speech of which the late Lord Flashheart would have been very proud. What does he think of the actions of the Government in this space? Although he seeks to shift the blame on to water companies or regulators, the Government ultimately have the responsibility for the regulation of South West Water and for holding it to account.”

This was met by more bluster.

At one point the Minister said:

“The Environment Agency is investigating that (discharge at Harlyn bay, Cornwall). Clearly, action can be taken only if we have the evidence and if there is an issue. There is a permit system and there are exemptions for extreme weather—we know why that is in place—but I have asked the CEO to ensure that, should pollution be identified, signage is put on the beach so that it is made very clear to bathers and surfers alike. They have taken up my point.”

So Richard Foord asked this question:

“I heard the Minister say a moment ago that enforcement action can only take place where there is evidence. Is it the case that the Minister does not have sufficient evidence for enforcement action to take place against South West Water?”

Here is the Minister’s response:

“it would need to stand up in court if the EA chose to prosecute any of the cases raised by the BBC. If it stands up in court and the information is there, of course the EA will take action if it finds non-compliance.”

Owl’s take

The Tories are still in denial over the consequences of privatisation and the effect austerity cuts have had on regulators, trying to blame everyone else.

“If this is true, the decision will cost the UK jobs, inward investment, and future economic growth that could have been ours by committing to the industries of the future.

“It will potentially destabilise thousands of jobs and see investment go elsewhere. And ultimately, the people who will pay the price for this will be householders, whose bills will remain higher as a result of inefficient fossil fuels and being dependent on volatile international fossil fuel prices.” Chris Skidmore, a Conservative former energy minister.

Sophie Wingate www.independent.co.uk

Rishi Sunak risks sparking a furious Tory party row as he signalled plans to water down the government’s net zero pledges.

The prime minister confirmed he would use a speech in the coming days to announce a major shift in the Tory party’s approach to green policy, saying he wants to achieve net zero in a more “proportionate way”.

It comes after the BBC said it had seen documents suggesting that changes could be made to as many as seven core commitments, including weakening the plan to phase out gas boilers from 2035 and delaying the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars – currently due to come into force in 2030 – by five years.

Confirming the reports on possible changes to policy, Mr Sunak said: “We are committed to net zero by 2050 and the agreements we have made internationally – but doing so in a better, more proportionate way.

“Our politics must again put the long-term interests of our country before the short-term political needs of the moment.”

It is also understood that some Tory MPs are considering submitting letters of no confidence in the prime minister if he goes ahead with the changes.

Mr Sunak has repeatedly deployed the language of pragmatism and proportionality when discussing net zero, but campaigners and activists have charged him with displaying a lack of interest in climate policies.

Tory success in the summer’s Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election, won largely through a campaign against the expansion of the ultra-low-emission zone, has led some MPs to call for Mr Sunak to water down or abandon Britain’s net zero pledges.

While Mr Sunak has repeatedly said he is committed to cutting carbon emissions, the granting of new oil and gas licences for the North Sea and recent moves to curb green policies have attracted criticism.

Chris Skidmore, a Conservative former energy minister who has become increasingly outspoken on net zero, told reporters: “If this is true, the decision will cost the UK jobs, inward investment, and future economic growth that could have been ours by committing to the industries of the future.

“It will potentially destabilise thousands of jobs and see investment go elsewhere. And ultimately, the people who will pay the price for this will be householders, whose bills will remain higher as a result of inefficient fossil fuels and being dependent on volatile international fossil fuel prices.

“Rishi Sunak still has time to think again and not make the greatest mistake of his premiership, condemning the UK to missing out on what can be the opportunity of the decade to deliver growth, jobs and future prosperity.”

Hannah Martin, a co-director of Green New Deal Rising, said: “Once again this government has shown that they are hell-bent on breaking their promises and doing nothing to stop climate chaos. Just weeks after the hottest summer on record, Rishi Sunak has decided to ignore science and stoke a culture war.

“Whilst global leaders are meeting to discuss how to tackle the climate crisis, he has stayed home to set fire to some of the only remaining climate policies this government had left.

“Not only will the UK miss out on the opportunity to create millions of good green jobs and secure our energy future, we will be once again seen as a laggard as we duck out of doing our fair share to tackle the biggest existential crisis we face.”

Greenpeace UK’s policy director, Doug Parr, said rowing back on such policies would only ensure “we stay at the mercy of volatile fossil fuels and exploitative energy companies”.

“The many scandals we face, like the cost of living, inequality, and the energy crisis, can be fixed with the same solutions we know will tackle the climate crisis. Sunak must explain how we will meet our net zero commitments by rowing back on all of the policies to get us anywhere near it.”

And Jess Ralston, head of energy at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said that backpedalling on energy efficiency would only leave the poorest with higher bills. “All of this would leave us more dependent on foreign oil and gas, less energy independent, and with investors spooked, putting jobs in the industries of the future in jeopardy,” she said.

A government spokesperson said: “The government remains completely committed to its net zero commitments, with the UK having cut emissions faster than any other G7 country. Our approach will always be pragmatic and ensure costs are not passed on to hard-working families.

“We will not comment on speculation.”

A grammar school in Devon is the latest to be confirmed as having been constructed using reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, known as RAAC. Colyton Grammar School, located in the village of Colyford in East Devon, has confirmed the areas affected in the school have been closed for safety.

Elliot Ball www.devonlive.com

RAAC has been deemed dangerous by the government due to its tendency to crumble. Overall, 174 education settings in England have been confirmed with Raac as of September 14.

A spokesperson for Colyton Grammar School said: “We can confirm the existence of RAAC in a small part of our estate, and the affected areas are now closed. We are working with the DfE and related experts to mitigate the issue and to minimise the impact on students’ learning.”

DevonLive has also contacted Colyton Grammar School for comment. Elsewhere, Petroc College, situated in both Barnstaple and Tiverton, has also been impacted by RAAC.

At the start of September, principal and chief executive Dr Sean Mackney confirmed there had been two areas of concern detected. Like Colyton Grammar School, both areas were closed off to students, staff and visitors.

Discussing the dangers of RAAC, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: “We are taking a cautious approach so every parent in England can be reassured their child is safe in their school. School and local leaders deserve huge credit for making sure the vast majority of settings with confirmed Raac are continuing to offer pupils face-to-face learning – including all of the 147 schools initially identified two weeks ago.

Liz Truss has been claiming from the £115,000-a-year public fund awarded to former prime ministers to run their offices, despite only serving for 49 days.

Sam Blewett www.independent.co.uk

Cabinet Office accounts released on Tuesday show that the Conservative MP claimed £23,310 in her first five months out of office.

It was understood she has continued to claim in the current financial year that started in April, but the sum will not be disclosed until next year’s report.

Ms Truss’s office declined to comment.

After she announced her resignation, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was among those arguing that Ms Truss should “turn it down” because of the brief time spent in No 10.

The Liberal Democrats’ Cabinet Office spokeswoman Christine Jardine urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to “do the right thing and stop Liz Truss from claiming taxpayers’ cash from the ex-PM fund”.

“It’s an outrage that while families struggle to pay their bills and put food on the table, Liz Truss profits from her own failure,” she said.

“If Liz Truss wants to cut tax she should lead by example and stop taking hardworking British taxpayers for a ride by claiming handouts.”

The Public Duty Cost Allowance affords former prime ministers up to £115,000 a year to cover office and secretarial costs arising from public duties.

Applicable costs including those for running an office, handling correspondence as an ex-PM and for support with visits.

Sir Tony Blair and Sir John Major were the only former leaders to claim the maximum amount in 2022/23, though Gordon Brown was close on £114,627.

Ms Truss’s chaotic tenure in No 10 ended on October 25 after losing the support of Tory MPs.

On Monday she defended her economic crisis-inducing mini-budget a year on from her chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng unveiling the £45 billion package of unfunded tax cuts.

She hit out at economists and “institutional bureaucracy” for her downfall as she hinted at further plans to intervene in Tory politics at the party conference next month.

The Cabinet Office accounts also detailed the total cost of Boris Johnson’s taxpayer-funded legal defence to the inquiry that found he lied to MPs over partygate.

The final cost was put at £263,079, in line with what the department had previously revealed.

The public spending watchdog questioned the decision to use taxpayers’ money for Mr Johnson’s lawyers.

National Audit Office chief Gareth Davies said he looked at the spending because while the amount was “not quantitatively material” in the wider scale of the Cabinet Office’s finances, there was “significant public interest as to whether these costs are a legitimate use of public money”.

He said the arguments put forward to justify the spending – including that similar legal support had been provided to ministers appearing before public inquiries – were not “wholly persuasive” and it was a “borderline” judgment.

This time he’s really talking rubbish! – Owl

Text of recent Facebook page from Paul Hayward, Independent Cllr, Deputy Leader EDDC. 

“You may have seen a recent post promoting the campaign of a certain local MP by a colleague in the same party which criticised the district council for low flytipping enforcement numbers.

The photos below (screenshots from relevant articles) go some way to explain why the statistics published by the MP (and shared without question) should be taken with a pinch of salt and read in the context of a forthcoming general election.

But, the facts are simple. Devon County Council refuses to permit trade waste disposal and recycling at its waste centres in East Devon. It levies some of the highest charges for household waste disposal of common household items. This is what causes fly-tipping. Devon County Council POLICY.

Not the authority that has to pick up the waste from laybys and streets, but gets virtually no money from DCC to do so. Not the farmers and landowners who have to pay to have flytipped material cleared from their private land.

It can be done differently but Councillors at DCC just stick their fingers in their ears and use the subject for electioneering- one might argue that they should have done something while they could instead of bleating about it now.

It can be done differently. Take Slough Borough Council. A builder can take their trade waste from a clients house to the tip. Their van is weighed in and weighed out. They pay a flat rate per tonne on the difference. They get a receipt and can give that to their client to get reimbursed. But, they don’t just dump it. No, they have to separate and recycle like everyone else. So, not only does Slough get paid for trade waste, they sell the tipped material for profit AND their fly-tipped rate is very low. Which means they save money too on the collection and disposal of fly-tipped waste. It’s a win-win-win. Because they provide the amenity for genuine builders, chippies, tilers, sparkys, plumbers, plasterers to use.

But Devon refuse to listen. Refuse to act. Refuse to help.

And so people take the law into their own hands under cover of darkness. We all pay the price of this rural blight and nuisance because the County Council is too insular, wooden and set in its ways to try a different approach. They’ve been asked multiple times, but they do NOTHING.

But, funnily enough, you don’t see the hopeful Tory candidate having a pop at the Tory run County Council. Strange huh?

It’s almost like they know that the problem is close to home, but they dare not rock the boat. The final photo also reveals that Government cuts (yes, a Tory government) are at the core of why local authorities down the line are struggling to cope).

Still, the facts speak for themselves.”

The Government has said it is continuing to engage with Birmingham City Council amid reports that Michael Gove is set to announce plans to appoint commissioners to take over the day-to-day running of the authority.

Matthew Cooper www.independent.co.uk 

Reports have also suggested that the council, which issued a Section 114 notice on September 5, effectively declaring it was bankrupt, may be forced to sell off assets, including its stake in Birmingham Airport.

The issuing of the notice, because the council will not be able to balance its budget in the next financial year, bans all new spending with the exception of “protecting vulnerable people, statutory services and pre-existing commitments”.

It is believed an announcement could be made by the Government as soon as Tuesday.

In a statement, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) said: “We continue to engage regularly with Birmingham City Council, as we have done in recent months, over the pressures it faces, including around its equal pay liability, and have expressed serious concern over its governance arrangements.

“We have requested written assurances from the leader of the council that any decision regarding the council’s issues over equal pay represents the best value for taxpayers’ money.”

National and local newspaper reports have suggested the flagship Library of Birmingham, the city’s Council House, the nearby Museum and Art Gallery, Aston Hall, and the Sarehole Mill Museum are all at risk of being sold off.

Speaking at the weekend, the leader of the Labour-run council, John Cotton, said he had met Mr Gove to discuss support for the council.

Mr Cotton told the BBC’s Politics Midlands programme: “It is clear we are facing a number of challenges in Birmingham so I would like to start by offering an apology on behalf of Birmingham City Council to the people of the city.

“I am apologising for the impact we know this has on citizens.

“We are having to review all of our council activity and look at where we make our spend, but my priority is that we continue focus on frontline service delivery, the things that matter most to the people of this city.”

The council has been grappling with an equal pay liability which has grown over several years.

It is now estimated to stand at around £1 billion and is increasing by millions of pounds per month.

It is also facing an in-year financial gap in its budget which is currently in the region of £87 million, and is having to spend around £100 million on fixing errors in the implementation of a new IT system.

Birmingham City Council declined to comment on the reports.

Sick children’s health problems are getting worse as record numbers wait up to 18 months for NHS care, doctors treating them have warned.

Denis Campbell www.theguardian.com 

The number of under-18s on the waiting list for paediatric care in England has soared to 423,500, the highest on record. Of those, 23,396 have been forced to wait over a year for their appointment.

Delays facing children and young people are now so common that Dr Jeanette Dickson, the chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, the body representing all UK doctors professionally, warned that children are “the forgotten casualties of the NHS’s waiting list crisis”.

Fewer than three-fifths (57%) of children are now seen within 18 weeks, even though NHS treatment targets say that 92% should be. The number on the waiting list has jumped by 52% since 2021.

“As a paediatrician, I’ve seen first hand the damaging impact that long waiting times have on children, on their education and overall wellbeing, and of course on their families,” said Dr Camilla Kingdon, the president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH).

The figures came from the RCPCH’s analysis of official performance data recently published by NHS England.

The health of some children was deteriorating while they languished on the waiting list because their illness and age meant they needed to have their treatment fast, Kingdon added. “Many treatments and interventions must be administered within specific age or developmental stages. No one wants to wait for treatment, but children’s care is frequently time-critical.”

She cited the example of children with serious hearing problems being harmed as a result of being forced to wait to have surgery to receive cochlear implants. “It’s critical for language development to get them in around a year of age,” she said.

“Waiting lists for radiology – because you usually need a general anaesthetic for good-quality pictures – mean that the pre-op work up is often delayed for months, plus surgery can be delayed by 10 to 12 months. So instead of doing it at 10 months of age, it’s done at 18-20 months. That’s a massive difference developmentally in terms of speech and language development.”

Under-18s were also facing long delays for community-based services, not just hospital care, added Kingdon, a consultant paediatrician in London. “I had a baby with an evolving cerebral palsy who desperately needed a special occupational therapy chair. This was a bright little boy of eight months who had every potential of making very good progress.

“Because he [was in] a neighbouring borough with very long therapy waiting lists, there was a six-month delay for getting the chair. Six months’ delay when you’re eight months old and wanting to sit but needing the extra support is an absolute disaster.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Cutting waiting lists is one of the government’s top five priorities and despite disruption from strikes, we have virtually eliminated 18-month waits and are taking immediate action to bring down long waits.

“We are improving support for children, young people, and their families by providing around £300m to fund a three-year Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, in 75 local authorities in England, and they are already making a difference by bringing together services and support for families with babies and children of all ages.”

Dickson and Kingdon voiced their fears as the academy published a new report into children’s health that criticised the government for ignoring young people’s needs when devising key health policies.

“All medical Royal College leaders are genuinely horrified at the current lack of emphasis on the health of children and young people. It’s as if they don’t exist,” said Dickson.

The report highlights the government’s controversial decision to publish a strategy covering a large number of major conditions, instead of having specific plans for each one. Although the strategy will replace several key child health plans, it mainly focuses on adult health.

The academy also criticises ministers for abandoning plans to tackle obesity, despite the growing number of school-age children who are dangerously overweight, and also for delaying publication of a vaccination strategy, even though take-up has declined across 13 of the 14 routine childhood vaccinations.

The report urges Rishi Sunak to create a cabinet-level minister for children and young people, offer free school meals to all primary school pupils, ramp up vaccination efforts, and expand mental health services for under-18s as part of a renewed drive to improve child health and prevent illness.

Dozens of Devon beaches hit with pollution alerts

Around 83% of Devon’s beaches could potentially be dangerous to swim in after 28 of them triggered a “sewage pollution alert” and 11 others have been handed a “pollution risk forecast or incident alert”. This is according to Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), who monitor water quality across 47 beaches in the county.

Elliot Ball www.devonlive.com

According to SAS, a pollution alert means “storm sewage has been discharged from a sewer overflow in this location within the past 48 hours”. Meanwhile, a “pollution risk forecast or incident alert” means there is potential for sewage to be in the area.

Beaches on both the south and north side of Devon are affected, including tourist hot spots Torquay, Salcombe and Exmouth. The main contributing factor to polluted beaches is urban runoff, which sees fertilizers, pesticides, oil, and untreated human and animal waste all entering waterways, such as rivers.

These harmful contaminants then eventually end up at our beaches. The contaminated water largely remains on the surface. This can make it dangerous to enter the water. According to Surf Today, some experts even suggest waiting 72 hours before entering the sea again after it rains.

Swallowing water that could be contaminated with fecal matter could lead to gastroenteritis, hepatitis, giardiasis, skin rashes, amoebic dysentery, nose, ear, and throat problems, pink eye, and other respiratory illnesses. Symptoms to look out for include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, inflamed stomach and intestines.

Devon beaches with pollution alerts or pollution forecasts

1. Seaton
2. Beer
3. Sidmouth Town
4. Ladram Bay (pollution risk forecast)
5. Budleigh Salterton
6. Sandy Bay
7. Exmouth
8. Dawlish Town
9. Dawlish Coryton Cove
10. Teignmouth Holcombe
11. Teignmouth Town (pollution risk forecast)
12. Shaldon
13. Meadfoot
14. Beacon Cove
15. Torre Abbey
16. Hollicombe (pollution risk forecast)
17. Paignton Preston Sands
18. Paignton Sands
19. Goodrington
20. St Marys Bay
21. Dartmouth Castle and Sugary Cove
22. Slapton Sands Torcross
23. Salcombe North Sands (pollution risk forecast)
24. Salcombe South Sands
25. Hope Cove
26. Thurlestone South
27. Bantham (pollution risk forecast)
28. Bigbury-on-Sea South (pollution risk forecast)
29. Challaborough (pollution risk forecast)
30. Mothecombe
31. Wembury (pollution risk forecast)
32. Plymouth Hoe East
33. Plymouth Hoe West
34. Plymouth Firestone Bay
35. Westward Ho!
36. Croyde Bay (pollution risk forecast)
37. Ilfracombe Hele (pollution risk forecast)
38. Combe Martin (pollution risk forecast)
39. Lynmouth

Coastal towns dominate league table for centenarians – as numbers in England and Wales top 13,900…

The number of centenarians in England and Wales has reached a new record high of nearly 14,000, with a striking map showing how coastal areas dominate the long life hotspots.

James Tapsfield www.dailymail.co.uk (Extract)

Some 13,924 had reached the milestone by the time of the 2021 census, up a quarter on a decade ago and a staggering increase from just 110 when the survey was conducted in 1921.

The oldest person was aged 112, according to the analysis released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

And the figures suggested that those with longer lifespans tend to be by the sea, with East Devon, Arun, the New Forest and North Norfolk among the places with the most centenarians relative to their populations.

Nine of the top 10 on that metric were in coastal areas.  

Some 13,924 people in England and Wales had reached age 100 by the time of the 2021 census, a staggering increase from just 110 when the survey was conducted in 1921.

Birmingham had the highest number of centenarians overall at 193, but was a long way down the table relative to population.

Six of the eight local authorities with fewer than 10 centenarians per 100,000 population were London boroughs, while Knowsley and Crawley both had nine. 

The census details underline the huge increases in life expectancy during the 20th Century, with numbers making it to 100 increasing sharply from the 1960s.

The growth has been attributed to advances in healthcare for the elderly, as well as public health measures improving air quality and working conditions.

At the time of the latest survey in 2021 there were 11,288 women and 2,636 men aged at least 100, reflecting the long-standing position that women tend to live longer.

Their average age was 101 years, one month and 2 weeks. 

Around the time of birth of these centenarians in 1921, life expectancy stood at 67.9 years for females and 61.2 years for males.

That meant they had outlived their anticipated lifespans by three or four decades, and experienced momentous events including women getting the vote, the Second World War, the introduction of the NHS and advent of television.

Strikingly, a quarter of the centenarians reported having good or very good health, and almost a third did not have a disability.  ….

• T1, Oak : reduce north and eastern aspect by 2m, maximum diameter of cut (MDC) 25mm; remove major hazardous deadwood. T2, Beech : reduce northern aspect by 2m, reduce 1x limb growing north east by 2.5m, MDC 25mm T3, Beech : reduce northern aspect by 2.5m, remove crossing limb on southern aspect back to source, remove limb growing west back to source, MDC 50mm. Remove major hazardous deadwood. T4, Oak : reduce northern aspect by 2m, MDC 40mm; remove major hazardous deadwood overhanging Burwood House only, inspect upper portion of northern canopy and remove snapped branch if appropriate. T5, Beech : reduce northern aspect by up to 2m, MDC 25mm. T6, Tulip Tree : remove northern stem back to source near ground level and crown reduce southern stem by 3m in height and lateral spread by 1.5m. Burwood House 7 Brackendown West Hill EX11 1NTRef. No: 23/1932/TRE | Validated: Fri 08 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T2. Field Maple : cut back top foliage in line with lower precut edge. T3, Oak : crown reduce by approximately 2m. T4, Cherry : dismantle in stages to near ground level (tree is crowding the garden). 2 Fulford Way Woodbury Devon EX5 1NZRef. No: 23/1927/TRE | Validated: Thu 07 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Bay: dismantle and fell to near ground level. Flat 1 5 Cyprus Road Exmouth Exmouth EX8 2DZRef. No: 23/1922/TCA | Validated: Wed 06 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1, Horse Chestnut: sectional feeling of the tree to leave as a ‘monolith’ at a height of 6m. Salcombe Lodge Sid Road Sidmouth EX10 9AHRef. No: 23/1923/TCA | Validated: Wed 06 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of rear single storey infill extension and first floor balcony Trelissa Courtlands Lane Exmouth Devon EX8 5ABRef. No: 23/1913/FUL | Validated: Wed 06 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• The erection of a private dwelling to the side of the existing property and proposed front porch and rear extension. 1 Millwey Avenue Axminster Devon EX13 5EHRef. No: 23/1910/FUL | Validated: Tue 05 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Certificate of Lawfulness for existing garage to new games room and infilling of existing opening with new door, window and brick work.28 Haydons Park Honiton EX14 2TARef. No: 23/1918/CPL | Validated: Thu 07 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Oak: reduce low exposed westerly branch back to first growth point approx 5-6 m distance from main stem, MDC 125mm . 18 Westbourne Terrace Budleigh Salterton Devon EX9 6BRRef. No: 23/1914/TRE | Validated: Tue 05 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• First floor rear extension Triphylla Cottage Membury EX13 7AFRef. No: 23/1916/FUL | Validated: Wed 06 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1, Holm Oak : crown lift on SE side above lane to 3.5m. T2, Holm Oak : fell as it is completely dead. Hay House Broadclyst EX5 3JLRef. No: 23/1895/TRE | Validated: Mon 04 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Prior notification for the change of use from office to a flat. Office 1 14 Seafield Road Seaton Devon EX12 2QSRef. No: 23/1898/PDMA | Validated: Thu 07 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Raised terrace to rear of the house 8 Brixington Drive Exmouth Devon EX8 4HJRef. No: 23/1906/FUL | Validated: Wed 06 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed new roof, incorporating dormer windows to North and South elevations. Insertion of a new double hung sash window in proposed West elevation 12 Harefield Cottages The Strand Lympstone Devon EX8 5EXRef. No: 23/1904/FUL | Validated: Thu 07 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1, dead goat willow – fell to ground level. Sanditon Station Road Sidmouth EX10 8LLRef. No: 23/1893/TCA | Validated: Mon 04 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Prior approval for a general purpose agricultural building Underdown Farm Upottery Devon EX14 9QRRef. No: 23/1886/AGR | Validated: Fri 08 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of a rear garden timber building set on a floating timber base (retrospective) 117 Hutchings Drive Tithebarn Exeter EX1 3UQRef. No: 23/1877/FUL | Validated: Tue 05 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Yew: fell. 2 Strawberry Hill Lympstone Devon EX8 5JZRef. No: 23/1885/TCA | Validated: Mon 04 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of single storey side extension, and two storey rear extension 45 Primley Road Sidmouth Devon EX10 9LFRef. No: 23/1883/FUL | Validated: Mon 04 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Holm Oak: reduce lateral spread of eastern aspect by approximately 3m. Leylandii Cypress: fell. Brook House Brook Road Budleigh Salterton Devon EX9 6AYRef. No: 23/1881/TCA | Validated: Mon 04 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1, Strawberry tree : re-shape to leave a more compact form to leave a height of approximately 3m and a spread of approximately 3m. T2, Albizzia julibrissin : shorten back long branches into the crown to a suitable side branch to lessen the likelihood of breaking. 4 West Terrace Budleigh Salterton Devon EX9 6LURef. No: 23/1879/TCA | Validated: Mon 04 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Loft conversion including front elevation dormer with cladding and balcony, creating a flat roof. 108 Exeter Road Exmouth Devon EX8 1QHRef. No: 23/1875/FUL | Validated: Thu 07 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1, T2 Lawson cypress (yellow) : dismantle to ground. T3, Cherry Tree : dismantle to ground. Silver Trees Redwood Road Sidmouth EX10 9ADRef. No: 23/1884/TCA | Validated: Tue 05 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Erection of single 3 storey Georgian style Townhouse, redevelopment of site, change of use to residential and demolition of The Beacon Vaults The Beacon Vaults Beacon Hill Exmouth EX8 1PBRef. No: 23/1872/FUL | Validated: Mon 04 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Tree 1, Turkish oak : removal of one 15cm x 10m long branch. Tree 2, Turkish Oak : remove 4 x branches of around 5cm wide x 6m long; plus, 1 low branch over hanging the public walkway – again around 5cm wide x 6m long. Tree 3, Turkish Oak : remove the very low branches resting on the fence /shed (around 5 branches @ 5cm wide x 2m long) 6 Park Way Exmouth EX8 3QGRef. No: 23/1853/TRE | Validated: Mon 04 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Dormer extension to rear of property, with cladding and north/west elevation side window. 20 Regents Gate Exmouth EX8 1TRRef. No: 23/1864/FUL | Validated: Mon 04 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed erection of a permanent rural workers dwelling, 2x proposed car port and installation of 28x solar panels on roof. Land South Of Dunsmore Farm Rewe Exeter EX5 4DXRef. No: 23/1849/FUL | Validated: Thu 07 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Infill existing archway at ground floor on front and rear elevation with glass and timber structure, rear glass arch to have double bi-fold doors and front to have double doors with fixed panels either side 1 The Stables Shute Devon EX13 7NYRef. No: 23/1835/FUL | Validated: Tue 05 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Replacement shop front and installation of 2no new UPVC windows to replace existing bay windows H Carter And Sons 50 High Street Budleigh Salterton EX9 6LJRef. No: 23/1829/FUL | Validated: Mon 04 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Variation of condition No. 13 (approved plans) of planning permission 22/0650/VAR to allow for revised external finishes. Land At The Old Coachouse Widworthy EX14 9JSRef. No: 23/1819/VAR | Validated: Tue 05 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed single storey storage unit Lower Woodmanton Farm Woodmanton Woodbury Exeter EX5 1HGRef. No: 23/1795/FUL | Validated: Fri 08 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Erection of a general purpose agricultural building Blackenfields Farm Luppitt Devon EX14 4UBRef. No: 23/1770/AGR | Validated: Thu 07 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolition of converted garage and construction of single dwelling with driveway. 74A Byron Way Exmouth Devon EX8 5SARef. No: 23/1684/FUL | Validated: Thu 07 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Outline planning permission with all matters reserved for the construction of three new detached dwelling houses Paradise Barn Site Church Road Colaton Raleigh EX10 0LWRef. No: 23/1678/OUT | Validated: Thu 07 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed loft conversion, dormer on north elevation with weather boarding, and south elevation roof window 36 Berry Close Exmouth Devon EX8 2PTRef. No: 23/1667/FUL | Validated: Thu 07 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Removal of existing 25.7m lattice mast and associated compound and installation of replacement base station including 30m lattice sharable mast, addition of 6no. new cabinets and retention of cabinets and fencing. Installation of 2no headframes to be mounted to the top of the mast which will host 12no. antenna and 4no. 600mm dishes. Telecommunications Mast ShuteRef. No: 23/1656/TEL | Validated: Mon 04 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of 2 storey rear extension, replacement of single storey link extension on North Elevation and raising of chimney. Dirks Garden Birchill Axminster EX13 7LFRef. No: 23/1636/FUL | Validated: Fri 08 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of 2 storey rear extension, replacement of single storey link extension on North Elevation and raising of chimney. Rethatching of main house and outbuilding, internal and external alterations and repairs, and replacement of all windows. Dirks Garden Birchill Devon EX13 7LFRef. No: 23/1637/LBC | Validated: Fri 08 Sep 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision

According to widespread reports, including www.politico.eu, Truss is set to make an appearance at next month’s Tory party conference.

She is widely expected to play a role in the contest for control of the Conservative Party should Rishi Sunak lose the next election. A government official said she has been seeking to establish links with prospective candidates and tapping up potential allies. A person close to Truss tells Esther: “She’s already been reselected and very much hopes to be reelected next year and to play her part in debates inside the Conservative Party and in the Westminster sphere.”

Where does this leave Simon Jupp?

Remember Simon Jupp lost no time a year ago in joining “Team Truss”, despite having followed his old mentor Dominic Raab in backing Sunak, saying:

“I have been appointed a Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. It’s an unpaid, non-ministerial role. With a new PM, there’s a lot to cover – including levelling up, national planning policy, overseeing local government, and introducing more devolution with deals being discussed in Devon and Cornwall. As your MP, East Devon will of course come first.”

As Owl commented at the time: emphasising growth through investment zone tax breaks rather than long-term investment in the infrastructure we are all crying out for; and deregulation across the board to encourage “build,build, build” housing development at all costs were Truss’ priorities at the time.

Well it all ended in tears after she and Kwarteng crashed the economy, leaving us with a shattered economy and a colossal bill.

Simon Jupp, ever the opportunist, jumped ship to Sunak. 

“I accepted a position in government because I wanted it to work. Unfortunately, it didn’t.

“Rishi Sunak has already set out his stall to the nation. He’s got the experience needed to lead the nation and the knowledge to restore economic credibility.

“I’m backing Rishi Sunak for PM.”

And was again duly rewarded within a month as a PPS to the Secretary for State for Transport, though this is a significantly more “junior” ministry, see order of precedence.

Time for more fizz with Lizz?

Perhaps Simon will share his thoughts “going forwards” with us on social media? – Owl

.

How many ghosts haunt the Tory party?

The failed UK prime minister is still fighting for her economic agenda — and her legacy.

Esther Webber www.politico.eu 

LONDON — Her term in office was famously shorter-lived than a salad vegetable. But that doesn’t mean Liz Truss is ready to admit she was wrong.

A year on from the pivotal event of her doomed premiership — the ill-fated “mini-budget which sent U.K. financial markets into a tailspin — one might expect the former British prime minister to mark the anniversary in silence … or perhaps in hiding. 

Not Liz Truss. On Monday Truss will try to take ownership of the narrative with a high-profile speech in Westminster to mark the anniversary, defending her economic record and setting out a “vision” for faster growth.

Truss will insist her tax-cutting policies, had they been fully implemented, would have triggered significant investment into the U.K. and sparked long-term improvements to economic growth — and only had to be junked due to intense pressure from “the political and economic establishment.”

“I was effectively forced into a policy reversal under the threat of a U.K. meltdown,” she will say. “The policies I advocate simply aren’t fashionable on the London dinner party circuit.”

Monday’s anniversary-week speech is just the latest act of defiance from a former PM who has stubbornly refused to be sidelined by the collapse of her own political career.

This month Truss also announced she’s writing a book on foreign policy, and has launched her own Westminster think tank, the Growth Commission, to advocate her policy platform.

A fighter, not a quitter

If Truss appears strangely undeterred by her disastrous spell in Downing Street, it comes as little surprise to those who have followed her career over the last 13 years. 

“She was able to rise to the top of the party because she has the skin of a rhino,” says James Heale, a journalist for Tory bible the Spectator, who co-authored her biography, Out of the Blue.

Indeed, Truss’ peculiar ability to shrug off setbacks can be traced to the earliest stages of her career.

She only ascended to high office after enduring a series of bitter and highly personal fights, from her battle to win a parliamentary seat in the late 2000s — against a local Tory faction in rural England which allies dubbed “the Turnip Taliban” — to her determination to relaunch herself after being demoted from the Cabinet in 2017.

“She’s very busy, very focused, very driven,” Kwasi Kwarteng, her friend and former Chancellor, told POLITICO’s Westminster Insider podcast this month. “She’s not been one to hang around and reflect. She charges ahead.”

David Jones, a long-serving Conservative MP who backed her for leader last year, added: “As she said at her last PMQs [Prime Minister’s Questions], she’s a fighter not a quitter. She will simply continue.”

Not all Truss’ fellow Conservatives regard this as a strength.

One former MP who worked alongside her in government described her as “really lacking in EQ [emotional intelligence], the way she goes about things.”

Underpinning Truss’ stubbornness is her commitment to an ideological project which she clearly sees as unfinished. 

In the domestic arena, she still wants to push deregulation and tax cuts as a path to higher growth, and on foreign policy, she argues the West must take a far more muscular approach in dealing with China. 

The last laugh?

Truss’ determination to intervene on these core issues will only be strengthened by her belief, shared by some in the Tory party, that she largely has been proven right — particularly in her analysis of the U.K.’s economic woes.

One ally of Truss remarked that “the first draft of history, as written last autumn, will be looked at as having been overly harsh.” They noted that her diagnosis of failures by the Bank of England and the pensions regulator have since gained wider traction.

“Clearly, she’s concerned about the lack of policies for growth,” added Jones. “I don’t think there’s any doubt at all that we do need to stimulate growth, and that’s something that needs to be grasped.”

Certainly, Truss’ intense focus on economic growth has become more fashionable since she left office. The issue is being trumpeted as a priority not only by some of Truss’ fellow Conservatives, but also by Labour leader Keir Starmer, who used a speech this summer to insist “growth, growth, growth” should be the focus of the nation.

Others in the party think she is claiming too much credit for a fairly unremarkable point, and that her frequent public interventions do the Tories more harm than good.

“If politics was just about having the right idea, then professors would be politicians,” said a second former colleague of Truss.

“Every time she says anything conspicuous, the public is reminded that Liz Truss was prime minister and that it wasn’t some sort of fever dream. We should be trying to push that further into the past.”

Never give in

The public seems to agree. In a survey by YouGov this month, 81 percent said she had done badly as prime minister, including 80 percent of Conservative voters.

Yet Truss shows no signs of letting up. 

She is set to make an appearance at next month’s Conservative Party conference, where she has long been a popular figure among the libertarian grassroots. The presence of a controversial ex-PM is unlikely to boost the chances of a drama-free gathering in Manchester. 

And she’s widely expected to play a role in the contest for control of the Conservative Party if they lose the next election. A government official said Truss has already been seeking to establish links with prospective Tory candidates, tapping up potential allies for the future.

The same Truss ally quoted above said the 48-year-old former leader has no intention of walking away from politics next year.

“She’s already been reselected (as a Tory MP) and very much hopes to be re-elected next year, and to play her part in debates inside the Conservative Party and in the Westminster sphere.” 

Indeed, Truss recently told the Mail on Sunday she “will not rest” until Britain undergoes the radical economic change she wants to see. There is no reason to doubt that she means it.

Aggie Chambre contributed reporting.

Liz Truss will use a speech tomorrow (18 September) to defend decisions made during her short-lived tenure in Downing Street and call on Rishi Sunak to cut taxes and shrink welfare spending.

Eleanor Langford inews.co.uk 

One year on from her infamous “mini-budget”, which sparked an economic crisis and ultimately led to her reisgnation, Ms Truss will claim that the UK would be in a better economic position today if Rishi Sunak had continued her policies.

In a speech at the Institute for Government, the former prime minister will also urge her successor to embrace free market ideologies, and ditch some green commitments amid cost-of-living pressures on voters.

Ms Truss will claim that “25 years of economic consensus” have caused the UK to experience a “period of stagnation”.

She will blame Britain’s poor growth in recent decades on a shift from free-market capitalist economics to a “corporatist social democracy”, and is set to argue that Conservatives have allowed the “left to frame the economic debate for the last quarter of a century”.

The former PM will argue that she “sought to take on this consensus to try and get the British economy on a better trajectory” during her stint in No 10 through tax cuts, supply-side reform and freezing public spending.

She will claim Mr Sunak’s Government has spent £35 billion more than she would have as prime minister, arguing that if the policies included in her growth plan had been followed, growth would have eventually been higher.

“[Centre for Economics and Business Research] analysis at the time suggested that if the policies had been kept in place, GDP growth would have been 2 per cent higher than otherwise by 2030, and investment would be up 10 per cent and could even have been stronger,” Ms Truss will say.

“This would have been even greater in the longer term. The 20-year GDP impact is normally three to four times bigger. And we can see from evidence on the ground the impact the policies would have had.”

Her staunch defence of her economic approach has been criticised by opposition parties, with Labour calling on Mr Sunak to block her resignation honours list.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth criticised reports that up to 14 people “who crashed the economy, who left millions to pay more for their mortgage and who undermined our economic institutions could receive an award”.

He said suggestions that Mr Sunak would be following convention by approving her list showed “weak leadership and lack of grip over your own party”.

Commenting on Ms Truss’s speech, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper MP said: “Liz Truss giving a speech on economic growth is like an arsonist giving a talk on fire safety.

“The Conservatives blew a hole in the nation’s finances, added hundreds of pounds to people’s mortgages and are still fighting like rats in a sack as our economy flatlines.

Her party has also called on the government to strip her of the annual allowance which can be claimed ex-PMs towards office costs and security measures.

“Allowing Truss continued access to this taxpayers’ cash is a slap in the face for every family still suffering the consequences of her disastrous economic experiment,” Ms Cooper added.

Senior government officials spoke to Buckingham Palace at the height of the pandemic to express their concern about Boris Johnson’s conduct in office, the BBC has been told.

By Laura Kuenssberg www.bbc.co.uk

Officials even discussed suggesting to the Queen she raise the concerns with Mr Johnson during private audiences.

The revelation comes in episode two of the BBC documentary series, Laura Kuenssberg: State of Chaos.

It explores the turmoil in Westminster and Whitehall over four years.

Based on interviews with key players at the top of government, the series covers the period between 2016 and the departure of Liz Truss as prime minister in 2022.

In May 2020, as the government was grappling with the pandemic, there were significant tensions between Mr Johnson’s political team and the Civil Service.

Now, sources have revealed that senior officials expressed their fears about the former prime minister’s conduct in government to Buckingham Palace.

There were a number of clashes between Dominic Cummings, the former prime minister’s controversial chief of staff, and the head of the Civil Service, who subsequently left, Sir Mark Sedwill.

It’s understood officials expressed their worries to the Palace in the hope the Queen could raise concerns in her private conversations.

It’s understood there were a number of phone calls and communications over and above routine communication between Number 10 and the Palace.

One source said the then-prime minister “had to be reminded of the constitution”.

Another source described the atmosphere in Downing Street during that period as “utterly grim, and totally crazy”, saying relationships had been “just toxic” and the links between Mr Johnson’s team and the Civil Service “broke down”.

There had already been worries at Buckingham Palace about Mr Johnson’s government’s behaviour after the Commons had been kept closed the previous summer – the so-called “prorogation” in 2019 which had been technically carried out by the Queen.

That move that was subsequently judged by the Supreme Court to have broken the law. A source has told the BBC that raised “acute concern”.

Speaking in the documentary, the former deputy cabinet secretary, Helen MacNamara, refused to discuss the calls to Buckingham Palace.

“There were definitely times after the prime minister came back from his illness [he contracted Covid and required hospital treatment] when the kind of the perception amongst the political team at Number 10 about the failings of the system and the failings of the Civil Service and the failings of different institutions, it was just so extreme the way that they were articulating that, they were in absolutely kind of smash everything up, shut it all down, start again… we were systematically in real trouble,” she said.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment.

Kwasi Kwarteng has said Liz Truss was “not wired” to be prime minister, as the former chancellor turned on his old boss on the anniversary of their mini-Budget disaster.

Adam Forrest www.independent.co.uk

It comes as it emerged a radical “flat tax” that would have seen all workers pay only 20 per cent was considered for their autumn statement which sparked economic and political turmoil.

One year on from Ms Truss’s spree of unfunded tax cuts, the former PM is set to launch an astonishing attack on Rishi Sunak’s government – claiming it has spent £35bn more than she would have if she had remained at No 10.

The short-lived premier will use a speech on Monday to defend her time in charge, nearly a year on from the ill-fated mini-Budget that helped end her premiership after only six weeks.

In his most frank interview yet, Mr Kwarteng questioned Ms Truss’s temperament and claimed she would have “blown up” something – even if the pair had escaped the mess of the autumn statement.

“I love her dearly, she’s a great person, very sincere and honest,” he told the Telegraph’s political editor in a new book. “But if it hadn’t been the mini-Budget, she would have blown up on something else.”

The former chancellor added: “I just don’t think her temperament was right. She was just not wired to be a prime minister.”

Mr Kwarteng revealed in a new book by Ben Riley-Smith, The Right to Rule, that he thought his sacking by Ms Truss only six days before her own exit was “completely insane”.

Summoned to her office after a trip to Washington DC amid economic turmoil, Ms Truss was said to be in tears at having to fire him. “They’re going to come after you now,” Mr Kwarteng said.

He added: “They’re going to ask you: If you’ve sacked him for doing what you campaigned on, why are you still there?”

Told Jeremy Hunt was going to replace him, Mr Kwarteng fumed: “Hunt?! He’s going to reverse everything!” Before leaving he told the PM: “You’ve got three weeks.”

It also emerged that the Truss government considered a radically right-wing proposal for a flat tax on income of 20 per cent, submitted by the then business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg. The idea was reportedly referred to as “full Estonia” by senior Tories – but was rejected by Mr Kwarteng.

Despite a fresh round of scrutiny and criticism of the mini-Budget, Ms Truss is set to defend her ideas at a speech at the Institute for Government and criticise Mr Sunak’s economic policy.

Ms Truss will reportedly point out that under her plans £18.4bn would have been saved in 2023-24, with another £17.1bn in 2024-25.

She will claim the PM was wrong to put more into public services since taking office and will say she wanted to save money by increasing benefits with wages rather than the higher rate of inflation.

“Even those modest savings did not command the support of the parliamentary party,” Ms Truss is expected to say. “It is a very serious issue for those of us who want to see smaller government that currently making significant changes to spending simply doesn’t have enough political support.”

The comments are set to spark another round of infighting, with some on the Tory right keen to see spending cuts to pay for tax reductions.

Andy Street, the influential Tory mayor of the West Midlands, warned Mr Sunak against the idea of a real-terms cut to benefits – thought to be under consideration. He told The Observer a rise in line with inflation “has to happen again because that’s a real symbol”.

Meanwhile, Labour said Britain’s homeowners have taken a hit of more than £300bn in the year since the Truss mini-Budget.

The party pointed to a fall of around 5 per cent in house prices since September 2022, saying it meant UK households have seen £336bn wiped off the value of their property in the last year.

Pat McFadden, shadow Cabinet Office minister, said families continued to suffer “thanks to Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng’s disastrous casino economics”.

Rishi Sunak is seen as less competent on economic affairs than most recent Conservative prime ministers, according to the latest Opinium poll for the Observer.

But read on for the “good news”! – Owl

Michael Savage www.theguardian.com 

The prime minister has made reducing inflation one of his key priorities, as well as reducing debt and avoiding a recession. Much of his pitch has been on his economic management skills as a former chancellor.

Sunak ranks below David Cameron, Theresa May and Boris Johnson, with only 27% thinking that his Conservatives are handling the economy well. Some 60% think they are handling it poorly. He ranks higher than Liz Truss, whose leadership imploded after her disastrous mini-budget. A large majority (78%) think her party performed poorly, 10% that they did well.

The poll reveals significant economic concerns. Half (48%) of voters think the UK economy will worsen over the next 12 months, with 22% thinking it will get better. Only 20% think their personal finances will improve.

General economic worries are widespread. Three in four (77%) worry about the state of the economy generally, 59% about interest rate rises and 82% about inflation and the cost of living.

Overall, Labour maintains a strong lead over the Tories ahead of a crucial party conference season. Keir Starmer’s party leads by 15 points, with 41% of the vote compared to 26% for the Tories. Sunak’s approval ratings have fallen further, to -30% net. Starmer remains the preferred choice for prime minister among voters, with 29% choosing him and 23% opting forSunak. A larger proportion pick neither leader (38%).

Adam Drummond, head of political and social research at Opinium, said: “There remain no signs of a Conservative turnaround in the polls, with Labour on a 15-point lead. Looking ahead to the next election, voters most want to see the Conservative government focus on cutting NHS waiting times and cutting inflation. Despite these being two of the five pledges Rishi Sunak made earlier in the year, the public remain sceptical of his government being able to do so, with around half of voters thinking these are unachievable under his government.”

Opinium polled 2,051 people online from 13-15 September. Results have been weighted to be politically and nationally representative.

Britain’s homeowners have taken a hit of more than £300bn in the year since Liz Truss’s disastrous mini-Budget, according to new analysis.

Adam Forrest www.independent.co.uk

This week marks the first anniversary of the calamitous spree of unfunded tax cuts launched by the then-PM and her chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, which sparked market turmoil.

Labour claimed that the pair’s “casino economics” had caused ongoing damage to the housing market which “inaction man” Rishi Sunak had failed to fix.

The party pointed to a fall of around 5 per cent in house prices since September 2022 – saying it meant UK households have seen £336bn wiped off the value of their property in the last year.

The average monthly mortgage payment is up by £220 since a year ago, Bank of England figures show, as hard-pressed families struggle to cope with the burden of higher interest rates during the cost of living crisis.

There has been frustration for first-time buyers and those looking to move house, with official figures showing that mortgage approvals have fallen by 40 per cent since the mini-Budget.

Halifax has said house prices have fallen by 4.6 per cent over the past year, while Nationwide puts the drop at 5.3 per cent. Experts have warned the slump could continue until 2025.

Pat McFadden, Labour’s shadow Cabinet Office minister, said families continued to suffer “thanks to Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng’s disastrous casino economics”.

He added: “Rishi Sunak, the ‘inaction man’ prime minister, is no better, allowing himself to be trapped by divisions in the Tory party and failing to solve the problems facing the country.”

Ms Truss was booted out of No 10 by her own party in late October last year – only six weeks after winning the leadership contest and succeeding Boris Johnson.

Failure to balance the books at the mini-Budget led to market panic, a falling pound and rising interest rates. The Bank of England was forced into emergency action to save pension funds close to collapse.

In interviews since leaving, Ms Truss has largely blamed Whitehall officials for the economic turmoil sparked by her mini-Budget – saying no one told her about the risk to pension funds.

She expressed some remorse about trying to abolish the 45p top rate of tax for the wealthy – a move she was forced abandoned after an outcry from her own MPs – saying she may have been “trying to fatten the pig on market day”.

Labour has attacked Mr Sunak for scrapping binding housebuilding targets. But the Tories have accused Sir Keir of turning from a “builder to a blocker” after Labour peers defeated government plans to axe water pollution rules in a bid to boost housebuilding.

Commenting on Labour analysis, Treasury minister John Glen said Sir Keir had “no plan to tackle the big issues facing the country”.

“Sir Keir Starmer would take the easy way out with his £28bn a year borrowing spree, leading to higher inflation and higher mortgage rates,” the Tory minister added.

“Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives are focused on providing immediate relief to families and on their priorities. That is why we will halve inflation, grow the economy and reduce debt, building a stronger economy for the future.”