Progress on the Conservative’s promise to build 40 new hospitals has been put to the Prime Minister by a Devon MP. The pledge was in the 2019 Conservative election manifesto and has been repeated many times by Boris Johnson. When, the pledge was first made – many would have assumed that it referred to brand new hospitals, adding to overall hospital capacity.

But in August 2021, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) sent out guidance to NHS trusts on “key media lines” to use when responding to questions about the pledge. It defined a “new” hospital in three ways: A whole new hospital on a new site or current NHS land, a major new clinical building on an existing site or a new wing of an existing hospital, a major refurbishment and alteration of all but the building frame or main structure.

At Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, February 22, Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton & Honiton, Richard Foord said: Of the 40 promised new hospitals referred to by my right hon. Friend the Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Ed Davey), 11 are in the south-west of England. Three of them—in Barnstaple, Dorchester and Taunton—surround my constituency, but none has planning permission. It has been reported that staff at Eastbourne District General Hospital were told that their town would not get a new hospital, and that it was a “barefaced lie”. Given that the Prime Minister claims his mandate rests on a manifesto that promised 40 new hospitals, when will we see them?”

In response, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “The Government are committed to building 40 new hospitals as part of the new hospital programme. In the south-west, eight out of the 11 schemes do have full outline planning permission approved, and the remaining three schemes would not be expected to have planning permission at this stage, due to when they are due to be delivered. We are working with the trust to go through that process, so everything is on track, and we will bring those hospitals to the people in the south-west.”

Speaking afterwards, Mr Foord said: “People across the West Country feel let down by the dire state of our local health services. It’s clear that we need change and fast. This Government is failing our NHS and local health services up and down the country.

“For too long towns and villages across our region have been taken for granted; ambulance crews are stretched to breaking point, local GPs and dentists are under immense pressure, and A&E waiting times are leaving patients waiting hours for urgent care.

“In North Devon the choice at the next election is clear, 4 more years of Conservative failure or Ian Roome who will be a local champion for the area and stand up for the issues people are facing. People who know Ian will know his great track record on that front.”

Commenting on the lack of progress on the new hospital promised to North Devon in 2019, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate Ian Roome said: “Families right across our area are worried sick about the state of our local health services. We need change.

“For too long North Devon has been taken for granted. Ambulance response times are amongst the worst in the country, GPs are under immense pressure and A&E wait times are often out of hand.

“While our NHS staff continue to work extremely hard, the Conservatives and their delegate in North Devon have let the NHS crisis spiral out of control. Now, they’re failing to deliver the new hospitals they promised and making people wait hours for an ambulance or months for urgent cancer treatment.”

“No doubt they’ll show us a pretty picture or a complex chart. But what they won’t show us is our new hospital, because they can’t – it simply doesn’t exist.”

Selaine Saxby, MP for North Devon, said: “If the local Lib Dems and the temporary MP for Tiverton and Honiton actually spoke and worked with our NHS Trust, they would be aware of their ambitious plans for redevelopment as part of the New Hospitals Programme (NHP) that is supported by the Department of Health and Social Care.

“The Trust submitted its Strategic Outline Case (SOC) for the NHP investment in July 2021. The case describes a vision for North Devon District Hospital (NDDH) with facilities capable of providing modern and digitally connected care to meet the healthcare needs of the local population. The redevelopment plans also include significantly improved health and wellbeing facilities at NDDH, which will support the Trust’s aims to attract staff and become a great place to work.

“The SOC outline a phased approach to development, to allow the Trust to be flexible and responsive. NDDH has a track record which demonstrates that it delivers quickly and makes the best use of national capital funding when it becomes available for estate redevelopment – recent examples include the new modular ‘Jubilee’ ward for planned orthopaedic surgery to help address waiting lists, built using Elective Recovery Fund money, and the recent diagnostic developments, including a new CT scanner suite.

“The SOC describes an estates solution to a digitally enabled future model of care. Phase 0 of the programme was investment into a shared electronic patient record that is the platform for our merged Trust to deliver patient modern care that empowers patients. This launched in North Devon in July 2022, making NDDH one of the first hospitals within the NHP to implement this mew system.

The SOC indicated a build window of 2025-2027 with enabling works in 2024. The Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England’s central programme team continue to work closely with Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust on the development of their scheme. To date, Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has received £14.6million in funding for their scheme, £10million of which funded the implementation of a new digital system, including the roll out of electronic patient records across the whole of Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

“The Trust has received wider capital funding, including £19.6million from our Elective Recovery Targeted Investment Fund announced in September 2021 for estate works and digital initiatives, as well as £6.7million in 2020-21 and £10.7million in 2021-22 from the A&E upgrades scheme.”

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Persimmon warns on profits after economic turmoil hit the housing market

Developers usually blame delays in the planning system – this time it’s Liz Truss’ Mini Budget. – Owl

Joanna Hodgson www.standard.co.uk

Persimmon has warned that the turbulent housing market in the months after the fallout from the mini-Budget will result in profits and completions being “down markedly” in 2023.

The FTSE 100 housebuilding giant gave the update as it posted results that showed its current forward order book is worth about £1.5 billion, down substantially on the £2.2 billion recorded a year earlier.

Persimmon said: “Given the economic turmoil resulting from the “mini budget” in September 2022 and the adverse impact it has had on the UK housing market the group’s forward order book, including legal completions taken so far in 2023, is circa 30% weaker year on year.”

Total home sales completed increased to 14,868 last year from 14,551, but Persimmon warned that could tumble to 8,000 to 9,000 in 2023 if the current selling rates continue.

Chief executive Dean Finch said: “Sales rates seen over the last five months mean completions will be down markedly this year and as a consequence, so will margin and profits. However, it is too early to provide firm guidance.”

The order book fall partly came after a strong comparison year, with a housing boom during the pandemic as buyers sought more space and a change of scenery. But the decline also reflects the wider slowdown.

The industry has been under pressure since September, when higher interest rates added to mortgage costs. On top of that consumer finances have been hit from the cost of living crisis, and house prices are expected to fall this year.

Persimmon said sales rates have improved in the first eight weeks of the year, although the level is significantly below the same period a year earlier.

Finch said: “Looking further ahead, the fundamentals underpinning demand for new homes remain strong.” However, he added that market remains uncertain.

Pre-tax profit fell to £730.7 million from £966.8 million last year, reflecting money set aside for potential building safety remediation works.

Richard Hunter, head of markets at Interactive Investor, said: “Persimmon has ground out a creditable performance considering the challenges of the last year, although the current outlook is rather more troubling.”

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Cllr Mike Allen accused of bullying council officers at a school event in Honiton has denied the claims.

Registered village greens are protected from encroachment and development. But “development” for the better enjoyment of the green for sports and pastimes is permitted.

If this tree planting was the result of a local consultation, and a planned event, why did Cllr Mike Allen wait until the last moment to object and intervene if he thought he had grounds to do so, taking the law into his own hands?

Was this really the right time and place to do it? In front of children?

It is not unusual to have trees on village greens. For example, the small registered Otterton village green is covered by mature chestnut trees. – Owl

East Devon District Councillor is accused of bullying – but vehemently denies it

honiton.nub.news

Cllr Mike Allen is not a member of Honiton Town Council, but Cllr Jake Bonetta is.

They were due to attend a community event that involved primary school children planting trees at Littletown Green in Honiton.

In a statement read out at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday [ 1 March], Cllr Bonetta claimed he saw Cllr Allen ripping up bamboo shoots and displaying threatening and abusive behaviour towards council officers.

“When I turned up, I was astounded and shocked to see one of our own councillors, Mike Allen, and a member of the public, ripping prepared bamboo sticks out of the ground and throwing them to the side,” he said.

“Not only was Cllr Allen uprooting these bamboo shoots, but he was protesting against the planned works and arguing directly with council staff and myself about the plans.

“As well as this, Cllr Allen was taking photos of the situation and threatening to take further photos of the trees being planted by these children.

“As my four active DBS checks, safeguarding training and experience as a designated safeguarding lead for a not-for-profit has taught me, threatening to take unpermitted photos of kids, whether in an open and public setting or not, is a serious breach of safeguarding responsibilities – on which we have just received mandatory training by the council.”

Cllr Allen vehemently denies the accusations, insisting that he never displayed any threatening behaviour towards anyone. He claims he was calmly trying to prevent work taking place on a protected green.

“This Green was legally granted protection against the wishes of East Devon District Council about 13 years ago,” he said.

“The field had been marked out with bamboo sticks about one metre long and I picked some out and threw them onto the ground as I approached the group of three. I passed by after being told off for pulling up the canes and continued to walk away.

“Town greens must not be dug over or despoiled and have a range of legal protections that were being ignored. I had no intention of bullying anyone, I simply walked to the group and then on past carrying on my protest.

“No children were in the field, nobody was threatened, no voices were raised. Cllr Bonetta joined us later, by which time the two officers had notified their managers who had decided to call off the plantings. The schoolchildren never came near the town green.”

Cllr Allen said that he was taking pictures of digging tools in case he would need them for legal reasons, and never threatened to take pictures of children.

“I am DBS checked and would never threaten or photograph children,” he said. “My little dog Barney and I are well known and trusted by the local residents, children and parents.”

Cllr Allen also said that Cllr Bonetta’s accusations are part of a political game in the run-up to the elections.

The incident ultimately meant that the tree planting activity could not go ahead.

Upon hearing of the allegations, Cllr Paul Hayward (Independent East Devon Alliance, Yarty) called on Conservative leader Cllr Philip Skinner (Tale Vale) to remove Cllr Allen from the party.

“Withdraw the whip from Cllr Allen,” he said at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday [1 March]. “Kick him out of your party and show that you will not tolerate this sort of abhorrent member behaviour. He’s gone too far.

“You need to act and bring Cllr Allen to bear.”

Cllr Skinner will now review both versions of events before making a decision.

“I would see no reason to be withdrawing the whip and I take umbrage to other members of other parties asking me to do so until I’ve got all the facts in front of me,” he said.

“There’s always two sides to every story, so I need to understand what that is first and then we’ll see where we go from there.”

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Breaking news Cllr Mike Allen accused of “disrupting” tree planting

Leader of Tory group Cllr Philip Skinner is asked to withdraw the whip from him.

The story broke at last night’s Cabinet meeting when a statement was read by a member of EDDC staff from Cllr Jake Bonetta (who was unable to attend).

This statement described what happened yesterday morning at a planned tree planting occasion attended by school children, councillors and council officials.

Cllr Bonetta alleges that he, and others, witnessed Cllr Allen, and someone else, removing the trees and planting stakes that had been prepared for the occasion.

As a result the formal tree planting had to be abandoned.

Cllr Bonetta considers this to be “abhorrent” behaviour on the part of Clle Allen and will consider what further formal action he can take.

In response to the statement, Cllr Paul Haward, Deputy Leader, called on Cllr Philip Skinner to withdraw the tory whip from Cllr Allen and “kick him out of the party”. (Cllr Skinner was not present but Cllr Ton Wright offered to transmit the statement to him).

Ironically only a week ago at full council, the council agreed to a motion put forward by Cllr Allen for councillors to show “civility and respect”.

Watch the relevant section on the EDDC Youtube channel between approx 17 mins and 23 mins

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Cllr Mike Allen to quit in May “in a huff”

He claims a lack of democracy after he and Cllr Philip Skinner lost a completely superfluous motion they put forward at last week’s full council to restart local plan consultation when the whole exercise has been put on hold.

The purpose seemed designed to allow a whipped Tory group to shed crocodile tears over what development would be needed to meet Tory “ Build, buld, build” targets. Targets that Cllrs Skinner and Allen have enthusiastically supported in the past.

It looks as if this was the last straw for Cllr Mike Howe, who resigned from the Tory Group immediately after this debate. At one point Mike Howe was seen holding his head in his hands.

Cllr Allen will not be a loss to democracy – Owl

Mike Allen will leave in May

www.radioexe.co.uk

A councillor in East Devon is qutting in May because of what he claims is a lack of democracy.

The decision by Cllr Mike Allen (Conservative, Honiton St Michael’s) comes after the local authority chose not to revisit a previous consultation phase of the local plan, a document which sets out planning policies and possible locations for development.

The government’s delayed announcement on its own policies has halted progress for East Devon on selecting new areas for housing and infrastructure.

The council has been putting its ideas for its new local plan to the public, but had faced criticism over the handling of a recent online consultation.

Some residents reported that they encountered technical difficulties, so were unable to put their views across. Others, however, completed it without issue.

As a result, Cllr Allen asked the council to revisit the consultation, but this request was denied on the grounds that it did not have the resources to go back and re-do it.

Mr Allen felt that this was not a good enough reason not to begin the process again. “The only thing that they said, despite the errors, was that it was going to be too costly to re-do it,” he said. “If it’s wrong, it’s wrong, and if a consultation is done wrongly, then it will come out if it goes ahead because the inspector will be duty-bound to look at the whole thing. And that just wastes money.

“I’m disgusted with the lack of democracy in the present council, and I’m leaving it in May.”

Cllr Dan Ledger (Independent East Devon Alliance, Seaton) conceded that it is difficult for consultations to work for everyone, but he assured that “a raft” of future consultations is on the way.

“It’s a 3,000-page document so trying to consult and make that really clear and concise and short exercise for people to do is really hard,” he explained. “So, trying to condense 3,000 pages into a 20-minute exercise for people is never going to happen.

“So, we try to reduce it so that everyone can answer individual questions but it’s never going to be able to do everything for everyone.

“It’s never going to be perfect but we’re trying to get as many views as possible, and hopefully we can do that over the next couple of consultations we do.”

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‘Generation given no help’: The area with biggest rise in over 50s struggling to find work

The South West saw the greatest increase in economic inactivity among the over-50s at 16 percent, followed by the East Midlands, West Midlands and North West, which each saw a rise of 15 percent.

Katie Elliott www.express.co.uk

MPs are being urged to back Labour’s plans to reform job support ahead of the Opposition Day Debate as recent research shows a stark increase in over-50s across the country who are either struggling to find or go back to work since the COVID-19 pandemic. However, some areas are populated with more economically inactive Britons than others.

Commenting on the proposed reforms, Jonathan Ashworth, shadow work and pensions secretary, said: “We’re wasting the talents of so many people across the country who are desperate for quality work”, before adding that a “generation of over-50s in every part of the country have been given no help”.

He continued: “MPs must back our welfare reform plans to get Britain back to work, raise living standards and target the highest growth in the G7.”

Analysis from the Labour Party, released today, shows that every part of the UK saw a rise in the number of over-50s who are economically inactive between March 2020 and September 2022 – with an overall increase of almost 350,000 (11 percent).

The South West saw the greatest increase in economic inactivity among the over-50s at 16 percent, followed by the East Midlands, West Midlands and North West, which each saw a rise of 15 percent.

The research shows the number of economically inactive men between the ages of 50 and 64 had increased by almost a quarter (23 percent) in the North West and the West Midlands and by more than a fifth (21 percent) in the East Midlands.

The South West saw the greatest increase in the number of economically inactive women between the ages of 50 and 64 at 17 percent, followed by the North East on 15 percent.

A total of 55,000 more men over 50 are economically inactive across the North, while 50,000 more women over 50 are economically inactive across the South.

According to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recent economic labour market report published in September, being sick, injured or disabled continues to be the main reason why people aged between 50 and 64 years are economically inactive in the labour market (39.1 percent, or 1.4 million).

Nearly 760,000 people aged between 50 and 64 years are either actively seeking work, or are inactive but are willing or would like to work.

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Breaking news: Hancock rejected expert Covid advice, leaked messages suggest

Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock reportedly failed to follow expert advice that anyone entering a care home at the start of the pandemic should be tested for Covid, it has been claimed.

By Christy Cooney www.bbc.co.uk

WhatsApp messages leaked to the Daily Telegraph newspaper suggest Mr Hancock was told in April 2020 there should be “testing of all going into care homes”.

Government guidance later mandated tests only for those leaving hospital.

A spokesperson for Mr Hancock said the leaks offered a “distorted account”.

They added that the messages had been “spun to fit an anti-lockdown agenda” and that the public inquiry into the pandemic was the “proper place for an objective assessment”.

The BBC has not seen or independently verified the WhatsApp messages.

The texts were passed to the Telegraph by journalist Isabel Oakeshott, who has been critical of lockdowns. Ms Oakeshott was given copies of the texts while helping Mr Hancock write his book, Pandemic Diaries.

In one message, dated 14 April, Mr Hancock reportedly told aides that Sir Chris Whitty, the Chief Medial Officer for England, had conducted an “evidence review” and recommended “testing of all going into care homes, and segregation whilst awaiting result”.

The message came a day before the publication of “Covid-19: Our Action Plan for Adult Social Care“, a government document setting out plans to keep the care system functioning during the pandemic.

Mr Hancock said the advice represented a “good positive step” and that “we must put into the doc”, to which an aide responded that he had sent the request “to action”.

But later the same day, Mr Hancock messaged again saying he would rather “leave out” a commitment to test everyone entering care homes from the community and “just commit to test & isolate ALL going into care from hospital”.

“I do not think the community commitment adds anything and it muddies the waters,” he said.

When the care plan was published on 15 April, it said the government would “institute a policy of testing all residents prior to admission to care homes”, but that that would “begin with all those being discharged from hospital”.

It said only that it would “move to” a policy of testing everyone entering care homes from the community.

Guidance stating that tests should be carried out for everyone entering care homes was not introduced until 14 August, the Telegraph reports.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that, from March 2020 to January 2022, there were 43,256 deaths involving Covid-19 in care homes in England.

Of those, more than 17,000 occurred in the four months between Mr Hancock being given the advice and it being implemented.

A spokesperson for Mr Hancock said: “It is outrageous that this distorted account of the pandemic is being pushed with partial leaks, spun to fit an anti-lockdown agenda, which would have cost hundreds of thousands of lives if followed. What the messages do show is a lot of people working hard to save lives.

“The story spun on care homes is completely wrong. What the messages show is that Mr Hancock pushed for testing of those going into care homes when that testing was available.”

The public inquiry into the UK’s handling of the pandemic is now underway and is due to begin hearing evidence in June.

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Rockfish bids to buy public toilets as part of plans for Sidmouth seafront restaurant

Restaurant group Rockfish has offered £70,000 to buy public toilets on Sidmouth seafront as part of its plans for the town’s derelict Drill Hall.

East Devon Reporter eastdevonnews.co.uk

East Devon District Council (EDDC) chiefs will consider the bid at a meeting on Wednesday, March 1 – with officers recommending it is accepted.

The seafood eatery netted the go-ahead for a £1million bid to transform the Drill Hall in February 2020 but work is yet to start.

A report to EDDC’s Cabinet has revealed the business now wants to purchase a 125-year lease on the loos next-door to the plot on The Esplanade.

It says the move will ‘delay’ the restaurant project, but will ‘result in a much-enhanced’ eatery.

Councillors have been told: “The acquisition by Rockfish would give the opportunity for the toilet block to be incorporated into the refurbishment works at the Drill Hall, enhancing the appearance and offer of the restaurant facility.”

The report to Cabinet adds: “Given the location of these toilets, adjacent to the Drill Hall, it was considered appropriate to discuss their disposal to Rockfish who have recently acquired the Drill Hall site, before considering taking the site to the market.

“Rockfish are able to be considered as a special purchaser and the council is able to negotiate with them directly rather than take the site to the market.

“With this in mind, the council has obtained a market valuation of the site for a long leasehold interest of 125 years, taking into account the requirement to provide two accessible toilet cubicles within the site. The market value was assessed at £65,000.

“The council has now received an offer from Rockfish of £70,000 for a 125-year lease and there is a recommendation that this offer be accepted and heads of terms be entered into.

“Rockfish will need to review their design works for the site and the planning permission prior to commencing works on site.

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More pre-election angst this time in North Devon Town Council

Angry Lib Dems quit after ‘bringing party into disrepute’

Lewis Clarke www.devonlive.com

Two Barnstaple town councillors have quit the Liberal Democrats after being accused of bringing the party into disrepute with a former mayor also leaving in solidarity. Councillor Val Monk and Councillor John Carter quit the party last year after not backing the Lib Dem’s choice of mayor, Councillor Louisa York. The town’s former mayor, Councillor Alan Rennles, has also quit the party in support of his colleagues. A former town councillor, Councillor Jane Wilsher, also resigned from the party but died shortly after being sent the letter.

In a letter sent to the three councillors, signed by North Devon Liberal Democrat chair Helen Walker and Barnstaple Town Council Liberal Democrat group leader Ian Roome it stated: “We understand that your actions at Monday’s meeting have placed you in breach of the BTC LD Group standing orders; that your actions might also constitute behaviour likely to ‘bring the party into disrepute’. We also advised that your Liberal Democrats party membership lapsed on November 4 2021, and your Group ‘tithe’ contributions remain outstanding.

“We, therefore, write to advise you that disciplinary procedures outlined in standing orders, a panel will convene shortly to review and investigate your actions and consider your position as a member of the Liberal Democrat town councillor group and your membership of North Devon Liberal Democrats.”

It added that the trio breached group standing orders by ‘disregarding the LD Group’s approved for nominee for the position of mayor, which was decided on February 24 following due process circulated to LD town council members on February 15’.

The letter continued: “At the full town council meeting, you accepted the nomination and second by Cllrs Monk and Wilsher of you to post of mayor, which placed you in direct conflict with the LD Group’s own, approved/selected nominee for this appointment.”

Cllr Monk, a councillor for 28 years, said she could not attend meetings due to being injured. “I was lying on my back, I had been to no meetings, I had no correspondence from the Liberal Democrat committee to say what was happening, and what they were doing regarding mayor choosing,” she said. “One night, I told John I had not been out for twelve months, so I wanted to go to the Barnstaple Town Council meeting, where they chose the mayor.

“Nobody bothered to tell me who they were putting up, so I nominated John. John was happy to go along with that, as was Alan, as they were a bit fed up with the Lib Dems, as am I.

“Jane Wilsher, who is no longer with us, God bless her, was suspended shortly before she passed away, but told them they were too late as she had already resigned from them and cancelled her standing order. What hurt me the most was getting this letter.

“The people of Barnstaple should know why we’ve been suspended because we haven’t got freedom of choice on the council.”

Cllr Rennles added: “Friday, May 13, was my Jubilee ball and the same date Val and John had this letter from the local Liberal Democrats. The letters were damning.

“When you go to mayor-making, the meeting is to define who will be the mayor. As mayor at the time, I know how many people did not vote for Cllr York, and it was not just the three. That’s why they had these letters, and they’re turning around and saying to these people, you’ve got to tow the party line.

“What was going on, I didn’t like, so I quit in October. There is now a ‘then and us’ scenario on the council. I find it upsetting that being the mayor for three years and dealing with this sort of thing, not liking it, and not being able to do anything about it because you’ve got to balance it with being the mayor. I’m not going to add up how many years we’ve been at it here; we’re not short of nearly 100 between us before Jane died.”

Cllr Carter said he could not attend the Liberal Democrats meeting where they selected the mayor before the Barnstaple Town Council meeting. He said: “They want to get rid of the old ones, the ones that know all about planning and finance, and they’ve got a lot of young ones on in the last election, and they sit there like stuffed dummies, who don’t ask questions or raise their hands or nothing. Some councillors I don’t ever see at meetings. When you’re on the council, you’re supposed to be there for the public, not for the party.”

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Westminster debate on SWW – Jupp sets disappointing tone with political point scoring

Simon Jupp led the debate. Unfortunately his fellow Tories from Devon followed his lead, especially Anthony Mangnall (Totnes) and Kevin Foster (Torbay). [Though to give Anne Marie Morris (Newton Abbot) her due, she did try to rise above this.]

They let SWW off the hook from the start:

For example, here is how Simon Jupp opened the debate:

….In recent years, a spotlight has been shone on storm overflows and CSOs. Water tourism is booming across our region, including windsurfing in places such as Exmouth and Sidmouth in my constituency. However, there is another reason why people have finally started talking about the issue: the Conservative Government have put in place a plan to improve our water, giving us all an opportunity to hold water companies to account.

People finally talking about the issue of sewage because the Tories have a plan? Really!

……Of course, in a perfect world, we would stop sewage spills completely and immediately. Sadly, that is virtually impossible in the short term; because of the pressure on our water infrastructure, we would risk the collapse of the entire water network, and the eye-watering costs involved mean we would need not just a magic money tree, but a whole forest.

No short term solution because it would cost? Why so little investment over the years?

…….The Government cannot in good conscience legislate to let water bills reach astronomical levels—they are already high enough, especially in the south-west—but some of our political opponents seem to think otherwise. The Liberal Democrats have accused Conservative MPs of voting to pollute our waters and seas. That is frankly ridiculous. Why would any of us vote to put sewage in the sea? I live by the sea in Sidmouth, and I love where I live. I am calling on South West Water to invest in infrastructure in our town and across East Devon.

No legislation because SWW (and the others) would protect their investors and load the cost on the customer? – Off the hook!

And finally the Tory trope, previously discussed by Owl: “We would never vote to pollute our water” (True but Tories voted against imposing a legal duty to stop it, instead voting for something very much more “light touch”, they also postponed the deadline on agricultural runoff reduction.)

This was immediately reinforced by his sidekick Anthony Magnall, who said: It is not only ridiculous; it is incorrect. The legislation we have passed is the first ever to address this issue, and it is leading to meaningful action. Let us be clear: it is incorrect to suggest that any Member of Parliament voted to allow sewage to flow into our rivers or on to our coastline.

Contrast this with Richard Foord:

Like other Members, I received an email ahead of the debate from Pennon Group, which owns South West Water. It reads:

“We wanted to provide you with the most recent information so that you are able to have an informed debate”.

Although that could be thought of as an act of kindness on the part of the water company and Pennon Group, I for one would rather be informed by what my constituents are writing to tell me about than by what a lobbyist suggests I should think. I will be informed by constituents and bill payers.

Since my election last June, the comments and complaints have flooded in. We have heard that South West Water has permitted sewage to flood out on to our beaches and into our rivers. I am pleased that the Minister is present, because I want her and South West Water representatives to hear about some of my constituents’ experiences.

Just this month, an Axminster constituent wrote to me:

“I’d like to know why our water bills are going up when SWW are performing so badly and why it’s okay for the CEO to get such massive bonuses. We don’t get to choose our water supply like we do for other utilities and SWW has been given a free pass to rip us off. We’ve been told for years our bills are high because of ageing pipes and the size of our coastline, so why did the CEO of SWW get such a large bonus when we have such high bills?”

A second constituent wrote to me in January, after the cold snap, to explain how their access to water had been disrupted by burst water pipes. The constituent, who is from Seaton, wrote:

“I simply have to write to express my disappointment and disgust over the lack of care and co-operation shown by South West Water. If SWW are serious about customer care and ‘saving every drop’ then SWW would be making more of an effort to actually monitor those leaks which are reported to them but they are not responsible for. As a paying customer all we ever seem to get from the SWW leak team is ‘It’s not our problem.’ Surely you have a duty of care for your paying customers?”

Those are just samples of the correspondence that I have received from constituents, as I am able to bring only a few examples to bear today, but I will add one more. In December, a constituent from Beer wrote:

“Why is it that South West Water is able to charge rates that provide for update and maintenance of the sewers and drains and yet only spend 37% of their allocated budget on doing this? Is it because Pennon used some of this budget to return over £1 billion to shareholders last year? When will the government get to grips with the individuals running the water companies and pass legislation to stop the destruction of the environment from the continual discharge of untreated sewage, even in dry conditions?”

All this shows the huge discontent among our constituents, who have simply lost faith in South West Water’s ability to properly deal with the situation at hand. We are seeing sewage dumped in our rivers and on our beaches over thousands of hours, putting at risk not only the health of the public but our wildlife and biodiversity. The scale of the problem should not be understated. People feel that they are being ripped off by a company that continues to hike bills but pays out huge bonuses and large shareholder dividends while it fails to perform even its most basic functions effectively. It is clear that the company is not being run for the benefit of south-west communities and that the current regulator, Ofwat, lacks the teeth to properly police its actions.

We heard from the hon. Member for East Devon that the regulator has some teeth. If that is true, the Government permit them to be kept in a glass on the bedside table. The company is not being run for the benefit of our constituents. My message to South West Water is simple: fix the problems, focus on delivering a quality service for our constituents, and do not pat yourselves on the back for a job done so shoddily.

Full Hansard transcript can be found here.

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Hugo Swire – 2023 Speech on the Australia/New Zealand Trade Bill and Maiden Speech in the House of Lords (Baron Swire)

Business as usual for the Baron, too grand to do anything parochial for his constituency or Devon, even when he had David Cameron on speed dial.

www.ukpol.co.uk The maiden speech made by Hugo Swire, Baron Swire, in the House of Lords on 9 January 2023.

Instead of reading his speech Owl thought readers might prefer to cheer themselves up with a singalong to this little ditty (original lyrics composed in Torquay).

“Jolly voting weather,

The toffs are on their knees,

Labour forever,

Down with moats and sleaze!

Swing, swing together,

The election will be a breeze!

Swing, swing together,

The election will be a breeze!” [lyrics Ron Scuttle]

Floreat Etona!

[Correspondents are invited to produce their own version.]

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Exmouth Leisure centre highlight rising energy costs as Simon Jupp visits

Remember that in March 2022 Tory councillors circulated a nauseating newsletter which proclaimed:

“EDDC owned leisure facilities have taken a huge financial hit during the Covid pandemic with the Council subsidising the activities of LED, a standalone company. Conservative councillors are concerned about these costs and are questioning the use of tax payers money to subsidise one business over another. This money could have been spent on keeping our public toilets open and prevent car parking increases.”

Remember also that as a charitable trust LED was unable to claim 75 per cent of lost income under a central government scheme, introduced during the pandemic in 2020, whereas leisure facilities operated directly by Local Authorities can do so.

What did Simon Jupp say about all this?

Swimmers, if you have a problem with meeting the cost of heating pools, don’t count on the Tories to come to your aid

LED, a “not for profit” company spun off by the Tory administration to manage its leisure facilities until 2036 but now manages facilities in Somerset, presents enormous legacy problems for EDDC. – Owl

On Friday East Devon MP Simon Jupp visited Exmouth Leisure Centre to support its Big Swim Day.

Adam Manning www.exmouthjournal.co.uk

Big Swim Day on Friday, February 24 was part of a national campaign to highlight the impact of the Government’s decision to reduce support for gyms, pools and leisure centres from rising energy costs.

In November, UK Active published figures showing that 40 per cent of council areas are at risk of losing leisure centres or seeing reduced services before March 31 prior to the decision to significantly reduce the support available.

LED Community Leisure Ltd (LED) is a not-for-profit charitable trust that runs East Devon District Council’s (EDDC) leisure facilities.

Like all public sector leisure facilities, EDDC’s have been hard hit by, firstly, the COVID pandemic and, more lately, the huge rise in energy costs caused by the war in Ukraine.

This is a ‘double whammy’ for the industry as it has yet to see a return to pre-pandemic attendance and revenue levels, exacerbated by the increase in utility costs.

LED’s CEO, Peter Gilpin, explained to Mr Jupp the crisis facing public leisure facilities, particularly swimming pools, stressing that it is imperative that the Government urgently reconsider the decision to reduce support for leisure facilities in the Energy Bill Discount Scheme, as well as including swimming pools within those industries selected for additional support.

EDDC has had to provide over £2million in additional funding to LED over the last 3 years to keep their facilities open, particularly the swimming pools, vital during the pandemic for the health benefits for residents.

LED say their utility costs have increased by over £300,000 since 2020 with nearly £100,000 attributed to Exmouth Leisure Centre, EDDC’s largest facility with both a 6-lane 25m swimming pool as well as a teaching pool.

To reduce its energy costs and carbon footprint LED has installed a Pool Sentry system that includes variable speed drive pool pumps, pool covers, LED and sensor lighting, reduced volume shower heads and a new state-of-the-art heat recovery system that is due to be commissioned imminently. Air source heat pumps, solar panels and a new pool disinfectant system are also being considered.

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Scorched earth, Mid Devon set to scrap cabinet system – 10 weeks before elections

“[The Council] is again suffering the instability of hirings and firings and a cabinet which made decisions which were not in accordance with recommendations and advice from its committees and even full council – from disproportionate parking fee increases to ignoring member concerns over particular investments.”

Is this the right time to be binding a new administration? – Owl

Mid Devon District Council set to scrap cabinet system –

Ollie Heptinstall www.devonlive.com

Mid Devon has voted to begin the process of scrapping its cabinet system, amid a claim the district council is in “disarray”. Cabinets are the most common form by which local councils are run. A leader appoints a number of cabinet members – usually from the same party – to take charge of different departments.

However, the system favours parties that have a majority of council seats. Mid Devon has been under no overall control since the last full elections in 2019. As a result, it has been run by Independent-Lib Dem and Independent-Conservative coalitions but was recently plunged into chaos when several cabinet members left their roles. Leader Bob Deed (Independent, Cadbury) then resigned.

Full council elections are due to be held in less than three months, with independent councillor Barry Warren (Lower Culm) appointed to succeed Cllr Deed until then in a ‘caretaker’ capacity. The upheaval prompted independent councillor Nikki Woollatt (Cullompton North), who has since been appointed to Cllr Warren’s cabinet, to call for a “modernised committee system to be implemented from the annual meeting of 2024.”

Presenting her motion at a full council meeting last week, she said: “I’ve brought this motion forward at this particular time because this council is in disarray.”

“It is again suffering the instability of hirings and firings and a cabinet which made decisions which were not in accordance with recommendations and advice from its committees and even full council – from disproportionate parking fee increases to ignoring member concerns over particular investments.”

She described the cabinet system as “undemocratic” despite now sitting on it, adding: “I truly believe this council would not be suffering its current turmoil and instability if we were working within a modern committee system.”

Asking members to back the motion, she concluded: “The staff of the council and the people of Mid Devon need a stable council. We cannot go on like this.”

Backing the proposal, Liberal Democrat councillor Luke Taylor (Bradninch) said: “In the last four years the cabinet system has been a mockery with 10 sackings, or six depending on which version of events you listen to,” a reference to four Tory councillors recently claiming they resigned rather than were pushed.

He added: “There are alternative opportunities and hybrid councils which have proved successful in other districts. We need to move away from the current failing system to implement something better for the residents of Mid Devon.”

However, some members were uneasy about voting to change the system weeks before full elections. Councillor Colin Slade (Conservative, Lowman) said: “I don’t think that those of us here should impose upon an incoming council their method of governance.”

Councillor Bob Evans (Independent, Lower Culm) agreed: “There are members sat round this table tonight that know they are going to stand for election, and there are members that will stand for election that may not get elected. It is not for us in the last 10 weeks to dictate to the next administration what they should or should not be doing.”

They were later told any final decision would need to come back to a future full council meeting for another vote, leading supporter Graeme Barnell (Independent, Newbrooke) to say: “I don’t think this resolution binds anybody to anything.”

He admitted old-style committee systems were “chaotic” but said: “That doesn’t mean we have to go back to the polarity of the old-style committee systems. What’s being proposed is we move away from the cabinet system to a new system that many councils have devised, which is a hybrid system.”

The motion was narrowly approved. Any new system will require a confirmatory vote of councillors and will not come into place until 2024.

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UK government is hiding £28bn of ‘stealth cuts’ to public services, says report

Rishi Sunak’s government is hiding £28bn of “stealth cuts” to public services over the next five years, according to a report warning that a renewed austerity drive at next month’s budget would further damage the economy.

Richard Partington www.theguardian.com

Calling on the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, to change course at next month’s tax and spending set-piece speech to the House of Commons, the Trades Union Congress said a boost for public spending could help keep Britain out of a recession this year.

Paul Nowak, the general secretary of the TUC, said: “With a recession already expected this year, a new round of austerity would make a bad situation worse. The chancellor should instead use the power of government to lift us up and out of Britain’s economic slump.

“Good schools, hospitals, childcare and transport are vital, not only for families but for businesses, too. But the Tories keep attacking them – that’s a big part of why our whole economy is falling behind.”

The report by the New Economics Foundation (NEF), a leftwing thinktank, showed that Hunt’s spending plans outlined at the autumn statement in November included cuts to public services worth £1,000 a household by 2027-28.

Hunt promised in the autumn statement to increase spending by 1% a year after inflation. However, this was underpinned by Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts, which had assumed inflation would fall below zero.

The thinktank said this was unlikely to happen because the Bank of England would be expected to intervene to keep inflation close to its 2% target rate. NEF said that if inflation remained close to 2%, this would imply real-terms cuts – not growth – to spending worth £28bn.

Alfie Stirling, the chief economist and director of research at NEF, said the government was “exploiting a curious feature of the OBR’s forecast” to make its promise. “It allowed the chancellor to play smoke and mirrors with the future of public services last autumn,” he said.

“There is no serious or credible justification for the government’s current plans. Consecutive UK chancellors have already put the country through a decade of austerity, which means we know exactly how it ends: near-stagnant earnings growth, threadbare public safety nets and the first stall in life expectancy on modern record.”

A Treasury spokesperson said: “Total departmental spending will continue to grow in real terms over the spending review period. The efficiency and savings review announced at the autumn statement will help departments manage pressures where necessary.”

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Devon’s doomed plan for luxury Dubai-style resort in Seaton, Philip Skinners “Big Stage”

And some of the other more bonkers plans over the years have been recalled from the archive by Daniel Clark www.devonlive.com

Two of these are of particular interest to East Devon see devonlive for the others.

AN INDOOR SPORTING AND CONCERT ARENA – Cllr Philip Skinner’s big idea to bring in the crowds

At one stage, there were tentative plans for an indoor sports stadium and concert arena with a capacity for 20,000 people to be built in the Greater Exeter area. At the time, East Devon, Exeter, Mid Devon and Teignbridge councils were preparing the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan to cover matters for their area.

The plan would have seen 57,000 new homes built across the four council areas by 2040, as well as infrastructure improvements. But during discussions, the idea of developing a regionally or nationally significant sports arena and concert venue was floated.

The idea was initially suggested by the then East Devon District Council’s deputy leader Cllr Phil Skinner and was supported by the then leader of Teignbridge District Council Cllr Jeremy Christophers.

Cllr Christophers at the time said: “We are seeing what we can provide around an indoor sports facility and a concert arena and to see if it is deliverable to have one in the area. We are looking at the evidence of need for a sport zone and a concert venue that could host 10-20,000 in the area. We would need to make sure it stacks up financially, but it is welcomed and we think there is a need for it.

“There is nothing this side of Bristol like it that can give a year-round audience in a stadium of about 10-20,000 people. We feel that there is a need for this, but we will have to see whether it is what the people want.”

However the plans never came to anything. And then GESP collapsed in 2020 when first East Devon District Council, and then the rest of the councils, pulled out of the plan.

SEATON HARBOUR

Now it was always questionable how legitimate this plan actually was. But the ambitious Dubai-style development off the coast of Seaton never happened.

Back in 2017, the plans, which included luxury floating holiday accommodation pod, a 2,000 berth marina, and a showpiece viewing platform, were hosted on the Feniton Park Ltd website.

They were part of ‘The Future Vision For East Devon Marina’ and the scheme which was in the early design and research stage, would have seen luxury floating holiday accommodation pods, water sports, a 2,000 berth marina, as well as new coastal defences and would incorporate wave and wind energy.

An artist impression of the East Devon Marina project (Image: Feniton Park Ltd)

At the time, a statement about the East Devon Marina scheme said: “This environmentally sensitive scheme will incorporate wind/solar and wave energy as part of an exciting holistic approach to improving the coastal defences for the stunning Jurassic Coast of Devon and Dorset.

“The master plan visualises a variety of uses to supplement the proposed 2.5km of new coastal defence works including a new 2000+ berth marina, luxury floating holiday accommodation pods with private berths, water sports and training area and potential fish farm along side retail and leisure space on the central promenade together with a showpiece viewing platform.

“Early design research stages are underway to ensure any proposed scheme enhances the local environment as well as providing enhanced coastal defence and economic gains to the area both in the short and long term.”

Councillors in Seaton at the time described the scheme as ‘highly speculative’ – and they seem to have been proven right, as the plans were removed from the ‘future projects’ section of the Feniton Park Ltd website several months later.

Would this have been Seaton’s answer to Exmouth’s “Ocean”? – Owl

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Tory Plymouth leader took 42 days off

He’d told council it was “two-to-three” days

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

The leader of Plymouth City Council has come under fire after it emerged he was on leave for 42 days last summer, despite him publicly stating he had only absent for “two-to-three days.”

It follows a question by Labour leader Tudor Evans during a full council meeting last September in which he asked Cllr Richard Bingley: “Could you give us a rundown of how many council meetings you attended during your five week absence from the city this summer?”

Mr Bingley, the Conservative leader who represents Southway, insisted: “I was not absent from the city for five weeks this summer.”

However, following a Freedom of Information (FOI) request into Cllr Bingley’s official diary submitted by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, it has emerged there were 42 days in which it was marked “Leaders leave – Uncontactable” including the whole of August and an 11-day stretch from 25 June to 5 July.

While there is no indication whether Cllr Bingley was out of the city during this time, opposition councillors say his statement that “I had a pre-arranged vacation and then a very, very short trip; two to three days” was misleading and failed to truly reflect his “uncontactable” status.

Responding to the details in the FOI, Ham councillor Mr Evans said: “The reason I asked the original question in full council was because I think it’s important that the residents of Plymouth know whether the city’s Conservative administration is putting proper effort into their extremely responsible jobs.

“That’s what we in Plymouth Labour do when we are in charge.

“No one begrudges anyone a holiday, but to be uncontactable for an entire month is simply not acceptable when you have the huge responsibility – and privilege – of running our city.

“That’s why I challenged Cllr Bingley about his absence and it looks as though he wasn’t being entirely open with me when he replied.”

Leader of the Independent Alliance and councillor for Compton, Nick Kelly – a former Conservative leader of the council – also suggested Cllr Bingley had been dishonest.

“This FOI has revealed the truth and I’m pleased the facts are now in the public domain,” he said.

“Cllr Bingley’s response to full council showed a distinct lack of honesty, clarity and the truth regarding his questioned absence this summer.”

Cllr Kelly also said there were several high-profile events from which the leader had been absent.

“This is not an isolated incident. Cllr Bingley in his capacity as leader has other notable absences at key civic events, such as the King’s Proclamation, the Keyham anniversary memorial, 40th anniversary of the Falklands Veterans and, only last week, at the first year anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine.

“To many this shows a complete lack of leadership, respect and commitment to the people of Plymouth.

“Cllr Bingley’s past conduct, in addition to this latest revelation seriously questions his character and capability to lead Plymouth.”

However, Cllr Bingley insisted the official diary was not an indication of the work he was doing throughout the summer months.

“This council diary only outlines council-organised meetings,” he said. “The role of council leader is that they are also a political party leader and, thus, the majority of political meetings, mentoring, telephone calls, meetings with helpers and candidates, party policy-reading and deliberation, campaigning, delivery, are not provided within this diary.

“Indeed, it is unlawful for local government officials to handle party political campaign business.

“Finally, it is worth reflecting that elected councillors are not full-time members of parliament, we do not have private offices to support us, and our community duties must be managed alongside other aspects of family and working life.

“It is an honour to be a Plymouth city councillor and to lead PCC, but it is important to acknowledge that this single, official diary is just a single part of the engagements and communications that a council leader undertakes.”

The Tories control Plymouth City Council but have fewer seats than Labour. The Conservatives hold 25 seats, Labour have 23 and the Independent Alliance have five.

A third of the city’s seats will be contested in May’s local elections.

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26 Feb 2023

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Some 42 GP practices were ranked ‘inadequate’ by the CQC including Cranbrook

Interactive map lays bare all 264 of England’s worst-performing GP practices

Emily Stearn www.dailymail.co.uk

All of England’s worst performing GP practices were today named and shamed by a damning analysis.

MailOnline can reveal that 264 practices across the country are giving patients sub-standard care.

Every single one has now been flagged on our fascinating interactive map that links to all the inspection reports — allowing you to read, for yourself, exactly how they’re judged by regulators.

Some 42 GP practices — marked red on our map — were ranked ‘inadequate’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

MAILONLINE APP USERS CAN USE THE MAP BY CLICKING HERE

The CQC report can be found here

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BBC Chairman Donated Tens of Thousands of Pounds to Right-Wing Group Funding Criticism of BBC – Byline Times

Richard Sharp has pumped money into a group that funds organisations like the TaxPayers’ Alliance, Eurosceptics and the BBC-bashing News-Watch. Was this known at the time of his appointment?

Despite this he seems to have the resilience of a turnip, rather than a lettuce. – Owl

Josiah Mortimer bylinetimes.com

The Chairman of the BBC gave tens of thousands of pounds through his personal charity to an organisation that funds right-wing organisations in the UK – several of which back the privatisation of the BBC.

Richard Sharp – who has donated more than £400,000 to the Conservatives – gave the money to the Institute for Policy Research (IPR) think tank, Byline Times can reveal.

There is already growing internal opposition from staff at the BBC and an investigation into Sharp’s alleged role in helping to arrange a £800,000 loan for former Prime Minister Boris Johnson before he was appointed as the corporation’s Chairman by Johnson in February 2021.

Sharp has denied all wrongdoing but is cooperating with the BBC’s investigation.

The IPR does not have a website but is run by several prominent Conservative backers. Sharp’s donations, via his personal charity the Sharp Foundation, include £20,000 in 2017 and the same amount in 2018.

In 2018, the IPR funded analysis critical of the BBC’s coverage of Brexit, as newly-unearthed Charity Commission records reveal.

The IPR has also given money to an organisation, News-Watch, which produces content almost exclusively targeted at the BBC, as well as the Centre for Policy Studies and the TaxPayers’ Alliance – the latter of which campaigns for tax cuts and rails against “wasteful” government spending.

It is not clear if Richard Sharp disclosed these donations to the BBC upon his appointment as Chairman. They were not mentioned to parliamentarians when he was quizzed by MPs last month over the Johnson loan scandal.

Parliament’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee found that Sharp’s “omissions” relating to the Johnson loan “denied MPs the opportunity to fulfil their scrutiny role, as they were left without the full facts to make a judgement on his suitability” when he appeared before the Committee for a pre-appointment hearing in January 2021.

The Committee called on Sharp to “reflect on the potential damage caused to trust in the corporation”.

Richard Sharp refused to comment when approached with several questions from Byline Times but he is understood to argue that he donates to a range of organisations in the spirit of “lively debate”.

In 2018 – the year Sharp’s foundation donated to the IPR – the think tank gave £30,000 to News-Watch.

News-Watch’s coverage is almost exclusively targeted at the BBC, accusing it of bias against Brexit and Conservatives. In January 2018, it published ‘The Brussels Broadcasting Corporation’ which was heavily critical of the BBC – one of many publications and articles it published that year criticising the corporation.

In the report, News-Watch said it had “conducted around 40 separate reports into elements of the BBC’s output, including for the Centre for Policy Studies”.

Sharp sat on the board of the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS), which calls itself Britain’s “leading centre-right think tank” – a claim Johnson and Rishi Sunak have endorsed.

Other pieces on the News-Watch site at the time claimed that “the reality is that the BBC has a skewed agenda” on climate change, Brexit and other issues. Other reports – including one published jointly with a Tufton Street think tank – alleged that the BBC was highly partial and sat on the left of politics.

One ‘study’ by the group claimed that the BBC over-cited left-wing think tanks – but the methodology described the free-market capitalist think tank the Institute for Economic Affairs as left-wing; alongside climate-sceptic group the Global Warming Policy Foundation, headed up by Thatcher’s former Chancellor Lord Lawson.

In 2017 and 2018, IPR also gave the TaxPayers’ Alliance nearly £130,000 – making it the third-largest recipient of IPR funds after the CPS and Open Europe.

The following year, it gave the TaxPayers’ Alliance £180,000, accounting for its largest grant at 39% of its total gifts that year.

Between 2016 and 2019, the TaxPayers’ Alliance ran social media posts including: “Do you agree that the BBC licence fee should be abolished?” Many of its comments in the media in this time pushed its campaign to scrap the licence fee.

Sharp also gave £42,400 directly to Robert Colville, co-author of the 2019 Conservative Manifesto, chair of the CPS, and editor-in-chief of the right-leaning publication CapX.

Colvile told Byline Times: “Richard was a CPS Board member at the time and was deeply affected by the death of my wife. The money went into a trust to support my children as they grew up, and help ensure that I wouldn’t have to worry so much about education and living costs as a widower. It was an incredibly kind gesture on his part and I will always be extraordinarily grateful to him for it.”

He added that his work on the Conservative Manifesto was “purely voluntary” and that he took a leave of absence from the CPS to do it. “I was only brought in late in the process, during the campaign itself,” he added. “So I didn’t receive any money for doing so or any quid pro quo payments via an indirect route.”

The CPS has published several reports criticising the so-called bias at the BBC against Brexiters and the right.

In the same time period, CapX published articles calling for abolition of the licence fee, with one headed “the licence fee model worked in 1946 – but it is now outdated and should be overhauled”. Several pieces also hit out at the BBC’s coverage on Russia.

Byline Times columnist Peter York – co-author of The War Against The BBC with Professor Patrick Barwise – has charted many of the organisations undermining the BBC, including News-Watch.

“I hadn’t realised Mr Sharp was so involved with organisations that are clearly hostile to the BBC,” he said. “Did the various organisations involved with scrutinising his appointment know all this or is it the first anyone’s seen of it? Did the BBC Board and senior management know all this? Not that they could’ve done anything about it.”

He added: “The issues relating to Richard Sharp’s appointment are not of the BBC’s making. They don’t appoint him – they have no say in it. The Government does: he was imposed on the BBC.”

The BBC did not respond to Byline Times’ request for comment.

Sharp is the subject of two investigations into allegations he helped Boris Johnson secure a loan of up to £800,000. Industry figures such as Jonathan Dimbleby and Baroness Patience Wheatcroft have called on him to resign, while Labour and the Scottish National Party have described his position as “increasingly untenable”.

A Labour source told Byline Times: “These reports raise further questions about how much pertinent information Richard Sharp disclosed to Parliament and to the BBC ahead of his appointment as BBC Chair.

“The Select Committee has already ruled that Sharp made significant errors of judgement when failing to declare his role in the facilitation of a loan to the then Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Tory cronyism is dragging down the BBC when we should be promoting it as the cornerstone of our creative economy.”

National Union of Journalist members working for the BBC believe Sharp must immediately resign, according to a snapshot poll carried out over the past week with just over 1,000 respondents.

Paul Siegert, the NUJ’s national broadcasting organiser, said Byline Times’ findings are “yet another reason which explains why our members say they no longer have faith in Richard Sharp to remain as Chairman of the BBC”.

“Impartiality is so important for everyone who works at the BBC and Richard Sharp can’t argue he is impartial,” he added. “The longer he stays in post, and the more stories like this come to light, then the more damage he is doing to the reputation of the BBC.”

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