Appears to be uncertainty in Tiverton and Honiton – Owl

Josh Halliday www.theguardian.com 

Wakefield

Walking towards Wakefield’s medieval cathedral, lifelong Conservative voters Pat Spawforth and her husband, Peter, were in no mood to forgive Boris Johnson after watching his apology to the Commons over Partygate.

“It’s disgraceful,” said Spawforth, 80. “Disgusting,” added her husband. The prime minister’s refusal to resign following the excoriating Sue Gray report was evidence, he said, that the Conservative leadership was “rotten to the core”.

Pat Spawforth, who has voted Tory in most elections since she was 18, said she would not back the party in the forthcoming Wakefield byelection, which was triggered by the resignation of Imran Ahmad Khan after he was convicted of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy. Peter, who has always voted Conservative, said he was undecided.

“Boris was in charge; he should have stopped it. He should go,” said Pat. “He consistently seems to twist the truth, shall we say. That’s not how we’ve been brought up and it’s not what I approve of.”

The Conservatives are doomed if the views of these two party loyalists are reflected across Wakefield on 23 June. The West Yorkshire constituency has a Tory majority of only 3,358, having turned blue for the first time in 87 years in 2019.

Labour is odds-on to take the seat back in a key test of public opinion in a vital electoral battleground, although the next general election will not happen until May 2024 at the latest.

Smoking a roll-up outside Costa, Jeff Thomas, 77, was one of many Wakefield residents who voted Tory for the first time in 2019.

Like many who lent their vote to Johnson three years ago in protest at Labour’s direction, he said his vote was up for grabs next month. “Whether I’ll vote for them again, I’m undecided, but a lot of people won’t. I think Labour will get in. A bit will be down to Partygate but a lot of people didn’t vote last time who would this time.”

Thomas, a former construction manager, felt the parties in Downing Street were “wrong” but that it was “trivial” compared with issues such as the cost of living crisis and war in Ukraine.

Allan Jones, a 69-year-old stallholder, agreed that it was time to move on from Partygate even though he was angry about it. “The first three months [of lockdown] was torture. Everybody suffered. You can’t make the law up then break it yourself,” he said, petting his yorkshire terrier, Albert. “He ought to be in a circus, that Boris. He’s a full-class berk.”

Several voters said they were sick of hearing about the lockdown-busting parties in Downing Street. Some also expressed fatigue with the early days of the byelection campaign.

Tidying up at Karpaty bakery, Anna Zach said it was obvious the prime minister should step down. “I’m disappointed. We stayed at home and we closed,” said Zach, 34. “Of course he must resign.”

Tiverton and Honiton

Two hundred and fifty miles south, in the Devon town of Tiverton, Nicholas Page was strolling through the pannier market in tweeds and green wellies, looking every inch a West Country Tory supporter, but even he admitted he was feeling less sure.

“I’m a lifelong Conservative voter,” he said. “And I’ll probably vote for them again but it’s only a probably this time. Boris Johnson should have just admitted what had been going on. Instead it’s been all obfuscation and prevarication. His relationship with the truth is tenuous, to say to the least.”

But Page, a former farmer and now a self-employed countryside contractor in his 60s, said he could not see who could take over from Johnson. “He’s surrounded by useless yes men. I don’t know who’d be better.”

Nneka, 18, a college student, said she was disgusted by the Partygate scandal. “While the rest of us were following the rules, they were having a good time. They should be role models. They have failed and Johnson should resign.”

One of the elements of the Gray report that hit home for Nneka was the poor treatment of cleaners and security staff. “That’s terrible. They are powerful people who clearly don’t care about ordinary workers. We know Johnson is a racist with his remarks about watermelon smiles and letterboxes. I’ll never vote for them.”

Theresa Kelland, who runs the fruit and veg store in the town’s pannier market, recalled being stopped by the police during a lockdown when she was delivering supplies to vulnerable people. “The police were keeping an eye on people like me but not the prime minister,” she said. “They were partying when people were dying.”

Sweeping from Exmoor in the north to Lyme Bay in the south, Tiverton and Honiton has returned a Tory MP since its creation in 1997. The disgrace of Neil Parish, who resigned after being caught watching pornography in the House of Commons, may let in another party.

The Lib Dems were in Tiverton as the Gray report was published, drumming up support as they try to make inroads into the Tories’ 24,000 majority on 23 June. Hannah Kitching, a Lib Dem councillor from South Yorkshire who was spending her holiday on the campaign trail, said she had knocked on more than 200 doors.

“We’re finding a lot of discontent, disappointment, anger. People are really angry and hurt that Boris Johnson was breaking lockdown rules while they were doing everything they could to follow them.”

At the Independent Coffee Trader cafe, the owner, Leigh Parker, said she usually voted Tory but wasn’t sure who she would opt for in next month’s byelection. “I’m on the fence at the moment,” she said.

However, she added that she was fed up with hearing about Partygate. “I’m ready to move on,” she said. Parker is more concerned about the cost of living crisis. She has run her cafe for seven years but does not take a wage for herself and works two other jobs – as a venue manager and private paramedic – to make ends meet.

“My electricity bill for this cafe has gone up from £110 to nearly £300 a month. That’s what is really on my mind.”

“The events that I investigated were attended by leaders in government. Many of these events should not have been allowed to happen … The senior leadership at the centre, both political and official, must bear responsibility for this culture.” (Ms Gray)

www.independent.co.uk 

Rarely has a report by a civil servant been so eagerly awaited. For five months, ministers and Conservative backbenchers have deflected questions about Boris Johnson’s future by saying they were “waiting for Sue Gray”.

When she delivered her 37-page report about Partygate on Wednesday, Ms Gray gave Tory MPs plenty to think about and handed them plenty of bullets; they should use them rather than continue to put off their big decision about the prime minister.

Ms Gray said: “The events that I investigated were attended by leaders in government. Many of these events should not have been allowed to happen … The senior leadership at the centre, both political and official, must bear responsibility for this culture.”

Mr Johnson’s allies will be relieved Ms Gray did not produce new revelations about his involvement in the Downing Street parties. But she paints a damning picture of a partying and drinking culture, which repeatedly breached the Covid laws the participants had imposed on a public that made huge sacrifices in obeying them.

Inside No 10, officials were worried about the optics of their parties: one spoke of a “comms risk”.  A key figure in this sorry saga is Martin Reynolds, the prime minister’s former principal private secretary, who told a colleague “we seem to have got away with” a party in the garden. Mr Reynolds has left No 10 under the shake-up trumpeted by Mr Johnson and praised by Ms Gray. But he has returned to the Foreign Office and is likely to land a plum ambassadorial post. That would hardly be the senior civil service taking “responsibility” for this scandal in the way Ms Gray rightly wishes to see.

Similarly, in his Commons statement, the prime minister accepted “full responsibility”, insisting he was “humbled” and had learnt lessons. But he did not display the contrition the occasion demanded and the report deserved. Instead, he told MPs he was “as surprised and disappointed as anyone else” by the revelations because (like Macavity the cat) he was “simply not there” because he had already left before “subsequent proceedings” took place.

He had the temerity to claim that his view he was attending work events had been “vindicated” because he had been fined only for a single event – his birthday gathering in the Cabinet Room. The Gray report offers no such vindication and Tory MPs should remember that.

At his press conference, Mr Johnson refused to speculate on disciplinary action against individuals. As Ms Gray hinted, it would be wrong if very junior officials were thrown under the bus. Some of those fined attended parties because their superiors, and the prime minister, were there. Some owned up to attending parties to Ms Gray on the basis that there would not be a police investigation, and then found their evidence handed to Scotland Yard.

Johnson’s handling of the inquiry’s publication has been woeful and has further damaged him. It was crass for his so-called friends to claim the widely respected Ms Gray was “playing politics” and “enjoying the limelight a little too much”. The claims are baseless. Downing Street was wrong to insist she asked for a meeting with Mr Johnson to discuss her forthcoming report – it was later admitted that No 10 requested it.

Tory MPs should reflect on his character as they decide whether they want Mr Johnson to lead them into the next general election. A majority of backbenchers sit uncomfortably in a middle group that wants neither to defend Mr Johnson nor to depose him. So the completion of this act of the Partygate drama is not the end of the affair as he would wish.

Mr Johnson now faces an inquiry by the Commons privileges committee into whether he knowingly misled parliament by arguing that the rules had been upheld at all times. The “knowingly” caveat on when resignations should happen under the ministerial code might save him, but he first has a lot more questions to answer.

If Tory MPs continue to lack the courage to move against Mr Johnson now, the final Partygate inquiry could yet prove his biggest hurdle. If the Commons judges that he knowingly misled MPs, even his much-vaunted ability to defy political gravity would be tested to the limit.

Boris Johnson is a laissez- faire prime minister running a laissez- faire administration – Owl

Peter Walker www.theguardian.com (Extract)

Perhaps the most accidentally telling line of Boris Johnson’s apology-meets-explanation in response to the Sue Gray report came when he outlined recent personnel moves inside Downing Street: “The entire senior management has changed.”

Aside, of course, from the man at the very top. And while Johnson insisted he took “full responsibility for everything that took place on my watch”, the Gray report eloquently chronicled what has been a refrain of Johnson’s political career – the sense of a man officially in charge, but not necessarily in control.

For many Johnson supporters, this characteristic is portrayed as a strength. He is, they argue, more chairman than chief executive, the visionary and salesman who leaves tedious detail to diligent if less talented underlings.

This way of working was perhaps most beneficial when Johnson was mayor of London, a sometimes ceremonial role with the bulk of the granular decisions devolved to subject-specific deputy mayors.

In central government, things become more difficult. The string of social vignettes set out in Gray’s report portray Johnson less as a central point of power than a sort of gilded spectre, guided between meetings and stumbling across parties, making a brief speech or raising a glass in a toast before being led off again.

If being prime minister is to captain a ship, the Johnson of the Gray report commands a cruise vessel, one where the main task involves being amiable to passengers at the dinner table…..

Even without “Indy” Neil, there will be a lot of potential for vote splitting, including on the right. – Owl 

www.bbc.co.uk 

Eight people are standing in the Tiverton and Honiton by-election.

The Parliamentary poll was triggered by Conservative Neil Parish standing down.

Representatives from the three main political parties – the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats – are being fielded.

They will joined by candidates from the For Britain Movement, the Green Party, the Heritage Party, Reform UK and the UK Independence Party, the official list of candidates said.

The poll is due to be held on 23 June.

• Jordan Donoghue-Morgan, Heritage Party
• Andy Foan – Reform UK
• Richard Foord – Liberal Democrats
• Helen Hurford – Conservative
• Liz Pole – Labour
• Frankie Rufolo – The For Britain Movement
• Ben Walker – UK Independence Party
• Gill Westcott – Green Party

All the candidates had to submit their completed nomination papers by 16:00 GMT on 25 May.

A deposit of £500 was also required, which is returned if they get more than 5% of the votes in the election.

People stuck to the rules while the PM partied. And his MPs don’t care.

Link to video

Details have emerged of what appears to be another alcohol-fuelled social event inside Downing Street during lockdown, one that was seemingly not investigated by police or the official civil service investigation.

Peter Walker www.theguardian.com

According to the Mirror, between 30 and 40 staff drank alcohol and ate takeaway snacks to mark the final press briefing conducted by Boris Johnson’s then-spokesperson James Slack, on 17 November 2020.

A photograph obtained by the paper appears to show an official setting out bottles of wine and Champagne-type drinks. The picture was reportedly sent to No 10 staff on a WhatsApp group, in response to a message saying: “Time to open the Covid secure bar.”

The photo was then posted as a reply with the message: “The bar is open.” Other messages reported by the Mirror seemingly demonstrate premeditation in socialising, with one referring to “Wine Time Tuesday”, and others discussing going to buy “reinforcement booze”. One official says: “If someone can help me carry it I’m happy to go.”

The alleged event was four days after the leaving drinks for Lee Cain, Johnson’s head of communications. On Monday, ITV News obtained images showing the prime minister at the event, raising a glass and seeming to toast Cain and make a speech.

Those images have placed pressure on the Metropolitan police to explain why Johnson was not fined for attending the 13 November gathering, when others there were.

The 17 November event was not among gatherings investigated by the Met, and was not listed among those examined in the interim report into lockdown-breaching parties by the senior Cabinet Office civil servant Sue Gray. Her full report is expected to emerge on Wednesday.

Slack, who was a civil servant rather than a political appointee like Cain, was chosen to replace Cain as head of communications. The 17 November drinks were held to mark the last time that, as Johnson’s official spokesperson, he spoke to the media at the daily lobby briefings, according to reports.

At that time, because of the lockdown, the briefings were being held virtually rather than in person. Slack left No 10 in April 2021. That leaving party, held the day before Prince Philip’s funeral while indoor social mixing was still barred, was reported and investigated. He is now deputy editor of the Sun.

Evidence of what appears to be yet another social event, and one planned in advance, puts further pressure on Johnson ahead of Gray’s findings, amid reports more Conservative MPs could be submitting letters of no confidence in the prime minister.

If Gray’s full report is released on Wednesday, it would most likely be submitted to Downing Street in the morning and published shortly afterwards, with Johnson promising to give a statement to parliament and answer questions from MPs later that day. No 10 have said Johnson would then aim to hold a press conference.

A No 10 spokesperson said: “As part of their investigation the Cabinet Office team were able to speak to No 10 staff to establish the facts on what happened during this period. Both they and the Met Police have had access to all information relevant to their investigations, including photographs.

“The Met have concluded their investigation and Sue Gray will publish her report shortly, at which point the prime minister will address parliament in full.”

Slack was contacted for comment.

When the “Porngate” scandal broke a few weeks ago the Tory party dragged its feet for a few days before bouncing Neil Parish into resignation. 

Obviously feeling bruised by the experience, Neil boldly talked to the Telegraph suggesting he might stand as an independent but wouldn’t declare his final intentions until just before the deadline for applications.

“I’ve got some sort of quite powerful backers within the farming community… If I stood, it wouldn’t be a problem in raising the money. The farming community realised how I fought their corner.”

Ten days is a long time in politics.

Now our Neil has suddenly had cold feet about “independence” and will be duly supporting the Tory candidate selected in his place. 

His reasoning seems to be that as both he and Boris Johnson are flawed characters they fit comfortably within the Tory ethos. He is quoted as saying: “I think he’s an imperfect character, but then so am I”…. “His one great problem in a way is that he overpromises and I think then finds that he can’t deliver on everything.“

The candidate may be relieved to hear that he is also reported as saying that he will only get actively involved in her campaign if asked.

What an endorsement, the sleaze surrounding the Tory party remains! – Owl

Source of quotes: www.radioexe.co.uk

At the usual conversion rate, four pictures are worth 4,000 words, and many more words than that will be expended before the furore over lockdown law-breaking in Downing Street dies down. The photographs of Boris Johnson raising a toast to mark the departure of Lee Cain, his deputy director of communications, are damning.

Editorial www.independent.co.uk 

It does not look like the sort of gathering that is reasonably necessary for work, even though there must be some scope to argue that it was, because the Metropolitan Police have not issued Mr Johnson with a penalty notice for it.

The pictures tell their own story, however, which is that the prime minister and his staff had a party at a time when households were not allowed to mix indoors (except in specific circumstances) and when many people made great sacrifices to obey the laws passed by Mr Johnson and his government, supposedly for the benefit of all.

The photographs are proof that the prime minister doesn’t have a shred of honour, which would require him to apologise and resign; but that should have been his course of action when he received a penalty notice – for a different gathering – and admitted that he had broken the law.

Presumably Mr Johnson knew that these photographs and others like them were likely to be published, and has already calculated that if he adopts his hangdog expression and says that he understands people’s pain, and that he paused for only a few seconds to say a few words to rally the troops – who had been working very, very hard – he will get away with it again.

And he may well do. In the end, his survival as prime minister is in the hands of Conservative MPs, who are likely to conclude that now is not the right time to take a bold step into the unknown. The pictures are embarrassing, but among the thousands of words that they will generate will be enough legalistic cavilling and pedantry to keep an army of amateur lawyers busy for months.

There will be much textual analysis of Mr Johnson’s words in the House of Commons on 8 December last year, when he was asked by Catherine West, the Labour MP: “Can the prime minister tell the house whether there was a party in Downing Street on 13 November?”

He replied: “No, but I am sure that whatever happened, the guidance was followed and the rules were followed at all times.” Was that “No, there was no party”, or no, he could not tell the house? What does the “but” mean? At best, it can be said that the prime minister appeared to be choosing his words carefully, as if he knew perfectly well that some reasonable people might take the view that some of the after-work drinking in Downing Street, in which he had taken part, had broken the law.

The prime minister will no doubt say that the question of whether he knowingly misled parliament is for another day, and for the Commons committee of privileges to consider.

But there are two questions that need to be addressed immediately. One is that the Metropolitan Police must explain its decisions. Perhaps the imminent report by Sue Gray, the senior civil servant, will provide a fuller account of what actually happened in Downing Street during the coronavirus restrictions, but it will not explain why Mr Johnson avoided a penalty notice for the gathering at which the photos were taken while other people who attended were fined.

Nor is it clear, for example, why Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, received a penalty notice for turning up early for a meeting, when he appears to have been literally “ambushed with a cake”. The police must, in the interests of open justice, give a better account of why some people were penalised and others were not.

The other immediate question is for the parliamentary Conservative Party. When Ms Gray’s report is published – within the next few days, unless there are further legal problems – Conservative MPs will have another chance to ask themselves if Mr Johnson can change, or if they must make the change themselves.

Tim comments:

“A Tory councillor in Neil Parish’s old patch has published via Facebook, a set of pictures celebrating the appointment of the Tory candidate for the by-election. In two of the three pictures she is with the Police Commissioner at a police station. The Commissioner is giving her usual smile at the photographer, who is the councillor who then went on to publish the pictures with congratulatory comments.

Whilst Hernandez is not quoted it seems entirely reasonable to interpret the images as a formal approval of the candidate. Is it wise for a Police Commissioner, herself a well-known Tory, to link herself with the congratulations surrounding the selection, especially using a police station in the shot? What explanations could there be for this apparent party political behaviour?

To be fair, I have asked a few questions via an FOI so as to ascertain the fuller facts. I will not use the photos as I would neither wish to condone such use, nor aid the Commissioner in her passion for selfies”.

The relevant facebook link can be found here.

And the FOI here

Labour and Tories announce their candidates.

Helen Hurford for the Tories and Liz Pole for Labour join the battle to seize the seat vacated by shamed MP Neil Parish – who watched pornography in the House of Commons.

Lewis Clarke www.devonlive.com

The Labour Party and Conservatives have announced their candidates for the Tiverton & Honiton By Election. Helen Hurford has been selected as the Conservative candidate, while Liz Pole, who fought the 2019 election and came second, is in for Labour. The election takes place on June 23 and was called after Neil Parish quit after being caught watching pornography in the House of Commons.

Helen, a former head teacher who is currently deputy mayor in Honiton, was selected by Conservative members in the constituency on Sunday, May 22. She was selected from a shortlist of three other female candidates.

She says her campaign will focus on delivering on people’s priorities for the area including improving transport links, supporting farmers and businesses. “As someone who was born and bred here, I am thrilled to be selected as the Conservative candidate for Tiverton and Honiton,” Helen said. “I understand what it is like to live and work here and the issues people want addressing across the constituency.

“But most of all, people here want an MP to get on with the job and deliver on their priorities. And like them, I want this constituency to thrive and take all the opportunities we have here. I believe I have unrivalled experience and knowledge of the local communities, education, hospital and health services, transport, and tourism industry – this is my patch. Leading up to Thursday, June 23, I want to show I am the best candidate to represent Tiverton and Honiton and how I will improve lives for families here,” she added.

Liz is a business leader and was Labour’s parliamentary candidate for the constituency in 2019. Liz is a campaigner on rural affairs and has been a Labour Party member since she was 15.

Liz Pole will deliver for all areas of the constituency of Tiverton and Honiton and be a champion for the local community. She said: “It is an honour to be the Labour candidate for Tiverton and Honiton. Times are much tougher than they should be for hardworking people across our constituency.

“We are in a cost-of-living crisis, and in Tiverton and Honiton, real wages will fall by £1,100 this year on average because of spiralling inflation. It’s time we sent a clear message to Boris Johnson that enough is enough, because Tiverton and Honiton, and the country deserve so much better.”

The other candidates who have announced are Richard Foord for the Liberal Democrats and Andy Foan for Reform UK.

Boris Johnson has been urged by a Commons committee to issue 11 corrections relating to occasions when he falsely claimed employment is higher now than it was before the pandemic.

The chair of the Commons liaison committee, Sir Bernard Jenkin, issued the effective rebuke to the prime minister after a session in March when Johnson wrongly claimed that he had already corrected the record.

The number of people in payroll employment – working for a company – is higher now than it was before the pandemic. But total employment is lower, because there has been a large fall in the number of people are who self-employed. But this has not stopped Johnson repeatedly telling MPs that overall employment is higher – despite this error being pointed out to him more than once by statistic experts.

In evidence to the committee in March, when asked about this, Johnson said that he thought No 10 had already corrected the record.

In a letter released today, responding to a letter from Johnson following up on points raised during the hearing, Jenkin says Johnson has still not said what he has done to correct the record on this point. He identifies 11 references in Hansard to Johnson telling MPs employment is higher now than before the pandemic. Jenkin goes on:

I would be grateful if you could send the committee a copy of these corrections, once they have been made.

The liaison committee is often seen as the most senior of the Commons committee because its membership comprises the chairs of all select committees. (Guardian Live).

The rural economy in the South West of England is set to lose hundreds of millions of pounds over the next five years due to the withdrawal of direct support payments for farmers, a new study has concluded.

Latest example of “levelling up” – Owl

Philip Case , Farmers Weekly www.fwi.co.uk 

Research published by the Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI) predicts that £883m will be lost from the rural economy up to 2027 across Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, the Isles of Scilly and Somerset.

The introduction of the post-Brexit Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes will coincide with the phased removal of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), which provided millions of pounds in direct support to farmers and landowners while the UK was a member of the EU.

Defra is introducing the first component of ELM this year, the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), but the support package is expected to be much smaller overall. With other ELM schemes’ funding still in development, the wider impact on the rural economy remains uncertain.

Family farms

The South West’s rural economy, which is dependent on small, family-run farms, is particularly vulnerable to the financial impact of the transition.

With farming being a significant driver for the region’s economy, the predicted impact on the sector’s supply chains, producers, suppliers, business owners and workers is widespread.

The report, Assessing the Impact of Agricultural Transition (PDF), was funded by the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), Dorset LEP, the NFU and the Heart of the South West LEP, to shed light on the impact new payment schemes will have on farming and rural communities across the South West.

Currently, between a quarter and half of BPS money is spent on businesses supporting the farming sector, the report states.

But it warns of a significant knock-on effect for jobs in the local economy over the next five years due to a reduction of between £220m and £440m for feed merchants, machinery retailers, contractors, vets, solicitors and many others. In turn, this will reduce their own spending power in the rural economy.

Melanie Squires, NFU South West regional director, said: “The scale of reductions in available funds to businesses laid bare by this report is considerable and can’t be ignored,”

Defra’s response

Commenting on the report, Defra farm minister Victoria Prentis said: “Our new schemes are supporting the choices that individuals take for their own farms, and helping to boost their productivity and profitability. We have recently almost trebled our new Farming Equipment and Technology Fund to over £48m to support more farmers with their investment plans.

“In 2017, £1.775bn of payments were made across 85,000 farms and 10% of claimants received half of this total – 33% of farms received less than £5,000 each.

“This isn’t right and we are repurposing this money to pay farmers for the work that they do, rather than the amount of land they own. In the South West, more than 5,000 farmers are already in our Environmental Land Management schemes.”

• Erection of 2no. farm units and rural diversification holiday accommodation with associated works. Land At Axe Cliff And Haven Farms Stepps Lane AxmouthRef. No: 22/1064/FUL | Validated: Fri 13 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Subdivision of building and change of use of rear part to form a residential dwelling; demolition of existing single storey rear extension; construction of new pediment and stone roof balustrade to High St. elevation; alterations to and replacement of windows and other associated works 136 Abingdon House Antique Centre High Street Honiton EX14 1JPRef. No: 22/1070/FUL | Validated: Fri 13 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Single storey rear extension. 19 Cyprus Gardens Exmouth Devon EX8 2DPRef. No: 22/1046/FUL | Validated: Thu 12 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed front extension and extension to existing dormer 25A Phillipps Avenue Exmouth Devon EX8 3HZRef. No: 22/1054/FUL | Validated: Thu 12 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Conversion of former storage building to domestic garage at lower ground level and annexe at ground level and change of use of land to residential garden. Tower House Market Square Axminster Devon EX13 5NJRef. No: 22/1034/FUL | Validated: Wed 11 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Relocation of access stairway and alterations to fenestration. 6 Central Place High Street Honiton EX14 1LPRef. No: 22/1040/FUL | Validated: Wed 11 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Field maple on the western aspect of the site at 87 on the boundary with 89a. Identified as T8 on plan; propose coppicing the tree to prevent squirrels gaining access to the roof; no plan to replant tree in this location as coppicing will allow ongoing survival of the tree; squirrels have caused extensive damage to the property with the cost mounting into thousands of pounds and causing a fire hazard; whilst the squirrels can still access the roof space there is risk of ongoing damage despite having fitted rodent/bird protection to solar panels. 87 Sidford High Street Sidford Devon EX10 9SARef. No: 22/1041/TRE | Validated: Wed 11 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Erection of an open fronted building to cover and enlarge existing open bays for waste storage and recycling purposes.Axe Skip Hire Gammons Hill Kilmington Axminster EX13 7RARef. No: 22/1042/CM | Validated: Wed 11 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Repair of external steps. Tower House Market Square Axminster Devon EX13 5NJRef. No: 22/1035/LBC | Validated: Wed 11 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Certificate of Lawful Development for the construction of replacement rear extension.20 Linhay Close Honiton EX14 2BJRef. No: 22/1031/CPL | Validated: Tue 10 May 2022 | Status: Approved

• Construction of first floor office accommodation (revision of application number 21/0620/FUL) Robson House Chapel Street Honiton EX14 1EURef. No: 22/1023/FUL | Validated: Fri 13 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• a) Lawson Cyprus: Fell because of excessive shading (no replacement planned) Tree to be cut down at ground level Ashley House Fore Street Seaton EX12 2ADRef. No: 22/1020/TCA | Validated: Tue 10 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Erection of store and garden room South Bank Southleigh EX24 6JBRef. No: 22/1024/FUL | Validated: Thu 12 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Beech tree growing in boundary wall. To be felled and removed, in full. The tree is causing damage to the boundary wall. A member from East Devon District Council viewed the beech tree from both gardens on the 29th April 2022, on request, following a safety complaint from neighbour, reported by tree owner to EDDC, and concluded that while the tree is probably safe the trees position is never going to improve and over time will create its own problems 17 Silver Street Ottery St Mary Devon EX11 1DBRef. No: 22/1028/TCA | Validated: Tue 10 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Certificate of Lawful Development for change of use of guest house (Class C1) to single storey dwelling house (Class C3). The Hollies Salcombe Road Sidmouth EX10 8PURef. No: 22/1027/CPE | Validated: Tue 10 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Single Dwellinghouse Orchard House Combe Raleigh Honiton EX14 4TNRef. No: 22/1005/CPE | Validated: Tue 10 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Rear first-floor balcony to the rear. 3 Garden Court Road Budleigh Salterton Devon EX9 6PNRef. No: 22/1004/FUL | Validated: Tue 10 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Single storey front extension and alterations to fenestration. Rolleshayes Barton Wick Honiton EX14 4TYRef. No: 22/0999/FUL | Validated: Tue 10 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Single storey rear extension. 3 Petre Street Axminster EX13 5FYRef. No: 22/1017/FUL | Validated: Mon 09 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Two storey side extension and addition of first floor with associated ancillary accommodation over part of existing ground floor of property and erection of single garage with storage beneath. Hillside Venlake End Uplyme Devon DT7 3SFRef. No: 22/1014/FUL | Validated: Mon 09 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision

• Change of use of 3No. agricultural buildings (sui-generis) to cafe/shop (Class E) Four Oaks Clyst St Mary Exeter EX5 1ATRef. No: 22/1019/PDR | Validated: Mon 09 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Variation of Condition No. 3 (Hours of Use) on application 21/1618/FUL 19 New Street Honiton Devon EX14 1HARef. No: 22/1006/VAR | Validated: Mon 09 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Installation of 18 x ground mounted solar panels Golden Mist Whitford Axminster EX13 7PBRef. No: 22/1000/FUL | Validated: Mon 09 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1 – ash tree – showing significant signs of ash dieback. Due to the proximity to the highway, we are hoping to have permission to dismantle this tree. It’s my belief that Robin Offer looked at the tree last year and he was of the same opinion. Hornshayne Weston Sidmouth EX10 0PHRef. No: 22/1001/TRE | Validated: Mon 09 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed new dwelling 16 Raddenstile Lane Exmouth EX8 2JHRef. No: 22/1012/FUL | Validated: Fri 13 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Install flue on side (west) elevation Little Thatch Beacon Honiton EX14 4TTRef. No: 22/1008/LBC | Validated: Fri 13 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• The siting of a modular building for office use. Unit E10 Greendale Business Park Woodbury Salterton Exeter EX5 1EWRef. No: 22/1009/FUL | Validated: Wed 11 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1 – Macrocarpa Crown reduce by up to 2 metres, ensuring maximum clearance to western aspect overhanging 8 Haymans Orchard. Cobra bracing to be inspected. Long Summers Town Lane Woodbury EX5 1NERef. No: 22/1018/TCA | Validated: Tue 10 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Single storey side/front extension, single storey replacement side extension, conversion of existing pitched roof to a flat roof and demolition to existing side conservatory. Drakehurst Exmouth Road Lympstone Devon EX8 5APRef. No: 22/0997/FUL | Validated: Tue 10 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Replace 2no. windows on ground floor and 2no. at first floor on rear (south west) elevation 3 School Cottages Village Road Woodbury Salterton EX5 1PGRef. No: 22/0987/LBC | Validated: Tue 10 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision

• replacement of garage 31 Sidford High Street Sidford EX10 9SNRef. No: 22/0996/FUL | Validated: Tue 10 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of four commercial, business and service units (Class E) and nine detached dwellings with associated access, parking and infrastructure Land Adjacent Old Tithebarn Lane Clyst HonitonRef. No: 22/0975/MFUL | Validated: Tue 10 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Creation of off street parking space. 1 Greenbank Cottages Venlake Lane Uplyme DT7 3SDRef. No: 22/0980/FUL | Validated: Tue 10 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Conversion of piggery to double garage with alterations to fenestration; addition of new cladding and replacement roof with 16 x solar panels; single storey link extension from existing piggery to dwelling house and addition of a flue. Strete Ralegh Farm Strete Ralegh WhimpleRef. No: 22/0952/FUL | Validated: Tue 10 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Conversion of piggery to double garage with alterations to fenestration; addition of new cladding and replacement roof with 16 x solar panels; single storey link extension from existing piggery to dwelling house and addition of a flue. Strete Ralegh Farm Strete Ralegh WhimpleRef. No: 22/0953/LBC | Validated: Tue 10 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Reserved matters application pursuant to Outline application (21/1125/OUT) for the erection of a two storey 4-bed detached dwelling (all matters to be considered) The Old School Clyst Honiton Exeter EX5 2LZRef. No: 22/0942/RES | Validated: Wed 11 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Oak : Crown Lifting of secondary branches to 4m, MDC 100mm. Reason: to clear the low branches to allow access to the area behind the tree and so prevent damage during garden maintenance. Ebford House Old Ebford Lane Ebford Exeter EX3 0QPRef. No: 22/0921/TRE | Validated: Wed 11 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Retrospective planning permission sought for the siting of an air conditioning unit on the east elevation. Planning permission sought for the siting of an air conditioning unit on the south elevation. Oysters 7 Charles Court Lympstone Exmouth EX8 5ELRef. No: 22/0907/FUL | Validated: Mon 09 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Conversion of agricultural barn into ancillary accommodation tied to the main dwelling Osmonds Clyst Hydon EX15 2NBRef. No: 22/0901/FUL | Validated: Mon 09 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Conversion of agricultural barn into ancillary accommodation tied to the main dwelling Osmonds Clyst Hydon Cullompton EX15 2NBRef. No: 22/0902/LBC | Validated: Mon 09 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision

• New dwelling house with parking space. Land Adjacent 1 Ball Knapp DunkeswellRef. No: 22/0889/FUL | Validated: Mon 09 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed oak conservatory and porch to replace existing conservatory and porch Green Acre 2 Combe Hill Cottages Combe Raleigh Honiton EX14 4UHRef. No: 22/0865/FUL | Validated: Fri 13 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Retrospective planning permission for erection of garden shed, erection of metal fence to front property boundary and erection of wooden fence to party boundary. 23 Tumbling Weir Way Ottery St Mary Devon EX11 1GQRef. No: 22/0849/FUL | Validated: Mon 09 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Single storey rear extension. Summer Cottage Church Road Whimple EX5 2TARef. No: 22/0803/FUL | Validated: Mon 09 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Various works at ground floor to include: damp proofing in rear extension; construction of partition wall to create shower room/WC; door to be blocked up between existing hall and new kitchen and create opening between new kitchen and living room 4 Henrietta Road Exmouth Devon EX8 1LTRef. No: 22/0797/LBC | Validated: Thu 12 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction and operation of a ground mounted solar farm, with permission being required for 40 years, comprising solar arrays, equipment housing, sub-station, fencing, ancillary equipment, landscaping and associated development Land East Of Rutton Farm Rull Lane Whimple EX5 2NXRef. No: 22/0783/MFUL | Validated: Mon 09 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Alterations to fenestration. Millbrook Farmhouse Chard Road Axminster Devon EX13 5EGRef. No: 22/0773/LBC | Validated: Thu 12 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Alterations to fenestration. Millbrook Farmhouse Chard Road Axminster Devon EX13 5EGRef. No: 22/0772/FUL | Validated: Thu 12 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Installation of black iron gates to match neighbouring gates either side (pedestrian gate and gate to the entrance of neighbouring property.) Stamford House Silver Street Axminster Devon EX13 5AHRef. No: 22/0730/FUL | Validated: Fri 13 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Extension to existing agricultural building, erection of polytunnel and siting of compost toilet Land West Of Pitmans Farm DulfordRef. No: 22/0575/AGR | Validated: Mon 09 May 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision

The proposed Sizewell C nuclear power station could cost UK taxpayers more than double government estimates and take an extra five years to build, according to research.

Alex Lawson www.theguardian.com 

Ministers will decide in July whether to approve the development of the Suffolk power station proposed by the French developer EDF. The business department has estimated that the government-backed scheme will add an extra £1 a month to household bills to aid construction costs.

But research by the University of Greenwich Business School seen by the Guardian shows the average monthly cost could reach £2.12, or £25.40 a year. At its costliest point, the build could cost taxpayers nearly £4 a month. That represents the study’s gloomiest forecast, which predicts construction would take 17 years and cost £43.8bn.

The project had been expected to cost £20bn and take 10-12 years to build. Stephen Thomas, a professor at Greenwich Business School, said the average forecast put the cost at £35bn over 15 years, or £2.3bn a year.

The figures could further inflame the debate over the cost and time of building power stations after Boris Johnson last month set a target of building a new nuclear station every year.

EDF admitted last week that Hinkley Point C, the power station it is developing in Somerset, would cost an extra £3bn, taking it to up to £26bn. The already delayed project will take an extra year, and is expected to begin generating electricity in June 2027. EDF had originally planned for it be operational by Christmas 2017.

The French firm said consumers would not be hit by the extra costs at Hinkley Point C, which will be taken on by EDF and China’s CGN, its junior partner in the project.

However, at Sizewell C the government has already committed £100m to the project and plans to use a regulated asset base (RAB) funding model.

RAB funding gives investors a set return during the construction phase of a project, reducing their risk and making an asset more attractive to outside investors. However, it shifts the risk of delays and extra costs on to taxpayers.

The government argues that the RAB model could reduce the project cost of a nuclear power station by more than £30bn over its 60-year lifespan. The model was used in the construction of Heathrow Terminal 5 and the Thames Tideway super-sewer.

A final decision on plans for Sizewell C was recently pushed back from 25 May to 8 July. The site is located north of EDF’s existing Sizewell B plant.

Campaigners argue that the development would be costly and threatens the local environment.

The prospect of extra costs comes as consumers face soaring bills amid the energy crisis. The government has been urged to intervene with annual bills forecast to balloon to nearly £3,000 from October.

Johnson has thrown his weight behind nuclear power as a green option to boost Britain’s energy security in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and as he targets net zero emissions by 2050.

Thomas said: “It may not seem a huge amount extra on bills but several of these projects will overlap, meaning consumers paying even more for a long time. If costs are even higher than expected, it could become a real burden.”

A spokesperson for Sizewell C said: “The RAB model is a tried and tested financing arrangement, which has already been used to raise funds for more than £160bn of UK infrastructure. Applied to Sizewell C, it will bring the cost of finance down and deliver significant savings to consumers.”

A government spokesperson said: “We firmly stand by our assessment that a large-scale project funded under our Nuclear Act would add at most a few pounds a year to typical household energy bills during the early stages of construction, and on average about £1 a month during the full construction phase of the project.”

The Conservatives have produced an all-female shortlist for next month’s Tiverton and Honiton by-election in the wake of scandals involving several male MPs.

www.telegraph.co.uk (Extract)

Party members in the Devon constituency will on Sunday be presented with three candidates from which they will be asked to select a prospective MP to stand in the by-election on June 23.

The Telegraph understands all three of the candidates are women from the area………

Boris Johnson is expected to scapegoat the head of the civil service Simon Case this week in a desperate effort to save his own job, as both men face stinging criticism in a report into lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street.

Boris Johnson to sacrifice top official over Partygate to save himself

Toby Helm www.theguardian.com 

The long-awaited findings of the senior mandarin Sue Gray will, according to several sources, lay particular blame on Case, the UK’s most senior civil servant, for allowing a drinking culture to develop in which rule-breaking parties became commonplace during lockdowns.

One senior Whitehall figure who has seen sections of the report said it could also prove more damaging for Johnson than the fine he was given in April for attending his own birthday party, because it will make clear the PM’s involvement in several other events which may have breached rules, but for which he was not fined.

“From my expectation of what I know it will be the real deal. There will be detail. There will be evidence. She is going to say this is under your watch, this is your house, all that kind of stuff,” the source said.

Senior officials are braced for Case to be so heavily criticised that he will have to offer his resignation, or be sacked by Johnson, in order for Johnson to be able to say he has acted decisively and learned lessons.

“That is probably why he [Case] is still there [and not moved from his post already],” said one source. “Because Johnson needs a body.” If Case were to be lose his job, however, it would mean that a civil servant who has not been fined would have lost his job, while the prime minister, who has been fined, keeps his.

A friend of Gray who has worked at a high level with her in the civil service said the report would make “gruesome” reading for both the prime minister and his most senior civil servants and that Gray was in no mood to be forced into watering down her findings.

Sections of the report may prove more damaging for the PM than the fine he was given for attending his own birthday party, according to a senior Whitehall figure. Photograph: Andrew Parsons/10 Downing Street/AFP/Getty Images

The friend said that before the Johnson era, the only party that was ever held among staff in Downing Street was the annual Christmas one. “We didn’t have karaoke machines and suitcases to bring in drink in those days. I think it will be very difficult for Simon Case.”

Gray was appointed to take over the investigation into parties last December from Case himself, after he was revealed to have hosted an event in his own office on 17 December 2020, for which invitations were sent out saying “Christmas Party!” A government spokesman said at the time that officials in Case’s office took part in a “virtual quiz”.

It is expected that Johnson and Case, along with about a dozen other officials, will be named by Gray.

While it is not expected that she will reveal a new “smoking gun” detail or photograph that will on its own inflict terminal damage on the PM, the overall impression of those with knowledge of the report is that its criticism of leadership failings at the very top will be hard to survive without someone senior falling on their sword.

Another source with knowledge of Gray’s thinking said: “Sue is in a very good place to give judgments. She has worked at the heart of government for a very long time. I think there is a genuine question.

“What the hell was it about this time and this place that all this was allowed to go on? She has worked with any number of prime ministers so I think it will be an element of ‘What was that? Was it a broader culture?’”

He added: “What has been said to me is no one is going to come out of this looking good. So there will be damage for Johnson. In many ways it could be more damaging for him than the fine because the fine was for a relatively minor thing [his birthday party] that people were surprised he got fined for. So he was able to excuse himself.

“Whereas what is actually going to come out in Sue’s report is detail of some of the other incidents which perhaps are more difficult for him to explain. So even though he wasn’t fined for them the detail that comes out won’t look good.”

Gray has contacted about two dozen people who she intends to identify, either directly or indirectly, over their involvement in events at Downing Street. They have until the end of Sunday to respond, and many are said to be fighting to maintain their anonymity. “There is a huge issue around publicity and anonymity,” said one insider.

When Gray has considered these late representations she will take them into account before submitting her report to Downing Street. Johnson has promised to publish it in full and without delay. Publication is now expected this week, along with a statement to the Commons by Johnson.

The prime minister was under pressure on Saturday to explain a recent meeting he held with Gray. It has led to claims that No 10 had tried to interfere and water down her findings.

It is understood Gray and Johnson met earlier this month, although a Whitehall source said the report’s contents were not discussed at any point. Downing Street said that the meeting had taken place at Gray’s request, although accounts differed yesterday.

Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, called on the PM to “urgently explain” why the “secret meeting” had taken place. She said public confidence in the process had already been damaged.

“Boris Johnson must urgently explain why he held a secret meeting with Sue Gray to discuss her report despite claiming her investigation was completely independent,” she said. “Public confidence in the process is already depleted, and people deserve to know the truth.

“This is a prime minister incapable of taking responsibility for the rotten culture he has created in Downing Street or of doing the decent thing. The Sue Gray report must be published in full and with all accompanying evidence.”

Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine also called on the PM to throw light on the meeting. “Any whiff of a stitch-up would make an absolute mockery of the report,” she said.

Nearly 100 East Devon households have come forward to offer homes to Ukrainian refugees, potentially enough to accommodate up to 300 people.

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

Speaking at East Devon District Council’s (EDDC) annual meeting, chair of the council Cllr Ian Thomas (Independent, Trinity) announced that approximately 95 households have now offered homes as part of the government’s ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme.

EDDC, which is responsible for assessing the suitability of the accommodation, has completed 56 property inspections and has a further 29 scheduled.

Twenty-two families in East Devon have applied for a government support payment of £350 per month to help pay for the costs of hosting.

The council will work with the Citizen’s Advice Bureau to support the refugees. It is also in talks with Devon County Council to formulate a policy for finding new hosts for refugees should a housing sponsorship arrangement break down.

Cllr Thomas said: “We recognise the need to do everything we can to prevent homelessness.”

Almost 13 million people are believed to have fled their homes in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began in April, according to the United Nations (UN).

More than six million have left for neighbouring countries and at least another 6.5 million people are thought to be displaced inside Ukraine itself.

Council Chair, Ian Thomas was re-elected and Council Leader, Paul Arnott, was re-elected for new terms at East Devon District Councils Annual meeting yesterday (Thursday, 19 May). In the coming year fresh impetus would be given to address the shortage in the supply of homes, deliver an improved service for housing tenants and encourage new projects to build attainable homes.

Julie Green www.eastdevon.radio

Council Chair, Ian Thomas, re-elected for new year

“Last year I was honoured to be elected the first non-aligned Independent Chair.  

To be unanimously re-elected at Annual Council, with support from Conservative, Labour, Lib Dem, Green and Independent colleagues is a humbling experience I will never take for granted.  

I recognise this unique trust brings with it additional responsibilities and will continue to perform all my duties to the best of my ability, with an even hand and open mind.”

Council Leader, Paul Arnott, re-elected for new term

Councillor Paul Arnott was re-elected at the Annual Council meeting yesterday (Thursday, 19 May) for his third consecutive year. In his acceptance speech Councillor Arnott highlighted some of the achievements of his administration which included securing the finances to enable the completion of Cranbrook’s Town Centre, the great collaboration work that has taken place in the Enterprise Zone, and the analytical work that has been carried out in Tourism, Cultural and Leisure by the council to help create growth in these important sectors.

In the coming year fresh impetus would be given to address the shortage in the supply of homes, deliver an improved service for housing tenants and encourage new projects to build attainable homes. There will also be an increased focus on climate change with joined up policy making and engagement on this important topic.

New Council Cabinet

Cabinet 2022/23:

Nomination papers must be delivered to the Acting Returning Officer, Phoenix House, Phoenix Lane, Tiverton, Devon, EX16 6PP on any day after the date of this notice between the hours of 10am and 4pm but no later than 4pm on Wednesday 25 May 2022.

Might be worth name checking candidates against Sasha Swire’s ‘Diary of an MP’s wife’ (aka ‘The secret diaries’). Her waspish insider account of the Tory ruling clique included descriptions of several East Devon activists. Her memorable epithets included describing those who kept popping up and down at meetings as “toilet seats”.

On the other hand, do you want to select a complete unknown?