A majority of voters still want to see Boris Johnson resign despite the crisis over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the latest Opinium poll for the Observer.

[Not surprising as the Prime Minister presides over a weak cabinet and is incapable of backing up his booster blusters by subsequent delivery. – Owl]

Michael Savage www.theguardian.com 

There has been a significant fall in the proportion of voters who want the prime minister to stand aside. However, the new poll showed that 53% still wanted to see him go – down 10 points since January.

On the Ukraine crisis, a majority (52%) think the government has not gone far enough on accepting Ukrainian refugees into the UK. When asked whether they would take in Ukrainian refugees themselves, 9% of people said that they would, while a further 20% said they would consider it. About 63% said they were not in a position to do so, while 8% said they were, but wouldn’t.

Fourth-fifths (78%) of the UK support sending arms to Ukraine. Similarly, almost seven in 10 (68%) support donating western fighter planes for the Ukrainian air force to use in the country’s defence.

Voters are divided over a potential no-fly zone over Ukraine, with 40% saying they support western air forces enforcing a no-fly zone, and the shooting down of Russian aircraft that breach this, but 39% disagreeing.

There are clear concerns over the cost of living at home. There was a 15-point increase in those who now expect the economy to get worse over the next year (71%), while 57% expect their personal finances to worsen – up 12 points.

Johnson’s net approval ratings have improved from low levels. Those approving of the job he is doing make up 27%, with 54% disapproving. That gives him a net approval rating of -27, a 6-point improvement on the last poll a fortnight ago. Keir Starmer’s ratings remain largely unchanged, giving him a net approval rating of -2.

Overall, Labour’s lead has fallen marginally to 2 points over the Tories. Starmer’s party has 37% support, with the Tories on 35%. When people were asked who they preferred as prime minister, “none of these” remained the clear leader. However, when forced to choose, people would still prefer a Labour government led by Starmer (44%) over a Conservative government led by Johnson (35%).

Joe Curran, senior research executive at Opinium, said: “While most European countries are granting fleeing Ukrainians visa-free refuge, the UK has so far opted to require visas, to much outrage from certain quarters. Our polling finds that over half (52%) of the British public think that the government hasn’t gone far enough in accepting refugees.

“As for Boris Johnson, a cynic would say that the crisis in Ukraine offers both a distraction from domestic controversies and also the opportunity to act the statesman. Indeed we have seen a small uptick in his approval ratings, although we can’t say for certain that this is related to the war in the east. Whether this trend continues depends on many factors including the deepening cost of living crisis.”

Opinium polled 2,007 people online between 9 and 11 March.

A washing machine brimming with fake bank notes and surrounded by union jacks sits on the pavement of one of London’s most exclusive streets.

www.independent.co.uk 

Its provocative presence in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea on Friday morning is intended to symbolise the laundering of dirty money in the British capital.

Since Vladimir Putin launched his bloody invasion of Ukraine last month, Britain has come under increasing pressure to clean up its act by introducing new legislation to aid transparency and tackle corruption.

It has taken the first step by introducing an Economic Crime Bill and by freezing the UK assets of some Russian oligarchs linked to the Kremlin. However, campaigners believe such moves are only a start.

Rachel Davies, head of advocacy at Transparency International UK, speaks of the unquantifiable scale of the issue.

“Because of the layers of secrecy, nobody really knows how much dirty money there is – not even the National Crime Agency (NCA),” she says.

Through open-source research, Transparency International found that at least £6.7bn of British property had been bought with “suspicious funds”, £1.5bn of which is Russian-owned.

Almost £300m in potentially fraudulent Russian money has been invested in bricks and mortar in Kensington, the most unequal borough in England, the group claims.

A washing machine is stuffed with fake money to protest against money laundering, in Kensington, London (Rory Sullivan)

“It’s just the tip of the iceberg,” Ms Davies says. “There’s almost certainly much, much more here in London and across the UK.”

Another group, Kensington Against Dirty Money (KADM), launched this week and staged the washing machine stunt in Thornwood Gardens to highlight the need to combat corruption.

“The awful war in Ukraine has shone a light on our responsibility to take action against dirty money in London,” Flo Hutchings, a co-founder of the movement, explains.

“We’re a campaign taking local action but making a national point, a global point. It’s not right that there are 6,000 anonymous foreign-owned properties in this borough where thousands are on years-long waiting lists for social housing.”

Joe Powell, KADM’s other co-founder, describes Kensington as “the epicentre of Britain’s dirty money problem”, adding that empty kleptocrat-owned properties have had an insidious effect on the borough, eroding the local community and its businesses.

Kensington residents have long understood the problem, but the war in Ukraine changed something, Powell believes. “There’s a moment now to say that this is not how we want our capital city to be. We also need to look at ourselves.

“It’s not just about autocrats and kleptocrats, it’s about our legal services, our banks, our accountants, our public relations firms, who have for a long time enabled dirty money to wash through our systems. A moment of introspection is needed.”

Powell says the government’s Economic Crime Bill, which will make it mandatory for shell companies to declare who owns property purchased in their name, is neither sufficient nor watertight. Under the law, kleptocrats will have a six-month grace period in which they can conceivably sell their homes.

“One piece of legislation this week is not enough to solve this problem, especially given that it is full of loopholes,” Mr Powell says.

To Mr Powell’s mind, greater transparency must be accompanied by greater enforcement. The NCA and other enforcement agencies have had their budgets slashed by ministers in recent years, making it almost impossible to effectively target dirty money, he notes.

On the borough level, he says the council, which already raises a tax levy on empty properties, must update its list of homes that are not occupied. “If you spoke to any resident, they’d say the real number was much higher.” Kensington and Chelsea should also invest more in social housing, he adds.

In response to Kensington Against Dirty Money’s comments, Cllr Kim Taylor-Smith, the council’s housing lead, said it was “absolutely not right” that there are empty properties while 2,100 households are in temporary accommodation.

The borough will continue to lobby the government “for stronger legislation to help councils bring empty homes back into use”, he stressed.

Sam Dodgson, a resident and aspiring Lib Dem councillor, has seen the detrimental effects empty properties have had on the area.

“We’re supposedly a village in the heart of London, but we’re a village with no one here. We’re becoming a dormitory town for investors. It’s upsetting.”

Monica Press, a local Labour councillor who has lived in the borough for 25 years, shares this view. Looking at the property behind the washing machine, she says: “My son went to Holland Park School. These were their playing fields. It’s now just a development that’s half empty.”

A government spokesperson said: “The government moved quickly in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to bring forward the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Bill, which will allow us to move more quickly with sanctions, prevent criminals from laundering their money in UK property, and strengthen unexplained wealth orders.

“This is part of a wider package of legislative proposals to tackle illicit finance, which will be introduced to parliament in the coming months, including reform of Companies House and new powers to seize crypto assets.

“We continue to lead the way in our fight against corruption, working closely with the private sector, international partners, and the crown dependencies and overseas territories, to ensure there are no safe havens for criminals to hide their dirty money.

“UK law enforcement has good existing information-sharing mechanisms with the crown dependencies and overseas territories, including on beneficial ownership information.”

There’s a warning that “a tsunami of poverty” will hit rural communities if more help isn’t provided to the 14% of British households living without access to mains gas. (In Cornwall, 47% of homes are off the gas grid.)

Dan Whitehead news.sky.com 

Many homes in the countryside which rely on oil, bottled gas, coal and wood to heat and cook are facing rapidly rising bills, made worse due to the volatility caused by the war in Ukraine.

Those alternative fuel sources are not covered by Ofgem’s increased price gap coming into force next month and are often far more expensive than mains supply.

SNP MP Drew Hendry has tabled the Energy Pricing (Off Gas Grid Households) Private Members Bill in parliament to try to provide extra help and protection for households which are off-grid.

He told the Commons last month that those households are forced to pay about four times more for their energy bills than the average home.

The problem mainly affects rural parts of the UK, where mains gas pipes do not reach.

In Cornwall, 47% of homes are off the gas grid.

Lorraine Baker-Lynch and her husband Robert from St Austell use oil and bottled gas, and say their bills are increasing so much they may need to rely on their log burner instead: “If all else fails, or if prices go so high that we can’t afford, we’ve got the log burner and on that there’s a kettle ready to boil… what else do you do? Because oil is going through the roof.”

And with prices increasing, they can only afford to fill half the oil tank.

Lorraine says: “You have to constantly check – has the oil gone down? How much can we afford? It’s going up monthly. We live here day in, day out. We love it. But it’s hard and challenging. You have to second guess. You can’t just turn on a gas fire. This is life. I wouldn’t swap it, but it would be nice if it was a bit easier. It would be nice if the government looked out for us.”

At the tip of Cornwall is the town of St Just, which Sky News data identifies in the worst 10 places in the country out of 7,201 areas for home energy efficiency.

Holly Whitelaw lives in an old granite miner’s cottage in the centre of the town.

Her only source of power and heating is electricity, and rising bills means she can’t afford to heat her home.

She says: “It’s damp. It’s like living in a cave basically. You get lots of condensation, you get the sea mist. Mould becomes a bit of an issue, so you just have to blast it with bleach quite regularly.”

Holly says she is keen to keep her carbon footprint as low as possible – but even then, heating her whole house is impossible.

“I can’t afford to heat my home. Not properly. Not to keep the mould at bay. Not to keep my feet from going numb so I can’t sleep at night,” she says.

“It is worrying and getting into debt is debilitating. I’ve been there with electricity providers. I’m tough, but many aren’t. We’ve really got to look after the vulnerable here.”

The rising cost of energy bills is also having a direct impact on the way charities are helping the most vulnerable.

At the Churches Together Foodbank in Penzance, manager Michelle Brown says they are having to help people with their bills, as well as changing the types of food they supply.

She says: “There’s a tsunami of poverty that’s going to sweep over us. It’s been a choice for some time, especially during COVID, that people are having to choose to pay their rent, whether to put food on their family’s tables or whether to heat. There’s no point us sending out food to people who can’t heat it.

“Because a lot of people live off grid down here, they’re relying on the more expensive alternatives. Things like gas cylinders, oil, microwaves… it’s a vicious circle as that bumps up their costs as well.”

The impact of more expensive fuel sources is compounded in rural parts of the country, which often have an older population, lower wages, poorer public transport links and an ageing housing stock.

Who wins from these spats – the Conservatives! Owl

Lewis Clarke www.devonlive.com 

A split between independent members of Mid Devon District Council, over an ‘unjust proposition’ has led to changes on committees and the cabinet.

Seven independent councillors have split into two groups, the New Independent Group and the Non-Aligned, following a fallout over a proposal by the independent leader Councillor Bob Deed (Cadbury, New Independent), to remove fellow independent Councillor Ashley Wilce (Cullompton North, Non-Aligned) from their group.

Councillor Barry Warren (Lower Culm, Non-Aligned), who is the leader of the non-aligned group explained to council on Wednesday, February 23, that the request to remove Cllr Wilce was ‘contrary to common requirements of justice that the condemned man should at least know what he is accused of and this is not the case.’

He added: “Four of the seven members present would not support this unjust proposition.

“The outcome was that the leader and two other independent councillors formed the new independent group, which left five elected independent members ungrouped.”

The two other independent councillors in the group are Councillor Wally Burke (Westexe, New Independent), and Councillor Dennis Knowles (Lowman, New Independent).

He added: “I was asked to act as group leader so representations could be made, and the information obtained and shared as appropriate.

“We are currently all independent councillors, but we formed as a non-aligned group in order that we are open to others who feel they do not wish to be constrained by the dictates by a particular leader or system.

“If anyone wishes to join us you would be welcome. Each member would be free to act as his or her conscious dictates, to best represent those who have elected them. You make your own decisions and answer for your own actions. All that is asked is that we treat one another with respect and accept there are alternative views to our own.

“As the current leader I work on the basis that I am not my brother’s keeper.”

Last week, Councillor Graeme Barnell (Newbrooke, Non-Aligned) announced he would be leaving the Liberal Democrats to take up Cllr Warren’s offer of joining the non-aligned group.

This week, it was announced that non-aligned member Councillor Nikki Woollatt (Cullompton North, Non-Aligned) was removed from her cabinet position with Councillor Clive Eginton taking the role of cabinet member for the working environment and support service.

In an email to members she said: “Cllr Deed informed me that in light of recent events he considered my allegiance to the cabinet and the cabinet system was in question and that there were two ways of dealing with this. I could either resign or be removed.

“I told him that I would not be resigning and if he wanted rid of me that he would need to sack me.

“I also told him that it was his prerogative as leader, but I was not surprised as he had threatened it on numerous occasions throughout the last few years by insinuation and I was aware of occasions in the past when he had offered my portfolio to other members. It will be a relief to no longer have to work within that unhealthy environment.

“Cllr Deed was well aware of my views on the cabinet system when he appointed me. Despite those views I have always been pragmatic and professional enough to work within the system we currently have.”

She added: “As regards my allegiance to cabinet – despite at times not always agreeing with the leader’s actions within cabinet – I have continued to carry out my role and behave professionally.

“Though at times it has been difficult I have continued as I found that by being a cabinet member I was far better informed and had more influence than I had as a back bench member. I felt it was in Cullompton’s and my constituents’ best interests to stick with it.

She added: “I’m disappointed that having nominated and supported Cllr Deed to become leader in 2019 on the understanding that he would try to appoint a politically balanced cabinet we now have have a cabinet with very little diversity. Who is the disloyal one? That may be politics but it’s not my kind of politics.

“But every cloud has a silver lining. Now I have been released from collective cabinet responsibility I will have more freedom and shall return to what my dear friend, the late Councillor Jenny Roach, myself and others used to affectionately call ‘the naughty corner’.”

The changes mean that the independents have lost a seat on the scrutiny committee. At a vote at the council meeting, it was awarded to the Conservative Party.

The move was divisive with Cllr Deed saying the seat should have been given to the independent group. Councillor Elizabeth Lloyd said it should be awarded to the non-aligned.

Cllr Warren added: “The non-aligned group seek to take the scrutiny seat to retain the balance of six Conservatives, three Liberal Democrats, one Green Party and two independents.

“Given to the Conservatives, this will give them more than half of the seats on scrutiny when they already have more than half the seats on cabinet. To control the cabinet and scrutiny committee is hardly creating confidence in the openness and transparency of the council.”

However, Conservative group leader, Councillor Bob Evans (Lower Culm, Conservative) said: “This is a consequence of the independents having a disagreement and forming to separate groups.

“I object to being told by a group of five what we shall or shall not have, so to conclude, given this is a choice, I will move that the new scrutiny position be awarded to the Conservative group.

“I find it very disturbing that this council has in the past debated how we talk to each other, and treat each other, and nobody has mentioned the way our monitoring officer has been treated, and I put it on record that I think it is questionable. Members need to take a long hard look at themselves.”

East Devon District Council is developing a ten year Culture Strategy.

docs.google.com 

Your thoughts and experiences are extremely important and will help ensure this will set out an ambitious, clear and deliverable vision unique to East Devon that is relevant to you.

What do we mean by ‘Culture’?

Music, theatre, museums, dance, crafting, libraries and every kind of visual and digital arts. It includes culture that you watch, or participate in, and culture made by professionals and amateurs as well as ‘everyday creativity’ that you might enjoy home.

Why is this important?

Culture brings joy, fun and wonder to our lives, whatever our age. Imagine a world without music, dancing, books or art! It brings communities together, contributes to jobs and prosperity, attracts visitors, and supports health and wellbeing. Culture and Heritage are the beating heart of our towns and cities.

What is the purpose of this Strategy?

The Strategy will set out a shared road map by and for East Devon to develop its cultural provision, capacity and ambition. East Devon District Council will be working closely with the creative and cultural sectors, tourism, economic development and other stakeholders to forge a stronger, sustainable future offer for East Devon.

There are just 12 questions, most of which are tick boxes – your time is appreciated.

You are not required to provide any personal information, except to leave, if you wish, your email at the end – in order to only receive future information about this project.

If you need a copy of this consultation on paper or in any other format, please call 01395 517569 or email jbuckley@eastdevon.gov.uk

The leader of Plymouth City Council will face a vote of no confidence in just over a week after Labour claimed he has “lost all authority.”

planetradio.co.uk

Cllr Nick Kelly (Conservative, Compton) has been leader of the council since the Conservative group won the largest number of seats in the May 2021 elections.

However, following several suspensions and resignations, Tories now have the same number of councillors as the Labour group.

Cllr Kelly failed to get his annual budget – which included a 1.74 per cent council tax increase – approved at the end of February after Labour brought an amendment to freeze council tax for the next financial year – except for the one per cent ring-fenced for adult social care.

The amendment was passed and Labour are now calling for a vote of no confidence which will take place at the final full council meeting of the financial year on Monday 21 March.

Plymouth Labour leader Cllr Tudor Evans OBE (Ham) said: “This was a complete failure on Cllr Kelly’s part.

“Not to get your own budget through is unprecedented and if Cllr Kelly had anything about him at all he would have resigned as leader there and then.

“As it is, he has lost all authority and we cannot allow the city to continue to be led by someone who does not have the confidence of the majority of the council.”

Tudor Evans (Labour Leader, Plymouth)

The latest development follows controversy surrounding several members of the Conservative group.

In March last year Cllr Mark Deacon (Conservative, Southway) was temporarily suspended by the party after claims he had mocked women’s safety concerns in the wake of the death of Sarah Everard.

Cllr Kelly was also suspended after being accused of “victim-blaming” in comments he made following the death of Plymouth teenager Bobbi-Anne McLeod.

The Labour groups says it has not had a reply to a letter they sent to Cllr Kelly about the comments he made.

Plymouth Conservatives also faced questions after it emerged emerged that two councillors, elected as Tories last year, are now living in Gloucestershire.

Plymouth City Council was eventually left with no party holding overall control when Cllr Dave Downie (Independent, Budshead) was suspended from the Conservative Party.

However, Cllr Downie remains cabinet member for education, skills and children and young people, enabling him to continue to receive a special responsibility allowance of £22,000 a year.

“It really is time for Cllr Kelly to go,” said Cllr Evans.

“There have been repeated suspensions, resignations and expulsions under Cllr Kelly’s tenure and infighting on a colossal scale.

“It certainly does not serve the residents of Plymouth to have a weak leader who is manifestly incapable of holding his own group together, let alone lead the city.”

As both Labour and the Conservatives have the same number of seats, the result of the no confidence vote is likely to depend on how the 11 independents on the council vote.

A commercial property developer has announced a partnership to develop a new industrial site in East Devon, creating job opportunities.

Becca Gliddon3 eastdevonnews.co.uk

Developer Stoford has revealed a new site-wide agreement with the Church Commissioners for England that it says ‘will unlock future phases of development at a job-creating industrial scheme in East Devon’.

The development partners said the new build will result ‘in significant job creation locally’.

Stoford said the agreement will create an additional c.500,000 sq ft of industrial/logistics development at Exeter Logistics Park, in Clyst Honiton, with new units available on freehold or leasehold terms.

Joanna Loxton, head of strategic land for the Church Commissioners for England, said: “The latest agreement builds on our already strong partnership with Stoford and will see hundreds of thousands of square feet of high-quality employment space being delivered, resulting in significant job creation locally and supporting the area’s continued growth.

“We are particularly proud of Exeter Logistics Park’s sustainability credentials, which are a demonstration of our ESG commitments in action and will help support a ‘green recovery’ post-covid.”

Exeter Logistics Park is part of the second phase of a significant industrial scheme which was opened in 2017, following the grant of outline planning, secured by the Church Commissioners.

Part of the Exeter and East Devon Growth Point economic development zone east of the M5, near Exeter Airport, the scheme will total more than 650,000 sq ft upon completion and includes improvements to the local transport infrastructure.

A new access road and junction have been created off the B3174 London Road, in a bid to make the site ‘immediately available for further development’.

Stoford has already completed construction of a new 90,000 sq ft distribution unit and a 415-space electric vehicle charging park at Exeter Logistics Park, on behalf of an international retailer.

And works are also underway to build two additional buildings, including DHL’s 54,732 sq ft parcel distribution service centre and a 28,464 sq ft warehouse being developed speculatively.

The new developments have green roof spaces, a sustainable urban drainage system, provision of solar panels and an external trim trail with outdoor gym and fitness area.

They are expected to be completed later this month (March 2022) and ‘have the potential’ to create more than 100 new jobs, said Stoford.

Dan Gallagher, Stoford joint managing director, said: “Exeter Logistics Park is an extremely well-connected site with enormous potential.

“We are on track to deliver the two new buildings in Q1 this year and the new agreement will enable us to further develop the scheme to meet continued demand.

“This is a sustainable scheme that has already attracted high calibre, international occupiers. It has all of the attributes to become the South West’s leading distribution hub, south of Bristol.”

It is estimated that Exeter Logistics Park could contribute between £90 million – £105 million to the regional economy when fully complete.

Four new members have been elected to Honiton Town Council. 

Philippa Davies www.midweekherald.co.uk 

Lisa Beigan, Jenny Brown, Cathy Maunder and Robert Fowles join the St Michael’s Ward after a by-election on Thursday, March 10. 

Two other candidates, Andrew Pearsall and John Taylor, also stood but were not successful. 

The election was held after six councillors resigned in January in protest against a rise in council tax. Another councillor had stepped down for unrelated reasons, and there was already a vacant seat on the council. 

This left four vacancies in the St Michael’s Ward, and four in St Paul’s. 

Three candidates came forward for the St Paul’s seats and were elected unopposed: Joseph Furneaux-Gotch, Debra Hulin and Caroline Kolek. 

Yesterday’s election saw a turnout of 15.6 per cent.

Lisa Beigan – Credit: Lisa Beigan

Lisa Beigan, who runs the Honiton Wine Bar with her family, secured 574 votes.

Cathy Maunder – Credit: Cathy Maunder

Cathy Maunder, who runs a business supporting families of children and young adults with special needs, won 460.

Robert Fowles – Credit: Robert Fowles

Robert Fowles, who promised to use his experience of working in major international organisations for the benefit of Honiton, gained 431 votes.

Jenny Brown – Credit: Jenny Brown

Jenny Brown, former hotelier and East Devon District Councillor, won 426. 

The other two candidates, Andrew Pearsall and John Taylor, gained 266 and 174 votes respectively. 

Debate between Yvette Cooper and Priti Patel (extract)

www.parallelparliament.co.uk

Yvette Cooper:

“…This has just been shameful. We are pushing vulnerable people from pillar to post in their hour of need. Week after week we have seen this happen. It is deeply wrong to leave people in this terrible state. Our country is better than this. If she cannot get this sorted out, frankly she should hand the job over to somebody else who can.”

Priti Patel:

“….Visa applications are important in this process. It is important that we are flexible in our response, and we have been. We are seeing that many Ukrainians do not have documentation. This country and all Governments, including probably a Government that the right hon. Lady once served in, will recognise that there was something known as the Windrush scandal and it is important that everyone who arrives in the UK has physical and digital records of their status here in the UK to ensure that they can access schemes—[Interruption.] Opposition Members may holler, but the process is vital in terms of verification, notification and permission to travel. It is important to give people status when they come to the United Kingdom, so that they have the right to work, the right to access benefits and digital verification of their status. That is absolutely right…..”

Boris Johnson has promised bereaved families will have their voices heard, as he published wide-ranging terms of reference for the public inquiry into the government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Heather Stewart www.theguardian.com 

The prime minister bowed to pressure last year and announced the inquiry, which will be chaired by the retired judge Lady Hallett.

The government has now published its draft terms of reference. These cover the public health response, including how decisions were made, and a wide range of other issues from shielding to lockdowns, the procurement of personal protective equipment to the closure of schools.

Hallett will also examine the economic response, including the furlough scheme, and how the NHS and wider health and social care system responded.

Announcing the draft terms of reference, Johnson said: “The importance of the inquiry working to understand the experiences of those most affected by the pandemic – including bereaved families – as well as looking at any disparities evident in the impact of the pandemic and our response.”

Hallett will hold a four-week consultation on the draft terms of reference. They include the necessity to produce a “timely” report, although the very broad remit suggests merely taking evidence may be a very lengthy process.

The inquiry is asked to produce a “factual narrative account” of the response to the pandemic – and then to identify any lessons to be learned, “thereby to inform the UK’s preparations for future pandemics”.

In doing so, the inquiry will “listen to the experiences of bereaved families and others who have suffered hardship or loss as a result of the pandemic”. It will not “investigate individual cases of harm or death in detail”, and Hallett will not be asked to apportion blame for any failures she identifies.

The families of people who have died from Covid-19 have long campaigned for a full public inquiry. Johnson initially rejected those calls, before announcing one in May 2021. But he stipulated the inquiry would not begin its work until this year, when the government hoped the worst of the pandemic would be over.

At the time, Johnson said it would take a “frank and candid” look at how the pandemic was managed.

An investigation by the health and science select committees has already pointed to a number of failures in the government’s response, including the pace at which Covid testing was ramped up, and the decision to discharge patients from hospitals into care homes without testing.

The committees took dramatic testimony from Johnson’s former chief aide Dominic Cummings, who claimed the prime minister consistently failed to grasp the seriousness of the pandemic in its early stages.

Becky Kummer, a spokesperson for Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, said: “The inquiry is a one-off and historic opportunity for the terrible suffering and loss of the past two years to be learned from, [and] to ensure these tragedies are not repeated in the future. The government finally publishing the draft terms of reference is a huge step forward, and we look forward to feeding into the consultation on them.

“Sadly, today’s announcement comes far too late. We will never know how many lives could have been saved had the government had a rapid review phase in summer 2020, as we called for at the time.”

Not entirely clear what John Hart is proposing, a single Devon-wide unitary authority perhaps?

But it looks like the end of our ineffectual Local Enterprise Partnership “Heart of the South West”.

Transforming our Devon communities

John Hart, Leader Devon County Council from this week’s Exmouth Journal

The term’s become something of a cliche but the Government’s Levelling-Up agenda could bring welcome benefits for Devon.

I’ve written here before about Team Devon and the close working relationship the county council has developed with district, town and parish councils across Devon originally to deliver help and support for vulnerable people during the pandemic.

But we have also been cooperating on the county’s economic recovery from Covid and the housing crisis affecting us. We have also linked up with Plymouth and Torbay to propose a county-wide devolution deal to the Government that will deliver both economic and social benefits for local people.

You may have seen that earlier this year, ours was one of nine bids from around the country invited to start discussions with Ministers and civil servants and that’s now underway with the aim of achieving agreement by the autumn.

This isn’t necessarily about asking for more funding – although that would be nice – but about taking on extra powers and influence to improve the economic and social conditions for the communities we all serve. For example, bringing together the responsibilities for areas such as skills and training that are currently spread across many organisations and having more say in how Government resources are spent in our communities something that is all too often determined by bureaucrats 200 miles away in London. I firmly believe devolving funding and power to the most local level possible is absolutely the right thing to do.

As well as skills and training, we’ve identified affordable housing, health and social care, and transport and digital connectivity as our key priorities alongside clean, Green economic growth to help pay for these improvements.

I believe this is a groundbreaking opportunity for our councils – working as a strong team – to partner with the Government on a deal that’s right for all our communities and best for business.

If we get this right, we could really transform the future for people and communities right across Devon.

We want to drive up skills and training, create more opportunities for our young people to find good jobs locally and deliver more affordable homes that meet the needs of local people.

We have world-beating examples of enterprise and innovation across our county and we must build on them to deliver opportunities for businesses and individuals and so drive up prosperity for all our residents. As well as our partnership in Team Devon and with Plymouth and Torbay, we propose working in close collaboration with our colleagues in the health sector, in business, our universities and colleges, towns and parishes, housing associations and national parks. There is real strength in our unity, which the Government has recognised, and by working together we can achieve much more for the people of Devon. It’s about us coming together to have one voice and being a credible partner with national Government and others to be able to get investment and development, having more power and influence on funding and decision-making locally.

But let me make it very clear. This is not about more bureaucracy. We do not believe elected mayors work well outside of big cities and conurbations. Instead, we believe our existing councils have already demonstrated they can work together strategically and we want to develop and refine this whilst respecting the sovereignty of our individual authorities.

And, if you will allow a political leader to say this, it is also above politics. Our current Devolution Deal proposals are backed by Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and non-aligned council leaders. What we all want is the best for Devon.

Stuart Andrew, who took over the job of Housing Minister on 8 February, has been battling unpopular development in his own patch!

From his web site:

www.stuartandrew.org.uk

Leeds City Council are currently exploring sites that they will consider allocating for houses over the next 16 years, with 70,000 houses being planned. Although the consultation on the Site Allocations Plan has now closed, Stuart is continuing to keep up the pressure on the Council, saying:

“It was great to see so many constituents get in touch with me, and contribute to the consultation. This has really caught the heart of the area. Many have joined me in saying that the site allocations plan, in their current plan, will have a terrible effect on the greenbelt across the area. We need to preserve these natural boundaries and our treasured landscape, which creates the unique identity of this area.

“I particularly want to praise neighbourhood groups like RGAG and the Aireborough Neighbourhood Development Forum, who have helped so many people understand what can be an incredibly complicated area of policy. I will continue to keep up the pressure to ensure that the independently appointed Government Inspector comes to an informed decision on whether the proposals need further review.

“The recent flooding across Yorkshire has highlighted the importance of getting planning right – we have seen areas that are proposed for development effectively turn into lakes, and I hope that the Council will heed the calls to reassess their plans.”

In order for Stuart to be able to communicate with you directly in order to update you on the Leeds City Council Site Allocations Plan, please sign up below. You can also read a copy of Stuart’s response to the Consultation via the attachment below.

 For more details on the Council’s proposals, visit the following website: http://www.leeds.gov.uk/council/Pages/Site-Allocations-Development-Plan-Document-(LDF).aspx

The main NHS hospital in Cornwall has been forced to suspend almost all visiting after a “significant” spike in the number of patients with Covid.

Steven Morris www.theguardian.com 

Eighty-five patients at the Royal Cornwall hospital in Truro have tested positive for coronavirus, meaning that many wards and bays are unable to take in new admissions.

According to the latest figures published by Cornwall council, the seven-day case rate for Cornwall is 376 per 100,000 people, compared with 313 for England as a whole.

A spokesperson for Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust said: “Over the last few days there has been a significant increase in the number of people in hospital who are Covid-positive.

“Although the vast majority of the 85 people have been admitted for another reason, it means we have many wards or bays unable to take new admissions.”

The spokesperson said the hospital would consider visits in “exceptional circumstances”, such as to say goodbye to a patient who is dying. The current visiting arrangements for maternity, neonatal and paediatrics remain unchanged.

“We will be making every effort to resume visiting as soon as we can, but we must reduce the number of people coming into our hospitals to a minimum, and it is likely we will have to keep this restriction in place for at least the next seven days,” the spokesperson added.

The trust’s deputy medical director, Dr Gill Derrick, said: “Although all patients are tested on admission, we are finding many have been unknowingly carrying the virus.

“When a Covid test later in their admission proves positive, it means we must close a bay, or in some cases a whole ward, for at least 10 days. This has a big knock-on impact for patients waiting for admission and ultimately ambulances waiting to hand over their patients. All of our health and care services continue to be under significant pressure.”

Dr Ruth Goldstein, of Cornwall’s public health team, said Covid was still causing “havoc” with many people’s lives. “Everybody seems to know somebody who has got Covid. It absolutely hasn’t gone away,” she said.

Andrew George, a Lib Dem councillor who speaks for the party on health issues in Cornwall, said: “The Conservative government sets the tone and climate as well as the rules. The prime minister follows public opinion rather than science, chases headlines and has no respect for his own rules.

“Ministers and portfolio holders must stand aside and let public health officials set standards for social distancing, mask wearing and personal hygiene. Because it’s evident the public have lost respect for those who set the rules.”

The BBC have tracked down the pop-up centre to Arras 53km South West of Lille

Covid cases appear to be rising in older people as increased socialising, waning immunity and a more transmissible version of the Omicron variant threaten to fuel a resurgence of the virus.

[Boris Johnson confirmed at the end of February that packs of lateral flow tests would no longer be available for free from 1 April for most of the British public, excluding the vulnerable and over-75s.]

Ian Sample www.theguardian.com 

Tests on nearly 100,000 swabs from homes across England reveal that, while infections have fallen overall since the January peak, one in 35 people tested positive between 8 February and 1 March, with cases either level or rising in those aged 55 and over.

Scientists on Imperial College’s React-1 study said the R value – the average number of people an infected person passes the virus to – remained below 1 for those aged 54 and under, meaning cases were in decline. But for those aged 55 and over, R stood at 1.04.

The suspected uptick has raised concerns as older people are more prone to severe Covid and have had more time for their immunity to wane, as many had their booster vaccines several months ago.

The findings come as the latest government figures showed a sharp 46% rise in new recorded UK cases week on week – to 346,059 over the past week – and a 12% rise in hospitalisations to 8,950.

The total number of confirmed UK Covid-19 patients in hospital on Tuesday, 8 March 2022 was 11,639.

Prof Paul Elliott, director of the React study, said the rise was probably driven by factors including the lifting of all Covid legal restrictions in England on 24 February, more mixing between age groups and waning protection from booster shots.

One idea experts are investigating is whether hospitalisation rates are being driven by “unshielding”, where people who have been extremely careful for two years have emerged into a world where infections are still rife.

Another driver is thought to be the BA.2 form of Omicron, a relative of the original BA.1. While BA.2 does not seem to evade immunity any more than BA.1 or cause more severe disease, it spreads faster and increases R by 0.4 compared with BA.1, the Imperial researchers found. “From what we see, BA.2 is more transmissible and may prolong the Omicron wave of the pandemic,” Elliott said. “It’s taking over, so that could explain higher infection rates.”

Since the first BA.2 cases were discovered in December, it has steadily gained ground and now accounts for about half of all Omicron cases in England, with levels currently highest in London. It is unclear how large a wave of infections and hospitalisations BA.2 could drive given widespread immunity from vaccines and past Covid infections.

A further push on vaccinations is due in early April when over-75s and the clinically vulnerable will be offered a fourth shot. “Additional doses of vaccine are almost certainly going to be necessary,” said Prof Peter Openshaw, a member of the government’s New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag).

Mark Woolhouse, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh, said it was “impossible to make a sensible prediction” about the size of any BA.2 wave but the situation needed close monitoring. “The worry is that it’s hard to see anything happening in the next few weeks that will reverse the growth of BA.2 unless, that is, people decide on their own account to step up precautions.”

Danny Altmann, professor of immunology at Imperial College, who is not on the React-1 study, said the recent rise was foreseeable. “We’ll see a great deal more of this, along the lines of recent resurgent spikes in Scotland and Hong Kong,” he said. “Caseloads were by no means low or under control as we came out of all mitigations and, when you add in waning immunity and the enhanced transmissibility of BA.2, it looks like we are in for a difficult period, especially for the elderly.”

He said a lack of measures such as mask-wearing and testing potentially left only the option of “a wider push for fourth shots, beyond the over-75s” but cautioned that very regular boosters may not be sustainable long-term.

Openshaw said the rise in cases and hospitalisations should remind people the pandemic is not over. “I think it’s a shame that the message that seems to have got out to the population is that it’s all over and we don’t need to be cautious any more,” he said.

A Conservative peer attended Cop26 in Glasgow as part of Russia’s group of participants at the UN climate summit, the Guardian can reveal.

Jasper Jolly www.theguardian.com

Greg Barker, a former energy minister when David Cameron was prime minister, attended the talks as part of the party of the Russian Federation, according to a list published by the UN.

Lord Barker resigned on Monday as chair of the Russian mining company En+ Group. The company is part-owned by the Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska, who was sanctioned by the US in 2018. En+ confirmed that Barker attended with a pass from Russia’s allocation.

His resignation followed intense scrutiny of his relationship with the company, including by senior Tory party colleagues, amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Share instruments in En+, which is incorporated in Russia, were suspended from trading on the London Stock Exchange on Thursday.

The presence of Barker on the list emerged in analysis of lobbying at the summit by three non-government organisations – Global Witness, Corporate Accountability and Corporate Europe Observatory.

Barker was ennobled in 2015 by Cameron, after serving for four years as minister of state for climate change. Barker had served as Conservative MP for Bexhill and Battle. However, he is not thought to have attended the House of Lords since 2019.

A source familiar with the matter said Barker did not participate in, or attend, any official Russian government functions, meetings or receive any briefings at the climate summit.

Anneliese Dodds, the Labour party chair, said: “The Conservatives have serious questions to answer about why it seems one of their peers was allowed to attend Cop26 as part of Russia’s party.”

Dodds added that “urgent action” was required from the Conservatives to remove people from the political party who have links to Vladimir Putin’s regime.

Barker had been heavily criticised by Conservative party colleagues and other political parties for his prior involvement with En+. The former Tory minister David Davis said: “As a matter of law, people like him should be disqualified from holding office in those companies.”

Murray Worthy, a gas campaign leader at Global Witness, said: “Lord Barker has serious questions to answer as to why he was registered to the world’s most important climate talks as part of the official Russian delegation.

“As do the Conservative party, whose government was entrusted to host Cop26 and made a huge fanfare about its importance in reaching the necessary climate action to stop the heating of our planet.”

While Barker will step down as chair of the listed company, En+ said on Monday that it was considering carving out a large part of the aluminium business, which included the international business of Rusal, a part-owned subsidiary.

The new company would be owned by management and non-Russian investors, and potentially led by Barker, according to a report by Bloomberg News that was referenced by EN+ in its stock market statement.

En+, which mainly produces aluminium but also makes significant profits from coal and other commodities, escaped direct sanctions by the US in 2019 through a deal with the Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac) in which Deripaska’s stake was reduced to below 45%, and his voting rights were reduced to 35%.

Barker received £6m in pay and bonuses in part as a reward for orchestrating the deal.

Deripaska has sought to have the sanctions removed, and has consistently argued that he should not have been designated. A spokesperson for Deripaska said the US sanctions relied on “baseless accusations” and “false claims”.

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Deripaska has in recent days expressed opposition to war in Ukraine. According to Reuters, Deripaska said: “We need peace as soon as possible. The whole world will be different after these events and Russia will be different.”

A source close to Barker said: “The heartbreaking situation in Ukraine and the terrible consequences that flow from it are bad enough without now trying to play politics with the climate agenda.

“Lord Barker has a long history of climate activism, and while he stands by his decision to leave En+, he remains very proud of the progress he was able to achieve in helping one of the world’s largest producers of low-carbon aluminium and hydropower lead the way into the low-carbon economy. Pretending that all Russians are bad is, frankly, appalling.”

A landowner is facing legal action for what environmental regulators say is the decimation of a protected river.

Sandra Laville www.theguardian.com 

Natural England and the Environment Agency (EA) say the charges against the landowner include causing damage to a site of special scientific interest (SSSI), carrying out clearance and reprofiling of the riverbank which was likely to cause damage to or endanger the stability of the river and allowing silt to discharge into the river.

The agencies investigated the actions at the River Lugg near Kingsland, Herefordshire, after complaints that clearance was taking place along the bank in December 2020.

The agencies were alerted after reports of activities including dredging, illegal felling of trees and profiling of the riverbanks over nearly a mile (1.5km) of the river.

The officials, along with the police, issued a stop notice to the landowner to halt the works, which the local wildlife trust said had devastated the river and would have dire consequences for wildlife and water quality.

After a long investigation, the EA and Natural England said on Wednesday they had begun legal action. The charges also relate to further works which are alleged to have been carried out by the landowner in December 2021.

Oliver Harmar, the chief operating officer at Natural England, said: “The decimation of this section of the River Lugg has been devastating to the local environment and to local people, destroying the habitats of iconic wildlife such as otters, kingfisher and salmon. It was heartbreaking to see this beautiful riverside illegally damaged.”

The area is protected as an SSSI owing to its importance for nature. Consent is required before any works are carried out within an SSSI, which had not been granted, the agencies said.

Green councillors in Exeter and East Devon want buses to come under the control of the local councils.

Radio Exe News www.radioexe.co.uk 

It would be similar to the system that operated until privatisation of bus services in 1986 before which local authorities decided which routes should run and what fares should be.

The two Greens on the city council are to meet Stagecoach Southwest’s managing director Mike Watson this week to discuss what they call “the crisis facing bus services.”

Stagecoach may not necessarily disagree that the service is facing difficulties. In January, Mr Watson to a meeting of the Exeter highways and traffic orders committee (HATOC), that inflation, pay rises, grants being cut, and the number of people using buses being down 30 per cent on pre-pandemic level, are causing pressures.

As a result, service levels “will almost certainly reduce,” he said, but they would try to avoid withdrawing entire routes and that any reductions are done “sensitively” in consultation with the county council.

The Greens think that Stagecoach’s decision are driven by profit and that councillors would be better running the service.

Councillor Amy Sparling said: “Buses are now scheduled to run every half hour but even at this massively reduced frequency often don’t turn up and the app isn’t reliable.  

“So many people rely on bus services to get to work, shops, hospitals, business parks, schools and colleges. Severe service cuts impact particularly on the old and the young and those who cannot or choose not to own cars.”

“Greens are calling for a London-style system where fares, ticketing, routes and timetables are managed by local authorities instead of private operators.”

Green councillor, Diana Moore said: “Private bus operators are driven by profit. This has put the interests of shareholders above passengers and resulted in poor pay and working conditions for drivers and an emphasis on the most profitable routes.” 

  “As Greens we want to see local authorities have the power to ensure bus services reflect all the principles of a public service, including setting routes, frequencies and fares and tickets that work across all buses and trains. 

Green councillor in East Devon, Henry Gent, added:  “In East Devon many have been left stranded. We must see sufficient levels of investment to end transport poverty and ensure estates and villages have at least an hourly bus service that will increase social mobility and equality.”

Stagecoach had been planning a merger with coach operator National Express, but that deal was being looked at by the Competition and Mergers Authority. Now German firm DWS Infrastructure is expected to buy Stagecoach.

Covid cases have risen in some parts of Devon, following the recent end of national restrictions.

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

Figures for the week to last Thursday [3 March] show the rate in Torbay rose by almost a third, with smaller increases in Plymouth and the Devon County Council area.

All are lower than the 39 per cent national increase in cases last week, but the county remains steadfastly above the UK covid rate. The national average is 388 cases per 100,000 people, compared to 527 in Torbay, 440 in Plymouth and 435 in the county council area.

At district level, the biggest increases were in Torridge and North Devon – both with over 15 per cent more cases. Elsewhere the picture is largely stable, with small fluctuations up or down.

Despite the increase, Torridge remains the least prevalent area for the virus in Devon at 309 cases per 100,000. East Devon still has the highest rate at 519.

The rise in cases comes after all covid restrictions ended in England at the end of February, including the legal requirement to self-isolate with the virus. Free mass testing will stop on Friday 1 April.

However, health bosses in Devon are still encouraging people who have covid to isolate for five days, and then wait until they have two negative tests. This guidance will be reviewed soon.

HOSPITALISATIONS

The most recent government data from Tuesday 1 March, shows 172 patients with covid are in Devon’s hospitals, an increase of 22 from a week ago. The biggest number – 80 – are being treated in Plymouth.

Elsewhere, 60 patients were at the RD&E in Exeter, 19 in Torbay, nine in North Devon and four in Devon Partnership mental health trust sites. Of the total, only one person was in intensive care with covid.

DEATHS

Four more people died in the county within 28 days of testing positive for covid in the latest complete weekly period (up to Wednesday 2 March). Three were in the Devon County Council area and one in Plymouth.

A total of 1,637 people in Devon (including Plymouth and Torbay) have died within 28 days of a positive test since the pandemic began (as of 6 March).

VACCINATIONS

The number of people aged over 12 who have received their booster (third) covid vaccination is 71 per cent in the Devon County Council area, 66 per cent in Torbay and 61 per cent in Plymouth.

Take-up for at least one dose of a vaccine is 89 per cent in the Devon County Council area, 86 per cent in Torbay and 85 per cent in Plymouth.

The proportion of people who have had two jabs is 84 per cent in Devon, 82 per cent in Torbay and 80 per cent in Plymouth.

The national rates are 92, 85 and 67 per cent respectively.

Dozens of GP surgeries and medical centres caring for more than a million patients are in the hands of off-shore companies, it can be revealed, amid concerns NHS cash is disappearing into tax havens.

By Dean Kirby, Cahal Milmo inews.co.uk

Analysis by i of more than 90,000 properties owned by overseas companies – from car parks to luxury homes – shows that the titles on nearly 100 primary care buildings in England are held by private firms registered in Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.

The property title of one surgery in Kent is even registered to a firm 4,000 miles away in the British Virgin Islands.

The discovery has prompted fears of NHS privatisation “by the back door” and questions about whether health bosses could be paying millions of pounds in rent each year to firms with little or no return in tax that could be ploughed back into patient services.

Documents show one firm based in Guernsey was making £40m profit from its rent roll in 2017 – almost all of it from payments by the NHS and Irish doctors.

Labour MP Margaret Greenwood, a former founder member of campaign group Defend Our NHS, said: “It’s a matter of real concern that so many GP surgeries and high street medical centres are owned by off-shore companies.

“Clearly, decisions about privatisation of such centres will be based on the profit motive, rather than a commitment to public services and the values of the NHS.”

Dr Nick Mann, a GP and a member of Keep Our NHS Public, said private sector acquisitions of the NHS’s capital assets form part of a “broader agenda of privatisation” of health service assets and services.

He said: “Whole hospitals and GP practices have been built or taken over by private sector organisations under PFI and other ‘leaseback’ arrangements.”

Earlier this month, a landmark judicial review took place into the decision to approve a takeover of GP practices in London by US health insurance giant Centene Corporation after groups including Doctors in Unite raised tens of thousands of pounds to fund the case from public donations amid claims of “privatisation by stealth”.

One firm registered in Jersey has 20 GP surgeries and medical centres in their portfolio of property titles, according to the Land Registry database seen by i, in areas as diverse as Sheffield, Littlehampton, Maidstone, Knottingley and Oldham. The title on at least five surgeries are held by a firm registered in St Peter Port, Guernsey. Another 11, including two in Doncaster and Hartlepool, are held by a firm registered in an office near the waterfront in Jersey’s St Helier.

The Department for Health and Social Care says most GP practices are not owned by the NHS but are independent partnerships and while contracts to provide services may differ, there is no difference in eligibility criteria between companies registered in the UK and those registered overseas.

Dr Dean Eggitt, the BMA England GP committee’s executive lead for premises, said the cost, bureaucracy and risk associated with practice premises are reasons that discourage new family doctors from becoming partners.

He said it is vital that private landlords are held to the same standards as GPs who own their own buildings and who are expected to deliver value for money.

“If businesses who own practice buildings are based in overseas territories where they pay no tax, the Treasury is missing out on vital income that should be used to support our public services – including funding for the NHS at a time of crisis and to improve GP premises that have been continually starved of much-needed investment.”