Devon has lost 493 community hospital beds since 2010, two-thirds of the total, and more than one in 10 of all hospital beds. In the same period, the population of Devon has risen and the number of elderly is up by almost a quarter.

Edward Oldfield www.devonlive.com 

The Health Secretary has asked a team of independent experts to review plans to close Teignmouth Hospital, the first built for the NHS after it was founded 73 years ago.

The move was welcomed by Teignmouth‘s MP Anne-Marie Morris, who has been arguing to keep the hospital open since doubts were first raised about its future in 2014.

She described the new review ordered by Secretary of State for Health Sajid Javid as “a fantastic step in the right direction” for local healthcare.

It is unlikely that the study will see the closure plans scrapped, but it could force Devon NHS to re-run consultation over its plans for a shake-up of services in south Devon.

That will give opponents another chance to argue the case to keep rehabilitation beds in the town.

Campaigners have been fighting the changes, which would see beds closed and services moved from the ageing buildings in Mill Lane to Dawlish Hospital, and a new £8million health centre in the town centre.

Campaigners say planners for the clinical commissioning group, which runs the NHS in Devon, have failed to prove the benefits of the move to rely on home care in the community.

They have called for a fundamental review of the policy shift across the NHS to move services out of community hospitals.

They say Devon has lost 493 community hospital beds since 2010, two-thirds of the total, and more than one in 10 of all hospital beds. In the same period, the population of Devon has risen and the number of elderly is up by almost a quarter.

Conservative MP Ms Morris – whose Newton Abbot constituency covers Teignmouth – said the review was a “vindication for those who have quite rightly raised concerns about the way in which the decision to close Teignmouth Hospital was reached”.

She said that if the review finds the changes are not in the best interests of the population, the panel is likely to ask for the consultation to be re-run, rather than halt the whole process.

The MP added: “However, this would therefore be an opportunity to reaffirm strongly the case for both keeping Teignmouth Hospital open and holding the CCG to account, ensuring they actually take into account and reassess the full health needs of the local community, especially post-Covid.”

She said if the consultation is re-run, the CCG should take into account the impact of Covid, review plans for home-based care, and run a separate consultation on the hospital closure.

Ms Morris said: “The reality is that whilst home-based care can often be most beneficial, it can also be unachievable due to both the healthcare needs of an individual and a limit on resources. Having rehabilitation beds at Teignmouth made sense for the community.”

The Devon group Save Our Hospital Services said in December, when the issue was first discussed at the county council’s health scrutiny committee: “County-wide as well as local campaigners are appalled by the way the public’s voice and all the evidence contrary to the CCG’s assertions has been completely ignored. Even worse, all this is planned to happen in the middle of the worst health crisis in the world for 100 years, when hospital beds for recuperation are desperately needed.”

A petition set up a year ago on Change.org under the title ‘Hands Off Teignmouth Hospital’, has been supported by more than 1,000 people.

It says: “The Hospital has been under threat of closure for three years. Local people have fought desperately to keep it. We need the in-patient beds, the health care services in the heart of town, and the facilities we have paid for through our fund-raising.

“During the pandemic, community hospitals have been used to help patients recover from the virus. But instead of bringing our hospital beds back into service, our local Clinical Commissioning Group is pushing ahead with its closure plans.

“The community deserves a new GP surgery. But we also need our hospital, owned and run by the NHS.”

The CCG has agreed proposals which would see community clinics moved to a new health and wellbeing centre, and specialist outpatient clinics and day case procedures move to Dawlish Hospital. It reversed a decision to establish 12 rehabilitation beds at the community hospital.

In March, the county council’s health committee reconsidered the plans and decided they were unhappy with the lack of consultation over the future of the site, which is controlled by the Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust.

The councillors asked the then Health Secretary Matt Hancock for a review.

Now, his successor Mr Javid has asked the Independent Reconfiguration Panel to assess the proposals.

Mr Javid told the county council he wants a report back by the middle of December.

Under the current plans, with no services left to be commissioned out of the existing hospital site, it would then be up to the Torbay and South Devon trust to determine its future.

A sale to reinvest finance in local NHS services is expected to be the most likely outcome.

A spokesperson for NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group said: “We’re aware of the referral to the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP). We look forward to working with the IRP as they gather the information they need to make their recommendation to the Secretary of State.”

Rules are only for the “little” people – Owl

www.dailyrecord.co.uk

Boris Johnson had to be told three times before he finally followed rules and kept his face mask on for a hospital visit.

He was accused of “callous disregard” for the NHS after wandering around without one.

Susie Flintham of Covid-19 Families for Justice said: “ The PM was putting lives at risk completely unnecessarily by visiting a hospital and refusing to put his mask on, despite being repeatedly asked to.

“For him to make a point of posing for a photo without a mask is a slap in the face to bereaved families.”

Sources confirmed Hexham General Hospital chiefs emailed Johnson’s team before his visit to tell him masks must be worn in all areas.

They reminded him when he arrived, but he later took his off as he strolled along a corridor, sparking fury.

He was asked to put it back on again and complied. No10 had claimed he followed rules on face coverings.

But the hospital trust’s website says: “You must ensure that you wear your covering or mask throughout your visit.”

It added that the rules apply to everyone and all parts of the premises.

Ian Lavery, MP for the Wansbeck constituency in Northumberland, said: “People were astonished that the Prime Minister was bowling up the corridor of a hospital without a mask.

“This shows a callous disregard for patients, visitors and the fantastic workforce, who have been at the frontline throughout the pandemic.”

Hospital insiders had also claimed No10 had asked them not to comment to the press after the photograph of the Prime Minister not wearing a covering emerged.

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust said it “apologised for any upset” after complaints from members of the public about the picture of maskless Johnson.

It added: “After the Prime Minister left a welcome meeting, he walked along a mezzanine corridor, for a very short period of time, without a mask.

“This brief moment was captured on camera. As soon as this was identified he was given a mask and he put it on. The Prime Minister did wear a mask for the majority of the visit.”

“Tory grandee Malcolm Rifkind issued a warning to the prime minister that he is in danger of becoming “a liability” to his party… “

Five ministers in Boris Johnson’s government are among a group of MPs who have claimed more than £1m from the taxpayer to cover their rent payments, while letting properties that they own in London.

www.independent.co.uk

Some 17 landlord MPs – 15 Conservatives and two Labour – have put their housing costs on expenses while earning more than £10,000 a year each renting out their own properties in recent years.

Former attorney general Sir Geoffrey Cox sparked outrage after it emerged that he was claiming £1,900 a month for his taxpayer-funded flat while claiming a rental income from a home elsewhere in London.

An investigation by The Independent shows five current ministers have also claimed for rent while letting out homes in the capital, including international trade secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan, defence secretary Ben Wallace, Foreign Office minister James Cleverly, prisons minister Victoria Atkins and junior Treasury minister John Glen.

It comes as Mr Johnson’s government faces growing pressure over a deluge of “sleaze” claims after last week’s botched attempt to rip up the disciplinary process and save ex-Tory MP Owen Paterson from suspension.

Tory grandee Malcolm Rifkind issued a warning to the prime minister that he is in danger of becoming “a liability” to his party and of being toppled by his own MPs if he fails to act on growing concerns about conduct rules and second jobs.

Sir Alistair Graham, the former chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, said the latest findings on second homes by The Independent were “shocking”. He called for an end to the “loophole” which allowed property-owning MPs to put their own rent on expenses and stay within the rules.

The standards veteran said: “It may be within the rules, but it’s quite wrong for MPs to use the public purse in this way. MPs have a duty to claim only public funds that are necessary.”

Sir Alistair added: “If there’s an opportunity to end the loophole allowing them to do this, then we must take it. There is growing feeling that the rules must change.”

Over the past five years, 17 MPs have claimed over £1.3m in taxpayer-funded rent while collecting thousands rent letting out properties in the capital, according to submissions published by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA).

Ms Trevelyan, the trade secretary, has claimed £106,000 in expenses for her own rental payments since April 2016. She also claims a rental income on a London flat she registered after she entered parliament in 2015.

Mr Wallace, the defence secretary, claimed more than £110,000 in taxpayer-funded rent between April 2016 and July 2020 – a period in which he was also collecting rent on a property in London.

Mr Cleverly has claimed more than £71,000 in expenses for his own rental payments since April 2016. The former Tory party chair charges the taxpayer £1,200 a month for the flat he lives in, while also receiving an income from a jointly-owned residential property in London.

It is understood that junior Home Office minister Ms Atkins’ claim for more than £43,000 in rent since April 2018 relates to her constituency home in Lincolnshire. Since April 2018 she has also been collecting rent on a house in London.

Other Tory MPs to have claimed for rental costs while letting residential property in London include former trade minister Dr Liam Fox, former media minister John Whittingdale, Philip Davies, Robert Goodwill, Laurence Robertson, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, Anne Marie Morris and Greg Knight.

Conservative backbencher Damian Collins has the single largest rent expenses submission, claiming just over £148,000 from the taxpayer over the past five years, all while taking in a rental income from property in London.

Labour MP Geraint Davies has claimed just over £67,000 in taxpayer funding to rent a home between November 2017 and April 2021 – a period during which he also collecting rent payments letting out residential a property he owns in the capital.

Clive Betts, a fellow Labour backbencher, claimed just over £44,000 for rent between April 2016 and June 2018, the same period he also claimed rental income on a London home.

MPs have not been eligible to claim expenses for mortgage payments on their second homes in London since 2010 under changes brought in following the previous year’s expenses scandal.

But claims for rent are permitted under Ipsa rules, which state that MPs can receive taxpayer funding for “rental payments and associated costs”. An Ipsa document in 2017 conceded that some arrangements could be controversial – but advised against any change to the rules.

“We recognise that there can be a perception of personal gain if an MP receives rental income from their own property while living in an Ipsa-funded flat,” it said. “However … We do not want to judge an MP’s private arrangements and whether or not they should live in a property they own.”

Sir Geoffrey has been under fire following the disclosure that he stands to make more than £1m from outside legal work, including representing the British Virgin Islands in a corruption inquiry.

He is currently claiming £22,000 a year in taxpayer funding to rent a London home while collecting rent on another property he co-owns in the capital. A spokeswoman for the MP said: “Sir Geoffrey has acted at all times within the rules set by the IPSA.”

The Independent has contacted all 17 MPs named in this article for comment.

The Conservative MP Geoffrey Cox has agreed to an additional two weeks of work representing ministers from the British Virgin Islands this month while parliament is sitting, it has emerged.

Peter Walker www.theguardian.com 

The former attorney general has come under intense scrutiny in recent days over his second job as a barrister, which has earned him almost £6m on top of his MP’s salary.

With the Conservative party facing a slew of sleaze allegations, government ministers have pointedly refused to defend Cox against allegations that he put lucrative outside work before his constituents – something he has denied.

While Cox will not travel to the Caribbean, and will only have to appear once before the inquiry panel looking into the country’s governance standards, he is scheduled to work on the complex inquiry from 15 to 26 November, official records show.

The commitments prompted renewed criticism of Cox’s focus on his parliamentary duties.

He is representing a series of British Virgin Islands (BVI) government figures, including the prime minister, Andrew Fahie, during a formal commission of inquiry examining claims of misgovernance and abuse of office.

He travelled to the country at various points since April this year, and used procedures in place amid Covid restrictions to cast proxy votes in his absence. Cox has also appeared virtually from his parliamentary office, prompting Labour to seek an investigation into whether this broke Commons rules against using such facilities for private work.

In the most recent meeting of the inquiry commission, on 22 October, the inquiry head, Sir Gary Hickinbottom, a retired British judge, set out times for future hearings, including those sought by the BVI attorney general, Dawn Smith, among those represented by Cox.

Smith had notified the commission “of dates of availability for counsel of her choice – I think that is Sir Geoffrey – for the period the 15 to 26 November”, Hickinbottom said, according to an official transcript of the hearing.

After Hickinbottom had set out this and various other logistical matters, Cox, who was appearing remotely from an unknown location, with the background blurred, replied: “I think our initial reaction is that most of those directions seem perfectly achievable.”

A spokesperson for Cox said this schedule did not mean Cox would appear before the commission throughout this period, when the Commons will be sitting.

“Sir Geoffrey is assisted by a legal team who will carry out most of the work,” they said. “Therefore, he will only need to make himself available for a period of approximately two hours on one day, during that time. This will not conflict with his parliamentary responsibilities.”

But asked what other duties Cox would have over the fortnight connected to the BVI inquiry aside from appearing before the commission panel, the spokesperson did not respond.

Wendy Chamberlain, the Liberal Democrat chief whip, said: “Geoffrey Cox clearly sees being an MP as his second job. He absolutely no time or inclination to actually do the work his constituents sent him to Westminster to do.”

The Labour MP Andrew Gwynne said: “MPs should be in parliament representing their constituents. Boris Johnson’s refusal to act proves he’s lost control, doesn’t care, or both.”

Cox also makes money by renting out a three-bedroom flat overlooking Battersea Park in south London, one he and his wife bought in 2004 for £535,000. It is thought to be rented out for between £3,000 and £4,000 a month, a figure based on a comparison with similar rental properties in the area.

The tenants said they have had no direct contact with Cox, their landlord, and had simply rented the flat via an agency. Asking not to be named on Thursday, they said they had only moved in a few months earlier.

Despite owning a London property, which he has owned for more than a decade, records from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, which pays MPs expenses, show that Cox had moved in November 2017, and started claiming £1,900 a month in rent for a separate residential property.

The purchase cost of the original flat was initially part-funded by taxpayer payments of £1,750 a month towards mortgage interest costs, after Cox was elected in 2005. This was under the old system of funding MPs although that was scrapped after the expenses scandal towards the end of the decade.

In August, Fahie refused to say how much his government was paying the law firm Withers for its overall legal representation, but said more than $3m (£2.25m) had been spent so far.

At one hearing, on 21 June, Cox stressed that the minister he was representing “accept entirely that it is central to the democratic idea that the purpose of elected office is to serve the public – it is not to enrich the office holder”.

A councillor in the South Hams was reduced to tears as she agreed to foot a £3,500 bill for a private garden waste collection that she thought would be paid by the council. 

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

After the district council suspended brown bin collections because of problems with waste management company FCC, Cllr Nicky Hopwood (Cons, Woolwell) arranged for another firm to collect garden waste. 

Cllr Hopwood told residents it would be paid for out of her “locality budget,” a fund that supports local projects which benefit the community. 

However, Cllr Hopwood said she misinterpreted the advice she had been given and contracted the alternative waste collection firm without authorisation from the council. 

The matter was brought to a, sometimes-heated, special executive committee meeting on Thursday (11 November). 

Committee members heard that following the misinterpretation of officer advice, the member for Woolwell commissioned a local private contractor to carry out a one-off collection of garden waste bins. 

But it was suggested that useful lessons had been learned from the incident.  Councillors were told that the exercise provided a valuable learning process and addressed the overview and scrutiny committee’s concern that the option of recruiting third-party companies had not been sufficiently considered.

On Saturday 16 October Cllr Hopwood posted on her local Facebook page, saying: “I have managed to find a waste management company that will collect the brown bins from Woolwell over a period of three days and this will be FREE OF CHARGE to residents.

“The company is called Clearance4less and I have seen their waste carrier licence.  It is vital to have site of this licence for any kind of waste collection service. 

“I will pay the company out of my locality budget for a one off collection on Wednesday 20, Thursday 21 and Friday 22 October.” 

Cllr Hopwood was later informed that her actions were not authorised and could not be paid for out of the locality budget.  

Cllr Hopwood apologised to the executive group and said: “Members and officers may be aware that I organised a collection of brown bins within the Woolwell ward, which I represent. 

“I sought officer advice about paying for this to be done out of my locality budget. After misunderstanding the advice given I went ahead with what I had organised in all good faith.  

“I have since been contacted by the monitoring officer (David Fairburn, head of legal services and monitoring officer) and subsequently met with him.  

“He advises that not only was the organising of waste collections within my ward against what the executive had agreed, which was to suspend the garden waste service, but I informed residents that this would be paid for out of my locality budget as I had genuinely misunderstood the advice given by officers. 

“I offer an unreserved apology to both officers and members and have assured the monitoring officer that this will not happen again.”

Councillors then heard a recommendation that the executive “Reviews the learning from Woolwell and authorises payment for the services of the private contractor.” 

But the suggestion that the cost of the error should be met by South Hams District Council was met with some angry responses. 

Jacqi Hodgson (Green, Dartington & Staverton) said: “It’s very wrong to cover this payment. 

“It means any of us could come back say, ‘Oh, I made a mistake, I didn’t understand what my locality budget was for.’ 

“I mean, that just doesn’t ring true. Not after a few years of being a councillor. 

“So I just don’t think this should be allowed at all. Otherwise this meeting is going to be seen as just a cover up. And I just don’t think it’s good for the council.”

Some councillors were more sympathetic.  Cllr Mark Long (Ind, Salcombe and Thurlestone) said: “Her intent that she felt there was a need for brown bins to be cleared in her ward is one that we all agree with. 

“She went about it wrongly and did it completely the wrong way. But I think the intention was there, and I think – the thing is – a lot of other residents are doing exactly the same.”

Cllr Hopwood remained out the committee room for much of the time the discussion took place.  After detailed debate, the recommendation that the council pay for the mistake was withdrawn.

Cllr Hopwood briefly returned to the committee room and was in tears as she addressed members of the executive again.

She said: “After listening to the debate and not wishing to bring this council into disrepute, which is why I made my apology in the beginning, I will pay the invoice for £3,500 for the collection of garden waste within the ward I proudly represent, Woolwell, out of my own pocket. 

“I hope this brings to an end to the matter.”   

Garden waste collections in the South Hams were suspended in August and residents were told, last month, that the service would not be restored until at least spring 2022.

goodlawproject.org

When it comes to the Prime Minister’s allies, there’s a pattern emerging in Downing Street. When Boris Johnson doesn’t like the outcome of an official process, he tries to rip up the rules and start again. 

We saw it with the Owen Paterson scandal and we’re seeing it again now with the rigged appointment process for the new Chair of media regulator Ofcom. 

Paul Dacre is the former editor of the Daily Mail of 26 years, and Johnson’s preferred candidate for the top job at Ofcom. He’s in a bit of a pickle though, given that an interview panel deemed Mr Dacre “not appointable” just a few months ago. 

But that’s not stopping ministers, who are now shamelessly pushing to appoint Mr Dacre by adjusting the requirements of the role and re-running the recruitment process with a different interview panel. The ad for the role now includes an amended person specification, from which the requirement for the Chair to work “collegiately” has been removed.

Dacre is being allowed to reapply, even in the face of calls for him to be banned from doing so by a number of Conservative MPs. 

It all beggars belief. And unsurprisingly, we think this brazen string-pulling is unlawful. 

Lawyers acting for Good Law Project have today written to the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, stating that this “second competition raises very serious concerns, in particular as to whether it has been held, and designed, in order to favour Mr Dacre’s candidacy”.

Although the Secretary of State is responsible for the appointment of Ofcom’s Chair, Ofcom should be independent of both the Government and the services it regulates. The appointment process must follow the rules of the Governance Code for Public Appointments: whoever is hired should be selected on merit, through an open and fair process. 

The Governance Code for Public Appointments does allow for Ministers to appoint someone who is not deemed “appointable” by the Assessment Panel. But there are safeguards built into the Governance Code: they must first consult the Commissioner for Public Appointments, and they are required to explain their reasons and justify their decision publicly.

The reason why Ofcom must remain independent of Government is the same reason the media must remain independent of Government: neither can do their job if they are in the Government’s pocket.

We’re asking the Secretary of State to explain why the competition for Chair is being rerun and why Mr Dacre is being allowed to reapply. 

We want proper answers from the Government. If we don’t get them, we expect to take legal action.

Good Law Project only exists thanks to donations from ordinary people across the UK. If you’re in a position to support our work, you can do so here.

Latest in a long line of calls see:

2017 M5 will be extended to Plymouth if these business leaders get their wish

Further calls to upgrade the main road between Devon and Cornwall to a modern standard motorway have been made.

Daniel Clark www.cornwalllive.com 

Plymouth City Council have long been calling for the modernisation of the A38 to ensure the route reflects its status as a major trunk road.

The upgrade of the road could cost around a £1billion scheme, but could lead to some of the tiny communities between Plymouth and Exeter being ‘cut-off’ because ‘farm-track’ style roads connecting them to the dual carriageway would never comply with motorway regulations.

The A38 is an important lifeline for Plymouth, but in its current state, it just cannot cope with forecast demand, councillors this week heard.

One of the commitments that the new Conservative administration Plymouth City Council put in their manifesto ahead of the May Local Elections was to lobby for the M5 motorway to be extended past Exeter to Plymouth. The commitment had previously been a pledge under the previous Labour administration.

And at Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, Cllr Jonathan Drean, cabinet member of transport, announced that he had written to the city’s MPs asking them to lobby for the A38 between Bodmin and Exeter to be included as a priority for investment.

Cllr Drean said: “I am asking them for support for Plymouth’s goal to bring about the modernisation of the A38 to reflect its status as a major trunk road, and this is consistent with the significant growth ambitions that everyone is aware of.”

Improving and modernising the A38 would put safety first by reducing the frequency and severity of accidents, providing better journeys through reduced journey times, increasing reliability; strengthening resilience, and moving towards motorway standard would support economic growth with improvements, generating £885 million of productivity growth and inward investment.

Beyond Plymouth’s boundary, the A38 from Saltash to Bodmin and Deep Lane to Exeter suffers from inconsistent road and junction standards, low quality maintenance and in places there is a poor safety record that needs to be addressed, previous calls for upgrades had said.

Business leaders had previously added that while the A38 will not be transformed overnight, decades of under-investment must begin to be addressed.

“The modernisation of the A38 forms a part of the long term ambitions for the City as set out in the Plymouth Plan. To deliver this plan and support regional growth, the city and the South West region needs a modern A38, built to a motorway standard, accommodating planned growth and supporting the South West region’s economy in the years to come,” a Plymouth City Council statement had previously added.

The meeting also heard that the commitment to continue to raise the city’s profile with Government to level up the investment within the city to provide a resilient and reliable road and rail network to serve Plymouth had also been met, following the recent announcement that Devon County Council had secured more funding to enable exploration work to continue into reopening the Tavistock to Plymouth line.

The former Tavistock North station opened in June 1890, but closed on May 6, 1968, as part of the Beeching Axe.

There has been a long-held ambition for the re-opening the link between Tavistock and Plymouth is to encourage people to use rail services, and the reinstatement of the rail line to Tavistock is identified in the 20-year plan of the Peninsula Rail Task Force.

And now plans have moved a step closer after the project was awarded funding as part of Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s budget last week, getting £50,000 towards the next stage of works for the business case towards the rebuilding the line between Tavistock and Bere Alston in Devon, connecting Tavistock and Plymouth by rail.

Cllr Drean had previously added: “We’re really pleased to have supported and advised our colleagues at Devon County Council on this really exciting scheme.

“Should this project ultimately become successful then it would complement the improvements we are making at St Budeaux Square by increasing the opportunities to transfer between bus and train to access more parts of the city by public transport, while also easing pressure of traffic on the A386 corridor.”

Devon County Council will now produce a Strategic Outline Business Case and update extensive survey work already undertaken on the route.

The hope is to reinstate the disused rail line between Tavistock and Bere Alston, providing hourly rail services through to Plymouth, as well as opening a new single platform railway station at Tavistock next to the 750 dwelling development under construction.

Two-hourly services between Plymouth and Gunnislake would be maintained

Quote of the day

 Insider’s Henry Dyer has an absolutely classic Cox quote from his work on the BVI inquiry: “Let me be quite candid. There are real drawbacks to open registers. It becomes a political tool for every — many, many frivolous complaints are made. It is a profound invasion into a legislator’s private life because what happens is, as you can imagine, stories get written, minor infractions are written up to be morally shameful or even impute dishonesty. I accept the need for registers — of course I do; every legislator must — but there are perfectly understandable reticence to invite that kind of onslaught that that can sometimes mean.” Why on earth might such a “distinguished” figure, as he modestly described himself in yesterday’s statement, be so wary of public registers shining a light on legislators’ interests? We can only speculate.

Patient safety in the NHS in England is being put at “unacceptably high” risk, with severe staff shortages leaving hospitals, GP surgeries and A&E units struggling to cope with soaring demand, health chiefs have warned.

Andrew Gregory www.theguardian.com 

The health service has hit “breaking point”, the leaders say, with record numbers of patients seeking care.

Nine in 10 NHS chief executives, chairs and directors have reported this week that the pressures on their organisation have become unsustainable. The same proportion is sounding “alarm bells” over staffing, with the lack of doctors, nurses and other health workers putting lives of patients at risk.

Sajid Javid, the health secretary, has come under fire for recently claiming, at a No 10 press conference, that he did not believe the pressure on the NHS was unsustainable.

But the survey of 451 NHS leaders finds the health service already at “tipping point”. The results of the poll, conducted by the NHS Confederation, which represents the healthcare system in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, show that 88% of the leaders think the demands on their organisation are unsustainable, and 87% believe a lack of staffing in the NHS as a whole is putting patient safety and care at risk.

The survey of the most senior executives running hospitals, ambulance services, mental health providers, community services, primary care and integrated care systems comes hours before new performance figures for the NHS in England are due to be published.

The number of people waiting for hospital treatment in England has hit a record high of 5.7 million as the NHS struggles to clear the backlog of care that has been worsened by the pandemic. Updated figures are expected on Thursday.

The greatest areas of concern for NHS leaders are primary care, and urgent and emergency care, according to the survey.

Matthew Taylor, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: “Almost every healthcare leader we’ve spoken to is warning that the NHS is under unsustainable pressure, and they are worried the situation will worsen, as we head into deep midwinter, unless action is taken. They are also sounding alarm bells over risks to patient safety if their services become overwhelmed, on top of a severe workforce crisis.

“The health and social care secretary says the NHS is not under unsustainable pressure, but NHS leaders are clear that we have reached a tipping point. Frontline providers across all parts of the NHS are under intolerable pressure.”

A hospital trust chief executive in the south-east said: “Systems are at breaking point and risk is unacceptably high [for] some cohorts of patients, be that in emergency, primary care, cancer or elective care [or elsewhere]. But where is the honesty and openness about this?”

An ambulance leader revealed that pressures were so severe they were hampering the organisation’s “ability to respond to immediate life-threatening calls” and meant “some patients will die”.

Taylor said that while the NHS was approaching winter with more than 90,000 vacancies, the “number one measure” ministers could take now to stop the NHS plunging into crisis would be providing emergency funding for social care, which had even greater numbers of unfilled jobs.

The Guardian revealed last month that the NHS was facing a mounting beds crisis because care homes with unprecedented staff shortages had to stop taking in patients from hospitals.

Health leaders are trying to free up space in the NHS to tackle the backlog of 5.7 million people – equivalent to almost 10% of the population of England – awaiting treatment. But efforts to speed up the discharge of patients into the community are being hampered by care-worker shortages.

The most endorsed recommendation by health leaders in the NHS Confederation poll was for ministers to provide urgent extra support for social care. This should be targeted at ensuring effective discharge arrangements so that people can live more independently in care homes or in their own homes, health leaders said.

The NHS beds crisis is now so serious that as many as one in five beds in some hospitals are occupied by patients who are medically fit to be discharged, the Guardian was told. In most cases that is because there is no care package available to enable them to leave hospital.

Taylor said the required extra support for social care services should include more money to increase care assistants’ wages to help fill staffing vacancies, and to increase the staff’s fuel allowance so more people could be persuaded back into the sector.

He added: “We welcomed the government’s recent extra investment in the NHS, but we cannot immediately buy our way out of this potential crisis due to the 90,000-plus vacancies in the NHS. It would be better to allocate more immediate funding, from the recent funding settlement, to social care services, as boosting the numbers of care staff will have much greater impact on reducing pressures on hospitals and other parts of the NHS.”

He just doesn’t get it (yet) – owl

www.independent.co.uk

Boris Johnson has insisted that Britain is not “remotely a corrupt country” amid continuing fallout over the conduct of some MPs, scrutiny over politicians’ second jobs and concerns over sleaze in politics.

But Labour claimed that the prime minister’s failure to apologise for his role in undermining public trust in politics proved that “he doesn’t care about tackling corruption that has engulfed Downing Street, his government and the Conservative Party”.

And there were signs of growing fears among Tory MPs that the wave of negative publicity could deliver lasting damage to the party’s reputation, with one angry backbencher telling The Independent that the former attorney general Sir Geoffrey Cox had “taken the f***ing p***” by raking in hundreds of thousands of pounds in outside earnings at a time when many voters are facing financial difficulties.

The prime minister’s remarks on Wednesday followed the decision last week to order his MPs to prevent Owen Paterson’s suspension for breaking lobbying rules by creating a Tory-dominated committee – a move that provoked outrage at Westminster.

Despite accusations of “corruption” and the Conservatives dipping in the opinion polls, Mr Johnson twice declined to apologise for his role in the politically toxic row when tackled on the issue at the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow.

“I genuinely believe that the UK is not remotely a corrupt country, nor do I believe that our institutions are corrupt,” he said.

“We have a very, very tough system of parliamentary democracy and scrutiny, not least by the media. I think what you have got is cases where, sadly, MPs have broken the rules in the past, may be guilty of breaking the rules today. What I want to see is them facing appropriate sanctions.”

Mr Johnson, who said he would not comment on individual cases, stressed that MPs found to have broken standards rules “should be punished”.

He warned them directly: “The rules say the two crucial things: you must put your job as an MP first and you must devote yourself primarily and above all to your constituents and the people who send you to Westminster, to parliament.

“And they also say that you should not use your position as an MP to lobby or otherwise intervene on behalf of any outside commercial interest. It is not only that you have to register those interests – you can’t lobby or make representation while an MP on behalf of those interests.

“Those are the rules and they must be enforced and those who don’t obey them should, of course, face sanctions.”

Despite the prime minister’s attempt to draw a line under the sleaze row, one senior Tory backbencher told The Independent: “I don’t know anybody who thinks the last week has been well handled – and that includes government ministers who were involved in what was done.

“Of course there is reputational damage, some of which is about not looking competent and some of which is a — mostly unjustified — sense that there is some ill-defined idea of sleaze connected to the party. It doesn’t look good and I think we all know that.”

The Conservative MP Bob Neill said: “MPs do feel very let down. This is a reminder that the prime ministers and his advisers in Downing Street must not take the parliamentary party for granted.”

Earlier, Labour demanded an investigation into Sir Geoffrey after it emerged that he appeared to conduct lucrative work advising the government of the British Overseas Territory on a corruption case from his Commons office in September.

In a statement issued earlier, Sir Geoffrey said he “does not believe” he breached MPs’ rules, and also revealed that the Tory chief whip had advised him it was “appropriate” to vote via a proxy on a separate occasion in April while advising the British Virgin Islands from the Caribbean.

Several media reports claimed on Wednesday evening that Sir Geoffrey has made at least £5.5 million from a second job while he has been an MP.

While Mr Johnson declined to comment on the case, one Conservative MP highlighted the unease in the parliamentary ranks, telling The Independent: “A lot of people are p****d off and, ultimately, the buck stops with Boris, so this is not doing him any good.”

A second backbencher also deployed an expletive when summing up the current situation, saying they were furious Sir Geoffrey had “taken the f*****g p**s”, provoking public fury about all MPs.

“When Covid started, I was volunteering to support the NHS and vulnerable people and there he was taking off for the British Virgin Islands for a month and bringing us all into disrepute,” the MP added.

Extract from www.dailymail.co.uk 

Sir Geoffrey Cox rents out his London home while claiming £1,900 a month for a second property, it was reported last night.

The former attorney general even claimed £3,800 in taxpayer cash for his second London property for two months while he was working abroad in the Caribbean.

While not against Commons rules, an ex-standards chief said MPs earning cash overseas while claiming from taxpayers is ‘totally wrong’.

Sir Geoffrey rakes in around £1,000 a week for the home he rents out in Battersea, south London, The Daily Mirror reported.

He and his wife bought the property as a second home for £535,000 in 2004 and claimed £82,298 in mortgage interest payments over four years……..

More on sewage discharges from Nicola Daniel:

I am deeply disappointed that the government has passed such a weak compromise amendment to the Environment Bill on raw sewage discharge into our waters. There is no time scale or an increase in penalties. No one, including SWW seems in a hurry to rectify the situation. If SWW are “totally committed to supporting beaver habitats”, I would like to see their plan of action.

The lower saltmarsh area of the Otter is designated a SSSI and part of this area is a Marine Conservation Zone as well.

The River Otter cannot wait. The beavers and the otters cannot wait.

The river Otter is 44 km. long and the Tale, its main tributary, is 14 km., a total of only 58km (36miles).There is agricultural run-off in these rivers and also permitted sewage discharge from us humans.

There were: 7,229 hours of permitted sewage outfall in 2020 from 891 episodes! This is from just one small river and its tributary in East Devon.

(I have taken these figures from the Rivers Trust sewage network discharges map. https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/e834e261b53740eba2fe6736e37bbc7b/) 

I hate to think what the pollution level has been in the sea off Budleigh Salterton with the flooding we have experienced in the last weeks. What goes in the river ends in the sea plus whatever is discharged by those living in seaside communities.

In the case of Budleigh residents added a further 623 hours from 83 episodes and also, with a good westerly breeze and tidal flow, more is added to the bay from Straight Point where the Maer Lane Sewage works discharged, 850 hours, from 59 episodes.

A total of 8,702 hours from 1033 episodes (20 per week on average).

The Prediction board is not functioning on the Parade.

If it seems that there is no immediate or even future solution to pollution in our seas and rivers what can we do? We cant wait. Do we follow the example of Cornwall County Council who are working with Natural England, the Environment Agency and South West Water due to the high phosphate levels in the river Camel. The river Camel is part of a Special Area of Conservation. This has resulted in all planning and development proposals in the area being put on hold.

It is clear that in East Devon sewage treatment capacity is failing to keep up with development.

Anyone for a swim?

Another Tory joins the list of sleaze “suspects.” Brazen becomes an overused word. – Owl

Ben Quinn www.theguardian.com 

Iain Duncan Smith is facing questions over his £25,000-a-year second job advising a multimillion-pound hand sanitiser company after he chaired a government taskforce that recommended new rules benefiting the firm.

The MP and former Conservative party leader chaired the Task Force on Innovation, Growth, and Regulatory Reform, which reported back in May after he and two other MPs were asked by Boris Johnson to recommend ways of cutting supposed EU red-tape.

However, the fresh spotlight on moonlighting by MPs has now prompted questions about the taskforce’s recommendations that alcohol-free hand sanitisers should be formally recognised as suitable for use in the UK.

The taskforce said in its report: “Current guidelines in the UK on non-alcohol based hand sanitisers are unclear. As a result, there is confusion in industry and among consumers as to what products are safe and effective to use, and we may be unnecessarily limiting the range of sanitising products available.” It called on the government to review guidance “to place alcohol- and non-alcohol-based on a level playing field”.

Duncan Smith was a director of Byotrol between June 2009 and May 2010 and has previously declared share options. Both have been approached for comment.

Byotrol, which is based in Cheshire, said in August that its revenue almost doubled and its pre-tax profits rocketed by more than 600% following “exceptional demand” for its sanitising technologies due to the pandemic. It reported a revenue of £11.2m for the 12 months to 31 March, up from £6m the previous year.

Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, said: “The prime minister needs to explain why he think it is justified for one of his MPs to be paid by a company that stands to benefit from a recommendation of a taskforce chaired by that same MP. This is exactly the kind of brazen conflict of interest that proves that the Conservatives think it is one rule for them and another for the rest of us.

“Did this MP declare an interest when these matters were discussed and reported on by the taskforce? Why is the prime minister failing to act over these glaring conflicts of interest?”

Steve Goodrich, head of research and investigations at Transparency International UK, said: “The informality of a government taskforce might seem like an agile way to develop new policy but without basic governance arrangements it provides an open door to vested interests. If those proposing a major reform [could] benefit from it financially, this should at least be a matter of public record and probably should be subject to independent review.”

The health sector featured prominently in the recommendations of the taskforce, which called for the ripping up of EU data protection laws and the system for clinical trials for drugs. Brexit afforded the UK a “one-off opportunity” to set out a bold new UK regulatory framework, it said.

Duncan Smith, MP for Chingford and Woodford Green, is one of a number of Conservatives who have been moonlighting in the health sector. As well as being retained by Byotrol, Duncan Smith is a member of the international advisory board of Tunstall Health Group, earning £20,000 a year for up to 30 hours of work on top of his basic annual MP’s salary of £81,932.

Others Tory MPs working in the healthcare sector – in some cases for companies that have benefited from lucrative Covid-19 contracts – include Steve Brine, a former junior health minister.

Brine works with Remedium Partners, a recruitment agency for the NHS, and also for Sigma Pharmaceuticals. NHS test and trace announced in May that Sigma would provide lateral flow device test kits to community pharmacies. Brine’s declaration in the register of members’ interests states that he is a “strategic adviser” to Sigma and receives £1,666 a month. “I am a strategic adviser to both, not a lobbyist,” he said.

Richard Fuller, the MP for North East Bedfordshire, earned £65,000 from a second job at venture capital firm Investcorp Securities Ltd, which included £30,000 for “consultancy work on the impact of Covid on portfolio companies”. Those companies included Cambio, a private health firm which secured a £63,000 NHS contract without competition from other providers.

Alun Cairns, the former Welsh secretary, took a job advising a science company, BBI Group, involved in Covid testing in July during a period when the government was under pressure to increase testing.

More allegations of sleaze.

From www.dailymail.co.uk :

‘Brazen’ Tory Grandee Sir Geoffrey Cox faces sleaze watchdog probe for using his taxpayer-funded Commons office to take private legal work… defending Caribbean government in fraud probe launched by the UK Foreign Office

Is this the smoking gun?

From www.thetimes.co.uk

On September 14, the day of the hearing in question [in the British Virgin Islands], MPs were debating the government’s plans for a new levy to fund health and social care. Cox did not contribute to the debate.

There were six votes on the issue over the course of the day, all of which Cox took part in in person. About two hours into the BVI hearing he left his desk for 20 minutes, later telling the hearing’s chairman: “Forgive my absence during some of the morning, I’m afraid the bell went off.” This was an apparent reference to the division bell that indicates when votes in the House of Commons are taking place.

The Foreign Office inquiry aims to establish whether there is evidence of “corruption, abuse of office or other serious dishonesty that has taken place in public office” in the BVI.

The hearing came the day after Cox’s sole contribution to a Commons debate in the almost two years since Johnson sacked him as attorney-general in February last year.

Boris has a habit of “bolting” hasn’t he? – Owl

Kate Nicholson www.huffingtonpost.co.uk 

Boris Johnson has travelled further than the circumference of the Earth to escape tough questions just in the last decade, according to Labour’s new findings.

The opposition party crunched the numbers behind the prime minister’s absences during key political moments since 2011 and came up with the staggering conclusion he had travelled a total of 26,529 miles to dodge awkward questions.

The world’s circumference is approximately 24,901 miles.

The prime minister is already under fire for refusing to face the Commons on Monday when MPs were debating the Conservatives’ attempts to overhaul the independent MPs’ watchdog.

Johnson claimed he had a prior commitment visiting a hospital in the north-east of England and that his train would not pull into London in time for the 4.30pm debate. 

His critics have been quick to point out how, only last week, he used a private jet to travel from Glasgow to London just to attend a private dinner with his friend. 

Still, this hospital visit on Monday amounts to 568 miles, to Newcastle and back.

When the UK was gripped by supply chain issues causing by the HGV driver shortage, the prime minister went on holiday to Costa del Sol – a 2,103 return trip.

The camping holiday he embarked upon during last year’s A-level drama – as the pandemic meant the regular university admission process went awry – saw the prime minister travel to Aberdeen and back for a 1,098 mile trip.

During the Iranian crisis last year when tensions rose between the US and the Middle Eastern country, Johnson decided to travel from London to St Vincent and Grenadines and back, a total of 8,550 miles.

When he was foreign secretary, he even avoided Heathrow’s third runway vote by jetting off to Kabul in 2018 – this was a 7,102 mile trip.

For the London riots in 2011, when Johnson was mayor of the capital city, he escaped to Toronto in Canada – another 7,108 mile return journey.

This is just the latest batch of criticism over the prime minister’s leadership skills this week – even rightwing newspapers such as the Daily Express and the Daily Mail have turned their front pages against him.

Johnson’s approval ratings have now slumped to a record low, according to a new Opinium poll for the Observer.

“Duty on sewerage undertakers to take all reasonable steps to ensure untreated sewage is not discharged from storm overflows.” No timetable, no list of penalties, no new teeth for the Environment Agency, it’s all “tbd”.

As reported in Monday’s Daily Express (double page spread under headline: “UK rivers ‘little better than open sewers’”) last year, sewage pumped or spilled into English rivers 403,171 times, up 38%  on 2019.

Dear Simon and Neil, under Boris Johnson’s government do you realise river pollution is getting worse? 

If you are committed to “improving water quality” (see Simon Jupp at reference) what are you actually going to do?

Or is it just: “Blah, Blah, Blah”? – Owl

Will Goddard sidmouth.nub.news

An Otter Valley councillor for Devon County Council has said that the government’s amendment to the Environment Bill feels more like ‘an attempt to pacify critics, rather than a meaningful attempt to clean up the rivers and sea’.

Her comments come after MPs passed a compromise last night (Monday 8 November) to disagree with a House of Lords plan to put a ‘duty on sewerage undertakers’ to make sure raw sewage is not dumped in rivers and coastal waters, and instead propose ‘a reduction of adverse impact of storm overflows’ and make it enforceable under a different Act.

East Devon MP Simon Jupp voted with the government, saying he was ‘committed to improving water quality in East Devon’.

DCC Cllr Jess Bailey (Ind., Otter Valley) said: “The extent of sewage discharged into rivers and the sea is horrifying. Sewage is discharged into the River Otter from many sites including sites at Honiton, Newton Poppleford and Fluxton for thousands of hours each year.

“This is putting our wildlife at risk and threatening the existence of the beavers. That is why I have written to the CEO of South West Water calling for action on their sewage discharges.

“The Government’s amendment … goes nowhere near far enough. It feels like more of an attempt to pacify critics, rather than a meaningful attempt to clean up the rivers and sea.

“I would want to see targets for clear up, time scales, penalties for offences and a duty on the Environment Agency to ensure compliance, none of which have been included. More needs to be done, urgently.”

You can read the section about storm overflows (pages 5-9) in the latest version of the Environment Bill here.

SEE ALSO: Sidmouth: ‘I am committed to improving water quality in East Devon’ – Simon Jupp MP

Conservative MPs face intense scrutiny of their personal financial affairs this morning as the party’s ongoing sleaze scandal dominates British politics for a second week in a row. Boris Johnson bottled yesterday’s emergency Commons debate on MPs’ standards, went on a chicken run to Northumberland and refused to apologize for the Owen Paterson debacle, allowing Labour leader Keir Starmer to accuse him of “running scared” and “cowering away” in one of his punchiest parliamentary performances to date. Today’s newspapers are the most brutal No. 10 has faced since, er, last week, with the story once again making every front page. The danger Downing Street faces this morning as it limps through to recess is that the next few days leave a vacuum filled by journalists dissecting Conservative MPs’ entries in the register of interests — as Caribbean-based part-time MP Geoffrey Cox is finding out as he becomes the next top Tory fighting for his occasional political career. (Politico)

See also www.dailymail.co.uk 

Sir Geoffrey yesterday revealed he has earned more than £1million from outside legal work over the past year on top of his £82,000 salary as a backbencher.

A Whitehall insider said: ‘While he should have been in the UK working for his constituents he’s been over in the British Virgin Islands doing his second job working as a barrister and advising those accused of trousering cash for their mates.’

Prime minister Boris Johnson has been accused of “running scared” of scrutiny over his botched attempt to neuter parliament’s independent standards system, after he dodged a House of Commons debate on sleaze.

www.independent.co.uk

Mr Johnson’s blamed a long-standing appointment to visit a hospital in the north-east for him missing a three-hour emergency debate, sparked by his effort to create a Tory-dominated committee to rewrite sleaze rules after an ally was found guilty of paid lobbying.

Former minister Owen Paterson quit as an MP last week after the PM U-turned on his plan, which would have got him off the hook for a 30-day suspension recommended by a standards watchdog and given him the chance to appeal.

In a TV interview during his visit to Hexham General Hospital in Northumberland, the PM three times refused to offer an apology for his actions, as demanded by Labour.

And he also refused to comment on new research suggesting that peerages are being granted to all wealthy Conservative donors who take on a temporary role as the party treasurer and increase their donations beyond £3 million.

Mr Johnson said that his timetable for returning to London by train meant he was unable to attend the debate, where the government will instead be represented by chancellor of Duchy of Lancaster Stephen Barclay.

But Sir Keir Starmer – who will lead the debate for Labour – said: “Boris Johnson does not have the decency either to defend or apologise for his actions.

“Rather than repairing the damage he has done, the prime minister is running scared.

“When required to lead, he has chosen to hide. His concern, as always, is self-preservation not the national interest.”

And Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner pointed out that Mr Johnson flew from Glasgow to London last week for dinner in a private club at which he is believed to have discussed the Paterson affair with former Daily Telegraph editor Charles Moore.

“When his friend got found guilty of corruption, Boris Johnson flew back from a climate change conference on a private jet for a crisis meeting at an all-male members’ club,” said Ms Rayner.

“Today he is running scared from an emergency debate in Parliament on corruption and standards in politics.”

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle played down reports that he would be announcing his own review of the House’s standards procedures, telling Sky News that he first wanted to hear MPs’ comments in today’s debate and consider an upcoming report from the standards committee.

Labour are demanding that the prime minister apologise for attempting last week to neuter the Commons standards system to help his friend Mr Paterson avoid punishment after he was found guilty of lobbying for companies paying him more than £100,000 a year.

The Speaker described the events around the Paterson case as a “very dark week for politics” and said it was important to “get this House to a much better place than where we left it last week.”

He said he would consult with standards committee chair Chris Bryant, saying: “We’ve got to move this House forward to where the public have trust and faith in the politicians. This House has to be, quite rightly, not tarnished.”

Mr Johnson said that “frankly, I don’t think there’s much more to be said” about the Paterson case, which led to the Commons standards committee recommending a 30-day suspension for an “egregious case of paid advocacy”.

The PM ordered Tory MPs under a three-line whip to support a plan last week to help Paterson avoid the punishment, but was forced into a humiliating climbdown after opposition parties boycotted his proposed Conservative-dominated committee to rewrite sleaze rules.

Downing Street has indicated there are “no plans” for the former MP – who quit the Commons last week after Mr Johnson’s U-turn – to be given a peerage.

But asked if he could rule out sending Mr Paterson to the House of Lords, the PM would say only: “There’s been absolutely no discussion about that.”

Mr Johnson’s official spokesperson said that the prime minister’s trip to Northumberland has been in his diary since before today’s sleaze debate was announced last Thursday.

The PM travelled to the north-east by train and will return this afternoon by the same mode of transport, making it impossible for him to reach Westminster for the start of the debate at 4.30pm.

But he faced accusations of trying to dodge scrutiny – particularly after he used a private jet to return from Glasgow to London last week to attend a dinner in a male-only club.

No 10 insisted that Mr Barclay was “the right person” to lead for the government in the three-hour debate because of his cross-Whitehall responsibilities.

Asked whether the PM agreed with environment secretary George Eustice that the standards row was a “storm in a teacup”, Mr Johnson’s spokesman said: “We fully recognise the strong feeling on all sides of the House on this.

“We supported the principle of a right to appeal to make the system fairer and the importance of that to be done on a cross-party basis, and we recognised that wasn’t possible.”

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle confirmed he will make a statement ahead of the emergency debate on standards on Monday.

Sir Lindsay said: “Last week did not show our democracy in the best light.

“I hope today’s debate will give members the chance to express their views and help us move forward.

“I also hope MPs will consider their language to get the right message across.”

The PM’s official spokesman was asked why Mr Johnson could not fly back to London as he did from the Cop26 summit last week.

The spokesman said: “I gave you the reason for that flight before.”

He added: “We think the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, whose department is the lead on this area, is the right person to lead (the debate).”

After voting down the Lords amendment on limiting sewage discharges: how “green” are Devon MP?

North Devon’s MP has spoken out against a climate bill recently endorsed by Torridge District Council (TDC) in claims that have been described as “pathetic” by one activist.

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

A motion at a full council meeting at TDC calling on the local authority to express support for the Climate and Ecological Emergency (CEE) Bill was passed by 17 votes to 16 after having failed at an attempt in February.

Green MP Caroline Lucas’s private member’s bill in parliament seeks to make it legally binding for the UK to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, protect and restore habitats and set up an independent citizens’ assembly to make recommendations on the climate crisis to parliament. It now has the backing of North Devon and Torridge district councils as well as several other local authorities in Devon, including Devon County Council.

More than 100 MPs have backed the bill, but the Conservative member for North Devon Selaine Saxby is not one of them.

She said she is in favour of a number of environmental measures but argued many of them are already going to become law in the government’s own Environment Bill, due to be passed next week.

Ms Saxby is also critical of the idea in Caroline Lucas’s bill for a Citizens’ Assembly that would make policy recommendations on climate. She said: “What the CEE bill does is it fundamentally changes the democratic system under which we operate at Westminster and that is why I cannot support it.

“I’m not in favour of changing our democratic process. If our local councils feel that the democratic process needs changing then I hope that they will put themselves forward for parliament and then try and battle with the legislation.”

That argument has been echoed by councillor Simon Newton (Conservatives, Winkleigh) the leader of the Conservatives at TDC. Speaking at the full council meeting, Cllr Newton claimed the intent of the citizens’ assembly was “to try to take control” of climate policy out of the hands of democratically elected MPs. He said he was against such an idea in all circumstances: “It doesn’t matter what colour the government is, it is the principle.”

However, activists have dismissed these claims. Peter Scott, a member of Zero Hour, a campaign group trying to get the CEE bill passed into law, said the argument that the citizens’ assembley was undemocratic was“pathetic.” He explained that the assembly would only make recommendations and not dictate policy decisions to parliament.

He dismissed claims that the Environment Bill will do enough to protect the environment and address the climate crisis, arguing: “The Environment Bill is a post-Brexit catch-up bill which is designed to preserve environmental standards following the UK’s exit from Europe. It has nothing whatsoever to do with dealing with the climate crisis. In fact, climate change is hardly mentioned in the bill at all.

“It contains purely domestic measures for enhancing nature. It doesn’t deal with the destruction of nature that the UK causes around the world.”

It’s not the first time Mr Scott and the North Devon MP have disagreed. Mr Scott complained to the Independent Press Standards Organisation in June claiming an article by Ms Saxby was inaccurate. The regulator disagreed, but Mr Scott is appealing that decision.

Many scientists support the CEE bill. Sir David King, former chief scientific advisor describes it as “very, very important way to take us towards a safer future.”

A recent report by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC), a United Nations body, found that climate change could not be ruled out as a cause of events like ice sheet collapse, abrupt ocean circulation changes, and unpredictably extreme heat rises could not be ruled out due to climate change.

It said: “It is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land,” and that global warming is set to exceed the “safe” zone of 1.5 degrees if emissions continue to rise at current rates.

In 1918 a deadly influenza pandemic swept the world, and doctors had a tough time diagnosing it. The symptoms were so unusual that many doctors, without the benefits of modern medicine, thought their patients had cholera, dengue fever or even typhoid.

Tom Calver www.thetimes.co.uk 

The descendants of that H1N1 virus are circulating today as seasonal flu, yet mercifully the worst of the symptoms are consigned to the history books. Flu will put you in bed with a temperature and give you a cough, but it will not make your eyes bleed.

Neither will Covid, but some of its early symptoms were unusual: alongside a persistent cough, patients reported muscle aches and a lost sense of taste and smell. As other viruses make a comeback, from the “super-cold” to seasonal flu, it is becoming increasingly hard to tell what it is that we have.

Covid

Professor Tim Spector of King’s College London has been tracking the symptoms of millions of users of his Zoe Covid app since the start of the pandemic. “We’re not getting the classic symptoms nearly as much,” he says. “It’s much harder to tell between a cold and Covid now.”

That is a worry for GPs such as Simon Hodes, in Watford. “Monday was one of the busiest days I can remember in my career,” he says. “It was literally: cough, cough, cold, runny nose, temperature, fever. I don’t know what we’re dealing with when they come in.”

It would be a mistake to assume that the coronavirus is no longer causing serious illness: more than 1,100 people in Britain are dying of it every week.

The Delta variant, with which about one in 50 people are now infected, is about twice as infectious as a cold and three times as infectious as seasonal flu: research from Imperial College London suggests your chance of catching it from contact with an infectious person is one in ten. The virus is spreading quickly among households with children.

But for the majority of its carriers the cases are mild. Most who catch it are young: under-20s make up half of the caseload, and children’s immune systems are better at fighting it. And most of the adults who catch it are vaccinated, so their cases are generally less severe too.

Common cold symptoms are caused when the body’s immune system reacts to one of a number of viruses, says Dr Julian Tang, a virologist at Leicester University. Symptoms such as coughing, sneezing and a runny nose are caused by cytokines, released by the body’s virus-fighting B-cells (which make antibodies) and T-cells (which attack infected cells).

But in years to come, as newer variants emerge, experts such as Tang believe that Covid symptoms could get even milder. “We will see fewer of the unusual neurological features like altered smell and taste, tinnitus and psychological issues — though, as with flu, the muscle aches, fatigue, fever, coughs and headaches may persist.”

What remains odd about Covid is the variety of symptoms. John McCauley, director of the Worldwide Influenza Centre at the Francis Crick Institute in London, is one of the world’s leading flu experts. “The consistency between patients is not as simple as with something like measles, which has well-defined symptoms. The loss of taste and smell in some Covid patents is unusual, but many do not have this: it seems to be a whole spectrum.”

This inconsistency is not unheard of: when McCauley caught swine flu in 2009, his only symptom was muscle ache.

Colds

While 38,000 people are testing positive for Covid a day (and many more unaware of it), Spector says the number of people catching colds could be four to five times higher. Colds, which are caused by a number of viruses including rhinoviruses, seasonal coronaviruses and RSV, have been circulating for a long time in humans. “Newborn babies and children are exposed to all of these viruses from a young age,” Tang says. “But because these viruses have adapted to humans to some extent, the illnesses have been generally milder than with Covid, which is a new virus.”

Since “freedom day” on July 19, we have become reacquainted with old foes that are taking advantage of our immune systems being out of practice. Since September social media users have spoken of a “super-cold”, which is simply a made-up name for all the illnesses that we have not had for two years. Data from the UK Health Security Agency shows that calls to the NHS 111 service about cold and flu symptoms are much higher than expected for this time of year, particularly among patients aged 15 to 44.

Flu

One piece of fortune has been flu rates, which are below average for this time of year. But if levels surge, it may be confused with Covid: a high temperature, a cough and muscle aches are symptoms of both. This matters: if a flu patient is admitted, quick diagnosis is key if they are to benefit from anti-flu drugs such as oseltamivir.

McCauley has spent the past months developing a flu jab for the months ahead. The uptake is expected to be high, with about 63 per cent of over-65s having had it. With so little flu in the world, it has been hard to know what to base the flu jab on. “It’s really too early to tell [how effective] it will be this year. What we can say is that we have the viruses well covered, or pretty well covered.”

How bad a flu outbreak is in a given year mainly depends on which strain circulates. “H3N2 viruses are probably the worst overall, with the elderly being particularly vulnerable,” McCauley says. These viruses emerged from the 1968 Hong Kong flu outbreak, which killed an estimated million people worldwide.

Flu or no flu, a cocktail of respiratory viruses looks likely to dominate this winter — and to tell them apart, many countries are acknowledging the wide range of symptoms that Covid is causing. The WHO lists 13.

Britain has not followed suit, opting instead to list just the big three: temperature, cough, and loss of taste or smell. Spector has been campaigning for the NHS to expand its official symptom list for 18 months. “They’re refusing to add flu and cold-like symptoms,” he says. “Perhaps they’re worried about testing capacity or think it’ll create confusion.”

With such an overlap in symptoms, the only way to be confident that your illness is not Covid is to take a test. The coronavirus is like a cold for most, but for about 170 people a day it is a death sentence.