HURRAH!
Purdah … just a little reminder
“Purdah” is a period of time when major political decisions cannot be made before an election.
For a general election it starts as soon as Parliament has been dissolved.
It doesn’t stop candidates talking about national political decisions but it does stop the government from making announcements on them – unless it is a statutory duty or a court orders it to do so.
Here’s what the Consultation Institute has to say:
“Remember – at this time of the year, there are no local elections. Only if national policy issues are likely to impact the decision under consideration, will you be running the risk of contaminating the debate. It is not like a local housing development or a merger of schools where Councillors standing for re-election are competing for the public’s favours at the ballot box.
In the case of the NHS, it is not governed by locally elected Councillors anyway – but, of course, they DO have an influence through Overview & Scrutiny Committees. Where it is wise to defer or delay a consultation is where proposals attract challenge from Members of Parliament and where the election campaign may provoke candidates into a Dutch auction whereby they seek to outbid each other in the vehemence of their opposition. We know of one imminent consultation on the potential closure of a cherished community hospital where deferment is clearly sensible.
In general, if it is likely to become a political football, it is best not to proceed. If your consultation is technical and unlikely to be the subject of p9olitical argument, the case for deferment is weak. …”
“Met Police consult Crown Prosecution Service over Vote Leave allegations”
“… Evidence that could lead to criminal charges against the pro-Brexit campaign led by Boris Johnson and his key adviser, Dominic Cummings, has now been passed by police to the criminal prosecution authorities, openDemocracy has learned.
Last year, the Electoral Commission found that Vote Leave broke electoral law by overspending during the 2016 European Union referendum, after the campaign funnelled £675,000 through another pro-Brexit group to avoid spending limits.
After nearly 16 months of investigatiVote Leave, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) handed a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service last month. The initial formal referral by the police means they are now seeking legal advice from the Crown Prosecution Service on how to further build their case against Vote Leave, and where they need further evidence to advance the prospect of charges being brought. Vote Leave have always denied any wrongdoing. …”
Met Police consult Crown Prosecution Service over Vote Leave allegations
HMRC doesn’t have enough staff to chase rich tax avoiders
Owl says: Well, that’s jolly convenient isn’t it!
“The tax office has been “swamped” with 5.7 million pieces of information about overseas bank accounts held by three million British citizens under the terms of a new international treaty, according to tax experts.
However, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) does not have enough staff to investigate the information, according to the tax consultancy BDO, so is instead blitzing the people named with speculative letters asking them to send details of their financial affairs.
The information is coming from 100 countries under common reporting standards (CRS) agreed by the international Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The standards are designed to stop tax evasion, or avoidance, by making governments aware of overseas money held by their citizens. HMRC says in its annual report that the agreement has “created an unprecedented increase in the global transparency of offshore tax affairs”.
Richard Morley, a partner at BDO, says, however, that this flow of data is in danger of overwhelming the taxman.
Research by Pinsent Masons, a law firm, found that HMRC’s investigators last year made 540 requests to overseas authorities for information on the highest-net-worth individuals that it believed may be storing tens of millions of pounds abroad to avoid tax.”
Source: Times (pay wall)
BBC asks: Who has selected the most women as candidates?
The article goes on to disect how many women candidates have been selected for each party and what type of seats (target, safe, etc):
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-50247599
But they forgot one “party”!
Claire Wright!
100% female in her party of one true Independent!
SOME of the “missing millions” registering to vote but not enough
“Almost a third of the 316,264 voter registration applications submitted in the last two days have been from voters aged under 25, according to government figures.
Young voters rushed to send almost 45,000 applications on Tuesday after the announcement of a snap general election on 12 December. This increased to 59,000 on Wednesday, with both days marking a significant surge on the 13,109 applications sent on Monday, and the 4,981 applications the day before that.
The total number of applications marked the highest and second highest number of applications submitted on any day of 2019. Almost 140,000 registrations were counted on Tuesday and more than 170,000 were received on Wednesday.
How do I register to vote in the 2019 general election?
Go to:
https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
About 65% of applications came from people under 35, while only 4% of those registering were aged 65 and over. Some applications may have been from people already registered to vote.
However, Willie Sullivan, a senior director at the Electoral Reform Society, said 9.4 million people were still missing from the electoral roll. “There’s a long way to go before we close the registration gap,” he said, adding that there remained large disproportions between different social and economic groups who register to vote.
“Younger people and renters are most at risk of being missing from the register, so it’s welcome to see this surge in registrations from the ‘missing millions’.”
Sullivan said the registration process needed urgently improving across the country to avoid similar scrambles to register.
“It’s an annoying reality that many of these applications will be already on the register, since there’s no way to check online if you are already registered. Let’s make this the last time we see a manic registration rush – putting strain on local electoral offices.
“We cannot be complacent – this election must see the biggest registration drive this country has seen to ensure it genuinely represents all of us.”
The final date for registering to vote is 26 November.”
Hugo “I can’t wait to get out of here” Swire
Business rates system broken say MPs
“
The business rates system is “broken” and needs to be reformed for the benefit of councils and businesses alike, according to a report from the treasury committee released today.
It revealed that the tax generated £31bn in the UK in the last financial year, with revenues rising faster than inflation.
MPs also found councils have applied business rates reliefs inconsistently and urged the government to create a “single comprehensive” guide on how they should operate.
The report acknowledged the government’s plan to increase councils’ retention of business rates from 50% to 75% – but this move, which was meant to start in April 2020, has already been pushed back by a year.
“Any reform of the system should have particular regard both to the need to maintain the total income for local authorities, and to keep the link between individual authorities and the current and potential new businesses in their areas,” it said.
Alison McGovern, Treasury committee’s lead member of the inquiry, said: “It’s abundantly clear that the current business rates system is broken. The tax represents an increasing burden on businesses, particularly those with a physical high street presence struggling to remain competitive.”
Commenting on previous attempts to improve the business rates system, she said: “Odd reliefs here and there are nothing more than sticking plasters to a system in urgent need of reform.”
The committee has heard arguments for alternatives to business rates, such as a ‘land value’ tax – a levy on the land a property exists on rather than the property itself. Another suggestion has been to have online sales levies as the system places a “disproportionate burden” on bricks-and-mortar high street shops compared to online businesses.
However, McGovern said that alternatives had not been “sufficiently modelled to examine who would be the winners and losers of any change.”
The report concluded that it should not be up to “external stakeholders” to develop and evaluate detailed proposals for a new system. Instead, the government should prepare a consultation on the business rates system by the next Spring Statement, it said. …”
Source:Public Finance (pay wall)
Junior doctor not allowed to ask Johnson questions on taxpayer-funded publicity stunt visit to hospital
Swire says NHS is safe in Tory hands – do you agree
Owl finds nothing in this response on Facebook that is reassuring.
Reply to constituent:
“SWIRE, Hugo
Thu 31/10/2019 12:02
Dear Mrs Hadley
Thank you for contacting me about the NHS and international trade and Jonathan Ashworth MP’s amendment on the Queen’s Speech.
As I have stated before, like you, I cherish our National Health Service and the role it plays in ensuring that no-one is denied medical treatment because they cannot afford it. However, I did not vote for the amendment because I believe it was un-necessary as the Government has been repeatedly clear that our NHS will never be on the table in any trade negotiations, a position I fully support.
Free trade is a driver of economic growth which can raise incomes, create jobs, and lift people out of poverty, which is why I am glad that outside of the EU the UK will be able to strike new trade agreements with countries across the globe. But more trade should not come at the expense of the high levels of quality and protection enjoyed in our country.
In the EU trade agreements to which our country is currently party, our NHS is protected by specific exceptions and reservations. Outside of the EU, rigorous protections for our NHS will be maintained and included in any future trade agreement to which our country is party.
I hope this reassures you that all future trade agreements will continue to protect our vital NHS.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Yours sincerely
Hugo Swire”
Young people: your friends are registering to vote in their tens of thousands – why haven’t you?
“Young people might be ensuring that Boris Johnson has a thoroughly miserable Christmas. Because huge numbers of them are registering to vote. In fact, 316,000 people have signed up to vote in the last 48 hours. And 205,900 of them are under 34.”
In just 48 hours, young people show they could have a nasty surprise in store for Boris Johnson
Register here:
https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
Tell Devon County Council what you think (nicely, now!)
Devon Community Insight Survey
Devon residents are being asked what matters most in a survey run by Devon County Council.
The Community Insight Survey asks about experiences of a range of services and the County Council’s strategic aims.
It also asks questions about Council Tax increases, community resources, if people have good access to green spaces, and if the council’s decision make sense.
A council spokesman said: “We are committed to building a Devon where everyone can live their lives well, and to do this we need to understand what matters most to you and where you experience difficulties. The results will be shared across services and used to inform budget decisions and how services are provided in future.”
The survey can be filled in online at
Poor people to be disenfranchised – and EDDC was the trailblazer!
Story here:
EDDC Electoral officer and CEO used “light touch” as the reason/excuse when he “lost” 6,000+ voters from the electoral roll in 2014 (that and not wanting his canvassers out in the dark were just two of his reasons at the time):
At that time it was also the poorer and more itinerant renters who were not contacted or followed up.
The Tories, having realised that poorer and rent-trapped people were more likely not to register to vote, jumped at the chance to do their best to ensure they never reach the electoral roll again.
Nice one Boris – bet you’ve made Mr Williams very proud! Maybe he will even get a gong for it like Swire got for cosying up to Cameron!
Medical student challenges Johnson on NHS
“An angry medical student confronted Boris Johnson over his “PR stunt” visit to a hospital today.
The trip was paid for by the taxpayer – despite kicking off the Tories’ election campaign where the NHS will be a key battleground.
The Prime Minister visited Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambs, to meet staff and patients – despite mounting fears the Conservatives will do a deal to open the health service to the US in a post-Brexit trade deal with Donald Tump.
Julia Simons, 23, who is training in the hospital tried to challenge her fears about the future of the NHS if such a deal takes place.
She told the Mirror: “I want him to recognise that, for example insulin is incredibly expensive in the United States because of the monopoly that three companies have.
“And we don’t have that system here at the moment and Brexit threatens the reality that patients here won’t be able to access those drugs. …”
“One of the really expensive things to the NHS is drug purchasing and if we don’t have any guarantees about that being protected then how can I possibly consider voting for someone who is going to possibly detrimentally affect the death of my patients?”
Boris Johnson , Matt Hancock the health secretary and Liz Truss, the international trade secretary have all insisted that the NHS is “off the table” in talks with the US.
But reports of meetings where the relationship between the deal and health service remained open and reported by Channel 4’s Dispatches have ramped up fears. …”
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/angry-medical-student-slams-boris-20765714
How to vote tactically in East Devon if you are a Remainer
Vote Lib Dem in Tiverton and Honiton (Neil Parish)
DO NOT VOTE LIB DEM IN EAST DEVON (Hugo Swire) – vote Claire Wright (Independent)
General election, Hugo Swire and Neil Parish
East Devon Watch will NOT report any “good news” stories from Hugo Swire or Neil Parish between now and the election unless it can be proved (by very strong evidence) to be accurate – and not just convenient pre-election speculation.
Are homes in National Parks REALLY more expensive than in East Devon?
Owl is informed that a correspondent carried out some research on house prices yesterday, using Rightmove and Zoopla, because they thought – is the old chestnut that housing in national parks ismore expensive – or do the Tories et al use it just an excuse to do nothing?
It turns out, Cranbrook is already on a par with 2 bed terrace house prices within Dartmoor national park. In East Devon, Budleigh Salterton and Sidmouth prices are higher, but maybe they attract a premium already as coastal locations – the premium is said to be about an extra 10%?
Hopefully, this should mean that prices will not increase dramatically in this area if we were to gain national park status…
Over to you those councillors who want to keep a tight hold on planning and a very loose hold on developers …
How you can (try to) get a cash machine back in your community
“… Following our analysis, Link launched its Community Access to Cash Delivery Fund, which invited local communities to apply for a free-to-use cash machine. The network today announced it had already had 100 applications in the first month.
As a result, the new tool has been developed to meet the swell of demand.
To use it you just need to go to the website:
https://www.link.co.uk/consumers/request-access-to-cash/request-an-atm/
fill out your details, suggest a site for the ATM and explain why it is needed.
Link promises it will respond to the requests one by one and assess whether it can find a viable location to get an ATM up and running in the area. …”
‘Request an ATM’ tool launches for areas hit by cash machine closures
Policing – who broke it, is it being fixed?
