conservativehome--2020-12-14--Calling Conservatives: New public appointments announced. Chair of the Pension Agency – and more

Eight years ago , the TaxPayers ’ Alliance reported that “ in the last year , five times more Labour people were appointed to public bodies than Tories ” .
It currently reports that almost half of avowedly political appointees last year owed their allegiance to Labour Party , compared to less than a third for the Conservatives .
Despite the selection of some Party members or supporters to fill important posts , over time , the Conservatives have punched beneath their weight when it comes to public appointments .
One of the reasons seems to be that Tories simply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number as Labour supporters .
To help remedy this , each week we put up links to some of the main public appointments vacancies , so that qualified Conservatives can be aware of the opportunities presented .
“ The Pensions Regulator ( TPR ) is the public body that protects workplace pensions in the UK .
TPR works with employers and those running pension schemes so that people can save safely for their retirement .
TPR aims to be a strong , visible regulator that builds people ’ s confidence in pensions .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) .
It has around 750 staff and is based in Brighton .
TPR works closely with the Financial Conduct Authority , which regulates personal pension schemes , and with other public bodies .
TPR is responsible for : protecting people ’ s savings in workplace pensions ; improving the way that workplace pension schemes are run ; reducing the risk of pension schemes ending up in the Pension Protection Fund ( PPF ) ; making sure employers balance the needs of their defined benefit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making sure employers enrol their staff into a pension scheme and pay money into it ( known as ‘ automatic enrolment ’ ) .
” “ The Sports Grounds Safety Authority ( SGSA ) was established by statute as an Arms Length Public Body in 2011 taking on the full responsibilities of its predecessor body , The Football Licensing Authority .
The SGSA is the safety regulator for football grounds in England and Wales and the UK Government ’ s independent advisor on sports grounds safety .
The three core functions of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ league and international football grounds in England and Wales to allow them to permit spectators to watch matches and to oversee local authorities in their duties to sports grounds safety and safety certification ; provide strategic support for sports grounds , governing bodies and others , both in the UK and internationally ; set and raise standards globally through developing guidance , particularly the Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds ( Green Guide ) .
” Time : Up to two days per week .
“ Applications are encouraged from all sections of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sport England board is representative of the diverse society it serves .
Sport England is a government-funded Non-Departmental Public Body and National Lottery distributor .
It is responsible for supporting , growing and advocating for grassroots sport and physical activity in England in line with its statutory objectives as set out in its Royal Charter .
Its vision is to ensure that everyone , regardless of their age , background or level of ability feels able to engage in sport and physical activity and it takes its strategic lead from the government ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Future : A New Strategy for an Active Nation .
The Chair will be responsible for overseeing the final stages of implementation of Sport England ’ s current Towards an Active Nation strategy ( 2017-2021 ) , and the final stages of development and roll-out of its new strategy for 2021-2025 , in close collaboration with the Deputy Chair , Chief Executive , and Executive Team.
” Time : Up to 2 days per week .
“ The mission of the Financial Reporting Council ( FRC ) is to promote transparency and integrity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ generating public trust and confidence in UK business and help attract investment in successful companies that provide jobs , create prosperity and generate economic growth .
The FRC sets the UK Corporate Governance & Stewardship Codes which aim to make investors more accountable to their clients and beneficiaries .
The FRC also sets standards for accounting , auditing and actuarial work .
As the UK ’ s independent regulator and Competent Authority for Audit it monitors , and takes action where necessary , to promote the quality of corporate reporting and audit .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ accountants and actuaries.
” “ UK Shared Business Services Ltd ( UK SBS ) is a non-profit making company limited by shares .
It was established in 2007 by the UK Research Councils as part of a drive for greater value for money .
The Company provides HR & Payroll , Finance , Procurement and IT services to its owners the Department for Business , Energy & Industrial Strategy ( BEIS ) , UK Research and Innovation ( UKRI ) and other public sector clients .
It is recognised by the Cabinet Office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forms part of the Shared Service Strategy for Government… This is an exciting , interesting and challenging time for UK SBS ; the newly appointed Chair will provide strong leadership to guide the Company through this transformation , delivering leading-edge shared services to multiple clients at the best value and providing our end-users with the high-quality user experience they have become accustomed to in the digital age.
” “ With rapid progress in the development of new technologies , Highways England are modernising and transforming the strategic road network .
They need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s commitment to zero carbon and within its committed timescales .
They also need to exploit the full potential of the digital revolution , both in their delivery , and in communications with road users and stakeholders .
That is why HE are now delivering £27.4 billion of investment between 2020 and 2025 to improve the road network ( RIS2 ) .
This is an exciting opportunity to join the Board of an organisation which keeps England moving .
You would be joining Highways England at an exciting time , with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the organisation and ensure its continued success .
This will mean supporting the executive team in developing the organisation to be equipped for the immediate supply chain , technology and workplace transformation Highways England faces.
” Bank of England – External Member of the Financial Policy Committee “ The FPC is responsible for identifying , monitoring and taking action to remove or reduce systemic risks with a view to protecting and enhancing the resilience of the UK financial system .
The FPC also has a secondary objective to support the Government ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommendation and can direct the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority to take action to address systemic risks to financial stability .
The appointment of external members to the FPC is designed to ensure that the Committee benefits from thinking and expertise in addition to that existing inside the Bank of England , and to provide constructive challenge during the Committee ’ s deliberations .
Each member of the FPC should have expertise in the field of financial services and economics .
External members will be independent – they will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interests or sectors.
” “ Schools Adjudicators are office holders appointed by the Secretary of State for Education to make decisions about a range of matters relating to publicly funded schools in England .
They are statutory office holders appointed under section 25 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 .
The main function of the Schools Adjudicators is to rule on objections to and referrals about determined school admission arrangements of all state funded schools ; this involves establishing whether or not arrangements conform with the requirements relating to admissions and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what respect they do not conform… There are currently ten Schools Adjudicators , including the Chief Schools Adjudicator .
They are appointed for their ability to act impartially , independently and objectively .
Their role is to look afresh at all cases referred to them and consider each case on its merits in the light of the legislation , the Statutory Guidance for Decision Makers on Statutory Proposals and the School Admissions Code .
”

Eight years ago, the TaxPayers’ Alliance reported that “in the last year, five times more Labour people were appointed to public bodies than Tories”.
It currently reports that almost half of avowedly political appointees last year owed their allegiance to Labour Party, compared to less than a third for the Conservatives.
Despite the selection of some Party members or supporters to fill important posts, over time, the Conservatives have punched beneath their weight when it comes to public appointments. One of the reasons seems to be that Tories simply don’t apply in the same number as Labour supporters.
To help remedy this, each week we put up links to some of the main public appointments vacancies, so that qualified Conservatives can be aware of the opportunities presented.
– – – – – – – – – –
The Pension Agency – Chair
“The Pensions Regulator (TPR) is the public body that protects workplace pensions in the UK. TPR works with employers and those running pension schemes so that people can save safely for their retirement. TPR aims to be a strong, visible regulator that builds people’s confidence in pensions. TPR is a public body sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). It has around 750 staff and is based in Brighton. TPR works closely with the Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates personal pension schemes, and with other public bodies. TPR is responsible for: protecting people’s savings in workplace pensions; improving the way that workplace pension schemes are run; reducing the risk of pension schemes ending up in the Pension Protection Fund (PPF); making sure employers balance the needs of their defined benefit pension scheme with growing their business; making sure employers enrol their staff into a pension scheme and pay money into it (known as ‘automatic enrolment’).”
Time: Two days per week.
Remuneration: £73,840 per annum.
Closes: 14 December
– – – – – – – – – –
Sports Grounds Safety Authority – Chair
“The Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) was established by statute as an Arms Length Public Body in 2011 taking on the full responsibilities of its predecessor body, The Football Licensing Authority. The SGSA is the safety regulator for football grounds in England and Wales and the UK Government’s independent advisor on sports grounds safety. The three core functions of the SGSA are: to issues licences to league and international football grounds in England and Wales to allow them to permit spectators to watch matches and to oversee local authorities in their duties to sports grounds safety and safety certification; provide strategic support for sports grounds, governing bodies and others, both in the UK and internationally; set and raise standards globally through developing guidance, particularly the Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (Green Guide).”
Time: Up to two days per week.
Remuneration: £36,260 per annum, plus expenses.
Closes: 15 December
– – – – – – – – – –
Sport England – Chair
“Applications are encouraged from all sections of the community to help ensure that the Sport England board is representative of the diverse society it serves. Sport England is a government-funded Non-Departmental Public Body and National Lottery distributor. It is responsible for supporting, growing and advocating for grassroots sport and physical activity in England in line with its statutory objectives as set out in its Royal Charter. Its vision is to ensure that everyone, regardless of their age, background or level of ability feels able to engage in sport and physical activity and it takes its strategic lead from the government’s sport and physical activity strategy Sporting Future: A New Strategy for an Active Nation. The Chair will be responsible for overseeing the final stages of implementation of Sport England’s current Towards an Active Nation strategy (2017-2021), and the final stages of development and roll-out of its new strategy for 2021-2025, in close collaboration with the Deputy Chair, Chief Executive, and Executive Team.”
Time: Up to 2 days per week.
Remuneration: £40,000 per annum.
Closes: 21 December
– – – – – – – – – –
Financial Reporting Council – Chair
“The mission of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is to promote transparency and integrity in business. These are cornerstones to generating public trust and confidence in UK business and help attract investment in successful companies that provide jobs, create prosperity and generate economic growth. The FRC sets the UK Corporate Governance & Stewardship Codes which aim to make investors more accountable to their clients and beneficiaries. The FRC also sets standards for accounting, auditing and actuarial work. As the UK’s independent regulator and Competent Authority for Audit it monitors, and takes action where necessary, to promote the quality of corporate reporting and audit. It also operates independent enforcement arrangements for accountants and actuaries.”
Time: 1.5 days per week.
Remuneration: £75,000 per annum, plus expenses.
Closes: 03 January
– – – – – – – – – –
UK Shared Business Services Ltd – Chair
“UK Shared Business Services Ltd (UK SBS) is a non-profit making company limited by shares. It was established in 2007 by the UK Research Councils as part of a drive for greater value for money. The Company provides HR & Payroll, Finance, Procurement and IT services to its owners the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and other public sector clients. It is recognised by the Cabinet Office as a government shared service provider and forms part of the Shared Service Strategy for Government… This is an exciting, interesting and challenging time for UK SBS; the newly appointed Chair will provide strong leadership to guide the Company through this transformation, delivering leading-edge shared services to multiple clients at the best value and providing our end-users with the high-quality user experience they have become accustomed to in the digital age.”
Time: Max 36 days per annum.
Remuneration: £575 per annum, plus expenses.
Closes: 03 January
– – – – – – – – – –
Highways England – Chair
“With rapid progress in the development of new technologies, Highways England are modernising and transforming the strategic road network. They need to demonstrate that they can meet the government’s commitment to zero carbon and within its committed timescales. They also need to exploit the full potential of the digital revolution, both in their delivery, and in communications with road users and stakeholders. That is why HE are now delivering £27.4 billion of investment between 2020 and 2025 to improve the road network (RIS2). This is an exciting opportunity to join the Board of an organisation which keeps England moving. You would be joining Highways England at an exciting time, with the opportunity to help shape the future of the organisation and ensure its continued success. This will mean supporting the executive team in developing the organisation to be equipped for the immediate supply chain, technology and workplace transformation Highways England faces.”
Time: 24/27 days per annum
Remuneration: £25,000 per annum/plus £3,000 for chairing.
Closes: 08 January
– – – – – – – – – –
Bank of England – External Member of the Financial Policy Committee
“The FPC is responsible for identifying, monitoring and taking action to remove or reduce systemic risks with a view to protecting and enhancing the resilience of the UK financial system. The FPC also has a secondary objective to support the Government’s economic policies.The FPC has wide-ranging powers of recommendation and can direct the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority to take action to address systemic risks to financial stability. The appointment of external members to the FPC is designed to ensure that the Committee benefits from thinking and expertise in addition to that existing inside the Bank of England, and to provide constructive challenge during the Committee’s deliberations. Each member of the FPC should have expertise in the field of financial services and economics. External members will be independent – they will not represent or lobby for individual groups, interests or sectors.”
Time: 23 days per quarter.
Remuneration: £97,200.
Closes: 11 January
– – – – – – – – – –
Department for Education – Schools Adjudicator
“Schools Adjudicators are office holders appointed by the Secretary of State for Education to make decisions about a range of matters relating to publicly funded schools in England. They are statutory office holders appointed under section 25 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. The main function of the Schools Adjudicators is to rule on objections to and referrals about determined school admission arrangements of all state funded schools; this involves establishing whether or not arrangements conform with the requirements relating to admissions and if they do not conform, in what respect they do not conform… There are currently ten Schools Adjudicators, including the Chief Schools Adjudicator. They are appointed for their ability to act impartially, independently and objectively. Their role is to look afresh at all cases referred to them and consider each case on its merits in the light of the legislation, the Statutory Guidance for Decision Makers on Statutory Proposals and the School Admissions Code.”
Time: Part-time.
Remuneration: £355 per diem/£58 per hour.
Closes: 29 January


conservativehome--2020-12-14--WATCH: Hancock announces that more of England will go into Tier Three. We will know later this week

WATCH: Hancock announces that more of England will go into Tier Three. We will know later this week if any of it moves out.

WATCH : Hancock announces that more of England will go into Tier Three .
We will know later this week @ @ @ @ @ out .

"We must act now"
Health Secretary Matt Hancock says London, the south and west of Essex and the south of Hertfordshire will move into England’s highest tier of coronavirus restrictions from 00:01 GMT on Wednesdayhttps://t.co/N48kWPzG5v pic.twitter.com/glfvwRJD1M
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) December 14, 2020


conservativehome--2020-12-15--Andy Street: Our pioneering bus partnership will get the West Midlands economy moving

Andy Street is Mayor of the West Midlands , and is a former Managing Director of John Lewis .
As we plot our route out of the pandemic , transport will be vital if we are to get our local economies moving again .
While trams , trains and HS2 make headlines as construction sites spring up along new routes , the bus network remains the workhorse of public transport in the UK .
Here in the West Midlands , before Covid-19 struck bus was by far the most used form of transport , with 267 million journeys a year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about seven million on the region ’ s Metro tram system .
In fact , we were one of the few places in the country where bus use was rising .
In the 12 months up to December last year , the number of people catching the bus in the West Midlands rocketed by almost eight million .
As we encourage people to fully return to public transport , I have huge confidence in our pioneering approach to bus provision .
In this column , I want to tell you what makes our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Crucially , our approach does not involve franchises , a model which is too readily seen as an expensive panacea .
It is based instead on a genuine partnership between the transport authority , providers , and passengers – and it works .
The Bus Alliance is a partnership between Transport for West Midlands ( TfWM ) , which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority , bus operating companies , the Safer Travel team , and passenger group Transport Focus .
The alliance model brings the best of public and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only huge private sector investment but collaborative , joined-up thinking that has made the network itself work better for local people .
First , I want to pay tribute to the vision and commitment of our main provider , Birmingham-based FTSE company National Express , who have made immense investment in our region .
This month they announced a fourth consecutive annual fare freeze – a huge contribution to millions of families here at such a difficult time .
Helping more people to choose public transport is a key part of our transport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as communities face the economic impact of coronavirus , this latest fare freeze was widely welcomed .
At a regional level , we are also funding fare reductions for targeted groups , such as half-price travel to all 16-18-year-olds , benefitting up to 105,000 apprentices , students , trainees , and those in work .
A TfWM scheme , called Workwise , is available to jobseekers and apprentices for up to three months when they start a new job .
Schemes such as these are going to be vital as we create opportunities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so badly impacted by the pandemic .
However , passenger growth has not just been on the back of lower fares .
Convenient payment by phone , the Swift travel card and contactless cards , live timetable apps , and capping fares are also making bus travel more attractive here .
What is even more impressive is this success has not been achieved through cutting corners on the fleet .
If we want people to embrace public transport , we must ensure vehicles and facilities are modern , safe , and pleasant .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ local bus travel growing up in the West Midlands are not always pleasant – with often cold , dirty and uncomfortable buses , with cigarette smoke on the inside and engulfed by exhaust fumes on the outside .
Things have changed .
For proof of this , look no further than the roll-out of National Express ’ s Platinum bus fleet across the region , which is helping transform the experience of users .
These top specification double decker buses boast comfier seats , USB points for passengers to charge their phone , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interior lighting , improved sound proofing and audio ‘ next stop ’ announcements .
They also have hybrid engines that emit extremely low levels of the pollutant nitrogen oxide .
This commitment to address the environmental footprint of our bus fleet is another part of the approach which is driving passenger growth .
National Express have made a promise to never buy another diesel bus .
Across Birmingham , Coventry , and Solihull electric buses are already in service .
This spring , 20 new hydrogen buses – which consume four times less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 300 miles on a single tank – will be introduced in Birmingham .
They emit water vapour , meaning no carbon dioxide or other harmful gases are being pumped into the air .
So , just like our automotive sector , the West Midland ’ s bus industry is at the cutting edge of technology – but we are ambitious to go further and faster .
We are bidding to host one of the country ’ s first Electric Bus Towns , which would deliver a further step-change in our fleet .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bus Alliance has ensured that , amid all of this innovation and ambition , we have never lost sight of how bus transport has critical social value for some passenger groups .
Together , we have protected access services such as Ring and Ride , with TfWM stepping in to temporarily run the service when the previous operator went bust , and National Express then taking over .
Fittingly , during the pandemic , our Ring and Ride vehicles were deployed to provide free and safe shuttle services for frontline NHS staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This simple idea showed the Bus Alliance at its very best .
Alongside new vehicles and cheaper fares , we are investing heavily in existing bus stations like Walsall and linking up buses to the new railway stations being built like in Coventry and Wolverhampton .
Top of my list for the next major improvement is Dudley , where I want to see the town ’ s bus station completely redeveloped into a multi-million pound interchange .
Elsewhere , we are investing in bus prioritisation and improvements , including the rollout of new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public transport plan for the Commonwealth Games , while we are also developing a new cross-city rapid bus route .
Finally , the West Midlands is going to lead the nation with tough new byelaws to tackle anti-social behaviour on buses .
These new rules will mean people who spoil the journey of others through smoking , vaping , drunk and disorderly behaviour , playing loud music , vandalism , or threatening and offensive activities face being thrown off the bus and then fined .
These rules have existed on trams and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be the first to extend them to buses .
I believe people have the right to a safe , pleasant journey and this will help tackle the small number of people who seem to disagree .
Funding has been vital to all these improvements , which over the last nine months have been challenged by the falling patronage brought by the pandemic .
The Government ’ s unprecedented backing has allowed us to maintain the service throughout .
Now we await next year ’ s National Bus Strategy , which will be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a long time , buses have been the workhorse of public transport – the poor relation in comparison to flagship investments in tram and rail .
Through our Bus Alliance , the West Midlands have chosen a new route , without the need for franchising .
It has delivered tremendous investment and innovation , is playing a key role in the environmental challenge and is supporting people starting out with an apprenticeship or new job .
As we plan to safely return the UK ’ s transport network to full capacity , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work .

Andy Street is Mayor of the West Midlands, and is a former Managing Director of John Lewis.
As we plot our route out of the pandemic, transport will be vital if we are to get our local economies moving again. While trams, trains and HS2 make headlines as construction sites spring up along new routes, the bus network remains the workhorse of public transport in the UK.
Here in the West Midlands, before Covid-19 struck bus was by far the most used form of transport, with 267 million journeys a year compared to 50 million for rail and about seven million on the region’s Metro tram system.
In fact, we were one of the few places in the country where bus use was rising. In the 12 months up to December last year, the number of people catching the bus in the West Midlands rocketed by almost eight million.
As we encourage people to fully return to public transport, I have huge confidence in our pioneering approach to bus provision. In this column, I want to tell you what makes our way of doing things such a success.
Crucially, our approach does not involve franchises, a model which is too readily seen as an expensive panacea. It is based instead on a genuine partnership between the transport authority, providers, and passengers – and it works.
The Bus Alliance is a partnership between Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority, bus operating companies, the Safer Travel team, and passenger group Transport Focus. The alliance model brings the best of public and private sectors together, resulting in not only huge private sector investment but collaborative, joined-up thinking that has made the network itself work better for local people.
First, I want to pay tribute to the vision and commitment of our main provider, Birmingham-based FTSE company National Express, who have made immense investment in our region.
This month they announced a fourth consecutive annual fare freeze – a huge contribution to millions of families here at such a difficult time. Helping more people to choose public transport is a key part of our transport plan for the coming years, but as communities face the economic impact of coronavirus, this latest fare freeze was widely welcomed.
At a regional level, we are also funding fare reductions for targeted groups, such as half-price travel to all 16-18-year-olds, benefitting up to 105,000 apprentices, students, trainees, and those in work.
A TfWM scheme, called Workwise, is available to jobseekers and apprentices for up to three months when they start a new job. Schemes such as these are going to be vital as we create opportunities for younger people, who have been so badly impacted by the pandemic.
However, passenger growth has not just been on the back of lower fares. Convenient payment by phone, the Swift travel card and contactless cards, live timetable apps, and capping fares are also making bus travel more attractive here. What is even more impressive is this success has not been achieved through cutting corners on the fleet. If we want people to embrace public transport, we must ensure vehicles and facilities are modern, safe, and pleasant.
As a Brummie, my memories of local bus travel growing up in the West Midlands are not always pleasant – with often cold, dirty and uncomfortable buses, with cigarette smoke on the inside and engulfed by exhaust fumes on the outside. Things have changed.
For proof of this, look no further than the roll-out of National Express’s Platinum bus fleet across the region, which is helping transform the experience of users. These top specification double decker buses boast comfier seats, USB points for passengers to charge their phone, crystal-clear CCTV for safety, bright LED interior lighting, improved sound proofing and audio ‘next stop’ announcements. They also have hybrid engines that emit extremely low levels of the pollutant nitrogen oxide.
This commitment to address the environmental footprint of our bus fleet is another part of the approach which is driving passenger growth. National Express have made a promise to never buy another diesel bus. Across Birmingham, Coventry, and Solihull electric buses are already in service.
This spring, 20 new hydrogen buses – which consume four times less fuel compared to diesel buses and cover 300 miles on a single tank – will be introduced in Birmingham. They emit water vapour, meaning no carbon dioxide or other harmful gases are being pumped into the air.
So, just like our automotive sector, the West Midland’s bus industry is at the cutting edge of technology – but we are ambitious to go further and faster. We are bidding to host one of the country’s first Electric Bus Towns, which would deliver a further step-change in our fleet.
What’s more, the work of the Bus Alliance has ensured that, amid all of this innovation and ambition, we have never lost sight of how bus transport has critical social value for some passenger groups. Together, we have protected access services such as Ring and Ride, with TfWM stepping in to temporarily run the service when the previous operator went bust, and National Express then taking over.
Fittingly, during the pandemic, our Ring and Ride vehicles were deployed to provide free and safe shuttle services for frontline NHS staff, between stations and their workplaces. This simple idea showed the Bus Alliance at its very best.
Alongside new vehicles and cheaper fares, we are investing heavily in existing bus stations like Walsall and linking up buses to the new railway stations being built like in Coventry and Wolverhampton. Top of my list for the next major improvement is Dudley, where I want to see the town’s bus station completely redeveloped into a multi-million pound interchange.
Elsewhere, we are investing in bus prioritisation and improvements, including the rollout of new “Sprint” services as part of the public transport plan for the Commonwealth Games, while we are also developing a new cross-city rapid bus route.
Finally, the West Midlands is going to lead the nation with tough new byelaws to tackle anti-social behaviour on buses. These new rules will mean people who spoil the journey of others through smoking, vaping, drunk and disorderly behaviour, playing loud music, vandalism, or threatening and offensive activities face being thrown off the bus and then fined.
These rules have existed on trams and trains for some time, but we will be the first to extend them to buses. I believe people have the right to a safe, pleasant journey and this will help tackle the small number of people who seem to disagree.
Funding has been vital to all these improvements, which over the last nine months have been challenged by the falling patronage brought by the pandemic. The Government’s unprecedented backing has allowed us to maintain the service throughout. Now we await next year’s National Bus Strategy, which will be essential to continuing our progress.
For a long time, buses have been the workhorse of public transport – the poor relation in comparison to flagship investments in tram and rail. Through our Bus Alliance, the West Midlands have chosen a new route, without the need for franchising. It has delivered tremendous investment and innovation, is playing a key role in the environmental challenge and is supporting people starting out with an apprenticeship or new job.
As we plan to safely return the UK’s transport network to full capacity, we have shown that a collaborative approach can work.


conservativehome--2020-12-15--Why Conservative backbench resistance to the Government’s Covid strategy may be fading away

“ We had a national lockdown in November , and since early December , 99 per cent of the country has been under the heightened restrictions of Tiers Two and Three.
” “ If this strategy was working at breaking the transmission of Covid , we would today be talking about areas moving down the tiers , or developing an exit strategy from repeated lockdowns.
” That ’ s the Covid Recovery Group ’ s take on yesterday ’ s announcement that London , and other parts of the South East , will shortly be moved from Tier Three to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tiering plan itself at the start of the month saw the biggest Coronavirus-related revolt in the Commons to date , with 53 Conservative MPs voting against the Government .
And other Tory backbenchers who supported the Government nonetheless expressed anxiety and reluctance .
A common complaint was of seats with lower Covid rates being locked down because others had higher rates .
Nonetheless , Matt Hancock didn ’ t get as rough a ride as he might have expected when announcing the new restrictions in the Commons .
In particular , there were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategy , as there were during the debate earlier ths month .
Here are five reasons why .
First , yesterday ’ s announcement was expressly to move London and some South-East areas up a tier .
There will be an announcement later this week that may take other parts of the country down a tier .
The Health Secretary gave a particularly sympathetic response to Chris Loder , the MP for West Dorset ; meanwhile , infection rates have been falling in parts of the North , especially the North-East and Yorkshire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the Government on taking a more “ granular ” approach – the main demand of those troubled backbenchers when the new tiering arrangements were approved .
Essex and Hertforshire have been divided between Tiers Two and Three .
That gives Conservative MPs outside the South-East hope that their constituencies , too , may find themselves on the more permissive side of a new line .
Third , Hancock ’ s report of “ a new variant of coronavirus , which may be associated with the faster spread in the south-east of England @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ There is currently nothing to suggest that this variant is more likely to cause serious disease , and the latest clinical advice is that it is highly unlikely that the mutation would fail to respond to a vaccine , ” he said .
Fourth , the first Pfizer vaccinations , carried out about a week ago , has bolstered morale in the Parliamentary Party .
It ’ s one thing knowing that vaccines are coming ; quite another seeing their roll-out beginning .
Backbenchers will be no less agitated about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seats – where the private sector is taking the bulk of the economic pain – but the vaccines at least offer the prospect of taming the pandemic .
Fifth , there is a sense that everyone else is in the same boat .
The Health Secretary took a deliberate hit at a Sweden-type approach , saying that “ nearly all the intensive care beds in Stockholm are currently in use ” .
Indeed , some MPs are asking how it can possibly make sense to relax constraints over Christmas , only to see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempt a less severe but more consistent squeeze .
In October , Raghib Ali set out on this site “ an alternative strategy which may cause less overall harm based on the Swedish approach , but with much better protection of the vulnerable , especially in care homes ” .
It made sense – but it makes more now to wind down the tiering system as the vaccine process winds up , rather than to tear it up at this stage , and try a new approach entirely .
MPs will get a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tiering at the end of January , and should vote frequently thereafter .
They will be less relaxed about policy if rising Covid cases are followed by a proposed third lockdown .
And analysis of the effect of lockdowns , restrictions and the virus itself ?
That must be part of the inevitable inquiry – with the power to unearth what estimates the Government has , not just those from elsewhere it has republished .

“We had a national lockdown in November, and since early December, 99 per cent of the country has been under the heightened restrictions of Tiers Two and Three.”
“If this strategy was working at breaking the transmission of Covid, we would today be talking about areas moving down the tiers, or developing an exit strategy from repeated lockdowns.”
That’s the Covid Recovery Group’s take on yesterday’s announcement that London, and other parts of the South East, will shortly be moved from Tier Three to Tier Two.
The vote on the tiering plan itself at the start of the month saw the biggest Coronavirus-related revolt in the Commons to date, with 53 Conservative MPs voting against the Government.
And other Tory backbenchers who supported the Government nonetheless expressed anxiety and reluctance. A common complaint was of seats with lower Covid rates being locked down because others had higher rates.
Nonetheless, Matt Hancock didn’t get as rough a ride as he might have expected when announcing the new restrictions in the Commons.
In particular, there were no clarion calls for a radically different strategy, as there were during the debate earlier ths month. Here are five reasons why.
First, yesterday’s announcement was expressly to move London and some South-East areas up a tier. There will be an announcement later this week that may take other parts of the country down a tier.
The Health Secretary gave a particularly sympathetic response to Chris Loder, the MP for West Dorset; meanwhile, infection rates have been falling in parts of the North, especially the North-East and Yorkshire.
Second, there has been movement by the Government on taking a more “granular” approach – the main demand of those troubled backbenchers when the new tiering arrangements were approved.
Essex and Hertfordshire have been divided between Tiers Two and Three. That gives Conservative MPs outside the South-East hope that their constituencies, too, may find themselves on the more permissive side of a new line.
Third, Hancock’s report of “a new variant of coronavirus, which may be associated with the faster spread in the south-east of England”, will have made an impact.
“There is currently nothing to suggest that this variant is more likely to cause serious disease, and the latest clinical advice is that it is highly unlikely that the mutation would fail to respond to a vaccine,” he said.
Fourth, the first Pfizer vaccinations, carried out about a week ago, has bolstered morale in the Parliamentary Party. It’s one thing knowing that vaccines are coming; quite another seeing their roll-out beginning.
Backbenchers will be no less agitated about the fate of pubs and restaurants in their seats – where the private sector is taking the bulk of the economic pain – but the vaccines at least offer the prospect of taming the pandemic.
Fifth, there is a sense that everyone else is in the same boat. The Health Secretary took a deliberate hit at a Sweden-type approach, saying that “nearly all the intensive care beds in Stockholm are currently in use”.
Indeed, some MPs are asking how it can possibly make sense to relax constraints over Christmas, only to see them tightened again afterwards – rather than attempt a less severe but more consistent squeeze.
Raghib Ali, though supportive of the tiering framework, has set out “an alternative strategy which may cause less overall harm based on the Swedish approach, but with much better protection of the vulnerable, especially in care homes”.
It made sense – but it makes more now to wind down the tiering system as the vaccine process winds up, rather than to tear it up at this stage, and try a new approach entirely.
MPs will get a second chance to debate and vote on tiering at the end of January, and should vote frequently thereafter. They will be less relaxed about policy if rising Covid cases are followed by a proposed third lockdown.
And analysis of the effect of lockdowns, restrictions and the virus itself? That must be part of the inevitable inquiry – with the power to unearth what estimates the Government has, not just those from elsewhere it has republished.


conservativehome--2020-12-15--Harry Fone: Bristol is consulting on a Council Tax rise. But will it take any notice of the response

Harry Fone: Bristol is consulting on a Council Tax rise. But will it take any notice of the response?

Harry Fone is the Grassroots Campaign Manager for the TaxPayers ’ Alliance .
This is the first of a new column from him .
With many households struggling to pay their bills , it is hoped that councils across the country are tightening their belts and eradicating wasteful spending to avoid inflation-busting rate rises .
Some local authorities are certainly trying but others leave a lot to be desired .
In Bristol , residents are taking part in a consultation on whether or not to increase council tax .
Looking at the last five years , Bristol has hiked rates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s hard to imagine that council members would freeze tax even if everyone called for it .
The consultation lays out the economic challenges Bristol City Council faces .
A shortfall of £9 million is forecast for this financial year – to be expected given the pandemic .
But maybe the shortfall didn ’ t need to be so great given the millions of pounds of wasteful spending uncovered by the TaxPayers ’ Alliance .
The council spent over £900,000 on taxis alone between February and September this year .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ an entertainment arena that has yet to get off the drawing board and £37.7 million up in smoke on a failed energy company .
Perhaps most ridiculous of all , councillors awarded themselves an allowances increase totalling £180,000 , just as the pandemic was starting to take hold .
Rates could rise by as much as five per cent – described as “ modest ” by Bristol Council .
Hardly modest when households in a typical band D property would see bills rise by nearly £90 to £1,846 ( more than £2,100 when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ council asking residents for their feedback is most welcome .
But given Bristol ’ s repeated tax hikes and poor record with taxpayers ’ cash will it actually listen ?
In Lincolnshire there has been “ fierce backlash ” to South Kesteven District Council ’ s ( SKDC ) plan to potentially spend £100,000 of public funds to unveil a statue of Margaret Thatcher .
The leader of SKDC , Cllr Matthew Lee said : “ My expectation and that of our Cabinet is that the cost of the event will be fully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purse .
The Council will simply be providing a cash flow situation to support the forward funding of the event of up to £100,000.
” Of course there ’ s no guarantee that the council will recoup the money in full and there are more pressing local concerns .
As one South Kesteven councillor put it to me : “ Some of our tenants have gone through two winters without proper heating in place .
Rather than focusing on the needs of our residents , the Cabinet has decided to devote time and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m inclined to agree .
Data shows that between 1997 and 2017 , council tax has increased by 65 per cent in real terms for South Kesteven residents – every penny of their taxes must be used to procure the best frontline services possible .
The council has history when it comes to vanity projects .
In 2019 , SKDC announced plans to spend £103,000 on a giant outdoor TV screen “ as part of its drive to develop the cultural scene in the district.
” Given the threat of another rate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see precious funds spent on an unveiling ceremony .
Mrs Thatcher was very much a champion of getting the best possible deal for the taxpayer .
After all she uttered the famous line : “ There is no such thing as public money , there is only taxpayers ’ money.
” It has to be asked , would the Iron Lady herself approve of this largesse ?
Good news west of Lincolnshire though .
Reports suggest that Stoke City Council is set to trim the number of staff on its books .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ roles from its senior management team .
One idea is to merge the directors of Housing and Place into a single role .
The most recent figures reveal each received remuneration in excess of £150,000 .
No wonder the council estimates savings of £360,000 a year .
Since 2007 , the TaxPayers ’ Alliance has compiled an annual list of council employees who receive remuneration in excess of £100,000 .
As of 2018-19 , 2,667 individuals across 384 councils enjoyed six-figure pay packets – remuneration totalled £360.1 million .
The average salary , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and loss of office payments , was £116,478 .
If each of the 384 councils were ( on average ) to cut just one position , recurring nationwide savings in the years ahead would be around £45 million .
It ’ s pleasing to see Stoke council taking positive steps to cut down on a bloated management structure .
Other authorities must now follow their lead .
For the sake of ratepayers who pay their wages , council bosses should be minimising wasteful spending and maximising efficiency wherever possible .

Harry Fone is the Grassroots Campaign Manager for the TaxPayers’ Alliance. This is the first of a new column from him.
With many households struggling to pay their bills, it is hoped that councils across the country are tightening their belts and eradicating wasteful spending to avoid inflation-busting rate rises. Some local authorities are certainly trying but others leave a lot to be desired.
In Bristol, residents are taking part in a consultation on whether or not to increase council tax. Looking at the last five years, Bristol has hiked rates by the maximum permissible sum every time. It’s hard to imagine that council members would freeze tax even if everyone called for it.
The consultation lays out the economic challenges Bristol City Council faces. A shortfall of £9 million is forecast for this financial year – to be expected given the pandemic. But maybe the shortfall didn’t need to be so great given the millions of pounds of wasteful spending uncovered by the TaxPayers’ Alliance.
The council spent over £900,000 on taxis alone between February and September this year. Add to this, £12 million on an entertainment arena that has yet to get off the drawing board and £37.7 million up in smoke on a failed energy company. Perhaps most ridiculous of all, councillors awarded themselves an allowances increase totalling £180,000, just as the pandemic was starting to take hold.
Rates could rise by as much as five per cent – described as “modest” by Bristol Council. Hardly modest when households in a typical band D property would see bills rise by nearly £90 to £1,846 (more than £2,100 when you include parish precepts).
The council asking residents for their feedback is most welcome. But given Bristol’s repeated tax hikes and poor record with taxpayers’ cash will it actually listen?
xxxxxx
In Lincolnshire there has been “fierce backlash” to South Kesteven District Council’s (SKDC) plan to potentially spend £100,000 of public funds to unveil a statue of Margaret Thatcher.
The leader of SKDC, Cllr Matthew Lee said:
“My expectation and that of our Cabinet is that the cost of the event will be fully met through donations and not the public purse. The Council will simply be providing a cash flow situation to support the forward funding of the event of up to £100,000.”
Of course there’s no guarantee that the council will recoup the money in full and there are more pressing local concerns. As one South Kesteven councillor put it to me:
“Some of our tenants have gone through two winters without proper heating in place. Rather than focusing on the needs of our residents, the Cabinet has decided to devote time and resources to a vanity project.”
I’m inclined to agree. Data shows that between 1997 and 2017, council tax has increased by 65 per cent in real terms for South Kesteven residents – every penny of their taxes must be used to procure the best frontline services possible.
The council has history when it comes to vanity projects. In 2019, SKDC announced plans to spend £103,000 on a giant outdoor TV screen “as part of its drive to develop the cultural scene in the district.” Given the threat of another rate rise many people will not be pleased to see precious funds spent on an unveiling ceremony.
Mrs Thatcher was very much a champion of getting the best possible deal for the taxpayer. After all she uttered the famous line:
“There is no such thing as public money, there is only taxpayers’ money.”
It has to be asked, would the Iron Lady herself approve of this largesse?
xxxxxxx
Good news west of Lincolnshire though. Reports suggest that Stoke City Council is set to trim the number of staff on its books. The authority is aiming to cut four roles from its senior management team. One idea is to merge the directors of Housing and Place into a single role. The most recent figures reveal each received remuneration in excess of £150,000. No wonder the council estimates savings of £360,000 a year.
Since 2007, the TaxPayers’ Alliance has compiled an annual list of council employees who receive remuneration in excess of £100,000. As of 2018-19, 2,667 individuals across 384 councils enjoyed six-figure pay packets – remuneration totalled £360.1 million. The average salary, excluding bonuses, pension contributions, expenses and loss of office payments, was £116,478. If each of the 384 councils were (on average) to cut just one position, recurring nationwide savings in the years ahead would be around £45 million.
It’s pleasing to see Stoke council taking positive steps to cut down on a bloated management structure. Other authorities must now follow their lead. For the sake of ratepayers who pay their wages, council bosses should be minimising wasteful spending and maximising efficiency wherever possible.


conservativehome--2020-12-15--Why is Williamson fighting so hard to prevent schools breaking up early for Christmas?

Of all the own goals and missteps the Government has inflicted on itself during the pandemic , the exams fiasco was one of the most embarrassing .
Having taken the decision to cancel end-of-term examinations months before – and watched the Scottish Government run aground on the very same reef a couple of weeks before England was scheduled to do so – the Department for Education sailed blithely into disaster .
Gavin Williamson , having struck a tough pose against grade inflation , was swift to capitulate .
With a second round of more-generous results anticipated in 2021 , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school standards risks becoming another victim of Covid-19 .
And all of this followed a prolonged battle between the Government and the teaching unions about getting schools open in the first place , with the latter accused of setting deliberately impossible safety conditions on any return to work .
So one can see why the Education Secretary might feel he has something to prove , and thus why he has chosen to take an extremely muscular line against several London councils which had planned to close their schools early for Christmas in view @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Greenwich with a ‘ temporary continuity direction ’ , a new power afforded him by Covid-19 legislation , to force the local authority to reverse course .
Two more , Islington and Waltham Forest , had issued similar directives and likewise face a confrontation with the Government if they don ’ t back down .
Ministers followed up this move with the announcement that they will roll out mass rapid testing in secondary schools in the New Year , in what Williamson called a “ milestone moment in our work to keep schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ However , the unions claim that schools have not been provided with adequate staff and training to make use of the tests .
Furthermore , if the tests are going to be rolled out in January it isn ’ t immediately obvious why allowing schools to break up for Christmas a week early would be such a disaster – the last week of term is seldom one in which many critical lessons are taken .
A couple of possible explanations present themselves .
First , that the Government wants to avoid councils such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closures that could come back to bite it in the event that the new testing regime and the vaccine rollout don ’ t bring the pandemic under control as quickly as hoped in 2021 .
Second , that Williamson has simply spied an opportunity to square off on favourable terms with the teaching unions and some Labour-led local authorities .

Of all the own goals and missteps the Government has inflicted on itself during the pandemic, the exams fiasco was one of the most embarrassing.
Having taken the decision to cancel end-of-term examinations months before – and watched the Scottish Government run aground on the very same reef a couple of weeks before England was scheduled to do so – the Department for Education sailed blithely into disaster.
Gavin Williamson, having struck a tough pose against grade inflation, was swift to capitulate. With a second round of more-generous results anticipated in 2021, a decade of Conservative attempts to toughen up school standards risks becoming another victim of Covid-19.
And all of this followed a prolonged battle between the Government and the teaching unions about getting schools open in the first place, with the latter accused of setting deliberately impossible safety conditions on any return to work.
So one can see why the Education Secretary might feel he has something to prove, and thus why he has chosen to take an extremely muscular line against several London councils which had planned to close their schools early for Christmas in view of rising coronavirus cases. Williamson issued Greenwich with a ‘temporary continuity direction’, a new power afforded him by Covid-19 legislation, to force the local authority to reverse course.
Two more, Islington and Waltham Forest, had issued similar directives and likewise face a confrontation with the Government if they don’t back down.
Ministers followed up this move with the announcement that they will roll out mass rapid testing in secondary schools in the New Year, in what Williamson called a “milestone moment in our work to keep schools and colleges open for all”. However, the unions claim that schools have not been provided with adequate staff and training to make use of the tests.
Furthermore, if the tests are going to be rolled out in January it isn’t immediately obvious why allowing schools to break up for Christmas a week early would be such a disaster – the last week of term is seldom one in which many critical lessons are taken.
A couple of possible explanations present themselves. First, that the Government wants to avoid councils such as Greenwich setting a precedent for school closures that could come back to bite it in the event that the new testing regime and the vaccine rollout don’t bring the pandemic under control as quickly as hoped in 2021. Second, that Williamson has simply spied an opportunity to square off on favourable terms with the teaching unions and some Labour-led local authorities.


conservativehome--2020-12-15--Calling Conservatives: New public appointments announced. Chair of the Pension Agency – and more


conservativehome--2020-12-16--Calling Conservatives: New public appointments announced. Chair of the Pension Agency – and more


conservativehome--2020-12-16--Johnson’s Brexit journalism and Brexit politics are of a piece: in both he thrives by infuriating th

Johnson’s Brexit journalism and Brexit politics are of a piece: in both he thrives by infuriating the Establishment

If one wishes to understand Boris Johnson ’ s performance in the Brexit negotiations , it is worth studying his performance as a journalist .
Nobody , so far as I know , has yet done this .
HIs critics have trawled his articles in search of proof that he is a racist and a liar , but were already determined to condemn him , so were in no condition to learn anything they did not already believe .
Johnson has been writing about the European Union since 1989 , when Max Hastings , in a stroke of genius , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s correspondent to Brussels .
Soon Johnson ’ s office was adorned with herograms from Hastings , in recognition of the wonderfully readable and widely noticed copy supplied by his protégé .
While other correspondents still treated the EU with a degree of respect , Johnson set out to ridicule the Brussels bureaucracy , and to dramatise the mortal threat which the Commission ’ s expansionist zeal posed to the British way of life , symbolised by changes in the rules governing crisps and sausages .
His readers enjoyed these reports enormously , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not .
They accused him of making things up .
He reported ( as I noted in my biography of him , Boris : The Making of the Prime Minister ) that the Berlaymont building was going to be blown up , in order to get rid of the asbestos with which it was infected .
The editor of The European saw this story and wished to arrange for one of its readers to push the plunger on the detonator , but this proved impossible , for there was to be no detonation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , its asbestos-ridden cladding replaced by what looks like an entirely new building , in which Ursula von der Leyen last week entertained Johnson to dinner .
Stories like this continue to annoy The New York Times , and other journals which attach the highest importance to checking the facts .
They are not mollified , if anything are made still angrier , by the observation that Johnson approached Brussels in the manner of a dramatist , not a literalist , the urge to entertain taking precedence over mere facts .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ exaggerating somebody ’ s features , nobody objects , but the same latitude is not extended to reporters , even though the presentation of their work – the decision about which story to put on the front page , with a dramatic headline – can seldom be said to be free from hyperbole .
The row about Johnson ’ s cavalier attitude to facts obscured several other aspects of his work .
One was that he was onto something : the Commission really was trying to expand its powers at the expense of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was his respect for the ruthlessness with which Jacques Delors , the President of the Commission , and his henchman , Pascal Lamy , were driving forward the process of European integration , which they believed to be in the French national interest , for it was a way of controlling Germany : British officials , with “ their shy grins and corrugated-soled shoes ” , were , Johnson lamented , “ no match for the intellectual brutality of Lamy and his stooges ” .
Another aspect of his coverage was harder to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did not do .
When objecting to the Commission ’ s plans , he did not generally protest that these were contrary to the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty .
Johnson is no disciple of Enoch Powell .
In his voluminous journalism he pretty much ignores him .
In an interview which I conducted with Johnson for the Christmas 2012 issue of Weltwoche , published in Zurich , he admitted that he has always been seen by hard-line eurosceptics as “ incorrigibly wet ” on the issue of British membership of the EU .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ seen also in his attitude to the Union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland .
Some of the greatest Telegraph journalists – one thinks of T.E.Utley , who died in 1988 – articulated an eloquent and principled Unionism .
No attempt was made by Johnson to follow in Utley ’ s footsteps , and last autumn he did a deal with Leo Varadkar , Prime Minister of the Irish Republic , which Unionists regarded with deep disquiet .
It would , however , be wrong to regard Johnson ’ s European journalism as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who has known him since 1991 and served as the paper ’ s correspondent in Brussels from 1999-2004 , was occasionally commissioned by Johnson , by now editor of The Spectator , to contribute pieces , and has recalled : During the long Greek agony over the euro , Johnson ’ s sympathies were overwhelmingly with the Greeks .
Here he is , writing in The Telegraph in May 2012 , defying the conventional wisdom that the answer to the eurozone ’ s problems is to go for fiscal union : ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now be urging our neighbours to go for fiscal union .
It is like seeing a driver heading full-tilt for a brick wall , and then telling them to hit the accelerator rather than the brake .
“ Europe now has the lowest growth of any region in the world .
We have already wasted years in trying to control this sickness in the euro , and we are saving the cancer and killing the patient .
We have blighted countless lives and lost countless jobs by kidding ourselves that the answer to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ .
And all for what ?
To salvage the prestige of the European Project , and to spare the egos of those who were wrong and muddle-headed enough to campaign for the euro .
“ Surely it is now time to accept that the short-term pain of a managed euro rupture – a wholesale realignment , possibly a north/south bisection – would be better than continuing to immiserate so many people around the continent.
” The emperor has no clothes : this refrain echoes through Johnson ’ s journalism , and distresses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yearns to attract and amuse the largest possible audience , and does so partly by demonstrating his determination to do things his own way .
Michael Binyon of The Times has recalled how in Brussels Johnson would invariably arrive late for the daily press conference at noon , a fixed point around which the journalists ’ day revolved .
Johnson would shamble in at about 12.10 looking as if he had just been pulled through a haystack , and a French journalist once asked Binyon : “ Qui est ce monstre ?
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Brussels , you have to put on a performance .
Johnson realised this , and by 1994 , when he left , everyone knew who he was .
The short clip of him meeting von der Leyen last Wednesday evening was somehow tremendously watchable .
Johnson as he took his mask off for the benefit of the cameras , then followed his host ’ s bidding and immediately put it back on again , communicated a subversive geniality , a sense of the ridiculous .
The message was that he had not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the man who made his name as a journalist by refusing to take the Brussels Establishment as seriously as it took itself .
Whatever the outcome of the present negotiations , Johnson will be determined to preserve his reputation as a man who does not bow to the Establishment , and does not hasten to conform to its timetable or its manners .
By keeping everyone in suspense , uncertain of the outcome , he has maintained the theatrical nature of the proceedings , with himself as the lead actor .
Solemn people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and now they find his politics irresponsible .
But that is part of the point .
Whether writing , speaking or negotiating , Johnson puts on a performance which the spectators enjoy all the more because it horrifies the guardians of convention .

If one wishes to understand Boris Johnson’s performance in the Brexit negotiations, it is worth studying his performance as a journalist.
Nobody, so far as I know, has yet done this. HIs critics have trawled his articles in search of proof that he is a racist and a liar, but were already determined to condemn him, so were in no condition to learn anything they did not already believe.
Johnson has been writing about the European Union since 1989, when Max Hastings, in a stroke of genius, sent him as The Daily Telegraph‘s correspondent to Brussels.
Soon Johnson’s office was adorned with herograms from Hastings, in recognition of the wonderfully readable and widely noticed copy supplied by his protégé.
While other correspondents still treated the EU with a degree of respect, Johnson set out to ridicule the Brussels bureaucracy, and to dramatise the mortal threat which the Commission’s expansionist zeal posed to the British way of life, symbolised by changes in the rules governing crisps and sausages.
His readers enjoyed these reports enormously, but some of his rival correspondents did not. They accused him of making things up.
He reported (as I noted in my biography of him, Boris: The Making of the Prime Minister) that the Berlaymont building was going to be blown up, in order to get rid of the asbestos with which it was infected. The editor of The European saw this story and wished to arrange for one of its readers to push the plunger on the detonator, but this proved impossible, for there was to be no detonation.
The Berlaymont is standing to this day, its asbestos-ridden cladding replaced by what looks like an entirely new building, in which Ursula von der Leyen last week entertained Johnson to dinner.
Stories like this continue to annoy The New York Times, and other journals which attach the highest importance to checking the facts.
They are not mollified, if anything are made still angrier, by the observation that Johnson approached Brussels in the manner of a dramatist, not a literalist, the urge to entertain taking precedence over mere facts.
When a brilliant caricaturist tells the truth by exaggerating somebody’s features, nobody objects, but the same latitude is not extended to reporters, even though the presentation of their work – the decision about which story to put on the front page, with a dramatic headline – can seldom be said to be free from hyperbole.
The row about Johnson’s cavalier attitude to facts obscured several other aspects of his work. One was that he was onto something: the Commission really was trying to expand its powers at the expense of the member states.
A second feature was his respect for the ruthlessness with which Jacques Delors, the President of the Commission, and his henchman, Pascal Lamy, were driving forward the process of European integration, which they believed to be in the French national interest, for it was a way of controlling Germany:
“With his virtually shaven head and parade-ground manner, Lamy runs the upper echelons of the Commission like a Saharan camp of the French Foreign Legion.”
British officials, with “their shy grins and corrugated-soled shoes”, were, Johnson lamented, “no match for the intellectual brutality of Lamy and his stooges”.
Another aspect of his coverage was harder to spot, for it was something he did not do. When objecting to the Commission’s plans, he did not generally protest that these were contrary to the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty.
Johnson is no disciple of Enoch Powell. In his voluminous journalism he pretty much ignores him.
In an interview which I conducted with Johnson for the Christmas 2012 issue of Weltwoche, published in Zurich, he admitted that he has always been seen by hard-line eurosceptics as “incorrigibly wet” on the issue of British membership of the EU.
He is not a dogmatist: something seen also in his attitude to the Union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Some of the greatest Telegraph journalists – one thinks of T.E.Utley, who died in 1988 – articulated an eloquent and principled Unionism.
No attempt was made by Johnson to follow in Utley’s footsteps, and last autumn he did a deal with Leo Varadkar, Prime Minister of the Irish Republic, which Unionists regarded with deep disquiet.
It would, however, be wrong to regard Johnson’s European journalism as inconsistent. His Telegraph colleague Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, who has known him since 1991 and served as the paper’s correspondent in Brussels from 1999-2004, was occasionally commissioned by Johnson, by now editor of The Spectator, to contribute pieces, and has recalled:
“At no time during those years did I ever detect any deviation from his core view that the EU was amassing unhealthy powers… “He shared my view entirely that the EU was creating an upper layer of executive government beyond accountability, with a Caesaropapist structure at odds with British democratic self-rule.”
During the long Greek agony over the euro, Johnson’s sympathies were overwhelmingly with the Greeks. Here he is, writing in The Telegraph in May 2012, defying the conventional wisdom that the answer to the eurozone’s problems is to go for fiscal union:
” it is frankly unbelievable that we should now be urging our neighbours to go for fiscal union. It is like seeing a driver heading full-tilt for a brick wall, and then telling them to hit the accelerator rather than the brake. “Europe now has the lowest growth of any region in the world. We have already wasted years in trying to control this sickness in the euro, and we are saving the cancer and killing the patient. We have blighted countless lives and lost countless jobs by kidding ourselves that the answer to the crisis might be ‘more Europe’. And all for what? To salvage the prestige of the European Project, and to spare the egos of those who were wrong and muddle-headed enough to campaign for the euro. “Surely it is now time to accept that the short-term pain of a managed euro rupture – a wholesale realignment, possibly a north/south bisection – would be better than continuing to immiserate so many people around the continent.”
The emperor has no clothes: this refrain echoes through Johnson’s journalism, and distresses Europe’s imperial class.
Johnson yearns to attract and amuse the largest possible audience, and does so partly by demonstrating his determination to do things his own way.
Michael Binyon of The Times has recalled how in Brussels Johnson would invariably arrive late for the daily press conference at noon, a fixed point around which the journalists’ day revolved.
Johnson would shamble in at about 12.10 looking as if he had just been pulled through a haystack, and a French journalist once asked Binyon: “Qui est ce monstre?”
If you want to make an impact in Brussels, you have to put on a performance. Johnson realised this, and by 1994, when he left, everyone knew who he was.
The short clip of him meeting von der Leyen last Wednesday evening was somehow tremendously watchable. Johnson as he took his mask off for the benefit of the cameras, then followed his host’s bidding and immediately put it back on again, communicated a subversive geniality, a sense of the ridiculous.
The message was that he had not gone native; that he was still the man who made his name as a journalist by refusing to take the Brussels Establishment as seriously as it took itself.
Whatever the outcome of the present negotiations, Johnson will be determined to preserve his reputation as a man who does not bow to the Establishment, and does not hasten to conform to its timetable or its manners.
By keeping everyone in suspense, uncertain of the outcome, he has maintained the theatrical nature of the proceedings, with himself as the lead actor.
Solemn people have often found his journalism irresponsible, and now they find his politics irresponsible. But that is part of the point. Whether writing, speaking or negotiating, Johnson puts on a performance which the spectators enjoy all the more because it horrifies the guardians of convention.


conservativehome--2020-12-16--Robert Halfon: Our national catchphrase this year is four simple words – “You are on mute”

Robert Halfon is MP for Harlow , a former Conservative Party Deputy Chairman , Chair of the Education Select Committee and President of Conservative Workers and Trade Unionists .
We three kings : From Tiger King to Burger King to Sausage King .
What a year 2020 has been .
So the end of 2020 is almost ( at last ! )
upon us .
A year in which some of us have taken up central casting from The Truman Show – being ogled , googled , zoomed , teamed and even on the odd occasion ‘ citrixed ’ .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ screens as if we were part of a giant sociological experiment .
Not quite a goldfish bowl , more like the giant London Sealife Aquarium – which , as it happens , is just a swim across the Thames from the Palace of Westminster .
Our United Kingdom catchphrase has become one of just four simple words : ‘ You are on Mute ’ .
Even after nine months of lockdown , semi-lockdown , tiers , semi-tiers ( or is that tiers one , two or three ? )
, we still can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ button ‘ on ’ when our daily Truman Show begins .
Not only content to be watched , we have been the watchers , too – binge-watching Netflix , Amazon Prime and not forgetting The Mandalorian on Disney Plus .
Lockdown started with Tiger King ( who is apparently now about to get a prison pardon from Donald Trump ) and ended with Brexit Series ( part 4072 ) with Michael Gove , describing his EU counterpart , Maroš Šefčovič , as “ the Sausage King ” because he had allowed sausages in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least that is what I think he was talking about ) .
This was all living proof that the Yes Minister episode about sausages was , of course , as real as a Panorama documentary , though this time it was the Brussels Eurocrat saving our sausages rather than the British Politician .
If it wasn ’ t sausages on the menu , Scotch eggs ( albeit with sausage meat ) , suddenly flipped into our national consciousness as each Cabinet Minister , expecting to be asked about weighty and worthy issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to set out Scotch egg public policy – or even pub policy .
The good news that this free commercial for Scotch eggs ( whoever masterminded this advertising deserves a Nobel prize ) , has resulted in Scotch eggs literally being sold out around the country .
In fact , news reports state that there has been a tenfold surge in demand for this culinary delight – all enjoyed , needless to say , as part of a substantial pint .
One company , Scotch and Co ( what else ) , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the past month alone .
All this eating of sausages and Scotch eggs , alongside our occasional intake of lockdown alcohol ( hic ) , meant that we all had to get fitter .
Despite Joe Wick ’ s best efforts , this was not easy .
Because , before Scotch eggs and sausages came along , our moral duty in August according to the Chancellor – was to Pig Out to Help Out .
After months of lockdown , the time came to use up the Treasury ’ s ‘ free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Burger King , Ronald Macdonald and Colonel Sanders .
By my count that makes it three Kings – Tiger King , Sausage King and Burger King : perfect for this time of year ( although not quite what the Bible imagined ) .
Yet surely , if Sir Tom Moore could walk one hundred lengths of his garden and raise millions for the NHS , then the rest of us could , at least , get up from the sofa to turn the radio off , rather than shouting at Alexa .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ across golf courses , as long as we obeyed strict Covid regulations and did not dare to touch , let alone swing a golf club .
But lockdown keep-fit clearly worked for some .
The brilliant Ministerial rising star , and newly lean Will Quince , proudly announced on Twitter recently that he had lost a good few stone in weight .
When I saw Quince ’ s Tweet one Saturday morning , I felt so fat-shamed that I immediately put away my giant tub of Haribo Cola bottles , ordered courtesy of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Our Cromwellian overlords have allowed us just a few magical days of fun .
We are even permitted to see some friends and family from three different households .
Exciting .
Hopefully , as we all get jabbed in the New Year , 2021 won ’ t be quite as mad as this one .
As we resume tiering , I await with anticipation and excitement You Tube ’ s next instalment of Joe Wicks ’ “ cure your Turkey and Guinness hangover ” , no doubt starting on our Truman Show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my last Conservative Home column of 2020 , may I wish all readers a most Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year .

Robert Halfon is MP for Harlow, a former Conservative Party Deputy Chairman, Chair of the Education Select Committee and President of Conservative Workers and Trade Unionists.
We three kings: From Tiger King to Burger King to Sausage King. What a year 2020 has been.
So the end of 2020 is almost (at last!) upon us. A year in which some of us have taken up central casting from The Truman Show – being ogled, googled, zoomed, teamed and even on the odd occasion ‘citrixed’. We have lived life via our computer screens as if we were part of a giant sociological experiment. Not quite a goldfish bowl, more like the giant London Sealife Aquarium – which, as it happens, is just a swim across the Thames from the Palace of Westminster.
Our United Kingdom catchphrase has become one of just four simple words: ‘You are on Mute’. Even after nine months of lockdown, semi-lockdown, tiers, semi-tiers (or is that tiers one, two or three?), we still can’t remember to switch our microphone button ‘on’ when our daily Truman Show begins.
Not only content to be watched, we have been the watchers, too – binge-watching Netflix, Amazon Prime and not forgetting The Mandalorian on Disney Plus. Lockdown started with Tiger King (who is apparently now about to get a prison pardon from Donald Trump) and ended with Brexit Series (part 4072) with Michael Gove, describing his EU counterpart, Maroš Šefčovič, as “the Sausage King” because he had allowed sausages in lorries to travel around Northern Ireland (at least that is what I think he was talking about). This was all living proof that the Yes Minister episode about sausages was, of course, as real as a Panorama documentary, though this time it was the Brussels Eurocrat saving our sausages rather than the British Politician.
If it wasn’t sausages on the menu, Scotch eggs (albeit with sausage meat), suddenly flipped into our national consciousness as each Cabinet Minister, expecting to be asked about weighty and worthy issues of the day, was instead told to set out Scotch egg public policy – or even pub policy. The good news that this free commercial for Scotch eggs (whoever masterminded this advertising deserves a Nobel prize), has resulted in Scotch eggs literally being sold out around the country. In fact, news reports state that there has been a tenfold surge in demand for this culinary delight – all enjoyed, needless to say, as part of a substantial pint. One company, Scotch and Co (what else), said sales had gone up by 25% in the past month alone.
All this eating of sausages and Scotch eggs, alongside our occasional intake of lockdown alcohol (hic), meant that we all had to get fitter. Despite Joe Wick’s best efforts, this was not easy. Because, before Scotch eggs and sausages came along, our moral duty in August according to the Chancellor – was to Pig Out to Help Out. After months of lockdown, the time came to use up the Treasury’s ‘free’ (£520 million taxpayer-funded) vouchers for Burger King, Ronald Macdonald and Colonel Sanders.
By my count that makes it three Kings – Tiger King, Sausage King and Burger King: perfect for this time of year (although not quite what the Bible imagined).
Yet surely, if Sir Tom Moore could walk one hundred lengths of his garden and raise millions for the NHS, then the rest of us could, at least, get up from the sofa to turn the radio off, rather than shouting at Alexa.
Granted, we were allowed to walk across golf courses, as long as we obeyed strict Covid regulations and did not dare to touch, let alone swing a golf club.
But lockdown keep-fit clearly worked for some. The brilliant Ministerial rising star, and newly lean Will Quince, proudly announced on Twitter recently that he had lost a good few stone in weight. When I saw Quince’s Tweet one Saturday morning, I felt so fat-shamed that I immediately put away my giant tub of Haribo Cola bottles, ordered courtesy of Amazon.
Soon it will be Christmas. Our Cromwellian overlords have allowed us just a few magical days of fun. We are even permitted to see some friends and family from three different households. Exciting.
Hopefully, as we all get jabbed in the New Year, 2021 won’t be quite as mad as this one. As we resume tiering, I await with anticipation and excitement You Tube’s next instalment of Joe Wicks’ “cure your Turkey and Guinness hangover”, no doubt starting on our Truman Show on 1st January.
As this is my last Conservative Home column of 2020, may I wish all readers a most Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.


conservativehome--2020-12-16--Faye Purbrick: Don’t split Somerset in half

Cllr Faye Purbrick is the Cabinet Member for Education and Transformation on Somerset County Council In 2009 , Conservatives ended 16 years of Lib Dem control on Somerset County Council and set about doing what good Conservative authorities do ; delivering efficient local public services and value for money .
Of course , there have been challenges along the way , but we ’ ve balanced the books and are now in an enviable position with decent reserves and a stronger financial position than probably any other county council , despite Covid-19 pressures .
And we want that to continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and be able to make sure that Somerset plays a leading role as we emerge from the effects of the pandemic , particularly in creating and attracting jobs and businesses with the long-term investment and infrastructure that we will need .
The events of the last year have illustrated that local government has a key role to play in supporting local communities .
But they have also shown the limitations of the current system with unnecessary boundaries , duplication and inefficiencies .
Let ’ s be very clear , this is not about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ county council and the four districts ( one Conservative and three Lib Dem ) are agreed on one thing ; that the current two-tier structure has run its path and is no longer fit for purpose .
The options therefore come down to a choice between one single council for Somerset , ‘ One Somerset ’ , supported by the county council , the majority of MPs , local businesses , the Police Crime Commissioner and a majority of the people of Somerset who favour an end to confusion , duplication , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frontline public services .
The alternative proposal , backed by the districts , would in effect see a Berlin Wall placed down the middle of the county splitting it into small , rival East/West unitaries whilst creating a separate “ Alternative Delivery Model ” for children ’ s services , a shared services company , and an elected mayor/combined authority sitting over the top .
It would therefore replace the existing five authorities , each with their own staff and separate cultures , with , five organisations , each with their own staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this create confusion , it would disrupt existing county services ( notably care for vulnerable adults and children ) whilst each east/west unitary would struggle to be able to exist , serving a population smaller than the figure government believes is a credible entity .
And that is before we start to look at the discrepancies in deprivation between East and West , twice as bad for those living in the West of the county – not just a split in our county but a blocker to aspiration and levelling-up .
A single @ @ @ @ @ @ @ areas that have adopted it in recent years including Dorset , Wiltshire , and Buckinghamshire .
It is favoured by partners in the police , probation , and health service who care little about local government boundaries .
It would allow Somerset to have a unified single voice , critical in attracting inward investment , and would join up local public services .
On every test , a single council delivers over the alternative five organisation approach ; greater and quicker savings that can be reinvested back into public services with lower costs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a boost to local democracy by creating a network of local community networks , working with local parish and town councils and at the heart of neighbourhoods and communities .
People identify with their local village or town and their county and want to see services delivered at those levels ; in fact , they just want to receive great quality and value , local services .
And that ’ s what the One Somerset proposal would give them .
We have submitted a business case to the Secretary of State to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ setting out a series of clear commitments to the people of Somerset over the coming months to ensure that One Somerset delivers on what they want : • No disruption to local services as we change , and a promise to keep residents fully informed .
• We will protect those front-line staff working with vulnerable people across the county .
• Council tax will not increase because of moving to a single unitary council .
• One telephone number and one website to access ALL council services .
• Improved services for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ education , training , jobs and transport .
• More local decision making by our town and parish councils and new local community networks .
• Closer relationships with partners including the NHS , police , education , and the voluntary sector to deliver better services .
• And finally , we will not split Somerset in half , divide communities , lose our proud identity , or weaken our standing on a local , regional and national level .
What we are offering is simple and based on good Conservative philosophy : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ value for money and reduced bureaucracy , no artificial boundaries – and certainly not splitting our great county in half as we look to rebuild our communities and country following Covid .
That ’ s what Conservatives stand for and that ’ s what we will deliver if we are given the opportunity to continue the journey that we started in 2009 .

Cllr Faye Purbrick is the Cabinet Member for Education and Transformation on Somerset County Council
In 2009, Conservatives ended 16 years of Lib Dem control on Somerset County Council and set about doing what good Conservative authorities do; delivering efficient local public services and value for money. Of course, there have been challenges along the way, but we’ve balanced the books and are now in an enviable position with decent reserves and a stronger financial position than probably any other county council, despite Covid-19 pressures.
And we want that to continue. We also want to go further and be able to make sure that Somerset plays a leading role as we emerge from the effects of the pandemic, particularly in creating and attracting jobs and businesses with the long-term investment and infrastructure that we will need. The events of the last year have illustrated that local government has a key role to play in supporting local communities. But they have also shown the limitations of the current system with unnecessary boundaries, duplication and inefficiencies.
Let’s be very clear, this is not about district vs county. Indeed, the county council and the four districts (one Conservative and three Lib Dem) are agreed on one thing; that the current two-tier structure has run its path and is no longer fit for purpose.
The options therefore come down to a choice between one single council for Somerset, ‘One Somerset’, supported by the county council, the majority of MPs, local businesses, the Police Crime Commissioner and a majority of the people of Somerset who favour an end to confusion, duplication, and the generation of savings to reinvest in frontline public services.
The alternative proposal, backed by the districts, would in effect see a Berlin Wall placed down the middle of the county splitting it into small, rival East/West unitaries whilst creating a separate “Alternative Delivery Model” for children’s services, a shared services company, and an elected mayor/combined authority sitting over the top. It would therefore replace the existing five authorities, each with their own staff and separate cultures, with, five organisations, each with their own staff and separate cultures. Not only would this create confusion, it would disrupt existing county services (notably care for vulnerable adults and children) whilst each east/west unitary would struggle to be able to exist, serving a population smaller than the figure government believes is a credible entity. And that is before we start to look at the discrepancies in deprivation between East and West, twice as bad for those living in the West of the county – not just a split in our county but a blocker to aspiration and levelling-up.
A single unitary model has worked well in those areas that have adopted it in recent years including Dorset, Wiltshire, and Buckinghamshire. It is favoured by partners in the police, probation, and health service who care little about local government boundaries. It would allow Somerset to have a unified single voice, critical in attracting inward investment, and would join up local public services.
On every test, a single council delivers over the alternative five organisation approach; greater and quicker savings that can be reinvested back into public services with lower costs of implementation.
It would also deliver a boost to local democracy by creating a network of local community networks, working with local parish and town councils and at the heart of neighbourhoods and communities. People identify with their local village or town and their county and want to see services delivered at those levels; in fact, they just want to receive great quality and value, local services. And that’s what the One Somerset proposal would give them.
We have submitted a business case to the Secretary of State to do exactly this, but we are also setting out a series of clear commitments to the people of Somerset over the coming months to ensure that One Somerset delivers on what they want:
No disruption to local services as we change, and a promise to keep residents fully informed. We will protect those front-line staff working with vulnerable people across the county. Council tax will not increase because of moving to a single unitary council. Physical, face-to-face council contact points across the county. One telephone number and one website to access ALL council services. Improved services for our vulnerable residents including housing, adults’ & children’s services. Improved services for our children and young people, including education, training, jobs and transport. More local decision making by our town and parish councils and new local community networks. Closer relationships with partners including the NHS, police, education, and the voluntary sector to deliver better services. And finally, we will not split Somerset in half, divide communities, lose our proud identity, or weaken our standing on a local, regional and national level.
What we are offering is simple and based on good Conservative philosophy: a blueprint for better services, better value for money and reduced bureaucracy, no artificial boundaries – and certainly not splitting our great county in half as we look to rebuild our communities and country following Covid. That’s what Conservatives stand for and that’s what we will deliver if we are given the opportunity to continue the journey that we started in 2009.


conservativehome--2020-12-16--WATCH: “Have yourselves a Merry Little Christmas. I’m afraid this year I do mean little” – Johnson.

'Have yourselves a merry little Christmas – and I do mean little . '
The PM gives a warning about @ @ @ @ @ also asking the public to `` think carefully '' about avoiding crowds in the Boxing @ @ @ @

'Have yourselves a merry little Christmas – and I do mean little.'
The PM gives a warning about the upcoming festive period while also asking the public to "think carefully" about avoiding crowds in the Boxing Day sales. pic.twitter.com/5n5pvf0csu
— ITV News (@itvnews) December 16, 2020