conservativehome--2020-11-19--Garvan Walshe: Gloomy Sturgeon projects competence. The Government doesn’t – and the Union may be th

Garvan Walshe: Gloomy Sturgeon projects competence. The Government doesn’t – and the Union may be the price it pays.

Garvan Walshe is a former National and International Security Policy Adviser to the Conservative Party .
He runs TRD Policy .
The Prime Minister ’ s reset has had immediate effects on Scotland .
Out with “ devolution is a disaster ” , in with a “ Union task force ” ( £ ) .
And in the Financial Times to boot , no longer boycotted by the No 10 media operation , but graced by a Prime Ministerial op-ed .
Details about the task force , which is to include English , Welsh and Scottish Tory MPs , are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Northern Irish MPs , it would be wise to add a Northern Irish peer , and David Trimble is an obvious candidate .
Its mission to make the emotional and cultural case for the Union is welcome .
Merely pointing to the fiscal benefits of Scottish membership of the Union is too easily spun as “ we pay for you , so shut up ” ( a problem that scuppered Arthur Balfour ’ s unsuccessful “ killing home rule with kindness ” in relation to Ireland at the turn of the century ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 100 years before the independence push has been a good deal better than the Irish ( it ’ s only a decade since the last Scottish Prime Minister ) , but that hasn ’ t stopped the SNP dominating Scottish politics as Charles Stewart Parnell and John Redmond dominated the Irish scene .
Unlike Redmond and Parnell , the SNP doesn ’ t hold the balance of power at Westminster , but it has , because of the devolution , a platform to show how it would govern an independent Scotland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who can point at failures in education , a self-inflicted wound over trans self-ID , the grubby mess involving Alex Salmond ’ s trial , and cruelty of anti-Covid measures applied to Scottish students , it ’ s a platform the SNP has made good use of .
It took maximum advantage of two events — Brexit and the Covid pandemic — to switch the balance of risk away from independence and convince Scots that leaving the Union had become the safer option .
Brexit moved public opinion to give independence a slight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lead into a solid advantage of around ten points .
The effect of Brexit will not be possible to address in the short term .
There ’ s simply a difference of belief between the Government , which was elected to get Brexit done , after all , and Scottish public opinion , which is strongly against it , but safety and predictability are things the Government should , in principle , be able to get a handle on .
Number 10 has come in for heavy criticism for its management of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may be in an absolute sense , feels distinctly unfair when compared to Scotland .
England ’ s record has not been particularly good , but then neither has that of France , Spain , Belgium , Sweden , the United States , or most pointedly Scotland .
All have had high death rates , found their test and trace systems overwhelmed , and struggled to gain acceptance for public health restrictions .
These serious problems are common to almost all Western countries .
An independent Scotland is just as likely to suffer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been able to do has been to communicate stability ( something that comes more naturally to Sturgeon than the bombastic Salmond ) .
Unlike the Government in London , which has veered between seriousness and hope , Sturgeon has been consistently sober and gloomy .
She has avoided overpromising on test and trace , and did not convert useful rapid antigen testing into a grossly over-the-top operation moonshot .
This has allowed her to be perceived as far more competent despite having the same Western Standard Average performance in managing the disease .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ lesson to be drawn from this .
Projecting competence does not require achieving excellence .
The public will react positively to a government that provides a realistic assessment of the difficulties faced .
They understand that governing a country isn ’ t like pitching for investment in a start up , and would prefer a tolerably realistic assessment of the difficulties ahead then to endure an emotional rollercoaster of hopes raised only to be dashed .
This is not to rule out inspiration as a part of political rhetoric , but it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ struggles , like the fight against climate change .
Scots go to the polls next May , and whether the SNP can get an overall majority at Holyrood will be a key test of their movement .
Douglas Ross has an uphill battle to stop them , but reset towards realism from the Government could just convince wavering Scots that it ’ s safe to stay in .

Garvan Walshe is a former National and International Security Policy Adviser to the Conservative Party. He runs TRD Policy.
The Prime Minister’s reset has had immediate effects on Scotland. Out with “devolution is a disaster”, in with a “Union task force” (£). And in the Financial Times to boot, no longer boycotted by the No 10 media operation, but graced by a Prime Ministerial op-ed.
Details about the task force, which is to include English, Welsh and Scottish Tory MPs, are scarce. As the party with no Northern Irish MPs, it would be wise to add a Northern Irish peer, and David Trimble is an obvious candidate. Its mission to make the emotional and cultural case for the Union is welcome. Merely pointing to the fiscal benefits of Scottish membership of the Union is too easily spun as “we pay for you, so shut up” (a problem that scuppered Arthur Balfour’s unsuccessful “killing home rule with kindness” in relation to Ireland at the turn of the century).
The Scottish experience in the Union in the 100 years before the independence push has been a good deal better than the Irish (it’s only a decade since the last Scottish Prime Minister), but that hasn’t stopped the SNP dominating Scottish politics as Charles Stewart Parnell and John Redmond dominated the Irish scene.
Unlike Redmond and Parnell, the SNP doesn’t hold the balance of power at Westminster, but it has, because of the devolution, a platform to show how it would govern an independent Scotland.
Though it might irk unionists, who can point at failures in education, a self-inflicted wound over trans self-ID, the grubby mess involving Alex Salmond’s trial, and cruelty of anti-Covid measures applied to Scottish students, it’s a platform the SNP has made good use of.
It took maximum advantage of two events — Brexit and the Covid pandemic — to switch the balance of risk away from independence and convince Scots that leaving the Union had become the safer option. Brexit moved public opinion to give independence a slight edge. Covid has turned that slender lead into a solid advantage of around ten points.
The effect of Brexit will not be possible to address in the short term. There’s simply a difference of belief between the Government, which was elected to get Brexit done, after all, and Scottish public opinion, which is strongly against it, but safety and predictability are things the Government should, in principle, be able to get a handle on.
Number 10 has come in for heavy criticism for its management of the pandemic, which, however true it may be in an absolute sense, feels distinctly unfair when compared to Scotland.
England’s record has not been particularly good, but then neither has that of France, Spain, Belgium, Sweden, the United States, or most pointedly Scotland. All have had high death rates, found their test and trace systems overwhelmed, and struggled to gain acceptance for public health restrictions. These serious problems are common to almost all Western countries. An independent Scotland is just as likely to suffer from them.
What the SNP has been able to do has been to communicate stability (something that comes more naturally to Sturgeon than the bombastic Salmond). Unlike the Government in London, which has veered between seriousness and hope, Sturgeon has been consistently sober and gloomy. She has avoided overpromising on test and trace, and did not convert useful rapid antigen testing into a grossly over-the-top operation moonshot. This has allowed her to be perceived as far more competent despite having the same Western Standard Average performance in managing the disease.
There is, however, a useful lesson to be drawn from this. Projecting competence does not require achieving excellence. The public will react positively to a government that provides a realistic assessment of the difficulties faced. They understand that governing a country isn’t like pitching for investment in a start up, and would prefer a tolerably realistic assessment of the difficulties ahead then to endure an emotional rollercoaster of hopes raised only to be dashed.
This is not to rule out inspiration as a part of political rhetoric, but it is best for mobilising support for very long-term struggles, like the fight against climate change.
Scots go to the polls next May, and whether the SNP can get an overall majority at Holyrood will be a key test of their movement. Douglas Ross has an uphill battle to stop them, but reset towards realism from the Government could just convince wavering Scots that it’s safe to stay in.


conservativehome--2020-11-19--Selina Seesunkur: Conservatives need to show more enthusiasm for online campaigning

Cllr Selina Seesunkur represents Larkswood Ward on Waltham Forest Council and is a Conservative list candidate for the London Assembly .
I have been a Conservative all my politically conscience life .
Both my parents are Conservatives and yet I got into this political arena quite late ; or should I say , had an activist knocked on my door sooner , I would have joined the Party sooner .
But no-one did and , quite frankly , growing up in a traditional household where your parents hound you to become a Lawyer , Doctor , or Accountant , joining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or Councillor was never discussed .
I was elected as a local councillor in 2018 and have not looked back .
My story above , shows how important door knocking can be .
It allows us to find and adopt new members , making our Conservative family bigger .
The number of people I have been door knocking with who forget about membership astounds me .
Door knocking allows us to ascertain issues within a community as well as providing us with the opportunity to tell residents about the things we have done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allows us to connect with people on a truly personal level .
So what now ?
Has Covid taken our ability to campaign away from us ?
Of course not .
Being part of the Conservative Women ’ s Organisation ( CWO ) has introduced me to a whole of host of zoom meetings which have replaced meetings and traditional development sessions ; I even got to run my own sessions .
I realised through speaking to women in my capacity as the CWO Lea Valley Area Chairman , there was a gap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an understanding of the way in which the Party operated .
I designed and delivered “ The Voluntary Party , Associations and Me ” which was attended by over 100 CWO members .
Marjorie Baylis , Anne Steward , and the CWO Chairman , Fleur Butler , were on the panel and attendees gave really positive feedback .
We ran the course again at Party Conference .
Taking your time to upskill or refresh yourself is always a good thing as it is an investment in yourself , whether you are looking to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or MP .
The CWO offer so many classes that they have been able to build their membership as their events are members only .
As someone on the London Assembly list , Connect Calling sessions have been a fab way to connect with my London Assembly candidate colleagues on Zoom before engaging in a session of ringing around .
If you were ever down about being stuck at home , or not able to see all your family at the same time , under one roof , make a few phone calls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bailey , our London Mayoral Candidate , will tickle you pink .
As a teenage girl , I was on the phone a lot , typical , yes I know , but my mum would go ape , she gave me phone phobia for years , so if I can pick up the phone , so can you .
Ok , so you are a pro and you are savvy with Zoom and you are making phone calls , what else ?
I have What ’ s App fatigue , so I created @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Facebook to keep everyone connected .
It is in its early phase but in the absence of London Council meetings it ’ s shaping up to be a good forum for sharing best practice .
I felt it important as the CCA Rep for London to do something that brought councillors together at this difficult time .
Yes there are so many Facebook groups out there , so I believe it is now best to be selective ; this group is open to Conservative Councillors and Assembly Members only .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ runs itself now , was created at the beginning of lockdown , and it remains a non-political group .
I noticed everyone was talking about getting meals to the vulnerable , but very few were dealing with the mental health risks associated with lockdown , so I started a Self-Isolation Help Group ( now called the Friendship Network ) .
I knew this could be an unmanageable task so I asked a team of Conservative Activists to help me administer the page .
The page started out as an advice page but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as people joined it , jokes , cool things to do at home , exercise , fun things for children , a couple of members used it as a platform to share their Covid art and more .
It was a little hairy at the start but with the help of David , Andrea , Mara , and Rathi , it ’ s the only group ( that I am aware of ) , where people from all political persuasions co-exist and we can share a post from the Prime Minister , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr Luke Evans and Alicia Kearns and no-one gets sworn at .
We have had such great feedback , but this group member ( Phil ) says it all “ It ’ s the most positive group on Facebook ” .
The group has plateaued since the lockdown eased but it is still very much there , and people join us regularly .
I have not used the group as a campaign group , but the thing about politics : it ’ s about making connections and you never know where new connections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to you is “ think outside of the box ” .

Cllr Selina Seesunkur represents Larkswood Ward on Waltham Forest Council and is a Conservative list candidate for the London Assembly.
I have been a Conservative all my politically conscience life. Both my parents are Conservatives and yet I got into this political arena quite late; or should I say, had an activist knocked on my door sooner, I would have joined the Party sooner. But no-one did and, quite frankly, growing up in a traditional household where your parents hound you to become a Lawyer, Doctor, or Accountant, joining a Political Party or becoming an MP or Councillor was never discussed.
I was elected as a local councillor in 2018 and have not looked back. My story above, shows how important door knocking can be. It allows us to find and adopt new members, making our Conservative family bigger. The number of people I have been door knocking with who forget about membership astounds me. Door knocking allows us to ascertain issues within a community as well as providing us with the opportunity to tell residents about the things we have done locally, but above all, it allows us to connect with people on a truly personal level.
So what now? Has Covid taken our ability to campaign away from us? Of course not.
Being part of the Conservative Women’s Organisation (CWO) has introduced me to a whole of host of zoom meetings which have replaced meetings and traditional development sessions; I even got to run my own sessions. I realised through speaking to women in my capacity as the CWO Lea Valley Area Chairman, there was a gap between people wanting to get selected and an understanding of the way in which the Party operated. I designed and delivered “The Voluntary Party, Associations and Me” which was attended by over 100 CWO members. Marjorie Baylis, Anne Steward, and the CWO Chairman, Fleur Butler, were on the panel and attendees gave really positive feedback. We ran the course again at Party Conference.
Taking your time to upskill or refresh yourself is always a good thing as it is an investment in yourself, whether you are looking to become an Association Chairman, councillor, or MP. The CWO offer so many classes that they have been able to build their membership as their events are members only.
As someone on the London Assembly list, Connect Calling sessions have been a fab way to connect with my London Assembly candidate colleagues on Zoom before engaging in a session of ringing around. If you were ever down about being stuck at home, or not able to see all your family at the same time, under one roof, make a few phone calls, the positive vibes associated with Shaun Bailey, our London Mayoral Candidate, will tickle you pink. As a teenage girl, I was on the phone a lot, typical, yes I know, but my mum would go ape, she gave me phone phobia for years, so if I can pick up the phone, so can you.
Ok, so you are a pro and you are savvy with Zoom and you are making phone calls, what else? I have What’s App fatigue, so I created a private group for London local councillors on Facebook to keep everyone connected. It is in its early phase but in the absence of London Council meetings it’s shaping up to be a good forum for sharing best practice. I felt it important as the CCA Rep for London to do something that brought councillors together at this difficult time. Yes there are so many Facebook groups out there, so I believe it is now best to be selective; this group is open to Conservative Councillors and Assembly Members only.
But the most active group I created, which runs itself now, started at the beginning of lockdown, and it remains a non-political group. I noticed everyone was talking about getting meals to the vulnerable, but very few were dealing with the mental health risks associated with lockdown, so I started a Self-Isolation Help Group (now called the Friendship Network). I knew this could be an unmanageable task so I asked a team of Conservative Activists to help me administer the page. The page started out as an advice page but it took on a life of its own as people joined it, jokes, cool things to do at home, exercise, fun things for children, a couple of members used it as a platform to share their Covid art and more.
It was a little hairy at the start but with the help of David, Andrea, Mara, and Rathi, it’s the only group (that I am aware of), where people from all political persuasions co-exist and we can share a post from the Prime Minister, the Party, and from MPs, like Dr Luke Evans and Alicia Kearns and no-one gets sworn at. We have had such great feedback, but this group member (Phil) says it all “It’s the most positive group on Facebook”. The group has plateaued since the lockdown eased but it is still very much there, and people join us regularly. I have not used the group as a campaign group, but the thing about politics: it’s about making connections and you never know where new connections may take you. So my advice to you is “think outside of the box”.


conservativehome--2020-11-20--Calling Conservatives: New public appointments announced. Further Education Adviser – 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 .
“ As the independent regulator of public appointments made by ministers in the UK and Welsh governments , the Commissioner ’ s statutory functions are set out in the Public Appointments Order in Council 2019 .
The Order in Council also sets out those bodies and posts that are within the Commissioner ’ s regulatory remit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to provide independent assurance that public appointments are made in accordance with the Governance Code for Public Appointments , including the Principles of Public Appointments .
The new Commissioner will need to work closely with a number of stakeholders including ( but not limited to ) UK and Welsh Government Ministers , Chairs of public bodies , senior officials/accounting officers in departments and officials in the Cabinet Office ’ s Public Appointments Policy team.
” “ The Prime Minister ’ s Council for Science and Technology ( CST ) is the Government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and technology issues .
It reports directly to the Prime Minister on matters of science and technology that cut across the responsibilities of government departments .
It is co-chaired by the Government Chief Scientific Adviser and an independent appointee .
The SARS-CoV-2 ( Covid-19 ) pandemic has highlighted the importance of science and technology in facing a challenge of such epic proportions , and in building a robust , sustainable , and equitable recovery plan for the UK , post Covid .
The Government is seeking to appoint a new Independent Co-Chair for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Government will appoint an Independent Co-Chair who will share responsibility for chairing the Council with the Government Chief Scientific Adviser ( GCSA ) .
” “ The Insolvency Service is an Executive Agency of the Department for Business , Energy and Industrial Strategy , responsible for helping to deliver economic confidence by supporting those in financial distress , tackling financial wrongdoing and maximising returns to creditors .
It employs around 1,700 staff operating from 22 locations across Great Britain .
We are seeking to appoint a new Chair of the Insolvency Service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ takes forward its programme of transformation , delivers key Government commitments , and continues its record of strong performance against the backdrop of an uncertain economy following the Covid-19 pandemic… Headed by the non-executive Chair , the Board currently comprises a mix of Executive and Non-Executive Directors .
The Board is collectively responsible for the oversight of the operation of the Insolvency Service , with particular emphasis on its strategic direction , management controls , and corporate governance.
” “ The Chair will provide strong and effective leadership of the Commission in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of CHM has to lead an expert science advisory committee whose principal tasks are to advise the Licensing Authority ( the UK Health Ministers ) and its executive arm , the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency ( MHRA ) , on matters relating to human medicinal products including the licensing of medicines that are safe , efficacious and of good quality .
The Chair needs to be able to synthesize complex information and present it authoritatively to ministers as required .
They have to be able to master a very wide range @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of which would be out of any one practitioner ’ s area of expertise , and chair to consensus a commission which comprises a range of eminent medical experts and some lay members.
” Remuneration : Up to £500 per meeting “ We are seeking to appoint a new Chair of the Royal Mint Advisory Committee , who will play a central role in the committee ’ s task of recommending designs for United Kingdom coins , official medals , seals and decorations .
The new chair will be responsible for leading numismatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closely with Government departments , the Royal Household and the Royal Mint .
This role will involve leading all aspects of new and innovative ways of commemorating events , individuals and symbology of national significance in numismatic form .
The chair of the RMAC will lead and guide meetings of the committee , reaching consensus on various design proposals and ultimately advise HM Treasury , other government departments and the Crown on artistic excellence in design .
The RMAC chair is responsible for leading the committee in an ethical manner , acting impartially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delivery.. ” 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 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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.
” “ The Steering Board ’ s role is to : advise on external drivers , strategic direction and development of targets , within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s objectives , BEIS and wider Government objectives ; bring an external perspective to provide a strategic challenge on the business and corporate plans and review and endorse the annual report and accounts for submission by the Accounting Officer ; advise on and provide independent assessment of performance , including process of setting of targets and performance against them ; advise on major business developments which imply a significant change in the Agency ’ s role or activities and on its exposure to and management of risk ; and to advocate and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ awareness of the work of the UK Space Agency with stakeholders and partners.
” “ As an FE Adviser , you will work as part of a team with the FE Commissioner , Deputy FE Commissioners and other Advisers .
FE Advisers are generally either finance or curriculum and quality specialists and we are looking for candidates from both backgrounds to help grow our team .
In this exciting and demanding role you will support colleges through carrying out Diagnostic Assessments , designed to help them to improve the quality of education for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the quality of leadership and reduce the risk of interventions… You will work as an integrated part of the Department for Education ( DfE ) ’ s overall approach to intervention , within the context of the ESFA case management approach .
As such you will work closely with teams within ESFA , as well as the wider DfE and Ofsted.
” Time : Up to 200 days per annum .
“ The Panel Chair will provide strategic direction and oversight for the Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales .
Developing and maintaining a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of the Welsh agricultural sector is a crucial part of the Chair ’ s role .
The Panel Chair need not be an expert in the field of agriculture , he or she must have senior level experience in the private , public or voluntary sector .
The Panel Chair will have the following strategic leadership responsibilities : lead the formulation of the Panel ’ s strategy and business plans , monitoring in-year performance and examining change proposals with rigour to maintain delivery ; ensure issues are brought forward in a timely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Panel ’ s decisions are informed and fair , taking proper account of guidance provided by the Welsh Ministers and Welsh Government officials… ” “ 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 .

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.
– – – – – – – – – –
Commissioner for Public Appointments
“As the independent regulator of public appointments made by ministers in the UK and Welsh governments, the Commissioner’s statutory functions are set out in the Public Appointments Order in Council 2019. The Order in Council also sets out those bodies and posts that are within the Commissioner’s regulatory remit. The Commissioner’s primary role is to provide independent assurance that public appointments are made in accordance with the Governance Code for Public Appointments, including the Principles of Public Appointments. The new Commissioner will need to work closely with a number of stakeholders including (but not limited to) UK and Welsh Government Ministers, Chairs of public bodies, senior officials/accounting officers in departments and officials in the Cabinet Office’s Public Appointments Policy team.”
Time: 2 days per week on average.
Remuneration: £56,000 per annum.
Closes: 22 November
– – – – – – – – – –
Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology – Co-Chair
“The Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology (CST) is the Government’s top-level advisory body on science and technology issues. It reports directly to the Prime Minister on matters of science and technology that cut across the responsibilities of government departments. It is co-chaired by the Government Chief Scientific Adviser and an independent appointee. The SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) pandemic has highlighted the importance of science and technology in facing a challenge of such epic proportions, and in building a robust, sustainable, and equitable recovery plan for the UK, post Covid. The Government is seeking to appoint a new Independent Co-Chair for the Council for Science and Technology. The Government will appoint an Independent Co-Chair who will share responsibility for chairing the Council with the Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA).”
Time: 2-3 days per month.
Remuneration: None.
Closes: 22 November
– – – – – – – – – –
Insolvency Service – Chair
“The Insolvency Service is an Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, responsible for helping to deliver economic confidence by supporting those in financial distress, tackling financial wrongdoing and maximising returns to creditors. It employs around 1,700 staff operating from 22 locations across Great Britain. We are seeking to appoint a new Chair of the Insolvency Service Board to lead the organisation as it takes forward its programme of transformation, delivers key Government commitments, and continues its record of strong performance against the backdrop of an uncertain economy following the Covid-19 pandemic… Headed by the non-executive Chair, the Board currently comprises a mix of Executive and Non-Executive Directors. The Board is collectively responsible for the oversight of the operation of the Insolvency Service, with particular emphasis on its strategic direction, management controls, and corporate governance.”
Time: 20 days per annum.
Remuneration: £18,000.
Closes: 22 November
– – – – – – – – – –
Commission on Human Medicines – Chair
“The Chair will provide strong and effective leadership of the Commission in the fulfilment of its remit. The Chair of CHM has to lead an expert science advisory committee whose principal tasks are to advise the Licensing Authority (the UK Health Ministers) and its executive arm, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), on matters relating to human medicinal products including the licensing of medicines that are safe, efficacious and of good quality. The Chair needs to be able to synthesize complex information and present it authoritatively to ministers as required. They have to be able to master a very wide range of medical and pharmacological issues, many of which would be out of any one practitioner’s area of expertise, and chair to consensus a commission which comprises a range of eminent medical experts and some lay members.”
Time: Approx. 33 days per annum.
Remuneration: Up to £500 per meeting
Closes: 23 November
– – – – – – – – – –
Royal Mint Advisory Committee – Chair
“We are seeking to appoint a new Chair of the Royal Mint Advisory Committee, who will play a central role in the committee’s task of recommending designs for United Kingdom coins, official medals, seals and decorations. The new chair will be responsible for leading numismatic design in the United Kingdom, collaborating closely with Government departments, the Royal Household and the Royal Mint. This role will involve leading all aspects of new and innovative ways of commemorating events, individuals and symbology of national significance in numismatic form. The chair of the RMAC will lead and guide meetings of the committee, reaching consensus on various design proposals and ultimately advise HM Treasury, other government departments and the Crown on artistic excellence in design. The RMAC chair is responsible for leading the committee in an ethical manner, acting impartially, ensuring effective governance and excellence in delivery..”
Time: Six meetings per annum.
Remuneration: None.
Closes: 27 November
– – – – – – – – – –
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: 29 November
– – – – – – – – – –
UK Space Agency – Non-Executive Members/Audit Chair
“The Steering Board’s role is to: advise on external drivers, strategic direction and development of targets, within the framework of the UK Space Agency’s objectives, BEIS and wider Government objectives; bring an external perspective to provide a strategic challenge on the business and corporate plans and review and endorse the annual report and accounts for submission by the Accounting Officer; advise on and provide independent assessment of performance, including process of setting of targets and performance against them; advise on major business developments which imply a significant change in the Agency’s role or activities and on its exposure to and management of risk; and to advocate and advise in relation to the promotion and awareness of the work of the UK Space Agency with stakeholders and partners.”
Time: 20/22 days per annum.
Remuneration: £8,000/10,000 per annum honorarium.
Closes: 29 November
– – – – – – – – – –
Further Education Commissioner’s Team – Adviser
“As an FE Adviser, you will work as part of a team with the FE Commissioner, Deputy FE Commissioners and other Advisers. FE Advisers are generally either finance or curriculum and quality specialists and we are looking for candidates from both backgrounds to help grow our team. In this exciting and demanding role you will support colleges through carrying out Diagnostic Assessments, designed to help them to improve the quality of education for learners, strengthen financial resilience, improve the quality of leadership and reduce the risk of interventions… You will work as an integrated part of the Department for Education (DfE)’s overall approach to intervention, within the context of the ESFA case management approach. As such you will work closely with teams within ESFA, as well as the wider DfE and Ofsted.”
Time: Up to 200 days per annum.
Remuneration: £600 per diem.
Closes: 02 December
– – – – – – – – – –
Agricultural Advisory Panel (Wales) – Chair
“The Panel Chair will provide strategic direction and oversight for the Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales. Developing and maintaining a close relationship with the Minister and key members of the Welsh agricultural sector is a crucial part of the Chair’s role. The Panel Chair need not be an expert in the field of agriculture, he or she must have senior level experience in the private, public or voluntary sector. The Panel Chair will have the following strategic leadership responsibilities: lead the formulation of the Panel’s strategy and business plans, monitoring in-year performance and examining change proposals with rigour to maintain delivery; ensure issues are brought forward in a timely manner for effective resolution; ensure that the Panel’s decisions are informed and fair, taking proper account of guidance provided by the Welsh Ministers and Welsh Government officials…”
Time: Minimum 12 days per annum.
Remuneration: £300 per diem plus reasonable expenses.
Closes: 04 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: 08 December


conservativehome--2020-11-20--The Coronavirus – and the mysterious affair of the Treasury’s economic analysis

It could be that the expected deployment of Coronavirus vaccines next year will weaken the opposition of Conservative MPs to further lockdowns .
For without them , Government policy is set to swing between winter shutdowns and summer loosenings – at least , until test and trace works much better than it does now , or herd immunity is reached ( if that is possible ) , or the potency of the virus lessens .
So the prospect of their use is widely seen , rightly or wrongly , as light at the end of the tunnel .
One might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ willing to sit out a few more months of lockdowns , or at least a tougher tier system , confident in the expectation that those viruses will soon be at work .
We have to say that if there is a swing in backbench sentiment back towards further tight restrictions , at least for a while , there ’ s no sign of it that we can detect , at least yet – as Charlotte Gill reported on this site recently .
One senior lockdown opponent set out the reasoning of many of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear yet what vaccines will be available when , he said .
Nor is it evident how long they will give immunity for .
Or if they will work for people of all ages .
But above all , it ’ s a question of timing : “ shutdowns for a few more weeks are a different matter from shutdowns for few more months , ” ConHome told .
“ You can do a lot of damage to the economy in a few months.
” So the stage is set for more Parliamentary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would like , Ministers propose that this lockdown be succeeded by revised and more restrictive tiers .
Or if a Christmas relaxation for a few days is followed by a New Year clampdown of more , and so on .
In particular , backbench critics of lockdown appear to have settled on demanding a cost-benefit analysis of the effects of restrictions on lives and livelihoods – including other healthcare outcomes as well as economic outcomes .
Readers will remember that this site has been pushing for such an analysis for some time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ consider the effects of Coronavirus itself ( for example : the effects of voluntary social distancing , unmandated by government , on economic growth ) .
Which takes us to Mel Stride , the Chair of the Treasury Select Committee , interviewed recently on this site – who pointed out in the Commons last month that SAGE itself has said that “ policy makers will need to consider analysis of economic impacts and the associated harms alongside this epidemiological assessment ” .
That ’ s a quote from a set of its minutes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ underway under the auspices of the Chief Economist ” – Clare Lombardelli .
The committee has rightly been asking to know how this work is going , and what conclusions it has reached .
The Treasury response is that it doesn ’ t undertake predictions or forecasts .
This is to answer a question that the committee isn ’ t asking .
It doesn ’ t want to know if there ’ s a forecast .
It wants to know if there ’ s analysis .
To which end , have a look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a recent oral evidence session of the committee , in which one of the witnesses was…Lombardelli .
By our count , Stride presses her no fewer than 15 times in seeking to find out : where is this analysis “ of economic impacts and the associated harms ” ?
The Chief Economist ’ s stock response is to repeat the Chancellor ’ s : that it doesn ’ t undertake predictions or forecasts .
It is undistilled Yes Minister .
Stride comes back each time , in essence , to press the question @ @ @ @ @ @ @ briefly Leader of the House under Theresa May , is scarcely a backbench recalcitrant or natural rebel .
But he ’ s clearly determined to do his job properly .
Make of the video what you will , but our reading of it is that Lombardelli has been briefed to the gunwhales ( not that she will necessarily have needed to be ) under no circumstances to say plainly that such analysis exists .
By the end of her evidence , Stride had wrung the following form of words out of the Chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the virus and the restrictions on the economy is under way .
Work that is looking at predictions or forecasts of the impact of specific restrictions does not exist , as the Chancellor said last week.
” The committee has again called for the analysis to be published .
There will be resistance in the Treasury to sharing its thinking widely , and also to publishing what would undoubtedly be work that contains to bad economic news .
But there is clearly a wider consideration in which Downing Street will presumably have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Government really , really doesn ’ t want to hand those backbench lockdown opponents ammunition to fire back at it .

It could be that the expected deployment of Coronavirus vaccines next year will weaken the opposition of Conservative MPs to further lockdowns.
For without them, Government policy is set to swing between winter shutdowns and summer loosenings – at least, until test and trace works much better than it does now, or herd immunity is reached (if that is possible), or the potency of the virus lessens.
So the prospect of their use is widely seen, rightly or wrongly, as light at the end of the tunnel. One might have thought that Tory MPs would be willing to sit out a few more months of lockdowns, or at least a tougher tier system, confident in the expectation that those viruses will soon be at work.
We have to say that if there is a swing in backbench sentiment back towards further tight restrictions, at least for a while, there’s no sign of it that we can detect, at least yet – as Charlotte Gill reported on this site recently.
One senior lockdown opponent set out the reasoning of many of his colleagues. It isn’t clear yet what vaccines will be available when, he said. Nor is it evident how long they will give immunity for. Or if they will work for people of all ages. But above all, it’s a question of timing: “shutdowns for a few more weeks are a different matter from shutdowns for few more months,” ConHome told. “You can do a lot of damage to the economy in a few months.”
So the stage is set for more Parliamentary turbulence if, as some health professionals would like, Ministers propose that this lockdown be succeeded by revised and more restrictive tiers. Or if a Christmas relaxation for a few days is followed by a New Year clampdown of more, and so on. In particular, backbench critics of lockdown appear to have settled on demanding a cost-benefit analysis of the effects of restrictions on lives and livelihoods – including other healthcare outcomes as well as economic outcomes.
Readers will remember that this site has been pushing for such an analysis for some time, though it would inevitably also have to consider the effects of Coronavirus itself (for example: the effects of voluntary social distancing, unmandated by government, on economic growth).
Which takes us to Mel Stride, the Chair of the Treasury Select Committee, interviewed recently on this site – who pointed out in the Commons last month that SAGE itself has said that “policy makers will need to consider analysis of economic impacts and the associated harms alongside this epidemiological assessment”.
That’s a quote from a set of its minutes, which continued “this work is underway under the auspices of the Chief Economist” – Clare Lombardelli.
The committee has rightly been asking to know how this work is going, and what conclusions it has reached. The Treasury response is that it doesn’t undertake predictions or forecasts.
This is to answer a question that the committee isn’t asking. It doesn’t want to know if there’s a forecast. It wants to know if there’s analysis. To which end, have a look at this transcript and this video of a recent oral evidence session of the committee, in which one of the witnesses was…Lombardelli.
By our count, Stride presses her no fewer than 15 times in seeking to find out: where is this analysis “of economic impacts and the associated harms”? The Chief Economist’s stock response is to repeat the Chancellor’s: that it doesn’t undertake predictions or forecasts. It is undistilled Yes Minister. Stride comes back each time, in essence, to press the question on her.
Stride, who was briefly Leader of the House under Theresa May, is scarcely a backbench recalcitrant or natural rebel. But he’s clearly determined to do his job properly. Make of the video what you will, but our reading of it is that Lombardelli has been briefed to the gunwhales (not that she will necessarily have needed to be) under no circumstances to say plainly that such analysis exists.
By the end of her evidence, Stride had wrung the following form of words out of the Chief Economist. “Work considering the impact of the virus and the restrictions on the economy is under way. Work that is looking at predictions or forecasts of the impact of specific restrictions does not exist, as the Chancellor said last week.” The committee has again called for the analysis to be published.
There will be resistance in the Treasury to sharing its thinking widely, and also to publishing what would undoubtedly be work that contains to bad economic news. But there is clearly a wider consideration in which Downing Street will presumably have been active – namely, that the Government really, really doesn’t want to hand those backbench lockdown opponents ammunition to fire back at it.


conservativehome--2020-11-20--Iain Dale: “The sun is incomparably more powerful than any work of man.” When Johnson’s guru on glob

Iain Dale: “The sun is incomparably more powerful than any work of man.” When Johnson’s guru on global warming was Corbyn’s brother.

Iain Dale presents the evening show on LBC Radio and the For the Many podcast with Jacqui Smith .
So he ’ s gone .
The departure of Dominic Cummings from Number Ten eclipsed the concurrent departure of Lee Cain , and understandably so .
But it is the latter ’ s exit which is already being noticed in broadcast studios up and down the country .
Downing Street ’ s former Director departed a week ago today , and by last Monday Matt Hancock was appearing on Good Morning Britain .
The boycott had ended .
However , rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Morgan did what Piers Morgan does , and gave Hancock a bit of a mauling .
There ’ s little doubt that the new regime headed by James Slack and Allegra Stratton is striking a very different tune .
The tone is one of cooperation and helpfulness .
And believe me , it ’ s a refreshing change .
The point that the Cain/Cummings regime failed to understand is that if Ministers aren ’ t put up to explain government policy , no one else will do it for them .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Slack/Stratton regime gets that .
The early signs are good .
It ’ s almost as though Boris Johnson has got religion .
His zealous promotion of green policies have drawn widespread admiration from those involved in the environmental and climate change movements .
And he ’ s done it without unsettling those on the Tory right who view the green lobby as the enemy .
His ten point plan contained some genuinely interesting proposals , albeit not fleshed out with a huge a amount of detail .
I had to laugh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Today Programme took Alok Sharma to task for “ only ” providing an extra £4 billion of money to fund the ten point plan .
It ’ s got to a pretty pass when £4 billion is considered a trifling sum .
It wasn ’ t that long ago that £4 billion amounted to the entirety of the annual public sector borrowing requirement .
Those were the days… The Prime Minister ’ s green credentials appear to have been burnished in recent times , and of course I ’ m scratching my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been whispering his ear… Well , she has done a very good job , because it wasn ’ t so long ago that Johnson wrote a paean of praise to Piers Corbyn ’ s theory – yes , that ’ s Piers Corbyn , brother of you-know-who – that it is the sun ’ s activity rather than man ’ s which shapes our weather .
Here is an extract from a Johnson Daily Telegraph column in 2010 : “ The question is whether anthropogenic global warming is the exclusive or dominant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether Corbyn is also right to insist on the role of the sun .
Is it possible that everything we do is dwarfed by the moods of the star that gives life to the world ?
The sun is incomparably vaster and more powerful than any work of man .
We are forged from a few clods of solar dust .
The sun powers every plant and form of life , and one day the sun will turn into a red giant and engulf us all .
Then it will burn out .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Five years later , in December 2015 , he was at it again in the Telegraph .
Concerned about an unseasonably warm winter , who did our future Prime Minister turn to again for some meteorological input ?
Why yes , it was Piers Corbyn who was on Speed Dial One in the London Mayor ’ s office .
The Jezzabrother reassured Johnson that the warm spell was “ nothing to do with the conventional doctrine of climate change ” .
Johnson himself rejected any idea that recent changes in our weather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warming .
I wonder if he holds that same belief five Decembers later ?
I ’ d love to ask him myself , but even despite the departure of Messers Cummings and Cain , I suspect I ’ m still on the naughty step .
This week , I have been crippled by back pain .
Anyone who has ever experienced it knows who awful it can be , yet those who haven ’ t can rarely resist the temptation to snigger .
I ’ ve never understood why .
It culminated last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barely put one foot in front of the other .
Each night , after my radio show , I walk from Leicester Square to Charing Cross Station to catch the 10.10pm train .
The walk normally takes me some four to five minutes .
I knew as soon as I embarked on the short trip , that I would miss my train .
My strides became tiptoe steps of about six inches each .
I shuffled along like a decrepit 90 year old .
Halfway there , I was accosted by someone who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was almost in tears of pain by that point .
Eventually , I made it onto a train 20 minutes later .
I sat down and realised the configuration of the seats would make the pain even worse .
So I moved to a first class seat which had more support .
I phoned my partner to ask him to come to collect me from the station as I knew I couldn ’ t walk to get my car in the station car park .
Never have I felt so pathetic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ genuinely wondered if I would be able to get off the seat and get off the train .
I managed it just in time .
It took me five minutes to manoeuvre myself into the front seat of John ’ s SUV .
I could barely string two words together I was in so much pain .
I even wondered whether he should drop me off at the local A & E .
When we got home I then had to contemplate climbing the stairs of our house backwards .
I went straight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even lie down to sleep .
I took my shirt off , and then the awful truth dawned on me .
I couldn ’ t bend down to take off my shoes of my trousers .
I had to call John .
It was at that moment that it all came out .
I just started crying – not just because of the constant physical pain I was enduring , but because I realised I had turned into my mother .
For the last 30 years of her life she was in constant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( she had five hip replacements ) , knee problems , osteoporosis and back issues .
But you always have to find humour in these situations .
As John was pulling off my trousers I muttered : “ I thought you ’ d be doing this in 20 years time , not now .
But at least I ’ m not dribbling… ” If looks could kill .

Iain Dale presents the evening show on LBC Radio and the For the Many podcast with Jacqui Smith.
So he’s gone. The departure of Dominic Cummings from Number Ten eclipsed the concurrent departure of Lee Cain, and understandably so.
But it is the latter’s exit which is already being noticed in broadcast studios up and down the country. Downing Street’s former Director departed a week ago today, and by last Monday Matt Hancock was appearing on Good Morning Britain. The boycott had ended. However, rather than be welcoming and emollient, Piers Morgan did what Piers Morgan does, and gave Hancock a bit of a mauling.
There’s little doubt that the new regime headed by James Slack and Allegra Stratton is striking a very different tune. The tone is one of cooperation and helpfulness. And believe me, it’s a refreshing change.
The point that the Cain/Cummings regime failed to understand is that if Ministers aren’t put up to explain government policy, no one else will do it for them. It’s early days, but I hope the Slack/Stratton regime gets that. The early signs are good.
– – – – – – – – – –
It’s almost as though Boris Johnson has got religion. His zealous promotion of green policies have drawn widespread admiration from those involved in the environmental and climate change movements. And he’s done it without unsettling those on the Tory right who view the green lobby as the enemy.
His ten point plan contained some genuinely interesting proposals, albeit not fleshed out with a huge a amount of detail. I had to laugh, though, when Mishal Hussein on the Today Programme took Alok Sharma to task for “only” providing an extra £4 billion of money to fund the ten point plan.
It’s got to a pretty pass when £4 billion is considered a trifling sum. It wasn’t that long ago that £4 billion amounted to the entirety of the annual public sector borrowing requirement. Those were the days…
– – – – – – – – – –
The Prime Minister’s green credentials appear to have been burnished in recent times, and of course I’m scratching my head to think who on earth could have been whispering his ear…
Well, she has done a very good job, because it wasn’t so long ago that Johnson wrote a paean of praise to Piers Corbyn’s theory – yes, that’s Piers Corbyn, brother of you-know-who – that it is the sun’s activity rather than man’s which shapes our weather.
Here is an extract from a Johnson Daily Telegraph column in 2010:
“The question is whether anthropogenic global warming is the exclusive or dominant fact that determines our climate, or whether Corbyn is also right to insist on the role of the sun. Is it possible that everything we do is dwarfed by the moods of the star that gives life to the world? The sun is incomparably vaster and more powerful than any work of man. We are forged from a few clods of solar dust. The sun powers every plant and form of life, and one day the sun will turn into a red giant and engulf us all. Then it will burn out. Then it will get very nippy indeed.”
Five years later, in December 2015, he was at it again in the Telegraph. Concerned about an unseasonably warm winter, who did our future Prime Minister turn to again for some meteorological input?
Why yes, it was Piers Corbyn who was on Speed Dial One in the London Mayor’s office. The Jezzabrother reassured Johnson that the warm spell was “nothing to do with the conventional doctrine of climate change”. Johnson himself rejected any idea that recent changes in our weather were anything to do with man-made global warming.
I wonder if he holds that same belief five Decembers later? I’d love to ask him myself, but even despite the departure of Messers Cummings and Cain, I suspect I’m still on the naughty step.
– – – – – – – – – –
This week, I have been crippled by back pain. Anyone who has ever experienced it knows who awful it can be, yet those who haven’t can rarely resist the temptation to snigger. I’ve never understood why.
It culminated last Friday evening with me being able to barely put one foot in front of the other. Each night, after my radio show, I walk from Leicester Square to Charing Cross Station to catch the 10.10pm train. The walk normally takes me some four to five minutes.
I knew as soon as I embarked on the short trip, that I would miss my train. My strides became tiptoe steps of about six inches each. I shuffled along like a decrepit 90 year old. Halfway there, I was accosted by someone who recognised me and wanted to chat. I was almost in tears of pain by that point.
Eventually, I made it onto a train 20 minutes later. I sat down and realised the configuration of the seats would make the pain even worse. So I moved to a first class seat which had more support. I phoned my partner to ask him to come to collect me from the station as I knew I couldn’t walk to get my car in the station car park. Never have I felt so pathetic.
When the train arrived at Tonbridge I genuinely wondered if I would be able to get off the seat and get off the train. I managed it just in time. It took me five minutes to manoeuvre myself into the front seat of John’s SUV. I could barely string two words together I was in so much pain. I even wondered whether he should drop me off at the local A&E.
When we got home I then had to contemplate climbing the stairs of our house backwards. I went straight to bed, wondering if I could even lie down to sleep. I took my shirt off, and then the awful truth dawned on me. I couldn’t bend down to take off my shoes of my trousers. I had to call John.
It was at that moment that it all came out. I just started crying – not just because of the constant physical pain I was enduring, but because I realised I had turned into my mother. For the last 30 years of her life she was in constant physical pain due to terrible hip issues (she had five hip replacements), knee problems, osteoporosis and back issues.
But you always have to find humour in these situations. As John was pulling off my trousers I muttered: “I thought you’d be doing this in 20 years time, not now. But at least I’m not dribbling…” If looks could kill.


conservativehome--2020-11-20--Shona Haslam: English “tiers”? Scottish “levels”? We need a national response to the pandemic. Not t

Shona Haslam: English “tiers”? Scottish “levels”? We need a national response to the pandemic. Not this confusion.

Cllr Shona Haslam is the Leader of the Scottish Borders Council .
So in England we have Tiers , and in Scotland , Levels .
In England we have Three tiers ; in Scotland five but they start at zero , so Level 5 is actually Level 4 , and our Levels 1-3 are the same as Tiers 1-3 .
Confused , you betcha .
Local Government in Scotland is struggling with the new system that the SNP Scottish Government has introduced , and that it is constantly changing does not help with our confusion .
On a Friday afternoon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Deputy First Minister that we can either accept or reject .
On the call we discuss the five “ indicators ” that the Scottish Government has set to determine what level your authority will go into .
These indicators are : • Test positivity rate – of those tested how many are positive .
• Cases per 100,000 forecast over next seven days To be in Level 4 you have to have more than 300 cases per 100,000 , over ten per cent positivity rate , probability of over 75 per cent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and expect that you will exceed capacity in hospital and ICU beds within 3 weeks .
In comparison , Level 1 ( I ’ m not going to even talk about Level 0 ) is between 20 and 75 cases per 100,000 , between 1.5 per cent and three per cent positivity rate , probability of 75 per cent of 50 cases over next seven days , and plenty of room in hospitals .
So that is quite clear I hear you say – well yes it is , or would be if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You see Highland has exactly the same scoring as Aberdeen City , but one is in Level 1 and one is in Level 2 .
And Perth and Kinross which has a scoring of Level 2 was this week put into Level 3 .
So it all becomes clear as mud .
Then out of the blue , this week the Scottish Government decided to change the numbers to letters , see attached pictures .
So it has now become even more difficult for local authority leaders , such as myself , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in .
I am leader of the Scottish Borders Council , and you can see from my figures in the attached diagram that we are actually at level 0 on 3 of the indicators , we only go into level 2 on the test positivity rate .
But what the figures don ’ t tell you is that very few people are actually going for tests in Scottish Borders , so even a couple of positives push that percentage figure up .
Now I am very grateful that we have not had to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this point , and our early ban on people meeting in homes appears to be working , but it is very frustrating for local businesses who are trying to plan for the future to have such a confused system of levels that we don ’ t really know whether we are coming or going .
The issue with all of this is that confusion leads to people not understanding or following the rules , if you don ’ t trust the system then you don ’ t pay attention to the restrictions that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue is that we are one nation , so the lockdown in England and travel restriction is Scotland ( you can ’ t leave a Level 3 area apart from essential travel ) means that businesses in other areas are suffering hugely , without the business support you get if you are in a lockdown area .
In the Scottish Borders , most hospitality business comes from the north and south but that has stopped .
But business in the Scottish Borders are in Level 2 , so do not qualify for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown areas .
This puts them in an impossible situation .
A national pandemic requires a national response .
One thing is very clear , without the support from the UK Government on furlough and Barnett consequentials we would be in a far worse place .

Cllr Shona Haslam is the Leader of the Scottish Borders Council.
So in England we have Tiers, and in Scotland, Levels. In England we have Three tiers; in Scotland five but they start at zero, so Level 5 is actually Level 4, and our Levels 1-3 are the same as Tiers 1-3. Confused, you betcha.
Local Government in Scotland is struggling with the new system that the SNP Scottish Government has introduced, and that it is constantly changing does not help with our confusion. On a Friday afternoon we are offered a call with the Deputy First Minister that we can either accept or reject. On the call we discuss the five “indicators” that the Scottish Government has set to determine what level your authority will go into. These indicators are:
Cases per 100,000 now
Test positivity rate – of those tested how many are positive.
Cases per 100,000 forecast over next seven days
Hospital bed forecast over next 21 days
ICU bed forecast over next 21 days.
To be in Level 4 you have to have more than 300 cases per 100,000, over ten per cent positivity rate, probability of over 75 per cent of 500 cases in next five days, and expect that you will exceed capacity in hospital and ICU beds within 3 weeks.
In comparison, Level 1 (I’m not going to even talk about Level 0) is between 20 and 75 cases per 100,000, between 1.5 per cent and three per cent positivity rate, probability of 75 per cent of 50 cases over next seven days, and plenty of room in hospitals.
So that is quite clear I hear you say – well yes it is, or would be if the Scottish Government actually stuck to this. You see Highland has exactly the same scoring as Aberdeen City, but one is in Level 1 and one is in Level 2. And Perth and Kinross which has a scoring of Level 2 was this week put into Level 3. So it all becomes clear as mud.
Then out of the blue, this week the Scottish Government decided to change the numbers to letters, see attached pictures. So it has now become even more difficult for local authority leaders, such as myself, to understand what tier we should be in.
I am leader of the Scottish Borders Council, and you can see from my figures in the attached diagram that we are actually at level 0 on 3 of the indicators, we only go into level 2 on the test positivity rate. But what the figures don’t tell you is that very few people are actually going for tests in Scottish Borders, so even a couple of positives push that percentage figure up.
Now I am very grateful that we have not had to go into full lockdown in Scotland at this point, and our early ban on people meeting in homes appears to be working, but it is very frustrating for local businesses who are trying to plan for the future to have such a confused system of levels that we don’t really know whether we are coming or going.
The issue with all of this is that confusion leads to people not understanding or following the rules, if you don’t trust the system then you don’t pay attention to the restrictions that system puts on you.
The other issue is that we are one nation, so the lockdown in England and travel restriction is Scotland (you can’t leave a Level 3 area apart from essential travel) means that businesses in other areas are suffering hugely, without the business support you get if you are in a lockdown area. In the Scottish Borders, most hospitality business comes from the north and south but that has stopped. But business in the Scottish Borders are in Level 2, so do not qualify for the same grants as Level 3 areas or lockdown areas. This puts them in an impossible situation.
A national pandemic requires a national response. One thing is very clear, without the support from the UK Government on furlough and Barnett consequentials we would be in a far worse place.


conservativehome--2020-11-19--WATCH: The Prime Minister – “I’ve decided that the era of cutting our defence budget must end and it

WATCH: The Prime Minister – “I’ve decided that the era of cutting our defence budget must end and it ends now”

`` I 've decided that the era of cutting our defence budget must end and it ends now '' PM @ @ @ @ @ spending `` by £24.1bn over the next four years '' https : //t.co/a4xCPKyBlb pic.twitter.com/Ui4OK2XVuJ

"I've decided that the era of cutting our defence budget must end and it ends now"
PM Boris Johnson increases UK defence spending "by £24.1bn over the next four years"https://t.co/a4xCPKyBlb pic.twitter.com/Ui4OK2XVuJ
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) November 19, 2020


conservativehome--2020-11-19--Henry Hill: Johnson may have just broken a devolutionary spell two decades in the weaving

As I noted earlier this week , the clearest evidence that Boris Johnson was on to something with his remarks about devolution having been a disaster is the response of his critics – especially his Tory critics .
Nowhere to be found were any paeans to devolution actually being a success .
Instead , the new devolutionary defence is to claim that the problem isn ’ t the constitutional settlement itself , but merely the people currently in charge of it .
If only the Conservatives could take over the reins then all would be well .
This is what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ , and not just because the odds of the Tories taking office in either Edinburgh or Cardiff are currently very long indeed .
It also overlooks the fact that devolution has managed to deliver the same toxic combination of bad governance and diminished Britishness in three very different sets of political distance : the intended hegemony of a ‘ unionist ’ Labour Party in Wales ; the unexpected dominance by separatists in Scotland ; and mandatory deadlock in Northern Ireland .
Of course , the Prime Minister has immediately rowed back from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ blame the SNP ’ line .
But one suspects that this is a grenade he won ’ t be able to un-throw .
An undercurrent of devosceptic sentiment has been bubbling up inside unionism for some time now .
Douglas Ross , the Scottish Conservative leader , felt compelled to hit out at colleagues who think devolution has opened a ‘ Pandora ’ s Box ’ before Johnson dropped his bombshell .
In Wales , where the Tories face a challenge from an explicitly anti-devolution party which looks set to enter the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fuelling what could become a proper rift between the grassroots and the leadership .
Whilst there hasn ’ t yet been any proper study of this change in attitudes , two possible drivers suggest themselves .
First , devolution hasn ’ t ‘ worked ’ as a pro-UK strategy .
There are plenty of people who support it for its own sake , but the whole project was sold to sceptical unionists on the promise that it would “ kill nationalism stone dead ” .
It obviously didn ’ t , and every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the credibility of devolutionary unionism as the separatists have got stronger and stronger .
Second , more unionists are waking up to the fact that there is more to their beliefs than merely the continued existence of anything calling itself ‘ the UK ’ .
They are unenthused , to put it mildly , at the prospect of going into another referendum defending a ‘ radical ’ or ‘ federalist ’ blueprint which turns the country into a ramshackle confederation , squeezing out what remains of the British political community in favour of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The pro-devolution consensus on the pro-UK side is broad , but fragile .
It is to a great extent the product of preference falsification , wherein people with a dissident view pretend not to hold it and thus reinforce the illusion that they ’ re on their own ( a good explanation of the dynamic is in this piece ) .
Few of the activists and none of the politicians who have ever agreed in private with the arguments I ’ ve advanced in this column over the years ( and there are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public .
Enduring anti-devolution sentiment amongst the electorate is actually pretty remarkable when one considers that for the most part this attitude has been unrepresented in politics , think-tanks , or the media since the 1990s .
Which is why I said that the Prime Minister has just “ has broken a spell more than two decades in the weaving ” .
Retracted or not , his comments will embolden people who share his view .
And if they start speaking out , they will realise that they are less alone than they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if they organise , and start actually making the devosceptic case , it isn ’ t impossible that it might have an impact on public opinion ( the same way pro-independence campaigning does ) .
All of this will horrify those drawing up plans to fight an imminent re-run of the 2014 referendum , and rightly so .
It is quite possible to be very unhelpfully right , and if winning a vote in the near future requires selling the promise of a pseudo-federal dreamland then the very last thing needed is Johnson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if that is what it takes to win a near-future referendum , that is simply strong grounds for not holding one .
It is all very well for the Prime Minister to have set up a new ‘ Union task force ’ to make the “ social and cultural case for the UK ” , but he must recognise that such policies will need the generational breathing-space unionism won in 2014 to have time to work .
The case for the Union rests on utility and identity .
Neither can be fixed overnight @

As I noted earlier this week, the clearest evidence that Boris Johnson was on to something with his remarks about devolution having been a disaster is the response of his critics – especially his Tory critics.
Nowhere to be found were any paeans to devolution actually being a success. Instead, the new devolutionary defence is to claim that the problem isn’t the constitutional settlement itself, but merely the people currently in charge of it. If only the Conservatives could take over the reins then all would be well.
This is what the young people call a ‘cope’, and not just because the odds of the Tories taking office in either Edinburgh or Cardiff are currently very long indeed. It also overlooks the fact that devolution has managed to deliver the same toxic combination of bad governance and diminished Britishness in three very different sets of political distance: the intended hegemony of a ‘unionist’ Labour Party in Wales; the unexpected dominance by separatists in Scotland; and mandatory deadlock in Northern Ireland.
Of course, the Prime Minister has immediately rowed back from his remarks and tried to take the ‘blame the SNP’ line. But one suspects that this is a grenade he won’t be able to un-throw.
An undercurrent of devosceptic sentiment has been bubbling up inside unionism for some time now. Douglas Ross, the Scottish Conservative leader, felt compelled to hit out at colleagues who think devolution has opened a ‘Pandora’s Box’ before Johnson dropped his bombshell. In Wales, where the Tories face a challenge from an explicitly anti-devolution party which looks set to enter the Senedd next year, the issue is fuelling what could become a proper rift between the grassroots and the leadership.
Whilst there hasn’t yet been any proper study of this change in attitudes, two possible drivers suggest themselves.
First, devolution hasn’t ‘worked’ as a pro-UK strategy. There are plenty of people who support it for its own sake, but the whole project was sold to sceptical unionists on the promise that it would “kill nationalism stone dead”. It obviously didn’t, and every subsequent one-more-heave concession of powers has sapped the credibility of devolutionary unionism as the separatists have got stronger and stronger.
Second, more unionists are waking up to the fact that there is more to their beliefs than merely the continued existence of anything calling itself ‘the UK’. They are unenthused, to put it mildly, at the prospect of going into another referendum defending a ‘radical’ or ‘federalist’ blueprint which turns the country into a ramshackle confederation, squeezing out what remains of the British political community in favour of horse trading between the Home Nations.
The pro-devolution consensus on the pro-UK side is broad, but fragile. It is to a great extent the product of preference falsification, wherein people with a dissident view pretend not to hold it and thus reinforce the illusion that they’re on their own (a good explanation of the dynamic is in this piece). Few of the activists and none of the politicians who have ever agreed in private with the arguments I’ve advanced in this column over the years (and there are enough) have aired such views in public. Enduring anti-devolution sentiment amongst the electorate is actually pretty remarkable when one considers that for the most part this attitude has been unrepresented in politics, think-tanks, or the media since the 1990s.
Which is why I said that the Prime Minister has just “has broken a spell more than two decades in the weaving”. Retracted or not, his comments will embolden people who share his view. And if they start speaking out, they will realise that they are less alone than they supposed. They may even think that if they organise, and start actually making the devosceptic case, it isn’t impossible that it might have an impact on public opinion (the same way pro-independence campaigning does).
All of this will horrify those drawing up plans to fight an imminent re-run of the 2014 referendum, and rightly so. It is quite possible to be very unhelpfully right, and if winning a vote in the near future requires selling the promise of a pseudo-federal dreamland then the very last thing needed is Johnson absent-mindedly prescribing constitutional red pills.
But if that is what it takes to win a near-future referendum, that is simply strong grounds for not holding one. It is all very well for the Prime Minister to have set up a new ‘Union task force’ to make the “social and cultural case for the UK”, but he must recognise that such policies will need the generational breathing-space unionism won in 2014 to have time to work. The case for the Union rests on utility and identity. Neither can be fixed overnight.


conservativehome--2020-11-20--WATCH: Patel – “I am sorry if I have upset people in any way whatsoever”

`` At the time… we were not being supported in our work '' Home Secretary Priti Patel tells @ BBCVickiYoung @ @ @ @ @ if I have upset people in any way whatsoever .
That was completely unintentional '' @ @ @ @

"At the time… we were not being supported in our work"
Home Secretary Priti Patel tells @BBCVickiYoung, "I am sorry if I have upset people in any way whatsoever. That was completely unintentional"https://t.co/MCYg6MrcN1 pic.twitter.com/YTWMYq5RkZ
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) November 20, 2020


conservativehome--2020-11-21--The Ministerial Code is a paper tiger – Johnson is responsible for who serves in his Government

At the time of writing , the above tweet has 7,500 ‘ likes ’ on Twitter and has been retweeted at least 1,700 times .
Fake news , it seems , travels fast .
That is not to say that Priti Patel did not breach the Ministerial Code ( ‘ the Code ’ ) .
The official finding – which interested readers can find here – is that she did .
The Code states “ Harassing , bullying or other inappropriate or discriminating behaviour wherever it takes place is not consistent ” with it , and Sir Alex Allan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ministerial standards , reported that “ Instances of the behaviour reported to the Cabinet Office ” fit the definition of bullying ( but not harassment ) .
Boris Johnson has indicated that he will keep the Home Secretary in post .
In this he apparently enjoys the broad support of Conservative MPs but not that of Sir Alex , who has resigned .
This decision has sparked yet another debate about standards in public life , which is fair enough .
But it has led some commentators to grossly overstate the significance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ .
Whether or not someone should be automatically dismissed for breaching the Code is quite a separate question to whether or not someone should be dismissed for bullying .
As we shall see , the former is a question to which the answer is ‘ no ’ .
Were the Prime Minister to succumb to what the Institute for Government refers to as “ increasing pressure ” to put the Code on a legal footing , we should find ourselves with remarkably few ministers left standing .
To understand why , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Code , the latest version of which is here .
Doing so reveals that yes , it prohibits serious misconduct , including alleged bullying and indeed having private meetings with foreign officials , the breach which sparked Patel ’ s last departure from Government .
But it also covers a whole range of things which are , for better or worse , widely regarded as part of modern political life .
For example : Let us hope none of the journalists getting over-excited about a breach of the Code has ever actively participated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Cabinet .
Or how about… Taken at face value , this dates the last time that “ a cabinet minister has broken the ministerial code and not been sacked or resigned ” to perhaps March of last year , when four Cabinet ministers abstained during a vote on a motion to rule out a no-deal Brexit .
Or failing that maybe 2017 , when the then-Foreign Secretary started setting out his personal ‘ red lines ’ for the Brexit negotiations , in defiance of the Cabinet position .
Perhaps , in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ read the word ‘ guidelines ’ without interpreting it as ‘ rules we don ’ t intend to enforce ’ .
But the Code itself is quite explicit about its true nature : “ 1.5 The Code provides guidance to Ministers on how they should act and arrange their affairs in order to uphold these standards .
It lists the principles which may apply in particular situations .
It applies to all members of the Government and covers Parliamentary Private Secretaries in paragraphs 3.7 – 3.12 .
“ 1.6 Ministers are personally responsible @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves in the light of the Code and for justifying their actions and conduct to Parliament and the public .
However , Ministers only remain in office for so long as they retain the confidence of the Prime Minister .
He is the ultimate judge of the standards of behaviour expected of a Minister and the appropriate consequences of a breach of those standards.
” The Ministerial Code is far too broad a document for any breach to be ipso facto a mortal political sin – not least because it is not hard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has not been similarly punished .
It is not designed to be , and was never intended to be , a substitute for the Prime Minister ’ s discretion as to who serves in the Government .
Both his judgement and his Ministers must be judged on the specifics of any individual allegation of misconduct – not merely on the fact that they have ‘ broken the Code ’ .

This may be the first time ever – at least in recent history – that a cabinet minister has broken the ministerial code and not been sacked or resigned. — Sebastian Payne (@SebastianEPayne) November 20, 2020
At the time of writing, the above tweet has 7,500 ‘likes’ on Twitter and has been retweeted at least 1,700 times. Fake news, it seems, travels fast.
That is not to say that Priti Patel did not breach the Ministerial Code (‘the Code’). The official finding – which interested readers can find here – is that she did. The Code states “Harassing, bullying or other inappropriate or discriminating behaviour wherever it takes place is not consistent” with it, and Sir Alex Allan, the Prime Minister’s adviser on ministerial standards, reported that “Instances of the behaviour reported to the Cabinet Office” fit the definition of bullying (but not harassment).
Boris Johnson has indicated that he will keep the Home Secretary in post. In this he apparently enjoys the broad support of Conservative MPs but not that of Sir Alex, who has resigned.
This decision has sparked yet another debate about standards in public life, which is fair enough. But it has led some commentators to grossly overstate the significance of a ‘breach of the Ministerial Code’. Whether or not someone should be automatically dismissed for breaching the Code is quite a separate question to whether or not someone should be dismissed for bullying.
As we shall see, the former is a question to which the answer is ‘no’. Were the Prime Minister to succumb to what the Institute for Government refers to as “increasing pressure” to put the Code on a legal footing, we should find ourselves with remarkably few ministers left standing.
To understand why, it is helpful to have actually read the Code, the latest version of which is here. Doing so reveals that yes, it prohibits serious misconduct, including alleged bullying and indeed having private meetings with foreign officials, the breach which sparked Patel’s last departure from Government.
But it also covers a whole range of things which are, for better or worse, widely regarded as part of modern political life. For example:
“S2.1 The principle of collective responsibility requires that Ministers should be able to express their views frankly in the expectation that they can argue freely in private while maintaining a united front when decisions have been reached. This in turn requires that the privacy of opinions expressed in Cabinet and Ministerial Committees, including in correspondence, should be maintained.”
Let us hope none of the journalists getting over-excited about a breach of the Code has ever actively participated in one by reporting a leak from the Cabinet. Or how about…
“S1.3a. The principle of collective responsibility applies to all Government Ministers.”
Taken at face value, this dates the last time that “a cabinet minister has broken the ministerial code and not been sacked or resigned” to perhaps March of last year, when four Cabinet ministers abstained during a vote on a motion to rule out a no-deal Brexit. Or failing that maybe 2017, when the then-Foreign Secretary started setting out his personal ‘red lines’ for the Brexit negotiations, in defiance of the Cabinet position.
Perhaps, in this cynical age, it is impossible to read the word ‘guidelines’ without interpreting it as ‘rules we don’t intend to enforce’. But the Code itself is quite explicit about its true nature:
“1.5 The Code provides guidance to Ministers on how they should act and arrange their affairs in order to uphold these standards. It lists the principles which may apply in particular situations. It applies to all members of the Government and covers Parliamentary Private Secretaries in paragraphs 3.7 – 3.12. “1.6 Ministers are personally responsible for deciding how to act and conduct themselves in the light of the Code and for justifying their actions and conduct to Parliament and the public. However, Ministers only remain in office for so long as they retain the confidence of the Prime Minister. He is the ultimate judge of the standards of behaviour expected of a Minister and the appropriate consequences of a breach of those standards.”
The Ministerial Code is far too broad a document for any breach to be ipso facto a mortal political sin – not least because it is not hard to find previous instances where similar conduct has not been similarly punished. It is not designed to be, and was never intended to be, a substitute for the Prime Minister’s discretion as to who serves in the Government.
Both his judgement and his Ministers must be judged on the specifics of any individual allegation of misconduct – not merely on the fact that they have ‘broken the Code’.