conservativehome--2020-06-19--Calling Conservatives: New public appointments announced. Members of the Migration Advisory Committe

Calling Conservatives: New public appointments announced. Members of the Migration Advisory Committee – 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 Imperial War Museum ( IWM ) was founded in 1917 to record the story of the Great War .
Its remit was subsequently extended to cover the Second World War and today , IWM is the world ’ s leading authority on conflict and its impact focusing on Britain , its former Empire and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ War to the present .
The IWM is a single institution with a single purpose , fulfilled in different ways at its different branches , both physical and virtual .
In addition to its headquarters building , IWM London , in Southwark , the Museum ’ s branches comprise the Churchill War Rooms and HMS Belfast in London , IWM Duxford in Cambridgeshire , and IWM North in Trafford , Greater Manchester which is housed in a stunning building by Daniel Libeskind .
The IWM has traditionally had a Trustee on its Board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the armed forces , and is currently recruiting for two Trustees to represent the RAF and Navy branches.
” Time : Up to one day per month .
“ The Pensions Ombudsman ( TPO ) investigates and determines complaints and disputes about the way that occupational and personal pension schemes are run .
The Pension Protection Fund Ombudsman considers decisions made by the Pension Protection Fund ( PPF ) Board under the PPF ’ s internal procedures and decides on appeals against decisions by the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are provided for separately in legislation , they are held by one post holder .
Throughout this document the term ‘ PO ’ will therefore cover both roles .
TPO provides an accessible service for dealing with pensions complaints .
Determinations are final and binding on all parties , subject only to appeal in the High Court on a point of law .
Services are provided free of charge.
” “ DFID leads the UK ’ s work to end extreme poverty , deliver the Global Goals , and tackle global challenges in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aid Strategy .
We are delivering against the Government ’ s manifesto to stand up for the right of every girl in the world to have 12 years of quality education , to end the preventable deaths of mothers , new born babies and children by 2030 and to fight climate change , protect the environment and preserve biodiversity .
We are helping to lead the international response to prevent and mitigate the impacts of the Coronavirus and we work to save lives when humanitarian emergencies hit .
We do this whilst also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Global Health Security and improve peoples ’ resilience to shocks and supporting countries receiving aid to become self-sufficient.
” “ The Commission operates as an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Northern Ireland Office and is a key part of the architecture of human rights protections in Northern Ireland… Candidates for these roles must be able to make a personal contribution to the work of the Commission and will need to demonstrate : the ability to build productive and respectful relationships with fellow Commissioners , senior stakeholders and diverse communities ; knowledge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the scope and limits of the NIHRCs work in Northern Ireland , and the considerations that influence the environment in which it operates ; the ability to analyse information and exercise judgement across a broad spectrum of policy and high level human rights issues ; and a reputation for personal integrity , professional conduct and credibility , with an exceptional sense of propriety.
” “ Both Non-Executive Board Members roles will exercise their role through influence and advice , supporting as well as challenging the executive , and covering such issues as : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progress and implementation of the Departments Strategy ( the single departmental plan ) ; performance ( including agreeing key performance indicators ) , operational issues ( including the operational and delivery implications of policy proposals ) , adherence to relevant standards ( e.g .
commercial , digital ) , and on the effective management of the department ; [ and ] the recruitment , appraisal and suitable succession planning of senior executives , as appropriate within the principles set out by the Civil Service Commission.
” “ IE : UK is a joint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major infrastructure export opportunities around the world .
It is supported by DIT ’ s network of local staff in 116 markets , with the objective of identifying , pursuing , and delivering major strategic infrastructure projects through a consortium-led approach .
The objective of IE : UK is to increase UK infrastructure exports and identify gaps in the UK supply chain for FDI to fill .
The IE : UK Board is co-chaired by DIT ‘ s Minister for Exports and a senior industry leader .
The Industry sector co-Chair will benefit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Exports and leading UK based infrastructure companies to help shape the direction of UK export policy and support within the infrastructure sector.
” “ Do you want to play a key role in helping to shape the future of migration issues and support the interests of UK residents ?
If so , you can do this by becoming a Member of the Migration Advisory Committee ( MAC ) .
The MAC advises the government on a range of migration policy issues , offering independent evidence-based advice , and its core statement of purpose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , economics focused , reports and policy advice in accordance with the work plan set by the Government ; and help ensure that Government policy and strategy in relation to migration and employment is based on the best possible evidence and analysis .
To date the advice of the Committee has included impacts of migration ; annual limits on , and the design of , Tiers 1 and 2 of the Points-Based System ; and transitional labour market access for nationals of new EU member states .
”

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.
– – – – – – – – – –
Imperial War Museum – RAF Trustee and Navy Trustee
“The Imperial War Museum (IWM) was founded in 1917 to record the story of the Great War. Its remit was subsequently extended to cover the Second World War and today, IWM is the world’s leading authority on conflict and its impact focusing on Britain, its former Empire and the Commonwealth, from the First World War to the present. The IWM is a single institution with a single purpose, fulfilled in different ways at its different branches, both physical and virtual. In addition to its headquarters building, IWM London, in Southwark, the Museum’s branches comprise the Churchill War Rooms and HMS Belfast in London, IWM Duxford in Cambridgeshire, and IWM North in Trafford, Greater Manchester which is housed in a stunning building by Daniel Libeskind. The IWM has traditionally had a Trustee on its Board from each of the three branches of the armed forces, and is currently recruiting for two Trustees to represent the RAF and Navy branches.”
Time: Up to one day per month.
Remuneration: Expenses reasonably incurred.
Closes: 19 June
– – – – – – – – – –
The Pensions Ombudsman – Chair
“The Pensions Ombudsman (TPO) investigates and determines complaints and disputes about the way that occupational and personal pension schemes are run. The Pension Protection Fund Ombudsman considers decisions made by the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) Board under the PPF’s internal procedures and decides on appeals against decisions by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Financial Assistance Scheme. Although the roles are provided for separately in legislation, they are held by one post holder. Throughout this document the term ‘PO’ will therefore cover both roles. TPO provides an accessible service for dealing with pensions complaints. Determinations are final and binding on all parties, subject only to appeal in the High Court on a point of law. Services are provided free of charge.”
Time: Min. 30 days per annum.
Remuneration: £20,000 per annum.
Closes: 19 June
– – – – – – – – – –
DFID Board – Non-Executive Director
“DFID leads the UK’s work to end extreme poverty, deliver the Global Goals, and tackle global challenges in line with the government’s UK Aid Strategy. We are delivering against the Government’s manifesto to stand up for the right of every girl in the world to have 12 years of quality education, to end the preventable deaths of mothers, new born babies and children by 2030 and to fight climate change, protect the environment and preserve biodiversity. We are helping to lead the international response to prevent and mitigate the impacts of the Coronavirus and we work to save lives when humanitarian emergencies hit. We do this whilst also investing in the systems that help support Global Health Security and improve peoples’ resilience to shocks and supporting countries receiving aid to become self-sufficient.”
Time: Approx. 20 days per annum.
Remuneration: £15,000 per annum.
Closes: 26 June
– – – – – – – – – –
Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission – Commissioners
“The Commission operates as an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Northern Ireland Office and is a key part of the architecture of human rights protections in Northern Ireland… Candidates for these roles must be able to make a personal contribution to the work of the Commission and will need to demonstrate: the ability to build productive and respectful relationships with fellow Commissioners, senior stakeholders and diverse communities; knowledge of human rights law, and of the scope and limits of the NIHRCs work in Northern Ireland, and the considerations that influence the environment in which it operates; the ability to analyse information and exercise judgement across a broad spectrum of policy and high level human rights issues; and a reputation for personal integrity, professional conduct and credibility, with an exceptional sense of propriety.”
Time: Approx. 3 days per month.
Remuneration: £7,500 per annum.
Closes: 26 June
– – – – – – – – – –
Department for International Trade – Lead Non-Executive Board Member/Non-Executive Board Member
“Both Non-Executive Board Members roles will exercise their role through influence and advice, supporting as well as challenging the executive, and covering such issues as: support, guidance and challenge on the progress and implementation of the Departments Strategy (the single departmental plan); performance (including agreeing key performance indicators), operational issues (including the operational and delivery implications of policy proposals), adherence to relevant standards (e.g. commercial, digital), and on the effective management of the department; [and] the recruitment, appraisal and suitable succession planning of senior executives, as appropriate within the principles set out by the Civil Service Commission.”
Time: Approx. 15-20 days per annum.
Remuneration: £20,000/£15,000 per annum.
Closes: 28 June
– – – – – – – – – –
Infrastructure Exports:UK – Board co-Chair
“IE:UK is a joint industry and government partnership, strategically targeting major infrastructure export opportunities around the world. It is supported by DIT’s network of local staff in 116 markets, with the objective of identifying, pursuing, and delivering major strategic infrastructure projects through a consortium-led approach. The objective of IE:UK is to increase UK infrastructure exports and identify gaps in the UK supply chain for FDI to fill. The IE:UK Board is co-chaired by DIT‘s Minister for Exports and a senior industry leader. The Industry sector co-Chair will benefit from working closely with the Minister for Exports and leading UK based infrastructure companies to help shape the direction of UK export policy and support within the infrastructure sector.”
Time: 3-4 meetings a year.
Remuneration: None.
Closes: 29 June
– – – – – – – – – –
Migration Advisory Committee – Members
“Do you want to play a key role in helping to shape the future of migration issues and support the interests of UK residents? If so, you can do this by becoming a Member of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC). The MAC advises the government on a range of migration policy issues, offering independent evidence-based advice, and its core statement of purpose is to: deliver high quality evidence-based, economics focused, reports and policy advice in accordance with the work plan set by the Government; and help ensure that Government policy and strategy in relation to migration and employment is based on the best possible evidence and analysis. To date the advice of the Committee has included impacts of migration; annual limits on, and the design of, Tiers 1 and 2 of the Points-Based System; and transitional labour market access for nationals of new EU member states.”
Time: “An initial term of three years.”
Remuneration: £275
Closes: 06 July


conservativehome--2020-06-20--The NHS App. What’s happening with it? And is it really a “fiasco”?

From the start of the Coronavirus crisis , there have been calls for the UK to be more like South Korea in how it manages the disease .
One of the ways the Government showed willing in this regard was by launching a track-and-trace smartphone app , which it trialled on the Isle of Wight in May – in the hope that it could be rolled out nationwide .
Unfortunately for the Government , the system appears to have failed ; indeed , on Thursday the Department of Health and Social Care put out a statement explaining that : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Isle of Wight , we have identified challenges with both our app and the Google/ Apple framework.
” Newspapers were characteristically scathing about what had happened : The Daily Mail called it a “ fiasco ” ; The Times suggested contact tracing was now “ in disarray ” , and The Guardian described it “ an embarrassing U-turn ” .
Such sentiment has been echoed by technology and privacy experts – who warned about flaws in the Government ’ s initial strategy ; to pursue a centralised system of contact tracing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monitor all of the data and spot trends in the spread of Covid-19 .
Germany and other countries had first taken this plan of action , but moved to decentralised model run by Apple and Google , having been cautioned of potential problems down the line .
The UK , however , decided to stick to its own course – prompting criticisms that the Government was being pigheaded .
The premise of the UK app sounded simple .
Using Bluetooth technology , it would alert anyone using the app when they had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ d tested positive for Covid-19 ( and had registered the illness on their phone ) .
But it wasn ’ t quite so straightforward… As Kieran McCarthy wrote in The Register after the announcement of the UK ’ s contact tracing trial , some apps do not all “ allow the tracing application to broadcast its ID via Bluetooth to supportive devices when it ’ s running in the background and not in active use ” – an issue that has disproportionately been highlighted through Apple technology .
During the Isle of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system was effective 75 per cent of the time ( Oxford University experts suggest that contact-tracing apps need to be installed by 60 per cent of the population to work ) , but only four per cent for Apple devices .
Hence the need for a new approach .
Has the Government actually “ u-turned ” , though ?
It ’ s not obvious how – seeing as Dido Harding , who heads up the testing programme – has never given the great light to Apple and Google ’ s app .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to develop a hybrid of both apps – a “ best of both worlds ” approach .
As Matt Hancock pointed , neither solution is perfect .
Speaking at Downing Street ’ s daily briefing , he said : “ Our app won ’ t work because Apple won ’ t change their system , but it can measure distance .
And their app can ’ t measure distance well enough to a standard that we are satisfied with.
” In regards to the latter point , Trinity College Dublin suggests that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 95 per cent of contacts in enclosed spaces .
To add further confusion , a Government source has reportedly said that the NHS contact tracing app “ could be diminished to just a ‘ companion ’ to manual tracking ” , amid worries about the Bluetooth contact-tracing system .
A few days earlier , Lord Bethell , the Junior Health Minister , told MPs that an app could be with us as late as winter , adding that “ it isn ’ t a priority at the moment “ .
So this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Government ’ s current mindset on contact tracing ; have MPs lost interest in it ?
Perhaps with the advent of summer , and a public that ’ s tired of lockdown , they are less optimistic about compliance rates – and the app ’ s resultant efficacy .
Whatever the case , the backlash against the Government has been excessive – for several reasons .
For one , the media – as with everything in this pandemic – has framed contact-tracing hiccups as a UK problem , but it has not been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aforementioned , Germany “ u-turned ” on centralising the process and there have been numerous issues in other countries .
Australia , for example , has had a bug in the system , and Norway had to delete a bulk of data amid privacy concerns , as well as pausing its app after only 14 per cent of the population participated .
The other question to ask is why the Government – as opposed to Apple – should be blamed for the failed trial , given that Android phones could work with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s besides the point – as Apple ’ s decentralised technology is better for individual liberties .
But it ’ s still not obvious what ’ s so great about having two tech giants call the shots when it comes to managing this pandemic .
Is it so wrong that governments want to limit their control ?
The UK would not be alone with such an attitude ; Singapore , for example , had a similar system , but mitigated ( to an extent – uptake was still low ) the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their screens turned on and the app active as much as possible .
Either way , the ultimate thing people seem to have forgotten was that the Isle of Wight “ trial ” .
Yes , it was an expensive one – but by definition they are designed to showcase flaws as much as successes in anything they are testing .
Part of the backlash will simply be disappointment ; we know that contact tracing is our escape from lockdown .
But as with much of the Covid-19 , these processes are not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks maybe the hardest challenge for our Government – and many others – yet .

From the start of the Coronavirus crisis, there have been calls for the UK to be more like South Korea in how it manages the disease.
One of the ways the Government showed willing in this regard was by launching a track-and-trace smartphone app, which it trialled on the Isle of Wight in May – in the hope that it could be rolled out nationwide.
Unfortunately for the Government, the system appears to have failed; indeed, on Thursday the Department of Health and Social Care put out a statement explaining that: “Following rigorous field testing and a trial on the Isle of Wight, we have identified challenges with both our app and the Google/ Apple framework.”
Newspapers were characteristically scathing about what had happened: The Daily Mail called it a “fiasco”; The Times suggested contact tracing was now “in disarray”, and The Guardian described it “an embarrassing U-turn”.
Such sentiment has been echoed by technology and privacy experts – who warned about flaws in the Government’s initial strategy; to pursue a centralised system of contact tracing. This would have allowed epidemiologists to monitor all of the data and spot trends in the spread of Covid-19.
Germany and other countries had first taken this plan of action, but moved to decentralised model run by Apple and Google, having been cautioned of potential problems down the line. The UK, however, decided to stick to its own course – prompting criticisms that the Government was being pigheaded.
The premise of the UK app sounded simple. Using Bluetooth technology, it would alert anyone using the app when they had been in close proximity with someone else who’d tested positive for Covid-19 (and had registered the illness on their phone).
But it wasn’t quite so straightforward… As Kieran McCarthy wrote in The Register after the announcement of the UK’s contact tracing trial, some apps do not all “allow the tracing application to broadcast its ID via Bluetooth to supportive devices when it’s running in the background and not in active use” – an issue that has disproportionately been highlighted through Apple technology.
During the Isle of Wight trial, Google’s Android system was effective 75 per cent of the time (Oxford University experts suggest that contact-tracing apps need to be installed by 60 per cent of the population to work), but only four per cent for Apple devices. Hence the need for a new approach.
Has the Government actually “u-turned”, though? It’s not obvious how – seeing as Dido Harding, who heads up the testing programme – has never given the great light to Apple and Google’s app. The goal now, in fact, is to develop a hybrid of both apps – a “best of both worlds” approach.
As Matt Hancock pointed, neither solution is perfect. Speaking at Downing Street’s daily briefing, he said: “Our app won’t work because Apple won’t change their system, but it can measure distance. And their app can’t measure distance well enough to a standard that we are satisfied with.” In regards to the latter point, Trinity College Dublin suggests that the tech giants’ app could miss up to 95 per cent of contacts in enclosed spaces.
To add further confusion, a Government source has reportedly said that the NHS contact tracing app “could be diminished to just a ‘companion’ to manual tracking”, amid worries about the Bluetooth contact-tracing system. A few days earlier, Lord Bethell, the Junior Health Minister, told MPs that an app could be with us as late as winter, adding that “it isn’t a priority at the moment“.
So this begs all sorts of questions about the Government’s current mindset on contact tracing; have MPs lost interest in it? Perhaps with the advent of summer, and a public that’s tired of lockdown, they are less optimistic about compliance rates – and the app’s resultant efficacy.
Whatever the case, the backlash against the Government has been excessive – for several reasons.
For one, the media – as with everything in this pandemic – has framed contact-tracing hiccups as a UK problem, but it has not been easy anywhere in the world. As aforementioned, Germany “u-turned” on centralising the process and there have been numerous issues in other countries.
Australia, for example, has had a bug in the system, and Norway had to delete a bulk of data amid privacy concerns, as well as pausing its app after only 14 per cent of the population participated.
The other question to ask is why the Government – as opposed to Apple – should be blamed for the failed trial, given that Android phones could work with the technology.
Privacy experts will say that it’s besides the point – as Apple’s decentralised technology is better for individual liberties. But it’s still not obvious what’s so great about having two tech giants call the shots when it comes to managing this pandemic. Is it so wrong that governments want to limit their control?
The UK would not be alone with such an attitude; Singapore, for example, had a similar system, but mitigated (to an extent – uptake was still low) the aforementioned flaws by asking users to keep their screens turned on and the app active as much as possible.
Either way, the ultimate thing people seem to have forgotten was that the Isle of Wight “trial”. Yes, it was an expensive one – but by definition they are designed to showcase flaws as much as successes in anything they are testing.
Part of the backlash will simply be disappointment; we know that contact tracing is our escape from lockdown.
But as with much of the Covid-19, these processes are not easy. Wheeling out complex infrastructure in weeks maybe the hardest challenge for our Government – and many others – yet.


conservativehome--2020-06-20--David Gauke: Big Government is back. It didn’t work before. It may not now. Here’s why we should be

David Gauke: Big Government is back. It didn’t work before. It may not now. Here’s why we should be wary of it.

David Gauke is a former Justice Secretary , and was an independent candidate in South-West Hertfordshire at the recent general election .
It is all but an inevitably that , post-Coronavirus , we will be in an era of big government .
Even before anyone had heard of the virus , it was clear that public opinion had shifted decisively in favour of higher spending .
The coalition of support assembled by the Government at the last general election was much more economically left-wing than traditional Conservative support .
Polling during the campaign consistently showed substantial support for greater state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all political parties .
Covid-19 has accelerated this process .
Government spending has surged ; the taxpayer is supporting vast numbers of people ; the state removed our most basic liberties and , after three months , is only gradually returning them .
And the public appears to thoroughly approve .
Post-Covid , the political environment is likely to be egalitarian , communitarian and interventionist .
For libertarian , small state Eurosceptics , all of this must come as a bit of a disappointment .
Many of my generation were drawn to Euroscepticism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force for big government .
“ We have not successfully rolled back the frontiers of the state in Britain , only to see them reimposed at European level , with a European super-state exercising a new dominance from Brussels , ” Thatcher said in Bruges in September 1988 .
Now free of “ dominance from Brussels ” , the frontiers of the state appear to be rolling forward at quite a rate .
Indeed , on such issues as state aid , the EU was an impediment to government intervention in the economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on some libertarian romantics that the reason the UK had failed to pursue a permanent Thatcherite revolution , shrinking the state and turning us into Singapore-upon-Thames , was nothing to do with EU membership , but because the British people don ’ t want that .
There is a reason why both the Leave campaign in 2016 and the Conservatives in last year ’ s general election steered clear of setting out a bold , small state , deregulatory agenda .
The public ’ s enthusiasm for big government appears to be shared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is right and understandable .
Many parts of the public services do require higher spending .
The coronavirus makes the case that we need to be better prepared for ‘ black swan ’ events – not only pandemics , but also other potential threats such as a collapse of our cyber network , massive power outages or climate change – whether by strengthening our resilience or investing in prevention .
As with the banking crash , Covid-19 reveals that the state will always be crucial in a crisis .
The virus also highlights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people working in the public sector .
But before we rush in to embrace the advance of the state , it is worth remembering why the UK abandoned big government during the 1980s .
Other countries have succeeded with a large state , but that has not been the UK ’ s experience .
If big government is inevitable , how do we avoid the failures of the post-War period that was characterised by our relative decline ?
Let me give four examples of how the UK ’ s experience of big government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The experience of State ownership of industry in this country was not a happy one .
In part , this was caused by a mentality that the interests of the producer – the state-owned industry and its employees – mattered more than the interests of the consumers .
For example , by the time we got to the 1980s , the point of the National Coal Board ( at least in the eyes of the NUM and its supporters ) was to employ miners , not to mine coal that people wanted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example but involvement of the state can blur objectives , distort decision-making and deny commercial reality .
‘ Protecting jobs ’ is usually good politics , but too often it justifies tolerating economic inefficiency , at a cost for taxpayers and consumers .
Incumbents are favoured , innovative competition is discouraged .
.
If the state has a big role in the economy , it is all too easy to find ourselves misallocating resources towards so-called ‘ national champions ’ .
Foreign competition is seen as a threat to jobs not an opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
With talk of greater self-sufficiency in certain sectors , hostility to China and trade barriers being erected with our principal trading partner , there is a real danger that economy will be less open than any time since the 1960s and ‘ 70s .
• .
It is often thought that the turning point for the UK economy was 1979 and Margaret Thatcher ’ s election as Prime Minister .
Arguably , the process started in 1976 , when the UK had to be bailed out by the IMF and a Labour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end , high levels of spending have to be paid for but that is a lesson that usually has to be learnt the hard way .
Big government is expensive .
• .
If you can not fund big government by borrowing ( and , ultimately , you can not ) , you have to raise taxes .
Some taxes are more damaging than others , which is why the Treasury is advising the Chancellor to focus on property and consumption taxes rather than taxes on income or profits .
The history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that this type of sensible advice is often ignored and talent and investment goes elsewhere .
The point I am making is not that big government inevitably results in all of this happening , but that there is a tendency for this to happen .
Indeed , all of this did happen the last time the UK experimented with big government until it was all swept away by Thatcher .
The 1980s was a painful era for many communities – including some areas that voted Conservative for the first time last year – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ big government era contributed to the pain when economic reality could no longer be denied .
Other countries have avoided these difficulties .
The Scandinavians collect high levels of tax in an economically efficient way ( hands up all those in favour of VAT at 25 per cent with very limited zero rates ? )
, have very open economies ( sorry , but EU – or at least EEA – membership helps ) and have a tradition of constructive trade unionism ( which was not our experience when trade unions were strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to return to the days of Big Government , it is going to need to think very carefully about how it does so without returning to the mistakes of the past .
Our previous experience of Big Government started with talk of the white heat of technology and embracing innovation .
It ended up as a nostalgic , inward-looking , fiscally incontinent , enterprise-destroying mess .
It really does not have to be this way .
But it might very easily be where we end up .

David Gauke is a former Justice Secretary, and was an independent candidate in South-West Hertfordshire at the recent general election.
It is all but an inevitably that, post-Coronavirus, we will be in an era of big government. Even before anyone had heard of the virus, it was clear that public opinion had shifted decisively in favour of higher spending. The coalition of support assembled by the Government at the last general election was much more economically left-wing than traditional Conservative support. Polling during the campaign consistently showed substantial support for greater state intervention in the economy from supporters of all political parties.
Covid-19 has accelerated this process. Government spending has surged; the taxpayer is supporting vast numbers of people; the state removed our most basic liberties and, after three months, is only gradually returning them. And the public appears to thoroughly approve. Post-Covid, the political environment is likely to be egalitarian, communitarian and interventionist.
For libertarian, small state Eurosceptics, all of this must come as a bit of a disappointment. Many of my generation were drawn to Euroscepticism because the EU was seen as a force for big government. “We have not successfully rolled back the frontiers of the state in Britain, only to see them reimposed at European level, with a European super-state exercising a new dominance from Brussels,” Thatcher said in Bruges in September 1988.
Now free of “dominance from Brussels”, the frontiers of the state appear to be rolling forward at quite a rate. Indeed, on such issues as state aid, the EU was an impediment to government intervention in the economy.
It must surely now be dawning on some libertarian romantics that the reason the UK had failed to pursue a permanent Thatcherite revolution, shrinking the state and turning us into Singapore-upon-Thames, was nothing to do with EU membership, but because the British people don’t want that.
There is a reason why both the Leave campaign in 2016 and the Conservatives in last year’s general election steered clear of setting out a bold, small state, deregulatory agenda.
The public’s enthusiasm for big government appears to be shared by the Government. Much of this is right and understandable. Many parts of the public services do require higher spending. The coronavirus makes the case that we need to be better prepared for ‘black swan’ events – not only pandemics, but also other potential threats such as a collapse of our cyber network, massive power outages or climate change – whether by strengthening our resilience or investing in prevention.
As with the banking crash, Covid-19 reveals that the state will always be crucial in a crisis. The virus also highlights the dedication and expertise of so many people working in the public sector.
But before we rush in to embrace the advance of the state, it is worth remembering why the UK abandoned big government during the 1980s. Other countries have succeeded with a large state, but that has not been the UK’s experience. If big government is inevitable, how do we avoid the failures of the post-War period that was characterised by our relative decline?
Let me give four examples of how the UK’s experience of big government led to bad government.
Producer capture . The experience of State ownership of industry in this country was not a happy one. In part, this was caused by a mentality that the interests of the producer – the state-owned industry and its employees – mattered more than the interests of the consumers. For example, by the time we got to the 1980s, the point of the National Coal Board (at least in the eyes of the NUM and its supporters) was to employ miners, not to mine coal that people wanted to buy. This might be an extreme example but involvement of the state can blur objectives, distort decision-making and deny commercial reality. ‘Protecting jobs’ is usually good politics, but too often it justifies tolerating economic inefficiency, at a cost for taxpayers and consumers. Incumbents are favoured, innovative competition is discouraged.
Economic nationalism . If the state has a big role in the economy, it is all too easy to find ourselves misallocating resources towards so-called ‘national champions’. Foreign competition is seen as a threat to jobs not an opportunity for cheaper and better goods for consumers. With talk of greater self-sufficiency in certain sectors, hostility to China and trade barriers being erected with our principal trading partner, there is a real danger that economy will be less open than any time since the 1960s and ‘70s.
. The experience of State ownership of industry in this country was not a happy one. In part, this was caused by a mentality that the interests of the producer – the state-owned industry and its employees – mattered more than the interests of the consumers. For example, by the time we got to the 1980s, the point of the National Coal Board (at least in the eyes of the NUM and its supporters) was to employ miners, not to mine coal that people wanted to buy. This might be an extreme example but involvement of the state can blur objectives, distort decision-making and deny commercial reality. ‘Protecting jobs’ is usually good politics, but too often it justifies tolerating economic inefficiency, at a cost for taxpayers and consumers. Incumbents are favoured, innovative competition is discouraged. . If the state has a big role in the economy, it is all too easy to find ourselves misallocating resources towards so-called ‘national champions’. Foreign competition is seen as a threat to jobs not an opportunity for cheaper and better goods for consumers. With talk of greater self-sufficiency in certain sectors, hostility to China and trade barriers being erected with our principal trading partner, there is a real danger that economy will be less open than any time since the 1960s and ‘70s. Fiscal indiscipline . It is often thought that the turning point for the UK economy was 1979 and Margaret Thatcher’s election as Prime Minister. Arguably, the process started in 1976, when the UK had to be bailed out by the IMF and a Labour Government had to cut spending. In the end, high levels of spending have to be paid for but that is a lesson that usually has to be learnt the hard way. Big government is expensive.
. It is often thought that the turning point for the UK economy was 1979 and Margaret Thatcher’s election as Prime Minister. Arguably, the process started in 1976, when the UK had to be bailed out by the IMF and a Labour Government had to cut spending. In the end, high levels of spending have to be paid for but that is a lesson that usually has to be learnt the hard way. Big government is expensive. Growth-destroying tax policies . If you cannot fund big government by borrowing (and, ultimately, you cannot), you have to raise taxes. Some taxes are more damaging than others, which is why the Treasury is advising the Chancellor to focus on property and consumption taxes rather than taxes on income or profits. The history of big government in this country is that this type of sensible advice is often ignored and talent and investment goes elsewhere.
The point I am making is not that big government inevitably results in all of this happening, but that there is a tendency for this to happen. Indeed, all of this did happen the last time the UK experimented with big government until it was all swept away by Thatcher.
The 1980s was a painful era for many communities – including some areas that voted Conservative for the first time last year – but the accumulation of inefficiency during the big government era contributed to the pain when economic reality could no longer be denied.
Other countries have avoided these difficulties. The Scandinavians collect high levels of tax in an economically efficient way (hands up all those in favour of VAT at 25 per cent with very limited zero rates?), have very open economies (sorry, but EU – or at least EEA – membership helps) and have a tradition of constructive trade unionism (which was not our experience when trade unions were strong).
If the UK is going to return to the days of Big Government, it is going to need to think very carefully about how it does so without returning to the mistakes of the past. Our previous experience of Big Government started with talk of the white heat of technology and embracing innovation. It ended up as a nostalgic, inward-looking, fiscally incontinent, enterprise-destroying mess. It really does not have to be this way. But it might very easily be where we end up.


conservativehome--2020-06-21--WATCH: “Frankly, I don’t know what Gavin Williamson has been doing for the last three months”, says

WATCH: “Frankly, I don’t know what Gavin Williamson has been doing for the last three months”, says Reeves

`` The government have failed in the commitments they made to parents and to the country '' to get primary @ @ @ @ @ summer holiday says @ RachelReevesMP She says libraries , community & leisure centres should have @ @ @ @ @ # Ridge pic.twitter.com/OEVxkveHpf

"The government have failed in the commitments they made to parents and to the country" to get primary school children back before the summer holiday says @RachelReevesMP
She says libraries, community & leisure centres should have been used as temporary schools.#Ridge pic.twitter.com/OEVxkveHpf
— Sophy Ridge on Sunday & The Take (@RidgeOnSunday) June 21, 2020


conservativehome--2020-06-21--WATCH: Bailey defends Raab. “It means nothing if you’re bullied into taking the knee”.

'Were you offended by what Dominic Raab said ? '
'No , because I think taking the knee is a @ @ @ @ @ have to understand what that means to you ' says Conservative candidate for London mayor @ @ @ @

'Were you offended by what Dominic Raab said?'
'No, because I think taking the knee is a very personal gesture and you have to understand what that means to you' says Conservative candidate for London mayor @ShaunBaileyUK.#Ridge
More here: https://t.co/LzrVtALJSX pic.twitter.com/CERkQ0xnLI
— Sophy Ridge on Sunday & The Take (@RidgeOnSunday) June 21, 2020


conservativehome--2020-06-21--WATCH: “We’re about to see another step in the plan”, says Hancock

The government confirms that it will set out `` another step '' in its plan to move the UK out @ @ @ @ @ Matt Hancock # Marr https : //t.co/X3fmzJN8xq pic.twitter.com/SXSa66Bahs

The government confirms that it will set out "another step" in its plan to move the UK out of lockdown says Health Secretary Matt Hancock#Marr https://t.co/X3fmzJN8xq pic.twitter.com/SXSa66Bahs
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) June 21, 2020


conservativehome--2020-06-21--WATCH: Ashworth – Labour would drop two metre rule “under certain circumstances”

Nick Robinson : Will Labour back a change to the 2m social distance rule ?
Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth @ @ @ @ @ certain circumstances '' # Marr https : //t.co/s8Qjiz1QhA pic.twitter.com/6gynhpSBWT

Nick Robinson: Will Labour back a change to the 2m social distance rule?
Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth: "Yes, under certain circumstances"#Marr https://t.co/s8Qjiz1QhA pic.twitter.com/6gynhpSBWT
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) June 21, 2020


conservativehome--2020-06-21--WATCH: Hancock – Apple has “in the past also been intransigent in the face of perfectly reasonable r

WATCH: Hancock – Apple has “in the past also been intransigent in the face of perfectly reasonable requests”

'Apple has been intransigent in the face of perfectly reasonable requests from democratically elected governments . '
@ MattHancock responds @ @ @ @ @ govt ignored warnings that Apple technology wouldn ’ t work with the # coronavirus app.
@ @ @ @ @ //t.co/wA5Y5ycEnd pic.twitter.com/2lqSsmwNEF

'Apple has been intransigent in the face of perfectly reasonable requests from democratically elected governments.'@MattHancock responds to question on why the govt ignored warnings that Apple technology wouldn’t work with the #coronavirus app.#Ridge: https://t.co/wA5Y5ycEnd pic.twitter.com/2lqSsmwNEF
— Sophy Ridge on Sunday & The Take (@RidgeOnSunday) June 21, 2020


conservativehome--2020-06-21--Polling snapshot. Is the statues and history fracas helping to solidify the Conservative vote?

Our newslinks of Monday June 8 carried reports of the violation of Winston Churchill ’ s statue and the destruction of Edward Colston ’ s .
According to Politico ’ s poll of polls above , the Conservative poll rating had been sliding slowly since about April 23rd , when it stood on 51 per cent , to June 2nd , when it reached 43 per cent .
Today is June 20th , the best part of three weeks later , and that Tory rating is still 43 per cent – for all the recent dramas involving children ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools , falling vacancies and so on .
The Politico chart doesn ’ t take into account a Redfield Winton poll released yesterday , but that shows the same concluding figures as the graphic : Conservatives 43 per cent , Labour 38 per cent .
Explanation One : until the effect of closures and sackings work their way through the economy , there is a floor beneath which the Tories won ’ t fall of 40 per cent or a bit above – all other things being equal .
By the same token @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Keir Starmer can squeeze the Liberal Democrats and others , so for the moment there is also a ceiling above which Labour can ’ t rise .
Explanation Two : the race and riots row is helping to solidify the Conservative vote , now that Boris Johnson , after an uncertain initial response , is gradually toughening up his position .
Similarly , it is helping to pause the progress of Starmer , who after all decided , as the Prime Minister did not , to be photographed “ taking a knee ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As academic like to say , “ we need more research , ” but it is noticeable that the Tory rating , having fallen by about seven points , seems to have stabilised for the moment .

Source: Politico
Our newslinks of Monday June 8 carried reports of the violation of Winston Churchill’s statue and the destruction of Edward Colston’s.
According to Politico’s poll of polls above, the Conservative poll rating had been sliding slowly since about April 23rd, when it stood on 51 per cent, to June 2nd, when it reached 43 per cent.
Today is June 20th, the best part of three weeks later, and that Tory rating is still 43 per cent – for all the recent dramas involving children’s meals, the NHS App, closed schools, falling vacancies and so on.
The Politico chart doesn’t take into account a Redfield Winton poll released yesterday, but that shows the same concluding figures as the graphic: Conservatives 43 per cent, Labour 38 per cent.
Explanation One: until the effect of closures and sackings work their way through the economy, there is a floor beneath which the Tories won’t fall of 40 per cent or a bit above – all other things being equal.
By the same token, there is a limit to which Keir Starmer can squeeze the Liberal Democrats and others, so for the moment there is also a ceiling above which Labour can’t rise.
Explanation Two: the race and riots row is helping to solidify the Conservative vote, now that Boris Johnson, after an uncertain initial response, is gradually toughening up his position.
Similarly, it is helping to pause the progress of Starmer, who after all decided, as the Prime Minister did not, to be photographed “taking a knee”.
Or maybe a bit of both. As academics like to say, “we need more research,” but it is noticeable that the Tory rating, having fallen by about seven points, seems to have stabilised for the moment.


conservativehome--2020-06-22--Richard Holden: Here in Durham, Labour ponder tinkering with statues – while local people yearn for

Richard Holden: Here in Durham, Labour ponder tinkering with statues – while local people yearn for jobs, security and pay

Grabbing a sausage bap ( on brown , butter and brown sauce ) and coffee ( black , no sugar ) from the Chatterbox Café in St John ’ s Chapel yesterday , I remembered it was Father ’ s Day , and that my dad had come up to campaign with me in the very spot where I was sitting last year .
So a phonecall and a natter about how him and mum are managing – and I as no longer the least favoured child .
Like millions of other families across the country and thousands in North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ affected him and my mum .
While she ’ s been doing more shifts as a ward clerk at the local community hospital back in East Lancashire , my dad has had to shield with my grandma , for whom he ’ s a carer and , therefore , socially distance from my mum , even in their own home .
As we slowly emerge from the global health pandemic element of Coronavirus though , for the country and my constituents , it ’ s the barrel of its economic consequences that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biggest fall in GDP ever last week was made only too real last Thursday for many of my constituents .
Back in my slowly opening-up constituency , I visited the large local employer who ’ d emailed the day before .
It makes the aluminium parts that go into the wings of planes ( which allow a flex of up to 45 degrees – so when you see those plane wings move , it ’ s the men and women of Consett who ’ ve made that possible ) .
They take on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers earn , on average , just under £30,000 a year , with their most experienced workers earning about £40,000 .
Due to the collapse in travel , the knock-on hit on the airlines , the further knock-on hit on aircraft leasing and the subsequent knock-on impact , therefore , on aircraft manufacture , they ’ re going to have to lay off half of their workforce – over 100 people .
Speaking to their plant manager on site on Friday , it was clear that , if it hadn ’ t been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major efficiency improvements , the plant would now be under threat of closure .
As it is , they ’ re in a position of being able to survive , and they have my commitment to do everything I can to help them secure more work from wherever possible .
This economic challenge that we ’ re now facing is at least as significant as the health one we ’ ve just faced .
But the Left has barely mentioned it .
Most of them are fine – all the polling shows that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ graduate voter base in cities will have been on full pay , working from home .
Indeed , the activist left appear to have been most active at trying to ignite a culture war .
Even Labour-led Durham Council has announced they are conducting “ a review of all statues and monuments ” a couple of weeks ago , as it simultaneously ignored the pleas of local businesses while coning-off previously open disabled parking bays in Crook , Consett and Willington , in order to prevent people from being able to get to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ On a national level , after an early barrister ’ s bounce presenting his opening case , Keir Starmer has started to flap under cross-examination himself .
Trying to keep the Labour membership , Labour councils such as ours , Rebecca Long-Bailey and the more extreme elements of the National Education Union happy by refusing to support the Government as it tries to get schools back makes him look increasingly tin-eared to the concerns of ordinary voters .
My constituents are also increasingly concerned about wanting to get ‘ back to normal ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many having seen long-planned operations cancelled – so they want to get hospitals back to normal as soon as possible , too .
But the biggest concern is about the economy and , to my constituents , that means opportunities to work in good , well-paid jobs and local businesses that are able to thrive .
Without demand returning , times are going to get increasingly tough .
When it comes down to it , “ levelling up ” is certainly about improving health and education but the driver of that , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Conservative leadership campaign , is the “ other wing that Labour always forget about ” – the strong and vibrant economy that pays for it all .
As we ’ ve seen over the last few weeks in terms of trade deals internationally with Japan , Australia and New Zealand , we ’ re well on the way .
Britain ’ s approach to the EU , by which we seek a free trade agreement but will clearly take control back of our own borders , money and laws , is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re after too .
That ’ s solid , welcomed and good for the long-term .
During the next few weeks or so , though , the Government faces immediate challenges on how we drop a gear to get the economy accelerating again , as we move beyond direct state support from grants and furlough .
When they do so , Ministers should consider the businesses small and large , from tourism to transport at the heart of those changes .
The primary change we need to make is to switch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to open ” to instead specifying “ what in the interest of public health needs to continue to be restricted.
” Good jobs are the foundation of a solid economy and society .
As Starmer sits on the fence , pulled to a stalemate in a perpetual tug-of-war from both sides of his party , while locally Labour wastes time and taxpayers ’ cash on trying to mastermind its own mini-cultural revolution , the overwhelming majority of what we must do is to tackle the impact of Coronavirus on the economy .
Ensuring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as many jobs and businesses as possible , and deliver for the fathers and families of North West Durham and across our country must be our number one priority .
At times like this , we need to remember the words of Iain Macleod , the only other person I ’ m aware of who entered politics after attending my old grammar school in North Yorkshire , who spoke at the Conservative Party Conference exactly 60 years ago : “ The Socialists can scheme their schemes , and the Liberals can dream their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party have got work to do .
”

Richard Holden is MP for North West Durham.
Chatterbox Café, Marketplace, St John’s Capel, Weardale
Grabbing a sausage bap (on brown, butter and brown sauce) and coffee (black, no sugar) from the Chatterbox Café in St John’s Chapel yesterday, I remembered it was Father’s Day, and that my dad had come up to campaign with me in the very spot where I was sitting last year. So a phonecall and a natter about how him and mum are managing – and I as no longer the least favoured child.
Like millions of other families across the country and thousands in North West Durham, the lockdown has really affected him and my mum. While she’s been doing more shifts as a ward clerk at the local community hospital back in East Lancashire, my dad has had to shield with my grandma, for whom he’s a carer and, therefore, socially distance from my mum, even in their own home.
As we slowly emerge from the global health pandemic element of Coronavirus though, for the country and my constituents, it’s the barrel of its economic consequences that we’re now staring down.
The biggest fall in GDP ever last week was made only too real last Thursday for many of my constituents. Back in my slowly opening-up constituency, I visited the large local employer who’d emailed the day before.
It makes the aluminium parts that go into the wings of planes (which allow a flex of up to 45 degrees – so when you see those plane wings move, it’s the men and women of Consett who’ve made that possible). They take on apprentices, and their highly skilled local workers earn, on average, just under £30,000 a year, with their most experienced workers earning about £40,000.
Due to the collapse in travel, the knock-on hit on the airlines, the further knock-on hit on aircraft leasing and the subsequent knock-on impact, therefore, on aircraft manufacture, they’re going to have to lay off half of their workforce – over 100 people.
Speaking to their plant manager on site on Friday, it was clear that, if it hadn’t been for huge investment in recent years and major efficiency improvements, the plant would now be under threat of closure. As it is, they’re in a position of being able to survive, and they have my commitment to do everything I can to help them secure more work from wherever possible.
This economic challenge that we’re now facing is at least as significant as the health one we’ve just faced. But the Left has barely mentioned it. Most of them are fine – all the polling shows that many of Labour’s most loyal graduate voter base in cities will have been on full pay, working from home.
Indeed, the activist left appear to have been most active at trying to ignite a culture war. Even Labour-led Durham Council has announced they are conducting “a review of all statues and monuments” a couple of weeks ago, as it simultaneously ignored the pleas of local businesses while coning-off previously open disabled parking bays in Crook, Consett and Willington, in order to prevent people from being able to get to the newly re-opened shops last week.
On a national level, after an early barrister’s bounce presenting his opening case, Keir Starmer has started to flap under cross-examination himself. Trying to keep the Labour membership, Labour councils such as ours, Rebecca Long-Bailey and the more extreme elements of the National Education Union happy by refusing to support the Government as it tries to get schools back makes him look increasingly tin-eared to the concerns of ordinary voters.
My constituents are also increasingly concerned about wanting to get ‘back to normal’ in terms of our NHS – with many having seen long-planned operations cancelled – so they want to get hospitals back to normal as soon as possible, too.
But the biggest concern is about the economy and, to my constituents, that means opportunities to work in good, well-paid jobs and local businesses that are able to thrive. Without demand returning, times are going to get increasingly tough. When it comes down to it, “levelling up” is certainly about improving health and education but the driver of that, as Boris Johnson said during last year’s Conservative leadership campaign, is the “other wing that Labour always forget about” – the strong and vibrant economy that pays for it all.
As we’ve seen over the last few weeks in terms of trade deals internationally with Japan, Australia and New Zealand, we’re well on the way. Britain’s approach to the EU, by which we seek a free trade agreement but will clearly take control back of our own borders, money and laws, is the right one to give certainty about what we’re after too. That’s solid, welcomed and good for the long-term.
During the next few weeks or so, though, the Government faces immediate challenges on how we drop a gear to get the economy accelerating again, as we move beyond direct state support from grants and furlough. When they do so, Ministers should consider the businesses small and large, from tourism to transport at the heart of those changes. The primary change we need to make is to switch from saying “what’s allowed to open” to instead specifying “what in the interest of public health needs to continue to be restricted.”
Good jobs are the foundation of a solid economy and society. As Starmer sits on the fence, pulled to a stalemate in a perpetual tug-of-war from both sides of his party, while locally Labour wastes time and taxpayers’ cash on trying to mastermind its own mini-cultural revolution, the overwhelming majority of what we must do is to tackle the impact of Coronavirus on the economy.
Ensuring that we get demand going to save as many jobs and businesses as possible, and deliver for the fathers and families of North West Durham and across our country must be our number one priority. At times like this, we need to remember the words of Iain Macleod, the only other person I’m aware of who entered politics after attending my old grammar school in North Yorkshire, who spoke at the Conservative Party Conference exactly 60 years ago: “The Socialists can scheme their schemes, and the Liberals can dream their dreams, but we in the Conservative Party have got work to do.”


conservativehome--2020-06-22--Will Sweet: How to get more children back to school

Cllr Will Sweet is the Cabinet Member for Education and Children ’ s Services in Wandsworth .
He was the Conservative candidate in Putney in the General Election .
The smiles on children ’ s faces as schools re-opened was a reminder that , as the Prime Minister said , “ the education of our children is crucial for their welfare , their health , their long-term future , and for social justice.
” Conservative local authorities worked non-stop to get schools open .
We must use the same methods to get more children back to school safely before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had one of the highest numbers of schools re-opening in the country on day one , with every single mainstream school open within a week .
Now we ’ re using the same can-do approach to expand capacity and welcome more year groups .
We want to repay the trust and faith that parents and carers have put in us .
As a result of our actions , Wandsworth has significantly above national average attendance .
Some of our schools expect every year group back .
How are we doing it ?
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do are long gone .
The relationship between local authorities and schools – whether maintained , academies , or private schools – is at its best when it works on partnership .
Never has this been more true than during coronavirus , where the decision to open sits firmly with headteachers and governing bodies .
We have had no hesitation backing them .
But there has still been a huge role for local authorities .
As a council we controlled the controllables .
Our schools helped us see what is blocking the path @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year groups as possible .
We figured out together what might stop teachers returning to work .
That meant guaranteeing personal protective equipment ( PPE ) for schools .
Council staff delivered 8,000 facemasks , 8,000 pairs of gloves , and 8,000 medical aprons , along with 50 litres of sanitising hand gel .
We ’ re providing free mental health support too .
For teachers that can ’ t walk or cycle , we ’ re offering free council parking permits so they can get to work without public transport .
Schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ space for social distancing .
With class sizes limited to 15 , we offered free use of council buildings for extra classrooms .
To help with playgrounds , we waived maintenance fees to rent council green spaces .
And to sort out pick-up and drop-off , we offered a traffic-free ‘ School Street ’ to any school that needed it .
One-third of our schools will soon have one .
Our public health experts partnered with schools on risk assessments , deep cleans , and handwashing procedures .
Schools have ingeniously redesigned Victorian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bubbles ’ .
For our most vulnerable , we worked with special needs transport providers to help children get to school safely .
And we introduced a local Free School Meals app from week 1 of lockdown , which we ’ re keeping switched on .
No child should be left behind because of digital poverty , especially while some continue learning from home .
Through our one-of-a-kind ‘ Power to Connect ’ partnership with Battersea Power Station , we refurbish laptops donated by the council , businesses , and residents .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vouchers and dongles .
Together with the government scheme , we ’ ll soon reach 1,100 laptops .
In the best local authorities , schools work like a family .
In Wandsworth , academies and maintained schools have stood together , shared best practice and offered peer support .
Private schools are playing their part in our communities as we recover together .
Our teachers have a sense of mission and that ’ s why so many have come back to school , sometimes in the face of difficult union demands .
Wandsworth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to children with special needs and from vulnerable backgrounds .
This ‘ child-centred ’ approach gives teachers a stronger appreciation of their impact on children ’ s lives .
And they see the importance of socialising and routine on young people ’ s mental health .
As the Education Secretary says , “ for each day that children miss out on formal lessons , their hopes and future chances are put at risk.
” The unions put scary posters up near our schools , which isn ’ t fair on our children and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ address concerns .
I ’ m so proud of our teachers and young people for coming back to school .
They shouldn ’ t be political footballs .
When my Labour opposite number spoke at a conference to stop schools from re-opening , my overwhelming feeling was disappointment .
The fact is , we re-opened schools as a team and now we ’ re getting more year groups back as a team .
Teachers , council officers , businesses , residents , children , parents and carers are working together .
If there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ preserve from this crisis , it will be this team staying together .
That way , we ’ ll get even more children back to school , we ’ ll help them catch up , and we ’ ll improve education for the long term .

Cllr Will Sweet is the Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Services in Wandsworth. He was the Conservative candidate in Putney in the General Election.
The smiles on children’s faces as schools re-opened was a reminder that, as the Prime Minister said, “the education of our children is crucial for their welfare, their health, their long-term future, and for social justice.”
Conservative local authorities worked non-stop to get schools open. We must use the same methods to get more children back to school safely before the summer break.
In Wandsworth, we had one of the highest numbers of schools re-opening in the country on day one, with every single mainstream school open within a week. Now we’re using the same can-do approach to expand capacity and welcome more year groups. We want to repay the trust and faith that parents and carers have put in us.
As a result of our actions, Wandsworth has significantly above national average attendance. Some of our schools expect every year group back. How are we doing it?
The days of councils telling schools what to do are long gone. The relationship between local authorities and schools – whether maintained, academies, or private schools – is at its best when it works on partnership.
Never has this been more true than during coronavirus, where the decision to open sits firmly with headteachers and governing bodies. We have had no hesitation backing them.
But there has still been a huge role for local authorities. As a council we controlled the controllables. Our schools helped us see what is blocking the path for them to open to as many year groups as possible.
Then we unblocked, unblocked, unblocked.
We figured out together what might stop teachers returning to work. That meant guaranteeing personal protective equipment (PPE) for schools. Council staff delivered 8,000 facemasks, 8,000 pairs of gloves, and 8,000 medical aprons, along with 50 litres of sanitising hand gel. We’re providing free mental health support too. For teachers that can’t walk or cycle, we’re offering free council parking permits so they can get to work without public transport.
Schools were worried they wouldn’t have space for social distancing. With class sizes limited to 15, we offered free use of council buildings for extra classrooms. To help with playgrounds, we waived maintenance fees to rent council green spaces. And to sort out pick-up and drop-off, we offered a traffic-free ‘School Street’ to any school that needed it. One-third of our schools will soon have one.
Our public health experts partnered with schools on risk assessments, deep cleans, and handwashing procedures. Schools have ingeniously redesigned Victorian buildings with one-way corridors and separate ‘bubbles’.
For our most vulnerable, we worked with special needs transport providers to help children get to school safely. And we introduced a local Free School Meals app from week 1 of lockdown, which we’re keeping switched on.
No child should be left behind because of digital poverty, especially while some continue learning from home. Through our one-of-a-kind ‘Power to Connect’ partnership with Battersea Power Station, we refurbish laptops donated by the council, businesses, and residents. We give them to children, with data vouchers and dongles. Together with the government scheme, we’ll soon reach 1,100 laptops.
In the best local authorities, schools work like a family. In Wandsworth, academies and maintained schools have stood together, shared best practice and offered peer support. Private schools are playing their part in our communities as we recover together.
Our teachers have a sense of mission and that’s why so many have come back to school, sometimes in the face of difficult union demands. Wandsworth schools are famous for their inclusive approach to children with special needs and from vulnerable backgrounds. This ‘child-centred’ approach gives teachers a stronger appreciation of their impact on children’s lives. And they see the importance of socialising and routine on young people’s mental health. As the Education Secretary says, “for each day that children miss out on formal lessons, their hopes and future chances are put at risk.”
The unions put scary posters up near our schools, which isn’t fair on our children and ignores the council’s work to address concerns. I’m so proud of our teachers and young people for coming back to school. They shouldn’t be political footballs. When my Labour opposite number spoke at a conference to stop schools from re-opening, my overwhelming feeling was disappointment.
The fact is, we re-opened schools as a team and now we’re getting more year groups back as a team. Teachers, council officers, businesses, residents, children, parents and carers are working together. If there is one thing I am determined to preserve from this crisis, it will be this team staying together. That way, we’ll get even more children back to school, we’ll help them catch up, and we’ll improve education for the long term.


conservativehome--2020-06-22--Calling Conservatives: New public appointments announced. Non-Executive Directors at NHS England – a

Calling Conservatives: New public appointments announced. Non-Executive Directors at NHS England – 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 .
“ DFID leads the UK ’ s work to end extreme poverty , deliver the Global Goals , and tackle global challenges in line with the government ’ s UK Aid Strategy .
We are delivering against the Government ’ s manifesto to stand up for the right of every girl in the world to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end the preventable deaths of mothers , new born babies and children by 2030 and to fight climate change , protect the environment and preserve biodiversity .
We are helping to lead the international response to prevent and mitigate the impacts of the Coronavirus and we work to save lives when humanitarian emergencies hit .
We do this whilst also investing in the systems that help support Global Health Security and improve peoples ’ resilience to shocks and supporting countries receiving aid to become self-sufficient.
” “ The Commission operates as an executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ireland Office and is a key part of the architecture of human rights protections in Northern Ireland… Candidates for these roles must be able to make a personal contribution to the work of the Commission and will need to demonstrate : the ability to build productive and respectful relationships with fellow Commissioners , senior stakeholders and diverse communities ; knowledge of human rights law , and of the scope and limits of the NIHRCs work in Northern Ireland , and the considerations that influence the environment in which it operates ; the ability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a broad spectrum of policy and high level human rights issues ; and a reputation for personal integrity , professional conduct and credibility , with an exceptional sense of propriety.
” “ Both Non-Executive Board Members roles will exercise their role through influence and advice , supporting as well as challenging the executive , and covering such issues as : support , guidance and challenge on the progress and implementation of the Departments Strategy ( the single departmental plan ) ; performance ( including agreeing key performance indicators ) , operational issues ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy proposals ) , adherence to relevant standards ( e.g .
commercial , digital ) , and on the effective management of the department ; [ and ] the recruitment , appraisal and suitable succession planning of senior executives , as appropriate within the principles set out by the Civil Service Commission.
” “ IE : UK is a joint industry and government partnership , strategically targeting major infrastructure export opportunities around the world .
It is supported by DIT ’ s network of local staff in 116 markets , with the objective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major strategic infrastructure projects through a consortium-led approach .
The objective of IE : UK is to increase UK infrastructure exports and identify gaps in the UK supply chain for FDI to fill .
The IE : UK Board is co-chaired by DIT ‘ s Minister for Exports and a senior industry leader .
The Industry sector co-Chair will benefit from working closely with the Minister for Exports and leading UK based infrastructure companies to help shape the direction of UK export policy and support within the infrastructure sector.
” “ The Secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is looking to make two Non-Executive Director ( NED ) appointments to NHS England .
NHS England leads the National Health Service in England and sets its priorities and direction .
It is responsible for arranging the provision of health services and for more than £150 billion of funds .
The primary role of Non-Executive Directors is , as a team , to lead in developing the strategy for , and overseeing the work of NHS England by participating fully in the work of the board , both in the context of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Non-Executive Directors also play a part in representing NHS England externally , alongside the Chief Executive , the Chair and the wider Executive team.
” “ Do you want to play a key role in helping to shape the future of migration issues and support the interests of UK residents ?
If so , you can do this by becoming a Member of the Migration Advisory Committee ( MAC ) .
The MAC advises the government on a range of migration policy issues , offering independent evidence-based advice , and its core @ @ @ @ @ @ @ high quality evidence-based , economics focused , reports and policy advice in accordance with the work plan set by the Government ; and help ensure that Government policy and strategy in relation to migration and employment is based on the best possible evidence and analysis .
To date the advice of the Committee has included impacts of migration ; annual limits on , and the design of , Tiers 1 and 2 of the Points-Based System ; and transitional labour market access for nationals of new EU member states.
” “ Non-Executive Directors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and operational leadership of the Northern Ireland Office .
They complement the balance of skills and experience of Government Ministers and officials by bringing independent advice , support , constructive challenge and a fresh external perspective to help shape a department ’ s work .
To complement the existing balance of skills on the Northern Ireland Office Departmental Board and to ensure that it can provide expert advice to Ministers on a wide range of issues and challenges , we would particularly welcome applications from people with experience in the business and commercial @ @ @

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.
– – – – – – – – – –
DFID Board – Non-Executive Director
“DFID leads the UK’s work to end extreme poverty, deliver the Global Goals, and tackle global challenges in line with the government’s UK Aid Strategy. We are delivering against the Government’s manifesto to stand up for the right of every girl in the world to have 12 years of quality education, to end the preventable deaths of mothers, new born babies and children by 2030 and to fight climate change, protect the environment and preserve biodiversity. We are helping to lead the international response to prevent and mitigate the impacts of the Coronavirus and we work to save lives when humanitarian emergencies hit. We do this whilst also investing in the systems that help support Global Health Security and improve peoples’ resilience to shocks and supporting countries receiving aid to become self-sufficient.”
Time: Approx. 20 days per annum.
Remuneration: £15,000 per annum.
Closes: 26 June
– – – – – – – – – –
Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission – Commissioners
“The Commission operates as an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Northern Ireland Office and is a key part of the architecture of human rights protections in Northern Ireland… Candidates for these roles must be able to make a personal contribution to the work of the Commission and will need to demonstrate: the ability to build productive and respectful relationships with fellow Commissioners, senior stakeholders and diverse communities; knowledge of human rights law, and of the scope and limits of the NIHRCs work in Northern Ireland, and the considerations that influence the environment in which it operates; the ability to analyse information and exercise judgement across a broad spectrum of policy and high level human rights issues; and a reputation for personal integrity, professional conduct and credibility, with an exceptional sense of propriety.”
Time: Approx. 3 days per month.
Remuneration: £7,500 per annum.
Closes: 26 June
– – – – – – – – – –
Department for International Trade – Lead Non-Executive Board Member/Non-Executive Board Member
“Both Non-Executive Board Members roles will exercise their role through influence and advice, supporting as well as challenging the executive, and covering such issues as: support, guidance and challenge on the progress and implementation of the Departments Strategy (the single departmental plan); performance (including agreeing key performance indicators), operational issues (including the operational and delivery implications of policy proposals), adherence to relevant standards (e.g. commercial, digital), and on the effective management of the department; [and] the recruitment, appraisal and suitable succession planning of senior executives, as appropriate within the principles set out by the Civil Service Commission.”
Time: Approx. 15-20 days per annum.
Remuneration: £20,000/£15,000 per annum.
Closes: 28 June
– – – – – – – – – –
Infrastructure Exports:UK – Board co-Chair
“IE:UK is a joint industry and government partnership, strategically targeting major infrastructure export opportunities around the world. It is supported by DIT’s network of local staff in 116 markets, with the objective of identifying, pursuing, and delivering major strategic infrastructure projects through a consortium-led approach. The objective of IE:UK is to increase UK infrastructure exports and identify gaps in the UK supply chain for FDI to fill. The IE:UK Board is co-chaired by DIT‘s Minister for Exports and a senior industry leader. The Industry sector co-Chair will benefit from working closely with the Minister for Exports and leading UK based infrastructure companies to help shape the direction of UK export policy and support within the infrastructure sector.”
Time: 3-4 meetings a year.
Remuneration: None.
Closes: 29 June
– – – – – – – – – –
NHS England – Non-Executive Directors
“The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care is looking to make two Non-Executive Director (NED) appointments to NHS England. NHS England leads the National Health Service in England and sets its priorities and direction. It is responsible for arranging the provision of health services and for more than £150 billion of funds. The primary role of Non-Executive Directors is, as a team, to lead in developing the strategy for, and overseeing the work of NHS England by participating fully in the work of the board, both in the context of the board meetings themselves, and more widely. Non-Executive Directors also play a part in representing NHS England externally, alongside the Chief Executive, the Chair and the wider Executive team.”
Time: 2-3 days per month.
Remuneration: £7,883 (£13,137) per annum.
Closes: 02 July
– – – – – – – – – –
Migration Advisory Committee – Members
“Do you want to play a key role in helping to shape the future of migration issues and support the interests of UK residents? If so, you can do this by becoming a Member of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC). The MAC advises the government on a range of migration policy issues, offering independent evidence-based advice, and its core statement of purpose is to: deliver high quality evidence-based, economics focused, reports and policy advice in accordance with the work plan set by the Government; and help ensure that Government policy and strategy in relation to migration and employment is based on the best possible evidence and analysis. To date the advice of the Committee has included impacts of migration; annual limits on, and the design of, Tiers 1 and 2 of the Points-Based System; and transitional labour market access for nationals of new EU member states.”
Time: “An initial term of three years.”
Remuneration: £275 per diem.
Closes: 06 July
– – – – – – – – – –
Northern Ireland Office – Non-Executive Director
“Non-Executive Directors provide a key role in the strategic and operational leadership of the Northern Ireland Office. They complement the balance of skills and experience of Government Ministers and officials by bringing independent advice, support, constructive challenge and a fresh external perspective to help shape a department’s work. To complement the existing balance of skills on the Northern Ireland Office Departmental Board and to ensure that it can provide expert advice to Ministers on a wide range of issues and challenges, we would particularly welcome applications from people with experience in the business and commercial sector.”
Time: Approx. 10 days per annum.
Remuneration: £7,500 per annum plus expenses.
Closes: 10 July


conservativehome--2020-06-22--WATCH: Hancock – Bubbles will get bigger

❓Ask your question at the press conference https : //t.co/AciuhAKREC ❓ https : //t.co/YntlMZwqK0

WATCH LIVE: #Coronavirus press conference (22 June 2020)
Speakers:
🔵 @MattHancock, @DHSCgovuk Secretary
🔵 Dr Jenny Harries, Deputy Chief Medical Officer
❓Ask your question at the press conference https://t.co/AciuhAKREC ❓ https://t.co/YntlMZwqK0
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) June 22, 2020


conservativehome--2020-06-23--Four years on since Brexit, the media still doesn’t get the public mood

Almost every voter will remember where they were this day four years ago , and I am no different .
On the morning of June 23 2016 , I was walking down Islington ’ s Upper Street , on my way to work , having marked my ballot paper in the EU referendum .
During those summer months , Islington had become rather like an assault course , in which I found myself dodging smiling people in blue t-shirts at every street corner .
Think Catherine Zeta-Jones in Entrapment , only a less graceful , two-stone heavier version having to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead of lasers .
That was me .
Blink for a second and two or more Remainers would suddenly appear , reminding me to “ vote ” ( which never means “ vote Brexit ” or “ Conservative ” , of course ) .
Eventually I snapped and replied that yes I had , thank you , and had chosen Leave .
I remember how transgressive it felt to utter those words – especially in Islington , where one always expects to be pelted with a Greggs vegan sausage roll when expressing any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Corbyn !
” Indeed , when the news came that Leave had won , a horrible atmosphere descended across London .
As one of the three Brexiteers in my previous office , I tiptoed to the coffee machine , so revealing was the silence .
At social events , whether parties , the pub , or the rest , I avoided political chatter – lest it be known I had the “ wrong ” views .
It seemed to me that much of the hostility towards Leavers was about shock ; the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe what had happened , and thus blamed their political opponents for being thick , racist xenophobic liars – and even “ Hitler ” ( according to David Lammy ) .
But deep down I couldn ’ t help thinking that the anger was misdirected , as it was the media that led them so terribly astray .
They have done this to voters repeatedly , culminating in the surprise of 2019 ’ s election .
Anyone watching BBC News in the run-up could be forgiven for supposing that the UK would soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bowl haircuts and Linda McCartney food .
How many more election shocks will there be , one wonders .
Particularly given recent events .
Watching one Laura Kuenssberg report last week , it was easy to believe that everyone in the UK hates Dominic Raab for refusing to kneel .
Other headlines make out that the calls for JK Rowling to be cancelled are widespread , and that everyone thinks the UK has the “ worst death rate in the world ” for Covid-19 .
But if the last elections are anything to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Brits are , as Paul Goodman recently put it , a patriotic lot , whose self-esteem is contingent upon “ the conviction that they and their home and their country are worth valuing , as is its history and culture.
” They are socially conservative – wanting to maintain law , order and democracy – none of which we have seen in the last few weeks , resulting in anarchic scenes of statue toppling and the erasure of completely harmless TV series , like The Mighty Boosh .
Socially conservative sentiment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ People wanted borders to be protected ; they wanted to end free movement after the Blair years , and they wanted to be independent on the world stage .
In short , they wanted to “ take back control ” .
Instead , Britons have felt demoralised by attacks on innocuous traditions .
Who wants to be told , after all , that they ’ re bigots simply for singing Swing Slow , Sweet Chariot ?
An activity which has no ill-intent whatsoever .
It ’ s difficult to speak out about these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Think what would happen to a high profile rugby star who complained .
They would find themselves the inspiration of tens of angry comment pieces , and maybe even losing sponsorship , in an age when common sense is the new controversy .
Much of this is due to the media treating Twitter , where far left opinions are rife , as reflective of the “ real world ” – and blowing them out of all proportion .
As a London-based journalist , of course , I know that I am not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the media “ bubble ” .
But I believe what has helped ever so slightly is moving out of Islington with my family when I was 12 to live in Maidstone .
While it didn ’ t seem this way at the time , I ’ m convinced my wilderness years were the most useful education I had – a wake-up call as to how different views are up and down the country , a fact that gets forgotten when one is filing pieces and socialising in the big smoke .
The BBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is investing £100m into improving it on TV – but this term never seems to extend to the need for “ ideological diversity ” , especially when it comes to views outside of London .
How often do we hear from Red Wall voters ?
On the occasion the media does travel outside its bubble , it often accosts ordinary men and women outside supermarkets , in the same way as David Attenborough might stumble upon a new species .
“ And what do we have here… we have a Brexiteer ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s see what he has to say ” , one can imagine one of these reporters asking .
What is the answer to all this , you have to ask .
There is no tangible solution , unfortunately , particularly as outrage sells , and so there will be more and more stories about sports anthems and TV series being cancelled , all the while the silent majority kicks back harder with each election .
What does the media want , I wonder ?
It seems self-defeating .
Four years after Brexit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how long it ’ s taken ; the machinations to thwart the result , and so forth – but perhaps the biggest is that this chasm – the difference between the media ’ s definition of “ public ” mood and “ actual ” public mood hasn ’ t gone away , and has , in fact , become worse .
Conservatives will do well to remember that .

Almost every voter will remember where they were this day four years ago, and I am no different. On the morning of June 23 2016, I was walking down Islington’s Upper Street, on my way to work, having marked my ballot paper in the EU referendum.
During those summer months, Islington had become rather like an assault course, in which I found myself dodging smiling people in blue t-shirts at every street corner. Think Catherine Zeta-Jones in Entrapment, only a less graceful, two-stone heavier version having to navigate a complex web of EU leaflets instead of lasers. That was me.
Blink for a second and two or more Remainers would suddenly appear, reminding me to “vote” (which never means “vote Brexit” or “Conservative”, of course). Eventually I snapped and replied that yes I had, thank you, and had chosen Leave.
I remember how transgressive it felt to utter those words – especially in Islington, where one always expects to be pelted with a Greggs vegan sausage roll when expressing any view other than “I love Jeremy Corbyn!”
Indeed, when the news came that Leave had won, a horrible atmosphere descended across London. As one of the three Brexiteers in my previous office, I tiptoed to the coffee machine, so revealing was the silence. At social events, whether parties, the pub, or the rest, I avoided political chatter – lest it be known I had the “wrong” views.
It seemed to me that much of the hostility towards Leavers was about shock; the most fanatical of Remainers simply couldn’t believe what had happened, and thus blamed their political opponents for being thick, racist xenophobic liars – and even “Hitler” (according to David Lammy).
But deep down I couldn’t help thinking that the anger was misdirected, as it was the media that led them so terribly astray. They have done this to voters repeatedly, culminating in the surprise of 2019’s election. Anyone watching BBC News in the run-up could be forgiven for supposing that the UK would soon be a socialist “paradise” of bowl haircuts and Linda McCartney food.
How many more election shocks will there be, one wonders. Particularly given recent events. Watching one Laura Kuenssberg report last week, it was easy to believe that everyone in the UK hates Dominic Raab for refusing to kneel.
Other headlines make out that the calls for JK Rowling to be cancelled are widespread, and that everyone thinks the UK has the “worst death rate in the world” for Covid-19.
But if the last elections are anything to go by, the opposite is true. The Brits are, as Paul Goodman recently put it, a patriotic lot, whose self-esteem is contingent upon “the conviction that they and their home and their country are worth valuing, as is its history and culture.”
They are socially conservative – wanting to maintain law, order and democracy – none of which we have seen in the last few weeks, resulting in anarchic scenes of statue toppling and the erasure of completely harmless TV series, like The Mighty Boosh.
Socially conservative sentiment was reflected in the Brexit vote. People wanted borders to be protected; they wanted to end free movement after the Blair years, and they wanted to be independent on the world stage. In short, they wanted to “take back control”.
Instead, Britons have felt demoralised by attacks on innocuous traditions. Who wants to be told, after all, that they’re bigots simply for singing Swing Slow, Sweet Chariot? An activity which has no ill-intent whatsoever.
It’s difficult to speak out about these matters, due to the media climate. Think what would happen to a high profile rugby star who complained. They would find themselves the inspiration of tens of angry comment pieces, and maybe even losing sponsorship, in an age when common sense is the new controversy.
Much of this is due to the media treating Twitter, where far left opinions are rife, as reflective of the “real world” – and blowing them out of all proportion.
As a London-based journalist, of course, I know that I am not immune to the Twitter effect – or the media “bubble”. But I believe what has helped ever so slightly is moving out of Islington with my family when I was 12 to live in Maidstone.
While it didn’t seem this way at the time, I’m convinced my wilderness years were the most useful education I had – a wake-up call as to how different views are up and down the country, a fact that gets forgotten when one is filing pieces and socialising in the big smoke.
The BBC claims to care about diversity – indeed it is investing £100m into improving it on TV – but this term never seems to extend to the need for “ideological diversity”, especially when it comes to views outside of London. How often do we hear from Red Wall voters?
On the occasion the media does travel outside its bubble, it often accosts ordinary men and women outside supermarkets, in the same way as David Attenborough might stumble upon a new species. “And what do we have here… we have a Brexiteer; very rare… very rare indeed! Let’s see what he has to say”, one can imagine one of these reporters asking.
What is the answer to all this, you have to ask. There is no tangible solution, unfortunately, particularly as outrage sells, and so there will be more and more stories about sports anthems and TV series being cancelled, all the while the silent majority kicks back harder with each election. What does the media want, I wonder? It seems self-defeating.
Four years after Brexit, there have been many surprises – how long it’s taken; the machinations to thwart the result, and so forth – but perhaps the biggest is that this chasm – the difference between the media’s definition of “public” mood and “actual” public mood hasn’t gone away, and has, in fact, become worse. Conservatives will do well to remember that.


conservativehome--2020-06-23--WATCH: Johnson – “Today, we can say that our long national hibernation is beginning to come to an en

WATCH: Johnson – “Today, we can say that our long national hibernation is beginning to come to an end.”

“ Today we can say that our long national hibernation is beginning to come to an end ” PM Boris @ @ @ @ @ returning to our streets… the bustle is starting to come back ” and the `` @ @ @ @ @ people will carry us through

“Today we can say that our long national hibernation is beginning to come to an end”
PM Boris Johnson says “life is returning to our streets… the bustle is starting to come back” and the "common sense" of British people will carry us through
Latest: https://t.co/TNnmnYWvkC pic.twitter.com/YxLF1gKNVM
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) June 23, 2020


conservativehome--2020-06-23--Calling Conservatives: New public appointments announced. Non-Executive Directors at NHS England – a