conservativehome--2020-10-29--Profile: Liz Truss, Perky promoter of free trade with Japan – and, like Johnson, a disruptor

Liz Truss , the International Trade Secretary , proclaims the brilliance of the free trade agreement she has just signed with Japan .
According to a video posted by her on Twitter , the deal , the first of its kind since Brexit , is “ a win-win ” and “ just a glimpse of global Britain ’ s potential ” , for it paves the way to other deals .
Experts observe that the economic benefits of the first deal are likely to be “ very small ” , and mockery erupted when the Department for International Trade tweeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ British Bake Off , the questionable assertion that soy sauce from Japan will become cheaper .
Nonetheless , it ’ s worth remembering that opponents of Brexit lauded the EU ’ s trade deal with Japan , while taking side-swipes at the UK ’ s “ untested , yet still somehow flailing , negotiating team ” .
Truss has delivered a trade agreement which some Remain supporters said wouldn ’ t happen before a trade deal was complete with the EU .
It is extraordinarily difficult to sing the praises of a trade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have yet to be confirmed by events , and are countered by grim forecasts from depressed Remainers , while the voluminous details of what has been agreed are deeply technical and strike the public as intolerably dull .
In the present Cabinet , only Boris Johnson , Michael Gove and perhaps Rishi Sunak could give a speech about trade which would raise people ’ s spirits .
Like most of the rest of her ministerial colleagues , Truss is a dull speaker who never seems to get much better .
But she has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ downhearted .
She possesses a seemingly invincible perkiness .
Last summer , while contemplating a bid for the Tory leadership , she told The Mail on Sunday that as a woman in politics , “ you have to be prepared to put yourself forward because nobody else is going to ” .
In her case , this could well be true .
A senior Tory this week told ConservativeHome : “ Her longevity in Government is a mystery to virtually the whole parliamentary party.
” The senior Tory had perhaps failed to observe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ League Table , Truss , with a net satisfaction rating of +69.7 , was second only to Sunak , on +81.5 , with Dominic Raab in third place with +59.7 and Gove fourth on +56.4 , while the Prime Minister got -10.3 .
At the age of 45 , Truss is a veteran , the second-longest serving member of the Cabinet , which she joined as Environment Secretary in July 2014 , a record beaten only by Gove , appointed Education Secretary in May 2010 .
Perhaps that explains why the editor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ profiles of Truss .
The first appeared in March 2014 , when she was a rising star of the 2010 intake , a tough-minded Thatcherite northerner who had been educated at a comprehensive school and was tipped by some as a future leader .
The next profile appeared in March 2017 , by which time she was Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary , and the judges were furious with her for failing , as they saw it , to defend judicial independence against attack by The Daily Mail .
Three months later , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chief Secretary to the Treasury .
Here she continued to fight her corner , and on occasion to express her disrespect for Cabinet colleagues ( including Gove , by now Environment Secretary ) , as in this lecture , delivered at the London School of Economics in June 2018 : “ I ’ ve never liked being told what to do .
And I don ’ t like to see other people being told what to do .
Britain is a country that is raucous and rowdy… “ I see it as my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be on the side of the insurgents – I see myself as the disruptor in chief !
Because British people love change… “ And government ’ s role should not be to tell us what our tastes should be .
“ Too often we ’ re hearing about not drinking too much…eating too many doughnuts…or enjoying the warm glow of our wood-burning Goves…I mean stoves .
“ I can see their point : there ’ s enough hot air and smoke at the Environment Department already… “ we have to recognise that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demand more money .
It ’ s much tougher to demand better value and challenge the blob of vested interests within your department .
“ Some of my colleagues are not being clear about the tax implications of their proposed higher spending .
“ That ’ s why , in next year ’ s Spending Review , I want to take a zero-based , zero-tolerance approach to wasteful spend.
” In May 2019 , while dipping her toe in leadership waters which turned out to be too chilly for her , Truss spoke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million homes on the London Green Belt ” .
On an earlier occasion , to an American audience , she had spoken with relish of a world in which “ no one knows their place , no one fears failure , and no one is ashamed of success.
” This gung-ho side of her , the relish she takes in assaulting the cosy world of received pseudo-liberal opinion , her longing to let the free market rip in order to produce the wealth which alone will rescue the poor from over-priced housing and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find a ready assent in Johnson .
He too is a disruptor , who wants to unleash the animal spirits which have been crushed by socialist planning laws , and who favours tax cuts for everyone , including that most despised group , the better off .
Truss became the first Cabinet minister to declare for Johnson , and as Stephen Bush some time afterwards related in The New Statesman : Truss was more suited to the go-getting task of pursuing free-trade deals , as part of a global Britain strategy in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – she has the merit of actually believing .
She holds another post , Minister for Women and Equalities , and here too she is of value to Johnson , by holding the line against fashionable opinions which if adopted by him , would destroy his credibility with the former Labour voters in the Midlands and the North who handed victory to the Conservatives last December .
Truss is conducting a review of the whole field of equalities and diversity policy , and at Downing Street ’ s behest , has already refused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Gender Recognition Act .
Crispin Blunt , Conservative MP for Reigate , was furious with her : But the Labour Party leadership has declined to pick a serious fight over this issue , for it knows that many old-style feminists are aghast at the idea of trans men being allowed to declare themselves women and enter women-only spaces .
So Truss , with her odd mixture of indiscretion and obedience , her contempt for liberal groupthink , love of freedom and faith in free trade , is in many ways a useful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to say she has only got where she is today because the Prime Minister needs a reasonably high proportion of women in senior posts .
But it would be fairer to say that she has got there because she had the gumption to declare her loyalty to him in June 2019 , and is in many respects a kindred spirit .

Liz Truss, the International Trade Secretary, proclaims the brilliance of the free trade agreement she has just signed with Japan. According to a video posted by her on Twitter, the deal, the first of its kind since Brexit, is “a win-win” and “just a glimpse of global Britain’s potential”, for it paves the way to other deals.
Experts observe that the economic benefits of the first deal are likely to be “very small”, and mockery erupted when the Department for International Trade tweeted, during an episode of The Great British Bake Off, the questionable assertion that soy sauce from Japan will become cheaper.
Nonetheless, it’s worth remembering that opponents of Brexit lauded the EU’s trade deal with Japan, while taking side-swipes at the UK’s “untested, yet still somehow flailing, negotiating team”. Truss has delivered a trade agreement which some Remain supporters said wouldn’t happen before a trade deal was complete with the EU.
It is extraordinarily difficult to sing the praises of a trade deal. Rosy assertions about future prosperity have yet to be confirmed by events, and are countered by grim forecasts from depressed Remainers, while the voluminous details of what has been agreed are deeply technical and strike the public as intolerably dull.
In the present Cabinet, only Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and perhaps Rishi Sunak could give a speech about trade which would raise people’s spirits.
Like most of the rest of her ministerial colleagues, Truss is a dull speaker who never seems to get much better.
But she has the virtue of never appearing to get downhearted. She possesses a seemingly invincible perkiness.
Last summer, while contemplating a bid for the Tory leadership, she told The Mail on Sunday that as a woman in politics, “you have to be prepared to put yourself forward because nobody else is going to”.
In her case, this could well be true. A senior Tory this week told ConservativeHome: “Her longevity in Government is a mystery to virtually the whole parliamentary party.”
The senior Tory had perhaps failed to observe that in the most recent ConHome Cabinet League Table, Truss, with a net satisfaction rating of +69.7, was second only to Sunak, on +81.5, with Dominic Raab in third place with +59.7 and Gove fourth on +56.4, while the Prime Minister got -10.3.
At the age of 45, Truss is a veteran, the second-longest serving member of the Cabinet, which she joined as Environment Secretary in July 2014, a record beaten only by Gove, appointed Education Secretary in May 2010.
Perhaps that explains why the editor of ConHome possesses a seemingly inexhaustible appetite for profiles of Truss. The first appeared in March 2014, when she was a rising star of the 2010 intake, a tough-minded Thatcherite northerner who had been educated at a comprehensive school and was tipped by some as a future leader.
The next profile appeared in March 2017, by which time she was Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, and the judges were furious with her for failing, as they saw it, to defend judicial independence against attack by The Daily Mail.
Three months later, she was demoted to the post of Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Here she continued to fight her corner, and on occasion to express her disrespect for Cabinet colleagues (including Gove, by now Environment Secretary), as in this lecture, delivered at the London School of Economics in June 2018:
“I’ve never liked being told what to do. And I don’t like to see other people being told what to do. Britain is a country that is raucous and rowdy… “I see it as my role as Chief Secretary to the Treasury to be on the side of the insurgents – I see myself as the disruptor in chief! Because British people love change… “And government’s role should not be to tell us what our tastes should be. “Too often we’re hearing about not drinking too much…eating too many doughnuts…or enjoying the warm glow of our wood-burning Goves…I mean stoves. “I can see their point: there’s enough hot air and smoke at the Environment Department already… “we have to recognise that it’s not macho just to demand more money. It’s much tougher to demand better value and challenge the blob of vested interests within your department. “Some of my colleagues are not being clear about the tax implications of their proposed higher spending. “That’s why, in next year’s Spending Review, I want to take a zero-based, zero-tolerance approach to wasteful spend.”
In May 2019, while dipping her toe in leadership waters which turned out to be too chilly for her, Truss spoke of “a need to build a million homes on the London Green Belt”. On an earlier occasion, to an American audience, she had spoken with relish of a world in which “no one knows their place, no one fears failure, and no one is ashamed of success.”
This gung-ho side of her, the relish she takes in assaulting the cosy world of received pseudo-liberal opinion, her longing to let the free market rip in order to produce the wealth which alone will rescue the poor from over-priced housing and allow them to feed their children, find a ready assent in Johnson.
He too is a disruptor, who wants to unleash the animal spirits which have been crushed by socialist planning laws, and who favours tax cuts for everyone, including that most despised group, the better off.
Truss became the first Cabinet minister to declare for Johnson, and as Stephen Bush some time afterwards related in The New Statesman:
“During his bid for the leadership, Liz Truss advised Johnson on economic policy, and was the architect of plans to cut taxes for people earning over £50,000. Civil servants dreaded a Johnson government because they found Truss’s tenure as Chief Secretary to the Treasury under Theresa May exhausting, for reasons ranging from her demanding work schedule to her habit of asking officials multiplication questions at random intervals. Few dispute that she would have been able to do the job effectively. But Johnson discarded her as his chancellor-designate in part because of the row the tax plans caused, and in part because Sajid Javid was more willing to spend freely.”
Truss was more suited to the go-getting task of pursuing free-trade deals, as part of a global Britain strategy in which – despite having voted Remain in 2016 – she has the merit of actually believing.
She holds another post, Minister for Women and Equalities, and here too she is of value to Johnson, by holding the line against fashionable opinions which if adopted by him, would destroy his credibility with the former Labour voters in the Midlands and the North who handed victory to the Conservatives last December.
Truss is conducting a review of the whole field of equalities and diversity policy, and at Downing Street’s behest, has already refused to allow self-definition by transgender people under the Gender Recognition Act.
Crispin Blunt, Conservative MP for Reigate, was furious with her:
“Does she appreciate that trans people cannot discern any strong or coherent reason for this screeching change of direction? “Does she understand the anger at the prospect of them receiving their fundamental rights being snatched away?”
But the Labour Party leadership has declined to pick a serious fight over this issue, for it knows that many old-style feminists are aghast at the idea of trans men being allowed to declare themselves women and enter women-only spaces.
So Truss, with her odd mixture of indiscretion and obedience, her contempt for liberal groupthink, love of freedom and faith in free trade, is in many ways a useful ally for Johnson.
Her detractors will continue to say she has only got where she is today because the Prime Minister needs a reasonably high proportion of women in senior posts. But it would be fairer to say that she has got there because she had the gumption to declare her loyalty to him in June 2019, and is in many respects a kindred spirit.


conservativehome--2020-10-29--Stephen Booth: The Brexit trade talks, the romance and realities of fishing, and its crucial importa

Stephen Booth: The Brexit trade talks, the romance and realities of fishing, and its crucial importance for Scotland

Stephen Booth is Head of the Britain in the World Project at Policy Exchange .
UK and EU negotiators are now targeting a mid-November deadline to reach a trade agreement .
This would give the European Parliament enough time to consider the treaty and hold a vote on it in the last session of the year , due in the week of December 14 – only two weeks before the Brexit transition period ends .
A fortnight ago , a public row erupted due to the apparent suggestion from EU leaders that further compromises all had to come from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precondition for “ intensified ” negotiations .
After Downing Street declared the talks “ over ” , some on the EU side , including Angela Merkel , the German Chancellor , and Mark Rutte , Dutch Prime Minister , sought to immediately defuse the situation , saying the bloc was also willing to make concessions .
Ultimately , it took Michel Barnier ’ s speech to the European Parliament , in which he said it was his intention to “ seek the necessary compromises on both sides ” , to get the UK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ track .
After these theatrics , the EU does appear to have dropped its insistence that the most difficult areas must be settled before progress can be made on lower hanging fruit .
The Financial Times reports that much of the talks this week have been engaged with the technical process of agreeing common legal text in areas where there is already considerable agreement , including many of the rules for trade in goods and services , with a mixture of EU and UK drafts being used to reach a consolidated text .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ out of this week ’ s round of talks is a positive sign that these negotiations are now serious and , indeed , “ intensive ” .
Simon Coveney , the Irish Foreign Minister , this week stated optimistically that : “ We ’ re likely to get a deal , but it won ’ t be easy.
” Charles Michel , the EU Council President , was more equivocal , noting that the two sides have yet to overcome their differences on “ level playing field ” guarantees , fishing , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I noted in my previous column , the differences over subsidies seem to be narrowing and fishing is increasingly emerging as the major sticking point .
Fishing ’ s political symbolism is outsized compared to its economic importance to either side .
The industry is not significant across the UK – it makes up only around 0.1 per cent of gross value added .
The economic contribution is similar in Spain , Denmark and France , which together account for over half the total EU catch .
On the UK side , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long viewed as one of the major inequities of British membership and fishing communities were among the most vocal supporters of Leave in the EU referendum .
In 2017 , around 35 per cent of fish landed by EU vessels from the north Atlantic came from UK waters .
By contrast , only 13 per cent of fish landed by UK vessels came from EU waters .
There is a certain romance that an island nation attaches to the sea-faring industry .
But cold , hard political realities also explain the significance of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a major national employer , the industry is of course very important to particular communities – often remote , such as along the west coast of Scotland , in Wales and Northern Ireland , with limited other employment opportunities – and , ultimately , the negotiation is a zero-sum game for both sides .
More fishing quota for the UK means less for the EU .
For a Conservative Government with increasing reason to be concerned about the state of the Union , there is obvious political benefit to ensuring a better settlement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statistics , the UK ’ s largest and most valuable fish landings are in the north-east of Scotland , where larger trawlers tend to operate .
40 per cent of fishers working on UK boats are on Scottish boats .
Should the UK gain extra quota , this region is likely to benefit the most .
A Brexit dividend for Scotland would be an important win .
The EU knows that the UK has leverage when it comes to fishing access .
A failure to reach a deal would mean the UK was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign boats at all .
Brussels had therefore wanted a deal on fishing rights settled in July , well before the final horse-trading of end-game negotiations .
Nevertheless , a wider trade deal – if it includes a better quota share – is also in the interests of the UK fishing industry .
The UK imports most of the fish British consumers want to eat but exports most of the fish UK vessels catch .
The EU is by far the biggest market for UK exports .
It should also be noted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ larger , although less vocal , employer than the catch sector .
Failure to reach a trade deal would increase costs for UK exports and the processing industry via new trade barriers .
Brussels ’ starting position – described as “ maximalist ” by Barnier – was essentially that its fishing rights in UK waters should not change after the transition period .
The EU has so far turned down the UK ’ s request to move to a new regime of annual quota negotiations – a model the UK recently agreed with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to rest on establishing a process under which EU fleets ’ catch would be phased down over a number of years .
The UK would regain a much greater share of future catch opportunities but EU fishing communities would be assured of their rights over the medium-term .
How the 100 or so stocks that are up for discussion might be apportioned could also present opportunities to ensure certain political constituencies are prioritised .
So far , Emmanuel Macron , the French President , has been steadfast in his belief that the EU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vowing to scupper any Brexit deal that “ sacrifices ” French fishermen .
He is aware of a potential political backlash in coastal and rural areas .
However , despite the rhetoric , reports suggest that in private , at least , the French government is preparing the industry for a compromise .
It should be noted that Macron is also effectively negotiating with the rest of the EU about how much of the residual quota France will get in the future .
Given the wider economic and political issues at stake , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the deal-breaker .
Macron is likely to come under increasing pressure from member states most exposed to no deal – Ireland , Belgium , the Netherlands and Germany – to moderate his position .
However , it is clear that the political choreography of reaching a deal on this issue is vitally important on both sides of the table .

Stephen Booth is Head of the Britain in the World Project at Policy Exchange.
UK and EU negotiators are now targeting a mid-November deadline to reach a trade agreement. This would give the European Parliament enough time to consider the treaty and hold a vote on it in the last session of the year, due in the week of December 14 – only two weeks before the Brexit transition period ends.
A fortnight ago, a public row erupted due to the apparent suggestion from EU leaders that further compromises all had to come from the UK side and that this was a precondition for “intensified” negotiations. After Downing Street declared the talks “over”, some on the EU side, including Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, and Mark Rutte, Dutch Prime Minister, sought to immediately defuse the situation, saying the bloc was also willing to make concessions. Ultimately, it took Michel Barnier’s speech to the European Parliament, in which he said it was his intention to “seek the necessary compromises on both sides”, to get the UK to confirm that talks were back on track.
After these theatrics, the EU does appear to have dropped its insistence that the most difficult areas must be settled before progress can be made on lower hanging fruit. The Financial Times reports that much of the talks this week have been engaged with the technical process of agreeing common legal text in areas where there is already considerable agreement, including many of the rules for trade in goods and services, with a mixture of EU and UK drafts being used to reach a consolidated text.
The fact that very little has leaked out of this week’s round of talks is a positive sign that these negotiations are now serious and, indeed, “intensive”. Simon Coveney, the Irish Foreign Minister, this week stated optimistically that: “We’re likely to get a deal, but it won’t be easy.” Charles Michel, the EU Council President, was more equivocal, noting that the two sides have yet to overcome their differences on “level playing field” guarantees, fishing, and the deal’s enforcement.
As I noted in my previous column, the differences over subsidies seem to be narrowing and fishing is increasingly emerging as the major sticking point.
Fishing’s political symbolism is outsized compared to its economic importance to either side. The industry is not significant across the UK – it makes up only around 0.1 per cent of gross value added. The economic contribution is similar in Spain, Denmark and France, which together account for over half the total EU catch.
On the UK side, we know that the Common Fisheries Policy was long viewed as one of the major inequities of British membership and fishing communities were among the most vocal supporters of Leave in the EU referendum. In 2017, around 35 per cent of fish landed by EU vessels from the north Atlantic came from UK waters. By contrast, only 13 per cent of fish landed by UK vessels came from EU waters.
There is a certain romance that an island nation attaches to the sea-faring industry. But cold, hard political realities also explain the significance of fishing in this negotiation. Although not a major national employer, the industry is of course very important to particular communities – often remote, such as along the west coast of Scotland, in Wales and Northern Ireland, with limited other employment opportunities – and, ultimately, the negotiation is a zero-sum game for both sides. More fishing quota for the UK means less for the EU.
For a Conservative Government with increasing reason to be concerned about the state of the Union, there is obvious political benefit to ensuring a better settlement. According to the Government’s statistics, the UK’s largest and most valuable fish landings are in the north-east of Scotland, where larger trawlers tend to operate. 40 per cent of fishers working on UK boats are on Scottish boats. Should the UK gain extra quota, this region is likely to benefit the most. A Brexit dividend for Scotland would be an important win.
The EU knows that the UK has leverage when it comes to fishing access. A failure to reach a deal would mean the UK was under no obligation to provide access to foreign boats at all. Brussels had therefore wanted a deal on fishing rights settled in July, well before the final horse-trading of end-game negotiations.
Nevertheless, a wider trade deal – if it includes a better quota share – is also in the interests of the UK fishing industry. The UK imports most of the fish British consumers want to eat but exports most of the fish UK vessels catch. The EU is by far the biggest market for UK exports. It should also be noted that the wider fish processing industry is a larger, although less vocal, employer than the catch sector. Failure to reach a trade deal would increase costs for UK exports and the processing industry via new trade barriers.
Brussels’ starting position – described as “maximalist” by Barnier – was essentially that its fishing rights in UK waters should not change after the transition period. The EU has so far turned down the UK’s request to move to a new regime of annual quota negotiations – a model the UK recently agreed with Norway.
A possible compromise is likely to rest on establishing a process under which EU fleets’ catch would be phased down over a number of years. The UK would regain a much greater share of future catch opportunities but EU fishing communities would be assured of their rights over the medium-term. How the 100 or so stocks that are up for discussion might be apportioned could also present opportunities to ensure certain political constituencies are prioritised.
So far, Emmanuel Macron, the French President, has been steadfast in his belief that the EU should stand firm on fishing access, vowing to scupper any Brexit deal that “sacrifices” French fishermen. He is aware of a potential political backlash in coastal and rural areas.
However, despite the rhetoric, reports suggest that in private, at least, the French government is preparing the industry for a compromise. It should be noted that Macron is also effectively negotiating with the rest of the EU about how much of the residual quota France will get in the future.
Given the wider economic and political issues at stake, it still seems unlikely that fishing will be the deal-breaker. Macron is likely to come under increasing pressure from member states most exposed to no deal – Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany – to moderate his position. However, it is clear that the political choreography of reaching a deal on this issue is vitally important on both sides of the table.


conservativehome--2020-10-29--Judy Terry: Local authorities should be promoting the armed forces as a career choice

Judy Terry is a marketing professional and a former local councillor in Suffolk .
Despite facing a potential unemployment crisis , with up to 4 million out of a job , especially affecting young people , I haven ’ t heard a single Minister highlighting the extensive career opportunities across the UK ’ s Armed Services , which are keen to recruit the best men and women to apprenticeships and officer training .
British Forces are amongst the best in the world , highly respected internationally for their leadership and effectiveness , both in combat and when delivering care and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They work and train in partnership with other Western forces , including America and Europe , across the world , to protect us – and our interests .
Billions of pounds are invested annually in training and equipment , including new aircraft carriers .
Whatever their rank , Forces members are highly skilled decision-makers , building trust with colleagues , used to taking the initiative as well as responding to emergencies both at home and abroad .
Within the last year , for example , the Army was deployed in flood zones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities , built the Nightingale hospitals , and is now assisting at Covid-19 test centres .
The Prime Minister is even considering calling on the Army to assist Police in controlling breaches of pandemic protective measures , although Parliament hasn ’ t been consulted .
Unfortunately , this year ’ s annual Remembrance Day events to celebrate our military heroes will be curtailed for obvious reasons , but the minute ’ s silence will still serve as a reminder of how much we owe to them across the generations .
So , young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could serve their country , saving lives , developing fantastic careers , travelling the world , employing their exceptional skills and knowledge , whilst earning a generous salary , from £15,000 as an apprentice to over £50,000 .
According to the various websites ( just google the Ministry of Defence ) , there are over 100 roles : from combat to engineer , medical services : nurses , doctors , dentists , radiographers , as well as IT , with cyber security and intelligence an important growth sector .
Divers , dog handlers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , pilots , musicians , chaplains , deck officers , managers , air traffic controllers , logistics… – the world could literally be your oyster .
These are lifetime skills , which can be transferred to other organisations , whether in the public sector or private industry .
Unlike private schools , there is a general reluctance in state schools to encourage careers in the Services , which inevitably impacts on diversity ambitions .
Given the unemployment crisis , now is the time for local authorities to organise more structured career guidance , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opportunities available , and zoom sessions with members of the Services , representing all ranks and specialisms .
The Government has also launched its campaign to recruit 20,000 new police officers , and has committed to expanding green energy and wind farms , but too few young people are aware of how to apply , or what qualifications are needed .
There are some fantastic opportunities , with tailored training available ; West Suffolk College is an example of how courses are being adapted for new recruits , as well as older people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to rise to the challenge and communicate .

Judy Terry is a marketing professional and a former local councillor in Suffolk.
Despite facing a potential unemployment crisis, with up to 4 million out of a job, especially affecting young people, I haven’t heard a single Minister highlighting the extensive career opportunities across the UK’s Armed Services, which are keen to recruit the best men and women to apprenticeships and officer training.
British Forces are amongst the best in the world, highly respected internationally for their leadership and effectiveness, both in combat and when delivering care and support to populations faced with environmental disasters. They work and train in partnership with other Western forces, including America and Europe, across the world, to protect us – and our interests.
Billions of pounds are invested annually in training and equipment, including new aircraft carriers.
Whatever their rank, Forces members are highly skilled decision-makers, building trust with colleagues, used to taking the initiative as well as responding to emergencies both at home and abroad. Within the last year, for example, the Army was deployed in flood zones around the UK, helping to save communities, built the Nightingale hospitals, and is now assisting at Covid-19 test centres.
The Prime Minister is even considering calling on the Army to assist Police in controlling breaches of pandemic protective measures, although Parliament hasn’t been consulted.
Unfortunately, this year’s annual Remembrance Day events to celebrate our military heroes will be curtailed for obvious reasons, but the minute’s silence will still serve as a reminder of how much we owe to them across the generations.
So, young people with good A levels and degrees could serve their country, saving lives, developing fantastic careers, travelling the world, employing their exceptional skills and knowledge, whilst earning a generous salary, from £15,000 as an apprentice to over £50,000.
According to the various websites (just google the Ministry of Defence), there are over 100 roles: from combat to engineer, medical services: nurses, doctors, dentists, radiographers, as well as IT, with cyber security and intelligence an important growth sector. Divers, dog handlers, police services, linguists, chefs, pilots, musicians, chaplains, deck officers, managers, air traffic controllers, logistics… – the world could literally be your oyster. These are lifetime skills, which can be transferred to other organisations, whether in the public sector or private industry.
Unlike private schools, there is a general reluctance in state schools to encourage careers in the Services, which inevitably impacts on diversity ambitions. Given the unemployment crisis, now is the time for local authorities to organise more structured career guidance, using films to illustrate the range of opportunities available, and zoom sessions with members of the Services, representing all ranks and specialisms.
The Government has also launched its campaign to recruit 20,000 new police officers, and has committed to expanding green energy and wind farms, but too few young people are aware of how to apply, or what qualifications are needed. There are some fantastic opportunities, with tailored training available; West Suffolk College is an example of how courses are being adapted for new recruits, as well as older people looking to retrain. Local authorities just need to rise to the challenge and communicate.


conservativehome--2020-10-29--Johnson’s quiet shift to a more permissive migration policy

In the run up to last year ’ s general election , one of Boris Johnson ’ s most significant promises was to reduce immigration if the Conservatives won a majority .
He spoke about the Government ’ s proposed new Australia-style points-based system , saying that “ numbers will come down because we ’ ll be able to control the system ” , adding that he felt it was not “ right… to have an uncontrolled and unlimited approach ” .
With that being said , some may have been confused last week when the Home Office reduced its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to settle in the UK by almost 30 per cent – in a move that should surely boost numbers .
The threshold was first introduced by Theresa May in 2011 when she was Home Secretary , and had been tasked with reducing net migration to below 100,000 ( something that was never achieved , incidentally .
Net migration to the UK has not been under that figure since 1997 ) .
Under this Government , however , the net migration target has been abandoned , and now migrants on salaries of £20,480 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Australian-style immigration system to take on jobs with occupational shortages , will be able to settle in Britain after six years to become citizens .
The new rules come into effect on December 1 , and follow the Home Office ’ s decision in January this year to scrap the £30,000 minimum salary threshold for people arriving after Brexit .
Given May ’ s concern with numbers , the latest policy marks a significant shift for the Conservative Party on immigration , although it has created little noise in the media .
Indeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was only spotted after Oxford University ’ s Migration Observatory went through a 507-word rule book , leading to accusations that changes to the threshold had “ quietly slipped out ” .
So why is it that the Government has chosen to implement this policy ?
And what does it tell us about the future of immigration in the UK ?
There are a number of perspectives you could have on the change of the salary threshold .
The first is that it isn ’ t actually all that unexpected , given that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lowered .
As Sunder Katwala – Director of British Future – puts it on Twitter , the drop in threshold is “ an obvious piece of tidying up ” .
It means that there won ’ t be such a big gap between someone ’ s salary and the increase they need to stay in the UK .
It encourages citizenship , above anything else .
The next thing to say is that it gives the Government much more flexibility over skills shortages in the UK .
The previous salary thresholds ( £30,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ settle ) were a blunt instrument to achieve net migration targets .
There are lots of skilled workers the Government wants to attract to the UK , whose roles do not meet this salary threshold .
The Australian-style system is much more nuanced , allowing the Government to make targetted decisions depending on the needs of the economy .
The obvious counter argument to this , of course , is that the Government shouldn ’ t be recruiting from elsewhere ; it should be getting UK citizens into jobs where there are shortages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rising .
This has been Donald Trump ’ s approach in America , who has essentially ground migration and travel to a halt in order to promote domestic employment .
It is also the thrust of Andrew Green ’ s articles on this site .
Even so , there has to be a degree of realism about the UK ’ s employment landscape .
Take agriculture .
Despite big recruitment campaigns to encourage domestic workers , the National Farmers Union revealed that only 11 per cent of seasonal workers in the 2020 were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thousands more to come by next summer .
In short , by lowering thresholds , the Government has much more flexibility to fill occupational shortages .
Migration Observatory has called the reduction in the threshold “ the final nail in the coffin of the net migration target ” , but the other point to bear in mind is that migration isn ’ t at the levels it once was because of the pandemic .
As Katwala suggests on Twitter , the Government has accidentally hit May ’ s under 100,000 target .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for National Statistics figures , “ [ N ] et migration has almost certainly been negative this year.
” Recent events , along with the fall in the pound ( an unappealing prospect to workers wanting to be here for a few years , save up money and bring it back to their home country ) have changed this area , and the Government will strategise accordingly .
And what does all this tell us about Johnson ?
It shows , at the very least , he has a completely different view on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when he first abandoned net migration targets .
He is averse to using numbers in this respect – perhaps viewing them as an arbitrary measure of how successful an immigration system is .
Many will see his latest policy as more evidence that he has been , and will always be , liberal on immigration .
Throughout his career this has been apparent .
During his time as the Mayor of London , for instance , he called for an “ earned amnesty ” for an estimated 400,000 people living illegally in London @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should be able to gain citizenship after years in the city .
More recently , the Government pledged to admit three million Hong Kong residents into the UK following China ’ s decision to impose new draconian security legislation .
And in September , the Prime Minister reversed a decision made by May ( in 2012 – when she was Home Secretary ) that forced oversea students to leave four months after they finished their degrees .
They will now be able to stay in the UK for two years after graduation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ not only better able to make way for his policies on international students and those fleeing Hong Kong , but projecting his personal philosophy ; his open attitude to immigration , and his commitment to fairness .
On the latter point , the new policies could be said to be an extension of the “ levelling up ” agenda , as the Government is creating parity on the requirements for EU and non-EU migrants coming to the UK ( the former of which had more leniency under free movement ) .
Has Johnson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control ” ?
It is a statement he has said repeatedly over the years .
But talk to anyone , and it becomes obvious that there is no clear cut view on what he would do with that control if it was gained , as it now has been .
No doubt many voters saw immigration control as a numbers game , others say it is about “ control over who comes in ” – something afforded under the Australian points system .
The Government seems to believe the new system will achieve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all indications it ’ s a far more sophisticated way of managing UK immigration than salary thresholds .

In the run up to last year’s general election, one of Boris Johnson’s most significant promises was to reduce immigration if the Conservatives won a majority.
He spoke about the Government’s proposed new Australia-style points-based system, saying that “numbers will come down because we’ll be able to control the system”, adding that he felt it was not “right… to have an uncontrolled and unlimited approach”.
With that being said, some may have been confused last week when the Home Office reduced its £35,8000 minimum salary threshold for migrants wanting to settle in the UK by almost 30 per cent – in a move that should surely boost numbers.
The threshold was first introduced by Theresa May in 2011 when she was Home Secretary, and had been tasked with reducing net migration to below 100,000 (something that was never achieved, incidentally. Net migration to the UK has not been under that figure since 1997).
Under this Government, however, the net migration target has been abandoned, and now migrants on salaries of £20,480, but with enough points under a new Australian-style immigration system to take on jobs with occupational shortages, will be able to settle in Britain after six years to become citizens.
The new rules come into effect on December 1, and follow the Home Office’s decision in January this year to scrap the £30,000 minimum salary threshold for people arriving after Brexit.
Given May’s concern with numbers, the latest policy marks a significant shift for the Conservative Party on immigration, although it has created little noise in the media. Indeed, the change to the salary threshold was only spotted after Oxford University’s Migration Observatory went through a 507-word rule book, leading to accusations that changes to the threshold had “quietly slipped out”.
So why is it that the Government has chosen to implement this policy? And what does it tell us about the future of immigration in the UK?
There are a number of perspectives you could have on the change of the salary threshold. The first is that it isn’t actually all that unexpected, given that thresholds for post-Brexit work visas were already lowered.
As Sunder Katwala – Director of British Future – puts it on Twitter, the drop in threshold is “an obvious piece of tidying up”. It means that there won’t be such a big gap between someone’s salary and the increase they need to stay in the UK. It encourages citizenship, above anything else.
The next thing to say is that it gives the Government much more flexibility over skills shortages in the UK. The previous salary thresholds (£30,000 for getting a job and £35,000 to settle) were a blunt instrument to achieve net migration targets. There are lots of skilled workers the Government wants to attract to the UK, whose roles do not meet this salary threshold. The Australian-style system is much more nuanced, allowing the Government to make targetted decisions depending on the needs of the economy.
The obvious counter argument to this, of course, is that the Government shouldn’t be recruiting from elsewhere; it should be getting UK citizens into jobs where there are shortages, particularly given how quickly unemployment is rising. This has been Donald Trump’s approach in America, who has essentially ground migration and travel to a halt in order to promote domestic employment. It is also the thrust of Andrew Green’s articles on this site.
Even so, there has to be a degree of realism about the UK’s employment landscape. Take agriculture. Despite big recruitment campaigns to encourage domestic workers, the National Farmers Union revealed that only 11 per cent of seasonal workers in the 2020 were UK residents, and the country needs thousands more to come by next summer. In short, by lowering thresholds, the Government has much more flexibility to fill occupational shortages.
Migration Observatory has called the reduction in the threshold “the final nail in the coffin of the net migration target”, but the other point to bear in mind is that migration isn’t at the levels it once was because of the pandemic. As Katwala suggests on Twitter, the Government has accidentally hit May’s under 100,000 target. He says that from looking at the Office for National Statistics figures, “[N]et migration has almost certainly been negative this year.”
Recent events, along with the fall in the pound (an unappealing prospect to workers wanting to be here for a few years, save up money and bring it back to their home country) have changed this area, and the Government will strategise accordingly.
And what does all this tell us about Johnson? It shows, at the very least, he has a completely different view on immigration to May, which was clear when he first abandoned net migration targets. He is averse to using numbers in this respect – perhaps viewing them as an arbitrary measure of how successful an immigration system is.
Many will see his latest policy as more evidence that he has been, and will always be, liberal on immigration. Throughout his career this has been apparent.
During his time as the Mayor of London, for instance, he called for an “earned amnesty” for an estimated 400,000 people living illegally in London. He was particularly keen that they should be able to gain citizenship after years in the city.
More recently, the Government pledged to admit three million Hong Kong residents into the UK following China’s decision to impose new draconian security legislation.
And in September, the Prime Minister reversed a decision made by May (in 2012 – when she was Home Secretary) that forced oversea students to leave four months after they finished their degrees. They will now be able to stay in the UK for two years after graduation.
In losing the thresholds, Johnson is not only better able to make way for his policies on international students and those fleeing Hong Kong, but projecting his personal philosophy; his open attitude to immigration, and his commitment to fairness.
On the latter point, the new policies could be said to be an extension of the “levelling up” agenda, as the Government is creating parity on the requirements for EU and non-EU migrants coming to the UK (the former of which had more leniency under free movement).
Has Johnson fulfilled his pledge to “take back control”? It is a statement he has said repeatedly over the years. But talk to anyone, and it becomes obvious that there is no clear cut view on what he would do with that control if it was gained, as it now has been.
No doubt many voters saw immigration control as a numbers game, others say it is about “control over who comes in” – something afforded under the Australian points system. The Government seems to believe the new system will achieve both. Whatever the case, by all indications it’s a far more sophisticated way of managing UK immigration than salary thresholds.


conservativehome--2020-10-29--Henry Hill: Tories claim Drakeford has turned Wales into ‘test-bed for left-wing socialist authority

Henry Hill: Tories claim Drakeford has turned Wales into ‘test-bed for left-wing socialist authority’

Tories claim Drakeford has turned Wales into ‘ testbed for socialism ’ This morning ’ s papers report that Boris Johnson is coming under pressure to convene a four-way summit to help ensure that the whole United Kingdom faces the same rules about visiting friends and family at Christmas .
But at the minute any hope of reviving the ‘ Four Nations ’ approach seems rather remote .
Earlier this week the war of words between the Government and the Welsh Government heated up when Brandon Lewis accused Mark Drakeford of turning the Principality into “ a test-bed for left-wing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Secretary launched the attack on the Marr Show whilst being questioned about the Government ’ s position on free school meals .
If you haven ’ t been following the story , this is about the First Minister ’ s decision to not just close non-essential shops as part of a ‘ firebreak ’ lockdown , but – in the name of preventing unfair competition – ban supermarkets from selling non-essential products too .
Even in a week with free school meals all over the papers , this has sparked fresh are at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ critics have suggested it is inappropriate for Labour to be introducing a measure under Covid-19 regulations whose stated purpose is nothing to do with public health .
Others , as we reported at the weekend , are increasingly angry that the British taxpayer is being asked to stump up for Drakeford ’ s overzealous policies .
Would he be so quick to lock down if he had to pay for it ?
Unfortunately , the clarity of this Tory attack has been muddied somewhat by suggestions that the Senedd group may have actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was implemented .
Salmond calls for Sturgeon probe to be broadened as SNP woes deepen again They ’ re perhaps closer to breaking up the Union than ever , yet the SNP ’ s internal strife continues to deepen .
This week Alex Salmond wrote to the man leading the probe into whether or not Nicola Sturgeon broke the Ministerial Code to ask “ whether the First Minister would be investigated for potentially misleading parliament and failing to act on legal advice ” , according to the Daily Telegraph .
Salmond suggests that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ John Swinney , the First Minister ’ s deputy , focuses on potentially ‘ straw-man ’ allegations and may be intended to distract attention from other issues .
The former First Minister also appeared to criticise witnesses who are “ are relying on their political party to finance their legal representation.
” Meanwhile Judith Mackinnon , a civil servant at the centre of the botched investigation , defended her role in front of MSPs .
Elsewhere this week , the Times reports that the Nationalists ’ candidate selection efforts have “ descended into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it out for 32 constituencies .
Edinburgh Central is witnessing an especially fraught contest between Angus Robertson , the SNP ’ s former Westminster leader , and Marco Biagi , the former MSP .
The Nationalist leadership were accused of trying to stitch up the selection for Robertson when they changed the rules to prevent Joanna Cherry , the prominent pro-Salmond MP , from contesting the nomination .
Another SNP branch in Ayrshire has been put in ‘ special measures ’ after allegations that the sitting MSP “ broke SNP rules and ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Ardrossan Herald .
And all that ’ s just the political side !
On the governmental side of the ledger , the Scottish Government is under fresh pressure after an official public health report confirmed that Covid-positive patients had been released from hospitals into Scottish care homes , which have borne a disproportionate brunt of pandemic casualties .
One senior journalist branded its conduct ‘ grotesque ’ after the official response failed to even acknowledge this transfer of patients .
Sturgeon has also faced a ‘ backlash ’ from MSPs over her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yousaf has also been pushed into a u-turn after a furious row over his ‘ Orwellian ’ Hate Crimes Bill after it emerged that it might criminalise statements made ‘ over the dinner table ’ in private homes .
The Press & Journal reports that the Justice Secretary has said he is ‘ open ’ to extending the “ breadth and depth ” of freedom-of-expression clauses in the draft legislation .
Consequences of the Irish Protocol get clearer by the day Few of the Tories who attack Theresa May over her Government ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the EU seem to have struggled to forgive Boris Johnson for doing the same thing , but the case for at least re-examining the Irish Protocol continues to grow as its practical impact becomes clear .
Writing in the News Letter , Sam McBride has explored how the new rules are already leading to British products becoming unavailable in the Province , with the Food and Drink Federation warning that it may soon not be viable for many businesses in their sector to supply Ulster at all .
The end result could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worse , British supermarkets pulling out of the Northern Irish market altogether – further changing the texture of day-to-day life and alienating Northern Ireland from British culture .
Internet shopping will also be affected .
Despite efforts by outriders for Brussels and Dublin to insist there are no ‘ constitutional ’ implications because the top-level sovereign status of the Province is unaffected , McBride rightly points out that this position is becoming “ increasingly hard to sustain ” : What does Northern Ireland remaining part of the UK actually mean if many of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ London or Belfast , but in Brussels , and if the impact of that is to discourage trade within the UK and encourage trade with the Republic and the rest of the EU ?
Those of us who have always opposed placing a border inside the United Kingdom were pointing out all the way back in 2017 that the volume of trade between Ulster and the mainland vastly exceeds that between Northern Ireland and the Republic and rest of the European Union put together , so anything which impacted that was going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Irish nationalists shift the focus to ports and airports being more ‘ practical ’ ( with the implicit threat of a revival of republican terrorism , coded as ‘ defending the peace ’ ) , successive British governments allowed themselves to be boxed into a solution with much broader consequences for commerce than a land border which would have fallen overwhelmingly on a relatively low volume of overwhelmingly agricultural trade .
This is in no small part because of a persistent failure to develop and articulate a British understanding of its obligations under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interpretation offered by Dublin , or to reform a Northern Ireland Office which shows little interest in fighting the UK ’ s corner .
A Government committed to the Union simply has to do better .
Perhaps Michael Gove ’ s new team of pro-Union PR experts could be tasked with making sure that the blame for all this imminent inconvenience to Northern Irish shoppers falls on those who insisted on a sea border .
Opportunity for the Tories as Wales ’ last Lib Dem prepares to step down Since 1999 , Kirsty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brecon and Radnorshire .
She has done so whilst its Westminster counterpart fell to the Tories ( twice ) and the rest of the Liberal Democrat group got wiped out .
Now the MS , who is currently propping Labour up by serving as Education Minister in Drakeford ’ s government , has announced that she intends to stand down at next year ’ s election .
Some Tories have mused that she might have her eye on winning the seat back for her party at Westminster in 2024 ( or sooner , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Fixed-term Parliaments Act ) .
But either way , it opens up an opportunity for the Welsh Conservatives .
Absent a very popular incumbent they ought to have a good chance of picking this up – and perhaps of wiping out the Lib Dems as a force in devolved politics .

Tories claim Drakeford has turned Wales into ‘testbed for socialism’
This morning’s papers report that Boris Johnson is coming under pressure to convene a four-way summit to help ensure that the whole United Kingdom faces the same rules about visiting friends and family at Christmas. But at the minute any hope of reviving the ‘Four Nations’ approach seems rather remote.
Earlier this week the war of words between the Government and the Welsh Government heated up when Brandon Lewis accused Mark Drakeford of turning the Principality into “a test-bed for left-wing socialist authority”. The Northern Irish Secretary launched the attack on the Marr Show whilst being questioned about the Government’s position on free school meals.
If you haven’t been following the story, this is about the First Minister’s decision to not just close non-essential shops as part of a ‘firebreak’ lockdown, but – in the name of preventing unfair competition – ban supermarkets from selling non-essential products too.
Even in a week with free school meals all over the papers, this has sparked fresh are at Cardiff Bay’s approach. Some critics have suggested it is inappropriate for Labour to be introducing a measure under Covid-19 regulations whose stated purpose is nothing to do with public health. Others, as we reported at the weekend, are increasingly angry that the British taxpayer is being asked to stump up for Drakeford’s overzealous policies. Would he be so quick to lock down if he had to pay for it?
Unfortunately, the clarity of this Tory attack has been muddied somewhat by suggestions that the Senedd group may have actually expressed support for the policy before it was implemented.
Salmond calls for Sturgeon probe to be broadened as SNP woes deepen again
They’re perhaps closer to breaking up the Union than ever, yet the SNP’s internal strife continues to deepen. This week Alex Salmond wrote to the man leading the probe into whether or not Nicola Sturgeon broke the Ministerial Code to ask “whether the First Minister would be investigated for potentially misleading parliament and failing to act on legal advice”, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Salmond suggests that the remit given to James Hamilton by John Swinney, the First Minister’s deputy, focuses on potentially ‘straw-man’ allegations and may be intended to distract attention from other issues. The former First Minister also appeared to criticise witnesses who are “are relying on their political party to finance their legal representation.”
Meanwhile Judith Mackinnon, a civil servant at the centre of the botched investigation, defended her role in front of MSPs.
Elsewhere this week, the Times reports that the Nationalists’ candidate selection efforts have “descended into chaos” as hundreds of hopefuls fight it out for 32 constituencies. Edinburgh Central is witnessing an especially fraught contest between Angus Robertson, the SNP’s former Westminster leader, and Marco Biagi, the former MSP. The Nationalist leadership were accused of trying to stitch up the selection for Robertson when they changed the rules to prevent Joanna Cherry, the prominent pro-Salmond MP, from contesting the nomination. Another SNP branch in Ayrshire has been put in ‘special measures’ after allegations that the sitting MSP “broke SNP rules and ‘bullied’ colleagues”, according to the Ardrossan Herald.
And all that’s just the political side! On the governmental side of the ledger, the Scottish Government is under fresh pressure after an official public health report confirmed that Covid-positive patients had been released from hospitals into Scottish care homes, which have borne a disproportionate brunt of pandemic casualties. One senior journalist branded its conduct ‘grotesque’ after the official response failed to even acknowledge this transfer of patients. Sturgeon has also faced a ‘backlash’ from MSPs over her new system of lockdown tiers.
Humza Yousaf has also been pushed into a u-turn after a furious row over his ‘Orwellian’ Hate Crimes Bill after it emerged that it might criminalise statements made ‘over the dinner table’ in private homes. The Press & Journal reports that the Justice Secretary has said he is ‘open’ to extending the “breadth and depth” of freedom-of-expression clauses in the draft legislation.
Consequences of the Irish Protocol get clearer by the day
Few of the Tories who attack Theresa May over her Government’s apparent willingness to abandon Northern Ireland to the EU seem to have struggled to forgive Boris Johnson for doing the same thing, but the case for at least re-examining the Irish Protocol continues to grow as its practical impact becomes clear.
Writing in the News Letter, Sam McBride has explored how the new rules are already leading to British products becoming unavailable in the Province, with the Food and Drink Federation warning that it may soon not be viable for many businesses in their sector to supply Ulster at all. The end result could be higher prices in shops or, worse, British supermarkets pulling out of the Northern Irish market altogether – further changing the texture of day-to-day life and alienating Northern Ireland from British culture. Internet shopping will also be affected.
Despite efforts by outriders for Brussels and Dublin to insist there are no ‘constitutional’ implications because the top-level sovereign status of the Province is unaffected, McBride rightly points out that this position is becoming “increasingly hard to sustain”:


conservativehome--2020-10-29--WATCH: Starmer is pressed to offer a personal apology on anti-semitism

`` Do you think that Jeremy Corbyn and the staff in his office should stay in the Labour Party ?
@ @ @ @ @ We all have to accept the findings in this report , we all have to @ @ @ @ @ Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer https : //t.co/GUSedUYPMU pic.twitter.com/FObjwOLTI8

"Do you think that Jeremy Corbyn and the staff in his office should stay in the Labour Party?" asks @BBCVickiYoung
"We all have to accept the findings in this report, we all have to accept responsibility," says Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer https://t.co/GUSedUYPMU pic.twitter.com/FObjwOLTI8
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) October 29, 2020


conservativehome--2020-10-30--Calling Conservatives: New public appointments announced. Chair of the Defence Science Expert Commit

Calling Conservatives: New public appointments announced. Chair of the Defence Science Expert 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 .
“ This is an exciting time to join the Department for Transport .
We are responsible for the transport network that helps the UK ’ s businesses and gets people and goods travelling around the country .
We plan and invest in transport infrastructure to keep the UK on the move .
We work across all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , aviation , maritime – to improve journeys , boost economic growth , work towards a low carbon future and build a One Nation Britain .
We are seeking a Non-Executive Director to join the Department ’ s Board .
The successful candidate , through their membership of the Board , will provide challenge and support to a wide variety of management and operational issues and contribute to the effective strategic and operational leadership of the Department.
” “ You will be independent of the Ministry of Defence operational activities and have the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Ministry of Defence ’ s ( MOD ) Chief Scientific Advisor ( CSA ) .
Membership of Defence Science Expert Committee ( DSEC ) is an important and exciting opportunity to contribute to UK-led Defence Science and Technology .
DSEC is the MOD key source of independent advice on non-nuclear science , technology , engineering , analysis and mathematics issues .
It is an Expert Committee reporting to the MOD CSA and supporting the derivation and delivery of the Department ’ s Science and Technology Strategy .
DSEC comprises an Independent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Members drawn from senior academic and industrial communities .
All are specialists in a branch of science , engineering , technology , humanities or medicine of relevance to defence and security and have proven ability in working on Boards or Committees .
Senior MOD officials , including CSA , keep the Committee abreast of developments in MOD and facilitate contacts within MOD.
” “ The role of the Chair is to lead and direct the work of the Cafcass Board ( including its various sub-committees ) , the purpose of which is to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ affairs , and that Cafcass ’ policies and its strategic vision are compatible with those of the Secretary of State .
The Board is specifically responsible for : establishing and taking forward the strategic aims and objectives of Cafcass consistent with its overall strategic direction and within the policy and resources framework determined by the Secretary of State ; ensuring that the responsible minister is kept informed of any changes or risks that are likely to impact on the strategic direction of Cafcass or on the attainability of its targets , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such changes or risks ; ensuring that any statutory or administrative requirements for the use of public funds are complied with ; that the Board operates within the limits of its statutory authority and any delegated authority agreed with the Department , and in accordance with any other conditions relating to the use of public funds… ” Department for Business , Energy and Industrial Strategy – Director of Labour Market Enforcement “ The Secretary of State is seeking to appoint four Independent Members to the CCW Board .
The primary role of CCW @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contribute to the good governance of the organisation by bringing wide experience and critical detachment to the work of the Board .
Board Members take a lead role in an area of CCW ’ s strategic work or its campaigns and work closely with members of the Executive Team and employees in this area .
Examples of lead areas include engagement and communication , vulnerable consumers and improving water regulation for consumers .
The Essential Criteria section later in this document includes the ‘ additional expertise ’ that CCW is looking for from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Board ’ s existing strengths .
CCW ’ s Code of Governance sets out more details on the operation of the Board and its Committees and includes more detail on the role of Board Members.
” “ The Chair will provide strong and effective leadership of the Commission in the fulfilment of its remit .
The Chair of CHM has to lead an expert science advisory committee whose principal tasks are to advise the Licensing Authority ( the UK Health Ministers ) and its executive arm , the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relating to human medicinal products including the licensing of medicines that are safe , efficacious and of good quality .
The Chair needs to be able to synthesize complex information and present it authoritatively to ministers as required .
They have to be able to master a very wide range of medical and pharmacological issues , many of which would be out of any one practitioner ’ s area of expertise , and chair to consensus a commission which comprises a range of eminent medical experts and some lay members.
” Remuneration : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are looking for an outstanding individual with demonstrable leadership skills and a passion for the media and public broadcasting , to represent the public interest in the BBC and maintain the Corporation ’ s independence .
As per the BBC Royal Charter , the Chair of the BBC Board must be appointed by Order in Council following a fair and open competition .
The Governance Code , including the public appointment principles , must be followed in making the appointment .
The Commissioner for Public Appointments will ensure that the appointment is made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Candidates should be aware that the preferred candidate for the post of Chair will be required to appear before a Parliamentary Select Committee prior to appointment.
” Time : 3-4 days per week ( Chair ) / Up to 2 days per week .
“ The Secretary of State is seeking to appoint four Independent Members to the CCW Board .
The primary role of CCW ’ s Independent Board Members is to contribute to the good governance of the organisation by bringing wide experience and critical detachment to the work of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ role in an area of CCW ’ s strategic work or its campaigns and work closely with members of the Executive Team and employees in this area .
Examples of lead areas include engagement and communication , vulnerable consumers and improving water regulation for consumers .
The Essential Criteria section later in this document includes the ‘ additional expertise ’ that CCW is looking for from successful candidates to enhance and complement the Board ’ s existing strengths .
CCW ’ s Code of Governance sets out more details on the operation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more detail on the role of Board Members.
” “ The Prime Minister ’ s Council for Science and Technology ( CST ) is the Government ’ s top-level advisory body on science and technology issues .
It reports directly to the Prime Minister on matters of science and technology that cut across the responsibilities of government departments .
It is co-chaired by the Government Chief Scientific Adviser and an independent appointee .
The SARS-CoV-2 ( Covid-19 ) pandemic has highlighted the importance of science and technology in facing a challenge of such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ robust , sustainable , and equitable recovery plan for the UK , post Covid .
The Government is seeking to appoint a new Independent Co-Chair for the Council for Science and Technology .
The Government will appoint an Independent Co-Chair who will share responsibility for chairing the Council with the Government Chief Scientific Adviser ( GCSA ) .
” “ The Insolvency Service is an Executive Agency of the Department for Business , Energy and Industrial Strategy , responsible for helping to deliver economic confidence by supporting those in financial distress , tackling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It employs around 1,700 staff operating from 22 locations across Great Britain .
We are seeking to appoint a new Chair of the Insolvency Service Board to lead the organisation as it takes forward its programme of transformation , delivers key Government commitments , and continues its record of strong performance against the backdrop of an uncertain economy following the Covid-19 pandemic… Headed by the non-executive Chair , the Board currently comprises a mix of Executive and Non-Executive Directors .
The Board is collectively responsible for the oversight of the operation of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on its strategic direction , management controls , and corporate governance.
” Bank of England – External Member of the Financial Policy Committee “ The FPC is responsible for identifying , monitoring and taking action to remove or reduce systemic risks with a view to protecting and enhancing the resilience of the UK financial system .
The FPC also has a secondary objective to support the Government ’ s economic policies.The FPC has wide-ranging powers of recommendation and can direct the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority to take action to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The appointment of external members to the FPC is designed to ensure that the Committee benefits from thinking and expertise in addition to that existing inside the Bank of England , and to provide constructive challenge during the Committee ’ s deliberations .
Each member of the FPC should have expertise in the field of financial services and economics .
External members will be independent – they will not represent or lobby for individual groups , interests or sectors .
”

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.
– – – – – – – – – –
Department for Transport – Non-Executive Director
“This is an exciting time to join the Department for Transport. We are responsible for the transport network that helps the UK’s businesses and gets people and goods travelling around the country. We plan and invest in transport infrastructure to keep the UK on the move. We work across all modes of transport – roads, rail, aviation, maritime – to improve journeys, boost economic growth, work towards a low carbon future and build a One Nation Britain. We are seeking a Non-Executive Director to join the Department’s Board. The successful candidate, through their membership of the Board, will provide challenge and support to a wide variety of management and operational issues and contribute to the effective strategic and operational leadership of the Department.”
Time: 15 days per annum.
Remuneration: £15,000 per annum.
Closes: 01 November
– – – – – – – – – –
Defence Science Expert Committee – Chair
“You will be independent of the Ministry of Defence operational activities and have the ability to apply intellectual rigour in support of the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) Chief Scientific Advisor (CSA). Membership of Defence Science Expert Committee (DSEC) is an important and exciting opportunity to contribute to UK-led Defence Science and Technology. DSEC is the MOD key source of independent advice on non-nuclear science, technology, engineering, analysis and mathematics issues. It is an Expert Committee reporting to the MOD CSA and supporting the derivation and delivery of the Department’s Science and Technology Strategy. DSEC comprises an Independent Chair supported by up to 10 Independent Members drawn from senior academic and industrial communities. All are specialists in a branch of science, engineering, technology, humanities or medicine of relevance to defence and security and have proven ability in working on Boards or Committees. Senior MOD officials, including CSA, keep the Committee abreast of developments in MOD and facilitate contacts within MOD.”
Time: 20-25 days per annum.
Remuneration: £465 per diem, plus allowances.
Closes: 02 November
– – – – – – – – – –
Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service – Chair
“The role of the Chair is to lead and direct the work of the Cafcass Board (including its various sub-committees), the purpose of which is to ensure probity in the conduct of Cafcass’ affairs, and that Cafcass’ policies and its strategic vision are compatible with those of the Secretary of State. The Board is specifically responsible for: establishing and taking forward the strategic aims and objectives of Cafcass consistent with its overall strategic direction and within the policy and resources framework determined by the Secretary of State; ensuring that the responsible minister is kept informed of any changes or risks that are likely to impact on the strategic direction of Cafcass or on the attainability of its targets, and determining the steps needed to deal with such changes or risks; ensuring that any statutory or administrative requirements for the use of public funds are complied with; that the Board operates within the limits of its statutory authority and any delegated authority agreed with the Department, and in accordance with any other conditions relating to the use of public funds…”
Time: 80 days per annum.
Remuneration: £400 per diem.
Closes: 03 November
– – – – – – – – – –
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy – Director of Labour Market Enforcement
“The Secretary of State is seeking to appoint four Independent Members to the CCW Board. The primary role of CCW’s Independent Board Members is to contribute to the good governance of the organisation by bringing wide experience and critical detachment to the work of the Board. Board Members take a lead role in an area of CCW’s strategic work or its campaigns and work closely with members of the Executive Team and employees in this area. Examples of lead areas include engagement and communication, vulnerable consumers and improving water regulation for consumers. The Essential Criteria section later in this document includes the ‘additional expertise’ that CCW is looking for from successful candidates to enhance and complement the Board’s existing strengths. CCW’s Code of Governance sets out more details on the operation of the Board and its Committees and includes more detail on the role of Board Members.”
Time: 1-2 days per week.
Remuneration: £100,000 – £130,000 per annum (FTE).
Closes: 08 November
– – – – – – – – – –
Commission on Human Medicines – Chair
“The Chair will provide strong and effective leadership of the Commission in the fulfilment of its remit. The Chair of CHM has to lead an expert science advisory committee whose principal tasks are to advise the Licensing Authority (the UK Health Ministers) and its executive arm, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), on matters relating to human medicinal products including the licensing of medicines that are safe, efficacious and of good quality. The Chair needs to be able to synthesize complex information and present it authoritatively to ministers as required. They have to be able to master a very wide range of medical and pharmacological issues, many of which would be out of any one practitioner’s area of expertise, and chair to consensus a commission which comprises a range of eminent medical experts and some lay members.”
Time: Approx. 33 days per annum.
Remuneration: Up to £500 per meeting
Closes: 10 November
– – – – – – – – – –
British Broadcasting Corporation – Chair/Member for England
“We are looking for an outstanding individual with demonstrable leadership skills and a passion for the media and public broadcasting, to represent the public interest in the BBC and maintain the Corporation’s independence. As per the BBC Royal Charter, the Chair of the BBC Board must be appointed by Order in Council following a fair and open competition. The Governance Code, including the public appointment principles, must be followed in making the appointment. The Commissioner for Public Appointments will ensure that the appointment is made in accordance with the Governance Code. Candidates should be aware that the preferred candidate for the post of Chair will be required to appear before a Parliamentary Select Committee prior to appointment.”
Time: 3-4 days per week (Chair) / Up to 2 days per week.
Remuneration: £160,000 (Chair) / £33,000 per annum, +£5,000 for committee chairs, reasonable expenses (Member)
Closes: 11 November
– – – – – – – – – –
Consumer Council for Water – Independent Board Members
“The Secretary of State is seeking to appoint four Independent Members to the CCW Board. The primary role of CCW’s Independent Board Members is to contribute to the good governance of the organisation by bringing wide experience and critical detachment to the work of the Board. Board Members take a lead role in an area of CCW’s strategic work or its campaigns and work closely with members of the Executive Team and employees in this area. Examples of lead areas include engagement and communication, vulnerable consumers and improving water regulation for consumers. The Essential Criteria section later in this document includes the ‘additional expertise’ that CCW is looking for from successful candidates to enhance and complement the Board’s existing strengths. CCW’s Code of Governance sets out more details on the operation of the Board and its Committees and includes more detail on the role of Board Members.”
Time: Three days per month.
Remuneration: £11,718 per annum.
Closes: 16 November
– – – – – – – – – –
Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology – Co-Chair
“The Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology (CST) is the Government’s top-level advisory body on science and technology issues. It reports directly to the Prime Minister on matters of science and technology that cut across the responsibilities of government departments. It is co-chaired by the Government Chief Scientific Adviser and an independent appointee. The SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) pandemic has highlighted the importance of science and technology in facing a challenge of such epic proportions, and in building a robust, sustainable, and equitable recovery plan for the UK, post Covid. The Government is seeking to appoint a new Independent Co-Chair for the Council for Science and Technology. The Government will appoint an Independent Co-Chair who will share responsibility for chairing the Council with the Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA).”
Time: 2-3 days per month.
Remuneration: None.
Closes: 22 November
– – – – – – – – – –
Insolvency Service – Chair
“The Insolvency Service is an Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, responsible for helping to deliver economic confidence by supporting those in financial distress, tackling financial wrongdoing and maximising returns to creditors. It employs around 1,700 staff operating from 22 locations across Great Britain. We are seeking to appoint a new Chair of the Insolvency Service Board to lead the organisation as it takes forward its programme of transformation, delivers key Government commitments, and continues its record of strong performance against the backdrop of an uncertain economy following the Covid-19 pandemic… Headed by the non-executive Chair, the Board currently comprises a mix of Executive and Non-Executive Directors. The Board is collectively responsible for the oversight of the operation of the Insolvency Service, with particular emphasis on its strategic direction, management controls, and corporate governance.”
Time: 20 days per annum.
Remuneration: £18,000.
Closes: 22 November
– – – – – – – – – –
Bank of England – External Member of the Financial Policy Committee
“The FPC is responsible for identifying, monitoring and taking action to remove or reduce systemic risks with a view to protecting and enhancing the resilience of the UK financial system. The FPC also has a secondary objective to support the Government’s economic policies.The FPC has wide-ranging powers of recommendation and can direct the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority to take action to address systemic risks to financial stability. The appointment of external members to the FPC is designed to ensure that the Committee benefits from thinking and expertise in addition to that existing inside the Bank of England, and to provide constructive challenge during the Committee’s deliberations. Each member of the FPC should have expertise in the field of financial services and economics. External members will be independent – they will not represent or lobby for individual groups, interests or sectors.”
Time: 23 days per quarter.
Remuneration: £97,200.
Closes: 29 November


conservativehome--2020-10-30--Will Labour expel Corbyn?

Will Labour expel Corbyn?

Keir Starmer ’ s decision to suspend Jeremy Corbyn ’ s Labour Party membership – for we must presume that was indeed his in effect – is being compared to Tony Blair ’ s decision to abolish the former Clause Four of Labour ’ s constitution .
The comparison isn ’ t quite right .
Blair didn ’ t actually announce the abolition of Clause Four in his first speech as Labour leader to his party ’ s annual conference .
Instead , he said that it was time for an “ up-to-date statement of the objects and objectives of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ take its place in our constitution for the next century ” .
But the briefing after the speech was clear enough about Blair ’ s intention , though he had held back from confronting party members during it directly .
Similarly , Corbyn ’ s suspension wasn ’ t announced during Starmer ’ s press conference yesterday morning .
It came later , at one o ’ clock or so .
The difference is that Blair clearly had a plan to abolish Clause Four , but Starmer doesn ’ t seem to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his successor .
The decision to act seems to have been sparked by Corbyn ’ s defiant statement yesterday morning , and by his later refusal to renounce it .
And the former Labour leader hasn ’ t , of course , actually been expelled from the party : instead , he has been suspended .
The Conservative campaigning machine , so uncertain of itself recently ( think free school meals ) , has swung into co-ordinated action : it wants to ensure that the point is taken by the electorate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with an aggressive letter to Starmer – the central point of which is that Labour ’ s new leader was content to serve under the old one .
And Amanda Milling has written to Party members .
“ Keir Starmer is a lawyer , ” her e-mail declares , “ and as a lawyer , he follows whatever brief he ’ s given ” .
Her letter also contains a video of Starmer on The Andrew Marr Show before last year ’ s election , saying that “ I ’ m 100 per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ view this activity either as proof that the Conservatives are desperate to discredit a new Labour leader who is a formidable danger to them… …Or as evidence that they believe Starmer is vulnerable to the charge of opportunism , given his former presence in Corbyn ’ s Shadow Cabinet .
Or perhaps as both .
The attack line on the Labour leader for being a lawyer , one that Boris Johnson persistently deploys in the Commons , has the smack about it of one arising from focus groups .
One take on yesterday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now face a long drawn-out , debilitating struggle with many Labour members , some unions and a few MPs over Corbyn ’ s fate , which will sap and divert his energies .
We ’ re not so sure that will do him any harm with voters – though the question of whether to re-admit Corbyn to Labour , and if so on what terms , or whether to expel him after all , looks to drag on and on .
A deeper problem for Starmer may be the charge of opportunism , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It is striking that the media has not gone after the Conservatives over anti-Muslim prejudice in anything like the same way that it went after Labour over anti-semitism .
Part of the explanation may be that there has been no domestic terrorism claimed in the name of Judaism , as there has been in the case of Islam .
But undoubtedly , Corbyn ’ s long , fitful association with anti-semites is another , bigger reason .
He will now become a martyr to the hard Left within Labour – which will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s report , anti-semitism will remain a problem for the Opposition and its leader .

Keir Starmer’s decision to suspend Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party membership – for we must presume that was indeed his in effect – is being compared to Tony Blair’s decision to abolish the former Clause Four of Labour’s constitution. The comparison isn’t quite right.
Blair didn’t actually announce the abolition of Clause Four in his first speech as Labour leader to his party’s annual conference. Instead, he said that it was time for an “up-to-date statement of the objects and objectives of our party” and that this should “take its place in our constitution for the next century”.
But the briefing after the speech was clear enough about Blair’s intention, though he had held back from confronting party members during it directly.
Similarly, Corbyn’s suspension wasn’t announced during Starmer’s press conference yesterday morning. It came later, at one o’clock or so.
The difference is that Blair clearly had a plan to abolish Clause Four, but Starmer doesn’t seem to have had one to make an example of his successor.
The decision to act seems to have been sparked by Corbyn’s defiant statement yesterday morning, and by his later refusal to renounce it.
And the former Labour leader hasn’t, of course, actually been expelled from the party: instead, he has been suspended.
The Conservative campaigning machine, so uncertain of itself recently (think free school meals), has swung into co-ordinated action: it wants to ensure that the point is taken by the electorate.
Michael Gove is leading the pack, with an aggressive letter to Starmer – the central point of which is that Labour’s new leader was content to serve under the old one.
And Amanda Milling has written to Party members. “Keir Starmer is a lawyer,” her e-mail declares, “and as a lawyer, he follows whatever brief he’s given”.
Her letter also contains a video of Starmer on The Andrew Marr Show before last year’s election, saying that “I’m 100 per cent behind Jeremy Corbyn.”
You will view this activity either as proof that the Conservatives are desperate to discredit a new Labour leader who is a formidable danger to them…
…Or as evidence that they believe Starmer is vulnerable to the charge of opportunism, given his former presence in Corbyn’s Shadow Cabinet.
Or perhaps as both. The attack line on the Labour leader for being a lawyer, one that Boris Johnson persistently deploys in the Commons, has the smack about it of one arising from focus groups.
One take on yesterday’s events is that Starmer will now face a long drawn-out, debilitating struggle with many Labour members, some unions and a few MPs over Corbyn’s fate, which will sap and divert his energies.
We’re not so sure that will do him any harm with voters – though the question of whether to re-admit Corbyn to Labour, and if so on what terms, or whether to expel him after all, looks to drag on and on. A deeper problem for Starmer may be the charge of opportunism, one to which Opposition leaders are vulnerable.
It is striking that the media has not gone after the Conservatives over anti-Muslim prejudice in anything like the same way that it went after Labour over anti-semitism. Part of the explanation may be that there has been no domestic terrorism claimed in the name of Judaism, as there has been in the case of Islam.
But undoubtedly, Corbyn’s long, fitful association with anti-semites is another, bigger reason. He will now become a martyr to the hard Left within Labour – which will thereby prove that, even after yesterday’s report, anti-semitism will remain a problem for the Opposition and its leader.