07 January 2016
Week in Brief: UK
FLOODS: The severe floods which have affected the North of England and Scotland have caused £billions worth of damage. It is thought that most of the damage is not covered by insurance. The Government has been criticised for what is seen as a North/South divide, with insufficient funds being allocated to flood defences in the North of England. The floods have destroyed two bridges in Yorkshire. One was built in the 18th century and the other was 184 years old. Adverse comments were made after the senior civil servant in charge of the Environment Agency was found to be on holiday in Barbados when the floods struck. There have been reports that people returning to their homes have discovered that looters have stolen their property. In one case, a laptop and a passport were removed.
OLIVER LETWIN: In Government papers just released that go back to 1985, it has transpired that Oliver Letwin opposed the suggestion that black entrepreneurs should be encouraged. Margaret Thatcher’s government was considering what policies to adopt following riots in urban areas, particularly at the Broadwater Farm estate. Letwin considered that people offered help would open up discos or become drug dealers.
NEW YEAR’S HONOURS: There have been criticisms made about the New Year’s Honours List. The Labour party has disapproved of the knighthood given to Lloyd Crosby, the Australian electoral strategist who has helped the Conservative party. Objections have also been raised over the peerage given to Lin Homer, who has been heavily criticised in the past for what was seen as her incompetence in four senior roles in the Civil Service.
LABOUR: In the Labour party, Jon Lansman, the founder of Momentum, has been accused of drawing up plans so that the National Executive Committee (which has a majority of hard left members on it) can select all prospective Labour candidates and senior staff members.
The Labour MP, Simon Danczuk, has been suspended after it was revealed that he sent sexually explicit text messages to a 17 year old girl a year ago. An enquiry has been started by the disciplinary committee of the party and he could be expelled.
Jeremy Corbyn’s unusually protracted reshuffle of his shadow cabinet continues amidst confusion, rumour and gossip.
TERRORISM: Two Islamic extremists have been jailed for life after being found guilty of plotting to cause explosions and endanger life in London. The husband will serve a minimum of 27 years and his wife a minimum of 25 years.
A video released by Isis featured a masked English-speaking man and a 5 year old English-speaking boy. It is thought that the boy’s mother left the UK for Syria in 2012 to join Isis. The use of the boy in this way has been condemned. There are reports that there may be as many as 50 British children in Syria and Iraq under the control of Isis state militants.
ALCOHOL: The latest medical advice from the Government’s Chief Medical Officer recommends that everybody should have 2 alcohol free days a week and the units taken by men should be reduced to the same as that for women. At the same time, John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons, has used a loophole in the Freedom of Information Act to suppress a report about the amount of alcohol drunk by MPs and others in the subsidised bars in the Palace of Westminster.
DOCTORS’ STRIKE: A strike by junior doctors will begin next week (the first of three), as negotiations between the BMA and the health secretary broke down this week.
EU REFERENDUM: David Cameron announced that he will permit ministers to campaign for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. Senior cabinet members persuaded him to make the announcement earlier than he might have wished.
