27 October 2016

Week in Brief: UK

Britain and Europe

BREXIT: As pressure builds up on the government to reveal its objectives in the Brexit negotiations, with Parliamentary debates promised before the Christmas recess, other parts of the UK take differing views. Wales (which backed leave) is, according to the first Minister, unwilling to accept free movement of people but also wants to have free access to the single market.  Scotland and Northern Ireland were for Remain with Nicola Sturgeon prepared to accept free movement in return for Scottish participation in the market.  In Northern Ireland the main concern is to keep the border open and fluid.

Conservative MP Grant Shapps has criticised the proposal for a Great Repeal Bill under which the law would be frozen at the time when Britain leaves the union and changes thereafter will have to be imposed by the UK Parliament, suggesting that all EU-made laws should cease to have effect five years after Brexit. See comment The Baleful Role Of The SPAD.

According to the think tank Civitas, the tariffs which would result from a Hard Brexit would  cost British companies £5.2 billion and continental countries £13 billion.

The French lead negotiator Michel Barnier has suggested that the Brexit negotiations should be held in French. Angela Merkel has suggested that everyone should use their own language.

FRANKENSTEIN FOODS: One effect of Brexit is that the UK will no longer be bound by EU rules on the growing of genetically modified crops.  Scientists have long argued that there is no reason to oppose the development of such crops but political opposition across the EU has meant that only a single product has been licensed since 1998.

CALAIS: As Britain takes further children from the Jungle, local authorities are complaining that they are not being given sufficient funds to look after them.  Although younger children can be placed with foster families at the cost of some £50,000 each, the cost of placing an older child in a residential care home is around £133,000 a year.  The Home Office are currently making a contribution of £40,000 per child a year. It is understood that Britain will be taking 650 unaccompanied children from the Jungle over the next three weeks and has taken 200 to date.

Militant anarchists from Britain are among those confronting the French police and demolition workers who are removing the Calais jungle. A number of the occupants are thought to have escaped into the neighbourhood so that they can continue their efforts to enter the UK.

Government

HEATHROW: Following government approval of the third runway, the focus has moved to the detail of the £17 billion project. On the physical side, concerns that putting the M25 through a tunnel under the runway would lead to unacceptable traffic disruption have led to a suggestion that the runway pass over the road, one end of it being some 8 metres higher than the other.

On the political side, legal challenges are being mounted by abutting local authorities and Zac Goldsmith the MP for Richmond has resigned his seat. The Conservatives will not oppose the re-election of Mr Goldsmith who might otherwise be vulnerable to a challenge from the Liberal Democrats because of his Brexit stance. Opposition from Boris Johnson and Justine Greening, both high-profile opponents of the scheme who have been given freedom to restate their views, has been muted.

Householders whose properties are required to make space for the new runway will be compensated at 25% above market value. The premium is necessary because of the blight which the prospective airport has put on prices in the area.

CHILD SEX ABUSE ENQUIRY: Mrs May has admitted that she knew about concerns regarding the leadership of the enquiry by Dame Lowell Goddard but said that as Home Secretary she could not intervene in a public enquiry without being officially aware of the issues. Once the Home Office became aware it did take action.

PRESS FREEDOM: Plans to implement section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act have been dropped. The section would have forced newspapers to pay the costs of libel actions even if they defended them successfully.  It would have put a large number of newspapers out of business. See comment The Baleful Role Of The SPAD.

Health

DRUGS ENQUIRY: Following revelations that pharmaceutical firms have been buying the rights to old drugs and then changing their name in order to avoid the profit cap, the Competition and Markets Authority has opened an enquiry into whether their activities amounted to anti-competitive conduct. The increases in the price of the drugs is said to have cost the National Health Service over £250 million a year. The regulator has power to impose fines equal to 10% of global turnover. Quite apart from the enquiry, legislation is being introduced in order to prevent profiteering by buying rights to patent expired drugs.

POINTLESS TREATMENTS: The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges estimates that £2 billion a year is wasted on useless treatment, as doctors tried to prescribe something which might help their patients.  The Academy stressed the importance of explaining to the patient what will happen if they do nothing at all, often a course which could avoid pain and side-effects.

Arts

GLOBE DEPARTURE: Emma Rice, the avant-garde director of the Globe Theatre, is to depart in 2018. Her approach, which included the use of microphones and artificial lighting, has been much criticised as have a number of her productions. She has, however, presided over a strong box office.

Miscellaneous

OPERATION MIDLAND: Harvey Proctor, who left Parliament in 1987 following a conviction for gross indecency, has called for the prosecution of Nick, the complainant who made accusations, now discredited, of child murder and a Westminster VIP paedophile ring, for wasting police time or attempting to perverted the course of justice.

RUSSIAN WARSHIP: Russia’s only aircraft carrier the Admiral Kuznetsov, together with escorts, passed through the Channel on its way to the Mediterranean where it is expected to support the Syrian government. The Russian fleet was tracked by the RAF.

GAY PARDONS: Justice Minister Sam Gyimah has talked out a bill which would pardon living and dead gay men convicted of offences which are no longer extant. The Ministry has said that it will only give pardons to dead men, allowing living men to fight to have the convictions quashed.

CS GAS: A cylinder of CS gas was accidentally discharged at London City Airport, causing it to be evacuated for three hours.  Incoming flights were diverted to other airports and an apology was made to passengers.

EDSTONE: the Labour Party has been fined £20,000 by the Electoral Commission for failing to deliver a complete return of expenses in relation to the last General Collection. Among payments omitted were the £7600 cost of the Ed Stone, the 8’6” marble slab engraved with political platitudes.

LIVING WILLS: Sir James Mumby, President of the Family Division of the High Court, has directed that although the Mental Capacity Act 2005 gave legal effect to living wills under which people could instruct doctors to withdraw treatment under certain circumstances, such cases should come to that Family Division so that the instruction in the living will could be endorsed by the Court.

CLOCKS: Readers of the Shaw Sheet are reminded that clocks go back on Sunday.

 

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