14 January 2016

Week in Brief: UK

EU REFERENDUM: David Cameron has changed his mind and has said that he will allow minsters to campaign in favour of the UK leaving the EU. The effect is to suspend the usual principle of collective cabinet responsibility.

DOCTORS’ STRIKE: The strike of junior doctors has started, after talks broke down between the BMA and Jeremy Hunt, the Secretary of State for Health. The main point of disagreement concerns the stopping of overtime pay for time spent working before 7 pm on Saturdays.

LABOUR: Jeremy Corbyn has not carried out a major reshuffle. It is said that if he had done so, there would have been many resignations from the Shadow Cabinet. Instead it appears that he will rely more on the National Executive Committee which contains a majority of his supporters. Commentators say that the purpose is to ensure the adoption of policies which some of the senior members of his party may oppose.

However, three senior members of Labour’s shadow cabinet have resigned. It is said that they did so because of lies put forward by the leadership over the sacking of colleagues from the front bench. Michael Dugher, one of those removed from the shadow cabinet, complained that the party was now, in effect, being run by Ken Livingston, and categorised Jeremy Corbyn’s allies as a “bunch of far-left, anti-war former communists”.

On 12 January, another senior figure resigned from the shadow cabinet: Catharine McKinnell, the shadow Attorney-General.

Jeremy Corbyn did not meet backbenchers, after deciding not to attend a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour party on Monday night.

John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, has been criticised for attending a rally organised by Cage. Cage has been condemned in the past for describing “Jihadi John” as kind, very gentle, soft spoken and humble.

Ken Livingstone, a senior member of Labour’s defence team, has said that the UK’s membership of Nato would be reconsidered. However Jeremy Corbyn moved quickly to deny that that was the case. Emily Thornberry, an opponent of Trident, was promoted to become shadow Defence Secretary.

Momentum, the group which is close to Jeremy Corbyn, has instructed its members and supporters to join the doctors on picket lines.

FOOD IMPORTS: A study has shown that most of the crops which are used to feed animals and people in the UK, are imported. Soya beans, mainly used in animal feed, are imported from Argentina and Brazil. There is concern that the land cleared to grow the crops are rain forests.

CYBER CONFLICT: GCHQ has recruited more than a thousand extra staff to combat the increasing threat posed by cyber warfare and crime.

BISHOP PETER BALL: More information has been released about the case of Peter Ball, the former Bishop oaf Gloucester, who received only a caution after allegations about his sexual activities were investigated in 1992-1993. In October 2015, he was imprisoned after admitting abusing 18 young men between 1977 and 1992. A report prepared at the time by the police expressed the view that there were three possible courses of action: that Ball be charged, cautioned or that no action be taken in the public interest. George Carey, then Archbishop of Canterbury, wrote to the authorities at the time, asking them not to prosecute.

NHS: There are reports that staff in the NHS who have been made redundant are being rehired almost immediately at a cost to the NHS of £90 million. There have also been complaints that management consultants have been paid £150 million for advice given to new bodies set up by Andrew Lansley, the former Secretary of State for Health.

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE FOREIGN AID TARGET: The Treasury has admitted that it has given the Ministry of Defence an annual spending target for foreign aid. The admission comes after the Treasury denied for 6 months that such a target existed. The MOD, in order to meet the target, has spent money on projects which have drawn criticism, such as the painting of a school in Kenya. “The Times” obtained the information after making a request under the Freedom of Information Act.

FRENCH JEWS: There has been an increase in the number of French Jews moving to England. The terrorist attacks in France have been cited as the reason behind the move.

RESIGNATIONS: Lin Homer, the civil servant who was awarded an honour in the New Year’s Honours List, and is the chief executive of Revenue and Customs, has resigned and will leave in April.

The chairman of the Environment Agency has also resigned. Sir Philip Dilley gave two reasons: the first was that he did not want to be available at short notice throughout the year, and the second reason was that his family had come under intense media scrutiny.