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  • Oliver Dowden – 2022 Interview on BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on the Behaviour of Gavin Williamson

    Oliver Dowden – 2022 Interview on BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on the Behaviour of Gavin Williamson

    The interview with Oliver Dowden, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, on BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on 6 November 2022.

    LAURA KUENSSBERG

    [Asked about the private messages sent by Gavin Williamson to Wendy Morton, the Chief Whip and whether they were acceptable].

    OLIVER DOWDEN

    No, it’s not. These were sent in the heat of the moment at a very difficult time. Gavin accepts that he shouldn’t have said these things, that he regrets it and we should all treat each other with respect and courtesy and that was not the case.

    LAURA KUENSSBERG

    [Asked why Rishi Sunak said his Government would have the highest integrity, but yet he appointed Gavin Williamson knowing that there as

    OLIVER DOWDEN

    Well, it was no secret that Gavin, and some others, didn’t enjoy a good relationship with the Chief Whip at the time. It was not the case, though, that the Prime Minister saw the detail. The complaint itself is ongoing and I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to prejudge that and obviously it has to be treated with confidentiality.

    LAURA KUENSSBERG

    [Said that we’ve seen the texts, there’s no dispute about it, why would viewers think a big investigation is needed?]

    OLIVER DOWDEN

    Well, on the facts of that that exchange, as I said, to you, that’s not acceptable. He shouldn’t have said it. He has said that he regrets doing so. He has given some context, which was that this was at the time of heightened frustration with him as a backbencher and the chief whip.

    LAURA KUENSSBERG

    [Asked if people can use language like that just because they’re in a bad mood?]

    OLIVER DOWDEN

    This is not acceptable, however, there is this complaints process ongoing and it was not the case that the Prime Minister had seen this exchange.

    LAURA KUENSSBERG

    [Stated that there would be no consequences for Gavin Williamson?]

    OLIVER DOWDEN

    This is ongoing and I don’t think you can say we’re going to have a complaints process and then have a minister come on this show and start to prejudge that. What is right for for me to say is that this is not acceptable, that is what Gavin himself has accepted.

  • PRESS RELEASE : The Smoke-Free 2030 target is impossible without low-risk nicotine products [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : The Smoke-Free 2030 target is impossible without low-risk nicotine products [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the IEA on 2 November 2022.

    Ahead of this Thursday’s (3 November) parliamentary debate on the independent review of smokefree 2030 policies, the IEA publishes today The Alternative Smoke-Free 2030 Plan.

      • Government should prioritise alternatives to smoking, like e-cigarettes and snus, over prohibitionist policies.
      • Alternative nicotine products are far less harmful than cigarettes, and the surge in vaping has corresponded with a falling smoking rate.
      • ‘The Alternative Smoke-Free 2030 Plan’ recommends twelve simple, low-cost policies, including raising awareness of low-risk nicotine products and cutting burdensome red tape, including the EU Tobacco Products Directive (TPD).

    A new report, The Alternative Smoke-Free 2030 Plan, from the Institute of Economic Affairs, outlines an alternative strategy to prohibition, a proven failure, to reduce  the smoking rate in England.

    This approach stands in contrast with the Khan Review (2022), which recommended banning the sale of cigarettes over time. Report author, Christopher Snowdon, argues that as long as demand exists (only 53 per cent of British smokers say they want to quit), neo-prohibitionist policies will result in endemic black market activity, crime and secondary poverty without coming close to eradicating smoking.

    The alternative twelve-point plan emphasises the resounding success of vaping and other safer alternatives in getting people off cigarettes. In Britain, where 9.3 per cent of adults now vape, the smoking rate has dropped from 20 per cent to 14 per cent since 2012. In the EU, where only 2 per cent of adults vape, smoking prevalence fell by just 1 per cent between 2014 and 2020. As of this year, 28 per cent of smokers have never even tried an e-cigarette. Removing barriers to consumers accessing low risk nicotine alternatives is vital.

    Snowdon, the IEA’s Head of Lifestyle Economics, recommends that the government tackles pervasive misinformation about the risks of e-cigarettes. Currently, 40 per cent of English smokers falsely believe that nicotine causes cancer and the number of smokers who wrongly think that vaping is as or more dangerous than smoking rose from 36 per cent to 53 per cent between 2014 and 2020. This is despite the fact that the Royal College of Physicians concluded that the long-term risks are ‘unlikely to exceed 5 per cent of the harm from smoking tobacco’ (RCP 2019).The government should ensure that public health bodies promote the benefits of vaping relative to smoking.

    Snowdon also proposes that the government embrace the freedom provided by Brexit to reform the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD). Article 20 of the TPD exacts punitive regulations on e-cigarettes, covering everything from advertising to the size of refillable vape tanks. Cutting this red tape will lift powerful barriers to access.

    Smokers could also be encouraged to quit by reducing the red tape burdens on  other low-risk tobacco alternatives such as snus, heated tobacco and nicotine pouches. These products are subjected to over-zealous regulation, with snus outlawed in the UK.

    The UK has generally regulated e-cigarettes sensibly. But with a greater focus on articulating the benefits of switching to low-risk tobacco alternatives and relaxing the associated regulatory regime, smoking may truly become obsolete.

    Commenting on the The Alternative Smoke-Free 2030 Plan, author and IEA Head of Lifestyle Economics Christopher Snowdon, said:

    “The government’s plan to slash the smoking rate to five per cent by 2030 is wholly unrealistic unless smokers switch to low-risk alternatives in large numbers. Fortunately, a growing range of alternatives exist. All the government needs to do is create a regulatory environment in which they can flourish and ensure that smokers are not misled by fake news. There are a dozen simple, low cost reforms that could be implemented that would help the government meet its health objectives without persecuting smokers.”  

  • PRESS RELEASE : Shadow Monetary Policy Committee votes to increase Bank Rate to 3 per cent [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Shadow Monetary Policy Committee votes to increase Bank Rate to 3 per cent [November 2022]

    The press release issued by the IEA on 1 November 2022.

    Shadow Monetary Policy Committee votes to increase Bank Rate to 3 per cent

    The Committee were split on the size of the rate rise and on whether to continue with quantitative tightening

      • The IEA’s Shadow Monetary Policy Committee (SMPC) has recommended that interest rates be raised by 75 basis points (0.75 per cent) to 3 per cent.
      • Members were split five ways on the size of the rate rise, ranging from leaving rates unchanged to raising Bank rate by 1.0 per cent.
      • There was also no consensus on the operation of quantitative tightening (QT), with two members advocating actively reversing QT and undertaking quantitative easing.

    During the quarterly SPMC meeting, members noted that monetary growth is now consistent with a return of inflation to target. They differed mainly in their sense of how much need there is to re-establish Bank of England credibility and the extent to which one needs, at this point, to run with market expectations as opposed to provide the market with surprises to have an impact.

    More hawkish members emphasised how far the Bank of England has been behind the curve over the past eighteen months and consider it urgent for the Bank to get ahead of inflation now, both to ensure that high inflation expectations do not become embedded in wage-setting and other economic agent decisions and to control market volatility.

    Others emphasised that the mistakes of the past are in the past and that, starting from here, the position is that monetary growth does not need to be curtailed further. It was also noted that with the change of government fiscal policy is now likely to be excessively tight, meaning that recession does much of the work in returning inflation to target, so monetary policy needs to do less.

    It should be noted that this is amongst the largest splits in voting that the Shadow MPC has ever experienced, and illustrates the very considerable uncertainty that currently exists as to the best way forward for UK economic policy.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Scottish Conservatives hold vote on ‘reckless’ SNP National Care Service [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Scottish Conservatives hold vote on ‘reckless’ SNP National Care Service [November 2022]

    The press release issued on 2 November 2022 by the Scottish Conservative Party.

    The SNP have today voted against keeping care local in a debate over ‘reckless’ plans for a ‘National Care Service’.

    The debate was brought forward by Scottish Conservative MSP Craig Hoy, after a wave of recent criticism for the £1.3 billion-plus centralisation project.

    Councils, charities and care providers are worried that the SNP’s costly plans will do more harm than good. And even some of the SNP’s own MSPs have raised their heads above the parapet to express concerns over how the SNP Government will fund the NCS.

    Meanwhile the government’s finance watchdog, Audit Scotland, is warning that the already eye-watering predicted costs of £1.3 billon are likely to be an underestimate.

    Humza Yousaf continues to sail towards the iceberg – having already done his best to sink our National Health Service.

    Under Humza Yousaf, our NHS and social care systems are already in crisis.

    Yet instead of taking concrete measures to properly fund and improve social care at the local level, the SNP want to embark on a massive restructuring which will divert funds away from frontline care and into the pockets of civil servants and administrators.

    Despite all these warnings, Humza Yousaf continues to sail towards the iceberg – having already done his best to sink our National Health Service.

    But there’s still time to avert disaster.

    The SNP may have ignored the Scottish Conservatives’ common-sense calls, but they must not proceed with these vague, reckless and largely uncosted plans for a National Care Service.

    The SNP should U-turn on their plans and put every penny back into local care services instead.

    We want to see a Local Care Service that empowers communities, underpinned by a guarantee that people can get care in their local area, close to their family and support networks, instead of the cruel ‘out of area’ care that may become more common under this centralised system.

    If the SNP go ahead with their wasteful plans, it will be overstretched care workers, vulnerable patients and their families who suffer.

  • Michelle O’Neill – 2022 Speech on Being First Minister for All

    Michelle O’Neill – 2022 Speech on Being First Minister for All

    The speech made by Michelle O’Neill, the First Minister Designate in Northern Ireland, on 5 November 2022.

    Míle buíochas do gach duine as bheith linn inniu. Tá fáilte mhór romhaibh uilig.

    It’s so good to be with you all here today

    We meet at a time of major change right across our entire island

    That change was demonstrated most loudly six months ago, when the people of the North voted in huge numbers in the Assembly election.

    It really was a defining moment.

    For the first time, the balance of power at Stormont shifted, and Sinn Féin emerged as the largest party, topping the poll with 27 seats.

    The electorate overwhelmingly endorsed our message of hope, optimism and of working in partnership with others to get things done.

    They voted for us to invest extra money in our health service and to help them through the cost-of-living crisis.

    They voted for us to build more homes and to create good quality jobs.

    I campaigned to lead a new Executive as a ‘First Minister for All’.

    And I meant what I said during the campaign.

    I will work every day as First Minister Designate to demonstrate through word and deed a spirit of partnership and respect towards everyone in our society.

    For politics to work it must be inclusive.

    That means the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement must work, serve and deliver fairly and equally for all citizens, and for all communities.

    My commitment is to make politics work for everyone and to lead an agenda for change through partnership, not division.

    I want to co-operate across party lines and deliver in government by working with others who want progress.

    Our mission is to deliver on health, housing, education and jobs.

    We need to put money into people’s pockets to help deal with the rising cost of living.

    To agree a budget and an extra £1 billion into the health service to reduce waiting lists.

    To support cancer and mental health services, and recruit more doctors and nurses.

    Since day one after the election Sinn Féin has stood ready to form a power-sharing government.

    We have been ready to work with other parties and to serve all communities.

    It is wrong that progress on the issues affecting the daily lives of people are being put on hold, because one party refuses to accept the democratic outcome of last May’s Assembly election.

    At any time, this would be unacceptable.

    But in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis it is utterly disgraceful.

    As you all know the DUP are using the Brexit Protocol as cover not to enter power-sharing.

    And the real reason is because as an Irish nationalist, I will be at the helm as First Minister.

    And everybody knows it.

    Last Friday, Caretaker Ministers were forced from their departments leaving civil servants in an impossible position.

    They are now expected to run our essential public services, with no budget and no powers.

    Not good enough.

    I want to thank our outgoing Finance Minister Conor Murphy; Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey; and, Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd for their hard work and delivery.

    Back in May the people voted for change.

    Yet the DUP and Tories offer only disruption, dysfunction and chaos in Belfast and London.

    The British Secretary of State repeatedly stated he would set a date for an election should the DUP fail to restore power-sharing.

    Yet come the day and come the hour he backed down and failed to do anything whatsoever.

    He has left people in limbo with indecision and the dithering.

    He needs to step out a definitive pathway be restore an executive.

    Instead of fueling instability and uncertainty.

    If an election is called, we stand ready to refight a positive campaign.

    A campaign to deliver on the change you voted for in May.

    A campaign about a future built on inclusivity, togetherness, and respect.

    In the meantime, we cannot allow the vacuum to be filled by threats of violence or intimidation from loyalists who want yesterday.

    Let’s be clear, yesterday is not available to them!

    From this Ard Fheis today, I send our solidarity to James Nesbitt, and Professor Colin Harvey of Queen’s University, who have both come under attack from senior DUP politicians, and some loyalists.

    This attack on them is an attack on democracy and us all.

    This must stop.

    Earlier this week I was honoured to attend the funeral service of the late Baroness May Blood.

    I was privileged to join her beloved family and all those from the Greater Shankill community who mourn the loss of their greatest and deeply respected community champion.

    A mill worker.

    A trade unionist, a community worker, a campaigner for social justice and integrated education, and the founder of the Women’s Coalition.

    As First Minister Designate I wanted to pay my respects and go onto the Shankill because at the end of the day we all live together.

    Our battles are the same.

    To make our communities better.

    To offer families a secure life.

    To build a better future for our children.

    We have so much more in common than divides us.

    Reaching out the hand of friendship to advance reconciliation is our common ground.

    Where together, we can all build for the future and do so, in a way that reflects the diversity of our different but equally legitimate, Allegiances, Identities and Aspirations.

    That is why in September I attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

    I was being respectful to all of those of a British and unionist tradition from across our society who felt her loss dearly.

    It reflects maturity as a new era of change is ushered in where we can celebrate difference and diversity.

    A chairde, last week after decades of campaigning the Irish language was given official recognition in law in the north for the first time.

    Tá Acht Gaeilge againne/ anois!

    This will mean gaeilgeoirí will have guaranteed protections in law, and the legal right to access public services through Irish.

    Resistance to rights has failed.

    Let’s value, not diminish each other’s culture and identity.

    I am working to build a society not of Orange and Green, but a rainbow of colours and multi-culturalism which reflects who we are and what we stand for today.

    Since we last met some progress has been made on women’s rights.

    Finally, women in the North have the right to modern compassionate healthcare when they need it.

    Those services need to be put in place now.

    A new generation of women will not abide a repeat of the failures of the past, particularly when it comes to our healthcare.

    I want to address the issue of the Brexit Protocol.

    You see, it is an irrefutable fact that the Protocol is working, and that Jeffrey Donaldson is incapable of accepting that is the case.

    He has now been rebuffed on numerous occasions in the past week about his misleading claims.

    Including scaremongering about vital medical care.

    A chairde, Jeffrey doesn’t just need a fact-check, he needs a reality check.

    Most working people, businesses and key sectors I meet want the British Government to urgently reach a negotiated settlement with the EU around the Protocol.

    They want certainty and stability so they can invest for the future taking full advantage of our access to the EU single market and the benefits this brings to our economy.

    We welcome the unstinting support of the White House and Congress.

    This was reaffirmed in a call between President Biden and the British Prime Minister last week.

    We must defend and protect the gains of the Good Friday Agreement and the need to reach a negotiated agreement with the European Union.

    We welcome the new British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meeting with European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen.

    What we all want to see is a deal done to make the protocol work better.

    But for the avoidance of doubt.

    Neither the Assembly or the Executive has any mandate or role in these negotiations.

    So holding back power-sharing in the meantime is simply to punish the public.

    This is reckless and it needlessly polarises our society and politics.

    My call is for London and Brussels to Propel the Protocol Talks and for Downing Street to demonstrate the political will to get a resolution.

    As for the Stormont Leaders, now is the time for renewed unity of purpose and determination to deliver a stable power-sharing coalition that works, and delivers.

    Next April we will mark 25 years of peace and the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.

    And we will reflect on the transformation of our island over the last quarter century.

    We will also take the opportunity to look forward and to imagine the future.

    We are now in the decade of opportunity.

    Friends, let’s embrace it and let’s do better for all.

    Tá obair le déanamh againn ar son an phobail.

    We have work to do, and people to represent.

    The people want Government, and we all want change.

    I am firmly committed to both.

    Sin mo ghealltanas daoibh uilig.

    Go raibh míle maith agaibh.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Louise O’Reilly TD offers solidarity and support to Twitter workers [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Louise O’Reilly TD offers solidarity and support to Twitter workers [November 2022]

    The press release issued by Sinn Fein on 4 November 2022.

    Sinn Fein spokesperson on Workers’ Rights, Louise O’Reilly TD, has offered her full solidarity and support to workers at Twitter following the news that mass layoffs are to begin today.

    She further added that the Tánaiste, Leo Varadkar, as the Minister responsible, must ensure that fair procedures and all statutory consultation processes are followed by the company in relation to their workers in Dublin.

    Teahcta O’Reilly said:

    “The news that Twitter is due to begin a process of mass layoffs will come as a serious shock to 500 workers employed at the company’s Dublin office.

    “Sources have indicated layoffs will be across the board with cuts in marketing, product, engineering, legal, and trust and safety anticipated. It is speculated that new CEO, Elon Musk, may cut as much as 50% of staff at the company.

    “An understanding of the new CEO’s previous dealings with workers means this move has not come as a surprise, but the announcement, and the way workers have been notified of job losses, has caused a significant amount of anger.

    “It is up to the Tánaiste, Leo Varadkar, as the Minister responsible, to ensure that fair procedures and all statutory consultation processes are followed by the company.

    “The move by Twitter also reinforces the need to finally deliver collective bargaining rights for workers and trade unions. The need for legislatively-protected collective bargaining has never been greater.

    “An ideology of neoliberalism with hugely damaging consequences for workers and families has reigned across Ireland and Europe for too long.

    “We have witnessed a race to the bottom in terms and conditions of work, an increase in low paid work and the marginalisation of trade unions and workplace democracy.

    “Workers’ rights must be given priority and firm legal protections enacted, otherwise workers will continue to suffer.

    “Only by giving workers the tools to bargain for themselves can they have a chance of living decent and happy lives.

    “I offer mine and Sinn Féin’s solidarity and support to the workers at Twitter in what is a very worrying time.

    “I would also add that it is never too late to join a trade union. Workers need a strong voice in the workplace and the only way to achieve this is by joining and being active in a trade union.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : More Tory dithering and indecision as workers and families continue to struggle – O’Neill [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : More Tory dithering and indecision as workers and families continue to struggle – O’Neill [November 2022]

    The press release issued by Sinn Fein on 4 November 2022.

    Sinn Féin Leas-Uachtarán Michelle O’Neill said today that the British Secretary of State is adding to political instability and leaving struggling workers and families in a state of limbo during a cost-of-living crisis.

    Speaking after Chris Heaton-Harris confirmed his bizarre u-turn on an Assembly election, the Michelle O’Neill said:

    “Today’s announcement is more dithering and indecision from the British Secretary of State and a continuation of the Tory chaos in London that is now paralysing our politics.

    “Chris Heaton Harris met with political parties this week and failed to give any indication of what he announced today.

    “Instead he has confirmed the bizarre u-turn he made last week but once again he provides no clarity or certainty on what his next steps even are.

    “This is yet another example of the Tory party’s contempt for the people of the north.

    “The British government are fuelling the political instability caused by the DUP’s failure to recognise the result of the May election when the people voted for change.

    “The British government and the DUP are leaving us in a prolonged state of political limbo with no Assembly, Executive or caretaker ministers.

    “This is totally unacceptable at a time when workers, families and small businesses are struggling through the cost-of-living crisis and a cold winter and when our health service needs immediate investment.

    “People want parties working together in their best interests and making a real difference to their lives right now. The British government are denying people the leadership they voted for in a bid to let the DUP off the hook.

    “The British Secretary of State should outline now exactly what the British government intends to do to restore the political institutions here and how and when they propose to give people here the £400 cost of living energy payment they have waited months for.

    “Delays and indecision is not an acceptable situation for people here who need help now.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Increased BBC coverage of Gaelic Games great news for Gaels across the island – Ennis [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Increased BBC coverage of Gaelic Games great news for Gaels across the island – Ennis [November 2022]

    The press release issued by Sinn Fein on 4 November 2022.

    Sinn Féin MLA Sinéad Ennis has welcomed today’s decision by the BBC that it will broadcast the All-Ireland Football and Hurling Finals for the first time.

    Sineád Ennis said:

    “Confirmation that the BBC is to broadcast the All-Ireland Football and Hurling finals for the first time is long overdue and is great news for northern Gaels and supporters of Gaelic games right across the island.

    “For the next five years, the BBC will show live Allianz League games, the Ulster Championship and the All-Ireland Football and Hurling semi-finals and finals.

    “For many years now, my party colleague Seanadóir Niall Ó Donnghaile, party Leas-Uachtarán Michelle O’Neill and I have engaged with the BBC about its lack of coverage of Gaelic Games.

    “Today they have listened to us and more importantly to the thousands of Gaels across the North who have been entitled to increased coverage of Gaelic Games.

    “This is a massive boost for Gaelic games across the island and the north in particular.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Onus on PSNI to ensure Professor Colin Harvey’s safety – Gerry Kelly [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Onus on PSNI to ensure Professor Colin Harvey’s safety – Gerry Kelly [November 2022]

    The press release issued by Sinn Fein on 3 November 2022.

    Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly today challenged the Chief Constable on what steps were being taken to protect Professor Colin Harvey and other individuals subject to loyalist threats and abusive commentary on social media.

    The party’s policing spokesperson said:

    “At today’s Policing Board I challenged the Chief Constable on what on steps were being taken to protect Professor Colin Harvey and other individuals subject to loyalist threats and abusive commentary including on social media.

    “Professor Colin Harvey in particular has been subjected to an ongoing smear campaign on social media which United Nations experts have said ‘has the potential to spark physical violence’.

    “These threats cannot be taken lightly as they are threats to the individual and on freedom of expression.

    “There is an onus on the PSNI to investigate the matter, and also ensure Mr Harvey’s personal safety.

    “These attacks are dangerous and must end.”

  • Caoimhe Archibald – 2022 Comments on Interest Rates Increase

    Caoimhe Archibald – 2022 Comments on Interest Rates Increase

    The comments made by Caoimhe Archibald, Sinn Fein’s economic spokesperson, on 3 November 2022.

    Because of the economic chaos unleashed by the Tories, today there has been the single biggest hike in interest rates in three decades.

    It’s a scandal that ordinary workers and families will now pay the price as mortgage payments go up and people struggle to keep a roof over their heads.

    Our future generations also face being frozen out of owning their own home because mortgages will be unattainable and mortgage payments will simply be unaffordable.

    The Tories have lined the pockets of the rich and the bankers and ignored the disastrous ramifications for households already trying to get through a difficult winter.

    The £400 energy payment that was promised to people months ago and held up because of the DUP’s cruel boycott of the Executive, must be paid now with no more delays.

    We need investment in our public services, support for public sector workers and immediate help to ensure the most vulnerable survive through the winter months.

    Energy companies and shareholders are walking off with bundles of cash and profits in the billions. It’s time to bring them down a peg through a Windfall Tax and redirect the money into the pockets of hardworking families.