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  • PRESS RELEASE : Political Honours conferred [October 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Political Honours conferred [October 2022]

    The press release issued by Downing Street on 14 October 2022.

    The King has been pleased to approve that the honour of Knighthood be conferred upon John Whittingdale OBE MP and James (Jake) Berry MP and that the honour of Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George be conferred upon James Duddridge MP.

    The Prime Minister has recommended these honours to the King, further to advice from the former Prime Minister, Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP.

    Kt
    Rt Hon James Jacob BERRY MP

    Member of Parliament for Rossendale and Darwen; Minister without Portfolio and Chairman of the Conservative Party; former Minister of State for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth. For political and public service to the North of England.

    Kt
    Rt Hon John WHITTINGDALE OBE MP

    Member of Parliament for Maldon, former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. For political and public service.

    KCMG
    James DUDDRIDGE MP

    Member for Rochford and Southend East; Minister of State for International Trade; former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Africa, for DEXEU, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury, and Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister. For political and public service.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Political Peerages 2022 [October 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Political Peerages 2022 [October 2022]

    The press release issued by Downing Street on 14 October 2022.

    The King has been graciously pleased to signify His intention of conferring Peerages of the United Kingdom for Life upon the undermentioned:

    Nominations from the former Leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party

    1. Angie Bray – Formerly Member of Parliament for Ealing Central and Acton, and leader of the Conservative Group in the London Assembly.
    2. Graham Evans – Formerly Member of Parliament for Weaver Vale.
    3. Sir Michael Hintze – Businessman, founder of the Hintze Family Charitable Foundation; Trustee of the National Gallery.
    4. Stewart Jackson – Formerly Member of Parliament for Peterborough, and Special Adviser at the Department for Exiting the European Union.
    5. Kate Lampard CBE – Chair of GambleAware; Lead Non-Executive Director of the Department for Health and Social Care.
    6. Dr Sheila Lawlor – Founder and Director of Research at Politeia.
    7. Dr Ruth Lea CBE – Economist, former civil servant and think tank director.
    8. Dr Dambisa Moyo – economist and author; formerly Commissioner for the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities.
    9. Teresa O’Neill OBE – Leader of the Council in the London Borough of Bexley; Vice Chair on London Councils; Deputy Chair of the Local Government Association.
    10. Professor Andrew Roberts – historian and journalist; Founder-President of the Cliveden Literary Festival.
    11. Dr Cleveland Anthony Sewell CBE – formerly Chair of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities; Chair of Generating Genius.
    12. Rt Hon Sir Nicholas Soames – formerly Member of Parliament for Mid Sussex, and Minister of State for the Armed Forces.
    13. Sir Hugo Swire – formerly Member of Parliament for East Devon, and Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

    Nominations from the Leader of the Labour Party

    1. Sonny Leong CBE – Co-Founder and Co-Chair of SME4Labour.
    2. Frances O’Grady – General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress of the UK.
    3. David Prentis – President of Public Services International and formerly Secretary General of Unison.
    4. Kuldip Singh Sahota – Labour Councillor for Malinslee & Dawley Bank.
    5. Ruth Smeeth – Formerly Member of Parliament for Stoke-on-Trent North.
    6. Sharon Taylor OBE – Labour Leader of Stevenage Borough Council.
    7. Dr Fiona Twycross – Deputy Mayor of London for Fire and Resilience.
    8. Thomas Watson – formerly Deputy Leader of the Labour Party.

    Nominations from the Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party

    1. Peter Weir – formerly Minister for Education in the Northern Ireland Executive.

    Nominations for non-affiliated Peerages

    1. Dame Arlene Foster – formerly First Minister of Northern Ireland.
    2. Professor Guglielmo Verdirame QC – barrister and Professor of International Law at King’s College London.

    Nominations for Crossbench Peerages

    1. Sir Peter Hendy – Chair of Network Rail.
    2. Air Chief Marshall Sir Stuart Peach – Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to the Western Balkans and formerly Chief of Defence Staff.

    The Prime Minister recommended this list to the King, further to advice from the former Prime Minister, Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP.

  • David Lammy – 2022 Comments on the Dismissal of Kwasi Kwarteng

    David Lammy – 2022 Comments on the Dismissal of Kwasi Kwarteng

    The comments made by David Lammy, the Labour MP for Tottenham, on Twitter on 14 October 2022.

    Liz Truss went missing for days after her mini- budget and she just ran off stage as quickly as possible after her Press Conference. We really cannot have a Prime Minister who’s palpably scared, confused and out of touch. We need a General Election now.

  • Bernard Jenkin – 2022 Comments on the Dismissal of Kwasi Kwarteng

    Bernard Jenkin – 2022 Comments on the Dismissal of Kwasi Kwarteng

    The comments made by Bernard Jenkin, the Conservative MP for Harwich and North Essex, on Twitter on 14 October 2022.

    The appointment of Jeremy Hunt as Chancellor is a wise choice. He is trusted and respected across Parliament. We must now be calm. Rash talk of ditching the PM, or calls for a general election, will not calm the financial markets.

  • Therese Coffey – 2022 Comments on the Dismissal of Kwasi Kwarteng

    Therese Coffey – 2022 Comments on the Dismissal of Kwasi Kwarteng

    The comments made by Therese Coffey, the Deputy Prime Minister, on 14 October 2022.

    The PM is right to act now to ensure our country’s economic stability – key for families and businesses – and reassure the markets of our fiscal discipline, especially in light of the worsening global economic conditions with Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Disruptive fans banned from World Cup in Qatar [October 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Disruptive fans banned from World Cup in Qatar [October 2022]

    The press release issued by the Home Office on 14 October 2022.

    Measures to prevent disruptive and violent football fans subject to football banning orders in England and Wales from travelling to the World Cup in Qatar come into effect from today.

    From 10 November the 1,308 people subject to a football banning order will be required to hand in their UK passports to the police until the end of the tournament, facing up to 6 months in prison and an unlimited fine if they fail to do so or attempt to travel to Qatar and neighbouring countries.

    Passports will be returned to individuals after the final match of the tournament. If they wish to travel to other countries during this period, they will need to seek permission to hold on to their passports and will be subject to thorough checks.

    As part of a targeted operation at ports, police will also be able to intercept known troublemakers who are likely to cause further disruption to stop them from attending the tournament. If they are caught attempting to travel, they will face a banning order court hearing within 24 hours.

    Police officers in the UK and Qatar will gather intelligence during the tournament, with fans causing disruption during the World Cup risking arrest or being handed a football banning order on their return to the UK.

    This is part of wider action the government has taken to crack down on violence and disorder at football matches, which includes extending football banning orders to cover the women’s domestic game and football-related online hate crime, and the imminent extension to Class A drug offences at matches.

    The police also continue to take action, with over 2,100 arrests made and 516 new football banning orders issued in the 2021 to 2022 season.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Painting of 18th century cricketers at risk of leaving the UK [October 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Painting of 18th century cricketers at risk of leaving the UK [October 2022]

    The press release issued by the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on 14 October 2022.

    A temporary export bar has been placed on The Cricketers (Ralph Izard & Friends) by Benjamin West, worth £1,215,000.

    Export bar is to allow time for a UK gallery or institution to acquire the painting.

    West is famed for The Death of Nelson and this painting shows the evolution of cricket from a rustic to noble sport during the 1700s
    The Cricketers (Ralph Izard & Friends) by Benjamin West is at risk of leaving the country unless a buyer can be found.

    The Cricketers shows five wealthy American men playing cricket, possibly at Kew, while visiting the UK to study in the 1700s.

    The painting is regarded as one of the most important works depicting early cricket and shows that by the 1750s the sport had evolved from the rustic game played in the 1720s to one taken up by the aristocracy.

    West is best known for his work The Death of Nelson which shows the great British naval hero Lord Nelson on the deck of his ship, Victory, at the Battle of Trafalgar.

    Arts Minister Stuart Andrew said:

    Cricket is enjoyed by millions of people across the world and this fascinating painting tells the story of the rise of the sport during the 18th century.

    It is a wonderful and rare depiction of the early development of one of our most loved games. I hope a buyer comes forward to save the work for the nation so we can give it another innings in the UK.

    The Minister’s decision follows the advice of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest.

    The Committee noted that the painting came at a crucial period of the development of cricket as an elite sport and it was a rare depiction of an early game of cricket. The Committee also suggested that identifying the background to the painting, would be an interesting research avenue and would add to its historical importance.

    Committee Member Professor Mark Hallett said:

    Together with its interest as a sporting painting, West’s picture is notable for being a rare group portrait of young colonial Americans in England. This kind of work, known as a ‘conversation piece’, was more commonly commissioned by British aristocrats to mark their Grand Tour through Italy. Here, however, the format is repurposed to fit the needs of a group of wealthy American friends who were studying in Britain in the early 1760s.

    The Cricketers powerfully demonstrates the extent to which these men were happy to identify themselves with what was often described as the ‘mother country’; some twelve years later, however, their world and their allegiances were to be thrown into flux by the American Revolution. West’s picture, made in his mid-twenties and one of the very first he produced on arriving in London in 1763, also illustrates the developing talents of an artist who was to enjoy great fame later in his career, and who became the second President of the Royal Academy of Arts in 1792.

    The Committee made its recommendation on the grounds that the painting is of outstanding significance to the study of Britain’s relationship to America in the 18th century.

    The decision on the export licence application for the painting will be deferred for a period ending on 13th April 2023 inclusive. At the end of the first deferral period owners will have a consideration period of 15 business days to consider any offer(s) to purchase the painting at the recommended price of £1,215,000. The second deferral period will commence following the signing of an Option Agreement and will last for three months.

  • Liz Truss – 2022 Comments at Press Conference Following Dismissal of Kwasi Kwarteng

    Liz Truss – 2022 Comments at Press Conference Following Dismissal of Kwasi Kwarteng

    The comments made by Liz Truss, the Prime Minister, at the start of the press conference held on 14 October 2022 at Downing Street.

    Good afternoon,

    My conviction that this country needs to go for growth is rooted in my personal experience.

    I know what it’s like to grow up somewhere that isn’t feeling the benefits of growth.

    I saw what that meant and I am not prepared to accept that for our country.

    I want a country where people can get good jobs, new businesses can set up and families can afford an even better life.

    That’s why from day one I’ve been ambitious for growth.

    Since the 2008 financial crisis, the potential of this great country has been held back by persistently weak growth.

    I want to deliver a low tax, high wage, high growth economy.

    It’s what I was elected by my party to do.

    That mission remains.

    People across this country rightly want stability.

    That is why we acted to support businesses and households with their energy costs this winter.

    It’s also the case that global economic conditions are worsening due to the continuation of Putin’s appalling war in Ukraine.

    And on top of this, debt was amassed helping people through the Covid pandemic.

    But it is clear that parts of our mini budget went further and faster than markets were expecting.

    So the way we are delivering our mission right now has to change.

    We need to act now to reassure the markets of our fiscal discipline.

    I have therefore decided to keep the increase in corporation tax that was planned by the previous government.

    This will raise £18 billion per year.

    It will act as a down-payment on our full Medium-Term Fiscal Plan which will be accompanied by a forecast from the independent OBR.

    We will do whatever is necessary to ensure debt is falling as a share of the economy in the medium term.

    We will control the size of the state to ensure that taxpayers’ money is always well spent.

    Our public sector will become more efficient to deliver world-class services for the British people.

    And spending will grow less rapidly than previously planned.

    I met the former Chancellor earlier today. I was incredibly sorry to lose him.

    He is a great friend and he shares my vision to set this country on the path to growth.

    Today I have asked Jeremy Hunt to become the new Chancellor.

    He is one of the most experienced and widely respected government ministers and parliamentarians.

    And he shares my convictions and ambitions for our country.

    He will deliver the Medium-Term Fiscal Plan at the end of this month.

    He will see through the support we are providing to help families and businesses including our Energy Price Guarantee that’s protecting people from higher energy bills this winter.

    And he will drive our mission to go for growth, including taking forward the supply side reforms that our country needs.

    We owe it to the next generation to improve our economic performance to deliver higher wages, new jobs and better public services, and to ease the burden of debt.

    I have acted decisively today because my priority is ensuring our country’s economic stability.

    As Prime Minister, I will always act in the national interest.

    This is always my first consideration.

    I want to be honest, this is difficult.

    But we will get through this storm.

    And we will deliver the strong and sustained growth that can transform the prosperity of our country for generations to come.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Food security – EU contributes €100 million to IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust to support vulnerable African, Caribbean and Pacific countries [October 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Food security – EU contributes €100 million to IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust to support vulnerable African, Caribbean and Pacific countries [October 2022]

    The press release issued by the European Commission on 14 October 2022.

    Today, the EU signed a €100 million grant agreement (about US$97.2 million) for the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT). These funds will allow the IMF to make about €630 million worth of zero interest loans for PRGT-eligible African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP) facing balance of payments difficulties. Access to affordable finance is key to help these countries address the economic and food crisis situation worsened by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The EU’s contribution is part of Team Europe’s response to the crisis as it complements pledges by EU Member States to channel Special Drawing Rights (SDR) to the IMF’s Trusts for on-lending and their grants to the IMF’s PRGT Subsidy Account. Team Europe has so far pledged to channel SDRs contributions equivalent to about $23 billion.

    Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, said: “Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has made many African, Caribbean and Pacific countries more vulnerable at a time when they were still struggling with the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, and millions of people are pushed into poverty and hunger. With our contribution to the IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust, we want to help them address this crisis and avoid further deepening of inequalities. Today’s signature also marks our commitment as Team Europe to multilateral solutions to tackle today’s most pressing challenges. Our partnership with the IMF is of key relevance in this regard.”

    Commissioner for Economy Paolo Gentiloni, said: “The economic shockwaves from Russia’s war against Ukraine are hitting low-income countries hardest, spurring demand for concessional loans from the IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust. It is essential that we maximise the resources available for this key financing tool. With today’s €100 million contribution, the Commission is playing its part and complementing the on-lending of EU Member States’ Special Drawing Rights. These efforts bring us closer to the G20 global ambition of $100 billion of voluntary contributions to vulnerable countries, a target we must strive collectively to achieve.”

    Managing Director of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva said: “I am very grateful to the EU and its Member States for their continued support to low-income countries facing crisis after crisis. Its grant contribution today of €100 million will help to subsidize PRGT loans and support our provision of zero-interest lending to our most vulnerable members. I urge other countries to also contribute to the PRGT so we can support our members during these difficult times.”

    Access to concessional/zero-interest loans provides affordable finance that increases liquidity and available budgetary resources in countries facing balance of payments difficulties, helping them to achieve, maintain, or restore a stable and sustainable macroeconomic and fiscal position. It also prevents depletion of international reserves, supports the import of essential goods and putting in place adequate social protection schemes for the most vulnerable. Concessional support through the PRGT is interest-free, with maturities up to 10 years.

    Background

    This announcement is part of the broader €600 million package already announced from the reserves under the 10th and 11th European Development Funds to address the current food security crisis in ACP countries further aggravated by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The package has three components that are complementary and mutually reinforcing, supporting: food production and resilience of food systems (€350 million), humanitarian assistance (€150 million) and macro-economic support through the IMF’s PRGT (€100 million). With the additional €600 million, the EU expects to allocate for food security and food systems programmes in partner countries €7.7 billion until 2024 worldwide.

    The IMF provides broad support to low-income countries through surveillance and capacity-building activities, as well as concessional financial support to help them achieve, maintain, or restore a stable and sustainable macroeconomic position consistent with strong and durable poverty reduction and growth.

  • Nicola Sturgeon – 2022 Comments on the Dismissal of Kwasi Kwarteng

    Nicola Sturgeon – 2022 Comments on the Dismissal of Kwasi Kwarteng

    The comments made by Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister, on Twitter on 14 October 2022.

    The best thing Liz Truss could do for economic stability now is resign. Her decisions have crashed the economy and heaped misery on people already struggling with a cost of living crisis.

    The only decent thing for Tory MPs to do now is call time on her govt and allow an election