22 FEBRUARY 1923
Government offices were attacked in Dublin by the Irregulars, but attempts to destroy the buildings were prevented by the national troops.
Andrew Bonar Law, the Prime Minister, confirmed that the British Government had allowed the French military to travel over British occupied territory to occupy the Ruhr Valley.
21 FEBRUARY 1923
In the House of Commons, a Liberal party amendment to the Loyal Address suggesting an immediate and drastic curtailment of British responsibilities in Mesopotamia was defeated.
The Second Reading of the Industrial Assurance Bill was agreed to in the House of Lords.
It was reported that Colonel Svejevski was sentenced to death for a plot to kill Vladimir Lenin.
Army headquarters in Dublin announced that the national troops had captured more groups of Irregulars, including some who were attempting to loot the Post Office at Knockmore in Fermoy, County Cork.
The Dean of Durham condemned plans to allow vicars to become Members of Parliament, stating that “they could not possibly do their duty in the House of Commons”.
![PRESS RELEASE : The UK stands ready to facilitate discussions and dialogue between Israelis and the Palestinians – UK Statement at the UN Security Council [February 2023]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/fco-150x150.png)
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 February 2023.
Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the Security Council briefing on the Middle East.
Thank you, President. I join others in thanking Special Coordinator Wennesland and Deputy Commissioner-General Stenseth not only for your briefings, but also for the work of your teams on the ground.
I would like to thank members of this Council for our work to come to a consensus on a Presidential statement. This statement sets out the international community’s continued commitment to a two-state solution based on 1967 lines, and urges an end to Israeli settlement activities, and the prevention of terrorism. All parties must desist from unilateral measures that further undermine peace, stability and the two-state solution.
President, violence and instability in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories has led to further loss of life. Ten Israelis have been killed in two abhorrent terror attacks in 2023. The UK condemns all forms of terror, for which there is no justification. Since the start of the year, 44 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli security forces. This includes 11 children. Israel must exercise maximum restraint in the use of live fire, and the Palestinian Authority must urgently resume full security cooperation, and renounce and confront terror. We also condemn the indiscriminate rocket fire from Gaza on 11 and 12 February towards civilian populations. This escalating cycle of violence must be brought to an end as swiftly as possible, particularly ahead of upcoming religious festivals.
Second, the UK condemns Israel’s announcement to legalise ten outposts and advance up to 10,000 units in settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. As set out by the British Foreign Secretary and our partners in the quint statement, the UK strongly opposes these unilateral actions which exacerbate tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. Settlements and outposts are not only contrary to international law, but they also undermine the prospects for peace. The UK calls on Israel to reverse these decisions. I also condemn increasing settler violence, including the killing of Mithqal Rayyan on 11 February. Perpetrators of violence must face justice.
Thirdly, the UK urges Israel to avoid measures that could amount to collective punishment against Palestinians, particularly punitive demolitions. These cause unnecessary suffering and contribute to the cycle of violence; four Palestinians have been killed during punitive demolition operations so far this year.
In conclusion, President, restoring stability and securing peace is still possible but will require effort from all sides. The UK stands ready to facilitate discussions and dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians, and remains firm in its belief that a negotiated two state solution, based on 1967 lines with Jerusalem as a shared capital, is the only way to ensure a lasting peace, security and prosperity between the parties.
Thank you.
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 February 2023.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly instructed FCDO officials to summon Iran’s most senior diplomat, due to serious threats against journalists living in the UK.
The Foreign Secretary today instructed Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) officials to summon Iran’s most senior diplomat, due to serious threats against journalists living in the UK.
It follows the decision at the weekend by Iran International, a London-based TV network, to suspend UK operations as a result of continued threats to its staff by the Iranian regime.
Vijay Rangarajan, Director General for the Middle East, held the meeting with Iranian Chargé d’Affaires Mehdi Hosseini Matin to make clear the UK will not tolerate threats to life and media freedom.
As part of wider efforts to hold the regime to account over its behaviour globally, the UK and international partners have also today imposed further sanctions on 8 senior Iranian figures responsible for repressing their own people.
They include 3 judges who imposed the death penalty against protestors and 5 IRGC commanders.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:
The UK will always stand up to countries who threaten our fundamental values of freedom of expression and the media.
I am appalled by the Iranian regime’s continuing threats to the lives of UK-based journalists and have today summoned its representative to make clear this will not be tolerated.
As part of wider efforts to hold Iran to account, the UK has today also sanctioned a further 8 individuals responsible for horrific human rights violations in Iran, including the killing of children. We will never allow the regime’s threats to go unchallenged.
The individuals sanctioned today include:
Since Mahsa Amini’s death in September 2022, the UK has imposed sanctions on more than 50 Iranian individuals and entities in response to human rights violations by the regime.
These sanctions constitute an asset freeze and UK travel ban on the individuals concerned and send a wider signal on the UK’s commitment to backing condemnation with action.
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 February 2023.
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson comments on the recent missile tests carried out by North Korea on 20 February 2023.
North Korea’s ballistic missile launches on 20 February are a breach of multiple UN Security Council resolutions.
North Korea’s repeated testing of ballistic missile technology poses a threat to our regional partners and global security.
The UK continues to work closely with partners to urge North Korea to return to dialogue and take credible steps towards denuclearisation.
![PRESS RELEASE : New Government Chief Scientific Adviser Appointed [February 2023]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/cabinetoffice-150x120.png)
The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 20 February 2023.
Professor Dame Angela McLean has been appointed as the new Government Chief Scientific Adviser.
The Cabinet Secretary is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Dame Angela McLean DBE FRS as the new Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA). Dame Angela, who is currently Chief Scientific Adviser for the Ministry of Defence, was selected by the Prime Minister following an open competition. Dame Angela will be the first woman to hold the role of GCSA and will take up the post on 1 April.
The role of the GCSA is to provide independent scientific advice to the Prime Minister and members of cabinet, advise the government on aspects of policy on science and technology and ensure and improve the quality and use of scientific evidence and advice in government.
The GCSA is also Head of the Government Science and Engineering Profession and is part of the executive team of the newly formed Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak welcomed the appointment and said:
Delivering improved public services, creating new jobs and growing our economy through cutting-edge industries can only be made possible by advances in science, technology and innovation.
I’m delighted that Dame Angela is taking on this role to advise the government on how we make this happen – building on Sir Patrick’s instrumental work over the past five years, which included helping the country through some of our greatest challenges from the pandemic to climate change.
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Michelle Donelan said:
The UK is starting a hugely exciting new chapter in our future in scientific innovation and I congratulate Dame Angela McLean on her appointment as the new Government Chief Scientific Adviser.
Dame Angela is well respected across the science community and I hope this appointment will inspire more women and young girls to see STEM subjects as an exciting career choice.
I look forward to working with her to build on the immense work of Sir Patrick Vallance to ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of the science and technology revolution.
The Cabinet Secretary, Simon Case said:
This is an excellent appointment for the Civil Service, to a vital position for the government and the country. I congratulate Angela on her role and look forward to the contribution she will make in leading the science community across government.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Patrick for his outstanding contribution and commitment to public service, evident not only in the leading role he played during the Covid-19 Pandemic but also in the great strides he has made in improving scientific capability across government.
Commenting on her new role, Dame Angela said:
I am delighted to take on this role at such an important time in our country for Science Innovation and Technology. All of us in government are going to greatly miss Sir Patrick, and I look forward to working with colleagues to build on the work he has led during his time as GCSA.
My long-term mentor, the late Lord Robert May, held the post of GCSA between 1995 and 2000 and that personal connection adds a particular depth to my sense of honour in being asked to take on this role.
Professor Dame Angela McLean DBE FRS has been the Chief Scientific Adviser for the Ministry of Defence since September 2019.
She is a Professor of Mathematical Biology in the Department of Zoology at Oxford University, and a Fellow of All Souls College. Her research interests lie in the use of mathematical models to aid our understanding of the evolution and spread of infectious agents.
She is also interested in the use of natural science evidence in formulating public policy and has co-developed the Oxford Martin School Restatements: an activity which restructures and presents the evidence underlying an issue of policy concern or controversy in a short, uncharged, intelligible form for non-technical audiences.
During the Covid-19 pandemic she regularly attended SAGE and co-chaired SPI-M-O, the sub-group of SAGE that prepared advice for government using epidemiology, data analysis and mathematical modelling. In those roles she played a substantial part in generating scientific advice for government on the management of the pandemic.
She established Mathematical Biology at the Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council’s Institute for Animal Health in 1994. Before this, Angela was a Royal Society Research Fellow at Oxford University and a Research Fellow at the Institut Pasteur in Paris.
As the Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) to MOD, Dame Angela is its principal adviser on science and technology, with responsibility for directing research through the MOD’s core S&T research portfolio.
In 2009 Angela was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society. She has been awarded the Gabor Medal in 2011 and the Weldon Memorial Prize in 2018. She received her damehood in the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
![PRESS RELEASE : Secretary of State makes appointments to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland [February 2023]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/northernirelandoffice.png)
The press release issued by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 20 February 2023.
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Right Honourable Chris Heaton-Harris MP, has appointed six Commissioners to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.
Neil Anderson, Lisa Caldwell, Duane Farrell, Jarlath Kearney, Carmel McKinney and Stephen Matthews will take up their appointments with effect from 1 March 2023.
The Equality Commission was established in 1999, as part of the implementation of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement. It took over the functions of the Fair Employment Commission, Equal Opportunities Commission, and Council for Racial Equality and Northern Ireland Disability Council.
The Commission’s powers and duties derive from a number of statutes which have been enacted over the last decades, providing protection against discrimination on the grounds of age, disability, race, religion and political opinion, sex and sexual orientation. It also has responsibilities arising from the Northern Ireland Act 1998 in respect of the statutory equality and good relations duties which apply to public authorities.
In addition, the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020 gave new powers to the Commission, effective from 1 January 2021, to monitor, advise and report on, and enforce the Government’s commitment to no diminution of certain rights, as set out in Article 2 of the Protocol.
The Commission is funded and sponsored by The Executive Office. Further information about the work of the Commission can be found at: https://www.equalityni.org/Home
Neil Anderson was formerly the Head of NSPCC in Northern Ireland. Neil has a career history of general management and HR across a variety of organisations and sectors. He is currently the Deputy Chief Commissioner (DCC) at the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.
Lisa is Director of External Affairs at Belfast City Council. Previously, she was Head of Communications and Engagement at the Social Security Agency, Northern Ireland. She is a Fulbright Scholar and Fellow at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). Lisa previously acted as Secretary for Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland and Treasurer of CIPR Northern Ireland Committee and currently sits as member for Northern Ireland on the board of the FundRaising Regulatory.
Duane Farrell has been working in the Community and Voluntary sector in Northern Ireland for over 20 years. During that time, he has worked within the LGBT community, as well as with older people and children and young people. In these roles, he has developed services, led campaigns and worked to influence legislation and policy. Currently he is the Chief Executive of Relate NI.
Jarlath Kearney is a strategy advisor in the public sector. Currently a regular columnist with The Irish News, he has previously served as a Board Member of the Arts Council NI, Special Advisor to the Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure, Ministerial Policy Advisor in the NI Assembly and a National Expert for the European Commission’s TAIEX Programme in relation to public institutional transformation and legislative reform in the Balkans.
Carmel McKinney has held a number of senior roles in education, including Chair of the Belfast Education and Library Board. She is currently Chair of the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service Board and an independent member of the Policing Board.
Stephen Matthews is a former Chief Executive of The Cedar Foundation. Stephen previously served as an Equality Commissioner and was a member of the Audit Committee and rotating chair of the Legal Funding Committee. He also represented the Commission on the Independent Mechanism monitoring UNCRPD Implementation and is an NI Advisor for the Henry Smith Charity.
All appointments are made on merit and with regards to the statutory requirements. Political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity in defined categories to be made public. All of the appointees have declared that they have not been politically active in the last five years.
The Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointment (OCPA) regulates appointments to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.
The Secretary of State makes appointments to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland in accordance with the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
![PRESS RELEASE : Drug dealer, O’Neil Pendley, has sentence more than doubled [February 2023]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/attorneygeneral-150x150.png)
The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 20 February 2023.
A drug dealer who supplied heroin and cocaine has had his sentence more than doubled following a hearing at the Court of Appeal on 17 February 2023 under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme and will now serve 6 years and 3 months in prison.
O’Neil Pendley, 30, pleaded guilty to two counts of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.
Pendley dealt heroin and cocaine on the streets in the Worcester area and has previous relevant convictions for drug offences.
Pendley was originally sentenced to 2 years and 9 months’ imprisonment at Worcester Crown Court on 09 December 2022.
The Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson KC MP then referred Pendley’s sentence to the Court of Appeal because he believed it was unduly lenient.
Speaking after the hearing at the Court of Appeal today, the Solicitor General said:
The class A drugs that Pendley supplied are dangerous and ruin lives.
I welcome the Court’s decision to order Pendley to serve a longer prison term, and hope the new sentence sends a clear message that the money made from dealing drugs will never be worth the punishment.
20 FEBRUARY 1923
The joint motion from the Independent and the National Liberals in the House of Commons on the intervention of the League of Nations on the question of the Ruhr and the payment of reparations was defeated by 305 votes to 196.
Fighting between Poles and Lithuanians was reported following the announcement made by the League of Nations that Poland should occupy the neutral zone up to the demarcation line.
STORY
Fern Horine has been confirmed as the UK’s next Ambassador to Moldova, succeeding Steven Fisher who is taking up another role within the Diplomatic Service. Horine currently works as the Deputy Head of the Transformation and Operations at the Foreign Office and will take up her new role in Moldova in October 2023.
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