Category: News Story

NEWS STORY

The Guardian newspaper has reported that David Mundell, the former Scottish Secretary, has said that David Cameron failed to notify the Scottish Office before the appointment of now disgraced Peer Michelle Mone to the House of Lords. Mone, who admitted in a BBC interview to lying to journalists, has been involved in a series of scandals and allegations about her personal conduct.

Mone responded on Twitter with a personal attack on a Guardian journalist, stating:

“David Conn is another journalist who has been totally obsessed with me for years. Today he wrote yet another spiteful attack about me & my life. He calls me the ‘Lucky Baroness’. Well, at least I’m lucky enough not to have to work for the Guardian for a living! I’d put it to him that I’ve achieved a lot more than he ever has – and probably ever will.”

Mone is yet to comment on the National Crime Agency freezing £75 million of her assets as a series of investigations are taking place into her conduct.

EXTERNAL NEWS LINKS

Guardian News Article

STORY

Tahir Ali, the Labour MP for Birmingham Hall Green, has apologised for his choice of words during Prime Minister’s Question Time. Ali said:

“Is it not now time for the Prime Minister to admit that he has the blood of thousands of innocent people on his hands, and time for him to commit to demanding an immediate ceasefire and an ending of the UK’s arms trade with Israel?”

Sunak didn’t respond directly to the question, replying:

“That is the face of the changed Labour party.”

Posting later on Twitter, Ali apologised, saying:

“Earlier at PMQs I asked the Prime Minister about the actions of Israel in Gaza. This is obviously a deeply emotive issue. While I do not resile from my strongly held views on the situation in the Middle East I would like to apologise for the way in which I described the Prime Minister in my question. We all have a responsibility to be respectful in the language that we use, even when discussing difficult and, at times, sensitive issues.”

STORY

Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith have resigned as deputy chairs of the Conservative Party over the Rwanda Bill. Both politicians said that they still supported Rishi Sunak, but they opposed the Government’s plans on Rwanda. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said:

“This is the toughest legislation ever brought before Parliament to tackle illegal migration. This Bill will make it clear that if you come here illegally you will not be able to stay. We must pass this Bill to deliver what all Conservatives want – a credible plan to stop the boats.”

STORY

Kevin Hollinrake, the Minister for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business who is responsible for the Post Office, has called for prison sentences for those involved with the Post Office Horizon scandal. Speaking on BBC’s Any Questions, the Minister said:

“If it’s individuals, those people can be criminally prosecuted, potentially, and potentially can go to jail. I think we’d all like to see that kind of route taken. People must be held to account.”

Separately, a series of revelations have been made where senior figures in the Post Office lied to the media and the Government has said that these will be investigated.

The BBC revealed that Mark Davies, representing the Post Office’s PR, said:

“There is overwhelming evidence that the losses complained of were caused by user actions, including deliberate dishonest conduct.”

A spokesperson for Davies denied blame and said that “he was doing his job” when he tried to block a BBC Panorama report into the scandal from being broadcast. Davies, who now works for the Refugee Council, refused to comment when PR Week contacted him. There is no evidence that Davies deliberately lied, but questions about being asked about which Post Office managers were aware of the scandal and were part of the cover-up.

STORY

Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, made a speech in the Ukrainian Parliament to give his reassurance that Britain will continue to support the country following the attack by Russia. Sunak said:

“President Zelensky, you are an inspiration, and, Volodymyr, I am proud to call you a friend.

President John F Kennedy said of the great Winston Churchill that he:

“Mobilised the English language and sent it into battle.”

Volodymyr, you have done the same…

…and English isn’t even your first language!”

He added:

“We meet today at a difficult moment in the struggle for Ukraine’s freedom.

As always during conflict, there will be difficult moments.

But we must prepare for this to be a long war.

But I believe there is hope for us in the echoes of Britain’s own history.

If 1940 was our finest hour…

….and Ukraine’s was two years ago as you resisted the Russian invasion…

…then perhaps today is more like 1942.

That was a point in the middle of the war…

…when progress on the battlefield was hard…

…the defence industry was under severe strain…

…and populations were becoming weary.

It must have been hard to see the light ahead.

But they stood firm.

And although they did not know it then…

…for all the setbacks and difficulties that still lay before them…

…that was the moment the tide began to turn, and victory became assured.”

RESOURCES

Rishi Sunak’s Speech to the Ukrainian Parliament

24 DECEMBER 1923

Speaking in Elgin, Ramsay MacDonald said he had got his suspicion that between 5 and 8 January there was going to be a serious attempt to wangle the constitution so that the democracy of this country might not have fair play. All he could say was that those people who imagined they could wangle the constitution of Parliamentary government when it suited them or disuited them were very much mistaken.

Raymond Poincaré, the Prime Minister of France, speaking in Courneuve, said the country would never leave the Ruhr until she was paid.

Ballot papers were drawn up by the National Executive of the Associated Locomotive Engineers and Firemen. It is understood that members will vote on the direct issue of acceptance or rejection of the National Wages Board’s award.

STORY

The BBC have made serious allegations about the conduct of Mark Davies, who led the PR campaign to stop the BBC reporting about the ongoing Post Office scandal of the Horizon project. The BBC allege that Davies sought to threaten them not to broadcast a Panorama investigation into the Post Office and claimed he wrote in documentation:

“While we are able to withstand this current level of interest, it is resource intensive. We have made representations to the director of BBC News and Current Affairs”.

The BBC said that their senior management were approached by Davies, noting:

“PR boss Mark Davies fired off complaints to ever more senior managers at the BBC, and expensive external lawyers were hired with public money to send letters threatening to sue Panorama.”

The BBC said that a spokesperson for Davies said:

“Our client was doing his job”.

In an interview transcribed on the Post Office Trial web-site, Davies attacked Conservative MP James Arbuthnot for wanting a deeper investigation, saying:

“It’s an extremely serious charge John and, clearly, we reject it outright and it’s very regrettable some of the things that Mr Arbuthnot has said this morning.”

EXTERNAL NEWS LINKS

BBC News Story

Post Office Trial Web-Site and Mark Davies

STORY

Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, has confirmed that the UK has made military strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen. The Prime Minister said in a statement:

“Despite the repeated warnings from the international community, the Houthis have continued to carry out attacks in the Red Sea, including against UK and US warships just this week.  This cannot stand. The United Kingdom will always stand up for freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade. We have therefore taken limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defence, alongside the United States with non-operational support from the Netherlands, Canada and Bahrain against targets tied to these attacks, to degrade Houthi military capabilities and protect global shipping.”

A spokesperson for the Houthi said that they would not let the attack “go without punishment or retaliation”.

RESOURCES

10 Downing Street Statement

STORY

Paula Vennells, the former CEO of the Post Office, has returned her CBE following a public campaign to remove it over the Horizon scandal. She said in a statement:

“I am, however, aware of the calls from sub-postmasters and others to return my CBE. I have listened and I confirm that I return my CBE with immediate effect. I am truly sorry for the devastation caused to the subpostmasters and their families, whose lives were torn apart by being wrongly accused and wrongly prosecuted as a result of the Horizon system.”

Vennells led the Post Office during the period when the organisation denied that there were issues with the Horizon computing system which led to tens of individuals being made bankrupt, being sent to prison and losing their families. A petition for her CBE to be removed had already been signed by over one million people.

RESOURCES

Statement from Paula Vennells

STORY

Chris Skidmore, the MP for Kingswood, has resigned the Conservative Party whip and also quit as a Member of Parliament, causing a by-election in his constituency. The former Cabinet Minister said that he was in fundamental disagreement with the Prime Minister’s energy policies, stating:

“We can not expect other countries to phase out their fossil fuels when at the same time we continue to issue new licences or to open new oil fields. It is a tragedy that the UK has been allowed to lose its climate leadership, at a time when our businesses, industries, universities and civil society organisations are providing first-class leadership and expertise to so many across the world.”

Ed Miliband, the Shadow Energy Secretary, said:

“Well done to Chris Skidmore for standing up to this desperate Conservative government. Their irresponsible, reckless attempt to double down on fossil fuels won’t cut bills, undermines energy security and is a climate disaster. That is why Labour will vote against it on Monday”.

RESOURCES

Chris Skidmore Speeches