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The SNP has confirmed that its membership numbers have fallen to 72,186 from the party’s high point of 125,000 in 2019. The party had initially been reluctant to publish the figures but had decided to do so to ensure transparency during the leadership election which is taking place to succeed Nicola Sturgeon, the current leader and First Minister. The result of the leadership election is expected to be announced on 27 March 2023.
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The TikTok app has been banned from UK Government devices with immediate effect following a statement made by Oliver Dowden, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Dowden said in a statement:
“The security of sensitive government information must come first, so today we are banning this app on government devices. The use of other data-extracting apps will be kept under review.”
Angela Rayner, the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, criticised the Government for taking so long to respond to the threat. Politicians such as Grant Shapps have indicated that they will be continuing to use the app, which they can do by using their personal phones. TikTok said in a statement that they were disappointed by the decision and stated that no data from the app was sent to the Chinese Government. They stated:
“We remain committed to working with the government to address any concerns but should be judged on facts and treated equally to our competitors”.
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Government Press Release on Ban
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Edward Hobart has been appointed as the next Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, succeeding Patrick Moody who is transferring to another role in the Diplomatic Service. Hobart will begin his new role in May 2023.
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Alexis McEvoy, a councillor on Hampshire County Council and on New Forest District Council, referred to Ian Wright as “a typical black hypocrite” on Twitter. After a negative response the councillor deleted the post and apologised, stating:
“I am aware that a tweet I sent, and then deleted, has caused offence. I did not mean it to do so and I am deeply sorry. I find racism in any form abhorrent, I have therefore reported myself to the monitoring officer at both Hampshire County Council and New Forest District Council. I have suspended myself from both the Conservative Groups… pending investigations”.
The Conservative Party said that an investigation would take place into the social media post. Separate investigations have also been confirmed by Hampshire County Council and New Forest District Council.
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The BBC have suspended Gary Lineker following comments he made in support of asylum seekers earlier in the week which were critical of the Government. The BBC stated:
“The BBC has been in extensive discussions with Gary and his team in recent days. We have said that we consider his recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines. The BBC has decided that he will step back from presenting Match of the Day until we’ve got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media.
When it comes to leading our football and sports coverage, Gary is second to none. We have never said that Gary should be an opinion-free zone, or that he can’t have a view on issues that matter to him, but we have said that he should keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies”.
The BBC, which is battling allegations that its chair Richard Sharp failed to declare his political favours to the Conservative Party, said that the situation would be clarified in the near future. Ian Wright, a co-presenter on Match of the Day with Gary Lineker, posted on Twitter:
“Everybody knows what Match of the Day means to me, but I’ve told the BBC I won’t be doing it tomorrow. Solidarity”.
A new presenter for the programme has yet to be confirmed by the BBC.
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Steve Brine, the Conservative MP for Winchester, is facing calls for him to stand down from his role as the Chair of the Health of Social Care Committee following allegations that he may have broken lobbying rules. As part of the WhatsApp tranche of messages from Matt Hancock that the Daily Telegraph is releasing, there were suggestions that Brine had been attempting to lobby on behalf of a company he was being paid by, Remedium.
Daisy Cooper, the Liberal Democrat’s Health spokesperson, said that “he should immediately step down from the Health Select Committee and the Prime Minister should launch an immediate investigation”. Anneliese Dodds, the Chair of the Labour Party, said “if Steve Brine has broken lobbying rules he must face the consequences”.
Brine said in a statement to the Daily Telegraph:
“This was about responding in the national interest to an urgent public call from ministers and the NHS in a national crisis even if, ultimately, it led nowhere, let alone secure any business for Remedium”.
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Comments made by Anneliese Dodds
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Andrew Mitchell, the Overseas Development Minister, has made a speech at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies to launch a project on “Public Health, Science, and Technology in Muslim Societies”. He warned of a reversal of recent improvements in global living standards, saying:
“Thirty years of incredible human progress between 1990 and 2020 is now sharply in reverse, partly because of the Covid pandemic, and other events too like the illegal invasion of Ukraine and what it has done to the food chain and what it has done to inflation in very poor countries, mean that all the dials which were moving forward so successfully are now in reverse and we have to do something about that”.
He added that the British Government had been a leader in matters relating to international development, stating:
“Over the last 25 years in particular, the United Kingdom has invested hugely in supporting our partners to improve education, health and the environment, from Afghanistan to Nigeria, and from Bangladesh to the Gambia. Many tens of thousands of Muslim students have studied in the UK through our Chevening and British Council scholarships, returning to enrich their communities with what they have learnt. And two weeks ago I was in Jordan where I saw first-hand how UK support helps 150,000 children a year to receive a quality education”.
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Matt Hancock, the former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has denied allegations that he sought to block the construction of a disability centre in the constituency of James Daly, the Conservative MP for Bury North after he failed to support him in a Parliamentary vote. Daly said that he was “disappointed” to hear of the discussion on WhatsApp between Hancock and his political advisor, but had been unaware of the situation before the leak of the messages which have been published by the Daily Telegraph.
It is alleged that Hancock’s advisor, Allan Nixon, said:
“Thoughts on me suggesting to Chief’s spads that they give us a list of the 2019 intakes thinking of rebelling. Eg James wants his Learning Disability Hub in Bury – whips call him up and say Health team want to work with him to deliver this but that’ll be off the table if he rebels.”
It is alleged that Hancock replied “100%”, but Hancock said in a statement:
“What’s being accused here never happened, demonstrating the story is wrong, and showing why such a biased, partial approach to the evidence is a bad mistake, driven by those with a vested interest and an axe to grind”.
Sir Jake Berry, the former Chair of the Conservative Party, said:
“This is an absolute disgrace. Hancock should be dragged to the bar of the House of Commons first thing tomorrow morning to be questioned about this”.
RESOURCES
Statement Made by Matt Hancock
News Story – Matt Hancock WhatsApp messages leaked
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Stanley Johnson, the father of former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has reportedly been nominated for a knighthood in his son’s resignation honours list. Stanley Johnson, a former employee of the World Bank and the European Commission, served as the MEP for Wight and Hampshire East between 1979 and 1984. Johnson previously nominated his brother, Jo Johnson, to be elevated to the Peerage in 2020 amidst controversy.
The resignation honours list is a tradition where outgoing Prime Ministers can nominate people to receive honours, including knighthoods or peerages. It is yet to be confirmed whether Stanley Johnson will be granted a knighthood or not, as nominations still have to go through a process of Cabinet Office vetting. Keir Starmer, the Leader of the Opposition, said that the news was “absolutely outrageous”.
STORY
Neil Coyle, the Labour MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, faces a five-day suspension from the House of Commons following an investigation into his alleged abusive behaviour towards a journalist during two drunken confrontations in a Commons bar. The Independent Expert Panel (IEP), which investigates matters such as harassment complaints against MPs, concluded that Coyle engaged in foul-mouthed and drunken abuse, breaching Parliament’s harassment and conduct rules.
Coyle has apologised for his behaviour, stating that he was “ashamed” and that the complaints against him “possibly saved my life” by compelling him to stop drinking alcohol. This is not the first time Coyle has faced a complaint regarding his behaviour as in 2019 he was accused of propositioning a woman more than a decade his junior at a Labour party conference.
The IEP stated that the suspension serves as a reminder of the importance of upholding high standards of conduct in public office. It is crucial that MPs, as representatives of their constituents, behave in a manner that befits their position and serves as an example to others. The IEP’s recommendation for Coyle’s suspension demonstrates the seriousness with which Parliament takes issues of harassment and abusive behaviour and it concluded:
“We also determine that the respondent should make a full and unreserved apology on the floor of the House by means of a personal statement. With the leave of the Speaker, the text of that apology should be agreed by the Chair of the Panel”.
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