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Wendy Morton – 2022 Comments on Rail Journeys from Leeds

The comments made by Wendy Morton, the Rail Minister, on 4 January 2022.

Leeds station is a major hub right at the heart of the North, not only a gateway to one of the UK’s most vibrant and lively cities but a vital transport link enabling people from all over the country to travel for work, pleasure and connect with friends and family.

These upgrades are a huge milestone making these journeys even easier, providing passengers with more seats, more services and more punctual journeys all while building upon our unprecedented Integrated Rail Plan – delivering a modern, fully connected transport hub fit for the future quicker than under previous plans.

January 4, 2022
Sarah Owen – 2022 Comments on the Conduct of Liz Truss

The comments made by Sarah Owen, the Labour MP for Luton North, on Twitter on 4 January 2022.

If Liz Truss had my Covid symptoms right now, she’d have no idea whether she was eating at Hertford Street or a Harvester.

My sense of smell and taste have completely gone but at least I still have the sense of decency to not spend £1.4k of taxpayers’ money on a posh Tory lunch.

January 4, 2022
Kwasi Kwarteng – 2022 Comments on Strengthening National Security

The comments made by Kwasi Kwarteng, the Business Secretary, on 4 January 2022.

The UK is world-renowned as an attractive place to invest but we have always been clear that we will not hesitate to step in where necessary to protect our national security.

The new investment screening process in place from today is simple and quick, giving investors and firms the certainty they need to do business, and giving everyone in the UK the peace of mind that their security remains our number one priority.

January 4, 2022
Maggie Throup – 2022 Comments on the Better Health Campaign

The comments made by Maggie Throup, the Vaccines Minister, on 4 January 2022.

The Better Health campaign returns today, focusing on improving adults’ health and helping them get to a healthier weight.

January is a great time of the year for making resolutions and I hope that people can use this as a kick start moment to be more active and eat healthier – especially when losing body weight can have such a positive impact on our health, including reducing the chance of becoming seriously ill with COVID-19.

January 4, 2022
Sajid Javid – 2022 Comments on Anniversary of Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccine

The comments made by Sajid Javid, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 4 January 2022.

Backed by government funding, the UK-made Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has played an absolutely crucial role in our fight against COVID-19, saving countless lives in the UK and around the world.

I’m extremely proud of our world-leading researchers and scientists who are responsible for developing some of the most effective vaccines and treatments during the pandemic and the NHS for the incredible roll out.

The UK’s vaccination and booster programme is world leading but with the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, it is more important than ever that people come forward for their vaccines and booster to top up your immunity this winter and protect the progress we have made.

January 4, 2022
Ursula von der Leyen – 2022 Comments on 20 Years of the Euro

The comments made by Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, on 1 January 2022.

It is now twenty years that we, European people, can carry Europe in our pockets. The euro is not just one of the most powerful currencies in the world. It is, first and foremost, a symbol of European unity. Euro banknotes have bridges on one side and a door on the other – because this is what the euro stands for. The euro is also the currency of the future, and in the coming years it will become a digital currency too. The euro also reflects our values. The world we want to live in. It is the global currency for sustainable investments. We can all be proud of that.

January 3, 2022
Sajid Javid – 2022 Comments on Vaccinations for 12-15 Year Olds

The comments made by Sajid Javid, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 3 January 2022.

We are doing all we can to minimise disruption this virus causes to everyday life, including keeping children in school, and regular testing is a key way to support schools and protect face-to-face teaching.

Vaccines remain our greatest line of defence so I urge all 12-15 year olds who have not come forward yet to get vaccinated, and all teachers to Get Boosted Now to protect yourself and those around you.

January 3, 2022
Jim McMahon – 2022 Comments on Liz Truss Lunch with Katherine Tai

The comments made by Jim McMahon, the Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on 3 January 2022.

In the same week Liz Truss fought for a taxpayer funded £1,400 lunch, she and 354 other Tories voted against Labours motion calling for funding to help kids catch up on education hit by the pandemic.

Says everything.

January 3, 2022
Sadiq Khan – 2022 Comments on the Unvaccinated

The comments made by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, on 3 January 2022.

A message to those who are yet to have the COVID-19 vaccine:

It’s not too late to change your mind, and you will not be judged. There are hundreds of places across the city where you can get your first dose at a time that suits you.

Get protected. Get vaccinated.

January 3, 2022
Emily Thornberry – 2022 Comments on the Personal Conduct of Liz Truss

The post on Twitter made by Emily Thornberry, the Shadow Attorney General, on 3 January 2022.

I predict today’s Sunday Times story by @Gabriel_Pogrund won’t be the last time Liz Truss gets in trouble asking the taxpayer to foot the bill for her expensive tastes. She had a bit of form during her time as Trade Secretary. Let me take you through another example.

Back in December 2020, Truss and 3 staff went on a four-night trip to Singapore and Vietnam to sign the cut-and-paste rollover agreements to maintain free trade post-Brexit. After details of the visit were published on 7th May 2021, I asked how much it had all cost.

This was the first answer I got back, which was odd. If the only costs for the travelling party were flights and accommodation, who had paid for their meals and drinks? And why hadn’t that hospitality been declared? So my office put in an FOI on 1st June to ask them.

We got the usual delaying tactics on the FOI. First, they said they’d respond by 27th July. Then they pushed it back again to 24th August. But before then, on 5th August, I got this email providing a ‘corrected answer’ to my original PQ. Can you spot the corrections!?

How did they go from saying there were no subsistence expenses at all, to saying the travelling party incurred expenses of £1,000 per head, equivalent to £250 per night? And why did the cost of the accommodation go up £1,640 from the first answer to the second?

I never got answers to those questions, and some will say it doesn’t matter. But this is about character, and if Truss’s natural instinct is to hide the truth and hope no-one asks questions when it comes to small things, don’t be surprised when she does it about big things.

January 3, 2022