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  • Andrew Bridgen – 2021 Article on the Shortage of Lorry Drivers

    Andrew Bridgen – 2021 Article on the Shortage of Lorry Drivers

    Parts of the article by Andrew Bridgen, the Conservative MP for North West Leicestershire, on 31 July 2021. The full article is at https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1470465/HGV-driver-shortage-Tony-Blair-university-andrew-bridgen.

    For many years I have been raising the issue of the shortage of lorry drivers, citing the lack of dedicated apprenticeship scheme as far back as 2015. In the intervening period, the shortage of drivers has doubled and only now have the Government acted and implemented a lorry driver apprenticeship.

    When I raised this issue in 2015 the estimated shortage of HGV drivers was 50,000, now it is double that and whilst there are 600,000 HGV licence holders in the UK, only half of those are active in the industry and for many, it is the reasons that have been cited above why they have left the job, the drivers have voted with their feet.

    If Covid has taught us anything it is how much we rely on key workers and how so many have felt undervalued over many years, this is one of the major contributing factors to the Brexit result that the metropolitan liberal elite didn’t grasp in 2016 and which they still don’t.

  • CONSTITUENCY RESULT : Skipton and Ripon

    Candidate name Party Gender Number of votes Share (%) Change vs. 2017 for party (percentage points)
    Julian Smith Conservative Male 34,919 59.5% -3.2
    Brian McDaid Labour Male 11,225 19.1% -9.2
    Andrew Murday Liberal Democrat Male 8,701 14.8% 0.0
    Andy Brown Green Male 2,748 4.7% -1.7
    Jack Render The Yorkshire Party Male 1,131 1.9% -0.7

     

    Election statistics
    Majority
    Votes 23,694
    Percent 40.3%
    Rank (1 = highest %) 119
    Turnout
    Constituency 75.0%
    Region 64.3%
    UK 67.3%
    Constituency in 2017 74.4%
    Size of electorate 78,347
    Valid votes cast 58,724
  • Andy Burnham – 2021 Statement on Greater Manchester Police

    Andy Burnham – 2021 Statement on Greater Manchester Police

    The statement made by Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, on 29 July 2021.

    We had planned, at today’s meeting of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, to hear from our new Chief Constable on his improvement plans for GMP.

    Alongside that, I was planning to provide more detail about how we intend to take the force into a new era of greater openness and strengthened accountability.

    Following the cancellation of today’s meeting, I thought it was important to set out these next steps in a written update.

    The Chief Constable will now attend a meeting of the GMCA on 10 September. On the same day, his forward plan for GMP will be published together with the full analysis provided by PwC.

    We will aim to publish the independent review into Child Sexual Exploitation in Oldham by November or, at the very latest, by the end of the year.

    We will publish the independent review into CSE in Rochdale early in the New Year, with the aim of February.

    We will hold our first Greater Manchester Police Public Accountability Meeting for elected members across GM in Oldham on 26 November. The event will be live-streamed and will follow the meeting of the GMCA. Details of how elected members can apply to attend will be issued shortly. From now on, there will be two public accountability meetings every year.

    These steps towards more transparency and accountability build on the publication earlier this week of the first Achieving Race Equality report, which from now on will be updated quarterly, and the introduction in January of a named and contactable police officer and PCSO for every ward in Greater Manchester.

  • CONSTITUENCY RESULT : Sittingbourne and Sheppey

    Candidate name Party Gender Number of votes Share (%) Change vs. 2017 for party (percentage points)
    Gordon Henderson Conservative Male 34,742 67.6% +7.4
    Clive Johnson Labour Male 10,263 20.0% -10.6
    Ben Martin Liberal Democrat Male 3,213 6.3% +3.5
    Monique Bonney Independent Female 1,257 2.4% 0.0
    Sam Collins Green Female 1,188 2.3% +1.2
    Mad Mike Young Monster Raving Loony Party Male 404 0.8% +0.0
    Lee McCall Independent Male 327 0.6% 0.0

     

    Election statistics
    Majority
    Votes 24,479
    Percent 47.6%
    Rank (1 = highest %) 49
    Turnout
    Constituency 61.2%
    Region 70.2%
    UK 67.3%
    Constituency in 2017 62.9%
    Size of electorate 83,917
    Valid votes cast 51,394
  • Matt Warman – 2021 Comments on Digital Identities

    Matt Warman – 2021 Comments on Digital Identities

    The comments made by Matt Warman, the Digital Infrastructure Minister, on 2 August 2021.

    Whether someone wants to prove who they are when starting a job, moving house or shopping online, they ought to have the tools to do so quickly and securely.

    We are developing a new digital identity framework so people can confidently verify themselves using modern technology and organisations have the clarity they need to provide these services.

    This will make life easier and safer for people right across the country and lay the building blocks of our future digital economy.

  • Anneliese Dodds – 2021 Comments on Cash for Access Donors

    Anneliese Dodds – 2021 Comments on Cash for Access Donors

    The comments made by Anneliese Dodds, the Chair of the Labour Party, on 1 August 2021.

    The Conservatives have serious questions to answer over this latest cash for access scandal.

    The public have a right to know which government ministers are meeting with donors who have access to the corridors of power, including what appears to be exclusive access to the Prime Minister and the Chancellor.

    The way that Boris Johnson and his friends go about their business seems to be less about what is right and more about what they can get away with.

    There cannot be one rule for high-ranking Conservatives and their friends, and another rule for everyone else.

  • Jo Stevens – 2021 Comments on the Government’s Technology Announcement

    Jo Stevens – 2021 Comments on the Government’s Technology Announcement

    The comments made by Jo Stevens, the Shadow Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary, on 2 August 2021.

    The Conservatives are keeping the UK in the digital slow lane with their broken promises on the gigabit rollout, shifting their targets again and again.

    Conservative dither and delay is harming our digital infrastructure and our economy.

  • CONSTITUENCY RESULT : Shrewsbury and Atcham

    Candidate name Party Gender Number of votes Share (%) Change vs. 2017 for party (percentage points)
    Daniel Kawczynski Conservative Male 31,021 52.5% +2.6
    Julia Buckley Labour Female 19,804 33.5% -5.0
    Nat Green Liberal Democrat Male 5,906 10.0% +2.7
    Julian Dean Green Male 1,762 3.0% +1.1
    Hannah Locke Independent Female 572 1.0% 0.0

     

    Election statistics
    Majority
    Votes 11,217
    Percent 19.0%
    Rank (1 = highest %) 375
    Turnout
    Constituency 71.8%
    Region 64.7%
    UK 67.3%
    Constituency in 2017 73.6%
    Size of electorate 82,238
    Valid votes cast 59,065

  • CONSTITUENCY RESULT : Shipley

    Candidate name Party Gender Number of votes Share (%) Change vs. 2017 for party (percentage points)
    Philip Davies Conservative Male 27,437 50.8% -0.5
    Jo Pike Labour Female 21,195 39.2% -3.3
    Caroline Jones Liberal Democrat Female 3,188 5.9% +1.8
    Celia Hickson Green Female 1,301 2.4% 0.0
    Darren Longhorn The Yorkshire Party Male 883 1.6% 0.0

     

    Election statistics
    Majority
    Votes 6,242
    Percent 11.6%
    Rank (1 = highest %) 480
    Turnout
    Constituency 72.9%
    Region 64.3%
    UK 67.3%
    Constituency in 2017 73.0%
    Size of electorate 74,029
    Valid votes cast 54,004

  • CONSTITUENCY RESULT : Sherwood

    Candidate name Party Gender Number of votes Share (%) Change vs. 2017 for party (percentage points)
    Mark Spencer Conservative Male 32,049 60.8% +9.3
    Jerry Hague Labour Male 15,863 30.1% -11.7
    Timothy Ball Liberal Democrat Male 2,883 5.5% +3.4
    Esther Cropper Green Female 1,214 2.3% +1.1
    Simon Rood Independent Male 700 1.3% 0.0

     

    Election statistics
    Majority
    Votes 16,186
    Percent 30.7%
    Rank (1 = highest %) 242
    Turnout
    Constituency 67.7%
    Region 67.2%
    UK 67.3%
    Constituency in 2017 70.0%
    Size of electorate 77,888
    Valid votes cast 52,709