The comments made by Chris Clarkson, the Conservative MP for Heywood and Middleton, on Twitter on 23 October 2022.
Tomorrow our party faces a choice – I was proud to back Rishi Sunak in the leadership contest this summer because he was being truthful about the challenges ahead and had a realistic plan to tackle them.
He’ll have my vote again, tomorrow.
The comments made by Felicity Buchan, the Conservative MP for Kensington, on Twitter on 23 October 2022.
I will be voting tomorrow for Rishi Sunak in the Conservative leadership election. This country needs unity, stability, confidence and competency. He can deliver that.
The statement made by Boris Johnson on 23 October 2022.
In the last few days I have been overwhelmed by the number of people who suggested that I should once again contest the Conservative Party leadership, both among the public and among friends and colleagues in Parliament.
I have been attracted because I led our party into a massive election victory less than three years ago – and I believe that I am therefore uniquely placed to avert a general election now.
A general election would be a disastrous distraction just when the government must focus on the economic pressures faced by families around the country.
I believe I am well placed to deliver a Conservative victory in 2024 and tonight I can confirm that I have cleared the very high hurdle of 102 nominations, including a proposer and a seconder, and I could put my nomination in tomorrow.
There is a very good chance that I would be successful in the election with Conservative Party members – and that I could indeed be back in Downing Street on Friday.
But in the course of the last days I have sadly come to the conclusion that this would simply not be the right thing to do. You can’t govern effectively unless you have a united party in parliament.
And though I have reached out to Rishi and Penny – because I hoped we could come together in the national interest – we have sadly not been able to work out a way of doing this.
Therefore I am afraid the best thing is that I do not allow my nomination to go forward and commit my support to whoever succeeds.
I believe I have much to offer but I am afraid that this is simply not the right time.
The statement made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 24 October 2022.
Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians!
Today we can already report that in all our regions, which became the target of yesterday’s Russian terrorist attack, the technical possibility of electricity supply has been restored.
I am thankful to each and every one who worked tirelessly to bring light to people.
Of course, in many cities and districts, our energy companies have to apply stabilization shutdown schedules. This is done so that all our people have access to energy – in conditions where it is not possible to produce it in sufficient quantities.
Restoring energy facilities destroyed by terrorist attacks is a much longer and more difficult task. But over time, we will provide that, too. Over time…
This time must be passed. Therefore, today and in the future, as before, we should consume electricity very consciously. Please remember to limit the use of unnecessary and energy-consuming appliances.
Separately, I want to address community leaders and mayors of our cities: please make sure that energy is not wasted. Now is definitely not the time for bright shop windows and signs. It is necessary to be really frugal with energy consumption in public space.
Reconstruction continues in the de-occupied territory. Every day I receive new reports about the connection to gas, water, electricity of hundreds of households in liberated areas. In particular, just today in only two districts of the Kharkiv region, 346 households have gas again. The city of Vovchansk – 750 more households with electricity. The city of Izyum – 300 more households with electricity. This is constant work that does not stop for a single day and continues throughout the liberated territory of Ukraine.
Wherever Russia has brought death and degradation, we are restoring normal life. This is precisely about Ukrainians. Where Ukraine is, life is never destroyed. But wherever Russia comes, it leaves behind mass graves, torture chambers, destroyed cities and villages, mined land, destroyed infrastructure and natural disasters.
So when today the Russian Minister of Defense organizes a phone carousel and calls foreign ministers with stories about the so-called “dirty” nuclear bomb, everyone understands everything well. Understands who is the source of everything dirty that can be imagined in this war.
It was Russia who blackmailed with the radiation disaster at the Zaporizhzhia NPP.
This is the trajectory of Russian missiles that goes, in particular, over Ukrainian nuclear facilities.
Those are Russian troops who mined the dam and aggregates of the Kakhovka HPP and are blackmailing with their detonation.
It is Russia that uses phosphorous munitions, banned anti-personnel mines and the entire range of weapons against civilian infrastructure.
Ukraine is always about recovery. Always about life. And there’s only one subject who can use nuclear weapons in our part of Europe, and this subject is the one who ordered comrade Shoigu to call somewhere.
If Russia calls and says that Ukraine is allegedly preparing something, it means one thing: Russia has already prepared all this. I believe that now the world should react in the toughest possible way. If Russia has prepared another round of raising stakes and another escalating step, it must see now, preemptively and before its any new “dirt” that the world will not swallow that.
Even the very Russian threat of nuclear weapons – and even more so against our country, which has given up its nuclear arsenal under promises of security from the largest nuclear powers – is a reason for both sanctions and even greater strengthening of support for Ukraine. Because the stronger the support for us is, the sooner this war and any possible Russian threats will end. When a terrorist state raises the stakes, it must feel that it won’t work.
During the upcoming week, this will be the number one task for our diplomats – to explain what is happening. And I am sure: the world will be with us. The world will understand.
It is very important that today the sixth ship with food chartered in the framework of the UN World Food Programme left our port. This vessel is bound for Yemen, with wheat. Ethiopia, Yemen and Afghanistan are three countries that have already received food thanks to our exports and the UN food program.
Such programs are exactly what we in Ukraine are thinking about. How to help get out of the crisis – not how to create a crisis. How to help solve a problem – not how to drive someone into a problem. How to restore the destroyed – not to destroy even more.
This is what distinguishes Ukraine from Russia. This is what will help us win in the end. Because we fight and work for life.
Glory to Ukraine!
![PRESS RELEASE : How the Climate Change Act helped the Friends of the Earth hold the government to account [October 2022]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/friendsofearth-150x150.png)
The press release issued by the Friends of the Earth on 17 October 2022.
What’s the Climate Change Act?
The UK’s Climate Change Act became the world’s first national law to require cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, and hold the government accountable for these cuts. Under the Act, a scientifically informed, long-term, legally binding target was adopted, to achieve an 80% cut in emissions by 2050. In 2019 this long-term target was revised to the still more ambitious Net Zero target.
Since the pioneering UK Act was passed, there’ve been many new climate laws enacted around the world. The UK can’t claim credit for all of these, but it’s been influential: those in Northern Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Ireland and Finland were all closely modelled on the UK Act.
How does the Climate Change Act help us hold government to account?
The Climate Change Act and its implications have never been more important. Despite the chaos in Westminster, we can still make government accountable for its actions. The Act is powerful as it creates a framework in which action can and must be taken by the government.
Most significantly, the Act can be enforced through our court system if government doesn’t comply with its legal duties. This is something we’ve proved through our pioneering Net Zero Strategy legal case. The Climate Change Act may have been established in 2008, but we’re still seeing its benefits today. It’s enabled us to hold government accountable, years later, and has allowed us to carry out vital and successful legal challenges against government’s inaction.
Net Zero Strategy court case win
Alongside ClientEarth and the Good Law Project, we recently took the government to court and won. In a landmark victory, the High Court ruled in July that the UK government’s Net Zero Strategy is unlawful. This strategy is supposed to explain how emissions targets will be achieved, but we argued successfully that it was legally inadequate and didn’t contain sufficient detail. The government sought an appeal, but we’re delighted to confirm that it recently decided not to pursue this after all. That means our win in the High Court stands. Now the government has to revise its strategy and lay out a credible plan for meeting emissions targets.
The Climate Change Act directly enabled this victory. It was this very Act that allowed us to hold the government to account over its Net Zero Strategy. This is the kind of good news we desperately needed while seeing the impact of the climate crisis, through record-breaking heatwaves and fires sweeping across the country and around the world.
A lasting legacy
The journey for climate action can sometimes feel long, but we need to take a step back and celebrate our victories. The Climate Change Act has enabled us to hold government accountable for its climate inaction and win campaigns that have a lasting legacy. The Act has also enabled policy changes across the board, like the government banning the sale of fossil fuel cars beyond 2030. Thanks to a law we campaigned for and succeeded in establishing back in 2008, we’re winning more battles today.
Change doesn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of collective action over many years of sustained campaigning. Our latest Net Zero Strategy win against the UK government can point the way to a more climate-friendly economy and a greener and healthier world for all. This win is proof that our actions can have a big impact, even if you have to wait a while to see it happen.
![PRESS RELEASE : Statement on Defence Secretary’s call with Russian Defence Minister [October 2022]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/mod-150x150.png)
The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 23 October 2022.
At the request of the Russian Ministry of Defence, the Secretary of State for Defence spoke with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, this afternoon. Minister Shoigu alleged that Ukraine was planning actions facilitated by Western countries, including the UK, to escalate the conflict in Ukraine.
The Defence Secretary refuted these claims and cautioned that such allegations should not be used as a pretext for greater escalation.
The Defence Secretary also reiterated UK and wider international support for Ukraine and desire to de-escalate this conflict. It is for Ukraine and Russia to seek resolution to the war and the UK stands ready to assist.
The Secretary of State observed that both Ministers were professional and respectful on the call.
The comments made by by Guy Verhofstadt on Twitter on 23 October 2022.
Felt so good to see thousands and thousands of Brits marching to #RejoinEU with @youngeuromove yesterday. Some day soon we will bring back what belongs together: the whole European family ?? ??
The comments made by James Heappey, the Conservative MP for Wells, on Twitter on 23 October 2022.
I’ve been agonising all weekend knowing that our choice as next PM must bring together our divided party & restore stability to our Government. All wings of our party will need to work together after contest to achieve that but I’m supporting Rishi Sunak to lead us in doing so.
![PRESS RELEASE : Cost-of-living crisis [October 2022]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/nalc-150x130.png)
The press release issued by the National Association of Local Councils on 18 October 2022.
With the highest rates of inflation in decades and a collapse in the pound’s value, the UK is facing a cost-of-living crisis that will affect millions of working people across the UK.
The crisis has a disproportionate impact on low-wage households, who spend a larger proportion of their income on fuel and food. According to the Living Wage Foundation ‘Life on Low Pay’ report, there are currently an estimated 4.8m workers earning a wage below the cost of living. 42% of such workers report missing meals regularly due to financial reasons, and 56% report using food banks regularly. During the winter months, many of these workers are facing bleak choices such as whether to ‘heat or eat’.
Why is it important to address the cost-of-living crisis?
We understand that the cost-of-living crisis is having a huge impact on the mental health of workers, which is already estimated to have cost the UK private sector between £53-56bn in 2020-21. Workers under financial pressure are unlikely to perform at their best, and businesses are likely to face reduced productivity, higher turnover and increased training costs.
The government has a primary role in ensuring that people are protected, and they have introduced measures in response to rising energy costs. While these measures (to cap energy prices to £2,500 for a typical household) will make a difference, it should be noted that this is double what the average household bill was in 2020.
Businesses and specifically the largest publicly listed employers, can play an essential role in shielding their lower-paid workforce from the impacts of the cost-of-living crisis.
What are we doing?
For this reason, CCLA and the Church Investors Group have written to the largest publicly listed employers about their response and specifically asking them:
We will be summarising their responses on the website. Our intention for this engagement is to encourage large employers to respond and to showcase how businesses are already addressing the challenges of the cost-of-living crisis.
![PRESS RELEASE : Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse releases its final report [October 2022]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/nspcc-150x150.jpg)
The press release issued by the NSPCC on 20 October 2022.
94 victims and survivors gave evidence in public hearings. For them, and for all who have experienced sexual abuse, this must be a defining moment for lasting change.
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) has published its final report and recommendations on how multiple organisations have failed and are continuing to fail to protect children in their care from sexual abuse.
Since 2015, IICSA has held 15 investigations with over 6,000 experiences being shared with the Truth Project and 87 recommendations for change made.
1 in 20 children in the UK has been sexually abused.1 One in three children sexually abused by an adult did not tell anyone at the time.2
IICSA was set up after investigations in 2012 and 2013 into the Jimmy Savile sexual abuse scandal revealed widespread abuse and inadequate safeguarding by institutions and organisations responsible for child welfare.
The role of IICSA was to investigate what went wrong and why, and use its findings to make clear recommendations and prevent failures from happening in future.
In that time information was sought from the NSPCC for nine investigations. These included investigations into residential schools, the internet, religious organisations and child sexual exploitation.
We provided witness statements, helplines data, records searches, briefing papers and results from an FOI request. Our staff gave evidence at public hearings, culminating in Sir Peter Wanless, NSPCC CEO, giving evidence in December 2020.
IICSA’s findings demonstrate that we need to see a wholesale change in how child sexual abuse is tackled. Reporting matters and responding effectively is crucial. We’re calling for changes that would focus on strengthening:
– prevention (through strong safeguarding policies and procedures in all organisations)
– the recognition of the signs of child sexual abuse
– the knowledge of how to report
– the availability of recovery support services
– the response from child protection agencies.
Sir Peter Wanless, NSPCC Chief Executive, said:
“It would be an utter tragedy if events in Westminster completely overshadowed the report and recommendations from IICSA. This was a chance to show the survivors and victims who broke the silence that we have heard them and that their legacy will be a national mission to prevent child sexual abuse. They deserve nothing less.
“We will soon have a new Prime Minister. They must make this report a defining moment by making sure there is political leadership to translate IICSA’s recommendations into a robust system that truly keeps children safe. They must start by appointing a Cabinet Minister for Children.
“NSPCC analysis shows there were more than 85,000 child sexual abuse reports to police last year. The Government must also bring forward a strengthened a Victim’s Bill that ensures specialist support for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and deliver a robust Online Safety Bill to ensure tech firms design platforms that have child protection designed in as a legal requirement.
“Everyone has a role to play and if you ever have a concern about the wellbeing of a child, please do not hesitate to contact the NSPCC Helpline.”