Tag: News Story

STORY

The former Conservative MP Peter Bone has lost his seat following a recall petition in his constituency of Wellingborough.

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NEWS STORY : Peter Bone to Face Recall Petition

STORY

Michelle Mone, who admitted in an interview broadcast yesterday by the BBC that she lied about her involvement with PPE Medpro, has faced a series of attacks from politicians from across the political spectrum today. Rishi Sunak said:

“The government takes these things incredibly seriously, which is why we’re pursuing legal action against the company concerned in these matters.”

Mone condemned Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, for wanting an investigation into the matter and the lies told to the media, posting on Twitter:

“What is Rishi Sunak talking about? I was honest with the Cabinet Office, the Government and the NHS in my dealings with them. They all knew about my involvement from the very beginning.”

Mone, who is under pressure to quit the House of Lords over her personal conduct, misled and threatened the Guardian newspaper who investigated her links to PPE Medpro.

STORY

The Government has agreed to a £250 million funding package for TFL and has pledged to support the capital’s transport infrastructure as part of a longer term funding agreement. Mark Harper, the Secretary of State for Transport, said in the Commons today:

“The government has today agreed a capital settlement which provides a further £250 million of funding, which will enable TfL to continue to deliver its current capital programme and its committed major capital projects – including the delivery of the Piccadilly Line upgrade phase 1. This not only provides benefits to Londoners, but it provides benefits for the rest of the country – the Piccadilly Line upgrade on its own is expected to support an estimated 700 skilled jobs with a further estimated 250 jobs created in construction and up to 1,700 indirectly in the supply chain.”

He added:

“The current longer-term settlement will end in March 2024, and I continue to encourage TfL to modernise and to become a modern, effective, efficient and financially stable operator. Government support has enabled TfL to be on track to being financially sustainable and this capital settlement therefore requires TfL to demonstrate to government that it is financially sustainable at the end of March 2024, and it will provide to government in July 2024 its plan demonstrating how it will maintain and strengthen its financial sustainability from the financial year 2024 to 2025.”

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TFL

STORY

Martin Callanan, Baron Callanan, a Conservative Minister, has called for the disgraced Peer Michelle Mone to not return to the House of Lords. Mone admitted in a BBC interview to willingly and knowingly lying to the media over a business deal which made her family tens of millions of pounds. Callanan said:

“I watched the interview yesterday. I think she should have declared her involvement in that in the House of Lords register, and there is guidance available for that.”

He added:

“I would hope that she would not be coming back to the House of Lords.”

The Government is currently in legal action against PPE Medpro for the poor quality PPE equipment.

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Michelle Mone Admits Lying to Media

STORY

Baroness Mone has admitted to lying about her involvement with PPE Medpro and threatening the Guardian newspaper with legal action when they sought the truth. The Peer, who is on a leave of absence from the House of Lords following the accusations, said in an interview with Laura Kuenssberg that:

“Hindsight is a wonderful thing, I wasn’t trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes and I regret and I am sorry for not saying straight out that I am involved.”

Mone admitted that her family had made millions of pounds in profits from the deal which she sought to hide from the media. The Government is currently taking legal action against PPE Medpro for poor quality PPE equipment and the National Crime Agency are continuing their investigations into Baroness Mone’s involvement. Baroness Mone is also under investigation by the House of Lords authorities for failing to register an interest as is required by the rules of the House.

The Guardian newspaper, who had led investigations into the conduct of Baroness Mone, wrote:

“The former Conservative peer Michelle Mone and her husband, Doug Barrowman, have acknowledged for the first time that he made multimillion pound profits from two PPE deals during the Covid pandemic. Mone also acknowledged for the first time that, as revealed by the Guardian last year, Barrowman then transferred money from those profits to a trust, the Keristal Trust, set up for the benefit of Mone and her three adult children. The couple said Barrowman’s children were also beneficiaries of the trust.”

Mone is not expected to return any of the money and has yet to announce whether she intends to stand down from the House of Lords.

STORY

Scott Benton, the MP for Blackpool South, is facing a 35-day suspension from the House of Commons following an investigation by the Commons Standard Committee. Following a sting by undercover journalists, Benton suggested behaviour which gave the impression of making personal advantage in breach of the rules of the House.

Daniel Greenberg, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, said in the report:

“In accordance with paragraph 43 of the Procedural Protocol, I consider that Mr Benton has breached Rule 11 of the Code as his actions during a meeting on 7 March 2023 were such as would cause (and as it happens have caused) significant damage to the reputation and integrity of the House of Commons as a whole, and of its Members generally.”

Benton said in a letter to the Commissioner:

I would like to take this opportunity to apologise profusely, as I have throughout this investigation, for giving an inaccurate description to the fictitious company and I have since met with the Registrar to discuss the recent changes to the Code which govern this area. I would also like to apologise for the fact that this issue is having to take up your time. As a new Member of the House, elected in 2019, this meeting is the only occasion on which I have been approached in this manner and I was somewhat taken by surprise and caught ‘on the hop’ during the meeting by the nature of the fictitious company’s questions. It was a mistake, during the meeting, not to be clearer about what MPs couldn’t do, referencing the Code as appropriate. It is the honour of my life to serve my constituents in Parliament and I sincerely regret and apologise for this incident.”

A vote will now take place in the House of Commons and if MPs agreed with the proposed 35-day suspension then a recall petition would be issued which could lead to a by-election in Blackpool South. Benton was suspended from the Conservative Party earlier in the year after the allegations came to light.

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Text of Report (in .pdf format)

Speeches by Scott Benton

30 NOVEMBER 1923

Stanley Baldwin, speaking in Bradford, said that without an improvement in industrial relations there could be no peace in Europe.

Captain Craig, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Pensions, described as absolutely false the Socialist Party’s charge that the Government were betraying ex-servicemen.

STORY

Mark Drakeford has resigned as the Welsh First Minister, with a new party leader expected to be elected before Easter 2024. Drakeford said in a statement:

“When I stood for the leadership, I said that, if elected, I would serve for five years. Exactly five years have passed since I was confirmed as first minister in 2018.”

Drakeford has been a member of the Senedd for Cardiff West since 2011 and he served as the Cabinet Secretary for Finance before becoming the First Minister in December 2018.

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Speeches by Mark Drakeford

 

 

 

STORY

Robert Courts, the Conservative MP for Witney, has been appointed as the Solicitor General in succession to Michael Tomlinson. Courts said in a statement:

“It is a great privilege to have been appointed as Solicitor General for England and Wales. It is a fascinating time to join the department alongside new leaders at the Serious Fraud Office and the Crown Prosecution Service. I look forward to working with the Attorney General, Government lawyers and the Civil Service to play my part in making the law and politics work together at the heart of the UK constitution. I would like to pay tribute to my predecessor Michael Tomlinson KC MP, who was both a brilliant Solicitor General and my fellow pupil at 3 Paper Buildings.”

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Government Press Release

STORY

The British Government has pledged to support Somali in being a freer and more secure country with a plan to support an end on the long standing arms embargo. Ambassador James Kariuki, speaking at the UN Security Council, said that:

“The United Kingdom is pleased to table today two resolutions which together impose strong sanctions, including an arms embargo, on Al-Shabaab and lift the legacy arms embargo on Somalia. The UK worked closely with Somalia in preparing these two texts, and is grateful for their constructive engagement throughout. The UK is also grateful to Council Members for their cooperation throughout the negotiation process and especially to African Members of the Council, and regional stakeholders, with whom we have consulted closely throughout.”

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Government Press Release