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Downing Street has confirmed that the Prime Minister used a helicopter to visit Norwich, despite the availability of a regular rail service from London to Norwich. A spokesperson for Downing Street said in a statement:
“The Prime Minister regularly uses all forms of travel. His travel plans will vary and are always decided with consideration to the most efficient and best use of his time, in the interests of the taxpayer.”
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Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, has met with Sheikh Mishal al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, the Crown Prince of Kuwait, at Downing Street. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said that they discussed a new UK-Kuwait Investment Partnership as well as opportunities to partner in defence.
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Mark Harper, the Secretary of State for Transport, has apologised for the difficulties with air traffic control at the weekend which caused long delays to flights. He said that although the issue had been resolved promptly, there had been substantial delays and he pledged to ensure that there was no repeat of the incident.
Harper said:
“I echo the apology offered by NATS to everyone caught up in the disruption following yesterday’s technical issue with air traffic control. My priority continues to be making sure passengers get where they need to be as quickly as possible. I am grateful to airlines, airports and Border Force for the work being done to get passengers to their destinations and to provide support while they wait.
Airlines are clear about their responsibilities to their customers and I stand ready to provide further appropriate support from the government should the industry request it. Although the air traffic control system is back up and running, the knock-on effects of yesterday’s disruption are likely to continue over the coming days. Passengers due to travel should check with their airlines before heading to the airport.”
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James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, has confirmed that he will be attending the Women’s World Cup Final in Australia this weekend as Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, will be unable to make it. Lucy Frazer, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, will also be attending the final when England take on Spain. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said that he would have liked to have attended, but his diary engagements meant that it wasn’t possible.
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Angus MacNeil, the MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Western Isles), has confirmed on Twitter that he has been expelled from the SNP following a disagreement with the party’s chief whip Brendan O’Hara.
MacNeil said in a statement:
“The Summer of Member Expulsion, has indeed come to pass. As I have been expelled as a rank & file SNP member by a ‘member conduct committee.’ I didn’t leave the SNP – the SNP have left me. I wish they were as bothered about Scottish independence as they are about me!”
MacNeil had been the SNP MP for the constituency since 2005 and in 2019 he secured a majority of 2,438 over the Labour Party.
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Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, has called for the rebuilding of the Crooked House pub in Himley following its surprise demolition. The building caught fire just days after it was taken over by new owners, with allegations that the access road to the property was blocked to prevent the fire brigade from being able to tackle the blaze.
Street said in a letter to Roger Lees, the Leader of South Staffordshire Council:
“We ask that you consider ensuring the property is rebuilt brick by brick (using as much original material as possible) before any further discussions about the future of the site take place.”
The pub had been built in 1765 to be used as a farmhouse, but part of the building sank in the nineteenth century due to coal mining subsidence. It was turned into a pub and was sold earlier this year by Marston’s who said in a statement:
“We are shocked and disappointed to learn about the fire which has caused so much damage to a landmark building which is so well known in the area”.
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Julie Harrison has been confirmed as the new Permanent Secretary at the Northern Ireland Office, replacing Madeleine Alessandri who has become the new Chair of the Joint Intelligence Committee and Head of the Joint Intelligence Unit.
Chris Heaton-Harris, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, said in a statement:
“I am delighted Julie has been appointed as the new Permanent Secretary to the Northern Ireland Office. She is an outstanding civil servant, has a passion for the place and will bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the post.”
Simon Case, the Cabinet Secretary, added:
“I would like to congratulate Julie on her appointment. Julie brings a wealth of experience from her time in the Northern Ireland Civil Service and I look forward to working with Julie in her new role as Permanent Secretary at the Northern Ireland Office.”
Julie Harrison said of her new role:
“I am looking forward to working with the Secretary of State, the team in the NIO and a wide range of community, business and political voices to create solutions that enable Northern Ireland and the people who live here to prosper.”
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Jeffrey Glekin has been appointed to become the British High Commissioner to the Republic of Seychelles, replacing Patrick Lynch who is taking up another role in the Foreign Office. Since 2019, he has held the role of His Majesty’s Ambassador to La Paz and was previously the Head of Mission in Bogota. He will begin his new role in October 2023.
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The Government has called on the Black Sea to become open, saying that Russia’s gestures are inadequate. Ambassador Barbara Woodward, speaking at the UN Security Council on famine, said that the number of people facing acute food insecurity had increased from 193 million to over 250 million in just two years. She criticised recent interventions by Russia, saying:
“The Black Sea Grain Initiative got nearly 33 million tonnes of grain into world markets. Russia’s decision to end the initiative has raised food prices hitting the world’s hungriest people. Russia’s offer to give 50,000 tonnes of grain to each of six countries will not bring grain prices back down, nor help those facing famine in other countries.”
Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State of the United States and Council President for the month, said that hunger must not be used as a weapon by the Russians. Every member of the United Nations should tell Moscow “enough using the Black Sea as blackmail, enough treating the most vulnerable people as leverage, enough of this unjustified, unconscionable war”.
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Margaret Ferrier, the MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West has lost her Parliamentary seat after 11,896 people in her constituency signed a recall petition to remove her. Ferrier, who broken lockdown rules, was suspended from the SNP in 2020 and she has sat in the House of Commons since as an independent MP. Just under 15% of the 81,124 constituents voted to remove her which will led to a by-election to be held later on in the year. Although Ferrier is allowed to contest the by-election, she said in a statement that she didn’t intend to do so:
“I respect the outcome of the petition. It has been the privilege of my life to serve as the Member of Parliament for Rutherglen & Hamilton West. I have always put my job and my constituents first, and I am disappointed that this will now come to an end. I decided some time ago that I would not stand in the upcoming by-election. This has been a difficult and taxing process that has now come to its conclusion and I do not wish to prolong it further.”
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