Tag: News Story

STORY

The BBC have suspended Gary Lineker following comments he made in support of asylum seekers earlier in the week which were critical of the Government. The BBC stated:

“The BBC has been in extensive discussions with Gary and his team in recent days. We have said that we consider his recent social media activity to be a breach of our guidelines. The BBC has decided that he will step back from presenting Match of the Day until we’ve got an agreed and clear position on his use of social media.

When it comes to leading our football and sports coverage, Gary is second to none. We have never said that Gary should be an opinion-free zone, or that he can’t have a view on issues that matter to him, but we have said that he should keep well away from taking sides on party political issues or political controversies”.

The BBC, which is battling allegations that its chair Richard Sharp failed to declare his political favours to the Conservative Party, said that the situation would be clarified in the near future. Ian Wright, a co-presenter on Match of the Day with Gary Lineker, posted on Twitter:

“Everybody knows what Match of the Day means to me, but I’ve told the BBC I won’t be doing it tomorrow. Solidarity”.

A new presenter for the programme has yet to be confirmed by the BBC.

RESOURCES

Gary Lineker’s Comments

STORY

Steve Brine, the Conservative MP for Winchester, is facing calls for him to stand down from his role as the Chair of the Health of Social Care Committee following allegations that he may have broken lobbying rules. As part of the WhatsApp tranche of messages from Matt Hancock that the Daily Telegraph is releasing, there were suggestions that Brine had been attempting to lobby on behalf of a company he was being paid by, Remedium.

Daisy Cooper, the Liberal Democrat’s Health spokesperson, said that “he should immediately step down from the Health Select Committee and the Prime Minister should launch an immediate investigation”. Anneliese Dodds, the Chair of the Labour Party, said “if Steve Brine has broken lobbying rules he must face the consequences”.

Brine said in a statement to the Daily Telegraph:

“This was about responding in the national interest to an urgent public call from ministers and the NHS in a national crisis even if, ultimately, it led nowhere, let alone secure any business for Remedium”.

RESOURCES

Steve Brine MP

Comments made by Daisy Cooper

Comments made by Anneliese Dodds

EXTERNAL NEWS LINKS

Daily Telegraph

Remedium

STORY

Andrew Mitchell, the Overseas Development Minister, has made a speech at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies to launch a project on “Public Health, Science, and Technology in Muslim Societies”. He warned of a reversal of recent improvements in global living standards, saying:

“Thirty years of incredible human progress between 1990 and 2020 is now sharply in reverse, partly because of the Covid pandemic, and other events too like the illegal invasion of Ukraine and what it has done to the food chain and what it has done to inflation in very poor countries, mean that all the dials which were moving forward so successfully are now in reverse and we have to do something about that”.

He added that the British Government had been a leader in matters relating to international development, stating:

“Over the last 25 years in particular, the United Kingdom has invested hugely in supporting our partners to improve education, health and the environment, from Afghanistan to Nigeria, and from Bangladesh to the Gambia. Many tens of thousands of Muslim students have studied in the UK through our Chevening and British Council scholarships, returning to enrich their communities with what they have learnt. And two weeks ago I was in Jordan where I saw first-hand how UK support helps 150,000 children a year to receive a quality education”.

RESOURCES

Andrew Mitchell’s Speech

Andrew Mitchell

EXTERNAL NEWS LINKS

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

STORY

Matt Hancock, the former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has denied allegations that he sought to block the construction of a disability centre in the constituency of James Daly, the Conservative MP for Bury North after he failed to support him in a Parliamentary vote. Daly said that he was “disappointed” to hear of the discussion on WhatsApp between Hancock and his political advisor, but had been unaware of the situation before the leak of the messages which have been published by the Daily Telegraph.

It is alleged that Hancock’s advisor, Allan Nixon, said:

“Thoughts on me suggesting to Chief’s spads that they give us a list of the 2019 intakes thinking of rebelling. Eg James wants his Learning Disability Hub in Bury – whips call him up and say Health team want to work with him to deliver this but that’ll be off the table if he rebels.”

It is alleged that Hancock replied “100%”, but Hancock said in a statement:

“What’s being accused here never happened, demonstrating the story is wrong, and showing why such a biased, partial approach to the evidence is a bad mistake, driven by those with a vested interest and an axe to grind”.

Sir Jake Berry, the former Chair of the Conservative Party, said:

“This is an absolute disgrace. Hancock should be dragged to the bar of the House of Commons first thing tomorrow morning to be questioned about this”.

RESOURCES

Comments Made by Jake Berry

Statement Made by Matt Hancock

News Story – Matt Hancock WhatsApp messages leaked

EXTERNAL NEWS LINKS

Telegraph News Story

STORY

Stanley Johnson, the father of former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has reportedly been nominated for a knighthood in his son’s resignation honours list. Stanley Johnson, a former employee of the World Bank and the European Commission, served as the MEP for Wight and Hampshire East between 1979 and 1984. Johnson previously nominated his brother, Jo Johnson, to be elevated to the Peerage in 2020 amidst controversy.

The resignation honours list is a tradition where outgoing Prime Ministers can nominate people to receive honours, including knighthoods or peerages. It is yet to be confirmed whether Stanley Johnson will be granted a knighthood or not, as nominations still have to go through a process of Cabinet Office vetting. Keir Starmer, the Leader of the Opposition, said that the news was “absolutely outrageous”.

STORY

Neil Coyle, the Labour MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, faces a five-day suspension from the House of Commons following an investigation into his alleged abusive behaviour towards a journalist during two drunken confrontations in a Commons bar. The Independent Expert Panel (IEP), which investigates matters such as harassment complaints against MPs, concluded that Coyle engaged in foul-mouthed and drunken abuse, breaching Parliament’s harassment and conduct rules.

Coyle has apologised for his behaviour, stating that he was “ashamed” and that the complaints against him “possibly saved my life” by compelling him to stop drinking alcohol. This is not the first time Coyle has faced a complaint regarding his behaviour as in 2019 he was accused of propositioning a woman more than a decade his junior at a Labour party conference.

The IEP stated that the suspension serves as a reminder of the importance of upholding high standards of conduct in public office. It is crucial that MPs, as representatives of their constituents, behave in a manner that befits their position and serves as an example to others. The IEP’s recommendation for Coyle’s suspension demonstrates the seriousness with which Parliament takes issues of harassment and abusive behaviour and it concluded:

“We also determine that the respondent should make a full and unreserved apology on the floor of the House by means of a personal statement. With the leave of the Speaker, the text of that apology should be agreed by the Chair of the Panel”.

RESOURCES

IEP Report into Neil Coyle’s Behaviour

Press Release from IEP

Contact Neil Coyle

Speeches by Neil Coyle

STORY

The Privileges Committee, a cross-party group of MPs investigating whether the former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson misled Parliament over lockdown gatherings, has announced that evidence strongly suggests that Johnson breached the pandemic rules and potentially misled Parliament. The committee also confirmed that Johnson will give evidence to them later on this month. The report into lockdown-flouting parties at 10 Downing Street is being treated as crucial evidence by the committee.

This investigation stems from allegations that Johnson attended gatherings at Downing Street during lockdowns that were not in compliance with pandemic restrictions which his Government had introduced. The committee is investigating whether Johnson misled Parliament in his responses to questions about these gatherings. The investigation into Johnson’s actions has been ongoing for several months and this report is likely to further fuel criticism of Johnson and calls for him to be held accountable for his actions. As a former Prime Minister, his actions and the integrity of his statements to Parliament are of significant public interest.

Overall, the findings of the Privileges Committee report into Boris Johnson’s alleged breaches of pandemic rules and potential misleading of Parliament are eagerly anticipated and may have significant and serious implications for the former Prime Minister and his reputation.

RESOURCES

Text of Privileges Committee Report

STORY

The leaking of over 100,000 WhatsApp messages sent by the former Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, during the COVID pandemic has caused controversy in the UK. Journalist Isabel Oakeshott who was working with Hancock on a book provided The Daily Telegraph with the messages which allegedly show that Hancock rejected testing advice on care homes and expressed concern that testing could get in the way of meeting his targets. The messages have also led to a war of words between Hancock and Oakeshott, with the former describing the leak as a “massive betrayal and breach of trust” and the journalist saying that she had received menacing messages from the former Health Secretary. The information watchdog has today also warned of the risks of ministers using platforms like WhatsApp.

Hancock said in a statement:

“There is absolutely no public interest case for this huge breach. All the materials for the book have already been made available to the inquiry, which is the right, and only, place for everything to be considered properly and the right lessons to be learned. As we have seen, releasing them in this way gives a partial, biased account to suit an anti-lockdown agenda”.

Oakeshott said:

“I’m a working journalist. They did not pay me for the messages, I’ve been helping the Daily Telegraph with the investigation, you’ll see that I’ve been writing stories for the Daily Telegraph”.

RESOURCES

Matt Hancock’s Statement on Leak

EXTERNAL LINKS

Daily Telegraph

STORY

Betty Boothroyd, the first female Speaker of the House of Commons, has died at the age of 93. Boothroyd served as the Speaker of the House of Commons between 1992 and 2000 and was the Labour MP for the constituency of West Bromwich, later West Bromwich West, between 1973 until 2000. Lindsay Hoyle, the current Speaker of the House, said in a statement:

“She stuck by the rules, had a no-nonsense style, but any reprimands she did issue were done with good humour and charm. Betty was one of a kind. A sharp, witty and formidable woman – and I will miss her.”

RESOURCES

Lindsay Hoyle’s Statement

Keir Starmer’s Statement

STORY

Fern Horine has been confirmed as the UK’s next Ambassador to Moldova, succeeding Steven Fisher who is taking up another role within the Diplomatic Service. Horine currently works as the Deputy Head of the Transformation and Operations at the Foreign Office and will take up her new role in Moldova in October 2023.

RESOURCES

Government Press Release

EXTERNAL NEWS LINKS

Blog Posts by Fern Horine on Foreign Office Web-Site

Fern Horine’s Twitter Account