Tag: News Story

STORY

Jared O’Mara, the former Labour MP for Sheffield Hallam, who was found guilty earlier this week for fraud has today been sentenced to four years imprisonment. O’Mara, who attempted to steal £52,000 from the tax-payer, was convicted of six counts of fraud with Judge Tom Bayliss saying:

“You must have realised early on that you were wholly unsuited to the role, but you carried on regardless, you brazened it out; drawing a salary, but doing little or no parliamentary work”.

The Judge added before sentencing:

“You are here because you abused your position to commit fraud and you have shown not the slightest degree of remorse in respect of that”.

RESOURCES

News Story of Jared O’Mara Being Found Guilty

Sheffield Hallam

Jared O’Mara’s Maiden Speech in the House of Commons

Speeches by Jared O’Mara

STORY

Lee Anderson, the Deputy Chair of the Conservative Party has called for the reintroduction of capital punishment in an interview with the Spectator Magazine. In the interview he said:

‘Yes. Nobody has ever committed a crime after being executed. You know that, don’t you? 100 per cent success rate.’

Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, was a form of punishment in the United Kingdom criminal justice system up until 1965. The death penalty was abolished for murder in 1965, and for all remaining capital crimes in 1969 (in 1973 in Northern Ireland). The last execution in the UK took place on August 13, 1964, when Peter Allen and Gwynne Evans were hanged for the murder of John Alan West. The death penalty remained on the statue books for treason until 1998 and it was prohibited by UK’s membership of the European Convention on Human Rights.

A spokesperson for the Conservative Party said that the party had no plans to re-introduce capital punishment and that Anderson was speaking in a personal capacity.

RESOURCES

Comments Made by Lee Anderson on Capital Punishment

Speeches made by Lee Anderson

Contact Lee Anderson

EXTERNAL NEWS LINKS

Spectator News Article

STORY

Jared O’Mara, the former Labour MP for Sheffield Hallam, has been found guilty of six counts of expenses fraud at a trial in Leeds. The allegations of fraud relating to his period as an MP between 2017 and 2019 when he submitted fake invoices to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA). O’Mara had denied the claims with his co-defendant Gareth Arnold also being found guilty, although another defendant John Woodliff was found not guilty of charges against him. The sentence will be announced on Thursday.

RESOURCES

Sheffield Hallam

Jared O’Mara’s Maiden Speech in the House of Commons

Speeches by Jared O’Mara

STORY

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, has visited the UK for the first time since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He met with Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, and will later meet the King before speaking to Parliament. He is also expected to meet Ukrainian troops who are currently undergoing weapons training led by the British army.

RESOURCES

Press Release from Downing Street

Speeches by Volodymyr Zelenskky

EXTERNAL NEWS LINKS

Guardian News Story

STORY

The HM Treasury and the Bank of England have announced that they are currently considering plans to develop a digital pound or central bank digital currency (CBDC). The digital pound would be a currency that does not exist as physical money in the form of notes or coins, but instead exists in the form of an amount on a computer. The Bank of England and the Treasury are designing the digital pound, which will be launched in the second part of this decade. The Treasury and the Bank of England stressed that one digital pound would equate to the same value as one physical pound coin and that there would be no divergence in their values.

The Bank of England said in a statement:

“The money we issue as the UK’s central bank is the anchor of confidence in our monetary system. This type of money supports the UK’s monetary and financial stability. Today, banknotes are the only type of money we provide for the public to use. Having a digital pound could help us to keep providing this anchor for the UK”.

They added that there were no plans to stop issuing cash:

“Cash is also very important to ensure people are able to exchange one type of money for another. For example, you can withdraw the money you have in a bank account as banknotes at a cash machine. This is known as ‘uniformity’ of money. Having a digital pound could help us to keep this uniformity in a future where the majority of payments are digital”.

RESOURCES

Treasury and Bank of England Press Release

EXTERNAL NEWS LINKS

Government Consultation on the Digital Pound

Bank of England Resources on the Digital Pound

STORY

Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, has appointed Greg Hands to replace Nadhim Zahawi who was sacked for breaching the Ministerial Code. Greg Hands is the Conservative MP for Chelsea and Fulham, a constituency that he has represented since 2005. Hands posted on Twitter about his new appointment:

“I am excited to be asked by Rishi Sunak to be Chairman of the Conservative Party. I joined the Party in 1986 – a ward chairman in 1992, a councillor in 1998, a Group Leader in 1999, an MP in 2005, a Minister in 2011 – an honour to chair it in 2023!”

RESOURCES

Greg Hands’s Comments on Twitter

Speeches Made by Greg Hands

2005 Maiden Speech

Contact Greg Hands

News Story on Nadhim Zahawi

Chelsea and Fulham Constituency

EXTERNAL NEWS LINKS

Guardian News Story

STORY

10 Downing Street has confirmed today that four new Government departments will be created:

(i) Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

(ii) Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

(iii) Department for Business and Trade

(iv) Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, said:

“The changes will ensure the right skills and teams are focussed on the Prime Minister’s five promises: to halve inflation, grow the economy, reduce debt, cut waiting lists and stop the boats”.

The Cabinet members for the new departments will be:

Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP as Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero

Rt Hon Michelle Donelan MP as Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology

Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch MP as Secretary of State for Business and Trade. She remains as President of the Board of Trade, and Minister for Women and Equalities

Rt Hon Lucy Frazer KC MP as Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport

Ed Miliband, the Shadow Minister for Energy Security and Net Zero, said:

“So seven years after the disastrous decision to abolish the Department of Energy, the Conservatives now admit they got it wrong, but a rearranging of deckchairs on the sinking Titanic of failed Conservative energy policy will not rescue the country”.

RESOURCES

Government Press Release on New Departments

EXTERNAL NEWS LINKS

Guardian News Story

STORY

Tom Gordon, the current leader of the Liberal Democrats on Wakefield Council, has been selected as the party’s candidate for the Parliamentary constituency of Harrogate and Knaresborough. He said in a statement:

“I am truly honoured to have been selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Harrogate and Knaresborough. I will fight tirelessly to give local people a strong voice, both here and in Westminster. This is a beautiful and iconic part of the country with a strong sense of community”.

The constituency was won by Phil Willis for the Liberal Democrats in 1997, but was won by Andrew Jones for the Conservatives in 2010. The constituency is a target seat for the Liberal Democrats, with Jones currently having a majority of 9,675. The local Liberal Democrats said in a statement:

“The local Liberal Democrats are on a winning streak across Harrogate and Knaresborough. In last year’s council elections, the Liberal Democrats won the popular vote and the most seats across the constituency.

Tom Gordon, who hopes to be the next Liberal Democrat MP for the constituency, has a strong record of leading campaigns across the region. Tom has stood up for local health services, fought for Yorkshire devolution and for better transport links across the region.

Tom works as an advisor for a national carers charity. As a former young carer himself, he is passionate about giving a pay rise to carers and giving them the support and recognition they deserve. Tom will be running a passionate campaign to improve health services, tackle sewage and uncleanliness in our local environment and fighting for infrastructure and investment into our local services”.

RESOURCES

Harrogate and Knaresborough Constituency

EXTERNAL NEWS LINKS

Yorkshire Post News Story

STORY

On 6 February 2023, a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey and was felt across neighbouring countries including Syria, Jordan, and Israel. The earthquake happened in the early hours of the morning while people were asleep, with over 2,000 feared killed. The earthquake caused widespread damage and led to the collapse of many buildings, leaving many trapped inside. The earthquake was reported to have originated in Gaziantep, which is located in Turkey’s southeastern region and is a major provincial capital. A second significant wave of the earthquake occurred around 12 hours after the first causing further devastating impact and hampering rescuer workers looking for survivors in collapsed buildings. A large number of historic buildings are also confirmed to have been lost following the earthquakes.

Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, said:

“My thoughts are with the people of Türkiye and Syria this morning, particularly with those first responders working so valiantly to save those trapped by the earthquake. The UK stands ready to help in whatever way we can”.

James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, added:

“The UK is sending immediate support to Türkiye including a team of 76 search & rescue specialists, equipment and rescue dogs. In Syria, the UK-funded White Helmets have mobilised their resources to respond”.

RESOURCES

Comments Made by Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister

Comments Made by James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary

EXTERNAL NEWS LINKS

Guardian News Story

Daily Sabah

STORY

Ann Thomson, the Labour Leader of Barrow Council, has died following a short period of illness. Anne Burns, a fellow Labour councillor, said:

“Ann spent the best part of her adult life caring for people, battling for the feminist cause and organising for the Labour movement. She was also a real character whose trademark chuckle would lighten many a political discussion”.

She was a long-serving member of the borough council, having first been elected in 1990, Cllr Thomson served as the Mayor of Barrow between May 2015 and May 2016 before becoming its Leader in 2019. The council is being abolished on 1 April 2023 and merging with other districts to become the Westmorland and Furness Unitary Authority.

RESOURCES

Press Release Issued by Barrow Council

EXTERNAL NEWS LINKS

NWE Mail News Story