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Tag: Press Release

  • PRESS RELEASE : British Government announces 40 winners of 2023 Marshall Scholarships as program prepares to celebrate 70th anniversary [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : British Government announces 40 winners of 2023 Marshall Scholarships as program prepares to celebrate 70th anniversary [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 December 2022.

    The recipients, considered among the most accomplished undergraduate university students and recent graduates in the United States, were chosen following an intense selection process.

    Washington, DC (12 December 2022) – The 40 winners of the 2023 Marshall Scholarships have been unveiled today by the British Government. The recipients, considered among the most accomplished undergraduate university students and recent graduates in the United States, were chosen following an intense selection process. The 2023 class will begin graduate studies at universities across the United Kingdom next year, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the scholarship.

    The incoming class are the latest cohort of the seven decades-long program created by an Act of British Parliament in 1953 as a thank you to former US Secretary of State General George Marshall and the US for assistance under the Marshall Plan. Since that time, the British Government has provided scholarships for over 2,200 Americans, many of whom have gone on to play leading roles addressing global challenges facing society. Marshall Scholars currently sit on the US Supreme Court, serve in local, state and federal governments, and have played key roles in the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    This year’s class includes accomplished authors, astrophysicists, human rights advocates and COVID-19 researchers among other disciplines. 85% of the 2023 class intend to pursue public service careers in the US following their time in the UK, including representatives from the US Military Academy and US Air Force Academy who will take up active duty service upon completion of their studies.

    “Whether it is the War in Ukraine or global challenges from the effects of Climate Change, Marshall Scholars continue to work to help address global issues head on,” said Dame Karen Pierce, British Ambassador to the United States. “The British Government is excited to support these future leaders of American society as they begin the next stage of their lives studying at some of the UK’s top academic institutions.”

    “Marshall Scholars continue to embody the spirit of the scholarship’s namesake in their commitment to making the world a better place. They are powerful advocates for excellence and progress in an impressive range of disciplines.” said John Raine, Chair of the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission.

    The program received 951 applications from candidates representing academic institutions across the United States. Of the 32 US universities represented, over a third are state or public universities and military service academies. The University of North Dakota, Pitzer College (CA) and Wayne State University (MI) will send Marshall Scholars to the UK for the first time ever. Morehouse College (GA) – one of the top Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the United States – received its first scholarship award since 1996. Wabash College (IN) will send a Marshall Scholar to the UK for the first time in over three decades.

    The program is principally funded by the British Government, but also benefits from generous support through partnership arrangements with world-leading British academic institutions, allowing winners to pursue graduate degrees in almost any academic subject at any university in the UK. The 2022 class will take up their studies at 21 different institutions across the UK starting next September, ranging from London institutions such as King’s College London to the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.

    The scholarship program also continues to receive generous support from the Association of Marshall Scholars (AMS), the official alumni organisation of the Marshall Scholarship. The British Schools & Universities Foundation (BUSF) also provides generous support and funds for a scholarship.

    The full list of 2023 winners are:

    Recipient US University
    Abdelhamid Arbab Princeton University
    Dominic Arzadon Pitzer College
    Rachel Chae Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Michael Chen Yale University
    Daniel Chen University of Washington – Seattle
    Assata Davis Rutgers University
    Carson Eckhard University of Pennsylvania
    Beatrix Frissell University of Montana – Missoula
    Bayan Galal Yale University
    Kyrolos Georgey United States Air Force Academy
    Hannah Gillespie University of Notre Dame
    Cyril Gilman Columbia University
    Alexis Harrell SUNY – Buffalo
    Clare Heinbaugh College of William & Mary
    Ricky Holder University of Chicago
    Alex Hu Yale University
    Sihao Huang Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Lauren Jarvis Baylor University
    Kyra Jasper Stanford University
    Sarah Kane University of Pennsylvania
    Aaron Keathley Wayne State University
    Grace Kim Harvard University
    Amy Krimm University of Pennsylvania
    Laura Lewis California Institute of Technology
    Sarah Marze University of Connecticut
    Sydney Menne University of North Dakota
    Natalie Moss University of Georgia
    Nathan Mudrak Johns Hopkins University
    Katie Pascavis Arizona State University
    George Antony Pratt Morehouse College
    Max Pushkin Brown University
    Maggie Sardino Syracuse University
    Kavya Shah Harvard University
    Cooper Smith Wabash College
    Banks Stamp University of Alabama – Birmingham
    Rose Summers University of Colorado – Boulder
    Aristotle Vainikos Harvard University
    Marley Wait United States Military Academy
    Lauren Wilkes University of Georgia
    Samara Zuckerbrod University of Texas – Austin

    About the Marshall Scholarship

    Named for Secretary of State George C. Marshall, the Marshall Scholarship Program began in 1953 as a gesture of gratitude to the people of the United States for the assistance that the UK received after World War II under the Marshall Plan. Since that time, it has remained uniquely positioned among national scholarships for its prestige and scope: offering talented young Americans the chance to study any academic subject at UK universities of their choice for up to 3 years. This has given rise to an unprecedented breadth of expertise in almost every academic field, producing numerous university presidents, six Pulitzer Prize winners, one Nobel Laureate, fourteen MacArthur Fellows, two-academy-Award nominees, two US Supreme Court Justices and a NASA Astronaut.

    With over 2,200 scholarships awarded to date, Marshall Scholars are leading the conversation and direction of some of the most critical issues of our time. Notable winners of the scholarship include:

    • Supreme Court Associate Justices Stephen Breyer and Neil Gorsuch
    • William Burns, Director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency
    • Pulitzer Prize-winning authors Anne Applebaum, Tom Friedman, Jeffrey Gettleman and Dan Yergin
    • Dr. Dan Barouch, Leading COVID-19 vaccine researcher and William Bosworth Castle Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School
    • Kurt Campbell, Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, White House National Security Council
    • Reid Hoffman, Philanthropist and founder of social networking platform LinkedIn
    • Lisa Cook, Economist and currently the first African-American woman and first person of color to sit on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.
    • Anne McClain, NASA Astronaut who served aboard the International Space Station in 2018
    • Jocelyn Benson, Secretary of State for the State of Michigan
    • Roger Tsien, 2008 Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry
    • Ray Dolby, Founder of Dolby Laboratories and 1997 winner of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation
    • Rebecca F. Kuang, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel and The Poppy War book trilogy
  • PRESS RELEASE : Change of His Majesty’s Ambassador to Ethiopia – Darren Welch [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Change of His Majesty’s Ambassador to Ethiopia – Darren Welch [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 December 2022.

    Mr Darren Welch has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union in succession to Dr Alastair McPhail CMG OBE who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Welch will take up his appointment during January 2023.

    Curriculum vitae

    Full name: Darren John Welch

    Married to: Lucille Welch

    Children: 2

    Year Role
    2021 to present FCDO, Director of Global Health
    2018 to 2020 Department for International Development (DFID), Director of Policy
    2017 to 2018 DFID, Director of Strategy
    2016 to 2017 DFID, Head, Migration and Modern Slavery Department
    2015 to 2016 Home Office, International Team Leader, Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme
    2011 to 2015 Brussels, United Kingdom Permanent Representation to the European Union, Counsellor for Development, Trade, Africa, Asia and The Americas
    2008 to 2011 DFID Tanzania, Head of Office
    2007 to 2008 DFID, Head, Information and Community Partnerships Department
    2003 to 2007 DAI Consulting, Deputy Director for Governance Reform
    2000 to 2002 Government of Bermuda, Senior Consultant
    1998 to 2000 Cabinet Office, Performance and Innovation Unit (later the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit)
  • PRESS RELEASE : Civil Service Fast Streamers prepare for industrial action [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Civil Service Fast Streamers prepare for industrial action [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the FDA union on 12 December 2022.

    The FDA’s Fast Stream section is preparing to launch a statutory postal ballot on strike action after an indicative vote showed strong support for action over pay.
    The vote, which took place in November, showed 81% support for industrial action on a turnout of 67%. This came after FDA members in the Fast Stream overwhelmingly rejected a pay uplift of 3% over the summer.
    FDA National Officer for the Fast Stream, Lauren Crowley, explained that the FDA has been pressing for “the Fast Stream’s long-term structural pay issues to be addressed through a pay business case submitted this year, but the employer has refused to consider this”. She also pointed to the fact that the employer had indicated it was planning to submit a business case but subsequently u-turned on that decision:
    “Instead, with inflation running in double figures and a cost-of-living crisis compounding the existing poor deal for Fast Streamers, our members were offered a pay uplift which leaves many of our members struggling to make ends meet.”
    Although further talks were held with the employer and the Cabinet Office, including FDA General Secretary Dave Penman meeting with Civil Service Chief Operating Officer Alex Chisholm, the employer refused to amend the pay offer. As a result, Crowley said: “We have now reached the conclusion that we have exhausted opportunities to resolve this through negotiation”.
    She acknowledged that any decision to strike “will be a hugely difficult one for our members”, but added that the current situation is “completely unacceptable and unsustainable”.
    “Fast Streamers carry out vital roles in ensuring the smooth functioning of government and delivery of public services, yet are so poorly paid they are skipping meals and relying on family just to get by. This cannot go on.”
    A survey carried out by the FDA earlier this year of Fast Streamers – both FDA members and others – showed that one in nine had a second job, over a third still had to live with family, and half of them relied on financial support from their family just to get by. The survey, which half of all those on the Fast Stream responded to, highlighted that four in every five reported pay as having a negative impact on their wellbeing, and a huge seven in eight had considered leaving the scheme as a result.
    The FDA continues to campaign for the necessary structural changes to the broken pay system, and has been fighting for a deal that would see Fast Stream pay aligned with the pay band minimum of Cabinet Office HEOs by 2024. Crowley explains that “the Year 1 Fast Stream salary has not changed in five years. Since 2010, the Fast Stream starting salary has gone from £27,000 to £28,000 – a rise of only 3.7% in 12 years. By contrast, in the same period the minimum pay for Cabinet Office HEOs has gone up by 15.6% nationally and 15.9% in London.”
    Following the escalation of the dispute, the employer has now made a firm commitment to submit a pay flexibility case for implementation in 2023-24, which would represent a first step in addressing structural pay issues. However, Crowley concluded that, while this did represent some progress, “it does not go far enough to address the substantial increases in cost of living that our members are struggling to cope with”.
    Ballot papers are likely to reach members around mid-December, and the ballot will close on 16 January.
  • PRESS RELEASE : £257 million fund to help over 70,000 victims of domestic abuse [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : £257 million fund to help over 70,000 victims of domestic abuse [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 12 December 2022.

    • Councils to be handed £257 million to provide support for victims of domestic abuse and their children who are staying in safe accommodation
    • Funding to go towards vital services such as counselling, financial advice, help rehousing and therapy for children
    • Expected to support over 70,000 victims of domestic abuse in England

    An estimated 70,000 victims of domestic abuse will benefit from specialist support services to help them rebuild their lives in a safe environment.

    £257 million will be handed to councils across England to make sure safe accommodation spaces such as refuges and shelters can provide vital support. The support will include counselling, assistance with rehousing, financial advice and play therapy for traumatised children.

    The funding, allocated over two years and issued as a flexible grant, will be used by local authorities to plan support services and work closely with local charities and other service providers to best meet the needs of victims who have had to flee their homes.

    Housing and Homelessness Minister Felicity Buchan said:

    Domestic abuse is a devastating crime, and this funding will help victims and their children across the country who need to escape from danger to recover and rebuild their lives in safe housing.

    Whether it’s counselling, advice on how to handle finances or help finding a new home –  councils can use this money to make a real difference on the ground, giving victims the help and support they need.

    Domestic abuse is the most prevalent form of violence against women and girls. The 2019-20 crime survey estimated 2.3 million people experienced in the previous year experienced domestic abuse, with women more likely to be impacted.

    This funding follows the government’s landmark Domestic Abuse Act 2021, which places a legal duty on councils to fund support in safe accommodation for all victims and their families. The money will help pay for these vital services.

    More than £330 million has already been invested since 2014 to provide support for domestic abuse victims in safe accommodation, with refuge bed spaces increasing by more than 20% in the past 12 years. On top of this, £5.7 million is being invested in the Respite Rooms programme which supports vulnerable rough sleepers impacted by domestic abuse.

    This is in addition to the £2 million we provided to increase the capacity of domestic abuse helplines and online services during the pandemic.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Strike action to affect travellers entering the UK [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Strike action to affect travellers entering the UK [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Home Office on 12 December 2022.

    The Public and Commercial Service (PCS) union has announced Civil Service industrial action that will impact Border Force services.

    Travellers who are planning to enter the UK during the proposed strike period may face longer wait times at border control.

    Travellers should check the latest travel advice with operators before travelling.

    Please be patient and respect officers who are working to keep the UK border safe and secure for all travellers during strike action.

    We encourage all passengers eligible to use eGates to do so.

    The Public and Commercial Service (PCS) union has announced Civil Service industrial action that will impact Border Force services.

    Border Force strike proposed dates and locations

    Dates:

    • 23 December
    • 24 December
    • 25 December
    • 26 December (until about 7am)
    • 28 December
    • 29 December
    • 30 December
    • 31 December (until about 7am)

    Locations:

    • Birmingham Airport
    • Cardiff Airport
    • Gatwick Airport
    • Glasgow Airport
    • Heathrow Airport – Terminals 2,3,4 and 5
    • Manchester Airport
    • Port of Newhaven

    Our number one priority is to keep our borders safe and secure for all travellers, and we will never compromise on this.

    Military personnel, civil servants and volunteers from across government are being trained to support Border Force at airports and ports across the UK in the event of potential strike action. Border Force are ready to deploy resource to meet critical demand and support flow travellers through the border, however those entering the UK should be prepared for potential disruption.

    Border Force and the travel industry work together very closely at a local and national level to agree plans for pressures while keeping the public safe.

    Advice for passengers

    Those who are due to travel into the UK during the proposed industrial action should be prepared to face longer wait times at UK border control.

    All passengers should check the latest advice from their operators before travelling.

    Please be patient and respect officers who are working to keep our citizens safe and border secure, and supporting travellers during the strike action.

    We encourage all passengers eligible to use eGates to do so.

    Please respect staff as we try and get you through the border as quickly and safely as possible. All forms of abuse and any inappropriate behaviour will be reported to the UK police.

    Flights – impact of industrial action

    We will work with operators and ports to understand the impact of industrial action on inbound flights.

    Passengers travelling into the UK during strikes should check with their airlines for the latest travel information and advice.

    Border wait times

    As you’d expect, accurate queue time data can take some time to gather and check, however if you are travelling during the proposed strike dates be prepared for longer wait times.

    There are multiple factors that might influence wait times including an increase in passenger numbers, flight delays and flight bunching. Weather delays, and other ad hoc incidents, can also impact border control queues.

    We advise travellers to check with travel agents, tour operators, and airlines/carriers before travelling, to check if the proposed strike action will affect your journey.

    Passengers can also check airport websites before travelling to stay up to date with the latest information related to travel or possible delays caused by strike action.

    What we are doing to avoid disruption and queues at the border during the strike action

    We continue to work closely with port operators and airlines to minimise disruption and delays at the border during any industrial action.

    Border Force and the travel industry work together very closely at a local and national level and have regular meetings to agree plans for pressures while keeping the public safe.

    Remember:

    • there are often a few things that might influence wait times including an increase in passenger numbers, flights delays and flight bunching
    • you should check the latest advice from your operators before travelling
  • PRESS RELEASE : October 2022 GDP Figures Released by ONS – Growth of 0.5% [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : October 2022 GDP Figures Released by ONS – Growth of 0.5% [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the ONS on 12 December 2022.

    1.Main points

    • Monthly real gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have grown by 0.5% in October 2022, following a fall of 0.6% in September 2022, which was affected by the additional bank holiday for the State Funeral of HM Queen Elizabeth II.
    • Looking at the broader picture, GDP fell by 0.3% in the three months to October 2022 compared with the three months to July 2022.
    • The services sector grew by 0.6% in October 2022, after falling by 0.8% in September 2022; the largest contribution to the growth came from wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, which rose by 1.9% in the month.
    • Output in consumer-facing services grew by 1.2% in October 2022, after falls of 1.7% in September 2022 and 1.6% in August 2022.
    • Production remained broadly flat in October 2022, after growth of 0.2% in September 2022; manufacturing was the only sub-sector to contribute positively to production in October 2022, offset by negative contributions from electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply, and water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities.
    • The construction sector grew by 0.8% in October 2022; this is its fourth consecutive increase after growths of 0.4% in September 2022, 0.6% in August 2022 and 0.2% in July 2022.
  • PRESS RELEASE : Over £3.5m awarded to sustainable fishing projects as new funding round opens [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Over £3.5m awarded to sustainable fishing projects as new funding round opens [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 12 December 2022.

    Projects awarded funding in the latest round of the Fisheries Industry Science Partnership (FISP) scheme.

    Five pioneering research projects have been awarded over £3.5 million to gather vital evidence to inform how we manage our fisheries and protect marine habitats across the UK.

    Successful projects include the University of Plymouth Enterprise Ltd who will collaborate with organisations including the Angling Trust and Professional Boatman’s Association to collect crucial data to help protect species vulnerable to overfishing such as sharks, skates, rays and black bream. Participating boats will tag and track 200 black bream and 100 rays and sharks to shed light on their complex life histories and help ensure the sustainability and survival of these important species.

    Meanwhile Bangor University, in partnership with the British Geological Survey, Orkney Fisheries Association and Welsh Fisherman’s Association, have been granted nearly £400,000 to investigate the impacts of climate change on the common whelk. The research will look at how temperature changes and location can impact on the growth, distribution and survivability of this commercially valuable species.

    All the projects are from the third round of the Fisheries Industry Science Partnership (FISP) scheme, part of the government’s landmark £100m UK Seafood Fund investment, which brings together the seafood industry with research organisations to improve knowledge and data and help manage and protect often rare and valuable species.

    Fisheries Minister Mark Spencer said:

    A proper understanding of important marine species is vital if we are to manage our fisheries sustainably and safeguard the fishing and seafood sector for future generations.

    By drawing on the expertise of the fishing community and combining this with our world class researchers, we can discover new ways to manage our stocks and protect vulnerable fisheries.

    Dr Emma Sheehan, Associate Professor of Marine Ecology at the University of Plymouth, said:

    The UK’s coastal waters are rich and diverse environments home to a huge range of important species. However, many of them are vulnerable to overfishing and exploitation which poses real challenges from both a conservation and an economic perspective. These projects will build on our previous work alongside fishing communities and authorities, and gather much needed data about critically important species such as pollack, black bream, sharks, skates and rays. By studying where they live, and why, we can develop more effective ways of managing their habitats sustainably now and in the future.

    In addition, the fourth and final round of the FISP scheme opened last week to eligible applicants and runs until midday on 19 January 2022. Projects which involve a partnership between research organisations and a member of the UK seafood industry are encouraged to bid for funding by visiting GOV UK.

    The £100m UK Seafood Fund was set up to support the long term future and sustainability of the UK fisheries and seafood sector and provides funding under four pillars: science and innovation, infrastructure, skills and training, and export support.

    Last month also saw the second round of the UK Seafood Fund Infrastructure scheme open to applicants. With £30 million of funding now available to help pay for upgrades to ports, processing and aquaculture facilities, these schemes are ensuring the sector is equipped to meet future demand. A further round of the infrastructure scheme is set to open in 2023 to support fleet modernisation in the wild catching sector, with another future round focusing on the recreational fishing sector.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Secretary of State fanning flames of devolution crisis with abortion decision [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Secretary of State fanning flames of devolution crisis with abortion decision [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the DUP on 2 December 2022.

    Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has said the Secretary of State’s decision to press ahead with the commissioning of abortion services is fanning the flames of the crisis facing devolution in Northern Ireland.

    Her comments come following a letter sent by the Secretary of State to DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, confirming the move.

    Carla Lockhart said,

    ‘‘Amid the rising cost of living and the Government’s failure to deliver energy support payments to households in Northern Ireland, it is a matter of deep regret that the Secretary of State can find the money to promote the taking of life.

    Pressing ahead with this divisive policy is a further attack on the principles of devolution. Abortion is a devolved matter and future decisions should be taken by local ministers.

    The former Secretary of State failed to respect these principles when an Executive was sitting so it perhaps not surprising that his successor has chosen to pursue this agenda when the institutions are paralysed because of the Protocol.

    There are many financial pressures facing public services in Northern Ireland, including our NHS. It is notable that amongst all those competing issues the government is providing financial certainty for the provision of abortion when it is absent for so many other issues.

    The point has been made forcibly and repeatedly to the Secretary of State and his predecessor that action in this area undermines the devolution settlement. That is only underscored further by the Government’s deliberate inaction across many other areas.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Diane Forsythe – NI childcare costs on a par with central London [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Diane Forsythe – NI childcare costs on a par with central London [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the DUP on 2 December 2022.

    DUP South Down MLA Diane Forsythe & Sammy Wilson MP have written to the Chancellor and outlined the need for Treasury to adjust the allowance for Tax Free Childcare across the UK after a report finds that childcare costs in Northern Ireland are on a par with London and are holding back working families.

    Commenting on the issue Ms Forsythe said,

    “This report looks at options for childcare in England but one of the most significant points from their survey is that childcare costs in central London are £36 per day. (graphic below) In Northern Ireland our childcare costs are significantly above the UK average and on a par with central London and in many cases higher as identified in a recent Employers for Childcare report.

    Whilst this report finds in England mortgage, household energy and household food costs are higher than childcare, that is not the situation in Northern Ireland. Families here regularly report that childcare is their biggest monthly cost and significantly more than their mortgage payment.

    Our Treasury spokesman in Westminster Sammy Wilson and I have written jointly to the Chancellor and urged him to look at increasing the Tax Free Childcare allowance for working families. This would help get more people into the workforce and particularly in our public services such as schools and hospitals where it is simply not affordable for a parent to work.

    The DUP Education Minister before leaving office had set the wheels in motion to ensure all children aged 3-4 have access to a minimum of 22.5 hours of funded pre-school education per week and that is a work in progress. One of the best ways however, to make returning to work affording in those years after maternity leave would be for the Tax Free Childcare allowance to increase beyond the 20% contribution. Treasury has previously told us that this scheme consistently underspends, therefore there is headroom for expansion.”

     

  • PRESS RELEASE : Government priorities don’t include more than £10m of Sinn Fein allowances – Gregory Campbell [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Government priorities don’t include more than £10m of Sinn Fein allowances – Gregory Campbell [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the DUP on 2 December 2022.

    East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell has said that swift action on MLA pay is correct but stands in stark contrast to inaction on more than £10million of other allowances claimed by Sinn Fein MPs in the last 10 years alone. He said the figures demonstrate the government’s priorities.

    The DUP MP said, “The Government have taken action in relation to MLA pay, citing the fact that currently they are not carrying out their full duties. Whilst the Assembly is not sitting due to the Protocol introduced by this same government, it is evidence of their ability to act when they want to.

    This swift action stands in contrast to other areas, including allowances paid to Sinn Fein MPs. Mary Lou McDonald has proclaimed that Sinn Fein has “no business” in Westminster, but with more than £10million accrued in ten years, Sinn Fein MPs certainly aren’t operating a charitable enterprise.

    When I raised this £10million figure with the Northern Ireland Office Minister during the week he claimed that he didn’t “recognise” this figure. Perhaps that was because figures provided to be by the House of Commons Library show the total is actually greater than the £10million I cited. The representation allowance Sinn Fein receive was not only specially designed for the party but comes with less transparency and accountability than allowances paid to any other MP or Party.

    Whilst energy support payments are being withheld by Ministers in London, there is no such holdback on Sinn Fein allowances. The determination shown on MLA pay isn’t replicated by any such desire to place a real focus on abstentionist MPs who don’t turn up for work, and show no desire ever to do so but are content to sown plenty of taxpayers money in doing so.

    Many people will see it as a demonstration of this Government’s priorities thus far”