Dear John,

And just like that…we’ve reached the penultimate weekend wire of the summer! 

As Parliamentarians enter the final week of recess on Monday, it’s arguably been the quietest summer in Westminster since 2014. Although we aren’t holding our breath, a week is a long time in politics.

One thing we can guarantee is a few more gaffes from our political leaders before the holiday’s up. Here’s hoping Rishi remembers to cut the label off his new suit for the first day back…

Say Cheese! 

We couldn’t not start today’s Weekend Wire with this piece of modern art. 

On Thursday, Trump finally surrendered to the authorities in Georgia on charges of racketeering and conspiracy. And he even made his return to Twitter to share his own mugshot.

Meanwhile, he skipped the first Republican primary debate in Milwaukee on Wednesday, as apparently his ‘legendary numbers’ in the polls, meant there was simply no point in him appearing.

And whilst his self-proclaimed legendary status is nothing new, it seems there are no lengths he won’t go to to come out on top. He reportedly considered scheduling his own surrender to coincide with Wednesday’s debate, purely to drown out press coverage of his opponents performances.

His legal team (who have enough on their plate), unsurprisingly squashed the idea. 

And on that note, we are delighted to announce a new piece of limited edition homeware on the Best for Britain Shop - the Donald J. Trump Commemorative Mugshot Mug - with 100% of sales supporting our work to combat the nativism and authoritarianism epitomised by the 45th President. So treat yourself this bank holiday! (disclaimer: we aren’t usually this mean, but since it’s Trump…)

Easy A?

Not anymore according to the Government. It was supposedly “Education Week” this week. What does this actually mean? Well we don't really know. 

GCSE results were hit by the Government’s anti-grade inflation plan, with thousands of students now left in limbo after receiving lower grades than expected.

Concerns have been raised by education leaders about the disproportionate impact this new plan has upon young students from disadvantaged backgrounds, arguing it will inevitably widen the attainment gap between the rich and poor. 

The new plan has also been reported to have increased the north-south divide, with many criticising it for its ‘London-centric policies’.

Perhaps the Government should have used Education Week to educate themselves on a few things, maybe how to count?

Dawdling Dorries

Yes you heard that right, Dorries still hasn’t gone!

Once again Nadine Dorries has spent another week in the headlines, due to her failure to formally resign from her position as MP for Mid-Bedfordshire. There have been calls for an inquiry, following a survey which found that 55% of people think she has caused significant damage by failing to speak in parliament and delaying her decision to quit.

Even those in her own party have had enough, with Caroline Nokes telling Dorries to “crack on” with it. 

So what’s she waiting for? By the looks of it, even she doesn’t know.

Brexit Corner

Broken Record

The dreams of many UK musicians hoping to see their name in bright lights have dimmed further this week with the publishing of a major report on the damning impact of Brexit on touring musicians.

The report, which features the testimony of over 400 musicians, found that almost half of musicians surveyed said that they had less work in the EU after Brexit, and a quarter said that they had no EU work at all. 

Best for Britain’s own research suggests that the number of British musicians taking to stages across Europe throughout this summer fell by 32% compared to 2017-19. Watch this space for an update on this research very soon.

And it’s not just the music industry. The creative sector as a whole continues to feel the Brexit bite, which is why back in June, the UK Trade and Business Commission included numerous recommendations to protect the industry in their Blueprint for Policymakers.

RISHUFFLE

We suspected this delay was due to Sunak’s inability to meet all 5 pledges by the end of the year, which is admittedly, probably the most unsurprising piece of news all week (and Nadine was stiff competition!) 

Our suspicions were confirmed by the announcement on Thursday, that the number of asylum cases in Britain has reached a record high with over 175,000 people awaiting a decision on their refugee status. 

Since Sunak first announced his pledges at the end of last year, the Home Office has cleared on average 2,061 cases a month. With 67,870 cases remaining, the Home Office will need to process 11,311 cases a month in order to meet its target.

These figures speak for themselves.

And on that cheerful note, that’s a wrap for this week! Have a great bank holiday however you’re spending it, and tune in next week to hear from our Senior Political Officer, Emily Reed.

All the best, 

Georgia Wiltshire
Development Manager
Best for Britain