Welcome to the final Weekend Wire of 2023,
this week coming at you from Belfast where by time of reading I will
have finished at least three tins of pringles... the large
ones.
Let’s have a look
in our Christmas stocking of news. For all the coal we received this
year (both figuratively and literally) we must have been very
naughty. |
Bone’s
by-election buzzer beater |
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Yes, the Tories have pulled it off,
managing to squeeze in confirmation of yet another scandal induced
by-election before year's end. It brings the total number to six in
2023 from the party of Government.
Following accusations of bullying
and serious sexual misconduct, the prominent Brexiter and
unfortunately named Peter Bone, was subject to a recall petition which
this week achieved the required support of 10% of his electorate to be
successful. It means that Bone has now lost the seat of
Wellingborough, which he
had held since 2005 and a by-election will be held early in the new
year.
Bone took the news with all the
grace, humility and contrition we have come to expect from the
Conservative Party, posting on X/Twitter to argue it’s “bizarre” that a minority of
voters can decide who is and isn't an MP. He’ll be fuming when he
finds out how MPs are elected.
While Wellingborough would
previously have been considered an ultra-safe bet to stay Conservative
- Bone having won last time round with a majority of almost 20,000 -
the Tories have lost four other ‘safe’ seats this year alone and
Labour, 2nd place in 2019, will be licking their chops to add to this
tally.
Astonishingly there could yet be
more! The recall petition for the similarly nominative-determinative
Scott Benton continues to take signatures after he fell prey to perhaps the most obvious corruption
sting imaginable. Benton’s defence was that he could not hear the
undercover journalists when they offered him money to leak government
policy as the place they were meeting was too noisy. Hilariously,
he confirms exactly the opposite in the incriminating
tape. If successful, the much more marginal seat of Blackpool South
will be up for grabs as well.
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This week, the Supreme Court of Colorado
ruled that Donald Trump will be struck off ballots across the state if
he is selected to be the Republican candidate for the US presidential
election next year.
The
split decision was in reference to the events of 6th January 2021,
where Trump incited a mob to storm the US Capitol during the
certification of Joe Biden’s victory after which Trump expressed his love for said mob.
The court found that Trump would be
ineligible to run under the 14th Amendment to the US constitution,
which prevents people who have commited treason or insurrection, or
who ‘give aid or comfort’ to enemies of the USA from running for
office. Here’s that clip again.
The ruling is likely to be overturned by the US Supreme Court,
where Donald Trump himself installed a Republican supermajority. It’s
also likely he has seen
donations and support flood in following the ruling as he paints
himself as a victim of the deep-state and not all the horrible stuff
he’s done.
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This week the Irish Government confirmed it would be taking legal action against the
British Government over their Troubles Legacy Act. The Act prevents
prosecution for things like the shooting of unarmed civilians and
bombings during the decades of violence, and came into effect in
September. It was opposed by all of the main political parties in
Northern Ireland as it prevents victims of state and paramilitary
forces alike from seeking justice.
The case has been taken under the European
Convention on Human Rights offering further ammunition to the wingnuts on the Conservative right,
pushing for the UK to join Russia and Belarus as the only European
nations not signatory to it as a way to advance the odious Rwanda Plan. |
A veritable
Quality Street tin of developments for you this week! |
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Finance deal with Switzerland
The UK signed a deal to deepen ties with the home of yodelling,
triangular chocolate and covert banking this week. The agreement,
which will be welcomed by the City, is also a tacit acknowledgement
from the Government that regulatory certainty between British
industries and their most important overseas markets is a good thing.
Co-convener of the UK Trade and Business Commission Paul Blomfield MP says beneficial regulatory alignment is
something that should be offered to other UK industries most of which
deal primarily with the EU. |
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Modern slavery in social care
I would say “put this on the side of a bus”
but this one’s just grim. A committee of MPs heard this week that modern slavery has become a feature of
Britain’s struggling social care sector post-Brexit with experts
citing that ending freedom of movement has significantly increased
the possibilities of exploitation, including cases of care workers not
being paid for months and dozens being squeezed into overcrowded
lodgings. They said cases of modern slavery are on track to have
increased tenfold in the last three years. |
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Getting worse not better
60% of UK exporters claim trading has got
more difficult over the last year because of Brexit red tape and are
urging the government to make improvements to Johnson’s dud-deal
including through regulatory alignment and veterinary
agreements. Oh, what’s
this... |
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Carbon tax Commission win
As recommended by the UK Trade and Business Commission,
the Government has announced a new carbon border levy that will help
prevent UK climate commitments from being undermined through
unregulated importing of carbon intensive goods and materials. But as
always with this government, there’s a catch. It won't be up and
running until 2027 and is likely to create more costs and red tape for
businesses if not aligned with the
system used by our largest market. |
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Horrific scenes unfolded on a
university campus in the centre of one of Europe's most beautiful
capitals on Thursday as a gunman killed 14 people. He is also reported to have
murdered his own father and two others.
To the victims of this tragedy,
their friends and family, and to all Czech people we extend our
sincerest condolences and deepest sympathies.
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And that’s your final Weekend Wire
for the year. From all of us at Best for Britain we wish you and yours
a restful or raucous festive period, whichever you prefer.
Weekend Wire will be back in the
new (ELECTION!) year.
Until then, Nollaig shona
daoibh.
Niall McGourty
Director of
Communications
Best for Britain
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