BEST FOR BRITAIN'S

WEEKEND WIRE



Dear John



The Tories have done a vintage blinder this week. It’s got crony contracts, it’s got hapless legislation, and it’s even dressed up in a little negligee. Sorry, negligence is the word we were looking for.



Let’s plug our noses and dive in....



Peer PPE psychodrama



<[link removed]>





Wednesday night, an explosive report revealed <[link removed]> that Tory peer Michelle Mone has received nearly £29m in dividends from a company that she recommended for the Government’s ‘VIP lane’ for PPE contracts early in the pandemic.



The report claims that Mone was ambushed <[link removed]> with the hefty sum after profits from the company PPE Medpro were secretly funnelled through offshore accounts into a trust on the Isle of Man that lists her and her children as beneficiaries. Medpro got a £203m contract to manufacture PPE after Mone approached the Cabinet office extolling the virtues of her “team in Hong Kong”.



After failing to disclose her stake in Medpro in last year’s register of financial interests, Mone can look forward to potentially adding another investigation to her belt after the Met conducted <[link removed]> a racism probe on her conduct earlier this year. Mone responded to the report with all the pathos one expects from an under-fire politician by tweeting a cryptic meme <[link removed]>. 



Read the statement by Layla Moran MP, APPG on Coronavirus chair, here <[link removed]>.



UKTBC: EU Retained Law Bill is bunk



On Thursday, the UK Trade and Business Commission (UKTBC), to which Best for Britain is secretariat, held a live evidence session on the implications of the Government’s EU Retained Law Bill for businesses and the constitution.



The verdict from business and legal experts was unambiguous: the Bill would wreak havoc on commerce, consumer safety, workers’ rights, and could set off a constitutional crisis.



The witnesses’ statements echoed the Government’s independent regulatory policy committee, who earlier this week described <[link removed]> the Bill as “not fit for purpose”. They went into further detail on how the Bill could erode safety regulations, create new costs and red tape for businesses, and damage the UK’s already foundering international reputation with serious implications for future trade agreements.



Rewatch the full session here <[link removed]> and read the UKTBC’s press release here. <[link removed]>







Strike talks experiencing moderate delays



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On Thursday, RMT boss Mick Lynch met <[link removed]> with Transport Secretary Mark Harper in a bid to head off a fresh wave of rail strikes over the festive period and into next year. While Lynch said they had a “positive meeting”, he nevertheless stood firm in his position, saying the dispute was still very much active.



Public opinion remains <[link removed]> firmly on the side of the rail workers by a margin of over 20%. We are still awaiting word on whether Santa Claus’s sleigh falls under the remit of RMT, so we could expect to hear some ‘ho, ho, ho’s on the picket line next month. If he’s classed <[link removed]> as a postal worker, then we definitely will. 



Additionally, the Royal College of Nursing Friday announced the first national strikes in their 106-year history will go ahead <[link removed]> on 15th and 20th December. 



Quake in Indonesia



On Monday, a major earthquake shook <[link removed]> Indonesia’s main island of Java, resulting in over 250 deaths and thousands of injuries.



The magnitude 5.6 earthquake was strongest in the island’s west, where the quake and its aftershocks have triggered damaging landslides, cutting off communities and hampering rescue efforts.



Seismologists said <[link removed]> that the quake, despite its somewhat lower magnitude, caused such widespread damage due to a combination of factors including its closeness to the surface and the soil in the region it struck. The British Red Cross has set up an emergency fund <[link removed]> for donations to aid relief efforts.



Swiss switcheroo



Over last weekend, reports emerged <[link removed]> that the PM and Chancellor would begin pursuing a Swiss-style relationship with the EU. Such a step could bring the UK back into some parts of the single market and EU research programmes, massively simplifying life for businesses and institutions that operate beyond our borders. 



While it lacks the reciprocity and freedom of movement the UK enjoyed as an EU member, Swissifying our EU relations would allow the economy to recoup some of the massive hits to exports, GDP, and productivity it has sustained under the current barely-a-deal. 



All of this sounds remarkably sensible for the Tories, so, naturally, Sunak immediately denied it and instead boasted about ‘Brexit freedoms’ and blamed immigrants for the economic downturn in a speech at the Confederation of British Industry’s conference on Monday. Further cracks emerged on Friday when Jeremy Hunt did not deny <[link removed]> that the Government was briefed about the advantages of an Emmental-flavoured Brexit.



Read Best for Britain’s response to the PM and LOTO’s speeches to the CBI here <[link removed]>.



Reform re-forming?



We’ve read Nigel Farage’s Thursday op-ed <[link removed]> in the Telegraph to spare you the misery. In it he went nuclear on the Tories and pledged that Reform UK would run a full slate of candidates at the next election.



Taking aim at the Government’s disastrous Brexit strategy, with a healthy dose of nativist obfuscation for good measure, Farage accused the Conservatives of threatening the British population with a good time by rebuilding ties with the EU (see Swiss thingy above). With his trademark humility, he cited a poll of 38% of Tory voters who’d vote for a Farage-led party, and magnanimously directed them to Richard Tice’s Reform UK.



Farage’s flanking from the right already has the Tories scrambling to convince Brexiter floating voters that they really ARE terrible, don’t believe all the noise: the Prime Minister yesterday announced <[link removed]> a crackdown on international students.



Sue without a clue







The Home Secretary managed <[link removed]> yet another shameful display on the house floor on Wednesday morning before the Home Affairs Committee.



In a depressing exchange with fellow Tory MP Tim Loughton, Braverman failed to answer <[link removed]> his question about safe and legal routes to the UK. Her meandering response betrayed a total lack of knowledge about her own job and the reality that the Government has indeed closed all safe routes, forcing asylum seekers to make dangerous channel crossings.



For a Home Secretary who has repeatedly broken the ministerial code, threatened national security, and caused diplomatic backlash with fanciful stories of immigrants defrauding the asylum system, Wednesday’s display further confirmed that Braverman is dangerously out of her depth, and the most vulnerable are paying the price for her incompetence.



JOB ADVERT: Searching for Research



Best for Britain is looking for a new Research Officer! The role’s ideal candidate is a determined, engaged political whiz with a keen understanding of achieving results in a closely collaborative environment. 



The Research Officer contributes to the running of our team’s day-to-day operations by supporting and preparing key meetings, and will support the production of briefings and research materials in close partnership with the press, policy, and campaigns teams.



If you or someone you know would make a good fit, send a CV and cover letter to Jen Watson <mailto:[email protected]> by 12pm on 1st December. More details about the role can be found here. <[link removed]>





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🎄 Christmas merch alert! 🎄



Best for Britain has new merch available ahead <[link removed]> of the festive season! Order by 13th December for delivery by Christmas.



New items available this December include our ‘snowflake and proud’ tote <[link removed]>, ‘tofu eating wokerati’ coaster <[link removed]>, and Liz Truss jumper <[link removed]>, perfect for leaving a crap Christmas party early. We’ve got clothing, decor, mugs and more. 







<[link removed]>Visit our Online Shop <[link removed]>







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