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

Wednesday night, an explosive report revealed 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 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 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. 

Read the statement by Layla Moran MP, APPG on Coronavirus chair, here.

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 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 and read the UKTBC’s press release here.

Strike talks experiencing moderate delays

On Thursday, RMT boss Mick Lynch met 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 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 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 on 15th and 20th December. 

Quake in Indonesia

On Monday, a major earthquake shook 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 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 for donations to aid relief efforts.

Swiss switcheroo

Over last weekend, reports emerged 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 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.

Reform re-forming?

We’ve read Nigel Farage’s Thursday op-ed 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 a crackdown on international students.

Sue without a clue

The Home Secretary managed 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 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 by 12pm on 1st December. More details about the role can be found here.

🎄 Christmas merch alert! 🎄

Best for Britain has new merch available ahead of the festive season! Order by 13th December for delivery by Christmas.

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