Infected Blood 1) Sunak promises victims uncapped compensation
“Corporate manslaughter charges against Whitehall departments have been called for over the infected blood scandal after the prime minister apologised to victims on “a day of shame for the British state”. Rishi Sunak said on Monday that he was “truly sorry” and pledged uncapped compensation to victims and families, promising: “Whatever it costs to deliver this scheme, we will pay it.” An announcement is due on Tuesday on a package of payouts that could exceed £10 billion. His statements came after a damning report laid bare decades of “chilling cover up” from the NHS and successive governments over a “horrifying” scandal that has so far claimed 3,000 lives, including 380 children, and infected about 30,000 people through blood transfusions and haemophilia drugs contaminated with HIV and hepatitis C in the Seventies and Eighties.” – The Times
- Sunak vows to pay ‘whatever it takes’ – Daily Mail
- Britain’s ‘day of shame’ as full scale of revealed – Daily Telegraph
More:
- The heroes and villains of the report – The Times
- Key findings – FT
- Victims of infected blood scandal to learn details of compensation – The Guardian
Comment:
- Scandal exposes the toxic mendacity of our ruling class – Sherelle Jacobs, Daily Telegraph
Sketches:
- Langstaff took a Flymo to the mandarinate – Quentin Letts, Daily Mail
- On Britain’s bloody day of shame, Rishi makes his best speech yet – Tim Stanley, Daily Telegraph
Editorial:
- Day of Shame – The Times
- Victims need guilty to be punished for their lethal negligence and callous deceit – The Sun
- A failure of the British state – FT
>Yesterday: Video: “This is a day of shame for the British state” – Sunak’s apology to victims of the infected blood scandal
Infected Blood 2) Clarke must lose peerage, say victims
“Lord Clarke is facing calls to be stripped of his peerage after the Infected Blood Inquiry concluded he had misled the public in an “indefensible” way over the risks from transfusions. The former health secretary was condemned by Sir Brian Langstaff, the inquiry chairman, for claiming in 1983 that there was “no conclusive proof” that Aids could be spread through blood. He was also upbraided for claiming campaigners only criticised him because he was a “celebrity”… Sir Brian said that by 1982 there was evidence that infections were occurring through imported blood products, meaning Lord Clarke’s claims “gave false assurances, lacked candour” and were misleading.” – Daily Telegraph
More:
- Nearly 4,000 convicted of Covid rule breaches in England since curbs ended – FT
Visa curbs threaten to close universities, Cameron warns Sunak…
“The foreign secretary has warned Rishi Sunak that universities will face job losses and even closure if he pushes ahead with curbs to graduate visas in an attempt to reduce migration. The prime minister is preparing to introduce curbs on graduate visas to ensure that only the “best and the brightest” are allowed to come to the UK. A coalition of ministers including Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton, the foreign secretary, Gillian Keegan, the education secretary, Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor, and James Cleverly, the home secretary, is opposing the move. Keegan wrote to Sunak last week to express concerns about the economic impact. Analysis by the Department for Education found existing curbs on family members joining students could lead to a 0.5 per cent hit to GDP.” – The Times
- St Andrews vice-chancellor warns curbs on student visas are ‘blunt instrument’ – FT
>Yesterday:
…as Austrian chancellor says asylum procedures in safe third countries outside Europe are a ‘necessity’…
“The Austrian Chancellor today hailed Rwanda-style deals as the way to fix the EU’s broken immigration system. Rishi Sunak was given a warm welcome by counterpart Karl Nehammer in Vienna this morning, with the pair discussing how the model being pursued by the UK can tackle inflows. Mr Nehammer said before the meeting today that asylum procedures in safe third countries outside Europe are a ‘necessity’. ‘One thing is clear to me: Europe needs a completely new asylum system,’ he posted on social media. A red carpet was rolled out to welcome Mr Sunak in Vienna this morning. A military band played the two countries’ national anthems and Mr Sunak and his counterpart bowed to the honour guard before entering the Chancellery.” – Daily Mail
- Vienna to endorse Britain’s Rwanda deportation scheme – The Times
- Ratcliffe slams Tories for failing to control immigration – The Sun
…and Brits will be prioritised over cheap foreign workers ‘to fill hundreds of thousands of vacancies’
“Unemployed Brits will be prioritised over cheap foreign workers to fill hundreds of thousands of vacancies in new plans. The Welfare Secretary wants to slash immigration numbers by promoting and training home-grown talent right across the economy. It comes after ministers last month increased the salary threshold for skilled worker visas to £38,700 to help cut record levels of legal migration. Mel Stride will today acknowledge the changes could pose a “recruitment challenge” for some sectors, with 300,000 fewer foreign workers arriving each year. But he will argue they provide an opportunity to invest in the domestic workforce… Mr Stride will unveil a new ministerial taskforce… to identify and end barriers preventing Brits entering the workforce.” – The Sun
- We now have proof that mass migration is making Brits poorer – Tom Harris, Daily Telegraph
>Today: David Willetts’ column: How Britain can build a bridge to economic resilience and national security
Clarkson inspires law change to boost farmers’ business
“Farmers are now allowed to convert disused agricultural buildings into homes and shops without planning permission under a new “Clarkson’s clause”. The Government has cut red tape to allow farmers to more easily diversify their businesses by putting old buildings to new uses. The reforms are inspired by Jeremy Clarkson’s battles with West Oxfordshire district council, as featured on his Amazon Prime television show. In Clarkson’s Farm, the former Top Gear presenter documents his struggles against local government bureaucracy as he tries to convert disused outbuildings on his 1,000-acre Cotswolds farm into a restaurant and shop. The Government has on Tuesday extended permitted development rights to allow farmers to convert unused agricultural buildings for commercial uses.” – Daily Telegraph
- Brexit victory as export of live animals for slaughter and fattening banned – Daily Express
More:
- Public to be liable for Teesworks contamination under Houchen’s proposed deal – FT
>Today: Lewis Cocking in Local Government: In Broxbourne, the voters could see that embracing free enterprise delivers prosperity
Under-fire water companies lash out at ‘labyrinthine’ regulatory system
“Britain’s privatised water companies have lashed out at Ofwat for creating a “labyrinthine framework of intense complexity”, which is stalling the investment needed to manage pollution and leakage. Water UK, which represents the utilities, said the regulator had consistently prioritised lower bills and operational efficiency over improvements to the infrastructure network. In a written submission to the House of Commons’ environmental audit committee last week, WaterUK said Ofwat’s regulatory processes were “slow and insufficiently flexible, which is why it will take seven years to get meaningful investment into overflows”. “The public clearly do not think this system of econometric overengineering is delivering for them,” the industry body added.” – FT
- Bank of England sets the scene for summer rate cuts as deputy governor defends its handling of the inflation crisis – Daily Mail
Comment:
- Truss blames the Bank, but it was markets that decided her mini-Budget was a disaster – Alex Brummer, Daily Mail
>Yesterday: Ed Barker in Comment: The Bank of England is running up huge losses – and then sending the bill to the taxpayer
Review of protest tactics expected to stop short of banning groups
“A review of disruptive tactics used by protesters is expected to stop short of demanding that named groups such as Palestine Action and Just Stop Oil should be banned. The 240-page report, written by the former Labour MP John Woodcock, will instead recommend that groups that use protests to “create mayhem and hold the public and workers to ransom” should be proscribed in future. The long-trailed review of political violence and extremism is due to be laid before parliament on Tuesday morning. In a break from standard practice, the document will be presented to MPs as a “motion for unopposed return”, publishing the entire report as a Commons paper. This will give the report the protection of parliamentary privilege, meaning anyone or any group named in the report will be unable to claim they have been defamed by its contents.” – The Guardian
- Cleverly is too late to lock the stable door, the police have lost control – Trevor Kavanagh, The Sun
>Yesterday: ToryDiary: Demonstrators who deliberately disrupt public life and services should be held financially liable
Left want the erasure of Israel, says Gove…
“Pro-Palestinian protesters who chant “from the river to the sea” are seeking the “erasure” of Israel, Michael Gove will say on Tuesday as a government adviser calls for police to be given much stronger powers to intervene in demonstrations. Gove, the communuities secretary, will deliver a speech today in which he will say that while it is “legitimate and sometimes necessary” to criticise the conduct of the Israeli government, others have a different agenda. He will say: “Now the focus is on the delegitimisation and demonisation of the state of Israel as a prelude to its dismantlement and destruction. That is what the cry of ‘from the river to the sea’ envisages. The end of Zion. The erasure of the Jewish people’s home.”” – The Times
- He will condemn rise in anti-Semitism as he slams organisers of pro-Palestine marches – The Sun
- Gove: safety of Jewish community ‘canary in mine’ for British political system – The Guardian
More:
- Tory MP accuses women’s football fans of vandalising East Sussex office – The Guardian
>Yesterday: Luke Black in Comment: The absurd, offensive cosplay of the anti-Israel university encampments
…as Labour backs ICC efforts to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu for war crimes
“Labour has called for Benjamin Netanyahu to be arrested if the International Criminal Court (ICC) issues a warrant for his arrest. David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, said that the UK and all parties to the Rome Statute, which underpins the ICC, “have a legal obligation” to comply with its warrants. He spoke out after the UK Government said that it did not recognise the jurisdiction of the ICC in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, and refused to confirm whether it would comply with a warrant should one be issued… The Labour Party has come under fire from voters over its stance on Israel, particularly among British Muslims, which was reflected in last month’s local elections.” – Daily Telegraph
- Shadow foreign secretary calls court ‘cornerstone’ of justice system – FT
- Israel outraged at call for prime minister’s arrest – The Times
Comment:
- Wickedly perverse move should sink the ICC – Melanie Phillips, The Times
- BBC’s Gaza coverage has sunk to new lows – Danny Cohen, Daily Telegraph
Editorial:
>Today: ToryDiary: Amidst parallel leadership crises, how long can Iran and Israel avoid war?
>Yesterday: Giles Roca in Comment: In a changing world, a louder Conservative voice for Britain’s Overseas Territories is required
Homes in new towns will have local ‘character’, promises Rayner
“Labour will promise to banish “identikit” homes from new towns, saying that it will insist on local character in developments. Angela Rayner, the party’s deputy leader, will on Tuesday promise reforms that “will see swathes of good quality, affordable houses built” as she insists that a generation of new towns will have to meet tougher rules on design quality. Councils will be able to choose traditional styles built in local materials or more modern designs as long as they are coherent and “characterful”, Labour will say. Last year Sir Keir Starmer set out plans for a generation of new towns modelled on the postwar housing boom as he promised to build 1.5 million homes in a Labour first term. Starmer has sought to make an emphasis on building a key election dividing line and Rayner will insist that this will “turbocharge growth”.” – The Times
- Labour’s huge plan to build new towns just like Milton Keynes across Britain – Daily Express
- They will aim to reveal new town sites within first year in power – The Guardian
- Fury over ‘secret’ plans to build a new city… in the Cotswolds – Daily Mail
More:
- Opposition to outline clampdown on ‘dirty money’ – FT
Plans to make it easier to change gender blasted as ‘self-ID by the back door’
“Plans by Labour to make it easier to change gender were yesterday blasted as ‘self-ID by the back door’. Under moves being considered by the party, a single GP could sign off on providing a gender-recognition certificate to ‘simplify’ the process. It is understood that the proposals are looking at making the process of obtaining a certificate ‘less medicalised’ although the party has said a doctor would continue to be involved and people would not be allowed to self-identify. But the plan would scrap the panels of doctors and lawyers who currently approve gender-recognition certificates, it was reported. Rules that allow a spouse to object to the change may also go. It has not yet been confirmed if the medical professional used to sign off on a gender switch would be a GP or gender specialist.” – Daily Mail
- Labour vows to avoid rights clash on gender recognition – The Times
Comment:
- Cass said it should be harder for a child to switch gender, so why does Labour want to make it easier? – Julie Bindell, The Sun
- Proposal to simplify changing gender would make transitioning as easy as getting a prescription – Helen Joyce, Daily Mail
Labour’s skills plan could cut apprenticeships in half, warns report
“Young Brits could face a major setback as Labour’s new skills plan threatens to slash apprenticeships in half, a new report warns. Damning research shows Sir Keir Starmer’s proposal to reform the apprenticeship levy to fund other types of training could inadvertently lead to a loss of 170,000 apprentice opportunities. Regions like the South East and North East could be hit the hardest, with the latter potentially seeing fewer than 10,000 opportunities for apprentices. But the situation looks even grimmer young Brits under 19, who might find only 39,000 apprenticeship positions available – in stark contrast to the number of university places. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan blasted Labour’s “ill-thought-through” policy…” – The Sun
- Scrap the plan for VAT on private schools, Labour; just let low-income kids attend instead – Mike Harris, The Guardian
- Three stages that will reveal the real Starmer – William Hague, The Times
SNP polling bombshell as YouGov records lowest support for a decade
“The SNP is on course to lose 40 of its current 48 seats in Westminster at the General Election, as a new YouGov poll finds the party’s support has hit its lowest level for a decade. The pollster records the SNP as down to just 29% support, down a further 4 points since before Humza Yousaf’s chaotic resignation. Meanwhile Labour are once again the main beneficiaries, gaining five points and riding high on 39%, again their highest polling since the 2014 independence referendum. Labour now has leads in both constituency and regional polling for Holyrood elections too, something the SNP were desperate to avoid during the fall of their former First Minister. According to the Electoral Calculus website, the 10-point Labour poll lead would see the SNP fall to their lowest number of seats in the House of Commons since 2010.” – Daily Express
News in Brief:
- Are public inquiries too expensive? – Dr Gerard Lyons, CapX
- The infected blood scandal should make us think twice about revering the NHS – Nick Cohen, The Spectator
- Does the Archbishop of Canterbury matter politically? – Freddie Hayward, New Statesman
- The pitfalls of protecting beliefs – Elijah Granet, The Critic
- Is Carney eyeing Trudeau’s throne? – Michael Cuenco, UnHerd
