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Boris eyes post-Covid economy as UK Conservatives meet

Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he’s ready to take “bold decisions” to rebuild the economy after the coronavirus pandemic, reports Asian Lite News

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was ready to take “bold decisions” to rebuild the economy after the coronavirus pandemic as his Conservative Party met Sunday for its first annual conference since 2019.

The Tory conference opened Sunday in the northwestern city of Manchester as a shortage of truck drivers to delivery fuel across Britain continues to cause empty pumps and long lines at many gas stations. Concerns about wider labor shortages in Britain, along with higher taxes, rising energy bills and a cut in welfare payouts beginning this week, are among other challenges facing Johnson.

Johnson argued that Britain’s economy is simply going through a post-Brexit “period of adjustment” after leaving the European Union, and said supply chain problems and shortages in food and fuel could continue until Christmas.

Despite the economic worries, opinion surveys suggest that Johnson and his Conservatives were polling ahead of the opposition Labour Party.

Before the conference, Johnson said he was ready to take the “big, bold decisions on the priorities people care about, like on social care, on supporting jobs, on climate change, tackling crime and leveling up.”

Asked about the truck driver shortage crisis, Johnson said it was a “chronic problem” associated with an over-reliance on migrant workers who were willing to work for low wages and poor conditions. He said he wouldn’t repeat that mistake.

“The way forward for our country is not to just pull the big lever marked uncontrolled immigration, and allow in huge numbers of people to do work,” he told the BBC.

Referring to the 2016 referendum that led to Britain’s exit from the EU, Johnson said: “When people voted for change in 2016 … they voted for the end of a broken model of the U.K. economy that relied on low wages and low skills and chronic low productivity. And we’re moving away from that.”

He maintained that the situation at gas stations is improving after more than a week of disruptions,  although retailers say drivers still can’t get gas at many pumps in the London area and southeast England.

Britain has long suffered from a shortage of truck drivers, but the problem has come to a head with the combination of Brexit, which ended workers’ freedom of movement from the EU to Britain, and the pandemic, which severely limited travel and halted training for new domestic drivers who weres upposed to replace those who left for their home countries due to Brexit.

Brexit and Covid-19 have also exacerbated existing labour shortages across a wide range of industries from hospitality to construction and the food industry.

Around 200 military personnel, including 100 drivers, will take to the roads starting Monday to help ease fuel supply shortages.

The Petrol Retailers Association has welcomed the move, but warned it would have a limited impact given the relatively small numbers involved. The organization’s chair, Brian Madderson, said Sunday that while the crisis was “virtually at an end” in Scotland and northern England, more than one in five stations in London and southeastern England were still out of fuel.

The government also said Friday it was extending an emergency visa program that seeks to bring in thousands of foreign truck drivers.

Marshalled by a large police deployment in Manchester, more than 2,000 protesters rallied against the Conservatives on the opening day of their conference Sunday.

Channelling Churchill

One anti-Brexit protest banner paraphrased a famous speech by Winston Churchill, Britain’s World War II leader – and Johnson’s political hero.

“Never has so much been destroyed for so many by so few #Brexit,” it read.

But anger persists in some quarters at his handling of the pandemic and a death toll of more than 136,000, as well as claims of cronyism benefiting Conservative donors for Covid contracts.

On Brexit, he has angered Brussels by threatening to shelve problematic new trading arrangements for Northern Ireland, and tensions are high with France over fishing rights.

Last week, opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer attacked Johnson as a Brexit-obsessed showman without a plan, even if his popularity remains relatively high with the public.

“We have a fuel crisis, a pay crisis, a goods crisis, and a cost of living crisis, all at the same time,” Starmer told his own party conference.

Women’s safety

Johnson meanwhile faces an outcry over the murder of Sarah Everard by London Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens.

The 33-year-old marketing executive’s abduction in south London in March triggered nationwide anguish and debate about the safety of women and girls.

Couzens, 48, was on Thursday jailed for the rest of his life after falsely arresting Everard on the pretence she had broken coronavirus restrictions, before raping and murdering her.

Over the weekend, the Met confirmed that Couzens had been approved for armed patrols of parliament on five occasions last year.

The London force – Britain’s biggest – has been widely panned for advising women to flag down a passing bus if they are stopped by an officer they do not trust.

However, Johnson backed that advice in the BBC interview.

“My view is that the police do – overwhelmingly – a wonderful job,” he said, calling on “women of all ages to trust the police”. 

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‘Lib Dem Win A Warning Shot For Tories’

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Amanda Milling said voters’ concerns were “loud and clear” after the Lib Dem won the Chesham and Amersham by-election.

The Conservative government has been sent a “warning shot” by voters over planning reforms for England and the HS2 rail link, the co-chairman of the party Amanda Milling has said.

The byelection saw a historic 25% swing to Liberal Democrats, enabling their newest MP Sarah Green to overturn a 16,000-majority in a constituency that had been Conservative since it was created in 1974, the Guardian reported.

Sarah Green won with 8,028 more votes than the Conservatives, with the Green Party in third place. Labour had the worst by-election result in the party’s history, with 622 votes, the BBC reported.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, as quoted by BBC, Amanda Milling said voters’ concerns were “loud and clear” after the Lib Dems won the Chesham and Amersham by-election. She said the Conservatives would look at how they could regain their trust.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Pic Andrew Parsons No 10, Downing Street)

Milling says: “I am in no doubt that Thursday’s result is a warning shot and we are listening. And as co-chairman, I will ensure that we learn the lessons from this campaign.”

According to BBC report, local opposition to the HS2 high-speed rail line being built through the constituency and the government’s proposed changed to the planning system, which could see more homes being built in rural areas, were major factors in the poll.

Downing Street came under renewed pressure to ditch Johnson’s controversial planning reforms, which many blamed for the humiliating loss of the Buckinghamshire seat.

In her article, Milling says: “Over the coming weeks and months, we will take stock of what happened in Chesham and Amersham and look at how we can regain the trust of voters there.”

Lib Dem
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey

Addressing concerns the government’s focus on the so-called former red wall seats in the Midlands and North of England has left people in traditional “blue wall” Tory areas feeling left behind, Milling says the prime minister’s levelling up agenda “was a promise to people – North, South, East and West – to help them take the opportunities that our country and government can provide”, BBC reported.

Many Conservative MPs remain opposed to the plans and are using the by-election defeat to argue for a rethink before the government publishes draft legislation.

Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson described the result for his party as “disappointing”.

Appearing alongside Green at a victory rally in the Buckinghamshire constituency, Sir Ed Davey quoted as saying by BBC: “This is a great result, a huge swing to us. There are many Conservatives across the country who are now worried.

“People have been talking about a red wall, well after Chesham and Amersham and Sarah Green’s victory they’ll be talking about a blue wall, and how the Lib Dems are the main threat to the Conservatives.

“People here felt ignored and taken for granted, and we listened. Sarah Green is going to take these concerns to Parliament and hold this appalling Tory government to account,” he was quoted as saying.

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Labour Suffers Big Blow As Tories Win Hartlepool

It is the first time since its creation in 1974 that Hartlepool seat has been won by a Conservative politician, reports Asian Lite News

 The UK’s ruling Conservative Party has snatched a historically left-wing seat from the opposition Labour in a tense by-election in England.

Conservative party candidate Jill Mortimer won the north-east England seat of Hartlepool with a large majority, beating opposition Labour party candidate Paul Williams, reports dpa news agency.

She described it as a “truly historic” result.

It is the first time since its creation in 1974 that the seat has been won by a Conservative politician.

Hartlepool
Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer speaks at the House of Commons. (UK Parliament_Jessica Taylor)

Previously it had only been held by Labour, at one point, a candidate who ran as an independent.

The result is a boost for Prime Minister Boris Johnson despite a rocky few months for the premier, with the country’s successful vaccine campaign appearing to be a key factor.

Also Read – Advantage Tories as Indians Turn Blue

It is equally a blow for Labour party leader Keir Starmer, who has only been chief for a year.

The win will make no difference to Johnson’s influence in the British parliament, however, as his party already holds a majority.

The by-election was held on Thursday, the same day as local and mayoral elections across England, and votes for the Scottish and Welsh Parliaments.

Also Read – Litmus Test for Labour as UK Goes To Poll

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Advantage Tories as Indians Turn Blue

The report from the 1928 Institute, a University of Oxford backed think-tank, reveals that British Indian voting patterns and political disconnections. Data suggests British Indians are likely to vote Conservative, despite voting Labour in 2019 ….. A special report by Kaliph Anaz

As Britain goes to poll tomorrow to elect their local representatives, a study shows more headache for Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. Analysis of over 2,300 British Indians across the country shows that despite the majority (36%) voting Labour in the 2019 General Elections, the 2021 local elections will see a shift, with British Indians now showing support for Conservative party (33%) and Labour falling behind at 31%.

The study considered migration paths, religious identities, and geographical locations in the United Kingdom. The study shows younger voters are more inclined to vote for Conservative, despite previously supporting Labour. Only 8% of British Indians feel accurately represented by policymakers and detail their political priorities for local and national Government

The report from the 1928 Institute, a University of Oxford backed think-tank, focused on researching and representing the British Indian community, has analysed the political alignment and priorities of British Indians from across the United Kingdom.

The report (with fieldwork conducted in August 2020 and December 2020), which investigates and compares the relationship between the political party inclined to support and key demographics: age and location – found that the most sizeable change in voting preference is from those aged between 21 to 50, with 45.9% respondents moving away from Labour resulting in the Conservative party picking up the majority of these voters (48.8%).

However, the analysis found the narrowest gap by age group is 26-30, with just a 2% margin in the Conservative party’s favour. However, further analysis between August and December found a significant increase in those unlikely to vote in this week’s election.

Analysis by location found that in August 2020, British Indian’s were more likely to vote Labour across most regions, except Scotland, where the Conservative Party took the lead, highlighting that the manifesto of the SNP did not align with the political needs and wants of British Indians. The regions with the narrowest difference in support between the Labour and Conservative Party are the East of England (4%), followed by Greater London (6%) and the South East (8%).

In December 2020, the majority of British Indians were inclined to vote for the Conservative Party. Although Labour retained support in the North West, South East, West Midlands, British Indians across Yorkshire and Humber are inclined to the Conservative and Labour Parties equally (35% respectively). In addition, in the South West, the Liberal Democrats emerged as the strongest party.

When asked if British Indians feel accurately represented by policymakers, only 8% agreed. Many went on to state that historically, the British Indian Diaspora were not vocal about their needs and instead focused on settling into their communities. As a result, feel that current and future generations will continue to be overlooked.

The report highlights five key policy areas British Indians would like to see prioritised by the Government: education (54%), health (52%), environment and climate change (44%), domestic poverty (36%), and equalities and human rights (33%). When asked why British Indians felt these five areas were important, respondents explained that these areas align with their cultural values of giving back to society, or “Seva”, along with the importance of taking care of the vulnerable.

In addition, 4 in 5 British Indians (84%) want the Government to prioritise tackling racism and colonialism. British Indians stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement calling for resources and capital to promote equality and human rights across all ethnic minorities. Respondents described that they do not find “BAME” a useful concept as the generalisation incorrectly informs the distribution of resources and identity.

Kiran Kaur Manku, Co-Founder of the 1928 Institute and Researcher Fellow at the University of Oxford, said: “This report provides empirical evidence on has found clear patterns between the needs and wants of British Indians. Given that almost three in four British Indians do not feel accurately represented by policymakers at and the 1928 Institute, we would like to see the policy priorities and recommendations urgently be implemented.

Kiran Kaur Manku

“British Indians contribute significantly outlined move from conversation to action. The recently issued ‘race report’ whilst finding no institutional racism in the UK and are calling for rational actions to support society: the national curriculum to include Britain’s colonial legacy and impact, and ethnic minorities task-force the United Kingdom has synergies with embedded ethics our research.”

The report is compiled from three datasets with a survey between 13 July and 18 August, focus groups between 16th and 25th November 2020, and another survey between 16th and 22nd December. The research reflects input from over 2,300 UK respondents aged between 16 and 85 with a mean of 36-40. Respondents have varied employment status and work across various sectors, including defence, professional services, technology, and healthcare.

The 1928 Institute is a newly launched think tank backed by the University of Oxford. Focused on researching and representing members of the UK population, which identify as British Indian- the UK’s largest ethnic minority group, the think tank focuses on uncovering information on key topics which impact this demographic and exploring Indian ideas. With notable members, Parliamentarians, the 1928 Institute aims to ensure the voices of the Diaspora is heard at the highest levels of the UK Government. 

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LONDON MAYORAL POLL: Tories Pin hope on Shaun

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has joined Shaun Bailey during his tour of London to back Shaun’s plan for London. Boris joined Shaun Bailey at Romford market and wholeheartedly endorsed Shaun’s plan to kickstart London’s recovery from the pandemic. Shaun Bailey is on a tour to see all 32 of London’s boroughs in just 32 hours, to show how his plan will bring London stronger than ever out of the pandemic … A special report

The show is nearing its end. As Mayor Sadiq Khan leading with 20 points against his nearest rival, the most popular Tory in the country came to the rescue. Prime Minister Boris Johnson joined Tory candidate Shaun Bailey’s campaign.

Shaun Bailey (From Wikipedia)

Mr Bailey and Johnson have criticised Sadiq Khan’s 5 years of failure as mayor of London. During this time Sadiq Khan has focused on virtue-signalling rather than working with the government and now is hiking taxes on Londoners to pay for his financial mismanagement.

Bailey’s journey across London demonstrated how his plan for a fresh start will change Londoners’ lives.

“The pandemic has caused more job losses in London than any other region of the UK. So to build back better, we need a mayor who works with the government to secure investment,” the Tory candidate said. “ That’s why we can’t afford three more years of a mayor who attacks ministers from the sidelines while planning to introduce four new taxes — a £4.68 billion tax grab that will hit every Londoner.

“As mayor, I’ll deliver the fresh start London needs. And I’ll deliver it by working with the Prime Minister to kickstart our recovery and build a safer, fairer, more affordable city. So on 6 May, Londoners should vote for the candidate who will work with the government to secure a better deal for London.”

The prime minister supports Shaun’s claims.

“As we emerge from the pandemic, our task is to build back better. And Shaun Bailey has the experience, skills and determination to do this for London,” the former mayor said. “That’s why I’m backing Shaun to be the next Mayor of London. He has a plan to cut crime, fix London’s transport network, get people on the housing ladder, and lower the cost of living.

Shaun talking to Police during his campaign

“I ask Londoners to join me in voting for Shaun Bailey on 6 May. And I look forward to working with him as he delivers the fresh start London needs.”

During the meetings, Bailey’s revealed his crime strategy. He promised to tackle rising knife crime with a visible and immediate police response.

Within 100 days, Mr Bailey will have begun hiring 8,000 new police officers and made the decisions necessary for the 38 police front counters to begin opening across London.

Shaun will also direct the Met Police Commissioner to implement Operation Blunt Three within 100 days of becoming mayor. This operation will be a highly visible police surge throughout the summer, to crack down on the violence on London’s streets. This will be complemented by rolling out Stop and Search and Scan and Search policies across London within 100 days. Using targeted Stop and Search at crime hotspots, and non-invasive Scan and Search in public places, Shaun Bailey will turn up the pressure on criminals and get weapons off the streets to take the pressure off London’s communities.

As well as being tough on crime, Shaun Bailey will tackle the root causes of crime.  As a former youth worker of 20 years, Shaun knows the value of youth work, and the tangible impact that meaningful interventions can have in vulnerable young people’s lives.  In the first 100 days of his mayoralty, he will identify the 32 sites for new youth centres, and begin the process of hiring 4,000 new youth workers.

The first 100 days will also see the creation of Shaun’s Second Chances Fund. This City Hall fund will provide training and skills to ex-offenders and help them turn their lives around.

Shaun will also create the Mayor’s office for community policing. This office will be in charge of facilitating a return to community policing strategies and driving recruitment of ethnic minority police officers, so the met police can look like the people it protects.

Bailey also promised to tackle violence against women and girls and finally give this issue the urgency it demands. Shaun will commence the rollout of CCTV on the Tube and bus stations on day one.

On Shaun’s first day in office, he will also make the Rail to Refuge scheme a permanent fixture of TfL.

Rail to Refuge gives women fleeing domestic violence, free travel. This vital scheme protects women who are suffering abuse and gives them a way out to a refuge. This successful scheme has been appointed as a temporary measure. Shaun Bailey will take action to make this scheme permanent and give vulnerable women security.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson supports Shaun Bailey campaign