Chris Whiteside's Blog

Today the government is  setting out plans to deliver a better, fairer system for England’s farmers   after we leave the Common Agricultural Policy at the end of this year, transforming the way Britain supports famers and helping to protect our environment for future generations.  At the end of the year Britain's transition period with the EU will end, and we will have the opportunity to replace the top-down, bureaucratic Common Agricultural Policy with a new system that truly works for the England’s farmers.   The government has worked with farmers over the past few years as we develop this plan. And today a roadmap has been published, outlining the new system which is tailored in the interests of England’s farmers, helping them to deliver for the environment, animal welfare and climate change whilst also running more profitable, productive and sustainable businesses.   Rather than the prescriptive, top down rules of the EU era, our new system will support the ...

Today the governments'  Telecommunications Security Bill is being debated  in Parliament. This bill aims to provide the powers needed to boost the security standards of the UK’s telecoms networks and remove the threat of high risk vendors. The UK faces an ever-present threat from cyber-attack, and we must ensure that our critical telecoms networks, that we rely on every day, are protected.   That is why the government is introducing a Telecommunications Security Bill, which will boost the security standards of the entire UK telecoms network, as well as giving us new powers to completely remove high risk vendors such as Huawei from our 5G networks, starting with a hard deadline for mobile network operators to stop installing Huawei equipment from September 2021, and the launch of an ambitious new Diversification Strategy that will find homegrown ways to open up the worldwide 5G market.   Both the government and companies like BT are investing billions to roll out 5G a...

Today the Prime Minister   launches a £20 million fund to boost medicine and diagnostic equipment manufacturing in the UK , ensuring greater resilience in our domestic supply chains and creating new jobs and economic opportunities as we build back better. This pandemic has shown the importance of having a strong domestic medicines and diagnostics manufacturing industry, and we want to ensure that our supply chains are even more resilient in the future.   That is why the Prime Minister is launching a new £20 million Medicines and Diagnostic Manufacturing Transformation Fund, which will open-up investment opportunities for medicines manufacturers in England, Scotland and Wales – improving our domestic medicine supply chains and creating thousands of highly skilled jobs in the process.   This will help put UK companies ahead of global competitors in advanced medicines manufacturing, while helping them respond to future healthcare needs, increasing the overall health res...

Over the weekend  the Prime Minister wrote to Members of Parliament , setting out how it is proposed to implement the Covid Winter Plan and safeguard Parliament’s role.   While  infection levels have started to fall , they are still at a high level, and the pressure on hospitals remains severe.    A tougher tiered system is necessary if we are to keep the virus under control, avoid overwhelming the NHS or prevent another national lockdown which is more damaging and restrictive than the tiered system.    On 2 December, national restrictions will end, as the government promised they would, and we will return to strengthened tiers set out in the Covid-19 Winter Plan, subject to parliamentary approval the day before.    Ahead of the vote, the Prime Minister has confirmed:  Parliament will have the opportunity to confirm its support for these measures after we review their impact at the end of January.    There will be an oppor...

 

The actor David Prowse MBE, who I remember as the Green Cross Code man - has died at the age of 85. That is the role of which he was most proud and for which he was honoured by the Queen, although he is probably better known to many as the man inside the helmet, the actor who portrayed Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy.  His voice was replaced by that of James Earl Jones, and his face at the very end of the trilogy by that of Sebastian Shaw, but it was David Prowse who filled the black robes and helmet and provided the looming, sinister onscreen presence which dominates the films. But as has been noted today, the man who played one of the most memorable iconic villains of all time was most proud of, and was honoured for, his work helping to save the lives of children. That is what I will most remember him for. Rest in Peace.

  Writing in the Mail on Sunday, the Prime Minister has  set out  that as we come out of national restrictions on Wednesday we cannot afford to let the virus take hold again. The Prime Minister has also written to Members of Parliament setting out how we will implement the Covid Winter Plan and safeguard Parliament’s role.   While infection levels have started to fall, they are still at a high level, and the pressure on hospitals remains severe.    A tougher tiered system is necessary if we are to keep the virus under control, avoid overwhelming the NHS or prevent another national lockdown which is more damaging and restrictive than the tiered system.   On 2 December, national restrictions will end, as the government promised they would, and we will return to strengthened tiers set out in the Covid-19 Winter Plan, subject to parliamentary approval the day before.    Ahead of the vote, the Prime Minister has confirmed: Parliament will have the...

 

Happy New Year! No, that isn't a typo or a mistake. Advent Sunday is the first day of the Church's year. Today we reach the end of a truly awful ecclesiastical year, and near the end of an equally awful calendar one - 2020 has been a year the likes of which none of us will ever want to repeat, one of the most difficult and challenging around the world that most of us can ever remember. The first Sunday in Advent, Advent Sunday, as well as being the first day of a new Church year is also the official start of the run up to the Christmas season. Of course, the shops have been full of Christmas stuff for months - this time since even before Halloween - and I would normally make a few mildly caustic comments about that, but not this year. The retail sector has been having a terrible time - as what is happening to Arcadia shows, from the largest national retail chain down to he smallest corner shop -  and I can't blame any retailer for taking all possible safe and legal measures...

Almost all of the world's richer nations have at some point agreed to work towards a United Nations target to spend 0.7% of their GDP on aid to people in the poorest countries of the world. In 2013, under a Conservative-led government, Britain became the first G7 country to actually hit that target and we have met it every year since then. For the last seven years Britain has been one of very few rich countries - about half a dozen - which actually met or exceeded that target in direct government development aid. Britain is also the only NATO country which has hit both the 0.7% aid target and the NATO target to spend 2% of GDP on defence. Britain takes our international obligations for both aid and defence as seriously as any other nation and more than most.  On top of government aid, the British people as individuals are also some of the most generous in the charitable aid they give voluntarily on top of the aid paid for out of our taxes, which makes Britain one of the most gener...

I usually use the expression "Building Bach Better" as a play on words because every politician in the English-speaking world from President Elect Biden through Boris and the New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern down to foot-soldiers like myself seems to be using "Building Back Better" as slogan.  On this occasion this Bach piece really has been rebuilt.  Just as the orchestral piece usually called the "Albinoni Adagio" was actually written by Remo Giazotto, allegedly from a fragment of an original Albinoni piece which Giazotto claimed survived the allied bombing of Dresden . the concerto below is also a reconstruction. But the provenance of this one is rather clearer.  We know that Bach composed a Violin Concerto in D minor which was regarded as so difficult to play that few soloists were able to tackle it. Too few, probably, as not a shred of it has survived.  The concerto played here is a modern reconstruction, based on a harpsichord concerto written much late...

 

  ( Sir Simon Stevens , NHS Chief executive, referring to an innovative blood test that may spot more than 50 types of cancer and which will be piloted by the NHS in a world-leading study. The Galleri blood test can detect early stage cancers and will be piloted with 165,000 patients. https://www.england.nhs.uk/2020/11/nhs-to-pilot-potentially-revolutionary-blood-test/ )

The mainstream media - press and television - are mortal human beings and like almost every other group of mortal human beings most of them try to do a good job and all of them make mistakes occasionally. I have always strongly opposed attempts such as Leveson to increase controls on the press, because however imperfect a relatively free press is - and believe me, I understand that they sometimes have a lot to answer for - a free press, even a sometimes feckless and irresponsible one, serves the public interest far better than would news organisations who only publish what the government allow them to publish. A high proportion of peopled involve in politics think that the newspapers, TV or both are biased against their political perspective, sometimes even when this utterly strains credibility - for example, as someone who voted Remain myself, I never ceased to be amazed by the proportion of ardent Remain supporters who think that the BBC gave the Leave campaign too easy a ride. Becom...

The government has announced plans to  introduce  a new pro-competition regime for digital markets, which will give consumers more choice and control over their data, help small businesses thrive and ensure news publishers get a fairer deal. Digital platforms like Google and Facebook make a significant contribution to our economy and day-to—day lives, but the dominance of a just a few big tech firms is pushing others out, reducing innovation and meaning less choice for consumers.   That’s why the government is taking steps to establish a new Digital Markets Unit to introduce and enforce a new code to govern the behaviour of platforms that currently dominate the market, requiring them to be more transparent about how they use people’s data, give consumers more choice over things like personalised advertising and prevent them from restricting customers use of rival platforms.   These new rules will ensure more competition in the digital market, giving people more choic...

The government is  providing  £20 million to support world-leading research in Artificial Intelligence, which could transform cancer treatment and help to save lives. Artificial intelligence has the potential to improve all of our lives, and we are determined to ensure the UK is at the forefront of this remarkable technological innovation.   The government will use £20 million of taxpayer's money to back 15 of the UK’s top AI projects aiming to tackle some of today’s most pressing challenges, from speeding up medical diagnosis to increasing productivity. One project receiving support aims to use AI to predict the development of cancer before it is fully formed, so it can be treated far earlier.   By cementing the UK’s status as a world leader in data and AI, we can transform how people live, work and communicate, while tackling some of the greatest challenges facing us.

Today, the Health Secretary  set out  tier allocations across England that each area will enter following the end of nationwide restrictions and the return of a localised tier system - ensuring we keep the virus under control to save lives and protect the NHS.  Thanks to the hard work and sacrifice made by people up and down the country, we are now in a position where we can move out of national lockdown and into more targeted local, tiered restrictions.   Today Matt Hancock announced which areas will be placed into which tier. In reintroducing the localised approach, we are also making a number of changes to the previous system: The 10pm closing time for hospitality has been modified to last orders at 10pm and closing time at 11pm. This allows customers to depart in a staggered way and provides greater flexibility.   Across all tiers, non-essential retail will be able to remain open and operate in a Covid-Secure way.   Gyms will be allowed to remain open. ...

Yesterday, the Chancellor  outlined  the government's Spending Review, which delivers on the priorities of the British people – providing funding for new hospitals, better schools and safer streets while protecting lives and livelihoods across the whole of our Union. While our health emergency is not yet over, the economic emergency has only just begun.   So, yesterday’s Spending Review delivers on the priorities of the British people: The immediate priority must be to protect people’s lives and livelihoods as we respond to coronavirus.   But the government will also deliver stronger public services – more hospitals, better schools and safer streets.   And deliver a once-in-a-generation investment in infrastructure – creating jobs, growing the economy, and increasing pride in the places people call home.   This is a shared project – a common endeavour to build a better nation to which every person and business in our country has a contribution to make. That...

This evening, Colin Cox, Director of Public Health for Cumbria, will host a live Q&A session on Cumbria County Council's Facebook page between 7.30pm - 8.30pm.  Tune in to hear the latest coronavirus updates for Cumbria and feel free to ask a question. If you are on FB you should be able to access it via this link: https://www.facebook.com/CumbriaCC/photos/a.740248592687990/3491654130880742

 

SPENDING REVIEW 2020 DELIVERING THE BRITISH PEOPLE’S PRIORITIES GOVERNMENT BUDGETS FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 2021-22 While the health emergency is not yet over, the economic emergency has only just begun. So, today’s Spending Review delivers on the priorities of the British people The government's immediate priority is to protect people’s lives and livelihoods as we respond to the  coronavirus. But we will also deliver  - stronger public services  - more hospitals, better schools and safer streets  . And deliver a once in a generation investment in infrastructure, creating jobs, growing the economy, and increasing pride in the places people call home. This is a shared project – a common endeavour to build a better nation to which every person and business in our country has a contribution to make. That unfinished work, irrespective of coronavirus, continues at pace as we emerge stronger and more united from this pandemic. The Spending Review 2020 is set in a difficult a...

There has been press coverage and comment in social media of a National Audit Office report on the cost of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic.  The NAO’s found that all the NHS providers audited ‘were always able to get what they needed in time’ thanks to the herculean effort of Government, NHS, Armed Forces, civil servants and industry to deliver around 5 billion items of PPE to the frontline at record speed.    The government should not apologise for going to every length to ensure that healthcare workers had the protection they needed to do their jobs safely and properly in the height of an unprecedented pandemic. Yes, this cost taxpayers money, and it cost more than might have been required in more normal circumstances. But the lives of front-line health staff and carers were on the line. You cannot reasonably both complain that doctors, nurses and other front-line carers had their lives put at risk because they didn't have enough PPE, and at the ...

Yesterday,  agreement  was reached on a single set of UK-wide coronavirus measures to allow family and friends to see each other over Christmas. This cannot be a ‘normal’ Christmas. But as we approach the festive period, we have been working closely together to find a way for family and friends to see each other, even if it is for a short time, and recognising that it must be both limited and cautious.   The UK Government and Devolved Administrations have agreed that: Travel restrictions across the four administrations and between tiers will be lifted to provide a window for households to come together between the 23rd and 27th of December.   Up to three households can form an exclusive ‘bubble’ to meet at home during this period. When a bubble is formed it is fixed, and must not be changed or extended further at any point.   Each Christmas bubble can meet at home, at a place of worship or an outdoor public place, but existing, more restrictive rules on hospital...