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Sunday 31 May 2015

Sunday, May 31, 2015 Posted by Jake 7 comments Labels: , , , , ,
Posted by Jake on Sunday, May 31, 2015 with 7 comments | Labels: , , , , ,


In December 2013 the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) gave MPs a pay rise to £74,000 per year starting from immediately after the May 2015 General Election. (The payrise will come into force in the autumn, but will be backdated to the General Election). We say "gave" and not "recommended" because ministers say they don't have the power to overrule IPSA and reject the extra cash. They said it would make a nonsense of IPSA's independence. Though they didn't think the same when they overruled another independent pay review recommending a 1% rise for NHS staff.

All the main party leaders, Tory; Labour; SNP; LibDem, stated that the bumper payrise for MPs planned for 2015 was "totally unacceptable".

The Telegraph newspaper wrote to all 650 MPs to ask whether they would accept the payrise, and published their responses or that they remained silent. The Telegraph reported that:
"One in ten MPs has announced they plan to reject an 11 per cent pay rise but the vast majority have refused to say if they will accept it".

Then, less than 3 weeks after the May 2015 general election, the Daily Mail reported:
"Prime Minister will not block 10% rise for MPs: U-turn by Cameron after backbench protests...The decision means MPs will now almost certainly see their salaries rise by £7,000 to £74,000 a year following a final review by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. The pay rise, expected in the autumn, will be backdated to the General Election."

You can understand MPs postponing pocketing an extra few grand until after the election. Something they'd rather you don't remember as you go to the polling station. In case you might forget, here is a list of a few more things our politicians decided they'd rather leave until after we had finished voting. Did the Tories think a Labour government, should it have been elected, would do a better job? Probably not: 

MPs fury as HBOS bank report delayed until after the election
MPs have hit out after it emerged that the publication of a report into the collapse of Halifax Bank of Scotland has been delayed until after the General Election. Insiders expect the findings will not now be unveiled until at least the autumn. Almost seven years have passed since HBOS required a multi-billion pound taxpayer-funded bail out at the height of the financial crisis. HERALD SCOTLAND

Chilcot report on Iraq war delayed until after general election
The six-year-long British inquiry into the 2003 Iraq invasion and its aftermath will not be published before the general election, prompting an outcry from those demanding that the long overdue reckoning should be put before the voters. GUARDIAN

Andy Coulson perjury trial delayed until after general election
The trial of Andy Coulson, the former News of the World editor who is facing a perjury charge, has been pushed back until after the general election.

The case was due to start at the high court in Edinburgh on 21 April, but on Monday the Judiciary of Scotland announced a new start date of 11 May.

The charge relates to the trial of the former Scottish Socialist MSP, Tommy Sheridan, and his wife, Gail, in December 2010, during which Coulson, a former director of communications for David Cameron, gave evidence. GUARDIAN

Water cannon decision delayed until after election
Theresa May, the Home Secretary, has delayed making a decision on whether to allow water cannon to be used for the first time on the British mainland.

The controversial equipment needs authorisation from the Home Office before it can be deployed but Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, has already bought three second-hand cannon from Germany at a cost of £218,000. TELEGRAPH

Big Six energy companies force climbdown in energy profits storm: Ofgem ditches its controversial set of forecasts as industry hits back.
It is understood that the decision to suspend publication of the Supply Market Indicator (SMI) was delayed until after the General Election.

Regulator Ofgem has backed down and stopped publishing its controversial forecasts of the profit margins of energy companies in the face of criticism from the industry. DAILYMAIL

Officials delay shale gas decisions until after election
British officials have delayed decisions on whether to allow Cuadrilla to explore for shale gas at two sites in northwest England until after next month's general election. REUTERS

Honours list: David Cameron to delay announcement until after election
David Cameron is planning to postpone the announcement of the next honours list until after the election, because he is worried that Conservatives he nominates might be embroiled in a scandal before polling day. INDEPENDENT

Government delays decision to semi-privatise court bailiff services until after election
The semi-privatisation of chasing court fines has been delayed until after the general election. On Monday [16th Feb 2015], the Evening Standard reported that BT is in pole position for the long-delayed deal, which is estimated to be worth nearly £700 million to the telephony giant. But it was unclear whether Justice Secretary Chris Grayling would get the contract signed before the general election in May. EVENINGSTANDARD

Police Scotland slammed for delaying publication of serious crime figures until after general election
A RAFT of statistics on domestic abuse, race hate, drug and gun offences were meant to be made public over the next month - but have now been delayed until autumn. DAILYRECORD

Police's failure to investigate rapes report shelved until after general election
A scathing review of the police’s failure to investigate rapes has been delayed until after the ­election to avoid a public outcry.

Officers have been told the damning report, which was due to be published last month, has been shelved because of “political interference”. MIRROR

Decision on when to sell taxpayers' stake in RBS will be delayed until after general election
The UK government will decide after the General Election in May when to start selling taxpayers' 81% stake in RBS. DAILYMAIL

IDS hides poverty statistics until after the election
Crucial statistics on the effects of the governments welfare reforms will be deliberately delayed until after the election, to prevent academics and campaigners discovering the effects of policies such as the bedroom tax, changes to disability living allowance and employment and support allowance and increased sanctions. BENEFITSAND WORK NEWS

Hospital review report delayed until after General Election
A LONG-awaited independent report into an extensive review of hospital services in Worcestershire will not be released until after May’s General Election, it has been revealed. WORCESTERNEWS

Benefits Street is now on hold in case it affects General Election
Channel 4 have put a hold on their controversial series Benefits Street – in case us fickle viewers are swayed heavily in which way we vote in the election. METRO

7 comments:

  1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTy8agKaqHk&feature=youtu.be

    You've probably seen this - but just in case........

    ReplyDelete
  2. They forgot to : say whether Straw/Rifkind have been jailed for selling influence, who will head CSA Inquiry, release Chilcot Report, arrest Janner, arrest bankers, stop City of London fraud, release HSBC tax dodge file, arrest HSBC tax dodgers...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Network Rail upgrade delayed by government. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin says rising costs and missed targets make the £38.5bn plan untenable.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-33270586

    The key routes affected are:
    -Trans-Pennine route: York-Manchester, shelved
    -Midland main line: York-Sheffield, shelved
    -Great Western main line work will go ahead

    ReplyDelete
  4. David Cameron accepts EU treaty change delay. David Cameron has accepted there may be no change to the EU's treaties to accommodate Britain's demands ahead of a referendum, the BBC understands.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-33278440

    ReplyDelete
  5. Heathrow third runway recommendation was delayed until after the election. Telegraph reported in Jan 2014:
    "The Airports Commission could have recommended where to build Britain’s next runway before the 2015 General Election but was told to delay its findings by the Coalition, MPs have been told.

    Sir Howard Davies, chairman of the commission, said on Monday that he was asked by the Government not to deliver his findings earlier, although it would have been possible to conduct an inquiry according to a shorter timetable. "
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/10585375/Government-told-Airports-Commission-not-to-report-until-after-General-Election.html

    ReplyDelete
  6. Announced in July 2015: Cap on care costs (This covers the help people get in their own homes for tasks such as washing and dressing, to places in residential or nursing care homes) to be delayed:

    "The £72,000 cap, due to come into force in April 2016, has been deferred until 2020.

    The cap on care costs, due to come into force in April 2016, has been delayed until 2020.

    The £72,000 cap was due to be introduced as part of the second phase of the Care Act. It was delayed after councils wrote to the Department of Health asking for the launch to be deferred due to the funding pressures faced by local authorities. This is despite the cap forming a key manifesto commitment for the government."

    http://www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/2015/jul/17/care-costs-cap-delay-government-urged-to-resolve-funding-crisis

    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/delay-in-the-implementation-of-the-cap-on-care-costs

    ReplyDelete
  7. Reported by The Independent:

    "Government abandons plans designed to counter corporate wrongdoing

    A promise to make it easier to prosecute companies that fail to stop economic crimes such as fraud and money laundering through beefed-up corporate responsibility laws has been abandoned by the Government. In a surprise U-turn, the Justice Minister, Andrew Selous, said the Government was no longer considering creating a new criminal offence as “there was little evidence of corporate economic wrongdoing going unpunished.”

    The Conservatives had pledged in their manifesto to strengthen powers to curb corporate misbehaviour, following widespread criticism of the failure to hold major companies such as international banks and other global financial institutions to account for scandals such as rigging the Libor index, tax evasion and insurance mis-selling."

    "Susan Hawley, policy director of Corruption Watch, added: “This decision is shockingly short-sighted. The Government has missed a major opportunity to get its house in order on holding corporations to account.
    “Companies in the UK are rarely brought to justice and are often effectively above the law because of the UK’s outdated corporate liability laws. It appears that the government is allowing its pro-business deregulation agenda to derails its anti-corruption commitments.”"

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/government-abandons-plans-designed-to-counter-corporate-wrongdoing-a6672701.html

    ReplyDelete

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