November 16th, 2022.
Following on from the revelations in my last letter about Albanians entering the UK, the next day the BBC broadcast a detailed investigative piece about the Albanians’ criminal activity and the links to the “boat” people. It’s nice to see that the BFD got the news ahead of the BBC.
I have difficulties writing this piece as every time I start, it is overtaken by events, so I have just penned a few lines as they happen.
During his first speech as Prime Minister on the steps of No 10 Downing Street, Rishi Sunak mightily declared: ‘This Government will have integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level.’
He then went ahead and promoted Sir Gavin Williamson the ex-chief whip and defence secretary to the cabinet. Sir Gavin Williamson had been accused of bullying and threatening behaviour toward other MPs and Civil Servants. In yet another example of his lack of political nous, Sunak said that he was more than happy with Williamson and had every confidence. Yesterday, as the revelations snowballed, Williamson resigned and again Sunak has egg all over his face.
Williamson had allegedly told a civil servant to slit their throat and sent abusive texts to the then Chief Whip, Wendy Morton. This is the third time that Williamson has been sacked from the cabinet, each time by a different prime Minister – Theresa May, Boris Johnston and now Rishi Sunak. It is thought that he organised a tranche of support for Sunak during the leadership elections. It has also been suggested that he has dirt on many people in the party.
To add to Sunak’s woes, his deputy leader, Dominic Raab has been accused of bullying and Sunak allegedly knew of this before he appointed him to the cabinet. Today at Question time Dominic Raab, standing in for the Prime Minister, confirmed that he had referred himself to the appropriate conduct body for an independent investigation.
There are now rumours circulating of an anti- Sunak faction that will be causing problems for the Conservative party. Sunak is just not connecting with the general population and is presenting as aloof and patrician, disconnected from the hoi-polloi. Labour is steaming ahead in the polls. Last week’s poll put the Conservatives at 25% and Labour at 48%. One reason put forward for this is that Sunak is untrustworthy, not in the same way as Johnson who was shifty and mendacious, but in a way where the public doesn’t trust him to look after their interests as he is too close to bankers and hedge funds.
The police continue to have issues. At one of the environmental demonstrations, Hertfordshire Constabulary arrested a photographer, a journalist and then a TV journalist. They were unconnected to the demonstrators and merely working, reporting and photographing events. The photographer was charged with conspiracy to cause a public nuisance. He was held for 14 hours in jail. All the journalists concerned presented press cards, which have contact numbers for the police to contact the issuing authority. The female tv journalist was held in jail for five hours.
Three police officers raided the photographer’s house at 11 pm and conducted a search whilst he was still in custody. He wasn’t able to alert his 14-year-old daughter and wife.
A Just Stop Oil protest on the M25 on Tuesday. Rich Felgate and Tom Bowles were arrested during a similar protest on Monday.
The British Press Photographers’ Association has condemned the arrest of a photographer and documentary film-maker as they captured images of a Just Stop Oil protest.
Rich Felgate, a documentary maker, and Tom Bowles, a photographer, were arrested by a Hertfordshire constabulary officer as they caught the action on a footbridge over the M25 on Monday. Felgate said the police had “no interest in seeing press ID and handcuffed us instantly”. “They said they needed to search me for items which could be used to commit criminal damage,” he wrote. “Obviously, they found nothing, so an officer said ‘just arrest them for conspiracy instead then’.”
Felgate said he and Bowles were held in custody for 13 hours and questioned by police who tried to get him to “reveal my journalistic sources and give them the pin to my phone”.
“I had to spell it out to the police many, many times that I’m a film-maker, not a protester,” he said, adding he had to provide “rigorous” details of his work. He said both men were released with “no further action”.
The Guardian understands Ben Cawthra, another BPPA-accredited photographer, was also arrested in similar circumstances on Monday by Hertfordshire constabulary and was detained for just under 16 hours.
The Guardian
10 Downing Street condemned this as did the police chiefs council, but the head of Hertfordshire refused to apologise.
Meanwhile, a Manchester police officer has been arrested and charged with attempted murder.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said officers were called to a report of concern for the welfare of a woman at a hotel on Brook Street, Manchester.
Emergency services attended and the woman was taken to hospital, where she remains in a stable condition.
James Riley, a serving Lancashire Constabulary officer, has been charged with attempted murder, GMP said.
The 27-year-old has been remanded in custody and will appear at Manchester Crown Court on Monday.
Anyone with information is asked to contact GMP.
Sky News UK
The financial statement is due to be presented on Thursday and all the leaks and whispers seem to indicate that the measures will include massive tax increases and squeezes on budgets. It seems that the defence budget will be protected, and the deity that is the NHS may escape cuts, but everything else is on the table.
This is arguably going to be a budget to encourage growth, but it appears to be more of a revenue-collecting budget. There will be tears before bedtime.