Birmingham bin strike: Tories call for government intervention
Senior Conservative politicians have called for government intervention over the "escalating emergency" of Birmingham's ongoing bin strikes. In a letter to Deputy Prime Minister and Local Government Secretary Angela Rayner, they called for action to "tackle the chaos" and said the all-out strikes, which started on 11 March, had left streets "covered in rat-infested rubbish".They called for "urgent steps", including cutting councillors' pay to put funds towards refuse collection and other services.The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has been contacted for a response.
Talks between the city council and Unite union aimed at resolving the dispute are set to resume on Monday. Negotiations collapsed on Thursday and the local authority has threatened compulsory redundancies. But Unite said it was determined to reach a resolution. The row centres around the loss of a job role the union claims would mean about 50 staff losing up to £8,000 a year - a figure disputed by the local authority.
Birmingham City Council said it had made a "very fair" offer that would mean no worker would need to lose any money, and that offer remained on the table.In the letter to Rayner, shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Alex Burghart and shadow local government secretary Kevin Hollinrake said the "risk of disease" in the city was "rising by the day" and the Labour government should send in private sector rubbish collectors to "bust" the strikes. They also called for it to hold a Cobra meeting to bring together different groups, including national and local government officials and public health officials. In 2023, commissioners were brought in for five years to run the council after it effectively went bankrupt, and the letter called for them to be told to slash councillors' pay after they "shamefully awarded themselves a 5.7% pay rise".The city council told the BBC the pay rise "was the recommendation of an independent panel and had cross-party agreement" but said the politicians' letter was for the government to respond to.
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South Wales Argus
an hour ago
- South Wales Argus
Government facing ‘walk of shame' over Chinese embassy decision
Sir Iain Duncan Smith said response by the Government to the proposed embassy near the the capital's financial district had become 'Project Kowtow', as he criticised the Government for 'one denial after another (and) one betrayal after another'. Sir Iain referred to the warnings reportedly issued by the White House and Dutch government to Downing Street over the plans, which is set to be scrutinised by ministers. The worries stem from the close proximity of the proposed embassy's Royal Mint Court site to data centres and communication cables. The Sunday Times said the US was 'deeply concerned' about the plans, quoting a senior US official. In response, planning minister Matthew Pennycook said he could not give a full response as the matter was still to come before the department for a decision, and any verdict could be challenged by the courts. Sir Iain said: 'Beijing has a recent history of cutting cables and confirmed infrastructure hacks, including embedding malware capable of disabling all that infrastructure. 'Minister Peter Kyle yesterday on television said surprisingly that this was in the planning process and could be managed. Will the minister correct this record? The planning inquiry has concluded, no changes can be made to the Chinese planning application at all. 'I'll remind him the application contains nothing about cabling. Indeed to the inquiry, the Chinese have rejected only two requests, which he referred to actually, made by the Government in the letter from the foreign and home secretaries, despite ministers regularly saying that this letter, and I quote, should give those concerned, 'comfort'.' Sir Iain Duncan Smith took part in a protest over the plans for the embassy in February (PA/Jordan Pettitt) The Conservative MP said rerouting the cables would cost millions of pounds, and asked Mr Pennycook why the Government had denied the existence of cables until the White House confirmed it. He asked Mr Pennycook to deny reports by Chinese state media, saying the UK had given the Chinese assurances that it would allow a development 'no matter what'. He added: 'I see this as Project Kowtow, one denial after another, one betrayal after another. No wonder our allies believe that this Chinese mega embassy is now becoming a walk of shame for the Government.' Mr Pennycook replied because of the 'quasi-judicial nature' of his role, he could not comment on details of the application. He also said it would not be 'appropriate' for him to comment on the cabling or national security issues. He said he did not 'recognise the characterisation' by the Sunday Times of the embassy being raised in talks between the UK and China on trade. 'It is important to also emphasise that only material planning considerations can be taken into account in determining this case,' he said. 'But, as I say, I cannot comment in any detail on a case and it is not yet before the department.' Tory shadow communities secretary Kevin Hollinrake said Parliament had been treated with disdain by the Government. Mr Hollinrake said: 'Question after question, letter after letter, the Government has consistently treated Parliament with complete disregard on this matter. Stonewalling legitimate inquiries about national security, about ministerial discussions, and warnings about security bodies.' He added: 'Why won't the Government follow the examples of the US, Australian, and Irish governments which veto similar embassies that threaten their national security? 'The Government is on the verge of making a decision that will lead to huge risk, that will persist for decades. Will they change course before it is too late?' Mr Pennycook replied: 'No decision has been made on this case. No application is yet before the department.' Marie Rimmer, Labour MP for St Helens South and Whiston, said: 'China has a track record of aggressive state-backed espionage, and surely this country cannot afford to make a massive underestimation of what risk if this would go ahead?' She added: 'We cannot not say anything in this House. We must comment on what we see, and please understand that we must do so.' Meanwhile, former security minister, Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat, asked whether the Government believed the Chinese would treat a similar application in the same way. He said: 'Do you honestly believe that thr minister thinks that the Chinese would look at this proposal in the same way? 'Do we actually in this House believe that our economic security being threatened, as highlighted by the Americans and the Dutch, would go through a bureaucratic planning process with no ability to vary it because, frankly, them's the orders? 'I don't think that's the way China would do it, and it's certainly not the way we should.' Mr Pennycook replied: 'I'm very glad that we have a different and more robust planning system than the People's Republic of China.' Later in the session, Conservative MP Lincoln Jopp (Spelthorne) asked if the officer considering the case is 'cleared to receive top secret information'. Mr Pennycook replied: 'A planning inspector is assessing the case as part of a public inquiry. 'And I'm afraid, while I recognise why (Mr Jopp) has asked the question, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on national security matters.'
Leader Live
an hour ago
- Leader Live
Government facing ‘walk of shame' over Chinese embassy decision
Sir Iain Duncan Smith said response by the Government to the proposed embassy near the the capital's financial district had become 'Project Kowtow', as he criticised the Government for 'one denial after another (and) one betrayal after another'. Sir Iain referred to the warnings reportedly issued by the White House and Dutch government to Downing Street over the plans, which is set to be scrutinised by ministers. The worries stem from the close proximity of the proposed embassy's Royal Mint Court site to data centres and communication cables. The Sunday Times said the US was 'deeply concerned' about the plans, quoting a senior US official. In response, planning minister Matthew Pennycook said he could not give a full response as the matter was still to come before the department for a decision, and any verdict could be challenged by the courts. Sir Iain said: 'Beijing has a recent history of cutting cables and confirmed infrastructure hacks, including embedding malware capable of disabling all that infrastructure. 'Minister Peter Kyle yesterday on television said surprisingly that this was in the planning process and could be managed. Will the minister correct this record? The planning inquiry has concluded, no changes can be made to the Chinese planning application at all. 'I'll remind him the application contains nothing about cabling. Indeed to the inquiry, the Chinese have rejected only two requests, which he referred to actually, made by the Government in the letter from the foreign and home secretaries, despite ministers regularly saying that this letter, and I quote, should give those concerned, 'comfort'.' The Conservative MP said rerouting the cables would cost millions of pounds, and asked Mr Pennycook why the Government had denied the existence of cables until the White House confirmed it. He asked Mr Pennycook to deny reports by Chinese state media, saying the UK had given the Chinese assurances that it would allow a development 'no matter what'. He added: 'I see this as Project Kowtow, one denial after another, one betrayal after another. No wonder our allies believe that this Chinese mega embassy is now becoming a walk of shame for the Government.' Mr Pennycook replied because of the 'quasi-judicial nature' of his role, he could not comment on details of the application. He also said it would not be 'appropriate' for him to comment on the cabling or national security issues. He said he did not 'recognise the characterisation' by the Sunday Times of the embassy being raised in talks between the UK and China on trade. 'It is important to also emphasise that only material planning considerations can be taken into account in determining this case,' he said. 'But, as I say, I cannot comment in any detail on a case and it is not yet before the department.' Tory shadow communities secretary Kevin Hollinrake said Parliament had been treated with disdain by the Government. Mr Hollinrake said: 'Question after question, letter after letter, the Government has consistently treated Parliament with complete disregard on this matter. Stonewalling legitimate inquiries about national security, about ministerial discussions, and warnings about security bodies.' He added: 'Why won't the Government follow the examples of the US, Australian, and Irish governments which veto similar embassies that threaten their national security? 'The Government is on the verge of making a decision that will lead to huge risk, that will persist for decades. Will they change course before it is too late?' Mr Pennycook replied: 'No decision has been made on this case. No application is yet before the department.' Marie Rimmer, Labour MP for St Helens South and Whiston, said: 'China has a track record of aggressive state-backed espionage, and surely this country cannot afford to make a massive underestimation of what risk if this would go ahead?' She added: 'We cannot not say anything in this House. We must comment on what we see, and please understand that we must do so.' Meanwhile, former security minister, Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat, asked whether the Government believed the Chinese would treat a similar application in the same way. He said: 'Do you honestly believe that thr minister thinks that the Chinese would look at this proposal in the same way? 'Do we actually in this House believe that our economic security being threatened, as highlighted by the Americans and the Dutch, would go through a bureaucratic planning process with no ability to vary it because, frankly, them's the orders? 'I don't think that's the way China would do it, and it's certainly not the way we should.' Mr Pennycook replied: 'I'm very glad that we have a different and more robust planning system than the People's Republic of China.' Later in the session, Conservative MP Lincoln Jopp (Spelthorne) asked if the officer considering the case is 'cleared to receive top secret information'. Mr Pennycook replied: 'A planning inspector is assessing the case as part of a public inquiry. 'And I'm afraid, while I recognise why (Mr Jopp) has asked the question, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on national security matters.'
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Spending review now settled, says Downing Street
The government's latest spending plans are settled, the prime minister's official spokesman has Rachel Reeves is expected to expected to announce funding increases for the NHS, schools and defence, along with a number of infrastructure projects, when she sets out her day-to-say spending and investment plans for each department in Wednesday's Spending Secretary Yvette Cooper was the last to fix a deal on Monday afternoon, following public warnings from police chiefs, calling for more Secretary Angela Rayner reached a deal with Reeves and the Treasury on Sunday evening. Reeves has loosened Treasury borrowing rules to free up about £113bn for investment in infrastructure projects, but will need to squeeze budgets elsewhere in order meet her own rules, which include not borrowing to fund day-to-day week, she admitted that she had been forced to turn down requests for funding for projects she would have wanted to seeking to protect their budgets remained locked in budget talks over the ministerial negotiations over the government's spending review had been completed, the prime minister's official spokesman said the chancellor would be investing in public services and growth."The spending review is settled - we will be focused on investing in Britain's renewal so that all working people are better off," he said."The first job of the government was to stabilise the British economy and the public finances, and now we move into a new chapter to deliver the promise and change."The Home Office had argued privately that police numbers must be maintained for the government to deliver its policy commitments on neighbourhood policing, but that under the spending proposals this would not be chiefs including Sir Mark Rowley, the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, had publicly lobbyied the government for more money in recent weeks, and there were suggestions the Treasury might have "imposed" a settlement on the Home the weekend, Technology Secretary Peter Kyle told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg the chancellor was facing pressure from all departments for additional funding. Kyle said "every part of society was struggling" and declined to rule out a squeeze on last-minute talks with Cooper come ahead of what is set to be a highly significant week for every part of has already U-turned on removing Winter Fuel payments from all but the poorest pensioners, and will now give these 75% of pensioners, which will cost an estimated £ government has also pledged to hike defence spending, invest £86bn in science and technology, and give free school meals to half a million more balance the spending, Reeves has announced a £14bn package of savings in March, including £4.8bn of welfare opponents have accused the government of having the wrong shadow home secretary Chris Philp said: "They have chosen to prioritise spending on Ed Miliband's mad green projects, on inflation-busting pay rises for their trade union paymasters and spending £100bn a year – five times the police budget – on debt interest payments."Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has urged the chancellor to rule out cuts to social care, which is financed through local said the government would have "more money in the pot, more growth, more revenue" if it pursued closer trading ties with Europe. Sign up for our Politics Essential newsletter to read top political analysis, gain insight from across the UK and stay up to speed with the big moments. It'll be delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
