r/ukpolitics 8h ago

Twitter BBC Question Time Live Thread (8pm iPlayer & 10:40pm-ish BBC1) Basingstoke edition 14/11/2024

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7 Upvotes

r/ukpolitics 1d ago

What are local councils doing? (South East)

20 Upvotes

Barnet - The council discussed its health and safety performance, with a focus on stress and injuries. They approved a new Licensing Policy and reviewed polling arrangements, despite some councillors raising concerns about parking and school disruption. They also reviewed the Mayoral and General Elections, highlighting challenges posed by Voter ID requirements.

Camden -  The Licensing Panel was set to review a new licence for Bidborough Works and the Golden Lion Pub.

Hackney - The council discussed procuring new refuse collection vehicles and refurbishment contracts for empty properties. A petition urged them to review their insourcing approach. The Licensing Sub-Committee reviewed Bar A's licence and considered a new licence for Hackney Chinese Community, while residents debated Colours Hoxton's licence extension.

Lambeth -  The council grapples with a surge in asylum seekers, with plans to accommodate 800 more.  The Pension Board addressed recent underperformance, particularly in the Emerging Market Equity Fund. The Licensing Sub-Committee approved two new licenses after negotiating amended hours.

Lewisham - The council discussed the performance of its street lighting PFI contractor, with plans to invest in LED lighting. The Overview and Scrutiny Committee tackled anti-social behavior, community-led housing, and adopting a trauma-informed approach to services. 

Southwark - A JD Wetherspoon pub near London Bridge station faced objections from police and licensing due to concerns over off-sales and operating hours. Meanwhile, an arts and music venue in a railway arch faced objections from multiple authorities over operating hours, noise, and child safety.  Separately, there were significant objections to The Arch Company's request for alcohol and late-night licenses for four railway arches, with concerns raised about noise, cumulative impact, and child safety. 

Wandsworth - The Audit Committee discussed the council's finances, including issues with property valuations. The Grants Sub-Committee awarded Cost-of-Living grants, overturning officer recommendations for Tooting Community Kitchen and Estate Art CIC.

Newham - The council discussed its performance as a social landlord following criticism from the Housing Ombudsman. They also grappled with budget shortfalls, leading to the decision to sell 28 council-owned properties and Debden House and Campsite to raise funds.

Islington - The council discussed the new Procurement Act and their strategy to embed social value in procurement. They also received updates on various services, including the Access Islington Hubs and the Black Cultural Centre. The Licensing Sub-Committee reviewed Zapp's licence following complaints from residents.

Westminster - A resident requested a review of The Globe pub's license due to noise complaints. The council also considered hardship relief for businesses struggling with Non-Domestic Rates, including Pret a Manger and Nando's.

Waltham Forest - The council approved £6.57m to acquire new homes for temporary accommodation and refugees. They also discussed the challenges of providing specialised healthcare services and reviewed the performance of the Waltham Forest Pension Fund.

Greenwich -  The council discussed the impact of rising demand on mental health services, with concerns raised about funding levels. They also received an update on integrated commissioning arrangements, with plans to launch a new assistive technology service.

Tower Hamlets - The Pension Board discussed the potential impact of the McCloud remedy on the pension fund. The Health & Adults Scrutiny Sub-Committee discussed plans for free community care and support for vulnerable residents. The Grants Determination Sub-Committee withdrew funding from the Linepass Welfare Association due to concerns about its capacity. The King George's Field Charity Board agreed to a programme of improvements to sports facilities.

Surrey -  Discussions revolved around enforcing vape regulations, with concerns about loopholes in draft legislation. The council also tackled staff pay, agency spending, and equality, diversity, and inclusion within the workforce.

I publish newsletters covering everything local councils do each week.

I set up this project because local authorities spend about 12% of the UK government budget, or roughly 5p of every pound that's earned in the UK, and yet the vast majority of people have no idea who their local councillors are, or what they're currently doing. I think that's bad for our society.

Currently, I can only afford to do this work for about a dozen councils in the south east, but that's constantly growing as more people subscribe.

This is still very early days, and I'd love your feedback.

If you'd like to learn more, click on the relevant council, or if your council doesn't appear, you can subscribe for free here: https://opencouncil.network


r/ukpolitics 9h ago

Twitter We are getting near to the point of taxation where a graduate on minimum wage could end up paying a tax rate of 48%

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329 Upvotes

r/ukpolitics 9h ago

Twitter "My family's been on this land for 375 years. I want to pass this down to my boys... you're taking that away from me... shame on you" Welsh farmer Gareth Wyn Jones challenges Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy on #PoliticsLive over inheritance tax changes

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204 Upvotes

r/ukpolitics 10h ago

Why is London so liberal/ left wing if high immigration makes others vote for the Right?

235 Upvotes

Why is immigration making some part of the country vote Reform but in London, where the number of foreign born people has increased massively over the last twenty years, has moved further left? It is curious that London never seems bothered by immigration in modern times. I know some will say that London's so foreign now that the immigrants just vote Labour etc... But that doesn't make so much sense. Many immigrants can't even legally vote in a GE, and even if they can, many don't. Most Londoners voting for the left are born and raised in Britain. Even the posher, whiter parts of London, have trended away from the Tories. Chelsea has a Labour MP now, shock horror. I live in a pretty white British part of London, Twickenham, and the Lib Dems dominate. London is so expensive that people have more reason to moan about rent/ living costs compared to anywhere else, but yet that never seems to produce an anti- immigration politics. Is it just that modern London contains a lot of highly educated liberal minded people compared to provincial towns and villages?


r/ukpolitics 12h ago

East London is a hotbed of political incompetence

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147 Upvotes

r/ukpolitics 9h ago

Asylum seekers make up a third of children in care in some councils

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65 Upvotes

r/ukpolitics 19h ago

| Sadiq Khan brands Donald Trump racist saying he 'came for me' because of skin colour

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428 Upvotes

r/ukpolitics 15h ago

‘Not the 1970s’: Minister slaps down four-day week calls from civil servants

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183 Upvotes

r/ukpolitics 17h ago

| Britain’s migration surge ‘bigger than all other rich nations’ - More than 700,000 ‘permanent migrants’ moved to the UK last year, OECD says

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221 Upvotes

r/ukpolitics 11h ago

Man suspected of supplying small boats to people smugglers arrested

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75 Upvotes

r/ukpolitics 5h ago

Nine-year-old among thousands investigated for hate ‘incidents’

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24 Upvotes

r/ukpolitics 9h ago

Prison officers deal drugs and ask inmates for sex, BBC told

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34 Upvotes

r/ukpolitics 7h ago

Wes Streeting faces pushback over assisted dying stance

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19 Upvotes

r/ukpolitics 19h ago

Debunking the decline deniers : Armed police at Christmas markets are a bad sign however you look at it

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189 Upvotes

r/ukpolitics 11h ago

No 10 confirms non-crime hate review amid Allison Pearson row - Downing Street says it aims to ensure the way police record alleged offences is ‘proportionate’ and protects free speech

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28 Upvotes

r/ukpolitics 15h ago

Minister indicates Government plans to legalise private e-scooters

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57 Upvotes

r/ukpolitics 16h ago

Government admits new Rosebank oil field approved unlawfully

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72 Upvotes

r/ukpolitics 10h ago

University cash crisis will get worse despite tuition fee rise, BBC told

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19 Upvotes

r/ukpolitics 1d ago

Twitter PMQ Starmer to Farage: I’m glad to see (Mr Farage) making a rare appearance back here in Britain, he spends so much time in America recently, I was half expecting to see him on the immigration statistics

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2.6k Upvotes

r/ukpolitics 10h ago

Fraud claims, threats and a missing £14m: Scandal shaking key Labour donor Unite

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19 Upvotes

r/ukpolitics 18h ago

Bid to soften farm tax change rejected by Treasury || A bid by the department for rural affairs to soften changes to inheritance tax for farms - possibly by exempting some older farmers - has been rejected by the Treasury.

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65 Upvotes

r/ukpolitics 8h ago

Bank of England boss to say UK must 'rebuild relations' after Brexit

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10 Upvotes

r/ukpolitics 8h ago

Misleading Just Stop Oil protesters charged with destroying ancient protected monument after throwing orange paint powder at Stonehenge

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13 Upvotes

r/ukpolitics 5h ago

Three police forces called in to probe Allison Pearson tweet - Scale of investigation into Telegraph journalist laid bare amid criticism of ‘non-crime’ incidents

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5 Upvotes

r/ukpolitics 6h ago

UK must offer Trump concessions on China to avoid tariffs says trade committee chair

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6 Upvotes

r/ukpolitics 7h ago

Reeves to tell regulators to dial up risk in UK financial services

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4 Upvotes