The first 100 days.

Brief run down of European Political Community at Blenheim next week.

Thursday’s conference is the fourth meeting of the European Political Community, a collective launched after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 that was the brainchild of the French president, Emmanuel Macron.
It is being seen as a “very significant” opportunity for Starmer to not just host up to 50 European leaders but to restore confidence in the UK and show the world the country is back on the international stage after years of reputational damage caused by Brexit.
The EPC is designed to facilitate the strengthening of ties between EU and non-EU leaders in an informal setting, with previous conferences held in Spain, Moldova and the Czech Republic.

Apart from the UK, non-EU countries including Norway, Iceland, Georgia, Kosovo, Serbia, Albania and Turkey are invited, though it is understood that Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Turkish president who did not attend previous summits, has not confirmed participation.

The Prime Minister is expected to underline the UK’s commitment to Ukraine and Zelenskiy, and to resetting the country’s post-Brexit relationship with the EU.
The prime minister has already pledged to establish closer ties with the EU, and the new minister for European relations, Nick Thomas-Symonds, travelled to Brussels for an introductory meeting with the former Brexit negotiator Maroš Šefčovič on Monday.

Ahead of the meeting, Starmer said: “Europe is at the forefront of some of the greatest challenges of our time.
“Russia’s barbaric war continues to reverberate across our continent, while vile smuggling gangs traffic innocent people on perilous journeys that too often end in tragedy.
“I said I would change the way the UK engages with our European partners, working collaboratively to drive forward progress on these generational challenges, and that work starts at the European Political Community meeting on Thursday.”

Mollygo

WWM2 I’m still interested how you classify offences as ‘serious violent offences’.
What will qualify as a violent offence that isn’t serious.
How will people know whether they are victims of a violent offence, which is not deemed serious?

Not my quote I am afraid - it came from the government - both the current and previous used the phrase.

I will try to look further into it.

First week completed.

For Starmer it has been an absolute whirlwind of a week, but he can be very satisfied with the result.

He has been able to touch base with all the NATO leaders and was clearly made welcome particularly by Biden - “come on in man” “we are the best of allies in the whole world”, but he also has natural allies in people like Trudeau and Scholz, and others, who made him very welcome. Lady Starmer hit it off particularly well with Mrs Zelensky.

Domestically he has been aided by the melt down in the Tory party as well as such remarks by so many at how they failed the country E.g. - former home secretary Suella Braverman tweeted: “We’ve all got to start taking responsibility for what we did. And for the things we shamefully left undone. Like not building enough prisons.”

Prisons are the existential crises identified by the civil service alongside the previous governments neglect over water, the day Starmer took office.
Both areas have been met head-on, but neither will be easily solved, because of the previous governments mishandling of the economy.

The economy now however is seen to be in a very safe pair of hands by both business, politicians and bankers. And the chancellor it must be noted is a woman!

Overall I think Starmer can be very satisfied with his first week.

Next week The Kings Soeech and the real work begins.

AVR sounds like a good idea, and would also make it easier to introduce compulsory voting.

Together with ID cards, we would be firmly visible as official UK residents.

Anonymous registration would still be possible under AVR.

Thank you WWM. good to have an outline.

keepingquiet

The King's speech sounds like a government that has some very good ideas and I for one can't wait.

What form will automatic voter registration take I wonder? This issue really needs sorting out before another election.

www.electoral-reform.org.uk/latest-news-and-research/parliamentary-briefings/automatic-voter-registration-avr-briefing/

The King's speech sounds like a government that has some very good ideas and I for one can't wait.

What form will automatic voter registration take I wonder? This issue really needs sorting out before another election.

WWM2 I’m still interested how you classify offences as ‘serious violent offences’.
What will qualify as a violent offence that isn’t serious.
How will people know whether they are victims of a violent offence, which is not deemed serious?

The Tories had put forward plans to release prisoners after 50/60% of their sentence, but then the election happened.

Robert Buckland (prev. Tory Justice sec), confirmed on radio, this morning, that the Tories hadn’t built the new prisons needed, hadn’t done much at all, and now the system is collapsing.

Prisons - early release scheme.

Prisoners who are in jail for serious violent offences with sentences of four years or more, as well as sex offenders, will not be released early under this scheme.

It will also exclude those convicted of domestic abuse and what the government calls "connected crimes", such as stalking offences and controlling or coercive behaviours.

It only applies to a certain type of prison sentence, under which prisoners are automatically released after a set amount of time.

More serious offenders serving life sentences, for example, are only released after the Parole Board has assessed whether they still pose a risk.

Sources say it will most likely amount to a number in the low thousands leaving prison early.

Anyone released will be monitored by the Probation Service and this could involve the use of electronic tagging and curfews.

Sorry my iPad knew better and changed Hermer’s name to Herman!

Kings Speech

Their speech will indicate a packed programme, where more than 30 bills are introduced, including sweeping plans on housebuilding, green energy, crime and voter registration.

It is also set to include a democracy bill to introduce automatic voter registration.

The speech is also set to include legislation to boost housebuilding and a “take back control” bill devolving powers over energy, transport, skills and planning to mayors and councils. This is expected to include powers to reinstate cancelled bus routes and set affordable fares.

There will be legislation empowering the Office for Budget Responsibility to publish independent forecasts of major fiscal events, intended to avoid a repeat of Liz Truss’s disastrous mini-budget in 2022.

The speech is also set to include an energy independence bill, which will unveil the new publicly owned clean energy company GB Energy, and legislation to nationalise the railways.
At least two Home Office bills are expected: a border security bill giving authorities powers to treat people smugglers like terrorists, and a crime bill to crack down on antisocial behaviour and county lines drug trafficking.
Several technology-related bills, including one strengthening AI regulation, may also be included. Labour’s election manifesto pledged to ban creating sexually explicit deepfake images.
A race equality bill enshrining equal pay rights for ethnic minority staff is likely to be included.
Ministers will use the king’s speech to resurrect legislation promised by the previous Conservative government, including bills to phase out smoking for the next generation and to create an independent regulator in England for men’s elite football.
The speech is expected to include Martyn’s law, which would require venues to take steps to prepare for terror attacks and is named after Martyn Hett, a victim of the 2017 Manchester Arena terror attack. His mother said she felt let down by Rishi Sunak, who promised to introduce the law but did not bring it forward this summer before he called the election.
The speech is also set to include a Hillsborough law, which would introduce a duty for public servants to tell the truth during public inquiries and criminal investigations. Both these bills were Labour manifesto commitments.

Guardian.

maddyone
Never mind about how Starmer is greeting Biden, Biden introduced President Zelensky as …….. President PUTIN!
Exactly.
But since Starmer thinks those over 80 aren’t capable of working in the HOL. . .
I sure he’ll be polite, but what a backup for his thoughts.
Incidentally, I think not being fit to work in the HOL should be on a case by case decision.
Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne is 83 still alert and active in support of females and the LGB Alliance, though I don’t support her views on everything.
She would be a loss IMO even at 83.

Germanshepherdsmum

I find the choice of another human rights lawyer worrying Siope.

Yes, you would.

Herman was appointed a high court judge in 2019.

Herman will also have to deal with three cases pending at the international court of justice (ICJ) – on Palestine, the right to strike, and state obligations with respect to climate change – in which Philippe Sands said the positions adopted by the Sunak government were “dismal” and put Britain in the margins. Sands said he would be looking out for whether there would be changes in position, adding: “It is hard to imagine Richard Herman, as attorney general, standing before the ICJ and making or defending the previous government’s arguments.”

I find the choice of another human rights lawyer worrying Siope.

maddyone did you hear Biden muttering about he thinks about Putin all the time but what an incredible gaffe?
What is even worse is that no one can shift Biden into retirement.

Isn’t it a good job that the government (regardless which one) recognises the obvious with regard to the areas of/gaps in the expertise of all the Attorneys and Solicitors General, and created an office to support them with appropriate research, knowledge, expertise, and advice.

www.gov.uk/government/organisations/attorney-generals-office/about

Chocolatelovinggran

GSM , I have barristers in my family and friends who practise law. Their specialities are criminal and family law.
However, I would suggest, respectfully, that I know that they keep themselves up to date in other aspects of the law, as, sometimes, their cases touch on different areas and they have friends who operate in different fields.
I think that your dismissal of any barrister having knowledge of matters legal only in their area of expertise is unfounded.

Read my post again. You are twisting my words. I did not say that a barrister has knowledge only of matters within their field of expertise and nor would I make such a ridiculous statement.

As GSM says, there is no such thing as all things legal.
There are countless areas of law, and no one is an expert in all of them.

Mollygo

I’d really like to know how Starmer is greeting Biden, when, if I understand correctly, KS thinks those over 80 should not work in the HOL.

Never mind about how Starmer is greeting Biden, Biden introduced President Zelensky as …….. President PUTIN!

ronib

Isn’t the standard address Mollygo

President Putin

Regardless?

That’s a good way to avoid answering.

GSM , I have barristers in my family and friends who practise law. Their specialities are criminal and family law.
However, I would suggest, respectfully, that I know that they keep themselves up to date in other aspects of the law, as, sometimes, their cases touch on different areas and they have friends who operate in different fields.
I think that your dismissal of any barrister having knowledge of matters legal only in their area of expertise is unfounded.

A lot of new treatments have become available on the NHS over the last 14 years plus the population of the Uk has risen by 10 million. We also have an aging population.

I think they inherited a lot of problems from New Labour

That’s possibly correct Callistemon although the NHS did receive excellent ratings and the waiting lists were low by the end of New Labour’s term of office.

However, putting that aside, and assuming the Conservative government did inherit problems … they’ve had fourteen years to improve things!