On top of @RossjournoClark's points in his piece, when faced with a pressing and ongoing *actual* environmental hazard (Walley's Quarry), the EA were toothless and ineffective for several years.
Abolish and replace them with an agency that focuses on people and communities.
You can almost feel John Selwyn Gummer, Zac Goldsmith and the rest of the Conservatives’ green lobby quaking. Kemi Badenoch has incurred their wrath by proposing that the Environment Agency and Natural England be abolished.
It is part of a package, which also involves the reduction in levies charged to housebuilders, which the Tories claim will reduce the cost of building a new home by £50,000.
✍️ Ross Clark
Article | spectator.com/article/the-to… | @RossjournoClark
The man is utterly deluded. He has clearly lost the confidence of his Parliamentary party - and in a Westminster system, that means the jig is up.
Time to step aside with some dignity.
NEW: Keir Starmer warns Andy Burnham against "plunging our party and our country into chaos" in lunchtime call with Labour staff members.
He said the party needs to “pull together”, “take the fight” to Reform and “give them a hiding” in the Greater Manchester Mayoralty contest, with a not-so-subtle warning for Burnham supporters:
“The one thing we've got to avoid doing is plunging our party and our country into chaos by turning on each other and tearing apart our party and our movement. That has never worked. That's what the last government did. We need to learn that lesson.”
Three Prime Ministers have lost the confidence of their parliamentary parties in the last few years - and the one who understood and took it with most dignity was actually Liz Truss...
1
2
583
Good.
Any reversal by the UK on its 2025 agreement with Mauritius would be read as a conscious decision to prioritize Western security interests over international law and sovereignty.
chathamhouse.org/2026/02/us-…
315
Starmer has been *so* bad - far worse than Johnson (of whose No 10 I had plenty of criticism).
But, ironically, it's probably better for the country that he stays in post, even though by rights - and with a more courageous PLP - he should be gone.
His replacement will be worse.
The biggest piece I’ve written for the Spectator - 3,500 words on how Starmer blew it. Packed with new details, telling quotes and analysis - every last bit of it from a Labour source spectator.com/article/author…
1
1
570
At last. Congratulations to all the campaigners who have fought so hard for so long.
The company should now be prosecuted for its multiple breaches.
We also need an inquiry as to why the lamentable EA took so long to reach this conclusion, which was obvious years ago.
💙 THANK YOU NEWCASTLE! 💙
It’s been such an honour to be your MP for the last four and a half years.
As the montage shows, we’ve been through some tough times - not least Covid. But we’ve come through it stronger and Newcastle’s best days lie ahead.
10
19
3,564
Great to see that 7 of these new medical places will be at Keele!
Good to be out supporting the fantastic Mayor for the West Midlands, @andy4wm - he’s brought a lifetime of business acumen to running the Combined Authority, whereas Labour has bankrupted Birmingham council.
The much-loved Mellors Oatcakes officially re-opened today under the new ownership of Adam and Clare Capper.
Congratulations to them both and thanks for keeping a local business thriving!
My breakfast was delicious and I also bought a packet for my family’s tea later today! – at Newcastle-under-Lyme, England
The lifting of the suspension notice is not welcome, as I say in this piece. Any further breaches - and Walley’s Quarry have racked up over 100 in the last five years - ought to lead to a closure notice. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cv2y…
🎪 ASTLEY CENTRE OPENS 🎪
It was great to pop into the new Philip Astley Centre on Merrial Street this morning and see children being entertained with circus skills, fancy dress, interesting displays and more.
The centre is open from 10-4, Tues-Sat. – at Newcastle-under-Lyme, England
The Philip Astley Centre is officially opening today, inviting you to come and explore the educational and historical aspects that are part of its rich heritage. Don't miss the chance to visit and discover more: buff.ly/3Iv47js
Thank you to Karen Bradley MP for raising #WalleysQuarry in the House today and thanks to @PennyMordaunt for her kind words about me in response.
We do need a wider debate about landfills - we have the worst one in the country here in NuL but others are suffering too. – at London, England
I’m really pleased the Chancellor made the important changes to child benefit today as it’s something I’ve lobbied for, both in my time as vice-chair of the 1922’s treasury committee and personally. Glad to see @MartinSLewis welcome it too!
WE GOT THE WIN ON CHILD BENEFIT!
Chancellor tipped me off before budget, said this was due in large to MSE/my shows campaigning all based on all those of your who messaged me to say it was the key thing to put to him
So
1) From this April threshold which hasn't moved since 2013 rises from a single parent earning £50,000 to £60,000 and you lose child benefit totally at £80,000 (not £60,000)
2) Consultation on moving it to family income not individual income and hopefully that'll be in place from April 2026 (this is to stop unfairness for single income/single parent) families.
#Budget2024 #BudgetXplanations
That would be one for the @EnvAgency’s lawyers to consider.
But the suspension notice surely stands on its own merits based on the levels of odour and horrific compliance record of #WalleysQuarry? It’s a step that should have been taken long ago.
I notice in that article that #WalleysQuarry (formerly @RedIndustries2) claim that the @EnvAgency are acting under political pressure. Does that have the potential to be a libellous claim if untrue?
5
3
1,655
Environment Agency gives Walleys Quarry suspension notice | MRW mrw.co.uk/news/environment-a…
🥂 I am permitting myself a small celebration tonight! But there is more to do. I’ll buy some real champagne if we get a closure notice…
