Tag: Therese Coffey

Dissolution (Dis)honours

A final insult from the outgoing Tories – and Starmer’s Labour plays the game

AWARDS FOR ‘POLITICAL AND PUBLIC SERVICE’ … REALLY?

‘The King has been graciously pleased to signify His intention of conferring the following Honours’:

Damehood of the Order of the British Empire 

The Rt Hon Thérèse Coffey PC – Formerly Deputy Prime Minister, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. For political and public service. 

Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath 

The Rt Hon Oliver Dowden CBE PC – Deputy Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Secretary of State for the Cabinet Office. Formerly Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and Chairman of the Conservative Party. For political and public service. 

The Rt Hon Julian Smith CBE PC – Formerly Government Chief Whip and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. For political and public service.  

The Rt Hon Robert Ben Wallace PC – Formerly Secretary of State for Defence. For Political and public service.  

Knighthood of the Order of the British Empire

The Rt Hon Alister Jack DL – Formerly Secretary of State for Scotland. For political and public service.

All individuals nominated for honours have gone through probity checks by the Cabinet Office.

Dissolution Peerages 2024

The King has been graciously pleased to signify His intention of conferring Peerages of the United Kingdom for Life upon the undermentioned:

Nominations from the Leader of the Conservative Party

  1. The Rt Hon Sir Graham Brady PC – Lately Member of Parliament for Altrincham and Sale West, and Chairman of the 1922 Committee.
  2. The Rt Hon Chris Grayling PC – Lately Member of Parliament for Epsom and Ewell, and former Secretary of State for Transport, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice and Leader of the House of Commons.
  3. The Rt Hon Dame Eleanor Laing DBE PC – Lately Member of Parliament for Epping Forest, lately Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons.
  4. Craig Mackinley JP – Lately Member of Parliament for South Thanet.
  5. The Rt Hon Theresa May PC – Lately Member of Parliament for Maidenhead, former Prime Minister and Home Secretary.
  6. The Rt Hon Sir Alok Sharma KCMG PC – Lately Member of Parliament for Reading West and former Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Secretary of State for International Development and President for COP26.
  7. Liam Booth-Smith – Lately No10 Downing Street Chief of Staff.

Nominations from the Leader of the Labour Party

  1. The Rt Hon Dame Margaret Beckett GBE PC – Former Foreign Secretary and former Deputy Leader of the Labour Party.
  2. John Cryer – Lately Member of Parliament for Leyton and Wanstead.
  3. The Rt Hon Harriet Harman KC PC – Lately Member of Parliament for Camberwell and Peckham, and formerly Deputy Leader of the Labour Party.
  4. The Rt Hon Dame Margaret Hodge DBE PC – Lately Member of Parliament for Barking and former Minister of State for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
  5. The Rt Hon Kevan Jones PC – Lately Member of Parliament for North Durham and former Minister for Veterans at the Ministry of Defence.
  6. Barbara Keeley – Lately Member of Parliament for Worsley and Eccles South and formerly Shadow Minister for Music and Tourism.
  7. The Rt Hon John Spellar PC – Lately Member of Parliament for Warley and formerly Comptroller of the Household in the Whips’ Office.
  8. The Rt Hon Dame Rosie Winterton DBE PC – Lately Member of Parliament for Doncaster Central and former Deputy Speakers in the House of Commons.

Nominations from the Liberal Democrat Party

  1. Caroline Pidgeon MBE – Lately Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the London Assembly.

Nominations from the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP)

  1. Thomas Elliott MLA – Member of the Legislative Assembly for Fermanagh and South Tyrone and former leader of the Ulster Unionist Party.

Nominations for Crossbench Peerages

  1. Minette Batters – Former President of the National Farmers’ Union of England and Wales.
  2. Dr Hilary Cass OBE FRCN FRCGP – Former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

All individuals nominated for peerages have gone through vetting checks, and the Chair of the House of Lords Appointments Commission has confirmed to the Prime Minister that all individuals are supported by the Commission.

Committees unite to call for UC uplift to be made permanent

The UK Government should make the £20 per week uplift to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit permanent, according to a joint letter issued by cross-party committees from Westminster, the Northern Irish Assembly, the Welsh Senedd and the Scottish Parliament.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak and Work Pensions Secretary, Thérèse Coffey, have confirmed that the uplift will come to an end in October.

However, if the uplift is removed, the 6 million people claiming Universal Credit will lose £1,040 in annual income overnight. According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation this could force 500,000 people, including 200,000 children, into poverty.

The letter also raises concerns that the benefit will be removed from families at the same time unemployment is due to peak as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme comes to an end.

The Committees call on the uplift to be extended to legacy benefits, to make sure those in need do not miss out.

The letter was signed by Neil Gray MSP, Convener of Holyrood’s Social Justice and Social Security Committee, Stephen Timms MP, Chair of Westminster’s Work and Pensions Select Committee, Paula Bradley MLA, Chair of Stormont’s Committee for Communities, and Jenny Rathbone MS, Chair of the Senedd’s Equality and Social Justice Committee.

Neil Gray MSP, Convener of the Social Justice and Social Security Committee, said: “The UK Government did the right thing at the start of the pandemic to increase Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit to give better support to people during these incredibly challenging times.

“But removing the uplift in October would have devastating consequences for our most vulnerable in society, who have been hit hardest by this pandemic.

“This risks sending many more people into poverty at a time when we should be doing all we can to support them.

Mr Gray added: “All four of our Committees agree that by spending this money now on social security, we can avoid putting more people into poverty, helping save more money in the longer term on health, education, justice and other social services.”

Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP, Chair of the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee, said: “To sweep away such a vital lifeline from people who have felt the very worst effects of the pandemic risks plunging hundreds of thousands of people into poverty at a time when they will have had little or no chance to get back on their feet.

“Six Conservative former welfare secretaries have warned the Chancellor of the grave consequences of his proposed course of action. The strength of feeling on all sides of the political divide, and across the UK, could not be clearer. The Government must change course.

“At the same time, the Government must also increase support for the people who, through no fault of their own, are still claiming older benefits and have received no pandemic-related increases at all – despite their living costs rising during the pandemic.”

Jenny Rathbone MS, Chair, Equality and Social Justice Committee, said:

“Whilst, in Wales, policy relating to Universal Credit and other social security benefits is reserved to Westminster, we are deeply concerned about the impact removing the uplift might have on widening social inequality in Wales; growing indebtedness as a result of the economic impact of Covid; and the ability of low income families to eat as well as pay their rent.”