Left Foot Forward's roundup of the progressive news you might have missed this week…

Your weekly dose of under-reported news, in no particular order… 

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10. The Daily Mail has issued a correction for their use of a misleading chart – one which gave the false impression that weekly deaths were “barely any higher” than in previous years despite the pandemic.

But independent fact-checkers Full Fact point out that it’s taken them almost four months to publish the correction.

The fact-checking charity wrote on Facebook: “This isn’t good enough. Bad information ruins lives – especially in a health emergency. Publishing a correction with unclear wording long after the original article does little to undo the damage.

“We will continue to work hard to fight for timely and appropriate corrections and to hold the media to account.”

9.  Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader, Liz Saville Roberts MP, has said that Wales should follow the example of Ireland and “build an independent nation that gives full respect to our native language” after being reprimanded for speaking Welsh and Irish in the House of Commons.

 During Wales Questions, Ms Saville Roberts wished the House a Happy St Patrick’s Day, saying “Beannachtái na Féile Pádrqig oraibh inniu / Pob bendith arnoch chi heddiw ar Ddydd Gŵyl Padrig (Every blessing to you today on St Patrick’s Day).”

Saville Roberts was reprimanded by the Speaker for going against the rules of the House, which state that “Subject to the exceptions below relating to the use of Welsh in committees, speeches in the Chamber and in other proceedings must be made in English.”

Saville Roberts said that her criticism was not of the Speaker but rather that the rules were “specifically designed to exclude the speakers of languages other than English”.

8. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng’s has said there are “very compelling reasons” not to open a proposed new coal mine in Cumbria.

Reacting to the comments, Friends of the Earth climate campaigner Tony Bosworth said: “Kwasi Kwarteng’s comments are the strongest indication yet of real opposition at the heart of government to the Cumbria coal mine.

“This mine will increase global emissions and severely damage the UK’s credibility ahead of hosting vital climate talks later this year.

“The government must reject this climate-wrecking mine and help the UK steel industry move to zero carbon production technology – which will cut emissions and generate green jobs.”

7. Climate and black lives campaigners have written an open letter to the government condemning the new police bill which is set to clamp down on protest rights.

We are extremely troubled and disturbed by the newly proposed Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill in its current form. The deliberately vague language used would enable the police to act unilaterally with near unlimited discretion.

This appears to be a blatant attempt to create an authoritarian police state, where the voices of ordinary people, particularly those most marginalised and disadvantaged, are silenced by state sanctioned penalties. We collectively decry this move by the UK government and demand that MPs Kill The Bill.

The rights to peacefully assemble and protest are a fundamental part of any democracy, empowering people to have their voices heard, in addition to holding the Government to account. This is also in direct contrast to the assurances the UK government gave that it will uphold the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as breaking with the UN Covenant on Human Rights. 

Unless Her Majesty’s Government changes its current course of action, we cannot foresee that the mounting public unrest from all sides will cease, nor that it should. Such is the nature of democracy. 

We would like to remind the Home Secretary and the Government that they serve by democratic mandate that is handed to them by the will of the people. 

We the signees, and millions across the country, will continue to unite and fight to protect the fundamental human rights that every single one of us is entitled to. #KillTheBill

Signatories: 

1. Black Music Movement
2. Black Lives Matter Leeds
3. Merseyside BLM Alliance
4. Labour Party LGBTQ+ Network
5. United for Black lives
6. Justice 4 Minorities
7. Brighton BLM
8. Northern Police Monitoring Project (NPMP)
9. Extinction Rebellion UK
10. The Roundhouse, London
11. Fridays For Future Europe

And 98 more.

6. Workers at the JDE (Jacobs Douwe Egberts) site in Banbury, Oxfordshire have voted to proceed to an industrial action ballot over plans to ‘fire and rehire’ nearly 300 workers at the coffee factory.

The Unite union said on Monday that its members had voted by 96 per cent in a consultative ballot to hold a full-scale industrial action ballot, with the option to strike, in response to the Dutch-owned company issuing notice of dismissal and engagement for 291 employees.

The workers’ anger has been fuelled by the financial results from the multi-national last week which reported ‘a record In-Home organic growth of 9.1% in 2020’. This increase has been augmented by the boom in coffee drinking in the UK during the year-long pandemic.

Unite’s members are also furious at the proposed changes to the company’s pension scheme which will mean the ending of the final salary system and introducing an ‘inferior’ defined contribution scheme which will be subject to the vagaries of global stock markets.

No dates are yet available for when the ballot might be held for the Ruscote Avenue workforce.

Unite national officer for the food and drink industry Joe Clarke said: “Our members have voted by an impressive 96 per cent in a consultative ballot that they wished to have a full-scale industrial action ballot, including the option to strike, over the bosses’ plans to ‘fire and rehire’ them on inferior pay and employment conditions.

“Their determination has been reinforced by the financial results of the multi-national with strong growth helped by the British public’s insatiable appetite for coffee during the pandemic – and further growth is expected in 2021.

“Therefore, there is no reason, except excessive corporate greed, why the Banbury bosses have adopted this immoral decision to adopt a ‘fire and rehire’ strategy in the midst of a global pandemic which will damage our members’ incomes and hit the wider Oxfordshire economy.”

5. Nearly 50,000 people across the UK have signed the petition asking health chiefs to scrap the takeover of GP practices by US firm Centene.

Centene recently took over 49 NHS GP practices, in a move campaigners say is ‘terrible news for the NHS’.

We Own It said in a statement: “Millions of Pounds will be syphoned out of those GP practices in shareholder profits and the care people receive will suffer greatly as a result.

“The pay and conditions of GP surgery staff (including GPs) could likewise suffer, which would affect morale and therefore patient care.

“And this could lead to more of our local GP practices being closed down for not being profitable. Wherever you live and whether you are currently affected, this matters to you because Centene could be coming to your neck of the woods soon.

“Local health authorities (CCGs) have the power to terminate Centene’s primary care contracts and kick them out. We need to force the authorities to take that step.”

4. Nurses, call handlers and ambulance workers have had their pay cut by thousands of pounds by years of below-inflation pay rises, according to analysis by the GMB union.

The figures emerge as the Conservatives attempts to cut their NHS staff yet again with a ‘miserly’ below inflation position of just 1%.

Between April 2010 and April 2021, staff nurse pay will have been devalued by more than £6,000 a year when compared to inflation.

Ambulance technicians’ pay has gone down by almost £5,000, call handlers’ by almost £3,000, and an experienced speech and language therapist’s by a whopping £9,000.

GMB says it is time for Ministers to stop pretending pay progression is enough –  the 50% of at the top of their pay spine get less than nothing.

Rehana Azam, GMB National Secretary, said: “The Prime Minister needs to listen to the fury of NHS workers. After a decade of having their pay cut, and a year on the covid frontline keeping us all safe, they’ve been hit with yet another pay cut. No wonder they are angry.

“Mr Johnson could allay health workers’ fears – instead he’s just adding to the resentment and anger. Ministers must stop pretending pay progression alone is enough – more than half of NHS staff are on the top of their pay grade so essentially get nothing.”

3. Opposition parties have hit out at plans from the Home Secretary to change the voting system for mayoral elections – scrapping voters’ right to rank candidates by preference.

Voters in Police and Crime Commissioner and mayoral elections in England and Wales can currently put a first and second choice – meaning if their first choice can’t win, their second preference is used instead. The system means candidates cannot slip in on a fraction of the vote.

But Priti Patel plans to change the system to First Past the Post – where voters can’t rank choices at all.

Green party co-leader and mayoral candidate Sian Berry told LFF: “At the moment, London elections are one of the few elections in Britain with a fair voting system. Londoners can vote with their hearts and get an Assembly and Mayor which actually reflect this city. 

“Switching to a First Past the Post system would wreck democracy in London. Under a broken voting system, you spend all your time discussing who can game the system to win, rather than debating the policies we’re putting in front of the public.

“First Past the Post is how the Conservatives cling to power in this country. No wonder they want to rig the voting system in London too.”

Lib Dem mayoral candidate Luisa Porritt said it marked a ‘real abuse of power by the Conservatives’.

2. Labour has condemned the Tories’ new National Bus Strategy – which continues to make it illegal for councils to form their own bus services.

Shadow Bus Minister Sam Tarry said: “This so-called strategy offers nothing for those who were looking for a bold vision to reverse the millions of miles of bus routes lost across the country.

“People will be wondering when they return to work whether there will be enough affordable and regular buses for their daily commute.

“The Tories said deregulation would improve our buses but they’re running bus services into the ground. Passengers now face a toxic mix of rising fares, cuts to services and reduced access.

“The Government must do more to protect this crucial sector – not least given we’ve already seen more than 1,000 jobs lost in the bus and coach manufacturing industry alone since the pandemic started.

1. The Scottish Greens have welcomed the Scottish Government’s decision to take the railways under public ownership.

Transport Secretary Michael Matheson has confirmed ministers will not renew Scotrail operator Abellio’s contract and instead run the railways under an arm’s length company.

Responding, Scottish Greens transport spokesperson John Finnie said: “Greens have long called for public ownership of our railways, so we welcome this progress from the Scottish Government.

“Given Wales brought railways into public ownership last year, this has been a long time coming. Nationalisation of services is just the first step towards a greener, integrated public transport system which serves communities not shareholders.

“I would urge the Scottish Government to look at the Scottish Greens £22bn ‘Rail For All’ plans to modernise and upgrade Scotland’s railways, which included proposals to electrify lines and increase capacity across the network.”

Josiah Mortimer is co-editor of Left Foot Forward. 

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