Writing the summary…
How could Reform UK spend its £72m of new billionaire donations?
Source: The Guardian
Original reporting
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The Guardian
First ministers at Celtic summit to affirm right to seek independence from the UK
Call for ‘constitutional change in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland’ likely to challenge Burnham’s devolution agenda The first ministers of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are meeting to affirm their nations’ right to seek independence from the UK, as part of a summit that is likely to challenge Andy Burnham’s devolution agenda. Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth, Scottish National party leader John Swinney and Sinn Féin vice president Michelle O’Neill are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding at a landmark conference in Cardiff on Monday, calling on Westminster “to prepare, plan and facilitate constitutional change in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland”. Continue reading...
The Guardian
Nicola Jennings on Nigel Farage’s fundraising – cartoon
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The Guardian
Who better to defend Reform’s latest millions than Honest Bob Jenrick? | John Crace
The man who once helped Richard ‘Dirty’ Desmond save a load of tax was wheeled out to face Laura Kuenssberg You wait years for one party donation of £36m and then two come along at once . Reform can hardly believe its luck. All hail the crypto billionaires. Tacky pale turquoise suits all round. And Nigel Farage won’t have to worry about spending any of his own money – if you can call the £5m freebie his own money – on his security. Nor do those champagne and oyster lunches to discuss loose change donations of £500k from people living overseas pay for themselves. From now on Reform won’t need to bother getting out of bed for anything less than eight figures. Fair to say that if it had been Labour or the Tories trousering £72m from Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo then Reform would be on full outrage rampage. How the political system was rigged against it and how the two main parties are
BBC Politics
Reform confident it won't need to repay any of £72m under proposed new donor rules
Housing Secretary Angela Rayner says rule changes on donations from UK expats would apply retrospectively and anyone not complying with them would have "to return that money".
The Guardian
Reform’s Robert Jenrick ‘very confident’ £72m donations are ‘perfectly legal’ – as it happened
Party’s economic spokesperson says donations are a ‘breakthrough moment’ as Labour’s Angela Rayner warns of possible retrospective action Reform UK’s £72m donations may be caught by new bill, Rayner suggests Christopher Harborne matches £36m Reform donation of Ben Delo Analysis: Donations of £72m make Reform’s prospects both rosier and riskier Will also point out here that across the Sunday politics shows this morning, neither Labour nor the Tories ruled out accepting such huge sums from crypto-billionaires in the future. Nigel Farage says that donations just go to putting Reform on a “more level playing field” with the more established parties. Continue reading...
The Guardian
Director who oversaw Grenfell cost-cutting given senior council housing role
Fire survivors and bereaved urge Barnet Group to ‘reconsider’ appointment of Laura Johnson, who pushed for cheaper contractor Grenfell survivors and bereaved relatives have criticised the “outrageous decision” to hire a director who oversaw cost-cutting at Grenfell Tower in a £150,000-a-year senior council housing role. Laura Johnson, the director of housing at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) at the time of the 2017 Grenfell fire, has been appointed the permanent director of development and property at the Barnet Group, which manages the borough’s 13,000 council homes. Continue reading...