Page 35 - Londra Gazete Sayı 1107

6 LondraGazete.com/English Londra Gazete, 26 May 2022

Gray Partygate report: Senior

leadership 'must bear responsibility’

SUE Gray’s report into the Par- at the heart of government".
tygate scandal attacks “a serious Her report continues: "The pub-
failure” to abide by the “stand- lic have a right to expect the very
ards expected of the entire British highest standards of behaviour in
population” during the Covid pan- such places and clearly what hap-
demic. pened fell well short of this.
The report noted that one indi- "It is my firm belief, however,
vidual was sick due to “excessive that these events did not reflect
alcohol consumption” at the par- the prevailing culture in govern-
ties while there was a “minor alter- ment and the civil service at the
cation” between two others. time...”
It comes after the Metropolitan Gray states in her report that
New MPs' code of conduct to Police concluded its own investi- "the senior leadership at the cen-
gation into breaches of the Covid tre, both political and official,
tighten lobbying rules regulations in Downing Street last must bear responsibility for this and advisers worked long hours
week, with the force issuing 126 culture".
fixed penalty notices. Ms Gray also says the conditions under difficult conditions in build-
MPS will face tighter restric- to questions about whether MPs
Gray's report says that "many for Downing Street staff were not ings that could not be easily adapt-
tions on what they can do for a should be allowed to have second will be dismayed that behaviour of exceptional ed as COVID secure workplaces,"
second job, under a proposed new jobs.
code of conduct. MPs are already banned from this kind took place on this scale "Tight knit groups of officials her report states.
The planned rules were drawn paid lobbying - where they get
up by the Commons Standards money to ask questions in Parlia-
Committee after a string of lob- ment or raise issues with minis- RMT union votes for national action
bying scandals. ters on behalf of clients.
MPs would still be allowed The current code of conduct
RAILWAY workers have voted
to take outside work - but they says there must be no conflicts of to go on national strike threaten-
would be banned from advising interest between their personal ing major summer travel disrup-
firms on how to get laws changed, interests and public interest - but
under the proposals. it does not stop MPs having sec- tion across the UK.
Members of the RMT union
The full package of reforms will
now have to be approved by MPs ond jobs as "advisers". have voted in favour of strike ac-
tion across Network Rail and 13
in a Commons vote. In its final recommendations, train operating companies.
Standards Committee chair- the standards committee - made
General secretary Mick Lynch
man, Labour's Chris Bryant, said up of MPs and lay members - said "members want a decent pay
the measures would "uphold and stops short of calling for a ban on rise, job security and no compul-
strengthen standards in Parlia- all second jobs. sory redundancies".
ment". But it does call for "an outright The Department for Transport
The review of the code comes af- ban on MPs providing paid parlia-
ter a number of lobbying scandals mentary advice, consultancy or said strikes should always be the
hit Westminster in 2021, leading strategy services". last resort not the first. return to the negotiating table 2,500 maintenance jobs as it tries
A spokesperson said: "It is huge- and hammer out a reasonable set- to make £2bn of savings over the
ly disappointing and premature tlement with the RMT," said Mr next two years.
Petrol price reaches new record that the RMT is calling for indus- Lynch. Network Rail's chief executive
trial action before even entering
Network Rail, which maintains Andrew Haines warned "everyone
high at 170p a litre discussions." the railway, voted in favour of loses if there's a strike".
He said: "We urge the RMT to
The RMT union said its leaders strike action and action short of
AVERAGE petrol prices have seems very unfair when you consider would meet to discuss a timetable strike. Its workers have not tak- sit down with us and continue to
reached a new record high of 170.4p it's a tax on a tax as fuel duty - despite for strike action from mid-June. en part in a national strike since talk, not walk, so that we can find
a litre, new figures show. being cut to 53p a litre at the end of "We sincerely hope ministers 1994. a compromise and avoid damag-
The average price for diesel was March - is charged at the wholesale will encourage the employers to The company plans to shed ing industrial action."
181.4p a litre on Tuesday, according level." The government cut fuel duty
to data firm Experian Catalist. by 5p a litre on 23 March, but re-
A year ago, petrol was 129.0p a li- tailers have been accused of raising Inflation for poorest households ‘could reach 14%’
tre, with diesel at 131.3p a litre. profit margins since the policy was
RAC fuel spokesman Simon Wil- introduced. INFLATION for Britain’s poor- ing crisis. poorer households spend more
liams called it "another unfortunate est households could hit as high “This increase of £800 to the of their budgets on gas and elec-
landmark". "While wholesale prices as 14 per cent this autumn amid current cap means a 117 per cent tricity, this increase is likely to hit
may have peaked for the time being surging energy bills, according increase — more than doubling poorer households harder.
last week they are still worryingly to the Institute for Fiscal Stud- — of the tariff cap between Octo- “This is also likely to further
high which means there's no respite ies(IFS). The stark warning from ber 2021 and October 2022,” the widen the gap between rates of
from the record-high pump prices the respected think-tank comes think-tank said. inflation faced by the poorest and
which are so relentlessly contribut- after the energy regulator, Of- The bills are expected to “dis- richest households”.
ing to the cost-of-living crisis", he gem, told MPs that gas and elec- proportionately” impact house- She added: “Assuming an over-
said. "We badly need the government tric bills could rise again in Octo- holds with the lowest incomes, all rate of inflation of 10 per cent,
to take more action to ease the bur- ber, from £1,971 to £2,800 a year. the IFS said, with families spend- as projected by the Bank of Eng-
den on drivers, which we hope will After intense political pres- ing more of their budgets on land, the poorest 10 per cent of
feature in its announcement expect- sure, Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, gas and electric, compared with households may face inflation
ed this week. "VAT at 20% on fuel is is poised to unveil a package of wealthier ones. rates of as high as 14 per cent,
currently benefitting the Treasury to measures within days, in an at- Heidi Karjalainen, a research compared to 8 per cent for the
the tune of around 30p a litre which tempt to alleviate the cost-of-liv- economist at the IFS, said: “As richest households”.