Today the UK is set to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the US state of Washington at the 2023 Boeing Supplier Showcase, in a high-flying deal which will allow UK aviation companies to send engineers and experts to state more easily. The deal will be signed Business and Trade Minister Nusrat Ghani, and will open the door to investor intros, trade missions, and increasing access to procurement markets for the air industry. This is the sixth MoU signed with the US since the start of 2022…
“Our pact with the state of Washington is a win for the UK, opening a door for our businesses to trade more openly and unlock new opportunities in key sectors.Each US state is a massive global market in its own right, and many have economies larger than the GDP of whole countries. By notching up our sixth such deal we’ve surpassed the £2trillion mark for combined GDP of states who’ve done a deal with the UK, with many more in our sights.”
Another deal with Florida is next on the agenda. The six MoUs signed already give the UK access to a combined £2.2trillion GDP so far – a major boost for Brexit Britain. Now where’s the Free Trade Agreement…
The Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests Sir Laurie Magnus has concluded Mark Spencer and the whips office did not break the Ministerial Code over the sacking of Nus Ghani in February 2020, following Ghani’s complaint that she had been let go because of her Muslim faith. The inquiry into Ghani’s allegations was launched by Boris around a year ago, with Magnus’s predecessor Lord Geidt initially in charge prior to his resignation. Laurie Magnus picked up the pieces following his appointment in December.
In letters between Magnus and the PM published today, Magnus concludes that while “there are procedural and pastoral lessons to be drawn from [his] investigation”, the “shortcomings” in Spencer’s response to the probe don’t amount to a clear breach:
My overall conclusion from this investigation is that what should have been an open and trusting conversation between colleagues instead became a significant disagreement which was escalated to the then Prime Minister and, 18 months later, reported in the media. I do not believe, when considered with the inconclusive evidence from the first two parts of this investigation, that the shortcomings identified in Mr Spencer’s response to Ms Ghani’s concerns amount to a clear failure to meet the standards set out in the Ministerial Code. However, there are procedural and pastoral lessons to be drawn from this investigation which should be considered by those engaged in handling ministerial appointments and dismissals in future.”
Magnus adds “it is not possible to conclude absolutely that such comments [about Ghani’s faith] were not made, but I have found no evidence.” Apparently, Ghani and Spencer have “very different” recollections of what happened. Given the lack of evidence, Rishi has confirmed in his response letter that no further action will be taken.
UPDATE: Ghani responds:
“Sir Laurie’s report is very clear that my evidence was credible and ‘consistent’. I’m relieved that the report acknowledges that the previously denied 4th March 2020 meeting did take place and was central to the matter, as well as that Twitter statements were published ‘without evidence’. There is no criticism or doubt expressed regarding my version of events. Others will have to explain the report noting the ‘omissions’, ‘shortcomings’, ‘incomplete information’, ‘inaccurate briefings’ and claims ‘implied without evidence’ in their actions and story. We all serve at the Prime Minister’s choosing and there is no shame in a political career ending. But to be told your faith and identity is the reason for it cannot be acceptable in any way.”
Read both letters below:
Intervening on the story of the day, Business Minister Paul Scully has confirmed before a Commons Select Committee that the government is not planning on arresting Elon Musk the next time he visits Britain. MP Nus Ghani asked the question in light of the DCMS Online Harms Bill, which “mandates that platforms have to remove content that emotionally distresses people – so are we going to be arresting Elon Musk when he arrives in the UK, or are we going to change the Online Safety Bill?”
Scully: “We won’t be arresting Elon Musk, I can leave that with you.”
On a more serious note, as the Institute for Economic Affairs’ Matthew Lesh pointed out last night, although Elon’s victory might herald the imminent return of free speech to the platform, he’s about to run into a major UK roadblock. Drop the plan, Nadine…
A Camden theatre that receives tens of thousands of taxpayer funding has been slammed for hosting a three-day event with a group that Boris previously described as “apologists for terror”. In April 2021 they were given a £33,671 grant by DCMS…
The Camden People’s Theatre has been accused of a “grotesque lapse of judgement”, compounded after it emerged they’re to soon host one CAGE speaker who previously questioned whether Bin Laden was responsible for 9/11, and another who called Jihadi John a “beautiful young man”. The same week that one Labour council no-platformed comedian Roy Chubby Brown, yet not a peep from Camden council about this…
We're proud to host @BEZNATheatre's People’s Tribunal on Crimes of Aggression: Afghanistan Sessions
— Camden People's Theatre (@CamdenPT) August 10, 2021
The first artistic and independent People's Tribunal marking the War on Terror.
Sept 9-11 (free durational performance): https://t.co/LQiGamGlVE pic.twitter.com/chFIMc4KUZ
The event has been highlighted as part of Policy Exchange’s Understanding Islamism project, which documents the activities of Islamists, both violent and non-violent, and their sympathisers Tory MP and Senior Fellow Nus Ghani said:
“It’s absurd that taxpayers’ money has been allocated to events or individuals who have stated that the Islamic State’s violent Jihadi John is a ‘beautiful young man”.
Fellow senior fellow, and Labour MP, Khalid Mahmood also says it “worries me deeply that official Arts Council and UK Government funding could be going towards something that seems designed to offend the British and American public” Guido expects a swift DCMS review…
This morning’s Telegraph is claiming that bottler Boris is set to drop plans to relax England’s state imposed restrictions on Sunday trading hours. Other news outlets are saying the policy change is being kept ‘under review’. Over the weekend the Sunday Telegraph (how dare they print and distribute on such a special day) claimed that 50 Tories were prepared to vote against liberalisation – although only seven names being made public. In Scotland, businesses are happily free to choose their own trading hours, yet this didn’t stop the SNP shooting down 2016 legislation to legalise it in England…
Guido can reveal an incredibly assiduous campaign was organised by former MP and co-founder of the Conservative Christian Fellowship, David Burrowes, who has been frantically ringing round MPs to get them to oppose the Government, even over the floated temporary year long hiatus in trading restrictions. By contrast, the pro-liberalisation side, led by Nus Ghani, has been dormant in recent weeks and appears to have only amounted to one Sun article two months ago.
High levels of organisation may be obscuring Parliamentary reality on this issue. Guido hears that one of the seven MPs named by the Sunday Telegraph had asked for their name to not be printed. Perhaps this wall of opposition is not as strong as it’s being made out to be…
