Suella Braverman’s language is under scrutiny.
London: The Bank of England was vandalised with paint by a group called “Just Stop Oil”. The next day the BoE Monetary Policy Committee voted by a majority of 7-2 to increase interest rates to 3%. Raising interest rates is the best way the BoE has of getting inflation back down.
There is nothing like a drama to replace a drama and that could be true in UK this week. Suella Braverman’s profile rampages through sound bites and the headlines, be it for being tough on illegal asylum seekers or legitimate Indian immigrants or overcrowding in asylum centres. Braverman’s language is under scrutiny, as are overall net migration figures and the time UK takes to process applications.
Suddenly attendance at COP27 in Egypt became the topic du jour. Earlier King Charles was advised not to go by former PM Liz Truss and then allegedly by PM Rishi Sunak. This surprised many as the King has been on the environment’s side since 1970. Sunak himself initially declined to go but former PM Boris Johnson is determined to go; then the King decided to host a spontaneous reception for 200 international guests at Buckingham Palace to discuss what had been achieved since COP26; Sunak and US Climate Envoy John Kerry are listed as attending.
As European leaders, Scholz and Meloni all confirmed their attendance in Sharm el Sheik, so did Sunak, in what is being seen a fourth U-turn in his premiership; he has reintroduced the ban on fracking in the UK, abandoned the £10 penalty for missing a doctor’s appointment, and Sunak is also considering postponing the Retained EU Law Bill, if the laws covering 2,400 pieces of legislation are not changed or amended. The current timeline of 100 days for completion across 21 government departments is thought to be too rushed and risky.
The PM is also carrying out an “across the board” review of pledges he made during the summer in his leadership campaign. In the meantime, he is sticking to the promises in the 2019 Manifesto.