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Queen's Speech could be delivered without majority as Theresa May's DUP talks falter
DUP
demands a 'greater focus' to the negotiations on the Conservative
side, adding 'The party can't be taken for granted'
Theresa
May and Arlene Foster, the DUP
leaderclass="Apple-converted-space" Reuters
20 June,2017
Theresa May faces the
embarrassment of her Queen's Speech going ahead without the backing
of the Democratic Unionist Party – ten days after she claimed a
deal was done.
The right-wing Northern
Ireland party warned the Prime Minister it “can't be taken for
granted”, as the long-running negotiations appeared to run into
trouble.
DUP sources also took aim
at the lack of “negotiating experience” on the Conservative side
– a serious criticism, a day after the separate Brexit talks also
got underway.
An agreement appeared
unlikely before Wednesday’s Queen’s Speech, denying Ms May the
guaranteed Commons majority she was seeking when she sought the DUP’s
support.
If the party abstains on
the crucial Queen’s Speech vote, the Prime Minister will rely on
all her MPs voting in order for it to scrape through with a majority
of just two.
But the DUP source said
agreement before the State Opening of Parliament could not entirely
be ruled out, if there was movement in the talks between the parties
later today.
The talks are attempting
to secure a “confidence and supply” arrangement, rather than a
full-blown coalition, after the Tories lost their Commons majority.
Why the DUP is so
controversial
It would mean the DUP
backing the Government on its Budget and other key votes and –
crucially – preventing it being brought down by motions of no
confidence.
Ten days ago, Downing
Street claimed an outline agreement had been reached, but was forced
to backtrack after a DUP spokesman denied it.
Now, with the Queen’s
Speech just hours away, the DUP has made known that it wants the
Government to give “greater focus” to the negotiations, adding:
“The party can't be taken for granted.
“The negotiations
haven't proceeded in a way that DUP would have expected,” the
source also told Sky News
The delay is believed to
have been caused by the DUP’s big financial demands, for both
higher public spending in Northern Ireland and lucrative tax breaks.
On Monday, the Prime
Minister was forced to bow to pressure to publish the full details of
any agreement, amid rising concern about the potential cost.
John McDonnell, Labour’s
shadow Chancellor, wrote to the Treasury over reports that the DUP is
seeking an exemption from air passenger duty levied at airports in
Northern Ireland
If granted, that demand
would cost at least £90m a year, Mr McDonnell said - enough to pay
for “2,000 firefighters”.
Meanwhile, Sinn Fein and
the SDLP, as well as the cross-community Alliance Party, warned that
a deal would undermine attempts to restore the power-sharing
executive at Stormont.
Asked about the
continuing delay, a Number 10 spokesman would say only that talks
were “ongoing”.
The DUP also opposes
axing the “triple lock” guarantee on pension increases and
means-testing winter fuel payments – Tory manifesto pledges likely
to be dropped from the Queen’s Speech.
Tom Brake, the Liberal
Democrat Brexit spokesman, said: “After one week of talks, we are
no closer to finding out what the DUP have asked for and what
concessions are being made.
“This is the first time
in decades that a Prime Minister will propose a Queen's Speech
without a Commons majority.
“Her failure to reach a
deal in time with the DUP doesn't bode well for the tough Brexit
talks head.”
Grenfell
victims are sleeping in cars and parks, says Kensington MP
20
June, 2017
Victims
of the Grenfell Tower disaster have resorted to living in cars and
parks, the local MP has claimed.
Emma
Dent Coad, the newly-elected Labour MP for Kensington, described the
"total chaos" in the borough at a Justice for Grenfell
march on Monday night.
"People
have been sleeping in cars and in parks because they don't know where
to go and they aren't being looked after," she told Sky News.
"Secondly
they need to be re-housed permanently and thirdly they need a
long-term care package... people who'll always be there for them."
At the Grenfell Tower operations site. If you wish to donate to families who have lost everything please dig deep:
It
has been confirmed that at least some victims of the blaze have been
rehomed in hotels.
The
government said 126 hotel places have been given to families while 78
were due to be homed in properties locally or in a neighbouring
borough by Monday night.
The
blaze happened just under a week ago and there have been claims
residents have not had proper access to cash or accommodation after
the devastating fire that took their belongings, homes and loved
ones.
Ms
Dent Coad previously criticised the council's response to the blaze.
She
told The Guardian: "There was no council presence. The council
has issued press releases and we had the leader of the council and
the deputy leader of the council wandering around giving press
interviews. They weren’t making sure the relief effort was being
coordinated.
“They
weren’t making sure that people utterly traumatised who have lost
family members and neighbours, or who thought they may have, that
there was any kind of support for them.
"I’ve
had people on the phone this morning saying we’ve got to get
counsellors down here, people are beside themselves with grief, they
are not coping and there’s no social support for them.”
Local
councillor Judith Blakeman previously said that while most Grenfell
victims are happy with their hotel accommodation, some have been put
in B&Bs with no working shower.
Judith
Blakeman said she had spoken to at least two people who had been put
in "really horrible B&Bs".
She
said she attended a private meeting of survivors on Monday, where she
heard that one man was moved from a very basic and dirty room to a
second substandard bed and breakfast where the showers were not
working.
It
has also been announced that a total of £202,000 of government money
has been handed out to 180 families who were directly affected by the
Grenfell Tower fire.
The
payouts were recorded, as of lunchtime on Monday, by the newly set-up
Grenfell Response Team (GRT) which is now managing the official
response and support operation to the tragedy.
The
payments are being made up of £500 cash and £5,000, which is to go
into bank accounts. So far, 126 hotel places have been found for
residents of Grenfell Towers and Grenfell Walk.
There
are also 78 families who have been assessed and are on course to be
placed in properties that are local or in the neighbouring borough by
the end of the day. None of these properties are in tower blocks
#GRENFELL RESIDENTS MAY LOSE CUSTODY OF CHILDREN IF REJECT DISTANT ACCOMMODATION
.
·
As
the SKWAWKBOX covered at the weekend, in spite of promises to the
contrary by Theresa May and the local council some residents of
Grenfell Tower have been offered accommodation in Preston and even as
far north as Northumberland – and threatened with being labelled
‘intentionally homeless’ if they refuse the offer.
Being
judged ‘intentionally’ homeless would mean the withdrawal of
support and the loss of a position on housing lists.
But
it has emerged that it can also mean losing custody of your children.
Intentional
homelessness when dependent children are involved usually results in
the involvement of social services and, as a government document on
intentional homelessness confirms, Social Services departments,
frequently
limit their response to ‘offering’ to take the children into
care.
The
document goes on to elaborate that the government’s
aim
should be to avoid families being split up as a consequence of
homelessness through a mix of better prevention services and support
packages and the use of other means of intervention such as
anti-social behaviour orders where appropriate
but
offers no guarantee that the aim must be successfully achieved.
The
inhumanity of the attempts to pressure Grenfell survivors into
accepting unsuitable or distant accommodation is even more profound
than it at first appeared.
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