Nice line from former PM Gordon Brown on
@BBCr4today
: “the young are economically insecure but medically protected, older people are economically secure but more at risk”
To all of you asking us I have a small update on
@PenFarthing
and
#OperationArk
. A couple of hours ago he told me that nothing was happening yet and that things were difficult and complicated on the ground.
“Thank you for your time and trust, it’s been a privilege “. End of an era as BBC TV Cambridge comes to an end as a separate programme. Best wishes and respect to all my colleagues
Tories tell my colleague
@PaulMoseley1
“this was a terrible mistake we apologise “ they say leaflet was provided by Conservative Central office and no one realised the mistake until they started delivering. Leaflets have now been destroyed.
@BrexitStewart
I have to say I spoke to a senior (and pretty influential ) conservative from a remain background who told me "i thought i'd never say this but for heaven's sake let's leave without a deal now so we can bring this to a quick end".
Looking at the East of England vote we are still a euro sceptic region. But the number of people voting for anti brexit parties has almost trebled - a sign that public opinion is changing?
The former Conservative MP
@KeithSimpsonMP
tells
@sunpol_east
“the one thing you can always rely on with Boris is that he will let you down at the end of the day”.
I understand there’s been big frustration in the Boris camp at the slow pace of free trade deals.
@trussliz
will be expected to step up the pace and make them happen quickly
Tonight we said goodbye to BBC East’s political editor
@GurranMc
. For 22 years she has guided our coverage of regional and national politics on TV, radio and online. We’re going to miss her
Senior Green politician
@natalieben
visiting site of proposed western link road in Norfolk. Describes plans as “a failed 20th century style proposal for dealing with congestion which will cause massive environmental damage we can’t afford”
.
@normanlamb
who was behind two of tonight‘s motions is furious. Tells me “i am ashamed to be a member of this parliament “ and accuses colleagues including fellow libdems of “posturing and not being prepared to compromise “
On Politics East today (now on player) we talked about the cost challenges facing farming and food producers. The brilliant
@ProagriLtd
made this rather thought provoking comment.
Forget the mini budget. The big story today is what is the foreign office doing spending £1800 in the
@NorwichCityFC
club shop!
@CGoreham
trying to find out
How did the Foreign Office manage to spend £4,333.30 on two trips to the hairdresser?
Why has their spending via government procurement cards shot up 45% since last September?
And why won’t they answer these and dozens more related questions?
Read all about it in my letter:
.
@PeterBoneUK
:" I've been trying to persuade the Prime minister to change her policy, but I went to see her this week and she's adamant that she's not going to change her policy so the only way I'm going to change the policy is to change the Prime Minister".
Green party co-leader
@AdrianRamsay
says flooding in East Anglia shows Government not taking climate change seriously & also failing when it comes to flood risk management and planning for new homes. Calls for long term plan to improve flood defences
Former Norwich MP Ian Gibson has died. Former colleague Charles Clarke : “He brought to politics a real understanding of science and its contribution to our civilisation and fought to promote its importance in public debate. He will be much missed.”
.
@pritipatel
appears to get emotional responding to criticism that govt not aware of racism:”It must be a different Home Secretary who as a child was frequently called a paki in the playground, who racially abused in the street & advised to drop her surname to advance career “
.
@PeterBoneUK
tells
#pmqs
: "PM if you continue to apply for an extention to article 50 you will be betraying the british people , if you don't you will be honouring their instruction. it's your choice "
This just out from DCMS: Essential travel does not include visits to second homes, camp sites, caravan parks or similar, whether for isolation purposes or holidays. People should remain in their primary residence. Not taking these steps puts additional pressure on communities
.
@EdwardJDavey
launches lib dem campaign for east of England . “ people across the blue wall are telling us they are fed up with this out of touch government” he says. Talks about mortgages, cost-of-living, NHS, and dirty water.
Lord Tebbitt: “i will vote on May 2nd for my conservative councillors who have deliverrd first class local government in Bury St Edmunds, as to the european elections that is a rather different matter”
.
@tomhunt1988
launches petition in parliament for tougher sentences for pet theft. “ pet theft is a sickening and depraved crime..you can only imagine the sense of loss, anger and hopelessness you would feel if they were snatched away from us in such cruel circumstances”
.
@PeterBoneUK
tells
@sunpol_east
“ when I was out campaigning yesterday the issue of language in house of commons did not come up on the doorsteps...people tell me they just want to get brexit done”
Just two motions got more than 242 votes which is what the PM’s deal got last time: the Ken Clarke one calling for a customs union (264) & 2nd vote one (268)
If I can add my four penny worth to this thread: one moderate brexiteer told me he's had more that 100 emails in a few days complaining about chequers. His staff say haven't had such a sudden response to an issue since expenses crisis
EXCLUSIVE:
@BrandonLewis
and
@GavinBarwell
hosting conference call today with senior Tory regional and area grassroots representatives to gauge anger at Chequers on the doorstep and among the grassroots
Local Mp
@labourlewis
: “When Unilever took over Colmans it promised to respect its history and connection to the city. Today that promise is in tatters “
@paulwaugh
I don’t have this written down anywhere so I can’t quote chapter and verse but I’m sure when this question came up about how to look after children if both parents fell ill the advice was to call your council community hub and they would provide assistance
Former UKIP MP
@DouglasCarswell
tells
#politicseast
there should be no triumphalism on brexit day: “we should reflect that there are good people who voted to stay in EU who have legitimate concerns which the govt should listen to. We need a bit of humility all round “
Dear
@greateranglia
given the terrible trains you are increasingly laying on with no Wi-fi or power sockets or cafe bar (and sometimes few working toilets) can you reduce your fare increases next year by means of apology?
Bad result for Labour in Daventry. Tories GAIN council seat from Labour with 14pc increase in vote share, Lib Dems second with 31pc and Labour third on 29 per cent- down 11 per cent.
Wow! Speaker not happy with
@MattHancock
and the Government for not telling parliament first about the changes to gatherings. Threatens to “run him ragged” by calling him to answer an urgent question every day
.
@MattHancock
opens new ward at Queen Elizabeth hospital in Kings Lynn. After being shown wooden posts holding up roof he accepts that hospital “is in serious need of improvement, I’m assured its safe but this can only be a short term solution “
MPs from the east reacting in the commons today to last night’s meeting in Brussels:
@tomhunt1988
:”The biggest failure would be to capitulate and accept a deal which does not fully respect our sovereignty”
Have discovered an awkward side effect of the vaccination programme: in the last couple of weeks I have inadvertently offended three people by asking them if they’ve been jabbed yet only for them to tell me “of course not, how old do you think I am?”
PM tells
@BBCLookEast
the best way to solve the shortage of workers in haulage & food industry is to pay better wages . says Govt working with food producers and pig industry to see if more can done but says employers “must stop reaching for the lever marked mass immigration.”
@mozzabrum
@BBCNews
What makes you think I’m biased? I didn’t say anything about whose money it was or where it had come from. I just factually reported that some EU money had gone into the centre
So on the day that we learn that the east of England has the fastest growing population we also get new figures which show that the region’s had the lowest amount of levelling up funding from the Government.