First haircut since September.. no holidays to talk about so we talked about #brexit and #covid.
On #brexit apparently hairdressers - or mine at least - gets all his supplies from the EU. just restocked to reopen. prices have doubled since he last ordered.. puts it down to #brexit.. even if these are teething costs -- will they go back down?
frustration that the local council @RBKC slow and bureaucratic in processing loans.. systems not talking to each other. big burdens on small business of reapplying even where they know businesses have been shut. Money coming after needed.
But now choc-a-bloc with appointments.. so that is good news.. and he has just about kept his head above water.. Hopefully by time of next haircut can talk about something else (and get glossy mags back)
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
Some thoughts on the Cameron/Greensill/Crothers affair.. we have focussed a lot on ministers and civil servants. The rules clearly need tightening up - but at least there is a semblance of rules - but there is a grey area.
One of the Maude/Crothers reforms of the Cabinet Office was to bring in a lot of business expertise.. give them desks in govt -- and a role advising on managing contracts with strategic suppliers
So what exactly is the Office for Health Promotion? it clearly is part 2 of the plan to reform @PHE_UK (@instituteforgov explainer here) - the creation of Andrew Lansley as part of his reforms
PHE's infection control and preparedness functions are already going to the National Institute for Health Protection under Dido Harding. That was part one of its dismemberment gov.uk/government/pub…
Govt said back then it would think about what to do about PHE's wider health promotion activities. Those campaigns on obesity, tobacco, alcohol etc that PHE did will now be undertaken by the Office of Health Promotion gov.uk/government/new…
ooh PM @CommonsLiaison - first question on #netzero and whether COP unit needs more resources - "well staffed" but will be beefed up through the year. PM talking up NZ commitments (but big question will be what about 2030)?
@CommonsLiaison Now Jones pointing out policy contradictions..(Cumbria, APD, aid cut) PM points to NDC (68% by 2030 over 1990) and "incredible record of doing it.." PM seems very on this... "colossal amount done"
@CommonsLiaison now on to Oneweb ... did PM sign the cheque -- this is a more flustered answer...were he and the CX involved? "whole of govt commitment" - BEIS does space strategy..
Its bureaucrat day @ukandeu#Brexitwitnessarchive where we feature interviews with former UK perm rep Ivan Rogers and former Commission official Jonathan Faull - two sides of the Cameron renegotiation. Ivan is as forthright as you might expect.
Rogers takes the view that the 2011 European Council was a key turning point - when David Cameron realised a veto was not enough
lots of gory details on how we got there.. and lots of Whitehall recriminations afterwards.. but what mattered is where it ended up
this raises questions about internal legal advice (remember the Foreign Secretary was once an FCO lawyer) and the judgement of the permanent secretary Philip Barton - should he have asked for a direction?
The International Development Act is vague.. it looks as though its about a retrospective miss - not a plan for a "temporary" cut.. may now be tested in the courts.