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Sun, 24 September 2023

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Caitlin Doherty

Caitlin is a reporter at PoliticsHome having previously written for The Yorkshire Post and PA.

Yorkshire Mayor Wants Net Zero Devolved Accusing Rishi Sunak Of 'Dereliction' Of Leadership
Environment
By Caitlin Doherty
Yorkshire Mayor Wants Net Zero Devolved Accusing Rishi Sunak Of "Dereliction" Of Leadership
Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin has reiterated calls for net zero decision making to be handed to regional leaders, after she said that Rishi Sunak “won’t” make “tough choices” as he watered down a number of the UK’s climate pledges.
Most People Back Net Zero – But Not When It Impacts Their Finances
Environment
By Caitlin Doherty
Most People Back Net Zero – But Not When It Impacts Their Finances
Polling has shown that most people across the UK want government action and are enthusiastic about net zero policies, but that support starts to waver when people feel like it might cost them money.
Government Goes Back To The Drawing Board On Housebuilding After Lords Defeat
Environment
By Caitlin Doherty
Government Goes Back To The Drawing Board On Housebuilding After Lords Defeat
Government will “consider the next steps” on how to change pollution regulations which they claim have hindered housebuilding, following a defeat in the House of Lords on an amendment to scrap the EU-era law on nutrient neutrality.
Labour Curveball Could Force Government To Reshape Plan To Scrap Nutrient Neutrality Rule
Environment
By Caitlin Doherty
Labour Curveball Could Force Government To Reshape Plan To Scrap Nutrient Neutrality Rule
Labour could force the government into reshaping its plan to scrap EU pollution laws in order to boost housebuilding, even if the proposals are backed in the House of Lords as the Levelling Up Bill makes its way through parliament.
Lords Could Kill Government's Plan To Ditch EU Nutrient Neutrality Rule
Environment
By Caitlin Doherty
Lords Could Kill Government's Plan To Ditch EU Nutrient Neutrality Rule
The House of Lords could block the government’s plans to ditch EU era laws on water pollution to build more homes, as parliamentary procedure means MPs will not have the chance to resurrect the plans if peers reject them as they work through the Levelling Up Bill.
Ministry Of Justice Held An Urgent Meeting With Prison Staff Over Concrete Crisis
Home affairs
By Caitlin Doherty
Ministry Of Justice Held An Urgent Meeting With Prison Staff Over Concrete Crisis
Ministry Of Justice officials held an urgent meeting with prison workers' unions on Thursday, as staff grow increasingly concerned about the possible presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in jails.
Councils Fear Being Cast Adrift By Government To Deal With Crumbling Concrete
Communities
By Caitlin Doherty
Councils Fear Being Cast Adrift By Government To Deal With Crumbling Concrete
Local government figures have expressed concern that councils could be left with a "time ticking bomb” of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in public buildings if government doesn't provide financial support to address the issue.

Conservatives Could Still Find A Glimmer Of Hope In Looming Double By-Election
Political parties
By Caitlin Doherty
Conservatives Could Still Find A Glimmer Of Hope In Looming Double By-Election
Two more by-elections are the last thing the troubled Tory party could want right now, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak once again facing a battle to defend two of his party’s previously safe seats following the resignations of Nadine Dorries and Chris Pincher. 
Chris Pincher To Resign Tamworth Seat, Triggering Another By-Election
Political parties
By Caitlin Doherty
Chris Pincher To Resign Tamworth Seat, Triggering Another By-Election
Disgraced MP Chris Pincher has said that he has “made arrangements to resign” after he lost an appeal against an eight-week suspension from the Commons following groping allegations.
Ministers Accused Of 'Lack Of Planning' By Forcing Childcare Into Levelling Up Bill
Communities
By Caitlin Doherty
Ministers Accused Of "Lack Of Planning" By Forcing Childcare Into Levelling Up Bill
Ministers have been accused of a “lack of planning” after childcare reforms were tagged onto the already heavily loaded Levelling Up Bill ahead of its final parliamentary stages.
Who's In The Labour Shadow Cabinet After Keir Starmer's Reshuffle
Political parties
By Caitlin Doherty
Who's In The Labour Shadow Cabinet After Keir Starmer's Reshuffle
Labour leader Keir Starmer has reshuffled the shadow cabinet, assembling Labour veterans to get his top team into shape ahead of the next general election, due to be called next year.
Parliament Braces To Take On 'Contentious' Backlog Of Levelling Up Bill
Communities
By Caitlin Doherty
Parliament Braces To Take On "Contentious" Backlog Of Levelling Up Bill
The most "contentious" parts of the Levelling Up Bill will move to the top of the agenda when it returns to Parliament next week, with MPs and Peers braced for sticking points to be bounced back and forth between the houses of Lords and Commons throughout the autumn.
Give Local Areas More Control Over Their Spending, Says Leading Economic Think Tank
Social affairs
By Caitlin Doherty
Give Local Areas More Control Over Their Spending, Says Leading Economic Think Tank
Providing local areas with more control over how they spend money handed out by government could help better ensure that cash is allocated where it is most needed, according to a new report.
Tory MP Insists Leaving ECHR Has 'No Majority' Support In The Conservative Party
Political parties
By Caitlin Doherty
Tory MP Insists Leaving ECHR Has "No Majority" Support In The Conservative Party
A Tory MP who leads the UK delegation to the Council of Europe has said there is "no majority" of support in the Conservative Party for pulling out of the European Convention Of Human Rights (ECHR) after immigration minister Robert Jenrick did not rule out such a move in order to achieve the UK's goals to end illegal Channel crossings.
Lib Dems Calculate Newly Drawn Seats Could Boost Their Chances In Tory Targets
Political parties
By Caitlin Doherty
Lib Dems Calculate Newly Drawn Seats Could Boost Their Chances In Tory Targets
Liberal Democrat campaigners are increasingly confident that newly redrawn constituency boundaries for the next election could give them a boost at the polls in some seats where they have already seen success in local elections.
Parliament Needs Tens Of Thousands Of Unscheduled Repair Jobs Every Year
Parliament
By Caitlin Doherty
Parliament Needs Tens Of Thousands Of Unscheduled Repair Jobs Every Year
A leading expert on parliament's restoration has warned that parliament will require huge amounts of work to "keep the lights on, the air flowing and the sewage working" as new data shows that tens of thousands of unexpected repair jobs are needed on the estate every year.

Northern Tories Want To Ramp Up Foreign Investment And Devolution In The Region
Political parties
By Caitlin Doherty
Northern Tories Want To Ramp Up Foreign Investment And Devolution In The Region
Extending devolution and attracting foreign investment into the North of England are likely to be among the ideas prioritised in a northern manifesto currently being developed by the regions’ Conservative MPs, PoliticsHome understands.
Parliament In Disrepair Left Vulnerable To High Energy Costs, As Bill Hits Almost £1m
Parliament
By Caitlin Doherty
Parliament In Disrepair Left Vulnerable To High Energy Costs, As Bill Hits Almost £1m
Parliament’s age and disrepair has left it vulnerable to rising energy costs, a parliamentary expert has warned, after new data showed the bill for gas and electricity had already reached almost £1m for the first two months of this financial year.
Tough Night For Tories With Historic Labour And Lib Dem By-Election Wins
Political parties
By Caitlin Doherty
Tough Night For Tories With Historic Labour And Lib Dem By-Election Wins
Rishi Sunak has avoided a triple by-election defeat, but there will be nervousness in Number 10 following huge swings to the Liberal Democrats in Somerset and Labour in North Yorkshire.
Labour Win Selby And Ainsty In Historic By-Election Result
Political parties
By Caitlin Doherty
Labour Win Selby And Ainsty In Historic By-Election Result
Labour has overturned a Conservative majority of more than 20,000 to win the by-election in Selby and Ainsty, in a major blow for Rishi Sunak in a previously safe seat.
Speaker's Conference Decline Reform Of MP Employee Arrangements Despite Abuse Of Power Warning
Parliament
By Caitlin Doherty
Speaker's Conference Decline Reform Of MP Employee Arrangements Despite Abuse Of Power Warning
The Speaker’s Conference, chaired by Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle, has recommended that staff should continue to be employed by MPs, rather than an independent body, despite warnings that those working in Parliament “will not have adequate protections from abuses of power”.
Susan Hall Chosen As Conservative Candidate For Mayor Of London
Political parties
By Caitlin Doherty
Susan Hall Chosen As Conservative Candidate For Mayor Of London
Susan Hall will be the Conservative candidate for Mayor of London at next year's election, after winning 57 per cent of a party membership vote.
Illegal Migration Bill To Become Law, But Rebels Still Insist It's 'Hostile And Unworkable'
Home affairs
By Caitlin Doherty
Illegal Migration Bill To Become Law, But Rebels Still Insist It's "Hostile And Unworkable"
The controversial Illegal Migration Bill is set to become law having passed its final parliamentary stages, but there are still questions over its practicality from peers who had attempted to adapt it.
Government Says It 'Can't Accept' Lords Amendments To Illegal Migration Bill
Home affairs
By Caitlin Doherty
Government Says It "Can't Accept" Lords Amendments To Illegal Migration Bill
Immigration minister Robert Jenrick has called on peers in the House of Lords to “move forward" to pass the government's Illegal Migration bill, insisting MPs “can’t accept” amendments as the controversial legislation goes down to the wire.
Parliamentary Authorities Investigating Burst Glass Ceiling In MPs' Office Building
Parliament
By Caitlin Doherty
Parliamentary Authorities Investigating Burst Glass Ceiling In MPs' Office Building
Parliamentary authorities have launched an investigation after a glass ceiling panel collapsed, causing gallons of water to fall from the roof into a crowded communal area of Portcullis House on Tuesday.
Parliament Is Braced For Illegal Migration Bill 'Ping Pong' Between MPs and Lords
Home affairs
By Caitlin Doherty
Parliament Is Braced For Illegal Migration Bill 'Ping Pong' Between MPs and Lords
Parliament is bracing for further back and forths on the government's controversial Illegal Migration Bill, following a series of defeats in the House of Lords.
Archbishop Could Force Government Into International Refugee Plan With Illegal Migration Bill
Home affairs
By Caitlin Doherty
Archbishop Could Force Government Into International Refugee Plan With Illegal Migration Bill
An amendment to the Illegal Migration Bill put forward by the Archbishop of Canterbury could force the government into formulating a 10-year international plan to tackle trafficking and the refugee crisis if it passes the Lords.
Labour Insists Sue Gray Appointment Complied With Rules After Code Breach Ruling
Political parties
By Caitlin Doherty
Labour Insists Sue Gray Appointment Complied With Rules After Code Breach Ruling
Labour has accused the government of a “political stunt” after a Whitehall inquiry concluded that former senior civil servant Sue Gray had broken the civil service code during the recruitment process to become Keir Starmer's new chief of staff.

Zac Goldsmith Quits Government Saying Rishi Sunak Is 'Uninterested' In Environment
Environment
By Caitlin Doherty
Zac Goldsmith Quits Government Saying Rishi Sunak Is "Uninterested" In Environment
Lord Zac Goldsmith has resigned as a foreign office minister, accusing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of being “uninterested” in environmental policy.
What You Need To Know About MPs' Seat Boundaries Changing
Political parties
By Caitlin Doherty
What You Need To Know About MPs' Seat Boundaries Changing
The Boundary Commissions, which decide the layout of Westminster parliamentary constituencies have published their final recommendations of where MPs' seat boundaries should be drawn ahead of the next general election.
Lords Will 'Fight' Government On Complying With International Law In Illegal Migration Bill
Home affairs
By Caitlin Doherty
Lords Will "Fight" Government On Complying With International Law In Illegal Migration Bill
Peers will introduce an amendment designed to force the government to comply with international law when the illegal migration bill returns to the House of Lords this week, in what one peer described as its next “fight” with the government.
MPs Call For 'Blanket' Ban On Detaining And Removing Child Asylum Seekers
Home affairs
By Caitlin Doherty
MPs Call For "Blanket" Ban On Detaining And Removing Child Asylum Seekers
A cross-party committee of MPs has called for a "blanket" ban on detaining and removing asylum seeking children to Rwanda, which their chair says goes further than other previous interventions on the government’s controversial policy.
New Voter ID Rules Stopped Some People From Voting
Communities
By Caitlin Doherty
New Voter ID Rules Stopped Some People From Voting
New data from the Electoral Commission has shown that around one in 25 people who did not vote at this year's local elections did so because of new voter ID rules.
Poor Workplace Wellbeing Is Driving Over-50s Out Of Employment Market
Political parties
By Caitlin Doherty
Poor Workplace Wellbeing Is Driving Over-50s Out Of Employment Market
A focus on wellbeing and health rather than economic incentives should be a key priority for ministers working out how to get economically inactive people back to work, according to a policy expert.
Boris Johnson Doesn't Want MPs To Vote Against Partygate Sanctions
Political parties
By Caitlin Doherty
Boris Johnson Doesn't Want MPs To Vote Against Partygate Sanctions
Monday's Commons vote on the Privileges Committee's findings that Boris Johnson deliberately misled Parliament over Downing Street parties during lockdown may now be nodded through after Boris Johnson is believed to have advised his backers to not vote against it.
Nicola Sturgeon Released Without Charge After SNP Finance Probe Arrest
Political parties
By Caitlin Doherty
Nicola Sturgeon Released Without Charge After SNP Finance Probe Arrest
Nicola Sturgeon, the former first minister of Scotland, has been released without charge pending further investigation after being arrested in connection with the investigation into the Scottish National Party's finances.