Connect with us

Politics

Liz Truss’s Controversial Resignation Honours List Sparks Backlash

Published

on

(CTN News) – Liz Truss, who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for the shortest amount of time, has revealed her resignation honors list, which has prompted a furious outcry from certain critics.

Liz Truss, who served in government for a total of 49 days, put forth the names of former Vote Leave leader Matthew Elliott and Conservative contributor Jon Moynihan for possible seats in the Lords.

A former senior Liz Truss aide named Ruth Porter is likewise elevated to the status of peer.

Rishi Sunak has been subjected to calls to block Liz Truss’s list although it is customary for outgoing Prime Ministers to designate individuals for honors.

Downing Street insiders disputed that this was an attempt to minimize publicity of Ms. Truss’s list, despite the fact that her eleven nominations, which are primarily comprised of political supporters and former aides, were announced at the same time as the list of New Year’s Honours.

“It will feel like an insult to many to see Liz Truss handing out peerages to friends and supporters after her disastrously short stint as prime minister,” said Willie Sullivan, senior director for campaigns at the Electoral Reform Society. “It will feel like an insult to many.”

“It looks like the political class dishing out rewards for failure at a time when many people are still suffering the effects from her turbulent premiership.”

In addition, the names of Conservative MP Alec Shelbrooke, a former minister of defense procurement who supported Ms. Truss’s candidacy for the leadership of the Conservative Party, are included on what her aides are referring to as a “modest” list.

The member of parliament for Elmet and Rothwell is being honored with a knighthood, and the member of parliament for Thurrock, the Tory, Jackie Doyle-Price, who has been a longtime friend of Liz Truss and who served as a business minister during her brief tenure in No. 10, is being inducted as a dame.

In recognition of her contributions to the field of mathematics education as the creator of the charitable organization Maths Anxiety Trust, novelist Shirley Conran, who is the only non-political individual on the list, is designated as a dame.

“I am delighted that these champions for the conservative causes of freedom, limited government, and a proud and sovereign Britain have been suitably honoured,” said Liz Truss, who had previously fought for the United Kingdom to remain a member of the European Union (EU) but later became a standard-bearer for the Tory right, which supports the Brexit policy.

In October of 2022, Liz Truss was compelled to step down from her position as Prime Minister due to the fact that her mini-budget caused some economic turbulence.

Rishi Sunak had been urged by both Labour and the Liberal Democrats to prevent her resignation from being honored on the list.

“This list is proof positive of Rishi Sunak’s weakness and a slap in the face to working people who are paying the price of the Tories crashing the economy,” said Jonathan Ashworth, who is the shadow Cabinet Office minister for the Labour Party.

“Honours should be for those committed to public service, not rewards for Tory failure.”

Deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats Daisy Cooper commented: “Truss handing out gongs after blowing a hole in the public finances and leaving families reeling from spiralling mortgage costs calls this whole honours system into disrepute.”

Downing Street stated that Liz Truss’s list had been subjected to all of the customary inspections and that it had been released at the same time as the New Year’s Honours. This was due to the fact that the list had only recently been finalized.

“This is a long-standing and ongoing convention, which even predates the creation of the Labour Party,” said a source from Downing Street. “Every previous prime minister of the Labour Party has issued a Dissolution or Resignation List.”

“The convention is that the incumbent prime minister does not block the political peerage proposals of others,” the source said, adding that the plans included “dubious” former picks made by Labour.

It was stated by Hannah White, the director of the Institute for Government think tank, that resignation honors threw the entire honors system into contempt and that they ought to be eliminated.

A person being given a job for life and the ability to legislate on behalf of the country “on the say so of a single individual” was a specific issue, according to her, and the distribution of peerages was a particular difficulty.

Matthew Elliott, one of the founders of the Taxpayers Alliance, which is campaigning for lower taxes, is one of the three new peers that Liz Truss has included on her list of potential candidates. Vote Leave, the primary pro-Brexit campaign that was running during the EU referendum in 2016, had him serving as its chief executive.

Ruth Porter, who was the campaign manager for the Tory party’s leadership in the election and who also temporarily worked as the deputy chief of staff for the Prime Minister at No. 10, now holds a seat in the House of Lords.

In addition, Jon Moynihan, who served as the chairman of the Vote Leave campaign and was a former chief executive officer and chairman of PA Consulting Group, is planning to take a seat on the red benches of the Lords.

The register of financial interests of members of parliament reveals that he contributed fifty thousand pounds to the Tory leadership campaign of Ms. Truss through two distinct transactions.

Rob Butler, a member of parliament for the Conservative Party, and Suzanne Webb, a former ministerial aide, have both been awarded the title of Commander of the British Empire.

On top of that, Liz Truss has bestowed the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) upon her former Downing Street special advisors, Sophie Jarvis and Shabbir Merali. Additionally, she has bestowed the title of Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) upon her South West Norfolk constituency party chairman, David Hills.

Continue Reading

Politics

Millennials in Canada Have Turned their Backs on Justin Trudeau

Published

on

By

Millennials are increasingly distancing themselves from Trudeau
Millennials are increasingly distancing themselves from Trudeau - CBC Image

Justine Trudeau and his Liberal Party are currently engaged in a fierce battle for second place against Jagmeet Singh’s socialist NDP, as both parties find themselves trailing by 20 points behind Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives.

A recent poll indicates that 38% of Canadians consider Trudeau to be the most ineffective leader the nation has encountered in over fifty years. An impressive 47% of Canadian Millennials indicated they would support Poilievre if an election were to take place today, while nearly half of all Canadians express a desire for an election to be called this year.

Pierre Poilievre’s strong appeal among young voters can be attributed primarily to economic factors: soaring inflation, a pressing cost-of-living crisis, and the challenge of housing affordability are pushing many away from the Liberals, who have held power for nearly nine years.

According to UnHeard, Millennials are increasingly distancing themselves from Trudeau due to his stringent measures aimed at controlling the internet to combat alleged disinformation, as well as his climate change initiatives, notably the carbon tax.

protest in downtown Toronto against mass immigration took place on Canada Day

Protest in downtown Toronto against mass immigration on Canada Day – TNC Image

An increasing number of Canadians are becoming aware of Trudeau’s ineffective policies and his approach to mass immigration. This past summer, there was significant outrage among parents of teenagers and young adults as they observed their children remaining at home without jobs.

The primary concern stemmed from the fact that most low-skilled and entry-level positions were being filled by unskilled, temporary foreign workers, predominantly from India.

There has been a notable rise in criminal activities linked to international students and unvetted temporary residents who are becoming involved with Punjabi gangs in Canada, contributing to a surge in auto thefts nationwide.

Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives are actively seeking to alter Trudeau’s approach to mass immigration and prioritize the construction of more housing should they come into power.

Significantly, Pierre Poilievre is perceived as more trustworthy than Trudeau, with over half of Canadians characterizing Poilievre as “open and honest about his actions, decisions, and intentions,” while only 39% share that sentiment regarding Trudeau.

The characteristics in question may shed light on Poilievre’s favorable polling, particularly among younger voters and women, who have historically leaned towards the Liberals or the NDP rather than the Conservatives.

The Liberal Party’s support has dwindled to an estimated 7% of Canadians, revealing a significant number of disillusioned voters eager for transformation. Poilievre is emerging as the type of leader that resonates with the desires of many Canadians.

Related News:

Trudeau Now Using Abortion Scare Tactics to Recapture Voters

Trudeau Now Using Abortion Scare Tactics to Recapture Voters

Continue Reading

Politics

U.N. Special Rapporteur Calls on Thailand’s Banks to Cut-Off Myanmar Junta

Published

on

UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar Tom Andrews speaks during a press conference after a meeting with Thailand's Parliamentary Committee

The U.N special rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar has said the Bank of Thailand, commercial banks, and the anti-money laundering office are working on measures to stop the Myanmar Junta from acquiring weapons through Thailand’s banking system.

Tom Andrews the U.N. special rapporteur for human rights in Myanmar, said that some banks commercial in Thailand had aided Myanmar Junta’s by facilitating transactions that supplied military equipment to the Junta through the international banking system.

He called on the Bank of Thailand and financial institutions to do more to stop Myanmar’s junta acquiring weapons which they use on civilians to maintain power.

The special rapporteur was in Bangkok to address a parliamentary committee on security, he called on the Thai government to stop financial transactions that help supply weapons to Myanmar’s junta in line with a plan promoted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that sets out an end to violence as a first step toward peace.

In his 2023 report “The Billion Dollar Death Trade,” Andrews noted that Singapore had implemented a clear policy opposing the transfer of weapons to Myanmar.

Thailand's Banks

Thai Baht – File Image

Thailand’s Banks Lacked Clear Policy

As a result, exports of weapons and related materials from Singapore-registered entities using the formal banking system dropped from almost U.S. $120 million in fiscal year 2022 to just over $10 million over the next 12 months.

However, he said Thailand had no explicit policy position opposing weapons transfer to the Myanmar Junta, which saw exports from Thai-registered entities more than double in 2023, from just over $60 million to nearly $130 million.

He called on Thai Government to conduct a thorough investigation into transfers as Singapore had done into its companies’ dealings.

Andrews told the the committee that five Thai commercial banks and Thai-based companies were assisting Myanmar’s junta obtain weapons, dual-technology items and jet fuel, enabling Military Junta to conduct atrocities against the people.

But said he had found no evidence that the Thai government was involved or was aware of the transactions or that Thai commercial banks had knowledge.

Thailand's Banks

Photo courtesy of The Nation

Banks Condemn Myanmar Junta Violence

Meanwhile representatives from Thailand’s central bank, anti-money laundering office and the commercial banks named in the report were also present at the parliamentary meeting at government house in Bangkok.

A representative of the Bank of Thailand said officials were working with the commercial banks and the anti-money laundering office to make sure that enhanced oversight was properly practiced.

The Thai Bankers Association that was also at the parliamentary meeting said it did not have the means to investigate and monitor such irregularities beyond Thailand’s borders.

Mr. Pongsit Chaichatpornsuk, a Thai Bankers Association representative told the committee that If government security agencies tell us, we will stop transactions. We don’t support arms procurement by Myanmar Junta or any military government to violate human rights.

Thailand, which shares a long border with Myanmar and hosts many thousands of refugees fleeing conflict there, has tried to promote dialogue between Myanmar’s military rulers and opposition forces but no progress has been made.

This Article was first published in RFA

Continue Reading

Politics

People Rushing Sign Online Petition to Impeach South Korea’s President Crash Site

Published

on

South Korea's President

The Speaker of the National Assembly of South Korea said in a statement that an online petition calling for South Korea’s President Mr. Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment crashed due to the enormous number of individuals attempting to sign the petition. Saying the National Assembly would resolve the matter as quickly as possible.

Since the petition was launch on the National Assembly’s website on June 20, more than 811,000 people have signed it. The petition urges Parliament to introduce legislation to impeach President Yoon on the grounds that he is unfit for office.

Late on June 30, National Assembly Speaker Mr. Woo Won-shik issued an apology for the disturbance and stated that Parliament would take action to protect the public’s fundamental rights.

People attempting to access the petition on July 1 experienced delays of up to four hours. At one point, an error message indicated that more than 30,000 individuals were waiting to access the site.

South Korea’s Parliament Hesitant

The online petition accuses Yoon of corruption, escalating the risk of conflict with North Korea, and endangering South Koreans’ health by failing to prevent Japan from leaking treated radioactive water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant.

By law, Parliament must assign every petition signed by more than 50,000 people to a committee, which will then decide whether to put it to a vote in the assembly.

However, the opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in Parliament, is hesitant to turn the petition into an impeachment bill, according to media reports, with a spokesperson stating that the party has yet to address the topic.

The Parliament can impeach a president with a two-thirds majority. The Constitutional Court then deliberates the motion and decides whether to remove or reinstall the president.

Meanwhile, on Monday Reuters reported North Korea criticized a joint military exercise performed this month by South Korea, Japan, and the United States, according to official media, saying such drills demonstrate the three nations’ alliance has evolved into “the Asian version of NATO”.

On Thursday, the three countries began large-scale combined military drills named “Freedom Edge” featuring navy destroyers, fighter fighters, and the nuclear-powered US aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, with the goal of strengthening defenses against missiles, submarines, and air strikes.

The drill was designed at a three-way meeting at Camp David last year to boost military cooperation amid concerns on the Korean peninsula caused by North Korea’s weapons testing.

Pyongyang will not overlook the strengthening of a military bloc led by the United States and its allies, and it would respond aggressively and decisively to defend regional peace, according to North Korea’s foreign ministry, as reported by KCNA.

 

Continue Reading

Trending