MPs headed off on a 10-day break on Thursday after Keir Starmer survived a week of turmoil. Here we look at the decisions and documents snuck out on the last day before recess
Keir Starmer will be relieved to have made it to Parliament’s recess after a week of turmoil.
The PM survived a crisis on Monday as his premiership teetered on the brink, only for Cabinet ministers to rally behind him and shore up his position. After a frantic few days MPs headed back to their constituencies for a 10 day break, with No10 hoping for an outbreak of calm.
In time-honoured fashion, the last day was a chance for the Government to sneak out decisions and documents on the eve of the Commons recess. Here we look at some of the key things that happened on the last day before the break.
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Third major No10 departure in a week
Shortly before 5pm on the day before recess, the Government announced the country’s top civil servant had stood down.
Cabinet Secretary Sir Chris Wormald became the third major departure from No10 in the space of a week – after the PM’s chief-of-staff and director of communications.
Sir Chris said in a statement: “It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as a civil servant for the past 35 years, and a particular distinction to lead the Service as Cabinet Secretary.
“I want to place on record my sincere thanks to the extraordinary civil servants, public servants, ministers, and advisers I have worked with. Our country is fortunate to have such dedicated individuals devoted to public service, and I wish them every success for the future.”
Update on Peter Mandelson crisis
Ministers gave an update on the potentially tens of thousands of documents due to be released surrounding Peter Mandelson’s appointment as the UK’s ambassador to Washington.
Darren Jones, the PM’s Chief Secretary, told MPs in a written statement: “We will publish a first set of documents as soon as possible after the House returns from recess.” But he said documents will not be released that may undermine a police probe into Lord Mandelson.
And the top minister said government officials are still thrashing out processes with the Intelligence and Security Committee over documents “relating to national security and international relations”.
It means the issue threatens to drag on for many weeks and months – with potentially embarrassing disclosures for government ministers and officials.
Earlier this week Health Secretary Wes Streeting sidestepped the government’s machine and publicly disclosed his private WhatsApps with Lord Mandelson.
NHS pay award sparks fresh row
Wes Streeting announced that NHS workers will get a 3.3% pay rise in April.
The Health Secretary said he was accepting the recommendation of the NHS Pay Review Body. But unions warned that while it is positive there will be no delay, the rise is not enough to make up for years of real-terms pay cuts.
Rachel Harrison, GMB National Secretary said: “GMB welcomes the efforts made to ensure NHS workers will receive their pay increase when it is due, in April. The first time this will have happened in years.
“But this award is just not enough to make up for more than a decade of pay cuts under the Tories. NHS workers deserve more and GMB will fight for that at the long overdue agenda for change structural talks we have now been promised.
“GMB reps will now meet to discuss the pay award and determine next steps.”
Transgender guidance for teachers
The Government slipped out new guidance for teachers as MPs headed off for the 10-day break.
The Department for Education released guidance urging school staff to respond with caution to pupil requests to socially transition their gender. Updated statutory safeguarding guidance said schools must maintain single-sex spaces – with no sharing of toilets for kids over eight or mixed-sex sleeping arrangements on trips.
A child’s birth sex must be recorded in school and college records, it said. The long-awaited guidance comes more than a year after the UK’s highest court said the legal definition of a woman should be based on biological sex.
Headteachers’ unions welcomed the publication of the guidance to provide clarity for schools trying to support pupils amid “an often-polarised public debate”. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT union, said: “It is important to remember that individual children and young people are at the heart of this, and schools remain focused on ensuring that every child in their care is safe and treated with compassion and humanity.”
A consultation on the updates to the safeguarding guidance will be held for 10 weeks.
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