Friday brief: Peter Bone's government role bags him an extra £25,000
Friday brief: Peter Bone's government role bags him an extra £25,000
Plus news in brief from across the county, the latest from Westminster and summer fairs to enjoy this weekend
Good morning,
While Westminster politics dominates the news headlines as the Conservative party scrap it out to anoint a new Prime Minister, South Northamptonshire MP Andrea Leadsom, herself once a PM hopeful, is leading the campaign for emerging favourite Penny Mordant.
Read more on this and about who the county’s six remaining MPs are supporting in our Westminster Watch.
This week’s lead story is also about the financial boost that Peter Bone has received as his loyalty to ousted PM Boris Johnson has resulted in a government position.
And another reminder that we are always in need of new paying subscribers to fund our local, independent journalism. If you sign up today it will cost you under £5 a month for a year’s subscription and for that you will receive everything we publish plus access to our now extensive archive. Enjoy your weekend.
Bon(e)us
Amongst the current Westminster chaos Wellingborough MP Peter Bone has made it into Government after 17 years on the back benches, securing himself a substantial pay rise.
Bone, who was first elected in 2005, is now the deputy leader of the house, being promoted in the reshuffle in the days after Boris Johnson’s resignation.
He will now receive an allowance of just under £25,000 on top of his £84,144 MPs salary.
And if the PM who takes over from Johnson decides to get rid of the new makeshift government in September, Bone will also receive a loss of office payment in the region of more than £10,000.
The deputy leader of the house role has been vacant since 2019 when fellow Northampton North MP Michael Ellis vacated the office.
Bone has been an ardent supporter of the PM, defending him relentlessly during the Partygate scandal and sticking with him until the end when Johnson decided he had no choice but to stand down amid a wave of government resignations.
Amid the re-shuffle Corby MP and Bone’s ally Tom Pursglove was promoted to policing minister. He remains in the home office. Chief whip Daventry MP Chris Heaton Harris and paymaster general Northampton North MP Michael Ellis were among those who stood by Johnson during this scandals and remain in their government positions.
News in brief
North Northamptonshire councillors have been given a telling off by its chairman. In an email to members seen by NN Journal chairman Larry Henson said that a minority of councillors had been engaging in personal remarks and disrespectful assertions and that he wished for it to stop.
The admonishment comes after the most recent full council meeting in which Conservative Cllr Helen Harrison, who is the partner of Wellingborough MP Peter Bone, saying she was dismayed at the personal points scoring. This had followed a passionate debate where many had criticised the councillors decision to vote themselves an inflation busting pay rise above 10 percent.
The North unitary council yesterday deferred a decision to charge all households an extra £40 a year for green waste collection. Currently only East Northants’ residents pay and are charged £55 for the service. A consultation responded to by more than 9,000 residents had seen much criticism of the proposal but the Conservative administration was set to approve the scheme. Deferring the decision council leader Jason Smithers said he was aware of the views from residents about the proposal.
This was the scene outside Northampton General Hospital’s Accident and Emergency yesterday.
Parent Jamie Nairn shared this photo with NN Journal after taking his child to the department following an accident. According to NHS data the hospital had 11839 people attend its accident and emergency department last month - an average of 394 urgent patients per day. 602 of those patients waited longer than 12 hours from the decision to being admitted to being admitted for care.
The extent of mental health issues faced by new mothers was highlighted at the last meeting of West Northamptonshire’s Women’s Forum.
The hearing heard that 20 per cent of women in England are expected to experience mental health problems in the year following pregnancy. In 2016 there were 9,113 live births in Northamptonshire, of those 800 - 1,200 mothers experienced moderate anxiety or depression while 1,240 - 2,480 suffered from adjustment disorders and distress. 540 women faced more serious issues such as severe depression, PTSD and postpartum psychosis.
The committee was told that the situation worsened during Covid, not only for the mothers but also for the maternity workforce who were facing ‘burnout’.
A 32 year-old man has been charged with 17 sexual offences against four people under an operation into reported sexual abuse between 2006 and 2016 originating from the Abington Street statue in Northampton.
Alex Stephen Coleman will appear at Northampton Magistrates Court on August 15th.
Westminster Watch
National politics is currently a frenzy of hustings and departing candidates as the Conservative party selects a new leader. The numbers will go down to two next week when the party members then decide.
Andrea Leadsom is leading the campaign for emerging favourite Penny Mordaunt. If Mordant succeeds in her bid it is likely Leadsom may see a return to government.
As government chief whip Daventry’s MP has said he will not endorse any candidate.
Peter Bone has yet to declare who he will back in the current PM race, although it will almost certainly be one of the remaining right wing candidates Liz Truss or Kemi Badenoch. The same can be expected of Corby MP and policing minister who had earlier this week backed Priti Patel, but she did not end up standing in the PM race.
Andrew Lewer has backed Badenoch while current paymaster general Michael Ellis has said he wants former chancellor Rishi Sunak to win.
The county’s most private MP, Kettering’s Philip Hollobone has not said who he is backing.
This story we published earlier this week about the growing influence of freemasonry over the West Northamptonshire council has been widely read. If you missed it you can read it here.
NN Culture
There are lots of summer fairs happening across the county this weekend, here’s a few of them:
📚Head down to Rushden library on Saturday between 10am - 2pm for a book sale, stalls, a tombola and more.
🎈A community festival at Rockingham Road Pleasure Park in Kettering has been organised by the Save Weekley Hall Woods campaign group. The event will include live music, stalls and games from 12pm.
🐶There will be a dog show, classic cars, entertainment, music and food in Naseby on Sunday from 10am.
🎉The Doddridge Centre in Northampton is holding a fete with games, activities and stalls between 1pm - 4pm on Saturday.