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Tim Farron says it’s the job of liberals to defend JK Rowling’s explosive views on trans rights and trans bodies – PinkNews

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Danzig

Tim Farron has called on liberals to defend liberalism (Christopher Furlong/Getty)

Former Lib Dem leader Tim Farron has argued that liberals should be fighting for JK Rowlings right to express anti-trans views.

Writing in a blog on Medium, Farron argued for the need to reclaim a genuine liberalism in our debate and allow people to voice offensive views, even if those views strike at the heart of [your] identity.

Simply fighting for your own rights is never enough, he claimed, suggesting that true liberals would fight for the freedoms of extremists rather than cancelling them.

Take the recent Twitter storm surrounding JK Rowling, he said. The first people to defend her should be the liberals.

Not because they agree with her they may think she is utterly wrong but because liberalism fights for the rights of those with different views to be heard.

It takes time to listen, seeks to understand other perspectives and only then if both sides maintain their positions agree to disagree respectfully.

The MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale has frequently been forced to defend his own offensive views, which often appear to contradict those of his liberal party.

His two-year stint as Lib Dem leader was marred by accusations of homophobia as he refused to answer whether he believed homosexual sex to be a sin.

He came under fire earlierthis week after it was revealed that he accepted 75,000 in donations from an organisation whose Christian director tweeted in support of conversion therapy.

Farrons register of interests show he received a donation from Faith in Public which provided him with a policy adviser two days a week, worth an estimated maximum value of 9,100.

According tothe Independent, the organisation also donated the services of two policy advisers the previous two years at a total value of 50,319, as well as the services of a public relations company to the value of 15,000.

It is currently Lib Dem party policy to ban the vile practice of conversion therapy.

Liberal thinking | Letters – Rutland Herald

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Danzig

The people in Rutland and the state who claim to be leaders go from the ridiculous to the sublime. You let a few people dictate to the public what is right in their eyes only changing a school's mascot known as the Raiders to the rattlesnakes is absurd.

What's next? You going to tell veterans who fought in World War II, Korea and Vietnam, that they can't wear their hats? People protested the Vietnam War, a war I proudly served in like so many others. Let them try and take my hat off.

This state has already said they are going to vote for Biden. You voted twice for Obama who put us deep in debt we will never get out of. You voted for Hillary who stole from you and you voted for Clinton who was an adulterer. And you continue to vote for Bernie Sanders who does nothing.

People wonder why other people aren't moving to Vermont because of high taxes, no real jobs and foolish leadership. And now Rutland is losing GE. Vermont was the 14th state to sign the declaration because of wayward thinking. I also bet the students and faculty at Rutland High School don't know what school spirit is. We have the best police force in the state but because of regulations brought on by liberals, their hands are almost tied.

Twenty-one years ago, Rutland was thriving, people were happy, places to eat and shop and a mall, but today, the mall has gone downtown, is almost empty, with no population to go to these places, they close up and move. But Vermont still thinks like a liberal, just keep raising taxes.

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Liberal thinking | Letters - Rutland Herald

A Review of OverBit – A Seychelles-based Crypto Margin Trading Platform in Forex and Metals Using Bitcoin – bitcoinke.io

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Danzig

Overbit is a powerful, cryptocurrency trading platform positioned to be a global leader. This interestingly innovative trading platform allows cross-market trading in which clients can also dabble in forex and metals if they wishwhile using Bitcoin.

As a trader, Overbit gives you numerous opportunities to explore the world of cryptocurrency. It enables you to make professional trading choices while earning some money at it. The interface of Overbit is easy to use and interactive. It integrates seamlessly with your smartphone, tablet, or desktop.

SEE ALSO:Bitcoin Adoption in Africa is Setting All-Time Highs Every Week, Say Crypto Analysts

Overbit is suited for all levels of traders whether newbies, intermediate or experienced, and is already becoming a popular platform in the trading community.

How to Use Overbit in Trading Cryptocurrency

Overbit only uses cryptocurrency as the main trading asset.

The platform offer a significant amount of leverage to its traders up to 100x depending on the instruments you use. This allows you to leverage while trading against other forms of currency and instruments.

To start, you have to deposit some Bitcoin in your Overbit account.

You can make long or short trades against other instruments such as USD, JYP, and EUR using Bitcoin or its value equivalent. Overbit offers you all the current prices, and the amount needed for a trade is also visible to you.

To execute a trade on Overbit, here is the process:

With Overbit, you dont have to worry about depositing or withdrawing fees on your Bitcoin because there is none.

Overbit is simple yet professional. Creating an accountis simple and straight-forward with no complex actions needed. The endless possibilities it offers in cross trading crypto and other instruments is also a big win. Its a promising trading platform and an excellent entryway into the world of cryptocurrency trading, especially if you are a beginner.

[Guest Post]

About Author

Cosii-Riggz is a technology enthusiast focused on showcasing the revolutionary benefits of tech, crypto, and blockchain in Africa and beyond

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A Review of OverBit - A Seychelles-based Crypto Margin Trading Platform in Forex and Metals Using Bitcoin - bitcoinke.io

Medias games with the White House are by design – Boston Herald

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Danzig

Anyone who has been tuning in to the televised press briefings has heard White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany refer to journalistic curiosity or more specifically, the lack thereof.

But make no mistake, the press is far from lazy or uninterested.

In fact, the media has never been sharper.

Dont let their constant mistakes fool you.

Whether it is a Washington Post retraction or a blue checkmarks Twitter correction those errors are not the result of a sloppy press.

They are the result of a determined one.

The media knows exactly what it is doing. And if youve been paying attention, then you do, too.

If reporters are failing to dig deeper into certain issues, it is not due to laziness.

On the contrary, when the news outlets bend over backward to ignore a story, you can rest assured they are extremely interested in it.

For example, if we were living in a normal, non-President Trump world, the unmasking of Gen. Michael Flynn would be a massive story.

The FBI framing a four-star general as part of a plan to overthrow a duly-elected president well, it makes Watergate look like childs play.

Instead, the press puts on a weak performance for their dwindling Trump-Deranged audience.

Rather than veer from their Get Trump narrative, they pretend they dont understand what all the fuss is about.

In May, CBS News Radio correspondent Steven Portnoy asked the press secretary, What the president calls Obamagate, what is it? What are the elements of that crime?

As convincing as he might be, furrowed brow and all, this reporter is far from a dolt.

Portnoy likely knows far more than most about Obamagate.

But his question is effective for his base. It reaffirms the idea that Trump is a paranoid nut in the White House who is obsessed with made-up scandals.

Unfortunately for the confused Portnoy, McEnany had no issues breaking down the criminal elements of what took place in the scandal-free Obama administration.

Look, there were a number of questions raised by the actions of the Obama administration. The Steele dossier, funded by the Democratic National Committee, an opposition political party to the president, was used to attain FISA warrants to listen in on conversations of people within the Trump campaign. There was the unmasking of the identity of Michael Flynn.

She later went on to say, We know that the identity of this three-decade general was leaked to the press a criminal leak to the press of his identity in violation of his Fourth Amendment rights.

Is it any wonder that McEnany finished off her response by informing Portnoy that his question was only the second she received about the topic?

In law, the rule of thumb is that you dont ask a question you dont already know the answer to.

In todays media, it is a bit more sinister Dont ask a question you dont want the American people to hear the answer to.

It is the same reason the media can whip themselves into a lather over the number of scoops of ice cream the president is eating but has little to no interest in Tara Reade.

Their job is deciding what stories are considered important in the mainstream.

Right now, nothing is more critical in the minds of Chuck Todd and Jake Tapper than taking down Trump.

So they write their think pieces about Russian agents and fake dossiers.

They obsess over Stormy Daniels and how Trump drinks his water.

And by avoiding asking real questions, they never get real answers thus avoiding some big problems for their preferred candidate.

Speaking of, when Joe Biden finally drifts his way over to a podium, the press gives him an open mic to remind America that Orange Man is indeed still bad.

Journalists wield a powerful tool.

They can bring scandals to the forefront of Americas news cycle.

But perhaps more powerful than that, they can shove stories into the background.

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Medias games with the White House are by design - Boston Herald

Bill makes space for alternative medicine – The BVI Beacon – BVI Beacon

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Danzig

While debating a bill that would update oversight for the practice of medicine, dentistry and alternative care in the territory, members of the House of Assembly also took a broader look at the future of Virgin Islands health care over the past week.

The Medical Amendment Act, 2020 would set specific qualification standards for medical professionals seeking licence to practice in the Virgin Islands.

The 47-page bill saw its second and third readings July 2 after it was presented by Deputy Premier Carvin Malone, the minister of health and social development.

The House voted in favour of the bill on July 7 after making some substantial amendments in closed-door committee based on detailed input from health professionals, according to Mr. Malone. The bill, however, wont take effect or be made public until it receives assent from the governor.

During the debate, Premier Andrew Fahie said that as government maps out medical care it will be important to allow for the integration of alternative forms of medicine.

The bill includes practitioners in fields beyond typical medicine, who could get licensed through the Allied Health Practitioners Register.

For example, the bill defines a naturopath as a person who is trained in a therapeutic system that employs the use of natural forces, such as light, health, air, water and massage and other natural remedies but does not prescribe drugs, pharmaceuticals or substances for ingestion for the treatment of health conditions.

Mr. Fahie said there is a balance to be found between traditional and natural medicine.

The reason Im going into natural medicine is that we have to start to be pioneers, he said.

The bill also more explicitly outlines what constitutes professional misconduct, such as practising without the appropriate licence.

Other infractions include improper relations with a patient; knowingly betraying a patients confidence except in extenuating circumstances; knowingly abandoning a patient in danger; issuing a false medical certificate; acting as a specialist without proper registration; wilfully misrepresenting the effectiveness of a treatment; and knowingly practising while intoxicated.

One amendment would up the $3,000 fine for submitting false information to the registry to $5,000.

Meanwhile, if the head of a corporate body knowingly commits an offence under the bill, that person would be liable on summary conviction to a maximum $5,000 fine and up to three years imprisonment.

Fees for new registration and licensing would see an increase under the new bill.

Full registration for a medical or dental practitioner would cost $200, a two-year licence $500. A specialist registration would cost $300, a two-year licence $750. Other temporary, provisional and special fees are outlined as well.

An overseeing council would be given authority to waive special registration fees for medical professionals called in during a state of emergency or disaster, or for a council-approved specific purpose.

The transition wouldnt be immediate, though.

Medical or dental practitioners who are already registered wouldnt have to renew for a year after the act comes into effect.

If a practitioners licence lapses, they would have to pay a $500 penalty fee in addition to the cost of the renewed licence.

Contending that it is impossible to discuss the future of medicine in the VI without talking about funding, opposition member Mitch Turnbull pointed to some issues with the National Health Insurance system.

We have a system that could and should work, but it has to be funded properly and timely, he said.

He expressed concern for the long-term financial stability of the system, explaining that NHI is currently costing government so much that it is unsustainable.

According to figures from Mr. Malone, the territory of fewer than 30,000 spends in excess of $90 million on health care annually, around $42 million of which is funded by a subvention from the government to the BVI Health Services Authority.

Were still putting seed money in NHI, Mr. Malone said.

This bill did not specifically address insurance, but it is one of a series of anticipated acts and policies guiding the future of medicine in the VI.

When such big-picture financial issues crop up, Mr. Turnbull said they trickle down to everyday interactions, with some medical practices experiencing lengthy delays getting paid by NHI. The premier agreed that NHI reform is needed.

If it is not reviewed, it will bankrupt the VI, he said.

Mr. Fahie said he believes the fund wasnt allowed to build up properly to facilitate future growth.

In his concluding remarks, Mr. Malone said the House went the extra mile in exploring non-traditional practices with its amendments. He indicated that several other health-related bills would be coming down the pipeline as well, including ones dealing with mental health and private hospital licensing.

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Bill makes space for alternative medicine - The BVI Beacon - BVI Beacon

Complementary And Alternative Medicine Market Size By Product Analysis, Application, End-Users, Regional Outlook, Competitive Strategies And Forecast…

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Danzig

New Jersey, United States,- Latest update on Complementary And Alternative Medicine Market Analysis report published with extensive market research, Complementary And Alternative Medicine Market growth analysis, and forecast by 2026. this report is highly predictive as it holds the overall market analysis of topmost companies into the Complementary And Alternative Medicine industry. With the classified Complementary And Alternative Medicine market research based on various growing regions, this report provides leading players portfolio along with sales, growth, market share, and so on.

The research report of the Complementary And Alternative Medicine market is predicted to accrue a significant remuneration portfolio by the end of the predicted time period. It includes parameters with respect to the Complementary And Alternative Medicine market dynamics incorporating varied driving forces affecting the commercialization graph of this business vertical and risks prevailing in the sphere. In addition, it also speaks about the Complementary And Alternative Medicine Market growth opportunities in the industry.

Complementary And Alternative Medicine Market Report covers the manufacturers data, including shipment, price, revenue, gross profit, interview record, business distribution etc., these data help the consumer know about the competitors better. This report also covers all the regions and countries of the world, which shows a regional development status, including Complementary And Alternative Medicine market size, volume and value, as well as price data.

Complementary And Alternative Medicine Market competition by top Manufacturers:

Complementary And Alternative Medicine Market Classification by Types:

Complementary And Alternative Medicine Market Size by End-user Application:

Listing a few pointers from the report:

The objective of the Complementary And Alternative Medicine Market Report:

Cataloging the competitive terrain of the Complementary And Alternative Medicine market:

Unveiling the geographical penetration of the Complementary And Alternative Medicine market:

The report of the Complementary And Alternative Medicine market is an in-depth analysis of the business vertical projected to record a commendable annual growth rate over the estimated time period. It also comprises of a precise evaluation of the dynamics related to this marketplace. The purpose of the Complementary And Alternative Medicine Market report is to provide important information related to the industry deliverables such as market size, valuation forecast, sales volume, etc.

Major Highlights from Table of contents are listed below for quick lookup into Complementary And Alternative Medicine Market report

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Complementary And Alternative Medicine Market Size By Product Analysis, Application, End-Users, Regional Outlook, Competitive Strategies And Forecast...

[COVID-19 Update] Can Yoga and Meditation Help with Coronavirus Treatment? – Science Times

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Danzig

Usually, in treating a disease, medical experts will pair medication with an adjunctive treatment such as diet and exercise to complement primary treatment. For coronavirus, a few experts believe that yogaand meditation have the potential of being adjunctive treatment.

A recent studywas published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, which was a collaborative effort between Deepak Chopra, Harvard University, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, University of California, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Together, they described the link between the anti-inflammatory effects of yoga and meditation.

(Photo : Downloaded From Getty Images official website )

Deepak Choprais an Indian-American author, part of the New Age movement, and advocates alternative medicine. In April, he shared how stress, especially during the pandemic, leads to inflammation through increased levels of adrenaline as well as decreased levels of cortisol which impairs the immune system.

"The first is the epidemic of the coronavirus which is causing physical and mental anguish; the second is the financial crisis which is also causing physical and mental anguish, and the third is the anxiety and panic that's causing all of the stress," he shared, explaining that that are three simultaneous pandemics happening. "For whatever situation you're in right now ask yourself what am I grateful for and as soon as you ask yourself you'll get ideas, pauses, sensations, images, feelings, thoughts that will alleviate your stress."

Medical experts have urgently searched for ways to prevent and treat coronavirus infections ranging from drug trials to therapeutic approaches and medicine systems such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic medicine from India. Yoga and meditation are two of the therapies that the team explored.

Several symptoms of coronavirus include inflammationin various ways such as blood clotting, swelling organs, and joint aches. In the study, the authors wrote, "there is evidence of stress and inflammation modulation, and also preliminary evidence for possible forms of immune system enhancement, accompanying the practice of certain forms of meditation, yoga, and pranayama, along with potential implications for counteracting some forms of infectious challenges."

Yoga and meditation as adjunctive therapy are meant to reduce the severity of coronavirus such as helping the immune system and improving lung health. There are also potential benefits for a patient's neuroimmune system as medication helps target inflammatory functions, namely the fight or flight response being replaced with a "relaxation response."

The authors also noted how 20-minute meditation or yoga for six weeks "resulted in a significant downregulation of . . . proinflammatory genes and a significant reduction of activity of the proinflammatory transcription factor." With coronavirus, anti-inflammatory activity increased cell receptors' ability to interfere with viral activity.

Read Also: Promising COVID-19 Treatment Fails Initial Testing

In June, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed that yoga is a means of building a protective shield of immunity against COVID-19. His encouragement for people to practice yoga and meditation comes a few days before International Yoga Day on June 21.

"We all know that until now nowhere in the world have they been able to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 or coronavirus," said Modi. "Which is why right now, only a strong immunity can act as a protective shield or a bodyguard for us and our family members . . . yoga is our trusted friend in building this protective shield."

Earlier this year, India's Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa, and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) gave guidelines on several ancient practices that people can do at home during the lockdown. "Yoga has the potential to cater to the mental, physical and psychological challenges. It puts to test how one can live in challenging times," Modi said.

Read Also: Scientists Re-wires Immune System to Hinder Attack on Healthy Cells in Autoimmune Diseases

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[COVID-19 Update] Can Yoga and Meditation Help with Coronavirus Treatment? - Science Times

Here’s What Skin Experts Really Think About Using Tea Tree Oil For Acne – POPSUGAR

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Danzig

While I'm a big advocate for the skin acceptance movement, I think we can all agree that acne sucks. No matter what stage of life you're at when you're experiencing it, it's never that easy to manage, and often the only way to get rid of it (or reduce its appearance) is to do a lot of trial and error. If you're anything like me, this usually means making your way through Dr. Google's list of recommendations for treatment. The solution most often found at the top of the list? Tea tree oil.

So on behalf of acne sufferers everywhere, I've consulted NYC board-certified dermatologist Dr. Hadley King , Dr. Ross Perry, medical director of London's Cosmedics Skin Clinics, and Dr. Rekha Tailor, medical director of Health & Aesthetics, who's also based in London, to find out what all the fuss is about. And, more importantly, if it actually works for acne.

"Tea tree oil is an essential oil that comes from the leaves of the melaleuca alternifolia, a small tree native to Queensland and New South Wales in Australia," Dr. Tailor tells POPSUGAR. It has been used in herbal and alternative medicine for years. Boasting antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, it remains popular in skin care today, sold as a pure oil or incorporated into products like moisturizer and face cream.

According to Dr. Perry, tea tree oil is a natural astringent. "It works to remove excess oil from the skin and lessen bacteria growth on the skin while speeding up the healing of scars, scabs, and infection due to antiseptic properties," making it perfect for oily and acne-prone skin, as well as a quick-fix treatment for breakouts. Basically, tea tree oil kills bacteria to ensure your skin is squeaky clean (in a good way).

While Dr. King favors ingredients like benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, retinoids, dapsone, and sodium sulfacetamide for treating acne, she believes that tea tree oil is a great natural alternative. In addition to being antibacterial and having anti-inflammatory properties, she claims that tea tree oil also boasts antifungal and antiviral properties.

Pointing to a study featured in The Medical Journal of Australia, which compares tea tree oil to benzoyl peroxide, Dr. King also notes that the two work to combat acne similarly; however, though tea tree oil is less irritating, it doesn't work as quickly.

Dr. Perry, on the other hand, believes the effectiveness of tea tree oil all comes down to the severity of the acne. "Tea tree oil alone isn't going to get rid of severe acne," he admits, adding, "It would be generally recommended to help keep skin clean and aid the healing process of acne alongside other treatments and products."

"Depending on the severity of the acne, I'd recommend using it after a double cleanse," advises Dr Perry. He continues, "You can mix a few drops of tea tree oil with witch hazel and apply using a cotton swab, and let it sink in before applying a light non-greasy moisturizer. Or you can mix a few drops in with your normal moisturizer and apply that way." In other words, try to avoid using it on your face in pure form.

The main downside of tea tree oil is that it's an irritant. "Tea tree oil can be incredibly drying on some people's skin, especially if used undiluted or if you have sensitive skin," warns Dr Tailor. Dr Perry agrees, advising that you patch test on first use to see how your skin reacts to it. If there's any sort of irritation or burning, it's not for you.

Beyond this, Dr. King tells POPSUGAR that the only other downside is that data regarding the efficacy of tea tree oil is quite limited. While it's definitely worth trialling, you may be better off opting for an alternative that's been scientifically and medically proven to fight acne.

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Here's What Skin Experts Really Think About Using Tea Tree Oil For Acne - POPSUGAR

Propolis Market Competitive Landscape and Predicted to Accelerate the Growth by 2018-2028 – 3rd Watch News

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Danzig

Propolis Market: An Overview

The propolis market is expected to witness robust growth during 2018-2026. Propolis is a drug on the rise for a wide variety of assumed and proven benefits. Propolis embeds a special compound called pinocembrin. This flavonoid works as an antifungal with its anti-inflammatory properties and antimicrobial properties. The medicine is widely used for its ability to help heal major wounds. Studies continue to support the use of propolis to treat severe burn victims. The drug also trends popularly, thanks to its mythical properties arising from folk lore. Many people also believe it is helpful in curing cancer. While these beliefs are not yet confirmed with research, both the beliefs and actual benefits continue to drive significant growth for the propolis market.

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Propolis Market: Notable Developments

Wedderspoon, one of the largest honey brand in the United States has launched a new line of Propolis products. These health honey products are throat sprays are a new line of natural products which are rising in demand worldwide. The sprays are touted as functional well product lines. These sprays are marketed as soothing for throats, and supportive to growth of the immune system. The rising health consciousness, and rising demand for natural products like these are expected to create major opportunities for players in the propolis market in the near future.

An international team of researchers have made a significant discovery that can change the fortunes of several players in the propolis market in the near future. These researchers have found that adding 4kg-1 to the diets of fishes resulted in best survival rates in cold climatic conditions. This study published in Aquculture journal was conducted by researchers from the National institute of Ocanography and Fisheries.

The study experimented with Nile Tilapia fish. The rising demand for fish products, and growing threats of extinctions to various fish species is a major concern for the fishing industry worldwide. This study and potential of propolis use in the industry is a major potential upturn for the propolis market.

The Global Propolis Market: Drivers and Restraints

The global propolis market is expected to witness robust growth in the near future, thanks to rising demand for alternative medicine, growing demand for natural food products, and increased reliance on the substance for a wide variety of medical needs. The rising cases of burn victims due to rising instances of forest fires and urban fire outbreaks are also a major factor boosting demand in the propolis market. The demand from the healthcare sector for treating severe burn wounds is likely to rise in the near future. Additionally, propolis is also used for a variety of common conditions like treating sore throats, soothing voice chords, etc. The increasing reliance, the cost-effectiveness of alternative treatments, and increasing move by patients to prefer alternative healthcare options at retail clinics are expected to remain major drivers of growth.

The Global Propolis Market: Geographical Analysis

The global propolis market is expected to witness major growth in North America region. The growing demand for alternative medicine, growing demand for natural food products, and increasing awareness of the substance are expected to drive significant growth. The propolis market is also expected to register significant growth in Asia Pacific region. The significant rise in disposable incomes, large population, and traditional use of propolis in medicine are expected to register significant growth for the market in the region.

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Propolis Market Competitive Landscape and Predicted to Accelerate the Growth by 2018-2028 - 3rd Watch News

Rep. Tim Ryan makes up lost fundraising ground while Rep. Jim Jordan takes in nearly $3.5 million – cleveland.com

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Danzig

WASHINGTON, D. C. - Facing the most serious election challenge of his 17-year congressional career, Niles-area Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan upped his campaign fundraising this spring, more than doubling his cash stash in the years second quarter.

A report that Ryan filed Wednesday at the Federal Election Commission showed he collected $306,011 between April and June. He ended the quarter with $393,608 in the bank - more than twice the $192,641 he reported at the beginning of April.

Ryan, who represents a district that was drawn to be safe for Democrats, let his congressional campaign fundraising slip in 2019 while he mounted an unsuccessful White House bid. He ended that year with the smallest campaign warchest of any Ohio Congress member. Questions over his commitment to his congressional job and his lack of funds drew a large field of Republicans who sought the chance to run against him in November.

An experienced former state legislator, Christina Hagan of Alliance, won Aprils primary and was subsequently endorsed by President Donald Trump. Her campaign finance report shows she raised $106,846 during the quarter, spent $29,585 and had $130,190 in the bank. She got $5,000 from a PAC associated with New York GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik and $1,000 from a PAC associated with Rocky River GOP Rep. Anthony Gonzalez who defeated her in a primary election two years ago for the seat vacated by Rep. Jim Renaccis retirement.

Her $2,800 donors included J.M. Smucker president Emeritus Tim Smucker, Foreverlawn owner Brian Karmie, S & K Asphalt owner Nicholas Skeriotis, Kalmbach Feeds owner Paul M. Kalmbach, and businessman Michael Gibbons, who made an unsuccessful run for U.S. Senate in 2018.

Ryan raised around 90,000 from political action committees, including $5,000 donations from committees representing Goodyear, Minor League Baseball and Woolpert, Inc.. Individuals who made $2,800 donations to his campaign include alternative medicine advocate Deepak Chopra, Stoneyfield Farm chairman Gary Hirshberg, Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes, Google software engineer and bestselling author Chade-Meng Tan, GOJO Industries Inc. executive chair Marcella Kanfer Rolnick, DeBartolo Corporation owner Denise DeBartolo York and her son, San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York.

Much of the $105,663 that Ryan spent during the quarter went towards fundraising and campaign consulting. He donated $1,000 to the campaign of Democrat Amy Kennedy, who is running against party-switching New Jersey Republican Jeff Van Drew. He also donated $358.71 in pizza to the Howland Fire Department, to show support for first responders and front line workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, a campaign spokesman said.

4th District:

The amount Ryan raised was dwarfed by the $3,493,674 that Champaign County GOP Rep. Jim Jordan collected during the quarter. Most of his money came from small donors around the country, with just $13,800 coming from political committees. After emerging as a high profile defender of President Donald Trump, Jordan became a fundraising juggernaut. He has raised more than $9 million during the current two year election cycle, but spent more than $7 million of it, mostly on fundraising. His $2,800 donors included Jeunesse CEO Randy Ray, former Nucor steel CEO Dan Dimicco and Gibbons, the former U.S. Senate candidate.

Jordan, who is currently the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, spent $2,916,412 of the money he collected between April and June, leaving him with $3,157,010 in the bank. He donated $2,000 to Trumps re-election campaign, and $2,000 to Hagan.

The Democrat running against Jordan, Shannon Freshour of Marysville, collected $238,881, spent $146,334 and had $123,056 in the bank. Her campaign showed a $2,800 donation from former Hillary Clinton aide Philippe Reines, $500 from Yale University historian Timothy Snyder, $100 from Adobe co-founder John Warnock and $23.26 from actress Patricia Arquette,

7th District:

Holmes County GOP Rep. Bob Gibbs raised $59,064 in the quarter, spent around $13,0027 and ended up with $592,812 in the bank. The $52,500 he raised from political committees including $5,000 donations from PACS affiliated with Ohio GOP Sen. Rob Portman and Williams Companies, Inc., an Oklahoma energy company. His Democratic opponent, Quentin Potter of Canton, had not filed a report by press time. A Libertarian seeking the seat -- Brandon Lape of Danville -- had $571 in the bank after raising $1,175 during the quarter and spending $891.

9th District:

Toledo Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur, who represents a strongly Democratic district that stretches along Lake Erie to Cleveland, collected $87,138 in the quarter, spent $163,042 and had $689,675 in the bank. Political action committees gave her campaign $67,750 in the quarter. She got $5,000 each from PACS representing Woolpert, Inc., Fluor Corporation, General Atomics, Owens Corning and Illinois Democratic Rep. Dan Lipinski, who lost his primary bid for re-election.

She donated $100,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and made $1,000 contributions to more than a dozen Democratic House of Representatives candidates from all over the country.

Kapturs Republican challenger, attorney Rob Weber of Henrietta Township, raised $15,776 during the quarter, spent $12,968 and had $9,841 in the bank.

11th District:

Warrensville Heights Democratic Rep. Marcia Fudge had more than $1 million in the bank after raising $60,664 in the quarter and spending $54,729. Fudge gave $5,000 to the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party and donated campaign money to several candidates in Ohio and around the country.

Fudge, who chairs the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition Oversight and Department Operations, collected more than $49,000 from political action committees, primarily representing agricultural interests like sugar beet farmers. Her individual donors included Land O Lakes Inc. president Beth Ford, who gave $2,800.

Fudges Republican challenger, Cleveland businesswoman LaVerne Jones Gore, raised $8,290, spent $7,293 and had $7,035 in her campaign account on June 30, FEC reports show. Her donors include Gibbons, the businessman who ran for U.S. Senate in 2018, who gave $2,500.

14th District

Bainbridge Township Republican Rep. Dave Joyce raised $228,712 during the years second quarter, including $99,000 from political action committees, spent $151,698 and had $1,441,817 in the bank. He collected $2,800 each from Gross Builders executives Gary and Harley Gross, Transdigm Inc. Founder Nick Howley, real estate developer James Kassouf and car dealer Diane Preston. Koch Industries political action committee gave him $5,000, as did PACs representing the National Association of Letter Carriers and the Netjets Association of Shared Aircraft.

The Democrat challenging Joyce, Hillary OConnor Mueri of Painesville Township, raised $140,071 in the quarter, spent $75,148 and had $157,576 left in her campaign treasury. Her $14,500 in political committee donations included $5,000 from a PAC associated with U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown.

16th District:

Incumbent GOP Rep. Anthony Gonzalez of Rocky River collected $223,153 in the three months covered by his latest campaign finance report, spent $80,882 and had $1,056,612 in the bank. FirstEnergy CEO Charles E. Jones, former Invacare CEO Malachi Mixon, and former Eaton Corporation CEO Sandy Cutler each gave him $2,800. He collected $111,100 from political action committees, mostly affiliated with financial services companies

His Democratic challenger, Aaron Paul Godfrey of Westlake, collected $9,660 during the quarter, spent $1,324 and had $9,491 in the bank.

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Donald Trump and Joe Biden backers spar as Biden unveils his economic plan

Ohio Democrats pleased with U.S. Supreme Courts decisions that Trump cant withhold his financial records from investigators

Rep. Tim Ryan leads charge to remove Confederate statues from the U.S. Capitol

Sen. Sherrod Brown wants Clevelands baseball team renamed the Buckeyes

Toledo Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur tries to block Trump administration from conducting nuclear tests

Ex-Cleveland mayor and congressman Dennis Kucinich still riffs on the he was right theme

President Donald Trump slams possible Cleveland Indians name change in tweet

President Trump plugs Christina Hagans congressional campaign on Twitter

Presidential electors must vote as their states dictate, U.S. Supreme Court decides

Coronavirus outbreak at Elkton prison is waning, says U.S. Sen. Rob Portman

Ohios U.S. Senators back renaming Confederate-named military bases, despite Trump veto threat

Sen. Rob Portman calls for sanctioning Russia if outrageous bounty reports are true

U.S. Supreme Court strikes down Louisiana abortion law, similar to Ohios, requiring doctors to have agreements with nearby hospitals

Senate Democrats including Ohios Sherrod Brown thwart consideration of GOP police reform bill

Ohios U.S. Senators urge support for Asian tire dumping complaint

See the article here:

Rep. Tim Ryan makes up lost fundraising ground while Rep. Jim Jordan takes in nearly $3.5 million - cleveland.com

Singapore Paincare Holdings kicks off IPO with 24.3 million shares at 22 cents each – The Edge Singapore

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Danzig

Amala BalakrishnerPublished on Fri, Jul 17, 2020 / 7:00 AM GMT+8 / Updated 1 days ago

SINGAPORE (July 17): Pain management services provider Singapore Paincare Holdings (SPCH) launched its Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the Catalist Board of the Singapore Exchange on Monday.

Incorporated on December 31 2018, the company focuses on the treatment of patients suffering from chronic pain. Their services include minimally invasive procedures, cancer pain treatment, specialised injections, pharmacotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy, chief executive officer Bernard Lee details.

Additionally, it offers primary care and other services, such as general medical consultations and dermatology services.

These services operate under two specialist clinics the Singapore Paincare Center and Paincare Center and four medical clinics: Lian Clinic, Horizon Medical Centre, AE Medical Clinic and New City Skin Clinic.

Its upcoming IPO sees the company placing 24.246 million placement shares at 22 cents each. Another 90 million ordinary shares will be allotted, pursuant to its restructuring agreement.

The offer is substantially higher than the group's unaudited net asset value (NAV) per share of about 9.86 cents on Dec 312019, based on the post-placement share capital of over 161.6 million shares. At this level, it will have amarket capitalisation of $35.56 million.

The IPO is priced at approximately 17.74 times the price-to-earnings of SPCHs FY2019 net profit.

Novus Corporate Finance, a Singapore-based corporate finance and strategic advisory firm is its sponsor and issue manager, while UOB Kay Hian is its placement agent.

To Lee, SPCHs listing is a milestone. We aim to make the [company] brand synonymous with long-term, sustained pain treatment as well as business and clinical excellence, he asserts.

In its most recent 1H20 ended June, SPCHs unaudited earnings was up 85.4% to $1.14 million, from the $616,000 logged the previous year. This follows a jump in revenue to $5.1 million, double the $1.98 million recorded the previous year.

Lee attributes the increased income from a higher take up of pain management services over the years.

To this end, the company has earmarked the $5.3 million gross proceeds from the placement to expand its business operations.

Specifically, 1.1 million or 20.6% will go into expanding its range of pain care services to traditional Chinese medicine, and non-medical rehabilitive services such as physiotherapy,osteopathy, homeopathy and health spas.

This will help our company to provide a wider spectrum of pain treatments such as rehabilitation, exercise and training programmes, explains Lee.

We will improve the standard of alternative medicine practitioners by increasing their knowledge and also making them a part of our post-care ecosystem.

There is also potential for an increased patient base from such alternative services for our specialist and primary care services, he says in explanation of the $1.4 million or 26.3% of IPO funds set aside for local and regional expansion.

Of the remaining funds, $1.0 million (19.5%) will go into its working capital while the remaining $1.79 million (33.6%) will be used for listing expenses.

Looking ahead, the company intends to recommend and distribute dividends of not less than 70% of earnings FY20, 21 and 22.

Our ability to declare dividends to our Shareholders in the future will be contingent on our future financial performance and distributable reserves of our Company, says Lee.

This is in turn dependent on our ability to implement our future plans, and on regulatory, competitive, technical and other factors such as general economic conditions, demand for and selling prices of our products and services and other factors exclusive to the medical industry, he adds.

See the original post here:

Singapore Paincare Holdings kicks off IPO with 24.3 million shares at 22 cents each - The Edge Singapore

Why making small, green changes to your lifestyle is more beneficial to the environment than you think – The Independent

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Danzig

How can something as simple and homely as making raspberry juice in Peckham have anything to do with saving the planet? Many writers and environmental campaigners argue that greening our own lifestyles is a waste of time as we should be devoting all efforts on pressing for government action.

If changing our own lifestyles is all we do, then, of course, it wont make a vast difference but I am still doing it as best as I practically can, and so should you. Why? Because it builds the moral foundation from which we can insist that our governments, businesses and communities protect the climate and what is left of nature.

Gandhi understood the sense of personal empowerment that arises from being the change we wish to see in the world. If we all do the best we can in our own lives, it will make a collective difference, showing others that it is possible to live green, happy, healthy lives.

Sharing the full story, not just the headlines

Making my life greener gives me little victories that bring me strength during the ups and downs that campaigning and protesting entail. It also helps to prevent burnout.

Over 34 years, I have gradually made my life greener. I am now veggie, car-free and enjoy flight-free holidays. My home was the first London house to sell metered solar electricity to the national grid in 1998 and became its first net carbon-negative home six years later. My gas bills average about 12 per year and I have produced on average only half of a wheelie bin of non-recycled household waste per annum for over a decade.

But often it is the very small changes that bring me joy the latest being homemade raspberry juice.

For years, I bought organic apple juice to moisten and sweeten my muesli, which reduced my high-carbon milk consumption.

Using 200ml of milk for my daily cereal consumed 73 litres per year, which emits a quarter of a ton of CO2. If a family of four uses a litre of milk a day, it would emit the same amount of carbon from driving 4,700km, while the land used by the cow would span 10 tennis courts. Imagine all the fruit and vegetables we could produce with an allotment of that size.

Five years ago, I realised I could make my own apple juice from the apples from some neglected local apple trees. I have been using this on my muesli ever since, from late July until February, when the stored apples run out.

I have also been building up the range of perennial soft fruit in my small south London garden. I now have apples, pears, raspberries, strawberries, plums, damsons, purple and golden gooseberries and black and red currants growing with varied success. As the weather impacts different fruits each year, having a variety helps ensure you have some fruit every summer. Together with foraged blackberries and apples, I supply over half my annual fruit locally; my ambition is to get to 100 per cent.

Two portions of fruit a day equates to 728 a year per person. This is more than my little garden could produce. Hence the dependency on additional foraging, especially for apples and blackberries.

This year I had too many raspberries for my daily two portions but not enough to make jam, so I hit on the idea of experimenting with juicing the excess and using that to moisten the muesli instead of shop-bought apple juice. It took just 30 seconds in the liquidiser with some organic sugar and water to make it. As the raspberries were home-grown and the second-hand liquidiser was powered by my solar panels, juice production was almost zero-carbon, other than a couple of spoons of added sugar.

The UK imports a staggering 83 per cent of our fruit and most of it is industrially produced.

This involves a plethora of environmental damage including carbon emissions, water-consumption, packaging, fossil-fuelled electric refrigeration, pesticides, artificial fertilisers, flights, HGV road pollution, wildlife destruction, insect deaths and soil loss. Foraging or growing our own organic fruit using rain-water storage avoids almost all of these issues.

In this decade, humans have become ever more aware of climate change. Calls for leaders to act echo around the globe as the signs of a changing climate become ever more difficult to ignore

Getty

Fierce wildfires have flared up in numerous countries. The damage being caused is unprecedented: 103 people were killed in wildfires last year in California, one of the places best prepared, best equipped to fight such blazes in the world

AFP/Getty

Entire towns have been razed. The towns of Redding and Paradise in California were all but eliminated in the 2018 season

While wildfires in Greece (pictured), Australia, Indonesia and many other countries have wrought chaos to infrastructure, economies and cost lives

AFP/Getty

In Britain, flooding has become commonplace. Extreme downpours in Carlisle in the winter of 2015 saw the previous record flood level being eclipsed by two feet

AFP/Getty

Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire has flooded repeatedly in the past decade, with the worst coming on Christmas Day 2015. Toby Smith of Climate Visuals, an organisation focused on improving how climate change is depicted in the media, says: "Extreme weather and flooding, has and will become more frequent due to climate change. An increase in the severity and distribution of press images, reports and media coverage across the nation has localised the issue. It has raised our emotions, perception and personalised the effects and hazards of climate change."

Getty

Out west in Somerset, floods in 2013 led to entire villages being cut off and isolated for weeks

Getty

"In summer 2012, intense rain flooded over 8000 properties. In 2013, storms and coastal surges combined catastrophically with elevated sea levels whilst December 2015, was the wettest month ever recorded. Major flooding events continued through the decade with the UK government declaring flooding as one of the nation's major threats in 2017," says Mr Smith of Climate Visuals

Getty

Weather has been more extreme in Britain in recent years. The 'Beast from the East' which arrived in February 2018 brought extraordinarily cold temperatures and high snowfall. Central London (pictured), where the city bustle tends to mean that snow doesn't even settle, was covered in inches of snow for day

Months after the cold snap, a heatwave struck Britain, rendering the normally plush green of England's parks in Summer a parched brown for weeks

AFP/Getty

Worsening droughts in many countries have been disastrous for crop yields and have threatened livestock. In Australia, where a brutal drought persisted for months last year, farmers have suffered from mental health problems because of the threat to their livelihood

Reuters

Even dedicated climate skeptic Jeremy Clarkson has come to recognise the threat of climate change after visiting the Tonle Sap lake system in Cambodia. Over a million people rely on the water of Tonle Sap for work and sustinence but, as Mr Clarkson witnessed, a drought has severley depleted the water level

Carlo Frem/Amazon

In reaction to these harbingers of climate obliteration, some humans have taken measures to counter the impending disaster. Ethiopia recently planted a reported 350 million trees in a single day

AFP/Getty

Morocco has undertaken the most ambitious solar power scheme in the world, recently completing a solar plant the size of San Francisco

AFP/Getty

Electric cars are taking off as a viable alternative to fossil fuel burning vehicles and major cities across the world are adding charging points to accomodate

AFP/Getty

Cities around the world are embracing cycling too, as a clean (and healthy) mode of transport. The Netherlands continues to lead the way with bikes far outnumbering people

Jeroen Much/Andras Schuh

Cycling infrastructure is taking over cities the world over, in the hope of reducing society's dependency on polluting vehicles

Ma Weiwei

Despite positive steps being taken, humans continue to have a wildly adverse effect on the climate. There have been numerous major oil spills this decade, the most notable being the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010

AFP/Getty

More recently, large swathes of the Amazon rainforest were set alight by people to clear land for agriculture

AFP/Getty

This decade may have seen horrors but it has led to an understanding that the next decade must see change if human life is to continue

Getty

In this decade, humans have become ever more aware of climate change. Calls for leaders to act echo around the globe as the signs of a changing climate become ever more difficult to ignore

Getty

AFP/Getty

Entire towns have been razed. The towns of Redding and Paradise in California were all but eliminated in the 2018 season

While wildfires in Greece (pictured), Australia, Indonesia and many other countries have wrought chaos to infrastructure, economies and cost lives

AFP/Getty

In Britain, flooding has become commonplace. Extreme downpours in Carlisle in the winter of 2015 saw the previous record flood level being eclipsed by two feet

AFP/Getty

Getty

Out west in Somerset, floods in 2013 led to entire villages being cut off and isolated for weeks

Getty

Months after the cold snap, a heatwave struck Britain, rendering the normally plush green of England's parks in Summer a parched brown for weeks

AFP/Getty

Reuters

Carlo Frem/Amazon

In reaction to these harbingers of climate obliteration, some humans have taken measures to counter the impending disaster. Ethiopia recently planted a reported 350 million trees in a single day

AFP/Getty

Morocco has undertaken the most ambitious solar power scheme in the world, recently completing a solar plant the size of San Francisco

AFP/Getty

Electric cars are taking off as a viable alternative to fossil fuel burning vehicles and major cities across the world are adding charging points to accomodate

AFP/Getty

Cities around the world are embracing cycling too, as a clean (and healthy) mode of transport. The Netherlands continues to lead the way with bikes far outnumbering people

Jeroen Much/Andras Schuh

Cycling infrastructure is taking over cities the world over, in the hope of reducing society's dependency on polluting vehicles

Ma Weiwei

AFP/Getty

More recently, large swathes of the Amazon rainforest were set alight by people to clear land for agriculture

AFP/Getty

This decade may have seen horrors but it has led to an understanding that the next decade must see change if human life is to continue

Getty

Providing my own two portions of organic fruit per day for over half the year saves me about 400 and providing my own fresh fruit-juice daily saves about another 200. My apples and raspberries have zero food-miles, while the 45,000 tonnes of apples the UK imports annually from New Zealand travel over 18,000km.

I cannot describe the simple joy of making little discoveries like these. They help maintain the inner strength needed to face the challenges of being an ecological campaigner, while recognising that green perfection is a process, not a destination.

Taking these steps and telling others what we are doing and why inspires others to do the same. This is how bottom-up social change often happens. It is slow at the beginning and then accelerates once over 10 per cent of the population has transformed. It is also a way that politicians can be assured that changes are practical and safe to implement.

Of course, the climate and ecological emergencies are now so urgent, that they cannot wait for this process to play out. That is why practising what we preach as well as campaigning hard to get the media, banks, oil corporations and governments to change is so crucial.

Once we make the kinds of adjustments we need, its easier to then demand our governments practice what they preach on climate and protecting nature, comfortable in the knowledge that you are only asking of them what you have already asked of yourself.

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Why making small, green changes to your lifestyle is more beneficial to the environment than you think - The Independent

MSK Hematologist: COVID-19 Has Impacted Every Facet of Cancer Medicine and Research – On Cancer – Memorial Sloan Kettering

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Danzig

The oncology community has stepped up to meet the challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic but must redouble their efforts in order to stem the potential long-term consequences of this public health crisis on the field. Thats the takeaway from a new letter appearing today in Science Advances, authored by MSK physician-scientist Ross Levine.

According to Dr. Levine, the early days of COVID-19 stay-at-home orders impacted patients ability to seek essential cancer treatment and screenings, as well as access to specialists for rare cancers. Some estimates showed that appointments to screen for cervical, colon, and breast cancers were down about 90 percent in March this year, compared to the last three years a reduction that could result in thousands of excess cancer deaths as those cases may be found later in more advanced stages.

Now, experts are urging patients to get back to the doctor to be screened for cancer or receive treatment, as precautions put in place at MSK make it safe for patients to come in for their appointments and procedures, including routine COVID-19 testing of patients and staff, social distancing measures, staggering appointments, and limiting visitors. Telemedicine appointments are also available when appropriate for both initial and follow-up visits.

Dr. Levine also notes that COVID-19 nearly brought to a standstill the clinical trials testing innovative new cancer therapies as well as basic cancer research in the lab, while simultaneously slowing the critical fundraising that makes such research possible. The pandemic also hindered the advancement of trainees, early career scientists, young investigators, and new oncologists the next generation of leaders who would be moving the oncology field forward in years to come.

All these factors could halt the hard-won momentum of the modern oncology field, unless action is taken. Cancer biology has always paved the way to biomedical innovation and improved human health, with broad, substantive impact, Dr. Levine writes. Cancer did not stay home during COVID-19, and we cannot stay home when the cancer field needs our collective efforts.

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MSK Hematologist: COVID-19 Has Impacted Every Facet of Cancer Medicine and Research - On Cancer - Memorial Sloan Kettering

Brexit LIVE: Boris to announce shock plan to REWARD Remainers including Philip Hammond – Daily Express

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Danzig

The Prime Minister is set to announce 30 new peers later this month to mark his first year in Downing Street. The list is said to include arch-Remainers Philip Hammond, Ken Clarke and Ed Vaizey in a bid to heal divisions in the Conservative Party.

Former chancellors Mr Hammond and Mr Clarke and ex-culture minister Mr Vaizey had the Tory whip withdrawn after attempting to block Mr Johnsons efforts to reach a Brexit agreement with the EU.

The list also includes a string of Brexit supporters including former England cricketer Sir Ian Botham, according to The Times.

And it was reported that there will be peerages for exLabour MPs Frank Field and Gisela Stuart who both supported Brexit in the 2016 referendum.

Former Labour MPs Ian Austin and John Woodcock, who backed Remain but supported Mr Johnson's Brexit deal and urged Labour voters not to support Jeremy Corbyn, are also said to be on the list.

FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE BREXIT UPDATES:

Sunday, July 19

00:15am update: Liam Fox says Brexit won't derail his WTO bid

Liam Fox, the former Secretary of State for International Trade, has insisted Brexit won't stop his campaign to become the first British head of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Mr Fox, a Brexit backing Scottish Tory MP, is one of eight candidates bidding to replace Brazilian Roberto Azevedo as WTO chief.

He claimed not every country "sees every issue through the Brexit prism".

Britain has been a WTO member since its founder but has only sat independently since it left the EU earlier this year.

James Bickerton takes over live reporting from Laura O'Callaghan

Saturday, July 18

10.48pm update:Nicola Sturgeon savaged for sacrificing Brexit benefits in plot for independent Scotland

Nicola Sturgeon may be willing to trade Scottish Brexit benefits in exchange for her dream of independence, a former MEP has claimed.

Brexiteer and former BrexitParty MEP, Ben Habib, attackedMs Sturgeonfor her appraoch to the Scottish independence cause.

During an interview with Express.co.uk, Mr Habib claimed Nicola Sturgeon would have to meet three crucial requirements before the EU would consider Scotland's membership.

He argued that the First Minister would be willing to sacrifice access to Scottish fishing waters and willing to pay massive sums into the EU.

Mr Habib said: "There are three instant requirements the EU would have if they were to entertain any application from Scotland.

"The first would be that they would require Scotland to be a net contributor to the EU.

"I think the Scots might find that unpalatable."

9.51pm update: Brexit farce: How David Beckham claimed 'Man Utd won more trophies because of EU'

David Beckham risked the wrath of Leave voters during the Brexit debate as he suggested Manchester United were more successful because Britain was in the EU, unearthed reports reveal.

The former England captain risked a backlash as he suggested Britains EU membership contributed to his sporting success.

For the full story click here.

8.40pm update:EU nations deadlocked at tense coronavirus recovery summit

A stand-off between EU leaders at a summit in Brussels on Saturday threatened to derail plans for a massive stimulus fund to breathe life into their coronavirus-hammered economies.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte issued a warning in a video on Facebook as the 27EuropeanUnionleaders neared the end of a second day of talks.

He said: "We are in an impasse now.

"It is more complex than what was expected.

"There are many issues that remain unresolved.''

With the pandemic dealing Europe its worst economic shock since World War II, leaders gathered on Friday to haggle over a proposed 750 billion recovery fund and a 2021-27 EU budget of more than 1 trillion.

7.27pm update: Brexiteers hailed as 'well-deserving' peerage recipients

Pro-Brexit think-thank the Bruges Group has congratulated Brexiteers Gisela Stuart and Frank Field on their peerages.

The Bruges Group tweeted: "Gisela Stuart and Frank Field are two well-deserving recipients of peerages.

"In particular, Giselas dedication to Brexit and democracy has been absolute - even when it took her from the Labour backbenches to campaigning in last years GE for Boris.

"Congratulations both."

6.50pm update: EU superstate: All members should unite and form one economic nation says expert

EU states should go further than the single market and merge together to create a Single Economic Territory, an expert has said.

Fabian Zuleeg, chief executive of the European Policy Centre said that COVID-19 triggered unprecedented government interventions across the EU.

Mr Zuleeg stressed that because of this, it was making the Single Market vulnerable.

For the full story click here.

5.38pm update: 'Enough's enough!' - Ian Botham on the EU

Sir Ian Botham looks set to be given a peerage in recognition of his support for Brexit - and archive reports reveal how the England cricket legend hit out at Remainers for failing to accept the result of the 2016 referendum.

Sir Ian publicly supported the Brexit campaign and appeared alongside Mr Johnson before the referendum four years ago.

Vowing to back Leave with a straight bat he claimed enoughs enough when probed about the EU.

He appeared at a County Durham event with Mr Johnson and said: "I have been lucky enough to grow up in a wonderful country, a country that has always been able to look after itself."

For the full story click here.

4.54pm update:Six in 10 firms have not made any no-deal preparations

British firms are now less prepared for a no-deal Brexit than they were this time last year, a new report has said.

The warning for ministers come from the Institute for Government thinktank.

It cites official data suggesting that 61 percent of businesses have made no preparations at all for December 31 - when the Brexit transition period comes to a close.

3.44pm update: US ambassador says EU criticism of Poland 'overblown'

The US ambassador to Poland said the European Union's criticism of Poland's adherence to democracy is "overblown", as Warsaw faces cuts to EU budget funds over its judiciary reforms.

Since coming to power in 2015, Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party has faced criticism from the EU over its overhaul of its judiciary system, with Brussels accusing Poland of violating EU laws.

As its relationship with the EU has faltered, PiS has focused on building strong ties with the United States, especially since President Donald Trump came to power in 2016.

US ambassador to Poland Georgette Mosbacher said: "If you're asking me...do I think that a lot of the attacks on Poland about democratic values is overblown, my answer is yes, I do."

The EU is struggling to respond to what many in western Europe see as creeping authoritarianism in the eastern wing of the bloc, especially Poland, Hungary and Romania.

3.18pm update: Cornwall calls for 700m in funding to soften blow of Brexit

Cornwall, which voted for Brexit, has called on the Conservative Government to pump 700 million into its local economy to fill the gap left by the European Union's funding post-Brexit.

Cornwall Council is petitioning the Government for the money which would cover the loss the popular tourist region is set to suffer over the next 10 years due to the impact of Brexit.

The council's chief executive Kate Kennally said: "The amountis the same as what Cornwall Council has been calling for in terms of the equivalent of what Cornwall would have received from the EU and as the level of funds to catch up with other parts of the country as part of the levelling up agenda.

"We are calling for it as a single pot to prevent us having to continually bid for separate pots.

"We want to have the funding in a single pot that will be managed by organisations here in Cornwall."

Laura O'Callaghan takes over the blog from Katie Harris.

2.50pm update: Norway rushes to sign post-Brexit trade deal with UK

Boris Johnson is on track for an early trade victory after Norway moved to sign an ambitious and free post-Brexit deal by the end of this year.

Norway, not part of the EU and reliant on Britain as its single largest trading partner, said it is keen to strike an ambitious and comprehensive free trade agreement by the end of the transition period on December 31.

Oslo is keen for Norwegian companies to have at least as much access to the UK market as EU companies.

Trade and Industry Minister Iselin Nyb said: We want to negotiate a comprehensive free trade agreement with the British, in which current trade is continued as much as possible.

This is about goods and services that cross our borders every year worth billions of krone.

Unfortunately, the agreement will not be able to replace the European Economic Area (EEA) agreement, and business will have to prepare to face new trade barriers when the UK leaves the single market.

2.30pm update: Do you agree with Boris giving honours to Remainers to heal Tory divide? - Poll

Boris Johnson is set to give three Remainers peerages in a bid to heal divisions in the Conservative Party - but do you agree with the Prime Minister handing out honours to Tories who tried to block Brexit?

Express.co.uk is asking readers if you agree with the PM rewarding Tory Remainers with peerages to heal Tory divisions.

Former chancellors Philip Hammond, Ken Clarke and ex-culture minister Ed Vaizey are said to be in line for peerages despite their attempts to frustrate Brexit.

Click here to cast your vote in our poll.

1.40pm update: SNP MP furious Brexiteers to be honoured - but Bercow snubbed

SNP MP Pete Wishart flew off the handle over reports that Boris Johnson plans to award peerages to "Brexit loyalists" despite still not offering one to former Commons Speaker John Bercow.

Referring to former England cricketer Sir Ian Botham, Mr Wishart told Sky News: "This is just the most absurd and ridiculous political institution anywhere in the world.

"We're going to be having a whole raft of Brexiteers appointed by the Prime Minister to have a part in our legislature.

"These people can now make laws, make amendments and initiate legislation. What's his qualification? He's a cricketer who supported Brexit. It's absolutely absurd."

He continued: "Let's look at two candidates for the House of Lords: Ian Botham, Brexiteer and cricketer, and John Bercow, former Speaker of the House of Commons with something like 25 years political experience.

"I'd ask your listeners: who is more qualified to have a role in deciding the laws of this country? Who is more qualified?

"But it's not up to anybody to decide that, it's should be up to an electorate. It's actually up to the PM now.

"He will appoint his donors, his cronies, his friends. Those people that he owes favours to. It has to stop, enough is enough."

12.45pm update:Goodbye Project Fear: Carney's 5.5m home for sale as he returns to Canada

Former Bank of England Governor Mark Carney - regarded by many Brexiteers as the embodiment of Project Fear - has quit Britain and returned to his native Canada after seven years - with the luxury north London home in which he and his family have been living on the market for an eye-watering 5.5million.

Mr Carney, who holds Canadian, British and Irish citizenship, had been renting the property for 3,500 a week.

Wife Diana had previously raised the subject of expensive London homes on Twitter - but the couple and their five daughters subsequently moved into a five-bedroom property in West Hampstead, before relocating to an eight-bedroom house in South Hampstead five years ago.

Mr Carney was lured from his job at the Bank of Canada in 2013 for an annual salary of 624,000, along with a housing allowance of 250,000 a year.

12pm update: Ex-MEP fumes over Hammond peerage reports

Former Brexit Party MEP Rupert Lowe has warned Boris Johnson has got this so wrong following reports former chancellor Philip Hammond is in line for a peerage.

He tweeted: Giving Philip Hammond a peerage is an utter disgrace.

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Brexit LIVE: Boris to announce shock plan to REWARD Remainers including Philip Hammond - Daily Express

Just 33bn? Here’s why the Brexit divorce bill could cost tens of billions more than you thought – Telegraph.co.uk

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Danzig

What is not appreciated even by ministers and MPs is firstly that 33billion is not an absolute number: it is an estimate by the Office for Budget Responsibility, of which the major portion is pension payments.

Secondly, there are future liabilities lurking in the small print of the Withdrawal Agreement (WA) and, in the analogy, these relate to the investment portfolio: if the EU's investments fail to pay out full value, the UK could be asked to share the loss.

Rewind to the report published by the Centre for Brexit Policy last weekend. Replacing the Withdrawal Agreement: How to ensure the UK takes back control on exiting the transition period includes a section on the UKs future financial liabilities under the WA.

This is a complex and little-known aspect of the WA, but it occupies nearly fifty pages. It comes down to this: during the UKs EU membership, different parts of the EU have made long-dated loans or financial commitments.

The WA saddles the UK with a responsibility to pay for a portion of any future losses on those loans/financial commitments, regardless of whether the UK benefited from them. Furthermore, the marker point for the UKs being responsible is not the end of the Brexit transition period, but the expiry of the loan/financial commitment itself, or of the facility or fund out of which the loan/financial commitment was made.

The only limitation is that the loan or financial commitment must have been granted while the UK was an EU member. However, this limitation is of little comfort: a loan agreed before 31st December 2020 but drawn later will be chalked up against the UKs liability.

The WA states that the UK should have to pay a portion of the amount at risk through the EU Budget, in line with its historical share of the cash budget, or about 12 per cent. But this 12 per cent figure must be regarded as elastic, as it could increase markedly (perhaps double) if, in the midst of a crisis, the likes of Italy, Spain, Cyprus, Greece, and Ireland were not able to pay their shares.

This total liability now amounts to 185 billion through the EU Budget and 37 billion in subscribed-but-not-called capital in the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Central Bank (ECB).Additionally, in a crisis, the UK probably would have its paid-in capital of 3.6 billion in the EIB and ECB written off.

But there is more. The amount at risk of 185 billion through the EU Budget could rise by 198 billion to 383 billion during 2021 thanks to the headroom in and carry-over provision for the 2014-2020 EU budget period. The hoped-for maximum amount at risk would then be 12 per cent of 383 billion plus 40.6 billion for the EIB/ECB totalling 86.6 billion, noting the elasticity of the 12%.

In addition, there are significant potential liabilities that are largely unquantifiable, such as

The UKs payments, should losses materialise, would simply be debited to the UKs budget - diverting money that would otherwise fund the NHS, schools, paying our own debt costs, etc - and be credited to the respective EU organisation to cover its losses.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) made a calculation of the Brexit Divorce Bill deriving from the WA of around 39billion.They issued a chart for when they believed the payments would materialise, and stated that most of the payments related to pension costs, thereby assigning a very low likelihood of payments being made to Brussels for these reasons described above. The OBRs apparent confidence does not seem to be based on any detailed study of the financings being made through InvestEU or the EIB, and crucially it pre-dated the coronavirus crisis.

The WA saddles the UK with a potential liability, at best of 86 billion and possibly a lot more. Should payments to Brussels be demanded, an equal-and-opposite reduction in public spending in the UK would result.

The risk of loss and the amounts at stake were already rising before coronavirus, and to the UKs detriment. The EUs coronavirus response has just twisted the screw. The result is manifestly unfair when the UK has drawn so little benefit from the EUs various loan and financing schemes.

Bob Lyddon is an experienced management consultant both privately and with PwC, with a specialization in banking and payments. He has published numerous papers about the financial mechanisms of the EU, through the Bruges Group, Politeia and Global Britain. He authored Global Britains series The Brexit Papers.

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Just 33bn? Here's why the Brexit divorce bill could cost tens of billions more than you thought - Telegraph.co.uk

Brexit isn’t working – TheArticle

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Danzig

After three months in what Dominic Cummingss wife Mary Wakefield mendaciously called London lockdown, I have just driven through five countries in two days. I had to go to southern Germany for a work-related thing, didnt much fancy plane or train, so decided to drive, and my partner Fiona suggested we tag on a few days in the Dolomites. Why not? After all, given the way the Brexit farce is going, it may be the last time we can take the dog abroad without booking four months in advance.

As we set off on Monday morning, I saw at a news stand the Daily Express, propaganda sheet for whatever false hope or fantasy Boris Johnson is peddling. It led with the screaming headline: GET READY! 93M BLITZ KICKSTARTS BRITAINS EU EXIT.

Blitz sounds so exciting, and of course resonates with the spirit of the blitz tone of the Expresss flag-waving coverage of Johnson and his Vote Leave cronies. It turned out to be a publicity blitz around the theme Lets Get Going. Four years on from when many thought we were already supposed to have gone, this was but the latest three word troll by the team that gave you Take Back Control, Get Brexit Done, Whatever It Takes, and Build, Build, Build, when it looks like the only things being built right now are a massive lorry park in Kent, and a few hundred million quids worth of border posts.

Sadly the BBC got into the Number 10 propaganda game on that one, presenting this 705 million splurge on infrastructure they said we would never need as a plan for what Michael Gove assured us would be the most secure border in the world.

Back in the real world, the actual news is that we should prepare for a hike in health insurance bills and higher phone bills. Also, businessmen and women, some of whom may well have voted for this sh*t-show on the basis that Brussels bureaucracy was holding them back, and that Brexit would sweep it all away, were learning that they may have to fill in five times as many forms, and pay for the privilege. According to the Financial Times, the combined cost will be 7bn. Less red tape, they said. The reality is a little different 215 million new forms, and 50,000 new Customs officials. At least they wont be short of applicants. Add Brexit to Covid and youre looking at an unemployment meltdown, made in Number 10. They failed on Covid. They failed on Brexit. The combination is lethal.

We drove through the future lorry park, once known as the Garden of England, listening to the Ashford MP Damian Green on the radio. He complained about it being sited there. Fiona checked out how Ashford had voted in the referendum 60-40 for Brexit.

By the time Gove set out his plans in the Commons, we were heading through France and Germany, listening to Billy Connollys brilliant autobiography, and so despite a bit of twitter media monitoring when we stopped, I didnt really follow what happened.

So yesterday morning, keen to put my recent Goethe Institut German refresher course to good use, I got all the papers in the hotel reception, thinking that, though the UKs latest pronouncements on Brexit might not be front page news, the broadsheets would at least cover it. Not a word. Manchester City was the only British institution to get a mention anywhere.

It called to mind the recent roundtable Chancellor Angela Merkel did with a group of European journalists, including from the Guardian, ahead of the German Presidency of the EU. It was noteworthy for the fact there was just one question on Brexit, briefly despatched, with the observation that the Brits have made their choice and if they want to leave the single market and customs union, they will have to live with the consequences. The tone suggested to me she had pretty much given up on us. As one of her team said to me when Johnson became Prime Minister, as you know, she likes serious people.

From Germany we drove into Switzerland, passing mile after mile of lorries queueing to get through customs checks, necessary despite the special deal they have with the EU. These are the queues and the checks the Brexit fantasists waved away as Project Fear. Of course, back then there was no question of leaving the single market. They needed us more than we needed them, remember? David Davis and Iain Duncan-Smith told us so. We held all the cards, said Gove. Simplest deal in human history, said Liam Fox, currently the butt of bemused jokes in any discussion about who might be the next head of the World Trade Organisation, his nomination by Johnson further evidence of their total unseriousness.

Now that reality is dawning, the fantasists, for whom responsibility is not an option, really are thrashing around. Reading the latest whinings of John Longworth, former chief of the CBI who now runs the Centre for Brexit Policy, I sense the Brexiters only route now is to say that Remainers forced them to do it. They certainly seem to be claiming that the Withdrawal Agreement was not their work.

Longworth thundered recently: The Remainers will always be shamed for shackling the country to a poison pill: the Withdrawal Agreement. But hold on, wasnt this the oven-ready deal that Johnson promised during the election, another of the glib soundbites that litter this wretched story? People like me always said it was a load of nonsense. It was your beloved Get Brexit Done-man Johnson who told us how easy it would be. Sorry, Longworth, Martin, Dyson, Farage, Rees-Mogg, Francois, Duncan-Smith, Murdoch and all who sail in him, this is your sh*t-show, and its time you had the decency to own it.

As for Davis, who with Duncan-Smith might as well have their own chairs in the broadcasters studio, did he really tell Radio 4 yesterday that if the Chinese want to trade with us, they have to follow our rules? Yes yes, he did. Self-awareness is not their strong point. Davis, one of a succession of failed Brexit Secretaries, is among those now urging a review of the Withdrawal Agreement.

It was implicit in the Withdrawal Agreement that we would have a free-trade agreement, he said. Was it? What sort of implicit? As implicit as the explicit promises made that there would be no checks between Great Britain and Northern Ireland? As implicit as the promises of more money for the NHS? As implicit as all the trade deals that would be unleashed on the day we left?

In any event, if you are negotiating something as serious as your countrys future, I wonder if implicit is really enough.What a mess these clowns have made of it. Their great project is falling apart before it has even got going.

Its a mess that originates from the lies on which Brexit was sold, and the lies and laziness since. They have had four years to sort this out. They have nothing sorted on trade, immigration, banks, fish; you name it, they have ballsed it up. Even the blue passport they were so excited about isnt really blue.

Billy Connolly does not get political too often. But he did towards the end of his book, written in 2018, as he reflected on his life. He had never been in favour of Scottish independence, he said, but Brexit was pushing him that way. Brexit, he added, was a sin and a crime.

He is absolutely right. And the men they are nearly all men who drove it, lied for it, cheated for it, and are lying and cheating for it still, need to be hounded until they pay for those sins and crimes.

The problem is, meantime, they are destroying a once great country. They no longer even pretend to know why.

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Brexit isn't working - TheArticle

Employment rights on the guillotine in no-deal Brexit John Lee – The Scotsman

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Danzig

NewsOpinionColumnistsRemoval of EU regulations opens the door for possible changes to safeguards for UK workers

Saturday, 18th July 2020, 7:30 am

Last weeks Scottish Government announcement saw a significant milestone for easing lockdown in Scotland. Measures this week included a welcome reopening for the likes of indoor hospitality, holiday accommodation and hairdressers, subject to appropriate safeguards.

The changes take place against the backdrop of widely anticipated, large-scale redundancies. Looking forward, Brexit presents a further set of challenging economic circumstances for us to navigate. 1st July was the last date by which the Joint Committee of UK and EU representatives had to agree a further extension to the current transition period which ends on 31st December 2020. In the COVID-19 maelstrom, that date passed with no extension sought.

As a result, it appears the UK is now locked in to a hard finish by which, if no deal is reached, we exit with none. Whilst further extensions are technically possible, there are significant barriers making this unlikely.

Does this all mean a further perfect economic storm towards the end of the year? Its certainly possible. The coronavirus job retention scheme ends in October, the US presidential elections take place in November, further large scale redundancies are expected and, last but not least, were no closer to a Brexit deal, which is unsettling to say the least. The US influence is significant given that the trade negotiations, from a UK perspective, are not taking place in a Brexit vacuum. Our negotiators will have one eye on transatlantic negotiations in particular.

How might all this affect the employment landscape? During the transition period, the UK is, for most purposes, deemed an EU member. Any deal agreed before 31 December will include certain employment safeguards in order to ensure a level playing field. With no deal, the scope for change in UK employment safeguards is wider.

The EU has been pivotal in shaping our employment laws. These govern: our health and safety framework; discrimination and equality; working time; annual leave and pay; transfers of rights and employees on the sale of businesses; data protection; human rights and agency workers. Whether Remainer or Brexiteer, it is clear Brexit opens up important commercial and legal freedoms. The debate now is whether that freedom proves worth the cost.

Certain areas are likely to be a focus for the Government in future. It was EU law which set a precedent that long term absent employees (even for a full working year), will continue to accrue annual leave and to carry that over; that those who take sick whilst on holiday be entitled to substitute leave and to carry that over; that overtime, bonuses and commissions require to be factored into holiday pay calculations (leaving employers seismic historic liabilities to tackle); that restricts employers on the acquisition of businesses from harmonising terms across their employees and that requires the same transfer of rights and employees in the transfer of service contracts; that required greater equality across core staff and agency workers.

Any proposals for change in these areas will doubtless be criticised (many will say properly) as a governmental raid on employment rights.

Some employers will welcome these freedoms as the intended benefits of Brexit to help them compete effectively in the post-Brexit economies. There are good reasons to expect some changes in these areas. In addition to the combination of circumstances mentioned, political appetite for change in employment rights and regulation is hardly new. Remember the so-called Red Tape Challenge with which the Cameron-Clegg coalition government was heralded to power? We will tackle the commercial restrictions of employment law they said. We will remove the UKs gold plating of EU law for business they told us. We will sort out the haystack that is UK health and safety law, they promised. In practical terms, this was much ado about nothing.

With Boris Johnsons sweeping majority last year, one telling and in my view prescient omission in the Withdrawal Agreement Act 2020, was any commitment to safeguard employment rights. This was a conspicuous divergence from previous proposals, explained away at the time as necessary in the interests of simplifying the course of the legislation through parliament. This may well prove to have been simplification, in the way the guillotine simplifies your choice of hats.

John Lee is an Employment Partner, Ledingham Chalmers

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Employment rights on the guillotine in no-deal Brexit John Lee - The Scotsman

Brexit Party’s election campaign to scrap the Senedd – BBC News

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Danzig

Image caption "Devolution has gone so much further" than some people thought it would, according to Mark Reckless, the Brexit Party's leader in the Senedd

The Brexit Party will campaign in next year's Senedd election to scrap the current system of devolution.

Mark Reckless, leader of the party's group in the Welsh Parliament, said "devolution has gone so much further" than some people thought it would.

He is proposing a directly-elected first minister and getting rid of members of the Senedd (MSs).

The last Welsh barometer poll suggested around 22% of people supported abolishing the Welsh Parliament.

But in a multiple-choice question, the highest level of support was for leaving the settlement as it is (24%), followed by a Senedd with more powers (20%) and Welsh independence (16%).

Plaid Cymru's leader hit back at Mr Reckless and said people's understanding and awareness of devolution was at a "high watermark" as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Adam Price dismissed the Brexit Party's support for scrapping the devolution system as an attempt to turn Wales "into western England".

"What is the message of the Brexit Party in this regard? It's not just abolishing our democracy, it's abolishing Wales," he told the BBC's Politics Wales programme.

"Is anyone seriously, when we look to the last three months, at the more careful, reasonable, thoughtful approach that the Welsh Government has shown in recent months compared to the reckless policy, the dysfunctional policy of bumbling and blustering its way through the crisis that we've seen from Boris Johnson, do we really want to take the powers that we have to protect our people and give them to Number 10 Downing Street in these circumstances? Absolutely not."

Speaking to the same programme, Mr Reckless said under his plans a directly-elected first minister would be scrutinised by Welsh MPs.

He questioned the value of having the Senedd and its members in addition to MPs in Westminster.

"A lot of people who haven't engaged with devolved politics now see the powers this place has, and many of those people would prefer to be governed on a UK basis rather than having things done differently in Wales just for the sake of it, as so often has been the case under Mark Drakeford," he said.

The Brexit Party's four MSs are its biggest group of politicians now that the UK no longer has members of the European Parliament (MEPs) following its departure from the European Union.

Mr Reckless said party leader Nigel Farage is "consulted over key decisions... but he doesn't micro-manage us here".

He said he did not "rule out" a potential rebrand of the party, as had been reported.

The Brexit Party has been very critical of the Covid-19 lockdown measures.

Asked if he believed there should be another Wales-wide lockdown, he replied: "We think it's much better to trust people's judgment. The individual knows best.

"I think what we'll see is that many more people will stay at home.

"But the idea that you tell people how many times they should exercise... I don't believe there's science for that.

"I also believe that interference with people's lives is so great when the evidence is so very limited."

Pushed on whether he was against another lockdown in the event of a steep rise in coronavirus cases, he said: "I think it should be a last resort, and I think the time when you really need to do that is if infections are at such an extent that it threatens the capacity of our health services to cope.

"I think that is a good reason for closing schools, for government intervention, in order to stop that.

"But actually, I think when we look back it was that handwashing, it was a degree of social distancing, it was more people staying at home voluntarily that saw the infection rate begin to come down and meant that capacity in the health service wasn't overcome in that way."

Former First Minister Carwyn Jones said the idea showed the Brexit Party "cannot stand the idea of Wales as a nation."

"So much for respecting the result of referendums [devolution referendums in 1997 and 2011] but let's not forget that this is really a play to get re-elected to the Senedd by appealing to a minority in the hope of getting above 5% in his region," he added.

BBC Politics Wales is on BBC iPlayer.

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Brexit Party's election campaign to scrap the Senedd - BBC News

Brexit: Michel Martin says injection of momentum needed in talks – BBC News

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Danzig

An injection of momentum is needed in the Brexit talks between the UK & EU, taoiseach Michel Martin has said.

Speaking on the Andrew Marr Show, the Irish prime minister said the talks were "getting into an urgent timeframe and so far progress has been too slow".

On Friday, Michel Barnier said "significant divergences" remained between the EU and the UK on a post-Brexit trade agreement.

Mr Martin said a deal would be done, but it could not be "at any price".

Both sides agreed to "intensify" negotiations last month and held the first face-to-face talks since the coronavirus pandemic at the beginning of July.

If they are unable to reach a deal by the end of the transition period at the end of the year, the UK will leave the EU's single market and the customs union without any agreement on future access.

However, Northern Ireland will stay in the EU single market for goods.

Mr Martin said there was "no sense in a no-deal Brexit or a sub-optimal deal" between the EU and UK.

He said "ordinary people would suffer" if that happened.

"We must do everything to protect workers, protect livelihoods and protect the essence of our economy."

Mr Martin also said Northern Ireland could get the "best of both worlds" when it came to Brexit.

"Northern Ireland needs development, it needs economic momentum and let's turn this into an opportunity for Northern Ireland and through that the island of Ireland," he said.

In a separate interview with BBC NI's Sunday Politics programme, Mr Martin said said that "out of Brexit came a demand for a border poll", but believes it "would currently be unnecessarily divisive".

The Fianna Fil leader said "it's easy to call for a border poll" but that the "nuts and bolts of how does one share an island" need to be understood.

Mr Martin said that the most effective way forward is to "build on relationships" and to "do research" into the practicalities of these issues.

"More substance around these issues is needed and a greater understanding of the implications of what some people are calling for," he said.

The draft deal that was agreed to establish a government in the Republic of Ireland sought the establishment of a new shared-island unit within the Department of the Taoiseach.

The paper for government said this unit will be set up to work "towards a consensus on a shared island".

Mr Martin said that there is a commitment to "build relationships" with the Stormont Executive and the UK government to achieve "greater connectivity" on the island of Ireland.

Mr Martin had been previously accused of "letting down the unionist community" in Northern Ireland by not including a unionist in the Seanad.

Ian Marshall, who in 2018 became the first unionist elected to the Seanad (Irish Senate), called Mr Martin's commitment to a "shared island" a "farce".

"How can you have a shared island if you only talk to yourself?".

Responding to Mr Marshall's comments, Mr Martin said it was "a disproportionate comment" and said "having a (unionist) senator is not the be-all-and-end-all in terms of having a relationship".

"There is no issue at all with Mr Marshall, but there were political circumstances prevailing on this, particularly in the parties that came together to form a government," Mr Martin said.

"Engagement with unionism is far wider than that," he added.

On the relationship between his party and the SDLP, the taoiseach said this would continue to "grow and strengthen".

In February 2019, the SDLP voted overwhelmingly in favour of a partnership with Fianna Fil.

However, the Fianna Fil leader said this will not affect his role as a co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement.

Mr Martin also dismissed claims he was ignoring unionism by not electing a unionist to the Seanad (Irish Senate).

He also believes a border poll "out of Brexit" will be "too divisive".

Speaking on , Mr Martin said he will play his role as taoiseach "down the middle".

"I will continue honest and objective leadership in respect of the north," he said.

"I will be proactive in a positive and constructive way with Northern Ireland."

Mr Martin said that the SDLP has experienced "a renaissance" in Northern Ireland and said that Fianna Fil will continue to "give support to the SDLP".

You can see the full interview with the taoiseach on Sunday Politics on the BBC iPlayer.

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Brexit: Michel Martin says injection of momentum needed in talks - BBC News

Britain Should Prepare for Recessions and a No-Deal Brexit – Business News Wales

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Danzig

Message from Quantum Advisorys latest pension industry insight seminar

A senior investment analyst for one of the UK's leading actuarial and pension consulting firms has warned that the country should expect recessions over the coming months and the economic backdrop to remain uncertain heading into 2021 and that, as the Brexit transition period draws to an end, a no deal is a serious possibility.

Stefano Carnevale addressed over 100 pension and investment specialists at Quantum Advisorys first ever virtual Pensions for Brunch seminar. The comments were part of Stefanos opening investment update covering market performance over the last 12 months, and the outlook for pension schemes and investment strategies during these volatile times.

Stefano said:

We were actually in a good place at the start of 2020; Brexit was progressing and equity markets were performing well. It was not until March, when large-scale shutdowns became inevitable and the effect on businesses was unclear, that panic set in. The market falls we experienced were unprecedented in terms of speed and gilt yields and corporate bond spreads experienced volatility as investors sought liquidity. UK GDP fell 20.4% in April following the first full month of lock-down, which was consistent with other European countries and the US. More recently, global equity markets have improved somewhat. Governments around the world along with central banks have played an important role by implementing large scale fiscal and monetary responses. Subsequently, returns over a one-year period to the end of May, are positive (c6%).

The path to recovery is uncertain at present, and with the US elections and Brexit coming up, its looking even more unclear. The big question with Brexit, is can we secure a free trade agreement in the tight timeframe we have remaining? If not, investors should not rule out a no deal scenario.

Following Stefano, Osborne Clarkes Partner, Claire Rankin, and Senior Associate, Alicia Cain, gave an insight into Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution governance in UK pension arrangements. The duo from the international legal practice looked into reasons why it has been cranked up over the previous few years, the implications on pension schemes and what further governance is on the horizon.

Simon Hubbard, Senior Consultant and Actuary at Quantum Advisory wrapped the webinar up with an overview of life expectancy and the implications the increase slowdown might have on pensions.

The Pensions for Brunch webinar was part of the long-running Pensions for Breakfast seminars that Quantum Advisory holds quarterly at the Celtic Manor. The webinar is available to watch here https://quantumadvisory.co.uk/event/pensions-for-brunch-webinar-2/

Quantum Advisory has offices in Amersham, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, and London and provides pension and employee benefits services to employers, scheme trustees and members.

For more information about Quantum Advisory, please visit: https://quantumadvisory.co.uk.

Britain Should Prepare for Recessions and a No-Deal Brexit - Business News Wales

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