UK
Don’t let Johnson muddy the water – the lobbying scandal is about contracts, not unions

It is bizarre that we are talking about further regulation of unions and charities in response to a scandal about Conservative Party sleaze

Antonia Bance
30 April 2021

Boris Johnson is looking to deflect attention away from Tory Party sleaze |
PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo

The past few weeks have seen a cascade of revelations about cash for influence and corporate lobbying within the UK government. It’s clear that the rules aren’t fit for purpose.

The union movement supports transparency and safeguards to ensure corporates can’t buy influence and government contracts are awarded fairly.

That’s why we at the Trades Union Congress (TUC) think that big corporates should have to declare their in-house lobbying and influencing operations in an expanded lobbying register – not just their use of third-party lobbyists, as at present. And alongside that, the targets of lobbying – ministers, special advisers, senior civil servants, and the leaders of regulators and other public bodies – must be required to disclose their contacts and meetings, in some detail and in a timely fashion. We also support calls for stiffer punishments for breaking the rules on the Freedom of Information Act.

Most importantly, though, we need much more transparency in the awarding of government contracts.

Just look at procurement of medical and protective equipment in the pandemic. Week after week, the evidence piles up of a ‘VIP fast lane for firms with links to the Conservative Party. Health secretary Matt Hancock oversaw contract awards to companies linked to his friends and family (and, indeed, himself). His department’s failure to publish details of contracts awarded was also ruled unlawful by the high court. The Public Accounts Committee found that leads given highest priority for PPE supply “were those from government officials, ministers’ offices, MPs and members of the House of Lords”.

There is no reason to include charities or unions in an expanded register of lobbyists. Both are already highly regulated

What this meant was that the government “wasted hundreds of millions of pounds on PPE which is of poor quality and cannot be used for the intended purpose”. The National Audit Office (NAO) found that “insufficient documentation on key decisions, or how risks such as perceived or actual conflicts of interest have been identified or managed”.

To ensure there is far greater transparency in government procurement, ministers should publish all contacts and links they have with firms awarded government contracts.
Contract secrecy could be about to get worse, not better

The NAO points out that there is too little information in the public domain to conduct an effective analysis of the performance of, and rewards for, major contractors delivering publicly funded services. Neither the Cabinet Office nor the Treasury have reliable or complete data on contracts let in Whitehall. Nor is there consolidated data for the NHS, local government or the devolved administrations.

In 2019, in the wake of the collapse of construction and outsourcing giant Carillion, the TUC called on the government to produce a Domesday Book of government contracting – a public sector-wide record of contracts awarded, performance and company data.

Related story

How Cameron’s vow to clean up lobbying turned into a loophole-ridden sham
15-04-2021 | Tamasin Cave

Previous parliamentary inquiries into lobbying have gone ignored. It’s hard to imagine Johnson’s will be any different

But far from increasing transparency, the government is now proposing to expand the scope for the use of informal tendering. Plans set out in its Transforming Public Procurement green paper would give new powers to the cabinet secretary to declare crisis conditions that would allow greater use of ‘direct awards’ – contracts let without competition. They would also exempt contracts from automatic suspension even if they were being legally challenged. Such plans would formalise the short-cuts we saw in the pandemic, and make it even easier for minsters to award contracts to their friends.

This scandal started with David Cameron, a former Conservative prime minister, attempting to influence senior Conservative ministers on behalf of now defunct finance firm Greensill Capital. We must keep the focus on corporate lobbying and the award of contracts.
Unions and charities are a predictable distraction

Some MPs will want, for their own reasons, to divert attention from Tory sleaze. They will seek to draw on the conduct of charities and unions in influencing policymaking. It’s a predictable distraction, and one we should be prepared for. Johnson himself pulled this trick, responding to a recent question from Labour MP Matt Western about Tory sleaze and “big donor bungs” by claiming it is Labour which is soft on lobbyists “because of its relationship with the trade unions”.

There is no reason to include charities or unions in an expanded register of lobbyists. Both charities and unions are already highly regulated.

Charities must not have political purposes, must be party-politically neutral, and may only campaign in tightly circumscribed circumstances in the pursuit of their charitable objectives.

Unions are some of the most regulated organisations in the UK – and have been subjected to even more onerous transparency requirements recently, in the 2014 and 2016 Trade Union Acts. Unions have to make detailed disclosures of our membership, financial affairs, industrial action and political activity. If we want to spend money on political activities, unions must create a separate opt-in political fund. Every ten years this fund must be re-authorised in a ballot of all members. And every year unions have to report and publish detailed information about how they spent their political fund to the Certification Officer.

We support transparency in lobbying. But it is bizarre that we are talking about further regulation of unions and charities in response to a former Conservative prime minister lobbying his Conservative successors on behalf of his current employer.

We should instead seize this moment to find out who ministers and special advisors are meeting, make departments comply with freedom of information laws, and clean up the awarding of government contracts

German climate law is partly
unconstitutional, top court rules

Germany will have to improve its emissions targets from 2031 following a complaint by a coalition of climate activists, including Fridays for Future.


The Friday for Future movement supported the plaintiffs

Germany's Constitutional Court ruled Thursday that the country's 2019 climate protection act is in part unconstitutional.

"The regulations irreversibly postpone high emission reduction burdens until periods after 2030," the court said.

It added that the law does not explain in enough detail how greenhouse gas emissions are to be reduced after 2031.

The judges gave the legislature until the end of next year to draw up clearer reduction targets for greenhouse gas emissions for the period after 2030.
What is the case about?

The complaint was filed by a group of nine mostly young people. They are supported by several environmental associations, including Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND) and Fridays for Future.

Watch video 02:31 The social dimension of climate change

They have criticized the law, saying it does not go far enough to sufficiently reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit climate change.

They argue that because the law will not limit climate change, it violates their fundamental right to a humane future.

The court has now obligated the legislature to find a balance between freedom for all and burdens faced by some.

"Older people, at least those who are concerned about the well-being of their children and children's children, should rejoice over this ruling," Protestant theologian and former chair of the German Ethics Council, Peter Dabrock, told DW.

"The verdict sends a very strong signal," he added, and quoted the philosopher Immanuel Kant: "The freedom of the individual ends where the freedom of others begins." That principle is now getting a cross-generational perspective, he said.

"As a constitutional court ruling, this is as surprising as it is overdue," the ethics expert emphasized.

What else did the court say?

"The challenged provisions do violate the freedoms of the complainants, some of whom are still very young," the court said in a statement.

"Virtually every freedom is potentially affected by these future emission reduction obligations because almost all areas of human life are still associated with the emission of greenhouse gases and are thus threatened by drastic restrictions after 2030," the statement said.

GERMANY'S GROWING CLIMATE MOVEMENT DEMANDING ACTION
Striking for the future
"Why study, if our future is being destroyed?" This sign features a sentiment shared by increasing numbers of German students, who have joined young people worldwide in using Friday school strikes to call for action on climate change. The movement was inspired by 16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, who began her protests alone in front of the Swedish parliament in August 2018.PHOTOS 12345678

An 'epochal' ruling

German Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Peter Altmaier responded to the ruling, saying it was both "big and meaningful." He added it was "epochal" for climate protection and the rights of young people as well as ensuring planning security for the economy.

He added that he was "pleased" that the court had implemented what he called the "most important" requirement of his 2020 climate initiative that ensures the reduction targets up to 2050 are "broken down into concrete reduction targets for each individual year between 2022 and 2050."

German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said he and Environment Minister Svenja Schulze, who are both from the Social Democrats, the junior coalition partner in the federal government, had "resolved to very quickly prepare a draft bill to advise the federal government."

He said the aim is to amend the Climate Protection Act so that it complies with the requirements of the Federal Constitutional Court. He added that he expects the bill to receive the approval of the entire federal government.

"Action really needs to be taken now, and I'm ready to do that," Scholz said.

He accused Altmaier, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union, of "talking about big climate goals but then putting on the breaks instead of taking any real action."

Climate activists celebrate the ruling

"It's an incomprehensibly big day for many people," said Luisa Neubauer from Germany's Fridays for Futures, who was part of the group that filed the complaint.

In a tweet, she added: "This is huge. Climate protection isn't nice-to-have, climate protection is a fundamental right."

Legal representative Felix Ekardt, said the court ruling had delivered the German government a "slap in the face," while lawyer Remo Klinger called it a milestone.

Plaintiff Sophie Backsen said, "We are super happy and relieved." Effective climate protection must be implemented now and not in 10 years when it is too late, she said.

Annalena Baerbock, confirmed by the Green Party as their candidate in the race to succeed Merkel as chancellor this year, called the decision "historic."
What is the climate protection law?

Germany's climate protection act was approved by the government in 2019.

Under the act, Germany is obliged to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.

It also sets out yearly upper limits for greenhouse gases across various sectors such as energy, transport, buildings and agriculture.

If these individual targets are missed, an obligation to make improvements takes effect.

Lithium mining project faces opposition in Portugal

Portugal is the largest producer of lithium in Europe. And it may one day be home to the largest mine on the Continent. But that’s only if the project known as Mina de Barroso goes ahead.

VIDEO 1:35  https://p.dw.com/p/3sZJf

#DEFUNDTHEMILITARY

Defense Department cancels all border wall contracts using funds intended for military missions

By Priscilla Alvarez, CNN 4/30/2021

The Defense Department is canceling all contracts for wall construction on the US-Mexico border that used funds originally intended for military missions and functions, the department announced Friday, a significant action after the Trump administration dipped into Pentagon funds to build additional border barriers.

© CNN

In one of his first actions in office, President Joe Biden ordered a pause on wall construction and called for a review of projects and funds. While that review is ongoing, the administration is taking steps to send back billions' worth of funds to the Pentagon, so that they can be used for their initial purpose.

"Consistent with the President's proclamation, the Department of Defense is proceeding with canceling all border barrier construction projects paid for with funds originally intended for other military missions and functions such as schools for military children, overseas military construction projects in partner nations, and the National Guard and Reserve equipment account," said Jamal Brown, deputy pentagon spokesman, in a statement.

"DoD has begun taking all necessary actions to cancel border barrier projects and to coordinate with interagency partners. Today's action reflects this Administration's continued commitment to defending our nation and supporting our service members and their families," Brown added.

Since 2019, more than 340 miles have been built in multiple locations along the border using Pentagon funds, according to US Customs and Border Protection.

The Department of Homeland Security also announced it will pick up some projects that had been ongoing and need to be addressed due to risks of flooding and soil erosion in Texas and California, saying in a statement: "As DHS continues to review the extensive problems created by the prior administration's border wall construction and develop its plans, the department will take the following initial steps consistent with the President's Proclamation to protect border communities."

An administration official said the projects will not involve expanding the border barrier.

Career officials at CBP were pushing the administration to finish some projects, particularly ones that involved the levee and others that were at risk of erosion, according to a Homeland Security official.

In 2019, then-President Donald Trump declared a national emergency that allowed his administration to dip into Pentagon funds for his signature border wall. The move received swift criticism from states, lawmakers and advocacy groups and became the subject of several lawsuits.

Those lawsuits have been put on hold since Biden came into office. Earlier this month, the Justice Department told the US District Court for the Northern District of California that the administration was still deciding on next steps for the US-Mexico border wall after the President called for a pause on construction.

AT&T shareholders vote against approving executive compensation

Reuters/Brendan McDermid FILE PHOTO: The company logo for Oracle Corp. is displayed on a screen on the floor at the NYSE in New York

(Reuters) -AT&T Inc shareholders on Friday voted against a measure to approve executive compensation, according to preliminary voting results from the company's annual meeting.

AT&T did not give a number for the opposing votes, but said preliminary results showed 49% were cast in favor of approving executive compensation.

The total compensation package for Jason Kilar, chief executive of AT&T's media unit WarnerMedia, was more than $52 million, more than double the $21 million for AT&T CEO John Stankey, according to the company's proxy statement.

"Given the dynamic markets in which we operate, the Board is laser-focused on attracting and retaining the talent necessary to deliver on our strategic objectives and create shareholder value,” William Kennard, chairman of AT&T’s board of directors, said in a statement following the annual meeting.

Kilar is a pioneer in the streaming video industry as the founding CEO of Hulu, now owned by Walt Disney Co.

He was recruited to take over AT&T's media properties last year to help turn it into a viable competitor to Netflix Inc, Amazon.com Inc, Disney and Comcast Corp's NBCUniversal in the global streaming video war.

In a statement following the annual meeting, AT&T said, "As we further engage with our owners on this important topic, the Board will carefully consider today’s advisory vote to ensure that our approach to compensation continues to reflect these principles.”

Historically shareholders have rarely voted against executive compensation but have done so more often recently as executive pay packages have ballooned.

In March, shareholders of Starbucks Corp voted against the executive pay plan in a non-binding resolution.

(Reporting by Sheila Dang; Editing by Richard Chang, Kenneth Li and Cynthia Osterman)

Exclusive: Credit Suisse investors call for tougher coal finance policy - letter

By Simon Jessop and Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi

© Reuters/Shannon Stapleton FILE PHOTO:

 A leaf sits on top of a pile of coal in Youngstown, Ohio

LONDON/ZURICH (Reuters) - Credit Suisse investors managing $2.5 trillion have called for the bank to take a tougher stance on coal financing, amid concern its current policies are too lax, a letter seen by Reuters showed.

The role of lenders in financing the activities of companies responsible for the major share of greenhouse gas emissions has increasingly been the focus of investors and policymakers, keen to accelerate climate action.

Thermal coal, used to generate electricity, has been a focal point as it is one of the heaviest-emitting fossil fuels and investors are eager to see it phased out. A similar investor group has already won a pledge to do so from HSBC and is urging Barclays to follow suit.

While backing Credit Suisse's pledge to align its financing with the Paris Agreement on climate and set science-based emissions-reduction targets within two years, the investors said they also wanted "firm" operational steps to curb coal lending.

Since shareholders cannot ask questions of the board at the company's virtual annual general meeting on Friday - which will be overshadowed by the bank's losses from investment fund Archegos - the investors, including one of Europe's biggest, Amundi, wrote to the board on Thursday laying out their demands.

Coordinated by responsible investment NGO ShareAction, the group also includes the Ethos Foundation, which advises 225 Swiss pension funds and public utility foundations and whose members hold between 3%-5% of the company's stock, as well as BMO Global Asset Management, Actiam and Folksam.

In the letter, the group said the expansion of the coal industry had "long been recognised as being incompatible with the goals of the Paris Agreement", which requires countries to get to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Citing research from the Rainforest Action Network showing Credit Suisse to be Europe's third-biggest funder of coal power and Europe's largest backer of coal mining between 2016 and 2020, the letter said the bank was lagging peers on the issue.

Last July, the bank said it would stop funding or underwriting companies with a coal share of revenue greater than 25%, unless they had a "credible" strategy to diversify away from thermal coal.

"However, the bank does not disclose what it considers to be a 'credible transition strategy away from thermal coal extraction or coal power', as opposed to some of its European peers," the letter said.

In its 2020 sustainability report, the bank said its new restrictions had already seen it turn down some business, adding it had further decided against deals above and beyond those policies, including a bond issuance for a large thermal coal mining and power generation company, on the basis of sustainability.

It said it had also developed sector-specific energy transition frameworks for clients active in a number of fields, including coal mining.

Despite that, the investors said they wanted the bank to set a firm date by which it will have phased out lending to coal companies, in line with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recommendations to do so in OECD countries by 2030 and the rest of the world by 2040.

A spokeswoman for Credit Suisse said in response to a request for comment, “We are in continued close contact with ShareAction about our energy policy and climate strategy, appreciate their constructive engagement and their recognition of the significant progress we have made”.

For Credit Suisse clients currently involved in the sector or using coal in some way, the investors called on the bank to help them develop, publish and implement coal phase-out plans in line with the IPCC recommendations no later than December 2023.

Lastly, the group said Credit Suisse should curb its general corporate financing, underwriting and advisory services to companies developing new coal mines and coal-fired power plants.

(Reporting by Simon Jessop; additional reporting by Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)

The Methodist Church sold its entire stake in Shell over climate concerns, report says

skiderlin@businessinsider.com (Sophie Kiderlin) 30/4/2021

© Dave Rushen/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a banner with the words Shell Out outside Shell Tower at Waterloo, London.

The Methodist Church has sold all of its stakes in oil and gas major Shell over its emissions policy, the Financial Times reported.
Shareholders are due to vote on Shell's energy transition plans in May.
Shell's Q1 2021 earnings exceeded analyst expectations, as strong energy prices drove up profit.

The Methodist Church has sold off its entire investment in energy company Shell, which was worth over £20 million ($27 million), as it is concerned about Shell's clean energy strategy, the Financial Times reported on Friday.

Shell is aiming to adhere to the Paris Agreement and become a net-zero company by 2050 through reducing its carbon intensity step by step, lowering it first by 20% before 2030 and then by 45% by 2035. 'Carbon intensity' refers to the amount of emissions each unit of energy that Shell sells produces.

The company is increasing the amount of low-carbon energy sources such as hydrogen, or biofuels, in the products it sells and is planning to focus on producing more clean power. The company plans to capture, or offset, any unavoidable emissions created by its energy production. It also works with its customers to support them in lowering their own carbon footprint, according to Shell's website.

However, the Methodist Church does not believe these measures go far enough and Shell is not making a substantial enough effort to address climate change, the FT said.

Shareholders will be asked to vote on Shell's clean energy strategy at the company's annual general meeting in May, although the results won't be binding, the FT said.

In its first quarter earnings, Shell exceeded analyst expectations as earnings rose to $3.2 billion, rather than the expected $3.1 billion. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2020, when adjusted earnings were reported as $393 million, this reflects growth of 724%. Year-on-year, quarterly growth was around 11.5% - in the first quarter of 2021.

Shell said rising oil and LNG prices, chemicals and refining margins and lower depreciation were behind the quarterly pickup in growth, which was not affected by the Texan winter storm earlier this year. Shell said the storm caused losses of $200 million.
Read the original article on Business Insider

Supermodel Iman Reveals Her ‘Rate Was Different To White Girls’ At The Start Of Her Career

Sarah Curran 

ET 29/4/2021
11

© Photo: Jamie McCarthy/amfAR/Getty Images Iman

Iman is reflecting on the racism that she encountered after moving to the U.S. to begin her career as a model.


While appearing on the latest episode of Naomi Campbell's "No Filter" YouTube show, the 65-year-old supermodel discussed her first experiences of discrimination. BELOW

RELATED: Iman Says She’ll Never Marry Again After Husband David Bowie’s Death: ‘This Was My True Love’

Iman, who grew up in Somalia before moving to New York in 1975, recalled, “My first experience [of racism] was seeing the discrepancies in pay between white models and Black models. My rate was different to white girls – it was an unspoken rule.”

The runway star decided to go on strike for three months as a protest against the discrepancy.

She continued, “If I’m doing the same job as a Caucasian model, why am I being paid less? I thought that if I took [the lower wage] I’d be saying ‘I deserve less’.”

Iman also remembered the makeup issues that she faced on her first photoshoot.

RELATED: Iman Shares Tribute To Late Husband David Bowie On His Birthday

“I was at a Vogue shoot with a Caucasian model. When the makeup artist finished her makeup and it was my turn, he asked me: ‘Did you bring your own foundation?’” she said.

The makeup artist then proceeded to “mix and match” the colours that he had. “When I looked into the mirror I didn’t look brown any more, I looked grey,” Iman said.

Inspired by the incident, Iman later went on to launch her own million dollar cosmetics business in 1994.

Speaking about how Black models were pitted against one another at the beginning of her career, Iman shared, “What I witnessed in America when I arrived here in 1975 was how [the fashion industry] purposefully pitched Black models against each other. [The attitude was] you have to dethrone one to take the place of another, but we could see lots of top white models working at the same time.”

RELATED: David Bowie And Iman’s Daughter Lexi Jones Shares Epic Response To ‘Perverted And Vulgar’ Instagram Follower

On refusing to compete with fellow model Beverly Johnson, she added, “I’m not going to play that game … because there’s space for both of us."

ONTARIO

New resource centre for migrant farm workers opens in Simcoe


Migrant farm workers in Norfolk County have a new place to call their own.

The Centre for Migrant Worker Solidarity recently opened on Kent Street in Simcoe. Once gathering restrictions are eased, director Fanny Belcoski will welcome workers looking to connect to free Wi-Fi, get answers to legal and workplace safety questions, or just hang out together.

“The idea is to have a physical place where they can come for information, for support, for internet,” Belcoski said.

The centre is funded by Service Canada through a $163,000 grant administered by KAIROS Canada, a faith-based social justice organization.

Connie Sorio, migrant justice co-ordinator with KAIROS, said the Simcoe centre aims to keep workers safe from COVID-19 and informed of their rights.

“People brought to Canada from overseas to work here are often not aware of or are unable to access available services or advocate for themselves if their rights are violated, especially during the pandemic,” Sorio said.

“We want to mobilize community organizations and individuals to welcome these workers — not just by saying ‘we welcome you,’ but by providing the supports and services workers need.”

Norfolk needed a new centre for migrant workers after a gathering place run by the United Food and Commercial Workers union closed in 2017.

“When the centre closed, workers were without a home,” said Belcoski, who co-ordinated the previous centre and put off retirement to take on this new project.

“We find that having an office gives us a presence and some visibility. The centre is a place where workers can come and gather,” added Rev. Peter Ciallella, a Catholic priest who provides support to migrant workers out of his parish, Blessed Sacrament in Burford.

Among the centre’s first projects is to assemble and distribute 5,000 “welcome bags” to workers quarantining at area farms or hotels. Inside each bag are handy items such as face masks and hand sanitizer, soap and toothpaste, a towel and socks, and packages of cookies and granola bars.

“This is a way to say, ‘Thank you for coming to Canada and for the work you do,’” Belcoski said.

There is also contact information for the new centre in case workers need help while in quarantine. Already this season, Ciallella conducted a prayer service over the phone for a worker whose mother died in Mexico not long after he landed in Canada.

Before the latest lockdown, local elementary school classes made cards welcoming farm workers to Norfolk and thanking them for their essential work. One of the colourful cards is in each bag.

“The workers love the cards. They make them feel welcome,” Belcoski said.

“We wanted to get the schools involved because we want the kids to know that the workers are here. They put the food on the table, and the workers are not invisible. They have voices too.”

Langton berry farmer Helen Zamecnik of EZ Grow Farms — which brings in 35 migrant workers from Jamaica and Trinidad each spring — called the welcome bags a “wonderful” initiative.

“Pretty well everything that’s in the bag is what I as a farmer would leave on their beds or on the counter,” said Zamecnik, who stocks the workers’ bunkhouses with groceries and other useful items.

“Even down to the socks — they always know they’re going to get a fresh, warm pair of socks from me, and it’s in the bag,” she said.

“So it’s all most welcomed and most appreciated. And everything will be used — that I know for a fact.”

Besides the practicality — Zamecnik said the sturdy bags themselves will come in handy in the fields and while shopping — the gifts are a morale boost.

“They right away felt special,” said Zamecnik. “Every bit helps, and if there’s a smile at the end of it, then it’s a good thing.”

Staff at the centre created short online videos in English and Spanish to educate workers about COVID-19 precautions and testing, and their rights while in Canada. Belcoski also fields questions about employment benefits, and if workers need help reporting unsafe working conditions or inadequate housing, the centre can be a first point of contact.

“Any questions they have, we guide them to the right channels,” Belcoski said.

Sorio hopes the centre will eventually serve to educate the broader community about “the role migrant workers play in our whole economic and food security system” while “decreasing the racism and xenophobia that many people have.”

“It’s an opportunity to deepen that understanding and also deepen that gratitude for what the migrant workers bring to us,” she said.

J.P. Antonacci, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Hamilton Spectator

 Port of Montreal workers furious over back-to-work legislation

Duration: 01:51 

Striking dockworkers at the Port of Montreal say they are livid at the federal government's plan to force them back to work with legislation. The bill was passed on Thursday but still needs to make its way through the senate. Global's Olivia O'Malley has more.