The Balfour Project seeks an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on justice and equal rights. Acknowledging Britain’s continuing historical responsibilities, it works through popular education and advocacy to persuade the British Government to recognise the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel and uphold equal rights. Following a successful pilot last academic year,…

The House of Commons has produced a briefing for Members about the changes made to ensure that the parliamentary estate is a COVID-19 secure workplace. Any staff who can work remotely should continue to do so, rather than returning to the estate, or their constituency offices. You can view the briefing here: https://intranet.parliament.uk/Documents/Members%20Pack_June%202020_V2.pdf For more…

The Hotlines List was updated on 20 August 2020. Please bookmark the list, and don’t download or print it. We have received complaints that people are using out-of-date information, because they are either saving or printing out the list, instead of accessing the current version on the intranet. Please go here to see the new…

The NFU are running a ‘love your countryside’ photo competition for parliamentary staffers where the winner will receive a Great British Food Hamper, which includes a bottle of English wine, a selection of cheeses, pies, truffles and fudge; the runner-up will also receive a hamper of delectable British goodies. To enter, please send the following…

It’s been brought to our attention that several MPs have received a message in their Facebook notifications, saying that their page has been reported and asking them to click on a link to ‘repair’ their page. DO NOT CLICK ON THE LINK! This is a known scam and could result in malware being downloaded to…

Our office supplier, Banner, has published a catalogue of equipment to allow MPs and staff to return to the workplace safely, including: preparing the building equipping the workforce controlling access to sites implementing a social distancing plan reducing virus transfer You can view the catalogue here: https://www.easyflip.co.uk/BannerReturntotheWorkplace/

The total deaths as a result of Coronavirus now stand at 46,119, an increase of 120 as of today.  According to the ONS, daily Coronavirus cases in England have risen from 3,200 last week to 4,200. These findings are based on tests of households in England, excluding care homes and hospitals. The ONS estimates that…

The total deaths as a result of Coronavirus now stands at 45,961, an increase of 83 as of today.  According to the ONS the UK has recorded the highest level of excess deaths amongst European countries with 6.9% more excess deaths in the country as a whole and 7.5% more in England. Spain and Belgium…

The total deaths as a result of Coronavirus now stands at 45.874, an increase of 119 as of today.  The National Institute for Economics and Social Research has published a study which shows that UK unemployment could rise to 10% when the government ends the furlough scheme. According to NIESR’s research, many of the jobs…

The total deaths as a result of Coronavirus now stands at 45,756, an increase of 7 as of today.  Surges in the number of infections across Europe have forced countries to implement stricter restrictions on travellers. On Saturday the UK government announced that Britons on holiday in Spain would be required to isolate for two-weeks…

As it is not currently possible to present training courses in a traditional face-to-face classroom setting, the Learning and Development Team have made some courses available online in a virtual classroom. You can view details of the available courses here: https://parliament.learningpool.com/course/view.php?id=1590 Titles available include: Courageous Conversations Handling Challenging Situations Prospering in Turbulent Times Supporting Teams…

The newly-formed Labour Women’s Parliamentary Staff Network (LWPSN) has been set up to connect Labour women staffers. Please see here for details and information on how to join: Labour Women’s Parliamentary Staff Network (LWPSN) http://www.w4mp.org/library/2010-guide-to-working-for-an-mp-for-new-staff/groups-which-staff-can-join/representation/labour-womens-parliamentary-staff-network/   Check out other groups staff can join here: http://www.w4mp.org/library/2010-guide-to-working-for-an-mp-for-new-staff/groups-which-staff-can-join/

The total deaths as a result of Coronavirus now stand at 45,677, an increase of 123 as of today.  The number of people infected by Coronavirus in the UK has stopped decreasing. There are currently 2,000 people infected with the virus who are not in hospitals or care homes, according to the ONS. This data…

The total death toll as a result of Coronavirus now stands at 45, 554, an increase of 53 as of today.  Face masks will be mandatory in shops across England from tomorrow. Although shoppers will be required to wear face masks, they will not be compulsory for staff. The European Union’s head negotiate Michel Barnier…

The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) has recent published several new reports relating to COVID-19.  If you’d like to sign up to the POST email newsletter, please go here: https://mailchi.mp/email.parliament.uk/post COVID-19, children and schools Children who have COVID-19 are much less likely to develop severe symptoms and much less likely to die from…

The total deaths as a result of Coronavirus now stands at 45,422, an increase of 110 as of today.  UK public sector workers are to receive a pay increase of up to 3.1%. In a statement Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, said that “these past months have underlined what we always knew – that our public…

The total deaths as a result of Coronavirus now stand at 45,312, an increase of 11 as of today.  Britain has a signed deals to purchase three prospective vaccines to help combat Coronavirus. The government has purchased 30 million doses of a possible Coronavirus vaccine from the pharmaceutical companies BioNtech and Pfizer; acquired 100 million…

The total deaths as a result of Coronavirus now stands at 45,233, an increase of 114 as of today.  Boris Johnson has encouraged Britons to prepare for a steady return to work as official guidelines on workplaces and the use of public transport are set to change from August 1. From August 1 workers will…

Official employment figures reveal that the number of people on employer payrolls decreased by 649,000 between March, when the lockdown started, and June. Unemployment has not increased dramatically, however, because many employers have put their staff on the government’s furlough scheme. Job vacancies are at their lowest since records began in 2001 at an estimated…

How much do you know about the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)? Are you aware that Health Assured provide a confidential support service that Members’ staff can access? They can provide help with issues such as: Health and wellbeing information Stress at home or work Family and relationship problems Financial issues including debt Legal and consumer…

The total deaths as a result of Coronavirus now stands at 44,968, an increase of 138 as of today.  A major study has found that Coronavirus outbreaks are 20 times more likely in large care homes then small ones. Of the 55,000 people that have died of Coronavirus according to the ONS’ numbers, 40% of…

The Wellness Working Group is a cross party group of MPs’ staff with the aim of placing a focus on staff welfare and improving support for MPs’ staff well-being. Supporting one another makes a huge difference, so if you would like to learn more about the group, or to join, please see their page here: Wellness…

The total death toll as a result of Coronavirus now stands at 44,830, an increase of 11 as of today.  Tomorrow the government is set to announce that face-masks will be compulsory in shops across England, however these restrictions will not come into place until 24 July. Fines of up to £100 will be levied…

The total death toll as a result of coronavirus now stands at 44,650, an increase of 48 as of today.  The UK is to turn down the chance to a multibillion-euro EU plan secure supplies for potential coronavirus vaccines. John Bell, the regius professor of medicine at Oxford university working with development of a Covid-19…

The House has produced a risk assessment and guidance to support Members in safely re-opening constituency offices. The guidance advises Members to consider whether it is necessary to open constituency offices and if so provides practical guidance on the steps to take to ensure the safety of Members, their staff and others. For any questions…

The chancellor, Rishi Sunak, gave a statement today on the government’s plans to create and protect jobs as well as setting out the government’s initiatives to protect the property market.  In his statement in the House of Commons the chancellor stated that he would never accept “unemployment as a necessary outcome.” In order to support…

The death toll as a result of Coronavirus now stands at 44,391, an increase of 155 in the last 24 hours.  Thousands of headteachers across the country have called for exams to be cut back next year, amid fears of a mental health crisis among pupils who have already lost months of their education because…

The total deaths as a result of Coronavirus now stands at 44,236, an increase of 16 as of today.  One fifth of Coronavirus test issued were wasted, according to official figures. Despite the government’s claims that 10.5 million tests have been made available only 8 million of these were used properly and processed.  The Royal…

The total deaths as a result of Coronavirus now stands at 44,220, an increase of 516 as of Sunday 5 July. Pubs, restaurants and hairdressers reopened on Saturday as part of the Government’s plans to ease the lockdown. Saturday night saw large crowds outside of pubs across the country. The chair of the police federation…

The Government has laid out guidelines for a return of all school children in September. Limits on student group sizes will be dropped but pupils will be organised into bubbles of class or year group to limit the spread of the virus. The education secretary, Gavin Williamson, stated that children would not face a “watered…

Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Registrar of Members’ Financial Interests will be holding seminars virtually (via MS Teams) until further notice, with each lasting about an hour. How to Support an All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) This seminar will cover: Register entries APPG Secretariats (volunteers, Members’ staff, outside organisations) Members and Officers Meetings (including AGMs,…

In Prime Minister’s questions today Keir Starmer, the leader of the Opposition, attacked Boris Johnson for his handling of Leicester’s lockdown. Starmer claimed that Leicester’s local authority had only known about 80 new positive cases in the two-week period leading up the lockdown, when the real figure was 944. The Leader of the Labour Party…

The extremely popular regional roadshows were suspended because of COVID-19.  However, worry not, for the Customer Team has taken them online instead. Rather than full day events, they have been broken down into 90-minute sessions, giving you a chance to learn about the range of services available, to influence future service provision and to share…

Leicester is to be put under a tighter lockdown then the rest of the country from Tuesday. These changes come after the city reported an increase in Coronavirus cases. The Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, has said that from Tuesday, non-essential shops will be asked to close, and schools will remain open for vulnerable children and…

Six people, including a police officer and two teenagers, have been seriously injured in an attack in Glasgow today. The assailant was later shot and killed by armed police. The incident is not being treated as terror related. The total death toll as a result of Coronavirus now stands at 43,414, an increase of 186…

Rebecca Long Bailey has been sacked from her position as shadow education secretary after retweeting an article which critics alleged espoused anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. The article, an interview with the Mancunian actor Maxime Peake, has lead to controversy because in it Peake stated that American police had learned their tactics from “seminars with Israeli secret…

ParliOUT are hosting a virtual quiz to celebrate Pride. Join ParliOUT on Thursday 25 June from 5.30 pm – 7.30 pm. The event will be held on Microsoft Teams, please email parliout@parliament.uk to be added to the list. Everybody welcome!

The Housing Secretary, Robert Jernick, has come under fire for granting planning permission for a £1 billion property scheme two weeks before the developer donated £12,000 to the Conservative Party. Leaked document reveal that Jernick knew that the property tycoon Richard Desmond had only 24 hours to have the development approved by the council before…

The total death toll as a result of Coronavirus now stands at 42,927, an increase of 171 as of today.  In the Daily Briefing Boris Johnson announcing the loosening of the two-metre rule to what he referred to as “one metre plus”. What this means in practice is that public spaces are allowed to reopen…

The total deaths as a result Coronavirus now stands at 42,647, an increase of 15 as of today. For the first time since the peak the number of positive cases is below 1,000, at 958. In the daily briefing Matt Hancock stated that these positive figures show that the government has made good progress with…

The total deaths as a result of Coronavirus now stand at 42,461, an increase of 173 as of today.  In the daily briefing Gavin Williamson, the education Secretary, announced that the government will lower the alert level from 4 to 3 today. Level 3 means that the virus is in general circulation whereas level 4…

The total deaths as a result of Coronavirus now stand at 42,288, an increase of 135 as of today. Public Health England published a report stating that for the first time since mid-March the number of people who have died is no higher than what is normal during this time of the year.  The Government…

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs have updated their very helpful booklet, explaining how they can help you to help your constituents. If you would like a copy of the updated version, please email us and we’ll send you the PDF. *** Please note that we are only able to send these documents to current Members…

The total death toll as a result of Coronavirus now stands at 41,969, an increase of 233 as of today.  Progress has been made in the Government’s attempts to treat Coronavirus as dexamethasone, a corticosteroid medication, has been shown to be effective in treating Coronavirus. The drug has been shown to reduce the risk of death…

Non-essential shops across the country reopened on today, increasing footfall by over 40%.  Boris Johnson has announced a cross government commission to look into all aspects of racial inequality within the UK. The commission will look into inequality in “employment, in health outcomes, in academic and all other walks of life”, according to the Prime…

Police have imposed restrictions on all demonstrations in London this weekend. The new restrictions, which require public assemblies to end before 5pm, apply to Black Lives Matter protests as well as left- and right-wing groups that have notified the Government about arranging demonstrations.  The total deaths as a result of Coronavirus now stands at 41,481,…

Advice for employers carrying out ‘right to work’ checks during the coronavirus pandemic. It is still necessary for employers to check that their employees have the right to work in the UK and it remains an offence to knowingly employ anyone who does not have the right to work in the UK. Right to work…

The economy shrunk by 20.4% in April during lockdown. This is the biggest ever monthly fall in economic activity in the UK.  Relatives of 450 people who have died as a result of Coronavirus have asked the government to launch a public enquiry into whether these deaths could have been prevented.  The total death toll…

The House of Commons Library is running a series of online training sessions on 25 and 26 June to help MPs’ staff deal with Covid-19 related casework. The programme covers: Preventing evictions Understanding the data on case numbers and deaths The lockdown laws Schools The economic impact Using the Library remotely And much more… Take a look at the full…

The amended recess dates have now been announced. Summer Recess The House will rise on Thursday 30th July  and return on Tuesday 1st September November Recess The House will rise on Tuesday 3rd November and return on Monday 9th November Christmas Recess The House will rise on Thursday 17th December and return on Tuesday 5th…