May's Political Intelligence

Vulnerable people’s health in light of Covid-19 crisis 

At the beginning of May, Diane Abbott Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, asked the Minister for Women and Equalities a question opening the debate on the disproportionate number of deaths among the BAME Communities from Covid-19. The question was sustained, among others, by Chi Onwurah Labour MP and Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Creative Diversity, with mention to working-class communities and people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Kemi Badenoch Conservative MP and Equalities Minister said that reports show a disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on ethnic minorities that needs effective action. In House of Lords, Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon asked a question on the assessment made by the Government on the impacts of Covid-19 on BAME NHS Staff, question supported, among others by Baroness Uddin Non-Afl.

As a result of the Parliamentary scrutiny, The Public Health England has reported and found that Black and Asian patients were over-represented among those critically ill with confirmed Covid-19 receiving advanced respiratory support. The report found that 15.2% and 9.7% of critically ill patients were from Asian and Black ethnic groups respectively. The relationship between ethnicity and health is complex and likely to be the result of combined factors. Firstly, people of BAME communities are likely to be at increased risk of acquiring the infection. The report said, BAME people are more likely to live in urban areas, in overcrowded households, in deprived areas and have jobs that expose them to higher risk. Secondly, people of BAME communities are also likely to be at increased risk of poorer outcomes once they acquire the infection. For example, some co-morbidities which increase the risk of poorer outcomes from Covid-19 are more common among certain ethnic groups. People of Bangladeshi and Pakistani background have higher rates of cardiovascular disease than people from White British ethnicity, and people of Black Caribbean and Black African ethnicity have higher rates of hypertension compared with other ethnic groups.

The International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia was on 17 May, and a discussion on LGBT Rights started in the House of Commons asking the Minister for Women and Equalities on the measures taken for the LGBTQ+ communities. Dehenna Davison Conservative MP, said LGBTQ+ people face disproportionate negative impacts from Covid-19, particularly concerning mental health, domestic abuse and homelessness. The Minister of Equalities pointed at Dr Michael Brady, National Advisor for LGBT Health that ensures health services are delivered to those in need. As a response during the debate, Elizabeth Truss, the Minister for Women and Equalities, has mentioned the Safe to be Me, the UK Government’s forthcoming Global Equality Conference Chaired by Nick Herbert Conservative MP. However, the conference has been postponed due to Covid-19 and it is not directly answering the urgent needs for the LGBTQ+ communities.  The conference is expected to cover various policy objectives, including progress on decriminalisation, reducing violence and discrimination, and promoting LGBT inclusion in areas such as health and education.

At the beginning of May, the House of Commons opened a discussion concerning STEM Subjects uptake by girls. Secretary of State for International Trade, Elizabeth Truss, in a sitting on 6th of May in the House of Commons, affirmed that since 2010, there has been a 31% increase in girls’ entries to science, technology, engineering and maths A-levels in England and 34% increase in the number of women accepted on to full-time STEM undergraduate courses in the UK. However, it is still the case that women make only 25% of those employed in manufacturing and 30% of those in information technology. The statistics raise concerns for gender equality in the workforce.

Income Equality and Sustainability

As discussed in the House of Lords, Labour and Conservative Peers would agree that the time of the Universal Basic Income has come. The scale of the UK Government intervention in light of Covid-19 showed that is affordable if it’s developed and implemented in an economically feasible way. £50 to £100 per week would provide security, but not at the level to deter people from joining the workforce. The Archbishop of York mentioned the proposals of the Living Wage Commission which he Chaired, with rates for 2019-20 at £9.30 across the UK and at £10.75 in London. He emphasised that income equality is a precondition to environment sustainability and upon his retirement, asked Her Majesty’s Government if it will do everything possible to ensure these.

Trade Bill 2019-21 

In a sitting on 12th May in the House of Commons on the US Trade Agreement for SME, the Secretary of State for International Trade, Elizabeth Truss, affirmed working on a dedicated small and medium-sized enterprise chapter in the US trade deal to help the UK’s 5.9 million small and medium businesses. 31.600 UK SMEs already export to the US, and it is crucial to cut red tape on customs and tariffs. The Department for International Trade (DIT) consulted several organisations representing SMEs such as the Federation of Small Businesses and will support their relationship with the US, which is said to be the number one single market of choice for importers and exporters for the next three years.

The Government affirmed a free trade agreement with the United States is set to deliver a £15bn increase in bilateral trade, benefiting every region of the UK and delivering an extra £1.8bn for workers’ wages. Nevertheless, in discussions concerning the FREE Trade Deals, David Linden, affirmed as per the World Trade Organisation, Coronavirus will lead to a substantial fall in the global trade, in the range of between 13% and 32% in 2020. As a consequence, keeping markets open and predictable will be crucial to secure the renewed investment that the UK needs.

The discussions on The Trade Bill have continued in the House of Commons during May and the Trade Bill 2019-21 is now at Committee Stage. Secretary of State for International Trade, Elizabeth Truss, mentioned the UK textile sector alongside the steel as one of the world’s best. Anthony Higginbotham Conservative MP specified that Burnley was once the centre of global textiles and continues to have a thriving industry. As a consequence, the Trade Bill will have extremely important consequences on the Fashion Industry overall. Emily Thornberry, Labour MP and Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade expressed disappointment and outlined various failures in the Trade Bill for the future trade agreements: Parliamentary scrutiny procedures, the extent to which puts at heart the issues of climate change, environmental protection, human rights, workers’ rights, sustainable development and gender equality. This was sustained, among others, by Labour colleague, Darren Jones and Claire Hanna Social Democratic & Labour Party MP.

The Covid-19 crisis makes it clear how important is to keep trade flowing and supply chains open. It is through free and open trade that has ensured that the UK will have facilities and commodities. Free trade and resilient supply chains will be crucial to the global economic recovery as the crisis passes. As a consequence, it is vital a united global response, tariff cuts on key supplies and reform of the World Trade Organisation. Liam Fox Conservative MP and former Secretary of State for International Trade remarked for those who want to introduce protectionism into the global economy. If people are denied access to prosperity, it won’t be surprising to see more mass migration and more radicalisation.

Post Covid-19, all the challenges the UK are facing will be bigger. Darren Jones Labour MP affirmed, that according to the research from the Harvard’s Growth Lab, British exports have been declining, concentrating into a smaller number of products and acting as a drag on the UK economic growth. As part of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and fighting on modern-slavery issues, he has seen first-hand the risks of global supply chains that do not have adequate protections and transparency. No work or business in the UK wants to be associated with illegal trafficking and exploitation of some of the most vulnerable people on the planet. He asked the Department for International Trade to define how the Government intends to ensure protections regarding these issues for all the future trade deals. Imran Hussain Labour MP also emphasized the importance of the Trade Bill on Human Rights and the consequent commitment to stand up against human rights abuses wherever they take place.

Immigration Bill, Eu relations and negotiations

The UK-EU negotiations have been discussed in the House of Lords in a context of Covid-19, the possibility of no deal with the EU and Free Trade Agreements. Baroness Northover Liberal Democrat Peer, joined by others, have asked the Government to extend the transition period which is meant to end of 31 December 2020. Later in the month, The Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill was discussed in the Second Reading on 18 May in the House of Commons. Priti Patel Secretary of State for the Home Department, emphasised the purpose of the Bill to end the free movement with no extension to the transition period. Irish citizens and UK citizens will benefit from the same rights in each other’s territory as before. EU and EEA citizens will become subject to UK immigration law in a new points-based immigration system. The Bill permits amendments to primary and secondary legislation after the free movement ends and allows the Government to amend the EU social security coordination rules retained by the UK. The EU Withdrawal Bill is now in Committee Stage.