Queen’s Speech: education
The Government, setting out its plans in the Queen’s Speech on Wednesday, has not announced any legislation for education. This means dropping their most high-profile proposed reform - the expansion of selective education in England. The controversial plan to stop free lunches for all infants is also absent. This takes away the biggest source of extra funding promised for schools in the Conservative manifesto. The re-written plans now call for ‘every child to go to a good or outstanding school’ - but with the recognition that any changes will depend upon being able to command a majority. Four teachers’ unions expressed disappointment about the lack of new funding, saying that schools were ‘sending out begging letters to parents’. One head teacher said, ‘The government said that it had heard the message from the electorate. It's high time they acted to put things right and fund schools in a way that every child deserves.’
Queen’s Speech: anti-extremist measures
Plans for a counter-extremism commission were announced in the Queen’s Speech, but campaigners urged the Government to pause its plans and consult widely. The speech did not mention any plans for an equality oath, or Ofsted entering Sunday schools and youth clubs, but the Government continues to advocate both these strands of its counter-extremism strategy. Defend Free Speech, which includes the Christian Institute, the National Secular Society, and Index on Censorship, cautioned that the new commission will simply be a scapegoat for ‘when things go wrong’. Its statement said, ‘The Government has yet again said it will bring forward unnecessary and intrusive legislation to counter so-called non-violent extremism. Not only will civil liberties be damaged, but we will all be less safe. For years, government lawyers have tried to come up with a watertight legal definition of who is and is not an extremist. The chances of finding one that does not criminalise those with traditional or challenging views such as people of faith, outspoken academics or anti-fracking campaigners seems highly remote.’
Portugal: forest fires controlled after over sixty deaths
Forest fires raging in Portugal since 17 June and which have killed more than sixty people have been brought under control, the civil protection agency says. The largest fire, in Pedrógão Grande, which ravaged 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres) of forests, was doused late on 21 June, and the second biggest blaze, in Góis, was contained the next day. Water-bombing planes and nearly 2,400 firefighters were involved in tackling the fires. Antonio Ribeiro, who led the Pedrógão operations, said that higher humidity levels and lower temperatures had allowed the firefighters to contain the fire and extinguish the remaining hotspots. The president of the League of Firefighters said he believed arson had caused the fire, contradicting an earlier police account.
Romanian PM ousted by his own party
After only six months, Romanian prime minister Sorin Grindeanu has been forced from power, losing a no-confidence vote in parliament by 10 votes to 241. His left-wing Social Democrat party (PSD) had accused him of failing to carry out necessary economic reforms. He had also been involved in a power struggle with party leader Liviu Dragnea, who was barred from office after a conviction for voter fraud. The decision by his own party and its allies to oust him was seen as a first, even for Romania's turbulent politics. The PSD won elections in December, but within weeks protests erupted across the country over a decree seen as weakening anti-corruption measures in one of the European Union's most corrupt member states. Although Mr Grindeanu withdrew the decree, the crisis weakened his government and soured relations between himself and Mr Dragnea. In its most recent report, the EU's executive praised Romania's anti-corruption agency (DNA), but warned that the fight against corruption was under serious threat from political and media attack.
