All the bad news Theresa May's government just tried to bury
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- May's government quietly slips out a long trail of inconvenient announcements as MPs head for parliamentary recess.
- EU law will continue to apply for years after Brexit, despite May's promise otherwise.
- Courts and military bases are to be sold off.
- Funding for free nursery milk is set to be cut.
- Childhood obesity is at an all time high.
- May's government accused of burying bad news over the summer.
LONDON — A rather cynical tradition has developed in recent years in which, in the final days and hours before MPs leave Parliament for an extended break, the government releases a deluge of embarrassing reports, statistics, and statements in an apparently deliberate attempt to bury them.
This summer has been no different. Here are just some of the inconvenient stories Theresa May's government has tried to bury over the past 24 hours.
EU law will apply for years after Brexit
Reuters
Theresa May promised that all EU law and the jurisdiction of EU courts would end after Brexit day. However, May's government on Tuesday slipped out a new white paper revealing that ministers will legislate to ensure EU law continues to apply for at least two years after Britain leaves in March 2019. As Brexiteer MPs head off to their constituencies, the new Brexit secretary Dominic Raab revealed that the government will implement legislation that will allow the European Communities Act, which ministers plan to repeal on Brexit day, to be extended to allow EU rules to remain in force during any two-year transition. This means European courts will also continue to have jurisdiction over the UK in a breach of previous promised by the prime minister.
This is a victory for those hoping to delay or cancel Brexit but will undoubtedly prompt anger among many Brexiteers.
RAF bases will be sold off
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May's government has repeatedly committed to protecting the British military from cuts. However, an announcement slipped out on Tuesday afternoon reveals that two RAF bases will now close their gates for the final time under a series of planned cuts by the government. RAF Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire, which is used as a training ground for pilots, will cease to be operational from 2020. Meanwhile RAF Scampton, in Lincolnshire, which is home to the RAF Aerobatics Team, will also be sold off by 2022. The cuts are part of a wider long-term cuts plan to sell off military sites used by the RAF and armed forces.
Childhood obesity has surged to an all time high
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The prime minister has repeatedly promised to tackle childhood obesity with measures including a new sugar tax and health advice brought in by ministers. However, a new government report slipped out as MPs leave Westminster for the summer, reveals that their attempts have so far failed. New figures published on Tuesday afternoon show that severe obesity among 10 and 11 year olds is now at a record high, with children in the poorest families showing the biggest rise. Overall the 'health inequality' gap between children in poorer and wealthier families has also widened once again.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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