Pancakes, political borders and phone pronouncements
Spring is almost in the air and pancakes are on the menu - it looks set to be a positive week ahead for almost everyone bar MPs who face losing their seats. Chris Burn reports.
POLITICAL MANOEUVRES
A major shake-up of political boundaries that will cut the number of MPs from 650 to 600 in a bid to save £66m will move closer to becoming reality this week.
The Boundary Commission for England is to publish the responses it has had from 20,000 people and organisations on Tuesday in response to a consultation on the proposals.
The plans are designed to reduce the number of MPs across the country and even out the boundaries so population sizes represented by each MP are roughly similar.
Among the high-profile MPs whose seats face the axe are Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and former chancellor George Osborne.
After the responses are published, a second consultation running until March 27 will get under way to allow others to share their views and respond to what has already been said.
Yorkshire and the Humber is set to see its number of MPs fall from 54 to 50.
Final proposals are not expected until next year.
PANCAKE PARTY
Forget Christmas and New Year’s Eve, for many people tomorrow is their favourite day of the year.
Shrove Tuesday will be marked with a host of fun events across Yorkshire – with perhaps the most unusual happening in Scarborough with a town skipping festival.
In Leeds, the award-winning restaurant Crafthouse is putting on a special Pancake Day menu, while in Wakefield they are using the occasion as a more serious opportunity to back a Giving Campaign which will see free pancakes given out on the cathedral steps to help promote the work of local food banks.
Down in London, charity will also benefit as MPs, Lords and political journalists take part in the annual Parliamentary Pancake Race, which will be in aid of Rehab.
FAREWELL TO TARA
The funeral of socialite and television star Tara Palmer Tomkinson is taking place today.
It follows her death at the age of 45 from a perforated ulcer.
The former IT Girl is being laid to rest in a private funeral.
Her family said in a statement: “This will be a private moment for family and close friends to grieve and we would ask that our privacy at this time is respected.”
NHS ANGER
Thousands of people are expected to descend on Parliament on Saturday in a march to ‘defend the NHS’.
Coaches will be running from Yorkshire from places like Scarborough, Leeds and Sheffield as local campaigners add their voices to the demonstration about fears for the future of the health service.
The event, backed by trade unions including the BMA and Unite, is designed to raise awareness of the controversial ‘Sustainability and Transformation Plans’ being implemented across the country to try and plug a £22bn funding gap over the next five years.
More than £2bn of savings are required in Yorkshire alone, with hospital A&E downgrades, unit closures and a massive reorganisation of healthcare provision on the cards to help meet the financial target.
MOBILE MADNESS
For those obsessed with the latest technology, Barcelona will be the place to turn their attention this week as the Mobile World Congress takes place.
Technology giants such as Samsung, Nokia and LG will be using the event, which is the world’s largest gathering for the mobile industry, to showcase their new products.