General UK politics

[Darat]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

Downing Street today published a humiliating “lost” WhatsApp message that Boris Johnson sent a Tory donor begging for more cash to revamp his grace-and-favour flat.

The PM failed to inform his own ethics advisor about the message, which he sent to peer Lord Brownlow in November 2020 as the six-figure makeover spiralled out of control.
The text exchange shows the PM asked Lord Brownlow for "approvals" for the £112,000-plus makeover, moaning the flat above 11 Downing Street was a "bit of a tip” - despite the fact it had a new kitchen in the last decade.
He pressed the donor to provide money, saying he was "keen" to let the designer get on with it. Lord Brownlow replied promising to get on with the job, adding: "It’s only me and I know where the £ will come from".

Lord Geidt, the PM's advisor on the ministerial code, said the failure to disclose the texts to his probe into the funding of the refurb was "plainly unsatisfactory", demonstrated "insufficient respect" and presented a "threat to public confidence" in his role.
And while he suggested the texts alone did not undermine his conclusion that Mr Johnson had not broken the ministerial code, he said he would have had more questions for the PM had he know of their existence.
Yet despite voicing "grave concern" he cleared Mr Johnson of wrongdoing - after the PM claimed he forgot about the messages because they were on his old phone.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politi...-lost-25873177

What a crap job, can you imagine trying to explain to Johnson every single day what constitutes ethical behaviour?

[Darat]

I’m sure the Guardian must be wrong, there is no way our government would act in such a way…

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...ment-contracts

Quote:

……
Leaked files appear to suggest the Conservative peer Michelle Mone and her husband, Douglas Barrowman, were secretly involved in a PPE business that was awarded more than £200m in government contracts after she referred it to the Cabinet Office.

Barrowman, an Isle of Man-based financier, may have played a central role in the business deal that enabled PPE Medpro to sell millions of masks and surgical gowns to the government at the start of the pandemic, documents suggest.
…

[Carrot Flower King]

OK, we have now learned (pacé the Captain's post from yesterday evening and stuff on the likes of the Graun) that the Ministerial Code clearly contains a section which states that it is allowable for ministers to deliberately withold information pertinent to an investigation. I mean, how else can Geidt conclude that BlowJob didn't breach the Code? Oh, and it is also OK to blatantly lie about how and why this information was not disclosed (as John Crace points out, we are into Dilyn ate the phone territory here).

Marvellous!

[Vixen]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

Daniel Kawczynski, Tory MP for Shrewsbury has claimed over £8000 in expenses last year to learn Polish. Daniel Kawczynski was born in Poland to Polish speaking parents and speaks fluent Polish!

The Tories are stealing our money.

Boris Johnson would benefit lessons in speaking English articulately.

[Darat]

Originally Posted by Carrot Flower King

OK, we have now learned (pacé the Captain's post from yesterday evening and stuff on the likes of the Graun) that the Ministerial Code clearly contains a section which states that it is allowable for ministers to deliberately withold information pertinent to an investigation. I mean, how else can Geidt conclude that BlowJob didn't breach the Code? Oh, and it is also OK to blatantly lie about how and why this information was not disclosed (as John Crace points out, we are into Dilyn ate the phone territory here).

Marvellous!

I presumed Dilyn was a performing dog brought in for a photo opportunity when a cuddly headline was needed.

[Captain_Swoop]

There's a guy on GLR trying to defend Lord Brownlow saying he's a philanthropist who only wanted to get money from Boris Johnson to give away to the arts.

But philanthropy doesn't mean giving away taxpayers' money, it means giving away YOUR OWN money!

If Lord Brownlow wanted to give money away to the arts he should have done that rather than giving it to Boris Johnson to buy gold ******* wallpaper.

[Darat]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

There's a guy on GLR trying to defend Lord Brownlow saying he's a philanthropist who only wanted to get money from Boris Johnson to give away to the arts.

But philanthropy doesn't mean giving away taxpayers' money, it means giving away YOUR OWN money!

If Lord Brownlow wanted to give money away to the arts he should have done that rather than giving it to Boris Johnson to buy gold ******* wallpaper.

That is so 20th century!

[Lothian]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

There's a guy on GLR trying to defend Lord Brownlow saying he's a philanthropist who only wanted to get money from Boris Johnson to give away to the arts.

But philanthropy doesn't mean giving away taxpayers' money, it means giving away YOUR OWN money!

If Lord Brownlow wanted to give money away to the arts he should have done that rather than giving it to Boris Johnson to buy gold ******* wallpaper.

You totally fail to understand that taxpayers money belongs to Boris and his chums. Sure the transfer can be complicated, dodgy overpriced contracts with no tendering but that is just a means to move the money to its rightful place.

[Captain_Swoop]

Has anyone asked Theresa may why she left the flat in such a state that the Prime Minster called it a 'bit of a tip'?

[Darat]

Her rock and roll lifestyle?

[Mojo]

Originally Posted by Darat

I presumed Dilyn was a performing dog brought in for a photo opportunity when a cuddly headline was needed.

No, that’s Boris. Dilyn is running the country.

[Captain_Swoop]

Everybody has just accepted that Boris and his cabinet are massively corrupt liars and thieves haven't they?

It's not even big news anymore. They realise they can just ride it out, lie more outrageously, organise a whitewash and move on.

[Darat]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

Everybody has just accepted that Boris and his cabinet are massively corrupt liars and thieves haven't they?

It's not even big news anymore. They realise they can just ride it out, lie more outrageously, organise a whitewash and move on.

Yep.

To the highlighted bit - I'd say the evidence is that they can't organise anything, never mind a whitewash, it just doesn't seem to matter.

[zooterkin]

Originally Posted by Vixen

Boris Johnson would benefit lessons in speaking English articulately.

Only as an example of how not to do it. He might benefit from such lessons, though (but that's assuming he's not doing it deliberately).

[Captain_Swoop]

Suella Braverman MP tweeted
@SuellaBraverman
Trial by jury is an important guardian of liberty & must not be undermined. However, the decision in the Colston statue case is causing confusion. 1/2

Without affecting the result of this case, as Attorney General, I am able to refer matters to the Court of Appeal so that senior judges have the opportunity to clarify the law for future cases. I am carefully considering whether to do so. 2/2

[Captain_Swoop]

This is what happens when you get put a nondescript solicitor in a job way way above their capabilities

[P.J. Denyer]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

There's a guy on GLR trying to defend Lord Brownlow saying he's a philanthropist who only wanted to get money from Boris Johnson to give away to the arts.

But philanthropy doesn't mean giving away taxpayers' money, it means giving away YOUR OWN money!

If Lord Brownlow wanted to give money away to the arts he should have done that rather than giving it to Boris Johnson to buy gold ******* wallpaper.

The thing is that if Lord Brownlow is a philanthropist raising money for the arts ( I think he's on the board of the Royal Opera House, possibly Royal Albert Hall, but it's something of that level) it doesn't excuse Johnson's personal benefit or failure to report, infact if you do think that Brownlow's "Great Exhibition 2" idea had any potential benefit it makes Johnson's actions worse in some ways, it suggests that charities that don't have a couple of hundred thou to throw Spaffer's way aren't likely to even get considered. of course, if the idea was hopeless then it shows extreme cynicism toward his donor & that he's willing to progress, & waste people's time on, hopeless ideas if there's a payout for him.

There was a very similar defence on LBC, possibly a case of "The calls are coming from inside Tufton St".

[P.J. Denyer]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

Suella Braverman MP tweeted
@SuellaBraverman
Trial by jury is an important guardian of liberty & must not be undermined. However, the decision in the Colston statue case is causing confusion. 1/2

Without affecting the result of this case, as Attorney General, I am able to refer matters to the Court of Appeal so that senior judges have the opportunity to clarify the law for future cases. I am carefully considering whether to do so. 2/2

I think the confusion is mostly coming from commentators who have chosen to comment on the trial with explaining (or possibly even knowing) what the requirements of the crime, or the defence against it was. As I understand it the defense had two main threads but we don't (& won't) know whether one or both arguments secured their acquittal or even if the jury simply chose to return a perverse verdict, if they did that is their right as has been established case law since 1670. Of course if this government think they have the opportunity to overturn an long established right or freedom...

[Captain_Swoop]

Nadhim Zahawi is Tory Co-Chair of a Parliamentary Group on Kurdistan

Wouldn't it be a massive coincidence and a insane conflict of interest if at the same time he took a £1k per hour job with an oil firm in Kurdistan?

Because that's what he did!

Quote:

EXCLUSIVE: Zahawi banked £1.3million from an oil company, which included a final £285,000 “settlement payment” after he first became a Government minister in 2018

Tory minister Nadhim Zahawi banked £1.3million from an oil company while working as an MP, but he has been able to keep his total second job earnings hidden due to a Parliamentary loophole.

Mr Zahawi’s total earnings from Gulf Keystone Petroleum included a final £285,000 “settlement payment” after he first became a Government minister in 2018.

Mr Zahawi was co-chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Kurdistan in 2015 when he landed the job with Gulf Keystone, which has an oil field in Kurdistan and which paid him more than £1,000 an hour.

His Gulf Keystone income was declared in his register of interests, but his total second job earnings are not known thanks to Parliamentary rules allowing him to advise companies through Zahawi & Zahawi Ltd, a consultancy he set up with his wife.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-new...ckets-25457511

[Filippo Lippi]

Can't they just give the dates when there wasn't a party at number 10 during lockdown?

[Captain_Swoop]

Originally Posted by Filippo Lippi

Can't they just give the dates when there wasn't a party at number 10 during lockdown?

Including this new 'bring a bottle' party I think 11 are being 'investigated'

[The Don]

Why are we even bothering to discuss the Downing Street parties when it's clear that the people the Conservatives care about, the editors of the right wing papers, don't consider the following to be an issue sufficient to persist at mentioning:

• Having dozens of "drinks parties" in Downing Street with hundreds of participants
• Openly selling peerages
• Repeatedly lying in Parliament
• Touting for business from special interest groups when a minister in a position to influence policy for those groups
• Granting billions of pounds of government contracts not on price or ability to deliver bit how good a mate you are of a senior member of government
• 150,000 people dying of Covid when tens of thousands of those deaths could have been avoided
• Rampant inflation
• A budget which results in the highest overall tax burden in decades
• Abandoning Afghan allies to their fate while saving a bloke and his rescue animals
• A Brexit apparently devoid of any discernible benefit

[KDLarsen]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

Including this new 'bring a bottle' party I think 11 are being 'investigated'

At least we know the Met won't investigate, what with it taking place in the past

[Filippo Lippi]

Cressida Dick is a patsy. Absolutely and fundamentally compromised

[Captain_Swoop]

I see the usual BBC outrage merchants are getting outraged that the BBC didn't report an ITV exclusive before ITV did.

[The Don]

Originally Posted by Filippo Lippi

Cressida Dick is a patsy. Absolutely and fundamentally compromised

But if she allowed an investigation, some uncomfortable truths would come out and no-one who matters wants that.

She's exactly the right person for the job.

[Filippo Lippi]

Sadly, yes

Sent from my SM-G991B using Tapatalk

[The Don]

OTOH woe betide the Labour, LidDem, Plaid, Green or SNP MP who is found to have had a cup of tea and a biscuit with a co-worker after a long day in the constituency office. They'll feel the full force of the local plod.

[Captain_Swoop]

Originally Posted by The Don

OTOH woe betide the Labour, LidDem, Plaid, Green or SNP MP who is found to have had a cup of tea and a biscuit with a co-worker after a long day in the constituency office. They'll feel the full force of the local plod.

They tried to get Sturgeon to resign because she took her mask off for a few minutes at a funeral.

[Darat]

I'm assuming the reason there needs to be an investigation into whether Johnson attended a party during lockdown was because when asked did he attend a party he replied with "Which one was that?"

[Mojo]

Classic non-apology apology from Michael Ellis (my emphasis):

Quote:

As I did then, I again apologise unreservedly for the upset that these allegations have caused.

https://hansard.parliament.uk/common...eetGardenEvent

Not sorry about the party, sorry about the allegations. Maybe the apology is directed towards Boris.

[Captain_Swoop]

Labour’s motion to cut VAT on fuel has been voted down by the Tories despite the promise by Johnson and Vote Leave that we could cut VAT on fuel after Brexit.

[Captain_Swoop]

Sue Gray now investigating the prime minister & govt over illegal lockdown parties at Downing Street was invited to several of the lockdown parties at Downing Street.

[The Don]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

Sue Gray now investigating the prime minister & govt over illegal lockdown parties at Downing Street was invited to several of the lockdown parties at Downing Street.

Well, who better to carry out the investigation than someone with intimate knowledge of the subject.

[Captain_Swoop]

No confirmation that she attended but was only invited.

However this would seem, at the very least, strange to ask someone who was an invitee herself to investigate whether a party existed.

[sphenisc]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

No confirmation that she attended but was only invited.

However this would seem, at the very least, strange to ask someone who was an invitee herself to investigate whether a party existed.

I assume the investigation's going to involve inviting them all round, putting some music on and chatting over a few bottles?

[GlennB]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

Sue Gray now investigating the prime minister & govt over illegal lockdown parties at Downing Street was invited to several of the lockdown parties at Downing Street.

Do you have a source for that? I found a reference to SNP leader Ian Blackford asking whether Gray had been invited, but not seeing any confirmation that she had (not that it would surprise me in the least).

[Captain_Swoop]

No 10 staff told to clean up phones amid lockdown party allegations, sources claim

Downing Street staff were advised to clean up their phones by removing information that could suggest lockdown parties were held at No 10, The Independent has been told.

Two sources claim a senior member of staff told them it would be a good idea to remove any messages implying they had attended or were even aware of anything that could “look like a party”.

Boris Johnson is facing an internal investigation into lockdown-breaching parties, being carried out by senior civil servant Sue Gray, and fury at revelations that 100 Downing Street workers were invited by email to a drinks event on 20 May 2020, when Britons were allowed to meet only one other person outdoors.

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said it raised “yet more questions for a prime minister who seems to have no answers”.

The “clean-up” suggestion was made early last month after the first reports emerged of parties at Downing Street, the sources allege.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...-b1991055.html

[The Don]

Inflation is yet another problem for those of us in the UK with fuel and energy prices driving the headline rate.

British Gas owner Centrica is saying that the current high prices could last for up to two years. The "good" news for politicians is that if and when prices stabilise, the effect on inflation will drop (though people will still be far worse off).

[The Don]

Originally Posted by Captain_Swoop

No 10 staff told to clean up phones amid lockdown party allegations, sources claim

Downing Street staff were advised to clean up their phones by removing information that could suggest lockdown parties were held at No 10, The Independent has been told.

Two sources claim a senior member of staff told them it would be a good idea to remove any messages implying they had attended or were even aware of anything that could “look like a party”.

Boris Johnson is facing an internal investigation into lockdown-breaching parties, being carried out by senior civil servant Sue Gray, and fury at revelations that 100 Downing Street workers were invited by email to a drinks event on 20 May 2020, when Britons were allowed to meet only one other person outdoors.

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said it raised “yet more questions for a prime minister who seems to have no answers”.

The “clean-up” suggestion was made early last month after the first reports emerged of parties at Downing Street, the sources allege.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...-b1991055.html

As long as those involved get rid of any evidence and the terms of engagement for the investigation are sufficiently narrow I see no reason why Boris Johnson and his chums won't end up being completely exonerated.