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How were the contracts for storage procured?
If you look back to 2020 the story of Movianto is rather telling.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/22/revealed-private-firm-running-uk-ppe-stockpile-was-sold-in-middle-of-pandemic
Reminds me of the irony of the Nightingale Hospital using the Excel centre (whose Abu Dhabi owners only stopped charging £millions in monthly rent after public outcry), which also hosts one of the worlds largest arms fairs... probably fair to say throughout it's history the venue has taken more lives than it has saved
Considering what their cargo holds are usually used for, could the same be said of the planes used for PPE?
https://twitter.com/IanCobain/status/1253083879969357824
Agree to an extent with jhj. Foreign policy (as in having wars or "interventions") would be the same. Same with Rep and Dems in the US.
Foreign policy in general I hope to god will be different when SKS gets elected
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-60222943
Hope there is more to follow
who's in the chair for PMQ's today. With Boris off doing his diplomacy act (war by the end of the week, then) and myriad isolations, who's being rolled out for the day.
I reckon Gove and his levelling up plan, which will be the answer to everything asked. But I wonder if SKS having a few clear opportunities to address the members opposite 'directly' might be quite fun?
Reading the news about leveling up, I get the feeling that much of what they are announcing for Scotland is mere politics or / and hasn't had much involvement of Scottish Government.
SG are 'invited' to work with Westminster.
Apparently an Islands Commission wil connect islands direct to Westminster.
Etc.
Soft power/Tory bribery politics?
One for the independence thread.
And I for one look forward to Raab, Gove or Patel at PMQ's. 'mon the Starmer.
And my ex-kipper Tory MP Jenkinson is gleefully re-tweeting the Saville comments. It’ll probably shore up the core tory support though
As Johnson has stated he ‘stands by’ his statement, Tory MP’s are defending it and repeating it and the spineless Speaker has refused to do anything about it, it’s probably safe to assume we’ll be seeing a lot more of these ‘alternative facts’ offered over the despatch box while exploiting parliamentary privilege
The Tory Party has now gone ‘Full Trump’ with chucking around conspiracy theories from far right websites as ‘facts’.
Because that Nationalist Populism ended really well in America, didn’t it?
Those around Johnson really do have a total contempt for democracy and will now do everything and anything to keep the **** clinging to power.
And those on his backbenches who still support him are as complicit in this dangerous approach as those mealy-mouthed Republicans on Capitol Hill who still refuse to condemn Trump, despite everything that went on
The party has now adopted Johnson’s ‘values’ (or more accurately his complete absence of them). You’d like to think they couldn’t sink much lower, but I suspect as they get more desperate, this will be a one way trajectory into even worse sleaze, straight out of the Trump playbook
It's obvious that Johnson's essential travel is simply a way of avoiding more clinical cross examination from Kier the Smarter
who’s in the chair for PMQ’s today. With Boris off doing his diplomacy ac
I thought it was just a day trip for him?
I’m sure if he can get out of it, he will, but I imagine if he doesn’t do it then there might well be a shortage of volunteers to replace him
So it’ll end up being Steve Barclay, who he’s sent to make awkward statements before when Johnson wanted to hide
Say Keir Starmer nailed Johnson and became Prime Minister… how much do you reckon would change?
Not only in terms of quality of life for us commoners here in the UK, but in terms of foreign policy and such…
Without rising to the bait (too much) wasn't Boris meant to be leveling us proles up at some point? When was that happening exactly?
Massive Change is always promised and if we're lucky minor increments delivered.
BoJos tenure has been rather regressive (IMO) despite the brexiteers dreaming they've not scored much more than they would if May had stayed.
So whoever follows now has a pretty low bar to clear. I reckon SKS would be better than the current PM but there is a separate thread with its own exclamation mark and everything for you to spout further on SKS if you want.
Without rising to the bait (too much) wasn’t Boris meant to be leveling us proles up at some point? When was that happening exactly?
Probably average folks idea of the 'level' and Johnson's are two different places..., his been a bit further 'down' than those that were sucked in by him, or it was as simple as:
A Johnson promise is just a lie that hasn't happened yet.
And… all this bumping it up to a legal issue is utterly irrelevant anyway… he told us not to socialise, not to meet up with loved ones unless we lived with them, not to see our dying relatives, not to travel to their funerals if they weren’t local… and he and his team socialised, and he lied to cover it up. He is liar. He couldn’t live up to even the easiest bit of the rules he asked us all to. He should go. What the Met has to say about it is irrelevant. He’s taken us all for mugs.
Yep it’s a clever and calculated move of changing the focus, as they seem to love to do, don’t forget also how the focus was also changed to the drinking culture.
A lot of people knew about the parties and kept stumm, methinks it’s more than him that’s riding you.
Ah levelling up, there’s a audit thing just out about that, and in the usual Borwellian fashion it’s not going to well in the real world.
And my ex-kipper Tory MP Jenkinson is gleefully re-tweeting the Saville comments. It’ll probably shore up the core tory support though.
MPs need to be a little careful here.
Boris seems to have used Parliamentary Privilege to make the allegation. Even Raab had the brains/legal advice to say in a TV interview that he would not and could not repeat it (presumably as he didn't have the protection of Parliamentary Privilege.)
I do wonder exactly which knife Starmer is going to twist in PMQs, or if he's going to bottle it as he has done in the past. Certainly if Boris wants to go down the Saville route again, Starmer should be asking him to repeat the allegation outside the House.
Certainly if Boris wants to go down the Saville route again, Starmer should be asking him to repeat the allegation outside the House.
Or just quote Johnsons own words on historical sex offence inquiries. He is being the typical turd projecting his own failings onto others.
Ah levelling up, there’s a audit thing just out about that, and in the usual Borwellian fashion it’s not going to well in the real world.
Looks like its working just fine from what I can see. Or do you mean doing that its not doing what the name implies vs throwing money at areas which vote tory in good old pork barrel politics.
Without rising to the bait (too much) wasn’t Boris meant to be leveling us proles up at some point? When was that happening exactly?
Today!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-60216307
Gove has come off the coke long enough to knock up a report that looks like it was done by a sixth-former pulling an all-nighter. Lots of re-announced policies, very little new money, fluffy deadlines with no clear pathway or milestones.
I mean: "Improve 'well-being' in every area of the UK"
WTAF does that mean? How will it be measured? What's the success marker?
I wont link it, but even the DM writing about how Johnson is being mocked by global media now. His whole presser in Ukraine was foreign press asking him how he has any moral authority & why he can be believed/trusted.
Five Live are reporting that the full Sue Gray report has been published.
So Downing Street has it. I wonder how many minutes it'll take for it to be leaked, because lets be honest; thats the only way we'll get to see it?
EDIT: They've now apologised, retracted that and said it hasn't actually been published
Or just quote Johnsons own words on historical sex offence inquiries. He is being the typical turd projecting his own failings onto others.
Tempting, but I suspect lowering himself down to Boris's scummy level loses the moral high ground and increases the chance of losing to experience.
Well I see the whitewash language is starting to come out. When asked about the report he stated 'We will release what we can when etc etc'. The keyword in his entire statement is 'Can' as in the damning parts will be censored.
the daily fail don't seem to be getting bored of it, running with PM linked to 6 parties.... But I think they are seeing if they can get Johnson to push his wife under the bus for shits and giggles (as they and there readership don't like her)
Well I see the whitewash language is starting to come out. When asked about the report he stated ‘We will release what we can when etc etc’. The keyword in his entire statement is ‘Can’ as in the damning parts will be censored.
I watched Johnson answer that question last night and also noted that the only word that mattered was 'can'.
They clearly have absolutely no intention of releasing anything but a scrubbed and cleaned version of any final report. The only chance we'll get to see it is through a leak
Is it worth reporting tweets to Twitter as misinformation?
Well Trump was banned from the platform for repeatedly posting fake news
Lia Nici, the Tory MP for Grimsby is presently on the MP's panel on Five Live
She has just made a statement that when Keir Starmer visited her constituency last week, before Boris's statement in parliament, that her constituents didn't mention parties at all, but did all mention the failure of Keir Starmer to prosecute Jimmy Saville.
Yeah, right. Totally believable.
When asked to repeat the actual accusation that Johnson made herself, she did the Nadine Dorries defence "well I don't know all the facts...".
So there you have it. It looks like this nonsense is now a clear party tactic, probably briefed directly from central office, being repeated by Tory MPs to smear Starmer.
Thats the level to which they've now sunk to. It's not even gutter level. Its way, way below that. The depressing thing is that I suspect it'll work with his thick-as-mince Brexity base, which is exactly why they're doing it
What’s the success marker?
Apparently:
Among the 12 missions are promises to refocus education spending on disadvantaged parts of the country and eliminate illiteracy and innumeracy; bring the rest of the country's public transport closer to London standards, and provide access to 5G broadband for the "large majority" of households.
So Your kids will be taught to read, you'll be able to catch a bus, and you'll be able to tweet/Tic-Tok about it all...
So 'levelling up' to ~1960s standard infrastructure & public services, with a data plan bolted on...
Binners- you've beaten me to it about lia nici.
Clear evidence that tories are scraping ths bottom of the barrel to find johnson apologists.
She is ignorant and thick as pig shit.
As for Starmer/savile being the hot topic in grimsby last week - utter bollocks.
What proportion of the population even knew that Starmer was head of CPS when savile investigation was ongoing?
They've already rolled back on spending on education and transport in the North (especially here in West Yorkshire). Not sure anyone is bothered about 5G here yet. More concerned about food and heating.
EDIT: They’ve now apologised, retracted that and said it hasn’t actually been published
The main issue appears to have been not understanding the meaning of the word "publish".
She has just made a statement that when Keir Starmer visited her constituency last week, before Boris’s statement in parliament, that her constituents didn’t mention parties at all, but did all mention the failure of Keir Starmer to prosecute Jimmy Saville.
Funny how an MP I saw on Twitter yesterday made the same comment.
Before Johnson said it, I can't remember hearing/reading even the most rabid Tory bot commenting. Although maybe I need to go and look at Twitter today...
There's bound to be a concerted effort to distract and divide; after all, it is our system of governance we're talking about...
Beyond that, this is a key point; many will be doing all they can to defend Boris, so as to protect themselves down the line
A lot of people knew about the parties and kept stumm, methinks it’s more than him that’s riding you.
Liar nisi ?
I offer up my despicable MP as even worse than Johnson in a mini-me sort of way.
No one on the Bassetlaw doorstep is talking about Jimmy Saville. Besides he used hang around with Thatcher anyway.
They are talking about the trashed high street economy, and lack of jobs and good services you numbskull.
https://twitter.com/GBNEWS/status/1488489465123418116?t=dtQh5NSwjnHgkv7Wz4djCQ&s=19
No surprise, he's got form on being a complete dick e.g. BLM, taking the knee etc. etc.
Just read your comments about Lia Nici on the previous page binners and and advert for pizza popped up right above your post.
Well I guess bottle of beergate failed so they're going full q-anon with this one.
Someone should remind Johnson and his lackies that the intel wasn't 100 percent with that one either.
Not sure now is the time to be criticising the MET
But Ms Patel said the force had "problems" with its culture.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-60229869
There is a risk here that too much focus on the Savile lie will have the effect of diverting attention from the main issue, that the PM is a liar, a law breaker and has no respect for the public or the sufferings imposed by his government over the last two years.
SKS needs to rise above it, not engage and keep banging the same drum, this isn't about fictional things the opposition leader didn't do ~20 years ago it's about what the PM did do ~20 months ago and subsequently denied...
I really can't fathom why more letters haven't been submitted yet...
In other news, while Gove announces his Levelling up bullshit, another Tory MP gives a typical example of their attitude to the north, when asked about the rail investment that was promised and then cancelled. Could you be any more patronising?
https://twitter.com/robbrown/status/1488891067688787978?s=20&t=8sZE91SShD296i_LUUZJQA
Another letter goes in…..
I thought the Tories were going to save this particular smear for general election time, whenever that might be.
The Tories were bound to pull this dead cat out of the bag at some point. That they have done it now and employed it as such an obvious deflection is probably a relief for Starmer.
All it really achieved was to set more than a few Tory MP's stomachs churning.
Though it does beg the question; 'If this is the bottom of the barrel, what lies beneath?'
And right on cue Karl McCartney answers the question 'what lies beneath the bottom of the barrel.'
Quid pro quo.
Though when asked wether he understands the meaning of the phrase 'don't bite the hand that feeds', Andy Burnham might have done better to have answered with;
'No I don't, what do you mean exactly?'.
I think that is the kind of answer Starmer would have given and it makes me think that that's why he is the best choice of Labour leader right now. I am less ambivalent than I was.
karl mccartney?
MP for adjoining constituency; his pearls of wisdom often pop-up on the lincolnite and lincolnshire live.
Another sycophant who's thick as pig shit and, as can be seen ^^^ spouts bollocks.
Another one, hopefully some momentum now
Is Nadine pissed?
She’s definitely enhanced…
Posted 1 day ago
Apparently this has been explained and she was in fact "constantly swaying due to attempting to stay upright on a sinking ship" 😉
She was just trying to look at the issues from lots of different points of view.
Goves much trailed levelling up announcement didn’t even make the lead article in the BBC North West news. That’s how utterly devoid of substance it was.
Just some tiny sums of re-announced funding and… erm… errrr…
As Lisa Nandy said in reply when he announced it: “seriously?… is that it?!”
I think the whole north of England just collectively rolled its eyes
Well done Mikey!
I think the whole north of England just collectively rolled its eyes
They asked some old girl on the news this morning about what she thought of Gove's plan to level up the transport infrastructure to match that of London.....
She replied " oh great so that means we will have to pay to drive into the centre of Middlesbrough then"
She's probably right and they will say well you asked for it 😉
Once the Tory's backs are up , be prepared for the Political equivalent of the "punishment pass"
The Department of Health insists it paid £600m to an interior design company for PPE. The money is nowhere to be seen in the firm’s accounts. They won’t answer the Eye’s questions. So where’s the money gone? Full story in the brand new Private Eye, out today.
frankconway
Full Member
The Department of Health insists it paid £600m to an interior design company for PPE. The money is nowhere to be seen in the firm’s accounts. They won’t answer the Eye’s questions. So where’s the money gone? Full story in the brand new Private Eye, out today.
You are Ian Hislop and I claim my 5 pounds!
MCTD - if only but your fiver is in the post anyway.
Will be in magazine emporium to pick up my copy first thing in morning!
Not sure now is the time to be criticising the MET
is that a critisism or a thinly veiled threat to 'sort' out the culture if those pesky investigations don't go well for the Tories?
But she said she had confidence in Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick to make the changes that were required.
much like every football team owner have confidence in their manager after the run of 15 games without a win.
Ian Hislop’s work in the last few days may well have earned Private Eye a new subscriber in the last few days!
More than one.
Boris has told Sun he's going to call an election in '23.
Rather optimistic at this stage but I'm all for him staying on in the short term.
Thank you for subscribing to Private Eye. Your order is now being processed and your first issue will be with you soon.
That election ‘23 story… high risk, no? Could push MPs into turning on him sooner.
Dead cat, Shirley...?
Yesterday's wordle was "moist". I wonder if they knew about that pic in advance...
Peston corrected himself and said they meant 24 for the election on tv last night
🤮🤮 >>stops playing Wordle<<<
That pic of dorres has put me off my breakfast, and probably my lunch too
Ah, but she looooooooves him!
She recognises a fellow low performing alcoholic
https://twitter.com/andyhazeldine64/status/1488971766450040833
this one is more disturbing ....sound on
The Independent are saying that the ONS told Boris not to use the claim about more people being in work now than before Covid because it isn’t true well before he used them in PMQs yesterday.
I’d like to rant & shout into the internet to feel better but its well beyond that.
That pic of Dorries reminded me of the old Gold Blend adverts. What was the line?
"Remember Paris...."
Or something like that.
He definitely has, hasn't he?
*shudders*
I expect there were. 🤢
Well I for one didn't know that Kay Burley was a deputy Russian UN ambassador.
Kay is good, but maybe not that good.
Sky has the correct Deputy Ambassador: https://news.sky.com/story/senior-russian-diplomat-we-dont-trust-british-diplomacy-its-worthless-12530767
We're probably now about as credible as Russia on the international stage nowadays. Probably less so
It was telling that the overseas press didn't even bother asking Boris Johnson any questions in his disappearing act Ukraine press conference the other day, just directing questions to the Ukranian President instead. All the UK press asked him about what party's, obviously.
Very Churchillian
How much Russian money is there in London? Rather a lot, no?
We’re probably now about as credible as Russia on the international stage nowadays.
Perhaps should be
We’re a Russian vassal state on the international stage nowadays.
Whilst many of the familiar Tory MP's shy away from the cameras as they weigh up their options it's thrown the spotlight on the new intake, eager to toady up to the dear leader.
Going by the faces that are getting the airtime at the moment, the Tory party looks more like the National Front or the BNP. The common character trait is spitefull thuggishness and in relation to comments on another thread about the influence of social media, they frame their arguments and deliver their rhetoric like they're arguing on Facebook.
The longer Johnson clings on, the more these yobs will become the face of the Conservative Party. I bet there's more than a few Tory MP's who would rather lose the next GE and rebuild the party in a traditional one nation conservative mould. That could be a terrible risk for them, the worry being that the right wing takeover will preside but I'm sure it's crossed their minds.
In places like the home counties where I grew up, there's a large constituency of small c conservatives who actually have a threshold for the repugnant. Are the Tories are in danger of taking them for granted in the same way as Labour did with the red wall constituencies?
As much as the Liberal Democrats are seen as an irrelevance, they frequently come second in those constituencies. A pact with Labour could make some of those seats vulnerable.