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Surreally, No10 spokesperson says the Boris Johnson is still not accepting that fines being handed out means that laws were broken.
Kafkaesque doesn't even come close really
Surreally, No10 spokesperson says the Boris Johnson is still not accepting that fines being handed out means that laws were broken.
On a strictly technical level, none of them have been convicted (yet), so they could all challenge these fines in court to try to convince a magistrate no crime had been committed.
But yes, it's bizarre..
It just seems like more of the same, usual gaslighting.
Keep telling everybody, over and over and over, that black is white, and eventually some people will believe it.
Move along now. Nothing to see here...
frankconway
Full MemberMichelle Mone and Medpro PPE – yep, she and her husband have been lying through their teeth but it’s treated like a storm in a D cup.
Your scheduled reminder that the real issue isn't the money or the corruption or the lying- not that they don't matter, but the gowns delivered were never used, they weren't up to spec. That, in the middle of a PPE crisis, meant that healthcare workers didn't get the kit they needed to do their jobs safely.
The money's a sideshow. I'd almost have been happy to have corruption, lying and wasted money, if it'd delivered what was needed. Same as track and trace- yes it's an insane amount of money to have spent, and all handled through the chumocracy, but also it didn't work. By the time it was launched, they'd forgotten parts of what it was even supposed to do. The government openly didn't understand that the Scottish government were basing parts of their policy on data from scottish track and trace, because they'd forgotten that this is half the job it was to do.
Would spending all that cash on a working track and trace have been smart? No. But spending it on a non-working track and trace killed people.
This appearance in front of the commons liaison committee is a masterclass in spouting absolute bollocks.
The Met have once again allowed him to dodge yet another bullet, as the investigation continues
Listening to it, its staggering that this blithering idiot has become PM. He is an absolute imbecile as well as a compulsive liar.
I know that it's said he's 'not a details man', but he sounds like he hasn't got a clue what he's being asked about and he's just blathering complete nonsense. He's off again with his 'quills of the porcupine' rubbish now...
Yep. I'm behind on the live feed, but this hiding behind the '...you'll have to wait until the conclusion of the investigation...." line is an absolute joke.
There is no point to this kind of thing at all if the person being interviewed can just bat away every question and not actually provide any answers or facts.
Listening to it, its staggering that this blithering idiot has become PM. He is an absolute imbecile as well as a compulsive liar.
In most of his previous roles though, notably London Mayor, he was able to hide behind others. Turn up and take the credit where needed, but have others do the Actual Work.
When he was a journalist, it didn't really matter - opinion columns are precisely about speaking complete bollocks while not being held accountable since anything untrue can simply be avoided by saying that it's the columnists opinion, not editorial fact.
London Mayor he could hide behind the (mostly good) things that Ken did, ride the coattails of the Olympic Games feelgood factor and not really do a lot which is just as well because he spaffed billions up the wall on non-existent bridges and airports.
Once promoted above his competence levels though (and yes, you can argue that anything beyond a weekly newspaper column is above his abilities) it's become increasingly apparent that he's wildly out of his depth and he's rapidly using up all his lifebelts of bullshit and bluster.
Northwind - my post about michelle mone was wider than 'just' the money; it covers wasted money inc excessive pricing, product unfit for intended use, excess stock and lying about direct involvement.
I'm fully aware that >50% of the gowns supplied by Medpro were deemed unfit for use and the gov claim to be seeking redress.
But thanks for pointing out what I have known for nearly two years and have posted about previously.
Also aware that >50% of product supplied by the favoured ones through 'VIP channel' is unfit for purpose.
Not to mention the huge storage charges still being incurred for containers of un-needed PPE at various facilities in East Anglia.
he’s wildly out of his depth and he’s rapidly using up all his lifebelts of bullshit and bluster
Sometimes it feels like he has an infinite supply.
Not to mention the huge storage charges still being incurred for containers of un-needed PPE at various facilities in East Anglia
Yep that’s just the cherry on the top,I think that’s a massive scandal in itself.
That has to be one of the cruelest April Fools evvvvaaaa,Bar Stewards 😒
Your scheduled reminder that the real issue isn’t the money or the corruption or the lying- not that they don’t matter, but the gowns delivered were never used, they weren’t up to spec. That, in the middle of a PPE crisis, meant that healthcare workers didn’t get the kit they needed to do their jobs safely.
Don't forget, too, that the company connected to Mone also insisted on exclusivity*. So not only did they supply sub-standard crap, they also ensured that existing suppliers wouldn't be able to provide pukka stuff. Good old thrusting Tory enterprise there.
*According to a chap I know who is fairly senior at Arco.
Not to mention the huge storage charges still being incurred for containers of un-needed PPE at various facilities in East Anglia
Yep that’s just the cherry on the top,I think that’s a massive scandal in itself.
Presumably another 'thrusting, buccaneering, British entrepreneur' owns the storage facility.
The whole 'PPE Contracts for Mates' is just a microcosm of what this government represents. Namely a one off smash and grab on the economy of a country in slow, but terminal decline.
Job's jobbed for the dodgy PPE suppliers, though. That money is gone and will never be recovered.
An interesting, but completely unsurprising article on our glorious leader by Andrew Rawnsley in yesterdays Observer
Boris Johnson may think that partygate is a laughing matter. Outraged voters don’t
It is appalling enough that the police have found a pattern of criminality at the very heart of government. It is worse that the prime minister treats this scandal as a joke
One senior Tory present at the dinner says: “The number of jokes Boris devoted to partygate showed that he is either monumentally insensitive or monumentally self-confident.” Or both.
Did anyone expect anything different from him? Not only does Johnson think he's 'got away' with Partygate, he's happily making crass jokes about it and openly mocking those who criticised him or thought he should be held to account. The arrogance and entitlement of the man is absolutely off the scale!
According to JRM today, even if Johnson gets fined, it isn’t the right time for a “Self-Indulgent Leadership Contest”
Nothing to see here, peasants - get back to work!
Perhaps write to your MP to let them know, politely if you can manage it, that you haven’t forgotten and that the outcome will influence your voting intentions. I did this yesterday. I also pointed out that I found his (Wiggin’s)comments on ‘the right sort of immigrants’ at a select committee last week were at best open to misinterpretation, at worst deeply unpleasant considering that he has taken hospitality from the Qataris
I have yet to receive a reply.
Back to PPE; as at Nov '21
https://www.suffolklive.com/news/gallery/gallery-photos-unusable-ppe-suffolk-6170341
More detail in this
https://eastangliabylines.co.uk/exclusive-suffolk-at-centre-of-multi-million-alleged-cover-up-of-government-ppe-scandal/
If you haven't had a good sweary rant at this government and their ministers for a while (unlikely) then brace yourselves for an outpouring of 35 mins of expletives
Jacob rees moog interviewed by Nick Ferrari (tame tory lbc presenter)
Perhaps write to your MP to let them know, politely if you can manage it, that you haven’t forgotten and that the outcome will influence your voting intentions.
My (post 2019) Tory MP is one of Boris's latest crop of Brexiteers. Writing/emailing or attempting to contact him in any way is totally pointless as he doesn't do engagement with the plebs. He rubber stamps everything this government does and only occasionally visits from Westminster for the odd photo op
What I'm hoping is that with his majority of only 100 votes, we'll be seeing the back of him soon.
I'm also hoping that this shower of ****s get an absolute kicking at the local elections in May, but in reality apathy will probably rule the day, as it so often seems too in this country
I’m also hoping that this shower of ****s get an absolute kicking at the local elections in May, but in reality apathy will probably rule the day, as it so often seems too in this country
Maybe in a few areas, possibly some of the recent "new blue" seats in the north who maybe feel let down by the countless broken promises made in the run up to the general election but in some areas, it'll be same old same old.
Where my Dad lives, you could pin a blue rosette to a mangy old dog and it'd get elected.
The arrogance and entitlement of the man is absolutely off the scale!
So many people like him because, deep down, they would be exactly the same given the chance.
He represents people who have "had enough of political correctness" - translation = "want to be open about their arseholeishness without fear of rebuke".
Meanwhile the rest of the world chuckles and moves on. Or if you're Putin, sits back and admires his handiwork.
dantsw13
Free MemberAccording to JRM today, even if Johnson gets fined, it isn’t the right time for a “Self-Indulgent Leadership Contest”
I mean, he's not wrong, he's just trying to lead people to the wrong conclusion. This isn't a good time to change leader, and that's just an extra thing that they should have to bear responsibility for. "It's a really bad time to change leader" isn't a magic bullet to make everything the leader does forgivable- it makes what they've done worse
Johnson standing down wouldn’t affect the Ukraine war at all. MOD are quite capable of sending stuff without Pfeffel tu4ning up in his hi-viz. Better a leadership contest than keeping an untrustworthy liar in office.
Better a leadership contest than keeping an untrustworthy liar in office.
He'd just be replaced by Truss or Gove.
Everyone in Cabinet now is a thick, Brexity, corrupt, talent void.
He’d just be replaced by Truss or Gove.
Everyone in Cabinet now is a thick, Brexity, corrupt, talent void.
Well that's what 'we' voted for so.....
Never has the adage that you get the government you deserve been more apt.
Listening to it, its staggering that this blithering idiot has become PM. He is an absolute imbecile as well as a compulsive liar.
It's not staggering at all. It's what 52%* of the population voted for.
*Discounting those who didn't vote at all.
Crazy Legs - I don’t like the alternatives, but I do believe that we must hold power to account. Allowing Johnson to continue legitimises future misconduct.
That Andrew Rawnsley article I posted concludes exactly that
He has lost the trust of the public and not won it back among his own MPs. Many still want him gone, not least for fear of what might happen next if the greased piglet somehow manages to squirm his way out of partygate. One senior Tory remarks: “If Boris gets away with this, he will think that he can get away with anything.” That’s a formula for more, and quite possibly worse, outrages to come
Tories are just thinking of their own seats and ultimately if they'll win the next election. Some will be more bold with their fake disgust as they'll have large enough majorities to handle it.
At the moment they think Boris is the best bet for that as he's got that 'magic' that the gullible accept and vote for. They'll have all turned and had a look at the loons manouvering behind Boris and thought 'Nah, we're stuffed if one of these takes over'.
Until he's literally caught red handed with something so dodgy they can't excuse it, then they'll just hold their nose and back him.
Local elections won't make a difference unless its a complete wipeout. He'll just ignore any losses as just midterm blues and carp on insessantly about one random seat gained for the Tories in the North as some brilliant victory.
Can't see anything now dislodging him apart from himself. Which is depressing.
The Tory Toadies will fall in behind him if they think his brand of bullshit and bluster will win the next GE and keep their snouts in the trough. If they don't, they'll knife him.
Never underestimate the sheer cynicism of the average Conservative.
Let's face it, he's going to survive and thrive simply by brazening it out and chucking the odd dead cat around.
The modern Tory party hold a cynical (and well earned) disregard for the intelligence of the UK electorate. They have continually been proven right since 2015, why would they stop using a winning formula?
All they have to do is paint Starmer as a 'scheming, liberal, politically correct, patronising, elitist intellectual' and they'll win. And why? Because they know their share of the electorate (especially the post-Brexit 'new' tories) despise anyone with intellect - mostly out of fear, resentment and jealousy.
So we're left with an electorate that refuses to be governed by people more intelligent. We're ****ed.
And while everyone is looking the other way, on they March with their culture war and another act of petty and vindictive cultural vandalism
https://twitter.com/mrjohnnicolson/status/1511062623357448199?s=21
No doubt to be handed over for a song to one of their cronies to neuter its news and current affairs output. Channel 4 is the only news worth watching, which is what has no doubt sealed its fate. Decades of bold independent broadcasting to be brought to an end by a thick-as-mince dullard like Nadine Dorres!
^^^^
They're going to 'win' forever and 'we' are going to let them because 'we' aren't clever enough to perceive what is really going on.
🤷♂️
No doubt to be handed over for a song to one of their cronies
I believe that a large part of the motivation for wanting to sell C4 is that it might make £1billion. I understand that the main contender is the US company behind the Discovery Channel.
It will of course seriously affect quality as at the present any potential profit is simply reinvested to provide further quality TV for its viewers. I can't imagine why a US company would pay £1billion for the privilege of doing that.
Edit: The driving force behind C4 privatisation appears to be Christopher Choose, a right-wing, homophobic, hang em n flog em, bring back conscription, Tory MP, I suspect that Johnson going ahead with C4 privatisation is mostly to placate the hard right of his party at a time when the last thing he needs is for them to mount a challenge against him.
Its terrifying that of all the hapless idiots in the present cabinet appointed by the idiot-in-chief (so as not to feel threatened), this will be left for Nadine Dorres to sort out.
It was obvious when she was questioned about the sell off at a select committee that she didn't even understand how Channel 4 was funded. Surprise, surprise! She claimed it was publicly funded like the BBC.
How on earth did we end up with these morons in charge?
I believe that a large part of the motivation for wanting to sell C4 is that it might make £1billion
They always like to chuck figures around, when trying to justify it, about what it 'might' make. Yet we all know it'll end up being handed over to one of their mates/donors for nowhere near that
And like you said, once sold, all that money won't be going into programme making but into the pockets of shareholders instead.
No doubt the news and current affairs output will be replaced by Strictly Come Singing and Dancing on Ice as part of the deal
How on earth did we end up with these morons in charge?
I blame the 52%...
I suspect that Johnson going ahead with C4 privatisation is mostly to placate the hard right of his party at a time when the last thing he needs is for them to mount a challenge against him.
I think as much as anything its that C4 havent been as arsekissing to him as other channels. So they need putting in their place both to ensure the BBC keeps toeing the line and also so that C4 once owned by someone more appropriate will start producing the propaganda and not news.
Can you imagine how annoying it must be having people on TV complaining about all the stupid and devious shit you do? Wouldn’t you want to do something about it 🧐
I find it ironic that the Tories with their faux nationalism surrounded by Union Jack's want to destroy Britain's ever decreasing assets such as Channel 4, the BBC, NHS in pursuit of some misplaced ideology that private profit should be the primary aim of any organisation! Nadine Dorries and the word culture should never again be used together.
They always like to chuck figures around, when trying to justify it, about what it ‘might’ make. Yet we all know it’ll end up being handed over to one of their mates/donors for nowhere near that
Only so they can buy it back from their mates for twice what they sold it for.
It's like when Utd let Pogba go to Juve for free only to by him back for £90 million a few years later.
I find it ironic that the Tories with their faux nationalism surrounded by Union Jack’s want to destroy Britain’s ever decreasing assets such as Channel 4, the BBC, NHS in pursuit of some misplaced ideology that private profit should be the primary aim of any organisation!
Indeed. This lot have also shown that despite the huge financial contribution the 'creative industries' make to our economy, they'd rather not have them around. All part of the culture war. We don't want any independent free-thinking going on that challenges the government, thank you very much.
If channel 4 is bought by a huge American company, as is most likely, they won't be using independent production houses in the UK, they'll just flood it with their own content, so all those independent production houses will go to the wall
It really is a very odd form of nationalism that wilfully bankrupts an entire successful and profitable sector of the UK economy
But then its only ever been nationalism in flag-shagging form anyway and this is all about their ideological mission to stifle dissent and shut down any critical voices
Now, where else have we seen that recently?
I find it ironic that the Tories with their faux nationalism surrounded by Union Jack’s
Its not ironic but just a cynical lie. Sell the country off on the cheap whilst wrapping the Union Jack round themselves announcing everyone else is unpatriotic.
How on earth did we end up with these morons in charge?
Brexit. Who would be 'suitable' to implement a fundamentally stupid idea?
1. Crooks who are going to profiteer from the disruption.
2. Idiots - who are useful to '1' above.
Sell the country off on the cheap whilst wrapping the Union Jack round themselves announcing everyone else is unpatriotic.
See above.
They will hopefully get a huge kicking in the local body elections next month.
Not directly about BJ but Irvine Welsh puts his case out nicely on Twitter when the Scottish Tories paraphrase one of his most famous opening lines:
https://twitter.com/IrvineWelsh/status/1511074647680471044?cxt=HHwWiMC-wdqYtfgpAAAA
A right wing government undermining a free press and reinforcing it's power base by creating a false narrative against foreigners while convincing the populace that it's their patriotic duty to go along with it.
It's only a matter of time before we invade France, an artificial construct that historically belonged to the English crown....
How on earth did we end up with these morons in charge?
I blame the 52%…
A lot of those in the 52% were manipulated by the morons we have in charge, and the circle goes on...
They will hopefully get a huge kicking in the local body elections next month.
Not going to happen. Enough of the electorate are too apathetic/thick/disengaged/racist/self-centred to either bother voting or actually think about how a country like the UK should conduct and position itself.
The driving force behind C4 privatisation appears to be Christopher Choose, a right-wing, homophobic, hang em n flog em, bring back conscription, Tory MP
Ffs predictive text. It's Christopher Chop, apologies for any confusion.
Sorry Ernie, i think it's Chope?
S'ok, I knew who you meant from your description of him.
Chop: chapeau!
I suspect that Johnson going ahead with C4 privatisation is mostly to placate the hard right of his party at a time when the last thing he needs is for them to mount a challenge against him.
Absolutely.
If channel 4 is bought by a huge American company, as is most likely, they won’t be using independent production houses in the UK, they’ll just flood it with their own content, so all those independent production houses will go to the wall
Absolutely. More serious and permanent damage to the country to appease the Ukip faction of the tories. Any alternative government would be better than this ramshackle shower,
Just in case anyone hasn't seen Nadine Dorris spectacularly **** up under questioning regarding C4, these idiots have been elected by cretinous ****s ffsake!
https://twitter.com/ukiswitheu/status/1463456731757887488?s=20&t=mKVcw-WEyAXFB9gMqIAL1g
The culture of making sure you don't do any research, read your briefing notes or have the remotest clue about even the most rudimentary elements of your job has come from the top down.
But even by the standards of this shower of incompetents, Mad Nad stands out as a beacon of stupidity
Sorry Ernie, i think it’s Chope?
That's the geezer! Him.
The culture of making sure you don’t do any research, read your briefing notes or have the remotest clue about even the most rudimentary elements of your job has come from the top down.
Can you imagine a scenario where as the senior decision maker, surrounded and supported by experts, you put yourself on telly, in the firing line and you can't even grasp the basics of the topic you're there to discuss.
So arrogant. So shameful.
That’s the geezer! Him.
I thought it was Choad?
Can you imagine a scenario where as the senior decision maker, surrounded and supported by experts, you put yourself on telly, in the firing line and you can’t even grasp the basics of the topic you’re there to discuss.So arrogant. So shameful.
Can you imagine if that was Diane Abbot or similar? The papers would have torn her to shreds.
Yet a Tory Minister, it's just shrugs and "what larks", it's left to Twitter (and Channel 4...) to pick up on her idiocy.
How she came out of that and thought - yep, good job there, I'm on form - is beyond me, any normal person would resign / be fired immediately and probably emigrate, change their name and find a new career while living out their days in perpetual fear of further ridicule.
Lets just remind ourselves of the sub-Raab levels of stupidity we're dealing with here
Theresa May’s Brexit deal has been slammed by arch-leave MP Nadine Dorries – because it means the UK will be left without any Members of the European Parliament.
The Tory backbencher, who campaigned tirelessly to get the country out of Europe, said Ms May's deal would leave the UK without any influence in Europe.
“This is a very sad place to be,” she told Sky News. “But unfortunately, the future of the country and of our relationship with Europe is at stake. This deal gives us no voice, no votes, no MEPs, no commissioner.”
Where do you even start with that? There are 4 year olds with a greater understanding of the situation. To quote Malcolm Tucker: 'she's so dense, light bends around her!'
Who the **** votes for these imbeciles?!
Who the **** votes for these imbeciles?!
The ones who want all the forriners to go back to where they came from (thus freeing up the countrywide supply of 12-bedroom homes that they were given free of charge by the council, complete with unlimited benefits).
The ones who want British jobs for British workers (so long as all their fruit is picked for them and they can get served in the coffee shop).
(the forriners taking all the jobs are also the same as the forriners who are sitting around scrounging all our benefits as well, naturally - this disconnect doesn't seem to phase the average Daily Mail reader).
The ones who's knowledge of history is basically "two world wars and one world cup, doodah" and Spitfires and sovrintee and stiff upper lip.
The ones who follow the predictable Daily Wail schedule of - Easter / Poppies / Christmas is cancelled for fear up upsetting Muslims / gays / atheists / non-believers...
Sadly, they outnumber the intelligent people in this country.
They're assisted in their noble quest by gerrymandered boundaries, a complicit media and a total lack of education (caused by the Government defunding it cos you wouldn't want educated voters now, would you?!)
^^^^
That.
Sadly, they outnumber the intelligent people in this country.
Yep. And the Tories know it. Take a turd, roll it in glitter and wrap a Union Jack around it and enough people will love it.
And if you point this out you are a patronising, elitist, unpatriotic snob.
I can't see a way out of this.
Listen, you libtard elites...Channel 4 is done, and Nadine is ushering in a whole new era of intellectualism.
(NSFW, for life, for sanity)
(caused by the Government defunding it cos you wouldn’t want educated voters now, would you?!)
If you dig up the latest 'guidance' for teachers in terms of political issues, it goes much further than just lack of funding...
(the forriners taking all the jobs are also the same as the forriners who are sitting around scrounging all our benefits as well, naturally – this disconnect doesn’t seem to phase the average Daily Mail reader).
Schrodingers forriners?
I can’t see a way out of this.
There's an episode of Spooks where some anti-capitalists infiltrate a meeting of a shadowy group of billionaires being held in the mansion of a Russian oligarch in London - the plot basically being that this group control political strings across the world and "own" all the Governments.
The anti-capitalists take the group down to the mansion's bunker and barricade themselves in there then live stream the execution of one of the hostages, showing photos of the yachts and mansions and private jets that he owns and the corrupt business dealings that he's done. They threaten to do the same to the rest of the billionaire cabal and various Governments threaten to bomb the site to prevent any more embarrassing information about their dealings with these billionaires from being leaked.
So all we need is some anti-capitalist terrorists and a shedload of weaponry and some internet streaming stuff and someone who can infiltrate Chequers to pull off a similar trick...
😉
I still think they will get a kicking in the local body elections. I don't think they will care!
As always, we need to vote. Get down there and vote. Encourage people you know to vote. It really does matter.
I feel super sorry for all the Civil Servants in UK Gov who have to deal with this shower of idiots.
The reality is that the western world is run the way most people want it run, you have to get those who want it run differently to vote for it, our area has an MP that is basically always being ripped apart for what he is, how he votes, etc, but come election day, all those old tory voters are queuing up before the polling office is open and voting him in, sadly the rest finish work, pick the kids up and so on, everything but vote in the numbers required to do something about it.
^^^^
What Trump and Farage also did was to legitimise being 'a bit of an arsehole'.
They essentially rebadged common decency and courtesy as 'political correctness gorn maaaad' and appealed to the inner arsehole that lurked in far too many of 'us' not to be cowed any more by 'political correctness' (aka common decency).
It had kind of been an unwritten rule of Western democracy that you didn't stir those pots, but they did and they did it very well indeed.
As always, we need to vote. Get down there and vote. Encourage people you know to vote. It really does matter.
As ever - they get in on minority votes because they have pissed off and exhausted too many who "can't see the point"
I feel super sorry for all the Civil Servants in UK Gov who have to deal with this shower of idiots
It's incredibly hard implementing policies you know will cause more harm than good - the Labour government made a mess of the area I worked in back in the noughties, but this current shower are destroying everything.
It’s incredibly hard implementing policies you know will cause more harm than good
Unless you stand to gain from it personally - financially, career-wise etc.
Unless you stand to gain from it personally – financially, career-wise etc.
Front line civil servants are a very long way from being able to do that.
As always with the civil service, there's the normal departmental staff around the country, and then there's the ones who are around Parliament, usually 'Senior Civil Servants' and their life is based around that circus and fielding/implementing those policies.
Front line civil servants are a very long way from being able to do that.
Yes - I meant the politicians and their puppet masters.
Just got my son's new passport through - now need to source a burgundy cover. The only thing holding me back is that it is probably a Brexit cheerleader who sells* them in order to profiteer from an unnecessary change.🙂
*Made in a sweatshop somewhere, no doubt.
Made in a sweatshop somewhere, no doubt.
Poland