The covid fraud is like the russia report. The government is avoiding an investigation because they know they won't like what it would find.
new reports on BBC that publication is imminent
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-60177028
Sue Gray is expected to deliver her report on No 10 parties to the PM without waiting for the police inquiry to conclude, the BBC has been told.
The senior civil servant is expected to hand her report to the prime minister shortly, however no exact timescale has been given.
Now I wouldn’t wish to be all conspiratorial and all that, but if he did investigate, what’s the odds on it being his/tory pals lining pockets with the, ahem, alleged fraud?
The investigations dropped are into the loans available to support businesses through the pandemic, so some will no doubt have links to the government but most won't.
I'd be surprised if the costs would outweigh the amounts recovered, as HMRC staff aren't paid that much. I could imagine that those staff could recover more money doing their regular duties though.
Still don't think fraudsters should get away with it.
I'd be curious to know what the dyed in the wool Boris fans think about all this
To me it looks like a stitch up or at the very least an epic balls up by the met, and wouldn't rule out some sort of pressure being applied from no 10
Our neighbour (white, mid fifties female, middle/upper class) was absolutely dyed in the wool Tory and loved Boris.
By all accounts, she absolutely detests him now and doesn't want to vote Tory in any coming elections.
Extrapolate that across the country, and there's hope. That being said, who do they vote for now?
That being said, who do they vote for now?
My parents are the same - well, knew he was crap but at least he wasn't Corbyn. Now they can't believe he's dragged "their" party down to his level, but can't see an alternative option
matt_outandabout
Full MemberI am not sure that a state function such as the police, there to serve and protect the people, being accused of either ambivalence at best, perverting the course of justice at worst has any ‘silver lining’.
Oh it does. Because the alternative is just that it doesn't get exposed, and if it doesn't exposed it gets worse.
He's going to throw his wife under the bus
https://twitter.com/HarryYorke1/status/1487179484801421321?s=19
The right wing, brexity, racists at work all think he's being hard done by and that it's gone on too long and needs to be forgotten...
I managed to get my tory m.i.l not to vote at the last election. Tell your Johnson hating tories to spoil their cards so that the message gets across.
I’d be surprised if the costs would outweigh the amounts recovered, as HMRC staff aren’t paid that much
It's not how much you're paid it's the "billable" cost. Remember the mod £50 hammers? 1997 I had to buy 4AA batteries for a piece of equipment when I worked mod. I couldn't just get petty cash as it was to be billed to project. So requisition went in including my time for filling in req, apparently batteries cheaper elsewhere so denied, new req in and batteries purchased.
But using £45 of my billable time(actually paid about £20ph) and £45 of purchasing managers. So £93 for 4AA batteries.
That's how you claim back £2billion but projects cost it higher.
Boris going on manoeuvres. No idea why...
Ukraine: Boris Johnson to call Vladimir Putin and visit region
I’d be curious to know what the dyed in the wool Boris fans think about all this
My tory voting brexiteer Johnson fan relative still thinks he is fantastic and would vote for him again
My tory voting brexiteer Johnson fan relative still thinks he is fantastic and would vote for him again
I'm finding the same - but I guess that's just normal. I hated Blair but I'd always have voted for Labour if it was the best opposition to the Tories in the seat I was living in.
What I found interesting in Brexit - The Uncivil War was the specific targeting of the undecided( in the case of a GE, include swing voters) by the Leave Campaign. They're the ones that will decide his fate at the next GE.
Boris going on manoeuvres. No idea why…
War huh what is good for - saving Boris Johnson springs to mind. It's either that or MrsJ gave him a new artic warfare outfit for Christmas. With a mostly snowless UK this winter and holidays being out due to all the parties drastic measures are required.
Wonder what the odds are on him making things worse.
The right wing, brexity, racists at work all think he’s being hard done by and that it’s gone on too long and needs to be forgotten…
Cult of Brexit, protect the Boris.
Not quite sure why they just don’t proclaim him the god emperor and let lose Priti with the gunboats now.
He could use the met as his praetorian guard.
Can anyone explain to me why the met are investigating something
Because they want to find a way of clearing the Cabinet. Simple as that. Breaking COVID regs is a fixed penalty notice. As Dick rightly points out her brief was just 3 points and simple.
1. Did the people accused of holding banned gatherings know (or should've reasonably known) and there is compelling evidence
2. Will not doing anything about this bring the law into disrepute?
3. The events have to be serious and flagrant.
By their own admission, the Cabinet has broken 1 and 3, so all the Met "need" do is issue the fine, because otherwise ...2 The Investigation is a smokescreen to find some way of either 1. disrupting or delaying the Grey report, or that's not available 2. nullifying it.
Wonder what the odds are on him making things worse.
At least evens, probably more. I mean, he's got form for blundering around in foreign affairs:
That's only two of the more high-profile ones, his reputation abroad is only marginally above Donald Trump's!
Because they want to find a way of clearing the Cabinet
They really are going down the rabbit hole looking for a technicality to exonerate them 🙂
The true believers won’t care but the spectacle of this doesn’t look good unless you like dictatorships.
The giggle is a quick firing of staff and big apology may have worked better but this has been dragged on for 3 months as they’ve dug themselves into a bigger hole.
His career in politics should have been completely ended by his Zaghari-Ratcliffe cockup.
His career in politics should have been completely ended by his Zaghari-Ratcliffe cockup.
Yep, But he was destined for greater cock ups.
We laugh at the party and wallpaper escapades but this man’s got the power to initiate the process to launch the nukes or drag us into a war.
this man’s got the power to ... drag us into a war.
How very Churchillian of him.
He'll be flicking through the terrible biography of Churchill that he wrote as we speak. Appeasement, bad; Churchill, wartime leader, good.
but this man’s got the power to initiate the process to launch the nukes or drag us into a war.
Kind of depends who he launches nukes against.
It would have to be a country without nuclear weapons of their own or the UK would be snuffed out. And if it was against a country without them,Britain would lose all recognition on the world stage. I doubt anyone would want to trade with us after such an event.
It’s okay… Truss is going to Moscow… what a tag team.
For the record I don’t think he’d press the nuke button unless he thought it was room service but he has the power 🙂
My issue is that he actually doesn’t do anything that really involves making a decision and following thru, he’ll more than likely bumble us into a bad place again.
We laugh at the party and wallpaper escapades but this man’s got the power to initiate the process to launch the nukes or drag us into a war.
This doesn't really worry me, he's an idle, lazy, indolent drunk, he kills by neglect and a lack of concern for any living thing but himself but he's no Blair, he's not going to be launching any crusades, far too much actual work.
I suspect like with Trump the military have a doctrine whereby they would not launch missiles without a lawful order so he cannot do it on a whim
Now they can’t believe he’s dragged “their” party down to his level, but can’t see an alternative option
There is no alternative, leaders come and go but the tory party continues in its appeal to selfish, hateful people.
Some essential tweets from this morning, related to how we’re being made to move on and forget…
https://twitter.com/jonathancoe/status/1487357990579617792?s=21
https://twitter.com/aiannucci/status/1487325505925832704?s=21
Red what now?
https://twitter.com/BritainElects/status/1487386758908100611?t=p8k0NvXWKDrLEZZIUGBeNw&s=19
For the record I don’t think he’d press the nuke button unless he thought it was room service but he has the power 🙂
I suspect the US wouldn't allow us to launch any SLBMs.
For the record I don’t think he’d press the nuke button unless he thought it was room service but he has the power
But a Tory MP deliberately mentioned this morning in an interview that the PM was 'in charge of a nuclear power' so why worry about some parties?.
Is it just me who thinks we're presently looking at this disgrace of a government moving on from the Trump playbook and very consciously embracing the Putin approach?
Throw out so much chaff, deliberate misinformation, contradictory stories, blatant lies and shameless gaslighting that the casual observer no longer has a ****ing clue what is actually going on any more?
I read something that the rest of the EU were basically leaving him out of the whole Ukraine conversation. Partly because he’s useless and a liability, partly because we willingly let all the dirty Russian money be laundered here.
But a Tory MP deliberately mentioned this morning in an interview that the PM was ‘in charge of a nuclear power’ so why worry about some parties?.
I have read/heard other shite along the same lines 'can't get on with running the country because the opposition are making a big deal about cake eating' well the answer is simple and that is get rid of the source of the stench (Johnson)
Also… the “cake eating” came from a supportive Tory MP, it has nothing to do with any of this. Johnson and his people socialised while we were missing funerals and only seeing our families via zoom, as that is what he told us must be done, his instructions, and enforced by law, his law.
Boris going on manoeuvres. No idea why…
Ukraine: Boris Johnson to call Vladimir Putin and visit region
Maybe his handlers thought it was a good time to bring him in. No sneaking off like Philby had to.
Surely Boris visiting Putin is nothing to do with Ukraine and more about explaining the new, plentiful money laundering opportunities available in the non-EU regulated tax haven that is Brexit Britain?
9000! Will he resign / get sacked / **** off and die before 10000?
Johnson isn’t visiting Putin. He’s going to former Eastern Block countries to reassure them. Truss is going to Putin!
Oh Christ!
I’m sure that’ll go well then!
I can’t see many people feeling terribly reassured with the fly-tipped sofa turning up, and Putin will be left wondering why on earth we sent an unhinged supply teacher over for a chat?
truss going to Moscow won't have Vlad quaking in his boots.
johnson going to Ukraine won't provide any meaningful support to Zelensky; soundbites and a photo op is all it will be.
johnson calling Putin - another empty gesture.
Distraction politics at it's finest.
truss going to Moscow won’t have Vlad quaking in his boots.
johnson going to Ukraine won’t provide any meaningful support to Zelensky; soundbites and a photo op is all it will be.
johnson calling Putin – another empty gesture.
Distraction politics at it’s finest.
In the vein of his recent dress-up to distract antics (hi-viz and hard hat accessorized by real working men, hapless jogger with black school shoes...), I am optimistic he will be wearing a shell-suit and wielding an RPG-7 next week in Ukraine.
I reckon he’ll go full Gadaffi with a military uniform and a chest full of medals he’s awarded himself
I am optimistic he will be wearing a shell-suit and wielding an RPG-7 next week in Ukraine.
To be taken seriously this has to be while in the load area of a Toyota Hilux.
