How does this work then. No 11 Downing St is owned by the Taxpayer and has been provided as accommodation linked to the post of Prime Minister. We the taxpayer have had the flat renovated by apparently a Tory donor for free. You are allowed a certain amount for renovations if you own the property or rent it.
Boris is just a squatter really, I presume he’s not renting or buying it.
“We the tax payer” had a budget of £30,000. It wasn’t free. It also wasn’t enough to buy the pointlessly expensive stuff that the King of the World and his most recent Queen wanted in their pad, and so they took a bribe kind donation/loan from a donor to top up the budget so they could spend big.
Sunak could be a good play with Starmer having alienated a lot of ethnic minority support for Labour. It shows the vacuous nature of identity politics. The Tories do indeed support women and minorities, they have a more diverse front bench than Labour and they promoted Priti.
they have a more diverse front bench than Labour and they promoted Priti.
Posted 2 minutes ago
One of our lizard overlords in a glitchy human suit doesn't count.
This would be magnificent if it wasn’t for the shower of bastards in the running to take over from Fatso.
That’s unfortunately what you want, some Alan Bstard, that people won’t vote for. Boris is a ‘celebrity’ politician with curb appeal not sure the others have. Sunaks liked as he lobbed the money over, when he starts clawing it back thou.
I think the issue with Boris is that the bodies ‘did’ pile up with his dithering and this is slowly starting to dawn and the cashing in on covid probably won’t look good post covid.
Cue distraction and cat tossing.
Sunak could be a good play with Starmer having alienated a lot of ethnic minority support for Labour. It shows the vacuous nature of identity politics. The Tories do indeed support women and minorities, they have a more diverse front bench than Labour and they promoted Priti.
That doesn't absolve all the awful things that they and Boris have said and done. We don't need to pull up old quote but we all know what hes said.
they have a more diverse front bench than Labour
I’m worried that your dislike of Starmer means you can’t see the make up of the Labour front bench he selected…
https://diversityuk.org/keir-starmer-appoints-the-most-ethnic-shadow-cabinet-ever/
The Tories do indeed support women and minorities
It shouldn’t need pointing out, but…
Trouble is politicians are really cheap, get a good return for f’all outlay.
Still… passing lucrative contracts to mates who are “helpful” to you with bribes handouts and loans is affordable right now… not least because we’re stopping funding (checks notes) immunisation programmes…
https://twitter.com/haynesdeborah/status/1387163753075073025?s=21
Boris is a ‘celebrity’ politician with curb appeal not sure the others have.
And I have no doubt that referring to Johnson as "Boris" helps his whole showman/media packaging.
I'm sure that the cuddly affable bounder greatly appreciates his detractors calling him by his stage name.
So today I'm sure Johnson would rather have been banging on about he he got brexit done
Instead...
https://twitter.com/Peston/status/1387348414178996224?s=19
"Take back control" is still being deployed at PMQs as if it's a shield of steel... and it still is... let's repeat it again several times in answer to a question that has nothing to do with Brexit...
If Starmer's plan is simply to induce Johnson into a rage-induced heart attack at PMQs by asking simple questions about his dodgy finances, he's doing a cracking job.
He wasn't happy with Ian Blackford.
The current speaker is so far in Johnson's pocket I'm surprised he can see out.
If Starmer’s plan is simply to induce Johnson into a rage-induced heart attack at PMQs by asking simple questions about his dodgy finances, he’s doing a cracking job.
it was actually unreal you could see the anger in his face! The blokes had a tough week (all his doing) and then he has to deal with Keirs questions. Something im sure he didnt fancy.
Starmer got Johnson to directly lie to parliament today
Peston says 3 people + Cummings willing to swear under oath about the bodies comment
You can see why he's avoided any "hard questions" media interviews ever since becoming party leader. He can't answer questions, for fear of tripping up... his format is the very carefully prepared talk to camera/audience, dressed up as if being made up on the hoof.
it was actually unreal you could see the anger in his face!
Johnsons enormous sense of entitlement means he doesn't think he should be held to account by anybody, least of all an oik like Starmer. The rage is genuine that anybody thinks he should justify his actions. He's world king after all. How dare anyone expect him to answer for anything
The current speaker is so far in Johnson’s pocket I’m surprised he can see out.
Its absolutely ludicrous that he's consistently allowed to completely ignore whatever he's been asked and simply deliver pre-prepared soundbites that don't even remotely relate to the question. Its getting to the point where PMQ's might as well just be a Tory Party Political Broadcast
I doubt Bercow would have stood for this
He can’t answer questions, for fear of tripping up… his format is the very carefully prepared talk to camera/audience, dressed up as if being made up on the hoof.
Which is why it's all the more surprising when he goes to PMQs that he doesn't seem to have done ANY preparation! He sits there, waits for the question and is than caught on the hop - it's like neither he nor any of his advisors have sat down and thought "we can make an educated guess of what KS is going to ask so here's some prepared answers and they can be tuned a bit to fit".
So instead of something that might pass muster, you end up with the repetition of some trite soundbite or an attempt to deflect it back to Labour.
Mind you, Theresa May used to do something similar:
"PM, what does Brexit mean?"
"As I have been very clear to the House on many occasions, Brexit means Brexit."
Great, thanks for nothing...
Johnsons enormous sense of entitlement means he doesn’t think he should be held to account by anybody, least of all an oik like Starmer.
As famously pointed out by his headmaster many years ago, of course.
Which is why it’s all the more surprising when he goes to PMQs that he doesn’t seem to have done ANY preparation!
He's fully prepared, and his responses are well worked out... that they look made up on the hoof is all an act... and that they don't relate to the difficult questions asked isn't a slip up, it's his modus operandi.
The thing I love the most about this story is that Johnson tried to get other people to pay for it, got found out so had to stump up the sixty grand himself, and he's still in the shit...
got found out so had to stump up the sixty grand himself, and he’s still in the shit…
Even better there is a suggestion he could still be hit with Benefit in Kind for the unsuccessful attempt. If he gets too many bills he will have to resign and go back to being a overpaid columnist.
As famously pointed out by his headmaster many years ago, of course.
Yes. It does seem rather accurate still.
"I think he honestly believes that it is churlish of us not to regard him as an exception, one who should be free of the network of obligation which binds everyone else"
From some of the things I've read, the total bill was nearer £200k - knock-off the £30k allowance and it's a mere £170k. £58k was probably just for the carpets, curtains and wallpaper 😳. As lots on Twitter have pointed out, they didn't like the previous decor as it was a bit too John Lewis.
I did visit Downing Street once for a reception and what was so remarkable was how "low rent" it was, in comparison to somewhere like the UK Ambassador's residence in Paris.
Isn't £30k is the annual limit ?
He’s fully prepared, and his responses are well worked out… that they look made up on the hoof is all an act… and that they don’t relate to the difficult questions asked isn’t a slip up, it’s his modus operandi.
You reckon?
I genuinely think he simply regards it as a bit of an embuggerance which he has to endure for reasons that he can't quite work out and does literally no prep at all for them. He's famous for not knowing / not being bothered with details and that part isn't an act. He knows it'll be 30 minutes of bluster; PMQs has never been about answering questions anyway, it's always been a bit of an act and he seemed to quite enjoy it when there was a cheering crowd of MPs behind him giving it the old "HERE HERE!!" or asking a friendly question from his own backbench.
Now all that's been stripped out, the showmanship element has gone, the questions are beginning to hit home because it's no longer some airy-fairy bollocks about rural buses or making random assurances... But my conviction is that he just goes in there, sighs and waffles then heads home to Carrie.
Boris' bluster at PMQs (sound on, one for the football fans.)
https://twitter.com/AustraliaToon1/status/1387392202456788995
I did visit Downing Street once for a reception and what was so remarkable was how “low rent” it was, in comparison to somewhere like the UK Ambassador’s residence in Paris.
Humble brag 😎
Johnson sounds like this has really rattled him and he knows he is in a real bind over it with probable illegal activity and also tax implications.
As embarrassing as it all is the truth is nobody, especially johnson himself will never face any real charges. Its an old boys network.
They call it 'sleaze' but the actual word they all skirt around is also known as corruption. They avoid using the term and thats telling in itself.
There are legal reasons some people have to avoid the allegation of “corruption”… you’d have to prove an advantage was gained as a direct result of the money changing hands… but we little folk don’t have to worry about such matters… and I’ll keep calling it corruption, and so can you. The PM taking bribes money for his personal pointlessly expensive nicknaks opens him up to charges of “owing” a favour to whoever bungs lends him the money.
You reckon?
Yes if you listened to him today it was pretty much all prepared campaigning material.
Carefully memorised and either semi matched to a question or just thrown out anyway.
The speaker really should try getting him to answer the questions.
Isn’t £30k is the annual limit ?
It seems to be yup. Can you imagine burning through that each year?
Something he added today was the claim of paying for the refurbishment personally with no mention of the taxpayers contribution. Indeed he implied by use of a comment about Blair spending x thousand of taxpayers money that he took none at all.
So either he decided to pick up the full bill to save the taxpayer some money or he just lied. I wonder which.
It’s all just money, isn’t it… why should the public care. Well… judgement…
The owl lamp, the curtains, the USA style briefing room… spaffing away all that money… he’s been trusted with the running of a country… you wouldn’t trust him to do your weekly shop… he’a bankrupt you.
The other thing that occurs; Just how bad must it be? The Tories and Johnson have been mincing about the edges of this story for days now, desperate to avoid giving a straight answer but trying at the same time not to tell ouright lies about it.
The Tories and Johnson have been mincing about the edges of this story for days now,
I'm not sure if there's a plan beyond daily firefighting?
But letting revelations drip out, surely doesn't make it go away.
I really don't think it will effect May 6 elections that much, but if he just fessed up now, it will be old news in 2 weeks time.
Instead it'll keep being the story, when they really want to be talking about vaccines etc
This has got all the hallmarks of their being much more to it than we presently know, hence them being so absolutely desperate for it to go away, and the incredibly careful phraseology everyone is using. I wonder who it actually was who agreed to stump up the cash, laundered via central office. Somebody Russian perhaps?
Rumours are that the costs presently published are waaaaaaaay short of the mark and that you could buy a fairly decent house for what they've just spent on gaudy, overpriced tat
Twitter has come up trumps today with whoever started the hastag #CarrieAntoinette 😀
I wonder who it actually was who agreed to stump up the cash, laundered via central office. Somebody Russian perhaps?
Johnson sounds like this has really rattled him and he knows he is in a real bind over it with probable illegal activity and also tax implications.
Be ironic if he was brought down by scatter cushions and not PPE or the Covid death toll
Not sure why the "tin foil hat" post, when Johnson is already so close to the Lebedevs.
The thing that makes this apart from the many PPE procurement scandals, even though they involve more corruption and misdirection of public money, is the lack of a "doing it in the national interest, at a time of crisis" defence. This one is all about spending far too much money, and exposing himself to accusations of being bought, all to make his pad feel fit for a princess.
Indeed. Given his past connections and the somewhat opaque funding of both the Brexit campaign, his leadership campaign and the last GE, Russian money surely has to be the number one contender for Mr Johnsons kindly benefactor?
Or perhaps it was Len McClusky?
Indeed. Given his past connections and the somewhat opaque funding of both the Brexit campaign, his leadership campaign and the last GE, Russian money surely has to be the number one contender for Mr Johnsons kindly benefactor?
Or perhaps it was Len McClusky?
You have a wildly over-active imagination: this will turn out to be as intriguing as the vast majority of politicians' expenses fiddles, i.e. not at all.
