He’ll be glad, frankly, to have something to talk about other than Free Schools
I bet they're are some huge shocks to come at just how badly the country has been run for years now. By badly, I mean in part, potentially criminal levels of fraud and back handers.
Anyone that still believes all politicians are the same needs their head tested imo. This government is unprecedented. It effectively normalised fraud, corruption and incompetence.
I'm expecting astounding revelations to come over the next year or so.
absolutely agree that we probably don’t even know the half of it right now. Since the fly-tipped sofa took over it’s been a snouts-in-the-trough free for all with a total disregard for any remote pretence that they’re in it for anything else other than their personal enrichment
I think little gems like this in today’s Observer are going to come tumbling out once they’re gone.
The betting scandal has conveniently highlighted just how ethically rotten they are
Tory MPs paid £100,000 of public funds to party’s in-house web designers
Any residual idea of public service went right out of the window when Johnson took over. After that it was just pocket-lining for them and their mates. ****s! A good number of them should be behind bars
To repeat/refer back to earlier posts...tories are rank amateurs on extorting funding; they're just so cheap and easily bought.
Be American - you want my support? That's a big fat 'donation' plus 50% of the upside.
Go large or go home; scratching your arse over the cornflakes or counting the squillions in SoCal - your call.
That's the thing that always amazes me, how cheap they are. Why don't we just have a whip round and buy some MPs? They're cheaper than some bikes.
It’s incredible isn’t it? They’re all just so low rent. Bargain basement corruption
Try buying influence in Russia? It’ll cost you billions
Here? Couple of grand and they’ll make laws on your behalf
Rishi’s PPS just threw his career away for 500 quid. 1% of the annual fees for the school he attended, which clearly didn’t teach him much about maths
Third rate car salesmen
bunch of punts*
*blatant plagiarism 🙂
WTF is it with Politicians, just say the right thing, dont beat about the bush
Think this is largely where the "they are all the same" sentiment comes from rather than the parties are all the same (seeing as a lot of people don't really know the difference between party policy!)
The problem with everyone being honest is that people would soon find out what a complete **** up they are making of pretty much everything so better for them to cover up with BS.
Good little video from the Beeb on why Labour is taking it's current stance on Brexit and why the smaller parties are treating the issue differently.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/c72229542n0o
As anti Brexit as I am, I do understand why labour have to distance themselves from any thoughts of rejoining... For the moment. Running for government promising to reopen the Pandora's box of Brexit would be highly risky and an absolute gift to the Tories and Reform.
The general populous dislike Brexit but there are bigger fires to put out at the moment.
I tend to agree. Get the Tories out, get the urgent stuff sorted then he can unpick Brexit and rejoin EU by back door hopefully, but it'll be a super slow process
Rishi’s PPS just threw his career away for 500 quid. 1% of the annual fees for the school he attended, which clearly didn’t teach him much about maths
Again, he and the other Tory candidate accused (?) of dodgy betting were both state-educated. He went to Welshpool High School, leaving in about 2003. If he didn't learn much about maths, that's Labour's fault...
Great - I'd love to unpick Brexit and rejoin the EU by whatever means possible. Where do I sign?
Some will hate the idea, and want Starmer and co to be open about it now. In an ideal world I'd agree but this is a non-ideal system and the biggest fish to fry right now is winning the election.
I've been critical about people, including politicians, that are unable to change their minds when new information comes to light. We bring it on ourselves partly by demanding adherence to policy and manifestos when it is patently obvious a change is more sensible - U-TURN! we queue up to yell. Only a fool would start down a course, realise it's stupid and carry on. A fool that can't admit they're wrong or been misled.
So whether by accident or design - I wouldn't be at all averse to someone after a period of time in the job pausing, reflecting, saying that now they've all the facts the only way to achieve the cross border trade, the regulatory harmonisation, the economic prosperity....whatever, is to rejoin the EU in some form if that is clearly what is needed. It would be a logical step and might need some selling but the least of the worries is whether it's in the manifesto.
So yes - it irks me we can't effectively vote on that right now, but am I overly bothered in the grand scheme. Not really.
It’s incredible isn’t it? They’re all just so low rent. Bargain basement corruption
I think the thing to keep an eye on is not how much they'll sell their reputation for, but where they end up after the election defeat. I'm thinking £500 was intended to fly below the radar, the real bung was a lucrative seat on someone's board of directors.
From today's Guardian -
Good to see unite union putting pressure on Racheal Reeves and her policies today, reminding her that its perfectly acceptable to borrow to invest, I can hope that the Labour Party will have it on the back burner to implement once they get in.
Why doesn't every non-Tory wannabe MP when asked about budgets remind the interviewer that Sunak's Govt borrowed/over-spent £20bn only last month, and +£100bn in 2023?
Is it because they know that the next Govt (Tories included) is inheriting this mess and will have to do the same (for a considerable period)?
He went to a state school, looking like that?
I agree with the poster above that said these snippy comments about the guy's appearance are hypocritical and corrosive.
But I'm also just as surprised as you are.
He went to a state school, looking like that?
the STW favourite Tory , Rory Stewart, looks even more weird.
Dear god! I've listened to some car crash interviews during this floundering election campaign, but Chris Heaton-Harris has just taken it to a new level on Radio 4. Mishal Hussain just absolutely dismantled him
https://Twitter.com/hx_06/status/1805138692618506569
There must be so much of this to come
Indeed.
I would have hoped that there would be more commitment from Labour and others to cut this down. I fear that the snouts in the trough will merely change in a couple of weeks....
I would have hoped that there would be more commitment from Labour and others to cut this down. I fear that the snouts in the trough will merely change in a couple of weeks….
FFS, that's like me saying that if YOU got a new job replacing someone removed for corruption that YOU also would become corrupt (very quickly)!
I've just had the pleasure of hearing Chris Heaton-Harris redefine the term "Car Crash Interview" on R4. He honestly sounds like he's going to give up on the interview or cry at least three times. It is magnificent.
People say "Car Crash Interview", I listen and think that there is a 1-2% chance it could have gone worse. With this one, I cannot see how it could have been worse - maybe actually soiling himself in impotent fury?
Gonna have to track that interview down at lunchtime. Seems like every time a Tory does a car crash interview the next one says " Hold my Pimms"
Just saw that Binners mentioned the Heaton-Harris interview.
I can recommend listening to it as an object lesson in what a fundamentally dishonest man sounds like when the lies and corruption are exposed around him and he is at the end of the road.
It is magnificent.
Here we go. A master class in political interviewing. They must have their heads in their hands at Tory Central Office.
It seems that as most senior cabinet members are all very busy doing something, ANYTHING else, they really are wheeling out the numbskulls for the morning media round
https://Twitter.com/Haggis_UK/status/1805142013664186390
“FFS, that’s like me saying that if YOU got a new job replacing someone removed for corruption that YOU also would become corrupt (very quickly)! “
It happened with Blair and his deal with Ecclestone. Ecclestone (Boss of Formula 1) gave £1m before the election, Labour pledged to stop all tobacco advertising. Formula 1 racing got the only exemption when Labour passed the Law. Labour, allegedly, asked for another donation, the news of it came out, Labour had to return the £1m. Brown denied all knowledge of a £1m donation, he was Chancellor at the time, so should have taken a glance at Party finances occasionally, and a £1m donation would surely stand out.
I’m really struggling to decide who to vote for. I’m 53 and always voted Labour.
That Heaton-Harris interview is excellent sport (on Brexit, and gambling commission ) and Michal Husain has been doing this kind of thing really well with politicians recently.
Just wish the Today program had been as terrier like on Brexit 8 years ago. I gave up listening because they let Gove and Leadsom etc al get away with spouting such rowlocks and no challenge, just rolling over. Stopped listening then, and now only hear clips on twitter
Brown denied all knowledge of a £1m donation, he was Chancellor at the time, so should have taken a glance at Party finances occasionally, and a £1m donation would surely stand out.
I might be understanding this wrong but is his job not to look at the UK finances rather than the party? I'd assume that would fall to some sort of treasurer.
As for all this talk of Labour being "extreme left" under Corbyn or Portillo being "far right" give it a rest ffs. You're doing nothing but demeaning those terms and just gives the likes of Farage a free pass. 'What do you mean "far right", like Portillo, hawhawhaw...' The extreme left thing is a load of bollocks as well, Starmer’s austerity pledges wouldn't look out of place on the 2010 tory manifesto. In fact, I've a mind to set up a guessing game where you try to guess which is which.
This is the Overton window shift in full effect. Well done Stumpy for your excellent demonstration.
I remember distinctly that Blair was extremely worried about the £1m Ecclestone thing at the time. I believe his quote was "they'll get me for this". But, to be clear, that was ONE million and was a donation to the party as a whole.
Michelle Mone, personally, pocketed £29m from government corruption during a once in a century pandemic. Her actions put NHS staff, my wife included, at risk - deliberately.
£29m. Even allowing for Brexit and Truss-induced inflation, that is way more than £1m. And Mone was in it for herself - with the collusion of other ministers.
Blair was an operator, that is for sure. But that was 25 years ago.
To try to draw any equivalence between the Ecclestone thing and what this Tory government has got up to is so ludicrous as to be obviously partisan.
Chris Heaton-Harris is having a great morning....
https://Twitter.com/carolvorders/status/1805143537303876094
We have reached the stage where the Tories sound like they are parodying The Thick of It. That Heaton-Harris interview was classic "Ben on Newsnight"
The stuttering, the tripping over himself, the lifting of his voice when he thought he said something clever, the attempt (and failure) to outsmart the interviewer by turning the challenge back to her. I am certain he would have been blinking nervously. I can almost hear Ollie saying how Heaton-Harris looks like a cow that has been punched in the face.
FFS, that’s like me saying that if YOU got a new job replacing someone removed for corruption that YOU also would become corrupt (very quickly)!
Or a reflection of my jaded, pessimistic view of Westminster politicians.
Ffs Frank, corruption is corruption. That conforms to every dictionary definition of a bribe. Our company anti-corruption policies would earn me a P45 for what he did. But it's Saint Tony so I guess that gives him a pass.
bribe
/brīb/
noun
1) Money or some other benefit given to a person in power, especially a public official, in an effort to cause the person to take a particular action.2) Something offered to induce another to do something.
