Blimey how did we get all these spivs, bullies, racists, snobs and thieves on to the national stage? It’s so degrading.

My money would be on them electing a totally unhinged ERG fruitloop as leader – Braverman or Badenoch – and for them to March off to the far right reaches of borderline fascism

It’s wokeness gone bleedin mad. You don’t get a look in if you are a white Christian man in today’s Tory party.

Brown female Hindu/Buddhist/Muslim? Expect to be fast-tracked to the top of the Tory Party.

It’s politically corrected borderline fascism. Probably.

I don’t think that white Christian’s have a monopoly on fascism. The Tory party are very ‘equal opportunities’ in accepting far right nutjobs of all creeds and colours

Anyway… I see that Zahawi is carrying on the Johnsonian tradition of casting himself as the persecuted victim, making no reference to his own dodgy behaviour and blaming everybody else but himself

Nadhim Zahawi makes no reference to his tax affairs in his letter to the Prime Minister, but takes the opportunity to criticise the “fourth estate” (media), who exposed the scandal. https://t.co/MJhZLtbTQ6

— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) January 29, 2023

As set out at paragraph 11, I consider that Mr Zahawi should previously have declared the fact of the investigation. The subsequent fact that the investigation concluded with a penalty in relation to the tax affairs of a Minister also requires declaration and discussion. It is a relevant interest which could give rise to a conflict, and particularly so in the case of HM Treasury Ministers and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who has responsibility for the UK tax system. As a result of my inquiries, I conclude that Mr Zahawi failed to update his declaration of interest form appropriately after this settlement was agreed in principle in August 2022. It was not until mid-January 2023 (see paragraph 16) that details of the earlier HMRC investigation and its outcome were declared. 14. I also conclude that, in the appointments process for the governments formed in September 2022 and October 2022, Mr Zahawi failed to disclose relevant information – in this case the nature of the investigation and its outcome in a penalty – at the time of his appointment, including to Cabinet Office officials who support that process. Without knowledge of that information, the Cabinet Office was not in a position to inform the appointing Prime Minister. 15. Taken together, I consider that these omissions constitute a serious failure to meet the standards set out in the Ministerial Code. 16. Mr Zahawi informed me that on 16th January 2023 he submitted, to his Permanent Secretary, his declaration of interests form in relation to his current role as Minister without Portfolio, to which he was appointed on 25th October 2022, and that in that form he included detail of the outcome of the HMRC investigation. At the time of my investigation this declaration was under consideration by the Permanent Secretary and had yet to be submitted onward to me for consideration. Given the seriousness of this matter, I would have expected Mr Zahawi to attend to his submission much more rapidly and, as stated in paragraph 14 above, to have notified Cabinet Office officials at the time of his appointment.

Conclusions from the investigator as in the Grauniad

Its really pretty damning

Anyway… I see that Zahawi is carrying on the Johnsonian tradition of casting himself as the persecuted victim, making no reference to his own dodgy behaviour and blaming everybody else but himself

Both the letter from Sunak “firing” him and his letter accepting it are very strange. Very little mention of dodgy dealings, just a load of praise for some other stuff he’s done and a nod to his ethnic minority background.

The main issue though is what’s gone on in the background with him trying to use libel laws to quash the investigation. Basically he knew what he was doing was 100% wrong but he thought that like Braverman (sacked for breaches of the ministerial code, almost immediately reinstated) and Patel (breached ministerial code, actually promoted by Johnson!), he could get away with it because he was surrounded by his mates and everyone else was doing it and…and…and ..

Long Twitter thread on it here.

There’s a very lengthy backstory to Nadhim Zahawi’s HMRC settlement, and lots of people have been asking me to summarise it. Here goes:https://t.co/mMdmSVp8bO

— Dan Neidle (@DanNeidle) January 19, 2023

The only thing I’m interested in now is the next election

You are not alone. I’m surprised how many Conservative voters I know think that there should be an election ASAP, and for the current government to be replaced… even those who are still minded to vote Conservative in their own seat. Everything between now and an election is just time wasting, in the view of many people, of all sorts of political leanings. We need a general election now.

You don’t get a look in if you are a white Christian man in today’s Tory party.

King of the trolls. Well done.

Both the letter from Sunak “firing” him and his letter accepting it are very strange.

Sorry seems to be the hardest word.

he could get away with it because he was surrounded by his mates and everyone else was doing it

And yet it was precisely this attitude which triggered off the beginning of Boris Johnson’s downfall and then finally finished him off 8 or 9 months later.

The irony is that what brought Johnson’s downfall was his commitment to his dodgy mates rather than his own dodgy behaviour.

They’re all completely shameless and genuinely seem to believe that they’re above the law and that the rules governing everyone else simply don’t apply to them

Again: the toxic legacy of Boris Johnson, the man who has done so much to debase everything he touches

The irony is that what brought Johnson’s downfall was his commitment to his dodgy mates rather than his own dodgy behaviour

or being very careful with his treatment of the people who know where the bodies are buried, if you’re feeling less benevolent

I’ve always had the feeling Johnson has codependents, not mates. Nothing I’ve seen in recent years changes that for me.

I don’t think that white Christian’s have a monopoly on fascism.

Obviously not. I also don’t think that Suella Braverman is a likely contender to be Tory leader, and yet you offer her as one of two possible candidates.

The suggestion is obviously done for effect rather than because it is a likely possibility.

As is the suggestion of “borderline fascism”.

When sunak was annointed he waa asked if/when he would release his tax return(s).
Answers were…yes and before Christmas – year not specified.
To date – nothing.
Journalists now beginning to ask questions.
Honesty, integrity, transparency Mr sunak?
You couldn’t make it up.

I also don’t think that Suella Braverman is a likely contender to be Tory leader, and yet you offer her as one of two possible candidates

The suggestion is obviously done for effect rather than because it is a likely possibility

I’m prepared to have the now standard STW wager of a 20 quid Greggs voucher that the next Tory Leader will be either Suella Braverman or Kemi Badenoch. The membership of senile daily mail readers who make up the Tory leadership electorate absolutely love them both

You having that Ernie?

The only way I can see that being anybody else I’d if they dethrone Rishi in May, after the disastrous local elections, and reinstall Boris (which the Tory party is now insane and dysfunctional enough to do). But that would simply postpone the inevitable Braverman or Badenoch leadership

I’ve always had the feeling Johnson has codependents, not mates. Nothing I’ve seen in recent years changes that for me.

Its always transactional with folk like him.

A tory wipeout would be interesting, a whole new host of MPs would they go full Tea Party/ Trump or would the more traditional style tories come back?

It probably depends on which ones are left in parliament as that’s where the power lies. If whoever is left is mostly of one faction, then there’s a high chance that the other faction will split to form a new party. At least that’s what labour will be praying for.

I’ve followed the commentary on here of this gov through PPE orders, through parties, through Truss, now this, it’s like a never ending river of ****, it’s endless.

They are even giving us literal never ending rivers of shit.

Well, they’ve voted for another 15 years of filling rivers and coasts with shit. Hopefully that can be stopped sooner than that. We need a general election now.

I’m prepared to have the now standard STW wager of a 20 quid Greggs voucher that the next Tory Leader will be either Suella Braverman or Kemi Badenoch

Agree, they’ll swing back to culture warrior types of given the chance, but they have been burnt by sunak’s inexperience, cleverly or barclay would be in with a shout if they swing hard enough to the populist right

fired? really? i mean it was careless but not deliberate… pic.twitter.com/2s0XxipdWy

— forest fr1ends (@forest_fr1ends) January 29, 2023

The direction the Tories take after the next general election will be dependent on what they see as the most effective way to regain power.

The Tories are very very good at winning power. And one of the reasons they are so good at winning power is because they are so adaptable.

The unprecedented level of gender, ethnic, and religious diversity, of the Tory leadership and Cabinet is testament to that – who could have imagined it 20 years ago? As is their ability to adapt when circumstances require it – it was a Tory government which took the UK into the EEC, then a Tory government which took the UK into the EU, and then a Tory government which took the UK out of the EU.

Three or four months ago it seemed that the Tories could finally implement the economic policies outlined in Britannia Unchained. When the electoral consequences of these policies became obvious they were unceremoniously abandoned, their Chancellor was sacked, and their Party Leader was replaced faster than any other PM in history (who hadn’t died)

I don’t know who the next leader of the Tory Party will be nor the direction that they will take. But I am confident that on both counts it will be based on who and what they believe will best help them to regain power. And that they will have learnt the lessons of Truss and suicidal policies.

Are you taking that bet then?

Isn’t Sunak in a spot of bother with this latest revelations? I’ve lost a bit of where things have happened on this but didn’t Sunak say in Parliament that he didn’t know about Zahawis tax affairs/issues? Is there a hasty ‘clarification’ required if so?

I tend to agree that they are locked in a circle of ever moving to the right and stoking culture wars.  I think they will retreat to that.  Maybe not its no sure thing but although the “sensible” [part of the party is still there they have lost all power.  The membership has reduced to an extremist rump

breatheeasy – its not easy to keep track for sure

I think Sunak is probably safe for now for a number  reasons – there are no real sanctions for misleading parliament / lying, he used weasel words rather than categorical statements and the tories really do not want another leadership election.  After a disaster at the locals tho and with Johnson agitating to come back anything could happen

I don’t know which is the greater signifier to the depths to which we’ve sunk – a country where the man in charge of HMRC is fined for tax irregularities or a country where Greggs vouchers is a thing

What a time to be alive!

I note Ernie has shied away from becoming the next member of the forum to have to buy my steak bakes.

All mouth and no pasties, that lad 😉

My missus put things in perspective on Friday, after she’d spent the evening volunteering at what is basically a soup kitchen/food bank.

“Surely it should be impossible for Labour to lose the next election? The Tories are so utterly out of touch. People literally can’t afford to eat and the chair of their party was paying a million quid fine, on top of five million in unpaid taxes. While he was chancellor! They have no concept of the effects of their decisions.

She’s right it should be impossible for SKS to lose, but the GE is still a long way off, this country is full of morons and SKS isn’t utterly inspiring…

As it stand I couldn’t in good conscience cast a vote that helps put another Tory in parliament, sadly that includes splitting the difference and voting for one of the other parties that perhaps represent my views a bit more closely, I’d have to say Labour basically has my sewn up vote right now. Please don’t let them go off the rails over the next couple of years…

I don’t know which is the greater signifier to the depths to which we’ve sunk

Has it ever been any different? I know it’s difficult to compare the current shitshow of a govt to anything else but we’ve always had corruption, incompetence, venality and arrogance as a feature of our govt whoever is in power. The ‘depths’ are where we’ve always been, but we ignore them now and again if other stuff is going ok.

cookea

the problem is we are fighting an integrated propaganda machine as well and a rigged electoral system

How much of a problem is it TJ?

The fact that Zahawi was forced to pay several million pounds in tax to settle a dispute with HMRC was revealed to the world by a Tory supporting newspaper.

The integrated propaganda machine doesn’t seem to be benefiting the Tories much these days. The very latest poll:

2/ Kicking off this week, Labour stay at No. 1 in the charts with 50% of the vote in consecutive weeks for the 1st time since we started polling. A 24-point lead over the Tories:

🔴 Lab 50% (NC)
🔵 Con 26% (+2)
🟠 LibDem 7% (-1)
🟡 SNP 3% (-1)
⚪️ Ref 7% (+2)
🟢 Grn 6% (+1) pic.twitter.com/atgOnQVJNT

— Omnisis (@Omnisis) January 27, 2023

And the reason Labour are possibly going to have a huge landslide victory in the coming general election is because of our rigged electoral system.

These issues aren’t really quite the problem some people make them out to be. Although they are often used as excuses to justify electoral failure.

To be honest I don’t care anymore, i was very invested in the downfall of Boris and the unbelievable Trusster Cluck but im beyond bored now as I suspect are the majority of the population. The only thing I’m interested in now is the next election, I have no faith that the system, either political or legal, will hold any of them to account.

I’m at the same point, just counting down the days to the point where I can help get them out of power. The rouble is that it’s probably exactly what they want right now as they can then carry on destroying everything for their own gains. I have no doubt that they know they’ll be annihilated for an electoral cycle or two and are actually just focussing on creating as many traps for Labour as they can, stuff they can leverage to get back in power ASAP. They must be thinking that if they accelerate the damage now then Labour won’t be able to undo it all fast enough, they can then come back in and continue. Sort of that they can now take 3 steps forward rather than the usual 2, Labour will get us one step back while they can but the overall move will be a 1 step gain for the Tories. It’s a bloody scary thought!

I note Ernie has shied away from becoming the next member of the forum to have to buy my steak bakes.

All mouth and no pasties, that lad 😉

If it took them a while to elect the next one then inflation would mean your £20 gift card would possibly stretch to 1 Steak Bake!

binners – does your devotion to Greggs extend to being a shareholder?
Stock market launch May 1993 58.3p/share; closing price 27 Jan 2023 £28.56/share.
A 45 fold increase in 30 years plus divis – or, even better, re-investment.
As a proud geordie whose mother shopped at greggs since their earliest local NE shops I should have invested – but didn’t.
Another ho hum.

Sure Ernie.  Labour do not need 10% higher national polling to get an equal number of seats.  There are plenty of labour supporting newspapers and the broadcast media are even handed.

At the moment the tory press are supporting factions withing the tory party as a part of the jockeying for position.  come the campaign we will see the usual onslaught of anti labour propaganda being pumped out

Why are labour so timid?  Fear of the tory press.

Sure Ernie. Labour do not need 10% higher national polling to get an equal number of seats. There are plenty of labour supporting newspapers and the broadcast media are even handed.

If it was that much of a problem we would never have Labour governments. It is massively exaggerated and used as an excuse for failure. Are you suggesting that all recent opinion polls are false?

The press biase in favour of the Tories isn’t going to change any time soon. So stop whingeing and making excuses.

Very few voters are billionaires. But do you hear the Tories whingeing “it’s not fair, everything is stacked against us”?

And of course vote supression in the form of mandatory ID

I’m not whinging and making excuses.  I was pointing out a some of the reasons why the tories win so many elections in England

I was pointing out a some of the reasons why the tories win so many elections in England

I saw it as you putting the dampers on cookea’s post by lowering expectations.

I reckon only a miracle could guarantee the Tories winning next year’s general election.

Whatever the Tory newspapers say and the concentration of Labour urban votes.

And you missed one obvious reason btw, Labour tend to be shite at winning elections. The Tories on the other hand are masters of exploiting disasters which they themselves are responsible for.

The Tories on the other hand are masters of exploiting disasters which they themselves are responsible for.

And how do you think they do that?
Aside from a friendly press who are willing to report the lies.

A great example is the great PR expert Cameron.
We got endless lines about his genius up until the point where he went against the right wing rags at which point he got slaughtered and it became obvious that his PR job at a crap tv channel which his mummy had organised for him hadnt made him a PR genius.

Voter suppression?
We’ll be able to assess the initial effect at the local elections in May.
That comment does not imply I’m undecided about it.
It is, unequivocally, voter suppression; unjustified, without foundation, undemocratic and immoral.

Given the clarity of Laurie Magnus’s comments, Starmer should push forcefully for all ministers to formally – and on the record – confirm their adherence to the nolan principles.
Additionally, they should be required to demonstrate that the tests Magnus applied/questions asked would be answered to the satisfaction of an independent reviewer who is completely separate to and independent of the ‘independent’ ethics advisor; yes, I know, too many independents.

Aside but, just popped onto the bbc site for something else and on the front page Zahawi is now just in the sidebar, with Boris Johnson and Ukraine as the main story and “over 50s at work” being more newsworthy. On the “Uk” tab it’s a picture story but off the bottom of the front page…

Of course, they have their man looking after the BBC now. It currently still reports the stories but they do their best to play down their significance and push other stories to bury the bad stuff now. Boris being threatened by Putin is nothing special, he does it to everyone, but it creates a good distraction story.