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Post by staffordshrew on May 21, 2022 12:09:52 GMT 1
'It is clear beyond doubt that it was a huge mistake to raise national insurance and freeze income-tax thresholds last month. It took spending power away from families just when they most needed it. Chancellor Rishi Sunak was warned not to do so, even by some on his own side, but he went ahead anyway'. (Daily Mail!) As was ending the "Covid" additional benefit payment.
It's the work of someone totally out of touch to give the poorest more money and then, when they get used to using it in their budget, taking it away again. Better to have not given them anything or a lower payment that could have continued.
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Post by northwestman on May 22, 2022 9:30:10 GMT 1
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Post by northwestman on May 22, 2022 9:32:11 GMT 1
www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/rishi-sunak-signs-half-million-27028271Rishi Sunak has signed off a taxpayer-funded contract worth half a million pounds for focus groups and online polls. Researchers Deltapoll have been brought in to carry out two targeted focus groups and one national online poll each week until February 2023 under the Treasury's direction - at a rate of £9,805 per week. Labour accused Rishi Sunak of spending taxpayers' money on "a vanity exercise for a Chancellor desperate to repair his image." It will take the Treasury's total spending on private focus groups and opinion polls since June 2020 to more than £1.35 million - or £41,000 per month.
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Post by northwestman on May 22, 2022 10:07:29 GMT 1
www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/may/22/she-has-been-horribly-isolated-friends-say-sue-gray-was-deliberately-ostracised-while-investigating-partygateThe way was cleared for Gray to publish her findings in the next few days after the Metropolitan Police announced last week that it had concluded its own inquiry into Partygate. The force said 126 fixed-penalty notices (FPNs) had been levied against 83 people pertaining to eight events from May 2020 to April 2021. To the surprise of many, Johnson escaped further fines. The fact that the prime minister avoided more punishment was greeted with inevitable delight in Downing Street and by Tory MPs who want Johnson to survive. But for many of those directly affected, the conclusion of the Met investigation has caused huge resentment, particularly among junior staff who have been fined, in some cases repeatedly, while their superiors seem to have avoided punishment. A very senior civil service source said the police investigation appeared both “chaotic” and “completely inconsistent” and had left a sour taste. It seemed, he said, that many of those who had been fined had received penalties because their names had been handed to police by Sue Gray after they admitted to her that they had been at events. But then the police had not subsequently been able to establish the identities of many of the others at the same events, including very senior people. One well-placed Whitehall figure told the Observer that this left junior staff who had “fessed up” very angry. “From what I understand, many of these parties were attended by 40 to 50 people. In all, more than 300 people were involved, but only 83 were fined. If Sue Gray handed five names to the police, and there were 45 others there, many of the 45 were not identified. There will be people who have been fined several times because they fessed up. “There are also people who went to multiple events who have not been fined at all. Then there are people who have been to multiple events and have been fined for one but not others, and they will not understand why that one and not the other. It is all very inconsistent.” The source added: “People may feel aggrieved because they volunteered information and they assumed that people more senior or close to Johnson would be fined too. It is all very chaotic.” All this provides a toxic background to the release of Gray’s report, which is expected this week. Up to 30 people are likely to be identified directly or indirectly by Gray. Johnson and Case are among those who will be named. Some believe Case will be much more heavily and directly criticised by Gray than Johnson, and that this will lead the PM to make a sacrificial lamb of his cabinet secretary in order to protect himself. “That may well be why Case is still there while so many others have already gone,” said an insider. “Johnson will need a body.”
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Post by zenfootball2 on May 22, 2022 10:54:19 GMT 1
from the mail "Boris Johnson faces cronyism row 'as he backs ex-Scotland Yard chief Lord Hogan Howe - a close ally of the PM - to be head of National Crime Agency' despite him overseeing botched VIP child abuse sex inquiry"
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Post by northwestman on May 22, 2022 11:27:57 GMT 1
There are serious questions for the Met over the conduct of this investigation, which it originally said was unnecessary, but which has now resulted in more than a hundred fines being issued. The opacity of the investigation further undermines confidence in the political impartiality of the police, whose duty it is to uphold the rule of law without fear or favour. Why was the prime minister reportedly only investigated for attending two of the events the police were looking into, when we know he was present at six of them? Why did Simon Case, who as cabinet secretary is the most senior official in government, receive not a single fine when he attended many events – including the birthday party that Johnson and Sunak were fined for attending? And why were so many junior officials fined for attending events, when senior officials were not? Were the 28 individuals found to have breached Covid regulations multiple times issued with fines of escalating value, as has been the case for members of the public? It is of paramount importance that the Met answers these questions in order to maintain public confidence in the police investigation.
The Observer.
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Post by northwestman on May 22, 2022 12:05:00 GMT 1
news.sky.com/story/partygate-sue-grays-team-reject-claim-she-initiated-meeting-with-pm-over-report-12618116Pressure is growing on Number 10 to explain a meeting between Sue Gray and Boris Johnson as it emerged an unnamed Downing Street official suggested the pair get together. Opposition MPs have demanded more details about the event, which took place some weeks ago and was made public last night by Sky News. Sources initially claimed that Ms Gray initiated the meeting. But this morning but a spokesman for the Gray inquiry intervened to deny this, leading to a clarification by Number 10. Downing Street sources issued a statement which said the meeting had not been ordered by the PM personally. There is no dispute the idea and suggestion for the meeting came from a Number 10 official.
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Post by staffordshrew on May 22, 2022 12:10:51 GMT 1
Well, we won't be able to pin this one on Boris.
A very traumatic experience for all the victims, hope they are mentally ok.
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Post by northwestman on May 22, 2022 12:22:02 GMT 1
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Post by staffordshrew on May 22, 2022 12:29:57 GMT 1
He actually sounds like an MP with a background away from politics who knows about life, has achieved things outside politics and is not there to climb the greasy pole. A real shame if he's let himself down.
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Post by northwestman on May 22, 2022 15:47:25 GMT 1
And now Boris makes the sports pages! www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-10841011/Boris-Johnson-cover-Newcastles-Saudi-Arabian-owners-No-10-refuse-release-messages.htmlBoris Johnson's office is blocking The Mail on Sunday from seeing crucial correspondence relating to Newcastle United’s controversial £305million sale to the Saudi sovereign wealth fund last year. The Cabinet Office has admitted the Prime Minister communicated over Newcastle’s takeover with a special advisor on Saudi Arabia, but is refusing to release emails and messages they shared. In its response to this newspaper’s freedom of information request, 10 Downing Street claimed that revealing the correspondence could undermine the UK’s role in the Middle East.
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Post by northwestman on May 23, 2022 18:24:08 GMT 1
www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/23/partygate-photos-boris-johnson-dominic-cummings-lockdown-breaches-sue-gray-reportNew photos have emerged of Boris Johnson raising a glass of wine in front of a table strewn with bottles at the leaving do of a senior aide – an event for which the Metropolitan police decided not to issue the prime minister with a fixed-penalty notice (FPN). Others who attended the leaving do were handed FPNs during the Met’s investigation, and the images will raise new questions about why Johnson escaped sanction. The photos obtained by ITV News show Johnson holding a glass of wine as others raise their glasses, as well as appearing to give a speech. The event on 13 November 2020 was to mark the departure of his head of communications, Lee Cain. Johnson has denied in the House of Commons that an event took place on that date. Asked by the MP Catherine West “whether there was a party in Downing Street on 13 November”, Johnson replied at the time: “Mr Speaker, no. But I’m sure that whatever happened, the guidance was followed and the rules were followed at all times.”
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Post by northwestman on May 23, 2022 20:07:07 GMT 1
A reminder that the Met refused to investigate Johnson's criminality - until Good Law Project sued them, and then they changed their minds.
We have now had advice from our QC and junior. We will be sending a further judicial review pre-action protocol letter to the Met in relation to the apparent failures in its investigation into the Prime Minister later this week.
Jo Maugham. Good Law Project.
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Post by northwestman on May 23, 2022 22:42:38 GMT 1
www.theguardian.com/news/2022/may/23/nazanin-zaghari-ratcliffe-accuses-uk-role-forcing-sign-confessionNazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has accused the UK Foreign Office of being complicit in forcing her to sign a letter of false confession to the Iranian government as part of the last-minute terms of her release in March. She signed the letter at Tehran airport as she waited to find out whether she would be allowed to leave Iran after six years in detention. The allegations, in a 20-page letter to the foreign secretary, Liz Truss, exclusively obtained by the Guardian, suggest she was shocked when she found out the Foreign Office had agreed this condition as part of her release, adding its actions had “taken a huge personal toll on her and caused her severe trauma”.
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Post by Pilch on May 23, 2022 23:05:50 GMT 1
www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/23/partygate-photos-boris-johnson-dominic-cummings-lockdown-breaches-sue-gray-reportNew photos have emerged of Boris Johnson raising a glass of wine in front of a table strewn with bottles at the leaving do of a senior aide – an event for which the Metropolitan police decided not to issue the prime minister with a fixed-penalty notice (FPN). Others who attended the leaving do were handed FPNs during the Met’s investigation, and the images will raise new questions about why Johnson escaped sanction. The photos obtained by ITV News show Johnson holding a glass of wine as others raise their glasses, as well as appearing to give a speech. The event on 13 November 2020 was to mark the departure of his head of communications, Lee Cain. Johnson has denied in the House of Commons that an event took place on that date. Asked by the MP Catherine West “whether there was a party in Downing Street on 13 November”, Johnson replied at the time: “Mr Speaker, no. But I’m sure that whatever happened, the guidance was followed and the rules were followed at all times.” wow , you totally blanked the starmer beer issue but BANG! straight on this one the day it emerges 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
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Post by martinshrew on May 23, 2022 23:12:54 GMT 1
Absolutely sick to the back teeth of this s**t now. People had a beer and a curry, or toasted a colleague leaving with a glass of wine after ALREADY BEING TOGETHER ALL DAY!
It's not as if it's made the blind bit of difference?
Drop the investigations, stoping wasting public money on them and spend the time/money fixing the economy 🤬
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Post by sheltonsalopian on May 24, 2022 11:06:01 GMT 1
Absolutely sick to the back teeth of this s**t now. People had a beer and a curry, or toasted a colleague leaving with a glass of wine after ALREADY BEING TOGETHER ALL DAY! It's not as if it's made the blind bit of difference? Drop the investigations, stoping wasting public money on them and spend the time/money fixing the economy 🤬 Even I'm bored of it, but you can't have the PM stand up and lie to everyone in the house of commons and allow him to get away with it, sets a terrible precedent.
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Post by northwestman on May 24, 2022 11:10:53 GMT 1
He'll try to get away with semantics - i.e. he'll claim that by saying 'no' he meant he couldn't tell the House whether there was a party in Downing Street on November 13th.
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Post by staffordshrew on May 24, 2022 11:12:50 GMT 1
As David Cameron once said about Boris Johnson: “The thing about the greased piglet is that he manages to slip through other people’s hands where mere mortals fail.”
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Post by martinshrew on May 24, 2022 11:25:32 GMT 1
Khan jumping up and down like he's got springs on his soles.
He should focus more closely on his horrific record as Major of London than on a bloke with a glass of wine in his hand.
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Post by davycrockett on May 24, 2022 11:32:34 GMT 1
Khan jumping up and down like he's got springs on his soles. He should focus more closely on his horrific record as Major of London than on a bloke with a glass of wine in his hand. Do you honestly think Boris is a good PM and is completely honest which many think is a requirement of our 1st minister? Or is it more he’s a bit of a character who’s been caught and proved to be a liar many times but so what, we knew that when he was elected? A genuine question 🙋♂️
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Post by northwestman on May 24, 2022 11:38:47 GMT 1
Or is it more he’s a bit of a character who’s been caught and proved to be a liar many times but so what, we knew that when he was elected? Unfortunately, that is exactly the attitude which the Tories are hoping will be taken by a significant % of the population. And recent evidence suggests that their strategy is working.
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Post by martinshrew on May 24, 2022 11:39:57 GMT 1
Khan jumping up and down like he's got springs on his soles. He should focus more closely on his horrific record as Major of London than on a bloke with a glass of wine in his hand. Do you honestly think Boris is a good PM and is completely honest which many think is a requirement of our 1st minister? Or is it more he’s a bit of a character who’s been caught and proved to be a liar many times but so what, we knew that when he was elected? A genuine question 🙋♂️ I think he comes into his own in areas and is awful in others, I don't rate his cabinet much to be fair. If Boris & his cabinet and Kier and his shadow cabinet are the best talent this country can come up with we have no chance of change. For me it's people like Khan shouting loud deflecting attention from his own horrendous record that gets on my nerves. Get your own house in order.
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Post by staffordshrew on May 24, 2022 11:53:44 GMT 1
Do you honestly think Boris is a good PM and is completely honest which many think is a requirement of our 1st minister? Or is it more he’s a bit of a character who’s been caught and proved to be a liar many times but so what, we knew that when he was elected? A genuine question 🙋♂️ I think he comes into his own in areas and is awful in others, I don't rate his cabinet much to be fair. If Boris & his cabinet and Kier and his shadow cabinet are the best talent this country can come up with we have no chance of change. For me it's people like Khan shouting loud deflecting attention from his own horrendous record that gets on my nerves. Get your own house in order. Boris fouled up the London Mayer job remember: There was a bridge, water cannons and a lot of broken promises. FactCheck: Boris Johnson’s broken promises as London mayor
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Post by martinshrew on May 24, 2022 11:56:49 GMT 1
I think he comes into his own in areas and is awful in others, I don't rate his cabinet much to be fair. If Boris & his cabinet and Kier and his shadow cabinet are the best talent this country can come up with we have no chance of change. For me it's people like Khan shouting loud deflecting attention from his own horrendous record that gets on my nerves. Get your own house in order. Boris fouled up the London Mayer job remember: There was a bridge, water cannons and a lot of broken promises. FactCheck: Boris Johnson’s broken promises as London mayorWe can all chunk a link about, there's 100s of examples from Kier www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/factcheck-starmers-national-insurance-claim
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Post by staffordshrew on May 24, 2022 12:01:31 GMT 1
You surely don't think that your Fact check has much clout in comparison to so many Boris London mayor failures?
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Post by martinshrew on May 24, 2022 12:15:46 GMT 1
You surely don't think that your Fact check has much clout in comparison to so many Boris London mayor failures? It's far more recent and relevant. I'm just making a point. Your obsession with this thought the Tories lie, they do, as do all other politicians, there's minimal difference. You get the odd genuine one but there aren't many.
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Post by davycrockett on May 24, 2022 12:16:51 GMT 1
Do you honestly think Boris is a good PM and is completely honest which many think is a requirement of our 1st minister? Or is it more he’s a bit of a character who’s been caught and proved to be a liar many times but so what, we knew that when he was elected? A genuine question 🙋♂️ I think he comes into his own in areas and is awful in others, I don't rate his cabinet much to be fair. If Boris & his cabinet and Kier and his shadow cabinet are the best talent this country can come up with we have no chance of change. For me it's people like Khan shouting loud deflecting attention from his own horrendous record that gets on my nerves. Get your own house in order. I agree about the opposition but don’t think that should come into it when judging the country’s elected leader. He’s accountable to the electorate Starmer isn’t….. The reason we shouldn’t just forget party-gate is it’s a long list of things we’re supposed to forget from his liaison and sponsorship of his american floosie to £350 million a week and 40 new hospitals… You can’t just say what people want to hear and get away with it.
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Post by ssshrew on May 24, 2022 12:19:39 GMT 1
As I’ve said before it doesn’t matter what party he is in, he as a person is totally unfit for purpose.
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Post by martinshrew on May 24, 2022 12:22:42 GMT 1
I think he comes into his own in areas and is awful in others, I don't rate his cabinet much to be fair. If Boris & his cabinet and Kier and his shadow cabinet are the best talent this country can come up with we have no chance of change. For me it's people like Khan shouting loud deflecting attention from his own horrendous record that gets on my nerves. Get your own house in order. I agree about the opposition but don’t think that should come into it when judging the country’s elected leader. He’s accountable to the electorate Starmer isn’t….. The reason we shouldn’t just forget party-gate is it’s a long list of things we’re supposed to forget from his liaison and sponsorship of his american floosie to £350 million a week and 40 new hospitals… You can’t just say what people want to hear and get away with it. I understand those concerns. One thing I will say is that no government will have left office fulfilling it's "promises". Politics needs a major shake up in this country, I'm not sure of the solution but it's clear the system is broken.
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