Off Topic The Politics Thread

But sadly this isn’t just anything. It relates to a situation that is out of control on both sides and has resulted in tens of thousands of innocent people being murdered. I am saddened at how flippant you are being.

I can assure you I’m not easily offended and very thick skinned. But this is downright pathetic and the fact you can’t see that is shame on you.

 

Entirely agree with Nuts on this.
An excellent choice of words.


Pathetic..sums it up

 

For clarity who are the three mods?

 

999s . Trammers and myself

 

cant clarity ask her own questions

 

Thanks

 

It’s my ironic ”Friday night” drag name

 

Sue Gray has resigned

 

To move to another job working for Starmer.

 

Going to look after his wardrobe

 

So James Cleverley, the Tory leadership candidate who called for the party to 'be more normal', has been knocked out.

'**** that', said the parliamentary party, 'we want more bonkers'.

 

… or Cleverley overplayed his hand by trying to get his preferred opponent into the last 2, and got caught out

 

Who did he want to face?

I suppose it's irrelevant really, the membership would vote for the most bonkers anyway.

 

Probably wanted to face Jenrick

A source on the 1922 Committee said: 'Everyone is scratching their heads but it looks like Cleverly's camp has made a disastrous miscalculation.'

Mr Cleverly certainly had motivation to try to keep Mrs Badenoch off the ballot paper as she has repeatedly come out ahead of him in polls of Conservative Party members who will now pick the leader.

 

Either of the final two will be a gift to Starmer.

 

I’m not so sure

 

he does like gifts

 

Up the Jenrick.

 

Been working away a bit and not really kept tabs on the news here. Why are people crying about Taylor Swift?

 

Taytay deserves to be treated like royalty



Cooper attended Swift concert for free after ‘pressuring Scotland Yard to give singer VIP escort’





Home Secretary accompanied husband Ed Balls to Wembley Stadium on Aug 16 using previously undeclared tickets


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Taylor Swift performs at Wembley Stadium in June
Security for Taylor Swift’s London shows was heightened after she was forced to cancel three stadium shows in Vienna in August Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP
Dominic Penna
Political Correspondent.
Nick Gutteridge
Chief Political Correspondent.
Tim Sigsworth
09 October 2024 10:27pm BST
Yvette Cooper attended one of Taylor Swift’s London concerts for free after allegedly pressuring Scotland Yard to give the pop star a VIP police escort, it has emerged.

The revelation comes as the Home Secretary faces pressure to come clean over whether she pushed police to give the singer royal-style protection for a series of gigs in the capital in August.

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On Wednesday, The Sun reported that both Ms Cooper and Sadiq Khan, the London Mayor, had “pressed” the Metropolitan Police to provide the service after Swift’s mother, who is also her agent, demanded it, following the terror threats in Vienna on Aug 7, which caused the pop start to cancel concerts.

Sadiq Khan and Yvette Cooper meet police in London
Sadiq Khan and Yvette Cooper ‘pressed’ the Met to give Taylor Swift Royal-style protection, The Sun reported Jonathan Brady/PA
It has now emerged that later that month, Ms Cooper attended one of the singer’s gigs as a guest of her husband Ed Balls, the former shadow chancellor, who received complimentary tickets from Swift’s label, Universal.

The couple went to the concert at Wembley Stadium on Aug 16 using the previously undeclared free tickets, which he received on Aug 4.

Before she attended the gig, the Home Secretary is said to have asked the Met to give Swift blue-light police escorts through the capital.

Swift was accompanied by motorcycle outriders from the force’s Special Escort Group (SEG), despite Scotland Yard reportedly objecting.

A source close to the Home Secretary said “security arrangements for events like these are taken extremely seriously” and that “all operational decisions” were made by the Met.

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“The London Taylor Swift concerts in August came immediately after the cancellation of her Vienna concerts, following the discovery of a terror plot, which the CIA’s deputy director said was designed to kill ‘tens of thousands’ of attendees, and which led to widespread questions about whether the London concerts would go ahead,” the source said.

Taylor Swift was forced to announce the cancellation of her Vienna concerts to millions of fans on social media
Taylor Swift was forced to announce the cancellation of her Vienna concerts to millions of fans on social media BARRACUDAMUSIC.AT/REUTERS
It is understood Ms Cooper contacted the Parliamentary Registrar about the free tickets on Sept 10. But she was told they were not eligible for declaration because Mr Balls had received them and their £170 value was less than the £300 minimum threshold for disclosure.

It is also understood the Home Office and Cabinet Office have been informed of the tickets.

James Cleverly, the former Tory leadership contender, earlier wrote to the Home Secretary, demanding that she set out her involvement in the controversial decision.

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Mr Cleverly wrote: “The role of the SEG is to serve the state and provide professional mobile protection for royalty, senior government ministers, and at time guests of government and state. It is not for use by private individuals or as traffic assistants for pop stars.”

He asked Ms Cooper to disclose whether she or any of her ministers discussed Ms Swift’s protection with Sir Mark Rowley, the Met Commissioner.

“What advice did you or your ministers receive from Sir Mark or other senior Met Police officers?” he wrote.

Mr Cleverly also urged Ms Cooper to say whether the decision was made before or after Cabinet ministers were offered free tickets to one of Swift’s Wembley shows.

Lady Starmer and Sir Keir Starmer attended a Taylor Swift concert as well as other members of the Cabinet
Lady Starmer and Sir Keir Starmer attended a Taylor Swift concert as well as other members of the Cabinet
Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, and Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, attended the Aug 15 concert with Mr Khan.

Lady Starmer, the Prime Minister’s wife, was also there, as was Lisa Nandy, the Culture Secretary.

Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, attended a separate show five days later, official records show.

The Telegraph understands that Mr Khan was offered his free tickets before the security arrangements for the show had been put in place.