MPs vote to "review the way their behaviour is policed" - and Owen Paterson, who had previously been found to have misused his position as an MP to benefit two companies he worked for, escapes punishment (for now). They are quietly maneuvering their way into a position of permanent, absolute power, and the country is just sitting back letting them. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59154221
I am old enough to remember Neil Hamilton and others with their brown envelopes containing cash for questions. This was back in the 90's and eventually helped to bring the government down. You cannot make new laws then apply those laws in retrospect. This is what the government has done today in respect of one of it's MPs. Democracy is being turned on its head if MPs are being ordered to vote in favour of wrong doing, and agree to do so. It means that they believe that an elected member is entitled to accept money for their own benefit without any holding them to account.
I don't think the government was prepared for the backlash from press and population that has been unleashed today. Mogg has been stating the obvious about the manner in which the debate took place, but it was the clear intention to muddy the waters. With no opposition party prepared to be a part of the new committee, the idea was dead before it even was conceived. Yet another serious mistake by Johnson as they do a screeching about turn.
The beginning of the end for Mogg? I can think of 358 others who I'd be happy to see join him. https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/jacob-rees-mogg-role-in-owen-paterson-scandal/
The knives are certainly out for him. Imagine being told that unless you vote for the government, despite knowing it to be wrong, then your constituency will lose money. This is nothing less than blackmail, but sufficient to get enough MPs to put their beliefs to one side, hold their noses, and join him in the lobby. It would seem that my MP has gone into hiding. Andrea Leadsom was along with Mogg at the centre of this sorry tale, but as she no longer holds a government post cannot be removed.
SNP MP Pete Wishart has written to the Met Police suggesting they investigate every Tory prime minister since 2010 re the cash for honours scandal. Whether anything comes of it or not is open to conjecture - but the fact is that what has been happening is illegal, and it would be nice to know that the Law applies to everyone.
Jacob Rees-Mogg during the Paterson debate earlier - he looks like a broken man. Not that I have any sympathy for him.
This man has been on hunger strike for sixteen days outside the Foreign Office in an attempt to get his wife,Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe released from Iran. It should not be forgotten that when Johnson was Foreign Secretary his words condemned her to be held in custody since 2016. The government owes Iran £400m, which is not disputed, and if they would pay it she could be freed. With all the money going to "mates" this is a small sum by comparison. please log in to view this image
God only knows what else might infect you in there - nevermind what you might catch from the needles.
No doubt Johnson will want to spin the COP26 talks as huge success for him, but the following paints a rather different picture. please log in to view this image
I think I'm missing something here - or she certainly is. The bulk of the production of those 70,000 bikes was outsourced from Leicestershire to Thailand - 65,000, leaving just 5,000 or so to be produced in Leicestershire. A year ago, 240 workers were laid off at the Hinckley plant, and this latest move saw a further 50 laid off. I'm not too sure how that delivers 'jobs and prosperity' to Hinckley, nevermind the UK. The only ones to prosper from these moves are the Tory party - since 2017, the owners of the Triumph factory in Hinckley, Bloor Holdings Ltd, have donated a whopping £1.362million to them. Far be it from me to call those donations bribes to help effect the move.
Guess who was lying when they said that Boris 'followed the rules' during his visit to Hexham hospital. https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1458557645758115840.html
It’s bad enough for Johnson to have paraded around a hospital maskless, but it now appears that No. 10 instructed ministers and an NHS Trust to lie on his behalf. Speaks volumes about the man and those he has appointed to do his dirty work.
Someone not really running a tight ship in government? After the furlough scheme was set up, 7000 companies, registered at just 5 London addresses, were set up - and between them claimed £473 million. A cynic (such as me) might wonder if four of those addresses were 9 - 12 Downing Street. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/fraud-fears-over-firms-furlough-millions-cpqbxxvnv
An excerpt fom Dominic Cummings' latest blog today. My first thought was 'unbelievable, no politician could be that bad' - but then, upon reflection...
