POLITICS CORNER

[Stanley]

Good posts and I think you have got it about right Ken. Awkward Squad members like us are becoming main stream.....Ian is right, we need a new system of politics. I have said for years that instead of spending billions on refurbishing the House and its 'traditions' we should throw the whole lot in the bin and start again with a modern system. Bugger Black Rod and his ilk.

[plaques]

Awkward Squad members like us are becoming main stream...

That is the problem with low turnout democracy. Minorities who shout the loudest take over from the majority who can't be bothered. Democracies fall down when extremists through populism take over on hidden agenda. The UK is now seeing a swing towards limiting peoples right to protest by making it a criminal offence to glue, hang on to things including other people or cause a disturbance. The extreme right-wing within the Conservative party are now pushing confrontation with our European neighbours to a point where they are becoming our enemies rather than our partners. Johnson is telling lies to parliament and trying to load up 'independent' committees with people who will do his bidding.
While One Guy may keep on highlighting what is seen as injustices or dictatorial policies the right-wing media has far more influence and uses it to promote their own agenda. Democracy depends on widespread debate and involvement of the total population, The recent 34% turn out for the last by-election should be seen as a warning sign of what could go wrong with this apathetic approach.

[Tizer]

I can agree with all of that, Plaques!

...we should throw the whole lot in the bin and start again with a modern system. Bugger Black Rod and his ilk.

I agree with starting a new system but suggest that we site it elsewhere. Then instead of throwing the old one in the bin we employ actors and comedians to keep up the performance at the Houses of Parliament and convert it into a money-making tourist attraction!

[PanBiker]

I have said for years that they should just make sure St Mary's Tower doesn't fall down as it supports the famous bit of the Victorian pile in the form of the clock and Big Ben. The rest of the jerry built palace is sinking into the Thames and they haven't figured out how to stop that yet. Couple that with climate change and the river level rising and you are in deep ((literally) do do's.

Abandon ship apart from the earlier caveat and build a new chamber in the middle of the country with a housing estate of flats to go with it. Shove it on the main transport links and internet backbone of the country and you are done. Dock the wages of the members to pay the rent for their accommodation while attending the chamber. All this would be doable at a fraction of the billions they have set aside for refurbishing the Victorian pile of crap. Can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear!

Did you know that the current Victorian workplace has over 150 miles of telephone cables some still from the Edwardian era. They keep a team of Open Reach minions in the basement on permanent repair work. It's a total nonsense and a national disgrace for wasting all that brass but it's OK because it is in London. Shore it up shove it in a glass case and charge the Tourists £10 a pop to photograph it. It works for the Italians and their Romans Colosseum and that is just a pile of rocks.

[Stanley]

In other words we need a completely fresh start. The present system is riddled with corruption and nepotism and is stifling the good parts of the Civil Service and the public services which drag the politicians out of the shit time and time again. Name one initiative that has been successful and I'll give you ten that are disasters!

[Tizer]

Shore it up shove it in a glass case and charge the Tourists £10 a pop to photograph it.

Yes, but I'd still recommend finding some place that isn't falling down where actors could dress up in, say, Victorian clothes and the surroundings could be made a replica of the original Houses and it could be a great performance with them haranguing each other for the paying spectators. In fact we might even make some of the present members be actors and replace them with better people for the real Parliament!
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63% of voters now believe politicians are “out merely for themselves”, according to polling data from YouGov for the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR)...
`Johnson faces trust crisis as sleaze shatters faith in MPs: Poll reveals huge public cynicism, with just 5% of respondents believing politicians work for public good' Guardian

[plaques]

From Tizer's link. I find it strange that the Metropolitan Police do not investigate "retrospective" breaches of the Covid lockdown rules.

Johnson has not denied the events took place but said no rules were broken – although he has repeatedly refused to explain how that could be the case. In a statement, the Metropolitan police said that while they did not routinely investigate “retrospective” breaches of Covid regulations, they were considering the correspondence they had received.

Surely unless you catch people in the act which may require some magistrates agreement to enter premises the remainder will all be retrospective. If a crime is committed then the time scale shouldn't come into it. It doesn't for other crimes so what makes this one so special. Could it possibly be 'one rule for them' etc:

[Stanley]

Quite.....

[Big Kev]

I think last year's covid rule breaches will be the least of their problems. Nearly all the parliamentary toilets tested positive for cocaine and they're looking at bringing in drug sniffer dogs to identify the users.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59539589

[Whyperion]

I think last year's covid rule breaches will be the least of their problems. Nearly all the parliamentary toilets tested positive for cocaine and they're looking at bringing in drug sniffer dogs to identify the users.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59539589

User ?

[Stanley]

"The Sunday Time reports all but one of 12 lavatory areas in Parliament that were tested showed traces of cocaine, adding the House of Commons Commission - responsible for the running of the Palace of Westminster - was considering allowing the use of sniffer dogs to detect users."
What a good idea but would they ever allow it to happen?

[Tizer]

Remember how Donald Trump claimed that we called Boris Johnson `Britain Trump'?...
`Boris Johnson plans to let ministers throw out legal rulings: PM takes on judges after series of clashes' LINK
`Downing Street is to begin a fresh war with judges over a plan to let ministers throw out any legal rulings they do not like. Boris Johnson wants to further curtail the power of the courts to overrule decisions by ministers through the process of judicial review, The Times has learnt. The move comes after a series of political clashes with judges that started over Brexit. The prime minister has ordered Dominic Raab, the justice secretary, to toughen plans to reform judges’ powers to rule on the legality of ministerial decisions. An option drawn up by Raab and Suella Braverman, the attorney-general, that is liked by No 10 is for MPs to pass an annual “Interpretation Bill” to strike out findings from judicial reviews...'

[Stanley]

I heard that report Peter and to tell you the truth doubted the evidence of what I was hearing. I know that Parliament is the highest court in the land but are they actually saying that they will, in effect, censor the judge's rulings?
Apart from anything else this is incredibly arrogant because it implies they are qualified to do so.
Quite mad....

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC report of the evidence given by a retired civil servant.
"Mr Marshall, who was a senior desk officer at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) until he resigned in September, said there was "inadequate staffing" at the department's crisis centre. There was also a "lack of expertise" and a "lack of co-ordination" between the department and the Ministry of Defence, he added.
Mr Marshall also said Mr Raab took hours to answer emails and "did not fully understand the situation"."
Thank god for honest people who are willing to tell the truth. What he describes is almost criminal neglect.

[Stanley]

Later.... I'm listening to Dominic Raab wriggling on the hook as he is quizzed about Tom Tugendhat's criticism. Then he's having another wriggle about the government's attitude to Plan B.
I would not buy a used car off this man.

[plaques]

We have reached a point where our Ministers plead ignorance rather than admit the truth. The trick is not to collect data or if you do don't read it then claim you are unaware of the situation. Our new trade minister the Rt Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP when asked about the gain in GDP of the New Zealand deal said she didn't know. Amazingly the man who wrote the report detailing +or- 0.01% also said he didn't know. In Raab's case I think the ignorance is genuine which in all likelihood could be a result of being the deputy leader to the Buffoon. What a state we have got ourselves in led by a clown and his dummy,

[Tizer]

This headline sounds as if it's just another bit of financial world chicanery but it's far more important than that. The `media firm' is Trump's vehicle for ensuring he gets back in as President of the USA. It's truly of global importance and the future of all of us will be affected by the outcome....
`Wall Street watchdogs probe Trump media firm deal' LINK

[Stanley]

Quite right Ken.
I'm listening to the political news concerning Grenfell and the scuttle from Afghanistan. It's a picture of complete chaos in both matters and people like Raab are denying that anything was wrong.
In normal times this would be the precursor to the fall of a PM and his party. As it is, today, it's business as usual.

[Stanley]

Read THIS report about the 'Xmas party' at No. 10 on December 18th last year and draw your own conclusions.
Later, a second civil servant at the Foreign Office, this one still serving and anonymous, reports the same problems in the Afghanistan evacuation as yesterday's whistle blower Raphael Marshall.

[Stanley]

[Tripps]

From Guido Fawkes a few minutes ago - which was described today by James O'Brien on LBC as a 'right wing hate site'.

"Yesterday Joshua Rozenberg told the BBC:

“If you look at section 73 of the Public Health Control of Diseases Act 1984 which is what the regulations were made under it seems to mean that they do not apply to government departments and other royal property unless ministers have actually taken the steps to say they do apply,”

Surely they wouldn’t try getting off the hook on this technicality…

We will find out in ten minutes time.

[Big Kev]

Following on from 'Partygate' and unconfirmed rumours of the introduction of Plan B (whatever that may be) none of the great unwashed will take any notice, whatever little credibility the current government may have had has now gone.

[Stanley]

More and more people are questioning Johnson's abilities and loyalty to him. As I said the other day, he should wear that stab vest under his shirt....
Rishi and Gove are very quiet....
Have a look at THIS BBC report on parties held by government departments under lockdown. The police say there isn't enough evidence on the infamous 18th November bash at Downing Street but others are surfacing as well.
Laura Kuenssberg says it isn't over and I believe her. On its own, 'Partygate' isn't enough to bring Johnson down but the evidence is mounting as numerous seemingly minor matters coalesce. This is a government in trouble and there is plenty of bad news to come.

[plaques]

Everybody who enters No10 requires a pass to get through the police gates. They are counted in and counted out all recorded and documented. An event that went on into early morning would certainly stand out. Ian Blackford (SNP) said in PMQT that there were three parties one of which was in the PM's flat. Johnson has said he would ask for the event on 18th Dec to be investigated, This looks like damage limitation by concentrating on one date and ignoring the rest. Downing street is supposed to be the centre of government. The PMs live there to keep their fingers on the pulse of government. To claim that he doesn't know what's going on under his nose is taking credibility too far. Will anybody take notice of Plan B? Only through self preservation I would suggest.

[Tripps]

I smile when I read of the calls for the Prime Minister's resignation.

I get to thinking what his hero Winston Churchill would have made of it all.

Interesting comparison between a dodgy ("non existent") drinks party at Number 10, and perhaps e.g. Gallipoli as a cause for resignation.

How stupid do they think we are? Now they're going on their holidays two days early in order to avoid a PM's Qestions next Wednesday!