General UK politics VIII - The Last Tory

[Norman Alexander]

Conservative Party tweeted

First he gave away the Chagos Islands, now he’s eyeing up the Elgin Marbles.​

​

Keir Starmer loves giving away British assets.​

That's funny, I thought it was some guy at the British Museum called George Osborne that was arranging it?

"British assets"??! They're GREEK assets, you blithering idjit! The British Museum has just been borrowing them on an indefinite loan.

 

[zooterkin]

Conservative Party tweeted



That's funny, I thought it was some guy at the British Museum called George Osborne that was arranging it?

And, of course, it was the Tories that negotiated the return of the Chagos Islands, Starmer is pretty much just signing what they agreed.

 

[Gulliver Foyle]

Accountants Mazars acting as auditors refuse to sign off Tees Valley regeneration project’s accounts



Time for the NAO investigation.

Client Challenge

I think the wheels are beginning to fall off little Ben's scheme. I wonder how long before the peelers call to the mayoral palace and whether he'll hang around to receive them.

 

[Gulliver Foyle]

Conservative Party tweeted



That's funny, I thought it was some guy at the British Museum called George Osborne that was arranging it?

Correction, Gideon Osborne.

 

[steenkh]

A combination of blackmail - per Wudang's post - threats of being over-looked for advancement, promises of possible advancement, sometimes physical intimidation (some of The Thick of It is not far from reality), threats of de-selection, promises of a move to a safer seat.

Really, you name it - anything to give the whips an edge or a lever to enforce "party discipline".

This is why we mockingly call our MPs "lobby fodder".

Danish politicians would love to have a whip to chastise recalcitrant MPs, especially if they could be forced to stay in the party. It happens regularly that MPs drop out of their party and go single, or join another party.

 

[steenkh]

And, of course, it was the Tories that negotiated the return of the Chagos Islands, Starmer is pretty much just signing what they agreed.

Isn’t this much how Trump negotiated a humiliating retreat from Afghanistan, and Biden executed it?

 

[jimbob]

Isn’t this much how Trump negotiated a humiliating retreat from Afghanistan, and Biden executed it?

Although to be fair, in this case, it was the right thing to do and has been one of many sources of shame for Britain

 

[Worm]

"British assets"??! They're GREEK assets, you blithering idjit! The British Museum has just been borrowing them on an indefinite loan.

Well. quite.

We got all this swag, and we took it back to old blighty, and we hid it - this is the clever part - in a museum.
Now it's the modern day and all them countries we stole stuff from are asking for their stuff back.
But don't be worried, we're totally saying a blanket no.

~ James Acaster, 'Repertoire'

 

[Andy_Ross]

I like it when the Earl of wherever wants to see an old Italian painting and there's outrage because it is part of our heritage and must be 'saved' for the nation. The govt should cough up £30 million or so to buy it and keep it in the country.

What bollocks.

 

[Guybrush Threepwood]

I like it when the Earl of wherever wants to see an old Italian painting and there's outrage because it is part of our heritage and must be 'saved' for the nation. The govt should cough up £30 million or so to buy it and keep it in the country.

What bollocks.

I just spent 5 minutes trying to parse that. Should see be sell in your post?

 

[Gulliver Foyle]

I just spent 5 minutes trying to parse that. Should see be sell in your post?

See should be sell is my guess.

 

[Mojo]

No the Earl of Wherever is in tax exile in Panama, if he wants to see the painting it has to leave the country.

 

[Carrot Flower King]

I like it when the Earl of wherever wants to see an old Italian painting and there's outrage because it is part of our heritage and must be 'saved' for the nation. The govt should cough up £30 million or so to buy it and keep it in the country.

What bollocks.

Bung my Bro-in-Law half a mill and he'll do a very good copy (we have a couple of his "Gaugins", other friends of his have "Picassos" and I'm sure there are a couple of "Magrittes" floating around somewhere): everyone's happy.

 

[Worm]

Mark Thomas did a nice piece of activisim years back where he checked the register that rich 'Earl Whatevers' can register their artwork on as a tax break, on the condition that it is available for public viewing. Thomas, very politely, asked to see the artworks, sometimes with something of an entourage in tow, all very keen to see some obscure painting or sculpture. Some were fine, some were a bit 'oh, well it's quite awkward' but eventually had to give in, and several of them were quietly removed from the register and the tax paid.

 

[Andy_Ross]

I just spent 5 minutes trying to parse that. Should see be sell in your post?

Oops yes, sell, don't know how it got to see

 

[jimbob]

Mark Thomas did a nice piece of activisim years back where he checked the register that rich 'Earl Whatevers' can register their artwork on as a tax break, on the condition that it is available for public viewing. Thomas, very politely, asked to see the artworks, sometimes with something of an entourage in tow, all very keen to see some obscure painting or sculpture. Some were fine, some were a bit 'oh, well it's quite awkward' but eventually had to give in, and several of them were quietly removed from the register and the tax paid.

I remember that. Mark Thomas is very good. Did you see the episode where he, together with a bunch of sixth form convent schoolgirls (in Dublin?) applied for export licences for various banned weapons. And ended up with the schoolgirls presenting to Parliament

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmselect/cmquad/873/87308.htm

 

[Andy_Ross]

Taxpayers are set to pay £4billion more than expected to build new prison places after the Tories botched their plans, Whitehall’s spending watchdog has warned.

The watchdog also said the then-government's 2021 pledge to create an extra 20,000 cells spaces by building more prisons, temporary wings and refurbishing existing cell blocks is now not expected to be met until 2031 - around five years later than promised.

Reasons behind delays include "unrealistic timelines" and overestimating the ability to get planning permission for three out of the six new prisons due to be built. Prison expansion plans are now expected to cost between £9.4billion and £10.1billion, which will be at least £4.2billion over previous estimates stated in 2021.

Taxpayers left with 'eyewatering' bill after Tories botched prison building plan

Taxpayers are set to pay £4billion more than expected to build new prison places after the Tories botched their plans, Whitehall’s spending watchdog has warned

www.mirror.co.uk

 

[P.J. Denyer]

Taxpayers are set to pay £4billion more than expected to build new prison places after the Tories botched their plans, Whitehall’s spending watchdog has warned.

The watchdog also said the then-government's 2021 pledge to create an extra 20,000 cells spaces by building more prisons, temporary wings and refurbishing existing cell blocks is now not expected to be met until 2031 - around five years later than promised.

Reasons behind delays include "unrealistic timelines" and overestimating the ability to get planning permission for three out of the six new prisons due to be built. Prison expansion plans are now expected to cost between £9.4billion and £10.1billion, which will be at least £4.2billion over previous estimates stated in 2021.

Taxpayers left with 'eyewatering' bill after Tories botched prison building plan

Taxpayers are set to pay £4billion more than expected to build new prison places after the Tories botched their plans, Whitehall’s spending watchdog has warned

www.mirror.co.uk

Expect a slew of "Labour can't keep blaming the Tories for everything" commentators.

 

[Aber]

Dominic Cummings was right ...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyv2g2pe5ro.amp

When they were in opposition, many Labour figures took the view that the Conservatives had hobbled their own government through a needlessly antagonistic relationship with the civil service.
Few talk that way now. “The biggest disappointment of going into government has been the quality of the civil service,” one leading government adviser said.
Another added: “The Cummings analysis is where we are in lots of ways."

 

[Andy_Ross]

Reform failed to pick a single seat in yesterday’s council by-elections.

They have won just 5 seats in 166 by-elections since the General Election.

Yesterday’s fails include Wales and Scotland where they’re campaigning hard, claiming to be the main opposition party in both countries.