UK Politics - General News & Discussion

[SW1]

From start to finish this has been more incompetent than the brexit saga and thats saying something

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49655711

Oil on an Iranian tanker detained in Gibraltar has been transferred to Syria, in breach of EU sanctions, the foreign secretary has said.
The ship, seized in July with the help of UK Royal Marines, was released after Iran gave written assurances that it was not bound for Syria.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said it was clear the tanker had transferred its cargo in Syria.
Mr Raab has summoned the Iranian ambassador to the Foreign Office.
The Adrian Darya One - previously called Grace One - had originally listed its destination as Turkey, when it was released after being detained in Gibraltar for six weeks.

[SKB]

[SKB]

Today is John Bercow's last day as Speaker of the House of Commons.
Hooray!

[Scimitar54]

They are burning his effigy as the "Guy" on the Edenbridge "Bonfire" this Saturday. Penny for the Berco anyone?

[SKB]

Deputy Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has become the new Speaker of the House of Commons.

[ArmChairCivvy]

So many gaffes by leading party members that the Business Dept sec of state Andrea Leadsom got off lightly... as no one noticed the Chair of the Business Committee singling her out over Thomas Cook failures: an extraordinary lack of interest shown, leading right up to the collapse - when ! it became work for someone else

- the fact that Mr. Ashley has come back with criticism of Rachel Reeves (the Chair) must mean that she is doing a good job

[SKB]

Labour's NHS bus stunt is even worse then the infamous red Brexit bus claim.
Has Diane Abbott been doing Labour's accounts?!

[ArmChairCivvy]

Gerrymandering may have been invented on another continent, but we on these islands are still masters in it, it seems.

The Old Guard did not stay for reflection (on Labour's policies), but rather - as the rules for who can take part in the voting for the new leader this time have not been agreed yet - to make the rules that suit a suitable contestant.

[dmereifield]

Gerrymandering may have been invented on another continent, but we on these islands are still masters in it, it seems.

The Old Guard did not stay for reflection (on Labour's policies), but rather - as the rules for who can take part in the voting for the new leader this time have not been agreed yet - to make the rules that suit a suitable contestant.

Indeed, wasn't that obvious from the begining? Continuity Corbyn all the way, and a decade of Boris if Labour fight 2025 with the continuity Corbyn party leader

[ArmChairCivvy]

Sir Mark Sedwill who is still double hatted (not only the Cabinet Secretary, bu National Security Advisor as well) will have to recruit a new Chief Operating Officer, soon, for the Civil Service as the current one (Chief Exec has been the title) plans to step down
- why is this significant?
- well, undoubtedly the Cabinet Secretary will have a hand in the about-to-start SDSR, keeping him extra busy

Mark Kleinman from Sky has gathered likely names
"Whitehall insiders tipped permanent secretaries including Alex Chisholm, who holds that post at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, as possible successors.

Others include his counterparts at the departments of health and Claire Moriarty, who holds the post at DEXEU, they added.

One source said that whoever succeeded Sir John was likely to hold the title of chief operating officer, rather than chief executive."

[inch]

Does anybody think the security of this country is going to be severely compromised by this new government ,Huawei choice over USA advice and the upcoming defence review most probably try to save some cash or cut capabilities ? I know some will say well I could have been corbyn but it isn't ,so do people think the track record of Tory government on defence is nothing to be singing about , should we all be very worried ,if they can save a bob or 2 especially with their track record ?

[SKB]

And how many Chinese-made iPhones and how much other Chinese-made technology is already in the USA?
Paranoid xenophobic hypocrites....

[ArmChairCivvy]

Ohh, no-hh, more Scotland trouble:
"According to the BBC, auditors found that Lady Scotland had waived procurement rules 50 times in three years."
- it's only the Baroness, though

[jonas]

For anyone that's interested, Defence Committee meeting at 2.30pm Tues 12th May :-

https://parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/6 ... 2cf47b3a04

[ArmChairCivvy]

'Any decent' opposition
would now list a lot of points under
"you guys"...
ie. all the ones uttered, and now 'turned'

[ArmChairCivvy]

Aside from the opposition (and now the BBC being muffled), 44 Tory MPs are now asking the PM to do 'the right thing'.

Sky News got the FT much before me so
"21:02

The Financial Times reports that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has put the idea of an inquiry into Dominic Cumming's actions to bed, despite the mounting pressure in the Conservative Party to take action."

One more addition to this sin bin:

Where's the Intelligence Committee report on Russian influence?
Priti Patel bullying cases have been buried - luckily there is (still) labour laws for the workplace in this country, so on this one we haven't heard the last of it
... and as for this latest, Boris took a year to appear in front of the Liaison Committee (had to change the Chair first; and that took its time. So much for holding to account - which is why this "super" committee was set up in the first place)

[dmereifield]

Unlike the decision makers at the EU, this lot were elected by the UK electorate, and can be removed by the ballot box in a future election

[ArmChairCivvy]

sin bin

I didn't give them numbers: 1,2,3.
But for clarity, must ask: do you see any fault, in any of them?

ballot box in a future election

As we all know when the fixed Parliament will end, short of law being changed (or Tory MPs voting Boris down)
- if D.C. won't get whistled off by then, it will be a small wonder. As it will be full 'drag anchor' otherwise: people's government; despise political elites (and leave other elites alone) etc - all those things 'nicely' coined

[Caribbean]

The only genuine option the the Government has with Cummings, is if he resigns, which he has said that he will not do.

Sacking him would open a real can of worms, as he would win an industrial tribunal (since taking sick/ family responsibilities leave is not a reason for dismissal (particularly within the Civil/ Local government Service or the NHS, where such things are strenuously defended), nor is "doing something that might be mis-represented by the press", nor is "acting within the letter of the Law" (an Industrial Tribunal would look at the actual Law, not the fake version of it that the press are promulgating).

It would be another publicity disaster for them, so Johnson is right to face down the (suspiciously pro-Remain) claque within his own party.

The Priti Patel case has not only been put to bed, there is no longer any real case against her. One of the alleged cases involved someone who had commenced her action before Patel joined the department (and actually cited senior members of the Civil Service) and Rutnam's case is something of a shambles. His former boss (Sedwill) has reviewed the case and said that a) there is no evidence of bullying and b) he had not exhausted his internal options before going to the press. That will count against him in an IT, where cases are often decided on whether or not correct procedure was followed.

The Intelligence Committee report is fair game, however.

[Cooper]

so Johnson is right to face down the (suspiciously pro-Remain) claque within his own party.

This is ALL its about, they really couldn't give a damn about him bending the lockdown rules, its just a golden opportunity for the remoaner headbangers, both within and without of the Conservative party to get back at the man who masterminded the Brexit campaign and put Boris Johnson into Downing St.

Being responsible for just one of the those two things is bad enough in their heads, but both?....he has to go, no matter what.

..which is why I hope he stays and takes his revenge on them and the BBC.

[ArmChairCivvy]

Speaking of National Interest (have to start with capitals as it seems to fade out of sight too often these days), the Intelligence Committee report is of course the substantive one
- that's what we have the Intelligence Committee for

Diving into industrial tribunals:
1. Gvmnt defending?

he would win an industrial tribunal

2. Gvmnt in the dock here - and no, Mark Sedwill does not make a one man judge&jury as far as labour law is concerned as he represents the employer... or am I totally mistaken about who sits above and who sits under, as far as [any ] law is concerned?

The Priti Patel case has not only been put to bed

?

Rutnam's case is something of a shambles

Perhaps, when will the IT be sitting?

[ArmChairCivvy]

and the BBC

How did that come in; what's wrong with the BBC ?

[Caribbean]

Gvmnt in the dock here - and no, Mark Sedwill does not make a one man judge&jury as far as labour law is concerned

No, he doesn't, but the fact that he can justifiably say that Rutnam didn't follow due process, which could have seen the issue remedied without him losing his job (and the Civil Service is very good at doing that sort of thing) will have a major impact on Rutnam's case. Also, the fact that Sedwill, as Head of the Civil Service (i.e with a duty of care to his employee) chose not to back him on the evidence available does not bolster his case, as the same evidence will be available to the IT.

Not sure when the IT is, but if it goes against Rutnam, don't expect to hear anything about it in the Press

[ArmChairCivvy]

the fact that Sedwill, as Head of the Civil Service

and Cabinet Secretary and National Defence Adviser... is a busy man, as the PM said
- he can't be bothered with another messy personnel matter as he needs to get on with bigger things; also uttered by the PM

But regardless, I do hear what you say. But without this going to "court" ie. to IT we would never hear anything at all
... how much did they offer him, btw, to keep his mouth shut and to focus on gardening

Still waiting for D to express if he/she dismisses all three cases in the sin bin
- btw, it isn't referring to prison, but to the box where naughty ones are waiting to be allowed into the game
- I have a nasty feeling that all of these will disappear 'without a trace'... somehow

[ArmChairCivvy]

The Telegraph sees an easy way out for one; how to let the PM out of the corner that Dom has painted him into (but nothing in this life is as simple as what it seems):

"Durham Police have ruled that Dominic Cummings might have breached the lockdown rules. For many Conservative supporters, the continuing row presents a conundrum. As Allison Pearson sets out, he is a hero to most Tories and Leavers. But, Allison argues, that doesn’t excuse his behaviour. If he is to stay, she says, there’s one simple thing he needs to do first."