UK Politics Thread part II

[Moonlight]

I don't expect to see a Tory Wipeout, in fact I expect them to win the GE but with a reduced majority, I'm predicting a long forecast Tory win, what I do expect to see though is Keir Starmer and his lefty cronies trying to explain what a woman is when some journalist throws that barbed hook into their midst.
Then there will be concerns about the Labour Parties stance on Migration and re-joining the EU which they haven't been clear on so far, there will be fireworks for sure but, the Tories have mixed it with far better politicians than this set of currants and they've still come out on top.

[Jimbuna]

Nicola Sturgeon plotted to use Covid to boost SNP's independence bid in 'shameful' move

Nicola Sturgeon's Cabinet plotted to use Covid to boost the drive for Scottish independence.

The SNP Government said in March 2020 it had "paused" preparations for a second referendum to focus on tackling the pandemic.

But minutes from a Scottish Cabinet meeting on June 30, 2020, released to the UK Covid Inquiry, show ministers agreed that "consideration be given to restarting work on independence and a referendum".

They said the case for breaking up the UK should be updated with the "arguments reflecting the experience of the coronavirus crisis and developments on EU exit".

The Scottish Tories have tabled a question at Holyrood and demanded Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf explain the situation.

Continue reading
The party's shadow constitution secretary Donald Cameron said: "This astonishing and shameful revelation from the UK Covid Inquiry explains why Nicola Sturgeon and many of her senior colleagues were so keen to delete their WhatsApp messages.

"If a discussion on pushing their independence obsession was talked about around the Cabinet table, we can only imagine the extent of the SNP's crass constitutional opportunism on private messaging.

"The Scottish people are entitled to know why a government that assured us public safety was its sole focus was gaming its push for another independence referendum while the death toll mounted.

"Humza Yousaf was a senior figure around the Cabinet table at the time. Did he voice any objections to this disgracefully skewed priority? If not, why not?

"I have this morning submitted a Topical Question on this. If it's selected, I would urge the First Minister, in the interests of his own credibility and integrity, to respond on behalf of his government.

"The Scottish people deserve an explanation for the scandalous decision to focus on SNP political objectives during a public health emergency."

The Scottish Cabinet minutes were published last Friday as the inquiry took evidence from Ken Thomson, who was then manager of the Scottish Government's Covid Coordination Directorate.

Jamie Dawson KC, lead counsel for the inquiry's module on Scotland, grilled him about claims the SNP Government's Covid response had been politicised to further the independence cause.

Mr Thomson rejected the claim and added: "The second way I hear that criticism is that somehow in her decisions the First Minister was seeking ... to be different for the sake of being different to remind people that Scotland has the ability to take decisions on its own. And I also don't agree with that."

Mr Dawson then read out the Cabinet minutes about using the pandemic to boost independence.

Mr Thomson admitted "that runs slightly contrary to what I said in my previous answer".

He added: "As we moved out of the lockdown restrictions, more of the ordinary business of the Scottish Government started to resume, including this bit."
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknew...f9a54e27&ei=31

[Jimbuna]

Even after fourteen years of Tory rule this doesn't come as a surprise.

Council funding: Leaders warn of the end of local government

The rising cost of homelessness could lead to effective bankruptcy and "the end of local government", councils have warned.

About 50 council leaders gathered at a summit in Westminster earlier chaired by Eastbourne Borough Council (EBC).

Speaking at the emergency meeting, EBC leader Stephen Holt said the government must prevent "a national crisis".

The government said it recognised councils were "facing challenges" and had announced £64bn worth of funding.

Liberal Democrat councillor Mr Holt said EBC was projected to spend nearly £5m on temporary accommodation this financial year, compared to £1.4m five years ago.

He said this meant that for every £1 that is collected in council tax, 49p went on temporary accommodation.

Mr Holt said: "Simply put, without government intervention to tackle the tremendous cost of temporary accommodation and homelessness, the next step for many councils of all stripes is emergency budgets and section 114 notices," meaning effective bankruptcy.

He said this was not a political issue and called on the government to increase the housing benefit subsidy cap for temporary accommodation placements.

Michael Jones, Labour leader of Crawley Borough Council, said costs and homelessness were "accelerating".

He told the meeting: "I don't think it is over-dramatic given the pressures facing councils to tell the government that they are presiding over the end of local government if they fail to take the urgent action needed."

Councillor Emma Taylor-Beal, cabinet member for housing and citizen services at Worthing Borough Council, said budgets were "taking a real physical and mental toll" on councillors.

"It's hard to retain staff and staff sickness has increased as a result of the stress they're under," she added.

In a statement, a spokesperson from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: "We recognise councils are facing challenges and that is why we have announced a £64bn funding package... to ensure they can continue making a difference..."

They said the government was committed to reducing the need for temporary accommodation by "preventing homelessness before it occurs" and was providing councils with £1bn through the Homelessness Prevention Grant over three years.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-68069729

[Jimbuna]

You'd be forgiven if you thought there was an election due soon

Councils to get extra funding to tackle cash crisis

England's local authorities will receive a £600m funding boost from the government following recent warnings of further bankruptcies.

Communities Secretary Michael Gove said they would share £500m to help fund children's and adult social care.

In December, he announced a total of £64bn would be made available to councils for 2024-25.

Earlier this week, more than 40 Tory MPs signed a letter urging Rishi Sunak to increase that to avert major cuts.

The letter, organised by the cross-party County Councils Network (CCN) and signed by several former cabinet ministers, warned that, without emergency cash, many authorities would be forced to cut frontline services and to hike council tax in a general election year, as they struggled to balance their books.

Councils have warned that cuts to services will range from support for vulnerable people to museums, recycling centres and leisure facilities.

The package of £600m is less than council leaders were pushing for, but has been welcomed by some of those running local government.

However, it will not address the long-term challenge of funding services such as social care, and council tax is still likely to rise in many places.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68083108

[Jimbuna]

Tax cut promises may need to be rolled back - IFS think tank

Promises of tax cuts during general election campaigns may have to be rolled back as the UK economy faces some of its worst problems since the 1950s, a leading think tank has said.

"Tax cuts today add to the risk of tax rises or spending cuts tomorrow," the Institute for Fiscal Studies said.

Politicians need to be honest about tough economic trade-offs, it added.

But the Treasury said the economy was turning a corner, and that growth would mean more funding for public services.

IFS director Paul Johnson said that if political parties looking to form the next government "are promising tax cuts, let's hear where the spending cuts will fall".

"It might be easy to announce immediate tax cuts, without any hint of what it is the state currently does that it will stop doing, or what taxes will rise in future, but this trade-off cannot be wished away," the IFS's report said.

The government gets most of its income from taxes, but if it cannot cover its spending, it has to either borrow more, raise taxes, or cut public spending.

Last month, government borrowing was lower than expected, and interest payments on debt dropped sharply due to a fall in the rate of inflation.

Analysts said this gave the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, more "wiggle room" to cut taxes.

However, the IFS said that for the next government it would be more difficult to reduce the amount of debt the UK has compared with its economic output "than in any other parliament since the 1950s" - just after World War Two.

National debt is at levels last seen in the 1960s after the government spent billions supporting the economy during the Covid pandemic, and subsidised energy bills after a spike in energy prices caused in part by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Interest payments on that debt, combined with sluggish growth, will make reducing the debt-to-GDP ratio more difficult.

There will be "limited scope to cut taxes or increase spending by a meaningful amount", because the two main UK-wide parties - the Conservatives and Labour - have pledged to get national debt as a share of national income falling, the IFS added.

Last week, Mr Hunt hinted that he was aiming to cut taxes in the spring Budget.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68086302

[Jimbuna]

Not all corruption goes unanswered Rishi.

Ex-Tory peer Michelle Mone's assets frozen

Assets controlled by former Tory peer Michelle Mone and her husband Doug Barrowman have been frozen under a court order obtained by the Crown Prosecution Service.

PPE Medro, a company led by Mr Barrowman, is under investigation by authorities.

It was awarded contracts worth more than £200m to supply PPE to the NHS through a so-called VIP lane.

The company is also being sued by the Department for Health and Social Care.

The Financial Times reported that restrictions had been placed over £75m worth of assets, including a townhouse in Belgravia, properties in Glasgow, an estate on the Isle of Man and numerous bank accounts.

The order prevented the sale of some assets and placed restrictions on others, the paper said.

A spokesperson for Baroness Mone and Mr Barrowman has confirmed that assets controlled by the couple have been frozen or restrained under a court order obtained by the CPS.

The National Crime Agency is currently investigating "suspected criminal offences" in contracts for personal protective equipment (PPE) awarded during the Covid pandemic to PPE Medpro.

Commenting on the court order, the couple's spokesperson said: "This comes as a result of a consensual process during which negotiations took place with the CPS. It allows the wider businesses and assets of the Barrowman family to operate normally and free from any restrictions or uncertainties. "Doug and Michelle did not contest the application and were happy to offer up these assets, which means they can begin the task of proving their innocence more quickly.

"Mr Barrowman finds it deplorable that private matters such as this are being conducted in the public realm via leaks from government departments and the CPS."

Last year, the couple admitted in a BBC interview that they had lied to journalists about their involvement with the firm but Baroness Mone said that was "not a crime". She has since told the Sunday Times that she felt like she was being treated like the former Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, after her bank accounts were frozen under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

PPE Medpro, which made profits of around £60m on its deals with the government, is being sued by the Department for Health and Social Care for £122m plus costs for "breach of contract and unjust enrichment".

Millions of gowns the company supplied to the NHS were never used but the couple say these were supplied in accordance with the contract, and PPE Medpro has said it will "rigorously" defend the claim.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68087776

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

Oh how my heart bleeds for him, he should try living on an ordinary working mans salary.

George Freeman quit as minister as he 'couldn't afford' mortgage

A Tory MP said he quit his ministerial role because he could not afford to pay his mortgage on a salary of £118,300.

Mid Norfolk MP George Freeman resigned as science minister in November.

In a blog post, he said he stood down: "Because my mortgage rises this month from £800pcm to £2,000, which I simply couldn't afford to pay on a ministerial salary."

Downing Street said it had "no plans to change our approach to ministerial pay".

Mr Freeman, who resigned amid Rishi Sunak's cabinet reshuffle, added: "We're in danger of making politics something only hedge fund donors, young spin doctors and failed trade unionists can afford to do."

A Norfolk MP since 2010, he held ministerial posts in successive Conservative governments and pocketed severance payments after departing.

He received £7,920 when he quit Boris Johnson's government in July 2022, before returning to his role as science minister under Mr Sunak, some 16 weeks later, according to Labour analysis.

Ministers under the age of 65 are entitled to a loss-of-office payment amounting to a quarter of their ministerial salary if they leave their role and are not appointed to a new one within three weeks.

Mr Freeman, who spent more than a decade in the life sciences and technology sectors before entering Parliament, will be able to make more money outside of government.

On top of his MP's salary of £86,584, he is free to take on second jobs, subject to approval by anti-corruption watchdog the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments.

Many homeowners are facing steep increases in monthly mortgage payments as they come off fixed-rate deals.

It comes after mortgage rates soared and the value of the pound tumbled in the wake of Liz Truss's mini-Budget in September 2022.

They had already been on the rise after a string of rate hikes by the Bank of England to curb inflation.

Mr Freeman also highlighted the toll his ministerial role had taken on him and his family.

"I was so exhausted, bust and depressed that I was starting to lose the irrepressible spirit of optimism, endeavour, teamwork and progress which are the fundamentals of human achievement," he said.

He added that his children "have paid a very high price" for his career choice.

"Government is a cruel mistress. Modern politics is a savage playground," he said.

Mr Freeman also told The New Statesman on Monday his finances "are not what they were - at all", having gone through "a very painful divorce" and with parents "who are both getting elderly".

"It's time to... (prioritise) the things that I feel, rather painfully personally, that I've had to neglect," he told the magazine.

"As my (second) wife said the other day, I'm not 26, 36, or 46. I'm now 56. Nearly 57. Three stone overweight, 30 years poorer."

He said he would stand for re-election at the general election this year, but said: "It looks very like that we're going to have a Labour government."

The Conservative Party had "been through a volcanic period of turmoil" and "has not looked like a party of unified commitment to purposive renewable," Mr Freeman said.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "It's right that we ensure that ministerial pay reflects the wider fiscal situation."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-68133873

[Jimbuna]

Rishi Sunak insists he is ‘absolutely confident’ ahead of 2024 general election

Rishi Sunak has insisted he is “absolutely confident” ahead of the 2024 general election, despite being 20 points behind Sir Keir Starmer in the polls.

The prime minister told ITV’s This Morning that he was ready for the contest and said Britain has “turned a corner”.

Mr Sunak’s assertion comes amid warnings from major pollsters that he faces a 1997-style election wipeout, and despite several relaunches of his leadership failing to make a dent in Labour’s poll lead.

“We have clearly been through a tough time over the last year as a country,” Mr Sunak said.

He added: “We are still dealing with the legacy of Covid, backlogs in the NHS, the war in Ukraine driving energy bills, but I really believe that at the start of this year we have turned a corner and are heading in the right direction.”

Asked by presenters Rylan Clark and Rochelle Humes if he is “confident” about the general election, Mr Sunak said: “I am, absolutely.”

He said “the plan we have put in place is working”, pointing to the reduction in inflation as evidence.

And he added: “By tomorrow, everyone will have had a tax cut by the way because of our management of the economy. If you are earning £35,000 you are going to get a tax cut worth £450.

“That is what we are starting to deliver, if we stick with this plan I will be able to give everyone that peace of mind that there is a brighter future for them and their children.”

But despite optimism about this year’s contest, Mr Sunak played down the prospect of a longer stint in Downing Street.

“With the best will in the world, I am probably not going to be here in 13 or 14 years,” Mr Sunak said.

His comments came weeks after a major YouGov survey predicted the Tories are on track for a 1997-style general election wipeout.

According to the poll, the Tories could retain as few as 169 seats, while Labour would sweep into power with 385 – giving Sir Keir Starmer a massive 120-seat majority.

Alarmingly for the Tories, it said chancellor Jeremy Hunt could be one of 11 cabinet ministers to lose their seats, in what would be the biggest collapse in support for a governing party since 1906.

Other ministers under threat include education secretary Gillian Keegan and defence secretary Grant Shapps.

As well as trailing Labour in the polls, the Tories are facing an assault on the right from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.

The party, formerly called the Brexit Party, risks splitting the vote in tens of Tory seats, opening the door to Labour and adding to the scale of Mr Sunak’s losses.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknew...b2f73170&ei=32

[Moonlight]

^The bleeding idiot is deluded, they're in a fight for their lives, what ever dirty tricks they've used in the past they can just rip those up and come up with some new ones.
No MP is going to be in a safe seat at the next GE, those days have gone for now, there are too many different issues that these MPs have caused that have maddened the voters, which ever leader fixes the most of them will probably win, but, which of the useless pillocks will realise that first.

[Moonlight]

Squirming Nicola Sturgeon FINALLY admits she deleted pandemic-era WhatsApps, allowed 'burner' phones on expenses and shouldn't have used private SNP email - as she faces inquiry grilling

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...sApps-SNP.html

I thought the Covid enquiry team was going to give her a good shafting and then they were going to hang the little currant, more on this later.

[Jimbuna]

Can't say I'm surprised at how callous this party has become.

Multi-millionaire Sunak laughs at struggling Iceland worker struggling to pay his mortgage

Sir Keir Starmer accused Rishi Sunak of laughing at an Iceland worker struggling to pay his mortgage, as the pair clashed over cost-of-living concerns at Prime Minister’s Questions.

Labour leader Sir Keir said the Conservatives have “forfeited the right to be lecturing others about the economy” before warning that somebody moving off a fixed-rate mortgage will be paying an average of £240 more each month.

Sir Keir said this was a reminder that “working people are paying the price” for the “damage” done to the economy by the Government, and he went on to highlight the case of Iceland employee Phil, who lives in Warrington.

As Conservative MPs heckled the Labour leader, he told the Commons: “Laughing at an employee at Iceland who is struggling with his mortgage – shame.
https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/po...rtgage-367889/

[Moonlight]

That's why Starmer has a large Poll Lead, he never says what he's going to do to fix the countries problems, I'll tell you this for nothing, when he does tell us what the Labour Party are going to do, that poll lead will vanish pretty quickly and so will his chances of becoming Prime Minister too.

[Jimbuna]