UK Politics Thread part II

[Catfish]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

UK to unveil superpower plan today to break from EU shackles and send 'message to Europe'

"Superpower plan" to break from Eu shackles, ah.
I think they should repair the NHS before starting their war talk again.
What did the tories exactly do in the last twelve years.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Catfish

"Superpower plan" to break from Eu shackles, ah.
I think they should repair the NHS before starting their war talk again.
What did the tories exactly do in the last twelve years.

Precisely!

All smoke and mirrors imho, meant to deflect the population away from the current problems

[Jimbuna]

Rishi Sunak fined for not wearing seatbelt in back of car

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been fined for not wearing a seatbelt in a moving car while filming a social media video.

Lancashire Police said it had issued a 42-year-old man from London with a conditional offer of a fixed penalty.

No 10 said Mr Sunak "fully accepts this was a mistake and has apologised", adding that he would pay the fine.

Passengers caught failing to wear a seat belt when one is available can be fined £100.

This can increase to £500 if the case goes to court.

The prime minister was in Lancashire when the video was filmed, during a trip across the north of England.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64353054

[Jimbuna]

'Get it all out now' over tax affairs, Zahawi urged

Nadhim Zahawi should release "the absolute facts" on his tax affairs after paying a settlement with HMRC, former Conservative Party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith has said.

Tory party chairman Mr Zahawi has faced mounting pressure over claims he tried to avoid tax and had to pay it back.

On Saturday the ex-chancellor said he had paid a settlement and HMRC had accepted it was a "careless" error.

Labour said the matter had been "corrosive to public trust".

Asked on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg if it would be better for Mr Zahawi to publish everything that had happened relating to his tax affairs, Sir Iain said "the sooner you can get the absolute facts out the better", rather than it "coming out in phases."

He said he would say to Mr Zahawi to "get it all out now whatever you have to do and clear it up".

But he defended Mr Zahawi, saying he "genuinely" did not believe he was "deceitful".

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said it was for Mr Zahawi to decide "how much detail to put in the public domain".

According to the Guardian, Mr Zahawi had to pay back tax he owed with a 30% penalty, the total amounting to £4.8m.

The BBC has been unable to verify that figure, but when the paper asked about the penalty, Mr Zahawi's spokesperson did not deny one had been paid.

This weekend Mr Zahawi issued a statement saying he wanted to address "confusion about my finances".

He did not make clear whether or not he had paid a penalty as part of his settlement, nor did he say how much he had paid to HMRC.

Mr Zahawi said when he was being appointed chancellor, questions were being raised about his tax affairs and he had discussed it with the Cabinet Office at the time.

An aide to Mr Zahawi confirmed to the BBC that the tax matter was resolved while he was serving as chancellor.

On Sunday, the foreign secretary was asked about what he knew about the circumstances surrounding Mr Zahawi's tax affairs.

He said he did not know if Mr Zahawi had sorted out his settlement with HMRC while he was chancellor, nor if he had paid a penalty as part of a settlement, nor if this was all discussed with the prime minister.

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner called on Rishi Sunak to "come clean on what he knew and when" about Mr Zahawi's tax affairs.

The case "is corrosive to public trust, with a chancellor in charge of the nation's finances asking the public to pay their taxes while apparently having failed to do so himself," Ms Rayner said.

She added it was the prime minister's responsibility to "decontaminate his scandal-ridden cabinet by setting out clearly what steps he has taken to ensure that all ministers' tax affairs are in order".

Speaking to the BBC, Labour's shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said she "would be happy" to publish her own tax returns "if that was the thing that was necessary".

Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper said allegations against Mr Zahawi were "becoming impossible for Rishi Sunak to ignore".

"The public deserves to know the substance behind these allegations about Nadhim Zahawi's tax affairs, how much he paid, when and why," Ms Cooper said.

In the statement issued on Saturday afternoon, Mr Zahawi said: "As a senior politician I know that scrutiny and propriety are important parts of public life.

"Twenty-two years ago I co-founded a company called YouGov. I'm incredibly proud of what we achieved. It is an amazing business that has employed thousands of people and provides a world-beating service.

"When we set it up, I didn't have the money or the expertise to go it alone. So I asked my father to help. In the process, he took founder shares in the business in exchange for some capital and his invaluable guidance.

"Twenty one years later, when I was being appointed chancellor of the exchequer, questions were being raised about my tax affairs. I discussed this with the Cabinet Office at the time.

"Following discussions with HMRC, they agreed that my father was entitled to founder shares in YouGov, though they disagreed about the exact allocation. They concluded that this was a 'careless and not deliberate' error.

"So that I could focus on my life as a public servant, I chose to settle the matter and pay what they said was due, which was the right thing to do."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64364816

[Jimbuna]

Majority of voters want Nadhim Zahawi to be sacked as Tory chairman

The majority of voters want Nadhim Zahawi to be sacked as Conservative Party chairman, polling has shown in the first indication of public opinion about his tax affairs row.

Mr Zahawi is fighting for his political future after he was alleged to have paid a penalty of more than £1 million to HMRC on top of a multi-million pound settlement.

A source close to the former chancellor insisted on Monday morning that he was “absolutely not resigning” after the first private calls from Tory MPs for him to quit.

But almost three in five Britons (59 per cent) said that Rishi Sunak should dismiss him from his Cabinet position, according to a survey carried out on Jan 21 and 22 by Find Out Now, a member of the British Polling Council.

Only 14 per cent said Mr Zahawi should stay in his post, while the remaining 28 per cent of respondents said they did not know.

Among those who voted Conservative in 2019, a majority (52 per cent) thought Mr Zahawi should be sacked, while 24 per cent felt he should remain in his role and 24 per cent were not sure.

Seventy-eight per cent of Labour voters and 71 per cent of Liberal Democrat supporters wanted him to be sacked.

Mr Zahawi issued a statement on Saturday confirming he had reached a multi-million pound settlement with HMRC amid claims he had agreed to pay a penalty.

“Following discussions with HMRC, they agreed that my father was entitled to founder shares in YouGov, though they disagreed about the exact allocation. They concluded that this was a ‘careless and not deliberate’ error,” he said.

“So that I could focus on my life as a public servant, I chose to settle the matter and pay what they said was due, which was the right thing to do.”

A former Cabinet minister has told The Telegraph that Mr Zahawi’s position is “untenable, frankly”, while another urged him to “make a fuller statement about what happened”.

On Monday morning, Caroline Slocock, a former private secretary to Margaret Thatcher who is now director of the Civil Exchange think tank, said she believed Mr Zahawi was “not going to last”.

“My view is, as somebody who’s been around the political world for a while, that Nadhim Zahawi is not going to last,” she told Times Radio.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknew...fe6a900b770105

[Jimbuna]

Rishi Sunak orders ethics probe into Nadhim Zahawi tax row

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has asked his independent ethics adviser to look into the tax affairs of Conservative Party chairman Nadhim Zahawi.

Mr Sunak said there were "questions that need answering" over the case.

Mr Zahawi is facing calls to resign, after it emerged he paid a penalty to HMRC over unpaid tax while he was chancellor, as part of a multi-million pound dispute.

He said he was "confident" he had "acted properly throughout".

On a visit to a hospital in Northamptonshire, Mr Sunak told reporters: "Integrity and accountability is really important to me and clearly in this case there are questions that need answering.

"That's why I've asked our independent adviser to get to the bottom of everything, to investigate the matter fully and establish all the facts and provide advice to me on Nadhim Zahawi's compliance with the ministerial code."

He added that Mr Zahawi would remain Tory Party chairman during the investigation and had agreed to "fully cooperate".

In a statement, Mr Zahawi said he welcomed the investigation and looked forward to "explaining the facts of this issue" to Sir Laurie Magnus, the prime minister's independent adviser on minister's interests.

He added: "In order to ensure the independence of this process, you will understand that it would be inappropriate to discuss this issue any further, as I continue my duties as chairman of the Conservative and Unionist Party."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64373509

[Jimbuna]

Nadhim Zahawi should stand aside during probe, says Tory MP

Nadhim Zahawi should stand aside as Conservative chairman during an inquiry into his taxes, former Tory minister Caroline Nokes has said.

Rishi Sunak has asked his ethics adviser to investigate Mr Zahawi's financial affairs, saying there are "questions that need answering".

Mr Zahawi is facing opposition calls to resign after reaching a settlement with HMRC over previously unpaid tax.

But a fellow minister said he should be allowed to stay on during the probe.

Chris Philp, a minister at the Home Office, added it was "reasonable" for him to stay in post, and it wouldn't be fair to "jump to any conclusions".

He also defended the prime minister's handling of the controversy, after he initially told MPs last week Mr Zahawi had "addressed this matter in full".

Mr Philp added that Mr Sunak had launched the investigation after "extra facts came to light" over the weekend.

Mr Sunak had been told when appointing Mr Zahawi Conservative Party chairman in October that his taxes were "in order," Mr Philp added.

Mr Zahawi confirmed on Saturday that he had made a payment to settle a dispute with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), adding that the tax authority accepted the error was "careless and not deliberate".

The BBC understands the dispute was resolved between July and September last year, when Mr Zahawi was chancellor under Boris Johnson, and that the total amount paid is in the region of about £5m, including a penalty.

The tax was related to a shareholding in YouGov, the polling company he co-founded in 2000 before he became an MP.

Mr Zahawi has not confirmed how much his penalty amounted to, nor the total value of the final settlement with HMRC.

On Monday, a spokesperson for Mr Sunak suggested he was not aware last week that Mr Zahawi had paid a penalty as part of his settlement.

The prime minister has asked Sir Laurie Magnus, his newly-appointed ethics adviser, to examine whether Mr Zahawi broke the code of conduct on ministerial behaviour.

Mr Zahawi said that during the probe he would stay on as Conservative chairman, a role in which he is responsible for party administration and political campaigning.

He pledged to co-operate with the inquiry, adding he was confident he had "acted properly throughout".

The investigation could prove problematic for the Tory party, given Mr Zahawi would be expected appear frequently in the media in the coming weeks ahead of local elections in May.

Mr Sunak's spokesman said on Tuesday the probe would be carried out "swiftly," but no timeline had been set for publication of its findings.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast earlier, Ms Nokes, who chairs the Commons women and equalities committee, said Mr Zahawi should "temporarily" stand down during the investigation.

She added that "for his own sake" he should "allow some space" between the probe and his chairman role, as part of which he attends cabinet.

She also urged him to "come clean on all of the questions being posed" into his affairs by journalists and others.

Opposition parties have called on Mr Zahawi to resign immediately, with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer calling his position "untenable".

Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said on Tuesday he was becoming a "huge distraction" for the government from the cost of living, strikes and the state of the NHS.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64384348

[Jimbuna]

Rishi Sunak denies being 'hopelessly weak' over Nadhim Zahawi

Rishi Sunak defended his decision to launch an ethics inquiry into Nadhim Zahawi rather than sacking him, at Prime Minister's Questions.

Sir Keir Starmer said the PM was "hopelessly weak" for not firing the minister for "seeking to avoid tax".

"Is he starting to wonder if this job is just too big for him?" the Labour leader asked.

Mr Sunak said it was Sir Keir who was weak because "he has no principles just petty politics".

Labour has said Mr Sunak must say whether he has ever paid a penalty to Revenue and Customs, like Mr Zahawi. Downing Street has so far declined to say, calling an individual's tax arrangements "confidential".

The prime minister's official spokeswoman said the PM would be publishing his tax returns "in due course".

In the House of Commons, Mr Sunak said it would have been "politically expedient" to sack Mr Zahawi as a minister before PMQs got under way at noon but he believed in "proper due process".

That was why, he said, he had asked ask his ethics adviser to investigate whether the Conservative Party chairman had broken ministerial rules.

It will be up to the PM to decide whether to sack Mr Zahawi if his ethics adviser says he has broken the ministerial code.

Mr Zahawi was chancellor at the time the estimated £4.8m settlement was agreed with HMRC.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64401065

[Jimbuna]

Tories urged to axe ‘weak' Rishi Sunak in last ditch attempt to survive as leading party

The comments come after the Prime Minister refused to sack disgraced Nadhim Zahawi and instead launched an ethics inquiry. Labour leader Keir Starmer said Sunak was "hopelessly weak" for not firing the former Chancellor for "seeking to avoid tax".

Sir Keir added: "Is he starting to wonder if this job is just too big for him?"

Political scientist Sir John Curtice featured on ITV's political flagship programme 'Peston' to discuss the future of the struggling Conservative government.

Sir John warned that without a "changing the person in charge of the ship", the government is unlikely to survive.

He told Peston: "While we said earlier that no government has ever survived a fiscal/financial crisis, no government has also ever changed its Prime Minister in the wake of such a crisis.

Nigel Farage has slammed Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party over Brexit amid the UK's ongoing Channel crossing crisis. The ex-Brexit Party and UKIP leader joined fellow GB News host Dan Wootton to discuss the Government's response to the dinghy debacle.

"So therefore, perhaps changing the person in charge of the ship would make a difference."

He added: "So far, there isn't any evidence of that happening."

Labour MP Chris Bryant replied to Sir John's comments adding: "Sunak looks weak weak weak.

"Some people seem to grow when they achieve the highest office, others seem diminished.

"Sunak is in the latter category."

Meanwhile, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves noted: "It's clear the Prime Minister is too weak to deal with his own Ministers when he badly needs to.

"He can't sort out our NHS. He can't manage our economy. He is unable to govern."

In a poll at the beginning of the month, almost 50 percent of people stated that they believe the Prime Minister will not survive the year.

A exclusive poll commissioned by Express.co.uk and conducted by Techne UK asked: "How confident are you that Rishi Sunak will still be prime minister by the end of 2023?"

The results shows that 48 percent of people said no, from these answers, 13 percent said "surely no" and 35 percent said "probably no".

Meanwhile 19 percent said they did not know, and 33 percent answered yes, that the PM would survive.

Meanwhile, a YouGov poll found last week that three in five Brits have an unfavourable view of the Prime Minister.

As Sunak nears the milestone of his first 100 days in office, his favourability is at -29 points.

His popularity which has been measured in his favourability rating has decreased by 20 points since he became PM.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknew...df1fe4c21a4b8a

[Jimbuna]

Jeremy Hunt says significant tax cuts in Budget unlikely

Jeremy Hunt has warned it is "unlikely" that there will be room for any "significant" tax cuts in the Budget.

The chancellor has been under pressure recently from some in his party to cut taxes to stimulate the UK economy.

But Mr Hunt said that a pledge to halve the rate of inflation "is the best tax cut right now".

He admitted the UK was going through "a difficult patch" but insisted the country "can get through it and we can get to the other side".

On Friday, Mr Hunt set out a plan to help lift the UK's economic growth.

After a turbulent autumn, when financial markets pushed up the country's cost of borrowing, Mr Hunt said he was determined to show that the UK was responsible.

That meant "showing the world, showing the markets that we are a responsible nation, that we can pay our way, that we can balance our books", he said.

He added that "it is unlikely that we would have the room for any significant tax cuts" at the Budget in March.

Government borrowing - which is the difference between spending and tax income - rose to a record £27.4bn in December. It was the highest amount for that month since 1993.

Borrowing was driven by the cost of helping households and businesses with rising energy bills. Higher inflation also pushed up interest payments on debt owed by the government.

The rate of price rises - or inflation - has begun to slow but at 10.5%, remains close to a 40-year high.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged to halve inflation by the end of the year.

But some economists have said prices will begin to fall back naturally, without government policies, as a decrease in commodity prices and shipping costs which began last year begins to hit inflation. Energy prices are also expected to ease in the second half of 2023.

Mr Hunt said: "The biggest tax cut that we can give the British people is to halve inflation, that means the value of their weekly shop won't continue to go up, the value of their pay packet won't continue to be eroded and that's what we are focused on."

The chancellor also unveiled a plan to grow the UK economy, though it drew a mixed reaction with some business groups criticising a lack of detail.

He said the strategy would focus on four pillars or "four Es": enterprise, education, employment and everywhere.

He said that while it was not a series of measures or announcements, it would provide "the framework against which individual policies will be assessed and taken forward".

But the Institute of Directors (IoD) suggested Mr Hunt add a fifth E for "empty" after not issuing concrete plans in his first major speech since becoming chancellor three months ago.

IoD chief economist Kitty Ussher said: "Business needs government action to counteract the negative mood, for example through a continuation of the capital investment super-deduction, through tax credits for employers who invest in skill shortage areas and a plan to incentivise the net-zero transition for the SME sector."

Mr Hunt said the government planned to achieve growth in multiple sectors across the UK, including digital technology, green industries, life sciences, advanced manufacturing and creative industries.

But Susannah Streeter, senior investment and markets analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said "detail is sorely lacking" in Mr Hunt's plan. She said the architects of the plan are "clearly unsure how it will be paid for".

And Make UK, which represents the manufacturing industry, said: "We have to be honest that there have been some hugely damaging big picture issues caused by the absence of an industrial strategy which are impacting on some of our strategic sectors."

Mr Hunt said he wanted to tackle poor productivity and said the UK's exit from the European Union would encourage risk-taking and changing regulation.

"It is a plan necessitated, energised and made possible by Brexit which will succeed if it becomes a catalyst for the bold choices we need to take," he said.

Looking at the wider picture, Mr Hunt said that "declinism about Britain" was wrong.

"Some of the gloom is based on statistics that do not reflect the whole picture," he said.

He praised what he called "British genius and British hard work", and promised to turn that into prosperity in the long term.

But Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Olney said: "Jeremy Hunt's speech is cold comfort for families and pensioners facing unbearable price rises."

Labour's shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said that "13 years of Tory economic failure have left living standards and growth on the floor, crashed our economy, and driven up mortgages and bills".

"The Tories have no plan for now, and no plan for the future," she added.

It was the chancellor's first big economic speech since he took office in October, outside of the Autumn Statement and his speech to reverse most of former Prime Minister Liz Truss's mini-budget.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64417101

[Skybird]

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-64419533


Well. This whole thing is so idiotic and retarded that I would not know what to start with (again).

[Jimbuna]

^ I'm following developments with a high degree of interest because wherever this offender eventually ends up is going to be equally divisive.

[Skybird]

One offender more or less is not the domiant problem, but the underlying law making these comical absurdities possible, even provoking them. Andit has been predicted, has been warned of that such stunts would be staged.


Nevertheless, if it would be in Germany and I would refuse to call him "Miss So-and-so" because he wants it so - >I< would be the offender then and would be sued and criminalised and punished. The laws now are accordingly.



Its all going nuts, crazy and insane.


You are legally obligated now to recognise the insanity of people now. If you don't, you get sanctioned by penalty code. That far things have degenerated.


Worse and worse. And its never bad enough as if it could not be made even worse.

[Jimbuna]

^ Yep, certainly headed that way

[Gorpet]

Sorry i interrupted your conversation. This should be in the Gretta Thunberg.