Is this another Tory scandal brewing? (Part 1)

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Justice minister stripped of powers

Ken Clarke to take charge after Djanogly failed to declare family interest in claims management companies

The justice minister, Jonathan Djanogly, has been stripped of his responsibility to regulate firms that "ambulance chase" the public following a Guardian investigation that revealed how he and his family could profit from controversial changes to legal aid he was piloting in parliament.

Djanogly, the heir to a £300m family business, had failed to declare that his teenage children were minority shareholders in his brother-in-law's businesses – two firms that advertise claims and are part of an industry that Djanogly regulated in government.

Do you get the feeling that after each Revelation about members of this government you just have to shout NEXT

On the other hand, the thread title is ' Is this another TORY scandal brewing?' so maybe a focus on Tory wrongdoing is implied for this discussion.
Could be there's another topic opening up - the general corruption of the political process - also worth discussing, but maybe not here?

In fact, there is a thread titled 'Taking sides - the dividing lines of British politics' which is currently moribund and could comfortably accommodate this discussion.

Sorry if that sounds a bit OCDC

If it's relevant to what is being discussed (which it obviously is), what's the problem?

Just saying

boatlady wrote:Not a problem as such.
Sorry I spoke

I'm sorry if that came across the wrong way. It's just discussions obviously move on and it sometimes seems a bit like you can't criticise Labour on here. That's not a particularly healthy environment for discussion. I much prefer them to the Tories but that doesn't mean I don't treat them with cynicism at times.

Well, you're not wrong, but the flavour, coming back after a bit of a break, seemed more like 'my dad's bigger than your dad' than constructive discussion.

I guess I've always seen this thread as a forum for having a pop at the Tories, and, as I mentioned, there is another thread that can accommodate expression of our healthy cynicism about politics in general, while leaving this thread for charting the various misdemeanors of our current incumbent government (or at least the dominant portion of it).

Labour, at present, is rather looking like the least worst option, and they do rather trip over their feet at times - but to my mind that's an argument for being really very clear about what the current incumbents are about and how they are behaving.
Last thing we want, to my way of thinking, is another 5 years of Cameron and co.

Now, we've gone far enough from the point, so I think I've said enough at this time.

Amen to that, especially the bit about another 5 years of (Just call me) Dave and co.

boatlady wrote:...Labour, at present, is rather looking like the least worst option...

We can all have a pop at the Tories. I think I mentioned elsewhere that it is like shooting fish in a barrel. Hardly any sport in it at all. It also becomes a somewhat meaningless thread if you simply lose a sense of perspective. Your comment/quote above says it all really and Is exactly the point that I keep trying to keep in view before everyone goes off on their 'We Love Labour' crusade. They are all politicians and Labour is the 'least worst option at the moment. In the Lord of the Rings political analogy we have a government led by Cameron Sauron who has corrupted the once whiter than white Clegg Saruman and we hope that we end up lead by Miliband the Wise though I fear it may turn out to be Gollum...

 
I do not think Ed Miliband would not dare behave like Gollum bellatori, because unlike the Tory voter we would have him out of office before he could say Jack Robertson as much as  we think well of the Labour they will not be allowed to treat ud the way the Tories have.:yeahthat:

Redflag wrote:... as much as  we think well of the Labour they will not be allowed to treat us the way the Tories have...

I have to say that I do agree... I just rather liked the silly analogy  

It will be interesting to see if the Tories try and big up the LibDems as the election approaches. Sort of try and pretend that the LibDs are their connection to the people. Perhaps they will stage a few mock battles within the coalition to try and increase the LibDs left wing credentials in a hope they will steal votes from Labour as UKIP may well do to the Tories. I just get the feeling that the media and people in general are holding their collective breath until 2015. Interesting to see how they play the Scottish referendum. If the Scots vote to go it alone then I think we will see a shift to the right in the Tories and some pretty unpleasant nationalism, sort of EDL light ! On the other hand, should the Scots vote for no change then I reckon we will see a lot of bragging about statesmanship and how the coalition won the vote.

We can all have a pop at the Tories. I think I mentioned elsewhere that it is like shooting fish in a barrel. Hardly any sport in it at all.

Might be rather a pity if there cannot on here be a small counter-balance to the massed ranks of Northcliffe, Murdoch et al, which maintain a daily attack against Socialism in a thankfully unbiassed National Press.

Bellatori wrote:

Redflag wrote:... as much as  we think well of the Labour they will not be allowed to treat us the way the Tories have...

I have to say that I do agree... I just rather liked the silly analogy  

It will be interesting to see if the Tories try and big up the LibDems as the election approaches. Sort of try and pretend that the LibDs are their connection to the people. Perhaps they will stage a few mock battles within the coalition to try and increase the LibDs left wing credentials in a hope they will steal votes from Labour as UKIP may well do to the Tories. I just get the feeling that the media and people in general are holding their collective breath until 2015. Interesting to see how they play the Scottish referendum. If the Scots vote to go it alone then I think we will see a shift to the right in the Tories and some pretty unpleasant nationalism, sort of EDL light ! On the other hand, should the Scots vote for no change then I reckon we will see a lot of bragging about statesmanship and how the coalition won the vote.

If you are going to quote me bellatori would you quote me fully, the analogy is NOT SILLY ITS THE TRUTH that is one word that is like a swear word to a Tory MP or tory voter.

As too the Scottish referendum if we vote NO it will be down to the good sense of the Scottish people,if we vote YES that will be down too Cameron and his dick head gov't, Scots never vote Tory and the Scots have decided to take a leap in the dark, anything to get away from a gov't tht does not know its A**E from its elbow.:yeahthat: 

Redflag. I think you've misunderstood Bellatori. He liked his own "silly analogy" with 'Lord of the Rings'.

Ivan wrote:Redflag. I think you've misunderstood Bellatori. He liked his own "silly analogy" with 'Lord of the Rings'.

Ivan has it right. That is exactly what I meant. That was not meant as a rebuttal.

Sorry i misunderstood you bellatori :yeahthat:

I’m sure this expenses fiddler won’t be prosecuted; after all, she’s not a Labour MP:-
 
Tory MP Nadine Dorries threatens to “nail 'Sunday Mirror' reporter's testicles to the floor using own front teeth”
 
That was because he dared to ask her how her daughter could work as her £35,000-a-year secretary, when she lives nearly 96 miles away from Westminster and 89 miles from Dorries’ constituency base in Bedfordshire.
 
Dorries claimed her daughter did the 89-mile journey from her home to the constituency office in 80 minutes. The AA’s online route planner says the fastest route takes 132 minutes.
 
This is the second of Dorries’ three daughters to work for her mum at taxpayers’ expense; her eldest was paid up to £45,000 per annum as her office manager.
 
All rather reminiscent of Caroline Spelman pretending that her children’s nanny was her constituency secretary, on the grounds that she posted the odd letter for her. Her reward – prosecution? Not likely, she was given a seat in the cabinet for a couple of years, until her incompetence became even too much for Cameron.
 
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/tory-mp-nadine-dorries-threatens-2845154

Great info Ivan on both posts, and of course your correct the only time an MP would face an inquiry for fiddling there expenses if it was a Labour MP.   I suppose the Tory party will not pay back the money they got from nor the money they got from the Polly Peck boss who is in court facing criminal charges,its true what people are saying one law for them and another for the rest of us. :yeahthat: 

Ivan wrote:... Her reward – prosecution?...

 
I find the whole expenses scandal beyond belief. If at any time in my working life I had behaved in any such fashion, and I include the slight oversight by DC and others, whereby hundreds of pounds of expenses were claimed by mistake I would have lost my job. Simply saying 'Ooops' and then 'I'll repay' expecting 'OK, fine, don't give it another thought.' would never happen. Teachers have been sacked for miscounting a few pounds on a school trip.
 
We focus on the big, in your face ones, but the truth is that the vast majority were at it and have been allowed to evade any come back.

The most disgusting aspect of the whole expenses thing is that it now appears to have been largely brushed under the carpet and there doesn't seem to have been much done in terms of reforming the system.

".... there doesn't seem to have been much done in terms of reforming the system. "

What can you mean, Dan? The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) took over responsibility for the payment of MPs' expenses from 7 May 2010.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/nadine-dorries-threatens-independent-parliamentary-standards-authority-after-new-allegations-on-expenses-8497138.html

" .. the whole expenses thing is that it now appears to have been largely brushed under the carpet ..."


The most galling aspect is that we probably paid for the carpet it was brushed under...

oftenwrong wrote:".... there doesn't seem to have been much done in terms of reforming the system. "

What can you mean, Dan?  The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) took over responsibility for the payment of MPs' expenses from 7 May 2010.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/nadine-dorries-threatens-independent-parliamentary-standards-authority-after-new-allegations-on-expenses-8497138.html

Surely you did not expect the Tories to clean up the expenses OW, if you remember it was Thatcher that set up the expenses that went very wrong a few years ago.:yeahthat: 

He who pays the piper calls the tune:-
 

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BZzD8yVIcAAB75D.jpg

Does that figure of 52% include the publicly-owned RBS which is paying £50 million in bonuses to its employees?

oftenwrong wrote:Does that figure of 52% include the publicly-owned RBS which is paying £50 million in bonuses to its employees?

Its the 13% from the private health sector ia the biggest SCANDAL OW, it tells us all we need to know the only reason OUR NHS is failing is because the Tories are making sure it fails, so they can hand it over to the private health sector. That is the reason for so many adverts on TV for private health Insurance the VULTURES are hovering waiting to come in for the kill.:yeahthat: 

Tory skunk Andrew Lansley who, having wrecked the NHS is now Leader of the House of Commons, has claimed almost £6,000 in London hotel bills, despite having one home in Pimlico, just a mile from Parliament, and another one only a 50-minute train ride away in Cambridgeshire:-

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/tory-minister-andrew-lansley-claims-2871089

He'll find an 11% payrise quite handy then, too.

Ivan wrote:Tory skunk Andrew Lansley who, having wrecked the NHS is now Leader of the House of Commons, has claimed almost £6,000 in London hotel bills, despite having one home in Pimlico, just a mile from Parliament, and another one only a 50-minute train ride away in Cambridgeshire:-

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/tory-minister-andrew-lansley-claims-2871089

Ivan, Lansley is not the only one of the Tory MPs AT IT, Pickles family home is only 1 hour away from the House of Commons but he has claimed for a second home within London  :yeahthat:

Sonia Poulton talks with Natalie Rowe about some Bullingdon boys......


Source: YouTube

Some people are still impressed when they meet a "Lord". Amazing!

Actually I have met His Lordship. And - no - it wasn't in prison. Nor was I impressed...         

Lord Hanningfield was convicted of fiddling his expenses and served nine weeks of a nine-month sentence for fraud, though I don’t recall Peter Oborne, or the stooge who posted his trash on this forum, reminding us of that fact. Now the ex-con (in both senses of the word, since the Tories expelled him from their ranks when he went to jail) is back in the House of Lords milking the system for all that it’s worth.

Every time a lord clocks in at Westminster, he or she receives £300, regardless of how long they stay. Hanningfield made 19 appearances in the House of Lords in July, for which he received £5,700. On 11 of those occasions, he stayed for less than 40 minutes.

Baroness Royall, the Labour leader in the Lords, wants the rules amended so that peers claiming the attendance allowance would have to be in Parliament for a minimum of four hours.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/video-ex-tory-lord-hanningfield-exposed-2934895

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25411182

Do you remember how Cameron (a) promised to “clean up politics”, and (b) "cut the cost of politics"? He’s failed to do either and has increased the cost of politics by creating new peers at a faster rate than any previous PM.

Why are convicted criminals allowed to return to the House of Lords after leaving jail? Doesn’t that help to bring Parliament into even more disrepute?  

Ivan wrote:Why are convicted criminals allowed to return to the House of Lords after leaving jail? Doesn’t that help to bring Parliament into even more disrepute?  

It should not matter whether its 2 days or 2 years in prison if a crime is committed that deserves a prison sentence that should be it for Lords Ladies, it should be automatic the person should  not be allowed to hold the office of a Lord again.  :yeahthat:

He was interviewed on Radio 5 yesterday. His answers were absolute painful in their attempts to deflect blame away from himself. One of his answers in response to why he was only there for 40 minutes was "I was traumatised" He also used the excuse that it takes a long time to get to London from his home in Essex - as though that meant only spending 40 minutes there was more instead of less justified. I actually think it's a shame because I feel a lot of people in the Lords give their time and expertise in a selfless manner. I also find the debates in the chamber a lot more sensible and less 'political' than in the Commons. Not saying it couldn't do with being reformed, although we need to be careful as to how we do it. In a wider context I feel the Parliamentary expenses process is still a mess that needs to be sorted out and made more transparent.

Dan Fante wrote:He was interviewed on Radio 5 yesterday. His answers were absolute painful in their attempts to deflect blame away from himself. One of his answers in response to why he was only there for 40 minutes was "I was traumatised" :lol:He also used the excuse that it takes a long time to get to London from his home in Essex - as though that meant only spending 40 minutes there was more instead of less justified. I actually think it's a shame because I feel a lot of people in the Lords give their time and expertise in a selfless manner. I also find the debates in the chamber a lot more sensible and less 'political' than in the Commons. Not saying it couldn't do with being reformed, although we need to be careful as to how we do it. In a wider context I feel the Parliamentary expenses process is still a mess that needs to be sorted out and made more transparent.

Just another Tory that speaks with a FORKED TONGUE they are experts at lying Dan Fante, if they can not LIE blatantly they do not get to join the Tory party.  :yeahthat: 

I have friends in Essex who recall Hanningfield as Leader of the Essex County Council. I am told that in this post he was considered widely as an arrogant nobody ( nickname 'Piggy Paul') and a sad, scruffy bugger who could not even wear a pair of trousers which were the right length.

It came as no surprise when this self-professed saviour of the public's money when it came to council projects was found to be defrauding that public by way of his Lords' expenses. There was also an enquiry into his County Council expenses, but no action was taken over that issue, so we must assume total and complete innocence in that respect, on the part of the convicted criminal.

From what I know of His Lordship, I would not trust him with an empty paper bag...

Phil Hornby wrote:From what I know of His Lordship, I would not trust him with an empty paper bag...

Or PH as far as you could throw him and that ain't far, another LYING lining his pockets Tory  :yeahthat:

We're all in this together.....well, they are!   


Source: twimg.com/media

Ah!  The Great and the Good.

Where should we be without 'em?

astradt1 wrote:Justice minister stripped of powers

Ken Clarke to take charge after Djanogly failed to declare family interest in claims management companies

The justice minister, Jonathan Djanogly, has been stripped of his responsibility to regulate firms that "ambulance chase" the public following a Guardian investigation that revealed how he and his family could profit from controversial changes to legal aid he was piloting in parliament.

Djanogly, the heir to a £300m family business, had failed to declare that his teenage children were minority shareholders in his brother-in-law's businesses – two firms that advertise claims and are part of an industry that Djanogly regulated in government.

Do you get the feeling that after each Revelation about members of this government you just have to shout NEXT

It was the same thing with Thatchers Tory gov't astradt1, when Labour get into power in 2015 they will have to go in with shovels to scoop up all the Tory crap they left.  :yeahthat: