Politics Today

[IndoMike]

"An acquaintance and former neighbour of Matt Hancock is supplying the government with tens of millions of vials for NHS Covid-19 tests despite having had no previous experience of producing medical supplies.

Alex Bourne, who used to run a pub close to Hancock’s former constituency home in Suffolk, said he initially offered his services to the UK health secretary several months ago by sending him a personal WhatsApp message".

Again and again. Barefaced cronyism.
It's not just the incompetence that grates.
They're not even embarrassed or apologetic about it . The Conservative Govt is destroying the country through its terrible handling of this crisis and yet still has the nerve to continually offer contracts to their unqualified buddies without tender.
When will people wake up and smell the coffee?
The UK had its first two cases of covid in late January. By early February it was clear that the virus was spreading across borders, but we did nothing. We even had Cheltenham races going ahead in March
In April we were promised a world - beating test and trace : it was finally delivered in the summer! Elderly hospital patients were sent / returned to care homes without any precautions being taken. Various contracts have been awarded without tender to friends/ acquaintances of the Govt.
Jesus, some of these blokes should have been locked up already. And now we have the country having to borrow 350 billion quid with an awful economic forecast and the prediction that we will still.need to borrow 50 billion by 2025 - not even taking into account any BREXIT trade difficulties.
Johnson, Hancock, Williamson et al have lost all credibility and yet they still act smugly, defensively, and shamefacedly.
Thank you Exeweb for giving me an outlet for expressing my frustration about this. That's the only reason I post

 

[Mr Jinx]

Wow. A cutting article from the ex-Guardian journo Suzanne Moore in today's Daily Mail.

The most telling line being: "At its best, the Guardian deserves to see itself as a beacon of the Left. But lately it has been hard to define what the Left consists of beyond smug affirmation".

Tru say.

SUZANNE MOORE writes a riposte after being bullied out of her job

Award-winning journalist Suzanne Moore wrote a piece on trans issues for The Guardian before 338 of her 'colleagues' wrote a letter of complaint to the editor. Six months later, Suzanne resigned.

mol.im

 

[arthur]

Wow. A cutting article from the ex-Guardian journo Suzanne Moore in today's Daily Mail.

The most telling line being: "At its best, the Guardian deserves to see itself as a beacon of the Left. But lately it has been hard to define what the Left consists of beyond smug affirmation".

Tru say.

SUZANNE MOORE writes a riposte after being bullied out of her job

Award-winning journalist Suzanne Moore wrote a piece on trans issues for The Guardian before 338 of her 'colleagues' wrote a letter of complaint to the editor. Six months later, Suzanne resigned.

mol.im

The Guardian still refuses to discuss this. Not a single article, or letter from a reader. Given that the majority of journalists (apart from the odious O Jones) undoubtedly support their colleague and are appalled by what has happened, it is clear that the organisation is in a state of turmoil.

Long but very good interview with the woman herself here. It may just be that the tide is turning and that this is analogous to Kinnock's speech at Bournemouth about Militant - a huge sigh of relief that someone had at last called these bullies out and they weren't going to be tolerated any more. We can but hope

 

[RedPaul]

For a long standing Guardian columnist to turn to the Mail to write her cri de coeur says something.

There's a worrying hate crime bill going through the Scottish parliament as well which seems to criminalise, amongst other things, dinner party small talk if it can be shown to 'stir up hatred'.

Worrying times for freedom of expression vs proportional controls on hurling abuse.

 

[Spoonz Red E]

For a long standing Guardian columnist to turn to the Mail to write her cri de coeur says something.

There's a worrying hate crime bill going through the Scottish parliament as well which seems to criminalise, amongst other things, dinner party small talk if it can be shown to 'stir up hatred'.

Worrying times for freedom of expression vs proportional controls on hurling abuse.

It certainly would be if the bill was simply being rubber stamped.
But it is, in fact, being challenged which has already lead to amendments (it is now 'intentionally stir up hatred') and has yet to be put to debate. Then there are recourses to legal challenge.
Free speech in action thus far.

There are certainly wider issues about freedom of expression with de-platforming, the reduction of issues to binary arguments, trolling, triggering, online abuse and threats of violence.
Information bubbles, alternative facts.
Frustrating as this is at times it is mostly being played out in plain sight.

Other limits to freedom of expression have long existed and are more 'hidden'.
Privilege, wealth, lobbying, backroom dealing, majority opinion v. minority opinion and the news/opinion crossover have been factors for as long as I've been aware of the notion of free speech in setting the parameters for what is easily expressed and what isn't.

 

[arthur]

Kuenssberg exposed again for what she is - truly the Hannah Poile of political editors

BBC accused of 'economic illiteracy and pushing need for Tory austerity'

THE BBC has been accused of “promoting economic illiteracy” after its chief political editor claimed the Tories were being forced into the…

www.thenational.scot

 

[Mr Jinx]

Yesterday the government released figures for EU citizens that have applied for the right to stay in the UK post Jan 1st. Firstly, which I find a bit shocking, is that they had no idea how many EU non British citizens were actually living in the UK. They estimated 3.4 million would apply, but this has been exceeded by nearly a million with 4.3 million applying. This is only a million less than the whole population of Scotland!

I guess what I find most surprising is that if the UK is such a terrible, narrow minded and nasty place to live (the picture Remainers have painted), why do so many want to stay here? I think you'll find it's because the UK is actually none of those things and never really was.

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

As irritating as Robert Peston can be with his long winded questions,he is much preferable to anyone the BBC have in political journalism since Andrew Neil left.

 

[Mr Jinx]

The Guardian still refuses to discuss this. Not a single article, or letter from a reader. Given that the majority of journalists (apart from the odious O Jones) undoubtedly support their colleague and are appalled by what has happened, it is clear that the organisation is in a state of turmoil.

Long but very good interview with the woman herself here. It may just be that the tide is turning and that this is analogous to Kinnock's speech at Bournemouth about Militant - a huge sigh of relief that someone had at last called these bullies out and they weren't going to be tolerated any more. We can but hope

Thanks for the link to the interview. It's quite enlightening. I think the biggest take away from it is this vaguely defined word "unsafe". A word those prominent in the new Cancel Culture cling to and hide behind.

As far as I can gather it's wheeled out when someone somewhere just doesn't like something and uses "unsafe" as a vehicle to try and elicit some kind of action. It's like the tube drivers when they go on strike and say it's all about safety, when really it's not. More money (the real reason) is tangible and can be picked apart, whereas "safety" isn't and can't be.

Hopefully Suzanne's plight will put the brakes on said vehicle somewhat.

I've hated the word for a while. "Stay safe" just really gets my goat.

 

[Spanks]

Yesterday the government released figures for EU citizens that have applied for the right to stay in the UK post Jan 1st. Firstly, which I find a bit shocking, is that they had no idea how many EU non British citizens were actually living in the UK. They estimated 3.4 million would apply, but this has been exceeded by nearly a million with 4.3 million applying. This is only a million less than the whole population of Scotland!

I guess what I find most surprising is that if the UK is such a terrible, narrow minded and nasty place to live (the picture Remainers have painted), why do so many want to stay here? I think you'll find it's because the UK is actually none of those things and never really was.

Didn't think it was anything to do with immigration Jinxy, so I'm not sure how this can be any defence.

You'll be glad to know that about 50% of Eastern Europeans I know have returned "home" already, and if it wasn't for putting down long term roots, many others would happily leave your paradise too.