George Osbourne, Mandy etc. I know we get the politicians we deserve but

[Callisto]

this has really pissed me off. How fucking stupid do you have to be? How corrupt to think that it is a good idea to try and get party donations from a fucking Russian ffs. ARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH

[Callisto]

And I actually thought (was sucked in by the prpaganda) that Cameron, Osbourne etc had a little bit more decency and better standards than the likes of Mandy.

[Callisto]

Story here btw: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7683365.stm

[bagsforlife]

I am finding it all very entertaining and absolutely hilarious.

Trying to explain to my 13 year old how they all belong to different political parties etc but how they all just happen to be on 'holiday' together and then having a 'cup of tea' on a somebody Russian's very, very expensive boat (yes just like the ones we saw on holiday that we couldn't imagine who actually 'owns' these absolutely massivethings) is very amusing. Even he can see how absolutely ludicrous the whole thing is.

[Callisto]

It is certainly starting to sound more like an attempt to damage Osbourne, but really, what a fool, what a big error of judgement he made. He shouldn't have gone anywhere near that yatch, especially as Mandy is so disgustingly corrupt and even more so that it was owned by a Russian. Did he not consider that it might look a tad suspicious and that when it all came out it would reflect very badly on him?

And for some reason I feel that an Old Etonian should be a bit less susceptable to the allure of Russian bling.

GGGGRRRRR.

[TskullsScreaming]

Oh it's great isn't it bagsforlife?!

I'm rubbing my hands in excitied anticiaption of Private Eye's comment on this

[bobthebuddha]

I'm baffled by all this. Osborne was a fing moron to think he could badmouth Mandelson and not come off worst. This story has obviously been instigate by Mandelson. But the guy who broke the story (Nat Rothschild) is a friend of Osborne's and I think he's a Tory donor to boot. George and his family were staying for free with the guy at his villa. Apparently the invitation to the Russian's yacht was extended to all at the villa and Mandelson was on it too.

Now Osborne denies categorically soliciting any kind of donation. And none was received that we know of, so it's a bit of a non-story, particularly when we have entered a recession, public borrowing is at monstrous levels etc. But the BBC considered it the top new story. Boy, when Mandelson's back, you know he's back! But why should Rothschild be selling out his Tory mates? I just don't get it...

[chocolatedot]

Forget "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned", the fury of the very rich is in a different league altogether. Rothschild obviously furious that Osborne leaked the "pure poison" comment and implicated Mandy with Rothschild's friend and client, the Russian Billionaire.

Nobody likes George Osborne, he is a charmless individual. I LOVED the picture of him in the Bullingdon in the Times yesterday - what a bunch of idiots.

[SheikYerBATti]

He did it in a really snivelly "I'm going to tell teacher of you" kind of way as well, didn't he?

nob

[chocolatedot]

I guess hedge-fund boy reckons that he will get more mileage from sucking up to Mandy and is also seething that Osborne's revealations put the spotlight on the billionaire in the first place. I agree though LL, it is quite extraordinary. Perhaps the Osbourne's disgraced themselves somehow as houseguests?

[bundle]

i love peter mandelson

[jesuswhatnext]

more slimy than a bucket of slugs, the lot of 'em.

[2cats2many]

I can't stand Osborne. He's such a pompous twat. It's great to see him under the media spotlight, even if it is for something that no normal person would really give a monkies about.

[Miffyinsurrey]

Maybe the "poison" spoken by Mandleson will be leaked now!

[Upwind]

Osborne has come in for heavy critisism lately - as shadow chancellor he has simply allowed Brown to take credit for fighting the fires that Brown himself stoked. Osborne has also seemed inept and ill-prepared compared to Vince Cable, the Lib Dem's economic spokesman. The slating Osborne has come in for in the Telegraph lately made me wonder how long he would last. The "pure poison" anecdote was extraordinarily stupid.

[Suedonim]

You'd think they'd have something more important to do, like reducing the effects of the coming recession, wouldn't you? But I did like Norman Tebbit's (I didn't know he was still around!) comment. "If you sleep with dogs, you must expect to get fleas." which made me chortle out loud.

[bagsforlife]

Glad to get home from work and see this story still running. Am really enjoying it. Have absolutely no grounds whatsoever for thinking this, but I think Osborne is a bit of an odious little twerp who, just possibly, has got himself in very deep water by thinking he is much more intelligent than he actually is. And seriously misjudging what happens when you 'casually' take a swipe at Mandleson.

I'm still fascinated by the thought of Mandleson/Osborne et al round the taverna table at the same time....

[chocolatedot]

Bagsforlife, I've met him a few times and can happily confirm that you are an excellent judge of character!

[SixSpotBonfire]

The mad thing is, it was a comparatively small amount - only £50,000 - whereas the Rothschild family and presumably lots of Osborne's other mates are absolutely loaded - so why run the risk of getting tangled up in a dubious illegal donation for that?

[Upwind]

"My dh always goes on about how it was better when we were governed by the landed aristocracy and gentry, at least they were generally straight-arrow and had no need to feather their nests via politics. usually I tell him he's talking out his arse, but stories like this make me think he has a point."

Ironically Osborne IS landed gentry

I have it in for him since hearing him interviewed on radio 4 where he explained how if he were in power he would keep property prices high to help first time buyers (I aspire to being one someday). Ever since I have thought of him as a slimy tosser with few moral scruples.

[SixSpotBonfire]

Dad was a baronet though.

Dunno about "landed" - he grew up in and went to school in London.