To be ashamed of our Sleazebag PM?

[Sean2001]

If it wasn't bad enough, Johnson presiding over the Paterson vote last week ...

He's now refusing to attend the debate today on sleaze/corruption

He also will not allow the sleaze watchdog to look into his flat refurbishment.

Does Johnson actually think this kind of behaviour is impressive?

I find it deeply embarrassing.

@DuncinToffee, thanks for all these links, that's my Saturday evening viewing sorted

I stand corrected church

Keir Starmer earned £26k from working as a lawyer in the 12 months before he became Labour leader.

Including £10,000 for advising the government of Gibraltar (Gibraltar was a 'tax haven' at the time).

Rather awkward interview for Keir Starmer yesterday I thought:

www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1518590/Keir-Starmer-squirming-confrontation-second-job-sleaze-row-Labour-party-Tory-Sky-news-vn

www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/guess-who-else-eyed-up-a-consultancy-gig-sir-keir-starmer-300581/

The original story from 2017 - Starmer was obviously dissuaded from taking the consultancy role but not a good look all the same;

Sir Keir Starmer was accused of a conflict of interest last night after it emerged that he was in talks to accept a role with a law firm that challenged the government over Article 50.

The shadow Brexit secretary was offered a job by Mishcon de Reya, the law firm behind the court case that forced Theresa May to give parliament a vote on Article 50.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sir-keir-starmer-faces-backlash-over-second-job-with-law-firm-cdqkxhzbf

James Cleverly 2017: In your position as the Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union you will be personally involved with drafting and speaking on legislative amendments on the EU Withdrawal Bill.

You have also recently been made a member of the Privy Council, which will allow you privileged access to documents and information.

news.sky.com/story/keir-starmer-accused-of-hypocrisy-over-brexit-law-firm-role-10960196

Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader also holds consultancy roles;

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/sleaze-owen-paterson-ed-davey-consultant-b1953482.html

[quote Clavinova]Keir Starmer earned £26k from working as a lawyer in the 12 months before he became Labour leader.

Including £10,000 for advising the government of Gibraltar (Gibraltar was a 'tax haven' at the time).

Rather awkward interview for Keir Starmer yesterday I thought:

www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1518590/Keir-Starmer-squirming-confrontation-second-job-sleaze-row-Labour-party-Tory-Sky-news-vn

www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/guess-who-else-eyed-up-a-consultancy-gig-sir-keir-starmer-300581/

The original story from 2017 - Starmer was obviously dissuaded from taking the consultancy role but not a good look all the same;

Sir Keir Starmer was accused of a conflict of interest last night after it emerged that he was in talks to accept a role with a law firm that challenged the government over Article 50.

The shadow Brexit secretary was offered a job by Mishcon de Reya, the law firm behind the court case that forced Theresa May to give parliament a vote on Article 50.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sir-keir-starmer-faces-backlash-over-second-job-with-law-firm-cdqkxhzbf

James Cleverly 2017: In your position as the Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union you will be personally involved with drafting and speaking on legislative amendments on the EU Withdrawal Bill.

You have also recently been made a member of the Privy Council, which will allow you privileged access to documents and information.

news.sky.com/story/keir-starmer-accused-of-hypocrisy-over-brexit-law-firm-role-10960196

Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader also holds consultancy roles;

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/sleaze-owen-paterson-ed-davey-consultant-b1953482.html[/quote]
Once again, this 'they're all the same' narrative doesn't make sense. They really are not. Starmer did not actually take this role, and he declared the Gibraltar income. False equivalence.

£26,000 compared to £900,000 Cox, and Patterson £102,000 from just one firm he lobbied for.

And Starmer gave up his Certificate to practice law when he became leader.

90 Tory MPs have paid consultancy jobs or as Directors. Compared to just 3 Labour MPs.

Dear God. I thought Brexit had seen this off. It's like being battered by a tatty old copy of the Telegraph.

It's ok everyone, Johnson has just declared at COP26 that the UK is not a corrupt country.

Starmer did not actually take this role

He appears to have lied in yesterday's interview all the same;

"I wasn't in discussion [with Mischon de Reya]^

Sky News link above (2017)

Confirming a deal with Sir Keir, Mischon de Reya said in a statement: "We are in discussions with Keir Starmer about reappointing him as an adviser to the Mishcon Academy...

@Clavinova

Starmer did not actually take this role

He appears to have lied in yesterday's interview all the same;

"I wasn't in discussion [with Mischon de Reya]^

Sky News link above (2017)

Confirming a deal with Sir Keir, Mischon de Reya said in a statement: "We are in discussions with Keir Starmer about reappointing him as an adviser to the Mishcon Academy...

bloody hell two lots of lawyers and only one of them is lying?

Which MPs have second jobs and how much do they earn?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-59206904

And just for Clavinova, at the end of the article it states
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who is also a barrister, has made more than £100,000 for legal work, writing and making speeches since becoming an MP in 2015. There is no suggestion he has done anything against the rules, and Sir Keir says all the work was carried out before he became leader last year.

A number of MPs are also employed as doctors and nurses. Some have continued to work on the NHS front line during the pandemic.

@Roussette

Nice trick, taking a quote out of context to twist my words. I said it is alleged to be him holding a business meeting in his parliamentary office. It is clearly him, but I don't know if that is his parliamentary office

Don't accuse me of quoting out of context and twisting words. This is what you said...
"There is footage which is alleged to be him holding a business meeting in his parliamentary office"

How is that me twisting words, you said it!!
Now you're saying 'it is clearly him'.

If you had said that there is footage of him allegedly in his parliamentary office holding a meeting, that would be different.

The word "alleged" clearly applies to the whole phrase "him holding a business meeting in his parliamentary office". Reading the rest of the post leaves no room for doubt. So yes, you twisted my words by quoting part of a sentence, making it look like I said something different to what I actually said.

I had no idea alleged applied to the whole sentence. My immediate conclusion (and it seems others too) was that you were doubting it was him.
I did not deliberately twist your words. I have explained endlessly why.

Let's leave it there shall we?

Who is Clavinova?

She/he/it always pops up when things get sticky for the Tories - and is extremely sensitive and defensive on their behalf. Clav has been here for years and intrigues me.

Roussette
90 Tory MPs have paid consultancy jobs or as Directors. Compared to just 3 Labour MPs.

Is this the analysis you are referring to?

www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/nov/09/at-least-a-quarter-of-tory-mps-have-second-jobs-earning-5m-a-year

It doesn't really specify that all of the remaining roles are 'directorships' and includes unpaid roles?

The register of MPs’ interests shows that more than 90 out of 360 Tories have extra jobs on top of their work in parliament, compared with three from Labour.

The analysis includes those with company directorships even if they are not directly salaried, but not those with unpaid roles at charities or thinktanks. It also did not count those who receive ad hoc payments for journalism, speaking at events, training, lectures or surveys – even though this is substantial additional income often earned as a result of an MP’s parliamentary position.

The Guardian haven't named David Lammy in their article - the Daily Mail have;

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10181913/The-LABOUR-MPs-second-jobs-David-Lammy-earned-140-000-three-years.html

Or should I assume from the analysis that Labour MPs have no business acumen??

@Sian73

Who is Clavinova?

She/he/it always pops up when things get sticky for the Tories - and is extremely sensitive and defensive on their behalf. Clav has been here for years and intrigues me.

She is someone who derails threads with huge copy and paste posts

This thread is about Tory sleaze/donors not about the right and wrongs of second jobs.

You assume what you like Clavinova, I find your posts too intransigent to argue with.

Personally, I have a lot of time for David Lammy. One of my DCs has met him a number of times.

Irrelevant to your post I know.

Who is Clavinova?

She. If you must know I became interested in politics just before the 2017 election - blame Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell - and now Angela Rayner. I quite liked Tony Blair at the time (not the war obviously).

She always pops up when things get sticky for the Tories - I think I'm just not easily intimated that's all.

Or should I assume ... That Labour MPs have no business acumen?"

No, you should assume they take their jobs as MPs seriously and aren't permanently on the make.

Imagine being one of the few ethical Tory MPs at this point in time. I almost feel sorry for them. Where do they go from here, with a boss like that?

With a very small number of exceptions, the "directorships" and tax haven associations all come from one side of the House. Occupied by a govt with a minority.

@Roussette

He seems to say it's his parliamentary office, along with every other bit of reporting of this. It is desperation to try and say 'allegedly' SURELY, if it wasn't he would be denying it strongly. Here is what he's said..

A statement from Sir Geoffrey’s office said: “As for the allegation that he breached the parliamentary code of conduct on one occasion, on September 14 2021, by being in his office while participating in an online hearing in the public inquiry and voting in the House of Commons, he understands that the matter has been referred to the Parliamentary Commissioner and he will fully co-operate with her investigation.

Does that look like a denial to you?!

It doesn't to me.

Goodness knows why you are so defensive about him.

Another partial quote. The next sentence says, "He does not believe that he breached the rules but will of course accept the judgment of the Parliamentary Commissioner or of the Committee on the matter."

My interest, as always when I contribute to this kind of debate, is accuracy. I am not being particularly defensive about him. If I saw someone making incorrect statements in his defence I would correct them too.

I haven't seen any definitive statement as to whether that is his parliamentary office so I'll stick with "alleged" until it is admitted or proven. And, as I said in one of my earlier posts, the Commissioner takes the view that the ban on using parliamentary offices for private business is not absolute, so even if it is proven that it was his office, that doesn't necessarily mean he has broken the rules.

I will definitely correct people who say that an MP leaving a business meeting to vote in the Commons is a breach of the rules. It very clearly is not.

Paterson definitely breached the rules. If Cox has breached the rules, he should face appropriate sanctions. But this story was initially about him doing something that is clearly entirely within the rules as they stand (i.e. working as a very highly paid lawyer whilst being an MP). Whether that should be within the rules is a matter for debate. It certainly raises questions about whether he was adequately representing his constituents at the time. I doubt I would vote for him if he was my MP for exactly this reason.

@Roussette

I had no idea alleged applied to the whole sentence. My immediate conclusion (and it seems others too) was that you were doubting it was him. I did not deliberately twist your words. I have explained endlessly why.

Let's leave it there shall we?

And Gordon Brown of course... he had scruples

Gordon Brown has revealed he donated more than £1m which he earned from second jobs while working as an MP to charity.

The former Labour prime minister, who served as an MP for 20 years, warned that conflicts of interest arising from MPs' additional work are “bringing the House of Commons into disrepute”

Imagine Johnson et al doing that?

prh

Thanks 🙂

ChurchofLatterDayPaints

Which Labour MPs do have business acumen?

And he is sneaking through an NHS privatisation bill atm after they saved his bloody life.

@Sian73

Who is Clavinova?

She/he/it always pops up when things get sticky for the Tories - and is extremely sensitive and defensive on their behalf. Clav has been here for years and intrigues me.

Tory automaton, possible AI bot, does copy and paste of large amounts of often irrelevant data - never responds to any questions.