Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think serving MPs accepting £10 000 a day to "further the interests" of foreign companies should from that point no longer be serving MPs?

30 replies

Nimbostratus100 · 25/03/2023 20:25

Matt Hancock and Kwasi Kwarteng

How is this not a criminal offence? How is this acceptable in any way shape or form?

Don't tell me these are "consultancy fees" These two idiots are not "consultants" - they have no expertise in anything to offer, they are accepting thousands to buy political influence

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/mar/25/top-tory-mps-ask-for-10000-a-day-to-work-for-fake-korean-company

Top Tory MPs ask for £10,000 a day to work for fake Korean company

Video footage shows Matt Hancock and Kwasi Kwarteng discussing pay rates after being duped by campaigners

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/mar/25/top-tory-mps-ask-for-10000-a-day-to-work-for-fake-korean-company

OP posts:
Original poster
Nimbostratus100 · 25/03/2023 20:59

And_
Brady said £60,000-a-year may be a reasonable fee, and it was agreed a rate of £500 an hour and £6,000 a day would be appropriate, but open to negotiation. He said he was always careful to follow the rules, but said he might be able to identify people in government to approach and “how to do it in the most appropriate way”.

OP posts:
Summerhillsquare · 25/03/2023 21:48

Just when you think their behaviour can't get any worse...

Original poster
Nimbostratus100 · 26/03/2023 05:09

And Hancock now bleating about how he followed all the rules, etc - but if those are the rules they need changing, and straight away.

I am gobsmacked that this is legal.

OP posts:
LunaTheCat · 26/03/2023 05:54

This is the definition of corruption.. they should be removed and charged.

Original poster
Nimbostratus100 · 26/03/2023 06:37

this was a fake company, an undercover journalist, and the meetings were recorded.

it makes you wonder how much of this is going on for real

OP posts:
Ttwinkletoes · 26/03/2023 06:46

Well - it depends if they do stuff to favour the Korean company over UK companies - or perhaps they arrange exchanges of training/ knowledge between Korean and UK unis/ companies to the advantage of the UK - or perhaps they arrange the building of a Korean business or factory in a poor area of the UK.

I can't get my knickers in a twist over this

Original poster
Nimbostratus100 · 26/03/2023 07:04

Ttwinkletoes · 26/03/2023 06:46

Well - it depends if they do stuff to favour the Korean company over UK companies - or perhaps they arrange exchanges of training/ knowledge between Korean and UK unis/ companies to the advantage of the UK - or perhaps they arrange the building of a Korean business or factory in a poor area of the UK.

I can't get my knickers in a twist over this

they are "identifying people in the government to approach and how to do it in the most appropriate way"

They are earning 10k a day by selling political influence

OP posts:
Ttwinkletoes · 26/03/2023 07:37

And you KNOW that the MPs from other parties wouldn't entertain this when they were in power? Not take a teensy weensy bit of cash for 'advice' or 'introductions' .................. Nah, still can't get worked up about this.

MisogynyNonConforming · 26/03/2023 07:44

Why just foreign companies? The issue is that they are representing the interests of those businesses' owners rather than the interests of the public.

ShandaLear · 26/03/2023 07:44

I am so sick of this shower of corrupt bastards. What the hell has happened to the Conservative Party? Even if I didn’t always agree with them I at least knew they had some principles but now it’s just a basket of entitled, greedy, malevolent, chaotic, shitheads - just awful excuses for human beings. Even the party faithful must be baulking at their sheer awfulness.

WeWereInParis · 26/03/2023 08:02

Ttwinkletoes · 26/03/2023 07:37

And you KNOW that the MPs from other parties wouldn't entertain this when they were in power? Not take a teensy weensy bit of cash for 'advice' or 'introductions' .................. Nah, still can't get worked up about this.

Why is that relevant? I don't think any MP from any party should do it.

minou123 · 26/03/2023 08:11

We all know this has been going on, but it's amazing to see it.

The criticism about second jobs, the lax rules and transparency are clearly justified.

You would have thought after the whole Owen Patterson debacle, Tory MPs would be more careful.

But, no. It just goes to show they really don't give a shit and will continue to do whatever they want. Even corruption.

beguilingeyes · 26/03/2023 08:15

Ttwinkletoes · 26/03/2023 07:37

And you KNOW that the MPs from other parties wouldn't entertain this when they were in power? Not take a teensy weensy bit of cash for 'advice' or 'introductions' .................. Nah, still can't get worked up about this.

Oh... corruption, it's no biggie.

FFS..MPs used to lose their jobs and there were huge scandals over this sort of thing. Anyone remember Neil Hamilton?
Now it seems to be that we've got so used to this disgusting behaviour from this government that they can get away with anything.
What does it take for an MP to lose their seat nowadays?

DdraigGoch · 26/03/2023 08:39

Ttwinkletoes · 26/03/2023 07:37

And you KNOW that the MPs from other parties wouldn't entertain this when they were in power? Not take a teensy weensy bit of cash for 'advice' or 'introductions' .................. Nah, still can't get worked up about this.

This is corruption whatever colour rosette they wear. It needs stamping out. "They do it too" is not an excuse, it's a reason to extend the crack down.

idontlikementhols · 26/03/2023 08:41

Ttwinkletoes · 26/03/2023 07:37

And you KNOW that the MPs from other parties wouldn't entertain this when they were in power? Not take a teensy weensy bit of cash for 'advice' or 'introductions' .................. Nah, still can't get worked up about this.

Led By Donkeys were fairly scientific in assessing which MPs to approach. Apparently Tories are much more likely to do these sorts of 'consulting' jobs so of the 20 MPs who were contacted, 15 were Tories, 4 Labour and one Independent. None of the Labour ones were interested in what was being offered.

Allmyplantsdie · 26/03/2023 08:59

what bothers me about this is the incompetence to get caught out in a scam that these journalists have been doing for decades. Surely before you take a meeting you do a little bit of research into the company that you a speaking with? How thick can you get

Wedoronron · 26/03/2023 09:03

Ttwinkletoes · 26/03/2023 07:37

And you KNOW that the MPs from other parties wouldn't entertain this when they were in power? Not take a teensy weensy bit of cash for 'advice' or 'introductions' .................. Nah, still can't get worked up about this.

How strange. You should get worked up by any MP of any party behaving this badly. Are you such a sheep that you will let off people because of the party they pertain to represent.
They did send emails to other party MPs too but no one took the bait apart from these dodgy fuckers.

BashirWithTheGoodBeard · 26/03/2023 09:08

Ttwinkletoes · 26/03/2023 07:37

And you KNOW that the MPs from other parties wouldn't entertain this when they were in power? Not take a teensy weensy bit of cash for 'advice' or 'introductions' .................. Nah, still can't get worked up about this.

Erm, that makes the problem worse not better...

mellongoose · 26/03/2023 09:29

For context there are 650 MPs and the vast majority of them from all parties are hard working and in it for the right reasons.

Also, it should be up to their constituents alone to decide whether they want them back. No one else.

I know my MP and she works bloody hard!

Paloma66 · 26/03/2023 09:32

I once went on a work conference overseas and found that my MP was a guest speaker! He spent 3 days in the sunshine eating and drinking and no doubt pocketed a fat fee for the short speech he made. Parliament wasn't in recess at the time. He shouldn't have been there.

A lot of them are at it but it goes unnoticed. I'd never have known about my MP if I hadn't happened to be there.

countrygirl99 · 26/03/2023 09:34

Ttwinkletoes · 26/03/2023 06:46

Well - it depends if they do stuff to favour the Korean company over UK companies - or perhaps they arrange exchanges of training/ knowledge between Korean and UK unis/ companies to the advantage of the UK - or perhaps they arrange the building of a Korean business or factory in a poor area of the UK.

I can't get my knickers in a twist over this

If they had spent a few minutes finding out about the company rather than thinking how much wonga they could pocket they would have realised there was something off. Do you really not get your knickers in a twist about MPs being so careless and taking massive risks. Think back to the dodgy covid contracts and the post brexit shipping company contract with no ships if you don't see what the problems are.

KonTikki · 26/03/2023 09:59

Brilliant scam by Led by Donkeys.
They knew who to target.
The Tories are fast heading to electoral oblivion.
I am so looking forward to that moment.

Original poster
Nimbostratus100 · 26/03/2023 10:41

Ttwinkletoes · 26/03/2023 07:37

And you KNOW that the MPs from other parties wouldn't entertain this when they were in power? Not take a teensy weensy bit of cash for 'advice' or 'introductions' .................. Nah, still can't get worked up about this.

well, labour plan to ban all other sources of income, so I know they won't.

But that is really beside the point, if you genuinely don't care about democracy, then no you wont care how politicians behave, and from your posts it would seem like you don't.

So Matt Hancock and Kwasi Kwarteng's support is coming from people who don't believe in democracy, which says it all really, although it is clear from these videos that they don't believe in it themselves

OP posts:
Original poster
Nimbostratus100 · 26/03/2023 10:43

MisogynyNonConforming · 26/03/2023 07:44

Why just foreign companies? The issue is that they are representing the interests of those businesses' owners rather than the interests of the public.

no it isn't, the issue is they are representing people who can pay them 10k a day over people who can't

They are paid to represent their constituents

OP posts:
RiverRock22 · 26/03/2023 11:00

Ttwinkletoes · 26/03/2023 07:37

And you KNOW that the MPs from other parties wouldn't entertain this when they were in power? Not take a teensy weensy bit of cash for 'advice' or 'introductions' .................. Nah, still can't get worked up about this.

Labour and Lib Dem MPs were approached but declined.

'I can't worked up over this' is applied to all the underhand dealings of the Tories and hence they do whatever they want.