Westministenders: BAH HUMBUG said Mr Rees-Mogg

[RedToothBrush]

"At this festive season of the year, Mr Scrooge Rees-Mogg, ... it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the poor and destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir."

"Are there no prisons hostels?"

"Plenty of prisons hostels..."

"And the Union workhouses foodbanks." demanded Scrooge Jacob. "Are they still in operation?"

"Both very busy, sir..."

"Those who are badly off must go there."

"Many can't go there; and many would rather die."

"If they would rather die," said Scrooge ^Rees-Mogg, "they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population."

He continued "Besides I do not believe that anyone would die without them. I think Theresa is right, there are many complex reasons why nurses go to food banks. The real reason for the rise in numbers is that people know that they are there and Labour deliberately didn't tell them. To have charitable support given by people voluntarily to support their fellow citizens I think is rather uplifting and shows what a good, compassionate country we are"

------------------------

This thread is dedicated to Mrs8 and anyone else who is working to make life just a little better in the difficult circumstances that ALL politicians are currently doing their best to ignore (despite what they profess).

No Deal = even more poverty and destitution.

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HERES HOPING FOR A HAPPIER NEW YEAR
especially to those of you, who might be having a tough time or facing real uncertainity.

Have a few of them been promoting policies just to help their investmant funds?
If so, that's illegal
I cannot see how it would be.

LeClerc I want a genuine enquiry - like Mueller
where guilty people get tried and jailed

Perhaps the public part will have to be later
but there must be an investigation of all this dirty money sloshing around Brexit

Are they just taking advantage of a national brainfart, or did they cause it ?

TiP Depending on what they've done, it could be corruption, or Misconduct in Public Office

Bigchoc
I want a genuine enquiry - like Mueller ....where guilty people get tried and jailed
That will never happen because US and UK law are utterly different

but there must be an investigation of all this dirty money sloshing around Brexit
There has been.
The dirty money is less than £10 million.
The Saville Enquiry in Northern Ireland went on for 15 years cost well over £100,000,000 and resulted in no prosecutions.

Public Inquries solve nothing.
Electoral Reform is the only way to hit the politicians where it hurts.

Depending on what they've done, it could be corruption, or Misconduct in Public Office
Only if they did it AS AN MP rather than a rich git.
As you well know I'm rather au fait with that particular legislation

I read (NYT, Graun ?) that when Trump eventually finishes his term of office, he may face charges, including misusing his office for personal financial gain

(of course, I'll believe it when it happens - if his successor as POTUS is also GOP, he'll probably get a full pardon, like Nixon)

We don't know if they crossed the line, TiP
Judging by their problems counting to 48, they don't seem that bright
We need to find out

I envy a few aspects of the US system, like the Office of Special Prosecutor
UK politicians v rarely get held to account for corruption, at local or national level

Part of reorganisation politics must be to root out corruption
and set up a much better system of checks & investigations

set up a much better system of checks & investigations
definitely
The current standards regime in the UK is not fit for purpose (thanks to Eric Pickles)

Corbyn’s real failing is his refusal to lead

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/corbyn-s-real-failing-is-his-refusal-to-lead-mltvrcb7w

Even faced with May’s chaotic plans for immigration and a no-deal Brexit, Labour still can’t outline a winning policy

.... this should cause a shiver of fear among Labour supporters.
How can the official opposition be trailing a government that has a policy of bulk-buying fridges?

More Operation yellowhammer

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/12/21/michael-gove-recruit-military-planner-amid-food-shortage-fears/amp/?twitterr_impression=true

Michael Gove is expected to become the first minister to recruit a military planner
to address concerns that parts of the UK could run short on food in the event of a no deal Brexitt.

The planner, who will be in place by January,
has been offered to Defra by the Ministry of Defence to help ensure that shops in rural communities have enough food in the event of a "worst case scenario".

It is a major flaw in some of the 'second wave' yellow jacket demands.
The original 'Classic GJ' has some validity as high fuel prices do hurt rural France disproportionately.

Nah - they've always been majority NF and FI both of which are populist parties (basically our version of Lega and Five Star).

High fuel prices hurt people who drive big vehicles, which a lot of these people do.

Peregrina, your reference to the Belgian Flemish-Walloon divide is interesting. I read recently there is a feeling of being hard done on the Flemish part that they do not have the same parity of esteem or clout of their numbers. French had precedence, possibly still has. Although the Flemish are 60% of Belgium. Even enclave of Brussels in Flanders french speaking status too.
The wealth was historically in the southern French speaking parts. Now those industries are declining and more innovative, modern enterprises are being established in the Northern part, Flanders. They are becoming richer. They have a new found confidence and want their population to be reflected in the polity.

Ironically, I was told that, although linguistic siblings, the Dutch are not so enamoured with the Flemish. I wonder if this is because they didn't become part of the Dutch state. I wonder if as Catholic they didn't want to be in a state where there Protestantism was the established state religion and they would be barred from representation there too. Doubly ironic when the Netherland had a population of around 40% Catholic. I would have expected it to be like Britain, but RC was not obliterated. Discriminated against by the state, but not obliterated.

All Christian religious participation now declining greatly in the Netherlands. Even the bible belt. Began earlier with Protestantism, now these past few years with RC. The revelations of historic clerical abuses doing great harm. However, Dutch Catholicism always more embracing of progress and very disappointed about rowing back from Vatican II. Churches being sold off to enable the parishes to operate, albeit on a more streamlined manner.

I digress, but everyone has a backstory I guess. Tensions from a past or current grievance.

The Flemish speaking contingent of Belgium have a point with their grievance. The two languages rubbed alongside each other reasonably well until Napoleon took over and began the process of ‘Frenchification’. French became the high status language of the upper classes and there was no university level education available in Flemish until very late on. It was definitely seen as a ‘lesser’ language.

More relevant to discussion, vis a vis different lay of the land in NI as opposed to Scotland, Wales and England.

I understand how it is important that all parts are treated the same. Especially with Scotland's high remain vote. But all parts do not have parity when not Federal or balanced out by weightings. By pretending that it is equality to have one woman one vote, it just gives the appearance of equality. Englands voice will be always render the voices of the other parts an incidental squeak. And there are national differences to the four nations. If you can call NI one nation.

Read these paragraphs in the quotes on slugger and they are interesting about the difference. The first paragraph is from the GFA.

"Under a new British/Irish Agreement dealing with the totality of relationships, and related legislation at Westminster and in the Oireachtas, North/South Ministerial Council to be established to bring together those with executive responsibilities in Northern Ireland and the Irish Government, to develop consultation, co-operation and action within the island of Ireland - including through implementation on an all-island and cross-border basis - on matters of mutual interest within the competence of the Administrations, North and South."

"Note the all important word "Action" above. This is effectively an organ of (covert) joint sovereignty implementation which dramatically qualifies any pretense at the kind of unquestioned U.K. sovereignty which pertains in the other assemblies. I could go on, but you would probably have found similar glaringly obvious material yourself if you had looked at the text again carefully before posting."

NI is not even currently simply like the other 3 nations. These may not have been properly implemented, but they are stated.

"NI is the only part of the UK whose constitutional status is explicitly, de jure, provisional"

I’ve missed two threads and only just caught up with this one. Got some catch up reading to do.

Slightly off topic, but Paddy Ashdown has died.

That’s very sad.

I missed hearing earlier about his bladder cancer
A shock too that he was 77 - I visualise him still as middle-aged

He notably promised to eat his hat - but didn't - if the 2015 exit poll was correct in showing that the LDems would lose most of their MPs

Sad news about Paddy

That is sad.

I bumped into Paddy Ashdon once at my university union. Literally.

I split his coffee.

Sad to see him go. He kept his word to eat his hat. Even if it was a cake. That's more than any of the current lot would do.

PMK - got a bit behind! On our usual Christmas tour of the UK visiting family and friends.

Oh look. It's Arron Banks seemingly up to no good.

Again.

amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/dec/22/arron-banks-questions-uncut-diamond-south-africa?__twitter_impression=true
Brexit backer Arron Banks faces questions over uncut diamond

Controversial businessman Arron Banks is facing questions from anti-corruption campaigners over a valuable uncut diamond from South Africa that he may have smuggled out of the country, evading thousands of pounds in taxes and flouting controls on the international movement of diamonds set up to prevent the sale of “conflict gems”.

The allegations, made by Forensics for Justice, are based on an email from Banks to a business partner, which the organisation says it collected from the recipient. It forms part of a dossier it compiled this year on Banks’s business dealings in South Africa and Lesotho.

The non-profit group, committed to investigating claims of corruption across Africa, says it spent months digging into Banks’s business dealings. It has reported him and business associates to authorities in Britain and South Africa, claiming its evidence suggests links to crimes relating to diamonds and corruption

The Observer has learned that the National Crime Agency, which is investigating the source of Banks’s £8m donation to a Brexit campaign, has made enquiries about his business dealings in the region. Banks has said previously that the money he donated to Brexit came from his UK businesses, and there is no suggestion it came from southern Africa.

And

O’Sullivan also said South African officials told his team that Banks and his company were not authorised as diamond exporters. Kimber also said in a sworn statement that Banks was not an authorised exporter, and “No diamonds have yet been lawfully exported from South Africa to Banks (from his own mines).”

Man owns diamond mines

Man owns jeweller in Bristol

Man has not imported his own diamonds to his own jewellery business.

What kind of man is this?!

Tim Shipman @shippersunbound
I'm as sad about Paddy Ashdown as I was about John McCain. Similar figures in many ways: heroic action men who became principled and occasionally cantankerous politicians. Leaders who saw opponents as rivals not enemies. Men who liked a good drink and a story. Gutted

www.independent.co.uk/news/brexit-deal-latest-theresa-may-ghost-policies-workers-abused-women-eu-a8694616.html?amp&utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter&__twitter_impression=true
Brexit paralysis: Theresa May shelves flagship 'ghost policies' for workers, householders and abused women
Prime minister accused of ‘repeated consultations, endless delays and vague promises of legislation that simply never appear’ – despite vow to tackle ‘burning injustices’