Angela Raynor (and the Lock her Up! Brigade)

[Itradehorses]

So Angela Raynor allegedly gave the wrong address to the post office or something, and underpaid her tax bill ten years ago by the cost of a big shop, and this gets the Tories excited. Meanwhile, one of their MPs is defrauding campaign funds and other folks, they know, and don't tell the police for three months. James Daly MP must be furious. Am I right?

CHEESEY13
She's rock solid Working Class - that fact alone is enough for "Our Betters" of the Tory party to try to have her sent to the guillotine

Are the former neighbours contradicting her story not rock solid working class themselves? The one calling Angela Rayner "a f*ing liar" sounds very working class to me.

Lord Ashcroft

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41879422

That’s a good piece from Alan Rusbridger in Prospect magazine

Alan Rusbridger previously said of Dominic Cummings;

Barnard Castle story just doesn't add up - remember the media frenzy then.

Angela Rayner's story about her living arrangements doesn't add up either.

Andrew Rawnsley has an interesting take in the Observer. Basically the Tories had better make this stick or it will boomerang back on them and what is left of their credibility.

The other thing is time. The police do not have to work to political time. There is therefore every chance that this investigation is still running at the election. Who knows the effect of that?

lavenderlou
Not only down to political party - the following was written by former CONSERVATIVE MP Nick Boles

Is this the same Nick Boles?

A former Tory minister and arch-Remainer has vowed to do everything he can to help Labour succeed as he advises Sir Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet on preparing for power...

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/02/19/help-labour-succeed-ex-tory-minister-nick-boles/

The main issue if the difference in treatment between the Tories and their mates and Angela Rayner.

If she has done something wrong then fair enough but I want to see the same scrutiny and police action for:

Gove; Johnson; Hancock; all these MPs accused of sexual assaults or involved in these bizarre recent blackmail scandals or misusing tax pay money through dodgy expenses; Michelle More and Dido Harding and all the others who benefited from Covid; Sunak's wife and her tax affairs; Farage's alleged links to Russia; whatever Suella Braverman is doing cosying up to extremist right wing groups at events.

Because at it stands it is just a political witch hunt against one person while much bigger deeds are being ignored as long as the person is a Tory.

DuncinToffee
A reminder that the police have already cleared Angela Rayner

To be fair - the police cleared a woman called Angela Raynor in their response to James Daly - not Angela Rayner (the police spelt her surname incorrectly as well).

In his complaint to Greater Manchester police, James Daly enquired whether they had looked at the right person on the electoral register - there was indeed a woman called Angela Raynor registered in the Greater Manchester area at that time as well - I've just checked myself.

Neither did the police contact any of the witnesses/neighbours during their 'investigation'.

James Daly is refusing to say what she is being investigated for this time

To be fair again - James Daly was born and brought up in Huddersfield.

According to Labour's David Lammy, people born in the North of England deserve some slack because they are less intelligent than he is.

To be fair Clav, you still defend Boris Johnson.

I love Boris.

I would love it if the basis of James Daly's complaint was to check if the Police had misspelt "Raynor". Let's see the letter he sent them.

As a lifelong Labour voter, I know there are dirty trick on all sides of the political spectrum. Any MP, regardless of their Party, status or background, needs to be held in the highest regard in terms of integrity.
“I’m a working class woman therefore you should just accept my word’ holds absolutely no sway.

@Clavinova are you one of Boris's baby mamas? Second thoughts, guess not or you wouldn't love him. Boris reminds me of Reginald Rake from The Scarecrows' Wedding.

@Soontobe60 it's a dirty tricks campaign because it's free of substance. It's about hammering a weak allegation, engaging a process, and putting a smell on AR: as there will be those who will be influenced by the fact of an investigation. The undertones of misogyny and classism are separate, but equalling disturbing issues.

Startingagainandagain
Dido Harding and all the others who benefited from Covid

Dido Harding was seconded from her existing NHS/public health post to run Test and Trace for a year. The Test and Trace position didn't have an extra salary attached - something the Good Law Project complained about because (they argued) it dissuaded ethnic minority and disabled groups from applying for such positions. You seem to be 'smearing' Dido Harding without any grounds to do so.

How do you know it’s ‘free of substance’?
An allegation has been made, no satisfactory explanation has been provided. Are we supposed to just ignore it? People have been influenced by the fact of an investigation on both sides - Labour supporters ‘how dare those nasty Conservatives claim such a thing’ and conservative supporters ‘How dare the nasty woman avoid scrutiny’. Its a lose lose situation now.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/apr/21/the-tories-are-playing-a-risky-game-with-their-relentless-pursuit-of-angela-rayner

HMRC have had a satisfactory explanation and say there is nothing to see. The police have already investigated and had a satisfactory explanation and said there's no crime. Her party and party leaders have had a satisfactory explanation. But sad little tory toffs and their pathetic, cap doffing minions refuse to let it go because they're scared of a strong, working class woman. The general public, as evidenced by the QT audience see right through it and are annoyed by the energy and resources being wasted on a nasty, toxic witchhunt.

MrTiddlesTheCat
HMRC have had a satisfactory explanation and say there is nothing to see. The police have already investigated and had a satisfactory explanation and said there's no crime. Her party and party leaders have had a satisfactory explanation

If Angela Rayner has already given a satisfactory explanation, why did her spokesperson say this;

"Angela looks forward to sitting down with the appropriate authorities, including the police and HMRC, to set out the facts and draw a line under this matter".

Dunno. Ask them.

MrTiddlesTheCat
Dunno. Ask them

The obvious answer is, she hadn't spoken to either HMRC or the police as you suggested.

Given there's a police investigation it's pretty much nailed on that they will speak to her unless the evidence is son thin the investigation doesn't get off the ground.

If HMRC think there's wrongdoing they'll approach her.

@Bromptotoo has it. Unless there is enough for an interview you can assume that Angela Rayner is probably in the clear. This is why you have all the headlines about finding or not finding evidence.

The longer it goes on for without an interview the less merit there would seem to be. And the Conservatives are definitely not in charge of that decision

Startingagainandagain
The main issue if the difference in treatment between the Tories and their mates and Angela Rayner.
If she has done something wrong then fair enough but I want to see the same scrutiny and police action for:

Michelle More

Michelle Mone has assets frozen amid National Crime Agency investigation

Are you suggesting the NCA freeze Angela Rayner's assets as well?

https://www.itv.com/news/2024-01-26/michelle-mone-has-assets-frozen-amid-national-crime-agency-investigation

Johnson; Hancock

Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock have had extensive scrutiny in the media and Johnson received a fixed penalty notice.

Sunak's wife and her tax affairs

Rishi Sunak's wife was taking advantage of a perfectly legal tax status - which the last Labour government had plenty of opportunity to scrap if they had wished to do so. Except that a number of Labour's wealthy donors at the time were non-doms themselves - plus the scheme benefited London's financial sector.

is it a mistake so shocking that it really needs 3 exclamation marks?

It's the second thread on the subject where the OP has made that mistake.