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Great header from @Cyclefree

I think the Greensill affair will go the way of Salmond, bogged down in detail that bores the public. It will leave behind a stink but not a fatal one.

We just expect politicians to shovel money to their mates nowadays. We are in the age of a gilded kleptocracy, which is pretty much where populist governments wind up.

I thought you were a fan of the coalition government? That's who's bent, not the current administration (they might be too, but from what I can tell Sunak did everything right).

Yes, by and large I was a supporter of the Coalition. That doesn't make me blind to the sleaze, and I think that the key events were under Tory control, and/or after 2015.

The lack of wanting to own the coalition record in government is why the Lib Dems got their arses hand to them by the electorate.

This is one of those weird statements that I see repeated as fact a lot.

Simply going into coalition with the Tories broke the Lib Dems in the eyes of many voters.

In 2010 they got 18.9% of the vote in Scotland, in 2011 they got 8% - losing over half their vote. This was not down to failing to own their record in government.

Yes, that is true, and they never regained that ground. They did some great stuff in government though, particularly Lamb, Davey, Alexander, Laws, and perhaps most importantly Webb.

Cess pit

https://twitter.com/MrHarryCole/status/1382378312115355653

NEW: Simon Case letter to Perm Secs: "serious issues have come to light which are of acute concern for us as the senior leadership team of the Civil Service"
They have until Fri to declare "any instances of senior civil servants holding remunerated positions or other interests".

It is astonishing that it is not already a requirement to (a) inform managers first; (b) get approval before taking such a role; and (c) keep a central record of such people, their roles and all the other information necessary to manage any conflicts of interest. This is basic stuff.

As a bare minimum the Civil Service should have a Conflicts of Interest policy and an Outside Business Interests Policy.

If they don't I can draft them for them. I'll throw in the necessary training and the inevitable investigations as well.

Great header from @Cyclefree

I think the Greensill affair will go the way of Salmond, bogged down in detail that bores the public. It will leave behind a stink but not a fatal one.

We just expect politicians to shovel money to their mates nowadays. We are in the age of a gilded kleptocracy, which is pretty much where populist governments wind up.

Tory sleaze proved to be a winner for LAB at the end of the Major government. And Starmer did well today getting that message across.

The trouble is that by the end of the last Labour government it was largely Labour MPs being charged and imprisoned for fraud.

And do you know who charged them?

Keir Starmer.

So you are saying he busts crims without favour? That's probably the most positive thing said about him on here for weeks.

As DPP, one would hope so. The point is that Labour sleaze is as prevalent as the Tory type, and voters don't distinguish, so the impact on voting intention is minimal.

Nah, it is sleaze in government that bothers them. "Chuck 'em out, the scoundrels" applies to governments not oppositions.

So if, according to you, the government is so very sleazy, why do the voters appear not to give a toss about it?

Taxpayers haven’t yet got the bill for all these favours , but when it comes people are not going to be happy.

Great header from @Cyclefree

I think the Greensill affair will go the way of Salmond, bogged down in detail that bores the public. It will leave behind a stink but not a fatal one.

We just expect politicians to shovel money to their mates nowadays. We are in the age of a gilded kleptocracy, which is pretty much where populist governments wind up.

I thought you were a fan of the coalition government? That's who's bent, not the current administration (they might be too, but from what I can tell Sunak did everything right).

Yes, by and large I was a supporter of the Coalition. That doesn't make me blind to the sleaze, and I think that the key events were under Tory control, and/or after 2015.

The lack of wanting to own the coalition record in government is why the Lib Dems got their arses hand to them by the electorate.