Grateful to @GuidoFawkes for the following; Last year for 106 hours work outside Parliament Starmer earned £25,935; hourly rate £247. Lib Dem leader Ed Davey £78K for 120 hours; hourly rate £650. SNP'S Ian Blackford £38,967 for 32 hours; Hourly rate £1,217. Where's that trough.
The BBC were having a go at Ed Davy yesterday and I believe Starmer was also confronted on his additional earnings
The problem for the government is the risk that the whole Randox getting a multi million Covid-19 contract becomes an issue embedded in public consciousness.
Grateful to @GuidoFawkes for the following; Last year for 106 hours work outside Parliament Starmer earned £25,935; hourly rate £247. Lib Dem leader Ed Davey £78K for 120 hours; hourly rate £650. SNP'S Ian Blackford £38,967 for 32 hours; Hourly rate £1,217. Where's that trough.
I assume mostly media work for all of them. A lot of MPs do columns etc on all sides.
The question is whether desperate defend the indefensible Boris rampers think this will sufficiently distract from Paterson. Or Randox. Or Cox. Or Johnson himself which is of course the whole point in the exercise.
It seems Keir Starmer has billed £113,975 in second job fees since becoming an MP in 2015 - of which £25,934.18 were in the past twelve months alone while Leader of the Opposition.
Ed Davey has trousered £78,000 a year on the side and Ian Blackford £38,797 in a year.
Not just Tories, it seems.
That is the problem with "sleaze". Everybody in politics gets hurt.
When I was a kid downunder in the 90s just getting into politics there was a sleaze scandal that kicked off. One day there'd be a Coalition MP in the news, the next a Labor MP, with people digging for dirt on their opponents and even reports of people's bins being looked through.
That scandal ended with the suicide of an MP who'd been accused of wrongdoing. From memory it was something like claiming Air Miles from flights paid for on expenses and keeping the Air Miles for himself. After the suicide the scandal suddenly stopped ... Both sides basically did a ceasefire saying it wasn't helping anyone throwing mud at their opponents like that.
Much is written on here and elsewhere about 'levelling up'. There is a great deal of cynicism and doubt that it means anything.
Here in Cambridgeshire, it increasingly looks as though the March to Wisbech railway line will reopen - perhaps by 2028. Whilst that is after the next election, initial ?exploratory? works are already underway.
Before anyone says 'Wisbech isn't the north!'; it is a relatively poor town (it has a significant issue with child poverty), with poor transport links - the single-carriageway A47 bring the main link. If the A47 dualling is funded as well, then these transport links will be transformative for the town and its area.
This will get noticed.
Was there recently several Polish shops and looked pretty run down but some lovely old buildings there. We didn't stay long.
There are some superb Georgian buildings, especially along the waterfront. But much of it is rather rundown. There is, in particular, a children's playground on a scrap of grass, very unkempt, with (from memory) just one set of swings beside some pallisade fencing.
Wisbech could be a gem. But it is very much in the middle of the sticks, with poor connectivity.
Although personally, I think they should rebuild the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway. Bring back Tpby!
The whole area among the most under rated in England. Not only Toby, a hero in this household, but the church at Walpole St Peter, which Betjeman describes as "the finest of all" - and it is -, West Walton and others; and the area is the setting for one of the greatest detective novels, 'The Nine Tailors'. And it is not far from Algarkirk and Sutterton.
See it while you can. It will all be under water soon unless Greta Thunberg is completely wrong. Some of it is below sea level already.
I did say that a shower of shit would also descend upon Labour. .. and it has.. KJH and others accused me of being cynical. If cynical is being right. I am fine with that.
Yep but that never cuts through in the same way. Whilst I have no doubt that there's corruption, and let's not use any euphemisms here, across the spectrum, not only do the tories seem to have it down to a fine art, the point is that it's ALWAYS the governing party who cops it most.
You may think that's unreasonable, but it's not untrue.
That Boris trip to the hospital yesterday. We know that he wore a mask because he was photographed at a distance wearing one. Mask wearing remains a legal requirement in hospitals.
So why did he choose to have all the official photos taken with the mask off in breach of the law? That shot of him breathing over a lineup of nurses doesn't look great. What is the rationale, and who is the press officer with him managing all this?
Same question with the "I can't attend the debate, I am away". That sounds like an excuse at best. Much more so when you aren't away and arrive back into London with 2 hours of the debate left to run. Surely someone in his team can see how bad this looks - extend the visit.
Either the number 10 team are Corbyn-level useless at optics or the PM overrules them and its him who is shit at optics. As with recent days, its unforced error after unforced error.
One is that a trade war, especially one the EU wins, could well change "rejoin in 20 years" to "never rejoin". It will be ugly. But it will secure the VL legacy.
Nope
I think if the EU wins the trade war, it will intensify the culture war here.
Young urban professionals blaming pensioners for voting against their prosperity.
Much is written on here and elsewhere about 'levelling up'. There is a great deal of cynicism and doubt that it means anything.
Here in Cambridgeshire, it increasingly looks as though the March to Wisbech railway line will reopen - perhaps by 2028. Whilst that is after the next election, initial ?exploratory? works are already underway.
Before anyone says 'Wisbech isn't the north!'; it is a relatively poor town (it has a significant issue with child poverty), with poor transport links - the single-carriageway A47 bring the main link. If the A47 dualling is funded as well, then these transport links will be transformative for the town and its area.
This will get noticed.
Was there recently several Polish shops and looked pretty run down but some lovely old buildings there. We didn't stay long.
There are some superb Georgian buildings, especially along the waterfront. But much of it is rather rundown. There is, in particular, a children's playground on a scrap of grass, very unkempt, with (from memory) just one set of swings beside some pallisade fencing.
Wisbech could be a gem. But it is very much in the middle of the sticks, with poor connectivity.
Although personally, I think they should rebuild the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway. Bring back Tpby!
The future for places like Wisbech is as commuter dormitories for the local “metro”, which would be Cambridge in this case.
I see there is an occasionally 30 minute connection by train…
They point is to rebuild the rail link for passengers - the freight line has been unused for years. But yes, it looks as though the main connection will be with Cambridge.
AIUI it's actually a major job, as there are level crossings that need replacing by bridges.
A combination of Treasury “orthodoxy”, gross centralisation, and a soviet-style planning regime acts as a massive sandbag on U.K. productivity.
It should be possible to get into Cambridge within 30 odd minutes from Wisbech, Peterborough, Bedford, Bury and even Luton.
Cambridge is one of the innovation hubs of Europe, with house prices to match, surrounded by vast acres of deprivation.
Bury to Cambridge in 30 minutes would be impressive. The tram from Bury to Manchester Piccadilly is 35 minutes.
Cambridge is one of the innovation hubs of Europe, with house prices to match, surrounded by vast acres of deprivation.
"... vast areas of deprivation ..."
Time for a trip to Ebbw Vale for @Gardenwalker to see what deprivation means.
The Cambridge hinterland -- the affluent towns and villages like Histon or Shelford or Burwell -- are not "vast areas of deprivation".
They are mainly full of middle-class folk living in half million pound houses, bitching about how they have to commute into Cambridge because they can't afford a million pound house in the shadow of the Colleges.
Much is written on here and elsewhere about 'levelling up'. There is a great deal of cynicism and doubt that it means anything.
Here in Cambridgeshire, it increasingly looks as though the March to Wisbech railway line will reopen - perhaps by 2028. Whilst that is after the next election, initial ?exploratory? works are already underway.
Before anyone says 'Wisbech isn't the north!'; it is a relatively poor town (it has a significant issue with child poverty), with poor transport links - the single-carriageway A47 bring the main link. If the A47 dualling is funded as well, then these transport links will be transformative for the town and its area.
This will get noticed.
Was there recently several Polish shops and looked pretty run down but some lovely old buildings there. We didn't stay long.
There are some superb Georgian buildings, especially along the waterfront. But much of it is rather rundown. There is, in particular, a children's playground on a scrap of grass, very unkempt, with (from memory) just one set of swings beside some pallisade fencing.
Wisbech could be a gem. But it is very much in the middle of the sticks, with poor connectivity.
Although personally, I think they should rebuild the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway. Bring back Tpby!
The future for places like Wisbech is as commuter dormitories for the local “metro”, which would be Cambridge in this case.
I see there is an occasionally 30 minute connection by train…
They point is to rebuild the rail link for passengers - the freight line has been unused for years. But yes, it looks as though the main connection will be with Cambridge.
AIUI it's actually a major job, as there are level crossings that need replacing by bridges.
A combination of Treasury “orthodoxy”, gross centralisation, and a soviet-style planning regime acts as a massive sandbag on U.K. productivity.
It should be possible to get into Cambridge within 30 odd minutes from Wisbech, Peterborough, Bedford, Bury and even Luton.
Cambridge is one of the innovation hubs of Europe, with house prices to match, surrounded by vast acres of deprivation.
Bury to Cambridge in 30 minutes would be impressive. The tram from Bury to Manchester Piccadilly is 35 minutes.
Bury St Edmunds is widely known locally as Bury. Can cause confusion for a visiting Lancastrian!
Much is written on here and elsewhere about 'levelling up'. There is a great deal of cynicism and doubt that it means anything.
Here in Cambridgeshire, it increasingly looks as though the March to Wisbech railway line will reopen - perhaps by 2028. Whilst that is after the next election, initial ?exploratory? works are already underway.
Before anyone says 'Wisbech isn't the north!'; it is a relatively poor town (it has a significant issue with child poverty), with poor transport links - the single-carriageway A47 bring the main link. If the A47 dualling is funded as well, then these transport links will be transformative for the town and its area.
This will get noticed.
Was there recently several Polish shops and looked pretty run down but some lovely old buildings there. We didn't stay long.
There are some superb Georgian buildings, especially along the waterfront. But much of it is rather rundown. There is, in particular, a children's playground on a scrap of grass, very unkempt, with (from memory) just one set of swings beside some pallisade fencing.
Wisbech could be a gem. But it is very much in the middle of the sticks, with poor connectivity.
Although personally, I think they should rebuild the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway. Bring back Tpby!
Personally, I'd be quite happy to ban lawyers/barristers from the House of Commons -- on the grounds that there are already far too many of them -- but if you let them in, it is not clear why they should not continue to practice.
It's a sign that we're in the frenzied piranha stage of this meta-scandal. A lot of people who have done things that are completely within the rules, but can be made to look adjacent to wrongdoing, will get caught up in the storm.
Grateful to @GuidoFawkes for the following; Last year for 106 hours work outside Parliament Starmer earned £25,935; hourly rate £247. Lib Dem leader Ed Davey £78K for 120 hours; hourly rate £650. SNP'S Ian Blackford £38,967 for 32 hours; Hourly rate £1,217. Where's that trough.
I assume mostly media work for all of them. A lot of MPs do columns etc on all sides.
The question is whether desperate defend the indefensible Boris rampers think this will sufficiently distract from Paterson. Or Randox. Or Cox. Or Johnson himself which is of course the whole point in the exercise.
As soon as you read "investment firm" it isn't great. But the opposition can all skate across this - target their fire on all the dodgy contracts. Opposition MPs can't get contracts awarded or peerages granted or planning applications given in exchange for consultancy work however iffy. Only the government can do that.
It isn't "Paterson worked for Randox" that has resonated. It is "Paterson worked for Randox, they won all kinds of questionable contracts without tender, he was on phone calls" that is still echoing. Less of an issue for Blackford et al however iffy their "investment firm" consultancy looks.
I did say that a shower of shit would also descend upon Labour. .. and it has.. KJH and others accused me of being cynical. If cynical is being right. I am fine with that.
Yep but that never cuts through in the same way. Whilst I have no doubt that there's corruption, and let's not use any euphemisms here, across the spectrum, not only do the tories seem to have it down to a fine art, the point is that it's ALWAYS the governing party who cops it most.
You may think that's unreasonable, but it's not untrue.
True. Plus, I think the true shit shower here will not be 100,000 a year consultancies but 7 figure bungs over ppe contracts. That’s what I'd be looking for as a journalist
Cambridge is one of the innovation hubs of Europe, with house prices to match, surrounded by vast acres of deprivation.
"... vast areas of deprivation ..."
Time for a trip to Ebbw Vale for @Gardenwalker to see what deprivation means.
The Cambridge hinterland -- the affluent towns and villages like Histon or Shelford or Burwell -- are not "vast areas of deprivation".
They are mainly full of middle-class folk living in half million pound houses, bitching about how they have to commute into Cambridge because they can't afford a million pound house in the shadow of the Colleges.
That is not deprivation. That is envy.
As one gets further away from Cambridge, and indeed Norwich, and into Fenland the 'less good' things look.
One thing that will distress Johnson about reports of some Tory MPs' vast outside earnings will be envy that he cannot, yet, rival those sums because being prime minister is such a chore. https://twitter.com/rafaelbehr/status/1457986351870185474
Presumably for a lot of Tory MPs it's the second job that pays the school fees or keeps the spouse sweet with the long hours and boring constituency duties by funding the new kitchen or the occasional holiday somewhere nice. They won't appreciate having to give that up one bit.
Truss is also even more unpopular than Boris, with a rating of -24% as a potential good PM with the public in yesterdays' Mori, even worse than Boris' -21% and below Starmer's -16%.
By contrast Sunak is more popular than all of them, with a rating of -9% on whether he would make a good PM
Personally, I'd be quite happy to ban lawyers/barristers from the House of Commons -- on the grounds that there are already far too many of them -- but if you let them in, it is not clear why they should not continue to practice.
It's a sign that we're in the frenzied piranha stage of this meta-scandal. A lot of people who have done things that are completely within the rules, but can be made to look adjacent to wrongdoing, will get caught up in the storm.
And yet only the other day the minister insisted this was a storm in a teacup. It has legs boys and girls, and they won't stop sprinting until the lions have made off with some more political careers.
Grateful to @GuidoFawkes for the following; Last year for 106 hours work outside Parliament Starmer earned £25,935; hourly rate £247. Lib Dem leader Ed Davey £78K for 120 hours; hourly rate £650. SNP'S Ian Blackford £38,967 for 32 hours; Hourly rate £1,217. Where's that trough.
I assume mostly media work for all of them. A lot of MPs do columns etc on all sides.
The question is whether desperate defend the indefensible Boris rampers think this will sufficiently distract from Paterson. Or Randox. Or Cox. Or Johnson himself which is of course the whole point in the exercise.
As soon as you read "investment firm" it isn't great. But the opposition can all skate across this - target their fire on all the dodgy contracts. Opposition MPs can't get contracts awarded or peerages granted or planning applications given in exchange for consultancy work however iffy. Only the government can do that.
It isn't "Paterson worked for Randox" that has resonated. It is "Paterson worked for Randox, they won all kinds of questionable contracts without tender, he was on phone calls" that is still echoing. Less of an issue for Blackford et al however iffy their "investment firm" consultancy looks.
I have to say, I don't think Randox is the issue. It's the fact that the government tried to stop one of their own MPs from being punished that's caused the problem.
Johnson's miscalculation about the sleaze is breathtaking. They are STILL thinking it's just a storm in a teacup. They don't seem to realise just how bloody angry this has made people. Their people.
We've spent best part of 2 years under the cosh and his tory MPs don't seem to give a flying fig about the sweat and toil, the hardships, the sacrifices.
On a personal level there are lots of things about this which have incensed me and it's hard to single out one, but the idea that Johnson should fly by private jet from the Glasgow climate change summit in order to have dinner at the Garrick Club with his chum and Telegraph mentor Charles Moore really sticks in the throat. But there are bigger issues than that, over which Boris Johnson is trampling with his usual ebullient, arrogant, blustering, cavalier buffoonery.
This time the turning of the tide is for real.
Oh jeez Heathener, Boris has lost you?
It really is all over, you've been so effusive in your praise for the Tories before.
If Boris loses kinabalu, roger, Rochdale and malcolmg next then that we may as well do the last rites on his Premiership.
There's clearly a lot of Tory voters who are very angry.
Oh that's absolutely true.
But having 'the usual suspects' say why they're incensed when they're always incensed is just amusing.
Its like having Scott post an anti-Brexit Tweet - that's a real gamechanger, isn't it? 😂
And thats fine. Its just that in attacking us / the Daily Express et al you are providing tacit support to Geoffrey Cox. Who trousered your money. To sit all expenses paid in the Caribbean. Trousering even more money. To defend a British colony who have been trousering yet more money.
Its an odd hill to defend, even for you.
I'm not defending Cox, or other lawyer MPs who've been trousering money on the side of being an MP, whether they be a backbencher like Cox, or the Leader of the Opposition.
No? Sounds like it.
How MPs make cash and spend their time is a matter for their constituents when they vote in elections; except when they are using their skills to take money to perform politically on behalf of causes they are being paid by when it is a different matter.
Being an MP could be a part time job and unpaid anyway, as it has been in most of parliamentary history.
One is that a trade war, especially one the EU wins, could well change "rejoin in 20 years" to "never rejoin". It will be ugly. But it will secure the VL legacy.
Nope
I think if the EU wins the trade war, it will intensify the culture war here.
Young urban professionals blaming pensioners for voting against their prosperity.
Cambridge is one of the innovation hubs of Europe, with house prices to match, surrounded by vast acres of deprivation.
"... vast areas of deprivation ..."
Time for a trip to Ebbw Vale for @Gardenwalker to see what deprivation means.
The Cambridge hinterland -- the affluent towns and villages like Histon or Shelford or Burwell -- are not "vast areas of deprivation".
They are mainly full of middle-class folk living in half million pound houses, bitching about how they have to commute into Cambridge because they can't afford a million pound house in the shadow of the Colleges.
That is not deprivation. That is envy.
As one gets further away from Cambridge, and indeed Norwich, and into Fenland the 'less good' things look.
But I agree, there are much worse areas.
That is true. Some of the Fenland towns look poor & down at heel, compared to Cambridge.
But, compared to Ebbw Vale ... they look like Xanadu.
Much is written on here and elsewhere about 'levelling up'. There is a great deal of cynicism and doubt that it means anything.
Here in Cambridgeshire, it increasingly looks as though the March to Wisbech railway line will reopen - perhaps by 2028. Whilst that is after the next election, initial ?exploratory? works are already underway.
Before anyone says 'Wisbech isn't the north!'; it is a relatively poor town (it has a significant issue with child poverty), with poor transport links - the single-carriageway A47 bring the main link. If the A47 dualling is funded as well, then these transport links will be transformative for the town and its area.
This will get noticed.
Was there recently several Polish shops and looked pretty run down but some lovely old buildings there. We didn't stay long.
There are some superb Georgian buildings, especially along the waterfront. But much of it is rather rundown. There is, in particular, a children's playground on a scrap of grass, very unkempt, with (from memory) just one set of swings beside some pallisade fencing.
Wisbech could be a gem. But it is very much in the middle of the sticks, with poor connectivity.
Although personally, I think they should rebuild the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway. Bring back Tpby!
The future for places like Wisbech is as commuter dormitories for the local “metro”, which would be Cambridge in this case.
I see there is an occasionally 30 minute connection by train…
They point is to rebuild the rail link for passengers - the freight line has been unused for years. But yes, it looks as though the main connection will be with Cambridge.
AIUI it's actually a major job, as there are level crossings that need replacing by bridges.
A combination of Treasury “orthodoxy”, gross centralisation, and a soviet-style planning regime acts as a massive sandbag on U.K. productivity.
It should be possible to get into Cambridge within 30 odd minutes from Wisbech, Peterborough, Bedford, Bury and even Luton.
Cambridge is one of the innovation hubs of Europe, with house prices to match, surrounded by vast acres of deprivation.
Bury to Cambridge in 30 minutes would be impressive. The tram from Bury to Manchester Piccadilly is 35 minutes.
Bury St Edmunds, I guess.
And whilst the immediate necklace round Cambridge is incredibly comfortable, it gets surprisingly grim once you get north of Ely. It is all about the transport links.
Grateful to @GuidoFawkes for the following; Last year for 106 hours work outside Parliament Starmer earned £25,935; hourly rate £247. Lib Dem leader Ed Davey £78K for 120 hours; hourly rate £650. SNP'S Ian Blackford £38,967 for 32 hours; Hourly rate £1,217. Where's that trough.
I assume mostly media work for all of them. A lot of MPs do columns etc on all sides.
The question is whether desperate defend the indefensible Boris rampers think this will sufficiently distract from Paterson. Or Randox. Or Cox. Or Johnson himself which is of course the whole point in the exercise.
As soon as you read "investment firm" it isn't great. But the opposition can all skate across this - target their fire on all the dodgy contracts. Opposition MPs can't get contracts awarded or peerages granted or planning applications given in exchange for consultancy work however iffy. Only the government can do that.
It isn't "Paterson worked for Randox" that has resonated. It is "Paterson worked for Randox, they won all kinds of questionable contracts without tender, he was on phone calls" that is still echoing. Less of an issue for Blackford et al however iffy their "investment firm" consultancy looks.
I think you misjudge the voters
They do not hear or even know the detail, they just know he was found guilty of inappropriate behaviour and there was a cover up to defer or overcome his penalty by Boris and others
Personally, I'd be quite happy to ban lawyers/barristers from the House of Commons -- on the grounds that there are already far too many of them -- but if you let them in, it is not clear why they should not continue to practice.
You could, I think argue, that as nurses and doctors need to continue to practice, to retain registration and skills, that the same applies to lawyers.
The situation is completely different. MPs get to make the law. That should be enough to enable them to keep up to date.
When Stuart Bell was looking after his Middlesbrough constituents from the comfort of his Paris home the Tories were less keen on this sort of arrangement. Odd that.
Its the same thing with Teesside PCC Steve Turner. Local Tories tore into Labour's Barry Coppinger for egregious crimes like communicating with the Chief Constable on WhatsApp. made him wholly unfit for office.
Now that we have their PCC having failed to declare a police caution and now being investigated on far more serious charges? Absolute radio silence. Its as if they apply different standards to themselves than they do to everyone else. And it isn't going unnoticed - the Northern Echo has been harrying the gobby local Tories who endlessly fed them lines about Coppinger for the same about Turner's far worse issues. And turning their refusal into front page stories.
Hypocricy and incompetence and double standards. Never positive attributes in politics.
Never trust any politician. They will always let you down.
There are lots of decent hard working politicians who go into it for the right reasons from all parties and lots of hard working volunteers behind them who provide time and money for no expected return.
I used to be heavily involved at a relatively senior level and never received or expected to receive a penny. I was lucky enough to be able to do this nearly full time at times, because I was financially secure,. Many give what limited time they have. Regardless of our differences I can say that the Tories l opposed (l was always in LD/Tory fights) were the same. In particular one Tory Agent was one of the most decent persons you could meet, but he was a formidable opponent.
Personally, I'd be quite happy to ban lawyers/barristers from the House of Commons -- on the grounds that there are already far too many of them -- but if you let them in, it is not clear why they should not continue to practice.
It's a sign that we're in the frenzied piranha stage of this meta-scandal. A lot of people who have done things that are completely within the rules, but can be made to look adjacent to wrongdoing, will get caught up in the storm.
And yet only the other day the minister insisted this was a storm in a teacup. It has legs boys and girls, and they won't stop sprinting until the lions have made off with some more political careers.
To change predators, I wonder who (else) will be thrown to the wolves?
Cambridge is one of the innovation hubs of Europe, with house prices to match, surrounded by vast acres of deprivation.
"... vast areas of deprivation ..."
Time for a trip to Ebbw Vale for @Gardenwalker to see what deprivation means.
The Cambridge hinterland -- the affluent towns and villages like Histon or Shelford or Burwell -- are not "vast areas of deprivation".
They are mainly full of middle-class folk living in half million pound houses, bitching about how they have to commute into Cambridge because they can't afford a million pound house in the shadow of the Colleges.
That is not deprivation. That is envy.
As one gets further away from Cambridge, and indeed Norwich, and into Fenland the 'less good' things look.
But I agree, there are much worse areas.
The whole area is depressing AF. The never ending flatness of it. I spent three years at university in the East Anglia area and my heart used to sink as I waited for a train connection at Peterborough, every term.
Johnson's miscalculation about the sleaze is breathtaking. They are STILL thinking it's just a storm in a teacup. They don't seem to realise just how bloody angry this has made people. Their people.
We've spent best part of 2 years under the cosh and his tory MPs don't seem to give a flying fig about the sweat and toil, the hardships, the sacrifices.
On a personal level there are lots of things about this which have incensed me and it's hard to single out one, but the idea that Johnson should fly by private jet from the Glasgow climate change summit in order to have dinner at the Garrick Club with his chum and Telegraph mentor Charles Moore really sticks in the throat. But there are bigger issues than that, over which Boris Johnson is trampling with his usual ebullient, arrogant, blustering, cavalier buffoonery.
This time the turning of the tide is for real.
Oh jeez Heathener, Boris has lost you?
It really is all over, you've been so effusive in your praise for the Tories before.
If Boris loses kinabalu, roger, Rochdale and malcolmg next then that we may as well do the last rites on his Premiership.
There's clearly a lot of Tory voters who are very angry.
Oh that's absolutely true.
But having 'the usual suspects' say why they're incensed when they're always incensed is just amusing.
Its like having Scott post an anti-Brexit Tweet - that's a real gamechanger, isn't it? 😂
And thats fine. Its just that in attacking us / the Daily Express et al you are providing tacit support to Geoffrey Cox. Who trousered your money. To sit all expenses paid in the Caribbean. Trousering even more money. To defend a British colony who have been trousering yet more money.
Its an odd hill to defend, even for you.
I'm not defending Cox, or other lawyer MPs who've been trousering money on the side of being an MP, whether they be a backbencher like Cox, or the Leader of the Opposition.
No? Sounds like it.
How MPs make cash and spend their time is a matter for their constituents when they vote in elections; except when they are using their skills to take money to perform politically on behalf of causes they are being paid by when it is a different matter.
Being an MP could be a part time job and unpaid anyway, as it has been in most of parliamentary history.
That was the case pre early 20th century but back then women and most of the working class could not vote either, it was a different era.
If MPs were unpaid becoming an MP would again become a career mainly for the very high earning or those with inherited wealth with a few Labour MPs supported by the trades unions and Commons sessions would be moved to the evening
The Conservative MP Steve Brine, who works as a paid adviser to a pharmaceutical wholesaler, took part in a video conference with the company and Nadhim Zahawi before the business won a £100,000 government contract
Much is written on here and elsewhere about 'levelling up'. There is a great deal of cynicism and doubt that it means anything.
Here in Cambridgeshire, it increasingly looks as though the March to Wisbech railway line will reopen - perhaps by 2028. Whilst that is after the next election, initial ?exploratory? works are already underway.
Before anyone says 'Wisbech isn't the north!'; it is a relatively poor town (it has a significant issue with child poverty), with poor transport links - the single-carriageway A47 bring the main link. If the A47 dualling is funded as well, then these transport links will be transformative for the town and its area.
This will get noticed.
Was there recently several Polish shops and looked pretty run down but some lovely old buildings there. We didn't stay long.
There are some superb Georgian buildings, especially along the waterfront. But much of it is rather rundown. There is, in particular, a children's playground on a scrap of grass, very unkempt, with (from memory) just one set of swings beside some pallisade fencing.
Wisbech could be a gem. But it is very much in the middle of the sticks, with poor connectivity.
Although personally, I think they should rebuild the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway. Bring back Tpby!
The future for places like Wisbech is as commuter dormitories for the local “metro”, which would be Cambridge in this case.
I see there is an occasionally 30 minute connection by train…
They point is to rebuild the rail link for passengers - the freight line has been unused for years. But yes, it looks as though the main connection will be with Cambridge.
AIUI it's actually a major job, as there are level crossings that need replacing by bridges.
A combination of Treasury “orthodoxy”, gross centralisation, and a soviet-style planning regime acts as a massive sandbag on U.K. productivity.
It should be possible to get into Cambridge within 30 odd minutes from Wisbech, Peterborough, Bedford, Bury and even Luton.
Cambridge is one of the innovation hubs of Europe, with house prices to match, surrounded by vast acres of deprivation.
Bury to Cambridge in 30 minutes would be impressive. The tram from Bury to Manchester Piccadilly is 35 minutes.
Bury At Edmunds, I guess.
And whilst the immediate necklace round Cambridge is incredibly comfortable, it gets surprisingly grim once you get north of Ely. It is all about the transport links.
Yet the transport link plans were rejected at the last mayoral election from memory. (The scrapped project was one @Casino_Royale was working on from memory)?
Grateful to @GuidoFawkes for the following; Last year for 106 hours work outside Parliament Starmer earned £25,935; hourly rate £247. Lib Dem leader Ed Davey £78K for 120 hours; hourly rate £650. SNP'S Ian Blackford £38,967 for 32 hours; Hourly rate £1,217. Where's that trough.
I assume mostly media work for all of them. A lot of MPs do columns etc on all sides.
The question is whether desperate defend the indefensible Boris rampers think this will sufficiently distract from Paterson. Or Randox. Or Cox. Or Johnson himself which is of course the whole point in the exercise.
As soon as you read "investment firm" it isn't great. But the opposition can all skate across this - target their fire on all the dodgy contracts. Opposition MPs can't get contracts awarded or peerages granted or planning applications given in exchange for consultancy work however iffy. Only the government can do that.
It isn't "Paterson worked for Randox" that has resonated. It is "Paterson worked for Randox, they won all kinds of questionable contracts without tender, he was on phone calls" that is still echoing. Less of an issue for Blackford et al however iffy their "investment firm" consultancy looks.
I have to say, I don't think Randox is the issue. It's the fact that the government tried to stop one of their own MPs from being punished that's caused the problem.
Indeed, but there's a duck house perception problem.
I think YouGov did a poll and thing people must remembered about the expenses stuff was the duck house.
Yet the duck house claim was rejected and never paid.
The public also seemed to forget about the MPs that did time in prison.
The Conservative MP Steve Brine, who works as a paid adviser to a pharmaceutical wholesaler, took part in a video conference with the company and Nadhim Zahawi before the business won a £100,000 government contract
That Boris trip to the hospital yesterday. We know that he wore a mask because he was photographed at a distance wearing one. Mask wearing remains a legal requirement in hospitals.
So why did he choose to have all the official photos taken with the mask off in breach of the law? That shot of him breathing over a lineup of nurses doesn't look great. What is the rationale, and who is the press officer with him managing all this?
Same question with the "I can't attend the debate, I am away". That sounds like an excuse at best. Much more so when you aren't away and arrive back into London with 2 hours of the debate left to run. Surely someone in his team can see how bad this looks - extend the visit.
Either the number 10 team are Corbyn-level useless at optics or the PM overrules them and its him who is shit at optics. As with recent days, its unforced error after unforced error.
The shambles in no 10 might be worrying many Tory MPs even more than the actual scandal.
With Cummings the shambles was performance art driven by some malevolent genius trying to play 4-d chess with the establishment. Now it's just a common or garden shambles.
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 21m Now it’s possible to decouple from Paterson, couple of things seem clear:
A) There is going to need to be significant reform of standards process There is going to have to be an independent element. Can’t continue to have MPs policing themselves C) Second jobs need to go
====
A hand list of things that wont happen, me thinks.
Johnson's miscalculation about the sleaze is breathtaking. They are STILL thinking it's just a storm in a teacup. They don't seem to realise just how bloody angry this has made people. Their people.
We've spent best part of 2 years under the cosh and his tory MPs don't seem to give a flying fig about the sweat and toil, the hardships, the sacrifices.
On a personal level there are lots of things about this which have incensed me and it's hard to single out one, but the idea that Johnson should fly by private jet from the Glasgow climate change summit in order to have dinner at the Garrick Club with his chum and Telegraph mentor Charles Moore really sticks in the throat. But there are bigger issues than that, over which Boris Johnson is trampling with his usual ebullient, arrogant, blustering, cavalier buffoonery.
This time the turning of the tide is for real.
Oh jeez Heathener, Boris has lost you?
It really is all over, you've been so effusive in your praise for the Tories before.
If Boris loses kinabalu, roger, Rochdale and malcolmg next then that we may as well do the last rites on his Premiership.
There's clearly a lot of Tory voters who are very angry.
Oh that's absolutely true.
But having 'the usual suspects' say why they're incensed when they're always incensed is just amusing.
Its like having Scott post an anti-Brexit Tweet - that's a real gamechanger, isn't it? 😂
And thats fine. Its just that in attacking us / the Daily Express et al you are providing tacit support to Geoffrey Cox. Who trousered your money. To sit all expenses paid in the Caribbean. Trousering even more money. To defend a British colony who have been trousering yet more money.
Its an odd hill to defend, even for you.
I'm not defending Cox, or other lawyer MPs who've been trousering money on the side of being an MP, whether they be a backbencher like Cox, or the Leader of the Opposition.
No? Sounds like it.
How MPs make cash and spend their time is a matter for their constituents when they vote in elections; except when they are using their skills to take money to perform politically on behalf of causes they are being paid by when it is a different matter.
Being an MP could be a part time job and unpaid anyway, as it has been in most of parliamentary history.
That was the case pre early 20th century but back then women and most of the working class could not vote either, it was a different era.
If MPs were unpaid becoming an MP would again become a career mainly for the very high earning or those with inherited wealth with a few Labour MPs supported by the trades unions and Commons sessions would be moved to the evening
The Conservative MP Steve Brine, who works as a paid adviser to a pharmaceutical wholesaler, took part in a video conference with the company and Nadhim Zahawi before the business won a £100,000 government contract
The Conservative MP Steve Brine, who works as a paid adviser to a pharmaceutical wholesaler, took part in a video conference with the company and Nadhim Zahawi before the business won a £100,000 government contract
That Boris trip to the hospital yesterday. We know that he wore a mask because he was photographed at a distance wearing one. Mask wearing remains a legal requirement in hospitals.
So why did he choose to have all the official photos taken with the mask off in breach of the law? That shot of him breathing over a lineup of nurses doesn't look great. What is the rationale, and who is the press officer with him managing all this?
Same question with the "I can't attend the debate, I am away". That sounds like an excuse at best. Much more so when you aren't away and arrive back into London with 2 hours of the debate left to run. Surely someone in his team can see how bad this looks - extend the visit.
Either the number 10 team are Corbyn-level useless at optics or the PM overrules them and its him who is shit at optics. As with recent days, its unforced error after unforced error.
The shambles in no 10 might be worrying many Tory MPs even more than the actual scandal.
With Cummings the shambles was performance art driven by some malevolent genius trying to play 4-d chess with the establishment. Now it's just a common or garden shambles.
Alternatively, it always was a shambles, but Dom was able to persuade everyone (including Dom) that it was 5D chess.
Clever people are good at fooling themselves and others like that.
It seems Keir Starmer has billed £113,975 in second job fees since becoming an MP in 2015 - of which £25,934.18 were in the past twelve months alone while Leader of the Opposition.
Ed Davey has trousered £78,000 a year on the side and Ian Blackford £38,797 in a year.
Not just Tories, it seems.
Good post Philip. If accurate the problem I have with these amounts is:
a) If you are earning so much for outside work it implies you are spending too much time on non parliament activities
Or
b) If you are paid this amount for very little work why do you think the employer is paying you so much. Could it be influence?
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 21m Now it’s possible to decouple from Paterson, couple of things seem clear:
A) There is going to need to be significant reform of standards process There is going to have to be an independent element. Can’t continue to have MPs policing themselves C) Second jobs need to go
====
A hand list of things that wont happen, me thinks.
Yep Second jobs can't go - you can't stop people continuing to keep their hand in business because a couple of MPS were beyond slightly dodgy.
What annoys me is that Randox got contracts for £00,000,000 yet the Paterson seems to have made £100,000 out of it.
That's not even decent grafting - even in Bulgaria the scams were for larger sums of money.
Cambridge is one of the innovation hubs of Europe, with house prices to match, surrounded by vast acres of deprivation.
"... vast areas of deprivation ..."
Time for a trip to Ebbw Vale for @Gardenwalker to see what deprivation means.
The Cambridge hinterland -- the affluent towns and villages like Histon or Shelford or Burwell -- are not "vast areas of deprivation".
They are mainly full of middle-class folk living in half million pound houses, bitching about how they have to commute into Cambridge because they can't afford a million pound house in the shadow of the Colleges.
That is not deprivation. That is envy.
But Cardiff is not one of the “innovation centres of Europe”.
But certainly, all those valley communities should be well connected to Cardiff, which as far as I can tell, they aren’t.
Google tells me that Ebbw Vale > Cardiff is about 45 minutes in the car and over an hour by train.
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 21m Now it’s possible to decouple from Paterson, couple of things seem clear:
A) There is going to need to be significant reform of standards process There is going to have to be an independent element. Can’t continue to have MPs policing themselves C) Second jobs need to go
====
A hand list of things that wont happen, me thinks.
Presumably all the things that are coming to the press at the moment have been done (a) legally and (b) reported to the relevant places. If so, I get that you can question aspects of this, but by the standards in place NOW, they have done nothing wrong. Paterson, on the other hand, was found to have transgressed. I am sure he is convinced that he was in the right, but I'm pretty sure an awful lot of judgements go against people who still think they are in the right. Not having a right of appeal could be addressed, but in this case does anyone believe he would have been cleared? He missed his only real chance to reclaim his honour - full apology, serve his time and get on with it. Now he has detonated a bomb in parliament, with the help of his 'friends', that threatens to blow up the whole system. No more seconds jobs, the journo's will cry, whilst being happy to trouser other earnings themselves, partly on the basis of their main jobs.
We'll end up with someone suggesting that MP's all have to live in a spartan hotel when at parliament, and can only be made the national living wage.
That Boris trip to the hospital yesterday. We know that he wore a mask because he was photographed at a distance wearing one. Mask wearing remains a legal requirement in hospitals.
So why did he choose to have all the official photos taken with the mask off in breach of the law? That shot of him breathing over a lineup of nurses doesn't look great. What is the rationale, and who is the press officer with him managing all this?
Same question with the "I can't attend the debate, I am away". That sounds like an excuse at best. Much more so when you aren't away and arrive back into London with 2 hours of the debate left to run. Surely someone in his team can see how bad this looks - extend the visit.
Either the number 10 team are Corbyn-level useless at optics or the PM overrules them and its him who is shit at optics. As with recent days, its unforced error after unforced error.
The shambles in no 10 might be worrying many Tory MPs even more than the actual scandal.
With Cummings the shambles was performance art driven by some malevolent genius trying to play 4-d chess with the establishment. Now it's just a common or garden shambles.
Alternatively, it always was a shambles, but Dom was able to persuade everyone (including Dom) that it was 5D chess.
Clever people are good at fooling themselves and others like that.
I still think of all the time we wasted on this forum trying to divine what Mrs May's cunning plan to resolve Brexit might be.
Personally, I'd be quite happy to ban lawyers/barristers from the House of Commons -- on the grounds that there are already far too many of them -- but if you let them in, it is not clear why they should not continue to practice.
You could, I think argue, that as nurses and doctors need to continue to practice, to retain registration and skills, that the same applies to lawyers.
The situation is completely different. MPs get to make the law. That should be enough to enable them to keep up to date.
A truly nonsense point.
Really how? They are the lawmakers!
99% of the law one needs to keep abreast of is court decisions, not new statutes
Much is written on here and elsewhere about 'levelling up'. There is a great deal of cynicism and doubt that it means anything.
Here in Cambridgeshire, it increasingly looks as though the March to Wisbech railway line will reopen - perhaps by 2028. Whilst that is after the next election, initial ?exploratory? works are already underway.
Before anyone says 'Wisbech isn't the north!'; it is a relatively poor town (it has a significant issue with child poverty), with poor transport links - the single-carriageway A47 bring the main link. If the A47 dualling is funded as well, then these transport links will be transformative for the town and its area.
This will get noticed.
Was there recently several Polish shops and looked pretty run down but some lovely old buildings there. We didn't stay long.
There are some superb Georgian buildings, especially along the waterfront. But much of it is rather rundown. There is, in particular, a children's playground on a scrap of grass, very unkempt, with (from memory) just one set of swings beside some pallisade fencing.
Wisbech could be a gem. But it is very much in the middle of the sticks, with poor connectivity.
Although personally, I think they should rebuild the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway. Bring back Tpby!
The future for places like Wisbech is as commuter dormitories for the local “metro”, which would be Cambridge in this case.
I see there is an occasionally 30 minute connection by train…
They point is to rebuild the rail link for passengers - the freight line has been unused for years. But yes, it looks as though the main connection will be with Cambridge.
AIUI it's actually a major job, as there are level crossings that need replacing by bridges.
A combination of Treasury “orthodoxy”, gross centralisation, and a soviet-style planning regime acts as a massive sandbag on U.K. productivity.
It should be possible to get into Cambridge within 30 odd minutes from Wisbech, Peterborough, Bedford, Bury and even Luton.
Cambridge is one of the innovation hubs of Europe, with house prices to match, surrounded by vast acres of deprivation.
Bury to Cambridge in 30 minutes would be impressive. The tram from Bury to Manchester Piccadilly is 35 minutes.
Bury St Edmunds, I guess.
And whilst the immediate necklace round Cambridge is incredibly comfortable, it gets surprisingly grim once you get north of Ely. It is all about the transport links.
The A10 is about the grimmest road I can think of as it heads towards Norfolk. Unendingly flat, grey, bleak.
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 21m Now it’s possible to decouple from Paterson, couple of things seem clear:
A) There is going to need to be significant reform of standards process There is going to have to be an independent element. Can’t continue to have MPs policing themselves C) Second jobs need to go
====
A hand list of things that wont happen, me thinks.
Presumably all the things that are coming to the press at the moment have been done (a) legally and (b) reported to the relevant places. If so, I get that you can question aspects of this, but by the standards in place NOW, they have done nothing wrong. Paterson, on the other hand, was found to have transgressed. I am sure he is convinced that he was in the right, but I'm pretty sure an awful lot of judgements go against people who still think they are in the right. Not having a right of appeal could be addressed, but in this case does anyone believe he would have been cleared? He missed his only real chance to reclaim his honour - full apology, serve his time and get on with it. Now he has detonated a bomb in parliament, with the help of his 'friends', that threatens to blow up the whole system. No more seconds jobs, the journo's will cry, whilst being happy to trouser other earnings themselves, partly on the basis of their main jobs.
We'll end up with someone suggesting that MP's all have to live in a spartan hotel when at parliament, and can only be made the national living wage.
The "Breakthrough Party" - (New, youth-led democratic socialist party | Transform work | End the housing crisis | Resist the police state | Fight for climate justice |) celebrates a meeting with Left Unity, Free North Now, Northern Independence Party, and TUSC coalition.
Maomentum responds "When the Socialist Workers Party, the Workers Party, the Workers Revolutionary Party, the Alliance for Workers Liberty, the Resist Party, Labour Against The Witchhunt, Labour In Exile, the Socialist Labour Party and Socialist Appeal get involved this is going to be unstoppable."
Tech nerds stick data in databases, and more importantly talk about databases at tech conferences which are often available online. Brits and Americans say dayta(base) whereas dahta is favoured by Australians and New Zealanders.
Much is written on here and elsewhere about 'levelling up'. There is a great deal of cynicism and doubt that it means anything.
Here in Cambridgeshire, it increasingly looks as though the March to Wisbech railway line will reopen - perhaps by 2028. Whilst that is after the next election, initial ?exploratory? works are already underway.
Before anyone says 'Wisbech isn't the north!'; it is a relatively poor town (it has a significant issue with child poverty), with poor transport links - the single-carriageway A47 bring the main link. If the A47 dualling is funded as well, then these transport links will be transformative for the town and its area.
This will get noticed.
Was there recently several Polish shops and looked pretty run down but some lovely old buildings there. We didn't stay long.
There are some superb Georgian buildings, especially along the waterfront. But much of it is rather rundown. There is, in particular, a children's playground on a scrap of grass, very unkempt, with (from memory) just one set of swings beside some pallisade fencing.
Wisbech could be a gem. But it is very much in the middle of the sticks, with poor connectivity.
Although personally, I think they should rebuild the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway. Bring back Tpby!
The future for places like Wisbech is as commuter dormitories for the local “metro”, which would be Cambridge in this case.
I see there is an occasionally 30 minute connection by train…
They point is to rebuild the rail link for passengers - the freight line has been unused for years. But yes, it looks as though the main connection will be with Cambridge.
AIUI it's actually a major job, as there are level crossings that need replacing by bridges.
A combination of Treasury “orthodoxy”, gross centralisation, and a soviet-style planning regime acts as a massive sandbag on U.K. productivity.
It should be possible to get into Cambridge within 30 odd minutes from Wisbech, Peterborough, Bedford, Bury and even Luton.
Cambridge is one of the innovation hubs of Europe, with house prices to match, surrounded by vast acres of deprivation.
Bury to Cambridge in 30 minutes would be impressive. The tram from Bury to Manchester Piccadilly is 35 minutes.
Bury St Edmunds, I guess.
And whilst the immediate necklace round Cambridge is incredibly comfortable, it gets surprisingly grim once you get north of Ely. It is all about the transport links.
The A10 is about the grimmest road I can think of as it heads towards Norfolk. Unendingly flat, grey, bleak.
We holidayed near Wisbech. I liked being able to see far and wide. Points to note Skegness is a poor mans Blackpool and on the coastline in Skeggy and going North and probably South its wall to wall static caravans.. an area well worth bypassing.
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 21m Now it’s possible to decouple from Paterson, couple of things seem clear:
A) There is going to need to be significant reform of standards process There is going to have to be an independent element. Can’t continue to have MPs policing themselves C) Second jobs need to go
====
A hand list of things that wont happen, me thinks.
Presumably all the things that are coming to the press at the moment have been done (a) legally and (b) reported to the relevant places. If so, I get that you can question aspects of this, but by the standards in place NOW, they have done nothing wrong. Paterson, on the other hand, was found to have transgressed. I am sure he is convinced that he was in the right, but I'm pretty sure an awful lot of judgements go against people who still think they are in the right. Not having a right of appeal could be addressed, but in this case does anyone believe he would have been cleared? He missed his only real chance to reclaim his honour - full apology, serve his time and get on with it. Now he has detonated a bomb in parliament, with the help of his 'friends', that threatens to blow up the whole system. No more seconds jobs, the journo's will cry, whilst being happy to trouser other earnings themselves, partly on the basis of their main jobs.
We'll end up with someone suggesting that MP's all have to live in a spartan hotel when at parliament, and can only be made the national living wage.
Philip Thompson already recommends pretty much this.
Mind you he also wants a house price crash, to concrete over the country, and that “we hold all the cards”.
If the PM is on the lookout for a popular policy that will swing him back over 45% and utterly confound the Opposition, he would do well to look at this from Singapore.
Much is written on here and elsewhere about 'levelling up'. There is a great deal of cynicism and doubt that it means anything.
Here in Cambridgeshire, it increasingly looks as though the March to Wisbech railway line will reopen - perhaps by 2028. Whilst that is after the next election, initial ?exploratory? works are already underway.
Before anyone says 'Wisbech isn't the north!'; it is a relatively poor town (it has a significant issue with child poverty), with poor transport links - the single-carriageway A47 bring the main link. If the A47 dualling is funded as well, then these transport links will be transformative for the town and its area.
This will get noticed.
Was there recently several Polish shops and looked pretty run down but some lovely old buildings there. We didn't stay long.
There are some superb Georgian buildings, especially along the waterfront. But much of it is rather rundown. There is, in particular, a children's playground on a scrap of grass, very unkempt, with (from memory) just one set of swings beside some pallisade fencing.
Wisbech could be a gem. But it is very much in the middle of the sticks, with poor connectivity.
Although personally, I think they should rebuild the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway. Bring back Tpby!
The future for places like Wisbech is as commuter dormitories for the local “metro”, which would be Cambridge in this case.
I see there is an occasionally 30 minute connection by train…
They point is to rebuild the rail link for passengers - the freight line has been unused for years. But yes, it looks as though the main connection will be with Cambridge.
AIUI it's actually a major job, as there are level crossings that need replacing by bridges.
A combination of Treasury “orthodoxy”, gross centralisation, and a soviet-style planning regime acts as a massive sandbag on U.K. productivity.
It should be possible to get into Cambridge within 30 odd minutes from Wisbech, Peterborough, Bedford, Bury and even Luton.
Cambridge is one of the innovation hubs of Europe, with house prices to match, surrounded by vast acres of deprivation.
Bury to Cambridge in 30 minutes would be impressive. The tram from Bury to Manchester Piccadilly is 35 minutes.
Bury St Edmunds, I guess.
And whilst the immediate necklace round Cambridge is incredibly comfortable, it gets surprisingly grim once you get north of Ely. It is all about the transport links.
The A10 is about the grimmest road I can think of as it heads towards Norfolk. Unendingly flat, grey, bleak.
The A17 - the "Road of Bones". You turn off the A1 at Newark for endless flat nothing all the way to Narwch. Eugh. The sad bit is there are some pretty towns and villages en route - its just the setting and location that grinds...
Article 16 seems highly likely now, just to get the front pages to change.
Didn't someone mention yesterday - I think Gallowgate - that the word on the legal vine is that they're already scouring for barristers willing to take on the job.
(((Dan Hodges))) @DPJHodges · 21m Now it’s possible to decouple from Paterson, couple of things seem clear:
A) There is going to need to be significant reform of standards process There is going to have to be an independent element. Can’t continue to have MPs policing themselves C) Second jobs need to go
====
A hand list of things that wont happen, me thinks.
Presumably all the things that are coming to the press at the moment have been done (a) legally and (b) reported to the relevant places. If so, I get that you can question aspects of this, but by the standards in place NOW, they have done nothing wrong. Paterson, on the other hand, was found to have transgressed. I am sure he is convinced that he was in the right, but I'm pretty sure an awful lot of judgements go against people who still think they are in the right. Not having a right of appeal could be addressed, but in this case does anyone believe he would have been cleared? He missed his only real chance to reclaim his honour - full apology, serve his time and get on with it. Now he has detonated a bomb in parliament, with the help of his 'friends', that threatens to blow up the whole system. No more seconds jobs, the journo's will cry, whilst being happy to trouser other earnings themselves, partly on the basis of their main jobs.
We'll end up with someone suggesting that MP's all have to live in a spartan hotel when at parliament, and can only be made the national living wage.
The thing is there is an appeal procedure in place within the current system.
The current scheme is (from memory) independent (none MP) investigation occurs that reaches a verdict and a possible sentence.
The MPs then meet to consider the investigation, allow for mitigation / defence statements (and witnesses if the committee think it adds value) and then agrees the final verdict.
So the appeal (and an appeal to their peers) is already in place - Paterson was upset that (however many) character witnesses not talking about the actual crime were not deemed relevant by the committee.
Which means that - firstly someone needs to explain how the current system works and how they wish to improve it and secondly MPs need to find a way to not look like incompetent grafters after an extra buck.
Brexit Webinar. 12 minutes in and all the talk of "the UK" has stopped. Its now all about moving goods between the EU and GB. There is no UK from a trading perspective any more.
Much is written on here and elsewhere about 'levelling up'. There is a great deal of cynicism and doubt that it means anything.
Here in Cambridgeshire, it increasingly looks as though the March to Wisbech railway line will reopen - perhaps by 2028. Whilst that is after the next election, initial ?exploratory? works are already underway.
Before anyone says 'Wisbech isn't the north!'; it is a relatively poor town (it has a significant issue with child poverty), with poor transport links - the single-carriageway A47 bring the main link. If the A47 dualling is funded as well, then these transport links will be transformative for the town and its area.
This will get noticed.
Was there recently several Polish shops and looked pretty run down but some lovely old buildings there. We didn't stay long.
There are some superb Georgian buildings, especially along the waterfront. But much of it is rather rundown. There is, in particular, a children's playground on a scrap of grass, very unkempt, with (from memory) just one set of swings beside some pallisade fencing.
Wisbech could be a gem. But it is very much in the middle of the sticks, with poor connectivity.
Although personally, I think they should rebuild the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway. Bring back Tpby!
The future for places like Wisbech is as commuter dormitories for the local “metro”, which would be Cambridge in this case.
I see there is an occasionally 30 minute connection by train…
They point is to rebuild the rail link for passengers - the freight line has been unused for years. But yes, it looks as though the main connection will be with Cambridge.
AIUI it's actually a major job, as there are level crossings that need replacing by bridges.
A combination of Treasury “orthodoxy”, gross centralisation, and a soviet-style planning regime acts as a massive sandbag on U.K. productivity.
It should be possible to get into Cambridge within 30 odd minutes from Wisbech, Peterborough, Bedford, Bury and even Luton.
Cambridge is one of the innovation hubs of Europe, with house prices to match, surrounded by vast acres of deprivation.
Bury to Cambridge in 30 minutes would be impressive. The tram from Bury to Manchester Piccadilly is 35 minutes.
Bury St Edmunds, I guess.
And whilst the immediate necklace round Cambridge is incredibly comfortable, it gets surprisingly grim once you get north of Ely. It is all about the transport links.
The A10 is about the grimmest road I can think of as it heads towards Norfolk. Unendingly flat, grey, bleak.
The A17 - the "Road of Bones". You turn off the A1 at Newark for endless flat nothing all the way to Narwch. Eugh. The sad bit is there are some pretty towns and villages en route - its just the setting and location that grinds...
Even the train from Peterborough to Kings Lynn grinds - I think the only thing of interest on the route is the ditches that run alongside the track.
Brexit Webinar. 12 minutes in and all the talk of "the UK" has stopped. Its now all about moving goods between the EU and GB. There is no UK from a trading perspective any more.
How can there by when NI is in the EU for trade purposes?
Much is written on here and elsewhere about 'levelling up'. There is a great deal of cynicism and doubt that it means anything.
Here in Cambridgeshire, it increasingly looks as though the March to Wisbech railway line will reopen - perhaps by 2028. Whilst that is after the next election, initial ?exploratory? works are already underway.
Before anyone says 'Wisbech isn't the north!'; it is a relatively poor town (it has a significant issue with child poverty), with poor transport links - the single-carriageway A47 bring the main link. If the A47 dualling is funded as well, then these transport links will be transformative for the town and its area.
This will get noticed.
Was there recently several Polish shops and looked pretty run down but some lovely old buildings there. We didn't stay long.
There are some superb Georgian buildings, especially along the waterfront. But much of it is rather rundown. There is, in particular, a children's playground on a scrap of grass, very unkempt, with (from memory) just one set of swings beside some pallisade fencing.
Wisbech could be a gem. But it is very much in the middle of the sticks, with poor connectivity.
Although personally, I think they should rebuild the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway. Bring back Tpby!
The future for places like Wisbech is as commuter dormitories for the local “metro”, which would be Cambridge in this case.
I see there is an occasionally 30 minute connection by train…
They point is to rebuild the rail link for passengers - the freight line has been unused for years. But yes, it looks as though the main connection will be with Cambridge.
AIUI it's actually a major job, as there are level crossings that need replacing by bridges.
A combination of Treasury “orthodoxy”, gross centralisation, and a soviet-style planning regime acts as a massive sandbag on U.K. productivity.
It should be possible to get into Cambridge within 30 odd minutes from Wisbech, Peterborough, Bedford, Bury and even Luton.
Cambridge is one of the innovation hubs of Europe, with house prices to match, surrounded by vast acres of deprivation.
Bury to Cambridge in 30 minutes would be impressive. The tram from Bury to Manchester Piccadilly is 35 minutes.
Bury St Edmunds, I guess.
And whilst the immediate necklace round Cambridge is incredibly comfortable, it gets surprisingly grim once you get north of Ely. It is all about the transport links.
The A10 is about the grimmest road I can think of as it heads towards Norfolk. Unendingly flat, grey, bleak.
The A17 - the "Road of Bones". You turn off the A1 at Newark for endless flat nothing all the way to Narwch. Eugh. The sad bit is there are some pretty towns and villages en route - its just the setting and location that grinds...
The A1111 - like the A1 but four times as good according to John Shuttleworth.
Much is written on here and elsewhere about 'levelling up'. There is a great deal of cynicism and doubt that it means anything.
Here in Cambridgeshire, it increasingly looks as though the March to Wisbech railway line will reopen - perhaps by 2028. Whilst that is after the next election, initial ?exploratory? works are already underway.
Before anyone says 'Wisbech isn't the north!'; it is a relatively poor town (it has a significant issue with child poverty), with poor transport links - the single-carriageway A47 bring the main link. If the A47 dualling is funded as well, then these transport links will be transformative for the town and its area.
This will get noticed.
Was there recently several Polish shops and looked pretty run down but some lovely old buildings there. We didn't stay long.
There are some superb Georgian buildings, especially along the waterfront. But much of it is rather rundown. There is, in particular, a children's playground on a scrap of grass, very unkempt, with (from memory) just one set of swings beside some pallisade fencing.
Wisbech could be a gem. But it is very much in the middle of the sticks, with poor connectivity.
Although personally, I think they should rebuild the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway. Bring back Tpby!
The future for places like Wisbech is as commuter dormitories for the local “metro”, which would be Cambridge in this case.
I see there is an occasionally 30 minute connection by train…
They point is to rebuild the rail link for passengers - the freight line has been unused for years. But yes, it looks as though the main connection will be with Cambridge.
AIUI it's actually a major job, as there are level crossings that need replacing by bridges.
A combination of Treasury “orthodoxy”, gross centralisation, and a soviet-style planning regime acts as a massive sandbag on U.K. productivity.
It should be possible to get into Cambridge within 30 odd minutes from Wisbech, Peterborough, Bedford, Bury and even Luton.
Cambridge is one of the innovation hubs of Europe, with house prices to match, surrounded by vast acres of deprivation.
Bury to Cambridge in 30 minutes would be impressive. The tram from Bury to Manchester Piccadilly is 35 minutes.
Bury St Edmunds, I guess.
And whilst the immediate necklace round Cambridge is incredibly comfortable, it gets surprisingly grim once you get north of Ely. It is all about the transport links.
The A10 is about the grimmest road I can think of as it heads towards Norfolk. Unendingly flat, grey, bleak.
The A17 - the "Road of Bones". You turn off the A1 at Newark for endless flat nothing all the way to Narwch. Eugh. The sad bit is there are some pretty towns and villages en route - its just the setting and location that grinds...
There's some sort of space-time discontinuum along both of those roads, or indeed perhaps around the entire county - you look at somewhere in Norfolk on the map and think, that's not too far, yet you can drive for what seems like hours and never reach Norwich.
Much is written on here and elsewhere about 'levelling up'. There is a great deal of cynicism and doubt that it means anything.
Here in Cambridgeshire, it increasingly looks as though the March to Wisbech railway line will reopen - perhaps by 2028. Whilst that is after the next election, initial ?exploratory? works are already underway.
Before anyone says 'Wisbech isn't the north!'; it is a relatively poor town (it has a significant issue with child poverty), with poor transport links - the single-carriageway A47 bring the main link. If the A47 dualling is funded as well, then these transport links will be transformative for the town and its area.
This will get noticed.
Was there recently several Polish shops and looked pretty run down but some lovely old buildings there. We didn't stay long.
There are some superb Georgian buildings, especially along the waterfront. But much of it is rather rundown. There is, in particular, a children's playground on a scrap of grass, very unkempt, with (from memory) just one set of swings beside some pallisade fencing.
Wisbech could be a gem. But it is very much in the middle of the sticks, with poor connectivity.
Although personally, I think they should rebuild the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway. Bring back Tpby!
The future for places like Wisbech is as commuter dormitories for the local “metro”, which would be Cambridge in this case.
I see there is an occasionally 30 minute connection by train…
They point is to rebuild the rail link for passengers - the freight line has been unused for years. But yes, it looks as though the main connection will be with Cambridge.
AIUI it's actually a major job, as there are level crossings that need replacing by bridges.
A combination of Treasury “orthodoxy”, gross centralisation, and a soviet-style planning regime acts as a massive sandbag on U.K. productivity.
It should be possible to get into Cambridge within 30 odd minutes from Wisbech, Peterborough, Bedford, Bury and even Luton.
Cambridge is one of the innovation hubs of Europe, with house prices to match, surrounded by vast acres of deprivation.
Bury to Cambridge in 30 minutes would be impressive. The tram from Bury to Manchester Piccadilly is 35 minutes.
Bury St Edmunds, I guess.
And whilst the immediate necklace round Cambridge is incredibly comfortable, it gets surprisingly grim once you get north of Ely. It is all about the transport links.
The A10 is about the grimmest road I can think of as it heads towards Norfolk. Unendingly flat, grey, bleak.
While the A14 was being rebuilt I was once taken off it (by the satnav), while heading North, on a diversion to the East. Very, very flat, and, quite depressing. Even for someone who spent much of their life in S Essex.
Much is written on here and elsewhere about 'levelling up'. There is a great deal of cynicism and doubt that it means anything.
Here in Cambridgeshire, it increasingly looks as though the March to Wisbech railway line will reopen - perhaps by 2028. Whilst that is after the next election, initial ?exploratory? works are already underway.
Before anyone says 'Wisbech isn't the north!'; it is a relatively poor town (it has a significant issue with child poverty), with poor transport links - the single-carriageway A47 bring the main link. If the A47 dualling is funded as well, then these transport links will be transformative for the town and its area.
This will get noticed.
Was there recently several Polish shops and looked pretty run down but some lovely old buildings there. We didn't stay long.
There are some superb Georgian buildings, especially along the waterfront. But much of it is rather rundown. There is, in particular, a children's playground on a scrap of grass, very unkempt, with (from memory) just one set of swings beside some pallisade fencing.
Wisbech could be a gem. But it is very much in the middle of the sticks, with poor connectivity.
Although personally, I think they should rebuild the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway. Bring back Tpby!
The future for places like Wisbech is as commuter dormitories for the local “metro”, which would be Cambridge in this case.
I see there is an occasionally 30 minute connection by train…
They point is to rebuild the rail link for passengers - the freight line has been unused for years. But yes, it looks as though the main connection will be with Cambridge.
AIUI it's actually a major job, as there are level crossings that need replacing by bridges.
A combination of Treasury “orthodoxy”, gross centralisation, and a soviet-style planning regime acts as a massive sandbag on U.K. productivity.
It should be possible to get into Cambridge within 30 odd minutes from Wisbech, Peterborough, Bedford, Bury and even Luton.
Cambridge is one of the innovation hubs of Europe, with house prices to match, surrounded by vast acres of deprivation.
Bury to Cambridge in 30 minutes would be impressive. The tram from Bury to Manchester Piccadilly is 35 minutes.
Bury St Edmunds, I guess.
And whilst the immediate necklace round Cambridge is incredibly comfortable, it gets surprisingly grim once you get north of Ely. It is all about the transport links.
The A10 is about the grimmest road I can think of as it heads towards Norfolk. Unendingly flat, grey, bleak.
The A17 - the "Road of Bones". You turn off the A1 at Newark for endless flat nothing all the way to Narwch. Eugh. The sad bit is there are some pretty towns and villages en route - its just the setting and location that grinds...
There's some sort of space-time discontinuum along both of those roads, or indeed perhaps around the entire county - you look at somewhere in Norfolk on the map and think, that's not too far, yet you can drive for what seems like hours and never reach Norwich.
Brexit Webinar. 12 minutes in and all the talk of "the UK" has stopped. Its now all about moving goods between the EU and GB. There is no UK from a trading perspective any more.
How can there by when NI is in the EU for trade purposes?
It is intriguing to wonder what Mr Corbyn really made of the NI Protocol. A long standing Brexiteer and reunification supporter, he presumably couldn’t have been more pleased from a personal pov with the outcome, even though he had to publicly pretend he was outraged about Brexit and then that he wanted a customs Union.
The trouble with second jobs is it rather suggests the MPs aren't taking the job they were elected for particularly seriously. Most people earning £82k pa would need to work 40-50 hours a week for 45 weeks of the year, not leaving much time left over for 100s of hours of lucrative consultancy/legal work.
Moreover, there is a sense that these 'jobs' are a way for companies to get the inside view of policy, or actively influence it. Why would MPs be worth so much money for a few hours here or there if there wasn't something to gain?
It just doesn't pass the smell test for ordinary people.
Much is written on here and elsewhere about 'levelling up'. There is a great deal of cynicism and doubt that it means anything.
Here in Cambridgeshire, it increasingly looks as though the March to Wisbech railway line will reopen - perhaps by 2028. Whilst that is after the next election, initial ?exploratory? works are already underway.
Before anyone says 'Wisbech isn't the north!'; it is a relatively poor town (it has a significant issue with child poverty), with poor transport links - the single-carriageway A47 bring the main link. If the A47 dualling is funded as well, then these transport links will be transformative for the town and its area.
This will get noticed.
Was there recently several Polish shops and looked pretty run down but some lovely old buildings there. We didn't stay long.
There are some superb Georgian buildings, especially along the waterfront. But much of it is rather rundown. There is, in particular, a children's playground on a scrap of grass, very unkempt, with (from memory) just one set of swings beside some pallisade fencing.
Wisbech could be a gem. But it is very much in the middle of the sticks, with poor connectivity.
Although personally, I think they should rebuild the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway. Bring back Tpby!
The future for places like Wisbech is as commuter dormitories for the local “metro”, which would be Cambridge in this case.
I see there is an occasionally 30 minute connection by train…
They point is to rebuild the rail link for passengers - the freight line has been unused for years. But yes, it looks as though the main connection will be with Cambridge.
AIUI it's actually a major job, as there are level crossings that need replacing by bridges.
A combination of Treasury “orthodoxy”, gross centralisation, and a soviet-style planning regime acts as a massive sandbag on U.K. productivity.
It should be possible to get into Cambridge within 30 odd minutes from Wisbech, Peterborough, Bedford, Bury and even Luton.
Cambridge is one of the innovation hubs of Europe, with house prices to match, surrounded by vast acres of deprivation.
Bury to Cambridge in 30 minutes would be impressive. The tram from Bury to Manchester Piccadilly is 35 minutes.
Bury St Edmunds, I guess.
And whilst the immediate necklace round Cambridge is incredibly comfortable, it gets surprisingly grim once you get north of Ely. It is all about the transport links.
The A10 is about the grimmest road I can think of as it heads towards Norfolk. Unendingly flat, grey, bleak.
We holidayed near Wisbech. I liked being able to see far and wide. Points to note Skegness is a poor mans Blackpool and on the coastline in Skeggy and going North and probably South its wall to wall static caravans.. an area well worth bypassing.
Friend of mine's major positive career move was to Skegness.
MPs will be furious that Johnson's chaos over the last week now means ALL paid work is up for investigation by the newspapers.
There will be a few dozen of them earning a lot of money on the side.
Yes. When it was just Paterson the strategy of lying low to let time repair the damage of last week's fiasco was viable. With other MPs involved, who will be relatively blameless in comparison, they will want the PM to take some positive action to draw a line under the crisis.
The trouble with second jobs is it rather suggests the MPs aren't taking the job they were elected for particularly seriously. Most people earning £82k pa would need to work 40-50 hours a week for 45 weeks of the year, not leaving much time left over for 100s of hours of lucrative consultancy/legal work.
Moreover, there is a sense that these 'jobs' are a way for companies to get the inside view of policy, or actively influence it. Why would MPs be worth so much money for a few hours here or there if there wasn't something to gain?
It just doesn't pass the smell test for ordinary people.
Much is written on here and elsewhere about 'levelling up'. There is a great deal of cynicism and doubt that it means anything.
Here in Cambridgeshire, it increasingly looks as though the March to Wisbech railway line will reopen - perhaps by 2028. Whilst that is after the next election, initial ?exploratory? works are already underway.
Before anyone says 'Wisbech isn't the north!'; it is a relatively poor town (it has a significant issue with child poverty), with poor transport links - the single-carriageway A47 bring the main link. If the A47 dualling is funded as well, then these transport links will be transformative for the town and its area.
This will get noticed.
Was there recently several Polish shops and looked pretty run down but some lovely old buildings there. We didn't stay long.
There are some superb Georgian buildings, especially along the waterfront. But much of it is rather rundown. There is, in particular, a children's playground on a scrap of grass, very unkempt, with (from memory) just one set of swings beside some pallisade fencing.
Wisbech could be a gem. But it is very much in the middle of the sticks, with poor connectivity.
Although personally, I think they should rebuild the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway. Bring back Tpby!
The future for places like Wisbech is as commuter dormitories for the local “metro”, which would be Cambridge in this case.
I see there is an occasionally 30 minute connection by train…
They point is to rebuild the rail link for passengers - the freight line has been unused for years. But yes, it looks as though the main connection will be with Cambridge.
AIUI it's actually a major job, as there are level crossings that need replacing by bridges.
A combination of Treasury “orthodoxy”, gross centralisation, and a soviet-style planning regime acts as a massive sandbag on U.K. productivity.
It should be possible to get into Cambridge within 30 odd minutes from Wisbech, Peterborough, Bedford, Bury and even Luton.
Cambridge is one of the innovation hubs of Europe, with house prices to match, surrounded by vast acres of deprivation.
Bury to Cambridge in 30 minutes would be impressive. The tram from Bury to Manchester Piccadilly is 35 minutes.
Bury St Edmunds, I guess.
And whilst the immediate necklace round Cambridge is incredibly comfortable, it gets surprisingly grim once you get north of Ely. It is all about the transport links.
The A10 is about the grimmest road I can think of as it heads towards Norfolk. Unendingly flat, grey, bleak.
The A17 - the "Road of Bones". You turn off the A1 at Newark for endless flat nothing all the way to Narwch. Eugh. The sad bit is there are some pretty towns and villages en route - its just the setting and location that grinds...
Even the train from Peterborough to Kings Lynn grinds - I think the only thing of interest on the route is the ditches that run alongside the track.
Ely was reached about 20 minutes early where we ran into the down Reception loop. Here the 56 ran round and we waited. And we waited. By this time the wind had reached gale force and the flimsy overhead wires were bouncing around. Between the procession of plastic units we were entertained by a group of lads trying to play a game of football. Eventually we left the loop at the booked time only to be held for a late running unit bound for Norwich. The 56 was a strong engine, but rather quiet as grids go. The most amazing dust storms were constantly being whipped up by the winds, an amazing sight for as far as the eye could see.
As far as the eye could see was the window. The dust was coming into the mark 1 carriage.
Much is written on here and elsewhere about 'levelling up'. There is a great deal of cynicism and doubt that it means anything.
Here in Cambridgeshire, it increasingly looks as though the March to Wisbech railway line will reopen - perhaps by 2028. Whilst that is after the next election, initial ?exploratory? works are already underway.
Before anyone says 'Wisbech isn't the north!'; it is a relatively poor town (it has a significant issue with child poverty), with poor transport links - the single-carriageway A47 bring the main link. If the A47 dualling is funded as well, then these transport links will be transformative for the town and its area.
This will get noticed.
Was there recently several Polish shops and looked pretty run down but some lovely old buildings there. We didn't stay long.
There are some superb Georgian buildings, especially along the waterfront. But much of it is rather rundown. There is, in particular, a children's playground on a scrap of grass, very unkempt, with (from memory) just one set of swings beside some pallisade fencing.
Wisbech could be a gem. But it is very much in the middle of the sticks, with poor connectivity.
Although personally, I think they should rebuild the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway. Bring back Tpby!
The future for places like Wisbech is as commuter dormitories for the local “metro”, which would be Cambridge in this case.
I see there is an occasionally 30 minute connection by train…
They point is to rebuild the rail link for passengers - the freight line has been unused for years. But yes, it looks as though the main connection will be with Cambridge.
AIUI it's actually a major job, as there are level crossings that need replacing by bridges.
A combination of Treasury “orthodoxy”, gross centralisation, and a soviet-style planning regime acts as a massive sandbag on U.K. productivity.
It should be possible to get into Cambridge within 30 odd minutes from Wisbech, Peterborough, Bedford, Bury and even Luton.
Cambridge is one of the innovation hubs of Europe, with house prices to match, surrounded by vast acres of deprivation.
Bury to Cambridge in 30 minutes would be impressive. The tram from Bury to Manchester Piccadilly is 35 minutes.
Bury St Edmunds, I guess.
And whilst the immediate necklace round Cambridge is incredibly comfortable, it gets surprisingly grim once you get north of Ely. It is all about the transport links.
The A10 is about the grimmest road I can think of as it heads towards Norfolk. Unendingly flat, grey, bleak.
We holidayed near Wisbech. I liked being able to see far and wide. Points to note Skegness is a poor mans Blackpool and on the coastline in Skeggy and going North and probably South its wall to wall static caravans.. an area well worth bypassing.
Friend of mine's major positive career move was to Skegness.
The trouble with second jobs is it rather suggests the MPs aren't taking the job they were elected for particularly seriously. Most people earning £82k pa would need to work 40-50 hours a week for 45 weeks of the year, not leaving much time left over for 100s of hours of lucrative consultancy/legal work.
Moreover, there is a sense that these 'jobs' are a way for companies to get the inside view of policy, or actively influence it. Why would MPs be worth so much money for a few hours here or there if there wasn't something to gain?
It just doesn't pass the smell test for ordinary people.
The 'safe seat' problem, again.
Apart from 'wife and mother' I don't think Priti Patel ever had a second job, did she?
MPs will be furious that Johnson's chaos over the last week now means ALL paid work is up for investigation by the newspapers.
There will be a few dozen of them earning a lot of money on the side.
Yes. When it was just Paterson the strategy of lying low to let time repair the damage of last week's fiasco was viable. With other MPs involved, who will be relatively blameless in comparison, they will want the PM to take some positive action to draw a line under the crisis.
Which is why the original plan was to defend Paterson as well. And why BoJo had a clear "no resignations for tawdriness" policy.
If one MP does the right thing (however grudgingly and reluctantly), it sets a precedent, and others might have to as well.
Much is written on here and elsewhere about 'levelling up'. There is a great deal of cynicism and doubt that it means anything.
Here in Cambridgeshire, it increasingly looks as though the March to Wisbech railway line will reopen - perhaps by 2028. Whilst that is after the next election, initial ?exploratory? works are already underway.
Before anyone says 'Wisbech isn't the north!'; it is a relatively poor town (it has a significant issue with child poverty), with poor transport links - the single-carriageway A47 bring the main link. If the A47 dualling is funded as well, then these transport links will be transformative for the town and its area.
This will get noticed.
Was there recently several Polish shops and looked pretty run down but some lovely old buildings there. We didn't stay long.
There are some superb Georgian buildings, especially along the waterfront. But much of it is rather rundown. There is, in particular, a children's playground on a scrap of grass, very unkempt, with (from memory) just one set of swings beside some pallisade fencing.
Wisbech could be a gem. But it is very much in the middle of the sticks, with poor connectivity.
Although personally, I think they should rebuild the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway. Bring back Tpby!
The future for places like Wisbech is as commuter dormitories for the local “metro”, which would be Cambridge in this case.
I see there is an occasionally 30 minute connection by train…
They point is to rebuild the rail link for passengers - the freight line has been unused for years. But yes, it looks as though the main connection will be with Cambridge.
AIUI it's actually a major job, as there are level crossings that need replacing by bridges.
A combination of Treasury “orthodoxy”, gross centralisation, and a soviet-style planning regime acts as a massive sandbag on U.K. productivity.
It should be possible to get into Cambridge within 30 odd minutes from Wisbech, Peterborough, Bedford, Bury and even Luton.
Cambridge is one of the innovation hubs of Europe, with house prices to match, surrounded by vast acres of deprivation.
Bury to Cambridge in 30 minutes would be impressive. The tram from Bury to Manchester Piccadilly is 35 minutes.
Bury St Edmunds, I guess.
And whilst the immediate necklace round Cambridge is incredibly comfortable, it gets surprisingly grim once you get north of Ely. It is all about the transport links.
The A10 is about the grimmest road I can think of as it heads towards Norfolk. Unendingly flat, grey, bleak.
We holidayed near Wisbech. I liked being able to see far and wide. Points to note Skegness is a poor mans Blackpool and on the coastline in Skeggy and going North and probably South its wall to wall static caravans.. an area well worth bypassing.
Friend of mine's major positive career move was to Skegness.
MPs will be furious that Johnson's chaos over the last week now means ALL paid work is up for investigation by the newspapers.
There will be a few dozen of them earning a lot of money on the side.
Yes. When it was just Paterson the strategy of lying low to let time repair the damage of last week's fiasco was viable. With other MPs involved, who will be relatively blameless in comparison, they will want the PM to take some positive action to draw a line under the crisis.
Yet rather than trying to bury the issue as the Speaker preferred by attempting today to revert last weeks vote, Boris wishes to keep things going.
And Parliament isn't working beyond today this week (November recess because Boris hates PMQs)
So the press can spend all week hunting for new second jobs to attack MPs with
Fucking hell, soon his fourth explanation will be that his dog ate his phone.
The former health minister Lord Bethell admitted deleting texts and WhatsApp messages related to coronavirus testing contracts because he mistakenly thought there would be back-ups, disclosures show.
Bethell, who had been appointed in March last year, was sacked in September’s reshuffle amid an investigation by the information commissioner into the use of private email by health ministers.
Official guidance says ministers should use government systems, and if they use private channels, should ensure a record of these is provided to their department.
Details of his personal phone use have emerged as part of a High Court challenge related to the award of £90 million coronavirus testing contracts made by the Good Law Project.
In a witness statement signed by Bethell as part of the proceedings, he explained that three previous explanations he had given as to why messages could be produced to the court had been mistaken.
He had apparently claimed that he could not produce them because the handset had been “lost”, according to letters from the government’s legal department. A few days later, Bethell said instead that his phone was “broken” or “defective”.
Finally, in a meeting with lawyers, he said that was wrong, and he had given the phone to a member of his family.
His final signed witness statement now says he realises he bought a new phone in November 2019, and the previous explanations given related to a previous phone given to a member of his family.
His statement says his phone had become “overloaded with data” so he often cleared messages to free up storage space.
Much is written on here and elsewhere about 'levelling up'. There is a great deal of cynicism and doubt that it means anything.
Here in Cambridgeshire, it increasingly looks as though the March to Wisbech railway line will reopen - perhaps by 2028. Whilst that is after the next election, initial ?exploratory? works are already underway.
Before anyone says 'Wisbech isn't the north!'; it is a relatively poor town (it has a significant issue with child poverty), with poor transport links - the single-carriageway A47 bring the main link. If the A47 dualling is funded as well, then these transport links will be transformative for the town and its area.
This will get noticed.
Was there recently several Polish shops and looked pretty run down but some lovely old buildings there. We didn't stay long.
There are some superb Georgian buildings, especially along the waterfront. But much of it is rather rundown. There is, in particular, a children's playground on a scrap of grass, very unkempt, with (from memory) just one set of swings beside some pallisade fencing.
Wisbech could be a gem. But it is very much in the middle of the sticks, with poor connectivity.
Although personally, I think they should rebuild the Wisbech and Upwell Tramway. Bring back Tpby!
The future for places like Wisbech is as commuter dormitories for the local “metro”, which would be Cambridge in this case.
I see there is an occasionally 30 minute connection by train…
They point is to rebuild the rail link for passengers - the freight line has been unused for years. But yes, it looks as though the main connection will be with Cambridge.
AIUI it's actually a major job, as there are level crossings that need replacing by bridges.
A combination of Treasury “orthodoxy”, gross centralisation, and a soviet-style planning regime acts as a massive sandbag on U.K. productivity.
It should be possible to get into Cambridge within 30 odd minutes from Wisbech, Peterborough, Bedford, Bury and even Luton.
Cambridge is one of the innovation hubs of Europe, with house prices to match, surrounded by vast acres of deprivation.
Bury to Cambridge in 30 minutes would be impressive. The tram from Bury to Manchester Piccadilly is 35 minutes.
Bury St Edmunds, I guess.
And whilst the immediate necklace round Cambridge is incredibly comfortable, it gets surprisingly grim once you get north of Ely. It is all about the transport links.
The A10 is about the grimmest road I can think of as it heads towards Norfolk. Unendingly flat, grey, bleak.
The A17 - the "Road of Bones". You turn off the A1 at Newark for endless flat nothing all the way to Narwch. Eugh. The sad bit is there are some pretty towns and villages en route - its just the setting and location that grinds...
Even the train from Peterborough to Kings Lynn grinds - I think the only thing of interest on the route is the ditches that run alongside the track.
Ely was reached about 20 minutes early where we ran into the down Reception loop. Here the 56 ran round and we waited. And we waited. By this time the wind had reached gale force and the flimsy overhead wires were bouncing around. Between the procession of plastic units we were entertained by a group of lads trying to play a game of football. Eventually we left the loop at the booked time only to be held for a late running unit bound for Norwich. The 56 was a strong engine, but rather quiet as grids go. The most amazing dust storms were constantly being whipped up by the winds, an amazing sight for as far as the eye could see.
As far as the eye could see was the window. The dust was coming into the mark 1 carriage.
Oddly enough, I love the Fens. They are, in equal measure, bleak, remote, captivating, and homely. 360-degree horizons, the curtain of sky draping down towards black soil. Telegraph posts leaning at odd angles. A hard but rich land, with its own legends.
Then again, I also love bog-trotting across moorland.
MPs have to declare all their outside interests, and do so, on the Register of Members' Financial Interests. Guido's, and others', investigative journalism can be done by all of us. One can make one's own judgement on whether the outside earnings are legitimate.
The most recent full list is here; 293 pages, but it's easy to search and find your favourite MP:
Cox is a wealthy man - lots of outside work etc., including:
From 28 September 2020 until further notice, Consultant Global Counsel (international legal services) to Withers LLP, 20 Old Bailey, London EC4M 7AN. I will receive £468,000 plus VAT annually, to be paid quarterly, in return for an expected commitment of up to 48 hours a month. (Registered 19 October 2020)
There's lots of interesting stuff in there, and certain patterns emerge; I'll leave readers who are interested to discern them.
Regular updates to the register are available here:
Comments
https://twitter.com/GuidoFawkes/status/1457645731439943684?t=mVjd_joVmRCF1U3s5Uhklg&s=19
That scandal ended with the suicide of an MP who'd been accused of wrongdoing. From memory it was something like claiming Air Miles from flights paid for on expenses and keeping the Air Miles for himself. After the suicide the scandal suddenly stopped ... Both sides basically did a ceasefire saying it wasn't helping anyone throwing mud at their opponents like that.
See it while you can. It will all be under water soon unless Greta Thunberg is completely wrong. Some of it is below sea level already.
You may think that's unreasonable, but it's not untrue.
So why did he choose to have all the official photos taken with the mask off in breach of the law? That shot of him breathing over a lineup of nurses doesn't look great. What is the rationale, and who is the press officer with him managing all this?
Same question with the "I can't attend the debate, I am away". That sounds like an excuse at best. Much more so when you aren't away and arrive back into London with 2 hours of the debate left to run. Surely someone in his team can see how bad this looks - extend the visit.
Either the number 10 team are Corbyn-level useless at optics or the PM overrules them and its him who is shit at optics. As with recent days, its unforced error after unforced error.
I think if the EU wins the trade war, it will intensify the culture war here.
Young urban professionals blaming pensioners for voting against their prosperity.
Time for a trip to Ebbw Vale for @Gardenwalker to see what deprivation means.
The Cambridge hinterland -- the affluent towns and villages like Histon or Shelford or Burwell -- are not "vast areas of deprivation".
They are mainly full of middle-class folk living in half million pound houses, bitching about how they have to commute into Cambridge because they can't afford a million pound house in the shadow of the Colleges.
That is not deprivation. That is envy.
The waterfront is indeed beautiful, as is the dock area around the abbey in King's Lynn but otherwise to my eye it's a pretty bleak place.
It isn't "Paterson worked for Randox" that has resonated. It is "Paterson worked for Randox, they won all kinds of questionable contracts without tender, he was on phone calls" that is still echoing. Less of an issue for Blackford et al however iffy their "investment firm" consultancy looks.
But I agree, there are much worse areas.
Being an MP could be a part time job and unpaid anyway, as it has been in most of parliamentary history.
The EU hold no cards. They can't win anything.
If it does, intrigued to see whether we will all get to see 'all relevant information'... or even some of it https://twitter.com/DPhinnemore/status/1457992462736179202/photo/1
But, compared to Ebbw Vale ... they look like Xanadu.
And whilst the immediate necklace round Cambridge is incredibly comfortable, it gets surprisingly grim once you get north of Ely. It is all about the transport links.
They do not hear or even know the detail, they just know he was found guilty of inappropriate behaviour and there was a cover up to defer or overcome his penalty by Boris and others
Most votes are not political anoraks
There will be a few dozen of them earning a lot of money on the side.
I used to be heavily involved at a relatively senior level and never received or expected to receive a penny. I was lucky enough to be able to do this nearly full time at times, because I was financially secure,. Many give what limited time they have. Regardless of our differences I can say that the Tories l opposed (l was always in LD/Tory fights) were the same. In particular one Tory Agent was one of the most decent persons you could meet, but he was a formidable opponent.
https://twitter.com/CatMcKinnell/status/1457993304231104514
https://twitter.com/bbcbreakfast/status/1457981360132562949
If MPs were unpaid becoming an MP would again become a career mainly for the very high earning or those with inherited wealth with a few Labour MPs supported by the trades unions and Commons sessions would be moved to the evening
https://twitter.com/thetimes/status/1457992981181566977?s=21
I think YouGov did a poll and thing people must remembered about the expenses stuff was the duck house.
Yet the duck house claim was rejected and never paid.
The public also seemed to forget about the MPs that did time in prison.
Cameron spokesman: Nadhim Zahawi "offered" audience to Illumina after ex-PM messaged in "private capacity" re genomics
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/748521e8-3f42-11ec-b903-910fd4392181?shareToken=08e36f4e8df654fcac50ef5f1cbbb437
With Cummings the shambles was performance art driven by some malevolent genius trying to play 4-d chess with the establishment. Now it's just a common or garden shambles.
@DPJHodges
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21m
Now it’s possible to decouple from Paterson, couple of things seem clear:
A) There is going to need to be significant reform of standards process
C) Second jobs need to go
====
A hand list of things that wont happen, me thinks.
Is it data or data?
Clever people are good at fooling themselves and others like that.
a) If you are earning so much for outside work it implies you are spending too much time on non parliament activities
Or
b) If you are paid this amount for very little work why do you think the employer is paying you so much. Could it be influence?
The one in the flatland wastes? Burry.
What annoys me is that Randox got contracts for £00,000,000 yet the Paterson seems to have made £100,000 out of it.
That's not even decent grafting - even in Bulgaria the scams were for larger sums of money.
But certainly, all those valley communities should be well connected to Cardiff, which as far as I can tell, they aren’t.
Google tells me that Ebbw Vale > Cardiff is about 45 minutes in the car and over an hour by train.
Not having a right of appeal could be addressed, but in this case does anyone believe he would have been cleared?
He missed his only real chance to reclaim his honour - full apology, serve his time and get on with it.
Now he has detonated a bomb in parliament, with the help of his 'friends', that threatens to blow up the whole system. No more seconds jobs, the journo's will cry, whilst being happy to trouser other earnings themselves, partly on the basis of their main jobs.
We'll end up with someone suggesting that MP's all have to live in a spartan hotel when at parliament, and can only be made the national living wage.
https://twitter.com/Maomentum_/status/1457828125077823493
The "Breakthrough Party" - (New, youth-led democratic socialist party | Transform work | End the housing crisis | Resist the police state | Fight for climate justice |) celebrates a meeting with Left Unity, Free North Now, Northern Independence Party, and TUSC coalition.
Maomentum responds "When the Socialist Workers Party, the Workers Party, the Workers Revolutionary Party, the Alliance for Workers Liberty, the Resist Party, Labour Against The Witchhunt, Labour In Exile, the Socialist Labour Party and Socialist Appeal get involved this is going to be unstoppable."
A trade war on top of Covid and flu.
One decent snow storm would be catastrophic.
Mind you he also wants a house price crash, to concrete over the country, and that “we hold all the cards”.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/09/singapore-to-start-charging-covid-patients-who-are-unvaccinated-by-choice
The current scheme is (from memory) independent (none MP) investigation occurs that reaches a verdict and a possible sentence.
The MPs then meet to consider the investigation, allow for mitigation / defence statements (and witnesses if the committee think it adds value) and then agrees the final verdict.
So the appeal (and an appeal to their peers) is already in place - Paterson was upset that (however many) character witnesses not talking about the actual crime were not deemed relevant by the committee.
Which means that - firstly someone needs to explain how the current system works and how they wish to improve it and secondly MPs need to find a way to not look like incompetent grafters after an extra buck.
In fact, it’s working people in places like Wisbech that are most affected by such things, and they mostly don’t realise it.
Moreover, there is a sense that these 'jobs' are a way for companies to get the inside view of policy, or actively influence it. Why would MPs be worth so much money for a few hours here or there if there wasn't something to gain?
It just doesn't pass the smell test for ordinary people.
https://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/00s/020309pr.htm
This bit is an understatement:
Ely was reached about 20 minutes early where we ran into the down Reception loop. Here the 56 ran round and we waited. And we waited. By this time the wind had reached gale force and the flimsy overhead wires were bouncing around. Between the procession of plastic units we were entertained by a group of lads trying to play a game of football. Eventually we left the loop at the booked time only to be held for a late running unit bound for Norwich. The 56 was a strong engine, but rather quiet as grids go. The most amazing dust storms were constantly being whipped up by the winds, an amazing sight for as far as the eye could see.
As far as the eye could see was the window. The dust was coming into the mark 1 carriage.
If one MP does the right thing (however grudgingly and reluctantly), it sets a precedent, and others might have to as well.
And Parliament isn't working beyond today this week (November recess because Boris hates PMQs)
So the press can spend all week hunting for new second jobs to attack MPs with
The former health minister Lord Bethell admitted deleting texts and WhatsApp messages related to coronavirus testing contracts because he mistakenly thought there would be back-ups, disclosures show.
Bethell, who had been appointed in March last year, was sacked in September’s reshuffle amid an investigation by the information commissioner into the use of private email by health ministers.
Official guidance says ministers should use government systems, and if they use private channels, should ensure a record of these is provided to their department.
Details of his personal phone use have emerged as part of a High Court challenge related to the award of £90 million coronavirus testing contracts made by the Good Law Project.
In a witness statement signed by Bethell as part of the proceedings, he explained that three previous explanations he had given as to why messages could be produced to the court had been mistaken.
He had apparently claimed that he could not produce them because the handset had been “lost”, according to letters from the government’s legal department. A few days later, Bethell said instead that his phone was “broken” or “defective”.
Finally, in a meeting with lawyers, he said that was wrong, and he had given the phone to a member of his family.
His final signed witness statement now says he realises he bought a new phone in November 2019, and the previous explanations given related to a previous phone given to a member of his family.
His statement says his phone had become “overloaded with data” so he often cleared messages to free up storage space.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/covid-contracts-lord-bethell-thought-deleted-messages-were-backed-up-gpd6tf65j
Then again, I also love bog-trotting across moorland.
Not sure how reliable forecasts at that range are these days.
The most recent full list is here; 293 pages, but it's easy to search and find your favourite MP:
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmregmem/210426/210426.pdf
Cox is a wealthy man - lots of outside work etc., including:
From 28 September 2020 until further notice, Consultant Global Counsel (international legal services) to Withers LLP, 20 Old Bailey, London EC4M 7AN. I will receive £468,000 plus VAT annually, to be paid quarterly, in return for an expected commitment of up to 48 hours a month. (Registered 19 October 2020)
There's lots of interesting stuff in there, and certain patterns emerge; I'll leave readers who are interested to discern them.
Regular updates to the register are available here:
https://www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/standards-and-financial-interests/parliamentary-commissioner-for-standards/registers-of-interests/register-of-members-financial-interests/
Do your own research.