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Moggsy could be in trouble – politicalbetting.com

SystemSystem Posts: 12,218
edited June 2023 in General
Moggsy could be in trouble – politicalbetting.com

Exclusive?Privileges committee to discipline privy councillors who called it 'kangaroo court' in report out tomorrow morning; Jacob Rees-Mogg could be in the firing line.More in today's Chopper's Politics Newsletter:https://t.co/yT597dTjrE pic.twitter.com/25C2x99Udp

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Comments

  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,806
    FPT:

    Foxy said:

    Foxy said:

    By the way, are we now calling for Rishi and Hunt to resign? They have after all 'crashed the economy' worse than the mini-budget now.

    It’s OK, apparently, if you crash in slow motion.
    Surely it's not a crash if you do it deliberately?

    Just another squeeze on the mortgage paying wage earners of the country, while state pensioners get 10% rises.
    Lots of pensioners are leveraged on property. The class politics of it aren’t as simple as you make out, and the people who stand to gain the most are the young.
    Utterly false.
    If we were building more houses, there might be some truth to this.

    But we ain’t.
    That’s absurd. Even if we didn’t build a single new house, the distributional effects would still benefit those with the most future earning potential and the least debt, i.e. the young.
    What makes you think that the young have the least debt? Most debt is mortgage.
    And fewer young people have mortgages.

    image
    The text below that chart says:

    In 2021, only 0.7% of homeowners were between the age of 16 and 24. This rose to 11.2% for those in the 25-34 age bracket, and 15.4% for those between 35 and 44 years of age. Less than a fifth were 55-64 years old.

    The overwhelming majority were those aged 65 and over, occupying over one-third of the homeowner market.


    So the heading appears to be misleading; it doesn;'t appear to have anything to do with mortgages. Makes more sense to me as described - 35% of homeowners are 65 or over.

    Here's the link see if you think I have misunderstood.

    https://www.uswitch.com/mortgages/mortgage-statistics/

    PS thanks williamglenn for the link

  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,987
    edited June 2023
    If Tory MPs on this committee vote to try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection attempts by their local party
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 43,395
    Farooq said:

    What does "hauled over the coals" mean in practice?

    Hoping it's literal.

    Seems to be mediaeval trial by ordeal (matching the Gothic architecture of the House) or a punishment for heretics - not sure which. Not nautical, for once.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 43,395
    HYUFD said:

    If Tory MPs try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection

    Slight difference. Mr C was in charge, but Mr R-M very definitely is not.

    Plus what you envisage (not necessarily personally yourself) implies that HoC discipline should be on solely party grounds.
  • stodgestodge Posts: 13,992

    FPT:

    Foxy said:

    Foxy said:

    By the way, are we now calling for Rishi and Hunt to resign? They have after all 'crashed the economy' worse than the mini-budget now.

    It’s OK, apparently, if you crash in slow motion.
    Surely it's not a crash if you do it deliberately?

    Just another squeeze on the mortgage paying wage earners of the country, while state pensioners get 10% rises.
    Lots of pensioners are leveraged on property. The class politics of it aren’t as simple as you make out, and the people who stand to gain the most are the young.
    Utterly false.
    If we were building more houses, there might be some truth to this.

    But we ain’t.
    That’s absurd. Even if we didn’t build a single new house, the distributional effects would still benefit those with the most future earning potential and the least debt, i.e. the young.
    What makes you think that the young have the least debt? Most debt is mortgage.
    And fewer young people have mortgages.

    image
    The text below that chart says:

    In 2021, only 0.7% of homeowners were between the age of 16 and 24. This rose to 11.2% for those in the 25-34 age bracket, and 15.4% for those between 35 and 44 years of age. Less than a fifth were 55-64 years old.

    The overwhelming majority were those aged 65 and over, occupying over one-third of the homeowner market.


    So the heading appears to be misleading; it doesn;'t appear to have anything to do with mortgages. Makes more sense to me as described - 35% of homeowners are 65 or over.

    Here's the link see if you think I have misunderstood.

    https://www.uswitch.com/mortgages/mortgage-statistics/

    PS thanks williamglenn for the link

    This was picked up in the Redfield & Wilton survey yesterday evening.

    In 2019, mortgage free home owners backed the Conservatives 59-22 - home owners with mortgages backed Boris Johnson 43-33. Renters were Labour (mid 40s). The current Redfield & Wilton among all home owners (therefore with and without mortgages) had the Conservatives and Labour level at 35 each with the LDs on 16.

    It's a group of interest, I believe, and polling to be followed.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,806
    Farooq said:

    What does "hauled over the coals" mean in practice?

    Hoping it's literal.

    It comes from a medieval practice of dragging a heretic over hot coals to make him repent. So Rees-Mogg would probably support it's revival.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 43,395
    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    If Tory MPs try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection

    How many Labour MPs have been deselected over Corbyn's suspension?
    Also - the one is an internal party matter. The other strikes to the root of the conduct of the House of Parliament.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 43,395

    Farooq said:

    What does "hauled over the coals" mean in practice?

    Hoping it's literal.

    It comes from a medieval practice of dragging a heretic over hot coals to make him repent. So Rees-Mogg would probably support it's revival.
    OTOH, his slandering of innocent marsupials would be a crime unknown to the mediaeval mind.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,987
    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    If Tory MPs try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection

    How many Labour MPs have been deselected over Corbyn's suspension?
    Labour's NEC could only suspend Corbyn after 4 consecutive general election defeats, if they had done it earlier their would have been mass deselection attempts of anti Corbyn MPs. Much like Militant tried to deselect moderate Labour MPs in the 1980s
  • williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 52,302
    edited June 2023
    “There’s a mortgage catastrophe coming – and it will prove Liz Truss right”

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/06/14/truss-right-looming-british-mortgage-catastrophe-proves-it/

    The ‘sensibles’ believed higher taxes would stop interest rate hikes. They were calamitously wrong
  • Whatever happened to free speech?

    Anyone, anywhere, for any reason ought to be able to call out a 'kangaroo court' whether its a kangaroo court or not.

    If its not a kangaroo court then show your evidence and win the argument. Don't punish people for criticising you. Because that's precisely what kangaroo courts actually do.
  • eekeek Posts: 28,592
    edited June 2023

    “There’s a mortgage catastrophe coming – and it will prove Liz Truss right”

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/06/14/truss-right-looming-british-mortgage-catastrophe-proves-it/

    The ‘sensibles’ believed higher taxes would stop interest rate hikes. They were calamitously wrong

    I’m confused - because any idea that were Truss in power interest rates would peaking at 5.75% is for the birds.

    If Truss was in power interest rates would already be at 6%.. with another 1-2% to go.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,806
    Carnyx said:

    Farooq said:

    What does "hauled over the coals" mean in practice?

    Hoping it's literal.

    It comes from a medieval practice of dragging a heretic over hot coals to make him repent. So Rees-Mogg would probably support it's revival.
    OTOH, his slandering of innocent marsupials would be a crime unknown to the mediaeval mind.
    Rees-Mogg's branding of the privileges committee as a kangeroo court is going to bounce back and bite him on the bum.
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 17,468
    HYUFD said:

    If Tory MPs on this committee vote to try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection attempts by their local party

    Charles Walker has already said he is standing down.

    I imagine that Andy Carter (Warrington South, majority 2000) isn't going to be investing in new soft furnishings for his Westminster office either.

    That leaves Bernard Jenkin and Alberto Costa.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 43,395

    Carnyx said:

    Farooq said:

    What does "hauled over the coals" mean in practice?

    Hoping it's literal.

    It comes from a medieval practice of dragging a heretic over hot coals to make him repent. So Rees-Mogg would probably support it's revival.
    OTOH, his slandering of innocent marsupials would be a crime unknown to the mediaeval mind.
    Rees-Mogg's branding of the privileges committee as a kangeroo court is going to bounce back and bite him on the bum.
    Punch him in the gut or kick him in the nadgers more like -

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCcLMNcWZOc (3:00 on)
  • AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 23,792
    stodge said:

    FPT:

    Foxy said:

    Foxy said:

    By the way, are we now calling for Rishi and Hunt to resign? They have after all 'crashed the economy' worse than the mini-budget now.

    It’s OK, apparently, if you crash in slow motion.
    Surely it's not a crash if you do it deliberately?

    Just another squeeze on the mortgage paying wage earners of the country, while state pensioners get 10% rises.
    Lots of pensioners are leveraged on property. The class politics of it aren’t as simple as you make out, and the people who stand to gain the most are the young.
    Utterly false.
    If we were building more houses, there might be some truth to this.

    But we ain’t.
    That’s absurd. Even if we didn’t build a single new house, the distributional effects would still benefit those with the most future earning potential and the least debt, i.e. the young.
    What makes you think that the young have the least debt? Most debt is mortgage.
    And fewer young people have mortgages.

    image
    The text below that chart says:

    In 2021, only 0.7% of homeowners were between the age of 16 and 24. This rose to 11.2% for those in the 25-34 age bracket, and 15.4% for those between 35 and 44 years of age. Less than a fifth were 55-64 years old.

    The overwhelming majority were those aged 65 and over, occupying over one-third of the homeowner market.


    So the heading appears to be misleading; it doesn;'t appear to have anything to do with mortgages. Makes more sense to me as described - 35% of homeowners are 65 or over.

    Here's the link see if you think I have misunderstood.

    https://www.uswitch.com/mortgages/mortgage-statistics/

    PS thanks williamglenn for the link

    This was picked up in the Redfield & Wilton survey yesterday evening.

    In 2019, mortgage free home owners backed the Conservatives 59-22 - home owners with mortgages backed Boris Johnson 43-33. Renters were Labour (mid 40s). The current Redfield & Wilton among all home owners (therefore with and without mortgages) had the Conservatives and Labour level at 35 each with the LDs on 16.

    It's a group of interest, I believe, and polling to be followed.
    Presumably though those are unweighted subsamples, and thus utterly meaningless, as discussed numerous times previously?
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 43,395

    HYUFD said:

    If Tory MPs on this committee vote to try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection attempts by their local party

    Charles Walker has already said he is standing down.

    I imagine that Andy Carter (Warrington South, majority 2000) isn't going to be investing in new soft furnishings for his Westminster office either.

    That leaves Bernard Jenkin and Alberto Costa.
    And Mr Jenkin will not be a happy bunny, or even wallaby, after Mr Johnson's attack on him.
  • HYUFD said:

    If Tory MPs on this committee vote to try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection attempts by their local party

    Charles Walker has already said he is standing down.

    I imagine that Andy Carter (Warrington South, majority 2000) isn't going to be investing in new soft furnishings for his Westminster office either.

    That leaves Bernard Jenkin and Alberto Costa.
    Andy Carter has already said he's standing down too.

    On a personal level I couldn't care less if Mogg is disciplined. He probably deserves it for something.

    However on a matter of principle, free speech matters. Even if the person saying it is wrong to say it, they should be free to say it.

    In Putin's Russia they have actual kangaroo courts and critics who say the truth are punished for doing so.

    We must always have the right to criticise those in authority. And that means even batshit crazy conspiracy theorist lunatics must have that right too. Because otherwise when those in authority are abusing it, you've removed all the protections.
  • CarnyxCarnyx Posts: 43,395

    HYUFD said:

    If Tory MPs on this committee vote to try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection attempts by their local party

    Charles Walker has already said he is standing down.

    I imagine that Andy Carter (Warrington South, majority 2000) isn't going to be investing in new soft furnishings for his Westminster office either.

    That leaves Bernard Jenkin and Alberto Costa.
    Andy Carter has already said he's standing down too.

    On a personal level I couldn't care less if Mogg is disciplined. He probably deserves it for something.

    However on a matter of principle, free speech matters. Even if the person saying it is wrong to say it, they should be free to say it.

    In Putin's Russia they have actual kangaroo courts and critics who say the truth are punished for doing so.

    We must always have the right to criticise those in authority. And that means even batshit crazy conspiracy theorist lunatics must have that right too. Because otherwise when those in authority are abusing it, you've removed all the protections.
    This is - essentially - contempt of court, Parliament being the highest court, as I understand it. Unless you think contempt of court shouldn't exist, perhaps?
  • Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    If Tory MPs on this committee vote to try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection attempts by their local party

    Charles Walker has already said he is standing down.

    I imagine that Andy Carter (Warrington South, majority 2000) isn't going to be investing in new soft furnishings for his Westminster office either.

    That leaves Bernard Jenkin and Alberto Costa.
    Andy Carter has already said he's standing down too.

    On a personal level I couldn't care less if Mogg is disciplined. He probably deserves it for something.

    However on a matter of principle, free speech matters. Even if the person saying it is wrong to say it, they should be free to say it.

    In Putin's Russia they have actual kangaroo courts and critics who say the truth are punished for doing so.

    We must always have the right to criticise those in authority. And that means even batshit crazy conspiracy theorist lunatics must have that right too. Because otherwise when those in authority are abusing it, you've removed all the protections.
    This is - essentially - contempt of court, Parliament being the highest court, as I understand it. Unless you think contempt of court shouldn't exist, perhaps?
    Contempt of court for disrupting court proceedings within the court, or leaking materials that are meant to be confidential etc absolutely should exist.

    Criticising the court for its rulings or decisions outside the court absolutely should not be punished or called contempt.

    Anyone should be free to say any court, judge, jurist or whatever has made a mistake. Even if they haven't. Because if they have, people need to be free to say so, or else those in authority can abuse powers to deliberately make mistakes and silence any critics.
  • MiklosvarMiklosvar Posts: 1,855

    Miklosvar said:

    Miklosvar said:

    Miklosvar said:

    ...

    viewcode said:

    ....

    Good to see Tom Watson's getting a little attention.

    Starmer's a teensy weensy (*) hypocritical in going on about Johnson's list, when Starmer put Watson's name forward after it had initially been rejected by the committee.

    (*) Actually, a lot.

    I have some very solid anecdotal evidence from the time (1980s) to suggest Carl Beech was not entirely wrong. Beech took allegations that were already in the public domain and embellished them as his own experience which was patently untrue.

    The evidence I have is about someone now dead so I can comfortably share my story, but I won't. One of Beech's greatest disservices from being exposed as a 24 carat bullshitter was that those who probably still had questions to answer (even if they were now dead) have been given a clean bill of health.

    Watson, by taking Beech's bait was very unwise, not just for his harassment of the innocent but for his inadvertent exoneration of the guilty.

    Jessops believes the Watson parry was a magnificent win for Sunak today so who am I to rain on his parade?
    Your last line rather makes the rest of your rant a bit sus.

    I've not said it was a magnificent 'win' for Sunak. I've not mentioned anything like that. All I said was that Starmer was being hypocritical with his criticism.

    My story about McAlpine: back in 1997, I got an invite into parliament. Whilst there, the guy who invited me mentioned the rumours about McAlpine (because I was interested in engineering). The allegations about McAlpine were in the 'public domain'; that does not make them true. He had to live with rumours and tittle-tattle behind his back - until people were stupid enough to actually put it down in writing.
    My anecdotes do not relate to McAlpine.

    The sources of the stories I have been told about one of Beech's "victims" also passed on details of Janner, which turned out to be incontrovertibly true.
    I'm sure you'll understand that "a bloke I know told me" is not sufficient proof.
    I haven't mentioned the "victim's" name, I am merely pointing out that although Beech was a bullshitter those eager to apportion "innocence" to ALL his "victims" might be making a false extrapolation.
    Innocent until proven guilty.

    Or, as it seems some on here think: Innocent until proven Tory... ;)
    But that's just a misstatement of a rule of criminal law, not a general rule of logic. As someone else has pointed out, Savile was never convicted of anything, so that is him off the hook. And indeed in the year after his death suggestions that he was what he was, were met with exactly this sort of response about unproven backbiting now he is not here to defend himself etc.
    Savile was never convicted of anything, but there was a large inquiry after he died that produced a lot of evidence of wrongdoing. That's a very different situation to the one we're talking about here.

    Cyril Smith was also investigated as part of an inquiry:
    https://www.iicsa.org.uk/reports-recommendations/publications/investigation/cambridge-house-knowl-view-rochdale/part-introduction/cyril-smith.html

    Because of this, I'm fairly happy to call both of those paedophiles.
    But you are not capable of forming your own judgment on any question which has not been investigated by The Authorities?

    Fair enough.
    Actual evidence beats "my mate down the pub says".
    There is no rational definition of evidence, under which "my mate down the pub says" is not evidence even if it is weak, derivative, third hand evidence or whatever. Prior to Saviles death the only evidence that he was an abusive pervert was of that kind. So why do you suggest it fails to meet some standard for "actual evidence"?
    No, there was actually first hand accounts. Which were ignored. This was actual evidence.

    There is a reason that hearsay is given the level of respect that it gets, since the dawn of complex human societies.
    What on earth is your source about the level of respect that hearsay gets? Everything you think you know is hearsay by legal definition: that Sunak is PM, that Charles is king, that terrorists flew planes into buildings on 9/11. This Agatha Christie pretendy legalism about what constitutes evidence is very tiresome.
    And your claim about first hand accounts which were ignored, explain how you know that on any basis other than hearsay. Who told you, first hand, that these accounts were given to them?
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 28,869
    edited June 2023

    “There’s a mortgage catastrophe coming – and it will prove Liz Truss right”

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/06/14/truss-right-looming-british-mortgage-catastrophe-proves-it/

    The ‘sensibles’ believed higher taxes would stop interest rate hikes. They were calamitously wrong

    "The “grown-ups” have been back in charge for eight months, armed with their orthodox, social-democratic playbook, and have only managed to mess everything up even more badly."

  • CatManCatMan Posts: 3,069

    Whatever happened to free speech?

    Anyone, anywhere, for any reason ought to be able to call out a 'kangaroo court' whether its a kangaroo court or not.

    If its not a kangaroo court then show your evidence and win the argument. Don't punish people for criticising you. Because that's precisely what kangaroo courts actually do.

    Them's the breaks
  • Farooq said:

    Whatever happened to free speech?

    Anyone, anywhere, for any reason ought to be able to call out a 'kangaroo court' whether its a kangaroo court or not.

    If its not a kangaroo court then show your evidence and win the argument. Don't punish people for criticising you. Because that's precisely what kangaroo courts actually do.

    Hmmm, I'm not sure about this. I'm not sure how quasi-judicial this process is, but in judicial processes, contempt of court could easily cover this sort of thing, and I think in some cases it's necessary to preserve the majesty of the court when undermining it could risk the breakdown of the rule of law.

    Now that all sounds dramatic, but I think there's a real risk. The application of law should be solemn, sober, and dignified. And those who come to court screaming, or who stand outside profaning the process as biased could damage that. We can't allow someone with a bully pulpit to undermine the rule of law.

    That all said, the bit I'm not sure about is whether any of this applies in this case. It's not a court, but it's somewhat courtlike.
    I may be mistaken but don't people stand outside courts disagreeing with judgements quite regularly?

    EG when we had the case earlier this week about the woman who was imprisoned after having an abortion we had some quite detailed discussions and the Judge was called pompous and other things by some of the people here. Should that be 'contempt of court'? I don't think so, its free speech.

    Absolutely anyone with a bully pulpit, or any other pulpit, should be free to say that courts or anyone else has made a mistake. Nobody in a position of authority should ever be above criticism.
  • RogerRoger Posts: 19,983
    edited June 2023

    Whatever happened to free speech?

    Anyone, anywhere, for any reason ought to be able to call out a 'kangaroo court' whether its a kangaroo court or not.

    If its not a kangaroo court then show your evidence and win the argument. Don't punish people for criticising you. Because that's precisely what kangaroo courts actually do.

    You could apply that to football referees umpires magistrates etc. If you are not prepared to accept adjudication then before you know where you are you find yourself questioning the results of elections and you quickly become a banana republic. A bit like Trumps America.

    God help us
  • BartholomewRobertsBartholomewRoberts Posts: 22,415
    edited June 2023
    Farooq said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    If Tory MPs on this committee vote to try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection attempts by their local party

    Charles Walker has already said he is standing down.

    I imagine that Andy Carter (Warrington South, majority 2000) isn't going to be investing in new soft furnishings for his Westminster office either.

    That leaves Bernard Jenkin and Alberto Costa.
    Andy Carter has already said he's standing down too.

    On a personal level I couldn't care less if Mogg is disciplined. He probably deserves it for something.

    However on a matter of principle, free speech matters. Even if the person saying it is wrong to say it, they should be free to say it.

    In Putin's Russia they have actual kangaroo courts and critics who say the truth are punished for doing so.

    We must always have the right to criticise those in authority. And that means even batshit crazy conspiracy theorist lunatics must have that right too. Because otherwise when those in authority are abusing it, you've removed all the protections.
    This is - essentially - contempt of court, Parliament being the highest court, as I understand it. Unless you think contempt of court shouldn't exist, perhaps?
    Contempt of court for disrupting court proceedings within the court, or leaking materials that are meant to be confidential etc absolutely should exist.

    Criticising the court for its rulings or decisions outside the court absolutely should not be punished or called contempt.

    Anyone should be free to say any court, judge, jurist or whatever has made a mistake. Even if they haven't. Because if they have, people need to be free to say so, or else those in authority can abuse powers to deliberately make mistakes and silence any critics.
    Mistakes are one thing, but accusations of deliberate impropriety are quite another.

    It's analogous and closely related to libel or slander. And court officials shouldn't have to get into slanging matches with members of the public to defend their reputation. The judicial system must have its reputation preserved where it deserves to be preserved. The rule of law depends on that.
    Accusations of impropriety absolutely should be protected as free speech, the rule of law depends on that.

    Otherwise those who are improper can't be called out and can get away with being improper, if they can just silence their critics.

    If someone is wrong, or a conspiracy nutjob, then they should be dismissed as such. But nobody should ever be above reproach, because what if the reproach is genuine and correct?
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 51,153

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    If Tory MPs on this committee vote to try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection attempts by their local party

    Charles Walker has already said he is standing down.

    I imagine that Andy Carter (Warrington South, majority 2000) isn't going to be investing in new soft furnishings for his Westminster office either.

    That leaves Bernard Jenkin and Alberto Costa.
    Andy Carter has already said he's standing down too.

    On a personal level I couldn't care less if Mogg is disciplined. He probably deserves it for something.

    However on a matter of principle, free speech matters. Even if the person saying it is wrong to say it, they should be free to say it.

    In Putin's Russia they have actual kangaroo courts and critics who say the truth are punished for doing so.

    We must always have the right to criticise those in authority. And that means even batshit crazy conspiracy theorist lunatics must have that right too. Because otherwise when those in authority are abusing it, you've removed all the protections.
    This is - essentially - contempt of court, Parliament being the highest court, as I understand it. Unless you think contempt of court shouldn't exist, perhaps?
    Contempt of court for disrupting court proceedings within the court, or leaking materials that are meant to be confidential etc absolutely should exist.

    Criticising the court for its rulings or decisions outside the court absolutely should not be punished or called contempt.

    Anyone should be free to say any court, judge, jurist or whatever has made a mistake. Even if they haven't. Because if they have, people need to be free to say so, or else those in authority can abuse powers to deliberately make mistakes and silence any critics.
    Historically, some of the early free speech stuff in U.K. was about people calling out courts/judges for corruption and bias. And various attempts being made to silence them to “preserve the reputation of Justice”

    Be careful what you wish for. Sometimes what you wish for gets *you*, instead
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,806

    “There’s a mortgage catastrophe coming – and it will prove Liz Truss right”

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/06/14/truss-right-looming-british-mortgage-catastrophe-proves-it/

    The ‘sensibles’ believed higher taxes would stop interest rate hikes. They were calamitously wrong

    "The “grown-ups” have been back in charge for eight months, armed with their orthodox, social-democratic playbook, and have only managed to mess everything up even more badly."

    You had your chance, your leader messed up royally. Time to move on.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,806

    Farooq said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    If Tory MPs on this committee vote to try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection attempts by their local party

    Charles Walker has already said he is standing down.

    I imagine that Andy Carter (Warrington South, majority 2000) isn't going to be investing in new soft furnishings for his Westminster office either.

    That leaves Bernard Jenkin and Alberto Costa.
    Andy Carter has already said he's standing down too.

    On a personal level I couldn't care less if Mogg is disciplined. He probably deserves it for something.

    However on a matter of principle, free speech matters. Even if the person saying it is wrong to say it, they should be free to say it.

    In Putin's Russia they have actual kangaroo courts and critics who say the truth are punished for doing so.

    We must always have the right to criticise those in authority. And that means even batshit crazy conspiracy theorist lunatics must have that right too. Because otherwise when those in authority are abusing it, you've removed all the protections.
    This is - essentially - contempt of court, Parliament being the highest court, as I understand it. Unless you think contempt of court shouldn't exist, perhaps?
    Contempt of court for disrupting court proceedings within the court, or leaking materials that are meant to be confidential etc absolutely should exist.

    Criticising the court for its rulings or decisions outside the court absolutely should not be punished or called contempt.

    Anyone should be free to say any court, judge, jurist or whatever has made a mistake. Even if they haven't. Because if they have, people need to be free to say so, or else those in authority can abuse powers to deliberately make mistakes and silence any critics.
    Mistakes are one thing, but accusations of deliberate impropriety are quite another.

    It's analogous and closely related to libel or slander. And court officials shouldn't have to get into slanging matches with members of the public to defend their reputation. The judicial system must have its reputation preserved where it deserves to be preserved. The rule of law depends on that.
    Accusations of impropriety absolutely should be protected as free speech, the rule of law depends on that.

    Otherwise those who are improper can't be called out and can get away with being improper, if they can just silence their critics.

    If someone is wrong, or a conspiracy nutjob, then they should be dismissed as such. But nobody should ever be above reproach, because what if the reproach is genuine and correct?
    Free speech Fox-style:

    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/14/fox-news-dictator-banner-chyron-trump-joe-biden

    image
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 49,145

    Farooq said:

    What does "hauled over the coals" mean in practice?

    Hoping it's literal.

    It comes from a medieval practice of dragging a heretic over hot coals to make him repent. So Rees-Mogg would probably support it's revival.
    Are we back to Theology again? 😇
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 17,468

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    If Tory MPs on this committee vote to try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection attempts by their local party

    Charles Walker has already said he is standing down.

    I imagine that Andy Carter (Warrington South, majority 2000) isn't going to be investing in new soft furnishings for his Westminster office either.

    That leaves Bernard Jenkin and Alberto Costa.
    Andy Carter has already said he's standing down too.

    On a personal level I couldn't care less if Mogg is disciplined. He probably deserves it for something.

    However on a matter of principle, free speech matters. Even if the person saying it is wrong to say it, they should be free to say it.

    In Putin's Russia they have actual kangaroo courts and critics who say the truth are punished for doing so.

    We must always have the right to criticise those in authority. And that means even batshit crazy conspiracy theorist lunatics must have that right too. Because otherwise when those in authority are abusing it, you've removed all the protections.
    This is - essentially - contempt of court, Parliament being the highest court, as I understand it. Unless you think contempt of court shouldn't exist, perhaps?
    Contempt of court for disrupting court proceedings within the court, or leaking materials that are meant to be confidential etc absolutely should exist.

    Criticising the court for its rulings or decisions outside the court absolutely should not be punished or called contempt.

    Anyone should be free to say any court, judge, jurist or whatever has made a mistake. Even if they haven't. Because if they have, people need to be free to say so, or else those in authority can abuse powers to deliberately make mistakes and silence any critics.
    But surely JRM hasn't seen the final report yet, becuase it isn't released until tomorrow.

    And the place to make arguments about the rightness or wrongness of the report is the Commons chamber that he claims to love so much. They don't have to follow the recommendations of the committee.

    And the worst that the Commons could do to Boris is force him to get an endorsement from his constituents. Again, the sort of democracy that JRM claims to champion. Trust the people and all that.

    Instead, JRM has chosen to throw rocks at the first stage of the process before it's even finished.

    Fine if he is now a newstalk shock jock with a plummy voice, but that's not who he is... is it?
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,806
    Foxy said:

    Farooq said:

    What does "hauled over the coals" mean in practice?

    Hoping it's literal.

    It comes from a medieval practice of dragging a heretic over hot coals to make him repent. So Rees-Mogg would probably support it's revival.
    Are we back to Theology again? 😇
    11. Thou shalt not criticise the Privileges Committee
  • Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    If Tory MPs on this committee vote to try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection attempts by their local party

    Charles Walker has already said he is standing down.

    I imagine that Andy Carter (Warrington South, majority 2000) isn't going to be investing in new soft furnishings for his Westminster office either.

    That leaves Bernard Jenkin and Alberto Costa.
    Andy Carter has already said he's standing down too.

    On a personal level I couldn't care less if Mogg is disciplined. He probably deserves it for something.

    However on a matter of principle, free speech matters. Even if the person saying it is wrong to say it, they should be free to say it.

    In Putin's Russia they have actual kangaroo courts and critics who say the truth are punished for doing so.

    We must always have the right to criticise those in authority. And that means even batshit crazy conspiracy theorist lunatics must have that right too. Because otherwise when those in authority are abusing it, you've removed all the protections.
    This is - essentially - contempt of court, Parliament being the highest court, as I understand it. Unless you think contempt of court shouldn't exist, perhaps?
    Contempt of court for disrupting court proceedings within the court, or leaking materials that are meant to be confidential etc absolutely should exist.

    Criticising the court for its rulings or decisions outside the court absolutely should not be punished or called contempt.

    Anyone should be free to say any court, judge, jurist or whatever has made a mistake. Even if they haven't. Because if they have, people need to be free to say so, or else those in authority can abuse powers to deliberately make mistakes and silence any critics.
    Historically, some of the early free speech stuff in U.K. was about people calling out courts/judges for corruption and bias. And various attempts being made to silence them to “preserve the reputation of Justice”

    Be careful what you wish for. Sometimes what you wish for gets *you*, instead
    Absolutely.

    Reputations can be earnt and lost. If the system is not corrupt, then it should be possible to keep earning a good reputation and conspiracy lunatics will be dismissed.

    If you need to silence your critics in order to keep a good reputation, then you don't deserve one.

    I'm reminded of this quote. Even if Mogg is the Devil he still needs the benefit of free speech.

    “William Roper: “So, now you give the Devil the benefit of law!”

    Sir Thomas More: “Yes! What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?”

    William Roper: “Yes, I'd cut down every law in England to do that!”

    Sir Thomas More: “Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man's laws, not God's! And if you cut them down, and you're just the man to do it, do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!”
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 49,145
    Well, the evidence will be in the report tomorrow for us all to see.

    I suspect Moggs comments will boomerang on him.
  • .
    Roger said:

    Whatever happened to free speech?

    Anyone, anywhere, for any reason ought to be able to call out a 'kangaroo court' whether its a kangaroo court or not.

    If its not a kangaroo court then show your evidence and win the argument. Don't punish people for criticising you. Because that's precisely what kangaroo courts actually do.

    You could apply that to football referees umpires magistrates etc. If you are not prepared to accept adjudication then before you know where you are you find yourself questioning the results of elections and you quickly become a banana republic. A bit like Trumps America.

    God help us
    And you know who doesn't allow the questioning of the results of elections?

    Putin's Russia and similar nations that are not free democracies.

    I'd rather America than Russia thank you very much.

    Yes I'd give free speech to Trump and every other lunatic, as much as I despise him, because if he doesn't have free speech then neither do his own critics if he becomes President and starts abusing his powers.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 18,915

    Whatever happened to free speech?

    Anyone, anywhere, for any reason ought to be able to call out a 'kangaroo court' whether its a kangaroo court or not.

    If its not a kangaroo court then show your evidence and win the argument. Don't punish people for criticising you. Because that's precisely what kangaroo courts actually do.

    I don't think it works that way. It's not just a difference of opinion with someone like Rees-Mogg - he is actively trying to undermine the democratic structures of the Commons, and the way in which it regulates itself. If the Commons does not defend itself from this attack then it will lose, the Rees-Moggs will win, and Britain will end up with some sort of hellish managed democracy.

    Members of the Commons had to fight for the right to regulate themselves, and that process involved calling out those members who were batting for the other side.

    Free speech doesn't mean consequence-free speech.

    If Rees-Mogg undermines the business and work of the Commons, by making unsubstantiated allegations about its work, that he must know will only fuel conspiratorial thinking and undermine British democracy - then absolutely he should expect there to be consequences for that deliberate and damaging act.

    Democracy is not just something that exists by natural law. It is a precious and fragile thing, and people like Rees-Mogg are a threat to its survival. He has no respect for the history, for the process, for the principles of democracy. He's only interested for as long as he gets what he wants from it.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,806

    Farooq said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    If Tory MPs on this committee vote to try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection attempts by their local party

    Charles Walker has already said he is standing down.

    I imagine that Andy Carter (Warrington South, majority 2000) isn't going to be investing in new soft furnishings for his Westminster office either.

    That leaves Bernard Jenkin and Alberto Costa.
    Andy Carter has already said he's standing down too.

    On a personal level I couldn't care less if Mogg is disciplined. He probably deserves it for something.

    However on a matter of principle, free speech matters. Even if the person saying it is wrong to say it, they should be free to say it.

    In Putin's Russia they have actual kangaroo courts and critics who say the truth are punished for doing so.

    We must always have the right to criticise those in authority. And that means even batshit crazy conspiracy theorist lunatics must have that right too. Because otherwise when those in authority are abusing it, you've removed all the protections.
    This is - essentially - contempt of court, Parliament being the highest court, as I understand it. Unless you think contempt of court shouldn't exist, perhaps?
    Contempt of court for disrupting court proceedings within the court, or leaking materials that are meant to be confidential etc absolutely should exist.

    Criticising the court for its rulings or decisions outside the court absolutely should not be punished or called contempt.

    Anyone should be free to say any court, judge, jurist or whatever has made a mistake. Even if they haven't. Because if they have, people need to be free to say so, or else those in authority can abuse powers to deliberately make mistakes and silence any critics.
    Mistakes are one thing, but accusations of deliberate impropriety are quite another.

    It's analogous and closely related to libel or slander. And court officials shouldn't have to get into slanging matches with members of the public to defend their reputation. The judicial system must have its reputation preserved where it deserves to be preserved. The rule of law depends on that.
    Accusations of impropriety absolutely should be protected as free speech, the rule of law depends on that.

    Otherwise those who are improper can't be called out and can get away with being improper, if they can just silence their critics.

    If someone is wrong, or a conspiracy nutjob, then they should be dismissed as such. But nobody should ever be above reproach, because what if the reproach is genuine and correct?
    You are right of course.

    And yet, the thought of JRM being had up before the Privileges Committee for contempt is rather amusing. I hope they find some grammatical error in his criticism, that would be the icing on the cake.
  • EPGEPG Posts: 6,653
    stodge said:

    FPT:

    Foxy said:

    Foxy said:

    By the way, are we now calling for Rishi and Hunt to resign? They have after all 'crashed the economy' worse than the mini-budget now.

    It’s OK, apparently, if you crash in slow motion.
    Surely it's not a crash if you do it deliberately?

    Just another squeeze on the mortgage paying wage earners of the country, while state pensioners get 10% rises.
    Lots of pensioners are leveraged on property. The class politics of it aren’t as simple as you make out, and the people who stand to gain the most are the young.
    Utterly false.
    If we were building more houses, there might be some truth to this.

    But we ain’t.
    That’s absurd. Even if we didn’t build a single new house, the distributional effects would still benefit those with the most future earning potential and the least debt, i.e. the young.
    What makes you think that the young have the least debt? Most debt is mortgage.
    And fewer young people have mortgages.

    image
    The text below that chart says:

    In 2021, only 0.7% of homeowners were between the age of 16 and 24. This rose to 11.2% for those in the 25-34 age bracket, and 15.4% for those between 35 and 44 years of age. Less than a fifth were 55-64 years old.

    The overwhelming majority were those aged 65 and over, occupying over one-third of the homeowner market.


    So the heading appears to be misleading; it doesn;'t appear to have anything to do with mortgages. Makes more sense to me as described - 35% of homeowners are 65 or over.

    Here's the link see if you think I have misunderstood.

    https://www.uswitch.com/mortgages/mortgage-statistics/

    PS thanks williamglenn for the link

    This was picked up in the Redfield & Wilton survey yesterday evening.

    In 2019, mortgage free home owners backed the Conservatives 59-22 - home owners with mortgages backed Boris Johnson 43-33. Renters were Labour (mid 40s). The current Redfield & Wilton among all home owners (therefore with and without mortgages) had the Conservatives and Labour level at 35 each with the LDs on 16.

    It's a group of interest, I believe, and polling to be followed.
    Home ownership is heavily correlated with age and wealth. I am not sure the variation, controlling for political preferences, varies much after controlling for those two.
  • BartholomewRobertsBartholomewRoberts Posts: 22,415
    edited June 2023

    Whatever happened to free speech?

    Anyone, anywhere, for any reason ought to be able to call out a 'kangaroo court' whether its a kangaroo court or not.

    If its not a kangaroo court then show your evidence and win the argument. Don't punish people for criticising you. Because that's precisely what kangaroo courts actually do.

    I don't think it works that way. It's not just a difference of opinion with someone like Rees-Mogg - he is actively trying to undermine the democratic structures of the Commons, and the way in which it regulates itself. If the Commons does not defend itself from this attack then it will lose, the Rees-Moggs will win, and Britain will end up with some sort of hellish managed democracy.

    Members of the Commons had to fight for the right to regulate themselves, and that process involved calling out those members who were batting for the other side.

    Free speech doesn't mean consequence-free speech.

    If Rees-Mogg undermines the business and work of the Commons, by making unsubstantiated allegations about its work, that he must know will only fuel conspiratorial thinking and undermine British democracy - then absolutely he should expect there to be consequences for that deliberate and damaging act.

    Democracy is not just something that exists by natural law. It is a precious and fragile thing, and people like Rees-Mogg are a threat to its survival. He has no respect for the history, for the process, for the principles of democracy. He's only interested for as long as he gets what he wants from it.
    MPs absolutely must be free to make unsubstantiated allegations, because otherwise even substantiated ones can be silenced too. Indeed MPs have Parliamentary Privilege to prevent them being sued for libel as a result, even if what they say is not remotely true.

    Mogg is a prick. Even pricks have rights.

    Hellish managed democracy happens when people in authority get to choose who has the right to speak etc which they then abuse to enforce their own version of "truth" such as the "special military operation", not when everyone does, no matter how wrongheaded they are.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,806
    edited June 2023
    Foxy said:

    Well, the evidence will be in the report tomorrow for us all to see.

    I suspect Moggs comments will boomerang on him.

    Will the wallaby silenced by the committee, or will koala tempers prevail?
  • RogerRoger Posts: 19,983
    Just watched Johnson's biographer on Newsnight. I can understand the difficulties with finding someone to speak up for him but choosing a drinking pal doesn't enlighten anyone.
  • Farooq said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    If Tory MPs on this committee vote to try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection attempts by their local party

    Charles Walker has already said he is standing down.

    I imagine that Andy Carter (Warrington South, majority 2000) isn't going to be investing in new soft furnishings for his Westminster office either.

    That leaves Bernard Jenkin and Alberto Costa.
    Andy Carter has already said he's standing down too.

    On a personal level I couldn't care less if Mogg is disciplined. He probably deserves it for something.

    However on a matter of principle, free speech matters. Even if the person saying it is wrong to say it, they should be free to say it.

    In Putin's Russia they have actual kangaroo courts and critics who say the truth are punished for doing so.

    We must always have the right to criticise those in authority. And that means even batshit crazy conspiracy theorist lunatics must have that right too. Because otherwise when those in authority are abusing it, you've removed all the protections.
    This is - essentially - contempt of court, Parliament being the highest court, as I understand it. Unless you think contempt of court shouldn't exist, perhaps?
    Contempt of court for disrupting court proceedings within the court, or leaking materials that are meant to be confidential etc absolutely should exist.

    Criticising the court for its rulings or decisions outside the court absolutely should not be punished or called contempt.

    Anyone should be free to say any court, judge, jurist or whatever has made a mistake. Even if they haven't. Because if they have, people need to be free to say so, or else those in authority can abuse powers to deliberately make mistakes and silence any critics.
    Mistakes are one thing, but accusations of deliberate impropriety are quite another.

    It's analogous and closely related to libel or slander. And court officials shouldn't have to get into slanging matches with members of the public to defend their reputation. The judicial system must have its reputation preserved where it deserves to be preserved. The rule of law depends on that.
    Accusations of impropriety absolutely should be protected as free speech, the rule of law depends on that.

    Otherwise those who are improper can't be called out and can get away with being improper, if they can just silence their critics.

    If someone is wrong, or a conspiracy nutjob, then they should be dismissed as such. But nobody should ever be above reproach, because what if the reproach is genuine and correct?
    You are right of course.

    And yet, the thought of JRM being had up before the Privileges Committee for contempt is rather amusing. I hope they find some grammatical error in his criticism, that would be the icing on the cake.
    Well yes, I agree with that.

    But that's the William Roper/Thomas More quote I quoted earlier isn't it? Mogg may be the devil, but we need to protect even the devil using our laws.
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 17,559

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    If Tory MPs on this committee vote to try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection attempts by their local party

    Charles Walker has already said he is standing down.

    I imagine that Andy Carter (Warrington South, majority 2000) isn't going to be investing in new soft furnishings for his Westminster office either.

    That leaves Bernard Jenkin and Alberto Costa.
    Andy Carter has already said he's standing down too.

    On a personal level I couldn't care less if Mogg is disciplined. He probably deserves it for something.

    However on a matter of principle, free speech matters. Even if the person saying it is wrong to say it, they should be free to say it.

    In Putin's Russia they have actual kangaroo courts and critics who say the truth are punished for doing so.

    We must always have the right to criticise those in authority. And that means even batshit crazy conspiracy theorist lunatics must have that right too. Because otherwise when those in authority are abusing it, you've removed all the protections.
    This is - essentially - contempt of court, Parliament being the highest court, as I understand it. Unless you think contempt of court shouldn't exist, perhaps?
    Contempt of court for disrupting court proceedings within the court, or leaking materials that are meant to be confidential etc absolutely should exist.

    Criticising the court for its rulings or decisions outside the court absolutely should not be punished or called contempt.

    Anyone should be free to say any court, judge, jurist or whatever has made a mistake. Even if they haven't. Because if they have, people need to be free to say so, or else those in authority can abuse powers to deliberately make mistakes and silence any critics.
    Historically, some of the early free speech stuff in U.K. was about people calling out courts/judges for corruption and bias. And various attempts being made to silence them to “preserve the reputation of Justice”

    Be careful what you wish for. Sometimes what you wish for gets *you*, instead
    Absolutely.

    Reputations can be earnt and lost. If the system is not corrupt, then it should be possible to keep earning a good reputation and conspiracy lunatics will be dismissed.

    If you need to silence your critics in order to keep a good reputation, then you don't deserve one.

    I'm reminded of this quote. Even if Mogg is the Devil he still needs the benefit of free speech.

    “William Roper: “So, now you give the Devil the benefit of law!”

    Sir Thomas More: “Yes! What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?”

    William Roper: “Yes, I'd cut down every law in England to do that!”

    Sir Thomas More: “Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man's laws, not God's! And if you cut them down, and you're just the man to do it, do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!”
    What does THAT have to do with gross violation of the rules of the House of Commons?

    JRM is (God help you) a freaking "Right Honourable" MP who knows the rules that he allegedly breached.

    NOT a case of free speech - anymore than shouting "Fire!" in a crowed theater (or theatre if you must).

    Rather, more scumbaggery by a serial scumbag who was defaming parliamentary institutions and process on behalf of his fellow serial scumbag.
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 63,137

    Paul Waugh
    @paulwaugh
    ·
    2h
    No party has won a general election in the last 50 years without winning mortgage holders.

    Labour currently has a 15 point lead over the Conservatives among mortgage holders, a new poll has found.

    Lab 44% Con 29%.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,806

    Farooq said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    If Tory MPs on this committee vote to try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection attempts by their local party

    Charles Walker has already said he is standing down.

    I imagine that Andy Carter (Warrington South, majority 2000) isn't going to be investing in new soft furnishings for his Westminster office either.

    That leaves Bernard Jenkin and Alberto Costa.
    Andy Carter has already said he's standing down too.

    On a personal level I couldn't care less if Mogg is disciplined. He probably deserves it for something.

    However on a matter of principle, free speech matters. Even if the person saying it is wrong to say it, they should be free to say it.

    In Putin's Russia they have actual kangaroo courts and critics who say the truth are punished for doing so.

    We must always have the right to criticise those in authority. And that means even batshit crazy conspiracy theorist lunatics must have that right too. Because otherwise when those in authority are abusing it, you've removed all the protections.
    This is - essentially - contempt of court, Parliament being the highest court, as I understand it. Unless you think contempt of court shouldn't exist, perhaps?
    Contempt of court for disrupting court proceedings within the court, or leaking materials that are meant to be confidential etc absolutely should exist.

    Criticising the court for its rulings or decisions outside the court absolutely should not be punished or called contempt.

    Anyone should be free to say any court, judge, jurist or whatever has made a mistake. Even if they haven't. Because if they have, people need to be free to say so, or else those in authority can abuse powers to deliberately make mistakes and silence any critics.
    Mistakes are one thing, but accusations of deliberate impropriety are quite another.

    It's analogous and closely related to libel or slander. And court officials shouldn't have to get into slanging matches with members of the public to defend their reputation. The judicial system must have its reputation preserved where it deserves to be preserved. The rule of law depends on that.
    Accusations of impropriety absolutely should be protected as free speech, the rule of law depends on that.

    Otherwise those who are improper can't be called out and can get away with being improper, if they can just silence their critics.

    If someone is wrong, or a conspiracy nutjob, then they should be dismissed as such. But nobody should ever be above reproach, because what if the reproach is genuine and correct?
    You are right of course.

    And yet, the thought of JRM being had up before the Privileges Committee for contempt is rather amusing. I hope they find some grammatical error in his criticism, that would be the icing on the cake.
    Well yes, I agree with that.

    But that's the William Roper/Thomas More quote I quoted earlier isn't it? Mogg may be the devil, but we need to protect even the devil using our laws.
    Yes but if the law says you can't criticise the court (or committee) what then? Are you just going to ignore the laws you don't like?
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 18,915

    Whatever happened to free speech?

    Anyone, anywhere, for any reason ought to be able to call out a 'kangaroo court' whether its a kangaroo court or not.

    If its not a kangaroo court then show your evidence and win the argument. Don't punish people for criticising you. Because that's precisely what kangaroo courts actually do.

    I don't think it works that way. It's not just a difference of opinion with someone like Rees-Mogg - he is actively trying to undermine the democratic structures of the Commons, and the way in which it regulates itself. If the Commons does not defend itself from this attack then it will lose, the Rees-Moggs will win, and Britain will end up with some sort of hellish managed democracy.

    Members of the Commons had to fight for the right to regulate themselves, and that process involved calling out those members who were batting for the other side.

    Free speech doesn't mean consequence-free speech.

    If Rees-Mogg undermines the business and work of the Commons, by making unsubstantiated allegations about its work, that he must know will only fuel conspiratorial thinking and undermine British democracy - then absolutely he should expect there to be consequences for that deliberate and damaging act.

    Democracy is not just something that exists by natural law. It is a precious and fragile thing, and people like Rees-Mogg are a threat to its survival. He has no respect for the history, for the process, for the principles of democracy. He's only interested for as long as he gets what he wants from it.
    MPs absolutely must be free to make unsubstantiated allegations, because otherwise even substantiated ones can be silenced too. Indeed MPs have Parliamentary Privilege to prevent them being sued for libel as a result, even if what they say is not remotely true.

    Mogg is a prick. Even pricks have rights.

    Hellish managed democracy happens when people in authority get to choose who has the right to speak etc which they then abuse to enforce their own version of "truth" such as the "special military operation", not when everyone does, no matter how wrongheaded they are.
    There is a wide chasm between taking away all of Rees-Moggs rights for his malign behaviour, and having some consequences for them. It is not unreasonable for the Commons to defend its procedures from the malign attacks that Rees-Mogg has made by censuring him for his anti-democratic behaviour.
  • BartholomewRobertsBartholomewRoberts Posts: 22,415
    edited June 2023

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    If Tory MPs on this committee vote to try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection attempts by their local party

    Charles Walker has already said he is standing down.

    I imagine that Andy Carter (Warrington South, majority 2000) isn't going to be investing in new soft furnishings for his Westminster office either.

    That leaves Bernard Jenkin and Alberto Costa.
    Andy Carter has already said he's standing down too.

    On a personal level I couldn't care less if Mogg is disciplined. He probably deserves it for something.

    However on a matter of principle, free speech matters. Even if the person saying it is wrong to say it, they should be free to say it.

    In Putin's Russia they have actual kangaroo courts and critics who say the truth are punished for doing so.

    We must always have the right to criticise those in authority. And that means even batshit crazy conspiracy theorist lunatics must have that right too. Because otherwise when those in authority are abusing it, you've removed all the protections.
    This is - essentially - contempt of court, Parliament being the highest court, as I understand it. Unless you think contempt of court shouldn't exist, perhaps?
    Contempt of court for disrupting court proceedings within the court, or leaking materials that are meant to be confidential etc absolutely should exist.

    Criticising the court for its rulings or decisions outside the court absolutely should not be punished or called contempt.

    Anyone should be free to say any court, judge, jurist or whatever has made a mistake. Even if they haven't. Because if they have, people need to be free to say so, or else those in authority can abuse powers to deliberately make mistakes and silence any critics.
    Historically, some of the early free speech stuff in U.K. was about people calling out courts/judges for corruption and bias. And various attempts being made to silence them to “preserve the reputation of Justice”

    Be careful what you wish for. Sometimes what you wish for gets *you*, instead
    Absolutely.

    Reputations can be earnt and lost. If the system is not corrupt, then it should be possible to keep earning a good reputation and conspiracy lunatics will be dismissed.

    If you need to silence your critics in order to keep a good reputation, then you don't deserve one.

    I'm reminded of this quote. Even if Mogg is the Devil he still needs the benefit of free speech.

    “William Roper: “So, now you give the Devil the benefit of law!”

    Sir Thomas More: “Yes! What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?”

    William Roper: “Yes, I'd cut down every law in England to do that!”

    Sir Thomas More: “Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned 'round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man's laws, not God's! And if you cut them down, and you're just the man to do it, do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!”
    What does THAT have to do with gross violation of the rules of the House of Commons?

    JRM is (God help you) a freaking "Right Honourable" MP who knows the rules that he allegedly breached.

    NOT a case of free speech - anymore than shouting "Fire!" in a crowed theater (or theatre if you must).

    Rather, more scumbaggery by a serial scumbag who was defaming parliamentary institutions and process on behalf of his fellow serial scumbag.
    Even scumbags have free speech.

    Because otherwise scumbags in positions of authority insist their own fictional version of reality is the "truth" and that anyone criticising them with the actual truth is defaming them and should be censored as a result.

    As we see in Russia all the time, and as Trump tried to do when he was in power.

    Two things can be true simultaneously. Yes, Mogg is a scumbag. And yes, even scumbags need free speech.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 18,915
    It is not an offence against free speech to disapprove of something that someone says.
  • OnlyLivingBoyOnlyLivingBoy Posts: 15,903

    “There’s a mortgage catastrophe coming – and it will prove Liz Truss right”

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/06/14/truss-right-looming-british-mortgage-catastrophe-proves-it/

    The ‘sensibles’ believed higher taxes would stop interest rate hikes. They were calamitously wrong

    "The “grown-ups” have been back in charge for eight months, armed with their orthodox, social-democratic playbook, and have only managed to mess everything up even more badly."

    If you think the Conservatives are Social Democrats then I think something may be awry with your understanding of politics.
  • It is not an offence against free speech to disapprove of something that someone says.

    No, its not.

    So disapprove of Mogg all you like. I do. I can't stand Mogg.

    If there's talk of censoring him though, of punishing him, that's another matter.

    Even if what he said was wrong, even if it was pigheaded, even if it was stupid, he should still have the right to say it.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 18,915
    It's actually the duty of a person like Rees-Mogg to defend the proper running of the system, but he is undermining it for his selfish interest. I would recommend to the monarch that he be stripped of his Privy Council membership. He's not worthy of it, because he is acting to undermine his Parliament.
  • Farooq said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    If Tory MPs on this committee vote to try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection attempts by their local party

    Charles Walker has already said he is standing down.

    I imagine that Andy Carter (Warrington South, majority 2000) isn't going to be investing in new soft furnishings for his Westminster office either.

    That leaves Bernard Jenkin and Alberto Costa.
    Andy Carter has already said he's standing down too.

    On a personal level I couldn't care less if Mogg is disciplined. He probably deserves it for something.

    However on a matter of principle, free speech matters. Even if the person saying it is wrong to say it, they should be free to say it.

    In Putin's Russia they have actual kangaroo courts and critics who say the truth are punished for doing so.

    We must always have the right to criticise those in authority. And that means even batshit crazy conspiracy theorist lunatics must have that right too. Because otherwise when those in authority are abusing it, you've removed all the protections.
    This is - essentially - contempt of court, Parliament being the highest court, as I understand it. Unless you think contempt of court shouldn't exist, perhaps?
    Contempt of court for disrupting court proceedings within the court, or leaking materials that are meant to be confidential etc absolutely should exist.

    Criticising the court for its rulings or decisions outside the court absolutely should not be punished or called contempt.

    Anyone should be free to say any court, judge, jurist or whatever has made a mistake. Even if they haven't. Because if they have, people need to be free to say so, or else those in authority can abuse powers to deliberately make mistakes and silence any critics.
    Mistakes are one thing, but accusations of deliberate impropriety are quite another.

    It's analogous and closely related to libel or slander. And court officials shouldn't have to get into slanging matches with members of the public to defend their reputation. The judicial system must have its reputation preserved where it deserves to be preserved. The rule of law depends on that.
    Accusations of impropriety absolutely should be protected as free speech, the rule of law depends on that.

    Otherwise those who are improper can't be called out and can get away with being improper, if they can just silence their critics.

    If someone is wrong, or a conspiracy nutjob, then they should be dismissed as such. But nobody should ever be above reproach, because what if the reproach is genuine and correct?
    You are right of course.

    And yet, the thought of JRM being had up before the Privileges Committee for contempt is rather amusing. I hope they find some grammatical error in his criticism, that would be the icing on the cake.
    Well yes, I agree with that.

    But that's the William Roper/Thomas More quote I quoted earlier isn't it? Mogg may be the devil, but we need to protect even the devil using our laws.
    Yes but if the law says you can't criticise the court (or committee) what then? Are you just going to ignore the laws you don't like?
    Laws saying you can't criticise those in authority are what exists in dictatorships like Putin's Russia.

    Overthrowing those in authority may then be the only option, since you can no longer criticise them and win the argument that way.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 18,915

    It is not an offence against free speech to disapprove of something that someone says.

    No, its not.

    So disapprove of Mogg all you like. I do. I can't stand Mogg.

    If there's talk of censoring him though, of punishing him, that's another matter.

    Even if what he said was wrong, even if it was pigheaded, even if it was stupid, he should still have the right to say it.
    No-one is taking away the right of him to speak - but if that speech is detrimental to British democracy and its institutions, then those institutions have every right to create consequences for that attack on them. No-one is suggesting that he would be thrown in jail, or fined, or anything like that, but an attack on the normal functioning of democracy in Britain should not pass without consequence.
  • It's actually the duty of a person like Rees-Mogg to defend the proper running of the system, but he is undermining it for his selfish interest. I would recommend to the monarch that he be stripped of his Privy Council membership. He's not worthy of it, because he is acting to undermine his Parliament.

    So if the Leader of the Opposition criticises the Prime Minister is he undermining it for his selfish interest? Does Starmer have to defend the Government in order to defend the proper running of the system?

    The way to ensure the proper running of the system is to have daylight shone on the system and any critics able to speak freely. For the system to be challenged, which allows it to either be shown to be clean, or shown to not be.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 18,915

    It's actually the duty of a person like Rees-Mogg to defend the proper running of the system, but he is undermining it for his selfish interest. I would recommend to the monarch that he be stripped of his Privy Council membership. He's not worthy of it, because he is acting to undermine his Parliament.

    So if the Leader of the Opposition criticises the Prime Minister is he undermining it for his selfish interest? Does Starmer have to defend the Government in order to defend the proper running of the system?

    The way to ensure the proper running of the system is to have daylight shone on the system and any critics able to speak freely. For the system to be challenged, which allows it to either be shown to be clean, or shown to not be.
    Engage with the substance or don't bother.
  • EPGEPG Posts: 6,653


    Paul Waugh
    @paulwaugh
    ·
    2h
    No party has won a general election in the last 50 years without winning mortgage holders.

    Labour currently has a 15 point lead over the Conservatives among mortgage holders, a new poll has found.

    Lab 44% Con 29%.

    Of course, the causation is reversed. It's not that you win an election by securing the mortgage holder vote. Rather, you win mortgage holders by being popular in the country as a whole, because mortgage holders are average, middle aged people.
  • It is not an offence against free speech to disapprove of something that someone says.

    No, its not.

    So disapprove of Mogg all you like. I do. I can't stand Mogg.

    If there's talk of censoring him though, of punishing him, that's another matter.

    Even if what he said was wrong, even if it was pigheaded, even if it was stupid, he should still have the right to say it.
    No-one is taking away the right of him to speak - but if that speech is detrimental to British democracy and its institutions, then those institutions have every right to create consequences for that attack on them. No-one is suggesting that he would be thrown in jail, or fined, or anything like that, but an attack on the normal functioning of democracy in Britain should not pass without consequence.
    And who determines if speech is "detrimental to British democracy and its institutions"? Who gets to abuse that, if that is permitted?

    You?
    The Prime Minister?
    A majority of the Commons?

    The whole point of free speech is that its not restricted, that detrimental speech is not just allowed but protected.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 18,915

    It is not an offence against free speech to disapprove of something that someone says.

    No, its not.

    So disapprove of Mogg all you like. I do. I can't stand Mogg.

    If there's talk of censoring him though, of punishing him, that's another matter.

    Even if what he said was wrong, even if it was pigheaded, even if it was stupid, he should still have the right to say it.
    No-one is taking away the right of him to speak - but if that speech is detrimental to British democracy and its institutions, then those institutions have every right to create consequences for that attack on them. No-one is suggesting that he would be thrown in jail, or fined, or anything like that, but an attack on the normal functioning of democracy in Britain should not pass without consequence.
    And who determines if speech is "detrimental to British democracy and its institutions"? Who gets to abuse that, if that is permitted?

    You?
    The Prime Minister?
    A majority of the Commons?

    The whole point of free speech is that its not restricted, that detrimental speech is not just allowed but protected.
    No-one is going to stop him from speaking. But you are suggesting that if there is any negative consequence - ever - from anything that a person ever says, that the principle of free speech is violated. That's absurd.

    If you insult me. If you suggest that I am dishonest and corrupt. If you traduce my good name, then I am not under any obligation to be your friend to protect your right to free speech. I am allowed to impose consequences on your speech by refusing to associate with you.

    But your free speech is protected because I'm not threatening to cut your tongue out, or your typing fingers off, however sorely tempted I might be.

    Do you not see that there is a big fucking difference there?
  • StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 17,468
    edited June 2023

    Farooq said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    If Tory MPs on this committee vote to try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection attempts by their local party

    Charles Walker has already said he is standing down.

    I imagine that Andy Carter (Warrington South, majority 2000) isn't going to be investing in new soft furnishings for his Westminster office either.

    That leaves Bernard Jenkin and Alberto Costa.
    Andy Carter has already said he's standing down too.

    On a personal level I couldn't care less if Mogg is disciplined. He probably deserves it for something.

    However on a matter of principle, free speech matters. Even if the person saying it is wrong to say it, they should be free to say it.

    In Putin's Russia they have actual kangaroo courts and critics who say the truth are punished for doing so.

    We must always have the right to criticise those in authority. And that means even batshit crazy conspiracy theorist lunatics must have that right too. Because otherwise when those in authority are abusing it, you've removed all the protections.
    This is - essentially - contempt of court, Parliament being the highest court, as I understand it. Unless you think contempt of court shouldn't exist, perhaps?
    Contempt of court for disrupting court proceedings within the court, or leaking materials that are meant to be confidential etc absolutely should exist.

    Criticising the court for its rulings or decisions outside the court absolutely should not be punished or called contempt.

    Anyone should be free to say any court, judge, jurist or whatever has made a mistake. Even if they haven't. Because if they have, people need to be free to say so, or else those in authority can abuse powers to deliberately make mistakes and silence any critics.
    Mistakes are one thing, but accusations of deliberate impropriety are quite another.

    It's analogous and closely related to libel or slander. And court officials shouldn't have to get into slanging matches with members of the public to defend their reputation. The judicial system must have its reputation preserved where it deserves to be preserved. The rule of law depends on that.
    Accusations of impropriety absolutely should be protected as free speech, the rule of law depends on that.

    Otherwise those who are improper can't be called out and can get away with being improper, if they can just silence their critics.

    If someone is wrong, or a conspiracy nutjob, then they should be dismissed as such. But nobody should ever be above reproach, because what if the reproach is genuine and correct?
    You are right of course.

    And yet, the thought of JRM being had up before the Privileges Committee for contempt is rather amusing. I hope they find some grammatical error in his criticism, that would be the icing on the cake.
    Well yes, I agree with that.

    But that's the William Roper/Thomas More quote I quoted earlier isn't it? Mogg may be the devil, but we need to protect even the devil using our laws.
    Yes but if the law says you can't criticise the court (or committee) what then? Are you just going to ignore the laws you don't like?
    Laws saying you can't criticise those in authority are what exists in dictatorships like Putin's Russia.

    Overthrowing those in authority may then be the only option, since you can no longer criticise them and win the argument that way.
    But Rees Mogg has a copper bottomed opportunity to criticise the report, the committee and the process when the report is debated. Probably next Monday. Better than that, he can vote against their recommendations.

    That's part of the problem. He's not just a private citizen or a media voice arguing against what has happened. He's one of the jurors who has to come to a verdict on the case. And he's already run to the media claiming it's a stitch up.

    That's not really on.
  • It is not an offence against free speech to disapprove of something that someone says.

    No, its not.

    So disapprove of Mogg all you like. I do. I can't stand Mogg.

    If there's talk of censoring him though, of punishing him, that's another matter.

    Even if what he said was wrong, even if it was pigheaded, even if it was stupid, he should still have the right to say it.
    No-one is taking away the right of him to speak - but if that speech is detrimental to British democracy and its institutions, then those institutions have every right to create consequences for that attack on them. No-one is suggesting that he would be thrown in jail, or fined, or anything like that, but an attack on the normal functioning of democracy in Britain should not pass without consequence.
    And who determines if speech is "detrimental to British democracy and its institutions"? Who gets to abuse that, if that is permitted?

    You?
    The Prime Minister?
    A majority of the Commons?

    The whole point of free speech is that its not restricted, that detrimental speech is not just allowed but protected.
    No-one is going to stop him from speaking. But you are suggesting that if there is any negative consequence - ever - from anything that a person ever says, that the principle of free speech is violated. That's absurd.

    If you insult me. If you suggest that I am dishonest and corrupt. If you traduce my good name, then I am not under any obligation to be your friend to protect your right to free speech. I am allowed to impose consequences on your speech by refusing to associate with you.

    But your free speech is protected because I'm not threatening to cut your tongue out, or your typing fingers off, however sorely tempted I might be.

    Do you not see that there is a big fucking difference there?
    If he's censored, if he's punished, by those in authority for criticising those in authority then yes the principle of free speech is violated.

    Yes MPs should be free to decide they don't want to associate with Mogg. If Sunak wants to withdraw the whip, then that is OK. If people decide they don't want to sit next to him, then that is OK. That is not censorship.

    Jeremy Corbyn had the whip removed, people chose not to associate with him etc - all perfectly reasonable, he's not been censored. He's still an MP, and he's still entitled to say any old bullshit that he wants to.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 18,915
    Farooq said:

    It is not an offence against free speech to disapprove of something that someone says.

    No, its not.

    So disapprove of Mogg all you like. I do. I can't stand Mogg.

    If there's talk of censoring him though, of punishing him, that's another matter.

    Even if what he said was wrong, even if it was pigheaded, even if it was stupid, he should still have the right to say it.
    No-one is taking away the right of him to speak - but if that speech is detrimental to British democracy and its institutions, then those institutions have every right to create consequences for that attack on them. No-one is suggesting that he would be thrown in jail, or fined, or anything like that, but an attack on the normal functioning of democracy in Britain should not pass without consequence.
    And who determines if speech is "detrimental to British democracy and its institutions"? Who gets to abuse that, if that is permitted?

    You?
    The Prime Minister?
    A majority of the Commons?

    The whole point of free speech is that its not restricted, that detrimental speech is not just allowed but protected.
    This is your best argument on this subject, but I think I have an answer for you.
    Courts judge contempt of court, so firstly there's precedent for this. Secondly, there's a higher power than courts in this country, and that's parliament. If a court goes seriously egregiously wrong a final backstop to its waywardness is an act of parliament.
    If we think of this committee as a court -- and I'm by no means certain we should -- then it is similarly subordinate to parliament. Parliament can wind up this committee, change its composition and so on. The committee serves at the pleasure of parliament.

    Of course tyranny by parliament is possible. But that's already a theoretical problem we must wrangle with even absent of all this stuff about contempt and defamation and so on. Your "who watches the watchmen" challenge is valid, but the answer is "parliament".
    And Parliament (or at least the Commons) is elected by the voters. So if, for example, the Commons was to vote to censure Rees-Mogg by taking the step of suspending him for ten days, or more, (which is not what I am suggesting would be justified, but it's just a for instance), then it would be for the voters in his constituency to decide whether there should be a by-election, and whether he should be returned to the Commons as their representative.
  • EPGEPG Posts: 6,653

    It is not an offence against free speech to disapprove of something that someone says.

    No, its not.

    So disapprove of Mogg all you like. I do. I can't stand Mogg.

    If there's talk of censoring him though, of punishing him, that's another matter.

    Even if what he said was wrong, even if it was pigheaded, even if it was stupid, he should still have the right to say it.
    No-one is taking away the right of him to speak - but if that speech is detrimental to British democracy and its institutions, then those institutions have every right to create consequences for that attack on them. No-one is suggesting that he would be thrown in jail, or fined, or anything like that, but an attack on the normal functioning of democracy in Britain should not pass without consequence.
    And who determines if speech is "detrimental to British democracy and its institutions"? Who gets to abuse that, if that is permitted?

    You?
    The Prime Minister?
    A majority of the Commons?

    The whole point of free speech is that its not restricted, that detrimental speech is not just allowed but protected.
    No-one is going to stop him from speaking. But you are suggesting that if there is any negative consequence - ever - from anything that a person ever says, that the principle of free speech is violated. That's absurd.

    If you insult me. If you suggest that I am dishonest and corrupt. If you traduce my good name, then I am not under any obligation to be your friend to protect your right to free speech. I am allowed to impose consequences on your speech by refusing to associate with you.

    But your free speech is protected because I'm not threatening to cut your tongue out, or your typing fingers off, however sorely tempted I might be.

    Do you not see that there is a big fucking difference there?
    If he's censored, if he's punished, by those in authority for criticising those in authority then yes the principle of free speech is violated.

    Yes MPs should be free to decide they don't want to associate with Mogg. If Sunak wants to withdraw the whip, then that is OK. If people decide they don't want to sit next to him, then that is OK. That is not censorship.

    Jeremy Corbyn had the whip removed, people chose not to associate with him etc - all perfectly reasonable, he's not been censored. He's still an MP, and he's still entitled to say any old bullshit that he wants to.
    Well, in practice, MPs can be called up for their behaviour in traducing the reputation of Parliament and others. Perhaps easier to explain who you think should regulate the behaviour of MPs in that way if not their internal governing body, or if perhaps it should be nobody.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 18,915

    It is not an offence against free speech to disapprove of something that someone says.

    No, its not.

    So disapprove of Mogg all you like. I do. I can't stand Mogg.

    If there's talk of censoring him though, of punishing him, that's another matter.

    Even if what he said was wrong, even if it was pigheaded, even if it was stupid, he should still have the right to say it.
    No-one is taking away the right of him to speak - but if that speech is detrimental to British democracy and its institutions, then those institutions have every right to create consequences for that attack on them. No-one is suggesting that he would be thrown in jail, or fined, or anything like that, but an attack on the normal functioning of democracy in Britain should not pass without consequence.
    And who determines if speech is "detrimental to British democracy and its institutions"? Who gets to abuse that, if that is permitted?

    You?
    The Prime Minister?
    A majority of the Commons?

    The whole point of free speech is that its not restricted, that detrimental speech is not just allowed but protected.
    No-one is going to stop him from speaking. But you are suggesting that if there is any negative consequence - ever - from anything that a person ever says, that the principle of free speech is violated. That's absurd.

    If you insult me. If you suggest that I am dishonest and corrupt. If you traduce my good name, then I am not under any obligation to be your friend to protect your right to free speech. I am allowed to impose consequences on your speech by refusing to associate with you.

    But your free speech is protected because I'm not threatening to cut your tongue out, or your typing fingers off, however sorely tempted I might be.

    Do you not see that there is a big fucking difference there?
    If he's censored, if he's punished, by those in authority for criticising those in authority then yes the principle of free speech is violated.

    Yes MPs should be free to decide they don't want to associate with Mogg. If Sunak wants to withdraw the whip, then that is OK. If people decide they don't want to sit next to him, then that is OK. That is not censorship.

    Jeremy Corbyn had the whip removed, people chose not to associate with him etc - all perfectly reasonable, he's not been censored. He's still an MP, and he's still entitled to say any old bullshit that he wants to.
    A corporate body in the most general sense - which is what the Commons is - is entitled to regulate the conduct of its members, without that being a violation of their free speech rights.

    This principle of self-regulation is fundamental to Parliament's independence. It's a cornerstone of our democracy. The Commons has decided to establish a committee, it has elected the members of that committee, for the purpose of regulating Member's conduct.

    So why should Rees-Mogg get a free pass?
  • BartholomewRobertsBartholomewRoberts Posts: 22,415
    edited June 2023
    Farooq said:

    It is not an offence against free speech to disapprove of something that someone says.

    No, its not.

    So disapprove of Mogg all you like. I do. I can't stand Mogg.

    If there's talk of censoring him though, of punishing him, that's another matter.

    Even if what he said was wrong, even if it was pigheaded, even if it was stupid, he should still have the right to say it.
    No-one is taking away the right of him to speak - but if that speech is detrimental to British democracy and its institutions, then those institutions have every right to create consequences for that attack on them. No-one is suggesting that he would be thrown in jail, or fined, or anything like that, but an attack on the normal functioning of democracy in Britain should not pass without consequence.
    And who determines if speech is "detrimental to British democracy and its institutions"? Who gets to abuse that, if that is permitted?

    You?
    The Prime Minister?
    A majority of the Commons?

    The whole point of free speech is that its not restricted, that detrimental speech is not just allowed but protected.
    This is your best argument on this subject, but I think I have an answer for you.
    Courts judge contempt of court, so firstly there's precedent for this. Secondly, there's a higher power than courts in this country, and that's parliament. If a court goes seriously egregiously wrong a final backstop to its waywardness is an act of parliament.
    If we think of this committee as a court -- and I'm by no means certain we should -- then it is similarly subordinate to parliament. Parliament can wind up this committee, change its composition and so on. The committee serves at the pleasure of parliament.

    Of course tyranny by parliament is possible. But that's already a theoretical problem we must wrangle with even absent of all this stuff about contempt and defamation and so on. Your "who watches the watchmen" challenge is valid, but the answer is "parliament".
    Except that I don't believe this would be contempt of court in a normal court either though? Criticising courts is acceptable and is free speech.

    Perhaps a lawyer can answer better but the closest to it seems to be the old offence of "scandalising the court" which was discussed here in 2012 and was last successfully used to prosecute someone in the 1930s: https://www.lawcom.gov.uk/app/uploads/2015/06/cp207_Scandalising_the_Court.pdf

    And scandalising the court was subsequently abolished by legislation in 2013: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/22/section/33

    And it has been deemed unconstitutional in the USA and a violation of free speech there too.

    So no, going off the courts, it seems courts are open to criticism, and that criticism is not contempt of court, even scandalous criticism anymore.
  • EPGEPG Posts: 6,653
    - Another valid answer would be along the lines of: Mogg's behaviour is insufficient to merit discipline. Probably sounder than relying on an absolute right to avoid any consequences for your words in a country where that's not the law. But you have to accept that you would be setting the competitive standard of 650 MPs' political discourse a little closer to the coarse, all-out-war end of things.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,987
    edited June 2023

    HYUFD said:

    If Tory MPs on this committee vote to try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection attempts by their local party

    He's not popular with this member. The man is a complete prat. All those children with silly names and never changed a nappy. Stuck up for Boris when he lied. Completely out of touch.
    Well Rees Mogg is the one Tory MP other than Boris and Rishi who is guaranteed to sell out any Tory Association dinner he addresses. He is very much in touch with the party faithful

  • .

    It is not an offence against free speech to disapprove of something that someone says.

    No, its not.

    So disapprove of Mogg all you like. I do. I can't stand Mogg.

    If there's talk of censoring him though, of punishing him, that's another matter.

    Even if what he said was wrong, even if it was pigheaded, even if it was stupid, he should still have the right to say it.
    No-one is taking away the right of him to speak - but if that speech is detrimental to British democracy and its institutions, then those institutions have every right to create consequences for that attack on them. No-one is suggesting that he would be thrown in jail, or fined, or anything like that, but an attack on the normal functioning of democracy in Britain should not pass without consequence.
    And who determines if speech is "detrimental to British democracy and its institutions"? Who gets to abuse that, if that is permitted?

    You?
    The Prime Minister?
    A majority of the Commons?

    The whole point of free speech is that its not restricted, that detrimental speech is not just allowed but protected.
    No-one is going to stop him from speaking. But you are suggesting that if there is any negative consequence - ever - from anything that a person ever says, that the principle of free speech is violated. That's absurd.

    If you insult me. If you suggest that I am dishonest and corrupt. If you traduce my good name, then I am not under any obligation to be your friend to protect your right to free speech. I am allowed to impose consequences on your speech by refusing to associate with you.

    But your free speech is protected because I'm not threatening to cut your tongue out, or your typing fingers off, however sorely tempted I might be.

    Do you not see that there is a big fucking difference there?
    If he's censored, if he's punished, by those in authority for criticising those in authority then yes the principle of free speech is violated.

    Yes MPs should be free to decide they don't want to associate with Mogg. If Sunak wants to withdraw the whip, then that is OK. If people decide they don't want to sit next to him, then that is OK. That is not censorship.

    Jeremy Corbyn had the whip removed, people chose not to associate with him etc - all perfectly reasonable, he's not been censored. He's still an MP, and he's still entitled to say any old bullshit that he wants to.
    A corporate body in the most general sense - which is what the Commons is - is entitled to regulate the conduct of its members, without that being a violation of their free speech rights.

    This principle of self-regulation is fundamental to Parliament's independence. It's a cornerstone of our democracy. The Commons has decided to establish a committee, it has elected the members of that committee, for the purpose of regulating Member's conduct.

    So why should Rees-Mogg get a free pass?
    Because he is an elected member of Parliament who has committed no crime and has the right to speak freely, to criticise his colleagues freely. If the voters don't like what he has to say, they can elect someone else next time.

    To allow some MPs to silence their critics of other MPs is profoundly undemocratic.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 32,959
    "Bernard Jenkin and the pandemic of hypocrites

    Boris Johnson’s Partygate inquisitor has been accused of breaking lockdown himself.
    Tom Slater"

    https://www.spiked-online.com/2023/06/14/bernard-jenkin-and-the-pandemic-of-hypocrites/
  • EPGEPG Posts: 6,653

    .

    It is not an offence against free speech to disapprove of something that someone says.

    No, its not.

    So disapprove of Mogg all you like. I do. I can't stand Mogg.

    If there's talk of censoring him though, of punishing him, that's another matter.

    Even if what he said was wrong, even if it was pigheaded, even if it was stupid, he should still have the right to say it.
    No-one is taking away the right of him to speak - but if that speech is detrimental to British democracy and its institutions, then those institutions have every right to create consequences for that attack on them. No-one is suggesting that he would be thrown in jail, or fined, or anything like that, but an attack on the normal functioning of democracy in Britain should not pass without consequence.
    And who determines if speech is "detrimental to British democracy and its institutions"? Who gets to abuse that, if that is permitted?

    You?
    The Prime Minister?
    A majority of the Commons?

    The whole point of free speech is that its not restricted, that detrimental speech is not just allowed but protected.
    No-one is going to stop him from speaking. But you are suggesting that if there is any negative consequence - ever - from anything that a person ever says, that the principle of free speech is violated. That's absurd.

    If you insult me. If you suggest that I am dishonest and corrupt. If you traduce my good name, then I am not under any obligation to be your friend to protect your right to free speech. I am allowed to impose consequences on your speech by refusing to associate with you.

    But your free speech is protected because I'm not threatening to cut your tongue out, or your typing fingers off, however sorely tempted I might be.

    Do you not see that there is a big fucking difference there?
    If he's censored, if he's punished, by those in authority for criticising those in authority then yes the principle of free speech is violated.

    Yes MPs should be free to decide they don't want to associate with Mogg. If Sunak wants to withdraw the whip, then that is OK. If people decide they don't want to sit next to him, then that is OK. That is not censorship.

    Jeremy Corbyn had the whip removed, people chose not to associate with him etc - all perfectly reasonable, he's not been censored. He's still an MP, and he's still entitled to say any old bullshit that he wants to.
    A corporate body in the most general sense - which is what the Commons is - is entitled to regulate the conduct of its members, without that being a violation of their free speech rights.

    This principle of self-regulation is fundamental to Parliament's independence. It's a cornerstone of our democracy. The Commons has decided to establish a committee, it has elected the members of that committee, for the purpose of regulating Member's conduct.

    So why should Rees-Mogg get a free pass?
    Because he is an elected member of Parliament who has committed no crime and has the right to speak freely, to criticise his colleagues freely. If the voters don't like what he has to say, they can elect someone else next time.

    To allow some MPs to silence their critics of other MPs is profoundly undemocratic.
    Have you ever agreed with any suspensions from the Commons for obstructive conduct during debate?
  • .
    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    It is not an offence against free speech to disapprove of something that someone says.

    No, its not.

    So disapprove of Mogg all you like. I do. I can't stand Mogg.

    If there's talk of censoring him though, of punishing him, that's another matter.

    Even if what he said was wrong, even if it was pigheaded, even if it was stupid, he should still have the right to say it.
    No-one is taking away the right of him to speak - but if that speech is detrimental to British democracy and its institutions, then those institutions have every right to create consequences for that attack on them. No-one is suggesting that he would be thrown in jail, or fined, or anything like that, but an attack on the normal functioning of democracy in Britain should not pass without consequence.
    And who determines if speech is "detrimental to British democracy and its institutions"? Who gets to abuse that, if that is permitted?

    You?
    The Prime Minister?
    A majority of the Commons?

    The whole point of free speech is that its not restricted, that detrimental speech is not just allowed but protected.
    This is your best argument on this subject, but I think I have an answer for you.
    Courts judge contempt of court, so firstly there's precedent for this. Secondly, there's a higher power than courts in this country, and that's parliament. If a court goes seriously egregiously wrong a final backstop to its waywardness is an act of parliament.
    If we think of this committee as a court -- and I'm by no means certain we should -- then it is similarly subordinate to parliament. Parliament can wind up this committee, change its composition and so on. The committee serves at the pleasure of parliament.

    Of course tyranny by parliament is possible. But that's already a theoretical problem we must wrangle with even absent of all this stuff about contempt and defamation and so on. Your "who watches the watchmen" challenge is valid, but the answer is "parliament".
    Except that I don't believe this would be contempt of court in a normal court either though? Criticising courts is acceptable and is free speech.

    Perhaps a lawyer can answer better but the closest to it seems to be the old offence of "scandalising the court" which was discussed here in 2012 and was last successfully used to prosecute someone in the 1930s: https://www.lawcom.gov.uk/app/uploads/2015/06/cp207_Scandalising_the_Court.pdf

    And scandalising the court was subsequently abolished by legislation in 2013: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/22/section/33

    And it has been deemed unconstitutional in the USA and a violation of free speech there too.

    So no, going off the courts, it seems courts are open to criticism, and that criticism is not contempt of court, even scandalous criticism anymore.
    Whether this particular case ought to be thought of as a contempt-like offence is not something I've weighed in on. On balance I think JRM is saying foolish and slightly dangerous things, but I don't feel inclined to say he should be punished for it.

    I merely contend that the type of thing he's saying could, if serious enough in the judgement of the "court", attract some kind of censure. I'm not saying he should be punished. I'm saying that I'm ok with the idea of that being available as an option.
    Can it attract censure? What evidence is there of that?

    Courts have been routinely criticised, including on the front pages of news papers and more. If calling the judiciary "Enemies of the People" is not Contempt of Court, then why would calling the Privilege Committee "a kangaroo court" be Contempt?

    The crime of contempt for criticising courts has been explicitly abolished by primary legislation. It can't attract censure, its free speech. Protected free speech. As it should be.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,987
    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    If Tory MPs on this committee vote to try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection attempts by their local party

    He's not popular with this member. The man is a complete prat. All those children with silly names and never changed a nappy. Stuck up for Boris when he lied. Completely out of touch.
    Well Rees Mogg is the one Tory MP other than Boris and Rishi who is guaranteed to sell out any Tory Association dinner he addresses. He is very much in touch with the party faithful

    Boris isn't an MP
    He still is until the by election winner is announced
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 17,559
    At least Barty is making a far more sensible AND honest - if wrong - argument here, than the slanderous guff spouted by JRM.

    Damn low bar, admittedly.
  • EPGEPG Posts: 6,653

    .

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    It is not an offence against free speech to disapprove of something that someone says.

    No, its not.

    So disapprove of Mogg all you like. I do. I can't stand Mogg.

    If there's talk of censoring him though, of punishing him, that's another matter.

    Even if what he said was wrong, even if it was pigheaded, even if it was stupid, he should still have the right to say it.
    No-one is taking away the right of him to speak - but if that speech is detrimental to British democracy and its institutions, then those institutions have every right to create consequences for that attack on them. No-one is suggesting that he would be thrown in jail, or fined, or anything like that, but an attack on the normal functioning of democracy in Britain should not pass without consequence.
    And who determines if speech is "detrimental to British democracy and its institutions"? Who gets to abuse that, if that is permitted?

    You?
    The Prime Minister?
    A majority of the Commons?

    The whole point of free speech is that its not restricted, that detrimental speech is not just allowed but protected.
    This is your best argument on this subject, but I think I have an answer for you.
    Courts judge contempt of court, so firstly there's precedent for this. Secondly, there's a higher power than courts in this country, and that's parliament. If a court goes seriously egregiously wrong a final backstop to its waywardness is an act of parliament.
    If we think of this committee as a court -- and I'm by no means certain we should -- then it is similarly subordinate to parliament. Parliament can wind up this committee, change its composition and so on. The committee serves at the pleasure of parliament.

    Of course tyranny by parliament is possible. But that's already a theoretical problem we must wrangle with even absent of all this stuff about contempt and defamation and so on. Your "who watches the watchmen" challenge is valid, but the answer is "parliament".
    Except that I don't believe this would be contempt of court in a normal court either though? Criticising courts is acceptable and is free speech.

    Perhaps a lawyer can answer better but the closest to it seems to be the old offence of "scandalising the court" which was discussed here in 2012 and was last successfully used to prosecute someone in the 1930s: https://www.lawcom.gov.uk/app/uploads/2015/06/cp207_Scandalising_the_Court.pdf

    And scandalising the court was subsequently abolished by legislation in 2013: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/22/section/33

    And it has been deemed unconstitutional in the USA and a violation of free speech there too.

    So no, going off the courts, it seems courts are open to criticism, and that criticism is not contempt of court, even scandalous criticism anymore.
    Whether this particular case ought to be thought of as a contempt-like offence is not something I've weighed in on. On balance I think JRM is saying foolish and slightly dangerous things, but I don't feel inclined to say he should be punished for it.

    I merely contend that the type of thing he's saying could, if serious enough in the judgement of the "court", attract some kind of censure. I'm not saying he should be punished. I'm saying that I'm ok with the idea of that being available as an option.
    Can it attract censure? What evidence is there of that?

    Courts have been routinely criticised, including on the front pages of news papers and more. If calling the judiciary "Enemies of the People" is not Contempt of Court, then why would calling the Privilege Committee "a kangaroo court" be Contempt?

    The crime of contempt for criticising courts has been explicitly abolished by primary legislation. It can't attract censure, its free speech. Protected free speech. As it should be.
    There is no concept of protected free speech in the law of England and Wales.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 32,959
    edited June 2023
    "Aldi shoppers left furious at barrier change - 'Not everyone has a smarphone!'

    Would you shop in a till-less store? Aldi's Shop&Go in Greenwich has divided customers."

    https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/1779262/Aldi-shop-and-go-Greenwich-London
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 17,559
    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    If Tory MPs on this committee vote to try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection attempts by their local party

    He's not popular with this member. The man is a complete prat. All those children with silly names and never changed a nappy. Stuck up for Boris when he lied. Completely out of touch.
    Well Rees Mogg is the one Tory MP other than Boris and Rishi who is guaranteed to sell out any Tory Association dinner he addresses. He is very much in touch with the party faithful

    Boris isn't an MP
    Too freaking frit, Boris cut and run like the cad he is, was and will always be.

    Only way they got WINSTON CHURCHILL to quit, was when he was too freaking old to (publicly) object.
  • .
    EPG said:

    .

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    It is not an offence against free speech to disapprove of something that someone says.

    No, its not.

    So disapprove of Mogg all you like. I do. I can't stand Mogg.

    If there's talk of censoring him though, of punishing him, that's another matter.

    Even if what he said was wrong, even if it was pigheaded, even if it was stupid, he should still have the right to say it.
    No-one is taking away the right of him to speak - but if that speech is detrimental to British democracy and its institutions, then those institutions have every right to create consequences for that attack on them. No-one is suggesting that he would be thrown in jail, or fined, or anything like that, but an attack on the normal functioning of democracy in Britain should not pass without consequence.
    And who determines if speech is "detrimental to British democracy and its institutions"? Who gets to abuse that, if that is permitted?

    You?
    The Prime Minister?
    A majority of the Commons?

    The whole point of free speech is that its not restricted, that detrimental speech is not just allowed but protected.
    This is your best argument on this subject, but I think I have an answer for you.
    Courts judge contempt of court, so firstly there's precedent for this. Secondly, there's a higher power than courts in this country, and that's parliament. If a court goes seriously egregiously wrong a final backstop to its waywardness is an act of parliament.
    If we think of this committee as a court -- and I'm by no means certain we should -- then it is similarly subordinate to parliament. Parliament can wind up this committee, change its composition and so on. The committee serves at the pleasure of parliament.

    Of course tyranny by parliament is possible. But that's already a theoretical problem we must wrangle with even absent of all this stuff about contempt and defamation and so on. Your "who watches the watchmen" challenge is valid, but the answer is "parliament".
    Except that I don't believe this would be contempt of court in a normal court either though? Criticising courts is acceptable and is free speech.

    Perhaps a lawyer can answer better but the closest to it seems to be the old offence of "scandalising the court" which was discussed here in 2012 and was last successfully used to prosecute someone in the 1930s: https://www.lawcom.gov.uk/app/uploads/2015/06/cp207_Scandalising_the_Court.pdf

    And scandalising the court was subsequently abolished by legislation in 2013: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/22/section/33

    And it has been deemed unconstitutional in the USA and a violation of free speech there too.

    So no, going off the courts, it seems courts are open to criticism, and that criticism is not contempt of court, even scandalous criticism anymore.
    Whether this particular case ought to be thought of as a contempt-like offence is not something I've weighed in on. On balance I think JRM is saying foolish and slightly dangerous things, but I don't feel inclined to say he should be punished for it.

    I merely contend that the type of thing he's saying could, if serious enough in the judgement of the "court", attract some kind of censure. I'm not saying he should be punished. I'm saying that I'm ok with the idea of that being available as an option.
    Can it attract censure? What evidence is there of that?

    Courts have been routinely criticised, including on the front pages of news papers and more. If calling the judiciary "Enemies of the People" is not Contempt of Court, then why would calling the Privilege Committee "a kangaroo court" be Contempt?

    The crime of contempt for criticising courts has been explicitly abolished by primary legislation. It can't attract censure, its free speech. Protected free speech. As it should be.
    There is no concept of protected free speech in the law of England and Wales.
    Political speech is protected by the European Convention of Human Rights, which last I checked we haven't left.
  • MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 13,646
    On topic.

    Let’s be honest here. If a committee finds me guilty of wearing a dirty tee with tikka masala spilt down the front of it, and publicly publish I am a very naughty girl for this - but those on the committee have dirty tee with curry spilt down the front too, surely they have zero right or qualification to tell the world I’m naughty? I, and yourselves, should be able to refer to them as kangaroo’s in dirty t-shirts, without them sanctioning us for pointing that out, whenever it’s a matter of fact that are. That’s the truth isn’t it?

    This report has to be binned now, not published, and decide if it’s worth pursuing again, now the committee has been left in a position they can’t possibly pass judgement when guilty of the same crimes at the heart of it.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 51,153

    On topic.

    Let’s be honest here. If a committee finds me guilty of wearing a dirty tee with tikka masala spilt down the front of it, and publicly publish I am a very naughty girl for this - but those on the committee have dirty tee with curry spilt down the front too, surely they have zero right or qualification to tell the world I’m naughty? I, and yourselves, should be able to refer to them as kangaroo’s in dirty t-shirts, without them sanctioning us for pointing that out, whenever it’s a matter of fact that are. That’s the truth isn’t it?

    This report has to be binned now, not published, and decide if it’s worth pursuing again, now the committee has been left in a position they can’t possibly pass judgement when guilty of the same crimes at the heart of it.

    Having read this twice - Is this Hendricks or Monkey 47 talking?
  • EPGEPG Posts: 6,653

    .

    EPG said:

    .

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    It is not an offence against free speech to disapprove of something that someone says.

    No, its not.

    So disapprove of Mogg all you like. I do. I can't stand Mogg.

    If there's talk of censoring him though, of punishing him, that's another matter.

    Even if what he said was wrong, even if it was pigheaded, even if it was stupid, he should still have the right to say it.
    No-one is taking away the right of him to speak - but if that speech is detrimental to British democracy and its institutions, then those institutions have every right to create consequences for that attack on them. No-one is suggesting that he would be thrown in jail, or fined, or anything like that, but an attack on the normal functioning of democracy in Britain should not pass without consequence.
    And who determines if speech is "detrimental to British democracy and its institutions"? Who gets to abuse that, if that is permitted?

    You?
    The Prime Minister?
    A majority of the Commons?

    The whole point of free speech is that its not restricted, that detrimental speech is not just allowed but protected.
    This is your best argument on this subject, but I think I have an answer for you.
    Courts judge contempt of court, so firstly there's precedent for this. Secondly, there's a higher power than courts in this country, and that's parliament. If a court goes seriously egregiously wrong a final backstop to its waywardness is an act of parliament.
    If we think of this committee as a court -- and I'm by no means certain we should -- then it is similarly subordinate to parliament. Parliament can wind up this committee, change its composition and so on. The committee serves at the pleasure of parliament.

    Of course tyranny by parliament is possible. But that's already a theoretical problem we must wrangle with even absent of all this stuff about contempt and defamation and so on. Your "who watches the watchmen" challenge is valid, but the answer is "parliament".
    Except that I don't believe this would be contempt of court in a normal court either though? Criticising courts is acceptable and is free speech.

    Perhaps a lawyer can answer better but the closest to it seems to be the old offence of "scandalising the court" which was discussed here in 2012 and was last successfully used to prosecute someone in the 1930s: https://www.lawcom.gov.uk/app/uploads/2015/06/cp207_Scandalising_the_Court.pdf

    And scandalising the court was subsequently abolished by legislation in 2013: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/22/section/33

    And it has been deemed unconstitutional in the USA and a violation of free speech there too.

    So no, going off the courts, it seems courts are open to criticism, and that criticism is not contempt of court, even scandalous criticism anymore.
    Whether this particular case ought to be thought of as a contempt-like offence is not something I've weighed in on. On balance I think JRM is saying foolish and slightly dangerous things, but I don't feel inclined to say he should be punished for it.

    I merely contend that the type of thing he's saying could, if serious enough in the judgement of the "court", attract some kind of censure. I'm not saying he should be punished. I'm saying that I'm ok with the idea of that being available as an option.
    Can it attract censure? What evidence is there of that?

    Courts have been routinely criticised, including on the front pages of news papers and more. If calling the judiciary "Enemies of the People" is not Contempt of Court, then why would calling the Privilege Committee "a kangaroo court" be Contempt?

    The crime of contempt for criticising courts has been explicitly abolished by primary legislation. It can't attract censure, its free speech. Protected free speech. As it should be.
    There is no concept of protected free speech in the law of England and Wales.
    Political speech is protected by the European Convention of Human Rights, which last I checked we haven't left.
    There is no concept of political speech in the Convention. Your political speech is no more protected than your opinions on Ed Sheeran.
  • nico679nico679 Posts: 6,277

    On topic.

    Let’s be honest here. If a committee finds me guilty of wearing a dirty tee with tikka masala spilt down the front of it, and publicly publish I am a very naughty girl for this - but those on the committee have dirty tee with curry spilt down the front too, surely they have zero right or qualification to tell the world I’m naughty? I, and yourselves, should be able to refer to them as kangaroo’s in dirty t-shirts, without them sanctioning us for pointing that out, whenever it’s a matter of fact that are. That’s the truth isn’t it?

    This report has to be binned now, not published, and decide if it’s worth pursuing again, now the committee has been left in a position they can’t possibly pass judgement when guilty of the same crimes at the heart of it.

    The accusations haven’t been proved and it does seem rather strange for this to land the day before the report is published.
  • Andy_JS said:

    "Aldi shoppers left furious at barrier change - 'Not everyone has a smarphone!'

    Would you shop in a till-less store? Aldi's Shop&Go in Greenwich has divided customers."

    https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/1779262/Aldi-shop-and-go-Greenwich-London

    If you don't have a smartphone don't go somewhere powered by smartphones, go somewhere else. 🤦‍♂️

    Not everyone carries cash, yet some stores still only take cash. I won't shop at them as a result.

    Its a free choice what people accept, and where people shop.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,987
    edited June 2023
    RobD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    If Tory MPs on this committee vote to try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection attempts by their local party

    He's not popular with this member. The man is a complete prat. All those children with silly names and never changed a nappy. Stuck up for Boris when he lied. Completely out of touch.
    Well Rees Mogg is the one Tory MP other than Boris and Rishi who is guaranteed to sell out any Tory Association dinner he addresses. He is very much in touch with the party faithful

    Boris isn't an MP
    He still is until the by election winner is announced
    He was disqualified the moment he accepted a commission of the crown.
    He is still responsible for his Uxbridge constituents problems as outgoing local MP until the new MP is elected
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 52,149

    .

    EPG said:

    .

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    It is not an offence against free speech to disapprove of something that someone says.

    No, its not.

    So disapprove of Mogg all you like. I do. I can't stand Mogg.

    If there's talk of censoring him though, of punishing him, that's another matter.

    Even if what he said was wrong, even if it was pigheaded, even if it was stupid, he should still have the right to say it.
    No-one is taking away the right of him to speak - but if that speech is detrimental to British democracy and its institutions, then those institutions have every right to create consequences for that attack on them. No-one is suggesting that he would be thrown in jail, or fined, or anything like that, but an attack on the normal functioning of democracy in Britain should not pass without consequence.
    And who determines if speech is "detrimental to British democracy and its institutions"? Who gets to abuse that, if that is permitted?

    You?
    The Prime Minister?
    A majority of the Commons?

    The whole point of free speech is that its not restricted, that detrimental speech is not just allowed but protected.
    This is your best argument on this subject, but I think I have an answer for you.
    Courts judge contempt of court, so firstly there's precedent for this. Secondly, there's a higher power than courts in this country, and that's parliament. If a court goes seriously egregiously wrong a final backstop to its waywardness is an act of parliament.
    If we think of this committee as a court -- and I'm by no means certain we should -- then it is similarly subordinate to parliament. Parliament can wind up this committee, change its composition and so on. The committee serves at the pleasure of parliament.

    Of course tyranny by parliament is possible. But that's already a theoretical problem we must wrangle with even absent of all this stuff about contempt and defamation and so on. Your "who watches the watchmen" challenge is valid, but the answer is "parliament".
    Except that I don't believe this would be contempt of court in a normal court either though? Criticising courts is acceptable and is free speech.

    Perhaps a lawyer can answer better but the closest to it seems to be the old offence of "scandalising the court" which was discussed here in 2012 and was last successfully used to prosecute someone in the 1930s: https://www.lawcom.gov.uk/app/uploads/2015/06/cp207_Scandalising_the_Court.pdf

    And scandalising the court was subsequently abolished by legislation in 2013: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/22/section/33

    And it has been deemed unconstitutional in the USA and a violation of free speech there too.

    So no, going off the courts, it seems courts are open to criticism, and that criticism is not contempt of court, even scandalous criticism anymore.
    Whether this particular case ought to be thought of as a contempt-like offence is not something I've weighed in on. On balance I think JRM is saying foolish and slightly dangerous things, but I don't feel inclined to say he should be punished for it.

    I merely contend that the type of thing he's saying could, if serious enough in the judgement of the "court", attract some kind of censure. I'm not saying he should be punished. I'm saying that I'm ok with the idea of that being available as an option.
    Can it attract censure? What evidence is there of that?

    Courts have been routinely criticised, including on the front pages of news papers and more. If calling the judiciary "Enemies of the People" is not Contempt of Court, then why would calling the Privilege Committee "a kangaroo court" be Contempt?

    The crime of contempt for criticising courts has been explicitly abolished by primary legislation. It can't attract censure, its free speech. Protected free speech. As it should be.
    There is no concept of protected free speech in the law of England and Wales.
    Political speech is protected by the European Convention of Human Rights, which last I checked we haven't left.
    But which you want to leave?
  • EPG said:

    .

    EPG said:

    .

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    It is not an offence against free speech to disapprove of something that someone says.

    No, its not.

    So disapprove of Mogg all you like. I do. I can't stand Mogg.

    If there's talk of censoring him though, of punishing him, that's another matter.

    Even if what he said was wrong, even if it was pigheaded, even if it was stupid, he should still have the right to say it.
    No-one is taking away the right of him to speak - but if that speech is detrimental to British democracy and its institutions, then those institutions have every right to create consequences for that attack on them. No-one is suggesting that he would be thrown in jail, or fined, or anything like that, but an attack on the normal functioning of democracy in Britain should not pass without consequence.
    And who determines if speech is "detrimental to British democracy and its institutions"? Who gets to abuse that, if that is permitted?

    You?
    The Prime Minister?
    A majority of the Commons?

    The whole point of free speech is that its not restricted, that detrimental speech is not just allowed but protected.
    This is your best argument on this subject, but I think I have an answer for you.
    Courts judge contempt of court, so firstly there's precedent for this. Secondly, there's a higher power than courts in this country, and that's parliament. If a court goes seriously egregiously wrong a final backstop to its waywardness is an act of parliament.
    If we think of this committee as a court -- and I'm by no means certain we should -- then it is similarly subordinate to parliament. Parliament can wind up this committee, change its composition and so on. The committee serves at the pleasure of parliament.

    Of course tyranny by parliament is possible. But that's already a theoretical problem we must wrangle with even absent of all this stuff about contempt and defamation and so on. Your "who watches the watchmen" challenge is valid, but the answer is "parliament".
    Except that I don't believe this would be contempt of court in a normal court either though? Criticising courts is acceptable and is free speech.

    Perhaps a lawyer can answer better but the closest to it seems to be the old offence of "scandalising the court" which was discussed here in 2012 and was last successfully used to prosecute someone in the 1930s: https://www.lawcom.gov.uk/app/uploads/2015/06/cp207_Scandalising_the_Court.pdf

    And scandalising the court was subsequently abolished by legislation in 2013: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/22/section/33

    And it has been deemed unconstitutional in the USA and a violation of free speech there too.

    So no, going off the courts, it seems courts are open to criticism, and that criticism is not contempt of court, even scandalous criticism anymore.
    Whether this particular case ought to be thought of as a contempt-like offence is not something I've weighed in on. On balance I think JRM is saying foolish and slightly dangerous things, but I don't feel inclined to say he should be punished for it.

    I merely contend that the type of thing he's saying could, if serious enough in the judgement of the "court", attract some kind of censure. I'm not saying he should be punished. I'm saying that I'm ok with the idea of that being available as an option.
    Can it attract censure? What evidence is there of that?

    Courts have been routinely criticised, including on the front pages of news papers and more. If calling the judiciary "Enemies of the People" is not Contempt of Court, then why would calling the Privilege Committee "a kangaroo court" be Contempt?

    The crime of contempt for criticising courts has been explicitly abolished by primary legislation. It can't attract censure, its free speech. Protected free speech. As it should be.
    There is no concept of protected free speech in the law of England and Wales.
    Political speech is protected by the European Convention of Human Rights, which last I checked we haven't left.
    There is no concept of political speech in the Convention. Your political speech is no more protected than your opinions on Ed Sheeran.
    The European Court of Human Rights disagrees with you, its regularly made a distinction between political speech and others.

    Indeed the Council of Europe says this: Such protection is not restricted to “true” statements; it applies in particular to political speech and debate on questions of public interest

    So yes, protection does exist, its called protection, and political speech is in particular protected.
    https://www.coe.int/en/web/human-rights-convention/expression
  • .

    EPG said:

    .

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    It is not an offence against free speech to disapprove of something that someone says.

    No, its not.

    So disapprove of Mogg all you like. I do. I can't stand Mogg.

    If there's talk of censoring him though, of punishing him, that's another matter.

    Even if what he said was wrong, even if it was pigheaded, even if it was stupid, he should still have the right to say it.
    No-one is taking away the right of him to speak - but if that speech is detrimental to British democracy and its institutions, then those institutions have every right to create consequences for that attack on them. No-one is suggesting that he would be thrown in jail, or fined, or anything like that, but an attack on the normal functioning of democracy in Britain should not pass without consequence.
    And who determines if speech is "detrimental to British democracy and its institutions"? Who gets to abuse that, if that is permitted?

    You?
    The Prime Minister?
    A majority of the Commons?

    The whole point of free speech is that its not restricted, that detrimental speech is not just allowed but protected.
    This is your best argument on this subject, but I think I have an answer for you.
    Courts judge contempt of court, so firstly there's precedent for this. Secondly, there's a higher power than courts in this country, and that's parliament. If a court goes seriously egregiously wrong a final backstop to its waywardness is an act of parliament.
    If we think of this committee as a court -- and I'm by no means certain we should -- then it is similarly subordinate to parliament. Parliament can wind up this committee, change its composition and so on. The committee serves at the pleasure of parliament.

    Of course tyranny by parliament is possible. But that's already a theoretical problem we must wrangle with even absent of all this stuff about contempt and defamation and so on. Your "who watches the watchmen" challenge is valid, but the answer is "parliament".
    Except that I don't believe this would be contempt of court in a normal court either though? Criticising courts is acceptable and is free speech.

    Perhaps a lawyer can answer better but the closest to it seems to be the old offence of "scandalising the court" which was discussed here in 2012 and was last successfully used to prosecute someone in the 1930s: https://www.lawcom.gov.uk/app/uploads/2015/06/cp207_Scandalising_the_Court.pdf

    And scandalising the court was subsequently abolished by legislation in 2013: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/22/section/33

    And it has been deemed unconstitutional in the USA and a violation of free speech there too.

    So no, going off the courts, it seems courts are open to criticism, and that criticism is not contempt of court, even scandalous criticism anymore.
    Whether this particular case ought to be thought of as a contempt-like offence is not something I've weighed in on. On balance I think JRM is saying foolish and slightly dangerous things, but I don't feel inclined to say he should be punished for it.

    I merely contend that the type of thing he's saying could, if serious enough in the judgement of the "court", attract some kind of censure. I'm not saying he should be punished. I'm saying that I'm ok with the idea of that being available as an option.
    Can it attract censure? What evidence is there of that?

    Courts have been routinely criticised, including on the front pages of news papers and more. If calling the judiciary "Enemies of the People" is not Contempt of Court, then why would calling the Privilege Committee "a kangaroo court" be Contempt?

    The crime of contempt for criticising courts has been explicitly abolished by primary legislation. It can't attract censure, its free speech. Protected free speech. As it should be.
    There is no concept of protected free speech in the law of England and Wales.
    Political speech is protected by the European Convention of Human Rights, which last I checked we haven't left.
    But which you want to leave?
    No I don't.

    But I'd have no objection to us leaving it and replacing it with a British equivalent, answerable to Parliament.

    I'm ambivalent on the matter.
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 52,149
    HYUFD said:

    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    If Tory MPs on this committee vote to try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection attempts by their local party

    He's not popular with this member. The man is a complete prat. All those children with silly names and never changed a nappy. Stuck up for Boris when he lied. Completely out of touch.
    Well Rees Mogg is the one Tory MP other than Boris and Rishi who is guaranteed to sell out any Tory Association dinner he addresses. He is very much in touch with the party faithful

    Boris isn't an MP
    He still is until the by election winner is announced
    Wrong.

    "The seat has been vacant since 12 June 2023, when the seat's previous holder, Boris Johnson, formally resigned and subsequently produced a vacant seat."
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uxbridge_and_South_Ruislip_(UK_Parliament_constituency)
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 17,559

    Andy_JS said:

    "Aldi shoppers left furious at barrier change - 'Not everyone has a smarphone!'

    Would you shop in a till-less store? Aldi's Shop&Go in Greenwich has divided customers."

    https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/1779262/Aldi-shop-and-go-Greenwich-London

    If you don't have a smartphone don't go somewhere powered by smartphones, go somewhere else. 🤦‍♂️

    Not everyone carries cash, yet some stores still only take cash. I won't shop at them as a result.

    Its a free choice what people accept, and where people shop.
    Provided their actually IS someplace to shop, that you can actually access (say within a mile or so of your humble abode IF you don't have a car).

    AND will actually take whatever means of exchange you've got to purchase what your shopping for.

  • RobDRobD Posts: 60,045
    HYUFD said:

    RobD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    If Tory MPs on this committee vote to try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection attempts by their local party

    He's not popular with this member. The man is a complete prat. All those children with silly names and never changed a nappy. Stuck up for Boris when he lied. Completely out of touch.
    Well Rees Mogg is the one Tory MP other than Boris and Rishi who is guaranteed to sell out any Tory Association dinner he addresses. He is very much in touch with the party faithful

    Boris isn't an MP
    He still is until the by election winner is announced
    He was disqualified the moment he accepted a commission of the crown.
    He is still responsible for his Uxbridge constituents problems as outgoing local MP until the new MP is elected
    I don’t think so. The seat is vacant, he has no responsibilities to it.
  • Farooq said:

    .

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    It is not an offence against free speech to disapprove of something that someone says.

    No, its not.

    So disapprove of Mogg all you like. I do. I can't stand Mogg.

    If there's talk of censoring him though, of punishing him, that's another matter.

    Even if what he said was wrong, even if it was pigheaded, even if it was stupid, he should still have the right to say it.
    No-one is taking away the right of him to speak - but if that speech is detrimental to British democracy and its institutions, then those institutions have every right to create consequences for that attack on them. No-one is suggesting that he would be thrown in jail, or fined, or anything like that, but an attack on the normal functioning of democracy in Britain should not pass without consequence.
    And who determines if speech is "detrimental to British democracy and its institutions"? Who gets to abuse that, if that is permitted?

    You?
    The Prime Minister?
    A majority of the Commons?

    The whole point of free speech is that its not restricted, that detrimental speech is not just allowed but protected.
    This is your best argument on this subject, but I think I have an answer for you.
    Courts judge contempt of court, so firstly there's precedent for this. Secondly, there's a higher power than courts in this country, and that's parliament. If a court goes seriously egregiously wrong a final backstop to its waywardness is an act of parliament.
    If we think of this committee as a court -- and I'm by no means certain we should -- then it is similarly subordinate to parliament. Parliament can wind up this committee, change its composition and so on. The committee serves at the pleasure of parliament.

    Of course tyranny by parliament is possible. But that's already a theoretical problem we must wrangle with even absent of all this stuff about contempt and defamation and so on. Your "who watches the watchmen" challenge is valid, but the answer is "parliament".
    Except that I don't believe this would be contempt of court in a normal court either though? Criticising courts is acceptable and is free speech.

    Perhaps a lawyer can answer better but the closest to it seems to be the old offence of "scandalising the court" which was discussed here in 2012 and was last successfully used to prosecute someone in the 1930s: https://www.lawcom.gov.uk/app/uploads/2015/06/cp207_Scandalising_the_Court.pdf

    And scandalising the court was subsequently abolished by legislation in 2013: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/22/section/33

    And it has been deemed unconstitutional in the USA and a violation of free speech there too.

    So no, going off the courts, it seems courts are open to criticism, and that criticism is not contempt of court, even scandalous criticism anymore.
    Whether this particular case ought to be thought of as a contempt-like offence is not something I've weighed in on. On balance I think JRM is saying foolish and slightly dangerous things, but I don't feel inclined to say he should be punished for it.

    I merely contend that the type of thing he's saying could, if serious enough in the judgement of the "court", attract some kind of censure. I'm not saying he should be punished. I'm saying that I'm ok with the idea of that being available as an option.
    Can it attract censure? What evidence is there of that?

    Courts have been routinely criticised, including on the front pages of news papers and more. If calling the judiciary "Enemies of the People" is not Contempt of Court, then why would calling the Privilege Committee "a kangaroo court" be Contempt?

    The crime of contempt for criticising courts has been explicitly abolished by primary legislation. It can't attract censure, its free speech. Protected free speech. As it should be.
    Ah, so it looks like you're right.

    In which case modify everything I've been saying to "should". My feeling is that scandalising the court should still be a criminal offence. But in all the matters where I've said "could", that was wrong.

    Not a big deal, since I didn't think JRM should be censured anyway and the point of principle I was making is one I would still defend: I would bring back that law.

    This is problem with not being a lawyer. Something could disappear off the books a decade ago but you might never have noticed.
    Thanks.

    Its been an interesting conversation.

    Goodnight everyone.
  • EPGEPG Posts: 6,653

    EPG said:

    .

    EPG said:

    .

    Farooq said:

    Farooq said:

    It is not an offence against free speech to disapprove of something that someone says.

    No, its not.

    So disapprove of Mogg all you like. I do. I can't stand Mogg.

    If there's talk of censoring him though, of punishing him, that's another matter.

    Even if what he said was wrong, even if it was pigheaded, even if it was stupid, he should still have the right to say it.
    No-one is taking away the right of him to speak - but if that speech is detrimental to British democracy and its institutions, then those institutions have every right to create consequences for that attack on them. No-one is suggesting that he would be thrown in jail, or fined, or anything like that, but an attack on the normal functioning of democracy in Britain should not pass without consequence.
    And who determines if speech is "detrimental to British democracy and its institutions"? Who gets to abuse that, if that is permitted?

    You?
    The Prime Minister?
    A majority of the Commons?

    The whole point of free speech is that its not restricted, that detrimental speech is not just allowed but protected.
    This is your best argument on this subject, but I think I have an answer for you.
    Courts judge contempt of court, so firstly there's precedent for this. Secondly, there's a higher power than courts in this country, and that's parliament. If a court goes seriously egregiously wrong a final backstop to its waywardness is an act of parliament.
    If we think of this committee as a court -- and I'm by no means certain we should -- then it is similarly subordinate to parliament. Parliament can wind up this committee, change its composition and so on. The committee serves at the pleasure of parliament.

    Of course tyranny by parliament is possible. But that's already a theoretical problem we must wrangle with even absent of all this stuff about contempt and defamation and so on. Your "who watches the watchmen" challenge is valid, but the answer is "parliament".
    Except that I don't believe this would be contempt of court in a normal court either though? Criticising courts is acceptable and is free speech.

    Perhaps a lawyer can answer better but the closest to it seems to be the old offence of "scandalising the court" which was discussed here in 2012 and was last successfully used to prosecute someone in the 1930s: https://www.lawcom.gov.uk/app/uploads/2015/06/cp207_Scandalising_the_Court.pdf

    And scandalising the court was subsequently abolished by legislation in 2013: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/22/section/33

    And it has been deemed unconstitutional in the USA and a violation of free speech there too.

    So no, going off the courts, it seems courts are open to criticism, and that criticism is not contempt of court, even scandalous criticism anymore.
    Whether this particular case ought to be thought of as a contempt-like offence is not something I've weighed in on. On balance I think JRM is saying foolish and slightly dangerous things, but I don't feel inclined to say he should be punished for it.

    I merely contend that the type of thing he's saying could, if serious enough in the judgement of the "court", attract some kind of censure. I'm not saying he should be punished. I'm saying that I'm ok with the idea of that being available as an option.
    Can it attract censure? What evidence is there of that?

    Courts have been routinely criticised, including on the front pages of news papers and more. If calling the judiciary "Enemies of the People" is not Contempt of Court, then why would calling the Privilege Committee "a kangaroo court" be Contempt?

    The crime of contempt for criticising courts has been explicitly abolished by primary legislation. It can't attract censure, its free speech. Protected free speech. As it should be.
    There is no concept of protected free speech in the law of England and Wales.
    Political speech is protected by the European Convention of Human Rights, which last I checked we haven't left.
    There is no concept of political speech in the Convention. Your political speech is no more protected than your opinions on Ed Sheeran.
    The European Court of Human Rights disagrees with you, its regularly made a distinction between political speech and others.

    Indeed the Council of Europe says this: Such protection is not restricted to “true” statements; it applies in particular to political speech and debate on questions of public interest

    So yes, protection does exist, its called protection, and political speech is in particular protected.
    https://www.coe.int/en/web/human-rights-convention/expression
    It would be more honest to say that you misled your readers and did a Google to get a non-binding opinion, sidestepping your error.
  • EPGEPG Posts: 6,653
    Bart declares victory and goes home, still not mentioning whether Mogg would deserve muh free speech if he shouted CORRUPTION over every Commons debate for the next eighteen months.
  • MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 13,646
    nico679 said:

    On topic.

    Let’s be honest here. If a committee finds me guilty of wearing a dirty tee with tikka masala spilt down the front of it, and publicly publish I am a very naughty girl for this - but those on the committee have dirty tee with curry spilt down the front too, surely they have zero right or qualification to tell the world I’m naughty? I, and yourselves, should be able to refer to them as kangaroo’s in dirty t-shirts, without them sanctioning us for pointing that out, whenever it’s a matter of fact that are. That’s the truth isn’t it?

    This report has to be binned now, not published, and decide if it’s worth pursuing again, now the committee has been left in a position they can’t possibly pass judgement when guilty of the same crimes at the heart of it.

    The accusations haven’t been proved and it does seem rather strange for this to land the day before the report is published.
    I take on board both those points. But you would agree fairness needs to be seen to be done in a matter of this sort.

    How can you support a judge sentencing a defendant to the stocks for visiting a brothel, when the judge visits brothels? That’s just absolutely wrong. That’s not any sort of justice. In fact such a warped idea of a court could be a greater crime, than what the accused is accused of.

    I can call this right because I am wonderfully balanced in my political views and only interested in being fair to absolutely everyone, whilst so many of you are so biased and bent to be able to play fair or even see where your bent means you are getting it wrong.

    Starmer needs to write to Harman tonight, telling her she can’t publish tomorow until this claim is cleared up one way or the other. Otherwise his senior Labour MP might be shredding fairness by publishing, and that would really have repercussions for Labour if they pressed on against a Tory when it would have been so simple and quick to run a check - a mixture of asking Boris to provide evidence, and asking Bernard if he has anything to declare before signing off.

    Do you see my point? It’s a split committee with Bernard’s as the decisive vote. With such a powerful principle of fairness at stake, just briefly pause to check to avoid making a horrendous mistake. What’s wrong with that;
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 17,559
    Since the subject of cash v cashless has once again reared its ugly head, perhaps apt for this bit of info:

    This morning, I asked one of my local vendors of our local equivalent of "The Big Issue" which is "Real Change'' ($2 for each weekly issue) IF he could accept cashless payment.

    Yes, via an app called Venmo. Showed me the app thingy on his Real Change ID card, which I'd not noticed before. Said that they started using the app during the pandemic when many customers did not want to handle cash.

    He estimated by maybe as much as 25% of his sales were currently cashless. Tending to be younger than average customer.

    Liked the fact that vendors got 100% of payments via app, just like cash. (They pay the Real Change organization up front for the papers they peddle.)

    Also said that many who use the app automatically round up their payment, say to $5. Of course, many cash customers also give a bit extra (I usual do $3) but appears its more likely for someone using their app, than another digging a few bucks out of their wallet.
  • EPG said:

    Bart declares victory and goes home, still not mentioning whether Mogg would deserve muh free speech if he shouted CORRUPTION over every Commons debate for the next eighteen months.

    I missed that comment but I've seen this so I'll answer before going to bed.

    I would draw a distinction between the Speaker suspending an MP for being actively disruptive during a debate, and some MPs censuring another MP for saying something critical of them.

    Being actively disruptive is comparable to contempt of court, the actual contempt of court that still exists and is enforced in this country.

    What Mogg did wasn't that. It was surely equivalent to scandalising the court, which has not been enforced since the 1930s and was explicitly removed as contempt of court by primary legislation a decade ago.

    So complete apples and oranges.

    Being disruptive during a debate is not OK. Being critical of anyone you wish to criticise is, and is protected as privilege during a debate too.
  • MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 13,646
    edited June 2023

    On topic.

    Let’s be honest here. If a committee finds me guilty of wearing a dirty tee with tikka masala spilt down the front of it, and publicly publish I am a very naughty girl for this - but those on the committee have dirty tee with curry spilt down the front too, surely they have zero right or qualification to tell the world I’m naughty? I, and yourselves, should be able to refer to them as kangaroo’s in dirty t-shirts, without them sanctioning us for pointing that out, whenever it’s a matter of fact that are. That’s the truth isn’t it?

    This report has to be binned now, not published, and decide if it’s worth pursuing again, now the committee has been left in a position they can’t possibly pass judgement when guilty of the same crimes at the heart of it.

    Having read this twice - Is this Hendricks or Monkey 47 talking?
    Let’s be dead sober serious here. How can you support a judge sentencing a defendant to the stocks for visiting a brothel, when the judge visits brothels? The very fundamental princeypulls of UK justice hang in the balance here, like Dick Turpin on the gallows.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 123,987
    edited June 2023
    RobD said:

    HYUFD said:

    RobD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    If Tory MPs on this committee vote to try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection attempts by their local party

    He's not popular with this member. The man is a complete prat. All those children with silly names and never changed a nappy. Stuck up for Boris when he lied. Completely out of touch.
    Well Rees Mogg is the one Tory MP other than Boris and Rishi who is guaranteed to sell out any Tory Association dinner he addresses. He is very much in touch with the party faithful

    Boris isn't an MP
    He still is until the by election winner is announced
    He was disqualified the moment he accepted a commission of the crown.
    He is still responsible for his Uxbridge constituents problems as outgoing local MP until the new MP is elected
    I don’t think so. The seat is vacant, he has no responsibilities to it.
    Yes he does, he has just been appointed to a ceremonial position enabling him to resign his seat and a by election to be held there before the next general election without him dying or being expelled. He is still obliged to deal with all urgent constituency matters in his Uxbridge seat until the new MP for the seat is elected at the by election
  • SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 17,559
    Anyone else notice, that the more the Vicar of Bray brays, the more FACTUAL ERRORS he commits?

    Such as this guff about Boris Johnson still being a Member of Parliament - when he ain't.

    As five seconds of googling confirms!
  • MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 13,646
    HYUFD said:

    RobD said:

    HYUFD said:

    RobD said:

    HYUFD said:

    Farooq said:

    HYUFD said:

    HYUFD said:

    If Tory MPs on this committee vote to try and discipline the Mogg, who is as popular with Tory members as Corbyn was with Labour grassroots, they could soon find themselves facing deselection attempts by their local party

    He's not popular with this member. The man is a complete prat. All those children with silly names and never changed a nappy. Stuck up for Boris when he lied. Completely out of touch.
    Well Rees Mogg is the one Tory MP other than Boris and Rishi who is guaranteed to sell out any Tory Association dinner he addresses. He is very much in touch with the party faithful

    Boris isn't an MP
    He still is until the by election winner is announced
    He was disqualified the moment he accepted a commission of the crown.
    He is still responsible for his Uxbridge constituents problems as outgoing local MP until the new MP is elected
    I don’t think so. The seat is vacant, he has no responsibilities to it.
    Yes he does, he has just been appointed to a ceremonial position enabling a by election to be held in his seat before the next general election without him dying. He is still obliged to deal with all urgent constituency matters in his Uxbridge seat until the new MP for the seat is elected at the by election
    You are going to make an extraordinary MP one day HY.
This discussion has been closed.