Whittingdale hardly has the looks of a Greek Adonis and is single, so if he feels he has to pay to satisfy his energies that is a private matter between him and the lady in question
I must admit, as a fan of salacious gossip, I'm struggling to give a sh1t about this one.
The response from Hacked Off is much more amusing. Bunch of w*nkers. (Sorry, glass of wine too many. Hic.).
EDIT: Snicker. Had to share the first comment on Guido's article on this: "Why the fuss? It's not as if he's been banging Diane Abbott."
Bless. Rowing over Europe, press exposed after keeping quiet about the Culture Secretary, a PM who was unfairly accused and is now tarnished by porcine accusations, the Chancellor being stabbed in the front by the ex-welfare secretary - Michael Gove waiting in the wings - enough said - And PB comments thinks everyone should be looking at how many hundreds of pounds Jeremy Corbyn owes the taxman. I think this is what a disconnect between partisans and developing political reality looks like.
The problem for Cameron is that, if Remain wins, he will be open to the accusation he biased the result. Thereby not putting it to bed, and instead letting it fester for the rest of his premiership.
I don't see how this is good politics for him.
I assume Cameron will worry about that if/when it happens. For now all he's concerned about is winning at any and all costs to keep all his Bilderberg mates happy and keeping the show on the road for himself, Boy George, etc.
I suspect this is all noise, fed by people who respond to opinion polls as a way of commenting on the current media narrative. The government has taken a media drubbing over the last week. No surprise that fewer respondents are prepared to appear sympathetic towards one of its pet projects. If Dave had been a Leaver, Remain would be surging now.
It's like a repeat of this:
"Oh why did we lose the Referendum, if only Nick Clegg was against AV"
Ha, ha! But a more apposite comparison with Clegg is the massive poll surges he had during the debates of 2005, which vanished like fairy dust when people came to vote. Opinion polling is now just a glorified version of the 'Like' facility on the internet - facile, frivolous and with no predictive content of how people will actually behave.
If you remember the NOtoAV campaign distributed leaflets with Nick Clegg's face.
Now the Leave camp has 2 juicy faces to put on it's leaflets, one of Corbyn to be sent to safe Tory seats, and one of Cameron to be sent to safe Labour seats.
That should do the trick.
You could just as easily say Remain could send leaflets with Galloway's and Dennis Skinner's face on to safe Tory seats and IDS and Farage's face to safe Labour seats
To which the response from the Tory seats will be 'who?', with perhaps not much more of a negative reaction from the WWC labour vote.
George Galloway is probably better known than most of the Cabinet
I think Corbyn and Cameron are better known than Galloway, Dennis Skinner and IDS. However Farage is on par as a party leader but his popularity numbers are up, higher than Cameron's I think.
Well they are both the main party leaders, though Corbyn voted against the EEC originally and is pretty lukewarm about Remain anyway
Bugger, Mike was planning to run my AV thread in the morning.
excuse my ignorance but what does AV stand for? I have seen if mentioned before but always as an abbreviation.
It's a bit of an in-joke.
AV = Alternative Vote
It's a reference to the 2011 AV referendum - specifically the tedious commentary on PB & elsewhere debating the merits and drawbacks of various voting systems.
Enough to bore the hell out of even the geekiest political obsessives.
@bbclaurak: @johnwhittingdale admits he had relationship with sex worker and he didn't tell no 10 before taking Culture Sec job - more on #newsnight
Why should he have told them?
Is this going to be the second cabinet resignation in two months
No, as other leading Tory MPs have been able to "hang out" with prostitutes and have not had their career prospects harmed in the slightest.
You may be right but the problem is that his position as Culture Secretary compromised the press and he didn't tell David Cameron before he was appointed to the postion
Wow, this is extraordinary infighting. A tory member suggesting a tory cabinet minister should stand down for having sex.
Exactly how do you expect these people to conduct themselves?
I am not calling for him to stand down but others may well
Whittingdale hardly has the looks of a Greek Adonis and is single, so if he feels he has to pay to satisfy his energies that is a private matter between him and the lady in question
I must admit, as a fan of salacious gossip, I'm struggling to give a sh1t about this one.
The response from Hacked Off is much more amusing. Bunch of w*nkers. (Sorry, glass of wine too many. Hic.).
EDIT: Snicker. Had to share the first comment on Guido's article on this: "Why the fuss? It's not as if he's been banging Diane Abbott."
Bugger, Mike was planning to run my AV thread in the morning.
excuse my ignorance but what does AV stand for? I have seen if mentioned before but always as an abbreviation.
The Alternative Vote system.
The finest voting system know to man.
During the AV referendum PB was at its finest, discussing the merits of AV.
It brought PBers to hitherto unknown levels of pleasure.
You should write a lengthy article on that, if you can spare the time.
I've written my finest PB for this weekend. I've spent nearly two months writing it.
Is about the EU referendum, I suspect many Tory leavers won't be speaking to me for a while after it is published.
It also contains my greatest/worst pun/80s pop music reference ever
Ahhhh, trolling the bucolic leaver brigade is a source of endless fun. I'm probably 70% likely to vote leave, but winding up the 100% troupe is like catching fish in a barrel with dynamite: explosive but ultimately delicious.
Bugger, Mike was planning to run my AV thread in the morning.
excuse my ignorance but what does AV stand for? I have seen if mentioned before but always as an abbreviation.
It's a bit of an in-joke.
AV = Alternative Vote
It's a reference to the 2011 AV referendum - specifically the tedious commentary on PB & elsewhere debating the merits and drawbacks of various voting systems.
Enough to bore the hell out of even the geekiest political obsessives.
Now please never mention AV ever again!
I think the AV referendum actually gave me my one and only moment of influencing our public discourse through PB...
One Sunday evening on here I posted a scene from Auf Weidershen Pet where there's a line about "everybody get's what nobody wants" after the brickies have had a vote using a voting system similar to AV.
The next day Fraser Nelson write a piece about the scene at the Spectator and I think in The Sun - And it started being discussed quite a lot. I don't know if Fraser saw my post on here but it was quite a conincidence...
So it might not be too OTT to say that GIN1138 single-handedly saved FPTP, sunk AV and possibly played a part in destroying the Lib-Dems!
I'm waiting for my "K" to arrive in the post but so far... Maybe Mr Jack will "have a word"?
Just catching up on Newsnight - all the papers who didn't want to publish the Whittingdale story hiding behind the fact that 'it wasn't in the public interest'. And they think that the general public are all mugs and going to believe it! No wonder they are a DYING industry with behaviour like this, in the same week that they've put every story going out about another celebrity with the clear insinuation of who had taken out the injunction. You couldn't make it up!
Bugger, Mike was planning to run my AV thread in the morning.
excuse my ignorance but what does AV stand for? I have seen if mentioned before but always as an abbreviation.
It's a bit of an in-joke.
AV = Alternative Vote
It's a reference to the 2011 AV referendum - specifically the tedious commentary on PB & elsewhere debating the merits and drawbacks of various voting systems.
Enough to bore the hell out of even the geekiest political obsessives.
Now please never mention AV ever again!
I think the AV referendum actually gave me my one and only moment of influencing our public discourse through PB...
One Sunday evening on here I posted a scene from Auf Weidershen Pet where there's a line about "everybody get's what nobody wants" after the brickies have had a vote using a voting system similar to AV.
The next day Fraser Nelson write a piece about the scene at the Spectator and I think in The Sun - And it started being discussed quite a lot. I don't know if Fraser saw my post on here but it was quite a conincidence...
So it might not be too OTT to say that GIN1138 single-handedly saved FPTP, sunk AV and possibly played a part in destroying the Lib-Dems!
I'm waiting for my "K" to arrive in the post but so far... Maybe Mr Jack will "have a word"?
I think the LD destroyed themselves in May 2010, way before your reference.
Just catching up on Newsnight - all the papers who didn't want to publish the Whittingdale story hiding behind the fact that 'it wasn't in the public interest'. And they think that the general public are all mugs and going to believe it! No wonder they are a DYING industry with behaviour like this, in the same week that they've put every story going out about another celebrity with the clear insinuation of who had taken out the injunction. You couldn't make it up!
I agree - the newspapers do seem to be all at sea over this
Blimey. I really wouldn't have thought John Whittingdale was up to it.
Lonely man meets woman online who turns out to be leading a secret life as a dominatrix...
Sounds like Whittingdale is actually the victim here. Think Hacked Off should move along quickly - Whittingdale and the papers (who didn't run the story, presumably because Whittingdale had been duped) might come out of this looking quite sympathetic...
Just catching up on Newsnight - all the papers who didn't want to publish the Whittingdale story hiding behind the fact that 'it wasn't in the public interest'. And they think that the general public are all mugs and going to believe it! No wonder they are a DYING industry with behaviour like this, in the same week that they've put every story going out about another celebrity with the clear insinuation of who had taken out the injunction. You couldn't make it up!
"another celebrity"??? I think you may have put your finger on the reason for their indifference.
Just catching up on Newsnight - all the papers who didn't want to publish the Whittingdale story hiding behind the fact that 'it wasn't in the public interest'. And they think that the general public are all mugs and going to believe it! No wonder they are a DYING industry with behaviour like this, in the same week that they've put every story going out about another celebrity with the clear insinuation of who had taken out the injunction. You couldn't make it up!
"another celebrity"??? I think you may have put your finger on the reason for their indifference.
Bugger, Mike was planning to run my AV thread in the morning.
excuse my ignorance but what does AV stand for? I have seen if mentioned before but always as an abbreviation.
It's a bit of an in-joke.
AV = Alternative Vote
It's a reference to the 2011 AV referendum - specifically the tedious commentary on PB & elsewhere debating the merits and drawbacks of various voting systems.
Enough to bore the hell out of even the geekiest political obsessives.
Now please never mention AV ever again!
I think the AV referendum actually gave me my one and only moment of influencing our public discourse through PB...
One Sunday evening on here I posted a scene from Auf Weidershen Pet where there's a line about "everybody get's what nobody wants" after the brickies have had a vote using a voting system similar to AV.
The next day Fraser Nelson write a piece about the scene at the Spectator and I think in The Sun - And it started being discussed quite a lot. I don't know if Fraser saw my post on here but it was quite a conincidence...
So it might not be too OTT to say that GIN1138 single-handedly saved FPTP, sunk AV and possibly played a part in destroying the Lib-Dems!
I'm waiting for my "K" to arrive in the post but so far... Maybe Mr Jack will "have a word"?
I think the LD destroyed themselves in May 2010, way before your reference.
There would have been more Lib-Dems left if they hadn't been subjected to the brutality of FPTP though...
Blimey. I really wouldn't have thought John Whittingdale was up to it.
Lonely man meets woman online who turns out to be leading a secret life as a dominatrix...
Sounds like Whittingdale is actually the victim here. Think Hacked Off should move along quickly - Whittingdale and the papers (who didn't run the story, presumably because Whittingdale had been duped) might come out of this looking quite sympathetic...
Of course the papers would never, ever dupe some-one through a "sting" operation, no, sir.
Just catching up on Newsnight - all the papers who didn't want to publish the Whittingdale story hiding behind the fact that 'it wasn't in the public interest'. And they think that the general public are all mugs and going to believe it! No wonder they are a DYING industry with behaviour like this, in the same week that they've put every story going out about another celebrity with the clear insinuation of who had taken out the injunction. You couldn't make it up!
"another celebrity"??? I think you may have put your finger on the reason for their indifference.
Does 'person in the public eye' satisfy you?!
Satisfy is pushing it a little far, but the story does seem to lack a certain 'spark' that would otherwise render it interesting.
Bless. Rowing over Europe, press exposed after keeping quiet about the Culture Secretary, a PM who was unfairly accused and is now tarnished by porcine accusations, the Chancellor being stabbed in the front by the ex-welfare secretary - Michael Gove waiting in the wings - enough said - And PB comments thinks everyone should be looking at how many hundreds of pounds Jeremy Corbyn owes the taxman. I think this is what a disconnect between partisans and developing political reality looks like.
Well, you know, some of us are capable of thinking about more than one subject.
Corbyn tax return story is of interest, I think, not because of the money but what it says about the man. This is a chap who leads one of the great political parties and who aspires to be prime minister. Yet he cannot accurately fill in a simple tax return and manages to miss off several thousand pounds of taxable income. He gets fined because he can't even remember to send the wretched form off on time. Then there is the matter of the declaration on the last page, the one you sign to say that the return is complete and accurate - he signed that even though it was neither.
What we have, therefore, is a man who has poor attention to detail, is incompetent, a poor organiser (employing an accountant to do this sort of thing is easy and not expensive). and, possibly, dishonest. By any standards he is totally unfit for any office of state. And, FFS, we get this picture of him because he chose to give it to us by publishing his abortion of a tax return.
If you want to talk about political reality, then Corbyn as an utterly, utterly incompetent politician.
Bless. Rowing over Europe, press exposed after keeping quiet about the Culture Secretary, a PM who was unfairly accused and is now tarnished by porcine accusations, the Chancellor being stabbed in the front by the ex-welfare secretary - Michael Gove waiting in the wings - enough said - And PB comments thinks everyone should be looking at how many hundreds of pounds Jeremy Corbyn owes the taxman. I think this is what a disconnect between partisans and developing political reality looks like.
Well, you know, some of us are capable of thinking about more than one subject.
Corbyn tax return story is of interest, I think, not because of the money but what it says about the man. This is a chap who leads one of the great political parties and who aspires to be prime minister. Yet he cannot accurately fill in a simple tax return and manages to miss off several thousand pounds of taxable income. He gets fined because he can't even remember to send the wretched form off on time. Then there is the matter of the declaration on the last page, the one you sign to say that the return is complete and accurate - he signed that even though it was neither.
What we have, therefore, is a man who has poor attention to detail, is incompetent, a poor organiser (employing an accountant to do this sort of thing is easy and not expensive). and, possibly, dishonest. By any standards he is totally unfit for any office of state. And, FFS, we get this picture of him because he chose to give it to us by publishing his abortion of a tax return.
If you want to talk about political reality, then Corbyn as an utterly, utterly incompetent politician.
Blimey. I really wouldn't have thought John Whittingdale was up to it.
Lonely man meets woman online who turns out to be leading a secret life as a dominatrix...
Sounds like Whittingdale is actually the victim here. Think Hacked Off should move along quickly - Whittingdale and the papers (who didn't run the story, presumably because Whittingdale had been duped) might come out of this looking quite sympathetic...
Of course the papers would never, ever dupe some-one through a "sting" operation, no, sir.
There wasn't a "sting".
Whittingdale had a relationship spanning a few months with this woman. Presumably he thought she was an honest woman but it turned out she was leading a double life.
When he found out he ended the relationship. That's about all there is too it... Not even a "Pretty Woman" angle.
Seems to be a private matter for him and the lady in question and I'd have thought Hacked Off would be pleased the papers didn't run the story...
Bless. Rowing over Europe, press exposed after keeping quiet about the Culture Secretary, a PM who was unfairly accused and is now tarnished by porcine accusations, the Chancellor being stabbed in the front by the ex-welfare secretary - Michael Gove waiting in the wings - enough said - And PB comments thinks everyone should be looking at how many hundreds of pounds Jeremy Corbyn owes the taxman. I think this is what a disconnect between partisans and developing political reality looks like.
Well, you know, some of us are capable of thinking about more than one subject.
Corbyn tax return story is of interest, I think, not because of the money but what it says about the man. This is a chap who leads one of the great political parties and who aspires to be prime minister. Yet he cannot accurately fill in a simple tax return and manages to miss off several thousand pounds of taxable income. He gets fined because he can't even remember to send the wretched form off on time. Then there is the matter of the declaration on the last page, the one you sign to say that the return is complete and accurate - he signed that even though it was neither.
What we have, therefore, is a man who has poor attention to detail, is incompetent, a poor organiser (employing an accountant to do this sort of thing is easy and not expensive). and, possibly, dishonest. By any standards he is totally unfit for any office of state. And, FFS, we get this picture of him because he chose to give it to us by publishing his abortion of a tax return.
If you want to talk about political reality, then Corbyn as an utterly, utterly incompetent politician.
You forget to mention that "he chose to give it to us by publishing his abortion of a tax return" after failing to find it in his bomb-site of an office for the best part of a week. I mean, it doesn't change the overall picture much, but it raises a smile
Still, despite it all, better than Dave.[Referring to JC - Anorak]
I can see how people find socialism, and the Labour party appealing. Equally, I can see how people find conservatism and capitalism abhorrent. For the life of me I can't see how any one can place Corbyn and Cameron side-by-side and say: "Yep, Jeremy would definitely do a better job as elected leader and global representative of the United Kingdom".
So are we to now assume that Corbyn's embarrassing effort of a belated tax return did not declare £6000 of taxable income? How could he get his tax deducted at source from his OAP? Surely that is always paid gross isn't it?
His local government pension may have been paid net but was it net at the basic rate or his higher rate?
Still not convinced about his lodger.
Or about not having a penny of interest or investment income.
Or about not having any taxable benefits in his Parliamentary allowances.
It is starting to look like his tax is underpaid by enough to have the Revenue threatening a member of the public with dire consequences.
But let's talk about a single man's rather sad sex life. Much more interesting.
Um, sorry, but like the guy who was ticking him off for doing an electronic return, you're passing judgment without knowing the system or the individual..
1. Parliamentary allowances are separately accounted for by Parliament, and are not normally taxable - it's one reason there's a special MP form because it's unusual that MPs are responsible for three full-time staff but the expenses re paid by Parliament directly and don't benefit the MP financially - the staff, the stationery, the postage, the office. It would be unusual for an MP to have taxable expenses - I don't think I ever did.
2. As noted earlier, you aren't allowed to send an electronic return. In return, you have till Jan 31 to submit the paper return.
3. The local government pension service (and Parliament) will be informed directly by HMRC that he's due to pay higher rate income tax. (I'm in the same position with my employer.)
4. The OAP is paid using the personal allowance, without tax.
5. I think it's pretty unlikely that he has invested in any companies, and not too surprised if he's not opened a savings account to get 0.5% interest. He's not interested in money, and not alone in not bothering with the savings interest. I suspect that's also why he does his own return but didn't get round to it on time - can well imagine him thinking it's money stuff, hence boring. Not an excuse but a week's delay is not the end of the world.
6. No idea about his lodger but I bet he isn't charged anything near the market rate.
Blimey. I really wouldn't have thought John Whittingdale was up to it.
Lonely man meets woman online who turns out to be leading a secret life as a dominatrix...
Sounds like Whittingdale is actually the victim here. Think Hacked Off should move along quickly - Whittingdale and the papers (who didn't run the story, presumably because Whittingdale had been duped) might come out of this looking quite sympathetic...
Of course the papers would never, ever dupe some-one through a "sting" operation, no, sir.
There wasn't a "sting".
Whittingdale had a relationship spanning a few months with this woman. Presumably he thought she was an honest woman but it turned out she was leading a double life.
Just imagine the lady's horror when she realised John Whittingdale's double life. The idea of cabinet ministers hanging around on Internet dating sites is slightly scary.
You could be one swipe away from dating George Osborne.
Blimey. I really wouldn't have thought John Whittingdale was up to it.
Lonely man meets woman online who turns out to be leading a secret life as a dominatrix...
Sounds like Whittingdale is actually the victim here. Think Hacked Off should move along quickly - Whittingdale and the papers (who didn't run the story, presumably because Whittingdale had been duped) might come out of this looking quite sympathetic...
Of course the papers would never, ever dupe some-one through a "sting" operation, no, sir.
There wasn't a "sting".
Whittingdale had a relationship spanning a few months with this woman. Presumably he thought she was an honest woman but it turned out she was leading a double life.
Just imagine the lady's horror when she realised John Whittingdale's double life. The idea of cabinet ministers hanging around on Internet dating site is slightly scary.
You could be one swipe away from dating George Osborne.
Could be worse, you could end up with dick pics from Brooks Newmark....
...He's not interested in money, and not alone in not bothering with the savings interest. I suspect that's also why he does his own return but didn't get round to it on time - can well imagine him thinking it's money stuff, hence boring. Not an excuse but a week's delay is not the end of the world.
And yet this man who thinks money is "boring" and who is lax with his own tax affairs is someone you want to be First Lord of the Treasury.
Bugger, Mike was planning to run my AV thread in the morning.
It has been returned to the PB archives for safe keeping...
That's presumably a euphemism for "dropped into the Marianas Trench strapped to Mark Reckless in lead boots".
[As an aside, I had brain-fade over the word "euphemism" (damn, you, alcohol!) and typed into Google (literally, cut-n-pasted here): word for something that is the same as something else but phrased in a nicer way and found it within 30 seconds. The internet is quite an amazing thing.]
In particular his past business links with William Waldorf Astor and Mr Nigel William Wray?
God, you'd be very hard pressed to find a more odious man than Nigel Wray.
And JackW, matt and others from the establishment on here think this is some wacko reptilian lizard conspiracy theory! Pull the other one.
Well, to avoid badmouthing a few of my acquaintance, involvement with the man himself does not necessarily mean that anything untoward is going on, furthermore the date that it had it's last filing suggests that it is of little relevance to him tenure as PM.
So are we to now assume that Corbyn's embarrassing effort of a belated tax return did not declare £6000 of taxable income? How could he get his tax deducted at source from his OAP? Surely that is always paid gross isn't it?
His local government pension may have been paid net but was it net at the basic rate or his higher rate?
Still not convinced about his lodger.
Or about not having a penny of interest or investment income.
Or about not having any taxable benefits in his Parliamentary allowances.
It is starting to look like his tax is underpaid by enough to have the Revenue threatening a member of the public with dire consequences.
But let's talk about a single man's rather sad sex life. Much more interesting.
Um, sorry, but like the guy who was ticking him off for doing an electronic return, you're passing judgment without knowing the system or the individual..
1. Parliamentary allowances are separately accounted for by Parliament, and are not normally taxable - it's one reason there's a special MP form because it's unusual that MPs are responsible for three full-time staff but the expenses re paid by Parliament directly and don't benefit the MP financially - the staff, the stationery, the postage, the office. It would be unusual for an MP to have taxable expenses - I don't think I ever did.
2. As noted earlier, you aren't allowed to send an electronic return. In return, you have till Jan 31 to submit the paper return.
3. The local government pension service (and Parliament) will be informed directly by HMRC that he's due to pay higher rate income tax. (I'm in the same position with my employer.)
4. The OAP is paid using the personal allowance, without tax.
5. I think it's pretty unlikely that he has invested in any companies, and not too surprised if he's not opened a savings account to get 0.5% interest. He's not interested in money, and not alone in not bothering with the savings interest. I suspect that's also why he does his own return but didn't get round to it on time - can well imagine him thinking it's money stuff, hence boring. Not an excuse but a week's delay is not the end of the world.
6. No idea about his lodger but I bet he isn't charged anything near the market rate.
Corbyn is clearly not a venal man and has very little interest in money. But that tax return alone is a very strong argument against him as leader of the Labour party, let alone the country.
I can understand Corbyn not opening a savings account to get a small amount of interest. And of course we don't know but he could have a Cash ISA account which he uses for savings.
I also fully accept that all necessary tax would have been deducted at source from his Council pension and that his State Pension is covered by the Personal Allowance so there is no effect on his tax calculation (as long as his tax code is correct).
However worth noting that if he had submitted that manual tax return electronically it WOULD have calculated the wrong figure for tax payable - as without the state pension it would have awarded him a full PA against his MP salary.
But the big picture surely is how on earth is he going to take Budget decisions with a Chancellor if he not only has no interest in money but no broad feeling at all for financial matters?
Anyone with the most basic knowledge would surely know that both pensions had to be declared on their tax return.
Mrs May needs to get a grip on this rapidly or her record in the Home Office is going to be rather less unblemished.
she has presided over the missing all of her own goverments targets for immigration, so I'm never really sure why her record is considered to be unblemished?
Mrs May needs to get a grip on this rapidly or her record in the Home Office is going to be rather less unblemished.
she has presided over the missing all of her own goverments targets for immigration, so I'm never really sure why her record is considered to be unblemished?
I agree personally I think her record on immigration is a disgrace from one end to the other, and her record on civil liberties is as bad if not worse, but for some reason the PB Blue pompom's brigade have her down as the next leader.
The death this week of Mildred Gordon (MP for Bow & Poplar 1987-1997) reminds me of the Neath by-election campaign of 1945, in which the CPGB supported the Coalition and the war effort against Hitler, whereas the RCP opposed the imperialist war and opposed the Coalition. A spokesman for the CPGB said that the RCP candidate should be shot because he was a fifth-columnist (and that a vote for the RCP was a vote for Hitler), and the Labour candidate repudiated the support which the CPGB gave him.
He's forgotten the fourth freedom - free movement of people - if anyone thinks we'll be granted three out of the four, they are being possibly a tad optimistic.......
Is this 'scandal' the thing people have been getting wound up about on here for the last few days?
If so, it seems more than a tad overblown.
The only question arising about his conduct is the following: did he follow precedent and put a picture onto match.com of himself in his underpants? If so, I hope to god it is never released: I've only just finished therapy after Rev. Underpants.
(My memory problems seem to have blanked out a certain Labour lord and a bra. Please do not do anything - such as post a picture - that would remind me of the horror).
Bless. Rowing over Europe, press exposed after keeping quiet about the Culture Secretary, a PM who was unfairly accused and is now tarnished by porcine accusations, the Chancellor being stabbed in the front by the ex-welfare secretary - Michael Gove waiting in the wings - enough said - And PB comments thinks everyone should be looking at how many hundreds of pounds Jeremy Corbyn owes the taxman. I think this is what a disconnect between partisans and developing political reality looks like.
Well, you know, some of us are capable of thinking about more than one subject.
Corbyn tax return story is of interest, I think, not because of the money but what it says about the man. This is a chap who leads one of the great political parties and who aspires to be prime minister. Yet he cannot accurately fill in a simple tax return and manages to miss off several thousand pounds of taxable income. He gets fined because he can't even remember to send the wretched form off on time. Then there is the matter of the declaration on the last page, the one you sign to say that the return is complete and accurate - he signed that even though it was neither.
What we have, therefore, is a man who has poor attention to detail, is incompetent, a poor organiser (employing an accountant to do this sort of thing is easy and not expensive). and, possibly, dishonest. By any standards he is totally unfit for any office of state. And, FFS, we get this picture of him because he chose to give it to us by publishing his abortion of a tax return.
If you want to talk about political reality, then Corbyn as an utterly, utterly incompetent politician.
I agree. Independent of his politics he is unfit for office. The sooner the Labour Party gets rid the better.
Surely it is fairly easy to see if his pensions were taxed at source. Add up the income as stated on the form and calculate the tax paid. It looks to me significant undeclared income, as is the rent on the flat.
Bless. Rowing over Europe, press exposed after keeping quiet about the Culture Secretary, a PM who was unfairly accused and is now tarnished by porcine accusations, the Chancellor being stabbed in the front by the ex-welfare secretary - Michael Gove waiting in the wings - enough said - And PB comments thinks everyone should be looking at how many hundreds of pounds Jeremy Corbyn owes the taxman. I think this is what a disconnect between partisans and developing political reality looks like.
Well, you know, some of us are capable of thinking about more than one subject.
Corbyn tax return story is of interest, I think, not because of the money but what it says about the man. This is a chap who leads one of the great political parties and who aspires to be prime minister. Yet he cannot accurately fill in a simple tax return and manages to miss off several thousand pounds of taxable income. He gets fined because he can't even remember to send the wretched form off on time. Then there is the matter of the declaration on the last page, the one you sign to say that the return is complete and accurate - he signed that even though it was neither.
What we have, therefore, is a man who has poor attention to detail, is incompetent, a poor organiser (employing an accountant to do this sort of thing is easy and not expensive). and, possibly, dishonest. By any standards he is totally unfit for any office of state. And, FFS, we get this picture of him because he chose to give it to us by publishing his abortion of a tax return.
If you want to talk about political reality, then Corbyn as an utterly, utterly incompetent politician.
I agree. Independent of his politics he is unfit for office. The sooner the Labour Party gets rid the better.
He will know this. His job is to ensure the party can only elect a fellow traveller and not one of the hated moderates.
There's a good chance Labour could win in 2020 with a more presentable leader and similar policies.
I see Chris Bryant is making a late break for 'Pompous Prat of the week' edging out 'low achiever' Sir Alan Duncan:
Shadow cabinet minister Chris Bryant, who was Labour's shadow culture secretary until last year, said: "It seems the press were quite deliberately holding a sword of Damocles over John Whittingdale.
"He has a perfect right to a private life but as soon as he knew this he should have withdrawn from all regulation of the press."
I find this whole thing bizarre - isn't this 'no proof, but nudge nudge, wink wink, no smoke without fire' approach, precisely the sort of 'sordid tabloid behaviour' that Bryant and the others such as Hacked Off deprecated - yet are now indulging in themselves?
Is this 'scandal' the thing people have been getting wound up about on here for the last few days?
A surfeit of scandals - this isn't the 'Celebrity (sic) threesome' injuncted scandal, but one three editors turned down as not a 'story' - yet since it involved a Tory, who was also responsible for press regulation, the Hacked Off crowd decided it must be a 'conspiracy' (no proof) so worth a good 'no smoke without fire' treatment they complained long & hard to Leveson about.....
Is this 'scandal' the thing people have been getting wound up about on here for the last few days?
A surfeit of scandals - this isn't the 'Celebrity (sic) threesome' injuncted scandal, but one three editors turned down as not a 'story' - yet since it involved a Tory, who was also responsible for press regulation, the Hacked Off crowd decided it must be a 'conspiracy' (no proof) so worth a good 'no smoke without fire' treatment they complained long & hard to Leveson about.....
It sounds as though the media spiked the story *before* he became responsible for press regulation, which rather destroys that particular 'conspiracy' story.
He claims he ended the relationship when someone tried to sell the story to the papers in February 2014. He became SoS in May 2015. However - and this may be important - he was chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee at the time of the relationship.
The one thing that could carry this story further is what the good lady has to say now.
Is this 'scandal' the thing people have been getting wound up about on here for the last few days?
If so, it seems more than a tad overblown.
The only question arising about his conduct is the following: did he follow precedent and put a picture onto match.com of himself in his underpants? If so, I hope to god it is never released: I've only just finished therapy after Rev. Underpants.
(My memory problems seem to have blanked out a certain Labour lord and a bra. Please do not do anything - such as post a picture - that would remind me of the horror).
There are some pretty loathsome MP's on all sides of the house, but Bryant comes about the top of the list.
Is this 'scandal' the thing people have been getting wound up about on here for the last few days?
A surfeit of scandals - this isn't the 'Celebrity (sic) threesome' injuncted scandal, but one three editors turned down as not a 'story' - yet since it involved a Tory, who was also responsible for press regulation, the Hacked Off crowd decided it must be a 'conspiracy' (no proof) so worth a good 'no smoke without fire' treatment they complained long & hard to Leveson about.....
The problem is that if any newspaper runs with a sex scandal about any other politician it will look very bad. By turning down the ************ story they are basically saying it's not news and not worth reporting. On past performance that's some turnaround from the press.
If we're not careful, we'll end up with a House of Commons filled with politics-obsessed career politicians (6) who are asexual (1) and have no family (2) or kids (3). They'll stay in their offices in the HoC all the time (7) and they won't drink (4). Their only contact will be with similar grey (8) people. (5)
And we'll all be complaining that 'they're not like us!'.
(1) As relationships can ruin careers. (2) Families can be used to embarrass, whether fathers (Cameron) or brothers (Osborne) (3) Likewise children. (4) As alcohol can cause indiscretions (5) As they will be similarly guarded. (6) As any career outside politics might prove embarrassing as a potential conflict of interest. (7) As they might meet a real person (tm) and something bad might happen. Real people are dangerous! (8) Grey is such a nice, neutral colour that will not offend anyone.
Is this 'scandal' the thing people have been getting wound up about on here for the last few days?
A surfeit of scandals - this isn't the 'Celebrity (sic) threesome' injuncted scandal, but one three editors turned down as not a 'story' - yet since it involved a Tory, who was also responsible for press regulation, the Hacked Off crowd decided it must be a 'conspiracy' (no proof) so worth a good 'no smoke without fire' treatment they complained long & hard to Leveson about.....
The problem is that if any newspaper runs with a sex scandal about any other politician it will look very bad. By turning down the ************ story they are basically saying it's not news and not worth reporting. On past performance that's some turnaround from the press.
I think it depends on the context.
Single MP dates unwisely and ends relationship when he discovers nature of date's work - I'm with the three editors - not a 'Story'.
Single man posts photos of himself in his underpants on a dating website - marginal, but probably worth it for the embarrassment/foolishness factor.
Married proclaimer of family values and the sanctity of marriage caught playing away - throw the kitchen sink at him.....
Is this 'scandal' the thing people have been getting wound up about on here for the last few days?
A surfeit of scandals - this isn't the 'Celebrity (sic) threesome' injuncted scandal, but one three editors turned down as not a 'story' - yet since it involved a Tory, who was also responsible for press regulation, the Hacked Off crowd decided it must be a 'conspiracy' (no proof) so worth a good 'no smoke without fire' treatment they complained long & hard to Leveson about.....
The problem is that if any newspaper runs with a sex scandal about any other politician it will look very bad. By turning down the ************ story they are basically saying it's not news and not worth reporting. On past performance that's some turnaround from the press.
I see Parliament is going to debate the EU propaganda leaflets on 9 May. Have they deliberately done that so that those for Wales, Soctland and Northern Ireland will already have been sent out?
EPGEPG Posts: 1,799 April 12 Bless. Rowing over Europe, press exposed after keeping quiet about the Culture Secretary, a PM who was unfairly accused and is now tarnished by porcine accusations, the Chancellor being stabbed in the front by the ex-welfare secretary - Michael Gove waiting in the wings - enough said - And PB comments thinks everyone should be looking at how many hundreds of pounds Jeremy Corbyn owes the taxman. I think this is what a disconnect between partisans and developing political reality looks like
Corbyn and his supporters have been demanding the PM resign over following the rules and paying all due tax only to find out Corbyn hasn't done so and is himself now immersed in difficulties. It has been front page news for over a week egged on by these same people.
You think it's not going to be talked about? Of course left wingers don't have to follow the same rules as the little people and whereas Cameron's correct declaration was a national scandal Corbyns incorrect one was errr.... " an oversight".
Oh, I see Whittingdale has come clean. That this story was not reported by the papers is a disgrace.
Why?
The question we have to ask is "would this have been treated differently with other politicians?" Okay, so I guess Whitttingdale was/is single and wasn't having an affair. But do you honestly believe if it had been another politician - say Jeremy Corbyn - the press would have sat on it?
(8) Grey is such a nice, neutral colour that will not offend anyone.
And then we found out 'the Grey Man', Major had been enjoying Curry......
I went to school with Currie's daughters. Both she and her daughters are (ahem) interesting people. Major went down in my estimation when he had the relationship: not because it was an affair, but for lack of taste for having one with Edwina.
(There were stories about Debbie Currie in the press at the time. They only scratched the surface).
I see Chris Bryant is making a late break for 'Pompous Prat of the week' edging out 'low achiever' Sir Alan Duncan:
Shadow cabinet minister Chris Bryant, who was Labour's shadow culture secretary until last year, said: "It seems the press were quite deliberately holding a sword of Damocles over John Whittingdale.
"He has a perfect right to a private life but as soon as he knew this he should have withdrawn from all regulation of the press."
I find this whole thing bizarre - isn't this 'no proof, but nudge nudge, wink wink, no smoke without fire' approach, precisely the sort of 'sordid tabloid behaviour' that Bryant and the others such as Hacked Off deprecated - yet are now indulging in themselves?
Is this 'scandal' the thing people have been getting wound up about on here for the last few days?
A surfeit of scandals - this isn't the 'Celebrity (sic) threesome' injuncted scandal, but one three editors turned down as not a 'story' - yet since it involved a Tory, who was also responsible for press regulation, the Hacked Off crowd decided it must be a 'conspiracy' (no proof) so worth a good 'no smoke without fire' treatment they complained long & hard to Leveson about.....
The problem is that if any newspaper runs with a sex scandal about any other politician it will look very bad. By turning down the ************ story they are basically saying it's not news and not worth reporting. On past performance that's some turnaround from the press.
Oh, I see Whittingdale has come clean. That this story was not reported by the papers is a disgrace.
Why?
The question we have to ask is "would this have been treated differently with other politicians?" Okay, so I guess Whitttingdale was/is single and wasn't having an affair. But do you honestly believe if it had been another politician - say Jeremy Corbyn - the press would have sat on it?
It wouldn't surprise me if there were loads of stories like this that the media know about and don't publish.
I see Parliament is going to debate the EU propaganda leaflets on 9 May. Have they deliberately done that so that those for Wales, Soctland and Northern Ireland will already have been sent out?
I see Chris Bryant is making a late break for 'Pompous Prat of the week' edging out 'low achiever' Sir Alan Duncan:
Shadow cabinet minister Chris Bryant, who was Labour's shadow culture secretary until last year, said: "It seems the press were quite deliberately holding a sword of Damocles over John Whittingdale.
"He has a perfect right to a private life but as soon as he knew this he should have withdrawn from all regulation of the press."
I find this whole thing bizarre - isn't this 'no proof, but nudge nudge, wink wink, no smoke without fire' approach, precisely the sort of 'sordid tabloid behaviour' that Bryant and the others such as Hacked Off deprecated - yet are now indulging in themselves?
Takes some chutzpah that ...... Perhaps he should look in a mirror for once....
Comments
The finest voting system know to man.
During the AV referendum PB was at its finest, discussing the merits of AV.
It brought PBers to hitherto unknown levels of pleasure.
John Whittingdale says he did not pay her or any other ladies to make the beast with two backs
Rowing over Europe, press exposed after keeping quiet about the Culture Secretary, a PM who was unfairly accused and is now tarnished by porcine accusations, the Chancellor being stabbed in the front by the ex-welfare secretary -
Michael Gove waiting in the wings - enough said -
And PB comments thinks everyone should be looking at how many hundreds of pounds Jeremy Corbyn owes the taxman.
I think this is what a disconnect between partisans and developing political reality looks like.
AV = Alternative Vote
It's a reference to the 2011 AV referendum - specifically the tedious commentary on PB & elsewhere debating the merits and drawbacks of various voting systems.
Enough to bore the hell out of even the geekiest political obsessives.
Now please never mention AV ever again!
Is about the EU referendum, I suspect many Tory leavers won't be speaking to me for a while after it is published.
It also contains my greatest/worst pun/80s pop music reference ever
Your mission should you choose to accept it:
A thread header combining AV with Trumps Todger!
I only just remembered to ask about 5 minutes before he left.
Glad I did.
What if the GOP primary used AV, would we still have the Trump Todger debate ?
One Sunday evening on here I posted a scene from Auf Weidershen Pet where there's a line about "everybody get's what nobody wants" after the brickies have had a vote using a voting system similar to AV.
The next day Fraser Nelson write a piece about the scene at the Spectator and I think in The Sun - And it started being discussed quite a lot. I don't know if Fraser saw my post on here but it was quite a conincidence...
So it might not be too OTT to say that GIN1138 single-handedly saved FPTP, sunk AV and possibly played a part in destroying the Lib-Dems!
I'm waiting for my "K" to arrive in the post but so far... Maybe Mr Jack will "have a word"?
Greenslade going into bat for a Tory...crickey whatever next, whiter than white Jezza messing up his tax return ?
Sounds like Whittingdale is actually the victim here. Think Hacked Off should move along quickly - Whittingdale and the papers (who didn't run the story, presumably because Whittingdale had been duped) might come out of this looking quite sympathetic...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/11238339/Charles-Napier-admits-string-of-historic-sex-offences-against-boys.html
Corbyn tax return story is of interest, I think, not because of the money but what it says about the man. This is a chap who leads one of the great political parties and who aspires to be prime minister. Yet he cannot accurately fill in a simple tax return and manages to miss off several thousand pounds of taxable income. He gets fined because he can't even remember to send the wretched form off on time. Then there is the matter of the declaration on the last page, the one you sign to say that the return is complete and accurate - he signed that even though it was neither.
What we have, therefore, is a man who has poor attention to detail, is incompetent, a poor organiser (employing an accountant to do this sort of thing is easy and not expensive). and, possibly, dishonest. By any standards he is totally unfit for any office of state. And, FFS, we get this picture of him because he chose to give it to us by publishing his abortion of a tax return.
If you want to talk about political reality, then Corbyn as an utterly, utterly incompetent politician.
Whittingdale had a relationship spanning a few months with this woman. Presumably he thought she was an honest woman but it turned out she was leading a double life.
When he found out he ended the relationship. That's about all there is too it... Not even a "Pretty Woman" angle.
Seems to be a private matter for him and the lady in question and I'd have thought Hacked Off would be pleased the papers didn't run the story...
1. Parliamentary allowances are separately accounted for by Parliament, and are not normally taxable - it's one reason there's a special MP form because it's unusual that MPs are responsible for three full-time staff but the expenses re paid by Parliament directly and don't benefit the MP financially - the staff, the stationery, the postage, the office. It would be unusual for an MP to have taxable expenses - I don't think I ever did.
2. As noted earlier, you aren't allowed to send an electronic return. In return, you have till Jan 31 to submit the paper return.
3. The local government pension service (and Parliament) will be informed directly by HMRC that he's due to pay higher rate income tax. (I'm in the same position with my employer.)
4. The OAP is paid using the personal allowance, without tax.
5. I think it's pretty unlikely that he has invested in any companies, and not too surprised if he's not opened a savings account to get 0.5% interest. He's not interested in money, and not alone in not bothering with the savings interest. I suspect that's also why he does his own return but didn't get round to it on time - can well imagine him thinking it's money stuff, hence boring. Not an excuse but a week's delay is not the end of the world.
6. No idea about his lodger but I bet he isn't charged anything near the market rate.
You could be one swipe away from dating George Osborne.
http://loucollins.uk/2016/04/12/lou-collins-radio-show-monday-11-april-2016-gordon-bowden-talks-david-cameron-and-his-dirty-dealings/
I haven't been around on here as much since the election so I've got to ask have you taken over from Tapestry as PB's resident crazy?
https://www.duedil.com/company/04383546/noctium-limited
In particular his past business links with William Waldorf Astor and Mr Nigel William Wray?
[As an aside, I had brain-fade over the word "euphemism" (damn, you, alcohol!) and typed into Google (literally, cut-n-pasted here): word for something that is the same as something else but phrased in a nicer way and found it within 30 seconds. The internet is quite an amazing thing.]
Damning. *cough* loons *cough*
I also fully accept that all necessary tax would have been deducted at source from his Council pension and that his State Pension is covered by the Personal Allowance so there is no effect on his tax calculation (as long as his tax code is correct).
However worth noting that if he had submitted that manual tax return electronically it WOULD have calculated the wrong figure for tax payable - as without the state pension it would have awarded him a full PA against his MP salary.
But the big picture surely is how on earth is he going to take Budget decisions with a Chancellor if he not only has no interest in money but no broad feeling at all for financial matters?
Anyone with the most basic knowledge would surely know that both pensions had to be declared on their tax return.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/12/top-civil-servant-kicked-out-of-parliament-committee-for-unsatis/
Mrs May needs to get a grip on this rapidly or her record in the Home Office is going to be rather less unblemished.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neath_by-election,_1945
We remain full members of the EU’s common market, covered by free movement of goods, services and capital,
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3537022/If-tiny-Guernsey-thrives-outside-EU-t-world-s-fifth-largest-economy-Concluding-definitive-series-EU-MP-DAN-HANNAN-says-forget-Remain-camp-s-Project-Fear-real-risk-lies-staying-in.html
He's forgotten the fourth freedom - free movement of people - if anyone thinks we'll be granted three out of the four, they are being possibly a tad optimistic.......
If so, it seems more than a tad overblown.
The only question arising about his conduct is the following: did he follow precedent and put a picture onto match.com of himself in his underpants? If so, I hope to god it is never released: I've only just finished therapy after Rev. Underpants.
(My memory problems seem to have blanked out a certain Labour lord and a bra. Please do not do anything - such as post a picture - that would remind me of the horror).
Surely it is fairly easy to see if his pensions were taxed at source. Add up the income as stated on the form and calculate the tax paid. It looks to me significant undeclared income, as is the rent on the flat.
There's a good chance Labour could win in 2020 with a more presentable leader and similar policies.
Shadow cabinet minister Chris Bryant, who was Labour's shadow culture secretary until last year, said: "It seems the press were quite deliberately holding a sword of Damocles over John Whittingdale.
"He has a perfect right to a private life but as soon as he knew this he should have withdrawn from all regulation of the press."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/12/minister-john-whittingdale-admits-relationship-with-sex-worker/
I find this whole thing bizarre - isn't this 'no proof, but nudge nudge, wink wink, no smoke without fire' approach, precisely the sort of 'sordid tabloid behaviour' that Bryant and the others such as Hacked Off deprecated - yet are now indulging in themselves?
He claims he ended the relationship when someone tried to sell the story to the papers in February 2014. He became SoS in May 2015. However - and this may be important - he was chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee at the time of the relationship.
The one thing that could carry this story further is what the good lady has to say now.
And we'll all be complaining that 'they're not like us!'.
(1) As relationships can ruin careers.
(2) Families can be used to embarrass, whether fathers (Cameron) or brothers (Osborne)
(3) Likewise children.
(4) As alcohol can cause indiscretions
(5) As they will be similarly guarded.
(6) As any career outside politics might prove embarrassing as a potential conflict of interest.
(7) As they might meet a real person (tm) and something bad might happen. Real people are dangerous!
(8) Grey is such a nice, neutral colour that will not offend anyone.
Single MP dates unwisely and ends relationship when he discovers nature of date's work - I'm with the three editors - not a 'Story'.
Single man posts photos of himself in his underpants on a dating website - marginal, but probably worth it for the embarrassment/foolishness factor.
Married proclaimer of family values and the sanctity of marriage caught playing away - throw the kitchen sink at him.....
April 12
Bless.
Rowing over Europe, press exposed after keeping quiet about the Culture Secretary, a PM who was unfairly accused and is now tarnished by porcine accusations, the Chancellor being stabbed in the front by the ex-welfare secretary -
Michael Gove waiting in the wings - enough said -
And PB comments thinks everyone should be looking at how many hundreds of pounds Jeremy Corbyn owes the taxman.
I think this is what a disconnect between partisans and developing political reality looks like
Corbyn and his supporters have been demanding the PM resign over following the rules and paying all due tax only to find out Corbyn hasn't done so and is himself now immersed in difficulties. It has been front page news for over a week egged on by these same people.
You think it's not going to be talked about? Of course left wingers don't have to follow the same rules as the little people and whereas Cameron's correct declaration was a national scandal Corbyns incorrect one was errr.... " an oversight".
Bless.....
(There were stories about Debbie Currie in the press at the time. They only scratched the surface).
Guess it's the wrong sort of privacy.
He wasn't SoS at the time they spiked it.
Oh wait.......