The Chronicles of Rishi

[Mr K]

The words of a Hartlepool resident asked why they voted Tory -
"I'll tell you why, under Labour we didn't have any food banks but under the Tories we now have 9"

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by Mr K

The words of a Hartlepool resident asked why they voted Tory -
"I'll tell you why, under Labour we didn't have any food banks but under the Tories we now have 9"

They've got food pantry's to now and warm banks plus the Saj is advocating we pay £20 everytime we visit a GP or A&E

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

Seat belt likely just a mistake.

Zahawi apparently paid back millions. The statements he's made and the very specific nature of them are not encouraging.
https://news.sky.com/story/nadhim-za...laims-12790822

I’m not 100% sure that a former Chancellor, Tory Leadership candidate, and current Cabinet Minister, admitting to being ‘careless’ with tax affairs is quite the defence that he seems to think it is…

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64360260

So, he accidentally gave his Founder Shares from YouGov to his father in an Offshore Gibraltar Trust?

or did he?

https://www.taxpolicy.org.uk/2023/01/19/zahawi_story/

Apparently, his father got his (Zahawi’s) Founder Shares because he provided start-up Capital and on-going "entrepreneurial consultancy" - how kind, giving his dad 40% of the start-up shares and keeping none for himself…

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/8...d7eebfdb9b2b67

Zahawi’s spokesman said he “had no experience of running a business at the time and so relied heavily on the support and guidance of his father, who was an experienced entrepreneur”.

He said Zahawi’s father had provided £7,000 in start-up capital to YouGov as well as financial support to his son, who had given up his job for the business.

This explanation now appears to have been undermined YouGov’s company secretary, Tilly Heald, who said that Hareth Zahawi had not advised the business and was merely a shareholder. “To YouGov’s knowledge, YouGov had/has no association with Hareth Zahawi beyond any interests he may have held/holds in Balshore Investments Ltd in its capacity as a YouGov shareholder,” Heald said.

Employees who worked at YouGov in its early years had no recollection of Zahawi’s father being in the office and were surprised to hear of his alleged involvement with the business.

The previous Prime Minister is the g(r)ift that keeps on giving…

The BBC chairman, the prime minister and the £800,000 loan guarantee

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/b...6a09917ba59a92

The BBC chairman helped to arrange a guarantee on a loan of up to £800,000 for Boris Johnson weeks before the then prime minister recommended him for the role.

Richard Sharp was involved in talks about financing Johnson’s Downing Street lifestyle in November and December 2020. Sharp, 66, a former banker at Goldman Sachs, had already submitted his application to become chairman of the public service broadcaster and had reached the final stages of the recruitment process.

Late in 2020, Johnson, 58, was in financial trouble as he faced divorce payments, childcare costs and bills for the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat. Sharp, a friend and former adviser to the politician who has given £400,000 to the Conservative Party, became involved that November after a dinner at the home of Sam Blyth, an old friend, in west London.

Before the loan was finalised, Johnson, Sharp and Blyth had a private dinner at Chequers, the prime minister’s grace-and-favour home in the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, where, according to a source, they ate chop suey and drank wine. The three insist that Johnson’s finances were not discussed.

In late December, the Cabinet Office propriety and ethics team wrote a formal letter telling Johnson to stop seeking Sharp’s advice about his personal finances, given the forthcoming BBC appointment.

By then, Johnson had selected Sharp as his preferred candidate and, days later, on January 6, 2021, Oliver Dowden, who was then culture secretary, announced him as the government’s choice for the £160,000-a-year role.

Sharp did not disclose his involvement in Johnson’s finances to the panel. Nor did he inform the BBC, and the matter was not disclosed during his pre-appointment hearing before a House of Commons select committee in February 2021.

The government’s own job application form explicitly says: “You cannot be considered for a public appointment if ... you fail to declare any conflict of interest.” It also tells candidates to report “any issues in your personal or professional history that could, if you were appointed, be misconstrued, cause embarrassment, or cause public confidence in the appointment to be jeopardised”.

Johnson never disclosed Sharp’s involvement in the MPs’ register of interests, which says members must declare any benefit that could influence, or be perceived to influence, their public work. He also omitted it from his register of ministerial interests.

[Mr K]

Originally Posted by Hugh

The previous Prime Minister is the g(r)ift that keeps on giving…



https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/b...6a09917ba59a92

But he got Brexit done and that's all that matters. Or did it get Britain done? Same difference..

Tories dodged a bullet not bringing Johnson back. Even after he has left it's just scandal after scandal as stuff comes up from his time as PM.

[denphone]

Indeed they certainly did dodge a bullet by not bringing Johnson back but whether they dodge the British electorate in less then 2 years is another matter.

No doubt a pre-election tax cut bribe will be high on their agenda..

[Sephiroth]

A tax cut bribe may well be offered. Then Labour will pledge to maintain the cut and the Tories, sadly, will be in oblivion. It’s all stacking up against them and deep down, Sunak knows this.

[Mr K]

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

A tax cut bribe may well be offered. Then Labour will pledge to maintain the cut and the Tories, sadly, will be in oblivion. It’s all stacking up against them and deep down, Sunak knows this.

It's been downhill since 2016, Corbyn was the only thing that saved them at the last election.

The electorate can't escape criticism, they keep voting for stupid things and populist liars, now they are reaping the consequences.

[1andrew1]

Lordy. It's coming thick and fast this morning.

PM orders ethics probe into Zahawi tax row
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64373509

[ianch99]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

Lordy. It's coming thick and fast this morning.

PM orders ethics probe into Zahawi tax row
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64373509

Don't get your hopes up, his "independent" ethics adviser is a former banker, educated at Eton and Oxford, appointed by Sunak

[Dave42]

Originally Posted by 1andrew1

Lordy. It's coming thick and fast this morning.

PM orders ethics probe into Zahawi tax row
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-64373509

he had no choice really

Originally Posted by Mr K

It's been downhill since 2016, Corbyn was the only thing that saved them at the last election.

The electorate can't escape criticism, they keep voting for stupid things and populist liars, now they are reaping the consequences.

Not this member of the electorate.

[denphone]

A interesting snippet this morning regarding governments in power.


Since the end of the second world war, UK governments have generally been brought down by economic/financial crises (1970, 1974, 1979, 2010) or sleaze/ethics crises (1964, 1997).

The current Conservative government is on course to fail on both.

Originally Posted by ianch99

Don't get your hopes up, his "independent" ethics adviser is a former banker, educated at Eton and Oxford, appointed by Sunak

Current banking advisor...

https://www.evercore.com/bios/sir-laurie-magnus/