A BBC political correspondent on News 24 was just talking about the arrest of Baroness Scotland's housekeeper. Discussing it in the context of "the story that won't go away" he said:
"Baroness Scotland was pretty much cleared by the UKBA"
WTF? Way to swallow the spin hook line and sinker. What a lightweight. Pretty much cleared?? As in fined £5000 for breaking the law and becoming a laughing stock of the entire Bar and Whitehall, forcing resignations and and media storm? Wouldn't like to see what the BBC would consider "being found guilty" looks like.
nswers in the comments, book for the winner. UPDATE: This seems to have gone under the radar a bit yesterday. TB is back later, last chance to win a the copy of "
TB isn't exactly sure what they are smoking is happening in this deeply surreal video. It's no Afternoon Delight, but it's the closest that Channel Four News will ever get to an Anchorman moment:
While the rest of the party briefed against each other and generally squabbled, it seems Liberal Youth Chairman Elaine Bagshaw came up with some distinctly illiberal ways to maintain discipline within the youth ranks. TB's yella' fella' reported back that there were "tensions" within the organisation after this err oh so liberal soundbite:
TB was also whispered some highly amusing details of how Elaine kept her minions under thumb. The executive were given a whole host of rules, which she had apparently written down, telling them how they may or may not use Twitter and Facebook. She also banned the executive from using cameras during the "LY School Disco" (shudder) on Tuesday night. TB isn't exactly surprised by the last one, do you remember the last Liberal Youth kodak moment?
To put it mildly, the Liberal Youth membership aren't happy, though it is clear a bit of stick has been put about - normally lucid sources are being distinctly guarded since they got back. Something has happened and TB is curious. Either way Bagshaw is attempting to spin the trip to the seaside as a big success, when anyone outside of the bubble can clearly see Bournemouth '09 was a massive disaster for the Liberal Democrats in general. It's not as if they set the bar for LY success very high though is it:
The official
twitter feed
is spouting the success of LY media appearances, but TB will save his analysis of that for another day. Especially the blatant hypocritical opportunism of one in particular...
's Juliet Samuel launched "Disinfecting Parliament" - a report about reforming MPs expenses on Monday. She writes in
The Tel
egraph
:
With the coming release of MPs 2008-09 expenses set to re-ignite public rage, Parliament is praying to a former chief bureaucrat for salvation. Sir Christopher Kelly and the committee he chairs, the Committee on Standards in Public Life, have spent the summer trawling through reams of oral and written evidence to try and come up with a new expenses scheme that will keep MPs on the straight and narrow. The Committee has been charged with re-jigging the expenses rules to lift Parliament out of the doldrums and, in Kelly's words , to go about restoring trust in public office holders.
But is Sir Christopher really the knight in shining armour that shame-faced MPs await? Can he possibly deliver on the grandiose aim of restoring trust in public office, in MPsin democracy, no less!
Unfortunately, there are reasons to think he wont.
Disinfecting Parliament is a shadow of the Kelly report that is expected out within the next month. With an introduction by
Douglas Carswell MP
, it sets out some simple yet radical reforms of the Commons that will end abuses of MPs expenses forever. As TB well knows after many a proofing, it's definitely worth a
is introducing it's new executive members. Starting with Michelle Donelan...
"My passion for politics was ignited when I was 6 years old by Thatcher – yes it may seem odd – but being different from such a young age strengthened my conviction and belief in individualism and preserving the freedoms of the individual – which for me is at the core of conservatism and at the heart of our current platform.
I joined the party at 13 and two years later established a CF branch for Warrington South, North and Weaver Vale – which I chaired for a 1½ years. At 15 I also addressed conference in the main hall – beating Hague’s record."
Well not any more because he has quit, but it did come as a surprise that a member of this Labour government actually showed some spine:
Prime Minister 10 Downing Street London SW1A 2AA 23 September 2009
Dear Gordon
It is with considerable personal regret that I find myself writing to inform you of my decision to resign my positions as PPS to several ministers, principally the Solicitor General.
My decision comes about because as an aide to the Law Officers, whilst I have great personal regard for the Attorney General, I cannot support the decision which allows her to remain in office.
In my view the facts of the case do not matter. It is the principle which counts, particularly at a time when the publics' trust of Whitehall is uncertain to say the least. We have to be seen to be accountable. In addition, could I just mention matters of policy where I believe leadership is vital.
On the constitution: We must legislate to offer a referendum on how we elect Members of the House of Commons. We must finish off reform of the House of Lords. Generally, I would urge you to move as quickly as possible to withdraw from Afghanistan and to signal a change in our position over Trident replacement. Finally, on the economy, the Government is to be congratulated upon its clear-sighted and effective response to the downturn. You have my continued support in your resistance to David Cameron's myopic and siren calls for an "Age of Austerity".
My constituents benefit greatly from using our much-improved public services and they would not wish to see these jeopardised nor have our continued economic recovery put in doubt.
With best wishes
Yours sincerely
Stephen Hesford MP
It trails off toward sycophantic whining at the end but the first three paragraphs are killer. Well well well, are there more of these curious and rare noble beasts lurking on the government benches?
Maybe they should all start resigning in the run up to conference...
Nice to see that Iain Martin had bigger plans when he politely declined a drunken offer to co-edit Tory Bear not long ago. His new
Wall Street Journal blog
is a must read and this morning gives us a snapshot of a day that can't come soon enough:
Anyway, there will be much sniggering on this side of the Atlantic at the PM’s elevation. He must try to close his ears to the inevitable cruel jibes, for the honour is a glimpse of his future in America if he loses the forthcoming general election. I predict that his friends, such as Paul Krugman, will secure him a grand academic post covering questions of government (brackets, Saving the World) and he will spend more and more time in the comforting embrace of the U.S. liberal establishment and ever less time in Britain. Sarah Brown will launch a transatlantic PR/charitable enterprise. They will buy a house in Cape Cod. Both will say what a relief it is to be out of the Number 10 bunker.
Still, that doesn’t stop this award being quite funny.
"In the United States, several nominees to high office – including two for the post of attorney general under Bill Clinton – withdrew when it emerged they had employed illegal immigrants. Yet here, the Prime Minister adheres to the notion that it is a sign of weakness to sack an errant minister – whereas it is a sign of weakness not to. It also shows a cavalier disregard for the reputation of the office of Attorney General. Lady Scotland has to give the Cabinet her considered judgment on matters of the greatest import, which could include the legality of going to war. Yet she has been irreparably compromised by this affair and cannot possibly command public confidence. Her position is untenable."
The Mail are spot on
:
"If Patricia Scotland were just an ordinary working mum, fined £5,000 for unwittingly employing an illegal immigrant, it might be possible to feel some sympathy for her. After all, she's fallen foul of a very tough law that many believe places an unfair bureaucratic burden on employers.But she's not just a private individual, minding her own business.
She is Baroness Scotland of Asthal, PC, QC, who as Attorney General is the senior law officer of England, Wales and Northern Ireland and chief legal adviser to the Government.What's more, she helped steer through Parliament the very law that this newspaper has caught her breaking - legislation that specifically accepts no excuses for hiring illegals."
A week is a very very long time with these two on your back...and it's only Wednesday.
Keith Vaz just lied on BBC News. When talking about the investigation into his friend Baroness Scotland he stated that the quickness of the inquiry was due to the fact that “clearly all the paperwork was in order and could be presented to the authorities”.
No you oily crook, that’s the point, there was no paperwork – she didn’t do the photocopying and hence why she has broken the law and got the fine.
Is it just TB that finds it hilarious that the only person willing to do the Millbank lap in defence of Scotland is Keith “fired in a massive sleaze scandal” Vaz?
that Baroness Scotland will be fined after the investigation into employing an illegal immigrant.
She should just go gracefully now rather than waiting for Gordon to fire her. She was responsible for the very law that she broke. Lawmakers cannot be lawbreakers.
Developing...
Update:
Guido has more
.
10.15: Fined £5000 - should be able to mange that with all those dodgy expense claims. Who's the "overstayer" now?
Lunch: Spineless government lets her stay. Looking forward to the paper headlines tomorrow...
The two problems TB has with yoof politics is the lack of accountability and a lack of humour - TB intends to kill, or at least wound these two birds with one stone. editor@torybear.com
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