Current Affairs

[barney]

Same here John, can’t live wrapped in cotton wool forever, but we’ll still take all necessary precautions. So it’s off to the canaries on Ventura in June,only 12 weeks.🛳

Might only be one Canary Island if you are unlucky, get covid and be put off the ship for ten days with a flight back.
Sue Kersh has said that 80 have been disembarked in the Caribbean so far.
The isolation apparently starts from when you are disembarked, not when you test positive.

[screwy]

Chance we have to take Barney.

[barney]

Chance we have to take Barney.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I'm so hacked off with Sir Hindsight making political capital out of the tragedy of Ukraine. He wants an inquiry into Tory connections with Russians. If Comrade Corbyn had got into power Buckingham Palace would have been twinned with the Kremlin by now.

And saying he'll take a Ukrainian refugee family into his some. I hope the media keep an eye on that claim to see if it actually happens. All it's done so far is result in cretinous journalists thinking they should ask every Minister they interview whether they will do the same.

Frankly if I was homeless I'd rather be the guest of someone who actually cared than a politician who only wanted me for PR value.

[Bensham33]

Sir Keir is surely just doing his job. He should be questioning everything the government say and do. If not this incompetent lot would end up doing nothing and then blame everybody else for their in action.

[Mervyn and Trish]

No he's not. He's demonstrating disunity that plays into Russian hands. And showing what a hypocrite he is alongside his other inadequacies.

[towny44]

Sir Keir is surely just doing his job. He should be questioning everything the government say and do. If not this incompetent lot would end up doing nothing and then blame everybody else for their in action.

Do try and follow the story Bensham, he can certainly question the tardiness of the home office visa fiasco, but trying to score points by his smears about Tory links to Russian oligarchs just goes to show what a pitiful party leader he is.

[Gill W]

Super rich Russian oligarchs have contributed sizeable sums to the Conservative party in recent years.

It's not wrong to ask what the Russians hoped to get in return for their contributions, especially in the current situation

[Bensham33]

You beat me to it Gill .

I am following the story and Sir Keir has every right to ask those questions. If he doesn't then you be accusing the Opposition of being weak.

Ed Davey wants Priti Patel sacked for incompetence. Is he trying to score political points as well?

[oldbluefox]

With what is going on in Ukraine at the moment I think there are more important issues which the opposition parties could get their teeth into other than political funding.

[Mervyn and Trish]

You beat me to it Gill .

I am following the story and Sir Keir has every right to ask those questions. If he doesn't then you be accusing the Opposition of being weak.

Ed Davey wants Priti Patel sacked for incompetence. Is he trying to score political points as well?

Yes.

[towny44]

You beat me to it Gill .

I am following the story and Sir Keir has every right to ask those questions. If he doesn't then you be accusing the Opposition of being weak.

Ed Davey wants Priti Patel sacked for incompetence. Is he trying to score political points as well?

Ed Davey hardly know his a*se from his elbow, so being admonished by him is hardly likely to worry Priti or Boris. However I rather imagine that some lack lustre civil servants might find themselves relegated to filing duties after the shambles the home office has made of the Uktanian refugee crisis.

[oldbluefox]

Somebody somewhere along the line needs a kick up the rear end to get this refugee initiative moving if reports are to be believed (and I have no reason to doubt them).

However caution needs to be exercised as I feel sure if anything untoward were to happen to any of these unfortunate people the very people who are urging swift action would be the first to question why more rigorous checks were not made to ensure their safety when placing them. Unfortunately there are some very unscrupulous people out there only too willing to exploit the situation and these people are very vulnerable. Hence I can understand caution but the whole situation could and should have been better handled.

As for Ed Davey.................

[Gill W]

With what is going on in Ukraine at the moment I think there are more important issues which the opposition parties could get their teeth into other than political funding.

The funding in question is from people who may be close to Putin. Therefore, the situation in Ukraine makes the questions very relevant at this time.

[Mervyn and Trish]

By all means examine political funding. But let's examine funding of all parties not just one. Or are we confident Labour and the Lib Dems have never taken an iffy donation? And let's not prejudge the result. If we know the answer an inquiry is a waste of time and money. But let's not take our eye off Putin and give him succour by dividing ourselves. I would have thought the Boris Bashers on and off this forum might consider the risk of nuclear war more significant than party politics.

[screwy]

It is reported that Gordon Brown and indeed Starmer have received donations from a source that had links to Russian Banks.

[towny44]

With what is going on in Ukraine at the moment I think there are more important issues which the opposition parties could get their teeth into other than political funding.

The funding in question is from people who may be close to Putin. Therefore, the situation in Ukraine makes the questions very relevant at this time.

Why???? There is little doubt that however dodgy the oligarch and any funding, no one in any political party had any idea that Putin would be mad enough to invade Ukraine. So why are you tryng to link them?

[Onelife]

At least this brave young lady didn't turn her back on Ukraine

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/ ... syannikova

[Stephen]

At least this brave young lady didn't turn her back on Ukraine

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/ ... syannikova

I doubt we’ll be seeing her again.

[Gill W]

Why???? There is little doubt that however dodgy the oligarch and any funding, no one in any political party had any idea that Putin would be mad enough to invade Ukraine. So why are you tryng to link them?

I don’t think anybody is saying that people in the Conservative party took money from Russians to aid Putin in his invasion of Ukraine.

However, donors have motives. If the donors are close to Putin, it’s not unreasonable to ask what favours or advantages or influence they hoped to achieve by making the donation.

This is not me ‘trying to make a link’ - it’s the old issue about standards in public life, anti corruption and openness and honesty

[david63]

donors have motives

Of course they do - I doubt that anyone would dent that.

It may well be that donors to any political party do so because they believe that the policies of that party are in the donor's best interests. Oligarchs, Trade Unions - there is no difference.

[barney]

There are very specific guidelines on political donations.
The one I’m most uncomfortable with is the U.K. registered business.
This can be owned by anyone as long as it’s U.K. registered.
Although the trade unions mainly fund Labour, nobody is compelled to include this in their subscription. There is an opt out if you wish.

[screwy]

You are correct on point 4 Barney, but typical trade unionists dont like you opting out as i found out when i was in the POA.
We had a POA meeting one morning and this issue was brought to the table, a vote was taken and i opted out, i was asked why and i told them that i did not support the Labour party and also told them that i didnt want my name on the Block vote, guess you could imagine the reaction.
Did i care? Did i Hell.

[oldbluefox]

It's an option which is not made apparent either when you join or at any time thereafter. So much for openness.

[Mervyn and Trish]

It's an option which is not made apparent either when you join or at any time thereafter. So much for openness.

Openess and honesty is only a requirement for the Tories. It's not needed for Labour. Tony Bliar could tell you that!