Current Affairs 2025

[Portsmouth]

Nah, I don't believe that Stephen......Essex boys ain't tight. I get the impression you like the good life ( despite the string vest )
However a few days ago on here Melvyn did mention Towny44 ironclad Yorkshire wallet

[Mervyn and Trish]

I know from experience that Mrs S carries Stephen's purse for him.

[oldbluefox]

I tend to give Ms Rayner the credit she deserves and maintain she knew the rules perfectly well.
Unfortunately her manipulation of the rules came unstuck.
The way politicians of every persuasion bend the rules to suit themselves is pretty disgraceful especially when they can find loopholes to get themselves off the hook.

[towny44]

To be fair, I think most of us would try to find ways to avoid paying an extra £40,000 stamp duty, if possible. However the main issue is, was Angela really given incorrect information about the legality of paying the lower rate, and I wonder if the ethics team will get to the truth.

[Mervyn and Trish]

To be fair, most of us will never be in the position of being required to pay £40,000 stamp duty. Most of us will never be Deputy Prime Minister. And most of us wouldn't have spent time in opposition preaching about sleaze. She needs to go.

[screwy]

If her New home in Hove is her main residence how is able to hold her constitutional duties.?
Hove being 270 miles from Ashton. Who pays her travel expenses.?
Oh,silly me.!

[david63]

The bottom line is that she is the only person responsible for her tax affairs in the same way that each and everyone of the rest of the population is.

The only way she can wriggle out of this mess is if she has consulted a tax expert on trust and stamp duty law and has it in writing without any caveats that she did not need to pay the higher rate stamp duty which, I suspect will be somewhat unlikely.

[oldbluefox]

Looks like she's gone!!!

[Mervyn and Trish]

Hurrah .

[Onelife]

She’s well versed in knowing how the Ministerial code works…she’s negligent or a fraudster, either way she’s not fit for her position.

[Onelife]

Oh! has she gone?

[david63]

With Raynor gone it makes Rachel from Accounts position safer - there is no way that Starmer will be getting rid of her any time soon as that would be an admission of poor judgement although it does look that way already.

I think what will annoy a lot of people about Raynor is that she has a "main" home in her constituency, an "official" government residence and then goes and buys an £800k apartment in Hove - a property that is probably twice, or more, the price of that of the average Labour supporter.

[Stephen]

Update here

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c0lk8ye1979t

[oldbluefox]

As a TV journalist said, 'This is what happens when you over-promote a semi-literate buffoon to high office'.
Couldn't have put it better myself.

[Ray B]

Just go to show, if you really didn't think it, no matter who is in power, they seem to be all on the fiddle.
Like onelife, I almost shed a tear watching her being interviewed the other day, much as I tried, I found it impossible.

[Mervyn and Trish]

With Raynor gone it makes Rachel from Accounts position safer - there is no way that Starmer will be getting rid of her any time soon as that would be an admission of poor judgement although it does look that way already.

I think what will annoy a lot of people about Raynor is that she has a "main" home in her constituency, an "official" government residence and then goes and buys an £800k apartment in Hove - a property that is probably twice, or more, the price of that of the average Labour supporter.

Well she won't have the official residence any longer and how is her mortgage looking on a lower salary? Plus she'll have the £40k to find and likely a fine too.

[david63]

Well she won't have the official residence any longer and how is her mortgage looking on a lower salary? Plus she'll have the £40k to find and likely a fine too.

I know - couldn't happen to a nicer person

[david63]

Just been reading about Farage's latest speech - sounds like Trump mark 2

[Ray B]

Do Angela Rayner lose everything, like the pension that goes with being an MP, her security, and other perks that a normal MP who loses their seat legitimately would get.

[david63]

Do Angela Rayner lose everything, like the pension that goes with being an MP, her security, and other perks that a normal MP who loses their seat legitimately would get.

She hasn't lost her seat - she is still an MP (but for how much longer remains to be seen!), so pension stays but probably at a lower level as she will not be getting a ministerial salary. Security not sure but I would guess that being deputy PM she will continue with some level of security for a while.

[Stephen]

I thought the same thing too Ray.

Maybe jumping before she was pushed was more financially beneficial.

[Stephen]

New deputy PM

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c0lk8ye1979t

[screwy]

Goes from bad to comical. Only no-one can laugh. Still he won’t be sitting on Starmers lap collecting air miles.

[Mervyn and Trish]

On the plus side Reform now have Nadine Dorries. I bet they're really pleased!

[Stephen]

Just had to smile when on this evenings BBC news Larry the No 10 cat strolled across behind the presenters to the front door and was let in like royalty, probably to see if it’s status quo as usual or all change again.