Current Affairs The Labour Party

[Harryflashman]

Things that are true usually do work.

It is remarkably easy for people working in the public sector to get by on their salaries without donations; not only do all of them do this, if they did take donations they would be at best sacked and in some cases (cops and judges being the most obvious) would face serious criminal charges.

MPs and councillors are an exception because they make the rules, and this is so demonstrably unfair that the public react to it out of reflex habit now.

Oh I won’t argue it’s a good system but it existed long before starmer came to power and when Johnson actually broke the rules the same media was telling everyone to calm down and stop overreacting

 

[Alan Whittle]

The funny thing about this ^^^ is that you believe it to be an insult.

Lol. Serfs are so funny.

Keep bowing scraping to your betters.

 

[Xizor]

If you naïvely want to declare "No donations ever" then you're only going to affect the MPs who currently do declare gifts & donations inside the existing structure of the rules, so that we have transparency in the case of them later awarding contracts etc to those donors. I've no data to back this up but I assume those MPs are generally Labour & Left-leaning, and of course this would include Union money, removing some of the meagre influence of workers on our democracy.

The Tories & their ilk that currently don't declare their donations (until they get caught out and suddenly "innocently remember" the need to do so) are just going to continue pocketing their bungs under the radar, because if they're happy to break the rules now, why are they going to suddenly grow a conscience when those rules are tightened?

 

[Mutzo Nutzo]

For once I actually agree with @davek

The political system in this country needs completely overhauling and all donations, gifts etc to MP’s needs to be stopped.

They don’t need them. It opens them up to external influence and corruption.

 

[Rita_Poon]

So some of it is completely manufactured outage by the media , the clothes and glasses stuff I admit I’m not comfortable with .

I suppose the debate is what a bung and what’s a donation , with maybe one or two notable exceptions every MP received them, many in the last month dwarfing what the PM has recieved . If it’s in line with legislation and declared and the person isn’t a criminal , foreign national , a war criminal or whatever then I suppose if we don’t agree with it we need to change the rules . Do we stop invites to lunches , dinners , tickets to sporting matches I don’t know whatever . If Everton ever get to a final I’m assuming andy burnham despite being a ST holder might not have the away credits but he’d deserve a ticket id imagine . What I mean is is how do you stop ‘donations ‘ .

If you google mp’s it’s there to see for , pretty much , all of them. The difference if the media have seen this has gained traction whilst at the same time the Tory leadership candidates have had considerably more . My issue with the likes of Johnson is him not declaring it , not saying who paid it , deleting his messages . I think I said at the time of course it matters if Curtis warren had paid for his refurb .

And then there's the moonlighting.

Scott Benton: Ex-Tory MP resigns leaving PM to face new by-election

The Blackpool South MP was facing a local vote to remove him, following a Commons suspension.

www.bbc.co.uk

Lunches, dinners, weekends away, tickets to music and sporting events, invites to private members clubs, transport via private jet... or yacht...

"I attended these events in the due role of minister, where conversations were held about business/finance/environment/education/nhs etc - these are perfectly normal functionary engagements where policy and expectation can be discussed and the day to day means of government can be held with various concerned groups."

When the tories have done this, it's 'every day business'.
When labour act similar yet declare ALL, it's sleaze and corruption. And the tory owned media jump down the throats of the electorate with their 'gotcha' moment.

How quickly some people have forgotten...

The bedroom tax
The granny tax
The pasty tax

but but but (/sobs) the winter fuel allowance though.

 

[peteblue]

Is it now ok to accept donations and bungs as long as it is less than what the Tories did???

Apparently….

 

[Xizor]

For once I actually agree with @davek

The political system in this country needs completely overhauling and all donations, gifts etc to MP’s needs to be stopped.

They don’t need them. It opens them up to external influence and corruption.

But again, if you make it illegal then the one who are already doing it illegally (brown envelopes under the Tory table, undeclared by the recipient because they fully intend to introduce or support a bill that benefits the donor) are just going to carry on regardless, whilst the Labour etc MPs that are currently accepting being taken to lunch by a local union rep and declaring it (in the name of transparency) will be the ones suddenly not available to hear those concerns, because they're not heading out for London-price lunches every day, even on their own high salary.

People are wildly overreacting to this and it's playing straight into Tory hands in more ways than one. No surprise to see one of the usual suspects trying stoke the embers with feeble nicknames, but as usual his Tweedledave should be hanging his head in shame over the utter tripe he's been coming out with this past week or so.

 

[peteblue]

It's odd that you've said "now admitted" as though all of this wasn't declared. It may have been incorrectly classified, but it was cited.

Ah, Incorrectly classified, almost makes you think he wanted to keep it hidden….

 

[peteblue]

Remember when the non-dom tax was going to pay for everything, before they all decided they didn’t want to pay it.

 

[Jebus_lives]

Ah, Incorrectly classified, almost makes you think he wanted to keep it hidden….

He's declared absolutely everything. It makes you think he's followed the process to make a point of differentiating himself from a notorious former PM who failed to disclose all sorts.

 

[Rita_Poon]

this past week or so.

Are you insane? It's ok. It could just as easily be punch drunkenness. Barry Chuckle is a figure of fun.

 

[Aberblue]

For once I actually agree with @davek

The political system in this country needs completely overhauling and all donations, gifts etc to MP’s needs to be stopped.

They don’t need them. It opens them up to external influence and corruption.

I agree up to a point, but nobody wants a system where MPs have to declare every single cup of tea given when they're opening a village fete or whatever.

A system where every donation worth over a set sum - say £100 or so - has to be declared, together with a full explanation of why it has been made, would be fairer.

 

[Rita_Poon]

I agree up to a point, but nobody wants a system where MPs have to declare every single cup of tea given when they're opening a village fete or whatever.

A system where every donation worth over a set sum - say £100 or so - has to be declared, together with a full explanation of why it has been made, would be fairer.

Every system is open to abuse. Lend me your gardener for the day, I'll send him back with payment 'wink wink'.

 

[Daveysgingerlovechild]

For once I actually agree with @davek

The political system in this country needs completely overhauling and all donations, gifts etc to MP’s needs to be stopped.

They don’t need them. It opens them up to external influence and corruption.

Including by the unions?

Dave dodged this question btw.

 

[neil999]

Duffield...self serving