Tories' time is up

[~ True Legend ~]

Following Boris Johnson' partygate scandal, covid-19 criticisms and investigations into Rishi Sunak's wife Murphy's non-dom status, there's still more to come.
Rishi Sunak appears to be lenient on punishments for adults convicted of sexually assaulting children

Labour's Lucy Powell refuses to back claim in Sunak attack ad

An ad saying Rishi Sunak does not think child abusers should be jailed attracts cross-party criticism.

www.bbc.co.uk

937 adults had been convicted of possession of a firearm with intent to harm but served no prison time, citing Ministry of Justice data.

Crime is traditionally safer ground for the Conservatives, but Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer believes the issue can be a vote winner for his party.

Although it is not something councils are directly responsible for, crime has become a key talking point in the run-up to the local elections next month.

How long do you think Sunak will last?
How long do you think the Tories will last?

What's your bet on the next general election?

 

[~ True Legend ~]

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is being investigated by Parliament's standards watchdog over a possible failure to declare an interest.

Rishi Sunak investigated over declaration of interest

The prime minister faces a declaration of interest inquiry over a childcare firm his wife has shares in.

www.bbc.com

Rishi Sunak is believed to play the spring budget to his wife's advantage.

This is part of the Spring budget that was announced.

The pilot of bonuses for childminders was announced in the Budget on 15 March as part of the government's overhaul of childcare.

Mr Hunt said the government would be "piloting incentive payments of £600 for childminders who sign up to the profession, rising to £1,200 for those who join through an agency".

The pilot could drive up the number of childminders entering the profession and generate more business for companies such as Koru Kids.

Below is the situation.

The commissioner decides whether an MP has broken rules after an inquiry.

Last month, Mr Sunak faced questions over shares his wife, Akshata Murty, holds in Koru Kids, a childcare agency that could benefit from a new policy unveiled in the spring Budget.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced a pilot of payments for new childminders, with more for those who sign up through agencies.
Ms Murty was listed as a shareholder in one of those agencies, Koru Kids, as recently as 6 March.

Mr Sunak did not mention Ms Murty's links to Koru Kids when he was questioned by MPs over the childcare policy at a parliamentary committee hearing on 28 March.

Labour MP Catherine McKinnell asked Mr Sunak whether he had any interest to declare, and in reply he said: "No, all my disclosures are declared in the normal way."

In a letter to the committee, sent a few days after the hearing, Mr Sunak said his wife's interest was declared to the Cabinet Office and that an updated statement of ministers' interests would be due out shortly.

In his letter, Mr Sunak said the the list of ministerial interests "ensures steps are taken to avoid or mitigate any potential conflict of interest".

The list of ministerial interests is separate to the register of interests for MPs, which says members "must always consider whether they have a conflict of interest".

Oh, welcome to the ignorance excuse once again

The list has not been updated for nearly a year and was last compiled by Lord Geidt, who resigned as Boris Johnson's ethics adviser.

The prime minister's spokesman said that the commissioner was investigating whether Mr Sunak was not clear that he had dual obligations to declare the connection as a ministerial interest and also to declare it when speaking to MPs about the issue.

"The prime minister has set out in his response to the Liaison Committee that he is confident the appropriate process has been followed to avoid or mitigate any potential conflict of interest, and that the interest of ministers' spouses or partners is not something that would influence their actions either as ministers or as members of parliament," he said.

Of course to be rebuked by other parties...

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner MP said the failure to update the rules or publish the register of ministers' interests had "left a transparency black hole which is enabling the prime minister and those he has appointed to dodge proper scrutiny of their affairs".
She added: "If Rishi Sunak has got nothing to hide, he should commit to publishing the register before May's elections so the public can see for themselves."

The Liberal Democrats said the investigation was another example of a Conservative prime minister allegedly "bending the rules".
"After months of Conservative sleaze and scandal, the public just want a government which is focused on the country, rather than saving their own skin," Liberal Democrat chief whip Wendy Chamberlain said.

The rules are there for a reason though and it is all about transparency. MPs have a duty to be open about their financial affairs so colleagues and the public can assess whether there is any conflict of interest.

The whole system is undermined if MPs fail to follow the rules for whatever reason and most would expect a prime minister to be particularly careful about the paperwork.

The rules around lobbying in Parliament were tightened up in an updated version of the code of conduct, which was published in February following the controversy over paid advocacy work undertaken by former MP Owen Paterson.

 

[~ True Legend ~]

An update on bullying allegations of Dominic Raab (justice secretary and deputy PM of UK)

Dominic Raab: Judgement day on bullying claims

Rishi Sunak's deputy is braced for the outcome of a report that could seal his political fate.

www.bbc.co.uk

In the coming days, the deputy prime minister will discover his fate.

There are three possible eventualities: He is sacked. He resigns. He stays on.

All of this relates to allegations of bullying, which Mr Raab denies.

"If an allegation of bullying is upheld, I would resign," Mr Raab has said.

In other words, the future of Mr Sunak's deputy, the man who loyally and publicly campaigned for him to be prime minister until the very point of his defeat by Liz Truss in last summer's leadership election, has hung over them both for almost as long as Mr Sunak has been in 10 Downing Street.

Speaking to senior folk in government privately, most assume that Mr Raab - who is also justice secretary - is "toast" as one figure put it to me.

"The breadth of this, the number of people complaining, surely he can't survive?" said another.

"He's got to be done for, so many people think he's a nightmare," one minister told me.

Bluntly, there are civil servants there who want him out. Mr Raab knows that. And yet he'd still be there. So would they resign?

What plans might the Cabinet Secretary Simon Case have to move people about in Whitehall to deal with this scenario?

And what happens if Mr Raab is sacked or resigns?

The question that will immediately be put to the prime minister is why did you appoint this loyal supporter in the first place?

Back in November, Mr Sunak repeatedly declined to tell me whether he had informal warnings about Mr Raab's behaviour before bringing him back into the cabinet.

In my interview, he said people with concerns should raise them.

Shortly afterwards, complaints were made and the independent investigation was set up.

The prime minister has never given a straight answer to that question of whether he had heard anything informally.

Equally, Westminster is a postcode full of rumour.

Those around Mr Sunak have long argued that means you have to have proper processes and not make knee-jerk judgements.

 

[~ True Legend ~]

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been accused of delaying a decision on the future of his deputy Dominic Raab.

Dominic Raab: Rishi Sunak accused of delay over bullying probe into deputy PM

The prime minister is still considering an inquiry's findings before deciding on Mr Raab's political future.

www.bbc.co.uk

A lawyer-led inquiry into bullying allegations against Mr Raab was widely expected to be published today.

But it is now understood that will not happen, prompting opposition parties to accuse the PM of "dithering".

Mr Sunak needs to decide whether Mr Raab, one of his closest allies, has broken ministerial rules and must be sacked or resign.

The PM received the inquiry's findings at around 11:30 BST, with No 10 saying earlier it would be published "as swiftly as possible".

Senior figures had also been briefed to expect a decision on the same day the report was received.

The BBC has been told Mr Raab has seen the full report, but has not spoken to the prime minister.

Mr Raab, who is also justice secretary, denies bullying staff and says he always "behaved professionally". He is facing eight formal complaints about his behaviour as a minister.

Senior lawyer Adam Tolley KC was appointed by the prime minister to investigate the allegations in November. But it will be for Mr Sunak to decide whether Mr Raab has broken ministerial rules and what action to take.

Somebody who advised Mr Raab in a senior role in one department told the BBC: "This waiting only extends the anxiety for those who were brave enough to step forward and speak out, particularly those who have had to continue working with Raab at the Ministry of Justice.

Speaking to the BBC's Newscast, Sir Alex Allan - who conducted an inquiry into bullying allegations against former Home Secretary Priti Patel - said the delay suggested the findings of the report could not be "completely clear cut".

"Otherwise he [the prime minister] would have come out with a decision one way or the other," he added.

Raab and Sunak both face moment of jeopardy

Turbulence lies ahead for the PM whatever action he takes over the report into bullying allegations.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Heatman]

Rishi Sunak appears to be lenient on punishments for adults convicted of sexually assaulting children.

Personally, I have no love for anyone who's too relaxed when it comes to dealing severely with anyone that's found guilty of sexually assaulting children.

Rishi Sunak isn't my person at all. He's most likely not going to make it in the next election.

 

[~ True Legend ~]

Personally, I have no love for anyone who's too relaxed when it comes to dealing severely with anyone that's found guilty of sexually assaulting children.

Rishi Sunak isn't my person at all. He's most likely not going to make it in the next election.

It's very true - I suppose parties are selfish in the sense they want to appeal to the majority of voters. Less prison inmates = less tax from taxpayers

 

[Shortie]

I have never been a fan of Rishi Sunak and when I heard about him being as lenient as he is in terms of sexual assault on children, that was pretty much it for me.

I don't see Rishi staying for too long as it will be more than damaging to the country, the next general election I do believe we will see a change in the party leading the country and it's about time.

 

[~ True Legend ~]

I don't see Rishi staying for too long as it will be more than damaging to the country, the next general election I do believe we will see a change in the party leading the country and it's about time.

Me too. No doubt Labour will come to power.
I do pray the lib Dems do though. But that seems unlikely, not being the centre of attention... and all that.

 

[~ True Legend ~]

For those of you in the loop, Sharp finally resigned:

BBC chairman Richard Sharp has resigned after breaking rules over dealings with Boris Johnson ahead of his appointment.

Richard Sharp: BBC chairman resigns over report into appointment

Inquiry finds Richard Sharp breached the governance code for public appointments.

www.bbc.co.uk

Situation

The probe was set up after reports in the Sunday Times revealed Mr Sharp, a close associate of Mr Johnson, had played some role in the PM's personal finances at the same time as he was seeking to secure the senior BBC job.

In late 2020, Mr Sharp sought to arrange a meeting between Cabinet Secretary Simon Case and Sam Blyth, a distant cousin of Mr Johnson who had offered to support the PM financially, after reading press claims he was struggling to make ends meet.

The ex-investment banker and Conservative Party donor had already applied for the senior BBC job when he approached Mr Case and was appointed a few months later.

The BBC chair can only be appointed or sacked by the government. The BBC director general, the executive who has ultimate editorial control over the corporation, does not have the power to remove them.

Report

The report found he had failed to disclose two potential perceived conflicts of interest: first, by telling Mr Johnson he wanted to apply for the BBC role before doing so; and second, by telling the PM he intended to set up a meeting between Mr Case, the country's most senior civil servant, and Mr Blyth.

It notes that Mr Sharp does not accept the first conclusion, but he has apologised for the second, though described it as "inadvertent and not material".

The report found "there is a risk of a perception that Mr Sharp was recommended for appointment" because he sought to assist the PM in a private financial matter "and/or that he influenced the former prime minister to recommend him by informing him of his application before he submitted it".

It described his involvement in Mr Johnson's private financial affairs as "very limited" but concluded that it should have been declared anyway - even though the meeting between Mr Case and Mr Blyth did not subsequently take place.

The report did not make a judgement "on whether Mr Sharp had any intention of seeking to influence the former Prime Minister in this manner".

Their report added: "Mr Sharp has accepted that his failure to disclose this involvement has caused embarrassment to him and the BBC and has potentially been misconstrued, both of which are tests on conflicts that the public appointments process specifically requires candidates to consider."

The report also called for an overhaul of the rules around public appointments, and criticised the leaking of ministers' preferred candidates for senior jobs to the media - pointing out there were reports about Mr Sharp being tipped for the BBC role in newspapers before the process was completed.

Sharp's response

Mr Sharp has previously insisted he believed flagging his BBC application with Mr Case and agreeing to have no further involvement in any loan discussions resolved any conflict of interest issues, and therefore they did not need to be further disclosed - but the report disagreed with his position.

He said he did not play "any part whatsoever in the facilitation, arrangement, or financing of a loan for the former prime minister" but that he was quitting in order to "prioritise the interests of the BBC".

Mr Sharp conceded that with hindsight he should have disclosed his role in setting up a meeting between Mr Case and Mr Blyth to the appointments panel during the scrutiny process ahead of him taking up the senior role, and he apologised for the "oversight".

 

[~ True Legend ~]

Drama, drama, drama - ludicrous drama!!

Liz Truss is contesting a government bill relating to her use of the grace-and-favour country house she had access to as foreign secretary.

Liz Truss contests £12,000 bill over use of Chevening country house

The former prime minister says most of the bill relates to using Chevening for government business.

www.bbc.co.uk

The BBC has been told that Ms Truss's Chevening bill - which was first reported by the Mail on Sunday newspaper - covers missing items, including bathrobes, which she is happy to pay to replace.

But the former prime minister is maintaining that the majority of the invoice relates to using Chevening for government business, meaning she should not be liable for most of the bill.

Those close to Ms Truss have stressed that she will account for all personal expenses incurred.

A government spokesperson said: "Costs and funding relating to Chevening House are a matter for the Chevening Trust."

And "where appropriate", the government said it works closely with the Chevening Trust "to ensure costs incurred are allocated accordingly".

 

[~ True Legend ~]

Looks like Labour will be in charge next

Local elections 2023: Labour eyes power after crushing Tory losses

Labour claims it is on track for power, after the Tories lose more than 1,000 councillors in local elections across England.

www.bbc.co.uk

@Shortie you'll be happy

 

[~ True Legend ~]

A Lib Dem peer is seeking to block the government's Illegal Migration Bill as the plans are set to face significant opposition in the Lords.

Migration bill risks damage to UK's reputation, says Archbishop of Canterbury

Justin Welby speaks out against the controversial law as it begins its passage in the House of Lords.

www.bbc.co.uk

The government has also faced strong criticism from senior Tories, including former Prime Minister Theresa May and former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, over the potential impact of the bill on victims of modern slavery.

The bill would take away temporary protections against removal from the UK that are currently offered to suspected victims of modern slavery or human trafficking while their case is considered.

Critics say this could deter victims from going to the police.

There has also been concern, including among Conservative MPs, over new powers in the bill to detain children on the suspicion that they are liable for removal.

Ministers have agreed to work with Tory MPs on a time limit for how long unaccompanied children can be detained.

 

[~ True Legend ~]

Taxpayers are being billed up to £245,000 to cover the cost of Boris Johnson's Partygate inquiry lawyers.

Boris Johnson's taxpayer-funded legal bill rises to £245,000

The BBC has found the Treasury did not sign off the decision to use taxpayer funds to foot the bill.

www.bbc.co.uk

He is facing growing calls to cover the legal costs himself, as the bill for his defence team increased this week for a second time.
The BBC has learned the Treasury did not sign off the decision to use public money to pay the bill.

Ministers and civil servants are expected to follow Treasury guidance when making decisions about spending public money.

The Treasury's spending rulebook says its consent should always be sought for costs "which set precedents, are novel, contentious or could cause repercussions elsewhere in the public sector".

The BBC asked the Cabinet Office if this would apply to Mr Johnson's legal bills, in a freedom of information (FOI) request. We were told the Treasury was not required to approve all spending decisions.

The Cabinet Office and a source close to Mr Johnson argued there is a long-standing precedent that former ministers are supported with legal representation.

But former senior civil servants disputed this, telling the BBC that it would not normally apply to parliamentary inquiries, like the one into Mr Johnson.

The government has cited legal support given to former ministers during public inquiries into the Grenfell Tower fire, the BSE disease outbreak in cattle, and infected blood products as examples of precedents.

But these were statutory public inquires initiated by the government, rather than political parliamentary inquiries carried out by MPs.

The last former minister to be investigated by a parliamentary committee for misleading Parliament was former Labour MP and transport secretary Stephen Byers in 2005.

Mr Byers was investigated by the standards committee over allegations he misled MPs over the collapse of British railway infrastructure operator Railtrack.

In 2006, the committee cleared Mr Byers of lying to MPs about Railtrack, but told him to apologise for giving an "untruthful" answer.

During the four-month inquiry, Mr Byers appeared in front of MPs to give evidence, as Mr Johnson did in March this year.

But unlike Mr Johnson, Mr Byers did not have any legal representation - taxpayer funded or otherwise - during the parliamentary inquiry, nor was he offered any by the government.

More recently, Dominic Raab, the former deputy prime minister, paid his own legal fees during a bullying inquiry.

Is Boris Johnson against the rules???

@Shortie what party do you support for the next election if you are comfortable sharing your views?

 

[~ True Legend ~]

Former home secretary Priti Patel has blamed the Conservative Party's leadership for heavy local election losses in a speech.

Priti Patel: Tory leadership errors cost us dearly in local elections

The former home secretary blames "those in power" for Tory local election losses in a speech.

www.bbc.co.uk

welcome to the blame game!

 

[~ True Legend ~]

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said personal attacks from Labour on him and his family "don't bother me".

Rishi Sunak: Labour's personal attacks don't bother me

Criticism of the PM has become increasingly personal, with Labour accusing him of being out of touch.

www.bbc.co.uk

@Shortie do you think the ads went too far?

The most controversial claimed the prime minister did not think adults convicted of child sexual assaults should go to prison.
Sir Keir defended the advert, saying it highlighted the government's failures on crime, but there was uneasiness about the move among some in Labour.