Thursday 25th November 2021

[refitman]

Morning all.

[refitman]

Frances Barber got into the drinks cabinet again.

[GetYou]

I see the tabloid front pages are wailing about the terrible loss of life of the migrants they've spent the last 20 years demonising

[AnatolyKasparov]

Oh, and its all France's fault. Of course.

[PorFavor]

This (from the weekend)


Treasury minister Lucy Frazer accused of conflict of interest over husband’s firm

Boris Johnson faces calls for an inquiry into treasury minister Lucy Frazer and claims of an “untenable” potential conflict of interest involving a £15bn government contract with a firm headed by her husband.

It emerged last year the firm had supplied six workers to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) or the government-owned Revenue and Customs Digital Technology Services Ltd who were on tax avoidance schemes known as disguised remuneration. These schemes typically involve a loan that is unlikely to ever be repaid and avoids income tax and insurance. (Observer)

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... bands-firm

Then this (today)

HMRC to relocate to Newcastle office owned by Tory donors via tax haven

HM Revenue and Customs has struck a deal to relocate tax officials into a new office complex in Newcastle owned by major Conservative party donors through an offshore company based in a tax haven, my colleague Harry Davies and Rowena Mason report. (Politics Live, Guardian - my emphasis)



Edited - tidy up

[gilsey]

Leveling up though.

[gilsey]

Why do the govt go on making a rod for their own backs on refugees?
There really is sod all they can actually do, without breaking international law, so why say they're going to do offshore processing/shouting at the French/etc? Stamping their feet and shaking their fists to what end? Their voters like it but eventually they're going to have to own up to not actually doing anything.

At least there's been some reporters speaking up about how few actually try to come here, the last couple of days, small mercies.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Why do the govt go on making a rod for their own backs on refugees?

I said much the same the other night. They've been hoist with their own petard. If they had any brains they'd pipe down about it and quietly go about creating a safe, less obvious route for refugees to reach the country but we all know that's not going to happen. They've painted themselves into a corner and it's difficult to see how they're going to get out of it.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Can't see Robert Buckland enjoying himself much this evening.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Is Owen Jones luring disco dollies to a life of vice?

[refitman]

Can't see Robert Buckland enjoying himself much this evening.

I hope Guto is asked what it's like to be cancelled by the right

[tinyclanger2]

The bouncers at the Warehouse (Leeds) once let me leave but go back in again to allow me to avoid "Tainted Love".
I think they understood.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Recasting male heroes as women risks driving boys to crime, claims Tory MP

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... o-crime-mp

Casting women in TV and film roles previously given to men, such as in Doctor Who or the James Bond franchise, risks leading young males into crime because the only cultural role models left for them are criminals, a Conservative MP has argued.

In a subsequent tweeted statement, Fletcher said his “rather nuanced point” had been misconstrued. He said his argument “in no way linked Dr Who [sic] being a female to crime being committed by men”.

Here's something to contemplate Nick, once you get over the much deserved mockery you've brought upon yourself, maybe having a fat arsed lying sack of shit as a Prime Minister is a bit more important when it comes to setting an example for young men than who plays a fictional fucking Time Lord you dim-witted twat.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Judge for yourself whether his 'rather nuanced point' was 'misconstrued'.



Also when was Luke Skywalker replaced by a woman?

[AnatolyKasparov]

James Bond? Did he transition and everybody missed it??

[frog222]

I blame anything that went wrong with the young male generation (and the two before that) on the fact that Her Maj is a ...woman .

[Sky'sGoneOut]

James Bond? Did he transition and everybody missed it??

In the latest (truly awful) film Bond has retired and his replacement as 007 is a woman, but Bond himself continues to have a hairy arse and a habit of leaving the toilet seat up. Perhaps this is what confused Nick, it's hard to tell.

Besides, who the hell thinks James Bond is a good role model?

[AnatolyKasparov]

So the proposed solution to the "migrant crisis" will involve co-operation with the French? Who knew??

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Buckland starts off appealing to our 'European partners' while imagining people crossing the channel using drones.

Immediate chuckles.

[frog222]

....

[frog222]

(Bedtime in Normandy , NN)

[AnatolyKasparov]

Sky has evidently gone to bed rather than giving us a full QT review.....

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Well that was a dull one from Cardiff this evening.

Let's get Guto Harri out of the way first. What a dumbass. He reminded me of an old friend of mine who was so dim he failed the exams to join the police. He had that same kind of earnest stupidity where he'd react with hurt astonishment when we laughed at some of the nonsense he would come out with. I mean what kind of idiot sings Johnson's praises then gets in a huff because the audience fails to appreciate his peaen? He had a face like a smacked arse. And don't get me started on his playing down of Covid, there's a place for that called GB News but unfortunately for Guto he wasn't quite feeble minded enough to keep his job there. Christ knows what the BBC ever saw in him.

Robert Buckland was his usual self, apparently immune to such trivialities as irony or hypocrisy, blaming a lack of International cooperation for people crossing the channel. His fantasising about refugees using drones did pique my absurdist interest it must be said. I reckon you could do most of the lifting work with helium balloons with only a couple of decent sized drones providing momentum. He was asked if Johnson was a good role model and to his credit he didn't say yes. He went down the 'none of us are perfect' route which while being a cop out wasn't the kind of arse licking I suspect he'd have done if he was still a minister.

Liz Saville-Roberts is usually worth the admission fee alone but she was a bit subdued this evening and seemed more concerned with advertising some new Plaid Cymru-Labour pact (no idea) than being her usual combative self.

Having heard quite a bit recently about how amazing Welsh Labour are I was expecting fireworks from Eluned Morgan, but instead we got a drab performance bereft of any pizzazz. She wasn't bad, but given the recent reviews I must say I was a little disappointed. However it's easy to see how Labour in Wales are more popular than their English brethren when they're taking Johnson's national insurance rise and using it to pay care workers the proper living wage.

Finally we have Timandra Harkness who I've heard on the radio many times but never seen her before. I often disagree with what she says. I did tonight on occasion. But she's the kind of person who's opinion you can respect whether you like it or not because she's bloody clever and often funny.

The star of the show tonight was the bloke in the audience who compared Johnson 'doing his best' to his two year old son going through potty training.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

Sky has evidently gone to bed rather than giving us a full QT review.....

Actually I was fox watching. I've had a male barking outside all week and tonight a female arrived doing that weird shriek they do so I shone a 4000 lumen torch at them which given the look he gave me was not appreciated.

[Sky'sGoneOut]

A rural fox can expect to live about 6 years, an urban fox can expect to live about 15 months. People round here put rat poison on bits of chicken to stop them going through their bins. I found one dead in my garden earlier this year, no sign of injury. Just curled up and died. What the fuck is wrong with people?

[Sky'sGoneOut]

[tinyclanger2]

Well that was a dull one from Cardiff this evening.

Let's get Guto Harri out of the way first. .... Christ knows what the BBC ever saw in him.

PPE at Oxford I expect.