Tuesday 10th February 2015

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 6:30 pm

@Ernst:

Regarding HSBC and the government's complicity -
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-aa" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... NpIaC40-g0

Considering they put the names of those found guilty of underpaying their workers online which at the most totals a few thousands one wonders what HMG are so shy about.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 6:31 pm

ErnstRemarx wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:
Ex-IMF chief Dominque Strass-Kahn insists he 'only went to four orgies a year'

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/557 ... gies-court
Only four? Goodness
I believe that's what passes for self restraint in some circles. I've never been to one. I'd have been a hopeless Roman.

Me too. I don't like grapes.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 6:34 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
citizenJA wrote:
Lonewolfie wrote: They might not have a 'record' but others will have - and there's some noise from across the pond

“The new allegations that HSBC colluded to help wealthy people and rich corporations hide money and avoid taxes are very serious, and, if true, the Department of Justice should reconsider the earlier deferred prosecution agreement it entered into with HSBC and prosecute the new violations to the full extent of the law.”

Warren’s intervention will further stoke the scandal in Washington, where members of the Senate banking committee are preparing to grill a representative of the Federal Reserve on Tuesday over how much regulators knew about US tax evasion connected to HSBC Switzerland.

http://www.theguardian.com/news/2015/fe ... eth-warren
Ah. The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Goodbye, Dave, & your government with you.
Nah. Dave's in thick with a whole bunch of American right wingers who run the US. He'll come out of it whiter than white.

No.

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 6:37 pm

Toby Latimer wrote:
TheGrimSqueaker wrote:Labour definitely got the better ex-TV presenter!!
I think so.

I'm old enough to remember Austin Mitchell presenting Calendar on regional Yorkshire TV . Never saw him in a swimming costume though

Be grateful for small mercies.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 6:39 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
citizenJA wrote:
ohsocynical wrote: That's my Tory MP. He doesn't use Twitter much, but posted that remark yesterday. Couldn't believe my eyes.
Your Tory MP may be lurking here, hoping to find out something to save what's left of his Tory career.
Well, he's following me on Twitter so he'll be getting plenty of tips

Yep. I remembered from yesterday's post.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 6:48 pm

letsskiptotheleft wrote:
Toby Latimer wrote:
TheGrimSqueaker wrote:Labour definitely got the better ex-TV presenter!!
I think so.

I'm old enough to remember Austin Mitchell presenting Calendar on regional Yorkshire TV . Never saw him in a swimming costume though
Be grateful for small mercies.

And for ..... sake - don't give Toby any more photo ideas. Todays have been truly eye-blistering.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 6:54 pm

For a lighter look at TV presenter objectifying ....

'Men often tweet pictures to female BBC presenters of their genitals. By contrast, I get off lightly’: Robert Peston on being objectified
His tousled tresses and sexy new specs have made fans of the BBC’s economics editor hot under the collar. Robert Peston tells us what it’s like to be objectified
http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/lon ... 35771.html

Some of the tweets he gets are very funny:

“Robert, please get your haircut. The Greeks look cool without ties. You just look like you’re wearing pyjamas under your coat.”

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 6:55 pm

How many deaths have Tory evidence-free policies caused?

http://voxpoliticalonline.com/2015/02/1 ... es-caused/

The article mentioned Genocide, which made me sit back in shock. But then I checked the dictionary. And it is...

The murder of a whole group of people, especially a whole nation, race, or religious group:

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 7:05 pm

Douglas Carswell MP ‏@DouglasCarswell 8m8 minutes ago
What is it with the Labour Party and vans?

Oi - Carsy - at least Harriet's Woman To Woman pink van (I admit it's a bit barf making) doesn't tell people to 'Go Home'. There's dubious taste and there's offensive.

StephenDolan · Post by **StephenDolan** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 7:08 pm

refitman wrote:Digby Jones is an arse. That is all.

Indeed. That's what I thought catching him speaking after Toynbee. Weapons grade arsehole.

Toby Latimer · Post by **Toby Latimer** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 7:25 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
letsskiptotheleft wrote:
Toby Latimer wrote: I think so.

I'm old enough to remember Austin Mitchell presenting Calendar on regional Yorkshire TV . Never saw him in a swimming costume though
Be grateful for small mercies.
And for ..... sake - don't give Toby any more photo ideas. Todays have been truly eye-blistering.

Ooh ! I've just had a blistering idea !

Leave it with me folks

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 7:50 pm

Toby Latimer wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote:
letsskiptotheleft wrote: Be grateful for small mercies.
And for ..... sake - don't give Toby any more photo ideas. Todays have been truly eye-blistering.
Ooh ! I've just had a blistering idea !

Leave it with me folks

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 7:52 pm

Have we had this one.....

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/busin ... 37157.html

The contagion is starting to spread out from the Guardian, via the States to the Indy and then to the heart of the Conservative party.

Nobody can tell me that those senior HSBC pro-austerity Tory donors didn't know about the banks tax evasion schemes.

Did they not read their marketing blurb?

Post by **letsskiptotheleft** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 7:53 pm

I bet this hurt the Guardian?

http://www.theguardian.com/business/201 ... rom-tories" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 7:56 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
Ex-IMF chief Dominque Strass-Kahn insists he 'only went to four orgies a year'

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/557 ... gies-court
Only four? Goodness

Lightweight.

Four - in a week surely.

If you are going to do excess do excess - which in my case might involve a third beer.

Joking aside there is no excuse if it is true, as reported today, that a degree of coercion was used.

TheGrimSqueaker · Post by **TheGrimSqueaker** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 8:08 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
Toby Latimer wrote:
rebeccariots2 wrote: And for ..... sake - don't give Toby any more photo ideas. Todays have been truly eye-blistering.
Ooh ! I've just had a blistering idea !

Leave it with me folks

Be afraid, be very afraid .......

I don't know if it is just me, but I have never found McVile attractive for much the same reason I don't find Karen Danczuk attractive; they are both superficially pretty ladies but that is the point ..... they are both superficial and, I suspect, beneath the surface not particularly likeable. It is why I think Miliband is beginning to attract a bit of a fan club on Twitter; he can be, undeniably, a little awkward but under that slightly gawky exterior there is a man of honesty & integrity, and that cannot help to be attractive in the eyes of the discerning.

Well, that is what I think anyway.

ErnstRemarx · Post by **ErnstRemarx** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 8:25 pm

StephenDolan wrote:
refitman wrote:Digby Jones is an arse. That is all.
Indeed. That's what I thought catching him speaking after Toynbee. Weapons grade arsehole.

MsRemarx actually once got interviewed on Today (R4) as the counter to Jones. uite a few years back, when he was still pretending to be pro-Labour.

She wiped the floor with him.

Rednorth · Post by **Rednorth** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 8:29 pm

Toby Latimer wrote:
TheGrimSqueaker wrote:Labour definitely got the better ex-TV presenter!!
I think so.

I'm old enough to remember Austin Mitchell presenting Calendar on regional Yorkshire TV . Never saw him in a swimming costume though

Me too

Spacedone · Post by **Spacedone** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 8:50 pm

Fraser Nelson ‏@FraserNelson 3m3 minutes ago

Not sure I can take another ‘Apprenticeship’ radio advert from the gvt. The ad is bad, but knowing I’m funding election campaigning is worse

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 9:07 pm

Craig Whittaker MP ‏@CraigWhi2kermp 16m16 minutes ago
Conservative MP takes to the roof of Calderdale school to protest DfE decision not to fund repairs - Yorkshire Post: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/mai ... yg.twitter" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 9:11 pm

Mike Smithson ‏@MSmithsonPB 4 hrs4 hours ago
New post.
Labour moves to its best ever position in YouGov’s “blame for cuts” tracker – now just 3% behind http://bit.ly/1CQAfr3" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 9:14 pm

TechnicalEphemera wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:
Ex-IMF chief Dominque Strass-Kahn insists he 'only went to four orgies a year'

http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/557 ... gies-court
Only four? Goodness

Lightweight.

Four - in a week surely.

If you are going to do excess do excess - which in my case might involve a third beer.

They'd get far more sympathy if they just put their hands up and said, 'it was me guv. I done it.'

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 9:15 pm

rebeccariots2 wrote:
Craig Whittaker MP ‏@CraigWhi2kermp 16m16 minutes ago
Conservative MP takes to the roof of Calderdale school to protest DfE decision not to fund repairs - Yorkshire Post: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/mai ... yg.twitter" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; …

He's on the Education Select Committee - revenge for them being not exactly overwhelmed with the government's reforms...

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 9:16 pm

I read that the French had the disc in 2011 and used it to prosecute their evaders...No one can tell me our lot didn't hear about it on the grapevine.

And the guy that nicked the disc says what we're hearing now is just the tip of the iceburg. The Swiss want him for the theft, but the French have refused to hand him over.

Also The Guardian are getting lawyers letters warning them about what they print.
Rushbugger or whatever his name is, Tweeted the lawyers letterheads....

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 9:20 pm

ohsocynical wrote:I read that the French had the disc in 2011 and used it to prosecute their evaders...No one can tell me our lot didn't hear about it on the grapevine.

No, you're quite wrong about this.

No-one knew a single thing about this until yesterday. Apart from Ed Balls. He knew everything, and could have prevented it.

AngryAsWell · Post by **AngryAsWell** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 9:26 pm

The Guardian view on the right to march: protest must be beyond price
Editorial

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfre ... are_btn_tw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

pk1 · Post by **pk1** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 9:29 pm

Not just us cynical souls that find the Heathrow couple story unbelievable......

http://www.newstatesman.com/martin-robb ... od-be-true" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

giselle97 · Post by **giselle97** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 9:40 pm

pk1 wrote:Interesting piece on ID cards being used in Scotland

http://www.politics.co.uk/comment-analy ... id-cards-p" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I had my first ID card at the age of 12 and was very disappointed when it had to be given up when we left Singapore!

I was quite looking forward to having another one but the system was scrapped - something about civil liberties? I still say ID cards are a good idea.

P.S. I was everso pleased when photo driving licences were brought in and I've got a new one, having changed my address, with "fancy bits" on it like my passport. They both go where I go.

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 9:42 pm

pk1 wrote:Not just us cynical souls that find the Heathrow couple story unbelievable......

http://www.newstatesman.com/martin-robb ... od-be-true" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

No, I didn't believe it either. It was the bit where they took out a £170k mortgage to buy a house for £265k. After all those years as a successful PR man, he couldn't rustle up more than that? What about the sale of their previous property - I couldn't believe that at that age they weren't already mortgage-free.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 9:46 pm

pk1 wrote:Not just us cynical souls that find the Heathrow couple story unbelievable......

http://www.newstatesman.com/martin-robb ... od-be-true" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Even if it is 'true' ... their choices make it difficult for me to have much patience with or sympathy for them. They've got an income now of £1400 pcm which should make it perfectly possible to rent somewhere OK to live. I simply can't understand why a couple in their position wouldn't do that. It just seems very very strange.

rebeccariots2 · Post by **rebeccariots2** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 9:48 pm

Iain Dale ‏@IainDale 7h7 hours ago
If @Ed_Miliband had told UK businesses to pay their staff more, I suspect that he'd have been slaughtered. Why wasn't the PM? @LBC at 5.

Toby Latimer · Post by **Toby Latimer** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 10:03 pm

Ooh goody - Brenda's family are now on Facebook

Cue the brown envelopes from central office getting them to click the 'like' button on the Tory page

: ScreenShot00211.jpg (85.85 KiB) Viewed 11088 times

Tubby Isaacs · Post by **Tubby Isaacs** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 10:05 pm

Beats putting HSBC and all on the front.

Johnson's also made it, for "EU referendum by end of next year". God knows what the logic to that is, beyond positioning for after Cameron.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 10:19 pm

Tubby Isaacs wrote:Beats putting HSBC and all on the front.

Johnson's also made it, for "EU referendum by end of next year". God knows what the logic to that is, beyond positioning for after Cameron.

I checked the Telegraph earlier. One line right down the bottom of the page along with the other financial news.

I'd bet a weeks wages the Tories are going to do what they always do. Ignore it and eventually other things - in this case the election - will distract us, and it'll all be neatly brushed under the carpet.

I'm thinking specifically of Mrs Blurts emails, and Dave's Big Society Fund. Lots of dodgy doings with the latter but apart from the Independent featuring it a couple of times there's been nothing said or done.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 10:29 pm

What's suddenly occurred to me:

All those evaders knew what they were doing with the aid of the HSBC.
So, when the news broke about the theft of the disc in 2010? what did HSBC do?
Did they help move the evader's money to another haven?
Did they do a bit of abracadabra tell their customers to cough up and legitimise the accounts?
Or did they leave it to the cheats to move their money, in which case, where is the money now and other banks must be involved?

HindleA · Post by **HindleA** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 10:34 pm

Latest YouGov poll (09 - 10 Feb):
LAB - 35% (+2)
CON - 33% (-1)
UKIP - 13% (-1)
GRN - 8% (+1)
LDEM - 6% (-1)

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 10:36 pm

HindleA wrote:Latest YouGov poll (09 - 10 Feb):
LAB - 35% (+2)
CON - 33% (-1)
UKIP - 13% (-1)
GRN - 8% (+1)
LDEM - 6% (-1)

Anyone else noticed UKIP seem to be flatlining if not dropping a little?

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 10:39 pm

giselle97 wrote:
pk1 wrote:Interesting piece on ID cards being used in Scotland

http://www.politics.co.uk/comment-analy ... id-cards-p" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I had my first ID card at the age of 12 and was very disappointed when it had to be given up when we left Singapore!

I was quite looking forward to having another one but the system was scrapped - something about civil liberties? I still say ID cards are a good idea.

P.S. I was everso pleased when photo driving licences were brought in and I've got a new one, having changed my address, with "fancy bits" on it like my passport. They both go where I go.

My identification documents don't bother me either.

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 10:40 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:Funny, I looked at that front page and all I saw was LOOK!A SQUIRREL

Yeah we had Queen joins Twitter recently too didn't we?

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 10:41 pm

Watching Matt Hancock trying to squirm his way round Cameron pleading for businesses to give pay rises but failed to talk about productivity gains..

Apparently, productivity is "technocratic terminology".

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 10:42 pm

Sorry I haven't mastered pasting photos from Twitter, but just posted:

One of the ways the Tories have raised money for the election is to arrange a party to shoot 500 pheasants...

Post by **PaulfromYorkshire** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 10:43 pm

Oh yes wasn't that around the time of the European extra bill and not rebate fiasco?

RogerOThornhill · Post by **RogerOThornhill** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 10:45 pm

Matthew Hancock - "I didn't know anything at all"

A truer word you never spoke...

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 10:45 pm

ohsocynical wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote:Beats putting HSBC and all on the front.

Johnson's also made it, for "EU referendum by end of next year". God knows what the logic to that is, beyond positioning for after Cameron.
I checked the Telegraph earlier. One line right down the bottom of the page along with the other financial news.

I'd bet a weeks wages the Tories are going to do what they always do. Ignore it and eventually other things - in this case the election - will distract us, and it'll all be neatly brushed under the carpet.

I'm thinking specifically of Mrs Blurts emails, and Dave's Big Society Fund. Lots of dodgy doings with the latter but apart from the Independent featuring it a couple of times there's been nothing said or done.

Labour won't let this go. This one won't go away.

Text of the letter from Ed Miliband, Leader of the Opposition, to heads of government in these Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies:

Dear xxx

More than 18 months ago, David Cameron announced that you and he had reached agreement on increasing transparency around the ownership of companies based in your jurisdictions. This was to reduce the opportunity for them to be used for tax avoidance, evasion and other illegal activity.

He said that you and he would focus on beneficial ownership, and that you would publish the true owners of shell companies based in your jurisdictions. He claimed that this was a “very positive step forward” ahead of the G8 meeting in June 2013, and followed it up with a letter saying that

“Beneficial ownership and public access to a central register is key to improving the transparency of company ownership and vital to meeting the urgent challenges of illicit finance and tax evasion”.

However, since then no Overseas Territory or Crown Dependency has produced a publicly accessible central register of beneficial ownership. And, despite his initial enthusiasm, David Cameron has done nothing to ensure that they are produced.

Ahead of the General Election in May, I am writing to put you on notice that a Labour government will not allow this situation of delay and secrecy to continue. Labour will act on tax avoidance where the Tories will not.

All UK Overseas Territories or Crown Dependencies will have to produce a publicly accessible central register of beneficial ownership within six months of the election of a Labour government. If any Overseas Territory or Crown Dependency does not meet this deadline, we will ask the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to put them on the OECD’s tax haven blacklist.

Yours sincerely,

Ed Miliband

giselle97 · Post by **giselle97** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 10:45 pm

Toby Latimer wrote:Oops ! too late. Sorry ephie

EstherMcVeyMassuerRequired.jpg

Naughty boy Toby! I saw what you saved that *.jpg as!

(EstherMcVeyMassuerRequired)

TechnicalEphemera · Post by **TechnicalEphemera** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 10:46 pm

RobertSnozers wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:
HindleA wrote:Latest YouGov poll (09 - 10 Feb):
LAB - 35% (+2)
CON - 33% (-1)
UKIP - 13% (-1)
GRN - 8% (+1)
LDEM - 6% (-1)

Anyone else noticed UKIP seem to be flatlining if not dropping a little?
They've been holding steady at around 14% for a while IIRC. I reckon they'll get 10-12% at the GE, which was about what I thought a year ago. A bit less if the right wing press can conjure up enough fear of Commandante Mililand and his Politbureau of socialist dogs.

The business offensive is going well I see.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 10:48 pm

ohsocynical wrote:Sorry I haven't mastered pasting photos from Twitter, but just posted:

One of the ways the Tories have raised money for the election is to arrange a party to shoot 500 pheasants...

Revolution now, please. Seriously. There's no place left to off-load discontented regulars. We're all home now. Let's have cooperative negotiations about how we're all going to get along with each other is a safe, sustainable, democratic & just society. Thank you.

ohsocynical · Post by **ohsocynical** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 10:49 pm

citizenJA wrote:
ohsocynical wrote:
Tubby Isaacs wrote:Beats putting HSBC and all on the front.

Johnson's also made it, for "EU referendum by end of next year". God knows what the logic to that is, beyond positioning for after Cameron.
I checked the Telegraph earlier. One line right down the bottom of the page along with the other financial news.

I'd bet a weeks wages the Tories are going to do what they always do. Ignore it and eventually other things - in this case the election - will distract us, and it'll all be neatly brushed under the carpet.

I'm thinking specifically of Mrs Blurts emails, and Dave's Big Society Fund. Lots of dodgy doings with the latter but apart from the Independent featuring it a couple of times there's been nothing said or done.
Labour won't let this go. This one won't go away.
Text of the letter from Ed Miliband, Leader of the Opposition, to heads of government in these Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies:

Dear xxx

More than 18 months ago, David Cameron announced that you and he had reached agreement on increasing transparency around the ownership of companies based in your jurisdictions. This was to reduce the opportunity for them to be used for tax avoidance, evasion and other illegal activity.

He said that you and he would focus on beneficial ownership, and that you would publish the true owners of shell companies based in your jurisdictions. He claimed that this was a “very positive step forward” ahead of the G8 meeting in June 2013, and followed it up with a letter saying that

“Beneficial ownership and public access to a central register is key to improving the transparency of company ownership and vital to meeting the urgent challenges of illicit finance and tax evasion”.

However, since then no Overseas Territory or Crown Dependency has produced a publicly accessible central register of beneficial ownership. And, despite his initial enthusiasm, David Cameron has done nothing to ensure that they are produced.

Ahead of the General Election in May, I am writing to put you on notice that a Labour government will not allow this situation of delay and secrecy to continue. Labour will act on tax avoidance where the Tories will not.

All UK Overseas Territories or Crown Dependencies will have to produce a publicly accessible central register of beneficial ownership within six months of the election of a Labour government. If any Overseas Territory or Crown Dependency does not meet this deadline, we will ask the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to put them on the OECD’s tax haven blacklist.

Yours sincerely,

Ed Miliband

I sincerely believe Ed will put a stop to it. But that will be after May. In the meantime, Dave and his cronies will get away with it.

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 10:49 pm

giselle97 wrote:
Toby Latimer wrote:Oops ! too late. Sorry ephie

EstherMcVeyMassuerRequired.jpg
Naughty boy Toby! I saw what you saved that *.jpg as!

(EstherMcVeyMassuerRequired)

Eeewwww! How horrid!

citizenJA · Post by **citizenJA** » Tue 10 Feb, 2015 10:50 pm

@Ohsocynical

But you must not have read my revolution now post! I'm telling 'ya... it's time