Also in the news: cuts, corruption and quarrels at the Conservative conference
The Tory conference has started – with a wave of controversies and scandals.
Let’s look at a few of them:
Lord Heseltine slams Johnson’s ‘levelling up’ sloganising
Former Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine accused Boris Johnson’s government of “sloganising” rather than having the political will to actually improve the nation.
He said: “It’s very easy to keep sloganising, but they’ve been doing that for nearly two years and they have wasted that period of their power with a large majority.
“What is missing is the political will to take difficult decisions… This Government simply doesn’t face the facts about how it needs to be done and the single minded purpose that has got to be applied to it.”
Boris Johnson humiliated over a £20 note
STV reporter Kathryn Sampson made a fool of Boris Johnson in a Conservative conference interview – by brandishing a £20 note.
She asked: “If I gave you this £20 note this evening, what would you spend it on? What would that mean to you though? A cocktail at conference? A taxi? For some Scottish families, there are charities that would say this £20 a week note is the difference between being able to heating their homes.”
When the prime minister started waffling, she changed tack to quiz Johnson on appointing Tory donor Malcolm Offord as Scotland Office Minister and peer in the Lords: “How many of these £20 notes would I have to give you to get a peerage? Do you know why I’m asking about peerages Prime Minister? Malcolm Offord. What Is it about the six figure sum he donated to the Conservative party that made you think he was the right candidate for a peerage and for a role in your government in the Scotland Office?”
Johnson tried to claim that his choice had experience, but was cut off: “What’s wrong with your Scottish MPs? They’re elected.”
Rees-Mogg wrong-footed by man with cerebral palsy
Tory Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg was lost for words when confronted by a disabled man who said the Tory benefit assessment system had forced him to prove that he still has cerebral palsy – which is a lifelong condition.
Dominic Hutchins, 43, said afterwards that not only did he have to spend an hour explaining all the things he cannot do (on the day Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey tried to re-state the Tory claim that the assessment system should be about what people can do), but the Tories had also robbed him of his job.
He said: “I’m a youth and community worker. Since the Tories got in power in 2010 they have demolished youth services, which made me claim benefits. I not only had to claim jobseeker’s allowance, I had to prove I am still disabled and I’ve not medically been cured.”
As Rees-Mogg beat his retreat, urging him to see his own MP, Mr Hutchins said: “They don’t care, it’s all lip service to shut people like me up. It’s awful.”
UPDATE October 5: I now have video of this. Be warned – it is upsetting:
Disley man confronts MP Jacob Rees-Mogg in Manchester City Centre. Dominic Hutchins says he had to prove he had cerebral palsy so he could keep claiming benefits #cpc2021 @BBCNWT pic.twitter.com/RchLBglC4V
— Annabel Tiffin (@annabelvtiffin) October 4, 2021
It’s mischaracterisation, but not as Sunak described it…
This is self-explanatory:
“On Friday the Prime Minister said never mind life expectancy, never mind cancer outcomes, look at wage growth. What does that say of this Prime Ministers priority’s?”
Rishi Sunak – “I think that was a mischaracterization of what he said”
Let’s take a look at that pic.twitter.com/PK0oGZLRHi
— Peter Stefanovic (@PeterStefanovi2) October 4, 2021
Considering Rishi Sunak’s defence of Boris Johnson, we can draw our own conclusions about everything he said in his speech.
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I know only too well the cruelties of the DWP since 2010, but I actually wept when I saw Dominic Hutchins confront the odious Rees-Mogg. Not the slightest empathy or ounce of sympathy shown by the latter.
Dominic you should be very proud of yourself, making a stand when so much of the population seems to have been seized by apathy and inaction (mind you I see the equally odious but more frightening Patel is as I write threatening to make any protest whatever even more difficult, indeed well nigh impossible). I shall make a donation to Disabled People Against the Cuts by way of a thank you and share the footage as much as possible.
PS: That didn’t take long. Just read that a lone protestor in Manchester bearing a small card saying ‘Priti Fascist’ was arrested by police saying it was ‘offensive’. Later ‘de-arrested’ whatever that may be….
I find Johnson and his cabal of evil fools a lot more than ‘offensive’. Can I have them arrested I wonder.