Keir Starmer: even if he’s found this poll, I don’t think he’ll be able to rig it.
Richard Murphy of Tax Research UK has an interesting question.
He wants to know if left-leaning politicians and powerful figures should begin a new party to pressure Starmer’s Labour in the way UKIP pressured and changed the Tories.
At the time of writing, the answer is very much “yes”. But what do you think?
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Corruption? Richard Sharp (left) and Boris Johnson.
A Parliamentary committee has reached a damning conclusion about BBC Chairman Richard Sharp, who helped facilitate a very large loan to Boris Johnson while he was applying to Johnson for his current job.
The Commons’ Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee said Mr Sharp committed serious errors of judgement in his conduct. It clearly seems to have created a serious conflict of interest, if not outright corruption – arranging financial help for the person to whom he was applying for a job.
On the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the Minister for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, said Mr Sharp’s future as chairman was a matter for the BBC.
This is not true.
His was a government appointment – he was given the job by then-prime minister Boris Johnson (that’s why there was a conflict of interest) and only the government can remove him from office (although he may still resign of his own accord).
Watch Mitchell dump himself in the mire and try to talk himself out of it – and then enjoy the reactions of panellists on the show, including John Nicholson, the SNP MP who grilled Mr Sharp hotly at the DCMS committee session.
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Corruption? Richard Sharp (left) and Boris Johnson.
I can’t say I do.
Richard Sharp appeared before the Commons’ Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee to explain his involvement in the arrangement of an alleged £800,000 loan for then-prime minister Boris Johnson, right before Johnson appointed him Chairman of the BBC.
According to the BBC News report,
BBC chairman Richard Sharp has denied that he helped arrange a loan for Boris Johnson when he was prime minister.
But the same report states that
Mr Sharp confirmed he had introduced his friend Sam Blyth to Cabinet Secretary Simon Case in late 2020, which was shortly before his appointment at the BBC.
Mr Sharp has previously said Mr Blyth had told him he wanted to provide financial assistance to Mr Johnson after reading about the then-PM’s money troubles in the media.
On Tuesday, Mr Sharp agreed with acting committee chairman Damian Green that he had “acted as a sort of introduction agency” between Mr Blyth and Mr Case.
It’s all a bit murky as to why this was necessary. Sam Blyth is said to be Boris Johnson’s cousin and well-known to him; the claim seems to be that Mr Sharp stepped in to provide a buffer between the two family members in order to bring Mr Blyth to the attention of civil servants.
Mr Sharp also said
“I did not provide and have not provided the former prime minister personal financial advice. I know nothing about his [financial] affairs, I never have done. I didn’t facilitate a loan.”
Really?
1mins in and Richard Sharp, Chairperson of the BBC, has already lied 🤥🤥🤥
Sharp said “I have never given/been asked any financial advice to #BloJo”…BUT internal memos w/in No10 show that advisors said to BJ “to stop asking Sharp for personal financial advice all the time!”😡 https://t.co/fDDQXGv9Bt
If he knew nothing about Johnson’s financial affairs, how did he know Johnson needed a loan?
Boris Johnson was "ding dang sure" that BBC chair Richard Sharp knows nothing about his personal finances.
Here's Richard Sharp admitting he's known since September 2020 about Sam Blyth's intention to help Boris Johnson financially. pic.twitter.com/1ZjjjExrO8
"I did not arrange a loan" for Boris Johnson, says BBC Chairman Richard Sharp, who helped to arrange a loan for Boris Johnson. pic.twitter.com/LscCMHAj3l
Richard Sharp knew Boris Johnson had financial issues-so of course he knew about the PM's financial affairs-hence the introduction-why did we have a Prime Minister who needed to secure credit via a loan of £800,000 pounds-whether or not he used it something stinks here.
Richard Sharp (BBC Chair) introduced Sam Blyth (Boris Johnson's cousin) to Simon Case (senior civil servant) after Sam Blyth offered financial support to the Prime Minister-sounds like a broker to me?
And then there is the fact that this happened while Mr Sharp was applying for the job of BBC Chairman. This has also attracted round criticism:
How can a man with years of experience in the business world like Richard Sharp not realise that there would be a perceived conflict of interest when he applied to be chair of the BBC having been involved in facilitating that huge loan to Johnson. It simply isn‘t credible.
His evidence suggested that he did realise there would be a perceived conflict of interest; that’s why he said he told both Simon Case and Mr Blyth that he had to step back, after introducing them. But still…
Richard Sharp reveals he went to see Boris Johnson in No10 to discuss the BBC chairmanship before applying.
An opportunity not afforded to others during “open and fair” contest — and another detail not disclosed alongside involvement in talks about Johnson’s finances.
John Nicolson, the SNP MP who hotly grilled Mr Sharp at the committee meeting, had this to say:
After an hour Richard Sharp still doesn’t seem to understand why it was wrong for him to withhold the crucial information that he facilitated a huge loan for Boris Johnson – the man appointing him as BBC Chair. He just doesn’t seem to get it. And yet it’s so basic. @CommonsDCMS
“It leaves the impression so much of this is deeply ‘Establishment’; it’s pals appointing pals, donating money to pals.
“It rather leaves the impression that it is all a bit… ‘banana republic’ and cosy.”
Yes it does.
Here’s a video clip of the full confrontation between Mr Nicolson and Mr Sharp:
BBC staff are said to be furious about the shame Mr Sharp has brought down on the organisation.
So here’s the question:
Should he remain as BBC Chair or should he quit?
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James Cleverly: He was once described as “the Tories’ go-to eejit when they need someone to tweet absolute nonsense or defend the indefensible”.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly did the Sunday morning interview round on January 23, 2023 – meaning he had to field questions about whether Boris Johnson corruptly appointed Richard Sharp as BBC Chairman, and about Nadhim Zahawi’s taxes.
He didn’t have answers about either of them, and instead came across as shifty, unrevealing and untrustworthy.
His responses displayed many characteristics of what police (for example) might describe as untruthfulness, or at least deception.
In this video clip, I have tried to identify at least a few of the tell-tale signs:
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This is hilarious – but not for any reason that Boris Johnson would like.
Confronted with the allegations that BBC Chairman Richard Sharp was corruptly appointed to the role – by Johnson – after he arranged an £800,000 loan for the then-prime minister, he responded as follows:
It’s amusing that he’s saying the BBC is disappearing up its own “fundament”, when you remember that he’s discussing somebody he appointed to that corporation.
But also: look at his eyes and listen to what he’s actually saying.
Instead of discussing the facts of the matter, Johnson instead gives what’s known as a “resume statement” or “convincing statement” about Richard Sharp. Apparently the BBC chairman is “a good and a wise man” but knows “absolutely nothing” about Johnson’s personal finances.
So, instead of answering the question, Johnson takes the opportunity to tell a story about Sharp’s character, to make us think someone like this would never be involved in any dodginess.
He’s on the news! He should be talking about what’s important – whether he corruptly installed Sharp at the BBC after the other man arranged a loan for him – and instead he’s avoiding the issue completely.
Secondly, look at his blink rate – the number of times he blinks while talking about Sharp. Normal blink rate is around 16 times per minute but Johnson blinks nine times in 10 seconds.
When we’re really interested in something, that blink rate slows down; we’re trying to take more information in. But when we’re stressed or anxious, which is usually what happens when we’re being deceptive, the blink rate goes up. Nine times in 10 seconds is a phenomenal rate.
Thirdly, ask yourself: did Johnson answer the question? If he did, did he answer the entire question? No, he didn’t.
He said nothing about what may or may not have happened. He said nothing about whether he welcomed the inquiry into it. He just gave Sharp a character reference and insulted the BBC.
Singly, these elements may not add up to much.
But together, they would indicate to those who know about such things that Johnson was trying to deceive the reporters – and the public.
Corruption? Richard Sharp (left) and Boris Johnson.
Apparently Boris Johnson appointed Tory donor Richard Sharp to the position of BBC Chairman a few weeks after Sharp arranged an £800,000 loan guarantee for Johnson, to cover his lavish lifestyle that the prime ministerial salary couldn’t.
This is yet another corruption scandal involving Johnson. Here’s analysis from A Different Bias:
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Richard Drax: he likes to dress the part of the landed gentry, but it seems his fortune is built on something sordid. Time to face reality?
Political news tends to dry up during Parliamentary vacations such as the current Christmas and New Year holiday – and that’s when reporters can turn up some very interesting pieces to fill the gap.
This one concerns Richard Drax, one of the richest MPs in Parliament, whose inherited fortune was apparently built on the slave trade.
His family owned plantations in Barbados that were farmed by slaves; he still has one there now, although working practices have changed with the times. As a result, he now owns a large amount of Dorset.
Barbados has recently become a republic and its people are asking him to make reparation for the slave-profiteering that built his fortune.
Here’s the report:
Will this MP make amends for his family’s sordid past? Or will he deny responsibility?
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The government may have lifted the ban on fracking but without public consent it still won’t happen, according to a business boss.
Richard Walker, the boss of Iceland, said members of the public are never going to allow the process, that may cause earthquakes, to happen near them.
And he pointed out that the economic gain would be minimal, even if it did happen.
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Economist Richard Murphy has given his verdict on the result of Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng’s new economic direction for the UK – and it is damning.
But he has also done something far more important; he has suggested ways forward for the UK. Principal among those is making sure the Conservative Party is never allowed into power on its own again, so it can never again ruin the finances of millions of people for the benefit of a few spoilt rich kids.
It’s the first positive series of suggestions This Writer has seen.
See what you think – and be sure to send those thoughts in via the comments section:
Six days after Kwarteng gave the worst budget in living memory, where are we? A summary thread…
The UK’s final salary pension funds nearly failed yesterday. It has cost £65 billion to bail them out, much of that going to people who are better off, overall.
Official interest rates are set to rise to 6% if market expectation is followed, meaning mortgage rates of 7.5%. I suspect half of all those with mortgages will not be able to pay anything like that. Rents are going to skyrocket as well. A housing crisis is likely.
Rising interest costs on top of massively increased energy costs and a collapse in consumer demand are going to hit hundreds of thousands of businesses very hard. Maybe that many will fail, and with that unemployment is going to increase, a lot.
Pensioners and those on benefits are not going to get the inflation-linked rises that were expected next April, even though their financial positions are profoundly perilous.
Second, because we cannot afford a general election as yet, having already had months without a government this year, a cross-party coalition will need to stabilise the country. I sincerely hope this can be achieved.
It will have to commit to higher public spending – knowing that much of this will pay for itself by delivering tax paid, improved productivity and positive multiplier effects as state employees spend their wages.
There will be a need for higher taxes on the well-off. Wealth will need to be taxed considerably more. This is not for revenue: it is time to reorder British society so that it is no longer structured to serve an elite, but everyone.
The Bank of England will have to be instructed to reduce interest rates as fast as is possible to save the domestic economy from ruin: again, if inflation is the consequence, so be it. We cannot afford the devastation of mortgage failures.
The financial markets will need a quiet revolution: the use of savings for speculation has to end if state subsidy for pensions and other savings is to be enjoyed.
And we need to rethink what is valuable. The idea that markets are good and the state is bad is nonsense. We have to create an economy where there is a genuine partnership.
Truss and Kwarteng have proved that yesterday was a very long time ago. We’re not going back there. We should not want to. But it will need big vision and courage to go forward. I hope some politician has it.
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Labour itself says Starmer was at the office of City of Durham MP Mary Foy for an online event ahead of the Hartlepool by-election – a neighbouring constituency. As pubs were closed, getting take-out food was the logical course of action.
Rules in force at the time said people should work from home if they could. It could be argued that this was an occasion in which working from home was not possible – and there was an exemption for “work purposes”. There were no specific rules for meals at work events or for socialising at them.
Durham police have investigated and said they were satisfied that no rules were broken.
That wasn’t enough for North West Durham Tory MP Richard Holden. He argued that “this location was not the usual workplace” of Sir Keir, and there was “no necessity” for him to attend the event.
Really? If it was billed as an online rally with Keir Starmer and Mary Foy, then it was probably reasonable for him to attend, and if it was organised by Ms Foy’s constituency party, then it was probably reasonable for him to attend it there.
And now there’s a question about Labour Deputy Leader Angela Rayner attending – which, again, is probably neither here nor there, considering the restrictions described above.
So on balance, This Site tends to agree (for possibly the first time!) with Starmer: “We’re a few days away from local elections, and Conservative MPs are trying to throw as much mud as possible.”
There isn’t any correspondence with the so-called Partygate scandal because the Downing Street gatherings were social events. Boris Johnson was fined for attending a party, not a work event.
So this issue is nothing more than a distraction – and a shot in the foot for the Tories.
That’s because, by concentrating on alleged lockdown rule-breaking, the Tories are focusing attention on their own wrongdoing more than anybody else’s. Their prime minister has been caught breaking those rules; Starmer is only accused.
And the simple there are far worse failings in Keir Starmer’s Labour Party that the Tories could be exploiting.
What surprises This Writer is that either party is anywhere at all in the polls. Other political organisations should be walking all over them while they squabble about this.
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