Angela rayner

I initially used to admire Angela. Her story was quite inspirational. But then you learn about people over time. The way she turned on Corbyn said a lot about her character. And it felt simply lovely when after other leaders demanded her resignation yesterday, Jeremy did not.

Whatever the rights and wrongs, this Labour government is shambolic.

 

Eh I'm not so sure. Between like 2016 and 2024 everyone that ever sneezed in conservative party HQ got a chance to be a minister with how many resignations and firings they had

 

As I say, I don't follow it as closely as I probably should, but I vaguely recall several high profile 'faux pas' by top Tory politicians, essentially being forgotten about because someone lower down got caught molesting a chicken the following day, or similar.

 

If anything, this sorry episode shows that Labour are holding themselves to a higher standard of governance than the Tory government did, and certainly more than the shitshow at Reform are doing with their various scandals across the few MPs that they have.

Breach of ministerial code = immediate resignation. Compare that with the equivalent scenarios of multiple breaches by Tory government ministers, where they'd cling to their roles until public outcry caused them to depart kicking and screaming.

 

Very much agree with this. Labour bolstered the standards role and gave it extra powers, as well as the ability for ministers to self refer.

You compare it to Zahawi who only got nobbled when he was going for the leadership (obviously leaked by a rival), and not in the many years before when HMRC were trying to recoup £5m of under declared tax. He was given numerous high profile roles included Chancellor very briefly. Yet nothing in the media, the Guardian ploughing a lone furrow.

She's done the right thing, the standards commissioner did the right thing, the process worked.

That wasn't the case until this government were elected. I suspect a Reform govt would instantly scrap such a position.

 

It’s more than testament to the ‘unbiased’ media we have in this country that the rhetoric here is that Rayner is/was on the take, is just as bad as anyone that went before, hand in the trough etc etc.

What has actually happened is she’s unwisely followed professional advice offered, she has - very quickly - sought alternative advice, remedied the situation, apologised, and still resigned in shame even then. She has shown more humility and held herself to a much higher standard than any recent previous example similar in nature - over an amount of money which is comparative chicken feed.

Farage is foaming at the mouth over it - he’s done the same thing and worse, ‘saving’ much more than £40k on each occasion. By flipping who owns what in his family to his wife and/or kids. Not selling the house to a trust for a disabled child, meaning in no way, shape or form will that house ever have any financial interest to them as individuals anymore. No - just transferring it to his Mrs or kid so he doesn’t have to pay.

How many MPs on the opposition side of the house - from any party not in government - have made similar arrangements? Hypocrites to a man.

The Tory front bench is and was awash with serial tax avoiders, serial accountability deniers, repeated liars; they are led by a horrific ladder puller - which of them ever fell on their swords for much worse offences?

I don’t think she really had a choice here - it is disappointing in the extreme that anyone would have done something like this - but I think if she’d actually been afforded the same ‘balance’ of reporting of more right leaning politicians, she might have had more chance to stay in role.

She was actually the one person in government who I thought was, potentially at least, still a little bit left leaning - so for me this is a sad development.

I’m not saying she didn’t do wrong - she was a bloody idiot and broke ministerial code, ignorance isn’t an excuse - but she is certainly not what a great faction of people, including some on this thread, have accused her of.

I find Ed Davey’s views on this to be quite telling. As far as I know he’s the only front line politician in a similar position re a disabled child.

The irony of it all is that the ‘lefties’ get attacked by the usual suspects when in actual fact the majority of the Labour front bench are centre right at best - just not far enough right to placate the daily heil, Torygraph, Twitter, GB News and the roundabout painters

 

Not only did she not act on any expert advice, she was recommended to get such advice and chose not to.

Correct decision and only jumped before she was pushed.

 

The credit for Zahawi goes to Dan Neidle, who refused to back down when Zahawi's lawyers tried to use SLAPP tactics on his efforts to investigate Zahawi's dealings. I doubt it had anything to do with a leadership rival.

 

Ant and Dec 'll be rubbing their hands together. A shoe-in for I'm a Celebrity get me out of here.

 

I'm absolutely sure it was. It had been touted around for years that he was under investigation.

It's how the tories operate. Just a game, do each other only when it matters. Little black books of misdemeanours ready to trot out to keep people in one or to out them if they won't.

 

It's like Emperor Palpatine and the Senate ousting the Jedi.

 

Wrong political persuasion.

 

I thought they were Labour. A chance to make her look good.

 

I don't think ITV is much more than sugar rush based television for much of the time.

I can't recall all the previous political contestants but ones I can recall.

Edwina Currie
Stanley Johnson
Nigel Farage
Matt Hancock
Nadine Dorries

 

I don't think that's bias, I think that's just because it tends to be tories/right wingers who put themselves in a position where they have to resort to eating kangaroo knob to try and salvage their reputation.

 

Yeah you're right. All far right politicians.

 

Irrespective of the cause it’s quite sad that in general it seems to be the working class celebrating the fall of one of their own whilst fawning at the feet of Farage.

the mind boggles.

 

Clearly it enhances rather than salvages.

Thinking about it they did have Lembit Opik... but I'm not sure that counts for anything given how empty a vessel he is.

 

In fairness mate, I don’t know many working class folk who can buy a second home. Let alone one valued at 800k. She might seem common as muck, but she’s just like the rest of them.