Liz Truss Left ‘Deep And Painful Scar’ On Conservative Party’s Reputation, Mel Stride Says

Posted on 05/12/2024 by Boris Clair

Liz Truss and her mini-Budget left a “very deep and painful scar” on the Conservative Party, Mel Stride said.

The shadow Tory chancellor, who did not serve in the Truss government, made the admission during a lunch with Westminster journalists.

Asked by reporters if the Tories needed to publicly distance themselves from the mini-Budget by apologising and promising it will never happen again, Stride just admitted Truss’s £45bn of unfunded tax cuts severely damaged the party’s reputation.

The MP for Central Devon said: “I think it’s fair to say the-called mini-Budget – on which I had a lot to say at the time – as I was chair of the Treasury select and I was very vocal about what was going on during and after that event – it is a very deep and painful scar on the Conservative Party.”

He said: “At a stroke, it severely damaged that mantle of economic fiscal competence that our party has always [had].”

He added fiscal responsibility has to be at the centre of Conservatives’ plan to move forward.

Truss was ousted from government after serving just 49 days as the prime minister due to the chaos her mini-Budget caused.

She was also kicked out of her seat in the July general election when her majority of 26,195 was wiped out and Labour’s candidate Terry Jermy took her South West Norfolk constituency by 630 votes.

Stride actually managed to hang onto his own seat, although his majority dropped from 16,831 to just 61 votes.

July’s general election led to a historic defeat for the Tories who took just 121 seats in parliament, their worst defeat in terms of constituencies in history.

Asked if the Tories deserved to lose, Stride said: “If the question is – did we do everything right? And really did we deserve to win? Then I don’t think anybody could argue that we did everything right; a very, very long way from it.”

But he claimed Covid, Ukraine and inflation had all impacted the Tory reputation.

The Tory frontbencher added: “We’ve been around for 14 years. And what being around 14 years does is it deprives you the ability to readily recast yourself as an agent of change and so forth.”

He also expressed optimism about his party’s future, saying: “We have a long way to go in order to get back into political contention, but I believe we can do it, because I think that Labour victory last time round whilst wide is relatively shallow, and under 34% of the vote.

“We are in very volatile territory at the moment in which almost anything can happen in the future.”

Bill Clinton Says He Wishes Joe Biden Didn’t Do This Thing Before Pardoning His Son

Posted on 05/12/2024 by Boris Clair

Bill Clinton said on Wednesday that you “can’t take the politics out of” presidential pardoning decisions as he weighed in on Joe Biden’s recent pardon of his son Hunter Biden.

“I wish he hadn’t said he wasn’t going to do it. I think it does weaken his case,” Clinton said of Joe Biden, who had vowed he wouldn’t pardon his son, who was found guilty in June of illegally owning a gun in 2018 and pleaded guilty in a tax case in September.

Clinton, in remarks to Andrew Ross Sorkin at The New York Times’ DealBook Summit, said the president had “reason to believe” his son would likely face “far stronger, adverse consequences” than the average person.

On Sunday, Biden said in a statement that his son was “unfairly” and selectively prosecuted, adding that he was “singled out” due to his ties to his father. The move by the president has led to bipartisan condemnation in the days since.

Clinton dismissed comparisons of Biden’s pardon to his own 2001 pardon of his half-brother Roger Clinton Jr, who was convicted of cocaine possession and drug trafficking in 1985.

“The real question was, would he ever be able to vote again? Would he ever be able to have normal citizenship responsibilities?” said the former president, who noted that his half-brother had already served a 14-month sentence in federal prison at the time.

He continued, “And I’ve been sort of upset that there’s been almost no discussion about the larger problem, which is, does the pardon system we have work?”

Bill Clinton, who urged Americans to see Biden’s move in a “larger context,” then turned to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ (Democrat, New York) call for the president to also pardon those “in the federal prison system whose lives have been ruined by unjustly aggressive prosecutions for nonviolent offences.”

He said that Biden is “almost certainly right” that his son received “completely different treatments” than he would have otherwise.

But the issue over the pardon, he said, isn’t “way high” on his “hierarchy of things” he’s supposed to be upset about.

Sorkin later asked Clinton if Biden should pardon President-elect Donald Trump in what could be seen as a “balanced” move prior to the change in administrations.

“Well, I do think we should stop trying to criminalise politics,” Clinton said.

He later continued, “Both of them. … And the people like it when they are not going along with it from right to left. On the other hand, you have to ask yourself, if you do this as a blanket thing, is there anything a president could do that he or she someday would get in trouble for?”

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Keir Starmer Pledges Labour Will Recruit 13,000 More ‘Bobbies On The Beat’ In Crime Crackdown

Posted on 04/12/2024 by Boris Clair

Labour will recruit an extra 13,000 neighbourhood police to tackle anti-social behaviour between now and the general election, Keir Starmer will pledge on Thursday.

The prime minister will unveil the plan in a major speech as he attempts to relaunch his government after a turbulent first five months in office.

Every community will have a “named, contactable officer” tasked with patrolling their neighbourhood and who cannot be used to plug policing shortages in other areas, the PM will say.

The new “neighbourhood policing guarantee” is part of a “plan for change” setting out how Labour intends to achieve its five missions for government and will include separate pledges on clearing hospital backlogs, improving education, tackling the cost of living and bringing down energy bills.

But No.10 has denied that the PM has been forced into the reset by the controversies and scandals which have dogged the government since Labour’s landslide election victory in July.

They have included a row over Labour donor Lord Alli buying clothes and glasses for the prime minister, the sacking of Starmer’s chief of staff Sue Gray, and last week’s resignation by transport secretary Louise Haigh.

In his speech, Starmer will say: “The neighbourhood policing guarantee will deliver 13,000 extra neighbourhood police, visible on your streets, cracking down on anti-social behaviour.

“A named, contactable officer in every community. A relief to millions of people scared to walk their streets they call home.”

The extra numbers will be made up of police, community support officers and special constables.

Home secretary Yvette Cooper said the move was “about rebuilding the vital connection between the public and the police”.

“This marks a return to the founding principles of British policing – where officers are part of the communities they serve,” she said.

“Through this visible, responsive police presence in every neighbourhood, we will restore the trust and partnership that lies at the heart of keeping our communities safe.”

Starmer is also expected to address public concerns about high immigration in his speech, as well as announce a major programme of public sector reform.

He will say: “My government was elected to deliver change, and today marks the next step. People are tired of being promised the world, but short-term sticking plaster politics letting them down.

“Hardworking Brits are going out grafting every day but are getting short shrift from a politics that should serve them.

“They reasonably want a stable economy, their country to be safe, their borders secure, more cash in their pocket, safer streets in their town, opportunities for their children, secure British energy in their home, and an NHS that is there when they need it. My mission-led government will deliver.”

Entire UK Army Would Be Destroyed In 6 To 12 Months Of War, Minister Warns

Posted on 04/12/2024 by Boris Clair

The entire British Army would be destroyed in six months to a year if it was pulled into a major conflict and lost troops at the same rate as Russia, according to the veterans minister.

There are currently 71,347 full-time, trained troops in the army, which is the force’s smallest size since the 1700s Napoleonic era.

Defence secretary John Healey has already warned that it is expected to decline below 70,000.

Speaking to the Royal United Services Institute think tank, Colonel Alistair Carns pointed out how Vladimir Putin is racking up around 1,500 casualties per day in the Ukraine war.

He said: “In a war of scale — not a limited intervention but one similar to Ukraine — our army, for example on the current casualty rates, would be expended, as part of a broader multinational coalition, in six months to a year.”

But Putin is aspiring to lead the second largest army in the world, with 1.5 million active troops– and leaning on soldiers recruited from North Korea – meaning it’s probably easier to absorb those losses.

However, Carns suggested the UK did not need to emulate Putin’s approach.

He said: “That doesn’t mean we need a bigger army, but it does mean you need to generate depth and mass rapidly in the event of crisis.”

Carns pointed out that Russia is already on its third army – and that major powers now see “attrition” as crucial to victory in modern day warfare.

He added that it was key to have plenty of reservists, saying: “The reserves are absolutely central to that process. Without them we cannot generate mass, we cannot meet the plethora of defence tasks.”

One of the UK’s most senior military chiefs as head of strategic command, General Sir Jim Hockenhull, also added: “The stakes are clear: if we fail to act we risk falling further behind.”

The quarterly service personnel statistics army reserve force has found that there is 25,814 strong, although there are more veterans who are not in the reservers.

Those who left the service within 18 years and are younger than 55 can be compelled to take up arms in a crisis, too.

However, the deputy chief of the British defence staff, Rob Magowan, said last month: “If the British Army was asked to fight tonight, it would fight tonight.”

Still, Carns’ warning comes as Putin continues to amplify his threats against Ukraine’s allies.

After the UK (and the US) finally gave Ukraine permission to use their long-range missiles to target sites within Russia, Putin threatened to bomb the UK last month.

The Russian president said: “In response to the use of American and British long-range weapons on November 21 of this year, the Russian armed forces launched a combined strike on one of the facilities of the Ukrainian defence industry.

“One of the newest Russian medium-range missile systems was tested in combat conditions, in this case, with a ballistic missile in a non-nuclear hypersonic warhead.”

Major Shock As MPs Back Move To Change The Voting System For Elections

Posted on 03/12/2024 by Boris Clair

MPs have backed a bill calling for a change in the voting system for elections.

In a major shock, the Elections (Proportional Representation) Bill was backed by 138 votes to 136.

The bill, in the name of the Lib Dem MP Sarah Olney, calls for the current first past the post system to be replaced by a form of PR.

She said: “This is a historic day in the fight for fairer votes and I am grateful to all the MPs who backed it.

“Trust in our political system is broken following years of the Conservative Party riding roughshod over standards in public life.

“Fixing our broken electoral system, introducing fair votes, and making sure everyone’s voice matters is the best way to rebuild this trust.

“Today, as we have done for a century, Liberal Democrats are leading the fight for fair votes and making sure that no one can be ignored in our democracy.

“The government must now listen to the will of the House, make time for the legislation and make fairer votes a reality and we will be holding their feet to the fire to make this happen.”

However, a spokesman for the prime minister said: “There are no plans for proportional representation or reforms to the voting system.”

Unless the government makes time for the bill at second reading, which it appears unlikely to do, the bill will fall.

A breakdown showing how MPs voted this afternoon showed Labour is split over the issue, with 59 of the party’s MPs voting for it and 50 voting against.

During the Commons debate on the bill, Tory MP Lewis Cockington suggested British voters may struggle to understand PR, despite it being used in other countries around the world.

He said: “It cannot be denied that voters would be confronted with a far more complicated system if any type of proportional representation were to be introduced.”

In a referendum on introducing the alternative vote method of PR in 2011, 68% of voters supported sticking with the current system.

Why Are We Still Talking About The Elgin Marbles?

Posted on 03/12/2024 by Boris Clair

The Elgin Marbles – and the debate over which country owns them – are in the spotlight yet again after Keir Starmer met with his Greek counterpart in Downing Street today.

The artefacts, known as the Parthenon Sculptures in Greece and housed in the British Museum, have been a source of tension between the two countries for decades, as Athens is keen to have them back.

While Downing Street said the topic would not be on the leaders’ agenda during Tuesday’s meeting, a former advisor to the Greek government claimed a deal for returning the items was “close”.

It comes a year after Rishi Sunak created a diplomatic incident when he cancelled a meeting with the Greek PM over the artefacts.

Here’s what you need to know about the sculptures, – and why this topic probably is not going away any time soon.

What are the Elgin Marbles, and why are they so controversial?

The sculptures, first carved 2,500 years ago, were brought to Britain in the 19th Century by British ambassador Lord Elgin.

He removed them from the Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens, reportedly with permission from the Ottoman authorities, who had ruled the city for 400 years at that point.

About half the surviving marble works are in London and the rest remain in a purpose-built museum under the Acropolis in Athens.

Greece says they were stolen but the British Museum claims they were legally obtained.

Greece has been fighting to retrieve them for years, and first put in a request for London to return the sculptures in 1983, but it was rejected the following year.

However official negotiations have been in progress since 2021, and the British Museum is reportedly considering a special loan agreement with Greece.

The institution’s chair, former Tory chancellor George Osborne, has openly said he is looking for ways to display the marbles in Greece.

And, according to YouGov, 53% of Brits think they should be returned to Greece while only 24% think they should be kept in the UK.

However, the British Museum is legally unable to give up ownership of the sculptures due to the 1963 British Museum Act, which prevents any objects being removed permanently from the institution.

Greece has previously suggested that it will not agree to a loan as that would be admitting the Museum owns the marbles.

What happened between Sunak and Mitsotakis last year?

Then PM Rishi Sunak chose to cancel his meeting with the Greek prime minister lKyriakos Mitsotakis last year after he suggested they could discuss ownership of the marbles.

The Tories remained adamant that they did not want the marbles to leave the museum – however, Sunak’s decision to scrap the face-to-face sparked a diplomatic row.

According to Bloomberg, Mitsotakis said in a statement: “I express my annoyance for the fact that the British prime minister cancelled our scheduled meeting just hours before it was due to take place.

“Greece’s positions on the issue of the Parthenon Sculptures are well known. I was hoping to have the opportunity to discuss them with my British counterpart as well, along with the major challenges of the international situation: Gaza, Ukraine, climate crisis, migration.”

Sunak’s spokesman told reporters: “We have no plans to change our approach and certainly we think that the museum is the right place for them.

“I haven’t asked him specifically about short-term or new ideas that have been put forward, but I think he’s been fairly robust on his position.”

What does Greece say now?

Mitsotakis has been clear that retrieving the marbles is still of great importance for him.

As he told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme in 2023: “It’s as if I told you that you would cut the Mona Lisa in half, and you will have half of it at the Louvre and half of it at the British Museum, do you think your viewers would appreciate the beauty of the painting in such a way?

“Well, this is exactly what happened with the Parthenon sculptures and that is why we keep lobbying for a deal that would essentially be a partnership between Greece and the British Museum but would allow us to return the sculptures to Greece and have people appreciate them in their original setting.”

He was expected to resume his calls for retrieving the marbles after meeting Starmer in November last year.

A former adviser to Greek’s government – Professor Stamatoudi – told the BBC on Tuesday that a deal on the marbles was “close” but she was not sure if it was “close enough”.

She said Greece had offered a “cultural, strategic partnership” where they would send something else to the museum in exchange for the marbles – although negotiations around what it could be remain “secret”.

What does Labour think?

Before getting into No.10, Labour said it would not change the law around items in the British Museum.

But the party suggested that, if elected, they would not prevent a loan deal if the British Museum and the Greek government came to an agreement.

Home office minister Jess Phillips was more candid on Sky News this morning, saying she did not know what the UK were going to do about the marbles.

“I think there’s probably a perfectly sensible solution that can come up,” she said. “It seems like two friendly nations could probably get over this issue.”

Did Starmer and Mitsotakis discuss a deal today?

It remains unclear if the two PMs did mention the touchy subject.

An official government readout of Starmer’s meeting with the Greek PM did not include any reference to the Marbles – although the Greek public broadcaster ERT claimed it was discussed.

A spokesman for the prime minister did not deny that the Greek PM raised the issue of the marbles during his talks with Starmer when asked by journalists, but said the “focus” of the meeting was on economic growth, trade, investment, education and defence.

He said: “It remains the case that decisions relating to the care and management of the sculptures are a matter for the trustees of the British Museum, which is operationally independent of the government and we have no plans to change the law to permit the permanent removal of the sculptures.”

However, he said the prime minister is “always open to discussions with world leaders about priorities important to them”.

Still, the issue has given the Tories a chance to drive the knife in, as they have accused the PM of caving to the “radical left” over the marbles, despite the majority of Brits backing it.

Saqib Bhatti, shadow culture minister, said: “Sir Keir Starmer has already capitulated over the Chagos Islands, and now it appears he is set to cave in to the radical left and return the Elgin marbles to Greece.

“The British Museum has cared for these precious artefacts for generations and given people from around the globe the chance to learn about their tremendous story.

“The marbles are protected by an act of parliament – the PM needs to be clear that he will not allow the law to be changed and block any legal work around that might be devised to allow them to be taken out of this country.

“The prime minister should be standing up for Britain, our heritage, and our world-class cultural institutions instead of giving in to pressure from campaigners who detest British history.”

The Tories Spent £715 Million Sending No Asylum Seekers To Rwanda

Posted on 02/12/2024 by Boris Clair

The Tories’ Rwanda scheme cost nearly three quarters of a billion pounds despite failing to send a single asylum seeker to the country, it has been revealed.

Official figures released on Monday by the Home Office showed that a staggering £715m of taxpayers’ money was spent on the failed policy, which was scrapped by Labour after the election.

Further multi-million pound payments would have been due to Rwanda had the scheme continued.

Home secretary Yvette Cooper said it showed the scheme was “a grotesque waste of money”.

Former Conservative home secretary Priti Patel signed the “economic partnership agreement” with Rwandan foreign minister Vincent Biruta in April, 2022.

The aim was for the east African country to accept asylum seekers who entered the UK illegally and deter others from attempting to cross the English Channel from France in small boats.

But the European Court of Human Rights prevented any deportation flights from taking off, and the policy was eventually ruled unlawful by the Uk Supreme Court.

According to the Home Office, Rwanda received £290m from the UK government, with a further £50m being spent on flights, escorting, airfield and police costs.

Some £95m was spent on detention and reception centres, while £280m went on other fixed costs, such as developing IT systems and legal costs.

The Home Office said: “During more than 2 years in which the policy and partnership operated, only four volunteers and no asylum seekers were sent to Rwanda.”

In a statement to MPs, Cooper said: “84,000 people crossed the Channel from the day the deal was signed to the day it was scrapped. This so-called deterrent did not result in a single deportation.

“Or stop a single boat from crossing the Channel. For the British taxpayer, it was
a grotesque waste of money.”

Border security and asylum minister Angela Eagle said: “In the Tories’ own words, the asylum system is ‘broken’ and they ‘let the country down badly’ over 14 years in power.

“Now the sheer eye-watering scale of the Conservatives’ Rwanda gimmick has been exposed. The taxpayer has footed a £700 million bill thanks to their incompetence and Kemi Badenoch would do it all over again.

“This government has already started the hard graft. We hired more caseworkers to tackle the asylum backlog and get people out of hotels. We’ve also removed thousands of those with no right to be in the UK.

“Labour is getting on with cleaning up the Conservatives’ mess. Our new Border Security Command is working with our European partners to smash the criminal gang networks driving small boat crossings.”

Lisa Smart, the Lib Dem home affairs spokesperson, said: “The Conservatives should be utterly ashamed of themselves. £715 million wasted on their failed Rwanda scheme with absolutely nothing to show for it is a disgraceful waste of taxpayer money.

“Not only did they recklessly throw millions down the drain, but the Conservatives left our asylum system in a state of disrepair.”

Right-Wing Pundit Hit With Brutal Reminders After Complaining About Biden Pardon

Posted on 02/12/2024 by Boris Clair

Right-wing filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza got some swift rejoinders on social media after he criticized President Joe Biden for pardoning his son Hunter this weekend.

“No one is above the law ― except my son Hunter!” the conspiracy theorist wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday.

As many people quickly pointed out, D’Souza got his own presidential pardon from Donald Trump in 2018, having pleaded guilty in 2014 to campaign finance law violations.

Biden pardoned his son on Sunday despite saying previously he would not do so. Hunter Biden was found guilty in June of illegally owning a gun in 2018. He also pleaded guilty in September to not paying his taxes. He was due to be sentenced later this month in both cases.

President-elect Trump, for his part, pardoned friends, allies and associates during his first term, but called Biden’s move an abuse of power. He has also vowed to pardon the people convicted of crimes for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection that Trump incited.

Also on Sunday, D’Souza admitted in a lengthy statement on his website that various claims he made about “ballot harvesting” in “2000 Mules” ― his 2022 conspiracy film about the 2020 election ― were inaccurate. He apologized to a man, Mark Andrews, who sued him for defamation over his inclusion in the movie.

D’Souza was offered a few reminders after his Biden complaint:

Russia Making ‘Rapid Advances’ In Ukraine As Volodymyr Zelenskyy Hints At Peace Deal

Posted on 01/12/2024 by Boris Clair

Russian forces are making “rapid advances” in Ukraine amid fresh hope of a peace deal in the conflict.

The latest intelligence update from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Putin’s troops “are attacking behind established Ukrainian defences” as the third anniversary of the beginning of the war approaches.

It came after Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Sky News that he could be willing to give up territory already occupied by Russia to bring about a ceasefire.

In return, the Ukrainian president said land still held by Kyiv could come under “the Nato umbrella”.

He said his country could then seek to get back the land it has lost “in a diplomatic way” in the future.

Any peace deal must also contain a”guarantee that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin will not come back” for more Ukrainian territory, Zelenskyy said.

His comments come as Russia appears to be gaining the upper hand in the war.

The MoD update posted on X said: “In Donetsk oblast, Russian forces have made rapid advances towards the eastern flank of Velyka Novosilka.

“The town has been situated on the front line since 2022 and has acted as a lynchpin of Ukraine’s defensive line.”

The MoD said the area is now “vulnerable to Russian attacks due to the loss of Vuhledar, 30 km to the east, in October”.

They added: “This enabled increased Russian advances into less well defended areas in western Donetsk oblast.

“Russian forces are attacking behind established Ukrainian defences and threatening the primary logistics routes to the town.”

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy has thanked the UK for its ongoing support for Ukraine.

In a video posted on X, he said: “We value the UK’s decision to impose sanctions on Russia’s shadow tanker fleet. This keeps the world on the right track—a course toward justice. Toward ensuring that Russia feels its responsibility for this war, for its consequences, and is compelled towards peace. The world is able to ensure this.”

This week, I want to highlight several of our partners for their significant support: Lithuania – a new batch of military aid has arrived, including weapons, ammunition, and spare parts for armored vehicles.

I am grateful to the Netherlands for the Patriot launchers. The United… pic.twitter.com/zK3Su9wKSg

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 30, 2024

Is Elon Musk Planning To Make A ‘F*** You Starmer’ $100 Million Donation To Reform UK?

Posted on 01/12/2024 by Boris Clair

Elon Musk is reportedly planning to make a $100 million donation to Reform UK as a “fuck you” to Keir Starmer.

According to the Sunday Times, the tech billionaire could funnel the cash through the British arm of his social media platform X to get round rules banning foreigners from giving money to British parties.

The huge sum – worth around £78 million – would give Nigel Farage’s party a major financial advantage over both Labour and the Tories.

The paper says leading businessmen and Conservative Party officials believe Musk could hand over the cash as a “fuck you Starmer payment” in his ongoing feud with the prime minister.

The war of words began during last summer’s far-right riots, when Musk posted on X that “civil war in inevitable” in the UK.

That prompted the PM’s official spokesman to hit back: “There’s no justification for comments like that and what we’ve seen in this country is organised illegal thuggery which has no place on our streets or online.”

Musk has also criticised the introduction of inheritance tax for agricultural land by Rachel Reeves in the Budget, and last month accused Labour of turning Britain into a “tyrannical police state”.

He has also taken a swipe at Starmer’s approval ratings, which have slumped since Labour’s landslide election victory.

Musk – a close ally of Donald Trump – made clear his support for Reform UK last week after it emerged that former Tory minister Andrea Jenkyns had defected to the party.

When one X user claimed “Reform will win the next election”, Musk replied to the post with just one word: “Yes.”

Asked about the potential Musk donation to Reform UK, Nigel Farage told the Sunday Times: “All I can say is that I’m in touch with him and he is very supportive of my policy positions.

“We both share a friendship with Donald Trump and Trump has said good things about me in front of Musk. We’ve got a good relationship with him.”

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