The Mock Turtle

Bat Macdui wrote: ↑Wed Mar 03, 2021 1:56 pm It was the declaration he couldn't live on £141k as a cabinet minister that I think of from time to time. I just shoved that in a PAYE calculator to make myself feel even more cross and even if you assume he's on a 6% pension that's £6,695 a month. I mean, it must be really hard to feed himself and the dog on that.

The old child maintenance fees fairly rack up though

Aren't most of them adults now? I bet he stopped paying at bang on their 16th birthdays as well. He's that sort.

There's a 30k grant EVERY YEAR and that's not enough?!

ParisGal wrote: ↑Wed Mar 03, 2021 2:53 pm There's a 30k grant EVERY YEAR and that's not enough?!

Oh EVERY year. I didn't read that. WOW. Jesus.

It's bizarre to me in that it seems completely obvious that if you want changes you have to pay for them (anything above essential maintenance) and the idea of doing it as a way of donors getting more influence is mindboggling. I'm hoping that the fact it's all being made public will make them pull back but you can never tell with that slippery bastard. I've just finished the book The Assault on Truth by Peter Oborne which is all about all the lies Boris has told over the years and goes in all guns blazing at Boris and the media that covers for him (although the author doesn't take responsibility for the fact that he was part of that for a long time). The old school report that says Boris seems to thing normal rules shouldn't apply to him seems to still be totally true and it's infuriating that he always seems to get away with it.

It is beyond me how the Johnsons can seriously expect us to pay for their bloody decorators . I gather that the hideous Giles and Mary style matching sofa and wall are nothing to do with their personal choice of decor, but regardless, they are getting the flat rent free (I assume), and the rent on something like that would knock a hole in his £6.5k a month. The fact that he can quibble over twenty quid a week for UC claimants when living like that is obscene.

Meanwhile, has anyone heard Nicola Sturgeon's evidence? I caught a couple of minutes earlyish this morning, and she sounded very unsure of herself. It was all 'if I remember rightly', and 'as far as I know', 'correct me if I'm wrong' and so on. It's 'interesting' that she (or her PR team) might have chosen budget day for her to give evidence, too, as I'm guessing that fewer people will see it than would otherwise have watched.

That book sounds interesting, Pootle. I might add it to the list of books I want to read after my course finishes. OTOH, I'm such a cynical old bat now that I'm not sure it would be good for me - I'm probably better advised to read something by the Dalai Lama.

Hmmmm nothing to see here: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... lip-rutnam

Morganna wrote: ↑Wed Mar 03, 2021 5:37 pm Meanwhile, has anyone heard Nicola Sturgeon's evidence? I caught a couple of minutes earlyish this morning, and she sounded very unsure of herself. It was all 'if I remember rightly', and 'as far as I know', 'correct me if I'm wrong' and so on.

I didn't see it but she does use that type of language frequently in her daily briefing. Whatever you think of her she has still grown up a woman and I think that language is female language. I will freely admit to being a fan though.

No truth in the accusations there then Priti, nope, none at all.

You're right, of course, but she just seemed as though she was covering her back, rather than trying not to sound too aggressive, which is often what underpins female hesitancy in language.

I'm pretty neutral about her. She comes over as a million times better than Johnson, but I don't think that's an achievement in itself . Obviously living in England I don't know as much as you will about what she's done politically, but all she ever seems to talk about is independence, which makes her look a bit of a one trick pony. That may be because of selective reporting, however.

kiwi wrote: ↑Thu Mar 04, 2021 9:25 pm No truth in the accusations there then Priti, nope, none at all.

I can't believe she can keep her job after that. Not only is it a clear indicator of her guilt, but the cost to the treasury/taxpayer/Tories (who pays for these things?) is so high that in any other role she would have been hauled over the coals long ago.

I'd say that's very much selective reporting Morgs, though agree that coming across better than Boris is not hard

And I also find Priti Patel hard to believe. What does she have over Boris?

Nothing but she's as thick as pig shit and hates immigrants so she fulfils his every request, innit. She won't be going anywhere, there's no such thing as shame in that cabinet.

No, when I said I can't believe it, I didn't mean that I don't believe it will happen

Ah, I see.

The Boris thing and Patel things are a disgrace. I get Press Reader with my library card so can read all the papers daily for free online and it's interesting to see that the Mail are the ones really laying into Boris over costs for the flat and now organic food boxes he gets weekly from some Tory donor - all leaked to them from an 'insider'. With the Tories you expect that to be whoever wants to be PM next - Johnson's income has to be his weak point and they're really going for that. If his Mail supporters turn on him though I hope to god he goes and takes the rest of his seedy lot with him.

Sturgeon's evidence was exactly as evasive as I'd expected, she really does have a terrible memory. They didn't land any blows on her as such so she'll probably survive. And I'm on the opposite side to Heebie about her (not exactly shocking I know) - her defence about everything she did being to defend women seemed particularly ironic given recent moves. Interestingly there is a split in the SNP also about how to get independence and many people think she's not doing enough to bring it about (I don't support it at all).

Morganna wrote: ↑Wed Mar 03, 2021 5:37 pm That book sounds interesting, Pootle. I might add it to the list of books I want to read after my course finishes. OTOH, I'm such a cynical old bat now that I'm not sure it would be good for me - I'm probably better advised to read something by the Dalai Lama.

It's a good read Morgs but not if you have any blood pressure issues ;) I'm now reading Left Out about Corbyn and the Labour party to make my blood boil cross party.

Morganna wrote: ↑Thu Mar 04, 2021 9:35 pm I can't believe she can keep her job after that.

Johnson would be on pretty shaky ground if he started holding others accountable for their behaviour. His teflon coating is reinforced by sharing it with those around him.

Fantastic news about the census just in thanks to Fair Play For Women. Passport sex is not acceptable*, and sex does not mean “gender identity”.


*

Where have you seen that, Ella? I can't see anything on the news pages.

I'm glad if so, because I jumped the gun on completing it because I was so keen to do the 'European' thing.