In the news

A lot of people pointing out that this £8.7 bn plus the £5 bn cost of Covid loan fraud equates to more than the £12 bn projected to be raised by the 10% rise in NI.

https://www.mylondon.news/news/west-london-news/acton-town-fire-live-updates-22951938

Looks like a very large garage:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.5028711,-0.2794853,3a,75y,265.18h,85.58t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sQRfS4rxqZRmURLa8dwHgRA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Ineffective correspondence with my MP continues. This the latest follows (note that I’m yet to have a personal reply just something standard from an aide, biggest giveaway that my original emails are never included in the response and email title is different. Oh, and that the responses are articulate).

“Dear Big Ted

Thank you for your previous correspondence regarding gatherings at Downing Street and the Prime Minister.

It is impossible to ignore or diminish the sacrifices made or the pain experienced by some families over the course of the pandemic.

I fully accept that those who make the rules cannot break the rules.

I agree with Sue Gray’s conclusion on page 8 that many of these events should not have been allowed to take place.

Given that these gatherings took place on the Prime Minister’s watch, it was right that he apologised.

I attended the Prime Minister’s statement in the House of Commons yesterday afternoon, and it is clear that there is more information yet to come.

If we want the facts then we have no choice but to wait for the conclusions of the Metropolitan Police.

I appreciate the strength of feeling on this subject and thank you for sharing your views and for writing to me.

It can be tempting to follow the stories given to the media but on this matter I feel it is my responsibility to look at the facts.

I always try to act in the best interests of my constituents and I shall continue to do this as I am sure you would want me to.

You can read a copy of Sue Gray’s report by clicking here.

You can also read the Prime Minister’s statement to parliament on the matter by clicking here.

Thank you again for writing.

Yours sincerely”

Part of me says to give up in frustration. The other part says that this man was knighted for “public services” last month and so the least that could be expected would be a response to the issues I’ve raised.

Pedantry is my energy

Whenever I write to Maria Caulfield I get a stock copy pasted party response.

All of the waffle of strident condemnation that people issue is ineffective. The only thing that will do anything is to take the practical steps needed to remove Johnson from office. That is, Tory MPs need to send in their famous letters to the 1922 Committee and there need to be actual legally sticky charges against him. I still don't expect either of these to happen and Johnson will sail through. As long as no formal process is kicked off, he's perfectly safe.

But the only way that we, the electorate, can even try to influence that is writing to our Tory MPs to try to get them worried enough about their jobs to act. My situation is hopeless - the incumbent has a 25k+ majority in a small constituency - but even tilting at windmills is better than just staring resolutely into the abyss.

(Note that hyperbole mode may have been engaged with that last sentence)

Also, my MP is an arrogant and entitled knob. So there is also that

Part of me says to give up in frustration. The other part says that this man was knighted for “public services” last month and so the least that could be expected would be a response to the issues I’ve raised

Put that in your next letter.

They'll ignore it. But might as well give it a go.

Although it'll still just be a skim from whoever does read it. And if not, may be worse. The responses I got from John Cryer re: brexit. Ugh.

arrogant and entitled knob

Put this in your next letter

Better off going to their next surgery and giving them the impression they'll be seeing a lot more of you.

I’m composing my response now, figure that I’ll include all previous questions (I used that before sign off in each case) and also note that no one is prepared to repeat the Saville smear outside of parliamentary privilege (may add in that Johnson also remarked that investigating historic child sex abuse as spaffing money up the wall so he’s being inconsistent to say the least).

We’re then into viewing the current revelations with more sympathy if the PM had acted with probity over a period but that his lies are legion in politics, work and his personal life and, even when found out, he tries to lie and bluster his way out.

Oh, and the media stories I’m not supposed to take heed of? There are sufficient published emails, photos and details in the public realm to allow anyone reasonable to draw a conclusion (plus the fact that the police already have enough to launch a criminal prosecution).

Might even say that those who continue to support Johnson, and that includes those who sit on their hands, are as much part of the problem as Johnson is (ie as Caroline Lucas said, not just one bad apple but a rotten tree).

I guess as a finish might as well mention the irony of Blackford being shown the door for speaking the truth while Johnson got to stay and continue to lie.

This.

But if I don’t write then I give the knob further room to ssinf he’s had no issues raised by his constituents (he’s not said this but only a matter of time)

Yep!!!

I think as a salutation it would need to be Sir Arrogant and Entitled Knob

His website says that the last one was on 2nd May, assuming that was 2021.

He is legendarily invisible in the constituency so that checks out.

Hah yea. See WTF RSJ chat.

damn, you need to embed yourself in the local conservatives and ambush him at a fundraiser.

??? links?

In the DIY thread a couple of pages back. RSJ being held up by a door frame and other horrors.

I thought you were replying to something else, totally lost for a while there :)

Anxiety, surprisingly home owners have a lot of it.

Yes, could introduce myself as Hugo Bellwether, just moved into the constituency and then surprise him with my self righteousness

Maybe just start a (pretend) friendship, learn the ways of your enemy and how to undermine his popularity. As far as I know this is pretty much politics 101.

Move to a non-Tory constituency?