In the news

What really surprises me is that each time this comes up the official guidance that comes back is "yeah, that's fine".

I wonder if they're taught it once they enter politics, or if it's something ingrained from school.

It's not particularly sophisticated stuff is it? Literally the same stuff that you come out with when you're collared by the headmaster over something you were involved in.

This is not the first generation of politicians from that particular school but it does seem to be the first one that has zero compunction about lying / obfuscating. It has made me realise how weak our political institutions are and how much a government can act by fiat if they choose. Scary stuff.

Its a particularly triggering issue for me because between about 2009 and 2012 I was put under a lot of pressure to discipline (and even fire) NHS employees for using personal devices for Trust business. And that pressure came from the DoH and the Health Minister(s). Admitedly not a partisan thing and it was in response to some serious breaches but even so, standards matter.

The other reason its frustrating is because of the device security that should be in place in Downing Street and Whitehall. Friends who work in those environements (mostly MoD) have to sign their phones in when they enter the building. Why should government ministers be allowed to use personal phones when they are exposed to issues of national security on the regular?

I sometimes wonder if the politics / history / economics teachers at that school appreciate how significant a role in the country's recent direction they played, and how they feel about it.

Just the near total absence of them from the streets for several years, and something I read online a few years ago. Can't remember where.

The Speaker has granted a UQ to @AngelaRayner on upholding standards in public life.

https://twitter.com/PARLYapp/status/1544261148245106688

^ could be equally interesting / depressing.

If you read Boris' famous school report they knew back then what a shit he was and I doubt that view has changed.

Will be depressing. Michael Ellis will be wheeled out to obfuscate and evade. New visit to Ukraine will be announced in 3..2..1..

What’s UQ?

Urgent Question,
seems to take precedence over the scheduled business/proceedings of the House of Commons.

An "urgent question" requires a government minister to come to the House of Commons Chamber and give an immediate answer without prior notice.

A much better answer than mine.

Thanks to Google, I was similarly unsure.

Boris has spent the morning calling Zelensky again so things must be bad for him. He can only break the glass on that one so many times.

Needs updating but the press are on to that tactic: https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/how-boris-johnsons-calls-with-president-zelensky-have-been-announced-just-after-the-pms-biggest-crises-1691400

PMQ's is surely an open goal tomorrow too?

Starmer will contrive to miss the target, inevitably.

Starmer thread >>>>>>>>>>>>>>

So pathetically obvious. It's becoming so clear what a lack of any strategy there is in no 10. Just lying and firefighting the lies. they have nothing else. The sooner they all fuck off into the sea and we see the back of this entire cabinet the better.

Thanks to Google, I was similarly unsure.

Who need Google when you got Stevo?

This letter was probably worth about £100m to Ukraine

1 Attachment

So they are down to the excuse that he 'forgot' he had been briefed. As apparently did every adviser in no 10. Pathetic.

Pathetic.

^ this.

Shows even the fabricator in chief and all his spin doctors have reached the end of the road in terms of ideas.

So, now it's been explained, can we just move on and stop this media circus? There's a war on, you know.