The fall of the Tory party

How would you feel about, I don’t know, say a senior civil servant who is given a peerage by a PM and sits on the Conservative benches in the Lords?

seemed to think he could rock up for an interview and spout bollocks nor expect to be cross examined on how he had reached his view

Well they have been able to get away with it for over a decade...

oh, is it Lord Frost ?

It is bad and shouldn't happen, not sure I understand why you raise that?

The levels of conspiracy bollocks flying around like this are mind-boggling. For Starmer to insert a 'sleeper agent' at the top of government by getting her promoted and promoted again by successive Tory ministers and then appointed, again by the Tory leadership, to a report about a PM's behaviour in a pandemic he couldn't have predicted by way of the initial author having to recuse himself...

I mean. Fucking hell - if he is capable of that, he's precisely the person I'd want in charge.

not sure I understand why you raise that?

Double-standards?

From me? I've said many times here and other places that the Tories are incredibly corrupt.
Doesn't mean we should support Labour playing these games.

Doesn't mean we should support Labour playing these games.

What games? There are literally dozens of examples of civil servants leaving to take up posts in political parties. I don't see how this can be perceived as being corrupt in any way, shape or form.

Not from you, no. I thought you were raising it as a comparison to demonstrate the Tory hypocrisy/double-standards.

No clue how it's playing games.
Permanent Secretary in the Cabinet Office - there aren't many places to step up to after that.
I guess she could have moved to the private sector and earned a shitload more money.
If she was an unprofessional secret lefty saboteur she'd probably have been found out at some point in the previous 13 years.

Exactly. Who would be better at getting the civil service going and delivering something valuable than... an ex civil servant?

It's not like she was on the Labour payroll whilst working for the civil service. If anything, she was on the Tory payroll given her career was in their hands.

What games

This is a "bear trap" to get Partygate back in the news, isn't it?

I think it's naive to suggest that she is the only senior civil servant with an illustrious career that is qualified to advise Labour.

And it has the added bonus of causing more panic in the Tory ranks because she will know an awful lot of other things too.

The amusing thing about all the Gray accusations is she was only actually appointed after Simon Case had to recuse himself. So they tried to rig the process themselves beforehand.

And to have manipulated his agent into place 10 - 15 years he was even an MP. His medium - long term career plans must be incredible.

Precisely. Karla-esque levels of planning and tradecraft...

Not the best choice for Labour to appoint her. In the scale of political bad choices this year, month, or even week it is barely a footnote.

https://twitter.com/JakeBenRichards/status/1631568767456100353

If this whole, sorry episode results in more journalists not allowing politicians to come on and read their scripts as they have for the last two decades (and probably more), then at least some good will have come of it.

The Privileges Committee report is pretty damning. Unsurprisingly Johnson is trying to brass-neck his way out of it as ever.
Sadly will probably only end up with him getting a few days suspension, but always good to get partygate and his lying back in the public eye.

If she has the ability to bring the civil service onside when labour start to try implementing policy (should they win a GE) It will look like a great appointment.

Look at how the Tories say the CS are pushing back against ministers.

That's a good point. I guess every time her name is mentioned is another reminder of the Downing Street discos too.

These pictures on the current BBC story, what a Benny Hill he looks:

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Can't decide if this is a Minecraft fancy dress party or a weird episode of doctor who?

Christ Oakeshot comes across as an arsehole. Lewis goodall very good interviewing her on the newsagents podcast.