Jennifer Arcuri publicly admitting four year affair with Boris Johnson

I think it’s important to say it’s her employer, not Symonds who is being investigated by Charity Commission. She has apparently only worked with them for two months.

Well Boris has finally admitted he did have an affair with Arcuri but he acted “with integrity”. I’m not sure giving £126,000 of public money and coveted places on gov trade missions is what I’d called acting with integrity.

Wasn’t there also a loan in the 100s of thousands arranged as well?

Whitewavemark2 I wasn’t aware of a loan to her too. Where was that money borrowed from?

Oh ? it was one of those things that I skim read without actually taking much on board. But I do know it was arranged by Johnson, for her company. It would not have been from Johnson - there is a limit to his altruism????

In the Guardian - £700000 - channelled into her company, source unknown, but about the same time as Johnson arranged a £100000 grant from the tax payer, it is subject to a police watchdog investigation ( whatever that is)

And how long will we have to wait for the investigation and findings ?!?

Starmer was right on PMQs today. “Sleaze, sleaze, sleaze”.
All Johnson could do was deflect with his usual refrain, “Captain Hindsight”. (Totally irrelevant answer as usual.

What is the point of PMQs as Johnson never answers the question and just gets away with all the sleaze. Disgraceful.

Today's revelation was Sir James Dyson approached HMRC to get a tax saving for his employees working on plans to manufacture ventilators. Because he didn't hear from them he approached Johnson who basically said no problem and also spoke to Sunak about it. Johnson just relies on the pandemic as his answer to everything.

But Dyson never did supply ventilators - so what is that about?

Whitewavemark2

But Dyson never did supply ventilators - so what is that about?

Talking about it on the 'Sleaze' thread.

It was Bozo's Big Idea. The Ventilator Challenge. When he wanted all his Brexity tory donor mates to develop a new ventilator to save thousands of people from dying of covid. This was as covid was really taking hold here...

Some bona fide ventilator manufacturers got a bit of help, too, but the focus was on the likes if Dyson and JCB...

They never came up with a usable ventilator...

But, of course, the main story is that, a) Dyson had Bozo's mobile number and that b) Bozo said he would arrange for tax rules to be waived for Dyson employees...

How do HMRC deal with that? Everything comes through the treasury who I believe had nothing to do with it did they?

It is nonsense of course.

How on earth did we land up with such an idiot for PM?

he even hosted have i got news for you fgs

Oldbat1

What is the point of PMQs as Johnson never answers the question and just gets away with all the sleaze. Disgraceful.

This Speaker has been a massive disappointment. It is his job to ensure Johnson answers the questions. And not a thing said about the comment today that about 'the dog making more sense'. He should have been them to retract and apologise.

Tory lies again.
I found this tweet

Gordon Craig
@gordoncraig11
The culture secretary (Oliver Dowden) stated in the house ( ^i.e, the House of Commons ) that Dyson supplying ventilators saved thousands of lives,but as I understand it the Government cancelled the contract and none of the ventilators were ever used. Is this j6ust another @Conservatives lie to cover up some more corruption?

It is a barefaced lie as Dyson didn't supply any ventilators to the NHS.
It is disgraceful that tory ministers are lying in the HoC. This lie will be recorded in Hansard and will be taken to be the truth by researchers in the future as statements to the House by ministers are trusted to be the truth. Dowden could be required to correct the record by the Speaker, but as the Speaker has failed to call out ministerial lies (notably the PM's) to date it is unlikely that this is corrected.

This is rewriting history even as it is being made, isn't it?

This article seems appropriate here:

Is the Speaker up to the job?

Concluding paragraph:

The evidence suggests Hoyle is not the worst ever Speaker of the House of Commons. However, it also suggests that he is out of his depth. His refusal to tackle deliberate and blatant untruths in the House means that a fundamental condition for democracy – that the demos be informed – is not met. With 87 per cent of the British press (by circulation) pro-government, and usually willing to turn a deaf ear to the industrial-scale lies coming out of Number Ten, and the Tory takeover of the BBC converting it from a public to a state broadcaster, members of the electorate are increasingly up against it to get to the truth. Given the weight of this Trumpian onslaught, if the House of Commons can no longer be relied on as a source of truth, our democracy is in serious peril.

westcountrybylines.co.uk/is-sir-lindsay-hoyle-up-to-the-job-of-speaker/

They’re a right shower, aren’t they ? What is it with politicians these days ? Or maybe they were always like that but we just didn’t hear about it.

James Dysons statement regarding ventilators.

Not sure Dyson has helped with the tax lie.

He is better keeping quiet.

GrannyGravy13

James Dysons statement regarding ventilators.

I think you're missing the point, GG13.

The problem lies in the fact that

1) some privileged people are directly accessing the PM, because they have his mobile number and are using it to lobby him. Which immediately puts a very large bump into what should be a level playing field. (The same way that the VIP channel for PPE contracts created a massive bump)

2). The PM was prepared to do Dyson a favour and order that tax law should be waived for him. This is corruption. It is the misuse of ministerial power.

We cannot have ministers doing personal favours for their mates. I'm sure that you understand that.

BTW. The story in the Telegraph this morning is that Bozo has been asked to change his mobile number, because too many people have it, and that he refuses to do so.

I wish I had the PM's phone number so he could waive my tax bill and plough money into my business

I think he'd only do that if you voted for Brexit, JaneJudge

MaizieD I am not missing the point.

On the news this morning (ITV) they reported that Mr.Dyson asked for an exemption from extra taxes for his employees coming from abroad to work on the ventilator project.

If this had been brought in (unclear if it was, happy to be corrected) it would have applied to anyone coming into the UK during the beginning of the pandemic, including nurses, doctors, engineers etc.

I am not saying I agree with the way that it was suggested , clarity is needed (which will probably not be forthcoming),

Maybe the PM should block some of his address book on his phone, if this happens no need for a new number.

MaizieD

I think he'd only do that if you voted for Brexit, JaneJudge

I'm buggered then