It is evidence of what a sewer Westminster is, that the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner has ruled that Straw and Rifkind broke no rules. The BBC and Sky are full of smug reporters telling us the two are “vindicated”.
They are not vindicated, they are disgusting.
What is revealed is that it is absolutely the norm for Tory and Blairite MPs to be firmly in the pockets of corporations, looking after corporate interests and receiving huge slabs of cash. Straw and Rifkind were just behaving like greedy grasping unprincipled bastards within the rules. How is that a vindication?
Well, they’re not guilty. Clears the road for the ermine. Lord Straw of Stealing and Lord Rifkind the rapacious.
Katherine
Yes. Mind you, Corbyn will never nominate Straw. But Cameron probably will.
I sort of couldn’t believe it myself.
They broke no rules. But we all know what they did.
If I remember rightly from my childhood, just not breaking the rules does not mean that I am a good person.
Their main problem is that they have forgotten the lessons from their childhood.
If indeed they ever wanted to be a part of society and not a simple taker.
I’m having a hard time remembering anything good that Mr Straw ever did for this country.
Why did people continue to vote for him ?
If they didn’t break the law, like those who snort cocaine and solicit the services of a prostitute, then there is no case to answer. Either change the laws to control the problem or let it go.
The Rifkind son and heir works for Murdoch so Murdoch’s Sky have their orders.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Rifkind
When you think that Rifkind was empowered in these setups, it is frightening.
‘He was appointed chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee by the Prime Minister, David Cameron, on 6 July 2010.[2] Rifkind is an advocate for British military intervention in the Syrian Civil War, with or without a mandate from the United Nations.[3] In 2014 he was appointed Chairman of the World Economic Forum’s Nuclear Security Council. In January 2015 he was appointed by the OSCE as a member of their Eminent Persons Panel on European Security.’
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Rifkind
Rifkind features in this litany most of which we know about from Craig’s blog.
Liam Fox Got Caught Up In A Battle Between The British And Israeli Secret Services – The Inside Story
May 22, 2015
http://caltonjock.com/2015/05/22/liam-fox-got-caught-up-in-a-battle-between-the-british-and-israeli-secret-services-the-inside-story/
~~~
Is Rifkind still suspended from the Con partei?
PS I was going to say something similar to you Katherine.
Is there anything that these tossers can ever do that is wrong or slightly “illegal” ? The corrupt bastards are now taking the piss, and adding insult to injury is the oligarch owned media and the state propaganda apparatus aka beebeecee haranguing at us and telling us all; they have been vindicated!
Vindicated that they can do whatever (WTF) they like/wish/want and there is no one, but no one to stop them or even hinder them?
======
The pitiful specimen is backing the corrupt as it is busy sucking up, insulting us all, and urging us to let go!!!!
Who makes/changes/nullifies the laws?
Not the same bunch of corrupt bastards, not at all, not at all!
So Straw’s main regret is that he didn’t check out the bogus company?
Presumably if it had turned out to be genuine he would have taken the money without hesitation? And no doubt he would be filling his bank account to this day, profiteering from his political status.
Yet he sees nothing wrong with this. Unbelievable.
If Rifkind is innocent, why did he resign his committee chairmanship when the evidence of his dealings broke, and declined to run for re-election.
He was obviously worried that the voters would sack him before the parliamentary commissioner made any ruling.
This FCO gentleman ever in your sphere Craig? Note the Office of Tony Blair link. I happened to attend a concert recently where his wife was the accompanist on piano. She is a greatly skilled pianist.
https://uk.linkedin.com/pub/michael-roberts/31/930/303
His wife
http://www.surrey.ac.uk/schoolofarts/people/complete_staff_list/margaret_roberts/
“Who makes/changes/nullifies the laws?”
The people you vote for, dopey. Who did you vote in last time? Or don’t you vote in protest at the election of those who you didn’t vote for?
Dope.
I’m partly with Jemand on this one. But how would you actually frame a law to prevent Straw and Rifkind profiting from selling their pull and contacts? (assuming the impossible – that Parliament ever came within a hundred years of debating a Bill on the topic) Given the vested interests involved – from the Tories selling seats at their tedious bashes to wannabe influential businessmen, to trades union sponsorship of Labour MP’s, to whatever deal it was that got Donald Trump a golf course in an area of especial natural beauty – the only way to get meaningful law made in this field is going to be an armed invasion of Puritans telling the present occupants of Westminster, in the name of God, to go. And starting again.
I’m completely with that one…
If the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner has ruled that Straw and Rifkind broke no rules, then he has in effect indicted the entire system. If their grubby behaviour is given a pass under the system, what does that say about the system itself?
He was well and truly at the trough.
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/regmem/?p=11660
Not apparently a CFoI member but £5k for a speech to the United Jewish Israel Appeal.
Did he ever attend the Herzliya gatherings? The last was in June.
http://www.herzliyaconference.org/eng/
Key Speakers
http://www.herzliyaconference.org/eng/?CategoryID=540&ArticleID=2645&dbsAuthToken=
Compare that with someone who is 5 minutes late for an appointment at JC+ and ends up starving to death as a result.
Straw, who for years has been identified with the Labour party, ought to be requested to account to the party for his actions.
The Blairite (Strawite) party bureaucrats purged many from the recent voting lists-including a seventeen year old schoolboy who had praised Marx in an essay-one assumes that Jack’s public advertisement of his values will be examined by his local party.
Such a candour is so refreshing, to sign “Dope” is a clear indication of a truly self-aware moron*.
That proceeds to find and recant the stock answer 193 in the book of how to suck up in the electronic free media, with the added strength of stock answer 198 ;
“don’t you vote in protest at the election of those who you didn’t vote for?”
Clearly obfuscating the role of the corrupt bastards whom have been selected to sit around in the HoC drink the cheapest best booze in the land, eat the best cheapest subsidised food in the land, and then deregulate (ie strip away any laws that concern themselves and their sponsors) all the while increasing the number of legislations that are there to restrict we the people and criminalise the bally lot of us.
* Manifestly the “contributor” is subconsciously ware of spewing humbug hence the choice of signature!
Are they ‘avin a larf?
There has been a thorough and rigorous recruitment process using standards equivalent to those of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. This has involved the right hon. and learned Member for Kensington (Sir Malcolm Rifkind) and the right hon. Member for Rother Valley, the Chair of the Committee on Standards and Privileges, as well as members of the House of Commons Commission and an independent adviser. All the details are in the report that sets out the Commission’s nomination. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who took part in the selection process, particularly Judith Alderton, who acted as the independent assessor. It is therefore with confidence that I commend this nomination to the House.
Kathryn Hudson is currently the deputy parliamentary and health ombudsman and was previously the national director of social care at the Department of Health. The House of Commons Commission is confident that she has the necessary experience, clear thinking and personal authority for the role, and that she will bring to it the independence, discretion, and strength of character required to ensure that the system of parliamentary self-regulation continues to work effectively.
Should the House approve the nomination, Ms Hudson’s appointment will commence at the beginning of 2013. The work load of the commissioner has already declined somewhat with the transfer of responsibility for Members’ pay and expenses elsewhere, and it is anticipated that Ms Hudson will generally work on a half-time basis—rather less than the basis on which John Lyon was originally appointed. I stress that the new commissioner will be
Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards
12 Sep 2012 : Column 383
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm120912/debtext/120912-0003.htm#12091244000003
The contributor Fedup is a racist from the Antipodes. I would think that there’s enough going on there to keep him going let alone commenting on the stink of corruption here.
In light of the corruption that Straw and Rifkind committed, it is most sobering to read the conclusion of Lewis Baston’s Sleaze: The State of Britain where he tells us that Jack Straw, Blair’s new Home Secretary. “announced that government legislation would cover the whole area of corruption of public and private bodies. A new offense of misuse of public office would be created.” (p. 199)
The new offense was never created.
Mary,
Yes, Michael’s a friend of mine, very nice bloke.
Love then post, ‘though it is clear why the SNP wouldn’t have you as a rep it has to be said 😉
The contributor Fedup is a racist from the Antipodes.
The contributor Mary is Miss Clack from ‘The Moonstone’. And complains bitterly when ad-hominems like the above are directed her way. Like this.
The Krays would have been cleared by the Richardsons if we could all be tried by our kind.
Mary am I write to read;
The contributor, Fedup is a racist from ……
Or is it?
The contributor Fedup is a……..
Judging by Craig’s comment it is the former and not the latter, however Ba’al has introduced the latter and not the former, could you clarify the case please?
==========================
UK Jewish leaders seek clarification on Jeremy Corbyn’s policies
This explains the all keyboardi warriors all hands at the pump call for rubbishing Corbyn.
Note the coded “considering afresh some of his views now “ ie will get him to genuflect or else!
Craps never put right the write 🙂
A feisty defence of Syria’s interests by Dr Shaaban, advisor to Assad, on Australia ABC’s Lateline program. The $350K p.a. host, Tony Jones, gave us a cringeworthy performance as sock puppet for the US State Dept.
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2015/s4314916.htm
So, the net political effect of this is that Rifkind stepped down as Chair of the Spook supervisory outfit.
To be replaced by Dominic Grieve.
Improvement?
Thanks for that article above, Mary.
Very interesting.
Where’s Werrity.
Not you Fedup. Sorry. The commenter Jemand.
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The rubber stamp in question
Sir Malcolm Rifkind and Mr Jack Straw – Committee on Standards Contents
Overall Conclusion
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmselect/cmstandards/472/47206.htm
~~~~
Thanks Craig. Shame he took the Office of Tony Blair shilling.
I believe this is a time to quote the Forehead of Doom himself:
“For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens: as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone.”
Mary called you a stupid antipodean racist, Fedup. Which is perfectly true from where I’m sitting.