One of these two is a dreadful spiv and crook. The other is Arthur Daley.
That’s Luis Barcenas, former Treasurer of the ruling Francoist successor Popular Party in Spain and long time confidante of Prime Minister Rajoy, happily now in prison for his part in a corruption scandal in which, over twenty years, hundreds of millions of euros in kickbacks from taxpayer-funded projects were channelled into the Popular Party coffers, and then doled out in secret payments to party leaders. Rajoy himself had to give evidence in court and the judgement made plain he was not believed.
This is the obvious cause of the no confidence motion that may lead to the Popular Party being removed from power tomorrow. The power of the brown envelope may yet save Rajoy, and the constitutional role of a monarchy which is itself financially corrupt will also come into play.
It says everything about the state of Spanish politics, that in responding in Parliament to the charge of corruption in the no-confidence debate today, Rajoy should turn to the leader of the opposition and declaim “And who do you think you are, Mother Theresa? Your hands are not so clean”. It says even more about Spain that this has not caused shock and “you are corrupt too” is not seen as a wildly inappropriate defence. It is true that the Socialist Party has no shortage of its own skeletons.
What may bring down Rajoy is the fact that the Basque parties, whose support Rajoy had bought with subsidies even more obvious than those lavished by May on the DUP, cannot be seen to prop up Rajoy after his enthusiastic policy of clubbing Catalan grandmothers over the head and imprisoning Catalan leaders. Only the neo-con fake opposition Ciudadanos, originally sponsored and financed by the German BND security service to head off Podemos’ perceived threat to the Euro, is doing its utmost to maintain Merkel’s close ally in power.
If Rajoy finally pays a political price for his appalling persecution of the Catalans it will be a moment of joy, even though the Socialists who would replace him have themselves been shamefully playing to Spanish Nationalist opinion throughout the crisis. But the downfall of one of the nastiest and most vicious and corrupt politicians in power that Europe has seen in decades is nevertheless devoutly to be wished.
@Republicofscotland – I suspect the reason that no British political party is making the obvious point about the Tory-DUP arrangement may be to do with Scotland. (Apart from the SNP – they probably don’t mention it so as not to look cynical.) I mean the fact that with Brexit and no customs union there can only be a hard border in Ireland; so the DUP can’t get what it wants: an open Irish border combined with no barrier between NI and GB; so if Britgov keeps to its policy then the NI people will have to choose between Irish unification and the border becoming a hard border with a foreign country. (In that case, they would probably vote against unification, to stay with the NHS, but Scotland is different.) And the big fact that everyone keeps quiet about: Leaver Tories are fanatically committed to “full Brexit” even if the Troubles in Ireland restart, and even if it brings famine. (Their god is Malthus. I could say a lot more about that, but haven’t got the time.) And indeed, even if it brings Scottish independence. It is true that if Scotland were to become independent and join the EU then it would have an easier time getting emergency food drops from the continent during famine, but there is no reason to think famine would wait and arrive at the best time for that. It could happen this year. Even before the “three scenario” story to which you refer, the Justice Secretary had talked of employing prisoners to make up for the loss of seasonal agricultural labour from Eastern Europe. We are in big fucking trouble.
In other news (I’m posting everything I want to say in one go, because of the lazy site operators’ decision to require posters to use the most up-to-date browser versions to be able to reply to comments in a thread, which some of us are unwilling to do), did you see Tracey Ullman’s Z__nazi “joke” against Jeremy Corbyn? Basically those who crafted this “joke” presented g_yim as if THEY have a culture of “looking good in front of the J_ws and avoiding being a shanda”, when it’s the other way round.
N.
It’s been two years since, the UK signed its economic death wish in Brexit yet the British government are no further on, on what’s going to happen come May next year.
Arlene Fraser of the DUP has vehemently stated that whatever happens on the NI, RoI border, and to be frank no one has a clue yet, that NI will and must always remain part of the UK, or the DUP will withdraw its support for Theresa May.
As time passes it is becoming clear to me anyway that a hard Brexit is a strong possibility, and that a economic downturn on these islands is not that unrealistic.
It’s not been that great being stuck in the Evil Empire to date has it….stop Remoaning mun, get grip
Was it this N_? I never saw it. Having skimmed it, I would say pathetic and not at all funny. Just a smear job as you imply.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdn5WJNNTwk
Note the BBC use the word ‘hilarious’ in the blurb. Not so. I have never found Ullman at all amusing.
Sorry that was the link to the next video. Autoplay was on Duh!
“ I have never found Ullman at all amusing”
Me neither.
Someone who somehow “fell upwards”, if you get what I mean.
YMMV
N_
Having experienced the manifest benefits of peace that came with GFA, no-one in Northern Ireland – except for the nationalist terrorists and their fellow-travellers – wants to return to “the troubles”. So your “analysis” would best be described – in Norn Iron dialect – as ballix.
As for the famine thing; boy have you swallowed the latest edition of Project Fear.
Which nationalist terrorists, the Ra or the British?
“Troubles” of that nature are not really a choice one makes.
They’re an imposed from above kinda thing.
Haven’t you been watching Syria.
Yes, it could be that Tories win Commons votes on all 15 Lords amendments. Corbyn’s policy on the SM is shit: he doesn’t want to lose the votes Labour picked up from UKIP. His policy on the CU is a little better. My understanding is that he will table a tweaked version of the Lords’ CU amendment which may lead to a government defeat next Tuesday if anything does.
There may be some interesting reading in the Sunday papers relating to the Tory leadership. The idea of a Gove-Davidson team-up and handover arrangement is BS. Brand JRM has had, and continues to have, much more serious management. The ERG is functioning almost as a party within a party. That guy JRM is not going to go away as Rudd did and as Davis and Mophead probably soon will. It is just about possible that Javid is put in as PM for a while, but I doubt it because while the Tory scum would love to wind Labour up by appointing him they wouldn’t want to annoy the brass in the armed forces who would find it difficult to handle a brown skinned Muslim politician telling them their objectives – perhaps almost as hard as they would find dealing with Corbyn! Both Javid and JRM could also go for Hammond’s job at No.11.
Something nice to report.
Sailing for the right to a just future for Palestine.
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s yacht Freedom, from Ship to Gaza Sweden, is scheduled to arrive in Brighton, England on Tuesday 5 June and will stay for three nights.
The FFC is pleased to announce that for the first time it is bringing one of its boats to the English mainland. This will give people in Britain an opportunity to show their support for the Palestinian people of Gaza and to send a message to the British Government to end its complicity in the ongoing illegal blockade.
The boat will be hosted by Brighton and Hove Palestine Solidarity Campaign and these are some of the events planned: (Details of events June 5th – 8th)
/..
https://jfp.freedomflotilla.org/news/freedom-flotilla-to-brighton-England
Perhaps Mr Netanyahu could pop down for a visit.
Another of the Flotilla’s boat, (Hurriya) the Liberty was recently denied entry to Gaza. It was surrounded by Israeli warships when it was 9 miles off shore.
https://jfp.freedomflotilla.org/news/freedom-flotilla-statement-on-israeli-interception-of-gaza-flotilla
‘We remind governments of the world and international organizations that this Israeli attack at just nine nautical miles from the Palestinian coast at Gaza is well within the 20 nautical mile marine zone which Palestinians are supposed to be guaranteed under international agreements, as well as within the 12 nautical miles to which all coastal peoples are legally entitled. Given the declared itinerary of Hurriya (Liberty), from Palestinian territorial waters through international waters to Cyprus, there can be no possible ‘military’ or ‘security’ justification for this Israeli attack. Like our Freedom Flotilla vessels that have been violently seized over the last eight years, their course was never towards Israel nor towards Israeli waters: they posed no threat to anyone. Like Israel’s daily armed attacks on Palestinian fishing boats and the arbitrary restrictions on fishing areas off Gaza, today’s attack is a clear violation of international law and of Israel’s obligations under the Geneva Convention as the occupying power.’
Craig is expert in the subject of maritime law.
Can a 12 nautical miles coastal zone (and an UNCLOS 200 nautical miles Exclusive Economic Zone) be declared other than by an internationally recognised State?
If, as you are implying, Palestine is not an internationally recognised State, then to which internationally recognised State does the Gaza Strip belong and if it is not Isreal, what are the Isreali armed forces doing in another state’s territorial waters?
Yeah. Good point.
What exactly is the current state of Gaza in international terms.
My understanding is that it was Occupied by Israel, and then they departed and turned it into a Ghetto, managed internally by Palestinian politicos and externally by Israel.
Like a Reservation or Concentration camp.
The mystic chords of history, eh.
@Sharp Ears – The Tracey Ullman “anti-Semitism” smear against Corbyn is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYcPGsscVmI.
“I’ve told them – tone it down a bit” is the “shanda” line. They also connect him with the IRA and Hamas.
Now (Autumn) would be a good time for the Torys to lose an election. A Labour coalition administration left holding the baby and negotiating a compromise with the EU that will upset all but the centre of the leave / remain spectrum. Starmer is already being given an audience by EU negotiators. I guess they can accommodate him in their calendar without too much difficulty as meetings with David Davis never seem to last long.
Of maximum importance to the Torys, it avoids a permanent split in the party.
The Argentinians have just cancelled a football match in Jerusalem which would have been a massive coup for the Isrealis. Let’s hope this is the beginning of widespread isolation for the criminal state, spreading across the sporting itinerary.
“We will not yield before a pack of anti-Semitic terrorist supporters,” Avigdor Lierberman tweeted.
A nation that allows its soldiers to deliberately and repeatedly shoot young Palestinians in the legs and feet when they were returning home from football practice should be allowed nowhere near any international arena.
Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain stated ” In the end we were able to do the right thing. We think it was best not to go to Israel.”
Fluffy Mundell has pride of place sitting next to Theresa at PMQs where she is shouting and bawling away.
She will be having a lovely lunch with Bibi. Perhaps au dehors in the Rose Garden. Will Mark Regev join them? He will probably tweet about it. He is still chuntering away about Iran. https://twitter.com/markregev?lang=en
As a committed and long standing member of CFoI, Theresa will probably be able to tell Bibi about her further plans to use British tax revenues like this. £13.4m to the CST in 2016.
https://twitter.com/cfoi/status/705392151140638726
Mundell is two up from Theresa. Liddington is on her right and Hammond on the left.
From the horse’s mouth –
‘Capitalism has failed’, leading Tory Michael Gove declares
He warned “crony capitalists” have “rigged the system” – after, erm, his party slashed taxes on inheritance, banks and £150,000 salaries, and offered donors dinner with the PM
11:04, 6 JUN 2018
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/capitalism-failed-leading-tory-michael-12654773
We have heard it all now.
Inheritance tax is a diabolical thing because it represents a third tier of taxation.
Let us say you wish to build up savings to pass onto your children: you do so from your income, which has been subject to income tax. The interest earned from those savings is again taxed. And then, when you pop off, the state taxes you yet again by levying estate duty.
It is in the nature of human beings to be in favour of higher taxation which does not affect them personally; hence those who object most strongly to raising the inheritance tax-exempt amount are usually those who would not have had to pay even under the former limit.
Interesting to note that high-tax, high-spend socail democratic Sweden abolished inheritance tax some while ago.
It’s not quite so diabolical if you live in an inflated-priced home. By 2020, on the death of the second partner, a couple can leave £1m tax free to their heirs if their home is worth £350,000 or more.
For the rest of the country, where average house prices are about half that figure, a couple who have worked hard and invested their money in businesses instead of house inflation will only be able to pass on £825,000 tax-free. If they leave a million their heirs will give the exchequer £70,000.
It goes some way to explain why the UK has no industry left.
Does it? I suppose even those who do invest in businesses (whether entrepreneurs or simple shareholders) need somewhere to live, so they might well have both invested and bought a house. I suspect there might be more important reasons for the decline in the share of industry in the GNP of Western world countries.
But to go back to the subject : there are indeed exempted amounts but the very principle of inheritance tax is a monstrous one, characteristic of an overwheening state.
You miss my point. People are being rewarded for investing in property but not for investing in business.
“the very principle of inheritance tax is a monstrous one, characteristic of an overwheening state.”
It’s a small club, and you ain’t in it.
If we did away with inheritance tax, All other taxes. Impediments to market, depressions, inflation, sectarianisms, war etc, ordinary peeps would just get wealthier over time to the point that elites would lose their advantage.
No.
We have to manage things to ensure this never happens.
the average price of a terraced house in England is around £294k. Anything larger is more. Given the ludicrous prices in most of southern England ( in Wells-next-the -sea in rural last week, I noticed in an estate agents window a modest 3 bedroom house under offer for £750,000) I would think the average price in England is considerably more than £175,000.
sorry mistype should read average price of terraced house in England is £194,000 NOT £294,000. finger slipped….
“a third tier of taxation.”
Numeracy does not appear to be your strong point:
“Let us say you wish to build up savings to pass onto your children: you do so from your income, which has been subject to income tax. The interest earned from those savings is again taxed.”
Yes, that’s more income, so still the first tier of taxation. It would only be a second tier if the savings themselves were taxed.
“And then, when you pop off, the state taxes you yet again by levying estate duty.”
That’s the second tier. However the majority of the estate of most people who pay inheritance tax is their home. This, and its predecessors, will have accumulated hugely in value during the deceased person’s lifetime and noe of that increase in value will have been taxed, so in this case, inheritance tax represents the first tier of taxation. In total, one and a half tiers instead of three. I suppose being half right is better than being completely wrong.
I’ve never quite understood what’s wrong with MPs belonging to their party’s “Friends of Israel” grouping. Can anyone explain? I suppose there are no objections on here to the existence of the Westminster “Friends of Palestine” grouping, hence the conclusion must be that there are no objections to the existence of such groupings per se but only to those which express friendship towards Israel.
Another silly baiting question. You know the answer, why are you wasting everybody’s time?
It was a genuine question, Ian – I am at a loss to understand why some people seem to obsess about the existence of “Xxx Friends of Israel” (unless they simply think along the rather foolish lines of ‘any friend of my enemy is also my enemy). Why don’t you try to offer a moderately coherent explanation for the phenomenon rather than just throwing around insults?
Sure it was. Not. Your agenda is transparent. It wasn’t an insult, btw, it was an observation of your predictable behaviour, which is not based on any genuine interest. Faux naive questions are the stock-in-trade of serial baiters. You know exactly the reply you want to elicit.
Thank you for that evasive non-explanation, Ian.
They might be obcessing because
MPs are not elected by the FoI, despite the many election donations from dubious donors, free all paid for trips to the rogue country,etc. They are elected by voters in constituencies wh would want their representatives too be friends to most nations, not just some freebie providers whose aims are designed to foster split loyalties and dependencies, who want to influence our and everyone elses foreign policy.
The current war sales adventure by an elected fraudster makes their aims obvious, as tor his disgusting excuses regards the murder of Palestinian demonstrators during Nakhba month makes the FoI objectives very clear, deRest Habbastick.
I doubt many understand why all these MPs have singled out one of the world’s most disliked nations for friendship.
https://www.haaretz.com/bbc-poll-israel-among-world-s-least-popular-nations-1.5269605
Well, whether many understand or not, it is surely the MPs’ right to so single out? It’s called freedom of conscience or whatever you will and recognised as such by all but a minute number of their electors.
As for Israel being one of the world’s “most disliked” nations, I suspect most of the world’s population don’t spend too much time thinking about Israel; most of the world’s population is probably too busy thinking about the iniquities of their own governments and leaders….
Yes, which begs an obvious question: why so many of the politicians who are actually paid to focus on the challenges facing this country preoccupied with glorifying a tiny, faraway nation remarkable only for oppressing the wretched of the earth? And smearing anybody who dares criticize its inhumane policies?
BBC poll on how countries are viewed”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22624104
“Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and Iran came out worst in terms of how they are viewed globally”
Would that be the lying, distorting, neo-con, and establisment-supporting BBC people on here keep writing about?
Xavi
It’s very; very silly to somehow imply – as you do – that Westminster MPs who belong to a Friends of Israel grouping spend more time glorifying Israel than focussing on the challenges facing the UK.
Let me tell you a little secret : even someone who knew next to nothing about Israel and its history would recognise your claim for the nonsense it is and, with that in mind, immediately discount anything more intelligent you had to say. Own goal, in other words.
I see Ian has you right, Charles: a half-witted provocateur inviting the unsuspecting down rabbit holes that lead precisely nowhere. I’ll leave you to it.
Do we know which 25 countries were asked? Certainly Israel is very popular among Russians, Americans and Indians, for example.
I suppose Charles it’s a moral choice for each person to chose whether to support a oppressed people, or to support a oppressive apartheid military regime.
Choose.
In all fairness to Jeremy Corbyn, Labour has made a major shift on remaining in the Single Market.
“Labour is to table an amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill calling for the government to negotiate “full access to the internal market of the European Union” after Brexit.”
Whether or not it will be enough to head off the on coming economy damaging tsunami that is Brexit, is not clear.
https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2018/06/labour-backs-new-single-market-deal-eu-major-brexit-policy-shift
Arcbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby is one of the ruling class’s village idiots. He thinks the EU is “the greatest dream realised for human beings since the fall of the Western Roman Empire”.
A piece on his background.
Poor NATO, they’ll be awfully pissed about that.
They’ve been vying so hard for that stellar complement.
N_
June 6, 2018 at 14:20
Yes and his son is another village idiot and it is reported that Peter Welby went to work for Tony Blair.
Israel is high up in Welby’s estimation too, so much so that he spent his honeymoon there.
‘This was his fifth visit to the Holy Land, the first being his honeymoon in 1979. Even so, he stressed his lack of expertise in the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying he had come to learn. “We know we don’t know anything,” he said of himself and his wife, Caroline, who accompanied him, at the Peres Centre for Peace and Innovation on his last day.’
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/11/justin-welby-avoids-own-goal-trip-holy-land-israel-palestine
I should have thought that his modesty was rather appealing. After all, there are many who share his lack of expertise but nevertheless pontificate endlessly on the subject.
Which part of his background were you hoping to draw our attention to, N_?
Staying on the only real game in town for a moment, as Brext will surely affect us all in some way or another.
Dutch firms have been warned off not to buy British goods/parts. This is a very worrying development indeed, with thousands of jobs at risk, one wonders just how bad it will get when other EU nations follow suit.
“For exports outside the EU,’ the guidance warns. ‘After Brexit, parts made in the UK no longer count towards this minimum production in the EU.”
“The EU has also updated its own technical guidance for dealing with Britain after Brexit in March next year, warning manufacturers: ‘As of withdrawal date, the UK becomes a third country. UK inputs are considered “non-originating”.
https://www.metro.news/a-clog-in-the-works-dutch-firms-warned-off-uk-goods/1088344/
That works two ways. The Dutch are heavily involved in the UK Offshore and Renewables sectors, I’m sure we could do the work ourselves though.
Note that it is not just the Dutch, but the EU.
I’m a bit troubled by the phrase “The Netherlands has told its manufacturers” in the article.
Does ‘The Netherlands’ (whatever that is, the country?, its people?, its government?) have ‘its'(?) manufacturers, to ‘tell them'(again, who does the telling?) something? Hmm.
Republicofscotland
June 6, 2018 at 14:27
“Staying on the only real game in town for a moment” Who are you kidding? The only Game is town is the Master Game that is if you know how to play it.And I doubt the crypto nazi EU Bilderberger`s know how to play that game.
“Dutch firms have been warned off not to buy British goods/parts. This is a very worrying development indeed, with thousands of jobs at risk, one wonders just how bad it will get when other EU nations follow suit.”
Other EU nations will start to get it and be following the following the UK and will leave the EU.
I guess Ireland will be first.
I agree it is all a shambles but I increasingly get the sense the EU are playing awkward, not to discouage the rest from leaving but in the hope we will give in and decide Toney, maybe by having another vote? That is how it works isn’t it? On the latest Labourvpodition, how does it square with allowing continued freedom of movement?
While on the subject of the EU:
https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/06/06/trumps-eu-doormats/
bj
June 6, 2018 at 16:02
“While on the subject of the EU:
https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/06/06/trumps-eu-doormats/”
Well it was Allen Dulles CIA spymaster with funding from the Ford foundation and few few reconstructed nazi`s that kickstarted the EU.So they believe they still own it.
I don’t know about the Allen Dulles/Ford Foundation bit but is it really so surprising that the US should have supported the idea of European integration at the height of the Cold War? After all, the Soviet Empire was pretty well integrated, wasn’t it, albeit against the will of the subject nations.
As for the unreconstructed Nazis bit, that’s really very silly (sounds rather Christopher Booker-ish). Would you really call people like French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman, Frenchman Jean Monnet, Italian Prime Minister Alcide de Gasperi and German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer – not to mention Benelux politicians such as Hans Beyen, Joseph Bech and Paul-Henri Spaak – unreconstructed Nazis?
“After all, the Soviet Empire was pretty well integrated, wasn’t it, . . . ”
Helped by the ‘West’?
“Taken together, these four volumes constitute an extraordinary commentary on a basic weakness in the Soviet system
The Soviets are heavily dependent on Western technology and innovation not only in their civilian industries, but also in their military programs.
An inevitable conclusion from the evidence in this book is that we have totally ignored a policy that would enable us to neutralize Soviet global ambitions while simultaneously reducing the defense budget and the tax load on American citizens.”
http://www.crowhealingnetwo…
http://www.crowhealingnetwork.net/pdf/Antony%20Sutton%20-%20The%20Best%20Enemy%20Money%20Can%20Buy.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sah_Xni-gtg
Charles Bostock
June 6, 2018 at 19:03
You are not really well informed about the end of WW2.Allan Dulles did a deal with Reinhard Gehlen Nazi spymaster
for his archives which he had stashed in mountain caves.The reason he used reconstructed Nazis because of their hate of communism to set up Gladio units .Why do you think the EU anthem is Ode to Joy.Well the reason was it was always played on Hitlers birthday.Hitler also supported the Ford Foundation in the 1930`s.The question you must ask yourself why is the EU run and controlled by the secret Bilderberger group which was co-created by an ex SS Nazi.
Jeremy Corbyn did very well in today’s PMQ’s. Likened Theresa May’s government to the shambolic railway performance on Monday.
Here is his statement to be read out at tonight’s demonstration for Palestinians’ Right of Return.
Jeremy Corbyn 21 hrs ·
… I have asked for this statement to be read out at this evening’s Right of Return demonstration in London for justice for the Palestinian people:
In recent weeks, scores of unarmed Palestinian civilians have been killed in Gaza by Israeli forces. Hundreds have been wounded. Most are refugees or the families of refugees from what is now Israel, and they have been demonstrating for their right to return, week after week.
The killing of Razzan Najjar, the 22 year old medical volunteer shot by an Israeli sniper in Gaza on Friday, is the latest tragic reminder of the outrageous and indiscriminate brutality being meted out, under orders from the Netanyahu government.
The silence, or worse support, for this flagrant illegality, from many western governments, including our own, has been shameful.
Instead of standing by while these shocking killings and abuses take place, they should take a lead from Israeli peace and justice campaigners: to demand an end to the multiple abuses of human and political rights Palestinians face on a daily basis, the 11-year siege of Gaza, the continuing 50-year occupation of Palestinian territory and the ongoing expansion of illegal settlements.
President Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital city, and move the US embassy there, in violation of international agreements, has demonstrated that the US has no claim to be any kind of honest broker for a political settlement of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
A sustainable, just peace between Israelis and Palestinians, that recognises the rights and security of all, and puts an end to the continuing dispossession of the Palestinian people, is an interest we all share, in the Middle East and far beyond.
We cannot turn a blind eye to these repeated and dangerous breaches of international law. The security of one will never be achieved at the expense of the other. And that is why we are committed to reviewing UK arms sales to Israel while these violations continue.
The UK Government’s decision not to support either a UN Commission of Inquiry into the shocking scale of killings of civilian protesters in Gaza, or the more recent UN resolution condemning indiscriminate Israeli use of force – and calling for the protection of Palestinians – is morally indefensible.
Britain, which is a permanent UN security council member and has a particular responsibility for a peaceful and just resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict, should ensure there is a credible independent investigation, genuine accountability and effective international action to halt the killings – and bring Gaza’s ever-deepening humanitarian crisis to an end.
https://www.facebook.com/JeremyCorbynMP/posts/10156494516358872
Very good piece here on settler-colonialism:
https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/asa-winstanley/religious-extremism-heart-us-support-israel
‘Ow the uvver arf live.
Super-luxury home at One Hyde Park in Knightsbridge for sale for £55m: would-be buyers face a £6.5m stamp duty bill and £14,000-a-month service charge
The five-bedroom property includes his and hers bathrooms, 24-hour meal delivery from the next-door Mandarin Oriental hotel and even two parking spaces.
https://www.homesandproperty.co.uk/luxury/property/luxury-flat-at-one-hyde-park-listed-for-sale-for-55-million-wouldbe-buyers-face-a-65m-stamp-duty-a108346.html
There might be an interruption in service whilst the London Fire Brigade deal with a major fire at the top of the hotel.
London fire: Huge blaze breaks out at five-star Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Knightsbridge
4 minutes ago |
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/huge-fire-breaks-out-over-west-end-of-london-a3856971.html
The hotel was built in 1889 as a gentleman’s club. Later a hotel.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandarin_Oriental_Hyde_Park,_London#The_early_years
Note it was the the venue for Thatcher’s 80th birthday party which BLiar attended and P Philip!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandarin_Oriental_Hyde_Park,_London#Noteworthy_Events
“Super-luxury home at One Hyde Park in Knightsbridge for sale for £55m: would-be buyers face a £6.5m stamp duty bill ….”
So who says that the rich don’t pay their fair share of taxes?
Except that it would almost 100% be purchased by an offshore trust, based in one of the uk tax havens and pay zero stamp duty.
“and pay zero stamp duty.”
How would they do that? export the building and the land it sits on to the tax haven?
No need for central heating though (not today).
Scaremonger Lufthansa: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/lufthansa-russia-world-cup-video-shot-in-kiev-10383594
Only had to deal with them twice in my life. They were a bl00dy nightmare over 15 years ago. They made even BT seem good, and I reported them to Ofcom (or whatever it was then) for complete incompetence. How can any company be so useless,, but then I had to deal with The TSB. It was not a good experience.
“Some 1,300 TSB customers lost money in ‘very aggressive’ fraud attack following IT meltdown, admits boss”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2018/06/06/tsbs-under-fire-boss-face-grilling-mps-city-watchdog-investigates/
I do like Johnny Marr, though never particularly rated The Smiths. I admit they have done a few good songs. (I know they come from Manchester ..but I never bothered actually going to see them live)
There is something about this bloke, I seriously do not like. Has he too been featured – photographed on an 1s real 1 Tank brandishing a machine gun with Tommy Robinson? I’m not troo keen on him either, even if John Ward (Slog) seems to really like him (I think that is something to do with playing football in Ancoats on a Sunday morning – which I applaud, cos he did play for the Catholics on the Saturday)
“Morrissey sympathises with EDL founder Tommy Robinson saying his treatment ‘has been shocking'”. That maybe true, but his behaviour has not been particularly exemplary, and i suspect he was long ago recruited by the usual suspects.
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/morrissey-tommy-robinson-edl-uk-politics-prison-interview-a8386136.html
Tony
hey – chill
a lovely warm, sunny evening – a view down the valley to die for – a sweet italian lamb dinner with a fine bottle of barolo 2012 – some excellent steve lawler from homelands 2001 – i was there – what more could you ask for – don’t let the bastards win ……………. just chill ………..
Any connection between Netanyahu and the blaze at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Knightsbridge?
The hotel often hosts J__ish community events and is presumably under the same ownership as the one in Washington DC that banned Muslim workers when an I__aeli delegation stayed there led by defence minister Ehud Barak. On that occasion there must of course have been close cooperation between hotel security and I__aeli state security, even if hotel security might normally employ a lot of I__aelis as much of the US security sector does.
Where is (or was) Netanyahu staying in London? Was he or was he planning to attend any events at the Mandarin Oriental? Has anyone been staying there who is connected with his visit? Have Z__nazi operatives been investigating or otherwise attending at the scene of the blaze? And that Pope Francis guy – is he Catholic?
A ‘de luxe’ room costs from £895 to £1,175 per night. A snip. I have just booked up! A suite – £2,250.
The website is sooo smooooth. The decor. Yuk.
https://www.mandarinoriental.com/london/hyde-park/luxury-hotel
Quel dommage! 🙂
‘Buckingham Place confirmed a 50th Anniversary Dinner of the Blues and Royals Club, which was due to be attended by Princess Anne at the hotel on Wednesday night, was cancelled.
The Mandarin Oriental has previously been used by the Royal Family, including an event for British and foreign royals hosted by the Queen on the eve of Prince William’s wedding in 2011.’
Someone called Robbie Williams (is he a singer?) escaped the Mandarin Oriental blaze wearing a Unicef tee shirt.
Maybe there was a meeting to buy and sell body organs from Guatemala?
If I read another article referring to wallies “sharing” their photos of a news event on “social media”, I’m going to vomit. Imagine carrying a slave ring microwave tracker!
The Mandarin Oriental hotel group is owned by Jardine Matheson of historic heroin dealing infamy.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandarin_Oriental_Hotel_Group
Chairman – Simon Keswick, brother of Sir Chips Keswick and Sir Henry Keswick!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Keswick
An old boy now, aged 76.
HSBC Bank: Secret Origins To Laundering The World’s Drug Money
2/16/2015
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-02-16/hsbc-bank-secret-origins-laundering-worlds-drug-money
All in it together.