This Wretched Hive Of Scum And Villainy

[TheTide]

It's not as simple as he makes out. Elements of the Liz Truss wing are probably the most YIMBYist.

[CumbrianLefty]

True, but they really *are* discredited for the foreseeable. It remains the case that the Tory party and (maybe even more importantly) their captive media see boomers as the only group that matters.

[Torrain]

I know we’re deep into ‘pander to your electorate’ mode, but Ben Everitt vowing to oppose all the new housing plans in his seat, because they will damage the character of *Milton Keynes* is taking it a tad too far.

[Wiswylfen]

Beyond that aspect of it, generally it's truly pathetic how MPs are willing to dance like this in an  attempt to save their seat they should know won't work. Well—I suppose the likes of Stuart Anderson might actually, genuinely buy into it.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Today somehow the issue of Reform being overpolled appeared in my dream. I proceeded to end up in a British pensioner's house try to ask them who they favored in said dream, before they showed me their bedroom...which was kind of boring tbh. (Furnishings were nice but not eye-catching)
First time UK politics has found its way into my dreams in a long time.

[Torrain]

Science and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan has released a formal apology for accusing a professor at Herriot Watt of being a Hamas supporter. She also agreed to pay £15,000 in damages to prevent further legal action - which she appears to have billed the taxpayer for.

Slight sense of deja vu - feel some parallels with Michael Matheseon trying to use parliamentary expenses for his £10k football streaming bill (the final report for that should be coming in the next couple of weeks btw).

[Wiswylfen]

And just as Baroness Foster has been forced to cough up for going after a student and delusionally accusing them of racism (their team had a soft toy).

[Earthling]

Science and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan has released a formal apology for accusing a professor at Herriot Watt of being a Hamas supporter. She also agreed to pay £15,000 in damages to prevent further legal action - which she appears to have billed the taxpayer for.

Slight sense of deja vu - feel some parallels with Michael Matheseon trying to use parliamentary expenses for his £10k football streaming bill (the final report for that should be coming in the next couple of weeks btw).

How in the hell has she not been fired yet?

[YL]

And just as Baroness Nicholson has been forced to cough up for going after a student and delusionally accusing them of racism (their team had a soft toy).

Baroness Foster, not Nicholson.

Note that:
- the University Challenge episode in question was filmed long before 7 October;
- the mascot in question was quite clearly the mascot of the whole team, yet one student was singled out.

[Wiswylfen]

And just as Baroness Nicholson has been forced to cough up for going after a student and delusionally accusing them of racism (their team had a soft toy).

Baroness Foster, not Nicholson.

Note that:
- the University Challenge episode in question was filmed long before 7 October;
- the mascot in question was quite clearly the mascot of the whole team, yet one student was singled out.

Yes, my fault: ex-MEPs very active on Twitter in two subjects often adjacent in the hearts of people of that age.

[Torrain]

How in the hell has she not been fired yet?

Based on the past few times this has happened, the story has to trigger three dire news cycles, and several car crash interviews before Sunak will notice it. He’ll then lock himself in Downing Street for 36 hours before coming to his conclusion, and ask Donelan to go.

We’d then be told that the PM showed bold leadership by taking such decisive action, and is recommitted to getting on with the people’s priorities.

[EastAnglianLefty]

Sunak has now defended Donelan, on the basis that making libellous accusations is apparently part of her job now.

[CumbrianLefty]

That is quite possibly a true statement, mind you.

[JimJamUK]

And just as Baroness Foster has been forced to cough up for going after a student and delusionally accusing them of racism (their team had a soft toy).

- the University Challenge episode in question was filmed long before 7 October;

I remember quite a lot of ‘online’ people going mad over that, even when confronted with that fact.

[Torrain]

Penny Mordaunt waded into the Donelan story at Business Questions in the Commons this afternoon. Apparently, because Donelan didn't take her £16,000 severance package when she resigned as Education Secretary, she's actually a net-contributor

The fact Donelan was appointed Education Secretary all of *36 hours* before she resigned, perhaps makes that point a little moot.

[TheTide]

Theresa May is standing down at the next election (whenever that 'may' be). The 'May' election rumourmongers will probably take this as some kind of sign that it 'may' be on, but I doubt it is (either that it's on or that this would necessarily be a sign if it were on).

[CumbrianLefty]

Penny Mordaunt waded into the Donelan story at Business Questions in the Commons this afternoon. Apparently, because Donelan didn't take her £16,000 severance package when she resigned as Education Secretary, she's actually a net-contributor

The fact Donelan was appointed Education Secretary all of *36 hours* before she resigned, perhaps makes that point a little moot.

It has been suggested this perhaps wasn't entirely sincere from Penny Dreadful, not unlike her famed "not hiding under a desk" comment at the height of the Truss travails.

I could not possibly comment, of course

[Torrain]

It has been suggested this perhaps wasn't entirely sincere from Penny Dreadful, not unlike her famed "not hiding under a desk" comment at the height of the Truss travails.

I could not possibly comment, of course

Mordaunt, on manoeuvres? I’m shocked I tell you, shocked

Bit of a breakdown in relations in true. Donelan was one of Mordaunt’s first backers in 2022, and stuck with her until she was eliminated. Granted, the shine has come off both a bit since then, but not sure someone with as loose a coalition as Mordaunt needs to make new enemies.

[Torrain]

A certain journalist has been spotted canvassing in North East Hertfordshire. Fifth time lucky?

[afleitch]

Tory MSP Stephen Kerr being a serious politician in raising the serious question as to whether there's a serious conflict of interest in ScoGov sending aid to Gaza because the FM has family there.

[CumbrianLefty]

A certain journalist has been spotted canvassing in North East Hertfordshire. Fifth time lucky?

Perhaps "Where's Seb?" can become the new Where's Wally?

[Torrain]

I'm not sure Humza Yousaf overruling official advice, is a story about Stephen Kerr. Deciding to send far more than suggested, and to UNRWA (at at time when it was under heavy scrutiny for alleged ties to Oct 7th perpetrators), rather than Unicef (the suggested recipient), isn't a great look.

Seems like well-intentioned carelessness more than anything else, but not ideal. A political row over this would be unedifying, (and I'm not looking for a fight) but a brief review by Audit Scotland might not be amiss.

[Blair]

There’s a certain arrogance to a lot of those in the Tory party who think that any safe seat in the country would be lucky to have them; it’s why I find the Tory practice of shopping for seats so distasteful- like does Mr Pain really think the House of Commons desperately needs someone whose experience appears to have been being a journalist for 8 or so years, writing two books and then running a ‘think tank’ which is basically a stable for Tory PADs and future MPs.

I can live with the knights of the shire, former colonels, businesspeople, TU officials and the like seat shopping but seriously they should really make him in run (and likely lose) in a marginal first. A lot of labours 97 intake where made stronger by the fact they had ran and lost in 1992 and a lot had the decency to stand in the same seat!

[afleitch]

I'm not sure Humza Yousaf overruling official advice, is a story about Stephen Kerr. Deciding to send far more than suggested, and to UNRWA (at at time when it was under heavy scrutiny for alleged ties to Oct 7th perpetrators), rather than Unicef (the suggested recipient), isn't a great look.

Seems like well-intentioned carelessness more than anything else, but not ideal. A political row over this would be unedifying, (and I'm not looking for a fight) but a brief review by Audit Scotland might not be amiss.

Allocating funding to Gaza, via UNRWA as a more direct approach to targeting aid at a time when the UK and other governments were sending aid through UNRWA (to which half of all aid from 2014 to suspension in January of this year, was sent by the UK) and then claiming that this has something to do with the FM's family, rather than as a humanitarian response, and the innuendo surrounding the use of UNRWA, I don't think is as excusable as you claim.

[MaxQue]

I'm not sure Humza Yousaf overruling official advice, is a story about Stephen Kerr. Deciding to send far more than suggested, and to UNRWA (at at time when it was under heavy scrutiny for alleged ties to Oct 7th perpetrators), rather than Unicef (the suggested recipient), isn't a great look.

Seems like well-intentioned carelessness more than anything else, but not ideal. A political row over this would be unedifying, (and I'm not looking for a fight) but a brief review by Audit Scotland might not be amiss.

As proven by Canada and Sweden resuming their donations to UNRWA, the whole episode about UNRWA is just yet another plot by the Israeli government to starve Gaza.