The Clown Circus

Hancock received the shares and declared them in the register of interests, exactly as is expected. This story came to light because he registered in the register of interests and it was quoted from that.

Since then there's been an award from Labour's NHS Wales. NHS Wales has only ever been ran by the Labour Party.

But bullshitters like you like to pretend red is blue and fiction is truth so you won't know the difference.

So the details are out now on the case that Aimless freaked out over and its has to be one of the feeblest attacks on a minister for a long time. Not only would it be entirely unremarkable and uncontroversial; for a document-shredding business to happen to have the NHS amongst its customers, in this case it was NHS Wales, which is nothing to do with Matt Hancock. And even if it were NHS England, do you really think that the Secretary of State knows anything at all about small contracts for document disposal?

Smears as pathetic as this really are counter-productive.

If you put a liar and cheat in charge of the nation, you shouldn't be surprised, upset or annoyed if stories like this circulate from time to time. It's to be expected.

Trust is a complex thing. When it's been abused its only natural to question cases like this and wonder whether there's more to it.

Basic stuff, really.

At least we have someone the country considers as honest as Boris Johnson in charge and not someone rated even worse on honesty in the opinion polls - like Keir Starmer for instance. :haha:

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Originally Posted by gogobongopop

If you put a liar and cheat in charge of the nation, you shouldn't be surprised, upset or annoyed if stories like this circulate from time to time. It's to be expected.

Trust is a complex thing. When it's been abused its only natural to question cases like this and wonder whether there's more to it.

Basic stuff, really.

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Don't think this has anything to do with Johnson tbh. Think most responsible and honest ministers a decade ago would've disclosed the connection as a potential conflict. Hancock himself disclosed the connection to his brother's company just a couple of years ago, and should've disclosed the connection to his sister's company in a similar manner for similar reasons. A lot of the harebrained commentary on this has focused on the contract with NHS Wales without considering the 2019 framework contract with NHSBS in England that the company won in a public tender competition (see the excerpts I quoted in my post).

He had no involvement in the company then, he may not have even known that a company he had no involvement with had a contract relevant. As soon as there was a connection it was declared and cleared by the Civil Service.

Keep scraping the bottom of the barrel if you're that desperate.

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Originally Posted by RandBlade

At least we have someone the country considers as honest as Boris Johnson in charge and not someone rated even worse on honesty in the opinion polls - like Keir Starmer for instance. :haha:

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Pathetic, isn't it?

Which polls are you referring to, out of interest?

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Originally Posted by Aimless

Don't think this has anything to do with Johnson tbh. Think most responsible and honest ministers a decade ago would've disclosed the connection as a potential conflict. Hancock himself disclosed the connection to his brother's company just a couple of years ago, and should've disclosed the connection to his sister's company in a similar manner for similar reasons. A lot of the harebrained commentary on this has focused on the contract with NHS Wales without considering the 2019 framework contract with NHSBS in England that the company won in a public tender competition (see the excerpts I quoted in my post).

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I think Johnson has everything to do with it.

Not directly though. I don't imagine he knew anything about it.

But indirectly his immoral behaviour will influence those around him. I don't think Hancock is a 'bad' man, but when there are no repercussions for your actions (because Johnson won't fire anyone and the opposition is so weak), why the fuck does any of it matter. You can do whatever you want.

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Originally Posted by gogobongopop

Pathetic, isn't it?

Which polls are you referring to, out of interest?

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There's been a few. Here's the most recent I've seen from Redfield & Wilton. Don't Know is in first place, then Boris, then Starmer.
https://us.v-cdn.net/5020679/uploads...j57at1xxm.jpeg
https://us.v-cdn.net/5020679/uploads...in8gbt3av.jpeg

Fascinating.

Remind me who Keir Starmer is again? I forget. :confused:

That the opposition are depressingly limp and not holding Boris & his circus to account to any noticeable degree, does not make Boris & his circus any less filled with lying and cheating clowns.

Funny that this poll also says it's boris's lowest score, so a bit weird to use that stat to show how truthful people think he is. A whopping 1% above Starmer, so definitely within margin if error. And it could just mean that people don't trust either.

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Originally Posted by Flixy

Funny that this poll also says it's boris's lowest score, so a bit weird to use that stat to show how truthful people think he is. A whopping 1% above Starmer, so definitely within margin if error. And it could just mean that people don't trust either.

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That was the point . . . not that he's truthful, but that he's the best of the bunch even on that, his worst, topic.

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Originally Posted by RandBlade

That was the point . . . not that he's truthful, but that he's the best of the bunch even on that, his worst, topic.

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Starmer is more dishonest than Johnson because a poll shows a 1% difference in Johnson's favour?

Or are you suggesting that Starmer -is- more dishonest than Johnson?

Starmer is definitely more dishonest than Johnson. For example, for the past year he has falsely claimed to be the leader of the opposition.

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Originally Posted by gogobongopop

I think Johnson has everything to do with it.

Not directly though. I don't imagine he knew anything about it.

But indirectly his immoral behaviour will influence those around him. I don't think Hancock is a 'bad' man, but when there are no repercussions for your actions (because Johnson won't fire anyone and the opposition is so weak), why the fuck does any of it matter. You can do whatever you want.

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I feel like both are symptoms of a political malady that has been developing in the UK—esp. among Conservative pols and elites, which is unsurprising given their higher likelihood of being involved in activities where impropriety of this sort is a risk—over at least a decade or two. Obviously Johnson's Trumpian premiership may have made things worse, but the Tories raised Johnson to this position—and the English voted for him, knowing full well what an incompetent, crooked, dishonest, disgraceful and shamefully racist chancer he was; I feel like that indicates a more pervasive and more deeply rooted cultural problem within the party (and the polity, ofc).

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Originally Posted by Steely Glint

Starmer is definitely more dishonest than Johnson. For example, for the past year he has falsely claimed to be the leader of the opposition.

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/sensible chuckle

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Originally Posted by Aimless

I feel like both are symptoms of a political malady that has been developing in the UK—esp. among Conservative pols and elites, which is unsurprising given their higher likelihood of being involved in activities where impropriety of this sort is a risk—over at least a decade or two. Obviously Johnson's Trumpian premiership may have made things worse, but the Tories raised Johnson to this position—and the English voted for him, knowing full well what an incompetent, crooked, dishonest, disgraceful and shamefully racist chancer he was; I feel like that indicates a more pervasive and more deeply rooted cultural problem within the party (and the polity, ofc).

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It's a deeply complex societal issue. I suggest we just blame RB and move on.

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Originally Posted by gogobongopop

Starmer is more dishonest than Johnson because a poll shows a 1% difference in Johnson's favour?

Or are you suggesting that Starmer -is- more dishonest than Johnson?

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Yes I think Starmer absolutely is more dishonest than Johnson - and that says something as despite being a fan of Johnson I wouldn't put honesty as a strength of his. The public have clocked Starmer right for that.

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Originally Posted by Aimless

I feel like both are symptoms of a political malady that has been developing in the UK—esp. among Conservative pols and elites, which is unsurprising given their higher likelihood of being involved in activities where impropriety of this sort is a risk—over at least a decade or two. Obviously Johnson's Trumpian premiership may have made things worse, but the Tories raised Johnson to this position—and the English voted for him, knowing full well what an incompetent, crooked, dishonest, disgraceful and shamefully racist chancer he was; I feel like that indicates a more pervasive and more deeply rooted cultural problem within the party (and the polity, ofc).

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LMFAO!

You've devolved into such a closed-minded, far left troll that you actually think this is a "Conservative" issue?

When the man Johnson was chosen to go against was Jeremy Corbyn, a man who was such a shamefully racist chancer his party actually got done by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Johnson is extremely competent which is how he managed to thrash Corbyn at the election, get a Brexit deal that could get through Parliament which eluded Theresa May, get a trade deal to get through Parliament that has seen Brexit go brilliantly, then tackled Covid19 so well that we've ended the pandemic with a best-in-the-world vaccine rollout (barring small states like Israel).

If that's "incompetent" I'd love to see a more competent state. :haha:

De Pfeffel's achievements were close to successfully organizing an orgy in a brothel. I'm less than impressed. But I somehow doubt it's just him being a liar and not a problem for the entire political class in the UK.

Since Thatcher all PM's in the UK have been variations on incompetence.

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Originally Posted by gogobongopop

It's a deeply complex societal issue. I suggest we just blame RB and move on.

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I dunno man. You know what they say about people getting the leaders they deserve, in a democracy. Think responsibility is shared.

We deserve great success then which is why we're getting it. Credit to voters. :) :up:

Twitter Link

That's funny gogo.

Absolute clown car stuff today from so-called "Leader of the Opposition" Keir Starmer - attacking the Prime Minister for . . . facilitating engineers coming to the UK to work on the "ventilator challenge" early in the pandemic when urgent action was needed to produce desperately need ventilators (though thankfully in hindsight the CPAP machines developed by Formula 1's Mercedes as part of the challenge proved even better than ventillators).

Spoiler:

At the time this happened a year ago, these changes were supported by . . . Keir Starmer.

The way he behaves I expect within a year he'll be attacking the vaccine taskforce for what they spent on procuring vaccines. Oh wait, he's already done that.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56832486

Cummings launches a series of extraordinary attacks on BoJo in a blogpost, calling him mad and unethical, with multiple allegations of wrongdoing and possible illegal activity.

Cummings is due to give evidence to MPs next month.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...-boris-johnson

How much of this is just Cummings butt-hurt I'm not sure, but when a liar calls another liar a cheat, who knows what the fuck to believe.

What a circus.

Disgruntled fired ex-employee lashes out.

The amusing circus part will be seeing all the people who twelve months ago thought that Cummings was the worst person in the world, now arguing that he is some wise sage who should be listened to.

I wonder which genius thought it a good idea to have the Downing Street press room refurbished by a russian firm?

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Originally Posted by Hazir

I wonder which genius thought it a good idea to have the Downing Street press room refurbished by a russian firm?

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Trying to decide whether the "let the bodies pile high" leak is intended to distract from this, or vice versa

Twitter Link

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Originally Posted by Aimless

Trying to decide whether the "let the bodies pile high" leak is intended to distract from this

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With the caveat that Boris Johnson is a colossal piece of shit and anything bad that happens to him is a priori both extremely good and very funny, when there's, like, four leaks in close succession in British politics it's pretty clear that someone's got a bone to pick.

I can only hope that he currently feels like a stupid asshole for going to bat for Cummings so hard last year, at significant cost to the government's credibility.