Should there be a Parliamentary Inquiry into Johnson's handling of covid?

[BillyStubbsTears]

Advisors advise, ministers decide.

So Johnson needs an adviser to advise him whether he paid a bill himself?

Who does he have to help him wipe his arse?

No, Johnson has declared he paid the bill himself.

All governments have had special advisers since Harold Wilson introduced them for LABOUR in 1964.

Perhaps Johnson has to rely on them more now to assist in the constant accusations of sleaze from a lame opposition while he spends an unprecedented time on much more important issues like The pandemic and Brexit etc.

Not sure if you have not been paying attention, or you are deliberately dissembling here. Johnson has repeatedly refused to answer when asked who ORIGINALLY paid the bill. That is absolutely vital. Because if someone else did and Johnson didn't declare it, he has broken the ministerial code and should resign. No shades of grey whatsoever.

[BillyStubbsTears]

As a lover of English literature, that, Not, has made my day.
Brilliant!

Seconded. That is just genius.

[Bentley Bullet]

Advisors advise, ministers decide.

So Johnson needs an adviser to advise him whether he paid a bill himself?

Who does he have to help him wipe his arse?

No, Johnson has declared he paid the bill himself.

All governments have had special advisers since Harold Wilson introduced them for LABOUR in 1964.

Perhaps Johnson has to rely on them more now to assist in the constant accusations of sleaze from a lame opposition while he spends an unprecedented time on much more important issues like The pandemic and Brexit etc.

Not sure if you have not been paying attention, or you are deliberately dissembling here. Johnson has repeatedly refused to answer when asked who ORIGINALLY paid the bill. That is absolutely vital. Because if someone else did and Johnson didn't declare it, he has broken the ministerial code and should resign. No shades of grey whatsoever.

If he has to resign so be it. Maybe he is reluctant to respond fully to this latest sleaze accusation because if he did Starmer would just move onto another bit of potential sleaze he can find.

Like I keep correctly saying, and you keep failing to accept, Keir Starmer has got nothing to offer the country in terms of either personality or policy and his only route is to try to drag his opponents down below his own level to have any chance of becoming PM.

[wilts rover]

I said a few pages back it wont be long before posters start attacking the people revealing the sleaze rather than the ones exposing it.

I also said I don't know which is worse - the corrupt, cronyist charlatans using public office to benefit themselves, their old school friends, benefactors and donors - or the sychophants that defend them.

[tyke1962]

Advisors advise, ministers decide.

So Johnson needs an adviser to advise him whether he paid a bill himself?

Who does he have to help him wipe his arse?

No, Johnson has declared he paid the bill himself.

All governments have had special advisers since Harold Wilson introduced them for LABOUR in 1964.

Perhaps Johnson has to rely on them more now to assist in the constant accusations of sleaze from a lame opposition while he spends an unprecedented time on much more important issues like The pandemic and Brexit etc.

Not sure if you have not been paying attention, or you are deliberately dissembling here. Johnson has repeatedly refused to answer when asked who ORIGINALLY paid the bill. That is absolutely vital. Because if someone else did and Johnson didn't declare it, he has broken the ministerial code and should resign. No shades of grey whatsoever.

If he has to resign so be it. Maybe he is reluctant to respond fully to this latest sleaze accusation because if he did Starmer would just move onto another bit of potential sleaze he can find.

Like I keep correctly saying, and you keep failing to accept, Keir Starmer has got nothing to offer the country in terms of either personality or policy and his only route is to try to drag his opponents down below his own level to have any chance of becoming PM.

Actually that's not quite right BB , Starmer is steering the party towards New Labour territory although it seems to have escaped his attention that New Labour were voted out over a decade ago and lost more votes in the former red wall than Thatcher threw on the scrapheap .

Still it suits the vast majority that make up the present Labour Party because it means they don't have to compromise with the left .

The only flaw of course is that they lose General Election's but don't genuinely appear to know why , they aren't too bright with referendums either .

Still it fills the pages in The Guardian .

[Filo]

Advisors advise, ministers decide.

So Johnson needs an adviser to advise him whether he paid a bill himself?

Who does he have to help him wipe his arse?

No, Johnson has declared he paid the bill himself.

All governments have had special advisers since Harold Wilson introduced them for LABOUR in 1964.

Perhaps Johnson has to rely on them more now to assist in the constant accusations of sleaze from a lame opposition while he spends an unprecedented time on much more important issues like The pandemic and Brexit etc.

Not sure if you have not been paying attention, or you are deliberately dissembling here. Johnson has repeatedly refused to answer when asked who ORIGINALLY paid the bill. That is absolutely vital. Because if someone else did and Johnson didn't declare it, he has broken the ministerial code and should resign. No shades of grey whatsoever.

If he has to resign so be it. Maybe he is reluctant to respond fully to this latest sleaze accusation because if he did Starmer would just move onto another bit of potential sleaze he can find.

Like I keep correctly saying, and you keep failing to accept, Keir Starmer has got nothing to offer the country in terms of either personality or policy and his only route is to try to drag his opponents down below his own level to have any chance of becoming PM.

Actually that's not quite right BB , Starmer is steering the party towards New Labour territory although it seems to have escaped his attention that New Labour were voted out over a decade ago and lost more votes in the former red wall than Thatcher threw on the scrapheap .

Still it suits the vast majority that make up the present Labour Party because it means they don't have to compromise with the left .

The only flaw of course is that they lose General Election's but don't genuinely appear to know why , they aren't too bright with referendums either .

Still it fills the pages in The Guardian .

Perhaps the compromise should be the other way round given the left of the party lost two elections

[Glyn_Wigley]

Advisors advise, ministers decide.

So Johnson needs an adviser to advise him whether he paid a bill himself?

Who does he have to help him wipe his arse?

No, Johnson has declared he paid the bill himself.

All governments have had special advisers since Harold Wilson introduced them for LABOUR in 1964.

Perhaps Johnson has to rely on them more now to assist in the constant accusations of sleaze from a lame opposition while he spends an unprecedented time on much more important issues like The pandemic and Brexit etc.

Not sure if you have not been paying attention, or you are deliberately dissembling here. Johnson has repeatedly refused to answer when asked who ORIGINALLY paid the bill. That is absolutely vital. Because if someone else did and Johnson didn't declare it, he has broken the ministerial code and should resign. No shades of grey whatsoever.

If he has to resign so be it. Maybe he is reluctant to respond fully to this latest sleaze accusation because if he did Starmer would just move onto another bit of potential sleaze he can find.

Like I keep correctly saying, and you keep failing to accept, Keir Starmer has got nothing to offer the country in terms of either personality or policy and his only route is to try to drag his opponents down below his own level to have any chance of becoming PM.

Actually that's not quite right BB , Starmer is steering the party towards New Labour territory although it seems to have escaped his attention that New Labour were voted out over a decade ago and lost more votes in the former red wall than Thatcher threw on the scrapheap .

Still it suits the vast majority that make up the present Labour Party because it means they don't have to compromise with the left .

The only flaw of course is that they lose General Election's but don't genuinely appear to know why , they aren't too bright with referendums either .

Still it fills the pages in The Guardian .

New Labour were only able to be voted out because they were voted in in the first place. When was the last time the true left managed to do that?

[drfchound]

Advisors advise, ministers decide.

Now which of our prominent posters told us that BB.
I can’t quite remember.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Hound.

Really? I mean, REALLY?

Do you honestly think that applies in this case? That is about political decisions. Choices of policy.

This is about a question of whether Johnson has broken the Ministerial Code of Conduct. The Standards Adviser is being asked to investigate whether Johnson did or did not pay a bill himself. A matter of objective truth which Johnson already knows the answer to but refuses to say.

Do you really think you're being clever making comments like that?

[Not Now Kato]

Nah, you would have unashamedly blamed Boris. I say unashamedly because that is historically how you have acted in your extreme bias against everything Tory over the last half a decade.

Calling me a liar then BB?
 
The only reasons I'm critical of the current government are that they are the ones in power, who are lying to the country, have lied to the Queen, have lied in Parliament and who are openly practicing Cronyism  - all of which you appear, by your supportive posts, to condone!
 
For my part, I would be equally critical if Labour were in power and doing the same thing - or are you going to call me a liar again?
 
Oh, and are you going to answer my previous question?

[belton rover]

But surely, Not, had the program not worked, then you would have accused the government of lying about how good it would be? And in turn hold them responsible for the failure.

[SydneyRover]

But surely, Not, had the program not worked, then you would have accused the government of lying about how good it would be? And in turn hold them responsible for the failure.

The main problem we are dealing with belton is that the government is such an easy target, constantly over promising and under performing. When you add the contempt johnson & many in his government have for non-conservatives is there any wonder that they are scorned. I would think that the majority of criticism they receive on here is supported by fact and valid.

[drfchound]

Hound.

Really? I mean, REALLY?

Do you honestly think that applies in this case? That is about political decisions. Choices of policy.

This is about a question of whether Johnson has broken the Ministerial Code of Conduct. The Standards Adviser is being asked to investigate whether Johnson did or did not pay a bill himself. A matter of objective truth which Johnson already knows the answer to but refuses to say.

Do you really think you're being clever making comments like that?

BST, I’m not sure why you are asking that question, or what the “really, really” part of your post really means.
BB quoted a post from someone who had said it on here in the past and I couldn’t remember who it was.
Nothing more, nothing less.
My question came to mind after you made a smart arse response to him.
For the record and before you lecture me about this situation, of course I understand the ramifications for the PM if he has broken the ministerial code.
Do you think you are being clever by telling me that.

[belton rover]

But surely, Not, had the program not worked, then you would have accused the government of lying about how good it would be? And in turn hold them responsible for the failure.

The main problem we are dealing with belton is that the government is such an easy target, constantly over promising and under performing. When you add the contempt johnson & many in his government have for non-conservatives is there any wonder that they are scorned. I would think that the majority of criticism they receive on here is supported by fact and valid.

The government being an easy target is exactly my point, which is why I’m so surprised that Not swears that he would not have blamed the government had the vaccine program gone tits up.
That would have been another easy target for those who are constantly looking to shoot down an easy target.

[SydneyRover]

yes

[Not Now Kato]

But surely, Not, had the program not worked, then you would have accused the government of lying about how good it would be? And in turn hold them responsible for the failure.

The main problem we are dealing with belton is that the government is such an easy target, constantly over promising and under performing. When you add the contempt johnson & many in his government have for non-conservatives is there any wonder that they are scorned. I would think that the majority of criticism they receive on here is supported by fact and valid.

The government being an easy target is exactly my point, which is why I’m so surprised that Not swears that he would not have blamed the government had the vaccine program gone tits up.
That would have been another easy target for those who are constantly looking to shoot down an easy target.

Seems to me you and BB live in a world of 'what if' whilst most of us live in the world of now.  The governments job was to procure sufficient vaccine to meet the countries needs.  They did that with aplomb and I rightly congratulate them. The rollout of the vaccine was then handed to the NHS and again, they did that with aplomb and I rightly congratulate them too.
 
I tend to find that the 'what if' syndrome is frequently used to deny the consequences of reality.  The reality here is that we have a government of liars who practice cronyism for the benefit of their mates.  They get much wrong which should be criticised, they also get a few things right, (vaccine acquisition and the furlough scheme), for which they should be praised.

[Bentley Bullet]

Nah, you would have unashamedly blamed Boris. I say unashamedly because that is historically how you have acted in your extreme bias against everything Tory over the last half a decade.

Calling me a liar then BB?
 
The only reasons I'm critical of the current government are that they are the ones in power, who are lying to the country, have lied to the Queen, have lied in Parliament and who are openly practicing Cronyism  - all of which you appear, by your supportive posts, to condone!
 
For my part, I would be equally critical if Labour were in power and doing the same thing - or are you going to call me a liar again?
 
Oh, and are you going to answer my previous question?

Not so much calling you a liar, more claiming your likelihood of sticking to a habit that you've had for the last half a decade - One that has blamed the government for absolutely everything negative that has occurred, and given them absolutely no credit for anything positive that has occurred. Simple really.

Regarding Johnson allegedly skipping five Cobra meetings, apparently, there were Cobra meeting going on all over the place so whether he was expected to chair them all I don't know. You no doubt will be confident that you know the truth, having read lefty anti-government press coverage on the subject.

[tyke1962]

Advisors advise, ministers decide.

So Johnson needs an adviser to advise him whether he paid a bill himself?

Who does he have to help him wipe his arse?

No, Johnson has declared he paid the bill himself.

All governments have had special advisers since Harold Wilson introduced them for LABOUR in 1964.

Perhaps Johnson has to rely on them more now to assist in the constant accusations of sleaze from a lame opposition while he spends an unprecedented time on much more important issues like The pandemic and Brexit etc.

Not sure if you have not been paying attention, or you are deliberately dissembling here. Johnson has repeatedly refused to answer when asked who ORIGINALLY paid the bill. That is absolutely vital. Because if someone else did and Johnson didn't declare it, he has broken the ministerial code and should resign. No shades of grey whatsoever.

If he has to resign so be it. Maybe he is reluctant to respond fully to this latest sleaze accusation because if he did Starmer would just move onto another bit of potential sleaze he can find.

Like I keep correctly saying, and you keep failing to accept, Keir Starmer has got nothing to offer the country in terms of either personality or policy and his only route is to try to drag his opponents down below his own level to have any chance of becoming PM.

Actually that's not quite right BB , Starmer is steering the party towards New Labour territory although it seems to have escaped his attention that New Labour were voted out over a decade ago and lost more votes in the former red wall than Thatcher threw on the scrapheap .

Still it suits the vast majority that make up the present Labour Party because it means they don't have to compromise with the left .

The only flaw of course is that they lose General Election's but don't genuinely appear to know why , they aren't too bright with referendums either .

Still it fills the pages in The Guardian .

New Labour were only able to be voted out because they were voted in in the first place. When was the last time the true left managed to do that?

There won't ever be a true left wing government Glyn as well you know , although twenty five Blair election victories isn't worth one Atlee victory in 1945 in my opinion .

As soon as Mandelson was brought back to the fold it was pretty obvious the left weren't even worth a seat at the table , so much for Starmer's claims of reuniting the party .

Mandelson the man who boasted he made an effort to undermine Corbyn's leadership every day .

If those are the kind of people you want to hang your hat on then that's up to you .

Personally I can't stand the sight of the centre of the Labour Party never mind vote for em anymore .

[tyke1962]

Whilst I'm on the subject of Mandelson and to remain on topic .

Does anyone wish to remind us why Mandelson had to step down from his senior position in Blair's government in 1998 ?

 

[Herbert Anchovy]

 I’d rather have a poor Labour Government than a poor Tory Government.

[foxbat]

What frightens me is that the reality of the way the government is operating isn’t getting out to the wider public
because of the biased and selective reporting of the Tory owned media, and the now Tory run BBC.

I don’t think they are all stupid. Many are just uninformed.

[Not Now Kato]

Nah, you would have unashamedly blamed Boris. I say unashamedly because that is historically how you have acted in your extreme bias against everything Tory over the last half a decade.

Calling me a liar then BB?
 
The only reasons I'm critical of the current government are that they are the ones in power, who are lying to the country, have lied to the Queen, have lied in Parliament and who are openly practicing Cronyism  - all of which you appear, by your supportive posts, to condone!
 
For my part, I would be equally critical if Labour were in power and doing the same thing - or are you going to call me a liar again?
 
Oh, and are you going to answer my previous question?

Not so much calling you a liar, more claiming your likelihood of sticking to a habit that you've had for the last half a decade - One that has blamed the government for absolutely everything negative that has occurred, and given them absolutely no credit for anything positive that has occurred. Simple really.

Regarding Johnson allegedly skipping five Cobra meetings, apparently, there were Cobra meeting going on all over the place so whether he was expected to chair them all I don't know. You no doubt will be confident that you know the truth, having read lefty anti-government press coverage on the subject.

So it's wrong to criticise the government for everything they get wrong? Really?  But I have praised them for the things they got right, (speedy and plentiful acquisition of vaccine and the furlough scheme), it's just that they get far more wrong than they get right - but the blinkered somehow can't see that.  As my Dad used to say 'there's none so blind as them who refuse to see!'
 
Cobra meetings aren't held all over the place BB, they're held in the Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms, hence the name, (someone stuck an A on the end to make it sound good!).  Attendance and the chair are normally determined by the subject being discussed and there is no 'formal' list of who should attend. However, The PM would normally attend for matters of national importance such as the pandemic.  Perhaps he was hiding in a fridge again, or choosing wallpaper.
 
It's nothing to do with lefty anti government press coverage, it's to do with matters of state of the utmost importance - unless you believe that the pandemic is really just a slightly exaggerated cold and a few hundred thousand deaths don't matter!

[BillyStubbsTears]

Johnson wasn't hiding or choosing wallpaper. He was having a few weeks off to sort out his divorce. That's why he didn't attend the COBRA meetings.

[Not Now Kato]

Johnson wasn't hiding or choosing wallpaper. He was having a few weeks off to sort out his divorce. That's why he didn't attend the COBRA meetings.

Thanks for the correction BST.    Glad to see he was getting his priorities right!

[tyke1962]

What frightens me is that the reality of the way the government is operating isn’t getting out to the wider public
because of the biased and selective reporting of the Tory owned media, and the now Tory run BBC.

I don’t think they are all stupid. Many are just uninformed.

So it's nothing to do with Starmer and the Labour Party who are so completely deluded they'd send a Pro EU candidate up to Hartlepool to fight a by-election ?.

Even more deluded they'd bring back a stained character in Mandelson to promote a New Labour reset because they are so short of ideas they have to go back to the back catalogue of 24 years ago .

But it's the media ..... right ??? , or the electorate are thick maybe ?

The Labour Party deserves everything it gets because most of it is self inflicted , something many within it fail to accept .

Absolute cowards even with 13 years of power post Thatcher to change owt of significance for those who suffered the most under that woman .

Now they want to go back to it and you expect the likes of me ex NUM and an former active trade union man post mining to vote for this b@llax .

As much as Corbyn was a poor leader in many respects at least he offered real change , something the centre of this god forsaken Party plotted against every day during his tenure despite the fact the fellow won two leadership contests convincingly .

And you want me to back this shyte ?

I'd buy a season ticket at Hillsborough in league One  whilst my club were in the PL before vote Labour .

[drfchound]

What frightens me is that the reality of the way the government is operating isn’t getting out to the wider public
because of the biased and selective reporting of the Tory owned media, and the now Tory run BBC.

I don’t think they are all stupid. Many are just uninformed.

So it's nothing to do with Starmer and the Labour Party who are so completely deluded they'd send a Pro EU candidate up to Hartlepool to fight a by-election ?.

Even more deluded they'd bring back a stained character in Mandelson to promote a New Labour reset because they are so short of ideas they have to go back to the back catalogue of 24 years ago .

But it's the media ..... right ??? , or the electorate are thick maybe ?

The Labour Party deserves everything it gets because most of it is self inflicted , something many within it fail to accept .

Absolute cowards even with 13 years of power post Thatcher to change owt of significance for those who suffered the most under that woman .

Now they want to go back to it and you expect the likes of me ex NUM and an former active trade union man post mining to vote for this b@llax .

As much as Corbyn was a poor leader in many respects at least he offered real change , something the centre of this god forsaken Party plotted against every day during his tenure despite the fact the fellow won two leadership contests convincingly .

And you want me to back this shyte ?

I'd buy a season ticket at Hillsborough in league One  whilst my club were in the PL before vote Labour .

Tyke, as I said before, it is posts like that one by foxbat that drive people away from voting Labour.

[SydneyRover]

Have you ever voted labour hound?

[tyke1962]

What frightens me is that the reality of the way the government is operating isn’t getting out to the wider public
because of the biased and selective reporting of the Tory owned media, and the now Tory run BBC.

I don’t think they are all stupid. Many are just uninformed.

So it's nothing to do with Starmer and the Labour Party who are so completely deluded they'd send a Pro EU candidate up to Hartlepool to fight a by-election ?.

Even more deluded they'd bring back a stained character in Mandelson to promote a New Labour reset because they are so short of ideas they have to go back to the back catalogue of 24 years ago .

But it's the media ..... right ??? , or the electorate are thick maybe ?

The Labour Party deserves everything it gets because most of it is self inflicted , something many within it fail to accept .

Absolute cowards even with 13 years of power post Thatcher to change owt of significance for those who suffered the most under that woman .

Now they want to go back to it and you expect the likes of me ex NUM and an former active trade union man post mining to vote for this b@llax .

As much as Corbyn was a poor leader in many respects at least he offered real change , something the centre of this god forsaken Party plotted against every day during his tenure despite the fact the fellow won two leadership contests convincingly .

And you want me to back this shyte ?

I'd buy a season ticket at Hillsborough in league One  whilst my club were in the PL before vote Labour .

Tyke, as I said before, it is posts like that one by foxbat that drive people away from voting Labour.

Hound its a conscious vote , at least we don't vote Tory for those who hang on to this catastrophe that is presently New Labour part two .

That's all it is , there's absolutely no conviction or anything else to add .

We aren't Tory voters so therefore we are pure whilst providing no alternative what so ever .

The truth is they don't want change the only thing they want is not to be the Tories but with more or less the same mindset , the only thing that seperates them is the Tory stain at dinner party's .

That's the core Labour vote as stands today in a nutshell .

It's the media that's against us , the former red wall are thick racists , it's not our fault .

The truth is none of these feckers have ever stood up for anything in their lives , had to use a foodbank , missed out on an agency job opportunity in hard times because Pieter will work the weekend for single time .

Ain't a fecking clue .

A global pandemic , a  worldwide reset and absolutely nothing coming out of the Labour Party .

At least the fecking Lib Dems stood behind something at the last election as flawed as it was .

This lot , well you tell me ?

[SydneyRover]

Tyke you should know by now that hound will find a way to disparage anyone that has ever disagreed with him on any subject.

Have you ever voted labour hound?

The implication of this hackneyed line about 'people won't vote labour because' A,B,C,D,E,F ......

is that with a better leader or under other circumstances etc that they may, could or would but in reality the majority trotting this old chestnut out would never vote labour and most likely never had.

Which is why the 'have you ever voted labour' Hound question is important as it goes directly to whether it is a genuine conversation or not.

[Not Now Kato]

Based on what he posts it would seem that Hound is perfectly happy to be lied to, for the Queen to be lied to and for cronyism to continue by this government.  Oh, and for them to break the law and threaten to break international law.  And all because he doesn't like people on here pointing out these things to him.
 
Go figure!