Owen Paterson

[johnofgwent]

That certainly is not George Galloway.

Ah. Is he standing there then ?

At least Neil Hamilton won't be. Mind you I'm not sure he could find the £500 to waste.

[johnofgwent]

I was unaware of that but will take your word for it unless someone demonstrates otherwise. It wouldn't surprise me.

They were largely non UK companies. I only know because I was freelancing for the companies involved

[srb7677]

Not ENTIRELY true. He was conected to the Carlyle Group who enjoyed quite a profit from dodgy defence dealings while he was in office, and afterwards.

I was unaware of that but will take your word for it unless someone demonstrates otherwise. It wouldn't surprise me. 

[srb7677]

Only in England in terms of water steve , and remember  , it was labour who attempted to privatise scottish water before they were booted out at holyrood.( i thought it was thatchers goernment in 1989 who privatised english and welsh water?)

Yes that's true re water only being privatised in England (and I believe Wales of course). You might well be right in regards to the 1989 date. I was relying on memory alone without researching the date. What I definitely did not know about was any attempt by Scottish Labour to privatise it up there. A little more info re sources from you to confirm this would be welcome.

Though in all fairness it would sadly not surprise me at all. New Labour trying to be more Thatcherite than the Thatcherites, imagining that this was road to everlasting popularity, was par for the course. I will credit the Scots with being the first to tell them where to shove  it after being taken for granted for too long.

[Thomas]

I don't call splitting the vote useful.

Depends on whose vote he is splitting , and so far , he seems to be a thorn in his former parties side in that respect. Im happy about it pappy.

[papasmurf]

the loathable gorgeous george certainly has his uses pappy.

I don't call splitting the vote useful.

[Thomas]

That certainly is not George Galloway.

the loathable gorgeous george certainly has his uses pappy.

[papasmurf]

I wonder if we have a nother knight in shining white suit to be the anti sleaze candidate (again). 

That certainly is not George Galloway.

[Thomas]

I have not bothered reading any if it.

I don't know much about this, parliamentary sleaze is endemic, why is this case any worse than any other is my general opinion.

I wonder if the tories will put up a candidate at the by-election as they did with Neil Hamilton in Tatton.

I wonder if we have a nother knight in shining white suit to be the anti sleaze candidate (again). Martin Bell swore blind he was going to stand for one term, and one term only, and what did he do when his time was up ? Stood again (admittedly elsewhere) becuase once they've been infected by the taste f power they never give it up.

Nail on head john.

This is why the tories are getting away with stuff like this , and will win the next general election.

Parliamentary sleeze isnt unusual as you say...its the norm and always has been.

That isnt to condone it , but as labour are up to their armpits in sleaze as croydon and liverpool recently showed , the public arent about to take any lectures in morality from the left and their supporters over it .

[johnofgwent]

There has been a lot of comment about it in the media/ pro tory press so you don't believe them either?

I have not bothered reading any if it.

I don't know much about this, parliamentary sleaze is endemic, why is this case any worse than any other is my general opinion.

I wonder if the tories will put up a candidate at the by-election as they did with Neil Hamilton in Tatton.

I wonder if we have a nother knight in shining white suit to be the anti sleaze candidate (again). Martin Bell swore blind he was going to stand for one term, and one term only, and what did he do when his time was up ? Stood again (admittedly elsewhere) becuase once they've been infected by the taste f power they never give it up.

[papasmurf]

Given your overall hatred of the party how can i believe a word you say against a tory ?

There has been a lot of comment about it in the media/ pro tory press so you don't believe them either?

[johnofgwent]

Only in England in terms of water steve , and remember  , it was labour who attempted to privatise scottish water before they were booted out at holyrood.( i thought it was thatchers goernment in 1989 who privatised english and welsh water?)

It was indeed. Thatcher turned welsh Water from a business that cared about water to a business that profiteered from hotels golf courses and the like. Their hostile takeover of Swalec to move intthe gas dregulationbusiness caused their over-reach and downfall in the early years of this century. I remember for a few years the only profitable part of the former company's IT arm was a website spoofed under the former company's domain name wthat was quite handy if you wanted to buy explosive or drug precursors ....

[johnofgwent]

But most of the sleeze in the Major years came from a few backbench individuals on the make and not from the heart of government as now. And Major's government did not break treaties or attempt to act in illegal and corrupt ways led from the top. In other words, it is much worse now and goes to the heart of government.

Not ENTIRELY true. He was conected to the Carlyle Group who enjoyed quite a profit from dodgy defence dealings while he was in office, and afterwards.

[johnofgwent]

I am more than angry about this what can only be called  corruption.  Owen Paterson is being paid a lot of money by Randox, a company on the government approved Covid 19 testing list who charged me an amount of money for the two tests my wife and I had to have when we returned from holiday a few days ago, I can only describe as robbery.

Given your overall hatred of the party how can i believe a word you say against a tory ?

[Thomas]

Westminster voting intention: CON: 40% (+2) LAB: 37% (-) LDEM: 8% (-1) GRN: 6% (-) via
@DeltapollUK
, 03 - 05 Nov Chgs. w/ 15 Oct