Sunak's wife business dealings with Russia

He is becoming less and less attractive as a potential Prime Minister, even to his own party, I think.
The remark about buying different types of bread for each member of his family was particularly insensitive.

He looked distinctly uncomfortable when questioned about his wife’s Russian investments.

His FIL has many photographs taken with Putin apparently they are very good friends...and why not.The PM has russian friends he even put one in the HOL ! Haven't they been giving him shedloads of cash?
All in it together ..isn't that what they said to us about austerity? I think its them who are all in it together..crooks ,liars ,cheats and thieves...Tories in other words ...not that I would expect anything else from this circus of incompetent clowns .

Ilovecheese

He is becoming less and less attractive as a potential Prime Minister, even to his own party, I think.
The remark about buying different types of bread for each member of his family was particularly insensitive.

Goodness me, did he really say that? One step away from, ‘Let them eat cake’. I suspect there will be some sort of U turn once it sinks in how inadequate his measures are for the crisis we are facing. Considering how popular he was perhaps Johnson has set him up to fail.

He is not his wife. He doesn't have to answer for her. Where is feminism when you expect a husband to be "in charge" of his wife's business?

Baggs well said

That would be true if it was say a political belief . So if his wife was a member of the labour party it would be nothing to do with anyone. If his wife was fundraising for the lib dems again nothing to do with him. However when you are talking about financial gain which will have an impact on him then its a different matter. If I am living in a house bought by the profits of my husbands drug dealing and I knew about it then yes some responsibility is mine.

I think he does share in responsibility, I also think that surely it’s all above board?
He can’t be so stupid that he thinks nobody will find out if it isn’t?

paddyann54

His FIL has many photographs taken with Putin apparently they are very good friends...and why not.The PM has russian friends he even put one in the HOL ! Haven't they been giving him shedloads of cash?
All in it together ..isn't that what they said to us about austerity? I think its them who are all in it together..crooks ,liars ,cheats and thieves...Tories in other words ...not that I would expect anything else from this circus of incompetent clowns .

" Crooks, liars, cheats and thieves, ... "

For some reason, I'm hearing that to the tune of ^Gypsies, tramps and thieves', paddyann, and just can't get it out of my head now.

Meanwhile, my mind is just itching to expand on it. I feel a complete re-write of the song's lyrics coming on unless I can get a grip on myself!

I cannot agree with that Baggs. It has bugger all to do with feminism. In public life of any sort & any level, from volunteering with a Scout group to Prime Minister, you have to declare & be very honest about any potential conflicts of interest and potential financial gain for yourself or your spouse. I declare my partner's business interests as a school governor. Not because he is not entitled to do the work he does, but because decisions I make may impact positively on the that work & he could gain financially and may influence my decisions.

PECS

I cannot agree with that Baggs. It has bugger all to do with feminism. In public life of any sort & any level, from volunteering with a Scout group to Prime Minister, you have to declare & be very honest about any potential conflicts of interest and potential financial gain for yourself or your spouse. I declare my partner's business interests as a school governor. Not because he is not entitled to do the work he does, but because decisions I make may impact positively on the that work & he could gain financially and may influence my decisions.

Exactly.

We know that India continues to trade with Russia. He isn’t his wife’s keeper, distasteful though her involvement has become since the war started. Sanctions have only very recently been placed on Russia by the UK so what she’s received over the last year is irrelevant except to those who consider nobody should have any money. For all we know she may be trying to divest herself of her shares but I wouldn’t think there would be many takers in the current climate.

We've recently had a long and fractious thread about a High Street retailer who have done all they can to avoid supporting Russia, but still they get blamed for all manner of things.

Then we get this; oh its nothing to do with him, for all we know she's trying to divest herself of the interest, she probably can't get rid of them, sanctions have only just been introduced....

She could dump them. Just dump them. The value probably counts as pocket change to her. Or she could donate the money to helping Ukraine. Or she could give it to the government to help people out of poverty.

I won't be holding my breath till that happens.

PECS

I cannot agree with that Baggs. It has bugger all to do with feminism. In public life of any sort & any level, from volunteering with a Scout group to Prime Minister, you have to declare & be very honest about any potential conflicts of interest and potential financial gain for yourself or your spouse. I declare my partner's business interests as a school governor. Not because he is not entitled to do the work he does, but because decisions I make may impact positively on the that work & he could gain financially and may influence my decisions.

But Sunak's wife is not in "public life" and Rishi has said he has nothing to do with his wife's business.

Compare it with banking or health care. No-one else has a right to information on someone else's account without a power of attorney in place.

Can you imagine if the partner of a female front bench Labour politician had links to a company that made money in Russia? I mean really, can you imagine the field day the papers would have?

volver

Can you imagine if the partner of a female front bench Labour politician had links to a company that made money in Russia? I mean really, can you imagine the field day the papers would have?

Yes, I can. But that doesn't mean that an individual's rights and interests have to be declared by anyone but themselves or that their partner is responsible. A partner might not even know such details. People with political views at opposite ends of the spectrum have lived as married couple for ever.

Baggs

He is not his wife. He doesn't have to answer for her. Where is feminism when you expect a husband to be "in charge" of his wife's business?

It isn't about him being in charge of her. It is about a man who may soon be our PM directly benefitting from a country who we may well soon be at war with.

GagaJo

Baggs

He is not his wife. He doesn't have to answer for her. Where is feminism when you expect a husband to be "in charge" of his wife's business?

It isn't about him being in charge of her. It is about a man who may soon be our PM directly benefitting from a country who we may well soon be at war with.

Yes. So solve that problem when it happens.

Right now, his chances of becoming PM don't look very high.

What is the law regarding MPs' conflicts of interest?

Is it still true that you don't have to testify against your spouse even in a murder trial?

Baggs

volver

Can you imagine if the partner of a female front bench Labour politician had links to a company that made money in Russia? I mean really, can you imagine the field day the papers would have?

Yes, I can. But that doesn't mean that an individual's rights and interests have to be declared by anyone but themselves or that their partner is responsible. A partner might not even know such details. People with political views at opposite ends of the spectrum have lived as married couple for ever.

If she is making money from a business interest in Russia, she needs to stop. Same as the oligarchs, and the supermarkets, and the Scottish farmers sending seed potatoes to Russia.

And no amount of pretending its nothing to do with Rishi will hack it. No amount of pretending she has a right to privacy will hack it either.

Now we know, she needs to do something about it. That's it.

Baggs my husband isnt in public life I have to declare his business interests as a governor. Its bog standard procedure for many roles.

It's hypocrisy. How can someone both condemn a country for horrific war crimes and also make money from them?
Although I'm sadly aware that means less than nothing to most Tories.

Galaxy

Baggs my husband isnt in public life I have to declare his business interests as a governor. Its bog standard procedure for many roles.

This surprises me, galaxy. I was a school governor for many years and never had to declare anything that wasn't directly my responsibility. At the moment I've several PVGs in place and again, nothing on them is about anyone else.