Braverman attempts a cover up.

ronib

There’s so much embroidery going on on this forum and in the msm. It puts the Guild of Master Embroiderers to shame.
In order for more transparency in leaking information about government and its ministers, I think it is important for democracy that newspapers are made to name their sources. This is done through an application to the courts.
It is true that Rishi Sunak was trying to govern in a much less sensational manner than Boris Johnson and I guess this wasn’t selling news. Hence the kickback.
We need to be reassured that the impartiality of the Civil Service is being maintained at all times.

Well, as conspiracy theories go, that scores a few points ...

Whitewavemark2

Reading all the headlines today, it seems clear as growmore suggested, that No 10 has distanced itself from Braverman, and her incompetence.

She was wrong asking civil servants to help her over what was a private matter. That is not their job and to put them into such an invidious position is unfair.

Civil Servants cannot leak information to get rid of a Minister they don’t like. It happens too often and should be stopped.
Did SB ask not to be fined for speeding. No she didn’t. Did she ask to be let off the speeding course. No she didn’t.
All she did was ask if it was possible to take the course somewhere else in private.

It is so easy to go over the speed limit in a city. At least she was offered a choice unlike me. She was just over the speed limit.

Storm in a teacup I think.

Growstuff I am waiting to hear what they are going to do about me speeding and I am very relieved if there is a possibility of doing it on line. Never been caught before in 52 years of driving and it has affected my confidence such a lot.

Growstuff the fact that two senior civil servants are denouncing SB in the Guardian gives my version some credibility….
But as my husband says, there’s no point arguing with people who are so entrenched in their own political positions that discussion becomes impossible. So I won’t bother.

growstuff

Maizie The fine is the same.

I must be misremembering. I got a speeding ticket a couple of years ago and I'm sure that it was cheaper to do the course than pay the full fine. But I'm happy to accept that you're correct.

ronib

Growstuff the fact that two senior civil servants are denouncing SB in the Guardian gives my version some credibility….
But as my husband says, there’s no point arguing with people who are so entrenched in their own political positions that discussion becomes impossible. So I won’t bother.

No problem! I can't be bothered with your husband either.

ronib

Growstuff the fact that two senior civil servants are denouncing SB in the Guardian gives my version some credibility….
But as my husband says, there’s no point arguing with people who are so entrenched in their own political positions that discussion becomes impossible. So I won’t bother.

That made me laugh - pot kettle black.

In our county the online is not done individually but in a group who can all see each other . I suppose she is easily distinguishable.
Most families have someone who has had speeding tickets why didn't she just pay up and take the points in the first place and no one would have known? Somehow it points to a peculiar character.

MaizieD

growstuff

Maizie The fine is the same.

I must be misremembering. I got a speeding ticket a couple of years ago and I'm sure that it was cheaper to do the course than pay the full fine. But I'm happy to accept that you're correct.

My partner did one a few months ago. I thought he told me the fine was the same as the fee for the course, but I'll check. The timing of it was inconvenient for him, but the advantage was that he didn't get any points.

Bella23

In our county the online is not done individually but in a group who can all see each other . I suppose she is easily distinguishable.
Most families have someone who has had speeding tickets why didn't she just pay up and take the points in the first place and no one would have known? Somehow it points to a peculiar character.

That's what I think.

luluaugust

Growstuff I am waiting to hear what they are going to do about me speeding and I am very relieved if there is a possibility of doing it on line. Never been caught before in 52 years of driving and it has affected my confidence such a lot.

From memory, my partner received a notice through the post a few days after he was caught on camera. He filled out a form confirming that he was the driver. I think he was given the option of doing the course at that stage, but it could have been in a further letter. I guess they'd already been able to check that he hadn't done the course before, he didn't have any points on his licence and the speed he was doing was within the limits for doing the course.

I know that if you challenge it and opt to go to court, you could end up paying a substantially higher fine. if your challenge fails.

growstuff

MaizieD

growstuff

Maizie The fine is the same.

I must be misremembering. I got a speeding ticket a couple of years ago and I'm sure that it was cheaper to do the course than pay the full fine. But I'm happy to accept that you're correct.

My partner did one a few months ago. I thought he told me the fine was the same as the fee for the course, but I'll check. The timing of it was inconvenient for him, but the advantage was that he didn't get any points.

Oh, maybe it was that, then.

I just paid up and took the points because I didn't see them as being a problem. I'm usually very careful about speed limits and don't intend to get any more points... This particular time was due to a fit of absentmindedness in an unfamiliar area (I was admiring the poppies in a roadside field and didn't see the speed limit sign and police van until too late..☹)

I was caught about five metres before the end of a 30mph limit in a semi-rural area. I was just beginning to accelerate. The police officer with his camera was hiding behind a bush! I don't think the courses even existed in those days.

luluaugust

Growstuff I am waiting to hear what they are going to do about me speeding and I am very relieved if there is a possibility of doing it on line. Never been caught before in 52 years of driving and it has affected my confidence such a lot.

Please don't let it affect your confidence, luluaugust. I wouldn't worry about it if you know that you're usually a careful driver who respects speed limits. I'd worry if I thought I was losing my ability to concentrate while driving or my ability to judge my speed.

growstuff

I was caught about five metres before the end of a 30mph limit in a semi-rural area. I was just beginning to accelerate. The police officer with his camera was hiding behind a bush! I don't think the courses even existed in those days.

I thought they weren't supposed to hide...

I was caught years ago when I'd managed to lose myself in Northumberland. I was desperately trying to work out how to find the right road! It was in a village where there was absolutely no other traffic on the road and the cop was hiding...

It must have been 30 years ago Maizie. I have no idea what the rules about hiding were at the time. He stopped me and gave me a lecture before checking the tyres. It made me late for work :-(. Every time I drive along that road, I keep my eye on the speedometer to make sure the needle is on 30 - I'd probably be safer if I kept my eye on the road!

Yet another hyped up story by the press. She didn’t try to get out of it, she just wanted some security given her position. There are far far more important issues going on in the world than this that should be reported on.

The accusations are that she tried to use her privileged position to get staff in her department - which is, let’s not forget, the one responsible for ensuring that everyone is treated equally in law - to arrange something specifically for her that would been she was not being treated equally. She didn’t ask them to find out is something was possible, she asked them to arrange special treatment.

When they refused - thus upholding due impartiality, as advised by the Cabinet Office’s ethics team - she allegedly asked one of her political aides to help. That person (who has no impartiality, or apparently ethical, remit, actually asked the course provider if his/her boss could be given special and preferential treatment because of her political position and was refused.

Whether these accusations are true or not, I don’t know (and nor do any of us). They surely, however, warrant investigation to prove or disprove their validity. I find it hard to believe that people would think otherwise.

Just listened to an interview with ‘Mr Loophole’. He said he has arranged one to one speed awareness courses for high profile clients on the basis that their presence would distract others from what they are there to do.

I’ve no idea you you are referring to.

Is he a government minister? If he is, did he, or did he not, ask civil servants to breach the Civil Service code of conduct by acting in the private interests of a Minister? Because that is where the breach of the Ministerial Code would be if this allegations are true.

If he is not, his actions (if one believes them) are irrelevant.

MaizieD

^The course is a privilege and not offered to everyone apparently. I can't remember who gets offered it. It's a way of getting out of fines and points.^

The course is offered if you haven''t done one before and have a clean licence (it's possible to have had points before which have expired). It doesn't get you off the fine, it's just a cheaper fine if you do the course. It only lets you off the points.

This may be the reason some are offered and some aren't.

I dont know why you think I'm completely wrong Primrose.
Whether you are offered a course or not is up to the police/prosecution people. I'm pretty sure it's not a right.

Germanshepherdsmum

Just listened to an interview with ‘Mr Loophole’. He said he has arranged one to one speed awareness courses for high profile clients on the basis that their presence would distract others from what they are there to do.

Yes you are correct that so called high profile people can apply for a one to one speed awareness course.

I am slightly confused that civil servants are not supposed to do anything for their Ministers. Do all Ministers employ non civil servant PA’s to overcome this?

NotSpaghetti

MaizieD

The course is a privilege and not offered to everyone apparently. I can't remember who gets offered it. It's a way of getting out of fines and points.

The course is offered if you haven''t done one before and have a clean licence (it's possible to have had points before which have expired). It doesn't get you off the fine, it's just a cheaper fine if you do the course. It only lets you off the points.

This may be the reason some are offered and some aren't.

I dont know why you think I'm completely wrong Primrose.
Whether you are offered a course or not is up to the police/prosecution people. I'm pretty sure it's not a right.

You can take a speed awareness course every 3.5 years, if you get a speeding fine before the end of the 3.5 years you will receive the appropriate points on your license.

He’s a solicitor well known for getting people off traffic offences Siope. Hence the nickname. His knowledge and experience are relevant.

ronib

NotSpaghetti do you think it’s possible that SB’s office did not know about the speeding violation? After all, why on earth should they know when it is a PRIVATE matter after all. It would have been so wrong for SB to have involved her publicly funded staff surely?

Maybe they shouldn't have said NO then (to 4 separate enquiries apparently) - maybe they should have said I don't know?

As it was they not only denied it but said it was a smear campaign

As others said earlier. It's the cover-up that seems stupid and duplicitous. It's a no-story story if it wasn't for the cover-up.