Sick of Starmer relentlessly using the words"difficult " & "painful"

Now it could have cost the country thousands if he hadn’t accepted tickets.

If I don't accept a gift of hospitality, I can't go to a game. You could say: 'Well, bad luck.' That's why gifts have to be registered. But, you know, never going to an Arsenal game again because I can't accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far," he said.

Oh dear, poor Kier.

Sometimes you have to give things you do not need up, for the greater good, is how the withdrawal of WFA for all pensioners is presented.

This would not be so noticeable if there had not been all the complaints about Tory freebies.

I’m sick and tired of the whinging rather than of Starmer, because he is right. It is going to be difficult and painful.

We are well aware things are going to be difficult; we are not stupid. What you do not seem to be aware of is the fury out there in the electorate, not that things will be difficult, but that the leader who has warned of this has been busy at the same time accumulating as much money and as many gifts for himself on top of a very healthy income as he can, while expecting others to bear the burden.
His Arsenal tickets and his wife's dresses won't redress the balance but they show an appalling lack of leadership by example and contempt for the public.

news.sky.com/story/westminster-accounts-how-to-explore-the-database-for-yourself-12781065

One B Johnson made £6.4million in donations, gifts and other benefits from the 2019 election until he lost his seat. He isn’t included in the figures because he is no longer a MP. The average MP makes £24k. Check it out.

I’m not stupid either eazybee, nor am I denying that some people are genuinely upset and disappointed, and that some are using this as an opportunity to have a go because they ‘didn’t expect anything else’. It’s wrong that Starmer has accepted donations and gifts after criticising Tories for doing the same. That’s not to say he is wrong for accepting them, because it is the norm in Westminster, it is custom and practice. It’s not something I agree with in principle, but it is what it is.

I am sick and tired of the whinges nonetheless, because this is fluff in comparison with the actual business of the government. I know you won’t agree with me, and that Mollygo will have a go at me for not accepting her view of the world either, but that’s my opinion.

Have a go at you Casdon? No more than you have a go at me or anyone else who dares to criticise Starmer. But if that’s how you feel . . .

Just because it is what it is doesn’t make it ok, especially when you were elected on your pledge to do away with cronyism and donor gifts!

I was dismayed at the Boris’s tenure, appalled at Truss’s, Sunak tried his best but his party were not behind him.

Starmer, well I was giving him the benefit of the doubt, unfortunately so far it’s just another same old same old government.

I know GrannyGravy it’s not okay. I hope what this debacle does is to highlight the principle, so that there is much greater clarity in future. Maybe all donations should be to the party, and a scale of allowances be based on that, or some other transparent process should be developed.

Oh come on. It isn’t in the same league as the cronyism that we’ve had for the past 14 years!

MayBee70

Oh come on. It isn’t in the same league as the cronyism that we’ve had for the past 14 years!

So that’s ok then?

It’s just plain wrong, whoever is on the receiving end.

If you cannot budget to buy your wife a dress on a salary of over £150,000, you shouldn’t be running the country.

That goes for any MP if any colour

Where is the breakdown of £6.4 million for B. Johnson?
Well as I keep saying the Sunak family paid in £20 million to stay here - what a contrast!

We could play a game. If you can't....... you shouldn't be running the country.

That’s not to say he is wrong for accepting them, because it is the norm in Westminster, it is custom and practice. It’s not something I agree with in principle, but it is what it is.

Yes he is wrong for accepting them because he has criticized others for doing so. I don't accept bribes, my friends and family don't accept bribes, most of Parliament don't accept bribes; it may happen, it is not the norm and it is not right, and we will continue to express our distaste as long as we feel it is necessary.

ronib

Where is the breakdown of £6.4 million for B. Johnson?
Well as I keep saying the Sunak family paid in £20 million to stay here - what a contrast!

If you click the link on the attachment and type in the name you can see it ronib.
The alternative truth for the Sunak’s is that he worked here and couldn’t live elsewhere, so they lived in this country, why weren’t they paying their tax here in the first place, as I recall. It was hyped up by the media of course.

eazybee

^That’s not to say he is wrong for accepting them, because it is the norm in Westminster, it is custom and practice. It’s not something I agree with in principle, but it is what it is.^

Yes he is wrong for accepting them because he has criticized others for doing so. I don't accept bribes, my friends and family don't accept bribes, most of Parliament don't accept bribes; it may happen, it is not the norm and it is not right, and we will continue to express our distaste as long as we feel it is necessary.

There are as many different views about this as there are electors eazybee, but misreading my post and quoting half of it back, missing out ‘ It’s wrong that Starmer has accepted donations and gifts after criticising Tories for doing the same’ doesn’t help your case here?

MayBee70

Oh come on. It isn’t in the same league as the cronyism that we’ve had for the past 14 years!

So by that argument, doing something that others have been, quite rightly criticised for is acceptable as long as it’s done on a smaller scale.

Really?
I’m sorry. I don’t agree. If it’s wrong, it’s wrong.

Surprisingly I think a fair chunk of BJ’s £6.4 million comes from earnings - speaking engagements, book royalties and other activities? Casdon

ronib

Surprisingly I think a fair chunk of BJ’s £6.4 million comes from earnings - speaking engagements, book royalties and other activities? Casdon

No, you can see the visual colour bubbles ronib, there are many gifts and donations.

Rishi Sunak doesn’t seem to have any donations in 2024 ?

The second part of your argument is more relevant. 'that's not to say he is wrong in accepting them.' Yes, he is wrong in accepting them.
Shoplifting is becoming more frequent but that does not mean it is acceptable because so many people do it.

Keir Starmer’s account stands at £900,000 approximately in 2019 presumably to 2024? Not bad …

eazybee

The second part of your argument is more relevant. 'that's not to say he is wrong in accepting them.' Yes, he is wrong in accepting them.
Shoplifting is becoming more frequent but that does not mean it is acceptable because so many people do it.

Why are you reading sentences in isolation and quoting them without the context? I said I didn’t agree with the principle, but somehow, again, in your translation, that got lost.

Its not all about gifts: its also about networks:

Tory Covid contracts worth £15bn had corruption ‘red flags’, study finds
Findings by Transparency International UK point to ‘more than coincidence or incompetence’, says chief executive".

www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/sep/09/tory-covid-contracts-worth-15bn-had-corruption-red-flags-study-finds

Covid procurement was a nightmare politically and for those of us who it was our livelihood.

Our Government got things wrong, they should be held to account.

Profiteering was rife, prices were going up by the minute. China had the majority of PPE stocks and it wasn’t available. They were off loading substandard stock to anyone who paid.

GrannyGravy13

Covid procurement was a nightmare politically and for those of us who it was our livelihood.

Our Government got things wrong, they should be held to account.

Profiteering was rife, prices were going up by the minute. China had the majority of PPE stocks and it wasn’t available. They were off loading substandard stock to anyone who paid.

But if the government hadn’t ignored Operation Cygnus we wouldn’t have been as ill prepared as we were. And that’s thanks to Jeremy Hunt who then ended up as Chancellor.

No excuse for bennies for friends.

No excuses for anything you condemned others for doing or accepting.