Lord Waheed Alli, has he bought the government?

I think that's what makes being an MP such a difficult job. I think many people have "things" in their life that spun by the media could be embarassing or awkward but fortunately the media isn't interested in most of us. It's not just the MP that needs to have a thick skin but also their spouse/partner, children and wider family, the constant intrusion into their lives must be horrible.

Apparently the alleged super injunction on something KS allegedly doesn’t want to get out has been broken on X

It’s not just the MSM who has it in for KS, I am beginning to wonder what skeletons are in his cupboard

I also feel somewhat emphatic towards KS and his family, being in the spotlight is not much fun, which they are finding out.

Goodness me eazybee - I.was not ‘boasting’ . I was making the point that I was naive when I arrived in corporate world. I’d no idea that it was (and remains) the norm to schmooze important clients. I had many discussions with the directors I worked with about this. No one was ‘laughing at me and my so called principles’. The socialist PA was not sneering. It was warm and genuine - I was liked and respected - why else would I have worked there for 2 years. I learned a lot. I’, surprised by the level of anger you’re expressing to 20 year old me as well as by your deliberate misconstruing.

Thanks for ‘getting it’ NotSpaghetti.

Mollygo - a relative is a very successful financial advisor. His daughter now does the day to day business management. He volunteers for a local homeless charity two nights a week. He donates to the Labour Party. If I was his PA yes. I’d have written the envelopes and posted them.

It’s irrelevant after all this time, but if he’d asked you to send money to the Labour Party, would you have done so Iam64?

You boasted about how were happy to send bribes to the wives of corporate clients yet refused to send cheques to the Conservative Party; did you regard these as bribes too? What entitled you to be selective in what you would and would not do?
Your likeable, charming boss was laughing at you and your so-called principles, and rightly called you his socialist PA, to the amusement of his clients.

I dont think it was hypocritical Iam - not very many 20 year olds would have said "no".
The gifts all went out anyway as you knew they would. It seems to me you were just marking that activity as particularly unpalatable one. Your boss had the good sense to remove that task from you and follow it up with humour.

If you'd said you wouldn't send anything out at all -it would not have been so pointed. I suppose you could have said "I don't approve of corporate gift-giving". But a lot of gift giving in business at Christmas in particular, is mainly a thank you
Corporate gift giving is an old custom - I don't see it dying out.

My father (from his business) always gave boxes of beautifully wrapped Bronnley soaps at Christmas to his customers. There were some I might have been happy to "forget" about but as a small business he was grateful for their continued custom.

eazybee

So you disapproved but sent the flowers, gifts and alcohol; you disapproved but refused to send the cheques, (to the Conservative Party).
Perfect example of hypocrisy.

You can be a smarty pants eazybee - I was 20 and had landed a great job with prospects. I loved the work and my colleagues. My immediate boss owned the company, I’m so pleased I worked with people with a sense of humour.
Calling 20 year old me a hypocrite is really rather nasty after a light hearted post.

On a serious note if more people understood where the power is it would save a lot of angst.

Why is that, petra?

Do you think people would just stop making a fuss about it?

Allira

People think governments run the world.

They don't. It's powerful business and wealthy individuals who have the influence and make the decisions that affect us all.

I’m still waiting for my nod from the Bilderberg Group 😉
On a serious note if more people understood where the power is it would save a lot of angst.

He didn’t go on holiday Boz. Whoever paid for it I should imagine it was a joyless affair for his wife and children when they had expected him to be there.

I have just read that this list of Starmer freebies was only the July declaration. When the August list is published, I do hope we will see that the Starmers paid for their own summer holiday.

I wonder why the Telegraph doesn’t spend time investigating Jenrick’s £75,000 donation from a ‘dubious’ company, rather than targeting a child - the PM’s 16 year old son?

Oh, that’ll be because Jenrick is a Tory … so let’s leave him alone! Whereas, Keir Starmer is Labour so he and his entire family (including children) appear to be fair game!

Anniebach

He loaned interest free money to a woman who is terminally ill, she will repay the loan when she sells her home

He invited a friend to stay in his New York apartment whilst she was on holiday.

He loaned a property to a friend because the friend son was sitting his GCSE’s and their family home was surrounded by
media and protesters.

Is it unusual to have several friends? I am sorry if you do

From todays Daily Telegraph. Sorry but I can’t turn it round for you to read.

So, the PM and deputy pm have accepted some gifts, some of which have been declared. I don't think the price of his specs is excessive, assuming that it covered more than one pair. I also assume that Starmer didn't go to Spec Savers since they do not use the best lenses. I would also expect him to wear good quality, tailor made suits since he is now PM.

Dinahmo

What's the difference between politicians accepting freebies and Thatcher lobbying with the Saudis on behalf of her son Mark? She certainly used her position to influence other countries for private purposes.

Two wrongs do not make a right.

When an MP receives gifts there will always be the thought in the back of the electorates minds what does the donor want/expect in return

Yes it was a long time ago but there are people who still think she was wonderful.

Yes, and she shouldn’t have done, but it was 40/50 years ago and not relevant today. We’re discussing the culture of giving gifts to parliamentarians today, not forty years ago. It’s wrong, it’s immoral and it needs to be stopped, completely. Just as it is not allowed to accept gifts in other professions/jobs, so should it be illegal for MPs to accept gifts.

What's the difference between politicians accepting freebies and Thatcher lobbying with the Saudis on behalf of her son Mark? She certainly used her position to influence other countries for private purposes.

It's not hidden, it is recorded and available for the public to view, however, I don't think there is any specific guidance for how much information has to be given. Lots of the donations are just listed quite generally eg as donation for campaign. People might find the link below helpful.
www.parliament.uk/mps-lords-and-offices/standards-and-financial-interests/parliamentary-commissioner-for-standards/registers-of-interests/

AGAA4

In this case maybe he was being kind but there have been other donations for clothes, loaning a luxury flat to Angela Raynor amongst other gifts.
I just feel this one man is too involved with the Labour party. I know all parties receive freebies and it should stop.

Agree with this, all freebies should cease. Regarding donations to the various parties maybe there should be a register of ALL donations to ALL political parties that is published weekly, not hidden away so that only a few can view it. People need to know who is giving and how much, to avoid any favouritism.

eazybee

So you disapproved but sent the flowers, gifts and alcohol; you disapproved but refused to send the cheques, (to the Conservative Party).
Perfect example of hypocrisy.

The question is, would Iam64 have sent cheques to a socialist party!

So you disapproved but sent the flowers, gifts and alcohol; you disapproved but refused to send the cheques, (to the Conservative Party).
Perfect example of hypocrisy.

Iam64, with that experience, presumably you understand my concern about freebies being used to gain influence.

Mollygo - in 1970, i was PA to the owner director of a construction company. Part of my role involved sending gifts/cases of alcohol/flowers to the wives of important corporate clients etc . I was shocked but did these things. I absolutely refused to send cheques to the Conservative Party. My likeable, charming boss found it hilarious. He didn’t sack me but delegated this task to the typing pool. He then introduced me to important clients as ‘this is iam64, my socialist pa’

Iam64

I’m not defending the ‘freebie’ culture at Westminster but - anyone involved in the corporate/business/sales business must be aware there are budgets for treating/seducing customers.

Absolutely! And since DH was often involved in that treating or seducing customers in the hope that they would influence customers to begin to or continue to use/do things for his firm, I understand the concern there is about freebies being used to gain influence.