Opinion: “The government fails, lies, embarrasses us all – rinses and repeats”

TruePublica Editor: There’s a theme running through the political elite in the corridors of power in this country. Incompetence in government is one of them. Then there is the sheer arrogance of their untenable and indefensible position on just about everything they turn their hands to.

Take the latest scandal that has done nothing for ‘Global Britain’ other than embarrass it – that is slowly ending in a humiliating climbdown by the Home Office over Ukrainians fleeing from a warzone.

In this example, it appears that the government is taking its lead straight from the very best episodes of Yes Minister. The Tories, who were funded by Russian oligarchs, promptly issued VIP passports to Russian oligarchs (Golden Visas no less) and in their infinite wisdom even put a Russian oligarch in the House of Lords, now claim they can’t waive visas for Ukrainian refugees in case dastardly Putin plants some Russian agents in the UK in the guise of frightened mums and their children. One must imagine that the MI6 has been tracking Olga (7 years of age) and her mum to be so worried about them. And because they have no money to buy a mansion, fill the cellar with Chateaux Margaux or adorn the walls with classical masterpieces – they are a national security threat. Obviously.

Of course, cough up £160,000 of money laundered through the illegal facilitation laundromat called the City of London for a game of tennis – and BOOM – there’s your visa Sir.

Talking of laundered money and City of London – it’s extraordinary that it’s taken the bombing of a European country, along with the mass murder of its citizens by a demonic lunatic – to raise our eyebrows at something we’ve known for decades. Indeed, TruePublica accused Transparency International five years ago of having a laugh when it published its report into dodgy Russian cash being the source of £2billion of property sales in London. Its latest report shows that that sum has now risen to £6.7 billion. How it gets to this number is at best a fantasy. In just one investigation, representing last year (yes, one year) over 600 companies were set up in the UK – all controlled from Russia. That doesn’t include those Russian entities controlled from any other country in the world, including the numerous tax havens being used to shield the names of those involved.

 

Minister Mocked

In the meantime, as if to make this point crystal clear, Jacob Rees-Mogg (Minister of State for Brexit Propaganda Opportunities) has been quite rightly mocked after his claim that the UK “leads the way” in sanctioning Russian banks. To make his point he produced a chart showing the UK had sanctioned £258.8 billion, compared to £240 billion in the US and £38.8 billion in the EU. In so doing, he proved to everyone with functioning brain cells that Britain is awash with more dodgy Russian dosh than anywhere else in the world. There’s a good reason why Britain is in big trouble – it’s rather obvious.

In an attempt to mock Ress-Mogg for his ineptitude of not being able to humiliate Britain enough – that other clown of our own making Nigel Farage surfaces and demands a referendum on Net-Zero. Featuring on news blockbuster GB News, we are reminded that the station is partly funded by Christopher Chandler, whose brother bragged that they “teamed up with Putin to launch a management coup at Gazprom.” Of course, it was convenient for Farage to forget during his rant that his boss is considered a security risk by the French intelligence services. Even The Daily Fail reported that French Intelligence – “suspect him of ‘working for the Russian intelligence services’ and being linked to money-laundering.”

Farage used the news channel that no one watches to defend a position close to his heart (and wallet). He asks –  “Is it right to seize people’s assets without any form of due process? And will it really turn Russians against Vladimir Putin? I’m concerned about the way this is being done.” Carole Cadwalldre comments – “One of the greatest of failures of last 10 years has been the failure to see Farage for who he is. His pro-Putin views in plain sight the entire time.” She has a point!

 

Global Britain

Global Britain. What does it stand for now that Brexit has been done? No one knows. I certainly don’t and nor does anyone I’ve asked – even Brexit voters. And now that Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia have asked to become members of the EU – that leaves Russia (a dictatorship), Belarus (an authoritarian state) and the United Kingdom (completely lost) not wanting to be members of the greatest peace project in human history (and the biggest trading bloc) (and Britain’s biggest economic trading partner).

If anything, Global Britain means being the money laundering capital of the world for Russian gangsters and being on the wrong side of history by sidling up to them. We’re whores to money – or at least the City of London is, Downing Street is and much of the House of Commons is where one in ten of all Tory MP’s have pocketed their blood-soaked money to get into power. Boris (Russian for ‘small glory’) Johnson – and there’s an irony there somewhere, is swimming or sinking in it – depending on your view.

The Tory party co-chair Ben Elliot stood accused last week of flooding the party with millions of Putin’s spare change. There was a time when you got sacked and then nationally humiliated for accepting a watch and asking a question on behalf of a donor in the House of Commons, today it’s a bit different. With cash-for-visas, cash-for questions, cash-for-influence, cash-for-honours, cash-for-peerages, cash-for-Covid-contracts, cash-for-wallpaper/refurbishments, cash-for-holidays and so on – this government are definitely world-beating at something … corruption and sleaze.

 

World-Beating Gibberish

In yet more news immersed in comedic irony, the new Chair of NHS England is Richard Meddings. He previously served on HM Treasury’s board and as Chair of TSB Bank (the bank that melted down). He also served on the board of Credit Suisse. A leak exposed the bank of the hidden wealth of clients involved in torture, drug trafficking, money laundering, corruption and other serious crimes, where Meddings also serves on the board of the financial crime control unit. One paper alleges that Meddings significantly features (HERE). It’s good to know that Meddings will be able to share all of his medical knowledge and experience with the ex-banker Sajid Javid, who has as much medical experience in his CV (which is zero).

Britain is definitely world-beating at producing liars. How about Tory MP Chris Phillip (Croydon) who now claims that world-beating Britain took in more refugees from Syria (which it didn’t) than any other European country. This is an obvious bid to block Ukrainians on the run from ‘Mad-Vlad.’ Or at PMQ’s yesterday where Johnson lied through his teeth (LINK) said – “We’ve done more to resettle vulnerable people than any other European country since 2015.” They must believe their own gibberish, mustn’t they?

Today, Johnson has announced that the new government – “National Shipbuilding Strategy will see more than 150 new ships delivered over the next 30 years, turbocharging our exports and helping Britain’s shipping take a world-lead.” As Gavin Esler, former BBC political editor says wearily – “Same old “refreshed … new … delivered .. turbocharged … world-leading” rhetoric available for any Boris Johnson policy. A tired act that never actually delivers anything in reality. (Hospitals? bridges? Brexit opportunities?).”

 

Bullies On The Block

We also had news about the shenanigans of government this week that John Bercow was a “serial bully” while House of Commons Speaker, and would be banned from getting a parliamentary pass, and would never be Knighted – a report has said. I think most of us would agree – if he was what the report says. Meanwhile, don’t forget that Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, had an investigation into her bullying. That report came back that she was a serial bully too – but Boris Johnson said it was ok and overturned it. So that’s fine then.

It’s increasingly obvious that Boris Johnson’s new narrative for the economy is to now blame the cost of living crisis on the war in Ukraine. Tax rises, along with the National Insurance rise, food and energy rises were all part of the post Brexit, post-pandemic world and were all set in motion months ago. This is a narrative that Johnson will lie about to deflect from their own policy failures. It is also a narrative that says we all have to swallow to pain because that’s what war does – and we must accept it.

Whilst all this is going on, we must also forget all about the police investigation into the illegal Downing Street parties, the Sue Grey Report, all the corruption, VIP lanes and Covid loan losses –  and do try to also forget that the Tories beat the virus – so it’s definitely not filling up hospital wards again (242 dead today).

I asked a Tory MP how it was all going so far for him as far as this government is concerned. “this is a living nightmare … it doesn’t seem to matter what the government puts its hand to – it fails, lies, embarrasses us all – repeats and rinses the whole thing over and over again.”

If you’d downed a bottle of Vodka and stuffed a kilo of ‘blow’ up your nostrils – you simply couldn’t make nonsense it up. This government has turned in on itself and morphed into a clique of ironic and moronic comedians? As one political commentator rightly says – “Boris Johnson is a man who raises flags and lowers standards.: And that is a fact that is at least true.

 

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