Corruption in government

[albie]

The response to the UK Covid crisis has been clouded by profiteering on the public purse.

The level of corruption throughout the whole fiasco is set out in this Guardian piece;
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/15/chumocracy-covid-revealed-shape-tory-establishment

I know it has been discussed in other threads, but worth setting it out in its own right.
Now if this were in another country, I reckon we would be scathing!

Is this the way we are nowadays, regardless of political choice?
Should this be accepted as a new normal?

[wilts rover]

My Little Crony:

https://sophieehill.shinyapps.io/my-little-crony/

https://bylinetimes.com/2020/11/13/what-i-learnt-about-the-great-procurement-scandal-building-my-little-crony/

[SydneyRover]

It appears to be normal practice not hidden, no shame In you face f**k you.

[albie]

Dispatches on Ch4 last night was about the lockdown chaos, and who is coining it as a result;
https://www.channel4.com/programmes/lockdown-chaos

Worth a watch if you missed it.

[albie]

What fresh hell is this?
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-54974373

So many lives were lost to the PPE scandal.

[SydneyRover]

this appears to cover it Albie

''Between 1837 and 1869 he was known as Sir John Dalberg-Acton, 8th Baronet. He is perhaps best known for the remark,

 "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely''

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dalberg-Acton,_1st_Baron_Acton#:~:text=Between%201837%20and%201869%20he,letter%20to%20an%20Anglican%20bishop.

[Donnywolf]

What fresh hell is this?
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-54974373

So many lives were lost to the PPE scandal.

Good point Albie - and I am sure many people posted on here at the time (I suppose I could search for some) and anecdotally I heard many tales of people throwing themselves into the fight against the virus

Lots were offering to make Ventilators - even more PPE masks etc - and a neighbour of mine was offering (as a huge Shopfitting company) to adapt and make Shields Visors and Screens

Lots of those offering their services never even got a reply - including my neighbours Company - and of course we all know why.

It was better to spurn the advances of a firm already making Scrubs Masks and such things as their mainstream business and pay someone like this 21 million quid to help them find someone who could make some for them even if they usually made Central Heating Pumps
Or they could cut out the middle man and crony it out withouy any 2 or 3 quotes to select the cheapest AND then be surprised when the PPE was not fit for purpose as has been reprted many times

[Glyn_Wigley]

Giving squillions in 'consultancy fees' to your mates is so much more important than wasting it by spending it on feeding kids.

[Donnywolf]

... a point made subtely by SKS in the so called PMQ's (waste of time and I only watch till SIB of SNP has asked his 2 questions none of which have ever been answered)

Easier for Liar Johnson this week as the unkempt overstuffed lying Glove puppet had eveything written down and like I just did could only hurl insults at SKS as I have at him though mine wont be in Hansard or read by more than 20 people

[wilts rover]

Is it just a coincidence that 49 of the companies awarded government contracts have links to the Plymouth Brethren?

https://twitter.com/allthecitizens/status/1329069371709222913

[bobbymax]

Is it just a coincidence that 49 of the companies awarded government contracts have links to the Plymouth Brethren?

https://twitter.com/allthecitizens/status/1329069371709222913

Yes, read that! Nothing like Christian values to support cronyism in a pandemic.

[albie]

Under the cover provided by the vaccine rollout, the great heist continues;
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/we-need-answers-about-five-year-nhs-data-deals-big-tech/

Nothing about this in the mainstream media, but by stealth this Hancockery is undermining the future of the NHS.
It is (another) national disgrace.

[wilts rover]

I'm sure you must have already seen this video albie - so here it is for everyone else:

For the vast majority, this pandemic has been utter misery.

But for a wealthy few, it has been an opportunity to cash-in on connections.

https://twitter.com/zarahsultana/status/1336677067610595330

[number19]

https://twitter.com/JolyonMaugham

Always plenty of news on this feed that would be better served if published on BBC news.

https://twitter.com/ThatTimWalker/status/1336965994720485376

[albie]

Very impressive lass is Zarah Sultana, always to the point and no BS.

Interesting comment piece from Gina Miller on the corruption fest;
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/dec/09/boris-johnson-britain-corruption-cronyism-checks-balances

If this is the new normal, we are not in a good place.
Once the UK is out of international obligations, we will see a race to the bottom at breakneck pace.

[bpoolrover]

It’s like there has been no financial scandals with labour over recent years

[Hounslowrover]

Bpool do you mean Labour governments’ financial scandals or corruption, or scandals with individuals of the Labour Party. I think the previous posts were referring to government corruption. I’d be interested to hear of some on this scale.

[Glyn_Wigley]

It’s like there has been no financial scandals with labour over recent years

Doe that mean the next government can throw millions at their mates away just because this one has, or is this just one big cycle where one government can be excused by what another one may or may not have done in the past?

[bpoolrover]

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/labour-in-2m-skyscraper-bribe-scandal-kvxd80t6s

[Janso]

Whattabouttery at its finest as always, bpool.

[albie]

Blackpool,

Your Times link is about something different, corrupt individuals in a local area....and yes, it is completely unacceptable and should be punished in law.

That is not the same as Government corruption.
We are talking about widespread abuse to favour donors and supporters, and the deliberate sidestepping of the rules to prevent such abuse.

The way that the scale of exploitation has exploded to take advantage of the Covid crisis is a warning sign of things to come.

You don't want to see a future where large sums of public money are syphoned off to special interests without supervision, do you?

[bpoolrover]

If they had done the correct protocol people would have come on here saying how slow they were so they can’t really win, what needs to happen is when COVID is under control the people who have not provided what they said need to repay some of not all of the money, it probably won’t happen thou, but is this anything new have people other money not always looked after people with money in every way of life no matter which government
No matter what country, does that make it right no but unfortunately it’s the way it is and always will be

[albie]

Well, I hope they do repay, Blackpool...but I bet they don't!

What is different is the scale of the spending going to these cronies.
It is all set out in the links above....it is way above the level of any previous examples.

All payments need to be authorised through a formal process.
You can change the tender process on a temporary basis, but still need to secure the public interest at the reckoning. Giving contracts to companies with no track record or expertise is just barmy.

[Glyn_Wigley]

Blackpool,

Your Times link is about something different, corrupt individuals in a local area....and yes, it is completely unacceptable and should be punished in law.

That is not the same as Government corruption.
We are talking about widespread abuse to favour donors and supporters, and the deliberate sidestepping of the rules to prevent such abuse.

The way that the scale of exploitation has exploded to take advantage of the Covid crisis is a warning sign of things to come.

You don't want to see a future where large sums of public money are syphoned off to special interests without supervision, do you?

It doesn't read like that to me from the little I could read of it. It sounds like a lone con-man of the sort that used to sell the Eiffel Tower to anyone stupid enough to believe them.

[ravenrover]

Can someone remind me of the obscene amounts that the likes of Rees Mogg and co will make from a No Deal Brexit? Just asking

[drfchound]

I don’t think anyone will actually know Raven.
Someone will probably “let you know” though.

[IDM]

A lot.?

[drfchound]

Monty Python ?

[Nudga]

https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m4716

[IDM]

Monty Python ?

If you have to ask..!!