This is how dictatorships and authoritarians function!

[Filo]

https://news.sky.com/story/tories-who-want-pm-to-resign-facing-intimidation-and-blackmail-from-party-mp-warns-12520768

[Filo]

The PM doesn’t think the blackmailing took place. Sorry, I mean he’s horrified by the blackmailing. Actually, he was only at the blackmailing for 25 mins. Hang on, he thinks the blackmailing was within the rules. In fact, nobody told him it was blackmailing

[BillyStubbsTears]

https://mobile.twitter.com/lewis_goodall/status/1484111208957431809

Whips quietly threatening to release embarrassing stories has gone on forever. It's disgusting, whichever side does it, and full credit to this Tory MP for taking on the issue.

https://mobile.twitter.com/lewis_goodall/status/1484111208957431809

Threats to withdraw Govt funding from rebel MP's constituencies however is a different kettle of fish. That's black and white corruption and bribery and is 100% illegal.

This is the shit show around this most amoral of PMs.

[wilts rover]

It is a criminal offence to attempt to intimidate or influence the actions of an MP.

Just leaving that out there.

[mugnapper]

Whips of all parties have always used thinly veiled threats to try and get MPs to support their party, but saying 'If you don't support the PM, we will leak embarrassing stories about you to the Press, and reduce funding to your Constituency' looks like coercion at best and Blackmail at worst. I wonder if the Tory making the accusation has any hard evidence.

[BillyStubbsTears]

And purely on a practical level, what is this going to do to morale in the Tory party?

If the whips are resorting to these tactics, it's because the soft power ("Stick with us old boy and who knows  what might happen at the next reshuffle, eh?") has no traction. Bullying and blackmail is what they do when they have no alternative.

[BillyStubbsTears]

The PM doesn’t think the blackmailing took place. Sorry, I mean he’s horrified by the blackmailing. Actually, he was only at the blackmailing for 25 mins. Hang on, he thinks the blackmailing was within the rules. In fact, nobody told him it was blackmailing

Very prescient Filo. Johnson's just said he's seen no evidence of blackmailing. That's Step 1.

[Not Now Kato]

The PM doesn’t think the blackmailing took place. Sorry, I mean he’s horrified by the blackmailing. Actually, he was only at the blackmailing for 25 mins. Hang on, he thinks the blackmailing was within the rules. In fact, nobody told him it was blackmailing

Very prescient Filo. Johnson's just said he's seen no evidence of blackmailing. That's Step 1.

LBC this morning were reporting that recordings of these alleged 'threats' will be made available.  https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/no-10-accused-of-blackmail-by-tory-mp-who-urges-colleagues-to-report-cases-to-po/

[ravenrover]

Oh I do hope, as reported, it us my MP Mark Spencer who is the one making the threats. Get his comeuppence then

[glosterred]

Seems like bullying and intimidation isn’t just one sided

https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2018/08/frank-field-quits-labour-whip-over-anti-semitism-and-bullying

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/sep/23/official-report-finds-keith-vaz-guilty-of-sustained-and-unpleasant-bullying

[drfchound]

Strange that there are so many Guardian readers and yet this wasn’t mentioned.

[Hounslowrover]

Slight difference when you’re in government and it has the funding.  Though bullying should never be defended wherever it occurs

[drfchound]

Genuine question then, is it ok to bully staff if you aren’t in government?

[Hounslowrover]

Missed you comment Hound as I was just adding to my one line by saying bulling shouldn’t be supported.

[Donnywolf]

Can you imagine how ve ex Chief Whip Gavin Williamson "twisted anyone's arm"

Gave vem a roboost talking to at ve most

Sorry Sir Gav soon to be as "he knows where ve bodies are buried" allegedly

[drfchound]

Missed you comment Hound as I was just adding to my one line by saying bulling shouldn’t be supported.

Ah, fair enough matey.
I thought it wouldn’t have been like you to think bullying at work is ok.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Seems like bullying and intimidation isn’t just one sided

https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2018/08/frank-field-quits-labour-whip-over-anti-semitism-and-bullying

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/sep/23/official-report-finds-keith-vaz-guilty-of-sustained-and-unpleasant-bullying

Yep. There are nasty individuals in any large group of people.

But I'm guessing you understand the difference between nasty individuals, and systemic abuse by party whips whose job it is to apply pressure on MPs to conform?

[BillyStubbsTears]

The PM doesn’t think the blackmailing took place. Sorry, I mean he’s horrified by the blackmailing. Actually, he was only at the blackmailing for 25 mins. Hang on, he thinks the blackmailing was within the rules. In fact, nobody told him it was blackmailing

Very prescient Filo. Johnson's just said he's seen no evidence of blackmailing. That's Step 1.

So Johnson has seen no evidence of this blackmail.

And he's not looking for evidence of this blackmail.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-60081041

There's a pattern emerging.

He said he'd seen no evidence of Russia meddling in our elections.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.ft.com/content/445b0c90-07ad-11ea-a984-fbbacad9e7dd

After the Security Committee expressed incredulity that he hadn't ordered a search for evidence of Russian meddling in our elections.

https://news.sky.com/story/russia-report-uk-badly-underestimated-interference-threat-from-moscow-says-isc-12033098

That's Johnson. Don't look. Then you can plead ignorance.

I wonder if he closed his eyes when he was f**king Jennifer Arcuri on publicly funded "business meeting trips"?

[glosterred]

Seems like bullying and intimidation isn’t just one sided

https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2018/08/frank-field-quits-labour-whip-over-anti-semitism-and-bullying

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/sep/23/official-report-finds-keith-vaz-guilty-of-sustained-and-unpleasant-bullying

Yep. There are nasty individuals in any large group of people.

But I'm guessing you understand the difference between nasty individuals, and systemic abuse by party whips whose job it is to apply pressure on MPs to conform?

Yes do you

https://order-order.com/2022/01/20/labour-whips-know-a-thing-or-two-about-intimidation/

[scawsby steve]

Seems like bullying and intimidation isn’t just one sided

https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2018/08/frank-field-quits-labour-whip-over-anti-semitism-and-bullying

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/sep/23/official-report-finds-keith-vaz-guilty-of-sustained-and-unpleasant-bullying

Yep. There are nasty individuals in any large group of people.

But I'm guessing you understand the difference between nasty individuals, and systemic abuse by party whips whose job it is to apply pressure on MPs to conform?

Yes do you

https://order-order.com/2022/01/20/labour-whips-know-a-thing-or-two-about-intimidation/

Surely Tory Whips and Labour Whips aren't all the same?

Well, blow me down.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Seems like bullying and intimidation isn’t just one sided

https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2018/08/frank-field-quits-labour-whip-over-anti-semitism-and-bullying

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/sep/23/official-report-finds-keith-vaz-guilty-of-sustained-and-unpleasant-bullying

Yep. There are nasty individuals in any large group of people.

But I'm guessing you understand the difference between nasty individuals, and systemic abuse by party whips whose job it is to apply pressure on MPs to conform?

Yes do you

https://order-order.com/2022/01/20/labour-whips-know-a-thing-or-two-about-intimidation/

Sorry, I refuse to open a link to a site that refuses to allow you to limit its managing of your cookies. Could you let me know what the gist is?

[drfchound]

What a cop out.

[BillyStubbsTears]

https://mobile.twitter.com/ShippersUnbound/status/1484971565657776128

I shouldn't be surprised but just...what the f**k?

[BillyStubbsTears]

https://mobile.twitter.com/Mark_Spencer/status/1485020127141806081

So...err...

Nusrat Ghani MP didn't name the whip she was talking about.

Then the Chief Whip piles in, saying "she's talking about me but I didn't do it."

If he didn't do it, why would it even cross his mind to out himself as being the person she is talking about?

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

She may have told him or someone else did.

I've only ever had the joy of liaising with an MP through work once.  Said MPs response was that they're the MP and that was that.  Not particularly good.

[drfchound]

https://mobile.twitter.com/Mark_Spencer/status/1485020127141806081

So...err...

Nusrat Ghani MP didn't name the whip she was talking about.

Then the Chief Whip piles in, saying "she's talking about me but I didn't do it."

If he didn't do it, why would it even cross his mind to out himself as being the person she is talking about?

Without knowing as much about the situation as they do it is impossible to say.
Pure speculation really.

[albie]

It is not just about how the whips manage government business, it is about the whole culture pervading the actions of the party in charge.

Seamless transition from politics to well paid rewards in the industry you once regulated, contract awards that by-pass the most basic due diligence checks, public funds directed to party donors as a sweetener etc, etc.

Here is Ian Hislop giving his take;
https://twitter.com/MirrorPolitics/status/1486370847908515843

Taken for fools!

[Ldr]

It’s ceased to be a party Albie it’s more a cabal

[wilts rover]

It’s ceased to be a party Albie it’s more a cabal

I have been trying to tell people that for years Ldr. This is not the Tory Party of Heath, Thatcher or even Major. Its the political arm of a group of multi-national, billionaire neo-liberal tax dodgers, looking to de-regulate the economy to enrich themselves at whatever cost to the country and hold onto power by lies and manipulation.

Among whom is that tax-dodger friend of Steve Bannon in Ireland that glosered appears to want to promote.

[albie]

It’s ceased to be a party Albie it’s more a cabal

Cabal it may be, but I reckon it is more like a mafia operation.
The firm looking to reward its own, and create new business opportunities to exploit.

Now if we were Russia, we would be thinking about Putin and his circle of dependent oligarchs, all laundering cash  via the City of London and off-shore banking arrangements!

Corruption is corruption, no matter what rosette it wears at election time.