Category Archives: POLITICS

Local Tory Party Sticks By Geoffrey Cox Despite Sleaze Accusations

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Geoffrey Cox’s local Conservative association has vowed to stand by him despite accusations he breached parliament’s anti-sleaze rules.

Cox, the Tory MP for Torridge and West Devon, is under fire for earning £1million over the past 12 months to work as a lawyer for clients including the British Virgin Islands (BVI), which is subject to a corruption inquiry started by the Foreign Office.

The former attorney general has been criticised for travelling to the Caribbean to advise the BVI while being able to cast votes in the Commons by proxy during the coronavirus pandemic — leading to charges that he has not been focused on his constituents back home.

Further pressure has built on the high-profile barrister after The Times released a video of him appearing to use his office in Westminster to participate remotely in a legal hearing in September, in a possible breach of parliament’s rules.

Despite the backlash, John Gray, chair of the Torridge and West Devon Conservatives, told HuffPost UK that Cox had his “full support”.

He said Cox was a “superb constituency MP” with an “astonishing work ethic and valuable legal expertise”.

“The proof is in the pudding: when Geoffrey first came to this constituency it was a Liberal Democrat seat,” he said.

“Since winning the seat in 2005 Geoffrey has built an increased majority of 3,000 to almost 25,000 with a remarkable 60% vote share in 2019.

“This happened because of Geoffrey’s dogged commitment to serving his constituents. Time and again, constituents attending Geoffrey’s Saturday surgeries have found him a dedicated and powerful advocate.”

He continued: “His independent thinking, underpinned by his successful legal career, was very much to the country’s benefit during the challenging period surrounding the Brexit negotiations.

“I understand completely why people don’t want to see machine politicians and in Geoffrey Cox we have an MP who brings far wider expertise to the House.

“Sir Geoffrey has my full support.”

According to the code of conduct for MPs, members must use their taxpayer-funded offices and other resources “in support of their parliamentary duties”.

“It should not confer any undue personal or financial benefit on themselves or anyone else,” it states.

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner has written to Standards Commissioner Kathryn Stone asking her to investigate. Cox has said he will co-operate with any possible investigation.

In her letter, Rayner said: “This appears to be an egregious, brazen breach of the rules. A Conservative MP using a taxpayer funded office in Parliament to work for a tax haven facing allegations of corruption is a slap in the face and an insult to British taxpayers.

“You can be an MP serving your constituents or a barrister working for a tax haven – you can’t be both and Boris Johnson needs to make his mind up as to which one Geoffrey Cox will be.”

A statement on behalf of Cox said: “Sir Geoffrey’s view is that it is up to the electors of Torridge and West Devon whether or not they vote for someone who is a senior and distinguished professional in his field and who still practices that profession.

“That has been the consistent view of the local conservative association and although at every election his political opponents have sought to make a prominent issue of his professional practice, it has so far been the consistent view of the voters of Torridge and West Devon. Sir Geoffrey is very content to abide by their decision.

“As for the allegation that he breached the parliamentary code of conduct on one occasion, on 14 September 2021, by being in his office while participating in an online hearing in the public inquiry and voting in the House of Commons, he understands that the matter has been referred to the parliamentary commissioner and he will fully cooperate with her investigation.

“He does not believe that he breached the rules but will of course accept the judgment of the parliamentary commissioner or of the committee on the matter.”

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Boris Johnson Does Not Back ‘Outright Ban’ On MPs’ Second Jobs, Says No.10

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Nick Ansell via PA Media

Geoffrey Cox, the former attorney general, is under pressure over his second jobs.

Boris Johnson has rejected imposing a ban on MPs holding second jobs, despite the backlash over Westminster sleaze.

It was revealed on Tuesday that Tory MP Geoffrey Cox earned hundreds of thousands of pounds giving legal advice the British Virgin Islands.

He was hired to defend the islands in an inquiry launched by the UK Foreign Office.

According to the Daily Mail, the former attorney general took part in Commons votes by proxy while working from the Caribbean during the pandemic.

The ability of MPs to hold second jobs on top of their work in parliament came under scrutiny after Owen Paterson was found to have broken sleaze rules by lobbying ministers on behalf of two companies he worked for. 

But No.10 said the prime minister “doesn’t back an outright ban on second jobs”.

“A ban on second jobs will catch those who still work in roles such as doctors and nurses,” the PM’s spokesperson said.

Downing Street added parliament “can and historically has” benefited from MPs having second jobs but that parliamentary duties should “take priority”.

“MP’s primary job is and must be to serve their constituents and to represent their interests in parliament”.

“If they’re not doing that, they’re not doing their job and will rightly be judged on that by their constituents.”

Labour meanwhile has called on Johnson to launch an urgent investigation into Cox’s activities.

 In a letter to the prime minister, Anneliese Dodds, Labour’s chair, said: “It appears that your former attorney general is profiting from advising an administration accused of corruption and tax avoidance.

“The people of Torridge and West Devon must be wondering if Geoffrey Cox is a Caribbean-based barrister or a Conservative MP.”

Deputy prime minister Dominic Raab told BBC Breakfast that were “very strict rules” surrounding MPs’ second jobs and that it is “respectable and legitimate” for them to carry them out.

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Where Is Boris Johnson On The Day MPs Debate Sleaze?

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Prime Minister Boris Johnson attends Diwali celebrations in Neasden over the weekend

Boris Johnson will avoid today’s emergency debate on MPs’ sleaze due to a “long-standing” visit to the north-east of England.

The prime minister’s official spokesman revealed that Johnson was on a hospital visit to “see the importance of NHS staff getting their booster jabs”.

Instead, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Steve Barclay will represent the government.

The spokesman insisted Mr Barclay was the right person to appear at the debate because of his cross-government role.

He said Johnson’s visit was a “long-standing plan for him to go up there and see the importance of NHS staff getting their boosters”.

The spokesman insisted the visit was planned before the standards debate was scheduled and because he is travelling by train – he would not arrive back in Westminster in time for the debate.

Asked why he could not fly back to London as he did from the Cop26 summit last week, the spokesman said: “I gave you the reason for that flight before.”

However, the Labour Party sought to capitalise on the PM’s absence by launching social media graphics and accusing him of “running scared”. 

It comes just a few hours after a cabinet minister suggested Johnson did not need to attend the debate and could follow proceedings on a TV in his office. 

International trade secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said instead Johnson should be focusing on “important” prime ministerial matters.

It follows an extraordinary week in the House of Commons in which the government faced accusations of a return to “1990s sleaze culture”. 

Last Thursday, Johnson was forced to u-turn over a controversial plan to prevent Tory MP Owen Paterson facing a 30-day commons suspension for a serious breach of lobbying rules. The row resulted in Paterson quitting as an MP. 

The government is set to face another tough few days with further allegations of sleaze emerging in the Sunday papers – including a “cash for honours” row.

Labour leader Keir Starmer said that a no-show by the prime minister in Monday’s debate would demonstrate he was “either too arrogant or too cowardly to take responsibility” for the Paterson lobbying scandal.

All eyes will be on commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle who is expected to make a significant intervention, including a review of the standards process and whether MPs should be allowed second jobs.

Starmer will lead Labour’s response to the debate, which should start after 4pm. 

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Jacob Rees-Mogg Should Resign Over Sleaze Row, Says Labour

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Jacob Rees-Mogg should resign over the Owen Paterson sleaze row, Labour has said.

On Sunday a cabinet minister tried to dismiss the affair as a “storm in a teacup”.

But Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, said the government had acted in a “corrupt” way and accused Boris Johnson of having “trashed” the reputation of Britain’s democracy.

The prime minister was forced U-turn over a plan to prevent Paterson, a former Tory minister, facing a 30-day Commons suspension for a serious breach of lobbying rules.

Paterson subsequently quit as an MP after the government abandoned an attempt to set up a Tory-dominated committee to re-examine his case and the wider Commons standards regime.

In an interview with Sky News on Sunday, shadow Commons leader Thangam Debbonaire said Rees-Mogg should resign over his part in the row.

“If I was him, I’d be considering my position, that’s what I think he should do today,” she said. “I think his position is untenable.”

Rees-Mogg had led the Commons debate for the government last week as Downing Street ordered Tory MPs to block Paterson being suspended. The Commons leader then had to appear in parliament the next day to announce the U-turn.

George Eustice, the environment secretary, tried to downplay the importance of the row over sleaze. “What we have seen is a Westminster storm in a teacup,” he told Sky.

In an interview with the BBC, Starmer said of Johnson: “Instead of upholding standards, he ordered his MPs to protect his mate and rip up the whole system – that is corrupt, it is contemptible and it’s not a one-off.

“Boris Johnson is the prime minister who is leading his troops through the sewer – he’s up to his neck in this.

“I don’t think you or anybody else could with a straight face say this prime minister is the man to clean up politics and to have the highest standards in public life because he is in the sewer with his troops.”

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Number 10 Refuses To Say How Much PM’s Freebie Marbella Holiday Was Worth

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Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Larry the cat is seen outside 10 Downing Street earlier this week

Downing Street has refused to reveal how much Boris Johnson’s luxury free holiday to Marbella cost.

Number 10 insisted the family trip to the rumoured £25,000-a-week villa had been declared in the correct way.

A spokesman for the PM said: “Earlier this year, the prime minister received hospitality from a longstanding friend who provided use of their holiday home.

“The prime minister’s met the transparency requirements in relation to this, he declared this arrangement in his ministerial capacity, given this was hospitality provided by another minister.”

He said the PM’s ministerial standards adviser Lord Geidt had scrutinised the declaration as part of the process.

The spokesman declined to answer when asked how much the holiday was worth.

Pressed on why the PM’s Marbella holiday did not need to be declared on the register of members’ interests, a spokesman for Boris Johnson said: “The ministerial code declarations fall outside the remit of the House of Commons register.

“And as I say, in line with transparency requirements the PM has declared this arrangement in his ministerial capacity.”

More follows…

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Senior Minister Defends Boris Johnson’s Integrity By Talking About…Brexit?

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Kwasi Kwarteng defended Boris Johnson on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme

Energy secretary Kwasi Kwarteng chose to defend Boris Johnson’s integrity and standards by talking about delivering Brexit – even though the UK left the EU more than a year ago.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4′s Today programme on Thursday, Kwarteng was attempting to defend the Conservative Party’s decision to let Tory MP Owen Paterson off the hook for breaching lobbying rules – even though the MPs’ watchdog recommended suspending him for 30 days.

Kwarteng said: “People look to Britain to maintain high standards which is exactly why I’m here in Glasgow [for COP26].

“That’s why we’re showing leadership – and that does extend to high standards of governance.”

Interviewer Nick Robinson seemed less convinced and asked for individual examples which back up Kwarteng’s claim that this “government is in favour of integrity and probity in public life”.

He added: “I’m pausing here Mr Kwarteng and maybe you can help me, let me just ask an open question – can you give name a single thing that Boris Johnson has done to deliver higher integrity and probity in public life. Just one.”

“I could do lots of things – we had a manifesto commitment to deliver Brexit and we delivered Brexit,” the senior minister said.

“That was something we promised to do and the prime minister led a government to do that.”

He said Downing Street were going to repeat this trend when it came to its climate pledges.

But Robinson pointed out that this was not really to do with the prime minister as a person, noting: “We’re talking about the standards of individuals aren’t we?”

Kwarteng maintained: “Holding yourself to a manifesto commitment and delivering those commitments is a feature of integrity.”

The prime minister has been heavily criticised for breaching public trust on several occasions during his time in office.

Most recently, he was accused of breaking his own lockdown rules last Christmas when his friend Nimco Ali was found to have spent the festive season with Johnson, his wife and their child.

Robinson also pointed out all the times the prime minister has let those in his close circles get away with breaking the rules.

The interviewer pointed out: “Was allowing Dominic Cummings to stay in his post when he broke the rules helping that?”

Cummings was Johnson’s most senior aide up until his resignation in 2020. He infamously breaching lockdown rules last April when he drove to Barnard Castle to “test his eyesight”. The prime minister stood by him despite the huge public backlash.

Kwarteng just said Cummings had now left the government, so the Radio 4 presenter moved on to question Kwarteng about Robert Jenrick, the former housing secretary.

He asked: “What about the housing secretary when he gave planning permission to a Tory donor?”

The senior minister just denied that was his recollection of what happened.

Robinson then pointed out how Priti Patel has been accused of bullying Westminster staff.

He said: “The home secretary was found guilty of bullying and the ministerial adviser on the conduct of decision left their job because they were ignored?

“Was that a way of getting integrity and probity into public life?”

But the energy minister just said the home secretary is “very moral” and “holds herself to high standards of conduct”.

Kwarteng also told reporters, “I don’t feel shame at all”, about voting against the suspension of Paterson on Thursday morning.

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Why Did World Leaders Fly Hundreds Of Miles To Glasgow? The Environment Secretary Can’t Quite Explain

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Environment secretary George Eustice put his foot in it on LBC

George Eustice struggled to justify why world leaders had flown from around the globe to attend COP26 on Tuesday.

The UN’s summit in Glasgow has been hailed as a last-gasp bid to stop catastrophic climate change – and yet hundreds of delegations flew into the city via private jets, one of the most damaging modes of transport, seemingly undermining the very message of the conference before it even began.

LBC’s Nick Ferrari asked the environment secretary: “Do we really need somewhere in the region of 200 to 300 private jets, a motor convey for the [US] president of 22 cars and a fleet of helicopters.

“This is rather hypocritical isn’t it, secretary of state?”

“Well, look, it’s always possible to see it in those sort of terms,” Eustice replied.

“I take a slightly bigger picture view on this. We’re only going to tackle this crisis if we can get governments around the world to make the right commitments and take the necessary steps to hit them.

“Having an event like this over two weeks where the world works together on a shared endeavour is an important thing to do and that does require people to travel.”

Ferrari persisted and pointed out: “But Mr Eustice – they [world leaders] seek to lecture us – they lecture the good people of Camborne and Redruth as they arrive in convoys of 22 cars, private jets which are gobbling out goodness knows how much CO2 emissions – and they lecture us.

“It’s ludicrous – isn’t it?”

Eustice still denied that the government is lecturing the public, claiming they were actually supporting technologies and decarbonising electricity to get to Net Zero CO2 emissions.

“It’s not really about lecturing people abut how they live their lives, but it is about having the policy agenda at government level,” the environment secretary claimed.

Ferrari then suggested there could be a danger that the government is turning people against it with “this level of hyperbole”.

Eustice’s colleague foreign secretary Liz Truss also fought back over questions about the methods world leaders had travelled to Glasgow on Monday.

She told Sky News that giving up flying is not the solution to reducing CO2 emissions – even though it is one of the most polluting activities out there.

She also claimed, “it’s really important that we do have people face to face”, when asking global leaders to make serious pledges about climate changes.

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BBC Journalist Tells Boris Johnson He Looks ‘Weaselly’ After Dodging UK Coal Mines Question

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BBC Breakfast

BBC’s climate editor Justin Rowlatt interviewing Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson was torn apart – and dubbed “a little bit weaselly” – for his mixed messaging around opening a new coal mine in the UK by a BBC journalist.

As he was being interviewed in Glasgow on the first morning of COP26, the UN’s climate summit, the prime minister was under the spotlight for not putting a stop to a new mine in Cumbria for coking coal.

The mine was approved to open until 2049 by Cumbria County Council in October last year but this decision was suspended by authority in February amid backlash.

The BBC’s climate editor Justin Rowlatt pointed out: “You’re going to the developing world and saying phase out coal, at the same time as not ruling out a new coal mine in Britain.

“We started the industrial revolution – we should close the mines.

“Why don’t you just say we’re just not going to open this coal mine?

“The Chinese will just says ‘we can’t take this guy seriously’.”

Rowlatt was referring to the UK’s efforts to get China to reduce its CO2 emissions, as it is one of the top CO2 emitting nations in the world.

The prime minister replied by claiming 80% of UK power came from coal when he was a child; now it’s just 1%.

“What everybody says is incontrovertible is the progress the UK has already made,” Johnson added.

Rowlatt then pointed out: “I’m sorry to bang on about coal, but it makes you look a little bit weaselly not answering the coal question.”

Johnson hit back and said, “Sorry, I’ve answered the coal question”.

Rowlatt continued pushing him to answer his query “directly” and answer “yes or no” to opening more coal mines.

The prime minister replied: “I’m not in favour of more coal. But it’s not a decision for me, it’s a decision for local planning authorities.”

Climate experts have been hoping that world leaders would promise not to produce any new coal at COP26, but it remains unclear how many will commit to such a pledge.

Rowlatt also skewered Johnson over his personal environmental decisions and his repeated claim that the UK is a world-leading nation when it comes to tackling the climate crisis.

The BBC journalist pointed out: “A couple of weeks before the holiday starts you go on holiday to Marbella – is that world leadership?”

Johnson swerved the question by directing it back to last week’s budget announcement that air passenger duty for domestic flights would be cut.

He said: “I think that on the issue of short-haul flights – we are increasing the taxation on long-haul flights which account for 96% of emissions.”

Rowlatt then pointed out: “You decreased it on short-haul flights, the ones which there are alternatives for, and increased it on long-haul flights so you did nothing.”

“It’s very difficult, I hear you, but it’s very difficult,” Johnson admitted.

World leaders have faced further criticism as there have been an estimated 400 flights arriving in Glasgow solely for the climate crisis crunch talks.

Hundreds also chose to buy last minute plane tickets to Glasgow on Sunday night after severe problems with the rail network delayed passengers.

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COP26: Alok Sharma Dodges Questions On Cambo Oil Field Saying ‘I Have No Power’

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WPA Pool via Getty Images

The UK has come under intense scrutiny over its position towards the Cambo oil field, which is situated to the west of the Shetland Islands and is thought to hold 800million barrels of oil.

Cop26 president Alok Sharma has sought to distance himself from the government’s support of the new Cambo oil field, saying he has “no power” to halt the development.

Sharma ducked a number of questions over whether the UK could claim moral authority over the summit in Glasgow given the UK’s support for the Cambo oil field, which lies west of the Shetland Islands.

A report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) recently stated that no new oil or gas establishments could be set up after this year if the UK was to achieve its net zero target.

But Sharma pushed back against the report’s findings and said the UK had decarbonised faster than any other G20 nation.

Asked by Andrew Marr whether giving the oil field the green light sent the right message to the rest of the world during the climate gathering in Glasgow, Sharma said: “You know, we as a country have decarbonised our economy faster than any other G20 nation over the past years.

“And in terms of oil and gas, we’ve been very clear: we’ve said that in terms of granting any future licences, there will be a climate compatibility checkpoint, and any licences that are granted will have to be compatible with our legal requirement to be net zero by 2050.”

Asked about the IEA’s recommendation to stop any future oil and gas fields, and whether he could stop it, Sharma responded: “Well, it is not as you say in my power, my role here is to bring together consensus amongst almost 200 countries.

“The IEA report also makes clear that, even in a net zero scenario, there is some element of oil and gas in that.”

But Marr pushed further: “I ask again — does allowing the Cambo oil and gas field off Shetland to go ahead now set a good example around the world?

Sharma replied: “That is something that is being considered. There was a consultation inquiry around all of that.

“I’m not going to go into that particular issue. When there is an announcement, an agreement, of course I’d be very happy to come and talk to you.”

The UK has come under intense scrutiny over its position towards the Cambo oil field, which is thought to hold 800million barrels of oil.

The government has sought to defend its interest in the site on the grounds that even as the world moves away from fossil fuels, there will still be an ongoing demand for oil and gas in the coming years.

But climate activists and critics have said the government’s stance towards the oil field sends the wrong message to the rest of the world and to developing nations who will find it costly to decarbonise.

And on Saturday, Sharma was heckled as a “hypocrite” by youth activists while giving a speech at the COY26 youth conference.

Marr went on to say: “The chair of the climate change committee, Lord Deben, says of the oil field one you do that, once you allow that to go ahead, ‘you set an example that will be quoted throughout the world as showing such a development is acceptable’.

“And yet you’re not prepared to stop it.”

Mr Sharma replied: “That’s not my decision, that’s not my role.”

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Greenpeace’s Parody Video Hits Out At The Government’s Empty Climate Promises

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Twitter @JolyonRubinstein

Satirist Jolyon Rubinstein mocked the government in a new Greenpeace video

Greenpeace UK launched a scathing video taking aim at Downing Street’s inaction over climate change on Tuesday.

Featuring satirist Jolyon Rubinstein, the video saw him pose as a government representative talking to members of the public about green initiatives.

The parody is part of Greenpeace’s campaign for “actions not words” from No.10 when it comes to addressing the pressing climate crisis.

“This government takes the climate crisis seriously. We’re committed to making Britain a beacon of a new green revolution,” Rubinstein begins.

“As long as we can agree on a very loose definition of ‘committed’ and ‘green revolution’ and actually taking the ‘climate crisis seriously’.”

He then begins to stop people in the street and, in a serious tone, asks: “Should we really be putting ourselves in a position where we’re putting the planet before profit?”

Rubinstein also took on COP26, the UN’s climate summit which will be hosted by Downing Street in Glasgow and starts on Saturday.

Both China and Russia’s leaders will not be attending the pivotal climate talks despite being two of the world’s most polluting countries.

In the video, Rubinstein pointed out: “China isn’t really doing anything is it, so why should we?”

“Listen you’ve got to be realistic, we’re committed to increasing renewable energy production while simultaneously not upsetting our fossil fuel donors,” he continued.

“If we don’t really utilise those fossil fuels, then the dinosaurs died for nothing didn’t they?”

The satirist joked about the UN’s IPCC report released back in August as well, where world leaders were warned humanity is at “code red” when it comes to the climate crisis.

He told the public – with a straight face – that this warning doesn’t count as the UN didn’t say “what shade of red” they meant.

“The real climate criminals are the ones not freezing their bread,” Rubinstein joked, to the bemusement of passersby.

This comment stemmed from a headline suggestion made by the prime minister’s COP26 spokesperson Allegra Stratton.

She claimed the public should try to help with the climate crisis by taking “micro-steps” including not rinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, putting bread in the freezer to prolong its shelf life.

The comment triggered a wave of criticism because such small daily tasks do not have the same effect as the titans in the fossil fuel industry.

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