Fools

 

Is this man the silliest man aboard ship?

James Spencer Cleverly (born 4 September 1969) is a British politician and Territorial Army officer serving as Minister of State for Europe and North America since 2022. Exactly, a non-job, his last one only lasted six months.

 

 

Run aground with an Idiot at the helm...

Bonkers buried his light under a bushel and now he doesn't have a clue where it is.

 

...carrying his pet snail Dominic on his shoulder, disguised as a parrot. Well, at least that's what the Idiot thought. Dom told him he needed the disguise after dodging lock down rules, seeking out the nearest Specsavers, 300 miles from home. In fact, Dom had left his cupboard, under the stairs at No.10, after falling out with the Idiot's doxie. He left the plastic parrot in his stead.

He also left with a grudge and he unleased his snail like fury at a Commons committee hearing. Most of his venom was reserved for cabin boy Hancock but the Captain also took a good keelhauling across the barnacles.

Fading happiness...

Aboard ship the rum was broken out back in December 2019. The Tory crew gained a majority of 80 seats. The Fools had a one party state and a basket of problems which caused them to run aground.

Captain Johnson had so many problems to bale over the side; the fallout from his exams algorithm, a mass of people sitting in worthless properties rapted in flamable cladding, the mishandling of the bat flu pandemic, leaving the EU with a useless deal, paying the money owed to Iran for Nazanin and importantly, finding something he could do, without making a mess of it.

Sausages

He decided to marry his doxie. He was working on the principle that with all the practice he has had at marrying people, he might succeed this time. And then news came through that he had made a mess of the Northern Ireland Protocol. He just couldn't grasp the notion of being a 'third country'. He just didn't understand why no one wanted his sausages.

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Bonkers's cabinet

This is the cabinet of the quick and the dead, go off message for a second and you'll be on the back benches.

 

Chancellor - Rishi Sunak

He replaced Sajid Javid, February 2020 because Rishi fits neatly into Johnson's top pocket. Since becoming the chancellor, Rishi has not done much, except print money we do not actually have. His nickname is Chino, Chancellor in name only.

Rishi Sunak was appointed chancellor during the 2020 reshuffle, following the resignation of Sajid Javid. Within weeks, he faced the challenge of steering the UK economy through the coronavirus pandemic and national lockdown.

Under his guidance, the government has had to spend many billions of pounds to fight coronavirus and protect the economy. Seen as rising star, and often touted as a future prime minister, was previously a successful businessman, co-founding a large investment firm. Mr Sunak is married to Akshata Murthy, daughter of an Indian billionaire. The couple lived in California for a number of years before coming back to the UK.

 

Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor since 2021 - Dominic Raab

Sacked as Foreign Secretary after he made a mess of the Afghan exit. Labour female politician once described him as self-pitying, he certainly looks like a candidate for happy slapping. Raab seems to be a bit of an oddball, he keeps reaching out for a few right-wing reference points like meritocracy, anchors, to stop him being blown away by a light breeze. And he rarely misses an opportunity to reveal his studity. In June 2020, he was asked if he would 'take the knee'. His responses, showed he clearly didn't have a clue what he was being asked about. He said the gesture "seems to be taken" from TV drama Game of Thrones. He also said it "feels to me like a symbol of subjugation, subordination, rather than one of liberation".

 

Health - Sajid Javid since June /21

Matt Hancock was sacked for not observing social distance during the Covid lockdown. Hancock got the NHS brief in January 2018 pledging "no privatisation on my watch” and then proceeded to hand out 20 odd contacts worth £127m to private companies. This guy is definitely a Tea Party Tory, leastways he has some experience here, since he was once George Osborne’s tea boy.

Javid, was Chancellor for six months, during the February 2020 reshuffle refused a demand from Johnson and his Chief Adviser, Cummings, that he dismiss his advisers. He resigned.

Saj has worked in various departments but he doesn’t stay anywhere for long. He had a short stint at the Treasury, so we suppose that qualified him for the job at No.11. Also, his father was a bus driver, which means he’s good for underlining Tory diversity and social mobility policies. In other words, he’s an advert for a multiculturalism that will never exist in England. He's also a multimillionaire.

 

Home Secretary - Priti Patel

This woman seems to be a right-wing fanatic and perhaps a trifle disturbed. Before becoming an MP she made her money as a lobbyist for the tobacco and alcohol industries. She went off the reservation in 2017, confusing her position as Development Secretary with that of Foreign Secretary and she got sacked.

She escaped being sacked for bullying at work because Johnson could not be bothered to read Sir Alex Allen's Bullying Report. Allen quit when Johnson binned his report.

 

Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations. Michael Gove since 2021

Mr Gove became environment secretary in June 2017 and proved a key advocate of Theresa May’s Brexit deal, while other Brexiteer cabinet ministers resigned. In 2016, he famously scuppered the leadership hopes of his friend Boris Johnson, by announcing his own candidature on the morning of Johnson's own campaign launch. He lost out to Boris Johnson in the Conservative leadership campaign in summer 2019.

Mr Gove was a key ally of former Prime Minister David Cameron and has served as MP for Surrey Heath since 2005. He made his name as a radical education secretary, bringing in major changes to exams and the curriculum and battling teaching unions during his four years in the role.

 

Transport - Grant Shapps

Even the man with three names cannot do a worse job than Failing Grayling. However, every time Boris opens his mouth, Shapps’ portfolio grows larger and more impossible.

He was once seen as a high-flyer in the Tory party until he resigned following allegations he ignored warnings about bullying when he was party co-chairman.He was born in Watford and educated at a local grammar school, before going on to Manchester Polytechnic to study business and finance. He later set up his own successful printing business. Mr Shapps was elected MP for Welwyn Hatfield in Hertfordshire in 2005.

 

Digital, Culture, Sport, etc, - Nadine Dorries Sept' /21, a very odd person.

Nadine Dorries remains culture secretary, having replaced Oliver Dowden in the role in September 2021.

She was previously a minister for health and social care. Dorries was elected as the Conservative MP for Mid Bedfordshire in May 2005.In November 2012, she was temporarily suspended from the Conservative party after taking part in reality TV programme I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.Before she entered politics Ms Dorries trained as a nurse, then went on to set up her own business and later became a director at BUPA.

 

Environment - George Eustice

George assumed office 13 February 2020 and said it was his dream job? He is keen on badger culling and thinks a Scotch egg is a substantial meal.

 

 

Business etc, - Kwasi Kwarteng

The MP for Spelthorne in Surrey, seen as a rising star on the right of the party for many years, had been energy minister since July 2019.

He was previously a junior Brexit minister. Before becoming an MP in 2010, he worked as an analyst in financial services.

 

Foreign Secretary - Liz Truss since 2021 and Minister for Women and Equalities since 2019 -

Her first role in Boris Johnson's cabinet was as international trade secretary. Completely bats, in October 2011 she founded the Free Enterprise Group to hasten Britain’s return to the 19th century. Whilst in charge at Environment she was mocked for her announcement of "opening up new pork markets" in Beijing.

Update: Dec 2021, Also, in charge of the Brexit mess, Lord Frost has run away.

 

Education - Nadhim Zahawi, 15 September 2021

He was previously a business minister and minister for vaccines.Mr Zahawi was elected as Conservative MP for Stratford-on-Avon in May 2010. Prior to his career as an MP, he co-founded the market research firm YouGov.

 

Justice and Lord Chancellore - Robert Buckland, July 2019

Buckland’s appointment is an odd one. This man has got form, found guilty of professional misconduct by the Bar Standards Board in 2008. And later there were questions raised over his tax affairs, in particular his use of blind trusts to avoid paying what was due.

 

Defence - Ben Wallace

Mr Wallace trained at Sandhurst before joining the Scots Guards as a platoon commander. During his eight-year spell in the Army, he served in Northern Ireland, Germany, Cyprus and Central America.He was a member of the Scottish Parliament, before winning his seat of Lancaster and Wyre in 2005.Will that make him ready for war with Iran?

 

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and minister for the Cabinet Office in September 2021 - Stephen Barclay

Stephen Barclay replaced Michael Gove. In February, Boris Johnson appointed him as the new chief of staff at Number 10. Mr Barclay previously served as Brexit secretary under Theresa May and Boris Johnson. He was elected MP for North East Cambridgeshire in 2010.

 

Chief Secretary to the Treasury - Simon Clarke

The MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland was previously a minister in the housing, communities and local government department. Mr Clarke, a qualified solicitor, worked as a policy specialist on health and education before being elected in 2017.

 

Work and Pensions - Therese Coffey

Coffey replaced Amber Rudd in September 2019. So, now she must plough on with the curse of Universal Credit. She doesn't appear to be very bright.

Therese Coffey remains as work and pensions secretary. The former environment minister was initially appointed to the role after Amber Rudd resigned over the government's approach to Brexit. Ms Coffey has previously served in a number of roles including Commons deputy leader and assistant whip. She backed Remain in the 2016 referendum and voted in favour of Theresa May's Brexit deal.

 

COP26 Pressident - Alok Sharma

From tip to toe this guy is a Tory boy, name an issue and he knows which side of the tracks he prefers. He came into the limelight following the Grenfell fire, shedding a tear as Housing Minister during his Commons statement - nice touch Alok.

Alok replacd Andrea Leadsom at Business, she was famous for talking silly in her leadership bid in 2016 against Mr May, saying that she would make a better PM because she had children. What Alok does for a living is unclear.

Attorney General - Suella Braverman

Suella replaced Chief legal adviser to the Government, Geoffrey Cox, he knew his job but he had to go, he kept upstaging Boris in Cabinet meetings with his Richard Burton impersonations. As for Suella, she's perfect, they don't even know she's in the room.

 

 

Brexit opportunities and government efficiencies - Rees-Mogg Feb 22.

Rees-Mogg is commonly dubbed the minister for the 18th century, has now been given responsibility forthat will help define our 21st century future. Jacob Rees-Mogg takes on a newly created role in cabinet having previously been an attending member as the Leader of the House of Commons.

He is one of the Conservative Party's highest profile Brexiteers and a key member of party's European Research Group (ERG). He was a constant critic of former Prime Minister Theresa May over Brexit.Before being elected MP for North East Somerset in 2010, Mr Rees-Mogg worked in finance, originally based in Hong Kong and later moving back to London. He set up his own investment management company in 2007.

 

Leader of the House - Mark Steven Spencer

The House of Commons devotes approximately three-quarters of its time to debating and explaining government business, such as bills introduced by the government and ministerial statements. The leader of the House of Commons, with the parties' chief whips, is responsible for organising government business and providing time for non-government (backbench) business to be put before the House of Commons.

Since the 1740s some very famous people have held this position but when Rees-Mogg the first time a giraffe in a double-breasted suit has held the job.

 

International Trade - Sept' 2021- Anne-Marie Belinda Trevelyan

The MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed replaced Liz Truss as international trade secretary in September 2021. She returned after losing her place in the cabinet when the Department for International Development was scrapped. Ms Trevelyan was promoted to a role as Armed Forces minister shortly after the Conservatives’ 2019 election victory. An outspoken Brexiteer, she resigned from a previous junior ministerial role in November 2018 in protest at the Brexit withdrawal deal negotiated by former PM.

 

International Development -

In June 2020, it was announced the Department for International Development would be dissolved, and its operations would be merged into the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The process was completed by 2 September 2020, with the last international development secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan remaining in place until that time.

Thrown overboard

Gavin Williamson (Sacked for being an idiot.)

Williamson lost his job as Defence Secretary after leaks from a Cobra meeting, he denied but to the job centre he had to go. He’s obviously a bad one, so it’s a surprise to see him being given such an important role as managing all the problems of our education system.

Oliver Dowden Sacked

The office has been dubbed "Ministry of Fun". Downden himself is far from funny. He wants all EU nationals living here to go home, full stop. He wants an expansion of our nuclear stockpile and votes for armed intervention at every opportunity.

On 15 September 2021, Johnson appointed Dowden as an unpaid Minister without Portfolio and Conservative Party Co-Chairman during a cabinet reshuffle.

Robert Jenrick Sacked. There was nothing in Jenrick’s CV that justified his promotion to Housing. His expertise is in business law and antiques. However, his short political career has been busy, he’s a sharp operator, definitely a Boris Dude.

 

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Update: 13/12/20 Cummings left Downing Street.

 

Nudgestock snail and Boris chief of staff, Dominic Cummings, is on the record telling a conference audience in 2017, “Tory MPs do not care about poor people or NHS”. In 2020 he drove 400 miles to test his eyesight during the Covid lockdown period.

 

 

HRT in short supply?

30/04/22

HRT is in short supply and this is causing stress among women across the land. However, worry not because Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng tells us:  "Even only five, 10 years ago there was a taboo about issues such as the menopause, hormone replacement therapy.  And it's really good we live in a culture and a society where we can talk about these things more openly," As they say it’s good to talk but talking will not fix this problem.

Wait though, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said:

"I want to reassure women I have listened to their concerns and will not hesitate to take decisive action to ensure they can access the HRT they need. We will leave no stone unturned in our national mission to boost supply of HRT - and this next step will ensure women across the UK will be able to reliably access this vital medication and maintain this lifeline for millions who need it."
Wow, what a team.

Update: May 16, Chemists can now issue substitute medication.

Back to the News Page

 

 

Combatting Crime 2021

The Beating Crime Plan

28/07/21

Key ideas coming from Bonkers; electronic tags and wider use of public "chain gangs". The purpose to the latter is obviously to embarrass the transgressors, really? Every neighbourhood in England and Wales should have a named police officer for residents to contact. Imagine having your own named police officer. The police called for greater investment.

There’s more, Project Adder targeting drug gangs, will be expanded from five areas of England to 13. And the biggest weapon in the war, the restriction on the use of section 60 stop and search powers will be lifted. The powers allow officers to search people without reasonable suspicion in order to tackle knife crime. Also, tags worn ex-offenders will be monitored by probation officers. They will be monitoring the amount of alcohol in their sweat.
The government's plan also includes:

• A pilot scheme to test the benefit of sending an officer to every reported burglary, to be trialled in Greater Manchester
• Proposals for league tables ranking how quickly police forces answer 101 and 999 calls
• More officers to deal with children truanting from school
• A £17m programme to persuade young people who attend hospital with a stab wound or come into contact with police to stay away from violence
• £45m for specialist teams in schools in places with high levels of violence

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The Tory Living with Covid Plan

To help us live with Covid the Government will structure its ongoing response around four principles:

a. Living with COVID-19: removing domestic restrictions while encouraging safer behaviours through public health advice, in common with longstanding ways of managing most other respiratory illnesses;

b. Protecting people most vulnerable to COVID-19: vaccination guided by Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice, and deploying targeted testing;

c. Maintaining resilience: ongoing surveillance, contingency planning and the ability to reintroduce key capabilities such as mass vaccination and testing in an emergency; and

d. Securing innovations and opportunities from the COVID-19 response, including investment in life sciences.

 

 

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What a waste

28/06/20

Someone in government thought it was a good idea to spend £900,000 repainting the PM's plane. They say the paint job was needed in order to better represent the UK abroad. A new prime minister with a comb would have been cheaper. The RAF Voyager, an Airbus A330 jet, was repurposed for use by the UK government in 2015, at a cost of £10m. Too bad someone did not realise then that a plane painted undercoat grey was not a good look.

Tory Promises

Protection for renters

Boris Johnson has pledged to end so-called no-fault evictions – as did his predecessor Theresa May – in a new Renters’ Reform Bill, but it will not be brought forward until the “urgencies of responding to the pandemic have passed”. Meanwhile the ban on evictions ends on the August 23 2020.

Brexit

The transition period will not be extended and there will be no checks on goods moving within the UK between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Tackle the social care crisis

Successive governments have failed to reform adult social care. Bonkers said he had a "clear plan" in July 2019. Nine months passed and it had not materialised.He promised that no-one will have to sell their home to pay for care?

Meet the demands of the NHS

Here Bonkers has promised 40 new hospitals, when in fact they are only building 6 new hospitals. He also promised 50 thousand new nurses, when in half that number will just be nurses retained. Promises on training new clinical staff are pie in the sky.

Transform the immigration system

Rank migrant workers according to their skills and abilities, along the lines of an Australian style system. The idea here is to have it in place by January 2021. There will be fewer lower-skilled migrants and overall numbers will come down. On the last promise, we all remember Cameron's promise.

Fix the Climate Crisis

Hot air...

 “We will lead the global fight against climate change by delivering on our world-leading target of Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.” Bonkers

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The Smart meter roll out failure

08/10/19

The government deadline for the smart meter roll out was 2020 is 50% off target. The roll out has been extended until 2024. The estimated cost of the roll out has soared to £13.5billion. (To be paid for by customers.) Customers have complained that meters go dumb when people switch to new suppliers. Robert Cheesewright, of Smart Energy GB, the firm set up to promote the devices, these were first-generation devices. So, the new ones will not go dumb but all the old ones will need replacing? “The financial and environmental benefits far outweigh the costs by billions of pounds.” Cheesewright

 

The Garden Bridge

Where's the money Boris?

Johnson and his chums decided to build a garden bridge across the Thames. A Garden Bridge Trust was put in charge of the project. Transport for London had oversight of the project. The mayor, Johnson, was too busy spaffing to bother with the detail. The Garden Bridge Trust made a mess of things. Chiefly, they dished out a construction contract without acquiring the land on the Southbank or gaining the necessary planning permissions. TfL slumbered until the London Assembly decided to set up a commission to discover where the wasted £53m went, £43m of which was public money.

 

The End of Standards

The breathtaking list of behavouirial expectations for our MPs and civil servants has been re-written by Boris Johnson. The principles now resemble those of a banana republic; do whatever you like - the new list reads, be self-serving, encourage financial gain, all considerations should be based on subjective views, accountability is no longer a consideration, ditto openness and honesty,

The Seven Principles of Public Life, Published by the Committee on Standards in Public Life in 1995.

• Selflessness: ministers should act entirely in the public interest.

• Integrity: no financial obligations should be accepted if they could undermine the minister's position.

• Objectivity: when making appointments, decisions should be based on merit.

• Accountability: all public office-holders are accountable, and should co-operate with all scrutiny procedures.

• Openness: all decisions should be justified, and information should be restricted only when necessary for the public interest.

• Honesty: public office-holders are required, by duty, to be honest in all their dealings and business.

• Leadership: the principles should be supported and upheld by leadership and example.

 

 

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Jake's Northern Powerhouse

Five years have passed since George Osborne mouthed the words Northern Powerhouse. Over that period less than a billion pounds has been spent on supporting infrastructure in the North. It's impossible to say where or how the money was spent. As a prop’, the government put one Jake Berry in as minister for the Northern Powerhouse. Basically, his days consist of parroting anything his bosses have said on the matter. Mrs May said it was a top priority. Boris likened his ambition to producing something akin to Crossrail - beset with problems that he knows nothing of.

 

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Tory Leadership Election, runners and riders

Mrs May told she was standing down on Friday 24 May and half the Tory party popped up to declare their candidacy. In fact, not all of those below have declared for the top job but they thinking about it.

Blast It’s Assessment

Michael Gove, environment secretary. Not ready yet for long trousers.

Matt Hancock, health secretary. The first MP to launch his own smartphone app in 2018, other than that, he was once George Osborne’s tea boy. Pulled out after first round disappointment.

Jeremy Hunt, foreign secretary, presided over the destruction of the health service, specifically he was at the helm when health students no longer received NHS bursaries and recruitment in the health service plummeted.

Boris Johnson, backbencher, this man is a disappointment as a human being, he’s a political clown who would not be able to get a job in the land of circuses.

Andrea Leadsom, former leader of the House of Commons, she made a fool of herself in the last leadership election, so why bother again. OUT and now backing Johnson.

Esther McVey, backbencher, quit as work and pensions secretary last November. She would be at home in a 1930s bierkeller. OUT

Dominic Raab, backbencher, briefly, Justice Minister, briefly, Brexit secretary. Briefly, he will be a contender.

Raab out, he needed 33 votes in the second round of voting and only got 30. 18/06/19

Rory Stewart, international development secretary. Bit of a twit, said he would resign in a year as the Minister State for Prisons if he did not solve the prison crisis, he didn't. He got a new job, giving money away to dictators. However, Rory is becoming the general public's first choice but the public can't vote.

100/1 outsiders

Sir Graham Brady, backbencher, Conservative backbench 1922 Committee, that’s it, there’s no more - he’s got no chance. Never started. Still thinks he's Richard Burton.

Sajid Javid, home secretary. His dad was a bus driver and Sajid was credit trader at Deutsche Bank before jumping on the Westminster gravy train. No chance!

Penny Mordaunt, defence secretary, high profile leaver, she backed Leadson last time around. No chance! Never in. Saj supporter.

Priti Patel, right wing backbencher, went rogue as international development secretary by attending meetings she should not have. Clearly, a loose canon. No chance! Never in. Boris supporter.

Liz Truss, chief secretary to the Treasury, completely potty. No chance! OUT

Steve Baker, backbencher, ERG deputy chairman. It was his group the so-called European Research Group that made a monkey of Mrs May. So all together a nasty bunch. No chance!

Sam Gyimah, former universities minister, who quit over Mrs May's Brexit plans. He shouldn't even be in the race. Pulled out before the voting started.

James Cleverly is a former Vice Chair of the Conservative Party who advocated Brexit before the 2016 referendum. He represents Braintree in Essex. Thinks he is Barack Obama.

Time waster: pulled out on 04/06/19

Mark Harper, MP for the Forest of Dean was a minister in the Home Office and Department for Work and Pensions during the 2010-2015 coalition government. You'd think he'd want that removed from his CV. Never heard of him. Neither has the Tory party. Dumped after first vote.

Kit Malthouse became MP for North West Hampshire in 2015 and is now a housing minister. He thinks he's built more houses than anyone in the history of house building. He also thinks he is famous because they named a Brexit ammendment after him called the 'Malthouse Compromise' - who cares?

 

 

Round One results

Thursday 20 June. 2019

After several rounds of voting Tory MPs selected Johnson and Hunt as the final two, who will then take part in 16 meetings with Tory voters across the country. The voters will select their preferred candidate by the end of July.

 

Finis

They selected Johnson.

 

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General Election Results

13/12/19

The turnout for the election was 67.3%, slightly down on 2017. The Tories managed to gain a an overall majority of 80 with 365 seats, so now they will have to stop blaming everyone else for their lack of capability. Labour only managed to gain 203 seats. Jeremy Corbyn says he's reflecting. The Lib-Dems Jo Swinson lost her seat and resigned as party leader.

Boris Johnson and his team now have an open goal, with no effective opposition in parliament and little opportunity to make excuses for their hopelessness. Labour are lost and the party is really over. However, the really really good news is that that idiot Nigel Farage and his Brexit gang achieved bugger all, except enabling the Tory success. We wait to see how Nigel will be rewarded?

 

Monday 11 November 2019

""Nigel Farage claims he was offered a peerage just three days before standing down Brexit Party candidates in 317 Tory-held seats.

The party leader rejected accusations of a pact with Boris Johnson for the sudden ditching of his plan to fight for “a real Brexit” in every seat at next month’s general election."

 

""Defenders of Farage argue that he mortgaged his house twice to help finance the earlier days of Ukip, and that he has significant commitments related to one divorce, another separation and four children.

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From Wiki

no contact between them and the Brexit Party over the plan.

reported that conversations between members of the Brexit Party and the Conservative, pro-Brexit research support group European Research Group (ERG) led to this decision.

The Brexit Party reportedly requested that Johnson publicly state he would not extend the Brexit transition period beyond the planned end of December 2020 date and that he wished for a Canada-style free trade agreement with the EU. Johnson did make a statement covering these two issues, something which Farage referenced as key when announcing he was standing down some candidates. Both the Brexit Party and the Conservatives denied any deal was done between the two.

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former leader of Ukip the Brexit party and Reform UK, (the re-named Brexit party)

Nigel Farage's new ventures now include paid-for video messages on celebrity website Cameo likely reveals search for new income

Farage still sees himself as an activist. He has his own video production company called Farage Media, where he can promote his angst over the China and the woke agenda.  Farage also talks up the prospects of a specialist cryptocurrency known as a “security token”. DeFi, decentralised finance, will be the new powerhouse?

ccasional contributor to an investment newsletter named Fortune and Freedom, which discusses financial issues.
Farage has also been a prolific commentator on rightwing US television particularly during the Trump era. In 2018 it emerged he had declared between £524,000 and £700,000 in media earnings over the previous four years. However, with Trump gone, opportunities have reduced.
Any worries about penury for the now-ex politician are, of course, relative. His long stint as an MEP qualified Farage for a £73,000 annual pension and a £150,000 final payoff, and he has reportedly enjoyed the largesse of much richer friends.

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On line harms bill

What is in the draft Online Safety Bill?

• Ofcom would get powers to regulate social media sites

• It would be able to force companies to have a duty of care for their users, including protecting users from legal but harmful content, such as abuse that doesn't cross the criminality threshold

• Companies who breach Ofcom rules could face fines of up to £18m

• Social media sites would also be required to moderate content from different political viewpoints equally and without discrimination

• Provisions would be introduced to tackle online scams, such as romance fraud and fake investment opportunities.

Source: BBC

 

 

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What is Care.Data?

Who will take charge of the data extraction?

Who will keep the data secure?

What did Hunt sell and to who?

How did the acturies use the data?

Care.Data put on hold

What does Hunt think he's doing now?

Conclusion: A prelude to end of the NHS

 

What is Care.Data

Care.data was a programme announced by the then Health and Social Care Information Centre in the Spring of 2013. It aimed to extract data from GP surgeries into a central database through the General Practice Extraction Service (GPES).

 

Care.Data is a government programme designed to extract data from every GP practice in the land. With the expressed intention of aiding medical research and thereby improving the nation's health. This scheme will cost £50m.

Who will take charge of the data extraction?

Atos.... pause for breath, if you do have an inhaler to hand, use it, if not, a small paper bag can be used, take slow, deep breaths.... Yes, Atos, famous for their marvellous performance on the the fitness for work programme and now looking for a quick exit on the grounds that they are reviled by the sick and disabled across the land.

Who will keep the data secure?

However, Atos will only be handling the extraction part. The data will be kept by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC). It describes itself as "a safe haven for data".

What did Hunt sell and to who?

The people in charge of the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) say that their predecessor agency should never have sold data to the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.

But wasn't the predecessor agency adhering to the 2012 Social Care Act? Of course it was, it read part 9, chapter 2 Para 254 and put a sign up saying "open for business".

Stop with the nonsense about predecessor agencies, the people who now work for HSCIC are the same people who sold the data to the actuaries. They may have changed the name plate on the building but that's all.

Let's be clear, and the HSCA 2012 makes it clear, that the Health Secretary (Jeremy Hunt) made the decisions on what can be released and to who.

“What the BMA and GMC should do is stop pretending that medical confidentiality exists – it’s over. They should say, ‘I’m sorry but anything you tell us goes into a computer and off to the government and is sold to whoever wants to pay for it’.” That comes from Ross Anderson, Professor of Security Engineering at Cambridge University, he spends every waking hour focusing on data security issues.

The professor might be some kind of conspiracy nutcase, except, we have evidence that he is correct, in the shape of an apology from the NHS for selling patient data to insurance actuaries. And very useful to them was, they learnt that the under 50s were not as healthy as they supposed and they recommended that their buddies in the insurance business raise their premiums.

How did the actuaries use the data?

A report from the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries details how it was able to use NHS data covering all hospital in-patient stays between 1997 and 2010 to track the medical histories of patients, identified by date of birth and postcode.

They were able to combine these details with information from credit ratings agencies, such as Experian, which record the lifestyle habits of millions of consumers.

The report says: the NHS Hospital Episode Statistics were a “valuable data source in developing pricing assumptions for 'critical illness’ cover.”

Care.Data put on hold

Plans to extract data from GPs surgeries has been put hold, until August 2014. A number of factors are involved in the delay.

1. The government have made a real mess of informing doctors and the public what the scheme is about. They have been using a junk mail leaflet to inform citizens but his makes no mention of any concerns that people have about data security. The distribution of the junk mail leaflet has also been haphazard, with households living in the same area not all receiving it. Also, there is evidence that GP surgeries are as ill-informed about the scheme as the patients.

1a. NHS England have also muddied the water by sending out details of the Summary Care Record scheme alongside the Care.Data scheme. Now, a cynic might surmise that who ever was responsible for this planning idiocy is a halfwit. Or perhaps a halfwit was given the job deliberately to confuse the masses.

2. The medical profession and campaigners do have serious concerns about data security. Especially given the government's record on treating medical data like goods that can be traded.

3. The existing legislation, in the shape of HSCA 2012, does not protect the data or respect patient confidentiality.

4. Hunt is proposing amendments to the 2012 Act to insure that data is not sold to commercial third parties. And crucially to reassure citizens that their opt-outs will be respected.

What does Hunt think he's doing now?

Hunt plans to provide "rock-solid" assurance to patients that confidential information will not be sold for commercial insurance purposes.

He is to put a statutory requirement that any patient's opt-out will be respected and legislation that will prevent the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) from sharing personal information where there is "not a clear health or care benefit for people". And any researchers who wish to access identifiable data must demonstrate "an ethical reason to do so".

Conclusion: A prelude to end of the NHS

This piece of data extraction should not be confused with your Summary Care Record, which allows your data to be shared across the health service in case you need treatment away from your locality. This time, data will be extracted for the purpose of research, so we are told. However, there may be more to it than statisticians creating pretty infographics depicting the health of the nation.

It just might be the prelude to the wholesale privatisation of the NHS. Health care in places like the USA rely on private insurance, what better starting place for companies intending to enter a private English health care system than to have a dataset that provides the medical condition of every individual in the land - sort of minimises the risk for them.

More evidence

In 2010, that Andrew Lansley (the then Health Secretary) was lobbied by three of the largest health insurance companies in America, looking to 'break into our health market'.

Hunt recently appointed Sir Stuart Rose as an NHS advisor, claiming his chairmanship of M&S, would bring in valuable 'retail experience'. Mr Rose is also on the boards of three private medical health insurance companies and is the current Chairman of Ocado. He will not be paid for his 'advice' on turning around the 14 failing NHS Trusts that are currently in special measures. We look forward to reading his report, we wonder if it will recommend that Ocado takes over all food deliveries?

What happened next?

The programme was abandoned in July 2016. In May 2021 NHS Digital announced a new programme to replace it. It was the same programme under a new brand... Data Saves Lives, due to start in September 2021.

The End of Protest 27/06/22

Today the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act comes into effect, which damages our fundamental right to stand up for causes that we believe in.

They want to silence us

From today police can clamp down on protests which are deemed to be too noisy through a new noise "trigger". The vagueness of what constitutes a protest that is too noisy is very concerning and this power could see any large demonstration restricted. This is a direct attack on the right to protest.

Draconian Covid powers saw the biggest loss of liberty in our lifetime. Now, some of the worst aspects of the pandemic are being enshrined permanently. The PCSC Act introduces 10-year prison sentences for protesters that risk spreading "disease".                

Static demonstrations used to face fewer restrictions than marches but the PCSC Act will now treat them the same. This will give police more powers to limit static demonstrations as well as limit the number of people who attend them and how long they can last.


These severe protest laws will also be applied to people who decide to make a stand by themselves. This will have a knock-on effect for citizens who are choosing to speak out about injustices but may be not be represented by a society or network.

Fortunately, earlier this year the House of Lords revolted against this oppressive Act and the Government suffered a raft of important defeats. However, in this year’s Queen’s Speech many of these defeats were resurrected in the new anti-protest Public Order Bill. 

Under this new bill the police will be given powers to stop and search anyone attending a protest, put innocent campaigners on electronic GPS tags, restrict their internet access and even stop them from going to protests altogether.

We need you to stand up for democracy

We now have a real chance of getting protest banning orders and plans to put protesters on GPS tags removed from the Public Order Bill.

https://bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/campaigns/protect-protest-rights/

UP

Quitters

Cabinet

• Chancellor Rishi Sunak

• Health Secretary Sajid Javid

Ministers

• Will Quince, education minister

• Alex Chalk, solicitor general

• Robin Walker, education minister

• John Glen, Treasury minister

• Victoria Atkins, justice minister

• Jo Churchill, environment minister

• Stuart Andrew, housing minister

• Kemi Badenoch, levelling up minister

• Neil O'Brien, levelling up minister

• Alex Burghart, education minister

• Lee Rowley, business minister

• Julia Lopez, culture minister

• Mims Davies, work and pensions minister

Parliamentary private secretaries

• Jonathan Gullis, Northern Ireland Office

• Saqib Bhatti, Department of Health and Social Care

• Nicola Richards, Department of Transport

• Virginia Crosbie, Welsh Office

• Laura Trott, Department of Transport

• Felicity Buchan, Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

• Selaine Saxby, Treasury

• Claire Coutinho, Treasury

• David Johnston, Department of Education

Others

• Bim Afolami, vice-chairman of the Conservative Party for youth

• Andrew Murrison, trade envoy to Morocco

• Theodora Clarke, trade envoy to Kenya

Still undeclared

• Attorney General Suella Braverman

• Welsh Secretary Simon Hart

• Cabinet Office Minister Michael Ellis

• Home Office Minister Kit Malthouse

• Cabinet Office Minister Nigel Adams

• Leader of the House of Lords Baroness Evans

  UP