Last week hazel Blears wrote an article which made laid bare her views on how Gordon Brown is running his government. Immediately, Number Ten swung into action and started trashing her. I then wrote a post saying that wounded chipmunks can be very dangerous animals and suggesting that Ms Blears should indulge in a bit of "war gaming" before an inevitable post Euro election reshuffle.Since then Blears has copped much of the flak in the expenses row for the fact that she had three different second homes within a year. Fair dos. However, the flak she has been taking has been totally disproportionate to the relatively mild criticism of Alistair Darling and Geoff Hoon's whose manipulation of the "flipping" system is far worse. Why is this?
There is a simple explanation. The Number Ten spin machine is urging journalists to concentrate on Hazel Blears as a deflecting tactic. She is expendable. They are briefing journalists that's she's toast in a June reshuffle and any hint of weakness or failure is being highlighted. The capital gains tax issue is the latest excuse for them to batter her. This is not just me concocting a conspiracy theory, I know that her friends believe this happening too.
This is going to get nasty, but Hazel Blears needs to work out a clever strategy if she is to survive.
96 comments:
Totally agree with your views here Iain.
It is plain to see as night follows day. Brown hates and criticism of him and most likely sees Blears as the devil and wants her out. She is being demonised, ready for scaking at the reshuffle.
Darling's case for me is just shocking. No integrity. As I mentioned on my blog on www.trueblueblood.com, we should exepect our 'Honourable Members' to possess that very quality.
Iain, keep up the great work exposing and analysing this issue. It is compelling to see how many MP's have been filthy pigs feeding at the trough.
On a seperate issue Iain, can you give any insight into the No.10 spin machine. McBride in the past would have been the one spinning this. Who is now the master in Chief. Is Ed Balls ultimately working with Brown's ear and driving the dark arts against Blears?
Exactly Iain. This attack on Blears and the ceasefire on Darling and Hoon has number 10 AKA Gordon Brown written all over it.
No doubt they hope that the crash and destruction of the Red haired Chipmunk will divert the flak from Darling and Hoon.
Actually I am quite gobsmacked that Darling is a flipper, just as I am that Hazel is....Not surprised by Hoon though.
This would explain how the Cooper/Balls expenses have not had much scrutiny.
I was a little surprised at the Telegraph's line this morning, seeming to withdraw any accusation of impropriety towards Brown, then concentrating the front page on Sinn Fein, (who we all knew were at it big time).
Maybe someone who has read all the revelations can publish a count of all those in Browns inner circle who have been touched by this against how many Blairites?
Iain,
Pre-bereavement counselling is available!
;-)
They might to want to get rid of Blears but I'm not sure they really want open warfare between the labour ranks. There'll be a big Brownite/Blairite split and they'll tear each other apart. Great fun for the rest of us!
She is not dispensible. If Gordon forces her out over this then it sets up a precident.
The question would then be why didn't you fire x,y and z as well.
Though perhaps Gord has not spotted this.
She could resign. A public, full explanation of the failings of Brown's leadership, his cabinet etc, etc..
I'm sure there are still many juicy tidbits that can be exposed regarding Brown's leadership and style of politics. As an insider, she must surely know more of the sordid secrets.
Why not just launch a full attack on Brown and his colleagues? She has little left to lose now.
I want to see her in prison.
End of.
Guido is reporting that HMRC are going to investigate her tax evasion.
Tax evasion is a criminal offence. She is bang to rights.
I'm sure you are right but that doesn't make Ms Blears any less culpable. Each one of them needs investigation but perhaps we have such a cornucopia of delights (schadenfreude) to enjoy, it is difficult to focus attention on more than a few at a time - which is presumably how the DT view it too.
Never mind a chipmunk cull there needs to be a Labour Party cull...starting with No10...
Does anyone seriously think that these bozo`s can stagger on for another year.....shurely shome mishtake
Can the whip be withdrawn from Gordon Brown as well?
From w4mp.org"... it transpired that Geoff Hoon had been claiming the ACA and renting out a London home, whilst receiving government accommodation during his time as Defence Secretary. Margaret Beckett was also revealed to have been receiving the ACA while living in a 'grace and favour' apartment during her time in the Cabinet. The press further reported that Chancellor Alistair Darling has been renting out a London property and yet still claiming the ACA , ever since moving in to Downing Street, which is of course rent-free."
Gordon has been doing exactly the same as these three Hoons in claiming ACA while enjoying grace and favour accommodation. These costs claimed were was not neccessary for their duties as MPs.
Oliver Drew
We will get a cull at the next General Election.
If we have one.
If I was a Chipmunk with very sharp teeth I might strike first and call on Gordon to stand down and call an election.
I might even expose that despite what Gordon promised the dirty tricks machine is still in full flow and might demand that the Party renew itself under new leadership as the old team has lot the confidence of the community (and just about everyone else)
Bloody hell, just when I thought the stake had been driven far enough into McPoison, the weaselly bastard rises from the grave.
Still ominously quiet on the Balls front. Have DT cut a deal to keep him out of it ? Would have expected something today. Reports on Sinn Fein really only boost their popularity back home.
Compared with the piano job being performed by MEP's the Westminster crowd only rate amateur status.
She should cop the flak - what she did was not just "within the rules but immoral", like most of the troughers, but actually illegal - tax evasion.
Here's why The Chipmunk Must Quit in my opinion.
Maybe - but do journalists have to follow the nr 10 line? How many journalists are there? Do they ALL do as they are told.
There is no relative measures of guilt. She is guilty - she should have paid capital gains tax. If you think others are in the same boat you should expose them.
The chipmunk is guilty - you are upset. But how do you know Nr 10 are to blame. If she is fired she can, and should if she has the balls for it, then condemn Brown for all his flaws and favouritism he is showing to others who are as guilty as she is.
Brown cannot sack ministers for 'flipping' as he is as guilty as all the rest.
Sorry - its me again. why the obsession with Balls?? I am happy to wait and see. But really Mr and Mrs Balls claiming double ACA is quite bad enough - but oooh 'its all in the rules'.
Like wounded animals, they are turning on each other. Great to watch and couldn't happen to a more dislikeable bunch of gits.
She needs to start saying:
"My second home arrangements were little different from Alistair Darling and Geoff Hoon"
In fact she should start getting round the studios saying that as she "defends" her position.
I'm sure the No. 10 spin machine will be looking for other chaff as they persuade Hazel to desist.
Blears is a common thief.
This tinpot politician's mantra is 'because its the right thing to do'.
Then poison dwarf lectures us on the right thing while she manipulates a corrupt self certification system of theft.
Like others she says' thew system is flawed' - just like her bleeding moral compass. No one said you had to kmake spurious claims just because you could.
Pass the sickbag. Lock her up.
I believe that Hazel Blears is considering a change of career
Why no Cooper-Balls expenses from the Telegraph? and why the weird 'apology' from the paper that Sky led on last night (but that's Joey Jones on shift for you) claiming 'no impropriety' from Brown - so 6k for cleaner is good, 100 quid for Jaffa cakes bad?
It is all looking a bit spun by the 'graphs McBride love in team. Reminds me of Guido's email smear story, where half the facts and none of the story were printed by the paper.
The paper has set the frame of the debate: property expenses and 'flipping' homes 'wrong'. living together and double claiming and weird travel claims are 'less' of an offence. Would that be because with less stable London job roles -not having a fulltime ministry to look after - the Tories and Libdems may move more often and could be claimed to 'flip' property.
The rules say expenses have to be ESSENTIAL to ability to conduct parliamentary business, so that is the real test of if a claim is valid - How far from what normal people would view as essential is each claim and what is the cash value of the amount claimed (not gain in property value) Why is this easy to follow story that more closely reflects public opinion being sidelines by the telegraph in favour of some highly subjective selections?
By holding off on the senior opposition teams McBride's mates and conduits at the Telegraph ensure that criticism of Labour sacred cow members is low key for fear of what will come out about their own party. If all shadow ministers had been revealed now, we would have a level playing field to debate what is extreme or not. A better story for day 4 than more-of the-same-all-as-bad-as-each-other would be a the debate on who HAS gone to far and who made the worst claims.
As it is we have a Downing Street masochistic strategy on information that would have come out anyway, but this time with highly controlled explosions and dividing lines.
Hope the seller of the data discs realises they have been played.
I notice that the BBC keep asking TORIES if the whip will be withdrawn from any MP that is found doing the same as the Liebour lot.
What a cheek. Why not ask Liebour Ministers if anyon ewill be sacked as a Minister than? Typical of bloody big ear Marr.
Are the DT backburning the Labour lot before roasting the Tories?Bit soon for a spot change from Brogan methinks.
Come on Hazel Nutkin, time to spill the beans on the rest of the rotten crew.
Think of yourself as a burly rugger chap and take the them down before they get you.
Shame Brown and all the rest of the corrupt, thieving bastards aren't being dealt with. A General Election NOW!
Any speculation about who is going to be reshuffled is superfluous - we are entering the phase of rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic. This ship is going under, whatever happens.
Re the lack of DT attention to Balls - maybe they're keeping shtum on him until he gets made chancellor (or possibly until the leadership election). Alternatively, Ball's second home con is well known and has been on all the political blogs for months.
Agree that the media should be looking at Hoon and Darling, but the image of little Hazel in leathers getting on her motorbike is much better tv than another clip of Hoon in a suit defending the indefensible. I think there is also some sympathy for Darling given his position, whereas there is none for Blears.
Inspector gadgetHas an amusing photo caption and quotes Hazel Blears:
... Police Reform Conference – Jan 15th 2005
Speech by Hazel Blears – Police Minister.
“Accountability…. is vital for public confidence. And for our desire to increase community engagement. We want to clarify and strengthen the present arrangements. On a very basic level – people pay taxes and want to know that their money is making a difference”
“We want to ensure that officers at every level are, and feel, accountable to the communities they serve. And that they are seen to be accountable” ...
The problem with your argument is that Ms Blears is as guilty as hell.
She fiddled her taxes, Iain. If I wriggled that hard to get out of paying CG, I'd be in big trouble. So should Hazel Blears. It's all the more galling when the people evading their taxes are the very people who set the damn things in the first place.
I did appreciate her article on Brown, and I've always found her entertaining; I'm sure she's delightful company. Unfortunately, though, she's still done something illegal and she *as well as the others* should have to face up to it now.
All MPs who have been listed - including the Darling Plonker should be charged for Fraud.
Justice is that they are all ordered to repay what they have stolen, get sacked or resign and go to prison.
They send people to prison for not paying TV licenses! They should be locked up. Instead, they're telling us what to do!
She doesn't deserve any sympathy or help, but it might do her some good if she paid the tax now, plus interest and donated the rest of the capital gain she made with our money to charity.
The BBC have her saying that the system was "wrong", which (i) is no reason to have played as she did or (ii) means she should give up the money she has made from this "wrong" system.
Why are you so worried about what happens to Hazel Blears? Do you like her?
Do you think that her dodgy expenses claims are her greatest sin?
She's more Chucky the horror doll than a cuddly chipmunk.
I reckon she's heading straight up Brown's left trouser leg for an assault on his man vegetables with those very sharp incisors.....
Ouchie!!!!
Thanks for the confirmation Iain. My post this morning was spot on!
What disreputable people these are. More interested in saving their skins than anything else.
When do we get to hear about Cooper n'Balls?
I am VERY concerned about stories that are not being followed because of these sleaze allegations. The one in mind is the NON prosecution of Abrahams over donations. It is not the donations aspect that concerns me, this being dodgy is well known, but the VERY possible politicisation of the Judiciary. Meaning the CPS and less possibly the police. As Parliament will hide behind the well used mantra of "we cannot be seen to interfere with Judicial matters" nothing happens. However, this is not the first time strong hints have come out that there has been political involvement over who and who does not get prosecuted.
Iain, I've heard that Hazel knows she wasn't liked by the Brownites anyway and was going for a increased profile within government / prominant position among rebels post-June 7th, win-win line.
I couldnt care less if Downing Street are behind this, It just be great to get rid of the whole Far-Left loons thats run this country. Its time for a Conservative Government.
If Hazel has to resign and go to jail, the rest will follow. So No 10 is surely not that stupid?
After the McBride issue, the answer must be: yes.
As for Hazel herself, she has flipped to avoid tax and game the system. She has GOT to go..
(as do all the rest, Conservative, LibDem and Labour who do: we don't need a cull just a simple plain massacre)
I do hope that it's curtains for the chipmunk.
Don't want to shamelessly talk about another blog on this excellent one, but is anybody having trouble getting onto Guido?
I cannot believe you defend her Iain!
She has clearly evaded taxes and like so many other Labour Ministers caught with their pants down on this she should be no where near government.
I had a lot of time for Hazel, she seemed to be one of the few in Labour who talked commonsense.
After this - nope, no way, and I'm appalled.
This isn't some 'my personal circumstances have changed' malarkey - it is 'I want to personally profit from my position as a elected official'.
And yes, I agree her public hanging is being driven by Brown, Balls and Co.
As someone once said, calling someone else fat, doesn't make you slim.
I just don't get this apparent, slight fondness for Blears. Aside from belatedly spotting what a bunch of zealots, bigots and lunatics comprises the woeful MCB, she's one of the biggest, Gramsco-Marxian, social engineers of the lot! Her and her ilk are responsible for much of the current nagging and nannying of parents in the UK, whom she believes need to be treated like children! Sooner she goes the better - bah!
Guido's server seems to have gone down. Is this related to the story he trailed yesterday which was going to set out how Hoon had built up a property portfolio worth£2m from flipping his expenses around?
Why have you written a post which focuses on why the media are focusing on poor little Hazel, when, as all your commenters seem to realise, she belongs in jail?
I don't care who has spun this to who and why. How can you even begin to defend her?
I think Balls will be the lead headline in the Telegraph tomorrow, to counter-balance any Tory revelations they uncover.
If I was running the Telegraph revelations,I would want Monday's edition to have probably the biggest outrages and where else but Ball's would it come from?
Bit like a firework show - always ends with the biggest and scariest explosion!
I watched the politics show where Tessa Jowell, Teresa May and Chris Huhne where interviewed. A striking point showed is ugly head, apart form Chris Huhne making a point of not defending the expenses debacle. Both Tessa Jowell and Teresa May where scrambling to try and take the high ground by suggesting that they knew the system needed changing and they where the party that instigated change. And when asked to give their parties view or their personal view on the rights and wrongs of calming money when it was questionable they made the usual excuses of not commenting on press speculation.
Well my dears what has shown through like a light in the dark, is that it seems our political system and our parliamentarians are as close to corrupt, as some of the nappies that were clamed for are to a baby’s bottom.
Are they not aware we are looking for a political leader to come clean and admit that there has been wrong doing and the guilty will be drummed out? The longer they take this defensive stance the longer this whole despicable saga carries on, and the more disillusioned the public become with politicians and what they say and stand for.
They are making an already sceptical public more sceptic and turned off to politics.
I would like to see a mass movement of voters at the election to put on the ballot paper none of the above.
If millions of us put that on the ballot paper instead of voting for these vile apologists for fraud we just might get a political system that more represented the electorate, and not the crap that emanates form all the political parties at the moment.
The country I feel is at a precipice, our politicos are thieving in an industrial rate our country’s finances are in the third world status and our politicos are putting shallow self-interest before the countries.
For F*** sake Cameron grasp the nettle take the lead and show some leadership. We are all pissed off with the political Shite that comes out of parliament give us some hope not only on the expenses crap but tell the country how it is on the national debt and how the shysters in Zanu-Labour have ruined our once great country.
A Unionist and Conservative Ulster.
Ulster Till I Die!
Anon @ 3.49
"........is anybody having trouble getting onto Guido?...."
Yes for an hour or so. Traffic must be huge at present in which case I wonder if he's been breaking some more news.
Or else of course the evil system has found a way of silencing him. If so, Iain, they'll be after you too!
Fulcanelli - Unless you're American, please don't employ the prudish Americanism "tidbits". It doesn't make sense. Titbits are little tiny morsels picked over by tits - as in, blue tits, for example. Tidbits has no legitimacy other than prudishness. Like the overly delicate Americanism "rooster" for cock. The employment of these terms is spine-tingling, even in America.
Poor Hazel, it never rains. . DWARF FRAUDSTER COMES CLEAN.
Sunday Express reports the MPs have given themselves a pay increase of 16million in order to cash in as much as possible because they know they are on their way out.
+++ nokia shares go thru the roof +++
I can't stomach Blears or many in her party. They moralize, imposing on us more draconian laws and taxes and don't have to suffer the consequences of their actions.
Indefensible. I hope Gordon's goons are stupid enough to try to send her down. There's be delicious repercussions.
Anonymous, I can't access order-order either.
By the way Zanu-Labour’s Stuart Bell in his interviews is coming across as an apologist for theft.
And the hypocrisy of Hazel Blears is on a power with Gerbils.
Hazel trots out “I only following orders” don't you just love the Nuremberg defence.
Gordon, took 12 years but GOTCHA a***hole, now they all know what you are
Brown, Darling and Usher all involved in ways or means which might minimise their tax exposure. Ways in which the rest of us can't use as an excuse.
All three are do as I say, not as I do troughing pigs.
Isn't it funny how the MSM haven't cottoned on that those in charge of the tax system are taking the electorate for a ride. Were now is the moral authority of this shower of freeloaders?
Blears is screwed and she knows it. I saw her interviewed this morning and that was one nervous chimpmunk!
She knows she will get less than zero support from No 10 and that she hasn't a leg to stand on if she breaks ranks again.
I think there will be a "sandwich" of revelations....Labour, then Tory and Lib Dem, then a final Labour biggie.....the Balls family I reckon!
@ Anon 3:49PM
Yep, Error 500 Internal Server Error for most of the afternoon, it seems.
@ Ranger
I suspect that the guilty can't come clean because to do so would be to admit to possible criminal activity - e.g., tax evasion.
If found guilty, they could face jail. Many of the worst offenders are probably laying low until their lawyers have spelled out the line they should take.
I wouldn't be surprised if the vast majority of the flippers are Labour MPs and that the tame expenses authorities in the HoC approved more Labour than Tory claims. If this is the case, then the Tories should thank their lucky stars.
The Telegraph is facing possible prosecution and pressure from the hoons' goons not to publicise Balls/Cooper expenses. After all, Balls is the top goon.
Hey Blears, you're goin' dahn!
Please take as many of McMoralCompass' gang with you please.
I'm a bit nervous that Eyebrows, having only recently developed a spine (stopping Gordooms splurging), is about to get the elbow and let that absolute turd balls in.
Dear DT, thanks for the info so far, but I want to see some evidence of Gordy's gang and CallMeDave's too. Come the revoloution you're gonna be up against the wall too.
Don't you furkin dare support Gordy and his turd-minions
I am not sure that Brown can ditch her. If he does what about all the others who have been at the expenses game including many of the cabinet.
Still, forgive the musing but perhaps - just perhaps- a contrite Chipmunk who had seen the light and resigned on principle over Brown's indecision and lack of leadership might make a useful addition to the next Government and help demonstrate that
1 repentance is good for the soul
2 Dave is really focused on sorting out the huge problems he will inherit and will take on board talent from whatever quarter if that might help
You forget, this is the system that Blair built. Maybe Broon is too dumb to shut his gob and ride it out, but Anthony B.Liar and his evil minions built a very sophisticated machine to run parliament, Lords, Unions and the media -maybe even the CPS and the courts?
There is actually no power-base in this country able to take on the MP corruption and 'only following orders..' -type excuses
Unless the turkeys vote for Xmas and bring back an Elizabeth Filkin to cull them, this is just going to slowly fester.
What about the MP support staff salaries. A helluva lot more money disappeared down that plughole in dubious circumstances.
Guido's site has been down for several hours .... has he been taken out ?
anon @ 3.49
I am getting a message saying 'error in connecting to database'.
Maybe the thought police have got him.
I'm sorry, but I fail to see that she deserves ANY sympathy.
She made her bed, I hope she is jailed for it.
She has consistently been one of the most obnoxious of the zanulaba gang. Absolutely incapable of listening to anyone else's views, just spouts a torrent of bullshit and lies
Off with her head, I just hopes she has the decency to do a little public service and take Gordy's gang of turds with her (to destitution and gaol).
Incompetence is no defence when you screw an entire country up - bastards, the lot of them
Not to worry Iain, there are vacancies in the cast of shamless, I'm sure the chipmunk or mny other MP's would fit right in as a Chatsworth bucaneer.
Make poverty history, cheaper MP's now.
bye bye blears said...
I do hope that it's curtains for the chipmunk.
3:46 PM
_____________
£427 from Debenhams with matching cushions.
She is revealed as deceitful as the rest of Nu Liebour. This 'within the rules' stuff is bullshit. She as an MP makes the rules. I do not want her bound by 'rules' as an MP. I want her, as an MP, to know the difference between right and wrong and what is and is not acceptable behaviour. If she puts herself up as an MP that is is what she is putting herself up for. If she can't hack it she should resign.
I remain of the opinion that she is good for one thing and one thing only. And that is not politics. And, yes, I would.
She's a deeply unpleasant opinionated little Hitler of a ginger minger.
Remember the pensioner and the legal fees bill?
I hope that HMRC pursue her and all the rest of them for CGT fraud.
The Penguin
This is ridiculous. Some of these thieves are putting Our Money, Down Our Toilets. Bring on the court cases, bring on a General Election.
I hear Karen Matthews is looking for a cellmate. These Northern lasses need to stick together.
Apparantly she says we, the voters,
hate the system.
No, dear.
We hate the way you USE the system.
Sorry, I know this is off-topic:
Does anyone know if any major party is intending to stand against Michael Martin? I know there were rumours a while ago about him stepping down and Labour would get his son to replace him but I have heard nothing else since - I'm assuming that Martin (snr) is still standing. Do the SNP follow the political nicety of not challenging the current speaker?
Apologies again for being off topic - if anyone is offended I can add a couple of insults to Blears just so I'm following some sort of blog-protocol
Can somebody make it absolutely clear to the chipmunk that it is not the system that is wrong but the abuse of it by her and her lamentable cohorts.
I twigged the same as well, what with BBC practically camping outside her home (wouldn't have had her down as a biker).
Those BBC swines are in hock with the government. But a pathetic attempt at deflection nevertheless since everyone knows they are all at it. We know, they know it and they know we know it...
Apparently, John Reid claimed for a pouffe and a glittery loo seat.
I didn't realise he batted for the other side. He's very butch - but questing (as Julian and Sandy would say)
As for poor Hazelnut - I wouldn't want to sniff her leathers after a 200 miles burn up astride a Ducati.
I simply cannot take this seriously. It is all so bad, it is as if Santa has been caught downloading kiddy porn. That bad.
As the owner of my own company, I have noticed especially over the last 12 years that the governments hates me.
No, seriously hates me, my employees and my industry.
In fact I long since came to the conclusion that the government is more determined to destroy independently owned British manufacturing, then even lining its own pockets. That is saying something, to say the very least.
This current MP's allowance and expenses scam, should be viewed against a backdrop of Browns ever more mean and authoritative tax system.
As any small business man will tell you. We now spend almost as much mental effort trying to retain a sensible amount of our OWN money, then we do running our companies.
While our politicians self evidently spend an infinitely higher amount of mental energy, immersed in the details of how exactly they are going to STEAL other peoples hard earned income, and get away with it.
IMO, even more then they do successfully thinking up ever more cleverly dishonest ways to bugger up just about everything else. Preferably in the most easily corrupted, wastefully expensive, horrendously inefficient, and ever more authoritarian manner possible.
The joke is this.
If you REALLY want to see what expenses fiddles and blatant corruption is really all about, then look no further then to the people who are supposedly responsible for scrutinizing our political process on behalf on the citizenry.
Which, God help us, is THE BBC.
A question we surly should ask, is this.
Who actually controls the people who control, the people who control the BBC?
( Who, as we should know by now, essentially controls the way we think. By doing so, who or what we elect, whether we properly understand exactly how they do it, or not. Who also self evidently, has the power to keep who ever the establishment wants in office, to stay in office, until their allotted job is finally done. )
Here is a clue.
It is not Gordon Brown or his soon to be redundant political party, and it certainly is not a bunch of middle class ex Trot 6th form school kids, with little better to do with their time.
Penguine - "I hope that HMRC pursue her and all the rest of them for CGT fraud."
Well I do agree, but the BBC or was it SKY put up a tax lawyer who said it probably was not illegal.
Go figure ...
Well I say 'go figure' but what I really mean is 'uneffingbelievable'.
Since it became acutely obvious that the public would not countenance an increase in their salaries they exploited the expenses with self interested justification. The quote below from the speaker sums up the duplicity of them all.
"Take" being the pertinent word.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/benedict_brogan/blog/2009/05/10/mps_expenses_quotes_of_the_day
Speaker Michael Martin (to another MP): "I have been a trade unionist all my life. I did not come into politics not to take what is owed to me."
Those Labour minister who know the full truth of the disaster our country has been driven into by Gordon Brown have only one honourable option - to resign.
Those who hold on, thinking of their 2 jobs ministerial salary on top of their high MPs wages and gold-plated pensions and expense accounts will be sacked in Gordon's own time and seen a gutless self interested failures.
This is the time for the PM to clean house, get rid those that are a threat to his job. If Gordon Brown cant win the next election he make sure that he is not replaced by any one else, thus expect after the June Euro Electoins a clean sweep of those that want his job. Of course if Labour does come in third after June the Plotters will only have a short time to get rid of Mr Brown. Thus watch the body langauge on Election night, if Labour does really badly expect an early Coup by the Cabinet. I think the Health Secretary could be the next PM.
Go for the nuts...
Iain, I agree with you.
I believe her best move would be to resign and then make a resignation statement to the house, where Brown has to attend!! in which she should point out Darling and Hoon (and anyone else who may come out this coming week)where just as bad, but she has been singled out and she must quote what Peter Watt has said in the Sunday Times, (how Brown is brutal to those that cross him!!)
She can apologise, in the house, to the people of her constituency and the people of the Country for the disgraceful events...Brown would never apologise..
Now she would gain the moral high ground.
But having said that I do not have any sympathy for her whatsoever. BUT I do feel that she could bring the whole crumbling empire down.
Her only way is to fight and this is the best way for her.
I do not trust the Telegraph at all. They have almost apologised to Brown today WHY? and their hounding of Blears, leaving Hoon-who is a bloody disgrace and should be in the dock at The Old Bailey- and Darling out of it is unbelievable!
Iain. You know the chipmunk, you have said on many occasion how you like her. ADVISE HER!
Can hardly contain myself, waiting for tomorrow's DT: this is from the trail on the DT web site -
Tomorrow the Telegraph will disclose instances where Conservative MPs have gone to great lengths to ensure their country properties are maintained at taxpayers’ cost.
One shadow minister has had piping repaired that stretches under his tennis court.His tennis court. Necessary to doing his job as an MP. Not.
Put them all on tumbrils and take them to Tyburn.
"It's time to involve some ordinary people"
Ordinary people? Is that how you see us Hazel? Just ordinary.
Suppose you're rather extra-ordinary, extra-ordinarily patronising that is.
On yer bike, leather girl!
This has to be a wind up:
EXCLUSIVE: MPS VOTE FOR £16MILLION MORE EXPENSES
There is still an element of tax evasion involved..
The Green Book says that Additional Cost of Living Allowance expenses are those which are neccessary, unavoidable and exclusively for an MP to do their duties in Parliament. Big tellys, fancy kitchens, barbecues, wet room and the like are none of those so should never have been submitted for reimbursement.
With their utterly specious claims, MPs have effectively increased their income and not been taxed on it.
Look at the supplementary page for MPs on the Tax Return. It asks for details of benefits and expenses excluding the ACA. If they were given a £1000 telly by Parliament and declared it the taxman would want £400. Buy it themselves and put it through the ACA system and the taxman doesn't want to know. They've bought the telly, got a refund from the taxpayer and not had to pay any tax on the £1000 they have 'earned'. The honest way would have been to buy the telly with their taxed salary.
I am not sure what you are driving at here Iain..Do you want us to feel sorry for Hazel Blears?
This apology for a representative of the people, a delusional champion of the underdog, changed the address of her second home three times in a 12 month period to firstly fleece the public purse for all she could get and secondly to avoid paying capital gains tax on every grubby penny of her ill gotten gains.
On the question of Geoff Hoon and Aliatair Darling it should not matter a jot if 10 Downing Street wishes the spotlight on her as opposed to them. They are all equally guilty of building property portfolios from the public purse. If some in the MSM are still allowing the "Brown spin machine" to lead them by the nose then that just proves that the spirit of Damian "poison" McBride is alive and kicking in 10 Downing Street.
What to do about this is for you and the rest of the acceptable face of blogging to make sure the World continues to know of all the guilty parties and that there will be no exclusion from the spotlight of truth for the pathetics Gordon wishes to keep in his "Cabinet of the living dead".
I see that Shaun Woodward is talking about the BBC's hospitality of tea/coffee and biscuits, as if they are in some way comparable with his taxpayer funded mortgage interest payments, ministers "flipping" homes etc.
By the way, why do you call her a chipmunk - with that "always on" inane grin of hers, she looks more like the joker.
I think they might be at risk of underestimating Hazel Blears, those spin merchants.
I mean, what have they got to back them up? Gordon 'Gurner' Brown?
Hmmm.
Just a minor point re Hazel's "three" second homes. Isn't one of these homes two nights in a boutique hotel?
My thoughts on Blears' media reception are that she is getting it because (a) she put herself in the line of fire with the Observer piece and (b) the papers (and some bloggers) want to do it.
And so - not because of any briefing. Just natural antipathy from the right wing media. If you have some evidence of briefing against her, rather than just imputing this from the column inches she's getting then you might want to share it.
PS What ceasefire on Hoon and when were Number 10 after Brown's Chief Whip anyway? Some very odd accusations coming out. Darling? Don't know about that. But again seems "natural" not forced coverage.
Blears also defended the English in a cack-handed British kind of a way.
Supporting St George's Day within earshot of the Anglophobic Celtic Cabal is guaranteed the Cabinet guillotine.
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