The Sunday Times exposed Golden Arrow's activities on its front page yesterday in the kind of sting operation they used on Ian Greer Associations fifteen years ago. This is what Ivan Henderson said of Home Office Minister Gerry Sutcliffe...
He [Sutcliffe] is saying to us, ‘Come on, you use me’. That is what Gerry
is actually saying . . . ‘I am there to be used. I want to help you. Use me’.”
Of Transport Minister Stephen Ladyman, Henderson says...
“Every time I e-mail him, he comes right back . . . He says ‘Ivan, this is whatIndeed. And no doubt the Parliamentary Commissioner form Standards will have a view on this.
the score is’. He has never turned me down yet. He has gone over the top
really. It is a bit dodgy sometimes.”
But that's not the half of it. I'll have more, far more, tomorrow - none of which appeared in the Sunday Times. My correspondents have been very busy since yesterday sending me all sorts of interesting information about Golden Arrow. A Labour MP of my acquantance just told me their reputation is in freefall. If it isn't now, it will be tomorrow. Do check back.
PS If anyone knows who their clients are, could they email me privately please?
Hidden in the ST report was this gem...
ReplyDeleteOne dinner meeting between Ladyman and Henderson proved particularly fruitful. Henderson said Ladyman had told him that the controversial legislation paving the way for 'pay-per-mile' driving had been delayed after a petition against the plans had attracted widespread support.
He reported that Ladyman had said: „The transport bill is now going to be delayed until after the local elections in May . . . They don‚t want that to be an issue before the elections or during the elections so they‚ve put that off, road charging.
There was more. Ladyman had also divulged that Manchester had been chosen to pilot the road-charging scheme once things had quietened down.
So much for democracy, then.
Bravo Iain, keep at it, I look forward to tomorrow.
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ReplyDeletehas it not dawned on you yet that the entire 10 years has been a media event? John reid happily mentioned measures on terrorism, border control, illegal immigrants bla blah. They dont even have a passport control in operation! they have no idea what is ghappening by their own admission. they sneaked through some legislation today via procedural quirk with no opposition, the entire 10 years has been a waste of time.
The govt answers NO questions, ever. If they are asked a direct question they simply ignore it and attack the other side. This is fair enough in the cut and thrust of politics but this is evrey level, evry person, every council and every quango. No wonde the opposition dont bother.
What horror stories are hidden? You will find that we are flat broke as a country, Gordo has lied his way to obscurity just like Bliar.
Any impartial observer of the Nulab cabinet would simply be amazed by the sheer inability of any of them to articulate a policy or strategy, it is as bad as that. All you get is soundbite after lie and thats it. No wonder every member is trying to fill their boots with external appointments. The gravy train stops the momement an election is called and they know it, why do you think nodody will stand against him? Bliar wants a legavy that reads - "Bliar was brilliant for 9.8 years and then Brown blew it all in the last 10 minutes." If I was Brown I would resign and let the pack tear Bliar apart as they realised nobody will take the blame. It would actually clear the air, give brown the cover of at least ejecting bliar (if he is coronated who is going to be handing on the crown in public?) which can only be positive for him.
My vote is for complete implosion in the summer as the economy collapses in a mountain of debt. You know the market is over leveraged when meacher starts talking about private equity! He wouldnt understand the fact that the "equity' they use is tiny (that being the point) and they used borrowed money to finance the purchase - finance provided by a market devoid of financial leadership, with only public spending massaging the figures and where the outlook is built on fairy tails - err the NuLab economy then.
Why do the oecd say that the economy is ok but requires spending to return to trend and to balance the books roadpricing should be introduced asap?
Ugh, roadpricing whats it got to do with them or their forecasts? Well it might just be that NuLab have lied to someone shock horror. Either they are lying to public and roadpricing IS coming whatever 'public consultation' occurs and the decision was made sometime in 2005 or they are lying to the oecd. Either way its a sure sign that the wheels have come off already.
The numbers do not add up and are based on forecasts that would shame any village idiot.
Labour lobbyists wont bother with stories like this will they? If you can lie about 7bn with impunity this is a mere rounding error.
Maybe no surprise that Girlieman could not tell the difference between a Lobby Group and internal staff, given so many Civil Servants have been replaced...
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Aren't Golden Arrow the transport consultancy which employs David Jamieson, who was a transport minister until May 2005?
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