Background … Simply Nuts …
Say no more …
Background … Simply Nuts …
“Tories buy fake website bearing Labour MP’s name as party intensifies ‘dirty tricks’ campaign”
“The Conservatives are under fire for more “dirty tricks” after buying up a website address in the name of a Labour candidate – to tell voters to “stop Jeremy Corbyn.”
The domain name margaretbeckett.com – instead of promoting the former Labour foreign secretary, a candidate in Derby South – reads ‘Don’t Vote Labour’ and attacks her voting record.
A video of her Conservative rival, Ed Barker, carries the banner: “As the Labour candidate hasn’t set up her own website, I thought I’d do one for her.”
The stunt was attacked by Ms Beckett who told The Independent: “This seems to be more Tory dirty tricks, which is par for the course. It’s also a bit pathetic.
“If they were confident in their case, they would simply put that case forward instead of doing something like this to give people the wrong impression.”
Approached by The Independent, the Conservative Party did not deny that its candidate bought up the domain name and refused to comment.
The row comes after the controversies that saw the Conservatives set up both a fake ‘factchecking’ service and a fake Labour website that instead pumped out Tory policies.
At the weekend, Mr Corbyn protested that the succession of Tory stunts was bringing “politics and democracy into disrepute”. …”
Jupp accepted Sidmouth hustings invitation on 15 November – pulled out after deciding to shop in Exmouth instead
FRIT! FRIT! FRIT! (see also post below)
OWL DOES HOPE HE WILL BE EMPTY CHAIRED! Maybe replaced with a block of ice!
“Mr Jupp’s campaign manager, Dan Hallet had initially responded to the Vision Group’s invitation to all candidates with a firm acceptance on November 15: “Simon will definitely attend the event scheduled for Fri 6 Dec at 1900,” after which a confirmation and an agenda were sent out to all candidates and released to the press and online.
Hustings chairman Peter Murphy said: “We were rather surprised then when we received a further email on November 24 from Mr Hallet.”
According to VGS, Mr Hallet responded: “I have double-booked Simon to attend late night shopping events and canvassing sessions in the constituency. …”
https://sidmouth.nub.news/n/conservative-candidate-pulls-out-of-sidmouth-hustings-event
“Conservative election candidate pulls out of Sidmouth hustings” – prefers to shop in Budleigh and Exmouth (honestly!)
IF YOU ARE THINKING OF VOTING FOR JUPP – READ THIS! UNBELIEVABLE!
FRIT! FRIT! FRIT!
“The Vision Group for Sidmouth, which is organising the event on Friday (December 6), has confirmed that Mr Jupp will not be taking part in General Election hustings.
According to the group, Mr Jupp is unable to attend due to being double booked.
Mr Jupp said he is attending late night shopping in Sidmouth and Budleigh as well as the Christmas fayre in Exmouth.
The vision group announced last week that the time of the hustings was put back to 7.30pm to ‘complement the late night shopping event and not compete with it’.
The following candidates are scheduled to take part:
Peter Faithfull (Independent), Henry Gent (Green Party), Eleanor Rylance (Liberal Democrats), Daniel Wilson (Labour Party), Claire Wright (Independent).
Peter Clarke, who is set to chair the hustings taking place at All Saints’ Hall, from 7.30pm, said: “Clearly we are disappointed that for the first time we won’t be fielding all election candidates, but obviously are respectful of Mr Jupp’s decision.”
Mr Jupp, who took part in a hustings event held at Exmouth Community College last week, said: “As a supporter of local business, I have a diary commitment to attend late night shopping events and to meet residents in Sidmouth and Budleigh as well as the Christmas Fayre in Exmouth on Friday.
“I and my team have been campaigning hard across the constituency, including Sidmouth.
“It’s a shame the hustings have been organised for this busy Friday night which is crucial for local businesses. …”
https://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/conservative-candidate-pulls-out-of-hustings-1-6406694
[Claire Wright] “Election boards set on fire in East Devon”
Outside her parents home …
Seems like someone is getting seriously rattled that she might win and seriously, frighteningly sick that their party might lose.
https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/election-boards-set-on-fire-3601610
Jupp’s boss Raab appears confused about his plan to sell off NHS
Owl says: A vote for anyone other than Claire Wright in East Devon is a vote for Conservatives.
“Speaking on the Today programme, Mr Raab says the Conservatives have been “absolutely clear there is going to be no privatisation of the NHS” in trade talks with the US and there will be “no dilution of our protection of consumers”.
He is asked about a pamplet he co-wrote called “After the Coalition”, which says that two-thirds of hospitals could be run by private companies or not-for-profits.
Mr Raab says that is a “ludicrous assertion”, calling it a “snippet from pamphlet written a long time ago” and adding that he has “never advocated privatisation”.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/election-2019-50638180
Seems like his “communications” specialist Adviser Jupp (the Tory parachuted into East Devon) needs to go back to that Wimbledon flat to give his boss some help … assuming they both have jobs to go back to shortly.
Government (doesn’t actually) release report on fracking as ordered by courts
A sample page of the report which was ordered for FULL
release by courts:
Tory parachute candidate Jupp claims Tories are what’s keeping a few trains running in South West Rail 27 day strike!
How? What have Tories to do with which trains are running or not running in a strike? It’s purely an operational decision. This guy is seriously confused!
Owl knows Boris Johnson is confused – it seems to be contagious!
“Boris Johnson made an extra £800,000 in last parliament”
“Boris Johnson was the highest earning MP in the last parliament, raking in in almost £800,000 mostly through speeches and articles, according to a new study.
MPs earned over £8.4 million in addition to their parliamentary salary, which works out as an extra £12,900 per MP, according to data site LOBO.
The annual salary of an MP is set at £79,468.
However, it is claimed that over half of the extra £8.4 million was made by just 15 MPs, with Mr Johnson earning almost 10% of the total.
The figures are based over the period between June 2017 and October 2019. …
The full list of the 15 MPs who made the most amount of extra cash in the last parliament.
Boris Johnson £795,867
Nicholas Soames £606,419
Owen Paterson £365,870
Ed Vaizey £348,279
John Redwood £262,264
Jacob Rees-Mogg £245,757
Thomas Tugendhat £240,720
Edward Davey £235,333
Andrew Mitchell £229,702
Michael Fallon £197,982
Henry Bellingham £162,907
Edward Leigh £154,167
Mark Pritchard £144,128
Jo Johnson £137,684
David Davis £135,367
Daily Mirror tips Claire Wright for victory in general election
MAKE IT SO! Remember a vote for anyone other than Claire Wright is a vote for the parachuted-in Tory.
“East Devon is tipped to change hands, with Conservatives nervous about losing it and the Love Actually actor is urging voters to back independent candidate Claire Wright.
The Tories could be ousted from a seat they’ve held for more than 150 years next week – with an independent candidate hoping to pulling off a historic win.
Claire Wright is tipped by some to win in East Devon, a seat that has traditionally been a safe Conservative constituency.
Love Actually star Hugh Grant has urged Labour, Lib Dem and Green voters to back Ms Wright.
It comes after the MRP YouGov poll, released last week, said East Devon is likely to elect an Independent.
It would be a major blow to the Conservatives if they lose the seat.
Ms Wright, who has stood twice before, has seen her share of the vote rise from 24% in 2015 to 35% in 2017, and is eyeing up a place in Parliament.
It will be an interesting battleground, Devon Live reports, as the Tories lost their district council majority in May after 45 years.
It is now run as a minority administration by Independents.
Their poll had Claire Wright on 41% of the vote, and ranging between 31% and 51% – just six points behind Tory candidate Simon Jupp.
Ms Wright, 44, said: “The past few years have demonstrated that the party system is broken.
“It is time for change. As an Independent, I would have exactly the same rights as other MPs and would work cross-party to achieve my manifesto pledges.
“I am different. I have no party whip to tell me how to vote. I am free to speak and free to act. And free to fight for the issues that the people of East Devon care about the most.
“This election is very unpredictable and presents a rare opportunity for residents to elect an MP who truly cares and puts them first.”
Former broadcaster Mr Jupp, 34, thinks differently.
He said: “I was expecting it to be a bit more difficult and to face a lot of opposition but people just saying to me that they want to get on with it.
“I know it is what you would expect me to say, but people are telling me that they want to get Brexit done.
“I voted to remain, but I back Boris’s Brexit deal, it’s a fantastic deal for this country to move forward.”
Clearly anxious about losing the seat, both Boris Johnson and Health Secretary Matt Hancock have visited the constituency in recent weeks.
“All the results and polling point to this seat being a straight fight between myself and the Conservatives.”
The seat has been held by Sir Hugo Swire since 1997. After he announced that he was stepping down earlier this year, he made bullish claims that not only would the Conservatives once again win the seat, but that they would win more than half of the votes.
Former Independent MP Martin Bell thinks that Ms Wright can emulate his own historic win in 1997 in Tatton.
And Hugh Grant has urged East Devon voters to back her. He said: “Dear Lib Dem, Green and Labour voters of East Devon. Do this for your country. We beg you.”
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/tories-could-lose-safe-seat-21009359
Local author’s new book about local effects of austerity
Philip Algar is an active campaigner in his local town of Ottery St Mary.
HARD TIMES, HARD LUCK
Austerity, anger and adventure
by Philip Algar
“In his latest book, local author Philip Algar paints a sympathetic picture of the fictional Devon village of Woodfield Magna. Like so many across the country, it is decaying. The young people, lacking local employment, affordable homes and public transport, are moving away. Those who remain, mainly the elderly and financially challenged, are confronted by the closure of local hospitals, libraries, bus routes and social services and by more crime and other challenges reflecting the government’s austerity plan.
The locals discuss serious matters, such as whether the name of the pub should be changed, and lesser topics such as global warming, but their efforts to publicise their plight, on television, reveal a government plot to curb free speech.
One elderly resident, whose pension is lower than it should have been, because of the suspect actions of a very dubious businessman, dubbed the ugly face of capitalism, needs an operation to eliminate constant pain. The NHS will not assist for some time and he cannot afford to use the private sector. He and his friends, trying to help him, become involved in an unlikely adventure that emphasises the problems that millions face and which captures the interest of the entire nation and the attention of the government.
This satirical story, characterised throughout by a sustained and quiet humour, paints an understanding picture of village life and mocks many aspects of contemporary society.”
HARD TIMES, HARD LUCK (ISBN number 978-0-244-53385-4) is available from The Curious Otter Bookshop 10 Mill Street, Ottery St. Mary EX11 1AD price £8.99 or from the author direct on philipalgar@btinternet.com at the same price, including postage and packing to UK addresses.
Pundit Michael Crick says Claire Wright has got Boris on the ropes!
Well-known political pubdit Michael Crick follows Claire Wright around Exmouth where she gets positive results from voters he encounters.
And he says Jupp can’t doesn’t admit he’s a Tory on his election leaflets, except in very, very small print on the otherwise empty back page.
Crick says maybe Tory Jupp trying to fool voters into thinking HE is the Independent!!!
Vote Johnson, get garbage!
“Bovis Homes bracing for investor backlash over plans to hand bonuses to bosses of up to 200% of their salary”
“Bovis Homes is bracing for an investor backlash over plans to hand bonuses to bosses of up to 200 per cent of their salary.
Shareholders will have the chance to vote on the proposal today as they meet to decide on the housebuilder’s £1 billion takeover of the residential arm of construction firm Galliford Try.
Backlash: Shareholders will have the chance to vote on the pay proposal
The acquisition will make Bovis Britain’s fourth-largest housebuilder, potentially producing up to 12,000 homes a year.
If the takeover and pay scheme is approved, bosses would be able to earn long-term performance share bonuses of up to 200 per cent of their salary – up from 150 per cent previously – as well as cash bonuses of up to 150 per cent of their salary – up from 100 per cent.
Bovis has said the pay deal is justified because the combined business will be trickier to run and that it is in line with the wider industry.
But shareholder advisory group ISS has flagged ‘significant concerns’ and urged investors to vote against the changes.”
After 9 years in power Johnson still tries to blame Labour for anything and everything
Scrutiny – what scrutiny! How can parachuted-in Tory candidate Jupp wish to work for this ogre?
“As an exhibition in shameless buck-passing and politicising of a tragedy, it was hard to beat Boris Johnson yesterday.
On national TV, the mask slipped and the fairly disciplined and boringly repetitive candidate we have seen for the last few weeks was revealed as the Bullingdon bully he is.
By talking over, talking back, by dodging and weaving, by deploying straight out lies, Johnson tried to pin the responsibility for the early release of the London Bridge terrorist on a Labour government of nine years ago.
When asked about his own Tory Government of the last decade, that has closed courts, stripped the prison and probation service of budgets and the wherewithal to manage released felons, he squirmed that it was not his government.
It was the Johnson version of “someone else did it and ran away”.
It wasn’t statesmanlike, it wasn’t truthful, it wasn’t even dignified,considering the father of one of the victims had explicitly made a call not to use his son’s death as an excuse for flogging stiffer sentences in an election atmosphere.
It is easy to see why this cowardly Conservative lion is running from the scrutiny of the public.
He’s also running scared from Andrew Neil, though he blustered that he would submit to an interview by the Scots media prosecutor – if only the time could be found.
It is growing increasingly clear that Johnson is unfit for the office of Prime Minister.
The more people see of him, the more obvious it becomes to voters.
He is trying to sneak back into Downing Street without scrutiny and without giving account of himself.
If the polls are to be believed, voters in Scotland have already decided to reject Boris.
Hopefully voters in England will wake up and smell the coffee before it is too late.”
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/shameless-coward-boris-johnson-tries-21006507
Farage : “Grabbing pussy” is “how men talk “after a night on the drink”
Beggars belief.
“Nigel Farage has defended Donald Trump‘s “grab them by the pussy” comments and suggested that “men say dreadful things sometimes”.
During a live ITV election debate, the Brexit Party leader was challenged by Jo Swinson, the Lib Dem leader, over his historic defence of the US president ahead of Trump’s visit to the UK.
Farage acknowledged that some of Trump’s comments about grabbing women were “wrong” but that they were what someone might say “on a night out after a drink”.
“It was crass and it was crude and it was wrong – men say dreadful things sometimes. If all of us were called out for what we did on a night out after a drink, none of us would …,” he said. …”
Johnson on Andrew Marr – a summary
Really, Stanley Johnson MUST insist on getting his money back for his son’s “e-jerk-ashun” at Eton!
Source: TW-IN Facebook page
More Tory “fake news”: eight Tory ads banned by Google
“The Conservatives are running such a rampant fake news campaign that Google is now done with it. The tech giant has [banned] eight separate Tory party online adverts.
There have been many instances of disinformation from the Conservatives this election, such as:
Editing videos to misrepresent Labour figures.
A fake Labour manifesto website.
Pretending to be an independent fact-checker on social media.
Setting up fake encounters with voters for the camera.
And now we have eight banned adverts. Google would not disclose the content of the ads nor the specific reasons why they were removed. But the tech multinational’s guidelines claim that “we don’t allow ads or destinations that deceive users”.
“Tories are relying on cynical and dishonest tactics”
Labour Party chair Ian Lavery said:
The fact that the Conservatives are resorting to fake news shows that they have no plans or desire to improve the lives of people in Britain. While Labour is running the biggest, people-powered campaign for real change in a generation, the Tories are relying on cynical and dishonest tactics.
It’s unclear how deceptive the banned ads were. Because there are still Tory ads visible that claim to send users to “Corbyn’s Labour manifesto”, but actually go to “labourmanifesto.co.uk” – a fake Tory-run site.
Even the BBC recently criticised the Conservatives for editing video ads to suggest that BBC presenters endorse the party’s attacks on Labour. The broadcaster said the ads “could damage perceptions of our impartiality”. The thing is, viewers have caught the BBC itself doctoring broadcasted footage on numerous occasions in a way that favours the Conservative Party this election.
Big Tech politics
It’s welcome that Google has acted against what is likely outright fake news from the Tory party. But we must question whether profit-minded big tech companies should really be regulating our political sphere. Another solution could be regulation through parliament while ensuring we uphold free speech.
At present, the UK elections watchdog – the Electoral Commission – has not condemned the Conservative Party’s disinformation this election. When the Tory Press Twitter account pretended to be an independent fact-checker, the Electoral Commission didn’t single out the ruling party, instead saying “voters are entitled to transparency and integrity from campaigners in the lead-up to an election”. The Electoral Commission also said that it doesn’t have a role in “regulating election campaign content”, but the watchdog is asking for greater powers to ensure ads are transparent.
Another problem is that fake news can do a lot of damage before a regulator takes it down. That suggests we also need appropriate regulation and punishment to stop people and parties creating fake news in the first place.
Careful action
We must treat any internet regulation with extreme caution because the risks of inadvertently shutting down legitimate speech remain. But Britain surely cannot allow the levels of fake news coming from the Tory party this election. Given the Electoral Commission doesn’t currently have the powers it needs, at least Google has stepped in for now.”
Cranbrook hustings
Council chiefs (including ours) make LOTS of extra money out of elections
We have never known how much EDDC’s CEO Mark Williams has received, or how he has spent his budgets. It seems that there is no barrier to telling us.
Over to you Mr Ingham…. transparency … remember?
“A council chief has received nearly £150,000 in four years for being a returning officer on top of his salary, prompting calls for a review of how public officials are paid to oversee elections.
Tom Riordan, Leeds city council’s chief executive, has been paid £147,921.66 in fees since 2015 on top of his £182,085 salary, even though much of the election work was carried out during his normal office hours.
For this month’s general election he is entitled to a further £28,424, making the total fees almost a year’s salary since the 2015 general election.
The council defended the payments and said Riordan could have received even more had he not passed on to his deputies £12,754.33 for this year’s European election.
Council bosses across the country have benefited from a glut of polls in recent years, including three general elections, the EU referendum and the European election. Riordan does not receive a fee for local elections, though many chief executives do.
At Sunderland city council, which traditionally wins the race to declare the first general election result, chiefs have received a total of £140,746 since 2015. The payments, received by four holders of the post, include fees for two police and crime commissioner (PCC) elections and local elections as well as the national and European polls.
The current Sunderland chief executive, Patrick Melia, who has a salary of £180,000, received an extra £50,168 this year for local elections, a PCC vote and the European poll. He stands to get a further £10,008 for next week’s election.
Glasgow city council said Annemarie O’Donnell, its chief executive, had received £122,444.42 since 2015. She is entitled to £21,267 for next week. Her annual salary is £176,855.
O’Donnell’s total, which included a Scottish parliamentary election in 2016, was less than she was entitled to. She declined a fee for the last round of local council elections and an unspecified share of her fees was passed on to staff, charities and community groups.
According to parliamentary fee orders governing payments for returning officers, Manchester city council’s chief executive has been entitled to £94,578 for European and national polls since 2015, with £18,691 due for next week.
The council was unable to confirm whether the two officers who have held the chief executive position had received their full entitlement. Joanne Roney, who has held the role since 2017, has a salary of £205,671.
Newcastle city council confirmed that its chief executive, Pat Ritchie, had received £68,216 in fees on top of her salary, currently £183,891, since 2015. She does not receive payments for local elections but will receive £8,820 for the general election.
The payments were described as “totally unsustainable” by the TaxPayers’ Alliance. Cat Smith, who was Labour’s shadow Cabinet Office minister before parliament was dissolved, has called for a government review into the fee system.
Riordan is thought to be the best-paid returning officer in the country. Leeds is the second-largest local authority area. The largest, Birmingham, operates a pay policy that precludes chiefs from receiving returning officer fees. The entitlement is distributed to less senior staff carrying out election work.
The maximum payments available to returning officers — who are nearly always council chief executives — for national, European and crime commissioner polls are set in parliamentary statutory orders, with the sums calculated according to electorate size.
Most payments are the responsibility of the Cabinet Office, but local authorities take care of council election fees.
In January last year the Cabinet Office said the fees would be part of a wider review into election funding, which has yet to be concluded.
Leeds city council said: “Elections require those involved to work most evenings, weekends and bank holidays for a prolonged period.”
Source: Sunday Times (paywall)
