Keir Starmer - and his miserable government

(05-09-2025 19:30 )Freeloaderthatsme Wrote:  Reshuffle,same inept ministers moved to different departments.Expecting better results.IT IS LIKE GIVING THE PLAYERS IN A SHIT FOOTBALL TEAM DIFFERENT NUMBERS ON THERE SHIRTS.Results will not improve.Nice one Starmer the special one.

Jose Mourinho would have done it a lot better lol

Guy Fawkes would be chomping at the bit!!!!

The Sir Laurie Magnus letter to the PM in full which I think is worth a full read.
I am carefully considering my own verdict on this and will cast my views on here in due course.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk...nister.pdf

I am now wondering if this now has the potential to bring down this government before the end of this year, IF the Tories are prepared to not let this go

However you look look at it - it has be viewed as tax evasion in some form

Farage is all over this, having a field day, but he's copping some flack in the press this morning. Apparently they are claiming he avoided paying a wad of stamp duty on his property in Clacton (the constituency he was elected to represent, so this is his constituency home), by putting it in his partners name.
Not quite as dodgy as Rayner's dealings, but still not a good look when you are trying to score political points.

I often think it won't be long before someone tries to dig up the same dirt on Reeves and Starmer....

The Magnus letter is I believe an articulate, measured and sensible interpretation of events with a logical if somewhat damning final conclusion at it's heart.

The following four key points he made seem to me to be the most salient within i.e that

(a) Ms Rayner was open about the existence of the trust and considered that, between them, the firms advising her had appropriate knowledge and awareness of the details and circumstances of the trust.

(b) on the basis of the advice she received, Ms Rayner believed that the lower rate of SDLT would be applicable, indeed she was twice informed in writing that this was the case, but

© in those two instances, that advice was qualified by the acknowledgement that it did not constitute expert tax advice and was accompanied by a suggestion, or in one case a recommendation, that specific tax advice be obtained; and

(d) if such expert tax advice had been received, as it later was, it would likely have advised her that a higher rate of SDLT was payable.

His subsequent comments about the Ministerial Code are crystal clear in the demands upon those who hold high public office as Rayner did.
Complying with the law, protecting the integrity of public life as well as embodying the principles of public service, setting a positive example through governing in the national interest are all clearly referred to in terms of upholding the highest of ethical standards in public life in both words and actions.

Rayner failed in each of these key areas by virtue of complacent negligence.
She did not take heed of caveats within the written advice she was given that further expert advice should be sought given the complex combination of circumstances in play.
That was a gross and quite ridiculous error of judgement particularly given the fact that she had not paid the correct amount of tax on a property while being in post as Housing Minister in her own government combined with being Deputy Prime Minister at the same time.

There can be no defence for any attribution of blame towards those responsible for the advice provided to her given the very clear caveats inserted within that advice. The whole and complete responsibility and culpability for the incorrect tax amount being paid and any possible future, ensuing HMRC penalty incurred rests with Rayner and nobody else.

I believe her self referral to the Independent adviser on ministerial standards was the correct course of action just as I also believe her decision to resign all government and party posts is equally justified.

The Ministerial Code has been tightened to a point where there is rightly next to no wriggle room or scope for ambiguity in terms of whether or not the much fabled code has been breached.
It has been so proven in this instance and Angela Rayner has paid and will, no doubt continue to pay a heavy price for her error.

The whole sorry episode was an entirely avoidable one.
It is to be hoped that lessons are learnt from it by all in the future.

I'll give it 18 months before she does a Mandelson and returns to the Cabinet. For some inexplicable reason the Unions love her, so they'll get behind her if there's even a sniff of a second chance.

(06-09-2025 09:03 )munch1917 Wrote:  Farage is all over this, having a field day, but he's copping some flack in the press this morning. Apparently they are claiming he avoided paying a wad of stamp duty on his property in Clacton (the constituency he was elected to represent, so this is his constituency home), by putting it in his partners name.
Not quite as dodgy as Rayner's dealings, but still not a good look when you are trying to score political points.

plus he is also using a tax scheme to reduce the amount he pays on his outside earnings including his GB news salary was common in the TV industry until recently

(Yesterday 16:31 )Tumble_Drier Wrote:  I'll give it 18 months before she does a Mandelson and returns to the Cabinet. For some inexplicable reason the Unions love her, so they'll get behind her if there's even a sniff of a second chance.

I'll say less than 18... If she sits quietly on the back benches without lobbing grenades at Starmer, we'll know she's on a promise.

Starmer's fucked without her. She's the one keeping the hard left at bay.