Boris's Brain is missing

[Jdsk]

* But it's still only 0837...

And since then...



Jonathan

[thirdcrank]

I wonder if lobby journalists and the like know more than they are saying - bound by "off the record" conventions etc.

[francovendee]

......His absolute corker was asking me if not Johnson who else! .......

If Johnson is the best PM on offer then the country is really sunk and has no future!
If the chap you were speaking with can't see that he's in cloud cuckoo land,thing is though,he ain't alone I've heard the odd loonie spout the same crackpot nonsense.

He can't seem to realise that Johnson is a liar, blames the media!

[reohn2]

In my own place of work, where people do ordinary jobs, one bloke was sacked when several female members of the team made allegations of sexual harassment. Not even grabbing, just words. That is enough to get you fired in normal jobs. But in Parliament you can have allegations made against you and still get promoted by a boss who knows but doesn't care.

That sadly the HofC seems to be a law unto itself.

[reohn2]

He can't seem to realise that Johnson is a liar, blames the media!

It's yet another case of none so blind as them that will not see,there's a lot of it about,sadly.

[Jdsk]

In my own place of work, where people do ordinary jobs, one bloke was sacked when several female members of the team made allegations of sexual harassment. Not even grabbing, just words. That is enough to get you fired in normal jobs. But in Parliament you can have allegations made against you and still get promoted by a boss who knows but doesn't care.

That sadly the HofC seems to be a law unto itself.

Pincher's many appointments as a Minister and as Deputy Chief Whip weren't made by Parliament or the House of Commons. They were made by the Government.

The deficient separation of powers is the biggest weakness in the UK's system, and a major part of what is allowing the descent into fascism. And review of appointments by Parliament could be a useful improvement.

Jonathan

PS: The general unfitness of working conditions in Parliament is serious, but it's a different issue.

[reohn2]

Point taken.

[thirdcrank]

In my own place of work, where people do ordinary jobs, one bloke was sacked when several female members of the team made allegations of sexual harassment. Not even grabbing, just words. That is enough to get you fired in normal jobs. But in Parliament you can have allegations made against you and still get promoted by a boss who knows but doesn't care.

That sadly the HofC seems to be a law unto itself.

Pincher's many appointments as a Minister and as Deputy Chief Whip weren't made by Parliament or the House of Commons. They were made by the Government.

The deficient separation of powers is the biggest weakness in the UK's system, and a major part of what is allowing the descent into fascism. And review of appointments by Parliament could be a useful improvement.

Jonathan

PS: The general unfitness of working conditions in Parliament is serious, but it's a different issue.

If there were any roles which should be entirely within the remit of political parties, I should have thought that party whips were high on the list. Within parliamentary parties, even more so.

As I've already posted, I cannot see why Boris Johnson appointed Christopher Pincher to be a Whip, bearing in mind the numerous other roles within his patronage. As more of the background info dribbles out into the public domain, the greater my amazement that Boris Johnson made this appointment

[Psamathe]

Its a question of whether you should prejudge someone on heresay and even more odious on the fact that they are known to be gay. Should either of those things affect choice? I guess thats what happened. But if you are blinded by predjudice......and swallow media hype whole.....you will reach a different conclusion.

Al

There was a formal complaint made about the guy that was upheld and Johnson was informed about it. No hearsay involved

In a highly unusual move, Simon McDonald, who had been the most senior official in the Foreign Office and is now a crossbench peer, told the parliamentary standards commissioner that the prime minister was briefed in person about a 2019 complaint of alleged groping by the former Conservative deputy chief whip.
...
In the summer of 2019, shortly after Pincher became a Foreign Office minister, McDonald wrote, a group of officials complained about his behaviour, McDonald said, saying the claims were “similar” to those that emerged last week. An investigation upheld the complaint and Pincher apologised, he added.

Al, you accus epeople of "... blinded by predjudice......and swallow media hype whole.....you will reach a different conclusion." yet those actually involved are talking. Heard the guy speaking clearly and specifically on the radio this morning, no "media hype", no "hearsay". At what point does the person who carried out the formal investigation speaking in their own words become "prejudice" and "media hype" when it conflicts with the ever changing story coming out of No 10.

Ian

[roubaixtuesday]

Its a question of whether you should prejudge someone on heresay and even more odious on the fact that they are known to be gay. Should either of those things affect choice? I guess thats what happened. But if you are blinded by predjudice......and swallow media hype whole.....you will reach a different conclusion.

Al

Johnson isn't gay that I'm aware.

It's Johnson lying about the fact that a prior investigation found Pincher culpable before Johnson appointed him to a position of trust overseeing the welfare of others that is at issue

None of this is heresay, it's been confirmed in writing by a former permanent secretary.

Trying to use the sexuality of Pincher as cover for Johnson, OTOH, is odious.

[thirdcrank]

I see the latest report is that Boris Johnson forgot about hearing about the complaint(s?) about Chris Pincher. (He's a very busy man.)

[Psamathe]

I see the latest report is that Boris Johnson forgot about hearing about the complaint(s?) about Chris Pincher. (He's a very busy man.)

Which is a fair justification - I'm surprised he forgot but quite possible. But if he is prone to forgetting then a trivial check on the individuals record would have highlighted the formal complaint and that it was upheld. If the person doing the appointing "is a busy man" and cannot remember relevant facts then cursory checks should be carried out (probably more than cursory checks should be carried out anyway for anybody being appointed to pretty well any position - I'm not an HR expert so always fully consulted when appointing people).

So yet another story from No 10 failing to justify Johnson's shortcoming. But I expect we'll soon be getting a different story when the "busy man" is discredited.

Ian

[thirdcrank]

Perhaps it's not so much what somebody forgets, but what they remember when something happens to remind them.

[pwa]

Perhaps it's not so much what somebody forgets, but what they remember when something happens to remind them.

He forgot that one of his colleagues was alleged to be a groper?
I think I'd remember if someone I knew was accused of that.

[Psamathe]

does anybody remember the Monty Python game "Cheese Shop". One player (the "Customer") has to keep asking for a different cheese and the other player (the "Shopkeeper") has to keep giving a different excuse for why they don't have any in-stock. 1st player to repeat a cheese or excuse loses.

No 10 has become a bit like that. Press/public keep finding another scandal and No 10 have to keep finding another lie to explain it away.

Wonder how long until the Ms Arcuri inquiries start (after she volunteered to help a few months ago).

Ian