Tessa Jowell

Rasher

Under ministerial giudelines, she is her husband's keeper, and he is hers.

Why the f*ck did she agree to a mortgage of over £300,000 on her home without enquiring as to its purpose? (Mortgages over their two homes seem to have been a frequent occurrence in the Mills/Jowell household.)

She'll be gone within the week, despite the sudden/convenient legal separation.

Why must they all drag out their resignations so long these days?

Incidentally, I was amused to read of "Irritable Jowell Syndrome" in my newspaper this morning.

Graham

First up - this is their own fault (if they hadn't made such hay from Tory sleaze and promised to be 'whiter than white' I might have some sympathy).

Second, as the old adage goes 'Caesar's wife should be beyond reproach'. Or, in this case, husband. The ministerial code recognises as much.

Third, I have no sympathy for anyone who as anything to do with the Berlusconi - and anyone who's read the Economist's profiles of him and his empire probably wouldn't either.

Fourth, I simply do not believe anyone who has a 350k mortgage paid off without noticing. Nor, for that matter, do I believe anyone gets a 'gift' of that much without even mentioning it (well, unless they're as rich as Bill Gates) unless they know there's something fishy about it.

For those who get indignant about the hounding of such people, the fundamental problem with this government is none of it's members seem to possess the capability to recognise when they have done something wrong, nor have they the decency to resign. If they did, and if the PM would actually enforce his above mentioned pledge, it wouldn't be necessary.

I quite liked the headline in one of the papers over the weekend - She's all aloan!

regards, Tam

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For better or worse

Runs the old text but should it now be amended to;

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For better or worse or focus group?

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Originally posted by Rasher:
the real issues.

It is a real issue - government ministers who pontificate about standards in puiblic life and take back-handers of one of the slimiest charcters in the world!

I can't believe she didn't know about the money and her husband has been doing some serious name-dropping to put it mildly. They're lying scumbags who should be dropped like a hot brick.

EW

Four legs good
Two legs better

You know what? You are all right.
It's pretty crap isn't it - all the politicians are just self-interested crooks. In fact, for someone to want to become an MP must indicate that they have a personality disorder.
Why do we celebrate the excecution of Guy Fawkes each November? He should be a national hero!

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Four legs good
Two legs better

But better still

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Making the beast with two backs

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Originally posted by graham55:


She'll be gone within the week, despite the sudden/convenient legal separation.

And then get back with her husband? I expected them to go through a sham separation, am I just a cynic or are these people just plain predictable? They have their snouts so deep in the trough they lose all awareness of decency. Why should they resign (or so goes their thinking) when they are no different from anyone else in parliament? Investigate them all and tap their phones is what I say.

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Originally posted by Rasher:

It's pretty crap isn't it - all the politicians are just self-interested crooks. In fact, for someone to want to become an MP must indicate that they have a personality disorder.

I personally know a couple of MPs - I must be careful here - bloody embarrssing if either read this thread - but I have to agree with you - both in my view have borderline personality disorders. I know a PPS as well and he agrees. They are all the same. They all think the way they see things is reality and the way everyone else sees things is a delusion, they are control freaks and patholically pushy.

I worked alongside people in the know. The higher up the ladder the more they steal. It looks as though Blair arranged the meeting between one of the Jowells in order to help his old pal Berti out. The stink in that Labour party would make a slaughterhouse smell sweet.

I incline to the view that most politicians start out no more dishonest than the general run of the British people.

As so few of those who achieve prominence end their run with clean reputations, I conclude that it is the political process itself that perverts.

Two suggestions:
(1) Adopt the American presidential rule of 2 periods of office maximum, but apply it to all MPs.
(2) Have ourselves governed by people so goddamned rich that they don't need to chisel for comparitively modest marginal financial gain.

The second cohort would be difficult to staff, so my vote is for the first.

Fraser

People should start taking comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke.

Thats a good reply Frazer and I agree with you. So what about this,pay the prime minister a salary of around 1 million pa,and his cabinet ministers around 500 thousand pa. The opposition could have something similar on sliding scales.

This lot in power at the moment dont deserve it,but it would be a great insentive for the best people the country produces to enter politics.

Perhaps 15-20 years from the time the above rates came in we would have great leaders, if not honest ones. It works in the private sector?? does'nt it.

quote:

Originally posted by Rasher:
You know what? You are all right.
It's pretty crap isn't it - all the politicians are just self-interested crooks. In fact, for someone to want to become an MP must indicate that they have a personality disorder.
Why do we celebrate the excecution of Guy Fawkes each November? He should be a national hero!

Guy Fawkes is a national hero, isn't he?

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Originally posted by Beano:
People should start taking comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke.

- some of us already do. Problem with politicians is most of them are not very funny and I can't think of any other purpose for having them. Oscar Wilde once remarked "I do apologise for making intelligent conversation, I quite forgot you were a member of parliament". Now I don't include the late David Sutch in all this, as he wsa an interesting politician (which is usually an oxymoron in my book).

Don't vote - it just encourages them

Alan Clarke was OK by their standards, at least he was vaguely honest about his problems, fast cars and fast women.

Jono

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Originally posted by Rasher:
Why do we celebrate the excecution of Guy Fawkes each November? He should be a national hero!

Indeed. Just think, Osama bin Laden might end up being a national hero, if one of his sycophantic little varmints finally manages to crash a plane into the Houses of Parliament!

Despair springs eternal!

EW

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Originally posted by Jono 13:
Alan Clarke was OK by their standards, at least he was vaguely honest about his problems, fast cars and fast women.

Jono

Didn't he used to play for Fulham and Leeds in the '70s?

I fear that the press are beginning to lose interest and, with no interest from the Executive to root out corruption, there begins to emerge a horrible suspicion that this corrupted old trout will get away with it.

Scandalous and another blow against responsibility from parliamentarians to the public that they're elected to serve!

We just have to hope that the press will keep up the chase. None of the politicians seem interested in pursuing this scandal; their snouts are so far into the trough that they can't dare to cause waves.

Graham

Once it was New Labour, but now it is New Labour Sleaze. Why can't people see it yet? How rotten this administration is? Fredrik