[Malcolm Armsteen]

I think the man's a cunt.

And I don't think he deserves any kind of benefit of the doubt. He's a proven wrong 'un.

[satnav]

The final paragraph is fairly interesting.

A government spokesperson said ministers were not involved in procurement decisions or the awards of contracts during the emergency effort to secure PPE. “Due diligence was carried out on all companies in advance of procurement and every company was subjected to the same checks,” they added.

I'm pretty sure that at the daily Covid briefings Johnson and Co. were happy to claim credit for securing all the extra PPE.
Can ministers really claim credit on one hand while effectively saying they were not involved in the process?

[Andy McDandy]

Arms length. Chinese walls. Plausible deniability.

[Watchman]

Wonder what Sniffer’s been up to, if it’s just the footie with David Mellor, it’s not exactly earth shattering

BBC News: Michael Gove investigated by Commons standards watchdog

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68435262

[soulboy]

That's David Meller, not the former MP David Mellor.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Meller

[Watchman]

That's David Meller, not the former MP David Mellor.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Meller

i wondered how long it would take you to spot that, Wilson

[Youngian]

Still small beer but unsurprising weasel Gove has been offered up as a sacrifice.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

What he received was mall beer, the contract he recommended (as a result?) wasn't.

[Abernathy]

Just what is the point of a redefinition of extremism ?

Seriously, what IS the point ?

[Andy McDandy]

Judging by the remarks from Sunak and Cates yesterday, making a loophole for Islamophobia.

[Youngian]

Just what is the point of a redefinition of extremism ?

Seriously, what IS the point ?

Wielding power by ministerial edict rather than a judge by the sound of it. So if a Tory donor, newspaper columnist or talk radio jock says Palestinians or black people should be wiped out you can let it slide.

[Watchman]

So what happens in NI; let’s assume the IRA is classified as “extremist”, and it has always been a Tory tactic to emphasise any links with Sinn Féin so will the Government stop talking to the democratically elected members of the Assembly, including the First Minister

[Abernathy]

Empirically, it seems to me that John Stuart Mill provided a much better than adequate definition of the sort of "extremism" that Gove seems to be talking about nearly 200 years ago in "On Liberty". I just don't get why he is dicking about with it now.

[Yug]

He's dicking about with it now because there's an election coming up. They obviously believe that if they outlaw Islam they'll clean up at the polls.


Interesting definition

Ministers have unveiled a new extremism definition under which certain groups will be blocked from government funding and meeting officials.

It will apply to, but not criminalise, groups that promote an ideology based on "violence, hatred or intolerance".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68556914.amp

By including intolerance they've basically outlawed all the major religions and some political parties. Including the Tory Party! It'll put a lot of the wankers at the Daily Fail and Gbeebies under the spotlight, too.

[Bones McCoy]

There's a mid term game at work here.

The parliamentarians have dedicated the last 2 months to associating Islam with "hate" at every opportunity.

Their outriders in the press and wingnut parties are flooding their posts with "There's no such thing as Islamophobia".
At the edge..

The term was invented by cultural marxists.

.


In a world where important people can "speak racism, but not be racists", you let this rip, while Tommeh and Katie get a pass.

[davidjay]

He's dicking about with it now because there's an election coming up. They obviously believe that if they outlaw Islam they'll clean up at the polls.


Interesting definition

Ministers have unveiled a new extremism definition under which certain groups will be blocked from government funding and meeting officials.

It will apply to, but not criminalise, groups that promote an ideology based on "violence, hatred or intolerance".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68556914.amp

By including intolerance they've basically outlawed all the major religions and some political parties. Including the Tory Party! It'll put a lot of the wankers at the Daily Fail and Gbeebies under the spotlight, too.

I bet it won't.

[Andy McDandy]

It's just making the irregular verb official. I engage in robust debate with those who seek to challenge our ways. They rub shoulders with terrorists.

[Youngian]

Unbelievably awful even by Gove’s standards.

[Rosvanian]

I think we needs Malcolm's insight here.

*edit - just realised he announced his verdict back on the 20th Feb.

[Tubby Isaacs]