How is the Tory government doing?

Yes we know - this is old news.

Two people suspected of illegally leaking CCTV footage of Matt Hancock and his aide kissing will not be prosecuted due to insufficient evidence, the information watchdog said.

The footage leaked to The Sun last year, showing Mr Hancock kissing Gina Coladangelo in his departmental office, led to him resigning as health secretary for breaking social distancing rules.

It also prompted a criminal investigation by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), with two homes raided and computers seized last July.

The ICO said: "Forensic analysis revealed that the leaked images were most likely obtained by someone recording the CCTV footage screens with a mobile phone.

"Six phones retrieved during the execution of search warrants did not contain the relevant CCTV footage."

The ICO said it had found "insufficient evidence to prosecute two people suspected of unlawfully obtaining and disclosing CCTV footage from the Department for Health and Social Care".

It has now closed its criminal investigation, which it launched after receiving a report of a personal data breach from the health department's CCTV operator, EMCOR.

The ICO said it had had a legal duty to launch the investigation "given the seriousness of the report and the wider implications it potentially had for the security of information across government".

It looked at whether there had been a breach of the 2018 Data Protection Act.

Mr Hancock left his wife of 15 years - with whom he has three children - for Ms Coladangelo after the revelations.

The health department said: "We note the outcome of the ICO's investigation and will continue to work with them to learn any lessons from this incident.

"We take the security of our personnel, systems and estates extremely seriously.

"Since this incident, we have worked with security specialists from across government to review procedures and will keep them continually under review."

https://news.sky.com/story/matt-hancock-insufficient-evidence-to-prosecute-two-suspected-of-leaking-cctv-kiss-footage-12589378

13:54
PM ends week in far weaker position

Nicholas Watt

Political editor, BBC Newsnight

The U-turn that saw the government drop its amendment to delay the vote on referring the PM to the privileges committee was a very late decision.

One person who was involved said as late as 07:30 this morning the plan was still to go ahead.

We know there were discussions and differences of opinion within government, with one member of the cabinet saying they spoke to Boris Johnson last night to tell him to "roll over and accept" the Labour motion - and the PM agreed.

But then a few hours later, the whips tabled the amendment anyway.

So why did they change their mind and drop it minutes before the debate? As ever in politics, one simple word explains everything - numbers.

The numbers were moving against Johnson with signs of a growing rebellion from backbench MPs.

The feeling was the PM was making them "do an Owen Paterson" over again - where Tories were famously told to vote in favour of letting the former Conservative MP off the hook over an investigation into paid lobbying.

But overall this change suggests the prime minister ends the week in a far weaker position.


Posted at 13:45
BREAKING
No further Partygate updates from Met until after May elections
The Metropolitan Police will not be issuing any further updates about the investigation into parties at Downing Street until after the May elections.

The force says the investigation will still continue during this time - so fines could in theory be issued.

But due to restrictions over communications in the run-up to an election, it will not issue updates.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-61168953

Before loonies like Wanderlust have a meltdown this is usual practice before an election known (at least in my time) as 'Purdah'.

The previously used term ‘purdah’ came into popular use across central and local government to describe the period of time immediately before elections or referendums when specific restrictions on communications activity are in place. The terms ‘pre-election period’ and ‘heightened sensitivity’ are now used instead.

Legal basis and official guidance
The pre-election restrictions are governed by Section 2 of the Local Government Act 1986, as amended in 1988. Essentially councils should ‘not publish any material which, in whole or in part, appears to be designed to affect public support for a political party’.

Ultimately, you must always be guided by the principle of fairness. It is crucial that any decision you take would be seen as fair and reasonable by the public and those standing for office.

https://www.local.gov.uk/publications/short-guide-publicity-during-pre-election-period

MPs vote to investigate Boris.

Or rather they didn't vote - it was agreed as nobody objected.

Urging MPs to support an investigation, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: "The public won't stomach another Conservative stitch-up that drags our democracy through the mud just to protect one of their own."
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said Mr Johnson had "lied to avoid getting caught, and once he got caught, he lied again".
Senior Conservative backbencher Steve Baker accused Mr Johnson of indulging in an "orgy of adulation" and "a festival of bombast" on Tuesday, shortly after apologising to MPs for his rule-breaking.
He said the PM's "contrition had only lasted as long as it took to get out of the headmaster's study" and that he should be "long gone".
After over five hours of debate, MPs were asked if they supported launching an investigation into Mr Johnson.
No one opposed the proposal so the motion was approved without a formal vote.

Boris, it's time for you to leave this stressful job that's clearly beyond you, focus on being a faithful husband, a good father and a worthwhile human being for once in your life.

Interesting that there is no push back against Starmer for his equally rule breaking get together and please don’t anybody try to claim the circumstances were different. The rule applied to the get together Dtarmer was at just as much as those Boris attended. There were more than the allotted 6 people, no masks and alcohol consumed. Spot the difference. The reason this hypocritical individual isn’t being equally pilloried is probably because he’s of so little importance that nobody would care. Maybe there’s a clue of the complete insignificance of Labour generally? Boris is going nowhere, so surely an intelligent opposition would accept their attempts to unseat him have failed, change the record and concentrate on the more important events in play?

Whitesince63 wrote:Spot the difference.

One is the Prime Minister who set the rules and warned us to stick to them. The other is a politician who had no input in the rules.

Whitesince63 wrote:Interesting that there is no push back against Starmer for his equally rule breaking get together and please don’t anybody try to claim the circumstances were different. The rule applied to the get together Dtarmer was at just as much as those Boris attended. There were more than the allotted 6 people, no masks and alcohol consumed. Spot the difference. The reason this hypocritical individual isn’t being equally pilloried is probably because he’s of so little importance that nobody would care. Maybe there’s a clue of the complete insignificance of Labour generally? Boris is going nowhere, so surely an intelligent opposition would accept their attempts to unseat him have failed, change the record and concentrate on the more important events in play?

Personally I always thought he was going to survive, especially after the invasion of Ukraine handed him a potential "Get out of jail free" card.
Todays events have made me change my opinion. The so called loyal backbenchers who have aided, abetted and attempted to explain away this blustering, narcissistic buffoon's criminal antics are now showing their true colours as they begin to fret that supporting Boris will cost them their seats at the next General Election.
I really feel this is the beginning of the end for your Tory poster boy 63.
The phrase "Like rats deserting a sinking ship" springs to mind for some strange reason.
Let's see how far his "genuine charisma" gets him then.

Even the criminal's habitual smirk is fading fast....

The bottom line is that it's the PM himself who decides whether or not the ministerial code has been broken and with a majority of MPs in parliament who are hanging on to his coat tails he won't get sanctioned by them when push comes to shove.

And he certainly won't sanction himself.

The Ministerial Code and the Parliamentary Constitution are woefully out of date and not fit for purpose - but as they stand it is Boris himself who will ultimately decide what happens.

Obviously the public can have their say at the ballot box but without a meaningful election happening in the near future, Boris will just ride this out and hope that his next blunders will have faded from the memory by the time the GE comes around.

Ros Atkins On… The PM and the Ministerial Code

Hip Priest wrote:

Personally I always thought he was going to survive, especially after the invasion of Ukraine handed him a potential "Get out of jail free" card.
Todays events have made me change my opinion. The so called loyal backbenchers who have aided, abetted and attempted to explain away this blustering, narcissistic buffoon's criminal antics are now showing their true colours as they begin to fret that supporting Boris will cost them their seats at the next General Election.
I really feel this is the beginning of the end for your Tory poster boy 63.
The phrase "Like rats deserting a sinking ship" springs to mind for some strange reason.
Let's see how far his "genuine charisma" gets him then.

He’s most certainly not my poster boy Priest, far from it. I don’t even think he’s a Conservative so being in charge of the party is something of a conundrum. He was great for getting us out of the EU but even then he’s managed to keep us tied to their useless organisations and allowed NI to remain within their control. That’s not Brexit, or at least the Brexit I and I believe most others voted for. He’s been a sham all round. 

I personally wouldn’t fire him for Partygate, it’s the other deceitful and unConservative things he’s done, putting up taxes, keeping VAT on energy, green taxes and ridiculous net zero targets that nobody voted for. Add in the way he’s robbed pensioners and those on benefits by reneging on the triple lock, applying a paltry 3.1% increase when he knew perfectly well inflation was going to approach 10% and there’s no love from me. Sadly, I can’t see the Westminster mob binning him because there’s no obvious replacement and he hasn’t got the decency to resign himself. So he’s not my poster boy,he’d be gone tomorrow if it was up to me. 


As a Tory, I want to see a proper Conservative in charge with a proper right of centre agenda. Get rid of the woke brigade, leave the EU properly, including the ECHR. Cut green taxes on energy and move them to general taxation. Have a green agenda of course and move to renewables but over a realistic timescale. Use our own resources, coal for steel, oil and gas from the North Sea and start fracking once it’s been properly confirmed safe. I want someone of principle, an orator who can argue their case and someone who will stand up and deliver on all these things. That person for me would be Penny Mordaunt. I genuinely think she could do a Maggie and come through on the blind side and whilst most don’t know her well at the moment, once she gets in front of the media in interviews and a leadership contest, I think she would greatly impress.

Deputy Political Editor - ITV News

Sources tell me some no10 officials have received emails

— Anushka Asthana (@AnushkaAsthana) April 22, 2022

The overwhelming majority of Britons think Boris Johnson has lied in his response to ‘partygate’

All Brits
He has lied: 78%
He has not lied: 8%

2019 Con voters
Lied: 61%
Not lied: 17%

2019 Lab voters
Lied: 95%
Not lied: 2%https://t.co/CPnDzusRad pic.twitter.com/i2eElpeVPN

— YouGov (@YouGov) April 21, 2022

The rumour is that Boris is due another 6 or 7 fines so I'm wondering if they'll all be £50 or whether they'll increase in severity and eventually lead to arrest due to repeat offending?

One bloke got fined £thousands for three offences and that was justified by him being a repeat offender.

wanderlust wrote:The rumour is that Boris is due another 6 or 7 fines so I'm wondering if they'll all be £50 or whether they'll increase in severity and eventually lead to arrest due to repeat offending?

One bloke got fined £thousands for three offences and that was justified by him being a repeat offender.

Well as it will be in the public eye I would expect Boris to receive the same penalties as anyone else and so he should, but I’m not sure just attending the “gatherings” is in itself reason for him to resign as much as the denials or misleading of the House? It has to be taken into account that No10 is both his home and his workplace, so some latitude has to be given for being there but not for denying he was. I have a feeling some of those photos are due in the press this week which would ramp up the pressure on him just before the elections. He can’t be anything but worried I suspect, however he might try to hide it?

wanderlust wrote:The rumour is that Boris is due another 6 or 7 fines so I'm wondering if they'll all be £50 or whether they'll increase in severity and eventually lead to arrest due to repeat offending?

One bloke got fined £thousands for three offences and that was justified by him being a repeat offender.

CORONAVIRUS: CRIMINAL PENALTIES
STANDARD FIXED PENALTY NOTICES
For most of the offences, the fine is £200, payable within 28 days – or only £100 if paid within 14 days. If you pay the fine within 28 days, you won’t be prosecuted for a criminal offence. If you don’t pay it, you might be prosecuted and have to go to court.

If you later commit a second offence under these regulations and are given a second fixed penalty notice, the fine increases to £400. It will then double every time you are given a fixed penalty notice for breaching the regulations (and this is capped at £6,400 for the sixth offence onwards).

This information was correct as of 28 February 2022, but is subject to possible changes.

https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/advice_information/coronavirus-criminal-penalties/

Three Conservative Cabinet Ministers have been referred to the watchdog over allegations of sexual misconduct

...as have two Labour Shadow Cabinet Ministers.

FDA, a union that represents civil servants, has warned more needs to be done to stamp out harassment in parliament - and while complaints procedures have improved, "the fundamental balance of power between MPs and the staff they employ has not".

This follows hot on the heels of David Warburton and Imran Ahmad Khan being expelled from the Conservative party over sexual abuse and drug use earlier this month.

Politicians FFS.

Pretty sure most of you will enjoy this witty article.....except for WS63 perhaps.....

https://www.ft.com/content/33074af5-c41c-4c53-b9d0-e56e7263b31f

A new low for the gutter press in today's Mail on Sunday. Stupid too, as it will cost their beloved Tory party many votes.
 I hope the journalist who wrote this grotesque mysoginistic abomination has his parliamentary pass removed...better still, his bollocks!)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-61208037

Is there a point linking to something that’s behind a pay wall Oko? Regarding Angela Rayner, I have no time or respect for the woman so best I don’t comment!!

Pie loses it

Credit where it's due to Boris for denouncing the vile, misogynistic article in the Mail on Sunday, and well done to all the Tory members who joined him.

Press standards have not improved despite the Leveson Report.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-61213711