Yates of the Yard

Surely, especially given the actions regarding the Damien Green affair, an official investigation of some description is in order?

The allegations are that they altered legislation for personal gain. We are talking about malfeasance here.

If I were them, I would want one to clear my name ....

So a whitewash.

Just what youd expect then.

Nick,

Thus it still sounds like the Police are a political tool of the Labour party.............


Our Orwellian nightmare of a Government continues.

Another non-story then.

Nothing to see here.

Move along!

You're probably right Nick, our glorious leader would never countenance an investigation into anything which might result in excrement sticking to his shoes. It was a different attitude entirely, he showed when the subject of the investigation was a Tory MP. It seems our politicians at every level are now so mired in corruption and sleaze that nothing and no one will ever be able to change their attitudes. Methinks a visit from a latter day Cromwell is what this nation requires, parliament now is a poor example of how a democratic process should operate. Dishonesty , lies, and lack of morals seem to permeate the whole system. A gross reduction in the size of this unaccountable institution is urgently require with a duty of accountability enshrined in criminal law to regulate and oversee its operation.

I'm not quite sure what you're saying Nick

Are you suggesting that investigative journalists must carry out these sting operations to encourage people to break the law before we can categorically say that what has happened can be prosecuted?

Doesn't that also put at risk Journalists?

Whilst I agree that no evidence has been revealed of actual wrong doing, there was some fairly strong intent

I'd also like to know why it has taken so long for the Police to actually come to the Palace of Westminster to investigate the alleged breach of protocol.

Seems all very cosy, and not at all like the Damien Green Affair.

Have documents been seized? Anyone questioned under caution? Anyone involved in national secrets?

Another "non-story" from the king of drivel Nick Robinson, who still hasn't commented on the destruction of Mandelson's auto package by Ken Clarke.
Nor does he give us any of his insights regarding the Golem's inability to answer a question when it isn't planted by one of his sorry minions.
It's truly shameful to witness some of these quarter-wit Labour MPs standing up to ask their planted question? Do they not feel embarrassed by it all?

Corruption swept under the carpet then. Disband the entire Chamber!

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

2 Carrots

Not quite a Lord Hutton size bucket of whitewash but a whitewash none the less.

Nick,

Perhaps Yates should be investigating the information leaks from your "informed sources" as well.

you to have informative knowledge about Westminster, proffessing expertise about the criminal law is a 'different kettle of fish'.

Surprise us with a new revelation on your areas of expertise. Is the truth behind the spin that you have CONTACTS in high places?

Thanks for the tip-off Nick,

Just one question however - Your 'inforned source' must be from the Met. But why is this leak OK? I mean haven't the Met launched a criminal enquiry against Damien Green because he revealed/passed on leaked information. So what's the difference?

Apart from the obvious - this leak helps Labour - while the Home Office leaks did not.

Of course, that can't be the reason why one is investigated and the other is not - or can it?

Please explain....

It looks like Brown dosn't do "whiter than white" Compared with the so called impropriety of Osborne ,at least some of there lordships have been caught red handed ,boasting about there misdeeds in the recent past and all for about 100k .
There lordships have moved on from "brown envelopes" up to cardboard boxes with the amount of cash they deem thier sevices to be worth!!.
No doubt the BBC will be brushing this under the carpet as usual
I noted Cameron didn't(and I hope will not)fall into the trap of making a big deal over this matter.
No doubt there's dossier on some Tory peers in your file,for use in an emergency,if these clowns cause even more mayhem with the economy and need some divertions to distract attention

Nick,

some times something in us just dies. All this about an MPs and his expenses. Some of the Lords with allegations relating to payments for consultancy. Sad days for Britain and democracy. Loss of life in Sri Lanka, Gaza, Afghanistan all this stuff is enough to make you weep.

However, I'm nearly sixty and I used to go to folk clubs, for example Les Cousins, and listen to the music with a very dear person who I loved very much indeed. Why do I tell you this, because today John martyn has died, and something within me has died.

You cut to the bone Mr. Robinson!

Dear Nick,

Another good reporting of your (HP) source's views. Police to investigate the Lords, I don't thinks so. Another whitewash me thinks.

Xxxx
ps
Happy Birhtday to the Hutton Report which is now 5 years old. Another brillaint whitewash of many from (Za)Nu(Improved)Labour.!

....snores loudly.....

Do wake me up if Nick mentions anything of significance won't you...

....rolls over....back to sleep

democracy and transparency in action.

This country is a joke.



Sorry to anyone who thinks we should all be more positive in these difficult times, I appreciate that you think my attitude is making this economic crisis worse, but your heads are firmly planted either in the sand or somewhere else so your opinion frankly is of no value whatsoever.


Hard-working families...
doing the right thing...
fiscal stimulus...
blah...
blah...
whatever.







call an election.

On the bright side boys and girls....

at least this white wash will cost less than the other ones. :)


PS Oleg - Mandy?

Why not say it as it is

Another Nu Labour Whitewash from a bunch of crooks (a.k.a. HM Government) who's mantra is do what I say not what I do.

No wonder Mugabe thinks he can get away with everything - all he has to do is look at this lot!!

This shower make John Major's sleazy government look like, at worst a bunch of silly schoolboys - not the hardened thieves that this lot are.

You never know. My sources say The Sunday Times have only just begun. Be very afraid!

So, in the home of pork barrel politics and major corruption, there's currently a state governor (Rod Blagojevich) going through impeachment proceedings and soon to be followed by criminal proceedings.

The evidence? Well, not disimilar to the evidence that we appear to have on their 'Lordships' yet here nothing really happens!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's absurd!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is blatant corruption really that acceptable in Great Britain?

What next? Visitors to the country having to bribe their way out of our airports?

I don't agree that this is a non story.

Nick you seem like your flying a kite for the Government to see if there is a fuss


I doubt very much they have damning evidence of a breach of the law

Well what do you call this statement from one of the Lords?

“You’ll have to wet my appetite for me to come on board."


This was said after saying he gets up to 100,000 pounds

PorcullisGate Damien Green and the Anti Opposition Squad come through the door like the sweeny.

4 Lords caught with their hands in the till and they are wont "to get out of this"
It stinks to high heaven.

They need to get Hutton and a bucket of whitewash then destroy the Sunday Times and sack the journos for telling the truth just like they did with BBC.

It's pretty ridiculous that it is even legal for Lords to do this anyway.

The Met's desire is, I'm told, "to get out of this"

How come when the evidence is a clear as Lord's nose in the trough - I did some work for Experian, they do a lot Government, they needed some credit thing stopped, I talked to some people, made it happen - the police want to get out of it quick, but when public information is leaked to a public representative in the public interest (i.e. not sleazy or corrupt) they wade in with size 12s and without due diligence re paperwork?

What's the difference between the two cases I wonder.

And Nick, you're not suggesting the police have been leant on by those that would prefer skulduggery done in the house to stay in the house are you? Like it. More cynical conspiracy stuff like this please.

By the way, Nick Robinson, if there's going to be no investigation, surely this is a bit of a non-blog.

Oh come on, you're getting as bad as your "editor-in-chief" - his blog was nonsense too!

#14
Your recessional is seconded, from the other side of his scene.

Good to see that the French are on strike today..... not happy that most people can't afford to pay their bills whilst the banks can - because of course the taxpayer pays them whilst not enjoying the profits.

Hmmmmm, sounds familiar!

Has an election been called yet?

Nick Robinson

'My sources' tell me that you're giving STRICTLY COME DANCING serious consideration.

Is it true?

I'm sure the women would love to see you in a posh frock!

The question is..... can you progress further than Sargent???????

He's already probably realised after all the other fiascos he's looked at that he is wasting both his own time and taxpayers money.

He probably knows more about what's been going on in government than the government themselves.

I do look forward to his memoirs though if he's allowed to publish them.

Sack the government.

How can you possibly write this stroy and not believe this country has been turned into a joke?

What are people who are arrested and sent to prison to think about this?One rule for you and one for them?

Shall I tell this to the arresting officer next time i am stopped for speeding - I am not guilty of ant wrong doing?

Call an election

Nixon famously said:

"There will be no whitewash in the White House"

Expect plenty of Hogwash from Number 10

Is there not another angle. If anyone has paid a civil servant or government representative to gain commercial advantage it could be illegal as a bribe. The police should ask all the companies exactly what they have been paying for.
One of the Lords seemed to put Experion very near the edge.

Bring back Andrew Marr - he was much better!

The police have always been the tools of the Govenment and now more so than ever out side of war time. They are tooled up and dressed all in black and can shot to kill anyone no one gave them this law but the Govenment so the Lords can not be sacked can do as they please look at Archer go to prison come out a Lord who says crime does not pay? Shot anyone even if you do not know if it is the right person or taser them now the weapon of chose. But do not go into the house of Parliament to demand anything, and for get the Lords the main aim is to get the being a Lord then you can not be sacked and get paid £300and odd pounds per Day for sitting there talking waffle this is a police state and democracy is Greek for people power not in Britian never has been in my life time, not rich or powerful enough.

"I am also told by what, forgive me, I'll have to call "informed sources" that an investigation is "never going to happen""

Presumably, this news is linked to the previous item of the 28th "Loyalty and discretion"
As Yates of the Yard now answers to the newly appointed Commissioner one suspects that is why Paul Stephenson was appointed......as you said yesterday "Loyalty, discretion and sticking to the agreed line - these qualities are perhaps not as undervalued as some had feared".

Regarding your news " there's talk of a video of Lord Truscott being released soon"...I didn't know he had been arrested!

What a load of old cobblers, a pre investigative investigation.

What ever next.

And you should point out that its either prison or an appology for these guys, we dont really have to wait to know whats going to happen do we?


Nick are you trying to hide bad news or something. Have I missed a new poll?





Much more interestingly look whats going on in our schools.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1131522/Teachers-slam-lunchtime-pole-dancing-demonstration-school-students-film-stunt-mobile-phones.html

What ever next

Every week Crash and his cronies dig the Labour party into a deeper hole.

Perhaps Yates of the Yard will do as he is told and find nothing.

To be honest, and I'm sure pretty much everyone with an IQ of over 100 wil agree with me, no one believes in labour politicans or their cronies at the yard or anything they say.

The Lords for consultancies will no doubt become the Zanulabour cash for questions disaster. I am pretty sure that the Sunday Times has much much more!

Someone once said the 1983 Labour manifesto was the longest suicide note in history but from their dithering over Northern Wreck to the failed bank bail outs to this to the end of boom and bust and 3 million unemployed plus 5 million unemployable coming very soon I think we are living throught the death of the labour party.

If Crash manages to hang on till the bitter end I cannot see more than 150 Zanu MP's surviving.

The best thing for the country would be a decimation of Zanulabour at the Euro elections and a swift General Election after that.

So Nick, do you think that the Police seeming to not want to get involved is perhaps down to the way they were ripped to pieces by MPs and Media alike over the Greene affair? Had the media and MPs let the police do their job with that, perhaps they would be more interested this time around. At the moment every time there is a political case they get ripped no matter what the outcome so who can blame them?
And as you mentioned there is nothing Illegal in what has been revealed so far. And as Cameron has kept his big mouth shut about this so far I can only assume that he realises the hypocrasy of getting the police to investigate the lords, when he doesn't want them snooping in the commons!

"allo, allo, allo"

The moderators been nicked (come on guys - wake up) as has Nick's ability to perform investigative journalism.

That's the only reason I can think of to explain the time to mod and the recent threads offered up by our beloved blogmeister.

I hope a Conservative gets caught running 10 minutes over his meter - that will give the police something to do and Nick something to report.

Nick,

some contributors refer to various whitewashes. Well you just look out for a report which I think will soon be published relating to the treatment of prisoners once they have been detained by British, and Australian, soldiers who have then been handed over to the Americans, using waterboarding, where they have then be tortured.

Now this indeed will be a whitewash. Bet they say no evidence, all a load of hogwash, and there is no blood on our hands. Lock and load guys, it just get worse.

What I find so utterly amazing is that the government has the brass neck to even try this sort of thing on.

The worst thing that they have done, is not any individual sin, but the way that they have conducted every one of their affairs.

The way that politics works in this country is such that it requires the main protagonists to conduct themselves like ladies and gentlemen - to be truly and genuinely honourable. While a small handful of individual Conservative MPs fell short of the standard during their last government, for Labour it is truly institutional. They are rotten to the core, and it would take a generation of angels and saints to even start to undo the damage they have done.

"For heaven's sake, don't tell mother I'm a politician. She thinks I play the piano in a brothel"

Unlike Nick, clearly, I find it hard to believe that the Sunday Times would have published such a damning indictment of the four Noble Lords without spending a LONG time in session with their lawyers to ensure that the evidence they had would stand up in court.

The prospect of a libel conviction - and the punitive damages that would have gone with it - had they not, must surely have prevented them from publishing.

I await with considerable interest, therefore, further revelations.

So these labour Lords are not even likely to be investigated for blatantly advertiising intent to sell changes in the law to the highest bidder. Had they been tories surely they would have been arrested, detained for hours in the cells and had DNA taken and a full blown police investigation would have happened by now.

And Mr McNulty says we are not in a police state?

Nothing labour does that is clearly illegal (war crimes anyone) gets fully investigated, if at all, but a Tory minister can be arrested and detained for doing his job.

This country is in desperate need of an election now.

TAG@42:

I share your revulsion at the mistreatment of a small number of detainees by a small number of British and American servicemen. However, you should remember that the vast majority of both the UK and US armed forces are even more ashamed and disgusted than you.

There is something called the "Service Test" which requires you to consider whether your actions would reflect poorly on the services or would undermine the cohesion and effectiveness of your unit, and act accordingly. All military personnel (and attached civilians, too) are expected to follow this line at all times. Yes, sometimes, someone falls short of the required standard - show me a walk in life that is peopled entirely by saints. But their mates, their senior officers and the rest of the military community are ashamed of them.

Please remember that.

What no Labour Sleaze headlines ?

What has happened to journalism in this country ?

Call an election - before Brown drives us all to violence and he suspends Parliament.

I'm sure Yates will toe the line - if he wants to hang on to his pension!

Another sad day for integrity and politics in the UK.
It wasn't so long ago that we used to look at political corruption abroad and say that it would never happen in the UK. We now seem to be leading the international field in corrupt politicians, the sad thing is that they try and justify their actions.
Where's the moral compass that is supposed to guide those in public service?

I'm confused Nick.

George Osborne talks to a Russian chap whilst having dinner on his yacht that he might like to stump up some money towards Conservative Party funds, but then retracts that once he finds out its not exactly legal and you print a number of blog entries about it and appear on screen ad nauseum pushing the story.

But a Labour Peer on the same Russian chappies yacht where said foreigner appears to have a vested interest in the dealings of the office the peer oversees, doesn't get a much mention at all.

We have the greatest financial catastrophe since the great depression and you take nobody to task over it. You accept blindly that its all Americas fault, our government aren't to blame, everything they do to pour money into banking and elsewhere will make it alright. But when they do something: anything to be seen to be trying to fix the mess they helped create, the pound crashes to its lowest value for decades and you still continue to say it'll be alright, its fine, we'll be out of this mess without for once taking an independant stance and reporting truthfully the depth of the problems we face now and in years to come.

Damien Green gets fed information the government refuses to publish because its embarrassing from a Home Office source and he gets a visit from the rozzers. The speaker and the sergant at arms let the rozzers in without a warrant ends up with Just a slight murmur from yourself about it. Its a storm in a teacup and the Tories are just tub-thumping.

The government tries to cover up the extravagant expenses of MPs and you hardly mention it.

Four (I'll say that again....FOUR) Labour peers are stung by a newspaper and are recorded stating that they would accept money in return for influencing the process of parliament. Something that even if its not quite illegal (God only knows why), but is certainly immoral, is being quietly shoved under the carpet and you just report on how its being boasted that the Police would never investigate.

I just don't believe what I'm seeing you write on this blog at all.

You should be ripping into the sleazy back-slapping, cash-grabbing illegitimates for all you're worth. But instead you sit there and spout the line that everything is ok.

I've lost the confidence in you to every say or write an unbiased word ever again.

I just wonder Nick, just what will it take for you to actually report in full some of the rebuttals of this governments line from independant sources?

I think Brown and New Labour are gradually disinhibiting themselves of the accepted morality that goes with great power and are flexing their muscles more and more without regard to probity.

They are probably enjoying the rush of realising that there is little others can do to stop them, as the Police will always bark to the tune of their paymasters.

Such is the path towards Totalitarianism...

So when it's a tory MP who's been publicising serious flaws in the governments' policies/processes for the public good then the police treat the parliamentarian as a terrorist, ransack his home/office, and cart him off for interrogation for 9 hours, all without a warrant.

But when it's a labour peer alleged to be selling corruption of the law itself to the highest bidder then "nothing to see here, move along...don't want to know..."

Yep; that sums up labour very well, and the proves how political/on-message-labour the police now are.

Why don't they be done with it and just rename the police "The Labour Party's Heavies Department" (cross labour and we'll make you disappear, work for labour and we'll hide all your problems under the carpet)

The latest sackings are to be 1,000 workers on London Underground. Surely it's about time this was nationalised and run as an efficient and viable concern. On reflection, not alas by this government which couldn't run a sandwich bar. The list of jobs being lost is not a happy one, but I see that Subways, a snack bar is to take on new staff and so is Asda. What confuses me, is the fact that Brown is giving public money to keep the motor industry afloat. All very good, but surely all these shelf-fillers and snack bar staff wont be waiting in line to buy new cars.

20 comments now referred to the moderators on the loyalty and discretion blog!

Someone is having a laugh, this is just blatant censorship.

BBC, you are a disgrace!!

The only recent posts left unaffected are from laughatthetories and derekbarker.

I think we can guess what is going on here!

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

Oh please bring back Guy Fawkes - all is forgiven!!

Its just one corruption scandal after another. Good job, for example, the police dont wait for drink drivers to "invite" them to investigate!

One rule for those that rule - and another rule for the rest of us.

what a terrible article for an intelligent person to post ...or is he that intelligent ??

@54

Well someone has to be pressing the complaint button.

At least Barking Derek seems to be attempting to discuss something on topic now.

I despair

Something has struck me:

How is it that in the case of the dodgy Lords, the Police won't proceed as there's no evidence the Peers actually took money for influencing parliament. But on the other hand you can be prosecuted under anti-terror laws without actually doing anything illegal. I'm sure that INTENT to carry out terrorist attacks, such as reconnaissance will land you on the wrong side of the law. If Labour had had its way, for 42 days with out charge too.

Also I note that the use of CONSPIRACY to commit illegal acts has been deemed enough to send people off to chokey. i.e. Where they haven't actually committed the crime in question, but in some way facillitated its committal.

Talk about one law for us and another for them.

1984, Animal Farm... he was right on the money, just his timing was a few decades out.

I do like the call for a new Cromwell. We definately need a new broom to sweep the muck out of Westminster.

Other bloggers please note, I am having comments referred to the moderators and then removed for referring to a newspaper article that was critical of the BBC Newsnight coverage of Barack Obama's inauguration speech.

Basically the Newsnight coverage edited Obama's comments to make it appear he said something he did not in fact say regarding climate change.

It seems that freedom of speech is not allowed at the BBC. Couple that with the en masse censorship going on at one of Nick Robinson's blogs and I think we can see the BBC for what it truly is!

LOYALTY AND DISCRETION! Have the Moderators on this Forum had nervous breakdowns at the very thought of these qualities? This is disgraceful, so many blogs removed. Mine was, and had nothing which broke House Rules. I am the first to admit if I have broken them, but I didn't, and fortunately I make copies of verything I send, so I can take legal advice.
AN EXPLANATION TO THE PEOPLE WHO PAY YOUR SALARIES IS DESERVED PLEASE.

Brown stands for Loyalty and Discretion.

Somehow I don't think this will be moderated.
Now please send for the men in white

It seems like the central casting department of the farce called "the Westminster Village" has run out of extras and is having to reuse them.

Oh come on guys, I don't think this was such a bad post. Without a tip off, the police would have "investigated" for a week or so and then handed over to the HoL to finish the stitch-up. At some point when we've all moved on and on a bad news day, someone will stand up in the house, at 3am, and mumble incoherently that insufficient evidence was found. The fact that none was sought will be impossible to prove apart from the fact that Nick had said that the result had already been decided weeks before.

2nd blog on sleaze and still no mention of previous Tory misdemeanours as we all expected on Nick's return.

Even before the BBC were shamefully nobbled, they were never going to judge the issue before the facts and scream for people's heads. We have The Sun for that.

No, in the round this was a better effort. "Investigation? Deary me no ..." suggests Nick's view this was approaching absurd.

A comparison of the imperceptibly light touch here against the previous heavy handed and careless Parliamentary incident would have gained Nick higher marks from me. As would a report on his attempt to get an Experian executive to comment having been dobbed in by Taylor, or an attempt to identify which bills might have been stalled. But Rome wasn't built in a day.

It does appear though that our Rome could be destroyed in a day (metaphorically speaking) by this amoral Government. No rules for Labour, misrule for the rest of us.

a) People losing there jobs.
b) Prime Minister in denial.
c) BBC not reporting on the protests in European Countries.

Good to see that the worthy taxpayer funded Common Purpose cause is still on track.

Stand tall Nick Robinson, be proud of the good honest service you are giving to the decent people of this land.

Thank you for having the courage & integrity to tell us the truth of how things really are.

One thing is certain, 'Yates of the Yard' is not going to be offered 'gongs' anytime soon.

The England that some of us hold close becomes more or more remote from the actuality.

In utter bewilderment at the antics of the so-called 'great and good', we look at them, left and right, and they seem to be exactly the same.

We English appear to be living in a political landscape that seems to be almost totally alien.

How did it come to this?

Because the notorious political apathy of the English has effectively allowed our England to be hijacked by a political elite who patently have their own agenda.

All that is left for us English people is the taxmans knackers yard - to be boiled down over the next twenty years - that is our fate.

But I heard that tape! Taylor doing his 'sales' pitch!

Justice has died, Common Law has died, Democracy in this country is dead.

BE AWARE, THE BBC IS BREAKING ITS OWN HOUSE RULES!

I have had messages removed from these blogs which were critical of the BBC.

I have not received an email from the BBC to explain why and have not been given the right of reply. The house rules state:

"If one of your messages is removed you will be sent an email explaining why. If you feel one of your messages has been removed unjustly, please reply to that email"

THIS IS BLATANT CENSORSHIP BY THE BBC AND SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED BY A PUBLICLY-FUNDED BROADCASTER.

NuLabour Sleaze has a long history in the Commons.

Has it always existed in the Lords or did Mandy bring it with him?

Lords above the law, sounds about right

How can we keep this group of self-important privileged elites as part of the government

I don't mind some Lords, useful independent commentators who don't need to play electoral games and so can be honest

But we still have a couple of hereditary lords lingering about (I know they'll be gone soon), the idea that someone gets a say in the government based on who their parents were is revolting, likewise the sense of privilege, oh and the lords spiritual are still there

needs some serious reforms

live

tarquin

Are the four Labour Peers involved hereditary Peers?

Or!!! were they given their peerages after large donations to the Labour Government?

Dear Nick
As always, its one rule for them and one rule for us
"Even if the lords committed murder they would get away with it??" -------
and Parliamentarians ----These so called pillars of the Establishment follow a predermined shedule when dealing with such scandals, and look not for a way to Prosecute, but for away to dismiss the accusation followed by an inquirey and a white wash
Some of the worse scandals in History have beeen carried out by our so called peers, and menbers of the Establishment, and theve all been covered up by internal enquireis or Police investigations.

69 yellowbelly1959

Yup, 100% the same experience as you with a post criticising a certain organised troll blogger.

There is a certain irony, almost amusing, indeed, that an individual whose posts are deleted on sight in at least three other places that I could name, seemingly being part of the process of setting editorial policy on a public service blog!

Extending my point, we could do with a statement of editorial policy on blogging being conducted as an organised effort by a specific political party.

And equally, a statement of policy on posting critical of organised blogging by a specific political party.

And as well, how about policy relating to multiple individuals using the same name, and single individuals using multiple names?

Dear Nick#
69 AND 75,
Totally agree with you the same has happened to me,
It became only too obvious WITH THE GILLIGAN AFFAIR, and the way Mark Thompson rolled over and had his beely touchec, THEN became the director general,
a Patsy, of the Establishment.

Look, The BBC is run by the government for the government. Its been that way ever since the Hutton Whitewash where the BBC was blamed for the extinction of the dinosaurs and the puppet Thompson was installed. The recent refusal to air the DEC appeal was a perfect example of the government controling the output of the BBC.

I think the comments here against Nick are actually from those people that a silly enough to believe that the government is to be trusted. Either that or they are MP's and Lords ;-) Nick is one of the few reporters in the BBC that still dares to report the truth in politics.

I watched the This Week programme and an interesting point came across of the 4 Labour Lords, 2 were former Labour Ministers and of the other 2 one (I think both) was a former Labour MEP. The HoL has become a sort of retirement home for ex-ministers. The point that came across was that the Heredity Lords were less likely to indulge in this kind of thing as were the Lords placed there because their knowledge/skills (Law Lords, Lords Spiritual, Lord Winston – who was one the programme).

It seems that these retired ministers did not really seem to understand the unwritten rules, so maybe it would be an idea to prevent political allies (lackeys) being placed in the Lords to boost numbers and support. Actually it may be an idea to remove the political parties completely from the Lords, instead you get there by birth right (though I know many of you hate these ones), job (Law Lords, bishops) or excellence in the chosen field.

If anyone contributing to this site thinks posts are being censored en masse by the moderators, just wait until Gordon brings in his Broadband fiasco.

He says every home should have broadband by 2012. That will give him enough time to set up another body to spy on our e-mails, and visited web sites. He will also be in a position to tax us on the broadband we use, and quite possibly any downloads we make, which will create a huge amount of revenue for the government.

Another possible - and this is a long shot - is on-line voting.

The wheels are already in motion - unless we stop it!

Labour Lords slease is not all bad.

Gordon will not go untill he has an excuse other than his own incompetence.

This kind of story will be the basis of a new narrative for life-after-brown (oh joy to imagine that day!).

Once Brown thinks his demise can be explained as a labour meltdown, rather than general public hate of him and all that he does and all that he stands for he will be less stuborn about staying.

p.s. Nick - mandleson, oleg, tarriffs - any update for us yet? Its been so long, are you writing a book?

Dear Nick
There is absolutely
"NO NEED FOR A BUNCH OF GOVERNEMNT DINOSAURS CALLED THE HOUSE OF LORDS."
None, ----especially hereditry so called Peers, the whole lot of them can be exorcised, and cashiered to the History books.
Well done the Turkish Prime Minister for standing up for The Turkish Nation, its about time Gordon Brown stood up for the British people instead of treating them like NON entities, and i hope the Irish People stand and say no to Lisbon treaty.
BETTER STILL, let Britain have a referendunm, then he will see what the British people really think of it.

I started reading this blog 12 months ago and loved reading Nick's investigations and queries of the current front bench.
But in the last 6 month's it seems Nick is on another planet and is blind to the mayhem and rubbish that flies out of No 10.

This is my first and last post to a blog of boredom and biased reporting.

Please can we have an election and hope the tories can salvage the country before we go the same way as Iceland.

This is all so depressing! The economy is going to hell in a handcart; Gordon flounders around lurching from one bizarre attempt to sort things out to another, lying in his teeth as he does so and now the House of Lords, which in the past has to its credit thrown out or put the brakes on some of the more ludicrous ideas of the Government, has been tarnished by the actions of some Labour luvvies!

I was disappointed that Stevens was appointed Commissioner and would much have preferred Hugh Orde, who had the great advantage, I thought, of being outside the Met and therefore not associated with its past follies. We all know that Yates will once again end up empty handed; he really ought to refuse to take on any more of these fruitless "investigations". He's on a hiding to nothing.

If these peers had any sense of honour they would resign. However, I am not, of course, holding my breath.

What did anyone really expect?

The, "new," head of the Met is the person who used to be in charge of day to day policing in London so did anyone really expect anything differnet.

His boss is the Home Secretary, who appointed him to his new role, so you can hardly expect him to turn round and nick four paid up members of her party.

Mr Yates has been around Nu Labour too long. In my opinion any investigation into the Sunday Times investigation should been undertaken by an outside force.

It does look rather daft that a Tory MP is arrested and secretly taped over leaks from the Home office, when the current PM openly boasted of doing the very same when he was in opposition. I don`t remember Mr Plod nicking him.

Nu Labour has really dragged this country down, both economically and morally. We find ourselves at the top and bottom of the league tables for all the wrong reasons, never the right ones. Bottom for economics and top for drunkness amongst our youngsters and the populations inability to read, write and add up.

History predicts that Nu Labour, as always, will leave this country with a mountain of debt - they always do - but they have also morally corrupted this country by their total disdain for parliament and the encouragement of a significant proportion of the populous to live a life of loose morals. Dependant on benefits, alcohol, drugs and whose households consist of single parent families with multiple children with different fathers.

I don`t think Barak Obama will be rushing to the UK. For the moment, anyway, he seems to be a man of morals. Puts Gordon Brown to shame, who looks as shabby as his suits do.

Most of my blogs have been moderated, all without explanation and I have received no emails explaining why.
No point in blogging again, as the weekend is nearly upon us, and we have the English For Speakers of Foreign Languages students filling in straight from the old Kremlin and Starsi.

Maybe we need a good old-fashioned Dixon of Dock Green to investigate the vanishing blogs. Does one need to pay a bribe to publish?

Lords cannot be prosecuted for bribery!! So no follow up story then on EU Tarrifgate then? Very convenient....hmmm

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

No 89 - what about the rest of my comment criticising the removal of the bribery portfolio froma certain Minister in the Lords? It is published fact not an unwarranted accusation. Along with the other part about the lack of BBC investigate reporting going on! This is censorship by a supposedly public broadcaster. SCANDALOUS AND SHAMEFUL.

So senior BBC journalists DO read these replies! I am genuinely amazed but at the same time very pleased. It is somewhat comforting to know it really IS feedback.

ps. Nick, could you get a colleague to improve his presentation skills - no names, no pack drill? There's a drink in there if you can fix it. Thanks.

The people of these islands take a while to be stirred to action but when they do, do not try and stand in their way.

Unless our leaders start changing the way our public insitutions are run and managed and by that I mean towards a fair and transparent manner, I can feel a revolt coming on.

It doesn't happen very often, not since Cromwell's time, but I feel we are getting ever closer to that critical moment when the people are becoming restless.....

.....and perhaps when the Houses are aflame, Nick will start to do his job and instead of being a government toadie, he will do as he is paid to do, report impartially about the true depth of bad feeling in this country about our leaders' behaviour.

After all, it is the people who pay his (and the moderators) salary.

A history changing moment is not far away; I wish I were French sometimes!

#93. andfinally

From your mouth to G-d's ear!

Tell us, Nick

Which is more damaging to the country

A) The revealing of the fact that the Home Office was employing illegal immigrants

B) The changing of the law of the land, ix exchange for cash

I would suggest that the latter is far more serious.

How much Police time has been spent on investigating A?

Should not an equal amount be expended on investigating B? Indeed, should not an equal amount of police time be spent investigating leaks by your "informed sources"?

Are you prepared to answer this question,? Are you, indeed, prepared to inform the country about which Labour politicians have been your "informed sources" to produce pro-Labour articles in the past? Remember a leak by a government minister is just as criminal as a leak by a civil servant.

Or do you value your career, and the "informed sources" who have abetted your rise, as more important than honest government?

81 shellingout wrote:

If anyone contributing to this site thinks posts are being censored en masse by the moderators, just wait until Gordon brings in his Broadband fiasco.

He says every home should have broadband by 2012.

============================

I think you're confusing one of his "aspirational" speeches with actual policy.

There is no plan, no policy, no funding put in place to have broadband in every home by 2012. Its only that the government would "like" every home to have broadband by then.

They are relying on the broadband companies themselves to somehow miraculously deliver broadband to every home cheaply enough for the impoverished to afford it.

In other words, it'll never happen.

delphius.

If Gordon pushes the broadband companies to give us more speedy connections, whilst giving them a monetary incentive to do so (like a nice fat tax break), the government will then be free to tax us on the service we receive.

I heard Gordon on the radio yesterday saying that the government was in talks with the supppliers to ensure that every home in the country will have broadband by 2012.

I might be wrong, but it didn't sound very aspirational to me.

#97 shellingout

Being in talks with the suppliers is different than actually doing something positive like funding the provision of a broadband connection for each home.

Its aspirational for the plain reason that government aren't directly funding it, only talking with suppliers to see if it could happen and how much it would cost to make it happen.

Of course the talks will break down because the government will want every home connected for virtually nothing and the government will be able to blame the broadband suppliers for the failure.

Its a ploy that the government have used time and again.

I do see your point, Delphius.

But won't it be in government's interests to spy on our internet activity - and if they can get tax us at the same time for using it, it's a win, win for them.