Sarah Who?
Guido called up the Smith Institute this afternoon to get an invite to go to a Bob Shrum talk he had heard they were hosting. The S.I.'s Konrad Caulkett was a bit evasive.
KC "No."
GF "Why?" ,
KC "You've missed it" he said gleefully, "we had it this morning".
GF "Oh, was it at No. 11?"
KC "No" (defensively)
GF "Is it a secret where it was?"
KC "Westminster"
GF "Where in Westminster?"
KC "RUSI"
GF "Nice."
KC "No."
GF "Why?" ,
KC "You've missed it" he said gleefully, "we had it this morning".
GF "Oh, was it at No. 11?"
KC "No" (defensively)
GF "Is it a secret where it was?"
KC "Westminster"
GF "Where in Westminster?"
KC "RUSI"
GF "Nice."
GF "How did you get your job Konrad?"
KC "Errr, can't remember."
GF "Was it advertised?"
KC "Can't remember."
GF "You can't remember how you got your job? Did Sarah get you the job?"
KC "Sarah who?"
GF "Macaulay"
KC "I don't have to talk about my friends"
GF "No you don't.... Did Sarah Brown get you the job?"
Silence.
The Smith Institute is not a Brownite political front they repeatedly protest to the press and the Charity Commissioners. But Wilf Stevenson, editor of Brown's yawn inducing collection of speeches, who had Gordon as his best man at his wedding, is the boss. The number two got his job through his relationship with Brown's wife. Bob Shrum advises Gordon on polling (and is also on the S.I. pay-roll), Ed Balls got bunged £100,000 for 8 months to tide him over when he stopped working directly for Brown at the Treasury. The whole thing is run out of Brown-backing Geoffrey Robinson's New Statesman offices. It smells.
Over a hundred events have been held by the Smith Institute at No. 11 at the taxpayers expense - Gordon Brown himself often attends the regular Wednesday morning seminars. Who knows how much the Smith Institute gets in kickbacks* from the Treasury as rebates for "charitable donations" from secret donors. There is nothing wrong with Gordon having a slush-fund for his political ambitions, but it is wrong that it is subsidised by the taxpayer with the details kept secret from the public. The Smith Institute is legally supposed to be a charity for the education of the public, not a secretive cabal for Gordon with meetings held behind closed doors at the public's expense.
If it isn't a secret cabal why won't they openly say who gives them the money? (Over £2 million). Guido has been given a few tips, and if correct he suspects it is because they do a lot of business with the Treasury and in some cases have been ennobled. Why stay in the shadows if you have nothing to hide?
*Legal, but not exactly transparent or a good example of open government.
Over a hundred events have been held by the Smith Institute at No. 11 at the taxpayers expense - Gordon Brown himself often attends the regular Wednesday morning seminars. Who knows how much the Smith Institute gets in kickbacks* from the Treasury as rebates for "charitable donations" from secret donors. There is nothing wrong with Gordon having a slush-fund for his political ambitions, but it is wrong that it is subsidised by the taxpayer with the details kept secret from the public. The Smith Institute is legally supposed to be a charity for the education of the public, not a secretive cabal for Gordon with meetings held behind closed doors at the public's expense.
If it isn't a secret cabal why won't they openly say who gives them the money? (Over £2 million). Guido has been given a few tips, and if correct he suspects it is because they do a lot of business with the Treasury and in some cases have been ennobled. Why stay in the shadows if you have nothing to hide?
32 comments:
Brown is becoming the Nixon du nos jours.
de nos jours, s'il vous plaît
is it just me or does the current issue of private eye contain a story copied off guido about the smith institute?
The ones who love to tax you and take away your money, always love having it themselves. That's the whole point. To pull you down, and to push themselves up. It used to be called socialism, but people won't fall for that equality rubbish any more when they see what all left wing politicians do once they get the smell of money in their nostrils. They can't keep their hands off it - not for one second.
The right are able to make money in construictive ways like building businesses, and that is the problem for the little ego Gordons of this world. They are totally wracked with jealousy and set out to deliberately destroy what they can never compete with.
It's not greed. It's insanity. And that describes Gordon best of all - inadequate - sure. Self-obsessed - of course. But he's also barking.
Thank God we have a Government which has modernised charity law (came into effect 1 month ago) and is not going to stand for any abuse of it.
Charities Act 2006:
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2006/20060050.htm
(in particular see Explanatory Notes http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/en2006/2006en50.htm)
FrenchMistress - Tish you spoke french! grrrrrrrrrrllllll!
HMC "To qualify for charitable status a body must be established in UK for charitable purposes only and those purposes must be for the public benefit. If a body has a purpose which is non-charitable(eg political activities) it will not qualify for charitable status even if it is for the public benefit."
Smith Institute has the stench of an onshore Orion Trust. Our GLC, he of the moral compass,having benefited in the past from immoral earnings via Robinson/Orion/Joska Borgeois now supports his administration in waiting by milking his own department. Smith Institute will apply for deregistration before CC withdraw status. Yates when you have finished your call to # 10 pop in to #11. Joblot.
"Why stay in the shadows if you have nothing to hide?
I could ask you the same question. Paul."
Tim, who cares if Guido secretly wears feather boas and calls himself Wilma? He doesn't take the piss with the public purse.
Why stay in the shadows if you have nothing to hide?
Perhaps "Tim" it lends an air of mystery and makes the whole thing more fun?
Berk.
Perhaps we are beginning to see the emergence of Gordimmo's Smithgate?
This has the stench of NuLabor pig's snouts in the taxpayer's pockets - again!
Get the searchlight and bloodhounds onto them asap.
i went along this morning, was a thoroughly good chat.
in attendance: polly toynbee, steve richards from the indy (who had a weird habit of focusing at the ceiling when speaking), chris smith (who has piled the weight on), some dotty old Lords, multitude of MPs' researchers, Phil Collins (TB's speechwriter, waiting for that big 'Take a look at me now' speech) and me.
banter a-plenty.
no mention of charity or donations. tempted to ask question but probably would have been escorted out without a chance to scoff more danish pastries.
the smell of corruption reeks far and wide..
Ww all know the fourth estate are avid guido googlers, so it's about time they gave this story the attention it deserves (exception made for Telegraph and Bloomberg.) You lot gave the Governnment an easy time of it with their wacky Iraq adventure shenanigans so here's a chance to redeem yourselves.
Anonymous said... ....danish pastries
To be, or not to be, that is the question.
PRESS SILENCE:
Phil Webster, Times' political editor is a mate of Ed Balls. Don't hold your breath. Irwin Stelzer is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow of the S.I. So forget this story appearing in The Times or ST.
The Guardian has ideological issues and Paul Myners, Chairman of the Guardian Media Group is a Smith Institute Trustee and sits on various Treasury Quangos. Polly Toynbee is on the advisory committee (surprise).
That leaves the Telegraph - which is on the case and The Indy - which so far has done nothing. But they are always Johnny come latelys.
When Gordon steps into the spot light every slight of hand over the past 9 years will be worth alot more to the newspapers than it is now.
EEK ! Guido, they are mentioning Paul Myners for the role of BBC Chairman.
Can this be right ?
Never mind The Smith Institute!
The forthcoming house price crash and economic recession will finish Gordon Brown and his political ambitions.
Polly Toynbee is on the advisory committee (surprise).
Socialist n. 1. One who knows what's best for you better than you know it yourself. 2. One whose purity of heart and purpose ennobles all deeds and resolves all self-contradictions. (See also Cameroonie.)
Newspapers: Mates of the corrupt hiding corruption from the public.
This is the kind of thing that blogging and the interweb can hopefully stamp out (or at least reveal). We need to replace dead trees with electrons!
You'll have noticed the link with the Insitute for policy Studies I guess..
Danish pastries? Who will tell the Muslims?
Labour,s favourite approach, do as I say, not do as I do...
Guido says: "There is nothing wrong with Gordon having a slush-fund for his political ambitions"
And in a truly libertarian world this would be true. But the fact is The Greasy One lives in NuLabour's modern socialist nirvana. And in that wonderful place secret slush funds (taxpayer subsidised or not) are considered naughty in the extreme.
Or at least they are if one is not a member of the NuLabour elite.
RM
ps does The French Mistress give private tuition? My rusty french could do with quite a bit of up polishing.
Let's remind ourselves about last year ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kv96quQN2Js
I quickly wrote down the key points of the speech below
From what was said last year I guess he will be attacked on the following:
1) Pensions - bankrupt
2) Labour Party funding - bankrupt
3) Hospitals Closing
4) Schools - performing worse
5) Interest Rates and Real Inflation
** I think Gordon's school announcement is intended to deflect attention away from the education failures. Gordon's money is going into school buildings as much as education.
** I think David would do well to repeat the semantics "He is an analog politican in a digital age." My advice to Dave is when you hit the nail on the head keep hitting it until the nail is flush.
David's speech - very good to hear again
What happened about volunteering?
What happended about the Environment Institute?
What is the fossil fuel Chancellor going to do?
Congratulating himself about the Olympics.
He was borrowing £37 Billion last year.
He forecast the UK was slowest gowing economy in the western world.
5.75% savings ratio was the lowest on record.
The speaker was crap
The tax burden is now at the highest level ever - higher than Deni Heally
Gordon is borrowing £175 Billion over the next 6 years
£6000 debt for every family in the country
He is an old fashioned tax and spend Chancellor - up to his neck in debt
The Cancellor cannot help us compete globally with such a high tax burden
We used to have the 10th lowest tax regime in the western world but it now the 10th highest.
Hospital closes
Reference to treasurer of the Labour Party
The Chancellor took £5 billion out of Pension funds
When Labour came to power it had one of the strongest pension now it has one of the weakest
Failure to protect pensioners, failure to
Chancellor is a road block to the future
He is an analog politican in a digital age
Anyone got a copy of the rockin horse piccy?
Is Shergar a Long Horse ?
Unfortunately no. I reported on the extinction of the longhorse a few days ago. There are, however, a few LongDonkeys left, and I would suspect that Blair secretly is one, as he's such a massive ass.
Why is one not surprised by the revelations concerning the SI.
All good socialists must have the wherewithall to undertake their missions to improve the world and create the global nirvana. A little manna for the hard working apparatchiks is to be expected, but throughly frowned upon for the proles and kulaks..tax them,kill them.
Oh hum.. we'll just have to rely on good ole Knacker of the Yard.
Oh Guido, get over yourself. If you are so worldly wise you'll know that these things are all over Westminster. Yeah, the SI has been around for a while backing Brown. But what do you reckon Policy Exchange has been about?
And your know it all questions to Konrad ... well, he's been there for donkeys ... seven-eight years as far as I know, so forgive the lad for not telling some blogger about who employed him. My guess it was Geoffrey, for what it's worth.
A last word ... what you've published it what I would reckon is known in technical parlance as a smear. There's nothing you've said about SI that's actually wrong or illegal, you just don't like it, so you've decided to attack it using certain types of language ("kickbacks", "secretive cabal" etc) and hoping the mud sticks.
BTW a charity isn't "at the public's expense" - if that's the case then the WWF is "at the public's expense" etc etc.
Bloggers bore the cr*p out of me for writing politically motivated stuff like this, but I guess you've got a job (not) to do.
'Bloggers bore the cr*p out of me for writing politically motivated stuff like this"
So much so that you feel the need to read the blogs and then waste time posting comments on them???
Slow day in Labour spin HQ?
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