+++ Gordon's Non-Partisan, Non-Political Charity Paid for
U.S. Pollster to Formulate Anti-Cameron Strategy +++
Bloomberg News is reporting that Bob Shrum, the veteran U.S. pollster and campaign adviser, was paid by the Smith Institute to formulate an anti-Cameron campaign strategy for Gordon Brown.
They have obtained a transcript of a speech given to a private Smith Institute invited audience, which included Brown acolytes Ed Balls and Douglas Alexander, as well as other media allies. Shrum advised the Brownites to brand Cameron as "an empty opportunist who will do anything to win".
The event was held to review Cameron's first 100 days in March 2006.
Guido understands that a formal complaint to the Charity Commissioners requesting a full-scale investigation of the Smith Institute under Section 8 of the Charity Act will be considered by the Charity Commission today.
++ more follows ++
They have obtained a transcript of a speech given to a private Smith Institute invited audience, which included Brown acolytes Ed Balls and Douglas Alexander, as well as other media allies. Shrum advised the Brownites to brand Cameron as "an empty opportunist who will do anything to win".
The event was held to review Cameron's first 100 days in March 2006.
Guido understands that a formal complaint to the Charity Commissioners requesting a full-scale investigation of the Smith Institute under Section 8 of the Charity Act will be considered by the Charity Commission today.
++ more follows ++
127 comments:
What would be the consequences of a removal of charitable status? Presumably the Institute would start paying tax and having to submit different accounts, but would they have to pay back taxes as well?
Lying Sith bastards, no more HM Treasury kickbacks for you!
hopefully the consequence would be that a few more scribes from the dead tree press would start to question the utter deviousness, lack of principles and unfitness to hold public office.
The Empty Suit said...
What would be the consequences of a removal of charitable status? Presumably the Institute would start paying tax and having to submit different accounts, but would they have to pay back taxes as well?
I DON'T KNOW, BUT SOMEWHERE IN MY SUBCONCIOUS, I AM SURE THAT I READ THAT THE TRUSTEES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ILLEGAL TRANSACTIONS
if that is the case- could be costly for the trustees, but who are they?
At a guess...
At the very least, there would need to be a change in ownership structure.
Since Gordo is essentially the beneficial owner/shadow director, he would need to declare all donations in the register of members' interests.
There would need to be a significant tax payment,plus potentially penalties.
And I have no idea about potential penalties under charities law.
Nailed them.
It would be simply amazing if the Charities Commission did not pull their charitable status. In fact based on this story (if true) then the charities commission has no choice. Come on Suzi do your worst to these bastards.
Wilf's assertion that a wholly owned subsidiary SI Events paid for Shrum is pure sophistry. Wilf surely you can't believe that anyone would accept that? It's like Blair claiming that rich people did not lend money to Labour for Lordships, they lent it to Labour Loans Ltd a wholly owned subsidiary of the Labour Party, so it's OK.
new blog on the street:
http://brummietory.blogspot.com/
Is a decision by the Charities Commision (say, that the Sith Institute is indeed a bona-fide charity) open to judicial review?
Just asking...
http://brummietory.blogspot.com/ is crap
Here is the invite to the meeting - very interesting
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bure_barut/message/24
L'Etat c'est moi muttered the brooding presence in the corner of the darkened room. faced with the threat of Yates of The Yard to throw the switch and flood the miserable creature in the harsh searchlight of public scrutiny the dishevelled form retreated to the darkest corners to resume incipient cannibalism by chewing finger nails down to the stumps as he considered whether to gnaw of his leg to escape the trap.
Psychologically-flawed are we Sir ? Yates began......
If I was a cynic I would not be surprised if this turned out to neatly fit in with the timetable, which saw the "Dave the chameleon" campaign conceived and launched??????
Mind you, as Wikipedia points out Bob Shrum has run eight unsuccessful US Presidential campaigns. The only time that Kerry got a bounce in the ratings last was when Bob when on holiday.
Surely the point here is that the very guy who is in charge of setting our taxation is condoning the Sith evading taxation, by pretending to be a charity, Gordo should be strung up by his balls (NOT Ed's) and dangled over a hot fire until he confesses ... bring back the MIddle Ages ... at least for the tossers screwing this country while in power!
This is from the Bloomberg story -
"Wilf Stevenson, director of the institute, said that Shrum's session didn't breach the rules on political neutrality because it was organized by SI Events Ltd., a wholly owned, non-profit subsidiary of the Smith Institute."
However the invite ...
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bure_barut/message/24
Is sent from Ben Shimshon who works at The Smith Institute AND it clearly states in the invite that
"a seminar that SI Events Ltd is running on behalf of the Smith Institute"
So make up your own mind if Wilf told porky pies to Bloomberg.
Does this mean Gordon Brown has been dodging tax through the Charity?
Oh Dear
Prime Ministers Questions tomorrow
What if Cameron reads Guido
Oh Dear, I have an attack of the Siths
More of the Brown stuff coming out
Think I need another nappy
'NURSE, NURSE........'
Bring back the Middle Ages.
Yes. The rack for sure, perhaps also thumbscrews for El Porko to begin with, but the iron maiden tout-de-suite for the Chief Fairy.
Javelin
Are you sure you have the right invite.
Blomberg says
Bob Shrum, a veteran of Democratic presidential campaigns including those of Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004, said in the March 16, 2006, seminar, according to a transcript provided by the research organization, the Smith Institute
The invite you linked to says
am writing to invite you to attend a seminar that SI Events Ltd is running on behalf of the Smith Institute on the above topic at 0930 for 1000hrs on Tuesday 5th December 2006
Charities have always been involved in politics - as educational foundations mainly - there are loads of them and they often have a distinct political flavour. So is the difference here, and in general with the Sith, that it is partisan political campaigning?
It would be entirely in keeping with Brown's brooding, resentful psychology if his first action on becoming prime minister were to sack Suzi Leather and his second to remove charitable status from English public schools.
To quote Adolf Hitler: 'The grossly impudent lie always leaves traces behind it, even after it has been nailed down, a fact which is known to all expert liars.'.
'he advised them to brand cameron as "an empty opportunist who will do anything to win".'
crikey, they'll never make that one stick......
Well, my e-mail of complaint to my MP, urging him to take up the issue , has apparently been forwarded to 'Big Olly' Letwin's Blackberry - that'll have gordo worried !
Datasharing approved by the ICO today: "Council tax information, such as residents' names and addresses collected by councils, can be used for other purposes."
Secret E-mail accounts, dodgy charities.
These are all artefacts of Guido's fertile imagination.
I have been to the BBC's website and it mentions none of them.
Guido, this is about as 'newsworthy' as 'dog bites man', I'm afraid. Before you accuse me of being an 'astroturfer', offer me a 'free refund'let me explain...
After reading that our very own Inland Revenue [Now Revenue and Customs] used a 'sale and leaseback' arrangement with a tax haven company to 'avoid' tax on their OWN property estate, I am afraid that I am now unshockable - nothing the Sith can do would beat this for sheer chutzpah..
I find nothing surprises one with NuLaB thesed days.
Corrupt, conniving, cheating, theiving, lying, incompetent, ineffectual, mendacious the list of polite words just goes on. But like Teflon it just doesn't seem to stick.
Thank God for Guido and the exposure of the Sith Institute, you wouldn't believe it as a theme line in fiction, but its true!!!!!
Let's hope that the charity commissars have some backbone and have not already been nobbled by a government representative threatening their little safe sinecures.
Hopefully this has fucked Gordo's chances of becoming PM, hope your sources Guido are well protected, as his wrath will be a laugh to see.
The invite is for a different event.
Why would Gordo waste money on this when Dave has already pressed the self destruct button?
Why should Gordo bother, the DC haters have already got their man the, 'ok for gays to adopt' policy has provided the headbangers with the cause they needed. 'Beware the ides of March'
A SECOND EVENT - looks even more dodgy than the first, don't they learn.
Wilf Stevenson is a loon and shouldn't have opened his mouth. His master must be fuming - I suspect he will soon be feeling the full power of the dark side of the force.
Gordon appears to be a Shadow Director of SI Events Ltd, and should at the very least be declaring his interests in such.
this popped up on my feedburner today, the blog about the petitions database, along with techie notes, and an email address of the guys who put it together.
http://www.mysociety.org/2006/11/14/no10-petitions-system-goes-live/
Perhaps they should be asked
How does it connect to No10.
does the system have email capability
did you see any other email system in no10 while you installing it.
were you able to send emails from no10 while you were there.
Cameron could really make Gordon squirm over this. But does he have the balls?
"Modern Charity Commissioners are appointed by the Home Secretary and derive their authority from the Charities Act 1993. These days, there must be at least three and no more than five Commissioners, two of which must be legally qualified"
This is from the Charity Commission web site. No doubt the Charity Commissioners and their staff are of the utmost integrity - but one cannot but help wondering if this might, inadvertently or not, be an opportunity for "Reid`s Revenge" after the allegations that the Brown camp were behind recent stories about him (Sun and passim).
Manchester got the super casino !!
so at least fatty prescott doesnt get his kickback..
Yeah but fatty prescott got a stetson and a belt! Anshultz will get the Dome casion (if not the Manchester one as well) in due course when it's not news anymore.....
Pass the pork please....(to Labour's Manchester voters)
Doh - I just realised that second meeting by the Sith was all about lame duck presidents, and was organised soon after Blair announced his resignation.
So one week we have Gordon's private think tank talking about how to tackle Cameron and then another meeting about how to tackle Blair.
Surely a fully owned subsidiary is completely under the control of the mother organisation. So how can the one be allowed to be political, when the other isn't?
I will be looking for a second hand cowboy suit on ebay any time now
ROCKINHORSETASTIC!!!!
If this story is true, we are witnessing state funding of political parties.
It works like this: instead of giving money to Nulab, donors give money to the Sith. The Sith then receives a tax credit (i.e. cash) from the Treasury (Proprietor: G. Brown). SITH then gives Nulab a benefit in kind such as advice on how to attack the Tories or some other foolishness.
If the Sith's charitable status is withdrawn, given the Treasury's rapaciousness, it will no doubt require the return of any tax credits (plus interest).
Here's hoping the Sith trustees are personally liable.
Anshultz doesn't like to loose, I would expect the recriminations to start soon. JP will be getting K'd (Kicked) by the two big P's (Phil and Pauline).
Who says Greenwich won't get a casino - aren't there more licenses to be granted?
How many shredders do the Sith own?
"Anshultz doesn't like to loose..."
He hasn't lost - he's being made to wait a little longer. Once the Manchester supercasino is branded a 'success' there will be more to follow, including a nice big one at the Dome.
The Manchester supercasino will be a great comfort to BBC employees forced to migrate to the northern gulag.
Board of Trustees
The Lord Haskel of Higher Broughton (Chairman)
Lord Joel Joffe
John Milligan
Paul Myners
Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale
Baroness Rendell of Babergh
The Archbishop of York, the Right Rev. Dr John Sentamu
Advisory Committee Members 2006
Rob Allen, International Centre for Prison Studies, Kings College London
Professor Linda Colley, University of Princeton
Professor Christopher Hood, All Souls College, Oxford
Amanda Jordan, The SMART Company
Professor Heather Joshi, Bedford Group for Lifecourse Studies
Professor Ruth Lister, Loughborough University & Donald Dewar Visiting Professor, Glasgow University
Professor Sheldon Leader, University of Essex (Chair)
Abigail McKnight, CASE, London School of Economics
Deborah Mattinson, Opinion Leader Research
Jenny Smith, Catalyst
Sarah Smith, Channel 4 News
Polly Toynbee, The Guardian
Lord Larry Whitty, National Consumer Council
Alf Young, Glasgow Herald
whats the betting they get so many requests from Blackpool and Greenwich they let them have one as well......
Superior Sith Gordon believes himself above reproach, accountability , democracy even , great to see his death star sized ego confronted, at long long last!
hmmm ... Polly Toynbee ... grovelling little NuLab shit is in there ...
mandysboyfreind netname: PMO-NET2descr: Prime Ministers Officecountry: GBadmin-c: DRWH1-RIPEtech-c: DRWH1-RIPEstatus: ASSIGNED PAmnt-by: AS1849-MNTchanged: andrewl@pipex.net 19960626changed: ripe-dbm@ripe.net 19990706changed: stephenb@uk.uu.net 19990915source: RIPE route: 194.200.0.0/14 descr: PIPEX-BLOCK4-7origin: AS1849hole: 194.201.253.0/24 hole: 194.202.0.0/22 hole: 194.202.4.0/23 hole: 194.203.46.0/24 hole: 194.203.192.0/23 hole: 194.203.194.0/24 hole: 194.203.247.0/24 remarks: UUNET UK filter inbound on prefixes longer than /24remarks: Please send abuse notification to abuse@uk.uu.netnotify: routing@uk.uu.netmnt-by: AS1849-MNTchanged: tonyb@uk.uu.net 19980330changed: tonyb@uk.uu.net 19981124changed: tonyb@uk.uu.net 19990315source: RIPE
person: D R W Horsborough
address: Prime Ministers Officeaddress: 10 Downing Streetaddress: Londonaddress: SW1A 2AAaddress: England, UKphone: +44 171 930 4433fax-no: +44 171 925 0917nic-hdl: DRWH1-RIPEmnt-by: AS1849-MNTchanged: andrewl@pipex.net 19960626changed: ripe-dbm@ripe.net 19990615
...aaahhhh, the dull but worthy world of Trustees liability, for which they sometimes buy insurance for (they're personally liable for many of their actions in the role, similar to company directors). Regrettably, even if the trustees were perceptive enough to furnish themselves with a policy, the insurance wordings almost invariably exclude criminal and dishonest acts, which means that if insurers were paying defence costs they would definitely (really definitely!) pursue the trustee(s) for a refund if such a verdict was reached. Part of my business at Lloyd's Of Luncheon was flogging this stuff to the unwary. The Zzzzzz factor is strong in this field as the excitement level of this missive indicates. Apologies.
p.s. shadow director is usually anyone who pitches up to a formally convened board meeting and puts in their views - perhaps someone should ask John Sentamu
if he's ever been "nudged" at such an event by Mr. Brown.
Let's ask Bob what the nature of his relationship with the Sith is....
Bob Schrum is now working in Academia at New York Universities Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.
Their website helpfully says that NY Wagner faculty members are available for public comment....
"To speak with a faculty member at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, contact public affairs director Robert Polner at (+1)212.998.2337 or robert.polner@nyu.edu
Alternatively Guido, you could just cut out the middle man. Bob's on robert.shrum@nyu.edu or +1 (212) 998-7556. Unfortunately his office hours are only Mondays from 2-330pm (NY Time).
I guess if you are an international pollster and Sith strategist your time gets eaten up planning Gordon's first 100 days....
12:03 PM
The BBC will love where they are going in M/C I do hope they lease some armoured cars to take the staff home to there forts ,and dont leave a laptop in your car/boot otherwise the gentlemen will get it
Anyone remind Shrum of pots and kettles?
As long as none of the Trustees of The Sith are also directors or employees of SI Events then using them would be OK. If any of the trustees are directors then this would be illegal.
We need to find out who financially benefits - i.e. who is a director and employee of SI Events Ltd.
I don't understand all the fuss. This badly written blog is just trying to make mischief. You'd think it was secretly funded by Cherie Blair. Do you really expect someone standing in front of the Chancellor to propose a pro-Cameron policy?
What ever happened to respect for the institutions of government? Instead of trying to undermine the office of The Chancellor with petty allegations, why not look at the bigger picture?
For example, he has cut the basic rate of income tax for the poor yet he's caught more of the greedy rich in the 40% net, a modern day Robin Hood. He's spent billions on the NHS but also made the Bank of England independent. And also campaigns to help the needy in Africa. WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT!
All this despite being blind in one eye and coming from Scotland too.
... who is a director and employee of SI Events Ltd.
From http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/127fc78dc6f7c93e5d6973ba4ae8dfb4/wcprodorder?ft=1 ?
Anonymous said...
I don't understand all the fuss.
12:39 PM
You are a Nu Lab Astroturfer, and I claim my ten pounds
for Gods sake man, try to be a little subtle
What's going on between Gordon Brown and the Bank of Scotland? He's been giving that bank (and the Halifax) tax payers money through various savings schemes and the online census payments. If the baby bonds are not claimed, they are automatically put into a Scottish Friendly Society.
What's the connection here? Is Gordon Brown benefiting either directly or indirectly from the Bank of Scotland? Is that bank sponsoring anything connected to Brown and why did he choose that bank? What comparisons were made, before he decided to invest our money with that bank?
There's something going on here and we have yet to hear the bigger story.
Gordo is Robin Hood? probably:
http://www.boldoutlaw.com/robjour/rhjour3.html
Oh my God, I've just had a nightmarish thought.
Yates feels Gordon's collar; Gordon resigns# Tone steps into the breach to save the Party, Country and World.
I wonder what odds I'd get on Betfair for Tone still being at No 10 at Christmas?
Basic info here:
Name & Registered Office:
SI EVENTS LIMITED
58-60 BERNERS STREET
LONDON
W1T 3JS
Company No. 04506368
Status: Active
Date of Incorporation: 08/08/2002
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Company Type: Private Limited Company
Nature of Business (SIC(03)):
7487 - Other business activities
Accounting Reference Date: 31/03
Last Accounts Made Up To: 31/03/2006 (SMALL)
Next Accounts Due: 31/01/2008
Last Return Made Up To: 08/08/2006
Next Return Due: 05/09/2007
Highlighted documents are not yet available for inspection
Anonymous 12:39 Surely you'd find the environment at Comment is Free more convivial that Guido's blog?
At CiF they just lurve Gordon and can't wait for him to get in. Over here we just think he's a c*nt.
What more do we want, er how about a bit of honesty and truth, no more spin, lies and general deceit, how about a bit of good old integrity. How about a new government?
Try Astro-turfing somewhere else.
anon 12:43
Actually, he'd be an astroturfer if he was appearing on LabourHome. Here, he's technically a troll
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_%28Internet%29
Shrum's a loser.
Why on Earth would they want to take advice from a man who has been a key part of every recent Democratic presidential defeat?
From wikipedia...
He began his political career as a speechwriter, first for John Lindsay and Edmund Muskie and later for George McGovern. Shrum worked for Jimmy Carter for nine days in his 1976 campaign. Shrum later worked for Ted Kennedy and wrote his famous speech[1] at the 1980 Democratic National Convention. Shrum worked for the Dick Gephardt campaign during the 1988 Democratic primaries but eventually came to work for Michael Dukakis when Dukakis won the Democratic nomination; Dukakis lost the election. In 1992, he worked for Nebraska Senator Bob Kerrey, who was defeated for the nomination by Bill Clinton.
In 2000 and 2004, Shrum was behind Democratic presidential nominees Al Gore and John Kerry, both of whom were defeated in the general election by George W. Bush. During his career as a political consultant, he has helped many members of Congress, such as Alan Cranston in 1986 and John Edwards in 1998; Shrum has also worked for Ehud Barak of Israel and the British Labour Party.
Commentators often point out a "curse" associated with the presidential campaigns that he runs since he has yet to claim victory for any of his candidates in over eight presidential elections.[2] Other insiders point to Shrum's involvement in the Kerry campaign as detrimental, citing that Shrum (and his firm's partners) will be getting a $5 million cut for Kerry's media buys (another $3 million will go to other media firms used by the campaign) which likely tainted his advice [3]. Interestingly, during Kerry's improbable comeback during the Iowa caucuses in fall of 2003, Shrum was on a 10-day vacation in France. [4]
Off topic I realise, but did anyone else see ConservativeHome's Tim Montgomerie on Newsnight last night. the mad staring eyes of the true headbanging believer. Scary!
Hmmmm, James Gray has been re-selected, is this right Guido. I'll bet that's made your day!!!!!!
Presumably Bob calls his mother 'Ma' Shrum so he knows all about being kept in the dark and having sh*t shovelled over him then. He'll be right at home with the Sith then I bet ...
As commented above, this whole issue & the secret E-mail discussion on an adjacent thread are trivial and a figment of Guido's fertile imagination.
On the BBC Politics website Nick Robinson is blogging about single parent benefit.And he's remembering Margaret Thatcher's Prime Ministership. And he would have linked to rare footage of a Conservative party conference from nineteen-eighty something if the link had worked.
That's proper political reporting.
That's responsible political reporting.
Read and admire!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/nickrobinson/
Guido's getting to you isn't he.
Calling the techno-geeks!
Look, it's all very well pushing loads of coding/address-gabble onto my screen, but what the hell does it mean?
In words of one syllable please.
One question in all this ,I thought the people had civil servants working for are the implicated as well
"For example, he has cut the basic rate of income tax for the poor yet he's caught more of the greedy rich in the 40% net"
Er, I think you'll find those people getting caught in the net are far from rich. Besides, why shouldn't the wealthy be able to keep what they earn? Why is anybody else entitled to their money?
Take your socialist tripe elsewhere.
....he created the fiasco of tax credits,pumped billions into the pockets of PFI profiteers and management consultants, increased the treasury claw back from public sector salary expenditure by increasing employer contributions...
and he employs an army of sockpuppets (or maybe it is just Bhownaghree again- how tedious)
The directors of SI Events Ltd are:-
Konrad Caulkett and Robert Wilfred Stevenson, both appointed on 08/08/2002.
Mr Stevenson is also a director of New Statesman Ltd along with a certain Geoffrey Robinson.
This has been a public service announcement. Have a nice day.
Not only is Bob Shrum an eternal loser, his most marked talent is for making sure that someone else is left holding the bag. By now there are a lot of bystanders left looking like the guilty party and he may have taken the overseas gig not so much because of the opportunity to impliment his theories as for the opportunity to get away from his enemies.
Ask yourself this: with the presidential race already warming up and the Dems in the House and Senate, why in god's name would a competent, experienced and respected Democratic operative take a contract in London? The money and opportunity for sinecures is greater in Washington.
anon 1:18 Gordon's minions affect the same tone of blithe and imperious condescension to try and conceal their exasperation with pesky jedi Guido. Not working fellas.
Anonymous 12.39
Gordon Brown can't drive -he's never passed the driving test.
How can you take anybody in a position of authority seriously when they never got round/had time to do the most normal of things and learn to drive a car?
Bloomberg TV have an odd relationship with nu labour.
THey are the ONLY TV channel EVER to be done by OFCOM for political bias AND it occured just 6 days before the 2005 General election.
see here for details of their "serious" breach of OFCOM rules:
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/tv/obb/ocsc_adjud/bloomberg.pdf#search=%22bloomberg%20ofcom%22
As both Tone AND Gordon were both featured during the disgraceful interfence in the UK political process, its difficult to work out if Bloomberg TV are "close" to Tone or if today's story is an attempt to make amends.
and he employs an army of sockpuppets (or maybe it is just Bhownaghree again- how tedious)
don't rise to it; they just want us to spend the entire thread slagging off Broon for being, well, for being and forgetting about the possibility of crime having been committed.
And it seems to work far too often.
I would presume that only having one eye would mean you can't drive...judging of distances and all that....
tone made me...said '[Brown] never got round/had time to do the most normal of things and learn to drive a car?
Bown's been a cyclops since 16, probably couldn't pass the sight test.
tone, 1:46pm, p'raps that might be because because he'd be constantly DUI.
Anon 1:18pm - you must be seeing the world double-blind, i.e. nothing more or less than through the small end of a rose-tinted crack-pipe, mon brave
Given that Ruth Rendell is a Sith trustee, Inspector Wexford will sort it all out for them
Here, he's technically a troll
I Just assumed he was being sarcastic! Nobody could really think that, could they?
andy d
The only "eye test" for the UK driving test is and always has been:
"you must be able to read in good daylight, with glasses if you wear, them a motor vehicle number plate from a distance of 20.5 metres (about 67 feet)"
So Gordon's lack of vision in one eye would not exclude him. (I have heard of people who can't do this memorizing number plates in the car parks before the test - but Gordon would never dream of doing such a thing, I'm sure)
"Professor Ruth Lister, Loughborough University & Donald Dewar Visiting Professor, Glasgow University"
she was a dungaree-wearing Commie when she taught me sociology in the 70s!
Just like that bald 'fit for purpose' twat.
taratan sleaze @ 1:30 & tuscan tony @ 2:09 ( who should know better).
I am neither a Gordon Brown minion nor an drug addled Frenchman. I am merely a deeply caring individual lost on his way to the Guardian website and in need of directions.
C'mon Guido get on with some real news, James Gray, now what do you really think?
'Professor Heather Joshi, Bedford Group for Lifecourse Studies'
What the bloody hell are lifecourse studies?
andy d 2;07pm -
sorry to be a bore but most of distance judgement is through perspective and the brain's understanding of the normal scale of things, not through it's calculation of the angle at which each eye is positioned to the other...
I knew that psychology stuff at uni would come in handy one day (about 10 years later)
Cameron = "an empty opportunist who will do anything to win".
Not worth paying Shrum much for that, really. It's what everyone thinks, after all.
Dave's latest 'God, do I have to make a decision?' decision (on the 'right' of gay couples to adopt from Catholic agencies) was typically Cameronian - the boy has no idea of a)how far the state should be allowed to intervene in the voluntary sector, nor does he seem to know b) whether adoption is actually a citizen's right.
The answer for any real free-market conservative is a) very little, and b) of course it isn't.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1773084,00.html
Dame Suzi is "a committed member of the Labour Party".
Doh!
Anon 2:32 go back and find the Friday caption contest on Gray for some superb comments.
My favourite: "obviously when I said 'in sickness and in health' I wasn't being literal".
Everyone knows Gray is a dickhead; it's not a story. The Sith saga is much more fun.
the Sith annual report for September 2005 – August 2006 has just been published:
http://www.smith-institute.org.uk/download-pages/download_SIAR_2005-6.htm
The report is rather coy about the location of seminars - one 'special' lecture at the Guildhall & a series of 4 seminars in Edinburgh. Can we assume the remaining 35 seminars were held at No. 11?
'supporters' include: The Gatsby Foundation (one of the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts) ACCA; Age Concern; Banking Code Standards Board; British Airways; British Property Federation; Cable & Wireless plc; China Media Centre, Westminster University; City of London Corporation; Deloitte; Demos; Edinburgh University Press; Ernst & Young LLP; Fabian Society; Fawcett Society; Food Standards Agency; Grainger Trust; Housing Corporation; ippr; HSBC; Joseph Rowntree Foundation; Justice; KPMG; Land Restoration Trust; LendLease; Liberty; LogicaCMG; Pfizer Ltd; Policy Network; Prudential plc; RBC Capital Markets; Reform; Rio Tinto; Rolls Royce plc; Social Market Foundation; Syngenta; University of Oxford; Women & Equality Unit; Yorkshire Forward; Young Foundation.
So Wilf and his mates have basically awarded Wilf and his mate a contract to host the Smith Institute Events - which is handy because his company happens to be called SI Events!
Basically the Sith Institute wants to hold a meeting. The Sith Institute gets on the phone to Wilf to organise it. One would then assume he charges himself (at least minimum wage) to host the event, whilst sitting at the same desk and receiving his Smith Institute salary. Double-bubble, a nice little earner!!!
Questions :
Did the Sith Institute send out a tender for this contract?
Has Wilf or any other SI director or employee received benefits from the Smith Institute Events?
Does SI Events only work for the Smith Institute?
Has the Smith Institute declared a conflict of interest to the Charity Commission about SI Events?
Has the Smith Institute got a letter from the Charity Commission agreeing to this "arrangement" with SI Events?
"Lifecourse Studies'
What the bloody hell are lifecourse studies?"
I expect you will not be surprised to learn I have a degree in Lifecourse Studies.
*Stalks off in a dignified way*
By the way Idon't want to change the topic to slagging of Mr Broon or call me Dave, I want to know about the Guido exlusives i.e The Sith and Secret Email gateway thingy. Can anone explain all that yet?
Peter,
my reading of that is that she is someone willing to stand up and fight if she thinks it right, and is (quite rare for this govt) take responsibility for her own decisions.
being committed to the Labour Party means nothing these days, as most of the Party and the backbenchers want both Brown and Blair to take the big hit.
I'm not an astro-turfer but...
'supporters' include: ....
What do they get out of it?
This "charity" certainly doesn't seem to benefit any orphans or sick children.
Who are/is the beneficiary?
Name/s anybody?
Anon. at 2.26. How can anyone be a "Donald Dewar Visiting Professor"? The man is dead. Does she "visit" him via a ouija board?
The directors are:
SECRETARY: CAULKETT, KONRAD
Appointed: 08/08/2002
Nationality: BRITISH
No. of Company appointments: 1
DIRECTOR: STEVENSON, ROBERT WILFRID
Appointed: 08/08/2002 Date of Birth: 19/04/1947
Nationality: BRITISH
No. of Company appointments: 27
Interesting that our Wilf has 27 directorships!
Company has 4 shares issued owned by:
Lord Rendell
Lord Ramsey
Simon Haskel
Joel Joffe
The ultimate controlling party is the Smith Institute
"being committed to the Labour Party means nothing these days, as most of the Party and the backbenchers want both Brown and Blair to take the big hit.
This is always the bullshit Labour defence. "hate our leaders, Love the party. The leaders in no way reflect what the Labour Party is about" Ha! Ha!
Bollocks! They voted for Blair and they're gonna vote for Brown.
The Left of the Labour party, particualrly, always use party Disloyalty to get themselves out of the shit their party has put themselves in. "there just too right wing" is the usual cry. "they betrayed the Party's principles" is another. The reality is, they're just no damn good! Whoever runs the poxy party. They are a party of protest not of government. The last ten years have proved that.
Would this be the same Geoffrey Robinsion;
Who as Paymaster General granted Mandy baby, a rather large private loan, which Mandy baby forgot to mention on his mortgage application.
Who managed to salt all his loot away in Jersey Trusts, which have not suffered from retrospective tax legislation.
Who managed the financial affairs of a certain Belgium lady who was the holder of a large Jaguar dealership in that country.
Who has been asked to explain, how it was, that all the Belgium lady's loot ended up in Robinson's name, in Jersey, without the convenience of Belgian tax levies and death duties.
Would this be the same man, now involved in the very dodgy Sith Istitute, involved in some rather seedy goings-on??
I seem to recall that Robinson's previous with financial affairs is rather chekered, going all the way back to British Leyland days.
He's got previous Guido.
Geezer said...
This is always the bullshit Labour defence. "hate our leaders, Love the party. The leaders in no way reflect what the Labour Party is about" Ha! Ha!
So can we look forward to your wholehearted support of gay adoption?
"being committed to the Labour Party means nothing these days, as most of the Party and the backbenchers want both Brown and Blair to take the big hit."
Dame Suzi climbed the public sector career ladder remarkably quickly. I'm sure there are a few favours to be called in.
Guido, are you entirely cozy with Mr. Cameron, or will you remark upon the fact that the Rt Hon member for Witney has raised £100,000 from selling private fundraising lunches in the House of Commons - an illegal offence?
And also, why did the Charity Commission try and force you to give evidence - why would you not want to give evidence to help them of your own free will?
What is it with the Ruths around Gordo?
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/ss/depstaff/staff/lister.jpg
What sex is it?
Bow and agree,
Guido does what the fuck he wants when he wants. Not what you or anyone else wants or to anyone else's timetable.
Apart from Mrs Fawkes obviously.
"will you remark upon the fact"
Hark! Very high-falutin.
Look to your own unremitting and preposterous approbation of Gordon bow and agree. Why would anyone seriously concern themselves with anything a Brownite zealot like has to say? Simon Hoggart remarked upon the unsightly cult of Gordon:
"Who knows? There might be a job as bag carrier to the junior minister for paperclips if they lick enough boots and suck enough bum."
His pheromones mus