Brown Dodges Answering for the Sith
at Last Treasury Questions
Today was the last Treasury Questions ever for Gordon Brown, Stephen Timms, Treasury Chief Secretary, was also fielding questions. David Jones, the Shadow Welsh minister, took the opportunity to ask a question about the Smith Institute. He blogs that it is"the registered charity that appears to have virtually set up headquarters in 11 Downing Street... Surprisingly – or not, whichever way you care to look at it - Gordon didn’t answer himself. He left it to his deputy, Stephen Timms, Financial Secretary to the Treasury. I suggested that it was odd that No. 11’s householder was apparently unwilling to answer to the House over his domestic arrangements. Timms is a nice, straightforward man and seemed uncomfortable to be asked the question, so he simply didn’t answer it. And so we say farewell to Chancellor Brown. Next time he is at the despatch box he will be Prime Minister. But I doubt that he has heard the last of the Smith affair."
Later Mark Hoban demanded to know about the Treasury paying £11,000 to the Smith Institute before - two years later - it was noticed and "rectified". "Will he confirm that all payments have been declared?" Timms evasively replied that "the Treasury paid for the Christmas tree at the children's party this year at the Treasury".
Classic stonewalling, but this is not going to go away just because the Sith refuse to answer questions. The Guido initiated Charity Commission investigation is a statutory process, subject to judicial review. It won't be easy to sweep things under the carpet.
Classic stonewalling, but this is not going to go away just because the Sith refuse to answer questions. The Guido initiated Charity Commission investigation is a statutory process, subject to judicial review. It won't be easy to sweep things under the carpet.
19 comments:
Guido,
Such a pity that Jones did not have the courtesy to link to you, though, despite mentioning your blog.
Still, maybe he'll learn some manners in due course. I suppose being young and Welsh is a reasonable excuse.
OK, flak jacket on, I'm ready for the incoming...
more open goverment my arse,start as you mean to go on snotty, lies and spin its all you know but we see through it mate it dont work st toni drank that well dry.
im blaming you for having chicken pox too ya fat jock fuckwit.
O/T, am I alone in thinking it rather ironic that Kurt Waldheim should die aged 88 - a Nazi-significant number if ever there was one.
Thanks for the mention, Guido, but in all fairness it was Timms, not Balls, who came up with the Christmas tree rib-tickler.
I've repeated my unanswered question in written form, so we'll see what they come back with.
As for Unsworth, if he would care to revisit my humble blog, he would see that a link to your august site is prominently displayed, as indeed it has been since day one.
Just seen a real Ginger Minger tonight
High office? my arse
more likely fodder for kneeling down under Deputy Dogs desk
At least she might not talk with her mouth full
Today was the last Treasury Questions ever for Gordon Brown
Not necessarily so - what if he holds both Big Jobs for himself?
There's historical precedent, I believe, and a marked lack of speculation about 'Who will be the next Chancellor?' coming from the usual media suspects.
A control freak won't release control if he can help it.
DJ,
Balls-up corrected.
Deputy Leadership?
Who impressed me?
To me , as a Tory, John Cruddas surprisingly was the most honest of the lot- and spoke for the people
the rest- verbal clap trap- we have heard it all before
Pardon my intellectual arrogance, but everybody seems to be missing an important point here. There is a way to get rid of non-answers by governments, but certain persons over the years have not been doing their jobs. I am referring to a succession of speakers.
If they really wanted, they could make the devious bastards give straight answers or face being barred from the house until they agree to give a direct answer. Why don't they? The only things I can think of is
A) They have been got at in some way.
B) They are asleep.
C) They think that since they are at the end of their political usefulness they are entitled to a free pantomine every day. Or farce.
I'm sure you can think of your own possibilities.
In my book, not to give a straight answer to a straight question is contempt of parliament and a waste of public money, and the same goes for anybody who allows such a state of affairs. So there.
Broon is a crafty fucker - not to be trusted under any circumstances.
.....and who is in charge at the Charity Commission the lovely and fragrant Susie Leather......
The difficulty with the Charity laws is that it is now permitted for a Charity to campaign politically and probably even in a partisan manner, provided that the campaigning is incidental to the objects of the charity.
This is the change to charity law that I, as a lawyer, object to. The result is that we give favoured tax status to lobbying organisations who are also charities. It means that lobbying will become subsidised by the tax payer ...
As a Conservative, I object to the Smith Institute being a charity at all. Imagine the furore if the Bow Group (I am a member) became a charity ...
Brown to be purer than purer than pure?
David Jones:
Yes fair enough, but there was/is no link in the (your) post that I read yesterday. There was/is, however, a general link in your right hand column.
And it's nice to see that your latest post does link here.
Sorry. I'll now climb down off the horse. Ladder, please.
And MPs wonder why we , the electorate , hold them and Parliament in contempt.
Little wonder when questions are not answered.
Frankly we spend time and money electing them ... and then they are totally unaccountable... lie or don't answer.
Democracy?
hangemall 12:37
D) If they compel anyone to answer a question truthfully, the vibrating nodule in the Speaker's chair providing intra-rectal stimulation has its power supply cut and two tons of fresh horse-manure drops down upon the incumbent's head.
This practice does not constitute any form of coercion, but is, in fact, a time old parliamentary custom.
Sith etc. What further 'niceties' of office will be abused when Broon has his mits on the levers of power?
Classic moment at Broon's final Treasury Select Committee - one of Treasury gophers had to go out of the room, presumably to make a phone call. Coming back in he sat behind the Chancellor, and just as the Cyclops was wrapping up his final appearance before TSC, telling everyone how wonderful he'd been... off went the guy's mobile, blaring forth Iron Maiden's Wasted Years. How appropriate....
http://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2007/03/13/the-treasury-ducks-domicile/
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