What Has David Pitt-Watson Got to Lose?
Something is troubling Guido's suspicious mind about the new explanation for David Pitt-Watson not taking up the post of General Secretary of the Labour Party.According to the Brownies, as communicated via the usually reliable medium on these matters, Ben Brogan's blog;
The new general secretary is said to be worried about the state of the party's finances and the rules that say his personal assets could be forfeit if the party goes into liquidation. Mr Brown counters that it would never happen so the problem doesn't arise, but has reluctantly given Mr P-W time to sort his personal finances in order and put his wealth (described to me as "low millions") beyond reach.Now the only way this could be done is for him to divest himself of his assets into some kind of unbreakable trust of which he was not a beneficiary. Would Gordon countenance the future General Secretary of a party mired in financial scandals involving proxy donors and illegal donations doing something that would be perceived by some as questionable? And to take all the time he likes about it? Which direction is that on the moral compass?
How many millions has the new General Secretary of the Labour Party got to put beyond reach? Well his NW5 home is probably worth a little short of £2 million. He worked for a few years at Hermes on the asset management side where he remains a director of two of their funds as well as Oxford Analytica and our old friends the IPPR. So low millions seems about right.
He was in 1997 a director of two Labour Party controlled limited liability companies, Labour Party Properties Limited and Labour Nominees Limited. Perhaps he would rather the Labour Party itself was a limited liability entity? Maybe. Certainly some are speculating along those lines. Hard to see how the party could be re-configured on that basis without the unanimous agreement of all the creditors and a vote at the party conference. There is no way that the Co-op Bank could, bearing in mind its fiduciary duties, accept such a change.
Something isn't quite right here. Remember that originally Downing Street spin, by which we mean lies, that DPW was tied up by contractual commitments? This new line still doesn't make any sense. Guido has a hunch that the truth is as originally reported. To Gordon's tantrum-ridden horror, DPW simply doesn't really want the job...
38 comments:
What has D P-W got to lose band -aiding SS GORDOTITANIC ?
His reputation and future employability?
Labour are wiped out at the local govt level in may, they lose 150+ mps at the next election and the Tory govt abolish the modernisation fund.....
would you want anything to do with thjis corrupt and bankrupt organisation?
Let's put it simply: would you board a sinking ship?
May I commend a prospective patient of mine as the new Labour Party General Secretary...available from mid May...Ken Livingstone
"He was in 1997 a director of two Labour Party controlled limited liability companies, Labour Party Properties Limited and Labour Nominess Limited"
Weren't they the ones that Labour used in its scheme to avoid stamp duty when it moved offices? Just at the time that Broon was talking about the "immorality" of legal tax avoidance?
Lloyd's insurance investors tried to divest and discovered that it can't be done.
when you practice to deceive!
Guido,
Your minor point is a great one - Downing Street blatantly and openly lying about this.
Can someone please see this exposed to the poor sods who still think that Guido is a biased commentator and the BBC a dispassionate source of information?
Now that the BAE cover up has been ruled unlawful, the Labour machine looks even more risky.
I've not seen the detail of Labour's constitution on this point but most unincorporated associations vest property in trustees who have the right to an indemnity against liabilty from the general membership.Wonder if Blair,Levy, Sainsbury and co are still members?
I can't see what all the fuss is about. Labour would only have to sell 100 peerages to wipe out their deficit and take control of the House of Lords en passant. I might even buy one myself. "Lord Anonymous of Nowhere" sounds about right.
If he does take the job after "rearranging " his assets, can I be his trustee in bankruptcy if the organiisation does go tits-up, please?
I could show him the way in which any "fool proof" arrangements he had made to divest himself of assets can be set aside - without breaking sweat.
It would be a canny job - at least £25,000 of a fee plus plenty for the old lawyers as well and cock a Snook at the snot gobbler. Luverly jubbly!
ime sorry but following on from gordos american idol performance (must have guy tv clip) , "the prime minister of great britain has given us $200 million dollars"
for mosquito nets , seem to remeber bill gates on about that one , given that this is a first where $200 million of tax payers money is annouced on a celebrity Tv show , rather than in a ministerial statement .
he changed accent, got Pr important set of white teeth , did JOKER smile , i just hope that they susssed his JFK impersonation .
its a disgrace when a PM appears on TV show doling tax payers money out , without first annoucing it in parliment.
given that the nets wear out pretty quick if your in some sort of shanti town , the money will have been wasted in a year , when the mosquitos start getting through the mesh holes .
as for Mr pitt watson as well dangerous credit rating , i pitty the man that knows that no ammount of bullshit can turn it round , as no rebuttle has been offered looks like quidos story may be true , after all it as after all a rather urgent position .
Jonah Gordon is a good reason for passing by this posioned chalice of a job.
Whatever has happened to the police investigation of labour party proxy donations?Is there nervousness in hitching himself to a money laundering operation?
Can you post the last set of labour party accounts, I fancy a bit of forensic accounting...
20 million in debt, and noone is foolish enough to bail them out because they haven't a hope of winning the next election. Very few councils remain in the party's hands as their councillors have been decimated in recent years, a trend that looks very likely to become chronically worse after the 1st of May. Labour won't have many activists left to fight in 2010.
Two years are not enough to turn the ship around, yet nobody wants Gordon's job until after he's lost the next election - and if Gordon remains in place until then the party could end up winning no more than 180 seats.
I don't think there's any way back for Labour at the moment. The situation is as bleak for them as it was for the Tories at the end of John Major's time.
off topic : C4 news are reporting that the Iraqis bypassed the British and went to the Americans for help in Basra.
there are now 900 American troops in Basra, commanded by Americans.
in other words - its yet another Gordon Brown fuckup of the highest order.
He probably shook bruuns hand and after spending 48 hours scrubbing with Ajax finally got the snot off.
He then realised he might want to eat with his hands again and thought no fukin way.
Can't see why Nu Labour is in debt when Michael Martin is in charge of Westminster expense accounts.
Perhaps they should sack the Fucker and put a Kinnock back in place.
The Judicial review into the BAe cover up suggests the government acted like that of a bananna republic. Why is anyone surprised.
The government funds its party elections on illegal donations, to ensure Brown's little clique of 'best friends' controls the party, and appoints political appointees to supposedly independent and honourable watchdogs, like the Electoral Commission and the Charities Commission, to ensure that their adjudications are anything but independent and honourable (Wendy Alexander, and the Charities Commission non-adjudication on the Smith Institute).
To a government that has made a profession out of lying and liars (sorry, spinners)the similarities to a bananna republic are obvious.
There is little differnce between Brown and Mugabe except perhaps the lack of violence. Even that would be on the cards if they thought they could get away with it. Remember postal voting. Note also Brown's intent to play with the voting rules with regard to age of voters and compulsorty voting. Mugabe and Brown. Birds of a feather. No wonder Straw mistook him in the gloom and shook his hand.
Brownbadger
Its the thought that he have to sniff Wendy Alexander's backside.
"I don't think there's any way back for Labour at the moment. The situation is as bleak for them as it was for the Tories at the end of John Major's time."
Actually it's a lot worse, the left vote has an option to vote, they will jump ship to the Liberals, for many it will be a staright swap. One set of leftie do gooding fuckwitts for another.
Labour are going to become the third party of British Politics, that will be Blair and Brown legacy.
I don't see there is anything they can do about it. Jonah Brown is as unelectable as Foot, and there is no one in the pipeline who will not be tainted with the last 11 years.
The country might hit the shit in the next two years, but Labour is going to be in the shit for a long long time.
W.W.
Stand by for a Gordon Brown resignation after the terrible local election results and Jack Straw to become a temporary Prime Minister. Then Jack Straw can call an election and hope to minimise the electoral damage but also to get out of power before the full reality of the economic situation really hits home.
Guido
can i congratulate you on your erudite comment on the devils blog
sp
not a sheep, you may have something there.
Mosquito nets for Chris' sake
Tied up by "contractual obligation" is rubbish - there is no conflict of interest here.
The REAL issue is the Labour Party finances, or more specifically one or more actions that the Labour Party have made that are illegal - It looks to me like David Pitt-Watson is MORE suspicious of the Labour Party than Guido is of David Pitt-Watson. Perhaps it's not Mr Pitt-Watson sorting out a trust but the Labour Party sorting out something. Perhaps there is something that Gordon has told him about that Mr Pitt-Watson has said he would be duty bound to disclose should he take the job and that Gordon needs time to cover it up.
I think the chance of New Labour going tits up won't happen because they are the Government - they will just have to give themselves more money. A few red-faces but they are going to lose the election anyway so they will just do it.
No, my guess is that there is something in the Labour Party books that Mr Pitt-Watson has seen that i illegal and the Labour Party need to cover it up. It is the only thing that makes sense.
Just roll this thought around in your head and see if you don't smile.
"The prevailing mood is that economic reverses at the fag-end of the New Labour era presage the move to a post-Brown Britain."
works for me. and one more time..post-brown Britain.
How many days of the year are MPs actually contracted to work?
They have already had Easter off but are now away on another 2 week Easter break.
Our local council have just introduced a rating system for the local restaurants & cafes etc.
Patient meals service as the local Infirmary was poor (D)
The rating for the local Prison was good(B)
It doesn't say how many prisoners a year die from MRSA.
W.W.
Red Despot Spotter, not just a celebrity TV Show. A celebrity TV show made by and first shown in ANOTHER COUNTRY.
(Never mind what country, what planet is Gordon on?)
For those of you enjoying the great twat's appearance on American Idol, here's another classic I've just stumbled across:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UmgoXKkwY8&feature=user
And how did Brown react when the guy stripped off? A bit like Alan Partridge I suspect:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI3P0bB2Dqk
Unless, of course, they could privatise various sections of the Labour Party?
Labour Party (Research) Ltd.
Labour Party (Services) Ltd.
Labour Party (Wales) Ltd.
Labour Party (England) Ltd.
Labour Party (Scotland) Ltd.
Labour Party (Holdings)Ltd.
Labour Party (Fund Raising)Ltd.
Labour Party (Conferences) Ltd.
Labour Party (Internal Elections) Ltd.
And so forth.
Would this be legally feasible? If so, I would guess that some of them would no need to be voted on by the "Rank and File" (sic) of the party and could go through on the nod at the NEC.
red despot spotter: should the mosquito nets wear out as you say, I'm sure McTwat would suggest what to do with them:
http://www.order-order.com/2007/05/friday-caption-competition.html
Incase anyone has not seen this story about McTwat, here it is:
'Gordon brings Ben in at No10'
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1023398.ece
and here is the song:
http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/tv_shows/ben10/
Apparently he has now moved away from the Arctic Monkeys...seriously, what it is with this weirdo? I guess it will give him something to speak about when he meets up with the kids drafted into his frequent photo ops…apparently has it on his ipod, and likes humming along to it...
Mr Brown’s willingness to criticise corruption in other countries but failure to deal with at home left him “looking like an appalling hypocrite”.
Ft today....That twatometer will need an extension.
Time to start the public debate over how many Westminster MP's Wales & Scotland are entitled to, now they have their own dung heaps to crow over ( 1 & 2 respectively, seems like a reasonable total ?)
If they're £20 million in the red NOW, what the hell is it going to be like after they've fought the next election? Especially as no-one seroiusly expects them to be in a position to return any favours after it.
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