Rifkind and Straw - Caught red handed, but you would never know that if you watch the BBC.

I am so F-ing angry right now, these two jokers are really taking the piss out of the British public.

A short overview - Sir Malcolm Rifkind and Jack Straw have both been secretly filmed by the UK channel 4 expose show "Dispatches" in conjunction with British based newspaper the "Telegraph" , considering and preliminary accepting offers from a fake (unknown to them) Chinese private company, to as Straw put it - "Work under the radar, to influence and change EU and British law" , and to give speeches and communicate with MP's and ministers to act favorably towards the "Chinese" firms interest's - without ever declaring under who's direction they are working under.

Now the law is pretty clear, they can "work" for outside interests while in public office - but it needs to be declared if any cash is exchanged - That is the bottom line - There are other rules they are in breach of, but this point alone is plenty to go on for now.

What makes me so angry, apart from this obviously - I was just watching the BBC 9 o'clock news, and they were asking members of the public on the street of London I assume, not if they had done wrong, not if they should be prosecuted - But if MP's should be allowed to work a second job whilst holding positions in public office!!

WTF?

Anyone with half a brain can see the truth through all this BS - the BBC being a government public relations and propaganda arm is trying to distract and mislead the public by brushing over the blatant criminal intentions, and attempting to altar the narrative into something that really is totally trivial and unrelated , this is not a second job - this is secret illegal lobbying, backhanders, bribes and corruption - all at the expense of the British taxpayers.

They have both referred themselves to the "independent watchdog" who (just as the IPCC) is anything but independent, but only after they have been caught out of course- to little to late in my view, but the sadness is this will be sufficient for many people to clear their names and regain some public trust.

Jack staw thinks we are so stupid, he said in an interview when questioned about the matter, that the "Chinese firm" offered him a job for when he left office, and as such he had done nothing to break the law or the moralistic conduct laws that MP's are bound by. He lies, watch the original secret video and this point becomes crystal clear.

Now all of this makes me despair, if they can run circles around us like this, how will we ever oppose them on a global, philosophical level built from justice, openness and truth.

I don't want to attack the very people I want to fight the power for - the people of the world - not until all of you enlighten yourselves (the public at large) and can stop small talking at the water coolers, and in the work cafeterias up and down the land, cracking jokes about how our leaders and representatives are corrupted, how they all lie to us constantly.

To be honest we can't beat them at their own game, the game they have been forcing us to play since the birth of the establishment.

Anyway, that's for a different thread - solutions.
bb
Let's not let them dictate the narrative again for us, the whole world will lose patience with us before too long if we keep supporting this corruption at home and abroad, which goes for all NATO and EU counties - lets stop being the apathetic fools they need us to be to continue their lavish lifestyles.

Thanks for taking your time out to read my rant, let's start trying to put this planet on the right track.

Please friends

a reply to: Soapusmaximus

To be honest, I think the BBC is covering this story quite well so far.

Why should they be prosecuted? They need to be charged first and / or an investigation needs to be held to establish whether they broke any rules.

Regards

Kick them out of Parliament, they do not deserve to represent their constituents, if they are making money or even scoring employment from companies they are willing to ask questions, on behalf of, in the House.

I believe both have been suspended from their respective parties, but so what, they're still M.P's. They still get to vote on laws that are meant to be voted on behalf of your constituents, not your dirty little money mistress.

a reply to: Soapusmaximus

by brushing over the blatant criminal intentions, and attempting to altar the narrative into something that really is totally trivial and unrelated , this is not a second job - this is secret illegal lobbying,

You are not alone , I noticed that too.
At first I thought it was just because the interviewer was dumb but as it's gone on it seems they are skipping over the real facts and what the right honorable gentlemen have been caught offering.

For information, this is the register of Members Interests (MPs). Interesting reading.

www.publications.parliament.uk...

I am not against MPs working in other jobs as this expands their horizons and you will see MPs work in a wide field, some unpaid, some paid quite little and some quite lucrative. Other MPs donate income to charities.

The issue I have is the potential to be paid to represent a companies interests, e.g. the "cash for questions" scandal ten years ago, or any "cash for influence" and lobbying arrangement.

Not sure with the OP and current news (from the BBC) as to whether this was a "cash for influence" arrangement. I think the fact that both politicians have been disowned by their parties implies that they may well have been caught with their hands in the till. If so, then it's bye, bye. If not, then this would be OK.

Regards

originally posted by: paraphi
For information, this is the register of Members Interests (MPs). Interesting reading.

www.publications.parliament.uk...

I am not against MPs working in other jobs as this expands their horizons and you will see MPs work in a wide field, some unpaid, some paid quite little and some quite lucrative. Other MPs donate income to charities.

The issue I have is the potential to be paid to represent a companies interests, e.g. the "cash for questions" scandal ten years ago, or any "cash for influence" and lobbying arrangement.

Not sure with the OP and current news (from the BBC) as to whether this was a "cash for influence" arrangement. I think the fact that both politicians have been disowned by their parties implies that they may well have been caught with their hands in the till. If so, then it's bye, bye. If not, then this would be OK.

Regards

The thing is voluntary work is good for the soul. I often go around to a retirement Complex and help them with whatever I can. They are always grateful and they have lots of history they can't wait to share, even if it's three times in the same visit.

a reply to: paraphi

Being charged is just part of the prosecution procedure, and I think you may be a minority there friend with your view on the BBC's coverage.

They have been caught barefaced, red handed with their faces in the cookie jar - They deserve to be prosecuted because the law says what they did was illegal.

I notice you throw in the second job "argument" - I don't want to offend you friend, but do you work for the BBC by any chance

Got to go to sleep all, some of us work for a living and need our beauty sleep.

Will check back in the morning and then later in the afternoon as I don't get the luxury many members do of being able to read and post from work - I am not ditching the thread.

Sweet dreams all.

Government is NOT FOR SALE hang the barstids from the nearest lamp post.....and their ilk...

a reply to: stirling

Although that is a tempting proposal, we don't want to sink to their level.

This scandal as we know is the tip of the iceberg, but unique because the MP's involved have incriminated themselves.

This wouldn't warrant a hanging, but some of the other schemes and scams they are involved in just might -

I would never condone such a thing though, we are not animals.

It's been announced that Malcolm " nobody pays me a salary " Rifkind is soon to be sent out to pasture as he's stepped down from his job as chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee and will not be standing for reelection in May.

Hopefully he nor Jack " 5 Grand a Day" Straw will ever see the inside of the House of Lords except perhaps on TV thinking of what may have been , no doubt they will however end up as a non-exec on some board somewhere earning a nice wedge for not much effort ....good riddance to the both of them.

a reply to: gortex


LOL!! .... Nothing ever changes, five to six year ago a few

a very few, of the lower echelon of MP's were tried for

having their noses in the 'trough' of *expenses fiddles*, to placate

the public. MP'S if I'm not mistaken are paid to serve this

same public.

This latest thing is just another way to use their positions to squeeze

themselves more money, if the position of MP to their constituents

is not lucrative enough for them ... Get another job!! I'm sure there

are people out there that would be glad of the job. After all for

many of them it is already in the *second income* category

It's kind of funny (ironic) that Straw got busted for this because earlier in his career (late 90's) he was the one who pushed/passed a law making forcing public servants to out themselves if they belonged to Freemasonry and claimed it was due to the possibility of corruption/favors (even though according to Shaw they found no evidence of it/only 5% of English/Wales judges were Freemasons). This is a great case of karma and hypocrisy.