But it's no laughing matter as we learn daily the lengths Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings will go to in order to lie, cheat and control. They are both bullies and control freaks used to getting their own way by whatever means possible, both ruthless and shameless in equal measure and we should be constantly alert to their manipulative games.
Yesterday's spectacular Parliamentary coup that apparently got Boris so angry came about because neither of these deeply unattractive and flawed characters appreciate just how many enemies they've created everywhere and who will bite their arses whenever the opportunity presents itself. Cummings' disdain for Parliament and backbench MP's in particular is legendary and will continue to rebound on his boss as he exhausts any remaining political capital.
So, despite everything, that bloody Russia report is coming out on Monday after all and therefore a dead cat is required urgently in order to try and steer the news agenda and prepare for the inevitable furore next week:-
"I am today updating Parliament on the ongoing investigations into the leak of the UK-US Free Trade Agreement documents ahead of the General Election in 2019. The Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee has been briefed on the details of this incident.
The Government has robust systems in place to protect the UK against foreign malign influence. These bring together government, civil society and private sector organisations to monitor and respond to interference, to ensure our democracy stays open, transparent and resilient. During the 2019 General Election a cross-Government election security cell was stood up to coordinate responses to threats and hazards relating to the election.
On the basis of extensive analysis, the Government has concluded that it is almost certain that Russian actors sought to interfere in the 2019 General Election through the online amplification of illicitly acquired and leaked Government documents.
Sensitive Government documents relating to the UK-US Free Trade Agreement were illicitly acquired before the 2019 General Election and disseminated online via the social media platform Reddit. When these gained no traction, further attempts were made to promote the illicitly acquired material online in the run up to the General Election.
Whilst there is no evidence of a broad spectrum Russian campaign against the General Election, any attempt to interfere in our democratic processes is completely unacceptable. It is, and will always be, an absolute priority to protect our democracy and elections.
There is an ongoing criminal investigation and it would be inappropriate for us to say anything further at this point.
The Government reserves the right to respond with appropriate measures in the future.
The UK will continue to call out and respond to malign activity, including any attempts to interfere in our democratic processes, alongside our international partners. We fully support the recent action taken by our German partners who exposed Russian responsibility for the hack of their Parliament in 2015 as well as their intention to act against those responsible under the cyber sanctions regime. The UK Government laid the statutory instrument for our own cyber sanctions regime on 17 June."
"I am today updating Parliament on the ongoing investigations into the leak of the UK-US Free Trade Agreement documents ahead of the General Election in 2019. The Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee has been briefed on the details of this incident.
The Government has robust systems in place to protect the UK against foreign malign influence. These bring together government, civil society and private sector organisations to monitor and respond to interference, to ensure our democracy stays open, transparent and resilient. During the 2019 General Election a cross-Government election security cell was stood up to coordinate responses to threats and hazards relating to the election.
On the basis of extensive analysis, the Government has concluded that it is almost certain that Russian actors sought to interfere in the 2019 General Election through the online amplification of illicitly acquired and leaked Government documents.
Sensitive Government documents relating to the UK-US Free Trade Agreement were illicitly acquired before the 2019 General Election and disseminated online via the social media platform Reddit. When these gained no traction, further attempts were made to promote the illicitly acquired material online in the run up to the General Election.
Whilst there is no evidence of a broad spectrum Russian campaign against the General Election, any attempt to interfere in our democratic processes is completely unacceptable. It is, and will always be, an absolute priority to protect our democracy and elections.
There is an ongoing criminal investigation and it would be inappropriate for us to say anything further at this point.
The Government reserves the right to respond with appropriate measures in the future.
The UK will continue to call out and respond to malign activity, including any attempts to interfere in our democratic processes, alongside our international partners. We fully support the recent action taken by our German partners who exposed Russian responsibility for the hack of their Parliament in 2015 as well as their intention to act against those responsible under the cyber sanctions regime. The UK Government laid the statutory instrument for our own cyber sanctions regime on 17 June."
Dominic Raab
the Government has concluded that it is almost certain ... Whilst there is no evidence... There is an ongoing criminal investigation and it would be inappropriate for us to say anything further at this point... The UK Government laid the statutory instrument for our own cyber sanctions regime on 17 June."
ReplyDeleteSo yet another example of UK govt Bozo-style: clear, precise, timely & incisive.
Just the same as they managed the pandemic.
And, as with the covid-19 situation, or construction, or probation, or anything they've done, undoubtedly without any dodginess whatsoever, i.e. no contracts or transactions without public scrutiny, no cash donations, no trouser pockets stuffed to the brim, no chumocracy, no personal influence, no cosy chats at fancy meals, no entertaining at country houses, no misuse of public funds, etc.
They are sublime.
Sorry, fat fingers. Try again:
They are sub-human slime.
Yesterday in House of Lords:
Delete"Lord Rooker (Lab) [V]
Do the Government now accept that there is no further excuse for secret, non-competitive contracts for PPE channelled through the friends of Ministers and special advisers? There are thousands of UK companies ready and willing to bid for contracts to produce PPE—why not use them? China may not be reliable in the future."
"any attempt to interfere in our democratic processes is completely unacceptable. It is, and will always be, an absolute priority to protect our democracy and elections."
ReplyDeleteAnd the rigged election of the chair of the Intelligence Committee is a good example of how Johnson and Co fight to protect our democratic process?
Worth keeping an eye on what's being sneaked out over the next few days behind the curtain of Covid19 and Russian interference because Parliament rises on Wednesday for Summer recess. There's always a smokescreen created at recess time to push things through under the radar and at this particular time there's far more then usual to hide things behind. How far will they try and push the envelope in the next few days?
'Getafix
Remember this?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.google.com/amp/s/www.scotsman.com/news/uk-news/chris-grayling-defends-tory-donation-tennis-match-1530199%3famp
Plenty of Roubles have have been accepted by the Tory Party in recent years to Putin things into perspective.
https://www.private-eye.co.uk/pictures/special_reports/looting-with-putin.pdf
DeleteOh Look! Now there's a squirrel:
ReplyDelete"Health Secretary Matt Hancock has called for an urgent review into the compilation of coronavirus deaths data in England.
It follows confirmation from Public Health England that reported deaths may have included people who tested positive months before they died.
The other UK nations are only thought to include those who die within 28 days of having coronavirus.
There have been 40,528 deaths linked to the virus in England."
And another one:
Delete"The swabs in some batches of one brand of coronavirus home-test kits are "not up to standard", Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said.
As a precaution, the government says the kits made by Randox should not be used until further notice.
There is no evidence of harm being done and no impact on access to testing, Mr Hancock said.
Randox claims to be responsible for up to 17% of the total tests carried out in the UK.
The company is a healthcare diagnostics group based out of County Antrim in Northern Ireland.
The swabs are used to collect a sample from the back of the throat and nose, which is then sent to a lab to test for the virus.
Mr Hancock told the Commons he was contacted on Wednesday afternoon about the problem.
He said the certification behind the CE safety mark on the product was "not forthcoming"."
Both from BBC news website.
Seems Raab & Hancock in particular are being used as 'chaff' to misdirect media focus.
DeleteNo doubt further easing of lockdown will follow today...
('chaff' were blocks of hundereds of alumnium strips dropped by aircraft during WW2 & used to hide aircraft from detection by radar).
Kuennsberg: "It seems, as one former UK ambassador to Moscow said this afternoon, a "remarkable coincidence" that the government decided at this moment to admit explicitly, for the first time, that Russia has tried to stick its nose into our politics - especially when there is a running criminal investigation into who obtained the documents to start with.
But Downing Street denies that there is any link in the timing at all."
Data tampering
DeleteIn February 2017, two Randox employees were arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice amid allegations of data tampering within Randox Testing Services, used by many Police Forces in England and Wales for forensic toxicology. Randox acquired this laboratory in Manchester from Trimega laboratories which went into administration in 2014.[17] As of November 2017, around 50 criminal prosecutions for driving offences had been dropped in what BBC home affairs correspondent, Danny Shaw, described as "the biggest forensic science scandal in the UK for decades".[18] Police forces have begun reviewing over 10,000 criminal cases that may be affected by the alleged data manipulation, including sexual and violent crimes.[19]
Owen Paterson
In March 2019 it was reported that former cabinet minister Owen Paterson, who was a consultant to Randox Laboratories, had helped to lobby the government[20] to seek contracts for them. This violates rules stating that an MP may not lobby on behalf of a paying client.
https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/cases-2019-ncov-eueea
ReplyDeleteRegardless of Johnson's bluster & eagerness to get everyone back to work & on the buses, the UK outright totals of both cases & deaths are the highest in Europe by some way.:
cases: 292,552
deaths: 45,119
(both totals yet to be updated 17 July 2020)
Even placing the deaths in context of 'per 100,000 of population', UK comes second to Sweden, who have an overall total of 5,593 deaths, a fraction of the shameful UK total.
Yet the shameless Johnson pointed his finger at "other countries in the world", saying they were examples of bad it could have been whilst claiming "we have saved thousands of lives". Pure Fiction.
(NB: posted on yesterday's blogline in error. Sorry)
daily uk govt covid-19 data 17 july 2020
Deletereported cases: 687 (running tot: 293,239)
recorded deaths: 114 (running tot: 45,233)
UK gov data suggests we're running a 7-day average of 580 cases/day & 83 covid-19 deaths/day.
What Ho! Let's get back to business-as-usual. It'll have all gone away in a couple of weeks.
It seems that despite Bozo's cheery bluster "Government scientists Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance have cast doubt on Boris Johnson’s suggestion that social distancing could end in November."
Deletehttps://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/november-lockdown-social-distancing-whitty-vallance_uk_5f11c337c5b6d14c33668ba3?ncid=news-aol
I'm paraphrasing his words, but when asked about lack of clarity of today's Bozo message SAGE scientist told KrishGM on C4 news:
Delete"Govt have got to decide what their strategy is & make it clear to everyone, including saying that they are okay removing lockdown while there are thousands of new cases & hundreds of deaths each week - because that's what's happening."
He cited daily case & death data for last few Fridays to illustrate where numbers seem to be 'stuck':
26 Jun: 1,006 & 184
3 July: 544 & 137
10 Jul: 512 & 48
17 Jul: 687 & 114
We have to understand how this govt are misleading the country; how they're being driven by big business, prioritising shareholders' wealth over peoples' health; how they're rushing the country headlong into disaster, rather than making measured & steady progress; and how they are prepared to ignore thousands of new cases and hundreds of deaths each week so they can send everyone to work on public transport.
From HMPPS today:
ReplyDeletehttps://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/901218/HMPPS_COVID19_WE_10072020_Pub_Doc.pdf
Bit of a read, but David Fraser pops up again in Conservative Women today with a piece that may be of interest to all CQSW trained left wing liberal Marxists that are not prepared to weild the rod hard enough.
ReplyDeleteWhy attempt to solve a problem when you can just beat it away?
https://conservativewoman.co.uk/its-no-longer-criminal-to-commit-a-crime/
'Getafix
: ) getafix. Fraser's on top form, isn't he?
Delete"Marxist ‘social conscience’ warriors who have been marching through the corridors of our justice system"
"evidence which shows that the supervision of offenders in the community has always been and remains a disaster for the public."
"not one of the many concocted rehabilitation programmes run for offenders over the last 50 years...has had the slightest reformative effect on offenders referred to them."
"Short prison sentences give the public a break from persistent offending. Longer prison sentences are associated with significant falls in reconviction rates"
"Is not the first duty of government to protect its citizens from harm?"
"The detailed story of the failure of rehabilitation schemes points to the lie at its heart – that crime is a symptom of economic inequality and of a personal and social malaise that results, which the understanding state can rectify. It is an insult to the law-abiding poor."
"These latest deferred prosecution programmes have been set up as if this history did not exist. It demonstrates all too clearly how the police have succumbed to the poison of Marxist ideology that continues to run unchallenged through our justice system."
***If you appreciated this article, perhaps you might consider making a donation to The Conservative Woman***
"David Fraser is the author of Licence to Kill, Britain’s Surrender to Violence. He is a former senior probation officer and criminal intelligence analyst with the National Criminal Intelligence Service (now the National Crime Agency)."
DeleteHe could be the love child of Katie Hopkins and Dominic Cummings.
DeleteFrom MoJ website:
ReplyDeletehttps://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/900040/PPE_Table_Recommended_personal_protective_equipment__PPE__for_staff__clinical_and_non-clinical__in_custodial_settings_and_in_community_offender_V3.11.pdf
Its a single page listing recommended PPE
__________________________________________
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-prisons-and-other-prescribed-places-of-detention-guidance
The page where other similar info can be found
_______________________________________________
Doncha just weep for the poverty-stricken judiciary?
"Owing to the judiciary’s unique constitutional role, salaried judges are not able to work in private practice after taking up office and they are also appointed on the understanding that they will not return to private practice once they have retired. Their options for supplementing their earnings are therefore limited. Furthermore, judges tend to enter the judicial pension arrangements later in life than high earners in other public service schemes who have generally moved through the career grades.... Owing to the reduction in remuneration caused by the introduction of the 2015 pension scheme, the SSRB recommended pay increases of 32% for those in the High Court, 22% for judges at Circuit and Upper Tribunal level and 8% for judges at District level."
Example: Career average Judge A’s pensionable earnings for 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 are £112,542.
"The move to a tax-registered scheme in 2015 most dramatically affected the senior judiciary, since they earn higher salaries and often have existing pension pots from their private sector careers" (I thought we'd earlier lamented how they were limited in their earning potential?)
Ahhh, all becomes clear now:
"The comparatively high level of judicial salaries and the fact that many senior judges accrued significant private pensions before taking up judicial office mean tax charges are felt more acutely"
Example: Lump sum commutation Judge A has a pension of £36,000 and would like a lump sum on retirement of £96,000. (who wouldn't?)
To obtain this commuted lump sum, Judge A must give up the amount of pension commuted, in this instance, £8,000. New pension value: £36,000 - £8,000 = £28,000.
But... The tax-unregistered status therefore necessitates a commutation supplement to be provided to members so commutation remains an attractive option.
So...Using Judge A as an example. Their £96,000 lump sum would be taxed at a top rate of 45%. The commutation supplement would be worked out as follows:0.45 x (£96,000) ÷ (1-0.45) = £78,545
£78,545 would be paid to Judge A to account for tax and leave the member with a net lump sum of £96,000.
Brilliant!! So Judge A ends up with:
£96,000 + pension of £28,000 & tax supplement of £78,545
How do Napo members feel now?
BBC's Danny Shaw:
ReplyDelete"More than 140 prisoners have been housed in hotels and B&Bs after being released during the Covid-19 lockdown.
They include six offenders who have been freed from their sentences early to relieve overcrowding and reduce the risk of infection in jails.
A letter to hotel owners, seen by BBC News, said they would not be told the crime the prisoner had committed, though the government insisted the offenders had been subject to "strict vetting".
The government said hotels were used only as a "last resort".
All offenders due for release are "thoroughly risk assessed", the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) added.
It said 304 former inmates let out on their scheduled release date have been provided with housing, 136 of whom have been put up in hotels or bed and breakfast accommodation."
Cont:-
DeleteHotels have also been used to house six offenders freed early under an emergency programme to reduce overcrowding, known as the "End of Custody Temporary Release" scheme. According to officials, hotels for prisoners are identified by two business travel, conference and accommodation agencies, CTM and Calder.
A hotel owner in the north of England said he had received a letter, written by the Prison and Probation Service, asking whether he would have rooms available for offenders on the early release scheme. The letter says accommodation in hotels, B&Bs and serviced apartments would be needed for up to 56 days.
It says: "We will not share information with you regarding the offence(s) the individual has committed but would wish to reassure that they have been subject to strict vetting." The letter explains that electronic monitoring equipment would have to be installed in an offender's hotel room to ensure they abide by a curfew, but says staff would not be responsible for managing a prisoner's licence conditions.
"All incidents of concern should be dealt with in the same way as you would deal with any other resident and if local measures don't work (eg a phone call from reception to keep the noise down) be reported to police," the letter says.
Although it is highly unusual for released prisoners to be accommodated in hotels, they have been used for asylum seekers, most recently, and controversially, in Glasgow. In June, six people were stabbed at a hotel in the city which had been used to house asylum claimants. Their attacker - Badreddin Abadlla Adam - was shot dead by police.
A MoJ spokesperson said:
"All offenders due for release are thoroughly risk assessed and hotels have only been used as a last resort to reduce any potential spread of coronavirus. These temporary measures are part of the unprecedented response to the pandemic which has helped protect the NHS and save lives."
uk govt daily covid-19 data release sat 18 july 2020
ReplyDeletenew cases reported - 827
new deaths recorded - 40
So we have 4,272 for 6 days of this week so far - already exceeding last week's 7-day figure and close to the previous week's 7-day total of 4,678. Could we be climbing back to the nigh-on-6,000 new cases of 3 weeks ago?
Clown Prince To Start Handing Out The Presents
ReplyDeleteBoris Johnson is to mark his first year in Downing Street by rewarding Brexit supporters – including Sir Ian Botham – with life peerages, it has been reported.
The former England cricketer is among 30 new peers to be announced later this month, according to The Times.
The list is said also to include four ex-Labour MPs – including Frank Field and Gisela Stuart – who both supported Brexit in the 2016 referendum. There will be peerages also for Ian Austin and John Woodcock, who backed Remain but who supported Mr Johnson's Brexit deal and urged Labour voters not to support Jeremy Corbyn, the paper said.
Our old friend Antonia Romeo back in the headlines.
ReplyDeletewww.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8537319/amp/Woman-tipped-No10-job-bullying-row-Claims-diplomat-loved-mix-stars.html
A Whitehall high-flyer tipped to become the first-ever female head of the Civil Service was investigated for bullying staff and misusing expenses, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
DeleteAntonia Romeo is a leading contender to replace ousted Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill as Britain's most powerful mandarin, in charge of 430,000 civil servants.
But in 2017, when she was Britain's consul general in New York, she was investigated over a flood of allegations that she had 'terrorised' staff who criticised her extravagant lifestyle and reportedly lavish spending.
Mrs Romeo was subsequently cleared by the Cabinet Office and promoted a few weeks later. However, critics have branded the inquiry a whitewash.
Last night the Cabinet Office said: 'These allegations were made some time ago, were thoroughly investigated and were dismissed on the basis there was no case to answer.'
However, this newspaper has established that a senior director at the Foreign Office voiced 'frustration and concern' at the outcome of the probe. Insiders say the row about the Cabinet Office's decision is 'an open secret' at top levels across Whitehall.
According to informed sources, junior staff members in the UK's New York consulate claimed to have felt pressured to submit expenses on behalf of Mrs Romeo that they did not believe were fully justified.
Allegations of questionable spending of taxpayers' money included more than £120,000 in fees for her three children at an upmarket New York school which had not been approved by the Foreign Office, expensive taxis and more than a dozen flights, some business class.
Officials in New York were said to be particularly aggrieved by a last-minute flight booked to London in February 2017 so that Mrs Romeo could attend that year's Bafta awards where she rubbed shoulders with entertainment industry stars.
During her time in New York, where she promoted British interests and UK trade, Mrs Romeo hosted a series of glitzy parties for celebrity figures including Calvin Klein, Anna Wintour, Joanna Lumley and the now-disgraced mogul Harvey Weinstein.
The cost of sending expensive bouquets of flowers to British celebrities, including Victoria Beckham, formed part of a dossier of allegations against Mrs Romeo compiled in early 2017.
The list of complaints continues well beyond the acceptable character count...
Her allies insist that the spending was all part of her job to promote the UK, but some former colleagues believe she was more intent on furthering her own personal brand, rather than the UK's interests. A source said: 'Britain came a distant second to Antonia's schmoozing for Antonia's sake.'
DeleteOne tearful junior official is understood to have claimed to superiors that Mrs Romeo threatened her career prospects after she 'challenged her ideas'. The official allegedly begged colleagues: 'Please help me. She's too awful.' Mrs Romeo flatly denies bullying staff.
When news of the complaints reached London, the Foreign Office asked Sir Tim Hitchens, a former Ambassador to Japan, to conduct an internal review. He submitted his report to the Cabinet Office, where it was decided that Mrs Romeo had no case to answer. The Mail on Sunday has been told that Sir Tim was 'livid' that Mrs Romeo was cleared after he submitted his report – although the former Ambassador declined to comment when approached by The Mail on Sunday.
Within weeks, Mrs Romeo was appointed to her current role as Permanent Secretary at the Department for International Trade. Those involved in the complaints were told on March 17, 2017, that the claims against Mrs Romeo had been dismissed. Ten days later she took up her international trade role.
Applications to replace Sir Mark, who will leave his £210,000-a-year post in September as head of the Civil Service, closed on Friday afternoon. The Cabinet Secretary is hugely influential, not only as the civil servant closest to the Prime Minister, but also in conducting investigations and ensuring the protection of hundreds of thousands of civil servants across Whitehall and Britain.
Mounting speculation that 45-year-old Mrs Romeo may be appointed prompted furious ex-colleagues to contact this newspaper. Last night, one said: 'The idea of her being in charge of pastoral care of anyone is an utter joke.'
She is one of Whitehall's highest flying women and tipped to become the first ever female Cabinet Secretary. But last night Antonia Romeo was at the centre of a bullying and expenses row over her time as Britain's top diplomat in New York. The Permanent Secretary of the Department for International Trade is a frontrunner to replace ousted Whitehall chief Sir Mark Sedwill as head of the Civil Service – a job that would make her the Prime Minister's closest adviser and put in charge of 430,000 officials. However whistleblowers have accused Mrs Romeo of 'terrorising colleagues' and abusing the expenses system during a plum overseas posting.
A dossier of evidence detailed apparent extravagances such as sending flowers to celebrity pals like Victoria Beckham, expensive taxis and business class flights, as well as tales of her alleged fury at anyone who questioned her.
Concerns about Mrs Romeo's behaviour during her tenure as Her Majesty's consul general in New York were so serious that a former British Ambassador was drafted in to investigate her expenses and treatment of junior staff.
Last night a Cabinet Office spokesman said: 'These allegations were made some time ago, were thoroughly investigated and were dismissed on the basis there was no case to answer.'
A routine review found that 47 per cent of those who worked in Mrs Romeo's department during her time in New York reported that they had been bullied by a colleague in the previous 12 months.
And reports reached London of 'sobbing' staff claiming they felt intimidated into submitting expenses for Mrs Romeo's glittering New York lifestyle, in which she rubbed shoulders with celebrities and jetted back and forth to London for lavish award ceremonies.
During her time in New York, she hosted a series of parties for high-society figures – embarrassingly even being snapped with now-disgraced movie mogul Havery Weinstein just months before allegations of his horrific sexual misconduct surfaced.
DeleteBut behind the scenes one tearful junior official is understood to have told superiors that Mrs Romeo threatened her career prospects after she 'challenged her ideas' and begged colleagues: 'Please help me. She's too awful.'
Mrs Romeo denied bullying staff.
Officially her role was to promote British interests in America, but colleagues accused her instead of building her personal brand and partying with celebrities. A source said: 'Britain came a distant second to Antonia's schmoozing for Antonia's sake.'
Allegations of questionable spending of taxpayer money included more than £120,000 in school fees for her three children at an upmarket New York school not approved by the Foreign Office, excessive taxis and more than a dozen flights not considered to be in the interests of her job.
Officials in New York were particularly incensed by a last-minute flight booked to London in February 2017 so Mrs Romeo could attend the Bafta awards. They insisted that had such trips been booked ahead, there would have been significant savings.
However, when the probe concluded that there was 'no case to answer' in March 2017 and Mrs Romeo was promoted to a major role back in London, senior Foreign Office figures branded the affair a whitewash. Just ten days after she was cleared, she began her current role at the International Trade Department.
A human resources director at the Foreign Office wrote that she was left with a 'sense of frustration and concern' over the conclusion of the affair.
This newspaper has spoken to multiple diplomats and insiders who claim the row was an 'open secret' at the top of Whitehall, with worried officials blowing the whistle now Mrs Romeo has been repeatedly tipped to head Britain's Civil Service.
Applications to replace Sir Mark, who will depart in September as head of the Civil Service, closed on Friday afternoon. Not only does the role put the successful candidate at the PM's side, they would also be responsible for investigations and protection of thousands of officials across Whitehall and the rest of the country.
Growing speculation that Mrs Romeo is in the running for the job prompted furious colleagues to contact The Mail on Sunday. One Whitehall source said last night: 'The idea of her being in charge of pastoral care of anyone is an utter joke.' Should she not get the top job, Mrs Romeo is understood to be a leading contender to take over the newly merged Foreign Office and International Aid department.
The Mail on Sunday has been told that former Ambassador to Japan Sir Tim Hitchens, who investigate Mrs Romeo, was 'livid' that she was cleared and about her subsequent promotion. He left the diplomatic corps shortly after completing the probe, but a former colleague said: 'Tim is a nice guy, but he was furious at what happened. His report disappeared into the Cabinet Office and came back as a clean bill of health.'
Sir Tim, a former Assistant Private Secretary to the Queen, declined to comment when approached by The Mail on Sunday.
Last night the finger of blame for the alleged whitewashing was pointed at former Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood, who died in November 2018.
Mrs Romeo was initially blocked from the trade role, but Sir Jeremy secured her position after reportedly striking a 'trade-off' with former Prime Minister Theresa May involving another adviser he did not want her to appoint.
Respected Downing Street historian Sir Anthony Seldon wrote last year in his book, May At Ten, that Sir Jeremy 'wanted to bring Antonia Romeo, an energetic protégé, back from the consul general job in New York to be Permanent Secretary at the Department for International Trade... a trade-off was duly negotiated'.
On Mrs Romeo's appointment, Sir Jeremy said in March 2017: 'Antonia has done an excellent job in a number of roles across government and will bring a strong blend of leadership and Whitehall skills at an exciting time for the department.'
DeleteWhen she took over at the international trade department, Mrs Romeo was allowed to continue to serve as consul general as well for a further four months.
It was reported during that 'handover period' of April to July 2017, she spent a further £31,000 of public money on eight round trips to New York, including some business-class flights and accommodation.
Last night campaign group the TaxPayers' Alliance demanded questions be answered about 'consulate fat cats'.
Chief executive John O'Connell said: 'Any abuse of taxpayers' cash is completely unacceptable.
'Taxpayers don't cede their hard-earned cash for it to fund the lavish lifestyles of bureaucrats and consulate fat cats. Questions must be answered and the Civil Service must ensure they put a stop to any misuse of public funds.'
Last night, allies of Mrs Romeo, a 45-year-old mother of three, denied the charges of bullying and of misusing expenses, and insisted she maintained the support of senior colleagues.
Antonia Romeo, Jan 2020:
ReplyDelete"Another highlight was when DIT moved up to 101st place in the Stonewall Workplace Equality index, representing an increase of 269 places over the past two years. This is a testament to great work in the department on diversity and inclusion, although there is still lots to do. On a personal level, I was delighted to be appointed as civil service gender champion, working with excellent gender champions across the civil service."
She laid her cards on the table in March 2020:
Delete"Around 430,000 people work for the UK civil service, and 54% are women. That’s a huge amount of talent and opportunity, but the proportions don’t remain consistent at more senior levels – we’re at just 30% at permanent secretary level. There’s much more to do."
"Antonia Romeo (pictured with Harvey Weinstein) is a leading contender to replace ousted Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill as Head of the Civil Service, but was investigated for bullying staff and misusing expenses"
DeleteSounds like the perfect candidate to head up the Cummings/Johnson assault on the civil service - keeps good company, unscrupulously self-serving, oblivious to everything but her own needs, shallow, happy to create wanton havoc & destruction in others' lives, believes she deserves everything.
There is increasingly vocal criticism in US over Trump administration's mishandling of the pandemic. Key points being raised?
ReplyDelete1. slow to react to pandemic
2. unlocking too soon & too quickly
3. devolving responsibility to others
4. making political capital out of the situation
5. handing out contracts without scrutiny
6. overambitious claims
7. manipulation &/or omission of key data
8. failure to share key data
9. dismissive of rises in cases &/or deaths
10. supportive of friends/family who disregard the rules/guidance
Sound familiar?
10 ‘Nightingale Courts’ unveiled
ReplyDeleteThe Lord Chancellor has today (19 July 2020) announced locations for 10 ‘Nightingale Courts’ which have been rapidly set up to tackle the impact of coronavirus on the justice system.
Published 19 July 2020
From:
HM Courts & Tribunals Service, Ministry of Justice, and The Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP
Photo of Cloth Hall Court, Leeds
Temporary courts to begin hearing cases from next week
Move will ease pressure on courts system and tackle the number of outstanding cases
Part of Government plan to ensure justice continues to be served throughout pandemic
Middlesbrough Town Hall, the Knights’ Chamber within the grounds of Peterborough Cathedral, and the Ministry of Justice’s headquarters in London are among the venues that will soon be in use.
The 10 sites will host the so-called Nightingale Courts with ongoing work to identify more potential locations. This will start to alleviate the pressure on courts and tribunals resulting from the pandemic – ensuring that the wheels of justice keep turning.
Spanning England and Wales, they will hear civil, family and tribunals work as well as non-custodial crime cases. The move will free up room in existing courts to hear other cases, including custodial jury trials, which require cells and secure dock facilities to keep the public, victims and witnesses safe.
A court set up in East Pallant House, Chichester, is expected to begin hearing an expanded list of cases next week, with all 10 locations up and running in August.
The move forms part of government plans to ensure courts recover from the coronavirus pandemic as soon as possible and to avoid any delays getting criminals behind bars.
The confirmed sites are:
Former county court at Telford, Shropshire
Hertfordshire Development Centre, Stevenage
Swansea Council Chambers, Swansea
Cloth Hall Court, Leeds
Middlesbrough Town Hall, Teesside
East Pallant House, Chichester
102 Petty France, London
Prospero House, London
Former magistrates’ court at Fleetwood, Lancashire
Knights’ Chamber and Visitor Centre, Bishop’s Palace, Peterborough Cathedral
Continued...
DeleteThe Lord Chancellor, Robert Buckland QC MP said:
Our action to keep the justice system running throughout the pandemic has been globally recognised, with these Nightingale Courts being the latest step in this effort.
They will help boost capacity across our courts and tribunals - reducing delays and delivering speedier justice for victims.
But we won’t stop there. Together with the judiciary, courts staff and legal sector, I am determined that we must pursue every available option to ensure our courts recover as quickly as possible.
In March 2020, almost half of all courts were closed and jury trials were paused to minimise social interaction between court users. Since then, court staff, legal professionals, and the judiciary have collaborated to prioritise cases and keep the justice system running throughout the lockdown – with up to 90% of all hearings using remote technology during the pandemic.
These actions have meant that, throughout the lockdown, domestic abuse victims could obtain protection orders, children could be safeguarded, and dangerous suspects dealt with.
Measures were put in place to safely resume jury trials in May 2020, and 54 Crown Courts will be hearing jury trials as of next week. More widely, almost all courts are now open to the public again – with over 300 operating this week.
Last week, the Lord Chancellor set out further measures which are being considered to help ease pressure on the courts system. These included opening courts for longer to increase the number of cases that can be heard safely on any given day, and continuing to use video technology to hear cases where appropriate. Additional potential Nightingale Courts sites are also being explored.
A major £142 million investment across the courts system has been announced to speed up technological improvements and modernise courtrooms.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/10-nightingale-courts-unveiled
Boris's 1st anniversary present to the nation?
Deletedaily uk govt covid-19 data sun 19 july 2020
ReplyDeletenew cases reported: 726
new deaths recorded: 27
cases for week ending 19 july - 4,998
deaths recorded w/ending 19 july - 481
Meanwhile...
"England's contact tracers have only reached about 50% of people who have been in close contact with someone with Covid-19 in an area of Lancashire where new cases are rising.
The figure was revealed by Prof Dominic Harrison, public health director of Blackburn with Darwen Council.
He warned of "exponential growth" of new infections if the system did not become more efficient.
A leaked report, seen by the Independent, suggested that fewer than half of contacts were reached in Oldham, St Helens, Manchester and Rochdale.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Broadcasting House programme, Prof Harrison said that Blackburn with Darwen in Lancashire, which he oversees, faces a "rising tide" of infections.
"The key issue here is that 40% of people who are infected by someone with Covid-19 who goes for tests because they have symptoms, will be infected by them before they have those symptoms," said Prof Harrison.
"So, there's a 48 hour window which is critical to get the contacts of the first case contacted, and if we don't get them contacted, and if they don't then get tested and self-isolated, and they then have symptoms, we do risk the spread progressing."
The NHS test and trace scheme is a crucial part of the government's plan for managing the spread of the virus.
It began on 1 June and Prime Minister Boris Johnson claimed it would be "world beating".
Prof Harrison said PHE had only begun sharing data about the postcode areas in which new infections were being registered on 29 June.
"That has made a great difference in three weeks for us in being able to identify what our local outbreak issue is," he said.
"Had we had that data much earlier in this pandemic, I think we could have made progress much more rapidly."
Ooops!!
Delete"Privacy campaigners say England's test and trace programme has broken a key data protection law.
The Department of Health has conceded the initiative to trace contacts of people infected with Covid-19 was launched without carrying out an assessment of its impact on privacy."