The SNP leader, Ian Blackford, said he has written to the cabinet secretary demanding “full transparency about Owen Paterson’s lobbying, particularly relating to Covid-19 contracts involving huge sums of money”, while the Lib Dem chief whip, Wendy Chamberlain, called for “a full and thorough investigation by the standards commissioner” into the links between Paterson, Randox… Continue reading Dec 2021. Boris Johnson and Sleaze Part 7
Tag: Corruption
Dec 2021. Boris Johnson and Sleaze Part 6
The Observer has been told that before Owen Paterson resigned as an MP on Thursday, Conservative whips understood that the parliamentary commissioner for standards, Kathryn Stone, was seriously considering launching an investigation into the former Northern Ireland secretary’s lobbying of ministers since the pandemic began. She is also believed to be considering an inquiry into… Continue reading Dec 2021. Boris Johnson and Sleaze Part 6
Dec 2021. Boris Johnson and Sleaze Part 5
Paterson, who announced his resignation as an MP last week, was paid more than £8,000 a month for 16 hours’ consultancy work by Randox Laboratories, until he resigned from the role on Friday. Randox was awarded two Covid testing contracts last year worth nearly £480m without the normal competition. Government officials cited the urgency of… Continue reading Dec 2021. Boris Johnson and Sleaze Part 5
Dec 2021. Boris Johnson and Sleaze Part 4
Labour, the SNP, the Liberal Democrats and the Green party all switched their focus to the award of pandemic contracts, demanding investigations by the cabinet secretary, Simon Case, or the parliamentary commissioner for standards, Kathryn Stone, into Paterson’s contacts with ministers during the pandemic. https://vk.com/video677203037_456239239
Dec 2021. Boris Johnson and Sleaze Part 3
A new Opinion poll for the Observer shows ratings for Johnson and his party have slumped dramatically, with the prime minister’s personal approval figures hitting their lowest ever level. https://vk.com/video677203037_456239227
Boris Johnson and Sleaze Part 2
The crisis facing Boris Johnson also worsened after the former Tory prime minister, Sir John Major, described his successor’s attempts to block Paterson’s suspension from parliament last week for breaching paid advocacy rules as “shameful”. https://vk.com/video677203037_456239226
Dec 2021. Boris Johnson and Sleaze Part 1
The row over Tory sleaze reached new heights on Saturday night as MPs demanded details of any lobbying by Owen Paterson of government ministers on behalf of a company that won almost £500m of Covid-19 related contracts last year. https://vk.com/video677203037_456239214
Nov 2021. COP26 Part 6
The countries who have signed the deforestation pledge – including Canada, Brazil, Russia, China, Indonesia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the US and the UK – cover around 85% of the world’s forests. Some of the funding will go to developing countries to restore damaged land, tackle wildfires and support indigenous communities. Governments of… Continue reading Nov 2021. COP26 Part 6
Nov 2021. COP26 Part 5
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is hosting the global meeting in Glasgow, said “more leaders than ever before” – a total of 110 – had made the “landmark” deforestation commitment.”We have to stop the devastating loss of our forests,” he said – and “end the role of humanity as nature’s conqueror, and instead become… Continue reading Nov 2021. COP26 Part 5
Nov 2021. COP26 Part 4
More than 100 world leaders have promised to end and reverse deforestation by 2030, in the COP26 climate summit’s first major deal. Brazil – where stretches of the Amazon rainforest have been cut down – was among the signatories on Tuesday. The pledge includes almost £14bn ($19.2bn) of public and private funds. Experts welcomed the… Continue reading Nov 2021. COP26 Part 4