chrisp65 Posted February 24, 2022 Share Posted February 24, 2022 3 minutes ago, HanoiVillan said: I don't have access so I can't read the story, and so I have no idea if this is actually something he is involved in or just a fund (one of presumably many) run by his firm. But an investment firm is likely to have lots of different types of fund, and I don't really think there's anything inherently wrong with investing in Russian (or Chinese or wherever) assets, or at least there wasn't when the firm stopped a month and a half ago. The calculation has changed today, not just in that the assets are hugely devalued but also that they are now under sanctions, so a decision has been made that they are a fair target for retaliation so yeah, probably shouldn't invest now. I guess what I'm coming to is that if this story was that Sberbank would have been under sanctions before today, but wasn't because Rees-Mogg was lobbying for them not to be because his firm had a position in their shares, then that would be a scandal. A big scandal, one that he should have to resign over. But - without being able to read the story, but going from the tenor of the discusson - that presumably isn't the case. On a quick google, there’s a 4 year old Guardian article criticising his firm’s investment holding in the Russian Bank as there were already EU sanctions on them back then. He’s not an average punter. He’s a tory MP and more recently a government minister. He’s had involvement in this investment going back years and they haven’t turned in to the bad guys in the last 48 hours. I’m no expert, I’m just someone thinking that if I was an integral part of the government of my country, I’d like to think I wasn’t investing in the enemy. Quote Rees-Mogg criticised over firm's Russian bank investment 2018 Guarniad article Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted February 24, 2022 Share Posted February 24, 2022 4 minutes ago, chrisp65 said: On a quick google, there’s a 4 year old Guardian article criticising his firm’s investment holding in the Russian Bank as there were already EU sanctions on them back then. He’s not an average punter. He’s a tory MP and more recently a government minister. He’s had involvement in this investment going back years and they haven’t turned in to the bad guys in the last 48 hours. I’m no expert, I’m just someone thinking that if I was an integral part of the government of my country, I’d like to think I wasn’t investing in the enemy. 2018 Guarniad article That article seems to suggest he favoured tightening sanctions on Sberbank *despite* the firm's investment. Bottom line, I don't think his behaviour here is scandalous; if there is a problem, it's that MPs are allowed second jobs and that in having those jobs, a conflict between your role in government and what your employer is doing can arise. But anyway, I've spent too much time defending the guy already, he's a Representative for Wellingborough so I'm not gonna complain if people are mad at him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Follyfoot Posted February 25, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted February 25, 2022 Credit where credit is due, Boris is showing more metal then almost all of the western leaders Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted February 25, 2022 Share Posted February 25, 2022 5 minutes ago, Follyfoot said: Credit where credit is due, Boris is showing more metal then almost all of the western leaders I see we’ve stopped processing visas from the Ukraine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ml1dch Posted February 25, 2022 Share Posted February 25, 2022 24 minutes ago, Follyfoot said: Credit where credit is due, Boris is showing more metal then almost all of the western leaders Oh? In what way is that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bannedfromHandV Posted February 25, 2022 Share Posted February 25, 2022 I’ve long ridiculed Bozo and likely will continue to do so in the future but I can at least admit that he’s doing a half decent job of pretending to be an elder statesman in the past few days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post DCJonah Posted February 25, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted February 25, 2022 Surely the way he's acting is the bare minimum required. It's only worthy of praise because he's such a **** up 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post markavfc40 Posted February 26, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted February 26, 2022 Shows how low expectations of what leadership looks like have dropped for some that a self serving, known liar whose words you wouldn't trust as soon as they leave his lips acts (and it is all an act) vaugely statesmanlike and is lauded for it. 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Xann Posted February 26, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted February 26, 2022 The lying prick played his part nicely for Putin in the long build up to this aggression. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markavfc40 Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post chrisp65 Posted February 26, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted February 26, 2022 Yeah, I think anyone thinking Johnson is performing well with regard to Russia is studying a very very small piece of the canvass. Nice speech. Shame about the decade of Russian money buying influence and policy and seats in parliament. The clown prince of pricks gets a chance to dress up as Churchill, he will be loving it, but he’s still a sexually incontinent binbag of lying Russian funded custard. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bannedfromHandV Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 11 minutes ago, chrisp65 said: Yeah, I think anyone thinking Johnson is performing well with regard to Russia is studying a very very small piece of the canvass. Nice speech. Shame about the decade of Russian money buying influence and policy and seats in parliament. The clown prince of pricks gets a chance to dress up as Churchill, he will be loving it, but he’s still a sexually incontinent binbag of lying Russian funded custard. None of what’s happening now negates what’s gone on before, nor will it negate anything that happens in the future but being so entrenched in one ‘side’ that you cannot accept that even bad people can occasionally do good things is not a healthy position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post chrisp65 Posted February 26, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted February 26, 2022 32 minutes ago, bannedfromHandV said: None of what’s happening now negates what’s gone on before, nor will it negate anything that happens in the future but being so entrenched in one ‘side’ that you cannot accept that even bad people can occasionally do good things is not a healthy position. I did actually say it was a nice speech. I’m also at ease with my assertion the guy is a bully and a liar and an opportunist that dances for oligarch’s money. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 For anyone thinking I’m blinkered and negative about Johnson and his government, we are at least finally being tougher on immigration. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 Nice speech though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted February 26, 2022 Author Moderator Share Posted February 26, 2022 9 hours ago, bannedfromHandV said: None of what’s happening now negates what’s gone on before, nor will it negate anything that happens in the future but being so entrenched in one ‘side’ that you cannot accept that even bad people can occasionally do good things is not a healthy position. Not speaking for Chris, but it’s not that, to my reading. Bunter has a record as long as your arm of lying, being sacked for lying, conspiring to have journo beaten up, cheating, infidelity, more lying, unlawful conduct, duplicity, disloyalty and more. it’s not being entrenched in one side, it’s knowing for absolute certain that he’s personally a word removed. He did an ok job, spoke well. Still a word removed, mind 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 (edited) 34 minutes ago, chrisp65 said: Nice speech though. Yep, here's one: I imagine that British farmers will be looking for a lot of 'seasonal' labour on [checks notes] the 26th of February. Like if people just don't want to allow Ukrainian refugees into the country for whatever reason I think that's a load of toss and I cannot respect it, but at least they're coming out and saying it. But 'how about you fill in a seasonal worker application' is beneath contempt. EDIT: He seems to have deleted the tweet, which for reference said, in response to Luke Pollard MP, 'Hi Luke, As you will be well aware there are a number of routes, not least our seasonal worker scheme you will recall from your Shadow DEFRA days, which Ukrainians can qualify for, alongside the family route for those with relatives here.' Edited February 26, 2022 by HanoiVillan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bannedfromHandV Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 1 minute ago, blandy said: Not speaking for Chris, but it’s not that, to my reading. Bunter has a record as long as your arm of lying, being sacked for lying, conspiring to have journo beaten up, cheating, infidelity, more lying, unlawful conduct, duplicity, disloyalty and more. it’s not being entrenched in one side, it’s knowing for absolute certain that he’s personally a word removed. He did an ok job, spoke well. Still a word removed, mind I’m not disputing that, as I said, nothing he does now will negate what’s gone on and I have been and will continue to be a fierce critic of his for all the reasons you list and more. But if he gets something right, even if it’s just delivering a speech and appearing to be authentic, I’ll commend it as such. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted February 26, 2022 Share Posted February 26, 2022 I see the tory MP for Torbay has now deleted his tweet suggesting Ukrainians could apply for fruit picking visas. Probs for the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCJonah Posted February 27, 2022 Share Posted February 27, 2022 2 hours ago, bannedfromHandV said: I’m not disputing that, as I said, nothing he does now will negate what’s gone on and I have been and will continue to be a fierce critic of his for all the reasons you list and more. But if he gets something right, even if it’s just delivering a speech and appearing to be authentic, I’ll commend it as such. Why? If someone is as corrupt and awful as he's been, why would one decent action deserve to be commended? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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