Bolitics The New Condem Government

[drat01]

Interesting how Cameron, Hague and Osborne have become the incredible invisible trio while a major Gvmt policy that they pushed and endorsed is forced through, leaving the cuckold Clegg and his buddy Cable to take the flack. Where is Gove?

The LibDems have been shafted and their leadership are left trying to justify the betrayal of their party and those that voted for them and the rest of the country. Shame on so many people

[bcarpet]

Interesting how Cameron, Hague and Osborne have become the incredible invisible trio while a major Gvmt policy that they pushed and endorsed is forced through, leaving the cuckold Clegg and his buddy Cable to take the flack. Where is Gove?

The LibDems have been shafted and their leadership are left trying to justify the betrayal of their party and those that voted for them and the rest of the country. Shame on so many people

but they have betrayed their party and those who voted for them. so why shouldn't they have to justify it?

[chrisp65]

In fairness to the tories, they didn't have their photo's taken signing individual personal pledges not to do something .....then go and do it. That's why the heat is off cameron & hague et al.

Strangely, one bi election is having to be re run due to a charge of telling fibs in canvassing literature that may have influenced people to vote Labour. I know there is a 'coalition' defence here, but frankly, they lied got into power and pissed on people.

Perversley, I actually think this whole thing is at least making people look into the whole uni thing, the need for it, the desired outcomes, it's value to the individual and society.

[drat01]

Just watching QT and boy have the coalition party - and sorry they are one party now as they are showing on that - chosen a pair of people who really are not doing a good job at explaining let alone defending this set of god awful polices. Liam Fox is a man who is looking shit scared about questions on cuts and the LibDem bloke is just completely lost.

The whole EMA thing is being attempted to be swept under the carpet, also the massive cuts (up to 80%). This is a nasty set of policies that this Gvmt have introduced today, again built on ideology and a vindictiveness towards certain groups

[tonyh29]

All politicians lie I think whatshisname told lies about his opponent rather than policy lies

The libs will argue they have had a rethink on the policy , when U-turn Brown as he was known changed his mind on policy the Villatalk left couldn't praise him quickly enough... Makes you think doesn't it

[Jon]

The libs will argue they have had a rethink on the policy

Those pricks can argue what they want. They're finished. They've just rodgered up the arse the vote they coveted. They're dead.

Apart from thise who voted against. They may have saveed themselves.

[snowychap]

Bloody hell. This Week is scraping the barrel with Heather Mills.

[drat01]

All politicians lie I think whatshisname told lies about his opponent rather than policy lies

The libs will argue they have had a rethink on the policy , when U-turn Brown as he was known changed his mind on policy the Villatalk left couldn't praise him quickly enough... Makes you think doesn't it

Tony nice try at deflection again there sir. The Libs changed their minds, or were told what to think, within minutes of taking up the chairs in Downing Street. Little or no real thought as to what they were signing up for.

Politicians do change their mind, but not typically on things that have been a cornerstone of their policies for many years and something that they have given personal pledges on. Clegg and Cable have sold the lib dems out to the Tory party policies something they keep claiming they wont do. UK politics became a two party game again

Just for you mate I could not help think of VT when I saw this

[drat01]

Interesting how the Coulson appearance in court was not mentioned by any of Murdoch's outlets?

[TrentVilla]

The libs will argue they have had a rethink on the policy

Those pricks can argue what they want. They're finished. They've just rodgered up the arse the vote they coveted. They're dead.

Apart from thise who voted against. They may have saveed themselves.

Agreed Jon they are finished as a party after this there is nowhere left for them to go, they can no longer play the party of principles card.

Interesting that those Lib's who voted in favour of the policy were sitting on the front bench and have jobs in the new government and those who voted against it are the ones sitting further back.

Funny how quickly principles and beliefs go out the window for wealth and power.

[Awol]

Interesting how the Coulson appearance in court was not mentioned by any of Murdoch's outlets?

Maybe because he was only there as a witness? Of course if you phrase it as you have above people could be misled into thinking he was in the dock himself, but that would of course be untrue.

[drat01]

Jon defending Coulson - now I have seen it all.

[tonyh29]

Jon defending Coulson - now I have seen it all.

I thought it was innocent until proven guilty in this country ?

PS

The cartoon might have to become my avatar :-)

[Awol]

Jon defending Coulson - now I have seen it all.

Not defending anyone - he's a twunt - just expanding on your misleading post with factual information.

[drat01]

Honestly you chaps and how you have changed your principles now the Tory party are in number 10 :-) - How it was misleading I have not got a clue as you will see below Coulson was in court - end of really

As for the Coulson thing a good summary of his day in court yesterday from the Indy

Sheridan on trial – but it's Coulson in the dock

Jonathan Brown sees former News of the World editor defend himself against accusations of complicity in phone-hacking

Shortly after 2.30pm yesterday it was the turn of defence witness 21 to swear the oath at Glasgow High Court in the perjury trail of Tommy Sheridan.

After a morning spent embroiled in the minutiae of the internal procedures of the executive committee of the Scottish Socialist Party, for the jury, the packed press benches and dozens of members of the public who have sat through all 38 days of evidence so far, there emerged into the witness stand a visitor from the lofty world of Westminster power politics.

Dressed in a grey suit and navy blue tie, Andrew Edward Coulson, 42, was asked twice to confirm his position as director of communications at Downing Street. Over the next 45 minutes he faced a volley of questions from the former socialist firebrand who is representing himself in the proceedings.

The Prime Minister's key aide was asked to explain his relationship with proprietor Rupert Murdoch and then deny allegations that he was a bully who oversaw a culture of criminality and phone-tapping whilst editor of the News of the World. In a series of exchanges which required repeated intervention from the trial judge, Lord Bracadale, Mr Coulson was quizzed over his decision to stand down from the newspaper after the conviction of royal editor Clive Goodman, who was jailed along with private investigator Glenn Mulcaire in 2007 for phone hacking members of the royal household and other celebrities.

Mr Coulson said he only became aware of Mulcaire after he was arrested. "I didn't know him as an individual, never dealt with him, never emailed him, didn't know his name," he said. But Mr Coulson said Mulcaire's company, Nine Consultancy, was retained by the newspaper as a "legitimate contractor" and agreed that it had been receiving "around £105,000" in payments while he was editor.

In the first of two days of evidence, he described his current job at Downing Street as "overseeing all communication functions – press, broadcast and events" confirming that he was accountable to the Prime Minister. He added: "I'm not sure I would describe it as powerful but it is important."

Asked what sort of boss he was while at the News of the World, Mr Coulson denied that he "micromanaged" the operation at the red-top, instead allowing department heads to make decisions over "contractors".

"I like to think I was reasonably professional and did my job competently," he said. Asked if he created a "regime of fear" at the newspaper, Mr Coulson answered: "Certainly not." Asked by Mr Sheridan if he printed lies in his newspaper, he again replied: "Certainly not."

Mr Coulson was also challenged over an employment tribunal in which the sports reporter Matt Driscoll was awarded £800,000 – a sum the former editor described as "astonishing". He said: "I am not a bully. I was not a bully." Mr Coulson was editor of the News of the World between 2003 and 2007, during which time the Scottish edition of the paper alleged that Mr Sheridan had visited a sex club and committed adultery. The former Celebrity Big Brother contestant successfully sued the newspaper in 2006, winning £200,000 in damages, but he and his wife, Gail, were later arrested after a police investigation and charged with lying under oath at the defamation trial. Both the Sheridans deny the charges.

Mr Coulson said that during his time in charge of the paper he reported to News International chief executive Les Hinton, but that he spoke regularly to proprietor Rupert Murdoch. Asked what kind of relationship he had with Mr Murdoch, he said: "I was his employee. I was one of his editors. I spoke to him from time to time, mostly about politics."

Asked by Mr Sheridan whether Mr Murdoch "had been expecting anything" when he got the job at Downing Street, Mr Coulson replied: "Certainly not." Mr Sheridan added that Mr Murdoch was one of the first visitors to Downing Street after the last election, to which the judge said: "I don't see the relevance of this at all. Move on." Mr Coulson was also questioned over evidence he gave to a House of Commons select committee inquiry in 2009 into phone hacking, which, Mr Sheridan said, concluded that the News of the World "at best turned a blind eye to illegal activities such as phone hacking and blagging and at worst actively condoned them".

The Downing Street aide replied: "I don't accept there was a culture of phone hacking at the News of the World. There was a very unfortunate case – this is to put it mildly – involving Clive Goodman. No one was more sorry than me. That was why I resigned." He said instructions to News of the World reporters were clear: "To work within the law and the PCC code of conduct. It was in their (staff) handbook."

He agreed with Mr Sheridan that he had faced several calls for his resignation. "Most of those calls... have come from the Labour Party or newspapers which have a degree of support for the Labour Party," he said.

The trial continues.

How Cameron can allow him to continue in his role in beyond me with so many allegations against the man. Why not give him the old political sabbatical so if he is so innocent he can nail these allegations once and for all

[Awol]

Ian he was a witness in a court case not on trial himself, "End of". If you are not trying to imply that he is the criminal then how is it news?

[drat01]

Jon - who has said he was on trial? - How is this news? Jon I appreciate any comment about members of the Tory party don;t fit easily with you, but the fact that this is a man who is very close to Cameron, and is often talked about for his part in a very serious offence is news. The fact that the non-Murdoch newspapers think its news sort of backs that up. The fact that Coulson has access to the very core of Gvmt makes it news.

[Awol]

I appreciate you are determined to make something out of nothing Ian, sorry for disturbing you.

[Risso]

Government introduces anti tax-avoidance legislation

This will hit the rich, and completely leave the poor untouched.

Drat should be well pleased!

Horse, Bolted, Door, Shut is some different order

If they could look at these retrospectively then we are at least progressing.

Tony it's not "my" party ................... and you can cry if you want to :-)

The horse hasn't bolted, unless they've scrapped income tax and not told anybody about it.

[Awol]

One more, just to put this to bed:

Andy Coulson phone-hacking investigation to be dropped

The Daily Telegraph can disclose that detectives are to be formally advised by the Crown Prosecution Service that Mr Coulson and other former and current employees of the tabloid newspaper have no criminal case to answer.

Scotland Yard is expected to announce within days that the investigation has been closed.

Next up, the CPS are all Bullingdon boys and involved in a vast right wing conspiracy...