There does not have to be with the right checks and balances.....it is rare in the Nerherlands whereas in the UK if you are the neighbour of the health secretary's brother in law you get a £200 million PPE contract and still end up supplying sub-standard gear.

Thinskin

 

Is it rare or has it just not been exposed?

 

I think going to jail is a big disinsentive!

Thinskin

 

The European press view of Johnson!

https://www.theguardian.com/politic...how-europe-sees-boris-johnson-after-partygate

Thinskin

 

BoJo's quarantining and keeping a low profile due to contact with a positive covid case and surprise, surprise, MI5 has gone public on a Chinese agent today, no doubt to divert some attention from the partying train wreck!

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...-to-improperly-influence-politicians-says-mi5

Thinskin

 

Queen Strips Prince Andrew of All Military Titles and Patronages




Buckingham Palace announced Thursday that Queen Elizabeth has stripped her son Prince Andrew of all military titles and patronages and he will no longer be entitled to use His Royal Highness (HRH) as a form of address.

The action – effective immediately – means he is now forced to defend his sexual abuse case in a U.S. court as a “private citizen.” The civil case, brought by Virginia Giuffre, is due to move into a discovery phase soon where Andrew may have to sit for an interview under oath – known as a deposition.


The decision is understood to have been taken following wide discussions amongst the Royal Family.

It comes on the same day more than 150 UK military veterans wrote to Queen Elizabeth and asked her to strip Andrew of his honorary military titles.

Their demand follows his relationship with the late, disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, as Breitbart News reported.


A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “With The Queen’s approval and agreement, The Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen.

“The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen.”


A royal source told the Daily Telegraph all of the Duke’s roles have been handed back to the Queen with immediate effect for redistribution to other members of the Royal Family.


Britain’s Prince Andrew, Duke of York, salutes as he attends a ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Bruges on September 7, 2019 in Bruges. (NICOLAS MAETERLINCK/AFP via Getty Images)

The downgrading comes just 24-hours after Prince Andrew had his bid to get a civil case which alleges he sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre dismissed by a U.S. judge, as Breitbart News reported.

Andrew, who has not been charged with any criminal offences, has vehemently denied all the allegations against him.

This story is developing…

 

Note: You need to have James Bond music playing in your head while reading this article.....

MI5 Claims Chinese ‘Spy’ Successfully Managed to Infiltrate UK Parliament




The British security agency MI5 has claimed that a ‘spy’ for Communist China has managed to infiltrate the UK parliament.

A spy for Communist China has managed to infiltrate the UK parliament, according to claims made by domestic intelligence agency MI5.


As reported by the group, Christine Ching Kui Lee, who has reportedly been active in parliamentary circles, engaged in “the facilitation of financial donations to political parties, parliamentarians, aspiring parliamentarians and individuals seeking political office in the UK” in “covert co-ordination” with a department of the Chinese Communist Party.

“Lee has publicly stated that her activities are to represent the UK Chinese community and increase diversity,” read MI5’s “Security Service Interference Alert”, according to The Telegraph. “However the aforementioned activity has been undertaken in covert co-ordination with the UFWD, with funding provided by foreign nationals located in China and Hong Kong.”

The UFWD — or United Front Work Department — is responsible for carrying out influence operations for China in order to “co-opt and neutralize sources of potential opposition to the policies and authority of its ruling Chinese Communist Party”, according to the U.S. China Economic and Security Review Commission.


“We judge that the UFWD is seeking to covertly interfere in UK politics through establishing links with established and aspiring parliamentarians across the political spectrum,” the MI5 alert also stated. “The UFWD seeks to cultivate relationships with influential figures in order to ensure the UK political landscape is favourable to the CCP’s agenda and to challenge those that raise concerns about CCP activity, such as human rights.”

“Lee has been engaged in the facilitation of financial donations to political parties, parliamentarians, aspiring parliamentarians and individuals seeking political office in the UK, including facilitating donations to political entities on behalf of foreign nationals,” the alert continued.

The Telegraph also reports that Lee is listed as a donor to Labour MP and former Shadow Secretary of State for International Trade, Barry Gardiner.


A Document on the official website of the UK parliament lists “Christine Lee & Co” as a donor to the MP, with giving amounting to nearly £60,000 over two years.

According to a report by The Guardian, alerts like the one issued by the MI5 in relation to Lee are exceedingly rare, with no alert having ever been released before in relation to China, and only one ever in relation to Russia.

Speaking on the issue, UK Home Secretary Priti Patel said that while she knew people would be “deeply concerned” over the report, she said that there are “strong structures the United Kingdom has in place to identify foreign interference or any potential threats to our democracy”.

“Where necessary, proportionate action is always taken to mitigate these threats, thanks to our world-leading intelligence and security agencies,” Sky News reports Patel as saying.

https://twitter.com/BreitbartLondon...essfully-managed-to-infiltrate-uk-parliament/

China is of considerable interest to the UK’s intelligence apparatus, with one spy chief describing the rise of the communist regime as the UK’s “single greatest priority”.


“China is an authoritarian state, with different values from ours,” Moore said regarding the threat China posed.

However, while the idea of a Chinese spy in Westminster actually being uncovered is novel, it is not the first time that people close to elected officials have been accused of spying for foreign governments.

Katia Zatuliveter — an aide to former Liberal Democrats MP, Mike Hancock — was arrested in 2010 over allegations that she was a spy working for the Russian Government.

While it was later ruled that the aide was having an affair with Hancock, the UK’s Special Immigration Appeals Commission stated that there was not enough evidence to back up the espionage allegations and her deportation order was overturned.

Richard Moore, who serves as chief of Britain’s foreign security service, MI6, noted how the country was attempting to gain influence internationally using measures such as so-called “debt trap” tactics.

 

Sir Keir Starmer Branded ‘Hypocrite’ by Conservative Commentators Over his Own Covid Rules Breach



NATHANIEL CHARLES14 Jan 2022

Labour Party leader Keir Starmer has been branded a “hypocrite” by conservative commentators over his criticism of the UK government, as he too is alleged to have broken Covid restrictions.

Sir Keir Starmer, who became leader of the leftist Labour Party in April 2020, has been a staunch advocate of harsh coronavirus restrictions throughout the Chinese coronavirus pandemic and has previously labelled the easing of restrictions in Britain as “reckless“.


Starmer has also been a vocal critic of the Conservative government’s repeated lockdown violations, particularly the multiple potentially illegal parties at Number 10, branding them as “offensive” to the British public and calling Prime Minister Boris Johnson a “pathetic spectacle of a man”, as well as demanding Johnson’s resignation.

However, in light of Starmer’s pious behaviour over adhering to lockdown restrictions, he was himself caught allegedly breaking rules when Britain was in a partial lockdown after being photographed having a non-socially distanced beer with Labour members at a constituency office in Durham on the 30th April 2021. Coronavirus restrictions at the time allowed work meetings, but prohibited mixing indoors socially.

Labour, however, denied the allegations and claimed it was within the rules, The Sun reports.


The resurfacing of Starmer’s lockdown faux pas has prompted several prominent conservative figures and commentators to call out his double standards.

Speaking to Breitbart London Ben Harris-Quinney, the Chairman of Britain’s oldest conservative think tank, The Bow Group branded Starmer a “hypocrite”, and critiqued the Labour Party’s politics saying “on almost every area, apart from taxation bizarrely, the Labour Party is worse [than the Conservatives], or at least just as bad, and therefore in no position to criticise or offer an alternative”.


Harris-Quinney went on to lambast both the government and their opposition the Labour Party stating, “the worst thing about Britain today is you can look at the appalling behaviour and ideology of this government and think they have failed to deliver the patriotic conservative vision people voted for, and they’ve failed to behave in a manner befitting a government, but there is no credible Parliamentary opposition”.

“We have an entire generation of jokers, liars, incompetents and hypocrites filling the political class establishment stitch-up that is Parliament, and we need the political revolution that Brexit promised to clear the lot of them out,” he continued.

Darren Grimes, director of online conservative channel ‘Reasoned’ also criticised Starmer when speaking to Breitbart, by pointing out Starmer also circumvented “the rules on the prohibition of indoor mixing between different households through the workplace exemption”, and that Starmer was “photographed doing exactly the same thing” as Boris Johnson.


“I’m afraid when it comes to those who have consistently pushed for harder and faster draconian measures, they reap what they sow. If Boris is to be thrown to the wolves for his work gathering, so must Sir Keir”, he continued.

Richard Tice, the leader of British political party Reform UK and former MEP, highlighted his concerns to Breitbart over the recent discovery that Labour had received almost £700,000 in political donations from an alleged Chinese spy.

“While Boris is worried about Partygate, Keir must explain Chinese influence over the Labour Party and their MPs”, Tice said.

 

Hilarious!



Thinskin

 

The palace just cursed Lilibet by announcing the preps for her 70th celebration in late June/early July.
That sort of thing means the celebrant usually won't make it, just ask Betty White.

 

Apparently it was drinks every Friday!

No 10 bought booze fridge.



Thinskin

 

Here's another funny Russell!



Thinskin

 

Headlines!



Thinskin

 

Who paid for it? .When they put a business case for the order they probably said it was to keep there sandwiches fresh. That's a lot of sandwiches (I am ex civil service worker the fridges we had would take 6 bottles)Or was it a gift from a business wanting a contract?

 

Loving this guy.



Thinskin

 

Just seen this the fridge being delivered

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...-week-pandemic-Partygate-scandal-deepens.html

 

Farage Predicts ‘A Lot More’ Chinese Spies Will be Found in Westminster




Brexit leader Nigel Farage has warned that there are likely “a lot more” Chinese Communist spies operating in Westminster after it was revealed that an alleged Chinese spy had donated hundreds of thousands of pounds to left-wing politicians in Britain.

Concerns over Chinese espionage within Britain have been escalated this week after it was revealed that the UK’s secret service MI5 had warned the speaker of the House of Commons that Christine Lee, the founder of the British Chinese Project, is believed to be working clandestinely as a spy for Beijing.


It has been reported that Lee had given some £700,000 in political donations, the vast majority of which was directed to the Labour Party, in particular leftist Corbyn acolyte Barry Gardiner MP. The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Ed Davy, also received £5,000 from Ms Lee. Both politicians have denied that they have been influenced by the CCP.

Commenting on the spying scandal, Brexit’s Nigel Farage said that he was not surprised by the revelations, noting that the “British establishment have been sucking up to China for a long time.”

“If there’s one Chinese spy in parliament, you can bet your life there’s a lot more than that,” he said, going on to call for a “complete root and branch” investigation into Communist China’s connections to the British political class.


Mr Farage noted that political figures such as George Osborne — the former right-hand man of ex-Prime Minister David Cameron — had previously celebrated fostering a “golden era” between Britain and China during their time in office.

Mr Cameron, himself, has also faced criticism over his connections to China after he tried to establish a £1 billion investment fund for Greensill Capital with Chinese partners.


Cameron is not the only former PM to seek financial ties to China, with former Labour Party Prime Minister going on to serve as a liaison between Abu Dhabi and the “highest levels of the Communist Party and state-run corporations” in the Xinjiang region of China.

Blair also reportedly earned £237,000 — more than his entire yearly salary as PM — for a single speech delivered in the Chinese industrial city of Dongguan in 2007.

Nigel Farage went on to note that many in the civil service, politicians and business leaders have accepted high-profile positions with firms from China. For example, the former head of the BT Group (formerly British Telecom) Sir Michael Rake served on the board of controversial telecom Huawei from 2019 until 2021.

Other prominent British figures such as the former CEO of British Petroleum (BP) Lord John Browne, top civil servant Sir Andrew Cahn, and former chancellor of the University of Southampton, Dame Helen Alexander have all served in an advisory capacity to Huawei, which has been accused of being effectively state-owned.
On Saturday, the Daily Mail uncovered a Youtube video published by the UK Chinese Journal News account in 2015, in which the alleged Chinese spy revealed that she had lobbied 480 MPs on behalf of the “Chinese community” for the British Chinese Project.

“We were able to force our concerns to the Parliament directly,” she said.


Lee added that her law firm — which was the only firm in Britain allowed to operate in China — facilitated Chinese firms open up business ties in the UK as well as helping British businesses operate in China.

The paper went on to report that Ms Lee’s website, which has since been deleted, had described her as a legal advisor to the Chinese embassy in the UK.

On top of lobbying MPs for the “Chinese community”, Lee also reportedly campaigned for the pro-EU Remain movement during the 2016 Brexit referendum, raising questions over possible Chinese influence over the vote.

 

Facebook Facing $3.2 Billion Class Action Lawsuit over Treatment of UK Users



Drew Angerer /Getty
LUCAS NOLAN14 Jan 2022



Facebook (now called Meta) is facing a $3.2 billion lawsuit over the alleged exploitation of its UK users. One expert involved in the lawsuit said: “They are exploiting users by taking their personal data without properly compensating them for taking that data. I don’t think the users are entirely clear when they click on the terms and conditions how unfair that deal is.”

Engadget reports that Facebook (now Meta) is facing a major court case as a legal expert has begun work with a litigation firm to sue the company on behalf of 44 million Facebook users in the United Kingdom. The class-action lawsuit alleges that UK users had their data exploited in violation of competition laws.



(David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)


(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The lawsuit is seeking £2.3 billion ($3.2 billion) in damages for UK Facebook users. The suit was filed by Dr. Liza Lovdahl Gormsen who specialized in competition law. The law firm Innsworth which takes on cases in exchange for a share of damages won is funding the case.

The lawsuit alleges that although users do not pay to use Facebook, the information that they provide the social media platform with is valuable. Lovdahl Gormsen said in a statement: “They are exploiting users by taking their personal data without properly compensating them for taking that data. I don’t think the users are entirely clear when they click on the terms and conditions how unfair that deal is.


Gormsen added that Facebook has become “the sole social network in the UK where you could be sure to connect with friends and family in one place.” The lawsuit further notes that Facebook extensively tracks its user across the entire internet, via the Facebook Pixel which Breitbart News has previously reported on.

“It abused its market dominance to impose unfair terms and conditions on ordinary Britons giving it the power to exploit their personal data,” Lovdahl Gormsen stated.

The lawsuit is covering a period from October 2015 to December 31, 2019. The lawsuit is an “opt-out” class action lawsuit meaning that users will not need to provide any form of consent in order to receive damage from the case, unless they choose to opt-out.

A spokesperson for Facebook told the Guardian: “People access our service for free. They choose our services because we deliver value for them and they have meaningful control of what information they share on Meta’s platforms and who with. We have invested heavily to create tools that allow them to do so.”