Brexit, for once some facts.

[oyster]

What a shock!

Things are coming out that might once have remained hidden. This is an interesting bit about Zahawi.

Inland Revenue experts are investigating the tax affairs of new chancellor and Tory leadership hopeful Nadhim Zahawi, The Independent can reveal.

HMRC became involved after a secret inquiry was initially launched into Mr Zahawi’s finances by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in 2020. The Independent has also established that officers from the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigated the chancellor’s financial affairs.

The probe was then passed to HMRC, which falls under the control of the Treasury – the department that Mr Zahawi now runs. A senior Whitehall source confirmed that the tax investigation is currently “unresolved”.

It can also be revealed that Boris Johnson, home secretary Priti Patel and the Cabinet Office were all informed of the investigations.

Lots more to read:

Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi’s tax affairs under investigation by HMRC

Exclusive: Revelation comes as Mr Zahawi launches bid to succeed Boris Johnson as prime minister

www.independent.co.uk

 

[oyster]

Johnson is leaving a fine legacy:

The City Hall affair/attempt to get a job issue.
The Lebedev issue.
The trash Sunak issue.

And, I'm sure, plenty more about his time as PM.

 

[jonathan.agnew]

What a shock!

Things are coming out that might once have remained hidden. This is an interesting bit about Zahawi.

Inland Revenue experts are investigating the tax affairs of new chancellor and Tory leadership hopeful Nadhim Zahawi, The Independent can reveal.

HMRC became involved after a secret inquiry was initially launched into Mr Zahawi’s finances by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in 2020. The Independent has also established that officers from the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigated the chancellor’s financial affairs.

The probe was then passed to HMRC, which falls under the control of the Treasury – the department that Mr Zahawi now runs. A senior Whitehall source confirmed that the tax investigation is currently “unresolved”.

It can also be revealed that Boris Johnson, home secretary Priti Patel and the Cabinet Office were all informed of the investigations.

Lots more to read:

Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi’s tax affairs under investigation by HMRC

Exclusive: Revelation comes as Mr Zahawi launches bid to succeed Boris Johnson as prime minister

www.independent.co.uk

Odd, this nuclear bombshell (that would have dwarved many of boris' previous faux pas if he survived) is quite well buried in the news. It cannot be deliberate anymore, so one must assume that the electorate just doesn't give a damn anymore.

 

[flecc]

one must assume that the electorate just doesn't give a damn anymore.

Of course they don't care, from many decades ago they've recognised it as "business as normal".

True of me too, which is why I mocked all the fuss about partygate, seeing it as what it really was, totally unimportant.
.

 

[jonathan.agnew]

Of course they don't care, from many decades ago they've recognised it as "business as normal".

True of me too, which is why I mocked all the fuss about partygate, seeing it as what it really was, totally unimportant.
.

To a point, with partygate, I agree. although I haven't quite been blighted enough by experience to think integrity don't matter in politics at all. Or that partygate wasn't the tip of a much bigger uglier slushberg. Appointing a chancellor that's being investigated for financial/tax affairs is another matter. It brings to mind greencard sunak torpedoing the economy with the misspent billions during the pandemic, doing significant damage to the fiscus.

 

[Woosh]

Of course they don't care, from many decades ago they've recognised it as "business as normal".

True of me too, which is why I mocked all the fuss about partygate, seeing it as what it really was, totally unimportant.
.

Party gate has trapped the greased piglet the way that other scandals did not.

 

[flecc]

Party gate has trapped the greased piglet the way that other scandals did not.

Thus confirming what the public has already shown us by electing Johnson. That they are very dumb to think partygate mattered at all.
.

 

[Woosh]

Thus confirming what the public has already shown us by electing Johnson. That they are very dumb to think partygate mattered at all.
.

I think the candidates will reveal what else we did not know.
Already they all confirmed that the increase in national insurance was a mistake. Did BJ push for it? or others will blame Sunak for it?

 

[jonathan.agnew]

I think the candidates will reveal what else we did not know.
Already they all confirmed that the increase in national insurance was a mistake. Did BJ push for it? or others will blame Sunak for it?

An enlightening interview with a young sunak

Young Rishi Sunak says he has ‘no working class friends’ in unearthed clip

'I am very lucky to have been at these places, it does put me in an elite in society.'

metro.co.uk

 

[Woosh]

An enlightening interview with a young sunak

so he has pushy Asian parents and they succeeded.
Every other candidate promises big and permanent tax cuts, especially CT, and from day one. What is the logic in that when inflation runs at 10%? I watched Sajid Javid and Hunt on BBC1 yesterday. There is hardly any difference between them on policies: keep Rwanda program, make brexit work (without mentioning the EU) by deregulation. Basically, turn this country into the paradise for cowboys. Sunak has at least keeps his mounth shut. It's better than his competitors.

 

[flecc]

so he has pushy Asian parents and they succeeded.
Every other candidate promises big and permanent tax cuts, especially CT, and from day one. What is the logic in that when inflation runs at 10%? I watched Sajid Javid and Hunt on BBC1 yesterday. There is hardly any difference between them on policies: keep Rwanda program, make brexit work (without mentioning the EU) by deregulation. Basically, turn this country into the paradise for cowboys. Sunak has at least keeps his mounth shut. It's better than his competitors.

Indeed, Sunak is my choice out of the present bunch.

His hard working parents gave him the opportunity, he seized it and made a huge success of that opportunity. A go-getter.

That's a pretty good formula for someone wishing to lead a country.
.

 

[Woosh]

I wonder if any of the candidates dares to mention the EU. Yet, that's a pretty low hanging fruit. We only have to mend the fences with the EU and we'll encourage much more foreign inward investment than cutting CT.
Present bunch of candidates believe in fairies, foreigners keep pouring their cash into our treasury bonds forever.

 

[Danidl]

An enlightening interview with a young sunak

Young Rishi Sunak says he has ‘no working class friends’ in unearthed clip

'I am very lucky to have been at these places, it does put me in an elite in society.'

metro.co.uk

So a 19 year old wealthy lad does not have a great idea of how the world works?. Thats news?. Now 20 years ago the point he was making was someone with his skin colour could go far. Paki bashing was a spectator sport. 20 years ago , woman's football was a joke .. eg" Bend it like Beckham", , there were plenty of jokes about making a solar powered torch ..all stuff like that.

 

[Danidl]

I wonder if any of the candidates dares to mention the EU. Yet, that's a pretty low hanging fruit. We only have to mend the fences with the EU and we'll encourage much more foreign inward investment than cutting CT.
Present bunch of candidates believe in fairies, foreigners keep pouring their cash into our treasury bonds forever.

My suspicion is that Hunt has that in his back pocket, but dare not mention its name. You cannot effect change without being elected, and this is a very elite electorate. The only advantage he has going for himself is that he is not tarred with the Boris brush.

 

[oldgroaner]

Indeed, Sunak is my choice out of the present bunch.

His hard working parents gave him the opportunity, he seized it and made a huge success of that opportunity. A go-getter.

That's a pretty good formula for someone wishing to lead a country.
.

Really? not in a million years.

 

[jonathan.agnew]

Really? not in a million years.

I think we can all agree that Boris is a wonderful example of a self made man. And that £46k/pupil/year winchester public college is all about solid working class values. And not at all about making the right connections. Seriously, and I know this will go against the grain for indulged retirees, my only gripe with sunak is that he is increasingly placing an unbearable tax burden on the economically active part of society instead of the massive, static unproductive wealth increasingly stuck in say property

 

[Woosh]

Zahawi: "I believe cutting taxes isn't a fairytale but rather a critical step to tackle the cost-of-living crisis."
If that is also what the population at large believes in, then no wonder we have the same tory government again and again.
Repeated tax cuts is what makes the rich richer, the poor poorer because it lessens the burden of those who have a larger tax bill.

 

[oyster]

The i has an amazingly informative front page headline for tomorrow:

Eight Tories in today’s vote to become PM, as Sunak leads

It informs us how incredibly stupid they think we are! It would have been interesting, informative (and unbelievable) if they were Labour, LibDems, or SNPs!

 

[oyster]

I suspect the would-be tory leaders will not be pleased to read this headline:

Number of UK Covid deaths passes 200,000, ONS data shows
Figures show Britain has one of the highest death tolls in Europe, with 2,652 deaths per million people

Even if they are trying to draw a line between themselves and those who had party/government posts.

And nicely timed for PMQs.

 

[Woosh]

I suspect the would-be tory leaders will not be pleased to read this headline:

Number of UK Covid deaths passes 200,000, ONS data shows
Figures show Britain has one of the highest death tolls in Europe, with 2,652 deaths per million people

Even if they are trying to draw a line between themselves and those who had party/government posts.

And nicely timed for PMQs.

they'll blame Boris and Hancock for that.
They have already denounced Sunak's economic record as chancellor, cancelled net zero plan, attacked green levy on energy bills etc.. so I expect there will be more to come.
One thing though, I am a bit surprised that Hunt paired with McVey. Did he try to morph into a avid brexiteer? In that case, I write off his chances and reckon when he's knocked out, his supporters would support Penny Mordaunt who is much more balanced than the other 7.