This morning The Telegraph reported that Conservative MP Sir Peter Viggers would stand down at the next election, at the request of David Cameron, having claimed over £30,000 in gardening-related expenses, including £1600.00 for a floating duck house. Some wags wondered whether it fell under the MPs’ second home category. Another Tory grandee, Michael Fallon, MP, overclaimed £8300.00 in mortgage [...]
Tag Archives: Jacqui Smith
No, Cameron, you can't have an election in our democracy – because you would win!
May 21, 2009 – 9:26 am
While the stench of corruption dissipates, like the fear of swine flu, because we’re all bored now and the Tories are just as culpable, there is a serious danger that Brown and his larcenous mates will get away with it. This vile jelly must be nailed to the wall. Let’s have an election – or [...]
Thus interprets the UK MP's expenses guidelines, for the (sole) benefit of honourable members
May 18, 2009 – 4:10 pm
All this “I stuck to the Rules” stuff delivered to camera by our alternately defiant or ashen faced betters in the Mother of Parliaments prompted me to take a look at the rules (the “Green Book”) of which we’ve heard so much. It’s less than gripping stuff but, as rule books go, it’s fairly clear [...]
Britain's corrupt politicians deserve a break – send them to prison
May 15, 2009 – 6:52 pm
Thus has steered clear of the Tsunami of revelations about abuse of UK MPs’ expenses and allowances, mainly because we predicted it several weeks ago:
“It beggars belief that the Secretary for Employment and Welfare Reform should be found to be either incompetent in his interpretation of Parliamentary allowances rules, or disingenous in their interpretation. [...]
What part of surveillance society don't you understand, Jacqui?
April 27, 2009 – 2:03 pm
It almost beggars belief that the UK government, rebuffed in its anti-democratic plans to use the EU Data Retention Directive as a cover to create a database of all communication between citizens, is ploughing the same sordid furrow, using public data from social networking sites to to create ‘profiles’ of potential subversives. We wrote about this [...]
Another plot foiled on fantasy island
April 22, 2009 – 9:45 am
Thus followers will not be surprised to hear of the release without charge of all the dastardly terrorists who were plotting to blow up Manchester’s Arndale Centre and other key installations over Easter. We predicted the outcome on April 10. Two of the Pakistani students were cleared more or less immediately and it was announced [...]
Did police brutality kill Ian Tomlinson and do we care?
April 11, 2009 – 6:23 pm
. . . . . The answers are yes and yes. It matters that we know and that the police and government know that we are not prepared to tolerate any more abuses of our lives and liberties. Avaaz.org, with whom Thus is not affiliated but thoroughly admires, have launched a petition, which I hope [...]
UK anti-terror chief resigns after literally losing the plot – four months too late
April 10, 2009 – 1:07 pm
Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick, Metropolitan Police anti-terror ’supremo’ ‘promptly’ resigned yesterday after he was photographed outside 10 Downing St clutching a top secret document listing UK Al Qaeda suspects atop a sheaf of papers. “YOU CAN’T QUIT QUICKER THAN A THICK QUICK QUITTER” screamed the Sun, referencing the cheery advertising slogan of KwikFit, a tyres [...]
Bob be Nimble, Bob be Quick. Resign from the enquiry now.
December 22, 2008 – 1:27 pm
Although THUS promised to stop wittering about the Damian Green arrest and various attempts to paint the Tories in the unlikely role of supporters of terrorism, yesterday’s ‘revelation’ that Bob Quick, Head of the Metropolitan Police Anti-Terrorist Unit, who is coincidentally leading the investigation into the Home Office leaks which resulted in the arrest of [...]
Loss of Phorm at adware company – and we can't wait for those ID cards, allegedly
December 19, 2008 – 7:27 pm
ZD Net reported that Delaware-registered adware company Phorm (THUS passim) has lost its UK CEO, Hugo Drayton, who leaves the company ‘by mutual agreement’ at the end of December. Lyn Millar, Finance Director has also resigned. They have been replaced by London-based deputy chief executive officer Nan Richards, and UK managing director Nick Barnett. Richards [...]