stormymonday_2011 Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 (edited) Video secretly filmed by the Sunday Times newspaper shows Conservative Party co-treasurer Peter Cruddas apparently offering access to the prime minister and chancellor for £250,000. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17502928 Maybe if you stump up £500,000 they will do something really dirty for your pleasure. I wonder what a full floor show would cost ? On edit - it looks like Cruddas is already a goner http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/9165391/Tory-co-treasurer-Peter-Cruddas-set-to-quit-over-cash-for-access-claim.html Edited March 24, 2012 by stormymonday_2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybong Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 "£250 grand is premier league". For £250 grand I'd want more than premier league. Premier league is dross. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecrashingisles Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 I fail to see the problem in that video. It seems reasonable that a big party donor should get to meet the leader. This is hardly 'straight kind of guy' Blair changing laws for Bernie Ecclestone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormymonday_2011 Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 (edited) I fail to see the problem in that video. It seems reasonable that a big party donor should get to meet the leader. This is hardly 'straight kind of guy' Blair changing laws for Bernie Ecclestone. No one stumps up £250, 000 without expecting something in return whether it be for Labour, the Liberal Democrats or Conservatives. It is just high class whoring. With Tony Blair if the bung to the Labour Party was big enough he might go 'all the way' to tinkering with the law. Edited March 25, 2012 by stormymonday_2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormymonday_2011 Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 (edited) Both the good ole Beeb and Murdoch's paper made this top news for their own reasons. When beeboid says 'and Labour is criticised for being too close to the unions' , I almost shouted at the TV 'what about Ecclestone, Branson, Goodwin etc etc etc'? T*ssers. No doubt about the fact that this is Murdoch payback. However. the Telegraph clearly think it is bad news for the Conservatives and they certainly dont have an axe to grind like the Murdoch papers or the BBC., You have to wonder about the stupidity of political parties not seeing what might be coming down the tracks and being a bit more discreet about fund raising . Instead they blithely continue turning Ministers of the Crown into tarts who will whip their knickers off for a quick one if the price is right. I do agree that Blair was even more shameless but this is not really an issue with any particular party but more a reflection of the rotten state of British politics as a whole. Everything is for sale. These people have no shame and no class Edited March 25, 2012 by stormymonday_2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Bart' Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 and they certainly dont have an axe to grind The Telegraph is anti-coalition IMO. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7mLBMNKQF8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blod Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 (edited) Our Political classes, and that is from all corners of the House, are more than happy to sell their favours. Ultimately their aim is to gain direct access to the public purse. They abhor true Party politics where the grass roots dictate the party's direction and can ensure that a Party reflects a large section of the public's political views. Cynically talking to the masses is beneath them. The discussions earlier this year regarding allowing some direct funding from the treasury was met with a very negative attitude from the public. Sadly it is only time before they get their thieving fingers on public money directly. There should be strict limits on the size of donations and a demand that their funding is provided via a true Party structure where the Party's majority determine it direction. Edit added. Just seen the Beebs take on this. They make absolutely no attempt to hide their left wing bias. Time they were either completely privately funded and or totally transparent so we can know how much their staff are troughing. :angry: Edited March 25, 2012 by Blod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormymonday_2011 Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 (edited) The Telegraph is anti-coalition IMO. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7mLBMNKQF8 They are not very keen on the deal with the Lib Dems but this is still the Tory Party's 'House' newspaper and is read by many of its grass roots activists. Peter Osborne wrote the books 'The Rise of Political Lying' and the 'Triumph of the Political Class' attacking Nu Labour but he can at least be said to be consistent on the issue. Anyway it is academic now since Cruddas is aleady gone., ditched in a damage limitation exercise. This is another body blow to Tory local Councillors preparing for May's local elections (and I am on speaking terms with fair few in my locality) who are already depressed by the cack handed way the budget was presented. They are all deperately hoping that the Lib Dems will take the bullet first for amny unpopular measures and that the Labour party will make their usual lash up of things when presented with an open goal. Edited March 25, 2012 by stormymonday_2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmarks Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 (edited) No one stumps up £250, 000 without expecting something in return whether it be for Labour, the Liberal Democrats or Conservatives. It is just high class whoring. With Tony Blair if the bung to the Labour Party was big enough he might go 'all the way' to tinkering with the law. Quite right. It's corruption pure and simple; perverting the course of democracy. In this country, the electorate gives the government a mandate through the ballot box to enact the policies laid out in their manifesto. At least that's what we're meant to be believe, but Cruddas was soliciting bribes and that makes it Plutocracy. This is far worse than any individual MP fiddling their expenses. No party is immune to these charges and that's why it's high time party funding is sorted out. Personally I think its time to end party politics altogether. There are far more intelligent democratic solutions available. It's just that our politicians don't want to know because they'll be out of a job. Edited March 25, 2012 by nmarks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPin Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Pimping is not new! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingBingo Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Is this an actual story? its always been the case big donors expect to meet the party leader, in all 3 parties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olebrum Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Corruption in politics, not much surprise here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonfly Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Is this an actual story? its always been the case big donors expect to meet the party leader, in all 3 parties. This is a very big story. Number 10 according to Cruddas being used as a House of Bribery. Holier-than-thou Camera-on, obviously unaware (my ****) and suitably disgusted ( yeah we know Dave). He is the PM, he is the figure head of the Conservative Party, he laid out his stance over MP's expenses, he should resign immediately. Did Glaxo whisper in Osborne's ear at Restaurant George with regard to their statement the day after the Budget? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Democorruptcy Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 They had a bloke on the news from a lobbying group saying that there should be statutory lobbying groups. He said "bring it on". What would a TV advertisement for a lobby group look like? How would they sell their business to prospective clients? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybong Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 (edited) They had a bloke on the news from a lobbying group saying that there should be statutory lobbying groups. He said "bring it on". What would a TV advertisement for a lobby group look like? How would they sell their business to prospective clients? Likely a lobby group would look very like a (very small and unrepresentative) political party outside of the recognised mainstream parties but paying the mainstream parties to adopt it's unrepresentative policies. So TV advertisements would have similarities to party political broadcasts - dramatic music, mood music, false sincerity, exaggerated claims and all the rest with the addition of brown envelopes or equivalent incentive at the ready. Edited March 25, 2012 by billybong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmarks Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 (edited) We say that access to politicians should be equal. However, should the chief executive of BP or Glaxo have the ear of the Prime Minister or should they have the same access as a pensioner on disability allowance in Hartlepool? What about the Archbishop of Canterbury? However its done, in a democracy access should never be awarded based on payment. The Sunday Times story has exposed corruption. People should be calling it like it is. Edited March 25, 2012 by nmarks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geezer466 Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 This is not shocking. Indeed, this is the very basis upon which Market Liberal democracies operate. In academic circles it is called investor capture of government. To normal people, it is a complex web of bribery and corruption which is the sole basis upon which all political parties in the UK arrive at policy. The Conservatives are not so much a political party as simply the function of a lot of very rich people trying to bribe ministers into helping them get even richer. Thankfully one can't be sued for libelling a political party so feel free to repeat the above ad infinitum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juvenal Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Am I alone in feeling that Mr Cruddas, with his dropped aitches; market trader's attitude and stale football metaphors would be more at home on a Bargain Bangers car sales lot than employed where he has been? Who on earth hired this character? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingBingo Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 However its done, in a democracy access should never be awarded based on payment. The Sunday Times story has exposed corruption. People should be calling it like it is. Yeah and the civil servants should not do their job for payment either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@contradevian Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 You would really think political parties would be wise to the journalist with the hidden camera by now. Don't they google or check anyone out before spilling the beans, on how to access the PM? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecrashingisles Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 You would really think political parties would be wise to the journalist with the hidden camera by now. Especially one who sounds like an undergraduate and starts salivating as soon as you say anything that would look good in a headline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrashConnoisseur Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Who on earth hired this character? The same people he donated over £350,000 to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ska_mna Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Kudos to the Sunday Times for getting this on tape. I've just watched the video on the BBC site. His only real mistake, of course, was to get caught. Can we now all stop kidding ourselves that money+lobbying+politics = not a problem Looking forward to someone from one of the other major parties getting caught out for exactly the same thing in the near future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamdamosuzuki Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 This is not shocking. Indeed, this is the very basis upon which Market Liberal democracies operate. In academic circles it is called investor capture of government. To normal people, it is a complex web of bribery and corruption which is the sole basis upon which all political parties in the UK arrive at policy. The Conservatives are not so much a political party as simply the function of a lot of very rich people trying to bribe ministers into helping them get even richer. Thankfully one can't be sued for libelling a political party so feel free to repeat the above ad infinitum. Thank, I will. The repulsion I feel at mainstream politics is terrible. You could add Liebour to the above mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexw Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Yeah and the civil servants should not do their job for payment either. Garbage. There is a big difference between civil servants being paid by us via taxes to enact policies that were included in election manifesto's or similar, and thus have a democratic mandate, and politicians being paid by a wealthy group of plutocrats to represent their very narrow interests, instead of the general publics. One is a democracy, the other is a banana republic. From wikipedia - "In practice, a banana republic is a country operated as a commercial enterprise for private profit, effected by the collusion between the State and favoured monopolies, whereby the profits derived from private exploitation of public lands is private property, and the debts incurred are public responsibility. " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.