Jeremy Hunt - continuing irritating fuss about not much?
Discussion
Is it just me or is anyone else finding the continuing fuss about Jeremey Hunt and the emails a little tiresome.
The thought crossed my mind driving home yesterday and listening to Radio 4 banging on about it that it was a prefect example of the "polictical village" mentality of those involved in goverment and the reporting of it.
And I'm now sat here watching lunchtime news and it's all over it again, but nothing has actually changed.
Surely there's more important/interesting things that are news worthy?
And the press/goverment wonder why the public don't really give that much of a f
k about politics anymore?
P.S. the appearance of Harriet Harman bleating on about it was the final straw which prompted me to write this post.
The thought crossed my mind driving home yesterday and listening to Radio 4 banging on about it that it was a prefect example of the "polictical village" mentality of those involved in goverment and the reporting of it.
And I'm now sat here watching lunchtime news and it's all over it again, but nothing has actually changed.
Surely there's more important/interesting things that are news worthy?
And the press/goverment wonder why the public don't really give that much of a f
k about politics anymore?P.S. the appearance of Harriet Harman bleating on about it was the final straw which prompted me to write this post.
Bluebarge said:
I'd have thought corruption in high office would be an issue for everyone. But, each to their own...
Not when it concerns one of Dave's posh mates. This sort of thing doesn't go down too well with the PH massive either, you should know that by now. To be fair, corruption might be taking matters a little too far, but the fact that that the ministerial code laid down by CMD appears to have been breached would suggest that there will be an enquiry, but after next weeks local elections. The Op may find it tiresome, but people in public office have to be accountable at all times.It wasn't so much the in and outs of what he's done but the apparent, to me anyways, over reporting focus on the whole affair, particularly from the BBC.
The guy is obviously a "bad-un", just look at the way he walks and talks.
So I have little sympathy for him if he gets hung out to dry.
The guy is obviously a "bad-un", just look at the way he walks and talks.
So I have little sympathy for him if he gets hung out to dry.The Right Honourable Mr Hunt is my constituency MP - and I would tend to say from my correspondence with him, pretty straightforward and down to earth. He made his own money in a software business.
At the time he thought he played the situation pretty well, so I am surprised he has been caught out like this, at least in terms of PR. But I dont see a clear smoking gun of wrong doing.
Exactly what advantage was gained, and by whom and in return for what? seems to be very unclear.
At the time he thought he played the situation pretty well, so I am surprised he has been caught out like this, at least in terms of PR. But I dont see a clear smoking gun of wrong doing.
Exactly what advantage was gained, and by whom and in return for what? seems to be very unclear.
Gargamel said:
But I dont see a clear smoking gun of wrong doing.
Exactly what John Pienaar said on R5 yesterday - there isn't evidence strong enough to force him from his job.When there is, I'll jump up and down and get excited.
I find it amusing that the Left are demanding his resignation, when under the previous government ministers were caught doing far worse things and they would always refuse to stand down voluntarily.
The BBC are obsessed with the Leveson inquiry. I just assume it's because of the media angle from one media source about another.
Same with the obsession with Jeremy Hunt and BSkyB - it's not a 'political village' issue, it's a 'media village' issue, with only those in the media really interested in it.
Same with the obsession with Jeremy Hunt and BSkyB - it's not a 'political village' issue, it's a 'media village' issue, with only those in the media really interested in it.
oyster said:
The BBC are obsessed with the Leveson inquiry. I just assume it's because of the media angle from one media source about another.
Same with the obsession with Jeremy Hunt and BSkyB - it's not a 'political village' issue, it's a 'media village' issue, with only those in the media really interested in it.
Your not serious?Same with the obsession with Jeremy Hunt and BSkyB - it's not a 'political village' issue, it's a 'media village' issue, with only those in the media really interested in it.
Bluebarge said:
I'd have thought corruption in high office would be an issue for everyone. But, each to their own...
Why? Competence in high office should be your single concern. Corruption is irrelevent whether they are incompetent or highly competent. Do the job well or not. A large part of my beef these days is that ppl care more about the fringe crap rather than the central part of the issue! Be competent first, the rest is irrelevent.Fittster said:
Waving through a huge business deal for the biggest cheerleader for the Conservative party in the popular press?
But was it waved through ? My impression at the time was that it was scrutinised and the judgement to allow one business to own another business seemed to make sense or at least be reasonable.
Murdoch hasn't always been a friend to the Tory's - and I like to think they were at least able to be objective about it.
Personally I am more concerned about the Police's relationship with the Press, that really does stink. Especially as we con't yet vote the police out.
Gargamel said:
Fittster said:
Waving through a huge business deal for the biggest cheerleader for the Conservative party in the popular press?
But was it waved through ? "Guido has been talking to a former Office of Fair Trading Principle Case Officer who is not confident Hunt can survive this as it brings into question their whole organisation:
“The first thing with mergers and acquisitions is that it is absolutely key to keep the parties at arms length. The OFT is a non government agency, it has a director general who is above the politics so that the BIS cannot lean on them. In practical terms we all know it happens, but to have it so clearly in writing undermines the whole system. It’s a nightmare for the whole structure of the agency.”
"Even if there was no contact with “JH” and the News Corp lobbyist directly, the Culture Secretary’s adviser Adam Smith was obviously communicating heavily and the emails are littered with accurate reports of events before they happened. Direct contact or not, these emails are just two examples of both these key OFT rules being broken.
UPDATE: Hunt’s statement will apparently say that the emails are inaccurate and that he wants to set the record straight on the stand. He seems to be gearing up to play the no direct contact angle. Hard to prove that his office was not acting on his behalf…"
There seems to be rather a lot of blinkered partisan around here.
Piersman2 said:
the appearance of Harriet Harman bleating on about it was the final straw which prompted me to write this post.
Sound judgment there!Mind you, if she was taken off that would just make room for another story about "Pretty Kate", "Super-duper-Wills-yaah", "Brave Harry", "Good old Charles", "Loyal Camilla" or more of that claptrap.
Gargamel said:
Exactly what advantage was gained, and by whom and in return for what? seems to be very unclear.
We'll probably never know, as the Sky bid was scuppered for other reasons anyway. If none of that had happened, and Sky had been successful in their bid, which I'm sure they would have been, I think Jeremy Hunt would have soon found himself a director of BSkyB on £600K a year for half a days consultancy a month.That's the way it used to work with the Tories during the 80s prvitisations. The minister in charge of the privitisation then became chairman of the newly privitised firm. Ian Vallance at BT anyone?
He may or may not have done what is alleged, but the most boring part by far is the sad little school play ground game the other sides MP's play when they get a chance to get up on their high horse. If they put half as much effort into doing real poilitics, I can't help but feel the country wouldn't be a mess.
DJRC said:
Why? Competence in high office should be your single concern. Corruption is irrelevent whether they are incompetent or highly competent. Do the job well or not. A large part of my beef these days is that ppl care more about the fringe crap rather than the central part of the issue! Be competent first, the rest is irrelevent.
If someone is corrupt I think it would follow that they're incompetent, especially within the context of holding public office. Maybe a competent cat burglar wouldn't be too concerned about the corruption tag, but for a Government Minister the two are not mutually exclusive, ergo anyone in public office who is corrupt cannot, by definition, be competent. Are you Italian by any chance?Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff