Did someone just try to buy the British Government?

[Walsingham]

http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-stati...y-theories.html

 

All detailed from Hansard, no less.

[Wrath of Dagon]

Was there a Nigerian prince involved in there somehow?

[Raithe]

The Mind Boggles.

 

Although one part of me wonders just how hard it would be for someone to hack Hansard to do this as a joke.. but yes.. paranoia can run rampant..

[Darth InSidious]

Dearest Respected Lord, my name is Mr. Keith Scott, a respected international businessman and philanthropist...

 

Unfortunately, Lord Blackheath's bonkers speech was recorded by the BBC as well, as part of a 3 hour debate: http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/hou...000/9146065.stm (Blackheath begins sometime after 2hrs : 30mins; he starts gibbering at about 2hrs 34). Full Hansard transcript: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/lords/?id=20....1463.8#g1536.0

 

It sounds like this lot, to me: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_Int...reasury_Control

[Tale]

My reading of it seemed more like they were offering it as a bit of a donation. If it is the Vatican and they are sitting on that kind of money, of which I have no doubt, then maybe they're just wanting to do some goodwill toward the global economy.

 

That does read absurd now that I type it out.

Edited November 3, 2010 by Tale

[Rostere]

I think it's a scam.

[Walsingham]

The website I linked to is now getting 90k plus hits an hour, apparently. So don't be surprised if it takes a while to load.

[Calax]

uh... what about the blatant assertion of corruption? Is anything going to happen with this?

 

(This is in reference to "I laundered 1 billion for the IRA and north african terrorists")

Edited November 3, 2010 by Calax

[Gorth]

Was there a Nigerian prince involved in there somehow?

My thoughts exactly when reading that transcript

 

The government just needs to put up a substantial advance fee to enable the transfer of that fortune to the governments account

[Darth InSidious]

@Calax: Interesting question. He's claimed that the Bank of England got him to do it (funding the IRA? The Bank of England? Really?) might be seen as an attempt to stop any queries about this. I suppose he could probably also invoke Parliamentary privilege.

 

TBH, the whole thing rather makes me wonder if the man isn't dementing. I can't quite see another reason for a man of long standing in the City to be taken in by an obvious and rather silly piece of fraud. He has, apparently, already had at least one stroke in the past. The fact that he begins by discussing the play Brigadoon, then predicts to the week the next British financial scandal (second week in February), then calls on the government to set up a company similar to the rather dowdy clothing giant British Home Stores... the three of these were, perhaps, indicators of what was to come.

 

Then again, one of the commentators on the website Walsingham links to pointed to this exchange as evidence that discourse in the House of Lords is often a little surreal:

Lady Saltoun of Abernethy: My Lords, is the Minister aware that if, having taken off one end of the corned beef can with the twisty thing provided

Edited November 4, 2010 by Darth InSidious

[Oblarg]

Wat.

 

 

 

 

No, really, if there were ever a situation for which "wat" is the only possible response, this is it.

[Walsingham]

Debate in the Lords may occasinally be eccentric. But I wouldn't call it insane. Unless you call it insane for a member of one party to deliver a speech on an industry they helped build then for other party leaders to stand up and thank hom for an interesting and enlightening experience! Contrast the Commons where any speech bar the most derisory is met with automatic partisan hostility.

 

I shouldn't need to remind anyone that it was the Lords lone who tried desperately to protect us from extended detention without trial.

[Raithe]

There are good points and not-so-good points about the House of Lords..

 

Technically, it should provide a certain buffer again knee-jerk, mob driven politics of the short-term variety based on winning popularity.....

 

On the other hand..it can be a certain..heavy opponent of any change. And doesn't provide any real guarantee of competency.

 

 

Then again, very few elected officials seem to have much competency beyond winning votes and backroom deals.

Or maybe I've just become a bit too jaded and cynical about politicians and government buraucrats..

[Tale]

Then again, one of the commentators on the website Walsingham links to pointed to this exchange as evidence that discourse in the House of Lords is often a little surreal:

Lady Saltoun of Abernethy: My Lords, is the Minister aware that if, having taken off one end of the corned beef can with the twisty thing provided

[Wrath of Dagon]

I'm glad our politicians are bought instead of inherited.

[Calax]

And yet the inherited politicians keep the purchased ones in check

[Meshugger]

Did i understand this correctly? An foundation X wishes to donate 5 billion

[Humodour]

Hahahaha wtf

[Walsingham]

And yet the inherited politicians keep the purchased ones in check

 

I think it's more complex than that. the whole culture of the body emphasises being smarter and more loyal to the public than the commons because unlike the Commons the Lords know they shouldn't actually be in government. So the Lords work bloody hard to assert that they should be. And of course, even if a Lord buys or weasels his post, there is nothing his 'party' can do to him once he is in place. Sometimes this means they become total bastards, and more should be done to (frankly) push them into barrels and chuck them in the Thames. But often they develop a kind of giddy determination to enjoy governing for the people.

 

The other reason I like the Lords is that all this confounds and annoys (generally socialist) political students.

[Nepenthe]

I was under the impression that hereditary peers have been removed from Lords for quite a while. In fact, the only country with 'inherited politicians' I know of would appear to be the U.S. (*cough* Bush *cough*)

Edited November 5, 2010 by Nepenthe

[Tale]

Oh Snapple!

[Darth InSidious]

I was under the impression that hereditary peers have been removed from Lords for quite a while. In fact, the only country with 'inherited politicians' I know of would appear to be the U.S. (*cough* Bush *cough*)

There are still 92 hereditary peers in the House of Lords.

[Nepenthe]

Thanks for clearing that up, then.

[Darth InSidious]

Thanks for clearing that up, then.

No probs. Lord James of Blackheath is a life peer, though.

[I want teh kotor 3]

Just bought plane tickets. Moving to britain now.