Our MP (Debate)

Sat 26 Nov 2022, 11:52

Rod, I've been wondering for decades what it would take to get people of this country on the streets en masse.

Astonishingly, it seems that your long list of atrocities is not enough.

There was a big grassroots involvement in setting up the Peoples' Vote campaign but that was helped by a very clear timetable. Without that, it seems that we are destined to drift towards a destination that almost nobody wants. I wonder where the focus will come from to protest against the issues you raise? I wonder if that will ever happen at all?

Sat 26 Nov 2022, 11:10 (last edited on Sat 26 Nov 2022, 11:35)

I expect by now you too will have received the latest propaganda sheet from Mr Courts, full of ‘oven ready’ waffle and ‘world beating’ platitudes.  They’re good at them.

My particular passion being the state of our rivers, how he has the nerve to say he backs ‘stronger laws to…

Long post - click to read full text

Fri 18 Nov 2022, 00:11

I've just emailed Mr Courts asking him to ask Suella Braverman to begin every offering with 'Speaking as the child of immigrants, I ...' 

Fri 21 Oct 2022, 12:43

So BBC News is now starting to list which Conservative MPS are backing which candidate for PM.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-63343308

Mr Courts not yet listed but would be interesting to find out which way he leans....

Wed 19 Oct 2022, 23:08

Mr. Courts voted against the proposal to ban fracking today.  He voted against the Conservative Party manifesto commitment made in 2019 to ban fracking.  Utter chaos!  Not a shred of concern for the environment.  

Thu 22 Sep 2022, 08:59

Good riddance.

Maybe if he could stand down as MP as well ...?

Wed 21 Sep 2022, 17:41 (last edited on Wed 21 Sep 2022, 17:42)

Robert Courts has just published a statement saying that he is sad to be standing down from government. 

https://twitter.com/robertcourts/status/1572613154256871426  ;

Wed 3 Aug 2022, 20:28

Yes Alice there was the £ 2 Mn investor visa, probably used by many somewhat dodgy people over the years. Introduced in 1994. Not removed by various governments, until this spring. https://www.gov.uk/tier-1-investor

Wed 3 Aug 2022, 08:26

It doesn't seem to make it better if the money goes to the local party.  The effect is the same.  The money supports, promotes and enables the selection of a compliant MP to the lower legislature and is further rewarded by a position for the donor in the upper legislature.  A two for one bargain offer - any foreign state can buy their way in with cash.

Conservatives will reply these are British citizens.  British citizenship can be bought very cheaply for oligarchs of all nations.  This money has come from the Russian state - it wouldn't be credible to think that the Russian state has no interest in its overseas investments.

Every last penny of this money should be returned to the donors with a polite note.

Tue 2 Aug 2022, 21:30

Yes, Alice, Lubov Chernukhin was generous towards Courts, as well as being the largest donor of the Conservative Party more generally. But I am not sure what happens to that money: whether it goes to Courts personally or to the Witney Conservative Party.

Yes, a complete disgrace if she is being nominated for the House of Lords. 

Tue 2 Aug 2022, 07:48

Alice - with this lot, who knows? But for me, one thing is certain ... if they invite people like them to be a part of our legislative process, then one thing they are *not* is patriotic. It is very sad to see. 

Mon 1 Aug 2022, 11:28

Was it Lubov Chernukhin who funded Mr Courts?  She’s on this disgraceful honours list being put forward by the disgraced former prime minister. These Conservatives wish to put the wife of Putin’s former deputy finance minster into the UK legislature just as they asked Lord Lebedev of Siberia, son of a KGB agent.   Did they truly want to take back control of our borders or were they lying to their supporters?  

Fri 29 Jul 2022, 10:00

They do rather more work without funding from Putin’s mates to fall back on.

Fri 29 Jul 2022, 09:17

Just to add a bit of comparison...

In the same year, Layla Moran (Lib Dem Oxford West & Abingdon) claimed a total of £208,418.76

Anneliese Dodds (Labour Oxford East) claimed a total of £209,455.41

Fri 29 Jul 2022, 08:14

Well, that's ok then. I'm sure we all don’t begrudge Robert an  extra little £200,000, he's doing such a great job.

Sun 24 Jul 2022, 11:22 (last edited on Sun 24 Jul 2022, 11:26)

The other thread here prompted ("provoked"?) me to look at the Civil Service watchdog for MP's expenses (https://www.theipsa.org.uk/mp-staffing-business-costs/annual-publications)

MPs can claim whatever they want for expenses (there is no maximum) as long as it is "justifiable".

Courts claimed a total of just under £200,000 in 2020/2021.

Here is the official IPSA entry:

"Robert Courts Witney CC 35910 Standard non-London area budget plus an uplift of £10,000 for Covid-related business costs 16263.43 19646.57 194030 Standard non-London area budget plus an uplift of £16,480 for Covid-related business costs 159334.72 34695.28 0 N/A 0 0 175598.15 33880 Standard budget for renting a property in the London area, with an uplift to cover the cost of two dependants 21614.45 12265.55 N/A 2608.67 N/A 0 24223.12 199821.27"

I have the full spreadsheet for all MPs if anyone is interested - it has all the headings.  It is in the public domain.  Just can't figure out how to insert it here!

This is where I got it:

https://www.theipsa.org.uk/mp-staffing-business-costs/annual-publications