Second PM ethics advisor quits

[Silver]

As Boris Johnson has no ethics, he no longer needs an ethics advisor. He is grateful to be allowed the freedom to continue trashing UK democracy unhindered.

Lord Geidt has resigned as the prime minister's adviser on ministerial interests.

He tendered his resignation to Boris Johnson, according to a brief statement on the government's website on Wednesday evening.

"With regret, I feel that it is right that I am resigning from my post as Independent Adviser on Ministers' Interests," the statement reads.

A government spokesperson said: "We are surprised by this decision, given Lord Geidt's commitment to the role, to the prime minister, and in his evidence to the House of Commons just yesterday.

Lord Geidt: PM's ethics adviser quits a day after admitting 'frustration' over partygate | Politics News | Sky News

 

 

Edited June 16, 2022 by The Silver Shroud

[Autochthon1990]

Turns out electing a guy with a platform based on a racist bus ad wasn't the best idea. 

[Silver]

1 hour ago, Autochthon1990 said:

Turns out electing a guy with a platform based on a racist bus ad wasn't the best idea. 

There is an article in the Independent pointing out that the problem isn't the Tories and their (lack) of policies or ethics, it is the stupidity of the electorate. They are obsesssed with making the UK an isolated island. Even though we need immigrants to be self sufficient in food (our farmers are ploughing in thousands of tons of crops because there is no one to pick them), they will keep voting for a party that promises to keep them out. The promise don't even have to be true. The grounded Rwandan flight that is angering Brexiters so much was going to take just 7 immigrants to Africa, and return with 68 immigrants who need more supervision than Rwanda can provide (it is a reciprocal arrangement). And the policy does not deter people crossing the channel anyway (400 crossed on Tuesday, hundreds more will have crossed since then). The electorate will happily pay millions to deter immigration, rather than spend it on education and healthcare when logic would suggest if you spent that money on schools and hospitals we wouldn't have the shortage of places they complain of.

Because the ECHR ruled against the Rwanda deportation, they now want to leave the ECHR even though the only other country to make that move has been Russia (over the illegal invasion of Ukraine). The UK electorate is happy to become a pariah state, and a very poor one, just so we can pretend be isolated on our little island.We now have the same number of immigrants, they are just non-EU and are actually settling and taking the jobs Brits would like to do (the opposite of what was promised with the new immigration policy).

A leader without honesty or ethics is just the exact leader the UK loves and deserves. We don't want reality, we want to live in a fantasy past.

Edited June 16, 2022 by The Silver Shroud

[Ozymandias]

Re the ECHR grounding that Rwandan plane, I see that ignorant uneducated Brexiteers are making fools of themselves on national TV by accusing the EU of interference on the matter!!

The ECHR is based upon an international human rights treaty that predates the foundation of the EU and operates under the auspices of the Council of Europe (founded in 1949). The Council of Europe is NOT an EU institution - see  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Europe). The Council of Europe is not the same thing as the Council of the European Union aka European Council. They are two different bodies. Legal disputes, such as that of the Rwandan plane, within the remit of  the ECHR are adjudicated upon by the international European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg (also NOT an EU institution).

47 countries signed up to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), including every country in the EU. It is enforced by the European Court of Human Rights based in Strasbourg. It has nothing to do with the EU's European Court of Justice based in Luxembourg. Russia, now a pariah state, has withdrawn from the ECHR. The UK is threatening to do so over the Rwandan matter.

The EU has its own Charter of Fundamental Rights which is more comprehensive than that of the ECHR and is part of the legal basis for all EU foundation and membership treaties. In addition to the rights enshrined in the ECHR the European Charter covers additional social and economic issues not included in the ECHR. The Charter of Fundamental Rights is enforced within EU countries by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) at Luxembourg. 

PS - Following the Holocaust and World War II, it was Churchill - Bozo's idol - and the UK who originally founded the ECHR to protect human rights in Europe into the future. And, in fact, Boris Johnson's own grandfather served on the ECHR Commission in the 1960s (see link: James Fawcett - Wikipedia).

 

Edited June 16, 2022 by Ozymandias

[Autochthon1990]

18 minutes ago, Ozymandias said:

Re the ECHR grounding that Rwandan plane, I see that ignorant uneducated Brexiteers are making fools of themselves on national TV by accusing the EU of interference on the matter!!

The ECHR is based upon an international human rights treaty that predates the foundation of the EU and operates under the auspices of the Council of Europe (founded in 1949). The Council of Europe is NOT an EU institution - see  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Europe). The Council of Europe is not the same thing as the Council of the European Union aka European Council. They are two different bodies. Legal disputes, such as that of the Rwandan plane, within the remit of  the ECHR are adjudicated upon by the international European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg (also NOT an EU institution).

47 countries signed up to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), including every country in the EU. It is enforced by the European Court of Human Rights based in Strasbourg. It has nothing to do with the EU's European Court of Justice based in Luxembourg. Russia, now a pariah state, has withdrawn from the ECHR. The UK is threatening to do so over the Rwandan matter.

The EU has its own Charter of Fundamental Rights which is more comprehensive than that of the ECHR and is part of the legal basis for all EU foundation and membership treaties. In addition to the rights enshrined in the ECHR the European Charter covers additional social and economic issues not included in the ECHR. The Charter of Fundamental Rights is enforced within EU countries by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) at Luxembourg. 

PS - Following the Holocaust and World War II, it was Churchill - Bozo's idol - and the UK who originally founded the ECHR to protect human rights in Europe into the future. And, in fact, Boris Johnson's own grandfather served on the ECHT commission in the 1960s (see link: James Fawcett - Wikipedia).

 

"What do you mean we cannot fling immigrants across the channel with a trebuchet?! Oliver Cromwell bought way too many of the damn things and we need to use them for something!"

[Ozymandias]

To return to the topic of the thread - ethic in government and the resignation of the PM's ethics advisor.

It is like watching the slow-motion car crash of British democracy and standards in public life, not to mention the economy. With no ethical standards in the current government, it must have been very uncomfortable for someone of Lord Geidt's integrity, and a former secretary to the queen, to be part of it. 

[Saru]

The full resignation letter has been published:

https://twitter.com/Telegraph/status/1537389089212751874/photo/1

He said that he resigned because the PM asked him to approve "a deliberate and purposeful breach of the Ministerial Code."

[Silver]

The letter has now been published:

Geidt says he quit because PM put him in 'odious' position asking him to approve 'deliberate' breach of code

Downing Street has now published Lord Geidt’s resignation letter.

Geidt says the final straw was a request to consider a proposal that he said would be a “deliberate and purposeful” breach of the ministerial code. He implies that Boris Johnson asked him to approve of this breach.

Lord Geidt quit after being asked to approve ‘deliberate’ breach of ministerial code, resignation letter shows – UK politics live (theguardian.com)

Edited June 16, 2022 by The Silver Shroud

[kartikg]

10 minutes ago, Saru said:

The full resignation letter has been published:

https://twitter.com/Telegraph/status/1537389089212751874/photo/1

He said that he resigned because the PM asked him to approve "a deliberate and purposeful breach of the Ministerial Code."

I feel the ethical thing to do is disclose what code was he asked to breach. 

[L.A.T.1961]

Geidt goes over steel tariff row.

Geidt had been asked to look into a “potential future decision related to the Trade Remedies Authority” (TRA), which while “in line with our domestic law… might be seen to conflict with our obligations under the [World Trade Organisation]. 

In 2021 the TRA issued advice to then-Trade Secretary Liz Truss to drop tariffs on certain types of steel. While Truss was initially in favour of complying with the TRA advice, opposition from Cabinet – spearheaded by Kwasi Kwarteng – eventually meant the government deciding to go against it. Before these details emerged, it was speculated that Geidt had been asked to investigate an issue relating to a conflict of interest. Even following the publication of both letters, Robert Peston tweeted “the only conclusion to be drawn is that Geidt was asked to sanction tariffs being imposed to help companies with connections to the Conservative Party or ministers.”

Government sources tell Jim Pickard that Geidt “never” mentioned potential conflicts regarding Tory donors in his conversations and texts about this with the PM.

https://order-order.com/2022/06/16/geidts-resignation-explained/

[Silver]

The House of Commons erupted with laughter as a Tory minister suggested Boris Johnson “upholds highest standards in public life”.

Laughter in Commons as MP says Boris Johnson ‘upholds highest standards in public life’ (msn.com)

Edited June 16, 2022 by The Silver Shroud

[Saru]

I can imagine it would be career suicide to hold the position of 'ethics advisor' to Boris Johnson these days.

[acute]

As I said to Carlos Allende, yesterday.....

I thought Ethics was next to Thuffolk.