Boris Johnson, former Prime Minister

[honeybee13]

Well, we know about at least one match that was auctioned, don't we?

 

Still on Russia, here's an interesting thread by a man in Finland. I agree with a lot of what he says.

 

 

[tobyjugg2]

Breaking News

 

Johnson calls emergency COBRA meeting on Russia

.. and how his government can protect the Russian oligarchs and their money in London ... and their donations to the corrupt populist incompetents who are Russias' No1 choice for power in the UK

- cheapest country they've ever over-run

Edited February 23, 2022 by tobyjugg2

[tobyjugg2]

On the alarm being set off at  a Johnson party

 

"a Metropolitan Police officer responded to a silent alarm accidentally set off during one of the No 10 parties, but failed to take any action. Deputy Met Commissioner Steve House told the London Assembly police committee that an officer involved in the incident “has been spoken to” as part of the ongoing probe.

Asked why the officers assigned to protect Downing Street had not prevented alleged lawbreaking, Sir Steve said: “If we find officers knew what was going on and should have intervened we will follow up on that.”

 

.. IMO If they 'didn't know what was going on' they should be sacked as incompetent

 

 

Boris Johnson mulls ‘revenge reshuffle’ if he survives Partygate – follow live

WWW.INDEPENDENT.CO.UK

---

‘Boris rewards loyalty,’ one MP says

 

Officer has been 'spoken to' aka 'keep your gob shut, you know nothing ..

[honeybee13]

A couple of links on the Ukraine situation.

 

Politico has interviewed Fiona Hill who's a longtime Russia watcher, about Putin's intentions. Worrying stuff.

 

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/02/28/world-war-iii-already-there-00012340

 

And Johnson being embarrassed by a lady campaigner in Poland. It's not clear if that has anything to do with the rules for Ukrainian refugees being eased.

 

https://news.sky.com/story/ukraine-invasion-anti-corruption-campaigner-who-confronted-boris-johnson-speaks-to-sky-news-12555103

 

[tobyjugg2]

I watched that lady giving Johnson whatfor and his gutless cowardly cringes and whinges in response

 

Interesting read that assessment, and I agree that we have been at war with Russia since Syria at the latest.

 

I think (heart and mind) the west should have taken out that column in Ukraine and hit all the rocket launchers within Ukraine and the Belarus troops as soon as they crossed the border

.. clearly stating it as defense of a sovereign state with no intent to breach Russia or their allies boundaries ... unless Russia escalated - all alongside the other sanctions.

 

Russia has proven and is again proving that its ground forces are crap, which is undoubtedly why he played the nuke card again.

The hypersonic nuclear missile 'advantage' needs to be neutralised

 

 

 

 

Edited March 2, 2022 by tobyjugg2

[tobyjugg2]

Example, which will righteously annoy the US

 

Russia can still send oil and gas to Britain despite port ban

WWW.REUTERS.COM

---

Russia can still send oil and gas to Britain despite a ban on the country's ships visiting British ports, the Department for Transport (DfT) said on...

 

and even that ..

 

Tanker with Russian oil bound for US makes mid-Atlantic U-turn to dock in Wales

WWW.INDEPENDENT.CO.UK

---

The UK government said it is “looking into” how to handle Russian ships at its ports

 

 

The Ukraine/Crimea 'issues are tied in with the two nordstreams, and of course Crimea kicked out Russias patsy before Russia invaded there

We also have the issue that Ukraine is one of Europes the food basket wheat suppliers

 

Germany has suspended any movement on licensing Nordstream 2 in response to the further invasion of Ukraine, which will undoubtedly result in Russia ramping up gas prices and please the yanks

 

We need a robust and determined effort to convert our gas network  to hydrogen capable (which will require testing and seal replacement across the transport network (hydrogen could leak past/through natural gas seals)

 

[tobyjugg2]

Just had an extended discussion with someone about Western military intervention in Ukraine, and he disagrees quite strongly that we should directly hit the convoy - and he's likely right

 

My side

nuclear deterrents are intended to deter nuclear war. So as soon as they are used as a threat to protect conventional military invading sovereign states, they are

1. Being used as a weapon, not a deterrent

2. Will be used again as such if succesful

3. Encourage sneak first strikes of conventional military - in a we are here first you cant attack us scenario

4. Effectively are a first strike using nukes and take us closer to a nuclear war or complete surrender.

 

His side

Putin has gone all in and that puts him in a position where any western intervention MUST result in escalation. but we should be supplying the Ukrakians with vast amounts of high tech weaponry and 'military advisors' - just as Russia denies they do.

 

He has a point.

[honeybee13]

This article in the Byline Times talks about Russia's 'Information War' since 2014. It also mentions what Carole Cadwalladr has been writing about in the Observer for years, meaning she's faced online abuse from people like Andrew Neil and Arron Banks. It seems she was right though.

 

https://bylinetimes.com/2022/03/02/trump-military-study-saw-brexit-as-first-step-in-russian-information-blitzkrieg-on-west/

[tobyjugg2]

There is one thing you can be sure of - and that is whoever and whatever Russia finances - is NOT good for western democracy

Seems quite clear the hopes that Russia would become a partner with Europe in building a decent future has taken further huge leaps backwards since Syria.

 

Brexit was a  small time reality, until Russia started funding and supporting it and Farage (allegedly/demonstrably?) ... as did the American far right

 

Interesting and VERY understandable that India and Pakistan abstained in the UN vote against Russia even though it had no teeth, also interesting for other reasons that the UAE abstained.

 

Kazakhstan will have to be included in sanctions if the west wants to hit Russian finance (crypto currencies) ,, although other players will undoubtedly remain immune eg China.

 

Johnson wants to watch out the UK. especially London isnt impacted by sanctions by the EU and America

 

 

Edited March 3, 2022 by tobyjugg2

[tobyjugg2]

Anyone know if the proceeds from the sudden sale of Chelsea football club will hit sanctions?

 

Oh, and rumor has it that the Uk oligarchs have been informed of the detail regarding who may suffer sanctions ... apparently its those who haven't made significant donations to the Tory Party or Ministers coffers, and as long as they can keep themselves out of headlines detailing unwanted information on them or their dealings - unless they were VERY large donations or secret donations that would 'embarrass a minister.

 

... it is allegedly being 'reworded' significantly  before wider dissemination

Edited March 3, 2022 by tobyjugg2

[tobyjugg2]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/mar/03/putin-oligarchs-uk-slow-at-acting

 

[tobyjugg2]

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/mar/04/birmingham-erdington-byelection-winner-is-labours-paulette-hamilton

[honeybee13]

So maybe people haven't forgotten partygate, TJ?

[tobyjugg2]

Still waiting for the Met to be pulled up over their dragging out the investigation ..

Must have found evidence of misconduct in office and are panicking on how to hide it before Cress is gone ..

 

Angela Merkel, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump are shot during a conference and die...

Up in the sky, they are greeted by Saint Peter who says: ‚You have died. As you are politicians, surely you have sinned. Therefore you must wade through the Swamp of Lies before you can go to Heaven and join Him in eternal happiness.‘

As in her former life, Merkel wants to tackle every challenge given and goes first. She notices the swamp barely reaches her ankles and thinks ‚Well, that‘s what you get for lying. At least, I did it for a better Europe.‘

Curious about how the others are doing, she looks behind her and sees Putin covered in mud up to his knees. Furiously, she shouts: ‚This is impossible! Your reign was a dictatorship, you influenced world politics and economics to your benefit and you’ve achieved all that only by telling lies. How is it possible you‘re only knee-deep in this swamp?‘

Calmly, Putin answers: Hush! I‘m standing on top of Donald and he hasn‘t noticed yet.‘

 

 

Vladimir Putin is at an airport and is going through customs.

Customs officer: Occupation?

Putin: No, just visiting.

 

 

 

https://sputnik.com/

 

[honeybee13]

This is the latest from Led by Donkeys. A video about how to launder money if you're an oligarch and another one very short one about Roman Abramovich's house.

 

https://twitter.com/i/status/1499766468610863106

 

 

[tobyjugg2]

except maybe an expectation of higher donations.

 

Theres a huge difference between an unmitigated self serving liar talking about sanctions against those who 'fund' him and actually implementing them in a meaningful way

.... let alone actually then enforcing them

Look at the miserable implementation and (lack of) enforcement after the almost totally missing in (no) action hidden wealth orders which would have shone a light on so much of the dodgy money in Londongrad

 

Apparently Johnson incompetents are afraid of massively paid London lawyers stopping them

- lol - would that include Johnsons ex-legal eagle taking a break from protecting the tax and oversight avoiding inhabitants UK tax havens that hold and protect so much of the dodgy money .. 

 

Anyway ..

.. Sweden sending arms to a country (Ukraine) in the first such event for them since the start of WWII, including 5,000 anti-tank weapons.

Russian war planes buzzing Swedish territory and setting up forces which seem a threat to Sweden and Finland.

 

Sweden and Finland now looking at joining NATO seriously for perhaps the first time

Moldova and Georgia applied to join EU as has Ukraine

- quite the opposite of what Putin allegedly wants, but more fuel for his ranting

 

 

https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2022/01/19/as-russia-flexes-its-muscles-in-the-baltic-sweden-prepares-for-the-worst

[theoldrouge]

At some stage Nato are going to have to directly confront Putin

By not doing you are simply kicking the can down the road

Problem is we have a useless gutless PM (Churchill he is not)

And the USA has an equally incompetent President who lets not forget even left the tribesmen 

a parting gift of $80 billion of American military hardware when he ran away from Afghanistan

[tobyjugg2]

Very Largely agree with that but if we examine the current situation its largely in the yanks interest

 

Additionally perhaps consider:

 

Putin is being isolated by the Europeans, and the US is lining up to benefit in Gas and Oil sales

The crap is happening far away from the USA, and on the doorsteps of the Two western Nuclear power security council members

The Europeans are expanding their military spend as the yanks want

BIIIIGGG split between the EU and Russia who were were getting to close.

India and Pakistan current alignments are being highlighted

 

Bit of a conflict in interest for the USA there .. and the yanks look after American interests

 

I think the yanks, even more than everybody else wants Putin out, and preferably by his own people - but dont we all

 

[theoldrouge]

Yes agree 

We too are going to have to rethink urgently the last 30 years of reduced military spending 

It was all supposed to be about cyber wars 

Did I read somewhere we now only have around  20000 infantry?

[tobyjugg2]

Makes you wonder where the tax payer allegedly money spent on UK military is going

.. or perhaps we just have to look at the example of where the £Billions of UK taxpayer money allegedly spent on PPE and the privately run test a trace went ..

 

on sanctions:

Like I said earlier, the UK is heading towards being sanctioned as another Russian empowerer the way things are going

 

(Dont forget the real reasons behind Brexit - removal of rules and regs, including where the EU was adding them to prevent corrupt money being laundered)

 

 

[honeybee13]

More on Russian money, from the New York Times. 'U.K. Moves to Tighten Laws on Oligarchs. Critics Say It’s Too Late.'

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/01/world/europe/ukraine-russia-oligarchs-uk.html

[unclebulgaria67]

Think of how much of Russian wealth has been invested in UK over the last 20 years or so.

 

If UK agencies have been turning a blind eye to this and encouraging investment without really checking how the wealth has been generated, then they might not be keen to act too quickly now.

 

 

 

[honeybee13]

Indeed, UB.

 

It's not looking too smart for the PM at the moment with links to Russian money. The Sunday Times has an article today looking back at Evgeny Lebedev's peerage and how British intelligence advised they thought he was a national security risk. After Johnson intervened, they withdrew their report.

 

ETA: Lebedev hasn't spoken or voted in the Lords since his maiden speech last year and is attending just enough not to be suspended.

 

https://www.businessinsider.com/lord-lebedevs-role-questioned-over-his-lack-of-contributions-2022-2?r=US&IR=T

[tobyjugg2]

What on earth are these border 'officials' being briefed on how they should act?

 

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/mar/06/uk-resident-slovakian-calais-detention-home-office-misspelled-name-slugs

 

[honeybee13]

They sound paranoid to me, sadly.

 

When you think that Priti Patel's parents were migrants from Uganda; you'd hope she would have more compassion. I know, no need to reply on that.  

 

Her French opposite number has just criticised the UK of a lack of humanity after border officials told 150 Ukranian refugees in Calais to return to Brussels or Paris to sort out their paperwork. The mayor of Calais found the people accommodation and local restaurants offered meals.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/06/france-accuse-uk-lack-humanity-over-ukrainian-refugees-consular-services-calais

Edited March 6, 2022 by honeybee13
Link added.