28 Comments

  1. jerry
    October 26, 2021

    Good question Sir John, although if some were also not to speculate about the budget the govt might also feel less temptation to ‘leak’, and no (Peter2…) that wasn’t directed at our host but the usual gutter tabloid media trying to sell headlines on the news-stands or push revenue earning clicks on their websites.

    1. Peter2
      October 26, 2021

      Thanks for the mention Jerry.
      But I wouldn’t have have thought you were directing your comment at Sir John as quite obviously, he is the very person complaining about it.

  2. X-Tory
    October 26, 2021

    The minister’s answer typifies everything that is wrong with this government – and, to be fair, many previous ones. He says that the Chancellor’s actions are in accordance with the advice of a former Treasury Permanent Secretary. What the hell??? So now it is civil servants who make the rules and who must be obeyed?! This is completely the wrong way round!

    It should always be ministers who make all the rules and decisions, and civil servants are just there to OBEY. They are, as the name implies, SERVANTS. They must never, ever, make ANY decision. This government’s contemptible unwillingness to take POWER and to actually run the country makes them unelectable. What on earth’s the point of voting for Conservative politicians if they are just going to let the civil servants make the decisions?

    1. jerry
      October 26, 2021

      @X-Tory; “What the hell??? So now it is civil servants who make the rules and who must be obeyed?! This is completely the wrong way round! “

      No, that is completely the correct way around, the only better way would be for a totally independent organization (in the same way as MP’s expenses are handled by IPSA), the last thing we need are Minsters making the rules on how THEY themselves should behave/act as Ministers!

    2. Nottingham Lad Himself
      October 26, 2021

      They – the CS – don’t make the rules. Parliament is supreme.

      It’s just the usual spineless buck-passing.

  3. Narrow Shoulders
    October 26, 2021

    A minister who answered a question.

    Seems those guidelines need an update.

  4. Everhopeful
    October 26, 2021

    Great ( was that an intervention?). Anyway, exactly what needed to be said.
    These people have no respect for parliamentary etiquette and are frankly and openly steering us away from democracy.
    Look what they did to MPs during the plague imprisonment.
    Are they distancing you all from legislation? They certainly seemed to do so over the extension of the Plague Act.

  5. alan jutson
    October 26, 2021

    Thanks for raising this John.

    I am afraid this Government now just seems to think it can do as it pleases on almost everything so dire is the opposition, thus Boris now so full of his own self importance just seems to think he is above all historical protocols, is treating parliamentary procedure with absolute distain, very nearly close to contempt, in order to suit his own agenda.

    1. glen cullen
      October 26, 2021

      I truly believe that Boris believes the polls are high for his government due to its performance and his leadershipā€¦ā€¦no ā€“ the polls are high for the Tories because Labour are so direā€¦we have no real opposition

      1. Everhopeful
        October 26, 2021

        +1
        Yup and he thinks he can do whatever he likes with us!

      2. Everhopeful
        October 26, 2021

        I wonder how popular he will be if COP cr*p is a ā€œsuccessā€? ie they all agree.
        Apparently we will be forced to go meatless and in addition to all things CO2 being banned ( no doubt including exhalingā€¦.ah ha! Is that what the filthy mask rubbish is all about??) ANYONE arriving here claiming climate change disaster will be given sanctuary.
        Is that what the mendacious ones are already doing?

      3. Shirley M
        October 27, 2021

        +1 The Conservatives were just the least worst, but the other main parties are truly dire. Time for a new party, but FPTP keeps them out and the media finishes them off anyway unless they are hard left and woke.

  6. TimNBD
    October 26, 2021

    It seems they can do everything except act as actual Conservatives with a once in a lifetime majority.

    1. Ian Wragg
      October 26, 2021

      Net Zero will put paid to the majority when people start to realise the implications.
      Let’s hope Glasgow is a disaster

      1. Lifelogic
        October 26, 2021

        It will be even more of a disaster if they actually agree anything substantive and binding! I hope they enjoy driving round in the EV cars – charged it seems from trucked in diesel generators – fooling themselves they are being green!

      2. rose
        October 26, 2021

        Net zero and illegal immigration.

    2. glen cullen
      October 26, 2021

      Excellent comment ā€“ its obvious to every except Tory MPs

  7. glen cullen
    October 26, 2021

    On a side issue could anybody explain why today the HoC are debating the ā€˜Northern Ireland Billā€™ at 3rd reading when the impact and resolution of the Northern Ireland Protocol hasnā€™t been settled…surely the later is directly related to and effects the former

    1. rose
      October 26, 2021

      It is the House of Commons once again overriding the NI Assembly, something it would not dare to do to the Scots or Welsh. It is one great big appeasement of the republicans, giving them what they could not win in the Assembly. The same was done with abortion. The abortion lobby in NI was given what it wanted by the House of Commons because it could not win abortion through the Assembly. And the timing of this poke in the eye to the Unionists! You could not have guessed Lewis would sink so low.

  8. Lynn
    October 26, 2021

    I understand that a lot of erstwhile heavy goods vehicle drivers have lost their licences as result of vaccine injury, small strokes etc. I wonder what the number of revoked HGV licences are?

    1. Everhopeful
      October 26, 2021

      +1

    2. Iago
      October 27, 2021

      Wonderful country.

  9. glen cullen
    October 26, 2021

    Thereā€™s something wrong when MPs have to protect the people from this government, protect business from this governmentā€¦.but not has to also protect our parliament from this government

  10. Nota#
    October 26, 2021

    Sir John

    Great – thankyou. It now needs the rest of the Commons to get on board and remind this shabby excuse for a Government who they are answerable too and who they are paid by to represent.

  11. Nottingham Lad Himself
    October 26, 2021

    Well said Sir John, but the reply was exactly as one has come to expect.

  12. Micky Taking
    October 26, 2021

    The very clear and pertinent questions put got a somewhat diversionary response.
    This leaves me wondering the point in holding a Budget Day ‘speech’ at all.
    As usual the Budget truth lies ‘hidden’ in the detail, in small print, cloaked in a fog of false headlines.
    The content is handed out prior to the speech to relevant organisations anyway – so do us all a favour – abandon the theatre, the boos, the cheers, the refreshment glass almost toasted to supporters, and the smug majority.

  13. rose
    October 26, 2021

    Quite right, sir John, to insist on proper standards and conventions.

    Does the malpractice arise from our very biased media which would fix on the bits they hope to hang HMG on and ignore the rest? By drip feeding the goodies over several days in advance, the media take the bait and let us know about them.

  14. Bryan Harris
    October 27, 2021

    The Speaker was rightly angry at the way the budget secrets were divulged to the press.
    Isn’t this another example of the Treasury acting against our best interests — When will heads roll?

    Indeed – Why can’t the Treasury come up with a balanced budget by insisting that money be saved in so many quango areas, as well as so much government waste that could fund a dozen hospitals and more?

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