Careless Tories!

[ramAnag]

You do wonder yes why they do go into politics.

Ego...opportunity...and in a minority of cases...a genuine desire to improve things?

Anyway...Johnson says it’s all ‘absolute nonsense’. Now where have we heard that before?

[Andy_Faber]

You do wonder yes why they do go into politics.

IMNPO? There are two types who want to go into politics, those humble types who want to make a difference, and those who want to oil the wheels for their own benefit. Giving current examples here will just cause the usual outrage but it’s a slam-dunk that Zahawi falls into the latter

[Geoff Parkstone]

Of the 650 current incumbents I'd wager 649 gall into the latter category and I'm not sure about the other one.

[Ramshank72]

IMNPO? There are two types who want to go into politics, those humble types who want to make a difference, and those who want to oil the wheels for their own benefit. Giving current examples here will just cause the usual outrage but it’s a slam-dunk that Zahawi falls into the latter

Pretty much, and it doesn't matter which colour rosette they wear either.

[ramAnag]

Pretty much, and it doesn't matter which colour rosette they wear either.

You say that...and, to an extent I agree, but the list I produced in post #6 would suggest otherwise...and support the notion that corruption and a tendency towards self serving opportunism is endemic within the current Tory Party.

[MadAmster]

Piggott and Becker both got jailed for what appears to be the same or a similar "offence". It also appears that Zahawi isn't the object of a police investigation. I wonder why...

[Andy_Faber]

You say that...and, to an extent I agree, but the list I produced in post #6 would suggest otherwise...and support the notion that corruption and a tendency towards self serving opportunism is endemic within the current Tory Party.

Two arguments against that. 1. You’re clearly biased, and bias versus balance or bias versus non-opinion will always produce bias, and 2. Using a football analogy (not mine but it’s a good one) people only find fault with the referee. They don’t find fault with people who aren’t the referee

[MadAmster]

Two arguments against that. 1. You’re clearly biased, and bias versus balance or bias versus non-opinion will always produce bias, and 2. Using a football analogy (not mine but it’s a good one) people only find fault with the referee. They don’t find fault with people who aren’t the referee

A bit like nobody has slated the assistant for missing the ball being out of play for the Bolton goal. I do find fault with referees. As one myself, I feel I can reasonably judge whether a ref has had a good un or a stinker. Stephanie Frappart was likely the best of them at the World Cup. World Cup referees Wilton Pereira Sampaio and Antonio Mateu Lahoz were 2 of the worst referees I've seen at a professional game. I've criticised a fair few who have refereed Derby this season but by no means all of them. I don't expect them to be perfect. Just to be consistent in the way they apply (or don't apply) the Laws of the game and to get the big calls right.

[ramAnag]

Two arguments against that. 1. You’re clearly biased, and bias versus balance or bias versus non-opinion will always produce bias, and 2. Using a football analogy (not mine but it’s a good one) people only find fault with the referee. They don’t find fault with people who aren’t the referee

Bit of a non argument that, imo. I’ve produced, off the top of my head (didn’t even mention Williamson), an objective list of Tory ‘wrongdoers’ and or scandals that have arisen over the last two or three years.

There’s little, if anything, to argue with on that list - it’s completely factual - and it was offered up, as I said at the time, in the interests of ‘balance’ to counter the, imo no longer relevant, Corbyn claims. If you don’t agree about my examples then challenge them by all means, don’t just accuse me of ‘bias’. So far nobody has.

Am I biased? Well I’m certainly opposed to the Tory Party in it’s current form and I’m most definitely biased against the sleaze, corruption and back stabbing which currently appears, imo, to be endemic within the Party of Government.

Are you biased? Well you certainly appear to jump to the defence of the Tories at every opportunity, albeit not very effectively.

As for the ‘football analogy’...it doesn’t really work imo. People don’t only find fault with the referee...they also find fault with others...the opposition, their own players, the manager, VAR etc.
In any case I’m not sure who, in your ‘analogy’, you’re identifying as the political equivalent of the ‘referee’.

P.S. Ironically my ‘bias’ as you call it might yet see me voting for an Independent Conservative at the next General Election...words I thought I’d never say.
There is a rumour, nothing more at this stage, in the Derbyshire Dales that Sarah Dines is considering giving up her very safe Tory seat to her mate Boris Johnson at the next election. If that happens former (and decent) Tory MP, Matthew Parris has said he will stand against him. He’ll have my vote.

[Geoff Parkstone]

You say that...and, to an extent I agree, but the list I produced in post #6 would suggest otherwise...and support the notion that corruption and a tendency towards self serving opportunism is endemic within the current Tory Party.

Not that you'd carry any petty allegiance bias into your analysis of course!!

But more to the point MPs in opposition don't quite get the opportunities to get their snouts in the trough than those in power do.

I'm sure both sides of the spectrum would equally get their snouts in were they all to have the same chance. But its easy when an opposition backbencher to claim the memorial high ground as noone wants to "buy you"