Theresa "MAY" not build a better Britain.

[Stickman]

Guess that caring sharing society didn't last long/.....Bootle is one of those on the list.

 

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/37-crown-post-offices-closed-9595128

[thegreatelephant]

does Joan Collins know she raids her wardrobe? etc.

[Stickman]

[Anubis]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/11/exclusive-chancellor-philip-hammond-took-personal-stake-food/?WT.mc_id=tmg_share_tw

 

Philip Hammond took a personal stake in a food technology company just months before it won a share of a £560,000 Government grant and he became Chancellor, The Telegraph can disclose.

 

Mr Hammond, when he was Foreign Secretary, took the 15 per cent stake in Cambridgeshire-based Hydramach in October 2015, according to records at Companies House.

 

Months later – in April 2016 – Hydramach was one of eight companies which won the grant to develop low fat and low sugar soups, ready meals and sauces from Innovate UK, a tech start up quango run by the Department for Business.

 

Last night a former standards watchdog said Mr Hammond’s failure to make public his shareholding was “a serious failure” because “there is clearly a potential conflict of interest”.

 

Hydramach has now withdrawn from the consortium. However the first instalment of the money from the grant is due to be paid to the consortium – which includes J Sainsbury and the University of Chester – on February 1.

 

The project’s title was “reduced fat and salt in soups, sauces and ready meals by utilisation of novel procedures to create novel micro-structures”.

 

A project description, provided by the eight organisations in the consortium and published by Innovate in the UK in April 2016, describes how the work “will help to facilitate progress on some key government initiatives outlined in the Public Health Responsibility Deal”.

 

Details of Mr Hammond’s investment were only made public eight months later in December 2016 edition of the register of ministerial interests.

 

At the time of his investment Mr Hammond was foreign secretary. He did not to declare them in December 2015’s register.

 

The fact that Mr Hammond took a direct stake in a company when he was a Cabinet minister with the possibility of receiving advance knowledge of Government plans for start-up companies will inevitably raise eyebrows.

 

It is highly unusual for serving Cabinet ministers to take direct stakes in private companies.

 

Last night Mr Hammond's friends said Hydramach had pulled out of the consortium after winning the contract.

 

A source said Mr Hammond “didn’t know that the company had entered the assessment stage as part of this consortium, until after the assessment phase was complete.

 

“Mr Hammond has no involvement in his capacity as Chancellor in the process of awarding Innovate UK grants.”

 

Innovate UK sources said: "Hydramach was certainly part of the successful consortium." The source declined to say if Hydramach remained in the consortium.

 

Last night, Mr Hobbs, Hydramach's director, told The Daily Telegraph: “Hydramach withdrew from the proposed consortium and declined to enter into the agreement with Innovate UK and therefore Hydramach has not received nor will receive or benefit in any way from any grant paid to the other members of the consortium led by Sainsbury.

 

Hydramach, based in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, was set up by Sean Butler, 61, a university teacher, and Richard Hobbs, 49, an engineer, in October 2014. The pair had equal 50 per cent stakes in the company.

 

Mr Hammond took his 15 per cent stake along with four other shareholders – diluting Mr Butler’s and Mr Hobbs’ stake – 12 months later in October 2015.

 

Mr Hammond has a well-publicised experience as an entrepreneur, buying and selling Ford cars from the Dagenham plant near his home and drove one himself as a student at Oxford University, and running a series of companies in the 1980s and 1990s.

 

His sole entry in the most recent House of Commons’ MPs’ register which makes reference to the fact that he is “a beneficiary of a trust which owns a controlling interest in Castlemead Ltd, a company engaged in construction, house building and property development”.

 

The Daily Telegraph has established that Mr Hammond took such a close interest in the company that he met with other shareholders at company events.

 

The company was £15,340 in debt according to the only set of accounts lodged at Companies House, for the year to October 31, 2015.

 

No one was available to speak to The Telegraph at the company’s offices on Thursday. A worker in a nearby office said the team were in Buxton, Derbyshire.

 

Since Mr Hammond became Chancellor – and before the stake was made public – he has spoken up for technology companies in general without declaring his interest.

 

In the Autumn statement, Mr Hammond unveiled plans to give £400million to small tech companies that are looking to “scale up”.

 

Sir Alistair Graham, the Chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life from 2003 until 2007, told The Daily Telegraph: “I am really surprised that someone of his seniority and experience has not seen fit to declare publicly all of his shareholdings because it leaves him open to challenge of a potential conflict of interest.

 

“It certainly raises a very big question-mark – somebody like the Chancellor of the Exchequer really can't afford to be seen to be in such a position.

 

"Most people probably thought he was very straight in these matters and would have been concerned to be seen to abide by the spirit of the rules. It is a failure of leadership that he hasn’t.”

 

However a spokesman for Mr Hammond said: “The shareholding has been fully declared to the Director General for Propriety and Ethics [sue Gray] at the Cabinet Office and the independent adviser on Ministers' interests [Alex Allan] who were content with the arrangements”.

 

He added: “Hydramach initially joined the consortium, but later withdrew its participation and did not bid for, or receive any research funding. Mr Hammond does not have any day to day involvement in the company.”

 

An aide to Mr Hammond added: “He declared his shareholding as part of the usual Ministerial interests process - as set out in the Ministerial Code - whilst Foreign Secretary.

 

“It wasn't published in the List of Ministers' Interests whilst he was Foreign Secretary because it wasn't considered to be relevant to his role at that time.

 

“It wasn't declared in his House of Commons’ register because it didn't meet their threshold for declaration.”

 

A spokesman for Mr Hammond was unable to provide a date for Mr Hammond's declaration of the interest, but indicated that it was made while he was Foreign Secretary and that it was the decision of the Cabinet Office not to publish it on the basis that it was not relevant to his role.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

So the Chancellor of the Exchequer is a bent bastard. 

[Stickman]

Genuinely where the fuck does she get hear gear from??

 

I mean other countries leaders must piss themselves when she turns up for meetings...

 

And I couldn't be arsed to put pictures up of her shoes

 

 

 

 

 

[Jenson]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/11/exclusive-chancellor-philip-hammond-took-personal-stake-food/?WT.mc_id=tmg_share_tw

 

 

The corrupt cunts don't even bother to hide it anymore.

[magicrat]

Obviously went the Westminster Burns Night as a comedy Scotsman

 

[Jairzinho]

I don't think much of Putin's claim based on that picture.

[Anny Road]

She looks like a zombie trying to disguise the fact with outrageous outfits.

[stringvest]

 

 

 

is this from Dr Who?

[cloggypop]

is this from Dr Who?

It certainly has that feel to it.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

is this from Dr Who?

 

Star Wars mate. "May the Force be with you."  

[Strontium]

More like: "Force you to be with May"

[Bobby Hundreds]

She's an animated corpse. Has to be.

[Creator Supreme]

Obviously went the Westminster Burns Night as a comedy Scotsman

 

Bet the EU is shitting itself!

[Mendoza]

[Scott_M]

Brilliant.

[Stickman]

Wonder how much a soft brexit costs?

[AngryOfTuebrook]

Swerving questions like a boss on the Andrew Marr Show this morning.

 

Cunt.

[Jairzinho]

Wonder how much a soft brexit costs?

 

I've just taken her up the single market.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-38708823

Theresa May says she has "absolute faith" in the UK's nuclear weapons system despite reports that an unarmed missile went off course during a test.

The Sunday Times says the missile, fired in June, veered off course, weeks before a crucial Commons vote on Trident's future.

When questioned by the BBC, Mrs May repeatedly refused to say if she knew about the misfire ahead of the vote.

Nicola Sturgeon said that a misfire was a "hugely serious issue".

Scotland's First Minister tweeted: "There should be full disclosure of what happened, who knew what/when, and why the House of Commons wasn't told."

Meanwhile Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn said it called for "a serious discussion".

He told Sky News: "It's a pretty catastrophic error when a missile goes in the wrong direction, and while it wasn't armed, goodness knows what the consequences of that could have been."

'Urgent inquiry'

When asked by BBC's Andrew Marr whether she knew the misfire had happened ahead of the vote Mrs May said: "I have absolute faith in our Trident missiles. When I made that speech in the House of Commons, what we were talking about was whether or not we should renew our Trident."

She was asked a further three times but she did not answer the question.

The Ministry of Defence did not give details of the test process but said it was a success.

Labour former defence minister Kevan Jones has demanded an inquiry into the claims, telling the Sunday Times: "The UK's independent nuclear deterrent is a vital cornerstone for the nation's defence.

"Ministers should come clean if there are problems and there should be an urgent inquiry into what happened."

The Sunday Times says the test fire was launched from HMS Vengeance off the coast of Florida.

It says the Trident II D5 missile was intended to be fired 5,600 miles (9,012 km) to a sea target off the west coast of Africa but veered towards the US.

The cause remains top secret, the paper adds, but quotes a senior naval source as saying the missile suffered an in-flight malfunction after launching out of the water.

HMS Vengeance, one of the UK's four Vanguard-class submarines, returned to sea for trials in December 2015 after a £350m refit, which included the installation of new missile launch equipment and upgraded computer systems.

In July, MPs backed the renewal of Trident by 472 votes to 117, approving the manufacture of four replacement submarines at a current estimated cost of £31bn.

According to the Sunday Times, it is expected that Defence Secretary Michael Fallon will be called to the Commons to answer questions from MPs.

BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Beale said while the MoD has described the test as a success for the crew and the boat, it has not denied the report that the missile itself might have veered off course.

In the past the MoD has issued a press release and video of successful tests but its silence on this occasion has raised questions as to whether any fault was deliberately kept quiet ahead of the key vote, our correspondent added.

Labour's official policy is to support renewing the Trident system, but leader Jeremy Corbyn - a longstanding opponent of nuclear weapons - wants to change the party's position and has launched a defence review to examine the issue.

A statement issued by both Downing St and the MoD says: "The capability and effectiveness of the Trident missile, should we ever need to employ it, is unquestionable.

"In June the Royal Navy conducted a routine unarmed Trident missile test launch from HMS Vengeance, as part of an operation which is designed to certify the submarine and its crew.

"Vengeance and her crew were successfully tested and certified, allowing Vengeance to return into service. We have absolute confidence in our independent nuclear deterrent.

"We do not provide further details on submarine operations for obvious national security reasons."

What is Trident?

The Trident system was acquired by the Thatcher government in the early 1980s as a replacement for the Polaris missile system, which the UK had possessed since the 1960s.

Trident came into use in the 1990s. There are three parts to it - submarines, missiles and warheads. Although each component has years of use left, they cannot last indefinitely.

The current generation of four submarines would begin to end their working lives some time in the late 2020s.

[Guest Pistonbroke]

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-38710697

Theresa May says she "won't be afraid" to tell Donald Trump if he says or does anything she feels is "unacceptable".

The two will hold talks in the White House on Friday on issues such as trade and security, with the prime minister being the first foreign leader to meet the US president since he took office.

The "special relationship" between the two countries will enable her to raise difficult matters, she told the BBC.

The PM insisted she had a "strong track record" of defending women's rights.

Thousands of protesters took part in demonstrations on both sides of the Atlantic on Saturday, as part of an international campaign to highlight concerns over the president's views on gender and racial equality.

Mrs May told Andrew Marr she was looking forward to meeting Mr Trump for the first time in Washington and building on the strong relations of past UK and US leaders.

Asked whether she would raise some of the comments that Mr Trump had made about women and women's issues during the presidential campaign, she said: "I have already said that some of the comments Donald Trump has made in relation to women were unacceptable.

"Some of those he himself has apologised for."

Mrs May said she would be making a "big statement about the role of women" by meeting and negotiating with the US president on an equal footing.

Citing her work on introducing new laws around modern slavery and domestic violence, she said she had a record of defending women's interests while in power.

 

"I will be talking to Donald Trump about the issues we share and how we can build on the special relationship," she said.

"It is the special relationship that allows us to say when something is unacceptable.

"Whenever there is something I find unacceptable, I won't be afraid to say that to Donald Trump."

Asked what she thought about Mr Trump's inauguration speech, she said his vow to put America first was a "clear message" but all leaders prioritised their own nations' interests.

'Working together'

She said she was not overly alarmed by Mr Trump's protectionist rhetoric on trade, saying the US president had made it clear he wants a strong relationship with the UK and she expected to be able to raise the matter while in Washington.

"He and people around him have also spoken of the importance of a trade arrangement with the United Kingdom and that is something they are looking to talk to us about at an early stage.

"I would expect to be able to talk to him about that alongside the other issues I will be discussing with him when I am in Washington,"

She said the US and UK had a deep and broad-based relationship, spanning a range of shared interests and values.

She added: "There are issue that we will work on together in the future - the importance of Nato and defeating terrorism.

"These are issues where we share the challenges and see the threats, where we have worked together in the past and will do so in the future."

Mr Trump, whose mother was born in Scotland and who has extensive business interests there, has made no secret of his love for the United Kingdom.

He has also backed the UK's decision to leave the European Union, saying Brexit was a "smart" move.

Asked whether Mr Trump was likely to be granted a state visit to the UK later this year, Mrs May said she would be pleased to welcome him to the country, but invitations were strictly a matter for Buckingham Palace.

May 'fawning'

Meanwhile, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn urged Mrs May to criticise Mr Trump over his perceived misogyny and his pre-election call to ban Muslims entering the US.

He told Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday there was "no sign" of any special relationship in Mr Trump's inauguration speech

"It was quite the opposite. It was America first, America only, America inward-looking," he said.

"I would hope that when she meets Donald Trump she will, in no uncertain terms, tell him that his misogyny during the election campaign, the way in which he described Muslim people and others of different faiths, the way in which he proposes to build a wall between his country and Mexico, is simply not acceptable and not the right way of going forward."

Former SNP leader Alex Salmond told BBC Radio 5 live's Pienaar's Politics Mrs May appeared to be "fawning" in relation to the new Trump administration.

He said: "Theresa May has got herself into the position of rushing headlong into a special relationship with a president that has far more people demonstrating against him, regardless of what his press secretary says.

"This is a very difficult special relationship and it's a sign of the prime minister's desperation that she's going to put herself in this position."

 

[magicrat]

Did we buy our Trident on the cheap in a box with Korean writing on it ?

[cloggypop]

Could have gone in a few threads this. Stewart Lee on Gove and Trump.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/22/beyond-good-and-evil-with-gove-and-trump-interview-stewart-lee?CMP=share_btn_tw