Brexit and the waning days of the United Kingdom

[garbon]

With bike theft you've also got the added blow that you could be stealing someone's ability to make a living if they commute by bike.

And the tears for those having their car stolen?

Less common and usually more likely to see action. But still bad. And I don't see their relevance?

Sheilbh's graphic shows that charge rates for auto theft are far down.

And you made claim that bike theft was particularly bad with one stated reason that it could disrupt livelihoods. I wondered if you were equally concerned about car owners who had their livelihoods disrupted.

[Josquius]

With bike theft you've also got the added blow that you could be stealing someone's ability to make a living if they commute by bike.

And the tears for those having their car stolen?

Less common and usually more likely to see action. But still bad. And I don't see their relevance?

Sheilbh's graphic shows that charge rates for auto theft are far down.

And you made claim that bike theft was particularly bad with one stated reason that it could disrupt livelihoods. I wondered if you were equally concerned about car owners who had their livelihoods disrupted.

[garbon]

How rude.

[garbon]

No timeline now on when the potential "floating grenfell" will open for asylum seekers.

[Tamas]

No timeline now on when the potential "floating grenfell" will open for asylum seekers.

Wil be towed to London for rooms to be rented out a 600 per month, I am sure.

[Syt]

https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/sunaks-family-firm-signed-a-billion-dollar-deal-with-bp-before-pm-opened-new-north-sea-licences-353690/

Sunak's family firm signed a billion-dollar deal with BP before PM opened new North Sea licences

A firm founded by Rishi Sunak's father-in-law signed a billion-dollar deal with BP two months before the prime minister opened hundreds of new licences for oil and gas extraction in the North Sea.

In May, the Times of India reported that Infosys bagged a huge deal from the global energy company which is thought to be the second-largest in the history of the firm.

The Indian IT company is owned by the prime minister's wife's family although Sunak has insisted the matter is of "no legitimate public interest".

It has since come to light that the IT giant has been involved in £172 million worth of public sector contracts in the UK, and even the most innocent bystanders would admit that the current drive to increase oil and gas exploration in the North Sea is more than convenient.

What's more, it is made even more convenient by the fact that one of Infosys' other major clients is Shell, whose CEO joined Rishi Sunak's new business council two weeks ago and promised a "candid collaboration" with his government.

Sunak has insisted granting new oil and gas licences for the UK was "entirely consistent" with the UK commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

The PM said even then the UK would still need oil and gas for 25 per cent of its energy needs, with the PM saying he was seeking to "power Britain from Britain" rather than the UK "relying on foreign dictators" for its energy supplies.

Speaking about the need for oil and gas, the Prime Minister said: "If we're going to need it, far better to have it here at home rather than shipping it here from half way around the world with two, three, four times, the amount of carbon emissions versus the oil and gas we have here at home.

"So, it is entirely consistent with our plans to get to net zero."

But doubts have even been raised about those claims which are expertly set out by Ciaran Jenkins here:

https://twitter.com/Channel4News/status/1686078885056692233

[Josquius]

As if the lean into populist anti climate bollocks wasn't bad enough...

[Tamas]

It's ok, there's no corruption in Britain on that scale.

[Jacob]

It's ok, there's no corruption in Britain on that scale.

I'd say this has the appearance of major corruption and should be treated seriously.

[Josquius]

It's ok, there's no corruption in Britain on that scale.

I'm pretty sure you're referring to conversations from over a decade ago there.
As you know the UK has had a certain direction of travel this past 13 years.

[Jacob]

It's ok, there's no corruption in Britain on that scale.

I'm pretty sure you're referring to conversations from over a decade ago there.
As you know the UK has had a certain direction of travel this past 13 years.

Nah, we've had conversations since then. Tamas is referring to more recent stuff - probably within the last year.

[Gups]

It's ok, there's no corruption in Britain on that scale.

I'd say this has the appearance of major corruption and should be treated seriously.

Seriously? Seems weak as hell to me.

[Gups]

These are kind of questions I'd want to ask myself if I was a proper journalist before making insinuations of corruption or indeed, if I were a member of the public interested in the truth rather than reinforcing my own prejudices:

What was Sunak's position on the grant of licences up until this week's announcement?
When did BP start its procurement process
What kind of licences are these?
When will bid be invited for the licences?
Who will decide who are granted the licences and in particular is the prime minister likely to be involved?
Is Sunak likely to still be prime minister when the licences are granted?
What are the citeria for granting licences? For example are they purely money auctions?
What procurement rules are followed in considering applicants for licences?
How much are the oil exploration licences potentially worth to the winning bidder? What would that be as a precentage of BP's business assuming they won them all?

What are the details of the Infosys/BP deal?
Did Infosys/BP have an existing relationship or was it new?
How does BP procure major contracts and how did they procure this one?
Is there any evidence at all of any sort whatsoever of a link between the BP/Infosys and Sunak's announcement?

[Josquius]

These are kind of questions I'd want to ask myself if I was a proper journalist before making insinuations of corruption or indeed, if I were a member of the public interested in the truth rather than reinforcing my own prejudices:

What was Sunak's position on the grant of licences up until this week's announcement?
When did BP start its procurement process
What kind of licences are these?
When will bid be invited for the licences?
Who will decide who are granted the licences and in particular is the prime minister likely to be involved?
Is Sunak likely to still be prime minister when the licences are granted?
What are the citeria for granting licences? For example are they purely money auctions?
What procurement rules are followed in considering applicants for licences?
How much are the oil exploration licences potentially worth to the winning bidder? What would that be as a precentage of BP's business assuming they won them all?

What are the details of the Infosys/BP deal?
Did Infosys/BP have an existing relationship or was it new?
How does BP procure major contracts and how did they procure this one?
Is there any evidence at all of any sort whatsoever of a link between the BP/Infosys and Sunak's announcement?

I note the word corruption isn't mentioned in the article. This is where we're at right now- something has set off an alarm and it warrants a full investigation.
It is worth noting this isn't front page news which I'd hope it would be if it didn't pass the sniff test.

[Gups]

Yes. That's why a said "insinuation" rather than "allegation". Both Tamas and Jacob took the artcile has implying corruption as would any reasonable reader.

Agree, this doesn't appear to have got past an online news website (whcih I'd never head of before but looks pretty superficial). No reference to the "story" in either the Guardian or Times today as far as I can tell. These things take time though and possibly there are journalists researching the kind of questions I posed.