Meanwhile the government continues to refuse to talk to the RCN and the nurses strike goes on.

Sunak & co maintain this is because the nurses are "being greedy". The bottom line though is that the nurses can't actually afford to live on basic pay. They had a choice, go on strike for better pay and conditions (something the RCN has never done ever) or leave to work abroad or in the private sector.

The latter choice would effectively end the NHS as it could no longer function without staff.

Let's be clear here - the Tories are doing their level best to shut down the NHS, no matter how many people it kills. They want an American style health service, because we can all see how well that works.

Spearthrower wrote:Greedy essential workers.

Indeed. Good enough to clap for, but not good enough to pay properly.

Though the ToryScum obviously don't have to worry about their medical needs, because they all have gold-plated private healthcare plans, and almost certainly claim "expenses" on those gold-plated private healthcare plans. Several of them are also almost certainly "non executive directors" on the boards of private healthcare companies, and get a privileged rate for being so.

Rishi Sunak isn't going to give a shit about whether the NHS is funded properly, as long as all he has to do to deal with even minor ailments, is whip out his platinum BUPA card and book himself into what is effectively a five-star hotel with added hospital beds.

I would even go so far, as to state that there is a prima facie case for banning politicians from having overclass private healthcare plans in the first place, and they should certainly be banned from sitting on the boards of private healthcare companies in any capacity.

Is it just me for whom the words "banker" and "ethics adviser" really don't go together?

Sir Laurie Magnus: Rishi Sunak appoints veteran banker as ethics chief (BBC)

Looks like Boris is now officially an "unperson": Boris Johnson erased from Grant Shapps spaceport picture (BBC)

Before:


After:


Will they do the same for his other pictures? If so Winston Smith has his work cut out for him.

So the ToryScum are now making history a looseleaf book, in a manner that would have made even Stalin blanch?

Nothing to see here, totally normal, nothing to look at...

Labour calls for Nadhim Zahawi to be sacked over tax claims (BBC)

The ex-chancellor has been under pressure over claims he tried to avoid tax and has now had to pay it back.

(The sum involved is trifling pocket change amounting to £4.8 million)

Rishi Sunak fined for not wearing seatbelt in back of car (BBC)

It is the second time Mr Sunak has received a fixed penalty notice while in government.

Last April, he was fined along with Boris Johnson and wife Carrie for breaking Covid lockdown rules - by attending a birthday gathering for the then-prime minister in Downing Street in June 2020.

(I find it weirdly amusing that the PM has more of a criminal record than I do, since I've never been in trouble with the police)

Nadhim Zahawi: Tax error was careless and not deliberate (BBC)

Tory Party Chairman Nadhim Zahawi says an error in his tax affairs was accepted by HMRC as having been "careless and not deliberate".

Obviously not in any way connected to the legal and political costs of prosecuting someone who can afford to "forget" to declare a £3.8 million tax liability that just happened to be squirreled away offshore.

Half a million quid to avoid jail? That'll do nicely sir.

Ah, how I laugh to remember the letters and threats I got over a £25 "underpayment"... (which ironically turned out not to be, but that's another story about us "poor" folk).

At this point he's just taking the piss.