UK Politics Thread: Conservative Losses in Local Elections

[The Archregimancy]

It has emerged that the bank accounts of every single foreign embassy in London were closed around 2014-2015 due to money-laundering regulations. (There is no suggestion that any of the embassies were engaging in money laundering. The logjam ended when Patricia Scotland took the UK to task on this issue.) Not even the United States was immune and it was forced to negotiate with the founder of Metro Bank to secure continued access to UK banking.

Two thoughts on that:

1) In a perfect world, I would prefer to see a corroborating source in addition to the Express.

2) Assuming the Express reporting is accurate, the newspaper's attempt to directly connect an embassy banking issue apparently caused by rigid enforcement of money laundering regulations to the 'Nigel Farage de-banking scandal' is an embarrassment.

[Bahrimontagn]

It has emerged that the bank accounts of every single foreign embassy in London were closed around 2014-2015 due to money-laundering regulations. (There is no suggestion that any of the embassies were engaging in money laundering. The logjam ended when Patricia Scotland took the UK to task on this issue.) Not even the United States was immune and it was forced to negotiate with the founder of Metro Bank to secure continued access to UK banking.

The US Embassy having their back account shut down is hilarious.

[Fartsniffage]

It has emerged that the bank accounts of every single foreign embassy in London were closed around 2014-2015 due to money-laundering regulations. (There is no suggestion that any of the embassies were engaging in money laundering. The logjam ended when Patricia Scotland took the UK to task on this issue.) Not even the United States was immune and it was forced to negotiate with the founder of Metro Bank to secure continued access to UK banking.

Two thoughts on that:

1) In a perfect world, I would prefer to see a corroborating source in addition to the Express.

2) Assuming the Express reporting is accurate, the newspaper's attempt to directly connect an embassy banking issue apparently caused by rigid enforcement of money laundering regulations to the 'Nigel Farage de-banking scandal' is an embarrassment.

https://embassymagazine.com/banks-turn-backs-embassies/

HSBC may be taking extra caution after it was fined for money laundering in the US last year and in March this year it was hit with fresh claims of illegal activity in Argentina.

That fine was in 2012 so the dates broadly match. I mention that because the article is not dated.

And this shows that this isn't some great expose by the Express, this information has been available for years it's just that the rags didn't give a shit until dear Nigel was inconvenienced.

[The Archregimancy]

Two thoughts on that:

1) In a perfect world, I would prefer to see a corroborating source in addition to the Express.

2) Assuming the Express reporting is accurate, the newspaper's attempt to directly connect an embassy banking issue apparently caused by rigid enforcement of money laundering regulations to the 'Nigel Farage de-banking scandal' is an embarrassment.

https://embassymagazine.com/banks-turn-backs-embassies/

HSBC may be taking extra caution after it was fined for money laundering in the US last year and in March this year it was hit with fresh claims of illegal activity in Argentina.

That fine was in 2012 so the dates broadly match. I mention that because the article is not dated.

And this shows that this isn't some great expose by the Express, this information has been available for years it's just that the rags didn't give a shit until dear Nigel was inconvenienced.

Thank you for the extra context link, which only serves to emphasise - as you note - that this has absolutely nothing to do with what the Express calls the 'Nigel Farage de-banking scandal'. My opinion that they should be embarrassed at even making an attempt to connect the two stands, but I very much doubt they will be.

[Ostroeuropa]

It has emerged that the bank accounts of every single foreign embassy in London were closed around 2014-2015 due to money-laundering regulations. (There is no suggestion that any of the embassies were engaging in money laundering. The logjam ended when Patricia Scotland took the UK to task on this issue.) Not even the United States was immune and it was forced to negotiate with the founder of Metro Bank to secure continued access to UK banking.

Two thoughts on that:

1) In a perfect world, I would prefer to see a corroborating source in addition to the Express.

2) Assuming the Express reporting is accurate, the newspaper's attempt to directly connect an embassy banking issue apparently caused by rigid enforcement of money laundering regulations to the 'Nigel Farage de-banking scandal' is an embarrassment.

Surely the connection there is that it forces people to admit the regulations are too extreme and generate conspicuous false positives, or forces people whom the express probably believes are acting in bad faith by defending Farage's debanking to bite the bullet and start defending debanking the entire diplomatic community.

Forms part of a two-pronged attack;

1. The regulation is idiotic and this doesn't prove anything about Farage, only that government interference in the financial sector is overreaching and terrible. (Which it is. It's one of the reasons people who rent can't get loans for housing, despite demonstrating they can pay rent on time for decades. It's an idiotic decision because it's not made based on profitability, but on regulatory demand. A severe regulatory overcorrection from the sub-prime mortgage crisis.).

2. The debanking was a political decision, not anything to do with anything else.

We might think that these are contradictory. And they sort of are. But you could thread the needle by suggesting that the banks are, in effect, just straight up not enforcing the law, then enforcing it selectively and saying "Well he broke this law, rules are rules" like a black code regime targeting anybody the elites don't like. Because attempting to actually enforce such an idiotic law leads to basically everyone being debanked.

"In 1893, Billy Bigballs, newly appointed Sheriff of Klantown Alabama, arrested the entire town under regulation 3.3-A, until the Governor pulled him aside for a quiet chat.".

"I don't see how this is relevant to black people claiming this conspiracy stuff about a Black Code. Tyrone was arrested in 1894, in Pleasantville Mississipi, under 3.3-A. Totally different.".

It's very relevant if you're attempting to point out that Farage's crime was "Banking while Black", not anything he actually did, but rather, simply his status as a political enemy of the regime.

It also ties in to; the;

"Well we have several witnesses who say they were heard the cops sat around the Sheriffs office whining about Tyrones love of watermelons the day of the arrest. And sure, they sent eachother letters decrying him as a subhuman. But that doesn't prove that's why they did it. They told the court they arrested him for 3.3.A" levels of denial from the left over this and why the right is justified in their criticism and concern.

[Philjia]

I am never not fascinated by a certain perspective I see from a certain kind of left wing person that a great bulk of present government policy could simply be reversed on day one of the Tories being ousted from power, as if the civil service is in fact staffed by omnipotent gnomes and not overworked and depressed white-collar workers.

[Ifreann]

I am never not fascinated by a certain perspective I see from a certain kind of left wing person that a great bulk of present government policy could simply be reversed on day one of the Tories being ousted from power, as if the civil service is in fact staffed by omnipotent gnomes and not overworked and depressed white-collar workers.

The finer points of the challenges involved in reversing Tory policy seem a bit irrelevant in light of the fact that Labour don't seem to want to reverse Tory policy.

[Philjia]

I am never not fascinated by a certain perspective I see from a certain kind of left wing person that a great bulk of present government policy could simply be reversed on day one of the Tories being ousted from power, as if the civil service is in fact staffed by omnipotent gnomes and not overworked and depressed white-collar workers.

The finer points of the challenges involved in reversing Tory policy seem a bit irrelevant in light of the fact that Labour don't seem to want to reverse Tory policy.

Not nearly enough of it no, but then you have Stephen Kinnock saying that asylum seekers may need to be kept on the barges in the short term under Labour because the whole system's in shambles and it will take time to straighten out, and some people taking that as Labour fully endorsing the policy of keeping them on the barges.

[Ifreann]

The finer points of the challenges involved in reversing Tory policy seem a bit irrelevant in light of the fact that Labour don't seem to want to reverse Tory policy.

Not nearly enough of it no, but then you have Stephen Kinnock saying that asylum seekers may need to be kept on the barges in the short term under Labour because the whole system's in shambles and it will take time to straighten out, and some people taking that as Labour fully endorsing the policy of keeping them on the barges.

Shouldn't need to straighten out the whole system before arranging alternative accommodations. I trust there are still hotels in Britain.

[Ostroeuropa]

Not nearly enough of it no, but then you have Stephen Kinnock saying that asylum seekers may need to be kept on the barges in the short term under Labour because the whole system's in shambles and it will take time to straighten out, and some people taking that as Labour fully endorsing the policy of keeping them on the barges.

Shouldn't need to straighten out the whole system before arranging alternative accommodations. I trust there are still hotels in Britain.

Yes i'm sure starting off by spending money on putting immigrants in hotels will do wonders for race relations in the UK in the context of Labour also announcing they don't have enough money to fix all the problems the Tories have caused.

I can see it now.

"Labour won't give you welfare for the offspring of your rapist, but they'll pay for his 5 star hotel.".


"And then, for no reason at all..."

BNP Numbers:

1997: 35,181
2001: 46,851
2005: 189,570
2010: 563,743
2015: 1,667
2016: BNP goes bankrupt.

Hmm. I wonder what happened between 2010 and 2015...

Woops! Forgot the Kipper numbers!

1997: 105,772
2001: 390,563
2005: 603,298
2010: 919,546
2015: 3,881,099 (12%!)
2016: Brexit referendum
2017: 593,852
2019: 22,817


Ahh well. I'm sure it's fine Ifreann. No chances of something like that happening again.

Hows Refuk doing in the polls?

[Forsher]

I am never not fascinated by a certain perspective I see from a certain kind of left wing person that a great bulk of present government policy could simply be reversed on day one of the Tories being ousted from power, as if the civil service is in fact staffed by omnipotent gnomes and not overworked and depressed white-collar workers.

Huh. This reminds me enormously of something I read a few hours ago about our Labour, who have decided to do an insanely pointless, enormously expensive six lane (three each way) undersea motorway:

“At the very least, they should have prioritised the light rail tunnel first. That would alleviate congestion and then would make planning for the roads clearer [with regard to] exactly what the required demand is.”

“Frankly, during the climate crisis, it’s a bit bonkers to be building more roads.”

He claimed this Government had a tendency to “acquiesce” to Waka Kotahi by accepting the most “gold-plated, most expensive, massively over-engineered solutions”.

“It’s one of the reasons why the light rail project in Auckland hasn’t gotten off the ground so far: because [Waka Kotahi] can just make them bigger and more expensive and more unworkable plans.”

Waka Kotahi is the agency formerly known as the New Zealand Transport Agency and the man speaking is a minister from a coalition party.

Which is to say... to a certain extent it's not necessarily that the civil servants are omnipotent (or even that Labour has bad policies itself), it can be that the civil servants are actively working against the government in service of their own... dammit I know there's a phrase for this but I can't remember it... personal principalities. I feel like there was a TV show that touched on this.*

*If anyone wants a TV show about civil servants who aren't self-interested but struggle under the crushing burden of their non-omnipotence and right-wing political masters, try Utopia (the Australian one).

[Ostroeuropa]

I am never not fascinated by a certain perspective I see from a certain kind of left wing person that a great bulk of present government policy could simply be reversed on day one of the Tories being ousted from power, as if the civil service is in fact staffed by omnipotent gnomes and not overworked and depressed white-collar workers.

Huh. This reminds me enormously of something I read a few hours ago about our Labour, who have decided to do an insanely pointless, enormously expensive six lane (three each way) undersea motorway:

“At the very least, they should have prioritised the light rail tunnel first. That would alleviate congestion and then would make planning for the roads clearer [with regard to] exactly what the required demand is.”

“Frankly, during the climate crisis, it’s a bit bonkers to be building more roads.”

He claimed this Government had a tendency to “acquiesce” to Waka Kotahi by accepting the most “gold-plated, most expensive, massively over-engineered solutions”.

“It’s one of the reasons why the light rail project in Auckland hasn’t gotten off the ground so far: because [Waka Kotahi] can just make them bigger and more expensive and more unworkable plans.”

Waka Kotahi is the agency formerly known as the New Zealand Transport Agency and the man speaking is a minister from a coalition party.

Which is to say... to a certain extent it's not necessarily that the civil servants are omnipotent (or even that Labour has bad policies itself), it can be that the civil servants are actively working against the government in service of their own... dammit I know there's a phrase for this but I can't remember it... personal principalities. I feel like there was a TV show that touched on this.*

*If anyone wants a TV show about civil servants who aren't self-interested but struggle under the crushing burden of their non-omnipotence and right-wing political masters, try Utopia (the Australian one).

Principal-Agent dilemma?

[Forsher]

Huh. This reminds me enormously of something I read a few hours ago about our Labour, who have decided to do an insanely pointless, enormously expensive six lane (three each way) undersea motorway:

“At the very least, they should have prioritised the light rail tunnel first. That would alleviate congestion and then would make planning for the roads clearer [with regard to] exactly what the required demand is.”

“Frankly, during the climate crisis, it’s a bit bonkers to be building more roads.”

He claimed this Government had a tendency to “acquiesce” to Waka Kotahi by accepting the most “gold-plated, most expensive, massively over-engineered solutions”.

“It’s one of the reasons why the light rail project in Auckland hasn’t gotten off the ground so far: because [Waka Kotahi] can just make them bigger and more expensive and more unworkable plans.”

Waka Kotahi is the agency formerly known as the New Zealand Transport Agency and the man speaking is a minister from a coalition party.

Which is to say... to a certain extent it's not necessarily that the civil servants are omnipotent (or even that Labour has bad policies itself), it can be that the civil servants are actively working against the government in service of their own... dammit I know there's a phrase for this but I can't remember it... personal principalities. I feel like there was a TV show that touched on this.*

*If anyone wants a TV show about civil servants who aren't self-interested but struggle under the crushing burden of their non-omnipotence and right-wing political masters, try Utopia (the Australian one).

Principal-Agent dilemma?

That's definitely something people who use the phrase I'm trying to think of care a lot about and also cite but it's a "witty" phrase. Maybe it's just private kingdoms? The sentiment is more trying to conjure the imagery of petty tyrants pursuing their own agendas, rather than coming up with a dry academic description of some of the dynamics that enable that kind of person to exist.

[Minoa]

Source: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... ER_NRR.pdf, page 142

Unfortunately, there is no guidance on how to respond to an Aurora Borealis that's localised entirely in someone's kitchen.

And I think I know the reason why there is no section for a total nuclear war: the survivors will likely envy the dead. Just like me actually wishing that I died from COVID-19 rather than to see the world fall apart further into war, hatred and extremism.

[Kerwa]

Principal-Agent dilemma?

That's definitely something people who use the phrase I'm trying to think of care a lot about and also cite but it's a "witty" phrase. Maybe it's just private kingdoms? The sentiment is more trying to conjure the imagery of petty tyrants pursuing their own agendas, rather than coming up with a dry academic description of some of the dynamics that enable that kind of person to exist.

Empire building?

[Tinhampton]

For more than a year until last October, hackers were able to access the name and address of everybody who was registered to vote after 2014

[The Huskar Social Union]

*Cries in Northern Irish*

[Ifreann]

*Cries in Northern Irish*

£6.9 million, nice.

[The Huskar Social Union]

*Cries in Northern Irish*

£6.9 million, nice.

Let it cool

Just cool

Into the back account

*Click*

N i c e.

[Forsher]

For more than a year until last October, hackers were able to access the name and address of everybody who was registered to vote after 2014

We literally keep this information in publicly accessible books in libraries in NZ. I mean, the scale and ease of use of the data is enormously different but...

[Tinhampton]

For more than a year until last October, hackers were able to access the name and address of everybody who was registered to vote after 2014

We literally keep this information in publicly accessible books in libraries in NZ. I mean, the scale and ease of use of the data is enormously different but...

The UK has two registers. The open register was always public but not everyone's there. The electoral register that includes everyone is supposed to be private and only accessible by select groups such as campaigners.

[The Archregimancy]

*Cries in Northern Irish*

I wish to declare my intention to run for the Northern Ireland Assembly at the next election. I would prefer to run for Alliance, the SDLP, or the UUP, but I'm open to offers.

The pay is attractive, and the current workload seems compatible with my continuing to perform my current professional role in Great Britain.

[The Huskar Social Union]

Catastrophic PSNI blunder identifies every serving police officer and civilian staff with 345,000 pieces of data, prompting security nightmare

The PSNI is tonight desperately attempting to contact its officers after a massive police data breach meant the force mistakenly published the names, ranks, locations and other personal data of every serving police officer and many civilian employees.
The data from the PSNI’s ultra-confidential human resources system is a gold mine for terrorists, offering details of officers working in intelligence and other highly sensitive areas.

The material was wrongly published on the internet today by the PSNI in what appears to be human error involving spreadsheet fields.

The spreadsheet in question contained standard statistical information on the strength of the PSNI, with details of how many officers it has at each rank.

However, a second tab in the spreadsheet contained tens of thousands of entries in relation to more than 10,000 individuals.

The spreadsheet, which has been seen by the Belfast Telegraph after we were alerted to it by a relative of a serving officer, includes each officer’s service number, their status, their gender, their contract type, their last name and initials, details of how much of the week they work, and their rank.

When contacted by this newspaper, the PSNI was already aware of the problem.

The database includes the location where each individual is based (but not their home address), their duty type (from chief constable to detective, intelligence officer and so on), details of their unit (such as the anti-corruption unit or the vetting department), their branch and department, and other technical information about their employment.

There are 10,799 entries in the database. There are 9,276 police officers and police staff. It is not yet clear if the additional entries relate to employees with different contracts or are duplicate entries.

The data has been removed from the internet, but it is not yet clear how long it was available online.

It is understood an email has been sent to PSNI staff advising them not to forward links to the data breach and to delete them immediately.

The email also confirmed a “Gold Group” has been convened by Assistant Chief Constable (ACC) Chris Todd to respond to the incident.

=CONTINUES=

The PSNI just accidentally released information on every single one of their officers, support staff and even some civilians that work with them. What area they are based in, their name, their rank, what type of work they did, id numbers etc

Jesus fucking christ

[Fartsniffage]

Catastrophic PSNI blunder identifies every serving police officer and civilian staff with 345,000 pieces of data, prompting security nightmare

The PSNI is tonight desperately attempting to contact its officers after a massive police data breach meant the force mistakenly published the names, ranks, locations and other personal data of every serving police officer and many civilian employees.
The data from the PSNI’s ultra-confidential human resources system is a gold mine for terrorists, offering details of officers working in intelligence and other highly sensitive areas.

The material was wrongly published on the internet today by the PSNI in what appears to be human error involving spreadsheet fields.

The spreadsheet in question contained standard statistical information on the strength of the PSNI, with details of how many officers it has at each rank.

However, a second tab in the spreadsheet contained tens of thousands of entries in relation to more than 10,000 individuals.

The spreadsheet, which has been seen by the Belfast Telegraph after we were alerted to it by a relative of a serving officer, includes each officer’s service number, their status, their gender, their contract type, their last name and initials, details of how much of the week they work, and their rank.

When contacted by this newspaper, the PSNI was already aware of the problem.

The database includes the location where each individual is based (but not their home address), their duty type (from chief constable to detective, intelligence officer and so on), details of their unit (such as the anti-corruption unit or the vetting department), their branch and department, and other technical information about their employment.

There are 10,799 entries in the database. There are 9,276 police officers and police staff. It is not yet clear if the additional entries relate to employees with different contracts or are duplicate entries.

The data has been removed from the internet, but it is not yet clear how long it was available online.

It is understood an email has been sent to PSNI staff advising them not to forward links to the data breach and to delete them immediately.

The email also confirmed a “Gold Group” has been convened by Assistant Chief Constable (ACC) Chris Todd to respond to the incident.

=CONTINUES=

The PSNI just accidentally released information on every single one of their officers, support staff and even some civilians that work with them. What area they are based in, their name, their rank, what type of work they did, id numbers etc

Jesus fucking christ

Would that sort of information not be available through a freedom of information request? None of it seems super confidential.

[The Huskar Social Union]

Catastrophic PSNI blunder identifies every serving police officer and civilian staff with 345,000 pieces of data, prompting security nightmare

The PSNI just accidentally released information on every single one of their officers, support staff and even some civilians that work with them. What area they are based in, their name, their rank, what type of work they did, id numbers etc

Jesus fucking christ

Would that sort of information not be available through a freedom of information request? None of it seems super confidential.

Dont know honestly