大象传媒

ON A PAR?

An OBJECTIVE appraisal of the 'level' at which Westminster functions, reveals that the antics of Sally Bercow lie, seamlessly, along-side.

The only difference between them is that Westminster has woven an illusion of elevation - Emperor's New Clothes style - whereas Sally is - as they say - just Sally - down and flirty. What you get, is what you see.

Sally is really not a problem. BUT GOVERNANCE AT THAT LEVEL?

Nuff sed.

'Mrs Bercow has been unusually quiet'

By recollection, that may be more a matter of relative values, but OK.

However, good to see the 大象传媒 providing one of Aunty's favourite nieces that which she craves above all. 'Sisters, keep doing it...'

Sadly, again, this part of the world could have remained unadvised.

'Meanwhile, Sally Bercow has condemned the decision by the Parliamentary Bookshop, opposite the Commons, not to stock the recent biography of John Bercow by my sometime Newsnight colleague Bobby Friedman.'

Ah yes, a biography of John Bercow, right up there with those of Premiership footballers in their early twenties and Kerry Katona.

鈥淪ally Bercow, the wife of the Commons Speaker John Bercow, is touting round a novel she's written called Westminster Spouses.鈥�


Poor John Bercow - as if he didn鈥檛 have enough issues already!

"My guiding rule is that in any story there's usually something the politicians would prefer the world not to know."
MC

Just the opposite in this case, free publicity plug for the Bercows and your mate.

What about asking Bercow and the MPs about Section 554E(8) in the new Finance Bill going through Parliament, specifically exempting MPs and IPSA from the new anti-tax loophole legislation, if they're actually caught by it.

Quote:
"(8)Chapter 2 does not apply by reason of a relevant step taken by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority in relation to a member of the House of Commons."

Why are they exempt from legislation that applies to everyone else?
Michael? Is this something they'd 'prefer the world not to know'? Have you covered this yet?

I say again, rather than report on Sally Bercow's new 'novel', why not ask her husband about another work of dubious authorship, Section 554E(8) in the new Finance Bill? A piece of complex legislation designed in part to prevent tax avoidance through disguised renumeration for employers and employees alike.
MPs exempt, it appears.

Quote:
"(8)Chapter 2 does not apply by reason of a relevant step taken by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority in relation to a member of the House of Commons."

Any thoughts, Michael?

MODS, there's nothing contained here that isn't already in the public domain; the subject is relevant to Bercow's position and to any political journalist of integrity, one assumes.

IN THE LIGHT OF EXPERIENCE (#6)

Based on 11 months of enquiry, I can assert that the Westminster charade is protected by a matrix of carefully crafted 'regulation', that never quite nails malpractice. Further, any official body has a code of practice configured to the same end. The Advertising Standards Authority is SPECIFICALLY denied oversight of election literature.

'CORRUPTION' does not describe. The word implies something has been degraded from a higher state. NO. Westminster seems to be designed, from first 'principles', to be unprincipled. And I do not doubt that this is the root of the UNEARNED ubiquitous title: 'HONOURABLE'.

Almost as if to confirm my point, the EU parliament appears to have had corruption built-in from foundations up. Will their accounts ever be signed off? Does anyone care?

Nuff sed.

A better name for the book, if at all autobiographical, might have been Little and Large. Or perhaps even better, Belittled and Enlarged.

Bravo, Sally, keep it up girl...