So... here we are on 1st February… Obama installed in The White House, The Prime Mentalist yet to have his first Obamagasm, the financial world crumbling about our ears…. and our non-elected Peers are dipping their snouts in whatever troughs they can find – apparently and allegedly. The News of The World continues the fun started by The Sunday Times last week with the wonderful headline…
Peer’s £600k secret payout
Greed in ermine: Fugitive Russian has a Lord on the payroll
The News of The World reports: “A TOP Labour Lord has secretly banked more than £600,000 from a company owned by a Russian oligarch wanted by the Kremlin. The News of the World can reveal that Lord MacKenzie of Framwellgate — who was linked with a prostitute in 2003 — was paid £616,000 by Inter TV.”
The story is worth reading.. usual smut and dark dealings, oligarchs fleeing Russia after upsetting Putin… the usual guff. The NOTW reports, also, that fellow Labour peer Lord Cunningham (Formerly Jack CunningBastard MP – a Private Eye soubriquet, I understand) will also face questions over his links with outside groups. NOTW notes…“The House of Lords is reeling after four Labour peers were accused of offering to help change laws in exchange for cash…”
Lord Truscott, Lord Taylor, Lord Moonie and Lord Snape discussed helping to secure amendments with undercover reporters posing as lobbyists. A House of Lords investigation has been launched. All four deny wrongdoing.
The News of The World then gives Lord Carey, a former Archbishop of Canterbury, a man who presided over yet another surreal institution, the oportunity to do a bit of moralising (as it happens from Davos in Swittzerland where he just happens to be attending the World Economic Forum where the theme is the “post-crisis world”.
I have absolutely no idea what an Archbishop can contribute to a World Economic Forum after a career devoted to praying to a probably non existent entity and quaffing communion wine each Sunday… but there we are… he is in Davos, Switzerland and he is speaking to you… the people of Britain… in the News of The World. Not even Moses managed Davos in Switzerland.
It is too early for me to hit the juice… so I shall have breakfast and compose Postcard from London 2 later in the day… Have a good Sunday… mind how you go and…. if you see a member of The House of Lords… JUST SAY “NO”!
***
Wikipedia notes: ” Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate (an ex-copper) : “In March 2003, while chairman of the Lords Home Affairs Committee and having spoken out against prostitution and drugs, he was forced to apologise to the House after a newspaper published claims that he had sex with an Algerian prostitute who worked as a barmaid in the House of Commons – Mackenzie denied having sex with the girl, but accepted he had brought the House in disrepute.[1]”
Sir,
It was with some considerable concern that I read your column this morning. I would like to make it plain that in no way, shape or form, are we.. the Ba’stard family, connected to this Jack CunningBastard MP person.
One must think of standards, and being linked to such a chappie as this, could cause undue attention and blacken the families good standing amongst the noble community here.
I shall be contacting my solicitor first thing tomorrow morning for advice. What time will you be in?
your’s in indignation,
James Ba’stard Esq
Good Morning Lord Ba’Stard…
I’m sorry that you were not in the House earlier in the week when largesse was being chucked about and missed out on the gravy. These things happen.
As I understand it, damages for defamation may well be tax free. This could be advantageous to both of us if we sue each other. Let your solicitor know that I’ll be ite and abite at 10.00 pm tomorrow… after that… cash waits for no man… I’ll be sitting somewhere in Westminster waiting for oligarchs to come running.
Yours
Charon
PS… Luncheon at my club next week… Spearmint Rhino, Tottenham Court Road. 1.00 suit you?
C
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Sir,
One will have to decline the kind offer of luncheon at your rather provocative choice of venue until after next week.
Two reasons. Firstly, one cannot decide on which tie would be more suitable for the venue in question.
It is a thankless task trying to decide between the MCC or the Homer Simpson.
Both go well with my best worsted wollen suit, but one is still unsure of the protocol in ‘up and coming’ Tottenham and would hate to offend.
Secondly, one is currently on secondment up in snowy Inverness and unlikely to find several Huskies at such short notice to return me back to civilisation in time.
If I am unable to return from this latest expedition within ‘incest city’, you may of course keep my Victorian clay pipe collection and the 24 volumes of ‘The History of Industrial Sewers 1923 – 1947.’
kind regards,
James.
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