Good news: Larry is fine!

 

Let’s start this morning with some really good news which I deem to be more important than the rest of the usual garbage:  Larry the Cat, our Chief Mouser, is ‘feline purrfect’ and fit as a fiddle, having been seen by a vet (link). Phew. Keep going, Larry, 15 years is no age for a cat!

And now to the rest, beginning with the compilation of the front pages of the print media (link). I note that The Times is stepping out of line in regard to what the rest of the MSM deem ‘’important”: the economy (it’s going to get better – next year) and the scandalous profits made by Shell and BP.

However, all these issues are too brainy for us plebs and so we’re given a beautiful story about a Chinese ‘spy balloon’ currently drifting across the USA. You can read the whole thing in the DM which ain’t paywalled (link). At the time of writing there are three (!) articles on the frontpage of the online DT on this balloon. Of course, The Times also has a report, quoting a Pentagon spokesman, a Brigadier General even, who said that (this and following emphases are mine:

“The balloon is currently travelling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground. We are confident that this high-altitude surveillance balloon belongs to the [People’s Republic of China],” […] “Instances of this activity have been observed over the past several years, including prior to this administration.” (link, paywalled)

Firstly, I am appalled to see the latest ‘fashion’ of using ‘prior to’ instead of ‘before’ or ‘earlier’. This ‘usage’ is sadly becoming widespread over here as well. It doesn’t make users look clever or ‘modern’ – it’s just dumb.

Back to the balloon: why, if such ‘balloon incidents’ are  apparently not unknown, has this become ‘a story’? Is it because some in the US government are trying to scupper  the US Foreign Secretary’s planned visit to China and are trying to use the US MSM to achieve this, with the help of their MSM?

Closer to home we find that a certain paper is also trying to do ‘their bit’ to destroy a minister and perhaps even the top mandarin. It’s The Times’ , with their leading article, headlined “Dominic Raab: Simon Case ‘was told of bullying before Sunak brought minister back’” (link, paywalled). Taking a closer look there’s a strange omission:

“The cabinet secretary [Simon Case] was personally informed of a written complaint against Dominic Raab months before Rishi Sunak reappointed him as justice secretary, The Times has been told. […] An inquiry into Raab’s behaviour has been told that the deputy prime minister had to be spoken to about his behaviour towards officials last spring, when Boris Johnson was prime minister, and that Britain’s top civil servant was made aware.” (link, paywalled)

Interesting, isn’t it, that we aren’t told who ‘told’ The times. Usually, they hide such gossip behind the formula of ‘senior Whitehall’ or ‘Downing Street’ sources … There’s more:

“In addition, The Times understands that dozens of civil servants have submitted written statements in support of Raab’s accusers, saying that while they were not personally bullied they saw it happening to their colleagues. It will raise further questions about Sunak’s defence that he was not aware of any “formal complaint” against Raab when bringing him back into government, as well as whether and how Case raised the matter with the prime minister.’ (link, paywalled)

Note that Simon Case is mentioned repeatedly, note the expression of ‘being made aware’, stuck to both Case and Sunak. After writing that Raab denies these claims and that Sunak instituted an investigation now that he’s been ‘made aware’, there’s this:

“However, officials have told Adam Tolley, the KC leading an inquiry into Raab’s conduct, that they believe No 10 was aware of a written complaint last summer. A group of mid-ranking civil servants at the MoJ complained in March last year that Raab had created a “perverse culture of fear”, with officials visiting their GPs over stress.” (link, paywalled)

I note that we’re given a name, that of theKC ‘leading’ the inquiry. Then I note that it’s ‘mid-ranking’ civil serpents complaining: they are generally not in contact with their minister, it’s their superiors, the department’s mandarins who are. Why are those mandarins not in the firing line? Furthermore, how come these ‘mid-ranking’ civil serpents became so scared when presumably they, like most of Whitehall, were WFH? And never mind marvelling that they were actually able to ‘see their GPs … Finally see this:

“Sunak set up the inquiry when only two formal complaints had been submitted against Raab, one of them from his time at the Foreign Office, but the number has swollen, with Tolley thought to have interviewed about 40 officials, most of whom have made formal complaints. So many officials came forward in the MoJ that a “triage process” had to be set up to filter those who wanted personal help from those making formal complaints and those who wanted to act as witnesses.” (link, paywalled)

Crikey – what hell the DoJ must be! Or do we in fact see a concerted campaign, where we might assume that certain protagonists are telling The Times these ‘facts’ in a way that they can deny they’ve been doing so? I’m wondering about yon KC … and I wonder why a certain Mr Penman, the Civil service Trade Union boss, is also spilling the beans, especially when I saw this:

“Dave Penman, head of the FDA union, told Sky News: “I’ve spoken to people who are civil servants working and have worked for Dominic Raab, who have suffered mental health crises, have lost their careers essentially because they’ve had to move and change jobs.” (link, paywalled)

When will we read about other departments where mid-ranking civil serpents live in fear because of ‘Toree bosses’? I believe one can make a case that Whitehall is using The Times to run a campaign to get rid of Raab. Wasn’t The Times the main protagonist in the tarring and feathering of a certain Mr Cummings?

In the coming days and weeks I expect more stories about ‘Tory misdeeds’ coming out, in support of the demand for ‘regime change’, for a Labour government. There’s always the NHS and ‘Toree cuts’, to which the Armed Forces are now added, with a report in the DM that “we” only have ammunition for one day in case of a war against Russia – all because of ‘cuts’ (link). Since we’ve had a Tory government since 2010, these cuts are of course ‘Toree cuts’.

I wonder when we’ll hear the first grumbles about the ‘Toree policy’ of supporting the Ukraine, leading to empty ammunition depots. It would be a larf if Labour were to stop such support, thereby clearly showing their true colours as ‘Putin lovers’ … Stranger things have happened.

That’s all I have for today. The Six Nations kick off tomorrow so we’ll soon know if wokeism will affect the singing of Welsh fans. I wonder if the singing of ‘Bread of Heaven’ will be banned next “because: religion!”. Also, isn’t ‘Men of Harlech’, ahem, somewhat racist? And what about ‘Swing low sweet chariot’? Slavery, innit, and ‘cultural appropriation’! Best stop singing altogether, everywhere. Have a good day.



Print Friendly, PDF & Email