Dear All
Recently the UK Government led David Cameron announced that Michelle
Mone was to be made a peer, my first thought was why?
To me, people should only be made peers because they have
enhanced and brought value to the country and in that scenario would also be of
valuable in the House of Lords.
After it came to pass, that she was getting a peerage, the
next thing to come down the track was that David Cameron was to appoint her as
Britain’s new business start-up czar.
Just as it was a mistake in my mind to elevate her to the
Lords, it was also a mistake to appoint her a business start-up czar.
Reality seemed to have given away to hype and spin.
It now comes to pass that Michelle Mone avoided paying tax
using a scheme of the kind branded "morally repugnant" by Chancellor
George Osborne.
Does this show that entry to the House of Lords appears to
be rather slack and lacking proper scrutiny?
I would suggest yes, although there is talk about House of Lords
reform, the most is most about abolishment or full elected. I don’t favour either,
yesterday I did a piece on the SNP cronyism row in which an SNP MSP candidate, Jennifer
Dempsie, a former SNP special adviser, former SNP employee and the partner of
an SNP MP Angus Robertson arranged a meeting for private company who got £150,000
of tax payers cash.
Ex Leader Gordon Wilson is saying:
“A Party’s reputation is more easily lost than gained. The
Jennifer Dempsie case serves as a useful lesson. The SNP should toughen up on
relationships of Ministers, MSPs, MPs and MEPs with all lobbyists;
regardless of their affiliations. This is all the more important given the new
prominence of the Party at Holyrood and Westminster and its access to
patronage. The Party’s Code of Conduct should be reviewed at the highest level.
As for Jennifer Dempsie, she has personally lost credibility. The
National Executive Committee has power to refer back candidates for
re-interview by its Election Committee without prejudice. The reputation of the
Party is more important than the ambitions of an individual. But this is in her
interests as much as those of the Party as it will allow her to state her case.”
Anyone think that Jennifer Dempsie is fit to be in the House
of Lords?
I don’t, I also don’t think she fit to be an MSP but because
of the corrupt list system employed by Holyrood, she if selected stands a good
chance of being a law maker.
Oh and yet again, someone in a relationship with a senior
SNP member is passed as a candidate.
Check this out on cronyism in the SNP; it is the tip of the
iceberg.
The political system in Britain and Scotland is broken.
Back to Mone, when she was appointed a business czar, this
wasn’t welcomed by business leaders.
Douglas Anderson of GAP Group doesn’t believe in her
suitability for this role.
He said:
"There is no way she is qualified to advise anybody on
setting up a profitable business, because, quite simply, she hasn’t."
The GAP Group do plant hire to the construction trade, and
they run a slick operation from what I have read and seen.
As well as not backing her to be Czar; Anderson has written
to David Cameron warning him against given Ms Mone a peerage.
I agree as well as the flak currently flying around at the
moment, she is too young and inexperienced to be admitted to the Lords.
Senior Scottish Conservatives are also unhappy, no one gave
them a heads up to made their feelings know, and in they have expressed private
concern.
So, both business and the Scottish Conservatives aren’t in
favour.
Work and Pensions Minister Ian Duncan Smith said he could
think of "no-one better qualified to help young entrepreneurs from
deprived backgrounds" than Ms Mone, who is not being paid for her work.
Although not paid, there are other tangible benefits to be
gain like access to Ministers and networking opportunities. I would say that re
Work and Pensions Minister Ian Duncan Smith, he has done a lot of damage
through bad judgement in his portfolio, so I don’t take his endorsement
seriously.
Neil Findlay MSP said:
"Appointing Michelle Mone, a person who has been
involved in the bugging of her employees and has used EBTs, as Britain’s
start-up czar is like appointing Donald Trump to the diplomatic corp."
There was a time when people appointed to the House of Lords
were above reproach, it seems these days are long gone. Although no one is
perfect, I subject people still feel that the House of Lords is a valuable part
of the UK’s democratic process holding the Westminster Government to account.
Michelle Mone hasn’t proven she would enhance the status of
the House of Lords, as such, I agree with many that her appointment to that
body has been done in haste and should be looked at again.
When a mistake is made in politics, there is no point in
compounding it.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
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