Thursday, August 13, 2015

House of Lords, it is a mistake to appoint Michelle Mone to the Lords, and it is a mistake to make her the new Tory business start-up czar, when a mistake is made in politics, there is no point in compounding it, given the publicity already it seems that both these mistakes will be pushed through as a face saving exercise for the UK Government, the Lords need a better vetting system to protect its status and reputation

















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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