Dinner with David Cameron[ch8207]

#1

Via the 38 degrees team.........

Yesterday, we got yet another glimpse of how corrupt our political system is. The co-treasurer of the Conservatives was filmed giving a rare honest account of how lobbying can work. Donate enough money and you get to have dinner with the Prime Minister.[1]

That’s probably not most people’s idea of a great night out, but the Tory treasurer was in no doubt it would pay off. "It'll be awesome for your business", he said.

A ban on secret lobbying would help weed out this kind of sleaze. New rules could force politicians to reveal who they’re meeting and what they talked about. That's why 38 Degrees members have been campaigning to bring in these rules for ages.

After the MP expenses scandal, public pressure pushed all the parties to make big promises about tackling lobbying. But now it’s time to write the new rules, Cameron has come up with weak rules that won’t solve the problem.[2]

If we speak up together now, we can push him to go much further and bring in a real ban, not just a token gesture. Can you take 30 seconds to sign a petition demanding a ban on secret lobbying?
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/stop-secret-lobbying

We know David Cameron is worried about public anger about secret lobbying. Back when a Labour government was the main culprit, he described it as a "scandal waiting to happen".[3] Now it's his own reputation on the line. A big petition will show him that the anger will just keep on growing if he doesn't introduce a proper legal ban.

38 Degrees members have voted to make it a priority to ban secret lobbying because we know the harm it does on other issues we care about. How many secret dinners with private health lobbyists did Cameron have whilst pushing through his NHS changes?

Help stop the rich and powerful whispering in the ears of MPs who are meant to be working for us – add your name to the petition now:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/stop-secret-lobbying

Thanks for being involved,

Marie, Hannah, Becky, David, James, Cian and the 38 Degrees team

PS: At the moment, David Cameron is proposing a "register of lobbyists" which wouldn't cover most lobbyists, and wouldn't include information on what they were lobbying about or how much they were spending. That's not good enough! Let's up the pressure for a real ban - sign the petition now:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/stop-secret-lobbying

NOTES
[1] Daily Mail: It'll be awesome for your business: Tory treasurer told donors they could have access to PM and influence policy http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... policy.htm
[2] Telegraph: The MPs expenses scandal http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstop ... -expenses/
[3] Telegraph: How David Cameron predicted the lobbying scandal which now engulfs him http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politic ... s-him.html

#2

Not to mention the 'inhouse' whitewash enquiry/investigation that's been announced

joffmiester · #3

wouldn't pay to eat with any of them TK its all greed no matter who they are

#4

Its all coming home to roost for the Conservative party after only less than 2 years in power ...... those that remember how corupt they were last time they were in power knew only too well how it would pan out this time ....... it hasnt took long has it even with murdoch and his media empire proping them up 24/7

Glad to see Ed Miliband has finaly found some politcal balls ..... it has took a while !

#5

lets see if he shows them balls when the tanker drivers union strikes, after all they are they are one of labours biggest donors. there just as bad as the condems.

#6

They reckon (consumer analysts) petrol will be £1.70 a litre in august after the governments fuel tax kicks in ......

are people happy with that aswell ?

joffmiester · #7

labour will be just the same its the past that has cost this country every last one of them have filled there pockets brown and blur have only just started talking again how fat are there pockets look at blurs missus she was up for rent at one stage
sorry dodge there will no such thing as a good government the only losers are us the people that have to pay
if you are looking for a easy answer there ain't one
or someone like richard branson could do a great job i'd of thought

#8

crappity smack all is said when Mr Coates bolsters the Lab Party

#9

crappity smack all said about the house bought by Blur in in his last week of office

joffmiester · #10

i hate politics bill !! none of us are going to change a thing its all done deals
we have been fighting a developer and 249 houses kicking a farmer off the land .HA we thought it was going to fail didn't get through planning 40% social housing changed everything just another done deal
the rich will just get fatter and fatter no one gives a sh#t apart from filling there own needs
by the way the land owner is the 8th richest bloke in the country looks like he's got to fill his boots before he's buried in them

joffmiester · #11

there is no middle class now-er days you have either plenty and get what you want or you have fu#k all and get what you want !! the trouble is its harder to go down to that level as it is to go above
a lot of the lads and lassies I've employed have gone on and done great things yet now after earning a few bob at a young age they can't move up the ladder and a lot drop out of everything apart booze and at the minute there isn't much of a return for that all my staff go through a course QVCs which helps them yet now the funding has stopped

#12

Too right Joff, tis all bunkum and we'll change nowt

They are all feathering their own nests; some more than others

#13

I think it is very important for an individual to engage in politics .

How bad (if they could possibly get any worse)would things be if everyone (joe bloggs) didnt give a sh!t ? Working class folk have died for the sake of democracy and this is the sh!t we end up with ....... SHAFTED !

Makes me crappity smack mad ! Rich crappity smack elite running the crappity smack country , crappity smack arseholes !!!!!

Ah thats better !

#14

Blur didn't exactly end up a pauper

#15

Blur didn't exactly end up a pauper

He did a far better job for the working class than this shower will ever do ! Blair like the rest of them (Thatcher etc) got too powerful after a long long time in power .
My job is directly linked to the public sector and my wife has worked for the NHS for 15 years so both of us whether we like it or not are directly affected by politics and political decisions every day of our lives through our jobs , it is fair to say we both and our family have suffered like millions of others greatly from from this coalition government and its all out attack against both the NHS and the public sector . The people who work in both the public sector and NHS do fantasic work and contribute huge amounts in taxes to this countries coffers year in year out . Thank god for unions and thank god for democracy and thank god for the right to vote !

Labour voter from the Labour heartland of Manchester situated in the Labour heartland of the North West of England ......

Thats me done with this thread !

#16

thank god for democracy and thank god for the right to vote !

Echo that Dodge

- but what brasses me off Dodge is that whilst we live in a 'democracy', if 80% of the electorate felt strongly on a certain subject - just say bringing back hanging for the murder of children - and if it ever managed (fat chance) of being put to a parliament vote, democracy probably wouldnt prevail as it would be most likely that 300 voices/votes (of those supposedly elected to represent the views of their constituents) would negate the wishes of the 50m........

'cuss they know better'

#17

shame that the unite union dont believe in democracy, more members voted against but because 15% didnt vote they counted them as yes votes and added them to the other yes votes result strike, just imagine if elections were held this way,

#18

As you know I never stir the shyte but I do like the TRUE BLUE phrase under your name Macca

Geoff_E · #19

shame that the unite union dont believe in democracy, more members voted against but because 15% didnt vote they counted them as yes votes and added them to the other yes votes result strike, just imagine if elections were held this way,

Didn't a similar thing happen at the last election to all the liberal voters

Copo · #20

Trouble is you look at the leader of the Labour party and he looks and sounds like a "Mr Chumley Warner", to have a good government, you need a good opposition, and at the moment all the parties are worse than useless.