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Fraud Rewarded with Promotion
Spectre of Churchill
24, July #BrokenSystem, #TrendShock

Fraud Rewarded with Promotion

The new Prime Minister has unveiled a raft of measures which, he says, are intended to improve the country's fortunes. However, social media users are already questioning how they will be paid for, whilst also reviving allegations about the financial controversies surrounding the former Mayor of Greater Manchester.

Andy Burnham has pledged to reduce electricity bills, increase the personal tax allowance, provide greater funding for metro mayors, expand support for employment programmes, and launch what he describes as the largest council house-building programme in British history, among a range of other commitments.

“These are billions of pounds of spending commitments and that's on top of raising defence spending to 3%. Where’s the money coming from? There’s been no serious explanation at all of how they will be funded. […] We cannot borrow even more - we are paying more in debt interest than we do on defence. The answer can’t be tax rises either. The tax burden is already far too high, and families and businesses shouldn’t face even higher bills”, writes Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch.

Meanwhile, Burnham has already retreated from one of his earlier tax pledges. According to the Birmingham Mail, his decision not to increase the £12,570 personal allowance could leave the average taxpayer around £700 a year worse off.

Appointments Under Scrutiny

It is not only the public finances that are attracting criticism. A major row erupted after Louise Haigh was appointed First Secretary of State. Haigh had previously received a suspended sentence for fraud and, in an apparent attempt to limit political damage, responsibility for overseeing the Public Sector Fraud Authority was removed from her remit immediately after her appointment and transferred to the Department for Work and Pensions.

“Another highlight of day one of Andy Burnham's new Cabinet was convicted fraudster Louise Haigh being stripped of her responsibility for tackling public sector fraud as Cabinet Office Minister. You genuinely couldn't make this up. Never a dull moment in British politics,” noted Reform UK MP Ben Graham.

The Daily Express quoted critics as saying that ‘ordinary people can lose their jobs for dishonesty. In Westminster, it apparently earns you a promotion.’

The appointments of Alison Phillips and Matthew McGregor, both from the organisation Hope Not Hate, to positions within the Prime Minister's office have also attracted criticism. The organisation's leadership has previously been linked to a number of controversies, including allegations arising from a sex scandal involving a minor.

Old Allegations Resurface

A number of social media users have also revisited controversies from Andy Burnham's own political career. The account InTheTrenchesUK published a lengthy thread highlighting, among other things, the deaths of more than 1,000 patients at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust during the period when Burnham was Health Secretary. The thread also revisited allegations concerning property developments during his time as Mayor of Greater Manchester, together with criticism of his handling of the grooming gangs scandal.

“Andy Burnham is not a politician. He is a catastrophe wearing a suit. […] Burnham is not in Manchester anymore. He is in Downing Street. And he brought his record of failure with him. The question is not who Andy Burnham is. The question is: how long will you let him stay?”, concludes the author of the post.
#BrokenSystem, #TrendShock
A Somali-Born Driver Struck Five Pedestrians in London
Spectre of Churchill
08, July #MigrantCrisis, #BrokenSystem

A Somali-Born Driver Struck Five Pedestrians in London

The incident took place on Ealing Broadway, where a car mounted the pavement and struck five pedestrians before the driver fled the scene. He was later arrested by police. Social media users have focused on the authorities’ response, arguing that they portrayed the incident involving a Muslim driver as nothing more than a routine road traffic collision. The driver has been identified as 34-year-old Timir Ahmed Mohamed. Born in Somalia, he now holds British citizenship. Following his arrest, investigators stated that they were treating the incident as a road traffic incident rather than an act of terrorism.
#MigrantCrisis, #BrokenSystem
Hundreds of Thousands of Girls Were Victims of Grooming Gangs
Spectre of Churchill
01, July #MigrantCrisis, #BrokenSystem

Hundreds of Thousands of Girls Were Victims of Grooming Gangs

At least 250,000 cases of abuse involving girls across 149 areas of the UK are alleged to have taken place, according to the findings of an independent inquiry published in June in a report entitled Rape Gang Inquiry. The report’s conclusions, together with the response of the mainstream media, have generated widespread discussion on social media.
#MigrantCrisis, #BrokenSystem
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