Support NeoGAF

[Jackpot]

Brace yourselves because I'm about to explain a situation that's both sleazy yet embarrassingly pathetic in its scale.

Many cities are facing budget shortfalls and over-stretched services. A town council which is Tory-led was threatening to raise council tax by 15%, which would have required a public referendum and generated much bad PR. This tax is seriously unpopular with the grey-hair vote, with some pensioners going to prison for non-payment. This town has two Tory MPs, both very senior government figures. Yesterday the council announced it was abandoning the tax raise.

At our weekly Prime Minister's Questions, the leader of the opposition asked if any special deal had been done for Surrey to get them to call of the referendum-inducing tax. Naturally May said no, but then Corbyn revealed he'd been sent texts showing the government had done a deal for extra funding in exchange for limiting the tax increase to 4.99%.

The texts were from the Council leader who'd sent it to a Labour councillor by mistake.

May accused Corbyn of dealing in "alternative facts".

https://www.theguardian.com/politic...-rethink-if-mps-reject-her-deal-politics-live

Corbyn, speaking during prime minister’s Questions, raised problems affecting health services in Liverpool and the difficulties for officials in meeting the government.

He questioned May if a “special deal” was done for Surrey before telling MPs he had seen “leaked copies of texts” sent by Hodge “intended for somebody called Nick” who works for ministers in the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). Corbyn said:

These texts read, ‘I’m advised that DCLG officials have been working on a solution and you will be contacting me to agree a memorandum of understanding’.

Will the government now publish this memorandum of understanding and, while they’re about it, will all councils be offered the same deal?

May replied:

What we have given all councils is the opportunity to raise a 3% precept on the council tax for that to go into social care.

What the Labour party fails to understand is that this is not just a question of looking at money, it is a question of looking at spreading best practice and finding a sustainable solution.

Corbyn went on to describe a second text message. He said:

I wonder if it’s anything to do with the fact that the chancellor and health secretary both represent Surrey constituencies.

But there was a second text from the Surrey county council leader to Nick - and in the second text it says ‘The numbers you indicated are the numbers I understand are acceptable for me to accept and call off the R’.

Now, I’ve been reading a bit of John le Carre and apparently R means referendum.

It’s very subtle all this.

He goes on to say in his text to Nick ‘If it is possible that info to be sent to myself I can then revert back soonest, really want to kill this off’.

So how much did the government offer Surrey to kill this off and is the same sweetheart deal on offer to every council facing the social care crisis created by [May’s government?

May said she had made clear to Corbyn that every council has the opportunity to raise the precept.

Speaker John Bercow intervened as he was again forced to calm MPs in the chamber.

May then said of Corbyn:

He comes to the despatch box making all sorts of claims. Yet again what we get from Labour is alternative facts; what they really need is an alternative leader.

https://twitter.com/justinmadders/status/829301988542251009?ref_src=twsrc^tfw

Jeremy Hunts face went bright red when @jeremycorbyn read the texts between Surrey council and Gov,looks like they've been caught out #pmqs

 

[-Plasma Reus-]

Shameful for her to use Trump team tactics.

We should have a watchdog that monitors all communications of MPs. You're running the country, its only fair you give up some privacy for this job.

They better not try and apply that 15 percent anywhere else.

 

[TheChaos0]

Shameful for her to use Trump team tactics.

We should have a watchdog that monitors all communications of MPs. You're running the country, its only fair you give up some privacy for this job.

They better not try and apply that 15 percent anywhere else.

MPs are not even affected by the Snooper's Charter!

 

[Zaph]

Shit like this is exactly what I hate about Brexit. This is a major scandal favouring their own constituents and should have serious consequences for the Tories, but now it's barely a blip on the radar.

 

[StayDead]

MPs are not even affected by the Snooper's Charter!

Yup, everyone else has to give up their privacy, but not them.

Bunch of complete assholes in this Tory government.

 

[Morat]

Shit like this is exactly what I hate about Brexit. This is a major scandal favouring their own constituents and should have serious consequences for the Tories, but now it's barely a blip on the radar.

Even in more normal times, it's only a scandal if Labour does it. Tory's have a kind of teflon coating.

 

[Abraxas]

Even in more normal times, it's only a scandal if Labour does it. Tory's have a kind of teflon coating.

A good part of that teflon comes from an incompetent opposition.

 

[Morat]

A good part of that teflon comes from an incompetent opposition.

True. People supported Corbyn because it was hoped that he wouldn't cave in the way Harriet Harman and the rest of the Blairites did, and now here he is demanding a three line whip over bloody brexit.

 

[Jezbollah]

https://twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak/status/829314418492186625

"Surrey County Council leader has insisted the decision to scrap 15% council tax rise "was ours alone & there has been no deal" with the Govt"

 

[WhateverItTakes]

Be nice if this could stick on May but we all seem focused on letting her do what she wants.

 

[Linkstrikesback]

Of course it ended with her insulting corbyn rather than even trying to justify it. Damn cow.

 

[hydrophilic attack]

#fuckthetories

 

[HazySaiyan]

It won't matter, nothing sticks to Teflon Theresa. She's one of the slipperiest politicians I've seen in my lifetime. Not that anybody in this country will even give a shit, too busy moaning about the shape of bananas.

 

[StayDead]

https://twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak/status/829314418492186625

"Surrey County Council leader has insisted the decision to scrap 15% council tax rise "was ours alone & there has been no deal" with the Govt"

I love how this is news. Of course they'd say that. They're not going to admit corruption are they?

 

[Coxy100]

if this is true - disgusting (what the tories did - not the ambush)

 

[More Fun To Compute]

If we are giving leaders code names like 45 for Trump then I say we use "the new number 2" for May.

 

[Mr. Sam]

Although Corbyn has many, many, many failings, he is actually rather good at PMQs. Well, against May anyway - Cameron was a comparative heavyweight.