Back in June Black Isles Media broke the story of Dominic Cummings illegally building two cottages on his land and not paying council tax on those properties. No action was taken against him at all, people get forced to demolish anything they don’t have permission for but apparently this law does not apply to Dominic Cummings. So it came as no surprise yesterday that we learned that £30,000 had been written off by Durham County Council. Durham County Councillor John Shuttleworth said: “They should have informed them (the authorities) and it should have been checked. “If it was anybody else, they would be getting charged and it would be backdated, or they would be getting taken to court. “It just proves there is two sets of rules, one for them and another for everyone else. It is not right. “We have to abide by the law and it we don’t you get put in prison or you get fined. They are just above it.” (Northern Echo)
Now you can imagine that local people are very angry and rightfully so but it goes further than that. It turns out it was not Durham Council who made this decision at all it was the the Valuation Agency which it just so happens is an arm of HMRC with a head office in London. I would also have thought this would have figured bigger in the media than it has but then I should not be surprised should I. This English Tory Government just see themselves above the law, they don’t care about international law, they don’t care about tax law, they don’t follow Covid restrictions, they award contracts to their pals ignoring the law and any parliamentary scrutiny and that is ok in the UK. This so called union could not get any more corrupt, we go on about Trump but even he is not as corrupt as this Tory Government. This comes on the same day that we learn Amazon will be exempt from the digital tax by passing the tax onto their sellers and they get away with it because they can and this Government knew about this.
This so called union is a joke, and we continue to put up with it through no choice of our own as it seems English voters don’t care about corruption in England that effects us all, as long as dirty foreigners don’t get into England from January 1st 2021 then the dirty Tories can do whatever they want and they can get away with. Like the nutters dancing and singing in the streets of Liverpool last night in their hundreds with no masks and no social distancing it would appear many voters in England have lost their collective minds, the really sad thing is this corruption and disregard for the rules infects us all.
You YES yet.
grumpyscottishman.wordpress.com 
You mean like everyone who didn’t pay the lawful community charge and had it written off as well so the SNP could try and get independence?
Anon
There is a difference, those who refused to pay the council tax were at least issued a bill. HMRC have decided to not even issue a bill for what appears to be blatant law breaking and the buildings still stand which you or I would not get away with.
Thanks for commenting. Bruce
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Bald with specs, dodgy guy
You WIG yet?
You voted for this by voting leave!
What a mess everywhere eh! I so wish that Nicola Sturgeon had not been involved in the Alex Salmond thing. I so wish that she had kept Independence to the top of the agenda. I so wish she had kept the SNP true and clean. Now when the time is ripe and we really need her she has got herself immersed in a total mess.
I have no idea what the first 2 comments mean btw!
Lulu
I agree, it does appear that Nicola Sturgeon has dug a hole on this one and it is a bit of a mess isn’t it. The other comments are from someone I know lol trying to stir the pot. It will be a relief when we can focus on indy again but the Cummings thing really annoys me as these people really think they are above the law.
Thanks for commenting. Bruce
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I know Bruce very well and often comment a lot of nonsense
Anything about being bald or having a wig is always me
Not the first comment though
UK has really had it. You can guess by my moniker that I travel a bit. UK is now as bad a kleptocracy that I’ve ever seen.
Oligarchs (For that’s what they are) like Rees Mogg and Cummings running the country for their own benefit. Corporations robbing the country blind and putting nothing back.
I know a few people don’t like Private Eye, but always worth a read to tell you why military equipment bought abroad costs more for the UK than it does for other countries. Corrupt public contracts. Too many people with fingers in the till.
I had to pay for a Covid test to travel yesterday. Payment made via the UAE for a test in the UK.
Rant Over.
Time for Indy.
CapnAndy
I think we can only grab defeat from victory now as more and more people see the Tories for what they have become, a right wing undemocratic plaything for rich people. This is the worst government in history and certainly the most useless but also corrupt. They are thieves, liars and cheats and it is time for the SNP to get the finger out but I feat they won’t anytime soon sadly but you are totally correct in what you say.
Thanks for commenting and stay safe. Bruce
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We need to plan, prepare, get the structures and the right people(able people, people faithful to our cause) in place in every area of government. if, as we all seem to suspect, none of that is going on then you have to ask why? It is beyond belief that we are on the cusp of Independence and we are doing nothing to prepare for it. So Bruce why are the SG not involved in the serious work of preparing for our Independence?
G M
A very good question, is it going on behind the scenes, doubt it . Friends that are members say that any discussion about the plan is pretty much shut down when they raise it with officials in the party and it does make me wonder if we are in fact being strung along as I suspect we are. As I have said before next year is the last mandate the SNP get from me if there is no serious and visual moves towards indepdence, if it is more of the same then it will be the last for me with the SNP and I will look elsewhere.
Thanks for commenting. Bruce
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Its not the party it is those who lead it and their supporters. Why is it like this? it makes no sense if you are an Independence supporting SNP leader. leaving aside all the other stuff we now know. Why is the SNP/SG leadership acting like this? I
GM
You are correct it is not the majority of the membership it is the leadership and the woke in the NEC that are the hold up. No one expects a referendum anytime soon because it will take ages to go through Westminster, the Courts etc so there is no point in waiting around and not getting at the very least the referendum bill sorted out, starting to pull the yes groups together, look at lead for any future campaign etc. I think if the let people down big time then they will pay for it at the polls in future.
Thanks for commenting. Bruce
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Maybe a poll at 100% might let them think it is about time to demand a S30.Probably they would still say it’s a good result but we need to see it continue.Please,please get Salmond back with Cherry as second.
DonJ
They have asked both May and Johnson and been refused twice, we need to see some action now, at the very least the draft legislation for a future referendum. I don’t think anyone expects major developments in the midst of a pandemic but I found Smith’s comments depressing. I don’t think we will ever see AS back in any big way, I think the woke in the SNP have ensured that.
Thanks for commenting. Bruce
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