Bishop Hill Desperation stakes
Jun 11, 2014 Climate: Parliament From time to time I have discussed Peter Lilley's interests in Tethys Petroleum with people on Twitter and have asked people to suggest reasons why it should be seen as a conflict of interest given that Tethys doesn't operate in the UK. I've never had a suggestion put forward in reply, let alone a good one.
For that reason, the news that a formal complaint has been registered against Lilley with the Commissioner for Parliamentary Standards appears to me to be of little more than academic interest. As I understand it, a conflict arises if one could be thought to be operating in furtherance of one's private interests rather than the public interest. The complaint apparently relates to speeches Lilley made attacking renewables. It's hard to see how the quantity of renewables in the UK can have any connection to fossil fuel operations in Kazakhstan, and therefore the complaint looks fairly empty.
Desperate stuff, I would say.
Reader Comments (14)
You and I and anyone with at least half a brain cell knows this complaint is utter bollocks. However to the catastrophiliacs this complaint is the difference between life and death as they are arrogant enough to believe their own propaganda bollocks without question.
Of course there is no comparison between those ministers who chair very important climate change bodies and boards because those ministers are at lest of the faith.
Mailman
So any possible connection with anything within a 3,000 mile radius must be declared? Sounds like a desperate attempt to gain traction for his Labour opponent in the forthcoming election.
I wonder if his opponents realise that they should declare all monies, help (including misleading statements) etc. received from 'Green" NGO like Greenpeace, WWF etc?
What is sauce for the Gander is sauce for the Goose.
Mr Docherty is a Labour MP who has referred all the Tory MPs he can find who have declared an interest in the Register of a Interests but have not reminded the House of it in a debate to which Mr Docherty thinks there is even the most tenuous relevance.
To be fair he has also referred Tim Yeo, whose interests maybe more relevant but invariably does remind the House that he has (unspecified) interests.
The initial reaction of the Commissioner for Standards "accepts that Mr Lilley had no conflict of interest in the debates concerned" but suggests he should have explained to the House that his interest in Tethys Petroleum was NOT relevant!
This introduces the fascinating concept that Members should declare not having an interest! Just in case people like Docherty are on the prowl, I suppose.
Proving a negative is difficult.
My son worked in Prague, Czech Republic for a year. He wanted to insure his car. The agent said "Please bring me a proof that your car is not insured in England."
One should considers how the climate obsessed side of aisle is crowded with people who profiting from directly or through their family's and pals via the so-called green policies. These policies enrich enrich insiders with wind and solar and 'alternative' fuel interests in the UK at the expense of the tax payer. This puts the complaint against someone's involvement in an industry outside the scope of the UK in a light that highlights the cynical bad faith of the complainant. .
Desperate maybe... slinging mud is all part of the game
But - if I as a member of the public laid a complaint about somebody that was clearly vexatious there would be a chance that I would become the target of some legal sanction (wasting police time etc. ) - that an ex PR goon Labour MP can go around wasting taxpayers money like this - obviously trying to impress and move up the pecking order reflects on MPs in general and not in a positive way...
If the whinging boob MP in question had anything substantive to complain about there'd be more to it (+evidence?) - he's abusing process (and likely well knows that) and to what's left of my mind - that should attract a more robust response from the Office of Parliamentary Standards who should impress us all by sending this lame, gurning little point scoring sh1t stirrer away with a flea in his ear. Got a mate in the OPCS office has he ??
Expect much more of this childish behaviour in the run up to next year's election. Labour is a party on the slide. They have demonstrated complete contempt for the majority of those whose interests the party was formed to represent. UKIP has them rattled because Labour thought only the Tories would suffer at the hands of Nigel Farage. A rising UKIP and an economy recovering so well that even the BBC is struggling to find bad news about does not bode well for getting a Marxist PM elected next year.
Everybody who drives a car (unless it is an electric car) or heats their house with natural gas has obviously got an interest in the profitability of the fossil fuel industry. How about investigating all such MPs who have failed to declare that interest?
When I complained to the Commissioner for Parliamentary Standards about a certain Troffa Tim's alleged conflict of interests, I got the brush off.
Interesting.
This is only the start. All sides will try to score points in the next year. While Doherty isn't doing this for Green motives (if he has indeed reported Tim Yeo as well) it is clearly political point scoring leading up to next year's election.
Anyone with a sceptical bone in their body can see the propaganda war for what it is. Unfortunately those who can think critically without allowing tribal affiliations and what they are spoon fed by their media of choice are in a minority.
We can only hope that the negative campaigning is seen for what it is, a lack of positive ideas, and it bites back any side who tries to employ it.
I feel I need to declare my interests. I have contempt for the vast majority of our current crop of politicians. They are where they are because the power appeals to them and they will sacrifice their principles to hang on to it. There are a few on all sides who impress me and really want to do the right thing. Unfortunately the system has little tolerance for the mavericks who dare to go with their conscience. Mike Fabricant comes to mind. As a person I think Farage has an air of honesty, even though, as a potential ex-pat, I can't agree on his policies on borders. I have no idea whether I will vote next year or whether I will, again, write "None of the Above" on my ballot paper or vote for an independent to try to get them their deposit back. What will definitely influence me away from a given party will be negativity which exposes their lack of ideas.
I think this comes with the territory of having a pre-defined election time. Like in the US, it allows political opponents to plan ahead and get their dirty tricks in at the most appropriate time. There will probably be more.
"Conflict of interest"="He is in conflict with our interests".
Simples.
Didn't most UK public employee pension funds have big investment in BP? In that sense everyone has fossil fuel interests.
Tethys may actually make a big difference to China's energy needs in the future. It currently produces small amounts of oil and gas in Kazakhstan, some of which is exported, and has prospects and minimal production in Georgia. But its biggest prospect is in China's neighbour, Tajikstan, where gas deposits are guesstimated at in excess of 100 TCF on an unrisked basis. Who knows how much is really there - Tethys has farmed out to Total and CNPC, China's national oil company, who are building a pipeline to China. The potential replacement of coal-burning power stations should be widely applauded, but the wantwits (cheers!) will no doubt continue to wring their hands, mewling and puking as they go.