Chris Grayling's failings: ferry fiascos and no-deal Brexit planning

The transport secretary, Chris Grayling, has fought off calls for him to resign over a series of costly controversies. But was the man at the centre of them all really to blame? The Guardian’s Peter Walker looks back at a catalogue of crises that have a habit of engulfing the cabinet minister now known as ‘Failing Grayling’. Plus: Rob Evans on the blacklisting of trade unionists and the role of undercover police

When reports emerged that the transport secretary, Chris Grayling, had awarded a ferry contract to a company without any ferries, he faced widespread derision. Last week, the contract was cancelled and the government reached a humiliating £33m out-of-court settlement with Eurotunnel.

It was the latest in a long line of controversies that have engulfed Grayling during his political career. But despite the setbacks, he has continued to win promotions and remains in the cabinet with key responsibilities in planning for Brexit.

Continue reading...

from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2NNABbh

Comments

REPORT: Furious Spike Lee Paces Aisle, Turns Back To Stage...

REPORT: Furious Spike Lee Paces Aisle, Turns Back To Stage... (Top headline, 5th story, link ) Related stories: REVIEW: Hostless Show Starts With Rock & Rolls Off Rails... Actor knocks borders, walls during speech in Spanish... Stage designed to look like Trump hair? 'GREEN BOOK' OVERCOMES BACKLASH, NABS BEST PICTURE... Top Critics Fume... LIST: WINNERS... Advertise here from Drudge Report Feed https://ift.tt/2SUpIKy

Tiny Love Stories: ‘Who Was I to Deprive Him of Joy?’

By Unknown Author from NYT Style https://ift.tt/2UV7YAG

The Ugly History of Dual-Loyalty Charges

When Representative Ilhan Omar recently complained about “the political influence in this country that says it is okay to push for allegiance to a foreign country,” many noted accurately that she had deployed a trope—dual loyalty—that had been used against Jews for years. But this accusation has a broader history in the United States, having been used against several religious minorities—including Muslims like Omar. Indeed, many battles over religious freedom have revolved around dual-loyalty claims. [ Read: Ilhan Omar just made it harder to have a nuanced debate about Israel ] In the 19th century, many attacks on Catholics stressed that these immigrants were pawns of a foreign power. In the 1830s, Samuel Morse—then a prominent painter and later the inventor of the telegraph—urged Americans to build “walls” and “gates” to keep out Catholic immigrants, who would always be loyal to Rome. Because these Catholic immigrants were decrepit —“halt, and blind, and naked”—they were easy to co...

KnightViral

Search This Blog