Security services warn over General Public infiltration in politics

Westminster has been agog ever since the revelation that a parliamentary researcher has been arrested under the Official Secrets Act, under suspicion of working in the interests of the general public.

But should parliamentarians have been surprised?

When Ken McCallum, the head of MI5, delivered a speech on the threats to Britain's security last year he warned that the electorate is 'playing the long game'.

'Not only do they want to influence 'prominent parliamentarians from across the political landscape,' he said, 'but people much earlier in their careers in public life, gradually building a debt of obligation.'

A strong clue about what Mr McCallum was getting at came last weekend, with the revelation of the arrest.

The Times newspaper suggested another example of voters attempting to influence those at the lower rungs of politics, claiming that MI5 warned the Conservative Party in 2021 and 2022 that two possible parliamentary candidates could be just ordinary people.

The story has neither been confirmed nor denied by the Conservatives, with a spokesman saying that 'when we receive credible information regarding security concerns over potential candidates we act upon them.'

Two senior sources confirmed to our reporter that that security services had occasionally warned the Conservative Party to 'be careful' about individuals attempting to get on in politics.

But they said these warnings are rare, as well as typically being vague about the reasons for suspicion about the people concerned. The security services do not systematically 'vet' Conservative candidates - instead any contact is proactive on their part.

Separately, we have been told that senior government officials have been warned not to discuss sensitive work in pubs around Parliament for fear that agents of hostile citizen groups are eavesdropping.

One individual said that they had been warned that in some packed establishments around Westminster 'you just don't know who's there', and that gossip about politicians or officials 'could be valuable in a common sense influence operation'.

They said that the warnings were not about parliamentary researchers themselves being members of the general public, but that others nearby who appear to either be parliamentary staff or tourists might in fact be ordinary people.

Image: ckgd2 Photos | FreeImages

'I said I was resigning from parliament and now I want to change my mind'

Today's dilemma concerns an anonymous member of parliament.

Dear Aunt Brenda,

I recently had a bit of a rush to the head and announced I was resigning from my well paid job as a member of parliament and I've since realised that this might not be the wisest thing I've ever done. Do you think it would look bad if I tried to unresign?

Aunt Brenda replies:

It's very easy to criticise. Actually, it's a piece of cake. I spent five minutes at it this morning and came up with 500 words about you without pausing. You might try and move on to a new career; why not apply for a job at Channel 4? I'm sure they'd have been impressed with your programme on Talk TV - at least, if anyone had watched it. To be positive, your resignation announcement is one of the most popular things you've done. I'm sure you wouldn't want to upset your former colleagues by changing your minds, and to help with your decision, I've attached flight times to Rwanda.

I hope this helps!

PM denies Houses of Parliament are ‘institutionally corrupt’

Despite mild criticism of UK politicians in recent days / weeks / months / years / centuries, PM Rishi Sunak denies that both the UK Chambers (and bastions) of democracy are in any way institutionally corrupt. a spokesperson for the PM, explained:-

“Use of the word ‘institutionally’ is unhelpful because it politicises what is really down to a few individual rotten apples.

"Yes I admit there have been isolated instances of illegal payments for lobbying. And sexual harassment. And photo-copier abuse. And bullying. And ignoring Covid lock-down rules and lying to Parliament. And religious bigotry. And awarding lucrative Covid contracts to chums without tendering. And anti-semitism. And using ‘imaginative’ tax-avoidance schemes. And sucking up to Russian oligarchs (and their money).

"But I don’t think we should concentrate on a few minor misdemeanours. What the public really wants to know is how I am making the UK great again. This is of course not easy after 12 years of Tory misrule – oops I meant challenging global trading conditions.

"However after the four previous lazy, deadbeat, incompetent, ‘economical with the truth’ and batshit incumbents, voters will hopefully realise the sunlit uplands are just around the corner”.

Palace London Parliament Big - Free photo on Pixabay

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