Bell's Banter 2022

[grantp]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

would address the media through a sound system manufactured and supplied by Russia. Why they couldn't have found one manufactured in the UK, I have no idea.

Are there any systems manufactured in the UK and owned by a UK company?

I'm sort of surprised that Russia would be a source of such equipment - especially for such a potentially sensitive location as Downing Street.

[grantp]

Originally Posted by midgetman

I was musing today as I drove along a route that we used in my childhood. In those days (1971) we had a Jaguar XK150. Bit of a shed IIRC, and it could only have been 10-14 years old. It was quite an achievement that it managed to do "the ton" and needed a lot of fettling. And rust repair.

I was driving along in my daily driver, an 18 year old MGZR that could (theoretically of course) give an indicated 125mph and cruise at 100.

Older, faster, better condition. Who says cars have got worse over the years?

A pal of mine has a ZS of similar vintage. Terrific condition. Sounds great.

Odd, though, that despite its advantages and the MG badge it will never be likely to match the value the XK150, if it has survived in almost any condition, would command today. Must be almost as rare and also very unlikely to be the subject of a specialist "Replica" project outfit.

My SAAB will have been on the road for 20 years come April. Probably easily capable of another 20 if one could still get parts.

I doubt any current modern ICE vehicles will be allowed to last that long even if they may have the theoretical capability to do so. (Which I doubt given the reliance in complex electronic systems and new laws that will likely mean they cannot be adapted when the supply of original fit parts expires.)

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by grantp

Are there any systems manufactured in the UK and owned by a UK company?

I'm sort of surprised that Russia would be a source of such equipment - especially for such a potentially sensitive location as Downing Street.

I would hope that there are still UK sources for the sound system failing which I would have liked them to have used one manufactured by one of our allies.

As to being surprised by it being supplied from Russia, just look at how much influence many Russians have with Conservative MPs and ministers. Many of them receive financial backing from them via their UK "based" service companies which are often used to launder money that comes out of Russia, usually because they are pals of their country's leader.

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by grantp

I'm sort of surprised that Russia would be a source of such equipment - especially for such a potentially sensitive location as Downing Street.

Dont ask who's running the softwares used by our "Défense" and who sold and maintains the computers! In this matter we should be able, if not obliged, to run our own systems. Just in case… But when economy of scale preveals, common sense cant exist…

[grantp]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

I would hope that there are still UK sources for the sound system failing which I would have liked them to have used one manufactured by one of our allies.

As to being surprised by it being supplied from Russia, just look at how much influence many Russians have with Conservative MPs and ministers. Many of them receive financial backing from them via their UK "based" service companies which are often used to launder money that comes out of Russia, usually because they are pals of their country's leader.

I could understand if No. 10 use Russia for cheap Vodka when partying but had no idea they were likely candidates for Studio-grade broadcast technology in preference to other suppliers from more aligned countries.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by grantp

I could understand if No. 10 use Russia for cheap Vodka when partying but had no idea they were likely candidates for Studio-grade broadcast technology in preference to other suppliers from more aligned countries.

I'm afraid that modern politicians, and possibly those in the past too, don't realise the irony in these matters. This is why MI5 has just had to warn our current MPs and aspiring politicians that a Chinese National that has provided then with funding which they believe originated with the Chinese government, and that she is actually gathering information for the Chinese government.

You would think that they would have known better and been briefed about these things, especially after the very recent experiences that they had with politicians in Australia being funded by another Chinese operative.

[Gerard C]

Looks like your # 10 brought Mata Hari back into business but in a chinese version!

[E.B]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

You would think that they would have known better and been briefed about these things, especially after the very recent experiences that they had with politicians in Australia being funded by another Chinese operative.

Good article about that here, Mike
:https://www.theage.com.au/national/d...22-p53d1l.html

[terence]

Couldn't have come out at a better time could it, takes some pressure off Boris and at the same time exposes Labour for what they are.

[grantp]

It does seem that, according to him, at least one MP has been dealing with the lady mentioned and even employing her son as his "diary manager" for about a decade, all of that time reporting back to "the authorities", including MI5 (if I read the article correctly.)

Interesting timing of what seems to be non-news for anyone in the loop.

Anyone outside the loop is probably wondering what the big deal might be in these days of "globalisation".

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by grantp

It does seem that, according to him, at least one MP has been dealing with the lady mentioned and even employing her son as his "diary manager" for about a decade, all of that time reporting back to "the authorities", including MI5 (if I read the article correctly.)

Interesting timing of what seems to be non-news for anyone in the loop.

Anyone outside the loop is probably wondering what the big deal might be in these days of "globalisation".

I really don't think that it is a "no-news" event, as it proved in Australia a short time ago, although it doesn't seem to have had the same result as over there.

There, a Chinese national had ingratiated himself within the political sphere in Canberra, supposedly, if I remember correctly, as a conduit between Aussies and the Chinese community living in Australia. But what he was actually doing was very subtly trying to get legislation made favourable to Chinese government interests by lavishing huge amounts of cash to all and sundry in political circles.

We must not forget that the Chinese under Xi have a very different agenda to the "West". I often wonder if he will only be happy when he has "conquered" the world. He is already very successful i that endeavour in Africa, and is making huge inroads in South America as well, with "ginormas" loans made to them that, realistically, they will never be able to repay.

[terence]

Seems to me that China is a dangerous country to be dealing with. They have edged their way into so many different things around the world they are close to domination. Look at Ebay and Amazon, nothing but Chinese products, but one thing that baffles is the vat loophole the Chinese have by sending their crap to Holland first vat free, yes the British"government"know about it but do nothing. Close that loophole and see what happens.

[grantp]

If the consumers, at all levels, of the worlds outside China were to decide they would not buy anything with Chinese made content the world's economy would probably collapse in less than a month.

There are probably very few products that do not contain CN made components or that are produced using equipment that does not have CN made components.

For the past 20 years - in fact probably since Hong Kong was returned to Chinese control officially rather than acting as a "Western" interface for Chinese manufacturing output with "Made in Hong Kong" embossed on everything - economics and green posturing has provided a two pronged excuse to shut down "dirty" industries and make stuff "more cheaply" than would be possible under Western regulations.

So long as there is enough spare "wealth" floating around to fund such policies China can siphon it away and use part of it to fund its influence in Africa, South America and anywhere else it feels that payments could be useful. British and American politics for example.

Or for sending Chinese students to Western Educational establishments from secondary schools to Universities and thus make those places evolve economic models that rely on the Chinese students funded by wealth previously transferred to China.

Ms. Lee seems to be an interesting case. Brought up in Northern Ireland, twice married, a family with her second husband, a qualified solicitor and multiple entrepreneur with several registered companies and lives in leafy Solihull apparently.

The alleged payments, or whatever they may be called, are reportedly a few hundred thousand pounds over several years. Who knows if those numbers are accurate?

From what have read this morning this seems like small beer and a rather typical British "Foreign Spy" coming from a largely homegrown background.

To make real money the recipients really should be seeking Russian and former USSR countrymen or friendships in the Middle East, not a middle-aged solicitor from Birmingham who seems to have been around for quite a long time.

Does Ms. Lee, in MI5's opinion, present a bigger threat than, say, Tony Blair?

More importantly, could one find the right personal connections for some alleged nefarious activity opportunities to get her to hand over enough money to go racing for a season or two?

[GORDON STREETER]

On a different note, some "b*****d" has stolen my phone/ keys and gate fob to our joint in Spain !

[justracing]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

On a different note, some "b*****d" has stolen my phone/ keys and gate fob to our joint in Spain !

That's a real bummer