The government is using public money to finance its own media platform.

  • @mannycalavera
    link
    English
    46 months ago

    Events team charged with hosting events. Utterly disgusting. The government should be ashamed…

    • @SyldonOP
      link
      26 months ago

      Its just half a million quid. I suppose it is a lot less than they have paid in bribes to others.

      • @mannycalavera
        link
        English
        16 months ago

        How much do you believe a thirteen day events contract is worth including time for setting up and at the end? In your professional opinion.

        • @SyldonOP
          link
          English
          06 months ago

          About 15 food banks.

            • @SyldonOP
              link
              English
              06 months ago

              Mate what do you think they are doing for £500k. They are supplying a table and a couple of bodies for support. They are not paying for transport, or even hotel room hire. If they were having to pay for the lease of the event office, which is unlikely, how much do you think this is? It is not a great deal. Someone is pocketing a few hundred thousand from this.

              The tender was not allowed to go to any other supplier. That in itself raises questions of why they are refusing to follow accepted guidelines. They have very close links to oil companies, which means the oil companies will have an influence on position and effectiveness of each group. Energy companies do not want an effective COP event.

              All of this and yet you want to throw in inuendo and derision. Defending these scumbags is a pitiful hill to die on.

              • @mannycalavera
                link
                English
                1
                edit-2
                6 months ago

                I think you need to provide more than just hyperbolic speculation if you want to be taken seriously. Otherwise derision it is.

                You’re literally asserting that an events company is not allowed to work for COP if it has in anyway in the past worked for an oil company. What exactly do you think they’re doing for “big oil”? Destabilising governments via secret backroom deals? Please.

                “The government told DeSmog that dmg events was providing “logistical support” for all countries represented at COP28, suggesting that officials were not allowed to open the contract to competition.”

                I have no means to confirm this statement but neither do you and neither does the article. It tried to connect two different events (COP 28 and an oil event listed in their annual report) and claim some sort of nefarious link. This is really poor journalism. Really poor. At the very least they could have compared this spending to other country’s spending on a similar event spend at COP 28.

                So cut out the hyperbole and provide some actual facts rather than hysterical gossip.

                Edit: This is actually how bad left foot forward is. They’re rehashing an article by desmog which, in my opinion, is much better. They at least provide some context, something that left foot forward fails to do probably deliberately because it’s readers don’t care about context.

                Some highlights:

                Nearly a third (30 percent) of the Daily Mail’s online editorial comment pieces, expressing the newspaper’s views, published this year contained climate scepticism, DeSmog found.

                There is no evidence of a link between the Daily Mail’s editorial stance towards green issues and the commercial interests of dmg events.

                And interestingly the full quote that left foot forward editorialised:

                A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: “dmg events are providing logistical support for all countries represented at COP28 and they have no role in the design of the UK pavilion events programme. The cost of the contract is covered entirely by private sector sponsorship.”

                I wonder why left foot forward would choose to omit the last bit 🤣?

                So again, basic… basic… journalism is missing from your post. And not even a five minute Google to try and find out more context.

                You’re right to be sceptical with this government. You’re absolutely wrong to not even try to seek the truth.

                • @SyldonOP
                  link
                  English
                  06 months ago

                  You’re literally asserting that an events company is not allowed to work for COP

                  BS I am repeating what is stated in the article. They are using public funds to pay a subsidiary of the Daily Mail. Which is an ardent Tory media machine. They are enforcing this payment without public scrutiny. If there is a valid reason for doing this, then be open about it. But like all Tory theft, they like to hide the details.

                  It tried to connect two different events (COP 28 and an oil event listed in their annual report) and claim some sort of nefarious link.

                  The fact also remains that there has been a lot of unanswered speculation regarding the president Sultan al-Jaber, who has major links to DMG events LLC. DMG events LLC hired Johnson to host a speech Singapore. Failing to allow for scrutiny in the tender process is not absolute proof of wrong doing, but it raises eye brows from anyone with a brain.

                  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/nov/15/cop28-host-uae-oil-plans-data

                  Sultan Al Jaber is the chief executive of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and president of the Cop28 summit, which begins on 30 November. The researchers behind the new data said Adnoc’s huge planned expansion of oil and gas production was a clear conflict of interest and they said his position was “ridiculous”.


                  they have no role in the design of the UK pavilion events programme. The cost of the contract is covered entirely by private sector sponsorship.”

                  I never stated that DMG had anything to do with the presentation side of the event. I do not see a point here.


                  You’re right to be sceptical with this government. You’re absolutely wrong to not even try to seek the truth.

                  Here we both agree. This government is an abomination. There is nothing to be gained from pushing a lie, because once a lie is found out, then all other queries regarding this government can have their validity questioned. I am happy to admit I have made an error if there is one. I am fairly confident that this will be another item that Labour will put under the spotlight after the next GE. Time will tell.