Simon Kuper

And, you know, it's a story for a few days and then it's completely faded. So it's true. I mean, I think Steve Bannon coined the phrase, you flood the zone with shit. I don't think the Tories were deliberately doing that. but it works very well as a distraction tactic. You say they had a sort of conveniently timed bout of diarrhoea?

And, you know, it's a story for a few days and then it's completely faded. So it's true. I mean, I think Steve Bannon coined the phrase, you flood the zone with shit. I don't think the Tories were deliberately doing that. but it works very well as a distraction tactic. You say they had a sort of conveniently timed bout of diarrhoea?

I think by the end of the Conservative government, they didn't have a shared project anymore. They didn't believe in the same thing. They didn't really try to pass any laws and they knew they were going to lose. So it was each person for themselves. Just grab all you can.

I think by the end of the Conservative government, they didn't have a shared project anymore. They didn't believe in the same thing. They didn't really try to pass any laws and they knew they were going to lose. So it was each person for themselves. Just grab all you can.

Yeah, that's Bannon's. Yeah, it applies to media strategy. So if there's a bad scandal about you, you just create another scandal or five others, five other stories. And the problem with Labour is that this story has stuck for a week, 10 days, and people dig further and then there's a new item of clothing

Yeah, that's Bannon's. Yeah, it applies to media strategy. So if there's a bad scandal about you, you just create another scandal or five others, five other stories. And the problem with Labour is that this story has stuck for a week, 10 days, and people dig further and then there's a new item of clothing

It's impossible to measure corruption exactly because by definition, most of it is hidden.

It's impossible to measure corruption exactly because by definition, most of it is hidden.

You don't go out and declare, well, I, you know, I stole various things from government this week. So the best approach is a transparency international corruption perceptions index where they ask people who are exposed in particular countries, you know, how much corruption do you think there is in that country? You also get surveys of people, have you paid bribes?

You don't go out and declare, well, I, you know, I stole various things from government this week. So the best approach is a transparency international corruption perceptions index where they ask people who are exposed in particular countries, you know, how much corruption do you think there is in that country? You also get surveys of people, have you paid bribes?

To which in Britain the answer is almost invariably no. I mean, there's almost nobody in Britain who's ever paid a bribe. You don't have to bribe a nurse or a police officer in Britain. And so Britain was with a cohort of Northern European countries.

To which in Britain the answer is almost invariably no. I mean, there's almost nobody in Britain who's ever paid a bribe. You don't have to bribe a nurse or a police officer in Britain. And so Britain was with a cohort of Northern European countries.

I think about a decade ago it would have been considered one of the better ones in this Northern European cohort, now considered one of the worst in that particular cohort. So it's not going to be Nigeria, it's not going to be Russia, but it doesn't really compare with, say, Denmark anymore, which is a very clean country.

I think about a decade ago it would have been considered one of the better ones in this Northern European cohort, now considered one of the worst in that particular cohort. So it's not going to be Nigeria, it's not going to be Russia, but it doesn't really compare with, say, Denmark anymore, which is a very clean country.

It's fallen quite sharply in just a few years down the Transparency International Rankings.

It's fallen quite sharply in just a few years down the Transparency International Rankings.

Yeah, bad governance. And if you feel... well, I don't want to buy the bonds of a country where the government is giving contracts to people who are donors to the ruling party. I mean, it's very much, you know, the COVID VIP line scandal is very much like how Sierra Leone handed Ebola where all the Ebola contracts went to friends of the president.

Yeah, bad governance. And if you feel... well, I don't want to buy the bonds of a country where the government is giving contracts to people who are donors to the ruling party. I mean, it's very much, you know, the COVID VIP line scandal is very much like how Sierra Leone handed Ebola where all the Ebola contracts went to friends of the president.

So, yeah, I mean, when you're thinking of lending to Britain, and Liz Truss tested the proposition that people were still willing to lend to Britain, which they said, maybe not so much. Yeah. this does become a factor. But generally, I mean, more directly, government money goes missing to the tune of billions in some cases through corruption.

So, yeah, I mean, when you're thinking of lending to Britain, and Liz Truss tested the proposition that people were still willing to lend to Britain, which they said, maybe not so much. Yeah. this does become a factor. But generally, I mean, more directly, government money goes missing to the tune of billions in some cases through corruption.