Simon Kuper

Don't worry about it. Push it through. And then you have people whose job it is to make and supply medical masks. They can't get through on the line. They don't know who to call because they're not conservative donors. They don't have the WhatsApp numbers. And so what happens in these weeks is that billions of pounds are wasted. And we end up with PPE mountain.

Don't worry about it. Push it through. And then you have people whose job it is to make and supply medical masks. They can't get through on the line. They don't know who to call because they're not conservative donors. They don't have the WhatsApp numbers. And so what happens in these weeks is that billions of pounds are wasted. And we end up with PPE mountain.

I think part of the new forest, there's this thing. Literally, there's this landfill where we have all these unused and often unusable because bad, crappy masks and gowns supplied by donors. And just storing them costs billions. So you have a bad mask. You can't do anything with it. You have to store it. And so by some estimates, we spent more on the masks than... than we paid in the first place.

I think part of the new forest, there's this thing. Literally, there's this landfill where we have all these unused and often unusable because bad, crappy masks and gowns supplied by donors. And just storing them costs billions. So you have a bad mask. You can't do anything with it. You have to store it. And so by some estimates, we spent more on the masks than... than we paid in the first place.

So it's just a nightmare running into the billions. And if you didn't have political party donors, I think this would never have happened because ministers are afraid to say no to donors. And, you know, one corruption expert I spoke to said this is the biggest case of state capture in British history. Now, versions of this happen all the time in smaller ways.

So it's just a nightmare running into the billions. And if you didn't have political party donors, I think this would never have happened because ministers are afraid to say no to donors. And, you know, one corruption expert I spoke to said this is the biggest case of state capture in British history. Now, versions of this happen all the time in smaller ways.

You know, if you're a company selling to government, you want to find a way to funnel money to the ruling party so they'll pick up the phone to you. You say, you know what, we're making a new helicopter. I think it would be great for the UK Armed Forces. Can I come in and have a chat? And your call is taken because you're a donor. I have developed a new piece of healthcare technology.

You know, if you're a company selling to government, you want to find a way to funnel money to the ruling party so they'll pick up the phone to you. You say, you know what, we're making a new helicopter. I think it would be great for the UK Armed Forces. Can I come in and have a chat? And your call is taken because you're a donor. I have developed a new piece of healthcare technology.

I think it would be great for the NHS. I could see every hospital working with it, improve outcomes. Oh, and I gave you guys a million pounds last year. Oh, sure, come on in.

I think it would be great for the NHS. I could see every hospital working with it, improve outcomes. Oh, and I gave you guys a million pounds last year. Oh, sure, come on in.

I mean, sadly, our community organizations have all kind of collapsed in recent decades. So few people go to church or other religious services anymore. They don't belong to trade unions and pubs, which were a form of British community, has also shrunk massively. So we used to have churches turning into pubs, and now the pub is turning into something else.

I mean, sadly, our community organizations have all kind of collapsed in recent decades. So few people go to church or other religious services anymore. They don't belong to trade unions and pubs, which were a form of British community, has also shrunk massively. So we used to have churches turning into pubs, and now the pub is turning into something else.

So I just don't see that you could get millions of people. I mean, it happened briefly under Labour with Corbyn, the kind of three-pound members who brought Corbyn to power. I don't see it as a durable thing. So I think that we just need to go to a system of massive rules... which we have never had in British politics, limiting what you as a politician or civil servant can do.

So I just don't see that you could get millions of people. I mean, it happened briefly under Labour with Corbyn, the kind of three-pound members who brought Corbyn to power. I don't see it as a durable thing. So I think that we just need to go to a system of massive rules... which we have never had in British politics, limiting what you as a politician or civil servant can do.

So, for example, if you work for the Ministry of Defence, you can't three months later be working for an arms company that sells to the Ministry of Defence.

So, for example, if you work for the Ministry of Defence, you can't three months later be working for an arms company that sells to the Ministry of Defence.

Well, I mean, I live in Paris. I've been there 20 years. A decade ago, I'd have said France is a significantly more politically corrupt country than the UK. And that, you know, French people get very angry about political corruption. And so then in 2017, when Macron is elected, he sees this and does what Starmer hasn't yet done.

Well, I mean, I live in Paris. I've been there 20 years. A decade ago, I'd have said France is a significantly more politically corrupt country than the UK. And that, you know, French people get very angry about political corruption. And so then in 2017, when Macron is elected, he sees this and does what Starmer hasn't yet done.

And he says, we're going to have massive rules on what he calls the moralization of politics. And so, for example, you never used to have to have receipts. You say, oh, I spent 100 euros on this, and they would refund it to you. There was no limit for what you could spend for lunch. So you'd go for massive, you know, five-course lunches.

And he says, we're going to have massive rules on what he calls the moralization of politics. And so, for example, you never used to have to have receipts. You say, oh, I spent 100 euros on this, and they would refund it to you. There was no limit for what you could spend for lunch. So you'd go for massive, you know, five-course lunches.