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This is a question Worst Person for the Job

In a week where it emerges that the new Health Secretary is a fan of the hocus-pocus that is homeopathy, tell us about people who are spectacularly out of their depth in a job. Have you ever found yourself wallowing in your own incompetence? Tell us. (Note: "Name of football manager/politician - nuff said" does not constitute an answer)

(, Thu 6 Sep 2012, 12:48)
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Your Answer is in the Question
*This is a pearoast from an ongoing series of posters that I put up, but unless you live in my neighbourhood you won't have seen them so...*

KNOW THE ENEMY

Welcome to your new health secretary.

In 2009, Hunt was found by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards to be in breach of rules after allowing his political agent to live in his taxpayer funded home in Farnham as a lodger from November 2005 to June 2007. Hunt’s offer to repay half the money (£9,558.50) was accepted. Hunt also had to repay £1,996 for claiming the expenses of his Farnham home whilst claiming the mortgage of his Hammersmith home.

As Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, Hunt clearly showed his disdain for fair process, in withholding the Ofcom report on the Murdoch takeover of BskyB until mounting pressure forced him to revel that it recommended the matter be referred to the Competition Commission. He later claimed that his department released the report (by a publicly funded public body acting in public interest) despite not being required to do so.

He then chose not to refer the matter to the Competition Commission (despite this being its sole raison d'être), announcing on 3 March 2011 that he intended to accept a series of undertakings given by News Corporation, paving the way for the deal to be approved. Then of course it all came out in the wash.

Hunt was alleged to have had improper contact with News Corp. Emails released to the Leveson Inquiry detailed contacts between Hunt's special advisor Adam Smith and Frédéric MichelNews Corp’s director of public affairs and therefore a lobbyist for James Murdoch. Hunt appeared before the Leveson inquiry on 31 May 2012, when it emerged that Hunt had himself been in text and private email contact with James Murdoch, even congratulating him on the progress of the takeover bid, but nonetheless then took over responsibility for adjudicating on the bid.

In April 2012, immediately following David Cameron's statement that he would not associate himself with anyone who carried out “aggressive tax avoidance”, the Daily Telegraph disclosed that Hunt had reduced his tax bill by over £100,000 by receiving dividends from Hotcourses in the form of property which was promptly leased back to the company. The dividend was paid just before a 10% rise in dividend tax and Hunt was not required to pay stamp duty on the property.

Now kiss the NHS goodbye

References:

Standards and Privileges Committee - Fourth Report Mr Jeremy Hunt". parliament.uk. 10 December 2009. Retrieved 4
"Hunt gives green light to News Corp-Sky deal". The Spy Report (Media Spy). 3 March 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
"News Corp withdraws bid for BSkyB". BBC News. 13 July 2011
Oliver Wright, et al "James Murdoch's revenge: Evidence that shook Government to its core", The Independent, 25 April 2012
Leveson Inquiry: Hunt defends 'congrats' Murdoch text". BBC News. 31 May 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
Holly Watt and Claire Newell (27 April 2012). "Jeremy Hunt avoided £100,000 tax bill in deal just days before rate rise". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
(, Wed 12 Sep 2012, 16:19, 5 replies)
I bet you're a laugh riot down the pub.

(, Wed 12 Sep 2012, 16:37, closed)
.
*belm* politics *belm*
(, Wed 12 Sep 2012, 16:42, closed)
tldr
please summarise in 10 words or less
(, Wed 12 Sep 2012, 18:19, closed)
Which is the 3rd Murdoch?
I'm pretty sure it was only 2 last week.
(, Wed 12 Sep 2012, 19:03, closed)
some blue-namer, can't remember the name
come to think of it now I can't remember who the second one was, it may even have been the same person

I should really keep a record of these things.
(, Wed 12 Sep 2012, 19:14, closed)

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