rational geekery

The BBC is reporting that the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner will not investigate Gideon George Osborne over his dealings with a Russian oligarch.

Following a widely reported series of events that have also landed Peter Mandleson in hot water, the Shadow Chancellor has been fighting for his political life after it was said that he had attempted to solicit a £50,000 donation from billionaire Oleg Deripaska.

Now it seems Osborne will survive. Shame.

Sorry, but is it me or is there something fundamentally smarmy about Osborne? Seriously, I really can't stand the guy. I don't want to come across all class-warrior and all that (I'm really not the type), but there is something about him that really gets under my skin. Have you seen the Bullingdon photos?

He reminds me of those people at school who always hung around the big kids and caused trouble.

A paragraph in last week's Guardian suggests the smug self-importance isn't just an unfortunate appearance ::

One Osborne tactic which has irritated colleagues is his tendency to send out text messages to junior frontbenchers, often late in the evening, with mildly critical remarks. When the hapless MPs reply they receive no response because Osborne has switched off his phone. The following day he will joke that he meant no harm and that he was sending group texts.

Nice.

Of course truth is that, had Osborne continued to deny the allegations, his old friend Nat Rothschild had enough evidence to "finish" him. It's pretty clear that Mr. Osborne has been naughty, but the establishment is protecting its own as usual.