If the UK is really not becoming a police state, then the police must demonstrate their independence of the government today by immediately arresting Damian McBride, Charlie Whelan and Tom Watson for the crime of misconduct in public office.
Their offices should already have been raided and sealed, and their computers seized. These disgusting New Labour spin doctors are a cancer attached to the heart of the British government. They pose an infinitely more fundamental threat to British society and values than terrorism does. We can get through the odd bomb attack. We cannot get through the radical corruption of the democratic system.
The Crown Prosecution Service defines the principles of the criminal offence of misconduct in public office:
“The elements of misconduct in public office are:
a) A public officer acting as such.
b) Wilfully neglects to perform his duty and/or wilfully misconducts himself.
c) To such a degree as to amount to an abuse of the public’s trust in the office holder.
d) Without reasonable excuse or justification”
http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/l_to_o/misconduct_in_public_office/
Plainly they are guilty as hell. The only possible defence I can see is to say that at the time they cooked up this plot to libel the Opposition they were not “Acting as public officers”. But I do not believe that will wash. They were inside government offices – indeed two of them in the heart of Downing St – in office hours, and communicting with each other on official computers and using official email addresses. I understand that there is no email addressed to Watson, but he is mentioned in the emails, is in charge of the government’s internet straegy and sits in the same office as McBride.
Labour must be hoist with their own petard. They have insisted that the plainly party political dirty work being done by the likes of Brown’s long term creature McBride, is public service. We as taxpayers have been bearing the huge salaries and expenses of hundreds of these vile New Labour hacks for over a decade. They cannot now turn round and claim that what you and I have been forced to pay them to do for the last decade, was not done as public officers. While a tautologous argument that misconduct is evidently not public service, is obviously excluded by reasonable construction of the meaning and purpose of the law.
There can seldom have been a more definite case of misconduct in public office. If the police do not act, it will be an utter disgrace. Even Nixon could not prevent the Watergate burglars from bein arrested.
The behaviour of these vile people is not just a sin, it is a crime. A crime which strikes at the credibility of British democracy. We must demand their arrest.
I criticised Paul Staines earlier this week, but it would be wrong not to acknowledge that he has done a great service here.
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These people are an utter disgrace and beneath contempt. As they have long been identified as some of Gordon Brown’s closest “advisers”, it is difficult to see how he can convincingly distance himself from their odious activities.
A friend who worked as a [professional] civil servant in the Cabinet Office during Mrs Thatcher’s time is incredulous and aghast that such creatures could ever have been allowed within a mile of Downing Street.
You are quite correct. Well said
According to the Observer today(http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/apr/12/damien-mc-bride-labour-smear), the other person involved is Derek Draper, who (elsewhere) presents himself as a psychotherapist! If the allegations are true, it is outrageous that someone who behaves like this could be treating vulnerable people. It would bring psychotherapy into disrepute big time.
I have been a consumer of mental health services and to think that people that I trusted may have been as low in the gutter as this really makes me feel extremely sick.
Well said.
They are their ilk are rotten to the core. I think of their support of Israel and all those little ones in Gaza who are no longer alive.
From today’s ‘Sunday Times’ leading article:
‘It was supposed to be a new era. When he accepted the Labour leadership and the premiership of this country two years ago, Gordon Brown promised “a different kind of politics”, one that was more open and honest. He would be guided, he said, by the “moral compass” that had been provided by years of listening to his father’s sermons.
‘Just in case anybody did not get the message, Harriet Harman, his deputy, filled in the gaps. “In future, under a Gordon Brown regime, we need to have no spin, no briefing, no secrets and respect for parliament,” she promised. Blair-era tactics would be consigned to history in this new era of honesty.’
The trouble with these people is that they believe their own spin.
Sorry – They and their ilk….
Yes indeed!
They should be arrested for what they have done, but unfortunately, under a Corrupt Labour Government, only innocent protestors are ‘held to account’, those who are as guilty as sin, like the equally corrupt bankers, get off scot free.
Only the CORRUPT intend to vote for the Labour Party at the coming General Election.
We should treat them with disdain, just like McBride, Whelan, Watson and let’s not forget the worst of them – Dolly Draper.
“moral compass”
Immoral Compass.
Strange that New Labours “moral compass” always points them towards great wads of cash…Who needs a rainbow.
Dolly Draper isn’t the worst of them – he’s just an asinine twit. The smear trail points to much bigger fish – not least Draper’s longtime guru Mandelson.
Interesting that he was aboard the Russian’s yacht off Corfu where the story about Osborne asking for party cash originated.
@jaywalker
Gudo Fawkes has already exposed Draper for misrepresentation of his qualifications as a psychotherapist. His CV says he studied ‘in Berkeley’ implying Berkeley, University of California. In fact he studied at the much lesser known Wright Institute, Berkeley, and left without a degree.
Mind you, I think that pyschotherapists, with or without degrees, are pretty much a bunch of charlatans – granted, Draper may be rather an extreme example.
Is there any point in members of the public making an official complaint to the police to call for their arrest? If so could somebody post the procedure here as I am sure a few of the good people out there would like to follow this up with some action.
Thanks for another excellent posting Craig
As a qualified counsellor with a hard-earned three year course diploma, I agree with vronsky that some therapists are charlatans, and others are inadequately trained. But they are a minority – most of us do endeavour to appply high ethical standards and practise under supervision. The whole issue of state registration and regulation of psychotherapy is currently being intensively debated and is likely to lead to much closer scrutiny of credentials claimed by the likes of Draper.
The CPS legal guidance also has links to Private Prosecution.
Here http://www.cps.gov.uk/news/fact_sheets/private_prosecutions/index.html
and,
here http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/p_to_r/private_prosecutions/index.html.
Maybe the most frustrating thing here is that the “opposition” if that’s what they are, have no real interest in pursuing this or other issues discussed here, although, of course, they will pay lip service to it.
They know only too well that given a little time they will be in a position to abuse the powers entrusted to them. Then we will find the malfeasance will continue with only the names and parties involved changing. as Craig said in an earlier post, it’s time for a revolution.
It looks as though McBride et al are also liable for the civil offence of misfeasance in public office.
If there is a cause of action here, will those who have been smeared launch a civil action? And, if not, why not?
Excuse my language but i can find no other words>
These types are fucking reptiles.
They live in the gutter.
Its great when they are hoist by their own petard.
Yes – misfeasance is a civil offence, malfeasance a criminal. Malfeasance is normally likely to also be misfeasance. I think it might only not be if you could not identify a specific injured party. But the police really must act on the malfeasance. I cannot understand why none of the media is taking up that aspect – and none of the Tory blogs either.
Steven,
Yes I think it would help for individuals to notify the police of a crime.
Try as I might, I just can’t get myself excited about this at all.
These unelected (and elected) scumbags do this sort of thing every day and they will do it again tomorrow. It’s totally irrelevant. Some NeoLabour tosser will depart (w. golden handshake and senior partner position waiting) and a new tosser will replace him.
The Police are not independent. If they were, they wouldn’t be here.
They won’t do a bloody thing. They should, but wont. Then the police raided’ Green’s office, I sat back and marvelled at how the public were outraged that the police were allowed to do such things against MP’s.
Classic!
Stains is probably a useful conduit to ‘put a bit of stick about’ when ever someone feels the need.
Putting a bit of stick about, eh? You might very well think so, but I couldn’t possibly comment.
The time for revolution is high summer; we have a few months to chum the waters.
A few months more to feel the bite of a collapsing economy.
A few more agonising months to watch the writhing, poison spitting death-throws, of Zanu-Labour.
Or will we wait in suffering a whole year for an election that will swing us from one single party state to another single party state?
We need a bit of medicinal insurrection to remind the next bunch of self serving fascists, what the natural consequences are of taking liberties with liberty.
Zanu-Labour – LOL.
One step further and you get Zionu-Labour.
I stole the expression from “A very British dude” at:
http://brackenworld.blogspot.com/
“Gordon Brown’s ex-political press officer following the No 10 smear email. The e-mail’s recipient, Derek Draper, is interviewed on the show.”…
http://tinyurl.com/cdkyz5
According to Alan Johnson, Gordon Brown had no knowledge at all of what his chief political adviser was thinking – or about the emails he was sending out. If true, Brown is grossly incompetent (and wasting our money on advisers to whom he does not listen). If untrue, then Johnson has just told the nation a pack of barefaced lies.
Haven’t you noticed that Postman Pat is always wheeled out to defend his master.
“According to Alan Johnson, Gordon Brown had no knowledge at all of what his chief political adviser was thinking – or about the emails he was sending out.”
http://tinyurl.com/d7jh49
Alan Johnson’s statement to the BBC that “”Gordon Brown had nothing to do with this” [how does he know? I wonder], and that “You apologise for the things you are responsible for…
Gordon is not responsible for every single person who works for him, for what they do in their own time” contradicts what I have always understood was the constitutional doctrine of ministerial responsibility.
From Dicey onwards, all the authorities are emphatic that a minister – including the Prime Minister – IS responsible for the doings and misdoings of his subordinates, whether he is aware of them or not. And Johnson conveniently ignores the fact that McBride sent his emails through official channels, while also begging the question of whether this was done in McBride’s “own” time or that of his employers.
President Truman used to have a sign on his desk in the Oval Office that read “The buck stops here”. According to the Johnson doctrine, the buck is never to be seen within miles of the Prime Minister’s desk.
Ministerial responsibility – an interesting link:
http://www.barder.com/ephems/468
Seems like the rats have started leaving the New Labour ship by all the available exits including the toilet pan.
Dear Mr. Craig Murray
I have read your work before and liked it.
Your atricle on Dundee University and the Labour Party got me hooked on your writing.
I look forward to your letter getting a serious reply from Mr. Watson MP and action.
As a side issue on any follow up letter to Mr. Watson have you considered looking at S13 of the Theft Act 1968, the theft of electricity is a criminal offence to help Mr. Watson with doing his job properly?
S13 maybe dull but it has teeth.
Keep up the good work.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University