You would expect Jack Straw as “Justice Minister” to support the rule of law. But not only has he personally just flagrantly breached the criminal law on treating in elections, he has supported the astonishing idea that troops serving in Afghanistan should be exempt from law while off duty in the UK.
A soldier from his Blackburn constituency was caught doing 143mph – yes, 143 mph – on the motorway. The judge let hom off because he was a soldier shortly to return to Afghanistan.
Minister of Justice Jack Straw commented:
“It seems to me that the judge has shown appropriate mercy for someone risking his life for the rest of us.”
Anyone driving at 143mph on the public highway is a real threat to kill members of the public. So the Justice Minster believes soldiers should be exempt from such laws? What else will the principle be extended to? Rape? “Yes, he raped her, but he is doing important work protecting the nation in Afghanistan”.
Straw is an absolute disgrace.
“It seems to me that the judge has shown appropriate mercy for someone risking his life for the rest of us.”
He is not just risking his life, but our lives too.
143 MPH?
What car was he driving?
Oh it does go beyond road traffic, a few years ago a few soldiers came out of a pub, saw a brown skinned person and started swearing racists abuse at him, then they beat him put, and one of them pocked one of his eyes out with a bit of glass.
They were given community service, because a criminal record would mean they might have to leave the army.
Ever seen or heard of a Marxist-Feminist going to prison, now that ZanuLabour are in ‘control’?
arsalan: it was a Ford Focus ST.
NuLab policy – soldiers must be protected at all costs. Until sent by us to fight stupid and illegal wars, then they’re on their own.
“…someone risking his life for the rest of us”
We’re not all heroin addicts Mr Straw.
From the Lancashire Telegraph article:
“The court heard the 20-year-old is about to embark on a tour of Afghanistan in mid June, where he will be carrying out repair work to British vehicles damaged by roadside bombs.”
So (1) the offender is a mechanic, not actually fighting – “…someone risking his life for the rest of us” Mr Straw?
And (2) Since when did we need ordinary mecahnics, and other, special mechanics for repairing damage by bombs? Or was the defence just mentioning bomb damage for its emotive effect?
Still, I suppose it is an unusual instance where “We have to send our soldiers over there to protect us over here” actually has some truth in it…
All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.
Never rang truer.
Fear not! for the up and coming vote will solve all these evils.
/Laughs/
Jack Straw has complete disregard for the public as a whole.
Gordon Brown like the monster Hydra also has many different faces, one such public face expresses kindness and magnanimity, and another private face revealing a cruel, overbearing, intimidating, intolerant and aggressive demeanour.
A strong holistic leader has qualities that recognise our social embeddedness and the need for developing an interest in the welfare of others.
Not, as Brown did, accuse an elderly member of the public and a Labour supporter to boot as ‘bigoted.’
Hypocritical also comes to mind!
Fuckin’ disgrace.
Just when i thought Straw couldnt sicken me any more…
This soldier,at that speed,is risking his own life,thus weakening military capability, and also the lives of many civilians.
Abysmal logic.
If I was being chased by a bunch of unknown people in an unmarked car, I might think about trying to get away from them, too, I’m suprised more wasn’t made of that angle. I suppose it’s difficult when both ‘sides’ of the case are so unquestionable.
Jack Straw isn’t going to be put in jail.
Jack Straw isn’t above the law, Jack Straw is the law.
A judge in the Guildford Crown Court (Critchlow as far as I can remember) has let off military personnel accused of various violent assaults because they were serving. ‘Our brave boys’ stuff again.
I think this case and the others mentioned show that the establishment is afraid of the military.
Aw Jesus Christ, Jimmy! Come oan tae grips!
We no takin boot Marxist-Leninists (are there ony left in this country?), nor are we takin boot feminists. We’re takin boot soajers who are programmed by the brutalisin effect ae war tae hate Afghans, Iraqis, etc. and/ or who feel able tae act oot on pre-exisiting racist impulses followin a period ae sustained brutalisation in the theatre ae war, or who might’ve been jist f..in racist bastards tae begin wi, attackin a broon person (an Ah dinnae mean ta PM) blindin him or else engagin in risk-takin behaviours lik speedin at 142 MPH oan the public highway. It’s the Vietnam Vet Syndrome, ken.
Wur also takin boot senior war-mongerin poalatians who smashed international law in 2003 and who therefore feel they can smash it at thur ain convenience. These dunderheids cultivate and excuse such behaviour oan the (inaccurate) assumption that ‘a psychopath makes a guid soajer’ and because they think it’ll gain them favours wi the worst aspects ae media/ public opinion:
“Kill the pig, cut his throat!”
It’s got f-all tae dae wi Karl Marx, Vladmir Lenin or Andrea Dworkin.
Ye’ve dae weil tae learn tae pick yer targets appropriately, otherwise ye might end up lik thoase soajers, iviry time a tungsten licht goes oan, shootin aff in the wrang direction!
Straw has form on this himself though. If you remember some years ago in his early ministerial career as Home Secretary, his car was stopped by police on the M5 on the way back to the Cotswolds after he had made an appearance at his Blackburn constituency to meet the plebs. He was not driving but his chauffeur was doing over a ton presumably with the blessing of the great man in the back seat. As I remember the driver got let off.
Just listemed to the Jeremy Vine show on radio 2. Such joy to hear Gordon Brown telling the truth for the first time in his life in front of an open microphone albeit in the confines of his bullet proof car. Not quite as much fun as Prescot and the flying egg incident of a few years back but none the less revealing of the man when put under pressure. Is anybody seriously expecting him back at number 10 in two weeks ? I bet Pickfords have already been booked…
In any case Marxist-Feminists are very law-abiding I understand.
“Is anybody seriously expecting him back at number 10 in two weeks ?”
If there’s a hung parliament and Labour have the most seats then that’s exactly what will happen, at least at first.
Well lets see what does happen in the end. The media like to speculate during the spectacle of a general election campaign. It seems the public are being primed for the propsect of such a hanging. Would Clegg or Cameron want to try and work with this obnoxious and arrogant fool?
Richard Robinson,
good point. It’s time the police stopped having car chases, and some technology was applied instead.
“I’m suprised more wasn’t made of that angle”.
It’s because the unmarked car was a police car, which will have activated its siren and flashing light pretty quickly. That he was being pursued suggests he was already speeding before he noticed the police car.
Craig you keep mentioning that the food was Hallal. What proof if any do you have that it was Hallal?
On what basis do you bass your judgement that he would give Hallal food, from a reputable supplier?
This clown just gets worse and worse:
http://www.channel4.com/news/
I suppose it’ll take the concerted hatchet job off Clegg for about five minutes though.
“I’m suprised more wasn’t made of that angle”
“It’s because the unmarked car was a police car, which will have activated its siren and flashing light pretty quickly.”
Ah, I see. I took “unmarked” to mean not having unmistakable indicators that it was a copcar.
Jon, thanks very much indeed! But it’s not me who writes that column in ‘Private Eye’. Indeed, I’d forgotten about it till you reminded me. I don’t know who it is, in truth.
On another, somewhat unrelated, but not completely unrelated, note, I just got home today to find a BNP election leaflet in my hall.
Pic of Churchill adjacent to pic of Nic. Nice. Weetabixy family, smiling… so sweet, so very sweet.
It’s come all the way from Turriff, Aberdeenshire! “Turra, Turra, faur the sorra idder?” Whisky country. Aye.
My goodness, those Fascists, they do travel, don’t they? By golly, they make the trains run on time.
How dare they pollute my country!
I don’t think I’ll recycle it. I think I’ll get one of those long, cooking matches and ignite a corner so that I can watch it burn, very slowly. A spell, if you wish.
I was once let off by a West Midlands traffic cop using the same excuse but I was only doing 80mph on the A41 late at night. Personally, I think the 1960’s limit of 70mph is too low but 143mph is way too excessive if there are other vehicles around.
For a bit of light relief:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3rD8fUmbRA&feature=related
Ah, now I see that Gray Raikes, Leader of the BNP in Scotland, lives in Turriff, Aberdeenshire. I wonder how many printers there are in that small, rural town.
Well, well, well.
The internet is amazing, don’t you think? The world is just a click away.
Printers in Turriff… let’s Google it. Printers in Turriff…
If they can put leaflets through my door, I can seek them out.
Now for that spell.