Very rarely, Sky News let a normal person be interviewed. There was a policeman representing Met beat bobbies on this morning who was great – I caught his name as Paul Blecksley, but perhaps misheard as I couldn’t turn him up on google. He had some brilliant one liners, of which my favourite was “If senior officers did less dining and less politicking and more detecting, the taxpayer would be better served.” He also asked why on earth policemen needed a spin doctor anyway, and pointed out that if a normal cop accepts a thank you bag of chips from the local chippie, let alone a £12,000 holiday, he is for the high jump.
This was refreshing as he came immediately after New Labour’s shadow minister for policing (sic) – a name I am not bothered I didn’t catch – who said Stephenson was a man of great integrity blah blah blah.
It is quite wrong to believe that the well-connected bent cops like Hayman and Yates are supported by the average cop. They are rather detested, as was “Lord” Ian Blair. If anyone can find that straight talking interview, let me know. We won’t be seeing him again on mainstream media.
I hope that everyone in the Met who has been asking for it, gets what they so clearly deserve, It is difficult to understand the Home secretary’s reluctance to rebuild the lack of trust that now exists, does she know there is more to come, why just focus on the police’s choice of celebs to harrow through the press? why not inform all those others that they have been hacked, to delay is merely another cover up.
Those lawyers who forever use this circus and media merrygoround to make millions from death, sex, grieve and celeb tittle tattle, ought to be included in these investigations of the media, their symbiosis, not unlike that of a goatsucker going for blood, their activities are providing much of the water thats turning these mills.
Soon we will hear Cameron screeching for the rain to stop, still clinging on to some weeds upstream, he is desperate not to be swept away by this rising hourly tide.
BTW. should someone want to send the dignite de Karama a message, here is a contact
http://www.unbateaupourgaza.fr/index.php/Nouvelles/Envoyez-un-message-aux-passagers-du-Dignite-Al-Karama
“Highly regarded at the Yard” isn’t quite what we need. Yates was “highly regarded at the Yard” as was Stephenson. They’re all “highly regarded at the Yard” until they’re exposed to normal human standards, and then we find that “highly regarded at the Yard” is itself the problem.
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A better starting point would obviously be someone who is depised at the Yard.
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That’s kind of where we’re at with these useless dangerous imbeciles.
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Thanks too to that nice Mr Blair who gave them so many unnecessary powers over us. Can anyone forget the total contempt in which the public were held by these scoundrels. It’s all on YouTube.
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And while we’re at it let’s take down all those cameras spying on the decent public and train them all on those who seek to control our lives.
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It’s not us needs watching. It’s them!!
St Theresa of Maidenhead is about to make a statement in the HoC(not give a statement!). I should imagine her gophers have been busy on the rewrites all afternoon.
A couple of pieces here worth a read but, if like me and Clark’s friend Harriet on another thread, you have square eyes at the moment then don’t bother.
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Rebekah Brooks and her “We have paid the police for information” testimony back in 2003
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NYT: NOTW bought mobile phone location data for $500 a time from corrupt police
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http://spyblog.org.uk/
Fascinating pre-fight punditry from Murdoch’s best-informed biographer, MIchael Wolff:
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He’s told ITV he reckons Murdoch will perform very badly when he gives evidence to the Commons committee tomorrow.
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‘He will handle it very poorly. This is something that Rupert doesn’t know how to do, has never done, has resisted doing and frankly can’t do. Rupert is — on top of everything else — an incredibly shy man and he is also a very inarticulate man, and he’s also a man who, I don’t think he is going to know what to do with the fact that he will be confronted here.
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‘It is very likely he will get angry. He will say things that people should not say in public. I know they are drilling him and rehearsing him over and over and over and over again and they are saying to him “do not say anything, just answer the questions in as few words as possible.” Whether he absorbs that lesson or not . . . actually I can’t imagine that he will or that he has.’
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A bit off topic, but I would not pay too much attention to anything published in the Register about Climate Science. While The Register is excellent for news on computing and electronics they have a total blind spot on the subject of climate science. Their correspondents Andrew Orlowski and Lewis Page are notorious for ignoring any scientific paper that supports the concept of man made climate change (most of them), and hyping up or distorting any paper that casts the slightest doubt.
Here for example is a video of Peter Hadfield ripping apart an article by Lewis Page in TheRegister in which it becomes clear Page had not actually read the scientific paper he was quoting as his proof.
http://www.youtube.com/user/potholer54#p/u/17/l3vIWD4tAHc
Derek,
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The DG of CERN, Rolf-Dieter Heuer was interviewed in Die Welt.
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The Register article translates and also refers to Nigel Calder’s blog and comments on this highly unscientific position.
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I suggest you like the Register’s articles that you agree with but attack its integrity when you don’t like the message.
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There is zero empirical evidence for Man Made Climate Change and the Register reflects this real scientific position.
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However, just as the Royal Society was forced to change its website page on Climate Change to avoid a mutiny (consensus lol), CERN and other physicists will making sure that these results and interpretations get out
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😉
I’m sure everyone remembers the Committee hearing where Becky Brooks admitted giving money to police, and Coulson sitting beside her jumped in to rescue her from herself by claiming that they only ever acted within the law.
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Mary has posted a short transcript and link above:
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http://spyblog.org.uk/
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The link to the committee transcript is now broken leaving these curious words:
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“Not Found
The requested object does not exist on this server. The link you followed is either outdated, inaccurate, or the server has been instructed not to let you have it.”
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I can understand why Coulson rushed in to rescue Brooks from her admission of paying police – they’re colleagues, but why did the committee chairman rush to interrupt Chris Bryant’s more important question as to the legality of paying police? You can see it here:
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“469. It is illegal for police officers to receive payments.
(Mr Coulson) No. I just said, within the law.
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Chairman: Chris, you have your answer. Thank you very much. We are grateful for your evidence and the courtesy with which you have given your responses.”
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How can you pay police “within the law”. You can’t in these circumstances.
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One would have thought that that was a matter that ought to be pursued to the fullest extent, but this chairman closed it down rather than pursue it.
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Did this chairman have any relationship himself with Murdoch Inc and is it the same chairman sitting tomorrow when the Murdochs and Becky will be questioned again?
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There was of course talk of Facebook friendship…
A lawyers’ paradise.
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News Corp appoints Grabiner QC to oversee phone-hacking investigation
http://www.thelawyer.com/news-corp-appoints-grabiner-qc-to-oversee-phone-hacking-investigation/1008680.article
Jeremy Clarkson has given an insider’s account of a Christmas party held at the home of former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks that was attended by David Cameron.
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The last paragraph is the important bit.
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http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/broadcasting/news/a330383/jeremy-clarkson-reveals-rebekah-brooks-david-cameron-christmas-party.html
Remind me how many investigations, inquiries and committee hearings there are now. May announced two more today. One by Elizabeth Filkin and another by the HMIC. I have lost count.
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May announces new efforts to wipe out police corruption http://www.politics.co.uk/news/2011/07/18/may-announces-new-efforts-to-wipe-out-police-
Herbie
Examination of Witnesses (Questions 460-469)
TUESDAY 11 MARCH 2003
MS REBEKAH WADE, MR ANDREW COULSON, MR STUART KUTTNER AND MR TOM CRONE
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http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmselect/cmcumeds/458/3031115.htm
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very few of this committee survive in the HOC today
Members present:
Rt Hon Gerald Kaufman, in the Chair
Mr Chris Bryant
Julie Kirkbride
Mr Frank Doran
Rosemary McKenna
Michael Fabricant
Ms Debra Shipley
Mr Adrian Flook
John Thurso
Alan Keen
Derek Wyatt
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Remember that eight days later they and their colleagues were voting for Blair’s war on Iraq.
Thanks Mary.
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So it was Gerald Kaufman in the chair. He had been a journalist of course.
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Pity he didn’t let Chris Bryant pursue the matter.
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Anyway. I look forward to some incisive questioning by Watson and Bryant tomorrow.
Apologies to John Thurso who voted against the war and these brave others.
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Labour anti-war only 69
Ms Diane Abbott (Hackney North & Stoke Newington)
Graham Allen (Nottingham North)
John Austin (Erith & Thamesmead)
Tony Banks (West Ham)
Harry Barnes (Derbyshire North East)
John Battle (Leeds West)
Andrew Bennett (Denton & Reddish)
Joe Benton (Bootle)
Dr Roger Berry (Kingswood)
Harold Best (Leeds North West)
Bob Blizzard (Waveney)
Keith Bradley (Manchester Withington)
Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West)
Ms Karen Buck (Regent’s Park & Kensington North)
Richard Burden (Birmingham Northfield)
Ms Anne Campbell (Cambridge)
Ronnie Campbell (Blyth Valley)
Martin Caton (Gower)
David Chaytor (Bury North)
Michael Clapham (Barnsley West & Penistone)
Mrs Helen Clark (Peterborough)
Tom Clarke (Coatbridge & Chryston)
Tony Clarke (Northampton South)
Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead)
Iain Coleman (Hammersmith & Fulham)
Michael Connarty (Falkirk East)
Frank Cook (Stockton North)
Robin Cook (Livingston)
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North)
Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Tom Cox (Tooting)
David Crausby (Bolton North East)
Ms Ann Cryer (Keighley)
John Cryer (Hornchurch)
Tam Dalyell (Linlithgow)
Ms Valerie Davey (Bristol West)
Ian Davidson (Glasgow Pollok)
Denzil Davies (Llanelli)
Terry Davis (Birmingham Hodge Hill)
Hilton Dawson (Lancaster & Wyre)
John Denham (Southampton Itchen)
Parmjit Dhanda (Gloucester)
Jim Dobbin (Heywood & Middleton)
Frank Dobson (Holborn & St Pancras)
Frank Doran (Aberdeen Central)
David Drew (Stroud)
Huw Edwards (Monmouth)
Clive Efford (Eltham)
Bill Etherington (Sunderland North)
Mark Fisher (Stoke-on-Trent Central)
Paul Flynn (Newport West)
Hywel Francis (Aberavon)
George Galloway (Glasgow Kelvin)
Neil Gerrard (Walthamstow)
Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North)
Roger Godsiff (Birmingham Sparkbrook & Small Heath)
Win Griffiths (Bridgend)
John Grogan (Selby)
Patrick Hall (Bedford)
David Hamilton (Midlothian)
Fabian Hamilton (Leeds North East)
Dai Havard (Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney)
Doug Henderson (Newcastle upon Tyne North)
Stephen Hepburn (Jarrow)
David Heyes (Ashton under Lyne)
David Hinchliffe (Wakefield)
Ms Kate Hoey (Vauxhall)
Jimmy Hood (Clydesdale)
Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North)
Ms Joan Humble (Blackpool North & Fleetwood)
Dr Brian Iddon (Bolton South East)
Eric Illsley (Barnsley Central)
Ms Glenda Jackson (Hampstead & Highgate)
Ms Helen Jackson (Sheffield Hillsborough)
Jon Owen Jones (Cardiff Central)
Dr Lynne Jones (Birmingham Selly Oak)
Martyn Jones (Clwyd South)
David Kidney (Stafford)
Peter Kilfoyle (Liverpool Walton)
Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North & Leith)
David Lepper (Brighton Pavilion)
Terry Lewis (Worsley)
Ian Lucas (Wrexham)
Iain Luke (Dundee East)
John Lyons (Strathkelvin & Bearsden)
Mrs Christine McCafferty (Calder Valley)
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington)
Ms Ann McKechin (Glasgow Maryhill)
Kevin McNamara (Hull North)
Tony McWalter (Hemel Hempstead)
Ms Alice Mahon (Halifax)
Jim Marshall (Leicester South)
Robert Marshall-Andrews (Medway)
Eric Martlew (Carlisle)
Ms Julie Morgan (Cardiff North)
Chris Mullin (Sunderland South)
Denis Murphy (Wansbeck)
Doug Naysmith (Bristol North West)
Eddie O’Hara (Knowsley South)
Ms Diana Organ (Forest of Dean)
Albert Owen (Ynys Mon)
Ms Linda Perham (Ilford North)
Peter Pike (Burnley)
Kerry Pollard (St Albans)
Gordon Prentice (Pendle)
Gwyn Prosser (Dover)
Ken Purchase (Wolverhampton North East)
John Robertson (Glasgow Anniesland)
Joan Ruddock (Lewisham Deptford)
Martin Salter (Reading West)
Mohammad Sarwar (Glasgow Govan)
Malcolm Savidge (Aberdeen North)
Philip Sawford (Kettering)
Brian Sedgemore (Hackney South & Shoreditch)
Ms Debra Shipley (Stourbridge)
Alan Simpson (Nottingham South)
Marsha Singh (Bradford West)
Chris Smith (Islington South & Finsbury)
Llew Smith (Blaenau Gwent)
George Stevenson (Stoke-on-Trent South)
Dr Gavin Strang (Edinburgh East & Musselburgh)
Graham Stringer (Manchester Blackley)
David Taylor (Leicestershire North West)
Jon Trickett (Hemsworth)
Paul Truswell (Pudsey)
Dr Desmond Turner (Brighton Kemptown)
Bill Tynan (Hamilton South)
Rudi Vis (Finchley & Golders Green)
Ms Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North)
Robert Wareing (Liverpool West Derby)
Dr Alan Whitehead (Southampton Test)
Alan Williams (Swansea West)
Mrs Betty Williams (Conwy)
Mike Wood (Batley & Spen)
Tony Worthington (Clydebank & Milngavie)
David Wright (Telford)
Dr Tony Wright (Cannock Chase)
Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey)
One Labour MP acting as a teller also voted against the government.
Tory anti-war only 15
Peter Ainsworth (Surrey East)
Richard Bacon (Norfolk South)
Tony Baldry (Banbury)
John Baron (Billericay)
Kenneth Clarke (Rushcliffe)
John Gummer (Suffolk Coastal)
John Horam (Orpington)
Edward Leigh (Gainsborough)
Humfrey Malins (Woking)
Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury)
Richard Page (Hertfordshire South West)
John Randall (Uxbridge)
Jonathan Sayeed (Bedfordshire Mid)
Ian Taylor (Esher & Walton)
Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight)
Liberal Democrats (ALL opposed war)
Richard Allan (Sheffield Hallam)
Norman Baker (Lewes)
John Barrett (Edinburgh West)
Alan Beith (Berwick-upon-Tweed)
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington)
Colin Breed (Cornwall South East)
Ms Annette Brooke (Dorset Mid & Poole North)
Malcolm Bruce (Gordon)
John Burnett (Devon West & Torridge)
Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam)
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham)
Ms Patsy Calton (Cheadle)
Menzies Campbell (Fife North East)
Alistair Carmichael (Orkney & Shetland)
David Chidgey (Eastleigh)
Brian Cotter (Weston-Super-Mare)
Edward Davey (Kingston & Surbiton)
Ms Sue Doughty (Guildford)
Don Foster (Bath)
Andrew George (St Ives)
Mrs Sandra Gidley (Romsey)
Matthew Green (Ludlow)
Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South)
Dr Evan Harris (Oxford West & Abingdon)
Nick Harvey (Devon North)
David Heath (Somerton & Frome)
Paul Holmes (Chesterfield)
Simon Hughes (Southwark North & Bermondsey)
Nigel Jones (Cheltenham)
Paul Keetch (Hereford)
Charles Kennedy (Ross, Skye & Inverness West)
Sir Archy Kirkwood (Roxburgh & Berwickshire)
Norman Lamb (Norfolk North)
David Laws (Yeovil)
Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury & Atcham)
Michael Moore (Tweeddale, Ettrick & Lauderdale)
Mark Oaten (Winchester)
Lembit Opik (Montgomeryshire)
John Pugh (Southport)
Alan Reid (Argyll & Bute)
David Rendel (Newbury)
Bob Russell (Colchester)
Adrian Sanders (Torbay)
Sir Robert Smith (Aberdeenshire West & Kincardine)
Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove)
Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell)
John Thurso (Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross)
Dr Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park)
Paul Tyler (Cornwall North)
Steve Webb (Northavon)
Roger Williams (Brecon & Radnorshire)
Phil Willis (Harrogate & Knaresborough)
Richard Younger-Ross (Teignbridge)
Others anti-war
Ms Annabelle Ewing (SNP Perth)
Elfyn Llwyd (PC Meirionnydd Nant Conwy)
Eddie McGrady (SDLP Down South)
Adam Price (PC Carmarthen East & Dinefwr)
Angus Robertson (SNP Moray)
Alex Salmond (SNP Banff & Buchan)
Dr Richard Taylor (KHHC Wyre Forest)
Simon Thomas (PC Ceredigion)
Michael Weir (SNP Angus)
Hywel Williams (PC Caernarfon)
Peter Wishart (SNP Tayside North)
Apologies to John Thurso who voted against the war and these brave others listed.
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http://www.naba.org.uk/CONTENT/TheAssociation/Parliament/MPs_Vote_War_on_Iraq.pdf
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I listed them in a previous comment which moderator please delete. I did not realize how long the list would be when printed out.
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Conservatives YES 139 voted for the War vs 15 voted NO (10%)
Labour YES 244 voted for the War vs 69 voted against (28.27% against)
LibDems None voted for the War, 100% voted against it
11 Scottish and Welsh MPs also voted against.
How about a civilian select committee were the following emminent persons are taking to the chair and asking the questions
these are, Herbie, Mary and Dreolin for impact research adn follow on questions, Suhayl, Craig, Courtney Barnett and Tom welsh for precise on time delivery, sorry for being the token lawyer Courtney, you’ll cope :). Then we have Clark, Jon and Scouse Billy for comparrisons and past relevances.
A far more appropriate group of unconnected people with a sense of principal and fairness, and not what will ask the questions tommorrow I fear.
“News of the World phone hacking whistleblower found dead
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Death of Sean Hoare – who was first named journalist to allege Andy Coulson knew of hacking – not being treated as suspicious”
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/18/news-of-the-world-sean-hoare
“Sean Hoare, a one-time close friend of Coulson’s, told the New York Times the two men first worked together at the Sun, where, Hoare said, he played tape recordings of hacked messages for Coulson. At the News of the World, Hoare said he continued to inform Coulson of his activities. Coulson “actively encouraged me to do it,” Hoare said.”
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“Hoare emerged back into the spotlight last week, after he told the New York Times that reporters at the News of the World were able to use police technology to locate people using their mobile phone signals in exchange for payments to police officers.
He said journalists were able to use a technique called ‘pinging’ which measured the distance between mobile handsets and a number of phone masts to pinpoint its location.
Hoare gave further details about the use of ‘pinging’ to the Guardian last week. He described how reporters would ask a news desk executive to obtain the location of a target: “Within 15 to 30 minutes someone on the news desk would come back and say ‘right that’s where they are.'”
Great article here http://whowhatwhy.com/2011/07/14/how-has-murdoch-improved-with-age/
When are we going to start talking about no-confidence motions? This government should be brought down. Cameron and Clegg should be booted out. Bye bye Con Dems!!!
That would be one heck of a day out, Ingo. Just give me a date and I’ll be there. 🙂
In the realm of fiction, the timing of Mr Hoare’s departure would be deemed unacceptably improbable.
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off the subject, in the news
The US is edging closer to the first-ever debt default in its history,
Well it seems that USA is edging towards becoming a third world (oops! developing ) country with a ultra rich few and a struggling mass….. and when USA sneezes… who will catch the cold?
BBC1’s Panorama this evening (8:30) is a pre-match special.
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Jonangus: that’s good.
angrysoba
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Spot on. I think the same.
@Mary
Wonder how the Lib Dems would have voted if they were in a coalition at the time?
I have a feeling it would have been a bit like the Student Fees 🙂
It’s wrong to imagine that it’s the usual a few bad apples in barrel… it’s the barrel that’s rotten.
Writeon – the barrel is rotten because its “owners” decide who the candidates are for us to vote into it.
Oh that’s very kind of you, Ingo, thanks, man. Would be a good gig, methinks!
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Angrysoba, yes, good idea.
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I note again, Mary, as I did back in 2003, that my MP, Ann McKechin is on the list of those who voted against the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Ann and I were at school together in Paisley and over the years I’ve met her a few times since, (including in the queue for the local Post Office!). She was a decent person back then; I sense she grew up steeped in what was morally good about (Old) Labour in the community; and indeed she’s always struck me as a decent, intelligent and down-to-earth woman. One doesn’t have to agree with an MP’s every vote on everything, of course, but on crucial ones like the Iraq one, I think it really, really matters and the way they voted on Iraq would define, or change, my opinion of someone.
The Police hierarchy have been in the pockets of the political class since the miners strike.That was when they were used and rewarded for putting down the thorn in Thatchers side.Lord Blair was as blatantly & unashamedly corrupt as his namesake in Downing Street.. both well rewarded for their betrayal of Britain.
This story is obviously too big and our ConDem Govt. is in danger which is why MI5 has sent out their cleaners.
We need more of the straight coppers to expose the rot within.The majority of them are actually interested in beating crime… ALL crime.