http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20189599
http://news.sky.com/story/1006399/expenses-macshane-letters-protected-by-rules
Denis MacShane has now bowed to the inevitable and resigned as Labour MP for Rotheram.
The former Minister for Europe was facing a 12-month suspension from the House of Commons following a report by its expenses watchdog which found he had made fradulent claims no less than 19 times.
An earlier enquiry into MacShane's expenses was dropped by the Metropolitan Police in July.
Given that Mr MacShane would not be able to serve his constituents effectively without access to Parliament for such a lengthy period, he really had no other option but to stand down.
However, letters in which Mr MacShane admitted breaking the rules on claiming expenses cannot be used as evidence against him in court, because of parliamentary priveledge.
This makes any prosecution of Mr MacShane for expenses fraud unlikely, unless the police can find other evidence to support the case for bringing charges against him.
Not surprisingly, this has provoked a storm of criticism from the Conservatives. Philip Davies has urged the Metropolitan Police to re-open their investigation, claiming that MPs should not be seen to be above the law.
And he is right.
Whilst Parliamentary Priveledge, quite correctly, exists to protect the efficient working of the legislature, if there is clear evidence that an MP or peer has broken the law, then they should forfeit any right to protection from Parliament.
And this is especially so in MacShane's case, where he has actually admitted to these breaches of the rules in writing, in what some have described as one of the worst cases of Parliamentary expenses fraud so far.
Like the MPs and Peers who in the recent past have been found to have fiddled their expenses, MacShane should also face the full force of justice.
The British people have a right to expect that those who represent them do not consider themselves to be beyond the reach of the law.
Saturday 3 November 2012
More Angst For Cameron As Tory Disunity Over Europe Resurfaces
The Prime Minister suffered a humilating defeat in the Commons last week, as Tory rebels voted against the Coalition and dealt another serious blow to Mr Cameron's authority.
Coming after the resignation of Andrew Mitchell and the row over George Osborne's train fare, once again this looks like a government in disarray and as Ed Miliband pointed out in PMQs, smacks of 'John Major all over again'.
Mr Cameron showed glaring weakness in not sacking Mr Mitchell after his spat with the police in Downing Street.
And now, in voting in favour of a cut in the EU Budget, Tory rebels have run rough-shod over him over Europe, just like they did with Mr Major in the 1990s.
The government defeat, by 13 votes, came despite a warning from Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, that a cut in the EU Budget would not happen.
It is becoming increasingly obvious that David Cameron does not have the ability to assert any authority over any of his errant back-benchers or even his own cabinet.
The Conservative Party do not seem to have learnt the lessons of history; if they continue to fight amongst themselves in this destructive way, defeat at the next election is inevitable. http://news.sky.com/story/1005484/eu-budget-clegg-warns-cut-wont-happen
Saturday 27 October 2012
Family Of Jimmy Savile In Turmoil After Abuse Revelations
http://news.sky.com/story/1003492/savile-family-our-hearts-go-out-to-victims
The revelation that Jimmy Savile, a much-loved national treasure, was allegedly a serial paedaphile, have absolutely horrified the nation.
Growing up in the Seventies and Eighties, I was one of the millions of youngsters who used to look forward to watching Jim'll Fix It on a Saturday afternoon.
He was someone who devoted his life to making others happy and raising millions of pounds for good causes.
Now my memories of someone who was a hero to children all over the country have been completely tarnished by the allegations that Savile repeatedly sexually abused hundreds of children over many decades. And whilst there were many rumours about his behaviour amongst his colleagues, the culture of sexism during the seventies and eighties in particular allowed his alleged activities to go almost completely unchecked and anyone who did say anything was just dismissed.
It is not surprising that the initial reaction of Savile's family after the airing of the ITV documentary earlier this month was one of denial.
Who wants to believe that their uncle or brother could be capable of such evil? His relatives are now coming to terms that the family member they loved and thought they knew may not have been that person at all.
Like the relatives of other notorious criminals, Savile's family now have to bear the burden of what he is belived to have done, even more so now that he is not around to face a criminal trial.
Savile's nephew, Roger Foster, has said that the family are 'devastated'.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-20108609
I am not for a minute trying to diminish the torment of those that Savile allegedly abused.
But the pain and suffering his family are now being forced to endure must be utterly unbearable too.
The revelation that Jimmy Savile, a much-loved national treasure, was allegedly a serial paedaphile, have absolutely horrified the nation.
Growing up in the Seventies and Eighties, I was one of the millions of youngsters who used to look forward to watching Jim'll Fix It on a Saturday afternoon.
He was someone who devoted his life to making others happy and raising millions of pounds for good causes.
Now my memories of someone who was a hero to children all over the country have been completely tarnished by the allegations that Savile repeatedly sexually abused hundreds of children over many decades. And whilst there were many rumours about his behaviour amongst his colleagues, the culture of sexism during the seventies and eighties in particular allowed his alleged activities to go almost completely unchecked and anyone who did say anything was just dismissed.
It is not surprising that the initial reaction of Savile's family after the airing of the ITV documentary earlier this month was one of denial.
Who wants to believe that their uncle or brother could be capable of such evil? His relatives are now coming to terms that the family member they loved and thought they knew may not have been that person at all.
Like the relatives of other notorious criminals, Savile's family now have to bear the burden of what he is belived to have done, even more so now that he is not around to face a criminal trial.
Savile's nephew, Roger Foster, has said that the family are 'devastated'.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-20108609
I am not for a minute trying to diminish the torment of those that Savile allegedly abused.
But the pain and suffering his family are now being forced to endure must be utterly unbearable too.
Could Boris Make An Early Return To The Commons?
http://news.sky.com/story/1003367/chance-for-boris-as-tory-mp-stands-down
It is not hard to see how much difficulty the Coalition has been in recently.
David Cameron and the Tories have literally stumbled from one disaster to another in the last few months and much attention has focussed on the possibility of London Mayor Boris Johnson replacing Cameron as party leader before the end of his second term at City Hall.
He was the star attraction at this year's Tory Conference, stealing all the headlines from the Prime Minister and his less-than-inspiring keynote address.
Mr Johnson has always insisted that he wants to stay on as Mayor until the next elections in 2016. However, if the Tories' fortunes do not dramatically improve, the calls from the backbenches for David Cameron to be replaced as Party leader could become irresistable.
Boris Johnson is seen by many as an obvious choice as next Conservative leader. He is very popular in London and beyond; a very likeable, crossover character with the ability to connect with all sections of the electorate.
Veteran Croydon MP, Richard Ottaway has announced his decision to stand down at the next election in 2015; a year before the next Mayoral elections in London, giving Boris the perfect opportunity to re-enter the Commons in a safe seat and then run for the leadership.
If the Tories do not recover from their current dismal position in the polls, I predict that Boris could very well be persuaded to do exactly that.
It is not hard to see how much difficulty the Coalition has been in recently.
David Cameron and the Tories have literally stumbled from one disaster to another in the last few months and much attention has focussed on the possibility of London Mayor Boris Johnson replacing Cameron as party leader before the end of his second term at City Hall.
He was the star attraction at this year's Tory Conference, stealing all the headlines from the Prime Minister and his less-than-inspiring keynote address.
Mr Johnson has always insisted that he wants to stay on as Mayor until the next elections in 2016. However, if the Tories' fortunes do not dramatically improve, the calls from the backbenches for David Cameron to be replaced as Party leader could become irresistable.
Boris Johnson is seen by many as an obvious choice as next Conservative leader. He is very popular in London and beyond; a very likeable, crossover character with the ability to connect with all sections of the electorate.
Veteran Croydon MP, Richard Ottaway has announced his decision to stand down at the next election in 2015; a year before the next Mayoral elections in London, giving Boris the perfect opportunity to re-enter the Commons in a safe seat and then run for the leadership.
If the Tories do not recover from their current dismal position in the polls, I predict that Boris could very well be persuaded to do exactly that.
Thursday 25 October 2012
UK GDP Increases Thanks To Olympics & Jubilee
http://news.sky.com/story/1002496/recession-ends-amid-olympic-games-boost
This summer's Olympic Games have at first glance, lifted the UK out of recession.
There was a 1% return to growth in the third quarter of this year, largely due to Olympic ticket sales, along with the additional Bank Holiday to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
Both the Prime Minister and the Chancellor were very quick to seize on any good economic news, loudly proclaiming that the UK is 'on the right track'.
However, with a number of employment sectors still yet to show signs of recovery, most business organisations have greeted today's figures with caution.
And whilst he welcomed this morning's news, Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls insisted that the UK had a very long way to go before any sustained economic improvement was in sight.
The Olympics and the Jubilee were always going to be a huge boost for the economy. But with a return to negative growth in the final quarter of this year still highly likely, it extremely premature to start celebrating.
This summer's Olympic Games have at first glance, lifted the UK out of recession.
There was a 1% return to growth in the third quarter of this year, largely due to Olympic ticket sales, along with the additional Bank Holiday to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
Both the Prime Minister and the Chancellor were very quick to seize on any good economic news, loudly proclaiming that the UK is 'on the right track'.
However, with a number of employment sectors still yet to show signs of recovery, most business organisations have greeted today's figures with caution.
And whilst he welcomed this morning's news, Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls insisted that the UK had a very long way to go before any sustained economic improvement was in sight.
The Olympics and the Jubilee were always going to be a huge boost for the economy. But with a return to negative growth in the final quarter of this year still highly likely, it extremely premature to start celebrating.
Theresa May Right To End Gary Mckinnon's Torment
The Home Secretary, Theresa May, in announcing that the UK would block the extradition of Gary McKinnon to the United States, has ended nearly a decade of torment for him.
This was indeed the right decision.
Mr McKinnon has Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism and was clearly a suicide risk, having also suffered from depression. It was quite clear from the outset that he posed no terrorist threat to the United States.
It is a matter of great concern that a man with such severe health problems was put through such necessary suffering and that it took such a long time for his case to be dealt with.
The current extradition arrangements between Britain and the United States were drawn up in the wake of 9/11 and understandably can be viewed as appropriate in dealing with suspected terrorists who pose an immediate threat to either British or US security.
However in the case of Mr McKinnon, this was certainly not so. The argument for reviewing the treaty is very strong.
The treaty should only cover terrorist offences.
It cannot be right that any British citizen can just be plucked from UK soil whenever the US demand it.
Take the case of Christopher Tappin, the retired businessman accused of selling weapons-parts to Iran. He is an elderly man who clearly was not involved in active terrorism but now faces years and very possibly death, in a US prison unless a plea-bargain is agreed.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17146487
In Mckinnon's case, the Home Secretary has been sensible in stopping his extradition. And it is to Labour's shame that the previous government did nothing to halt this process when they were in power.
But the question is, why can't other such cases be tried in the British courts?
The US and British Governments need to rethink this and soon.
This was indeed the right decision.
Mr McKinnon has Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism and was clearly a suicide risk, having also suffered from depression. It was quite clear from the outset that he posed no terrorist threat to the United States.
It is a matter of great concern that a man with such severe health problems was put through such necessary suffering and that it took such a long time for his case to be dealt with.
The current extradition arrangements between Britain and the United States were drawn up in the wake of 9/11 and understandably can be viewed as appropriate in dealing with suspected terrorists who pose an immediate threat to either British or US security.
However in the case of Mr McKinnon, this was certainly not so. The argument for reviewing the treaty is very strong.
The treaty should only cover terrorist offences.
It cannot be right that any British citizen can just be plucked from UK soil whenever the US demand it.
Take the case of Christopher Tappin, the retired businessman accused of selling weapons-parts to Iran. He is an elderly man who clearly was not involved in active terrorism but now faces years and very possibly death, in a US prison unless a plea-bargain is agreed.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17146487
In Mckinnon's case, the Home Secretary has been sensible in stopping his extradition. And it is to Labour's shame that the previous government did nothing to halt this process when they were in power.
But the question is, why can't other such cases be tried in the British courts?
The US and British Governments need to rethink this and soon.
Sunday 14 October 2012
Tory Woes Set To Continue As Parliament Returns
Make no mistake; the Tories have had an absolutely torrid time of late.
And this run of misfortune looks set to continue as Parliament resumes after what has been an extremely difficult Summer recess and less than remarkable Party Conference.
The Tory Conference in Birmingham will undoubtedly been difficult for the Prime Minister. His speech to delegates was certainly not his most memorable and he was clearly overshadowed by London Mayor Boris Johnson. And coming straight after Ed Miliband's triumphant week, Cameron had a lot to live up to and failed to deliver.
The U-turn over the awarding of the West Coast Rail franchise to First Connect has made ministers - especially ex-transport Secretary Justine Greening - look foolish enough.
But the furore surrounding Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell and his foul-mouthed rant to a police officer at the gates of Downing Street in September is in a league of its own. Worse still, it shows no sign of dying down. Cabinet colleague Philip Hammond stressed this weekend that Mitchell has apologised to the officer concerned and therefore that should be the end of the matter.
However, Mr Mitchell's refusal to reveal what he actually said has made an embarrasing situation worse and ensured that this story will run for some considerable time yet. He has denied the allegations made by the police that he referred to them as 'plebs' but without fully spelling out his exact words, it is very difficult to believe he is telling the truth.
If he had nothing to hide, why did he feel it necessary to stay away from this year's Conservative Party conference in Birmingham? Mitchell may have felt that he could now be a distraction if he did attend, but the absence of the Tories' only Birmingham MP spoke volumes.
The consensus amongst political observers seems to be that Mitchell will not last in government much longer. Parliament resumes next week and according to Sky News, the writing is on the wall.http://news.sky.com/story/996441/andrew-mitchell-row-descends-into-farce. This is the Cabinet minister supposedly responsible for maintaining discipline within Party ranks, and yet he cannot behave himself. The growing calls for his resignation are getting louder by the day and yet he refuses to do the honourable thing.
More disturbing is David Cameron's inability to act decisively and sack Mr Mitchell. Not only was his behaviour unacceptable, it is actually a criminal offence to swear at a police officer. Had this incident involved an ordinary member of the public, they would undoubtedly been arrested. Since there is no doubt Mitchell did swear at the officer concerned, the Prime Minister should have dismissed him immediately. It yet again illustrates glaring indecisiveness on Cameron's part and this Tory-led government's total disdain for ordinary hard-working people.http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/janetdaley/100182540/andrew-mitchell-and-the-truth-about-nasty-tories/
We wait to see how long Andrew Mitchell lasts into next week.
And this run of misfortune looks set to continue as Parliament resumes after what has been an extremely difficult Summer recess and less than remarkable Party Conference.
The Tory Conference in Birmingham will undoubtedly been difficult for the Prime Minister. His speech to delegates was certainly not his most memorable and he was clearly overshadowed by London Mayor Boris Johnson. And coming straight after Ed Miliband's triumphant week, Cameron had a lot to live up to and failed to deliver.
The U-turn over the awarding of the West Coast Rail franchise to First Connect has made ministers - especially ex-transport Secretary Justine Greening - look foolish enough.
But the furore surrounding Chief Whip Andrew Mitchell and his foul-mouthed rant to a police officer at the gates of Downing Street in September is in a league of its own. Worse still, it shows no sign of dying down. Cabinet colleague Philip Hammond stressed this weekend that Mitchell has apologised to the officer concerned and therefore that should be the end of the matter.
However, Mr Mitchell's refusal to reveal what he actually said has made an embarrasing situation worse and ensured that this story will run for some considerable time yet. He has denied the allegations made by the police that he referred to them as 'plebs' but without fully spelling out his exact words, it is very difficult to believe he is telling the truth.
If he had nothing to hide, why did he feel it necessary to stay away from this year's Conservative Party conference in Birmingham? Mitchell may have felt that he could now be a distraction if he did attend, but the absence of the Tories' only Birmingham MP spoke volumes.
The consensus amongst political observers seems to be that Mitchell will not last in government much longer. Parliament resumes next week and according to Sky News, the writing is on the wall.http://news.sky.com/story/996441/andrew-mitchell-row-descends-into-farce. This is the Cabinet minister supposedly responsible for maintaining discipline within Party ranks, and yet he cannot behave himself. The growing calls for his resignation are getting louder by the day and yet he refuses to do the honourable thing.
More disturbing is David Cameron's inability to act decisively and sack Mr Mitchell. Not only was his behaviour unacceptable, it is actually a criminal offence to swear at a police officer. Had this incident involved an ordinary member of the public, they would undoubtedly been arrested. Since there is no doubt Mitchell did swear at the officer concerned, the Prime Minister should have dismissed him immediately. It yet again illustrates glaring indecisiveness on Cameron's part and this Tory-led government's total disdain for ordinary hard-working people.http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/janetdaley/100182540/andrew-mitchell-and-the-truth-about-nasty-tories/
We wait to see how long Andrew Mitchell lasts into next week.
Is Miliband PM-In-Waiting After Conference Success?
I went to this year's Labour Party Conference in Manchester literally not knowing what to expect from Ed Miliband.
His speech at last year's Conference, may have pleased some of the delegates in the hall and the Party members outside, but it was too focussed on the economy at the expense of other issuses. We learnt very little about Miliband the man.
Worse still, the speech was highly academic; littered with abstract concepts, such as 'predators' and 'producers' and did precious little to stir the interest of the apathetic electorate at large, whose minds would have been preoccupied with dealing with their financial woes, and worrying where the next meal would be coming from.
Worse still, the speech was highly academic; littered with abstract concepts, such as 'predators' and 'producers' and did precious little to stir the interest of the apathetic electorate at large, whose minds would have been preoccupied with dealing with their financial woes, and worrying where the next meal would be coming from.
This year, however, the transformation in the Labour leader was astonishing.
He quite simply sparkled in two excellent Q&A sessions; he has shown in previous years as leader that he is completely at home with this way of communicating with delegates and the wider electorate.
But it was in his keynote speech at the end of Conference week which has now transformed Ed Miliband's standing.
He quite simply sparkled in two excellent Q&A sessions; he has shown in previous years as leader that he is completely at home with this way of communicating with delegates and the wider electorate.
But it was in his keynote speech at the end of Conference week which has now transformed Ed Miliband's standing.
It was without a doubt his best speech to date and has certainly made his opponents and political observers sit up and start to take notice of Ed Miliband. Coming on the back of much-improved performances at PMQs, with the Prime Minister and the Coalition very much on the back-foot, he has started to look like a Prime Minister-in-waiting.
Indeed, even those in the Tory ranks have warned David Cameron not to under-estimate Ed Miliband. Nadine Dorries, one of the new intake of MPs from the last election who famously described David Cameron and his public-school, Oxbridge-dominated Cabinet as 'posh boys', has struck exactly that tone.http://conservativehome.blogs.com/thecolumnists/2012/09/from-nadinedorriesmp-ed-miliband-is-still-a-mystery-opponent-to-underestimate-him-would-be-foolish.ht
And so, following an absolutely torrid last few weeks for the Tories, Ed Miliband is finally riding high and Labour is starting to look like a credible opposition and, if the polls are right and there was a general election tomorrow, they would be back in government.
However, Ed Miliband and the party he leads, cannot afford to rest on their laurels. Whilst the coalition might be in a lot of difficulty, there is still a considerable amount that Labour has to do to convince the electorate that they can be trusted with power again.
To begin with, I have expressed my views many times on how Labour currently elects their leader. A system which results in someone being elected who the majority of those who voted did not want has to go. In my mind, whilst there are many pitfalls to this system, a simple one-member-one-vote method is the only way forward. The current system, where the trades unions have so much influence, is completely out-of-date. There is clearly no chance of this issue being addressed before 2015. Just like Tony Blair was bold enough to revise Clause IV, if he really wants the Labour Party to be seen as truly democratic, then Ed Miliband must show his mettle and be prepared to look at changing Labour's way of choosing their leader. I really believe this will resonate with the electorate.
Mistakes were made with immigration and the huge influx of eastern european migrants who were allowed into this country following the relaxation of EU border controls. Our continued membership of the EU is a highly-contentious issue on both sides of the House of Commons. I feel Ed Miliband would become even more popular than he is now if he was to back growing calls for a referendum on whether to leave the EU.
More significantly, whilst the Coalition's plan for deficit-reduction is clearly not working, Labour must be prepared to learn from the mistakes in economic policy they made in government and not repeat them.
Whilst they were right to spend what they did on frontline services in health and education, it is very clear that a lot of public funds were wasted unnecessary bureaucracy. The millions that were spent on Quangoes - in particular the enormous salaries paid to those running them - is a striking example.
The last government undoubtedly went overboard with health and safety regulations too. The enforcement of such unnecessary regulation cost billions of pounds which could have been put to better use elsewhere.
Also, Labour needs to recognise the need for a far more balanced economy than was promoted under their last period in office. There was too much focus on the financial sector, at the expense of other vital areas, such as manufacturing.
To say that the current state of the UK economy is mostly down to the Labour's mismanagement, is a line that David Cameron still like to stick to. But the global downturn was the biggest contributary factor to our financial woes.
However Ed Miliband must reflect on where Labour got things wrong when last in power and ensure these mistakes are not repeated. He might be riding on the crest of a wave now, with the Coalition doing so badly, but if Labour does enjoy a long period in government after the next election, it remains to be seen as to whether we will see history repeating itself.
Saturday 7 January 2012
PM Forced To Apologise for Balls Tourette's Jibe
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16458524
What does it say about Britain in 2012 when the Prime Minister openly makes jokes about disabled people?
David Cameron was compelled to apologise this weekend after describing the antics in the House of Commons of Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls as 'like having someone with Tourette's sitting opposite you'.
Of course it was the only thing the Prime Minister could do after such a highly-embarrassing gaffe. However, for him to make such comments completely beggars belief.
His remarks are so unbelievable for two reasons.
This is a man who has experience of caring for a severely disabled child himself. David Cameron went through the the very public loss of his first son, Ivan, who died three years ago aged 6, after suffering since birth from Ohtahara syndrome - a rare combination of epilepsy and cerebral palsy; a condition which meant he required round-the-clock care.
The PM of all people, should, therefore, have some empathy with those who live with disabilities and known better than to make such comments about Tourette's syndrome, a condition which is also highly debilitating and socially excluding.
Secondly, and much more disturbingly, even though we are well into the 21st Century, an enormous amount of prejudice and ignorance still exists in this country about disability. The PM's jibe at Ed Balls, only serves to illustrate just how widespread this is.
Mr Cameron's explanation that his remarks were 'off-the-cuff' will not wash with those who suffer with disabilities every day. It is just not good enough to say that he didn't give any thought beforehand how his remarks would be received.
We look to the PM to take the lead on such matters.
How will we ever rid this country of prejudice against disabled people if its leader sees fit to poke fun at them? They face enough obstacles in their daily lives without those who govern spreading the message to the nation that it is still acceptable to use those with disabilities as figures of ridicule.
It is a glaring example of just how totally out of touch the Prime Minister is with the lives of ordinary people.
What does it say about Britain in 2012 when the Prime Minister openly makes jokes about disabled people?
David Cameron was compelled to apologise this weekend after describing the antics in the House of Commons of Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls as 'like having someone with Tourette's sitting opposite you'.
Of course it was the only thing the Prime Minister could do after such a highly-embarrassing gaffe. However, for him to make such comments completely beggars belief.
His remarks are so unbelievable for two reasons.
This is a man who has experience of caring for a severely disabled child himself. David Cameron went through the the very public loss of his first son, Ivan, who died three years ago aged 6, after suffering since birth from Ohtahara syndrome - a rare combination of epilepsy and cerebral palsy; a condition which meant he required round-the-clock care.
The PM of all people, should, therefore, have some empathy with those who live with disabilities and known better than to make such comments about Tourette's syndrome, a condition which is also highly debilitating and socially excluding.
Secondly, and much more disturbingly, even though we are well into the 21st Century, an enormous amount of prejudice and ignorance still exists in this country about disability. The PM's jibe at Ed Balls, only serves to illustrate just how widespread this is.
Mr Cameron's explanation that his remarks were 'off-the-cuff' will not wash with those who suffer with disabilities every day. It is just not good enough to say that he didn't give any thought beforehand how his remarks would be received.
We look to the PM to take the lead on such matters.
How will we ever rid this country of prejudice against disabled people if its leader sees fit to poke fun at them? They face enough obstacles in their daily lives without those who govern spreading the message to the nation that it is still acceptable to use those with disabilities as figures of ridicule.
It is a glaring example of just how totally out of touch the Prime Minister is with the lives of ordinary people.
Thursday 5 January 2012
Diane Abbott Racism Row Exposes The Dangers Of Micro-Blogging
ww.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/labour/8996425/Diane-Abbott-forced-to-apologise-in-racism-row-after-claiming-White-people-love-playing-divide-and-rule.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16423278
Veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott has caused uproar with a comment on Twitter that 'white people love to play divide and rule'.
Her tweet was in response to one made by a journalist criticising the media's over-use of the term 'black community' in the wake of the Stephen Lawrence murder trial.
Predictably, a number of Conservative MPs immediately called for Ed Miliband to sack her as Shadow Health Minister.
Tory backbencher Nadhim Zahawi quite rightly pointed out that if a white frontbencher or MP had made such sweeping generalisations about black people, they would have been sacked or forced to resign within the hour.
And can you imagine the furore if the same comment had been made about the Jews or Muslims?
Quite rightly, the Labour Leader immediately told Ms Abbott to apologise for her remarks.
The first female black MP, Diane Abbott has a very high profile within Westminster and nearly thirty years experience behind her on the backbenches. She has served all her constituents very well and is reknowned for her support for ethnic minorities.
Her latest remarks only serve to undermine all the good work she has done to promote better relations between the different ethnic groups in this country.
Given that she has not been a minister or shadow minister until now, one has to wonder whether Ms Abbott should have been kept away from the frontbench.
And crucially, this incident does raise a much wider issue.
It highlights the perils of politicians and other public figures using micro-blogging sites such as Twitter to communicate with the public. Ms Abbott should have definitely chosen her words more carefully and did have enough space to qualify her remarks by referring to 'some' white people rather than making a blanket generalisation about a whole ethnic group.
But given the fact that Twitter allows people to make only one short statement at a time, the question needs to be asked whether such new media is the most effective way for politicians to get their point across.
Anyone in public life - and especially politicians - has a responsibility to ensure that what they say or do cannot be misinterpreted or taken out of context in any way.
Making such a sweeping statement about any ethnic group, is bound to be interpreted by some as racist, even if Ms Abbott did not intend it to be viewed in that way.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16423278
Veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott has caused uproar with a comment on Twitter that 'white people love to play divide and rule'.
Her tweet was in response to one made by a journalist criticising the media's over-use of the term 'black community' in the wake of the Stephen Lawrence murder trial.
Predictably, a number of Conservative MPs immediately called for Ed Miliband to sack her as Shadow Health Minister.
Tory backbencher Nadhim Zahawi quite rightly pointed out that if a white frontbencher or MP had made such sweeping generalisations about black people, they would have been sacked or forced to resign within the hour.
And can you imagine the furore if the same comment had been made about the Jews or Muslims?
Quite rightly, the Labour Leader immediately told Ms Abbott to apologise for her remarks.
The first female black MP, Diane Abbott has a very high profile within Westminster and nearly thirty years experience behind her on the backbenches. She has served all her constituents very well and is reknowned for her support for ethnic minorities.
Her latest remarks only serve to undermine all the good work she has done to promote better relations between the different ethnic groups in this country.
Given that she has not been a minister or shadow minister until now, one has to wonder whether Ms Abbott should have been kept away from the frontbench.
And crucially, this incident does raise a much wider issue.
It highlights the perils of politicians and other public figures using micro-blogging sites such as Twitter to communicate with the public. Ms Abbott should have definitely chosen her words more carefully and did have enough space to qualify her remarks by referring to 'some' white people rather than making a blanket generalisation about a whole ethnic group.
But given the fact that Twitter allows people to make only one short statement at a time, the question needs to be asked whether such new media is the most effective way for politicians to get their point across.
Anyone in public life - and especially politicians - has a responsibility to ensure that what they say or do cannot be misinterpreted or taken out of context in any way.
Making such a sweeping statement about any ethnic group, is bound to be interpreted by some as racist, even if Ms Abbott did not intend it to be viewed in that way.
Wednesday 4 January 2012
Tebbit Wrong To Criticise The Ending of Double Jeopardy In The Wake Of Convictions In Stephen Lawrence Case
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16411652
Former Conservative Party Chairman Lord Tebbit has criticised the last Labour Government's ending of the Double Jeopardy rule following the convictions of Gary Dobson and David Norris for the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence in 1993.
Lord Tebbit is of course no stranger to controversy.
As Employment Secretary during the recession of the early 1980s, he famously told the the unemployed to 'get on their bikes' and look for work.
However, his criticism of Labour's ending of the centuries-old double jeopardy rule - which prevented someone from being tried twice for the same offence - is most definitely misplaced.
Labour's decision to change the law was made in the light of huge advances in forensic science. In the Stephen Lawrence case, new techniques - not available at the time of his murder in 1993 - allowed scientists to re-examine clothes worn by Dobson and Norris - two of those long suspected of being involved in the horrendous racist attack on the 18-year old - and find previously undetectable evidence of Stephen's DNA on them. Dobson had of course, been tried previously and acquitted.
In my view, Labour was most definitely right to change the law of double jeopardy. In the case of Stephen Lawrence, it was very clear from the start who the suspects were and without an amendment to the law, Gary Dobson would still be a free man, having got away with one of the most notorious crimes of the twentieth century.
Thanks to the scrapping of this very old legal principle these two racist thugs are now where they belong - behind bars.
It is a crying shame that both Dobson and Norris, now in their thirties, had to be tried as the juveniles they were in April 1993 and received much shorter sentences than they would have been given had the crime been committed today. Norris must serve a minimum of 14 years and Dobson 15.
It is the fervent hope of most law-abiding, tolerant people in this country that the Attorney General will overturn these extremely lenient sentences and ensure these despicable individuals are never allowed to inflict such harm ever again.
Labour made the right decision here. If someone is acquitted of a very serious crime, especially murder, there is no question in my mind that if new and compelling evidence comes to light even many years later, that that person should face a second trial and be brought to justice.
Former Conservative Party Chairman Lord Tebbit has criticised the last Labour Government's ending of the Double Jeopardy rule following the convictions of Gary Dobson and David Norris for the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence in 1993.
Lord Tebbit is of course no stranger to controversy.
As Employment Secretary during the recession of the early 1980s, he famously told the the unemployed to 'get on their bikes' and look for work.
However, his criticism of Labour's ending of the centuries-old double jeopardy rule - which prevented someone from being tried twice for the same offence - is most definitely misplaced.
Labour's decision to change the law was made in the light of huge advances in forensic science. In the Stephen Lawrence case, new techniques - not available at the time of his murder in 1993 - allowed scientists to re-examine clothes worn by Dobson and Norris - two of those long suspected of being involved in the horrendous racist attack on the 18-year old - and find previously undetectable evidence of Stephen's DNA on them. Dobson had of course, been tried previously and acquitted.
In my view, Labour was most definitely right to change the law of double jeopardy. In the case of Stephen Lawrence, it was very clear from the start who the suspects were and without an amendment to the law, Gary Dobson would still be a free man, having got away with one of the most notorious crimes of the twentieth century.
Thanks to the scrapping of this very old legal principle these two racist thugs are now where they belong - behind bars.
It is a crying shame that both Dobson and Norris, now in their thirties, had to be tried as the juveniles they were in April 1993 and received much shorter sentences than they would have been given had the crime been committed today. Norris must serve a minimum of 14 years and Dobson 15.
It is the fervent hope of most law-abiding, tolerant people in this country that the Attorney General will overturn these extremely lenient sentences and ensure these despicable individuals are never allowed to inflict such harm ever again.
Labour made the right decision here. If someone is acquitted of a very serious crime, especially murder, there is no question in my mind that if new and compelling evidence comes to light even many years later, that that person should face a second trial and be brought to justice.
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