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.
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