Whine about wine
I fail to see how the example of this one teenager being a binge drinker, produces this conclusion "It shows how binge drinking has a fatal grip on Britain". Even allowing for other people binge drinking it does not mean that the rest of society is in danger of becoming alcoholics.
A mixture of law, politics, autobiography and humour. Once described as "The Devilish Advocate" (Guardian), I do have the ability to provoke a response. Sometimes it comes from someone who uses a thought process, and sometimes from jerks usually associated with the knee.
Site Meter
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
The grass is greener on the other side of the Humber Bridge
The grass is greener on the other side of the Humber Bridge
"Cannabis with a street value of about £4m has been found growing in offices at a business centre near Scunthorpe".
Man leaves £180k violin on train
Man leaves £180k violin on train
"A £10,000 reward is being offered for the return of a valuable 17th Century violin which was left on a train".
Is this an insurance fiddle?
In any event, this quote caught my attention: "It was just one of those terrible moments when I realised, as the train was steaming off, that I had left it on the train". I had not realised that the steam train had been reintroduced...
MPs 'will buy' 42-day detention
MPs 'will buy' 42-day detention
"A Home Office minister says he believes plans to extend detention of terror suspects will get through Parliament - saying he thinks MPs "will buy it".
Tony McNulty told the BBC that concerns about the plans to extend the limit on holding suspects without charge from 28 to 42 days were "reasonable".
But the measures were not about locking people up "and throwing away the key", Mr McNulty told BBC Radio 4.
"Once people understand...the temporary nature then people do buy it," he said".
If Tony McNulty thinks that 6 weeks in prison is a temporary measure, then perhaps he would not mind sampling some of it himself? It is ridiculous to suggest that Parliament should vote on the issue every time an extension is sought to detain terrorist suspects beyond 28 days. This would be a waste of Parliamentary time. Just like this plan to seek an unnecessary extension to a period of detention which is already too long as it is.
Growing opposition to terror law
"An imperative legal change to confront the growing threat of terrorism, or an unnecessary attack on the fundamental principles of the law?".
"A Home Office minister says he believes plans to extend detention of terror suspects will get through Parliament - saying he thinks MPs "will buy it".
Tony McNulty told the BBC that concerns about the plans to extend the limit on holding suspects without charge from 28 to 42 days were "reasonable".
But the measures were not about locking people up "and throwing away the key", Mr McNulty told BBC Radio 4.
"Once people understand...the temporary nature then people do buy it," he said".
If Tony McNulty thinks that 6 weeks in prison is a temporary measure, then perhaps he would not mind sampling some of it himself? It is ridiculous to suggest that Parliament should vote on the issue every time an extension is sought to detain terrorist suspects beyond 28 days. This would be a waste of Parliamentary time. Just like this plan to seek an unnecessary extension to a period of detention which is already too long as it is.
Growing opposition to terror law
"An imperative legal change to confront the growing threat of terrorism, or an unnecessary attack on the fundamental principles of the law?".
'Betrayed' Iraqi staff in test case over UK's refusal to offer asylum
'Betrayed' Iraqi staff in test case over UK's refusal to offer asylum
"Iraqi interpreters, clerical staff and labourers who face death threats and persecution after risking their lives working for British forces are challenging the Government's refusal to grant them sanctuary in the UK.
A test case in the High Court will accuse the Government of abandoning former Iraqi staff who have fled their homes after being branded "spies and collaborators" by the Shia militias. Many have seen their homes bombed, family members killed or have received death threats".
"Iraqi interpreters, clerical staff and labourers who face death threats and persecution after risking their lives working for British forces are challenging the Government's refusal to grant them sanctuary in the UK.
A test case in the High Court will accuse the Government of abandoning former Iraqi staff who have fled their homes after being branded "spies and collaborators" by the Shia militias. Many have seen their homes bombed, family members killed or have received death threats".
Numbers Game
Numbers Game
It beggars belief that the Zimbabwe Election Commission has ordered a recount of the votes for the presidential election held more than 2 weeks ago before all the votes have been counted or the result announced.
Those ballot boxes opened and the votes counted showed that Robert Mugabe lost the election. Then the process ground to a halt. If it was an open and fair process, the remaining ballot boxes would have been opened and the votes counted and the result announced. It may be that they were opened and the votes counted and this is why Robert Mugabe is making a last stand to stay in power. If he had won, why did he simply not announce the result? There is only a need for a recount when the result is announced and there is only a few votes separating the winner from the loser. Robert Mugabe knows the real result but is attempting to hide this by calling for a run off and/or a recount following his party's stuffing rigged ballot papers into the ballot boxes.
Why on earth an 84 year old seeks to hold on to power when he can retire and enjoy the benefits of everything he has stolen whilst in office is beyond me.
It beggars belief that the Zimbabwe Election Commission has ordered a recount of the votes for the presidential election held more than 2 weeks ago before all the votes have been counted or the result announced.
Those ballot boxes opened and the votes counted showed that Robert Mugabe lost the election. Then the process ground to a halt. If it was an open and fair process, the remaining ballot boxes would have been opened and the votes counted and the result announced. It may be that they were opened and the votes counted and this is why Robert Mugabe is making a last stand to stay in power. If he had won, why did he simply not announce the result? There is only a need for a recount when the result is announced and there is only a few votes separating the winner from the loser. Robert Mugabe knows the real result but is attempting to hide this by calling for a run off and/or a recount following his party's stuffing rigged ballot papers into the ballot boxes.
Why on earth an 84 year old seeks to hold on to power when he can retire and enjoy the benefits of everything he has stolen whilst in office is beyond me.
Tory MP is 'first to call' for Speaker to resign
Tory MP is 'first to call' for Speaker to resign
A backbench Tory MP, Douglas Carswell, trying to make a name for himself has gone on record calling for the expenses fiddling Speaker, Michael Martin, to resign.
UPDATE: Tory MP under fire for calling on Speaker to step down
A former Labour minister yesterday called on David Cameron to discipline Conservative backbencher Douglas Carswell, after he became the first elected MP to demand that the Speaker quit his job.
Denis MacShane, the former Foreign Office minister, warned attacks on the Speaker were turning the job into a "political football" and that who becomes Speaker "should not be decided by snobbish Daily Mail readers".
Viscount Linley will not appear in court in Royal blackmail scandal
Viscount Linley will not appear in court in Royal blackmail scandal
"The Daily Telegraph has learnt that the Crown Prosecution Service has blocked moves to require him to give evidence in the case, which opens at the Old Bailey on Monday".
The British media are prevented from naming Viscount Linley as the blackmail victim by an order of the court. However, he has been outed on the internet and named in newspapers and on TV in Italy, Germany and the USA.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Reforming the radicals
Reforming the radicals
The 7/7 survivor Rachel North talks to two brothers held in Belmarsh for terrorism about how to change the minds of Islamist fanatics
"Ever since I was caught up in the London bombings of July 7, 2005, I have tried to learn more about terrorism. To understand is not to condone, nor to forgive. But I believe that by studying the roots of radicalisation, we have a better chance of preventing atrocities in the future".
Excellent article by blogger Rachel North London.
The 7/7 survivor Rachel North talks to two brothers held in Belmarsh for terrorism about how to change the minds of Islamist fanatics
"Ever since I was caught up in the London bombings of July 7, 2005, I have tried to learn more about terrorism. To understand is not to condone, nor to forgive. But I believe that by studying the roots of radicalisation, we have a better chance of preventing atrocities in the future".
Excellent article by blogger Rachel North London.
Jail gets more space in new block
Jail gets more space in new block
"A new accommodation block is being opened at a prison in East Sussex where cells were criticised earlier this year as "barely fit for habitation".
The modern block at Lewes Prison adds 174 places to the prison's capacity and will enable prisoners from Sussex to remain in the county".
Some of my older regular readers may remember this post in relation to my experiences in and out of Lewes Prison.
Terror threat to UK 'is growing'
Terror threat to UK 'is growing'
"The home secretary has described the terrorism threat facing the UK as "severe" and "growing".
In an interview for the News of the World, Jacqui Smith said it was imperative for the police to be able to detain suspects for longer.
Ms Smith is facing a Labour rebellion over plans to extend the time suspects can be held without charge to 42 days".
If as it is being claimed by the Home Secretary that the terrorist threat facing the UK is severe and growing, surely she has a duty to inform the Foreign and Commonwealth Office so that they can put the warning up on their website to deter tourists and business people from coming to this country and being at risk?
"The home secretary has described the terrorism threat facing the UK as "severe" and "growing".
In an interview for the News of the World, Jacqui Smith said it was imperative for the police to be able to detain suspects for longer.
Ms Smith is facing a Labour rebellion over plans to extend the time suspects can be held without charge to 42 days".
If as it is being claimed by the Home Secretary that the terrorist threat facing the UK is severe and growing, surely she has a duty to inform the Foreign and Commonwealth Office so that they can put the warning up on their website to deter tourists and business people from coming to this country and being at risk?
Refugees fight forced return to Iraq war zones
Refugees fight forced return to Iraq war zones
UN dismay as tribunal allows British expulsions
"The United Nations last night accused the government of holding a 'sword of Damocles' over the heads of Iraqi refugees in Britain after it emerged that the Home Office had won a landmark test case giving it the power to return refugees to war-torn parts of their home country, including Basra and Baghdad.
The ruling, which is being studied closely by other European countries, has alarmed refugee support groups, who say it means asylum seekers from war zones could be returned to other dangerous countries, such as Somalia".
It beggars belief that the Home Office can claim it is safe to return refugees to Iraq, when the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website has this statement "The security situation in Iraq remains highly dangerous".
UN dismay as tribunal allows British expulsions
"The United Nations last night accused the government of holding a 'sword of Damocles' over the heads of Iraqi refugees in Britain after it emerged that the Home Office had won a landmark test case giving it the power to return refugees to war-torn parts of their home country, including Basra and Baghdad.
The ruling, which is being studied closely by other European countries, has alarmed refugee support groups, who say it means asylum seekers from war zones could be returned to other dangerous countries, such as Somalia".
It beggars belief that the Home Office can claim it is safe to return refugees to Iraq, when the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website has this statement "The security situation in Iraq remains highly dangerous".
Madeleine 'suspect' in massive libel claim
Madeleine 'suspect' in massive libel claim
British media face record payout as family of Robert Murat demand apology and damages
"A British expatriate who was named as a formal suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann is launching one of the largest libel claims in the history of the British media.
Robert Murat lists 11 newspapers and one TV station in his demand for damages, which litigation lawyers believe could lead to a record cumulative payout of more than £2m. It is the largest number of separate libel claims made by one person against the British media on the same issue".
Whilst I did not agree with the McCanns launching their money making libel bid, nor with the newspapers paying them out and apologising, I am behind Robert Murat in his claim because if anyone is innocent in this whole affair it is him and not the McCanns.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Transsexual takes life in prison
Transsexual takes life in prison
"An inquest jury has returned a verdict of suicide after a bullied transsexual prisoner hanged herself.
Lisa Woodhall, 28, was discovered at Eastwood Park women's prison, South Gloucestershire, having told a friend of her torment by other inmates.
Ms Woodhall, born Paul Hayes in Taunton, Somerset, left a note claiming she had been "murdered by ignorance and lack of appropriate care and help".
The jury found the balance of her mind was disturbed before her death in 2006".
It may be that nothing could have prevented her from taking her own life. However, given her own high risk assessment for suicide, and the frequency of cell checks upon her, I cannot help but wonder how her care manager rated her as a low suicide risk? "Ms Woodhall's care manager, Andrew Gibbs, said she had rated herself as seven out 10 on a "wish to die" scale, three days before her death.
But he said he was happy with her progress and found she was not a high suicide risk. Staff checked her cell three times an hour".
"An inquest jury has returned a verdict of suicide after a bullied transsexual prisoner hanged herself.
Lisa Woodhall, 28, was discovered at Eastwood Park women's prison, South Gloucestershire, having told a friend of her torment by other inmates.
Ms Woodhall, born Paul Hayes in Taunton, Somerset, left a note claiming she had been "murdered by ignorance and lack of appropriate care and help".
The jury found the balance of her mind was disturbed before her death in 2006".
It may be that nothing could have prevented her from taking her own life. However, given her own high risk assessment for suicide, and the frequency of cell checks upon her, I cannot help but wonder how her care manager rated her as a low suicide risk? "Ms Woodhall's care manager, Andrew Gibbs, said she had rated herself as seven out 10 on a "wish to die" scale, three days before her death.
But he said he was happy with her progress and found she was not a high suicide risk. Staff checked her cell three times an hour".
Tory MP funds his love life at taxpayers expense
Tory MP funds his love life at taxpayers expense
"James Gray, the Conservative MP who cheated on his wife while she was fighting cancer, has put his former mistress on the public payroll by employing her as his diary secretary".
I find it annoying when I read reports such as this which claim that this cad has not broken any rules. He already has a secretary, surely it is part of her job to manage his diary? Perhaps, this diary should be made public just to show how busy it really is and why it needs a secretary all on its own?
Friday, April 11, 2008
Life-like statue of Charles Kennedy unveiled in the grounds of Glasgow University
Life-like statue of Charles Kennedy unveiled in the grounds of Glasgow University
The McCanns should stop running long enough to answer police questions
The McCanns should stop running long enough to answer police questions
It is understandable that Gerry and Kate McCann are upset about the revelation that "Madeleine McCann complained to her mother after she was left crying and alone on the night before she disappeared". It is evidence of child neglect by the McCanns. What makes it worse is that the McCanns ignored the cries of their abandoned children and neglected them again the next night. Rather than face the guilt of their own actions, the McCanns have sought to blame stranger danger and call for an Amber Alert system. As pointed out “what they should be doing is campaigning on the theme of ‘Do not leave your children unattended in unlocked apartments whilst you enjoy alcohol-fuelled dinners at a distance where you cannot observe them, as we did'”.
I noticed that Clarence Mitchell was angry that the Portuguese police stole their thunder, and yet there was no denial as to the statement's truth. And, whereas Kate McCann referred to Madeleine by name, I found it rather odd that Gerry McCann only referred to Madeleine as "the child".
The McCanns are scared to return to Portugal whilst they are still declared as suspects. They seek the removal of the suspects label. Surely, the only way they can be formally cleared is to subject themselves to the outstanding police questions and only if they answer them to the police satisfaction will they be cleared as being suspects?
Glad to see the back of the McCanns
It is understandable that Gerry and Kate McCann are upset about the revelation that "Madeleine McCann complained to her mother after she was left crying and alone on the night before she disappeared". It is evidence of child neglect by the McCanns. What makes it worse is that the McCanns ignored the cries of their abandoned children and neglected them again the next night. Rather than face the guilt of their own actions, the McCanns have sought to blame stranger danger and call for an Amber Alert system. As pointed out “what they should be doing is campaigning on the theme of ‘Do not leave your children unattended in unlocked apartments whilst you enjoy alcohol-fuelled dinners at a distance where you cannot observe them, as we did'”.
I noticed that Clarence Mitchell was angry that the Portuguese police stole their thunder, and yet there was no denial as to the statement's truth. And, whereas Kate McCann referred to Madeleine by name, I found it rather odd that Gerry McCann only referred to Madeleine as "the child".
The McCanns are scared to return to Portugal whilst they are still declared as suspects. They seek the removal of the suspects label. Surely, the only way they can be formally cleared is to subject themselves to the outstanding police questions and only if they answer them to the police satisfaction will they be cleared as being suspects?
Glad to see the back of the McCanns
Blow for MoD as judge rules soldiers have battlefield rights
Blow for MoD as judge rules soldiers have battlefield rights
"The Ministry of Defence has been dealt a groundbreaking legal defeat by a High Court judge who ruled soldiers' human rights must be protected on the battlefield.
The decision potentially has important implications for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and may mean the MoD has a legal obligation to ensure troops have access to correct equipment at all times".
"The Ministry of Defence has been dealt a groundbreaking legal defeat by a High Court judge who ruled soldiers' human rights must be protected on the battlefield.
The decision potentially has important implications for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and may mean the MoD has a legal obligation to ensure troops have access to correct equipment at all times".
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Garry Newlove's head now being used as a political football
Garry Newlove's head now being used as a political football
There is a question which has been nagging me ever since I read about Garry Newlove being kicked to death following his confronting a gang of youths who had kicked the door of his wife's car. And that is, given all the equality for women and all that, why didn't Helen Newlove go out and confront the youths after all it was her car? It could be that the youths would have felt less threatened by a woman's touch and melted away. There again, had she and her daughter gone out to assist her husband it could be that the extra numbers changed the outcome. I recall the daughter condemning the neighbours for curtain twitching instead of getting involved. There is the burying the heads in the sand element, however, perhaps the neighbours should have assisted because had the youths been wary of that possibility then it is likely they would not have caused trouble in the first place.
In any event, I fail to see what good can come of Helen Newlove appearing "at a Conservative Party summit to discuss ways of building more "responsible" communities and toughening Britain's criminal justice system". I don't think I am being too cynical to state that David Cameron is trying to score cheap political points with this performance.
Gentle v The Prime Minister
SFO unlawful in ending BAE probe
SFO unlawful in ending BAE probe
The High Court has ruled that the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) acted unlawfully by dropping a corruption probe into a £43bn Saudi arms deal.
Defence firm BAE was accused of making illegal payments to Saudi officials to secure contracts but the firm maintains that it acted lawfully.
The SFO said national security would have been undermined by the probe.
The Campaign Against Arms Trade argued that the decision was illegal under an international anti-bribery convention.
It will not be news to some that Tony Blair and Lord Goldsmith acted unlawfully in reaching the decision to halt the SFO probe.
UPDATE: High Court judgment in pdf here.
Can we let terrorists go free?
Can we let terrorists go free?
As we get tangled up in human rights law, Abu Qatada and others escape deportation
Camilla Cavendish
At the last roll of the dice, sanity has lost out to legal dogma. The Government's long-drawn-out battle to deport suspected foreign terrorists is effectively over. Yesterday's two judgments by the Court of Appeal make it extremely unlikely that Britain will ever manage to deport Abu Qatada and other foreign terror suspects, a point tacitly acknowledged by the Home Office's decision to drop its attempts to deport a further ten Libyans in addition to the two whose appeals were successful yesterday.
These people came in through Britain's leaky borders and were allowed to stay, in some cases, because of wilful sloppiness by the immigration authorities. Now our human rights laws mean that we are stuck with them. We cannot keep them under arrest much longer after these rulings. So they will soon be free to wreak what havoc they will.
Abu Qatada, a radical Muslim cleric described as al-Qaeda's “ambassador in Europe”, is wanted in Jordan, where he has already been convicted of terrorism offences. Last year the Special Immigration Appeals Commission ruled that he could be deported to Jordan because he was not at risk of torture there. But the Court of Appeal does not agree. It is concerned about torture at one remove. If Abu Qatada were to face another trial in Jordan, the judges have ruled, that trial might involve evidence that might have been obtained under torture. The court's decision turns on the possibility of a possibility of a possibility. In the case of the two Libyans, the appeal judges have confirmed that they are a threat to national security, with links to al-Qaeda. But they are worried about the treatment that these extreme Islamist opponents of the Gaddafi regime would receive in Libya.
The rulings are a blow to ministers who have spent two years securing diplomatic assurances with Jordan, Libya and Lebanon that deportees would not be ill-treated. But the Government's hopes that it could neutralise its own Human Rights Act in that way were always going to be disappointed, because those assurances are unenforceable. It was surreal to think that we could ever trust such regimes not to ill-treat people. The question should be: do we need to trust them? If Britain wants to deport foreigners whom it considers a threat to national security, should it feel responsible for what kind of treatment they get elsewhere? And if we do feel some responsibility, then how much?
In one sense, you can see why the judges put the potential safety of UK citizens second to the safety of terror suspects. Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) prohibits torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The people who wrote that convention were scarred by the atrocities of the Second World War. That sobering thought must hang over sensible discussion of this issue.
But politicians cannot simply abandon their duty to protect the public. So those who incorporated the ECHR into British law in 1998 (and congratulated themselves loudly on their deftness in drafting the Human Rights Act) put parliamentary sovereignty on a direct collision course with the judiciary. The result has not been cost-free in terms of human rights. Britain should never have given Abu Qatada refugee status in 1993, after he claimed asylum on false papers. But by the time the Home Office woke up to the danger, it dared not risk challenging Article 3. Instead it suspended habeas corpus, which for 400 years has been a fundamental guarantee of liberty in this country, and put Abu Qatada and others into Belmarsh prison without charge. Was leaving them in a no man's land, without trial in any country, really better than sending them home to face justice?
After three years, the Law Lords rightly ruled that Belmarsh was something akin to a British Guantanamo Bay. Ministers put the suspects under control orders instead - which the judges also challenged. The dance moved on to the “memos of understanding” signed with countries suspected of torture. The Government asked Amnesty International to monitor whether those countries complied. Amnesty refused. We are now back to square one. Our constitution is bruised, the independence of our judiciary has been challenged, some of the men who were under control orders have absconded and our European allies are incredulous.
The Government intends to appeal against the latest rulings. But there is only one court left: the House of Lords. The Home Office said yesterday that Abu Qatada would remain in prison. But for how much longer? He can only be held for as long as there is a “realistic prospect of deportation”.
Is there a way out? There are two. One would be to bring charges against such men, and abide by the result of a fair trial. The Government lacks the stomach for that - and apparently the evidence, which ministers need to explain better, given the accusations made. The other would be for Britain to do in principle what other countries, such as France and Spain, have done in practice - derogate from the ECHR. Lawyers will say this cannot be done, because Article 3 is an “absolute prohibition”. But we have tied ourselves up in legal knots. At the moment, the ECHR takes precedence over the 1951 Geneva Convention (which gives countries a right to return any refugee who can reasonably be regarded as a danger to society). That cannot be right. The Geneva Convention is hardly a charter for fascism.
Torture is a nasty business. So is internment. But so is terrorism. There are no easy choices - yet choices have to be made.
As we get tangled up in human rights law, Abu Qatada and others escape deportation
Camilla Cavendish
At the last roll of the dice, sanity has lost out to legal dogma. The Government's long-drawn-out battle to deport suspected foreign terrorists is effectively over. Yesterday's two judgments by the Court of Appeal make it extremely unlikely that Britain will ever manage to deport Abu Qatada and other foreign terror suspects, a point tacitly acknowledged by the Home Office's decision to drop its attempts to deport a further ten Libyans in addition to the two whose appeals were successful yesterday.
These people came in through Britain's leaky borders and were allowed to stay, in some cases, because of wilful sloppiness by the immigration authorities. Now our human rights laws mean that we are stuck with them. We cannot keep them under arrest much longer after these rulings. So they will soon be free to wreak what havoc they will.
Abu Qatada, a radical Muslim cleric described as al-Qaeda's “ambassador in Europe”, is wanted in Jordan, where he has already been convicted of terrorism offences. Last year the Special Immigration Appeals Commission ruled that he could be deported to Jordan because he was not at risk of torture there. But the Court of Appeal does not agree. It is concerned about torture at one remove. If Abu Qatada were to face another trial in Jordan, the judges have ruled, that trial might involve evidence that might have been obtained under torture. The court's decision turns on the possibility of a possibility of a possibility. In the case of the two Libyans, the appeal judges have confirmed that they are a threat to national security, with links to al-Qaeda. But they are worried about the treatment that these extreme Islamist opponents of the Gaddafi regime would receive in Libya.
The rulings are a blow to ministers who have spent two years securing diplomatic assurances with Jordan, Libya and Lebanon that deportees would not be ill-treated. But the Government's hopes that it could neutralise its own Human Rights Act in that way were always going to be disappointed, because those assurances are unenforceable. It was surreal to think that we could ever trust such regimes not to ill-treat people. The question should be: do we need to trust them? If Britain wants to deport foreigners whom it considers a threat to national security, should it feel responsible for what kind of treatment they get elsewhere? And if we do feel some responsibility, then how much?
In one sense, you can see why the judges put the potential safety of UK citizens second to the safety of terror suspects. Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) prohibits torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The people who wrote that convention were scarred by the atrocities of the Second World War. That sobering thought must hang over sensible discussion of this issue.
But politicians cannot simply abandon their duty to protect the public. So those who incorporated the ECHR into British law in 1998 (and congratulated themselves loudly on their deftness in drafting the Human Rights Act) put parliamentary sovereignty on a direct collision course with the judiciary. The result has not been cost-free in terms of human rights. Britain should never have given Abu Qatada refugee status in 1993, after he claimed asylum on false papers. But by the time the Home Office woke up to the danger, it dared not risk challenging Article 3. Instead it suspended habeas corpus, which for 400 years has been a fundamental guarantee of liberty in this country, and put Abu Qatada and others into Belmarsh prison without charge. Was leaving them in a no man's land, without trial in any country, really better than sending them home to face justice?
After three years, the Law Lords rightly ruled that Belmarsh was something akin to a British Guantanamo Bay. Ministers put the suspects under control orders instead - which the judges also challenged. The dance moved on to the “memos of understanding” signed with countries suspected of torture. The Government asked Amnesty International to monitor whether those countries complied. Amnesty refused. We are now back to square one. Our constitution is bruised, the independence of our judiciary has been challenged, some of the men who were under control orders have absconded and our European allies are incredulous.
The Government intends to appeal against the latest rulings. But there is only one court left: the House of Lords. The Home Office said yesterday that Abu Qatada would remain in prison. But for how much longer? He can only be held for as long as there is a “realistic prospect of deportation”.
Is there a way out? There are two. One would be to bring charges against such men, and abide by the result of a fair trial. The Government lacks the stomach for that - and apparently the evidence, which ministers need to explain better, given the accusations made. The other would be for Britain to do in principle what other countries, such as France and Spain, have done in practice - derogate from the ECHR. Lawyers will say this cannot be done, because Article 3 is an “absolute prohibition”. But we have tied ourselves up in legal knots. At the moment, the ECHR takes precedence over the 1951 Geneva Convention (which gives countries a right to return any refugee who can reasonably be regarded as a danger to society). That cannot be right. The Geneva Convention is hardly a charter for fascism.
Torture is a nasty business. So is internment. But so is terrorism. There are no easy choices - yet choices have to be made.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Suspected child killers allowed to address European Parliament
Suspected child killers allowed to address European Parliament
"Kate and Gerry McCann will address MEPs in Brussels tomorrow to call for a European-wide missing child alert system as the friends on holiday with them in Portugal when Madeleine disappeared continue to be questioned by police".
I am pro-European, but I question the decision from Brussels which has allowed the suspected child killers of Madeleine McCann to address the European Parliament. I would rather see the McCanns address the 40 questions the police wished to ask them before they fled from Portugal. That they are scared to go back to Portugal, for fear of being arrested, speaks volumes. It might be remembered that the McCanns stated that they would not leave Portugal without finding Madeleine.
The Amber Alert system is designed to detect children who have been abducted by strangers. In the McCann case, the Amber Alert system would not have helped Madeleine because her disappearance was arranged by the McCanns themselves. The McCanns are not experts on child safety, quite the opposite. So far they have expertly avoided being prosecuted for the death and subsequent disappearance of Madeleine's body.
In the Shannon case, at least the mother has been charged with child neglect and perverting the course of justice and has been remanded into custody. Like Kate McCann, she knew all along what had happened to her daughter. It is a pity that the police do not stop pussy footing around with the McCanns and deal with them with the same level of investigation used in the Shannon case.
Terror suspect Abu Qatada will not be deported
Terror suspect Abu Qatada will not be deported
Once more the government's attempt to deport a terrorist suspect to face torture and/or an unfair trial in a foreign country has failed in the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC).
Boris set to lose being Mayor of London
Boris set to lose being Mayor of London
If the Newsnight debate for London Mayor is anything to go by, Boris will lose. It was rather like being at the circus and being disappointed that the clown was not funny. Twice Boris Johnson failed to give answers to questions raised by Jeremy Paxman. Whilst not in the same league as Michael Howard failing to answer the same question 12 times, it did show that Boris was empty of substance other than bluster and waffle.
See the Newsnight debate here.
If the Newsnight debate for London Mayor is anything to go by, Boris will lose. It was rather like being at the circus and being disappointed that the clown was not funny. Twice Boris Johnson failed to give answers to questions raised by Jeremy Paxman. Whilst not in the same league as Michael Howard failing to answer the same question 12 times, it did show that Boris was empty of substance other than bluster and waffle.
See the Newsnight debate here.
Village idiots
Village idiots
Residents living in a graffiti-plagued village in Merseyside are being asked to consider changing its name to tackle vandals who alter signs in the village.
Lunt, which dates back to Medieval times, has been repeatedly targeted by vandals who change the "L" to a "C".
Rather closer to home, just across the Humber Bridge, is Scunthorpe...
Norfolk Blogger pelted with rotten eggs and squirted with tomato ketchup (not quite)
"Supermarkets have banned sales of eggs and tomato ketchup to young people in a bid to cut anti-social behaviour".
Lords reject Iraq inquiry appeal
Lords reject Iraq inquiry appeal
"Nine Law Lords have rejected an attempt to force an inquiry into the Iraq war".
"Nine Law Lords have rejected an attempt to force an inquiry into the Iraq war".
Prison system 'failing' Scotland
Prison system 'failing' Scotland
"Scotland's prison system is failing the public, prisoners and staff, according to the chief inspector of prisons.
Dr Andrew McLellan told BBC Scotland that overcrowding, with inmates at an all-time high, was making Scotland a more dangerous place.
Scotland's biggest prison, Barlinnie, is running at 50% over capacity, but Dr McLellan insisted building more jails was not an option".
If, as it is claimed, overcrowded jails means society is less safe, and building more prisons is not the answer, why do we continue to overcrowd our prisons and embark upon a prison building programme?
Mother charged in Shannon Matthews case
Mother charged in Shannon Matthews case
"The mother of nine-year-old Shannon Matthews will appear in court today charged in connection with her daughter's alleged kidnap.
Karen Matthews, 32, was charged last night with perverting the course of justice and child neglect".
These are two of the charges which the McCanns should be facing. We can live in hope. Meanwhile, I won't hold my breath.
UPDATE: Shannon mother remanded in custody
"The mother of Shannon Matthews has been remanded in custody after appearing in court charged in connection with the nine-year-old's disappearance".
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Police want McCann childkillers to return to Portugal
Police want McCann childkillers to return to Portugal
When the police wanted to further question the McCanns in Portugal, they fled back to Britain. When the Portuguese police travelled to Britain to question the Tapas 9, Gerry and Kate McCann conveniently flew to Brussels.
"Gerry and Kate McCann have been asked to return to Portugal to take part in a large-scale re-enactment of the hours surrounding Madeleine's disappearance".
Meanwhile, in that other inside job...
"Detectives investigating the alleged abduction of Shannon Matthews have been granted more time to question her mother on suspicion of perverting the course of justice".
When the police wanted to further question the McCanns in Portugal, they fled back to Britain. When the Portuguese police travelled to Britain to question the Tapas 9, Gerry and Kate McCann conveniently flew to Brussels.
"Gerry and Kate McCann have been asked to return to Portugal to take part in a large-scale re-enactment of the hours surrounding Madeleine's disappearance".
Meanwhile, in that other inside job...
"Detectives investigating the alleged abduction of Shannon Matthews have been granted more time to question her mother on suspicion of perverting the course of justice".
Labour's racist rules are unlawful
Labour's racist rules are unlawful
"The Government's tough line on migrant workers has been dealt a blow after new rules for skilled immigrants who want to remain in the UK were declared unfair and unlawful by the High Court".
UPDATE: Read the High Court judgment here.
"The Government's tough line on migrant workers has been dealt a blow after new rules for skilled immigrants who want to remain in the UK were declared unfair and unlawful by the High Court".
UPDATE: Read the High Court judgment here.
Mohamed Al-Fayed unlawfully killed Diana and Dodi
Mohamed Al-Fayed unlawfully killed Diana and Dodi
It would seem to me that Mohamed Al-Fayed embarked on his crusade to lay the blame for the deaths of Princess Diana and Dodi Al-Fayed at the door of everyone else, rather than take responsibility himself. Given that Henri Paul was an employee of Mohamed Al-Fayed, there is the issue of the employer being liable for the unlawful killing by way of vicarious liability.
Perhaps, the mad Arab will now give it a rest?
The Daily Telegraph story here.
Shannon Matthews' mother 'may have copied TV kidnap plot'
Shannon Matthews' mother 'may have copied TV kidnap plot'
"The mother of Shannon Matthews has been accused of knowing her daughter's whereabouts from the start of the £5 million search for her, sources have disclosed.
Karen Matthews, 32, was being questioned by detectives on Monday night on suspicion of perverting the course of justice after allegedly breaking down in tears in front of a police family liaison officer.
The Daily Telegraph understands that officers are examining alleged similarities between Shannon's disappearance and a storyline from the Channel 4 drama series Shameless shown in the month before the nine-year-old vanished".
First the plot thickened and now it unravels. It's a shame that the McCanns have still not been brought to justice.
Monday, April 07, 2008
Drug dog suspended for duck death
Drug dog suspended for duck death
"A prison sniffer dog has been suspended from his post after allegedly killing a group of ducks at a Lancashire jail".
I suppose to a dog, crack and quack sound the same?
"A prison sniffer dog has been suspended from his post after allegedly killing a group of ducks at a Lancashire jail".
I suppose to a dog, crack and quack sound the same?
A life is only worth half as much as money
A life is only worth half as much as money
A solicitor who stole more than £1m from a disabled client has been jailed for 10 years.
Meanwhile...
A lawyer who stabbed his wife to death after she told him she was leaving him has been released after serving less than half of his sentence.
If the solicitor does not appeal against the sentence and serves half his sentence he will only serve as long as 5 years which the lawyer got for killing his wife. As the lawyer had served 11 months on Remand, he only served 19 months in open prison.
A solicitor who stole more than £1m from a disabled client has been jailed for 10 years.
Meanwhile...
A lawyer who stabbed his wife to death after she told him she was leaving him has been released after serving less than half of his sentence.
If the solicitor does not appeal against the sentence and serves half his sentence he will only serve as long as 5 years which the lawyer got for killing his wife. As the lawyer had served 11 months on Remand, he only served 19 months in open prison.
Will hedgehog hurling become an Olympic sport?
Will hedgehog hurling become an Olympic sport?
NZ man 'used hedgehog as weapon'
A man in New Zealand has been charged with using a hedgehog as a weapon, the New Zealand Herald has reported.
Police said William Singalargh, 27, had hurled the hedgehog about 5m (16ft) at a 15-year-old boy.
"It hit the victim in the leg, causing a large, red welt and several puncture marks," said Senior Sgt Bruce Jenkins, in the North Island town of Whakatane.
It was unclear whether the hedgehog was still alive when it was thrown, though it was dead when collected as evidence.
The police spokesman said the suspect was arrested "for assault with a weapon, namely the hedgehog."
Mr Singalargh is due to appear in court on 17 April. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison.
NZ man 'used hedgehog as weapon'
A man in New Zealand has been charged with using a hedgehog as a weapon, the New Zealand Herald has reported.
Police said William Singalargh, 27, had hurled the hedgehog about 5m (16ft) at a 15-year-old boy.
"It hit the victim in the leg, causing a large, red welt and several puncture marks," said Senior Sgt Bruce Jenkins, in the North Island town of Whakatane.
It was unclear whether the hedgehog was still alive when it was thrown, though it was dead when collected as evidence.
The police spokesman said the suspect was arrested "for assault with a weapon, namely the hedgehog."
Mr Singalargh is due to appear in court on 17 April. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison.
Starwars the court battle: Sword of Truth replaced by lightsabre
Starwars the court battle: Sword of Truth replaced by lightsabre
"It is a David and Goliath battle that would make even Luke Skywalker think twice about reaching for his lightsabre.
A British prop designer who created the armour for the Star Wars characters is being sued for £10 million in the High Court by the film's director, George Lucas.
Andrew Ainsworth, who is based in a modest workshop in Twickenham, south-west London, provoked the movie mogul's wrath by churning out replica outfits from the original moulds and selling them for up to £1,500 each to fans".
I think it is interesting that there was no contract between George Lucas and Andrew Ainsworth. And, that Andrew Ainsworth is both arguing that he owns the intellectual property right, and that it has expired if it was owned by George Lucas.
China as popular as the 1936 Olymics under Hitler
China as popular as the 1936 Olymics under Hitler
According to the Daily Telegraph "The Chinese ambassador to Britain was forced into an unscheduled change to the location of her leg". It is understood that Heather Mills is not the Chinese ambassador. There are no further details as to which part of the Chinese ambassador's anatomy her leg will be located.
I watched part of the Olympic torch relay, yesterday on television, and was struck by the images of a lone runner surrounded by dozens of police and Chinese secret service agents. The whole thing reminded me of the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin under the Nazi regime.
I don't suppose Chinese state television and media will be showing images of the protests at Chinese oppression and repression in Tibet?
According to the Daily Telegraph "The Chinese ambassador to Britain was forced into an unscheduled change to the location of her leg". It is understood that Heather Mills is not the Chinese ambassador. There are no further details as to which part of the Chinese ambassador's anatomy her leg will be located.
I watched part of the Olympic torch relay, yesterday on television, and was struck by the images of a lone runner surrounded by dozens of police and Chinese secret service agents. The whole thing reminded me of the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin under the Nazi regime.
I don't suppose Chinese state television and media will be showing images of the protests at Chinese oppression and repression in Tibet?
Prince discharged from hospital
Prince discharged from hospital
"The Duke of Edinburgh has been discharged from hospital and is recuperating at Windsor Castle after being treated for a chest infection".
Put the obituary and state funeral on hold...
Shannon Matthews' mother held over kidnap
Shannon Matthews' mother held over kidnap
"The mother of schoolgirl Shannon Matthews was arrested last night in connection with the alleged kidnap of her nine year old daughter.
Karen Matthews, 32, was being held for questioning at an undisclosed police station in West Yorkshire on suspicion of perverting the course of justice".
It's a family affair...
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Love and Asperger's syndrome
McCanns to evade police questions yet again
McCanns to evade police questions yet again
Clarence Mitchell, the McCanns spin doctor, goes to great lengths to assure us that the McCanns are only too willing to assist the police with their inquiries into the disappearance of their daughter Madeleine. And yet, the McCanns fled Portugal with at least 40 questions still unanswered.
Next week, the Portuguese police are coming to Britain with the intention to re-interview the Tapas 9. However, rather conveniently, the McCanns are flying off to Brussels to take part in a PR campaign for an Amber Alert to be set up Europe-wide.
The Amber Alert scheme is designed for children who have been abducted. In the case of Madeleine, there was no abduction. Like the Shannon Matthews case, it was an inside job.
Every day that this drags on gives the McCanns the impression that they can get away with murder.
Clarence Mitchell, the McCanns spin doctor, goes to great lengths to assure us that the McCanns are only too willing to assist the police with their inquiries into the disappearance of their daughter Madeleine. And yet, the McCanns fled Portugal with at least 40 questions still unanswered.
Next week, the Portuguese police are coming to Britain with the intention to re-interview the Tapas 9. However, rather conveniently, the McCanns are flying off to Brussels to take part in a PR campaign for an Amber Alert to be set up Europe-wide.
The Amber Alert scheme is designed for children who have been abducted. In the case of Madeleine, there was no abduction. Like the Shannon Matthews case, it was an inside job.
Every day that this drags on gives the McCanns the impression that they can get away with murder.
Army faces new torture claims over arrest of Shia leader
Army faces new torture claims over arrest of Shia leader
The testament of a respected Shia elder, aged 70, suggests brutal treatment of civilians is still continuing, writes Robert Verkaik
"The British Army faces new allegations of torture and abuse over the arrest and detention of a Shia tribal leader and his family who claim they were hooded and beaten by soldiers based at Basra airport last year".
The testament of a respected Shia elder, aged 70, suggests brutal treatment of civilians is still continuing, writes Robert Verkaik
"The British Army faces new allegations of torture and abuse over the arrest and detention of a Shia tribal leader and his family who claim they were hooded and beaten by soldiers based at Basra airport last year".
MP couple claimed £40,000 without receipts
MP couple claimed £40,000 without receipts
"A married couple, both Labour MPs, claimed almost £40,000 of household expenses in a year without submitting one receipt.
Alan and Ann Keen were paid the money from the public purse even though they gave no explanation of why they needed it".
The Daily Telegraph report is stating that the Keens have done nothing wrong and that it is the lax rules which are to blame. Whilst it is accepted that the allowance rules are too lax, nevertheless this couple claimed expenses for a second home in the centre of London when their own constituency and first home is only 9 miles away from the centre of London. What the Keens have done wrong is claim expenses when 9 miles is not an unreasonable distance to commute to work every day.
'Ministers put Olympics ahead of human rights'
'Ministers put Olympics ahead of human rights'
"Ministers have been accused of putting the Olympics ahead of human rights after summoning campaigners to a secret Westminster meeting before the torch relay through London's streets".
In an ideal world politics and sport should remain totally separate issues. China has an appalling human rights record. However, what is less known is that the UK has the worst record of human rights violations in Europe as adjudged by the European Court of Human Rights. It is 3 years since the ECtHR found that the UK is violating convicted prisoners human rights by denying them the vote. In this case it would appear that the government is putting everything ahead of prisoners human rights. Sometimes legitimate protest is the only way forward to highlight the injustice of human rights violations. The Olympics is a celebration. It should not be used to hide injustice like a table cloth covering a table.
"Ministers have been accused of putting the Olympics ahead of human rights after summoning campaigners to a secret Westminster meeting before the torch relay through London's streets".
In an ideal world politics and sport should remain totally separate issues. China has an appalling human rights record. However, what is less known is that the UK has the worst record of human rights violations in Europe as adjudged by the European Court of Human Rights. It is 3 years since the ECtHR found that the UK is violating convicted prisoners human rights by denying them the vote. In this case it would appear that the government is putting everything ahead of prisoners human rights. Sometimes legitimate protest is the only way forward to highlight the injustice of human rights violations. The Olympics is a celebration. It should not be used to hide injustice like a table cloth covering a table.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Biggs' bid for Christmas release
Shannon case women freed on bail
Friday, April 04, 2008
Women arrested over Shannon case
Women arrested over Shannon case
"Police investigating the alleged abduction of schoolgirl Shannon Matthews have arrested two women".
The plot thickens.
"Police investigating the alleged abduction of schoolgirl Shannon Matthews have arrested two women".
The plot thickens.
Duke of Edinburgh is admitted to hospital
Duke of Edinburgh is admitted to hospital
"The Duke of Edinburgh has been admitted to hospital with a chest infection, Buckingham Palace said today".
Obituary and State funeral to follow.
Blair declares his faith: I want to awaken world's conscience
Blair declares his faith: I want to awaken world's conscience
This from the man who had faith in his decision to follow Bush into an illegal war with Iraq. Where was the war criminal's conscience then?
Gordon Brown the drug runner...
Gordon Brown the drug runner...
Gordon Brown is preparing to overrule the advice of the Government’s drug advisory body and upgrade cannabis to a Class B drug, carrying tougher penalties for its possession.
Psssst Gordon! Think of all the taxes if you legalised cannabis...
Gordon Brown is preparing to overrule the advice of the Government’s drug advisory body and upgrade cannabis to a Class B drug, carrying tougher penalties for its possession.
Psssst Gordon! Think of all the taxes if you legalised cannabis...
Taxi for Kitty Spencer
Taxi for Kitty Spencer
Lady Kitty Spencer has been named by Tatler as the most eligible girl in Britain. And yet, the thick cunt is unable to tell the difference between the North and South of England.
Having been brought up for many years in Yorkshire, approximately 20 miles from York, and having read about King Harold and 1066 in history at school, I am aware of the Stamford Bridge connection.
If anyone had asked me to take them to Stamford Bridge, I would not have needed a Sat Nav for the journey. I have no interest in football whatsoever, but I have heard and read in passing that Chelsea football ground is also referred to as Stamford Bridge. Why anybody in their right mind would want to go there is beyond me.
Some years ago I was in the back of a Prison Service Category "A" van being escorted through Oxfordshire. I pointed out to my escort that we were going the wrong way. I was asked how I had worked that out. I replied, "That's easy. A few minutes ago the sun was shining through the right hand side windows, and now it's shining through the left hand side windows". As the prison officers started debating whether I was on the right track and they were on the wrong track, I pointed out that we were now passing Blenheim Palace for the second time.
Lady Kitty Spencer has been named by Tatler as the most eligible girl in Britain. And yet, the thick cunt is unable to tell the difference between the North and South of England.
Having been brought up for many years in Yorkshire, approximately 20 miles from York, and having read about King Harold and 1066 in history at school, I am aware of the Stamford Bridge connection.
If anyone had asked me to take them to Stamford Bridge, I would not have needed a Sat Nav for the journey. I have no interest in football whatsoever, but I have heard and read in passing that Chelsea football ground is also referred to as Stamford Bridge. Why anybody in their right mind would want to go there is beyond me.
Some years ago I was in the back of a Prison Service Category "A" van being escorted through Oxfordshire. I pointed out to my escort that we were going the wrong way. I was asked how I had worked that out. I replied, "That's easy. A few minutes ago the sun was shining through the right hand side windows, and now it's shining through the left hand side windows". As the prison officers started debating whether I was on the right track and they were on the wrong track, I pointed out that we were now passing Blenheim Palace for the second time.
Can I have 50-50 please Chris?
Can I have 50-50 please Chris?
Who wants to be a millionaire £12.5M times over? Ingrid Tarrant asked her former husband, Chris Tarrant the presenter of the ITV game show, for 50-50 of his total worth.
Who wants to be a millionaire £12.5M times over? Ingrid Tarrant asked her former husband, Chris Tarrant the presenter of the ITV game show, for 50-50 of his total worth.
Leading MPs' expenses to be released today
Leading MPs' expenses to be released today
"Speaker Michael Martin will release details today of expenses claimed by MPs including Prime Minister Gordon Brown, after the House of Commons authorities decided not to challenge a ruling under freedom of information laws.
The release will provide a breakdown of how much was spent under different allowance categories, such as stationery, IT equipment, travel for the MP and spouse and groceries".
Why on earth are MPs allowed to claim expenses for groceries?
UPDATE: Expenses of party leaders revealed
"Tony Blair claimed £116 to pay for his TV licence, Gordon Brown claimed £2,000 for cleaning and ex-Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott £4,000 for food in the space of a year, new details of MPs' expenses released have shown".
"A table showing of Heather Brooke's request into annual ACA claims, broken down into categories of expenditure".
MPs' expenses in full
"Speaker Michael Martin will release details today of expenses claimed by MPs including Prime Minister Gordon Brown, after the House of Commons authorities decided not to challenge a ruling under freedom of information laws.
The release will provide a breakdown of how much was spent under different allowance categories, such as stationery, IT equipment, travel for the MP and spouse and groceries".
Why on earth are MPs allowed to claim expenses for groceries?
UPDATE: Expenses of party leaders revealed
"Tony Blair claimed £116 to pay for his TV licence, Gordon Brown claimed £2,000 for cleaning and ex-Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott £4,000 for food in the space of a year, new details of MPs' expenses released have shown".
"A table showing of Heather Brooke's request into annual ACA claims, broken down into categories of expenditure".
MPs' expenses in full
Senior Conservative MP Simon Burns 'knocks down cyclist'
Senior Conservative MP Simon Burns 'knocks down cyclist'
"Conservative MP Simon Burns hit a cyclist as he drove out of the House of Commons tonight, sources said".
I hope the idiot gets charged, at the very least, with failing to pay due care and attention. All it required was for Simon Burns to look both left and right before proceeding out of the gateway onto a main road.
Instead, he hit an innocent cyclist. I would have forgiven him had he run over Dave Cameron, Boris Johnson or Tim Mongomerie...
"Conservative MP Simon Burns hit a cyclist as he drove out of the House of Commons tonight, sources said".
I hope the idiot gets charged, at the very least, with failing to pay due care and attention. All it required was for Simon Burns to look both left and right before proceeding out of the gateway onto a main road.
Instead, he hit an innocent cyclist. I would have forgiven him had he run over Dave Cameron, Boris Johnson or Tim Mongomerie...
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Iain Dale is sleazy enough to become a Tory MP
Iain Dale is sleazy enough to become a Tory MP
The twice failed Tory candidate and failed internet TV presenter at 18DS, Iain Dale, in the small print states "Just by way of declaring an interest, they have now asked me to join the panel too".
It is of interest that the usually gobby Iain Dale was very silent on Derek Conway's fraudulent expenses claims, only for it to emerge that the disgraced Tory MP Derek Conway is a friend of Iain Dale's.
I think what Michael Martin has done warrants a prison sentence. He is not, I presume, a friend of Iain Dale and also happens to be a Labour MP, therefore, the hypocritical Iain Dale draws a distinction between the conduct of Michael Martin and Derek Conway. Sleaze is sleaze. And Iain Dale is displaying the sleazy conduct worthy of any disgraced MP.
The twice failed Tory candidate and failed internet TV presenter at 18DS, Iain Dale, in the small print states "Just by way of declaring an interest, they have now asked me to join the panel too".
It is of interest that the usually gobby Iain Dale was very silent on Derek Conway's fraudulent expenses claims, only for it to emerge that the disgraced Tory MP Derek Conway is a friend of Iain Dale's.
I think what Michael Martin has done warrants a prison sentence. He is not, I presume, a friend of Iain Dale and also happens to be a Labour MP, therefore, the hypocritical Iain Dale draws a distinction between the conduct of Michael Martin and Derek Conway. Sleaze is sleaze. And Iain Dale is displaying the sleazy conduct worthy of any disgraced MP.
My challenge to David Davies MP
My challenge to David Davies MP
The Tory MP David Davies is claiming that "THOUSANDS of criminals on police “wanted” lists are able to claim state benefits despite being on the run".
My challenge to David Davies MP, is produce the evidence to back up his claim or make a public statement apologising for telling lies.
The Tory MP David Davies is claiming that "THOUSANDS of criminals on police “wanted” lists are able to claim state benefits despite being on the run".
My challenge to David Davies MP, is produce the evidence to back up his claim or make a public statement apologising for telling lies.
Shot man's 'compassionate' side
Shot man's 'compassionate' side
"Charity worker Simon Murden has been described by family and friends as a "gentle man" with an "infectious" passion and enthusiasm for life".
When Simon Murden's father alerted the police to the fact that his son was suffering from some kind of psychotic episode and had driven off in a van armed with oriental swords, I don't believe that he expected the police response would be to shoot his son dead. The jury at the inquest returned a verdict of justifiable killing. I don't believe that the police were necessarily justified in taking such drastic action. For example, why did they not use the equipment like helmets and shields which they use in riot situations?
Video Link.
Chinese blogger to be jailed for blogging
Chinese blogger to be jailed for blogging
Hu Jia faces up to 5 years for 6 unspecified blog posts.
Meanwhile, the sporting world is looking forward to the Olympics in Beijing...
A prominent activist who publicised human rights abuses across China has been convicted of subversion and jailed for three-and-a-half years.
Why not buy us a block of flats, say MPs
Why not buy us a block of flats, say MPs
"Taxpayers' money could be used to buy a block of flats or a hotel in central London for MPs to stay in, a parliamentary committee charged with overhauling MPs' expenses has disclosed".
I have a better idea. Given that the vast majority of MPs have fraudulently stolen taxpayers money with their expenses fiddles, why not house them in Wormwood Scrubs, Pentonville, Brixton or Wandsworth prisons?
"Taxpayers' money could be used to buy a block of flats or a hotel in central London for MPs to stay in, a parliamentary committee charged with overhauling MPs' expenses has disclosed".
I have a better idea. Given that the vast majority of MPs have fraudulently stolen taxpayers money with their expenses fiddles, why not house them in Wormwood Scrubs, Pentonville, Brixton or Wandsworth prisons?
More prisons are not the answer
More prisons are not the answer
By Mary Riddell
Petra Blanksby took five days to die. Her failure to end her life instantly was not for want of practice. A veteran, at 19, of attempted suicide, she had swallowed razor blades and overdoses, but someone was always there to save her. In prison, there were no protectors.
She hanged herself at New Hall jail in West Yorkshire, where she had been remanded on a charge of arson with intent to endanger life. This sounds a serious offence. Harriet Harman, pictured walking the mean streets of Peckham in a stab jacket, might be reaching for a fire-fighter's suit in the face of such a threat to the community at large. But, as usual, the only existence at risk was Petra's.
The emergency services found her slumped in a doorway, her hair ablaze, after she had doused herself in petrol and struck a match.
Petra Blanksby was hardly Rose West-in-waiting. Depressed and mentally ill after childhood abuse, she had no criminal convictions. Not long before she took her life, she had given up her baby for adoption. Her medical notes recorded that, with her son safe, she felt "free to go".
Her identical twin, Kirsty, flew in from Tenerife to speak at yesterday's launch of Dying On The Inside, an analysis of suicide in women's jails. Since 1990, 89 female prisoners have died at their own hand. The female prison population has almost doubled in the time that Labour has been in power, to 4,430. Most inmates have mental health problems, and self-harm is rife. Nine out of 10 female convicts have committed non-violent offences.
Kirsty Blanksby told cross-bench MPs and peers why she is angry. An inquest, which finished a few weeks ago, divulged little more than she knew in 2003, as she kept vigil at her twin's deathbed. "People are still dying," she says. "And no one listens." The twins owed their respective fates to little more than the toss of bureaucracy's dice. Put into care by their mother, both had wretched childhoods and histories of self-harm. Kirsty got medical intervention at a treatment centre; Petra, denied psychiatric help, went to prison and to her death.
Women's prisons belong in the shadowlands of national scandals. You may never encounter the silent legions who end up there. They won't be smashing your car windows, or mugging your child, or standing next in line at the Waitrose fresh fish counter. I hadn't met them either, until I visited Holloway with a former Home Secretary.
Some prisoners had arms latticed with cuts. Others had babies. One mother was saying goodbye to her son, who had reached nine months, the age at which he must go to relatives or local authority care. She would never lose him, she said, but she didn't look as if she believed it.
Fifteen inmates have killed themselves in that jail since 1990. As the then-governor told me, it was a "miracle" the figure was so low. His officers were cutting down three people from makeshift nooses every day.
Everyone recoils at women trying to end their lives with knotted J cloths. But this is about logic, not sympathy. A jail place costs about £41,000 a year, while community alternatives are cheap. Nearly 18,000 prisoners' children are separated from their mothers each year, and 50 have been orphaned by a mother's suicide in the last decade. Such children are not earmarked for lucrative careers at Goldman Sachs. Their destiny, though not inevitable, is more likely to be the social scrapheap.
Obviously, it costs money to provide alternative treatment for drug addicts and mentally ill women who have committed no grave crime. Luckily, Jack Straw has plenty. The Treasury has given him £2.3 billion, with which he plans to build 10,500 new prison places by 2014, on top of the £1.5 billion already allocated for 9,000 extra beds. To ease a system at breaking point, with more than 82,000 inmates, Straw plans three "Titan" prisons, each housing 2,500 inmates.
At a briefing yesterday, I asked Lord Phillips, the Lord Chief Justice, what he thought of Titans. He sounded lukewarm. Some people, he said, believed they would improve matters because prisoners were closer to home: "I've also heard some say they will have exactly the opposite effect." Rob Allen, the director of the International Centre for Prison Studies, is unequivocal. Titans, he says, are four times the size considered by other countries to be safe and capable of rehabilitation. Lord Carter's review, which recommended this model to the Government, is, in Allen's view, "a shoddy piece of work".
The Brown administration has another plan before it. Commissioned from Baroness Corston, it recommends scrapping women's prisons and replacing them with small local units. Deborah Coles, co-author of Dying On The Inside, urges the Government to comply. If the Corston model works, it could offer a way out of the English love affair with prisons.
While not free, it would cost a fraction of Straw's budget, besides releasing places to ease the current crisis, Lord Phillips reiterated his antipathy to the over-use of jail. "I've always made it plain that you shouldn't put people in prison if there's any other way of dealing with them," he said.
But as Mr Straw plans his prison boom, schemes to punish people in the community are said to be foundering for lack of cash. I asked Lord Phillips what he thought of such an imbalance "That would concern me enormously," he said. Although there was an "urgent demand" for prison places, "in an ideal world, one would like it [the money] used for alternative rehabilitation".
This isn't a liberal fantasy. Nor, despite a mismatch between a 30 per cent reduction in crime and heightened fear, is violent crime a populist myth. Children are killing one another with chilling regularity. As I write, a student is fighting for his life after being knifed by muggers demanding he buy them a £1.99 Big Mac. Juvenile assassins are not simply damned by bad and loveless homes: they are also the product of an official viciousness that taints a nation priding itself on its genuflection to justice and the rule of law.
Of course violent and dangerous people should be locked away. Those who commit crimes must pay. But using prisons to turn sad lives into tragedies is cruel and pointless. Nor is it what most law-abiding people want, although get-tough governments always think otherwise. Surveys show that citizens prefer non-violent offenders to be punished in the community, rather than being made worse in seething jails. At this rate, Straw's Titan prisons will be full almost before they are built.
We are back in the days of Little Dorrit, Charles Dickens's satire on the self-defeating policy of a government that imprisoned debtors, without hope of work, until they could reimburse what they owed. None the less, Amy Dorrit got her happy ending. No such good fortune for the four women inmates whose inquests open next Monday, or for Petra Blanksby. Her sister explained why one twin lived and the other died. I hope the Ministry of Justice was listening.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Bertie Ahern resigns as Ireland's Prime Minister
Bertie Ahern resigns as Ireland's Prime Minister
"Bertie Ahern today announced that he is to stand down as Ireland's Prime Minister following a financial scandal that saw his secretary break down in tears in public".
Belatedly, Bertie Ahern has done the right thing and resigned. In complete contrast, the Speaker Michael Martin, refuses to resign even after his press officer Mike Grannatt resigned for misleading the media on his behalf.
Perhaps, those in Westminister should take a leaf out of the book of Irish politics?
Mary Martin the Speaker's wife is a thief
Mary Martin the Speaker's wife is a thief
Last night on the BBC 1 10pm news, it was reported that the Parliamentary Commissioner of Standards is to investigate Michael Martin, the speaker of the House of Commons, over why his wife, Mary Martin, spent £4,280 of the taxpayers money on taxis to do her personal shopping.
The BBC reporter interviewed some bloke who said the whole thing was ridiculous and that Mary Martin should not have to queue up like everybody else to get on the number 62 bus, and that she should be treated with deference.
I walk to do my shopping. If I was to get a bus to visit the Tesco super store, half an hour's walk away from my house, the cost of the bus fare would negate any reductions on prices in the store.
It beggars belief that Mary Martin is allowed to spend over £80 per week of taxpayers money on taxi fares to do her personal shopping. She is a thief. I do not believe that such a woman should be treated with deference. Given that the government is taking a tough line on benefit fraud, and states that there are no ifs, no buts, then the same principle should be applied to MPs expenses claims.
Human-cow hybrid embryo created
Human-cow hybrid embryo created
Britain's first human-animal hybrid embryos have been created, forming a crucial first step, scientists believe, towards a supply of stem cells that could be used to investigate debilitating and so far untreatable conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's and motor neurone disease.
Lyle Armstrong, who led the work, gained permission in January from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to create the embryos, known as "cytoplasmic hybrids".
His team at Newcastle University produced the embryos by inserting human DNA from a skin cell into a hollowed-out cow egg. An electric shock then induced the hybrid embryo to grow. The embryo, 99.9% human and 0.1% other animal, grew for three days, until it had 32 cells.
Photo: Tim Ireland
Stepfather of Shannon Matthews is arrested over child porn find
Stepfather of Shannon Matthews is arrested over child porn find
"Craig Meehan, the stepfather of Shannon Matthews, has been arrested by police investigating her disappearance.
Police who confiscated a series of computers during their inquiries have arrested her mother’s boyfriend on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children".
I did think it was strange that the police did not reunite Shannon with her family upon her being discovered at her uncle's house.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Speaker Michael Martin to be investigated over wife's taxi expenses
Speaker Michael Martin to be investigated over wife's taxi expenses
"Michael Martin, the speaker of the House of Commons, is to be officially investigated by the Parliamentary sleaze watchdog after admitting he used public money to fund taxis for his wife's shopping trips".
"Michael Martin, the speaker of the House of Commons, is to be officially investigated by the Parliamentary sleaze watchdog after admitting he used public money to fund taxis for his wife's shopping trips".
Is Harriet Harman an April Fools joke?
Is Harriet Harman an April Fools joke?
It is not clear whether Harriet Harman thought she was on the Cat Walk modelling a stab proof vest, or whether she imagined she was the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, too terrified to go out at night in her neighbouhood. Then again, are the knives out for Harriet Harman? Was Vince Cable in the area? Perhaps, it was her idea of an April Fools joke?
Suspended prison sentence for 'Casanova stalked' fantasist
Suspended prison sentence for 'Casanova stalked' fantasist
"A fantasist who wasted hundreds of hours of police time when she invented a sinister stalker named Casanova has been handed a suspended prison sentence.
Nightclub worker Lauren Holden, 25, claimed she was being targeted by a deranged sexual predator".
"A fantasist who wasted hundreds of hours of police time when she invented a sinister stalker named Casanova has been handed a suspended prison sentence.
Nightclub worker Lauren Holden, 25, claimed she was being targeted by a deranged sexual predator".
New structure for the Ministry of Justice
New structure for the Ministry of Justice
Today, 1 April 2008, the Director General of the Prison Service ceases to be. Instead, Phil Wheatley, has become the new Director General of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) which merges the Prison Service with the Probation Service.
The new structure will be overseen by the Corporate management board. Unfortunately, perhaps, the corporate management board is chaired by the Permanent Secretary, Suma Chakrabarti. And he has got no experience in this field whatsoever.
The new structure, according to the NOMS website, entails the Corporate management board working with five new business groups: Corporate Performance; Democracy, Constitution and Law; Access to Justice; National Offender Management Service; and Criminal Justice.
Each of these five business groups is headed by a Director General. I cannot help thinking that this creates too many chiefs and not enough indians. It will be pointless the MSM asking any of these big wigs what their job entails because "The terms of reference for the board will be formally signed off in late April". There's nothing like ruffled feathers as chicken heads run around without their bodies...
This Director General is no more...
Today, 1 April 2008, the Director General of the Prison Service ceases to be. Instead, Phil Wheatley, has become the new Director General of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) which merges the Prison Service with the Probation Service.
The new structure will be overseen by the Corporate management board. Unfortunately, perhaps, the corporate management board is chaired by the Permanent Secretary, Suma Chakrabarti. And he has got no experience in this field whatsoever.
The new structure, according to the NOMS website, entails the Corporate management board working with five new business groups: Corporate Performance; Democracy, Constitution and Law; Access to Justice; National Offender Management Service; and Criminal Justice.
Each of these five business groups is headed by a Director General. I cannot help thinking that this creates too many chiefs and not enough indians. It will be pointless the MSM asking any of these big wigs what their job entails because "The terms of reference for the board will be formally signed off in late April". There's nothing like ruffled feathers as chicken heads run around without their bodies...
This Director General is no more...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)