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Boris To Decide MP Prosecutions?
Up and down the country Chief Constables have been deluged with complaints about local MPs. Many constituents believe that their MP’s conduct has gone beyond error and misjudgement to the point where the police need to investigate. There is huge anger and if Harriet Harman’s “Court Of Public Opinion” gets its way then there is to be much humiliation and many prison sentences for miscreant MPs.
The Man For The Job
Chief Constables are accused of sitting on their hands and being in fear of taking on such high profile suspects. In fact, there is confusion about jurisdiction and about what recourse is open to the public if the police will not take action.
An attempt has already been made to bring a private prosecution against Home Secretary Jacqui Smith. District Judge Bruce Morgan at Redditch Magistrates Court adjourned the application for a summons and referred the matter to the Metropolitan Police, saying that the applicant could *come back to court” if the Met failed to investigate.
The Association Of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) says that the Met is taking the lead and that jurisdiction for all MPs is likely to be in the Met’s hands as expenses claims are paid out from Parliament and not in the constituencies.
The Met’s current position is still that it’s thinking about it. It “needs to understand the Parliamentary processes for expenses” as part of its assessment as to whether to launch an investigation. After its clumsy and inept handling of the Damian Green affair it’s not surprising that discretion should be the better part of its valour but really, it’s a shabby response to what is probably the greatest ever betrayal of public trust.
Perhaps that’s what the problem is. It all just seems too big, too grand, too important. In reality, the sordid, self-serving decisions that so many MPs have taken are just as small and pathetic as any shoplifter or petty thief.
What we need here is clarity and courage. We deserve a police service that can see through the obfuscation, blather and bluff. If you look at them in the same way as you would a shoplifter or a petty thief , brush away their pathetic excuses, well, officer, what are you going to do now?
If the police fail to take action, where will the public turn? The Independent Police Complaints Commission has a very narrow remit. It can only address questions of police misconduct. Questions of policy, or the conduct of Chief Constables are a matter for the local police authority and in London, that means the Metropolitan Police Authority, chairman of which is ex-MP, Boris Johnson. The Association of Police Authorities (APA) is waking up to this fast approaching buck and where it might be stopping. Let’s hope Boris is too.
Why Are We Waiting?
What are they up to? The robbery has taken place, much of it caught on CCTV. They were called weeks ago. Are they just sitting on their backsides finishing their tea? Maybe their sluggish response is due to flat feet or learning difficulties? We, the victims, are still waiting. Meanwhile the crooks are desperately trying to cover up the evidence, even returning some of what they have stolen, cooking their books, arm twisting the judges, launching PR and propaganda campaigns to distort the truth.
Where Is He Hiding?
Where are the police? Are we back in the day when the village bobby cowtows to the local squire, tugs his forelock and turns a blind eye?
Perhaps they’re being held back by corrupt senior officers, or their lawyers are fiddling while Rome burns and they’re too scared to uphold the law?
Who Else Will Stand Up For Justice?
Each and every Chief Constable in the country should by now have launched an investigation into his or her local MPs. Sir Paul Stephenson of the Met, supposedly went into a meeting with the CPS about a fortnight ago. What the hell are they up to? There’s much more urgency when a hungry single mother steals food for her children from Sainsburys. The sirens blare out quickly enough then!
This is a disgraceful state of affairs and the police are letting us down. This must be more work for the Independent Police Complaints Commission or are we left with no option but to turn to Batman and Robin? Who else will stand up for justice?
Meanwhile, Mrs Patel is up before the beak in Harrow today under The Fraud Act 2006 for telling fibs about her address to get her child into a better school. See the story here
This is the state of justice in Britain today.
Jim Knight, Jiminy Cricket.
Do The Right Thing Jim!
Jim Knight told the Dorset Echo: “…at no time has he given me tax advice on my personal affairs…”.
But Jim! Jim! Jiminy Cricket, conscience of the world! Jim!
The bill that you claimed for said “…in connection with your personal tax affairs”. Jim, Jim, Jiminy Cricket, the game is up!
Jim Knight MP, Scumbag Thief
Jim Knight – The Scumbag Thief Of Dorset
So I learned today that my own MP, Jim Knight, the Schools Minister, has his snout in the trough too.
He is one of several MPs who have claimed and been paid for tax advice from Dennis Bates, ex-Inland Revenue employee and wife of Labour MP, Meg Munn. Mr Bates’ bill to Jim Knight explicitly stated “professional services in connection with your personal tax affairs”.
Scumbag Thief
No reasonable person can believe that claiming such an expense is legitimate. I have therefore written today to the Chief Constable of Dorset, Martin Baker, making a complaint of dishonesty. I take no pleasure in this. I regard it as my duty.
Jim Knight states on his own website on the subject of MPs expenses: “…more serious abuses must be referred to the police and action taken that matches any other employment and any other citizen…”
Let us see what happens.
Alistair Darling And The Rest – Liars, Cheats And Thieves
What exactly is it that entitles cabinet ministers to have their accountants’ fees paid for by the taxpayer?
All nine ministers must be sacked and the police brought in to investigate. There is not the slightest excuse for this blatant thievery.
Scumbag Thief
This is perhaps the most disgraceful episode of all. While you can argue (well you can try) that duck houses and food bills have something to do with a second home which is necessitated by Parliamentary duties, claiming your accountants fees on expenses is nothing short of cheating the taxpayer.
Alistair Darling, Jacqui Smith, Hazel Blears, David Miliband, James Purnell, Douglas Alexander, Geoff Hoon and Hilary Benn – you are liars, cheats and thieves. You should all be behind bars.
Keep The Church Out Of Elections
I do not support the BNP but I defend its right to state its case and campaign for election. I have considerable sympathy with its complaint that it is not considered racist to have a black association or a Muslim group but the BNP is branded racist for seeking to represent the white British. This is unjust.
It’s fair game for other politicians to attack the BNP but the call made today by the Church? This is outrageous. While there are certainly many good Christians and Church members, this week we have had to listen to the horrific truth of child abuse by the Church in Ireland. Only the following day the new Catholic Archbishop Nichols of Westminster is enthroned and makes the disgraceful judgment that it was courageous for some of the priests to confess their dreadful crimes.
The most eloquent advice I have ever heard on the subject of the Church comes from Messrs Crosby, Stills and Nash:
“Too many people have died in the name of Christ for anyone to heed the call”
Too much evil and wickedness has been perpetrated across hundreds of years by the Church for it to have any relevance or role in our elections. Stick to pastoral work with individuals and you’re entitled to promote your individual doctrine and beliefs but stay out of the business of parliament and government.
Out Of Touch, Deluded, Extraordinary
Another MP who needs to be locked up. This time though he doesn’t deserve prison. He needs a lunatic asylum.
Is “Unacceptable” Acceptable From Cabinet Ministers?
I could almost feel sorry for Gordon on this one because as much as he wriggles, he isn’t going to get away. He has said that Hazel Blears’ conduct in flipping her second home to save £13,000 CGT was unacceptable. She has to go.
She Has To Go
Talking about the “rules” isn’t good enough when they are clearly inadequate. The guidelines say that expenses may only be charged when incurred “wholly, exclusively and necessarily in the course of parliamentary duties”. That standard should now be applied as the rule. So, Gordon, your Sky subscription including sports channels, fails that test. A reasonable claim would be for half of the cost.
In your own interests, as well as that of Parliament and the country, there are cabinet ministers and senior Labour MPs who have to go.
I Shall Vote UKIP On June 4th
For two reasons:
1. Because I agree completely that we should withdraw from membership of the EU and establish trading agreements as an independent nation.
2. Because I want to send a message to the main parties showing my disgust for the venal and corrupt behaviour of so many MPs.
I shall vote Tory in the next general election because David Cameron is the only credible candidate for PM.
Peter Reynolds 
European Culture 77, English Chavs 2
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It must be the first football match I’ve watched in 18 months. I thought it was worth investing the time. After all, it was hyped to the level where it became an event rather than just a sports occasion. But then really, football lost all that years ago. When the various mafiosi, the agents, the primadonnas and the gross, obscene salaries took hold, football lost
everything it ever had of value.
So, hilariously, ITV’s HD coverage stepped into the rhythm, just four minutes before half time and cut, bizarrely, to shots of bleach blonde, just-retired footballers in the usual badly fitting suits, adjusting their lunchboxes and utterly tasteless ties, commentators preparing for their imminent incisive anlayses, wiping away the smears of mayonnaise and more exotic “amuse bouche” from their lips.
Perfectly appropriate, I thought!
What happened to Roy Of The Rovers and football as a role model? These spoilt, vastly over paid, perversions of sporting talent, ill mannered, conceited, ignorant individuals. They are porn stars and nothing more. They don’t even deliver. Give me a third rate club rugby player, or a rower, a cyclist, a swimmer. Why is the world infected with this football virus?
The beautiful game? In the eye of the beholder without lager, violence, chav celebrity culture, we can do much. much better than this!
Truth is, 10 minutes into the second half, I turned over to watch “The Apprentice”.
Written by Peter Reynolds
May 27, 2009 at 7:52 pm
Posted in Consumerism, Politics, sport, The Media
Tagged with "amuse bouche", agent, analysis, badly fitting suits, Barcelona, commentator, cyclist, football, ITV, ITV HD, lunchbox, mafiosi, Manchester United, obscene, perversion, porn, porn star, primadonna, rower, Roy Of The Rovers, rugby, soccer, spoilt, swimmer, tasteless, The Apprentice, value