According to the BBC: “The Tories say they understand counter-terrorism officers were involved in searches of his home and offices.”
The “Tories” “say” they “understand”
According to the Guardian:
“counter-terrorism police arrested the shadow Home Office minister, Damian Green”
“nine counter-terrorism officers conducted simultaneous searches at four locations: Green’s constituency office and home in Ashford, Kent, his office in the House of Commons and his London home.”
Sounds pretty factual to me.
The same BBC that can give us accounts of mistreatment in Iraqi jails, can report endlessly on injustice in the US system cannot verify and report as fact the misuse of power in the nation’s capital. Why? Save Gordon.
(anyone curious why the Guardian should be a repository of fact on this topic should consider that the Guardian actually needs to be credible to retain paying customers, and has often made its way from being anti-establishment rather than just leftist.)
So when can we expect the NuLab Stasi ….sorry,.. Metropolitan Police… to arrest Robert Peston then?
With 2,000 crazed jihadis on the loose, plotting to blow up our aircraft etc, you’d have thought the counter terrorism squad would have better things to do than chase a 52 year old Tory politician round the Home Counties.
Heads should roll for this.
Think we might see the beeboids having to ‘re-apraise’ the seriousness of this story, as the solids hit the fan ! Still, they did their best to play it down, didn’t they ?
The law under which DG was arrested is only supposed to be invoked in v. serious circumstances according to the CPS.
It should always be remembered that it is a very serious, indictable only offence carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. A charge of misconduct in public office should be reserved for cases of serious misconduct or deliberate failure to perform a duty which is likely to injure the public interest.
http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/l_to_o/misconduct_in_public_office/
Have the BBC reported this?
Words fail me. We need an election, now.
Not BBC related I know, but if it turns out that Ian Blair is behind this (as is suspected), then it just goes to show that Boris was right in showing Blair the door.
As upholders of freedom and democracy , the BBC must speak out on behalf of the British people against the blatant use of the police by the New Labour Fascists to intimidate the opposition.
If Ian Blair does turn out to be behind this, can Boris remove his inflated public sector pension?
I am not generally a believer in conspiracy theories, preferring to believe in the cock-up theory of politics; however there is something not right about the way the UK is being governed by this Labour government. I am genuinely scared that something distinctly unpleasant is about to unfold in the UK and we may be closer to the suspension of democracy than ever before.
BBC coverage at a minimum. Not a peep from the foul VD on 5. Imagine if the shoe were on the other foot, three hours woud be devoted to this with the likes of Shami screaming from the rafters
And now they have tasers to play with.
I never thought I’d hear myself say this, but …. where TF is Shami Chakrabarti, and why isn’t she on the BBC denouncing this outrageous intimidation of a democratic politician by the forces of the State?
Well, we can be thankful some still thinking there is no danger of the police becoming politicised might now give pause.
We are also now in an era of guilt even by association, so just being on the wrong blog (even defending a view) is probably enough to have Hazel’s Blogstapo alerted by the Draperjugend. Certainly such as the Guardian is tippy-toeing around trying to be ‘balanced’. But it’s often those who stray from the core who are first dealt with.
Originating one is now probably enough for the midnight knock on the door. It’s night, and the knives are long.
The BBC has a few tricky choices to make now. And, as pointed out above, keeping schtum will be very much still be an active choice, much as they might think that is an out.
I think calls for an election are not mistaken – just naive. If Labour can have an opposition front-bencher arrested on a technicality of which Labour ministers are manifestly guilty (where does Peston get all his insider stories from?) why should they hold another free election – ever?
It seems the triumph of their hard left, black power, anti-semite President elect across the pond is the sign to the BBC to now ‘let tyranny reign’. The proto one party state they’ve been cultivating is taking its first moves towards being full blown.
This government can rely on the BBC and the Metropolitan Police to behave ‘properly’.
Sozman | 28.11.08 – 11:12 am
VD did eventually cover this, with former Cambridgeshire police chief Tom Lloyd defending the arrest of Green and the Met’s use of counter-terrorism officers in the operation. A bit more background about this ‘expert analyst’ might have helped listeners: he was a Met commander during the late 90s and prospered during the early years of New Labour. As the Met’s “director of strategic co-ordination he was responsible for corporate, strategic and annual planning, liaison with the Home Office and the development of information management.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3827459.stm
He was promoted to the head of the Cambridgeshire Constabulary shortly before the Soham murders and then went on holiday during the investigation while his officers were putting in extra hours hunting for the murderer. He finally resigned after getting pissed and sexually harassing a female colleague at a police conference.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2005/jun/01/childrensservices.soham
It’s interesting that when that fat tw.t Prezza was shag..ng his whore of a secretary in his office it was not classified as a “misconduct in public office”? Perhaps being Labour he just didn’t know better.
The Daily Politics has Douglas Murray on – that’s more like it.
A strange silence descends over the BBC. No Ministers interviewed. No challenges or aggressive questioning by Naughtie, Humpreys, etc about the arrest of Damian Green. No attempt by the BBC to defend our liberties. The story is relegated to a minor incident. Yet this will go down as a significant day in this country’s history. Churchill used a whistleblower to expose the defunct policies of the government at the time to derail their policies of appeasement towards the Nazi regime. Now seen as an heroic act. It is clear we now have a sinister government in power. Not only is the country in danger of turning into a Zimbawean economy through excessive and reckless economic borrowing but our politicised police are now rounding up members of the opposition and invading the sanctity of Parliament. The gauleiters and stasi placemen have moved from harrassing the ordinary citizen over hate crime and thought crime – happily promoted by a compliant national broadcaster. They are now happily finishing off free speech and the right to criticize this heinous regime – ZanuLabour. If it were France, the people would be out on the streets. How significant that Channel 4 are currently dramatising the events of the English Civil War – and the people’s challenge against tyranny, the abuse of power and a fight for liberty. Who is the Devils Whore now?
Imagine if the government were behind the abuse of the anti-terror legislation, and imagine if someone leaked that fact.
Personally I do not think the government were behind it, firstly because it could backfire on them one day when they want to leak something, which they do all the time, and secondly because it will strengthen David Davis’ position on anti-terror laws that he resigned over.
It could just be that if you make the police politically correct by promoting certain types instead of real policemen, you create a monster which will lash out uncontrollably sometimes. The police are catching up the lawyers as a profession that includes many who do not understand the concept of right or wrong or justice. Just look at the number of times they take the side of the criminal.
(eg Yobs on the Doorstep: The Manchester Gun Teacher’s Story (Paperback)
by Linda M. Walker (Author) )
Just think of the ego trip these people would get noseying around Damian Green’s posessions including his computer …. looking for things… ‘related to the leak’ , and even being tempted to leak a bit of what they find.
It reminds me of the occassions when the police go round to a celebrity’s house and it needs 10-15 of them. Imagine in the police station ‘Can I come too?’
There are many who could not resist the temptation to trawl through DG’s private things.
Brown’s Operation Hummingbird went well I think!
While opposition MP’s act treacherously in undermining the ability of the government in serving the public, the Police need to be proactive and checking that these MP’s are not breaking the law!
I understand that the next election has been rescheduled to a time that the public can feel safe to leave their homes and vote for Labour.
‘EU Referendum’
[Extract]:
“You can trash a power station in the name of global warming, but it is illegal for an MP (and anybody else) to leak to the press confidential information sent to him by a civil servant who is in breach of his (or her) legal obligations to protect information obtained solely and exclusively by virtue of his (or her) employment.”
http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2008/11/not-what-you-do.html
It is like a school making a 13 year old a prefect and then the 13 year old gives the headmaster a detention.
If you promote politically correct people to the top jobs in the police you are bound to get bizarre and ridiculous outcomes. Wisdom, common sense, knowing right and wrong are not what they are looking fop when promoting.
Imagine the interview process –
Interviewer: ‘What would you try and achieve as a senior policeman?’
Answer: ‘Catch criminals and send them to jail’
Interviewer ‘Erm… sorry that’s not the kind of person we’re looking for’
The story is relegated to a minor incident.
Ricky Martin | 28.11.08 – 12:16 pm
As if to prove your point, the Daily Politics has just done one of its pathetic dumbed-down jokey little animated graphics, complete with comedy speech balloons, by way of illustrating the background to Damian Green’s arrest.
DB | 28.11.08 – 12:04 pm
He finally resigned after getting pissed and sexually harassing a female colleague at a police conference.
Nice piece of detective work.
Typical of the BBC to label someone an ‘expert’ who’s actually quit in disgrace.
Just watched Anita Anand in the most biased piece of coverage seen on Daily Politics in yonks.
She was rude and aggressive to David Davis. Worse, she was utterly incompetent, referring to his ‘indignity’ when she meant ‘indignation’. She’s simply not up to the job.
I only turned on ‘cos of your post re: Douglas Murray.
All the time I was watching, he was sitting there silent.
Some Nulab stooge from Progress talked almost non-stop.
A poor show.
I loved the bit where Anand said:
I’m not afraid to read out a statement from the Home Office…
No, Anita, you’re never happier than when parroting the Labour government’s line verbatim. It’s what you do.
I know it’s a bit off topic, but regarding the Linda Walker incident mentioned above (Teacher fires an air rifle at yobs after years of torment)
——from Telegraph:
Mr Viollet had been charged with shoplifting the day before the confrontation and has since been given a rehabilitation order. He said that he escaped across the road, but watched in fear as Mrs Walker fired the air pistol near his friend.
Before the trouble started, he said, he had been sitting innocently with another friend. He said he had never had any confrontations with Mrs Walker before that night, and that neither he nor his friends had anything to do with the crimes committed against her. He and his friends’ innocence in respect of Mrs Walker was confirmed by a Greater Manchester Police spokesman, who said: “As far as I am aware, standing in the street is not illegal. It does not warrant people accusing you falsely of crimes, threatening you and discharging a firearm.”
After her arrest, Mrs Walker told police: “The law’s on their side, and I’d had enough.”
———————
Just look at the quote from the Police Spokesman above. Imagine the selection process that resulted in someone like that being given the job. Imagine the politically correct answers he gave. That is the kind of person whose level of judgement makes them think it is their duty to stop catching criminals and instead investigate Damian Green and look through all his private things. I wonder if any of the officers had a self-righteous expression on their face as they put down a copy of the Guardian and noseyed through Damian Green’s things.
At last the Gordon Brown Shirts have gone into action.Just wait whilst these InterNazis get RIPA,The Defence of the Realm Act and the Civil Contingencies Bill in gear.
My God! Just heard Tony Benn on Radio 4 World at One about the Green affair. Never hear the old Lefty talk such common sense. Defended parliament sovereignty against police interference. BBC giving hefty support to Tories – allowing plenty of anti government comment. None of the usual promotion of the govt line. Very unusual. Perhaps they are worried they might be the next in line for arrest.
I don’t believe Gordon Brown or the Home Secretary were clueless about this arrest before it happened —if they didn’t –why not?
This arrest is meant to frighten the Opposition off –but it won’t work
Despite my dislike for Dianne Abbott, I am prepared to believe her statement on “This Week”, last night, that the police would not make such a high profile arrest without Ministerial clearance. Pudding faced Jacqui Smith denies it.
Trouble is, our Stalinist government will have been encouraged by the support it has received when persecuting public servants who speak out against the “liberal” consensus.
We live in a Police State.
What are the chances of being granted asylum by the USA?
I want out, where should I emigrate to?
Many senior politicians either have leaked or could be called to give evidence against their friends who did so. The same applies to newspaper journalists, television journalists and BBC editors – many involved in leaks or know someone who is. Nobody in the system wants to be accused next. Leaking is accepted as the way our political system works, and everyone is involved. Nobody wants to be accused next. What happened was probably just a consequence of the low quality of person that gets promoted in the police to the senior positions when political correctness takes over – they have no sense of proportion about things, they have bad judgment, they are vindictive, they like ego trips. What they think is important is what they learned on their ‘diversity training’ course. Look at all the senior Asian and black police officers who have been making notes for years with a view to claiming unfair this and that and then getting payouts. That is what they think policing is about.
Leave aside the bias, BBC News 24 was just summarising the story on the tickertape with the caption ‘Sir Normington: Whatever he said’ – surely ‘Sir David Normington’ or ‘Normington’, but ‘Sir Normington’ is the kind of stupid mistake we used to laugh at Americans for.
Newsnight – one of the few remaining UK national political news outlets.
Now, what in the world could they decide needs their full attention…?
Mumbai – rumour and misinformation
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/newsnight/markurban/2008/11/mumbai_rumour_and_misinformati.html
Yes… with a citywide bunfight – that might be a tad preoccupying – still going down, those awful 3rd world types haven’t had the decency to put in place a proper hype & spin set-up so they can blame someone else for having to make stuff up rather than sitting back and waiting until the dust settles. No, 24/7 live news demands minute by minute content, no matter what, and who may get messed up… ‘Tell us, are they pointing the gun at you? Our viewers are off to work soon and we need to know now or we’ll lose ratings’
Speaking of spinning… closer to home nothing much… except…
Gordon Brown and his wife watch X Factor! And they have written to the losers!
Ah, gotta love those priorities in that bubble.
Nick Robinson has really screwed it up now on the Damian Green affair – all he can do is trot out the Downing St. line (ie. the one Derek & Co have been running all morning) and he even manages to get that wrong.
http://cassiuswrites.blogspot.com/2008/11/ruth-turner-damian-green-and-law-which.html
I am watching the BBC daytime news at 3.30 pm Fri and they are letting the Tories have their full say on the Damian Green issue. They don’t seem to be taking the police’s side on this. They asked ‘Is it an overreaction?’ in an interview with Nick Clegg. Also, they let D Cameron and D Green have their full say.
They showed some snooper-type of individual shaming his country and his police force by taking Damian Green’s private papers into their car for a big nosey in some kind of Orwellian operation.
G Brown and J Smith said they didn’t know about it, but they did not say it was outrageous.
Incidentally, some of the Indians interviewed speak better English than the newscasters(And two of them referrred to ‘Bombay’ instead of Mumbai).
‘Evening Standard’ Londoner’s Diary:
“Is Green’s arrest revenge for Ruth Turner and co?”
[Extract]:
“FEVERISH speculation at Westminster following the arrest of shadow Immigration minister Damian Green. Some conspiracy theorists are suggesting it could be revenge for the time when key Labour figures found themselves frogmarched off by officers during the cash-for-peerages inquiry. Others have even mischievously suggested the hand of Lord Mandelson may have been involved as Green has certainly done much to spike the guns of New Labour of late.
“At the start of 2007 Downing Street political adviser Ruth Turner became the fourth person to be arrested by police investigating the cash-forpeerages allegations. All charges against her and the others involved were subsequently dropped.
“Nine counter-intelligence officers were involved in the operation against Damian Green yesterday at a time when our security services are in a heightened state of alert after the terror attacks in Mumbai.
“Green exposed the fact an illegal immigrant was working as a Commons cleaner and Home Secretary Jacqui Smith was aware 5,000 illegal workers had been granted licences to work.
“Former shadow home secretary David Davis said Green’s arrest was worthy of Robert Mugabe’s regime.”
http://londonersdiary.standard.co.uk/2008/11/is-greens-arres.html
Immigration is a public interest issue,detail should be in the common realm.So why is Zanu Labour covering up with the Official Secrets that Civil servants sign?
They do so because this is an embarrassment to Zanu Labour and that incompetent dullard Jacquie Smith.
Why didn’t the Police Officers in charge advise that this was a very shaky charge? Are they so politicised that they obey any order from their masters.
The police should remember that “I was only obeying orders”,is not a defence.
Has the BBC mentioned that some of the terrorists we born and bred in Beebland?
Even the ‘Guardian’ and Tony Benn:
“Damian Green arrest: PM accused of contempt for Parliament”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/nov/28/conservatives1
‘Spectator’:
“What Stature does the House have now?” (Fraser Nelson) –
http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/3049876/what-stature-does-the-house-have-now.thtml
Tom writes: “With 2,000 crazed jihadis on the loose, plotting to blow up our aircraft etc, you’d have thought the counter terrorism squad would have better things to do than chase a 52 year old Tory politician round the Home Counties.” Well, make that 1,993 crazed jihadis on the loose.
The Indian police have identified seven of the Islamic terrorist garbage as “British”. Thanks, Tony Blair, for your idea that mass immigration of an alien, hostile and primitive culture would make Britain more vibrant. Fortunately, the shits caught in India will be dealt with in India, which has a somewhat more robust to murder than does the British establishment, who seem to regard it as a minor inconvenience.
That photo of the train station in Bombay is absolutely heartbreaking.
I have just e-mailed my MP requesting him to call on the Leader of the House to recall Parliament immediately to debate the issues surrounding the arrest of an MP. I suggest all like minded readers should do likewise
Robinson was pumping out a government narrative with all his might today. He seems to have been shocked by the anger of the response.
Why can he not ask real questions
Who did know? Am I in danger of putting on a tinfoil-hat – because I think this has the delicate prints of Mandy all over it. Smith has ordered this via a chain of command to provide ‘plausible deniablity’ This is a genuinely foul act and worthy of Watergate style investigative journalism
BBC news department and Beeboids out there – there is the possibility of attaining a tremendous reputation, personal gain (women, men, ‘cola’ galore) and media immortality (including a Blockbuster movie “All Brown men”)that will last for decades after this government is a footnote in an economics text book (referring to “the origins of the bond driven financial collapse of 2009”)
Beeboids grasp the opportunity now, you know that you deserve immortality,- work this story – tell the public the truth about the manipulation of the media, authoritarianism and contempt of Parliament of some people in power.
hey, you may get [film star of your choice] playing you in the Hollywood Blockbuster (if you are quick)
Its been Mi5 policy for well over a decade to allow terrorists to plot attacks on other countries
What is galling about these terror attacks in Mumbai, apart from the loss of life, is that the media (especially the BBC) will use them as an excuse to ignore the Damian Green affair, which is of grave concern to every citizen of this country.
Mumbai is an important story, but I have been alarmed at the way it is suddenly being focused on much more intensely at a time which is oh so convenient for Gordon Brown.
British connection to the Mumbai attacks would be no surprise:
“If it turns out that British citizens were involved, MI5 will at least hope that they have had their suspicions about them otherwise this would mean they are entirely ‘off radar.
However, if the security service did know about them the question will then arise as to whether any information about them was handed over to the Pakistanis and, if so, whether it was acted upon.
More to the point, if a British connection is confirmed, everyone will wonder why Scotland Yard’s counter-terroism command has the time to arrest and question a Tory MP for embarrassing the government over immigration when its principal task is tracking those who are a real risk to the security of this nation and of others.”
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/philip_johnston/blog/2008/11/28/british_connection_to_the_mumbai_attacks_would_be_no_surprise
.
Why would ANY Brit or American in their right mind want to make even a passing visit to these stinking muslim countries where these savages live?
I wouldn’t even take a dump over them.
Nick Robinson has changed his position as a result of the comments on his blog earlier today. I think he has detected a genuine feeling which he was oblivious to earlier (for obvious reasons, perhaps).
I also think there is a more important duty here which affects us all:
http://cassiuswrites.blogspot.com/2008/11/honouring-lenthalls-legacy-challenge-to.html