"libertaerian alliance"
The great ‘cover-up’ and Labour’s closing of ranks is under way with
a vengeance. Firstly they are curtailing Monday’s debate to make
sure that Labour MPs can dominate, [Will the Speaker take the chair,
I wonder ?] Secondly they are holding it on a Monday when many MPs
are getting back from their constituencies. Then they are stifling
the promised inquiry by senior MPs before it starts on the totally
spurious grounds that the police should finish their inquiries
first. The police, whose very conduct will form part of the
inquiry, will drag it out for ever. The police have lied and
contradicted themselves time and again and as the Labour MP, Winnick,
demanded they should be brought to the bar of the house to answer for
their conduct.
But a barrage of Labour MPs are making weasel words about the
integrity of the civil service when their own leader got to power by
exploiting leak after leak mercilessly. the BBC Today programme,
long seen as a part of NewLabour is giving every possible assistance.
In the background is Mandelson, twice sacked for misconduct and
illegal actions, making hypocritical smears. The man is evil and how
he has got himself back into power, with a peerage thrown in, needs
its own investigation. Nothing this government does is done
properly; nothing works and no moral principles intrude in their policy.
Cxxxxxxxxxxxxx s
=========================
BBC ONLINE 4.12.08
Concerns over Speaker's inquiry
MPs have raised concerns about Commons Speaker Michael Martin's
inquiry into how police were able to raid an MP's office and seize
equipment.
On Wednesday Mr Martin pledged a "speedy and immediate" inquiry but
it has now emerged it may not begin until after the police leak
inquiry ends.
"It might not meet for months," shadow commons leader Theresa May
told MPs.
Commons leader Harriet Harman said it would not be "wise" to set up a
probe while police inquiries continue. [Sweep it under the carpet
time -cs]
Meanwhile Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has been giving a statement to
MPs on the arrest of shadow immigration minister Damian Green and the
search of his Parliamentary offices.
She has reiterated that she did not know the arrest of an MP was
pending and if she had, it would have been "wholly inappropriate" to
get involved.
But she was attacked by her Tory shadow Dominic Grieve who said that
was "utterly flawed" and asked her: "Who is in charge of the police,
if she isn't?"
Mr Martin is coming under growing pressure after he admitted on
Wednesday that police who raided Mr Green's office did not have a
warrant.
'No resemblance'
He pledged a "speedy" inquiry by a committee of MPs into what went
wrong which he said would report back "as soon as possible".
The issue dominated business questions at the Commons on Thursday
with the Conservatives saying the government's suggested inquiry bore
"no resemblance" to plans outlined by the Speaker. Lib Dem MP David
Heath said the government was "taking the micky".
Ms May said a government motion setting up the committee suggested it
would only begin work after any police inquiry was concluded and any
criminal charges completed.
I have no confidence in the Speaker's willingness or ability to
defend Parliament or me as an MP, so that I can defend the interests
of my constituents
"In other words it might not meet for months," she told MPs.
She also said an instruction that it would reflect the political
balance of the Commons was wrong as it meant it would be "dominated
by the government".
She also asked if other MPs' e-mails and files may have been searched
when police accessed the Parliamentary server during the raid on Mr
Green's office.
In response Ms Harman said the terms of the motion were "amendable"
but added: "I don't think it's wise to set up a concurrent
investigation when there's a police investigation underway."
'Whole House approach'
She said she wanted any debate to keep in mind four principles - to
protect MPs in doing their job, to remember MPs were not above the
law, to support the independence of the police and to support the
neutrality of the civil service.
She was met with cries of "cover up" and "rubbish" from some MPs as
she said it was important to get the balance right and support those
principles.
"What we need is a cross party, whole House approach on these issues
and not a party political divide," Ms Harman said.
Harriet Harman: "It's not my responsibility to choose the Speaker"
The Speaker has said there will be a debate on the issues around Mr
Green's arrest next Monday.
But the Conservatives say at three hours, it is not long enough and
there should be a full day's debate.
Some MPs have openly called for him to go and Ms Harman refused to
say on the BBC's Newsnight that she had confidence in him.
But housing minister Margaret Beckett told the BBC that she thought
Mr Martin had shown "dignity" in his statement.
(-------- already reported)
After the news broke last week that four addresses had been raided,
Scotland Yard said it had had warrants for all of them.
But, shortly before the Speaker's statement, acting Metropolitan
Police commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson revised the detail, saying
just three warrants had been issued, while the Commons search had
been "consensual".
When asked about this, a Scotland Yard spokesman said there had been
"no deliberate attempt to mislead". [Pull the other one! -cs]
Mr Green was held on suspicion of conspiring to commit misconduct in
public office and on suspicion of aiding and abetting misconduct in
public office. The MP denies any wrongdoing.
=====================
POLITICS HOME 3.12.08
Comments on Police Scandal
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
May critical of debate motion
Ms Theresa May - shadow commons leader - said that the government
motion for Monday’s debate on the Damian Green affair bears no
resemblance to the statement made by the Speaker yesterday.
“The government motion bears no resemblance to the statement of the
Speaker. Typically the government is curtailing the debate to three
hours. We should have a full day’s debate.
“At the heart of this lies the ability of members of the House to do
their job.”
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Smith: Leaks "drive a horse and cart" though Civil Service code
In a statement to the Commons, The Home Secretary warned that any
“systematic leaking” of by civil servants "drives a horse and cart"
through the civil service code. [But Gordon Brown got where he is by
systematicvally using leaks to embarrass the last Tory goverrn ment -
this is Utter Hypocrisy -cs]
“I whole-heartedly support the right of every honourable member to do
their job to hold the government to account and to make information
that is in the public interest.
“But the systematic leak of government information raises issues that
strike at the very heart of our system of government such activity is
not about merely creating political embarrassment for myself or any
other minister, such activities threaten the respect role of the
civil service in supporting our democracy,” she said.
She also said that no member of the government had prior knowledge
about the arrest of Damian Green.
“Neither I nor any government minister knew until after the arrest
that he or any other honourable member was the subject of a police
investigation,” she said.
She added: “Even if I had been informed I believe it would have been
wholly inappropriate for me to seek to intervene in the operational
decisions being taken by the police."
------------------------------------
Grieve responds to Smith Commons statement
In his response to Jacqui Smith's statement to the House on the
Damian Green affair Mr Grieve again said that there is no evidence of
their being a national security angle and questioned the Home
Secretary's knowledge of the circumstances leading up to the arrest.
“The issues at stake are indeed very serious. Heavy handed and
incompetent at best, at worst an unheralded assault on our democracy.
“This has nothing to do with national security. There is not the
slightest evidence of this. Her Majesty’s opposition believes in the
Official Secrets Act as much as the government - despite attempts of
government spokesmen to smear and spin to the contrary.
“It had nothing to do with national security, everything to do with
political embarrassment.
“Does the Home Secretary regret her willful ignorance in this affair?
Who is in charge of the police if she isn’t?”
a vengeance. Firstly they are curtailing Monday’s debate to make
sure that Labour MPs can dominate, [Will the Speaker take the chair,
I wonder ?] Secondly they are holding it on a Monday when many MPs
are getting back from their constituencies. Then they are stifling
the promised inquiry by senior MPs before it starts on the totally
spurious grounds that the police should finish their inquiries
first. The police, whose very conduct will form part of the
inquiry, will drag it out for ever. The police have lied and
contradicted themselves time and again and as the Labour MP, Winnick,
demanded they should be brought to the bar of the house to answer for
their conduct.
But a barrage of Labour MPs are making weasel words about the
integrity of the civil service when their own leader got to power by
exploiting leak after leak mercilessly. the BBC Today programme,
long seen as a part of NewLabour is giving every possible assistance.
In the background is Mandelson, twice sacked for misconduct and
illegal actions, making hypocritical smears. The man is evil and how
he has got himself back into power, with a peerage thrown in, needs
its own investigation. Nothing this government does is done
properly; nothing works and no moral principles intrude in their policy.
Cxxxxxxxxxxxxx s
=========================
BBC ONLINE 4.12.08
Concerns over Speaker's inquiry
MPs have raised concerns about Commons Speaker Michael Martin's
inquiry into how police were able to raid an MP's office and seize
equipment.
On Wednesday Mr Martin pledged a "speedy and immediate" inquiry but
it has now emerged it may not begin until after the police leak
inquiry ends.
"It might not meet for months," shadow commons leader Theresa May
told MPs.
Commons leader Harriet Harman said it would not be "wise" to set up a
probe while police inquiries continue. [Sweep it under the carpet
time -cs]
Meanwhile Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has been giving a statement to
MPs on the arrest of shadow immigration minister Damian Green and the
search of his Parliamentary offices.
She has reiterated that she did not know the arrest of an MP was
pending and if she had, it would have been "wholly inappropriate" to
get involved.
But she was attacked by her Tory shadow Dominic Grieve who said that
was "utterly flawed" and asked her: "Who is in charge of the police,
if she isn't?"
Mr Martin is coming under growing pressure after he admitted on
Wednesday that police who raided Mr Green's office did not have a
warrant.
'No resemblance'
He pledged a "speedy" inquiry by a committee of MPs into what went
wrong which he said would report back "as soon as possible".
The issue dominated business questions at the Commons on Thursday
with the Conservatives saying the government's suggested inquiry bore
"no resemblance" to plans outlined by the Speaker. Lib Dem MP David
Heath said the government was "taking the micky".
Ms May said a government motion setting up the committee suggested it
would only begin work after any police inquiry was concluded and any
criminal charges completed.
I have no confidence in the Speaker's willingness or ability to
defend Parliament or me as an MP, so that I can defend the interests
of my constituents
"In other words it might not meet for months," she told MPs.
She also said an instruction that it would reflect the political
balance of the Commons was wrong as it meant it would be "dominated
by the government".
She also asked if other MPs' e-mails and files may have been searched
when police accessed the Parliamentary server during the raid on Mr
Green's office.
In response Ms Harman said the terms of the motion were "amendable"
but added: "I don't think it's wise to set up a concurrent
investigation when there's a police investigation underway."
'Whole House approach'
She said she wanted any debate to keep in mind four principles - to
protect MPs in doing their job, to remember MPs were not above the
law, to support the independence of the police and to support the
neutrality of the civil service.
She was met with cries of "cover up" and "rubbish" from some MPs as
she said it was important to get the balance right and support those
principles.
"What we need is a cross party, whole House approach on these issues
and not a party political divide," Ms Harman said.
Harriet Harman: "It's not my responsibility to choose the Speaker"
The Speaker has said there will be a debate on the issues around Mr
Green's arrest next Monday.
But the Conservatives say at three hours, it is not long enough and
there should be a full day's debate.
Some MPs have openly called for him to go and Ms Harman refused to
say on the BBC's Newsnight that she had confidence in him.
But housing minister Margaret Beckett told the BBC that she thought
Mr Martin had shown "dignity" in his statement.
(-------- already reported)
After the news broke last week that four addresses had been raided,
Scotland Yard said it had had warrants for all of them.
But, shortly before the Speaker's statement, acting Metropolitan
Police commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson revised the detail, saying
just three warrants had been issued, while the Commons search had
been "consensual".
When asked about this, a Scotland Yard spokesman said there had been
"no deliberate attempt to mislead". [Pull the other one! -cs]
Mr Green was held on suspicion of conspiring to commit misconduct in
public office and on suspicion of aiding and abetting misconduct in
public office. The MP denies any wrongdoing.
=====================
POLITICS HOME 3.12.08
Comments on Police Scandal
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
May critical of debate motion
Ms Theresa May - shadow commons leader - said that the government
motion for Monday’s debate on the Damian Green affair bears no
resemblance to the statement made by the Speaker yesterday.
“The government motion bears no resemblance to the statement of the
Speaker. Typically the government is curtailing the debate to three
hours. We should have a full day’s debate.
“At the heart of this lies the ability of members of the House to do
their job.”
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Smith: Leaks "drive a horse and cart" though Civil Service code
In a statement to the Commons, The Home Secretary warned that any
“systematic leaking” of by civil servants "drives a horse and cart"
through the civil service code. [But Gordon Brown got where he is by
systematicvally using leaks to embarrass the last Tory goverrn ment -
this is Utter Hypocrisy -cs]
“I whole-heartedly support the right of every honourable member to do
their job to hold the government to account and to make information
that is in the public interest.
“But the systematic leak of government information raises issues that
strike at the very heart of our system of government such activity is
not about merely creating political embarrassment for myself or any
other minister, such activities threaten the respect role of the
civil service in supporting our democracy,” she said.
She also said that no member of the government had prior knowledge
about the arrest of Damian Green.
“Neither I nor any government minister knew until after the arrest
that he or any other honourable member was the subject of a police
investigation,” she said.
She added: “Even if I had been informed I believe it would have been
wholly inappropriate for me to seek to intervene in the operational
decisions being taken by the police."
------------------------------------
Grieve responds to Smith Commons statement
In his response to Jacqui Smith's statement to the House on the
Damian Green affair Mr Grieve again said that there is no evidence of
their being a national security angle and questioned the Home
Secretary's knowledge of the circumstances leading up to the arrest.
“The issues at stake are indeed very serious. Heavy handed and
incompetent at best, at worst an unheralded assault on our democracy.
“This has nothing to do with national security. There is not the
slightest evidence of this. Her Majesty’s opposition believes in the
Official Secrets Act as much as the government - despite attempts of
government spokesmen to smear and spin to the contrary.
“It had nothing to do with national security, everything to do with
political embarrassment.
“Does the Home Secretary regret her willful ignorance in this affair?
Who is in charge of the police if she isn’t?”
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