Reid "Deplores Leaks"
Guido wonders how John Reid's media advisers managed to keep a straight face issuing that statement yesterday. Perhaps the police looking into the source of the leak should start here?
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38 comments:
Wot, no Ruth Turner?
Sir,
As I have said elsewhere, there is an issue of Treason here.
It is my understanding that whoever released this information has acted in such a way as to impede the constabulary's investigation and arrest of a terrorist gang. This gang aimed to commit an act of war and thereby treason, through their intention to capture and kill a member of Her Majesty's armed forces within our country. Treason, Sir, involves 'levying war against the Sovereign in the United Kingdom'.
The intentions of the person or person(s) who released the information should be investigated. Treason is a most serious offence and anyone who is shown to have impeded the police during such investigations should be arrested forthwith. The charges faced should reflect the nature of the investigations that were undermined. I am sure the various Treason Acts include such contingencies.
Surely John Reid is within his rights to have a few camera crews waiting when the police arrive in the early morning to arrest terror cells.
Looked at the link to Home Office,
So many names, so many direct lines and no doubt numerous un-registered pay as you go throw away mobiles.
NuLab have for the last 10 years conducted government by press release, they have been criticised by the speaker for this.
So nothing wrong with a leak or two, it makes the government look good.
An ex-alcho like Reid won't countenance an inquiry, after-all, he can't remember making the calls and what phone was that copper, prove it.
Two or three weeks time he'll also have forgotten which bits of the Home Office are still his responsibility....
Two or three months time he'll probably still think he's a minister........
Two or three years time he'll probably think he's still an MP for a Scottish constituency.
ROCK ON JOHN.
Sir,
The 1848 Treason Felony Act includes a provision for Transportation for anyone proved to be complicit in facilitating, in any way whatsoever, an Act of Treason.
'... to levy war against her Majesty, ...within any part of the United Kingdom, in order by force ... such compassings, imaginations, inventions, devices, or intentions, or any of them, shall express, utter, or declare, by publishing any printing or writing, ...or by any overt act or deed, every person so offending shall be guilty of felony, and being convicted thereof shall be liable, ...to be transported beyond the seas for the term of his or her natural life.'
Let us now see where this investigation leads.
SPAD = Stupid Pratt's A Danger...
Guido,
Anything you could do to investigate using your sources?
You'd be doing our nation a great service - for a paddy ;-)
Accusing the home office of leaking this information is like accusing a fish of being wet.
Save money on a leak investigation by merely getting the list of Home office press officers from the web and arrest the lot of them....and then whoever ordered the leak. I'd suggest starting with a known repeat-offender with lots of form who goes by the name of "Dr" Reid....
not a smear but a statement of objective fact...
Please, please can we hope that this story sees the light of day before the elections...
Sharks are circling - I sense blood in the water on this one...
Are the BBC and the press in the habit of acting on anonymous tip-off's of terror raids? If not, then surely they know themselves who their source(s) were?
It seems to me the BBC (and others) are speculating on who leaked when actually they know full well who did it.
As far as I recall, the counter-terrorism raids in Birmingham, particularly mentioned as having been hampered by press leaks, were on the same day that it was announced Blair had been interviewed again in the cash-for-honours enquiry.
Might someone have thought that a bit of news management was required, to take the heat off the PM?
Can I conclude that a good place to start looking for a leaker is the No 10 Press Office?
mitch - good point, but I'm not sure that the BBC got much of a look-in on this.
Whoever leaked would know that with the Beeb's commitment to impartiality [sic] there wouldn't have been much in the way of 'quid pro quo' from the supply of this information. Whereas newspapers rely on this oxygen of information from 'friends of' top politicians / civil servants and the like.
But I agree with the gist of your point - someone knows who leaked the information, and they could start giving clues about it in a 'David Kelly' style. After all, 'what goes, is sauce for the gander' [have I got that right?]..
ASK FIONA MCTAGGART...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/03_march/13/real.shtml
http://www.fionamactaggart.labour.co.uk/
What did she know ?
When did she know it ?
Who did she tell ?
http://www.downingstreetsays.org/archives/000740.html
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/fiona_mactaggart/slough
Downing Street maybe or Bates of Great Smith St? Difficult one.
Maybe just maybe the police have been mightily pissed of by all the anti yates briefing and have been emboldened to start sniffing around for some other new labour scum to lock up.
Surely the marvelous Norman Baker could make a formal complaint and set off an investigation ?
The problem is that the police are implicated [albeit at a lower level].
They are always taking massive amounts of stick for being crap at dealing with petty crime [entirely justified] although they do have a lot of bureaucratic red tape to strangle them with.
So it is hardly going to be unhelpful to them to be seen catching the baddies before they are able to commit the crime, in a rather sexy 'Minority Report' way.
I can see Reid's area spinning that line to try and get them out of the shit on this; or at least stop it from hitting the fan too much..
But it looks as though the Guardian knows who was involved - and if they were willing to 'publish and be damned' over 'Cash For Honours' then to be consistent they should do the same here.
Steve Bates. Can't prove it of course.
Mr Bull, Sir, given your extensive knowledge of the treason laws, is there any chance of Bliar being charged with this offence? He lied to parliament and caused falacious claims over yellow cake to be published, knowing full well that the Italian documents were forgeries. Isn't this a case of a scurrelous and deceitful personage making war against the sovereign in said sovereign's name, and all to take this country into an illegal war at the behest of a foreign power? As far as the terrorists go, I thought the police took video cameras with them these days. But I'm basing that judgement on the amount of footage on TV.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/
The complicity of the BBC in this process is strongly hinted at here.
Although, of course, 'everyone else was doing it'. So that's alright then...
Mr Provocateur 1:21
Sir,
There are several Treason Acts with which I am familiar. I will give the matters you raise some consideration. Interestingly, the 1351 Act explicitly prohibits anyone from killing the monarch's Chancellor. I should say, Sir, that this in part explains the current incumbent's cocksure attitude?
My dear Bull,
Does the 1351 Act refer to the Lord Chancellor to or the Chancellor of the Exchequer? From your use of the adjective "cock sure", one must assume it is the latter.
the 1351 Act explicitly prohibits anyone from killing the monarch's Chancellor.
Obviously the Lord Chancellor - it is the oldest political office...and represented The Crown at the apex of the Judiciary and Parliament and was an Ecclesiastical appointment until The Reformation
Mr Stranger 2:11
Sir,
The 1351 Act is unambiguous on this point, as it refers specifically to the 'Chancellor'. It is rather less clear about the nature of the offence that might have been committed, using the word 'slea' which has become understood to mean 'slay' but might have had an alternative meaning in the language of the day. It could, for example, be the root word from which the term 'sleazy' has evolved.
I've had him...
in the back of my jeep
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/media/story/0,,2066225,00.html
Straw rejects calls for inquiry into anti-terror leaks | Special Reports | Guardian Unlimited Politics
Why doesn't the BBC just go to their reporters who covered the raids and say "who rang and told you about this?"
It's got nothing to do with protecting sources. Then at least they would know rather than continuing this charade.
Anyway, a SpAd isn't worth protecting. They come and go.
Mr Reid, never mind examining your stern and fannying around over little leaks like this - start worrying about the fact that you've steered HMS Nulab straight into an iceberg called the Iraq War, there's a fucking great hole at the bow, and there's nothing you can now do to avoid being filled with the chilling sea-waters of Terror Ocean (which you chose to navigate) and sunk without trace.
The Hitch said...
Mary formally known as "the hitch" will be unveiling a new range of lingerie for his fellow fat fairies over on her new web site, all gay posters and their special friends will be welcome."Mary" will be accompanied by "her" special friend "Verity" (now posting over on Iain Dales') formally known as Bruce.
Everyone knows that those employed or part of the NuLab government have no principles or sense of decency whatever - there is nothing they won't do or say if it is convenient to them at the time.
Sweeping statement perhaps?
Not really - remember Jo Moore and "A good day to bury bad news" whilst watching the Twin Towers fall;
Liar Byers' assistant whilst discussing the Railtrack seizure without compensating the shareholders "Who cares if a group of grannies lose their blouses? It's the Americans we have to worry about";
Then there's Tom Kelly, from the No.10 Press Office (later promoted I believe), making a "twirly, looney" gesture whilst speaking about Dr. David Kelly, just before Dr. Kelly was found dead.
The important thing to remember is - none of these people were reprimanded for being so disgusting - UNTIL it all became public, then they couldn't apologise enough............
if it weren't master bates i'll eat my hat
Home Office press office has 49 different people to contact.So much choice.
What the Home Office meant to say was'We deplore unauthorised leaks.'
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