#2 tory mps interviewing a tory mp

[changing-my-username]

The channel will be Ofcom the air at this rate.

[helions-lighthouse]

Keith Olbermann has a line that he often comes back to, that democracy survives more thanks to the incompetence of those who oppose it, than the efforts of those who defend it.

I find myself forcefully reminded of this today, watching the absolute clownshow that has been the start of the UK General Election campaign (with the election set for 4th July - not historically the best of days for overly forceful British governments).

First there was last night, starting with the announcement speech which was a glorious fucking disaster for Sunak(to such an extent that even the americans noticed), and then continuing with his first campaign event, largely overshadowed by the spectacle of the journalist from Sky News being physically thrown out of the entire building. Meanwhile, the right-wing news were reporting that Tory MPs were so furious with Sunak having called the election that they were actively plotting to remove him and call the whole thing off.

And then... today. Oh dear gods.

They really are so, incredibly bad at this.

They started with an interview on radio 4 where Sunak was his normal condescending, tetchy self, snapping at challenge and talking patent bollocks. Not great, but what is more or less expected from him at this point.

Then the clangers started dropping: 1) While talking on about pharmacies at a campaign event in derby, Sunak had the line "so erm… I don't know but maybe if any of you have small children or an earache, erm…" which was so surreal and clippable as these guys in high-vis looked on.

2)After that event the high-vis clad bloke who had asked a fairly friendly question of Sunak was talking to a journalist, and all but put up his hand to say "yeah, I'm the local tory councillor, party HQ asked me to be here and gave me the question" - translation: "hi yeah, I was a plant, that was all staged".

3) At a second campaign event, this one at a brewery in Wales, Sunak (a teetotaler) excitedly asked if all of these brewery workers were looking forwards to "watching all this football" - stone silence, and then one of them quietly saying "Prime Minister, Wales didn't qualify for the Euros"

^ Prime Minister Sunak, finding every last rake to step on that he can seemingly find.

Not to be entirely outdone, ReformUK (the real far-right) jumped on in, with one of their campaign accounts on twitter saying how ready they were for the general election on the 6th of July.

Now... if they'd said the 3th or the 5th, I could let it pass, those are atleast next to 4 on the keyboard - but erm... 6 isn't.

These people are absolute clownshoes. They really are. :P

[hymnostic]

watching louis theroux interviews bear grylls and my god what a weird fucking man. eats 2 steaks a day. has his own private island. went to eton and his dad was a tory mp. very disappointing to childhood me

[delhinewsinenglish]

UK PM Rishi Sunak declines to rule out July election amid MP defection

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Sunday refused to categorically rule out a July general election amid a damaging defection by one of his Conservative Party MPs to the Opposition Labour Party, just days before local and mayoral elections in the country on May 2.

Dan Poulter, a doctor and Central Suffolk and North Ipswich member of Parliament said he will switch his allegiance to the Opposition benches before standing down as a parliamentarian at the next election because he can no longer defend the Tory government's track record on the National Health Service (NHS).

Against the backdrop of this latest embarrassment, Sunak was asked during a ‘Sky News' interview that his repeated assertion of a general election in the "second half of this year" could also mean July.

"When it comes to a general election, I've been very clear about that multiple times, and again, I'm not going to say anything more than I've already said, I've been very clear about that," said Sunak, who was then pressed five times to rule out an election during what would be a peak summer month for the UK.

"You're going to try and draw whatever conclusion you want from what I say. I'm going to always try and say the same thing. You should just listen to what I said, [the] same thing I've said all year,” he replied.

On the state-funded NHS, Sunak pointed to a drop in the waiting times for patients seeking treatment and pointed to some of his other successes as Prime Minister, such as bringing down inflation, hiking the defence budget and getting the Safety of Rwanda Bill passed through Parliament to start deporting illegal migrants to the east African country from later this year.

"And when the election comes, there'll be a clear choice because the Labour Party has tried to frustrate our Rwanda bill because they don't believe in stopping the boats; their economic plan will put people's taxes up. They haven't said that they will invest more in our defence, and they certainly don't agree with reforming our welfare system to support people into work," said Sunak.

He, however, admitted that “local elections are always difficult for incumbent parties” as the voting patterns on Thursday are widely seen as a precursor to what can be expected from a general election – which legally must take place by January 2025 at the latest.

Meanwhile, some UK media reports suggest that keeping the threat of a summer election on the table – earlier than the expected October/November timeline – is being used as a tactic by Downing Street to deter any internal party rebellion against Sunak's leadership in the wake of potentially disastrous local poll results later this week.

With the governing Tories being forecast for a general election wipe-out by most opinion polls, an early election would not be the preferred timing for most sitting Conservative MPs hoping to save their seats.

Source Link : UK PM Rishi Sunak declines to rule out July election amid MP defection

[simonlegend]

Personally, 2023 is looking up.

There is so much to be concerned about. The fightback by the unions is meeting resistance from the govt, but the public, who largely know the score and scoff at what the media feeds them, are still supportive of industrial action. The ongoing energy crisis bites hard, but thankfully January has been wet and mild here. My teeth haven’t chattered once. The govt, under Sunak are still unpopular, and come the next GE, a significant number of safe Tory seats will be made marginal, while marginal Tory seats could easily see the removal of 130 sitting Tory MPs, should the govt be compelled to go to the nation. In truth, they’ll take this parliament full term, but I digress.

In 2020, deep into lockdown, and before the Furlough scheme was extended, my employer made me redundant. I have learned since, this was inevitable Covid or no Covid. After 25 years of service I lived on my redundancy money, hoping that a new opportunity would arise. When my finances fell below the threshold, I reluctantly claimed for Universal Credit, and going into 2022, I was jobless and thoroughly depressed. Things began to look up when I was invited to interview for a position in the NHS. What I was not prepared for was the drawn out recruiting process after I received my conditional offer. Gathering references proved to be tricky, while dealing with people still working from home. There are many reasons why, which I won’t go into here, but days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months and progress was glacial.

Right at the point I had convinced myself all was lost, and was about to look elsewhere, I got notification that my conditional offer had turned formal, and I should arrange a start date with my new line manager. Tracking him down for a conversation also took weeks, and eventually I had to arrange a start date with HR acting as go-between.

So the upshot is that I start my new job this coming Monday. I still find it hard to believe that I’m once again going to work after nearly 3 years of inactivity, and 2 and a half years of unemployment. It’s been a strange time. 

I go into a situation where they are crying out for staff across the board. I have a feeling I’ll be hitting the ground running, and I hope I can meet their expectations. It’s not a caregiving role, but I believe the department I’m joining is vital for the smooth running of the hospital.

Anyway, I’m just grateful that this opportunity has finally come my way, and I can earn a living wage again. 

[irvinenewshq]

Boris Johnson pulls out of race to be chief of UKs Conservative Get together and subsequent prime minister

CNN  —  UK former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pulled out of the competition to develop into the following Conservative Get together chief and subsequently the following prime minister, Britain’s PA Media information company reported Sunday. Johnson claimed to have garnered the assist of 100 MPs – the minimal quantity required to clear the edge to look on the poll for the Conservative Get together membership – however declined to run, saying “this might merely not be the correct factor to do” as “you possibly can’t govern successfully until you’ve gotten a united get together in Parliament,” in keeping with PA. His announcement comes after Britain’s former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak formally entered the race to guide the Conservative Get together, his second try on the place this 12 months. Sunak has already collected the required 100 nominations from Tory get together members with a purpose to run. Sunak had tried to develop into chief throughout the summer season following the resignation of Johnson, however misplaced to Liz Truss who stepped down on Thursday. A runoff between the 2 males may have proved divisive for the ruling Conservative get together, not least as a result of lots of Johnson’s supporters blame Sunak’s resignation in July for sparking the downfall of his authorities. The Conservatives, in energy for 12 years, are at present engulfed in turmoil following the resignations of each Johnson and Truss. The attainable return of Johnson to the highest job had cut up opinions throughout the Conservative Get together, with many lawmakers horrified on the prospect of a second Johnson premiership. He resigned in July following a collection of scandals. The previous PM is predicted to look within the subsequent few weeks earlier than the Commons Privileges Committee which is investigating whether or not he misled Parliament over the events, which may probably see him suspended or expelled as an MP. Sunak declared on Sunday morning that he can be standing within the contest. In a tweet, he wrote, “The UK is a superb nation however we face a profound financial disaster. That’s why I’m standing to be Chief of the Conservative Get together and your subsequent Prime Minister. I wish to repair our financial system, unite our Get together and ship for our nation.” Sunak might be up towards Chief of the Home of Commons Penny Mordaunt, who stated Sunday she regretted the so-called “mini finances” that led to financial turmoil in Britain and the resignation of Truss. “I very a lot remorse the mini-budget … I raised issues even earlier than I used to be in cupboard,” Mordant informed the BBC in a Sunday interview, including there have been particulars in regards to the finances “the cupboard was not conscious of.” The final time the Conservatives held a management race – following the demise of Johnson’s authorities – Truss got here first, Sunak second and Mordaunt third. Graham Brady, the Conservative official answerable for the method, has stated any candidate should obtain at the very least 100 nominations from the get together’s MPs by 2 p.m. native time Monday. Truss resigned on Thursday, simply six weeks into her disastrous time period that pitched Britain deep into political and financial turmoil. Her successor would be the fifth PM to guide the nation because it voted for Brexit in 2016. Keir Starmer, chief of the primary opposition Labour Get together, renewed requires a normal election on Sunday, after claiming individuals are “fed as much as the again enamel” with the Conservative management and the results of their authorities’s selections. “There’s a option to be made. We want a normal election! Let the general public into resolve… Do they wish to proceed with this utter chaos, or do they need stability underneath a Labour authorities?” Starmer requested throughout a BBC interview. Originally published at Irvine News HQ

[melbournenewsvine]

Joe Biden calls Truss tax cuts mistake as Bank of England warns of higher interest rates

Truss was struggling to keep her job on Saturday after her economic growth plan, which included dumping plans to reverse high corporate tax rates, was torn apart on Friday. Having taken office just 40 days ago, Truss fired his adviser and close political ally Kwasi Quarting after the pound collapsed to record lows against the US dollar and British bonds plummeted in response to an energy package worth tens of billions of pounds and sterling. 45 billion ($81 billion) in debt-financed tax cuts. Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey.attributed to him:Bloomberg She pitched her faction rival, Jeremy Hunt, as the government tries to reassure jittery markets with its plans to control debt. Hunt is reportedly preparing to delay the income tax cut, in which the base rate will be reduced from 20 percent to 19 percent starting in April 2023. In a series of interviews, Hunt announced that he would slow down Truss’ tax cuts and “some taxes will go up.” Borrowing costs from the British government last week reached a 20-year high, with 20- and 30-year gold bond yields hitting their highest levels since 2002 at 5.195 per cent and 5.1 per cent respectively. Bailey said the bank will not take any action on interest rates until after the new fiscal plan is announced, describing it as the “correct sequence” of action, adding: “We will know the full scope of fiscal policy by then.” loading But he said officials “will not hesitate to raise interest rates to meet the inflation target” of 2 percent. The warning came just weeks after the bank raised interest rates by 0.5 percentage point to 2.25 percent on September 22. Prior to Bailey’s comments, markets had been expecting a rise of between 0.75 percent and 1 percent when the bank’s monetary policy committee takes its next interest rate decision in November. Bailey said the government’s fiscal policy had been followed by “some aggressive moves in the last few weeks” in UK markets, leading to the decision to launch a £65bn bond-buying scheme amid “material risks” to UK stability and the pension markets. Kwarteng, who was summoned back to London from the International Monetary Fund’s annual meeting in Washington on Thursday to fire him, reportedly told colleagues that Truss’ actions only cost her “a few more weeks”. He held the position for only 38 days, making him the second shortest chancellor in British history. The Secretary of the Treasury, Jeremy Hunt, has announced that he will be reversing many of the tax cuts he announced under Liz Truss. attributed to him:Getty Images times “His view is that the carriages are still going around,” a source reported, with senior Downing Street officials believing it was only a matter of time before she was forced out of her position. “Senior civil servants are now talking openly about her departure,” a government source told the newspaper. “They think she got it.” Supporters of Truss’ challenger for leadership in the summer ballot, Rishi Sunak, believe their man could be in Downing Street within months if a sufficient mass of Tory MPs could persuade the 1922 committee to tell the prime minister her time was up. Speaking to reporters Saturday at an ice cream parlor in Oregon where he threw his support behind a Democrat in the governor’s race, Biden defended the US economy, saying it was “strong as hell.” “I worry about the rest of the world,” he added. “The problem is the lack of economic growth and sound policy in other countries.” “It’s global inflation, it’s dependency,” Biden said. with AP Source link Originally published at Melbourne News Vine

[yelena-bellova]

not to kepp going on about this but the sun is not reliable in the wikipedia page for it and well its very long. The scun supported Thatcher (well done guy who vandalised the statue of her hers that was made of- I remember when she died there was celebrations and many a "ding dong the wicked witch is dead"); said this about the AIDS epedemic "US Blood Plague Kills Three in Britain". and "On 17 November 1989, The Sun headlined a page 2 news story titled "STRAIGHT SEX CANNOT GIVE YOU AIDS – OFFICIAL." they did apologise for their stance after being reprimanded so like ehh; the Hillsborough football stadium disaster, in which 97 people died as a result of their injuries, proved to be, as the paper later admitted, the "most terrible" blunder in its history. days after the accident, editor Kelvin MacKenzie published an editorial which accused people of "scapegoating" the police, saying that the disaster occurred "because thousands of fans, many without tickets tried to get into the ground just before kick-off – either by forcing their way in or by blackmailing the police into opening the gates". The next day, under a front-page headline "The Truth", the paper falsely accused Liverpool fans of theft and of urinating on and attacking police officers and emergency services. Conservative (republican) Member of Parliament Irvine Patnick was quoted as claiming that a group of Liverpool supporters told a police officer that they would have sex with a dead female victim. MacKenzie maintained for years that his "only mistake was to believe a Tory MP".In 1993, he told a House of Commons committee, "I regret Hillsborough. It was a fundamental mistake. The mistake was I believed what an MP said", but privately said at a 2006 dinner that he had only apologised under the instruction of Rupert Murdoch, believing: "all I did wrong was tell the truth ... I was not sorry then and I'm not sorry now".

because it is a lot and my eyes glazed over a bit and itchy hayfever eyes took precedent

1.3 Thatcher years

1.3.1 Changes

1.3.2 Falklands War

1.3.3 The Sun and the Labour Party

1.3.4 Murdoch's response

1.3.5 "Freddie Starr Ate My Hamster"

1.3.6 Elton John and other celebrities

1.3.7 Birmingham Six

1.3.8 AIDS

1.3.9 Hillsborough disaster and its aftermath

1.3.9.1 Later repercussions and apologies

1.4 1990s Support for New Labour

1.5 Editorial and production issues in the 2000s 2009: The Sun returns to the Conservatives

1.6 Since 2010

1.6.1 Fallout from the News of the World scandal

1.6.2 World Cup 2014 free issue

1.6.3 Collapse of Tulisa's trial for drug offences

1.6.4 Trial of staff for misconduct in a public office

1.6.5 End of the Page 3 feature (January 2015)

1.6.6 Accusations of xenophobia

1.6.7 Brexit

1.6.8 Website redesign

1.6.9 Sexualising young actress

1.6.10 Ben Stokes and Gareth Thomas

1.6.11 2019 Conservative leadership election

1.6.12 Deprecation by Wikipedia (voted by Wikipedia users as unreliable in 2019)

1.6.13 Far-right conspiracy incident

1.6.14 Caroline Flack

1.6.15 J. K. Rowling i remember the JK one it was so trash they interviewed her abusive ex husband and the headline was something like "I slapped her and I'm not sorry" and I know we don't like her Terfiness but still

1.6.16 Christmas Party during pandemic

and I am sure there will be more to follow

so like AH supporters do a bit of research use your minds and any sense of common decency you have left and stop using the scum as touchstone in your defence of AH (and if you have the means and opportunity vandalise Maggie Thatchers statue)

Wow! I really don't know a lot about UK politics or their news system, other than the tabloids are shit and the Royal Family works with them to keep their good press. But for anyone who wants to read more, here you go!

[michaelgovehateblog]

my MP is Also the last MPs wife after he got arrested and charged with sex offences but this is the insane bit There’s 2 constituencies where that’s the case atm. I probably live hundreds of miles away from the other anon! But also my MP is A useless tory, when I wrote to her the letter I got in reply was cut and pasted with small edits from another tories interview with a farming magazine. Really bad merging as well, if your gonna plagiarize do it well at least

HOW is there 2 constituencies where that is the case. HOW

[scotianostra]

On 15 June 1996 Sir Fitzroy MacLean, the Scottish soldier, diplomat, politician and author, died.

A controversial figure to classify as a Scot as he was neither born nor died in the country, but MacLean had Scots blood proudly running through his body, his father a member of the Scottish landed gentry serving in Egypt with the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders when Fitzroy was born. The family are descended from the MacLeans of Ardgour, a Sept of the Clan Maclean, whose chiefs have as their historic seat Duart Castle on Mull.

His hero was Bonnie Prince Charlie and he often expressed regret that the most important part of his life was compressed into an 18 month period, when he was sent to Yugoslavia during World War 2 to liaise with Partisan in the country fighting the Nazis.

Before the war MacLean was a diplomat and one of his postings was in the former USSR, it was here through contacts he made, that he is said to have found out about the likelihood of a Nazi-Soviet pact.

In 1939 he was posted back to London but was frustrated that his status as a diplomat ruled him out of fighting in the war he resigned from the Diplomatic Service, to “go into politics” but after tendering his resignation he immediately took a taxi to the nearest recruiting office and enlisted as a Private in the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders. He was soon promoted to lance corporal and was commissioned in 1941. He is one of only two privates to make it all the way to the rank of Brigadier during WW2.

Picking up wee snippets of the man from interviews and newspaper articles on him, I like this wee passage from, from an interview;

“To some people, my life might seem one long adventure holiday, blowing up forts in the desert, clandestinely parachuting into guerrilla wars, penetrating forbidden cities deep behind closed frontiers” 

Well to some it was a big adventure, the author Ian Fleming is said to have taken inspiration for James Bond from the stories of Fitzroy MacLean, his physical description does somewhat lend itself to the famous character of so many films and books, he was a tall, handsome, broad-browed, imposing, energetic figure, and of course  had the Scottish connections. 

His daring exploits behind enemy lines were with a fellow Scot, and leader of the newly formed SAS, David Stirling, another anecdote from an article, shows the audacity of what they were doing, this is the stuff of fiction, you would think, but these men were there doing this.

On one occasion, while trying to mine Benghazi harbour, Maclean posed as an Italian officer and, in fluent Italian, roundly berated the sentries for inattention while mounting sentry duty. 

Seemingly a man oblivious to danger and with nine lives, Maclean had his only near brush with death after a car crash resulting from Stirling’s reckless style at the wheel. He was unconscious for four days after the crash and later remarked:

 “David Stirling’s driving was the most dangerous thing in World War Two!”

Friendly critics dubbed Maclean “the Balkan brigadier”, “the Scarlet Pimpernel” and even (from his penchant for Highland dress) “Lothario in a kilt”.

After the war war and away from politics he ran his own hotel, “The Creggans”, on the shore of Loch Fyne at Strachur. Maclean was a patron of Strachur and District Shinty Club. He collected an extensive library, including a full set of early editions of James Bond novels, which sold in September 2008 for £26,000. He was a well known figure in the area and very well liked by all. 

In the later years of Sir Fitzroy’s life, his work included making television documentaries, writing, and commenting on Soviet history. In addition, he and his wife made one of the first mercy missions into the war-torn former Yugoslavia, taking a truck with medical supplies through Bosnia to the island of Korcula, ,with a substantial contribution from the people of Rothesay and Bute. For that Maclean was posthumously awarded the Order of Prince Branimir for the humanitarian aid to Croatia, as well as contributing to international affirmation of Croatia.

For his wartime services he was awarded the French Croix de Guerre, the Soviet Order of Kutuzov, and the Yugoslavian Order of the Partisan Star.

There will be those among you who have your own opinions of whether MacLean should be included as a Scot, for me there is no doubt about it, I may not agree with the mans politics, he was a Tory MP for years, but his pride for Scotland and the Jacobites, and his years spent in Scotland, around Argyll and Bute, his home for over 40 years

Finally just to show the mettle of the man, Maclean died while he was visiting friends in the English village of Hertford having just completed a swim at the age of 85!!!, he was stricken by a heart attack and died instantly, I think he would rather have gone that way rather than faded away. 

He was returned to the location of the family home in the village of Strachur, Argyll County and was interred in the cemetery of historic Parish Church there.

[auroraluciferi]

if anyone in this time of deep concern of his health is interested about what a worthless piece of shit Prince Philip is, here is a very brief list of 90 racist, sexist, and incredibly ignorant things the man has said in the last century:

1. "Ghastly." Prince Philip's opinion of Beijing, during a 1986 tour of China.

2. "Ghastly." Prince Philip's opinion of Stoke-on-Trent, as offered to the city's Labour MP Joan Walley at Buckingham Palace in 1997.

3. "Deaf? If you're near there, no wonder you are deaf." Said to a group of deaf children standing near a Caribbean steel drum band in 2000.

4. "If you stay here much longer, you will go home with slitty eyes." To 21-year-old British student Simon Kerby during a visit to China in 1986.

5. "You managed not to get eaten then?" To a British student who had trekked in Papua New Guinea, during an official visit in 1998.

6. "You can't have been here that long – you haven't got a pot belly." To a British tourist during a tour of Budapest in Hungary. 1993.

7. "How do you keep the natives off the booze long enough to pass the test?" Asked of a Scottish driving instructor in 1995.

8. "Damn fool question!" To BBC journalist Caroline Wyatt at a banquet at the Elysée Palace after she asked Queen Elizabeth if she was enjoying her stay in Paris in 2006.

9. "It looks as though it was put in by an Indian." The Prince's verdict of a fuse box during a tour of a Scottish factory in August 1999. He later clarified his comment: "I meant to say cowboys. "I just got my cowboys and Indians mixed up."

10. "People usually say that after a fire it is water damage that is the worst. We are still drying out Windsor Castle." To survivors of the Lockerbie bombings in 1993.

11. "We don't come here for our health. We can think of other ways of enjoying ourselves." During a trip to Canada in 1976.

12. "A few years ago, everybody was saying we must have more leisure, everyone's working too much. Now that everybody's got more leisure time they are complaining they are unemployed. People don't seem to make up their minds what they want." A man of the people shares insight into the recession that gripped Britain in 1981.

13. "British women can't cook." Winning the hearts of the Scottish Women's Institute in 1961.

14. "It was part of the fortunes of war. We didn't have counsellors rushing around every time somebody let off a gun, asking 'Are you all right - are you sure you don't have a ghastly problem?' You just got on with it!" On the issue of stress counselling for servicemen in a TV documentary marking the 50th Anniversary of V-J Day in 1995.

15. "What do you gargle with – pebbles?" To Tom Jones, after the Royal Variety Performance, 1969. He added the following day: "It is very difficult at all to see how it is possible to become immensely valuable by singing what I think are the most hideous songs."

16. "It's a vast waste of space." Philip entertained guests in 2000 at the reception of a new £18m British Embassy in Berlin, which the Queen had just opened.

17. "There's a lot of your family in tonight." After glancing at business chief Atul Patel's name badge during a 2009 Buckingham Palace reception for 400 influential British Indians to meet the Royal couple.

18. "If it has four legs and it is not a chair, if it has got two wings and it flies but is not an aeroplane and if it swims and it is not a submarine, the Cantonese will eat it." Said to a World Wildlife Fund meeting in 1986.

19. "You ARE a woman, aren't you?" To a woman in Kenya in 1984, after accepting a gift.

20. "Do you know they have eating dogs for the anorexic now?" To a wheelchair-bound Susan Edwards, and her guide dog Natalie in 2002.

21. "Get me a beer. I don't care what kind it is, just get me a beer!" On being offered the finest Italian wines by PM Giuliano Amato at a dinner in Rome in 2000.

22. "I would like to go to Russia very much – although the bastards murdered half my family." In 1967, asked if he would like to visit the Soviet Union.

23. "If a cricketer, for instance, suddenly decided to go into a school and batter a lot of people to death with a cricket bat, which he could do very easily, I mean, are you going to ban cricket bats?" In a Radio 4 interview shortly after the Dunblane shootings in 1996. He said to the interviewer off-air afterwards: "That will really set the cat among the pigeons, won't it?"

24. "Oh, it's you that owns that ghastly car is it? We often see it when driving to Windsor Castle." To neighbour Elton John after hearing he had sold his Watford FC-themed Aston Martin in 2001.

25. "The problem with London is the tourists. They cause the congestion. If we could just stop the tourism, we could stop the congestion." At the opening of City Hall in 2002.

26. "A pissometer?" The Prince sees the renames the piezometer water gauge demonstrated by Australian farmer Steve Filelti in 2000.

27. "Don't feed your rabbits pawpaw fruit – it acts as a contraceptive. Then again, it might not work on rabbits." Giving advice to a Caribbean rabbit breeder in Anguilla in 1994.

28. "You must be out of your minds." To Solomon Islanders, on being told that their population growth was 5 per cent a year, in 1982.

29. "Young people are the same as they always were. They are just as ignorant." At the 50th anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards scheme.

30. "Your country is one of the most notorious centres of trading in endangered species." Accepting a conservation award in Thailand in 1991.

31. "Aren't most of you descended from pirates?" In the Cayman Islands, 1994.

32. "You bloody silly fool!" To an elderly car park attendant who made the mistake of not recognising him at Cambridge University in 1997.

33. "Oh! You are the people ruining the rivers and the environment." To three young employees of a Scottish fish farm at Holyrood Palace in 1999.

34. "If you travel as much as we do you appreciate the improvements in aircraft design of less noise and more comfort – provided you don't travel in something called economy class, which sounds ghastly." To the Aircraft Research Association in 2002.

35. "The French don't know how to cook breakfast." After a breakfast of bacon, eggs, smoked salmon, kedgeree, croissants and pain au chocolat – from Gallic chef Regis Crépy – in 2002.

36. "And what exotic part of the world do you come from?" Asked in 1999 of Tory politician Lord Taylor of Warwick, whose parents are Jamaican. He replied: "Birmingham."

37. "Oh no, I might catch some ghastly disease." On a visit to Australia in 1992, when asked if he wanted to stroke a koala bear.

38. "It doesn't look like much work goes on at this University." Overheard at Bristol University's engineering facility. It had been closed so that he and the Queen could officially open it in 2005.

39. "I wish he'd turn the microphone off!" The Prince expresses his opinion of Elton John's performance at the 73rd Royal Variety Show, 2001.

40. "Do you still throw spears at each other?" Prince Philip shocks Aboriginal leader William Brin at the Aboriginal Cultural Park in Queensland, 2002.

41. "Where's the Southern Comfort?" On being presented with a hamper of southern goods by the American ambassador in London in 1999.

42. "Were you here in the bad old days? ... That's why you can't read and write then!" To parents during a visit to Fir Vale Comprehensive School in Sheffield, which had suffered poor academic reputation.

43. "Ah you're the one who wrote the letter. So you can write then? Ha, ha! Well done." Meeting 14-year old George Barlow, whose invited to the Queen to visit Romford, Essex, in 2003.

44. "So who's on drugs here?... HE looks as if he's on drugs." To a 14-year-old member of a Bangladeshi youth club in 2002.

45. "You could do with losing a little bit of weight." To hopeful astronaut, 13-year-old Andrew Adams.

46. "You have mosquitoes. I have the Press." To the matron of a hospital in the Caribbean in 1966.

47. "The man who invented the red carpet needed his head examined." While hosts made effort to greet a state visit to Brazil, 1968.

48. "During the Blitz a lot of shops had their windows blown in and sometimes they put up notices saying, 'More open than usual.' I now declare this place more open than usual." Unveiling a plaque at the University of Hertfordshire's new Hatfield campus in November 2003.

49 . Philip: "Who are you?"

Simon Kelner: "I'm the editor-in-chief of The Independent, Sir."

Philip: "What are you doing here?"

Kelner: "You invited me."

Philip: "Well, you didn't have to come!"

An exchange at a press reception to mark the Golden Jubilee in 2002.

50. "No, I would probably end up spitting it out over everybody." Prince Philip declines the offer of some fish from Rick Stein's seafood deli in 2000.

51. "Any bloody fool can lay a wreath at the thingamy." Discussing his role in an interview with Jeremy Paxman.

52. "Holidays are curious things, aren't they? You send children to school to get them out of your hair. Then they come back and make life difficult for parents. That is why holidays are set so they are just about the limit of your endurance." At the opening of a school in 2000.

53. "People think there's a rigid class system here, but dukes have even been known to marry chorus girls. Some have even married Americans." In 2000.

54. "Can you tell the difference between them?" On being told by President Obama that he'd had breakfast with the leaders of the UK, China and Russia.

55. "I don't know how they are going to integrate in places like Glasgow and Sheffield." After meeting students from Brunei coming to Britain to study in 1998.

56. "Do people trip over you?" Meeting a wheelchair-bound nursing-home resident in 2002.

57. "That's a nice tie... Do you have any knickers in that material?" Discussing the tartan designed for the Papal visit with then-Scottish Tory leader Annabel Goldie last year.

58. "I have never been noticeably reticent about talking on subjects about which I know nothing." Addressing a group of industrialists in 1961.

59. "It's not a very big one, but at least it's dead and it took an awful lot of killing!" Speaking about a crocodile he shot in Gambia in 1957.

60. "Well, you didn't design your beard too well, did you? You really must try better with your beard." To a young fashion designer at a Buckingham Palace in 2009.

61. "So you're responsible for the kind of crap Channel Four produces!" Speaking to then chairman of the channel, Michael Bishop, in 1962.

62. "Dontopedalogy is the science of opening your mouth and putting your foot in it, a science which I have practiced for a good many years." Address to the General Dental Council, quoted in Time in 1960.

63. "Tolerance is the one essential ingredient ... You can take it from me that the Queen has the quality of tolerance in abundance." Advice for a successful marriage in 1997.

64. "I never see any home cooking – all I get is fancy stuff." Commiserating about the standard of Buckingham Palace cuisine in 1962.

65. "I suppose I would get in a lot of trouble if I were to melt them down." On being shown Nottingham Forest FC's trophy collection in 1999.

66. "It makes you all look like Dracula's daughters!" To pupils at Queen Anne's School in Reading, who wear blood-red uniforms, in 1998.

67. "I don't think a prostitute is more moral than a wife, but they are doing the same thing." Dismissing claims that those who sell slaughtered meat have greater moral authority than those who participate in blood sports, in 1988.

68. "Ah, so this is feminist corner then." Joining a group of female Labour MPs, who were wearing name badges reading "Ms", at a Buckingham Palace drinks party in 2000.

69. "Cats kill far more birds than men. Why don't you have a slogan: 'Kill a cat and save a bird?'" On being told of a project to protect turtle doves in Anguilla in 1965.

70. "All money nowadays seems to be produced with a natural homing instinct for the Treasury." Bemoaning the rate of British tax in 1963.

71. "It is my invariable custom to say something flattering to begin with so that I shall be excused if by any chance I put my foot in it later on." Full marks for honesty, from a speech in 1956.

72. "Why don't you go and live in a hostel to save cash?" Asked of a penniless student.

73. "In education, if in nothing else, the Scotsman knows what is best for him. Indeed, only a Scotsman can really survive a Scottish education." Said when he was made Chancellor of Edinburgh University in November 1953.

74. "If it doesn't fart or eat hay, she isn't interested." Of his daughter, Princess Anne.

75. "They're not mating are they?" Spotting two robots bumping in to one another at the Science Museum in 2000.

76. "I must be in the only person in Britain glad to see the back of that plane." Philip did not approve of the noise Concorde made while flying over the Buckingham Palace.

77. "The only active sport, which I follow, is polo – and most of the work's done by the pony!" 1965

78. "It looks like a tart's bedroom." On seeing plans for the Duke and then Duchess of York's house at Sunninghill Park.

79. "Reichskanzler." Prince Philip used Hitler's title to address German chancellor Helmut Kohl during a speech in Hanover in 1997.

80. "We go into the red next year... I shall probably have to give up polo." Comment on US television in 1969 about the Royal Family's finances.

81. "Bugger the table plan, give me my dinner!" Showing his impatience to be fed at a dinner party in 2004.

82. "I thought it was against the law these days for a woman to solicit." Said to a woman solicitor.

83. "You're just a silly little Whitehall twit: you don't trust me and I don't trust you." Said to Sir Rennie Maudslay, Keeper of the Privy Purse, in the 1970s.

84. "What about Tom Jones? He's made a million and he's a bloody awful singer." Response to a comment at a small-business lunch about how difficult it is in Britain to get rich.

85. "This could only happen in a technical college." On getting stuck in a lift between two floors at the Heriot Watt University, 1958.

86. "I'd much rather have stayed in the Navy, frankly." When asked what he felt about his life in 1992.

87. "It looks like the kind of thing my daughter would bring back from her school art lessons" On being shown "primitive" Ethiopian art in 1965.

88. "You're not wearing mink knickers, are you?" Philip charms fashion writer Serena French at a World Wildlife Fund gathering in 1993.

89. "My son...er...owns them." On being asked on a Canadian tour whether he knew the Scilly Isles.

90. "Well, that's more than you know about anything else then." Speaking, a touch condescendingly, to Michael Buerk, after being told by the BBC newsreader that he did know about the Duke of Edinburgh's Gold Awards in 2004.

[weedle-testaburger]

what i say: i’m fine

what i mean: in 2 days the uk is holding an election and boris johnson is extremely probably going to win it, and i’m extremely angry and scared by this because not only is johnson a bigoted sack of shit (he has called africans ‘picaninnies with watermelon smiles’, gay people ‘tank-topped bumboys’ and muslim women who wear burkhas ‘letterboxes’ and refused to ever apologize for any of this because freeze peach) who doesn’t deserve to be trusted to protect human rights (something he’s going to take responsibility for doing since he wants to take the UK out of the european convention on human rights and ‘’’’’revise’’’’’ the human rights act), he’s also fanatically determined to push for a no-deal brexit and sell out the nhs to american pharma companies in an effort to funnel more money up to rich twats who don’t need any more of it and keep millions of british people below the poverty line. he has also repeatedly refused to attend election debates or interviews with people he thinks would grill him too hard, and basically ensured tory party mps are sworn to support his every whim by kicking out anyone who doesn’t and steamrollering them with new tory candidates who are loyal to his shitty agenda. and yet millions of people are going to vote for him because he made them laugh when he was london mayor and on have i got news for you, and because the press has treated his main opponent, jeremy corbyn (who is basically the british bernie sanders) as the devil for not supporting continued neoliberalism and austerity and for not committing to a no-deal brexit even though most people in the uk don’t want no deal anyway. so basically the uk is up shit creek and is likely going to stay that way for at least 5 more years, probably more, until people finally wake up to the fact that the tories have deepened inequality to record levels and we need to kick them out and get a left-wing government to redress the balance instead of letting more old etonian shitbags blame everything on immigrants taking our jerbs

[charlotteroseessex-blog]

Is banter dead?

Banter. It’s an everyday occurrence for most of us. A chance to let whoever we are with know how hilarious we actually are. Some may say it’s an admirable trait to be able to make jokes about touchy subjects, others might describe it as a necessity for a successful relationship, ‘cos after all, no one likes a stiff upper lipper with no bants.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 10 years, banter is ‘in’. I’ve struggled to provide an intellectual answer with what banter actually is, as I don’t think mine covers it entirely, so I’ll refer to the ever reliable Urban Dictionary as a source to back me up.

So as suggested by the definition provided by the UD, banter is something you either have or you don’t. Despite banter being a new construct created by the specific use of language, it’s often found that each culture and environment depicts its own rules and regulations surrounding how and when the ‘playful’ jokes should be used. Banter or not, the reaction of the audience deters the success of your comment. It may have been funny yes, and it may have received some laughs, but there’s always that one stern and politically correct individual who thinks they’re just too good and suggests that your banter insinuated more than just comedy, it was an insult in disguise. These people might otherwise be described to have ‘dead banter’.

Banter, a couples thing.

With the population of active online users continually growing, the content available has now assuredly accommodated for all types of humour, political opinion and other unique preferences personal to us. Banter, on the other hand, is supposed to be a universal concept which is recognised by all in certain forms of situations whereby a comment is made from something that wouldn't originally be found as funny. Remarks involving banter also, more often than not, requires one or more people to display a back and forth exchange of witty comments at the expense of one another.  Having said this, the process to embark on a banterful session of quick wit and intelligence, requires the understanding of metalanguage and thick skin of the opposing person and occurs when the response of the receiver provides a platform for banter - otherwise it’s just you being mean.

People taking banter the wrong way and people being offended with almost everything could easily be mistaken for one another, as people these days just don’t take the time or consideration to think of the bigger picture. Was this actually a hurtful comment targeting you? Or was this an innocent remark projected onto public platforms for educative or entertainment purposes? You see, it all comes down to the individual and whether or not they choose to deny the obvious innocence for sly digs. Controversial topics, still present in the media, consume huge attention for the potential slip ups and mishaps from their actions by people choosing to interpret their innocence or mistakes as deliberately harmful and offensive. Racism and sexism are just a few examples of negative impoliteness still circulating in the media today.

Banter (or not) in Parliament.

Take Amber Rudd for example. A Tory MP who recently stole the limelight with her clumsy comments regarding the race of colleague, Diane Abbott, of whom she initially attempted to encourage support of. In her live BBC Radio 2 interview, Rudd was asked about the abuse that female colleagues received and responded by outlining the overall struggles of being a woman in such a high profile job. She stated that "it's worst of all if you're a coloured woman. I know that Diane Abbott gets a huge amount of abuse." Now reading this on the surface, Rudd seems to provide a personal account for her experiences and answers by defining that the worst struggles are endured by her black colleagues. The answer seems to be pretty innocent right? By innocent I mean there’s no spite; no racist remarks or metadiscourse implying a hidden agenda which would make a mockery of anyone. But the outdated use of the term ‘coloured’, instead of black, caused outrage and disgust and Rudd was publicly shamed for this by none other than Diane Abbott herself. From an outsider, it seems that Rudd was trying to depict nothing but admiration for a black woman being so successful in her career, but through her clumsily chosen vocabulary, the overall message was burdened by the perceived racism and rudeness of her remark by Diane. This example suggests that no matter what your intentions are with a comment, whether you’re an MP, local van driver, whatever, the interpretation once delivered is only successful once in the hands of the beholder.

Humour or Hugely Offensive? 

From badly executed compliments to genuine acts of negative impoliteness, the creation of banter takes on much to be desired. It derives from a language progression opportunistic in most daily scenarios in order to produce a funny or light hearted joke at someone else’s expense. From this progression, banter has slowly begun to blur the line between humour and being just darn’ right rude. From the sensitivity provoked from this matter, many people on the receiving end of banter decide to use the platform given by, sometimes, controversial comments to capitalise on innocent comments and scrutinise the ‘banterful one’ to be just a rude person masking their offensiveness with humour. We often hear comments responding to badly delivered banter like, ‘it was supposed to be funny’ or ‘it was just banter’. 

So does this mean that banter is dead? Well I think to uncover that, we will need to enter the realms of social media. The digital world that encourages self-expression, growth and the freedom of speech. Well, 2 out of 3 might be true but when was the last time you felt free to publicly post something to all of your followers that had been eating away at your brain? The freedom of speech aspect on all social media platforms, more often than not, always receives unwanted attention from people who A) simply can’t take a joke or B) decide to take offence at anything other individuals may say, regardless if it affects them or not. Online banter is hard to articulate. Not only are you dependent on the person, or people, receiving the message in the correct manner, but your choice of delivery is just as vital in successfully creating the intentional humour. It’s a dangerous time to be living in to say the least.

Banter: 1 of your 5 a day.

So why can’t people just take a joke these days? Well I think the answer is embedded in our skin, we are simply all just peaches. Easily bruised and fruitfully delicate in how we are treated. The progression in banterful chats point suggestively towards the rise in controversy prevalent in the media. It could be assumed that since the rise in banter, people have become thin skinned, more sensitive in what others say and are actively searching for opportunities so they can take offence and play the victim. In this sense, one may conclude that banter is only successful if you know the person well enough to pick on them, or the person knows you well enough to understand your humour to be ‘just banter’ rather than a public display of socially accepted bullying. The importance of metalanguage contexts, more specifically the relationships between the people demonstrating banter, is crucial in determining the flow of slurs. When observing banter, you are generally able to notice the difference between positive and negative impoliteness:

Negative Impoliteness is obvious when the conversational tone develops a growing level of aggression, often including insults, criticism or preloaded words to achieve nasty and vicious blows to the opponent. It’s more like a verbal knockout in the ring of banter.

Positive Impoliteness infers more of a demonstration of mutual understanding in a playful tone and monitors the impact on the opponent so to avoid offence if the banter starts to get too personal.

In adjunct to this, does banter mean that social media has taken away our rights to express a freedom of speech? Putting controversial comments out in the public is dangerous enough without the concept of then having that, otherwise innocent, remark reported and pursued by an irrelevant external individual choosing to take offence to something that wasn’t targeted at them. See. We are all peaches, easily bruised and easily offended - but all with just no banter.

Choosing funny over friendship - is banter ever okay?

Let me just return to the concept of being online again. Social media sells itself to be a platform for everyone to create and follow content suitable for them and document images and opinions desirable to be shared with their online communities. Now let's introduce the element of social media accepting freedom of speech, meaning that we can comment and share whatever videos, photos and statuses we so wish...

…Okay, now imagine you’re scrolling through Instagram of an evening and discover that your best friend has posted a somewhat questionable selfie. I mean good for her, self love and all that because you’re down for a bit of positivity, but really? I mean she could’ve at least wiped last nights makeup off from around her eyes and picked up those dirty pants off the floor before taking the photo. Didn’t she see them lying there in full view, like they’re right there, fully featuring main stage in the background? So, as the supportive best friend that you are, you have two ways to approach demonstrating your online appreciation, as reluctant as you may feel about doing it:

Comment option 1: ‘Selfie Queen *carefully selected choice of emojis to imply admiration further*’ 

This way you get to support your friend in all of her choices, genuine or not, whilst also paying close attention to the fact that you aren’t complimenting her in the photo in question - it’s rather a nod to the fact she always posts selfies.

Comment option 2: ‘Great knicker choice babe. I personally find those ones cover your bum just the right amount.’

Funny. Banterful. Witty. All the things people would describe you in life, but also potentially a comment that might sabotage the friendship if she was to decide you were being rude. Key word here - decide. The power, as Paddy McGuinness famously says, is in her hands. Despite how much you actually hate this selfie and the fact that option 2 (if remarked in person) would be just banter, you simply can’t imagine being fake and saying how amazing she looks, would you truthfully decide to comment this - visible to all of her followers - over option 1 that supports and boosts her confidence? I think not. We simply are all too nice for our own goods.

Banter vs. Your Freedom of Speech.

The freedom of speech prevalent on social media platforms still proceeds to hold restrictive ties over each and every one of us. The expectations attached to certain uploads by friends and family demand support whether you like it or not. It’s almost like an unwritten rule of being online. We all like and comment on posts by our strong ties even if they are a slightly distorted version of how we actually feel. This ability to artificially construct our online personas have enabled us to portray the most admirable versions of ourselves who appear supportive and in admiration of our friends, however far this may be from the truth. To introduce banter online would probably be like pressing the self destruct button on ourselves, painful with no coming back from. 

Who’s to say the banter I find funny is the same as the next person? And who’s to say my level of tolerance in the banter I endure is as high as the next persons? Everyone is different meaning that no two people share the same sense of humour. So, to post a comment fuelled with banter and for you to expect the same satisfied reaction you felt when you wrote it, would be to deprive someone else of their freedom of speech if they wanted to reply by expressing their dissatisfaction of your comment. And yet the ability to post an opinion or comment (with or without banter) is still a freedom of speech and is regarded equally as valid as every replier, agreeing with you or otherwise.  

So, is banter dead?

Banter is slowly morphing into a forbidden feature on social media. The rise in prevention methods from allowing users to access or view your account has made the sensitivity of users reach an all time high. People are now more aware of the posts they share and the comments they make in order to maintain their following and avoid upsetting them with banter gone wrong. Online banter can provoke a strengthening of relationships if the users are close friends and aware of each others metalanguage so to avoid miscommunication and hatred. However the dangers of being banterful online may also conjure some negative attention from those unwilling to accept any explanation for your comment, other than the assumed offense.

So unless you know your audience, I advise you to put a lid on that canon of quick wit and wisecrack or else you might receive some unwanted attention from people with a banter deficiency. 

[lastsonlost]

LITTLE HEADS UP: I had you Frankenstein this post together with sources from the BBC The Daily Mail and the mirror in order to get what I believe is a full telling of the story thus far. 

That being said this post might still have a few redundancies.

This is a man who was accused of a crime.

The police investigated the crime  and they discovered evidence that could have cleared his name.

They  CONCEALED that evidence and instead of exonerating him and letting him go.

On his day they turned it to a prosecutor, the prosecutor went after him with the evidence in hand and CONCEALED it from the defense team. An only when they changed prosecutors did they discover this evidence.

Had they not switched prosecutors this man could very well be in prison and the court would have never known what they had done.

 The Met Police is to hold an "urgent" review of a rape case after being accused of failing to disclose vital evidence.

Sheer incompetence' by police meant that texts about an alleged rape victim's fantasies of violent and casual sex were kept secret and an innocent student was put on trial after two years on bail, a prosecutor revealed today. Barrister Jerry Hayes claims the detective in charge told him sexual messages sent by the woman to Liam Allan and her friends were 'too personal' to share.

 But in fact they 'blew the case out of the window' and police had failed to even look at them because of 'sheer incompetence', he said. 

 The CPS is also being asked to explain why it did not demand full disclosure of evidence including phone records before the trial started.

The texts revealed the woman asked Mr Allan for casual sex and fantasised about rough and violent intercourse and even being raped despite telling police she didn't like being intimate with men.

 Judge Peter Gower stopped the trial at Croydon Crown Court yesterday and describing the moment the suspect found out Mr Hayes said: ‘Obviously he was happy but this has been hanging over his head for years. He could have had his life totally trashed. That was awfully wrong'.

Mr Allan said he had been ‘betrayed by the system’ and his mother Lorraine sobbed as she said her son had been treated as

 'guilty until you can prove you are innocent',

 adding: 'I knew the truth'.Today Scotland Yard launched an 'urgent assessment' of its handling of Mr Allan's case but there are calls for an independent investigation. -Source taken from The Daily Mail UK

Liam Allan, 22, was charged with 12 counts of rape and sexual assault.

<I’m not sure “incompetence” is the first word that will come to mind.

The charges against the criminology student were dropped three days into the trial at Croydon Crown Court when Mr Hayes took over the case.

'Villain to innocent'

It is understood police had looked at thousands of phone messages when reviewing evidence in the case, but had failed to disclose to the prosecution and defence teams messages between the complainant and her friends which cast doubt on the allegations against Mr Allan.

The CPS said it offered no evidence in the case on Thursday as there was "no longer a realistic prospect of conviction".

Mr Allan told the BBC he was "overwhelmed" at the moment, adding: "It's a huge amount of confusion to go from being the villain to being innocent."

He also told The Times he had suffered two years of "mental torture...

I feel betrayed by the system which I had believed would do the right thing — the system I want to work in."

Mr Hayes said there had very nearly been "a massive miscarriage of justice" which could have led to Mr Allan being imprisoned for 12 years and being put on the sex offenders register for life.

He said the disk contained information which "completely blew the prosecution case out of the water", although he believed the information had not been disclosed because of "sheer incompetence".

"The trouble is everyone is under pressure... This is a criminal justice system which is not just creaking, it's about to croak," he said.

The BBC's Legal Correspondent Clive Coleman said he understood the defence had asked repeatedly for the phone messages to be disclosed, which included details saying how the alleged victim had spoken to friends about how much she enjoyed having sex with Mr Allan.

Mr Allan's solicitor Simone Meerabux said when her client was arrested he had told police about the existence of the messages but "in spite of all that he was charged".

She said prior to the trial the CPS had told them there was "nothing further to disclose" and it was only after they reiterated their request on the first day in court that the information was made available.

A Met spokesman said the force was "urgently reviewing this investigation and will be working with the Crown Prosecution Service to understand exactly what has happened in this case.

"The Met understands the concerns that have been raised as a result of this case being dismissed from court and the ongoing review will seek to address those," he said.

A spokesman for the CPS said: "In November 2017, the police provided more material in the case of Liam Allan. Upon a review of that material, it was decided that there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.

"We will now be conducting a management review together with the Metropolitan Police to examine the way in which this case was handled."

- Source taken from the BBC

Chief prosecutor Alison Saunders has made a high profile push to bring more sex attack cases to court and asked her lawyers to trawl through a man's relationship history to boost conviction.

The number of rapes reported to police has gone from around 13,000 in 2002 to 45,000 last year but in 2014 it emerged a quarter of sex offences - including rape - were never recorded as crimes.

The prosecutor and former Tory MP said he and the CPS had no idea a disc of the woman's messages even existed until the trial started.

He said as soon as the defence got them they realised the texts 'blew the case out of the window.

He also said last night: 'I would like to apologise to Liam Allan. There was a terrible failure in disclosure which was inexcusable'.

He added: 'The trouble is everyone is under pressure. This is a criminal justice system which is not just creaking, it's about to croak'.

Liam Allan, 22, was on bail for almost two years and spent three days at Croydon Crown Court in the dock before his trial was stopped yesterday.

The judge has called for an inquiry after the trial of a student accused of rape collapsed after police failed to reveal she sent him messages asking for casual sex and revealing her own violent sexual fantasies.

-Source taken from The Daily Mail UK

Mr Allan said he has “no choice” but to sue police and the Crown Prosecution Service, who have yet to offer an apology. But he added: “I’m happy to work with the CPS and police to help ensure things change.  

 -mirror.co.uk

SIDE NOTE (1) Police refuse to say if they have suspended 'incompetent' rape detective and team

The Met has today refused to say if the detective shamed by the CPS' prosecutor is still at work today.

Jerry Hayes said the officer in charge of the case failed in his 'duty' to properly review evidence and hand it to the CPS.

But a Met spokesman said they would not 'speculate' on whether the lead officer or his team were working.

The force would not comment on whether they will re-interview the woman at the centre of the case, although their statement referred to her as 'the victim'.

Scotland Yard launched an 'urgent assessment' after a rape prosecution collapsed due to the late disclosure of evidence which undermined the case against Liam Allan.

Police are understood to have looked at thousands of phone messages when reviewing evidence but it was not until the prosecution was close to trial that Met officers disclosed messages between the complainant and her friends which cast doubt on the case against him.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: 'We are aware of this case being dismissed from court and are carrying out an urgent assessment to establish the circumstances which led to this action being taken.

'We are working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service and keeping in close contact with the victim whilst this process takes place.'

In 2013 it emerged that up to a third of all rape allegations made to the Met in some boroughs were never recorded as crimes in 2012.

In the same year then Scotland Yard chief Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe has apologised to victims of rapes who were pressured by police into withdrawing their allegations in 2008 and 2009.

SIDE NOTE (2) CPS boss ALISON SAUNDERS 'inflated rape conviction figures and doesn't understand how a trial works'

Britain's top prosecutor Alison Saunders was recently accused of inflating rape conviction figures and having little idea of how rape trials work.

Ms Saunders has repeatedly come under fire over the CPS handling of sex allegations because innocent men have had their lives destroyed on the basis of spurious claims later rejected in court.

In August this year she said that men accused of rape will have more of their relationship history put under the microscope during trials in a bid to increase convictions rates.

Britain's top prosecutor told lawyers to focus on a man's behaviour in the run up to the alleged sex attack rather than just the immediate moments before.

But in October she was blasted by a watchdog for claiming the number of rape convictions is more than double the real figure.

She was warned that the hugely inflated figures in a report on violence against women were 'misleading'.

And was told in a letter from the UK Statistics Authority that the true number of people convicted of rape last year was under 1,400. This is less than half the 3,000 she alleged in the report by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) earlier that month.

The huge gap is because the CPS includes crimes that were originally investigated as rapes but later downgraded to less serious offences.

yeah I don’t believe the pursuit of Justice has shortcuts.

[kayla1993-world]

Heavyweight advice for the PMO

CABINET MAKING 101 — Prime Minister TRUDEAU and his Chief of Staff KATIE TELFORD have 3 priorities as they begin to put together a cabinet: Meet the team, consider other Rolodexes and reach across the aisle. So says HUGH SEGAL, a chief of staff to Davis and Mulroney.

Segal, a senior adviser with Toronto-based law firm Aird and Berlis LLP who was appointed to the Senate by former prime minister PAUL MARTIN, retired from the upper chamber in 2014. He tells Playbook that when a government returns with a minority, “before you start worrying about how you fill the cabinet spaces, you really have to worry about the mindset of your own caucus.”

No. 1 — Meet the team: The priority after a minority election result, in Segal’s view, is to schedule time for the prime minister to meet with Liberal members of the caucus, in small groups, to get their view on what’s really important.

“If you don't do that, when you've had an election which was successful but perhaps not as successful as everybody hoped, you could find yourself in some challenging circumstances very quickly,” he said.

Memorial University professor ALEX MARLAND noted in his book “Whipped: Party Discipline in Canada,” that Trudeau’s celebrity is a factor in his “lack of anxiety about caucus support combined with his considerable success as a leader" — which "explains his reduced compulsion to engage in meaningful caucus outreach.”

Personal access is hard fought for backbenchers. It took until the SNC-Lavalin affair in spring 2019 for the PMO to improve outreach with Liberal MPs after creating a caucus relations office to do just that.

— From Marland’s book: While Trudeau’s father held rotating lunches with a handful of MPs, JEAN CHRÉTIEN opted for bigger lunches with approximately 15 members a couple times a month; same with Martin, who invited ministers and MPs for relaxed meals and dined with colleagues weekly in the House lobby. STEPHEN HARPER, Marland wrote, had Conservative committee members over for meals at 24 Sussex.

No. 2 — Consider other peoples’ Rolodexes: The Liberals’ electoral priorities focused on climate, crime and housing, which Segal said are files “profoundly in the provincial jurisdiction.” Before giving serious thought to who would lead the charge on those issues in a cabinet, Segal said he would consider potential changes to the senior public service first, including deputy ministers and heads of agencies.

“You have to be certain that the deputy ministers who are going to be in charge of execution are deputy ministers who have good relationships in the provinces with their counterparts — and who can work those relationships to find joint ways of achieving the commitments which the government has made,” he said.

No. 3 — Reach across the aisle and share power: When Bill Davis was handed a minority in 1977, Segal was on his staff. That was the year the provincial government produced a joint legislative planning committee with a role for opposition parties. It is an idea for Trudeau and Telford to consider, Segal said, specifically to "move forward to get the pandemic addressed.”

He suggested Liberals de-escalate any pandemic brinkmanship by meaningfully working with the Conservatives, Bloc Québécois, NDP and Greens.

“That one initiative would send a very powerful message to the opposition parties and to the country. If the opposition party said, ‘We do not want to help, we are not going to be part of it," that is their problem,” Segal said.

TIME-IS-A-FLAT-CIRCLE TRIVIA — As noted by TVO’s STEVE PAIKIN, Trudeau was 6 years old in 1977 when he crossed paths with Davis while attending a Grey Cup game in Montreal with his father.

FROM OTTAWA TO TAMING HORSES — Former Mulroney chief of staff DEREK BURNEY chatted with Playbook from Colorado, updating us on his new job title: ranch hand. The ex-Canadian ambassador to the United States helps his sons look after horses.

“The most important objective for a minority government is cohesion,” he said. The simplest way to develop cohesion? Develop three to four priorities.

That was the plan for Harper's transition team when the Conservative leader won a minority in 2006. Burney was at that table. "He came got here out of an election with a big platform… whittled it down so the caucus and cabinet would understand that they had five things that they needed to get done. And it gave everybody a sense of purpose in the early days.”

— Don’t shut Conservatives out: Because the Conservatives won the popular vote, Burney suggested the Liberals need to resist the temptation to treat the opposition as cannon fodder. He said whenever the Liberals reach out to the NDP because the party is a natural ally, it wouldn’t be smart to exclude Conservatives from that dialogue.

“This was not a very profound election, let me put it that way,” Burney said. “It did not settle much, it did not sell anything. I think the country is pretty fragmented politically. So I would make an extra effort at dialogue with the opposition parties to at least show that there was an attempt to find common ground.”

Burney agrees with Segal that establishing some sort of pandemic panel would be a smart move, but he suggested removing politicians from being involved. “I think you have to take it out of the hands of the politicians and appoint an independent blue-ribbon panel of experts, not just medical… there are a lot of issues, I think, that need to be addressed.”

— Getting it done is number one: The veteran insider said the first few months of a minority government are critical in that it is important to not overload the agenda or risk getting into a rut that you can’t escape.

“The first thing the government has to do is … it has to show it can get something done,” Burney said. “That's the most important objective of all: getting something done. That was the title of my memoir, by the way. I hope you read it.”

Ensuring caucus cohesion is fundamental to ensuring a government has a better chance of implementing policy, Burney said, especially in the current circumstance for Liberals. “The caucus is more important in a minority than it ever is in a majority.”

HOME AT LAST — Ottawa snapped to attention late Friday on word that MICHAEL KOVRIG and MICHAEL SPAVOR had departed Chinese airspace. The Canadians were detained by Chinese authorities since Dec. 10, 2018.

Kovrig and Spavor were arrested, charged and eventually put on trial for crimes against the state, all of which were roundly dismissed by virtually every Western expert as payback for Canada's arrest of Huawei CFO MENG WANZHOU pending extradition to the United States. Hours after Meng was freed as part of a deferred prosecution deal with the Americans, the Two Michaels were Canada-bound.

Shortly after arriving in Toronto, Kovrig joined his wife VINA NADJIBULLA and sister ARIANA for an interview with Global's MERCEDES STEPHENSON from Ariana's porch. They were short and sweet. Kovrig, whose voice most Canadians were hearing to for the first time after seeing a handful of the same photos for more than 1000 days, was running on two hours of sleep.

"I just need to say thank you very much to all Canadians for the enormous support. And all the effort that so many people have made to help bring Spavor and me home. It was really moving. And knowing that so many people knew about the situation, cared about the situation, really helped us get through a very difficult time."

— Credit where it is due: Trudeau thanked "every single person and partner around the world who helped secure their release." DAN LAUZON, Foreign Minister MARC GARNEAU's chief of staff, gave a shoutout to his boss. UN ambassador BOB RAE credited the "disciplined, focused, patient, persistent skill of DOMINIC BARTON and KIRSTEN HILLMAN," the two envoys closest to the file. KATHLEEN DAVIS, a senior foreign policy adviser to Trudeau, added PMO senior global affairs advisor PATRICK TRAVERS to the list, along with Telford and former foreign minister FRANÇOIS-PHILIPPE CHAMPAGNE.

— China blinked first: Hillman told CTV News that as Meng's legal fight in North America was winding down, Chinese officials initiated conversations about releasing Kovrig and Spavor: "I think the Chinese government decided that, you know, it was time to put this behind them and move on.”

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY — That's how busloads of wistful Conservatives will think of BRAD WALL, the prominent western Tory not named STEPHEN HARPER still revered by the party's sprawling voter coalition. Wall sat down with DAVID HERLE for an hour-long chat on the Herle Burly podcast.

The former Saskatchewan premier reflected on the O'Toole campaign, laid out a blueprint for how Conservatives can beat Liberals on guns and climate change, and bluntly assessed the state of the federation. Some key takeaways:

— The missing question: "I still don't know what ERIN O'TOOLE's ballot question was, other than 'We're not that guy" -- even though he had a full and credible platform. I think the campaign came down to that in the end."

— How to win the gun debate: The federal campaign turned the moment JUSTIN TRUDEAU went after O'Toole's gun policy for several days -- withering attacks that forced the Tories to edit their own platform. Wall argued Conservatives need their own their own ideas.

"Rather than react to the Liberals, Conservatives need to say, "Here are the kinds of guns that are used as tools in this country, or for hunting. We're going to be about protecting the right of people to own those. We've got a lot of guns laws now that protect the citizenry from a profusion of long guns or handguns," he told Herle. "I would try to avoid always playing on the Liberals' turf. They define everything."

— How to win the climate debate: Walls says the Liberal emission-reduction targets dominate any conversation about Canada's role in fighting climate change. He would try to flip the script.

"[Canada generates] 2.6 percent of global emissions. We're 2.6 percent of global emissions. I would say it over and over and over again. And then use it as a criticism of the Liberal plan," he said. "The Liberal plan is not just about pricing carbon but that is the heart and center of it. This is all you have to offer? This myopia about one third of 2.6 percent of global emissions? That is weak sauce. It's not good enough for Canada."

Wall insisted that Canadians could think bigger, developing world leading carbon capture and storage technology and substantially lowering the cost of nuclear energy.

— On Saskatchewan's place in the federation: Wall says the Senate does not properly represent his province's interests, leaving the House of Commons to do all the governing. "We're looking at having not very much influence in that representation by population de facto unicameral government that makes policies for the whole country. I do not think it is a particularly good federation, frankly … I do not mean to be too negative or depressing, but I cannot see this ever changing."

— How's his French? "It's terrible. It does not exist." Wall has probably declined to run for the federal Conservative leadership more than any other potential candidate since Harper stepped down in 2015. He'd be an instant frontrunner. But do not expect an insurgent bid any time soon. Never might actually mean never for the son of Swift Current.

START THE CLOCK — The Toronto Star's ALTHIA RAJ reports that LORRAINE REKMANS, the president of the Green Party's federal council, yesterday initiated a leadership review process. Voting will start Oct. 25, with a general meeting scheduled for Nov. 26.

ANNAMIE PAUL will hold a press conference this morning at Toronto's Suydam Park. The advisory included extremely specific latitude and longitude coordinates: 43°41'21.5"N 79°24'53.7"W, for the record.

[classyfoxdestiny]

Health Secretary defends Tory MPs refusing to wear masks in parliament

Health Secretary defends Tory MPs refusing to wear masks in parliament

The health secretary has defended Conservative MPs who refuse to wear masks in parliament, following criticism of his party’s lax attitude to the safety measure.

Speaking on Wednesday Sajid Javid said masks were just one of a “suite of measures” that could be taken to prevent illness and said many MPs were vaccinated or might be getting regularly tested as an alternative.

Images from the Commons chamber since MPs returned from summer recess show a marked partisan divide on mask-wearing, with the government benches largely unprotected – in contrast to the opposition.

Though masks are no longer a legal requirement, the government still recommends the public wear them for prolonged periods in enclosed spaces with people outside their own household – with parliament fitting the bill exactly.

Asked about the issue in an interview, Mr Javid also declined to tell people to wear masks at the upcoming Conservative party conference, a mass gathering of the party faithful in Manchester kicking off next month.

He also defended a decision not to require people to provide proof of vaccination to attend the mass event.

Asked why Tory MPs seemed so reticent to wear their masks, Mr Javid said there were “circumstances where people should consider wearing masks” and that the “advice hasn’t changed”.

But adding that the government had “got rid of the legal requirements around masks, he told the BBC’s Today programme: “It’s not just one particular measure – masks, for example, and that’s it – there are a suite of measures.

“Your infectiousness for example is affected by whether you’ve been vaccinated or not, it doesn’t mean that, of course, if you’ve been vaccinated that you can’t be infectious, I’m not saying that at all.

“But there’s a suite of measures that should be taken into account. Vaccinations; are you getting regularly tested, especially if you’re visiting vulnerable people; masks are part of the measures.”

UK news in pictures

Show all 50

1/50UK news in pictures

UK news in pictures

14 September 2021

Heavy rain covers the A149 near Kings Lynn in Norfolk

PA

UK news in pictures

13 September 2021

Luke Jerram’s ‘Museum of the Moon’ at Durham Cathedral

PA

UK news in pictures

12 September 2021

Inspirational young fundraiser Tobias Weller crosses the finish line, near his home in Sheffield, as he completes his latest epic feat where he swam and triked his way to the end of his “awesome” year-long Ironman Challenge. This is the third challenge Tobias, who has cerebral palsy and autism, has completed, raising more than £150,000 for his school and Sheffield Children Hospital’s charity

PA

UK news in pictures

11 September 2021

British player Emma Raducanu, holds up the US Open championship trophy winning the women’s singles final of the US Open in New York

AP

UK news in pictures

10 September 2021

People paddle board during a misty morning in Ullswater, the second largest lake in the Lake District, Cumbria

PA

UK news in pictures

9 September 2021

Troops from Wiltshire based 4 Armoured Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers during final inspection at Wellington Barracks in London, ahead of providing troops for the Queen’s Guard

PA

UK news in pictures

8 September 2021

Workers cross London Bridge during the morning rush hour in London

Reuters

UK news in pictures

Mixing it up: Painting it up press view in London

A gallery employee poses for photographers next to a painting entitled “Prairie” by British artist, Louise Giovanelli during the exhibition ‘Mixing it up: Painting it up’ at the Hayward Gallery in London

EPA

UK news in pictures

6 September 2021

Traders in the Ring at the London Metal Exchange, in the City of London, after open-outcry trading returned for the first time since March 2020, when the Ring was temporarily closed due to the pandemic

PA

UK news in pictures

5 September 2021

People enjoy the warm weather on Sandbanks beach, Poole

PA

UK news in pictures

4 September 2021

Demonstrators from Animal Rebellion and Nature Rebellion protest in Trafalgar Square in London.

PA

UK news in pictures

3 September 2021

South Africa’s Ntando Mahlangu (centre) wins the Men’s 200 metres T61 Final ahead of second placed Great Britain’s Richard Whitehead at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games

PA

UK news in pictures

2 September 2021

A young common seal on the beach at Horsey Gap in Norfolk, as hundreds of pregnant grey seals come ashore ready for the start of the pupping season.

PA

UK news in pictures

1 September 2021

Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire

PA

UK news in pictures

31 August 2021

Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium

Reuters

UK news in pictures

30 August 2021

Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London

EPA

UK news in pictures

29 August 2021

A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London

PA

UK news in pictures

28 August 2021

Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire

POOL/AFP/Getty

UK news in pictures

27 August 2021

Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit

Action Images via Reuters

UK news in pictures

26 August 2021

An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London

Reuters

UK news in pictures

25 August 2021

Gold Medallist Great Britain’s cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Women’s C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold

Reuters

UK news in pictures

24 August 2021

A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London

PA

UK news in pictures

23 August 2021

Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London

AFP/Getty

UK news in pictures

22 August 2021

Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest

PA

UK news in pictures

21 August 2021

People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London

Reuters

UK news in pictures

20 August 2021

People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach.

PA

UK news in pictures

19 August 2021

Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire

PA

UK news in pictures

18 August 2021

Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families

PA

UK news in pictures

17 August 2021

Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing

Reuters

UK news in pictures

16 August 2021

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute’s silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week

PA

UK news in pictures

15 August 2021

2Storm, a ten-metre tall puppet of a mythical goddess of the sea created by Edinburgh-based visual theatre company Vision Mechanics, makes its way alongside the seafront at North Berwick, East Lothian, during a performance at the Fringe By The Sea festival

PA

UK news in pictures

14 August 2021

A woman and two young girls look at floral tributes in Plymouth where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident

PA

UK news in pictures

13 August 2021

Forensic officers in the Keyham area of Plymouth where six people, including the shooter, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident on Thursday evening

PA

UK news in pictures

12 August 2021

Children ride horses in the River Eden in Appleby, Cumbria, during the annual gathering of travellers for the Appleby Horse Fair

PA

UK news in pictures

11 August 2021

Stella Moris (left) reacts after talking to the media outside the High Court in London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal, n London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal. The US government has won the latest round in its High Court bid to appeal against the decision not to extradite Julian Assange on espionage charges

PA

UK news in pictures

10 August 2021

Students react after they receive their A-Level results at the Ark Academy, in London

Reuters

UK news in pictures

9 August 2021

The final athletes from Great Britain arrive home including Jason Kenny, Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald (front left-right) at Heathrow Airport, London following the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

PA

UK news in pictures

8 August 2021

Great Britain’s Laura Kenny during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic stadium in Japan

PA

UK news in pictures

7 August 2021

People from the Glasgow Southside community take part in the Govanhill Carnival, an anti-racist celebration of pride, unity and the contributions immigrants have made to the community in Govanhill, at Queen’s Park, Glasgow

PA

UK news in pictures

6 August 2021

Chijindu Ujah of Britain, Zharnel Hughes of Britain, Richard Kilty of Britain and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake of Britain celebrate winning silver as they pose with Asha Philip of Britain, Imani Lansiquot of Britain, Dina Asher-Smith of Britain and Daryll Neita of Britain after they won bronze in the women’s 4 x 100m relay during Olympic Games Day 14

Getty

UK news in pictures

5 August 2021

A protester places flowers on a photograph of an executed man during a demonstration organised by supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) to protest against the inauguration of Iran’s new president Ebrahim Raisi in central London

AFP via Getty

UK news in pictures

4 August 2021

England’s Joe Root looks on as India’s KL Rahul doesn’t make it to a catch during day one of Cinch First Test match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham

PA

UK news in pictures

3 August 2021

Great Britain’s Laura Kenny and Jason Kenny with their silver medals for the Women’s Team Pursuit and Men’s Team Sprint during the Track Cycling at the Izu Velodrome on the eleventh day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan

PA

UK news in pictures

2 August 2021

Great Britain’s Charlotte Worthington competes during the Women’s BMX Freestyle Final at the Tokyo Olympics

PA

UK news in pictures

1 August 2021

EPA

UK news in pictures

31 July 2021

James Guy, Adam Peaty and Kathleen Dawson celebrate winning the gold medal in the mixed 4x100m medley relay final at the Tokyo Olympics

AP

UK news in pictures

30 July 2021

Great Britain’s Bethany Shriever and Kye Whyte celebrate their Gold and Silver medals respectively for the Cycling BMX Racing at the Ariake Urban Sports Park on the seventh day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan

PA

UK news in pictures

29 July 2021

Team GB’s Mallory Franklin during the Women’s Canoe Slalom Final on day six of the Tokyo Olympic Games. She went on to win the silver medal

Getty

UK news in pictures

28 July 2021

Canoers on Llyn Padarn lake in Snowdonia, Gwynedd. It was announced that the north-west Wales slate landscape has been granted UNESCO World Heritage Status

PA

UK news in pictures

27 July 2021

A view of one of two areas now being used at a warehouse facility in Dover, Kent, for boats used by people thought to be migrants.

PA

Questioned on the lax rules planned for Tory conference, Mr Javid said he was “sure many of [those attending] will wear masks”.

But he stopped short of recommending then, adding: “If they’re meeting with people that are a complete stranger, people will actually choose to do that. But many also will be vaccinated, many will also be been taking tests…”

He added that there was no “need for a vaccine passport given where we are with Covid at this point” but said the policy was there was an option if the pandemic “gets out of control” again.

Anti-mask and anti-lockdown sentiment has been widespread in some Conservative-supporting publications read by MPs since the beginning of the pandemic.

Masks have been recommended in countries around the world as a means of reducing the spread of the virus.

Source link