There has been something of a political scandal going on in the UK, where an opposition MP Damian Green was arrested under anti terrorism legislation, on the apparently non - terrorist charge of 'suspicion of conspiring to commit misconduct in public office' (aka being leaked home office immigration secrets), his offices and homes searched.
This was compounded by the the 'sanctity' of MP's in the Palace of Westminster being abused when the Serjeant-at-Arms, who works for the 'speaker of the house' (who is a government MP appointee), allowed the police in to Parliament with no warrants.
The protection against arrest in Parliament had been one of the MP's arguments with Charles I before the English Civil War, so this was a serious matter, and when former Labour MP Tony Benn said that 'Once the police can interfere with Parliament, we are into the police state', you know it was a serious breach of privileges. As usual all the Government Ministers claimed to have had no knowledge of events.
Then we come to Peter Hain, a man I freely admit to considering nothing more than a political chancer, who flips and flops his opinions to get office (He was famously anti nuclear and then not so when given a ministerial job) ..... he had been under something of a cloud over £103,000 in campaign donations, which were declared 'late'. He has now been investigated and prosecutors said on Friday there was 'insufficient evidence to charge him with anything'.
He has been on TV and Radio and told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I stepped down from the government to clear my name and now I'm pleased I have done so". Now forgive me, but 'insufficient evidence to charge' someone, is not the same as 'clearing' them, and its this sloppy interpretation of events that is a hall mark of this governments spin.
Friday 5 December 2008
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There was a little spin in this tale of Peter Hain, when he was declared guilty of "serious and substantial" failures in not registering donations, by the Commons standards watchdog.
ReplyDeleteHe may think he's totally exonerated, but everyone else is using the language usually reserved for those guilty of something.
I guess it depends if you are a politician or not, as to how you spin this.