Sad to hear news today of the tragic death of Fiona Jones, former MP for Newark whose life was wrecked following wrongful conviction on election expenses law - despite being vindicated within weeks by the High Court.I'd hoped that stories I picked up from sources earlier in the week were nonsense. Sadly not.
It was confirmed today that Fiona, 49, had died at her home in Saxily near Lincoln on Sunday, of natural causes.
Fiona was victim of a series of inaccurate but damaging media briefings which eventually were proved to be rubbish.
Sound familiar…?
She was eventually cleared in the High Court by three senior judges including Lord Chief Justice Bingham, but she never recovered from the negative publicity and she lost her seat in the 2001 General Election.
I welcome comments by former Tory Leader Iain Duncan Smith when asked about the so-called “Cash for Honours” investigation on BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions tonight (repeated tomorrow lunchtime).IDS rightly said the public should be concerned at the way police briefed the media during high-profile investigations. He reminded police of the need for confidentiality in confidential matters.
His views don’t fit the current media feeding frenzy of course, so don’t expect to see IDS's comments making headlines in many of tomorrow’s papers.
10 comments:
But I am afraid we all know the way this works. Labour are worried that this inquiry will undercover blatant skullduggery. The have rubbished the polilce investigation and claimed that the investigation is "damaging" politics. Au contraire. It is damaging them. The only thing that would damage politics more than their corruption is a failure to uncover it. I trust the police will resist the attempts to wind up their inquiry early, and find the evidence they require inspite of the Whitehall cover-up.
Michael:
1. Of course the police should be allowed to properly investigate. That's their job. But they should not be in the business of leaks - as the former Tory leader said yesterday.
2. You appear to start from a presumption of guilt. I prefer the principle of innocent unless and until proven guilty. Let's wait for the outcome of the police inquiry, and let's hope that's soon. Surely a year of damaging drip,drip,drip is long enough?
3. If the PM is not charged, will people like you shut up and allow him to get on with running the country as he was elected to do...?
No, didn't think so. Then you'll shout whitewash and cover-up.
Good to see the Prime Minister coming out fighting today, standing up for democracy and getting on with ensuring economic stability, raising standards in schools, rebuilding the NHS and cutting crime...
As he says, you'll have to put up with him for a bit longer yet, he's still got important work to do.
Here in Britain, it's a glorious day. Hope it is where you live too...!
It's a fantastic day here as well, made better by watching the fool Blair end his office in shame. Your time is running out. Your corruption is being exposed. Blair was elected to govern. He was not elected to sell places in our legislature to enrich the Labour Party. If there are leaks from the police, I am sure it is merely frustration at Whitehall's attempts to smear this inquiry in the media. Understandable. Any analysis of major donors and nominations for peerages tells you there was a crime. It is just a matter of establishing which particular individuals in the New Labour cleptocracy are guilty. There is no conceivable situation where the PM would not be accountable for this, and his refusal to resign is merely the kind of feeble tackle of a dying Government. He is wasting our time and shaming his office. All the rest is wishful thinking. This rotten PM could cut crime by handing himself into Yates and finally telling the truth about this grubby little affair.
As for the rest. Joke exams in schools, high taxes, foreign criminals on the loose, and record levels of MRSA and negligence cases suggest that after ten years this Government has run out of ideas, and is just about to run out of time. Good riddance.
michael:
have you ever thought of applying for a job at the daily mail...?
"The only thing that would damage politics more than their corruption is a failure to uncover it."
So are you saying that if the police don't uncover corruption - perhaps because it isn't there - then that proves that Labour is corrupt?
That's Heads You Win, Tails They Lose. With that kind of attitude it's a wonder anyone would ever go into politics. Then who would govern? The police?
The Civil Service is 500000 people(not to mention the hordes of other "workers" in the NHS and local authorities. I hardly Britain is likely to lack administrators. Unfortunately. If they are not attracted to government because the people object to their corruption, then I think the country would survive without their services.
On the other issue. There has been a crime. As I said before, a look at the list of major donors to the Labour Party, compared to a list of people nominated for Peerages by the Labour Government, is proof of the crime. The investigation is simply an attempt to find out WHICH of them is guilty. It would be hard to see how the person whop nominated the people(Blair) wasn't guilty. And I suspect most of them at the top of Government knew about this crime. A failure to find evidence, and send these criminals to jail for this would damage politics. The signs are very good so far. The fact that LAbour are moaning about the police investigation is a sure sign that they are getting very close to some uncomfortable truths.
Michael, does your respected father, Lord Oakeshott, the Liberal Democrat peer, know about your robust views?
How on earth can anyone help run a country when they have so many problems running their own lives.
C. Kay
My previous comments were to be directed to Newark Council re: the tragic death of Fiona Jones, not to Fiona herself. She had not a chance to do what she wanted to do she was too busy fighting with her "colleagues".
How embarrassing for them.
C. Kay
I have just had the biggest laugh ever, when i see you refer to yourself as fairdealphill. In fact i.m still laughing. WHAT A SENSE OF HUMOUR!!!!!!!!!
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