Little women
New Labour, it seems, are steaming over the cash for honours investigation. You get the feeling that if Yates of the Yard doesn’t come up with something substantial, the revenge taken by the party high-command will be swift and unpleasant to watch.
Witness, for example, them still fulminating at the treatment of Ruth Turner, Tony Blair’s political adviser, arrested in a dawn raid the other week:
High-level Labour figures have characterised Mr Yates’s techniques as intimidatory, claiming that Ms Turner,Mr Blair’s head of government relations, was forced to dress in front of the police when they knocked at her door at 6.30am.
One Labour official angrily said: “We do not live in a banana republic, whatever Assistant Commissioner Yates believes.”
Yes, shocking behaviour when contrasted to the dignity doled out by Her Majesty’s Government’s immigration officials, no doubt. Witness the treatment of the Kachepa family who were deported last year.
The Home Office was informed that a fresh appeal was pending, but at 7am on Sunday March 13 this year, a dozen police and immigration officers banged at the Kachepas’ front door. The family were told to hand over their phones and pack their bags. They were being taken to Yarl’s Wood detention centre, and then removed to Malawi. “They didn’t even give us the chance to bathe,” says Verah. “We were treated like criminals.”
Natasha, who had been offered a place at university to study nursing, was still in her nightie. A male and female officer entered her room. She claims she had to dress in front of them. “I asked, ‘Can I have some privacy?’, but they said two officers had to be present: The male said, ‘It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.’ I found it degrading.” The Kachepas later lodged a complaint. The charge was denied.
If nothing else, this episode might teach New Labour’s high command some humility - give a them a small taste of what it’s like to be the little people. Maybe get them to dial back on the primus inter pares horseshit. Just a little?
Posted on February 3rd, 2007 at 11:23 am
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What you said, Justin. New Labour should count themselves lucky, for example, compared to the nine Birmingham men currently helping police with their inquiries. It would be nice to hear a murmur of indignation from the Home Office at the PR frenzy surrounding those arrests. Oh, hang on…
Curiously the Grauniad story actually contains the phrase “we do not live in a banana public”. Unlike trial by jury and the presumption of innocence, some traditions do die hard.
Being the object of suspicion by the police is almost always a deeply unpleasant and humiliating experience as thousands of totally innocent people can testify. The police have their methods and will do whatever they believe may further confirmation (or negation) of their suspicions that they can ‘get away with’. In extremis it results in summary execution of the ’suspect’; so perhaps those on the receiving end of ‘Cash for Honours’ suspicions ought to to be grateful for small mercies.
The galling thing about it is that they clearly believe their elevated positions entitle them to be treated differently - as being self-evidently above ANY suspicion whatsoever - when it is crystal clear that they are the most extreme collection of corrupt, arrogant, patronising, self-serving shysters ever to have occupied 10 Downing Street.
‘If nothing else, this episode might teach New Labour’s high command some humility - give a them a small taste of what it’s like to be the little people.’
I wouldn’t count on it - they’re playing it as if it was some idiotic press fantasy that must be stoically endured. Clearly they intend to tough it out.
Whilst it is nice to see that the dolts whos power we have to endure are not above suspicion or beyond the reach of the law, I can’t help but think their will be another huton-ish white-wash.
My only hope is that when or if such a white-wash occurs it covers up what shred of credibility blair’s government has left is also covered in the eye of the voting public.
If the police interogation is not intimidating to a certain extent they are not doing their job.
By intimidating, I mean “facing the stern majesty of the law and realising that not telling the truth is a bad plan” not “why is that bloke holding a cricket bat?”
Who was the Labour minister who said we don’t live in a banana republic?
This was exactly how Matthew Parris described how living in Britain at the fag end of a Blair govt. felt like.I think the guy was spot on in his piece in last Saturday’s Times ( a paper I picked up over a pint but would’t buy ).
It’s really refreshing to know that these ” bury bad news ” type operators in New Labour’s backrooms are on the end of the hardnosed policing they advocate for migrants.Serves the woman right.None of Blair’s women will be remembered for achieving anything or anyone let alone any of their own gender.
From Cohen’s Stepford Wives,the appalling group elected in 1997 who went on immediately to vote to penalize some of the poorest and most vulnerable women in our community ( single mothers to wit ), to Ruth whatsername they have dishonoured the brave radicalism of their suffragette predecessors just like Blair has besmirched the memory of Keir Hardy.
A bunch of ill-begotten sheisters to a man …and woman!