The Damian Green arrest story resurfaces

Sky News are reporting that:

"Regular readers of Boulton and Co will recall that I have twice before (November 24 and January 21) written about evidence given by Martin and the Clerk of the House, Malcolm Jack, to a committee of MPs investigating the arrest of Tory MP Damian Green and the police raid on his Commons office.

Both told the committee, chaired by Sir Menzies Campbell, that they learned of the raid from Sky News "that afternoon", Jack claiming it was at 2.20pm. In fact, it was not until about 7.30pm that I revealed the arrest on Sky News, as Damian Green told the committee in a letter to Sir Menzies.

Was there, therefore, a cock-up, cover-up or conspiracy involving the Speaker and the Clerk and an attempt to pin the blame for the fiasco on the Sergeant at Arms, Jill Pay?

That's what Sir Menzies and his committee are wondering, obviously, because - in a new twist to this gripping drama - they have summoned Malcolm Jack to appear before the committee for a second time, on Wednesday 24 February, at 4.35pm in the Thatcher Room in Portcullis House.

...

I'm mot sure the second appearance of Dr Jack before Sir Menzies and his committee will be a bundle of laughs..."

There are many news stories that will come to define the way that this Labour government have debased democracy, free speech and the rule of law; the arrest of Damian Green will be one of the clearest examples.



Thanks to Mrs Rigsby for the spot.

The Sun deserts the Labour party

The headlines this morning revolve around the Sun newspaper's decision to drop support for Gordon Brown's Labour rabble and start supporting David Cameron's Conservatives. The announcement is being given much coverage because The Sun newspaper likes to portray itself as the paper that decides elections. In truth The Sun follows the electorate as much as it leads them, Rupert Murdoch always likes to be on the winning side but it does have a role to play in helping to mould the perceptions of its readership. Any newspaper that could convince the working man that Tony Blair and Gordon Brown were honest decent men could persuade their readership of almost anything.

Labour are claiming that they don't care about the newspapers. Remember this is the political party that set out to control the media agenda from the mid 1990s and only now are finally losing control. "The Grid" is all but a busted flush, just like its masters - Gordon Brown, Peter Mandelson and Alastair Campbell.


In truth this decision has been a long time coming. Post the 2005 election afterglow, The Sun has been moving from supporting Labour to Conservative since late 2007 and I have been reporting this move here. It started with turning against Gordon Brown as the perception of him changed from prudent economic mastermind to wasteful incompetent.
In November 2007 I blogged

"Today it seems as though the Sun newspaper maybe about to turn on Gordon Brown, the hints have been there before but today that point is noticeably closer."

In March 2008 The Sun was still able to report seriously that:

"GORDON Brown today gives Britain his personal guarantee he will save the nation from financial meltdown....“My guarantee to the British people is that we will hold on to stability in these latest tough times."

In May 2008 I reported on a Trevor Kavanagh Sun column that seemed to echo one of my own and I concluded

"I am glad that Rupert Murdoch's tabloid paper is finally turning against Gordon Brown and the Labour party. Maybe the powers that be realise that Labour are a dead duck party. Read the whole article it's not the article that a Labour supporting paper would carry."

In August 2008 I reported The Sun comments that

"Gordon Brown has a reputation for dithering. He has added to it this week. And by doing so he has made David Cameron look like a credible leader."

In February I blogged that The Sun was about to swap sides and that

"today is not a moment too soon for Mr Brown to say sorry to the British people.

And walk out of Downing Street for good." I concluded "If it was indeed "the Sun what won it" in 1992 then I wonder if it will be again in 2009/2010. "

In March I concluded that

"Rupert Murdoch is moving his forces away from New Labour and that is the biggest signal that he has read the mood of the Country and he is moving to align himself with winners not losers. "

In May I wrote

"The Sun newspaper will never be behind the curve if it can help it so today's article entitled "Give Britain an election... now" is a real end of the line for Gordon Brown and the Labour Party."

Later in May I reported on Nick Robinson's claim that

"The Tory leader has struggled to get much attention for his call for a general election to elect a new Parliament to go along with a new Speaker. This, despite the fact that he is working in partnership with the Sun. "

In June I blogged about another Trevor Kavanagh article that included this call

"If you are a jaded but loyal Labour supporter, sitting on your backside is a form of protest, too. But as this newspaper argues today, the best way to get your message home - at least on Europe - is by using your ballot paper and voting Tory."

Finally in June I blogged about The Sun's reporting of the chaos as the heart of the Labour government

"George Pascoe-Watson has really turned on Labour with today's piece:

"LABOUR was in chaos over spending last night after accusing the Tories of planning cuts — only to admit they will have to do the same.

Children’s secretary Ed Balls said Labour would INCREASE spending on schools and hospitals after 2011 by cutting payments to other areas like defence.

But he was slapped down by one of his own Cabinet colleagues — with Deputy Chancellor Liam Byrne saying Mr Balls had no “crystal ball” and was WRONG to make the guarantee.

The amazing clash came as Labour was accused of LYING over its plans. "

Damian Green MarkII

I see that the Police and the House of Commons authorities have done it again. It seems that the Conservative MP Daniel Kawczynski had hid office searched by the police without a warrant. Apparently:

"Mr Kawczynski said he had received a phone call from an assistant telling him that police were searching his office.

Speaking in the House of Commons, he used a point of order to raise the matter, saying: "I am extremely shocked at what I am going to say."

Mr Kawczynski added: "I received a note from my office that there was a police officer in my office demanding to see correspondence.

"They were already present in my office and I went down to see them after making my speech."

The police had been investigating an "important case", the MP said, involving correspondence sent to ministers and had wanted "handwritten samples" of letters received by him."

As Daniel Kawczynski's colleague Tobias Ellwood said following the search of Mr Green's Commons office "we did have assurances that no offices would be entered unless a warrant was produced and that clearly hasn't happened today and we deserve to have some sort of clarification by the home secretary".


Does Michael Martin have any control over the precincts of the House of Commons? Or did he or his officials collude with the Police in their search, after all they were investigating the sending of an envelope filled with a white powder (actually flour) to Gordon Brown's close colleague Ed Balls?


UPDATE:
Thursday morning and the BBC are reporting a slight change in the story, but as it is the BBC cfan we believe them? Apparently:

"Scotland Yard said a Parliament-based police officer had entered the office "by appointment".

...

a Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "At 1750 this evening an officer based at the Palace of Westminster entered a member's office by appointment concerning a local investigation.

"The investigation was concerning a series of letters received at the House containing non-noxious white powder.

"The officer did not request to search the office and no search was conducted.

"A piece of correspondence matching handwriting of those under investigation was removed from the office after permission was granted by the MP.""

Surveillance Britain

I am all but lost for words, the BBC report that:

"The police officers who arrested Conservative frontbench MP Damian Green were wearing sound recording equipment, the Metropolitan Police has said.

Police said a tape recording was made "without his knowledge" but with the "best of intentions" to provide an accurate record of the arrest."

I am getting more and more worried about the way the Labour Government have politicised the British police and now have enough Labour supporting officers in positions of authority to take the decisions that will please the Labour Government without needing actual direction.

The Damian Green affair

Odd how yesterday it was being reported that Ken Jones, the head of ACPO, had given his support to the way the Home Office and the Met had acted over the Damian Green investigation and arrest. Whilst today we learn that the Metropolitan police have engaged the same Ken Jones to carry out a review of the way the matter was handled.

No preconceptions?

Have enough MPs had enough of Michael Martin?

The Mail reports that:

"Speaker Michael Martin faces a humiliating revolt by MPs over his handling of the Damian Green affair when the Queen visits Westminster for the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday.

An all-party group of MPs is threatening to hijack the Queen’s Speech in an attempt to force the Speaker to apologise for his conduct – and may call on him to resign."

Of course if Speaker Martin does have to resign then the inbuilt Labour majority could elect yet another Labour stooge as Speaker, but would Gordon Brown and his cabal dare to try what Tony Blair succeeded with in 1997? What do they have to lose...

Is Damian Green a terrorist, is George Osborne, is everybody who disagrees with this Labour government?

Damian Green was arrested by anti-terrorist police, people are asking how can this be. Well this might provide you with a clue (my emphasis):

"the European Union employs a definition of terrorism for legal/official purposes which is set out in Art. 1 of the Framework Decision on Combating Terrorism (2002).[22] This provides that terrorist offences are certain criminal offences set out in a list comprised largely of serious offences against persons and property which;

"given their nature or context, may seriously damage a country or an international organisation where committed with the aim of: seriously intimidating a population; or unduly compelling a Government or international organisation to perform or abstain from performing any act; or seriously destabilising or destroying the fundamental political, constitutional, economic or social structures of a country or an international organisation."

So "talking down the pound" could be defined as terrorism - watch out George Osborne, why do you think Gordon Brown was so keen to attack George Osborne's comments? Criticising Muslim groups for not condemning Islamic terrorism could be defined as terrorism by dint of destroying social structures. Supporting dissent within the EU could be classified as terrorism as it could be seen as destabilising an international organisation. Calling for public protests outside Parliament could be classified as terrorism as that could be seen as destabilising a constitutional structure. In fact if this Labour government want to silence any of us bloggers, they could do so under existing legislation as easy as 1-2-3.

Now are you afraid? I am.


I have long read Atlas Shrugged's comments on Biased-BBC with more than a degree of scepticism; but maybe, just maybe, his paranoia has some foundations.

Now are you afraid?

Damian Green - "conspiracy to cause misconduct in public office".

This government and the Metropolitan Police are out of control, they have once again used anti-terrorist legislation for non-terrorist purposes. As I have said before, this Labour government are turning the UK into a totalitarian police state, dissent is to be snuffed out and any opposition to the government will be deemed to be against the interests of the state. As I said recently,

"Just as Samuel Johnson pronounced that patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel; I believe that using the threat of terrorism is often the first refuge of this totalitarian Labour government."

Anyone else scared of what might happen next?

Guido Fawkes has a rather good take on this and here is his graphic: