“claims would be jaw dropping in a Third-World dictatorship..” -Met police
So much has happened over the past few days that it is very easy to overlook statements that would, in more sane times, be top of the news agenda.
One such statement was made a couple of days ago. As it seems to have gained little or no attention, I thought it worthy of note.So please excuse me stepping back a day or two…
In Wednesday’s Telegraph there was a statement by Steve Morley from the Metropolitan Police that “claims would be jaw-dropping in a Third World dictatorship let alone in the country of hope and glory”.
Was he talking about accusations of a Police cover-up concerning the shooting of an innocent electrician? Claims of Police brutality at civilian protests prior to a summit of world leaders? Allegations of heavy handed techniques employed when arresting an opposition Member of Parliament who had been an outspoken critic of the Minister in charge of – oh – the police? ( i could go on..)
Certainly sounds like the actions of police in a “Third-World dictatorship”
But no. He was talking about “some” MP’s expense claims.
But I agree with Mr Morley. We are now living in a tin-pot police state; bankrupt, corrupt, and with a deluded mad man at the top clinging onto power.
May 15th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
From the article – “Can you explain for the benefit of my members, your electorate, why all our expenses and allowances have been taken away?”
It’s amazing what politicians can get away with; trashing the economy, broken electoral promises, heaping taxes on us all etc etc ad infinitum.
But the one thing that unites us all is the gross, stinking hypocrisy of pollie expenses.
With all the other things, it’s the knowledge that they have to lie in the same bed they make for us, pay the same taxes, live by the same laws etc.
But then we learn it’s different for them and in fact that a great number of them have acted without honour. Have they not noticed the reasons for most revolutions?
Maybe that’s what we in fact need. But not an armed revolution, a revolution of thought.
May 15th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
We are now approaching – if not at – the level of public anger we saw during the poll tax riots. The next step may well be civil disobedience. I dont think this is what Ming Campbell meant last night when he said we have reached “tipping point” – but he might have described precisely where we are.