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MacKaskill : a man out of his depth

By Angela Harbutt
August 24th, 2009 at 11:43 am | 1 Comment | Posted in UK Politics

The decision to release the convicted Libyan bomber was botched from start to end. Lets ignore for a moment the unelected Business Secretary’s involvement in the process.

1. Why did MacKaskill – the Scottish Justice Secretary – feel the need to MEET the convicted bomber ? There was no need. Representations could and should have been made in writing without the need to actually go and have a chat with the man.

2. Why did the bomber drop his appeal immediately following that meeting ? What was said at that meeting that led to that extraordinary decision? Under Scots law, dropping an appeal is not a necessary precondition of compassionate release.

3. Why was the decision released to the media BEFORE the relatives of the victims or the Scottish parliament were told?

All round this was handled about as ineptly as it could have been. Why? My suspicion is because it did involve business deals with Libya, pressure from the Business Secretary and the Prime Minister, and the desire for the appeal not to be heard (quite possibly where failings in the original trial would be highlighted). That led to hurried and poor decisions being made. Overall, I am afraid this speaks of (yet another) senior official,when really tested, just not being up to the job.

The Scottish parliament meet this afternoon in an emergency session. I doubt that anything satisfactory will come out of the emergency debate. But will watch with interest.

I hope that the Lib Dems will continue to put pressure on the Prime Minister to be questioned on this. Why parliament is in recess for so long – when important issues of state go unexamined and unexplained – is beyond me.

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Gordon Brown : a man with no sense of priorities

By Angela Harbutt
August 24th, 2009 at 9:07 am | 2 Comments | Posted in UK Politics

brown-and-gaddafi-002Gordon Brown has been under pressure, for several days now, to say something about the release of the convicted Libyan bomber, Abdulbaset al-Megrahi.

And rightly so. After all Colonel Gaddaffi has gone public thanking “his friend” Gordon Brown for the release of al Megrahi. And Gaddffi’s son has made it clear that the convicted bomber was always part of Libya’s discussions with Britain on oil and other trade. But to date, nothing from our Prime Minister.

Last night I was listening to the radio five live news (Sunday 2230) and I hear that Downing Street are describing the England Ashes victory as “exhilarating”  and that “Gordon Brown will be writing to the captain Andrew Strauss to congratulate the team”.

Can someone tell me how it can be construed as, in anyway, appropriate to maintain radio silence on the release of Megrahi, yet come out promptly to comment on a game of cricket?

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Sarah Brown: Press-ganged poodle or PR Pro?

By Angela Harbutt
July 9th, 2009 at 11:24 pm | Comments Off on Sarah Brown: Press-ganged poodle or PR Pro? | Posted in UK Politics

sarah-brown-blog

Gordon Brown has proved himself conclusively to be a charmless arrogant man, psychologically flawed, with all the “social skills of a whelk”. So what to do with such a catastrophic image problem just ten months out from a general election?sarah-brown-michelle-obama

Enter Mrs Brown stage left. Today, at the G8 summit, she was seen out and about with Michele Obama, yesterday it was a turn with the pope. Earlier this week it was reported that she has guest edited an upcoming special edition of the News of the World’s Sunday magazine “Fabulous” (on women’s health). Last week she was at Glastonbury (with Naomi Campbell no less) and the London Gay Pride march .

sarah-brown-and-naomi-campbell-at-glastonburyShe has also started twittering (300,000 followers no less),  has a face book page, and has come straight in at number two in Tatler magazine’s “Most Invited” list 2009. 

Thats a lot of PR.  Not only is she a bright PR professional, she is also warm, engaging, and  I am told, a genuinely “nice” person.SOCIAL Pride 143034

But the question that I really want to know is – has she been press ganged into the role by Gordon’s goons or has the PR professional taken it upon herself to attempt to salvage her husbands career on the (correct) assumption that she cant do any worse than the pretty shoddy lot her husband has thus far employed ?

Either way (a la Mrs Kinnock) I may well seek out Mike Smithson’s views on the what the odds are that it will be MRS Brown in parliament come the election after next rather than Mr Brown.

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Why I didnt support the first “Armed Forces Day”

By Angela Harbutt
June 28th, 2009 at 3:45 pm | 4 Comments | Posted in Uncategorized

gordon-brown-hijacks-national-armed-forces-day-actI opened up the Sunday Telegraph of all newspapers this morning to be greeted with what amounts to 2 full pages of government propaganda with the headline “Nation salutes its heroes on the first Armed Forces Day”. They campaigned for it – so I guess they wanted to shout about it.

I didnt support it yesterday and I wont support it any time soon. Not because I am anti the armed forces. I actually think that, of their kind, they are pretty damn good.

I dont support it because this is just another example of the government hi-jacking a PR event to suit their own agenda.

This is the same government that skimped on equipment going into the Iraq war. Many deaths can be laid at the door of the then-chancellor Gordon Brown who refused the budgets necessary to keep these soldiers alive. This is the same government that has overseen record numbers of ex-soldiers ending up in custody. Ex-military personnel comprise by far the largest occupational group in the prison system – because there is no money to help them get over the trauma of war. This is the same government that wanted the inquiry into Iraq held in private – despite military leaders demand that they have their actions judged by the public. This is the same government that wanted to turn their back on the Ghurkas lest we forget.  I could not find any mention of any of that in the Telegraph’s patriotic report (please tell me if I missed it).

If this government cared that much about these people they would have done more – and do more – where it matters. Not create a tokenistic flag-waving  “Armed Forces Day” in the hope that the remaining good will for the forces will somehow rub-off on them. With a few handy pictures of Gordon with the boys and girls in uniform along the way.

What is also disappointing is that the armed forces seem unable to stop the goverment using them for their own political ends. I understand that they crave a return to the warmth and respect that was once theirs without question. But they wont get it from me until they stand up to this government. Perhaps that we will see that during the Iraq inquiry (those bits we are allowed to see).Lets hope.

PS: Was it purely coincidence that the date chosen – 27th June, also marks the Day Gordon Brown became Prime Minister back in 2007? What a day to choose whoever thought it up!

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Brown out in 9 months. Labour out in 11?

By Angela Harbutt
June 24th, 2009 at 11:48 pm | 5 Comments | Posted in UK Politics

I had dinner tonight with a pretty significant journalist from a major broadcaster who relayed a story they felt in their own words “was a fraction shy of being reported on air” (and trust me, they have the power to run the story if they felt it could be stacked…).

As it happens a secondary source, at the last moment, was unwilling to be quoted.  So the story did not hit the airwaves.  But my dinner partner was “as sure as one can be” that the story stacked up.

I think it stacks up too. I heard it from another source just 24 hours earlier…

Question: Why didn’t David Milliband resign – as expected – shortly (hours)after the Purnell resignation?

Question:  Why didn’t Alan Johnson put the knife in ?

Question: Why did the PLP draw back from all-out  war with Gordon Brown when all the cards were theirs to play?

Answer : The “deal” was done “that evening” by the the Prince of Darkness… In return for the party backing down on Gordon “right then”….. it was agreed that  Gordon Brown WILL  QUIT as leader shortly (i.e weeks) ahead of the general election – with Johnson taking on the crown and moving immediately into a general election.

The reasoning?  (a) Brown wants to hang on in the (vain hope) that his record is salvaged between now and then. And (b) Labour pollsters reckon this is the best possible option for a slim parliamentary win – or, more likely, retention of power with a pact with the Lib Dems.

Now. What will the Lib Dems do in face of this information ?

UPDATE 11am, Thurs. 25th June : This scenario is becoming “perceived wisdom” in the Westminster village.

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