Conservative MP - Police Rant.

[Blue62]

Do the good folk of PH think this story has 'Gillian Duffy' type potential to do damage, or will it slip quietly down the back of the sofa?

[DJRC]

Blue62 said:

Do the good folk of PH think this story has 'Gillian Duffy' type potential to do damage, or will it slip quietly down the back of the sofa?

If the police had any good sense and if the political classes in general they would all let it slip away quietly. Alas, recent evidence would indicate this is not a cause for optimism.

[retrobob]

[Pickled Piper]

This is going to run and run until Mitchell resigns.

pp

[Derek Smith]

DJRC said:

If the police had any good sense and if the political classes in general they would all let it slip away quietly. Alas, recent evidence would indicate this is not a cause for optimism.

Not sure what the police have done. The police officers who were insulted filed reports, as they no doubt felt they were obliged to, and the Federation answered questions from the media. The one interviewed by Sky News this morning was very polite, after correcting them after being called a union, and merely more or less said that his blokes had said one thing and the miister refused to say that he hadn't said the word.

Anyone with any sense would have admitted it early on, apologised and that would have been that. But one would have had to have been an optimist to think that would have happened.

Showing contempt for the police is one thing. Continuing to do so by in effect calling them liars is entirely another.

[retrobob]

[Halb]

Blue62 said:

Do the good folk of PH think this story has 'Gillian Duffy' type potential to do damage, or will it slip quietly down the back of the sofa?

Took me a while to recall the reference.
My first thought was thinking of that actor giving a bj in her Range Rover in a lay-by.

[Nom de ploom]

I've no love for tories but why is "resign" the defualt opening gambit for all of this type of thing?

I think he is being harshly treated. he said something he shouldn't, apologised. apologised again. move along. these aren't the droids you're looking for.

end of/

[MOTORVATOR]

Derek Smith said:

Not sure what the police have done.

I would say in simple terms that they have placed their reports with the media and caused the st storm in the first place.

If true of course and the sun didn't raid their offices to get the story.

Without that one single act then this story would not exist. Taking aside the rights and wrongs of what happened on the day is that single act defensible?

[thinfourth2]

Tory ministers

If you are in a hole


Stop digging

[martin84]

Sweet juddering fornication is this story still going?!

[DJRC]

Derek Smith said:

DJRC said:

If the police had any good sense and if the political classes in general they would all let it slip away quietly. Alas, recent evidence would indicate this is not a cause for optimism.

Not sure what the police have done. The police officers who were insulted filed reports, as they no doubt felt they were obliged to, and the Federation answered questions from the media. The one interviewed by Sky News this morning was very polite, after correcting them after being called a union, and merely more or less said that his blokes had said one thing and the miister refused to say that he hadn't said the word.

Anyone with any sense would have admitted it early on, apologised and that would have been that. But one would have had to have been an optimist to think that would have happened.

Showing contempt for the police is one thing. Continuing to do so by in effect calling them liars is entirely another.

"No comment thankyou, its all been taken care of with a quiet word between the concerned parties. This matter is now closed."

Job done, end of, no further interviews or questions taken on the subject.

[motco]

martin84 said:

Sweet juddering fornication is this story still going?!

Someone on 'Today' this morning declared that "it still has some mileage in it yet". That perfectly sums up the pathetic attitude of the media to any non-story that embarrasses Dave's party. Petty is too small a word.

[motco]

Blue62 said:

motco said:

What kind of carpet bombing of a subject would the BBC carry out on a really important story? This whole thing is so bloody petty it defies belief.

I would agree with you on the pettiness, but surely the story is being pushed hardest by the Sun, although it's across all media channels right now (unbelievable). I know that there are quite a few million BBC haters on PH, but a bit of balance now and then might go some way to giving your general position a bit more credibility.

And how in the name of all things sane and reasonable can they connect it with the murders of the policewomen in Manchester last week?

[physprof]

motco said:

martin84 said:

Sweet juddering fornication is this story still going?!

Someone on 'Today' this morning declared that "it still has some mileage in it yet". That perfectly sums up the pathetic attitude of the media to any non-story that embarrasses Dave's party. Petty is too small a word.

Mitchell had the perfect platform this morning at 8am to say EXACTLY what he said to the police. That he chose to procrastinate is why it is running.

e.g. from BBC "When asked whether he had used the word "plebs", as is alleged in the Sun newspaper, Mr Mitchell did not answer directly, saying only that he had not used the words that have been reported."

To my reading this is what does any politician damage.... trying the smarter than you defence.

[Pupp]

motco said:

martin84 said:

Sweet juddering fornication is this story still going?!

Someone on 'Today' this morning declared that "it still has some mileage in it yet". That perfectly sums up the pathetic attitude of the media to any non-story that embarrasses Dave's party. Petty is too small a word.

So, ignoring the apparently silver-spoon begat arrogance that perhaps prompted the exchange (if it occurred), you think it a 'non-story' that a minister of state should seemingly feel compelled to lie over such a trifling spat? Doesn't that make you question how the said minister might behave if something important arises on his watch?

[sugerbear]

motco said:

martin84 said:

Sweet juddering fornication is this story still going?!

Someone on 'Today' this morning declared that "it still has some mileage in it yet". That perfectly sums up the pathetic attitude of the media to any non-story that embarrasses Dave's party. Petty is too small a word.

Either a minister or a police officer is lying. There is plenty of mileage left in finding out who is telling the truth. One or the other should be sacked.

[DJRC]

Pupp said:

motco said:

martin84 said:

Sweet juddering fornication is this story still going?!

Someone on 'Today' this morning declared that "it still has some mileage in it yet". That perfectly sums up the pathetic attitude of the media to any non-story that embarrasses Dave's party. Petty is too small a word.

So, ignoring the apparently silver-spoon begat arrogance that perhaps prompted the exchange (if it occurred), you think it a 'non-story' that a minister of state should seemingly feel compelled to lie over such a trifling spat? Doesn't that make you question how the said minister might behave if something important arises on his watch?

You DONT expect them to lie??? I always thought Chief Whips were legally obliged to be address as "Darth..." during their tenure...?

[ClaphamGT3]

The machinery is swinging behind Mitchell on this;

I suspect that, if the story is running in any shape or form tomorrow, it will be focusing on how the police logs got into the hands of the Sun.

Unfortunate timing for the Met that the first officer to be charged as part of Op Elveden was charged today.

I suspect that if Tully & co don't pipe down the CCO press machine will be pushing very hard on the breach of ethics on the part of the police angle

Edited by ClaphamGT3 on Monday 24th September 20:50

[XCP]

I would have thought that was a separate issue.