Post Mortem - Sir Philip Mawer
If we'd have been able to post an hour long interview I really would have. It was painful trying to bring it down to a couple of salient points. Fact is, Sir Philip's as straight as a die - no bones about it. Between a rock and a hard place, he never shirked from telling it like it is.
Two key points ;
- His teeth are the very Parliament he investigates.
- There's a ministerial code, but no formalised independent means of investigation and he strongly advocates this.
An MP is elected by the people to represent them in Parliament, they represent our sovereignty, we "loan" it to them. Check out the Motherlode on constitutional law - Professor Gearty's interview.
Fact of the matter is, if the electorate wants to hold an MP to account for lying, it has to go through Parliament or to the ballot box (once every 4 or 5 years). When an MP lies (especially if he happens to be a Minister) there's bugger all we can do if without a statute against it - and even then, it's a matter of debate - George Bathurst reported our Deputy Prime Minister to the Police for what was a clear breach of the Ministerial Code and the law (Prevention of Corruption Acts) - but Scotland Yard refused to investigate and Sir Philip Mawer was powerless to act.
Any suggestions gratefully appreciated.
Petition ???? March/Demonstration ?? Chuck the lot at them.
ReplyDeleteI've got a suggestion - don't waste your time.
ReplyDeleteWhat was their reasoning for not acting in the George Bathurst/John Prescott thing ?
ReplyDeleteCheck out http://mo-truth.blogspot.com/2006/11/i-write-to-report-offences-under-1889.html to see what went down.
ReplyDeleteOK, looked at the correspondence between Bathurst and the Police, as well as the Act itself. Are these guys serious ? It's crystal fucking clear !!! They're probably too busy dealing with Cash for Peerages. Where was the noise about it in the press ?
ReplyDeleteIt's going to be another Al Capone - gets away with murder but karma wins and we bust him for dodgy accounting
ReplyDeleteWord is Blair wears the same silk boxer shorts as Capone.
ReplyDeleteI think you’ll find that’s his wife.
ReplyDeleteCherie wears burlap. Nothing else will take the grind.
ReplyDeleteThe Freedom of Information Act (after numerous misleading answers at Primeministers Question time) reveals Cheries knickers are in fact a coarse cross-grain between burlap and sackcloth, weaved by the finest at HMP Pentonville.
ReplyDeletePhilip Mawer's a great example of a hard-working, dilligent civil servant who's been fixed up in a dead-end role with the sole objective of allowing Parliament and Blair to bleat on about there being an independent body with investigative powers. He may have the power to investigate but there's basically sod-all he can legally do after that.
ReplyDeleteSpin, spin, spin.