General News Discussion

[Kowalski]

A former resident of a north Wales care home has apologised after he made allegations of sexual abuse against a Thatcher-era senior Conservative politician, claiming it was a case of mistaken identity.

It comes as the solicitor for Tory peer Lord McAlpine threatened legal action against those who linked the peer to the historical child abuse.

Steve Messham, who appeared on Newsnight, said: "I want to offer my sincere and humble apologies to him and his family."

"After seeing a picture in the past hour of the individual concerned, this not the person I identified by photograph presented to me by the police in the early 1990s, who told me the man in the photograph was Lord McAlpine.

[feral chile]

yea, I saw that. Does it mean it wasn't a Tory politician at all, or that the wrong one has been inferred?

[thetime]

I've no problem at all with raw attraction. But in most cases I don't think it's that.

Take for example Freddie Star and his fiance. It might be raw attraction in both directions, but I strongly suspect it's another attraction for one of them.

[eFestivals]

How do you know what she finds attractive? She might not be as shallow as you. She might find commitment, security attractive and all we know freddie star might be lovely guy.

I don't know, and I don't claim to know.

But that doesn't stop me having some not-unreasonable thoughts about the various possibilities.

[eFestivals]

yea, I saw that. Does it mean it wasn't a Tory politician at all, or that the wrong one has been inferred?

the victim claims that the police told him that it was Lord McAlpine. It's within the possibilities that it might be somebody related to him, as he's not the only titled member of that family and there might have been a bit of confusion caused to a copper by that.

But whoever it was, it shouldn't be the end of the matter. There is still uninvestigated child abuse from children's homes in that area, where powerful people of some kind were able to have the kids bussed out to other locations to be abused - while the previous investigations were limited to abuse within two specific Welsh counties (despite the presence of those 'bussed out' allegations at the time).

[feral chile]

the victim claims that the police told him that it was Lord McAlpine. It's within the possibilities that it might be somebody related to him, as he's not the only titled member of that family and there might have been a bit of confusion caused to a copper by that.

But whoever it was, it shouldn't be the end of the matter. There is still uninvestigated child abuse from children's homes in that area, where powerful people of some kind were able to have the kids bussed out to other locations to be abused - while the previous investigations were limited to abuse within two specific Welsh counties (despite the presence of those 'bussed out' allegations at the time).

[kaosmark2]

Until we get rid of this stupid schoolyard culture of shunning the grass, we're always going to live in a society ruled by fear and where the wrongdoers are protected by peer pressure. (Same goes for any kind of bully).

[windy_miller]

Is it just the BBC that think there is a massive crisis in the BBC? Someone made 1 bad editorial decision, and now people are resigning left, right and centre.

[eFestivals]

Is it just the BBC that think there is a massive crisis in the BBC? Someone made 1 bad editorial decision, and now people are resigning left, right and centre.

mostly things are being whipped up by other media outlets who want to see the BBC gone.

I wet myself yesterday when I saw the Scum on Sunday's headline, saying that it was right that Entwhistle had gone. The words 'pot', 'kettle', 'black' and 'hypocrites' sprang to mind.

[kaosmark2]

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/11/12/man-burning-poppy-arrest_n_2115498.html?utm_hp_ref=uk&utm_hp_ref=uk

Fucks sake. If you're not free to be a dick, you're not free at all.

[Kowalski]

mostly things are being whipped up by other media outlets who want to see the BBC gone.

I wet myself yesterday when I saw the Scum on Sunday's headline, saying that it was right that Entwhistle had gone. The words 'pot', 'kettle', 'black' and 'hypocrites' sprang to mind.

[eFestivals]

Totally agree.

Don't think they need this level of resignations.

Sounds like the victim or the police, wrongly identified Lord McAlpine from a photograph, and Newsnight reported it without naming the alleged abuser. Not sure that warrants the chaos that seems to have ensued at the Beeb. Time to take a step back and take some deep breaths.

there's been a cock-up in the levels of checking that should be done, which isn't minor but neither is it terminal. And it's quite possibly the result of the chaos that's been caused by the Savile thing - where it needs to be remembered that not only the BBC failed to reveal him as the paedo that no one knew he was, but so did all of the newspapers, a school, and at least three NHS hospitals.

Regarding the Welsh children's homes case, it need to be remembered that in the week before the BBC made their wrong report, Edwina Currie had made a statement about a top tory being a paedo (in a paper on the previous Sunday), as did Tom Waktins on the floor of the HoC - and to which the Prime Minister replied in words where he indicated that he also believed there was substance to the story.

The BBC did not report the name. They merely reported the outline of the story which was already going around (see above). They were justified in making that report.

Where the BBC failed was in fact-checking. It would have been so very easy to show Messham a photo of Lord McAlpine - and that's a big failing.

But all the same, the outline of the story remains true. A man called McAlpine has been named as an abuser of children in that children's home. It's even detailed in one of the previous published reports about the case (which the beeb and all others should have checked - but not one of the did for a week (and even then it was only one media outlet, The Guardian)!!!

Anything which the BBC has failed at is also a failing of every other media outlet that ran any part of this story.

[LondonTom]

http://www.huffingto...k&utm_hp_ref=uk

Fucks sake. If you're not free to be a dick, you're not free at all.

[windy_miller]

Channel 4 news have also been saying for the past few weeks that a "Top tory from the Thatcher era" had been implicated. Why is it just the BBC who are getting in to shit for this? The whole thing is just baffling.

[Rufus Gwertigan]

I am sick to death of hearing about the Police Commissioner elections on Thursday.

[Rufus Gwertigan]

I keep meaning to look at our local candidates and send back my postal form but I really have no interest.... My look tonight if I can drum up so motivation....

[5co77ie]

I've been stalking following my candidates on Facebook - it's been most revealing.

[pink_triangle]

I personally think its disgusting the conservative party/media are using the Macalpine incident as an excuse to push an anti BBC agenda. They are moving the story away from the victims of child abuse to a broadcasting company for political gain and thats unforgivable

[kaosmark2]

Jesus, I can see this getting stupider before it's actually sorted out that it's not an arrestable offense to be a dickhead.

[Purple Monkey]

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/dickensian-christmas-ghosts-get-no-reaction-from-gas-executive-2012111348719

[jump]

Elmo is in trouble for dating a 16 year old boy.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/2012/nov/12/kevin-clash-sesame-street-sex-claims

[windy_miller]

I know what you mean. Not picking on you but most folk are not bothered, and the job is quite important. But we know fuck all about it and the candidates

[5co77ie]

A lot are spouting clap trap like that, or saying they are responsible for police spending - one of our local ones that looked decent on paper revealed on Facebook he wants to remove Community Patrol Officers.

[5co77ie]

thought this was interesting:

http://www.guardian....s-really-matter

Not bothering to vote this Thursday means turning your back on the chance, however remote, to have some say in how seriously the criminal justice system takes the vulnerable and frightened – and to use those sharp elbows for the greater good. It's not too late to email your candidates and ask where they stand, either, if they have nothing publicly to say about it.

Edited November 13, 2012 by 5co77ie

[windy_miller]

Also I have not received any information about any of the candidates through my door. Not one single leaflet. Its as if they don't want me to vote for them. The whole thing is a complete and utter waste of time and money.