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Forget PMQs – it seems so small now

September 12, 2012 1:33 pm

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My intention was to write a PMQs verdict today, as I do every week.

My intention was to watch the Hillsborough statement first, and then get back to work.

But after the powerful statements, first from David Cameron and then Ed Miliband, and then the debate that followed, that seems quite inadequate and inappropriate. Both men did themselves a great service today with their powerful words on the true horror of Hillsborough. Neither seemed to shirk from the failure of politicians on all sides of the house to find the truth before now. Neither pulled their punches about the shocking severity of today’s report either.

And it was brutal, visceral, nauseating and distressing. And it was a credit to the commons.

But write about PMQs after watching that? Maybe later, because right now, the politicking of an hour ago seems so small, when faced with the hour that came after…

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  • Chilbaldi

    Well said Mark. The final fight is just beginning for the families of the 96 now though – don’t think that this is it.

    One last push now – a new inquest, and the figures in authority who tried to cover this up to be FINALLY called to account.

    Oh, and Kelvin MacKenzie to be stripped of his citizenship and sent away into the English Channel on a rowing boat. Please.

  • rekrab

    Personally, I don’t think Cameron, Miliband, Brown, Blair, Major nor Thatcher should be given any credence at all.For 23 years Westminster has hid a lie and a shocking disturbing lie at that.

    • PeterBarnard

      Derek,

      I don’t know about “hiding a lie” ; perhaps it may be more accurate to say that there were questions that some people (over 23 years, I accept) did not want to know the answers to, and secondly -  in order to establish that a lie has been told, the person who knows a lie has been told has to be in possession of the truth?

      What this has shown to me that the ultimate duty of a Member of Parliament is to represent, to the fullest extent possible, his (her) constituents when prima facie evidence of state injustice is brought to their attention. If a Member of Parliament fails (or ignores) that duty, then he/she is not fit to be a “representative of the people.”

      I don’t know the full history of who did what, and when, in the pursuit of answers – and justice - for the bereaved, but it is something of an indictment of our “system” that it has taken 23 years, during which the bereaved have endured an immense amount of unwarranted suffering and heartache.

      We have a long way to go … year after year we seem to witness “conduct unbecoming” by our police, and year after year, a sour taste is left in the mouth …
       

      • rekrab

        Thank you @Peter for that constructive phrasing and I accept your diplomatic  wording entirely. It’s a real let down when parliament should act but fails to.The 23 year long wait is an extended bereavement beyond comprehension and I find it hard to believe and have faith in a parliament that sit’s on it’s hand far to often.Can I or anyone else have a belief in this discredited bunch? 

        • PeterBarnard

          It does make one wonder, Derek.

          Y’know, the MPs (and the rest of us, come to that) can all rabbit and gas on about principles and philosophy, but it is the people and justice that are really important.

          Hopefully, that will be the lesson, above all, that may come out of this tragic business.

          • Daniel Speight

            Didn’t I read somewhere today that the cabinet was told at the time about doubts in the the South Yorkshire police reports but chose to ignore them. They were more interested in using the disaster to push through their football spectator bill.

            If this is so, then the political dishonesty starts there inside Thatcher’s cabinet. Seems like Maggie has some questions to answer.

          • PeterBarnard

            It’s in there somewhere, Daniel, that Thatch wasn’t best pleased that South Yorkshire Police were criticised.

      • AlanGiles

         It would be interesting to know how many of the police officers who connived with the witholding or altering of evidence went on to promotions.

        The reason I say this is because we know that within months of the killing of Charles De Meneizes at Stockwell on July 22nd 2005 the officer in charge, Clarissa Dick was promoted to the role of Commander, this even before such “charges” against the officers involved as there were, were even heard and decided.

        I regret to say that, as with politics, it seems deceit, lies and cover-ups actually helps to win promotion in the police service.

        • PeterBarnard

          I have long been suspicious of the probity of the police, since the release of the Birmingham Six, and there have been too many funny goings-on revealed since then, with monotonous frequency.

          • AlanGiles

             I was out and without radio or newspapers from 1500 yesterday, but now I can answer one of my own questions:

            One of the officers accused of “manipulating” evidence in the original enquiry  is Norman – SIR Norman, no less, Bettison is today the Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police.

            Apparently Gormless Norm “didn’t wish to comment” yesterday.

          • PeterBarnard

            I’m not sure that Sir Norman has actually been named as one of the “manipulators,” Alan. His name doesn’t appear in the main report.
             
            From the report, it is unclear who actually gave any specific instruction/made the actual decision that changes should be made – I could be wrong on that, but it is a long report and there are 400,000+ pages of back-up.
             
            Looking at the Hillsborough Independent Panel website, there is only one phrase : a monumental piece of work. How the heck the panel members assimilated and cross-checked all that information is just beyond me.

          • AlanGiles

             Norm is named in today’s copy of “Metro” Peter, and he gave a rather defensive statement to the BBC radio 4 World At One programme today. Naturally, just like so many politicians – he did “nothing wrong”. He says.

  • robertcp

    I have just read a summary of the report and did not learn anything that I have not known for years.  The terrace was a death trap, the police were at fault and they lied to cover themselves.  Kelvin Mackenzie’s trusting attitude towards authority shows the weaknesses of his pathetic style of journalism.

    Looking back, something like Hillsborough was inevitable due to hooliganism, overcrowded terraces and crowd barriers.  Like most disasters, a lot of small things meant that it actually happened at Hillsborough rather than somewhere else.

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