[Politics] First TORY minister named as .......

[Titanic]

By saying much more I'm probably straying into libel but I will say that it doesn't take much for a well connected person to find something on someone and exploit it to their own ends.
I'm not saying that has happened here but it has in the past.

Nice cop out

 

[BLOCK F]

UPDATE: Statement from Julia, who says she is not a victim:

“I have received a number of calls today from newspapers and broadcasters asking me to comment on a claim that I was the victim of sexual harassment by a current Cabinet minister.

I have spoken previously about a Cabinet minister who repeatedly put his hand on my knee during a party conference dinner. I calmly and politely explained to him that, if he did it again, I would “punch him in the face”. He withdrew his hand and that was the end of the matter.

I have had no issues since with the man in question and do not regard the incident as anything but mildly amusing, which is why I have declined to name him. It has also been claimed that the same minister made remarks to me about my breasts. If he did, I certainly don’t recall those comments.

Wild rumours and claims are circulating about many male MPs at Westminster in a media feeding frenzy. I have worked in and around Westminster for 20 years and, as far as I am aware, incidents of genuine harassment involve only a small number of MPs from all parties.

I believe it is absurd and wrong to treat workplace banter and flirting – and even misjudged sexual overtures – between consenting adults as being morally equivalent to serious sexual harassment or assault.

It demeans genuine victims of real offences. Anyone with any allegations against an MP, or anyone else, should speak up now and provide the evidence to ensure any necessary action is taken.

I have not been a victim and I don’t wish to take part in what I believe has now become a Westminster witch hunt.”

Good sense from JHB.
This whole business has got quite ridiculous; where will it stop, I wonder.

 

[Deleted member 22389]

They don't like Julia Hartley Brewer because she speaks common sense.

 

[Buzzer]

Anyone trying to make political capital out of this is a bloody idiot and naive to boot. All of the parties have similar scandals they've kept hidden and more than likely there will plenty more to come that will expose Labour, Lib Dem and SNP MPs. This isn't a party political issue, it's about people in power abusing their position. No different from Weinstein, Savile or that George Riley.

 

[vegster]

She is a professional journalist and broadcaster... and is well capable of forming her own opinions and writing her own copy.

This isn't the nasty Momentum lead Labour party we are talking about here.

Is it the nastier Conservative Way Forward group you are referring to? You know, the group that bullied Elliot Johnson in to suicide.

 

[wellquickwoody]

I wonder which Tory speechwriter wrote that and what they threatened her with to agree to put her name to it.

Jeez, the supposed victim actually blows the story out of the water lock, stock and barrel, and the left claim a conspiracy!

 

[BLOCK F]

Anyone trying to make political capital out of this is a bloody idiot and naive to boot. All of the parties have similar scandals they've kept hidden and more than likely there will plenty more to come that will expose Labour, Lib Dem and SNP MPs. This isn't a party political issue, it's about people in power abusing their position. No different from Weinstein, Savile or that George Riley.

Harsh on George Riley to be quoted alongside Savile and Weinstein.
Don't suppose abuse of power entered Michael Fallon's mind when he did the dastardly deed!
Hardly the crime of the century.

 

[BLOCK F]

Jeez, the supposed victim actually blows the story out of the water lock, stock and barrel, and the left claim a conspiracy!

Ha-ha, Woody......that is their way.

 

[Gwylan]

Anyone trying to make political capital out of this is a bloody idiot and naive to boot. All of the parties have similar scandals they've kept hidden and more than likely there will plenty more to come that will expose Labour, Lib Dem and SNP MPs. This isn't a party political issue, it's about people in power abusing their position. No different from Weinstein, Savile or that George Riley.

Quite. As I mentioned previously, one Labour MP has already had the whip withdrawn and we're hearing stories about several SNP politicians in the firing line. The fact that it's mainly about Tories at the moment is because someone leaked the list to Guido Fawkes but there's a probably a similar list circulating about Labour, (it will probably be smaller though, the old saying "Tories have sex scandals and Labour have money ones" still seems to hold remarkably true).

 

[Buzzer]

Is it the nastier Conservative Way Forward group you are referring to? You know, the group that bullied Elliot Johnson in to suicide.

"Nastier".

I think Dr David Kelly's family might have something to say about politicians bullying people into killing themselves before anyone rushes to claim the moral high ground here.

 

[Braggfan]

Are you joking? Don't you know that if a Tory so much as THINKS of someone of the opposite sex or persuasion then they're a vile paedo creep and need to be sacked and deselected immediately. But a Labour MP can say, write or do whatever they want to and they're all jolly good fellows and need to be understood.

That is an immature comment from someone who doens't understand what is happening because you misguideldly think this situation is an attack on your political beliefs. This isn't about party poltics and what you're doing with that sort of comment is excusing this behaviour.

 

[brightn'ove]

There is no chance that the tory papers are running with the least serious incident to deflect away from the more serious ones, is there?

 

[Titanic]

That is an immature comment from someone who doens't understand what is happening because you misguideldly think this situation is an attack on your political beliefs. This isn't about party poltics and what you're doing with that sort of comment is excusing this behaviour.

Have you seen the title to this thread?

 

[nicko31]

There is no chance that the tory papers are running with the least serious incident to deflect away from the more serious ones, is there?

Julia is in the Murdoch club, enough said

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Nice load of generalisations on here. Why does one party have to be 'good' and one 'bad'? There are probably 'wrong'uns' on BOTH sides, much like there are perfectly pleasant people on both sides too!

 

[vegster]

"Nastier".

I think Dr David Kelly's family might have something to say about politicians bullying people into killing themselves before anyone rushes to claim the moral high ground here.

I think that we have now come full circle when you mention Dr Kelly, he was put under increasing pressure from the media rather than a political party.
I don't recall groups of Labour Party activists camped outside his front door?

 

[The Gem]

UPDATE: Statement from Julia, who says she is not a victim:

“I have received a number of calls today from newspapers and broadcasters asking me to comment on a claim that I was the victim of sexual harassment by a current Cabinet minister.

I have spoken previously about a Cabinet minister who repeatedly put his hand on my knee during a party conference dinner. I calmly and politely explained to him that, if he did it again, I would “punch him in the face”. He withdrew his hand and that was the end of the matter.

I have had no issues since with the man in question and do not regard the incident as anything but mildly amusing, which is why I have declined to name him. It has also been claimed that the same minister made remarks to me about my breasts. If he did, I certainly don’t recall those comments.

Wild rumours and claims are circulating about many male MPs at Westminster in a media feeding frenzy. I have worked in and around Westminster for 20 years and, as far as I am aware, incidents of genuine harassment involve only a small number of MPs from all parties.

I believe it is absurd and wrong to treat workplace banter and flirting – and even misjudged sexual overtures – between consenting adults as being morally equivalent to serious sexual harassment or assault.

It demeans genuine victims of real offences. Anyone with any allegations against an MP, or anyone else, should speak up now and provide the evidence to ensure any necessary action is taken.

I have not been a victim and I don’t wish to take part in what I believe has now become a Westminster witch hunt.”

Good on her, shows what a horrible Country we really have become. Anything for anything these days.

All this PC stuff is so out of control.

 

[portlock seagull]

Anyone trying to make political capital out of this is a bloody idiot and naive to boot. All of the parties have similar scandals they've kept hidden and more than likely there will plenty more to come that will expose Labour, Lib Dem and SNP MPs. This isn't a party political issue, it's about people in power abusing their position. No different from Weinstein, Savile or that George Riley.

****ing hell, George Riley isn’t even guilty as charged, we don’t even know what with yet! But as I’ve said before, we don’t have time for the truth in today’s trial by social media so stick him in the same sentence as the worlds worst rapists and paedo’s why don’t you! Poor bloke, he might ‘only’ have called someone sugar tits and that’s enough to put him on the scaffold alongside Britain’s most prominent child molester in many peoples eyes. I despair of the hysteria at the moment, if we were an african country I’ve no doubt accused parties would have been hacked to death with machetes by now. Whole thing has turned into the life of Brian sketch. Ridiculous.

 

[vegster]

Good on her, shows what a horrible Country we really have become. Anything for anything these days.

All this PC stuff is so out of control.

At least we are not Russia where homophobia and misogyny are the norm. Where political dissent is usually dealt with by spurious criminal charges or a bullet in the head. Where the president encourages biker gangs by calling them patriots... It's not all bad here.

 

[Buzzer]

I think that we have now come full circle when you mention Dr Kelly, he was put under increasing pressure from the media rather than a political party.
I don't recall groups of Labour Party activists camped outside his front door?

Sorry but I don't accept that. All the pressure came from Alistair Campbell. Kelly told his boss that he'd spoken to the journalist Andrew Gilligan, and his boss informed the Cabinet Office. Geoff Hoon's own words were that he and Campbell were furious at this news and determined to "f*ck Gilligan" and it was Campbell that insisted that Kelly appear before the HoC committee.

I'd go further and say all parties are also implicated in covering up historic child abuse scandals but I suspect you'd try to claim that the Tories are the worst in this respect too.