4 and a half months sounds about right for Coulson to my mind.
Noone's died.
As far as total time served (which versus 8 weeks for an MP perverting the course of justice on a road safety issue) it seems reasonable.
PS I had someone break into my home while I was sleeping (broke kitchen window to get in waking me up), I chased them out of the house and got their reg plate as they drove out. Burglar was arrested following week red handed in someone else's home and confessed to break and entering into 20 homes. Was sentence to community service and a 12 month suspended sentence - not a day to be served. Now I know which I think is more serious of the three offenses - and which is more likely to be repeated and it isn't phone hacking.
8 weeks ? No, it was 8 months for both Mr and ex Mrs.
No the SENTENCE was 8 months, just as the SENTENCE for Coulson is 18 months.
The TIME SERVED was 8 weeks I believe just like the TIME SERVED has been estimated as probably going to be ~4.5 months for Coulson.
You are comparing apples to oranges. Does that make it clear or does the difference between a SENTENCE and TIME SERVED need to be explained to you?
To be fair, it is something of a minefield. Essentially, offenders sentenced between 12 weeks and 4 years for non-violent, non-drug and non-sexual offences, will serve around one quarter of their sentence behind bars. All other offenders will serve half of their sentence. Google Home Detention Curfew for the nitty gritty.
I do wish the legal system could actually sort this out and announce the sentences people actually serve. God knows why we have this ridiculous system where the official sentence does not reflect err the sentence. Would save a whole load of confusion and jumping to wrong conclusions etc
Its ridiculous that even on a well informed site like this nobody is sure what Andy Coulson will actually serve
I've already said he'll serve 4.5 months, I said Huhne would serve 2 months when he was sentenced.
HDC (or tagging) isn't guaranteed, but so long as Andy C is a good boy prison, he meets the criteria for it.
4 and a half months sounds about right for Coulson to my mind.
Noone's died.
As far as total time served (which versus 8 weeks for an MP perverting the course of justice on a road safety issue) it seems reasonable.
PS I had someone break into my home while I was sleeping (broke kitchen window to get in waking me up), I chased them out of the house and got their reg plate as they drove out. Burglar was arrested following week red handed in someone else's home and confessed to break and entering into 20 homes. Was sentence to community service and a 12 month suspended sentence - not a day to be served. Now I know which I think is more serious of the three offenses - and which is more likely to be repeated and it isn't phone hacking.
8 weeks ? No, it was 8 months for both Mr and ex Mrs.
No the SENTENCE was 8 months, just as the SENTENCE for Coulson is 18 months.
The TIME SERVED was 8 weeks I believe just like the TIME SERVED has been estimated as probably going to be ~4.5 months for Coulson.
You are comparing apples to oranges. Does that make it clear or does the difference between a SENTENCE and TIME SERVED need to be explained to you?
To be fair, it is something of a minefield. Essentially, offenders sentenced between 12 weeks and 4 years for non-violent, non-drug and non-sexual offences, will serve around one quarter of their sentence behind bars. All other offenders will serve half of their sentence. Google Home Detention Curfew for the nitty gritty.
I do wish the legal system could actually sort this out and announce the sentences people actually serve. God knows why we have this ridiculous system where the official sentence does not reflect err the sentence. Would save a whole load of confusion and jumping to wrong conclusions etc
Its ridiculous that even on a well informed site like this nobody is sure what Andy Coulson will actually serve
Do you object to reports that the PM's pay is £142,500? Because working out what he takes home is a damn sight more difficult than translating prison sentences from gross to net.
"The IMF said public debt should peak at 95pc of GDP next year but a “growth shock” would push it to 103pc by 2016. The Fund warned of a “negative spiral of low growth and falling inflation” that is pushing up real borrowing costs and further choking investment, already dismally weak. Core inflation was 0.3pc in May.
The economic relapse is a political disaster for Mr Hollande, already the least popular leader in modern times with a poll rating of 23pc, and reeling from a crushing defeat by the far-Right Front National in European elections"
"...Britain still has one of the largest deficits in the world. Our deficit as a percentage of GDP is still about 6 per cent. France's is half that size and Germany's has almost been eliminated. "
Yes, who ever wins the next election will really have to implement some real cuts. Alarming how persistent our deficit is in the face of very strong growth and that debt to GDP ratio keeps creeping up.
The ONS today released some numbers today on inter-ethnic relationships, that makes for very interesting reading. I did a quick ratio of the share of each ethnic group dating someone from outside their group, relative to the share of the population that's outside their group. So in a colour blind society, these numbers should all be 1, and in a completely segregated society these numbers would all be 0:
White Irish: 0.70 Gypsy/Irish traveller: 0.50 Black Caribbean: 0.43 Arab 0.34 Chinese 0.30 White British: 0.22 Black African: 0.22 Indian: 0.12 Pakistani: 0.08 Bangladeshi: 0.07
I found particularly interesting that Irish travellers and gypsies, who I have always thought were very segregated are actually one of the most open groups with their relationships. As expected, the Irish and Afro-Caribbeans are very integrated. The indigenous White British don't mix very well, while the numbers for south Asians are very poor. It seems we have a long way to go to improve integration.
The figures are interesting, but opportunity for trans-community dating needs to exist first. As most ethnic minorities are urban populations, but a goodly percentage of white British live in rural areas or places like the West Country or East Anglia, there must be areas where trans cultural dating are impossible. In other words in Leicester it is easy, but in Devon or Norfolk much less easy to date a different ethnic group.
@malcolmg Conformational bias, is when we give greater credence to "facts" that support what we already believe, and dismiss as irrelevant those which go against us. Everyone does it, and in all walks of life, the trick is to realise you are falling prey to it and look again.
(Not on here of course, it would be no fun if we did)
I know , I was having a laugh( or thought I was ).LOL
He's either getting off, or the judge is looking at something severe.
Or the judge has an old pal unexpectedly turned up for lunch, or there is a sporting fixture going on that the judge wants to watch or a hundred and one other possible reasons totally unconnected with the case.
Years ago my wife was due to give evidence at a trial at Lewes Crown Court, but arrived home very, very early. The court had come back from lunch an finished evidence of the witness who had been in the box before hand. Then at 14:30 the judge said that the court would adjourn until the following day - according to counsel the test match had reached a critical point and the judge didn't want to miss the action (the old boy is, I think, still alive so I won't name him).
He's either getting off, or the judge is looking at something severe.
He can't "get off" he's been convicted.
Getting off from a custodial sentence.
That would be a complete disgrace.
The judge has already said to expect a custodial sentence so I don't think that will be happening. Will he get concurrent or consecutive (a la Clifford) sentences?
He's either getting off, or the judge is looking at something severe.
Or the judge has an old pal unexpectedly turned up for lunch, or there is a sporting fixture going on that the judge wants to watch or a hundred and one other possible reasons totally unconnected with the case.
Years ago my wife was due to give evidence at a trial at Lewes Crown Court, but arrived home very, very early. The court had come back from lunch an finished evidence of the witness who had been in the box before hand. Then at 14:30 the judge said that the court would adjourn until the following day - according to counsel the test match had reached a critical point and the judge didn't want to miss the action (the old boy is, I think, still alive so I won't name him).
Justice needs to be done and seen to be done, nobody ever said anything about it being swift
He's either getting off, or the judge is looking at something severe.
He can't "get off" he's been convicted.
Getting off from a custodial sentence.
That would be a complete disgrace.
I can't believe that the sentence will be non-custodial. It would look ill with the public.
Surely a judge takes into account the facts of the case and not what looks good with the public (or what the media think is the public's thoughts)? One hopes anyway
He's either getting off, or the judge is looking at something severe.
He can't "get off" he's been convicted.
Getting off from a custodial sentence.
That would be a complete disgrace.
I can't believe that the sentence will be non-custodial. It would look ill with the public.
Surely a judge takes into account the facts of the case and not what looks good with the public (or what the media think is the public's thoughts)? One hopes anyway
Oh of course but reality is that most people seem to think that everyone should go away for life for everything if not be hanged if the option were available.
That newspaper piece is naughty - it was in fact Labour/Trot students who chased Mr F into the pub ... but that makes it all the more interesting Mr F has picked Glasgow.
IIRC the OO Walk is in Edinburgh the Saturday before the referendum, so no clash in that geographical sense.
He's either getting off, or the judge is looking at something severe.
He can't "get off" he's been convicted.
Getting off from a custodial sentence.
That would be a complete disgrace.
I can't believe that the sentence will be non-custodial. It would look ill with the public.
Surely a judge takes into account the facts of the case and not what looks good with the public (or what the media think is the public's thoughts)? One hopes anyway
Oh of course but reality is that most people seem to think that everyone should go away for life for everything if not be hanged if the option were available.
Not sure its just those with the most animated opinions tend to get heard. Most people are content to leave it to the judge
Sadiq Khan might be more usefully deployed trying to explain Labour's policies rather than making pointless predictions and handing out hostages to fortune. Is it that Labour are increasingly desperate and he's trying to shore up morale?
I'm beginning to wonder if Cameron really is a lucky politician. Just over 4 years ago Labour went into the GE knowing that they had an unelectable candidate for PM having been unwilling to depose him in the previous year. Are they repeating the whole process?
Just watched the BBC piece on the aircraft carrier. It all seems a bit premature, we don't have any planes for it until 2019 at the earliest which means it is useless until then unless the French want to borrow it as a platform for their air power in NATO operations.
"The IMF said public debt should peak at 95pc of GDP next year but a “growth shock” would push it to 103pc by 2016. The Fund warned of a “negative spiral of low growth and falling inflation” that is pushing up real borrowing costs and further choking investment, already dismally weak. Core inflation was 0.3pc in May.
The economic relapse is a political disaster for Mr Hollande, already the least popular leader in modern times with a poll rating of 23pc, and reeling from a crushing defeat by the far-Right Front National in European elections"
"...Britain still has one of the largest deficits in the world. Our deficit as a percentage of GDP is still about 6 per cent. France's is half that size and Germany's has almost been eliminated. "
French debt is in the region of 95 percent of its gross domestic product. A little higher than ours. The French NHS is funded from compulsory insurance as well as from the govt. I wonder if the French NHS deficit is included in the figures. I think the french NHS is running a deficit of 8 billion euros.
@GeorgeWParker: Gentle booing by some dockyard workers and families as Alex Salmond appears on big screen at Rosyth at aircraft carrier launch..
Just to get the full sound picture..
Severin Carrell @severincarrell 2 mins Some mild booing of @AlexSalmond and @David_Cameron by #Rosyth dockyard workers at HMS Queen Elizabeth naming ceremony #QECarriers
Scots boo Tory?
Whatevers next? Scousers boo Mancs?
Scots boo their prime minister in one of his VERY few public appearances? Whatever next, a pm starts to defend the Union with every fibre of his being? No, I didn't think so.
O/T I couldn't help being amused by this, from the Beeb business page:
BT pension deal cuts longevity risk
The UK's biggest corporate final-salary pension scheme has struck a deal to protect itself against members living for longer than expected.
Wouldn't a large emplyer such as BT be at less risk than a smaller employer of employees "living too long", as the mean extension in lifespan can be extrapolated and there should be less variance with more people ?
The ONS today released some numbers today on inter-ethnic relationships, that makes for very interesting reading. I did a quick ratio of the share of each ethnic group dating someone from outside their group, relative to the share of the population that's outside their group. So in a colour blind society, these numbers should all be 1, and in a completely segregated society these numbers would all be 0:
White Irish: 0.70 Gypsy/Irish traveller: 0.50 Black Caribbean: 0.43 Arab 0.34 Chinese 0.30 White British: 0.22 Black African: 0.22 Indian: 0.12 Pakistani: 0.08 Bangladeshi: 0.07
I found particularly interesting that Irish travellers and gypsies, who I have always thought were very segregated are actually one of the most open groups with their relationships. As expected, the Irish and Afro-Caribbeans are very integrated. The indigenous White British don't mix very well, while the numbers for south Asians are very poor. It seems we have a long way to go to improve integration.
The figures are interesting, but opportunity for trans-community dating needs to exist first. As most ethnic minorities are urban populations, but a goodly percentage of white British live in rural areas or places like the West Country or East Anglia, there must be areas where trans cultural dating are impossible. In other words in Leicester it is easy, but in Devon or Norfolk much less easy to date a different ethnic group.
That's an interesting point, but I would have thought Devon or Norfolk populations are fairly small as a percentage of the white population. It also doesn't apply at all to the three groups at the bottom of that list.
Harris will be out in less than 3 years, the public and the media will foam with anger, the judge might have been mistaken for handing such a light sentence in such a high profile case.
Just watched the BBC piece on the aircraft carrier. It all seems a bit premature, we don't have any planes for it until 2019 at the earliest which means it is useless until then unless the French want to borrow it as a platform for their air power in NATO operations.
The Frog jets cannot use the QE - no catapults to launch them and no arrester wires to enable them to land. Design decisions made to save money meant that the original idea that "Cats and Traps" could be retrofitted went out of the window without anyone really noticing. The engineering and building of the QE has been a tremendous success. The project management and the political interference during the design stage was a total disgrace. Down, of course, to the treasury under the leadership of the malignant maniac Brown.
Harris will be out in less than 3 years, the public and the media will foam with anger, the judge might have been mistaken for handing such a light sentence in such a high profile case.
The judge has to sentence under the guidelines applicable to when these old offences took place rather than the sterner guidelines of today.
Harris will be out in less than 3 years, the public and the media will foam with anger, the judge might have been mistaken for handing such a light sentence in such a high profile case.
Oh I don't know . The judge would only be mistaken if he ignored the facts of the case and sentenced on what he would think would give him the best media outcome. Surely the cornerstone of justice is to sentence on the facts and not on what the media will say
Harris will be out in less than 3 years, the public and the media will foam with anger, the judge might have been mistaken for handing such a light sentence in such a high profile case.
The judge has to sentence under the guidelines applicable to when these old offences took place rather than the sterner guidelines of today.
It gives an idea of how a Jimmy Saville trial might have gone. The media outcry might pressure the government to change the law on this.
Difficult to say directly as some sentences were concurrent and others consecutive.
I don't see why we can't get rid of concurrent sentencing. "Two crimes for the price of one" shouldn't be part of our justice system.
I think it serves its uses, I think there are arguments either way. I think the teenage kid who gets caught having shoplifted on 30 occasions might feel extremely hard done by if he ends up doing a year for each consecutively.
The twittersphere will not be happy with Rolf Harris’ prison sentence – earlier this morning they were calling for blood and appeared not to be unhappy unless he was hung, drawn and quartered.
No specifics, but there are a frighteningly large amount of really twisted people on twitter. : (
Harris will be out in less than 3 years, the public and the media will foam with anger, the judge might have been mistaken for handing such a light sentence in such a high profile case.
Oh I don't know . The judge would only be mistaken if he ignored the facts of the case and sentenced on what he would think would give him the best media outcome. Surely the cornerstone of justice is to sentence on the facts and not on what the media will say
Because people with a strong opinion tend to air their views on it and people who don't have a strong opinion or think the sentence is ok don't tend to shout about it it means that what the media think the 'public' are really caring about is distorted. Can be very dangerous
Harris will be out in less than 3 years, the public and the media will foam with anger, the judge might have been mistaken for handing such a light sentence in such a high profile case.
The judge has to sentence under the guidelines applicable to when these old offences took place rather than the sterner guidelines of today.
It gives an idea of how a Jimmy Saville trial might have gone. The media outcry might pressure the government to change the law on this.
That would be totally unacceptable. It would allow a government to change the law and have minor offenders (and I'm not talking about any of the current cases involving celebrities or that part of law) locked up for life for political expediency.
Harris will be out in less than 3 years, the public and the media will foam with anger, the judge might have been mistaken for handing such a light sentence in such a high profile case.
The judge has to sentence under the guidelines applicable to when these old offences took place rather than the sterner guidelines of today.
It gives an idea of how a Jimmy Saville trial might have gone. The media outcry might pressure the government to change the law on this.
No legitimate government is going to retroactively upgrade sentencing.
Difficult to say directly as some sentences were concurrent and others consecutive.
I don't see why we can't get rid of concurrent sentencing. "Two crimes for the price of one" shouldn't be part of our justice system.
I think it serves its uses, I think there are arguments either way. I think the teenage kid who gets caught having shoplifted on 30 occasions might feel extremely hard done by if he ends up doing a year for each consecutively.
The American justice system has shown that consecutive sentencing has made no impact on reducing re-offending or acting as a deterrence.
Harris will be out in less than 3 years, the public and the media will foam with anger, the judge might have been mistaken for handing such a light sentence in such a high profile case.
The judge has to sentence under the guidelines applicable to when these old offences took place rather than the sterner guidelines of today.
It gives an idea of how a Jimmy Saville trial might have gone. The media outcry might pressure the government to change the law on this.
No legitimate government is going to retroactively upgrade sentencing.
Precisely. Case in point - poll tax riots Change the law to make maximum term for offences as part of the riots life Imprison all those dissatisfied with the government for life. Banana republic
Difficult to say directly as some sentences were concurrent and others consecutive.
I don't see why we can't get rid of concurrent sentencing. "Two crimes for the price of one" shouldn't be part of our justice system.
I think it serves its uses, I think there are arguments either way. I think the teenage kid who gets caught having shoplifted on 30 occasions might feel extremely hard done by if he ends up doing a year for each consecutively.
The American justice system has shown that consecutive sentencing has made no impact on reducing re-offending or acting as a deterrence.
Consecutive sentencing can be a good option if used sparingly. For most multiple offences I think concurrent sentencing is the best option. If you try somebody for one offence and sentence you then give them a chance to think about what they have done and the consequences and give them a chance to not do it again. Obviously getting caught after multiple offences mean you do not get this opportunity and hence better to use concurrent rather than consecutive
James Clappison, the Conservative MP for Hertsmere is to stand down at the next election after 23 years. Allegedly this is not an entirely voluntary move. Dirty work at the cross roads? Is the Cameron Clique lining up someone for this safe seat?
Harris will be out in less than 3 years, the public and the media will foam with anger, the judge might have been mistaken for handing such a light sentence in such a high profile case.
The judge has to sentence under the guidelines applicable to when these old offences took place rather than the sterner guidelines of today.
It gives an idea of how a Jimmy Saville trial might have gone. The media outcry might pressure the government to change the law on this.
That would be totally unacceptable. It would allow a government to change the law and have minor offenders (and I'm not talking about any of the current cases involving celebrities or that part of law) locked up for life for political expediency.
The government has faced growing pressure for sentencing reform by the press for quite some time now, this will only magnify it. One of the cornerstones of social conservatism is complains of lax sentences for criminals (tough on crime), with an election in a few months that might turn into an issue especially with UKIP lurking around.
Rolf played my Graduation Ball and did an extra set when Dannii Minogue effed off after only doing two songs. I'm slightly disillusioned about the end of my three year binge now,
@malcolmg Conformational bias, is when we give greater credence to "facts" that support what we already believe, and dismiss as irrelevant those which go against us. Everyone does it, and in all walks of life, the trick is to realise you are falling prey to it and look again.
(Not on here of course, it would be no fun if we did)
I know , I was having a laugh( or thought I was ).LOL
PB Scottish Tories selectively highlight booing of Salmond. I point out that both Salmond and Cameron were booed.
Of course the Cameron icon polishers will still be too cowardly to want their prime minister to be tested in front of ordinary Scottish voters.
TUD, They cannot help themselves, between Fitalass and Scottp, what a pair of lapdogs. I had replied to your earlier post re the high regard I hold Scottp in but it must have been too glowing much for the Moderator.
Difficult to say directly as some sentences were concurrent and others consecutive.
I don't see why we can't get rid of concurrent sentencing. "Two crimes for the price of one" shouldn't be part of our justice system.
I think it serves its uses, I think there are arguments either way. I think the teenage kid who gets caught having shoplifted on 30 occasions might feel extremely hard done by if he ends up doing a year for each consecutively.
The American justice system has shown that consecutive sentencing has made no impact on reducing re-offending or acting as a deterrence.
But that is blanket, I think our approach of picking and choosing can be good. It means that you have a far more responsive justice system. Also I think the US justice system is plagued by more than simply their approach to multiple sentencing, it appears to me that their apparent failure to include rehabilitation is a massive problem.
Difficult to say directly as some sentences were concurrent and others consecutive.
I don't see why we can't get rid of concurrent sentencing. "Two crimes for the price of one" shouldn't be part of our justice system.
I think it serves its uses, I think there are arguments either way. I think the teenage kid who gets caught having shoplifted on 30 occasions might feel extremely hard done by if he ends up doing a year for each consecutively.
The American justice system has shown that consecutive sentencing has made no impact on reducing re-offending or acting as a deterrence.
But that is blanket, I think our approach of picking and choosing can be good. It means that you have a far more responsive justice system. Also I think the US justice system is plagued by more than simply their approach to multiple sentencing, it appears to me that their apparent failure to include rehabilitation is a massive problem.
Consecutive sentencing is problematic in that for larger and more serious crimes in multiple it can lead to an effective sentence of life without the possibility of parole which may be In excess of the maximum sentence for the crimes committed. 10 armed robberies each attracting a ten year sentence, to run consecutively against a 60 year old, for example
Is Rolf subject to being deported on completion of his sentence?
Nope, he's got family and established here.
Incorrect.
Harris remains an Australian citizen and will be subject to deportation on completion of sentence. Mitigating circumstance may however prevail.
The Oz authorities may also wish to extradite Harris for alleged offences down under .... so to speak.
I know, but he's unlikely to be deported because of the reasons I listed/the mitigation you mentioned.
I suspect that you are correct that he won't be sent packing but it would be nice to see just one person subject to penal transportation down under once more
James Clappison, the Conservative MP for Hertsmere is to stand down at the next election after 23 years. Allegedly this is not an entirely voluntary move. Dirty work at the cross roads? Is the Cameron Clique lining up someone for this safe seat?
Source? Doubt Central Office (as was) would have had any involvement: long gone are the days when Constituency Associations would have deferred to the centre on putting pressure to ease out sitting MPs. So unless he has fallen out badly locally (which is unlikely) I imagine his retirement is voluntary as he announced a few days back.
But maybe we will witness the Baron Clappers of Herstmere in the 2015 Dissolution Honours?
PS Our own Sean Fear is a past Chairman of the Hertsmere Association if I recall.
Harris will be out in less than 3 years, the public and the media will foam with anger, the judge might have been mistaken for handing such a light sentence in such a high profile case.
The judge has to sentence under the guidelines applicable to when these old offences took place rather than the sterner guidelines of today.
It gives an idea of how a Jimmy Saville trial might have gone. The media outcry might pressure the government to change the law on this.
That would be totally unacceptable. It would allow a government to change the law and have minor offenders (and I'm not talking about any of the current cases involving celebrities or that part of law) locked up for life for political expediency.
The government has faced growing pressure for sentencing reform by the press for quite some time now, this will only magnify it. One of the cornerstones of social conservatism is complains of lax sentences for criminals (tough on crime), with an election in a few months that might turn into an issue especially with UKIP lurking around.
Sentencing reform going forward is one thing, arbitrary uprating of historic sentencing options is tyrannical and would delegitimise any government that attempted it.
James Clappison, the Conservative MP for Hertsmere is to stand down at the next election after 23 years. Allegedly this is not an entirely voluntary move. Dirty work at the cross roads? Is the Cameron Clique lining up someone for this safe seat?
Source? Doubt Central Office (as was) would have had any involvement: long gone are the days when Constituency Associations would have deferred to the centre on putting pressure to ease out sitting MPs. So unless he has fallen out badly locally (which is unlikely) I imagine his retirement is voluntary as he announced a few days back.
But maybe we will witness the Baron Clappers of Herstmere in the 2015 Dissolution Honours?
PS Our own Sean Fear is a past Chairman of the Hertsmere Association if I recall.
I had a quick look at the local election results which seemed very mixed.Nothing really much for any of the parties to shout about but some evidence that the L/D vote in patches is actually going up which confounds the polls. Any gardeners will know what bindweed is.Trying to get of its' roots will drive you crazy.My grandfather,who was one, said that stuff would grow in hell.The L/Ds remind me of bindweed.You just cannot get rid of it.
TUD, They cannot help themselves, between Fitalass and Scottp, what a pair of lapdogs. I had replied to your earlier post re the high regard I hold Scottp in but it must have been too glowing much for the Moderator.
Harris will be out in less than 3 years, the public and the media will foam with anger, the judge might have been mistaken for handing such a light sentence in such a high profile case.
The judge has to sentence under the guidelines applicable to when these old offences took place rather than the sterner guidelines of today.
It gives an idea of how a Jimmy Saville trial might have gone. The media outcry might pressure the government to change the law on this.
That would be totally unacceptable. It would allow a government to change the law and have minor offenders (and I'm not talking about any of the current cases involving celebrities or that part of law) locked up for life for political expediency.
The government has faced growing pressure for sentencing reform by the press for quite some time now, this will only magnify it. One of the cornerstones of social conservatism is complains of lax sentences for criminals (tough on crime), with an election in a few months that might turn into an issue especially with UKIP lurking around.
If the electorate want to live in a banana republic, then so be it. As long as they don't come crying to me when they get life sentences for failure to pay their taxes five years ago, or an historic brick through a government building window. You know the risk when you undertake the crime, it is entirely illegitimate to change the potential penalty for that crime later on and back date it. That way lies corruption and dictatorship.
James Clappison, the Conservative MP for Hertsmere is to stand down at the next election after 23 years. Allegedly this is not an entirely voluntary move. Dirty work at the cross roads? Is the Cameron Clique lining up someone for this safe seat?
Source? Doubt Central Office (as was) would have had any involvement: long gone are the days when Constituency Associations would have deferred to the centre on putting pressure to ease out sitting MPs. So unless he has fallen out badly locally (which is unlikely) I imagine his retirement is voluntary as he announced a few days back.
But maybe we will witness the Baron Clappers of Herstmere in the 2015 Dissolution Honours?
PS Our own Sean Fear is a past Chairman of the Hertsmere Association if I recall.
I wasn't aware that the Association hadn't readopted James. I do know that a lot of members were unhappy that he voted in favour of gay marriage, so that may be a factor.
Just watched the BBC piece on the aircraft carrier. It all seems a bit premature, we don't have any planes for it until 2019 at the earliest which means it is useless until then unless the French want to borrow it as a platform for their air power in NATO operations.
The Frog jets cannot use the QE - no catapults to launch them and no arrester wires to enable them to land. Design decisions made to save money meant that the original idea that "Cats and Traps" could be retrofitted went out of the window without anyone really noticing. The engineering and building of the QE has been a tremendous success. The project management and the political interference during the design stage was a total disgrace. Down, of course, to the treasury under the leadership of the malignant maniac Brown.
Wow, is this how bad RN funding has got? HMS Quantitative Easing. I'd no idea. Still strangely appropriate really.
Comments
HDC (or tagging) isn't guaranteed, but so long as Andy C is a good boy prison, he meets the criteria for it.
18 month sentence, of which at least 4.5 months will be spent in prison.
He's either getting off, or the judge is looking at something severe.
Tracking the Polls: Steady Increase in Support for Yes over last nine months, according to New Method
http://blog.whatscotlandthinks.org/2014/07/tracking-the-polls-steady-increase-in-support-for-yes-over-last-nine-months-according-to-new-method/
I don't blame him, being in the same court room as the pervert Aussie fiddles with his didgeridoo isn't a prospect to be savoured.
Years ago my wife was due to give evidence at a trial at Lewes Crown Court, but arrived home very, very early. The court had come back from lunch an finished evidence of the witness who had been in the box before hand. Then at 14:30 the judge said that the court would adjourn until the following day - according to counsel the test match had reached a critical point and the judge didn't want to miss the action (the old boy is, I think, still alive so I won't name him).
IIRC the OO Walk is in Edinburgh the Saturday before the referendum, so no clash in that geographical sense.
Probably the best guide to what is likely to happen, though several major adjustments need to be made.
BT pension deal cuts longevity risk
The UK's biggest corporate final-salary pension scheme has struck a deal to protect itself against members living for longer than expected.
I'm beginning to wonder if Cameron really is a lucky politician. Just over 4 years ago Labour went into the GE knowing that they had an unelectable candidate for PM having been unwilling to depose him in the previous year. Are they repeating the whole process?
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/business/2014/07/04/imf-cuts-french-growth-forecast-warns-on-deficit/
It hs missed its targets
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/31/us-france-budget-idUSBREA2U07D20140331
French debt is in the region of 95 percent of its gross domestic product. A little higher than ours.
The French NHS is funded from compulsory insurance as well as from the govt. I wonder if the French NHS deficit is included in the figures. I think the french NHS is running a deficit of 8 billion euros.
So he could be out in less than 3 years.
http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/story/2014-07-04/rolf-harris-due-to-be-sentenced-after-being-found-guilty-of-indecent-assaults/#rolf-harris-jailed-for-five-years-and-nine-months_379858
PB Scottish Tories selectively highlight booing of Salmond.
I point out that both Salmond and Cameron were booed.
Of course the Cameron icon polishers will still be too cowardly to want their prime minister to be tested in front of ordinary Scottish voters.
The media outcry might pressure the government to change the law on this.
So you can prep yourselves to be first, as I'm disappearing for the rest of the afternoon.
Mind you the "calculator" is ridiculous, it says that JackW can expect to have died 22 years ago.
http://www.uwic.ac.uk/shss/dom/newweb/lifestyle/age_expectancy2.htm
No specifics, but there are a frighteningly large amount of really twisted people on twitter. : (
Harris remains an Australian citizen and will be subject to deportation on completion of sentence. Mitigating circumstance may however prevail.
The Oz authorities may also wish to extradite Harris for alleged offences down under .... so to speak.
Case in point - poll tax riots
Change the law to make maximum term for offences as part of the riots life
Imprison all those dissatisfied with the government for life.
Banana republic
One of the cornerstones of social conservatism is complains of lax sentences for criminals (tough on crime), with an election in a few months that might turn into an issue especially with UKIP lurking around.
I'm slightly disillusioned about the end of my three year binge now,
5 years, 9 months, doesn't strike me as being unduly lenient, for these offences.
They cannot help themselves, between Fitalass and Scottp, what a pair of lapdogs.
I had replied to your earlier post re the high regard I hold Scottp in but it must have been too glowing much for the Moderator.
@BBCNormanS: The @rmtunion accuse Labour of "total cop out" over reports will not take back rail franchises into public ownership
10 armed robberies each attracting a ten year sentence, to run consecutively against a 60 year old, for example
But fear not .... I shall live again as we triumph at the World Cup next year ....
Just in case I'll be leaving the mausoleum doors open ....
But maybe we will witness the Baron Clappers of Herstmere in the 2015 Dissolution Honours?
PS Our own Sean Fear is a past Chairman of the Hertsmere Association if I recall.
http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2014/07/james-clappison-didnt-stand-down-his-association-pushed-him/
Any gardeners will know what bindweed is.Trying to get of its' roots will drive you crazy.My grandfather,who was one, said that stuff would grow in hell.The L/Ds remind me of bindweed.You just cannot get rid of it.
Wow, it must have been fruity!
You know the risk when you undertake the crime, it is entirely illegitimate to change the potential penalty for that crime later on and back date it. That way lies corruption and dictatorship.