Thoughts on Town Hall Meeting
I think many of the people who shouted down Ricky Bishop's mum didn't realise the background - the general rumpus meant that what she was saying wasn't clear to more than the people immediately around her. And yes Mrs Magpie she was being used, not only by the Unison guy, but also by a steely young woman carrying a reporter's notebook. Clearly, she was distraught. Hatboys response was thoughtful, measured and correct.
Seemed to me that the most useful contributions from the platform came from those who focussed on the issues - policing by consent, innovation and commitment, and the pernicious power of the gutter press. They came from the Rabbi, the Reverend (and his sweet reference to Johnny Mathis and Little Richard!) and the Green's Man.
Again, Mrs Magpie I think you're right about Lee Jasper being about Lee Jasper - and his being his Master's Voice - was I the only person who felt he read KL's letter out rather in the manner that Parish Priests used to read out letters from the Bishop? (left-footer upbringing I'm afraid!) I think the contributions from the L&G Police Association and from the Black Police Association focussed as much on their own organisations as the issues in Lambeth - welcome solidarity, but not the core of the matter.
In fact, I'm not convinced that the campaign against BP is primarilly homophobic, but exploits homophobia for other ends. David Aaronovich put it well in the Indy last week.
"The Paddick affair is beginning to resemble a similar struggle [to the Dreyfus affair] for the British police force, with the commander representing collateral damage in the right's campaign against "liberal" policing and the Government................
In the first instance it [the Daily Mail's campaign] seeks to convince us that we all ought to live in constant fear – fear of crime, fear of moral collapse, fear of outsiders. Every resource is pressed into the service of this Kulturkampf.............
Enter Paddick, the most senior gay police officer, the man in charge of an area where the laws against possessing cannabis are not being pressed very harshly, and a bloke with a bit of a gob on him. And they hate him. They really do."
http://argument.independent.co.uk/regular_columnists/david_aaronovitch/story.jsp?story=275958
I did think that BP's appearance was a high risk strategy on his part - it is sometimes not a good thing to force your opponents into a corner. I imagine that the last thing the powers that be will countenance is being seen to capitulate to a populist campaign - they have capitulated already to a squalid newspaper, but maybe had little choice given that allegations of disciplinary offences were made.
Which lead me to wonder who is playing the long game here? Presumably PB could not have instituted his policy without the approval of his superiors? Might not the scenario be:
New Labour comes to power promising a war on drugs headed by a tough talking "Drugs Tsar". Prominant in it's strategy is the "gateway" status of cannabis and the avowal, by Jack Straw and the Tsar, never to countenance its legalisation. Part conviction, part abeyance to Middle England.
The war on drugs manifestly failing and the realisation that many in Middle England are well aware what their children and grand-children get up to and are not convinced that they have spawned criminals. Even the blue-rinses in the Tory Party were uneased by Doris's rantings, leading half the shadow cabinet to fess up to student tokes.
So, how's about setting up trial to ease off a bit, led by a gobby gay policeman in some suburb of Sodom and Gomerah, well away from Middle England. He can take the flak whilst the trial is underway - if it fails, he;s dispensible and if it suceeds, well lots of photo-opportunities for Mr Blunkett and his dog in South London, and "roll-outs" (and roll-ups) left, right and centre.
And so it might have gone, had not the Mail found the right person to open their chequebook to (with or without the help of moles in New Scotland Yard, we'll never know.)
Under this scenario, it's quite possible that the Commisioner, the Police Authority and their masters are as desparate to find a resolution as everyone else, apart of course from the Mail. In which case, BP's appearance may not have been so risky after all.
Getting a bit late here,
Best,
Pooka
PS Telling article in Tuesday's Times - "Why the Tories should support Commander Paddick" by one Michael Gove (no leftie he!)
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,482-247828,00.html
And also BP to answer questions live on the Times website at 4:00 pm on Wednesday - maybe some of us should go and bowl some nice, slow underarm jobbies.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/section/0,,989,00.html
