A funny thing happened on the way to the gulag

[English assassin]

Just as telling is some labour politicians (only a few, but alas quite senior) tentatively trying out the line "well, Green did have leaked documents....no one is above the law...national security dontcha know"

First up, the national security line is pure hogwash. None of the leaks related to national security and the idea that a Tory shadow minister is a threat to national security is laughable. (Certainly he's less of a threat than the current government).

But mainly, he's an opposition spokesman. HE'S SUPPOSED TO TRY TO GET LEAKED DOCUMENTS. This talk that if he paid for them it would be a crime so the police were right to investigate is complete rubbish, or are the feds going to kick in the door of every politician and journalist who gets a leak?

Something's up here, for sure.

Of course it hardly helped that the speaker of the House of Commons has been shown up for the hopeless idiot he is. THIS is how the speaker is supposed to behave:

In January 1642, King Charles, accompanied by over 300 swordsmen, entered St Stephen's in a foolhardy attempt to arrest five of his principal opponents in the Commons on a charge of treason. The members, however, had been warned of Charles’s intention and escaped.

When asked where the members could be found, the Speaker, William Lenthall, fell to his knees before the King and said:

‘May it please Your Majesty, I have neither eyes to see, nor tongue to speak in this place, but as the House is pleased to direct me, whose servant I am here, and I humbly beg Your Majesty’s pardon that I cannot give any other answer than this.

This extraordinary declaration established the Speaker as the spokesperson of the House of Commons. Charles left St Stephen’s in humiliation, and no monarch has ever entered the Commons Chamber since. The English Civil War ensued, culminating in the dramatic trial and execution of the king.

There is not much to his job but he failed even on the little that there is. Martin should have gone before but must go now.

[JR-]

stunted little class warrior with some hefty chips on his shoulder. should never have been Speaker.

[InsaneApache]

It's getting like a game of pass the parcel. Usual crap from those in power. "It won't me guv, a big boy did it and ran away!"

I feel for Jill Pay who's obviously being set up as a patsy.

Won't anyone take responsibilty these days for cock ups?

[JR-]

she was by all accounts a very unsuitable person to hold the post.

some useless functionary from a non-entity government department, shoe'd in by Mr Chippy to replace the Public School Ex Army Officer, as Seargeant at Arms for Paliament.

stupid decision all around, committed by a stupid speaker

[Sir Moody]

Just as telling is some labour politicians (only a few, but alas quite senior) tentatively trying out the line "well, Green did have leaked documents....no one is above the law...national security dontcha know"

First up, the national security line is pure hogwash. None of the leaks related to national security and the idea that a Tory shadow minister is a threat to national security is laughable. (Certainly he's less of a threat than the current government).

But mainly, he's an opposition spokesman. HE'S SUPPOSED TO TRY TO GET LEAKED DOCUMENTS. This talk that if he paid for them it would be a crime so the police were right to investigate is complete rubbish, or are the feds going to kick in the door of every politician and journalist who gets a leak?

Something's up here, for sure.

Of course it hardly helped that the speaker of the House of Commons has been shown up for the hopeless idiot he is. THIS is how the speaker is supposed to behave:



There is not much to his job but he failed even on the little that there is. Martin should have gone before but must go now.

Hate to break it to you but it IS against the law - its just not prosecuted in most cases - the Police can arrest and charge someone over leaked documents and have in the past - they just dont most the time because of political pressure

HE'S SUPPOSED TO TRY TO GET LEAKED DOCUMENTS

Qouted this again because its utter Rubish - as a opposition member he isnt SUPPOSED to try and get documents he is SUPPOSED to provide a counter arguement and represent the opositions views on his department - it is nowhere in his job description that he should be engaging in espoinage (because thats what it is) to take Government documents.

Now this doesnt excuse the Governments actions on this (and despite their claims i cant believe the police acted without orders from Labour) they have quite effectivly tried to kill a fly with a bomb and then are doing the usual Labour pass the buck when it blew up in their face