Politics, current affairs and ideas as they drift through my head. UK based personal opinion designed to feed or seed debate.
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Showing posts with label Ken Clarke. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ken Clarke. Show all posts
Saturday, 4 February 2017
All You Need To Know About Ken Clarke
Ken Clarke MP(!) is the sort of person you should not trust to hold your ice cream while you tie your shoelaces
Thursday, 5 April 2012
Secret Courts
In the UK secret courts already exist in the form of Family Courts. The restrictions on knowing what these courts are up to are severe, the punishments for disclosure draconian. So naturally they abuse the power and act in a most malicious way. These are not normal, fair courts operating behind closed doors. In these courts 'evidence' can be hidden from defendants, unsupported accusations made, material statements withheld, cross examination denied.
In fact, anything can and is allowed that enables state functionaries to do whatever they want. It takes a strong and principled judge (and we seem to have a careful justice system that has worked to weed them out early) to stand up for real and actual justice.
This is the power Clarke seeks, untrammelled, absolute and unchallengeable. I don't know why they feel the need just now to do this, but it is obviously very powerful, because they have already played their trump card. Terrorism. Not just that though, but that other countries, the US for goodness sake, cannot trust our open courts.
What a lot of hogwash. Our courts can protect sources and don't have a problem with secrecy when it matters. No, our politicians problem is, they want the power when it doesn't matter and they don't want you to know that, either.
In fact, anything can and is allowed that enables state functionaries to do whatever they want. It takes a strong and principled judge (and we seem to have a careful justice system that has worked to weed them out early) to stand up for real and actual justice.
This is the power Clarke seeks, untrammelled, absolute and unchallengeable. I don't know why they feel the need just now to do this, but it is obviously very powerful, because they have already played their trump card. Terrorism. Not just that though, but that other countries, the US for goodness sake, cannot trust our open courts.
What a lot of hogwash. Our courts can protect sources and don't have a problem with secrecy when it matters. No, our politicians problem is, they want the power when it doesn't matter and they don't want you to know that, either.
Thursday, 6 October 2011
Cat Scan - May vs Clarke
Theresa May has made some interesting comments over time and I think should be allowed to do more and to operate more independently. But of course power these days, has to be centralised in the Party and the Conservatives are not very good at being Conservatives.
So I'm not sure about Theresa, but I am about Ken Clarke; the man is an idiot. He has no place in a proper, functioning Conservative Party, certainly not one that wants Britain to recover and do well. It would be an interesting hint at Cameron's mettle and conviction to Britain, not personal power if he sacked the worm.
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