Weekly review 7th Nov 2015

It has been an interesting week on planet earth..Once again terrorists have won a victory between them and the security forces. As the Irish once said "you (meaning the British) have to get it right all the time, we only have to get lucky once!". In Egypt this seems to have been the case and I await to see with interest what will be the Russian response.

Here in UK there seems to be a slight shifting of opinion concerning these endless child abuse cases from the 1970s. One in particular against Sir Cliff Richards has people wondering at what point trial by media, thanks to constant Police leaks, and the actual law that someone is innocent until proved guilty in a court of law with a jury of his peers has precedence. It remains to be seen what will happen should charges be dropped for insufficient evidence and what could possibly make amends for the terrible strain such accusations must cause.

I think it long overdue that the law looks again at due process pertinent to the releasing of identity of anyone not charged with an offence and only assisting in inquiries. Particularly when it is a case such as this. The damage to reputations can be beyond repair. I am thinking of Ted Heath and Leon Britten both of whom have suffered in this way and now are dead and unable to defend themselves. Leon Britten in particular suffered badly and in his final months of life when the Police leaked information concerning their inquiries into alleged sexual offences. Not only did those allegations fall flat and not proceed but the Police held off telling Leon Britten or his wife until after he had died. The Police need to sort this out and be held accountable for such appalling behavior. It should be included in the Judges rules to the police.

I never cease to be amazed at follk who say that only the people who have something to hide should fear having someone stick their nose into your private affairs. How many thousands have died to protect the freedom of people to have just such a private life. The new charter to snoop going through the houses of Parliament now are one such violation of our freedom. Churchill in the war resisted identity cards for just such a reason and they were withdrawn as soon as hostilities were over. Because as he said "it is not for a the British Public to tell the Authorities who they are and what they are doing. It is for the authorities to find out if they have a valid reason". We must be mad to just roll over and say sure help yourself to my email.. I have nothing to hide. Of course you do have something to hide, you have your life and anything about you. That information should be and used to be PRIVATE and it should remain up to you who you tell. We bang on about companies selling our data and the have a law to protect personal information held on record and yet now we give the state cart blanch to put our phones and computers under 24/7 blanket watch.. Churchill would be spinning in his grave along with all those others who laid down their lives for our right to view our homes as our castle and our privacy as sacred.