More evidence that those in charge are liars and completely round the twist

[Lateralthinking1]

I'm not a lefty. I'm Six O'Clock in Marks and Spencer, Northallerton Branch, on a Wet Weekend in November. Please remove your description of me which may threaten my personal security.

[mangerton]

I have to say that I think this behaviour at No 10 is a damned disgrace. I am not any sort of a leftie, merely a low level civil servant who has to speak to the great British public on the phone.

We HAVE to give our REAL names if asked. No lying or fakery allowed.

As usual, it's interesting to see that there's one law for the rich and one for the poor.

[teamsaint]

I can't see the correlation between the quoted paragraph above, and the typically sensationalist and border-line slanderous title of the thread.

We all know there are nutters out there- just look at some of the contributors to these message boards- and this seems like a common-sense measure to protect civil servants at No.10 from possible attack and physical harm. After all, one member of staff was threatened at her home address- why shouldn't precautions be taken to prevent that happening again? Do you really think Jo Bloggs gives two hoots who signs his reply from No.10?

Which is the lesser evil? A false name on a letter, or an assault on a civil servant?

I fail to see why this is being viewed as anything sinister. But it does apparently give the paranoid lefties yet another excuse to trot out their neuroses.

They'll be blaming it on Murdoch next.

there are plenty of nutters for sure...sadly though, a lot of them are in there , not out there.

[scottycelt]

I

'm not a lefty. I'm Six O'Clock in Marks and Spencer, Northallerton Branch, on a Wet Weekend in November. Please remove your description of me which may threaten my personal security.

So you are rather more of a harmless UK Wet (Liberal) than of the more frightful US Solid variety ... ?

Talking about M & S, it isn't that uncommon for concerned retail staff to demand false names for security reasons if they are required to wear name badges. I can remember quite a few cases where the name on the jacket lapel did not match the actual one of the wearer.

As most initial replies from any large organisation tend to be of a standard format, the name on the bottom of the letter is surely of little relevance or importance to the reader. Certainly, I'd be much more interested in the actual content of any mail received.

In any case, this perfectly reasonable security practice has apparently been going on since 2005 when Labour was in power. Has Mr Kaufman MP never had any other similar sort of correspondence with No 10 in the interim period since then?

Plainly, Kaufman is just stirring the political pot and playing 'silly beggars' as he invariably does, though I used to spot him occasionally at Halle concerts in Manchester, and I can vaguely remember reading once that one of his favourite composers is Bruckner, so he can't be all bad, I suppose ..

[mangerton]

scotty, it may well be a "reasonable security practice"; in this day and age it probably is. My point is that it should be applied equally across the Service. I'm not allowed to give a false name, and my colleagues who face the public in open offices can't wear false name badges.

Interesting, though, that the false name protection is afforded to those who cower behind the steel gates and armed police in Downing Street.

[scottycelt]

scotty, it may well be a "reasonable security practice"; in this day and age it probably is. My point is that it should be applied equally across the Service. I'm not allowed to give a false name, and my colleagues who face the public in open offices can't wear false name badges.

I agree entirely, mangerton, and I'm genuinely shocked that staff of any organisation who have to deal with an increasingly aggressive British public are not permitted to use a false name on their lapel, if they so wish. That is surely unacceptable to any reasonable person and I understand your point only too well.

I spent years in retail fighting against any mandatory body ' labelling' which I consider an affront to personal dignity ... but who seems to care about such things these days?

That is the sort of real issue which should be highlighted not the fact that they take sensible security precautions at No 10 regarding letter correspondence .. ?

[Bryn]

Ahem.

[scottycelt]

Ahem indeed ... there is a whole world of a difference between a corporate/official badge and the personal type we have been referring to here ..

[Tapiola]

and...

[Mr Pee]

A name badge might have been helpful here.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2F4ZWTjwTU

[scottycelt]

That's nothing compared to some of the weirdo members of the British public with whom I had to occasionally deal ...

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

yep scottycelt that was just what i was thinking, nowt wrong with this country that a new public wouldn't solve ... a public that did not watch the royal wedding, votes for AV and more, cheers Chelsea winning not losing, and doesn't go on the town with their bare bodies and get nine sheets to the wind as the major form of popular culture and listens to the Third Programme innit? just what is needed eh a new public ...

btw what about PLOD taking off their numbers to whack joe citizen [oops sorry joe subject] about ...

any one got a fiver?

[Flosshilde]

I take the claim that one member of staff was once traced to her home address with a modicum of salt. She must have had a rather unique name for that to happen, or the person who traced her must have spent a lot of time on doing it. Have you ever googled your own name & been surprised at how many people there are who share it?

[mangerton]

I spent years in retail fighting against any mandatory body ' labelling' which I consider an affront to personal dignity ... but who seems to care about such things these days?

That is the sort of real issue which should be highlighted not the fact that they take sensible security precautions at No 10 regarding letter correspondence .. ?

Thanks, scotty. I should emphasise it's not all bad news. If we are assaulted - either verbally on the phone, or physically with a mouthful of slack teeth - we can complete an Accident Report Form.

[Flosshilde]

Thanks, scotty. I should emphasise it's not all bad news. If we are assaulted - either verbally on the phone, or physically with a mouthful of slack teeth - we can complete an Accident Report Form.

OK as far as it goes - but what chance of the perpetrator being charged with assault? In some situations you might know who they are - eg if you see individual 'clients' whose name you know - but as members of the public don't wear name badges it could be difficult.