The Leveson Inquiry

[ahinton]

You'd need to know what 'best' meant in that context, surely - it could mean most effective at getting policies implemented, getting re-elected, etc. Someone could be 'best' in that sense without being 'best' in other senses .

All too true!

So he has. http://news.stv.tv/politics/105975-f...upert-murdoch/

A spokesperson said: "Mr Salmond first raised the matter of an alleged unauthorised access of his bank account with the Observer's editor last year. The allegation was that a journalist working for the Observer had accessed his bank details in 1999. As we explained to him last year, on the basis of the information he had given us, we have been unable to find any evidence to substantiate his allegation. As our response to him at the time made clear, we take this allegation very seriously and if he is able to provide us with any more information we will investigate further."

I suppose you could say they would say that. Although I suppose they could say he is making the claim to deflect attention from his Murdoch links. Murky waters!

Well, presumably the first thing that Mr Salmond would have to do is produce evidence that would be acceptable in Court that the Observer journalist had indeed accessed his bank account and, if he can do that, he would need also to be able to prove beyond reasponable doubt that the journalist's access to the account and its details was unauthorised; I don't imagine that either of these this would necessarily be easy tasks, unless his bank could help him by providing specific corroborative evidence as to how the access was enabled and how it occurred.

[aeolium]

In 2010 the University of Leeds surveyed 106 academics who specialised in British politics and/or British history. They rated Blair as the 3rd best PM since 1945. The full list:

Presumably those academics ignored the verdict of most international jurists and specialists in international law that the 2003 Iraq invasion breached international law. Not one of the other PMs in that list AFAIK was guilty of such a breach.

[LHC]

As the Iraq war was identified as Blair's biggest failure as PM, I don't think they did ignore it.

You can read a summary of the report here:

http://www.woodnewtonassociates.co.uk/analysis/Papers/Rating%20PostWar%20British%20Prime%20Ministers.pdf

[amateur51]

For one who often travels on trains, and vividly remembers the appallingly clapped-out, strike-ridden, State-run British Rail, there may well have been grossly unhappier episodes in one's life, jean ...

At least it was possible to afford a ticket without having to travel at crack of dawn or near the end of the day or without having to book at such an advanced distance that one's personal longevity becomes a factor

Also we didn't used to have the curse of the Pendolino trains which any male passenger who has been caught unawares whilst tiddling only to find the train has suddenly leaned over and you've unavoidably splashed your strides will curse.

I guess the effect is not the same in a kilt, scotty

[amateur51]

All too true!


Well, presumably the first thing that Mr Salmond would have to do is produce evidence that would be acceptable in Court that the Observer journalist had indeed accessed his bank account and, if he can do that, he would need also to be able to prove beyond reasponable doubt that the journalist's access to the account and its details was unauthorised; I don't imagine that either of these this would necessarily be easy tasks, unless his bank could help him by providing specific corroborative evidence as to how the access was enabled and how it occurred.

Strange too that it's taken him 13 years to bring this to a wider public. I don't usually associate Mr Salmond with being unusually reticent about self-promotion

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Now that Hunt appears to have been let off the hook, because the Lib-Dems didn't have the bottle to stand up to their lords and masters by voting against the Tory lets-look-after-our-chums whip, we shall just have to wait until someone else points the finger.

[JohnSkelton]

For one who often travels on trains, and vividly remembers the appallingly clapped-out, strike-ridden, State-run British Rail, there may well have been grossly unhappier episodes in one's life, jean ...

http://www.christianwolmar.co.uk/2011/06/rail-672-the-real-story-behind-the-mcnulty-report/

[aeolium]

As the Iraq war was identified as Blair's biggest failure as PM, I don't think they did ignore it.

You can read a summary of the report here:

http://www.woodnewtonassociates.co.u...0Ministers.pdf

From the summary it appears to be an extremely shallow report. Criteria like party management and electoral success seem to be considered significant factors in evaluating the success of some PMs. You would not guess from this report (or at least the summary) that the PMs rated 2 and 3, by pursuing policies of financial deregulation and light oversight of the banking sector, both contributed substantially to the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Still, you would probably get an equally shallow assessment from a group of economists.

[scottycelt]

Also we didn't used to have the curse of the Pendolino trains which any male passenger who has been caught unawares whilst tiddling only to find the train has suddenly leaned over and you've unavoidably splashed your strides will curse.

I guess the effect is not the same in a kilt, scotty

Ach, you're just a Wee Welsh Leak, amsey ...

[ahinton]

Ach, you're just a Wee Welsh Leak, amsey ...

"Pen" is surely more of a Cornish prefix than a Welsh one but, in any case, what's either Welsh or Cornish about "Pendolino"?

[scottycelt]

"Pen" is surely more of a Cornish prefix than a Welsh one but, in any case, what's either Welsh or Cornish about "Pendolino"?

Exactly! ... isn't it quite extraordinary that nobody else here appeared to spot the blindingly obvious, ahinton .. ?

[LHC]

For those of you watching Cameron's evidence at Leveson today, you may find the following colour chart useful:

http://orderorder.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/cameron-colour-chart.jpg

[MrGongGong]

For those of you watching Cameron's evidence at Leveson today, you may find the following colour chart useful:

http://orderorder.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/cameron-colour-chart.jpg

[amateur51]

Exactly! ... isn't it quite extraordinary that nobody else here appeared to spot the blindingly obvious, ahinton .. ?

It's neither Welsh nor Cornish: it's Italian

Back on topic now please?

[amateur51]

For those of you watching Cameron's evidence at Leveson today, you may find the following colour chart useful:

http://orderorder.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/cameron-colour-chart.jpg

Excellent!