Murdoch: Ouf! Is this meltdown?

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

So, who's playing Murdoch Bingo? :laugh:

http://twitpic.com/5seca3

[Stunsworth]

How do you manage to smuggle a custard pie into the house of commons?

[Il Grande Inquisitor]

How do you manage to smuggle a custard pie into the house of commons?

It's full of clowns...

[hackneyvi]

I'm not sure how much dignity there is in an unsuccessful lunging at a Murdoch with a pie.

[Chris Newman]

It was a close shave............:doh:

[scottycelt]

What an utter embarrassment, considering this was televised all over the world.

R. Murdoch's wife Wendy was responsible for foiling the attack by 'an anarchist comedian' not the police or security guards.

The sight of one burly policeman tip-toeing into view seemingly an age after the man was restrained was like something out of a Xmas Pantomime.

Just how much worse can it get for the reputation of the Metropolitan Police ... ? :doh:

[french frank]

I'm not known for my sentimentality, but I couldn't watch it.

[Mandryka]

I'm sure I won't be the only person who suspects the hand of the PR company behind the 'anarchist' plant.

An appalling performance by both men, who basically admitted that they didn't know what the hell was going on in the company they supposedly run. Of course, I expect they DID know, but it was more politic to pretend that they didn't.

[hackneyvi]

Just how much worse can it get for the reputation of the Metropolitan Police ... ? :doh:

I generally have respect for the cops but I must say I'm looking forward to Channel 4 news tonight.

[Stunsworth]

Brooks isn't doing too well IMHO.

[Lateralthinking1]

At that party were also "Michael Gove, the education secretary, was there. So was David Cameron's consigliere Steve Hilton, and the culture minister Ed Vaizey. The Labour figures in attendance included Peter Mandelson, the ex-work and pensions secretary James Purnell, the shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander - and his shadow cabinet colleague Tessa Jowell, who reportedly arrived with her supposedly estranged husband David Mills. They were joined by David Miliband – who, let us not forget, was supported in his quest for the Labour leadership by the entire Murdoch stable of newspapers."

Also present was Lord Alan Sugar, he was swiftly asked to leave however due to his speech in the Lords that not only journalists, but the Editors and Board of Directors should be banged up as well (the last information was courtesy of the Panorama programme)

That would be the same Jowell and Mills who applied for huge settlements because of their outrage. With Labour Party people like that, who needs political parties with strong sympathies to business? The popularity of Purnell with Blairites will continue to be a problem for the leadership. He is in the old, New Labour, mould. David Miliband shows yet again that he wasn't the right person to lead. And while Mandelson being there is no surprise, Douglas Alexander is one of their principal spokesmen. Which brings me back to Ed and Alan, both who I quite like and have some respect for, but still it worries me. Here is a short fictional story of something that only ever happened in a dream I had last night.

Fictional story

October

Ed has surprised many by becoming the leader of his party. He sits down to decide on his shadow cabinet. He has two obvious candidates for Shadow Chancellor - the other Ed and that Ed's wife. Ed 2 is the more obvious candidate of the two but he is particularly seen as a firebrand. His ambitions could be a challenge. However, he is bright and Ed 1 wants to change the direction of his party. He pencils him in for the role. Then there is Alan. He has to remain high profile. He's the senior figure, popular and actually from the Labour class. His background is in Home Affairs. Pencil him in for that one and put Ed's wife on Foreign Affairs.

He invites in Alan as the senior figure first. "Thanks" says Alan "Good of you but we have a slight problem. I don't think it would be right for me to be at Home Affairs". "Oh?" says Ed. "Why?". Alan replies "It's Murdoch. Look I'm going to be direct with you. I've said publicly that I don't ever want to lead the party. I'm getting on a bit. I've achieved what I set out to do. I will help things along for a while but I can be sacrificed. The main thing is to do all we can to get these Tories out. They are up to their necks in it with Murdoch. Andy is there and so on. The chickens sooner or later will come home to roost. You'll benefit".

"Interesting" Ed says "but what does this have to do with you Alan?". Alan says "well, you know, I could be seen as the weak link on our side. I was Home Secretary when hacking blew up the last time, I think I was a bit soft on Yates, at that time we couldn't be seen to upset them because of the voters. The Tories could get off the hook by pointing to what I did and didn't do. Just stick me into the Shadow Chancellor role and when the time is right drop me. You have your ready made reason. Ed 2 is better suited. I can handle it if it helps our prospects".

November-January

The hacking topic returns to the news. Andy looks to be increasingly on the ropes. Publicly Dave is supportive but he goes to see R at Christmas to shore up his position in case Andy falls. On 12 Jan, the myserious Julian indicates in the New Statesman that he may have huge numbers of files on NI. This sends panic waves through the Government and partially prompts CPS to reopen its investigation on 14 Jan. Ed and Alan have a chat. Alan says to Ed "I think this is the time. Prepare to let me go".

On 20 Jan, Ed does just that and the wider media find it "a bit surprising". However, the Tories feel wrong-footed. They too have known all along that if things got really tough they could even out the pain by pointing to Alan. Now, with Alan gone, all of the criticism will be of them. In less than 24 hours, they decide that Andy has to go. It is a matter of regret for Dave but he hopes and assumes that this will nip it in the bud. His self-confidence grows in the leadership role in the months that follow.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

it is pretty disturbing that such a large force and major institution as the Met has leadership that is so unimpressive in front of the Home Affairs Ctte; it seemed to me that Stephenson was given an easy ride on his priorities and his £12k of hospitality .... he , Yates and Hayward were pretty unimpressive and might not get past a selection for the headship of a state secondary school .... their performance puts a serious question about the selection and recruitment of senior officers in the police ...

[Anna]

The custard pie thrower was tweeting all along that he was going to do it (according to his tweets reproduced in the papers), all the newspapers have now named him, (an anarchist comedian) but yes, another foot shooting incident by the Met.

It seems the three wise monkeys are made of Teflon, nothing's going to stick but quite frankly unbelievable that any CEO, MD or Editor is so unaware of what's going on in their business isn't it?

[johnb]

RB's replies are quite remarkable in that she talks around the questions being asked instead of answering them. The curious thing is that the committee members seem to tolerate it.

[Lateralthinking1]

The custard pie incident is the latest in a whole series of incidents at Parliament. The security arrangements there are clearly rubbish. Yates was supposed to be excellent at counter-terrorism. I beg to differ. If he was even partially responsible for the long-term security arrangements in Parliament, the latest might indicate that there were other reasons why it was appropriate for him to go.