The prestigious Athenaeum Club – a favourite drinking hole for cabinet ministers and other members of high society
A short walk away from Westminster, the Athenaeum is used by several vice-chancellors and senior academics when they are on business in London. Many universities hold dinners for alumni at the club
A club that has counted Sir Winston Churchill, Lord Palmerston, Lord Curzon and Jimmy Savile as members
It was Cardinal Basil Hume, at the time the Archbishop of Westminster, who put Jimmy Savile up for membership….
Cardinal Hume was presented with the Order of Merit by the Queen
Savile had to wait only two months before being admitted to the club in 1984.
“It’s a considerable thrill for someone like me to be able to rub shoulders with the fascinating people who use the Athenaeum,” the disc jockey said.
“I hope to go there once a week and have lunch or dinner with the object of speaking to people like ex-prime ministers.”
The cardinal had introduced Savile to Pope John Paul II when he visited Britain in 1982. Of Savile’s election to the Athenaeum, the cardinal’s spokesman noted: “He is a great admirer of what Jimmyhas done for young people – and Stoke Mandeville – and is delighted to help in this matter.”
The Dark Truth About Jimmy Savile‘: 1983Sun interview.
Sir Jimmy Savile – the Athenaeum
The late Cardinal Basil Hume is being held responsible for the election of Sir Jimmy Savile as a member of the Athenaeum, the historical Pall Mall establishment.
10 Oct 2012
Jimmy Savile became a member in 1984
Paedophile Patrick Gilbert, friend of royalty, top church official
Patrick Gilbert – Athenaeum Club – chairman executive committee 1985-1989
Dame Alun Roberts@ciabaudo
1#
The Athenaeum Club in Pall Mall was where Cardinal Hume introduced Savile … and where Terry Woods, Proctor’s lover, was a member.
Top prosecutor ‘lied about knowing of sex abuse claims against MP Cyril Smith despite police having said the allegations ‘stood up”
Sex abuse allegations against the MP, who died in 2010, dated back to the 1960s
MI5 passed claims on to police, with one inspector saying claims ‘stood up’
Despite this, the Director of Public Prosecutions decided not to prosecute
Inquiry hears allegations would have been examined before Smith was knighted
Sir Norman Skelhorn’s decision in 1970 came despite a senior detective warning the ‘sordid’ accusations against Smith ‘stood up’, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse heard.
Lead counsel Brian Altman QC said that the security services were informed that the Rochdale Alternative Press (RAP), which published an investigation into Smith in 1979, had been misled by Sir Norman’s office.
Roy Jenkins Chancellor of the Exchequer and Home Secretary OM PC. oversaw legalisation of abortion and decriminalization of homosexuality as home secretary. Adviser to Tony Blair in the 90’s
The decision to reinstate Cambridge professor Nicholas Hammond was taken by the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alison Richard
Queen Elizabeth and vice chancellor of Cambridge, Alison Richard
Cambridge University is allowing an academic, Nicholas Hammond, to keep his job despite a conviction for possessing sickening pornographic images of children.
Alison Richard is co-trustee of the Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation, a board member at Prince Philip’s WWF-International (Prince Charles, is the current UK head of the WWF) and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (along with James A. Baker, III, former secretary of state under George H.W. Bush and secretary of the treasury under Ronald Reagan) and chairs the Advisory Boards of the Cambridge Conservation Initiative, Luc Hoffman Institute and Perrett Laver.
J. M. BarrieOM, Author of Peter Pan, alleged to have been a pederast, two boys who he became guardian of committed suicide.
Winston Churchill – prime minister, KG OM CH TD PC DL FRS RA, Freemason
Harry St John Philbyarchaeologist and Arabist intelligence officer, alleged connection to the round table group,muslim convert, chief head of the Secret Service for the British Mandate of Palestine had extensive meetings with all involved in the Palestine question. They were Winston Churchill, King George, the Prince of Wales, Baron Rothschild, Wickham Steed, and Chaim Weizmann, the head of the Zionist movement.
Anthony Blunt– MI5 agent, soviet spy, alleged pederast, rumoured to have organised depraved blackmail parties. close to the Rothschilds
This church sex pervert abuses lad and doesn’t go to prison 1993
(15.06.93)
Patrick Gilbert, friend of royalty, top church official
Athenaeum Club (chairman executive committee 1985-1989)
A top church official who sexually abused a boy of 14 walked free yesterday because it was claimed the shame of jail could jail kill him.
Pervert Patrick Gilbert, a friend of Royalty, molested his victim for four years after paying for him to have ballet lessons. He had sex with him at his luxury home and on foreign trips in his role as boss of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, a Church of England charity.
A leading clergyman who saw them together suspected what was going on, but did nothing. Wealthy bachelor Gilbert 59, who has a previous conviction for molesting two 13-year-old boys, began by fondling the younster in the bath. …Gilbert – head of the SPCK for 21 years was given only a nine-month suspended sentence after his counsel revealed he was sick and suicidal. Judge Michael McMullen said he was not jailing him immediately because the strain could give him a fatal heart attack.
The victim joined a dance class run by a trust of which Gilbert was a governor.
13 July 1988
1988 Conservative Advisory Committee on the Arts and Heritage – Sir Roy Strong, Sir John Tooley, Sir Jack Boles, Lord Rippon Sir Hector Monro – the team believe Patrick Gilbert from SPCK is the best man to advise
Sir Roy Strong, pictured with Prince Charles, has been at the heart of the Establishment for nearly 50 years
^ “Religion” run on a money making business basis — cash for dining – sponsors/lobbyists == biz model – not anything to do with belief.
Canon Christopher Hill worked with Patrick Gilbert and met the boy.
He “realised they had an intimate sexual relationship.”…Gilbert’s previous offence against the two 13-year-olds happened in 1962 when he was a school governor. He was given three years’ probation.
Gilbert quit the SPCK in December 1991 –a month after his arrest. He was given a £ 16,000- a year pension.
Dr Donald Coggan Archbishop of Canterbury and Cardinal Hume Archbishop of Westminster
.
Testimonials to Gilbert included one from former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Donald Coggan
Dr Donald Coggan and convicted paedophile Peter Ball
Pal of Royalty Patrick Gilbert
Gilbert worked for the charity – Society Promoting Christian Knowledge
Patrick Gilbert often met the Queen, who is patron of the SPCK, at Palace garden parties.
Gilbert also discusses the charity’s affairs with Princess Alexandra’s husband Sir Angus Ogilvy, one of its governors.
A CHURCH of England charity worker who molested a teenage boy was given a suspended sentence yesterday after a judge was told that he suffered serious health problems.
Patrick Gilbert, 59, who had a character reference from a former Archbishop of Canterbury, admitted three specimen charges of indecently assaulting a 14-year-old boy over a two-year period.
And the churchman, who served 10 years as a member of the Archbishop’s Committee on Roman Catholicism, also confessed to a previous conviction for indecent assault on two 13-year-old boys in 1962 while a school teacher.
Rev Hill
Gilbert, the former president of the Society For Promoting Christian Knowledge smiled as he left Wood Green Crown Court in north London accompanied by the resident Canon of St Paul’s Cathedral, the Rev Christopher Hill. Gilbert refused to comment on the offence or the sentence of three terms of nine months suspended for two years each.
Sentencing him, Judge Michael McMullan, said Gilbert was a ‘wealthy and influential’ man who had breached the trust of the boy and his parents. He added: ‘With an offence of this kind only a custodial sentence could be justified. Considering the seriousness of the offence, I entirely take into account your breach of the boy’s trust.
‘You have also breached the trust of his parents, who put their son in your care because they believed you were the kind of man you appeared to be.’
But the judge decided not to jail the bachelor because of his health and ‘very severe punishment’ he had already undergone through losing his reputation. Gilbert, of Hampstead, north London, had been admitted to hospital last week with heart trouble, the court was told, and psychiatrists assessed him as a suicide risk.
The judge said: ‘You were a man, wealthy and in an influential position, able to assist this young man in his chosen career.
‘Whatever your motives originally were, it ended in wholly illegal sexual gratification with a 14-year-old boy.
‘Any quality of consensuality has to be looked at against the background of the fact that you, a wealthy and influential man, were assisting and enabling him in his career.’
Patrick Gilbert SPCK Holy Trinity Church Marylebone
The Holy Trinity Church in Marylebone, Westminster, built specifically to celebrate the defeat of Napoleon, hasn’t been used as a place of worship since the 30’s, but that didn’t stop artist Paul Fryer from making a religious statement by hanging this terrifying statue of Satan inside.
The piece, titled “Lucifer (Morningstar)” is a wax sculpture depicting the devil snared in a set of power lines.
In 1937 Penguin moved out to Harmondsworth, and the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK), an Anglican missionary organization, moved in. It was their headquarters until 2006, when they relocated to Tufton Street, Westminster (they have since moved again to Pimlico); the church is currently used as an Events space operated by One Events and known as One Marylebone.
Patrick Nigel Geoffrey Gilbert, religious organization administrator. Decorated Lord of Manor of Cantley Netherall, Norfolk, Order of St. Vladimir; recipient awards for civic and professional service
born: May 12, 1934
Educated, Cranleigh School, Merton College, Oxford. Doctor of Letters (honorary), Columbia Pacific University, 1982.
Lecturer further education South Berks College, 1959-1962. Personal assistant to Sir Edward Hulton, 1962-1964. With Oxford University Press, 1964-1969, managing director in Westinghouse group, 1970.
General secretary Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, London, 1971-1992. Consultant Three Georges Development Company, 1994-1997, Saga Travel, 1994-1998.
Membership
Board directors Surrey Building Society, 1988-1993. Chairman Camden Arts Council, 1970-1974, vice president, 1974-1990. Steward Artists’ General Benevolent Institution, 1971-1993.
Trustee Overseas Bishoprics Fund, 1971-1992, Richards Trust, 1971-1992, Buxton Trust, 1973-1992, chairman, 1983-1992. Trustee World Association Christian Communications, 1975-1987. Governor, vice-chairman St. Martins in Fields School, 1971-1972.
Fellow Corporation of Saints Mary and Nicholas-Woodard Schools), 1972-1992, trustee, corporation executive, 1981-1992. Chairman board trustees, honorary treasurer Art Workers Guild, 1976-1986. Chairman, founder National Association Local Arts Council, 1976-1980, vice president, 1980-1993.
Governor body SPCK Australia, 1977-1992, New Zealand, 1988-1992, India, 1971-1992. Governor Ellesmere College, Shropshire, 1978-1987, St. Michael’s School, Petworth, 1978-1988, Roehampton Institute Higher Education, 1978-1992, Pusey House, Oxford, Contemporary Dance Trust, 1981-1990. Active All Saints Educational Trustee, chairman finance and investment committee, 1978-1992.
Active Partnership for World Mission, 1979-1992, Church Public Committee, 1980-1984, Executive Anglican Consultative Council Research Project, 1982-1984, Court of City University, 1987-1993. Board directors SPCK, United States, 1983-1992. Chairman academy disciplinary appeals tribunal Roehampton Institute, 1983-1989, chairman audit committee, 1989-1992.
Chairman Concord Multicultural Arts Trust, 1980-1989. Trustee Dancers Resettlement Fund, chairman finance committee, 1982-1990, Dancers Resettlement Trust, 1987-1990. Member Greater London Arts Association (honorary life, chairman 1980-1984), Master Worshipful Company of Woolmen, Publications Association (council member 1990-1992), Athenaeum Club (chairman executive committee 1985-1989), Nikaean Club (chairman 1984-1992)
Patrick Nigel Geoffrey Gilbert was a director at Guild Of Freemen Of The City Of London. This company, registration number 00109150, at the time was located at 4 Dowgate Hill,, London, NW3 6SU. The records indicate there are 7 filings that mention Patrick Nigel Geoffrey Gilbert. This 83-year-old British national had been a director from May 22, 1992. Patrick Nigel Geoffrey Gilbert’s work history includes 2 positions. Among the professionals Gilbert worked with we can name: Dr John Thomas Breen (from 1992-05-22 to 2013-07-12), a director at Guild Of Freemen Of The City Of London, and Lady Moorea Black (from 1992-05-22 to 2009-07-08), an established director at Guild Of Freemen Of The City Of London. Patrick Nigel Geoffrey Gilbert resigned from being a director on June 30, 1993.
Pattinson was first touched by scandal in 1987 in connection with the Preface to Crockford’s Clerical Directory, written anonymously by his friend the Revd Canon Gareth Bennett, Dean of Divinity of New College, Oxford, who committed suicide as a result of the controversy it caused. Pattinson was responsible for commissioning the Preface and was thought to have failed to predict the outcome of publishing it
Questions over churchman’s charity trip: Andrew Brown reports on a leading Anglican’s visit to South Africa with a homosexual friend
4 December 1992
THE MOST powerful layman in the Church of England took his homosexual companion around South Africa on a trip for an Anglican charity, the Independent has learnt. He later repaid to the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge the extra costs involved.
The bills, showing the two men shared a room on the trip in 1990, were approved by Patrick Gilbert, the society’s then managing director, who resigned suddenly last year and is now facing charges of indecent assault.
The Rev Sir Derek Pattinson, as he now is, was secretary-general of the Church of England’s General Synod for 18 years, until 1990, when he was knighted on retirement and embarked on training for ordination.
He was also chairman of the executive committee at the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge, a 300-year-old missionary society and publishing house, currently being investigated by the Charity Commissioners after revelations about the extravagance of Mr Gilbert, its last managing director.
Sir Derek set off on a prolonged fact-finding trip around southern Africa at SPCK’s expense in the autumn of 1990, while he was still secretary-general of the Synod.
In Johannesburg he was joined, by pre-arrangement, by Barnaby Miln, a homosexual activist who had been the one of the youngest Justices of the Peace in England.
For most of the years when Sir Derek, 62, was training for the priesthood, he lived with Mr Miln in a flat in Westminster owned by the Diocese of London.
Dr Graham Leonard, the traditionalist who has now announced he plans to leave the Church of England in protest against women priests, was then Bishop of London. He agreed to Sir Derek’s ordination without the customary investigation of his suitability by the Church’s Advisory Council on Ministry.
‘It’s perfectly true that (Sir Derek) never went to a selection conference, because technically he was the employer of the staff who were arranging it,’ Dr Leonard said.
Mr Miln claims that Dr Leonard knew the set-up. ‘The Daily Mail chap, Tony Doran, had got through the outer door on the morning of the deaconing and accused (Sir Derek) to his face of being a homosexual. And Derek sent him away,’ he said.
‘The telephone then started ringing, and Graham Leonard decided to go ahead . . . The organist was told to play full blast, should there be a protest; and at the private do afterwards. Graham Leonard came up to me and said: ‘I did you a favour, Barnaby.’ ‘
Dr Leonard attended a packed General Synod debate in 1987 when Sir Derek was on the platform and Mr Miln, then a lay member, announced that he was a homosexual.
The Synod went on to pass by an overwhelming majority, a motion condemning ‘homosexual genital activity’.
Before Sir Derek could become a priest, Dr Leonard retired, and was replaced by the Rt Rev David Hope, the former bishop of Wakefield. He compelled Sir Derek to return to the theological college at Mirfield, Yorkshire, for an extra term, which he had hoped to skip. But he did ordain him.
Dr Hope said: ‘I knew that they were sharing rooms or a flat. But it was put to me that Barnaby Miln was looking after Derek, caring for or about him. I would presume that their domestic arrangements were satisfactory and wholesome because I was not told otherwise.’
Sir Derek serves as a curate in St Gabriel’s, Warwick Square, central London, whose rector is David Skeogh. Mr Skeogh, a ‘high’ Anglo-Catholic, is a former schoolteacher who served as Dr Leonard’s domestic chaplain both in Truro and London.
While Sir Derek was away at Mirfield last spring Mr Miln began a relationship with David O’Reilly, a young Irishman. He had previously been attracted to a handsome Australian teacher, whose athletic interests led him to take up an exercise programme, which resulted in a knee injury.
Mr Miln said he was due for a cartilage operation at the end of March and ‘needed somebody to get me around. And Derek was due back from Mirfield for the ordination and so forth. So we needed somebody to drive us around.’
David O’Reilly was Mr Miln’s chauffeur and lover from April until he died in mysterious circumstances behind King’s Cross railway station, north London, on 6 August this year.
On 20 May, for reasons which are still unclear, two police cars pulled over Mr Miln’s car as Mr O’Reilly was driving him along the Westway in London. The two men were taken separately to police stations, and interrogated for six hours. The car was searched, but nothing unusual was found except some leaflets promoting the Anglican Centre in Rome.
Mr O’Reilly introduced Mr Miln to hard drugs very soon after their relationship began. Mr Miln said that in very little time he was spending hundreds of pounds a week on heroin and cocaine.
On 6 August, Mr Miln’s 45th birthday, Mr O’Reilly drove him to King’s Cross. He parked there, left Mr Miln in the car, and went to buy some cocaine. What happened next is unclear. Mr Miln believes it was murder: the Crown Prosecution Service found no case to answer, when police passed on papers of the case. In any case, Mr O’Reilly fell, or was pushed, under the wheels of a lorry and died.
Sir Derek collected Mr Miln from the police station where he had been questioned for hours by officers wanting to know why he was in the car and what Mr O’Reilly had been doing. He denied everything, but admitted on two separate occasions afterwards that Mr O’Reilly had in fact been buying cocaine for him.
The relationship between Sir Derek and Mr Miln deteriorated, though the two men continued to live together.
Since Mr Gilbert’s forced retirement last year from the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge, the new managing director, Paul Chandler, has completely revised its financial controls. He said yesterday that none of the society’s travel budget came from contributions made by the public.
Sir Derek, when challenged over the allegations, replied that he had paid by cheque for Mr Miln’s share of the hotel bills in South Africa immediately after his return. But he could not produce a record of this.
He has disappeared and cannot be contacted. Dr Hope has ordered him to take medical leave for six weeks, and will review his position at the end of that time.
Milne – partner of Sir Pattinson’s -Pattinson’s closest friend – Patrick Gilbert
Claims that a former Justice of the Peace and member of General Synod, Barnaby Miln, ran a gay prostitute ring from a flat he shared with the general secretary of the Church of England, Sir Derek Pattinson, are also advanced. In 2003 the tabloid newspaper The People ran an expose of Miln with the headline
“GAY SEX DEN IN CHURCH BOSS’S £1m FLAT; Kinky friend of royals runs orgies yards from Westminster Abbey.”
“That Was The Church That Was: How the Church of England Lost the English People” by Andrew Brown of the Guardian and Prof. Linda Woodhead of Lancaster University, the publisher’s advertisement for the book, set for release on 11 Feb 2016, states:
The Church of England still seemed an essential part of Englishness, and even of the British state, when Mrs Thatcher was elected in 1979. The decades which followed saw a seismic shift in the foundations of the C of E, leading to the loss of more than half its members and much of its influence. In England today ‘religion’ has become a toxic brand, and Anglicanism something done by other people. How did this happen? Is there any way back?
This ‘relentlessly honest’ and surprisingly entertaining book tells the dramatic and contentious story of the disappearance of the Church of England from the centre of public life. The authors – religious correspondent Andrew Brown and academic Linda Woodhead – watched this closely, one from the inside and one from the outside. That Was the Church, That Was shows what happened and explains why.
Those familiar with the contents of the book report it recounts episodes in the life of the Church of England from the controversy over the preface to the 1988 edition of Crockford’s Clerical Directory, which excoriated Archbishop Robert Runcie and the leadership of the Church of England as “wicked” and intolerant — the fury of the church establishment in response is believed to have led to the suicide of the preface’s author, the Rev. Gareth Bennett, to salacious claims about the sexual peccadilloes of leading churchmen.
The late John Stott is claimed to have been gay and to have penned an anonymous book in 1970 supporting homosexuality. Claims that a former Justice of the Peace and member of General Synod, Barnaby Miln, ran a gay prostitute ring from a flat he shared with the general secretary of the Church of England, Sir Derek Pattinson, are also advanced. In 2003 the tabloid newspaper The People ran an expose of Miln with the headline “GAY SEX DEN IN CHURCH BOSS’S £1m FLAT; Kinky friend of royals runs orgies yards from Westminster Abbey.”
Writing in the Independent in 1995 about General Synod’s debates on homosexuality Brown wrote:”Only one man, a JP from Hereford named Barnaby Miln, admitted to being a homosexual. Later, he was to live with the Secretary-General of the General Synod, the Rev Sir Derek Pattinson, after the couple had been on a tour of southern Africa partially paid for by SPCK, the oldest missionary society in the Church of England. Mr Miln was last heard of in Hereford jail, serving six months for defrauding the inmates of an old people’s home.”
References to Miln’s imprisonment have been removed over the past few months from his entry on Wikipedia. Anglican Ink has not been able to verify the veracity of the Independent’s claim that Miln had been imprisoned — and it has not seen the letter detailing the grounds for the threatened libel action.
Asked to comment on the reasons for the recall and for the grounds upon which a libel action was laid, Bloomsbury’s publicity agent responded: “ I only know that there’s been a legal complaint.”
Pattinson was vice-president of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.
In his most recent Who’s Who entry Derek Pattinson cited Barnaby Miln (three years ago the subject of a tabloid story detailing his taste for rent boys, cocaine and spanking sessions) as his “partner”.
” A TOP churchman’s boyfriend has turned their pounds 1million home into a depraved gay spanking brothel, The People can reveal.
Barnaby Miln, pal of royals and bishops, provides rent boys and perverted sex services including bondage and corporal punishment.
MPs, civil servants, showbiz personalities and respected church dignitaries are among the clients invited to his monthly gay orgies.
Former magistrate Miln uses the internet to advertise the vice den in the plush flat yards from Westminster Abbey that he has shared with his gay lover the Rev Sir Derek Pattinson for 15 years.
Sir Derek was the Church of England’s most senior layman – secretary general of the church’s “parliament” the General Synod – for 18 years before becoming a minister.
The couple’s pals among the rich and famous will be shocked to learn of Miln’s sordid activities, exposed by a special People investigation.
The man who brags he was close to the Queen Mum and Princess Margaret and was an adviser to a former Archbishop of Canterbury acts as a gay prostitute offering caning and other kinky services.
And he has handsome young men on his books who charge pounds 200 for sex. Miln told our undercover reporter he could have sex with him for pounds 60, saying: “My fantasy is to take a pretty boy like you in broad daylight and right in front of the Abbey.”
The 56-year-old pervert, who advertises his spanking parlour as the Headmaster’s Study:
-KEEPS canes, handcuffs and other restraint gear in the swish apartment where the walls are covered by framed photographs of famous churchmen and one of Miln with Princess Anne.
-REVELS in dangerous sex, shrugging off the perils of Aids.
-OFFERED our investigator ecstasy, apologising for being out of the cocaine he likes to share with gay partners.
-BOASTED of having sex with thousands of men including a new 19-year-old lover.
Miln, whose clients call him Judge Judy after the American TV series, told our man: “I love sex, I can’t help myself. I love meeting gay boys or straight men over the internet.
“It gives me a reason to live. But the older you get the more isolated you become.
That is why I went on the game, to treat young boys like you to the discipline you deserve.”
The People investigated after spotting an advert for the Headmaster’s Study in a seedy gay contact magazine. We also traced a website advertising spanking sessions.
Miln was pictured posing in his study alongside photos of clients stretched over a bookshelf being caned. Our investigator was invited to the apartment in Strutton Court, Great Peter Street, after swapping text messages with Miln to fix an appointment.
Sir Derek, 73, was not there. He has a broken leg and spends most days in a London nursing home.
Miln talked about the private parties he arranged and said: “I get all sorts here – civil servants from Whitehall, MPs, the odd showbiz personality and even people from Buckingham Palace. I know one or two people there and naturally I get some top names in the church as well.”
Our man saw the handcuffs and restraints that Miln keeps in the bedroom. A brolly stand in the drawing room was crammed with canes.
Miln lost no time in offering our reporter sex without a condom and told him: “There is nothing better than dangerous sex.
“I could have HIV but at my age I don’t care. If I then give it to someone it will be because of their stupidity.”
He added: “I had a test a month or so ago so I don’t think there would be any danger to you.” But it seemed a strange attitude for a man who was special adviser on Aids and sexuality to Dr Robert Runcie when he was Archbishop of Canterbury.
There were several volumes on Aids on the bookshelves in the flat. Miln even devised the red ribbon as a symbol of Aids awareness. With Sir Derek, he also helped raise large sums for the Anglican Church with events including a VIP reception at Lambeth Palace. In 1997 he escorted Princess Anne round a Christian Aid exhibition in Scotland.
It was a very different world to the one he revealed to The People’s investigator. He said he charged pounds 60 an hour as a gay escort offering caning and other kinky corporal punishment.
He also said he had half a dozen younger guys ready to provide gay sex.
In a casual sweater and trendy Armani jeans and sporting a gold Rolex, Miln emerged from the kitchen with two glasses of Jack Daniels and Coke. He also offered the investigator a cigar and an ecstasy tablet “to help unwind”.
He admitted: “I like to share cocaine but haven’t got any with me at the moment.”
Miln said Sir Derek was “out of town at the moment and too old to take an active part.” But Sir Derek’s involvement with Miln landed him in a huge row with church elders in 1990.
He had taken his lover on a six-week fact-finding tour of South Africa paid for out of church missionary funds.
Two years later Miln was quizzed by police probing the mysterious death of his chauffeur, a young Irishman he had an affair with. The man’s body was found at the back of King’s Cross railway station.
Police discovered he had introduced Miln to hard drugs and the two had spent a fortune on heroin and cocaine.
Miln was a JP in Hereford and London from 1978 to 1994 and lived with his elderly mother in Edinburgh for some years. He was once a member of the Synod but turned his back on the Church after a ruling that practising homosexuality was considered a sin.
Three years ago he set up a gay escorts agency in Edinburgh employing about 20 rent boys as young as 18. He found them through fliers dropped in pubs, clubs and other gays gay haunts.
Miln tried to recruit the investigator as a rent boy and invited him to return to the flat the following day.
When our man arrived Miln claimed he had just finished “punishing” a university lecturer who regularly turned up for a thrashing with a whip.
Miln urged the reporter to relax. He handed him an ecstasy tablet from about 30 he had in a drawer by his bed, saying, “Here, take on of these.”
The investigator said he would take it later. Laboratory tests confirmed it was ecstasy.
We later confronted Miln and asked him whether Sir Derek knew of the sordid activities at the flat.
Miln said: “He’s too ill for that. He’s muddled and forgets things in five minutes but we have spoken about it.
“Derek is still my partner but he is not at all well and in a nursing home. He has been there for several months.”
Asked about the ecstasy, he said: “I’d rather not comment about that.”
A spokesman for the Diocese of London , former owners of the flat, said: “Sir Derek is a non-stipendiary minister but is very old now.
” The property is no longer anything to do with us.”
Whilst on the General Synod Barnaby Miln was a trustee and later chairman of the Langley House Trust for ex-offenders and treasurer of the (British) Churches Council on Alcohol and Drugs. He brought to the latter his experience as a licensing justice in Hereford.
Days after Ward’s arrest, there was a meeting at the Athenaeum Club of men who had been asked by his solicitors to testify to his good character; they decided that if Astor had declined then so would they.
Stephen Ward at the centre of the Profumo affair was killed on orders from MI5, according to an unnamed MI6 operative. The MI6 contact told them Ward was a threat. He is quoted as saying there were sex photographs, which could damage the Macmillan government and the royal family. …on the night he died, Ward wrote to the Home Secretary, Henry Brooke, but the letter was suppressed.
Other British Society visitors attending the service and board meeting included Patrick Gilbert, general secretary, and Lionel Scott, vice-chairman of the governing body.
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It’s all a matter of public record…You cannot be silenced for discussing something already in the public domain. … research and form your own conclusions.
Son of Greggs bakery founder, 76, who was convicted of indecently assaulting boys over three decades has five years slashed from jail sentence
Colin Gregg from Newcastle had been jailed for 13-and-a-half years in March
He had been found guilty of nine counts of indecent assault against four boys
Gregg, 76, appealed his conviction and sentence over the historic sex abuse
Appeals court judges in London reduced his jail term to eight-and-a-half years
19 December 2017
The son of the founder of the Greggs bakery empire has had his jail sentence for indecently assaulting young boys cut by five years.
Colin Gregg, 76, of Home Steadings, Gosforth, Newcastle, was found guilty of nine counts of indecent assault committed against four boys over three decades and was sentenced to 13-and-a-half years in March.
Gregg, who helped build up the family business and also worked as a social worker, teacher and headmaster, lost a bid to have his convictions overturned at London‘s Court of Appeal on Tuesday.
But senior judges said his jail term, imposed at Newcastle Crown Court, was ‘too long’ and reduced it to eight-and-a-half years.
Gregg, who watched the proceedings over a video link from prison, was said to have played a ‘significant part’ in the expansion and success of his family’s business.
He was also a well-respected member of the community and had raised thousands of pounds for charitable causes before his convictions.
Allegations were first made against Gregg by a young boy in the 1990s and he stood trial, but was cleared at that time.
During his trial earlier this year he denied all the charges, claiming he was the victim of a ‘witch-hunt’ and the complainants wanted compensation.
Sasha Wass QC, representing him at the Appeal Court, argued his sentence was excessive in light of the fact his offending was not in the most serious category.
Lord Justice Davis, sitting with Mrs Justice Nicola Davies and Judge Nicholas Dean QC, said the appeal against sentence must be allowed.
He added: ‘Having reflected upon the matter, the view of this court is that a total sentence of eight-and-a-half years is appropriate for this offending and for this offender.’
DS Chris Wilson, who led the investigation, said: “The victims in this case showed immense bravery to come forward and stand up in court to give the evidence that ultimately put their abuser through court.
“It was a terrifying ordeal for them but their actions have helped convict a predatory paedophile and I am sure that convictions such as this will help encourage other victims of sexual abuse to come forward.
Colin Gregg: Charity champ, abuser and pals with royals – now then now then – who does that remind me of?
L: Colin Gregg, in 1986 at King’s School and R: Top – Colin Gregg going to court and bottom 1990 – Gregg left the then private King’s School to become the full-time administrator of the Yellow Brick Road FundColin Gregg was an administrator at Yellow Brick Road, and received an award for his work in 1992.
The Children’s Foundation is perhaps better known as the Yellow Brick Road Appeal and was launched by its patron The Duke of York in 1990.
Yellow Brick Road charity name changed to the Children’s Foundation
His reputation as a pillar of the community brought him many benefits – he even rubbed shoulders with royalty when the Duke of York, Prince Andrew, came to the North East in January 1993
20 January 1993
The Duke of York, Patron, visits Newcastle, North Tyneside; visits the Yellow Brick Road Appeal at the Royal Victoria Infirmary; as Patron of Children-North East, visits the Battle Hill Family Centre; tours the electronic Bi-Media News Room and the Television Studio; meets families involved in the ‘Rural Action with Families in Tynedale’ project and, as Patron, meets members and staff of the Newcastle Weston Spirit Centre, at the BBC Broadcasting Centre; and visits Parsons (Rolls-Royce Industrial Power Group), Heaton.
Professor of child health Alan Craft (left) at the Yellow Brick Road building which is officially opened tomorrow, pictured with Yellow Brick Road administrator Colin Gregg (right). 17th May 1995 (Photo: NCJ Archive)
Colin Gregg, administrator to the Yellow Brick Road Charity.
22nd June 1995.
Gregg said” From the very beginning the Yellow Brick Road has been a real partnership – between Newcastle University’s Department of Child Health…”
Gregg was at the forefront of the Yellow Brick Road charity and was instrumental in raising £12m for a world class children’s Medical Research Centre in Newcastle.
Gregg stood down from his role as administrator of Yellow Brick Road in 1996.
July 1996 – arrested
“Gregg quit the charity in September 1996 to set up a business management consultancy.”
FERGIE CHARITY MAN CHARGED.
7 July 1996
The former boss, Colin Gregg, of one of Britain’s biggest Royal charities has been charged with indecently assaulting a boy of 14.
Colin Gregg, 55, ex-administrator of the Yellow Brick Road charity, was arrested after the teenager told his parents he’d been interfered with following a golf club trip.
He has been bailed to appear before magistrates at Newcastle upon Tyne next month.
The married father-of-three, who was arrested on April 25, had his home in Newcastle searched and a computer disc removed by members of Northumbria Police’s Child Protection Department.
The boy is believed to have told police he was also interfered with in a sauna by Mr Gregg after a cross-country run.
Also in the 1996 time frame:
Colin Stuart Gregg
THE CHILDRENS’ FOUNDATION LIMITED (02528291)
Appointed before 6 August 1991 Resigned on 25 July 1996
THE CHILDRENS’ FOUNDATION TRADING LIMITED (02591794)
Appointed before 14 March 1993 Resigned on 12 March 1999
Feversham Special School Hexham Road in Walbottle, Newcastle, which closed in the late 90s
1996 -2000 – Director – Gregg at Feversham School/name changed to Talbot House School – set up by MIND, the mental health charity, in the late 1960s–
Chilling report of abuse and cruelty at Feversham School
SECRET papers today reveal the harrowing world of the Tyneside special school at the centre of an abuse probe.
THE charity responsible for a Tyneside school at the centre of a child abuse scandal says it does not know who was in charge of the youngsters.
As revealed in the Chronicle, two former care workers were jailed for abusing their positions to steal the childhoods of vulnerable pupils at Feversham Special School.
The charity Mind was the residential school’s custodian trustee, looking after assets but not running the facility for emotionally and behaviorally-disturbed children, aged from six to 19.
And Mind boss Paul Farmer has admitted he has no idea who was actually in charge of the now-closed special school, where predatory paedophiles Kevin Brown and John Leslie Duncan worked as carers.
The Duke and Duchess of York, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, have been affiliated with another convicted establishment paedophile – Jeffrey Epstein
Roberts has claimed she had sex three times with Andrew in 2001, including during a group sex session with eight other girls at Jeffrey Epstein’s home in the Virgin Islands.
Roberts has alleged that girls as young as 12 were regularly flown on the £30 million jet to locations around the world where Epstein (and other members of the elite) would abuse them.
Prince Andrew sits on a yacht in Thailand back in 2001, during a holiday at a £2,300-a-week resort which is thought to have come courtesy of Jeffrey Epstein
Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein pictured strolling through Central Park together during a four-day break in New York at the start of December 2010 within days of the billionaire giving Fergie the £15,000 payment
Fergie:’I personally, on behalf of myself, deeply regret that Jeffrey Epstein became involved in any way with me,’ she said.
‘I abhor paedophilia and any sexual abuse of children and know that this was a gigantic error of judgment on my behalf.
‘I am just so contrite I cannot say. Whenever I can I will repay the money and will have nothing ever to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again…
Prince Andrew was expected to hold crisis talks with the Queen today as he returned to Britain from a holiday in the upmarket Swiss ski resort of Verbier with his ex-wife Fergie, Sarah Ferguson
Multiple listings for Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York and Prince Andrew, Duke of York in convicted establishment peadophile, Jeffrey Epstein’s black book
The Duke of York, Prince Andrew, Patron, visits Newcastle, North Tyneside; visits the Yellow Brick Road Appeal at the Royal Victoria Infirmary.
21 January: The Duke of York, Patron, this morning visited the Yellow Brick Road Appeal, Newcastle University Medical School, Newcastle, and was received by Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for Tyne and Wear (Colonel Sr Ralph Carr-Ellison).
Jimmy Savile meets seven year old Lee Claffey of Eastwood Gardens Kenton Newcastle who was visiting the Royal Victoria Infirmary to have his broken arm checked.7th June 1986
‘Jimmy Savile visited the children’s wards of the Royal Victoria Infirmary in 1986/1987 and 1991.
He (Savile) also visited Newcastle General Hospital in the early 1990s but witnesses were unsure of exact dates
Nurse Phil Brown remembers encountering the disgraced radio and TV presenter in May 1987 at ward 16 south where youngsters were receiving treatment for leukaemia. Today he is calling on hospital chiefs at the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to let the public know the exact dates of his visits.
He also claimed Savile was formally invited into the building.
A spokesperson for the trust said senior staff were taking the disgraced star’s alleged visits to the Royal Victoria Infirmary very seriously.
However, on Saturday a statement from Sir Leonard Fenwick, trust chief executive, said no concerns had so far been expressed by staff working at the time.
Mr Brown, a nurse for 37 years, said: “Jimmy Savile visited ward 16 south where children had leukaemia.
“It was in June 1987 and a pivotal weekend because it was the Great North Run.I have rung the NSPCC and police involved in Operation Yewtree as speaking as a nurse, I am dismayed. I’m not the only one who remembers him visiting.
“The moment it came out that he had been in Newcastle I informed the RVI. So far I think they’ve got their dates wrong. People need to be aware he visited in 1987.
“He appeared to be in Newcastle for the Great North Run but for whatever reason he was able to visit the RVI.”
Jimmy Savile visited ward 16 south where children had leukaemia.
Have police questioned who was in charge of that ward when Savile was invited to RVI?
Professor of child health Alan Craft (left) at the Yellow Brick Road building which is officially opened tomorrow, pictured with Yellow Brick Road administrator Colin Gregg (right). 17th May 1995 (Photo: NCJ Archive)
Dr Alan Craft specialised in paediatric oncology / childhood leukemia
Professor of child health Alan Craft (left) at the Yellow Brick Road building which is officially opened tomorrow, pictured with Yellow Brick Road administrator Colin Gregg
Alan enjoys filling his spare time with running (31 marathons and 106 half marathons so far), orienteering and doing crosswords. He is happily married with one son and a delightful granddaughter aged 18 months.
Sir Alan Craft – ambassador for the North East Children’s Cancer Research Fund:
Seahouses Middle School was last week given an award for its outstanding contribution to the North East Children’s Cancer Run by Sir Alan Craft.
Headteacher Julie Harris said: “As an ambassador for the North East Children’s Cancer Research Fund, Sir Alan came to present us with an award for our outstanding contribution to the North East Children’s Cancer Run.
Professor Sir Alan Craft with some of the fund-raising pupils at Seahouses Middle School.
Prof Sir Alan Craft launches scathing attack on new North East hospital
26 Jun 2013
ONE of the country’s leading experts on childhood medicine has launched a scathing attack on plans to build a specialist emergency hospital in the North East.
But in an unprecedented attack Prof Sir Alan Craft, former president of Royal College of Paediatrics, said the proposals for the restructuring of children’s services in the region was concerning.
Prof Craft, a consultant paediatrician based at the RVI, and his wife, Anne, children’s nurse and director of nursing and former health visitor for North Tyneside, sent a letter to The Journal outlining their views.
Professor Sir Alan Craft Consultant Paediatrician North Tyneside 1978-86 Professor of Child Health Newcastle 1993-2007 President of Royal College of Paediatrics 2003-2006
Lady (Anne) Craft Former health visitor North Tyneside Children’s nurse and Director of Nursing (Matron)
Lazaro began work as a forensic paediatrician at the Lindisfarne Centre in the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle in 1989 following the Cleveland sex abuse inquiry. This was the first post of its kind in the country.
She’s still in business despite being “completely discredited”??…
We hope that everyone who finds themselves relying on the medical services that Dr de San Lazaro is still allowed to provide is told of her track record.
Lord Justice Kennedy told the court that in the 2002 libel trial, the doctor had been “completely discredited” in relation to her handling of a number of allegations of sexual abuse prior to February, 1995.
Calls were today made for a review after a North East man had his conviction for raping a boy overturned because of the evidence of Dr Camille San Lazaro.
Dawn Reed and Christopher Lillie
Dr Lazaro, senior lecturer and consultant paediatrician at Newcastle Royal Victoria Infirmary and Newcastle University was criticised for her role in the investigation into” false” claims of abuse at a Newcastle nursery by Dawn Reed and Christopher Lillie.
The pair were accused in a Newcastle City Council report of systematic sex abuse of dozens of children at a Newcastle nursery. But Mr Justice Eady declared them innocent of all charges and condemned the report as a legal `shambles.’
...supplying children to a paedophile ring whose members had raped and abused their young victims, and used them in the making of child pornography.
Her evidence has been blamed for Kevin Brown’s conviction. He has served his seven-year sentence for raping the five-year-old boy.
Brown’s first appeal was dismissed in 1997 but his case was referred back to the Appeal Court by the Criminal Cases Review Commission which investigates claims of miscarriages of justice. The CCRC obtained three medical reports, including one from a doctor at the forefront of the 1987 Cleveland Child Sex Abuse Inquiry, that suggested injuries to the boy may not have been caused by a sexual act. Ruling the conviction unsafe, Lord Justice Kennedy said medical evidence at the trial had been oversimplified to the detriment of the defence. He added that a large part of the prosecution case at trial had been reliant on evidence from Dr San Lazaro.
The Yellow Brick Road charity became The Children’s Foundation – headed by Prince Andrew as Patron
“We have not received any evidence since the conviction that there are any further victims of Colin Greggs who have not yet reported abuse to us.
“However, if there are victims out there then we will listen to them and we will believe them regardless of whether the abuse is recent or of a historical nature.
“These sorts of offences are not, and nor have they ever been, acceptable behaviour and national media stories over the last few years should provide reassurance of that to any victims out there.
“Safeguarding vulnerable victims of crime is our absolute priority and if there are other victims out there then we would encourage them to come forward. We will believe you.”
Gregg helped set up the family business and also worked as a charity fundraiser, a social worker and as a headteacher at a prestigious North East school.
Gregg, of Homefarm Steading, in Gosforth, Newcastle, claimed he was the victim of a police witch-hunt and alleged the complainants were looking for compensation.
But last month a jury at Leeds Crown Court found him guilty of sexually abusing young boys.
As well as 13-and-a-half years in prison, Gregg has been banned from working with children and was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.
Colin Gregg was employed in the children’s department of Newcastle Council as a social worker where csa was rampant.
Gregg taught at Durham School, a school in Newcastle’s west end before moving to Newcastle City Council’s children’s department as a social worker. He then became the headmaster at Tynemouth King’s School.
Professor of child health Alan Craft (left) at the Yellow Brick Road building which is officially opened tomorrow, pictured with Yellow Brick Road administrator Colin Gregg
Alan enjoys filling his spare time with running (31 marathons and 106 half marathons so far
In 1989, Gregg became the director of children’s charity the Yellow Brick Road Fund.
Gregg quit the charity in September 1996 to set up a business management consultancy.
Sasha Wass QC, defending, asked Carol Gregg: “Knowing the allegations, has it caused you any concern that Mr Gregg has contact with your grandchildren?”
The former nursery nursereplied: “Not at all.”
When asked if Gregg’s three daughters have concerns leaving him with their children, Mrs Gregg replied “no”.
The court also heard from Gregg’s former colleague Andy James, who he worked with at Talbot House school in Newcastle.
When asked how the former head teacher interacted with the pupils, Mr James said: “He was highly regarded by the boys who thought the world of him.
“The staff thought he was an innovator with new ideas, which all the children seemed to respond to very positively.”
Ms Wass then asked Mr James if he was concerned by Gregg’s behaviour towards the children.
He replied: “No, not at all.”
Mr James went on to say: “He is very dedicated to young people becoming better people, particularly those coming from deprived backgrounds.”
Doing the math….abuse happened approx 47 yrs ago – 47 yrs ago was 1970 – so Colin Gregg was probably involved in the TOC H charity in the 70’s – when Jimmy Savile was also involved.
ement. is a reg
Toc H archives
istered charity no. 211042 and SC045491
Toc H archives – Jimmy Savile
pg 135
PUBLIC RELATIONS. With Jimmy Savile
pg 77
‘How to Organise a Jimmy Savile-Handi Dance’,
Huw Gibbs, 1972
Jimmy Savile and Toc H 1973
pg 97
Photographs, pictures and related material
Queen At Toc H Garden Party (1939)
The Prince of Wales, later Edward VIII, seen here lighting the Lamp of Maintenance at a meeting of the Toc H organisation
Various images of Tubby Clayton. Includes pictures of the Queen Mother,
Angus Ogilvy and the Prince of Wales (future Edward VI
i was passed the foto of the rear of this Lp by a friend in the UK who was disturbed to find “Sir Jimmy Savile” on the rear with the vicar of All HallowS Church, London at the time “Tubby” and also at least one disturbing foto of “Tubby” putting his finger into the mouth of some poor little boy.
Regarding the criminal pedophilic past of SJS having been partially exposed these fotos are more than disturbing.
Savile had a relative living at Marsden so was often there- he used to park his car in the carpark of The Marsden Inn.
The Great North Run route in the final stages takes you down Marsden bank
Marsden and Jarrow he visited a lot due to relatives or friends of his mother living there, and Minchellas ice cream parlour in South Shields he was seen in a lot in the 60’s…and then Consett of course, as his mother originated from there He certainly knew the entire area well.
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall enjoy a cup of tea when they visit a community based charity TocH on November 8, 2006 in Newcastle, England.
Charles and Camilla score with Geordies
The royal couple’s final engagement of the day was to take afternoon tea and cake with local people in Jarrow, South Tyneside as guests of the Toc H charity.
From Stocksfield Primary the couple went on to visit crowds of people in Greenhaugh in Northumberland and went for tea and cake at community project, Toc H.
The couple began their tour of the region with a visit to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary to help celebrate the hospital’s 100th anniversary.
Professor of child health Alan Craft (left) at the Yellow Brick Road building which is officially opened tomorrow, pictured with Yellow Brick Road administrator Colin Gregg (right). 17th May 1995 (Photo: NCJ Archive)
Brian Roycroft, Newcastle City Council’s Director of Social Services, stood by the worker and refused to dismiss him. He said there would be disciplinary action “but not of a serious nature”. A slap on the wrist for standing by and allowing 55 children to be abused.
Brian Roycroft was also the Secretary of the Association of Directors of Social Services (ADSS), and took part in the decision not to create a ‘blacklist’ of social workers who had committed similar offences.
NOT so long ago, Jane Gregg was married to the multi-millionaire founder of Greggs the Bakers. It was a life of privilege afforded by the riches the bakery empire bestowed on her family.
Ian Gregg – brother of convicted paedophile Colin Gregg
Married at the time to Ian Gregg – retired founder of the Greggs bakery chain, with a personal worth estimated at £94m
“I used to sit on the Greggs Trust charity”… the helpline she is now funding – Lifeline For Anyone Who Cares – here in Manchester. It is part of the national drugs charity Lifeline.
Royal Charity – The Children’s Foundation – paedophile-linked
The Children’s Foundation Directors/Patron Prince Andrew – friend of convicted billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein
Convicted paedophile Colin Gregg and Brian Roycroft – Directors
Brian Roycroft, Newcastle City Council’s Director of Social Services, stood by the worker and refused to dismiss him. He said there would be disciplinary action “but not of a serious nature”. A slap on the wrist for standing by and allowing 55 children to be abused.
Brian Roycroft was also the Secretary of the Association of Directors of Social Services (ADSS), and took part in the decision not to create a ‘blacklist’ of social workers who had committed similar offences.
Gregg molested a young boy while he worked as a running coach, a court has heard
In 1989, Gregg became the director of children’s charity the Yellow Brick Road Fund.
During this time he operated a running club from his home at Homefarm Steading, Gosforth.
The runs would start and finish at Gregg’s house at the time, on Linden Road in Gosforth.
Gregg started the now famous run Greggs Children’s Cancer in 1982 Run –
Colin Gregg launched the Greggs Children’s Cancer Run, after pupil Chris Peacock was diagnosed with kidney cancer
Chris Peacock’s cancer was treated by Professor Alan Craft and this year (2013), as in the 20 previous years, he will be taking part in the Children’s Cancer Run.
Chris bounced back from his brush with death and went to The King’s School in Tynemouth, where, at the age of eight, he discovered a passion for running. The then headmaster, Colin Gregg, a member of the famous bakery family, found out about his cancer and decided to set up a fundraising run in Gosforth Park in which his school and others could take part.
RVI Children’s Cancer Research Unit/Run Dr Alan Craft sponsored by Greggs
FEB 2013
As well as the five-mile run there will be a Mini one-mile run for the under sevens who must be accompanied by an adult.
The Children’s Cancer Research Unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary has just taken on two new recruits, pathologist Dr David Ellison, and cancer expert Dr Steve Clifford, to find ways of improving survival rates.
But the pair will only be able to carry out the research if this year’s Children’s Cancer Run is a success and raises at least #150,000. (extortion)
“The staff on Ward 12 are second to none and we owe them – especially Prof Alan Craft – everything.”
The run is on May 13, at Gypsies Green, the Leas, South Shields.
The event is being sponsored by Greggs the Bakers which will provide a picnic for all runners.
“I was once at a Vaux dinner/awards function at the Gosforth park hotel about 20 years ago and was sat at the same table as the hotel manager, we got talking about celebs that stay there, and i asked who was the worst, he said Savile but would not go in to further detail why but the disgusted look and way he said it was easy to read.”
Sacred Heart Church in Gosforth to celebrate centenary
8 May 2012
The church was given a major refurbishment after the arrival, in 1984, of Irishman, Father Tom Cass and while the works were carried out, services were held in a prefabricated building, which became known as Uncle Toms Cabin.
On one occasion, Father Cass persuaded Jimmy Savile, still wearing running gear after completing the Great North Run, to appear at the summer fair. He also once recognised the Irish singer Dana in the congregation and brought her to the altar to sing the final hymn.
The church has a link with Newcastles St Cuthberts boys school, now called now St Cuthberts High School, which itself celebrated its 130th anniversary last year. The present Parish Priest, Father Jim Dunne, was the last of several members of the clergy to teach at the school.
Sir Jimmy was initiated into the Great North Run Hall of fame in 2009
The Jim’ll Fix It host was inducted into the Great North Run Hall of Fame in 2009 and is described on the Nova website as a “universally popular” figure who “was recognised for the vast contribution he has made, particularly with the highly-popular junior runs”.
Savile was a regular visitor to the Great North Run
Jimmy Savile at the Great North Run in 2000
26 Jun 2014
JIMMY Savile visited hospitals on Tyneside on three occasions, visits which coincided with the celebrity’s regular appearances at the Great North Run.
But a report found no evidence of any inappropriate behaviour during Savile’s time in Newcastle’s hospitals.
An investigation by the Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was triggered by a former member of staff, who contacted Operation Yewtree detectives after recalling seeing Savile at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in 1991.
The investigation found that Savile had visited the RVI’s children’s wards twice between 1986 and 1991 and had also visited Newcastle General Hospital during the early 1990s.
Trust chief executive Sir Leonard Fenwick said: “Jimmy Savile visited the children’s wards of the Royal Victoria Infirmary in 1986/1987 and 1991.
“He also visited Newcastle General Hospital in the early 1990s, but witnesses were unsure of exact dates.
“…these presentations appeared to coincide with the Great North Run. ”.
Savile, famous for his charity fundraising, took part in the Great North Run at least 18 times and was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2009.
Asked by The Northern Echo in 2000 if he had a message for the people of the North-East ahead of the run, Savile said: “Lock up your daughters, girlfriends and wives. I don’t want to misbehave b 2007 with ut I can’t help it once I arrive on Tyneside.”
Jimmy Savile at the 2007 GNR with Alastair Campbell (Tony Blair’s former spin doctor)……and former sports minister Richard Caborn.
Sir Jimmy Savile has become a virtual mascot for the race
Alastair Campbell – a runner too…
His main hobbies are running, cycling, bagpipes and following Burnley FC.
He took up running nine years ago has since run the London Marathon, the Great North Run, and the Great Ethiopian Run, and completed several full triathlons, all for Leukaemia Research Fund. He is the charity’s chairman of fundraising.
“Both George Bush and Tony Blair sponsored me in the London Marathon.”
Alastair Campbell friends with Alan Clark MP who was involved in a scandal with two 14 yr old girls –
Clark is involved in a sex scandal with a woman and her daughters — ‘the coven’ — and phones Campbell for advice.
Alan Clark was mates with Alistair Campbell and talked to him about the sexual allegations regarding him having sex with Judge Harkness’s 14 year old daughters.
The Trouble with BBC ‘Children in Need’ Ambassador Max Clifford and Tory MP Alan Clark
In the leaked video Clifford, the legendary PR Guru to the stars and elites let slip that he had successfully hid away the sins of one Tory MP, and ‘diarist’, Alan Clark.
^ Tony Blair, Alistair Campbell and Bill Clinton- both Blair and Campbell were in billionaire convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s black book (Clinton took many trips on Epstein’s “Lolita Express”)
Epstein had assembled a powerful network of contacts encompassing the worlds of politics, business, royalty and celebrity and even Bill Clinton.
The inclusion of Lord Mandelson and an office address for Tony Blair has raised questions about the extent of his relationship with the Labour government.
But last night – some 48 hours after the link between Epstein and Lord Mandelson emerged – the former Labour spin doctor was still refusing to comment about his dealings with the disgraced billionaire.
I bet Alastair Campbell knows a thing or two about Vaz!
‘He (Alan Clarke) said he had hired George Carman QC,’ writes Campbell in his diaries. ‘I said these people are really just posh Max Cliffords.
Brilliant, he said, posh Max Cliffords! I said be careful, because your interest is in getting this thing buried and forgotten. A lawyer might see the benefit of getting the whole thing to court. Good advice, he said, toodle-pip, and off he went. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/sep/27/alan-clark–
Clark scandal descends into tales of blackmail and lechery
1994
THE SEX SCANDAL involving Alan Clark, the wife of a former judge and her two daughters degenerated further last night with allegations of blackmail and indecent exposure.
Jane Clark, wife of the former defence minister, accused Valerie Harkess, 57, and her daughter Josephine, 34, of demanding pounds 100,000 to keep allegations that Mr Clark seduced them and Josephine’s sister, Alison, out of the newspapers.
Mrs Harkess and her 64- year-old husband, James, a former deputy circuit judge, denounced the blackmail allegation as ‘an absolute lie’. Her daughter accused Mr Clark of betraying her family’s trust by indecently exposing himself to her and Alison when they were 13 and 15.
Fry’s lurid details of the sex act with the young man and what he would or would not perform was too much for some guests. ‘Fry’s speech was deeply distasteful
Stephen Fry, Alastair Campbell and Lord Melvyn Bragg – Savile
Mental health charity Mind photocall
Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind, said that the charity was horrified to have given “any sort of platform to such a despicable organisation as the Paedophile Information Exchange”.
He said: “Mind does not associate with, condone or endorse any pro-paedophilia organisations or individuals.”
Rosa Monckton – Rosa Monckton is a friend of convicted, establishment, paedophile ( friend of Prince Andrew) Jeffrey Epstein
“He’s very enigmatic,” Rosa Monckton told Vanity Fair in 2003. Monckton was the former British CEO of Tiffany & Co. and confidante to the late Princess Diana. She was also a close friend of Epstein’s since the 1980s. “He never reveals his hand . . . He’s a classic iceberg. What you see is not what you get.”
08/11/12 NAMES PIXILATED TO CONCEAL IDENTITY,… the alleged paedophile ring in Westminster (Phillip Schofield handed him a list of names …. Cameron said he was worried it could turn into a “witch-hunt” against MP’s, particularly those that are gay.
Sally Clark died unintentionally on 16 March 2007 from acute alcohol intoxication.[30]She never recovered from the serious psychological trauma resulting from the experience of the deaths of two children, then being unjustly convicted of their murder with subsequent imprisonment leading to her being separated from her third baby.[31]
Professor Alan Craft, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
Next week we publish a report, jointly with the Royal College of Pathologists and chaired by Baroness Kennedy, which gives clear guidance on how infant deaths should be investigated.
This Fellowship in Coimbatore, India was established in memory of Mr Bruce Bailey, Plastic Surgeon at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Aylesbury, in recognition of the training that Mr Bailey provided for many Indian plastic surgeons, including Dr S Raja Sabapathy at the Ganga Hospital in Coimbatore.
The fellowship is for a period of two months, probably best taken at the end of the year in November and December. The Fellowship is designed for surgeons in the middle or late part of their training and is undertaken in a private hospital with orthopaedic, plastic surgical and hand teams, with a large volume of work related to trauma. The unit also does a lot of work on soft tissue cover for lower limb injuries.Included in the fellowship is a one-week laboratory microsurgery course at the hospital and a trip to the Indian Society for Surgery of the Hand meeting or to attend the annual meeting of the Association of Plastic Surgeons of India. The salary for the duration of the fellowship is £750.00 to include food and accommodation…
Bruce Bailey Fellow – 2005
Dr Patrick Gillespie MA, BM BCh, FRCS (Plast)
Specialist Registrar
Plastic Surgery Dept of Plastic Surgery Addenbrookes Hospital
Cambridge, CB2 2QQ
United Kingdom
^^ that’s where convicted paedophile Dr Myles Bradbury abused children
Bradbury, who used a “spy pen” to secretly capture pictures of his partially-clothed victims, was arrested in December 2013. He admitted 25 offences dating between 2009 and 2013
Greggs’ CEOs involved with Prince Charles…via BITC and through the Prince’s trust
(Sir Michael Darrington)
Sir Michael Darrington ex-CEO of Greggs (ran it for 24yrs) works with the Prince’s Trust
& another Gregg CEO
Kennedy McMeikan was appointed as HRH The Prince of Wales Ambassador for the North East
1996
FORMER Castle Morpeth Mayoress, t , from Ponteland
She particularly enjoyed meeting children at schools and was tireless in her fund-raising efforts for local charities, particularly the Yellow Brick Road Appeal of the Children’s Foundation.
GUILTY: Colin Gregg trial jury returns guilty verdicts to nine counts of historic sex abuse
Former head teacher Colin Gregg has been found guilty of nine counts of indecently assaulting four boys.
A jury at Leeds Crown Court deliberated for 11 hours and 43 minutes before reaching eight majority verdicts and one unanimous verdict.
Gregg, of Homefarm Steading, in Gosforth, Newcastle, remained emotionless in the dock as the verdicts were read out by the jury foreman.
Judge Robin Mairs told the married grandfather that he would be sentenced at a later date.
Prosecutors said on the surface Gregg lived a life of decency but in reality he “concealed his true nature beneath a veneer of respectability” and he “exploited his position in society to perpetrate abuse”.
Gregg was granted bail and will be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on March 30 at 2pm.
The jury found Gregg guilty by a majority on eight of the counts and unanimously on the ninth.
Judge Robin Mairs told him that the fact he was granting bail was no indication of sentence.
He said: “These are serious matters and a custodial sentence is inevitable.”
The trial at Leeds was a retrial.
A jury failed to reach a verdict when Gregg was tried last year in Newcastle.
Colin Gregg was a well-known figure in the North East.
He helped raise millions of pounds for various children’s charities and even hosted royalty when promoting the Yellow Brick Road fund for children.
Children’s Foundation – Patron Prince Andrew The Duke of York
The Duke, who has been Patron of The Children’s Foundation (formerly The Yellow Brick Road Fund) since its foundation in 1990, attended a Reception to mark the charity’s 25th anniversary.
Colin Gregg became the fulltime administrator in 1990 of the Yellow Brick Road Fund.
Charity boss, Colin Gregg, of Yellow Brick Road which raised money for a child health department at Newcastle upon Tyne Royal Victoria Infirmary
Sex case charity boss Colin Gregg cleared in 1997 of assaulting a 13 yr-old boy
Through its Yellow Brick Road Appeal, the foundation has raised money to build the Sir James Spence Institute of Child Health at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary.
The son of Greggs bakery founder John Gregg, he took up teaching at the prestigious Durham School, his former school, in 1964.
Three years later (1967) he joined his brother to build up the family business
He later became a social worker for Newcastle City Council, before returning to teaching and eventually becoming a headteacher at the former Kings School in Tynemouth in 1978.
Formerhead teacher, employed in the children’s department of Newcastle Council as a social worker, charity boss Colin Gregg, denies 26 indecent assault charges dating from the 1960s to the 1990s, relating to nine complainants aged between 11 and 15.
Assault said to have taken place between January 1963 and December 1991
on the premises of schools where he worked, in a dormitory and in a school swimming pool.
Newcastle Crown Court was told the married father-of-three, who became wealthy after helping the family business to grow, has a ‘strong determination to sexually abuse little boys’ and there was a pattern to his offending.
A court heard Gregg, son of the founder of Gregg’s the bakers, was a biology and chemistry teacher at prestigious Durham School and the complainant was a pupil.
He told jurors at Newcastle Crown Court he was molested in Gregg’s study at the school and in his car.
Gregg, of Gosforth, Newcastle, denies all the charges, and his position is that ‘each and every one of the complainants is telling calculated and deliberate lies’, Paul Greaney QC, prosecuting, told the jury.
Gregg trained as a teacher and taught at prestigious Durham School, which he had attended as a boy, the court heard.
A FORMER pupil at a school where Colin Gregg taught told a court he was sexually assaulted by him in a swimming pool.
The man, now in his 60s, says Gregg put his hand inside his swimming trunks while helping him to improve his breast stroke at prestigious Durham School.
Jurors were told the alleged offence in the swimming pool on the grounds of the school is said to have happened in the 1960s, when Gregg was a biology teacher.
Early days:
In 1967 he joined the family business which was started by his father John Robson Gregg (freemason) in 1939, when it was still a ‘modest outfit’
Gregg worked with his brother Ian Gregg for three years and the pair ‘created a very successful and large business which, in due course, became the public limited company Greggs plc‘, Mr Greaney said.
‘As a result of the growth in his family business, the defendant became a wealthy man.’
1969: Gregg returned to teaching, taking a job at St Aloysius, after realising “business wasn’t really for me”
St Aloysius a Roman Catholic -boys-only state school in the London Borough of Islington, North London.
The prosecution said Gregg will claim the allegations against him were motivated by people trying to win compensation.
In 1970 he returned to working with children but continued to work for the bakery during the holidays and remained a board member.
The following year he became a social worker (1971), then became head of Talbot House, (formerly Feversham), a school for what he termed ‘delinquent children’, the court heard.
Feversham Special School- name changed to Talbot
Talbot House Trust
TALBOT HOUSE TRUST NORTH EAST (03069213)
Hexham Road, Walbottle, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE15 8HW
Role Director
Appointed on 15 November 1996 Resigned on 31 March 2000
Dr Michael Toman – principal of Feversham in 1996 – Feversham closed in Mar 1997
Talbot House (formerly Feversham Special School in Walbottle)
Fears Feversham School abuse victims will be forgotten in child sex abuse inquiry
Vile abuse of children at a Tyneside special school has not been included in the first phase of investigations planned by an independent inquiry into child sex abuse.
A former social worker who worked at Newcastle’s Feversham school has today told of his anger that the horrors he witnessed at the Throckley establishment might never be made public.
Talbot House (formerly Feversham Special School) in Walbottle)
John Leslie Duncan, 61, from Gateshead, and Kevin Brown, 58, who was already in jail, were convicted of the abuse they committed against young boys in their care.
The charges related to incidents that took place throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s
Duncan was convicted of 15 charges, which included 10 counts of indecent assault on a male and three counts of indecency with a child, and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
His crimes were committed as he worked at Shotley Park Childrens’ Home in Durham and at the Feversham residential school in Walbottle, Newcastle, both of which have since closed.
Brown was sentenced to six years on top of his current eight-year sentence after being convicted of seven charges, all relating to incidents at Feversham school too.
The report, by Annie Bishop, then inspector for children’s services, was the last time an outsider had observed the controversial school in the Walbottle area before its closure in March 1997.
The charity Mind acted as the residential school’s custodian trustee, looking after assets but not running the facility.
A board of governors managed the school, but Mind says it kept no record of their names.
Mind’s chief executive Paul Farmer said: “We are deeply shocked and saddened by the abuse that took place at Feversham.
Hon Lowell Goddard, chairman of the long-running Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), announced what would be included in the first phase of investigations into the extent to which institutions have failed to protect children from sexual abuse.
He later became head of the junior school at King’s School, Tynemouth, and in 1989 became director and administrator of a children’s charity (THE CHILDRENS’ FOUNDATION LIMITED (02528291)) which raised substantial sums.
‘On the surface, he has lived a life of decency, indeed one of distinction,’ Mr Greaney said opening the case.
He said the prosecution case was that Gregg was a child abuser, regularly molesting boys, in a breach of trust.
The complainants, now aged from their 30s to their 60s, were aged 10 to 15 at the time, the jury was told.
As well as the nine complainantswhich the charges relate to, the court will hearevidence from three others who claim they were abused.
Greggs linked to various members of royal family -Prince Andrew, Prince Charles, and Princess Anne
Children’s Foundation – patron Prince Andrew
Colin Stuart GREGG
GREGGS PLC (00502851)
Role Director
Appointed before 18 May 1991 Resigned on 9 May 2001
THE CHILDRENS’ FOUNDATION LIMITED (02528291)
Appointed before 6 August 1991 Resigned on 25 July 1996
THE CHILDRENS’ FOUNDATION TRADING LIMITED (02591794)
Appointed before 14 March 1993 Resigned on 12 March 1999
TALBOT HOUSE TRUST NORTH EAST (03069213)
Hexham Road, Walbottle, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE15 8HW
Role Director
Appointed on 15 November 1996 Resigned on 31 March 2000
PEACOCKS MEDICAL GROUP LIMITED (00560972)
Role Director
Appointed on 10 July 1998 Resigned on 18 February 2002
PEACOCKS (SURGICAL AND MEDICAL EQUIPMENT) LIMITED (00560985)
Role Director
Appointed on 12 April 2000 Resigned on 23 December 2003
PEACOCKS POSTURECARE LIMITED (03590754)
Role Director
Appointed on 3 May 2001 Resigned on 23 December 2003
SKILLSBRIDGE LIMITED (03942255)
Role Director
Appointed on 10 January 2001 Resigned on 23 October 2008
UK HAPTICS LIMITED (05094437)
Role Director
Appointed on 20 July 2007 Resigned on 3 September 2012
TRINITY CENTRE LIMITED (06510855)
Role Director
Appointed on 20 February 2008 Resigned on 1 September 2011
BEADNELL HALL FLATS MANAGEMENT COMPANY LIMITED (01769905)
Role Director
Appointed on 21 April 2011 Resigned on 11 February 2012
Children’s Foundation – Patron Prince Andrew The Duke of York
The Duke, who has been Patron of The Children’s Foundation (formerly The Yellow Brick Road Fund) since its foundation in 1990, attended a Reception to mark the charity’s 25th anniversary.
Duke of York visits Newcastle to launch £2m Children’s Foundation campaign
16 Sep 2015
The Royal was at the Mansion House in Jesmond as part of the Children’s Foundation’s new campaign to help young people improve their mental health
Greggs’ CEOs involved with Prince Charles…via BITC and through the Prince’s trust (Sir Michael Darrington)
Prince Praises Greggs’ Work in Community
May 22, 2003
The head of North-East bakery Greggs has won Prince Charles’s praise for his work in taking business into the community.
Mike Darrington was presented with the prince’s Ambassador Award yesterday at a Business in the Community event for his personal contribution to responsible business practice, through the work of the Greggs Trust, fund-raising and other activities such as the Greggs Breakfast Club.
Sir Michael Darrington ex-CEO of Greggs (ran it for 24yrs) works with the Prince’s Trust
By 1983, after growing his family’s chain of bakeries from just one to 300, Ian Gregg stepped down from his role as managing director and handed the mantle to Michael Darrington.
Ian attributes the success of Greggs during the 1980s and 90s to Darrington, who was awarded a knighthood in 2004 in recognition of his services to business and to the community in the North East.
Mike Darrington joined Greggs in 1983 as Group Managing Director.
Sir Michael Darrington :
Education: Lancing College, Harvard Business School
Lancing College – alma mater of the Peter Ball and his brother Michael Ball, Trevor Huddleston & Tom Driberg Headteacher James Woodhouse from Lancing College wrote in support of Ball link link
Sir Michael Darrington :
Newcastle University – executive member
University of Sunderland – Sir Michael received an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration.
Sir Michael set up the Pro Business Against Greed campaign, urging firms to tame excessive pay for leaders and make companies – and society – fairer. (that’s “rich”)
Mike Darrington takes a long term view of developing a business. He is a keen supporter of ethics in business – by putting Values at the heart of the organisation he believed that Greggs people would make a positive difference for themselves, their customers and the wider community – he is also an enthusiastic advocate of the ‘ enjoy ‘ word.
Mike believes that although companies are owned by shareholders, they should also be for the benefit of staff, customers and the wider society.
After previous significant involvements with the CBI Confederation of British Industry and BITC Business in the Community, he is now engaged in a number of charitable activities, including the Prince’s Trust, and also with community projects and campaigning for a fairer society.
Founded 1982 -BITC Business in the Community is a British business-community outreach charity promoting responsible business, CSR, corporate responsibility, and is one of the Prince’s Charities of Charles, Prince of Wales link
BITC The Prince’s Seeing is believing 2006 Review – Sir Michael Darrington – delegate, Leader – Prince Charles
link
Greggs Breakfast Clubs featured at the Business in the Community Annual Leadership summit in 2010. The event was hosted by HRH The Prince of Wales and was attended by Prime Minister David Cameron.
Greggs CEO Kennedy McMeikan was appointed as HRH The Prince of Wales Ambassador for the North East.
Greggs – In 2008, we made pledges to the Prince of Wales MayDay Network (a BITC Business in the Community Programme):
Among the initiatives already under way, BITC has started a series of The Prince
of Wales’s “Seeing Is Believing” visits to Burnley, and as one result alone, Greggs,
Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury’s are backing breakfast clubs in 15 of the
most needy primary schools in Burnley for a minimum of three years.
Greggs and Asdaare also supporting the Burnley SPACE youth Bus, working in
partnership with the police, which is deployed to different parts of the town
to provide advice, support and leisure facilities for young people.
19 November 2015
An innovative youth project in Burnley which provides support for disadvantaged youngsters has been awarded £115,000 by Children in Need.
INCLUDED in Greggs‘ latest financial results was the news that the baker had created a full time job for one of the homeless people it has been working with.
The Newcastle-based company is signed up to a Business Action on Homelessness project that was launched almost a year ago under the Business in the Community (BITC) banner, and run by Newcastle charity the Cyrenians with pounds 250,000 in funding from the Northern Rock Foundation.
As one of the lead businesses involved, Greggs supplies mentors and work placements for people on the Ready For Work scheme, which aims to get people back into the world of employment after they have been homeless.
Since the scheme started last September, 38 people have been placed with companies in the region, which along with Greggs also includes the likes of M&S, KPMG, NRG, Sage, Carillion and Barclays Bank. Of the placements, 31 completed their work experience and 22 have secured employment.
Greggs chief executive Ken McMeikan said: “This was reviewed at Business in the Community and the North East scheme is the national leader for the number of work placements who then go on to secure employment.
McMeikan’s interest in working with homeless people originally arose after he attended the Prince of Wales Seeing is Believing programme in London.
Organised by BITC, the project takes business leaders out to see homelessness first hand on the streets of the capital.
Greggs, the UK’s leading bakery food-on-the-go retailer, is backing “Britain’s Best Breakfast” Campaign as part of a new partnership with Carers Trust.
Carers Trust is a major charity working to improve support, services and recognition for anyone living with the challenges of caring, unpaid, for a family member or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems.
Greggs CEO, Roger Whiteside, will also be taking a group of carers from its shops to Buckingham Palace this week to meet with Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, who is the President of Carers Trust. Greggs is proud to support this initiative with a substantial donation; and also during the launch week we dedicated donation buckets in each of our shops nationwide to Carers Trust.
Carers Trust Britain’s Best Breakfast Launch at Buckingham Palace
In celebration of our partnership with Carers Trust, 15 of our shop team members, who also have carer responsibilities, were invited to the launch of Britain’s Best Breakfast at Buckingham Palace in September. The event was hosted by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, who is the President of Carers Trust. www.carers.org/press-release/greggs-backs-britains-best-breakfast-campaign
About Carers Trust – Carers Trust works to improve support, services and recognition for anyone living with the challenges of caring,
unpaid , for a family member or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems.
…given considerable support to carers of all ages including young carers like 12-year-old Amy who’s told us what life is like caring for her mum, sister and brother…
One Church 1st nat’l conference : Colin Gregg at conference attended by Peter Wanless
One Church, 100 Uses
25 March 2011
Gorton Monastery, Manchester
This one-day conference is sponsored by the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church and supported by English Heritage, the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery Fund. It will look at ‘The sticky ball principle and the power of connection’, ‘The Church’s role in the Big Society’, ‘The experience of Salford – reinventing communities’ and ‘Unlimited potential – backing people with passion’ as well as a number of other topics and successful case studies.
which explored how to realise the potential of churches.
The day was comprised of keynote speeches, hands-on workshops, and a competition where churches pitched their project in front of a “dragons’ den-style panel for a prize of £5,000 from UnLtd.
The speeches were from some of the leading thinkers on social enterprise and heritage, including:
Lord Wei, founder of Teach First and Government Adviser on the Big Society
Hazel Blears, MP for Salford and Eccles
Baroness Andrews, Chair of English Heritage
Lord Mawson, social entrepreneur and director of One church,100 uses
Colin Gregg, entrepreneur and lead member of Trinity Gosforth
Anthony Roland, film director and owner of The Roland Collection, the world’s largest collection of films on art
Guy Hollaway, principal partner of Guy Hollaway Architects LLP
Jo Hibbard, Heritage Officer of the Methodist Church
Dr. Jenny Freeman, director of the Historic Chapels Trust
Malcolm McClean, social entrepreneur and director of Bearhunt
Cliff Prior, chief executive of UnLtd
Rowena Francis, moderator of URC Northern Synod
Dr Michael Toman – principal of Feversham in 1996 – Feversham closed in Mar 1997
1996 -2000 – Director Gregg at Feversham/Talbot House Trust
Appointed on 15 November 1996
Resigned on 31 March 2000
July 1996 – the last inspection of Feversham, by Newcastle City Council’s social services department
1997: Gregg stood trial in 1997 and was acquitted of abusing one of those three, the court heard. The other two complainants came forward after publicity about that case but it was decided those allegations should not proceed to trial.
Dec 1996 – Feversham principal is Dr Michael Toman (so Gregg was director at Feversham when Dr Michael Toman was there)
6 December, 1996 (Last Updated: 11 May, 2008)
Feversham is the only residential school in Newcastle upon Tyne for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties. It mops up the violent and disruptive pupils other schools cannot cope with and provides care for those whose families are also in crisis or unable to contain them.
Wonder then, at a time when society is crying out for Something To Be Done about disaffected pupils, that Feversham is closing down at Christmas.
It is closing because the region’s local education authorities will no longer give a long-term commitment to the school. Northumberland in particular, which is creating 90 special education places through pupil referral units, has said the 22 children it currently places in the school could fall to as few as six next year.
“Overnight we became uneconomical. Northumberland put the nail in the coffin,” says Dr Michael Toman, Feversham’s principal.There are 37 children aged between six and 13 attending Feversham, an independent establishment set up by MIND, the mental health charity, in the late 1960s to cater for almost twice that number.
Situated on the western edge of Newcastle, it is a low, spacious, modern building, comfortable and well-equipped, set in ample grounds with all the living and school accommodation ranged around the central dining hall. It is run on tolerant, therapeutic principles and aims to re-integrate children back into mainstream education and with their families.
“Our record is good,” says Dr Toman. “One-third of our children return to mainstream school, one-third go on to day special school and only one-third require further senior boarding provision.” A girl with learning difficulties who had suffered sexual abuse was excluded from her special school because she injured a teacher. Another with cerebral palsy was excluded from her special school for the same reason. Children come with bad dreams and chronic bed-wetting, the classic sign of inner turmoil. But these often clear up after time at Feversham.
Michael Toman argues that no matter how many pupil referral units local authorities provide, there will always be children needing residential education. The weekly boarding offered by Feversham provides stability and security, and often helps keep families “who hang by a thread” together. The school employs a social worker to work with families directly.
Staff constantly praise the positives in pupils and challenge the negatives. “When kids come to us they hate school. They hate teachers and so do their parents. We turn that on its head,” says Michael Toman. Children are on first-name terms with teachers and the ethos is one of tolerance and encouragement. “If we stopped every time we got a kick, a punch or a ‘Fuck-off’, we wouldn’t get beyond breakfast. We don’t approve or condone it, but that is the reality. It might sound woolly and liberal but we do challenge them. We just choose our battlegrounds.
“Violence comes from frustration and an inability to communicate, so we give our kids a language that enables them to express their feelings. They learn to listen to other people’s point of view.”
Every week Feversham holds whole-school and group meetings where staff and children review the week’s events and praise or criticise each other. Children have to learn to be the focus of attention.
“These are children who have previously wrecked classrooms and attacked teachers,” says Michael Toman. “They have to learn to sit down and hear other pupils say how horrible they’ve been. This is what group living is all about. Our greatest strength is that we offer consistency of approach over a 24-hour period. A day school cannot provide this.”
Classrooms are colourful and intimate, with a teacher and assistant for every eight pupils. Staff are trained to anticipate and deflect aggression, and how to hold a child who is being violent so nobody is seriously hurt.
Teachers grow used to verbal abuse one minute and requests for hugs the next. They put in a lot of their own time, taking out pupils who have achieved or been “especially sensible” on a one-to-one basis for trips to McDonald’s or Newcastle’s Metroland. Lorraine Brewis, who teaches the youngest group, says: “They love that special attention. You are more than just a teacher to them. When they have had a bad day they might call you everything from a pig to a dog but when they have calmed down they apologise. They feel so much better if they can do that, it’s a socialising process.
“The children are anxious and disturbed by the closure. It’s a bad time for them. We will all end up with other jobs, but what will happen to them?” Eileen Chapman, a single mother whose only child, David, has been at Feversham for the past two years, says her son “sat and broke his heart” when he learned of the closure. “‘What’s going to happen to me now?’ that’s what he asked.” David, who is 12, was disruptive at middle school and his mother could not cope with him. He spent a short time in foster care. “He would storm out and not come back for hours. There has been a 110 per cent improvement in the past year. I didn’t want him to board but it has been right for him and given me a break,” she says.
Richard and Jacqueline Leightley are concerned for their son Paul, who may have to go to residential school in the Lake District, far from their north-east home. Paul was expelled from his first school at five but has made progress at Feversham. The couple, who are on income support with three other children, are unhappy at the prospect of him being so far away.
Michael Toman is convinced that authorities such as Northumberland will be unable to reduce substantially their need for residential placements. Although Feversham costs Pounds 24,000 per pupil for weekly boarding for 40 weeks of the year, he argues that this is cheap compared to the cost of the family breakdown, police involvement, care and secure units that can follow if children are inadequately catered for at a young age.
Independent residential schools such as Feversham have been out of favour because of some notorious cases of mismanagement and abuse, and because of an emphasis on integration into the community. But Michael Toman believes the pendulum must now swing back. “We are the safety valve. No matter how many PRUs the LEAs open – and the Ridings episode is just the tip of the iceberg – they will fill them and still end up wondering what to do with our sort of kids. They’ll have to send them further afield. Northumberland is looking at schools in the Lake District. Authorities are now panicking about our closure.”
DRAWING THE NATIONAL PICTURE
Despite all the publicity now surrounding disaffected pupils there has been no national survey in the past 20 years on the provision for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties.
However, the trustees of Shotton Hall, a pioneer EBD school which closed two years ago, have funded research by the University of Birming-ham’s school of education.
Researchers found that from 1987 to March this year, the number of approved independent schools fell by half, from 76 to 35, while the number of local authority EBD schools fell by about 15 per cent. In the first three months of the research alone, seven such schools closed. Head of research John Visser says although some “dross” has gone, “we have lost some very good schools in the past five years”.
The school of education runs the only EBD training course in the country and says it is turning teachers away who want to qualify – at a time when need is greater than ever.
The average annual cost per pupil of an EBD residential school is Pounds 25,000 to Pounds 30,000. Although many of those inspected by OFSTED are classed as failing or needing special measures, John Visser believes the inspectors apply the criteria too rigidly. “If you have had children who have been chucked out of other EBD schools, some of whom have already served custodial sentences and you are keeping them on site, in class and getting them interested in life, death and the universe, you might not be following key stage 3 of the national curriculum to the letter, but you will be achieving a great deal.
“I support the need for residential EBD provision but there has been no research into what is good or effective. That is what I am engaged in.”
These figures are taken from an article by John Visser and Ted Cole for the next issue of the Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties journal entitled : “An Overview of English Special School Provision for Children with Emotional and Behaviour Difficulties.” Contact Alan Rimmer on 01622 843104
TEACHER IN ‘BARE BOTTOM’ PICTURE SCANDAL RESIGNS; Dad Claims Staff Took Snaps of Child’s Behind
July 4, 2009
A HEADTEACHER has resigned amid an investigation into practices at his school where it is alleged he allowed staff to photograph a child’s bare bottom.
Dr Michael Toman, head of Ysgol Plas Brondyffryn in Denbigh for the past 10 years, has been on restricted duties for the last 10 months pending the probe.
He announced his resignation last night after being removed from his job along with the school’s child protection coordinator in September.
It comes after the father of a severely autistic child claimed staff kept an 18-month “neglect diary” on his child, who cannot speak, and took photographs of the child’s bare bottom.
He alleged employees at the regional centre of excellence for children with autistic spectrum disorders took the photos without parental consent, and without informing social services.
An independent inquiry was launched by the education authority and bosses at Denbighshire County Council but a report into their findings has been heavily delayed.
At the time, police also confirmed they were investigating a string of staff e-mails raising child protection concerns at the school.
Dr Toman will leave his position at the end of August to “pursue new challenges”, the council said yesterday.
It is not yet known when the report will be completed but the father of the child at the centre of the investigation said he was told it could be a matter of weeks.
Last night, a Denbighshire County Council spokesman said: “Dr Toman had been placed on restricted duties whilst complaints relating to alleged breaches of procedure were investigated. …
POLICE and social services officers have confirmed that they are investigating child protection concerns at a North Wales school for children with autism.
Officers were called in to investigate emails from a concerned member of staff at Ysgol Plas Brondyffryn in Denbigh late last week.
The move comes after a series of controversies concerning the school, widely regarded as a regional centre of excellence for children with autism spectrum disorders.
Six weeks ago the school’s headteacher Michael Toman was suspended from duties amid a local educational authority (LEA) inquiry into a complaint made by a pupil’s parents.
Two weeks later other parents of children at the school staged a protest at county hall in Ruthin.
Two days later the LEA temporarily replaced Dr Toman with acting headteacher Richard Williams.
Then it was revealed that a 34-page inspection report by the Care Standards Social Inspectorate for Wales (CSSIW) had identified 21 shortfalls in meeting national minimum standards of care in the residential section of Ysgol Plas Brondyffryn.
Now, a member of staff at the school has emailed the Evening Leader claiming they have been threatened with the sack if they speak out about the school’s management.
“Everyone is too scared to speak out.” said one female worker at the school.
She said morale was “very low” and added: “There are some very good dedicated staff at the school who have received no support in their work with what can be very challenging children.”
Last night a North Wales Police spokesman said: “We can confirm that e-mail correspondence relating to child protection concerns at Ysgol Brondyffryn are currently the subject of joint investigation by Denbighshire Social Services and the Police.”
“Dr Toman joined the school in 1997and he has since been instrumental in leading a team that transformed the school from being a special school into a modern, regional centre for autistic students.”
In the meantime, Dr Toman has been replaced by Richard Williams, deputy headteacher at St Christopher’s School in Wrexham, pending the outcome of the investigation, expected on October 10.
North Wales Police are aware of the inquiry but are not investigating, a force spokeswoman confirmed.
Gregg stood trial in 1997 and was acquitted of abusing one of those three, the court heard.
The other two complainants came forward following publicity (news reports of that trial have been removed from the internet) about that trial but it was decided those allegations should not proceed to trial.
When Gregg faced fresh allegations in 2012, he told police that similarities betweenthe stories put forward by the nine were due to them reading details about the trial in 1997.
Mr Greaney said: ‘He was asserting that those allegations with which you are concerned were copycat allegations.’
He said there was evidence that Gregg ‘finds young boys attractive’ and had a propensity to commit sexual abuse.
Gregg was said to have abused a boy in a school swimming bath, another while letting him drive his car while the boy had hold of the steering wheel.
Mr Greaney said: ‘The overall picture is now of complainants from different backgrounds, across many years, indeed decades, and across many aspects of the defendant’s life, but all making similar allegations against Colin Gregg, namely he has a strong determination to sexually abuse little boys when he gets the chance.’
1969:Gregg returned to teaching, taking a job at St Aloysius, after realising “business wasn’t really for me”
1969 – Feversham School opens just before NAMH adopted the name MIND
1970 Paedophile Peter Righton – Founding member of PIE, advised Home Office on reforms to children’s care home for a report that detailed how new homes should be controlled by local government.Righton gave “considerable assistance” to the governmental report, which credited him as an academic who helped to carve out plans for the training of care home workers.
As part of his research, he would travel to numerous residential centres across the UK.
1970 – Gregg returned to working with children but continued to work for the bakery during the holidays and remained a board member.
1971 – he became a social worker, then head of Talbot House (year?), a school for what he termed delinquent children, the court heard.
During the early 1970s Gregg was a children’s officer with Newcastle’s social services department, before later becoming a teacher. 1973 Princess Alexandra patron of NAMH
1974 Talbot House established – maintained special school
Talbot House caters for children with mild to severe behaviour problems and a range of other childhood disorders. Attached to the school, but separate from it is an independent children’s home run by the Talbot Trust. Some children from the home do attend Talbot House but others attend local schools. Talbot House is not a residential school.
In October 1975, Righton became chair of a working group for the mental health association MIND, with the assistance of the King’s Fund Centre; this led to the publication of Assessment of Children and Their Families: A Report Produced by a MIND Working Party Under the Chairmanship of P. Righton (London; MIND, 1975).
1976 NAMH became a registered housing association
November 1976 there was a scandal in Newcastle involving a care worker called Hugh Bostock who had abused 55 boys.
1977 Lady Constance Roth JP, Warnock Committee, wife of Sir Martin Roth (McGill University) is governor of Feversham until 1977. (In Newcastle between 1956 and 1977, Martin Roth built a world-class academic department with a wide-ranging research programme which included studies of the psychiatric disorders of old age, mood disorders, and child psychiatry)
1977 – 1984 – Durham County – Medomsley Detention centre – Nevile Husband part of large paedophile ring is neiled in 2003: for eight years for attacks between 1977 and 1984.
Between 1978 and 1996, when the school closed, Brown launched sex attacks against a number of young boys.
1978 – SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS Report of the Committee of Enquiry into the Education of Handicapped Children and Young People chaired by Mrs H.M. Warnock
1978- Lady Constance Roth JP member of the Warnock committee
Newcastle City Council.
In 1979, Righton sat on a steering committee to establish a course for training staff to work with disturbed young people, together with John Rea Price, director of Islington Social Services, 1972-92, subsequently the Director of the National Children’s Bureau.
sponsored by Gatsby Trust an offshoot of the Sainsbury Foundation
Righton would likely have been involved officially with Feversham school for disturbed children?
1983 – Members of staff at Feversham School blew the whistle on the two child abusers
1983: Former Feversham teacher David Allnutt resigns in disgust over the way pupils’ allegations of abuse at the school are dismissed.
1983 – The first ever Greggs sponsored Childrens Cancer Run at Gosforth Racecourse
Gregg was at King’s College when he launched the Greggs Children’s Cancer Run
1985 – King’s College – Check given to Save the Children rep
March 1985 visit to Medomsley by Leon Brittan
June 1985 Report (marked for immediate destruction) into abuse and cruelty at Feversham School
1986 – Duncan, who worked as a social worker at the Dr Barnardo’s home at Shotley Park moved to Feversham
1987 – Medomsley closed
1987: Former social worker Ian Merry blows the whistle on suspected child abuse, triggering an investigation by the charity Mind.
Whistleblower Ian contacted Feversham’s chair of governors and the mental health charity Mind. The school’s custodian trustee launched an internal inquiry into the allegations. I was interviewed for two days at Mind’s regional headquarters. I named the men and said I had strong suspicions they were abusing children. Those in charge of the inquiry decided not to act
May 1987: Jimmy Savile’s visits to children’s cancer ward Newcastle Royal Victoria Infirmary – Nurse tells of Savile’s visits:
“He appeared to be in Newcastle for the Great North Run but for whatever reason he was able to visit the RVI.”
He also claimed Savile was formally invited into the building.”The alleged incident in Newcastle is thought to have taken place in the early 1990’s ? when Savile arrived at the hospital unannounced around the time of the Great North Run, which he regularly took part in.”
– Marsden is the finishing line for the Great North Run, the RVI in newcastle is the start line. The RVI is one of the hospitals investigated re Savile.
1987 – The Gregg Charitable Trust was established as a family charity to support local hardship. The charity was given gifts of cash
1988 – The Feversham inquiry concludes and a report states there is “nothing to support allegations of indecency”. Pervert John Leslie Duncan, known as Les, keeps his job as a senior residential worker.
1989 – King’s College – Letter from Parents’ Assoc to Colin Gregg
1990 – Gregg left the then private Kings School to become the full-time administrator of the Yellow Brick Road Fund.
1990: Nevile Husband retires from the prison service and receives an Imperial Service medal for serving with “diligence and fidelity”.
Before 1991 -2001 Director at Greggs
1991 – 1996 THE CHILDRENS’ FOUNDATION LIMITED (02528291)
1993 – 1994 THE CHILDRENS’ FOUNDATION TRADING LIMITED (02591794)
1993 New Tyneside Orchestra – compere Colin Gregg / conductor Stephen Pettitt
The NTO has also provided musicians for a number of more diverse events including serenading runners at the finish line of the Great North Run in 2006.
1993 – Greggs – a large grant of £15,000 was awarded to Northumberland Wildlife Trust.
1994 – Greggs Trust establishes the Hardship Fund, with the collaboration of local trusts to support families and individuals in significant need in the North East.
1990 -1994 Serial killer’ Steven Grieveson murdered four teenage boys in a series of killings – has links to Cumbria and to Sunderland
1994 – Christopher Lillie and Dawn Reed, who worked at Newcastle Shieldfield Nursery, were accused of sexual offences, but the charges were dropped at the direction of a judge at Newcastle Crown Court
July 1994 – Jeremy Beecham , founding member of Common Purpose (since 1989) – was the leading Labour figure in local government at the time of the abuse scandal…was found collapsed in his car with a suspected overdose a week before Christopher Lillie went on trial to face abuse charges
Sir Jeremy was both leader of Newcastle City Council, which was responsible for running the nursery, and a partner in the legal firm representing Lillie, a fact the parents of the abused children were unhappy about.
He still is a partner in Henderson, Beecham & Peacock, a major Newcastle solicitors’ practice and at the time was also chairman of the Association of Metropolitan Authorities.
Mid 1990s Gregg left the the Yellow Brick Road Fund and later joined the Trinity Centre, on Gosforth’s High Street – home to the first Greggs bakery – as its chairman.
1996 -2000 – Gregg Director Talbot House Trust
Appointed on 15 November 1996
Resigned on 31 March 2000
Michael Toman Head teacher with pupils at Feversham school in Newcastle
July 1996 – the last inspection of Feversham, by Newcastle City Council’s social services department
Dec 1996 – Feversham principal is Dr Michael Toman ( Gregg was director at Feversham when Dr Michael Toman was there)
Mar 1997 – Feversham closes
1997: Gregg stood trial in 1997 and was acquitted of abusing one of those three, the court heard. The other two complainants came forward after publicity about that case but it was decided those allegations should not proceed to trial.
1997 Dr Michael Toman joins Ysgol Plas Brondyffryn school for autistic children in Denbigh
November 22, 1997 national child pornography operation raid including Durham school
1997 – Greggs Trust as it has become known celebrates its ten year anniversary.
1997 – Brother Ian Gregg gets an OBE
Aug 1997 – Op Rose started and 1st trial from that was in 1998.
Op Rose started So Grgg was not directly Op Rose – but maybe what they were finding (and covering up) led to a bigger trawl? (via ww)
1999 – Greggs Breakfast Club is established
December 2001 : John Leslie Duncan is jailed for abusing his position of trust to prey on youngsters at Feversham.
2002 – Dr Lazaro, senior lecturer and consultant paediatrician at Newcastle Royal Victoria Infirmary and Newcastle University was criticised for her role in the investigation into” false” claims of abuse at a Newcastle nursery by Dawn Reed and Christopher Lillie.
The pair were accused in a Newcastle City Council report of systematic sex abuse of dozens of children at a Newcastle nursery. But Mr Justice Eady declared them innocent of all charges and condemned the report as a legal `shambles.’
...supplying children to a paedophile ring whose members had raped and abused their young victims, and used them in the making of child pornography.
…the local press had begun reporting the case of Jason Dabbs, a young student who had pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting children at another Newcastle nursery.
2003 Neville Husband was jailed for historical sexual abuse as a prison officer at Medomsley detention centre in County Durham
Police investigating sexual abuse at a Durham detention centre say they believe they have uncovered an organised paedophile ring operating in the 1970s and 80s with more than 500 potential victims…. a complex paedophile ring, with many more victims than previously thought.
2006 – Greggs raises £70,000 for BBC Children in Need Appeal in the first year of supporting the appeal
2006 – A team at Trinity Church, in Gosforth, Newcastle, have been planning the attractive community space (the Square) since the church had a pounds 3.25m refurbishment
…the team received a grant of pounds 100,000 from Newcastle City Council.
2007: The CPS decides it is “not in the public interest” to proceed with charges that Husband abused a boy at Deerbolt youth offenders’ institution after he left Medomsley and Frankland.
September 2008 Dr Michael Toman suspended, he resigns in Aug 2009
2008 – TRINITY CENTRE LIMITED (06510855) on Gosforth’s High Street opened – connected to the church
2008 – Northumbria Police deputy chief constable David Warcup replaces Lenny Harper in Jersey
2010: Husband dies.
December 2, 2011: Kevin Brown, known as Ken, of Inchberry Close, Benwell, Newcastle, is jailed for eight years for also abusing boys.
December 8, 2011: Newcastle North MP and Shadow Minister for Children and Young Families, Catherine McKinnell, joins the Chronicle in calling for an official inquiry.
December 14, 2011: Former Feversham teacher David Allnutt dies of a massive heart attack just weeks after his key evidence helps jail Kevin Brown.
2012 – Colin Gregg faced fresh allegations
2012: The Guardian reveals that Husband’s abuse was on a greater scale than previously thought. Police re-open the investigation after more victims come forward.
January 6, 2012: Mind boss Paul Farmer meets the mother of one of the victims for talks.
February 22, 2012: Mothers of Feversham victims form a pressure group.
April 27, 2012: Northumbria Police sets up an incident room to carry out a major investigation into allegations of abuse at the school.
2012 When Gregg faced fresh allegations in 2012, he told police that similarities between the stories put forward by the nine were due to them reading details about the trial in 1997.
2014: Durham police say they are investigating an organised paedophile ring operating from Medomsley with more than 500 potential victims.
2015 – Duke of York visits Newcastle to launch £2m Children’s Foundation campaign
2015: Lowell Goddard, chairman of the long running Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, announced that Feversham would not be included in the first phase of investigations. A former social worker who worked at Newcastle’s Feversham school today told of his anger that the horrors he witnessed there might never be made public.
Trent@RandolphTrent
Husband & Johnson were both FreeMasons, during the material times many police & other officers were also Masons possibly the same lodge! too
March 1994 when I first made complaints to police about the abuse going on at #Medomsley Told to go home & forget about it! I didnt I fought
I even had a Moderator of Husband’s 2 churches say “Don’t they ask for it by getting into trouble in the first place! I couldn’t believe it!
Former staff members at Medomsley Detention Centre to appear in court over abuse allegations
21 Nov 2017
Seven former workers at Medomsley Detention Centre, in County Durham, are set to face charges in relation to allegations of abuse.
The men have all been summonsed to appear at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, December 19 to answer charges of misconduct in a public office and physical abuse offences. Some will also answer sexual abuse charges.
The men are Christopher Onslow, 71, Brian Johnson Greenwell, 70, Alan Bramley, 69, John McGee, 73, Kevin Blakely, 65, David McClure, 62, and Neil Sowerby, 61.
Christopher Onslow, John McGee, Brian Johnson Greenwell, and Neil Sowerby, will answer charges of misconduct in a public office, physical abuse and sexual offences.
David McClure, Alan Bramley and Kevin Blakely, will answer charges of misconduct in a public office and physical abuse offences only.
Durham Police launched Operation Seabrook, in August 2013 and is one of the largest of its kind in the UK.
So far, more than 1,480 men have contacted the Operation Seabrook team to report allegations of either sexual or physical assaults while detained at Medomsley from the 1960s to when the centre closed in 1988.
The officer leading the investigation, Detective Chief Superintendent Adrian Green, vowed the operation will not stop here.
He said: “The Operation Seabrook team and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) remain committed in continuing to move the investigation forward.
“In February this year, we submitted 32 files to the CPS for charging decisions. A number of people are still under investigation.”
date unknown: Robert Atkinson – Newcastle teacher was arrested for sexually abusing a 13 year old student. He was fined £200. The headmaster and staff however continued to support him after the his guilt. Member level status in P.I.E
1984 Birthday Honours – Brian Roycroft
Eric Brian Roycroft – Director of Social Services, Newcastle upon Tyne Metropolitan Borough Council.
……………….
Newcastle City Council, Brian Roycroft, and North Wales care homes
On February 16th 2000 under the headline Suffer the Little Children the Newcastle Journal provided the story of one of the victims in Sunderland mentioning that the NSPCC report had referred to a web of institutional abuse and reported that 32 staff had been involved.
The Sunderland Echo also published an editorial Two Decades of Horrific Abuse and an article on the movement of staff suspects between local authorities. The Newcastle Spotlight on Abuse article is important drawing attention to the role of the Director of Social Services Roycroft in relation to the 1976 Hugh Bostock Scandal and his alleged opposition to the proposal for a register of dismissed staff. Cathy Fox’s request for Hugh Bostock inquiry info to be published was refused.
On Feb 17th the Newcastle-based Journal published the story of one victim who contacted them among the 28 who were said to have been assaulted after being placed in Bryn Alyn by the City of Newcastle.
The Feb 17th complainant mentioned that Director of Social Services Brian Roycroft visited the home to open an extension. “It was almost laughable he was singing the praises of the place yet what was going on there was evil.”
Roycroft was Director of Social Services for Newcastle 1971- 1993and before then its Children’s officer, who also acted as Director of Education and Chief Executive for short periods, and was appointed a European Social Commissioner by Margaret Thatcher as well as having a controlling influence within the Association of Directors of Social Services and the advisors to the Association of Metropolitan local authorities.
He commented in what appeared to be a prepared statement “ It is fairly common place to send children with behavioural difficulties to homes around the country, here weren’t the facilities available in the North East. It is perfectly possible that some children from Newcastle and the North East did go to some of the homes in North Wales named in the Waterhouse report. I had 42,000 children in my care during my career and I cannot possible remember where they all went. It is also perfectly feasible that I did visit the Bryn Alyn Home “ It is noteworthy that although he left Newcastle a number of years before he knew the total number of children was over 42,000
“I would often visit homes where children from Newcastle were in care as would social service staff from the city” The article includes comments from the then current Director of Social Services for Newcastle.
In 1987, that is a year after the first complaints about the conduct of the owner of Bryn Alyn were made, Roycroft who was then President of the Association of Directors of Social Service recommended colleagues at the North East Region branch meeting the placement of children in care at Bryn Alyn, speaking warmly of the hospitality he had received. He rarely mentioned his national/internationally activities.
Roycroft also made a point of advising colleagues on another occasion that he sometimes invited children in care to his home.
It was then on morning of the 18th that the Journal posed the question Why were 69 of our Children sent to Bryn Alyn? The key sentence in the article (9) is the reference to a Labour MP Chris Ruane Vale of Clwyd (and still there) wanted Prime Minister Tony Blair to assure him that prominent people had not been left out.
On the 19th the Journal again asked the question Why did they keep sending children? The article refers to the 1988 devastating report of its Director on its Children’s Homes and which included Bryn Alyn.
Roycroft who died in 2002 during the libel action against the Council and the authors of the report on the Sheffield Nursery Scandal (the Chronicle settled out of court) was also the lead member of the team who investigated the conviction of the Calderdale Social Services Director in 1988 (when he was immediate past President of ADSS) for crimes against children in care and Calderdale director was reported to have links with Peter Righton)
In 1994 Roycroft was part of the part Inquiry into Oxenden House.
A spokesperson for Greggs, where Mr Gregg held a senior role for 10 years, said: “Colin Gregg has no involvement with Greggs Plc and it would therefore be wholly inappropriate for us to comment on this matter.”
Formerly a director at the baked goods giant established by his father John Gregg in the 1930s, Mr Gregg had previously held the lead role at Kings School in Tynemouth.
During his time there, he launched the Greggs Children’s Cancer Run, now in its 31st year, after pupil Chris Peacock was diagnosed with kidney cancer and given a 30% chance of survival.
Since its creation, the events has raised in excess of £5m for North of England Children’s Cancer Research (NECCR), at Newcastle.
He left the prestigious school in 1990 to become the full time administrator with the Yellow Brick Road Fund, a charity set up to raise millions for projects.
The charity later became Children’s Foundation, fundraising for what is now the Great North Children’s Hospital.
Working with Newcastle University’s Dept of Child Health building the Road to Health – current director
Colin Gregg 1996 leaving yellow brick road aka Children’s Foundation charity # 1000013
Working with Newcastle University’s Dept of Child Health building the Road to Health – current director
Colin Gregg 1996 leaving Yellow Brick Road aka Children’s Foundation charity # 1000013
Leaving the post in the mid 1990s Mr Gregg, a father-of-three, who used to work as a children’s officer with Newcastle’s social services during the early 1970s, later joined the Trinity Centre along Gosforth’s High Street – home to the first Greggs bakery – as its chairman.
Opened in 2008 the centre, connected to the church, hosts around 100 activities a week for the community.
THE final stages of a town square intended for a leafy Tyneside suburb have been put in place.
A team at Trinity Church, in Gosforth, Newcastle, have been planning the attractive community space since the church had a pounds 3.25m refurbishment in 2006.
But after gaining planning permission, the development was put on the back-burner as the popularity of the new Trinity Centre exceeded expectations.
Attention was turned to creating the half-paved and half-grassed town square, aimed at breathing life back into Gosforth High Street after the team received a grant of pounds 100,000 from Newcastle City Council.
At the time of the planning in 2009, the project was estimated to cost pounds 400,000. It is hoped the space will be used as place to sit, relax and chat, as well as for entertainment such as bands, markets and chess.
Colin Gregg, chairman of the Trinity Centre, said the aim of the square was to bring the local community together.
He said: “The overall aim is that the square will help bring people back on to the High Street and to eventually shop there so trade will pick up.
“Gosforth High Street used to be a thriving area. It was where the bakery Greggs opened its first store and it was a place where people came and talked.
“We want the square to be the heart of the community.”
Since the Trinity Centre reopened in 2008 it has exceeded expectations.
The church now hosts 100 activities a week and has around 2,500 people walking through its doors each week.
Sasha Wass QC, prosecutor in Rolf Harris trial, to lead island sex abuse inquiry
Sasha Wass QC, has been brought into to head an investigation into an alleged cover-up on St Helena and Ascension
20 November 2014
A prominent barrister who successfully prosecuted Rolf Harris will head an investigation into an alleged police and government conspiracy to cover up the widespread sexual exploitation of girls on a British overseas territory.
Sasha Wass QC, has been brought in after a review of child safety on St Helena and Ascension – two tiny and remote islands in the South Atlantic with a combined population of some 5,500 – revealed that a number of paedophiles had escaped prosecution amid claims of police incompetence and corruption.
Social workers said they raised concerns about a paedophile officer but were snubbed and told not to rock the boat and “enjoy the view” on St Helena, famous as the island prison of Napoleon.
After the success of the first 2 rides we became more adventurous and designed a new coast to coast of our own. This was to give people the chance to complete other ways to cross the country on a bike. The route was designed by Les and went from Morecambe to Scarborough via Skipton and Thirsk.
The 3 day ride included more varied terrain and scenery over 200 miles and had lots of hills, off road tracks, fast road sections and included the first cityworks riders hill climb just for fun. 12 riders signed up for the trip through Settle, Skipton, Pately bridge, Ripon, Thirsk, Thornton le dale, and Scarborough.
This ride was also on a large scale as we had a bus, a 7 ton wagon and 3 outriders from the TA. The back up was great and the route well organised in advance. We also stayed in good quality hotels on the way and provided pleanty of pub stops for a beer or two.
This ride was in aid of three charities: –
The Childrens cancer research fund at the R.V.I. Newcastle
The Yellow Brick road appeal Newcastle
The Evening Chronicle Sunshine fund Newcastle.
We enlisted the help of the Mayor of Morecambe to start the ride and the mayor of Scarborough to meet us at the end.
£3,250 was raised for our chosen charities with the cheque presentation at the Civic centre again with our charity representatives.
The Barry Sisters – June, Angela and Ann – were the toast of the North in the late 50s and 60s, performing alongside stars from Cliff Richard to Ken Dodd and Des O’Connor to Morecambe and Wise.
Angela Wright, 79, of New Marske, will join guests in Newcastle on Thursday to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Children’s Foundation, a charity close to her late sister June’s heart.
June, the only one of the three never to have had children of her own, left the charity PS10,000 in her will after her death in September.
The group had a glittering career which saw them tour the country with a host of household names.
They spent six weeks touring with a young Cliff Richard and although Angela has fond memories of the time she missed out on the chance to have her picture taken with the future superstar – she was giving birth to Martyn. The group’s “fourth member” Sylvia Scarill filled in for her.
She said: “He was very polite and pleasant, but he didn’t socialise much. Sometimes he would rehearse songs with the band in the bus, but most of the time he travelled by car with his own driver.”
The importance of timelines – and the depth of the rabbit hole
Newcastle City Council, Brian Roycroft, and North Wales care homes
Written by a former social work professional who wishes to remain anonymous.
Local publicity about the connection between children and young people in the care and protection of Newcastle City Council and Bryn Alyn only became public in the 2000 with the publication of the Waterhouse Report following the prosecution of a number of individuals for crimes of physical and sexual violence in residential care in Wales
The Mail on Sunday Feb 13th 2000 reported that the £13 million inquiry stopped short of concluding that the abuse was orchestrated by a ring of paedophiles who helped each other to secure top jobs in in the Welsh Care system and which were said to include policemen, public servants and businessmen- this included a Welsh Office Inspector of Homes who was sentenced to 14 years.
12 former children in care were known to have committed suicide because of their experiences.
Locally the first reference to the Waterhouse Inquiry revelations occurred on Feb 15th when the Sunderland Echo commented on the report noting that two weeks beforehand Sunderland’s “longest running child abuse Inquiry collapsed.” The Echo paper appears to be making the point that the passage of time did not appear to have affected the successful prosecution in Wales and other situations.
The point made by the Sunderland Echo back in 2000 has been strengthened for on April 29th 2013, that is another decade after the third Witherwack trial ended, the Director General of the National Crime Agency issued a Public report on the progress of Operation Pallial covering 140 complainants reporting offences in 18 establishments in North Wales 1963-1992 against 84 named individuals. Operation Pallial continues. The 18 page progress report makes reference to the establishment of a review of the working of the Waterhouse Inquiry conducted for the Ministry of Justice by Lady Justice Macur DBE and which published an Issues Paper on January 8th 2013 which included a call of information.
In October 2013 Cathy Fox used an FOI request to ask the Ministry of Justice when the Macur report would be published. Further requests were made in December and May of this year. No date has been fixed.
On February 16th 2000 under the headline Suffer the Little Children the Newcastle Journal provided the story of one of the victims in Sunderland mentioning that the NSPCC report had referred to a web of institutional abuse and reported that 32 staff had been involved.
The Journal article also refers to the Pin Down regime in Staffordshire, to an investigation in Northumberland and the 300 complaints which has arisen to that date as part of Operation Rose.
On February 16th, the Journal also published an editorial covering the Waterhouse Inquiry and the 1998 Utting report
The Sunderland Echo also published an editorial Two Decades of Horrific Abuse and an article on the movement of staff suspects between local authorities. The Newcastle Spotlight on Abuse article is important drawing attention to the role of the Director of Social Services Roycroft in relation to the 1976 Hugh Bostock Scandal and his alleged opposition to the proposal for a register of dismissed staff. Cathy Fox’s request for Hugh Bostock inquiry info to be published was refused.
On Feb 17th the Newcastle-based Journal published the story of one victim who contacted them among the 28 who were said to have been assaulted after being placed in Bryn Alyn by the City of Newcastle.
NB A subsequent report indicated that only a small number had approached Newcastle Police with complaints.
The Feb 17th complainant mentioned that Director of Social Services Brian Roycroft visited the home to open an extension. “It was almost laughable he was singing the praises of the place yet what was going on there was evil.”
Roycroft was Director of Social Services for Newcastle 1971- 1993 and before then its Children’s officer, who also acted as Director of Education and Chief Executive for short periods, and was appointed a European Social Commissioner by Margaret Thatcher as well as having a controlling influence within the Association of Directors of Social Services and the advisors to the Association of Metropolitan local authorities.
He commented in what appeared to be a prepared statement “ It is fairly common place to send children with behavioural difficulties to homes around the country, here weren’t the facilities available in the North East. It is perfectly possible that some children from Newcastle and the North East did go to some of the homes in North Wales named in the Waterhouse report. I had 42,000 children in my care during my career and I cannot possible remember where they all went. It is also perfectly feasible that I did visit the Bryn Alyn Home “ It is noteworthy that although he left Newcastle a number of years before he knew the total number of children was over 42,000
“I would often visit homes where children from Newcastle were in care as would social service staff from the city” The article includes comments from the then current Director of Social Services for Newcastle.
In 1987, that is a year after the first complaints about the conduct of the owner of Bryn Alyn were made, Roycroft who was then President of the Association of Directors of Social Service recommended colleagues at the North East Region branch meeting the placement of children in care at Bryn Alyn, speaking warmly of the hospitality he had received. He rarely mentioned his national/internationally activities.
Roycroft also made a point of advising colleagues on another occasion that he sometimes invited children in care to his home.
It was then on morning of the 18th that the Journal posed the question Why were 69 of our Children sent to Bryn Alyn? The key sentence in the article (9) is the reference to a Labour MP Chris Ruane Vale of Clwyd (and still there) wanted Prime Minister Tony Blair to assure him that prominent people had not been left out.
Also regarded of significance is the accompanying piece about one former young man how he had been threatened at gun point by a staff member before insisting on sex. Was their proper investigations of residents reported missing from the home who were never found by their placing local authorities? The Editorial demanded the facts and the inquiry report to be published.
The importance of establishing a timeline database to include the various police investigations and other inquiries is reinforced by the Daily Mail front page headline article on the same morning – Even Worse- suggesting the potential of 11,000 victims based on the Lambeth-centred inquiry Operation Middleton and which also referred to Operation Care Merseyside and to an operation in Birmingham. The Newcastle Chronicle that evening asked for one victim placed at Bryn Alyn by North Tyneside – Why did no one listen to me?
On the 19th the Journal again asked the question Why did they keep sending children? The article refers to the 1988 devastating report of its Director on its Children’s Homes and which included Bryn Alyn.
The 19th saw the Journal report the story of Michelle Atkinson in relation to a Newcastle residential care home. On the same date the Journal reported that David Brushett, the Welsh Office Children’s Inspector who had worked at the former Approved School, Aycliffe County Durham joint secure remand centre and community home with education on the premises from 1967 to 1974 when he had become deputy Headmaster at the school part of the establishment.
The Chronicle then disclosed on February 25th that Peter Howarth who was convicted and sentenced to ten years for crimes at the notorious Bryn Estyn Establishment had worked at the former Axwell Park (renamed Clavering House) Newcastle establishment. The then current Director of Social Services called for any victims to come forward in a Journal article on the 26th.
In 1968 following the conviction of Mary Bell aged 11 years for the murder of two boys, Roycroft then Children’s Officer Newcastle became personally involved with her welfare and was widely praised by the author of two books on the murders and the life of Mary as “one of the finest social workers in the country” and referred to “his passion for “social justice.” quoted in the Guardian Obituary.
As already mentioned in 1976 Roycroft was at the centre of concern about the conviction of Newcastle Residential Home officer Hugh Bostock. The Council has refused to publish its internal report via a Cathy Fox FOI request.
Roycroft who died in 2002 during the libel action against the Council and the authors of the report on the Shielfield Nursery Scandal (the Chronicle settled out of court) was also the lead member of the team who investigated the conviction of the Calderdale Social Services Director in 1988 (when he was immediate past President of ADSS) for crimes against children in care and Calderdale director was reported to have links with Peter Righton)
In 1994 Roycroft was part of the part Inquiry into Oxenden House. A Cathy Fox FOI request for a copy of the report to be published has been refused.
Aycliffe Young People’s Center, Darlington, Stockton on Tees
Former County Durham house master cleared of sex abuse
A former County Durham school house master has been cleared of sexual abuse charges after a judge concluded police handling the case acted improperly.
Rod Ryall, 68, of Wheatley Drive, Mirfield, West Yorkshire, had denied 10 counts of indecent assault on three children in the 1960s and 1970s.
The judge hearing the case directed jurors to return not guilty verdicts amid criticism of Durham Police.
BBC News 24/09/10
School master ‘carried out string of sex attacks’
An approved school housemaster who became a scout leader and council director of social services carried out a string of sex attacks on vulnerable boys over a period of years, a court heard today.
Rod Ryall, 68, appeared at Teesside Crown Court charged with 10 counts of indecent assault on three alleged victims during the 1960s and 1970s.
In 1988 he pleaded guilty to four counts of indecent assault, two counts of gross indecency and one of buggery with boys aged 14 to 17, the jury was told.
Ryall studied physics at Oxford University before taking a PhD in criminology at Cambridge and became a housemaster at Newton Aycliffe Approved School, County Durham, in the mid 1960s.
The prosecution alleges he sexually abused two pupils during his time at the school, where boys who had committed criminal offences were housed and educated.
The Independent 14/09/10
Former house master in sex assault inquiry
AN ex-social services chief has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting youngsters at a North-East children’s centre that has housed some of the UK’s most notorious juvenile criminals.
Rod Ryall, 67, was a live-in house master at Aycliffe Approved School, off the A167, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, in the Sixties.
He was arrested last week and an investigation into the school, now known as Aycliffe Secure Services, is under way.
The Northern Echo 06/06/09
15 years prison for sex shame politician
A FORMER North-East aide of Prime Minister Tony Blair has been jailed for 15 years for an “appalling” string of sex offences against teenage boys.
Martyn Locklin, 41, of Ladybower, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, was found guilty by the jury of eight men and four women at Teesside Crown Court yesterday.
Locklin, a leading Labour party activist in Sedgefield, stood impassively in the dock as the jury delivered guilty verdicts on eight charges, including rape.
Last night, the Labour Party said Locklin, who has shown Mr Blair around the area on several occasions, had no special relationship with the Prime Minister.
Locklin’s barrister, Tim Roberts, said that he would immediately appeal against the conviction. “Martyn Locklin maintains that he is completely innocent of the alleged offences,” he said.
“No conviction based upon the word of self-confessed criminals and perjurers can possibly be regarded as safe.
“Martyn Locklin would like to thank the Newton Aycliffe community for the support which they have afforded his family.”
The former leader of Great Aycliffe Town Council was convicted of two indecent assaults against one teenager; one serious sexual offence, two counts of rape and one of indecent assault against a second youngster; and two counts of indecent assault against a third boy. All the offences took place between 1988 and 1996.
The jury had earlier been directed to deliver a not guilty verdict on one charge of indecent assault on the first boy.
During the three-week trial, the court heard that Locklin, a house parent at Aycliffe Young People’s Centre, had breached his position of trust and abused one teenage resident there, visiting him in his room at night on more than 30 occasions.
A second boy was systematically raped and sexually abused at weekends in Locklin’s home for more than two years, while his partner Denise Anderson and stepsons slept upstairs, the jury heard.
All three members of the family told the court it was “not possible” for the attacks to have happened, and said Locklin was a good father .
The third boy said he, too, had been sexually abused in Locklin’s home over a two-month period. All three said they had been plied with drink and cannabis and were given gifts such as tobacco, clothes and cash to buy their silence.
Judge Peter Fox QC described the abuse as “appalling” and said: “This reflects a gross breach of trust on your part in respect of young boys in their mid-teens, two of whom you owed a particular duty of trust.”
The judge said Locklin had groomed and seduced the boys and added: “The damage, and over such a prolonged period in such a devastating way can hardly be estimated.”
Locklin was sentenced to ten years concurrent for the assault of the first two boys and five years consecutive for the repeated abuse of the third.
The judge placed Locklin on the sex offenders register for life and said: “You will be watched for the remainder of your days. You need to be.”
John Burton, Tony Blair’s agent, said Martyn Locklin had been a hard working councillor. He added: “Obviously our sympathies at this time have got to be with the families and with the victims themselves.”
Bob Fleming, leader of Great Aycliffe Town Council, said: “He’s been found guilty of horrendous crimes and as a result of that he deserves to go to prison for a long time.
“This will come as a shock to many people because he had many friends who stood by him through thick and thin .”
* Detectives last night said they believed there could be more victims of Locklin who were “too ashamed or frightened” to come forward. Anyone with information should contact Newton Aycliffe police on (01325) 314401.
Darlington & Stockton Times 04/07/01
Youth was raped by Tony Blair’s aide, court told
A YOUNGSTER claimed to have been raped once a month for two years by a former aide to Prime Minister Tony Blair, a court heard yesterday.
The young man, who is serving life imprisonment for murder, was giving evidence in the trial of Martyn Locklin, a senior Labour councillor in Mr Blair’s Sedgefield constituency, at Teesside Crown Court.
Mr Locklin, 41, of Ladybower, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, faces three counts of indecent assault against one boy, and two counts of indecent assault against another.
He also faces a charge involving a serious sexual assault, two counts of rape and one of indecent assault against a third boy.
The Sedgefield borough and Great Aycliffe town councillor denies all the charges, which were alleged to have taken place between 1988 and 1996.
Yesterday, the court heard from former employees of Aycliffe Young People’s Centre, where Mr Locklin was employed during the late 1980s and early 1990s, and where one alleged victim claimed to have been sexually assaulted.
Two former night watchmen who worked with Mr Locklin claimed the councillor had smoked cannabis while caring for youngsters at the centre.
And one alleged victim told the court he was raped and sexually assaulted by Mr Locklin weekly for two years while he was aged between 15 and 17.
He said Mr Locklin would give him alcohol and cannabis before sexually assaulting him.
Now in his 20s, he said: “I felt helpless, ashamed and frightened.”
The man, serving a life sentence for murder, said the abuse ended when he pulled a knife on the councillor and ran off.
Tim Roberts, for Mr Locklin, put it to the man that he had lied to a jury during his murder trial and committed perjury, which the man admitted.
Before he had met Mr Locklin, he had been involved in sexual behaviour with a 63-year-old man.
Earlier, the court heard how Mr Locklin was a “strong and manipulative character”.
After leaving the centre, Mr Locklin immersed himself in local politics and by the time he was charged in May he was leader of Great Aycliffe Town Council.
The prosecution claims he abused his position of trust while working as a care worker at the home.
This comes as no shock, as paedophile rings have been operating in Calderdale for decades. Rod Ryall was Calderdale council’s Director of Social Services and convicted paedophile.
Rod Ryall former Calderdale Council’s Director of Social Services – JAILED FOR SEX OFFENCES
Social Work Today 1st December 1988
Brian Roycroft Report 13.19 states “There is no evidence that offences were being committed against any other boys. The police satisfied themselves on this point. None of the offences were committed on boys whilst in care.”
Aillie Kerrane, Calderdale Council operations manager, said: “We were aware of problems and we have got a number of strategies in place to tackle them, including the appointment of a new manager. (2005) Westgarth did not meet basic standards
Leon Brittan – known as a paedophile throughout Barnes & Fleet Street since early 1980s. #ElmGuestHouse #Aycliffe
Aycliffe Centre for Children, Prince Andrew’s visit Prince Andrew shakes hands with Dr Masud Hoghughi, with Councillor J T Thompson (centre). Darlington & Stockton Times photograph. 1984.
Prince Andrew
Patron British Schools Exploring Society, Jubilee Sailing Trust, Aycliffe School, Steamship Great Britain appeal, Fight for Sight, British Deaf Association, Commonwealth Association for the Deaf, English National Ballet, Contemporary Dance Trust.
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Bercow Uses Personal Veto to Block Vaz Investigation
We applied under the Freedom of Information Act to get papers relating to Mr Vaz’s trips abroad.
Clerks raised concerns – denied by the Leicester MP – that Mr Vaz had not abided by all the rules for trips. We wanted to know if those concerns ever become formal complaints.
If they did, did the liaison committee, which controls this process, do anything about it? This is clearly an area where, one could argue, the Freedom of Information Act should bite.
If the administration of MPs’ expenses is not covered by privilege, why should the administration of committee trips be? MPs are involved – but they oversaw expenses too. Could knowing which travel agent booked tickets for MPs be a route to power for a would-be tyrant? What is the threat to free speech?
Some months ago, Mr Bercow personally made the argument that this paperwork was all covered by privilege. But I looked forward to a tribunal when this could be tested.
A personal veto
Normally, this sort of determination can be referred to the Information Commissioner and then to the tribunals and courts to judge whether that finding is fair. My judgment is, if they did that, I had a reasonable chance of winning.
I suspect Mr Bercow agreed. That would explain why he has now used an unusual personal power to block any appeals.
This week, I was notified he has issued a “certificate” under section 34(3) of the Freedom of Information Act. This is, in effect, a personal release veto.
These sorts of vetos are supposed to be used sparingly – an emergency reserve power to guard sacred spaces if courts get it wrong.
That is because their use means I have no rights of appeal. The Information Commissioner’s view is that, since the certificate is genuine, that is the the end of the matter. Any appeal to the tribunals will automatically be discarded. I can ask a judge to review his decision, but it would entail looking at a decision taken by a parliamentary officer. That would hit privilege from another direction.
The net result is that the Speaker, who denies bullying, has made an order to hide information about the behaviour of his close personal friend, Keith Vaz, a man who also denies bullying – supposedly to protect MPs’ freedom of speech.
And then he has gone out of his way to use a personal veto to make sure no-one could even consider reviewing that questionable decision.
You can understand why staff are so suspicious about whether MPs will ever let themselves be judged by outsiders when it comes to bullying and harassment.
Labour declined to investigate bullying complaint against Valerie Vaz
17 October 2018
The shadow cabinet minister leading Labour’s response to the Westminster bullying scandal has herself been spoken to by her party leadership after a bullying complaint, the New Statesman has learned.
Valerie Vaz, the shadow leader of the House of Commons, was met by Jeremy Corbyn’s office and that of Nick Brown, the Labour chief whip, after a former member of her Westminster staff complained that they had been subject to workplace bullying while employed by Vaz in 2012. She denies the allegations.
The New Statesman understands that the complainant also contacted Laura Cox’s inquiry into bullying and harassment in parliament to raise the same concerns. Vaz led Labour’s response to an urgent question on the report on Tuesday.
In a letter to the complainant in August, seen by the NS, Labour said it would not pursue any formal investigation or disciplinary action against Vaz on the grounds that its historical nature would make it difficult to judge fairly.
The party’s Head of Complaints wrote: “The Labour Party has not codified a strict time limit on historic investigations but we have considered your case and believe the passage of time means it will be difficult to conclude a case fairly. Therefore we will not be taking formal disciplinary action.”
She added: “Valerie Vaz has been met by [the] Leader’s Office and the Chief Whip’s Office following your complaint, to be reminded of her requirements as an employer under the Labour Party Code of Conduct.
“It has been decided in this case that there will not be an investigation into the complaint and no further action taken. The option of complaint via the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards remains an option to you.”
While the Standards Commissioner is able to investigate complaints dating back seven years, the process is ultimately overseen by the MPs on the Commons Committee on Standards.
Parliament’s new independent complaints and grievances procedure, introduced in July, has no MP oversight but cannot investigate claims that date to before the start of the 2017 parliament. Vaz left the cross-party group that oversaw its development in January 2018.
In her report on bullying and harassment in parliament, released on Monday, Cox recommended that the new grievance procedures be given the power to investigate historical allegations.
Labour responded to the complaint against Vaz before that recommendation was made, noting: “The ICGP agreed by the House of Commons in July 2018 selected “the start of this Parliament for the retrospective application of investigations under the Scheme” on the advice of Tom Linden QC that “an investigation of a complaint will be more difficult the further into the past you go.”
However, in the event that Cox’s recommendation was adopted, the complaint against Vaz would be admissible under the new procedure. Asked about the report today, a spokesman for Jeremy Corbyn said Labour was pushing for the issue of historical allegations to be “properly addressed”.
Vaz has avoided explicitly endorsing the recommendations made in Cox’s report and has instead promised to “look seriously” at their detail. Responding after its publication on Monday, she said: “Sexual harassment and bullying must not be tolerated in any workplace. Some of the accounts in this report are truly shocking.
“The House of Commons has recently passed an independent complaints process to deal with cases of bullying, sexual harassment and victimisation under the supervision of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.
“Labour thanks Dame Laura Cox QC DBE for her report and will look seriously at the detail of the recommendations. We will continue to work on a cross-party basis to tackle this and ensure new procedures are as robust and effective as possible in order to protect everyone working in and visiting the House of Commons.”
A spokesperson for Vaz said: “Valerie vigorously denies these allegations, which are vindictive and defamatory, and is committed to tackling bullying and harassment in Westminster, which has gone unchallenged for too long.”
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “The Labour Party takes all complaints of bullying extremely seriously, and we insisted that new complaints processes in Parliament fully cover bullying as well as harassment and sexual misconduct.
“We are pleased these processes are now in place and we will continue to bring forward proposals to ensure they as robust as possible. The Labour Party’s complaints procedures are confidential so we cannot comment on individual complaints.”
Keith Vaz accused of ‘bullying members of staff in House of Commons’
1 Aug 2018
The MP allegedly made comments about a clerk’s race and fertility
Veteran Labour politician Keith Vaz has reportedly been accused of bullying from a number of clerks as they tried to uphold the rules and processes in the House of Commons.
The MP for Leicester East allegedly made comments about one clerk’s race and told her she was bad at her job because she was “not a mother”, when she raised an issue about him not following rules and standards.
Jenny McCullough told the BBC’s Newsnight she was repeatedly on the receiving end of Mr Vaz’s bullying and was forced to leave her job because of his behaviour.
Mr Vaz has denied the allegations.
Ms McCullough served as the second clerk of the Home Affairs Select Committee which Mr Vaz chaired from 2007 to 2016, until he was forced to quit after the Sunday Mirror revealed he had engaged in unprotected sexual activity with male prostitutes and had said he would pay for cocaine if they wished to use it.
She told the programme that he made the comments when she attempted to enforce a set of rules that designed to stop professional visits abroad turning into personal holidays or business trips.
During a trip to Russia and Ukraine she allegedly attempted to highlight to him that he had not followed protocol on a number of occasions.
When she did so, she said Mr Vaz launched a “tirade” against her in a hotel lobby.
“At one point during this tirade, he told me that I wasn’t capable of serving the committee because I wasn’t a mother,” she told Newsnight. “All I knew was it wasn’t normal to be harangued about my fertility status in the reception of a hotel room, at public expense in front of my colleague on the team.
“I think there were other members of the committee there, I think there may have been some foreign office staff and other guests of the hotel.”
She also alleged that Mr Vaz made jokes that Ms McCullough was a security threat, on account of her Northern Irish background and accent.
The treatment continued well after the trip had come to an end, she said, adding that she was eventually asked to stop coming to team meetings because her presence resulted in Mr Vaz being too disruptive and not getting any work done.
She said when she highlighted the treatment to her managers, it was treated as though it was normal.
“It was as though there was something wrong with me, that I was too sensitive, that this was normal. And I found that a really hard response to deal with because they seem content to let Keith Vaz deliver this lesson to me by his treatment of me,” she said.
She said she did not put in a formal complaint because she was “afraid” of Mr Vaz and that as he was well connected she “thought it could only end badly”.
Ms McCullough is not the only clerk to raise a complaint about Mr Vaz’s behaviour, the programme reported.
The Independent has contacted Mr Vaz for a comment, but none had arrived at the time of publication.
However, a representative for the MP told Newsnight that he “did not berate Ms McCullough at any stage whether before during or after the Russia trip, nor did he at any time insult her maternal status”.
They added: “Furthermore, our client finds the allegation that he would make insulting jokes about anyone on the basis of race extremely offensive” and “would never trivialise a person’s ethnic background. No complaint or allegation of this nature has ever been brought to his attention. Our client had considered that he and Ms McCullough had previously had a good working relationship, and had always considered her to be very effective as a clerk.”
Renewed calls for Labour MP’s resignation amid fresh allegations of misconduct
Records show Keith Vaz accepted VIP tickets to Leicester City Premiere League football matches during the time he was meant to be too ‘ill’ to participate in other ethics probe
25th April 2018
SHAMED Labour MP Keith Vaz faced fresh calls to quit last night after it emerged he attended a string of Premier League football matches despite being deemed too “ill” for his rent boys probe.
But despite the three-month pause Mr Vaz accepted invitations for VIP hospitality at Leicester City football matches.
The Register of MPs’ Financial Interests reveals he accepted £330 worth of hospitality on February 24 and March 18.
The latter match was three days before Parliament’s Standards Commissioner reopened her inquiry into Mr Vaz.
Mr Vaz has also travelled nearly 5,000 miles to India and took a trip to Saudi Arabia during the suspended investigation.
Mr Vaz issued a grovelling public apology to his wife and children in 2016 after it emerged he had paid two male escorts for their services.
A newspaper sting revealed Keith Vaz tried to hide his real identity by telling them he was a washing machine salesman called Jim.
The escorts claimed he asked them to bring poppers and offered to reimburse a third man for buying cocaine.
Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said the latest revelations of Mr Vaz’s activities during his suspended investigation was proof he’s no longer fit to be an MP.
He said: “As we can see from his register of interest Vaz wasn’t too ill to accept hospitality at LCFC. This shows that the Standards Commissioner was right to kick off the investigation into his rent boys and cocaine incident again.
“I have long been of the belief that Keith Vaz is not a fit and proper person to serve in the House of Commons and he should resign immediately.”
The outgoing Standards Commissioner Kathryn Hudson suspended the probe days before Christmas “on the basis of a medical assessment”.
Her successor Kathryn Stone reopened it after a fresh medical assessment last month
Sleaze probe into Keith Vaz over male escorts is BACK ON after standards watchdog decides Labour MP is well enough to be investigated
Sleaze inquiry into Labour’s Keith Vaz had been put on hold for ‘medical reason’
The MP was accused of meeting male prostitutes in 2016 newspaper sting
Married Vaz stood down as Home Affairs Committee chair after scandal broke
Questions have been raised over health as he has continued to carry out work
21 March 2018
A sleaze probe into Keith Vaz and male escorts is back on after the parliamentary standards watchdog decided he is well enough to face investigation.
The inquiry into the veteran Labour MP was suspended in December ‘for medical reasons’.
Questions have been raised as he has continued to take part in engagements in the UK and around the world.
However, commissioner Kathryn Stoneconfirmed on her website today that she has resumed her investigation.
Mr Vaz, who is diabetic, did not respond to a request for comment this afternoon.
Married Mr Vaz, who has two children, stood down as chairman of the Commons home affairs committee after his involvement with male prostitutes was exposed by a newspaper sting in 2016.
During the liaison, at which he claimed his name was Jim and that he was a washing machine salesman, he discussed buying cocaine with one of the Romanian rent boys, with undercover film footage of him saying he would pay for the class-A drugs but did not want to take any himself.
Later that year, Scotland Yard dropped its investigation into Mr Vaz, but a separate probe by the Commons sleaze watchdog was due to look at whether the MP was guilty of a conflict of interest as he had been leading a review of vice laws at the time of the allegations.
The inquiry was also due to examine whether he had caused ‘significant damage’ to Parliament’s reputation
But in December, the standards commissioner Kathryn Hudson cited medical reasons when she suspended the long-running investigation into Mr Vaz.
However, that same month, Mr Vaz reportedly went on a trip to Saudi Arabia, while in January he posted a picture of himself in Goa, India, with government minister Rohan Khaunte.
That month he was also photographed alongside Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn at a meeting of the all party parliamentary group on Yemen.
Since the investigation into his conduct was halted by the standards commissioner, the Leicester East MP has opened a new swimming pool in the city, attended planning meetings, travelled nearly 5,000 miles to India and took a trip to Saudi Arabia.
n an outing earlier this month, Mr Vaz appeared alongside Bollywood actor Shatrughan Sinha at an event in London, where they were both pictured on stage.
Mr Sinha told the website Bollywood Hungama how he had been invited to come to the UK by the Labour MP.
He said: ‘Keith and the Indian community in London wanted to honour me. I couldn’t say no. This was a huge and humbling honour coming from my brothers and sisters on British soil.’
The MP was also a VIP guest at the Festival of Polish Folklore in Leicester on Sunday, described on its website as a vibrant celebration of Polish dance, song and music that featured more than 400 performers.
‘Too sick to be investigated’ Keith Vaz was spotted at both a Bollywood and a dance festival at different ends of the country in the last week. The MP was a VIP guest at the Polish Folklore festival at De Montfort Hall, Leicester on Sunday. Earlier, he attended a Bollywood festival in London where he was pictured with a famous actor:
“Shatrughan Sinha was honoured in London by Keith Vaz the MP from the British Labour Party. During a Q-and-A session after being honoured Shatrughan Sinha was asked which distinguished Indian he would like to play on screen.”
Guido revealed how last month Vaz was spotted opening a swimming pool, attending council meetings, an APPG and a music gig in Leicester. In December Guido asked what had happened to the Standards Commissioner’s investigation into Keith Vaz, which still hasn’t reported back after nearly a year and a half. The Vaz inquiry remains “suspended for medical reasons”. Becoming embarrassing for the parliamentary authorities…
Mr Vaz seems well enough to author articles for the Guardian but not to answer questions from the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner for ‘medical reasons’ from 2016?
Vaz Reported to National CRIME AGENCY OVER HIS FINANCES
Tory MP Andrew Bridgen has tonight reported Keith Vaz to the National Crime Agency calling for an Unexplained Wealth Order investigation to look into his finances.
Keith Vaz Makes Trips to India and Saudi Arabia – But ‘Too Ill’ to Face Male Prostitutes Investigation
11 Feb 2018
Labour MP Keith Vaz has remained active internationally, despite an investigation into footage of him using male prostitutes and discussing Class A drugs being suspended due to alleged ill health.
The former Chair of the Commons Select Committee has visited India and Saudi Arabia and attended several engagements in his constituency, all whilst claiming to be too ill to face justice.
In Leicester, he has opened a new swimming pool, attended planning meetings, met a housing developer, and is even alleged to have been spotted at a music gig.
He has also been well enough to appear in public alongside Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and table a number of parliamentary questions.
Now, a Tory MP has compiled a dossier of his activities and is calling for the parliamentary standards watchdog to resume their investigation into his alleged use of Romanian rent boys and hard drugs, the Daily Mailreports.
Mr. Vaz was caught discussing sex and the illegal substances in undercover footage shot by the Daily Mirror in 2016, but has carried on as a member of parliament, and even been appointed to the Justice select committee.
Tory MP Andrew Bridgen, who says his office had compiled a dossier on Mr. Vaz’s appearances that would be passed to the standards commissioner, commented:
“He is supposedly unfit to answer questions about his conduct in relation to rent boys and cocaine, but he appears to be out and about in Leicester and elsewhere. He is the most healthy-looking ‘ill’ person I’ve ever seen.
“At the end of the day if he’s unfit to be held to the standards of an MP then he’s not fit to be an MP.
“The parliamentary standards watchdog says she has independent medical advice to say that he cannot face questions. But he looks surprisingly well to me.”
The standards commissioner’s office said: “When she has fresh independent medical advice, the commissioner will review it.”
Mr. Vaz’s office did not respond to request for a comment.
A Labour Lords spokesman says party leader Jeremy Corbyn has asked peer Lord Mendelsohn to step down from the front bench after attending the Presidents Club dinner
Laffin@Mirror again@veniviedivici
What is he going to do about Keith Vaz ?
Dame Alun Roberts
I find it quite alarming that you sanction this man yet fail to take any action against Keith Vaz.
Labour peer Lord Mendelsohn is sacked by Jeremy Corbyn after attending the sleazy all-male Presidents Club dinner where women were ‘groped and sexually harassed’
Lord Mendelsohn sacked after attending controversial Presidents Club dinner
He was probed by Labour officials and asked to stand down by Jeremy Corbyn
Young women were allegedly groped and sexually harassed at the charity event
You wouldn’t think the man standing behind @jeremycorbyn at this Yemen Day event is actually written off sick to avoid parliamentary scrutiny of his rent boys saga, would you?
HRH Crafty Muvva @craftymuvva
Keith Vaz – Too ill to be investigated by the Parliamentary Standards Office, but well enough to chair the Yemen Parliamentary Group. Can anyone explain this please?
WESTMINSTER SLEAZE: The investigation into disgraced Keith Vaz, the Labour MP accused of paying for rent boys & was taped discussing buying cocaine, has been suspended… because he’s not very well.
Is he still undertaking his parliamentary duties? If so there’s no reason for the investigation to be halted.
Andrew Bridgen @ABridgen
I instigated the complaint into Keith Vaz in Sept 2016. If more than 15 months later he is not fit to be held to the standards expected of a Parliamentarian, then he’s not fit enough to be a Parliamentarian and we should be expecting a by-election in Leicester East
Andy O’Brien@Camelot_1966
John Bercow blocked Andrew Bridgen MP from revealing investigation into Keith Vaz after accepting £41,000 in donations with links to Keith Vaz
He’s not dead, he’s still a working MP, investigation should continue.
Cathy Higgins….@justmebeingme4
How can a guy with the chequered background like Keith Vaz get away with corruption & sleaze 4 so long?…Could the answer be he has Shit on all of @UKParliament? In 450 pages, the damning verdict on bullying Vaz is laid bare by MPs
Keith Vaz has been bloody busy for a man too ill to be investigated by Parliamentary Standards.
Abused Mind@AbusedMind1
Wonder if he will be claiming expenses for all this work , while too ill to answer questions ….
HRH Crafty Muvva
Is it Vaz who is unwell, or the Parliamentary Commissioner?
Most peculiar…
Andre Walkerr @andrejpwalker4
On the day Damian Green is sacked for looking at porn. Keith Vaz is allowed to keep his job despite using rent boys. Amazing to see consistency in action
Yesterday’s order paper showed Keith Vaz being discharged from his position on the International Trade select committee, just three months after he joined. Vaz is being replaced by Tom Watson’s old flame Stephanie Peacock. Sources say Vaz hasn’t been seen much around the House recently, and he hasn’t voted since 18 October. A few months back Momentum were coming for his place on the NEC; surely he isn’t now being lined up for a frontbench job? Wonder what he’ll do with his newly free time…
MP Vaz asked top cop ‘inappropriate’ questions about Ted Heath sex abuse probe
Oct 7 2017
Wiltshire Police Chief Constable Mr Veale believes Labour MP Mr Vaz wanted “to know the operational detail and reasons for investigating” the former Tory PM
Dame Alun Roberts@ciabaudo
So Vaz was meddling in Op Conifer around the time he was having unprotected sex with Romanian callboys?
Man arrested in Operation Medway investigation released on police bail
Mar 14 2017
A man arrested in Leicester by detectives investigating allegations of historic sexual and physical abuse of children has been released on police bail.
The 59-year-old man, whose details have not been released, was questioned by officers attached to an ongoing Leicestershire Police investigation called Operation Medway.
The man was questioned about an allegation that he physically assaulted a child in a care home in Leicester over a period of several months in 1984.
Man, 59, arrested in Leicester by child abuse detectives
Mar 13 2017
A man has been arrested in Leicester by detectives investigating allegations of historic sexual and physical abuse of children.
The 59-year-old man, whose details have not been released, is being questioned by officers attached to an ongoing Leicestershire Police investigation called Operation Medway.
In a statement issued tonight, the force said: “Detectives investigating allegations of historic abuse and assault against children as part of Operation Medway have today arrested a 59-year-old man in Leicester.
“...Operation Enamel was investigating allegations not just against Lord Janner but against other individuals. Those enquiries remain live and will continue under the auspices of Operation Medway. To protect the integrity of those investigations, we are unwilling to disclose further information at this stage about Operation Medway.”
It’s been a busy week for Keith Vaz, first accused of abusing his position and now embroiled in another mysterious scandal over his election expenses. His local paper report that Vaz spent £100 to use the premises on Uppingham Road, Leicester – his own taxpayer-funded constituency office. Vaz’s election agent Piara Singh Clair explains: “we did it because we needed a room and it would have been expensive to hire another one. It was a nominal sum”, bizarrely adding that no money had actually changed hands despite it being declared as an expense. If no money was actually spent, why was it falsely declared to the Electoral Commission? Curiouser and curiouser…
Rosalind Carter was head of Hounslow Language Service (HLS) for nearly three decades, and it developed a national and international reputation for supporting children and families.
Mrs Carter, former branch president of the National Union of Teachers…
Investigation: Pupils taught in huts as head pockets £400,000
A headteacher who faces the sack over allegations that he received unlawful bonuses took home more than £400,000 in a year — four times his official salary — the Standard can reveal.
Sir Alan Davies
An auditor’s report alleges Sir Alan Davies was part of a culture of nepotism and rewards that saw staff take home at least £1.6 million in bonuses and other extra payments.
Sir Alan, head of 1,900-pupil Copland Community College in Wembley, received “what appear to be unlawful and irrational payments” from funds that should have been spent on education, according to Brent council’s confidential investigation. A copy of the investigator’s initial findings, seen by the Standard, alleges:
At least 10 senior staff — and Sir Alan’s caretaker son — received rewards under the school’s “sharing in success” bonus policy.
Sir Alan took home £403,278 last year but his basic salary was £103,000.
The bonuses were approved by the school’s chairman of governors, Dr Indravadan Purshottamdas Patel.
The full amount of bonuses has not yet been calculated, but the total extra payments known so far is £1,565,700.
Last week, Sir Alan, his deputy Dr Richard Evans and bursar Columbus Udokoro were suspended over allegations that the bonus scheme broke the law. Children’s Secretary Ed Balls said he was “extremely disturbed” by the payments.
But the investigator’s findings revealed the scale of the payments was far greater than originally feared.
As a foundation school Copland has more control over its own budget and assets than a community comprehensive run by the council. Ministers want more schools to become foundation trusts, with powers to run their own affairs. But while Sir Alan and his colleagues benefited from bonuses, the school’s buildings fell into disrepair.
In 2006, inspectors warned the rundown classrooms were undermining pupils’ education. A shanty-town of temporary huts now stands where a new sixth-form block should be, while the humanities department had to cope with a major sewage leak. History teacher Shane Johnschwager, NASUWT union representative, said: “If the kids were cattle the authorities would have closed us down. My room has been painted once — by me, in the school holidays with paint I paid for.
“I have holes in the wall, a broken desk, old furniture, no interactive whiteboard, broken blinds, a flaking ceiling. Other rooms are worse.”
The school has been earmarked for redevelopment for six years. Under the plans, a £120 million “village” will include new school buildings, two gyms, a pool and floodlit all-weather pitch, plus 453 flats and shops.
But the development, overseen by Sir Alan, has setbacks. The school racked up a £1 million debt to a property firm when an earlier deal broke down.
Yet, according to the Brent council investigation, Sir Alan was given rewards of £231,000 in the past two years alone for project managing the development, on top of his basic salary. Dr Patel claimed Sir Alan deserved “every penny”.
The scale of the bonus culture emerged at a meeting on 29 April between Sir Alan and Brent’s chief investigator, Simon Lane. When pressed by Mr Lane Sir Alan “could not recall” why he had received one payment of £12,500 last year “and said he would have to check”.
He was not alone in receiving “substantial” extra payments. According to the auditor’s report, Sir Alan, his son Gareth, Dr Evans and Mr Udokoro shared £458,000 for project management relating to the new development between 2007 and 2009.
In addition Sir Alan, three deputy heads and a number of other staff, including his son, received “significant bonus payments in 2007-08 and earlier years”, the auditor found. These known bonus payments — which are bound to be a fraction of the total handed out — amount to a further £865,200.
The report said Sir Alan “could not explain” exactly why he received such bonuses, adding: “Either he or the chair (of governors) put down some ideas as to what they thought the staff should be paid. These were then checked with Dr Evans to see if they were affordable. Then the amounts were taken to the Pay Review Committee where they were approved.”
The council said there were “numerous additional payments of significant amounts” to senior staff and others at the school. Sir Alan insisted that Dr Patel had approved the payments in conjunction with the school’s pay committee, and that a budget for bonuses had been properly drawn up.
The investigators disagreed. The report said: “The council believes there to be no lawful and/or rational basis for the payment of these sums.”
The final area of concern raised by investigators was the apparently widespread nepotism. The headteacher’s son, son-in-law and sister were all employed. The wife and mother of the deputy head of finance were given jobs, along with the accountant’s brother, the son and daughter of the assistant accountant and the nephew’s wife of the chair of governors.
“In some cases salaries paid to these members of staff appear excessive,” the report said. “This tends to indicate that certain members of staff may not have been appointed on merit alone.”
Last week the borough’s director of children’s services John Christie invoked rarely used powers to suspend Sir Alan, Dr Evans and Mr Udokoro, and gave the governors three weeks to explain themselves or face the sack.
In a letter to governors, Mr Christie said: “Funds which should have been used for the proper purposes of the school have been spent on what appear to be unlawful and irrational payments to staff.” The school seems to have incurred a £1 million “financial liability to a development firm”, he said.
Teacher Hank Roberts, who exposed the payments last month, called for police to be brought in. Mr Roberts said he believed he had made enemies by his actions.
He was suspended by Sir Alan over an unrelated matter. The day after Sir Alan’s suspension, Mr Roberts was reinstated.
Brent council said its inquiry into the allegations against Copland was ongoing. Sir Alan was not available for comment last night. Mr Udokoro today said he was prevented from making any comment under the terms of his suspension, but last week rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing.
Dr Patel could not be reached last night but has defended the decision to award bonuses. Gareth Davies said today he was prevented from making any comments until the inquiry had been completed.
Philip O’Hear, Copland’s acting headteacher, said the school was “shocked” by what had happened.
The allegations
Sir Alan Davies, headteacher: suspended.
Allegedly received unlawful bonuses and other payments of £631,500.
Dr Richard Evans, deputy head: suspended.
Allegedly received unlawful bonuses and other extra payments of £341,000.
Columbus Udokoro, bursar: suspended.
Allegedly received unlawful bonuses and other extra payments of £72,000.
Gareth Davies, maintenance staff: still working.
Allegedly received unlawful bonuses and other payments of £38,000.
Sir Alan Davies outside Copland with David Cameron
Both Sir Alan Davies and Dr Evans have been lauded for their work in the state education system with Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron all visiting their former school.
Dr Evans, 53, is a former education adviser to Mr Cameron and a former Westminster councillor who twice stood as a Tory candidate.
All three are accused of defrauding Copland community school in Wembley, North West London, following allegations that payments totalling at least £1.56million were made to Sir Alan and three of his managers over a period of seven years.
Mrs Evans, 50, has also been accused of selling at Sotheby’s around 15 paintings, worth many thousands, that had been given to the school by British artist Mary Fedden, who taught David Hockney.
Davies is also accused of one count of laundering £270,490 by transferring the sum from a NatWest bank account in England to a Spanish bank account in March 2008.
He is further charged with six counts of false accounting, said to have taken place between April 2007 and June 2009 – part of his alleged efforts to ‘cover up his activities’.
Head teacher Sir Alan Davies avoids jail over fraud
3 October 2013
An “inspirational” head teacher has been given a suspended prison sentence after admitting false accounting.
Sir Alan Davies, 66, of Grants Close, the former head at Wembley’s Copland School, in north London, pleaded guilty to creating a false paper trail on bonus payments and allowances.
Davies, knighted for his services to education, resigned in 2009.
At Southwark Crown Court, Judge Deborah Taylor said: “Your dishonest behaviour represents a fall from grace.”
It had been claimed that Davies paid himself, three staff members and two governors a total of £2.7m over several years through bonuses and salaries.
But charges of conspiracy to defraud against Davies and five others relating to that alleged plot were dropped.
Instead Davies pleaded guilty to six counts of false accounting after he admitted creating eight back-payment documents at the same time, for sums totalling £315,000.
Defending Davies, William Clegg QC, told the court he was an “inspirational” teacher and the offences needed to be taken in context.
He said: “This is not a case of documents being forged to permit payments to be made that were unlawful and not agreed or made dishonestly. The position is the opposite.
“The payments were honestly made and honestly received. This is not somebody seeking to obtain money he was not entitled to.”
‘Profound error’
Prosecutor John Black QC added there was no dishonesty in the making or receiving of the payments.
He said: “The dishonesty relates to false paper trails in order to legitimise these payments.
“The Crown say they [paperwork backing up payments] were all generated at the same time, after Sir Alan Davies had become aware of the impending or likely scrutiny, to give the impression the right procedure was being adhered to.”
A charge of money laundering against Davies was also dropped.
Following the case, Davies said: “In some instances I have felt that we were being tried by the media and there were a lot of misrepresentations made in the press, many of which were wholly unfounded.
“I do, however, have to accept that I did not have all the necessary paperwork in place and I made a profound error of judgment by backdating eight documents.”
In a statement, Brent Council, said: “The council will always act robustly and take action where allegations of financial irregularities have been made, to investigate and pursue legal action.
“In this case the guilty plea of false accounting vindicates the actions taken although we are disappointed the Crown Prosecution Service saw fit not to pursue the conspiracy to defraud.”
Ex-Copland School teacher Dr Richard Evans lands job at Mill Hill County High School
16 Sep 2010
A MATHS teacher fired for “gross misconduct” from a Wembley school amid allegations of a £1.6m fraud is now teaching at a top Mill Hill school.
Arkley resident Dr Richard Evans lost his job at Copland Community School in November after allegations he pocketed £300,000 in bonuses in his role as deputy head in charge of finance.
Scotland Yard’s fraud squad has now launched an investigation into the financial dealings at the school.
However, in January, Dr Evans was taken on at Mill Hill County High School as a temporary member of staff and given a permanent position in April.
A statement from Geoffrey Thompson, the headmaster of the Worcester Crescent School, said Dr Evans had been appointed after a consultation with the General Teaching Council.
He added: “He was given a permanent position as a maths teacher in April. Dr Evans is a highly qualified maths teacher and has proved himself a popular and valued member of our school community.
“I do not believe there are any grounds for parental concern. There never has been any question about Dr Evans’s suitability to work with children.
“The circumstances which led to Dr Evans’s departure from his previous post had no connection whatsoever with his teaching. He has demonstrated he has been an excellent maths teacher during his time at Mill Hill County High School.”
An investigation by Brent Council into the dealings at Copland, which ended with four of the senior management team suspended, found evidence of “serious financial mismanagement” at the school.
Shane Johnschwager, a staff member at Copland School and Brent secretary for teacher’s union NASUWT was outraged by the appointment.
He told the Times Series: “Richard Evans will have to answer to his professional body and possibly to the courts.
“What will Geoffrey Thompson say to pupils and parents at Mill Hill County if he is struck off or charged with a criminal offence?
“Will he stake his reputation on this appointment? Mill Hill is a school with an excellent reputation. Is this the best Geoffrey Thompson can do in recruiting staff to the school – a disgraced and recently sacked teacher embroiled in Britain’s largest ever educational financial scandal?”
Silver Star Appeal On 13th November 2006, Anita Choudhrie presents a cheque for £ 2,500 from Path to Success to Secretary of State Patricia Hewitt to begin fundraising efforts for the Silver Star Appeal. The appeal is to raise funds for a Mobile Diabetes Assessment Unit which will travel to local community centres, schools, work places and other organsiations in the Leicester region, providing tests for all those who may wish to have one and will promote culturally sensitive healthcare.
Path to success received the Charity of the year Award.
Mrs Anita Choudhrie Path to success receiving the Charity of the year Award from Rt Hon Micheal Grove MP (R) and the sponsor of this award Mr Pawan Srivastava of Training Connect Ltd (L).
Did you know that each summer Keith Vaz holds an ‘Annual Tea Party’ in Westminster?
CLAUDIO RANIERI ATTENDS ANNUAL TEA PARTY AT THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
July 12th, 2016
Leicester East MP Keith Vaz hosted his 29th annual tea party at the House of Commons on Saturday 9th July. His guest of honour this year was Leicester City Football Club Manager Claudio Ranieri and his wife Rosanna. LCFC Chief Executive Susan Whelan and her husband Robbie Gill also attended.
For the past 28 years Mr Vaz has been holding summer tea parties for all of his family, staff and special guests.
Saturday’s event was a celebration of Leicester City’s tremendous victory, and as well as getting to meet Leicester City’s manager, Mr Vaz and his guests got to see the Premier League Trophy.
Before the tea party Mr Ranieri, Ms Whelan and their families toured Number 10, with the permission of the Prime Minister.
The 85 party guests got to enjoy the sunshine on the House of Commons terrace, overlooking the River Thames with tea, sandwiches and cake. Guests could also help raise money for Silver Star, the diabetes charity Mr Vaz founded in 2007, by taking part in a raffle.
Prizes for the raffle included House of Commons whiskey and chocolate and a giant teddy bear.
Vaz appears to have engaged solicitors Carter Ruck in an effort to keep people quiet, according to Guido Fawkes, spreading “letters before action” around like confetti. HT Government Watch [13]
I am not sure whether Bercow is using Carter Ruck as well or has employed another firm of solicitors, but this Times article is marked that it is subject to a legal complaint by Mr Bercow.
2017 Feb 11 Times Bercow blocked Vaz revelations after accepting poll donations [2]
The article revealed that Bercow had blocked revelations about Keith Vaz, and that Bercow had accepted many donations from friends of Vaz.
On the excellent Aangirfan site, on an unrelated post, I came across this anonymous comment from November 2016 [1a]
It was about a petition to Keith Vaz’s Labour East constituency calling them to investigate the serious allegations against Keith Vaz.
Regular readers of this site will know that allegations that the Sun [2] printed were of child sexual abuse with boys.
According to the Sun the MP
had lads “delivered” to his room at a hotel near a police station
abused boys at a hospital’s mental health unit
left one so terrified he fears for his life if he ever speaks out
showed an “unhealthy” interest in the two young sons of a local councillor
displayed a liking for “young ragamuffins”,
was seen as untouchable by police because of his revered
position.
Guido Fawkes published that the MP was Keith Vaz [5]
Why does Keith Vaz, often keen to “get the party started” not seem so keen to start the legal party against Guido Fawkes or the Sun on Sunday team?
The parliamentary commissioner is still conducting an investigation into whether Vaz has broken Section 10 of the Code of Conduct for MPs.
It is not known whether the conflict of interest being investigated by the parliamentary commissioner is the possible breaking of the Code of Conduct of MPs
with sex, drugs and washing machine allegations
the conflict of a police investigation into child sexual abuse allegations and his role on committees [5]
It is not known whether all police investigations into Keith Vaz have finished, but the sex, drugs and washing machine ones have finished, with no action taken.
However, the point of this post is that the petition has disappeared. From the comment, the petition text appeared to be –
“The Leicester East Constituency Labour Party must make enquiries into the serious allegations by the MP for Leicester East, Keith Vaz. Your enquiries should principally involve talking to the Sun on Sunday Journalists David Wooding and Michael Hamilton and Sun on Sunday Columnist Paul Staines to find out what their evidence is.”
It is not known whether this was the full text of the petition.
If you click the link [4] It says “This petition isn’t available. Either the URL is incorrect, it violated our Community Guidelines, or the starter removed it.”
Yet it seems such a reasonable, innocuous petition so why would it violate any guidelines or why would the originator take it down?
Does anyone know –
What was the full text of the petition?
What happened to it?
Who started it?
Why it was taken down?
When it was taken down?
Who took it down?
Have Leicester East Labour Party investigated the serious allegations?
One thing is for sure the people of Leicestershire and Labour in Leicestershire, who also had Janner, child sexual abuser as an MP must be getting fed up of this bad publicity.
Hopefully they are doing something about it and start asking Vaz a few questions.
Meanwhile, since this article was under construction, Vaz has set the record straight through his solicitors about some of his time selling washing machines.
In the last 24 hours,the Order Order website has published an article about Carter Ruck, expensive solicitors, who say their client, Keith Vaz
has never paid “rent boys for sex”
never had “sex” with “rent boys”.
there was never a police investigation in relation to this
One has to wonder if their client is the same Keith Vaz??
Carter Ruck are of course paid handsomely for dancing on pinheads.
..and Tesco must be wondering why Keith Vaz had to pose for a picture near their store or have they started a line in industrial washing machines?
I wonder what Vaz’s defence actually is?
I wonder how Carter Ruck know for sure that their client has never paid “rent boys for sex” or “sex” with “rent boys”? (It conjures up the mental image of one of Carter Rucks flunkies accompanying Vaz/Jim on his nocturnal visits and checking whether the people concerned can be excluded from the definition of “rent boy”. ID card please! )
I wonder if the fact that Carter Ruck say he has not paid for or had sex with rent boys is enough plausible deniability and bluster to appear to be a denial from Vaz whilst actually being from a third party. This would scare a few people off commenting, and maybe enough enough to come to a quid pro quo with the Mail, which has the appearance of a denial. When solicitors make these threats, it is very rare for one to actually sign the letter and be responsible for that threat.
The Mail article is mostly about Vaz’s gatekeeper chum John Bercow accepting freebies – 2017 Feb 8 Mail Andrew Pierce [9]Chauffeur-driven cars, taxpayer-funded suits and hospitality at the tennis and Arsenal matches: How the king of freebies John Bercow splashes your cash
The last paragraph however mentioned Vaz.
The article published on the 8th Feb, does say it has been updated on 13th Feb. This however appears to be unrelated to the Carter Ruck threat, as the only sentence that has changed on this paragraph from a print edition copy, is the removal of “The charity gave £2,500 to Bercow’s Speaker’s election campaign in 2010” with reference to the Silver Star diabetes charity.
Whatever the truth the original articles are here Mirror Married MP Keith Vaz tells prostitutes in his flat: ‘Bring poppers’ … ‘We need to get this party started’ [12]
So game on between Vaz and the Daily Mail or will they come to some agreement out of mutual self interest?
Interestingly on the Carter Ruck website, the rolling self congratulatory advert attributes these comments to the Mail “Top London Law Firm” and “Famously Combative”. We shall see.
I cannot see Jim washing his very dirty laundry in public.
But who will blink first Lord Rothermere or Carter Ruck?
For previous posts on Vaz see Bercow and Vaz Personal / Private Conflicts of Interest [10] Cathy Fox Blog Vaz Search [11]
Taylor, son of the #leicester MAYOR was MATES with Nigel Philpott-Jones + was NOT suprised allegs of rent boys came out re KEITH VAZ 2016
Speaker accused of pulling punches on Keith Vaz probe
13 February 2017
The Speaker last night denied blocking an attempt to tell Parliament about police investigations into Keith Vaz because he had received thousands from donors linked to the MP.
Records show that £41,000 of the £58,000 raised for John Bercow’s last two general election campaigns came from people with connections to Mr Vaz.
Yesterday Mr Bercow insisted he had handled all matters involving Mr Vaz in line with parliamentary rules and strongly refuted any suggestion he had unfairly favoured the Leicester East MP.
IS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE ME? Bercow was presented with a wooden bust of himself by former Labour councillor Neeraj Patil, a businessman with links to Keith Vaz in 2015. But the figure’s likeness to the Speaker is rather questionable
Narinder Singh Chadha, the former chairman of Mr Vaz’s diabetes charity Silver Star, told The Times he gave £2,501 to Mr Bercow’s 2010 election campaign after Mr Vaz asked for the donation.
Other donations to Mr Bercow included £5,000 from the London College of Accountancy, which also gives money to Mr Vaz, and £2,500 from the late Lord Noon, a Labour donor whose Commons memorial tribute was hosted by Mr Vaz.
Mr Bercow received £7,500 from Sun Mark, a food company founded by Mr Vaz’s friend Rami Ranger, and £5,000 from Madhu’s, a restaurant chain run by Sanjay and Sanjeev Anand, friends of both Mr Vaz and Mr Bercow.
Neeraj Patil, a Labour councillor and associate of Mr Vaz, donated £2,500 through his business Dreamsland. He also gave Mr Bercow a wooden bust of himself.
All donations were declared by Mr Bercow and within the rules.
But Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said last night the connections raised questions about Mr Bercow’s handling of allegations involving Mr Vaz.
In September 2015, Mr Bridgen wrote to Mr Bercow requesting he contact police to ask about inquiries they were making into Mr Vaz and whether they conflicted with his position at the time as chairman of the home affairs select committee, but he said this was not part of his role.
After Mr Vaz stepped down from the role because of a rent boy scandal, Mr Bridgen tried to raise the matter of a separate police investigation involving the MP in the Commons in October last year as Mr Vaz was standing to join the justice select committee.
Mr Bercow interrupted him and said he should limit his remarks to information in the public domain.
A spokesman for Mr Bercow said last night he had at all times acted ‘to uphold the rules and conventions of the House of Commons’.
She added: ‘As a matter of parliamentary practice and procedure, a member is not given the floor to speak as a means of making a personal attack on the conduct of another member.
‘Mr Bridgen stated at the outset that he would try to limit his remarks to matters in the public domain. The Speaker permitted him to do so on matters of public record and stopped him when he sought to embark on other allegations, and again when he sought to reveal the contents of confidential correspondence with the Speaker.’
On the September 2015 request for Mr Bercow to speak to police, she said: ‘A select committee itself has the power to declare no confidence in its chair but the Speaker has precisely none.’
Regarding Mr Chadha’s suggestion that Mr Vaz had asked him to donate money to Mr Bercow, she said: ‘Whatever contacts eligible donors have with other Members of Parliament are a matter for them.’
Mr Vaz denied he had solicited donations for Mr Bercow and said Mr Chadha had been ‘misquoted and misrepresented’. He noted Sun Mark also gave £25,000 to Theresa May’s leadership campaign.
He added: ‘The British Asian community should not be criticised for making lawful political donations to political parties and individual MPs of their choice.’
Sounds like Silver Star is not much more than Jim’s industrial-scale money-laundering washing machine!
You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours!
Does Bercow share Vaz’s pastimes?
John Bercow ‘stopped Tory MP from informing the Commons about Keith Vaz police probe after accepting donations’
Claims speaker refused to tell Mr Vaz to step down after warning from Tory MP he was being investigated for alleged abuse of public office in September 2015
Also stopped Tory MP informing Commons about investigation, report says
Speaker’s office said of the donations: ‘There was no impropriety of any sort’
A spokesman for Mr Vaz called allegations made in a newspaper article ‘wrong’
12 February 2017
John Bercow stopped a Tory MP telling the Commons about a police probe into Keith Vaz after receiving tens of thousands of pounds worth of donations from his alleged associates, according to newspaper report.
Donations to help the Speaker keep his parliamentary seat reportedly included a sum from Narinder Chadha – chair of the management board of Mr Vaz’s Silver Star charity.
However a spokesperson for Mr Vaz told MailOnline the newspaper’s story was ‘wrong’ and that Mr Chadha denies having spoken ‘this year’ to The Times.
The newspaper reported an alleged conversation with Mr Chada in which he is said to have confirmed that he gave the money after a request from the MP for Leicester East.
Mr Vaz’s representatives deny this saying that Mr Chada will be complaining to IPSO over the Times article.
In total, the Speaker accepted £41,000 from donors thought to be linked to Mr Vaz, according to the newspaper.
The Times claimed Mr Bercow refused to tell Mr Vaz to resign as chair of the Home Affairs select committee after Tory MP Andrew Bridgen privately warned him the Labour MP was being investigated by police – an investigation Mr Vaz later said he knew nothing of in September 2015.
The Speaker later interrupted Mr Bridgen when he attempted to talk about the allegation in the Commons, according to The Times.
A spokesperson for the Speaker told the MailOnline that ‘a personally defamatory attack on another Member[ was not allowed] on the floor. The Speaker allowed….[Mr Bridger to speak] on matters of public record, and stopped him when he sought to embark on other allegations, and again when he sought to reveal the contents of confidential correspondence with the Speaker.’
Mr Vaz did eventually step down as chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee last year after he was caught meeting two male prostitutes.
This scandal was said to be unrelated to the police investigation in 2015.
A spokesman for Mr Bercow said the role of Speaker did not give him the right to tell an elected member of a select committee to step down.
Mr Vaz’s representatives said Mr Chadha had not spoken to The Times and called the claims in its article ‘wrong’.
All the other people who gave money to Mr Bercow told The Times they had not been told to do so by Mr Vaz.
Donations to help the Speaker keep his parliamentary seat included a payout from Narinder Chadha – chair of the management board of Mr Vaz’s (pictured) Silver Star charity
They also denied the donors listed by The Times were ‘associates’ of the Labour MP or they donated to Mr Bercow because he told them to do so.
There is no suggestion in The Times investigation Mr Bercow or Mr Vaz broke any rules.
Mr Vaz now sits on the Justice Committee, which oversees the director of public prosecutions.
After his appointment on October 1, 2016, Mr Bridgen spoke in the Commons to claim police were investigating claims Mr Vaz could have ‘abused his position in public office’.
The Speaker interrupted the Tory MP twice, saying he was discussing information that was not in the public domain.
A spokesman from the Speaker told MailOnline: ‘All of the donations to the Speaker Seeking Re-Election campaign were from eligible donors, and are a matter of longstanding public record.
‘There was absolutely no impropriety of any sort before or after any donation from any individual was accepted.
‘To suggest that this is not the case would not only be a wholly unfair impaction it would be, and is, demonstrably unproved and, more importantly completely and utterly untrue.’
Referring to Mr Bridgen’s speech, the representative said Mr Bercow had allowed him to speak on ‘matters of public record’.
But she added: ‘The Speaker topped him when he sought to embark on other allegations, and again when he sought to reveal the contents of confidential correspondence with the Speaker as per the longstanding rules.’
The spokesman also said Mr Bercow was not allowed to publish correspondence on a sensitive matter between him and another MP.
Mr Vaz said: ‘The British Asian community should not be criticised for making lawful political donations to political parties or to individual MPs. They are entitled to make their own decisions.
‘I am not surprised that they choose to donate to people like Speaker Bercow or Theresa May who are greatly admired by the community for their commitment to equality and diversity.
‘In the 30 years I have been in Parliament I have observed that the British Asian community have moved from just supporting the Labour Party to supporting other political parties.
‘This is a sign of the diversity of our country and the strength and confidence of the community. Long may it continue.’
Here are three articles from the Times which illustrate the dubious nature of the double act Bercow and Vaz or is it Vaz and Bercow?
It exposes amongst other things that the Bercow had much donated to him from chums of Dodgy Vaz. [but not so far any industrial washing machines :)]
This of course adds to my own post on their Right Dodgynesses and FOI Requests, Bercow and Vaz Personal / Private Conflicts of Interest[4], where there is information on how to make a complaint.
Bercow ‘blocked MP from revealing investigation into Keith Vaz after accepting donations’
JOHN Bercow blocked warnings of police investigations into shamed Labour MP Keith Vaz after receiving tens of thousands of pounds from donors allegedly linked to the politician, according to reports.
Feb 11, 2017
The donations included one payout from Narinder Chadha – the Chairman of the management board of Mr Vaz’s Silver Star Charity.
Mr Chadha has since admitted he made the donation after a recommendation from Mr Vaz.
Mr Vaz was forced to resign as chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee after it was revealed he was involved in a sex party with two male prostitutes.
According to a Freedom of Information request by The Times, the Speaker amassed £41,000 from donors with links to Mr Vaz
The Times investigation claims Mr Bercow did not ask Mr Vaz to step down from his prestigious place on the Home Affairs Committee after MP Andrew Bridgen privately alerted him to allegations being made police.
The paper claimed the Speaker later called on Mr Bridgen to sit down as he attempted to talk about the allegations – which related to alleged abuse of Mr Vaz’s position in office and had no relation to his sex scandal last year.Mr Vaz currently sits on the Justice Committee, who oversee the director of public prosecutions.After the Labour MP was appointment to the committee, Mr Bridgen made a speech to the Commons claiming police were investigating allegations Mr Vaz might have “abused his position in public office”.But Mr Bercow, who was not obliged to act on the allegations, interrupted the concerned MP twice – claiming he was attempting to speak about events that were not publicly known.Mr Bercow told The Times all of the donors were personal acquaintances who he had met on a variety of different occasions.Mr Vaz said members of the Asian community financially supported MPs, including Mr Bercow, due to admiration for their commitment to diversity.
A spokesperson for Mr Bercow’s offices said: “The Speaker’s seven years’ experience in office and his professional adviser’s 40 years’ experience carry rather greater weight than the implication that the Speaker’s Office should operate in the manner of an episode of Diagnosis Murder — keeping order in the chamber by day and investigating alleged crimes by night.“Although this is a pitch I may well make at some stage if I decide to go into the writing of daytime drama, the reality is that this is not how the role of the Speaker works.“To be clear: the Speaker implements standing orders and chairs proceedings in the chamber – freestyling as Columbo at the request of a member on the basis of an unsubstantiated allegation is not part of the Speaker’s job description.”http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/765991/John-Bercow-Keith-Vaz-Andrew-Bridgen-police-investigation-donations-select-committee
Bercow’s best man Julian Lewis (associate of Gordon Anglesea) a key player in Le Cercle. As for Vaz+Nadhmi Auchi…
(See below)
4 February 2017
What Has The Sun Got On Keith Vaz?
The art of tabloid news, as Zelo Street regulars will know by now, consists not only of getting some stories out there, but preventing others from doing the same. Hence anything that assists the attacks on politicians of inconvenient view, judges making decisions that their proprietors don’t like, and Slebs who exercise their right to speak freely gets out there, while anything on the likes of John Whittingdale most certainly does not.
Keith Vaz
So it was that the Tabs knew all about Whitto and his relationships with a number of known sex workers, but published nothing – not until Byline Media, with Zelo Street in the vanguard, had put the story out there. So it also seems to be with Labour MP Keith Vaz, about whom sources independent of one another have recently voiced concern, but who is still in post as MP for Leicester East, and still chairing a Commons committee.
Accusations: Natalie Rowe
This state of affairs has not pleased Natalie Rowe, former purveyor of strict disciplinary measures to the Rt Hon Gideon George Oliver Osborne, heir to the Seventeenth Baronet. After the Mirror stung Vaz in true red-top fashion paying rent boys for sex, she hinted very firmly that the MP could look forward to rather more dirt being dished in the very near future. But thus far there has been much indignation, and little revelation.
Heavyweight opinion: The Great Guido
After Vaz got himself onto that Commons committee, Ms Rowe voiced her concern on Twitter – in Tweets which are still live. “So when #Vaz intervened when Leicester City Council tried to evict a tenant suspected of running a male brothel, things become clearer” she began last November, adding soon afterwards “I personally have seen #Vaz come out of a known brothel”. And there was more.
Only two weeks ago she asserted “So EVERYONE is aware, I gave ALL details that I knew via a source regarding #KeithVaz, that he was a Landlord of a brothel in Earls Court … @TheSun had Vaz Male – Escorts Years before ON Video, I Asked why they didn’t run: Said there wasn’t enough evidence … The Sun was more pissed off that their golden boy Vaz had been exposed & that Mirror had the SCOOP of the YEAR”.
There are two significant claims there: that Vaz is alleged to have been the landlord of a brothel in Earl’s Court, and that the Sun has significant dirt on the MP that it has declined thus far to publish. So far, so interesting, but the accusations of improper behaviour are also coming from the perpetually thirsty Paul Staines and his rabble at the Guido Fawkes blog. Staines is often wayward on facts, but his claims are still live as I type.
This was the Fawkes take: “Keith Vaz was under police investigation over year ago on suspicion of financial corruption and historic allegations of under-age sex. Speaker Bercow was informed of this and fellow MPs demanded – Andrew Bridgen in writing – that he step down from his position on the Home Affair Select Committee”. Vaz has since threatened legal action against Bridgen. And then comes the really damning claim.
“It is widely known around Westminster that Vaz – who owes his career to Greville Janner – was the unidentified MP in this Sun front page from last year … Vaz offering to buy cocaine for rent boys is at the mild end of Vaz’s sleazy life and times”. The Sunday Sunfront page simply said “COPS TOLD: TOP LABOUR MP IS PAEDO”. The story is still live.
These are two sources who are independent of one another. Both are effectively saying the same thing: there is a lot yet to be revealed about Keith Vaz, and if and when it comes out, it will be of a career-terminating nature.
The Fawkes folks have not added to their claims for a while: the thought enters that The Great Guido, being an establishment sell-out, has been advised to keep the MP on the back burner. Ms Rowe suffers from no such restriction.
In the days when the deeply unsavoury Kelvin McFilth was editing the paper, the standing joke was that he had a large safe full of dirt on the good and the great which could be used to keep them in line. Now the name of Keith Vaz has been pitched – and by two very different sources – as someone on whom the Murdoch mafiosi have dirt.
So the question has to be put: what dirt has the Sun got on Keith Vaz, and, more importantly, what’s preventing them from dishing it? We’re waiting.
Keith Vaz organises event – Jimmy Savile was one of the invited
Rev Jesse Jackson reunited with Stuart Lockwood,
2009 (from left) Labour Deputy Leader Harriet Harman, Jacqueline Brown (wife of Jesse Jackson), Her Excellency South African High Commissioner (Dr. Lindiwe Mabuza), US civil rights campaigner Rev Jesse Jackson, Stuart Lockwood, Baroness Howells and Labour MP Keith Vaz pictured at the Radisson Edwardian Mayfair hotel in central London.
The reunion was arranged by Labour MP Keith Vaz.
link
Sir Jimmy Savile at the hotel in central London where US civil rights campaigner Rev Jesse Jackson met Stuart Lockwood, who as a 5-year-old appeared on British television having his hair ruffled by Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein during the first Gulf War.
Under the Freedom of Information Act I applied to the House of Commons, for the letter, redacted if necessary, that Andrew Bridgen MP sent to speaker John Bercow [1]
The letter applied for is thought to have been sent to warn the House of Commons of possible vile criminal activities involving Keith Vaz and that they were being investigated by the police.
These allegations and the conflict of interest by Vaz (being investigated for criminal activities whilst on a powerful justice committee) it seems were not passed on by Bercow to anyone. This enabled Vaz, having resigned, from the Home Office Public Affairs Committee to swiftly join the Justice Committee. (To be clear, this is fact not irony).
The person who eventually refused to provide that information under the FOI Act, was none other than …….John Bercow!
The circling of the wagons or the arrogance of power?
What Do They Know? FOI Request answer Bercow Certificate [1a]
In 1981, Deva became Chairman of the Bow Group(a leading conservative think tank in Britain). Leon Brittan had been chairman too.
In April 2005 he was chairman of the European Parliament’s delegation to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development in New York, and delivered a paper on the future of the United Nations at the US Council on Foreign Relations. A few months later, he headed the European Parliament’s delegation to the UN High-Level Conference on global financing of aid. Also in 2005 he was Co-Chairman (with former Prime Minister of FranceMichel Rocard) of the European Parliaments’ Delegation to the World Summit at the United Nations 60th General Assembly.
Keith Vaz offers to put up bail for jailed Leicester footballers – jailed on rape charges
6 March 2004
Keith Vaz, the MP for Leicester East and a former government minister, yesterday offered to act as a guarantor for the release on bail of three Leicester City footballers held this weekend in a Spanish jail on rape charges.
Mr Vaz, a season ticket holder, said yesterday that the players were internationally known and could not disappear, so should be granted bail.
The police have dropped their investigation into Keith Vaz after he was caught on camera offering to buy cocaine for rent boys. This particular police investigation was always at the mild end of Vaz’s sleazy private life…
Disgraced MP Keith Vaz lashes out at government Prisons Minister Sam Gyimah, for not kicking out foreign crooks fast enough amid rent-boy rap
Sleazy MP cited Romania as one of the EU countries with most citizens in UK prisons despite his active police investigation for allegedly offering ‘to buy a rent-boy cocaine’
Disgraced Keith Vaz lobbies bank boss over friend’s £11million debt despite Commons guidelines
The MP’s staff had previously told Mr Vaz’s friend that he was unable to get involved as he was not the constituency MP
19 NOV 2016
Keith Vaz ignored Commons guidelines to intervene on behalf of a friend who did not live in his constituency.
Yet Vaz ’s staff had previously told a business partner locked in a bitter dispute with the friend that he was unable to get involved as he was not that man’s MP.
On Commons paper, the then-Home Affairs Committee chair asked Royal Bank of Scotland boss Stephen Hester to look into an £11million debt owed by the partnership – which also has an address outside the constituency – but the dispute was none of his committee’s business either.
He should instead have been referred to his own MP – a protocol Vaz’s staff appeared well aware of when the friend’s estranged brother, Jack Kotak, himself pleaded for assistance.ang
Jack wrote to Vaz asking for help with RBS on December 20, 2012, but was told by a caseworker the MP could not assist.
An email sent to Jack from Vaz’s office said that because MPs are governed by “very strict guidelines and parliamentary etiquette” he would need to see his own MP.
The caseworker suggested Jack contact his own MP, Alan Duncan.
But on January 31, 2013, six weeks after turning down Jack, Vaz penned the letter to RBS chief executive Mr Hester (above).
Don Kotek, Shilpa Shetty, and Keith Vaz
Within seven days Vaz’s friend, Midlands businessman Don Kotak, was granted a meeting with senior RBS staff in a bid to resolve the long-running dispute.
But Mr Kotak does not live in Vaz’s Leicester East seat – and guidelines issued to all MPs and recorded in the House of Commons library indicate Vaz should not have taken the case.
Vaz said yesterday: “This case relates to a business within my constituency, Sabras Radio, which serves the wider community in the Midlands.
“Don Kotak approached me to help in his capacity as a director of Sabras.
Chief constable of the force investigating #keithvaz played football with him?
Mr Vaz’s six-player squad also includes Simon Cole, Leicestershire police chief constable, Phil Kay, assistant chief constable in the same force and Dorothy the duck – the mascot for the Silver Star Diabetes charity.
Jan 28 2015
Panel:
MP Team:
Keith Vaz MP, Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, local MP for Leicester East and Founder Patron of Silver Star Diabetes
Simon Cole – Chief Constable of Leicestershire Police
Phil Kay- Assistant Chief Constable of Leicestershire Police
Sam Bailey – X Factor winner
Dorothy the duck – Silver Star Diabetes mascot
John Morris – Headmaster of Hamilton Community College
Since Keith Vaz’s appointment to the Criminal Finance Bill committee this week, it has sat twice, on Tuesday and today. For some reason – to the great disappointment of hacks – Vaz has absented himself from both sessions. Guido can give readers some background as to why that might be…
Guido understands Labour whips have been told that not only is Vaz now under investigation by Scotland Yard, they have been made aware that four files regarding Vaz have been passed to the National Crime Agency. Given that the Bill committee have been taking evidence from the National Crime Agency it would clearly be completely inappropriate for Vaz to attend this committee. If Vaz had attended he would either have to recuse himself or declare his interest.Rather than face the embarrassment, slippery Vaz has unofficially recused himself by not showing up…
Rent-boy shame MP Keith Vaz handed plum job on new influential crime committee despite police probe
14th November 2016
Leicester MP appointed to the new Criminal Finance Bill Committee as well Justice Committee despite cops probing allegations he offered to buy rent-boys cocaine
Mr Vaz was put forward for the job by the Labour Party and will be able to cross-examine witnesses from the Serious Fraud Office and National Crime Agency as the bill makes it way into law.
This latest outrage comes just days after Scotland Yard launched the formal robe probe in the the Leicester MP after recordings emerged of him allegedly discussing cocaine with male prostitutes in August.
Usually the attention-grabbing Keith Vaz is cheered by constituents when he takes to the stage at the annual Diwali light switch-on in Leicester. This year he skulked at the back and was booed by the home crowd. Vaz is clinging to his position on the Justice select committee despite potentially breaking a law he helped draft. He retains the Labour whip and still sits on the party’s NEC despite consorting with prostitutes and trying his hand at procuring drug deals. Corbyn has defended Vaz – who is the subject of a police investigation – claiming it is a “private matter”.
Compare this to the treatment of Simon Danczuk, a single man who sexted a woman but didn’t meet her let alone break any laws, and was immediately suspended by Labour. At the time Corbyn told the press: “He was suspended this morning because of recent revelations. His conduct will now be investigated”. This is a glaring double standard – the only real reason action has been taken against Danczuk but not Vaz is their differing attitudes to the leader.
As Tory MP Edward Garnier told the Leicester Mercury today:
“This is the justice select committee – it is not the drawing pins committee or the paperclips committee. It is not appropriate for an MP under investigation by the police to be on the committee.”
Orme –v- Associated Newspapers 1979-1981 (appeared for Daily Mail led by Lord Rawlinson QC and Richard Rampton in 6 month jury trial – the longest ever civil jury trial – and in the Court of Appeal and House of Lords hearings in the action brought by the ‘Moonies’)
SIR EDWARD GARNIER was named as the man led by Lord Rawlinson…in defamation action brought by the Moonies against the Daily Mail
via ww
Defamation seems to be a specialty
The Cost of a Reputation
Worth considering that info in the light of this very informative piece
Mr X and the Rule of Law divides the rule of law into applying to those with fame and those without.And the rule of law, divided, is by definition, no longer the rule of law. It ceases to exist conceptually.
Garnier warned off Danczuk from naming Leon..And WHO encouraged GARNIER to enter politics? Why – Leon Brittan – of course
How does this work? Sir Edward Garnier, Leicestershire MP, libel lawyer to alleged paedos, fights freepress,YET daughter is #BBC journo
One of David Cameron’s former legal advisers was accused yesterday of trying to discourage a Labour MP from naming Lord Brittan over child abuse allegations.
Simon Danczuk, the campaigning Rochdale MP, claimed Sir Edward Garnier spoke to him before he was due to give evidence to a committee of MPs this summer.
Which (witch) hunt are we on now? * innocent face*Mr Danczuk said Sir Edward – who was Solicitor General from 2010 to 2012 – said that ‘challenging Lord Brittan on child abuse would not be a wise move’.
“Beneath contempt” – Harborough MP Edward Garnier on Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk’s child abuse debate remarks
Practitioners of the Tricky Business of defamation: Nicholas Fairbairn and Edward Garnier
Rt Hon Sir Edward Henry Garnier was appointed to 5 companies. Other director jobs: China Oxford Scholarship Fund (Highdown House in Leamington Spa, incorporated on the 15th of September 2004), Great Britain-china Centre(The) (15 Belgrave Square, incorporated on the 10th of January 1975), Prison Reform Trust
Boulaye is the founder and President of the charity “Support for Africa”, which has built five clinics in rural Africa and a school with HRH Prince Harry’s Charity, “Sentebale”, in Lesotho.
Another of Edward Garnier’s defamation cases – Patti Boulaye:
Patti Boulaye –v- Guardian Newspapers 1999 (recovered substantial damages for British-Nigerian singer who was a Conservative candidate for the Greater London Assembly falsely accused of being a supporter of South African apartheid)
What was your best business decision?
Marrying my husband, Stephen Komlosy, who had managed such acts as Lionel Bart and Mike Berry
Patti Boulaye –v- Guardian Newspapers 1999 (recovered substantial damages for British-Nigerian singer who was a Conservative candidate for the Greater London Assembly falsely accused of being a supporter of South African apartheid)
Over the years, Patti has worked for charities and served on the committees of eight British charities and she has been a patron of five, including Eastside Educational Trust, Barnardo’s, SOS and Women Into Business. Patti was also a Founder Member and Patron of (HRH Prince Michael of Kent) Enterprise Club for GENESIS, the facilitator organisation for the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the promotion of Small Business. She is also on the Advisory Board of The Iman-Foundation Worldwide, which promotes dialogue and challenges extremism to bring about change. Patti is a Patron of The Commonwealth Resound as well as The British Monarchist Society.
During a visit to Africa and by another twist of fate, Patti was introduced to 60 babies who were saved from being buried alive because they were HIV positive. On her return to England Patti was determined to do something about the affect and stigma of HIV on the lives of African villagers. She formed a charity Support For Africa and asked the Rt. Hon Sir John Major KG CH and other prominent persons to be Patrons, all of whom agreed and her charity has built 5 clinics in Africa and helped to build a School in Lesotho with Prince Harry’s Charity Sentebale. Patti hired the Royal Albert Hall for a charity event, which she presented and organised. This was the first of her sell-out “Reaching Out For Africa” events, which she co-produced with Major Sir Michael Parker KCVO CBE at the Royal Albert Hall, starring Sir Cliff Richard, Gabrielle, Uri Geller, Patti herself and BONEY M, amongst others and featured 3,000 Gospel singers whom Patti put together herself.
The event was supported by The Rt. Hon Michael Portillo, Frederick Forsyth CBE, The Rt. Hon Iain Duncan Smith, The Rt. Hon Paul Boateng, The Rt. Hon. Lord Greville Janner QC and the new Miss World. Patti’s second sell out Royal Albert Hall charity event was Football Reaching Out For Africa (FROFA) and starred, among others, footballer Didier Drogba of Chelsea FC, Simon Callow, Boney M, Christopher Biggins, Greg Dyke, David James and The Rt. Hon. Charles Kennedy. Patti also produced ‘Scotland Reaching Out For Africa’ supported by Lord McConnell the then First Minister and Alex Salmond the current First Minister, Football manager Alex McLeish, Leo Sayer, Mazie Willams and Boney M.
Unite unites with Boulaye and digs in to African challenge
Patti Boulaye, actress, singer, motivational speaker, and her husband Stephen Komlosy, who recently invested in Aim-listed mining company Platinum Diversified, hosted a reception last week with Lord Janner at the House of Lords. It was designed to raise cash for her Africa charity.
During the evening, she extracted £25,000 from Bristol-based student housebuilder Unite to help build her next medical centre in Cameroon. It’s Unite’s first overseas project.
Patti has starred several times in “Music on Fire” the Fireworks Proms at Sandhurst. As a guest of Michael Jackson, Patti attended and sang at his 45th Birthday Celebrations in LA.
Applauding Peter Ainsworth at the Conservative Party conference in 2000link
Peter Ainsworth
In 1994 Ainsworth became the Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Jonathan Aitken, and in 1995 became PPS to the Secretary of State for National Heritage, Virginia Bottomley. He was promoted by John Major in 1996 to the Whips’ Office. When the Major government fell the following year he remained a whip in opposition and was promoted to Deputy Chief Whip by William Hague.
The President and founder of Support for Africa is singer/actress Patti Boulaye. Patronsare The Rt. Hon Sir John Major KG CH, H.E Dr Christopher Kolade (Nigeria) Lord Janner of Braunstone, The Rt. Hon.Charles Kennedy, The Rt. Hon. Michael Portillo, Fredrick Forsyth CBE and Shaquille O’Neal.
Keith Vaz charged taxpayer £82 for return train fare from London to Leicester…when he was away in TUNISIA at the time
13th November 2016
More embarrassment for shamed MP just days after police launch probe into videos after drugs allegations emerged from shocking rent boy tapes
A probe has been launched after it emerged the 59-year-old claimed expenses for a return ride from London to Leicester, despite being 1,400 miles from home at the time.
But according to the MP’s website, he was meeting holidaymakers in Tunisia
Keith Vaz drugs probe as police look into cocaine claims at MP’s sex party with male escorts
11 Nov 2016
Keith Vaz drugs probe as police look into cocaine claims at MP’s sex party with male escorts
Vaz stood down as Home Affairs Committee chairman in September after the Sunday Mirror revealed he paid two men for sex at his London flat
Shamed MP Keith Vaz
Disgraced Keith Vaz is at the centre of a police investigation over drug allegations.
It came after a review into claims the Labour MP discussed cocaine with male escorts at sex parties.
Scotland Yard said: “Following that assessment, which included obtaining early investigative advice from the Crown Prosecution Service, the MPS is now investigating offences under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.”
The Met launched the probe on Thursday. It said yesterday a specialist team had been involved in a month-long examination of the drug claims.
Vaz stood down as Home Affairs Committee chairman in September after the Sunday Mirror revealed he paid two men for sex at his London flat on August 27 – as his panel examined laws on prostitution.
An intimate evening was hosted by the Rt Honourable Keith Vaz and Rt Honourable John Bercow...saw Shah Rukh Kahn humbled in front of 150 select people including the chairman of Lycamobile – Subaskaran Allirajah
As at July 2016, the Conservative Government Whips in the Commons are
Chief Whip (Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury): The Rt Hon Gavin Williamson MP (Former PPS to David Cameron)speaking to Queen Elizabeth.
Chief whip in top Tory gay smear: Theresa May’s enforcer ‘made an outrageous claim that an ex-Minister cheated on his wife with another man’
Gavin Williamson said to have made allegation during EU campaign
Made false accusation against a prominent ‘Leave’ campaigner
Allegedly made comment when Cameron was combating the Brexit revolt
As Chief Whip he is responsible for enforcing discipline among Tory MPs
When Mr Cameron resigned, he switched sides to back Mrs May who rewarded him by promoting him to her Cabinet as Chief Whip.
His huge influence in May’s inner circle is reflected in the fact he is the only Cabinet Minister to attend her daily morning meeting at No 10 with her inner circle of advisers.
Stride would not answer questions about whether they have benefited from offshore accounts.
It comes after a scandal involving leaked documents which showed politicians, football stars and celebrities had benefited from offshore investments designed to avoid UK taxes.
The Keith Vaz Westminster fan club: Why do they protect this man
Andrew Bridgen, Conservative MP for Leicestershire North West, moved a rare motion objecting to the appointment of :Labour MP, Keith Vaz, to the Commons Justice select committee.
During his speech, Mr Bridgen told the Speaker Mr Bercow: “You have often spoken that this place must reflect the society with which we make the laws and I agree with you.
“I respectfully point out to the House that in any other sphere of activity a candidate with so much hanging unresolved over him would be very unlikely to be considered for such an important office.
Earlier, Bridgen had been warned by Mr Bercow to ” desist” after he also referred -under Parliamentary privilege- to a current historical child sex investigation said to be being conducted by Leicestershire Police where four people had come forward alleging child sexual abuse crimes.
Instead of lecturing @AndrewBridgenMP on what he cannot say, Mr Speaker should have recused himself, given his close friendship with Vaz!
Pompous pipsqueak Bercow rose to his feet to warn Bridgen to ‘desist’ from speaking, since the allegations about Leicestershire Police were not in the public domain.
He prevented Bridgen from using Parliamentary privilege to reveal more details about the police inquiry.
Bercow opened the London office of the Silver Star diabetes charity set up by Vaz in 2007. The charity also gave £2,500 to Bercow’s election campaign in 2010.
The pair share a love of curry, and have been photographed together sitting side by side accepting hospitality at a Premier League football match.
After Vaz spoke in the House following his fall from grace over the rent boy scandal, Bercow gave Vaz a reassuring pat on the back in the Commons chamber.
How fortunate for the beleaguered Vazeline that he has friends he can rely on in times of trouble.
It was the Tory Cabinet that stood out in support of him. They included Amber Rudd, the home secretary, who decided that there has been no ” miscarriage of justice in Orgreave” and was obviously happy to think that Mr Vaz had committed no offence.
Other key supporters included Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, Liam Fox, the International Secretary; James Brokenshire, the Northern Ireland Secretary and former home office minister: David Gauke, chief secretary to the Treasury;Andrea Leadsom, the environment secretary,and Karen Bradley, the culture secretary, who is advised by Craig Woodhouse, a former Sun journalist and David Lidington, leader of the House.
Also on 5 September, I wrote to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards with regard to the right hon. Gentleman. An investigation was instigated and then immediately suspended, as is the procedure, pending the results of the police assessment. Should Scotland Yard decide in due course not to investigate the said Member with regards to potential criminal activity, the parliamentary standards investigation will commence immediately.
It is fair to say that the right hon. Member for Leicester East has quite a history regarding parliamentary standards. He was subject to extensive inquiries by Elizabeth Filkin, the then commissioner, into allegations of misconduct in 2001 and 2002. He was suspended from the House for one month in 2002 for breaches of the MPs’ code of conduct.
Further to my letter to the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, in which I urged Scotland Yard to liaise with Leicestershire police, it has been stated that four witnesses have confirmed that they were recently interviewed by Leicestershire police and that their inquiries have been going on for at least a year. Those inquiries concern allegations that the right hon. Member for Leicester East abused his position in public office—
.. why did Watson and Danczuk, two CSA campaigners, give an alleged paedophile a leg-up?
Why did Amber Rudd, ultimately in charge of #iicsa, vote this man onto Justice Committee?
Vaz was disgraced over a sex and drugs scandal with two male prostitutes
Detectives may still investigate claims he offered to buy the men cocaine
In an extraordinary move, Home Secretary Amber Rudd, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox joined seven other Cabinet ministers in helping to install Mr Vaz in the influential role just weeks after he was embroiled in a sex and drugs scandal.
Only 38 Labour MPs were among the 42 other MPs who supported him
Why MPs failed to block the appointment of “disgraced” Keith Vaz to the Justice Select Committee.
Close inspection of the division list reveals the Government’s “payroll vote” – ministers and their parliamentary aides – turned out in force to support Mr Vaz.
In fact, a breakdown of the voting suggests that more than 150 Conservative MPs backed Mr Vaz compared to just 38 Labour MPs, plus the suspended Simon Danczuk.
But why? A move to prevent a potentially dangerous precedent? The cosy MPs’ club closing ranks? An establishment stitch-up? Probably all three.
Monday’s debate on Mr Bridgen’s objection lasted only about a quarter of an hour.
But it was a bad tempered affair. Hansard records that the Speaker, John Bercow, intervened no fewer than seven times.
For the record, the Cabinet ministers backing Mr Vaz were: Karen Bradley, James Brokenshire, David Davis, Liam Fox, David Gauke, Damian Green, Jeremy Hunt, Andrea Leadsom. David Lidington, Amber Rudd and Chief Whip – yes, the Government Chief Whip – Gavin Williamson. His deputy, Anne Milton, joined them too. Government whip David Evenett was a teller for the Ayes
On the Labour side, Chief Whip Nick Brown, deputy leader Tom Watson, arch-tribalist John Spellar, veteran Barry Sheerman and Mr Vaz’s fellow Leicester MP Jonathan Ashworth were among his backers.
Besides Mr Bridgen, the MPs voting against Mr Vaz’s appointment were Jake Berry, James Duddridge, Philip Hollobone, Scott Mann and Matthew Offord, tellers Kark McCartney and Nigel Mills and – perhaps surprisingly – Sir Nicholas Soames.
Soames? Now if ever an MP belonged in the establishment lobby it would be Winston Churchill’s grandson, surely?
Mr Bridgen claimed Mr Vaz is alleged to have “abused his position in public office” with four witnesses interviewed by Leicestershire Police as part of inquiries which have been ongoing for at least 12 months.
Weeks after being kicked off the Home Affairs committee Keith Vaz puts himself on the JUSTICE committee
Internal Labour party document reveals Vaz is joining Justice committee unopposed
Remarkable move comes despite on-going police investigation into claims he paid for rent boys and offered to buy them drugs
Tory MP Andrew Bridgen condemns his latest move, saying: ‘Keith Vaz’s guile knows no bounds’
Vaz would have needed fellow Labour MPs to nominate him to the role, showing he still enjoys support in the party despite his fall from grace.
In addition to a possible investigation by police, Mr Vaz will also be the subject of a probe by Parliament’s sleaze watchdog.
Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Kathryn Hudson announced she will conduct an official investigation into Mr Vaz’s conduct and determine whether he breached MP rules.
His committee had conducted investigations into drug use and prostitution.
Maybe it’s the Corbyn > Derek Sawyer > Islington council > Keith Vaz connection that influences things
Keith Veness
Cassandra Cogno @CassandraCogno
So if Keith Veness is a close friend of Jeremy & a close friend of Sandy (see Facebook) is this why @jeremycorbyn doesn’t feel able to speak up for survivor constituents/whistleblowers?Keith & Valerie have been political mentors to him in many ways since 1971/2 as for Sandy #awks
Keith Veness reminisces about his time as Jeremy Corbyn’s electoral agent – before his wife Valerie became Corbyn’s PA at House of Commons? “MP’s polls ‘minder’ who had defied Russian tanks” (25.11.11)
Corbyn’s friend and former partner, Diane Abbott was in the Civil Service (Home Office) 1976–78, as a race relations officer for the NCCL (1978– 80), in television 1980–85, and finally as a press officer.
She got to know Patricia Hewitt and , the then general secretary; it’s legal officer Harriet Harman and Harma’s husband Jack Dromey.
Cilla Black used to go on holiday with Lily Savage aka Paul O’Grady, who worked as a social worker in Lambeth at the time of the paedophile gang and neglect of clients in that Borough. Diane Abbott was Lambeth Borough Council’s press officer/PR person.
In June 2015, Valerie was appointed by the Speaker to the Panel of Chairs. Since then Valerie has chaired debates in Westminster Hall and Delegation Legislation
Valerie is an elected member of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Executive and then the Finance, Audit and Remuneration Committee (FAR) sub-Committee. She is also the elected vice-chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP).
Valerie chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Epilepsy and is a member of the APPG among others on the British Library, Burma, Classical Music and Yemen.
In Parliament, Valerie has presented two 10 Minute Rule Bills. The Epilepsy and Related Conditions Bill (2010) and the Adoption (Leave, Pay and Allowance Arrangements) Bill. (2011). Valerie has worked with Ministers to successfully include elements of the Bills in the Children and Families Act 2014.
Valerie has published reports on ‘Obesity and Diabetes Programmes in England: Capturing the State of Play’ in 2011, ‘Instruments on Planes’ with the Incorporated Society of Musicians in 2012 and the ‘Use of Higher Rate Numbers by Government Departments’ in 2014.
Valerie visited Burma in 2013 as a member of Mr Speaker’s delegation and met with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the President and members of civil society. In 2015 Valerie was a member of the UK CPA delegation to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) historic first Women’s Forum in Malta.
Keith Vaz sister Val Shadow job of Leader main role is organising government business in Commons work closely w government’s Chief Whip
Jeremy Corbyn receiving his award at the Asian Voice Political and Public Life Awards 2013 held in The Member’s Dining Room, House of Commons, Westminster, London. On the left is Valerie Vaz, Member of Parliament.
Keith Vaz’s sister is also a promoter of his charity Silver Star
Police probe Vaz misconduct claims
11 Sept 2016
Police are examining allegations against the Labour MP Keith Vaz involving potential abuse of office and personal misconduct dating back 25 years.
Four witnesses, including a former lord mayor of Leicester, last week confirmed they had been interviewed by Leicestershire detectives. The inquiries have been going on for at least a year.
Mooted attempt to oust Keith Vaz at yesterday’s Labour NEC never happened. Instead, I’m told, he got a round of applause as he entered room
……………………………………………………………………………
Andrew Bridgen & John Mann re: Vaz ?
Senior MP accused of child sex abuse: Two MPs report same serving Labour politician to police over sex attacks and corruption claims
Labour MP John Mann one of the informants to pass information to police
A fortnight ago a Conservative MP told police about the same politician
Unnamed MP is accused of offering political favours to a brothel owner
Also claimed they were arrested for indecency in public place with a minor
18 July 2015
A senior Labour MP has been reported to police by two fellow MPs over claims of child sex abuse, The Mail on Sunday has learned.
One of the informants, Labour MP John Mann, passed details about the prominent individual to officers earlier this year.
Then, a fortnight ago, a Conservative MP went to the same police force armed with information about the same individual, some of which had been provided to him by a former Government Minister.
It is believed to be the first time that a sitting MP has been scrutinised by any of the ongoing police investigations into child abuse, representing a further extension of the ever-widening sphere of historic sex allegations.
Mr Mann handed his information over to an ongoing criminal investigation into another public figure, which included links between that figure and the Labour MP.
The Conservative MP’s allegations about the MP, which date back to the late 1980s, include claims that the MP had been arrested for indecency in a public place with a minor – during which he is said to have assaulted the arresting officers.
It is claimed the MP had performed political favours for the owner of a brothel in his constituency in which men consorted with underage males.
The Conservative MP also made further allegations about drink-driving, assault and corruption involving the Labour MP.
A BBC News team, headed by a journalist who specialises in reporting on sex abuse crimes, is also understood to have had access to the information. The team, which has been granted significant resources by bosses, has already started interviewing potential witnesses about the MP. Director-general Tony Hall has been made aware of the special project.
Dr Venu, Keith Vaz MP, businessman Stephen Purdew and Michelin chef Sriram Aylur
Stephen Purdew… is certainly close to Keith Vaz, the prominent Labour politician who enjoys being in the company of rich men and is not himself a stranger to allegations of sleaze.
Keith Vaz, speaker John Bercow and Champneys’ Stephen Purdew
Mr Bercow is regarded as being on warm terms with Mr Vaz.
John Bercow:
Sarah Westcott, a young journalist at the Press Association, went out with John Bercow a few times in 2000. He was nearly 40 at the time, yet seemed more like a clumsy schoolboy than a middle-aged MP.
‘He was a bit funny with women. One night, I kissed him on the cheek and he was terrified.’
The lack of a girlfriend was becoming a curse, as local associations tended to look favourably on those who were married or at least had a respectable girlfriend to help with fund-raising coffee mornings.
Not wanting to lose out, Bercow came up with a solution: he borrowed other people’s girlfriends or co-opted friends to take along to selection meetings.
One friend was so confused by the fake girlfriends that, to this day, he believes Bercow is gay.
At 18 Bercow became secretary of the Monday Club when it favoured bans on coloured immigration and “properly financed voluntary repatriation”.
Bercow became national chairman of the ultra-right Federation of Conservative Students in 1986, a year after it disgraced itself by indulging in riotous vandalism at Loughborough.
It was 2 members of the Monday Club (Commander Anthony Tosswill Courtney, OBE and Sir Henry Victor Alpin MacKinnon Raikes KBE) who gathered the info in the Dickens Dossier)
I suspect Victor Raikes and Anthony Courtney held office in Monday Club with GK Young, who @JohnMannMP has mentioned before.
Cassandra Cogno@CassandraCogno
(21.10.15) “The files that are there, I know are valuable to their ongoing investigation.”
what did Op Midland do?
John Mann said that the file was handed to him by the same individual who had provided it to Mr Dickens in the 1980s, after it was compiled by former Tory MPs Sir Victor Raikes and Anthony Courtney – both now dead.
“There were two files that Geoffrey Dickens gave to Leon Brittan in 1984, this is the second file and the person who gave it to Geoffrey Dickens has now given a copy to me,” Mr Mann said.
“Two questions now arise. Firstly, why were the contents of the file not investigated? Secondly, why was the Prime Minister unable to find this file when he instigated the Wanless Review last year?
Mr Mann said the dossier included a list of alleged paedophiles, including “a small number of names which would be recognised by people who follow politics”, but declined to reveal the identities of those named.
“There are also background documents which will be of interest to police now and would have been of interest to police at the time,” he said.
Mr Mann said that he was “confident” that the dossier was genuine and that the person who passed it to him was the same individual who provided it to Mr Dickens and would be willing to speak to police now.
“The files that are there, I know are valuable to their ongoing investigation,” he said. “It may lead to new investigations as well. I would be surprised if it didn’t, but that is a decision for them to make, not me.”
GK Young dossier is annotated with “authenticated handwriting”. Is it Dickens’? Does it state to be handed to Brittan?
Anthony Courtney
Colin Forster@colinwforster
Was Courtney in Naval Intelligence? Did he inherit safe seat from a man ruined in a gay sex scandal?
Courtney was chosen to follow Ian Harvey as Conservative candidate for Harrow East in early 1959. Harvey had been forced to resign over a homosexual scandal in which he was found in flagrante delicto with a guardsman in St. James’s Park. Courtney kept the seat in a by-election.
Sailor in a Russian Frame
INTELLIGENCE IN RECENT PUBLIC LITERATURE
SAILOR IN A RUSSIAN FRAME. By Cdr. Anthony Courtney. (London: Johnson. 1968. 256 pp. 35s.)
“I’m not a Profumo, but …” was the title on the illustrated handbill, with photos to match, which was sent to the British press and the wife and political friends and enemies of retired Royal Navy Commander Anthony Courtney, Conservative Member of Parliament for Harrow East, in August of 1965. Before a year had passed, Courtney had lost his wife, his seat, and most of his business as a result of a KGB political action operation in the heart of London. His book is the story of why the Soviets “framed” him and how he fought back, and almost won. The episode vividly exemplifies how the Soviets employ assiduous data collection and personal provocation in political action.
A STORY ABOUT THE UNDERPANTS OF A ROYAL NAVY SIGNAL OFFICER WHICH LED TO HIS DOWNFALL AT THE HANDS OF THE KGB
He was Commander Anthony Tosswill COURTNEY OBE RN Rtd, listed rather strangely as a Commander WSR RN in the Navy List, WSR standing for “War Service Rank”
The 12-year-old John Bercow appeared on the BBC in Crackerjack in 1975.
Bercow’s father drove minicabs for a living and John Bercow went to Finchley Manorhill comprehensive school in north London.
(A bizarre 50-year feud started when his father, Charlie, and his uncle Samson – Alan Bercow‘s father – fell out over the ownership of the family minicab company in Finchley, North London. The feud between John Bercow’s father, Charlie, and Alan Bercow’s father, Samson, dates back to the 1950s and involved a successful minicab company in Finchley, North London, set up by Charlie.)
Bercow’s paternal grandfather, Jack Bercowitch, was from Romania who worked first as a gas fitter and then as a furrier, and in due course opened a shop.
Two of his sons, Ralph and Charlie, set up a business called Bercow Motors, in Warren Street in central London, which prospered until the late 1960s, when the council painted yellow lines on the road outside their showroom. Charlie Bercow married Brenda Bailey, a legal secretary and in 1963 she gave birth to their son, John Simon Bercow.
Interesting that Bee Carthew worked closely with Denby, Proctor, Powell, GK Young and … John Tyndall from the NF.
19th January 1984
Jeremy Corbyn accused Mr Dickens of irresponsible behaviour and demanded he withdraw the allegation.
Dickens Dossier:
4 November 2015
In a Westminster Hall debate, Mr Mann said George Kennedy Young, who died in 1990, had been named in the first line of the document.
He said: ‘This is an original, I have spoken and met and got a copy from the person who personally handed it to Geoffrey Dickens who then personally gave it to Leon Brittan.
‘And what it says is, first line – GK Young heads up a Powellite faction known as Tory Action. GK Young, George Kennedy Young, was deputy director of MI6in the past, long dead.
‘The allegations are that he manipulated a group of people and that within that there were paedophile rings. And it goes into detail – who it’s alleged were involved and where.
‘I won’t give all the locations because some would be I think sensitive and would potentially identify people – but London is one, Greater Manchester is another, North Yorkshire is a third one.’
Mr Mann said GK Young may be key in finding out what happened to the dossier.
A police commissioner has told a jury that he used to drive a senior officer, Gordon Anglesea, accused of sexually abusing boys to Bry Estyn children’s home.
He used to give Anglesea lifts in a police vehicle when asked. He said: “The only place I recall taking him was to Bryn Estyn children’s home. If he wanted to go to Bryn Estyn he would ask me and I would take him.”
Jones said he would not go into the home with Anglesea but just drop him off and carry on with the other duties that he had. He did not know how or when Anglesea would leave.
“I have no idea. I have no recollection of collecting him,” he said
EXCLUSIVE — GORDON ANGLESEA: THE FINANCIAL REWARDS OF CHILD ABUSE
INCOMPETENCE BY North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones led to convicted paedophile Gordon Anglesea keeping his police pension.
The Commissioner has acknowledged Anglesea deserved to lose his pension but, in the eight weeks between Anglesea’s conviction and his death, failed to ask the Home Office to revoke it.
Rebecca understands the pension — which is fully-funded from the public purse — is worth up to £25,000 a year.
Jones’ inaction meant that Anglesea was being paid some £500 a week while he was in prison.
Jones has also decided that his widow, Sandra, should receive a widow’s pension of 50 per cent.
She will receive up to £12,500 a year for the rest of her life.
Rebecca has also discovered the Commissioner did not consult the Home Office over this decision.
We have written to policing minister Brandon Lewis asking him to issue a “forfeiture certificate” under the Police Pensions Regulations 2015.
This would automatically revoke Anglesea’s pension — and prevent his widow from enjoying the proceeds of his child abuse.
The Society for Individual Freedom, which is described as a British Intelligence front involvingGeorge K. Young, Ross McWhirter (both with UK intelligence connections) and Gerald Howarth.
Gerald Howarth MP for Cannock and Burntwood from 1983 to 1992
4 February 2014
Conservative Sir Gerald Howarth, defence minister until 2012, has mounted an extraordinary defence of a Tory MP who organised a Nazi-themed stag do – saying he was the victim of a ‘disgraceful witch hunt’.
And he tried to justify the MP’s involvement in such a distasteful event, claiming ‘we’ve all done it’.
The Freedom Association was founded in 1975 as the National Association for Freedom (NAFF) by the Viscount De L’Isle, Norris McWhirter, Ross McWhirter and John Gouriet. Ross McWhirter had drawn up a fifteen-point Charter of Rights and Liberties before being assassinated by the Provisional IRA in November 1975. NAFF was renamed The Freedom Association in the winter of 1978
Well spotted Tom. I had wondered if an attentive reader of PLAYLAND would join the dots with people I mentioned in the book: William De’Lisle, Andrew Mitchell, Major John Gouriet who founded the National Association for Freedom, following the IRA assassination of Ross McWhirter.
Chris Stacey@chrisstacey1
Not Andrew Mitchell MP?
Anthony Daly@anthonydaly01
Sorry, my mistake. It was David Mitchel, Andrew’s father.
Sir David Mitchell was a minister under Margaret Thatcher who also ran Fleet Street’s gossipy watering hole El Vino
When Heath led the Conservatives to power in 1970, Mitchell became PPS to Sir Keith Joseph, Social Services Secretary.
In January 1981 Mrs Thatcher moved Mitchell to the Northern Ireland Office.
John Gouriet, founder of the National Association fro Freedom and author of the document ‘Set the People Free’ (left) and Victor Raikes, former Tory MP and executive member of the Monday Club.
Peter Lilley is among Theresa May’s 9 (2018) new peers. So he wasn’t lying when he ‘boasted’ he was in line for a peerage in the ‘Chinese cash for Brexit sting’
Alan Lennox Boyd-prior owner of Henlow Grange (later owned by the Purdews) – “Churchill protege Alan Lennox-Boyd, who married sisters, Guinness heiresses, but enjoyed riotous homosexual adventures behind the scenes. Lennox-Boyd had a distinguished ministerial career in several governments…”
Alan Lennox Boyd’s son: Mark Lennox-Boyd (above) invested in Proctor’s Cottonrose shirt shop and and was Mrs Thatcher’s private parliamentary secretary. link
” Lord Longford has decided to produce a report on pornography…
Amongst those who were included, and who stayed the course, were singer Cliff Richard and Radio One DJ Jimmy Savile, alongside more obvious suspects like Malcolm Muggeridge and the Rt. Revd Ronald Ralph Williams, the Bishop of Leicester.
Ex-detective felt forced by BBC reporter to reveal Cliff Richard raid, court hears
Matthew Fenwick tells high court he felt he had ‘no option’ but to tell reporter about the search
Apr 16 2018
Matthew Fenwick, who was a detective superintendent with South Yorkshire police, said he believed reporter Dan Johnson would run a story about the investigation into the singer, leaving it “compromised”, unless he was told about the search.
Fenwick said it had been clear Johnson knew the force was investigating an allegation of child sexual abuse against Richard, because he described the singer as a “celebrity paedo” during a meeting.
Special report: A 15-year-old, Claire McAlpine, who killed herself after leaving a diary naming DJs as abusers. Disturbing questions about John Peel.
John Peel OBE
Yehudi Menuhin, Lord Menuhin of Stoke d’Abernon
American violinist and conductor
Pupils sexually abused at an elite music school
Marcel Gazelle, the founding music director of the Yehudi Menuhin School in Surrey, sexually abused pupils in the 1960s
“It’s a disgrace really that people’s trust has been abused in such a way.”
The Menuhin School was founded in 1963 by virtuoso Yehudi Menuhin with the help of his friend Gazelle, with whom he performed and recorded prolifically.
Gazelle sexually abused girls in the school’s bedrooms, according to claims.
I’m thrilled for Shirly Oaks folks – but why does Mail believe them and not VIP accusers?
Bee Carthew was extremely close to GK Young, recently mentioned in connection with Dickens Dossier given to John Mann.
(Carthew) wrote in great detail to senior politician Enoch Powell and his wife
telling him: that Harvey Proctor’s London solicitor (Denby) is on the run after forcing policemen to lie on floor at gunpoint was hiding in Home Secretary’s (Leon Brittan) constituency (Richmond) whilst being search for by Crimewatch. Isn’t that weird?
In 1978 a packet containing obscene literature and written material was found on a bus. The subsequent police investigation revealed a correspondence of an obscene nature between Sir Peter Hayman and number of other persons. The papers involved an obsession about the systematic killing by sexual torture of young people and children.
Sir Peter died in 1992 but during his career worked as a diplomat including as High Commissioner to Canada. He also worked for intelligence service MI6.
There’s another reason why Scotland Yard were so keen to close the investigation down.
In November 1997 the South London Press ran a story about a ‘sex chamber’ hidden in the basement of Lambeth Police Station with bedding, a red light, and a manacle. Was Lambeth Police Station being used by the paedophile ring to abuse children and produce child pornography?
The Mirror have reported on the cover-up of an investigation of a paedophile ring in Lambeth council children’s homes. It’s suspected that the reason for the cover-up was the involvement of politicians, including at least one MP.
Bercow gave up a political lobbying job with the Tories’ favourite ad agency,Saatchi and Saatchi, to work for JonathanAitken, after previously spending a brief period in the City, working as a merchant banker for Hambros.
In 2001 the Purdews of Champneys (friends of Sir Jimmy Savile and Keith Vaz) briefly acquired Inglewood health hydro from agents of Saudi prince Mohammed bin Fahd. Inglewood had been the scene of allegations, published in the Guardian six years earlier, that then defence minister Jonathan Aitken, a director of the spa, had tried to arrange girls for a Saudi prince and his entourage.
The report led to the notorious libel action brought by Aitken ultimately culminating in his being sentenced to jail for perjury.
Former Tory MP Jonathan Aitken, once a director of Champneys Inglewood. He was accused by former employees of acting as a ‘pimp’ by requesting call girls, once for a sheikh and once for a group of Arabs.
And though Aitken met his future wife Lolicia at Inglewood, he also cheated on her with bondage prostitute Paula Strudwick, telling her to collect the right sort of birch branches from the woods outside the estate for sadomasochistic sex games. You’d have thought someone would have twigged what was going on.
was a founder of PIE (Paedophile Information Exchange).
Charles Napier was the treasurer of PIE.
Peter Righton was also one of Britain’s leading child protection specialists when Virginia Bottomley was Health Secretary
Sir Peter, who is married to the former Conservative Cabinet minister Virginia Bottomley, told Radio Four’s Today programme that people were also now wrongly suggesting that he may have visited the Elm Guest House, in Barnes, south-west London, which is at the centre of some of the current claims.
The Elm Guest House is alleged to have been the scene of paedophile activity and sex parties attended by politicians and other prominent figures in the 1970s and 1980s. Visitors are said to have included the late Liberal MP Sir Cyril Smith.
118. The fact that Cyril Smith’s public standing and professional career were never negatively impacted in any significant way by the suggestion that he was involved in child sexual abuse has given rise to considerable speculation that he was in some way protected by other politicians. We may consider the possibility that Smith was actively supported at the level of national politics, or at the very least, had a blind eye turned towards allegations against him, as part of the Westminster investigation.
Willy Bach sat in the balcony of this hall, watching this University honour his old friend Greville Janner. Today, in recognition of his long years of service to this City and County and to this University, we are proud to honour him.
Mr Chancellor, on the recommendation of the Senate and the Council, I present Lord Bach of Lutterworth, barrister and politician, that you may confer on him the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws.
In Lord Bach’s not so distant past he served as the board member of Finmeccanica UK, a leading weapons manufacturer (in 2007); for more on this read “Revolving doors revealed” and “”Revealed: how minister cashed in on contacts” (The Sunday Times, 23 November 2008).
Maintaining his warmongering connections to this day, Lord Bach remains listed as a patron to Northern Defence Industries, which describes itself as “a leading supply chain sourcing and development service representing the interests of businesses in the defence, aerospace, space and security sectors.”
ASSOCIATES – JOHN PINNIGER, SIR CHARLES IRVING, DEREK LAUD, HARVEY PROCTOR…
John Pinniger, Lambeth Councillor at the same time as John Bercow and a fellow member of The Monday Club
Other Monday Club members – John Remfrey Pinniger (far left) was a leading activist and political adviser in the right-wing Conservative Monday Club during the early 1980s
Three of the Young Members’ Group at a Club Conference at Chilham Castle, 1980: John R. Pinniger (YMG Chairman), Richard Turnbull, & Gregory Lauder-Frost.
John R Pinniger – former Conservative councillor for Lambeth 1990
Pinniger worked closely with the Conservative Member of Parliament Harvey Proctor, who was then Chairman of the Monday Club’s Immigration & Repatriation Committee.
He co-authored papers with Proctor including:
”Immigration, Repatriation, & the Commission for Racial Equality”, by Keith_Harvey_Proctor, M.P., John R. Pinniger, M.A., with a foreword by Sir Ronald Bell, Q.C., M.P., published by the Monday Club, 1981, (P/B).
John Pinniger was a “research assistant” to Harvey Proctor MP and to Sir Charles Irving MP and Pinniger worked at Harrod’s menswear shop in between his parliamentary duties.
A respectable father-of-four, he told how as a young man he was plied with booze by MP Charles Irving before the Tory later forced him to have sex in exchange for £30.
In 1975, a Conservative Group for Homosexual Equality (CHE) was formed by party members, led by Peter Walter Campbell, a Professor of Politics at Reading University. Campbell belonged to the Monday Club, a sub-group of ultra-libertarian Conservatives who believe in privatising everything from the prisons to the police. He was a member of the Albany Society which had campaigned for homosexuality to be legalised in 1967, and the very left-wing dominated Campaign for Homosexual Equality. They might have regarded him as an oddity, but he was like many of them in one striking way – he was a paedophile.
The name “Peter Campbell – Monday Club” is found on this list of clients of the Elm Guesthouse, a boy-brothel.
The place was closed down in 1988 but before she died, Mrs Kasir gave a list of regular clients to a former child protection officer, Mary Moss, who was investigating allegations made by victims. It was stunning, full of famous names from the world of show-business, M15 and politics. It included numerous MPs, and “Peter Campbell – Monday Club”.
It could not refer to anyone else. Other Monday Club members on the list were Conservative MPs Charles Irving, Peter Bottomley and Harvey Proctor. Not only did Peter Campbell use the boy-brothel, but he advertised it in the newsletter of the Conservative Group for Homosexual Equality, which he edited.
The advertisement mentioned that Elm gave a discount to members of the “Spartacus club” – an infamous pederast network that fixed up paedophiles with victims to molest while on trips abroad.
Researchers for NAPAC (the National Association of People Abused in Childhood) have tracked down a letter Campbell wrote in 1982, at the time of this advertisement, with a handwritten note on it from Peter Campbell to John Rowe, another frequenter of the Elm Guesthouse, saying “I have now inserted the entry about the hotel but can’t find the text about the Dutch adventure – could you please let me have another copy? – Pete”. The Netherlands was the nearest and most popular destination for the boy-molesting holidays organised by Spartacus Club. Campbell could hop on the train at Reading and be in Paddington in forty-five minutes. From there he could take the Central Line Tube or more likely, on his professorial salary, he could afford to take a taxi to Barnes in Richmond. There he would select whatever bewildered, depressed young boy took his fancy, take him to a bedroom or even into the sauna, perform obscene acts on him, check him back in, and then have a drink in the bar before going on to meet friends at the House of Commons, or home to Reading. He was probably a member of the Spartacus club himself, and despite all of that he went on teaching in a British university. This molester of children was paid to teach teenagers aged from 18 upwards. Under the leadership of John Major, the CGHE increased in size and strength and by 2010 it had quite simply taken over the party.
According to Proctor’s book, Laud accompanied him every step of the way at his press conference at St Vermin’s. Is Harvey Derek’s puppet?
Spiked @MrAngusJame
Clive Froggatt
When arrested, he claimed he was using the drug as a painkiller for his close friend and Tory MP for Cheltenham Sir Charles Irving, who he said was dying of AIDS
Clive Froggatt– Clive Froggatt, a leading physician in England, and a favorite of prime minister Margaret Thatcher and a very senior government health adviser to both Margaret Thatcher and John Major, was addicted to heroin, allegedly taking up to eight fixes a day.
William Waldegrave, the health secretary, giving details of the two enquiries launched in the aftermath of the case, described Beck as evil. He said that the Commons had shown its support for Mr Janner.
Keith Vaz, Labour MP for Leicester East, condemned the ”cowardly attacks” on Mr Janner. Michael Latham, Tory MP for Rutland and Melton, said that Mr Janner had been the target of ”vile allegations and lies”.
As Beck was sentenced, William Waldegrave, the former health secretary announced two inquiries. One would investigate the selection of staff in Britain’s children’s homes. The other, chaired by Andrew Kirkwood QC which is reporting today, would find out why staff at one of Britain’s biggest social services departments failed to act on warnings which would have lead them to the discovery of a catalogue of abuse. Allegations of physical and sexual abuse were first made in 1980 – seven years after Beck started working as an officer in charge of a children’s home. They continued over the next six years, from children and social workers, and on four different occasions were passed on to police. After one investigation, police charged Beck with assault. However, he was subsequently acquitted after a crown court trial in 1982. Despite these allegations, Beck continued working at The Beeches, Leicester Forest East, where he had been officer in charge since 1978. He had spent the previous five years working at The Poplars – a home in Market Harborough – before moving to Ratcliffe Road children’s home. He eventually resigned in 1986 after he was suspended following an allegation of sexual harassment by a fellow member of staff. However he was given references which enabled him to take jobs with Brent and Hertfordshire social services. He also worked with charities.
Froggatt also worked on a Tory health service think-tank with MP David Willetts, who was forced to resign for trying to nobble a Commons committee probing sleaze.
Froggatt, an advisor”on heroin movie Eyes Wide Shut starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, publicly claims he is now “clean”.
When arrested, he claimed he was using the drug as a painkiller for his close friend and Tory MP for Cheltenham Sir Charles Irving, who he said was dying of AIDS
Froggatt was brought into the Conservative fold in 1983 by Sir Norman Fowler and quickly became an adviser to the powerful Downing Street policy unit.
He developed a close friendship with Virginia Bottomley and frequently dined at her house.
Froggatt even told friends that he advised her on everything from how she enters a room to how she does her hair.
Ken Clarke once asked him to stand in for him at an Oxford Union health deb
When he had an idea, he rang Tory ministers and they listened.
Jonathan Guinness (far left) attends an exclusive party to celebrate the completion of ‘Contra Mundum’ or ‘Against The World’, a one of a kind diamond glove created by his daughter Daphne Guinness on June 30, 2011.
From Gerald Ronson’s autobiography: Greville Janner is a wonderful man
Gerald Ronson – vice-pres of NSPCC and friend of Greville Janner, is related to the former Home Secretary Leon Brittan and to former Foreign Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind.
Gerald Ronson was jailed for a year, and fined £5m, for false accounting, conspiracy and theft in Guinness share-trading fraud
From prison to the palace: Gerald Ronson, jailed for Guinness scam, picks up CBE
… an evening at Covent Garden Opera House some years back when three black-tied men strode onto the empty stage after the main performance and launched into a spirited rendering of “A policeman’s lot is not a happy one” to the uproarious laughter of their guests.
The three included the then-serving Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police John Stevens, the former president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and suspected child rapist Lord Janner QC himself, and Gerald Ronson, a billionaire property dealer who was imprisoned for his part in the huge “Guinness” financial fraud in 1991.
What the three men had in common, apart from a love of opera, was they all sat on the advisory committee of a charity called the Community Security Trust, a private investigation agency run out of the British Board of Jewish Deputies and which has been chaired by Gerald Ronson since he left prison.
According to Janner’s own memoir, the ad-hoc Gilbert and Sullivan performance must have taken place after the first police investigation was derailed. There is no suggestion that John Stevens — who has since been ennobled — did anything improper, but it is still strange that the media has not found anything interesting in the head of Scotland Yard’s night at the opera with the suspected child rapist and jailbird billionaire. http://www.theoccidentalobserver.net/2015/05/greville-janner-update/
THERE is a delicious irony in Gerald Ronson today rubbing shoulders with Britain’s top police chiefs. They’re on first names terms with him and gushing in their praise of the Community Security Trust (CST), the organisation he founded and now chairs.
Yet this is the man who, in 1990, was jailed as one of the major players in arguably the most notorious business fraud trial of the 20th century – the so-called ‘Guinness affair’.
RE: Gerald Ronson: Israel’s Prime Minister (Yitzhak Shamir) desperate to speak to you in prison and police chiefs subsequently accepting invitations to dine with you or a chief rabbi and his successor visiting you inside.
Jonathan Guinness was a long-standing and early member of the Conservative Monday Club, serving on several of its committees. He was a member of the Club’s Executive Council in 1971, when he became Chairman of their ‘Action Fund’, and elected National Chairman on 5 June 1972
Jonathan Guinness
Guinness’ mother was Diana Mitford (Nazi links). She married Bryan Guinness first and then Sir Oswald Mosley.
While Mitford was married to Bryan Guinness, they lived in Germany for a short time before moving to England. Mitford’s children had to be tutored privately in England because they weren’t accepted into any local schools. Mitford was also a distant relative of Winston Churchill, and was briefly imprisoned during the war because she was considered a threat to national security.
Lady Diana Mosley (1910-2003) was one of the daughters of Lord Redesdale, and had the reputation of being the most beautiful and dazzling of the ‘Mitford girls’. She married the heir to the Guinness company, Brian (later Lord Moyne), at the age of 18, but subsequently left him and then married the British fascist, Oswald Mosley. She was introduced to Hitler by her sister, Unity, and maintained a life-long admiration for him and his political beliefs.
Unity Mitford, according to a startling new biography of the aristocrat’s daughter who scandalised Thirties Britain by becoming a member of Adolf Hitler’s most intimate circle.
…these Nazi-themed orgies were devised by Unity and carried out with Hitler’s connivance
A collection of Christmas greetings cards, including from members of the Royal Household, four from Princess Alexandra (1936- ) The Honourable Lady Ogilvy and Sir Angus Ogilvy (1928-2004); and two handwritten postcards from Deborah (1920- ) Duchess of Devonshire, signed ‘Debo’.
Provenance: From the estate of Sir Jimmy Savile. OBE, KThe eldest of John Morrison’s sons, James , married Sophia Cavendish, daugher of the youngest of the Mitford sisters, Deborah.
She married Mosley in a civil ceremony in Joseph Goebbels’s drawing room in Berlin in 1936, the only guests (besides the witnesses) were Hitler and Goebbels himself.
Prostitute in Max Mosley ‘Nazi’ dungeon orgy was wife of MI5 officer
2008
An MI5 agent has been forced to resign after it was revealed his wife took part in a Nazi-style sex orgy with Formula One boss Max Mosley
The wife of an MI5 agent was one of the five prostitutes who took part in a ‘Nazi- style’ orgy with motor racing chief Max Mosley.
It left MI5 facing questions last night over whether one of its officers had helped set up the sting which saw a lurid five-hour video of the sado-masochistic sex session sold to a newspaper.
The agent was forced to resign when the activities of his 38-year-old wife – who used the name Mistress Abi – were revealed.
Security sources dismissed any suggestion that the surveillance officer was involved in the secret filming in a ‘torture dungeon’ at a £2million flat in Chelsea and insisted he was unaware of it until after the story appeared in the newspapers.
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (R) walk alongside the The Duke of Devonshire (L) following the funeral of Deborah, Dowager Duchess of Devonshire
The Duke of Devonshire (front, centre) chairman of the Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation, at the Savoy Hotel in London when he was joined by 11 men from all walks of life, who were honoured at the “Men of the Year” luncheon. Back Row (l-r): Staff Sgt John Rodgers, Det Insp Henry Dowswell, Brendan Foster, Jimmy Savile, Coxswain John Petit, Dr Colin Blakemore and Norman Croucher. Front Row (l-r): Lt Glen Tilsley, Sgt Murtach McVeigh, duke of Devonshire, Chief Insp John Purnell, Fl Lt David Cysten.
John Granville Morrison, 1st Baron Margadale
John Morrison’s grandson, Alastair John Morrison, 3rd Baron Margadale DL,
Alastair Morrison married Lady Sophia Cavendish, daughter of Andrew Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire and Deborah Mitford
The Mitford sisters were heavily influenced/influencing of Oswald Mosley, who may have been the influence for the political stance of THE MONDAY CLUB.
Sir Charles Morrison was the brother of Peter Morrison, who became MP for Chester
From Jimmy Savile’s auction..
A collection of Christmas greetings cards, including from members of the Royal Household, four from Princess Alexandra (1936- ) The Honourable Lady Ogilvy and Sir Angus Ogilvy (1928-2004); and two handwritten postcards from Deborah (1920- ) Duchess of Devonshire, signed ‘Debo’ (approx. 30)
Provenance: From the estate of Sir Jimmy Savile. OBE, KCSG, LLD (1926-2011)
Unity Mitford staged Nazi orgies as a gift of love to Hitler: She lost her virginity to Oswald Mosley on a billiard table… Then she targeted the Fuhrer
Unity Mitford’s scandalous liaisons are unveiled in a new biography
Aristocratic family tried to paint relationship with Hitler as youthful fancy
Sara Morrison, Charles Morrison’s wife has been described as Edward Heath’s friend and important political confidante and she was with him when he died.
The daughter of Viscount Lang and the Duchess of Marlborough, Sara Morrison was a director of the influential program, Fourth Channel TV, and one of the principal organizers of the Conservative Party, said to be a close confidante of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
The Morrison family
The third son of John Granville Morrison, 1st Baron Margadale, was Sir Peter Morrison(1944 –1995), was Conservative MP for Chester from 1974 to 1992 and died aged 51 in 1995.
He was Margaret Thatcher’s parliamentary private secretary and deputy chairman of the Conservative Party.
In October 2012 it was alleged that evidence has been seen that linked Peter Morrison to the North Wales children’s homes case, in which up to 650 children in 40 homes were sexually, physically and emotionally abused over a 20 year period.
It has also been alleged that Sir Peter was protected …and that his behaviour was covered up by senior party members and the media.
Morrison is now named in connection with a fresh inquiry into these allegations, which could also implicate the late DJ and TV presenter Jimmy Savile.
John Morrison’s daughter, Dame Mary Morrison, was a Woman of the Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth II for forty years. She has been described as one of the queen’s closest confidantes.
Tory MP Andrew Bridgen claims Keith Vaz was already being investigated by police
Tory MP was stopped from making allegations about MP a year ago
10 Sep 2016
Andrew Bridgen was told not to use Parliamentary privilege to raise the matter in a Commons debate
“To the casual observer these events had all the hallmarks of an establishment cover-up.
Andrew Bridgen, Tory MP for North West Leicestershire – 15 miles from Mr Vaz’s Leicester East constituency – wrote to the Speaker on September 3 last year.
Mr Bridgen said that should the allegations be substantiated then Labour’s Mr Vaz should be suspended as chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee.
Five days later Mr Bercow replied that he had no power to remove a select committee chair and warned Mr Bridgen not to use Parliamentary privilege to raise the matter in a Commons debate.
Bercow launched the charity offices used by Daniel Dragusin, Vaz aide’s charity
Dan Dragusin who paid for Keith Vaz’s alleged sex party had ties to a network of parliamentarians.
The charity offices used by Daniel Dragusin, who gave £150 to two rent boys who visited the Labour grandee in his flat, were opened by John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons.
Mr Bercow agreed to perform the ceremonial opening in 2013 of the Silver Star charity’s London office where Mr Dragusin works.
Other guests at the opening included MP for Harrow East Bob Blackman, Harrow Borough Council’s Chief Executve Michael Lockwood, the leader of Harrow Council Thaya Idaikkadar
Councillor Lockwood said Harrow Council would be working very closely with Silver Star
Guest of Honour was the Rt Hon John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons, who gave a be-fitting introduction to Rt Hon Keith Vaz, MP, Co-host of the awards.
Journalist Mathew Parris from The Times, receiving his award
Matthew Parris: It seems to me to very likely be an overheated conspiracy theory
A fascinating discussion between Matthew Parris (columnist and former Conservative politician) and Liz Davies (front-line child protection social worker from London Metropolitan University) about the forthcoming national inquiry into child sexual abuse was broadcast yesterday on the Spectator blog (transcript below). It was fascinating partly because of Liz Davies’ recounting of how her investigations into child abuse and murders of children were stopped by unknown senior people, and partly because of Matthew Parris’ refusal to accept that what Liz Davies was saying might be true. Although as Matthew Parris had just published a Spectator article called ‘What kind of idiot tries to stand in the way of a national child abuse panic? I do’ and subtitled ‘I know the rumours. I think they’re mostly nonsense. I don’t expect a fair hearing’ he perhaps found it impossible to allow himself to be convinced by the evidence Liz Davies was setting out.
He eventually joined the Conservative Research Department and moved on to become correspondence secretary to Margaret Thatcher.
Conservative Research Department – David Cameron, George Osborne, Oliver Letwin, Enoch Powell, Chris Patten, Lord Longford and RAB Butler all passed through it.
When Margaret Thatcher became party leader in 1975, CRD organised the full policy review co-ordinated by Sir Keith Joseph which preceded her election as prime minister.
Dec 2013
At the request of the diabetes charity Silver Star, Mr Speaker John Bercow lit up the Elizabeth Tower, blue.
On 24 May 2013, the High Court of Justice ruled that her tweet, “Why is Lord McAlpine trending? *innocent face*”, was libelous. The two parties agreed to a settlement, and McAlpine donated the damages awarded to Children in Need.
In 2013, it was revealed McAlpine had owned the artwork of convicted paedophile Graham Ovenden – artwork that depicted naked children.
The Vaz saga is unfolding just as the Gordon Anglesea trial gets underway:
via WW
It all comes at the same time as Gordon Anglesea jury is sworn in at Mold – and Anglesea and Bryn go to the heart of much of this – and the westmonster links…
In December 1991 — eight months after Anglesea retired from the North Wales Police — the Independent On Sunday wrote about the police investigation into allegations of child abuse at the Bryn Estyn children’s home in North Wales.
The front page article stated:
“According to former residents of Bryn Estyn, Gordon Anglesea, a former senior North Wales police officer, was a regular visitor there.”
“He recently retired suddenly without explanation.”
“Photographs of men abusing boys in the North Wales paedophile scandal were deliberately destroyed by the authorities. Sian Griffiths worked for Clwyd Council in the inquiry office on the 1994 Jillings and six years later on the Waterhouse inquiry which looked into the systematic abuse at the children’s homes.
Labour MP Ann Clwyd today revealed she had read the 1994 report by John Jillings into the abuse before it was pulped and called for it to be published.
She said: “It shows rape and torture… the effects on those young boys cannot be underestimated.”
The report was trashed on the insistence of Clwyd Council’s insurers, who feared a wave of writs from victims.
WilliamJHague closed down the N Wales #CSA investigations & the stench of that corrupt injustice still hangs over Westminster
Hague faces cover-up row over Thatcher ally’s link to care home abuse scandal: Former foreign secretary said to have been made aware of Sir Peter Morrison’s connections while working as Welsh secretary
31 May 2015
Hague expected to be criticised in new report on Wales care home scandal
As many as 650 children were raped or assaulted in the 70s and 80s
Then-Welsh Secretary Hague ordered an inquiry into the abuse in 1996
New Whitehall inquiry expected to accuse Welsh office of mishandling it
Victims tell of horror inside North Wales care home where gang rape, strip searches and vicious canings were a way of life… and Jimmy Savile was a regular visitor
Victim Keith Gregory claims he knows 12 or 13 people who have killed themselves because of events that happened at Bryn Estyn in 70s and 80s
Operation Pallial was set up in response to allegations regarding Tory peer Lord McAlpine – that he had abused children in North Wales care homes.
RETIRED NORTH Wales Police superintendent Gordon Anglesea was arrested on suspicion of historic physical and sexual assaults against children in December 2013
Anglesea was detained at his Colwyn Bay home in December by officers of the National Crime Agency.
Anglesea was the 18th person to be arrested as part of Operation Pallial, based at North Wales Police headquarters.
Anglesea was questioned also about his connection with freemasonry because of an underlying suggestion that there had been a “cover up” in his case. He disclosed that he had become a full member of Berwyn Lodge in Wrexham, in 1982, after being a probationer in a lodge at Colwyn Bay from about 1976.
He had then transferred to a new Wrexham lodge, Pegasus Lodge, in 1984 because it offered an opportunity for swifter advance in freemasonry.
He was aware now from records that one member of the staff at Bryn Estyn had become a member of Berwyn Lodge in April 1984. He had remained a member of the Pegasus Lodge since despite a directive from the Chief Constable of the North Wales Police, David Owen, in September 1984.
Commissioner Arfon Jones took ex-superintendent to children’s home in a squad car court hears
Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones gave evidence at the trial of Gordon Anglesea
The North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones would drive Gordon Anglesea to Bryn Estyn children’s home when he was a young police constable.
Mr Jones, who retired from the force as an inspector in 2008, said he knew Anglesea professionally in 1982.
He was a constable at the time while Anglesea was an inspector in charge of Bromfield on the outskirts of Wrexham.
Gordon Anglesea trial: police officer was driven to children’s home, court told
28 Sept 2016
A police commissioner has told a jury that he used to drive a senior officer accused of sexually abusing boys to a children’s home.
Arfon Jones, the police and crime commissioner for north Wales, said he drove Gordon Anglesea to the Bryn Estyn children’s home in Wrexham.
Jones said he would not go into the home with Anglesea but just drop him off and carry on with the other duties that he had. He did not know how or when Anglesea would leave.
“I have no idea. I have no recollection of collecting him,” he said.
Abuse charge ex-policeman Gordon Anglesea ‘lied under oath’
10 Oct 2016
A former police superintendent accused of historical sexual abuse has been accused of deliberately lying on oath.
Mold Crown Court heard Gordon Anglesea was trying to “wriggle out” of the fact he “said two vastly different things” during a High Court libel action in 1994, and the current trial.
Last week, during questioning by his own barrister, Mr Anglesea told the court he visited a shower area of a Home Office attendance centre he used to run “once or twice”.
Cross-examining Mr Anglesea on Monday, Eleanor Laws QC, referred to evidence he gave in the 1994 libel case, which resulted in Mr Anglesea being awarded nearly £400,000 in damages.
In 1994, under oath, he was asked: “Did you stand in the showers watching the boys regularly?”
He had answered: “I went to the showers on every occasion the attendance centre was open.”
In 1989 Anglesea was a founder member of the town’s Rotary Club, serving as its president until 1991. He was also a Freemason.
Previously he had been a lay preacher for the Old Colwyn Methodist Church and had at one time and another served as a school governor for St David’s High in Wrexham and Eirias High in Colwyn Bay.
Witness in Gordon Anglesea sex abuse trial says his claims were ‘brushed aside by Police’
The witness, who is not a complainant, said a stall holder he worked for at the local market would take boys to the former Crest Hotel in Wrexham where they would be abused.
The man said he went to the local police station but the officer he spoke to would not take the details because Anglesea was “a chief inspector or something like that”.
Jury in trial of ex-police chief Gordon Anglesea sworn in
5 Sep 2016
At Mold Crown Court a jury panel of 40 was first brought to court and members were told that the trial was listed for six weeks, although Judge Geraint Walters said that he expected it would take less than that.
Ex-police chief Gordon Anglesea ‘threatened abused boy’
Gordon Anglesea – friends Errol and Polly Edwards put his name forward to be guests of honour at St David’s Day dinner in Kuala Lumpur.
St David’s Society – one of the smallest Expat societies in Malaysia. The St David’s Society get together regularly for social events. Events include meeting up at various restaurants and bars for a social drink, following Welsh Sporting Events live, race days, wine & cheese tastings, to ultimately celebrating the St David’s Celebration as close to March 1st as possible with our friend Tony Warren (The Ultimate Tom Jones Malaysian tribute act).
Gordon Anglesea: Former police chief guilty of child sex abuse
Oct 21 2016
During the trial, Anglesea was questioned about links to other paedophiles, including Gary Cooke, who is currently serving 14 years in prison, and Peter Howarth, former deputy head of the Bryn Estyn children’s home, who died in prison in 1997.
In 1994, Anglesea was awarded £375,000 in libel damages after media organisations ran stories about his links to abuse at children’s homes in north Wales.
One report, published in 1991, detailed how Bryn Estyn residents claimed he was a regular visitor to the home.
He was granted bail until his sentencing hearing, which will take place 4TH NOVEMBER 2016
Why was paedophile ex-cop Gordon Anglesea allowed to leave Mold Crown Court in secret?
Oct 21 2016
Anglesea was granted bail until his sentencing on November 4 – but left the court by a back exit rather than through the front doors as is usually the case.
Asked why Anglesea was given special treatment, Mold Crown Court did not respond.
However, a source at the Ministry of Justice said the decision would have been taken by the court as well as the police.
Freemasons delete webpage on paedophile Gordon Anglesea’s libel judge:
Convicted paedophile, police superintendentand freemason Gordon Anglesea is dead.
in 1994, Anglesea was famously awarded £375,000 in libel damages against four media organisations who presciently linked Anglesea to allegations of child abuse by suggesting he had been a regular visitor to the infamous Bryn Estyn children’s home in North Wales.
But the libel judge – Sir Maurice Drake – gave a monstrously biased summing up in favour of Anglesea, inwhich he said:
“Experience in the courts shows that where men and women, boys and girls make complaints of sexual assault they do sometimes make up stories, either completely or exaggerate some incident out of all proportion so that it no longer bears any relationship to the truth.
“And of course a complaint that someone has sexually assaulted you is comparatively easy to make up and difficult to rebut. It is the nature of a sexual complaint that no one else is likely to have seen it.”
It turned out – unsurprisingly – that Justice Drake was, like Anglesea, a freemason.
Which is probably why the Provincial Grand Chapter of Hertfordshire has deleted all references to him being a member:
Which is a bit strange. because until recently, the Chapter even had a page eulogising Drake as one of their leading members:
Woman QC leads the way at the office and home; LEGAL WEEK.
LIVERPOOL’S only woman QC has taken the challenge of juggling home and work commitments to a new level.
Family, criminal and personal injury law specialist, Tania Griffiths, has a well-earned reputation as the city’s “tripping queen”, having spent 15 years defending the council against accident claims.
Last night she revealed her parallel life as a single mum to numerous foster children, many who suffered trauma and abuse at the hands of their natural parents, and some of whom she has adopted.
Last night, Ms Griffiths, 47, from Southport, told how she managed to balance a pioneering career with raising an often troublesome family alone.
Last autumn she became only the third female barrister in Liverpool to serve as a Queens Counsel, following in the footsteps of Rose Heilbron, who took silk in the 1960s, and now Judge Margaret de Haas.
Ms Griffiths has often forged new ground in the region’s legal world, becoming the first woman to be accepted to Liverpool’s biggest set, at Exchange Chambers, in 1982.
The daughter of a car painter and a nurse, former Christ the King Comprehensive pupil Ms Griffiths originally wanted to join the police, but changed her mind after starting a law degree at Liverpool Polytechnic.
Ms Griffiths says her title will allow her to pursue more high-profile criminal and family cases in Merseyside, while spending as much time as possible at home in Birkdale, where she lives with her adopted children next door to her father.
“I always wanted to have a family, and I was single, so at the age of 30 there was no man, and I thought if I don’t get a move on I’m never going to get my family,” she said.
Police ‘witch hunt’ criticised as former school master is cleared of abuse
Mr Roderick Ryall’s barrister, Tania Griffiths QC, said the complainants had used knowledge of sex offence convictions from 1988 to “jump on a bandwagon” to win compensation.
Peter Steen, 75, who had denied all 11 charges against him, walked free from court as solicitor blasts the Operation Pallial investigation
Speaking on behalf of Mr Steen, of Heol y Wal, Bradley, Wrexham, his solicitor Chris Saltrese said there had been a grave miscarriage of justice and blasted the Operation Pallial investigation, which was set up to investigate historic allegations of child abuse in the North Wales care system.
“There has been a damning indictment here, and not of my client, but of the National Crime Agency’s Operation Pallial which was hastily set up by the Prime Minister in November 2012 at the height of the Jimmy Savile hysteria.”
Acquittal on all charges in historic abuse case
A number of high profile defendants are currently facing charges and trial on allegations of historic sexual abuse. Senior Morgan Rose lawyer, Gary Lesin-Davis, instructing Tania Griffiths QC, secured acquittals on all counts, in January, for a client in a case at Liverpool Crown Court involving numerous serious allegations dating back to the 1970’s and 1980’s. The case required painstaking research into handwritten documentation and the advancing of complex legal argument to obtain the permission of the Judge to allow cross-examination upon their content. The client, a father and businessman of impeccable character and reputation, whose business required him to frequently travel to the US and Asia, faced the loss of his good character, livelihood and liberty and his acquittal now allows his reputation to remain untarnished.
W v Local Authority
Defending local authority in claims that the LA failed to intervene quickly enough in removing children from abusive households. Involved significant research of voluminous SSD records in relation to issues as to when the LA should have acted and the likely consequences for the claimant if action had been taken earlier. Issues as to whether disabilities in the children have been due to nature or nurture and as to future needs.
The Macur Review is an independent review, chaired by Lady Justice Macur, DBE. It’s a review of Sir Ronald Waterhouse’s inquiry into the abuse of children in care in the former Gwynedd and Clwyd council areas of North Wales between 1974 and 1996.
The Government have redacted, as we have heard, huge swathes of the Macur review, removing in particular the names of individuals who have been the subject of speculation and who have national recognition.
For example, the name Peter Morrison has been redacted from the report, but puzzlingly, other names—Greville Janner, Lord Gareth Williams—have not.
Mr David Jones (Clwyd West) (Con): If I may correct the hon. Gentleman, Peter Morrison’s name does appear in the body of the report. It is important that the hon. Gentleman clarifies that, because it is not redacted.
Ian C. Lucas: It appears in one part of the report, but it is also redacted in other parts of it. His name appears in the introduction, I believe, but in the part that relates to establishment figures, his name is redacted.
Mr David Jones: The point I was seeking to make is that his name is not wholly redacted, and since the hon. Gentleman is making a speech that covers very important matters, it is necessary to clarify that point.
Ian C. Lucas: I am grateful for that clarification, but in the chapter that relates to establishment figures, the two names that I referred to are not redacted, whereas Peter Morrison’s name is. It is very difficult to deduce a line of principle to see why someone made that decision. I think we need to have that information
ANGLESEA connects to JOHN ALLEN who connects to MICHAEL JOHN CAROLL of #islington #lambeth and PAUL BOATENG MP @ShirleyOaksSA
Back to Vaz – his friends and “charity colleagues”…
^ Purdew, Bercow and Vaz
Keith Vaz and old friend Stephen Purdew of Champneys:
19 July 2011
The silken-voiced Vaz and the rougher-sounding Purdew, who is worth in the region of £50 million, are old pals.
Cambridge-educated Vaz says their friendship goes back 20 years, and, indeed, it appears to have started after Purdew’s company took over Springs Hydro in Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire (Vaz is the MP for Leicester East).
It was soon publicised that Vaz was among those patronising the gymnasium. Vaz’s daughter Anjali was a bridesmaid when Purdew, 52, married blonde former model Isabele Cave, 30.
Purdew’s son by an earlier relationship, Robert, 19 — who recently did 10 days work experience in Vaz’s office — was best man.
…strong links between Stephen Purdew, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Paul Stephenson, Keith Vaz MP and News of the World executive Neil Wallis, who was involved in the phone hacking scandal.
Sir Paul Stephenson, Neils Wallis and Rebekah Brooks
Keith Vaz, MP, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, who grilled the Metropolitan Police Commissioner is a long time friend of Stephen Purdew and Godfather to his son.
Neil Wallis was PR to Champneys and also spin doctor to Sir Paul Stephenson.
o
![[linked image]](https://i0.wp.com/i8.photobucket.com/albums/a42/S-F1000/FMF/BrandrethMorrison.png)
Fry’s lurid details of the sex act with the young man and what he would or would not perform was too much for some guests. ‘Fry’s speech was deeply distasteful
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2618339/EPHRAIM-HARDCASTLE-Stephen-Frys-lurid-speech-liberal-minded-guests-dinner-event.html
Stephen Fry, Alastair Campbell and Lord Melvyn Bragg – Savile
Mental health charity Mind photocall
http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/paul-farmer-mind-apologises-report-pro-paedophile-leader-spoke-1975-event/communications/article/1305020
https://twitter.com/ian_pace/status/502389865695440896