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| The truth about ‘Makeover
Ruth’ |
Ruth Kelly poses for the snappers at Gospel Oak Children’s
Centre – Cllr Raj Chada is pictured centre |
RUTH Kelly, Secretary of State for Education, has always been
accused of being a little lacking in humour: a couple of months
back I christened her ‘The Dalek’ because of her droning
voice.
So when she showed up at Gospel Oak Children’s Centre on Tuesday
morning to promote the Children’s Bill, I was impressed by
her new, less frumpy image – high-heeled shoes and a snazzy
baby-blue suit where once she would have worn grey with flats.
The children certainly seemed to like her as she moved from group
to group, posing for a gaggle of six photographers with the assurance
of someone who has, dare I say it, recently been coached in the
fine art of modelling.
But when the visit came to an end and I approached her to ask her
about the desperate lack of school places in Camden, she came over
all coy.
Looking desperately at her spin doctor for guidance, the former
Guardian journalist told me she would “like to” answer
but followed the lackey’s advice and stayed schtum. She was,
she said: “Here for the Children’s Bill.” And nothing
would move her to talk.
It’s a position often adopted by New Labour politicians who
are happy to be photographed in positive surroundings in Camden
but less agreeable when asked to account for their own policies
by the local paper.
The bright and ambitious council leader Raj Chada, on hand to escort
the minister on Tuesday, declined to comment on the ethics of her
visit.
Approachable and always available to answer journalists questions,
here’s hoping he doesn’t end up adopting similar tactics
as he continues his climb up the slippery pole.
Cops play judge, jury and executioners
MY phone never stopped ringing on Friday about the story you
couldn’t make up – the domestic tiff between the Sun editor
Rebekah Wade and her chap, EastEnder Ross Kemp (pictured right).
Contacts in the media – including one who moves in Royal circles
– regaled me with the most deliciously unprintable tales.
But I would have probably forgotten the whole thing the next day
if I hadn’t recently come across an entirely different type
of domestic tiff between two sisters in Kentish Town.
It seems a row between the sisters soon developed into a bit of
fisticuffs leaving both of them bruised. There my interest would
have waned if one of them had not raced off late at night to register
a complaint at a local police station.
Astonishingly, within days the sister who had not made a complaint
received a stern letter signed by a senior police officer under
a heading referring to domestic violence between ‘partners’.
It warned the sister that account had been taken of the ‘victim’s’
evidence and though she would not be prosecuted this time she was
guilty of a ‘detected crime’.
I have always been a believer in the rule of law and assumed that
the police would carry out some form of an investigation before
accusing anyone of a ‘crime’.
Somewhere in police records – however deeply buried –
there is now on file the name and address of a woman who is recorded
as being responsible for a ‘detected crime’ although no
one in the Met has seen her or even spoken to her over the phone.
In the absence of corroborating evidence it is usually impossible
for the police to discover in a domestic tiff who was the assailant
and who the victim.
But in this case, it seems a police officer was able to act as judge,
jury and executioner without leaving his desk.
I wouldn’t dream for a moment to think we are living in a police
state but when Tony Blair was barracked with that description in
the Commons’ debate yesterday (Wednesday) on the Terrorism
Bill, the words held a curious resonance with me.
Just doing my job
From left: PC Peter McDonagh, Sgt Graham Cross and PC Chris
Mitchell, all based at Albany Street, outside Downing Street
|
THE Downing Street reception Tony Blair hosted for the emergency
services on Monday was a heaven-sent opportunity to promote his
call for 90-day detention without trial.
And among the police, ambulance and firefighting heroes at the party
was 43-year-old PC Peter McDonagh of Albany Street Police Station,
one of the first officers on the scene of the bus blown up in Tavistock
Square on July 7.
PC McDonagh, alas, did not get to meet the Prime Minister, who,
he told me: “Arrived an hour late – he must have had something
more important to do.”
Indeed, Mr Blair had been busy unsucessfully trying to convince
his Labour colleagues at a special Parliamentary meeting to back
his version of the Terrorism Bill.
PC McDonagh, who happened to be in Woburn Place saw the bus blow
up and was administering first aid within a minute, told me: “For
a while afterwards I looked at every bus differently, but now it’s
back to normal.
“I leave the politics to the politicians and get on with my
job.”
Luckily for those of us who value our civil liberties – including
our MPs Frank Dobson and Glenda Jackson – Labour MPs had about
as much interest on Monday in what the Prime Minister had to say
at that meeting as PC McDonagh.
Remembering the fallen only way to end
wars
Flick Rea |
FOR years I have written in this column about a few of the dead
of the World War II who lie in a corner of Hampstead Cemetery in
Fortune Green Road, West Hampstead.
Five years ago a few WWII veterans, members of Hampstead British
Legion, would assemble on Armistice Day. But once the Legion branch
was wound up, fewer and fewer people turned up until two years ago
I found myself alone.
After standing eerily alone before the Cenotaph on the green I would
take a look at the row of gravestones behind it and there –
as always – would find poppies placed delicately on the grave
of a young airman killed in action presumably put there by his relatives.
For the past couple of years I have written despairingly about the
Armistice ceremony that never takes place.
Now, Lib Dem councillor Flick Rea, who lives near the cemetery,
has persuaded the powers to organise a ceremony on the green after
reading my little pieces. On Sunday morning, I am delighted to report,
deputy mayor Abdul Quadir will lay a wreath at 10.45.
While wars are raged some may think such ceremonies achieve very
little. But we can only hope that by keeping alive memories of those
who sacrificed their all we will eventually turn people away from
war.
Frank talking
I COULDN’T help chuckling over the reported response of
our most down-to-earth MP Frank Dobson to David Blunkett’s
resignation.
He said it emphasised his own ‘Dobson’s Law’ which
is: ‘You can get caught with your hand up a skirt, but you
can’t get caught with one hand in the till and the other up
a skirt.”
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