finally they are going to look into Blunkett's abuse of his position with regards to his son's exam results. It really is time he went forever he's just incapable of playing fair. But he'll be saved as most of the people who were involved at the time have moved on 'been rewarded' to other departments...

New Labour - Same Old Sleaze

The allegation is that he had someone phone the exam board to find out if his son had been affected by marking errors. This allegation was made in the Mail on Sunday.

Even if it is true, is it that bad? He didn't ask for the marks to be changed, just asked a question. Have you never taken advantage of your job or work contacts to find somthing out?

He wanted the grades 'marking up' - just wait for the inquiry.
He got his office not to check if there was a problem but if there was a problem for 'his' son and to encourage the board to sort it out.

Work permit anyone?

So a father asks one of his office staff to check because he has concerns about the results. Sounds like good parenting to me

Any parent would have done the same thing in his position. I certainly would have. OK Blunkett is 'unconventional' sometimes in the way he does things - do we want Blair clones all over the place - I think not.

The press are unable to present any facts in a clear and objective manner, it's quiet at the moment for them and they need to sell papers - it's all about MONEY for them. I don't know why so many people waste their money on those rags.

Do you really want our politicians and democracy run by the Newspaper industry? What's their motive? We the people elect our MP's, lets not allow some rich, biased newspaper magnate to undermine our democratic right.

POliticians are paid a much bigger salary than the vast majority of people in this country . They have quite generous expense allowances and many privileges.
They have a special job as we have elected them to rule us and presumably , somewhere along the line , they have asked us to put our trust in them. It is NOT just any old job .
That is why they are under keener scrutiny than most people . One would imagine that after all these years , they would have the sense to be ultra-careful.
Regardless of the rights and wrongs of Blunket's later action , newspapers are there to look out for sleaze and /or corruption .Blunket has already proved himself to be a bit dodgy in the sleaze department , so obviously he has to be extra vigilant . Sure , it sells more newspapers -----it doesn't ALWAYS mean that the popular press is wrong . Their style may be horrible and even obnoxious , at times , but , over the years , they have exposed things that the public deserve to know about . Who pays these politicians their salaries anyway ?
Oh , yeah , the public ! What a surprise we're so intersted in what's happening !

Originally posted by Andy
The allegation is that he had someone phone the exam board to find out if his son had been affected by marking errors. This allegation was made in the Mail on Sunday.

Even if it is true, is it that bad? He didn't ask for the marks to be changed, just asked a question. Have you never taken advantage of your job or work contacts to find somthing out?
Exactly..and it's not like the Mail on Sunday to be over-sensationalist is it!!!!...they must have run out of terrorism headlines for this week.

After the 20% unemployment rates, low wages (typically £2.00 - £2.50 an hour), and soaring poverty we had to endure in South Yorkshire under the Tories, with hardly a whimper, God knows how anyone around here can dare to complain about Blair, Blunkett or anyone in the Government, and I recall how 930 people applied for one vacancy in a Sheffield scrapyard during that miserable Tory era.

Originally posted by firecracker
After the 20% unemployment rates, low wages (typically £2.00 - £2.50 an hour), and soaring poverty we had to endure in South Yorkshire under the Tories, with hardly a whimper, God knows how anyone around here can dare to complain about Blair, Blunkett or anyone in the Government, and I recall how 930 people applied for one vacancy in a Sheffield scrapyard during that miserable Tory era.

So we should roll over and let Blunkett, Blair and co do whatever they want because of an economic upturn? Dont think so.

Originally posted by wibbles
Exactly..and it's not like the Mail on Sunday to be over-sensationalist is it!!!!...they must have run out of terrorism headlines for this week.


The original story came from The Observer, so it isn't just a right-wing media witch hunt.

The Police Chief bloke's having a dig about him too in his new book....Looks like Pew's really upset them this time....they're all putting the boot in....be better just to trip him up ;)

Originally posted by goose
So we should roll over and let Blunkett, Blair and co do whatever they want because of an economic upturn? Dont think so.
So we are supposed to believe that everything was so hunky dory when 20% of the South Yorkshire workforce was unemployed, and those in work were told to be grateful for £2 or £2.50 an hour, and got branded as "the enemy within" if they dared fight for their jobs. One thing we can be certain of - things are far better now than what they were in that golden "On yer bike" and "stagnant pools" era of Thatcher and Major. I'd rather have Blair and Blunkett any day over Thatcher, Major, Ken Clarke or any of the job-destroying Tory mob.

Sound like the gutter paper making the allegations should get back in the rat hole it appeared from.
If I could I would certainly be enquiring about my chil'd exam performances as any decent parent should.

Originally posted by SCENIC
Sound like the gutter paper making the allegations should get back in the rat hole it appeared from.
If I could I would certainly be enquiring about my chil'd exam performances as any decent parent should.
You only need to look at the paper - Mail on Sunday, from the Daily Mail stable. It has been Labour-hating for over 80 years - the forged Zinoviev letter implying Labour were taking orders from the Bolsheviks was used against Labour with deadly effect in the 1925 General Election. And we know that the Daily Mail ran the headline "Hurrah for the Blackshirts" and told its readers that Britain needs a leader with the direction and sense of purpose as Hitler and Mussolini in its 8th January 1934 issue. And its been lie after lie, smear after smear ever since.

Originally posted by Hels

Do you really want our politicians and democracy run by the Newspaper industry? What's their motive? We the people elect our MP's, lets not allow some rich, biased newspaper magnate to undermine our democratic right.

Lance Price in his memoirs claims that Downing street promised to consult Rupert Murdoch before making any changes to Nulabour's policy on Europe. The press do seem to exert a significant influence which hasn't been helped by Tony Blair's listening more to Alastair Campbell than to his cabinet and MPs.

It's a fact of political life these days that the press make the news rather than just report it. ;)

Originally posted by firecracker
So we are supposed to believe that everything was so hunky dory when 20% of the South Yorkshire workforce was unemployed, and those in work were told to be grateful for £2 or £2.50 an hour, .

How does £2.50 in the time you're talking about compare in buying power of the current minimum wage of £3.50 an hour now. ?

Tony Blair is a great admirer of Margaret Thatcher and seems just as anxious to suck up to the CBI as she was. Pity he hasn't the courage to stand up to the press as she did, - he seems running scared of the press barons.

Originally posted by Internetowl
finally they are going to look into Blunkett's abuse of his position with regards to his son's exam results. It really is time he went forever he's just incapable of playing fair. But he'll be saved as most of the people who were involved at the time have moved on 'been rewarded' to other departments...

New Labour - Same Old Sleaze
does he read the forum?

I'm sure his lackies do...he'd struggle. How else woul he know whats going on in the city...

Originally posted by Greybeard
How does £2.50 in the time you're talking about compare in buying power of the current minimum wage of £3.50 an hour now. ?

Tony Blair is a great admirer of Margaret Thatcher and seems just as anxious to suck up to the CBI as she was. Pity he hasn't the courage to stand up to the press as she did, - he seems running scared of the press barons.

Minimum wage is over £5 an hour now. Only 10 years ago, people were working for £2.50 an hour - or less, and during the Thatcher era, 20% of the South Yorkshire workforce were getting no wage at all. Lastly, Mrs Thatcher didn't need to stand up to the Press - they were firmly on her side.

If my child had been sitting exams when the furore about the marking was identified, I would have wanted to know if my childs results had been affected.

Had I been working in a position which gave me the knowledge of who to call to find out - I would have used that knowledge.

If that is all Blunkett did, then I don't see any problem at all. If, he in any way asked for his son's marks to be changed, then that is a different matter. The first action is using one's knowledge the second is abusing one's position - two very different issues.

I have no doubt that there are many questionable activities undertaken by MP's but I do feel the press use the information they have to meet their own ends - not for the public interest. The press can make or break anyone - be they politicians or celebrities. The press do not face the same intense scrutiny or guidelines that MP's do. More openess and transparancy of the Government and Politicians (I know it is moving in this direction slowly) would help anyone who is interested to see what is happening and why decisions are made.

The press takes a grain of truth and grows it into a full blown but generally factually questionable story - but only if they think it's going to sell newspapers.

Originally posted by firecracker
So we are supposed to believe that everything was so hunky dory when 20% of the South Yorkshire workforce was unemployed, and those in work were told to be grateful for £2 or £2.50 an hour, and got branded as "the enemy within" if they dared fight for their jobs. One thing we can be certain of - things are far better now than what they were in that golden "On yer bike" and "stagnant pools" era of Thatcher and Major. I'd rather have Blair and Blunkett any day over Thatcher, Major, Ken Clarke or any of the job-destroying Tory mob.

What a stupid response, im not saying i want a return to the eighties. Is it too much to ask for a prosperous economy and a Government that isnt arrogant and authoritarian. Face it, New Labour are just an extension of Maggie Thatcher.

Let me make it clear that i am no Tory, but i have to say you are wrong when calling Ken Clarke 'job destroying'. Theres a good argument that, as chancellor, he turned the economy round just for Labour to profit when they came in.

Originally posted by firecracker
I'd rather have Blair and Blunkett any day over Thatcher, Major, Ken Clarke or any of the job-destroying Tory mob.

I guess you prefer the "job-creating" Gordon Brown?

Just a shame a massive number of these jobs are unproductive public sector ones I guess!

Interesting nuggets of info can be found here:

http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/uploaded_files/resources_files/5_BumperBook2004.pdf

Originally posted by barny_100
I guess you prefer the "job-creating" Gordon Brown?

Just a shame a massive number of these jobs are unproductive public sector ones I guess!


In addition I remembered I read this the other day that is very relevant and interesting:

http://dailypropaganda.co.uk/mt/archives/2005/09/index.html#a000165

I realise there are many of you out there who feel oblidged to support the corrupt bully who goes by the name of David Blunkett.

He abused his position when he needed a nanny for his lovechild. Now to find that this is not the first time you must question Blair's state of mind - Blulnkett is not to be trusted and should not hold any position of power within the British Government.

Saying that should any Labour/Conservative/Liberal Democrat - politics corrupts fact.

Originally posted by lidz
politics corrupts fact.

I'd disagree there, it's just that to want to be in a environment where you controls peoples lives takes a certain type of person, and sadly anyone who wants to control another's life tend to be an arsehole in the first place. Them being in power just exacerbates that.

Wilf

I say get him out. He is hell bent on taking money from needy people with his so called reforms of benefits. The sooner he goes the better.

Originally posted by slimsid2000
I say get him out. He is hell bent on taking money from needy people with his so called reforms of benefits. The sooner he goes the better.

I thought his idea was to stop paying money to those people who claim benefits they shouldn't really be claiming. Sounds like a good idea to me.... even though I don't like Blunkett.