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Liz's avatar

Is that the Jacqui Smith who used to be (my) MP who claimed for her husband's porn films on expenses?

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Alan Richards's avatar

So six years after the Savile sexual abuse scandal was revealed, BBC Radio 4's PM programme presenter Carolyn Quinn was so uncurious about a potential government policy to ignore child sex abuse that she or the team never followed it up. Unbelievable.

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Douglas Brodie's avatar

Great analysis. Here’s another analysis on Nazir Afzal by Matt Brown in TCW (no mention of the “lifestyle choice” controversy) who paints Afzal as being “adept at the cross-party political playbook of what you may call ‘soft concealment’ in the rape gangs, … virtually presenting the gang rapists as victims themselves”: https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/starmers-mr-fixit-and-the-great-rape-gang-cover-up/.

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Jaime Jessop's avatar

"It is clear that, during Afzal’s four years heading the CPS in the North West, some procedural changes were instituted which did enable – finally – some successful prosecutions to be brought. It may be that he had the central role in this which he is always happy to portray; we cannot know."

My guess is that he nullified the earlier Home Office memo to police forces which urged them to treat the victims as "consenting" to sex. That was why prosecutions were suddenly forthcoming.

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Chris Cox's avatar

Absolutely brilliant. Well done Jamie

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