Well, well, well. Whatever next? In a week that has seen published lists of items claimed for by MP's more reminiscent of the conveyor belt on Bruce Forsythe's Generation Game than reasonable work-related expenses, (stone sink, patio set, barbecue, etc) there is something that most of us would have gladly provided - and I don't mean the deep fat-fryer or cuddly toy.
For goodness' sake, why didn't anyone treat Bob Quick, Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner, to a brief-case? Or maybe a plastic document holder? Or even a big brown envelope?
Whilst it's very worrying that such a senior officer in counter-terrorism would be so daft as to carry Top Secret documents in plain sight of journalists with long-range lenses, I'm not really sure if his resignation will do anyone any good or not. He obviously felt he had to go, and I suppose the least we can say about him is that having dropped such a monumental clanger, he's bitten the bullet and done the decent thing. I guess many of the MPs who are currently working their way through piles of expenses receipts with black marker pens this Easter weekend will be thankful to Mr Quick for getting their subsidised shopping lists off the front page for a few days. Having someone else held up to ridicule must come as a bit of a relief to them, and a very welcome change no doubt.
It's hard these days to watch the news and not have the feeling that the lid is about to pop off yet another can of worms, or several cans for that matter, with more revelations that embarrass and diminish us as a nation, which I find both infuriating and rather sad.
But anyway, enough already. See what happens when I try to get more politically aware? They all start to piss me off and then I'm forced to rant. I can't do anything about any of it so no more sniping from me. I'll just go back to reading the fashion pages of the newspapers, try to ignore the political bits and turn off the TV after Eastenders. All this intrigue is wearing me out.
I will now definitely be resting my case.
Unlike Mr. Quick of course, who sadly hasn't got one.
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20 comments:
Oh no, I think you need to keep up this regular rant. It is very to the point and very educating to me as a Dutch person, because I wonder what's got away with here. Please keep addressing political injustices and I will see if we've got anything similar going on over here. And you do tell the stories so well. No one can top them for entertainment value while at the same time being very informative.
Ciao,
Irene
Hi Irene! Lovely to read you again.
Exactly!! My comment on the story was that I write my school's entrance exam and whenever I transport it from a locked filing cabinet in school to home to work on it, I put it in my LOCKED BRIEFCASE! And that's just a school entrance exam. It's not rocket science, is it? Confidential documents in a locked briefcase. How stupid are these people?
Yup, Mr Quick was a little Mr Slow, but I bet he was working on the documents in the car, and gathered them up to go into the meeting. He didn't leave them on a train/in a taxi/in the pub/in a brothel after all. That someone should lose their job over a daft idiotic moment such as this seems pathetic. A good chap, good career, good record, and all that experience and talent lost for a momentary lapse that anyone could have suffered.
On the other hand, let's sack all those MPs who say "yes, but my expenses claim was within the rules", when quite clearly, they aren't playing the same game as the rest of us.
No, no, no, it's lovely to read you again.
Keep on rantin'
I agree - carrying those papers openly with the experience he is supposed to have had is plain stupid. Imagine if I took casenotes out in front of the public and press like that! And it would only have a name and a doctor's name on the front of them! Silly man.
It is good to hear you rant again though. You say what the rest of us think!
That news has made it over here as well. Astounding really.
I even get to read about the expenses your government people get to claim.
I wish I could!
Working Mum, I know what you mean -it's just common sense really, which seems to be in short supply at the moment.
Mopsa, I agree with you - I think the guy just had a momentary lapse, although a serious one. At least it wasn't premeditated and deliberate as in the case of the serial expense fiddlers. I know who I'd sack first!
Norman, Hi. Now I've started it's really hard to stop ranting. Maybe I'll be better now I'm eating chocolate since Lent's over!
Hi Cath, I'm afraid ranting is becoming my speciality of late, unfortunately.
Aims, it's really sad that this sort of stuff is what we're best known for at the moment.
It was just about the most silly thing that any one could do and to think that he was in such a senior position. What about all his colleagues? Surely they must have noticed too?
A brief case might have saved him his job. Bet he regrets not having one now.
Not a very intelligent thing to do particularly as it isn't so long since one of our ministers was critiscised for a very similar thing. What next I wonder! A x
SM, glad to see you posting again. I know what you mean about politicians getting you down- you should come here to Irealnd, not. We're getting one shock after another, and taxes raised twice on top of that.
Yes, definitely better not to think about it. Any holiday plans, or is that another bad question?, mimi
Hi Maggie May, yes I guess that's one thing which will be on his Christmas list - one briefcase - although maybe he won't be needing it any more.
Hi SJ Anne, do you think they're all the same? What a terrible thought.
Mimi, hi! Lovely to read you again. No holiday plans as yet, but thinking about it all the time. Definitely not Corsica though!
It was hard to believe, wasn't it? I don't know what he was thinking about. I suppose he just wasn't thinking at all, unfortunately.
Actually, I need a briefcase.
Swearingmother, I've just read the comment you kindly put on my blog, on 7th Sept 2007! Thank you! That must have been the shortest-lived blog in history- I couldn't find it after getting my son to help set it up!
Have started a new one now, which has the sum total of 3 posts, in the space of only 1 week! I'll tyr tomerge the 2, as I prefer the old name.. "Son, wher are you?" hope you're well, mimi
I think it's all the fault of the recession. They've had to cut back and see what happens!
I had to go private with my blog. If you want an invite, email me at rottencorrespondent@gmail.com.
It is so shaming isn't it. You're right, even a plastic bag would have been better than nothing. Although even if he had a briefcase, so many of these senior security people seem to go around leaving theirs in taxis I'm sure that would have gone awry too.
Thank you for the stuff, I really appreciate it.
Christi
Briefcase
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