[davidjay]

A graduate with a good job is a lot less streetwise than a scal who left school at 12.

Not in this respect. A graduate (Nottingham) is likely to know some lawyers as friends, for starters, even if she knew nothing about law herself (which I think is unlikely). I think it's unlikely that she'd be dependent on some (by her account) incompetent duty solicitor.

If that's what she said, I see no reason to disbelieve her. I can only go by my own experiences - the first time you're on the wrong side of the law, or for that matter caught up in the benefits system, can be a bewildering and traumatic event.

[Crabcakes]

Whatever regulation of the media you think there should be, Leveson 2 is a red herring. It was very specific, and hard to see why it wasn't all covered as part of the original Leveson. Well, not hard to see why, if you know what I mean.

What is Leveson 2?
The Leveson inquiry, led by judge Sir Brian Leveson, started in 2011 after it emerged that journalists at Rupert Murdoch’s now defunct News of the World tabloid hacked the phone of murdered school girl Milly Dowler. The first part of the inquiry looked at the culture, practices and ethics of the press. The second part was meant to be an investigation into the relationship between journalists and the police.

Don't think any sensible or workable regulation is going to stop Sky headhunting for resignations.

True, the precise content of Leveson 2 if it is left exactly as was wouldn’t cover it. But the further public exposure of extremely dubious practices whose only defence is “it’s in the public interest, guv” would renew calls for , and momentum behind, establishing a proper, compulsory and independent press watchdog that has real powers.

The alternative is a long slow slide to a world of Fox and Newsmax.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Say what you like about Sky News, it's not Fox or Newsmax.

As I understand it, Ofcom's got reasonable powers already if it uses them.

[Youngian]

Not in this respect. A graduate (Nottingham) is likely to know some lawyers as friends, for starters, even if she knew nothing about law herself (which I think is unlikely). I think it's unlikely that she'd be dependent on some (by her account) incompetent duty solicitor.

Likely her friends at work said at least get a mobile out of your shitty experience as the insurance company won’t question a verified mugging, we all bullshit the insurance companies, it’s not a real crime.

[Tubby Isaacs]

If that's what she said, I see no reason to disbelieve her. I can only go by my own experiences - the first time you're on the wrong side of the law, or for that matter caught up in the benefits system, can be a bewildering and traumstic event.

The mugging was traumatic, but as I understand it, the prosecution was sometime after, once the employer had realized that the phone hadn't been stolen. I like her, and I hope she comes back, but I think it's at least as likely that she did exactly what she pleaded guilty to.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Likely her friends at work said at least get a mobile out of your shitty experience as the insurance company won’t question a verified mugging, we all bullshit the insurance companies, it’s not a real crime.

I wouldn't have thought so, seeing it was a very tech literate insurance company she was working for. I'm surprised that they tracked and pressed charges, but she probably shouldn't have been.

I don't want to be too pious here. But I think she probably did what she pleaded guilty to.

[Oboogie]

Not in this respect. A graduate (Nottingham) is likely to know some lawyers as friends, for starters, even if she knew nothing about law herself (which I think is unlikely). I think it's unlikely that she'd be dependent on some (by her account) incompetent duty solicitor.

Likely her friends at work said at least get a mobile out of your shitty experience as the insurance company won’t question a verified mugging, we all bullshit the insurance companies, it’s not a real crime.

This.
About 20 years ago I experienced a rear end shunt on my commute to work. My teaching colleagues advised me to claim I had whiplash to get the compo.
In the past I've also come across people who routinely fraudulently claim on holiday insurance as a discount - fictional expensive cameras are popular choice. I've been called a mug for not taking advantage of the free money.

[NevTheSweeper]

By the way Nev since you applied to be a canidate FOUR times, what were the reasons given?

I was turned down on three occasions without an interview. On the fourth, I narrowly lost out on selection for a paper candidate.

[NevTheSweeper]

Whatever one's view of this debacle, it once again exposes Starmer's poor political judgement. If he knew of Haigh's past conviction, she should have never been picked for a cabinet position. No doubt the press will bring out more "exposures" of past MPs missteps in the hope that they will continue to destabilise the government and bring forward the distant hope of a fresh general election.

The absolute opposite. It shows he is willing to look past the superficial and recognise talent, and that he is willing to take a risk if it means putting that talent into use for the public good. You want a criticism? He was arguably too optimistic that the press wouldn’t make such an absurd mountain out of a molehill about it, and given their leniency with the array of corruptions and dodgy dealings from the past government, even that is arguably understandable - you might well have thought they’d want to avoid bringing up MP’s pasts, given the current LOTO has confessed to cybercrimes, and a whole swathe of Tories have very, very dubious pasts.

But as I say, I’m hopeful this has had the effect of making the cabinet look very seriously again at Leveson 2. Sky’s desperation to win a ‘gotcha’ leading to much needed proper press regulation and rebalancing would be a perfect epilogue to this.

Media reform is a long way off, unfortunately. Starmer still seems determined to appease the press.

[Youngian]

Not in this respect. A graduate (Nottingham) is likely to know some lawyers as friends, for starters, even if she knew nothing about law herself (which I think is unlikely). I think it's unlikely that she'd be dependent on some (by her account) incompetent duty solicitor.

Likely her friends at work said at least get a mobile out of your shitty experience as the insurance company won’t question a verified mugging, we all bullshit the insurance companies, it’s not a real crime.

This.
About 20 years ago I experienced a rear end shunt on my commute to work. My teaching colleagues advised me to claim I had whiplash to get the compo.
In the past I've also come across people who routinely fraudulently claim on holiday insurance as a discount - fictional expensive cameras are popular choice. I've been called a mug for not taking advantage of the free money.

There's also the prospect of you being chosen as the random mug to investigate to serve as a deterrent as Lou Haigh was. And you'll pay through being a higher insurance risk.
I was pleasantly puzzled why the insurance company sent me £150 more than the roofer charged me for repairs after a storm. Maybe it was because my wrap sheet was free of tacky low level scams.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

By the way Nev since you applied to be a canidate FOUR times, what were the reasons given?

I was turned down on three occasions without an interview. On the fourth, I narrowly lost out on selection for a paper candidate.

I call bollocks on that. You don't run selections for paper candidates.

[Crabcakes]

Just to put this in perspective. When the Tories had a scandal, it was (a) an *actual* scandal so bad even their client media couldn’t sweep it under the carpet, and (b) all their energy was spent denying it for as long as possible. Or worse still, they used scandals as dead cats to get away with something else awful under the radar.

This week, while this manufactured nonsense went on, all this happened thanks to having a Labour govt.:
*Free school breakfast clubs launched in 750 schools
*Bibby Stockholm shut down for good
*Plans announced to change gambling laws that will raise levies that will go direct to NHS gambling addiction services
*stronger protections for domestic abuse survivors, whose abusers will have longer prison sentences if they try and approach their victims
*legal aid boost for vulnerable people
*veterans to get easier access to social housing
*smoking ban for young people clears first stage to becoming law
*drink spiking to become a specific crime

[The Weeping Angel]

By the way Nev since you applied to be a canidate FOUR times, what were the reasons given?

I was turned down on three occasions without an interview. On the fourth, I narrowly lost out on selection for a paper candidate.

Of course you were

[Abernathy]

Like Malcolm, I have served on candidate interview teams for my regional party, and I can tell you that no applicant is rejected without being interviewed - unless there is a particularly egregious reason to do so, for example having recently been a BNP candidate or member. It's also the case that nobody is turned down who is willing to contest a seat as a "paper" candidate - in fact such people are strongly encouraged to contest those seats as it is a valuable way of building experience with a view to contesting a winnable seat at a future date.

What was your egregious reason for being rejected four times, Nev?

[Watchman]

Even I’ve been asked to stand as a “paper” candidate

[davidjay]

By the way Nev since you applied to be a canidate FOUR times, what were the reasons given?

I was turned down on three occasions without an interview. On the fourth, I narrowly lost out on selection for a paper candidate.

For which party?

[mattomac]

Even I’ve been asked to stand as a “paper” candidate

Pretty much what I did in 2009.

Been asked a few times. All I had to do was go and see local Labour members some of them were like interviews mind

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Just to put this in perspective. When the Tories had a scandal, it was (a) an *actual* scandal so bad even their client media couldn’t sweep it under the carpet, and (b) all their energy was spent denying it for as long as possible. Or worse still, they used scandals as dead cats to get away with something else awful under the radar.

This week, while this manufactured nonsense went on, all this happened thanks to having a Labour govt.:
*Free school breakfast clubs launched in 750 schools
*Bibby Stockholm shut down for good
*Plans announced to change gambling laws that will raise levies that will go direct to NHS gambling addiction services
*stronger protections for domestic abuse survivors, whose abusers will have longer prison sentences if they try and approach their victims
*legal aid boost for vulnerable people
*veterans to get easier access to social housing
*smoking ban for young people clears first stage to becoming law
*drink spiking to become a specific crime

I hope you don't mind but I've pinched that.

[Tubby Isaacs]

At the risk of pissing on chips, the extra tax from gambling does seem underwhelming. Think it’s £100m a year. I think very often stories about lobbying are overdone. “Private healthcare interests” for instance can often mean no more than “got a client who makes life saving drugs”.

But there are some Labour people involved with gambling, who shouldn’t be and the tax really could have been a lot higher. (And I say that as someone who always halves whatever projections people make for their particular hobby horse taxes).

But it is £100m we weren’t getting before. So credit for that.

[Crabcakes]

I hope you don't mind but I've pinched that.

Not at all. For full disclosure, I cobbled it together from a couple of other social media posts anyway!