Tag Archives: gang

Tory manipulation tactic exposed as child sex ring convicted

Police: considering the content of the story, this seemed the safest image to use.

I suggested this would happen.

After Rishi Sunak announced that his government would crack down on child grooming gangs, I commented:

If I had been Sunak, I would not have announced any crackdown until after I had ordered it – and after I knew I would be able to announce a success.

I wonder if we will soon be told a child sex ring has been broken.

And so it has come to pass.

A child sex ring has indeed been broken – in the West Midlands, with 21 people convicted.

A series of trials have taken place and 13 of the defendants jailed, with four more to be sentenced later. The case could only be reported today, after the last trial had ended.

This means that Rishi Sunak would have known about it before he announced his crackdown on child sex offences on Monday.

In fairness, I haven’t seen any comment from the government about this, so I can’t say Sunak has taken credit for it. That would be wholly wrong, considering the timing of his announcement and the fact that these trials were already happening.

But then, he doesn’t have to.

The juxtaposition is enough: he announced a crackdown on Monday and convictions were reported today.

No doubt gullible people across the UK are already telling each other how amazing the government has been in tracking down the perverts.

In fact, all Sunak did was spot a bandwagon coming towards him and jump on it. I wonder how long we’ll have to wait for the first genuine result to come from his announcement.

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Sunak orders crackdown on child grooming gangs – and HE’s not racist about it

Suella Braverman and Rishi Sunak: SHE failed to restrain herself from accusing people of foreign descent of responsibility for child sex crimes in the UK. HE hasn’t made that mistake – but can he live up to his pledge? 

We knew this was coming because Home Secretary Suella Braverman has already spoken about it. Sadly, she couldn’t hold back from injecting racism into her words.

The Sky News report below has it right: while Braverman attacked British Pakistani men as being responsible for child grooming gangs, the vast majority of child sexual exploitation gangs in the UK are composed of white men – and it’s unlikely that the statistic would be changed if police who shied away from their job for fear of being accused of racism had shown a little more backbone.

I do share the scepticism of the child sexual abuse survivor. We heard those statistics in Prime Minister’s Questions last week (March 29): 300 rapes take place every day but women brave enough to report them have just a 1.6 per cent chance of ever seeing their attacker face justice in court.

The average wait for a rape case to reach court is now three years, and 175 have been abandoned because the victim was so brutalised by the experience that she felt unable to go on.

If I had been Sunak, I would not have announced any crackdown until after I had ordered it – and after I knew I would be able to announce a success.

I wonder if we will soon be told a child sex ring has been broken – or if this struggling leader of an inept government is going to fumble even this.

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Tory algorithm smears people with disabilities as benefit fraudsters

Habitual cruelty: this is just the latest instance of the Tories persecuting people with long-term illnesses and disabilities.

My word – the Tories have been victimising people on the advice of an algorithm again. Haven’t we been here before?

YES, WE HAVE – former Education Secretary Gavin Williamson was pilloried two summers ago for using a computer-generated artificial intelligence program to steal high grades from state school pupils.

Now it seems people with disabilities are being targeted as benefit fraudsters by the DWP, based on an algorithm – and nothing else.

Is it the same algorithm, perhaps? The DWP isn’t telling – but may soon be forced into another potentially self-damaging revelation under threat of court action.

It doesn’t bode well for the AI that Sajid Javid is buying in for the NHS. But then, it’s a system from a company in which Javid himself owns shares (or share options – what’s the difference?).

What’s the betting that the Tory cheapskates have been using the same algorithm for all three?

The Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People (GMCDP), together with campaign group Foxglove, is taking action against the DWP after concerns were raised by the charity Privacy International, which first found references in a DWP report to its use of “cutting-edge artificial intelligence to crack down on organised criminal gangs committing large-scale benefit fraud”.

“Organised criminal gangs”?

Disabled people… living in “fear of the brown envelope” showing their case was being investigated.

Campaigners say that once flagged, those being examined can face an invasive and humiliating investigation lasting up to a year.

A “huge percentage” of the group has been affected by the system.

“We’re tired of the fear of the brown envelope and tired of being repeatedly forced by DWP officials just to justify who we are,” said Rick Burgess of the GMCDP. “It’s time for the DWP to come clean about how this algorithm works and explain why so many disabled people are flagged for investigation. Disabled people need support – not being ground down by a brutal system that assumes we are fraudulent until proven innocent.”

The Guardian‘s article highlighted a 2019 UN report into the “digital welfare state” that said algorithms were “highly likely” to repeat biases reflected in existing data and make them even worse.

It added: “Inbuilt forms of discrimination can fatally undermine the right to social protection for key groups and individuals.”

The government has until Friday to respond to the legal letter but, again according to the article, “has so far rebuffed attempts to explain how the algorithm behind the system was compiled”.

They’re trying to come up with an excuse that will stand up to examination – and I don’t think they’re going to meet that Friday deadline!

Source: DWP urged to reveal algorithm that ‘targets’ disabled for benefit fraud | Disability | The Guardian

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UKIP appoints jailbird who nearly ruined a rape trial as adviser on prison reform and rape gangs

Grinning idiots: UKIP leader Gerard Batten shakes all credibility away as he shakes hands with Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (Tommy Robinson) and gives him a position of responsibility in his inner circle.

No wonder Brexit is such a godawful mess when the political organisation that campaigned to achieve it for decades appoints a far-right extremist who was sent to prison after he nearly ruined the trial of a major rape gang as its special adviser on prison reform and rape gangs.

Not only has UKIP leader Gerard Batten allowed Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (also known as Tommy Robinson) into his party; he has also given him a job that can only be seen as an insult to the public.

And the reaction has been exactly what we should expect:

https://twitter.com/DickCoughlan/status/1065676244338057217

Andy King’s opinion is particularly sharp:

https://twitter.com/AndyMoboboKing/status/1065672803322658816

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Teenage group set homeless man on fire – for fun

The scene of the crime.

This is the flipside of the story published on This Site last weekend, in which a woman set herself alight in a local government housing office.

That story was horrifying enough, as it was about a person who deliberately set herself alight, for reasons that may never be clarified, considering the lack of interest shown by the news media.

This one is equally horrifying, if not more so. It indicates that irresponsible kids have been emboldened to believe they can burn property belonging to someone else, and even flirt with murder, with impunity.

It is possible to suggest that government policy is responsible for the shameful behaviour of this gang of parasites; not only have the Tories encouraged an atmosphere in which the homeless are considered to be less-than-human – while implementing cuts that mean rough sleeping has increased by 169 per cent, but they have also reduced police numbers beyond the point at which preventative law enforcement is feasible.

So we end up with a situation in which many people reading the following story will say to themselves, “Who cares if the police couldn’t do anything? It was only some homeless bum.”

Riiiight. But success at eluding capture means these people will become bolder. What will you do when they walk into your home and start making a mess of it – and you?

A group of teenagers are being sought after by police after a homeless man was set on fire in Northampton.

The 49-year-old rough sleeper, believed to have early onset dementia, was bedded down in a bus shelter when they struck.

Bianca Todd, his niece-in-law, was reportedly driving past the shelter when she noticed a number of people standing near him. She got out of the car and saw flames rising from the bottom of his sleeping bag.

Ms Todd said that another rough sleeper told her the teenagers were responsible, although this has not been confirmed by police.

“I went to go and put it out but he was fast asleep, he didn’t realise he was on fire,” she told the Northampton Chronicle. “If his friend hadn’t have spotted him, he would be dead.”

Source: Homeless man with dementia set on fire ‘by group of teenagers’ in Northampton | The Independent

SNP should sort out the Salmond-masked assaulters

Salmond mask: This shot appears to have been posed for The Independent so it seems unlikely that any of these were the perpetrators of the attack on Ed Miliband.

Salmond mask: This shot appears to have been posed for The Independent so it seems unlikely that any of these were the perpetrators of the attack on Ed Miliband.

Political activist thugs donned ‘Alex Salmond’ masks to attack Ed ‘Tough Enough’ Miliband yesterday, after the Labour leader attended a campaign event – but before his TV interview on Channel 4.

It has been claimed that they were Conservative Party supporters. Whoever they were, it seems clear that the Scottish National Party needs to get involved, if this behaviour is going to be stopped.

The incident took place in Rotherhithe, southeast London. According to The Independent, a Labour activist said: “His [Ed Miliband’s] path was blocked by two people who were being very aggressive. He was shoved out of the way and couldn’t get in the car.

“One guy punched Ed in the chest and shut the car door so he couldn’t get in.”

Another Labour activist was quoted as saying: “The group came out of nowhere. Ed only had four of five steps to get to the car but they set upon him immediately.

“He was definitely pushed but he shrugged it off and made his way to the far side of the car. Ed had to push his way through them to get into the car. It was over very quickly but it was shocking.”

A spokesman for Mr Miliband brushed off the incident as “a bit of campaign rough-and-tumble”.

The article stated: “A spokesman for the Conservative party categorically denied any involvement from the party and said any claims Labour were blaming them were lies.”

It’s nice that the Tories don’t want us thinking Labour is blaming them (somebody didn’t think about what they were saying there!), but the fact remains that somebody attacked Ed Miliband.

The fact that they were wearing ‘Alex Salmond’ masks makes it a matter of great interest to the SNP, as it is clearly an attempt to bring that party into disrepute.

Logic suggests that the Tories could be to blame, as they have already run a campaign claiming that Mr Miliband is in Mr Salmond’s pocket:

150327salmond-pocket-AFP

This is not proof, though.

Let us hope the SNP has the guts to call in the police, find out who did this and ensure they are prosecuted – not only for assault, but for the attack on the Scottish party’s – and Mr Salmond’s – good name.

Or does the SNP think it’s all innocent “rough-and-tumble” too?

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UKIP MEP suspended on ‘financial issues’ – what’s this new game?

150124bashirfarage

Amjad Bashir and Nigel Farage in happier times. The man in the background may be UKIP deputy leader Paul Nuttall, but it is hard to tell for sure.

 

UKIP’s leaders must know this move makes them look very suspicious indeed. What are they trying to achieve?

The party has suspended MEP Amjad Bashir, hours before he was to announce his defection to the Conservatives, according to the BBC.

The allegations against him include claims of interference with the candidate selection process, and UKIP’s website stated that one of the reasons Mr Bashir has been suspended was his “continued affiliation” with Mujeeb Bhutto, who was involved in a Pakistani kidnapping gang.

A UKIP spokesperson has said the evidence will be forwarded to the police.

Mr Bashir has rejected the claims as “absurd and made-up allegations”. He said they were historical claims over which UKIP leader Nigel Farage had appeared on TV to defend him, adding, “these are just dirty tricks to try and discredit me.”

He had previously been a Conservative Party member, and became involved with UKIP three years ago. He has said his decision to return to the Tories is in order to carry out the policies he supports, including holding a referendum on EU membership and control of immigration into the UK.

He claimed these are “not achievable with UKIP.”

On this evidence, the public can only think that UKIP is in the wrong. If these allegations are old, if Nigel Farage spoke against them, then UKIP’s move can only be interpreted as the “dirty tricks” Mr Bashir claims they are – even though Mr Farage is now saying there are “extremely serious” questions that have gone unanswered.

The evidence means either Mr Farage was wrong to defend Mr Bashir in the past, or he is wrong to cast suspicion on Mr Bashir now.

Meanwhile, the Tories are suddenly smelling of roses.

Not only do they get a new MEP for free (Mr Bashir has refused to step down and trigger a by-election), but they benefit from his claims that they are the only party that can achieve his referendum and immigration aims, and from the fouling of UKIP’s name.

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Tories to miss immigration targets despite Cameron’s pledge

Immigration fail: When Theresa May tried to get illegal immigrants to "go home" with an ad campaign on vans driving through London, it caused national protest - and this response from the campaigning group Liberty.

Immigration fail: When Theresa May tried to get illegal immigrants to “go home” with an ad campaign on vans driving through London, it caused national protest – and this response from the campaigning group Liberty.

Remember when David Cameron pledged to get immigration into the UK down from the hundreds of thousands into the tens of thousands?

He and his party are trying to wipe that from history.

They’ve got a history of doing that with their mistakes. Do you also remember when the Tories’ pre-2010 election pledges were wiped from their websites?

On immigration, Cameron pledged to get it below 100,000 per year – but now his own spokesman describes it as an “objective” and Theresa May, the Home Secretary who was charged with achieving this feat, called it a “comment”.

A comment?

From The Guardian: “Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, the home secretary made clear that the government was preparing the ground for a public admission of failure on the migration target.

“Asked to explain the missed target, May said: “When we made that… comment, when we said … we would be aiming to bring the net migration down to the tens of thousands and we wanted to do that within this parliament – yes we were very clear that was what we wanted to do.”

“The cautious remarks by the home secretary, who stumbled slightly as she referred to the net migration target as “that comment”, contrasted with the unequivocal “no ifs, no buts” declaration made by the prime minister in April 2011.”

In fact, it is possible that Cameron’s party should be glad that their plans to limit immigration have failed. Recent figures have reiterated the oft-made point that immigrants contribute more to the UK than they take from it – and the measures that the Tories have introduced backfired badly for universities, where the number of foreign Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics students has plummeted due to the UK’s “unwelcoming” stance.

The government has now announced a push to increase the number of British STEM students, and this is clearly to counter the loss to universities. The cover story is that they want more young women taking up the subjects.

Still, there are arguments that immigrants are taking jobs away from British-born people – and that their presence is pushing down wages.

But Mrs May can’t say that to the other EU member states without seeming racist, so she is calling on them to “reform” one of the fundamental pillars of the Union – freedom of movement – on the grounds that it encourages criminality.

She said: “There is a growing concern across the European Union of the way in which the freedom of movement is now being used.

“We’re seeing it being abused, possibly by criminal gangs who are trafficking human beings, we’re seeing it being abused through sham marriages.”

Why not just admit that freedom of movement is being abused – most clearly because people in the less-advantaged EU countries see it as an opportunity for a better life elsewhere?

It could be argued that the EU made a huge mistake in letting some countries – particularly in eastern Europe – into the Union before they were on a level with the rest of us, economically.

If we’re going to let these countries in, then it seems reasonable that we should protect ourselves from this kind of opportunism by working to bring their standard of living up to the same level as the rest of us before allowing freedom of movement to kick in.

It seems certain that far fewer people would want to immigrate into the UK if it offered no material difference in their quality of life.

Doesn’t that seem reasonable?

What a shame reason has nothing to do with the Conservative Party.

Cameron, May and the rest are going to continue pushing in the wrong direction, ever-harder as each successive plan fails.

Perhaps they are the ones who should be shown the door.

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Internet surveillance plan will extend – not create – a communications ‘police state’

Nobody should be looking forward to having Big Brother watching us through our monitors, but he’s already reading our mail and listening to our phone calls.

Government monitoring of our mail and phone messages has been going on for years, and Theresa May’s plan to monitor every UK citizen’s online activity is merely an extension of this.

It’s still an unwarranted invasion of our privacy, but when has any government ever let that stop it?

According to the BBC, the current government’s plans mean service providers will have to store details of internet use in the UK for a year, to allow police and intelligence services to access it.

It will include for the first time details of messages sent on social media, webmail, voice calls over the internet and gaming in addition to emails and phone calls.

The data includes the time, duration, originator and recipient of a communication and the location of the device from which it is made.

Hold on, did I say “for the first time” details of messages on social media?

What about the police who called on a female disability activist last week, in her home at midnight, in relation to comments she’d posted on Facebook about the Department for Work and Pensions’ cuts?

According to her account on the Pride’s Purge blog, “They told me they had come to investigate criminal activity that I was involved in on Facebook… They said complaints had been made about posts I’d made on Facebook about the Jobcentre.”

(All right, I know what you’re going to say – those posts were publicly-accessible. The point is that the police are already using social media to target people – in this case, an innocent woman)

According to Peter Fahy, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, the planned legislation is “absolutely vital” in “proving associations” between criminals, and it was often possible to penetrate the top of a criminal gang by linking “foot soldiers” to those running operations.

Is this in the same way the police were able to use the postal service to target terrorist gangs? Because I’ve got a story about that.

It concerns a young man who was enjoying a play-by-mail game with other like-minded people. A war game, as it happens. They all had codenames, and made their moves by writing letters and putting them in the post (this was, clearly, before the internet).

One day, said young fellow arrived home from work (or wherever) to find his street cordoned off and a ring of armed police around it.

“What’s going on?” he asked a burly uniformed man who was armed to the teeth.

“Oh you can’t come through,” he was told. “We’ve identified a terrorist group in one of these houses and we have to get them out.”

“But I live on this street,” said our hero, innocently. “Which house is it?”

The constable told him.

“But that’s my house!” he said.

And suddenly all the guns were pointing at him.

They had reacted to a message he had sent, innocently, as part of the game. They’d had no reason to open the letter, but had done it anyway and, despite the fact that it was perfectly clear that it was part of a game, over-reacted.

What was the message?

“Ajax to Achilles: Bomb Liverpool!”

Expect further cock-ups of similar nature, pretty much as soon as the current proposals become law.