The horrible murder of Ann Widdecombe is being used both by Reform and its critics as a means of fighting about everything they want to fight about. One example is discussion of the security of MPs, despite the fact that Miss Widdecombe left parliament 16 years ago. Is it impossible to wait until charge and trial, as used to be the rule? I suppose the simple answer is ‘Yes’. So much the worse for our country.
A virtue-signalling Labour government worried by its own unpopularity also deploys something else, a toughness-signalling intended to placate the insurgent right. Take the case of the 73-year-old Shabir Ahmed, the Rochdale grooming gang leader, recently released from prison. Ministers loudly demand his deportation. Andy Burnham says: ‘Like everyone, I want this vile predator out of the country.’ The plan is to alter the Immigration Act of 1971 which exempted from deportation those who had arrived before 1973 and had lived at least five years in Britain. Why should this change be made? People, however vile, should not have their rights retrospectively removed. Nor should Pakistan, whence Ahmed came, have to accept him. His actions have nothing to do with his country of origin and he has been here for more than half a century. Besides, the whole thing is fatuous, since Pakistan cannot be forced to take him. No politician seems to be making these obvious points. Presumably none dares do so, for fear of being called soft on paedophiles. Similar bogus toughness was shown in Sir Keir Starmer’s sacking of Sir Olly Robbins, head of the Foreign Office. Embarrassed by his own appointment of Lord Mandelson as British ambassador, Sir Keir took it out on Sir Olly for not telling him about Mandelson’s lack of security clearance. Yet it had been Starmer, not Robbins, in such haste to get Mandelson in post. The dismissal violated the due process which Starmer loves invoking and ejected a public servant for behaviour which was not iniquitous. Now Sir Olly is seeking a judicial review, and Sir Keir, once our proudest legal eagle, may have his wings clipped. Once again, terror of being soft on paedophilia played its part – the paedo being Mandelson’s friend Jeffrey Epstein. In both cases, ‘tough’ action denotes fear, not courage.
