Classic Mandarin incompetence in choosing and paying G4S leaves May politically stranded
How Channel Four buckled in the face of Downing Street bullies
Theresa Maynotsurvive…lacking focus
Cat-o’-nine-lives Theresa Maynotbeallthere is once more in the doo-doo today. There are times when her survival is almost as inexplicable as that of Jeremy *unt, and this is another of them. Despite lots of pr nonsense about security company G4S’s ability to dismantle nuclear weapons with their feet, they are clearly just another crock of motormouths who wheedled their way into Westminster via Whitehall.
And we owe this revelation to one brave independent film-maker.
Indie UK film-maker Ben Fellows has uncovered astounding revelations about how he infiltrated G4S – the company responsible for security at the London Olympics – and discovered botched security procedures that leave the Games wide open to attack. Fellows is also an undercover journalist for a regular investigative programme in London, but when he approached the mainstream media with his alarming account, there was zero interest at…surprise, surprise, Channel Four.
Two days ago, The Slog posted about shambolic preparations and potential travel chaos for the Games. In the preparation of that piece, I was told by a former staffer that Channel Four mangement had ordered a blackout on ‘negative Olympics coverage’ there. But I was sceptical (especially given C4’s pioneering track-record on lid-lifting) and couldn’t get corroboration. Now comes Fellows’ account of asking Channel 4 News Home Affairs Correspondent Andy Davies if he would go with his findings. Davies said he wasn’t interested – why on earth not? – and days later Channel 4 broadcast a laudatory load of hagiographic bollocks about G4S, praising this cowboy outfit as cutting edge and on top of things.
So it was a bit of an “Oops” for Four when G4S suddenly approached the Maypole at the Home Office to say they couldn’t cope. Enter 3,500 army officers stage right. Now – all of a sudden – the ground-breaking, fearless shock-troops of Snowland are on the case, telling us that it ‘understands that many prospective employees, who have completed training paid for by G4S and who could potentially be hired, are not being deployed. Some have not even been informed of when – or if – they will eventually be needed.’ Hold the front page.
But last night later on, the Torygraph ran a crackerjack piece alleging that ‘Confidential Home Office documents seen by The Daily Telegraph show that G4S has had its fee for managing civilian security staff for the Games rise from £7.3 million to £60 million. The fee the company takes for running its Olympic office has risen more than 10 times faster than its spending on recruitment, the documents show.’
Ah yes, that’ll be those pension-embezzling Mandarins at it again, careful as ever with our money – and setting new Olympic records for clueless incompetence.
Even the FT has weighed in, saying Theresa Titsup ‘battles for trust’ having parried Commons questions yesterday. Seems to me this is a battle she has lost, but the intelligent question to be asking here is how could Camerlot order such a news blackout and get it to stick in this manner? Yet more evidence of how spineless the MSM is when it comes to pressure from super-injunctions, psychopathic Labour peers, and grubby pro-Newscorp police officers.
Anyway, let’s start the day with a smile. The bollocks-ops in Downing Street have creaked into action about preps for the Olympic Games The line is: ‘Olympic security not a shambles’ (Irish Examiner), ‘Olympic security not a shambles (Wales online), ‘Olympic security not a shambles (breakingnews), and just for good measure, ‘Olympic security not a shambles’ (Orange) with, finally, ‘Olympic security not a shambles’ (CityAM).
Breaking…Jeremy Hunt not a crook, perhaps. Michael Spencer not a market-rigging arsehole, allegedly. Michael Fallon suffers from cognitive dementia say doctors, sources and my Auntie Edna. Andy Coulson is an innocent man battling with serial resignation disorder, possibly. Paul Tucker not a liar are you having a laughorwot?
Dear oh dear oh dear.
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