Yesterday morning I posted a story about the American Ambassador not having a conference pass. I was given it by two sources, one a BBC journalist and the other a Tory politician. However, within 20 minutes of posting it I found out that it wasn't true. The American Ambassador is at the conference today. There wasn't anything else of interest in the piece so I deleted it as it had only been on the blog for such a short time. This has provoked all sorts of conspiracy theories from me gagged by Central Office and the American Embassy to God knows what. Utter balls.
Anyone who has read previous posts will know that I have hardly been backward in coming forward about the accreditation process. Indeed, three friends of mine have still to get into the conference, and we're now starting the third day. Yesterday Trevor Phillips didn't get in. Lord Ramsbotham (former Chief Inspector of Prisons) was due to address Conservative Lawyers but went home instead. I'm sure there are many more examples.
Many people who wanted to attend Iain Duncan Smith's fringe on Social Justice couldn't get in, so IDS took the whole meeting to the Accreditation Centre instead.
Francis Maude is having a torrid time. He couldn't attend the New Media fringe meeting I was speaking at last night as he was "helping the Police with their enquiries" - translation: trying to get them to sort out this bloody mess.
I saw Francis later in the Highcliffe and felt like giving him a hug - so I did! I understand that every deadline the Police have agreed to has been missed. Their only explanation is that the security level has been raised and instead of doing random checks they are doing everyone. Well if so, they've known that for some time and failed to plan accordingly.
Francis Maude and Hazel Blears should now ask for a meeting with Sir Ian Blair to ensure that this fiasco never happens again. It's an embarrassment.
UPDATE: Several people have asked what it's got to do with Ian Blair. As I understand it he coordinates the security policies for conferences and he is Britain's most senior policeman.
UPDATE2: Apparently it was the Deputy American Ambassador, not the Ambassador. So the story was right - just not wholly right!
16 comments:
Iain, they are lying. Do not fall for it. Your story was just late in coming out, the ambassador like many others did not get his pass for yonks.
I had a friend who worked in the accreditation office and she told me that my application was only sent to the police on Friday 29th of September. It was mailed on the 2nd of August - recorded delivery! I just got home this morning after driving back in fury as I might as well be at work!
It is a disgrace that CCHQ is trying to pin this on the police. The police have been waiting for forms since May and only got them last week. How on earth were they supposed to process them on time?
What is even more scandalous is the way people in the Pavilion were being managed. No organisation whatsoever. A bunch of headless CCO chickens running helter-skelter with a pass or two in their hand shouting out names, and others calling out names of people who had already got their passes and wondering why they weren't coming forward.
Zac Goldsmith missed one of his fringe events, and MPs such as Adam Afriyie and bloggers like James Cleverly were all waiting. I even heard them announce Sir Al Ainsley-Green's name in the hall yesterday.
I drove back to London this Tuesday morning only to be called by the accreditation office that my pass had finally arrived.... I had been waiting since Saturday Night.
What a disgrace.
Iain.
Bournemouth is in Dorset. The Metropolitan Police is for the London (excluding the City of London Police)Labour was in Manchester, which is in Greater Manchester.
Sir Ian Blair is the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police he is NOT the Chief Constable of Dorset. Stop giving that idiot the opinion that HE runs the UK police. He dont!.
Obviously that hug with the Liberal Democrat Maude has affected you greatly!
"I saw Francis later in the Highcliffe and felt like giving him a hug - so I did!"
Iain - you've sold out mate. Pathetic.
PS instead of checks for all passes the Police could just focus on the A list - new arrivals with no history and lots of suspicious types. All B listers would be automatically passed - White Oxbridge Men with long association with the party. Easy really.
Iain:
Is this an elephant in the room ?
Is nobody prepared to state the clear conclusion that the disruption results from the purposeful actions of a politicized police force ?
The local Chief is obviously a keen follower of the 'two blairs' tribe.
I don't think Sir Ian Blair's got anything to do with it, has he...? It's the respective Chief Constables of the respective forces who are responsible (Martin Baker for Dorset and David Whatton for GMP; both new to the job).
For once a police complete fuck-up for which Sir Ian is NOT responsible!
Iain,
Dont you think that Maude, as Chairman, should resign.
He should, especially after seeing the problems in Manchester, have ensured that the Conservative Conference was more smooth. That he did not, obviously, and did nothing. As chairman he should take responsibility for the sake of the party and resign. SO much bad publicity, so many members and visitors left disappointed and angry. There must not be the politicians usual response AN ENQUIRY but an immediate. If you cannot take the heat stay out of the kitchen response and as chairman he should take full responsibility. It is so easy to blame others. HE should resign now.
The Dorset plod are not very bright but they do spend a considerable time on 'diversity' training.......
anna sole,
such a pathetic comment which says much about the modern conservative party's view of the police. Strange that Maggie did whatever she could to support them...how things change.
I as a former copper could say that modern conservatives are not very bright...I have enough evidence..a complete change of direction and nobody shouts FOUL..what a lot of yes people the Tories have become. Give me the old party please!
Incidentally Mr Davies , in his first rather splendid speech, made fun of so many Home Secretaries. A study of the Conservative administration would have shown him that their record on changing this important position on a yearly basis..was much worse.
Anna soul...grow up little woman
Francis Maude seems to be unable to organise. His style of speech is antiquated. He is amateurish in all he handles. He doesn't fit with the modernising agenda he espouses.
He didn't resign his porn industry connections on being appointed by David Cameron to chair the Conservative Party. This is now causing damage to the Party, being splashed all over the Red Tops.
His A LIst control system seems to produce the worst of all results with europhiles being selected on too many occasions, destroying the support of the activists and the associations.
He is a danger to Cameron. He is a danger to the party. He is a dnager to his country. He should be hugged by Iain Dale until he agrees it is time to resign. If he won't walk, he should be pushed.
Just a simple question (ahem!), but was the Labour conference as badly organised. I can imagine any number of terrorists, home grown or otherwise, that might want to help Tony's Cronies into another world, but seriously, the Conservatives are not such an obvious target.
This unfortunately leads me to the assumption that either the Conservative organisers, or the Police (which I doubt) couldn't be trusted to organise a piss up in a brewery! The knock-on thought naturally makes one think of how they would perform in Government.
I second Anna Sole's comments that Dorset police are just not that bright.
Although i lay most of the blame at the feet of CCHQ, part of the delay in my security check was because I filled my name out as 'Liz' on the application form but as it says 'Elizabeth' on my passport they had to go through further checks to ensure I was the same person!!
Not political policing. Just general incompetence. The same thing happened at Labour party conference last week. The reason that the Tories are getting it in the neck is probably because the journos have had enough of queuing.
You repeat the frequent canard that the Commisioner of the Metropolitan Police is the "UK's most senior policeman". He's not. He is the leader of the largest police force. That's all. Period.
He has no formal national role or status. Typical Londoncentricty.
Oh Dear, hardly going to impress the voters is it !
If anyone is Britain's senior plod its Ronnie Flanagan who is Chief Inspector of Constabulary ...
Well I think technically Ronnie Flangan no longer holds the office of Constable (Mind you neither does the MET commissioner AFAIK) and would you call the head of OFSTED "britains most senior teacher"? I suspect if its not Dorset Police's responsibility then its done through ACPO though demarcation amongst the police is getting tricky to follow...
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