Friday, November 20, 2009

Could Harriett Have to Resign?

Let's be clear, Harriet Harman has maintained she is innocent of the charges made against her yesterday by the CPS. She is accused of using a mobile phone while driving and driving without due care and attention.

But let's say she is found guilty. What happens then? Is being convicted of an offence of this nature serious enough to warrant a resignation? I'm trying to think of precedents here, where ministers have been convicted of an offence, but am having difficulty. She may well try to pass it off as a minor transgression, but I wonder if she would get away with it.

What do readers think?

UPDATE: Just seen this tweet from BevaniteEllie

@iaindale no @harrietharman will not resign over a driving incident,she has work 2 do 2 achieve equality in this country.Sorry 2 disappoint


LMAO

42 comments:

Ian said...

Well, I'd like to say yes. If she had a shred of decency about her, she would.

But lets be realistic - they have Lord Mandy in there, as well as an unelected PM. I don't think she will, even if she was caught red handed. Shame really.

I Squiggle said...

Remember that when we mere mortals transgress the law, it’s a criminal offence. When our Parliamentarians do so, it’s known as a ‘technical breach of the rules’.

Dungeekin said...

Resign? No chance. That would be, like, an admission of responsibility when we all know it was the fault of the stupid Prole putting their car in the way of one of the 'nomenklatura'.

I rather think THIS is far more likely.

D

Anonymous said...

Its always the cover-up that gets them in the end ...not the act

Political Cynic said...

I would have thought she'd have to go if convicted of an offence that her Government introduced but these days I despair. So many MPs seem to be so brazen about doing things their electorate can't (if they expect to keep their job) that it would hardly surprise me if she replaces Gordon as PM a few weeks before a give-away Budget followed by the election.

Constantly Furious said...

In that one short post, you mention two highly unlikely possibilities:

Harman found guilty? Never.

Labour MP resign? Never.

The only silver lining is that we all get a good laugh: Ha-ha-ha-ha-Harriet.

(only one 't' in Harriet, Iain. If you want to use 2, call her 'Hattie'. Labourites hate that)

Salmondnet said...

If Patricia Scotland could brass it out, why not Harperson? They all have hides which make an elephant's look delicate.

Anonymous said...

As she has transgressed a Law whilst being a Lawmaker of course she should resign.

IanVisits said...

If convicted of a crime, any MP should resign as a point of honour.

(now picks himself up off the floor after rolling around in hysterics)

Anyhow - what does confuse me slightly about this issue is why she is contesting the allegations.

There seems to be a very strong case against her, and either the facts as reported are utterly false, in which case the witnesses should themselves be prosecuted for lying to the police - or Ms Harman really was seen driving while using a mobile phone.

Now it is easy to prove this - as the phone records will show exactly when she was making a phone call/texting (as has been done in other prosecutions), and it is highly unlikely that the CPS would have gone ahead with a prosecution without first checking with the phone network concerned.

It's all very bizarre.

Unknown said...

LMAO? come on iain, grow up.

Anonymous said...

FML @ "equality"

Jules Wright said...

course not. though it will be deeply satisfying for her to deny all charges, be found roundly guilty and have her integrity publicly destroyed. what's left of it.

Ian said...

@ Dungeekin - If they do do that, it'll be the final nail in her coffin. Someone please ensure The Sun are being kept up to date with this, they should be able to shred her pretty well.

Nigel said...

It seems unusual for someone in her position to be contesting it, which I think raises the stakes hugely. If convicted, it would mean her evidence was not believed by the court, so I can't see how she could remain in office.

Stepney said...

2004

A Department for Transport spokesman said there was no excuse for not knowing about the law on driving and mobiles.

"We did a lot of campaigning to raise awareness when the law came in," he said.

"What we would advise is that all mobile phone use in cars should be avoided. That missed call won't kill you."

No excuse.

Anyhoo despite all that one fact remains.

"I'm Harriet Harman you know where to find me" is so arrogant, so out of touch, so "Do you know who I am?"

The foul core of the political elite exposed.

Matthew Rudd said...

I despise Harman, but this is regarded as a minor driving offence. It's summary only, not punishable by anything more than a financial penalty, and none of us would expect to lose our jobs if convicted of it.

She shouldn't resign if she has committed this offence. She should resign for being a dangerous, over-ambitious, inarticulate piece of shit though.

Anonymous said...

If Harperson can promote her equal pay law by pointing out that female cleaners do not get the same pay as male bankers. (I kid you not, that is basically her tact on the subject), then resign? Iain, lay down in the dark somewhere until you feel better.

Alex said...

Expect the Baroness Scotland "technical guilt" defence, as in "Yes, technically I am guilty, but I think we can all move on."

Dave H said...

Resign? For the offence itself, no. But her first instinct was to 'contradict' the account* given by witnesses.

If convicted, she should resign for arrogantly lying through her teeth on the assumption she would get away with it. Lying brazenly when challenged is now evidently standard government procedure.

Sadly, resignation would require a sense of honour, and by now we all know this lot don't 'do' that.

"I'm Harriet Harman! Get out of the way of my Zil, little people!"

*Actually, her spokesperson actually keeps saying that she 'refutes' the allegations. Wrong word, Shitforbrains.

Bob said...

Should have been:

LMFAO

;-)

Alan Douglas said...

"It seems unusual for someone in her position to be contesting it, which I think raises the stakes hugely. If convicted, it would mean her evidence was not believed by the court, so I can't see how she could remain in office."

Easy. Set a court date, or re-set/delay as often as is necessary, for the case to be heard AFTER the election, then withdraw defence and plead guilty after all.

Not that anyone would think of this as taking the piss, you understand, it is just that as Deputy Dawg she is so busy at the momenet ....

Alan Douglas

Anonymous said...

The court of public opinion says "Yes".

Alister said...

Imagine if she's in court just before the election, or even the the election campaign and if she's found guilty (shouts of watch your driving at Labour party candidates!).

Also driving without due care and attention, isn't a minor offence it can result in a driving ban (totting up if you have a speeding conviction as upto 9 points can be applied) so a bus/taxi/hgv driver could loose their job over this.

tory boys never grow up said...

Funny you missed this!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/867484.stm

And what about Mr Dale's driving record?

JMB said...

How long will it before the case is heard in court?

Didn't one of BLiar's junior ministers get a criminal record whilst in office? I think he was given a Police Caution.

Genie said...

What I think is that the Times, Telegraph, Mail etc all had 'Comment' sections open on this story early this morning [I write from GMT+8, I saw them].

All those comment sections have now disappeared. Why would that be?

Already the CPS has dropped the 'stopping to leave insurance and driver details' breach. So one might suggest she is already half-way off.

Anyway I shan't go on. I expect this whole topic, like on the mainstream papers, will go up in a puff of smoke soon as well!

Unknown said...

Lord Ahmed went to jail, he's still a Lord.

Victor, NW Kent said...

Liam Byrne was convicted of the same offence. His excuse was that he had an urgent immigration matter to deal with.

Harriet herself was convicted of driving at a convenient 99 mph.

These are very minor transgressions compared to Lord Ahmed but for Labour politicos they are really tiny compared with their relentless attack on ancient freedoms and institutions and their reckless profligacy with the nation's money.

thebluelawnmower said...

Here equality tripe is costing small businesses thousands in red tape and bureaucracy. She should resign over this stupidity, let alone 'dont you know who I am'

javelin said...

Ellie fails to see her contradiction.

If Harman really wanted equality (and not superior treatment as she constantly asks for) then she will have to accept that she could have killed a child by her actions (or even worse a woman!!). It's irrelevant that she didn't kill a child because she has acted in a reckless fashion that could have done.

It's like saying a person who shut their eyes and let their gun off in public didn't do anything wrong because they didn't actually hit anybody.

Colin said...

If talking on a mobile phone whilst driving was a minor transgression, why did the regime create a specific offence to deal with it?

Richard said...

How can you even suggest that Ms Harman should resign over a relatively minor incident like this? As someone of her importance has a requirement to keep in touch using her mobile, it's debatable whether she should even have been charged.

I, for one, look forward to Ms Harman staying in post, assuming the leadership of the Labour party next year and introducing some truly progressive policies.

I look forward to her shedding real tears at Fidel Castro's funeral then wondering why she can't get a photo op with fellow socialist Barack Obama on the way home.

I look forward to her spending a few days in prison after chaining herself to the gates at Faslane or supergluing herself to the runway at Stansted in order to save the planet.

I look forward to watching her trying to promote every misandrous, class war-like, enviroloon policy that the loony left have dreamed up since they lost in 1979 while a Tory government desperately tries to keep the country afloat.

Face facts. Harriet is Michael Foot for the 21st Century (but minus the intellect and donkey jacket). A moonbat like Hattie in charge of the Labour party would be a greater Tory asset than Dave and George combined.

golden_balls said...

Well we do actually have minsters admitting taking illegal drugs and i believe cameron has a few drug skeltons in his closet which have yet to come out ?

Anonymous said...

Is that Bevanite or Bevinite - Ellie?

Jimmy said...

"Let's be clear, Harriet Harman has maintained she is innocent of the charges made against her "

But putting that aside....

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Unknown said...

"@iaindale no @harrietharman will not resign over a driving incident,she has work 2 do 2 achieve equality in this country.Sorry 2 disappoint"

Holy shit what a lot of pious Left-wing crap. What a disgusting mentality.

King Athelstan said...

PMSL @ mattmcgee, its Iain not iain. Tchoh! education today.

Benji B said...

"" @iaindale no @harrietharman will not resign over a driving incident,she has work 2 do 2 achieve equality in this country.Sorry 2 disappoint"" And Harriet Harman obviously from her 'Im Hariet Harman, you know where to get me' Really expresses her striving for equality! more like she is completley out of touch and deluded !

Quietzapple said...

Unfortunately in my view a bit of car crime, in which no-one was hurt, just makes Harriet - and, inter alia, Labour's front bench - a bit more like most of the electorate.

In London's suburbs it is probably a plus. I'm sure car crime was a factor in Bojo's victory there.

Some of your delusionals might examine the toad in their own eyes . .

Parp! Parp!

Man in a Shed said...

Labour has no sense of shame or even right and wrong.

She won't resign - almost none of them ever do ( except Robin Cook ).

And even when they are forced to they are back on more money with titles and loads of benefits shortly afterwards.

Anonymous said...

If she followed the instructions of your toadies, Iain, would she have to have a drink driving conviction to run a blog registered in the WIndies, like the most famous "Libertarian"?