A session of the Parliamentary Human Rights Committee on Thursday did not discuss the situation regarding Slovak children being taken by British social services, as MPs of the standalone Smer-SD government walked out, disabling any decision.
The reason for the walkout was apparently that there was a lack of documents to hold a debate on the issue of Slovak children in the care of UK social services. The debate would have dealt also with the proposed memorandum of understanding between Slovakia and the UK, outlining certain procedures in such cases, but it was never pushed forward.
The special session was initiated by MP Lucia Nicholsonova (SaS party), who called the boycotting pathetic. Labour minister Jan Richter from the Smer-SD party later said the situation has improved regarding Slovak children and British social services, citing that as grounds for not holding a special session in the first place.
I kinda like Lucia Nicholsonova`s new softer look ….it is just those lips that are starting to look a bit spoon fed with all those rat poison cosmetic injections …
Ah, the old ‘lack of documents’ problem. That’s something Slovakia and the UK seem to have in common when it comes to matters of child protection :
‘Child abuse files lost at Home Office spark fears of cover-up’ – Observer, July 6th
James
I see the crap has hit the fan over this in the UK. A Tory cover-up? with Leon B. in the frame – bad news for Cameron. The locals may like to observe how the public react to such issues in the UK. One thing is for certain – there will be no “we have done nothing illegal” statements or under the carpet sweeping. They may even witness that great British pass-time of locking up dodgy politicians. While cases like this, Saville, Harris, Hall, etc. are a national disgrace we at least have systems for getting to the truth, no matter who is involved and don’t have ever so convenient statute of limitation rules criminals can hide behind.
I’m not that optimistic in this case, to be honest. The dossiers aren’t going to be found, and all there’ll be is whispers about who might have been incriminated in them.
‘The locals may like to observe how the public react to such issues in the UK.’
There is a difference, I agree, but I’d say it’s more that Slovaks have long known there’s no real ‘rule of law’ in this country. Call it being sheep, if you like – it might just be healthy cynicism.
People in Britain still believe the law is above everything, including political power. It’s a belief that’s being undermined over this current business. Savile, Smith et al weren’t investigated while alive because of establishment collusion greater than the likes of us can conceive. Harris and Hall are relative small fry, like crumbs fed to the seagulls.
By establishment, I partly mean the public school cabal that still rules the country. It’s interesting to me that it was Norman Tebbit who admitted on the BBC that there ‘probably was’ a cover-up. Tebbit might have been Thatcher’s hired tough, but he was Essex-boy tough – he sees the establishment from inside AND outside. Not quite fair to call it a Tory cover-up btw. It was a Tory MP who gave Brittan the dossier and the one politician we KNOW was a child abuser was a Liberal.
Re Slovak kids being taken into care, I do agree that British social services have acted properly and according to the procedures. That’s not to say there weren’t legitimate concerns. It wasn’t just tabloid TV here and a few upset families, the Daily Telegraph got involved, as did a few British MPs.
Still, probably time to move on now – and see if Britain can indeed deal properly with a real scandal, preferably before those involved are dead and gone….
Gosh Jimbo, so much to say, even a wee bit of verbal waxing re Eric of the Cantona along with his seagulls …then you wanna move on and now ?????
Fickle or what ?
OK your opinion …………of Lucia Nicholsonova and her new softer look ….oh and those plump pouting lips ?? Any thoughts there or shall we all just move on ?
James, I think the big difference in the UK is that the press and the public will be onto this scandal like a pack of wolves and if the phone tapping, Saville, Iraq inquiry etc. are anything to go by anyone suspected of being party to a cover up will be outed, shamed and forced to face the consequences. I also believe that the days of the “old boys” covering each others backsides are over, the public have had enough and politicians are looking at the forthcoming General Election. That is why I don’t trust or like any politician – they will lie, cover for each other, cheat and hide things until the crap hits the fan then they will turn on their “old chums” in any effort to come out of a scandal smelling of roses and stay in power.
I think you’re going round in circles. ‘The public and press will be onto (it) like a pack of wolves’ but – ultimately – ‘(politicians) will turn on their ‘old chums’ in any effort to …………. stay in power’.
And two more points : first, the mainstream UK press have actually been pretty poor over this scandal, lagging far behind bloggers etc. Second, the old-school network turning on one or two of its own doesn’t mean the network itself ceases to exist.
And over Iraq, phone-hacking and Savile, there’ve been no significant punishments for the main culprits, have there? Blair and Cameron remained in post despite (respectively) taking the country to war based on a lie and hiring a man with known links to criminality to run the government’s press operation. Savile was untouchable till his death.
Those examples couldn’t do a better job of proving my point. Scandal. Conduct some sort of inquiry. Punish a few minor players. Whitewash the main players. System goes on as before.
Perhaps Richter like most of us are just bored of this subject and that the UK SS did the right thing all along and the idea that Slowvakia traditions and way of life concerning where not understood by the UK Social Services , ie four kids often from different partners, plus parents all sharing a bed or a room in the same house with four other Central European families ( to save cost )…all lives in the era of the worst of Jimmy Savile`s, not year 2014 ….
BTW, how much long is the website gonna flog this very dead horse ?
Ah George! There is nothing like a good tear jerking sob story, even if it is a load of tosh, to keep the sheep’s attention while the real, serious issues pass by un-noticed. The PM is directly named in a corruption case, he refuses to comment on the matter and the sheep go back to chewing the cud. No smoke without fire – but how many smoke signals do the locals need? But then again why go through the pain of sorting out things here when you can bitch about things in other countries that don’t concern you, safe in the knowledge that the dimwits here will actually believe that your doing something useful.
I think Mr Richter could have been more direct in his response – the Slovak mission to the UK have had a kick up the backside and the new firebrand head of the Child Protection Agency is making sure the dolts there do the job they are paid to do. I am surprised by Mrs. Nicholson, she must know that the SVK talking shop will not sway or influence due process in the UK.
Having said that, I think the childish actions of the Govt. deputies have yet again demonstrated their contempt for democratic governance and have brought shame upon the Nation.