Keir Starmer rescued by police

In the early 1080s, Sir Robert Armstrong, a very senior civil servant warned Thatcher against giving Saville a knighthood.
The stories about Saville sexually assaulting teenagers, 12 and 13 year olds when he was cxx DJ in Manchester clubs were well known in
The mid 1960’s

Johnson not only said he’d said enough about the affair but grinned when he said it.

MayBee70

Just had the most patronising reply from my MP re what Johnson said about Keir. Said the PM had clarified what he had said, implied that Keir’s apology for failings by the system were an admission of guilt on his part. Gave me links assuming I didn’t know what had actually happened at the time. And, to add insult to injury said she had had ‘the same treatment outside parliament’ (as if anyone would even know who she was!). Of course, Johnson has just promoted her so she’s not going to criticise him is she. I’m sick of having a government that takes us all for fools.

Depressing isn't it?

I believe Johnson knows quite well that the Savile affair is an emotive one, and is fully aware of Starmer's position at the time. Therefore there's only one way to construe his comment and he knew full well the effect it would have. And I personally think it's one of the most despicable things he's ever done.

My own Conservative MP - I wrote to him - has been more objective. He's an older man whom I quite like, even though I don't vote Tory, because he's very dedicated to local affairs and represents our community well. I guess he's what you might call 'old-school' Conservative. He thought Johnson was "better than that" and that the comment was "not in the spirit of good debate".

Discrediting your opponent is one thing, but to use the abuse of young people - children some of them - as a political tool to do it, is contemptuous. Especially given the fact that he himself is on record saying that police investigations into historic child abuse is a "waste of money" - money "spaffed up the wall". Even the victims of the abuse were angry at his comment. I mean, really, just how low can he sink?

And now Starmer has received death threats. And when questioned about them, Johnson simply said "I’ve said more than enough about that issue. Thank you” and walked away. It's alleged that Tommy Robinson has been sharing the comments with his far-right supporters.

Bearing in mind what happened to David Amess and Jo Cox I really believe that Boris Johnson has absolutely no shame and absolutely no integrity whatsoever. Frankly, he's a disgrace.

If your MP has had the "same treatment" as Starmer, then I hope she's reported it, and that Boris Johnson is more sympathetic than he was when a similar complaint was made by a female member of the Opposition when she asked that the language in Parliament be less confrontational and less inflammatory - to which his response was... "humbug".

How any decent-minded individual can continue to sing his praises just baffles me.

Just had the most patronising reply from my MP re what Johnson said about Keir. Said the PM had clarified what he had said, implied that Keir’s apology for failings by the system were an admission of guilt on his part. Gave me links assuming I didn’t know what had actually happened at the time. And, to add insult to injury said she had had ‘the same treatment outside parliament’ (as if anyone would even know who she was!). Of course, Johnson has just promoted her so she’s not going to criticise him is she. I’m sick of having a government that takes us all for fools.

varian

Not only a knighthood, but the ultimate accolade- an invitation to spend Christmas with Margaret Thatcher

To be fair though, she couldn't have known then what we know now.

... but that only makes the accusation against Starmer even more hypocritical...

Not only a knighthood, but the ultimate accolade- an invitation to spend Christmas with Margaret Thatcher

Has Boris even realised the hypocrisy of the slur, given that it was the support of the conservative government of the time that enabled Savile to secure the posts which gave him the opportunities for a lot of the sickening abuse he carried out.

varian

Johnson's behaviour is not for the first time absolutely disgusting.

But will he get away with it ?

He usually does.

Watching him laugh and sneer as he was asked about it- was truly sickening.

MayBee70

I’m beyond furious at the way that Johnson grinned when he was asked about the death threats yesterday. The smirk on his face just, to me said ‘job done’.

Not to mention that he sneered at MP Paula Sherriff... who appealed to him to stop using provocative (and inflammatory) language like "surrender", "traitor", "betrayal" out of concern for MPs' safety.

He called it "humbug". She later received death threats. He then said he was "sorry for the misunderstanding".

... and now this...

But his dyed in the wool supporters will stick with him, regardless - that's a given. It won't matter what he says or what he does. His offences will either be dismissed, declared unimportant, forgiven or - in some instances - even approved. Even the people he insults will stick with him. As with Trump - remember that woman with the MAGA cap and red T shirt bearing the slogan "you can grab my p*ssy any time Mr President" (other women have been seen wearing them, too).

Johnson has insulted "blue collar" workers ("likely to be drunk", "lazy" etc) - but they still vote for him.

That's where we're at. And I personally have no hope for the future... we've slipped into some kind of parallel universe where integrity matters not one jot - to those who lead and to the led. As long as Johnson and Trump disparage and denigrate the same people as their supporters, they'll stay faithful to them.

Johnson's behaviour is not for the first time absolutely disgusting.

But will he get away with it ?

He usually does.

I’m beyond disgusted about Johnson’s deliberate slur

I’m beyond furious at the way that Johnson grinned when he was asked about the death threats yesterday. The smirk on his face just, to me said ‘job done’.

Johnson is not the lovable bumbling fool he pretends to be he is, as Eddie Mair famously said to his face "a nasty piece of work"

He knew exactly what he was doing when he chose to associate Keir Starmer's name with Jimmy Saville, the vile paedophile who was knighted on the recommendation of a Tory government and spent at least one Christmas with Margaret Thatcher .

The police are now investigating death threats made against Keir Starmer as a direct result of Johnson’s lies. What a mess.
news.sky.com/story/sir-keir-starmer-confirms-he-has-received-death-threats-following-pms-jimmy-savile-remarks-12541846

Saville abused children who had severe learning disabilities but BJ & Co put them on DNR during covid anyway

Iam seems grany agrees.

Well annibach, many people concluded that’s exactly what he did

And as if they give one jot of care for the victims of Saville.

Following grany’s reasoning, Corbyn sheltered anti semitism
in the Labour Party

It’s even more remarkable that the left peddle the same c**p as fascist sites.

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

GN has rules, but some folk either don't understand the rules or don't think the rules apply to them. (to quote Theresa May)

Dinahmo

Maudi

11:49Callistemon21

The protest was nothing to do with Starmer until they caught sight of him. I expect that any well known politician would have had the same treatment.

A protest hanging around waiting for a place to happen.

Why did Starmer and chip on his shoulder Lammy decide to walk past, why not keep out of the way. ?

Probably because they were on their way from one office to another and had to pass them. If he had crossed the road the protesters would have seen him and responded accordingly.

In case you don't know there is a separate building, called Portcullis House at Number 1 The Embankment which houses 213 MPs and their staff. It is across the road from the Palace of Westminster.

How odd

I didn't say any of that, apart from
A protest hanging around waiting for a place to happen
My quote was copied out of context.

I don't know what is happening on GN now but posters are being misquoted constantly.

Maudi if you quote someone please use these ^^ around the quote as that will make it clearer.

Spot on Dickens. Johnson knew exactly what he was doing. Deflecting focus on his rule and guidance breaking, suggesting that didn’t matter anything like as much as letting peadophiles carry on abusing. A lie a downright provable lie but Johnson has no
Moral compass. Unlike Starmer who is a man of integrity

Elegran

And those who won't look at the facts as they were at that date are basing their opinion purely on their horror at what was revealed after his death Before that the man was a popular entertainer who appeared to do a lot of good, and who managed to deceive a lot of people. He also apparently managed to silence a lot of his victims, so while he was alive, no-one would testify against him.

The CPS decided there was not enough evidence to either convict or acquit Saville. That is their job - to judge whether a trial is justified on the evidence available. Finding that evidence was the job of the police, who had been unable to find anyone who would stand up in court and say that they had been abused. You can't have a trial without evidence and witnesses, unless you are a banana republic without any laws.

Saville's nasty true colours only came to light after he was dead and his victims felt safe to tell the truth. What a pity their testimony was not available before his death!

Good post. You have hit the nail on the head about Savile. What is known now was not known then.

If it had been, I doubt Mrs Thatcher would've knighted him, or that he would have spent many weekends at Chequers - nor would he have been able to hob-nob with the Royal Family.

Some of the posters - well, one in particular - is being wise after the event. And that's just dishonest and mendacious.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but facts remain facts. There are things one can level against Starmer - I have a bit of a list myself - but protecting a paedophile, or preventing him from being called to justice, is not one of them.

On any level, Johnson's comment was a disgrace.