Talking of anonymous police

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Whilst the value of police bloggers is in mind I’d like to bring your attention to a “recent”* post of Inspector Gadgets. Who in a “fond” farewell to Hazel Blears time in the home office chair, links to a quite interesting report on the value of our plastic police, sod all it seems. It seems that the powers that be would rather that the finding the plastics have little use except for vehicle crime oh and they spend 71% of their time in the Station. Well worth reading all 9 pages.

Meanwhile it seems that other police are using false arrest to collect DNA samples (Hat tip Samiz Data & Old Holborn), you’ll note in this case that the mainstream media are quite happy to quote an anonymous member of the force. Perhaps it’s just the Times that doesn’t like such things, or perhaps it’s OK to be anonymous as long as you speak to the press.

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NightJack exposed for the vanity of the Times

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Until he stopped writing it I used to very much enjoy NightJacks view of the police, and his guide for decent people is invaluable. Now however thanks to The Times and that champion of free speech Justice Eady, the only way you’ll get to read his words is if you stumble across them in a cache somewhere. Despite having ceased blogging a while back, to go and write a novel, the Times felt that it would be a good thing to let everyone know who he was. This has already resulted in him getting written warning from his force and as his views were honest and not always full of praise for the higher echelons of the force, I suspect it won’t do his career and general work life much good.

Sadly I fear that Justice Eadys ruling was the correct one, though I’m not sure I agree with him that blogging is essentially a public business, and I definitely don’t agree that just because a blogger is a member of the police that automatically makes there real identity a matter of public interest. The story in the Times though seems to be without merit. I’ve no idea if this is part of a retaliation from the main stream media against those nasty upstart bloggers as some suggest. There’s nothing to be done to undo this situation, though if NightJack does ever publish a novel I’ll be buying it, in the meantime as Iain Dale asks will the Times cease to quote unnamed sources “close to…”, we can also as Hopi Sen suggests write to the Times to share our opinion of their actions. I am sadly sure, again as Iain Dale suggests, that this will have an impact on other bloggers and commentators involved in the justice systems and other organs of the state. I would though second the thought that it should also have an impact on who might want to talk to the Times, whilst I’m unlikely to ever have anything of interest to say I do know that in the unlikely event I do I won’t be saying it to the Times and who knows I may yet be at a demo and see something of note.

Oh and if anyone happens to know anything much at all about Patrick Foster of the Times Old Holborn feels it would be quite in the public interest for such things to be shared.

Update: The Independent knew but didn’t tell who NightJack is. (Tip of the tifter to Woman on Raft)

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Turn out for the election

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Tomorrow is the European election, which is really to all intents and purposes a sham designed to con us into thinking that the EU is in someway democratic as Archbishop Cranmer so eloquently explains. From my local experience it seems that Labour and several other parties standing don’t care much as they’ve not seen fit to send me anything to explain why I should vote for them.

I’m not sure that actually voting tomorrow is that important, but what I am sure is that going to the polling station and putting something on the ballot paper is hugely important. Old Holborn isn’t going to put anything on his paper see in commments, which I think is a mistake if you reject the whole scam write that on the paper. Spoiled papers do get looked at sometimes and a huge turn out of spoilt papers would be significant. Spoiling your paper doesn’t lend your support to the enterprise but does let them know that you’re not disinterested. Read Richard LittleJohns article for an excellent explanation of this, though he suggests writing a specific message.

There are a lot of people out there convinced that if the BNP get a seat or two it’ll surely mean the end of democracy. But given that the elected part of the EU is just so much window dressing I don’t care, and neither I believe do the main parties. Despite all the talk of the impact of the minor and independent parties getting seats I’m not convinced, there will be some articles written and much hand wringing and then things will carry on as normal as no one pays any attention to the EU anyway – at least not in the mainstream media in this country. No what I believe would actually frighten our politicians and media is a high turn out as Anna Raccoon reports turn out is usually pitifully low. Such low turn out tells the politicians that we don’t care and we’re not watching, the idea that we are involved and do care enough to spend 5 minutes scrawling on a bit of paper that I believe would worry them, and far more than any number of minor parties getting seats (which will be written off as backlash and just the electorate being upset – as long as the turn out remains low).

I am still torn as to the best option, is it voting for a party you agree with in the hope of making a difference and thus legitimizing this sham of an election, or spoiling the appear in the hope that enough other people will and that the message of a rejection of the system as it stands gets across. I am however certain that the worst possible thing to do would be to not make any mark on the ballot paper and thus remain uncounted. So tomorrow please find the time to go to your polling station and write something on your ballot paper, I don’t care (and don’t believe it matters) who you vote for, nor even if you just spoil your paper as long as you do something as the idea of an active and involved electorate is what they really don’t like.

Update Rather good post from Old Holborn about just how little difference voting will make, so maybe ballot spoiling is the sane course of action.

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