Saturday, September 16, 2023

Plodding communications

Section:

Matthew Steeples argues that the detainment of David Miranda again illustrates why a clearer communications strategy is required on the part of the police

 

David Miranda’s detainment may have been legitimate and he may indeed have been carrying information that could be considered dangerous to Britain. Equally, though, these charges could simply be, as most suspect, trumped up by the Met. The main wrong in this story, however, is the way in which our police and their press departments have handled it.

 

The lack of transparency about why Miranda was held under Schedule 7 of Britain’s Terrorism Act 2000 for ten hours is telling and it is frankly indicative of why wholesale reform of the police’s communications strategy is required. Their silence speaks volumes and, as Nick Cohen argued in a blog for The Spectator yesterday, this represents “a clarifying moment that reveals how far Britain has changed for the worse”.

 

Glenn Greenwald and his partner David Miranda
Glenn Greenwald and his partner David Miranda
The Metropolitan Police are notoriously vague when it comes to communicating with the press and public
The Metropolitan Police are notoriously vague when it comes to communicating with the press and public

Once again we are provided with illustration that Mr Plod has failed to accept the new era in which we live and that he is meant to police. The Internet has made news instant and when arrests are made, police press officers respond to journalists questions with vague statements rather than sharing facts. Of course they shouldn’t prejudice the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, but equally they ought to issue relevant details as this would help avoid setting loose conspiracy theorists such as David Icke.

 

That responses to Cohen’s questioning about why David Miranda was held were met with: “We’re not saying anything else” will not surprise anyone. We saw it last year in the context of Savile and we’ll see it again. Remember Rolf Harris’ arrest? From November 2012 until April 2013, police simply referred to an “82-year old man from Bray, Berkshire” without naming the Australian star. Though there was no reason not to issue details, the police orchestrated a cover-up despite naming others arrested as part of Yewtree. Their excuse? They claimed that post-Leveson it was essential to be more cautious and careful about how so-called “celebrities” are handled.

 

As the former home secretary David Bunkett said earlier this year, “we are living in a climate of very nasty and angry politics”. If the police don’t urgently grasp this and don’t learn to be more communicative, they’ll deservedly find themselves on the end of this anger more often. It is time for some explanations.

 

 

Subscribe to our free once daily email newsletter here:

    The Steeple Times
    The Steeple Times
    We research and background check our articles. If you believe we have made and error in some detail please get in touch, we seek always to write the truth and stand against a press owned by a self selected few. Please help us, we will accept all your likes, subscriptions and anonymous suport. The Editor and his team at the Steeple Times.

    1 COMMENT

    1. Something about this doesn’t make sense, Matthew. The Guardian should disclose the “real” reasons for sending the boyfriend off to collect things. I don’t trust either of this pair and they are just as bad as those girls in Peru being accused of being drugs mules. We need facts not hectoring from all concerned.

    LEAVE A REPLY

    Please enter your comment!
    Please enter your name here

    £1 per week Supports The Steeple Times

    Help journalism to remain honest & independent. You can make a difference to the world today.

    3,573FansLike
    2,068FollowersFollow
    16,682FollowersFollow
    4,962SubscribersSubscribe

    Subscribe For DAILY NEWS

    Please subscribe, like and share this unique site, it helps us tremendously. The Steeple Times in return will send you an email at noon each and everyday, that we sincerely hope you will enjoy & look forward to seeing in your inbox.

    AD
    Advertisement

    Trending Now

    ‘Comeback King’ Kevin Spacey – Actor Seeks To “Leave The Nonsense Behind”

    As Kevin Spacey’s eccentric ‘friend’ Geoffrey Mark claims the “exonerated” actor will now “leave the nonsense behind” and begin his comeback, we remind of his friendships with ‘curious sorts’ including Prince Andrew, Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Harvey Weinstein.

    Summer Silly Season Stories 2023 – ‘The Steeple Times’ Is Back

    Matthew Steeples highlights the stories he’s been following during the ‘silly season’ summer of 2023 – amongst them matters Ghislaine Maxwell and Rudy Giuliani and podcasts about ‘true crime’ as a genre.

    Most Popular Articles

    Was Mucky Minx Meghan Markle A ‘Yacht Girl’ For ‘Randy Andy’?

    As author Kirby Sommers suggests that the then Meghan Markle likely spent time with Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein before she met Prince Harry, we again highlight the mucky, murkiness and mendacious manner of this alleged “yacht girl.”

    Most Liked...

    Big Zuu (Birth Name – Zuhair Hassan)

    Big Zuu Zuhair Hassan
    A rapper and grime MC turned TV star of ‘Big Zuu’s Big Eats,’ Zuhair Hassan is an example of a youngster with infectious positivity and great talent. A modern-day Keith Floyd in the making.

    Nasty NestSeekers

    Nasty NestSeekers – Realtor turned alleged squatter Jonathan Davis – Entitled Hamptons brat Jonathan Davis exposed for allegedly squatting in a house in Sag Harbor owned by Paula Rosado during the coronavirus lockdown; it turns out he’s a realtor with NestSeekers.
    Entitled Hamptons brat Jonathan Davis exposed for allegedly squatting in Sag Harbor during the coronavirus lockdown; it turns out he’s a realtor with NestSeekers.

    SW3’s Smallest – Smallest Stand-Alone House In Chelsea For Sale For...

    SW3’s Smallest – Smallest Stand-Alone House In Chelsea For Sale For Staggering Sum
    Smallest stand-alone house in Chelsea for sale for 100% more than it was offered for in 2017; there’s barely room to swing a cat.

    Cut The Conspiracy Claptrap – Crazy Theories About The Deaths Of...

    Cut The Conspiracy Claptrap
    Matthew Steeples suggests that the crazy conspiracy claptrap that has followed in the wake of the death of Her Majesty The Queen and the ongoing nonsense that circulates online about Jeffrey Epstein is exactly that; crazy claptrap.

    ‘Comeback King’ Kevin Spacey – Actor Seeks To “Leave The Nonsense...

    ‘Comeback King’ Kevin Spacey – Actor Seeks To “Leave The Nonsense Behind”
    As Kevin Spacey’s eccentric ‘friend’ Geoffrey Mark claims the “exonerated” actor will now “leave the nonsense behind” and begin his comeback, we remind of his friendships with ‘curious sorts’ including Prince Andrew, Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Harvey Weinstein.