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Green London Assembly Member Jenny Jones has declared that phone hacking is “not something we should be spending a huge amount of time on.” It is true that the Operation Wheeting is the second largest investigative team in the Met but, given the widespread and serious nature of the allegations, this at first seems a bizarre statement, of the type we normally expect from the Greens. When you realise that Jenny Jones is not only the Green member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, but her party’s candidate for London Mayor, it becomes deeply worrying. Although it is (thankfully) highly unlikely, in theory next year Jenny Jones could be in charge of the Metropolitan Police!
She is quoted as saying:
“There are murders, child abductions and rapes that these officers could be investigating. All these people have to do is not use the voicemail facility on their phone and they will never be hacked again. At a time when resources are so stretched this investigation, for me, should be pretty low on the agenda.”
Whoever said the Green Party don’t capture the public mood….
July 6, 2011 at 3:04 pm
It is not often that I agree with a Green but this time I think she is right – I’m not condoning what NotW did (or I suspect many other papers) but actually catching the murderers, rapists and expenses cheats seems a more important issue. Before everyone gets too self righteous about this they should consider whether NotW etc would have acted like this if the public diod not really want to read this type of gossip.
July 6, 2011 at 3:46 pm
Isn’t it the suggestion that investigations into murders, child abductions and rapes might have been hampered by NOTW’s interference in evidence?
I’ll have whatever she’s smoking!
July 6, 2011 at 6:30 pm
Yeah but she’s not wrong though is she!
July 7, 2011 at 10:54 pm
If ever I wonder about my decision some years ago to resign from the Green Party, all need do is to listen to or read the claptrap that pours out of Green Party bigwigs like Jenny Jones and I have my decision verified as the right one.
People like Jenny Jones in the Green Party will come out with some specious twaddle without bothering to think things through.
It is possible, as has been pointed out, that the deliberate and malicious interception of messages might constitute prima facie evidence of: Attempting to pervert the course of justice, interfering with a police investigation, conspiracy, etc., etc., etc.
That Jenny wilfully and obdurately cannot or will not see this is a matter of concern for the Green Party. And for the people she represents in the London Assembly.
July 8, 2011 at 5:59 am
She’s right, dumb people who don’t change the default pin on their voice mail don’t deserve a massive police operation.
Yes it’s wrong but it simply does not deserve the attention, nobody died from someone hearing their VM’s.
She is capturing one aspect of the public mood, just different from the received wisdom the likes of the Guardian would like me to think.
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July 6, 2011 at 10:23 pm
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