Motes and Beams

So the long running saga of Ashley Mote is concluded. But no it isn't.

According to the judge's statement today on sentacing the fraudster to gaol one reason why he is being sent down for only 9 months (and not the 12 and a day required for him to lose his seat) he wasn't given the full tariff beacuse of prison overcrowding.

WTF!!!

So the people of the South Eastern counties of England will be represented from the confines of one her Majetsy's House of Correction, where he will still pick up £7,000 a month in wages and, as he will no doubt be let out after 4 months he will also keep all his expenses.

Why because the Government has not seen fit to build the prisons necessary to lock those who break the law. Bonza!

On and while on the subject, I must pass comment on the excrable piecer of dithering verbiage encrusted make weight politico who is the leader of the Lib Dems in the European Empire, Andrew Duff.

He immeditely put out a press release blaming UKIP which even journalists of my aquaintance regard as one of the most self-serving pieces of band wagon leaping they have seen in ages.
"I'm pretty cynical," said one correspondent for a UK national daily, "But even I thought that it was pretty awful".

Politics is knockabout, so one can expect a slating at any given moment, however this,

"Commenting on the court case, Duff added: "The time Mr Mote's case has taken to
reach a conclusion is a disgrace. Parliamentary immunity of an MEP is a privilege reserved to protect the Member for his or her legitimate political activities. It should not be abused by British courts as a means to shield criminals."

Is either deciet or ignorance. I suspect a combination. It was not the British Court system that slowed down the process, it was the way in which the European parliament and Courts allowed Mr Mote to abuse its immunity system. The British courts have been trying to try the man for years, but the EU institutions allowed him to play the system.

If a crime is committed before the individual is elected then there can and should be no case for immunity (frankly, apart from immunity from prosecution for things said in the chamber there should be no immunity from prosecution at all). For the Parliament to have allowed Mote to put three seperate immunity claims through it is disgraceful.

For the Lib Dems to blame the UK Courts is disgusting but sadly of a piece with their normal behaviour. When it comes to Motes and Beams, it is not just Ashley who should be looking carefully.

Update

EUPolitix has used the Lib Dem attack on the British Courts without comment. Given that they of all people should know that this is a utter distortion of the truth I am suprised