Please share widely, as this kind of behaviour by Cure supporters needs to be exposed.
I wrote a couple of days ago about the threat by NHS ‘whistleblower’ Gary Walker to call in the police and accuse me of harassment for speaking out about Julie Bailey and her group, Cure the NHS (Cure).
He’s not the only Cure supporter to resort to barely-veiled threats – at the same time handily revealing the real nature of Cure and its allies, one that is conveniently ignored by anti-NHS or otherwise compliant media.
One of the more interesting examples involves a character who styles himself ‘NHS Complaint’ on Twitter and a blog, but whose real name is Alan Edwards, has joined in the fun with this interesting little number:
‘They will be dealt with’?! As others pointed out in the thread, there’s not much mistaking the threatening tone of that statement, or the fact that it represents a threat of retribution for voicing a dissenting opinion:
This becomes even more obvious when you consider the context. Mr Edwards, a histrionic character with an apparent liking for melodrama as well as a very high opinion of his own significance, is the character attempting a private prosecution for manslaughter against David Nicholson, the outgoing head of the NHS, for his supposed role in deaths at Stafford hospital.
Leave aside the fact that Nicholson’s connection to events at Mid Staffs is tenuous at best. Leave aside the fact that events at Mid Staffs are nothing like they’ve been portrayed by the media, and that independent clinicians who reviewed the deaths at Mid Staffs found that ‘perhaps one’ was questionable.
These clear facts notwithstanding, Mr Edwards feels entitled to access any papers he wishes to support his wild, grandiose attempt to bring charges that the Crown Prosecution Service would laugh out of the building, even though those documents are not in the public domain:
Edwards’ lashing out is not confined to Twitter, nor to the issue of NHS log-in data. On his blog, as we’ve already seen in a previous blog, he fires unfounded, libellous accusations, not only at various Stafford people who cannot be demonstrated to have done any worse than disagree with, or disapprove of, the behaviour of Cure, but also at a whole town:
A whole town ‘allowed the vulnerable to suffer for money’?
Mr Edwards’ strange, obsessive behaviour is far from limited to Stafford-related matters, as even a superficial read of his blog will attest. In one particularly telling example, he not only again makes wild and libellous accusations but also includes a photograph of the young woman he’s accusing:
I won’t bore you with more of his venomous ramblings, but these examples perfectly illustrate the seemingly-unhinged nature of Mr Edwards’ thought processes.
So, an unstable person with a history of obsessive behaviour and a taste for baseless private crusades threatens that I and a Stafford woman ‘will be dealt with’. Interesting.
When Gary Walker accused me of harassment, I did a little reading up on the relevant law. Mr Walker was talking nonsense, but the reading was not time wasted. One of the measures that defines whether behaviour constitutes harassment is whether
threats of harm are being made to the victim or someone else – this might include indirect threats.
I’m not going to report Mr Edwards for his threatening behaviour toward me, because I’m not a histrionic personality with an addiction to melodrama. However, if he repeats or acts on any kind of threat via any medium, I will, particularly because he has included a Stafford woman in his pathetic mutterings and threatening a woman is a very serious matter.
You would be well advised to check the names. The article you refer to named”Gary Walker” now you call him “Gary Bailey” This very poor standard could cause a lot of damage. Please clearly state and check the names we do not need this or any other campaign ruined by sloppy work.
Date: Tue, 2 Jul 2013 08:22:08 +0000 To: steve_mackie@hotmail.com
A simple pointer would have sufficed, surely – but thanks anyway. Now changed.
I think Gary Walker and Julie Bailey are part of one gestalt anyway! Freudian slip 🙂
That or the old Man U goalie was on my mind for some reason!
As you will see I am listed by Mr Edwards as a ‘hater’. I do not tweet, Any comments I make usually appear in the form of poetry in support of Stafford hospital, the townsfolk, and the NHS
I find all this very disturbing, Steve, and I hope its not taking a personal toll on you and all the other targets of Cure’s venom. I’ve read a number of their tweets now and what you describe is totally characteristic. You’re right when you call it harassment and I can’t understand why they pounce on even the mildest of comment. I also noticed whilst browsing around the net that they get quite a bit of moral support from a woman called Julia Manning who’s heavily involved with a think tank called 2020 Health. She writes on the conservativehome blog quite a lot and has praised their efforts highly. 2020 Health have very strong connections with private healthcare interests. I find myself wondering if Cure get any financial backing from these people. Does anyone know where Julie got the money to publish her book which is available in paperback and as a Kindle download? Its self published not done through a bona fide publisher. I don’t know much about the business but surely it would need a significant outlay of cash.
Yes, this is far from the only such link to the Tory party. I’m preparing an article on it, so watch this space!
If your’e self publishing via Kindle (essentially Amazon), I don’t think it costs all that much. I know someone who has done this and they certainly haven’t got any up front money 😀
These people are seriously barking. Keep up the good work and I will keep sharing it. People like myself wouldn’t know anything but what the media churns out if it weren’t for your blog.
The strange thing is, under other circumstances, the boot would be on the other foot and the press would be ridiculing these people – they behave like some sort of cult. Perhaps someone could persuade Louis Theroux to do one of his Wild Weekends with them 😀
Just a small point does mr nhs complaint have the necessary permissions to use the NHS logo? As it is trademarked by the department of health
A good small point! I highly doubt it, given the content of what he writes.
This stuff from Cure and supporters is getting silly. If only they could see themselves. This bubble must burst sometime, surely.
Meanwhile let’s keep arguing strongly and cogently on the facts. One thing is for sure – Cure & Co won’t be doing that.
Yes, they become incoherent and vindictive when challenged – just be reasonable, it seems to infuriate them!
Oooo you should be very afraid Steve, after all this is the fool that claims he is going to be the “lead prosecutor” in his private prosecution of David Nicholson.
http://nhscomplaint.wordpress.com/category/met-police/
Bet that scares you doesn’t it (not) lol
Alan Edwards appears to be suffering from a huge dose of delusion and frankly, it’s sad to witness in these days of such an excellent NHS.
If Mr Edwards wants to shout and squeal at me then I will happily ignore him 😀
🙂
Reblogged this on HUMAN RIGHTS & POLITICAL JOURNAL.
Does anyone know where this ludicrous “private prosecution” has got to? It may be his right to start a private prosecution, but it is also the right of the CPS to take it over and discontinue it (thankfully). This is to avoid the exact type of legal harassment Mr Edwards is attempting.