Watson position described as ‘untenable’ after ‘dog whistle’ amplified false claims of abuse by convicted fraudster
Labour deputy leader Tom Watson is under increasing pressure to resign after the conviction of Carl Beech on twelve counts of perverting the course of justice and one of fraud. Beech had received tens of thousands of pounds in compensation after making false allegations of sexual abuse.
Former Tory MP Harvey Proctor, a prominent victim of Beech’s lies, singled out Watson for particularly scathing criticism for his behaviour and told the BBC that he blamed Watson’s ‘interference’ and ‘pressure’ for his ordeal – but Watson tried to brazen it out:
However, Proctor was not the only critic of Watson’s role in miscarriages of justice. IICSA, the formal inquiry into sexual abuse of children, heard that Watson had jumped the gun without listening properly when he told Parliament of a ‘powerful paedophile network’ linked to Downing Street.
Watson was also forced to make a formal apology for his claims about former Tory minister Leon Brittan, describing his own words as ’emotive and unnecessary’.
Remarkably, in spite of these criticisms of his ‘spectacular bad judgment’, Watson has persisted in trying to commandeer Labour’s disciplinary processes – and was publicly rebuked by Labour general secretary Jennie Formby for ‘polluting’ the process and putting the proper result of antisemitism cases at risk.
Tom Watson was contacted for comment.
SKWAWKBOX view:
Social media is again awash with calls for Watson to step down from his ‘untenable’ position, this time for his failures and lack of judgment in abuse cases.
The damage Watson has done makes him unfit to represent the Labour Party as an MP, let alone as deputy leader. For the sake of the party and out of respect for the victims of his failures, he must go.
The SKWAWKBOX needs your support. This blog is provided free of charge but depends on the generosity of its readers to be viable. If you can afford to, please click here to arrange a one-off or modest monthly donation via PayPal or here for a monthly donation via GoCardless. Thanks for your solidarity so this blog can keep bringing you information the Establishment would prefer you not to know about.
If you wish to reblog this post for non-commercial use, you are welcome to do so – see here for more.
” in spite of these criticisms of his ‘spectacular bad judgment’, Watson has persisted in trying to commandeer Labour’s disciplinary processes”
Looks like he’s now recruited the shadow cabinet 🙂
I have absolutely nothing in common with Harvey Proctor but am outraged by what happened to him – he lost his job and the home that went with it ( he was some sort of land agent) he lost many friendships which it will never be possible to rebuild and his reputation was in tatters . He ended up in a loyal friends spare room abroad (in Spain I think) as he had lost everything at home due to the lies of Carl Beech who was fully supported by Tom Watson. I understand Tom has refused to apologise to Harvey Proctor which would be the decent thing to do in the circumstances. and the best efforts .In the absence of an apology I agree Tom’s position is untenable.
It is obvious that Watson has contempt for all the best traditions of justice. His is a lynch mob mentality. He simply lacks the most basic qualifications for public office.
The treatment that Harvey Proctor has had to endure is appalling. The fact the he has been deserted by the Establishment that he served so loyally over more than fifty years simply confirms that it is composed entirely of selfish, cowardly careerists, as incapable of loyalty as they are of real patriotism.
Bevin Didn’t they name a drink 🍸after him
Looking at the country’s last few leaders, Tapeworm has all the qualities need. Why did the establishment drop Proctor? He had powerful friends? I fear that we will never know. There is more, much more to this. Proctor’s innocence doesn’t clean all of the stables.
Smartboy
The embedded video in this report shows Watson stating he has nothing to apologise for.
Yes thanks I eventually saw it – a failure to apologise shows he has no remorse and also that he lacks the moral fibre to admit to mistakes or wrongdoing.Or perhaps he thinks its OK to destroy Harvey as a man just like the PLP thought it was OK to destroy Jeremy in 2016 and since.
Tom Watson has always been first in the queue to point an accusing finger at others .Now the MSM and social media are full of demands for his resignation – he must feel strange to be on the receiving end for once.
In their world apologies get you sued.
On a brighter note, I wondered who the shortest-serving of any British PM was.
George Canning apparently died of pneumonia 119 days into his premiership in 1827.
If it’s BloJo gets anointed today I think there’s a fair chance he’ll smash that to bits.
We could have prizes for closest to the date, the kind of Boris-up that gets him fired or forces his resignation, how many seconds it takes for him to blame it all on Corbyn…
I almost hope Hunt nicks it – just because it’ll have the pundits disappearing up their own arses trying to explain it – the camera better zoom in on the loser’s face whoever it is.
I wouldn’t want to miss either one trying to look nonchalant with the bitter taste of losing to a fucking Mummy’s boy in his mouth.
David M cNivan….Boris will fit the profile better , we can campaign with a much stronger message ,The entitled boris Johnson’s whole background is a campaign against what he represents in the Tory party and the supporters of the torys…..come on boris let’s have a coronation
Watson’s slandering of Leon Brittan was even more disgusting as Brittan was of course very seriously ill at the time. Given Watson’s recent treatment of Jennie Formby it would appear that he specialises in having a go at those who are at their lowest physical ebb regardless of how unjustified he is and the impact that it might have on his victim. One incident of this type might be consider to be due to an unfortunate lack of judgement but two.
In my view this is the mark of a true bully. A man who demonstrates little remorse for his appalling behavior and in fact seems to be rather pleased with it.
He is also a man who presumes to lecture others on the evils of Anti Semitism but he does not see the slightest irony in accepting £500000 for the running of his political office from the Mosley’s of all people.
He has no credibility left and he is unfit to be the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party. He should immediately resign .
They deserve each other. He has been found innocent after a trial and I am glad that his suffering is over but I shan’t be joining this Labour party Harvey Proctor old in . Not ever. Monday Club will do for starters.
Surely, Harvey Proctor has grounds to sue Watson for any loss or hardship suffered.
He is not the sort of person who would resign with honour now, is he?
Listening to the Beeb this morning fantasizing.about a government of national unity led by Kier Starmer you’ve got to wonder when they became king maker.
National unity gov’t led by Kier Starmer? The Remoaner is so greasy he could never get spots on his face, they would just slip off!
David S…. Remember once a knight?
There is a group (perhaps several) of organised nonces at westminster; just like there is at the bbc. It’s not exclusive to one party, neither. Far from it.
And 114 files don’t just get ‘lost’ ffs.
Don’t let something like this this make you lose sight of that.
Headlines action all the dross papers,with pictures of Watson playing centre stage.Torygraph headlines:Fantiscist who’s lies should never have been believed:……This could be applied to Watson and maybe the press are implying such.This will be a reality check for Watson and many others in the Labour party that once the dogs are out there must be blood.The laugh to many of us is Harvey proctor the nice innocent bystander caught up in Watson’s smears,…..Long memorys of Harvey nasty peice of work,!…..and a Rotten Tory through the decades.
Well put .Such better than my post. I’m old and in the way but I remember good old Harvey. Didn’t he have a thing about skinheads? Cheers.
Long memorys of Harvey nasty peice of work,!…..and a Rotten Tory through the decades.
EXACTAMUNDO!!
https://scepticpeg.wordpress.com/2016/03/30/the-life-times-of-harvey-proctor/
.
Proctor vile evil kerb crawling racist even extended to the Irish Catholic population here and NIreland. Supporter of Enoch Powell and the fledgling DUP was an early supporter of internment without trial and even suggested that the design of Long kesh concentration camp would be fitting for the Irish Catholic population!….Yes mr proctors hatred like most racists extended beyond the colour of our skin…..So please younger posters don’t shed any tears for Harvey Procter!
Nobody can justify the total destruction of this mans life, his ability to earn a living, the loss of his home and friends. He was innocent of the crimes he was accused of yet he suffered so much because of the lies of a fantasist who had the full support of the police and Tom Watson . Clearly a disgusting case of guilty until proven innocent.
”Nobody can justify the total destruction of this mans life”
Read the link I provided?
Wouldn’t have batted an eyelid about making me & my family destitute (As the toerags very nearly done in the 80’s)
Balls to proctor.
Reply to Toffee 597
I disagree with you entirely – he lost everything because of false accusations against him – do you really think that is Ok? What if it was you or someone close to you? Would it be Ok if your brother/father/ nephew was hounded out of his job, lost his home ,lost his friends, couldn’t show his face in the local shop/pub/church ,had to leave the country and you and your family members were jeered at every time you went out of the house all because some liar falsely accused your relative of all sorts of sexual perversion and was believed. It doesn’t bear thinking about .
Harvey Proctor was sent to hell and back for something he did not do. This was wrong and can never be justified.
It really don’t matter one tiny little but how much we ,here on this blog , rant and rave (quite rightly) about Watson , sadly he is to all intents and purposes the leader of Labour .
JC and his team will become increasingly irrelevant to the long term strategy as to what and who the Labour party actually represents .In the short term JC and his team will be the useful whipping boys as the PLP MPs progress project anaconda to its successful conclusion
There can be no real change until the membership get the powers to effect it , with mandatory reselection , successfully destroyed by Lansman and Mcclusky ( boy I bet Len regrets that now ) , some fast and responsive mechanisms available to the CLPs and grassroots to recall MPs who go rogue in the mean time ( we can’t now wait for elections to be the trigger for reselection) and much greater influence and say on the NCC .
How that is achieved ??
Rob. I don’t bet but Watson will be out by this time next year and it wil be like procter in disgrace…. The media will turn on him as a source, Security at HQ and NEC will kill off the exclusive interview from Watson and Watson’s smears.
Ah, Watson, Hodge, Blair… the Labour party. It deserves them but many members don’t.
Members will just have to keep schtum or follow the party line to the letter or risk being ‘auto’ chucked out. Oh, I forget, NEC hasn’t rubber stamped that rule yet.
Watson is just one manifestation of the cancer.
Cancer can be treated …steve richards
Interesting that Watson appears to have disappeared. But he would no doubt have been available if there was an opportunity to undermine Corbyn.
Perhaps he’s asking Madge about suitable lawyers when or if he’s taken to court?