Theresa May at Leveson re Madeleine McCann Review

by Guest 29.05.12 12:45

Hmmm it seems the review had been going on a long time, first started under previous government with discussions with ACPO and at the same time discussion with the Portuguese Authorities...

Ross Hawkins‏@rosschawkins

May said: work we were doing to look at this review had been going on for some time, had been coming to fruition about this time [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Ross Hawkins‏@rosschawkins

Asked if she was put under pressure May doesn't give a fantastically direct answer, Jay doesn't pursue point [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
May denies any pressure from Brookes [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Kempiiy‏@Kempiiy

Theresa May playing down the rapid launch of the McCann enquiry and contact with Rebekka Brooks - avoided suggestion of pressure [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

by bobbin 29.05.12 13:02

Theresa May did refer to the case as the 'disappearance' of Madeleine McCann. That at least is noteworthy. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

by Guest 29.05.12 13:11

12.43pm: Asked whether she was under pressure behind the scenes to launch the review of the McCann case, May says the Home Office had been working on it for some time.
May does not directly answer the question, but Jay seems satisfied with the response and moves on.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] Theresa May had telephone calls with Rebekah Brooks and Dominic Mohan on 11 May 2011 about the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, the inquiry hears.

May spoke to the pair about the Home Office review of the evidence involved in the disappearance. She says that the Home Office had been discussing with ACPO "for some time" about undertaking a review and it was not given the go-ahead at short notice.

May says she does not recall having a conversation with David Cameron on or around the 11 May about the Madeleine McCann disappearance. Neither Brooks nor Mohan indicated that May would "be on the front page of the Sun until the review was announced", she says.

This phone call to Brooks and Mohan was at her instigation, May says

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

So Theresa May doesn't recall having a chat with David Cameron on or around 11th May, when the Sun had the letter from Cameron to the McCanns starting the review. It had been going on a long time eh? Cameron calls for a review with that front page headline, May says its been going on a while, even under the previous Government. Who do you believe?

by jd 29.05.12 13:14

May is frightened of private info about her being printed on the front page of the Sun so not saying anything of the truth and playing on side with brooks and co

by **tigger** 29.05.12 13:21

jd wrote:May is frightened of private info about her being printed on the front page of the Sun so not saying anything of the truth and playing on side with brooks and co

Or it is part of the Cameron defence - she's preparing the ground as it were.

by jd 29.05.12 13:47

tigger wrote:
jd wrote:May is frightened of private info about her being printed on the front page of the Sun so not saying anything of the truth and playing on side with brooks and co

Or it is part of the Cameron defence - she's preparing the ground as it were.

This too most definitely, but she is too scared to speak the truth of what happened and just trying to lay as low as possible so not to upset 'anyone'

by Guest 29.05.12 13:57

jd wrote:
tigger wrote:
jd wrote:May is frightened of private info about her being printed on the front page of the Sun so not saying anything of the truth and playing on side with brooks and co

Or it is part of the Cameron defence - she's preparing the ground as it were.

This too most definitely, but she is too scared to speak the truth of what happened and just trying to lay as low as possible so not to upset 'anyone'

It was very noticeable how Jay QC didn't persue the matter. He asked the question and then just left it, without further trying to ascertain who phoned who, and why Rebekah Brookes had said that DC and TM weren't threatened, more 'persuaded' was I think the term she used. Yet TM can't remember speaking to DC, and says it was her who phoned RB. RB was given a right grilling by Jay, and yet TM was let off very lightly with her explanation.

by jd 29.05.12 14:00

It was very noticeable how Jay QC didn't persue the matter

Yes. And very telling indeed

by bobbin 29.05.12 14:12

jd wrote:
It was very noticeable how Jay QC didn't persue the matter

Yes. And very telling indeed

However, I think Jay QC is very perceptive and takes it all in, barely showing his 'not quite sure if that's an answer' look and 'hmm'. What I have witnessed so far, is, if he doesn't get an answer from one person that tallies with the word given by another, he waits his time out and gets the info from another.

I don't think it will just rest there. He doesn't make a scene, but he will return to the stage with some other actor. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

by jd 29.05.12 14:30

I totally agree that Jay QC is very perceptive, but which side is he batting for? Probably the one he was 'persuaded' to at the start of the Inquiry

by bobbin 29.05.12 14:38

I hope he's being impartial. At the moment he has behaved impeccably and must have garnered an enormous amount of respect. If he lets this be no more than a public relations exercise and is merely a tool of some higher power then he will be reduced to 'absolute worthlessness'. He has the chance of greatness or utter disdain.

I think he is more of a man than that..... I do so hope. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

by Guest 29.05.12 15:30

Theresa May denies News International pressured her for renewed Madeleine probe

Sam Lister , Ben Glaze

Tuesday 29 May 2012

Theresa May today denied claims that News International pressured her
into launching a fresh inquiry into the disappearance of Madeleine
McCann.

The Home Secretary rebuffed suggestions made at the Leveson Inquiry that she was told they would "put her face on the front page every day" until she gave in to their demands for a new investigation.

Mrs May insisted phone calls discussing the plans for the Scotland Yard review with former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks and Sun editor Dominic Mohan were at "her instigation".

She said preparations for the new investigation began under the previous government and the work was simply coming to fruition when the announcement was made.

Mrs May told the inquiry: "Neither Mrs Brooks nor Mr Mohan made any indication of that sort to me.

"The nature of these conversations was to alert them to the fact that the Government was taking some action, there was going to be some further work by police here in the UK and to put forward the point that it was very important that the UK authorities were able to work with the Portuguese authorities."

The inquiry heard that the Home Office's work was "coming to fruition around this time and obviously the issue was of public interest".

"The Home Office first started discussing with Acpo (Association of Chief Police Officers) the possibility of a police review or further police work on this ... under the previous government."

The Home Secretary said David Cameron was "interested in this specific issue", but said she could not recall "having a specific discussion myself" with the Prime Minister about whether the Met should carry out its own review.

Mrs Brooks denied bullying the Government over the issue when she appeared before the inquiry earlier this month.

PA

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

by david_uk 29.05.12 15:53

Wheres the Fruit then?

by monkey mind 29.05.12 15:58

Damage limitation through understatement. When Rupert Brooks made it clear she an NI were running the country it rather left Cameron and May with eggy faces. So play it down to the level of insignificance.

Sorry, I meant Rebekah Brooks. Obviously.

by ShuBob 29.05.12 16:47

If no pressure had been exerted on May re the review by Brookes and Mohan, why did she feel the need to contact them and give them privileged information about what was going on behind the scenes? It doesn't make sense. Lest we forget, it was "Downing Street sources" who are credited with revealing the story about the pressure and no denial was forthcoming until today. Perhaps, Cameron will be able to shed more light if Jay decides to do his job properly.

by Guest 29.05.12 20:03

So according to Theresa May this review was ongoing and started way back with the last government, when the Home Sec was Alan Johnson, interesting article here from Joana Morais about the fluffy worthless words

[snipped from article]
«Kate and Gerry McCann today said they have had enough of “fluffy worthless words”, calling again for a full case review over their daughter Madeleine's disappearance

Kate and Gerry McCann also accused Home Secretary Theresa May of offering “words, but no action” to help the search for their daughter.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

So, again differing stories.

Couple of interesting videos on the above link with Darshna Soni of Channel 4 interview. Might be of use to Ribisl for video library.

by Gillyspot 29.05.12 20:27

candyfloss wrote:
The Home Secretary said David Cameron was "interested in this specific issue", but said she could not recall "having a specific discussion myself" with the Prime Minister about whether the Met should carry out its own review.

Interesting quote as the Home Office issued a statement which appears to discredit this.

"The Home Office today announced that the Metropolitan Police Service will be bringing their expertise to the case regarding the search for Madeleine McCann.

A Home Office spokesperson said: 'The government's primary concern has always been and remains the safe return of Madeleine. Although she disappeared in Portugal, and the Portuguese retain the lead responsibility in the case, law enforcement agencies here have continued to follow up leads and pass information to the Portuguese authorities as appropriate.

'The Prime Minister and the Home Secretary have today agreed with Sir Paul Stephenson that the Metropolitan Police will bring its particular expertise to this case. Clearly, the detail of what that will entail will be a matter of operational judgment and it would not be appropriate to discuss at this stage.'"

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

So Theresa May "could no recall" this?

Seeming that Leveson is full of people who's memories are so bad they shouldn't be in power.

by Guest 29.05.12 22:45

All of them have selective memories.
If this Leveson inquiry is not a whitewash, as some suspect, I wouldn't be surprised if some people would be recalled to testify.
My number one would be Clarence Mitchell, who apparently testified off camera ...
And then Brooks again, and then Mrs. May.
Mr. Jay seems to have some inside information and it contradicts the ladies, who both IMO have something to hide ...

by Woofer 29.05.12 23:07

candyfloss wrote:[snipped from article]
«Kate and Gerry McCann today said they have had enough of “fluffy worthless words”, calling again for a full case review over their daughter Madeleine's disappearance

Kate and Gerry McCann also accused Home Secretary Theresa May of offering “words, but no action” to help the search for their daughter.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

.

Well I never thought I`d agree with the McCanns - after listening to Theresa May today, they`re right about the fluffy worthless words - she didn`t say anything concrete and added absolutely zilch to the inquiry.

by jd 29.05.12 23:20

Kate and Gerry McCann today said they have had enough of “fluffy worthless words”,

The celebrity child neglecters should read their own police statements for fluffy worthless words

by Guest 30.05.12 10:47

Just adding this, because this scoping exercise had already been done, and the McCanns were not allowed to see the outcome.....from the way it reads they (McCanns) had already had a meeting with Theresa May when they were told this. We then had the letter in the Sun and the petition etc. So, something was already going on as Theresa May said at Leveson, and was this just to pre-empt what was going to happen anyway?.......

McCann Document "Sensitive" [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

By Martin Brunt
May 12, 2011 4:22 PM

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Kate McCann has confirmed what I'd heard about the McCanns' meeting with Home Secretary Theresa May to discuss the scoping report on the feasibility of a joint UK-Portugal review of all the information on Madeleine's disappearance gathered by forces in both countries.

Kate said: "I asked her if she had read it and she said she hadn't." (Mrs. May's spokeswoman denied she hadn't read it.)

According to Kate the Home Sec also told the couple they couldn't see the report themselves "because it's sensitive."

Difficult to imagine how the meeting went from that point.

I'm told the scoping report backs the McCanns' call for a joint review, as does the Association of Chief Police Officers.

The McCanns have now asked the Prime Minister to intervene and get the Portuguese authorities to agree to the review, which would cross-reference any clues that could be linked.

The couple have appealed to David Cameron in a letter which begins: "As a devoted father and family man, you know the importance of children."

I asked Kate if they had turned to the PM because they felt TM was unsympathetic as she does not have children.

Kate thought that was rather unfair of me, insisting that you don't need to have children of your own to feel for them.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]