Madeleine McCann case: PM criticised for calling in Metropolitan police

[ecuworrier]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/may/13/madeleine-mccann-case-pm-police

mm they wiz talkin about this on the radio last night...
the sequestering of tax payers money to cover a single missing person case ...
the unhealthy realtionship between PM and News International having something to do with this..

so is little david a folk hero
or squandering national resources during a recession for his own personal image
is the use of public money for personal causes really what we want from the pm especially during a recessin? or is it abuse of public monies?
i mean is this really a genuine case for public interest concerning the do we carewhat about the other missing kiddies ?
what does it say about our gov our media our people?

GOD BLESS!

Peace and Love,

[Boudi]

I do think Ecu that so many of your posts carry such an obvious political bias that people won't want to add their voice....

that aside, I do think this is about image rather than this single tragic case which has been jumped on for years by the media.  There are indeed many missing children,. and every case must be atragedy, so we can ask, why is a very public fuss being made about this case, and since this case happened in another country, would it not be better to made a 'push' for a missing child case in this country.

Cameron is doing this for publicity, but can you blame him?  We have a child who went missing years ago in another country, yet the parents have been presented to the pope, they have been on the front page of most papers, been on radio and television.  If he does sopmething it's vote grabbing, if he doesn't he's ignoring the plight of this family who obviously have the backing of the whole country......what's a PM to do?

[JJ]

It's like supporting your family isn't it? If the tragedy is in front of you all the time it's only human to want to do something about it.

On a political point, I do think that any investigation helps the criminal justice system with profiling, understanding criminal habits and tendencies, gaining experience, networking and making the world a smaller place as criminal trade routes are discovered.  So there is an argument for taking it on as it can only help with current and future cases.

[EliB]

I feel uncomfortable about the PM's direct involvement in this case....what about the thousands of other missing children in THIS country? How do their parents feel when copious resources are plied into this ONE case originating on foreign soil. Definitely a PR move on Cameron's part.

But then, I've felt uncomfortable about the level of publicity this ONE case has received from day one! THOUSANDS of missing kids out there, enduring God knows what, and yet all the celebrities also jumped onto the publicity bandwagon....and millions of pounds were donated...not to a "missing children's charity" to help ALL these families, but this ONE family!
YES, what happened to Madeleine is horrendous - no question - but it's been conveniently overlooked by the authorities - and the general public - that if her parents hadn't left her......that and how media savvy her parents were from day one (strolling along the shallows on the beach, carrying sandals, hand in hand....bank of photographers yards away.....is that REALLY how you'd behave if your child had just been abducted....???) And as for using part of the "Fund" to make 2 mortgage payments....really???? And writing a book.....?
NOBODY can predict how they'll react in that or any given situation, but still, the McCann's have had a public platform that other families in the same situation haven't .......why??
If this kind of help is given to ONE family - it should be given to them ALL!!! No wonder Karen Matthew's got ideas in her head.....

My comments will possibly be unpopular but I DON'T think our PM should be involving himself in this....

[JJ]

NOBODY knows how people would or should behave when something horrendous has happened. That is becoming more and more obvious as human responses to tragedy are documented. People become like automatons and that is evident in the behaviour which we see more and more on news programmes.  And what about those occasions when murderers pretend to be distressed about their missing family members at news conferences?  Are they exhibiting the 'right' behaviour because that is what we all expect?  Reactions differ greatly amongst people who have endured something terrible.


I reiterate my point that policing is a learning experience and what is done in one case helps with practice for other cases however much it sticks in the throat for some that one family is having help.  That's how it is, and that's what people donated to.  Nobody forced them to.

[AndrewF]

Whatever else you can say, you can't say that the 'whole country' is behind the McCanns.
A lot of people who I talked to about it over the years have agreed with me that A) they should not have left the children unattended - not even using the hotels child-minding service - and B) that their behaviour afterwards was a bit strange as Eli says. while it is a tragedy for them they are at least in part to blame for it themselves, and certainly do not deserve to get so much more media attention etc than any of the other families whose kids go missing. The whole thing is media-hyped, partly as a result of a very successful campaign on the part of the parents - and I guess one has to admire their ability in this area if nothing else!
Yes, the cops will (hopefully) learn some from the exercise, but they probably need to learn quite a lot before they can gain from the co-operation - for example who many Portuguese-speakers are there in the Met? And it is one heck of a 'cold' case...

[ecuworrier]

I do think Ecu that so many of your posts carry such an obvious political bias that people won't want to add their voice....

i think like someone else on fs your comments are a bit missing the point ...

i'm glad you use the word 'bias' cos bias implies being for something ... unfortunately the one thing i am not for is the cosy mess that is not exactly properly analysed and our true disgust and reprehension given political voice

 me i am a bit shocked that so many stories in the media manage to get no attention  whatsoever here on fs that carry substantial interest  within alas a political context that if you are happy with that's your beer ...... hey you certainly don't have to agree with my opinions you should have your own..i'd far rather that these stories were being picked up by others as they indeed have substantial noteworthiness ....... and are in my view of broader political issues... and are of sufficient interest to get conversation on...
silence has a story all of its own... and shoudl get the journalist's well asking questions if they are not then we the people are up the creek which come to think of it we certainly are.....

that aside, I do think this is about image rather than this single tragic case which has been jumped on for years by the media.  There are indeed many missing children,. and every case must be atragedy, so we can ask, why is a very public fuss being made about this case, and since this case happened in another country, would it not be better to made a 'push' for a missing child case in this country.

well tghe removal of the met to work abroad and the like you could have a point

Cameron is doing this for publicity, but can you blame him? 
???? i thought this is the sort of thing the british people don't really like well we didn't before the election with the expenses scandal where people like cameron were given a get out of jail free chrd

We have a child who went missing years ago in another country, yet the parents have been presented to the pope, they have been on the front page of most papers, been on radio and television.  If he does sopmething it's vote grabbing, if he doesn't he's ignoring the plight of this family who obviously have the backing of the whole country......what's a PM to do?

  Bless you Boudi  you make him sound like a victim... er why is it the PM needs so much publicity and why is he giving over resources of the crown and the taxpayer to do so without any criticism whatsoever.... surely the News International could be paying all those private eye folks to better ... it's their love in with the McCanns... the McCanns have a new book out... that would be a sensationalist story that would keep the soap opera and the er interested british public going for well how long the love in lasts.... this is a story about publicity by a publicist and a publicisity machine...... so you see there is a peculiar political bias on this it affects us we are paying for it as we are for all the president's publicity indulgences.... now Boudi you must know somethin about the tefloncameraman that i do not  i would have thought that the finances of the recession and the budget deficit were story enough for little heros...  so yup ....s this is a political story about bad smells that are being disguised with some rather cheap aftershave... we the people desrve better than this!


GOD BLESS!

Peace and Love,

[Boudi]

So tell me...did Brown ever try to #get in tune# with the media?  Don't you remember when he was supposed to be running the country, and appears on a Piers moron programme or something, telling how he was very concerned about the scottish singing lady, who he'd been talking to the previous night.  Media is how politics is played.  I hope we can remember how you picked him up at the time for this gaffe.

As for your political bias...just look at your posts.

[AndyHB]

Whatever else you can say, you can't say that the 'whole country' is behind the McCanns.
A lot of people who I talked to about it over the years have agreed with me that A) they should not have left the children unattended - not even using the hotels child-minding service - and B) that their behaviour afterwards was a bit strange as Eli says. while it is a tragedy for them they are at least in part to blame for it themselves, and certainly do not deserve to get so much more media attention etc than any of the other families whose kids go missing. The whole thing is media-hyped, partly as a result of a very successful campaign on the part of the parents - and I guess one has to admire their ability in this area if nothing else!
Yes, the cops will (hopefully) learn some from the exercise, but they probably need to learn quite a lot before they can gain from the co-operation - for example who many Portuguese-speakers are there in the Met? And it is one heck of a 'cold' case...

I think that a large proportion, and possibly even a majority now have lost patience with the McCanns.  I remember large numbers of journos who questioned their use of the baby-sitting service early in the investigation.  Have to say that I have ignored the whole thing fro shortly after it broke back in whenever it was - so don't really that much to say.

However, if Cameron can help the practice of policing and investigative crime work by jumping on this bandwagon, why not - can't see them finding out a lot more, other than perhaps the poor lass's date of death.

[EliB]

Kerry Needham said :  "I am pleased for the McCann family and look forward to the government offering the same support to all the families with children missing abroad" ....spot on....that's what SHOULD happen, if it's happening for one family, it needs to be available for them all.....but we all know that that just can't/won't happen, there aren't the resources! So how can Cameron justify it?

Kerry Needham hasn't had an inth of the support/resources that the McCann's have....and she's 20 years down the line....why is her boy less important???

[ecuworrier]

So tell me...did Brown ever try to #get in tune# with the media?  Don't you remember when he was supposed to be running the country, and appears on a Piers moron programme or something, telling how he was very concerned about the scottish singing lady, who he'd been talking to the previous night.  Media is how politics is played.  I hope we can remember how you picked him up at the time for this gaffe.

As for your political bias...just look at your posts.

snooze Boudi  (who is presumably hereby demonstrating consistency with his political bias  and clearly cares more about protecting the incumbant's image than discussing any issues that might potentially demonstrate the political sleeze that exists)



GOD BLESS!

Peace and Love,

[ecuworrier]

I reiterate my point that policing is a learning experience and what is done in one case helps with practice for other cases however much it sticks in the throat for some that one family is having help.  That's how it is, and that's what people donated to.  Nobody forced them to.

i think that is a very good point ! but if there is a case of taking a case to learn from in a recession should we be spending the effort locally here in the UK; finding a country where  most british kiddies disappear abroad?; helping the portuguese system?  or something else?

GOD BLESS!

Peace and Love,

[Boudi]

So tell me...did Brown ever try to #get in tune# with the media?  Don't you remember when he was supposed to be running the country, and appears on a Piers moron programme or something, telling how he was very concerned about the scottish singing lady, who he'd been talking to the previous night.  Media is how politics is played.  I hope we can remember how you picked him up at the time for this gaffe.

As for your political bias...just look at your posts.

snooze Boudi  (who is presumably hereby demonstrating consistency with his political bias  and clearly cares more about protecting the incumbant's image than discussing any issues that might potentially demonstrate the political sleeze that exists)



GOD BLESS!

Peace and Love,

PLEASE INFORM ME AS TO WHAT THIS POLITICAL BIAS OF MINE IS.  mIGHT BE GOOD IF YOU COULD DEMONSTRATE to me which party you think I vote(d) for.

[AndyHB]

snooze Boudi  (who is presumably hereby demonstrating consistency with his political bias  and clearly cares more about protecting the incumbant's image than discussing any issues that might potentially demonstrate the political sleeze that exists)

And how does Boudi's attitude differ, materially, from your own?  You were very keen to 'protect the incumbent's image' over the past 8-10 years when all independents about were telling us how bad things were.

In fact, I wouldn't take your assumption that Boudi is protecting anyone's image, let alone showing bias.  After all, your continual assumption that there are several people here who support Cameron shows how poor your political judgement is - especially when the folk you claim to be Tory supporters have often publicly announced their support for a different party - just not Labour.

[Boudi]

Cheers...I thought that.

While I don't think what he's doimng is right, I don't think he's in that easy a situation. It takes a certain amopunt of bravert to say that the McCanns were wrong, when they have obviously suffered, and it would be seen as monstrous.  If you're a parent of a missing child I don't suppose you'd ever give up, and I cvan understand that.  For the rest of us though the attachment isn't there, and we can, as a nation, give up, while holding out some hope that we may be wrong.  We all know that years down the line it is so much more difficult, and if she is alive, she will be more difficult to spot.
All that aside the media is weilding political power and influence.  If Cameron thought this was the appropriate thing to do he should have done it a year ago, when it may have been slightly more use