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Tom Watson accuses May of "a cover-up" over child abuse claims

Labour MP says inquiry into allegations involving a senior Conservative politician is "the next stage of a cover-up".

Labour MP Tom Watson. Photograph: Getty Images.
Labour MP Tom Watson warned that "many sickening crimes will remain uninvestigated". Photograph: Getty Images.

After criticising the BBC for failing to respond adequately to allegations of child abuse by Jimmy Savile, the government is determined not to be seen to make the same mistake in the case of the alleged north Wales paedophile ring.

In a Commons statement earlier today, Theresa May announced the details of two inquiries into allegations of sexual abuse involving a former senior Conservative politician. The Home Secretary told MPs that north Wales police chief Mark Polin had invited Keith Bristow, the director general of the National Crime Agency, to "assess the allegations recently received, to review the historic police investigations and investigate any fresh allegations". He will produce an initial report on the case by April 2013. In addition, May confirmed that the government would ask "a senior independent figure" to lead an investigation into the 1996-2000 Waterhouse Inquiry, which is accused of failing to consider all allegations of abuse. "Given the seriousness of the allegations, we will make sure that this work is completed urgently," she added.

Responding for Labour, Yvette Cooper warned that having more than one inquiry risked causing confusion and called for "a single, overarching review". But it was Tom Watson, who first aired the new allegations at PMQs last month, who made the most notable intervention when he accused May of instituting "the next stage of a cover-up". The Labour MP told the Commons:

The lesson of Hillsborough and hacking is that a narrow-down investigation is the basic building block of a cover-up. To limit this inquiry to north Wales and Savile would in my view be a dereliction of the Home Secretary's duty. It would guarantee that many sickening crimes will remain uninvestigated and some of the most despicable paedophiles will remain protected by the establishment that has shielded them for 30 years.

Whether you were raped or tortured as a child in Wales or in Whitehall you are entitled to be heard. The media may be transfixed by the spectre of a paedophile cabinet minster abusing children, but what actually matters is that thousands and thousands of children, whose lives have been ground into nothing, who prefer to kill themselves than carry on, who have nowhere to turn, to whom nobody listens, whom nobody helps. Does she sincerely want to start making amends or can she live with being what she’s just announced – the next stage of a cover-up.

May was careful to warn MPs that using parliamentary privilege to name the Thatcher-era Tory could jeopardise any future prosecution. For the record, the individual in question has denied all of the allegations. He told the Daily Telegraph:

Some guy said I was in the habit of taking young men from Wrexham in my Rolls-Royce.

But I have only been to Wrexham once and I didn’t visit the children’s home, I made a speech to the constituency. I was with an official at all times. I never had a Rolls Royce.

When the inquiry was taking place I hired a lawyer to watch it in case there was any mention of my name. The point is that it is totally without any grounds whatsoever.

23 comments

ursulariches's picture

The Catholic church has REALLY gone to town in rooting out the child abuse in the church and I call on the people of Britain to insist on-not a witch hunt as Cam calls it but on a paedo hunt of our top knobs. We Catholics who were not even born at the time of the abuses, were small children or not even in church have had to pay and pay and pay -to sell our buildings that the people paid for and really own in common to satisfy the lawyers and victims. Media has really highlighted the Church paedophillia which Catholics WANTED to root out and deal with. Cameron has a BAD attitude to dealing with paedophillia when he calls it a witch hunt and I say to the people that ~~ONLY the Catholic church has properly dealt with the issue of paedophillia -compare us to our British governments who do not seem to want to.

ACMJ's picture

Of course there is a cover up ! As there had been over Jimmy Saville for decades just because he was a Tory party supporter . Is Tom Watson creating a new paedophile panic by accusing the Tories of a cover up ??
Common sense would suggest that it is a cheap jibe against Tom Watson to detract from the shame of the Tory establishment which turns a blind eye to any supporter and member of its party with money and status who is a paedophile .

ursulariches's picture

IF the police WRONGLY said the man was Lord McAlpine, How or why would they ever do that? If the man was a Tory Politician the victim recognised-How come he is now no longer a public figure? The government has told too many filth lies and continually farts into the public's faces with its comments and lackeys in the BBC to justify ANY of its statements to be believed. Perhaps there is a deal on between BBC & Tory party to hide one anothers crimes & muck? This is OBVIOUSLY merely speculation. It is VERY STRANGE that suddenly this top Tory figure is not even a public figure at all. I do not believe that a government who supports Al Qaeda in Libya against Libyan citizens who suffer at their hands and bombs the Libyan people up to effect regime change whilst calling it humanitarian is believable or TRUSTWORTHY on any counts whatsoever.

Hugh C Markey's picture

What is the link that joins many UK state and quasi-state institutions? Women are not directly part of this brotherhood, although we understand a parallel organisation for women has been set up, so perhaps it's as well the Home Secretary and her Shadow are not male( of whatever combination ).
In these days of transparency there is little excuse for secret societies no matter how well meaning. Some of these groups show a public face but members should be obliged to disclose membership if they hold public office. BBC and HM Civil Service included.

Invisible Hand

Brian P Barrett's picture

I recommend that all interested parties should watch the next generation series 6 called Frame of Mind, very enlightening, as most of the series is. After watching Star Trek TNG, i always feel somewhat down having to return to the awful truths of this world.

Ciaran Goggins's picture

Watson is being brave, but he is not the only one. Freemasons, plod and the establishment are all mired in Bryn Estyn and related cases.

Ciaran Goggins's picture

Watson is being brave, but he is not the only one. Freemasons, plod and the establishment are all mired in Bryn Estyn and related cases.

Barrie J's picture

Dunblane, Thomas Hamilton and his relationship with McMurdo, The boat seized on Loch Ness by Strathclyde Police and sold by them at auction to Thomas Hamilton, The Speculative Society, Operation Ore, Blair's D Notice, the deaths in Hove of five witnesses to child abuse alleged to have taken place in North Wales. Colvin, Laud and Lewis.
Must stop now getting angry.
Expect no revelations, no prosecutions, establishment to carry on as before.
People who are too closely related to this have in common a very unlucky gene that suggests no great longevity.

barrie singleton's picture

SCADS: STATE CRIMES AGAINST DEMOCRACY

Yvette Cooper has called for an “overarching” enquiry into the various breaches of the laws of this land, recently come to the fore.

The only ‘arch’ that spans the gamut of BRITAIN’S ENDEMIC CORRUPTION is the ‘Westminster Palace Arch’. Beneath it, the Westminster Creatures, CHOSEN BY PARTIES for expertise in a range of iniquities, practise their fell arts to the detriment of people and country. It is ‘Mote and Beam’ time, yet again.

I have 30 months (ongoing) experience of trying to engage with the Westminster Creatures over the matter of Election malpractice (in 2010). As with the abused children – the Creatures respond with derision, contempt or silence.

A brief survey of MP protocols and guidelines, is all one needs to register their dearth of accountability.

FOR EVIL TO TRIUMPH ALL THAT IS REQUIRED IS FOR GOOD MEN TO DO NOTHING.

Posh Tosh's picture

I spoke years ago to an MP about the cover-up of child-slaves exported abroad for work as white slaves. From Quarriers Homes in Scotland, the children were taken off their mothers as were illigitimate, they were then never given even a basic education, as that would help their buyers on farmsteads and ranches not to have them ever leave their unpaid employment and get employment if escaped to freedom, there was one there Angus he found out years later his brother had been sent to Canada, he was employed as a street sweeper as was unable to read or write, even though a vast source of knowledge and information verbaly.

I also spoke to him about the fact a Down's Syndrome victim of male rape had cried that he had to go back to his council care home after a night out. The wife of Angus whom came to live with me for a time told me that night that the young man had a council carer come and give him male rape as often as he felt the need to abuse. When I got onto the MP he sounded astonished, he then stated he would try and found out the story - the case then was passed to an Irene the other MP. and she sent mailings with letters within and indeed she left by mistake inside a letter that I has spelt the offenders name wrong, and even though they thought he was an homosexual, that THEY GAVE HIM THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT TO CARE FOR DISABLED YOUNG MEN AS A NIGHTMAN.. It was then I sent the matters to two newpapers, later I found they had both lost the papers within their departments. The MP that sounded concerned indeed was later avenged by the Paisley Labour party after rumours went around Westminster that he was gay!

He then 'had killed himself'. Two police came to the house to say nothing happened and a set of papers went walkies. End of any action by the State!

Posh Tosh's picture

The Down's sydrome young male that had cried solid on his night out when havibng to return, well the council care home at Gallowhill, or Gallowgate (cannot remember theename now) Then took telephone rights away from him to stop the event being spoken about further.

Yes the council care home knew the event was so real that they had to stop anyone speaking to the rape victim. Angus was moved out of his social housing unit by Paisley council.

Yes a lot of cover-ups go to cover-up the events. MAYBE EVEN MURDER IF ONE GETS TOO CLOSE, OR THEN TAKEN TO THE LOCK-UP WARD TO STOP THE CASE FROM BEING KNOWN ABOUT. I was a parliamentary candidate, a former councillor and civil servant.

Michael Dixon's picture

Unhelpful remarks by Watson.

Davetenmillion's picture

Au contraire - very useful - let's get it all out in the open.

Agent 's picture

Seconded. He is one of the only people visibly trying to get to the bottom of this.

We want answers, right now.

New Dawn's picture

These politicians, deceive us, steal off us, everything they touch they destroy, they lie about wars, butchering people with impunity. And, if that isn't enough, they are also raping our children. This filth need stringing up because they are vermin.

ursulariches's picture

~Yep the Libyans call their vermin rats and we put them into power over the people of Libya who are commonly SERIOUSLY sadistically tortured. I saw a boy who was perhaps 11 who had his flag wires stuck through his privates and one through each shoulder. The FSA and Libyan rebels who are often the same people are serious mega sadists. Whilst our psychopathic government effects regime change at whim and calls independent governments dictatorships, they actually support the real Arab dictators in Saudi & Qatar they falsely accuse the best and war against them Gaddafi's Libya was beyond democracy -it was owned by the people who were given the power and wealth of the country in their JAMAHIRIYAH system but that does not prevent us calling him dictator or laughing when he says his people love him. I see the lies and crimes which causes me to have no trust whatsoever in our war criminals in Westminster-with the welfare of its citizens or of our children..

Jaynesays's picture

The independent report that was recalled and shredded by the Welsh Council it was commissioned by would have made for an interesting read. Wonder if any copies survived the shredder? This should be taken out of the hands of the Government & FULLY investigated by accredited people with the best experience in such cases. There has been too much Tory involvement suggested in these reports & both 'investigations' undertaken under Tory hands have resulted in the cover up remaining. Anyone surprised?) I'm with Tom, this will just be May's turn to cover up the cover up's, so the Public needs to stand together for the victims sakes and demand an Independent investigation, like the previous shredded version & the victims need and deserve to be heard and to be able t name these people, a basic thing denied to them previously due to this hideous cover up. This time it needs to be done with full transparency to the public when the truth is found. Cameron is all for transparency - so he likes to blag us - even so far as it having it's own special heading on the Conservative home page. This will blow the Tory party sky high and he's cacking it - they are probably all scurrying around trying to ensure the truth is hidden yet again.

David Smart's picture

I salute you Tom Watson, but please don't let them stop there...you're quite right:
This is the beginning of the cover-up.
They should investigate ALL of Savile's long-standing friends (including the very pinnacle of the Establishment)...come what may.

IlovethePaedoBBC 's picture

It was Labour, (Tony Blair) who put a D-Notice on Operation Ore. What were you hiding Tony? Certainly not those 'WMD's'.

Posh Tosh's picture

Honestly it was not Leon Britan.

martybee's picture

Definitely not not him.

Posh Tosh's picture

I thought Labour had also been in power since the cover-up started and never questioned the system when they had the power to.

Karen Stell's picture

The paedophile problem is not a Conservative Party problem - child abusers, and their enablers, exist across the political spectrum - it is a national problem. Child abuse is a silent cancer that permeates every section of UK society and has been systematically ignored by every UK government including Labour. Remember the disgraceful way in which Islington Council Leader, Margaret Hodge, treated a survivor of abuse? Tony Blair's response was to stick two fingers up to child abuse victims and promote Hodge to Children's Minister - of all things - though she was wholly unsuitable for such a position. Hodge should have been sacked not promoted. The Islington Council abuse scandal is one of many historic cases that should be re-visited. Another case in question is the island of Jersey (which is a law onto itself) where terrible abuse took place at Haute de la Garenne Childrens Home – that investigation was allegedly thwarted by those in power. In 2008 Jimmy Savile used libel lawyers to prevent a national newspaper from revealing his connection to Haute de la Garenne = and there are also credible reports linking Jersey and Islington.
All these child abuse cover-ups infect every major institution in the UK. If people think ‘Well, these are cases from many years ago and times have changed’ they are sadly mistaken, as clearly demonstrated by the recent Rochdale scandal. MP Tom Watson's intervention in the North Wales case may shine a light on what is a national disgrace and I support him regardless of which political party he is aligned to. What concerns me is that the multiple inquiries announced today, may be yet another attempt to string it out and eventually bury it all - once again. Home Secretary Theresa May warned Parliament that anyone using parliamentary privilege to name the senior Tory accused of abuse, could jeopardise any future prosecution - but the authorities have had decades to act and have done nothing - no doubt by the time they do, the wealthy and powerful individuals allegedly involved, whom are now hiding behind the UK’s draconian libel laws, will be dead, and people will ask why nothing was done when they were alive – just like Savile.

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