Priti Patel’s Daniel Morgan Report Shame

Stalling for time in order to cover your, or maybe someone else’s, tracks. Kim Philby was an infamous practitioner of the art. And adding herself to that list of infamy, it seems, is Priti Patel, inexplicably elevated to lead the Home Office, after she plumbed the depths of lame excuses in delaying publication of the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel’s report.

Daniel Morgan - still denied justice

Few will need any introduction to the UK’s most notorious unsolved murder: Daniel Morgan, a private investigator, was killed by two blows from an axe in a south London pub car park, in March 1987. He was, it seems, about to expose serious Police corruption. Successive attempts to solve the crime have faced Police obstruction, and interference from the Murdoch press, in the shape of those representing the now-defunct Screws.

But to her credit, then Home Secretary Theresa May set up the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel to investigate the crime and present its findings. Chaired by Baroness Nuala O’Loan, the Panel has itself faced delay and obstruction, but was finally ready to present its report this month. Publication should have happened last Monday.

And it was at that point that the Home Office began stalling. They needed more time. The initial excuse was the extended period of national mourning following the death of Prince Philip, which was suspiciously weak. Now, though, has come a brace of excuses so piss-poor that they put “I could be arguing in my spare time” in the shade.

So why hasn’t the report been published? The BBC has reported that “A Home Office spokesperson said the home secretary has a duty to ensure the report complied with ‘human rights and national security considerations’”. That’s a straight-A Fuck Right Off. The Panel has a QC on hand to ensure compliance with all relevant legislation.

Smirktastic, smile pickers!

As for “national security considerations”, that’s just someone making it up in a panic. Moreover, the spokesperson added “This has nothing to do with the independence of the report and the Home Office is not seeking to make edits to it”. So it appears to be nothing more than stalling. Who might benefit from such a delay?

There are three potential beneficiaries: Ms Patel and the Home Office, the Metropolitan Police, and the Murdoch mafiosi. The cops have apparently already had their copy of the report. But the Murdoch press has no such entitlement. And Priti Patel has significant previous when it comes to her closeness to Don Rupioni and his clan.

When Rupe married Jerry Hall just over five years ago, there were no invites for Young Dave, or even alleged Prime Minister Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson. The only prominent Tory MPs present were loyal taker of the Murdoch shilling Michael “Oiky” Gove, and Priti Patel. As I noted at the time, “By being there, they have told the world that they are truly loyal. But not necessarily to the Tory Party”. That is the key giveaway.

Ms Patel owes her position on the upper reaches of the political greasy pole not merely to Bozo, but also to the more rabidly right-leaning part of the press. And there is no more rabid right-wingery than that emanating from the Murdoch empire. Right now, my Occam’s Razor is pointing firmly in the direction of the Baby Shard Bunker. When the Daniel Morgan Panel’s report finally sees the light of day, expect the Murdoch press to have their rebuttals ready. Not that they will have seen it, you understand. Perish the thought!

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