Why Guido Won’t Be Apologising to Hodge the Dodge
This morning the Telegraph issued a carefully-worded apology to question-dodging Margaret Hodge:Note the very specific assertion that Stemcor did not abuse transfer pricing to avoid tax. Guido never made that claim. The paper’s willingness to describe a million pound plus shareholding as “small” is odd, and crucially there is no mention of Hodge’s use of shares held in trusts. She has still yet to reply to our repeated questions, which followed a very different line to the Telegraph’s accusations and have been sent again to her today. Guido stands by everything we have written.“Contrary to our report “Hodge faces challenge over family firm’s taxes” (Nov 20), Stemcor, in which Ms Hodge has a small shareholding, has not abused transfer pricing to avoid tax. We accept that there is no inconsistency or hypocrisy in Ms Hodge criticising other companies for tax avoidance and apologise to her for any contrary impression.”
In 1990, Liz Davies, a senior social worker employed by the borough and her manager, David Cofie, raised concerns about sexual abuse of children in Islington Council care. Correspondence between Margaret Hodge and the director of social work indicates that she declined a request for extra resources to investigate.
In 2003, following Hodge’s appointment as Minister for Children, Demetrious Panton went public with his allegation that he was abused in Islington Council care and had repeatedly raised this issue with no effect. He accused Hodge of being ultimately responsible for the abuse that he suffered. Following a media campaign conducted by several national newspapers calling for her to resign from her new post, she responded to Panton by letter, in which she referred to him as ‘extremely disturbed’.
Panton then passed the letter to the press which planned to publish it, only to be judicially restrained from doing so at the instruction of Hodge. The letter was eventually published, mainly on the grounds that the blocking of the letter was seen as disproportionate. Hodge was forced to publicly apologise and offered to contribute to a charity of Panton’s choosing as recompense.
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Hodge apologises to abuse victim
Hodge: 'Genuinely sorry' for comments
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She had made the remarks in a letter of complaint to the BBC about an inquiry into a child abuse scandal in London's Islington where she was council leader.
But Mr Panton said Mrs Hodge should "do the decent thing" and resign. The Conservatives also said she should go.
MORE ...
Full text of Hodge's letter
Dear Mr Panton,
I am writing to say sorry for the distress caused to you in recent days.
I would like to apologise unreservedly for using the words 'is an extremely disturbed person' with reference to you. I assure you I will not repeat those words again.
I know you suffered appalling abuse in the 1970s when you were young and vulnerable from the very people who should have protected and cared for you.
Anyone in your situation would rightly feel angry and let down after so many years of being disbelieved.
I have never sought to belittle or invalidate the experience of those who have suffered physical or sexual abuse.
Over many decades, all victims of abuse in children's homes in Islington and elsewhere were betrayed by those in whose care their safety and well-being was entrusted.
I wish you all the best for the future and am genuinely sorry for having contributed to your pain and anger.
Yours sincerely,
See for yourself on the BBC web site ...
So Margaret Hodge KNOWS about the abuse :
"I know you suffered appalling abuse in the 1970s when you were young and vulnerable from the very people who should have protected and cared for you."What else does she know? One does not get to the dizzy heights that Hodges has and willing to state publicly that SHE KNOWS about "appalling abuse" without being in some sort of inner circle and to state this publicly when she has not, to my limited knowledge, come forward to prosecute or testify her 'KNOWLEDGE' - The word 'I KNOW' does not imply I understand or I empathise it means I KNOW - KNOWLEDGE OF.
This is ONE seemingly innocuous MP, there are over 600 of them, quite a few ARE innocent, if there is such an MP, and I venture they are NOT involved, yet if they knew anything of this nature they WOULD come forward regardless of the harm they may come to under the military wing of this dictatorship. However there are many in THAT house that do know what is going on and it is time they washed their laundry in the OPEN.
MARGARET, thank you, you have personally opened that can that little bit more and let us see the contents. We do not see it all YET but WE WILL. You have now put yourself in danger as did Kelly but Kelly was one of the good guys. I do not see you being a good guy, quite the opposite.
Anyhow, YOU 'KNOW' how your kind deal with whistle blowers and it is 'THAT CLUB' we the people wish to bring down, HOWEVER you have made it clear YOU are NOT part of 'we the people' and I as many will 'WASH our hands of the consequences of your actions.'
Remember wisely the quote by Martin-Niemöller
You have chosen your side by remaining SILENT whilst all along knowing that Demetrious Panton suffered on your watch. When the KNOCK comes or the letter from your handler comes or the order from above comes to remove you as it did for Kelly and many others. You will not find any support from this quarter, UNLESS you stand tall and TELL everything you DO KNOW and name NAMES.First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.
Then they came for the socialists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for me,
and there was no one left to speak for me.
THEN you will have 'WE the PEOPLE' covering your back.
Ignore these offers at your peril; BUT NOT from this quarter - We the PEOPLE are none violent and do not cause harm, WE are peaceful. BE CLEAR ON THIS.
Namaste, rev phil;
