Cyril Smith

[Wannabestepfordwife]

Apologies that I can't link but the DM have been running a series on Cyril Smith and I was wondering if anyone else had seen it.

I'm absolutely shocked that he was allowed to abuse so many boys and that so many people colluded in covering it up.

I really think there needs to be an independent investigation into who helped cover his actions up and those involved need to be prosecuted.

[claig]

Yes, I have been reading it. It is shocking, and how he was praised by the great and the good is shocking too. Lots of questions need answering, but of course they won't ever be asked. Great work by the Rochdale Labour MP, Simon Danczuk, and great work, yet again, by the Daily Mail in publicising the excellent work that Danczuk has done.

[Wannabestepfordwife]

I'm really glad he's spent so much time and effort to bring it to light the poor victims deserve justice and closure.

I was absolutely disgusted by people coming forward being warned off and threatend

[Pixel]

I read some of it. Interesting that the individual victims describe such similar experiences even down to phrases used. I think there is very little doubt that they are speaking the truth.

[Wannabestepfordwife]

Agreed I absolutely believe the victims version of events

[LineRunner]

Apparently Nick Clegg once again may have known more previously than he is currently letting on.

[KissesBreakingWave]

It's absolutely horrifying that his crimes were suppressed because he, along with the rest of the Liberals, was needed to prop up the first Thatcher administration. There are statements from Lancashire Constabulary officers of case files being taken away by the security service when he was being vetted for a possible ministerial post.

Even more disgusting is that, with a landslide majority in the election following and no more need for him, they didn't release the files and let him twist in the wind. Of course, with Saville a regular visitor at No. 10 and Chequers, that wasn't likely to happen.

[Wannabestepfordwife]

I was not impressed with Nick Cleggs statement instead of showing any compassion for the victims or calling for a proper investigation he made it all about him.

There really needs to be an impartial investigation into links between the establishment and child abuse- I mean some of the rulings in child abuse cases where the abuser is let off because the child was predatory really makes you wonder about members of the judiciary and their preferences

[noddyholder]

Tip of a very big iceberg. These people are always 'caught' when they aren't around to pay the price. Cover ups in the UK are rife.

[CFSKate]

twitter.com/murunbuch

[CFSKate]

Talk of naming someone still alive - if there are people making allegations will this go to the police now?

[Feenie]

Once again a paedophile who the David Icke forums have named as such for years is suddenly named in the mainstream media and now everyone is shocked. But the information is old news there.

[edamsavestheday]

Yes, Clegg's statement was a disgraceful attempt to wash his hands of it. The Liberals have a murky history here what with Jeremy Thorpe. Wouldn't surprise me if they knew there was a stench about Smith but chose to hush it up. [co

[CFSKate]

just seen on twitter

BBC Radio 4, World at One today, 13.00, interview with Lord Steel about Cyril Smith

[babyboomersrock]

Just listened to that interview. Does Steel think he's wriggled out of that one? All the usual protests about not knowing any more than anyone else...oh, and of course asserting that what Smith had done prior to being an MP was no different from what happened in public schools at the time.

Interviewer rightly reminded him that Smith had not been a teacher at the school and had no "right" to be spanking boys.

Lots of waffle and denial. Not convinced by Smith at all.

[CFSKate]

I did listen to it, but I find it very very hard to take in audio information - did Steel seem to be saying what CS did when he was a councillor was not relevant to when he was an MP? That's what I think I heard, but I can't be sure.

[babyboomersrock]

Yes - he said that it was before Smith became an MP, and that they did know he had spanked boys (bare buttocks too, which didn't seem to alarm Steel particularly) but that it was no worse than similar punishments inflicted on boys in public schools of the day and that Smith wasn't prosecuted (I think). He claimed they "all" knew about it from a Private Eye article but that he had no more informnation than anyone else.

Let's just say I find it very hard to believe. I've never been anti-Steel, either - always assumed he was a decent sort.

I'd need to listen to it again to be sure, because I was distracted by grandchildren, but my overall impression was that Steel didn't sound terribly distressed or outraged by the revelations and was more concerned with playing down his own role in the matter.

[CFSKate]

Thank you. I saw this link posted on the Guardian website in the comments section, I assume this is the Private Eye article?

[HolidayCriminal]

See I'm shocked that 2010s cultural norms & expectations are being applied to 1970s practice. I support what Steel said. We didn't use to assign guilt on the back of vague rumours.

[Feenie]

No, we ignored the victims totally and denied them any kind of justice or voice.

Marvellous, the 1970s.

[Wannabestepfordwife]

I will never understand why the establishment thought protecting that monster was more important than the victims.

I'm not sure if anyone has seen the reports in the dm on how there was a cover up over a minister in Tony Blair's cabinet abusing children in a home in Brixton.

I really don't feel that I can morally vote for any of the three big parties when they are all involved in covering up child abuse

[AnyaKnowIt]

I didn't know that about brandon flowers

[babyboomersrock]

See I'm shocked that 2010s cultural norms & expectations are being applied to 1970s practice. I support what Steel said. We didn't use to assign guilt on the back of vague rumours

So you think it was "1970s practice" for people just to spank random children when they felt like it? What an odd point of view. Children were certainly still being physically punished in schools - by teaching staff - but Smith wasn't a teacher. It appears that he just enjoyed "punishing" vulnerable boys for his own pleasure.

And which vague rumours do you mean? Are you saying that Steel was such an innocent that he thought Mr Smith was just a nice misunderstood guy and was happy (without further investigation) to allow him to stand as a Liberal MP? These men are powerful. They are supposed to be intelligent enough to run the country if elected - not just bumble along in some nicey-nicey bubble.

Don't be fooled. We (the commoners) didn't know this stuff went on in the 70s. There was no social media and people in high places were better at keeping things from the lower orders. Things are only just beginning to change now, but slowly - and the last thing we need is for contemporary commentators to be saying "oh, it was the 70s. That's just how it was". It was evil then and it's evil now.

This is still the merest tip of the iceberg. There is, I am sure, much more to be discovered.

[CFSKate]

"As the row ratchets up over claims of an establishment cover-up of child abuse involving the late Sir Cyril Smith, here are the original stories that ran in Private Eye 454 and in the Rochdale Alternative Press (RAP), in 1979."

[CFSKate]

//www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/tony-blair-demands-investigation-claims-3484990

[emotionsecho]

KissesBreakingWave Cyril Smith was NOT offered a ministerial position in a bid to shore up the first Thatcher administration.

Due to the first ever "hung" election result in 1974 the Libs were approached to form a coalition with Ted Heath's Conservatives and as part of that process Cyril Smith was possibly going to be offered a ministerial post. The proposed coalition did not happen and Harold Wilson's Labour Party formed a government, in which Jim Callaghan became Prime Minister part way through. The Labour government under Jim Callaghan was brought down by a no confidence vote in the House of Commons following the winter of discontent 1978-1979.

Margaret Thatcher had replaced Ted Heath as Leader of the Conservative Party and the Conservatives won the 1979 election without ANY need to form a coalition with any other party. This was Margaret Thatcher's first term in office as Prime Minister. Guilty of many things Margaret Thatcher may be, but Cyril Smith is not one of them.