even by Crispin's standards...

Unbelievable, isn’t it? Not a scrap of empathy for the child, or regret for his own appalling actions.

I cannot believe that statement. This was a child he'd never met before, who had no interest in him, was trying to get Khan to leave him alone. It must have been terrifying to find an adult drunk man pawing at you with obvious intent, in the middle of the night in your own bedroom. The lack of insight for Khan to be able to cast himself as a victim in this scenario is astonishing.

Khan resigned and made a statement (it’s on Twitter).

It’s a terrible miscarriage of justice that has characterised him as a predator and an outcast.

He was convicted of (to quote him) touching someone’s leg through clothes with sexual intent.

Yes, a KID. A child who was trying to go to sleep.

FGS.

*Next time that Parliament and celebrities are keen on state regulation of the press, ask yourself "why?"

A free press is the cornerstone of our democracy.*

This is worth repeating. We've seen it with the use of names and pronouns that have helped (IMO) fuel an idea that female sex offending is on the rise. It does happen. But a rise can't be proved. And a muzzled press is part of a problem we now have to try to solve.

I get a sense of middle aged men unravelling.

'Malfunctioning and destroying civilisations', if you will.

What is likely to happen with the APPG now then, will the people who resigned in protest be able to rejoin now he's stood down as chair? It would be good to get Joanna Cherry back in! And hopefully a better candidate as the new chair.

A free press is the cornerstone of our democracy.

Everyone can see who he is now.

I suspect Crispin has taken advice from his brother Oliver Blunt QC. Hence the backtrack.

It's a shame the news agenda moves on so quickly, with the announcement of the fines he's fallen off the front pages this afternoon. Hopefully his local constituency are up for de-selecting him. He shouldn't get away with it.

Steerpike and Guido:

www.spectator.co.uk/article/crispin-blunt-s-late-night-blunder

order-order.com/2022/04/12/crispin-blunt-told-not-fit-to-hold-public-office-by-councillor-in-constituency-conservative-association/

If this had been a fifteen year old girl, it probably would not have caused much outrage (or got anywhere near a court) - she probably led him on, shouldn’t have been alone with him, “looked older”, etc.

Lisa Townsend has tweeted:

Thank you to everyone who has been in touch in the last 24hrs. As Surrey PCC and chair of the Surrey Criminal Justice Board I know how difficult it is to secure a conviction for sexual crimes, and share the deep concerns about recent comments that have sought to undermine 1/3

yesterday’s jury decision in a case that will have taken enormous bravery from the victim. As Surrey’s victims’ champion I want to make clear that the comments issued by a Surrey MP yesterday in no way reflect the views of my Party, or my colleagues 2/3

It is vital that victims and survivors of sexual crimes in Surrey know that my office and I will always strive to ensure they are supported and treated with respect, and that I do not consider any crime against a young person as ‘minor’. 3/3

twitter.com/_lisa_townsend/status/1513828555968364547?s=21&t=fyjuQ0ljGXj-oRBcR_ZbgQ

Well said Lisa!

That's a bit below the belt, lark. I'm sure we've all mistakenly posed as washing machine salesmen named Jim, and offered to buy Class As for men we might pay to have sex with. Right?!

I remember Keith Vaz though I didn’t know that about the committees. I do remember he pretended to be a washing machine salesman. Why can I remember that but not my MN login?!

Speaking of party vetting and the conduct of dodgy MPs, does anyone remember Keith Vaz? He had a long list of scandals, alleged dodgy dealings and investigations, ranging from money and corruption to sex and drugs.
Yet he was appointed to the Justice Select Committee just two months after he'd resigned from the Home Affairs Select Committee because of the lurid sex and drug scandal - a Commons motion to stop the appointment failed because enough of his fellow MPs voted against it. And shortly after that he joined a Bill Committee on a bill to do with corruption and money laundering.

His pompous statement about justice and truth had echoes of Jonathan Aitken's 'sword of truth' speech when he tried to stop Granada broadcasting a programme about his dodgy dealings with Arab businessmen:

"If it falls to me to start a fight to cut out the cancer of bent and twisted journalism in our country with the simple sword of truth and the trusty shield of British fair play, so be it. I am ready for the fight. The fight against falsehood and those who peddle it. My fight begins today. Thank you and good afternoon."

He got time for perjury and perverting the course of justice and Granada mocked the 'sword of honour' in a programme with the title "Dagger of Deceit".

As in not 'haha' it's funny he thinks that, is that 'the truth is getting through even on Wiki, where the editors seem rather captured, at least in regards to women' rights'. But I guess if anyone involved was a woman CB would cry transphobia and probably wouldn't have had to apologise.

Haha, quick work by someone has this last paragraph in 'Early life and career' section of his Wikipedia page:
"Blunt thinks it is wrong that a Court of Law can find a fellow MP guilty of a sexual offence act and therefore believes that all victims of sexual offences are fair game."

It probably won't last, but kudos for getting it in

There seems to a common theme among gay male Tory MPs, they do not ever do anything for for gay rights until there is an opportunity to pink wash their reputations.

When their sexuality/gender identity is so valorised it makes them feel superior and immune to normal discourse and boundaries. The progressive way to unravel.

Aye, the "high-status oppressed minority" has a magnetic appeal to a certain personality type.

A gay man has an easy in to this modern LGBTQ+ one (although they have to be increasingly careful about being openly homosexual), but anyone can join in.

Malcom Clark:

twitter.com/TwisterFilm/status/1513650941244940288

twitter.com/TwisterFilm/status/1513803997752217601