even by Crispin's standards...

Stepping down as chair of APPG as well.

It can't be emphasised enough that so often when the behaviour of these men aggressively removing women's rights and child safeguarding is examined, you find increasingly dodgy behaviour. Dismissing a child abuse conviction as homophobia is seriously dodgy.

twitter.com/CrispinBlunt/status/1513794463231057922?cxt=HHwWhIC5veeCioIqAAAA

Blunt retracting his statement

Apparently Crispin Blunt posted something on his website as well as the tweet. Now he's deleted both. It looks very bad from an ex Justice Minister to talk about a miscarriage of justice.

He has jeopardised his own mate's appeal btw because this media blow up may bring out other victims

This has happened already. One of the other witnesses in this case only came forward once Imran Khan was named.

While trials and convictions for sexual assault rates are minuscule in comparison to the actual number of assaults, it's worth remembering that Charlie Elphicke (ex MP) was convicted for sexual assault against two women. Several other MPs wrote 'references' for him which ended similarly badly.

Did he imagine there'd be a rush of people agreeing with him?

In my view I think it’s more about boundary pushing. If he can get away with posting in defence of a child sex offender (albeit with a few disapproving tweets and an uncomfortable silence from his fellow MPs), then he’s made it somewhat acceptable for MPs to do so. It’s all hiding in plain sight, eroding the boundaries and creating a culture where people are reluctant to intervene in sex crimes if the perpetrator is LGBTQSJFHDHWS+

Having said that all political parties are dreadful at vetting candidates for both general and local elections

As we saw in the case of Jamie Wallace, whose previous history is eyebrow-raising, to say the least.

I wonder what Blunt was thinking of. Did he imagine there'd be a rush of people agreeing with him?

[quote SamphirethePogoingStickerist]Apparently, according to quite a few media outlets, CCHQ had told Blunt he either deleted the tweet or would face some real consequences. Including having the whip withdrawn. Has he gone too far?

news.sky.com/story/crispin-blunt-government-distances-itself-from-mp-over-his-comments-following-jury-conviction-of-imran-ahmad-khan-12588399[/quote]
All about the optics not the fact he clearly supports child sex offenders 🙄 glad the DM has picked it up…

I must say I'm a bit rereading about the sheer number of MPs convicted of various crimes who are still sitting MPs. I'd forgotten them. I know nobody should be punished for ever for crimes but there do seem to be quite a few.

mirax - Exactly, it’s not minor at all. But it’s indicative of the way some people lose their minds over their pet causes.

Apparently, according to quite a few media outlets, CCHQ had told Blunt he either deleted the tweet or would face some real consequences. Including having the whip withdrawn. Has he gone too far?

news.sky.com/story/crispin-blunt-government-distances-itself-from-mp-over-his-comments-following-jury-conviction-of-imran-ahmad-khan-12588399

Wasn’t he a previous justice minister or something… does that mean operation Yew tree shouldn’t have happened?

Yes I was wondering what he thought about Savile etc.

Worrying in CB doubling down that he thinks that something being 14 years in the past means it’s not worthy of investigation/prosecution. Wasn’t he a previous justice minister or something… does that mean operation Yew tree shouldn’t have happened?

Also, even if the actual assault was not that severe, if the boy was not dragged to the room - the plying with alcohol, the pornography, by the defendant’s own admission -philosophical and theological discussions about sexuality, unsolicited to a bewildered 15 year old in his own bedroom where he should have been safe… it certainly follows a pattern beginning with G. This has nothing to do with the sexuality of the defendant at all, apart from possibly the trusting/naïvety of the parents allowing him to sleep there which presumably most parents would not allow with a daughter for privacy/dignity reasons.

CB must surely know 101 of safeguarding, that most abuse happens in homes by people known to the child, and that abusers come from all walks of life and can walk amongst us with no outward sign.

I don’t think he’s fit to hold office if he can get that wrong. Not to mention his attitude towards women.

Given the allegation about his time in Pakistan, which seems to be something that people in the Foreign Office knew about, you have to wonder about political vetting procedures. Politics seems to shrug off some serious red flags.

So it’s possible Crispin Blunt thinks the story has been exaggerated in the media and that the latter series of events is ‘minor’.

It is not minor to grope a young boy in the safety of his own home and bed. I know that you are not the one saying it. But for Blunt to write as such is farking amazing.

Still not his place to impugn the judicial process in such a flagrant manner. He has jeopardised his own mate's appeal btw because this media blow up may bring out other victims - as the convicted MP seems to have had a habit of rapey behaviour to say the least. Khan also served in a developing country as UN staff - who knows what he did there?

Yes, perhaps there wasn't much time to vet him?

Khan's election agent from 2019 is on twitter, he said a phone call was made to the Conservative Party about these allegations just a couple of days before the election. At that time there was no conviction, nor police investigation.

Having said that all political parties are dreadful at vetting candidates for both general and local elections

‘This man has a warped view of what is acceptable and not.’

I’m finding a lot of people do. They hear criticism of people making sexual advances to children and their first thought is “homophobia”.

But actually this is doing the gay community no favours at all. People in general don’t mind that some people are gay. They mind when homosexuality is used as a liberal shield for the sexualisation and assault of children.

(Most gay people obviously don’t do this, but it’s harmful to the gay community that some do.)

Defending a convicted nonce is rarely a good look. I almost admire Blunt's bravery in standing up for his friend. (For comparison, think of how Glinner's old friends were too frightened to support him publicly because he'd committed the crime of standing up for women and girls.) Blunt's statement is surely career suicide.

Still, if they only knew that IAK was dodgy after the election then the fact of having been his agent at the election seems almost irrelevant. Perhaps he had an ongoing role post-election?

As a woman and a mother of a girl this us terrifying since he is such a strong advocate for TWAW and can so easily excuse any of our concerns.

Isn't the phrase 'hiding in plain sight'?

He's said it now. He can't wind the clock back. Now we know what he really thinks. He's told us.

I do think there are two narratives about this case and I’m finding it confusing.

In one, Khan forced the boy to drink gin, dragged the boy upstairs, made him watch pornography and then touched him sexually (but not on his genitals).

In the other, Khan persuaded the boy to drink gin in his bedroom, where Khan had been allowed to sleep with two teenage boys (in a family of strangers!), and he talked to the boy about pornography, then touched him sexually (but not on his genitals).

So it’s possible Crispin Blunt thinks the story has been exaggerated in the media and that the latter series of events is ‘minor’.

I don’t think that, to be clear. A 34 year old man should be nowhere near touching a 15 year old’s feet and legs, or drinking with him, or talking about porn, and it’s assault when you touch someone without permission.

I'm increasingly amazed that any politician does Twitter. They're all one surge of blood to the head away from this.

On R4 now

After my initial confusion in regards to which Imran Khan he was talking about

You're not the only one

After my initial confusion in regards to which Imran Khan he was talking about CB has shown everyone exactly who he is. It is just a very bizarre conclusion to have come to.