One of the more curious aspects of the silence maintained by the vociferous voices we now hear shouting about Governmental inactivity and suppression of ‘facts’ to the detriment of ‘vulnerable victims’, is the preponderance of them that appear to align themselves with the politics of previous incumbents – those 13 long years of Labour rule.

I was always puzzled by Meirion Jones’ apparent silence during the long – Labour – years, when he ‘had suspicions’ that Savile was being ‘given’ unwarranted, and unhealthy, access to girls at Duncroft. Why wouldn’t you say something? If lack of proof was the problem, why wouldn’t you say something anonymously? How could you personally witness, as he said he did, actions that even caused you the slightest disquiet, and hold your tongue?

Could it be that Savile’s alleged ‘high level’ contacts intimidated you? But that supposed friendship, or at least invitations to dinner, with Margaret Thatcher hadn’t yet occurred when Meirion saw Savile at Duncroft. So that couldn’t be it. Ditto the fact that Savile had met the Pope. Even if, as an ‘investigative reporter’ he had secret squirrel information that Savile knew Thatcher, I cannot seriously believe that a senior reporter – during the Labour years – would have been intimidated by connections with the ex Conservative Prime Minister. It is illogical.

As illogical as a long serving BBC employee going to not-obviously-left-wing Times with a story designed to discredit the BBC. Something Meirion denies having done – but somebody close to the ill-fated Newsnight programme did. Someone who felt passionately about the ‘Savile story’.

So the story appeared on ITV. As did Mark Williams-Thomas. ‘Their resident training-to-be Criminologist’. Ensconced on the Breakfast sofa, alongside another ITV employee who helpfully gave information to Operation Yewtree in respect of ex BBC employee Wilfred De’Ath…..just to get the ball rolling, you understand.

Also on the breakfast sofa, we have Alicia Alinia, resident ‘legal eagle’ to ITV, and Ali Jackson-Carter, journalist, who now heads up the Media Team at Slater and Gordon, who are handling all the Savile claims. Ali is proud of her new job:

So Ali, who used to work for ITV This Morning, now claims credit for getting coverage on This Morning where Alicia Alinia is resident legal eagle. They must be old friends. Actually they are still colleagues. Because you see Alicia still works for Slater and Gordon. Indeed, she has worked on the Savile case. I suppose it must make organising Liz Dux’s appearances on ITV so much easier when they can just shout across the office to each other.

Liz Dux certainly appreciates their efforts:

Now who is that who has ‘favourited’ that tweet as soon as it appeared? Why if it isn’t Rachael Niklas – digital marketing executive to….Slater and Gordon….

Alicia political leanings are in no doubt;

No surprise that Meirion Jones should turn out to be one of the first ‘followers’ that shows up on her time line…a good investigative reporter would want to know what ITVs legal eagle was talking abut…

The close connection between Mark Williams-Thomas and Liz Dux was evident a few days ago, when Williams-Thomas suddenly took it into his head that the Dame Janet Smith Inquiry which is running at the BBC as they examine their navel in the aftermath of all the claims and counter claims regarding Savile, was not giving anonymity to ‘vulnerable victims’ – something which would, and did, seriously affect the well being of several parties who had information to give the BBC:

No sooner had he said that, than Liz Dux appeared:

Wow! Even Slater and Gordon’s Head honcho didn’t know that vulnerable victims would be ‘unmasked’ by the dastardly BBC inquiry – what could be more off putting to a person thinking of coming forward than hearing from two people so prominently on ITV and (such prominent experts) that the BBC might leave them even more exposed?

It might have been ‘very helpful’ as Ms Dux said – but it simply wasn’t true. As the Dame Janet Smith Inquiry speedily and determinedly made public. In fact the only thing that might conceivably be said to be ‘helpful’ about it was the fact that it put the BBC in a bad light, and also deterred more ‘potential victims’ to come forward – or even people who might have helped to exonerate the BBC.

How strange that this exchange should have occurred on the night of March 9th. Just two days before Justice Sales judgment was due to be published. Not that I am implying for one moment that this date would have any significance to Ms Liz Dux – for she was already fully aware of Justice Sales decision that she would have to reveal the names of the claimants, some of whom are also ‘BBC claimants’, to the Savile Trust so that some scrutiny of their claims could take place – and also that she would have to advertise to ensure that further claimants were aware that they could come forward and ‘share the pot’.

Just because this cosy little ‘tweeting’ circle is comfortably and frequently ensconced together on the breakfast sofas of ITV is absolutely no reason to think that any of them would have the slightest self interest in damaging the BBC.

I do wonder whether Meirion is feeling slightly left out of the ‘magic circle’ though. And Liz MacKean…

Perhaps whoever planted that story in The Times should have approached one of the ‘left-leaning’ newspapers, or even spoken up during the Labour years, because the story has taken on some decidedly political aspects since then and now seems to be a long way away from either helping the victims of child abuse, or even standing much chance of compensating the alleged victims of Savile.

In fact it is only lawyers, and celebrity journalists who seem to be getting much traction out of it these days.

Perhaps it was always so. Maybe I am just getting cynical in my old age.

Tagged as: CFA Agreements, Child Abuse, Criminal Prosecution Service, Duncroft, Jimmy Savile, Mark Williams-Thomas, Slater and Gordon