Thank you for this Paul, I was one, until I read this, who had a high regard for him, but then that is what the MSN had led me to believe. Good to have some insight into how he operates, his dismissal of any suggestion that there was any ethnic or cultural dimension to the crimes is obviously completely wrong and self serving. The Gordon Brown memo story again I fully believed, but now thanks to you I can revise my judgement, I always thought the LFB report conclusion was nonsense but had no idea he was the author.
I find myself becoming increasingly a 'low information' white working class 'oik' as more of this utter horror is revealed. Despite my career path I have regained class consciousness and literally feel unclean when around the Oxbridge types who have facilitated and orchestrated this three decade plus monstrosity.
Little point in challenging his pov?! There is every point in challenging this. Imagine if no one challenges this we'd be in Orwell's dystopian hell. Vile people like this dodgy character should be challenged at every opportunity and if that makes me racist I'll wear that badge with honour.
Lets be honest it doesn't matter if it's "white working class people" or Elon Musk its only becomes a conspiracy theory if it goes against left wing narrative you only have to look at the left wing melt down after Trump won the presidential election to see this one of the best being "democracy has now been stolen " by the man who won a democratic election translation democracy only counts if it goes the way of the left wing unfortunately here in the UK its only going to get worst until we have our own election which won't be soon as Starmer and co will cling to power for as long as they can
Well said Paul. So a Home Office memo from as far back as 2008, that was then used by Afzal in print and on Radio 4 in 2017 to attempt to deflect blame from his Pakistani heritage brethren, ‘went viral’, unsurprisingly. It beggars belief that it could be deemed only now, 16 years on, never to have existed, how convenient. I wouldn’t trust the many left-leaning activists in the Home Office to be innocent of its apparent ‘disappearance’. Frankly I view Afzal with the same disregard as that other kindred spirit Kehinde Andrews. Oh and BBC Verify of course..
‘Informed choice about their sexual behaviour” this is BS. At some point people in positions of authority have to be prepared to stand up for what is right.i remember how hard it was as a social worker in the 1980s trying to work with a young teenager who was completely out of control and caught up in prostitution. It was the hardest case I ever had as she was constantly absconding from foster parents and in the end I had to take her to a secure unit. Her father was part of the problem. Some of the care homes in those days were a magnet for men on the look out for ‘wayward’ girls who were often on the run. My point is that those working in the care and child protection system need to have much more robust idea of right and wrong - and have the guts to fight for better outcomes not just take a laissez faire attitude because the ‘clients’ are ‘low life’ or may be promiscuous - how come they are ‘ making informed choices’ when no one is showing them a better way? Being plied with drink and drugs and tempted with gifts does not equal ‘ informed choice’ - any sensible person can tell that.
Excellent Paul, thank you. There were so many good points raised here. Grooming gangs exist, mainly Pakistani in origin, they have coerced vulnerable underage girls for sex, it has been widely reported and there are 15 cases in Wikipedia... Responsible people, those in authority did not want this reported, covered in the press radio etc so they covered it up. Now it is breaking through because there are so many cases. The problem it is such an unpleasant subject, the crime so serious, the abuse of trust so deep most people don’t want to read about it.. Having said that there was good coverage in The Daily Mail today. Thank you again for writing about this. I’m
It always makes me laugh when the powers that be appoint a Muslim who is actively "anti-racist" (read: looks for problems where there aren't any) to lead a review of institutional racism. He's not exactly going to conclude that everything is ok. It was as daft as putting Stephen Lawrence's mother in charge of a review into a similar review into the police force. What do you think she concluded?? Such a conflict of interest is just laughable. I'm just so tired of hearing that everything is too white. Why are you living in a white (for now) country?? If white people are so awful go and live in a non-white country. No, didn't think so. White cultures are deemed the very definition of evil yet they quite like our free democracy where people can thrive. It's just so bloody hypocritical. You can't have your cake and eat it.
They particularly seem to like the free money that many of them seem so happy to claim without compunction. Most probably see it as a right, a form of compensation for perceived oppression, encouraged by the detached, liberal elite.
It’s another good article from you Paul but I would think twice about relying on BBC Verify to support your point, as the service appears to ignore facts and details that refute its chosen narrative, which is whatever position the BBC wishes to endorse.
Whilst I doubt there was a circular, there clearly was a deliberate culture of ignoring these crimes against white working class underage girls across many organisations that should have been protecting them, all to protect social cohesion and for the sake of diversity. Unfortunately there are many people that are using this as a political football in very obvious and hypocritical ways. There are some notable heroes in this dreadful mess, but they are few and far between.
I believe much of what we know already, (which is precious little) is the top of the iceberg. It is likely to be something that has, and is, still happening across all western countries. As I have said before, tolerance which used to be our strength, is now our weakness and we need to wake up and remove these cultures as soon as possible.
Thanks Paul. From what you describe I have zero confidence in Afzal's claims. (However, I also have zero confidence in BBC Verify.)
How interesting that he downplays cultural factors with regard to Pakistani Muslim men but is on the bandwagon with the woke condemnation of anything western or white as 'institutionally racist'. How is that not a serious double standard?
One unsettling thought I have had with regard to the grooming gang scandal is about irrational guilt. When I worked in the field of forensic psychology I learned that if someone was irrationally guilty about something then they might commit a crime in order to be punished for what they were feeling irrationally guilty about. Political correctness (or woke identity politics) is likely to inculcate irrational guilt in white people who come to believe in it. Will that therefore inculcate an implicit belief in them that westerners need to be punished and suffer because of their collective 'guilt'? If so, has there been such a psychological dynamic at play in the institutional turning a blind eye to the despicable abuse and torture of so many white girls? In other words they became the scapegoats for the West's supposed collective sins?
I detest Trump but I am delighted he's been re elected. The two tier authoritarian left is history and if the 40 year cycle theory is to be believed then I'll go to my grave in peace. Four more years of hell in the UK but then there'll be such a huge swing in the other direction this woke nonsense should be gone for good. Of course such a swing will have its downsides too but free speech is the foundation of our society and democracy and is therefore the most important to protect. Thank you so much Paul for calling this out.
What I find so disturbing is the sheer inhumanity of all these people. Those involved in the cover up and the abusers themselves. It simply astonishes me that being from a certain culture, or political group incentivises you to disregard the horror perpetrated on another human being. I cannot imagine having any respect or relationship with any one who cannot see how appalling this is and I certainly wouldn't be following them on some social media platform. It is pretty basic stuff and no amount of honeyed words can make up for the terrible acts and lies that have been done to these young women. Afzal is another grifter. A man revelling in his status and to me just as repulsive as the perpetrators.
I'm shocked actually, when I heard the 2008 claim I thought it was true, that being said it may still be true as you can't trust a word that comes out of BBC Verify!
Thank you for this Paul, I was one, until I read this, who had a high regard for him, but then that is what the MSN had led me to believe. Good to have some insight into how he operates, his dismissal of any suggestion that there was any ethnic or cultural dimension to the crimes is obviously completely wrong and self serving. The Gordon Brown memo story again I fully believed, but now thanks to you I can revise my judgement, I always thought the LFB report conclusion was nonsense but had no idea he was the author.
I find myself becoming increasingly a 'low information' white working class 'oik' as more of this utter horror is revealed. Despite my career path I have regained class consciousness and literally feel unclean when around the Oxbridge types who have facilitated and orchestrated this three decade plus monstrosity.
A well written piece again Paul…
There’s little point in challenging his pov, we only get accused of racism as usual.
He’s someone who has worked the system by fair means or foul then seeks to undermine the same system that gave him opportunities…pathetic individual!
Little point in challenging his pov?! There is every point in challenging this. Imagine if no one challenges this we'd be in Orwell's dystopian hell. Vile people like this dodgy character should be challenged at every opportunity and if that makes me racist I'll wear that badge with honour.
Lets be honest it doesn't matter if it's "white working class people" or Elon Musk its only becomes a conspiracy theory if it goes against left wing narrative you only have to look at the left wing melt down after Trump won the presidential election to see this one of the best being "democracy has now been stolen " by the man who won a democratic election translation democracy only counts if it goes the way of the left wing unfortunately here in the UK its only going to get worst until we have our own election which won't be soon as Starmer and co will cling to power for as long as they can
Paul have you considered doing an updated version of your superb book 'Despised' given what has been widely revealed since?
I'm thinking about it.
Yes, I got a copy for Christmas, excellent read.
Well said Paul. So a Home Office memo from as far back as 2008, that was then used by Afzal in print and on Radio 4 in 2017 to attempt to deflect blame from his Pakistani heritage brethren, ‘went viral’, unsurprisingly. It beggars belief that it could be deemed only now, 16 years on, never to have existed, how convenient. I wouldn’t trust the many left-leaning activists in the Home Office to be innocent of its apparent ‘disappearance’. Frankly I view Afzal with the same disregard as that other kindred spirit Kehinde Andrews. Oh and BBC Verify of course..
‘Informed choice about their sexual behaviour” this is BS. At some point people in positions of authority have to be prepared to stand up for what is right.i remember how hard it was as a social worker in the 1980s trying to work with a young teenager who was completely out of control and caught up in prostitution. It was the hardest case I ever had as she was constantly absconding from foster parents and in the end I had to take her to a secure unit. Her father was part of the problem. Some of the care homes in those days were a magnet for men on the look out for ‘wayward’ girls who were often on the run. My point is that those working in the care and child protection system need to have much more robust idea of right and wrong - and have the guts to fight for better outcomes not just take a laissez faire attitude because the ‘clients’ are ‘low life’ or may be promiscuous - how come they are ‘ making informed choices’ when no one is showing them a better way? Being plied with drink and drugs and tempted with gifts does not equal ‘ informed choice’ - any sensible person can tell that.
Excellent Paul, thank you. There were so many good points raised here. Grooming gangs exist, mainly Pakistani in origin, they have coerced vulnerable underage girls for sex, it has been widely reported and there are 15 cases in Wikipedia... Responsible people, those in authority did not want this reported, covered in the press radio etc so they covered it up. Now it is breaking through because there are so many cases. The problem it is such an unpleasant subject, the crime so serious, the abuse of trust so deep most people don’t want to read about it.. Having said that there was good coverage in The Daily Mail today. Thank you again for writing about this. I’m
Thanks, Rupert.
It always makes me laugh when the powers that be appoint a Muslim who is actively "anti-racist" (read: looks for problems where there aren't any) to lead a review of institutional racism. He's not exactly going to conclude that everything is ok. It was as daft as putting Stephen Lawrence's mother in charge of a review into a similar review into the police force. What do you think she concluded?? Such a conflict of interest is just laughable. I'm just so tired of hearing that everything is too white. Why are you living in a white (for now) country?? If white people are so awful go and live in a non-white country. No, didn't think so. White cultures are deemed the very definition of evil yet they quite like our free democracy where people can thrive. It's just so bloody hypocritical. You can't have your cake and eat it.
They particularly seem to like the free money that many of them seem so happy to claim without compunction. Most probably see it as a right, a form of compensation for perceived oppression, encouraged by the detached, liberal elite.
It’s another good article from you Paul but I would think twice about relying on BBC Verify to support your point, as the service appears to ignore facts and details that refute its chosen narrative, which is whatever position the BBC wishes to endorse.
Whilst I doubt there was a circular, there clearly was a deliberate culture of ignoring these crimes against white working class underage girls across many organisations that should have been protecting them, all to protect social cohesion and for the sake of diversity. Unfortunately there are many people that are using this as a political football in very obvious and hypocritical ways. There are some notable heroes in this dreadful mess, but they are few and far between.
I believe much of what we know already, (which is precious little) is the top of the iceberg. It is likely to be something that has, and is, still happening across all western countries. As I have said before, tolerance which used to be our strength, is now our weakness and we need to wake up and remove these cultures as soon as possible.
Thanks Paul. From what you describe I have zero confidence in Afzal's claims. (However, I also have zero confidence in BBC Verify.)
How interesting that he downplays cultural factors with regard to Pakistani Muslim men but is on the bandwagon with the woke condemnation of anything western or white as 'institutionally racist'. How is that not a serious double standard?
One unsettling thought I have had with regard to the grooming gang scandal is about irrational guilt. When I worked in the field of forensic psychology I learned that if someone was irrationally guilty about something then they might commit a crime in order to be punished for what they were feeling irrationally guilty about. Political correctness (or woke identity politics) is likely to inculcate irrational guilt in white people who come to believe in it. Will that therefore inculcate an implicit belief in them that westerners need to be punished and suffer because of their collective 'guilt'? If so, has there been such a psychological dynamic at play in the institutional turning a blind eye to the despicable abuse and torture of so many white girls? In other words they became the scapegoats for the West's supposed collective sins?
I detest Trump but I am delighted he's been re elected. The two tier authoritarian left is history and if the 40 year cycle theory is to be believed then I'll go to my grave in peace. Four more years of hell in the UK but then there'll be such a huge swing in the other direction this woke nonsense should be gone for good. Of course such a swing will have its downsides too but free speech is the foundation of our society and democracy and is therefore the most important to protect. Thank you so much Paul for calling this out.
What I find so disturbing is the sheer inhumanity of all these people. Those involved in the cover up and the abusers themselves. It simply astonishes me that being from a certain culture, or political group incentivises you to disregard the horror perpetrated on another human being. I cannot imagine having any respect or relationship with any one who cannot see how appalling this is and I certainly wouldn't be following them on some social media platform. It is pretty basic stuff and no amount of honeyed words can make up for the terrible acts and lies that have been done to these young women. Afzal is another grifter. A man revelling in his status and to me just as repulsive as the perpetrators.
I'm shocked actually, when I heard the 2008 claim I thought it was true, that being said it may still be true as you can't trust a word that comes out of BBC Verify!
So did the Home Office memo exist or not? Does it matter? People believed it existed as a reason to do nothing and now believe it never existed.
No, it didn't exist.
Thanks for clarifying. Yet some people used the imaginary memo as an excuse to turn a blind eye.