UK's Defence Secretary resigns

Andy From Sligo · 02-11-2017 1:24am #1

Sir Michael Fallon resigns as UK Defence Secretary because he inappropriately touched the knee of a Journalist 14 years ago .

Was that a knee jerk reaction?

on a serious note - do you think :

A. it was serious enough for him to give his resignation like that?
B. do you think there is more to the story and thats why he resigned?

The said Journalist has already said its not an issue with her (and never was I think she said) should she have come forward with an official complaint?

Whats your view on it all?

ardinn · 02-11-2017 1:48am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5bEK_mjibM

Omackeral · 02-11-2017 1:50am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzoMSgBzjsI

Peregrinus · 02-11-2017 2:00am

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

Sir Michael Fallon resigns as UK Defence Secretary because he inappropriately touched the knee of a Journalist 14 years ago .

Was that a knee jerk reaction?

on a serious note - do you think :

A. it was serious enough for him to give his resignation like that?
B. do you think there is more to the story and thats why he resigned?

The said Journalist has already said its not an issue with her (and never was I think she said) should she have come forward with an official complaint?

Whats your view on it all?

My impeccable sources tell me that there is rather more to this story than that particular incident with that particular person./ He is resigning now because that will be less painful than letting the more come out and then resigning.

greencap · 02-11-2017 2:03am

thats some victorian era sht right there.

prudence hemlingsbury was the talk of the town, having thrice been perceived by the dean, the pastor and lord stufflington as having gazed up the ankles of the passing lady veningburg.

word was later heard of a roguish minister having touched m'ladys knee.

oh whatever next father.

Andy From Sligo · 02-11-2017 2:05am

Peregrinus wrote: »

My impeccable sources tell me that there is rather more to this story than that particular incident with that particular person./ He is resigning now because that will be less painful than letting the more come out and then resigning.

I think I am kinda with you on that one. It would be silly just to resign over something like that wouldn't it be?

Maybe in the next few days some more things will come to light or people come forward.

I wonder if the same kind of thing would have happened in the dail

Junkyard Tom · 02-11-2017 2:05am

I have a feeling the UK deep state is mobilising against the Tories a hard Brexit.

greencap · 02-11-2017 2:06am

Peregrinus wrote: »

My impeccable sources tell me that there is rather more to this story than that particular incident with that particular person./ He is resigning now because that will be less painful than letting the more come out and then resigning.

lol yeah thats what i was thinking too.

so why did you resign: ehhh touched a journalist knee, ran through a cornfield.

2 weeks later: the decapitated skeletal remains contained traces of cocaine and ecstasy and had masonic symbols carved into the bone. several strains of semen were also found, but due to a law made in october ex-ministers cannot have their dna samples taken.

Donald Trump · 02-11-2017 3:05am

Ah in fairness, it's a bit silly to be letting a secretary be in charge of defence in the first place. I mean who gives a shite about words-per-minute typing speed when the shit hits the fan and Kim Jong Whatever declares war

JupiterKid · 02-11-2017 3:25am

Sounds like a complete over-reaction, but there's probably more to the story than the public are being told.

That said, UK politicians tend to graciously step down at the very slightest mishap/indiscretion, whereas our politicos hang on like rats clinging to a sinking ship even after the worst allegations have proven to be true.

And then they get elected in again and again...

Peregrinus · 02-11-2017 3:44am

JupiterKid wrote: »

Sounds like a complete over-reaction, but there's probably more to the story than the public are being told.

The public are being told that there's more to the story than the public are being told:

"He initially appeared to have survived. He apologised for touching the knee of journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer, a move made easier by her decision to play the incident down. But unspecified other incidents of similar behaviour did for him."

JupiterKid wrote: »

That said, UK politicians tend to graciously step down at the very slightest mishap/indiscretion, whereas our politicos hang on like rats clinging to a sinking ship even after the worst allegations have proven to be true.

And then they get elected in again and again...

Sex-related scandals in Irish politics are rare. This may be because our political leaders are men of examplary private virtue, or because the newspapers are too cowed to report otherwise.

Or, ironically, it may be because we are a bit less puritanical with regard to our politicians than the British. When sex-related stories about politicians do break - Emmett Stagg in the Park, Bertie Ahern's turbulent marriage - the public is generally somewhat tolerant. And of course Charlie Haughey's affair with Terry Keane was widely known throughout his time in office. Tuts do get tutted, but there is generally no great clamour for resignations.

And the other side of this coin is that Irish politicians, for the most part, don't pose as champions of family values, and don't spend their time getting all judgey and, e.g., demonising welfare recipients who are single mothers. In the UK, there's a wing in the Tory party that does do this, and it can come back to bite them.

Andy From Sligo · 02-11-2017 2:11pm

just got to get my head round it ... so he just 'touched' her leg yeah? ... he didnt like fondle her knee or wander his hand a bit higher (or lower if he has a leg/foot fetish

)

Jimmy Saville done a lot more (and most probably a whole lot more veterans still living ex BBC employees) and they didnt resign.

Got to be more to this - wonder if there is , maybe could have had wandering hand on with a few more wimmen (or blokes/boys) back then?

- maybe more details will emerge today.

was it a short while ago a politician pulled a woman onto his lap and there was a big fuss about it. Cant remember if that was the UK or irish dail