For MacShane himself, this outcome may end up being the political equivalent of the ‘poisoned chalice’, in that he has not proved his innocence at all, it was simply not possible to establish a case ‘beyond reasonable doubt’, in the criminal courts.
I suspect that the lower test in the Civil Courts of, ‘on the balance of probabilities’, will be enough to deter the sprinkling of defamation writs around if one were to express doubt about his innocence.
Certainly in the court of public opinion he is now irretrievably damaged goods and voters will react very badly, if they are presented once again with MacShane as their Labour Candidate at the next General Election!
Rotherham Constituency Labour Party now has a public service to render to the people – to rid us of this dishonourable, loathsome and greedy MP and chose someone in whom we can all take pride and place our trust!
See the breaking news: What a difference two years makes?
Rotherham Politics 
Inadvertantly repeated what you had said, and I agree wholeheartedly.
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So the ‘authorities’ are as incompetent as ever – not unlike their inability to understand election law!!
But the affair did of course keep many of the public-money-surfers in their highly paid jobs until the next wave of opportunity came their way.
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Here’s my suggestion. A long-time rotherham resident who has a spotless reputation and is held in deep affection by all the town’s citizens.
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LOL is that the Lion out of Clifton Museum?
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Yes, Nelson
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Well, we’ve got two actually, there’s Nelson Da Lion as pointed out by “Lallocks”, and don’t forget Shaun Da Sheep, our aspirant Polizei und Kriminal Kommisar, bah bah bah bah bah bah, ROFLMAO đŸ™‚
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Forget Nelson Lallocks, I stumbled across somebody here who has a way with words and could be a great ambassador for Rotherham. Enjoy.
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As someone who has been following “Laptop” MacShane’s career very closely – with a bucket and shovel – I would be very happy to see this gentleman get his hands on the levers of power in Rotherham in the incumbent MP’s place.
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I am no fan of our rent a quote MP but I do think it’s a bit churlish to lambast him for getting the all clear from the police. Come on chaps surely we all believe in the rule of law and the fact that the police have offered no evidence against him means the man has been cleared of all the allegations.
I don’t accept he has been left in limbo because he didn’t get the chance to clear his name in court and even if he had some of the people on here would still say that he had got away with fiddling the expenses.
So come on chaps have the good grace to accept the man has been exonerated and leave him alone, otherwise you risk losing credibility.
BTW- I love the idea of Nelson being our next MP !!!! Lol
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You are not ‘the Conisborough Canary’ pretending to be someone else, perhaps?
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Lmfao – Says the ” fly on the wall” Methinks POT / KETTLE comes to mind. So let me get this right, if anyone dares to disagree with some of the self appointed arbitrators of what is right or wrong they are called childish names!!!! FYI – I ain’t no cannery ( whoever that is ) or even a bug ( a fly )
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I’m no lawyer, but don’t think that “laptops” MacShame has been exonerated – it’s just that, as the original post says, the police say that after two years doing something or other they’ve decided it wasn’t possible to establish a case. It’s just the usual seedy, small-time stuff we’ve come to expect from UK politicians.
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Not sure how thin the ice is here – under English law, he does not, of course, have to prove his innocence. Shame we don’t have a verdict of “Not proven” like the Scots courts do.
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Adam what this means is that there was insufficient proof to obtain a conviction and he has been damned because he did not get the chance to clear his name in court – he is forever tainted. Why there was insufficient evidence leads me to believe someone has been near the shredder, or alternatively someone did not want to look too closely for whatever reason..
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Good ****ing grace?!?!?! – you must be joking.
But the big laugh is that Hussain is well and truly stuffed now, cos’ McShady’s going to hang as long as he possibly can.
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@trambuster – you’re a funny guy. Do I take it that you don’t have much time for our clean bill of health MP ?? Wats this about Hussain ?
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Dear Adam Khan, Asalaam Alaikum,
Let me provide some reassuring comfort to you for when you retire to your slumbers tonight … prison is only full of those we’ve caught and convicted.
Remember this fact when you are ready to hit the feathers – there’s more hooks outside the walls than ever there are inside the walls.
Evenin all, I’ll be on my way then. G’night all đŸ™‚
http://www.televisiontunes.com/Dixon_of_Dock_Green.html
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Lmfao – Mr Graldhunter- you’re right wen you’re right.
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Lmfao @ Graldhunter- you’re right wen you’re right!!! Btw – I loved the Dixon of dock green link ( even though it was a bit before my time )
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I can’t believe McShane has got off scott free!!!!! What were pc plods doing for 2 years?
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Er, being paid their handsome salaries.
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Mr Khan.
Aspiring MP Cllr Hussain will need to do much better when the time eventually comes for a new MP in Rotherham than his attempt to win the safe Scunthorpe County Constituency seat vacated by Elliot Morley.
Feedback from comrades in the Crosby ward suggests that he has much to do if he is ever to be taken as a serious and credible PPC.
And to complicate matters he now has in-house competition from Cllr Hoddinott who is also on the PPC merry go round.
Interesting that both of these PPC remain silent on the issue of grooming and abuse of vulnerable children in the Borough, it will make for an interesting question at their next selection panel and generate even more interest in the respective local media outlets.
Read all about it, Prospective Labour MP candidate has track record of failing to speak out for vulnerable children!
Next candidate please.
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I have just discovered this great blog. There are some very interesting opinions on here on a very wide range of topics but I an intrigued as to why most people are not using they’re real names.
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For the same reason as you had when choosing your own identity as Becky. Great to have your comments.
Rik
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My real name really is Grald-Hunter.
It really really is. Honest, really really.
I’m a retired Yorkshire heifer dung distributor and for many years now I’ve specialised in lone covert hunting safaris into the beautiful rural bushlands surrounding Rovrum and trapping those greedy, evasive, corpulent beasts the Corn Fed Grunters, Muppets and Clowns that nest in Town Hall Towers.
They’ve become a really really timid and lazy lot of late, with too many grey-haired bulls and hardly any new young male and female faces in the herd.
They are destined to wither on the vine as their pack leader Da Dodger is so corpulent and indolent that most days are spent by the watering-hole, floundering in the mud, and feasting on hospitality and gifts that the occasional urban opportunist kling-on brings to what they consider the Alpha Male.
But I’ve spotted some new spoors lately around the veldt which suggests that there’s a much younger pack leader out there – a pack leader with strength, energy and commitment and an overwhelming desire to lead the pack from the front, weed out the elderly grey-haired duffers and create a vibrant active grooip that’s of long-term sustainable benefit to Rovrum’s faltering economy.
Keep an eye out to see if the Corn Fed Grunters, Muppets and Clowns come and raid your larder, you see everyone who’s a property owner in Da Boro is feeding them!
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I am intrigued as to who your younger pack leader is, as I can only see another lot of Corn Fed Grunters etc in waiting, Revolution’s got to be the thing, and in the words of the old song ‘As soon as this pub closes’
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FOUND IT!!!!!!!!
The Alex Glaslow Version as relevant today as in the Sixties I think
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Before my time but absolutely genius. This song couldn’t sum up the situation much more. Roll on the revolution once the pub closes, actually I feel tired, yawn lol. Nice one Cas.
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