BBC News website on cost of the McCann investigation.

This really is worth a read. It went up two hours ago. It is a Home Office minister's response to a written parliamentary question by someone called Lord Black of Brentwood. It says basically that the investigation has cost £10 million so far, and another £2 million has been earmarked for spending on it next year. (!!!) The investigation is quoted as being agreed to be set up by David Cameron after a request from Kate and Gerry McCann. (!!!!!)

As a Canadian, the only Lord Black I've heard of is Lord Black of Crossharbour, or as we know him, Conrad Black formerly with The Telegraph.

I googled "Lord Black of Brentwood" and find see that he is Executive Director of the Telegraph Media Group.

I find it interesting that someone connected with the Telegraph Media Group obtained this information in answer to his own "written parliamentary question".

Will be keeping an eye on the Telegraph to see if there is any follow-up.

Maybe a bit off topic... but my thoughts followed on from the written parliamentary question and the Home Office reply.

The McCann case started under New Labour (aka Zanulabour according to the Guido Fawkes site). It was New Labour Prime Ministers Blair and Brown who were involved. Mitchell worked for them as head of Media Monitoring (whether or not he was a spook as well I do not know). I can't understand why a Tory government still feels bound by their decisions. Brass neck will take the unscrupulous a long way, but surely not that far... even if everything snowballed... even if an amazing cash cow grew out of the disappearance... even if there had been some earlier plan or 'hoax' for quite other reasons, which had to be abandoned.

I do not believe KM and GM have any special importance. I do not think they have special links to powerful people. I doubt there is serious blackmail involved, but I am not sure. I can easily believe that a tragic accident happened and that all concerned including the Tapas 9 were complicit, perhaps for sedation reasons. I do not see the need to multiply entities and complications and conspiracies. Reasons for a cover up between those in PDL at the time could be very simple. No need for swinging, paedophila, burglaries etc etc etc at all... I recognise amazingly skilled manipulation of the press when I see it ...

BUT IN THAT CASE what I then cannot understand is why we continue to have the long, expensive, non-investigative investigation. Why we have what many call the cover-up. Why do the police and the current government not quietly drop the whole shebang?

comperedna wrote:Maybe a bit off topic... but my thoughts followed on from the written parliamentary question and the Home Office reply.

The McCann case started under New Labour (aka Zanulabour according to the Guido Fawkes site). It was New Labour Prime Ministers Blair and Brown who were involved. Mitchell worked for them as head of Media Monitoring (whether or not he was a spook as well I do not know). I can't understand why a Tory government still feels bound by their decisions. Brass neck will take the unscrupulous a long way, but surely not that far... even if everything snowballed... even if an amazing cash cow grew out of the disappearance... even if there had been some earlier plan or 'hoax' for quite other reasons, which had to be abandoned.

I do not believe KM and GM have any special importance. I do not think they have special links to powerful people. I doubt there is serious blackmail involved, but I am not sure. I can easily believe that a tragic accident happened and that all concerned including the Tapas 9 were complicit, perhaps for sedation reasons. I do not see the need to multiply entities and complications and conspiracies. Reasons for a cover up between those in PDL at the time could be very simple. No need for swinging, paedophila, burglaries etc etc etc at all... I recognise amazingly skilled manipulation of the press when I see it ...

BUT IN THAT CASE what I then cannot understand is why we continue to have the long, expensive, non-investigative investigation. Why we have what many call the cover-up. Why do the police and the current government not quietly drop the whole shebang?

pretty sensible post if you ask me.

It's the "request of Kate and Gerry McCann" that I find vexatious. Two parents who left their three children under the age of four alone while they dined out with friends. Any other couple would be held responsible and charged for that alone. With no evidence of the abduction they continue to claim for eight years, they are "pleased" that taxpayers continue to support the investigation into Madeleine's whereabouts and the search for her 'abductor' while dismissing the cadaver alerts which indicate the child was dead before we even knew her name.

Precisely.

In connection with this topic as to WHY... esp why the non-investigative investigation... and 'was something else important going on in PDL at the time', Martin Roberts has an interesting theory. Far as I know its a theory only.
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