At what point did the hand intervene?

I bet the Mc's were not best pleased at seeing those 'You Dunnit' headlines surface and be discussed again these last weeks! Words they hoped had been esponged from these shores and a couple of others as well! And of course reminders to us all that every man jack of us had a view on what had happened - strong views at that.

Ah but those headlines were in the heady days of Leveson 'tittle-tattle'. Maybe someone should point out to him and Jay QC next time he asks -'and did you attempt to verify the story before you printed' that these stories were in fact based on what the Portuguese and British police were concluding at the time. Perhaps someone will before the Inquiry is out - I hope so.

Stories we are at times led to believe originated from Portuguese Police. I think of it more in terms of stories emanating from Police in Portugal as we know information exchanges between those with very intimate relationships that exist between our British Police and our friends in Fleet Street - relationships so strong that the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe has recently implemented stringent new rules for officers and their relationship with journalists " no more secret conversations - no more improper contact and by that what I mean is between the police and the media - that which is of a selfish, rather than a public interest."

Then the guy gets really tough - you can see how he got where he is today -

"Meetings will no longer be enhanced by hospitality and alcohol. It doesn't mean to say there will never be an occasion when we take hospitality with journalists, but on the whole, we wouldn't expect to see it"

Keep the bottles hidden under the table lads and lasses!

But this has made me wonder - why if there was such a High Risk - High Interest from the British Establishment to instigate a cover up of the facts - then why were things allowed to get to such a point of high jeopardy- before a hand intervened? High stakes where the truth was being printed on the front of the papers and making headlines on the TV??

It is well know that G&K McC got swiftly mobilised from day 1 contacting the press an engaging the services of one rich Uncle, an Uncle that was prepared to give his life to the cause - and the big mouth of Aunti Phil! I call this the ATM - the Advanced Team McCann!

I cannot get the image out of my mind of them sat in a smoke filled room - Chicago poker style - wearing smoked sun visors and string vests! Its the one with the biggest cigar in his mouth that speaks in a New Jersey accent whilst Aunti P sucks seductively on a cherutti ....'We are gonna need money..lots of money, we are going to need a racket to wash it through and we are gonna call in favours - big time - no one is gonnna pin this on my boys. John you get calling them favours in and don't take no for an answer....'

Dressed in his visor, vest and shorts, knee length white socks and sandals, John try's to blend in with the rest of the holiday makers. So inconspicuous he sits on the wall of the little church and starts to dial up the mob speaking in a slightly older, New Jersey twang. 'Yeah were calling in that favour we did you last year....Big B said you're not wriggling out of it so listen up.......one of our boys has..well made a bit of a mistake and it could see him and the sis going down for a lottta time so this is what you're gonna do........'

Some hours later a low level phone belonging to a little mandarin in London rings. Little is said but the little mandarin nods and puts the phone down. An assistant is called to discuss the matter....' so you see we've got to send someone out there PDQ - the problem is - who's it going to be??? There's a pause and a silence until they reach a conclusion simultaneously - both breaking out into hysterical uncontrollable laughter until finally one of them spits it out...'the hahahhahhahhah....the hahhahhahhahha..the fragrant one. Fits of laughter prevail. The little mandarins have waited for years to get one over on this little fruit - and boy was it worth waiting for.

The fragrant one is called, told to pack a bag and get his sweet little arse into the office in 40 mins - he's going on a special mission!!! Exactly 40 mins later the little fruit knocks and enters, carrying a small leather suitcase - wearing a grey Gabardine Mackintosh and a trilby.

They explain his mission - to go in there - behind enemy lines and make sure that mud does not stick and that the reports that get back to Blighty are the right British versions of the truth. He would get money out of the ATM and with the opportunity this work would bring him afterwards he would never work again. The other little mandarin corrects - 'you mean - he will never have to work again Sir....' there's a nervous cough and a bit of a fidget around. The little fruit marches off to the airport and the little mandarins laugh and laugh and laugh themselves all the way to the wine bar!

[Now sorry to interrupt the story here readers - but if there was a major crisis for the establishment about to go down in Portugal - would you be happy at simply sending out the little fruit? I don't think so! Remember the first British Ambassador did not like what the mob were upto - and neither did the second - but neither seemed to have instructions to get too involved - at this stage anyway. It could not have been a very big favour that was called in to have the little fruit dispatched out to save the world - could it??]

The next morning Bro John scoured the skies with his binoculars mutttering - 'when Big B calls in a favour there had better be a sharp response or someone's gonna get it a belly full of lead..' With that there's a drone in the skies, something falls out the back of a plane and a minute later - a parachute in the colours of the Union Flag opens up. 'Its Johhny Ingliss'!!! Bro John exclaims and he rushes off to the bar where the rest of the mob are taking in an early morning slug or two, to break the news. They all take to the beach in time to see the figure, patriotically clad, make the final part of his decent. Unfortunately he falls some feet short of the beach and gets dunked into 8 foot of freezing cold Atlantic. The mob stands aside and lets the little fruit walk the rest of the way to the beach. 'What the F** is that' cries Aunti P. The trilby is doffed by the 3ft 3 pocket journalist allowing sea water and small fish to escape. Let me introduce myself - my code name is 'The Purple Pimpenel' and i have been sent out here by the British establishment to make to good. You should know that I am self taught in the Gorbels school of journalism and I am here to win the psychological war for you and the people back home in Blighty. I am also here to shut up Big Bertha here before she follows through the wrong way and blows a big hole in her big knickers and leaves us all in it. Aunti P spits out her cherutti!

Now to business - come on there's shooting to be done! 'SHOOTING...????' Bro John chokes - 'Ok then - filming..' the little fruit replies.

That night over tapas Big B introduced the rest of the holiday entertainment committee to the little fruit. 'Now I know er......' he pauses 'I know he may look a little short at only 3ft 3 but let me tell you this.......this is a sign from back home - that we have all the support we need to carry out this operation and its gonna be fine, if we need more help, I'll call for it...and it will be forthcoming.'

Over the coming weeks the 'Purple Pimpernel' leads the Mc's from one interview to another each time he cannot prevent them from stepping into something they should'nt. The man himself even trips over his own tongue a couple of times as he attempts to talk his way around a version of the truth.

But with all this support from back home Gerry is still holding the baby and still has work to be done.

Note that headlines are appearing back home that 'The Purple Pimpernel' was meant to prevent. There is no big hand of intervention at this stage as British police dogs are allowed to fly out and the Ambassador sends emails that points fingers. In fact the next hand of intervention is when 'The Purple Pimpernel' is given the choice, get the hell out of there and back to The Bureau or give up his job and go it alone, all ties severed. Of course he does the latter on a promise of riches building in the fund!! This seems to me more of an indication that the 'establishment' is trying to distance themselves from things rather than get more involved!

Note also now, no big hand of intervention in the initial conclusions of the FSS, it took time for something to work through there to get the mixed message results the second time around so its up to this point that I don't believe there was any big interventions.

So up to this stage were the British Police on course to support the work of the PJ and the 'establishment' happy to let the Mc'S take the hit?? I think so!

So what changed? Some additional pressure was brought to bear but by whom and on whom?

I can only think this was more of a ground swell in the halls and lodges across the land than it was any really sordid bit of blackmail. The calls coming through, swelled by supporters to say one of ours is in trouble and it is our duty to protect our own. The pressure may have been on GB to show that he could wield power as powerful man as he was. Come on Gordy, you can do it show us you have the balls!!

It might have been something as simple as that. Like I said before, if there had been a need for a big conspiracy cover-up from these shores, a hand of intervention would have come in much earlier and much heavier - IMO.