Sussex MP to take racism claims to the House of Commons (From The Argus)
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Sussex MP to take racism claims to the House of Commons
7:40am Sunday 10th March 2013 in News By Anna Roberts, Crime reporter
Tim Loughton
Sussex Police have refused to hand over “evidence” to MP Tim Loughton – so he is taking the matter to the House of Commons.
The MP has said he will lead a debate in the Commons regarding freedom of speech and a police investigation of him over allegedly racist emails he sent to a constituent, Kieran Francis, on Wednesday.
It follows a statement from Sussex Police over the email exchange in which Mr Loughton said he supported the description of Mr Francis, of Stoney Lane, Shoreham, as “unkempt” and “dishevelled”.
In the email East Worthing and Shoreham MP Mr Loughton, who described himself as a “potato head”, also referred to “poisonous b*******”.
On Monday Mr Loughton met with chief constable Martin Richards about the case but his request for more information about the inquiry – a request that the force would not normally agree
with – was rejected.
A spokesman for Sussex Police said: “We understand that being the subject of an investigation can be upsetting, but have sought to explain to Mr Loughton that we have a duty to take all reports of crime to us seriously and with impartiality, irrespective of people’s views about the value of the particular law in question.
“As such, we have a duty to conduct an initial investigation when a report of this nature is received so that a decision can be made on the basis of the actual evidence rather than rely on the word of one person over the other.
“We wouldn’t ignore a report because of the standing or history of either the complainant or the sub- ject of the complaint.
“We have sought to reassure him that this case was handled in exactly the same way as if a com- plaint had been made about an ordinary member of the public.”
The force said if Mr Loughton was unhappy with the actions of officers he could make a formal complaint.
Mr Loughton said: “I will give a full response in the speech in the House on Wednesday.”
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Comments(8)
mimseycal
says...
8:32am Sun 10 Mar 13
And this is an MP? No wonder democracy is out the window. Our representatives are concerned with themselves first and foremost!
Cyril Bolleaux
says...
10:13am Sun 10 Mar 13
mimseycal
says...
10:29am Sun 10 Mar 13
Indigatio
says...
10:39am Sun 10 Mar 13
We pride ourselves in free speech but recently it seems that nothing can be commented on without someone screaming prejudice or discrimination. Debate and reasoned argument are the hallmarks of a free society and we seem to have lost that. If I have views on a matter I should be able to air them, even if they are controversial, if you disagree you should do so and we can debate over it. Maybe one or the other will concede and change their views, if not , we agree to disagree, that's life, and we move on.
Leaving Tim Loughton's politics aside, he has a right to express his views, having done so he is also justifying them. Good for him and shame on the Police for dealing with it in the manner that they have.
mimseycal
says...
10:59am Sun 10 Mar 13
I'm sure that had he bothered he could have found plenty of constituents cases that are similar to represent; especially if the problem is as wide spread as some claim.
HJarrs
says...
11:07am Sun 10 Mar 13
Isaac Rinkfern
says...
9:52pm Mon 11 Mar 13
Indigatio wrote:You seem to think that whatever Loughton says is true, it is not, he lies.
I am at a complete loss to understand how Susex Police could have taken this matter as far as this. Tom Loughton is reported described Mr Francis as a ‘serial complainer’ and his most problematic constituent, and wrote in the letter 'another example of the whingeing, self-serving, poisonous b******s that seem to have become your hallmark’. The censored word being o e similar to that of a male cow. How that can be considered racist or even offensive I just do not know. It is a comment which he believes justified. Mr Francis appears to be a vexatious trouble maker and not the type to be easily offended either. Why did he just not respond to counter the argument?
We pride ourselves in free speech but recently it seems that nothing can be commented on without someone screaming prejudice or discrimination. Debate and reasoned argument are the hallmarks of a free society and we seem to have lost that. If I have views on a matter I should be able to air them, even if they are controversial, if you disagree you should do so and we can debate over it. Maybe one or the other will concede and change their views, if not , we agree to disagree, that's life, and we move on.
Leaving Tim Loughton's politics aside, he has a right to express his views, having done so he is also justifying them. Good for him and shame on the Police for dealing with it in the manner that they have.
The matter raised, which resulted in his abusive response has since been judged to be unlawful. How can a vexatious complaint be upheld?
If you think that people are trouble makers for believing that it is unacceptable for an MP to behave in a professional manner and not distribute race hate via their website then you are just as much of a bigot as Loughton himself.
The police uphold the law, it's their job, the law says that you shouldn't send abusive mail, and that racism is judged by the receiver and not the racist.
angrymonkey says...
8:26am Sun 10 Mar 13