The Easiest Way to Read Corbyn's Bid for Power
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* * * * * * * * * The Daily Telegraph Monday 19 December 2016 * * * 17 Letters to the Editor Retired British soldiers face prosecution while IRA men go free I spied for Russia SIR – Two former soldiers, members of accept this, the Government must give undoubtedly have a negative impact SIR – As a regular member of the the British Army, are to be prosecuted the same protection to the military on operations for many years to come. Cambridge “spy seminar” (report, over the killing of Joe McCann, an who served in Northern Ireland. Stephen Powne December 17), I do not believe that our Official IRA commander who was Robert Boorman London SW1 proceedings or funding have been shot dead in central Belfast in 1972. Cambridge influenced by the Russians. He was a Republican legend even SIR – The latest persecution of military The seminars take place under before his killing. Photographed amid SIR – Current investigations into and ex-military personnel must give the aegis of the history faculty of ESTABLISHED 1855 flames in Eliza Street, holding an M1 events in Northern Ireland, Iraq and comfort to this country’s adversaries, Cambridge University, and offer carbine rifle, McCann’s image during Afghanistan are unfair in the extreme. whether state or terrorist-based. balanced presentations from Russian the gun battle became one of the Service personnel put their lives on A combination of weak political and many other perspectives. I have earliest iconic images of the Troubles. the line at the behest of our politicians, leadership (terrified of casualties or listened to informative lectures by According to the US Irish Echo, who very rarely get their hands dirty. the International Criminal Court) former heads of the KGB and senior An unacceptable “by 1971, McCann was officer One has to ask why anyone would and rapacious human rights lawyers members of the CIA and the FBI. commanding the Official IRA’s third serve on the front line in the current funded by the British taxpayer I spied for the Russians on Britain’s battalion in Belfast, which covered climate when there is a real possibility means that no enemy of the United nuclear waste disposal facilities for assault on a free press the Markets area. In a gun battle in of investigation many years after the Kingdom need worry about Britain’s four years from the mid-Nineties Cromac Square on May 21 that year, event. Who would want to live with Armed Forces. They will either not – with a little help from MI6. Possibly McCann and his unit ambushed and that hanging over their head? be deployed or, if they are, will be the SVR – the rebranded KGB – could or the past three days on the freezing killed a British soldier, the first to die You cannot ask Servicemen to think looking over their shoulders in case have got the same information that I streets of Warsaw, thousands of people at the hands of the Officials.” twice before they pull the trigger they are prosecuted for shooting the gave it by knocking on the doors of have taken part in a series of protests in As part of the Northern Ireland when their lives are on the line. They Queen’s enemies . Whitehall, but it preferred a more peace process, Tony Blair’s deserve at the very least the full How long before we see clandestine approach. front of Poland’s parliament. Inside the representatives told 200 suspects that support of the Government. prosecutions of the Falkland campaign So what? Don’t we all want the F session hall, opposition MPs occupied they were unlikely to face prosecution There is a clamour in this country heroes on behalf of Argentine citizens? Russians to solve their nuclear waste the speaker’s podium for several hours unless new evidence came to light. for this wrong to be put right, yet it It makes me very concerned for the problems? and blocked a vote on the 2017 state budget. The The alleged terrorists would not face seems the Government is not listening. defence of this country. But my actions could easily be cause of these demonstrations are plans by the arrest because they had received The damage that is being done to our Harry Knowles interpreted by the Rightist media ruling Law and Justice party to restrict the access “comfort letters”. If the IRA agreed to Armed Services is immense and will Ulverston, Cumbria were I to give a presentation at the Cambridge Intelligence seminar. (I of reporters to the legislature. We accept letters was never asked to sign the Official In a country that threw off the Soviet yoke by post, fax and No trains? That’s £400 Secrets Act, though I was requested less than 30 years ago, freedom of the press is email only. Please not to identify my MI6 minders.) inextricably bound up with democracy. Control of include name, SIR – Many commuters renew an As one of the contributors to the the media is a certain sign of incipient autocracy. address, work and annual ticket on January 1. To travel first edition of the new Journal of After all, why would those in power want to home telephone from the south coast to a London office Intelligence and Terrorism Studies numbers. costs, say, £4,400 for the year. cited in your report, I do not believe constrain the press unless they are doing something This payment is credited to the that there is any Russian bias in its that they do not want the public to know? 111 Buckingham Government, which adds on taxpayer articles, some of which I reviewed. Newspapers are simply a conduit of information to Palace Road, money to meet a pre-agreed fee that it The main purpose of this worthy the people. Our rulers may not like the way some in London then pays to Southern railway. and much-needed publication is to the media transmit what they say or comment upon SW1W 0DT Each time you are more than an correct misinformation – which in my what they do, but in a free country that is something hour late, or there are no trains, you view is the most urgent and laudable they just have to put up with. FAX can claim from Southern. If its office at view for any academic media outlet in 020 7931 2878 Ashby-de-la-Zouch passes your claim today’s confused and unstable world. For the Poles, freedom of the press matters (and it doesn’t seem very eager), you Rev Dr David L Gosling because it is the very essence of liberty in a country EMAIL can receive an 11th of what you paid in Cambridge where it has been snuffed out all too regularly dtletters@ advance for that week. throughout history. For the British, however, it is telegraph.co.uk If no trains run all year and you put taken for granted. We imagine ourselves to be a in a claim for every journey, then the Scott’s race to the Pole mature democracy in which the media can pretty FOLLOW Government will receive your £4,400 Telegraph Letters and you will be refunded £4,000 SIR – Alex Michaels (Letters, December much say what they want. This has never been on Twitter (as you cannot claim for commuting 16) was quite right to emphasise the entirely true, of course. The laws of libel constrain @LettersDesk on Saturdays). This will leave the scientific priorities of Captain Scott’s reckless journalism and strict rules govern what can Government £400 up, though you PHOTO STOCK ALAMY 1910-13 expedition. Whether or not he be said and written about court cases. Moreover, never got to work the whole year. Engaged: a sheep shelters in the shell of a red telephone box on the Isle of Skye truly “called off the race”, however, is, criminal activity by journalists is rightly punished: Simon Dunton I believe, more of a grey area. the press is not above the Westham, East Sussex On learning of Amundsen’s plan to Planting Wi-Fi in a British country phone box use dog sledges, he called it a “serious When legislation is law and does not seek SIR – Unions have stated that this menace to ours”. When he reached the to be. wave of strikes is meant to “topple the SIR – One solution to the proposed no surprise to Britain’s farmers. Our South Pole on January 17 1912, only to introduced which But when legislation is Tories”. Edward Heath called a general reduction by a third of the existing member survey showed that 70 per find that Amundsen had got there a would serve to introduced which would election to answer the question “Who 45,000 phone boxes, due to non-use, cent of smartphone users have no month earlier, he wrote in his journal: undermine press serve to undermine runs Britain?” He got a bloody nose. would be to turn them into free access to 4G at all. Where there “Great God! This is an awful place and press freedom, then it I suspect that Theresa May would Wi-Fi hotspots. Especially in is coverage, farmers often report terrible enough for us to have laboured freedom, then it has fare rather better. rural areas, this would reduce the voice signal being lost. to it without the reward of priority.” to be opposed has to be opposed, not Roger Smith number of Wi-Fi black spots. The Government needs to This plaintive statement surely only by the press who Meppershall, Bedfordshire The infrastructure is there: an commit itself to providing superfast indicates disappointment that he are directly affected by iconic landmark, a power source broadband infrastructure for all had not reached the Pole first.