Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Another person who let children down.

There's so many with blood on their hands.

"Retiring" before he is booted out of the best club in the country.

He was however effective when it came to dealing with financial Impropriety.

As Chief Whip, he was unequivocal that Thorpe should stand down when it came to light that he had been soliciting party funding to pay off his ex lover.

But then financial misdemeanors have always been considered high crimes by the establishment.

During my chequered career, I had some time driving and giving 'close protection' through an agency. I did drive David Steel once.

I found him charming, but slightly inebriated.

I'm going go out on a limb on this one and say i think he's a bit of a sacrificial lamb and he's been thrown under a bus.

The allegations in the Rochdale Alternative Press and Private Eye were investigated by police at the time and NOTHING was done - there was no criminality to pursue, apparently.

Here (as far as i know) is the Private Eye article - all rather vague in the actual allegations in terms of outright criminality (in the context of the time). You might need to squint to read it.

https://theneedleblog.files.wordpress.c ... itled4.png

And then Steel is the one accused of not having passed concerns to Police 10-15 years after the events (before Smith was even a Liberal MP) - when the police and DPP did nothing - and other newspapers didn't deem particularly noteworthy. Not to mention what the hell the people running the hostel/care home were thinking allowing a local (Labour) councillor to come in and administer corporal punishment.

The failings/obliviousness/cluelessness etc, of the time are widespread.