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Is "Plebgate" the most over-egged non-story ever?

The 12th DoctorThe 12th Doctor Posts: 4,338
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in Politics #1
Plebgate is just...nothing. Crap nobody cares about concerning people who have actual jobs to do other than complain about some stuck-up bureaucrat allegedly saying a word they don't like. Why is it STILL making headlines?
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    andyknandykn Posts: 66,849
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    #2
    The 12th Doctor wrote: »
    Plebgate is just...nothing. Crap nobody cares about concerning people who have actual jobs to do other than complain about some stuck-up bureaucrat allegedly saying a word they don't like. Why is it STILL making headlines?

    Well, extra threads like this don't help.
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    The 12th DoctorThe 12th Doctor Posts: 4,338
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    #3
    andykn wrote: »
    Well, extra threads like this don't help.

    Ok, good point.
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    TheTruth1983TheTruth1983 Posts: 13,462
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    #4
    Anything with the suffix "gate" tends to get over reported.

    I await "Gategate" so we can realise how stupid it is to keep using the suffix.
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    steveh31steveh31 Posts: 13,516
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    #5
    The 12th Doctor wrote: »
    Plebgate is just...nothing. Crap nobody cares about concerning people who have actual jobs to do other than complain about some stuck-up bureaucrat allegedly saying a word they don't like. Why is it STILL making headlines?

    Should never have made headlines in the first place.
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    sangrealsangreal Posts: 20,901
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    #6
    Well, the courts deemed that he did say it, after he vehemently denied it.
    He's now had to pay £80k compensation to the pc whose life he virtually ruined.
    So not only did he insult all police-men/women by referring to them as plebs,
    it also highlights how a high-ranking Tory is prepared to lie even under oath...
    which is quite a big issue in the eyes of most decent people in this country.
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    smudges dadsmudges dad Posts: 36,989
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    #7
    It reminds me of the good old days of Jonathan Aitkin using the full force of the law to defend his good name against libellous allegations.
    I was shocked and disgusted by the very serious allegations made against me in the Guardian newspaper this morning.
    I have no hesitation in stating categorically that these allegations are wicked lies. I have therefore today issued a writ for defamation against the Guardian, its editor in chief, Mr Peter Preston, and the journalist who wrote the article, Mr Pallister.
    .../...
    If it falls to me to start a fight to cut out the cancer of bent and twisted journalism in our country with the simple sword of truth and the trusty shield of British fair play, so be it. I am ready for the fight. The fight against falsehood and those who peddle it.

    My fight begins today. Thank you and good afternoon.

    followed by
    Ex-Cabinet minister Jonathan Aitken is behind bars in a south London prison after he was jailed for perjury and perverting the course of justice.

    The former Conservative MP admitted both charges earlier in the year, following the collapse of his libel case against The Guardian and World in Action.

    Mr Justice Scott Baker sentenced him to 18 months in prison for each offence, with the two terms running concurrently.

    Moral, to be learnt by all politicians:
    Don't deny something you did or said and then try to bluster your way out of it by taking people to court for libel.

    Mitchell is the latest in a long line of politicians of all colours who have been caught out and then denied it. It always seems to be the denials and cover ups that get them in the end, not the actual event.
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    Ethel_FredEthel_Fred Posts: 34,127
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    #8
    The stupid thing in all this is that it was so easy to avoid - all he had to do was admit to swearing and calling the Fine Upstanding Member of Her Majesty's Constabulary a 'stupid plod'.
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    GibsonSGGibsonSG Posts: 23,681
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    #9
    The 12th Doctor wrote: »
    Plebgate is just...nothing. Crap nobody cares about concerning people who have actual jobs to do other than complain about some stuck-up bureaucrat allegedly saying a word they don't like. Why is it STILL making headlines?

    No because it goes to the credibility and attitude of those in power. Not an irrelevant story at all.
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    plateletplatelet Posts: 26,386
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    #10
    TheTruth1983 wrote: »
    Anything with the suffix "gate" tends to get over reported.

    I await "Gategate" so we can realise how stupid it is to keep using the suffix.

    They actually tried to use gategate for this story in the beginning
    gategate
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    smudges dadsmudges dad Posts: 36,989
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    #11
    This is the most over egged gate of all
    http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/article/1328971/creme-egg-gate-consumer-backlash-mondelez-tweaks-recipe
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    mooxmoox Posts: 18,880
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    #12
    sangreal wrote: »
    So not only did he insult all police-men/women by referring to them as plebs,.

    I'd have thought the police officers who lied and falsified witness statements would have done more for that
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    gummy mummygummy mummy Posts: 26,600
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    #13
    £80,000 seems a lot of money for nothing :o
    The police officer at the centre of the "Plebgate" row has agreed to an £80,000 damages payout, a High Court has heard.

    The money has been accepted by Pc Toby Rowland as settlement of his libel action against the former Government whip Andrew Mitchell.

    http://news.sky.com/story/1438367/pc-gets-80000-plebgate-damages-payout
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    sangrealsangreal Posts: 20,901
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    #14
    moox wrote: »
    I'd have thought the police officers who lied and falsified witness statements would have done more for that

    Peripherals....

    Mitchell swore at the officers present and called them plebs, then denied it and also lied under oath in court. Perjury and perverting the course of justice are crimes that most of us ordinary plebs would get locked up for.
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    trevgotrevgo Posts: 28,241
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    #15
    I would imagine Plod dealing with much of the country's youth would dearly love to be called plebs. Probably be the nicest thing they're be called all week.

    Utter storm in a teacup and a ludicrous outcome.
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    sangrealsangreal Posts: 20,901
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    #16
    trevgo wrote: »
    I would imagine Plod dealing with much of the country's youth would dearly love to be called plebs. Probably be the nicest thing they're be called all week.

    Utter storm in a teacup and a ludicrous outcome.

    Yeah, well if only he didn't deny and lie about it, it would've all blown over.
    He then even had the nerve to try claim for damages.
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    gummy mummygummy mummy Posts: 26,600
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    #17
    trevgo wrote: »
    I would imagine Plod dealing with much of the country's youth would dearly love to be called plebs. Probably be the nicest thing they're be called all week.

    Utter storm in a teacup and a ludicrous outcome.

    It must have been a big teacup

    From the link I provided
    it was estimated that fighting his case had cost him around £3m.

    Will that be on the taxpayer or on him ?
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 9,720
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    #18
    TheTruth1983 wrote: »
    Anything with the suffix "gate" tends to get over reported.

    I await "Gategate" so we can realise how stupid it is to keep using the suffix.

    At least there was an actual gate in the Plebgate story.
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    Michael_EveMichael_Eve Posts: 14,460
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    #19
    Was it more over-egged than egg-gate, involving Edwina Currie? Or egg and a roll (on the ground)-gate involving John Prescott?

    "Egg! He said Egg!" - Pliny
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    Bob_WhingerBob_Whinger Posts: 1,098
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    #20
    Mitchel could have tweeted, I did NOT call anyone a pleb, and it would have been forgotten. Shows a complete lack of judgement by these Tories to spend over 500,000 on legal fees. And these fools are running the country.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 6,848
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    #21
    PC Toby must be such a poor delicate little petal to have taken it this far.

    He is supposed to be a cop not a bl00dy wet lump!
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    smudges dadsmudges dad Posts: 36,989
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    #22
    MartinImber wrote: »
    PC Toby must be such a poor delicate little petal to have taken it this far.

    He is supposed to be a cop not a bl00dy wet lump!
    It was Mitchell who took it all the way to court. He's only got himself to blame.
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    angarrackangarrack Posts: 5,493
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    #23
    smudges dad wrote: »
    It was Mitchell who took it all the way to court. He's only got himself to blame.


    Have you managed to get the voting register sorted out yet?
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    Raquelos.Raquelos. Posts: 7,734
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    #24
    The problem is of course is that the story epitomised the feeling that Cameron and his circle really did feel this superior to ordinary people. That why this story ran and ran in the way that it did, because regardless of what actually happened, it 'felt ' believable to most people.

    What a damning indictment of Cameron's government that is.
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    i4ui4u Posts: 54,990
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    #25
    sangreal wrote: »
    Peripherals....

    Mitchell swore at the officers present and called them plebs, then denied it and also lied under oath in court. Perjury and perverting the course of justice are crimes that most of us ordinary plebs would get locked up for.

    But that can't be true as all the officers present gave evidence they did not hear the conversation where the word was said to have been used.

    The only other police officer who calmed he heard the conversation was not present and was exposed as a liar and fantasist.

    And the officer at which Mitchell aimed his words can't take much comfort from the judges words that he was too stupid to make it up.

    Toss in the 3 Midlands police officers who didn't realise their recorded conversation with Mitchell was at odds with what they said publicly...we had a right carry on.

    Hence the proverb...Riding a bike through a gate is like riding through the eye of a storm...
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    i4ui4u Posts: 54,990
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    #26
    Raquelos. wrote: »
    The problem is of course is that the story epitomised the feeling that Cameron and his circle really did feel this superior to ordinary people. That why this story ran and ran in the way that it did, because regardless of what actually happened, it 'felt ' believable to most people.

    And that's how it works time and again, whichever government, organisation or individual it is.
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