Here’s a round-up of stories we haven’t had time to cover on the site this past week…
Manchester Withington’s John Leech submitted the Early Day Motion and said people should sign an online petition protesting against Turing’s conviction. The gay computer pioneer was convicted for gross indecency in 1952, when homosexual acts were illegal in the UK. Mr Leech said his persecution “by the state for being gay is a scandal that shouldn’t be allowed to stand”. Alan Turing worked as part of the team which cracked the Enigma code at Bletchley Park in World War II and directed the computing laboratory at the University of Manchester, where he helped to form the basis for the field of artificial intelligence.
You can sign the e-petition here;
You can see the Early Day Motion here.
Anti-gambling campaigners have blasted Robbie Williams for starting a poker site. The Robbie Williams Poker community, to be launched online this year, says the main focus is “fun” but some of the games cost money. Lib Dem MP Tessa Munt said the Take That singer, 37, should know all about addiction as he was once dependent on prescription drugs. She added: “I’m outraged by this. It directly targets his fans, including children. The money he makes should go to addiction charities.”
Health researcher Rebecca Taylor, who grew up in the town, has been installed as Euro MP for Yorkshire and the Humber. … Her father Dr Michael Taylor, who still lives in Owlers Walk, Todmorden, is a former Todmorden and Calderdale councillor and her mother Elisabeth Wilson is an ex-county councillor and her grandparents are also committed Liberals. She said: “It is a great privilege and honour to serve the people of Yorkshire and the Humber in Europe as a Liberal Democrat MEP. It is why I stood for selection in 2007 and my commitment to the region has not changed.”
Sir Bob was unrepentant. He said: “If people write seeking my views, I give my views. If he wants to think it’s insulting, that’s his point of view.”
Former Liverpool council leader Warren Bradley was today facing a perjury charge after a police inquiry into electoral fraud allegations. … At the time Cllr Bradley was leader of the Lib Dem group but resigned the day the allegations were made public. He was then suspended from the Lib Dems and he is currently facing being banned from the party. At the time he said: “I totally deny this allegation and am seeking legal advice to that end.”
Cornwall Council said 17 councillors paid late but the authority would not comment on individual cases, arguing it was a personal matter. The Government’s Information Commissioner is considering an appeal against the refusal to identify the members.
* Stephen was Editor (and Co-Editor) of Liberal Democrat Voice from 2007 to 2015, and writes at The Collected Stephen Tall.
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6 Comments
The late payment of council tax can involve no fault by the individual member. I’ve just paid a load of bills late because I was moving current accounts and my bank cancelled my existing direct debits but failed to set the new ones up on time. Had I been a councillor I would have been in arrears on my CT and ineligible to vote on any “money matters”
Obviously the BBC report is wrong in saying that the petition calls for Alan Turing’s conviction to be quashed – which as far as I know could be done only by the Court of Appeal, and on the basis of the law as it stood when he was convicted.
I have some sympathy with some people who are behind in their council tax, having once had trouble with paying by Standing Order. I’d being doing this for years, but had to do a new paper SO every year. One year after several missed and late payments, involving me in trips to the council office to pay by cheque, my bank had the nerve to say “we don’t take Standing Orders on paper by post any more, only over the telephone.” Our council had, at that time, a history of not getting Direct Debits right either…..
A few months ago I was circulated a petition calling for the pardoning of Sir Thomas More, who was executed for refusing to accept that the King of England should have the final say in how English people should worship and what religious beliefs they should have. Surely this is just as much something Liberals should support as pardoning Alan Turing?
The great problem with these sort of things is once one starts where does one end? Should we perhaps have the equivalent of the “Devil’s advocate” who has the job of putting the case against the pardon?
How about an apology for Turing’s death from the Church of England? Turing was chemically castrated and driven to suicide by the religious bigots of his day: http://seanrobsville.blogspot.com/2012/02/alan-turing-gay-buddhist.html
Dear Sir,
I have set out below a copy of an open letter sent to the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, earlier this week. I would be obliged if you could give some consideration to the proposal set out in the letter and then confirm whether or not you might be able to support it.
I am now in receipt of messages of support from senior academics, some members of Parliament, and I do have press/media interest in this campaign. Your support, if you feel able to offer it, would be very much appreciated. My contact details are set out at the bottom of this email.
Best wishes,
Michael .H. Murrin
Subject: ALAN TURING – OPEN LETTER TO BORIS JOHNSON
Date: Sun, 10 Jun 2012 12:02:38 +0100
Mr Boris Johnson.
Mayor of London.
Dear Mr Johnson,
RE: FOURTH PLINTH ON TRAFALGAR SQUARE.
The 23rd of June 2012 is the centenary of the birth of Alan Turing, the founder of computer science, mathematician and philosopher. It is for his work as a code breaker during WW11 that he is best known and my proposal set out below is designed to acknowledge his contribution to that military conflict.
The contribution made by Alan Turing to the breaking of the German naval Enigma codes and the contribution that made to the war effort is a matter of record. The subsequent persecution of Alan Turing for his homosexuality which resulted in his suicide on June 7th 1954, at the age of 41 is now regarded as a gross injustice inflicted by the state on a man whose contribution to this country was immeasurable. On September 10th 2009 the then Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, made what amounted to a public apology for this persecution of a man who had contributed so much to his country and received so little in return. The final paragraph of his statement reads:
“It is thanks to men and women who were totally committed to fighting fascism, people like Alan Turing, that the horrors of the Holocaust and of total war are part of Europe’s history and not Europe’s present. So on behalf of the British government, and all those who live freely thanks to Alan’s work, I am very proud to say: we’re sorry. You deserved so much better.”
I would like to propose that a more permanent reminder of Alan Turings contribution to the war effort would be to use the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square to erect a statue in recognition of him. Trafalgar Square is, in effect, a military memorial and a statue to Alan Turing would serve a number of purposes:-
1. It would recognise the importance of the civilian contribution to military endeavour.
2. It would serve as a reminder that those who contribute to military endeavour are not always treated well by the
society they sought to defend. Perhaps it would go some way towards ensuring that those who have contributed
in this way are properly treated in the future.
3. It would be an official acknowledgement of the contribution made to the war effort by Alan Turing.
I trust you might be prepared to give some consideration to the above proposal. I have forwarded a copy of this email to the people/organisations listed below in the hope that it might precipitate some debate as to the merit of the proposal I have placed before you.
Yours sincerely,
Michael .H. Murrin.
CONTACT DETAILS.
Michael .H. Murrin.
21 Goodwood Avenue,
Fulwood,
Preston,
Lancashire,
PR2 9TZ.
UK