7/7 Inquiry Group vs. The Government
With the usual horrendous timing that my life is now renowned for, today I and the group of survivors and bereaved families who have been campaigning for an inquiry have today started legal proceedings to get permission to go to Judicial Review stage and try to force the Government to have an inquiry into 7/7.
We had to issue today, because otherwise we run the risk of being 'struck out' by the courts for being out of time. We got a crap fax from Dr Reid, the then Home Secretary, 3 months ago, ( after we chased for it) which arrived on 30th May, in response to our initial approach via our pro-bono lawyers. The 30/5 fax was, depressingly, the usual nonsense about 'diversion of resources' and 'understanding how we all feel'. It didn't even make sense when you read it closely, and it certainly did not answer our questions. It was insulting, quite frankly and it infuriated everyone in the group.
Since we delivered our follow-up warning of our intended legal challenge, (this month), and asked for a meeting, or a response, there has been a short written response from the Treasury Solicitors - *asking for more time to get back to us.
But it's not up to the Government lawyers to set the timings. After three months, permission to continue can be refused by the Judge, and it usually is refused. So we've been effectively forced into a litigation corner. Which is hideous; this is already a group of highly vulnerable people and frightening, costly legal proceedings are the last thing we want. I cannot understand why the burden of begging and forcing the Government to tell us the real truth about 7/7 and the events leading up to it, has been left to us for 2 years - when we have always said this is not about compensation, or money, or blame, or stupid conspiracy theories - but simply about trying to save other people's lives by making sure the mistakes that led to the 7/7 bombers striking so devastatingly, killing 52, wounding over 700, impacting on thousands of lives - don't happen again.
We know mistakes were made. We know that the bombers were known to the security services before 7/7. More on that will come out shortly. And this tired, misleading old rubbish about 'diversion of resources' will be shown up for what it is, soon enough. Oh yes. Just you wait. There are still people of good conscience in positions of power and influence and expertise, thank God.
As for 'inaccurate media reports' - the other fob-off we keep getting - it is the Government's own Official Narrative that is inaccurate, and the other effort, the ISC's report is neither independent, nor effective, nor inquiring, nor, frankly, very believable, given what has come out in trials since it was published. Careful wording can only get you so far.
The official position about why we are not having an inquiry is getting more feeble by the day. Still, we will wait for the ( late) response from the Government's lawyers, and at least we now know that we can't be struck out for lack of time because the papers went to the High Court today in lieu of a response from the Home Office.
( *Nice try)
However, I am out of action as of now because it is Mum's funeral tomorrow. So if people want to ask questions about what is going on please contact James Oury at Oury Clark Solicitors.
We had to issue today, because otherwise we run the risk of being 'struck out' by the courts for being out of time. We got a crap fax from Dr Reid, the then Home Secretary, 3 months ago, ( after we chased for it) which arrived on 30th May, in response to our initial approach via our pro-bono lawyers. The 30/5 fax was, depressingly, the usual nonsense about 'diversion of resources' and 'understanding how we all feel'. It didn't even make sense when you read it closely, and it certainly did not answer our questions. It was insulting, quite frankly and it infuriated everyone in the group.
Since we delivered our follow-up warning of our intended legal challenge, (this month), and asked for a meeting, or a response, there has been a short written response from the Treasury Solicitors - *asking for more time to get back to us.
But it's not up to the Government lawyers to set the timings. After three months, permission to continue can be refused by the Judge, and it usually is refused. So we've been effectively forced into a litigation corner. Which is hideous; this is already a group of highly vulnerable people and frightening, costly legal proceedings are the last thing we want. I cannot understand why the burden of begging and forcing the Government to tell us the real truth about 7/7 and the events leading up to it, has been left to us for 2 years - when we have always said this is not about compensation, or money, or blame, or stupid conspiracy theories - but simply about trying to save other people's lives by making sure the mistakes that led to the 7/7 bombers striking so devastatingly, killing 52, wounding over 700, impacting on thousands of lives - don't happen again.
We know mistakes were made. We know that the bombers were known to the security services before 7/7. More on that will come out shortly. And this tired, misleading old rubbish about 'diversion of resources' will be shown up for what it is, soon enough. Oh yes. Just you wait. There are still people of good conscience in positions of power and influence and expertise, thank God.
As for 'inaccurate media reports' - the other fob-off we keep getting - it is the Government's own Official Narrative that is inaccurate, and the other effort, the ISC's report is neither independent, nor effective, nor inquiring, nor, frankly, very believable, given what has come out in trials since it was published. Careful wording can only get you so far.
The official position about why we are not having an inquiry is getting more feeble by the day. Still, we will wait for the ( late) response from the Government's lawyers, and at least we now know that we can't be struck out for lack of time because the papers went to the High Court today in lieu of a response from the Home Office.
( *Nice try)
However, I am out of action as of now because it is Mum's funeral tomorrow. So if people want to ask questions about what is going on please contact James Oury at Oury Clark Solicitors.
posted by Rachel at 11:01 am
I'm afraid I'm totally cynical about the motivation of the the government as a whole. Ideally they are there to look after and govern the populous that elects them. To my mind that means they should listen, invariably they don't nor do they learn from their mistakes.
America is a good example, you'd have thought they learnt a lesson in Vietnam, clearly not and unfortunately the population re-elected the man that led them into Vietnam part two.
Our own government makes heartful sincere speechs that just come across as wooden, and then try to hid behind a load of claptrap in the hope that people will get fed up lobbying and eventually go away...which I guess invariably they do.
So the surviours and breaved families of 7/7 need to keep going and not give up.
Modern day government is not easy I'm sure but that does not give the government the right to treat electorate as idiots or to assume that they are ignorant or undeserving of real facts.
I feel they do treat us like idiots and produce spin to cover up reality. - Example does anyone remember Mr. Blair walking into that atrium in a new academy school, the upper levels crowded with teenagers "cheering" .....the cameras revealed all, I've never seen some look so shocked or horrified at reception he was getting......the students were clearly booing him. The power of spin then used to dupe the public into believing the reception was positive....say its true, put it on telly and it must be, regardless of the expressions on peoples faces.....
On this sad day for you, may I just say that politicians with their weasel words are no match for your clear -headed logic and straightforward English. Go, Girl, go!
Rachel
Why are bothering to push for a 7/7 inquiry? If an inquiry went ahead - what would you learn?
Nothing I have seen published by the Government indicates the slightest knowledge of the motivation or ideology of the bombers. The Government seems to view Islam through the lens of political correctness. The Prime Minster of late is wondering how you tell a radical Muslim from a moderate Muslim - entirely the wrong question to be thinking about. Cameron is no better. I despair of this country.
phil:
As a non-victim member of the public, what I hope and expect will come out of an enquiry is a bit more of the truth (that scarce commodity which is kryptonite to this government). The fact that we have an enquiry will also discourage officials from resorting to the expedient lie (power surge ? cleanskins ?) in future. As a result we will be a little safer both from terrorists and from the legislative stripping of our freedoms. I'm just glad the survivors have picked up the burden for all of us.