Convicted rapist at Labour event

[Francesca R]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6898557.stm


The prime minister has asked party officials to investigate and said no money should be accepted from him. [ . . . ] Labour MP Stephen Pound, who was at the event, told Newsnight that Mr Oyston's attendance was "downright embarrassing, toe-curlingly awful". "The man's a convicted rapist. He shouldn't have been there; somebody is going to have to explain why he was invited.


Does this make any sense? Why shouldn't this individual have been there and why should no money be accepted from him?

[tkingdoll]

If he's served his sentence, I fail to see why he shouldn't return to society and enjoy all the normal priviliges thereof (except the respect of peers, one expects).

[Kerberos]

Well associating with convicted rappists can be bad for ones image and as such politiations tend to avoid it.

[TragicMonkey]

There was a Kids in the Hall sketch where a guy running for governor was judge at a jam tasting. He unknowingly picked the jam made by the convicted child molester. Everyone booed and hissed, and he lost the election by a landslide.

[tkingdoll]

Well associating with convicted rappists can be bad for ones image and as such politiations tend to avoid it.

Of course, but that's not the same as excluding someone from donating to the political party of their choice. There is no conflict of interest.

[Giggywig]

If he's served his sentence, I fail to see why he shouldn't return to society and enjoy all the normal priviliges thereof (except the respect of peers, one expects).

I don't know how it works in the UK, but in the US I'm not sure that's the case. On some (all?) instances they have to register as sex offenders and such.

[tkingdoll]

I don't know how it works in the UK, but in the US I'm not sure that's the case. On some (all?) instances they have to register as sex offenders and such.

I think that only applies if the victim was a minor, which in this case she wasn't.

I am a firm believer that if you've served your time as meted out by the judiciary system we all subscribe to, then you should be free to rejoin society and all the benefits thereof. On a personal level, individuals might not want to talk to you, but I don't see why you should be prohibited from purchasing a table at a fundraiser.

Why is rape a special crime to base decisions on? If they want to exclude people from donating based on their history, then they will have to exclude anyone with a criminal record, full stop.

[Jon_in_london]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4618172.stm

Any sex crime is enough to get you on the register.

[Kerberos]

Of course, but that's not the same as excluding someone from donating to the political party of their choice. There is no conflict of interest.

That's even worse, a donation is a form of endorsement and no politician wished to be endorse by a rapist.

Why is rape a special crime to base decisions on? If they want to exclude people from donating based on their history, then they will have to exclude anyone with a criminal record, full stop.
Not all crimes are equal. Shoplifting is not equivalent to rape or murder, and I would not be surprised to have a political party refuse a donation from a murderer either. It’s just horribly bad PR.

[tkingdoll]

That's even worse, a donation is a form of endorsement and no politician wished to be endorse by a rapist.


Not all crimes are equal. Shoplifting is not equivalent to rape or murder, and I would not be surprised to have a political party refuse a donation from a murderer either. It’s just horribly bad PR.

Yeah, I know. It's just annoying. I'm not defending a rapist, he's clearly a very unpleasant human being, but there's no point in having a judiciary system if you can't do your time and move on.

They're making their own bad PR by causing a stink. If they'd kept this private then we'd be none the wiser and they'd be free to just quietly refuse his donations in the future.

[Kerberos]

Yeah, I know. It's just annoying. I'm not defending a rapist, he's clearly a very unpleasant human being, but there's no point in having a judiciary system if you can't do your time and move on.

They're making their own bad PR by causing a stink. If they'd kept this private then we'd be none the wiser and they'd be free to just quietly refuse his donations in the future.
They're not the ones rasing a stink. From the link in the OP:

"A convicted rapist attended a Labour Party fund-raiser held by Gordon Brown, BBC Two's Newsnight has revealed."

The "keeping it private" train had already left the station, crossed the bridge and fallen into the ravine killing all aboard. As it was I don't think they had much choice ither than doing what they did.

[Beerina]

Politicians regularly return money donated by this or that embarassing character. That's nothing new.

As mentioned, though, here it appears the guy got invited. Of course, I'm betting no political parties screened the people who said, hey, I wanna give ya some money! unless it was a high profile person who they'd happen to recognize.

And, of course, it's politics, with plenty of true enemies wanting to make you look bad, and plenty of "neutral" enemies, adversaries, in the press all looking to make a name for themselves digging out some dirt, to get that raise and promotion.

[Dorian Gray]

Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio once had a convicted death row inmate give the commencement address.