Sunday 18 July 2010

Playing cards close to chest

If something is going wrong and two groups or two individuals are not getting on then what is the best way to deal with it? The easy answer is to let the two sides speak with each other informally. Formal discussions can leave a nasty taste in the mouth, but if these talks fail then there is always the choice of legal action.

In Oldham East and Saddleworth the MP Phil Woolas is being challenged by the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate in the last election because of a possible libel action on account of Labour newspaper put out during the election. Labour won only by 103 votes so there is a good chance that a powerful argument in one newspaper may have caused 53 voters to change their minds. At first Labour thought there was little chance of legal action but have now accepted that the courts will be involved.

What struck me is that we are well past informal or formal discussions which is a shame, but I also noticed that both sides are now playing their cards close to their chests. The opposite of what I would like to see, but that's justice for you.

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