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| Labour MP Simon Danczuk exposed Cyril Smith as a paedophile |
As I was I was making my way from the House of Commons on Monday night after a late vote a Tory minister stepped out of the shadows to confront me. I'd never spoken to him before in my life but he blocked my way and ushered me to one side.
He warned me to think very carefully about what I was going to say the next day before the Home Affairs Select Committee when I'd be answering questions on child abuse.
'I hear you're about to challenge Lord Brittan about what he knew about child sex abuse,' he said. It wouldn't be a wise move, he advised me.
'It was all put to bed a long time ago.'
He warned me I could even be responsible for his death.
We looked at each other in silence for a second. I knew straight away he wasn't telling me this out of concern for the man's welfare.
There was no compassion in his voice.
As politicians made their way out of Westminster, I had no doubt that other conversations like this were taking place.
Indeed, this was confirmed when I spoke to other members of the Select Committee the next day.
They'd been paid similar visits. Phone calls had been made. Members who'd previously indicated they would ask me who I thought knew about the VIP child abuse ring at the notorious Elm Guest House in southwest London were suddenly silent.
During the committee hearing later that day, one MP asked if pressure had been put on me to keep quiet about suspected child abusers. I nodded. Yes, it had. The MP pursued it no further.
The next day, several people said to me it was surprising no one on the committee had pursued this answer, demanding to know where the pressure was coming from.
The answer is simple: it is because they all knew. (more...)
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