Wandering Off Topic

[misty]

I would have walked out if I was, Misty. The source for CM never having spoken directly with GB, is CM.

I find the CM remark a little ambiguous. He must have had some personal contact with TB/GB prior to this case hitting the headlines (or what was all the fuss about Coulson & Cameron). I took it to mean he didn't have direct contact about this matter but as the below is "one of them there translated thingys" I'm just not sure.

http://www.mccannfiles.com/id255.html
Investigation may last a year Expresso (no online link)
 
It is in the experience of Clarence Mitchell that the McCanns put their trust to regain public opinion
 
Maria Barbosa
29 September 2007
Thanks to 'maya' for translation
*snipped*
A: Every time that a British subject has problems abroad Consular assistance is offered. As it was regarding a missing child and not the theft of documents, the help provided by the Consul of Portimão was greater. Since the case dominated the media, The Foreign Office, in London, thought of me because I had experience as a reporter and I knew key English people. It wasn't Tony Blair nor the present Prime minister, Gordon Brown, that sent me. I am not their spokesperson nor do I call them asking for advice.

Q: But you were responsible for the projection of the McCanns in the media at a world scale. The fact that you worked for the British Government facilitated this...

A: In Portugal there has been a wrong image created about me. I was the Director of the Government's Media Monitoring Unit. Their work, about 40 people, and their function is to control what gets printed in the press. Every morning I had a meeting with the Prime Minister's spokesperson at 10 Downing Street and we discussed any developments. I didn't get to speak to Gordon Brown directly. Everything that I have been able to do for the McCanns has been through my computer and my mobile.

[misty]

@Pegasus
I'm not sure quite where you are trying to go with all this.
Jill Renwick was the one who knew GB's brother and may well have initiated the contact.
CM comments suggest he was there purely for the McCanns yet he may have had to protect the interests of our government at the same time despite the PM not having sent him.

[pegasus]

He had never spoken with GB directly- that's what he said. Anyway he can't claim any part in arranging the calls in  first week from PM's OH and FS.

[pegasus]

@Pegasus
I'm not sure quite where you are trying to go with all this.
Jill Renwick was the one who knew GB's brother and may well have initiated the contact.
CM comments suggest he was there purely for the McCanns yet he may have had to protect the interests of our government at the same time despite the PM not having sent him.

His sole responsibility was to the government.

[Carana]

I find the CM remark a little ambiguous. He must have had some personal contact with TB/GB prior to this case hitting the headlines (or what was all the fuss about Coulson & Cameron). I took it to mean he didn't have direct contact about this matter but as the below is "one of them there translated thingys" I'm just not sure.

http://www.mccannfiles.com/id255.html
Investigation may last a year Expresso (no online link)
 
It is in the experience of Clarence Mitchell that the McCanns put their trust to regain public opinion
 
Maria Barbosa
29 September 2007
Thanks to 'maya' for translation
*snipped*
A: Every time that a British subject has problems abroad Consular assistance is offered. As it was regarding a missing child and not the theft of documents, the help provided by the Consul of Portimão was greater. Since the case dominated the media, The Foreign Office, in London, thought of me because I had experience as a reporter and I knew key English people. It wasn't Tony Blair nor the present Prime minister, Gordon Brown, that sent me. I am not their spokesperson nor do I call them asking for advice.

Q: But you were responsible for the projection of the McCanns in the media at a world scale. The fact that you worked for the British Government facilitated this...

A: In Portugal there has been a wrong image created about me. I was the Director of the Government's Media Monitoring Unit. Their work, about 40 people, and their function is to control what gets printed in the press. Every morning I had a meeting with the Prime Minister's spokesperson at 10 Downing Street and we discussed any developments. I didn't get to speak to Gordon Brown directly. Everything that I have been able to do for the McCanns has been through my computer and my mobile.

I wish the original could be found as I'm nearly certain that there's a translation issue. I think the original would have been "controlar" which has been translated as "control". That is one of the meanings, but it can also mean to monitor, which makes more sense it terms of what he is likely to have actually said.



À UE cabe a responsabilidade de controlar e aprovar a implementação dessa ajuda.
The EU has a responsibility to monitor and approve the implementation of this aid.
http://en.bab.la/dictionary/portuguese-english/a-controlar

[Carana]

CM was seconded to the FO for that initial period, wasn't he? Having someone to help deal with the media scrum when there has been intense media interest in a UK-related event overseas, has happened before but I can't find the article for the moment.

[Carana]

Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Clarence Mitchell

Mr. Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Mr. Clarence Mitchell was seconded by his Department to act as an official spokesperson for the family of Madeleine McCann. [202007]

Mr. Jim Murphy: Clarence Mitchell was seconded to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, from the Central Office of Information (COI), for a period of 25 days in May 2007 to provide assistance with the media to the family of Madeleine McCann. He resigned from the COI in September 2007.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080507/text/80507w0012.htm

[pegasus]

" He had to return to his government role, and others handled the McCanns’ PR. But even then, he says, the family still called him for advice in his own time. ‘We had bec­ome friends,’ he says. ‘But I couldn’t help them beyond the odd phone call, bec­ause officially the Government couldn’t be seen to be involved.’ "
http://www.prweek.com/article/769746/profile-clarence-mitchell-spokesman-mccann-family

Does anyone remember this old sketch?

"Ah hah! Well if you were still a government employee and you were advising them, then by definition the government was still advising them. Ah Haaaaaahhh! Gotcha!"

"No you haven't!"

"Yes I have!"

"Not necessarily. I could have been advising them in my spare time."

I've had enough of this

[pegasus]

I wish the original could be found as I'm nearly certain that there's a translation issue. I think the original would have been "controlar" which has been translated as "control". That is one of the meanings, but it can also mean to monitor, which makes more sense it terms of what he is likely to have actually said.



À UE cabe a responsabilidade de controlar e aprovar a implementação dessa ajuda.
The EU has a responsibility to monitor and approve the implementation of this aid.
http://en.bab.la/dictionary/portuguese-english/a-controlar

Agreed Carana, IMO what CM said is "monitor", not "control".

[pegasus]

"I met Gerry ... It was a circumstantial meeting at Leicestershire Police station. At the time I was working as part of the Consular Assistance Group" (source: CM statement in PJ files)

"circumstantial"?

What would Jim Royle say about that?

[misty]

"I met Gerry ... It was a circumstantial meeting at Leicestershire Police station. At the time I was working as part of the Consular Assistance Group" (source: CM statement in PJ files)

"circumstantial"?

What would Jim Royle say about that?

Is "circumstantial" correct in the twice-translated sense?
What would Jim Royle say? I never really watched the Royle family, found it a it boring.

[Brietta]

Is "circumstantial" correct in the twice-translated sense?
What would Jim Royle say? I never really watched the Royle family, found it a it boring.

'Circumstantial' doesn't make sense to me ... maybe 'coincidental' fits a bit better?

[pegasus]

Is "circumstantial" correct in the twice-translated sense?
What would Jim Royle say? I never really watched the Royle family, found it a it boring.

The portuguese in the files is "Foi um encontro circunstancial"

BTW "at the time" is correct but actually secondment to the COI had occurred only  a handful of hours before this meeting IMO.

[misty]

The portuguese in the files is "Foi um encontro circunstancial"

BTW "at the time" is correct but actually secondment to the COI had occurred only  a handful of hours before this meeting IMO.

The original statement is not there, Pegasus. I don't know of any Englishman who would use the phrase "circumstantial meeting"

[misty]

'Circumstantial' doesn't make sense to me ... maybe 'coincidental' fits a bit better?

Congratulations, Mrs Moderator. 

We'll try to behave on the late shift for you.