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Cameron's office sets the Police on his own Bishop

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 winhill 24 Apr 2014
David Cameron’s constituency office has come under fire for calling the police on the Bishop of Oxford and Reverend Hebden as they attempted to present him with an open letter on food poverty.

Their letter, part of the End Hunger Fast campaign, was signed by 42 Anglican bishops and more than 600 clerics and called on the three party leaders to work with the parliamentary inquiry into food poverty to implement its recommendations.

However, despite David Cameron’s Witney office expecting their visit, they were barred from presenting the letter and instead greeted by three police officers. Around 40 people had walked to his office following a service, and while the congregation stood on the opposite side of the road, the Rt Revd John Pritchard and Rev Hebden went to deliver the letter on their own. The police “weren’t there very long” when they realised the situation, Reverend Keith Hebden told The Independent, saying that they could see Cameron’s office staff looking out the window as they were forced to abandon their visit.

He added: “It is deeply ironic, to say the least, that on the same day David Cameron was writing in the Church Times talking about what a good Anglican he is, he was wasn’t able to receive his own bishop in his constituency office. I think this speaks volumes.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/david-camerons-constituency-o...
 graeme jackson 25 Apr 2014
In reply to winhill:

was there any violence? Were the police Bashing the Bishop?
 Thrudge 25 Apr 2014
In reply to winhill:
What sort of half-witted bunch calls the police to tackle 2 clerics handing over a letter??? The mind boggles...
Post edited at 09:39
 Ann S 25 Apr 2014
In reply to Tony Naylor:

Indeed.

A platoon of the Royal Anglicans would have been much more appropriate.

 FreshSlate 25 Apr 2014
In reply to winhill:

I think it's more to do with the crowd behind them? Devil's advocate and stuff. He should have received the two bishops though.
 Thrudge 25 Apr 2014
In reply to FreshSlate:

> I think it's more to do with the crowd behind them?

Well, 40 churchgoers on the other side of the road aren't exactly a baying mob of football hooligans. I suspect it's more a case of, "They're objecting to our policy, so we'll set the police on them".

On a happier note, I'm really pleased they responded like this, because it's awful PR for the Tory Party. It makes them look scared, arrogant, isolationist and hypocritical all in one go. Ace.
OP winhill 25 Apr 2014
In reply to winhill:

The threatening basterds in action:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bl2ch8dIYAEp--Q.jpg
 deepsoup 25 Apr 2014
In reply to winhill:
Look at the size of that letter! Scary!

Ah well, I'm sure the PM is just carrying on with God's work. As he explained just the other day, current Tory policy originated with Jesus when he chucked the cripples out of temple or sommat like that.
KevinD 25 Apr 2014
In reply to winhill:

surprised they got the police in and not just a couple of apache helicopters.
Cant be too careful and after all didnt Jesus say "Do not wait for protesters to cast stones but shoot first"
 Reach>Talent 25 Apr 2014
In reply to FreshSlate:

He should have received the two bishops though.

For those of us at work can someone 'Urban Dictionary' that one, if "Receiving a Bishop" isn't on there it certainly should be!
 Reach>Talent 25 Apr 2014
In reply to winhill:

> The threatening basterds in action:
> https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bl2ch8dIYAEp--Q.jpg

Surely with handwriting that bad they have missed a calling in the medical profession?
 FreshSlate 25 Apr 2014
In reply to Tony Naylor:

> Well, 40 churchgoers on the other side of the road aren't exactly a baying mob of football hooligans.

But the crusades!
 dek 25 Apr 2014
In reply to winhill:
> (In reply to winhill)
>
> The threatening basterds in action:
>
> https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bl2ch8dIYAEp--Q.jpg

Superb result from his new 'Advisors' Tariq Ramadan, and Warsi.
Those Christians have been living amongst us in plain sight for yonks...along comes a pair of islamists and the games up, for those threatening, demanding,whinging, church going fundies.

I wonder who's next?
 Ann S 25 Apr 2014
In reply to winhill:

The Church must have realised the Police were only pawns; they should have deployed a Queen and a Bishop.

 Thrudge 25 Apr 2014
In reply to FreshSlate:

> But the crusades!

Damn, ya got me. I'd completely forgotten the years of religiously motivated murder from 1000 years ago. The staff in the constituency office that I'd so blithely dismissed as funktards obviously haven't though, so hats off to 'em for historical awareness. And hats off to Super Dave the Religiously Tolerant for staffing his office entirely with Turkish Moslems from the 10th century.
 FreshSlate 25 Apr 2014
In reply to Ann S:

> The Church must have realised the Police were only pawns; they should have deployed a Queen and a Bishop.

Oh, this made me laugh more than Tony! Although they did deploy a Bishop!
 Thrudge 26 Apr 2014
In reply to Reach>Talent:
> For those of us at work can someone 'Urban Dictionary' that one, if "Receiving a Bishop" isn't on there it certainly should be!

Receiving a Bishop is a bit like Dutch Steamboating, but you have to use the other leg.

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