Fight Fire With Fire
Seems to me that one of the innocent victims of this phone hacking scandal is John Yates - the former Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.
Having been told he could resign or face suspension by his employer - Mr Yates wisely told his bosses they could stick their job.
Because his suspension was clearly a naked political act - one that would have dragged on for many months and destroyed his reputation - intentionally of course.
So to his credit Yates of the Yard took things into his own hands - and refused to become a victim or pawn in other people's games.
I was only once told that I would be suspended - the press told me in fact - after I resigned from the Labour party in 1999.
As I recall this was just before the 1999 Scottish TUC (annual congress) - which was being held in Glasgow that year - and took place in the run-up to the first Scottish Parliament elections in May 1999.
I was Unison's Head of Local Government in Scotland at the time - and had resigned from the Labour party the week before - which caused quite a stir.
Lots of people went out of their way to congratulate me for taking a stand, but others - the dyed in the wool Labour loyalists - were very disapproving to put it mildly .
The word among the STUC press pack was that I was to be suspended by Unison - because the high profile media coverage of my Labour party resignation had brought the union into disrepute - according to some people in the union anyway.
So I let the press know that if I were to be suspended - in the middle of the STUC - that I would drive my union car into the middle of George Square - leave it there, throw away the keys - and hold a press conference.
As it happens I wasn't suspended - people knew that I would do exactly what I said I would do - so they backed off, for a while at least.
But that wasn't the end of the story - oh no - not by a long chalk.
Having been told he could resign or face suspension by his employer - Mr Yates wisely told his bosses they could stick their job.
Because his suspension was clearly a naked political act - one that would have dragged on for many months and destroyed his reputation - intentionally of course.
So to his credit Yates of the Yard took things into his own hands - and refused to become a victim or pawn in other people's games.
I was only once told that I would be suspended - the press told me in fact - after I resigned from the Labour party in 1999.
As I recall this was just before the 1999 Scottish TUC (annual congress) - which was being held in Glasgow that year - and took place in the run-up to the first Scottish Parliament elections in May 1999.
I was Unison's Head of Local Government in Scotland at the time - and had resigned from the Labour party the week before - which caused quite a stir.
Lots of people went out of their way to congratulate me for taking a stand, but others - the dyed in the wool Labour loyalists - were very disapproving to put it mildly .
The word among the STUC press pack was that I was to be suspended by Unison - because the high profile media coverage of my Labour party resignation had brought the union into disrepute - according to some people in the union anyway.
So I let the press know that if I were to be suspended - in the middle of the STUC - that I would drive my union car into the middle of George Square - leave it there, throw away the keys - and hold a press conference.
As it happens I wasn't suspended - people knew that I would do exactly what I said I would do - so they backed off, for a while at least.
But that wasn't the end of the story - oh no - not by a long chalk.
