I had a JFK moment this morning. Like when Ruby shot Oswald kind of way - a realization that even when everything changes everything stays the same.
But first : The jailing of Rolf Harris represents a cultural watershed. Most people alive in Britain today were entertained by him as kids, and as adults too. He was hip well into his seventies playing Glasters and painting the Queen, now he is a guest at Her Majesty's Pleasure. Coming to terms that Rolf was a kiddie fiddler all along is tough, like a
catholic learning that the Pope wears women's underwear or that Paddington Bear is a mule for a Peruvian drugs gang. But over the past few days this has been overshadowed by the development that not just slebs but Westminster grandees allegedly were paedophiles too.
So this JFK moment was when I heard an MP say on the radio that the Westminster Child Abuse Inquiry will amount to nothing because Dickens was never taken seriously by other MPs so whatever is in the lost Dickens dossier "wont stand up in court". End of story. I realised then that 'lower your expectations' will be a strong part of the narrative drip feed in this.
Even if they do find it whatever is in the Dickens dossier doesn't rest on Dickens character since he is dead. But this was a Member of Parliament deriding Dickens, a legislator underming the courts. And because it is his house that suspicion falls upon surely any comment at all from an MP at this time would be inappropriate. It is all so indicative of sinister manouverings behind the scenes.
Perhaps I should leave it there. But noone reads this blog so here with more cynicism than sense I wonder how this might play out. The Inquiry will find no evidence, because it 's all been destroyed. Then one friday morning Danczuk will be found swinging from Blackfriars Bridge. The coroner's verdict will be suicide. Most people will either accept that and move on, a minority will not care why that is even relevant and move on. And a small number of people will remain deeply suspicious. But they will be the same sort of people who never believed Oswald shot JFK on his own .