I'm Not Sure If I Can Believe This Or Not ...

[mikey4444]

Methodist Minister filmed buying hard drugs !

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24978293

Not sure why this chap was the Chairman of a major bank in the first place.

[FredPuli43]

The answer, Daisy, it is that it is all right to take illegal drugs as chairman, if doing so does not affect your performance. It is not all right as a matter of law.

[jno]

the main argument against drugs is that people become dependent on them and go out mugging little old ladies for money to fund their habit. This clearly isn't the case with this man, who's held down two jobs, though how well he performed the bank one might be shown up under further investigation. He doesn't seem much of a threat to me. It does appear neither the church nor the bank did much in the way of due diligence before appointing him, though.

[FredPuli43]

Turns out that Paul Flowers's only banking experience was that he worked for NatWest for four years from the age of 19. The Co-Op always recruits from within its own ranks, however, and he was already high up the organisation when this appointment became available.

[modeller]

fred// It looks as though he has been a career politician at local level , the labour Party and the Co-Op being closely linked, and a Methodist minister.//

I think that says it all. What better CV could you want.

[FredPuli43]

Yes,modeller, it is the "Who you know, rather than what you know" principle in action. In the law, we talk of the three stages in the career's progression as being "Getting on, getting honoured, and getting honest"

[jake-the-peg]

Oh blimey

Whatever else looking at the shape of him and his age he should not be messing with cocaine!

There's a heart attack waiting to happen!

[dannyk13]

No mention of the fact that he is church minister?

[mikey4444]

Yes danny...in the BBC News link that I posted.

[andy-hughes]

I try very hard not to take the moral high ground, but in this instance, the hypocracy of belonging to an organisation that offers counselling for drug addicts, while busy trying to become one, is difficult to swallow.

[mikey4444]

Or indeed to sniff andy !

[modeller]

//labour Party and the Co-Op being closely linked, and a Methodist minister.//
andy # the hypocracy of belonging to an organisation that offers counselling #

This illustrates the common factors : They all preach at us and they surround themselves with fellow travellers. Which minimises dissent.

[sandyRoe]

I suppose he's a perfect example of how badly Buggin's Turn can serve an organisation.

[askyourgran]

It couldn't look worse than it is, and to top it all he's from Bradford. Now he has been found out and the world knows he is an ex Chairman, ex Churchman and full time Cokehead. I wonder how many other people 'at the top of their profession' are doing iffy things that we don't know about, hidden camera anyone?

[FredPuli43]

You might be surprised, gran (or not?).My ex has a career in the film business. She never partakes, but is accustomed to going to dinners where lines of coke are elegantly laid out alongside the plates. The guests are all high flyers, in the normal sense, in the industry.

That may well be true of the law nowadays. In my young days, cannabis was available at lawyers' parties. Now, it is likely to be coke instead. And addiction to alcohol, a more socially acceptable and legal drug, was very common. I knew several judges who were patently alcoholics. The trick with them was to contrive an adjournment mid-morning. They could then retire and 'refresh' themselves. Otherwise, come 12.15, they were very tetchy and difficult to deal with. The same tactic worked in the afternoon too; they might make a show of "Is this really necessary?", to which the truthful answer would have been "No, but seize the chance", whereupon, satisfied, they did and peace was restored for the rest of the day.

[mikey4444]

Fred...I am intrigued. Why does your ex go anywhere near dinner parties where drug addicts congregate ? I am not one of lifes innocents but if I were to find myself in a situation where hard drugs were being consumed, or even hinted at, I would run a mile. I have no doubt that these guest are high-flyers...high as bl00dy kites no doubt.

[askyourgran]

It seems to be the done thing to have a few lines at parties nowadays, usually by the well-heeled, and freely available. I too would run a mile if invited to share a line of coke, I like to keep my senses about me. It's a disgusting habit. It seemed to be rather shocking to me as I have always connected drug taking with young, smart rich people, but the (now ex) Chairman/Minister/Labour stalwart looked neither of those things, just a portly old saddo.

[jno]

for heaven's sake, why run a mile because you see someone taking drugs? Just say "No thanks". They're not infectious, you know.

[mikey4444]

askyourgran...well, maybe I am ones of lifes innocents after all !

I can honestly say that in all my 60 years, 40 years of which has been spent going to regular dinner parties, I have never been offered hard drugs. I am very puzzled...do these hard drugs appear after the pudding but before the Stilton ? What is the etiquette here ? Do you pass the salver to the right or the left ? Wouldn't it have to go the same way around as the Port ?

[mikey4444]

jno... I would run a mile because I wouldn't want to be associated with drug addicts...would you ?

[Zacs-Master]

40 years of dinner parties is enough to turn anyone to drugs.