In a follow-up article on the recent "error of judgement" at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the Daily Mail has revealed the identity of the junior official who emailed the offensive document. The authors comment:
It is believed that Mr Mulvain, who lives in East London, escaped punishment because he was given authorisation to send the memo by a more senior civil servant, who has since been 'transferred to other duties'.It might also be believed that Mr Mulvain is something of a scapegoat, perhaps. The identity of the "more senior civil servant" will presumably leak out at some stage; which will be more interesting.
The graphic above, published by the Mail, (click to enlarge) gives the "Positioning Chart" for stakeholders in the Papal Visit. It offers a fascinating guide to the thinking of the FCO.
CBC (Catholic Bishops' Conference) is put as much less positive but far more influential than the Archbishop of Westminster; but still slightly less influential than the Vatican. Right up at the top of both influential and positive are Number 10, the British Embassy to the Holy See and Tony Blair. Is this wishful thinking? Strange that Jim Murphy, the guy who is supposed to be running the whole show is negative and slightly non-influential. I wouldn't agree that Richard Dawkins and the National Secular Society are non-influential, let alone on the far end of that scale.
The FCO staff, who discreetly positioned themselves as quite positive but non at all influential, have, since the release of the memo, taken an embarrassingly lengthy jump diagonally downwards and to the left of the chart.
Reading such trendy civil service style charts is a bit like reading tea leaves but it may show something of the priorities of HMG in relation to the visit of the Holy Father. Families, the sick, the disabled, and pro-life groups do not seem to feature (pro-choice groups are mentioned).
Other acronyms:
DECC - Department for Energy and Climate Change
DFID - Department for International Development.
DCMS - Department for Culture, Media and Sport
DCSF - Department for Children Schools and Families
TFL - Transport for London
(No idea what VAMP is - Video and Music Performers? Vesicle-Associated Membrane Proteins?)
7 comments:
Where's Opus Dei on the map? They'll be pushing a whole load of brown envelopes for Bishop Álvaro del Portillo to be canonised surely?
Is this the VAMP in question? (-surely not, but at this stage nothing would surprise me):
"One of London’s leading creative events, design and party organisers, Vamp conceptualises and produces bespoke events, parties, exhibitions and gifts to a wide network of media and corporate clients in the UK and internationally.
(vampconcepts.com)
The diplomat in charge of the visit and who released the memo has been names as Anjoum Noorani - articles in the telegraph and in the Mail about this.
I have to say that I wonder whether it's a spoof - a bit of internal 'foolery' - because although such nonsense is popular in governmental circles, they do tend to identify relevant players a great deal more accurately than that.
To be honest, it's the inclusion of people like Susan Boyle, Liverpool Football Club, and the Car Companies which makes me wonder !
VAMP = Vatican Area Metropolitan Police
Thanks for the heads-up, Cecilia.
Dominic Mary said "it's the inclusion of people like Susan Boyle.....which makes me wonder"
Have a look at this:
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2010/04/25/vatican-invite-susan-boyle-to-sing-for-the-pope-during-scotland-visit-86908-22210675/
SUSAN BOYLE has been chosen to sing for the Pope during his visit to Scotland later this year.
Catholic Church leaders asked the Britain's Got Talent star to perform in front of the 150,000 crowd expected to greet the Pontiff at an outdoor mass.
She will sing before the papal address and may also perform during the mass in Glasgow's Bellahouston Park.
A senior church source said: "Susan has agreed to sing and everyone is delighted. It is a done deal.
"There are still some of the finer details to be ironed out but it has been approved by the highest echelons in the Vatican.
"Susan has described it as a dream come true and it will be an extra attraction for everyone attending."
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