MP sues over 'threat to his baby


MP sues over 'threat to his baby John Hemmings MP John Hemming, 45, the Liberal Democrat MP for Birmingham Yardley Article in Mail On Sunday 23 October 2005 - By Alistair Self “GESTAPO” Social Workers wanted to put my baby on a at-risk register says MP Millionaire MP John Hemming revealed last night how social workers had threatened to place his newborn baby daughter Isabel on an at-risk register. The father of four is furious at their behaviour during an investigation into why Isabel’s mother, 30 year old Emily Cox, had not registered the death of a stillborn baby when she was a teenager. Mr Hemming 45, said the officials even tried to question his mistress Miss Cox as she went into labour in hospital last week. “It was harassment. They are acting like the Gestapo”, he said. The social workers later recommended that the infant should be placed on the child protection register but it is understood that this has been withdrawn. The Mail on Sunday can also reveal today that the Birmingham MP skipped last week’s knife-edge Commons vote on ID cards after being given “paternity leave” so he could be at the birth of his love child. He was absent from the Commons for three days after receiving permission from Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Andrew Stunnell. Miss Cox was recovering last night in hospital. Mr Hemming, who is staying with his wife Christine 46, and their three children, said “Emily is very distressed. I am caring for her as well as my wife and our children”. Miss Cox, who became Mr Hemmings lover six years ago, told her GP during an ante-natal consultation about the stillbirth which happened when she was 17. Mr Hemming said a social worker and two police officers later called at Miss Cox’s home. He said the social worker “barged in and told her that the council could take her new baby away unless she co-operated with their inquiry”. He said he feared there was a hidden agenda because Miss Cox had criticised social workers over their adoption policies. A social services spokesman said “We do not comment on individual cases”. ********************************************** The Times By Sam Coates December 09, 2005 An MP has issued a writ claiming £300,000 against Birmingham social services and individual social workers for allegedly harassing his newborn baby and her mother. John Hemming, 45, the Liberal Democrat MP for Birmingham Yardley, claims that the harassment centred on a threat to put baby Isabel on an at-risk register. The threat was later withdrawn. He claimed that Isabel’s mother, Emily Cox, 30, was questioned by social services as she went into labour in October. In the writ lodged at the High Court, he said that she and his baby had been “defamed, tortured and assaulted” by social services. Mr Hemming, a successful entrepreneur married to Christine, 46, admitted to the affair when it was revealed that Miss Cox was expecting his child. A spokesman for the council said: “Birmingham City Council will be vigorously defending the matter and its staff.” Comments: Read the message from J -A Friend to Fassit UK October 25, 2005 I am not a Lib Dem party supporter. I have learned that John Hemmings might have been deliberately targeted by social services because he has been very successful in political terms. He overturned a labour majority to win his seat . So certain was Labour of holding the seat at the last election that Labour had 'given' the seat to a senior Labour official. He was in the vanguard of a group of Lib Dems who upset the cosy Labour arrangements in Birmingham. He has been transparently challenging of all that he has disagreed with in Birmingham. He therefore poses a 'threat' to Labour. The Lib Dems have taken them on in Birmingham. This is not isolated. In April 2005, in Essex, Councillor Barry Aspinell was served with an Injunction by Essex County Council. When the judge dismissed the Injunction, ECC informed the press that " it wasn't the council that took out the Injunction......It was the judge". Please do read this again. The Head of Law & Administration then also wrote to me and made the same statement. ********************************************** Councillor hounded by Essex County Council Thursday 20 October 2005 by Pat Jones So what is the problem ? The problem is that Essex County Council's ' paid' officials had targeted a serving elected representative of the people, and had come unstuck! This is a very serious matter. But it didn't end there! A Conservative Councillor, Councillor Tracy Chapman, then made a complaint against Councillor Barry Aspinell to the Standards Board for England & Wales( generally referred to as The Standards Board ). If this complaint had been UPHELD, Councillor Aspinell would have been barred fro holding political office for 5 years.....I assume you are getting a message here! Well, The Standards Board found in Councillor Aspinell's favour. But it didn't end there with certain people. You have probably guessed that by now. The full judgement in this case is due to be posted on the Standards Board webs site, some time today. Do read it. It is a remarkable document. And there is more. Perhaps you can detect some purpose in ' the Gestapo' targeting of John Hemmings MP ! All our elected representatives are similarly at risk. Perhaps some of our politicians will now wake up from their deep slumber.
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