F4J admit Blair kidnap plot [Yep That'll Help Alert]

[Kate Shaw]

F4J admit Blair kidnap plot
Ian Craig
http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/men/n ... _plot.html

FATHERS' rights campaigners today admitted there had been a plot to kidnap Tony Blair's son Leo as a publicity stunt - and blamed disgruntled ex-members.

Police foiled the plan at an early stage and it was unclear whether the people involved had the capability to carry it through or how far the scheme had progressed.

The threat was uncovered while officers were investigating people who had been associated with the fringes of the Fathers 4 Justice - F4J - group.

There have been no arrests.

F4J denied any involvement and one of its founder members, Matt O'Connor, condemned the idea of kidnapping five-year-old Leo "unreservedly".

Sabotage

Mr O'Connor said the "grotesque" plot was damaging to them and could sabotage the group's future.

"I am very angry and upset," he said, "that this organisation has been undermined by the very people it's supposed to help. There's a dark underbelly out there that came up with this grotesque idea of separating a child from its father.

"It's appalling and puts into question the whole existence of this organisation.""I wouldn't want to be associated with anything like this," added Mr O'Connor.

Both Downing Street and Scotland Yard are refusing to comment on the reported plot to snatch Leo, the prime minister's youngest son.

Mr O'Connor, a 38-year-old father of two, said it was difficult to establish the truth of the matter.

"But we think it is certainly possible that ex-members of the organisation who were expelled last year may have been planning something like this," he said.

Apart from Leo, the Blairs have three other children and because of the threat, security around the family has reportedly been reviewed.

[Kate Shaw]

No 10 questions coverage of Fathers 4 Justice
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/print/0, ... 47,00.html
Mark Oliver and agencies
Friday January 20, 2006

Guardian Unlimited

Downing Street raised questions today about the way the media had portrayed Fathers 4 Justice as "pranksters" after news emerged of a possible plot to kidnap Tony Blair's son Leo.

The Sun newspaper reported last night that detectives had investigated discussions held by extremist elements on the periphery of the campaign group.

According to reports, the idea was to kidnap five-year-old Leo for a short period and then release him unharmed to highlight the plight of fathers denied access to their children.

Downing Street and Scotland Yard have refused to speak directly about the "plot" or to confirm or deny it. BBC News reported that police sources had confirmed there was an investigation, although there have been no arrests.

Questioned by journalists today, Mr Blair's official spokesman did make some guarded comments about the reports.

"In general, the prime minister's view is that people do have a right to peaceful protest but that protest must be peaceful and the overwhelming public view is that people harm their causes by engaging in protests that are not peaceful." he said.

"Therefore, that has been our approach to groups like this all the way through. In terms of the specifics of what groups may or may not get up to, that's a matter for the police.

"The media view may have been that they have been regarded as pranksters but, in terms of the authorities, people who break not just the rules but the law are treated in that way, no matter who they are."

Fathers for Justice (F4J) are well known for stunts in which activists dress up as superheroes, and most famously staged a protest at Buckingham Palace in September 2004. They also threw purple powder at Mr Blair as he was speaking in the House of Commons.

One of the group's founding members, Matt O'Connor, said he had heard that detectives had given a warning to former members of F4J before Christmas.

He said that over the last couple of weeks, contacts in the Metropolitan police had told F4J that the elite SO13 firearms unit "were threatening to shoot people if they did anything in the region of Downing Street".

Mr O'Connor said he "unreservedly" condemned any plans to carry out an abduction. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he admitted they had been experiencing increasing trouble with a "dark underbelly" in the group.

"There are some ex-members who we turfed out last year. We had a bit of a clear out in May of people who wanted to take the organisation on a more militant route.

"Other people wanted to go to the dark underbelly of the campaign. It's been a cause for concern for us for some time."

He refused to identify any of the people who were ejected, but said the members would now assess whether they could carry on with the campaign.

"We have to consider the future of the organisation if our name is being associated with such actions."

Apart from Leo, Mr Blair and his wife Cherie have three other children; Euan, 21, Nicholas, 20, and Kathryn, 17.

[Nemo2]

These guys have just made substantial gains in reinforcing their credibility as parents.

[Kate Shaw]

That's what I thought right away -- this is like trying to convince your parents to lower your curfew by throwing a temper tantrum.