Touchdown: Malala, 14, arrives in UK from Pakistan with her family for life-saving treatment after being shot in the head by Taliban for going to school

The schoolgirl shot in the head by the Taliban for demanding education for women arrived in Britain yesterday for medical treatment and is expected to make a 'good recovery'.
Malala Yousafzai, 14, was flown to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham after militants shot her twice in a 'barbaric attack' as she made her way home from lessons.
Last night a spokesman for the specialist hospital – which treats service personnel wounded in Afghanistan – said she was in a  stable condition and had a chance of making a good recovery.

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Precious cargo: Malala Yousafzai, 14, arrives in Birmingham Airport and is whisked to an ambulance waiting on the runway

In safe hands: Malala Yousafzai, 14, pictured left while at home in Pakistan, is surrounded by a medical team as she is taken off an aircraft, right, and soon heading for treatment for her serious injuries in a nearby hospital

But the Pakistani teenager needs 'prolonged care' to help her recover from the physical and psychological effects of the attack and it seems likely her treatment will take more than six months. It is unclear whether it will ever be safe enough for Malala, whose name means 'grief-stricken', to return home. It is likely she will remain in Britain.
Pakistani security agencies have arrested three brothers of a senior Taliban commander, but the group has vowed to target her again.

They said they attacked her because she was promoting 'Western thinking' and secular beliefs.
Foreign Secretary William Hague said yesterday: 'Malala's bravery in standing up for the right of all young girls in Pakistan to an education is an example to us all.'
Malala, the winner of numerous peace prizes, was shot in the head and neck as she was being driven home from school in the Swat Valley in north-west Pakistan.

Arrival: The plane carrying injured 14-year old Pakistani girl Malala Yousafzai, arrives at Birmingham airport this afternoon

Malala's convoy leaves Birmingham Airport so she can receive specialist medical care in a Birmingham NHS hospital

The teenager, a passionate advocate of education for girls, became a target after writing an outspoken blog and openly criticising the Taliban regime which controls that area.
Details of Malala's transfer to the UK emerged as 50 clerics in Pakistan issued a fatwa against the attempt on her life, declaring it 'un-Islamic'. The clerics, from the Sunni Ittehad Council, said: 'Islam doesn't prohibit women from getting education. The attackers transgressed the Islamic Hudood [principles].'
Dr Dave Rosser, medical director at the hospital, said: 'We do unfortunately have very extensive experience of dealing with this sort of traumatic bullet-related injury.
'We have had patients here who have been seen by 17 specialities in the first 24 hours and that's part of our unique selling point and why we're in a good position to deal with this sort of thing.'

Health plan: The 14-year-old was taken straight to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, where medics will work on reconstructing her shattered body

Police officers patrol outside the emergency entrance of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital where injured Pakistani teenager Malala Yousafzai arrived for treatment in Birmingham

Treatment: Pakistani army doctors and medical staff transport 14-year-old schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, who was shot last Tuesday by the Taliban, to transfer her from a military hospital to the airport in Rawalpindi, Pakistan

Worldwide attention: An air ambulance with Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai aboard taxis at Chaklala Airbase

Assesment: She was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham for treatment, which has specialised in the treatment of troops wounded in Afghanistan

Pakistani students sing as they hold pictures of 14-year-old schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, during a tribute today at the Pakistani Embassy in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Support: Pakistani schoolgirls pray for the recovery of Malala as she makes her way to the UK

Protests: Pakistani human rights activists have marched across the country to condemn the shooting of Malala

'The UK stands shoulder to shoulder with Pakistan in its fight against terrorism,' said Foreign Secretary William Hague.

Targeted: Malala Yousafzai, 14, spoke out about suffering under the Taliban regime

'Malala's bravery in standing up for the right of all young girls in Pakistan to an education is an example to us all.'

The plane stopped for several hours in the Emirati capital of Abu Dhabi on the way to the UK, said the Pakistani Ambassador to the UAE Jamil Ahmed Khan.
The ambassador visited Malala during the stop and said she appeared to be in stable condition.
The shooting occurred after a group of militants riding on a bike stopped the bus carrying the schoolgirls.
Masked men then boarded the vehicle and pointed guns at the girls, asking for Malala.
A hooded Taliban militant shouted: 'Which one of you is Malala? Speak up, otherwise I will shoot you all. She is propagating against the soldiers of Allah, the Taliban. She must be punished.'
Almost as soon as he shouted this, the militant recognised the youngster and shot her at point blank range.
Last week authorities announced they have identified her attacker and offered a 10,000,000 rupee (£119,000) reward for his capture.
On arrival at a military hospital, Pakistani doctors removed a bullet from Malala's body that entered her head and headed toward her spine.

Stable: Malala being transported between hospital wards. The teenage Pakistani children's rights activist was shot in the head on a school bus in the former Taliban stronghold of Swat

Attempt: A Pakistani Taliban organisation have taken responsibility for the shooting which also injured another girl on the bus leaving their school in Mingora

The military has described her recovery as satisfactory and said she was able to move her legs and hands several days ago when her sedatives were reduced.

FURY AS IMRAN KHAN SAYS TALIBAN ARE FIGHTING 'A HOLY WAR'

Former Pakistan cricketer Imran Khan has provoked Afghanistan's government by saying that the Taliban were fighting a 'holy war.'

Now a politician, Khan visited 14-year old Malala Yousafzai and made the comments after to reporters. 
He said that insurgents in Afghanistan were fighting a 'jihad.'
Citing a verse from the Qur'an, he said: 'It is very clear that whoever is fighting for their freedom is fighting a jihad …
'The people who are fighting in Afghanistan against the foreign occupation are fighting a jihad,' he added, according to a video of remarks to journalists.
The Afghani government were quick to condemn Kahn's comments with a spokesman saying Kahn was 'either profoundly and dangerously ignorant about the reality in Afghanistan or he has ill will against the Afghan people'.
'Our children are killed on a daily basis, civilians killed and our schools hospitals and infrastructure attacked on a daily basis,'
'To call any of that jihad is profoundly wrong and misguided.'
The rise in Islamic militancy in Pakistan was not due to militants themselves, but on U.S. military action, especially CIA drone strikes, according to Khan.

They have not said whether she suffered any brain damage or other permanent damage.
On Monday, the military said damaged bones in Malala's skull will need to be repaired or replaced, and she will need 'intensive neuro rehabilitation.'
The Pakistani Taliban said they carried out the shooting because Malala was promoting 'Western thinking.'
But that has not deterred one of the other wounded girls shot by the gunmen from pledging to return to school with Malala one day.
Shazia Ramzan, also 14, who was hit in the shoulder and hand, said: 'She will recover and we will go back to school and study together again.'
The shooting has provoked outrage in the country and tens of thousands of people have since marched in Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, in support of her.
The demonstration in the southern city of Karachi was by far the largest since Malala and two of her classmates were shot on October 9 while returning home from school in Pakistan’s northwest.
Protests against the shooting have been relatively small until now, usually attracting no more than a few hundred people.
The political party that organised Sunday’s rally in Karachi, the Muttahida Quami Movement, however called the Taliban gunmen who shot the girl 'beasts' and said the shooting was an attack on 'the ideology of Pakistan'.
Many of the demonstrators carried the young girl’s picture and banners praising her bravery and expressing solidarity.
Last week Madonna strip-teased to 'show her support' for Malala at a Wednesday night performance in the Staples Centre, Los Angeles.
According to Entertainment Today, she told fans that the news that the 14-year-old had been gunned down by the Taliban had made her 'cry'.
She said: 'The 14-year-old Pakistani girl who was shot on a schoolbus for writing a blog about how important education was to her.

'The Taliban stopped her bus and shot her. Do you understand the sickness and absurdity of this?'

She rallied the crowd by shouting at them to support education and those who help women.

Recovering: A 'stable' Malala Yousafzai, is moved to a helicopter to be taken to Peshawar for treatment

Wounded: Hospital staff assist Malala Yousafzai as she arrives at Saidu Sharif Teaching Hospital after the attack in the Swat Valley region in northwest Pakistan

Help: Crowds gathered around the hospital as news quickly spread about the attempted assassination of the young peace activist

But then the millionaire decided that this performance clearly was not a strong enough statement, and chose to 'dedicate' a strip tease to the girl, who is currently in a critical condition.

She turned her back to reveal 'Malala' written across it, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

'This song is for Malala,' she said, before singing her 'Human Nature' song.

But her attempt to make a stand in the name of Malala backfired after furious Pakistanis discovered her act.
Malala earned the enmity of the Taliban for publicising their behaviour when they took over the northwestern Swat Valley, where she lived, and for speaking about the importance of education for girls.

Outrage: Activists carry photographs of Malala Yousafzai during a protest rally against her assassination attempt

Support: Demonstrators in Mingora hold banners reading 'we want peace on our motherland' and 'attack on Malala Yousafzai is an unsuccessful attempt to destroy peace in the valley'

United: Women hold banners demanding education rights during a protest in Islamabad

The group first started to exert its influence in Swat in 2007 and quickly extended its reach to much of the valley by the next year.
They set about imposing their will on residents by forcing men to grow beards, preventing women from going to the market and blowing up many schools - the majority for girls.
Malala wrote about these practices in a journal for the BBC under a pseudonym when she was just 11. 
After the Taliban were pushed out of the valley in 2009 by the Pakistani military, she became even more outspoken in advocating for girls’ education.
She appeared frequently in the media and was given one of the country’s highest honours for civilians for her bravery.

Today former prime minister Gordon Brown, who is UN Special Envoy for Global Education, said he would be visiting Pakistan next month to talk with President Zardari about Malala's cause of girls' education.

He said: 'I know that Britain will offer Malala the best treatment possible and the British people will welcome her, hoping and praying for her recovery.'

He added: 'Today we are launching on www.educationenvoy.org a petition under the headline 'I am Malala' in support of what Malala fought for, that every girl has the chance to go to school.

'Today, sadly, 32 million girls are not going to school and it is time to fight harder for Malala's dream to come true.'

Solidarity: People light candles to pray for the recovery of Malala Yousafzai in Lahore, Pakistan. Her best friend has vowed that they will return to school

Many hope the shooting of Malala will help push the military to undertake a long-awaited offensive in the Pakistani Taliban's last main sanctuary in the country in the North Waziristan tribal area.
The police station attacked by the Taliban on Sunday night was located in the small town of Matni, some 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of Peshawar, said police officer Ishrat Yar. The militants were armed with heavy machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, hand grenades and assault rifles.
One of the policemen who was beheaded was a senior official who commanded several police stations in the area and was leading reinforcements against the attack, said Yar. Another 12 policemen received gunshot wounds.
The militants burned the police station and four police vehicles before they escaped, said Yar.
A Pakistani Taliban spokesman, Mohammad Afridi, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying the police were targeted because they had killed several militants.
The Taliban have carried out hundreds of attacks throughout Pakistan but the attacks rarely include such a high number of militants as in the assault on the police station in Matni.

Why did David Cameron hand Alex Salmond this 22-carat propaganda coup? PM flies to Scotland to sign 'historic' independence vote deal

David Cameron today risked handing a major publicity coup to campaigners for Scottish independence after jetting into Edinburgh to join the media circus around First Minister Alex Salmond.
The Prime Minister was photographed on the steps of the Scottish government shaking Mr Salmond's hand before being pictured in meetings with his rival and then signing a one-page agreement to stage a referendum on breaking up the 300-year-old Union.
In a significant PR win, Mr Salmond secured his treasured referendum date of autumn 2014, when he hopes to capitalise on a surge of nationalism in the wake of the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn, a key victory for Scotland in the wars of independence.
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Mr Cameron and Mr Salmond shook hands on the steps of St Andrews House in Edinburgh today as the clock began ticking down to the referendum on autumn 2014

Prime Minister David Cameron, Scottish Secretary Michael Moore Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond and Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon met in Edinburgh today after months of negotiations on the wording, time and age of voters

Children as young as 16 will also help decide the fate of the Union, after Mr Cameron caved in to Scottish National Party demands to lower the voting age.
Today's deal - dubbed the Edinburgh Agreement - was signed at the Scottish Government headquarters at St Andrews House, where Mr Salmond greeted Mr Cameron, and Lib Dem Scottish Secretary Michael Moore, on the steps outside.
No wonder Mr Salmond was smiling so broadly. Such was the fuss made of the deal-signing that some youngsters voting for the first time could be forgiven for thinking Mr Cameron is actually backing independence.

The event was staged to make Mr Cameron appear to be a visiting dignitary and risks making voters thinking independence is a done deal.
Mr Salmond could barely contain his delight at the media scrum awaiting the Tory PM's arrival.
The First Minister said he was 'confident' of winning the referendum in autumn 2014, and declared he had a 'positive, ambitious vision for a flourishing, fairer, progressive, independent Scotland'.
Mr Cameron, by contrast, was forced to defend why he had granted a referendum at all, and why he had capitulated on key details including the date of the vote, and who could take part.

 

THE DEAL: WINNERS AND LOSERS

Question: David Cameron was clear he wanted a straight Yes/No vote on independence. Alex Salmond wanted a second question asking voters if they supported 'devo-max' - securing more devolution of powers from London to Edinburgh without leaving the UK altogether.
CAMERON WIN - There will be only one question on the ballot paper
Date: David Cameron wanted the vote held by autumn 2013. Alex Salmond favoured autumn 2014, to capitalise on a wave of Scottish patriotism from the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn.
SALMOND WIN - The vote will be held in autumn 2014.
Voters: Alex Salmond hopes younger voters are more likely to support independence. David Cameron worries it could pave the way for younger voters in other elections.
SALMOND WIN - Most 16 and 17-year-olds will get to vote

It is not the first time Mr Cameron has been accused of making a tactical error in his dealings with Mr Salmond.
Earlier this year he set out a demand for the vote to be held in 2013, which some ministers in Westminster thought backfired when Mr Salmond portrayed him as an interfering Westminster Tory.
After months of negotiations over the timing, wording and electorate for the referendum, Mr Cameron and Mr Salmond fired the starting gun on a two-year campaign which will decide the fate of the UK forever.
The two men signed the agreement in front of the cameras, committing the London and Edinburgh governments to 'to work together to ensure that a referendum on Scottish independence can take place'.
Mr Cameron said: 'Let now the arguments be put and let's make all the arguments about why the United Kingdom is better off together. 
'We're stronger together around the world, we're safer together here at home, we're better off together, our economies are stronger.'
But Mr Salmond responded: 'The Scottish Government has an ambitious vision for Scotland: a prosperous and successful European country, reflecting Scottish values of fairness and opportunity, promoting equality and social cohesion.
'A Scotland with a new place in the world - as an independent nation.
'Today's historic signing of the Edinburgh Agreement marks the start of the campaign to fulfil that ambition.
'It will be a campaign during which we will present our positive, ambitious vision for a flourishing, fairer, progressive, independent Scotland - a vision I am confident will win the argument and deliver a Yes vote in Autumn 2014.'
Mr Cameron is anxious not to go down in history as the Prime Minister responsible for the break-up of the Union.
After months of negotiations he has backed down on voting age and the date in order to secure a single Yes/No question on Scotland leaving the UK.

Mr Salmond and Mr Cameron put pen to paper on the Edinburgh Agreement which commits the London and Edinburgh governments to work together to deliver a referendum

The full text of the Edinburgh Agreement allows for a single question referendum to be held before the end of 2014

Mr Cameron had wanted the referendum to be held in by autumn 2013, but has agreed to Mr Salmond's demand for a delay of 12 months.
The Prime Minister has also accepted the SNP's demand to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to take part in the referendum, raising the prospect of the voting age in other elections also being cut.

Mr Cameron's one victory is in securing a single Yes/No question on the ballot paper, without a second question which Mr Salmond had wanted which would ask voters if they wanted more powers devolved to Scotland without full independence.
Mr Cameron said today: 'I want to be the Prime Minister that keeps the United Kingdom together, but I believe in showing respect to people in Scotland.
'The people of Scotland voted for a party that wanted to have a referendum on independence.'

Head to head: Mr Cameron (left) faced Salmond (right) across the negotiating table table, watched by Scottish Secretary Michael Moore (second left) and Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon

Mr Salmond brandished a copy of the Edinburgh Agreement at a press conference where he declared: 'I will win the argument and deliver a Yes vote in Autumn 2014'

Mr Cameron added :'I've made sure, showing them respect, that we can have that referendum in a way that is decisive, that is legal, that is fair but crucially is one single simple question, whether Scotland wants to stay in the United Kingdom or go.

HOW DEAL COULD PAVE THE WAY FOR VOTES AT 16 ACROSS BRITAIN

Allowing 16 and 17 year-olds to vote in the Scottish independence referendum will fuel calls to lower the voting age in all other elections.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Labour leader Ed Miliband are known to be strong supporters of reducing the voting age.

Mr Clegg has previously questioned why people are allowed to go to war for their country at 16, but cannot have a say in who governs it.

And just last month Mr Miliband suggested that Chancellor George Osborne may not have scrapped educational maintenance allowance (EMA) if one and a half million votes had been at stake.

Today Downing Street stressed that the concession to the SNP will not have wider implications.

A spokeswoman said: 'The agreement that they are going to sign is going to give the power to the Scottish Government to give the vote to 16 and 17 year-olds, but we are confident that there are no wider implications or precedents for elections, or indeed referendums, under UK electoral law.
'The Government certainly has no plans to change the voting age. The agreement being signed today is specific to the referendum.'
However, it raises the prospect of thousands of teenagers who can vote in the referendum in autumn 2014 being barred from taking part in the general election in May 2015.

The Isle of Man, Jersey and the Guernsey have already cut their voting age.

'This is going to be a cross-party campaign, there are many other parties, the Labour party, the Liberal Democrat party as well as the Conservative party, and people who belong to no party at all who care passionately about this issue.
'This is an important day for the United Kingdom, but you can't haul the country of the United Kingdom against the will of its people. Scotland voted for a party that wanted to hold a referendum.'
But Mr Cameron faces claims of surrendering to Mr Salmond on key aspects of the deal.Former Scottish Secretary Lord Forsyth said at the weekend that Mr Cameron had given too much away as a result of poor negotiating.
He told the Sunday Times: 'Salmond has been able to get what he wants. If that's called a negotiation, that's stretching the language. It sounds like a walkover to me.'
However, in Edinburgh Mr Salmond tried to avoid triumphalism, saying he hoped today's agreement would secure 'respect' for the outcome 'whatever it is'.
Speaking at a press conference, he added: 'It paves the way for the most important decision our country of Scotland has made in several hundred years.
'It is, in that sense, an historic day for Scotland and a major step forward in Scotland's home rule journey.'
Westminster government ministers will make a series of visits to Scotland in the coming months, highlighting areas which have not been devolved including the economy, defence and welfare.
In particular, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith will highlight how the bill for benefit and pensions in Scotland is almost doubled the revenue raised from North Sea oil and gas each year.
Ahead of the landmark meeting with Mr Salmond, Mr Cameron visited the Babcock facility to meet staff building the 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.
In a clear indication of the campaign strategy against independence, the PM told workers involved in building the Royal Navy’s largest warship that they were part of a ‘UK success story’. Six shipyards around the UK are involved in building parts for the vessel, which are then assembled in Fife.

David Cameron today appealed to workers at Rosyth Dock Yard in Fife to vote to keep the Union together ahead of meeting with Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond

Mr Cameron fears going down in history as the Prime Minister who oversaw the break-up of the 300-year-old Union between Scotland and England

Mr Cameron said: ‘I think this is the success story that the whole of the United Kingdom can take great pride in. Just as the Olympics showed what we can do when we come together, you're showing it right here in Rosyth with this incredible feat of engineering.'
The PM added: ‘As was said at the Olympics, we want to make sure “Made in the United Kingdom” is a badge we can be really proud of and I believe that, with these aircraft carriers, you here in Rosyth are making it is absolutely clear that it is something we can all be really proud of.’
The PM appeared on a wooden platform at the dockyard, but Downing Street insisted he was not seeking to recreate John Major's soapbox strategy during the 1992 general election campaign.
'It is a local box that they have used,' a source said.

Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond and his deputy Nicola Sturgeon today met parents and children, including 19-month-old Neive Martin NHS Lothian's Family Nurse Partnership programme, as the referendum on Scottish independence took a huge step closer

Mr Cameron used his Tory party conference speech last week to make clear his intention to preserve the Union.
Stood in front of a giant Union Flag, he told delegates in Birmingham: 'There are many things I want this coalition to achieve but what could matter more than saving our United Kingdom.
'Let’s say it: we’re better together and we’ll rise together – so let’s fight that referendum with everything we’ve got.'
At the start of the year Mr Cameron threatened to take charge of the referendum, saying only Westminster could decide on Scotland’s fate.
The move was seen as a propaganda coup for Mr Salmond, who sought to portray the debate as Westminster Tories interfering in Scotland’s affairs.
Despite opinion polls showing just a third of Scots want to go it alone, Mr Salmond remains publicly confidence of a yes vote in 2014.
Today bookies William Hill were offering odds of 9/4 that Scotland will vote in favour of independence.
Spokesman Graham Sharpe said: ‘The polls and the punters so far agree that a majority of those who vote will do so against Independence.’
The practicalities of Scotland leaving the UK have not been spelt out.

Flag of the future: This could be what the Union Flag looks like if Scotland leaves the UK, and the distinctive blue of the Saltire is erased

Today Lib Dem Scotland Michael Moore cast doubt on Scotland’s claim to being automatically cleared to join the European Union.

He told BBC Radio 4: ‘Nobody doubts that in time, Scotland would be part of the European Union again but the terms on which we might join the European Union are completely unclear, that we would have to reapply is very clear from all the international opinion that's already been expressed.

‘That would put at risk big things, whether it's Scottish financial services, Scottish farmers, fishermen, lots of economic interest would have a big cloud of uncertainty over them.’
He also questioned whether an independent Scotland would be able to cope in the event of a fresh financial crisis.
'When two of our banks, Royal Bank of Scotland and Bank of Scotland collapsed it was the strength and size of the UK economy that helped us to cope with that and get ourselves slowly back on our feet,' Mr Moore added:
'If you look at our businesses we export twice as much to England as we do to any other part of the world. Why would you put barriers up between us? Why would you put that at risk?'
Mr Salmond's preferred wording of the referendum question is: 'Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?.'
However, Westminster's Scottish Affairs Committee said it was loaded to coerce people into voting 'yes'.
The final wording is likely to be one of the most hotly-contested aspects of the referendum.
The most recent poll on independence suggests support for leaving the UK has dropped.

A survey of 995 adults, published last week, showed support for the Union at 53 per cent compared with support for independence at 28 per cent.

Scotland's deputy first minister Nicola Sturgeon said she would be campaigning 'full out' for independence

But, according to the latest YouGov poll of 1,000 people commissioned by the SNP, 64 per cent of respondents said they thought the Scottish Government was better at making decisions for Scotland than the UK Government which received 24 per cent.
The Scottish National Party secured the chance to hold the historic vote after winning an overall majority in the Holyrood elections last year.
Mr Salmond had wanted a second question on 'devo-max' which would have demanded extra powers to be transferred from Westminster to Edinburgh, but stopping short of outright independence.
Critics said the idea was an admission that voters would not back Scotland leaving the UK altogether.
The second question has now been dropped as a result of talks between Mr Moore and Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's deputy first minister.
Ms Sturgeon today insisted it was not a failure of negotiations that there would be only one question on the ballot paper:
'I want to see Scotland be an independent country – independence is the option on the ballot paper that I wanted to see, the SNP wanted to see, it’s the one that we’ll be campaigning full out for in the next couple of years,' she told BBC Radio4's Today programme.
Business leaders welcome the 'greater clarity' about the timing and the question of the referendum.
John Longworth, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce said: 'To date, there has also been too little public discussion of what a ‘yes’ vote might mean for jobs and growth on both sides of the border.
'Three hundred-plus years of shared economic history mean that the links between Scotland and the rest of the UK are deep and complex.'

MPs' anger as minister rules out Savile inquiry: Culture Secretary's gaffe turns up heat over Newsnight probe

Culture Secretary Maria Miller was under fire yesterday as she ruled out a full independent inquiry into the Jimmy Savile scandal.
Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman said the issue had 'cast a stain' on the BBC, and MPs on all sides voiced dismay at the corporation's handling of the affair.
Miss Harman said Savile's 'exalted' status within the corporation had allowed him to act with impunity.
Tory MP Rob Wilson complained the BBC had still not adequately explained why it dropped a Newsnight report into Savile's crimes last December.
In an emergency statement to the Commons, Mrs Miller replied: 'The BBC has launched three separate investigations. The first will look particularly at the allegations with regard to the item on Savile which was inappropriately pulled from Newsnight.'
Her aides later insisted she had 'misspoken' and had meant to say 'allegations' that the report was pulled inappropriately.
But Mrs Miller's intervention will add to the sense of crisis at the BBC over its handling of the scandal.
BBC director general George Entwistle will be grilled by MPs next week over the decision to not air the Newsnight investigation into Saville and also about how much was known at senior levels about the allegations.
He will also face questions on whether wider concerns about a culture of sexual harassment at the BBC have been tackled.

 

In an email to staff last night, BBC director of news Helen Boaden said the corporation was confident the investigation had been dropped for 'sound editorial reasons', but acknowledged that 'people have continued to speculate'.
She added: 'This is a tough time for the organisation as a whole and for some individuals in particular. A lot of soul-searching is naturally taking place.'

Maria Miller, left, said the corporation was treating allegations 'very seriously' while Harriet Harman, right, said the claims had 'cast a stain on the BBC'

Labour leader Ed Miliband called on Mrs Miller to launch an independent inquiry into the corporation's conduct.
He said: 'I don't think the BBC can lead their own inquiry... I think we need a broader look at these public institutions – the BBC, I'm afraid some parts of the NHS, potentially, Broadmoor.

BBC Director General George Entwistle has offered to appear before a select committee

'I'm open-minded about how it's done but it's got to be independent.'
Mr Miliband also signalled he would support 'brave' victims in their fight to get compensation.
Tory MP Anne Main said Mrs Miller should ask Lord Justice Leveson to extend his inquiry into press standards to investigate the BBC's handling of the Savile scandal.
She said she was not confident the BBC had the 'wherewithal to clean out its own Augean stables'.
But Mrs Miller said she was confident the BBC was taking the allegations 'very seriously'.
Radio 2 presenter Jeremy Vine said Savile will become known as 'one of the most serious predatory paedophiles in criminal history'.
Speaking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, Mr Vine said: 'The fact that a person was using his BBC prestige and maybe even BBC dressing rooms to attack young children, I find disgusting.'
Police are pursuing 340 leads and believe twisted Savile claimed more than 60 victims in a reign of child abuse that lasted until he was at least 79.
* Andrew Marr's drunken clinch with a young female producer was raised in Parliament as MPs debated whether the 'culture' of the BBC had really changed.

The 53-year-old broadcaster was photographed kissing and fondling the woman last month. Democratic Unionist MP Ian Paisley Jr challenged Mrs Miller in the Commons by saying: 'Are you utterly convinced the culture of the BBC has changed since the revelations of the vile actions of Jimmy Savile?
'Just a matter of weeks ago we had one of their senior talent caught in photographs in the grips of a young woman with his hand down her trousers in a public place. He gets away with it with nothing more than a shrug of the shoulders and a silly excuse.
'You know this inquiry by the police will take years and that the BBC will get away in the smoke. Surely now is the time for an independent inquiry into the BBC?'
Mrs Miller said a wider investigation into allegations of sexual harassment at the BBC was already under way, but that Mr Paisley was right to call for it to consider recent allegations.

MILIBAND CALLS FOR INDEPENDENT INQUIRY INTO SAVILE SEX ABUSE

Labour called tonight for the Government to set up an independent inquiry into the Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal to 'do right by the victims'.

Culture Secretary Maria Miller earlier dismissed demands for an independent inquiry, saying she was 'confident' BBC chiefs were taking the claims 'very seriously'.

But Labour leader Ed Miliband said the BBC's internal investigations were not enough.
Speaking to ITV1's The Agenda, he said: 'These are horrific allegations. In order to do right by the victims I don't think the BBC can lead their own inquiry.

'We need a broad look at all the public institutions involved - the BBC, parts of the NHS and Broadmoor. This has got to be independent.'

Labour wants an independent inquiry to have the power to demand documentation and witnesses. It should look into Savile's activities at the BBC, Stoke Mandeville hospital and Broadmoor, the party said.

'I think we now have enough set of allegations and further allegations to know this is not some isolated set of incidents,' Mr Miliband said.

'This seems to be a pattern of activity which spanned a number of institutions. As I say, I just think about the victims in this. This is absolutely horrific and will scar people for life. And I think for them, the BBC - good institution though it is - I don't think they can lead their own inquiry.'
Responding to Ed Miliband's call for an independent inquiry, a government spokesman said last night: 'Nothing has been ruled out, however, it would be incredibly premature to pre-judge the outcome of the BBC inquiries and the police investigation.'

Savile at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in 2003, where it is claimed he abused patients

Do you want to earn your badge?': Ex-Cub Scout tells how Jimmy Savile sexually abused him on his show when he was NINE

A former cub scout says he was sexually assaulted as a nine-year-old by Jimmy Savile after appearing on a show with the TV star.
Kevin Cook, the presenter’s youngest alleged victim, said he was lured to a dressing room with the promise of receiving a Jim’ll Fix It badge after appearing on the programme.
The 45-year-old, now a married father-of-two, described how Savile asked him whether he was ready to 'earn your badge' before molesting him and then getting him to touch him through his trousers.

Kevin Cook (circled) and the rest of cub pack in the BBC TV studio with Jimmy Savile in 1976. Mr Cook claims that Savile molested him in a dressing room at the time

Mr Cook appeared on the show in 1976 with members of the 44th Newham East cub pack after they wrote in about racing milk floats at Brands Hatch

The presenter then issued a chilling threat not to tell anyone about the abuse – and that no one would believe him over the word of 'King Jimmy' – before letting him go.
Mr Cook appeared on the show in 1976 with members of the 44th Newham East cub pack. He told the Mail yesterday that Savile offered him a badge.
'He took me to a small dressing room. He said "Do you want to earn your badge?" and he sat me on a chair in the middle of the room.

'He put his hand on my knee and then tried to put his fingers up the bottom of my shorts before he unzipped them and touched me. Then he made me put my hand on top of his trousers.’
Mr Cook, who lives in an Essex coastal town, came forward when he read about the Savile scandal. Details of his allegations have been passed to the Metropolitan Police.
‘Before I went on the programme Jimmy Savile was like a god. When we found out we were going on we were so excited,’ Mr Cook told the Mail today.

Savile issued a chilling threat to the boy not to tell anyone about the abuse ¿ and that no one would believe him over the word of 'King Jimmy'

Savile in 1976, the year he allegedly abused Kevin Cook, now 45, when filming for Jim'll Fix It

A local newspaper showing the cub pack on the show with the disgraced TV presenter

‘Now I feel angry and bitter that he is no longer here because if I had told someone what had happened he would have gone to prison.’
Only eight of the 30 or 40 children who went to the famous race track were chosen to appear in the BBC’s White City studio later the same day.
Mr Cook, a welder, believes he was picked after presenting Savile with a gift – a tie his mother had bought.
Savile allegedly pounced when he saw how the schoolboy was crestfallen that a badge with a giant ribbon was handed to the entire pack.
‘I must have looked disappointed because Jimmy said “Would you like one of your own?” I said yes please,’ he said.
‘He took me to a small dressing room. I don’t think it was his because it was really shabby, a dingy little room.
‘He said “Do you want to earn your badge?” and he sat me on a chair in the middle of the room.
‘He put his hand on my knee and then tried to put his fingers up the bottom of my shorts before he unzipped them and touched me. Then he made me put my hand on top of his trousers.
‘There was a knock at the door and someone came in but said “Oops” and left. In hindsight, I think he [Savile] knew what he was doing and stood between me and the door so that no one would see what he was doing.’
He added: ‘After I’d done my shorts up Jimmy warned me not to tell anyone. He said “Don’t even tell your mates. We know where you live. Nobody would believe you anyway – I’m King Jimmy”.’
Mr Cook, who lives in an Essex coastal town, said he felt sick as he watched the programme with his parents and was no longer a ‘popular, outgoing kid’ after his ordeal.

Mr Cook came forward when he recently read about the allegations surfacing against the former Top of the Pops presenter and his wife noticed he was acting strangely

He only came forward when he recently read about the allegations surfacing against the former Top of the Pops presenter and his wife noticed he was acting strangely.
After hearing what had happened, she telephoned Essex Police and made him speak to them. Details have now been passed to the Metropolitan Police.
Mr Cook said: ‘All I feel is hatred for that man. I wish he was still alive to face up to what he’s done.’
A source at the Metropolitan Police said Mr Cook’s allegations were one of the lines of enquiry being looked into.
A spokesman said: ‘We’re not discussing individual cases.’
Mr Cook is one of several alleged male victims of the star to have come forward.
One man said he was abused at the age of 10 at the Haut de la Garenne children's home in Jersey.
And John Gibbin, now 49, claims Savile fondled him in his Rolls-Royce at a Stoke Mandeville hospital fundraiser when he was nine.
Another hospital where Savile allegedly abused patients was Broadmoor, a high-security psychiatric hospital in Berkshire.
Scotland Yard detectives are due to visit the hospital to gather new evidence about the claims.

The news comes as BBC Radio Two presenter Jeremy Vine has said he believes Savile will become known as 'one of the most serious predatory paedophiles in criminal history.'

BBC Radio Two presenter Jeremy Vine has said he believes Savile will become known as 'one of the most serious predatory paedophiles in criminal history'

Speaking at Cheltenham Literature Festival, Jeremy said that as a dad of two young daughters he finds Savile's actions 'completely disgusting.'
The veteran presenter, who has worked on the Newsnight programme had been asked by one of the audience: 'If you had been in charge of Newsnight last year what would you have done with the Jimmy Savile story?
Jeremy replied: 'This is a complete and utter nightmare.
'The fact that a person was using his BBC prestige and maybe even BBC dressing rooms to attack young children I find completely disgusting as a father of two young daughters.
'I cannot believe that it happened for such a sustained period that we may be looking at one of the most serious predatory paedophiles in criminal history - and he was on our doorstep. I find it disgusting.'
Culture Secretary Maria Miller will answer an urgent question in the Commons this afternoon about the BBC’s investigation into Savile, officials confirmed.
Meanwhile, a Tory MP has called for the removal of all references to Savile in public places and for him to be moved to an anonymous grave.
Alec Shelbrooke, MP for Elmet and Rothwell, said in a series of posts on Twitter that anyone 'found wanting' by a full, independent investigation should be prosecuted 'no matter how famous' they are.
The calls come amid fresh allegations Savile paid to cover up alleged sex attacks on underage girls while manager of a dance hall in the 1950s.
Former doorman Dennis Lemmon, 80, who was a door supervisor at the Mecca Locarno Ballroom in Leeds during the late 1950s while Savile was manager, said he was told he 'paid off' families to escape criminal charges of interfering with young girls.
Mr Lemmon, who was regularly requested to accompany Savile on his walkabouts around the dance hall, said he would always take an interest in chatting to young girls.
He said: 'The first inkling I got of it was when I was told he was going to be up in court.
'After that I got told he paid them off. I assumed it was the families. Before that there had been no rumours about him.'
An NSPCC spokesman said: 'It’s vital for all victims of sexual abuse to come forward to offer information or seek help, no matter when the offence was committed or who the offender was.'