"हैरिएट हर्मन": अवतरणों में अंतर

changed sanyukta raajashaahi to united kingdom
छो बॉट: आंशिक लिप्यंतरण
पंक्ति 151:
 
===उप नेता का चुनाव===
जॉन प्रेस्कॉट के इस्तीफे के बाद हर्मन ने २००७ में लेबर दल के उपनेता लड़ने के लिये अपनी इच्छा जताई।<ref>{{cite news | title=Harman intends Labour deputy bid | date=15 सितम्बर 2006 | publisher =बीबीसी समाचार| url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5350360.stm | accessdate = 25 June 2007 }}</ref> २७ नवम्बर २००६ को प्रेस एसोसिएशन ने प्रतिवेदना दी कि हर्मन ने यूगोव पर एक चुनावी सर्वेक्षण करवाया है जिसमें लोगों ने हर्मन को अगले आम चुनावों में लेबर पार्टी के लिये मत प्रतिशत बढाने के लिये सबसे संभावित व काबिल उपनेता माना है।<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2006/nov/27/labourleadership.labour "Harman would be most popular deputy PM, says poll"], ''The Guardianगार्डियन'' (Press Association), 27 November 2006</ref> बीबीसी को दिये गये एक साक्षात्कार में उन्होंने इस सूचना को आधार बनाकर स्वयं के लेबर पार्टी के अगली उप नेता बनने के दावे का जोरदार समर्थन किया।<ref>{{cite news | first=ब्रायन| last=व्हीलर | title=Interview: Harriet Harman | date=8 मार्च 2007 | publisher =बीबीसी समाचार| url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6423761.stm | accessdate = 25 June 2007 }}</ref>
 
उपनेता के अपने चुनाव प्रचार के दौरान उन्होंने [[इराक युद्ध]] का समर्थन किया लेकिन यह भी कहा कि अगर उन्हें यह तथ्य पता होते कि इराक के पास घातक हथियार होने के सबूत नहीं मिले हैं तो वह इस युद्ध के समर्थन में मत नहीं देतीं।<ref name='Whip'>{{cite news | title= Voting Record – Harriet Harman MP, Camberwell & Peckham | publisher =द पब्लिक व्हिप| url =http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?id=uk.org.publicwhip/member/1472#divisions | accessdate =३१ जुलाई २०१५}}</ref><ref name='Full'>{{cite news | title= Full Voting Record – Harriet Harman MP, Camberwell & Peckham | publisher=द पब्लिक व्हिप| url =http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mp.php?mpn=Harriet_Harman&mpc=Camberwell+%26amp%3B+Peckham&display=allvotes#divisions | accessdate =३१ जुलाई २०१५}}</ref>
पंक्ति 161:
<!--
===Gordon Brown becomes PM===
Harman was known as a long term supporter of [[Gordon Brown]] and is regarded as a personal friend.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/mar/09/gordon-brown-harman-darling|title=Why pick fights with friends? Brown must ditch his pride|newspaper=The Guardianगार्डियन|accessdate= 18 December 2009 | location=London | first=Jackie | last=Ashley | date=9 March 2009}}</ref> On 28 June 2007, after she became Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and Brown was appointed Prime Minister, Harman joined [[Brown Ministry|Brown's Cabinet]] as [[Leader of the House of Commons]], [[Lord Privy Seal]] and [[Minister for Women and Equality]], and was also given the title of Labour Party Chair. Unlike the previous Deputy Leader, John Prescott, Harman was not given the title of 'Deputy Prime Minister'.
 
When Harman, as Leader of the House of Commons, stood in for [[Gordon Brown]] during [[Prime minister's questions]] on Wednesday 2 April 2008 (due to the Prime Minister attending a [[NATO]] summit in [[Romania]]), she became the first female Labour Minister to take Prime Minister's Questions. She subsequently repeated this during Brown's absences.
 
Harman attacked the Conservative Party at the [[Labour Party Conference]] 2007, referring to them as the "nasty party" and suggesting that there would be little competition at the next election.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7016326.stm|title=Tories still nasty, says Harman|publisher=BBCबीबीसी Newsन्यूज़| date=27 September 2007 | accessdate=5 January 2010}}</ref>
 
On 1 April 2008 the ''[[Daily Mail]]'' reported that Harman had decided to wear a [[kevlar]]-reinforced [[stab vest]] while touring her [[Peckham]] constituency under police guard. On 2 April ''[[The Guardianगार्डियन]]'' relayed information from the [[Metropolitan Police]] that "the type of Met Vest she wore over her jacket protected her from knife attacks and bullets, and, for her at least, was optional".<ref name="GHHSP">{{cite news |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/apr/02/harrietharman |title=Armour furore leaves Harman wounded |first=Helen |last=Pidd |work=The Guardianगार्डियन |date=2 April 2008 |accessdate=2 April 2008 | location=London}}</ref> Harman compared the decision to wearing a [[hard hat]] while touring a building site, which led the BBC's [[John Humphrys]] to respond, during an interview for [[BBC Radio 4]], "You wear a hard hat on a building site because... there is the danger that something might drop on your head. You don't need to wear a bullet-proof vest on the streets of London, do you!" Harman told the BBC that the neighbourhood police team she was with put on their stab vests and gave her one to wear as well.<ref name="BBCN4">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7324123.stm |title=Harman defends wearing stab vest |publisher=BBCबीबीसी Newsन्यूज़|date=1 April 2008 |accessdate=1 April 2008 }}</ref>
 
In April 2008, Harman's blog was hacked and changed to state that she had joined the Conservative Party. Harman later admitted when questioned by Sky News that the incident was a result of her using "Harriet" and "Harman" as her username and password.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/04/25/harriet_harman_website_hacked/|date=25 April 2008|work=The Register|title=Harman hack horror has blog backing Boris}}</ref>
पंक्ति 175:
Harman co-authored a 1990 [[Institute for Public Policy Research|IPPR]] report "The Family Way" which stated "it cannot be assumed that men are bound to be an asset to family life or that the presence of fathers in families is necessarily a means to social cohesion".<ref>[http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=7iD-OQAACAAJ The Family Way: A New Approach to Policy-making – Anna Coote, Harriet Harman, Patricia Hewitt – Google Books]</ref><ref>[http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=k3OuYalUJ5cC Feminism: The Ugly Truth – Mike Buchanan – Google Books]</ref> In May 2008 an interview she gave to think tank [[Civitas (think tank)|Civitas]] Harman stated that there was "no ideal type of household in which to bring up children".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/labour/1983066/Labour-Marriage-is-irrelevant-to-public-policy,-says-Harriet-Harman.html|title=Labour: Marriage is irrelevant to public policy, says Harriet Harman|work=The Daily Telegraph | location=London | first1=Martin | last1=Beckford | date=18 May 2008 | accessdate=4 May 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/6753895/Harriet-Harman-not-Governments-role-to-support-marriage.html | location=London | work=The Daily Telegraph | title=Harriet Harman: not Government's role to support marriage | first=Rosa | last=Prince | date=8 December 2009}}</ref>
 
In June 2008, two members of [[Fathers 4 Justice]] staged a protest on the roof of her house in [[Herne Hill]], South East London, with a banner that read: "A father is for life not just conception." After they climbed back off the roof they were arrested by the [[Metropolitan Police]] and bailed until 16 July 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7443284.stm|title=Father's rooftop protest goes on | publisher=BBCबीबीसी Newsन्यूज़ | date=9 June 2008 | accessdate=5 January 2010}}</ref> On the morning of 9 July 2008, Fathers 4 Justice again climbed on Harman's roof with a banner that read, "Stop war on dads."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7496804.stm|title=Fathers protest on Harman's roof | publisher=BBCबीबीसी Newsन्यूज़ | date=9 July 2008 | accessdate=5 January 2010}}</ref> One of the complaints of the protesters was that Harman had refused their requests for a meeting yet she denied that they had even requested such a meeting.<ref name="Independent F4J protest">{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/fathers-4-justice-stage-rooftop-protest-at-harmans-home-842776.html |title=Fathers 4 Justice stage rooftop protest at Harman's home |work=The Independent |date=9 June 2008 |accessdate=12 April 2010 | location=London | first1=Beverley | last1=Rouse | first2=Sam | last2=Marsden}}</ref>
 
===Use of statistics===
पंक्ति 181:
 
[[File:Harriet Harman, January 2009 2.jpg|thumb|Harman in 2009]]
In June 2009, [[Michael Scholar|Sir Michael Scholar]], head of the [[UK Statistics Authority]], wrote to Harman to warn her that different headline figures used by the ONS and Government Equalities Office with regards to pay differentiation between men and women might undermine public trust in official statistics. The GEO's headline figure was 23%, which was based on median hourly earnings of all employees, not the 12.8%, based on median hourly earnings of full-time employees only, used by the ONS. Scholar wrote: "It is the Statistics Authority’s view that use of the 23% on its own, without qualification, risks giving a misleading quantification of the gender pay gap".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/reports---correspondence/correspondence/letter-from-sir-michael-scholar-to-harriet-harman-qc-mp-11-june-2009-and-m-a-note.pdf |title=Chair of the UK Statistics Authority, Sir Michael Scholar KCB |format=PDF |accessdate=12 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8096761.stm | publisher=BBCबीबीसी Newsन्यूज़ | title=Harman pay gap data 'misleading' | date=12 June 2009}}</ref>
 
===MPs' expenses===
पंक्ति 195:
As part of a proposed [[Equality Bill]], Harman announced a consultation on changing the existing discrimination laws, including options for [[reverse discrimination]] in employment. Under the proposals, employers would be legally allowed to discriminate in favour of a job candidate on the basis of their race or gender where the candidates were otherwise equally qualified. Employers would not be required to use these powers, but would be able to do so without the threat of legal action for discriminatory practices. The white paper also proposed measures to end age discrimination, promote transparency in organisations and introduce a new equality duty on the public sector.<ref>{{Cite book| first = Harriet | last = Harman | title = Framework for a Fairer Future – The Equalities Bill | year = 2008 | page = 40 | place = London | publisher = HMSO | url = http://www.equalities.gov.uk/publications/FRAMEWORK%20FAIRER%20FUTURE.pdf|format=PDF}}</ref> These changes, if made, could face a challenge under Article 14 of the [[European Convention on Human Rights]], which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, race, colour, language, religion and on several other criteria.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://conventions.coe.int/treaty/en/Treaties/Html/005.htm |title=Council of Europe – ETS no. 005 – Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms |publisher=Conventions.coe.int |accessdate=12 April 2010}}</ref> Michael Millar, writing in ''[[The Spectator]]'', was of the opinion that, "The Equality Bill before parliament today gives employers the right to choose an ethnic minority candidate or female candidate over a white male, specifically because they are an ethnic minority or female."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/798356/harriet-harman-unleashes-positive-discrimination.thtml |title=Harriet Harman unleashes positive discrimination |newspaper=The Spectator |accessdate=12 April 2010}}</ref>
 
Harman also commissioned a report on allowing political parties to draw up all-black shortlists<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3341874.ece|title=Harriet Harman in plan to give parties all-black shortlists|work=The Times | location=London | first=Marie | last=Woolf | date=10 February 2008 | accessdate=4 May 2010}}</ref> designed to increase the number of black MPs in Westminster. A further report proposed extended the arrangement allowing [[all-women shortlists]] beyond 2015<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hansardsociety.org.uk/blogs/publications/archive/2007/10/01/Women-at-the-Top-2005.aspx|title=Women at the Top 2005: Changing Numbers, Changing Politics? (November 2005)|publisher=Hansard Society}}</ref> which will fail to have any impact in the 2010 general election.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oldsuffragette.mcpherson.org.uk/General%20Election%202010.html |title=McPherson S (2010) General Election 2010: Women, Fascism and Democracy |publisher=Oldsuffragette.mcpherson.org.uk |accessdate=29 April 2010}}</ref> These proposals are supported by members of the three major parties, though no others allow discrimination in their shortlists.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080626/debtext/80626-0004.htm#08062679000001|title=House of Commons Hansard Debates for 26&nbsp;June 2008 (pt 0004)|publisher=UK Parliament}}</ref> Inside the Labour Party, Harman has said she does "not agree with all-male leaderships" because men "cannot be left to run things on their own"; and that, consequently, one of Labour's top two posts should always be held by a woman.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8180195.stm|title=Labour 'men-only leadership' over |publisher=BBCबीबीसी Newsन्यूज़|date=2 August 2009|accessdate=2 August 2009}}</ref> She had also stated that the collapse of Lehman Brothers might have been averted had it been 'Lehman Sisters'. These comments caused accusations of sexism and "insidious bigotry".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/8281812/Are-men-victims-of-obnoxious-feminism.html |title=Are men victims of obnoxious feminism? |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date= 26 January 2011|accessdate=25 February 2014 |location=London |first1=Dominic |last1=Raab |first2=Fay |last2=Weldon}}</ref>
 
==Return to Opposition==
पंक्ति 204:
She nominated [[Diane Abbott]], MP for [[Hackney North and Stoke Newington (UK Parliament constituency)|Hackney North and Stoke Newington]], to prevent the election from being all male. But she nonetheless asserted her intention to remain neutral throughout the contest and said, "This is a very crucial period and we have got five fantastic candidates. All of them would make excellent leaders of the party."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/politics/10303473.stm |title=Abbott will give male rivals a good run, says Harman |date=13 June 2010 |publisher=[[BBC]] |accessdate=13 June 2010}}</ref>
 
Following [[Ed Miliband]]'s election as leader, she returned to her role as Deputy Leader, shadowing [[Nick Clegg]] as [[Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Deputy Prime Minister]] and with the title of Deputy Leader of the Opposition.<ref name="The Shadow Cabinet">{{cite web |url=http://www2.labour.org.uk/shadow-cabinet |title=The Shadow Cabinet |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/62BCU5xVj |archivedate=4 October 2011 |publisher=Labour.org.uk}}{{cite web |url=http://www.parliament.uk/biographies/harriet-harman/25677 |title=The Rt Hon Harriet Harman |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/62BD3Mt7i |archivedate=4 October 2011 |publisher=House of Commons Information Office}}</ref> When Miliband assigned portfolios on 8 October 2010, he appointed her [[Shadow Secretary of State for International Development]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/oct/08/shadow-cabinet-labour-ed-miliband?showallcomments=true |title=Shadow cabinet appointments – as it happened |date=8 October 2010 |work=The Guardianगार्डियन | location=London | first=Andrew | last=Sparrow}}</ref> In 2010, Harman referred to [[Danny Alexander]] as a "ginger rodent" in a speech to the [[Scottish Labour Party]] conference. This was greeted with cheers and laughter from the conference, but the [[Liberal Democrats]] and the [[Scottish National Party]] described them as [[gingerism]] and "anti-Scottish". Harman apologised for the offence caused. In 2011, Harman was moved to become [[Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport]]. In 2014, she accused [[Nick Clegg]] of turning into a Tory during Prime Minister's Questions.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10495065/Sketch-Harriet-Harmans-big-brake.html|title=Harriet Harman's big brake|date=14 January 2014 |work=The Daily Telegraph | location=London | first=Michael | last=Deacon}}</ref>
 
===Paedophile Information Exchange allegations and response===
In February 2014, Harman denied allegations that she had supported the [[Paedophile Information Exchange]] (PIE) when the advocacy group was affiliated with the [[National Council for Civil Liberties]] (NCCL), while she was the pressure group's Legal Officer from 1978 to 1982. The Conservative-leaning ''[[Daily Mail]]'' and ''[[Daily Telegraph]]'' also claimed that [[Jack Dromey]] MP (her partner) and former Health Secretary [[Patricia Hewitt]] had offered support to apologists for the sexual abuse of children while they were working for NCCL.
 
In a television interview, Harman said she had "nothing to apologise for," stating "I very much regret that this vile organisation, PIE, ever existed and that it ever had anything to do with NCCL, but it did not affect my work at NCCL."<ref>{{cite news|first=Norman |last=Smith |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26333558 |title=Harriet Harman expresses 'regret' after Daily Mail claims |publisher=BBCबीबीसी Newsन्यूज़ |date=1 January 1970 |accessdate=25 February 2014}}</ref> Harman stated that while she did support the equalisation of the age of consent for gay men she had never campaigned for the age of consent to go below the age of 16 and accused the ''Daily Mail'' of trying to make her "guilty by way of association".<ref name="guard pie">{{cite news|first=Rowena |last=Mason|url=http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/feb/24/harriet-harman-daily-mail-paedophile-campaign-allegations |title=Harriet Harman rejects allegations of 1970s link to paedophile campaign |newspaper=The Guardianगार्डियन |location=London |accessdate=25 February 2014}}</ref>
[[Ed Miliband]] backed Harman and stated that she had "huge decency and integrity".<ref name="guard pie" />
 
पंक्ति 219:
 
==Personal life==
Harman married [[Jack Dromey]] in 1982 in [[London Borough of Brent|Brent]], London, after meeting him on the picket line of the [[Grunwick dispute]] in 1977; she was legal advisor to the Grunwick Strike Committee. They have two sons (born February 1983 and November 1984) and a daughter, Amy (born January 1987), with the latter having the surname "Harman".<ref>192.com</ref> Labour colleague [[Patricia Hewitt]] is godmother to one of her children.<ref name="timesonline.co.uk"/> She has a house in Suffolk,<ref name="t_speeding"/> in addition to her home in Herne Hill, south London.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7443284.stm|title=Father's rooftop protest goes on |date=9 June 2008|publisher=BBCबीबीसी Newsन्यूज़ |accessdate=17 January 2010}}</ref>
 
In 1996, Harman sent her younger son Joseph to [[St Olave's Grammar School]], [[Orpington]], a selective grammar school, whereas she had sent her elder son Harry to the Roman Catholic [[London Oratory School]], a [[grant-maintained school]]. Harman said of St. Olave's: "This is a state school that other children in my son's class will be going to... And admission is open to every child in Southwark irrespective of money or who their parents are". In fact, whilst every child in Southwark was eligible to ''apply'' for admission to St. Olave's Grammar School, places were awarded based on academic ability. Admission was open only to those applicants who achieved the highest scores in a selective examination, offered once a year, on a Saturday, at the school site in the London Borough of Bromley. That year, 90 places were available and approximately 700 candidates took the examination.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/why-my-son-will-go-to-grammar-school-by-harriet-harman-1324835.html|title=Why my son will go to Grammar School|work=The Independent|accessdate=2 July 2009 | location=London | first=Donald | last=MacIntyre | date=20 January 1996}}</ref>
पंक्ति 225:
Harman is a committed feminist, having said, "I am in the Labour Party because I am a feminist. I am in the Labour Party because I believe in equality."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article2843875.ece |title=Harriet the plotter and the not terribly secret chamber of her old feminist friends |work=The Times |date=10 November 2007 |accessdate=27 February 2010 | location=London | first1=Helen | last1=Rumbelow}}</ref>
 
Harman owns a number of houses and properties, including a house in [[Suffolk]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/19/nharman119.xml|title=Harriet Harman avoids court over speeding|first=David|last=Sapsted|date=21 September 2007|accessdate=2 December 2007|publisher=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|location=London}}</ref> in addition to a home in [[Herne Hill]], south London.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7443284.stm|title=Father's rooftop protest goes on|publisher=BBCबीबीसी Newsन्यूज़|date=9 June 2008|accessdate=12 April 2010}}</ref>
 
===Motoring convictions===
In 2003, Harman was fined £400 and banned from driving for seven days after being convicted of driving at {{convert|99|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} on a motorway, {{convert|29|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} above the [[speed limit]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2748411.stm|title=Harman banned for speeding|publisher=[[BBCबीबीसी Newsन्यूज़]]| date=11 February 2003 | accessdate=5 January 2010}}</ref>
 
In 2007, Harman was issued with a £60 [[fixed penalty notice]] and given three [[point system (driving)|penalty points]] on her licence for driving at {{convert|50|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} in a temporary {{convert|40|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} zone. Harman paid the fine several months late and avoided appearing at [[Ipswich]] magistrates court.<ref name="t_speeding">{{cite news |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/19/nharman119.xml |title=Harriet Harman avoids court over speeding |first=David |last=Sapsted |date=21 September 2007|accessdate=2 December 2007|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] | location=London}}</ref> Harman was again caught breaking the speed limit the following April, this time in a 30&nbsp;mph zone, receiving a further 3 points on her driving licence.<ref>{{cite news|last=Laing |first=Aislinn |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/labour/6952065/Harriet-Harman-fined-over-careless-driving-while-on-mobile-phone.html |title=Harriet Harman fined over careless driving while on mobile phone |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=9 January 2010 |accessdate=12 April 2010 | location=London}}</ref>
 
In January 2010, Harman pleaded guilty to [[driving without due care and attention]] in relation to an incident on 3 July where she struck another vehicle whilst [[Mobile phones and driving safety|driving using a mobile phone]], she admitted the offence in court.<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6980682.ece Harriet Harman pleads guilty to careless driving] ''The Times'', 8 January 2010</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8369371.stm|title=Harriet Harman faces driving with mobile prosecution|date=19 November 2009|publisher=BBCबीबीसी Newsन्यूज़|accessdate=21 November 2009}}</ref> Harman was fined £350, ordered to pay £70 costs, a £15 [[victim surcharge]] and had three points added to her licence.<ref>{{cite news| title = Harman questioned over car crash| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8289159.stm| publisher=[[BBCबीबीसी Newsन्यूज़]]| publisher =[[BBC]]| location = London| date = 3 October 2009|accessdate=7 October 2009}}</ref> Road safety organisations such as [[Brake (charity)|Brake]] condemned the leniency of the punishment and decision to drop the charge of driving whilst using a mobile phone.<ref>{{cite news|last=Greenwood |first=Chris |url=http://news.scotsman.com/politics/39Letting-Harriet-Harman-off-for.5968669.jp |title=Letting Harriet Harman off for driving with a mobile sends wrong message|newspaper=The Scotsman|date=9 January 2010 |accessdate=12 April 2010 |location=Edinburgh}}</ref> The judge defended the decision stating "Ms Harman's guilty plea to driving without due care and attention included her admitting that she had been using a mobile phone at the time".<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6981399.ece Harriet Harman escapes driving ban after using mobile while driving] ''The Times'', 9 January 2010</ref>
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