The essential tenet of British law that is the concept of “innocent until proven guilty” is struggling to assert itself in the
24/7 rolling news age.
The high profile cases of Chris Huhne and
John Terry are but the latest manifestations of the struggle of
trial by legal system to re-establish its primacy over trial by
media. Chris Huhne is one of the few A-list performers the Lib Dems
possess. He has been a successful journalist, businessman and
politician, and is an able man. He is the senior Lib Dem “in the
tent” who is most freely prepared to question his Coalition
partners. That said, there is little doubt that the seriousness of
the charge against him undermines his ability to remain in the
Government under such a shadow.
John Terry has been, alongside Rio
Ferdinand, the finest English central defender of his generation.
He has an alpha male personality, but does that make him a fine
captain? It works for Chelsea, where Jose Mourinho encouraged an “us against the world” mentality, but less obviously so for England,
where a captain must unite, lead and inspire players of rival
factions. There’s an air of playground bully about Terry, notably
in the countless times he has led Chelsea players in ugly
intimidation of a referee. One can only imagine the England camp’s
atmosphere during the Wayne Bridge saga. It was clear then that
Terry should lose the captaincy. His reinstatement was mystifying.
Terry’s alleged guilt in the Anton Ferdinand racism row is for a
court to decide. But the foolishly lengthy wait for a decision has
exacerbated matters, making him an even more divisive figure. In
that regard, carrying on as normal, no matter the eventual verdict,
is as impossible for Terry as it is for Chris Huhne. Stay warm, and
see you on Monday.
