No excuse for G4S bunglers

Supporters of G4S chief executive Nick Buckles make much of the fact that an "independent" review had not been able to find personal culpability in his conduct.

This ignores the reality that his job is running the company.

Chief operating officer David Taylor-Smith and head of global events Ian Horseman Sewell answered to him and he had responsibility for their deeds and misdeeds.

The real reason that directors have stood by Buckles is the upward trajectory of the company's share price during his tenure, even during and after the failure to provide sufficient security staff for the Olympics, which the chief executive admits was a "humiliating shambles."

Humiliating it may have been, but Buckles is determined that it should not bring financial consequences.

He remains adamant that G4S will demand payment of its agreed £57 million management fee, telling MPs in July: "We've managed the contract and we've had management on the ground for two years."

Buckles seems incapable of comprehending that failure should not be risk-free.

His company, along with similar outfits, is cleaning up on security contracts all over the world as the slimmed-down state model and privatisation fetish present new opportunities for privateers to mop up public cash doing jobs previously done by police or other state security bodies.

This is profitable work, which is good for directors and shareholders but not for everyone.

It proved fatal for Angolan asylum-seeker Jimmy Mubenga, who died two years ago under restraint by G4S staff while being forcibly deported. G4S does no favours either for the people of Palestine where it is contracted to provide equipment and security services for Israeli occupation forces in illegal West Bank settlements.

It beggars belief in such circumstances that the Labour Party could imagine that G4S is an appropriate agency to provide security for its Manchester conference.

Labour should be pressing for accountable public bodies to carry out such duties, not profits-obsessed privateers.

Some cheek, MacKenzie

Kelvin MacKenzie's attempt to paint himself as a victim rather than accomplice of South Yorkshire Police vilification of Liverpool football fans after the 1989 Hillsborough disaster would have most decent people reaching for the sickbag.

He overruled his editorial staff to impose the headline The Truth. That was his responsibility, not that of the police.

MacKenzie must see a pay day on the horizon. He's already back in the news and copped a fee for writing a self-justification in the Spectator.

Anyone with a modicum of decency would offer the fee to the Hillsborough families, but they'd probably choke on it.

If Murdoch's mouthpiece wants to know what the people of Liverpool think of his latest publicity stunt, he might peruse the local Echo newspaper, which carries readers' comments.

One of the more printable tells him: "Go on, take the police to court if you think any jury in this country would find on your behalf. And a good judge would take you to the cleaners for the costs.

"What part of checking your facts before going to press don't you understand? You're a cretin and I suggest you crawl down some hole and we'll fill it in after you."

It's difficult to add anything to these noble sentiments.