Summary
Overview
This episode of Page 94 covers several major UK stories including the appointment of Sarah Mullally as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury following Justin Welby's resignation over the John Smythe abuse scandal, extensive police surveillance of journalists in Northern Ireland investigating police corruption, and ITV's dramatization of Fleet Street scandals. The episode also features Helen Lewis reporting from the US on RFK Jr.'s controversial health policies under Trump's 'Make America Healthy Again' agenda.
Sarah Mullally: First Female Archbishop of Canterbury
After 11 months following Justin Welby's resignation, Sarah Mullally becomes the first woman Archbishop of Canterbury in the Church's 1,428-year history. The former Bishop of London and NHS chief nurse inherits a Church plagued by safeguarding scandals, with an extensive record of having confronted organizational dysfunction including uncovering a £5 million fraud case. Her appointment faces opposition from conservative Anglican churches globally, particularly in Africa, who don't recognize women priests or bishops.
- Sarah Mullally is first female Archbishop of Canterbury after 1,428 years, previously Bishop of London and NHS chief nurse
- Women priests only ordained in Church of England from 1994, could become bishops from 2014
- Justin Welby resigned over John Smythe abuse scandal and connections to serial abuser who ran Christian camps
- Welby's tone-deaf resignation speech suggested main victim was his diary secretary having to rearrange schedule
- Mullally confronted £5 million fraud by Martin Sargent, head of operations who quit when she tried to impose governance
- Mullally gave unreserved apology for handling of safeguarding investigations triggered by Sargent's 'brain dump' of gossip
- Global Anglican fellowship Gath Cotton received appointment with 'sorrow', conservative churches don't recognize women bishops
" I thought you were going to say finally after thousands of years we have a female Archbishop of Canterbury which is certainly news. 1,428 years since Saint Augustine took over. "
" The main victim in the whole thing was his diary secretary because, you know, she had to rearrange stuff, which was unbelievably tone deaf. "
" It's slightly ironic that we now have an Archbishop of Canterbury who is accused of over-zealotry in trying to prevent abuse, as opposed to under-zealotry in trying to prevent abuse. "
Police Surveillance of Northern Ireland Journalists
The McCulloch Review revealed extensive surveillance operations by Police Service of Northern Ireland against journalists investigating police corruption and collusion with the Ulster Volunteer Force. The surveillance included tracking phone records, using traffic cameras, and monitoring anyone who contacted the police press office. Journalists Barry McCafferty and Trevor Binney, who made a documentary about the Loughin Island Massacre, were primary targets, with police desperately trying to identify their sources rather than address the corruption allegations.
- Police surveillance revealed in case of journalists investigating Loughin Island Massacre where police colluded with UVF to protect informants
- Police tracked phone records of anyone contacting press office to identify officers speaking to journalists off the record
- MI5 and GCHQ held so much material on BBC journalists in Northern Ireland they claimed insufficient time to review it before tribunal
- Surveillance used traffic cameras and other TV-style techniques to monitor journalists making documentary critical of police
- Police were surveilling their own watchdog (police ombudsman) to find who leaked information about their failures
" The police put an awful lot of effort into protecting potential killers who did tell them things and going after journalists who wouldn't tell them stuff. "
" These are not people that you want to get on the wrong side of. The police who are looking into your sources are the people being accused of collaborating with the very bad people and therefore might well give your information to the very bad people. "
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