Open letter to Jeremy Hunt MP regarding Peter Popoff

Jeremy Hunt, Memeber of Parliament for South West Surrey, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport. His website is here:
http://www.jeremyhunt.org/text.aspx?id=123

His youtube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/mpjeremyhunt


His email response to me of 15 November:

"Thank you for your email of 29 October to the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, the Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, about a programme broadcast on the Gospel Channel. I have been asked to reply on his behalf.
The Department has noted your comments. However, this is not a channel that falls under Ofcom's jurisdiction. Any complaint about the programmes broadcast by the Gospel Channel would be a matter for the appropriate regulator or licensing authority. In this case, this is the Icelandic authorities.
If you have not already done so you may wish to contact Iceland's Ministry of Communications through their website: http://eng.samgonguraduneyti.is/
More specifically you may want to contact the Licensing Committee within the Ministry at:- http://www.utvarpsrettarnefnd.is/.
Thank you again for taking the time to write.
Yours sincerely,
Steve Edwards
Media Desk Officer
Department for Culture, Media and Sport"


The Register of Member's Financial Interests:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmregmem/100927/100927.pdf

The Early Day Motion signed by Hunt regarding homeopathy:
http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=33006
His e-mail response to a question about him signing the EDM:
http://skeptical-voter.org/wiki/index.php?title=Jeremy_Hunt

An "Early Day Motion" is a method by with Members of Parliament can seek to have an issue debated in the Commons.
See: http://edmi.parliament.uk/edmi/

Ofcom's report on Popoff:
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/enforcement/broadcast-bulletins/obb113/

The email from the Icelandic Broadcasting Agency:
"I apologise for a late reply but attached is is Icelandic Broadcasting Act. The Broadcasting Committee will look into your complaint at it´s next meeting. Although a date has not been set for the meeting, it is expected to take place within the next four weeks.
Best regards, "

I will be responding to the Icelandic Broadcasting Licence Agency in the next few days identifying in more detail the areas in which I consider the Gospel Channel have breached/are breaching the relevant Regulations/Statutes.

Hunt's written statement to the Commons in which he describes the Goverment's desire for a "vibrant media":
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm100608/wmstext/1...

I will keep you informed of any developments.

Thank you to all who have helped and supported. I proper "shout out" will be posted soon.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• jeremy
• hunt
• mp
• south
• west
• surry
• member
• of
• parliament
• secretary
• state
• culture
• sport
• media
• olympics
• peter
• popoff
• conman
• charlatan
• fraudster
• deserves
• prison

[neurocrater]

the world needs more people like you, dprjones. muchissimo respeto.

[MrSonicAdvance]

Why on earth would anyone expect a response from an MP?!

Seriously, unless there is an adverse media hazard associated with your issue, you're pissing in the wind.

[lewars1912]

Good video.

[MalyshevEvgeniy]

I do not necessarily support Dprjones' position but I would like to see this matter resolved.

[spectrumglare]

No he wont do anything about that piece of shit taking money from people who don't know any better. He is a politician they like their religious counterpart are both full of bullshit and ambition for their own rise to fame and wealth. Good video mate keep up the good work.

[sean2mush]

At least DSP is able freudian slips entering his videos, Jeremy Cunt

[RaidenTheAlmighty]

If you are going to say that the situations are different, you need to give reasons why. If you can give a good reason, I'll accept it.

[dutchroll]

@RaidenTheAlmighty Sorry. I'd make a rational response but my forehead is bleeding. Damn hard wall, that one! :)

[RaidenTheAlmighty]

It wouldn't be a straw man because I didn't misrepresent your argument. Your point was that there are legal precedents for this kind of behavior and that Popoff should be punished. My counterpoint was that your definitions were a bit vague and that religious institutions also make false claims and ask people for donations. The intent of the different groups may be different but the impact is the same. So why is Popoff worse?

[dutchroll]

@RaidenTheAlmighty 5 days ago in these comments you accused someone of creating an "awesome strawman", and now you appear to be doing likewise with my argument. I'm not arguing that literally "anyone" should be prosecuted for soliciting "religious" donations. Fuck me, if you can't tell the difference between Father Jones' sunday-service down at the local chapel, and what Popoff does, we have a serious problem Houston. I didn't think it was that hard.

[RaidenTheAlmighty]

So the difference is that the church actually believes their own bullshit? I don't buy it that the church doesn't understand that they are guilting people into giving money or that many of their follows don't have enough money to give. I thought the point of this was that stupid/naive people are being taken advantage. According o you, it shouldn't matter who is taking advantage of them, just that they should be prosecuted.

[dutchroll]

@RaidenTheAlmighty No it isn't the same. Popoff knows that he is bullshitting and he has been caught out quite blatantly by Randi and others. Popoff operates on an entirely different level to your average suburban church asking the naively faithful for running donations. Churches generally speak reassuring and well-intentioned, but hollow religious claptrap which they seriously believe. This is totally different to Popoff, who knows, plans, and understands his deception well in advance.