THERE WAS AN ABDUCTOR, OR MAYBE THERE WASN'T

Blame the last government.  A brilliant quote I picked from Jill Havern's in response to the quandary David Cameron now finds himself in.   He may have misjudged the mood of the populous when he merrily handed over £3m of public money to search for the most famous missing girl in the world.   Eventually, Scotland Yard's finest would have to come to a conclusion one way or the other.  Maybe DC saw distorted surveys that led him to believe there would be rioting in the streets if the government refused to do anything for poor Maddie and that delightful family.

However, 18 months later and £3m down the plughole (in these times of austerity) and the public are going to want results.  So too, Team McCann, who must surely be way ahead of us, and already preparing their 'Keep the Maddie Review Open' campaign.  Who knows?

This is a problem that will not go away and it is implicating more and more people by the day.  The SY review team are in the embarrassing position where they cannot come to a different conclusion to the Portuguese review team, without a major diplomatic incident.  The only way to prevent this, is for SY to claim they have run out of funds and have to shelve it.  Its not the greatest excuse I have ever heard, its a bit like something made up at the end of 10 hour crisis talks, when the 'keep it simple, stupid' argument kicks in, and the one who gets the short straw has to announce it to the Press.

I have much to thank 'In the Thick of It' for, its like cramming an A level in politics into delicious and hilarious bite size pieces, so that you come away feeling the way you did, when you first saw Educating Rita.  But I digress.

Unfortunately, even that will not be the end of the matter.  At some time soon, the Portuguese Review Team will release the results of their findings - why wouldn't they?  It is in their interests to protect their tourist industry and the reputation of their own police authorities.

Of course this could support TM's claim that they are being framed, but without 'clearance' from Scotland Yard, this argument is significantly weakened.  The renowned NHS doctors want, dare I say, need, a 'Declared Innocent' certificate to hang alongside their diplomas and future grandiose schemes for enlarging the Madeleine Corporation Fund.

Cameron is indeed between the devil and the deep blue sea.  Politicians have got away with 'big' lies in the past, and over time they are forgotten.  This one however reappears at every anniversary and balloon releasing occasion (the main protagonists love the cameras), and the doubters are multiplying by the day.  Not least those upset by the waste of their hard earned taxes.

At the moment I think we are seeing spin at its finest.  Eighteen months and £3m later, people are going to want results.  DI Redwood has already embarrassed himself with his asinine comment that Madeleine is either dead or alive - will his grand finale be 'there was an abductor or maybe there wasn't'.

Cameron must ask himself, how many more are willing to go down with the ship?   Who would have thought there were so many armchair and proactive sleuths out there, who are unwilling to let the matter go.  This case has now gone so much deeper than a 'missing child'.  I believe whoever took that first call in the early hours of May 4th, acted first and thought later.  Maybe their head of spin was off for the night, and their decision maker was feeling all paternal and maudlin.  I have to say at this point, that I have no idea whatsoever what happened to the child, but people telling me I have to believe something, always bugs me.

My first theory, was the simplest.  However, now that someone has thrown in the whole question of the sale of the NHS, I am pretty much back to square one.

For any Pro's who might be reading, I have no problem whatsoever with being proved wrong.  It gives my opponent something to be happy about, and it enlightens me.