I am boycotting this years Total Politics Blogging Guide.
I’m not so deluded to think that this place is popular enough to get in and so me saying I’m not going to participate is a bit like saying ‘next week, I’m not going to walk on the moon’. The same amount of effort is required to achieve both.
But I am saying I want no part of it. Rather than just watch the poll happen and have no part in it, by not voting for anyone, although there is a fucking huge list of people that deserve a vote in a propor poll, and also by virtue of being part of that niche blog genre I like to term Rather Shite.
The reasons are two fold.
- All the underhand techniques used by the Fail Dale to keep himself ‘right’ and the results of stuff like this poll with the right results.
All that stuff is understandable. The blog is part of Iains’ revenue generation machine. It is a small part of his TV appearances, speaking engagements and publishing ‘things’. It may not actually generate revenue itself, apart from a small amount from Messagespace, but it is where people can find him, where Iain can show off his expertise, his knowledge.
Iaian needs to be right on his blog, otherwise it will impact on his other areas. And a man’s gotta eat. Right? It may not be right, but it’s understandable. That’s business.
- The second reason is because Iain Dale is a cunt.
It’s one thing having a commentor leave a comment accusing someone of being a member of the Labour Party or refusing to engage in debate on neutral territory, so that you can’t control it, when you’ve been called on a point. It’s really childish to play the victim instead of just apologising for/removing the offending article. They’re relatively small things. Leave teh internets and these things disappear, or at the worst need a little explanation/can be laughed off.
It’s a completely different when help is requested and offered but then not given and still insistent that it was. Especially when the help is to investigate proper, serious accusations and isn’t just a load of hot air but involve the Rozzers, in the real world.
So there you have it.
Who needs a rigged and flawed beauty contest anyway?
2 Things, that are quite apt for the title.
The first is Nadine Dorries (yes, yes) has been tried to unsay things on her blog, here’s the original post in full via Googles cache (and I’m also using the same title so it should show in searches, hopefully)…
My Labour opponent had a very strong letter in the Beds On Sunday this week.
In the letter he deployed his usual tactic of distorting the facts, something I’m becoming used to these days; however, he also said:
“I fought for as a soldier in Iraq in 2003”.
Anyone who reads my blog will know how pro-military I am.
I stand in awe and admiration of our soldiers, their professionalism and bravery.
Only last week, I wrote of how moved I was when I heard a Scots Dragoon Guard use his moment on TV to talk about the moment a soldier receives his pre-assignment message: ‘ contact with the enemy is certain’ – and what it is that fires that soldier on, one of our heroes, into battle.
So, you can imagine, when I read the words “I fought as a soldier in Iraq” I was quite impressed. Gosh, thought I, good job I’m the MP or I may be tempted to vote for him myself.
Only, did he fight in Iraq? Did he go out into the danger zones along with the a regiment on Op Telic 8, and risk his life and limb side by side with our soldiers, for the sake of freedom and democracy? The values for which he claims to have “fought in Iraq” .
I will be interested to find out the answer.
Claiming to be a hero when you write a political letter as the Labour candidate in a newspaper is a very big claim indeed. One that secures advantage and wins you votes.
Let’s hope it’s true.
Via Wireman
(also available here as a .pdf)
Quite a scathing attack. Calling into question whether someone has actually fought or not. And here is the New & Improved post…
The local press are picking this up now, I will leave it up to them.
Anyone who reads this blog will understand that I have the hugest regard for all serving military personnel, TA, Army, Navy and Air Force and consider myself very lucky indeed to have two bases in my constituency. RAF Henlow, Chicksands and a TA training base.
I talk to many soldiers, regular and TA before they leave to serve, and as detailed in my blog, ‘A Soldiers Tale’, when they arrive home. I know and understand well exactly the danger and the operations they engage in.
However, the one thing I have learnt over the last few weeks is that in the battlefield of politics, one needs to be absolutely honest AND precise. Nothing less will do.
As you can see, quite a difference, with no mention of whether anyone has physically fought the enemy or just fought for democracy, which, unless one knew, would make you wonder what all those people in the comments were going on about.
Another entry on the catalogue of why Mid-Beds should vote for someone else when they get the chance.
(Update 06/06/09: Just noticed another proof of change)
Now, it is common knowledge that Nadine is friends with Iain Dale. They often post about various outings they have together. But, do you know how close they are? Apparently, it’s extremely close. So close infact, that Iains’ lawyers have warned Tim…
Dale regards my criticism of Dorries to be aimed at him. I’ve been warned not to persist #sackdorries
Er, so. Tims’ criticisms of Nadine Dorries’ behaviour, even when not involving Iain Dale in any way constitutes and attack on Iain.
Bwa hahahaha! What a twat.
My first post titled Irony was quite good, and involved Iain Dale. But this one is a cracker. And involves Iain Dale again.
(I was going to call this post something else and now this first bit doesn’t really work. I’m lazy and I like that post linked to so it stays.)
Tom Watson…
Mr Watson complained of an article by Iain Dale, headed “Smears, glowering henchmen-like the Nixon White House” published in the Mail on Sunday on 12 April 2009 in which it was stated not only that Mr Watson was copied into emails sent by Downing Street press adviser Damian McBride to Derek Draper, but that he “encouraged” them. The emails were reported to have made serious and false allegations about the private lives of a number of Conservative Party MPs in the course of discussing proposals for a new website to be known as “Red Rag”.
As the Court heard today, Associated Newspapers Limited now accepts that these allegations are entirely untrue. In fact, Mr Watson was not copied into any of the emails exchanged between Mr McBride and Mr Draper. As Mr Watson has already publicly made clear, he had no involvement in or knowledge of the “Red Rag” website and he did not condone the content of the emails and, indeed, regarded them as completely inappropriate.
Iain Dale on Chicken Yoghurt and Liberal Conspiracy…
Get your facts right
…and then gives a couple of different stories about having already apologised to Tom. Once in this post, which has no apology at all, and this one here that nearly has an apology. Well, Iain says an apology is owed, but never gets around to actually saying ‘I’m sorry’ or ‘I apologise’ or anything similar that says sorry.
What a card eh?
Now, in a similar vein, others, most prominently Manic has always had trouble with Iain and his comments with smears and accusations that aren’t true, as well as some more serious stuff recently (so many links to choose from, but this one will give you an idea, if you don’t already know), so, as Sunny says…
Smug? Oh I’m just happy you forced Associated Newspaper to pay out “substantial damages” and its now on the record that you have smeared people without fully knowing the facts.
But Iain doesn’t just smear people and let other people do the same in his own comments, he likes to control other peoples comments, one of the things that he used to accuse Tim of regularly…
The Morningstar: Iain Dale – Nadine Dorries and New Media…
- Comment amended upon request. So far she has not offered any explanation for claiming the amount of expenses. Comment amended upon request.
Comment by jailhouselawyer — Sunday, May 17, 2009 @ 11:47 am
- I hope you will delete that comment from JHL. It is entirely untrue and probably libellous.
Comment by Iain Dale — Tuesday, May 19, 2009 @ 7:33 pm
- Iain I have amended the comment. However, when I consider some of the comments I have seen you allow on your blog which attack other people on issues of both sexuality and on mental health, I think you should be paying far more attention to your own comments.
Comment by The Morningstar — Tuesday, May 19, 2009 @ 8:23 pm
The Morningstar: Iain Dale Lies and Libel…
Only last night self proclaimed leading UK blogger Iain Dale accused me of allowing an untrue and potentially libelous comment to be posted on this blog, here. The comment was aimed at one of his friends, that doyen of political blogging Nadine Dorries, I stupidly just gave in and amended the comment without consulting the author. At the time I didn’t want to start a ridiculous fight over a comment, mental health issues can suck the fight right out of you, but when I realised the the comment was essentially factual I Apologized to the author and posted a link to the relevant news paper story.
So Iain Dale lied to me, on this blog, in order to get a comment removed that was factual.
So, I present to you the King of Irony, Iain Dale.
