Busy Doing Nothing: Terrible Tory Twolls Rattle Rabidly

Iain Dale didn't have anything to say this morning but he said it anyway here. Ironically it is on the theme of not having anything to say. Gordon Brown has of course trailed today's speech in reasonable detail allowing our dear queen to speak for just five minutes or so in what is demonstrably all pageant - particularly the fawning Straw - and limited policy.

Seems to me that Brenda will wish to be on her feet less and less as the years pass. This is the way it will be from now on. And if Charles doesn't abdicate or pre-decease her he'd do well to stick to five minutes too. Gordon will take part in a detailed debate this afternoon.

Moderation in everything at Iain's really is getting in the way. I'm not saying he should abandon it. That would be ill-advised given the stuff that he's let through. But he abandoned ship after 90 minutes with just eight publishable comments. And then there is nothing new for 2.5 hours. And all on the subject of "nothing new here"!

Steady as she goes is not such a bad thing from my point of view. Newness for the sake of it and initiative-itis was often highly alarming under the hyper-active Blair. I'm glad to see the back of it myself. Nice to see the lonesome and penniless Blunkett getting some pin money if Strapworld is right and Yorkshire's favourite Sun ... columnist gets to mind the yellow school buses programme.

And what a tremendous blog Strapworld maintains. Do go and take in its splendour. All that since August too.

Lovely to see Patrick (who owns to having no blog at all) and Fidothedog, here riffing delightfully on bricks in faces, offering their graceless personal attacks. With former Islington Tory now Lewes Gingavitist Newmania - in his own words "feeble" - adding more.

Digging at Gordon's lack of sight in one eye (Fido), calling him sweaty and identifying him by race and ethnicity (New), and naturally some Goveian psycho babble (Pat).

Almost in one-legged Lithuanian lesbian territory. But as yet not one of these Tory devils has come up with a Gay Gordons line. I suppose that's something. Give it time, give it time.

This is the face of the modern, cuddly new Tory Party?

UPDATE 18:15: Five hours later. Still no more comments and no more posts.

UPDATE Wed 18:37: The predicted Gay Gordon comment came at 15:30 or thereabouts but was only posted with 30 or 40 other comments later yesterday evening. At that point Iain also told his readers that he had been personally struggling all day with funeral arrangements for his Godmother, and also probate and grasping solicitors.

Iain has visited here and asked if I'm "plain stupid" and said I have a "lack of human compassion" for posting this response to his post. In fact I have not been taking him to task much over the last couple of weeks. But I thought he was back in business.

I have replied in comments apologising for any offence, empathising completely with his loss and congratulating him on his heartfelt eulogy. But at the same time wondering why he didn't keep us informed. And also why, if he couldn't handle a response such as the above without insulting and smearing people, he had posted the provocation in the first place.

Smears and crass insults are the currency of his commenters 365 days a year, and he often uses the same formulas. But nonetheless in pointing that out I had no intention whatsoever of hurting Iain and once again I apologise publically for that.