Standard Smearage: Dale Swallows Gilligan Cock Whole

Iain Dale is very excitable today. Nothing yet on Policy Exchange, although he was a Trustee during the first half of Dean Godson's crusade of the faulty invoices. But pretty busy.

Leaving aside various schadenfreude on Europe we have an unquestioning regurgitation of Andrew Gilligan's half cock and bull accusations in the Standard which can be read in full here.

Although Iain swallows the story whole and repeats the salient points without question there are firm and detailed rebuttals. Including a call for Gilligan to be sacked here and here and a press release on last week's vendettas here.

Meanwhile the Standard say this:

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But then go and spoil it all by publishing the following smear comment against afro caribbean people in general and Lee Jasper and Trevor Philips in particular:

Very good to see this investigation is taking place. All too often when fraud on councils, dodgy charities, so called policy units, takes place and involves afro carribs, they run off shouting racists, and racial harassment. It is disgusting that they hide behind and use the colour of their skin to exploit the taxpayer. Jasper I can assure you, like Trevor Philips, is a thoroughly nasty piece of work. Livingston has for too long been the lacky of the race peddlers. Please keep up this much-needed task of hounding these criminals.
- Mark Armstrong, London

I've suggested they remove it but I'm not holding my breath. Meanwhile Roy Greenslade's Guardian blog has this, with Gilligan himself following the thread rather obsessively.