Saturday, December 22, 2007

Church and State: Does the Blair Wear a Pointy Hat?


So, what a gas, Blair has converted to the One True Church. Hurrah! Risking being called as a nutter.

Ann Widdy, who was in the early 90s rush-to-Rome with child burgerer John Gummer when the C of E allowed women to become priestly, has questioned Blair's record on abortion votes.

But Widdy avoided a perfectly sensible question from BBC journalists. That was about civil partnerships. Annie put up something totally forgetable instead.

Friday, December 21, 2007

Urban Dictionary: What's the Meaning of Clegg?


A triumph for Clegg but not sure it'll stick. Hat tip: Recess Monkey.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

BNP Unity: Richard Barnpot Becomes Balletomane


What a coincidence. As Miss Unity Mitford begins her stalking of Herr Adolf Hitler we learn from the Guardian that ballerina Ms Simone Clarke has forsaken her long term partner Yat-Sen Chang, the father of her daughter ... for Herr Richard Barnbrook.

The Guardian's excreable series of advertising features for the BNP get the credit:

"We were there to support her after the Guardian's investigation, so ironically the paper brought us together."

Said tricky Dicky, leader of the master race in Barking and Dagenham where there are a full complement of 12 disciples on the local council.

Unity Valkyrie Mitford, was born and named in the Canuck village of Swastika, performed an excruciatingly slow suicide, dying nine years after shooting herself in the head with the "harlot's gun" Hitler gave her as a life preserver.

Clarke I'd say needs Barmcake like a hole in the head:

"I'm not opposed to mixed marriages," said Barnpot back in January, "but their children are washing out the identity of this country's indigenous people". Now he says, with Simone's youngster to consider, that this objection was "educational" (sic). By which he may mean "academic".

And no Hitler was not the baby father, in fact there was no baby in that other tale, asserts a sprightly Jeffrey Archer (b May 1940) with a splendid click of the heels.

Phil Woolas has a Work Blog: Ellee Seymour Rips Into It


Ellee has discovered Phil Woolas's Bali blog. It is a ministerial number, making it semi-official rather than personal, and it is currently set to no comments. This last point causes outrage to Ellee who has been a defender of Nadine Dorries' personal prattle blog, set up as I recall with public money, and with a no comments policy introduced when the going got tough on Nad's bad science libel.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Cameron's Witney Conservatives: Blanket Coverage?


Hopi Sen has kindly re-worked a Tory statement on the Wendy Alexander donations to reflect the case of Dave Cameron who took four times as much from impermissible donors and having been caught out before the Labour story was broken by Tory researchers kept schtum in his two-faced condemnations of Alexander and others.

Maidstone and the Weald: Dale Over and Out


Let me be the first to offer condolences to Iain Dale at this sorry announcement.

Tory Health Charity Hijack: Ashcroft's Bearwood Barefaced


Red Rooster had an exclusive story yesterday afternoon about Tory PPC Caroline Noakes hijacking the logo and campaign of the Breast Cancer Care charity to front up a party political survey which has nothing to do with that charity. She says she will personally donate an unspecified sum to the charity for every survey returned. This morning Recess Monkey takes up the story with a list of some £26,000 of registered donations from dollar billionaire and sometime Belizean Lord Ashcroft's Bearwood Corporate Services Limited, and £9,500 from three other companies. £15,000 has also been donated by three named individuals. More than £50,000 of registered donations in two and a half years.

Nearer to home we have seen similar tactics. In 2005 John Leech MP stuck out a leaflet - alongside his Christie Hospital Cancer Hoax - about women's cancers. As I recall this too appeared to be endorsed by a number of charities.

In the infamous "Save Christie's Hospital" leaflet he posed grinning with various other Manchester Lib Dem councillors and stated that the Hospital needed to be saved from closure.

And these were even spread in hospital waiting rooms where chemo- and radio- therapy patients and their friends and relatives waited for treatment. Most of these patients and visitors were NOT members of the electorate in the constituency.

In the run up to the General Election that never was this autumn he stuck out a leaflet with a list of his various health activities, aimed at deflecting from his callous Christie campaign where his false claims clearly influenced some voters.

Recess has already run a follow up story stating that the Charity will not accept donations from the PPC and that as of the new year the promise of unspecified donations will itself become illegal. Nestled towards the foot of the Red Rooster story is this further claim:

In a previous campaign against John Denham, she (A-lister Caroline Nokes) sent out campaign literature with herself in 'provocative poses' to male voters.

We don't have a copy of such leaflets at the moment but the latest is top right (click to enlarge).

Tyrone Taylor: Tyrone Taylor Has Left the Building



Not a great video. A clumsy bootleg in fact. But sad to hear of the untimely death of Tyrone Taylor whose lovers rock standard Cottage in Negril became a huge hit in 1983 almost two years after it was cut. Hopefully a tape of the song from Sunsplash 1984 will become available and would be a much better tribute. A song written, voiced and produced by Taylor himself.

The Guardian obituary tells his story.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Lord Taylor of Warwick: Botox? Weave? Blokey?



Lord Taylor of Warwick reviewed the papers on News 24 last night. Extraordinary botoxy forehead, strange weave and and embarrassing blokey nudge nudge on Sarkozy's latest model.

Not sure he'll be asked again. But here is Lord ToW comparing grooming and double entendre notes with Lord Darth of Vader.

Tory Donor Sleaze: All Down to "Memory Man" Cameron


Ho Ho Ho. That sleazy donationed witty Tory MP Hopi Sen was on about was not BoJo as we wishfully thinked, but was his close Bullingdon chum ... yes, that's right ... David Cameron!

Labour MP John Mann wrote to the Electoral Commission to complain about the donations, and said:

"This is a shocking revelation. It beggars belief that David Cameron was lecturing others and questioning their integrity, when he has not even bothered to check that his own house is in order."

Westmonster's Cyborg Challenge: Man vs Machine


As well as narrowly beating off smart arse Chris Huhne today Nick Clegg has also close shaved a smart phone. Thanks to his hair. Which is rather unfair we feel to machines. They may be discouraged.

Libdemologists: One of Our Members is Missing


At 11:36 am Kerron Cross reported a facebook humbling befalling a Lib Dem MP that may be even more humbling than only having two mates and having to give up in shame. Facebook authorities apparently took out Steve Webb MP. Said they would brook no argument. They think he is an imaginery friend.

But here's the real Steve explaining that he may be a Libdemologist but he is real really. Honestly and truly.

In fact Mr Webb seems to be back, with 2587 friends to boot. The group Steve Webb is real! reached 200 members very quickly.

London Evening Standard: Mayor and Advisor May Sue


The Standard's latest is a report of what London Mayor Ken Livingstone termed a "stunt" by former LDA secondee Brenda Stern. One of many Andrew Gilligan accusations is that Livingstone's race advisor Lee Jasper caused her to be sent back early from her seconded post. Even though Jasper has no authority over GLA never mind LDA staff.

Gung ho Dale has drawn attention to First Post's story about the Mayor's relations with Standard editor Ronnie Wadley and his announcement that he may break the habit of a lifetime and go to law. Iain says carelessly that Ken and Lee "are to sue".

There is also a heavy hint that there have been some insider dealing on the Standard's charity auction where a dinner with Wadley (and presumably Gilligan? winner's choice) has been marked down to £771 when eBay bids had been running at over £4,000. Lots of Lots HERE.

Currying favour with Charles Clarke has already reached £405.

Tory Cover Up: Photo Follies Continue in Redditch



Regular visitors to "Kazzer" Lumley's website will have noticed:

(a) the top story under latest news is from 30 July 2007, and

(b) it was nowt but a photograph of Lumley with Dave-id Cameron.

This is a cover-up, though almost as botched as the original photo-choppery. Because although the picture (top right) with DC has been used to replace the source of the donation picture (right) with DC the website masthead (below) remains the incriminating same donor pic.

Political Penguin has spotted that Kazzer uses the same purveyer of duff webbery as the Midlands Industrial Council.

Genius Hat Tip: Hopi Sen who is also teasing about an about to be unveiled Impermissible Tory donor, possibly something to do with a "witty" MP. Let's hope it's old Boris "water melon smile" Johnson.

Libdemologists: Is Libby, the Bird of Fibbery, a Goner?



The question that wasn't on everyone's lips that should be? Where was Libby? Nine months ago the Lib Dem bloggerati vote to keep the bird of fibbery. But she was sadly absent from this afternoon's press conference. Above is how she might have looked given the virtual tie. But is she a goner?

Libdemologists: Calamity Clegg by a Short Neck


Clegg it is. By just 511 votes. Despite a late surge. 10,000 fewer grass roots Libdemologists voted than in the last leadership contest. Clegg got less votes to win than Huhne got to lose last time.

Almost 8,000 less than Sir W Menzies Campbell.

Libdemologists: 10 Mins to Start of Rest of Their Lives


Will it be Calamity Clegg? Or Hypocrite Huhne?

Duty of Caring Conservatives: No Bullingdon Antics Please


Speaking of parties, here's the health warning for a Tory one.

Sir Richard Leese: Serial Photo Chopping Offences



While we wait patiently until 2:37 pm precisely when the new leader of those nice Libdemologists will be announced we can wonder how Manchester Council Leader Richard Leese above centre thought he would get away with blatant Tory style photochopping.

Not just once (above) in the Leadership's drinkies invites with Cllrs Stevens and Buffy Battle, but again (right) in stitching up Cllrs Karney and Fairweather in such unflattering frocks. Excuses here.

Hat tip: The MEN's David Ottewell who also reckons 'Twas a Major Error to mention the sleaze.

GuF Off Topic Comment: "Huhne By a Spliced Whisker"


Guido has been following the further Gilliganification of the Standard here, with comments as ever having a parental guidance sticker.

This one, just this side of midnight and not concerning allegations about London mayoral race tsar Lee Jasper, was off topic and clean too:

Around an hour or so now until we find out ... might explain why Huhne apologists have been rather active.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

OTT Tories: “We don’t want any fakery at our conference”


Hopi Sen has a cockle-warming story of Tory Double Standards. Just as Tory Boy Bloggers were overdosing on James Purnell's composite photographs and Tory Culture Spokesman Jeremy Hunt was making an hilarious Conference speech:

“We don’t want any fakery at our conference do we?”

Tories were doing the self-same thing, at the same conference. Karen Lumley PPC is the ghosted apparition, who even managed a makeover between takes.

Commenters at Photoshop News thought Purnell-gate a storm in a teacup though I expect immature un-Tory bloggers will now exact some kind of revenge?

LOL wouldn't dream of it.