Thursday, January 10, 2008

Peter Hain: How Was Blogger Fawkes So Wrong Footed?


The big question on the Hain case is why gutter blogger Paul Staines aka Guy Fawkes aka Mr GuF barked up completely the wrong tree with a disingenuous non-story storm in a teacup just as the real story reaches boiling point.

What is Hain's chance of hanging on after it emerges that his under-declaration of leadership campaign expenses still amounts to 17 donations totalling £103,000?

Interesting too to see Phil Taylor, Hain's former campaign manager, and a frequent recipient of Mr GuF's wit and wisdomlaying into his successor and sticking up for Mr Hain.

Hain's campaign was pants from start to finish. Hain is a maverick. I remember writing a report on a Regional Conference for Labour Left Briefing and commenting on the skilled "eyebrow work" of ministerial colleagues as Hain went off message over and over and over again. In quite an engaging if foolish way it must be said. But who wants a rogue elephant in a leadership role?

How did Staines/GuF get so sidetracked on such a non-story when this one was brewing is a complete mystery given that he, Staines, is supposed to have an inside track on this one.

2 comments:

Ted Foan said...

Hain has admitted he spent £185k on his failed campaign. Interesting that so much was donated after the result of the Deputy Prime Minister election had been declared.

Interesting that it has taken so long for him to work out what he received in donations and from whom.

A non-story? I don't think so. But then again, who are you to judge? How far did the Flying Lion story float?

Chris Paul said...

No Diablo. The story about the 100K is OK. It is the story about Picture that is crap. Hain obviously did some warm words in his job on that one. GuF missed the story really didn't he?

The Flying Lion story is ongoing. My brother is in Belize even now, under deep cover.

Watch the skies! I'm told Faraz Bhatti, the recent defector up here, is a plane watcher. Hopefully he'll get a go on the Dassault before too long?