Saturday, July 12, 2008

Iain "Isvestiya" Dale: Pot, Kettle, Black


Oh dear oh dear. Iain Dale accuses Lib Dem Voice of being hypocritical for not covering problems with their MPs expenses as they would those of the Tories and Labour. In the specifics not critting Paul Burstow MP for taking too much stationery, or some such infraction. Misusing HoP stationery even.

He calls this "The Pravda-esque Quality of LibDem Voice".

But this is pretty rich coming from the right hand of CCHQ himself. He being somewhere between loath and very loath to comment on Tory sleaze problems. Which have of course been running at a high pitch of late.

From memory (excuse any errors Iain, you get the drift):

Dezzer Conway - no comment. MEPs - little comment in the first place. MEPs - no comment on the shallowest deep clean in history.

Oily Duncan - no comment. 1234 Shapps - no comment.

Mad Nad Dorries (for the same thing as Burstow, and also blogging on the taxpayer) - no comment. Nanny Spelman - not much.

David "Watt Tyler" Davis and Liam "Stinky" Fox - no comment. Sticky Fingered "Pork Farms" Wintertons - no comment.

Pot - Kettle - Black. There is no truth in Pravda (trans. Truth), and no news in Isvetiya (trans. News). There is no truth in Isvestiya (trans. News), and no news in Pravda (trans. Truth). Old Russian Saying, now corrected. Sorry, I was rushing ... thanks for correction.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Could you then please provide me with links to the, no doubt, many many examples of when you have highlighted Labour MP sleaze.

Pot. Kettle. Black.

Chris Paul said...

All the time, all the time. Well every now and then.

But anon, you really are missing the point here.

The point is I do not get on my high horse and criticize LDV for not attacking their own.

Iain however does. End of.

Anonymous said...

To be fair anon Mr Chris has commented on many of the Labour "sleaze" cases and tends to get it right most of the time. For example cash for honours wasn't going anywhere. Mr Chris said this and he was right. Wendy Alexander thing was/is trivial compared to Spelman and the host of dodgy Tory MEPs. He was right about that too. Abrahams is clearly a crackpot and Mr Chris acknowledged that while also pointing out that Huhne was barking to imply that planning permission for the detailed design of access roads and drains had been granted by a Lib Dem council following donations. Meanwhile Mr iain ducks most every issue afflicting the Tories in this sphere.

Anonymous said...

The planning permission you refer to was not rejected before a donation and granted afterwards.

"Cash for Honours" was indeed going nowhere. Unfortunately, this was becuase, in the words of the senior policeman investigating the case, a total lack of co-operation from major players in the scandal that "bordered on obstruction".

Abrahams, the apparent crackpot, is a former Labour PPC and close confidante of Tony Blair.

The Spelman case is one of misappropraition and subsequent cover-up - she should pay a heavy price for that. However, many of the Labour cases revolve around the purchasing of influence, access, positions of power and even changes of policy.

I know which one I find more corrupting to the body politic.

As for Chris Paul saying that he doesn't lecture. Well, really!

Anonymous said...

Nitpick, but your old Russian saying should be There's no news in "The Truth" and no truth in "The News" (V Pravde nyet izvestii i v Izvestiakh nyet pravdy), which is a better joke anyway. Only came here because Dale was talking about you, will slink off now...

Ted Foan said...

I'm still waiting for your further revelations on the Flying Lion "story", Chris. What's the hold up? Do you need a hand analysing the flight logs?

Chris Paul said...

Thanks for correction on Russian saying ... I was rushing, boom boom.

As for funds for influence? What about Osborne taking half a million off city interests and trying pretty hard not to declare these? Or Duncan £158,000 and a remunerated directorship of oil interests and again trying not to declare the former at least.

And what about the three (count 'em) attempts to give the generous donor and fundraiser "Lord" Take the Mickey Ashcroft a peerage, and acceding only on the basis that he would come home for tax purposes?

Iain Dale was/is asking for trouble criticizing LDV for this in this way. Obviously they are Lib Dems. They exaggerate and spin shamelessly. That's what they do.

Diablo: if you're offering help on Flying Lion then get to it. Clearly the loophole Ascroft buzzed through on that was not supposed to permit the mickey taking that ensued. If this was legal I'm amazed.

Anonymous said...

Doncaster District Labour Party
Sunderland Labour Group
Easington District Labour Party
Newark District Labour Party
Newark Constituency Labour Party
Rochdale Constituency Labour Party
Oldham District Labour Party
Leeds North East Constituency Labour Party

Anonymous said...

Chris. It isn't only Dale who doesn't like to report on Tory sleaze, you'd be hard pressed to find any references to it on CoffeeHouse either.

What's anon at 11;02 on about?

Anonymous said...

Chris invited people to provide further lists of organisations and individuals mired in Labour sleaze; hedge fund managers that are also Labour donors and all the other stuff that doesn't get reported here.

The last list is of various Labour parties that have been suspended by the national Labour Party itself for 'activities' including: corruption, sleaze, graft, bullying and intimidation.

Labour - the gift that just keeps on giving (and taking!)