Thursday, August 07, 2008

Iain Dale Wets His Pants: Changes at Think Tank


Iain Dale seems to have gone way Over the Top on a couple of changes at The Smith Institute. Chief Exec Wilf Stevenson has left, and that is reflected at the staff list. Guido and Iain also claim that Chair of Trustees - Lord Haskel of Higher Broughton - is also off, but that is not reflected on the web.

Guido - currently sporting a tag and enjoying a curfew at 9pm following the latest of his four convictions involving combinations of drunkeness, violence, uninsured driving etc - is a bankrupt tax avoider with a cavalier attitude to truth and newsworthiness.

The BBC and the other mass media are yet to catch up with this hot news, still less wet themselves as we see at Mr Dale's who declares a think tank deceased after a modest staff/trustee turnover of around 12% if the good Lord has indeed gone.

Mr Dale and a Mr Boles were Trustees _and Director respectively_ of a Think Tank named Policy Exchange which is being credited with a great contribution to Tory policy and campaigning. They both left - _with Gove having recently departed to Westminster_ - and rather than folding the thing went from strength to strength.

Mr GuF meanwhile appears to have his own junior think tank using the sun shining from his hole as their logo.

LESSONS IN HATE Fri 09:51: From the Policy Exchange Think Tank whose Wiki relates key personnel and the mosque mock-up controversy that shamed them.

Founders were Tories Nick Boles (advised Boris to employ Ray Lewis, now advising Cameron), and Michael Gove (strange cove and NUTS TV fellow traveller), and current or at least latest Chair is one Anthony Browne (now mayor Johnson's controversial policy advisor). Former Trustee (ineffective and non-attending) was that other Tory Iain Dale. The Charity Commission have not carried out an investigation into Policy Exchange but did comment on some similar concerns to those around The Smith Institute.

Dean Godson himself - as seen squirming on Newsnight and threatening those writs that never arrived - is from a dynasty of right wing propagandists and dirty tricksters. They had the temerity to suggest that while SIX of EIGHTEEN alleged invoices from mosques subjected to tests were found to be possibly/probably/
definitely hooky, "the vast majority" (that's TWELVE) were not.

So that's alright then.

CLARIFICATION Sat 14:55: Lord Haskell has not "resigned" as Iain claimed, saying this was repeating a GuF claim. In fact the Higher Broughton peer simply moved out of the Chair, allowing Lord Murray Elder (of Kirkcaldy as it goes) to step up. That was WEEKS ago.

5 comments:

Iain Dale said...

Yes, and Saddam's tanks are about to liberate Baghdad. Comical Chris. Has a certain ring to it dontcha think?

Anonymous said...

You should stop being the Labour Party's dumbist-apologist-in-chief once in a while.

Have a day off from time to time...

Ted Foan said...

Wot? No response to "Wet Pants" Dale yet, Chris?

Or are you really taking time out from your chief occupation as noted by the dead voice of the esteemed John Smith, who I belive had an institute named after him?

Chris Paul said...

Comical Chris? Oh dear Iain, that's so weak, so very weak. Policy Exchange is credited with getting Boris elected and with major advances in Tory "policy" - as well as with blatant Islamophobia, building on Dale Godson's gael-ophobia - they have yet to be investigated. And you and Bolesy were Trustees of that - but as noted it didn't fall apart when you left.

Here's a scoop for you ... Gordon Brown has had talks with the Smith and when he finally stands down as PM/Leader he will take over the top job. Where were Guido's spies when that bombshell was arranged?

Anonymous said...

Policy Exchange have been investigated and the report was released on the same day.

They were entirely cleared.