Tory Trouble: Good Lord, Ashcroft = ex-NF Organiser

Labour supporting Ministry of Truth has a heartening attitude to a Tory candidate who was formerly an NF Organiser. More rejoicing over one sinner and all that jazz. Tories want to chuck the man out. I'll join the Ministry in calling for fair play. Mr Ashcroft (no relation) stuck his archives in a public Library to cement his rehabilitation.

The story has also been broken on the The Politics Show (West Midlands segment - Click 'Latest Programme').

Tory Councillor: Interviewed by Police Over Looting of £15,000 BMW Bike

Recess Monkey is pointing at this story in the Mail about a Tory councillor who made a big fuss about the looting and has now been interviewed by police over taking a motorbike without submitting a salvage form.

This fine upstanding gent is up for re-election, or not, on Thursday.

Dizzy and Guido: McCarthyism Red in Tooth and Claw

DizzyThinks has a story about a "Labour connected" PR agency picking up £1.8M from work for the DCLG (aka ODPM) and Treasury.

Tribal are a recruitment firm that specialises in national and local government and the third sector i.e. charities and causes. This total very likely includes the advertising space they have bought - on which they will retain 10-15% commission - as well as head hunting services, venue charges for recruitment exercises and the like.

The Labour connection is through one director of a subsidiary called Geronimo Communications who used to be an "insider". GC were dubbed the Number One Consumer PR Agency by PR Week for 2006.

I'm not sure this story amounts to a tin never mind a hill of beans. No feeding frenzy necessary.

No information is provided on the various other Departments and who they each use for head-hunting, space-buying and artwork. Perhaps one or two of these have members or former "insiders" of other political parties working for them or their subsidiaries.

There seems to be a problem in Tory blogging circles of anyone who has ever been Labour working anywhere else in the public sector, charities or the service industries which rub along with government. Kinda like McCarthyism. Support Labour? Go on the dole. Very old school.

GUIDO'S STORY is about Labour peers being forced to do more of the quango work as the Tory peers are otherwise engaged in commercial boardrooms. Something like that anyway.

Local Elections: Who's Counting When

Those awfully nice people at 18 Doughty Street - Politics for Adults have blogged a list of which authorities are counting when.

Bethnal Green and Bow Selector: Some Numbers

Following the exits of Abbas, Khatun and Huq - in line with expectations after the nomination rounds - the standings were Ali 132, Rahman 112, and Biggs 96.

Ronnie's further preferences broke in favour of Rushanara who triumphed 185-131.

378 votes were cast in round 1, 26 by post mostly to Ronnie. The turnout was a little under 80%. Though 60% of these stayed away from the final hustings.

Critical success factors: Oona King's support. And mid-process recruitment of Anwara Ali's lead cheerleader Ghulam Mortuza and family. Anwara pulled out towards the end of the nomination process when she also tried to organise a boycott by all 'Deshi candidates - presumably wrongly expecting a Biggs victory. The Mortuzas are I'm told ex-supporters of Respect.

Off message quote after the selection: "Blair Babes were alright in 1997, but this is 2007."

MAIN GRAPHIC: Rushanara quoted in 2001 for IPPR.
RUPA HUQ: has a Satirical Survey Response.

(s)Miles Better: Tory Hissy Fits Denying Homophobia

Miles Barter's report of some dinosaur Tory Boys jeering at Manchester Labour's pro Equality stance has hit the jackpot nerve-wise.

Tory Boy leader Rob Adlard has had a bizarre hissy fit saying that:

1. Dave-id Cameron forced his team to have a stall at Pride. So they did.
2. Canvassers who came out with a pile of anti-Pride invective were in fact the only gays in the village, being satirical. Ha ha ha. How we laughed!
3. Chris Paul, for whom Miles was mistaken, should stop posting comments over at Adlard's.
4. Then again, he should post more as it's apparently good for business.

Make your mind up Adlard! You are a fibber just like Jake the Fake who pretended he lived in Manchester when he was out past Knutsford.

And how about the monstrous decision of Trafford Tories to try to sabotage the Metro expansion - after they've already got their line - shows just what we're up against. Rochdale Lib Dems being no better.

Justice for England: Free the 50 Million

Iain Dale is sending people along to this. Mayday! Mayday! Mad March Hare with his blessing.

Says it is nothing to do with UKIP and BNP. And now he's protesting too much. No-one said he was a BNP sympathiser.

There seems little doubt that UKIP and BNP people will jump on this bandwagon.

The march site does of course link to the ever so reasonable far-right Freedom Association with all those respectable Tory grandees, MEPs etc.

Parbury: Heralding the New Republic and Lizzie Windsor Queen of Scots?

Parbury says he is agnostic about the Union, but cannot wait to see the back of the Scots.

Would it be the case that being not properly descended from James VI/I (right) Elizabeth R will have to pack our bags and go to Balmoral?

Taking all our parasitical family and their dull hangers on with her?

The Republic will be achieved before ere a bonny Salmond Leaps on their estate.

Terrific news.

Nigel Evans MP: "I've Been Framed"

One Daniel O'Byrne rang 30 minutes ago from the office of Nigel Evans MP. He informed me clearly that the offending picture - of Evans posing with Rotary chums at a charidee bash - was taken down from the MP's website to prevent further nonsense from the Daily Mirror.

The latter organ has in fact removed the story from their web presence entirely. Which may mean that the LOL Story is now the only web remnant of this sad escapade.

For my money blacking up is a pretty silly and bad taste way to go when it comes to fancy dress. See quote below. I'll not try to rank it with showing up in Nazi uniform but it's certainly not big and it's certainly not clever. Labour Cllr Bob Piper's pastiche of Cameron as a Mammy's Boy was also silly. Whatever Mandela himself may say that other Tory clown was in bad taste territory. Though I laughed out loud when the Indie's review of 2006 had a picture of the original Mammy's boy Al Jolson next to an item about the Tory conference.

The modern day Tories are trying to move away from their deserved reputation as bigots. However they are not succeeding because of incidents like this. Not to mention the more serious ones like that poet with her asian friends and old Col Blimp Mercer and his "black bastards" line. Because of rampant homophobia in comments on Guido's blog, never mind on the streets of Manchester. And because of a remarkable pattern of presumably careless rather than hateful misogyny over at Dale's place.

More on these observations later. Meanwhile the above picture shows Nigel Evans MP representing the all-party beer monsters group as the gongs are handed out for beer of the year at the CAMRA Festival.

As the Guardian coverage of Mandela's statement concluded:

Blacking up is often viewed as racist because of its connections to the minstrel shows of the 19th and 20th centuries, which promoted the mocking stereotype of a grinning, happy-go-lucky, infantilised black rascal.

UPDATE: Guido has removed my comment asking him to prevent the homophobic commentary rather than stopping the comments. Oh dear. Fortunately I kept a copy of it.

Bethnal Green and Bow Selector: Lady Arabella Wins

Although there was much speculation that "boring" white middle-aged "Ronnie" Biggs - second last to be added to the final shortlist - would storm to victory it was his nemesis "Lady Arabella Snooty" (as Biggsy's people joked) who took the win. The PPC's real name is Rushanara Ali. She was backed by the defeated former incumbent and girl-about-town Oona King.

Several accounts I've had of the final hustings - held two days before the vote to "avoid intimidation", or provide an extra 48 hours of it - gave that meeting game, set and match to Dr Rupa Huq, big sister of the Daily Mirror page three girl Konnie Huq. This success was due to forgetting platitudes and presentation and using the real P word with passion.

POLITICS finally made it onto the agenda in the last of six speeches in the final hustings of a two month campaign. Less than 20% of the selectorate attended the hustings however. Advice for next time (a) get the backing of the retiring MP or previous incumbent; (b) stick the politics in early and mean them; (c) get seriously organised. More when I have it.

SPOOKY TRIVIA: Clash Bankrobber on the stereo as Ronnie goes down.
SOME OF THE NUMBERS presented with a side serving of gossip HERE.

Burnage, Manchester: Claims to Fame

French Aviator Louis Paulhan won £10,000 from The Daily Mail 97 years ago yesterday (when this picture was taken) by flying from London to Manchester in about 12 hours.

In 1906 when the prize was put up plane journeys were measured in feet and inches.

Paulhan Road also got the benefit of Frank Duffy leaflets to celebrate the anniversary and Paulhan's wiki site was upgraded. Burnage at the centre of history.

GENEALOGICAL TRIVIA: Dad insists the family name Paul comes from a French forebear. Any resemblance?

Telegraph Website: A War Picture Library for the 21st Century "I really enjoy it"

When I was a lad Commando Comics and the War Picture Library used to have half a dozen standard stories. Most of the second world war ones involved evil Luftwaffe Stukas strafing our defenceless troops on the ground, though above a Hurricane is wreaking revenge. Achtung! Achtung!

The Telegraph brings the stories bang up to date with tales of derring-do from the heroes of the US airborne cavalry:

But for now, the American airmen are not losing any sleep over it. "When you are on top of the enemy you look, shoot and it's, 'You die, you die, you die'," Lt Denton said.

"The odds are on our side. I really enjoy it.

I told my wife, if I could come home every night then this would be the perfect job."

Of course there has been an outcry over our Navy people selling their stories and in one case getting falling over drunk in front of paps and being named and shamed for it.

However US Forces make a habit of talking like this to the media.

Videos are provided. As they are with this Telegraph story. Often with obscene levels of glee being expressed in the wild track sound as the "video games" progress.
Is this necessary or useful?

Workers Memorial Day: Saturday 28 April 2007

Source page HERE. UK Events Diary HERE. There is a memorial garden in the grounds of the former GMB College in Whalley Range. Should this now be moved? To Manley Park, Alex Park or perhaps to the Peace Gardens?

RADIO FIVE LIVE DRIVE: "You've Won an Instant Prize, Where Do You Live?"

TRIVIA: German police snared a miscreant who liked his beer by ringing with the good news that he'd won a crate of beer for immediate delivery. This reminded me of the flowers received by Buzzcocks leader Pete Shelley at a solo gig at the long lost International 1. Lovely they were. But the blooms included a blooming summons. Duly served and witnessed by "InterVATman". Say it with flowers.

Libdemolo-ageists: Youth, Not On Our Side

An extraordinary attack on a candidate purely because of youth from a party advocating voting, candidacy, porn acting, freeform yobbery and unfettered drinking for 16 year olds. Lib Dems: also claiming to be choosy about their candidates! Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

EXCLUSIVE: North West England, Lib Dem-BNP Pact on Council Seats?

More will follow when I get back from Burnage. In short there is written evidence of an electoral pact on a particular NW council whereby BNP and Lib Dem will each avoid hard campaigning in the others' target seats.

Action Stations: Manchester Tories Say Proudly that Pride Discriminates Against Straight People

Miles has the story at Action Without Theory.

Ladies Excuse Me: Hornsey and Wood Green

Parbury has slept off the effects of scoffing a whole Raspberry and Mascarpone Cheese Pie and announced another selection dance where the ladies choose. Entries must be in today.

EXCLUSIVE Another Tory Race Muppet? Nigel Evans Protests Too Much

Nigel Evans protests:

27 April 2007

Mr Evans finds the story printed today by the Daily Mirror distasteful, beneath contempt and will not be commenting other than to say the following:

"This was a Rotary charity function held in November 2006 which was a fancy dress party with a Caribbean theme. Rotarians and their guests came in all sorts of Caribbean themed costumes, taking the mick out of themselves, to help raise over £2000 for local and international charities.

"The funds were distributed to Water Aid in Africa which provides wells for local communities in order that people do not have to walk miles for clean water, an Aids Hospital in Uganda, a Mobility Project in Mauritius and a Local Hospice in Pendle."

Nigel looks forward to supporting the excellent work of those charities mentioned and others, as he has done over the past 15 years as an MP.

Presumably this isn't about his pleas for Moira Stewart?

No, it's this:

TORY MP AND BLACKED-UP FRIENDS
By Gary Anderson 27/04/2007
ANOTHER day, another Tory buffoon. This time it's Nigel Evans, happily posing for this tasteless snap with "blacked-up" friends in afro wigs and grass skirts.
The MP, wearing a grin even cheesier than his shirt, draped his arms over his friends at the Caribbean party in his constituency.
And amazingly, rather than regretting his poor judgment, the MP for Ribble Valley, Lancs, proudly showed it on his website.
Evans, 49, who served as Shadow Welsh Secretary, said: "They were dressed as Caribbean women.Have you seen the picture?"
In a later statement he said: "This was a Rotary charity function in 2006, a fancy dress party raising £2,000 for charities."
It is the second time in as many months Tories have been caught "blacking-up" after councillor Brian Gordon dressed as Nelson Mandela in a bone necklace.

Nigel has me wondering certainly. So I fill in his contact form:

Saw the item in The Mirror and checked your website. I have found your statement. But I cannot find the picture. So if you find the story distasteful and beneath contempt can you please explain why this innocent picture has now been suppressed?

I will be blogging about the story and am undecided which line to take but I will happily include your response to this question if and when it is provided.

We'll have to see whether that brings a response.

Shirl the Pearl: "Slowly Disintegrating Towards Us"

Was struck yesterday on Andrew Neill's Daily Politics to hear Baroness Williams' pearl of wisdom. Describing parts of the country abandoning the Tories she spoke of them "slowly disintegrating towards us". I would agree with her apparent point that lending votes to the apolitical Lib Dems is "disintegrating" though I'm not quite sure that's quite what she meant.
TRIVIA SPOT: Gang of Four colleague Bill Rodgers' daughter was a contemporary at University of Manchester and long time co-pilot of our union newspaper editor.
Sadly it all ended in tears after a one night stand on his part, in solidarity and experimentation with a dashing Kurdish revolutionary.