Yesterday I reported on the sick scandal of Cherie Blair and Alastair Campbell signing a copy of the Hutton Report for auction at a Labour Party fundraising dinner last week. Click HERE to read the original post from yesterday. I expressed astonishment that none of the mainstream media had followed up Jonathan Oliver's Mail on Sunday story. A correspondent has just emailed me to say that BBC London is now running it on its news bulletins today and Vanessa Feltz (!) is covering it on her phone-in. I'd encourage everyone reading this who has a blog to post something on it and for people to encourage any journalists they know to write about it. The whole country should be demanding an apology from Cherie - and preferably without her having to take an onion out of her pocket this time. Why, oh why didn't I hold off publishing the Little Red Book of New Labour Sleaze for a week? Mind you, the way things are lookingI could be saying that every week... Graphic hat-tip Tormedia
16 comments:
Not just blogs, message boards too, I got it onto a lawyers' gossip site and it ended up with a 60+ message thread about it.
I heard James Whale covering the story on his radio show last night. So even if the papers are ignoring it, it is getting some publicity.
Nick Ferrari covered it on his show yesterday morning apparently. Let's keep the ball rolling.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4488146.stm
Hoping for some of the local apparatchiks and journo's to pick up the story on Tyneside.
http://south-shields.blogspot.com/2006/05/hutton-report.html
Iain, is the story that a previous Hutton report signed by Alastair Campbell and auctioned was then resold on ebay correct?
The enquiry was supposed to be investigating the death of David Kelly and even now so many questions remain unanswered! Instead it became a row between Alastair Campbell and the BBC in one of the most cynical examples of "manipulating" a bad headline away from the real story.
I am disgusted but not surprised at this latest twist in a story which showed spin triumphing over substance, it might also explain why Cherie, Alastair & Co did not realise how distasteful this might be to the Kelly family or the public!
Full text of Early Day Motion demanding a public apology here
I wonder what actions may have been taken to resecure the signed copy of this report ? Clearly the image of the signed page will have considerable political value. ( I bet its already been shreaded. )
Knowing how journalism works, I am assuming the Mail on Sunday will have asked the Kelly family for a comment on this, and I am assuming that the request was declined. I would surmise that this was the reason the story didn't get such a great show in the MoS, and also why it hasn't been that well followed-up by the rest of the Dead Tree Press.
I imagine the Kelly family are absolutely sick of the whole wretched business. Their reluctance to comment does not, however, lessen the degree of crassness and insensitivity shown by Labour.
The headlines this COULD create could inflict a serious blow on Blair, already looking weak. This should be on the front pages.
Although legal, it sounds a far more distasteful way of raising Labour Party funds than selling Peerages.
I hope this story gets the full treatment it deserves.
But it might not go anywhere unless Cameron himself either raises it in PMQs or raises it with the media.
This really shows Blair's personal standards are in the gutter.
Could the reason for the general silence be that media notables were at the event? Perhaps they even bid for the signed report? Could a media notable have actually bought the damned thing?
Anyone got a guest list?
RM
Try and get Guido to do a post on it, Iain. That should help also.
Guido already has done so, and to help along...
http://makesocialismhistory.com/Default.aspx?tabid=389&EntryID=202
No sign of this story appearing as yet on Nick Robinson's BBC "Newslog" - quelle surprise!
Yes, it would have looked good in the book, it combines the worst aspects of greed, egoism and indifference to the sensibilities of others that is one of the hallmarks of NuLabour pond scum. Still, can't be helped.
Maybe if TLRB had been offered in part-works form - "building week-by-week into the definitive history of a bunch of opportunistic chancers....."
Better yet, how about the modern day equivalent of cigarette cards? With random print numbers of the various scandals (to create scarcities) and perhaps near-libellous cartoons on the back? If you can attract collectors, you've got it made.
Furtive swap meets deep in the Home Counties:
"Swap you an Aussie kiddie charity rip-off and an Ecclestone for a Robinson?"
"No chance, mate. But throw in a Hindujah and I'll think about it."
Caan't help but wonder if you've maybe missed a marketing opportunity, Iain.
Without surprise, I can announce that not a single Labour Councillor in South Shields, nor our MP David Miliband has responded to my requests for comments on the story, I'm off to check the sterility of the Miliblog!
Here's hoping "Big Dave" grasps the opportunity at PMQs.
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