I haven't written about Ali Miraj this week because I didn't want to kick a man when he's down. And the fact is, I like the guy. He's very talented and got a lot to offer, but he didn't do himself any favours by speaking out in the way that he did. I had assumed he had said all he had to say, and you know what they say about when in a hole stop digging? Well, THIS really doesn't help.
Ali is now alleging that he was offered a peerage by a female member of the Shadow Cabinet in 2005, after the 7/7 attacks. He hasn't named her, but only Theresa May and Caroline Spelman were in the Shadow Cabinet then, and I cannot see how either would have had any authority to do any such thing. Sayeeda Warsi was working as an adviser to Michael Howard at the time but would certainly not have had any authority to make such an offer. I was working for David Davis at the time, and was privy to most of what was going on relating to diversity issues and I cannot recall any discussions whatsoever of offering anyone a peerage.
Ali will be one of my guests on Vox Politix on 18 Doughty Street on Wednesday 15 August so I look forward to hearing his side of the story then.
UPDATE: Tony Sharp has been rather more direct than me in his fisking of Ali's Sunday Times article.
11 comments:
Peerages; Labour flog 'em for immense sums but the Tories can't seem to give them away!
But seriously folks Miraj really does appear to be basically totally cheesed off that Warsi got a peerage and he didn't. Personally I don't see why Warsi did, she hasn't earned it from where I sit, but I can easily see why Miraj didn't.
"I can't wait for 20 years: Asian Tory despairs of safe seat selection."
So Ali Miraj would rather have a peerage than become an MP? Tells you a lot about the man, doesn't it?
I think he's more suited to the Labour Party - bit like Quentin Davies - don't you, Iain?
PS: I don't like him - he's not a nice bloke.
He thinks his own interests outweigh those of the Party. If he cannot even get that sum right, I doubt he has much wisdom to offer about anything else. Diplomacy is certainly a weak suit. If he has any strengths, they won't be helping him any time soon now. He's blown it, excpet labour love to do business with our cast-offs.
Iain, you say : "Well, THIS really doesn't help."
THEN, you go on to provide him with another platform on 18DS - how will that help?
Hmmm .... ?
That said, these people seem bent on causing DC maximum damage - it keeps happening to him, so what is HE up to ?
Alan Douglas
"I...was privy to most of what was going on relating to diversity issues and I cannot recall any discussions whatsoever of offering anyone a peerage."
I would have thought 'diversity issues' relate to policy, but it seems in the Tories it is to deal with all aspects of ethnic minority members.
Is the Tory party really that outdated - that it needs a department to oversee such issues of race-relations among its members?
Do women also have to get approval from those privy to women's issues? etc etc...
Why give house space to this careerist two times loser who tried to blackmail Cameron? The committee considering his expulsion ought to be sitting now. Giving him yet more of the oxygen of publicity is surely wrong.
Let him find his own avenues to explain away his shabby behaviour.
This little spat is another fine example of DC's poor judgement. If he'd kept quiet the issue would have died and Ali's 15 mins of fame would have been reduced to 15 seconds. Or was DC "clearly put up" to this by malevolent forces pulling at his strings?
As I do not know Ali Miraj personally I have no such qualms about examining his article in detail. I do not like the holes I continue to find in his argument. So I have fisked the piece accordingly.
Aki has nothing left to lose; his dream of a political career is over and his reputation is in tatters.
He has every reason to want to get Cameron and there's nothing Dave do.
Iain
Has anyone from Party HQ denied that he was offered a peerage in 2005. If not Cameron looks to have egg on his face.
Dear oh dear.
Ali Miraj is an attention seeker. It's obvious that he has serious character flaws.
Ali - Adios Amigo! See you - wouldn't want to be you.
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