Mr Davis said he was horrified by the 'totally false' allegation, which Professor Keith had refused to withdraw despite being given the chance to do so. Mr Davis's remarks, reported in the Daily Mail, in fact merely warned the scheme could further segregation. He said then: 'There would rightly be outrage if a council offered a whites-only housing block. I firmly believe that we should look to achieve integration rather than segregation in our society. This is the sort of thoughtless policy that feed extremism.' The shadow home secretary said last night: 'Michael Keith has twisted beyond recognition a reasonable statement I made three years ago. 'It is totally false and utterly misleading to say I called for Sonali Gardens day centre to be burnt down. It is inflammatory to the community. It is insulting to me. The very worst kind of politics. I expect a full apology.' Professor Keith, a friend of Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly, is a former leader of Tower Hamlets council who lost his seat to the Respect party and is now fighting to get back onto the council. He said: 'My remarks were clearly not meant to be taken literally but metaphorically,'
Yeah, right. If he cannot see how reprehensible such remarks are then he is not only not fit to stand in this council by-election, he most certainly isn't to be a member of the Government's Task Force on Community Cohesion. Indeed, Hazel Blears should sack him. She won't of course, because of the effect on the by-election.
On another note, many congratulations to Kulveer Ranger, who was today appointed a Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party in charge of Cities. He's a great guy and will do a fantastic job.
UPDATE: I have been forwarded an email from someone who attended the meeting at which Prfoessor Williams made his outrageous remarks...
At a hustings meeting tonight which I attended he said that "the Conservative shadow home secretary wanted to burn down Sonali Gardens day care centre because its for Bangladeshis". This is apparently a repeat of a line he took today on BBC London Radio - I have not listened to the interview, but have been told that he repeated this allegation in the radio interview - can be downloaded from HERE.
37 comments:
I find this entirely shocking and unbelievable; Ruth Kelly has friends?
I'm not familiar with the details but I'm partial to the metaphorical myself occasionaly. If we want to avoid "irony-freedom" as it is practiced in the U.S., and I sincerely hope we do, then perhaps we should get the full quote and context?
i very much doubt an apology will be forthcoming. the Prof's remarks have had his desired effect of getting him attention
I hope that this is not a sign of things to come from Labour, it is a pretty disgusting way to campaign!
Hate conspiracy theories, but is this not a bit odd on the back of the similar smears being made against Boris. One thing seems obvious, someone has studiously been keeping a file of Conservative commentary in the press for a while.
It is worrying because if there is a lack of careful checking and quotes are repeated out of context we see unfair and damaging reaction or headlines.
I remember hearing this sort of threat being bandied about on the web from the Brownites a while ago?
And they already have form for some pretty unsavoury below the belt attacks.
Like their master, the great clunking fist they lack the subtly of Blairs regime.
Kulveer Ranger? A vice president of the Tory Party? And following Saida Warsi, who was also made a vice chairman?
He'll follow Warsi to the Lords next, and all because he can't get a 'safe seat'.
Appalling.
He might be a nice guy Iain, but being nice isn't good enough for such promotions. He's been appointed because he's Asian, and a turban-wearing Sikh to boot. It look great in the media for the party. His appointment is racist.
No wonder Ali Miraj was p****d off.
You are so wrong. Kulveer is of the highest quality.
One can only imagine that the kind of 'speak' coming out of the NuLab bunker, is what goes on inside it.
They begin with identifying their political enemies. They then find some heinous moral crime to accuse them of. If there isn't anything handy to manipulate, they fabricate.
The attacks on Boris in earlier thread are no different. Those inside the NuLab tent think misrepresentation and slur is all perfectly normal.
They've lost sight of what is normal to the rest of society after living within their cultish bunker for so long.
It seems natural to NuLab dwellers to immediately accuse the FMD scientists of sabotage, whether there is evidence for such or not. This is all perfectly normal for them.
False accusation with no evidence of the most serious and awful kind is all par for the course, and entirely justifiable in their eyes to hold on to power.
Remember David Kelly. He was just for starters.
It is fear in the media that brings out daily Gordomania, praising the great achievements of his one month long prime ministership. Careers are lost in the NuLab world if one word is spoken against the great leader, or if foul words are not spoken against our dear leader's enemies.
Apologies? You gotta be joking.
A Stalin-like era is descending upon us, exactly as predicted by Gordon's colleagues. NuLab are hungry for victims.
I don't think David Davis is likely to act out that role too readily, but the NuLab machine wants evil damage done. Make no mistake.
Pity the Pirbright scientists.
Congratulations Kulveer.
I don't know if this is true, or bollocks, or what, but the entry for the 16th February here is illuminating.
http://gordon-brown.blogspot.com/
Unless you can quote what David Davis said at the time and what Professor Michael Keith said in reply, this is a non-story.
Iain, I'm really grateful for this information. I can now see this is where I've been getting it so wrong, and for about ten or more years, too.
I had understood that all statements made by NuLabour politicians - and would-be politicians - were always to be taken metaphorically. Is it the case some were actually meant to be taken literally, i.e. at face value? Good Grief! I mean, is the nation really ready for this?
Tapestry what great comment that is , you are on top form at the moment !!
No one can be surprised by this type of Labour scumbagness! All they have to do, is get some lacky to make bullsh*t remarks, and their pals in the media pick up on it (i'm damn sure the Beeb will oblige)and give it an wide airing so that the it does damage. This government has also been responisble for the influx of migrants into this country, because of the old Labour idea about such poor people being natural Labour voters. Perhaps they cannot now be sure that these people will be voting Labour, after seeing so much of their meagre earnings going to the treasury, so they want to convince them that the Conservatives are racist and hate them!
Good news for the Tories though, shows how sad and desperate Labour really are. It will help galvanise the Tories and concentrate their minds on the enemy.
Andrew, yes of course it is. I do so apologise for having the temerity to post it.
Perhaps you'd like to ask the Daily Mail to apologise to you too.
And then you can...
'My remarks were clearly not meant to be taken literally but metaphorically,'
This is the line the Channel 4 Mullahs are taking - "when we said kill queers we didn't, obviously, mean KILL queers..."
Wise words from Tapestry. There's no doubt the Brownites have been gearing up for a long time to launch the full smear monty (kept in restraint by Blair). Slurring the Tories on racism is a prime gambit. (check out the storyline of Party Animals - advised by John Kampfner - and you'll see how the BBC colluded in a softening up process to make it seem the Conservatives are racist at heart).
BTW - re. http://gordon-brown.blogspot.com/. This is obviously a spoof site.
"DAVID DAVis deman````.*sNkgrZZZZzzzzz........ shhhhhhhh . . . . snkgrZZZzzzz.........shhhhhhhhhh . . .. ..
Oscar Miller: "BTW - re. http://gordon-brown.blogspot.com/. This is obviously a spoof site"
Christ, this is a night for revelations! First we mustn't take NuLab pronouncements as literal and now you tell me this is a spoof?
It all looked so genuine to me before. What's happening to the world? Is it something to do with that foot-in-mouth disease they've found in Surrey?
If possibly distorting the views of some Muslim preachers deserves a reference to the CPS isn't using false allegations of advocating a hate crime?
Personally, I think an apology is not good enough. The Labour party for far too long have been doing this kind of stunt. If after legal advice it is possible to take the good Professor to court for slander then that is exactly what should happen.
Has Tim Ireland finally given up any pretence of sanity? I fear for his mental health.
Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly
Oh God.
Oh getting this kind of nonsense out in the open will be good. A wonderful opportunity for the Tories if you ask me to reach out to new supporters.
Iain
This all sounds a bit similar to last time you posted on 'Tory demands for an apology from Labour...'
Three days ago you treated us to: 'Labour overplays 26 year old's defection'
You told us that that Labour and the BBC were 'about to get egg on their face...'
You helpfully kept us updated through the day with a blow by blow, including this Conservative Party demand:
'We repeat our demand for a full apology from Leighton Andrews. Unless this is forthcoming the matter will be referred to the Commissioner for Standards.'
Well, today there has been a grovelling apology.
But strangely no update from Iain...!
But the egg is not on the face of Labour or of the BBC....it's Welsh Tories who are doing the grovelling.
PAUL MORRIS, Chief of Staff of the Welsh Conservative Group in the National Assembly writes:
'I sincerely apologise...and accept that there are no grounds for a reference to the Commissioner for Standards...
'I withdraw any such claims and will refrain from repeating them.
'I regret any inconvenience that you have been caused.'
Iain, now you know, I'm sure you'll wish to put the record straight. If Welsh Tories won't give you a copy for publication, I'm sure Leighton Andrews won't mind you lifting the full transcript from his blog at:
http://www.leightonandrews.blogspot.com/
Tapestry is not exaggerating:
"A Stalin-like era is descending upon us, exactly as predicted by Gordon's colleagues. NuLab are hungry for victims. "
Nulab assasination squads have had ten or more years to mature into an elite fighting force. Did anyone seriously think they would be disbanded when Bliar left office?
"How do we stuff the Tories?" they ponder. "Let's do them on racism; it' plausable and appeals to leftie leaning liberal guilt over being hideously white."
So Its really "David Davis tears the heads off little fluffy kittens - or it may as well be because thats the not very subliminal message, and, by the time it is refuted, the damage is done.
David Davis is in my opinion a man of integrity and stature as a politician who has demonstrated more than a conversational commitment to the poor.
This Professor Keith geezer is a nobody, an electoral candidate in The London version of Khazakstan where Whites will pretty soon be in the minority and where Mad George Galloway holds court.
Of course if a bunch of Muslims had actually called for a predominantly white housing block to be burnt to the ground, people would be falling over themselves to explain that it was TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT.
iyThis is far too serious to be written off as a political tiff. Davis should sue. It's a cast-iron case of libel, now that his words have been committed to print.
By fabricating this quote - which he effectively admits doing - The Prof has lowered Davis's reputation in the estimation of right-thinking members of society (that's right with a small R).
His remark was neither justifiable, fair comment, nor privileged. He should pay dearly for it.
The power of suggestion.
Strange, the amount of noolab bile being posted anonymously on "Iain Dale's Diary". Co-incidence, I'm sure.
And before someone points out (again) that Windsor Tripehound is not my real name, I will repeat that I do have a profile and I can be contacted via it.
'Pity the Pirbright scientists' yesterday seems prophetic today.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=473639&in_page_id=1770
NuLab have found their David Kelly. Now they'll crucify him.
David Davis should sue. There is too much of this from local Labour politicians round the country, I have seen plenty in Reading for example, they specialise in the Big Lie and David Davis has been called racist and defamed by having remarks attributed to him that he did not make. People in Tower Hamlets today will believe that David Davis made these remarks, and expect to see it in Labour leaflets too if nothing is done.
It is quite impressive how much effort (and outright lying) the Labour part is making to paint the Conservatives as racists.
That is to say that I am impressed by how much effort it is taking them for how little payoff: can it be that the socialism-enforced image of all "Tories" as evil, selfish, racist fat-cats is fraying about the edges?
It makes me more impressed with the Shadow Cabinet's refusal to sling mud back despite the number of wide targets that they have been presented with.
fairdealphil
wrote,...
Three days ago you treated us to: 'Labour overplays 26 year old's defection'
You told us that that Labour and the BBC were 'about to get egg on their face...'
You helpfully kept us updated through the day with a blow by blow, including this Conservative Party demand:
'We repeat our demand for a full apology from Leighton Andrews. Unless this is forthcoming the matter will be referred to the Commissioner for Standards.'
Well, today there has been a grovelling apology.
But strangely no update from Iain...!
Whoa, Mr Fair-deal (something of a misnomer that title). How's about the crux of the matter? i.e. the 26 year old's grossly exagerated status within the Welsh Conservative Party. Of course Leighton Andrews deserved an apology from the Tories for being wrongly accused as the perpetrator of this nasty piece of Press, but it doesn't codone the jumped up, self important little twerp that made the false statement in the first place. You're welcome to the little turd! Maybe he'll do the same to NuLab when he escapes to the LibDems or UKIP someday soon!
wrinkled: So Its really "David Davis tears the heads off little fluffy kittens - or it may as well be because thats the not very subliminal message, and, by the time it is refuted, the damage is done.
Grinds owl magnets underfoot would be a better image, or bites the heads of snakes. To be roasted. And eat.
For Davis has a way of getting to a boy, and his owl magnets...and in comparison to me...HE'S AN ANGEL!
p.s. tapestry is indeed on a roll. MMuch of what he says needs to be repeated, linked to, endorsed and visibly agreed with, for he speaks the thoughts many of us have.
I say we burn down Downing Street in revenge.
Oh dear oh dear C4, I certainly hope you are a black lesbian and not a white middle class bastard or you will get a visit from the plod for remarks like that. If I were you I would convert to Islam for safety's sake if you are going to encourage arson. At least that way the police will understand your anger and frustration.
Iain, has any apology been forthcoming from either the individual or the Labour party?
In fact has Labour even publicly acknowledged this as an unacceptable way to behave by a member of their party.
I have not seen anything on the Beeb reporting this, but then I don't suppose it will have been in the daily political news bulletin from Labour HQ!
Plod can kiss my backside. If being a libertarian is wrong, then I don't want to be right!
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