Friday, August 03, 2007

Fanbloodytastic

Just got to TV Centre to be told that Newsnight are dropping the blogging feature because of the Foot and Mouth outbreak. Fantastic. A one hundred and forty mile round trip for nothing. Still, that's showbusiness!

50 comments:

@molesworth_1 said...

oh dere...hem-hem

PJ said...

Doubtless 80% of my own country will soon be off limits again because of a bunch of farm animals that it would be cheaper to import anyway.

Hughes Views said...

Oh dear - Tories suffer from bounce again...

Theo Spark said...

Hate to say I told you so!!

Bird said...

The Bogeyman can't believe his luck. He's bored to death on holiday with his wife and kids and he gets an urgent message:
Foot and mouth disease!
Yippee! On with the suit and tie and back to London.
He can see headline tomorrow in the Daily Mail:
Brown Leads from the Front.
PM shows true leadership in the country's latest crisis. A serious man for serious times.
How lucky we are. And where's Cameron?
I'll tell you where he is. As the cull begins, the bugger's in France!

Fidothedog said...

Whats the odds the farmer claims he is a "hindu" and the whole thing gets dragged on for months as a result...

Daily Referendum said...

How long before this is blamed on climate change?

Gordon Brown said...

I hope thst they pay you for your incovenience. That is a bloody disgrace.....

Tim said...

Oh well, that's show business. La-la-la. So sorry that you got bumped, Iain... but happy that you could segue it into your flow.

PS - 'bird', why don't you spend a little time seeing how my local (Tory) MP reacts? I'm sure that you'll be equally receptive when she rushes home to play the heroine.

jailhouselawyer said...

So, this minor operation you had recently was something to do with you sticking your foot in your mouth is that it?

Newmania said...

He went out there a star and he came back a chorus girl.

Oh christ if I have to listen to Gollum Brown pretending to care about the farmers I am going to puke . If he puts wellies on thats it I`m emigrating ..Leaving the country in his hands is like leaving your kids with Chris Langham for the Evening .
" Hallo little citizens we`re going to play a game called stealth tax...but we can`t tell mummy "

Tim said...

PS - Iain, I seem to recall you laying claim to a rural background. Perhaps you can delve deep inside yourself and find something to comment on other than your missed opportunity to appear on television and pose as our representative.

jailhouselawyer said...

Theo Spark: I don't believe for one second that you hated to say I told you so. It must have come close to being better than sex...

BTW, word verification lifety.

That's lifety for you Iain...

Tim said...

I believe the judge said "Eleventy to Lifety", but I'll let that go, John.

Iain Dale said...

Tim, if only I understood what 'segue into your flow' meant.

And I see you are back to your insulting self again using phrases like "pose as our representative". Do you "pose as our representative" when you appear on that Sunday night 5 Live show, No, thought not. I represent no one but myself.

As for foot and mouth, I do indeed come from a farming background. When I have soemthing original to say on the matter I am sure you'll be the first to know.

By the way, you don't seem to have voted for your 20 favourite blogs yet. I assume you approve of the way the process has been thrown open this year after your virulent criticism last year. But then again...

Wrinkled Weasel said...

"Leading political blogger" mentioned in the Newsnight intro, and I watched it specially, only to find it had been dropped. "No, it can't be Iain Dale" I thought, he is off sick.
So how come you could do 140 mile round trip sitting on a rubber ring?

Theo Spark got it spookily correct. Er Theo, I'm planning to seduce an acquaintance next week. Can you tell me if I will get lucky, and perhaps a weather update if you have the time.
Thanks.

jailhouselawyer said...

I seem to recall this thing on 18DS about the mainstream media. So, it was really only a desire to break into it? At least there was a genuine reason for your non appearance...

Chris Paul said...

This drive was not entirely in vain Iain. You have earnt yourself the solace of this post.

jailhouselawyer said...

Tim: Unlike Iain, if I don't know what something is I Google it. LOL.

Iain: Yoga and pregnancy...

Tim said...

Please excuse me, Mr Leading Political Blogger. I do apologise for misreading what is obviously a mere introduction into a wider piece.

(waits)

PS: On your last 'point', I distrust any debate or discussion conducted or initiated by you, because I know that you don't commit to anything that doesn't serve your own personal/political agenda.

Iain Dale said...

LOL so rich coming from you...

Tim said...

Following a month of accusations minus evidence from the Tories (that you endorsed) and a month of evidence about Tories (that you ignored)... I think that comment qualifies as projection or an outright attempt to deceive.

Thanks, Iain.

Now, about the immediate impact on the Surrey economy... Cranleigh Show, possible A3 closures/difficulties, as-yet-to-be-determined-Defra goose-stepping/belated-over-compensation... do you have anything to add to this apart from you own loss of publicity?

Tim said...

No?

Didn't think so.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to try on my latest designer wellies and get some beauty sleep in readiness for a series of photo-ops tomorrow.

Tapestry said...

When foot and mouth broke out in 2001 it was kept secret for months before the public were told. By which time the disease had spread far and wide.

I hope that this time this is genuinely the first incident. Only when the disease crossed from sheep to pigs was it made public last time. A pig farmer up north was accused of catching the disease from imported meat he'd bought as swill from a Chinese restaurant. It was all baloney put out to cover up the fact that many had advised that importing meat from South Africa where the disease is endemic was bound to bring it to Britain. Blair did not want his Mandela PR moment spoiled, so they fabricated the narrative to suit.


I hope they don't create the bloody mess of last time with 6.5 million perfectly healthy animals slaughtered.

Vaccination will contain the disease, but last time it was not permitted to be used. Or at least any farmer that vaccinated and still got the disease in his herd would not receive full compensation, so farmers decided not to vaccinate, causing a far worse outbreak.

The mess and mismanagement was so bad, you could almost believe it was deliberate.

Newmania said...

when you appear on that Sunday night 5 Live show,

..and I was thinking it had to be Tim`s magisterial command of the contemporary political scene that got you out of your cave (snicker)

Gordon's a curse on the nation said...

Just listening to the news about Foot & Mouth, is it me or is Gordon Brown a CURSE on the country?

Nation flooded, Foot & Mouth.....we'll have a plague of locusts next.

Tapestry said...

From DEFRA website -

'A 1km temporary restriction zone was placed around the premises earlier today whilst investigations and testing were completed, in line with domestic and EU legislation.

"The European Commission has been informed'

Interesting how our agriculture is run from Brussels, has been for 30 years and yet no one knows that it is.

No word yet from Defra as to what should be done by farmers. Should the ones near the infected farm vaccinate? Yes or no?

Why is it taking more than 30 seconds to tell them?

Will the outbreak be used to crucify farmers and unnecessarily kill millions of animals as it was last time?

Brussels wants British farming ended. Foot and Mouth in the past has been used as a way to drive farming out. What's the Brussels game going to be this time?

Unsworth said...

Iain,

So it is Kirsty Walk after all..

Still, not good manners on their part let alone the fact that they seem unable to pick up a phone. That decision must have been made some considerable time earlier than transmission - as you know.

Noblesse Oblige.

As to Foot and Mouth, well they managed to royally cock-up dealing with the last outbreak so maybe they've now learnt from their mistakes - at our great cost of course. Let's see if they manage to do any better this time, eh?

But at least Margaret Beckett is not on our screens spouting her usual schoolmarm platitudes. It'll be control-freak Brown doing that instead. What is the point of appointing Ministers when the Cabinet is actually a one man band?

Tapestry said...

from Jeffrey Titford MEP who publicised that the government had kept the FMD secret for four months in 2001...

The DEFRA mentality is to seek aggressive control over everything, without taking any of the responsibility. This is a major cause of anger and despair among livestock owners and yet the current threat, from very serious diseases, clearly demonstrates the need for mutually beneficial cooperation, rather than confrontation.

'As to the EU’s role in all this, readers will remember that I have regularly highlighted the fact that the Commission has miserably failed to implement its own requirement for member states to have contingency plans for dealing with foot and mouth epidemics.'

Jeffrey Titford website under 'agriculture.

The outbreak is already a day old and yet there is no programme yet to deal with it. DEFRA's announcements says ' we've told Brussels' and that is about it so far.

Rachel said...

Oh, bad luck Iain. I am addicted to Newsnight and was looking forward to seeing you

Justin said...

Here that, Iain? That's the sound of Britain's farmers' hearts bleeding for you. Yours is a much greater nightmare than the one they now face, obviously.

Get some perspective, eh? Do you represent a hitherto unknown 'sod the farmers' wing of the Tory party or were your reserves of sympathy exhausted in Rwanda?

Rachel Joyce said...

I completely agree with tapestry's points. We don't have a sensible approach to farming, mass transportation or animal public health.

Rachel Joyce said...

By "we" I mean this country under Labour.

Iain Dale said...

Justin, do us all a favour and get down off your high horse. Glad to see you have backed up your little friend Timmy as usual.

I posted a brief entry from my blackberry to explain to people who might have been watching why I wouldn't be on Newsnight. WTF is wrong with that, or doesn't it accord to rule 47 para 1 line 3 of the Tim Ireland Rules of Blogging book, which we must all obey or fear the consequences?

Don't insult people's intelligence with your idiotic remark about farmers. My father is a farmer and I grew up on a farm so I belong very firmly on the pro-farmer wing of the Tory Party.

Unknown said...

"Jonah" meaning a person who carries a jinx, one who will bring bad luck to any enterprise

This is Gordon Brown

Anonymous said...

Gordon is beginning to look extremely capable and effective as Prime Minister and he does seem to have had ample opportunities since becoming PM to demonstrate this. First - the bombings; then the floods and now foot and mouth. I am
beginning to have an awful premonition that he could just win an election. I hope to God I'm wrong but Cameron is certainly having an horrendous time both from malcontents in his party and a disastrous "bad press" during the floods.

Gordon has surprised a lot of people since becoming PM in June and he could just follow Philip Gould's advice and go to the country in October instead of waiting until the Spring when events may have turned against him.

The scenario could play as follows - He reports to the House in early October that UK forces have accomplished their mission and he is setting a timetable for final drawdown of troops from Iraq. The polls react favourably and Labour increase their lead over the Conservatives.

Immediately afterwards he seeks a dissolution. The only thorn is the EU Treaty and calls for a referendum but quite frankly the Conservatives played that card in 2001 under Hague and it struck no chords with the electorate then and it's unlikely to do so again.

As I said I hope I'm wrong but I'm beginning to think the unthinkable may just happen and that Cameron has peaked too early or that his favourable rating in the polls was merely an anti-Blair reaction by the electorate.

Daily Referendum said...

My viewing figures like many others are down due to the summer slump, to compensate should I:

1. Try to produce a better quality of post.

2. Post more frequently.

3. Visit more blogs.

4. Leave more comments on other blogs.

5. Or should I just go to Iain Dale's Blog and leave snide and spiteful remarks in the hope that it will raise my own profile?

What do you think?

Tim said...

'Timmy', eh? You'll be telling us to grow up next.

And nobody said you were anti-farming... just perhaps a little selfish.

(But, *that* said, thank you for finally maintaining comment registration as suggested in rule 47 para 1 line 3.)

Eric said...

Brown taking his Holidays in Dorset was a brilliant piece of PR, the Public like that sort of thing. Being on Hand to immediately take charge of the Foot and Mouth outbreak an added bonus.

Of course Dave taking his Hols in France achieves the opposite effect. As with the floods, the public now see Dave as always being out of the country in times of National crisis, clocking up his Air Miles.

As long as the Foot and Mouth is handled well, Brown would be bonkers not to go for an Autumn election. After which, NuCon can dump Dave and appoint a Tory as leader, without any loss of Face. Everyone's a winner.

Tapestry said...

voter x. you clearly don't visit guido. As regards Gordon, the Yanks are not that impressed.

http://www.guynews.tv/2007/08/brown-meets-bush.html

even though he's outpoodling the poodle.

Tapestry said...

The anti-Cameron stuff has been so overdone, people are tiring of it. See the comments section under Heffer's article today.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2007/08/04/do0403.xml

And the Guardian are beginning to back away from their month long pumping the bounce, and the push to a GE.

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/columnist/story/0,,2141502,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=19

and much doubt has been cast on the accuracy of the polls giving Gordon his lead anyway.

http://politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2007/08/03/but-why-are-more-people-saying-they-will-vote-tory/

Justin said...

Oh, do go on, Iain.

The Hitch said...

TIMMY
try this link

http://www.piepalace.ca/blog/asperger-test-aq-test/

Its a test for autism/apsergers

It may help you to come to terms with your very obvious problem.

Sir-C4' said...

Gord has been cursed by God

Anonymous said...

Looking for sympathy? go to mummy not your blog.

James Higham said...

There's a funny little instrument called the telephone, Iain. Check ahead, no?

Iain Dale said...

Zin Zin, go back to your own pisspoor blog and don't bother coming back here.

Lord Trafalgar, a good point, apart from the fact that they made the decision after the programme had started...

Newmania said...

Shame there is a such a lot of background bibble on this thread there are some intersting posts in amongst the needy dross.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the insult, officer Dale.

How about providing a link to JHL's blog? If you want to be considered a man of honour.

Iain Dale said...

The link was added two days ago. look at the blogroll.