Friday, July 10, 2009

April Pond Has a Moat!


Look at this leaflet from Broadland Norwich North candidate April Pond. She uses it to display her local credentials. Nothing wrong with that. From Norwich, For Norwich, is a damn good slogan. Except, that is, if you're trying to pretend you live in Norwich when you don't. Alas, on her nomination papers, April lists her address as Shelton Hall, which is not only not in Norwich, it is 15 miles away on the Suffolk border. It's a very nice house though. Google Earth shows that it even has a moat!


Not that I am being 'remoatly' 'moatist'. Every house should have one. But seeing as though a Tory MP got the mickey taken out of him for having one, I'm not sure LibDem candidates should escape the ridicule. It wouldn't be fair.

Ms Pond refused to sign a Clean Campaign pledge which had been drawn up by the Greens and the Tories. Could this be because she knew she would have to give a rather false impression of where she was living?

Or could it be because she knew her campaign managers would be spending the whole campaign smearing Green candidate Rupert Read as an extremist? Shameful.


Anyway, later this morning I am driving up to Norwich to do some by election campaigning today and tomorrow. I gather that all Tory candidates are supposed to clock in and out like schoolchildren and get forms signed. That won't be happening. What a shame my printer doesn't work.
Hattip for LibDem leaflet graphics to Norfolk Blogger

73 comments:

  1. That's not a moat. It's just a big Pond.

    I'll get my coat.

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  2. I thought the Tory guy had the mickey taken because he claimed to have the moat cleaned, not because he had one?

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  3. Is that a joke... April 'Pond'?
    By the way, I live in Hammersmith. My local conservative candidate is called Bailey... Are there any Mottes out there? Or Motes?

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  4. any thoughts on the coulson/NOTW/yates story or have you been warned off blogging about this by tory hq


    Its quite remarkable how the media protects its own. shame on you and rest of the rightwing press.

    I wonder if blogger apporoval for comments is still on hmmmm i sense it will be until this story goes away.

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  5. It is an odd thing but you cannot help noticing that the "Nice " Party are appalling liars .
    Jason Sugarman the Tory PPC hereabouts has one thing that he can indisputably say in his favour . He has long record of working in local politics in the Constituency , he is local man and knows everything there is to know about East Sussex and its problems .
    The Liberal Party are perfectly well aware of this and also aware that making a living entails him working and living in London currently . Nonetheless they habitually describe him , in their numerous leaflets ,as a ‘London Barrister’ as if he has been parachuted in from some elite cabal . It’s a small thing perhaps but right from the start they are happy to knowingly misrepresen their opponent .

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  6. Talking of the environment, why is the Government concerned about car companies going bust if they want to encourage fewer people to own and use cars?

    They need to make up their mind about what thier policy is. If they were serious about protecting the environment, they shouldn't give a damn when a car company is about to go under.

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  7. The Greens ARE extremist. Read their manifesto for a sustainable society on their website. It would demolish this country's economy. They also have whacky views in other areas.

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  8. I know this is a terrible thing to say so apologies in advance, but April Pond has also got a face like a smacked arse.

    Quite put me off my toast and marmite.

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  9. Pond, moat. What's the difference?

    WV= sourfat I take that as a personal insult.

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  10. Can't help thinking your hat tip to Nich Starling may not be "helpful" to him.

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  11. The Greens are certainly a bit wacky and the Lefties do love their eco-terrorism!

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  12. Not wanting to be cruel or anything, but April Pond looks like Jo Brand - with make-up applied by The Joker.

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  13. If she's getting the taxpayer to pay for cleaning it, it's a scandal. Otherwise it's just a water feature.

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  14. @golden balls
    I wonder if blogger apporoval for comments is still on hmmmm i sense it will be until this story goes away.
    July 10, 2009 8:57 AM

    Give it a rest cant you golden bore,iain explained the reason to you for blogger approval twice by my recollection on two seperate threads.

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  15. Iain, did you see that Labour's Norwich North candidate has been outed as a former Tory?

    Things are not getting any better for them, poor dears.

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  16. Women named Pond has Moat???

    Anyway, the Lib Dems can smear the Greens all they want. I'd help them. The Greens are dangerous. No self respecting libertarian should give any credit to a party that is complicit in spreading the most pernicious lie every told, abolishing private property rights and the monarchy, and wants to destroy free market capitalism. The Greens must be stopped... at all costs

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  17. If she doesn't get elected she can still use a portcullis on her headed paper. Just take a photo of the front door.

    I'll get my moat.

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  18. 'any thoughts on the coulson/NOTW/yates story or have you been warned off blogging about this by tory hq

    Its quite remarkable how the media protects its own. shame on you and rest of the rightwing press'

    What ridiculous comments. If you want to read about allegations against Coulson, in which the police themselves have no interest, go to Pravda (the link is bbc.co.uk) and have a look. I believe it's still the main headline, above irrelevant news items such as the recent defeat of the government's proposals for incitement laws and Gordon Brown's suggestion that his policy on Trident might be reconsidered.

    These silly smears and gleeful attempts by Labour members to liken Coulson to McBride just won't work. There are too many distinguishing factors, not least the fact that accusations against Coulson relate to his employment before any involvement with the Tories. Besides, anyone who has incurred the wrath of Mandelson and Prescott has got to have something going for him: the enemy of my enemy is my friend, after all.

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  19. Every home should have a moat?

    If I did that, there would bare be room for my tennis court.

    (Truth in advertising compels me to admit that the tennis court is, in reality, a table tennis table. It was bought and is maintained entirely with my own money.)

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  20. God, I love this internet thingy. In the old days you'd have had to make the trip all the way to her house. Now, you can just load up your copy of Google Earth and zoom in on any address you feel like to check out the external features.

    I rather like Douglas Carswell's description. The internet is giant wiki-bull detector. If you asked her whether her home had a moat, no doubt she would stall and deflect the question. With the internet, not only can you say 'you have a moat', you can show her a photo of it.

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  21. Iain, The campaign pledge is worthless.

    The Tories have broken the pledge by claiming in leaflets that they wanted the housing scandal in Norwich to be investigated when they voted to oppose an investigation whilst the Greens claims to fight an honest campaign were shown up in the Euros when he had to issue an apology for smearing a Lib Dem councillor whilst the Greens own website claims credit for the "20's plenty" campaign which was not just a green initiative.

    The campaign pledge is worthless and a gimmick, but I see you are following the Tory lead in trying to boost the Green Party in Norwich.

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  22. Can't see anywhere in that article where April Pond pretends to live in Norwich - she says she was brought up in the city, that much of her family still lives there, that she's run businesses there, and her children go to school in the city.

    So where exactly does she give a false impression about where she's living?

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  23. "From Norwich for Norwich" does not tell any lies. It does also not say she lives locally.

    What about the Tory candidates claim to be Norfolk through and through, despite being from Kent ?

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  24. Moats, Duck ponds, Torys and Liberals!

    Oh, and bullshit!

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  25. Look you need a moat.
    How else are you going to keep the Black Knight at bay?

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  26. How dare this woman who owned and ran businesses in Norwich, and has family in Norwich, claim any connection to the place. Having a moat clearly proves the point.

    I’m sure you are right Iain, that all the things the Liberals have said about Rupert Read are intended to smear him, and have no basis in fact. He will of course be seeking action under the Representation of the People Act 1983 section 106.

    Newmania is right, it is totally outrageous for the Liberals to call someone who lives and works as a barrister in London a ‘London Barrister’; I trust the learned gentleman will be suing the wicked Liberals for this clear liable. Please Liberals don’t complain about the Tory leaflet branding Mark Hunter a rapist, that was just a misunderstanding.

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  27. Vote Green get Blue!

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  28. Now, if I didn't know any better, Mr. Dale, I would say that you were rather nervous about the Lib Dems doing well in this by-election. Isn't just a bit ridiculous to complain that someone is "not local" just because they live a few miles outside the constituency boundary. After all you were quite happy to be the "local" candidate for North Norfolk while actually living in Kent? So what?

    The only people who worry about that level of "being local" are probably the League of Gentlemen, and while George Osbourne does remind me of Mr. Chinnery the vet and a certain Kent MP also reminds me of Barbara, I just don't see you as Papa Lazarou

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  29. On the coulson issue the Tories have little to worry about. Nothing new has happened, political resurrections are particularly common in new labour, with alistair Campbell back at the heart of government despite the dodgy dossier and death of dr Kelly.

    I think that the media should be careful throwing stones as virtually all papers have used similar techniques.

    Labour attacks on the Murdoch press should reinforce murdoch support in the run up to the election.

    Tories are pretty safe on this one, looks like another brown own goal.

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  30. The whole affair seems to shows the typical hypocrisy of the champagne illiberal democratic left, quite happy to take the trappings of success while making sure no one else can get up their by having quangos , regulators and taxes because "it's for your own good "!.

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  31. The high moral ground?, who ever thought that the Lib-Dems were the nice guys.

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  32. @ihatethebeeb

    that was over 24 hrs ago and he did say that someone was looking at comments through the day while he was away it didn't need that action. whether he or anyone else agrees it looks like he stifled debate and yet on other occasions he hasn't.

    The main thrust of the coulson story still stands and yet is being met by a wall of silence by the rightwing blogesphere.

    The torygraph didn't even feature the story in yesterdays paper the media are looking after there own. It's a shame iain has included himself in this shameful collusion at first i joked had tory hq warned iain off now it seems that he has.

    If this had been a labour spin doctor you and rest of your ilk would have been blogging till your fingers bled.

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  33. When it's Tory it's a moat. When it's Liberal it's and ditch and when it's Labour it's a drain.

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  34. The Green candidate is not being smeared. He is a very nasty bit of work, and unlikely as it may seem, the Lib Dems are telling the truth. See http://timesonline.typepad.com/oliver_kamm/2009/07/the-greens-and-norwich.html

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  35. Very strange the Dale silence on the Coulson issue . Still you must admire Cameron , prepared to give a 2nd chance to a shadow cabinet of expenses troughers and an aide with connections to the phone tapping criminal tendency .
    I would think his next step to introduce positive discrimination into employment at CCHQ so that rapists murderers and bank robbers are given a 2nd chance in society .

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  36. Ah Jason Sugarman the man with a long record of working in local politics in Lewes . You mean neglecting his duties as a local councillor whilst he went off to the Midlands Dudley or somewhere to be a Parliamentary Candidate .

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  37. The Coulson business was quietly peed on by good old Yates of The Yard. Keep spinning Labour, all the way off the cliff!

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  38. 15 miles away? 15?!? However would she be able to travel all that distance? It would take a good 25 minutes. Nobody has that sort of time to spare, surely.

    Sorry, but that's just as feeble an attack as the LD one on the Greens.

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  39. Typical Liberal Democrats!

    Lieing to the electorate! Do they not think they will get caught out! They pull the whole of politics into the gutter when they do Two Horse Bar Graph tricks/Living locally when they do not Etc Etc! The only way to smash them and stop their perverion of politics is to expose the lies, deceit and LD support of Labour to the people!

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  40. could it be because she knew her campaign managers would be spending the whole campaign smearing Green candidate Rupert Read as an extremist?

    The LibDems are the extremists.

    They want to force the EU Constitution on us without a referendum, breaking their own election pledge.

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  41. 'from Norwich for Norwich' clearly suggests living locally. Nice to see some aspiration from at least one socialist. Living in a country pile shows real chutzpah.

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  42. THey're all Norfolk and good as far as I'm concerned. (Stolen from the Kipper Family.)

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  43. "Still you must admire Cameron , prepared to give a 2nd chance..."

    Any labour MINISTERS, never mind press officers, ever made a comeback?


    Peter Manedelson
    David Blunkett
    Alan Milburn
    Ron Davies
    Estelle Morris
    Peter Manedelson {again}
    David Blunkett {again}

    Coulson doesn't need a second chance yet. He has to resign first. Then he can come back. Then he can fuck up again and still come back again..Ask Peter. He is expert at it.

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  44. @golden balls said.
    whether he or anyone else agrees it looks like he stifled debate and yet on other occasions he hasn't.

    How is comment moderation stifling the debate exactly ?
    the fact that all your comments consist of calling iain dale a liar could hardly be called a debate anyway.

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  45. Bill Quango shoots , Bill Quango scores .

    Mark Senior said '
    neglecting his duties blah blah .'


    Why shouldn’t he ( Jason) try to be Parliamentary Candidate , I should imagine his work suffered if anything .
    This of course is not a problem Norman Baker has because, after attending Grammar Schools the only MacJob he has ever done is as the manager of the local Our Price Records .Otherwise he has been leech on the Public Purse from day 1

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  46. This is a very sad blog entry from you Mr Dale.

    The point about Anthony Steen's moat was that he used his tax payer funded expense account to get it cleaned...and then complained that the public were jealous and had no right to know how he used his expenses!!!

    I know you've got it in for the Lib Dems, not really suprising after your drubbing in North Norfolk last time, but please...a Tory who abuses someone because they are wealthy and live in a big house!!! Unbelievable!!!!

    You're in the wrong party you know...Old Labour would be the perfect home for you.

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  47. Hogg doesn't have a moat - he has a drainage ditch!

    It strikes me that if he had claimed for the cleaning of his drainage ditch - essential works it could be argued - no-one would have batted an eyelid.

    As it was, the moat angle was just too good for the Medja to pass up!

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  48. Didn't the Tory get into trouble because he charged us for getting his moat cleaned?
    Dredging the bottom of the moat here Ian, lets talk about Coulson.

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  49. Sorry, just realised Anthony Steen was teh 'duck house!' It was a different Tory MP who had the moat cleaned!!!

    Apologies, there are jsut so many Tory MP's on the make.

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  50. "Or could it be because she knew her campaign managers would be spending the whole campaign smearing Green candidate Rupert Read as an extremist? Shameful."

    Really? As others have noted, Comrade Read has a history of writing very peculiar stuff about the responsibility for Islamist terror attacks. Comments for which he would doubtless be vigorously - and correctly - attacked by all Tory commentators were he a prospective Labour candidate.

    Lest I be accused of being a Lib Dem stooge, were I a Norfolk voter I would be voting Tory. I'll be quite happy to see the Lib Dems crash and burn. It's just very peculiar seeing a prominent Tory covering for Rupert Read and his Pilgerite views.

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  51. Will she produce a bar chart to prove her pond is bigger than the Tory moat?

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  52. This clean campaign pledge you keep harping on about , Iain - Is it spposed to stop the braking of election promises such aas those the Conservatives made in Norfolk re the flood sirens ?

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  53. Ha Ha still wrong Keith! It was Peter Viggers who had the duck house and Douglas Hogg who had his moat cleaned.

    I think sometimes people take Iain's stuff a bit too seriously - but this post is indeed wide of the mark. The article doesn't say Ms Pond actually lives in the constituency. Her Norwich credentials look as watertight as her moat to me! Talking of which, I think it's a bit low to post a picture of her house - the sort of thing the Lib Dems might do in fact. If she's a successful businesswoman and has a nice house then well done her. Tories should not carp at that! Maybe you're a bit too close to this one, Iain - because anyone who's tempted to vote for AP should simply check out the video on aprilpond.org.uk and ask themselves if they would want to be represented by this person in Parliament. And that's before you consider the general idiocy of voting Lib Dumb in the first place. Keep it simple!

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  54. Iain I think your great, However I think tis is just a bit over the top, Its right to point out she doesn't really live in the area I also think thats wrong. But should people with nice houses plenty of money not run as an MP. Is this not just bad blood because a tory got found out for having it cleaned. Im worried these storys will go to far the other way and we will just have MP's with money (and no Moat) and trade union sponsored or outside sponsored MP's

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  55. Astounding similarities:

    http://i2.cdn.turner.com/money/galleries/2008/fsb/0804/gallery.feathers.fsb/images/miss_piggy.jpg

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  56. We aren't doing to well in Norwich North.
    Labours Ian Gibson deselected and resigns.

    Tory Chloe Smith, Hiding the fact she wasn't born in Norwich.

    Chris Ostrowski, Labour Party, was a former Tory.


    Liberal Democ, April Pond, another claiming to be local.


    Put an Honest Man into Parliament,Craig Murray, hasn't got an exactly sqeaky clean past.


    This candidate is looking more promising all the time., the Official Monster Raving Loony Party Howling Laud

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  57. Spare a thought for the poor costituants. First we lose one of the best constituancy MPs in the country, who committed no offence other than upset the Labour party.

    Now we have to choose between a bunch of children, toffs and loonies.

    I heard the tory girl speak at the same meeting as Ian Gibson. She's not even from the same planet.

    We have an ex tory boy living in London fighing the Labour corner - different planet again.

    The Greens have a Rupert - single policy - prevent everything like the Greens do at city council. there were no Ruperts in my school.

    The Libdem woman lied about living in Norwich and possibly heard that you can claim for moat maintenance on MPs expenses.

    I sha'nt bother with the other candiadtes.

    One consolation - a general election soon!!!!!

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  58. Iain I am going to be critical of your post because I do think you are going over the top because April Pond has a Moat. Simple question - Who cares? I don't...
    Does that stop someone aspiring to become the next MP? - Simple answer NO.
    My advice to you Iain is a simple one which I have said before in my rantings. GROW UP for goodness sake.

    I do think the nature of this post is to score partisan points and yet again you fail to look at the wider picture. I am still not convinced you have the mental capacity to understand political issues!

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  59. Some of the comments above are hilarious. Would someone point out anywhere, where I have criticised April Pond for having a moat?I merely pointed out that she had one and how ironic it is. Guilty as charged m'lud.

    The substantive points are in the other parts of the post, but then you already knew that. :)

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  60. "Not that I am being 'remoatly' 'moatist'. Every house should have one. But seeing as though a Tory MP got the mickey taken out of him for having one, I'm not sure LibDem candidates should escape the ridicule. It wouldn't be fair."

    Every house should have one. - Now Iain you are just being a snob.

    Why should you point out something insignificant only because a Tory faced ridicule. You are now being partisan and in my opinion childish. Grow up.

    I am sure you would find something to ridicule her over because she is a Lib Dem and you cannot help yourself be partisan.

    I seriously don't think you can be anything but partial

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  61. "Some of the comments above are hilarious. Would someone point out anywhere, where I have criticised April Pond for having a moat?" - Simple question why bother mentioning it in the first place other than to score partisan points.

    Q. What point is it to mention it in the first place? - it doesn't have any relevance to politics.

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  62. Do you believe gay men who have civil partnerships should get tax cuts? If not why not.

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  63. @ Stepney said...
    "I know this is a terrible thing to say so apologies in advance, but April Pond has also got a face like a smacked arse."

    Iain you delete comments which express homophobia (which you have every right to do) but you allow someone to post this. Is there double standards going on?

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  64. Bladerunner, I did momentarily consider deleting it, but I have always allowed comments about various people's personal appearance in the past - including my own. Making an adverse comment on someone's personal appearance is hardly akin to racist or homophobic abuse is it?

    Bungle, yes, but I'd like to see tax cuts for everyone.

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  65. "Making an adverse comment on someone's personal appearance is hardly akin to racist or homophobic abuse is it?" - You have a point there Iain. But do you think its acceptable? Perhaps I am being too sensitive because I don't think what someone looks like has anything to do with politics but that's my own personal opinion. Iain I do take your point on board though.

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  66. Iain Dale said "Bungle, yes, but I'd like to see tax cuts for everyone."

    Do you believe this is a better way to stimulate the economy rather than a fiscal stimulus? Would a monetarist solution pay more dividend in the long run?

    Do you know the Canadians are using tax cuts to stimulate productivity in the economy.

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  67. Bladerunner, and I take yours too. It is a constant dilemma of when to delete something and when not to. I am sure I get it wrong sometimes. I have to say that if someone lists themselves as Anonymous, I have no compunction in deleting a personal comment of any nature. IMHO if you can't put your name to something, you have no right to see it published on my blog if, in my opinion, it goes beyond what is reasonable comment.

    But sometimes I do think I allow too much through. And also, because of the volume of comments it is often the case that something will get posted because I have been busy at work and haven't been able to monitor properly. At the moment it is easier because comment moderation is on, but if I am busy for an hour and 50 comments build up, then I can't necessarily read every word of every comment before i moderate them through.

    So I do rely on readers to tip me off if they see something which they find unacceptable.
    Hope that explains things.

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  68. Yes Iain that does explain things. I do think its a dilemma and I hope I haven't been too harsh... There does seem to be a lot of work when you have your own blog.

    I do admire you in your ability to have such a commendable site and encouraging debate.

    Well done!

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  69. @ 'Bladerunner86'

    If you care to look at the banner at the top on Iain's blog it says "politics/gossip/humour/commentary".

    Do you have some sort of a problem with that? Are you suggesting that he should confine himself to your narrow definitions? Maybe you don't share his sense of 'humour' - but, there you go, ain't that too sad. After all, it's his house, he can do what he likes in it.

    But I certainly share your admiration.

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  70. This comment has been deleted by Iain Dale.

    Possibly.

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  71. Typewriter TypistJuly 10, 2009 10:48 pm

    Iain have you ever used a typewriter? I am curious.

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  72. http://tinyurl.com/pknlxn Brays Duckhouse blog is now up and running, Coulson (on an alleged stipend of £400K)must have known..
    Iain i'll put a link on my site to yours if that is Ok?
    Cheers...

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  73. Newmania said...
    "This of course is not a problem Norman Baker has because, after attending Grammar Schools the only MacJob he has ever done is as the manager of the local Our Price Records."

    That's rich coming from an insurance salesman. He was REGIONAL DIRECTOR of Our Price Records.

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