The threat to target the General, who took up his new job just nine days ago, was one of the real reasons that Labour MP Eric Joyce resigned as an aide to Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth last week.
Former soldier Mr Joyce has told friends he attended a meeting at the Ministry of Defence where a discussion took place on how to target Sir David’s predecessor, General Sir Richard Dannatt, for criticising the Government’s failure to give enough support to British troops.
And The Mail on Sunday has established that Mr Joyce was also disturbed to hear Labour colleagues discuss Sir David’s 25-year-old daughter, Joanna Richards, who recently became Mr Cameron’s diary secretary.
Well-placed sources say Mr Joyce feared Labour was preparing to deploy more smear tactics against General Richards if he stepped out of line like General Dannatt.
‘He heard talk of Richards’ daughter working for the Tories and did not like it,’ said one source.
Leopards. Spots.
Another weekend - another story of disintegration at the heart of the New Labour project...
ReplyDeleteGhastly...
My God; Labour really are the pits.
ReplyDeleteI am coming to the conclusion that losing a General Election, however badly, is just not good enough.
I want Labour and their supporters to be utterly destroyed like the vermin they are.
You've asked Joyce to confirm this?
ReplyDeleteMcPoison.
ReplyDeleteThats Gordon Broon by the way.
Is it a smear to accuse someone of working for Dave Lightweight?
ReplyDeleteToo far, they've just gone way too far.
ReplyDeleteIsn't there a law against causing 'harrassment alarm or distress'?
Some of the Labour 'smear' doctors need prosecuting.
Shows you how stupid they are. Joanna Richards' previous job was with Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood - for the past two years.
ReplyDeleteI hear you Silent Hunter; but first we need to get them out of office, or when they implode (which they're doing without any help from us at the moment) they's take what's left of the country with them.
ReplyDeleteIf this is true and took place in Government offices then its probably an offence of misconduct in public office.
ReplyDeleteIts also certainly an offence of conspiracy to commit harsassmemnt contrary to the prevention of harassment act
This needs to be bottomed out, investigated and, if necessary, prosecuted.
This is the hallmark of fascist dictatorship
Its that bad.
I am beginning to think stuff like this is being made up.
ReplyDeleteCan the labour government be this stupid.
Iain enjoy your trip to Armenia
Frugal Dougal:
ReplyDeleteA fair point! but the way I feel about Labour at present - rather than watch their 'tears' on election night; I would prefer to see their 'blood'. >:o)
Mwahahahahahaha!
And a big hellooo to my nemesis - QuitsTheGuardian.
The question now is -
ReplyDeleteHow much damage are Labour doing to our political establishment and
will any party that gets elected be able to restore faith in our political system?
Labour have lost the authority and respect of the nation, this is very dangerous for Labour and for our nation.
BTW - Iain, How do I go about getting my avatar on your site when I post.
ReplyDeleteI note that my arch nemesis from the Guardian has managed to employ someone to get his signature 2 Guinesses up. :o) Cheers!
Any advice would be gratefully received.
I think you go into your Blogger account and then upload a pic.
ReplyDeleteDon't believe it, and this is just another piece of spin to make Joyce look like a hero to the electorate.
ReplyDeleteJoyce, BTW, was not a former soldier as we would like to see him described...being a former soldier. The man followed a career path and that was it, there was no vocation, and he hated the upper echelons and his superiors.
He wouldn't try to save the blushes of a superior officer, and especially not one he would describe as a chinless wonder, and again especially one who has daughter working for a Tory leader; Joyce is far too pro-Labour and tribal for that.
The next time someone commissions a poll they should include a question like "would you support a military coup that forced Brown to resign and ask the Queen to dissolve Parliament."
ReplyDeleteOne definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over while expecting different results. Insanity is the inability to adapt to changing circumstances and to shift from preconceived notions and expections.
ReplyDeleteFor much of this year, most of the major (non-troughing) political stories have followed the same basic pattern: Labour smears someone; the smear backfires; Labour loses ground as the public grows angry; Labour smears someone else; the smear backfires agains. And on and on and on.
I expected Labour would learn its lesson after Guido shafted them on the Red Rag debacle. They didn't. McBride departed but his spirit lived on and the smears continued. I thought, after the Dannatt disaster last month, they would finally realise how detrimental smears were to their own cause. They didn't. Instead, they decided to try the same nonsense with Dannatt's successor.
Someone help me out with this: what the fuck (and I make no apology for the profanity) is going on in Labour? How, in the name of Christ, can they be so stupid that they repeat the same frankly retarded behaviour over and over and over despite having it blow up in their idiot faces every.single.time? Are they insane? Is the whole party just stricken by some form of braintanglia? Help a brother out here.
THE MAIL IS USING THE ARMED FORCES PROMBLEMS TO ATTACK THE GOVERMENT BY ALL MEANS ATTACK THIS SHOWER BUT DONT DEMORALIZE THE ARMED FORCES BY DOING IT.OR DONT THEY CARE ABOUT OUR SOLDIERS AS LONG AS THEY CAN SCORE POINTS, BUT THAT LIKE SHOOTING INTO AN OPEN GOAL
ReplyDelete"‘He heard talk of Richards’ daughter working for the Tories and did not like it,’ said one source."
ReplyDeleteAnd...? Shock horror, Westminster politico-saddos talk about one of Dave's employees. Hardly earth-shattering news is it.
@HECKMONWYKE
ReplyDeletePlease don't shout.
First act of the new Tory govt.
1. Re-instate the death penalty for treason
2. Prosecute the leading lights of New Labour for treason.
This peace-loving ageing happy would happily watch the bastards swing. 1997 was a silent putsch.
these people are the baddies in a james bond film.
ReplyDeletei am just in shock.
there are 2 problems here;
1 the labour lot are so bad they think the end justifies the means.
2 the public now excpect evilness from them.
this country has gone to the dogs.
These Labour weasels, especially Ainsworth, are not fit to smell the steam off General Richards' piss.
ReplyDelete"Silent" Great Unca MacWomble the 'Orrible shares Tiergarten's bamboozlememt with matters technical I gather. F - u - u - u nny . . .
ReplyDeleteThe Twocan toucans are not from Guinness, he must have been on the juice when he posted I suppose . . .
Having read Joyce's CV on Wiki, I am inclined not to believe the story. He has a history of being loyal using anything he can get and then dumping when no longer of use.
ReplyDeleteI suggest this is more of 'rat leaving the sinking ship'. If you want a more visual indication of the man see this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm20dU5O9MU
Now what do you think of him!
Pete-s
Amongst all the talk about the release of Magrahi there are two words singularly missing - 'moral compass'.
ReplyDeleteUmmm, sources for the story? None. Yet again the Daily Mail make something up and pass it off as fact.
ReplyDeleteLeopards. Spots.
Jimmy
ReplyDeleteMcbroon is a heavy weight with a plethora of sins as chancellor and unelected PM that he is fast sinking in to the quick sand!
Leopards spots indeed. The Mail on Sunday and leading Tory blogger speculate from not very much at all in some Tory-fuelled churnalism. Just because it's right wing sources feeding the half-arsed lines doesn't make it right Iain.
ReplyDeleteThis is the classic reverse-smear. "They've come to smear us all!" goes the cry.
"Top General may be Tory" doesn't really cut it as news. Next you'll be telling us that this man went to public school and enjoys riding and shooting. Tick tick tick tick.
Are these "well placed sources" any relation to the "senior security sources" which we established was a grey haired concierge in Washington? Man in pub perhaps? MoD porter enjoying £100 story tip for "overheard in a lift"?
If true, then thank the powers for stem cell research. Who'd a thunk it? Joyce, growing a spine. Amazing, what these boffins can do.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm20dU5O9MU
ReplyDeleteOne of many reasons I suspect.
Naturam expellas furca, tamen usque recurret.
ReplyDeleteOr (whilst I appreciate you do not like swearing) Brown is an unreconstructed wanker.
And yet Number 10 wonders why Major Joyce didn't inform them in advance of his resignation.
ReplyDeleteSorry for shouting elby the hippy? somethings need to be said loudly they could prosecute most of the media for aid and comfort to the enemy as well.If call me dave gets elected will anybody notice They are all the same.They STILL dont get it
ReplyDeleteUm, Benjamin Gray, did you not read EJ's resignation letter? It makes it clear No 10 did know in advance that he was planning to step down.
ReplyDeleteHang on. Just a few posts earlier, you're criticising the Mail for an inaccurate story about David Davis.
ReplyDeleteOr are they only inaccurate when they criticise Tories, and always bang on when they criticise Labour?
The DD story was a diary story I knew to be wrong. The MoS story is by a journalist I respect.If you think it is wrong, come up with the proof - just as I did on the DD story. Otherwise shut up.
ReplyDelete