tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post3585398773881214034..comments2024-03-04T17:54:32.559+00:00Comments on Iain Dale's Diary: IMF: Britain May Go Bankrupt (UPDATE: See End of Post)Iain Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03270146219458384372noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-62588156898031637682009-02-02T17:59:00.000+00:002009-02-02T17:59:00.000+00:00Last Wednesday I wrote a blogpost titled IMF: BRIT...Last Wednesday I wrote a blogpost titled IMF: BRITAIN MAY GO BANKRUPT. It was based on a Sky News report, which I had just been listening to ...<BR/><BR/> The IMF says that we will have a negative growth rate of 2.8% this year, worse than any other advanced economy. They also say the prospect of the UK going bankrupt cannot be ruled out.<BR/><BR/><BR/>A heated debate ensued in the comments in which a commenter called Despairing Liberal maintained that the IMF report said no such thing. I retorted that I had heard Kay Burley on Sky News report that very thing. The debate went on, and on, and on. In the end I asked Sky for a clip of the report which would verify things one way or the other. I have just received the clip and regret to say that Kay Burley said the following...<BR/><BR/> The Fund's boss also warned that countries going bankrupt could not be ruled out.<BR/><BR/>So there was no specific mention of Britain. I clearly misheard her. I have a policy on this blog of holding my hands up when I have got something wrong, and I do so now. And at the same time I readily apologise to Despairing Liberal and Canvas.<BR/><BR/>I am updating the original post with this information.Iain Dalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03270146219458384372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-5888765710730845812009-02-02T15:26:00.000+00:002009-02-02T15:26:00.000+00:00The UK is insolvent, like most of the "advanced" e...The UK is insolvent, like most of the "advanced" economies. And print is not black and white.Peterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12721832530269923633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-12789190425903250922009-01-31T19:38:00.000+00:002009-01-31T19:38:00.000+00:00DespairingIain is right to say he doesn't have a c...Despairing<BR/><BR/>Iain is right to say he doesn't have a clue as to who I am. Nor do I, most days.<BR/><BR/>If anyone introduced the concept of litigation into this asinine debate it was probably me.<BR/><BR/>If anyone introduced the concept of physical violence it was you.<BR/><BR/>As to 'attack dog' - well you do make it rather easy, don't you?<BR/><BR/>And in my view, Iain should tell you stick your demand (that he change his blog headline to suit your particular opinions) where the sun never shines - and sideways.<BR/><BR/>You've expressed a view. Don't push your luck. Were this my blog I would have banned you after your third personal attack. Iain is clearly more tolerant than many.<BR/><BR/>I look forward to seeing your letter(s) and the responses.<BR/><BR/>Oh, and do please try to develop a sense of humour - or at least learn to recognise when others are attempting to be amusing. Why do Liberals always take themselves so seriously?Unsworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08307116169498533047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-38771620784073284012009-01-31T10:11:00.000+00:002009-01-31T10:11:00.000+00:00Good Iain, and I will apologise for anything I hav...Good Iain, and I will apologise for anything I have done wrong.<BR/><BR/>Will you at least edit the headline, as the IMF did not actually say that, even if Sky did.DespairingLiberalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02903904463236135611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-16254307393491378212009-01-30T23:13:00.000+00:002009-01-30T23:13:00.000+00:00I am typing this from the Green Roomat Sky and hav...I am typing this from the Green Room<BR/>at Sky and have just asked them if<BR/>they can provide me with a tape<BR/>from that kay burley programme.<BR/><BR/>I am fed up with your spurious and<BR/>unfounded allegations. I hope<BR/>you will have the good grace to<BR/>apologise, assuming the tape bears<BR/>me out!<BR/><BR/>That 'sauce' comment was not serious<BR/>and you know it.<BR/><BR/>And you also know the posbox photo<BR/>was not a fake. It was the original<BR/>Libdem photo which was misleading.<BR/><BR/>Yes I do criticise the Libdems, but<BR/>I have also praised nick clegg and <BR/>Lynne featherstone in recent weeks.<BR/><BR/>Your characterisation of me is misleading<BR/>and it is you who seems unable to<BR/>Take any degree of criticism!Iain Dalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03270146219458384372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-79679712953980643942009-01-30T22:51:00.000+00:002009-01-30T22:51:00.000+00:00By the way, in an effort to resolve this once and ...By the way, in an effort to resolve this once and for all, I have today written to Sky TV to ask them if they included the phrase headlining this article in their broadcasts on the IMF story.<BR/><BR/>I will post copies of my letter and their reply regardless of which way it goes here - that will resolve it.<BR/><BR/>Shame I had to go to all this trouble, as you, being a regular Sky guest, presumably have contacts there that could easily resolve it with a quick phone call.DespairingLiberalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02903904463236135611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-16919679222442996132009-01-30T22:41:00.000+00:002009-01-30T22:41:00.000+00:00I have to say I also find it quite funny that you ...I have to say I also find it quite funny that you introduce the concept of libel into this. I am asking for evidence that your assertion that the IMF says a thing is actually true, given that all the evidence strongly infers that it is not. It seems very reasonable that you as a leading political commentator should come across with such evidence. Yet you do not. Instead, I am attached and pilloried. You and your supporters pour scorn and worse on me.<BR/><BR/>It seems clear why.DespairingLiberalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02903904463236135611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-40765769037408609722009-01-30T22:24:00.000+00:002009-01-30T22:24:00.000+00:00Oh and the fake photos of post boxes.Oh and the fake photos of post boxes.DespairingLiberalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02903904463236135611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-77016463538088693602009-01-30T22:23:00.000+00:002009-01-30T22:23:00.000+00:00Just fed up with your very cheap jibes against Lib...Just fed up with your very cheap jibes against Liberal Democrats Iain, your personal insults to me ("have you been on the sauce again?") and your inability to see that this one is a screwup that needs correcting. Are you at all familiar with the term "apology"?DespairingLiberalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02903904463236135611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-56168863298099616022009-01-30T22:06:00.000+00:002009-01-30T22:06:00.000+00:00Despairing Liberal, I am getting tired of these al...Despairing Liberal, I am getting tired of these almost<BR/> libellous allegations you seem happy<BR/> to throw around. <BR/>I haven't got the faintest idea who<BR/> Unsworth is.<BR/>In other threads you have been<BR/>entertaining and a joy to debate with.<BR/>In this thread you have become <BR/>Hysterical. Its almost as if someone<BR/>else has taken over your blogger<BR/>identity.Iain Dalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03270146219458384372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-81884895751054016522009-01-30T21:51:00.000+00:002009-01-30T21:51:00.000+00:00Do you work for or with Iain Dale Unsworth? I woul...Do you work for or with Iain Dale Unsworth? I would like to know, as you seem to be his attack dog.<BR/><BR/>I am not intimidated by your threats, which actually seem bordering on the criminal. If you are associated with Iain Dale, then that is something else again.<BR/><BR/>I stand by this point because despite your nonsense, Iain Dale has not come back with one convincing point - and with his influence he easily could, if the evidence was there - to rebut the obvious fact that the IMF did not, as he saus, say "Britain May Go Bankrupt".<BR/><BR/>The fact that Iain Dale has not withdrawn this headline speaks volumes and I leave the reader to determine questions of honesty.DespairingLiberalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02903904463236135611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-56504505991726130702009-01-30T10:55:00.000+00:002009-01-30T10:55:00.000+00:00DespairingDon't call people liars unless you want ...Despairing<BR/><BR/>Don't call people liars unless you want a smack in the mouth or want someone to sue your arse off. There's always someone bigger or mjuch nastier than you - and I'm not threatening.<BR/><BR/>And speaking of your arse - why is it that you spend so much time talking out of it? If you sat down for a while it might give us all a break from your crass inanity.<BR/><BR/>wv mister. Apt.Unsworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08307116169498533047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-50304046985981755852009-01-30T10:32:00.000+00:002009-01-30T10:32:00.000+00:00Is that some kind of threat Unsworth?I think you w...Is that some kind of threat Unsworth?<BR/><BR/>I think you would probably want to review that if we actually met up. :-)DespairingLiberalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02903904463236135611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-31683536044397344512009-01-30T10:30:00.000+00:002009-01-30T10:30:00.000+00:00@ Despairing"your little untruths"You're calling m...@ Despairing<BR/><BR/>"your little untruths"<BR/><BR/>You're calling me a liar?<BR/><BR/>Do you want to step outside to discuss this view?<BR/><BR/><BR/>And as to 'not seeing evidence' - do you want someone to wipe your arse for you too?<BR/><BR/>Either call Iain a liar, too, or shut up.Unsworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08307116169498533047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-30514210157560887362009-01-30T08:56:00.000+00:002009-01-30T08:56:00.000+00:00Unsworth, these days, according to most news progr...Unsworth, these days, according to most news programmes, it would appear to be Leading Tory Blogger Iain Dale.<BR/><BR/>Against that background, I think it's legitimate to raise the odd criticism when Master Dale publishes blatantly fabricated headline interpretations of IMF statements, no matter what the original source. (And I've still seen no evidence Sky actually said it - and had positive evidence, eg, by watching their normally very repetitive hourly news broadcasts, that they did not)<BR/><BR/>I find Iain Dale's attempts to squash this via emotionalism and dismissals pathetic and nauseating. Clearly, he likes to play hardball until it rebounds on him.<BR/><BR/>Wait till we get nearer the General and things warm up - this blog will not be quite the easy ride for your little untruths that it has been up to now.DespairingLiberalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02903904463236135611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-22820043285871545782009-01-29T19:38:00.000+00:002009-01-29T19:38:00.000+00:00@ DespairingWhat's a 'a purported Tory authority'?...@ Despairing<BR/><BR/>What's a 'a purported Tory authority'? An official of the Conservative Party?Unsworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08307116169498533047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-82174668000790589072009-01-29T19:07:00.000+00:002009-01-29T19:07:00.000+00:00supergrass - you and I are obviously not reading t...supergrass - you and I are obviously not reading the same blog, or talking about the same person. If Iain Dale is not a purported Tory authority, how come he increasingly pops up as a talking Tory head in all sorts of media? And how come he frequently posts articles here purporting to be facts from a leading Tory blogger?<BR/><BR/>Ground-shifters anonymous would be not a cynical enough group for you folks.DespairingLiberalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02903904463236135611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-9232218210861794772009-01-29T19:05:00.000+00:002009-01-29T19:05:00.000+00:00You and David Cameron are in agreement on Heathrow...You and David Cameron are in agreement on Heathrow Iain. No thinking person can be fooled for more than a nanosecond by his enviro-vote grabbing bull, to be reversed immediately after he wins a GE on the back of it.DespairingLiberalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02903904463236135611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-33551844012957578942009-01-29T18:12:00.000+00:002009-01-29T18:12:00.000+00:00yawn~~~it's a blog, not a news article. If you're ...yawn~~~it's a blog, not a news article. If you're appalled by the fact that Iain doesn't factcheck? just piss off and go to other blogs you think are trustworthy<BR/><BR/>Moral responsibilities for bloggers? Shit that's scaryCherubinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00846832402193515573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-79467288080524984232009-01-29T17:12:00.000+00:002009-01-29T17:12:00.000+00:00Let's re-do point 2 since I am typing in a hurry a...Let's re-do point 2 since I am typing in a hurry and it went squiffy<BR/><BR/>2) "He's not obliged to state his source"<BR/>No, technically Iain is not obliged -but morally (Iain is a blogger who people tend to trust) Iain has a duty to behave in a responsible manner.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-52512901864339712402009-01-29T17:09:00.000+00:002009-01-29T17:09:00.000+00:00Hi Unsworth, you can't provoke me into a rage with...Hi Unsworth, you can't provoke me into a rage with sexist innuendo or sexist language. That is so 20th century! it doesn't work. <BR/><BR/>Let's deal with your questions - I know it's hard for you to take all this on board.<BR/><BR/>1) "Why is this not true?"<BR/>Because the IMF never said that. Never. <BR/><BR/>2) "He's not obliged to state his source"<BR/>No, he's technically he is not -but morally as a blogger people tend to trust he has a duty to behave in a responsible manner.<BR/><BR/>Eventually Iain did mention his 'source' in the comments section when challenged... And he only did this to try and regain some kind of credibility. Not that Kay Burley on Sky News is all that credible anyway. <BR/><BR/>* "You can vouch for that?" yep. prove me wrong and check with the IMF if you have any doubts. feel free.<BR/><BR/>Unsworth, bah bye xAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-59512660612874862972009-01-29T16:59:00.000+00:002009-01-29T16:59:00.000+00:00@ CanvasWell (for a woman) you're doing fairly wel...@ Canvas<BR/><BR/>Well (for a woman) you're doing fairly well.<BR/><BR/>You say<BR/><I>"Title of Iain's article is "IMF: Britain May Go Bankrupt"<BR/><BR/>wrong. false information. Not true. Made Up."</I><BR/><BR/>Why is this not true? You think it impossible, or you think the IMF are wrong, or you think that Iain is wrong to hold that view, or you think the report Ian uses as the base for the article is wrong, or you think Iain is lying, or all of the above?<BR/><BR/>You say<BR/><I>"Not once in Iain's article does he state that his source is Kay Birley on Sky news who read a report that nobody else heard - and it was apparently never repeated."</I><BR/><BR/>He's not obliged to state his source, and I'm interested that you think nobody else heard this report - any evidence for this?<BR/><BR/>You say<BR/><I>"Not one press report anywhere says "the IMF say Britain May Go Bankrupt". Only David Cameron has said that."</I><BR/><BR/>You can vouch for that? So you've checked all of the world's press?<BR/><BR/>You say <BR/><I>"So, please allow me to point out to you yet again (!) this article by Iain is complete poo."</I><BR/><BR/>Well, that's your view.<BR/><BR/><BR/>got it? over and out. ciao. bye.Unsworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08307116169498533047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-7055149049972673722009-01-29T16:43:00.000+00:002009-01-29T16:43:00.000+00:00@ Despairing"I know Michael White vaguely"Exactly....@ Despairing<BR/><BR/>"I know Michael White vaguely"<BR/><BR/>Exactly.<BR/><BR/>And most other things, too.Unsworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08307116169498533047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-68756482259703500012009-01-29T16:42:00.000+00:002009-01-29T16:42:00.000+00:00Despairing Liberal, I despair, and frankly that co...Despairing Liberal, I despair, and frankly that comment is so ludicrous as to be hardly worth replying to. <BR/><BR/>You seem to spend half your waking hours commenting on a blog of someone who you clearly think very little of. I find that very strange. But such is life.<BR/><BR/>For the very last time, as I explained right at the beginning of this thread, I reported what I heard Kay Burley say on Sky News. Strangely, I do not record Sky News, otherwise I would be able to prove it. In the absence of a tape I cannot. And I have better things to do that waste my time asking Sky for a tape.<BR/><BR/>It had nothing to do with any David Cameron spin line. Strangely, as you may have detected from other threads (Heathrow, for example) I do actually have a mind of my own.<BR/><BR/>I'd love to know when I act hurt. if I was worried about being hurt, I'd hardly be writing a blog, would I?<BR/><BR/>Quite happy to be called an Essex Tory Boot Boy. I have been called far worse in my time.<BR/><BR/>And as for Michael White, I suppose you think he is an independent commentator too? The thing we have in common is that we are both totally honest about our political leanings. But that does not mean either of us adhere to the party line. If you don't undertstand that from this blog then there is nothing I can doIain Dalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03270146219458384372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-17168849515729038222009-01-29T16:09:00.000+00:002009-01-29T16:09:00.000+00:00You are right Canvas.It is also true that Iain usu...You are right Canvas.<BR/><BR/>It is also true that Iain usually resorts to nasty little stabs, often involving the sort of sweary behaviour he affects to despise in others, when proven incorrect, as he has been in this rather unpleasantly obvious case.<BR/><BR/>If you want to cheerlead for whatever the Cameron line is right now Iain, can't you make it a bit more subtle? This one was really very obvious and not backed up by anything vaguely resembling a fact. I note that you have yet to respond to the failure to locate the comment in a recording of the Sky programme you claim to have seen it in.<BR/><BR/>I know Michael White vaguely and next time I see him, intend to question him about why he gives such a positive glow to you when you are provably simply repeating falsehoods and Tory spincycling whilst at the same time posing as some kind of "independent" Tory.<BR/><BR/>And finally - why do you always act so hurt when people point out your little difficulties with facts - yet pile on the aggression yourself when it pleases you?<BR/><BR/>I've said it before and I'll say it again - gay or not, an Essex Tory boot boy is an Essex Tory boot boy.<BR/><BR/>The quality of your "supporters" on this blog also speaks volumes about the "quality of your character" to quote Dr King.DespairingLiberalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02903904463236135611noreply@blogger.com