Today I spent the day with my parents travelling round North Norfolk. They came up for the Gillian Shephard dinner last night. We went to the Muckleburgh Collection at Weybourne in the morning. My Dad loves anything to do with World War II and collects old military vehicles so he was like a pig in the proverbial. We then drive along the coast towards Wells and had lunch in Walsingham. We then went to Stibbard, where my mother grew up and her mother is buried. I then took them home to Saffron Walden. Aren't I a nice son?! Excuse the fleece in the picture...
How much do you think that the result of the coming bi election in a rock solid Conservative ward will reflect on your lack of influence in the constituency and is taking a day off a few days before the bi election a sign of your dedication?
ReplyDeleteRobb
A bit churlish isn't that Robb? Especially in the light of Iain giving up his business, moving up to Norfolk lock, stock and barrel and doing so much in the community.
ReplyDeleteAny chance of you being a Lib Dem?!
P.S. And it is by-election by the way!
Iain wants to be elected - he would have had an even worse chance if he had tried to do it from London. But no it's not churlish - is Iain able to answer the question about the by-election. At the Happisburgh bi-election Iain went public and declared that he had landed running and that the Conservatives would win easily. In the event the Lib Dem majority was increased from 5 to over 200. And, of course, Iain has famously stood in THREE local council elections and failed in them all!!! Sorry about the bi and by I'm just a Norfolk country boy who like listening to Raymond Froggett. As for being a Lib Dem, well, I could be, but its all to play for if the Conservatives got a half decent candidate.
ReplyDeleteRobb
Robb, hardly even worthy of a comment is it? So you think the good people of St Bnet's would like to be disturbed on a Sunday? LibDem telephone canvassers soon learnt that this was not a good idea...
ReplyDeleteI note that you have obviously read the LibDem background sheet on me. Most impressed. Yep, plead guilty to not having won a council election in Catton Grove in Norwich, Walthamstow and Tower Hamlets. As you might imagine, not exactly Conservative strongholds.
By the way Robb, great to see that you are so impressed with my that you have spent well over half an hour looking at my Blog. if you thought I was so useless I wonder why you would spend the time doing so?!
ReplyDeleteWell, I don't know where you've been but Iain has been indefatigable in his work for the constituency and will continue to be so should he be elected. He is no carpetbagger but some one has roots in the community and cares about it deeply. So, he is a great deal more than half-decent, some would say outstanding! And, if we are being really picky about this, the present MP doesn't even live in the constituency!
ReplyDeleteSo, Robb, give the guy a break - you'll be glad you did!
By the way Robb, you wouldn't be Norman Lamb's cousin or anything like that?!
ReplyDeleteIan - Don't understand your last comment mate. You said I was "so impressed with my [?]that you spent half an hour looking at my Blog". What did the "my" refer to -I'm just a Norfolk Rustic without your education - am I missing something. I spent half an hour reading your Blog because I couldn't believe that anyone could be so narcissistic. Three senior Tories in the constituency have told me that they won't be voting for you. I promise that that is true.
ReplyDeleteOn the question of standing for local elections and losing three times I would have thought that the Conservatives would have found you a safe local council seat if they held you in such high esteem?
Incidentally I've never heard of a "Lib Dem background sheet" on you - I discovered that you had stood three times for local councils [and lost] from the Conservative Central Office Web site on prospective Conservative Parliamentary candidates. [Funny I thought - what's he doing standing for parliament when he can't even get elected on a local council!] So when the Times mentioned your Blog, I thought I'd look at it, because the times reporter was impressed and the Eastern Daily Press [according to you] were impressed, and that's when I discovered that you were very narcisssistic.
Tell me how many parliamentary seats did you try to get adopted in before landing in Norfolk. My Conservative spy [a very nice and fair minded lady] tells me it was quite a few. So come on mate be honest, how many was it? Don't get me wrong, I think that deep down your a good egg - but hopelessly out of your depth.
Robb
Iain Dale was able to get a much safer Parliamentary constituency if he had wanted one given his knowledge and abilities. But the fact he choose a challenge is a sign of the qualities of the man. By rights Norman Lamb should walk this election given the national situation of the Conservative Party.
ReplyDeleteI liked the first part of your post!
ReplyDeleteIain
ReplyDeleteThis is interesting - so which constituency did you turn down and how many did you get turned down in?
Believe me Norman Lamb will make the North Norfolk Constituency a safe Lib Dem seat because he is one of the most industrious and caring MP's
Robb
Heard it all before. That's the only LibDem line of defence at the moment. Funny, I thought you said you supported UKIP before, when I accused you of being a LibDem. Now it seems your true colours are showing.
ReplyDeleteIain - sorry mate, when did I say I supported Ukip and when did I say I suported the Lib Dems? I may or I may not. I DO think that Norman Lamb is brilliant, with enormous political clout and integrity, and so do the vast majority of his constituents.
ReplyDeleteIain - Sorry to be tedious - but have I missed something? Where were your honest answers to my questions about your previous attempts at getting adopted and where was the safer seat that you turned down?
ReplyDeleteRobb
"enormous clout"? Don't make me laugh. He's a LibDem!
ReplyDeleteI don't know where you got the idea I turned down a safe seat. I was never offered one, so how could I turn it down?!
Another one of your fantasies I guess.
You have posted so much rubbish on this blog in the last few days you've obviously lost the plot and forgotten what you said where.
I have had several emails from people asking why I don't censor you. Tempting though it is...
Iain - I think it was an admirer saying you turned down a safe seat (or possibly that you could have done) - I think Robb's posts are totally separate and he just picked up on the claim in the admirer's post. It is a bit confusing with all the Anonymous posts flying around.
ReplyDeleteIain
ReplyDeleteThanks for that - evasive as usual. Now we have established that your admirer was wrong to suggest that you turned down a potentially safe seat [I wonder where he/she got that from?], will you now tell us how many constituencies turned you down - or were there too many to mention. Does Mr Howard know about the byelection debacle or are you keeping it quiet [Hey - does he know you spent all day at Fakenham races on Friday??? - shall we tell him or will you?]. Now wouldn't censorshop on your site look really good "Failed PPC - unable to give straight answers to staright questions- censors his Blog site to any who disagree with him" Oh dear that would look good in the EDP particularly as I have taken the precaution of printing off some of your more memorable failures to answer questions. The one point that I have admired about you is that you are thick skinned enough to take criticism!
I think that you must be getting seriously rattled to say such a thing. Is it because Lady F wants to leave her family and marry me?
[Only making a joke Lady F - I assume that you are not being serious? Any chance of a picture on Iain's Blog site]
Robb