'Dirty tricks' claim over Tory blogs
By Colin Brown, Deputy Political Editor
Published: 06 July 2006
Friends of the Deputy Prime Minister claim he has been the target of a "dirty tricks" campaign by "bloggers" with Tory right-wing links. They are furious at the use of two Westminster internet sites to name a third woman with whom the bloggers allege John Prescott has had an affair, and a woman civil servant in Beijing who is said to have rebuffed his advances. Mr Prescott's allies have privately urged him to take action to remove the smears or close the sites down. His advisers said he was unlikely to do so, to avoid giving them more prominence. "It is the black arts," said a Prescott ally. "They are running a dirty tricks campaign and they are being used as a conduit by journalists." The Labour MP was named by a "gunpowder plot" website called Guido Fawkes. Friends of the blogger said it was run by a libertarian conservative, Paul Staines, a former Tory activist. The website yesterday challenged Mr Prescott to sue. The Prescott camp also accused Iain Dale, a past Tory parliamentary candidate, of using his own personal blogsite to recycle the smears. Mr Dale said: "Blogs have played a major role in exposing Prescott as a sexist, adulterous philanderer, and I make no apology. There are no dirty tricks here. No one is pulling our strings... Sleaziness is ruining his reputation without any help from me."
I am pleased to see that you are doing your bit to save trees by killing off the dead tree press.
ReplyDeleteI am also highly amused at their musings which seem to be giving you and Guido the "oxygen of publicity".
The truth shall set you free.
The Indy seems to really have it in for you and Guido. Perhaps it's because your readership figures have almost reached their circulation figures after only a year or so of operation? Or is it that your figures are rising where theirs are falling?
ReplyDeleteIf Prescott thinks there is a conspiracy of lies and falsehoods being directed against him, he can sue. The fact that he chooses not to do so (and in the process purger himself) speaks volumes.
If I could ask of one thing, I for one would rather you drag out Prescott's departure rather than deliver a knock out. It's far more fun to watch scandal after scandal, and far more damaging to the Labour Party.
Interestingly, in spite of the "anger" at the blogs for "dirty tricks", none of the allegations are actually denied.
ReplyDeleteVery telling.
This is so obviously an adopted line of defence from NuLab. Tragically weak and pathetic.
Well at least you got a quote in at the end there.
ReplyDeleteThis is absurd, no pro Labour blog would have the guts to expose this so of course it's going to be partisan in nature. But even that is beside the point; if Prezza hadn't been up to all this dodgy shi-I mean stuff no blog would have any to say on the matter.
The guys a sleaze and a bloody hypocrite and deserves to be brought down by blogs such as yours and Guidos. If Bliar's government collapses after that happy day, so be it.
They had it coming and have no one to blame but themselves.
"Mr Prescott's allies have privately urged him to take action to remove the smears or close the sites down"
ReplyDeleteWha'???? Close the sites down? Close the sites down? How do you say that in Chinese?
Can we identify which Fascists on John Prescott's huge, humongous, obscenely and pointlessly large staff - or at least the ones with the skills to read blogs rather than service John and hang round his neck - made this suggestion?
I have a feeling even the MSM would feel a chill ...
No one is pulling our strings... Sleaziness is ruining his reputation without any help from me."
ReplyDeleteHeh, that's true.
Why is this government incapable of taking the blame for anything they do? Instead, they always blame someone else for their failures and ridicule and smear anyone who dares criticise them.
ReplyDeleteThe only person using smears is Prescott. He misses the point. He cannot sue if it is true. If it isn't then why doesn't he sue? ANSWER: because it IS true. He is using the smear, and he hasn't got the balls(and we KNOW that) to take it into a courtroom, because what Guido and Iain said was obviously right. Just resign and disappear you hypocritical incompetent baffoon.
ReplyDeleteAh,yes. I love the smell of sleazy propaganda in the morning.
ReplyDeleteThey dished it out often enough, now they're getting a little bit of their own medicine and they find 'they don't like it up 'em'.
ReplyDeleteI believe Colin Brown is Prescott's biographer so this isn't at all surprising.
ReplyDeleteHave I read that right? "Prescott's allies urge him to ...close the sites down"
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing insight into the thinking of those at the top of NuLab. They tamed the BBC, and now have the bloggers in their sites.
Frightening!
Typical left-wing bullying tactics! Prescott made his 'beds' so now must pay the consequences. Having Blair's total faith and support has been the epitaph to many a liebour politicians career!
ReplyDeleteIt's a vast right wing conspiracy!!
ReplyDeleteDirty tricks?
ReplyDeleteRank hypocrisy. Just look at what Labour did to some excellent Conservative candidates at the last election, causing one to be dismissed by Michael Howard merely on the strength of an allegation of 'bigotry'. Prescott is fair game; rather large game, but still fair.
Do unto others...
Oh dear. If the Prescott camp wanted to make these sorts of allegations, they really should have got someone other than Colin Brown to make them. Colin, of course, has never once had his strings pulled by Prescott in 25 years of political journalism.
ReplyDeleteI love the "His advisers said he was unlikely to do so, to avoid giving them more prominence" comment. Of course it probably has nothing to do with the fact that he can't do anything if what you're saying isn't libellous ;)
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work.
"If I could ask of one thing, I for one would rather you drag out Prescott's departure rather than deliver a knock out. It's far more fun to watch scandal after scandal, and far more damaging to the Labour Party."
ReplyDeletei would whole heartedly concur. Drag it out Iain, if possible.
A drip drip drip would be far more damaging than a killer blow , which would be forgotten about come the election anyway.
re - closing the sites down.
ReplyDeleteFor those of you of an untechnical nature, please be aware that blogspot.com, where this blog (and Guido's) is hosted, is in the United States.
Prescott's goons would have to get the U.S. to overturn the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution first (i.e. it's not going to happen)
Wow, if his mates are telling him to sue and he isn't that might be the first sensible thing that Prescott has done in quite a while.
ReplyDeletearchduke - it isn't the impossibility of this and Guido's - or any other - sites being closed down that is of concern.
ReplyDeleteIt is this government's fascist interest in doing so. Yes, they're ignorant, sleazy rabble, but they have now actually mooted the idea of using the might of government to close down dissenting voices. It is the intent that is so chilling - not that they could actually do it.
(It would be fun to see them disgrace themselves - further - by trying, though.)
Which friends of JP are furious? Why have they only privately urged him to take action? In fact who are his friends, allies and advisers?
ReplyDeleteThis piece isn't reporting. It only provides ammo to badmouth the Indy.
"It is the black arts," said a Prescott ally. "They are running a dirty tricks campaign and they are being used as a conduit by journalists."
ReplyDeleteAhhh. Diddums.
And when I stopped laughing,
They have sown the wind ....