The Prescott backlash has begun. His "friends" are briefing lobby journalists alleging that Guido and I are behind a dirty tricks conspiracy. The journalists, I understand, are openly laughing at this. The Prescott camp are alleging that Guido is a stooge of CCHQ and saying he's a member of the Conservative Party (wrong and wrong). If it wasn't so tragic, it would be funny. Apparently they are trying to say that anthing I say must come directly from the Conservative Party. As if. Methinks they are making the same mistake as Mary Devensky. Just to save time for any journalists who are up against a deadline, here's my response...
"Prescott's friends would be well advised to desist in their efforts to defame various bloggers including myself. Blogs have played a major role in exposing Prescott's activities and I make no apology for that. There are no dirty tricks. No one is pulling our strings. Prescott's own incompetence and sleaziness has ruined his reputation with little help from me. If there are further revelations to emerge, no threat from Prescott or his lackeys will stop the truth coming out."
What friends? When I worked in Parliament he would sit alone in the House of Lords staff canteen, looking miserable.
ReplyDeleteIain, even if Prescott's conspiracy about Guido and yourself were true, it doesn't negate the fact he is a serial cheater, has broken the Ministerial Code on various occasions, is simply bloody incompetent in whatever he has been involved in, is a violent sexiest pig, is power-hungry and delusional in believing his own self-importance and has lost all respect he has ever had from those working-class voters he claims to represent whilst abusing the rewards of office. He has no respect for Parliament nor its Parliamentarians, no time for the press or the public, has previously made insulting comments to our soldiers in Afghanistan and nearly started a fight in the Member's tearoom which luckily didn’t descend into the farce that happened in Wales. Be nice if a tabloid could print a sidebar reminder of his worst moments during the past nine years.
ReplyDeletePrescott still has friends? As in actual close pals and not the women he unceremoniously hits on or the businessmen he cosies up?
ReplyDeleteWhat truly surprises me is how long all this has taken to start leaking. A man who enjoys being releived by his diary secretary behind an open door in a public building is not a man with much instinct for covering his tracks. It's a sad reflection on our "fearless" press and broadcast media that so many muddy trotter-prints have gone ignored for so long.
ReplyDeletePerhaps now that NuLab is melting down, the threat of withdrawal of access will lose its potency and it won't just be bloggers with little to lose who can bring the public the acknowledged truths from the Lobby and beyond. How long until a call from Tony no longer sends the editor out of his office with steam coming out of his ears, but instead with an encouraging smile?
Here's hoping.
Iain - you are doing a great job. I think everyone who has commented on NR has got the flavour completely wrong. Is it not highly unlikely that NR would have flagged up your blog (even if it was to direct people to GF). Whilst everyone is going with the view that mainstream media are missing the stories and are angry about it, could it not be that actually NR is pointing the way. Otherwise why would he have mentioned your blog.
ReplyDeleteBeing a hack for the BBC is rather a different beast to being responsible and accountable to yourself I would think
Well said Iain!
ReplyDeleteFor the NuLabour spin machine to be labelling Guido and yourself as a pair of CCHQ stooges is a tragic, desperate ploy.
You've obviously hit the nail on the head, and they're crapping themselves.
Keep up the excellent digging - bloggers are putting the rest of the media - especially the BBC - to shame.
The Fat Oaf (and Jabba the Hutt lookalike) is finished this time, and will probably start a bloodbath at the top.
Can't wait.
Well, of course, Iain, what with you being a Cameroonian MP an' all, and Guido being, er... former member of the SDP National Exec, er... um... then clearly it's a conspiracy against tribune-of-the-people Prescott!
ReplyDeleteI don't know about anyone else but I'm thoroughly enjoying this whole saga. It has certainly made a hot, boring day at work a lot more enjoyable!
ReplyDeleteSays something about the "power of blogs" that the Labour spin machine is going into action against two high profile blogs doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteAlso check out Comment 27 on Nick Robinsons Prescott Dummy post - he's really throwing the toys out of the pram now!
Iain, I am surprised they have not described you as a "bourgeois lackey of the establishment."
ReplyDeleteI wonder how his nose is getting on as it seems to be spending so much time in the trough.
"What larks, Pip! What larks!"
ReplyDeleteThey're floundering.
Up Shit Creek (can I still say that? It's a geographic designation, ain't it?) without a paddle.
They've had a free run in the media playground for years; frown and the BBC bends over and greases up; Sun and Times pro-Nulab ("Cos I ses so," Prop.) the Groan - well, less said about that the better; the Indy concentrates on making a better sandal by knitting meusli, and anyone who reads the DT or Mail is suspected of fascism anyway.
Now there's a few million new kids on the block who don't give a stuff for toadying in the lobby or mutual ventral fricatation. Worse - they get laughed at. That's probably what really stings.
T'ain't neat and tidy - or controllable anymore. Mind you, they did try with that clause that would allow any plod to close down a site if it was thought it could offend. Fortunately it was thrown out; pity T-shirts weren't in there too.
They'll try again, no doubt.
Fortunately we outnumber the swine - and they've a God awful record of getting to grips with IT anyway.
Nail the bastards.
You must be doing something right to provoke that response.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly I just looked at my blogs stats and virtually all the visitors in the last two days have come from Google under the search "Prescott Mistresses"!!!
Is the man at CCHQ responsible for fighting with Prezza not the one-and-only Sheridan Westlake?
ReplyDeleteHardly a bosom-buddy of Guido's...
Everyone who works in parliament knows about the "rose by any other name affair". Don't tell me the press were not aware as well and have just "chosen" not to use it.
ReplyDeleteIn a way this reminds me of the Kennedy drink affair; everyone knew but no on was prepared to publish it.
Prescott is the master of his own destruction and his dirty linen (what a nasty thought) is now being washed in public.
ReplyDeleteI imagine you are scrupulous and only publish facts that can be substantiated, that you know the law of libel applies to blogs too. Let Prescott sue if he feels he has been defamed.
Radio 4 , Six o'clock news, had a Prescott supporter, putting it all down to "snobs" - as in, all this "sleaze" and "gossip" is all down to Iain & Guido being snobs.
ReplyDeleteSigh - they really are losing the plot here.
If Prescott goons start playing the class-war card, then you can be darn sure that you're onto something.
"Don't tell me the press were not aware as well and have just "chosen" not to use it"
ReplyDeleteKevin - are you not aware of what Trevor Kavanagh has said already?
He has stated that Prescott's "serial adultery" was well known for years amongst the Westminster hacks.