Tim Montgomerie has a good piece HERE titled CAN WE PLEASE STOP STEREO-TYPING THE TORY GRASSROOTS?
By the way, I look forward to the long pieces on Sky, the BBC and ITN today hailing Priti Patel's selection. After all, they devoted hours of broadcasting to Ali Miraj's comments about Witham being not likely to select an Asian candidate. It would only be fair to redress the balance, wouldn't it? Indeed, I just took a call for Sky News asking me to go on to comment on.... Prince Charles's equivalent of Webcameron (I declined). I'm sure the call will come to talk about Priti Patel. Not.
Give em it!
ReplyDeleteWell said Iain.
And I'm sure that it's only a matter of time before Bob Piper follows up yesterday's story "Cameron's equality moves snubbed by Tories".
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bobpiper.co.uk/2006/11/camerons_equality_moves_snubbe.php
Here's me thinking that the Conservative Party is a semi retarded racist political organisation, whom only chooses freemasons from their 'dodgy dossier' 'A' List.
ReplyDeleteI was wrong, and this case proves it.
Doom.
I think it is perhaps a bit of a pipe dream to hope for fair and balanced arguement. After all, you don't see the Beeb reporting when the government has done something positive, nor in fact does your blog ever provide a fair and balanced approach. The media want the government to fail so they have news, and the media want the Tories to fit the stereotypes, because, other than CallMeDave, very little has shifted.
ReplyDelete"CAN WE PLEASE STOP STEREO-TYPING THE TORY GRASSROOTS?"
ReplyDeleteConservatives demanding an end to stereotypes?
[bump!]
Sorry, I just fell off my seat laughing.
Iain, have you ever though of running for Mayor of London?
ReplyDeleteYou Tories are having a tough time getting a candidate. So be it that you wouldn't win. The platform is icredible for Parliamentary ambition and your party would groom you to death.
Push for it.Even if you fail to win the nomination,the talk would be why and that would be good, certainly for you. The Internet support you would get would boost you no end.
Go for it, you have nothing at all to lose.
Gary
Agree with Gary Elsby. Meanwhile, when are you going to blog on the WHU takeover?
ReplyDeleteYes that’s rather interesting isn’t it . I feel myself that the problem of the Conservative
ReplyDeleteAssociations are not that they will not pick the candidates they are told to .It certainly isn’t racism or homophobia, quite the reverse, the problem is that they will not pick strong candidates of any sort. Take Priti Patel, Euro sceptic . Well that’s a nice package isn’t it . Does she speak well can she write entertainingly and with precision, I doubt it . She may be an exception but as I read the oh so humble , offerings of Conservative candidates it seems to me that there is an active preference for the dull the conformist and what in every way is going to be Cameron fodder .
CCHQ `s version or caricature of local Conservatives is a conceited fallacy but the problem is worse. They are both against anything but yes men and women .
Of course I know nothing about this woman and she may well be a marvel . Hope so
Can I just add my approval to the idea of Iain Dale running for Mayor . Sadly I seem to have been so nasty about Nic Boles that if you Google him you get my abusive blog top.It would especially be good if an out gay man who is not a Cameroon ran allowing me to point out that Nic`s orientation is not the main objection .
ReplyDeleteIn that it is, and this obviously would apply to Iain D , it is because he will not “seem” to stand for families in London .Much more importantly he is another posh political “insider “ out of touch with Londoners of all sorts .
Because of the higher house prices the whole two income , children , taxation pincer bites deeply and because of this specific issue I would , myself ideally prefer a family man but this is a matter of message easily negotiated by a chap like I D . There are many many credits to the Dale equation and I would dearly love to see a Conservative Candidate we can really get behind and campaign for . It will be big thing where I am and for all the Conservatives labouring away inner city areas where it can only be for the love of it . In Ian’s case there is no question of his ignoring traditional Conservative support or being alien to small c Conservative households.
What a superb candidate you would be Iain !!!! Can you not see the disaster that Boles is going to be ?
I think you could win
Ali Miraj couldn't even spell Priti's name right....
ReplyDeleteWhile Conservatives rightly point out that they are not racist, could we do more to prove that we are not class-biassed? The enemy are attacking us on class.
ReplyDeleteWhere's the team of northerners, midlanders, west country, welsh etcetc? Or did we all go to Eton as it is alleged? (I don't remember having gone there).
Perhaps a 'McCarthy era'ish denial should become the norm for all candidates. 'I am not nor ever have been an Old Etonian' etc.
IAIN DALE FOR LONDON MAYOR
ReplyDeleteSounds good to me.
I agree with tapestry these diferent sorts of people are far less different than they seem. Class divisions have been growing for the last ten years and David Cameron seems ill equipped to even understand them.
ReplyDeleteI see the ES uit is being admitted that there is no relaistic Conservative Mayoral candidate
Iain Dale would be a master stroke
Iain, not sure I understand your point here ? Surely there has been a lot of coverage by the BBC [on radio, admittedly] about arguments between local associations and central office about local vs A-list candidates ?
ReplyDeleteOoops, rather embarrassingly I've just remembered that a 'flogging' by Ann Widdecombe of this same point was made on the same 18 Doughty Street I won't confess to viewing...
The interesting thing is that I happen to remember a time when Labour were desperate to renew themselves and were dealing with the hard left, and yet the Conservatives and those who were, and are, pro Tory in the Media, mentioned all the 'loony left' groups within the Labour Party and what they were up to, whilst almost ignoring the moderates!
ReplyDeleteInteresting how things change!
I too would support the Iain Dale for Tory London Mayor candidate. Let's face it, whoever they put up is going to get a good solid slapping from Ken and reading Iain's blog in the aftermath of his defeat as he whinges about media bias (although he is always on the TV) and Labour dirty tricks and.... (that's enough excuses - ed) would be a daily treat for us all.
ReplyDeleteActually you got far more coverage for her selection than you did over the fuss from Ali Marij.
ReplyDeleteI guess the press are biased in your favour.
Paul, you're still dealing with the hard left, many of whom visit your site.
ReplyDeleteSo on the topic of webcameron, does Prince Charles send copyright infringement complaints to YouTube when somoene posts his videos there, the way Webcameron does?
ReplyDeleteI think that the idea of Iain Dale being proposed as the Conservative candidate for Mayor of London is a sound idea.
ReplyDeleteAll reasoning suggests that Red Ken is a formidable opponent in his patch. He has after all, humbled this Prime Minister.
The Conservatives are having a tough time seeking a candidate and have been chasing the silly section of politics that most people would find silly at election time.
Iain Dale is someone actively seeking a position in an election. He is more or less well known throughout the internet and probably less well known in other circles. However, the internet support throughout the Country would be formidable and David Cameron should see this potential as a bonus. After all, he knows at first hand, the up and downside of net blogging. All to his favour and less so to Labour.
Iain is the man and the Conservative Party would be foolish to miss this chance.
Iain may be too bashful to put up a blog, 'Iain for Mayor?'
Doom.