It's always nice to see friends bouncing back. You may remember I was highly critical of Boris's decision to let James McGrath go earlier in the summer. Losing his job was a bitter blow to James, but being the guy he is, he's come up smelling of roses. I am sure other blogs have reported on this already, but he has played a leading role in advising the Maldive Islands opposition in their general election victory which has toppled a dictator of 30 years' standing.
James took a lot of crap from the Maldivian government which made the Boris business look like child's play - he even had to have his own bodyguards. They had three press conferences on him in one weekened, tried to deport him, said he was a Christian missionary poisoning the Muslim society, said that he was an inciter of violence and even that he had been promised his own island if they won!
I gather that the Conservative Party has done quite a lot to help the Maldivian Democratic Party, with several activists and politicians having been over there in high profile visits to show their support and give advice.
Now, James, if you are reading this, and you've signed the papers on the free island, I'm free at the end of November. Readers know how I like freebies.*
* For those with a sense of humour loss, that was a lame attempt at a joke. Some of you seem to have lost the understanding of that word lately.
Brass Necker Island?
ReplyDeleteThey're not funny if you have to explain them, Iain. ;o)
ReplyDelete(Word verif: mandi!)
What do you mean 'I'm Free' end of November? You mustn't leave the Telegraph. I will have to read the Times amd that reminds of that slug-lookalike on LBC (mornings)
ReplyDeleteWhat? More Tory sleaze!! It makes me so ANGRY!!! that Tories think that taking free islands is okay!!!! This is a free country, not some old colony!!!!! This is old Toryism rearing its ugly head!!!! GGGRRRRRR!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThe conservative party international office also pressured the candidate to sack an aide who had previosuly worked for the lib dems. There is a time and a place for partisan politics and this was most definately not it
ReplyDeleteIt's about time someone sorted out the mess in the Maldives and if it takes the Tory party to do so then so be it.
ReplyDeleteWhilst we are at it we should also interfere with Fiji, Tonga and Mauritius.
iain you are not a public figure. freebies are irrelevant. remember you didn't win an election and aren't - alas - paid by us good folk of britain.
ReplyDelete