political commentator * author * publisher * bookseller * radio presenter * blogger * Conservative candidate * former lobbyist * Jack Russell owner * West Ham United fanatic * Email iain AT iaindale DOT com
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
It Shouldn't Happen to a By Election Candidate
It is being reported by BBC News that the Norwich North Labour Candidate is in hospital with suspected swine flu. What a terrible thing to happen to the poor guy. It appears Lord Mandelson has cancelled a visit to Norwich today, as he didn't want to meet party workers who may be contagious. Having done a debate with the other candidates last night, it is entirely possible that Ostrowski could have passed it on to them. Could we have a count on Friday with none of the major party candidates present?
Mandelson would have killed him anyways because he is the Prince of Horrible Darkness.
ReplyDeleteNot a labour supporter never will but I hope he gets well soon - just in ime for him to be defeated at the by-election.
ReplyDelete“Could we have a count on Friday with none of the major party candidates present?”
ReplyDeleteOf course. I absolutely can’t see any problem.
I hope the people of Norwich North aren't foolish enough to give him any sympathy votes.
ReplyDeleteIn the grand scheme of things, the bloke being unable to knock on doors today and tomorrow isn't going to make a huge difference.
Could this be a Labour party ploy to show why we can not have a general election in 2010?
ReplyDeleteNHS or Private?
ReplyDeleteJonah hasn't been to Norwich, has he?
ReplyDeleteIf it's hospital he must have been hit quite hard. Hope he gets better soon. Obviously, not hoping he wins but I'm not going to wish ill health on anyone. Obviously with knocking on so many doorsteps I suppose this is a risk for politicians but I suppose you can see it as darwinism in action. Only the strongest will get through.
ReplyDeleteHi Iain,
ReplyDeleteLord Mandelson is sending a message that people should avoid all those who have been in contact with Ostrowski (he's avoiding Labour staffers but, as you point out, the other candidates also apply).
Will canvassing now have to end? Surely if they can't come into contact with Lord Mandelson, all those in contact with Ostrowski shouldn't come into contact with anyone else?
blogged on it here: http://joshuachambers.wordpress.com/2009/07/21/swine-flu-at-the-norwich-by-election-and-end-to-canvassing/
They must be really ill to be in hospital with it, most are told to F off and stay in doors.
ReplyDeleteOr preferential treatment?
Ian,
ReplyDeleteI think the comments above perfectly illustrate the problem this GVN has with spin. We’ve been lied to so often now, that we don’t believe anything that the Labour party says. I’m ashamed to say, that like many others, my first reaction to this story, was to question its validity i.e. was this some kind of electoral stunt to garnish public sympathy for a candidate who has so far failed to impress?
It really is a sad state of affairs, when we have come to this… Blair, Brown, Campbell and Co should hang their heads in shame.
I suspect the rehabilitation of Damian McBride has reignited Liebour's dirty tricks department. To try and win a sympathy vote by claiming to be ill with swine flu is really scraping the barrel. Even by Liebour's standards.
ReplyDeleteIf he's in hospital then it probably isn't swine flu. I note that the only reference to swine flu is from Labour's spokesman - presumably because that's the current buzz-word illness and garners instant sympathy. For all we know, he might have tripped on a doorstep and twisted his ankle.
ReplyDeleteCall me a cynical b*stard, but this is a New Labour candidate facing defeat that we're talking about, and they've already tried the "vote Tory, kill foxes" tactic...
It is terrible. I know Chris and have just found out. I can't think of a more decent guy it shouldn't happen to
ReplyDeleteI dunno, call me a bastard if you want, but I hate these Labour gits so bloody much, all you buggers wishing him well make me want to vomit.
ReplyDeleteThose people who still support the Labour party deserve far worse than Swine flu, I hope his bloody arms and legs and lungs fall off.
Plus do we actually believe it?
Zorro
I've read reports that swine flu often comes on in just a few hours and can knock someone for six.
ReplyDeleteHope he gets better soon.
And Gordon never even went to Norwich - Guido would be so disappointed if he wasn't on his hols :0
It would be poetic if the bigwigs came down with swine flu.....swinedenfruede.
ReplyDeleteOh how "unfortunate"! This is about as truthful as Messrs Balls and Brown not knowing about the Red Rag emails!
ReplyDeleteTalk about rats leaving a sinking ship
Greedy pig + trough = swine flu
ReplyDeleteThe good news for Mr Chris Ostrowski is that I think we can guarantee him plenty of rest ....
ReplyDeleteGet well soon Mr Ostrowski - we are all thinking of you, just not votng for you.
I wonder how many Labour voters he has infected on the doorstep? It certainly adds a new terror to elections.
ReplyDeleteThat's get a few things straight;
ReplyDelete1). Chris collapsed at home and was rushed to hospital.
2). He went to an NHS hospital, which you are suppose to do if you collapse with swine flu - tends to be an emergency.
3). Despite political party, mine obviously being the Labour Party, I would like to think that everyone in the campaign wishes anyone - regardless of party - with swine flu a safe and speedy recovery.
4). Lastly, this is not a ploy, candidates of all parties have been pressing the flesh and this should come as little shock.
p.s. whoever wins on Thurs. I wish them well.
A cynics point of view..... sympathy votes for Ostrowski..... Mandy doesn't have to go there (that's a few more votes for nuLab)...
ReplyDeleteMP's won't go and give support.... nuLab loses.
Excuse..... well we were unable to canvas!!!
No,no, I'm sorry, but this report can't be true.
ReplyDeleteAll the evidence shows that right now politicians of all parties are immune to swine flu.
If it is swine flu, then shouldn't the BBC's headline be "Labour politician fast-tracked to hospital whilst Joe Public fobbed off with a permanently engaged helpline and vaccine that's anything up to 25 miles away to collect"?
ReplyDeleteNo, because he has already been sent home, according to the local news media, so all the rubbish from people concerning preferential treatment is political muck raking.
ReplyDeletePerhaps some of you will be aware that flu at any time of the year can kill even healthy people.
He can go back to his own home after Thursday.
ReplyDeleteWho is this "Anonymous"? Someone so "in" with the Labour Party they refuse to identify themselves. A "source close to the Cabinet" again? Very brave.
ReplyDeleteTypical Nu Labour - "trust us, we are telling the truth, we just won't give our names".
This cynical cabal will never be believed again. Why don't you go and find some dirt on a relative of one of the killed soldiers, just in case they kick up a fuss about the state of the army?
just checked back. realised, I forgot to say 'get well soon Chris.'
ReplyDeleteIain
ReplyDeleteJust looking at the minute in parliament that Labour are trying to stop a by election for Michael Martins seat.
Even though Norwich is having one this week and Labour moved the writ last year even before Mrs Dunwoody was buried.
Labour as usual voted like lemmings to deny the Glasgow people of a MP. Likely to lose the seat to the SNP, so democracy can go out of the window.
ReplyDeleteDMc---Iain flagged up the "SNP Tactical Voting" blog which goes into this in detail.
ReplyDeleteJeff, the blogger, didn't appreciate however that Labour are trying to save people from getting swine flu at the polling stations in Glasgow...
Not me guv. I ain't seen nuthin.
ReplyDeleteDid Gordon Brown call him recently to wish him good luck in the by-election? If so, that would explain this one away...
ReplyDeleteMore like pigs might fly if Labour retain the seat than swine flu?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I wish the poor chap a speedy recovery.
Apols if this goes in twice - publishing confusion.
ReplyDelete'The previously healthy' little girl who died 'of swine flu' the other day - it now transpired she died of septic shock following a bout of tonsillitis.
If I recall at the time the claim that she had been diagnosed with tonsillitis was spun as a misdiagnosis. I hope the tragic little girls GP gets an apology from the press BBC and elsewhere.
So far no healthy person has died from swine flu - indeed its not clear to me that anybody can be said to have 'died from swine flu'.
Coulson took the rap for what happened on his watch at the NoW. Interestingluy he had been told by the police that its likely that HIS phone has been tapped. The plot thickens. And of course he was not editor at the time for which News Int. paid damages to Taylor.
He has not even had chance to get his nose in the trough, and he has caught swine flu.
ReplyDelete"Could we have a count on Friday ...."
ReplyDeleteCount??????
Iain, You do realise that this ''pandemic'' is being created to prevent a general election next year!
ReplyDeleteIt still rankles that I didn't put a couple of grand on Labour to win at Glenrothes as soon as I heard that Brown had visited.
ReplyDeleteEither the private polling indicated a certain win or, for those of a conspiratorial mind, the plot to fiddle the count and lose the ballot records was anyway going to gurantee victory.
It is inconcievable that Brown would have broken convention and made a visit as PM to the campaign had he not been assured of victory.
Equally, his non-appearances at Crewe and Glasgow East (west, can't remember) were equally prophetic.
So, unless he pops up in Norwich tomorrow I think we can safely assume that neither the internal polling nor the dirty tricks department are giving the thumbs up to the PM.
As to the collapsing Labour candidate - all the best with getting better and commiserations for Thursday.
R56
@ Norfolk Blogger
ReplyDelete"Perhaps some of you will be aware that flu at any time of the year can kill even healthy people."
Yep, so can runaway trucks. And your point is?
Iain
ReplyDeleteIndeed it is said that the chap has possible swine flu.
I wish him the best recovery .
On a national politics point of view- do you think that the governments handling of this crisis will become part of the political debate ?
PS- I meant to say 'sad' before any labour fools try and rebuke me for my spelling again.
ReplyDeleteHe's not the only one. There's a story going round the constituency that the MP for North Ayrshire and Arran, Katy Clark has it as well.
ReplyDeleteI tried to put this story up earlier but remote access to my site failed for some reason. I had to wait until I got home!
ReplyDeleteSwine Flu Floors Labour Candidate
I reckon Labour tried to kill their guy off to get the by election abandoned.
ReplyDeleteMandy did come to Norwich after all.....
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rra7vlBGJqc
call me a cynic but mandelson announced this on his visit. knowing the party is in for a another drubbing, what better way to alleviate the result by having your candidate go down 'ill' at the climax of campaigning so you can blame the inevitably wretched result on swine flu?
ReplyDeletesounds like a not very black political op to me.