Iain Dale's Diary: EXCLUSIVE: Daily Mirror Tries to Entrap Bellydancing Tory PPC

Monday, December 28, 2009

EXCLUSIVE: Daily Mirror Tries to Entrap Bellydancing Tory PPC

The Daily Mirror have been up to their old tricks again. They have failed in a rather tawdry tempt to entrap Tory candidate Norsheen Bhatti. Until earlier this year she was the LibDem candidate for Chelsea & Fulham but in April she defected and now represents the Conservatives in Stoke on Trent Central.

Last week, Norsheen's theatrical agent got an email from someone called Ryan Parry (pic right), using a Googlemail account. Norsheen, I should have mentioned, is rather a good belly dancer. Her agent, though, thought it a bit odd that Mr Parry had used Noreen's surname in the email, as her 'stage name' is purely 'Noreen'. He googled Mr Parry, and, whaddaya know, he is a Daily Mirror journalist!

The agent emailed back to see how far the Mirror were prepared to go and was then told that Mr Parry wished to book her for a "private party" for his father.

Presumably, if the event had gone ahead, Mr Parry and his colleagues would have indulged in some form of rather unpleasant entrapment. I could speculate as to what they might have tried to do, but I won't. This is, after all, a family blog :).

What is odd, is that Norsheen has never kept it a secret that she is a semi professional belly dancer. Indeed, why should she? It's nothing to be ashamed of. Unlike working for the Daily Mirror... So if it wasn't a secret what possible reason could the Daily Mirror have for this form of subterfuge unless they were trying to entrap her into doing or saying something harmful to her political prospects or the Conservative Party?

I put all this to the Conservatives tonight and a source said: "This is yet another feeble and amateurish attempt by the Daily Mirror to deceive party members. They should try proper journalism for a change."

Of course, this isn't the first time the Daily Mirror have tried this sort of thing. Remember THIS from July 2009? Or THIS from August 2007? This isn't journalism, it's entrapment. If the Police did this, the Daily Mirror would be the first to complain. It just shows what a despicable newspaper it has become. Kevin Maguire, Jason Beattie, James Lyons, Bob Roberts, you must be so proud to work for such a publication.

Here's the email exchange...

------Original Message------
From: Ryan Parry
To: London Belly Dance
Sent: 22 Dec 2009 16:03
Subject: bellydancer

Hi
I am looking to hire a belly dancer for a party next year, maybe early February and was wondering whether you can help with one in particular. A friend of mine often goes to a Moroccan restaurant called Souk Medina in Covent Garden, and he has recommended a beautiful bellydancer called Norsheen Bhatti who danced there. He said she was mesmerizing and an amazing dancer. It was a while back, but at the time I remember finding Norsheen on your website, but she is no longer there. Does she still work at the restaurant or even for you?
Thanks
Ryan

On Tue, Dec 22, 2009 at 4:08 PM, London Belly Dance <londonbxxxx@googlemail.com> wrote:
Hi Ryan,

Thanks for your email.

I know Norsheen well & yes she does still dance at Souk.

She is very much in demand as a dancer & now usually only takes bookings from people she knows. You could try approaching her on the night if you see her dancing. The restaurant can tell you when she is dancing next if to call them. Please say hello to Norsheen and Souk from Johara.

I'd you require further assistance, please let me know.

Best wishes,
Johara
www.LondonBellyDance.com

Sent using BlackBerry® from OrangeFrom: Ryan Parry <rlparry@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:15:25 +0000
To: <londonxxxxxx@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: bellydancer

That's brilliant Johara, I'll give the restaurant a call. Do you happen to have any pictures of Norsheen while dancing, would be most helpful to get an idea for the party, also very curious to see what my friend is raving about!
Thanks again

-----Original Message-----
From: London Belly Dance <londonxxxxxx@googlemail.com>
To: Ryan Parry <rlparry@gmail.com>
Sent: Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:25
Subject: Re: bellydancer

Hi Ryan,

You could try Googling "Norsheen" & "Celebrity Come Dine With Me".
Earlier in the year Norsheen provided belly dance entertainment for Lynne Franks. There may be some video or photos. She was wearing a baby blue costume.

Best wishes,
Johara
www.LondonBellyDance.com

On Thu, Dec 24, 2009 at 10:42 AM, <norsheen@uk> wrote:
Hi Ryan,

Johara from london belly dance kindly forwarded your email onto me so I just thought it would be easier for me to email you directly.

Please thank your friend for the nice remarks although it must have been a while ago since they saw me dancing as I haven't danced in Souk recently, I've been really busy with other parties and Christmas etc.

When are you planning your party for and is it for a particular occasion i.e. wedding or birthday?
Do get back to me if you are still interested in having a belly dancer at your party and booking me.

Happy Christmas,

Norsheen

-----Original Message-----
From: Ryan Parry
To: norsheen@xxxx.uk
Sent: Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:43:28 +0000
Subject: Re: norsheen belly dance

Hi NorsheenThanks for getting in touch, the party is either going to be on Jan 30 or Feb 6, at a venue yet to be confirmed, but it will be in central London. Are you available on those dates? The occasion is my father's birthday party so I'm keen to get the best. Also do you have any pics of yourself dancing as I would very much like to show my father what you look like.
Kind regards
Ryan

I am sure some Daily Mirror apologist will try to suggest this could all be entirely innocent. Sadly, this theory is rather blown out of the water by an email sent by Mr Parry today.

From: Ryan.Parry@mirror.co.uk
To: London Belly Dance
Sent: 28 Dec 2009 15:03
Subject: Norsheen Bhatti

Hi Johara
I'm a journalist with the Daily Mirror and was wondering whether there was any way you could get a message to Norsheen Bhatti and ask her to give me a call. My number is 0207 293 3773 or 079681487xx.
Regards
Ryan Parry

Er, that would be a no, then.

Sorry to spoil your story, Mr Parry. Prat.

UPDATE Midnight: Ankd THIS is the rather pathetic story the Mirror have come up with. And to think, it used to be called a newspaper.

38 comments:

Jabba the Cat said...: You really should publish the little twats full mobile phone number.; December 28, 2009 7:22 pm
Anonymous said...: The Daily Mirror must be really worried if they are trying to smear a Tory candidate in what should be the 116th Safest Labour seat according to electoral calcuses ordered seats!

WHAT SORT OF MELTDOWN ARE LABOUR EXPECTING? WE KNOW THAT THE DAILY MIRROR HAS EMPLOYEES WHO INTERACT WITH THE LABOUR PARTY AFTER THE MCQUIRE, DRAPER, MCBRIDE AND Charlie Whelan (GORDON BROWNS FORMER PRESS SECRETARY. THIS WAS HIGHLIGHTED AFTER SMEARGATE.; December 28, 2009 7:28 pm
Unknown said...: Such an enterprising hack, using such a clever alias. If this was his MO in '03, Buck Palace are even more stupid than we thought; December 28, 2009 7:28 pm
Anonymous said...: Isn't he the guy who got a job at Buckingham Palace?; December 28, 2009 7:35 pm
Mirtha Tidville said...: You used the words `feeble and Amateurish` Iain......yes spot on a very appropriate description for the Mirror......a true red topped arse wipe; December 28, 2009 7:40 pm
Unsworth said...: Shame you didn't show his mobile number in full. It would've provided a few idle moments of fun...

Still we can see exactly where The Mirror is going with all of this.

I've always made it a rule that none of my people will ever talk to The Press. If they do, they'll be fired. It's served us quite well. Journalists are, with a very few notable exceptions, pond life. Least said, soonest mended, eh?; December 28, 2009 7:40 pm
Not a PPC But a Loyal Conservative said...: There is clearly going to be a lot of more of this! All PPC's should be very, very careful.; December 28, 2009 7:44 pm
Unknown said...: This Ryan Parry is no Fake Sheikh is he?

Amateur.

I can see Gordon Brown signing him up to be his next attack dog.; December 28, 2009 7:52 pm
walaa said...: Noreen was the PPC for Chelsea Fulham before defecting, so why didn't the Mirror try to entrap her then? Is this treatment exclusive of the Tories and Tory candidates!!?; December 28, 2009 7:53 pm
Sleazey McSleaze, First Earl of Sleazeshire said...: Yet more tory sleaze.; December 28, 2009 7:59 pm
Julian Bray said...: I suppose if Noreen was dancing and had her waistband was stuffed with £10 notes as is the custom we could finally nail the Labour MP's
who would have put the tips for Noreen on MP's expenses....

Pretty lady too...she'll be a wow on the stump!; December 28, 2009 8:26 pm
Red Rag said...: Didn't see you showing such shock and outrage when the Tory puppets in the press do the same thing to the government.The Sun and dead soldiers mother spring to mind, then again, it would go against the grain for one Tory puppet to attack another Tory puppet wouldn't it?; December 28, 2009 8:42 pm
Iain Dale said...: Actually Red Rag, I and virtually everyone I know criticised the Sun for what it did over the soldier's mother and Gordon Brown. What a pity it is you can't bring yourself to condemn the Mirror's antics. You disgust me.; December 28, 2009 8:56 pm
Red Rag said...: Did you bollocks, you did a half arsed defence of the PM and only when you had realised that the public and its own readers had turned against The Scum. Then again, your party leader stayed stum when any right minded person could see it was a total set up. Murdoch Jr really does have Cam the Sham by the Osbornes, doesn't he.; December 28, 2009 9:26 pm
Iain Dale said...: Oh so you are a mindreader now are you? Twisted too.; December 28, 2009 9:29 pm
Unknown said...: The Mirror may be a pile of shite and employ journalists with questionable motives, but it pales into insignificance when compared to the crap published by the Daily Mail.
"Look Out - We Are Being Flooded By Immigrants!!"; December 28, 2009 9:35 pm
golden_balls said...: iain you don't have to make excuses for your Tory party bias you are a Tory after all.

I don't read your blog expecting anything other than the conservative party mantra especially with an election only months away.

but well put Red Rag i agree iain and others were rather late to the party concerning the suns hatchet job on Brown.; December 28, 2009 9:43 pm
Iain Dale said...: Goldenballs, as usual you talk balls. You say I cane to the party late in the day. Red Rag alleged I only wrote it after everyone else had slagged off The Sun. As you will see from the timing of the blogpost, I wrote it at 10.03am on the day the Sun published the story. You may like to take that back, now. But I am not holding my breath.; December 28, 2009 9:48 pm
Red Rag said...: "Yes, it's unforgiveable to get the lady's name wrong and to misspell her son's name, and I am sure the Prime Minister will acknowledge that. Some will say this provides yet another example of the Prime Minister's attitude to the armed forces. I prefer to believe - some will say naively - that the Prime Minister was probably dog tired when he wrote this letter and we should cut him some slack. No one can surely really believe that he intended to insult the soldier's memory."

That was from your post at 10:03...as I said a half arsed defence of the PM. No where on there did you attack The Scum in any way, unlike the over the top attack on The Mirror in todays effort. Maybe you think trying to trap a bellydancing Tory is more disgraceful than successfully trapping the PM of a country and using a dead sildiers body as a political football.Your reaction to both speaks volumes.Maybe your memory is going or as I said maybe the Sun was shinning,like Cam the Sham, in your eyes.; December 28, 2009 10:03 pm
Iain Dale said...: Oh do bugger off. You make a fool of yourself. If you can't see what scum the Mirror are, then you're as low as them. In the gutter. The Sun got that story badly wrong. I am happy to say that. Why can't you condemn what the Mirror has tried to do? because you're as bad as they are - hence your name - are you Damian McBride in disguise?; December 28, 2009 10:06 pm
Anonymous said...: If this is the best that Labour's so called "attack rag" can come up with, then I wouldn't be too worried.

Disgusting attempt at entrapment, which, like so many before it has fallen flat on its face.

I hope the tories play it for all its worth, complaining to the PCC, demanding an apology from the Daily Mirror for this and all their other failed smear attempts. I imagine The Sun at the very least will be keen to rake over the dregs of the Mirror's journalism corpse; December 28, 2009 10:07 pm
Red Rag said...: If you actually think that trying to get a bellydancer to do her job and poke fun at the fact she is a Tory PCC is the same as setting up, following through and publishing a hatchet job on this countires PM and using a dead soldiers mother as the bait is the same thing.....you are so far up Project Cameron you have lost your sense of reality.

Jesus wept, the Mail and Express do this kind of shite every week against Labour MP'scand I don't see you crying crocodile tears of that.

FFS Iain one of your favourite blogs is a edited by a repeat drink driver offender whose website is set up to do, exactly what you are complaining about on here, on a daily basis.

If you befriend vermin, don't complain of other peoples infestations.; December 28, 2009 10:29 pm
Martin S said...: Here's a different take on Ryan Parry
http://www.theginge.com/Monstermirrorman.html

Is it me, or does he look like the villain from a James Bond film?; December 28, 2009 11:31 pm
Anonymous said...: Iain: Don't waste your energies on the likes of Red Rag; he/she is not worth the effort, and you've got bigger fish to fry.

Edward Sutherland.; December 28, 2009 11:36 pm
Cogito Dexter said...: I think someone might have touched a raw nerve with 'Red Rag'...

It hurts when your favourite people are caught red handed doesn't it?

The Mirror has plenty of form with this sort of thing though, stretching back decades... A friend of mine, who was standing for a London council seat in the '90s had her slightly dishevelled house splashed all over the Mirror... because she was poor, lived in a run-down area, and somehow that was a bad thing when she had the cheek to stand for the Tories. The Mirror is the epitome of gutter press - always has been, always will be, and Red Rag may fulminate as much as he likes, but he can't hope to defend the indefensible. Indeed, he appears to be as bad as they are.

http://cogitodexter.wordpress.com; December 28, 2009 11:46 pm
OBC News said...: What I don't understand is why the h*ck we would want a Lib Dem standing for the Tories; let's face it, 'defecting' isn't honourable or remotely credible, especially in a PPC.; December 28, 2009 11:59 pm
Mirtha Tidville said...: oh dear little red rag....do stop foaming at the mouth you`re obviously in need of some sort of medical help. I suggest you stop wasting time on your er `blog` and go and get it....; December 29, 2009 12:05 am
Anonymous said...: The Mirror may be obnoxious, but a semi-professional belly dancer who used to be so committed to the Lib Dems that she was a PPC for them, defected only in April but is already a Conservative PPC? Are those Stoke on Trent Tories serious??; December 29, 2009 12:12 am
Wrinkled Weasel said...: You have done us all a good service by exposing this revolting testicle who calls himself a "journalist".

Publish his mobile number and give us the opportunity to piss him off - he seems to have no qualms about exposing other peoples' private lives.; December 29, 2009 1:21 am
GBN said...: Are you sure that's not Russ Abbott? After all the bloke must be a bl**dy comedian trying to "smear" like that.

Oi Parry!! You keep doing articles like that as it just makes it look like a Labour smear campaign.; December 29, 2009 2:17 am
Anonymous said...: That Norsheen Bhatti ...

... I would.

... vote for her, that is.; December 29, 2009 10:41 am
Craig Ranapia said...: troymolloy said...
let's face it, 'defecting' isn't honourable or remotely credible, especially in a PPC.

Take that Winston Churchill!; December 29, 2009 11:16 am
Wat Tighler's Return said...: Mmmmmm well what next? Perhaps the Dead Red Rag might do an expose on some of the more revealing photos of Glenda Jackson in her oscar winning role in 'Women in Love'?

Daily Mirror journalists gives sewer rats a bad name.......; December 29, 2009 11:22 am
cheshireboy said...: "Are those Stoke on trent Tories serious?"

No.

Six months ago she was a Lib Dem ppc in what I take to be quite a wealthy part of London. Now she's a Tory candidate in one of Britain's most deprived areas 150 miles away. Something doesn't quite ring true.

But I agree that the DM's ruse was pathetic.; December 29, 2009 12:39 pm
Anonymous said...: Seriously, is this the best we can do? Squabbling over a Conservative PPC belly dancer? She’s also a lib dem defector, which in my books, makes for a questionable loyal Conservative party member. The bottom line is that belly dancing and politics aren’t a natural mix, so she is bound to be picked out by the tabloid rags, rightly or wrongly. None of the above mentioned tabloids are serious pieces of credible journalism: The Mirror, The Sun, The Daily Mail... so it’s kind of expected that one of their hacks will attempt to make a story about it. Much like the rather sordid attack on the PM by the Sun.

Sad state of affairs when the big heated issue happens to ultimately too seedy for all involved. It doesn't look good for the Conservatives, Labour or the Lib Dems - or those who make too much of an issue over it.; December 29, 2009 1:56 pm
Johara said...: Dear Ian,

I came across your blog today - having no involvement with Westminster machinations I hadn't seen it before. It's a fascinating read.

However I was surprised to see that some of my private correspondence with Ryan Parry and Norsheen Bhatti had been published on your blog as part of this story.

Could you let me know who the source was please? I'd really appreciate it. The only parties to the corresondence were me, Ryan Parry and Norsheen and I know I didn't forward the emails on to you.

Incidentally, I've raised a complaint with the PCC about the subterfuge and deceit undertaken in researching this story - which clearly has no public interest defence - together with the inaccuracies it contained.

Belly dance is an ancient and well respected artform as well as a popular pastime for many women from all walks of life and all political persuasions. Ryan Parry is behind the times in trying to portray it in the way his article seeks to do.

Johara

www.LondonBellyDance.com; January 16, 2010 12:31 am
Mark P said...: Hi All Thanks for the posts on this blog, it provides a very interesting insight in the level of UK journalism. I think the more important story is the fact that Simon Darby is also standing in Stoke Central which the BNP thinks it's got a good chance of winning!

A well research story into the BNP and their agenda and tactics in Stoke is a much more worthwhile piece of journalism. As do we really want a BNP MP! who has been known to receive the Nazi salute. What would Churchill have to say who incidentally moved from the Conservatives to Liberals and then to Conservatives!

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00034/bnp_header_1204_34745a.jpg; January 18, 2010 4:32 pm
Mark P said...: More intrigue from Stoke and this time not from the BNP but the Lib Dems!

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/809775-lib-dem-hopeful-resigns-over-racist-e-mail-row; January 20, 2010 10:05 am