Greg Stone, the LibDem Candidate for Newcastle East is in a bit more trouble today. He is a regular poster on political blogs, including this one, using the pseudonym 'Inamicus' and had been forced to apologise for making rude remarks about a number of politicians, mainly female, on the Guido Fawkes PMQs chatroom. Nick Clegg has virtually disowned him. In his apology he made the point that his comments had been made a year ago.
Sadly for him, further evidence is emerging showing some more recent insults to female politicians, including Chloe Smith. He made an unfortunate remark about her appearance only a matter of weeks ago.
Greg, who has always been partisan but polite on this blog, would do well to draw a line under this episode if he can. UK Polling Report show this seat to be a LibDem target. If this saga drags on, Dominic Llewellyn the Conservative candidate, will fancy his chances of overhauling the LibDems.
I would agree that Greg Stone is in trouble and will be lucky to remain as PPC in Newcastle East .
ReplyDeleteLibDems are not as forgiving as Conservatives in matters of abusing the use of Internet unlike of course the Conservatives .
Grant Shapps of course created an account simply to pass himself of as an Asian LibDem in Manchester IIRC at the time of the Ealing Southall byelection but he is still a Conservative MP .
As for Dominic LLewellyn fancying his chances of overhauling the LibDems in Newcastle East , is having a sense of realism not a requirement for being selected as a Conservative PPC , he will be a poor 3rd whoever fights the seat for the LibDems .
Iain, this is going on in all of the parties.
ReplyDeleteThe officers in command of the party structures are making a concerted effort to control blogging by publicly crucifying known bloggers.
The Conservatives and Labour have been doing it for Months, on the quiet, and now it seems the Liberals.
Has there been a unwritten agreement between the Party Leaders to cut a swaythe through the blogsphere?
I'm told that the Labour Party has graded it's own members for future references. My guess is that no-one in labour knows that they are being labelled like cattle.
Grades are 'A' good and down to 'D' Hostile to the cause.
Cameron has done the same for the Tory faithful.
There is proof of this going on and a bloodbath is going on in Labour's NEC as we speak.
What's your grade Iain?
And this highlights the real matter very well.
ReplyDeleteLoonies such as myself can make all sorts of remarks - usually without consequence. Candidates do not have that luxury in that their espoused parties may not wish to be associated with such remarks - even though they may be posted under pseudonyms.
Thus it's clear that Candidates and even Prospective Candidates are required at all times to toe the Party Line. I'm not convinced this is a good thing. It damages individual responsibility.
Is it therefore safe to say that all personal remarks made by Lib Dem Candidates have been/are agreed by Lib Dem HQ?
The whole object of pseudonyms is to avoid this sort of embarrassment, anyway. Insofar as Stone has become identified, his comments may cause a momentary frisson but, really, are we so immature? What would there be to stop him from adopting another 'nom de guerre'?
If Mr Stone posted as 'Inamicus', how did people find out that it was Mr Stone? I don't understand that bit.
ReplyDeleteI don't see what there is to apologise about. He wasn't declaring that Blears was on Botox. He was merely expressing his opinion.
ReplyDeleteWhy should that be an issue?
As a nation, we need to regrow our spines. Labour's cancer has eaten too far into our national psyches
Now, we're all wimps.
Will people with high profiles not stand up and set an example?
Silly man. It politically incorrect to be rude about wimmin. As a Liberal Democrat he should know that. They are a minority and as such uncriticisable!
ReplyDeleteLib Dems have been doing this for over 30 years. Its just that the Internet enables it to be just one big local Focus with its usual content of Smear and Innuendo being able to go world wide
ReplyDeleteBut when it happens to them, the first thing they do is reach for their libel lawyer
hmm perhaps I should not say which ladies I find attractive or unattractive in the future. just incase
ReplyDelete