General UK Politics Thread

[Hereward]

Absolutely. Apropos of nothing in particular, have you been enjoying Alan Johnston's principled and regretful intervention to defend the purity of political debate?

[Usotsuki]

Indeed, at last we have discovered a Cabinet member of unsullied purity one can only hope his career doesn't suffer as a consequence of this truly heroic stand.

[mormont]

As we all know, Gordon Brown is a great admirer of US politics. I fully expect him to import US political tactics for the next election, including fully deniable mudslinging. ;) And it's already clear that there are a lot of right-wing bloggers out there willing to circulate similar material on behalf of the Tory party - their existence is after all what prompted this whole set of shenanigans.

The main brake will be the fact that there really isn't a lot of mud on Gordon that isn't old news.

[Hereward]

[quote]Indeed, at last we have discovered a Cabinet member of unsullied purity one can only hope his career doesn't suffer as a consequence of this truly heroic stand.[/quote]

I am sure he would not count it a loss if it did. "Tis a far, far better thing...", etc, etc.

[Usotsuki]

[quote name='mormont' post='1755604' date='Apr 15 2009, 10.04']And it's already clear that there are a lot of right-wing bloggers out there willing to circulate similar material on behalf of the Tory party - their existence is after all what prompted this whole set of shenanigans.

The main brake will be the fact that there really isn't a lot of mud on Gordon that isn't old news.[/quote]

Guido is, appropriately enough, a professional bomb thrower but I think the Conservative party itself enjoys such favourable terrain that they will be more interested in attempting to achieve a changey hopey reputation than engaging in anything more than defensive smearing at best.

As a matter of curiousity what do you think the result of the next election will be? I'd be very surprised now if the Tories had less than an eight percent lead in the PV and a small working majority.

[VarysTheSpider]

[quote name='mormont' post='1755604' date='Apr 15 2009, 10.04']And it's already clear that there are a lot of right-wing bloggers out there willing to circulate similar material on behalf of the Tory party - their existence is after all what prompted this whole set of shenanigans.[/quote]
Odd, I thought it started when a left-wing blogger asked for material to circulate on behalf of the Labour party. :P

[Multaniette]

left wing and labour in the same sentence leave a sour taste in my mouth.

[Lyanna Stark]

So, "Smeargate" eh?

I was hoping for something exciting, but all in all it is pretty dull.

The only thing I want to know is, what did the emails actually say about Ms Dorries? I just keep reading that she is offended, but not what she is offended about. Currently that seems like the most interesting part of a so far extremely uninteresting event.

EDIT: Well, apparently she is offended that Gordon Brown didn't spell her name correctly, but apart from that, I'm not sure.

[mormont]

Understandably, many news sources have been wary of reporting the smears in detail. But for the record, the suggestion about Ms Dorries was that she had a one-night stand with a married colleague, evidence of which was a marital aid being left in a hotel bedroom after the couple vacated it.

Sadly it appears Ms Dorries is in reality not that interesting. :P

[VarysTheSpider]

Aye, the smears are pretty dull - though the picture of Osborne wearing lingerie would surely have destroyed his career if it a) existed and b) got out.

But as a story about the relationship between the government and the media (both old and new); and the practices and history of Gordon Brown's Plumbers - the Charlie Whelans, Tom Watsons, Damian McBrides and the Derek Drapers of the world - it's very juicy stuff.

[Maltaran]

[quote name='VarysTheSpider' post='1755645' date='Apr 15 2009, 11.54']Odd, I thought it started when a left-wing blogger asked for material to circulate on behalf of the Labour party. :P[/quote]

Depends on how you define "started". In this case, I'd say the start was when Guido got hold of the e-mails.

[Lyanna Stark]

[quote name='VarysTheSpider' post='1755924' date='Apr 15 2009, 17.35']Aye, the smears are pretty dull - though the picture of Osborne wearing lingerie would surely have destroyed his career if it a) existed and b) got out.[/quote]

I dunno, does he have nice legs? It didn't do anything to diminish [url="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45153000/jpg/_45153459_underwear_getty_226.jpg"]Russell Brand's (supposed) sex appeal[/url]. Who knows? It may have got out the legendary youth vote in favour of Mr Osborne.


[quote]Sadly it appears Ms Dorries is in reality not that interesting.[/quote]

I am not really surprised. At least Jaqui Smith can proudly boast softcore porn for a tenner. God, those politicians certainly get around. :P

[Zoë Sumra]

[quote name='Lyanna Stark' post='1756264' date='Apr 15 2009, 21.26']I dunno, does he have nice legs? It didn't do anything to diminish [url="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45153000/jpg/_45153459_underwear_getty_226.jpg"]Russell Brand's (supposed) sex appeal[/url]. Who knows? It may have got out the legendary youth vote in favour of Mr Osborne.[/quote]
I thought that that was the purpose of the Cameron/Osborne fandom_secrets.... :D

[VarysTheSpider]

[i]Warning - drunk post incoming.[/i]

[quote name='Maltaran' post='1755978' date='Apr 15 2009, 18.14']Depends on how you define "started". In this case, I'd say the start was when Guido got hold of the e-mails.[/quote]
The idea that shenanigans only begin when they are discovered would ordinarily be enough to make my left eyebrow shoot so high up my head that it becomes lost in my hairline, but considering that in the last few days I've seen more spin than I did in three years washing clothes in my university's launderette I'm going to keep an open mind and say go for it.

Of course, we can back-peddle a bit. We can say that Draper only solicited gossip because of the success of Guido's blog, which in turn we can say only happened in reaction to the abuses of the political class and the age of spin doctor and the resentment thereof, which has only come about due a 24 hour news climate, triggered by satelite and internet technology, made inevitable by the industrial revolution, made probable by the agricultural revolution, right back to the moment a few silly wizards at the Unseen Univesity accidently created our snowglobed world. I'd hope Tolstoy would be very proud of the eventual conclusion we may draw that all events in this world have infinite causes and therfore no beginning, but instead I'll pinpoint 'the start' of the 'shenanigans' to the moment a former spin doctor decided it would be a jolly good idea to publish lies for party-political gain.

[quote name='Lyanna Stark' post='1756264' date='Apr 15 2009, 21.26']I dunno, does he have nice legs? It didn't do anything to diminish [url="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45153000/jpg/_45153459_underwear_getty_226.jpg"]Russell Brand's (supposed) sex appeal[/url]. Who knows? It may have got out the legendary youth vote in favour of Mr Osborne.[/quote]

(God willing, that would be the only thing that "got out". :uhoh: )

I sometimes think that Osborne is clever man hiding in a somewhat incompetent man's body, but I don't think he could quite pull off the necessary, hmm, what's the word, [i]insouciance[/i] that would be needed. I suppose if the picture did exist he could start a charm offensive now; changing his default facial expression from a sneer to something vaguely resembling an upside-down frown would be a start.

[Lyanna Stark]

[quote name='Eloisa' post='1756350' date='Apr 15 2009, 22.50']I thought that that was the purpose of the Cameron/Osborne fandom_secrets.... :D[/quote]


:lol:

Link plz.

*waits for Usotsuki to weigh in*

[Usotsuki]

:lol:

Champagne by candlelight with the aristocratic charmers of the Bullingdon club, the intoxicating appeal of Thatcher, Hayek and Friedman, the hidden urge to be dominated and discarded by Reagan and the sweet, sweet release of beating Kinnock, it practically writes itself, Lyanna, and somewhere on the unholy interwebs you will find it.

[Blue Roses]

[quote]Whitehall sources unleashed an extraordinary salvo at Christopher Galley, the civil servant who leaked to Mr Green but was also freed from the threat of criminal prosecution. One labelled him a “complete loser”. Claiming that he had used a term from Star Trek as a computer log-in, an insider said: “That says it all, doesn’t it. The guy was a laughing stock.”[/quote] The Times today.

Infamy, infamy, they've all got it in for me! :P

Bloody hell, I thought the government couldn't get more childish and immature and then they start the playground game of bullying the sci-fi and fantasy geek in the corner. Not only were the supposed smears a bit lame but claiming someone is a loser over Star Trek.........we are being governed by a bunch of juveniles. Bit stupid within weeks of the summer blockbuster Star Trek being released which will be seen by no doubt millions of sci-fi and fantasy nerds who might be able to vote in a forthcoming election. Honestly, don't these people know what's going on in the real world :rolleyes:

As I was laughing at this piece I was wondering whether we should send Gordon a copy of Ice and Fire - I'm sure he would love the politics. Pehaps we could cast him in the role of Stannis - completely up his own arse and completely clueless. Would that make Mandelson Melisandre? :P

[Zoë Sumra]

[quote name='Lyanna Stark' post='1756904' date='Apr 16 2009, 09.00']:lol:

Link plz.

*waits for Usotsuki to weigh in*[/quote]
There's at least one fandom_secrets on Cameron/Osborne a week. [url="http://community.livejournal.com/fandomsecrets/255044.html#cutid1"]No. 154[/url], for instance.

[VarysTheSpider]

[quote name='Blue Roses' post='1758095' date='Apr 17 2009, 14.06']Not only were the supposed smears a bit lame but claiming someone is a loser over Star Trek.........we are being governed by a bunch of juveniles.[/quote]

Makes you wonder how much longer the Home Secretary can Klingon to her job. :leaving:

[Usotsuki]

:lol: That was impressively awful Varys, now stay in your corner till you're truly sorry for what you did. Even if Cabinet Minsters no longer show remorse for anything we know you can be better than they are :P

Edit: And where o where is Hereward I'd have thought he would rise from his death bed to mock Ms Smith over this particular embarrassment.