Is Conservative Councillor Tim Crowley faking online comments?
Written by Mark Pack on 11th July 2007 – 6:55 amThere has been a series of three comments in the last few days on Lib Dem Voice under the username “timcrowley” (see this thread and this thread). They have all been from the same IP address, all give the same email address and it’s clear that the comments are either from Sutton Conservative Councillor Tim Crowley himself (or from someone pretending to be him, or from someone who has discovered his password is 1234 etc etc). That’s because of content in the comments such as:
When the voters of Sutton see how the Ruling Lib Dem cllrs are voting through retrospective allowance payments we will see how the electorate react.
Not surprisingly, he doesn’t really like the Liberal Democrats, but the comments have had some content rather than just being abuse or hectoring. All ok so far … so how dashed unlucky for him that the same IP address was then used to post a comment on the thread about Terry Sutton:
Why no comments on this disaster news. Have we still got our heads in the sand?
Note that use of the little word “our” as if it was a comment from a Liberal Democrat supporter. Moreover, it appeared in the name of sadboy (a new one on this site) and gave an email address with the name Pete Burton in it (another new one to this site).
Could Sadboy / Pete Burton by any chance by Tim Crowley in (not very good) disguise? I’m open to explanations, especially as it would really be very, very daft to be caught faking a comment as a Liberal Democrat just after the Grant Shapps affair broke now, wouldn’t it? If there is an innocent explanation, do let me know and I’ll be happy to amend the story.
Posted in Grant Shapps, Opposition watch, e-campaigning
11th July 2007 at 8:05 am
Hi all
My comments are not fake and i have never tried to hide them.
A lot of Lib Dems post on so called conservative websites and all i am trying to do is open up the debate.
If you dont want debate then fine.
As it is yesterday a Lib Dem cllr in Sutton resigned to become an independant( Cllr David Theobald) You can find his explanation here.
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=122950753&blogID=286110364.
I am sorry if i have offended the regular readers of the “Voice” but i do genuinely enjoy reading some of the blog comments.
Politics is surely about looking at all spectrums before making up your mind.
Look forward to the continuing debate.
Tim Crowley
11th July 2007 at 8:29 am
In fairness, I don’t necessarily think “Have we still got our heads in the sand?” is implies that the poster is a Lib Dem. It could do, or it could just be an attempt at being patronising. Still it’s odd to have multiple email addresses from the same IP address . . . unless of course, it’s a computer somewhere in Tory by-election HQ or some such, where different people can email in to try to annoy us.
11th July 2007 at 8:58 am
It could be the Royal “we”, of course.
11th July 2007 at 10:17 am
“Still it’s odd to have multiple email addresses from the same IP address .”
Not really - I have several. But I don’t pretend to be people I’m not (OK maybe once
11th July 2007 at 10:24 am
I’m Spartacus!
11th July 2007 at 11:57 am
Edward, we went beyond Spartacus and into Life of Brian territory yesterday. Do try to keep up.
11th July 2007 at 11:57 am
There are scenarios in which it would be difficult to tie it back directly to Crowley, i.e, if the IP address traces to an internet gateway on a larger network, a cache server or an internet cafe, but it does look suspicious.
11th July 2007 at 12:49 pm
Bloody hell- if this is what makes Libbies excited- you don’t get out much! It’s every good conservatives duty to take the p*ss out of you lot! After all, you do give us the ammunition! Go and take an Ovaltine and calm down!
11th July 2007 at 12:55 pm
Pretending to be someone from another party is well short of the standard of ethics to be expected from any Councillor. If it’s true he should be dealt with by the Standards Board.
11th July 2007 at 1:20 pm
“Pretending to be someone from another party is well short of the standard of ethics to be expected from any Councillor. If it’s true he should be dealt with by the Standards Board.”
Possibly. Or just regard people who do this as very sad people with so little to do in their lives….
11th July 2007 at 1:43 pm
Who is Tim Crowley anyway???
11th July 2007 at 2:41 pm
Not only sad, deeply stupid too.
11th July 2007 at 6:38 pm
I have just recovered Tim’s reply from the spam box, where it erroneously ended up, so although it’s listed first it’s only just appeared.
11th July 2007 at 8:49 pm
Tim Crowley is hardly in a position to lecture the rest of us on any subject of any note when he thinks the plural of “spectrum” is “spectrums”. He’d have got his bottom smacked for that at prep school.
11th July 2007 at 10:11 pm
Tim says: “My comments are not fake and i have never tried to hide them.”
Do you mean the ones posted as Tim Crowley or the one posted as “sadboy” which I can only read as purporting to be from a Lib Dem despite apparently being from the same address.
Comments from Tories are fair enough but if people are pretending to be something else they’re just a bit sad really
12th July 2007 at 12:33 am
I apologise for my mistaken pluralism.
As for the standards board well bring em on.
I have never said what party i represent or which i do not.
I think the overreaction on here borders on the edge of paranoia.
All i wanted to do was start a debate.
Does anyone fancy that?
I hear you went to a prep school Mr Huck so you would know what qualifies for a smack on the behind.
I had to make do with state education.
Wont be around for a while a family wedding calls.
Enjoy the next few days
Tim C
12th July 2007 at 7:31 am
Was comment 16 an admission of guilt? “All i wanted to do was start a debate” is surely an explanation and an appeal for us to understand, isn’t it?
12th July 2007 at 11:01 am
Admission of guilt for what?
Understand what?
Please explain
12th July 2007 at 7:57 pm
Is the Nich Starling blog posting, “Labour more hopeful in Ealing Southall”- with its uncharacteristically defeatist comments - also a product of internet piracy?
13th July 2007 at 11:50 am
Having just browsed this on the recommendation of a friend of mine one can’t help but laugh at the stupendous pettiness of it.
Take, for example, Angus Huck on July 11th, 2007 at 8:49 pm: -
“Tim Crowley is hardly in a position to lecture the rest of us on any subject of any note when he thinks the plural of “spectrum” is “spectrums”. He’d have got his bottom smacked for that at prep school.”
What a moronic comment to make. This is the kind of claptrap I’d expect to see on my daughter’s MySpace webpage.
Tory Councillor Tim Crowley from Sutton should take heart that his fan club on here are more interested in dissecting his English rather than daring to enter into a political discussion with him. At least has bothered to delve into a forum that is, by definition, likely to be opposed to his point of view.
To be met by what exactly? Poorly articulated snide comments and gratuitous hostility. If that is the cerebral strength of Lib Dem activists then no wonder they are confined to perennial political opposition.
And as for the impotent threat of the Standards Board? Do grow up. Aren’t you people endowed with the sufficient maturity to avoid such cheap shots? Clearly not.
I’m definitely not a Liberal Democrat although my partner is, and I have quite a few Lib Dem friends; fortunately I can say that guttural tone of these past few threads are not broadly representative.
Lisa
28th July 2007 at 6:40 pm
I’m sure that ‘Tim Crowley’ who posts here is, as assumed the Tory Councillor in Sutton. http://sutton.moderngov.co.uk/mgUserInfo.asp?UID=472&J=6
He was elected in 2006, taking a seat from us and is just starting to flex his muscle - note singular
His Father was also a Tory councillor some years ago.
At Sutton’s Council meeting on Monday evening he made a speech (a good one to be fair) attacking the Lib Dems for paying their Joint Deputy Leaders back pay. The speech might have had more bite if: i) they Deputies had been paid for their work in 2006/7 - which they hadn’t; or ii) it had increased council spending on allowances - which it didn’t.
I’m a bit surprised at his atttude to the Standards Board though - he might want to abolish them, but a little less confidence might be in order - his ex-Leader in Sutton is just about to be processed by them for her conduct afterall!
Anyway, I for one am looking forward to him returning from holiday!