Not a good day to be on the Conservative by-election team by the looks of it.
In summary, we have legal action threatened over a magazine by David Cameron on Friday, which was within a matter of hours disowned by his media team (who told the media they were backing off it) and then today his candidate denied the threat was ever made. It wasn’t a very convincing denial mind you, what with it being made to the very journalist to whom Cameron had talked about the legal threat on Friday. Oops.
Oh and magazine publishers Archant are getting involved – but it’s a Conservative Henley magazine they’re taking action over.
Meanwhile, John Howell has been snapped using written notes to tell him how much a pint of milk, six eggs, a loaf of bread and a litre of petrol cost.
It has though been a good day for Stephen Kearney, who came through really strongly in the BBC Radio Berkshire hustings.
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17 Comments
Yeah Yeah Yeah. We’ll see who has a really good day later this week.
I fail to see how a written note of the prices of goods indicates that Mr Howell is in any way out of touch. Personally, I wouldn’t be able to tell you off the top of my head exactly how much a pint of milk or a loaf of bread cost and I don’t see what is so wrong about him referring to his notes. This just smacks of Lib Dem desperation I’m afraid.
Meanwhile in possible irony your pal the freedom fighter Dave Hennigan is threatening legal action over alleged defamation in a blog post about Henley.
Do have a word with him someone. It says he is frequently intoxicated, which has usually been the case when I’ve ever seen the man. And in most reports of his activities.
I agree with Chris Blore on the shopping list thing. Very sensible.
Why it might be misguided to have a note of how much it costs for milk and bread -if I were asked i’d say about £1 for two litres and between £1.10 – £1.50 depending on where you go and what sort you want.
It’s hardly an EXACT science is it? However, the fact is I DO shop for my own bread and milk – something that John Howell obviously doesn’t do.
Rather like the Wintertons and their trust fund, Jacqui Lait as a kept woman by the electorate with her house in her own constituency it seems John Howell is equally out of touch.
Pity Mr Howell is standing as a Tory. In New Labour, with that touch for revealing his briefing notes, he would have had a future as an assisstant Housing Minister.
What really surprises me is that he needed a note of the cost of a litre of petrol. Is he a non-driver, or is all his petrol automatically charged to an account he does not pay?
Yes Chris,
but the difference here is that I FULLY intend to carry this out. I’ve spoken to very senior members of the Labour Party in Manchester who have disowned you (one of them admitted that you lost their confidence and respect ages ago)and fully back me in my stance. These latest allegations are extremely serious and your ‘colleagues’ were ‘shocked’
I know you trade on insults and innuendo but this time you have overstepped the mark and no amount of personal attacks this time will get you off the hook!
See you in court!
Dave
ICM Poll: The figures with comparisons on the last ICM poll three weeks ago are: CON 45% (+3): LAB 25% (-1): LD 20% (-1)
LOLOLOLOL!!
ICM: The figures with comparisons on the last ICM poll three weeks ago are: CON 45% (+3): LAB 25% (-1): LD 20% (-1)
Hennigan: What are you on about? Which allegations are in your terms “extremely serious”?
You have not even given me any opportunity to correct whatever it is in my post you believe is defamatory.
Are you concerned that your enjoyment of hop and grape should become public knowledge? Too late on that one.
Are you concerned about the idea that Stephen Kearney is a carpet bagger etc? Also too late for that. Facts speak.
Is the established history of Sir Cyril Smith etc as a hands on corporal punisher and all round right wing nob something which you feel should not be publicised?
Saying which it is would be a sensible first step for anyone trying to avoid alleged damage from “defamation”.
And for a “liberal” it would without doubt be the first thing they did.
But are you actually a liberal?
Yesterday Lib dem voice was an enyoyable well written site. Today it is back to the usual petty nit picking. Dr Pack ruins this site by concentrating on other peoples problems. The rest of you make it a good read. I would hate to live in Dr Packs bitter world of bile.
Oh, how amusing that the Tories are in trouble for a “South Oxfordshire Life/ Oxfordshire Life” passing-off claim.
I spent part of the C&N campaign trying to persuade the LDs to use a “Nantwich Life” format based on “Cheshire Life”.
Perhaps it’s just as well I failed !!!!
crewegwyn wrote:
“I spent part of the C&N campaign trying to persuade the LDs to use a “Nantwich Life” format based on “Cheshire Life”.”
What was the thinking behind that, as a matter of interest?
To fool some people into thinking what they were reading hadn’t been written by a political party, or what?
“To fool some people into thinking what they were reading hadn’t been written by a political party, or what?”
I would imagine it’s to make people give something a second look. A lot of people see political leaflets and bin them without reading what the Party has to say. People might be more inclined to spend 30 seconds reading something called “South Oxfordshire Life” than “Conservative – In Touch”. At the end of the day, Parties just want a few minutes of people’s lives to get their messages across.
If people come away from your literature not knowing it’s from a political party then it’s really bad literature and hasn’t put the point across that you wanted made – i.e. that Tories are rubbish, Lib Dems are great and Labour can’t win!
The idea of a leaflet in a magazine, newspaper or parish newsletter format is not to fool the reader or diguise the content but to interest the reader for long enough to get them to actually pick the thing up and look at it.
Anon & Benjamin,
Without giving away ALL our secrets, overdevelopment is a strong local issue in Crewe & Nantwich – and locally the Lib Dems have a strong track record, and the Tories are weak.
My idea was that our target audience were more likely to read something that looked like “Cheshire Life” than something which looked like “Focus”.
Not intended as “passing off” or misleading anyone – just aiming to keep public attention.
crewegwyn wrote:
“My idea was that our target audience were more likely to read something that looked like “Cheshire Life” than something which looked like “Focus”.”
So it’s a question of “look and feel”, not a question of disguising the fact that it’s Lib Dem literature?
In that case, presumably you wouldn’t have minded calling it “Cheshire Focus”, or displaying the party emblem prominently, provided the format looked attractive?
I agree to a point political literature should not get forget that it’s propaganda but that it really depends on the lay of the land. Blatant literature works better I think where were known and the electorate are aware there’s an election.
Though ‘Parish News’ etc can work better in a by election where locals are sick of the leaflets or where we don’t have a strong rep.