Many Lib Dem members – and The Voice was among them – might have been a tad surprised today to discover an email from ‘teamclegg’ signing them up to Nick Clegg’s e-mail list. Perhaps compulsory e-mail conscription is a first step towards moving the party out of its comfort zone, we might have thought.
The truth turns out to be much simpler, and a little more embarrassing. A red-faced and self-flagellating e-mail swiftly followed from Richard Allan, Nick’s leadership campaign director, and his predecessor as MP for Sheffield Hallam:
Sorry. I’m afraid that I have made something of a cock-up today which means that you will have received an email message saying that you have been signed up to a Team Clegg mailing list. That shouldn’t have happened and you have been removed from the teamclegg email list. I take full responsibility for this …
I have now removed all the email addresses from the list server and instructed that they no longer be used by the campaign unless an individual has themselves signed up as a supporter. You do not need to take any further action to have yourself removed from the list and I would like to apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.
I am aware that a number of party officers received the messages which I understand is especially sensitive and very much regret happening. … My apologies once again.
And there, but for the grace of God, go us all.
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18 Comments
There’s no God.
There is a God – he used to work for ALC, and now sits in the Lords.
Does it make me odd if this makes me want to give Richard Allan a big hug?
I read about this here.
Then an hour or so later the apology email arrived.
Then an hour or so after that the ‘c*ck up itself arrived’.
All very confusing.
Probably a conspiracy hatched at some off-shore training base for Neo-Con entryists.
It’s nice to read this apology here. It would have been even nicer to have read it in my inbox, which is where I got the email informing me I was subscribed to Team Clegg.
Thanks for posting the explanation.
Iain, Ed, I found out this morning that the “sorry” email I thought had gone out last night did not reach most people due to a different technical hitch with the mailserver – it’s been sent again and you should have it now. I can only grovel further and promise never to touch listservers again without a responsible adult present…
Joe, thanks, *blushes*…
Got my ‘welcome, you have signed up’ e-mail, got a ‘goodbye because you asked to be removed’ e-mail, which is odd because I did neither.
Got a panicky e-mail from one Euro candidate, and a phone call from another, terrified that they had broken the Selection Rules (albeit a ruling that I have to support, but hate), and was able to reassure them that I didn’t know what was going on either but had the same problem.
Not the greatest moment in the history of campaigning…
Is it correct that the press have been barred from the Lib Dem ‘hustings’ or does Clegg’s promise to give them ‘verve’ and not to spend so much time talking amongst themselves not start until he takes over ??
As I understand it, the media are welcome to attend the candidates’ speeches at party-organised hustings, but the Q&A sessions are for members only.
Which seems fair enough to me. The media presence would be intrusive and inhibiting for many members.
And it’s not like Andrew Marr invited any party members to sit on his sofa while he interviewed Nick and Chris last Sunday.
Bonkalot,
I chaired the Newbury pre-hustings, and was nearly trampled to death by BBC, Sky and other cameramen in the hall. I was even questioned by that terribly nice Reeta Chakrabarti.
So I think the answer to your question is ‘no’.
I guess that press access will vary according to interest and access. If the London hustings last time was anything to go by, it was sponsored by the Independent and chaired by one of their journalists, with half of the tickets available to the general public. I’m sure that we’d be happy to do something similar this time, and as I’m the guy who picked the date this time, I’d like to think that I have some knowledge…
9 Stephen; if he had invited some Lib Dem members, maybe they could have helped ask questions as he clearly found that so trying?
Well I got two apologies. Nice to have a proper apolgoy, though rather than fudge. ‘I cocked up, I’m sorry.’
Or even a proper apology!
I still haven’t received my apology. That doesn’t bother me in itself: Richard’s explained the situation, and I’m personally fine with that. I just raise it here because, if Richard thinks he’s sent me an apology and I haven’t received it, then there may be an as yet undiagnosed problem with his email system that affects people who haven’t read this comments thread.
This is an important story WITHIN THE PARTY.
BUT WHY IS IT POSTED ON THE PUBLIC PART OF THE SITE where enemies of the party can pick it up and distort it and use it against us? [Oh look, they already have.]
What do you have a members-only forum for if you post private debates in public?
And did Richard Allan give you permission to post his email in public? Where I come from, doing that without permission is [comment self-censored].
15 – Do try and lighten up – this is a blog written by party members for party members about what’s happening in the Lib Dems.
I don’t think this is “an important story within the party”; it is mildly interesting, that’s all.
Nor do I think it’s a “private debate” – what’s to debate? An embarrassing cock-up was made: no more, no less.
And Richard Allan has already commented on the posting, above.
Let’s get this in perspective. Am embarassing cock up is one such as a member of Plaid Cymru staff made this week.
Just before a two hour debate on the progress being made (or otherwise!) by the Labour / Plaid Government in Wales the entire Welsh Liberal Democrat staff were surprised and delighted to receive a copy of the briefing notes prepared by Plaid’s special adviser for the debate containing lots of their attack lines against us.
A very useful document which we have all saved and will be referring to as often as possible.
If it was “written by party members for party members”, why is it on the PUBLIC part of the site? You have the technology, but lack the good sense to use it wisely.
When Liberal Democrat Voice started, I thought it could develop into the internal communications tool the Party needs, and which CIX once aspired to be. And unlike CIX, it could be available to every member, including those unwilling to pay £75 pa.
But the Voice‘s tendency to wash dirty linen in public has lost it the support of many and gained the total animosity of some.
Pity. It could have been great.