Ouch! – red faces at Team Clegg

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 is a God – he used to work for ALC, and now sits in the Lords.

  • Iain Coleman 25th Oct '07 - 12:45am

    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.

  • Bonkalot Jones 25th Oct '07 - 3:53pm

    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 ??

  • 9 Stephen; if he had invited some Lib Dem members, maybe they could have helped ask questions as he clearly found that so trying?

  • Karen Roberts 25th Oct '07 - 9:13pm

    Well I got two apologies. Nice to have a proper apolgoy, though rather than fudge. ‘I cocked up, I’m sorry.’

  • Karen Roberts 25th Oct '07 - 9:14pm

    Or even a proper apology!

  • Iain Coleman 26th Oct '07 - 1:03am

    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.

  • Imightbe Anyone 26th Oct '07 - 11:05am

    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].

  • Karen Roberts 26th Oct '07 - 1:13pm

    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.

  • Imightbe Anyone 26th Oct '07 - 7:02pm

    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.

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