Sep/10
16:08 3
Lord West: military diplomacy the Chris Morris way
It seems that Baron West of Spithead has spent too much time with his The Day Today box set during recess. Arguing against sharing an aircraft carrier with the garlic-eating French, the spirit of satirist Chris Morris seemed to assume control of the former security minister:
“Do you want to find British pilots bombing people for a French reason?”*
Thanks to Matthew Taylor for pointing out our attribution blooper.
*If you are unfamiliar with the work of Mr. Morris, say ten Our Fathers and five Hail Marys and then watch this.
Sep/10
10:56 2
Council leader Stephen Greenhalgh: Tory ministers can “run a piss up in a brewery” after all
Cllr Stephen Greenhalgh was recently in Scrapbook’s guns owing to his bit-part in Nick Clegg’s disastrous children’s centre visit (Greenhalgh was responsible for shutting the facility). However, our most dedicated readers may recall his contribution to the pantheon of idiotic gaffes: the Hammersmith and Fulham Council leader told an event organised by Public Finance magazine last November:
My mates are all in the shadow Cabinet, waiting to get those [ministerial] boxes, being terribly excited. I went to university with them, they haven’t run a piss-up in a brewery. They’re going to get a department of state, in one case running the finances of the nation.
But when challenged on this in a recent interview with Total Politics, Greenhalgh says:
The comment I’ve made is that the shadow cabinet hadn’t run a piss up in a brewery – to paraphrase Obama – “yes they can!” I never said they couldn’t.
Oh, yeah? Though he pleads with interviewer Asa Bennett that ”the context of that is important”, a look back to the original coverage in Public Finance tells a different story. Those present seem clear that Greenhalgh did cast aspersions over the experience of his (then shadow cabinet) colleagues. As he said at the time:
If you’re going to fail, fail running Alabama, fail running Texas, fail running the city of Paris – don’t just take over the country.
Quite.
Sep/10
18:07 7
Why Dizzy is wrong on Cameron’s lies to pensioners
Scrapbook isn’t the first lefty blog to be fisked recently by (the most entertaining) Dizzy Thinks. Our attack video on David Cameron’s lies to pensioners did not impress Mr. Hendren, who described it as a “steaming pile of bullshit”.
His argument is that, rather than being axed completely, entitlement to schemes such as bus passes and winter fuel payments will have been “changed”. This means waiting another five years for free bus travel and money given to older people for heating bills will not only be further age restricted but also cut by up to £100 for the most elderly recipients. Having promised to keep them, Tories have been in discussions about axing pension credits.
In the context of Cameron’s near hysterical outbursts about “Labour leaflet lies” during the election campaign, Scrapbook stands by our video. Indeed, as Sky News tackled the issue of cuts, ahem sorry, “changes” to bus passes:
It would be “entirely fair” for pensioners who watched the debate to assume [David Cameron's] comments meant the scheme would not change, particularly as Mr Cameron made several angry denials during the course of the campaign.
In that vein, hats off to Bob Piper for subsequently unearthing this pledge from Cameron, given at a press conference in March:
“We will keep what we inherit in all these areas. All these things that Labour are saying are complete and utter lies, and they know it too.”
Perhaps Dizzy can explain how such a categoric statement is consistent with the subsequent “changes”?
To check out our original attack video click here.
Sep/10
12:44 10
William Hague and the curse of the baseball cap
What is it about William Hague and baseball caps?! While we at Scrapbook feel genuine sympathy for the Foreign Secretary and his (admittedly) very handsome former special adviser surely the real story hear is Hague’s dubious headgear?
One would have thought that following the ribbing he received after being photographed having a gay old time in a baseball cap in 1997 he would have shunned that particular look. However Hague has once again found himself in a tricky spot after being photographed in that item of headwear.
Perhaps Scrapbook readers can suggest more appropriate hats for the Foreign Secretary.
Sep/10
21:12 18
New York Times: Andy Coulson “actively encouraged” illegal phone hacking
David Cameron’s Director of Communications, former News Of The World editor Andy Coulson, is in a lot of trouble. Fourteen months since his selective amnesia in a parliamentary select committee, The New York Times seem to have the £140k/year spin doctor bang to rights.
Below are the key sections from their exhaustive 6,000-word investigation:
[More than a dozen former editors and reporters at NOTW] described a frantic, sometimes degrading atmosphere in which some reporters openly pursued hacking or other improper tactics to satisfy demanding editors. Andy Coulson, the top editor at the time, had imposed a hypercompetitive ethos, even by tabloid standards. One former reporter called it a “do whatever it takes” mentality. The reporter was one of two people who said Coulson was present during discussions about phone hacking. Coulson ultimately resigned but denied any knowledge of hacking.
One former editor said Coulson talked freely with colleagues about the dark arts, including hacking. “I’ve been to dozens if not hundreds of meetings with Andy” when the subject came up, said the former editor, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The editor added that when Coulson would ask where a story came from, editors would reply, “We’ve pulled the phone records” or “I’ve listened to the phone messages.”
Sean Hoare, a former reporter and onetime close friend of Coulson’s, also recalled discussing hacking. The two men first worked together at The Sun, where, Hoare said, he played tape recordings of hacked messages for Coulson. At News of the World, Hoare said he continued to inform Coulson of his pursuits. Coulson “actively encouraged me to do it,” Hoare said.
Perhaps he can share a cell with Nick Griffin?
Sep/10
11:19 54
WATCH our attack video: David Cameron’s “pure and simple lies” to pensioners
Impatient? Click here to jump straight to the video!
“The Tory leader is furious that Labour campaigners around the country are telling the elderly that their free bus passes and winter fuel payments would go if the Conservatives were elected”, reported The Telegraph in March. Cameron slammed the ”appalling people” with the temerity to suggest that he wasn’t being straight with pensioners:
“You know you are getting letters from the Labour Party that say the Conservatives would cut the winter fuel allowance, would cut the free bus travel … These statements by Labour are quite simply lies. I don’t use the word ‘lie’ very often, but I am using it today because they are lies.” – David Cameron, 23 March
Dave from marketing returned to this theme during Sky News’ televised debate on 22 April, telling viewers suggestions the Tories would slash entitlements to Winter fuel payments, pension credits and free bus passes were ”pure and simple lies”.
“We will keep the pension credit, we’ll keep the winter fuel allowance, we’ll keep the free bus pass. Those leaflets you have been getting from Labour, the letters you have been getting from Labour are pure and simple lies.” – David Cameron, 22 April
The pledges have already been cast as a David Cameron “read my lips” moment. But we thought the cynical mock outrage with which he delivered these fibs merited an attack video. ”Pure and simple lies”, Dave?
Free bus passes at 60? Don’t count on it. The pension credit? Chris Grayling wants them “phased out”. Winter fuel payments? Restricted and cut.
Same old Tories. Same old lies.
Aug/10
10:33 2
Disgusted of Salisbury
When asked as to his “reading material of choice” the new Tory MP for Salisbury John Glen tells ConservativeHome:
“I read most of the main political blogs each day and all papers – especially the Daily Mail headlines in order to anticipate some of my email correspondence for the week ahead!”
This reminds Scrapbook of an anecdote related by a man who worked responding to complaints at the BBC. He was exasperated by the preponderance of letters that were variations on a theme of: ”I didn’t see [programme name] but I read in [the Mail or Express] that it was absolutely disgraceful!”
The staffer confessed he had drafted (but not dispatched) several responses which read:
“Well I didn’t read your letter but I heard that it was complete b****cks”.
Aug/10
09:26 34
New David Cameron baby photo released
Of course, like all babies, within three years it will be throwing tantrums in public, answering back and saying “no” to everything.
Source: Facebook
Aug/10
17:20 15
Crispin Blunt’s Conservative Association: No gay candidates, please. Give us a “normal” one instead
This blogger has had countless rants over the past 24 hours about the newsworthiness (or otherwise) of Crispin Blunt’s sexuality. Appalling though it is that in this day and age politicians still have to make public statements regarding their sexuality. It would not be at all suprising if it were designed to pre-empt an involuntary outing in a Sunday newspaper.
Blunt’s constituency Conservative Association have stood by him, saying that it does not affect his position and wishing his family well. It’s nice, at least, to see that Reigate & Banstead Conservative Association have adopted an altogether more enlightened position than the one expressed by their chairman in 2002:
“I would not be happy if we had a gay candidate here – I would always go for a candidate who had a normal background [...] Our current MP is happily married with two children.”
With sentiments like that is it any wonder Blunt stayed in the closet so long?
Hat-tip: Next Left
Aug/10
15:42 14
Nick Clegg sends a gift for Florence Rose Endellion
It’s fantastic to see Beau Bo D’Or (@BeauBodOr) is back and in rude health with the creation below. Eschewing baby toys for a more practical gift, a well placed source tells Scrapbook that a bumper pack of “Cleggies” was dispatched to the Camerons via courier this morning.
Vince Cable wet wipes were also included.
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