Unite Against Fashionistas!

Don't Panic on the English Defence League:



Brilliant. And brave!

Hard Truth Hurts Hamas Loving Hippy

Ah the Seph Brown saga rumbles on. Even the Spectator have weighed in at how disgustingly inappropriate it is for a Labour leadership campaign to have anything to do with such a loathsome individual. TB doesn't normally cross post on here but given that he is technically on holiday and someone else has had a great crack at the final word on a subject, he thought he might as well give credit where credit is due. But first a quick recap. Remember Seph?

Freelance "political consultant", Labour Party "Lothario" and Hamas supporting extremist Seph Brown has once again found himself in a spot of bother. Never one to shy away from a good row, our Seph went for a drink with Nick Cohen and was a little surprised when the seasoned hack wrote up their conversation. Once again Seph has managed to come up with an elaborate alternative version of events, only after someone else has put their side of the story across. According to Cohen our Israeli-hating, Ed Miliband staffer, has found a new excuse for not criticising the murdering, gay-shooting, human-shielding thugs that control the Gaza strip. "But my grandparents fought fascism!" A new low for this deluded hate-monger.

Naturally Cohen tears chunks out out him:

"Most people would hold that the behaviour of grandparents does not give their grandchildren a free pass. They would say that you cannot bank your grandparents as if they were a legacy and draw on their good deeds to compensate for your own faults. That was then and this is now, and we must be accountable for our actions. And yet the aide to Ed Miliband thinks it acceptable to avoid condemning ultra-reactionary ideas and movements because his grandparents opposed ultra-reactionary ideas and movements."

Seph has been badgering TB to respond to his new blog that claims he is totally vindicated from any criticism because someone somewhere said he was an alright bloke. But it seems he has dug his own grave even before TB had time to have a read. Seph certainly didn't impress Cohen, but that is nothing to the reaction Seph's sniffling clarification of the conversation received from fellow lefties over at Harry's Place. One commenter in particular hit the nail on the head perfectly:

So, basically, Seph, you’re accusing Nick Cohen of exaggeration and false reporting? You concentrate on his description of you as an “aide” when that’s irrelevant – it’s pretty clear that you are just a lackey with pretensions.

No, Cohen’s claim was that you refused to condemn Hamas. And, in your own words above, you confirm this claim.

Simply condemning them [Hamas] outright and refusing to negotiate is irresponsible for anyone who really seeks peace. This is not the same as endorsing it.

You then produce links to two reports of polls claiming that “in fact, most Israelis and British Jews agree with me.”

To compare your own attitude to that of Israelis and British Jews who support talks with Hamas is farcical. Unlike you, they do not, in the main, strut around in keffiyehs, which as you well know is the favoured symbol of Western Hamas groupies; they do not dismiss Hamas as “merely Fatah without the endemic corruption and with a smattering of Islamic influence”; nor do they rationalise away Hamas’s genocidal aims by making stupid remarks:

“What I do know is that there are aspects of their constitution which they have negated by their actions,” he protested. “This one,” Brown said of the genocidal provision in Hamas’s charter, “we will never be able to prove until they start trying to wipe out every Jew on Earth.”

They understand Hamas for what it is. Not, as you told Jamie Weinstein, “an organization which is founded primarily on the suffering and the grievances of the Palestinian people“,but a violently anti-Semitic Islamist terror organisation that murders and oppresses not only Israelis, but also Palestinian women, homosexuals, and anyone its deems insufficiently religious within Gaza itself.

And by the way, the Israeli politicians and citizens who support talks with Hamas do so on one condition: that Hamas agrees to the terms laid out by the Quartet and commits to non-violence, recognizes Israel’s right to exist and accepts current Mideast peace agreements.

In all of your comments on Hamas, you have not made any such distinction.

But then, you do not regard Hamas violence to be the problem, do you?

As The Beaver reported at the time of the LSE SU’s vote on the one-sided, anti-Israel resolution of which you were the proposer:

Brown was also asked why the motion did not condemn Hamas alongside Israel. He replied that the root cause of the conflict was Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory

You do believe that, don’t you Seph? That Israel is solely to blame? No? Then why did you write this in reply to article of the website of Andrew Gwynne MP, dated 21/3/2010, and titled Middle East: Peace In Our Time?

None of this is to let Hamas or Fatah off of the hook with regards to their own, sometimes shoddy dealings with one another and Israel and I am happy to condemn terror in all its forms. However, to see this as a ‘conflict’ with ‘two sides’ and to sideline Israel’s continuing actions, is to ignore not only the concessions the Palestinians already tried for peace from 1988-2000, but to misrepresent the situation entirely. Israel is standing at all the doors and is holding all the keys to peace, as is the nature of the very lopsided power dynamic between an occupier and the occupied.

Firstly you write off Hamas’s campaign of indiscriminate murder and terrorism as simply “shoddy dealings” (not forgetting to add the pat “I condemn terrorism in all its forms” declaration obligatory to all those who “refuse to condemn” Islamist terror groups.)

And then you make it absolutely clear that, in your opinion, describing the situation as a conflict of two sides is a falsehood, and that Israel alone is preventing peace. That paragraph cannot be interpreted in any other way.

And you have the audacity to come on HP and whine that you have been the victim of dishonest journalism and that you are not at all anti-Israel.

Judging by the evidence of your past remarks, I think it more likely that Nick Cohen had you spot on.

Well Joseph K, TB couldn't agree more. Seph can hide behind Sunny Hundal and other terrorist sympathisers all he wants, but in the cold light of day there is no escaping his hateful and disgusting alliance with Hamas.

Seph Brown is available for hire as a Political Consultant via his website.

Labour Lackies Leap to Lines

Yes TB is meant to be on holiday but while having a cursory look over Google Reader he did have to chuckle when he read the same story on two of Labour's leading blogs published just minutes apart.

During the election, the left made a huge hoo haa about coordinated attacks from the right and suggested that just because Tory bloggers had a beer together meant that it was all a big right-wing inside conspiracy and we all took orders from CCHQ. Which is bollocks, and why half of them don't return TB's calls anymore.

Over the last few weeks its becoming increasingly clear that the left are guilty of the very thing the riled against. Look at what Political Scrapbook had to say a moment ago, quickly followed by Tom Harris, (a man TB thought above following zee orders):

Coincidence? Perhaps, but given it happens so often, TB would be intrigued to see that email (with the link to the PR Week story they have both cribbed) that inevitably floated around the lefties... Any minute now Left Foot Forward will claim the scoop.

Staycation

If you hadn't guessed already by the silence TB is on his holidays...Still tweeting though.

AWOL

Lots of stuff to catch up with when TB has a moment, but in the mean time you can read an interview with him by the charming Jess Freeman from Total Politics here.

Errrr

Hi, My name is Martha and I'm one of torybear.com readers.

I'd like to thank you for the excellent information I've found
on torybear.com, it's one of my favorite readings on the web.

I live in Globe, Arizona where I have the passion to share
with family and friends some tips to increase awareness on
healthy eating and its impact on the environment.

I figured you might be interested in including a guest article
for torybear.com about a new research from the United Nations (UN) that
suggests a correlation between climate change and meat consumption.

Article in form of a little guide with a sample vegetarian recipe
to help your readers experiencing with this topic and perhaps
discuss the topic at hand.

Please, take a minute to consider this; it would be a pleasure
and honor to contribute!

With your support we can educate the public about the dangers of
excessive meat consumption and hopefully contribute save our environment.

Either way, thanks for reading and keep posting your excellent
information on torybear.com.

Hope you a good week.
Sincerely
Martha Volz

FFS.

Something For the Weekend

TB is off to deepest darkest Hackney, well Victoria Park rather to see Tiesto tonight... something he has wanted to do for a long time, not least of all because of this little video:



Will try ask the man himself what he thinks...

A Day at the Races

After a week of side swipes and bitching it's nice to see at least two of the candidates coming out today with some policy ideas.

First this morning we had Craig Cox flexing his sound muscles with a call for young members to back Gove's school reforms and push for the bill to allow Free Schools to make a profit:

"If a restaurant knew for sure that no matter what it did, it would always get 100 customers a day and make enough money to pay its overheads, what incentive would it ever have to make a nicer soup or update the furniture? None. And it's exactly the same with schools."

This afternoon has also seen Ben Howlett release the first batch of his manifesto commitments:



It's heavy on campaigning and pledges to fight AV. The first of ten such documents apparently. Intriguingly a lot of what was discussed by all the candidates at the hustings has made its way into the document, but fair play if you are first out of the block with getting it on paper. The downside is you give your opponents the ammo with which to pelt you with. Hopefully the fight will remain on these issues rather than getting bogged down in bitching as last week did.

A rumour hit TB's phone earlier. A good point raised - nominations haven't even opened yet. Have we seen all the declared candidates...?

Left Hand, Right Hand

Eric Pickles writes today:

"I’ve set about abolishing all the Rs. Regional Spatial Strategies, regional housing targets, Regional Assemblies, Government Offices for the Regions and Regional Development Agencies. We’ve said our goodbyes. The arbitrary regional tier of government administration and bureaucracy was unpopular, ineffective and inefficient. So it’s the end of regional government: we need a new era of localism. Nowhere is that more important than in the economy."

In other news, the Conservative Party youth wing has locked in a complete regional restructuring in their new constitution. Regional tiers of bureaucracy.

New CF Consitution Sprung on Members- NME stripped to 4

Just in time for the election a new CF constitution. TB hasn't read it as he has better things to do, but he imagines someone out there will want to:



Let him know if there is anything interesting in it.

Quote of the Day

"For Mr Brown to now promote himself as a great advocate of peace in the Middle East, a defender of Jewish rights and history, and supporter of Israel’s right to safety, is utterly laughable"

- The Jewish Cronicle on TB's old mucker Seph.

CF - News in Briefs

See The Blue Guerilla's "Where is the Love?"

UPDATE: With regards to the email bitch-fight between Muheed Jeeran and Alexandra Swann that is referenced in tBg's story, Cavalier Jones writes:

"I would like to make it very clear that the only people authorised speak on behalf of my team are, myself and the joint campaign directors: Hamish Stewart and Philip Smith. No other individual has the authority to speak on behalf of the team."

That should end this email nonsense.

Cox says Hiya

Following the news that general legend Andy Stephenson MP has been made Vice Chairman of the Party, one candidate has been quick off the mark:



Maybe Stephenson should swing by a hustings if he is looking for inspiration about what needs to be done...

CF News In Briefs

Compare and Contrast

"I have come to your country in a spirit of humility. I know that Britain cannot rely on sentiment and shared history for a place in India's future. Your country has the whole world beating a path to its door. But I believe Britain should be India's partner of choice in the years ahead. Starting this week, that is what we are determined to deliver." - David Cameron in The Hindu today

V

"David Miliband was beginning to look as accident-prone as Mr Bean last night after yet another adventure backfired. After ruining his chance of the Labour leadership by gurning at the cameras while brandishing a banana, the Foreign Secretary's visit to India last week was labelled a "disaster" by the country's leading politicians." - The Indy Jan 2009

IPSA Rage

TB's bag-carrying amigo is raging. The £6.5m omnishambles that is the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority has been forced to extend the deadline for MP’s first claims. Initially the organisation had insisted all claims had to be submitted within 90 days, but MP’s are so bemused by the system that most of them are yet to make a claim.

So far just 279 out of 650 MPs have claimed expenses, whereas the rest have funded office equipment, travel and hotels out of their own pockets. The deadline for their claims would be 7th August onwards but IPSA has rushed out a note to say that MP’s will have until 1st October for these first claims.

While TB has little sympathy with many Members, the fact that they can't even run an office is a joke. There is a difference between lining their pockets and actually doing their job. The staffer told him earlier; “We all agree with the new expenses rules, but IPSA itself is an expensive shambles. Anyone wanting to go into parliament today would need at least £10,000 in cash to cover IPSA’s inadequacies. The fact is that the system is confusing and bureaucratic. They need to abolish IPSA asap.”

Sounds like a plan. They should just give them all debit cards from Parliament bank account. Statement published monthly. Simples. 

CF News in Briefs

Howzat?

Ben Howlett launched his website this morning:

He's also managed to pick up backing of CF stalwart and once blogger Caroline Hunt. Check out his site here.

CF News In Briefs

Mandatory Self-Promoting Post

Given TB has dropped from sixth to the twenties on Wikio in the last few months he isn't expecting great things from this year's Total Politics poll. Traffic peaked in the run up to the election with well over a 100,000 pages views every month but obviously the traffic has dropped off with the rate of posting. Either way if you have enjoyed swinging by here then please do vote for TB in the poll... rules below!

Cheers!

It's that time of year again, when Total Politics asks you to vote for your Top 10 favourite blogs. This is the fifth year of the poll. The votes will be compiled and included in the forthcoming book, the Total Politics Guide to Blogging 2010-11, which will be published in September. For the second year running, the poll is being promoted/sponsored by LabourList and LibDemVoice as well as this blog, and that of our publisher, Iain Dale.

The rules are simple.

1. You must vote for your ten favourite blogs and ranks them from 1 (your favourite) to 10 (your tenth favourite).
2. Your votes must be ranked from 1 to 10. Any votes which do not have rankings will not be counted.
3. You MUST include at least FIVE blogs in your list, but please list ten if you can. If you include fewer than five, your vote will not count.
4. Email your vote to toptenblogs@totalpolitics.com
5. Only vote once.
6. Only blogs based in the UK, run by UK residents or based on UK politics are eligible. No blog will be excluded from voting.
7. Anonymous votes left in the comments will not count. You must give a name
8. All votes must be received by midnight on 31 July 2010. Any votes received after that date will not count.