Friday, 30 April 2010

Quote of the Day

On comparing filming notes with

Emily Nomates
:
TB: Yeah quite a lot of people told me to piss off, Whelan mainly.

EM: Wait, no one told me to piss off, Whelan started winking at me when I was filming him... and it wasn't just Whelan thinking about it, Gove was as well.
Smirk.

Spin Room I

Who did TB have a merry chat with last night?



Lots more to come...

Thursday, 29 April 2010

Quick Thought

Angus Reid

Cameron 36
Clegg 31
Brown 23


Sun/YouGov

Cameron 41
Clegg 32
Brown 25


ITV/ComRes

Cameron 35
Clegg 33
Brown 26

As the Spin Room quietens down and TB stops chasing around various hacks and politicians with a camera, it's pretty clear from not only the polls, but the desperation of the attacks that this was a good victory for Cameron. Clegg was nailed on immigration and Brown was never really in the fight, bar a good line or two. His non-reference reference to yesterday was poor and no surprise the polls went the way they did at the end.

Check out tomorrow's Guy News for Whelan VS Gove 2, Campbell, Liam Byrne and his coffee, Gabby's briefings, and Lord Moses.

The whole Spin Room is dry... like many others in here TB is gasping for a beer.

The Leaders Debate - Live From Spin Alley

TB is reporting for

Guy News
live from the Spin Room. He will be busy doing some camera handy-work but you can follow his tweet directly here or, along with a few others here:



Live By The Tweet...

The first case of electoral Twitter law breaking in the land and who do you think it could possibly have been... drum roll please... of course. Labour's very own Twitter Tsar Kerry McCarthy. As a lawyer and a whip you would hope she would have just taken a moment to think, "hang on...maybe I shouldn't broadcast this sensitive infomation to the world". She has tried to laugh it off to

Sky
but suddenly it gets serious. Her opponents have a very good case against her in terms of election rules and it seems the
Sunlight Centre
have a very good case against her in terms of the law.
Chief Constable
Avon and Somerset Constabulary

Police Headquarters

PO Box 37

Valley Road, Portishead

Bristol

BS20 8QJ

29th April 2010
By fax to 01275 816 040

COMPLAINT REGARDING KERRY MCCARTHY'S
PUBLICATION OF POSTAL VOTE DATA
To the Chief Constable,
I am writing to ask you to investigate a possible breach of electoral law by Kerry McCarthy, the Labour Party candidate in Bristol East.

On Thursday, April 29th 2010 at 14:36, it appears Ms. McCarthy posted the following information on her Twitter account:

“First PVs opened in east Bristol, our sample: Eng Dems █; Greens █; UKIP █; TUSC █; BNP █; Lib Dem █; Tory █; Labour █. #
gameON
!”


When the information was "retweeted" (re-posted) by other users of the site with queries as to whether her knowing and publishing the information was legal, she apparently deleted the tweet. It seems did this too quickly for it to appear in the Google cache record. It does, however, appear in the records of Tweetminster, an online aggregator of political tweets. The relevant Tweetminster record is appended for your convenience and is available at the following web address: 
https://search.tweetminster.co.uk/statuses/?q=first+pvs+opened+in+east+bristol


Upon phoning Bristol Electoral Services, we were told that all the candidates' agents were present at the opening of around two hundred postal votes this week. They are not meant to see the results, however, and if they do are under strict confidentiality rules, not least because they risk prejudicing the results of the election. There are further laws against publishing the information in written form.

We ask you to investigate whether Ms. McCarthy did, indeed, have access to and publish confidential information about postal votes, and whether her agent could have passed her the information.


Yours faithfully

The letter is with the police.


Callous Smears from Tom Callow

Labour and their supporters really are getting desperate. Take Tom Callow for example:

Apart from bearing an uncanny resemblance to a Swan Vesta, the only other amusing thing about this chap is his Prescott levels of delusion as he attempts to attack any opponent to Gordo.

Yesterday this PR bod and Labour activist was violently off message and spent the afternoon smearing Mrs Duffy as a racist and xenophobe, the evidence of which is plastered across his
Twitter page
. Ouch, such outspoken activists are hardly doing well to help the desperate crisis management team flapping at the top of his Party.

Now Callow has decided it would be a good idea to create some fake Twitter accounts and begin Tweeting attacks as a fake Tory member. "Con Chris" and "Tory Boy 10" have appeared out of nowhere. They have only ever been mentioned by our matchstick man. A laughable attempt for someone who claims to be an PR expert.

TB wonders what if perhaps there was a more productive use of his working hours for
Automotive PR
and their clients...



UPDATE: Seems Callow has already protected his Twitter page on the back of his story. Don't worry, the whole thing has been saved at this end. Nothing to hide, nothing to fear...

Wednesday, 28 April 2010

Guy News: You Were Always On My Mic



Tweet of the Century

Moments before the story hit the airwaves. Labour's fallen star

said
:

How's that word of mouth thing going today?

The Day Gordon was Destroyed

What a day. The irony is it started well for the Prime Minister. He was finally out there meeting a greeting a real life person rather than a party hack or screened activists. But how soon we saw his true colours and his utter contempt of not only his own party but the whole electorate.

Gordon has finally been forced to beg for forgiveness after a cockup. Before he could blame someone else, be it America or McBride, but not this time. He tried to blame Sue Nye, his long term loyal aide, but frankly there is no one to blame for this huge mess other than himself. His broke campaign is a shambles and he is the Master of Ceremonies sitting on the shore like a wannabe King Cnut.

A total wipeout for Gordon, and no amount of

begging emails
will fix the damage done as this is chewed over across the land. The teatime news, evening shows and tomorrow's papers will be brutal reading for Labour but frankly they deserve it. Gordon has been caught red handed playing the classic left tactic of dismissing anyone you don't agree with as a racist or a sexist or homophobic. See MacShane, McCarthy and Gellard, Hundal etc for this tactic employed daily. No wonder they can't see what he has done wrong.

Though the sound is a bit shakey TB did a Skype interview for
ITV News
. Seems he needs to get one of Dale's headsets:
Sadly his little ad dig at Balls got flipped over as well. But the media whoring doesn't stop there. TB will be on
LBC Radio
at 8pm tonight with Will Straw and Mark Pack - Can't think what we will have to talk about.

Jim Knight's Leaflet Shame

Employment Minister Jim Knight has left residents in his constituency sharpening their pitchforks after he posed smiling his leaflet with a convicted drink driver. Daniel Skelton who was given an

extremely lenient sentence
e is features prominently in Knights literature:
A motorcyclist Pete Bower, who was left seriously injured when he was knocked over by Skelton is fuming.

Gordan Brown?

So looks like it's a straight fight between the Lib Dems and Labour. Poor Gordon, the first time he trends on Twitter it's for hugely damaging reasons. And to add insult to injury it seems that the UKs voting public don't even know how to spell his name:


Who are ya... who are ya...


Crick Nails It

Michael Crick
is spot on re Gordon's comments:
First, of course, they will anger the many millions of voters, many of them Labour, who are also worried about immigration. Many of these people are not racists. They suggest that the PM doesn't understand their concerns, let alone share them.

Second, they reveal the darker side of Gordon Brown, and confirm what many of his critics have long said. He doesn't like criticism, and tried to avoid it. He expects his staff to keep critics well away from him.

Third, they show that Labour's claims since the weekend that Mr Brown was now meeting "real people" are pretty bogus. It's clear from his comments, and criticism of his long-standing aide Sue Nye, that Mr Brown still expected to be presented on the campaign only with loyal Labour voters. We now know the party was hoodwinking us.
It all unravels yet again.


I've Never Voted Conservative...

Boom boom.
Via email.

Bigoted?

Mrs Duffy said:

"You can't say anything about the immigrants because you're saying that you're... all these Eastern Europeans - where are they flocking from"


Doesn't sound very bigoted. More confused. She was asking her leader a question to which he says he couldn't respond. Why not? Instead he smeared her to his staff and the world.

GordonON/GordOFF

Tory Rascal
is quick off the mark:
Are there any Labour attacks left that haven't backfired so spectacularly?

Gordon's Last Gasp Gaffe



And this is the conversation we heard. Imagine all those chats the microphones have missed.

Brand Extension

Loved this picture that was sent in by a reader:


Sadly those limited edition bags are sold out now...


Tuesday, 27 April 2010

Where Will You Be Next Thursday?

A message from

The Big Election Night Party
:
This election is the closest in living memory

It could go either way...

Where will you watch all the action unfold?


THE BIG ELECTION NIGHT PARTY

The Sports Cafe - Haymarket

May 6th from 9pm


Why not join hundreds of people, 60 big screens, WiFI, projectors and all the channels.

Don't miss a moment of the election night action through the night with food offers and drinks deals while you cheer on your team.

Not only will there be a party but the BBC and Sky will be there, some of the UKs top bloggers and pundits as well as constant updates on what the betting markets are doing. The iBank will have charging facilities for iPhones and Blackberries. The first drink is even on the house...

Tickets to this all night event are just £25, and food and drink served all night, literally all night. Just off Trafalgar Square so there are great transport connections. Sadly we are only able to invite over 18s only. 
*** TICKETS MUST BE BOUGHT ONLINE BEFORE THE NIGHT***


BUY HERE
 

The Hung Parliament Party



Monday, 26 April 2010

Fake Change

The Lib Dems have faked up photos of three public sector workers in the last week:

It's a joke.

Sunday, 25 April 2010

The Wheels to Come Off the Clegg Bus?

Not a smear, but not exactly a game changer either. This
story
is rather telling none the less. In 2003 Nick Clegg MEP smuggled a 17 year old girls out of the country by hiding her in the loo on a coach chartered for a Liberal Democrat funded trip. How is someone with such a flagrant disregard for border laws meant to be taken seriously while asking to be put in charge of the country? Makes you wonder what is going on aboard the
magical mystery tour
.

Might have taken a hit at his chances of becoming Cameron's Home Secretary...



Labour PPC in Second Internet Scandal

As TB reported last week, Labour PPC John Cowan was selected despite being kicked out of the Lib Dems for being a sex pest. Despite being the one to complain to the Lib Dems, Kerry McCarthy MP turned a blind eye when Cowan was embraced with open arms by Labour and selected as a candidate. Well it looks tonight as if his career in the Labour Party is over as his website has disappeared. TB is hearing rumours that he has been sacked. This is also a big embarrassment for
LabourList
given Cowan was one of their regular contributors. His Twitter
account
seems unusually quiet.


The Telegraph, with a little help it must be said, have landed what must surely be the knock out blow on Cowan by revealing his anti Muslim, sexually explicit and offensive online comments under a veil of attempted annoymity on various chat room forums. You can read the whole story
here
.

This story seems far darker and deeper than the Stuart MacLennan Twitter
news
that disrupted Labour's first week of the campaign. The same rules must apply here. Why did he even get past the selection process? The Tories didn't touch him with a barge pole when he tried to come their way. Kerry McCarthy has a lot to answer for here.

Goodbye Cowan, or was it Racingdude009?

Saturday, 24 April 2010

A New Poll Method

A busy day on the stump in Perth and North Perthshire. According this extremely sophisticated poll there is still work to be done to make sure it is a Tory gain, but the reaction right across this vast constituency has been extremely positive. It's look good. TB, and his epically over the top t-shirt, even got the chance to meet the SNP's incumbent Pete Wishart who it seems is a reader..."Mr Bear I believe..." 

Seems it was a strange day elsewhere. What exactly was with the Elvis impersonator? Good news that Labour saw sense and have
withdrawn
their offensive poster. Great news that Morely and Outwood has been made an official target seat after Antony Calvert's epic fund-raising drive against Balls.


Polls looking good tonight, back to stuffing envelopes.


Vince's Bad Week

After his disastrous Chancellor's Debate on Wednesday, Vince capped off a dreadful week with this:




Via

Tory Politico
.

Friday, 23 April 2010

Guy News: Inside the Spin Room



"You can't film in here..." Yes we can.

The Morning After the Night Before

TB is sitting in Edinburgh fresh of the sleeper and bleary eyed. Nice to be back and sitting reading the papers with that as the view. The splash is pretty much what could have been hoped for Dave:
How deserved it is remains to be seen when some more sunbstantive polls emerge in the next 48/72 hours. One thing to note is the pollsters aren't seem to know about as much as anyone else in term of what is really going on out there. They are up down and all over the place. A scary thought. Tories seem to be splitting into two camps - deniers and realists. Over night TB got a thinking. If we are set for a hung parliament, the Tories need to start preparing for it now. on their own terms, rather than when it is forced upon them . The Orange Bookers won't be a problem, but the left bonkers sandal wearing grassrooters might be. Clegg's whole message of change will be skewered if he chooses to prop up Brown. If sixty percent of the voters, as it seems at the moment, don't want Gordon there will be no legitmacy in his government. Will it be taken lying down?

The Liberal Democrats want to rip up the rule book in terms of the electoral system, and frankly if Brown is returned despite taking a thumping from the people, TB will be inclined to agree with them.


Thursday, 22 April 2010

Lies On His Own Leaflet

Gordon Brown said he hadn't authorised leaflets telling lies about pensioners bus passes being threatened. So why does his very

own leaflet
 in Kirkcaldy say he will “fight against SNP cuts to the free bus passes”?


A complete lie. It is not being cut at all. 

First Thoughts

Brown was better than last week but that really isn't saying much. The novelty of Clegg has worn off and he flounders when given the level of scutiny his apparent poll position deserves. Clegg tried hard to keep up the "I'm different" line but frankly it just wasn't effective like last week. He was lucky with the closing statement slot as he got to push his effective line very well.

A much better performance from Cameron, he showed that passion and anger that was so devoid from last week's performance. However he still missed a couple of open goals. He had the chance to tell Brown he was liar over the inheritance tax cuts. Brown lied over the 3000 number and Cameron took it on the chin rather than slamming him and closing down the line of attack forever.

Who won? Well let the spin begin. A draw? Not sure... but there were potshots taken by everyone. No wonder Brown has been so quiet for the last few days. He was busy nailing those lines.

In terms of fighting Clegg, a resurgent Brown could put him back in his box. TB will blog again in an hour or so once the dust has settled.

UPDATE: + YouGov Rapid Poll calls it for Cameron - though stress this happened last week +

Labour's New Low


There will be apologies and serious rowing back from this. How insulting to every single disabled person in Britain. A future fair for all?


UPDATE: Just occurred to TB that Cameron's son spent all of his short life in a wheelchair. Is this really appropriate? The sooner Labour retract and apologise the better. Who approved this? McBride?

The Debate Live

TB will be tweeting live for the Guy News ANTI Spin Room. He is off Scotland tonight so sadly couldn't make it down to Bristol:



Straight after the debate he will be blogging reaction from his cabin on the London to Edinburgh sleeper.

Farage Opens Fire on Bercow



TB is donating and backing Farage to the hilt... so are many other Tories. Parliament would be a much more exciting place with Farage on the benches. Get involved and Ban the Bercow.

Six Reasons Not to Vote Clegg

So perhaps the Mail went a little too far on Britain's next Home Secretary,his speech does show an interesting mindset of someone asking to lead a country he is clearly ashamed of though. The Telegraph's sleaze allegations are a lot more valid. The Liberals are whining that it is personal attack, but frankly it pales in comparison to many of the punches laid on both Brown and Cameron in the last three years. If you can't take the heat...

Via an excellent comment from regular Hughes, lets take a look at some of those policy points.

1) Wanting to piss away our seat at the top table in the UN security council by dumping our nuclear deterrent.

2) Wanting to distance us from our strongest ally, America. Which coupled with the former would leave the UK about as globally relevant as Austria.

3) Wanting our business flexibility to be bound by arbitrary, homogenised rules designed for vast swathes of continental Europe, with vastly different economies and workforces.

4) For us to be financially and legally subsumed in a sovereignty destroying, anti-democratic, cronyistic, unaccountable Euro-superstate.

5) Wanting to levy a huge tax on people who, have no more money than they did before, and through no fault of their own find themselves in homes driven into a so-called "mansion" tax-bracket by irresponsible house-buyers, irresponsible lenders and an irresponsible treasury who let the housing market race out of control. People who have already endured huge rate and council tax increases for the same reason.

6) Supporting the switch to an electoral mechanism which make it impossible to not give at least one vote to a party infatuated with the tax & spend, big government, success-punishment idiocy that landed this country in the shit in the first place.

And don't forget all the nutjob whacky stuff their core base demands...