+++Brent and Gareth fired+++

Iain Dale got the scoop

, but it seems apparent that Draper has been booted out as editor of

LabourList

. Despite early attempts by his minion Tom Miller to maneuver into a position where he would be able to take over as Draper's puppets, it seems they have been told

where to go

as well... Ironic that this little set back is put at the end of a nonsense piece Miller has written about careerism in politics. Seems he has learnt a lesson in it from Draper...

A statement is expected tomorrow.

UPDATE: Alex Smith steps up from deputy to

replace

Dolly. Seems Miller was just too toxic to be kept on.

Now that's a good Party Political Broadcast...

Dear Gordon Brown,

Yesterday you subjected the nation to another cringe worthy performance in front of the camera. Although you managed to contain your desire to dance, you grinned and ran around your garden. It was all just a bit odd and embarrassing. Here is a performance by a young man that you don't think very much of, but from whom you could learn a lot. He is calm and composed when dealing with people and above all else he is honest. He looks people in the eye and tells them how it really is. Why don't you have a little watch and take some notes:



Please stop going on YouTube, and please stop lying to the nation, and please stop hiding in your bunker. There is no doubt that you went into politics with the best of intentions and it's not too late to save a scrap of dignity. Just go to the country, take the fight to the street. If you genuinely believe that you were doing the best you can to save this great nation, then you would not be frightened. Every chance you get you run away from people being able to vote for you, whether it be your party members, a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty or above all, a General Election.

Today you spat such venom at your opponent across the Dispatch Box. If you really believe that he and the Conservative Party are the frauds and salesman you claim they are, then why not take the fight to the doorstep and call that election.

Lots of Love

Tory Bear

What news from the north?

Annabel Goldie tells it how it is

over at the Blue Blog

:

"The Scottish Conservative achievements are there for all to see; 1,000 more police, more help for our elderly, a new national drugs strategy, the abolition or cut in local taxes for our smallest businesses, a town centre regeneration fund to boost our high Streets. A combined package of £234,000,000 for the benefit of Scotland. Constructive politics on devolved issues - but steadfast opposition when the SNP have tried to highjack the agenda for their separatist goals."

TB has been a late convert to the idea of getting into bed with the nationalists while they are a minority government, though it seems to be working. The naive and ridiculously bigoted views that make up an alarmingly high percentage of their membership are deeply worrying and TB was initially sceptical that working with the SNP could benefit the Union. Having said that TB knows a few very charming SNP supporters, he has spent many a merry night drinking with the Jacobites. However, as things stand at the moment, the SNP ship is heading directly for the rocks. Far from advancing their cause, the SNP "government" executive and their reaction to the recession has left the idea of independence laughable. The only reason they might do well in the next General Election is because of how despised Labour is. Hardly a ringing endorsement. TB has yet to hear one good idea that has been put forward by the SNP, that couldn't be done within the Union structure if they put their minds to it.

As reading between the lines of the Goldie posts says, why shouldn't we prove that we are fighting hard for the electorate and representing their issues in Parliament, all the while taking the piss and highlighting the flaws of the SNP at the same time? The rest of the Parliament has the SNP by the short and curlies and we might as well get the most out of it while we are in a position of strength. It needs to be a two pronged approach though. At the same time as working hard in Holyrood, Cameron needs to be more visible north of the border. Scotland makes up a tenth of the UK population, it's not unreasonable to expect Cameron to spend a day or two a month in Scotland. It's been too long since he has given a high profile speech in public up here and in some of the most marginal seats like Perth and North Perthshire and Edinburgh South, a visit from DC could whip up a huge amount of interest. At least he's heading up for the Scottish Conference in a couple of weeks, something Nick Clegg failed to do for his party.

TB is heading up to Perth to hear Dave speak on the 14th, tempted to throw another conference party...

Tom Conti on flat tax.

Tory Bear never realised that Tom Conti was quite so sound. Check out the

video

he just put together for today's edition of the Daily Politics:

Couldn't agree more.

And then they came for me.

Some shocking news from the recently revamped

Tory Politico

. A law, currently before the U.S. House of Representatives, could spell doom for bloggers:

"The bill, proposed by Californian Democrat Linda T. Sanchez and 14 others could make it a federal felony to use a blog, social media, or any other web medium “to cause substantial emotional distress through severe, repeated, and hostile” speech.”

Here’s the relevant text of the bill:

Whoever transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication, with the intent to coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress to a person, using electronic means to support severe, repeated, and hostile behavior, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both….

["Communication"] means the electronic transmission, between or among points specified by the user, of information of the user’s choosing, without change in the form or content of the information as sent and received; …

["Electronic means"] means any equipment dependent on electrical power to access an information service, including email, instant messaging, blogs, websites, telephones, and text messages."

Let's not get any ideas Jacqui...

Red red whine...

TB knew that Alastair Campell was an professional porno writer amongst other things before he went to work for Blair, but not that he was the lead singer of UB40:

It's on Wikipedia

so it must be true!

Hat-Tip -Nic Conner.

More navel gazing...

Via the wonderful

Charlotte Gore

, TB noticed that this months

Wikio blog rankings

are out. Miss Gore has stripped down the results for just Lib Dem blogs so TB thought he would do the top the right-wing blogs in the UK according to Wikio, the bracketed number shows over all standing:

1 (1).

Iain Dale's Diary

2 (2).

Guy Fawkes' blog

3 (4).

ConservativeHome's ToryDiary

4 (10).

Dizzy Thinks

5 (11).

The Devil's Kitchen

6 (12).

Old Holborn

7 (14).

John Redwood's Diary

8 (16).

Telegraph Blogs - Daniel Hannan

9 (17). Tory Bear
10 (19).

Mr Eugenides

Wikio ratings are not only based on traffic levels, but also on the number of incoming and outgoing links a blog has so thank you to all those who have been linking to TB in the last few months and enabled him to creep up the listings!

Reckon it could be a while before he can over taken Mr Hannan and Mr Redwood though...

Quote of the Day

"In countries like Africa..."

John Prescott

speaking

to a crowd yesterday.

A day trip from the bunker...

No.10 should really fire whoever is in charge of organising photo shoots for the dear leader. The Fuhrer leaves the bunker and once again another gaffe. An eagle eyed reader just spotted this cock up on the

BBC website

:

Smooth.

When will they learn?

"YouTube if you want to," and indeed it seems Gordon does want to. Via

Miranda Richardson

TB has just watched Labour's Party Political Broadcast that is due to air tonight. However it seems to have been put on YouTube first:

Particularly enjoyed the charge through the rose garden. As Richardson rightly points out, how impressed will Obama be with Brown using footage of him in a shallow and cynical ploy to grab a few votes...For Christ sake man, stay off YouTube. 

It's as if you've already given up and are just having a laugh.

Steak and Soundness

Don't forget to get your ticket for Surrey Conservative Future's Dinner with Daniel Hannan on the 9th.

More infomation here.

Or click here to get your

ticket

.

Sorry isn't always the hardest word

According to the

Media Guardian

:

"The London Evening Standard today launches one of the most daring of publicity campaigns by apologising to Londoners for its previous behaviour.

Buses and tubes will carry a series of messages throughout the week that begin with the word "sorry." The first says "Sorry for losing touch". Subsequent slogans say sorry for being negative, for taking you for granted, for being complacent and for being predictable.

The ad posters, some of which will also appear on hoardings, do not mention the Standard by name but carry its Eros logo instead.

It's the first stage in a three-week publicity blitz that will also see the Standard relaunched on May 11, though details of what that will involve are not yet clear."

This is a brave strategy, and TB isn't really sure what they have to apologise for. Some snivvling lefties moan that The Standard helped to oust Ken and was clearly in support of Boris, but then so were the majority of Londoners. Hardly out of touch. Surely the impact of the London free papers are having more of an impact then any editorial stance or decision the paper has made in the last few years?

Either way it's always good to see people put their hand ups and admit to getting something wrong, if that is how they feel.

Over to you Gordon.. perhaps a few posters apologising for losing touch might buy you a few more hours.

BS detector

Hmmm Tory Bear normally has a good nose for bullshit and something about

this story

smells very fishy:

"I have been contacted by a high profile Conservative from the North West who wants to get a message out that he is so pis*** off with the Tory party for becoming the house of defectors from all political parties that he is going to canvas for the BNP in the coming June elections.

I will keep the identity of this Conservative secret as he has asked me to and this Tory also believes that the Conservatives are to lose big because they have housed defectors and the Tory members in the North West are upset with them for doing this.

Could defectors cost the Conservatives seats at the coming European elections? Will this high profile Tory and all his friends canvas for the BNP and get Nick Griffin elected in the North West? Only time will tell what the answer to these questions is but it is going to be an interesting month let me assure readers once more!"

The story comes from Pendle Lib Dem actavist and blogger

Irfan Ahmed

, who has been quick to jump in with libelous allegations in the past. Most notable was his insistence that CCHQ funded ConservativeHome and that YouGov was connected to the Conservative Party. He also has some regular

dodgy polls

that give no figures, sample statistics, or indeed a website to back up the numbers. Some serious flaws in this story too. Firstly, if this is true and that has not been confirmed, why is a Lib Dem activist giving a voice to the BNP?

But TB is going to throw it out there that this story is made up.

Essentially we are being asked to believe that this mysterious protesting tory has turned to a small town lib dem blogger to vent spleen. If they wanted to protest then why have they not gone to the local press? The whole story is dependent on anonymous hear say based on a conversation that may or may not have existed. Where is the evidence this conversation happened? Ahmed says that he had been "contacted". Can we see the emails with the names blacked out?

The flawed logic of the last paragraph has left this bear lost for words, no party is going to say no to a defection or two. It damages your opponents no end as all the headlines and press coverage are normally dominated with the defecting person laying into their former party and leader in no uncertain terms.

Ahmed has gone after a Lib Dem defector in the most

spiteful

and

bigoted

way in recent days and this "story" is another piece to that puzzle. However the whole thing reeks of bullshit. There is no evidence to suggest this is true. He's done a hatchet job on the defector and now he is attempting to smear the party the defector went to.

It is at best shoddy journalism, at worst made up.

Add hypocrite to the list...

Professional bullshit artist

Tom Miller

just can't help but make himself look like a tit. At the same time that he has shut down any accountability on his website due to some far fetched spamming story that has been

dismissed by the experts

, he has the audacity to attack Iain Dale about his comment policy.

TB is getting a strange sense of dejavu, wasn't it

faux construed outrage

at comments that other people had written that didn't work out too well for the lefty bloggers last time round? As far as TB is concerned, it's not fair play to have a go at someone for what someone else writes on their blog. If they aren't in agreement they can say so, if they don't though, that cannot be considered tacit consent for the content of the comment. Miller gets into a

little flap

about some dubious comments left not by Dale, but on Dale's website. Yet at the same time Miller's way of dealing with comments he doesn't like on his own blog is to shut the facility down.

In his quest to suck up to shady characters like Draper and Tim Ireland, Miller is slowly but surely trashing the tiny shred of credibility he may once of had. His vendetta against the right blogosphere's commenters,

funded by Draper to begin with

and now seemingly off his own back is pathetic. It's a cheap shot and as he must well know not every comment left on a blog is welcome. However it is a very different matter when the author of a blog says something out of line. Although not the case with Miller, normally you can question some body's judgement by leaving them a comment. Unity on Liberal Conspiracy has upset the

UK Disabled Bloggers

with his unsavoury remarks about making disabled people cage fight. Odd though that there isn't a squeak from Miller in this case.

It is seemingly just the right blogs he wants to police rather than the websites he plays a sycophantic hero worshiper to. Miller is a little hypocrite who really should get his own house in order before he attacks others, and secondly should take a look behind him on the left before he attmepts to throw mud at the right. Undoubedtly those comments are in bad taste, but who is Miller to crush free speech? On second thoughts it's what TB has come to expert from a certain breed of hateful Lefty. Especially ones who idolise murdering terrorists:

"Taxi!"

Q: How do you feel at this moment?

Mrs. Thatcher: "Very excited, very aware of the responsibilities. Her Majesty The Queen has asked me to form a new administration and I have accepted. It is, of course, the greatest honour that can come to any citizen in a democracy. I know full well the responsibilities that await me as I enter the door of No. 10 and I'll strive unceasingly to try to fulfil the trust and confidence that the British people have placed in me and the things in which I believe. And I would just like to remember some words of St. Francis of Assisi which I think are really just particularly apt at the moment. ‘Where there is discord, may we bring harmony. Where there is error, may we bring truth. Where there is doubt, may we bring faith. And where there is despair, may we bring hope’ ... and to all the British people—howsoever they voted—may I say this. Now that the Election is over, may we get together and strive to serve and strengthen the country of which we're so proud to be a part. And finally, one last thing: in the words of Airey Neave whom we had hoped to bring here with us, ‘There is now work to be done’."



At no point since 1979 has an incoming PM been so significant. Dave will have a tough job beating that speech when if he stands outside that black door in the May sunshine next year. At no point has Thatcher's message from May 4th 1979 been more important. The Conservative Party once again need to bring trust, hope and change. Once again it is the Conservative Party that must rebuild this nation from the mess that Labour have left it in. Once again the country must unite together under a strong figure and rebuild. It's going to be tough, it's going to be messy, but if today's legacy shows us one thing, it's that these tough decisions can be made and the Conservative Party have one hell of a proven track record in not only clearing up the mess made by Labour, but striving beyond simple house keeping to build a strong and free country.

Will DC be remembered with such pride in 2040?

Talking of NUS Presidents...

While we are on the subject of NUS Presidents, there is a blatant and hilarious piece by Jack Straw in

today's Times

. Straw reflects on thirty years in the House of Commons and in doing so pitches an image of himself as the "father of the nation", the steady hands that will take put the fire back in the party and enable them to fight a General Election.

"I never dreamt when I was sworn in as a new MP 30 years ago that I’d spend my first 18 years on the opposition benches. But even if I had, I would still have volunteered for the life."

Straw offers some interesting reflections on the media and Parliamentary transparency, but couldn't be more obvious if he set up a little stall in the tea room and name checked every passing MP.

Street fighter...

Always one for some banter, TB is looking forward to battling with NUS President Wes Streeting, who has just set up his own

personal blog

. As it is not written in any official capacity, it seems that Mr Streeting is a genuine Labour apologist, and doesn't just defend Gordon as part of his official role.

As witty as it has been, TB was finding it harder and harder to fit his rage at some of Wes Streeting's recent twitterings into 140 characters.

So let the real fun and games begin.

In case anyone cared...

They range from tens of thousands to just hundreds, but if anyone was interested, check out torybear.com's 25 top referring sites. Obviously incoming traffic from google or direct has not been included:

1.

order-order.com

2.

facebook.com 

3.

telegraph.co.uk

4.

twitter.com

5.

iaindale.blogspot.com

6.

dizzythinks.net

7.

guardian.co.uk

8.

blog.dorries.org

9.

conservativehome.com

10.

politicalbetting.com

11.

forum.liberalyouth.org

12.

housepricecrash.co.uk

13.

obotheclown.blogspot.com

14.

newerlabour.blogspot.com

15.

snptacticalvoting.blogspot.com

16.

irfanahmed.org

17.

opinionandreason.com

18.

ybf.org.uk

19.

arrse.co.uk

20.

devilskitchen.me.uk

21.

theyoungconservative.com

22.

grumpyoldtwat.blogspot.com

23.

yousufhamid.com

24. 

ruaraidhdobson.wordpress.com

25.

howarddenton.blogspot.com

TB reads most of those sites, check them out.

The day Twitter got fitter.

Look who's

joined Twitter

. TB wishes British female politicians looked like Sarah.

Especially given who is dominating the news cycle this weekend.

How will this play out?

Most of this post is taken from a comment that Tory Bear left over at

Pooran Ponders

. It's definitely one to keep an eye on. Although TB often disagrees with a lot of what Neil Pooran, a student journo to whom TB became a bit of a rent-a-quote in the last year, argues, his blog is well written and often very witty.

Mr Pooran

pondered

;

"If you'd only read the headlines today you'd have thought that Hazel Blears had stormed into Gordon Brown's office, grabbed him by the tie and repeatedly banged his head against his desk while screaming about 'lamentable failures' as shocked No. 10 cleaning staff look on in horror."

This may be true, but it's a slow news weekend. Also interesting to note that it has only been those formerly close to the Blarite wing that have actually written such articles. Byers and Clarke are the ones pulling the strings on this. They already have an "operation" up and running, (ie a lot of chat of BlackBerry Messenger.) The Hazel piece didn't have to say much, it was like throwing a steak into a bear pit. The media jumped on it and it was deliberately dropped into a slow news weekend so it would run and run, circa "Smear-gate". They are shaking the branch and waiting to see who will fall out of the tree and join their little camp.

Straight after the June election thumping, they will present Gordon with a letter signed by the very people they are recruiting now...

Quote of the Day:

"...if Harriet Harman gets her way and I’m replaced on Top Gear by a Somalian lesbian,"

Ah

Jeremy Clarkson

.

This is really cool...

Anyone who has ever been to

George Sq

will like this one.

And then he was gone...

Every mention of Derek Draper has now been removed from

LabourList

. There

used to be

a link to his personal blog and his email address, but no more.

A lady reader got in touch to say that this week's

Woman's Own

magazine, a publication not normally on TB's radar, did a rather messy hatchet job on how furious Kate Garraway is with her keyboard plotting husband.

Sadly it is not online but it makes for a brutal read...

"A resignation statement is heard in silence and without interruption."

So

Hazel Blears

has dipped the knife in. It seems to be the New Labour style to write an article in a Sunday paper with what you actually want to say, swiftly followed by a Pyongyang style "I support the dear leader 100% etc" While some will never forgive him for what

he did

, at least Geoffrey Howe had the balls to put his money where his mouth is and resign before twisting the blade. Gordon Brown has his problems, as we all know, but it must not be forgotten that the problems of this government go far deeper than No10. Labour is rotten from the core, from the grassroots scandals of vote rigging, to the crooked union seed money, to the parliamentary party with their noses in the trough, and cabinet ministers way out of their depth. The ferrets are only focused on surviving the fight in the sack than actually running the country.

Are there any noble beasts left in Labour? Who will it be that will have the guts to actually resign rather than run late night meetings, secret briefings, all the while swearing blind loyalty to their deluded and drowning leader.

Yes TB is looking at you Mr Johnson, Clarke, Harman, Blears, Straw, Miliband x2 and Purnell.

TB is enjoying living it up in the

Dakota

, if you are passing through Edinburgh don't stay anywhere else. So after a steak the size of his head last night, a lazy Sunday morning with the papers is a million miles away from the library.

And what a week it's been, TB wouldn't like to be anywhere near Gordon this morning...

• Charles Clarke sticks the knife into Balls and co in the Mail.

• The Mail also reveals Gordon's tantrum with TV interviewers... he really is losing it.

• The NOTW reports of Miliband's plan for a plane.

• Jacqui Smith is a lying cow according to The Times. She's spying on us after all.

• The Times is also reporting Gordon's next U-turn.

• Fraser Nelson is on form in his NOTW column.

• As is Matthew d'Ancona in the Telegraph.

• As is Jeremy Clarkson in The Times - very funny.

• Two actors chat about playing Tony Blair in the Times.

• And finally, an interesting development involving Tracy Emin and Tory arts policy. Great news.

As Scotland was mentioned...

One of the most irritating things on the doorstop in Scotland or in debate with any other party up here, is when the Thatcher hated Scotland blah blah poll tax etc arguement is employed. Instead of listening to what the Tories have say, this ridiculous attack is used. Yes Lord Foulkes TB is looking at you...

If you read one article today let it be this

fantastic piece

of mythbusting from ConHome.

TB-lite.

The sun is shining, Brown is toast and Mummy and Daddy Bear have come to Scotland to visit TB...

Go outside and play in the sunshine.

Stat Porn - April 2009

TB is very chuffed with his traffic, which has been increasing steadily in the last three months. April saw his best month yet with 90,090 pageviews off 65,326 uniques. The McBride weekend was pretty special, and it seems that the Researcher Totty Watch has been emailed around a lot.

Thank you all and keep reading!

Tom Harris take 2.0

Tom Harris

said on the Daily Politics

today

:

"My advice to Number 10 would be broaden your circle of advisors. Consult a wider group of people, particularly on new media."

Hmm that hasn't worked too well so far... Watson? Sion Simons? Draper?

Is Mr Harris pitching for the job?

Happy Birthday BoJo

City Hall has been free of the left's tyranny for one year today. Whilst his critics have tried as hard as they can to make a fuss, Boris has had a good year. The Dispatches attempt at a hatchet job made for compelling TV drama given the fact that it contained nothing of substance.

Boris hasn't been a puppet to CCHQ and has taken some bold and much needed moves whether it be an amnesty for illegal immigrants in the capital - against the Tory grassroots, or his passionate and honest rejection of the new 50p tax rate - against the Tory leadership. Boris is his own guy and that's why he is most successful when left to get on with things in his own way.

Roll on year two.

Wounder...

TB just had to turn down a ticket to a dinner in Glasgow tomorrow night with Margaret Thatcher.

Arrrgh!

Question Time Chat Test

+++EUSA rejects Daily Mail Ban+++

Good news from Edinburgh University Student's Association, the Committee of Management have rejected the ridiculous attempt to ban the Daily Mail from outlets.

Well done to

Stuart MacLennan

. There are still some good people left in the Labour Party and that shouldn't be forgotten. Stuart lead the campaign against the illiebral and naive moves from the deluded executive.

Phew.

UPDATE 18.33: The vote was 6 in Favour, 9 Against. Six too many.