#BrownOut plan on Twitter core of Tory policy?

The Independent solemnly reports… as if any of this really matters..

Tory bloggers bite back against Labour’s ‘Twitter Tsar’

“Tory bloggers are planning a ruthless demonstration of how much better they are at internet campaigning than their left-wing counterparts by trying to use Twitter to oust the Labour MP who was recently appointed the party’s ‘Twitter Tsar’. Their target is Kerry McCarthy, Labour MP for Bristol East, an assiduous user of the social network site, who was appointed last summer by Labour’s campaign organiser, Douglas Alexander, to train her fellow Labour MPs how to campaign on line.

Ms McCarthy has made enemies of some of the leading Tory bloggers, including Harry Cole, who blogs under the alias Tory Bear, and Iain Dale. They are fronting an online campaign to get her ousted from her seat at the next general election.”

Iain Dale is a good Tory blogger. I’m not a Tory but I enjoy reading what he has to say, even though I may not agree with all he has to say.  I don’t agree with everything Labour MPs or the present government do.  Yes, he did get blocked by @kerryMP.  I recall seeing it unfold on Twitter some weeks ago. It may or may not be that he has taken umbrage. He appears on pretty well every television station to comment on the news and will probably do so until the election.  If Twitter and political blogs have any real influence with the broader electorate  (they may do) then getting hot under the collar about stunts organised by @ToryBear et al is simply providing fodder for further amusement. I haven’t met @ToryBear – I read his blog and enjoy the reports he does on GUYNews. He clearly enjoys satire and parody as a means of getting his political views across. Quite a few bloggers and journalists use satire – sometimes to greater effect than than the rather dull analyses of recognised mainstream media gurus/mavens.   At first, I thought that that the #KerryMP stunt was a bit OTT, with a whiff of bullying about it – but, upon reflection,  if Labour can’t take stunts and criticism from Tory bloggers how can they possibly hope to deal with the stunts and very serious matters likely to be thrown at them in 2010  should they be re-elected.

And…remember…all is fair in love and politics.  Sauce for the goose?

And… I just could not resist this…

and this… at 8.00 pm tonight…

KerryMP Facebook group

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Mr Choudary woz here….

Mr Choudary and his Islam4UK want to protest about the Afghanistan war by having a procession of empty coffins at Wootton Basset. Social Cohesion Minister Shahid Malik stated in a BBC report: “Anjem Choudary rightly has a reputation as a dangerous and divisive figure in the UK, however, he does not speak for Muslims in the UK.”

I am sure he doesn’t.  He does have a right to protest – for that is a right all in the UK have.  I think Choudary should protest in London, properly supervised by the Police.  London is the seat of government and it is the government he should address his protest to – and not to those who receive back loved ones who gave up their lives in Afghanistan.   I think his deliberate selection of Wootton Basset, designed to be inflammatory, is tasteless.  I hope the government stops it on public order rather than free speech grounds (I agree with @Oedipus_Lex stance on that)

Choudary and his tawdry plan to protest at Wootton Basset simply reveals that he has no manners and respect for the sensitivities of others – yet requires us to have sensitivity for his views on Islam.  I seem to remember an aphorism from my Sunday school in my childhood…do unto others as you would expect they should do unto you. I’m an atheist – but the aphorism, rooted in many religions,  seems a pretty sound one to me

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We can’t go on like this…

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Law Review: Severe politics fatigue warning

By 10.30, when Newsnight came on television last night, there were signs on Twitter that many in this country were suffering from extreme exposure to politicians and political bloggers faffing about with #Kerryout campaigns, prompting some to say…”How can we go on like this until the election?”

The Tories kicked off with a rather bizarre poster showing a heavily photoshopped  David Cameron staring out at us with the rubric “I’ll cut the deficit, not the NHS”. Some say that putting the word ‘cut’ in the second line with ‘NHS’ was not a good idea.   Some say that some will read this as “I’ll cut the NHS” – and they could be right.

The Independent got it right this morning  with:

Who’s telling the truth about the Tory plans?

Yesterday’s war of fiscal words will have left many people perplexed. Sean O’Grady, Economics Editor, separates fact from fiction.

The Guardian scythed in with:

Cameron error gives Labour first blood in election campaign

The Sun, perhaps reflecting the concerns, interests and human rights of its readers, went with….the above… prompting me to wonder if they, or to be more accurate, Vanity Fair, are aware of an injunction against the use of naked pictures of Tiger Woods.  Who knows?  Who cares?

In the interests of political objectivity, I had a quick scan through the online version of The Sun (I even looked at ‘Sun Lite’ – for the less advantaged reader? – to see if I could find any politics). I learned about porn stars, Frank’s cheap date at Poundland and the opening of the world’s largest vulgarity in Dubai… but I could find no incisive comment on David Cameron’s plans about running the country should he be elected later in the year. I accept that I may not have looked deep enough… but…life is short and my attention span for tabloids..even shorter.

It was a bit of a struggle to find any Law to write about  this morning – but the Guardian gamely tried to stir our interest with this headline…

New scanners break child porn laws

It seems that the full body scanners which the prime minister wants installed at every airport are not only not available (apparently) but when they do become available we won’t be able to use them on any terrorist under the age of 18 because of our child porn laws. The Guardian has the full story – I really can’t be bothered to comment on such arrant stupidity, other than to say – surely we can solve that issue.  Terrorists often employ children to fight and use them as human bombs.

I shall find some law later…have a good one…

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