12/20/2009

Two Tory views on the #Kerryout online campaign

The supposedly independent #Kerryout campaign to see the Labour MP for Bristol East to lose a the next election has been written about by two Tory bloggers today.

The website, which ludicrously suggests it is an independent campaign (despite being set up and backed by known Tories) is a pretty low piece of work by any standards. To flagrantly bandy the word "independent" around is something the Tories like to do, particularly in local elections, but to claim in any way shape or form that this is an independent campaign stretches the idea of clean politics beyond what most people would call acceptable.

Still, Iain Dale eulogises about the campaign on his blog today, and bizarrely, decides to attack the Lib Dems in to the bargain. Let me explain it in context. The Tories set up an so called "independent" campaign, which they then use to raise money for the Tory candidate, and then from this level of dishonesty they attack the Lib Dems. You couldn't make it up !

Still, for a much more balanced view, and one which will strike a chord with many decent Tories and those who are genuinely independent, another Tory blogger,  Andrew Allison points out that this type of personal negative campaigning using front groups to do the nasty work of the Tories does politics and the Conservative Party absolutely no favours at all.

If Iain Dale thinks this is a success then heaven help political discourse and clean campaigning.

9 comments:

Iain Dale said...

The website is nothing to do with me, and it is ridiculous to say it is independent. I suppose they mean it isn't officially endorsed by the party.

I didn't "bizarrely" attack the LibDems. I attacked them because they are trying to mislead people into thinking they are second in Bristol East, when they are not. Simple as that.

Do calm down.

Anonymous said...

So they are categorically wrong to claim it is independent, but by misleading people in this way you are still prepared to support it. Just so we know.

Keith Elliott said...

Don't you just love Iain Dale?

Iain Dale said...

Anonymous, I haven't mislead anyone. I posted an article about donating to KM's Tory opponent. I am not responsible for anything else.

Chris said...

Nich, I think you're misunderstanding the use of the term "independent" in this situation.

Rather than being non-Conservative, in this context it is being used to mean not arranged/endorsed by CCHQ.

Nich Starling said...

Chris, this is wholly misleading then, Most people would see independent as meaning not in any way affiliated to a political party in any way.

Michele said...

Nich - you do know that Labour is in government, that the country is broke and getting broker, that ruin faces each and every one us - don't you.

Then why does this blog only attack the Conservatives?

Personally I would use any means to get rid of this rotten, corrupt bunch of lying Labour politicians -and I would like to see you at least take a stand against them just once or twice.

Or I might begin to think that you are really a Labour voter and that would ruin my day.

Oranjepan said...

We've had almost a century of two-party politics driving the country to the dogs in a successive hounding of good sense and there are still people who think by simply changing the faces of the people whose name is on the brass doorplates will bring about significant improvement.

Do you want your gruel flavoured with salt or grit?

Of course conservatives think 'independent' means not hooked up to to central control, their core belief system is structured around conformity, ignorance and the divine right of monied power to provide favours to friends.

Labour's conservatism is the reason why they are failing and the Tories conservatism is why they will fail too, just as when they have failed at every turn in the past.

Anonymous said...

A point very well made Mr Orange.

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