3/19/2010

Are you raising the level of debate Iain ?

Today Iain Dale wrote one of his daily Lib Dem attack stories and sadly (again) totally misses the point.

The story Iain is trying to push is that "Lib Dem MPs are just like the Tories" when it comes to having dodgy MPs. Of course Iain would love this to be true, but with dozens of Tories standing down after expenses allegations involving heli pads, duck houses and numerous other spurious expense claims, Iain somehow wishes to link this to four Lib Dem MPs who took it upon themselves to raise an issue affecting their expenses and claims.

No credit is given by Iain that these Lib Dem MPs reported themselves to the parliamentary ombudsman to see whether their rent arrangements actual conformed to the rules. Likewise, Iain fails to mention that the actual block of flats where these Lib Dems made claims is infact occupied by Tory and Labour MPs who, it appears from the news, have failed to report their circumstances to the parliamentary authorities.

So the question is Iain, why are Tory MPs not being as honest and open as Lib Dem MPs ?

FX - Tumbleweed passes by with the distant sound of a church bell ringing.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

No compliments from Iain on your election yesterday ?

Jock Coats said...

Yeah - congratulations by the way. You mug! :) That's several years of hard and thankless work for you now!

Anyway, one point in the several (not just Dale's) criticism is that the Lib Dem blogeratti have been too quiet about it. Nothing on LDV say.

I am glad that you clarified though - that's what I thought had happened, that they had gone to the commissioner themselves. But having done so, maybe we should have made more of it as a party than the press release today which was less than clear I thought.

Nich Starling said...

Don't be silly anonymous ! I sent him a messgage saying how sorry I was he didn't get selected for Bracknell but no, no message or "well done" at all for me.

Some Tories have been far more magnanimous, Steve Green from the Daily Referendum blog is a good example of someone who has exceptional manners in this respect.

Jock, I think the apparent silnce is more to do with the fact that the story was fairly self evident but if Iain Dale wants to spin it, that's his perogative.

I don't suppose me win in Broadland will make his EDP column either.

Richard T said...

First congratulations on your election.

Now Mr Dale postures as a reasonable man but, as in this case, his often petty behaviour belies this. It is quite hard to see an equivalence between declaring a profit on this rental deal and for example the deliberate manipulation of second homes by the MPs for Bracknell and Bromsgrove. He really does need to learn that you don't establish innocence by asserting the guilt of others.

jailhouselawyer said...

Methinks sour grapes grow in Mr Dale's Tunbridge Wells vinyard.

Anonymous said...

You won the election with no Labour candidate standing? Big deal - I bet that was hard work?

Some sodding libdems are on the fiddle and you defend them. Says it all.

Surprise surprise you are one of Iain Dale's top 10 bloggers. Myself I cannot see why, but dale does have a soft spot for lefties.

Manfarang said...

Trev
"no Labour candidate"
There are many places where Labour no longer exists.
Well done Nich.

Anonymous said...

The expenses scandal is a problem, but thats nothing compared to the £97 billion scandal Labour and the Conservatives want to sign up too!

I'm obviously talking about the cost of replacing Trident, which Vince Cable and the Lib Dems are against.

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