The Tories are very disappointed that the Jackgate WATO (World at One) thing-e-me hasn't taken off. Here is Chatterbox on the Iain Dale's Diary comments board:
Right we have now got a Libdem criticising Ming so where is the big headline splash on the Beeb? Oh, if its not someone slagging off Cameron then it is not news? Balance is all I ask, if it was important to highlight this sort of thing in the Tory ranks yesterday despite real concerns about the grounds for the criticism, why is it a non story for the Libdems today?
In fact, the story was on BBC News online. The reason it was a non-story is because Vince Cable handled it correctly and metaphorically applied the fire extinguisher to the story.
Iain Dale has compared Linda Jack to Ali Miraj. There's a crucial difference. While Vince Cable very skilfully killed the Linda Jack story by playing it down and refusing to accept the assumptions presented to him on WATO, Cameron poured petrol on the Ali Miraj fire. He accepted the assumptions presented to him on Today and attacked Ali Miraj, Lord Kalms and Graham Brady - thus giving the story oxygen, while further winding up a formidable band of malcontents in the process.
That's because Vince Cable is a wise old bird and Cameron is an inexperienced novice.
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The thing about Miraj is that he was part of Cameron's leadership campaign, so it is one of Cameron's former key supporters attacking him, plus the peerage angle.
ReplyDeleteSo far as I know, Linda Jack never supported Ming for Leader, so it is hardly news.
Thanks Nigel
ReplyDeleteLinda backed Simon for the leadership.
ReplyDeleteThere is a certain amount of displacement activity going on around what I can be bothered to read of the Tories (Look at them! They're having leadership problems too. Don't look at us it hurts us! The BBC's being nasty to us. Miss! Miss!). The Tories preferred future hasn't materialized: Brown was a glum psychopath whom the British would loathe, Cash for Honours would see Labour party hierarchy dragged off in chains, the TB/GB factions would start an internecine war, they Tories would win Southall and make gains in Sedgefield. All this was so talked up by 'influential' bloggers and they begain to believe their own blogsh*t (the blogging equivalent of bullsh*t, you read it here first). All the Tories thought they had to do was to stay looking benign while Britain came to its senses and the Labour Party got the knives out.
ReplyDeleteProblem is, none of that came to pass and the Tories appear to have nothing in reserve. Britain may fall out of love with Brown, but whether it's in time for Cameron to still have any leadership authority is doubtful. Plotting is seriously addictive, regicide is heady stuff.
Linda's comments don't become a big story for all some people's attempts to talk them up, another little bit of their preferred future doesn't come to pass.
And a bit of advice for bloggers flattered by attention from journalists, especially national ones. They aren't your friend, they don't give a crap about your blog no matter how they may flatter you. They're on the look out for a story, they know their line, they know the quote they want and they will shaft you without a second thought. I've been one, I've been around them, especially political journalists. Don't trust them.
It beggars belief that the Tories are so supremely adolescent as to cry "bias at the BBC" on this one.
ReplyDeleteThey have clearly only just discovered that the media's imbalance towards us works both ways - we don't get many good stories covered, but we don't get many bad stories covered either.
They have clearly discovered the downside of Cameron's constant exposure to the limelight - when he cocks up, it's in full view of everyone. Let the "feral beasts" descend!
Thank you Martin, Peter and Leo for your wise words.
ReplyDeletePeter - a former journalist type as well as an ocean-going sailor, eh? My goodness, a man to rely on in a crisis if ever there was one!
I always feel a slight equality with journalists because I know when they say "this is off the record" it is complete bullshit and I will say only what I want to be used and make it sound as if I am sharing a confidence with them - which they probably see through after an important delay of all of ten seconds.