This entry was posted on
Thursday, June 12th, 2008 at
3:59 pm and is filed
under The War on Stupid, Tories! Tories! Tories!.
So that was the weird shudder I felt on the Underground as I left Westminster early this afternoon; it was a thousand or so people directly above me turning around and saying “WTF?!” in near-unison.
It’ll be interesting to see how Murdoch + chums at the Scum play this. If Labour refuses to field a candidate, we may even see a Page 3 girl running as an independent in Haltemprice and Howden on a ‘cage terrorist scum’ platform.
(pause)
You think I’m kidding, don’t you?
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UPDATE (13 Jun) – Well, I almost picked it. The Scum are running with one tit, not two. See comments* for more.
[ *Thanks, Justin, for jumping the gun and treading on my punchline. :oP ]
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UPDATE (13 Jun) – Some news items for you, including that exchange on Radio 4 that I mention under comments:
BBC – Ex-Sun editor ‘to take on’ Davis: Ex-Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie says he is likely to take on David Davis in a by-election in Haltemprice and Howden if Labour does not stand. He says he is 90% certain to stand on a national security platform, arguing in favour of 42-day terror detention.
The Age – Sun’s former editor may challenge Davis: Asked whether it was Murdoch who wanted him to stand, Mackenzie said “Yes it is. Rupert Murdoch and Rebekah Wade, who is editor of The Sun, both felt that democracy would not be best served by a walkover and suggested to me last night that I might be the person to fill the hole.” When BBC Today presenter John Humphrys asked him “You don’t always do what people tell you to, do you?” Mackenzie retorted “I do if it is Rupert Murdoch, strangely.”
BBC (Newsnight Blog) – How will Murdoch fund Mackenzie campaign?: Former editor of the Sun newspaper Kelvin Mackenzie has indicated that he’s 90% certain to stand as a pro 42 days candidate in the Haltemprice and Howden by-election; caused by the resignation of David Davis.And on the BBC’s This Week programme he revealed that his old boss Rupert Murdoch had offered to back his campaign financially: “Rupert suggested to me that if Labour didn’t put anyone up, that I would run against David Davis, if that’s the case – and Rupert says he’s good for the money… I might well do it,” Mr Mackenzie said. But there is one problem with that. Mr Murdoch is an American citizen and so under British law is not allowed to contribute funds to any UK election campaign.
By Jonathan McCalmont June 12, 2008 - 5:09 pm
One of the things that has amused me about this is the fact that he described as a libertarian AND a social conservative.I’m not sure how that might work exactly but it reminds me of someone once telling me that a certain area of Geneva was great because it was “totally free, as long as you’re not a queer… they don’t stand for queers”
By Guy Gooberman June 12, 2008 - 7:40 pm
Oh I believe you.It is quite lovely, in a confusing way and leaves all parties involved (apart from David Davis) a little un sure how to play it, although the downside is the terrible gloating both sides are doing about the situation.I've got to stop watching politicians on the news, it puts me off me naan bread…
By MatGB June 12, 2008 - 11:55 pm
Almost right. McKenzie has said if Labour don't he will. With Murdoch's backing.http://matgb.livejournal.com/318778.htmlhttp://community.livejournal.com/theyorkshergob/9…
By Justin June 13, 2008 - 7:54 am
'McKenzie has said if Labour don't he will.'Well, he's got the tits for it.
By Manic June 13, 2008 - 8:58 am
MatGB: According to Mackenzie himself on Radio 4 this morning, not just with Murdoch's backing, but on Murdoch's *request*. Let me repeat that: Mackenzie will be running "for The Sun" on Murdoch's request."Murdoch said in an interview last week that he did not dictate, for example, which candidates each newspaper should endorse in a political campaign."http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/05/03/business/0…No, he just hand-picks the candidates.Meanwhile, according to the independently-minded publisher of the not-going-to-be-at-all-biased magazine Total Politics, doing what Daddy Warbucks says makes you a man of courage:http://iaindale.blogspot.com/2008/06/thank-god-fo…And he wonders why some people worry about his judgement.Note that Iain also claims a question has been answered, when it has merely been dodged.And he wonders why…
By Professor Paul June 13, 2008 - 9:46 am
Isn't that an oxmoron; the judgement of Iain Dale?
By Letters From A Tory June 13, 2008 - 9:54 am
McKenzie could make this by-election a lot more interesting than some people were predicting yesterday, although Labour have yet to officially bottle it and not field a candidate.
By Manic June 13, 2008 - 9:58 am
PP: Not at all. You can have good judgement, bad judgement or – in Iain's case – consistently appalling judgement. Iain spends a lot of time judging other people, too… when he's not screaming; "What right do you have to judge me?!"LFAT: You say 'bottle it', others say 'scuttle it'. Both terms reveal a wee bit of partisan bias, wouldn't you say?
By beaubodor June 13, 2008 - 2:23 pm
Kelvin Mckenzie Receives the 'Backing' of Rupert Murdochhttp://www.bbdo.co.uk/blog/archives/873
By Manic June 13, 2008 - 4:19 pm
Tch. Bloody foreigners.