Spin Party Cancelled
Remember the somewhat self-serving hoo-ha last year about spin merchants Bell Pottinger switching their big political party from the Labour conference to the Tory conference. PR Week’s David Singleton reports that the lobbyists are cancelling their Tory Conference champagne glugging gig:
The Tories recently told lobbyists to back off in the pages of PR Week and they will be even more weary about dealing with them in the future following a recent warning from Guido Fawkes…
According to Bell Pottinger’s Peter Bingle the cancellation is because “The public mood has changed”. What a shame…
UPDATE : Bell Pottinger’s Bingle (not a medical condition) comments below
I am amused that our decision about holding a party is such a news story. We understand the body politic better than most. I suspect that I will still be around long after Guido has moved on to pastures new.
Maybe Bingle understands the body politic better than most because he is a boil on the arse of the body politic. Where his ilk tread is over the wishes of the voters. It is a form of corruption where either he is lying to his clients about his capabilities; after all it was Bingle who embarrassingly boasted that Bell Pottinger could help shape the next Tory manifesto for paying corporate clients, or, he is essentially corrupting the democratic process.
So which is it Bingle? Lying or corrupting?
The real reason Bingle is cancelling the party is because after dropping that clanger no self-respecting, ambitious, Tory government-minister-in-waiting wants to be seen dead next to him. Because of this Bingle will be a pariah who just might not be around longer than Guido after all…
what will they do now , no champers for them
switch to Chablis or a Sauvignon Blanc
or a nice cold pint watching the ashes match
party’s where alcohol is served are Haram.
London Muslim,
Maybe you can copy&paste a series of patronising and dull comments about how we should all “let it go” and embrace islam.
Be still creature of allah.
Surely a few bottles of mid range Chateau Neuf de Pape would not be considered to be an extravagance?
Surely not.
And who gives a damn about what the peasant think anyway.
Let them drink cider.
I can recommend the Kumala Colombard-Sauvignon Blanc as a particularly versatile fairly dry white that goes with almost anything, and would acceptable to almost everyone.
Colombard itself is, of course, a hugely under-valued grape, usually used as a blending grape and rarely appears by itself (the Gallo Colombard being a notable exception).
As for the conference: I realise that these things go on at such events, but I’m sure it will make only a minor impact, doing without this one. The conference-goers will survive somehow…
Still a bit sickly JW, but not bad as a starter for ten…
Sounds like a ‘wine box day’ where you are, well, it is here, and I’m still moaning about our test match progress…
Snazzos are flogging a Chardonnay/Grenache blend, which is different, and not at all bad for the same reason!
Jeez, let it go.
Be still, grasshopper.
Listen to me, Guido, you appalling little man, we Conservatives will glug whatever we choose whenever we choose.
When we were at Oxford, Boris, myself and the rest of the Bullingdon Boys used to go oik-hunting for people like you. On a good day, we would bag six brace before breakfast.
So watch your step.
Shome mishtake shurely?
Are they not wary rather than weary, probably are weary of poor keyboard skills!
Bob
One of the pro-Tory tinfoil hat brigade was screaming about that a few months ago. I looked into it and it’s a group that teaches people leadership and communication skills. It’s a great idea to develop people’s skills in these areas, so I’m not surprised the Tories are skittish of it.
Be still, grasshopper.
This is typical of the Tories. As Gordon Brown’s excellent poll numbers rise further each day the Tories are running scared as they know that they can only mean a Labour landslide under Gordon Brown is just months away. So they run around hysterically not knowing that the calm frog sitting perfectly still in the middle of the motorway avoids unnecessary exertion while being happy and safe.
In their blind panic the Tories turn to these digusting thieving corrupt lobbyists. Supping champers openly or not we know whose pockets these pigs will be lining in Tory high command.
The grasshopper never listens, and in so doing hears all.
44 C_E_H Magisterially put!
Although I would have thought it a good idea to keep the Frogs out of it – always.
The question, the real question, though, surely remains, as it was put, some quarter of a Century ago, by the best minds in The Lugger Inn, Polruan: ‘What sound does a bow-legged grasshopper make?’
The calm frog is indeed safe in the in the middle of the motorway, that is until someone changes lane!!
Listen how the rhythm of the catseyes changes, the steady badub, badub, badub interspersed with the, oh, so subtle, single muffled squish of the, up until then, serene member of the genus Rana.
I see this as a metaphor for the Labour party, all quietly sitting on the back benches, claiming expenses and biding their time until the seat in the Lords comes free, then, Squelch!!. The British people change lanes.
Good old Peter !
Why do it in public when there’s a backroom available eh?
David Cameron sold himself on being a Christian and having marketing skills, and the guy has near zero morality and markets stuff like some office junior sent on a box ticking course. The more he’s tried to look like a leader the more he’s hollowed himself out. It’s a clear case of overstretch.
Be still, grasshopper.
Guido,
Can you ban these stupid comments from ‘Hardwidge’ and Speedo and co? It’s beyond a joke and if it’s pissing me off it must be pissing a lot of other people.
It’s perfectly obvious that this is just what ‘Hardwidge’ in doing, no doubt (in some way) paid for by the taxpayer.
Or just stop comments altogether
i just laugh at them , its a good giggle
it also reminds us what a nasty party labour are
Just replace labour with Tory, Cameron with Brown and you can see that Charlie E lives with the mad hatter behind the looking glass, or is classic example of Hitler’s Bunker mentality. Maybe he is really a True Tory taking the mick out of Labour supporters.
For example, after correction Charlie’s last posts now read:
“Gordon Brown sold himself on being a Christian and having marketing skills, and the guy has near zero morality and markets stuff like some office junior sent on a box ticking course. The more he’s tried to look like a leader the more he’s hollowed himself out. It’s a clear case of overstretch.”
And
“This is typical of Labour. As Cameron’s excellent poll numbers rise further each day, Labour are running scared as they know that they can only mean a Tory landslide under Cameron is just months away. So they run around hysterically not knowing that the calm frog sitting perfectly still in the middle of the motorway avoids unnecessary exertion while being happy and safe.
In their blind panic Labour turn to these digusting thieving corrupt lobbyists. Supping champers openly or not we know whose pockets these pigs will be lining in Labour high command.”
I just pass then by
Oooh, you are awful, Guido! You got me all in a spin!
Oooh, careful now!
Wow, the Guido Fawkes Early Warning System works.
We already know that Geoff you bloody Hoon.
just checking that you all remember i am geoff hoon and i am a hoon
Oh, you won’t be forgotten. You’re on the list you see….
Dumkopf kriegsverbrecher.
Why am I reminded of the mole song?
“I am a hoon and I live on the moon…”
I’m weary of Hardwidge, never mind the lobbyists.
Labour won’t get to choose anything soon. Not even sodding grasshoppers.
“it looks like Labour is focusing on what’s important”
What, troughing as much as possible away before 40 years in the wilderness? Charlton Heston’s dead now so no Moses lookalikes will guide them back. Which can only be a good thing.
When is Guido going to change the site to “Charles E Hardwidge’s ramblings? Getting very boring.
Google Chazza and you’ll know the answer to “The Meaning of Life,the Universe and EVERYTHING” isn’t 42
well done guido
We need some decent spin at Edgebaston
W00t! W00t!.
As I said on LL, we should enter into a golden age of a one party state and freedom of speech restrictions. Let it go. W00t!
Labour won’t have any problem choosing: they don’t have any friends
Reading Charlie is the most convincing arguement that Labour must lose the next election.
I only voted once, in 1979, to assist the demise of that Labour government!
Charles is a hypocrite of mega ugliness.
Zen means EMPTY, not full of shit!
Antway Zen is a load of bollocks.
Try doing 3 hours of internal concentration, Charlie boy, keeping still, internally, as I did today!
Wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“He” or indeed maybe “She” is an amalgam of many people none of whom are necessarily him/her; himself/herself or indeed even in the same sentient body or psyche or time. “He”/”She” exists purely to annoy
As always with trolls, they don’t have the guts to face up to reality, so they post obvious drivel that the rest of the universe realises straight away IS drivel.
They merely embarrass themselves and end up driving further nails into their masters’ (Labour) coffin, so it’s probably better to give them free rein in places such as this that are populated with predominantly sensible and perceptive folk.
Personally, I just skip past anything from known trolls on all ‘blogs and other forum-style websites.
Antway…grasshopper way…anyway, who cares?
guido site under attack from charles the troll
TWatson and his trolling pals being particularly childish today.
Just imagine what a trash site they wold have vad if they had managed to get redrag up and running!!
Mind , it might have kept them off here!!
There once were two priests, Father Dick and Father Ray.
One day after a very long mass, the two priests decided to hit the showers, but halfway through, the priests realized that there was no soap.
So, Father Ray says to Father Dick “I have extra soap in my room, I’ll go get some”.
So he leaves to fetch the soap and doesn’t bother to get dressed, because who would still be in the church at such a late hour?
So he comes back from his room with two bars of soap and is walking down the hall when suddenly he hears voices coming around the corner, so with his quick thinking, he froze to the wall, stiff as a statue.
The voices turned out to be that of three nuns, who, when saw him standing there like a statue stopped to look at and admire him complimenting at how realistic he looks and what a nice body he has.
When suddenly one of the nuns reaches out and grabbed his penis.
Startled, he dropped a bar of soap.
With this the nun said “Oh look, a soap dispenser!”
Wanting to test the first nuns theory, the second nun reaches out and also grabs his penis, again he drops a bar of soap.
With this the nun says, “Yes it’s true, it is a soap dispenser.”
Wanting to get her share of soap and excitement too, the third nun reaches out and grabs his penis.
But nothing happend for he was all out of soap, so she goes on yanking and pulling his penis for the next few minutes until, to her delight, she squeals: “Oh! Look, handcream!”
That was one of mine.
I don’t think that this actually happened, because he would probably not have been carrying two bars of soap. The only flaw in an otherwise very plausible account.
One bar of soap for Father Dick and one bar of soap for Father Ray. Do try and keep up Airey!!
So what was an already secretive business will now be driven underground.
Full marks to Dave for being seen as forming policy to deal with influence peddlers in the media age.
Gordon, needs alll the PR he can get and the money that goes with it
I’ve commented on this before but this economic difficulty is no different. People and the world are the same the day before it happened as they are after. Money is only a notional thing. what really matters is how people perceive the world. If they obsess about collapsing balance sheets and market hysteria they’ll find what they’re looking for. Sometimes, a little reminder of a better alternative or “fiscal stimulus” can help get peoples attention in a more useful way.
Be still, grasshopper.
Charles, you pathetic creep – can I interest you in membership of Dignitas? Discount for NuLiebour supporters of course – they’re expecting a bit of a rush around May next year but they can fit you in now if you wish. Book early for your own demise?
As the wisest man that I know once said:
Idiots, read Charlie boy in this instance, exist so that the rest of us can feel good about ourselves!
I mean, not being so pathetic as Charlie boy has to make you feel some small amount of gratitude!
the spin stops here
So grab a falafel.
The Tory campaign is a near identical copy of the Republican approach. They’re making a bunch of fundamental errors in policy and attitude. Their policies don’t add up and their people don’t measure up. Their solution? Press harder on the gas pedal.
The more the Tories insist they’re “right” and the more their desire for power seizes them, the more they’ll look like they’re losing the plot and chewing the carpet. Their ego is now so tinder dry that a mere breeze causes the tiniest of sparks to burst into raging flame.
Be still, grasshopper.
Nurse, he’s escaped again.
care in the comunity fails again
You can light me up anytime.
Great stuff. Tell the PR spin tossers to fuck off. The Tories aren’t much better either. They can fuck off too.
They’re all the fucking same. Robbing us of our freedoms and liberties and charging us for the privilege. Filth!
Not knowing much about Bell Pottinger (which sounds to me as if it should be a posh garden feature), or PR generally, I googled them. My findings (possibly a tad jaundiced) are as follows:
1) They have a very fancy website – well they would, wouldn’t they?
2) They are part of Chime Communications. Bell? Chime? Bit of a theme here…
3) One of their skills is “Mapping on-line conversations”. I wonder what a map of a conversation looks like?
4) They are a “Carbon Neutral Company” – whatever that means.
5) Their clients include The All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club and Stannah Stairlifts.
6) Their “Knowledge” includes “Political Briefs” – washing Prescott’s underpants?
OK I’m just a cynical engineer, and can’t be expected to understand the world of conning people – sorry, PR. But don’t political parties have lots of ‘researchers’ and ‘advisers’ to do this sort of stuff, and don’t governments have Civil Service communications officers to get their message out?
In times of recession, can we afford these overpaid leeches on society?
pr men or the goverment ?
Currently, both.
Indeed. Worse still,we pay for office space at the HoC for these lobbyist tossers
Neither in times of recession nor any other time.
PR = Bulls**t baffles brains.
They are regarded in the lobbying business as slick, high priced salesmen, who pick up business and then lose it because they don’t in fact know more about politics than most. They’re just a bunch of PR people.
thats a cut and paste together!,do have any of your own thoughts?.
No didn’t think so.
More tripe!
Bored with NOT bored of!!! Tsk!
Bell-Pottinger seem particularly keen to lobby the Conservatives over tory opposition to the Housing Information Packs (HIPs). They want to tories to support HIPS instead.
Why? And who is Bell-Pottinger’s client that wants to reverse proposed tory policy on HIPs?
If there must be lobbyists then there needs to be a way found , so that they have to publicly declare their clients, precisely what they are lobbying a government for and exactly who they are talking to in that government. Then we csn see whether they have any undue influence on the formation of policy.
Personally speaking I think they should be banned.
HIPS I assume you mean
Yes and Lobbyists.
agreed
I am in process of buying a house and the HIPS report is an unwelcome addition to the process. No one has anything good to say about it – solicitor, surveyor, estate agent.. The searches are sketchy so full council searches have to be done anyway, to satisfy any lender. HIP rabbits on the environmental conditions of CH systems etc, but the efficiencies are guestimates.
For a buyer a good survey and solicitor’s searches are essential. Oh and a HIPS report is at least 65 pages long – some are up to 90 pages long. With that amount of paper, surely the damage to the environment is a good enough reason to scrap the HIPS report.
Hint Hint.
The fine for not doing a HIP is less than the cost of a HIP.
excellentcatblogger. I reckon 99% of houses in the UK that have CH systems cannot give an efficiency figure for the system. Best guess is as near as you’ll get and then it will be an overestimate.
Are hips going to go pear shaped? Mine certainly are.
How about HRP? (home replacement package), the Government charges you 600 quid for some helpful tips on what to do after you have been thrown out on the street by the bailiffs.
fyi a company called Quintus, not Bell Pottinger, were hired re. HIPS – by the Association of Home Information Pack Providers.
http://www.prweek.com/uk/news/search/919683/Quintus-hired-lobbying-assault-Home-Information-Packs/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/aug/03/home-office-citizenship-proposals
A points-based citizenship system penalising those showing ‘active disregard for UK values’ …..
sounds to me like a good way of getting of the Snot-Gobbler and his shower of shit.
You could get rid of a lot of people using that one. What if they don’t measure up, do they get sent home? Thought not.
Shut the fuck up!
Cynicism is the psychosomatic illness of the body politic, you say. A truly unfortunate analogy, because your party is rotten right through with it. Everything you do is for the party not the country.
By the way, I used to be vaguely amused by your flatulent ramblings: now I fucking hate you.
Here we go again, Lord Taylor of Warwick claims £70,000 for non-existent family residence. I can’t wait to hear the excuse for this one, got to be the Altzeimers defence again, doddery old, thieving C***’s.
Maybe Chris Galley will take out another private prosecution
like he did with Jacquiboots.
Talking about Chris Galley,how’s the fundraising going Guido?
Not too many comments noted on the delicious irony of one banner advert saying ‘Bring Jacqui to Justice’ , and another one saying Jacqui ‘I want my cabinet job back’. Why ? Are cabinet members immune from prosecution ? Unless its serving the cabinets’ lunches, it can’t be because someone has told you its something you’re capable of doing.
If Raw Meat 3 was made in the States, is there a case for extraditing her to the US and trying her for tax evasion there ?
The only cabinet job she will ever get is bending over one while Richard Limpdickney tries to give her one
Fucking typical
I have a disabled friend who has given up his council flat because the neighbours are awful and the council are too. He’s moved to stay with someone who spends most of time at work in the city and lives there. He’s lost £2600 yearly benefits cos he lives with someone else – apparently DWP assume it’s a carer – it isn’t – his yearly income has now gone down to £5010.
So all these fucking crminals can just fuck off
He needs to get the paperwork to establish himself as a tenant (at a peppercorn rent) or he needs to claim Attendance Allowance for his “carer”. Won’t make him rich, but it should give him back a lot of what he lost.
And yes, I know what it means to live off that pitiful amount, as I’m in much the same position. When/if I reach retirement age, I’m going to feel positively wealthy (assuming the state pension still exists should I get to be 105).
The whole of Europe is heading for a soviet style pensions crisis. Pension debt is enormous and unfunded, sometimes reaching 800% of GDP in Europe. These countries simply do not and never will have, the money to pay for them.
Up until around 7 / 8 years ago we were in pretty good shape with low debt and lower unfunded pensions than anywhere else in Europe. Alas we all know what has happened in the intervening period. The madman running the country, has engineered a previously unimaginable debt burden and squandered everything.
People retiring over the coming decades will be entering almost total poverty, if they do not have sound private pensions. The policies adopted by McStalin will have a very long and bitter aftermath, people will die as a direct result of his rapacious stupidity in years to come.
Of course the architects of this, will all be well insulated against any hardship, Bliar, McSnot, Mandelshit and their merry band of thieves, con men and simpleton idealogues, will have sinecures, Quangoes and Euro non jobs plus their pensions, to keep themselves jolly warm, thank you very much.
If this is true I presume he had divorced his London-based wife and assigned her the west London house although, of course, the Smith defence doesn’t assume that one lives with one’s spouse
Charles,I’ve done my best trying to help you end your life.
I have suggested rope & poison,shotgun & razor,Beachy Head,
use of all the utilities gas,leccy etc. and can now only offer that
you jump under a train.late at night to cause minimal disruption
to travellers or just go walking zizzag up any Motorway.
Come on Charley Boy you can do it.
Charles,
I suppose you could always hire a hit man to have yourself killed.
Most hitmen wouldn’t need hiring – they’d do it for nothing.
An old established firm of Sicillian gentlemen have this day been retained with that very purpose in mind.
Uncanny.
“Just when things are calming down and the press are being positive Harman opens her mouth and runs people down. Put next to Brown’s inexperience this looks a little deliberate and suggests to me that Labour would rather talk Britain into a recession and fuel hysteria than focus on fixing things. But, what else can people expect from a nasty and directionless party like Labour? No wonder sensible leaders and the media are deserting them.”
There is nothing sensible about Harriett for sure.
After her pointless diatribe at the weekend saying Labour needed women at the top because men couldn’t be trusted to govern on their own – now she’s saying if the banks had been run by women we wouldn’t have had this economic crisis.
Well first of all then gordon’s spin that it all started in America seems to be a bit at odds with that point of view. And secondly if she thinks women like her could have saved the world – then her ego is even bigger and more unattractive than I thought it was.
Harriet Manhater-Harperson – the very epitomy of everything that is wrong with NuLiebour and why they should be comprehensively dumped at the next GE. Truly a female Hoon of the first order.
Bob aintbustingagut has just said that he will be pressing ahead with the court case to reclaim compensation from injured soldiers.
And by the by bob – what have you done about those helicopters that you promised for Afghanistan? – Oh nothing as yet!!!
And what have you done about that rolling kit that protects military vehicles aganst IED’s that the americans are buying off our british company by the score and raving about as a great lifesaver??? Oh nothing as yet – plans to give them to the British Army still mothballed!!!
And what have you done abut getting sufficient medical staff out to our troops so that we don’t have to keep borrowing other peoples? Oh nothing as yet!!!
I trust the electorate in your constituency are taking note and will deliver the appropriate political coup-de-grace to you at the next GE.
and by the way, what is he doing with that bloody awful haircut?? :0)
I reckon Charles is really Gordon Brown,his best talent is not listening to people.Does charlie boy fuckoff when told to do so repeatedly?.I rest my case.
I am amused that our decision about holding a party is such a news story. We understand the body politic better than most. I suspect that I will still be around long after Guido has moved on to pastures new …
The point is, political blogging, as has been proved in America, has brought significant numbers of people into the circle that watches, researches and questions, government actions.
It is no longer possible, because of bloggers like Guido , for lobbyists to exert undue influence on government decisions, in secret.
I for one shall be watching the tories as they come to power, and if they change their opposition to HIPs to support, I and lots of other will be asking why.
It would be useful to know which client of Bell and Pottiger is seeking this change in the tories attitude for the very useless and pointless Housing Information Packs.
Guido, your lack of medical knowledge has let you down. I have a very painful bingle which I must treat with a certain kind of suppository. The quack says it has been caused by overindulgence in very hot curry.
So please, do not flick the amocted.
If only your outfit did understand the body politic. I share the view in 109 above – you are well known in the “public affairs” business (with which I have no connection, incidentally) for slick, over-priced salesmanship and then losing clients quickly. The sooner there was some quality regulation in your industry, the better because glorified PR outfits like yours need to be stopped from parting fools from their money. Incoming government take note.
. . . or maybe the cancellation had something to do with this incident ;-)
“Weary”? Surely they mean wary.
Is it too much to ask that these buggers at least spell their lies correctly?
My comments are not being accepted . Is it something that I have said ?
Carlo. Youse is a dead hoon squawkin’.
Guido,
I have commented a few times on your blog over the years. Most times I agree with you and on the rare occasion I do not I have refrained from writing anything.
However. I know Peter Bingle well. He advised me in my earlier life and I found him to be completely honest, upright and genuine. His advice was sound and he became a friend, whom I keep in touch with.
He is a charming man with great humour and I am afraid that on this occasion you, sir, are way off beam.
The story is rather weak, as you must admit, and certainly the bile you have expressed towards Peter is, frankly, a disgrace. Knowing Peter he will laugh it off and I agree with him that he will still be around for many years to come.
I am very sad that you have stooped so low.
He did write the letter, his charm is irrelevant.
I agree, Guido’s bile is utterly misplaced here, although there is a debate to be had on the pros and cons of lobbyists.
Dear Guido,
I apologise for the delay in responding to your reply to me. I have been dealing with parishioners and their daily problems.
I must disagree that charm is irrelevant, Charm in a person is extremely important. As are honesty and decency.
You have obviously worked with many vipers and, in this instance, you appear to have overlooked that in a world of vipers there are a great many
who are not. Peter is not a viper.
But let us move on, and I pray that you will have the decency and charm to apologise for quite an unecessary attack on an exceptional individual. I would expect that Peter’s response will be to invite you for a drink or to accompany him to the opera.
Bingle’s comments about being around long after, etc clearly take no account of the fact he’s smashed half the time himself
PR man him no write proper!
The Spin Party was NOT cancelled.
It was rearrangred for never.