2013 February 21 - Guy Fawkes' blog

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Quote of the Day

More Fabricant gold:

“Just spotted Vince Cable in Eastleigh looking like a war criminal with hat pulled over face”

WATCH: Gove’s Priestly Eastleigh Feast

When he hasn’t been tweeting about, er, “suck jobs”, Michael Fabricant has been ribbing Michael Gove about his previous career down in Eastleigh today. Gove played a priest in 1995 comedy A Feast At Midnight. Blair used to be an actor too…

Great Questions of Our Time

The vice chairman of the Conservative Party, ladies and gentlemen:

Great questions of our time: Why is it not called a "Suck Job"?—
Michael Fabricant (@Mike_Fabricant) February 21, 2013

Things are busy in Eastleigh then…

Peter Rippon’s New Job

rippon Peter Rippon, he of ill-fated Newsnight blog fame, has finally been given a new job at the Beeb. Rippon will be in charge of developing the BBC’s online archive, hoping to make 80 years of Beeb history available to the public. There may be one person missing…

Guidogram Going Out Shortly

The Guidogram round-up of the week is going out shortly.

Thousands of Westminster insiders read the Guidogram, everyone from Downing Street insiders to Fleet Street never miss it. Drugs, Galloway, Dave’s Eastleigh tantrum and more…

Join the conspiracy and become a subscriber to the Guidogram, free, to keep in the loop. You’re either in front of Guido, or behind…

Dave Wades In to Beeb Spat
“You’re Not the Most Important Thing In This By-Election”

The BBC hit straight back against this morning’s claim from the Tories that they had behaved disingenuously, briefing that they invited Maria Hutchings to the 5Live hustings as far back as last Wednesday. CCHQ sources are citing security reasons as an excuse for the confusion. They aren’t taking it lightly, Damian Green has just told Sky that “the BBC can be a bit self-important”, and a “jolly cross” Dave has berated the Beeb’s man on the ground, saying his bosses had “behaved badly and stupidly”.

Rather awkwardly, it appears there would have been time for Hutchings to do the debate and still be able to meet the PM…

H/T @MichaelPDeacon

UPDATE: Here is what Dave had to say:

“I think the BBC has behaved badly and stupidly over this from everything I’ve heard about it. My understanding is that we were discussing with you for ages beforehand about the timing of the hustings and the fact that Maria wanted to be with me for this meeting. This is a totally got up thing by the BBC. You know you’re not the most important thing in this by-election – the candidates are.”

Not the voters then…

McAlpine Statement: Sights Trained on Sally

Lord McAlpine says he will drop action against any tweeters with less than 500 followers. His lawyers will be focusing on one high-profile social media junkie:

“Whilst I reached a settlement last year with both the BBC and ITV, I would like to now draw this unfortunate episode, forced into my life, to a close.

I have dropped all claims against those tweeters with less than 500 followers, in return for a very modest donation to BBC Children In Need, which funds 2,600 projects supporting disadvantaged children and young people in the UK.

I have requested that my lawyers, RMPI LLP, focus on the action against Sally Bercow and that damages arising from this are donated to a charity of her choice. I am not intending to make any further comment on this matter.”