Well the Express seems to have well and truly got under the skin of its Eurocrat foes this afternoon. The UK’s European Parliament Information Office has thrown its toys out of the pram quite spectacularly:
“Welcome to the brave new world of EU reporting at the Daily Express, where information is bad, transparency is dictatorship, civic rights are forms of oppression and checking facts makes you blind. We do not normally find it worthwhile challenging Daily Express euromyths. It would be like trying to engage UFO Magazine in scientific debate: a waste of time and dangerous for one’s mental health. Moreover, we are used and resigned to the peculiar phenomenon of its journalists switching off all critical faculties when it comes to taking politically motivated anti-EU tirades as fact, then working backwards to try to fit the circumstances to the ‘crime’… Providing context and balance in a story is no longer the job of the Daily Express reporter, you see. If you want balance and context you have to knit it yourself. You’d be searching in vain for this context in today’s story, reader. You will not find it. What’s worse, your ignorance of the existence of sinister educational websites set up by the Houses of Parliament leaves your children vulnerable to the horror of ‘Soviet-style’ British propaganda right here right now, under your very nose and , needless to say, with your taxes.”
Of course the European Parliament UK Information Office is funded by the taxpayer, naturally…
A LibDem spokesperson tells Guido:
“We are a party of government. We have ministers and everything.”
Guardian green and loony lefty George Monbiot has agreed to carry out three years of charity work as payment for libelling Lord McAlpine. In a grovelling statement a grateful Monbiot said:
“I accepted the suggestion immediately and without reservation. I feel the proposed settlement reflects very well on Lord McAlpine, who is seeking nothing for himself, but wants to see work done which could be of great benefit to others. I have been prompted by Lord McAlpine’s admirable proposal to do the right thing – something I should have been doing all along – and I hope very much that I am able to do it well.”
Unlucky Philip Schofield…
The LibDems are claiming they have forced the Tories into a climbdown over the spare room subsidy, in spite of IDS’ denials when doorstepped earlier. LibDem HQ says the protection of armed forces, foster families and the disabled came “following pressure from the Liberal Democrats”. The Tories are not exactly entirely in agreement with this version of events. A somewhat surprised – putting it politely – Tory spokesperson tells Guido:
“This is complete fiction from the LibDems, who consistently face both ways on many issues. Ultimately this just goes to show the LibDems are not a party of government.”
Coalicious…
UPDATE: A LibDem spokesperson hits back, insisting to Guido:
“We are a party of government. We have ministers and everything.”
Video via ITV.
In this weekend’s Sun column Guido brought you Round One of Tory MP Mike Freer’s get-your-own-back campaign against 38 Degrees. Last night Freer explained his motives to Guido:
“I answer most personal emails myself and these auto campaigns actually dilute the service I can give. I hope to meet 38 Degrees to discuss.”
Seems 38 Degrees aren’t backing down, however. They insist to Guido:
“Mike Freer is an MP. Sorry he doesn’t like his voters getting in touch, but that’s part of his job. His voters have every right to contact him, and I’m sure they will continue to do so, particularly if he is doing stuff they don’t like. 38 Degrees will keep helping them make their voices heard. I’d be very happy to meet Mike and explain this to him over a coffee.”
Seconds out…
Roger Helmer and team hard at work this morning…
UPDATE: Friends of Roger tell Guido: “He must be dreaming of a time when we are no longer there.”
