The “Cameron Girls” admit…

“The Cameron Girls” (one Conservative, one Liberal Democrat) is a comedy video filmed and supported by a plethora of people with various political allegiances… We have been quite astounded by the level of interest in our story. Clearly the political classes were short on entertainment in this election.

Antony Calvert has raised a five figure sum from small online donations towards his attempt to beat Ed Balls in Morley and Outwood. The Daily Politics reported on his campaign and his online fund-raising efforts using YouFund.Me:

Where will you be for the “Balls moment”?

Labour’s trusted twitterers are on the front page of the party’s website, further confirming the belief in Labour circles that twitter is some kind of alternative to democracy.  They have made sure that it won’t be easily hacked.  Not sure what the value is – presumably they are hoping that hacks will consult the page to see what the Labour faithful think of the debate.  A virtual twitter spin room… hmmm…  come back to Guido’s later this evening for a rival virtual twitter spin room…

Spin is cheap, punters put their money where their mouth is, currently the punters on Political Smarkets rate the chances of victory for the leaders in the debates thus:

16:45 David Cameron 55%  Nick Clegg 48% Gordon Brown 29%

18:30 David Cameron 65%  Nick Clegg 48% Gordon Brown 20%

Gordon’s price has improved from this morning where punters where giving him only a 10% chance of winning* tonight’s debate, Clegg was favourite though in late betting Cameron has pulled ahead.   All to play for…

*Winning defined by ICM’s post debate polling results.

A few months ago Guido was speaking at events and pontificating on panels with politicians who were going on about how they had learnt from Obama’s campaign.  We were told there was going to be online fund raising on a major scale in the manner of Obama.

So far as Guido can tell Compass, 38 Degrees, Old Holborn and Anna Raccoon‘s smoking landlord campaign, MyConservatives.com, YouFund.Me.uk and the Taxpayers’ Alliance are the only groups successfully raising money from the many via small online donations resulting from advertising and email lists.  Even so we are talking thousands of pounds rather than tens of thousands of pounds.  Labour’s efforts so far have not borne much fruit by all accounts.

The stand out candidate who has raised more online than any other candidate ever is Antony Calvert, who is standing against Ed Balls in Morley & Outwood.  Although trying to over-turn a notional majority of 9,000 against the Unite-backed bruiser, Ed Ball’s price at the bookies has steadily moved in from sure-fire favourite towards only a 50% chance of  him holding his seat.  Antony Calvert  is running him neck and neck.  Why is that?  Could it be because Antony Calvert is Britain’s unlikely answer to Obama, having raised more money in small online donations than other candidate in Britain.  George Osborne singled out Calvert’s campaign for praise in a speech to CCHQ staffers, calling it “a castration strategy”.

The truth is, if Antony Calvert takes Morley and Outwood, he will be Britain’s first digital election winner…

(Incidentally, you can donate to his campaign here and you can bet on him winning Morely & Outwood at PoliticSmarkets.)

Don’t miss the Labour Party’s broadcast tonight: “The Road Ahead” will be broadcast tonight at 17:55 (BBC2), 18:25 (ITV1), 18:55 (BBC1), 19:25 (Five) and 19:55 (Channel 4).  Above is Guido’s look into the future if we stay on this road…

The Labour manifesto launch for Gordon had an introduction from Ellie Gellard, but she was kept away from the press and it is no wonder Sky were refused interviews with “BevaniteEllie” – before she became Gordon’s cheerleader she was calling for him to resign and pass the reigns (sic) to Alan Johnson. From her no doubt soon-to-disappear old blog:

“How dare he stand by with personal interest watching our party sink it is not his to lose, it is ours.  Here’s my ideal scenario for the coming months. Brown accepts that too much damage has been done and while I feel sorry for someone who has waited so long for a job which he has done averagely and been slaughtered for, I care more for our party and supporters. Alan Johnson takes the reigns (sic). In short, Brown (although I had high hopes and don’t burden you with total responsibility) get your coat, time’s up.”

Guido couldn’t agree more. Incoming Nokia alert…

As the Prime Mentalist took to the stage at his Pyongyang  style manifesto launch he was introduced by his chief cheerleader the famous-for-Twitter Ellie Gellard. Some might know her better as the self-titled “BevaniteEllie“, Labour’s 24/7 twittering foghorn. While she may tweet her way through the ups and downs of Brown’s last days, some might consider the choice less than appropriate. Given that Labour last week sacked a candidate for inappropriate jokes on Twitter, there seems to be some double standard for poster girls. Making jokes about Thatcher breaking her neck is fine apparently, and gets you a spot on the top platform.  But who is this dyed in the wool Labour activist?

Reading between the lines you can see why Labour wouldn’t want this well spoken, rich-girl socialite on television before. She’s hardly your average Labour voter. Growing up on the mean streets of Holland Park and attending one of the most selective schools in the country, Bevan must be turning in his grave. How many “average students” Labour are trying to reach out to can quaff champagne when flitting between London and Paris to go clubbing whenever she chooses? Does Gellard really relate to working people whilst sipping cocktails on a yacht?  She is more Mandelsonian New Labour than anything Old Labour’s Nye Bevan would recognise…

UPDATE: Seems Sky News are a little grumpy that reams of press officers wouldn’t let them get anywhere near Gellard for an interview. The whole painfully stage managed affair is unravelling. She was only trusted to read from a script and perhaps that plummy accent wouldn’t have gone down so well on the lunchtime news…

Stuart MacLennan said wistfully…

“Never thought I’d be a trending topic on Twitter.”

Stuart MacLennan was initially supported by his friend the Scotland Secretary Jim Murphy, as the evidence came out and the chorus calling for his sacking grew louder he confided to friends that he was going to resign. When the Labour Party learnt of his intention, and only then, did they decide to sack him.

One  of MacLennan’s tweets bragged: Tonight @ross_macrae taught me the various different versions of “We will follow Rangers”. For those of you not familiar with the tune as sung on the terraces, here it is:

Follow follow, we will follow Rangers,
Everywhere, anywhere,
We will follow on,
To Dundee, Hamilton, F**k the Pope and the Vatican

Ross Macrae (circled on the left, Stuart MacLennan on the right), works for Ken Macintosh MSP, he has now also deleted his Twitter account. He is pictured here with fellow twitterer, and follower, Sarah Brown. So she will have seen all the tweets from MacLennan and Macrae sent to her Twitter account.  Funny how she has raised no objection to their foul twitters.  Bear in mind she chose to follow them.

Scottish Catholic voters will be particularly outraged by some of his Rangers Old Firm bigotry…

The Sun has another Twitter political casualty:

For months Labour spin has been extolling Twitter as a vote winning political tool whilst the Tories have been more wary – Dave famously saying “too many tweets make a twat”. In the first week of the campaign we have had two Twitter stories getting cut-through from the blogosphere to the mainstream media, both involving Labour, both negative. Prezza’s attempt to organise a conspiracy to defraud the Tories and now Labour PPC Stuart MacLennan insulting his voters, The Sun reports:

He complained of being in a pub full of “depressed teuchters” then poked fun at elderly voters by branding them “bloody coffin dodgers”.  In some posts he claimed to have grown up in Ireland – before then insisting he was raised in Moray. He also wrote: “Just won a signed Celtic shirt in a raffle. Want to vom.”  And his sneering comments targeted the country’s whisky industry – a major employer in his potential constituency.  He claimed: “Johnnie Walker Red Label is so awful they can’t sell it in Scotland.”

Prophetically one tweet said “Iain Dale reckons the biggest gaffes will likely be made by candidates on Twitter – what are the odds it’ll be me?” Well we are only 3 days into the race, but Guido reckons you are just ahead of Prezza…