The LibDem’s Head of Strategic Research, Tom Smithard, has written to CTF, the firm run by Lynton Crosby, Mark Textor and Mark Fullbrook which was hired by the Conservatives at great expense to do their polling and give campaign advice. Guido has been passed Smithard’s strange request:
… As part of the Liberal Democrat general election review I’ve been asked look into how exactly the Conservatives managed to beat us in the marginals.
I appreciate there are some – maybe many – aspects to your work you wouldn’t necessarily want to detail to former opponents, however vanquished. However I was wondering if you or a member of your team would be willing to speak to me and unlock some of the secrets of your targeting strategy, polling work, ground campaigning etc. I’m sure we’d find whatever you had to say most instructive!
If you have any time to spare and are willing to talk me through some of your work I’d really appreciate it.
Best regards
Tom
Guido asked the LibDems if they were perhaps being a bit naive? They admitted, on reflection, that they “expect the response will come in two words”.
An amused CTF insider suggests they should have asked Lord Ashcroft, who unlike CTF loves telling Labour and the Lib Dems what to do to win…
Charles Kennedy died from a “major haemorrhage” that “was a consequence of his battle with alcoholism”, his family tells Press Association.
Family statement:
‘Charles died at home in Fort William yesterday. He was 55. We are obviously devastated at the loss. Charles was a fine man, a talented politician, and a loving father to his young son. We ask therefore that the privacy of his family is respected in the coming days. There will be a post-mortem and we will issue a further statement when funeral arrangements are made.’
Police:
‘Police officers attended an address at Fort William on Monday, June 1 to reports of the sudden death of a 55-year-old man. Police were notified by ambulance service personnel. There are no suspicious circumstances and our report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.’
Rest in peace, Charlie…
UDPATE:
Full Clegg statement:
Harriet Harman:
Sturgeon:
Sad beyond words to hear the news about Charlie Kennedy. A lovely man and one of the most talented politicians of his time. Gone too soon.
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) June 2, 2015
Farage:
I am very sorry to hear the news about Charles Kennedy, he was always a polite and decent man.
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) June 2, 2015
Blair:
Cameron:
I'm deeply saddened by the death of Charles Kennedy. He was a talented politician who has died too young. My thoughts are with his family.
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) June 2, 2015
Paddy Ashdown:
“The odd thing is that they say today ‘nobody has experience outside politics’; Charles had no experience outside politics, he was actually elected at the age of 24 – to all our surprises, but his surprise as well. And one of the problems about the House of Commons is it does rob you of your youth if you go in that young and no doubt that has an effect on all personalities. But the question is: did he rise above that? Was he able, despite that, to be able to make contact with ordinary people, well beyond the circle of politics? Answer: yes, and very powerfully so.”
Ming Campbell:
“He was regarded by the public as not like other politicians because of his distaste for adversarial politics. That strengthened his appeal as well as giving rise to a deep respect.”
“He was great company, sober or drinking. He had a fine political mind and a real commitment to public service. He was not bitter about his ousting as leader and nor, though he disagreed often with what his Party did in coalition with the Tories, did he ever wander down the rentaquote oppositionitis route. He was a man of real talent and real principle. Despite the occasional blip when the drink interfered, he was a terrific communicator and a fine orator. He spoke fluent human, because he had humanity in every vein and every cell.”
Ex-LibDem deputy leader Malcolm Bruce hasn’t done Alistair Carmichael any favours with his intervention on the Today programme this morning, suggesting the people of Orkney and Shetland should forgive him because all politicians lie:
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Bruce: “If you’re telling me that every MP who hasn’t quite told the truth, or even told a brazen lie [should go], including cabinet ministers, including prime ministers, we’d clear out the House of Commons very fast.”
BBC: “You’re saying that lying in public life is widespread?”
Bruce: “No. Well, yes. I think the answer is lots of people have told lies and you know that to be perfectly true.”
Well that makes it okay then…
Ousted ex-LibDem Scotland Secretary Alistair Carmichael has confessed it was him who leaked the infamous Nicola Sturgeon memo claiming she wanted the Tories to win the election.
The former Scottish Secretary admits all in a statement:
“I had not seen the document before it was published in the Daily Telegraph, however I was aware of its content and agreed that my special adviser should make it public.
I should not have agreed this. It was an error of judgement which I regret.
I accept full responsibility for the publication of the document.
I have written today to the First Minister and to the French Ambassador to apologise to them both.
Had I still been a Government Minister I would have considered this to be a matter that required my resignation. I have therefore informed the Cabinet Secretary that I will decline my ministerial severance payment.”
Here is Carmichael denying it was him at the time, claiming “The first I heard of this was when I received a phone call from a journalist”:
This is what @acarmichaelmp said when asked if he knew who had leaked the #FrenchGate memo. #nikileakshttps://t.co/vo9ZRty5TW
— Ross Colquhoun (@rosscolquhoun) May 22, 2015
Now we know he was telling a great big whopper.
Guido understands that party conference exhibitor TechCentral is not planning on going to the Liberal Democrat conference in Bournemouth this year, instead they are planning to go for the first time to the SNP’s annual conference as well as the Labour and Tory conferences. TechCentral hires exhibition space at the political conferences and hosts the likes of Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter and other tech giants in a dedicated space focused on the Technology sector. For the parties these deals are massive revenue earners generating profits which more than cover the cost of holding the conference…
TechCentral’s director Andrew Barrett tells Guido that “there seems to be more interest from end clients in meeting the SNP than the LibDems – they are actually in government in Scotland. We haven’t signed a contract yet but that is the way it is looking.” Loss making Dods – publishers of the House Magazine – are also rumoured to be re-evaluating the commercial viability of having a large presence at LibDem conference…
