James Chapman – remember him? – has chucked in “The Democrats” and is freelancing for “3 days a week” for former Bell Pottinger boss James Henderson at his new outfit JH Communications. The pair worked together very briefly at Bell Pot before Henderson had to resign over the South Africa scandal and the company imploded. As a former civil servant the ACOBA committee have had approve Chapman’s appointment, subject to conditions:
“… he should not draw on, disclose or use any privileged information available to him from his time in the Crown Service…”
Did they not see his Twitter account?
This press release has just been sent out by the People’s March for Europe, the organisers of the hotly anticipated James Chapman rally launching his anti-Brexit ‘The Democrats’ party.. They are claiming “James Chapman’s twitter account has been hacked and suspended without his permission… We demand an immediate and full explanation from the Prime Minister and the Secretary of the Cabinet, Sir Jeremy Heywood”. Guido has called them up – they won’t say if Chappers wrote, authorised or has even seen the press release. Are they really claiming that the PM or Cabinet Secretary has silenced Chapman’s tweeting? This could be bigger than Watergate*…
*Chappers did also tweet that he was “lashed” about 4 a.m. local time after saying hello to Vladimir Putin.
UPDATE: The account is back up!
Overnight James Chapman’s Twitter account was deleted. He sent over 500 manic tweets yesterday and was calling mainstream politicians and journalists “Nazis” into the early hours, admitting he was “lashed“. He even threatened to “shove” Theresa May “into the sea“. Hopefully James can now take a break from Twitter and get help. Shame on the journalists and Remainers who egged him on despite the genuine warnings from his friends.
UPDATE:
Rubber-neckers hatching conspiracy theories over James Chapman’s deleted Twitter feed should give him some space at a difficult time. End of
— Kevin Maguire (@Kevin_Maguire) August 17, 2017
This afternoon James Chapman claimed Vince Cable will be helping him launch his new party:
It’s news to Vince. A LibDem spokesman says Cable may attend anti-Brexit events but will not have anything to do with ‘The Democrats’:
“There is no question whatsoever of Vince Cable supporting the launch of a new party, as James Chapman is suggesting. A new party is completely unnecessary.”
During literally hundreds of non-stop tweets today Chapman has repeatedly called Theresa May and his former boss David Davis “Nazis“. He has also had an interview with Channel 4 News cancelled diplomatically for “technical reasons”. Don’t say we didn’t warn you. Journalists and Remainers enabling this single-sourced nonsense need to take a look in the mirror…
James Chapman’s painful live-tweeted breakdown is the subject of growing concerns among his friends in Westminster. It is not hard to understand why Chapman is anguished. He was being eased out of the Daily Mail pol-ed role when he took up Osborne’s offer to spin for him. That’s the source of his surprisingly vicious animus against Dacre. He haughtily told everyone on the way out of Northcliffe House that he would be in No. 10 in due course, lording it over them when Osborne ascended to the premiership. Things did not quite work out that way.
For some time after Osborne’s sacking he was in limbo, eventually taking the role with David Davis at DExEU for which he was so unsuited. He then became a partner at lobbyists Bell Pottinger, his ability as a lobbyist counselling clients specifically on Brexit may be a little hindered by his very public and frequent meltdowns where he has attacked almost all the people clients might hope he had some influence with; government ministers, newspaper editors, not to mention influential journalists who write about his clients. His Trumpish tweets are not a conventional method of communication for usually discreet lobbyists. Never mind his publicly stated plans to set up a new party and stand for it at a by-election. Clients might see that as compromising his counsel and judgement just a teensy weensy bit.
On Facebook and Instagram there have been grim late night posts – subsequently deleted. Chapman was escorted out of parliament a few weeks ago after a particularly drunken episode. He has abused those who have tried to reason with him. All this has been an open secret in SW1 for weeks. His shouty crackers performance on the Today Programme brought it all into the open for the wider public. He has also to some extent gone public himself with his hundreds of round-the-clock tweets. Today he has flipped out with David Davis when only recently he told everyone he was on good terms with him. He’s demanded an emergency recall of parliament and challenged the PM to a public debate in Parliament Square, last week he claimed cabinet members were on the verge of defecting to his party. He’s called for Brexit-supporting publications to be shut down. He sometimes asks people like JK Rowling and Hillary Clinton to follow him on Twitter so he can directly message them. His tweets suggest that in his mind he thinks he is Britain’s answer to Macron leading his own party, “The Democrats”. We’ll pass over the naked Instagram selfies. In all this he is being egged on by idiots on Twitter, every bit of praise and support feeding into his mania.
Some former colleagues are going public, most are keeping their counsel private:
Colleagues been asked to go easy on @jameschappers as he’s ‘not well.’ I know he will turn on me, but it’s time someone stood up to this.
— Isabel Oakeshott (@IsabelOakeshott) August 15, 2017
Not just media/jurnos – MPs too are being asked to stand back for same reason. His friends need to step up more to help him and his family https://t.co/5nLmpEFSaA
— Nadine Dorries (@NadineDorries) August 15, 2017
To @jameschappers James, you are a lovely, decent and kind man and SO many are worried about you. Please, give your phone to your wife xxx
— Nadine Dorries (@NadineDorries) August 15, 2017
Sorry I can’t stand back any longer and watch someone I’ve known and liked for 12 years have a breakdown on Twitter Someone closer, HELP HIM
— Nadine Dorries (@NadineDorries) August 15, 2017
If you are in Greece and you see the great @jameschappers please take his phone away.
— Iain Martin (@iainmartin1) August 11, 2017
Honestly who cares? I bet you have Farage’s number too. James do yourself a favour, try and not tweet for 24 hours, your friends are worried https://t.co/6KvbaGLXob
— George Trefgarne (@GeorgeTrefgarne) August 15, 2017
Many, many Remainers are in James’ mentions as well telling him to take a break from Twitter for his own sake. Sadly James can only see conspiracy:
Message to @conservatives: your efforts to get my friends to tell me to call off the dogs and “take a holiday” are futile #thedemocrats
— James Chapman (@jameschappers) August 15, 2017
These fears would explain why David Davis stopped short of kicking him too hard this morning. It’s sad to watch.
A few weeks ago James Chapman was talking up his apparently ongoing relationship with David Davis, briefing journalists that he should be the Prime Minister and regularly appearing in newspapers as an “ally” of DD. In an interview appropriately conducted by Jeremy Kyle, today Davis has diplomatically distanced himself from his former aide. Chappers has not taken it well, calling Davis a lazy, drunk liar on Twitter. Which makes those newspaper stories quoting him as a source last month look a bit silly. Meanwhile DD would not be drawn on Commando Chappers…
