Listen to this interview and tell me Cameron won't beat Brown at the next election. Clarifies the key principles of the next Government. Societal solutions not state solutions, trusting public sector professionals and local rather than regional power. Excellent. Let's Play Snap
As detailed on previous posts, criticism of Piper et al included several policemen, many BME people, Bob's boss, the Head Of Racial Equality in Bob's region and ordinary members of the public across the political spectrum. So widespread was the condemnation that it would be next to impossible to catalogue.
The similarities between my objections to the images used by Piper and those of the people who forced Bob to take his pictures down after two days of defiance are uncanny.
Bill Thomas, the Labour leader of Sandwell Council said
"Bob has overstepped the mark"
I said
"Bob Piper has surely crossed the line"
Dr Derrick Campbell, chief executive of Race Equality Sandwell, said:
"It's a very offensive image to black people. I just do not understand what this image is doing on his website."
My remarks were less strong –
"I found them (the images) to be offensive and insulting"
Maybe I can do them for copyright. Just to go over things, here was the plan.
Plan A
Give Bob tap on the shoulder so that he takes the image off his site before too many people are offended.
Plan B
There was no plan B. Plan A fails and this story was always going to go big. The headlines write themselves as anyone who has visited Guido's place shows. Bob got away with a similar stunt before, but maybe he didn't realise that the blogosphere and the political environment has changed.
Where We're At
With things in the MSM what I or practically any other blogger posts is of negligible relevance to where this debate goes from here. That direction will be shaped by the media, bureaucrats, politicians and to a lesser extent Piper.
What's Offensive
Everyone has their own view of what is not offensive - indeed it can change over time. Personally I've always liked the expression that every day has its own truth. Some are more tolerant than others. I understand. People are people. As a political tool I found and still find the combination of the image and the slurs offensive.
Taking Credit
I have been trumpeted as a hero by the Tory blogosphere. See above for why that is misleading. The kind of thing I want to take credit for are when me and a cross-party team of bloggers forced Labour to pay a young film-maker a fair day's pay for a fair day's work.
To Post Or Not To Post That Is The Question
It is very tempting to continue to post stuff that I keep getting sent/alerted to (and it is interesting), but I will likely conclude that I have better things to do -see above on irrelevance. Now it doesn't even matter if I continue to be hounded for taking a position identical to the people Bob listened to in the end.
A Word Of Advice
As Bob has never taken my advice before now, I'll give him some bad advice. When you're in a hole keep digging.
This Time I Mean It
No more Minstrel Show. Next act please?
10 comments:
I think you've hit exactly the right tone with your entries. The commentary is spot on.
Poor old Bob, not been a good week for Old Labour dinosaurs
Now I'm getting really annoyed. Why this 'while my name is Purgatory'? Why have two bloggers written via e-mail to me that they were not going to step forward while you took the heat? Why are people running scared? Who is this Piper anyway? He's my next project because I'm annoyed. I'm itching to lock horns with this boorish maniac but first I'm going to study the literature and be prepared.
I don't think Cameron will beat Brown decisively I am afraid. Labour are too adept at stealing the best policy ideas. Cameron is not gaining enough floating voters to overcome the 'stay at home core' vote that he is developing.
The only hope (!) is if the economy fails and I would rather have Labour in power than no job.
That is tremendous work P well done , what a fine Conservative you are and a credit to the Party.
This Piper fellow ( I don`t folow blogs that much)strikes me as silly old man who wishes to drwaw attention to himself . The problem with silly , and possibly deranged people is that they suck you into their world of demented egomania and it rapaiadly becomes boring and unproductive .
I would waste little further time or thought on the twit
The message from today's disappointing polls is to stop trying to be Labour-lite (Polly etc). If this weakens the left wing in our party, good.
If Cameron keeps talking like he has in this interview and we get coherent about how to deliver on these principles we will win even if Brown copies us.
The British public has given Labour enough chances. They have never delivered - we just need to be different, principled and credible.
Bob is an amiable bloke but he fanned his own flames.
It was a serious error of judgement that was pointed out to him very early in the day. However, he chose to ignore the comments. He took his stance, so has to face the consequences.
No one made him post the picture, indeed he didn’t even create it.
The only reason why this story gained momentum is because of his position.
Given his position, and the fact that his blog is so widely read, he has an even greater responsibility than other bloggers and should have put extra consideration into his postings. He left himself wide open to criticism whilst the creator of the piece enjoys anonymity.
The message from todays poll is - don't read anything into one poll. The Polly thing might have taken the edge off things a bit but we need the new supporters and the old ones.
I think you're missing a bit of history.
Despite the new leader, the Conservatives will always suffer from people's memories.
To be blunt, if people vote Cameron, who's to say they won't end up with Thatcher and Major.
Poll tax riots, sleaze, unemployment, fat cats.
(Admittedly, that sounds like now, but it just seemed so much darker and nastier then).
I think a snapshot of the Tory conference with row upon row of blue rinses and jowel-heavy Major Fortesque from Budleigh Salterton's shows that despite a new leader, the old guard is still waiting with baited breath to return to the whip-em-or-ship-em way of life...
Gordon's no picnic either. God, what a bloody choice. Dour Scot, Flash Phoney or Old Minger.
Fair enough Carl - it's up to us as Tories to try to persuade you to change your mind. I was at conference and I don't share your characterisation of the ranks.
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