The normally civil Iain Dale has departed from his normally polite tone with a minor attack on me in his his piece “Daley Dozen” (sic).
Evidently, he has not come to terms with the whole idea of Toryism being inherently evil. Considering he’s knocking on 50, he should have got used to it by now. I have said to Iain before, “You, personally, may not be evil - but if you insist on swimming in a sewer, you will smell like poo”.
Until now, the entirety of my relationship with Dale was a matter of bumping into him at events and him asking me for minor favours to appear on his now-defunct 18 Doughty Street website etc. But now I feel moved to urge Maidstone Conservative Association (he covets it my precioussss) to select him as their candidate.
The thing that makes Iain OK to be around (notwithstanding the smell of metaphorical poo of course) is that he is fabulously indiscreet. For example, over a year ago I wrote a piece on these pages when David Cameron personally text messaged Dale to apologise after Iain had been left off the first tranche of the Tory A-List. Of course I only knew this because Iain had been bragging about it to someone as indiscreet as he - but when Iain phoned me and refuted the piece, I did take pity on him and remove it (though not before running a tease piece on this denial).
And while Maidstone is a safe Tory seat under our electoral system, Iain Dale would be a constant source of gossip about Tory MPs and could possibly cause Labour MPs in marginal seats to be ever so slightly more secure than they would otherwise be.
The question remains, if there is no longer a code of civility between me and Iain Dale, should I repost my original pieces on his txt msg from David Cameron - or would that prejudice his Maidstone chances?
Your advice on this thorny issue is welcome.
editor[at]recessmonkey.com
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You seem to be taking things well. Not like that time that you had to postpone your appearance on 18 Doughty Street after Thatcher’s phantom death.
By the way, unsubstantiated second hand stories denied by the involved parties don’t stack up very well from a journalistic point of view. When will you learn? You were right the first time.
Praguetory said this on December 17th, 2007 at 7:23 am
I hadn’t even agreed to go on 18DS at that time. Do you really think the Maggie thing would have caused me any trouble?
Recess Monkey said this on December 17th, 2007 at 7:30 am
Really. Not how I remember it. Click here. Fast forward three minutes in. Your absence was a source of great amusement.
Praguetory said this on December 17th, 2007 at 8:56 am
Thanks for the link wish i had seen it first time around. but still - never said i was free in the first place, iain was obviously using a little artistic adornment.
A little serious don’t you think.
Recess Monkey said this on December 17th, 2007 at 9:48 am
Isn’t Thatcher dead? She must be battery operated then.
still fed up said this on December 17th, 2007 at 9:55 am
” Iain was obviously using a little artistic adornment.”
seems like you and Iain don’t agree on anything these days. I liked your line
“if you insist on swimming in a sewer, you will smell like poo”
Charming! You really know how to ingratiate yourself.
PS - Sorry to hear about the end of Recess Monkey. Are you planning on doing any serious political work?
Praguetory said this on December 17th, 2007 at 10:23 am
The trouble with Iain Dale is everything always has to be about Iain Dale. He has a massive ego (though quite why I have no idea).
Toryspy said this on December 17th, 2007 at 11:05 am
[…] response to Iain Dale by Alex Hilton today. According to Alex, David Cameron personally apologised to Iain by text message when he was dropped as a Tory A-lister. That thoughtful act must have been very reassuring to […]
Tom Watson MP » Blog Archive » Was Iain Dale dropped by text message? said this on December 17th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
PUBLISH!!!!!!!
Ace said this on December 17th, 2007 at 4:16 pm
Dale’s fair game.
Fishcake said this on December 17th, 2007 at 10:30 pm
Recess, I think you’ve blown it with your logic, by letting Dale of the hook re his evilness. This is fairly basic stuff. If all tories are evil; and Dale is a tory, then Dale is evil. But you can go one better by saying Dale is evil, and he smells of shit. I’m using you as my reference point here, I’ve never meet the man personally so have no idea how he smells.
Lobster Blogster said this on December 17th, 2007 at 11:50 pm
Dale’s fair game. ~ Fishcake
That is true.
One shouldn’t mollycoddle pure, concentrated e-vil.
tyger said this on December 18th, 2007 at 10:56 am
I must admit I find it hard not to take a grovelling worm intent on slithering up the establishments inside leg , like you , humorously.Still the largest nose in Chistendom helps .Glad this blog is finishing , it is nothing like as good as it was suposed to be and , who knows , perhaps this means you will be actually doing some work.
(AS you are almost certainly living on the tax payers somehow or other we shall take your wish that our taxes be raised for the good of your favourite charity in a spirit of cordial loathing .)
You feel Conservatives swim in shit do you? I feel that you are full of shit and while you may cancel your blog its choice remarks about anyone who dares aspire to better themslevs with their own efforts will be there to haunt your attempts to become an MP.
They are moral paedophiles ……. all of them. I wonder what the selection committee will make of that.
newmania said this on December 18th, 2007 at 11:48 am
Newmania. Please let me express my deepest regret that you will no longer be reading my work. I shall try to get through Christmas without being rendered incapable throught the heartbreak.
Recess Monkey said this on December 18th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
The gloves are off, post and be damned!
Leon said this on December 18th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
,”Am I bovvered “….you mean , you spoil me Mr. Wilde…. .As in your opinion every additonal sausage is torturing an child I wonder you get through it at all.
Enjoy your No smoking , low power, fair trade vegan, carbon offsetting health and safety certified , multicultural , ecumenical /secular inclusive orientation neutral , access friendly non-sexist ….I `d rather be dead…Winterval….. . You deserve it .
Gord Bless us …..said Timmy …Gord bless us everyone…. ( in line with the findings of the Dickens ‘review’ )
newmania said this on December 18th, 2007 at 2:21 pm
The text message story would play well in Maidstone … though there are still stories about sifts and resifts … perhaps someone there, Widdy probably, will have the cojones as Dale himself might tap twerpily to tell him to his face? Or as you say lock him in for the sake of the gossip industry, not to mention the political betters.
Chris Paul said this on December 18th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
Oh, come on, you can’t really blame Dale for laying into your Guardian piece. It really was a puerile auto-rant, schoolboy like in its Manichaean raspberry-blowing, and especially silly from someone in a Labour Party that has been nearer to Thatcherism than socialism this past decade.
Margaret on the Guillotine said this on December 18th, 2007 at 11:08 pm
[…] if taking advantage of a breast cancer charity isn’t enough to convince you Tories are evil, she named her daughter Tabitha. editor[at]recessmonkey.com MessageSpace Advertising […]
RecessMonkey » Blog Archive » Top Tory hijacks cancer charity said this on December 19th, 2007 at 3:13 am
Alex - notice how you didn’t actually respond to Newmania’s point about the flaw in your logic?
Is that because it’s utter bullshit?
PS. Hilarious how on your recent Guardian piece you talk of socialism being so anti-racist. You clearly have no grasp of Labour history whatsoever.
I would say that I won’t be reading your blog anymore, but to be honest I don’t really anyway. It’s self-indulgent bollocks.
Greg said this on December 19th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
Greg. Please let me express my deepest regret that you will no longer be reading my work. I shall try to get through Christmas… etc etc…
Recess Monkey said this on December 20th, 2007 at 10:06 am
Are you going to directly respond to Newmania’s complete and utter rebuttal of your “Toryism is evil” line?
Greg said this on December 20th, 2007 at 1:39 pm
seattle auto auction…
Auctions draw from the near-countless governmental agencies that exist in New York. This can be the hardest part of the whole process….
seattle auto auction said this on March 22nd, 2008 at 9:00 pm