Iain Dale gets Aitken story wrong
This gives me great pleasure. Tory blogger Iain Dale proclaims " ITV Gets Aitken Story Wrong". The story is about prison reform. Jonathan Aitken, in the grand scheme of things is but a bit part actor. Iain Dale states that the Centre for Social Justice, is an independent think tank, chaired by Iain Duncan Smith. It has no formal links with the Tory Party whatsoever. However, I Googled it "A think tank founded by a group of Conservative Party politicians".
To paraphrase Iain Dale "This type of sloppiness is just not acceptable from one of Britain's leading Tory bloggers".
Had the policy group instead been headed by Erwin James it would adopt more credibility. Mr James' inside knowledge far outweighs that possessed by Jonathan Aitken. In prison terms Mr James has walked the line whereas Mr Aitken has only been in long enough for a shit and shave.
A mixture of law, politics, autobiography and humour. Once described as "The Devilish Advocate" (Guardian), I do have the ability to provoke a response. Sometimes it comes from someone who uses a thought process, and sometimes from jerks usually associated with the knee.
The only countries that have decent prisons are the ones where the government themselves have just been let out.
ReplyDeleteAitkin and Archer,the only reasons why the tories are now interested in prison reform.
Next you'll be suggesting that they should take advice from you.
ReplyDeleteThere is absolutely nothing in my story that is wrong or inaccurate and you have made a fool of yourself.
I repeat. It is not part of the Conservative Party. It is an independent think tank. Its funding comes from many sources. I am sure that Conservative supporters are among them. That does not make it part of the Conservative Party.
They talk about Brown losing his bottle. However, they have not got the bottle to seek my advice. I know if they asked Erwin James he would advise that I am the foremost authority on prison law.
ReplyDeleteIndependent is what is wrong, your interpretation of what it constitutes. I don't see how correcting your inaccuracy in any way makes a fool of myself.
It may be independent of the other main political parties. However, it is as independent of the Tory Party as Ian Duncan Smith is.
Interesting to read Iain's comment. I get what he's saying, but I always thought (and I could be wrong) that the Centre for Social Justice was somehow affiliated to the Conservative Party. In the sense that they are sympathetic to the party and to conservative principles.
ReplyDeleteSo yes, it's not part of the party, but it is more closely linked to the party than, say, to the Labour Party. The Conservative Party is not bound to take their recommendations, but at least it will give them a sympathetic hearing.
I think.
(Jailhouse, just emailed you, by the way.)
This was pure sophistry.
ReplyDeleteA think tank, that advises David Cameron and is led by a former Tory party leader, "has no formal links" with the Tories.
Probably the only thing that would constitute a formal link in Dale's world would be a signed contract, but of course the world of politics does not follow the world of commerce that closely.
It is typical that anyone who disagrees with his post is then told he is making a fool of himself, when it is Dale, yet again, who finds it convenient to ignore the obvious truth.
The key to understanding his approach is, I think, simple. He is a mere cheerleader, a tory pom-pom boy, who can be relied upon to make a lot of noise, but nothing else.