Derek Draper's brave new blog
Saturday, January 10, 2009 Iain Dale reports that Derek Draper, former Labour spin doctor, has launched a rival to the widely-read ConservativeHome blog. It's called LabourList. The Observer writes about it HERE and I'm sure it will generate a lot of interest in the Westminster village - initially at least.
Although the official launch is not until 12 February, a beta version is currently online and I am sure that Derek would welcome comments - if only to test that his brave new blog is live and kicking. In view of the piece in the Observer, there is every chance they will be read by a substantial number of Labour politicians and opinion formers who will feel obliged to investigate this latest addition to the political blogosphere.
I can't imagine what you would want to write about, but if something comes to mind click HERE. Seriously, if you want to put individual freedom (including the war on tobacco) near the top of the political agenda, LabourList could be a very useful vehicle. My only advice (as always) is to keep your comments short and sharp!!
Simon Clark
On second thoughts, you may want to hold fire for a bit. It's a complete shambles at the moment - anarchy rules OK!
Simon Clark
Draper writes: "Having been ... very generous in allowing comments of all sorts until now ... we have decided, for a trial period, to try pre-moderating comments so that we can compare the quality of conversation thus encouraged to what has gone on up until now."
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Reader Comments (8)
Just love bit:
'And on the other hand, you have a Conservative party undergoing a crisis of ideology believing'
In the comments over at Iain Dale, Draper said that he wanted to stimulate debate. So I offered to write an article about Labour's ban policies fracturaing society and rewarding intolerance and bigotry.
... I think he declined.
Thanks for the tip, Dick - best laugh I've had in ages and I haven't even looked at the blog, yet!
I look forward to your views in the comments of his blog - or maybe, like fags (and the rest of his site!) he intends to hide them, too...
Ze List's star-contributor Lord Gravy writes:
"In new media command and control doesn't work: we need to embrace and engage"
Just below this headline, Dolly D writes:
"You have called for tighter moderation. Here it is"
And what is it with these nulabots and swastikas? Okay, Dolly's has had amputations below the knees, it's not quite as bold as that clear swastika flying over the Downing Street "Progressive Governance" site for a while last year, but still. A swastika-lite made of safety-pins. A suitable enough emblem for these goons.
Oh, and all 34 comments to Lord Gravy of Train's "command and control" piece, including the one or two supportive ones, have been filed by Dolly as "trash".
That's nulabor reespecktin' da punters innit.
Personally, I don't intend commenting there at all... one needs to register one's details with ze projectmeister first. Yeh, right. And why help them develop strategies to appease us disposessed with better-tailored spin? No, I'll give one finger to their wagging finger and carry on kicking them in the free environments created by myself and others.
The only posts worth reading are the ones they don't really want you to see.
Labour really are terrified, aren't they? Any honest opinions are buried away.
Tick the box labelled "Show trash comments".
Some dynamite posts in there.
Hilariously, there is a 'conversation' in the trash comments between Dolly and the trashees about whether people will read the trash comments. Does Dolly's lack of insight go some way to explaining why everything that NuLabour touches turns to dust?
Below is a comment following a piece written by Iain Dale for CIF about Dolly's blog:
"btw, as an amateur sailor I feel I must point out that "Labour List" is a rather unfortunate name. Listing is what ships do shortly before they sink. "Labour List" has something of the Tittanic about it." (Walz)
NuLabour is such a panache-free zone, isn't it?