Why we hate politics (part 99)
Francis Sedgemore, Saturday 11 April 2009
You know that something is seriously rotten in British politics when blogger Paul Staines, aka “Guido Fawkes”, is behind the story of the day.
Staines, who writes pompously about himself in the third person, is a bloggertarian (read lumpen Tory) with nothing better to do than spread gossip about UK politics and personalities from his libel haven in Ireland. That’s when he’s not declaring himself bankrupt or being done for drunk driving.
Political gossip can on occasion serve to expose our political leaders and their enforcers for what they are in real life. But mostly it is dull stuff: a form of kremlinology of interest only to the more inadequate members of the activist caste. I find it tedious in the extreme, and have no doubt that many others are switched off politics as a result of this pointless tittle tattle.
Today we learn via our friend “Mr Fawkes” that the already tainted Downing Street spin doctor Damian McBride – a man one could describe as Malcolm Tucker without the nous – sent to New Labour propagandist blogger Derek Draper a number of emails that contain “juvenile and inappropriate” smears against senior Tory politicians.
Well whoop-dee-fucking-doo. These latest revelations do no more than raise by a smidgeon my contempt for New Labour and those who have over the past couple of decades destroyed a once great institution of the British working class. As for Paul Staines, my loathing of this vile creature has risen manifold.
Feed the writer! 
Saturday 11 April 2009 at 14:53 GMT
Good grief, I’ve just looked at the Wikipedia entry on this Staines guy; there are no fewer than 56 references in it. I hope I never take bloggers’ opinions as seriously as some people seem to take his.
Saturday 11 April 2009 at 15:00 GMT
If you check out (*) those references, you may find that many of them are saying that Paul Staines is a cunt. That is a sentiment with which I wholeheartedly concur.
* I’m making a purely rhetorical point here.
Sunday 12 April 2009 at 09:04 GMT
[...] – “Has It Really Come To This?” Edition Hopi Sen: The Hypoocrisy… it Burns… Francis Sedgemore: Why we hate politics (part 99) Iain Dale: Please let me be part of this story. Go on, please. PLEEEEEEEEASE! Parts 1 – 100 Posted [...]
Sunday 12 April 2009 at 11:33 GMT
BTW, the title of this comment is based on that of a recent post about anti-political culture in Britain.
PS – Paul Staines is a cunt.
Monday 13 April 2009 at 00:36 GMT
Referring to yourself in the 3rd person is an unerring sign of gittishness, just as pluralising yourself means you’re mad.
For an enjoyable demolition of this Staines character, I recommend this clip:
Monday 13 April 2009 at 01:49 GMT
That was a good self-demolition by Staines, but Michael White didn’t acquit himself particularly well. In a way that’s understandable, as White was no doubt irritated with having to debate on-air with a complete cunt.
Monday 13 April 2009 at 07:06 GMT
I dunno, I think Michael White did pretty well: he didn’t actively call him a twat (I see what you mean now) but let Staines himself make us aware of that.
Monday 13 April 2009 at 10:02 GMT
White was not his usual eloquent self. He was visibly nervous, and bordered on defending bad journalism when he should instead have acknowledged without any buts that there is a problem with political reporting and media analysis.
BTW, have I said yet that Paul Staines is a cunt?
Monday 13 April 2009 at 11:57 GMT
You have Francis, yes! I was hoping Paxo would ask (ironicially) “Mr Staines, would not also like your words to be spoken by an actor?”
Monday 13 April 2009 at 12:12 GMT
Actor? Well, he is already a piss-artist.
Tuesday 21 April 2009 at 11:21 GMT
[...] that had abandoned the party’s socialist basis, and the organisation’s much discussed moral degeneration, Mahon appears to feel that New Labour is beyond redemption. She may be [...]
Friday 8 May 2009 at 16:17 GMT
[...] terms of news reporting, blogging contributes little original content, say the critics, despite the odd scoop driven by ideological agendas and personal [...]