Sarah Palin resigns! (video)

Part 1 (part 2 below)

Weirdest political resignation speech ever? We know that Sarah Palin is intensely ambitious but I can’t see how resigning as governor half-way through the term is a good political move for a future presidency bid. More likely, it feels like Palin knows something in her closet will kill off her leadership bid and rather than put her family through more (evilll librul) media speculation she resigned. The amusing implication from what is a long, rambling, dis-jointed speech, is that her resignation will help the people of Alaska save millions of dollars. This is a sad day for the Democrat re-election cause.
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Can liberalism be illiberal?

Phillip Blond, in response to Sunder Katwala, says:

My main point is a philosophical and historical one that liberty (which I believe in) is not produced from liberalism. Indeed my intellectual argument is that that pure liberalism or liberalism as first philosophy cannot produce liberty - indeed it produces an anarchic individualism that requires a surveillance state.

Thus liberalism produces the very thing it seeks to avoid: an authoritarian individual and an absolutist state. This is a serious point and to have it charactured as anti-liberal is either an inane misreading or an outright misrepresentation. In fact liberalism is not liberal at all.

Phillip Blond is the driver of the ‘Red Toryism’ project and recently left the think-tank Demos to found his own Progressive Conservatism project. So how would you respond to this view?
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Andrew Gilligan - still working for Iranian state television

In an interview with the Guardian last year, the former Evening Standard journalist Andrew Gilligan was quoted as saying:

“But I don’t think [Ken Livingstone] is progressive. Livingstone is the ally of some of the most reactionary forces in this city. I’m thinking of Ian Blair, I’m thinking of property developers he’s in bed with, I’m thinking of City big business.”

But it’s a bit bizarre that this champion of ‘progressives’ is still working for Iranian state television in the UK - Press TV. This is while even more right-wing colleagues such as Nick Ferrari have resigned. Press TV had recently also promoted Holocaust denial. Gilligan refused to say anything then either. Very principled, our Gilligan.

Update: And he’s part of their ad campaign too!

It’s better not to support this Labour govt over Tories

Quoting an excellent article by Gary Younge last week, Alex Smith over at LabourList says that disillusioned lefties have little choice but to support Labour or at least get involved in the party to make themselves heard.

Going by the polls, Labour still remains the electoral alternative remain the Tories so it makes sense in one way. But I think there is a strategic reason for not supporting this New Labour administration.
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Miliband should avoid falling for Ahmedinijad’s trap

If your authority was being undermined by street protests and an election widely seen as rigged - what’s the best way of uniting people behind you? Why, starting a diplomatic row of course, with the hope it will escalate into a bigger show of force.

And this is Ahmedinijad’s obvious gambit as Iran arrested nine staff working at the UK embassy on suspicion they took part in the recent street protests. The EU has now threatened a “strong response” to Iranian harassment of EU staff. Which is obviously what Ahmedinijad wants.

This is a diplomatic headache because escalating the war of words helps Ahmedinijad. At the same time, not many of the protesters are likely to believe Ahmedinijad’s latest attempt at diverting attention. We can play this in two ways: by not making a big fuss and denying Ahmedinijad what he wants. He may then try and escalate the situation and will shoot himself in the foot or quietly release the staff. Or the EU could escalate this massively with a real threat of war very quickly, and asking him for evidence of his claims. That would force Ahmedinijad to back down and expose his stupid gambit. I prefer the first option. But a muddle of the two is unlikely to work.

Will they really hand back power to the people?

Last week I attended a Fabian round-table debate with Liam Byrne MP leading a discussion on the Equality Bill. Bryne talked of how we wanted to build a more civic identity and give power back to the people and let them make the decisions. He saw that as a solidarity building exercise. He quoted a book that made my ears perked up - Rules For Radicals, by Saul Alinsky.

As a disciple of the book I had to get my two-pence in. So at the end I made two points.
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Is Michael Jackson still alive?

The answer is here. (via @tygerland). Sorry, couldn’t resist - this is all over my Twitter and Facebook feeds. As Leon said, at least Iranian leaders will rest easy from the media glare.
Funny Twitters as I get them below:
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Conservative Future force YouTube to pull video (updated)

What does Conservative Future have to hide? A new video by the free online magazine Don’t Panic, on CF, was forcibly pulled by the latter off YouTube “due to a copyright claim”.

(video now below)
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Today programme gives Dorries free ride over plot

The Today programme was accused of giving Tory MP Nadine Dorries a free ride on Tuesday regarding the new speaker John Bercow.

A reader wrote in to Liberal Conspiracy to say she had sent a complaint to the programme after John Humphrys interviewed Dorries on Tuesday. In his preamble to Vernon Bogdanor interview, just after his Nadine Dorries interview at the 8.10am slot, he said that there was talk of MPs wanting to unseat the new Speaker, but Nadine Dorries was “not part of that”.
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Three interesting stories today

1. Axed Boris Johnson aide lied over lover
“A deputy mayor sacked by Boris Johnson lied about expenses claims he made over meals with his lover, it was revealed today. Ian Clement, 44, was forced out of office yesterday over charges made on his City Hall credit card. Today an Evening Standard investigation confirms that on at least three occasions Mr Clement claimed for lunch and dinner with “guests” who now say they were not present.”

And yet the national media continues to ignore the London Mayor’s stupidity and earlier attempts to defend Clement.

Update: Adam Bienkov has done more digging to find that Bexley Cllrs did not declare meals with Ian Clement until they were caught out. There are good grounds for Clements to be charged for fraud now. He may also have used the credit card for party political purposes.

2. Nadine Dorries continues her campaign to undermine new speaker John Bercow.
Bercow ‘only got three Tory votes’
New Speaker to move young family into rent-free flat at Commons

3. BNP dismisses legal action threat over membership
This, I believe, should have been pushed through earlier. But anything that highlight’s the BNP’s racism has got to be a good thing.

For a policy of non-interference in Iran

I don’t even know why this is worth stating, but there seem to be far too many uninformed people out there saying something must be done about Iran. What? Invasion? Lots of public support for Moussavi? What is with this idiotic right-wing view that they have the right to interfere in every part of the world?

Let me be clear about my position. Ahmedinijad is being exposed as an undemocratic tyrant, willing to use illegal militias that kill protesters to assert his authority. The election was a fraud. The country’s clerics are now splitting amongst the unrest. Street battles carried on over the weekend (see video below), and I support the people on the streets fully.
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Battle over new Speaker gets dirty

On Monday the House of Commons will choose a new Speaker. So you won’t be surprised to hear that a last-minute attempt to influence that outcome has reached fever pitch. For example, our favourite Tory MP Nadine Dorries has written for the Daily Mail accusing John Bercow MP of being an “oily opportunist”.

No mention, bizarrely, of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill last year - when Bercow was perhaps the rare sensible and rational Tory voice on the issue while Dorries herself was desperately trying to use it to restrict abortion rights for women. A case of sour grapes Ms Dorries? And it should come as absolutely no surprise to you that Nadine Dorries fanboys Iain Dale and Guido Fawkes have both been vigorously attacking Bercow for his centrism.

But you may be heartened to know that mySociety.org have been running a campaign to get potential Speakers to endorse 3 Principles around more digital openness. Most have now endorsed. Tom Watson MP in the IoS today also says he’ll be pushing for more digital openness in Parliament.
(PS - I’m back from a week long break)

Is the Russian buying the Indy?

Brand Republic is reporting that Evening Standard owner Alexander Lebedev is in talks to buy The Independent.

Trying to blame the left for racism

There are two strategic reasons why the BNP was elected. First, the Labour party vote split and collapsed. Secondly, the left was split by infighting and small, inconsequential parties that had not much separating them. These things can be debated, and it’s right to ask why the Labour party has failed the working classes.

What does annoy me though are attempts by rightwing commentators, who really should know better, to pin the blame on ethnic minorities themselves and “the left”. It’s a nice rhetorical trick that makes them feel better - it’s not like the Conservative Party ever appropriated the language of the racists and had any of their members use the slogan “If you want a nigger for a neighbour vote Labour“. I mean that is just the work of fantasy isn’t it?
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Top Stories - Tuesday 9th June

IN FROM THE COLD

Nationwide
Welcome for boost to housing market
Griffin tries to build extremist bloc in Europe
Darling says Labour to blame for BNP poll
Channel 4 puts back catalogue online

International
Shell settles Nigeria deaths case
Bound, blindfolded and beaten, by Israeli troops
Lebanon feels the Obama effect
Economy shows cracks in European Union

DAILY BLOG REVIEW / coming soon…

… previous Netcasts

The BNP is definitely far-right

It looks like various conservative figures are on a mission to convince everyone the BNP is a “far-left” party than actually what it is: a far-right party. Tim Montgomerie of CH has drafted a letter to the BBC to make a formal complaint. Well, I’m going to draft a letter listing all the reasons the BNP is a far-right party and the media should describe it as such.

No doubt some will make points supporting Tim’s positions but can I at least hear a whole range of points supporting the “far-right” tag so I can write something comprehensive?

James Purnell saved Brown’s skin

A few thoughts on the plotting to get rid of the Prime Minister:

1) It looks like James Purnell inadvertently saved Brown’s skin by resigning early and forcing cabinet ministers into a corner. They were compelled to pledge loyalty to Brown as he planned a hurried reshuffle, and thus any plotting that could have come following last night’s terrible election results died a premature death.

2) The government’s central talking point since the re-shuffle has been that voters expect them to deal with the MPs expenses crisis. And if you notice, most of the ministers heavily tainted by the scandals have gone: James Purnell, Hazel Blears, Jacqui Smith, Tony McNulty and Geoff Hoon. The only major offender he couldn’t get rid off was Darling, mostly because the city and the FT mostly said he should be kept there. And that Darling could have revolted (though I doubt it). Of course Gordon Brown can’t actually make this point otherwise they’d have to explain why some like Darling didn’t go - but it definitely looks like an attempt to clear out the front-bench of the biggest offenders. None of the media have picked this up.
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European Elections live blog

I’m no longer live-blogging. The results are below, and there’s many more of my thoughts on my twitter page.

Big Stories
- Labour now third nationally at 16%.
- BNP get two MEPs elected
- Greens biggest winners in SW and SE (2 MEPs)
- UKIP share of vote increases by less than 1% since 2005.
- Tories biggest winners of tonight
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The good side to resignations

The good points
1. James Purnell is gone and discredited.
2. Hazel Blears is gone, and discredited.
3. John Denham now has a bigger role.
4. General Election averted.
5. Adam Boulton on Sky looks foolish for scaremongering.
6. Alstair Darling remains (the FT called for him to stay)
7. Geoff Hoon also gone!
8. John Hutton standing down as an MP
10. Tony McNulty has gone!
11. Caroline Flint has gone (why didn’t she resign earlier?)

Bad points
1. Alan Sugar!??
2. Alan Johnson is going to become insufferably authoritarian, and thus disliked.
3. Gordon Brown is still around.
4. Caroline Flint gone (hardly any women left)
5. Peter Mandelson is still around.

Purnell quits; Labour meltdown open thread

Updates

12:58am John Prescott on Purnell: “Not so much a Blarite as a careerite.”

12:50am More senior party members offering support to Brown: Jack Straw, David Miliband, John Hutton, John Denham, Caroline Flint, Phil Woolas, Shahid Malik and more.

12:30am George Osborne keeps calling for an election shock! Is the guy a robot? Does he have nothing else to say?

12:05am Peter Kilfoyle MP: Purnell / Blears resignation “student union politics”
11:47pm: John Hutton also backs Gordon Brown (BBC News)
11:46pm: David Miliband statement: “I’m not resigning!”
11:45pm: Why are BBC journos saying Purnell is ‘untainted’ by expense scandal?
11:42pm: Siobhain McDonagh also calls for PM to go (BBC).

- Sunder: Why James Purnell is not as Blairite as he looks
- Graham Allen MP calls for Brown to go.
- LabourList has Purnell’s resignation letter.

———-
So the man who should have quit alongside Hazel Blears over the expenses scandal is now trying his best to become the hero of the hour.

Or in other words the biggest rat is jumping ship.

Headline points on the Guardian:
• [Purnell] tells PM to quit; give Labour ‘fighting chance’
• Brown offered Balls’ job to Purnell ahead of reshuffle
• Rebels say 75 MPs support email calling for new leader

The BBC’s Nick Robinson is still downplaying Purnell’s expenses mistakes while over-playing the Blairite-Brownite narrative. Given that Mandelson, seen as the biggest Blairite, has been backing Gordon Brown to the hilt - isn’t it time the Westminster press dropped his fatuous narrative? I’ll update this post as news comes in from the European elections too.