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  • August 2008
  • July 2008

After a few days of being a little bit of a mess I’m ready to get back involved! SO many things in the last week…
I’d like to congratulate Clare Hilley and Steven George on their engagement (and pre-empt Clare’s bid to be the next CF Chairman…?). They’re both incredibly lovely and I’m so happy for them both (if not a little jealous!).

Secondly, as promised the Salisbury dinner; I don’t have much to write to be honest. It was a fantastic night, everyone was on great form (Ben and Christian in particular if my drunken memories are correct), and a great first to night to what I am sure will become a regular event. I’m looking forward to the next one at Conference and still have no clue whatsoever as to where my phone ended up. Does anyone know what bar we went to before 1dive1? It may be there.

Finally, after a pleasantly surprising response to my first interview I want to do a few more. Perhaps more seriously this time. Tory Bear is coming up soon when he returns from distant beaches and anyone else wanting to get involved CONTACT ME!

My puppy died this evening and I don’t quite know how to cope with it. I’ve had her since I was 7, my Dad got her for me after my Mum died to take my mind off things and I guess in a way it worked. She is the most beautiful puppy in the world and never cared when I cried on her, and was always happy if I was happy, and made me happy if I wasn’t, and I still keep turning around because I think I can hear her. She would have been 13 next month which is old for cocker spaniels but Cass never seemed old - a week ago she was jumping at barking and happy and I miss her more than I have ever missed anyone. She died in my arms and I guess it’s better that way than at a vets or on her own but seeing the life slip away from something so perfect, so beautiful and someone who always saw the best in you and never saw your faults and loved you no matter what - I don’t know what to do without her.

I love you little girl, please be okay x

Sorry I haven’t written anything in a while. I went to the Salisbury dinner and the East India Club the other night and it really was a great evening. Unfortunately i lost my phone, any word on that will recieve a massive reward.
Even more unfortunately my puppy is really sick. When I say puppy it isn’t strictly true, she’s nearly 13 and a cocker spaniel so I’m insanely worried and consequently don’t really have the heart to write up dinners etc for a day or two.

I’ll put up something better later probably and will be doing a guest post for tory bear.

This is possibly the funniest thing I’ve seen in a while:

Polar Bears are being sedated so they can be measured and then tagged.
I presume this is to try and stop them dying out but seriously, what Polar Bear is going to want to mate with one looking like this?

Sorry I haven’t put this up sooner, I’ve had an odd few days.

So, the interview was a last minute plan and done in a very informal way over dinner with Anastasia and Patrick before a few more drinks after. I wanted to do it in the aftermath of what was a pretty awful week for Anastasia from the internet blogs and following great speculation about the next CF Chairman elections. We are also coming up to conference and there has been great talk of CF reforms (these hadn’t been leaked at the time of interview but I intend to write a great deal on my feelings towards these ideas as the story unfolds…) so I thought perhaps now is the time to chat to two of the more prominent NME members about their feelings right now regarding these issues:

I’d first like to set the scene for this so some of the more obscure details make a little more sense; the entire night was a spontaneous idea I had to try and cheer Anastasia up a little after a bloody awful week so I forced her up to London and the 3 of us went for a combination of oysters, steak and (accidental) lobster with a fair few glasses of wine. I wanted a positive interview that wasn’t too intense or cutting to try and show some of the CF positivity I support. I’ve written countless times about how I feel regarding the nasty side of our little politics club and just how hideous and pointless I think it is - it takes away from our goal and the real work (campaigning at local levels) we are here to do whilst putting dedicated people off, making the whole of CF look like a bunch of squabbling children and generally causing unwanted havoc.

Finally, I apologise if at times this doesn’t make complete sense. I’m translating from very hastily taken notes after a massively emotional morning today and consequently am feeling a little insane.

I’d like to start with the FT piece that was finally printed on August 4^th. It has received very mixed reviews, some supportive and some awful; as two of the four CF members referred to particularly what are your feelings regarding the article now and how it has been received by CF as a whole?

ABB:  There was definitely room for improvement and is an example of why CF needs funded press training from CCHQ.

P: I can only agree. If we are allowed to handle the press then we should receive some form of training. And I don’t think I’m rotund!

Anastasia, a lot of emphasis was given to your personal life rather than your work within the party. How do you feel about this and do you think you may live to regret being so open? 

ABB: I can hardly complain about Rob Blackhurst saying I was bisexual.  I’m the founder and director of LGBTory, people knowing about my sexuality is all part of the package.  I have always been very open about my personal life and what I have been through as it is the reason I’m in politics - I don’t want anyone else to go through what I did because of homophobia.  I could either stand up and say “No” to homophobia and then sit back down, or I could stand up, say “No” to homophobia and then take my experiences from life and use them to show people you don’t have to tolerate homophobia. Whether I live to regret it or not, if I can show people that LGBTory is genuine and show people that the Conservative party is the voice of change that can stamp out homophobia, then I believe I will have done what I have set out to do with LGBTory.

Patrick, on a similarly personal note you said at the Manchester hustings that you were not running for the NME to pick up girls? Is this still the case?

P: (laughs) That’s a pointed question! I’m in this for the good of the party not for girls – but I’ve found that “I’m national campaigns director” is a great chat up line!

On a more serious note, with the recent surge of activity on internet blogs such as Tory Bear and tBg, where do you both stand on the issue of freedom of speech versus moderation of comments?

ABB: There’s a difference between freedom of speech and libellous comments. I always believe freedom is only true when it doesn’t harm the freedom of others. 

ME: Patrick, considering your open love for Hayek, I would presume you agree with this notion of negative freedom? 

P: I do. Freedom is important however it must be ensured that malicious and untrue rumours are not perpetuated.

ABB: I think bloggers should note the defamation act! There’s a difference between insulting and slanderous. It is also bad for the image of CF because the blogs can be seen by anyone.

P: There is a line and bloggers must be responsible. Like Tory Bear has become.

And Anastasia are you sick of being talked about on these blogs? Especially considering some of the content?

ABB: Yes!

 There has also been a great deal of speculation regarding the next CF elections. Do you think it’s too early at just 5 months into the current NME’s term for this?

 ABB: Yes, I think it is a little. I would also like to reiterate I will not be running!

P: It’s never too early to think but this time in the last cycle I’d never heard of Rock or Daryl who came 1^st and 2^nd. You can judge from recent elections that it is possible the next chairman is currently unknown; alternatively, it could be someone already very much involved.

 Do you think conference will show new potential candidates coming out of the woodwork? If so, would you like to speculate who?

 P: I hear Tory Bear might stand or potentially some of my NME colleagues. I hear Richard Jackson is offering free towels for votes!

 (I’d like to add that at this point Anastasia asks whether her lobster died in pain – a new minister for animal welfare?)

 Anastasia, I hear from a reliable source you are actually ginger. Is this true?

ABB: (giggles slightly crazily) No I am not ginger!

 

And with this our very, very informal interview ends!

 

The night before last I went for dinner and a fair few drinks with Patrick Sullivan and Anastasia Beaumont Bott, both of whom are NME members and the latter of which has appeared in rather a few too many online blog pieces over the last week or so. I interviewed them on the recent chairman speculation, ABB’s bad press, Patrick’s abuse of his position to get women and our upcoming conference among other things but right now I’m far too tired after losing far too much money at Sandown races so it will go up tomorrow!

So there’s been fake foot prints, planted “supporters” and now a little girl has been deemed not perfect enough to sing at the opening ceremony. You couldn’t make this up.
The fact that China has failed its promises of free media on top of a multitude of other broken promises (air quality, human rights etc) only high lights why the Western world should have boycotted this farce long ago.

It seems twisted that a child of 7 is told moments before her performance that she is not pretty enough to be the face of China due to imperfect teeth and another child of 9 is paraded around as the “perfect” face of this “new China”.
“Our rehearsals had already been vetted several times - they were all very strict.”  says the musical designer. “The main consideration was the national interest,” he continues, “The child on the screen should be flawless in image, in her internal feelings, and in her expression.”
What on earth is meant by her “internal feelings”? I pity both children, the one who has been pushed aside for not being quite pretty enough especially.

No matter what flawless image China may be trying to promote it is clearly hiding a deeply morally flawed ideology. I doubt the world will be convinced.

Today the decision by the Criminal Injury Compensation Authority to cut rape victims’ compensation by 25% if they were drunk at the time has been over turned. A fantastic ruling that will hopefully set a precedent to stop such awful discrimination.

The problem with this decision goes past the loss of money to the victim, I doubt that is off much comfort to many, but the reason it is allowed; the rules of the CICA scheme allow state-funded compensation to be reduced for victims of crime in cases where they are at fault. Rape is never, ever the victim’s fault and it’s that attitude that stops many victims coming forward.

However, this positive ruling was undermined by the BBC’s awful and pointed reporting. Whilst discussing what had taken place and the consequences a clip was shown of young women out drinking and every one was wearing a short skirt. The report didn’t show faces just a multitude of tiny skirts and high heels as if these women are at fault for drinking and dressing in such a way. It really is about time the BBC were a little more responsible and considered the consequences of how they portray certain stories. It is not illegal to drink or to dress up but it is illegal to rape somebody.

I took this seriously… Forget CF Chairman…Hallam for President!!!

http://www.news3online.com/index.php?code=57Zn1X845mNB618ua5bm

Take a look and feel free to laugh at me forever xxx

Drinkies in London tonight if anyone wants to come along….

…because I need to get out of the Shire!

And have someone I want to interview…

Have a good Saturday x

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