Should I Have Questioned the PM's State of Mind?
- 7 Jun 2009
Last night I took part in a very bad tempered half hour paper review on Sky News alongside Eve Pollard and Michael White of the Guardian. White was not in a good mood, as we were doing it on the Sky News platform opposite the House of Lords rather than in a nice warm studio. ...
The Consequences of a Disappearing Chipmunk
- 5 Jun 2009
Knock Knock Who's There? Hazel Hazel Who? That's politics They say a week is a long time in politics. In the modern media age, I think we can reduce that to an hour. Hazel Blears resigned on Wednesday, but less than three days later she is already the forgotten ...
Evening Standard: Dale Was Right About Reid & Brown
- 5 Jun 2009
Last night, just before midnight I posted this story... The usual anonymous commenters accused me of making it up. Quelle suprise. Quite why anyone would read this blog if they thought I habitually did that, I have no idea, but I digress. Today, lobby journalists hav...
My Election Night on 'Play Radio'
- 5 Jun 2009
Getting up at 5.15am, whizzing down to College Green to do Sky News Sunrise and then driving for two hours to Arundel was perhaps not the ideal preparation to present what turned out to be a nine hour marathon election programme. And due to traffic I was late. However, we g...
The Consequences of Hazel Blears
- 4 Jun 2009
A few weeks ago I warned that the Prime Minister might soon experience the wrath of a wounded chipmunk. I could never have predicted that Hazel Blears would resign from the Cabinet the day before an important set of elections. Her departure is entirely understandable, as she h...
The Origin of the Chipmunk
- 4 Jun 2009
I think one of my biggest claims to fame in politics is to have invented the internet the nickname of "The chipmunk" for Hazel Blears. I looked back in my blog archive and I first used the expression in a blogpost on 28 December 2005. I was doing my end of year awards... LA...
An Open Letter to Lord Kalms
- 3 Jun 2009
Dear Stanley, Nearly two years ago, in July 2007, you took great exception to a blogpost I wrote which suggested that party donors should be seen and not heard. When we met to discuss it we had a good laugh about it and buried the hatchet. I explained my motives for writing...
Jacqui Smith Falls on Her Sword
- 2 Jun 2009
Whether Gordon Brown intended to hold a reshuffle or not, Jacqui Smith has just given him no choice, by letting it be known she will be resigning as Home Secretary at the end of the week. Tom Watson has made a similar decision. The fact is that Jacqui Smith should never hav...
After Julie
- 30 May 2009
OK, OK, I know I promised not to write about expenses related stories today, but I can hardly not write about the latest news, can I? As you might guess I am very sad that Julie Kirkbride has announced she is stepping down at the next election. Let's not bother rehearsing a...
Last Night's 'Play Radio' Show
- 30 May 2009
Last night's radio show and Hollie Steel from Britain's Got Talent had one thing in common - we both had to start again. Until my show starts on Play Talk, the station plays the music output of Play 2. Unfortunately when I did my intro, unbeknown to me the music kept on playin...
Mea Culpa
- 21 May 2009
Yesterday Associated Newspaper, publishers of the Mail on Sunday, issued an apology to Tom Watson MP and paid damages over an article written by me which they published on 12 April about the Damian McBride emails. You can read the full statement on Tom's blog HERE. I apolog...
Cabinet Office Reveals Dale McBride/Draper Emails
- 19 May 2009
On 27 March I emailed Damian McBride informing him I was putting in a Freedom of Information & Data Protection request to find out the contents of emails he had been sending to Derek Draper relating to me, over the Carol Thatcher Today programme interview. I was told that ...
In the Name of God Go
- 18 May 2009
I feel a profound sense of both anger and sadness having listened to the Speaker's statement. Sadness that he refused to address any of the Points of Order and anger that he made no mention of hos own plans. All he did was announce a plan to call a meeting of party leaders. It...
Eight Pointless Facts About Me
- 17 May 2009
Tory Rascal has tagged me in the EIGHT POINTLESS THINGS ABOUT ME meme. Only eight? It's what Sunday afternoons are for, innit. 1. My German oral for my final exams at university had to be postponed because the previous day a motorcyclist broke his leg when he hit my...
Why Do I Do It?
- 17 May 2009
My partner thinks I am mad. "What on earth are you doing, going to North Wales to speak to 60 people who've never heard of you?" he asked on Thursday night. "Are they paying you?" It was an interesting question. I find it very difficult to explain to people outside politics wh...
Derek Draper Says Sorry
- 15 May 2009
Andrew Pierce has written a piece for the Telegraph today about Derek Draper's apology for the racism jibe against me. Mr Draper wrote: "While I do think it is right that we hold our opponents accountable our tone has sometimes been wrong. On the specifics of Iain Dale...
Interview with Labour List
- 12 May 2009
I listened to your internet radio show the other day. Are you trying to become the British Rush Limbaugh? No, I’m not! I’m not trying to be a US style shock-jock but the fact is that on the internet you can be opinionated. You can do a three-minute monologue about what you ...
The MP & the Photo of a Dying Soldier
- 11 May 2009
Tory MP James Gray seems to have developed a habit of embarrassing himself in matters military. Following on from Saturday night's revelation that he tried to recoup the cost of a Remembrance Sunday wreath, I have now learned of something which further illustrates just how cra...
Media Masters
- 10 May 2009
Jeremy Nicholas is the match day announcer at West Ham and does a lot of radio & TV work. He's just published an excellent book called MEDIA MASTERS: INSIDER SECRETS FROM THE BIG NAMES OF BROADCAST, PRINT & SOCIAL MEDIA. For some inexplicable reason there's an intervie...
My Debut on Play Radio
- 9 May 2009
Thanks to all of those who listened last night to my show on PlayRadioUK. To those who couldn't listen at the time and have emailed asking about a Podcast version, I am told it will be available tomorrow. I have to say I enjoyed myself tremendously. We had some great calls ...