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 ...
In Conversation with Matthew Parris
- 9 May 2009
This article appeared in a 2009 edition of Total Politics magazine. Iain: How has turning 60 affected you, if it all? Matthew: I’ve got a bit of a limp which comes from literally tens of thousands of miles training for marathons. I did my last London marathon in 19...
Best Wishes to LabourList & Let's Lay Off Derek Draper
- 7 May 2009
Following the confirmation of my story yesterday afternoon that Derek Draper has resigned as editor of LabourList, I just want to scribble a few final words on the issue. First of all, let's show a bit of human compassion towards Derek. It's not nice to kick a man when...
What do Edwina Currie & Ann Widdecombe Have in Common?
- 5 May 2009
What should I make of the fact that I get emails today from Ann Widdecombe and Edwina Currie announcing they both have new email addresses? Just askin'... Reminds me of a wonderful afternoon at the Tory Party Conference in 2002 just after Edwina had published her diaries. A...
Fortune Favours Brave Chipmunks
- 4 May 2009
From the Daily Mash... Hazel Blears: Britain's most powerful Borrower. Lives inside the skirting boards at Number 10 where she chews through the modem cables and eats off an old bobbin. Can make a Babybel cheese last for a month Wounded chipmunks can be very da...
The May 1979 Meme
- 3 May 2009
Paul Burgin of the Mars Hill blog has tagged me in this May 1979 meme. How old were you? Sixteen. What are your personal political memories, if you have any? I was in the Lower Sixth at Saffron Walden County High School. The school decided to have a mock electio...
Why Brown's Troubles Could Spell Bad News for the Tories
- 2 May 2009
Gordon Brown’s political obituary has been written many times over the 22 months of his short premiership. This time, though, my political antenna tells me that he is in real trouble. And that spells bad news for the Tories. It has been a humiliating week for the Prime Ministe...
A Shouting Match Live on Air With George Galloway
- 2 May 2009
I have never shouted at a radio presenter before, but I have just had the Mother of all rows with George Galloway on TalkSport. Quite incredible. I had been invited on to talk about the 30th anniversary of Margaret Thatcher's 1979 election victory. He started off by intro...
Happy 80th Birthday to Jeremy Thorpe
- 29 Apr 2009
Last night, John and I attended an 80th birthday celebration for former Liberal leader Jeremy Thorpe at the National Liberal Club. It was quite a touching event, with speeches from Nick Clegg, Alan Beith and Nick Harvey among others. Why was I there? I got to know Jeremy and h...